Samsung Galaxy on5 does not fully turn on anymore

[aieie]

Thanks. I started the Smart Switch process. Unfortunately the device is not recognized. I am now trying to run the Emergency Software Recovery, as prompted on the display of my phone as soon as I plug it into my pc.
Smart Switch says "If the software update fails to complete, the device will appear in the list below". So far nothing has shown up, but I do not get if something is happening or is not. There is a "Emergency recovery using the recovery code" button, but I do not have any code so it does not suit me. I guess I will let it go for a while, although I am quite pessimistic...
Thanks again for the support!

 

[lunatic59]

Might work, but you'll have to give it a good amount of time ( a couple of hours at least).

 

[aieie]

It has not worked. After many hours nothing happened on the Emergency Recovery page. There was no sign of software update failure either. When I hit okay, Smart Switch kept saying "Unsupported Device".
I do not believe that happens because the phone is old. The Galaxy on5 is from 2016. Maybe because it is a basic model.

Is Samsung Kies an alternative to Smart Switch for non-advanced devices?

 

[mikedt]

I believe Smart Switch is what basically superceded Kies. If Kies is still supported or not, have no idea

 

[aieie]

I believe Smart Switch is what basically superceded Kies. If Kies is still supported or not, have no idea

Gotcha, thanks!

Actually, I am re-reading the error message on the phone display. It says: "An error has occurred while updating the device software. Use the Emergency recovery function in the Smart Switch PC software".
This already addresses my question. Smart Switch is the right software and my phone should be compatible with it.

 

[aieie]

Other confirmation.

From

https://support.t-mobile.com/docs/DOC-30337

1. Download and install Samsung Smart Switch that is compatible with your computer from http://www.samsung.com/us/support/smart-switch-support/#!/

 

[aieie]

I believe Smart Switch is what basically superceded Kies. If Kies is still supported or not, have no idea

From

https://support.t-mobile.com/docs/DOC-10444

Learn about the Samsung Smart Switch app for Android 4.3 and later. For Android 4.2 and earlier, use Samsung Kies for Android devices.

 

[lunatic59]

Kids is for older phones. Smart switch replaced it several years ago.

 

[aieie]

I bumped into this

It is in Spanish, sorry. His problem looks identical to mine. Flashing via Odin fails at System. The phone display calls for an Emergency Recovery via Smart Switch, and the Smart Switch software says the phone is an unsupported device. I have exactly these three issues.
To sort them out the guy introduces the IMEI and S/N code during the Emergency Recovery (34 seconds into the video). However, I cannot find such option in the latest version of Smart Switch (please see a screenshot below) .

 

[lunatic59]

Just to be clear, you have the phone in download mode when you plug it into the PC?

I know that smart switch usually requires the IMEI and s/n to identify the phone.

 

[aieie]

Here's the official download link for the last version with device initialization function:
downloadcenter.samsung.com/content/SW/201706/20170601113339558/Smart_Switch_PC_Setup.exe

However, the software does not launch. Maybe too old a version for Windows 10?

 

[aieie]

Just to be clear, you have the phone in download mode when you plug it into the PC?

I do. Or better, the download mode does not show up anymore since I ran an (unsuccessful) Odin flash. As said above, the display shows "An error has occurred while updating the device software. Use the Emergency recovery function in the Smart Switch PC software".

Currently downloading

https://www.sammobile.com/firmwares/galaxy-on5/SM-G550T1/TMK/download/G550T1UVU2AQC4/206346/

I may need it, I may not, but my download speed is quite slow, so I thought of getting stuff ready in case I wanna give it a go.

 

[lunatic59]

That's very curious. At this point I think it's time to send it to a Samsung service center.

 

[aieie]

That's very curious. At this point I think it's time to send it to a Samsung service center.

Uh, I am not in the States anymore. I wonder whether I can find support overseas. Phone was unlocked long time ago though.

Do you think it is a bad idea to flash the firmware with the other Product Code? I guess there is no worse damage I can make...

Tossing another few options...
Could running Smart Switch on Mac make a difference?
If I find a computer running at least Windows 7 I may get the Smart Switch version with device initialization to work? On the thread posted above people used that version successfully at the end of 2017, so they must have had Windows 7 as OS?

 

[lunatic59]

Do you think it is a bad idea to flash the firmware with the other Product Code? I guess there is no worse damage I can make...

Many times the firmware for a different model, even if it is in the same general line of products, simply won't install. If it does, it could brick your phone to the point of not being able to recover it. That's up to you whether you want to take that risk or not.

My guess why smart switch isn't working is that somehow you managed to alter the original bootloader so download mode is no longer functional. Of course, if you can't get it into download mode not, I don't think Odin is going to recognize the device.

One more thing you might try is to completely uninstall smart switch and all Samsung drivers, reboot the PC and then reinstall smart switch. If you have some old drivers lingering about it might be why the phone isn't recognized. (just guessing, but it's worth a try.) Oh, and try a different cable. Even if you are using the OEM cable, they do go bad.

 

[aieie]

Of course, if you can't get it into download mode not, I don't think Odin is going to recognize the device.

Odin can still recognize the phone. I can start a flashing, and the process interrupts with a failure at system exactly as when I first tried.

One more thing you might try is to completely uninstall smart switch and all Samsung drivers, reboot the PC and then reinstall smart switch.

That is an excellent point, thanks! Do you mean the latest version of Smart Switch or the one with the initialization feature I grabbed from xda developers?

 

[lunatic59]

I would try the official version first. You may have to run it as an administrator for it to access the phone (you shouldn't, but you might have to anyway).

 

[Jfalls63]

If you are positive of the model number, SM-G550T, try this firmware with Odin. This is the last official released version.
https://updato.com/firmware-archive-select-model?record=994F3F1210FB11E7963AFA163EE8F90B

 

[aieie]

Quick update of the soap opera

I tried to put the phone back into download mode at least 20 times in the last two days. No way even by removing the battery for hours. Now all of a sudden the error message calling for Emergency Recovery disappeared, and download mode showed up. No clue what I did different.

Do you think it is a bad idea to flash the firmware with the other Product Code? I guess there is no worse damage I can make...

I asked a stupid question above and at the start of this thread. When in download mode the phone display shows that the model number is SM-G550T2 ! So there is no point of downloading the firmware with Product Code TMK. Apologies for noticing only now!

One more thing you might try is to completely uninstall smart switch and all Samsung drivers, reboot the PC and then reinstall smart switch.

I did that, and I could install the old version with the device initialization tab in the Emergency Recovery panel.
However, my phone is not recognized, please see below.
If I use SM-G550T2 as model name, Smart Switch does not recognize the phone and does not ask for the S/N.

Being the phone back in download mode, I tried to flash it again with Odin. It failed at system again. However, this time the phone remained in download mode (no call for Emergency Recovery via Smart Switch).

I then thought of uninstalling the "old" Smart Switch and re-installing the latest version, since I had never tried it with the phone in true download mode. To my surprise, Smart Switch did not detect any device! I reinstalled the USB driver. Nothing. I pressed volume down/power/bixby and the phone woke up with the error calling for Emergency Recovery. I plugged it back into the USB port and Smart Switch now detected an "unsupported device".

 

[aieie]

If you are positive of the model number, SM-G550T, try this firmware with Odin. This is the last official released version.
https://updato.com/firmware-archive-select-model?record=994F3F1210FB11E7963AFA163EE8F90B

Thanks! Given the huge size of the file, do you think that firmware is different to the one downloaded at https://www.sammobile.com/firmwares/galaxy-on5/SM-G550T2/TMB/download/G550T2UVU2AQC4/206400/?

 

[Jfalls63]

Should be different than the T2.
Updato has faster download speed and you don't have to create a account.
Firmware is model number specific. Not sure but the difference between 550T and 550T2
Could be the issue you are having. Seen it before with the Galaxy Grand Prime and a T-Mobile MVNO carrier branded version.
Have to be sure of the model number.

 

[aieie]

Should be different than the T2.

Thanks, I tried that too, but it did not work.