Android Phone reboots every 30 seconds...

kennysarmy

kennysarmy

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My daughters phone has suddenly started rebooting every 30 seconds.

Tried taking the battery out for a while - still the same.

I've worked out how to boot it in to safe mode and then it seems OK.

To me this proves it's a software or app glitch....

Is the only option to factory restore or is it worth un-installing all her apps one by one or is there another option to diagnose what is causing this?

Cheers
 
Sounds like a bootloop which can also happen during flashing firmwares. Factory reset usually fixes it if firmware is stock and your can acess that option. If not stock, you can go into recovery and reflash firmware.
 
twist said:
Sounds like a bootloop which can also happen during flashing firmwares. Factory reset usually fixes it if firmware is stock and your can acess that option. If not stock, you can go into recovery and reflash firmware.
Click to expand...

Yes it's just the stock build - it's been on in safe mode for about 30 minutes now, but the unlock pattern my daughter left me is not working - so until I get that I'm stuck to do anything :(

I presume even at safe mode you can unlock the phone with an unlock pattern, and she's just given me the wrong one!!!
 
kennysarmy said:
Yes it's just the stock build - it's been on in safe mode for about 30 minutes now, but the unlock pattern my daughter left me is not working - so until I get that I'm stuck to do anything :(

I presume even at safe mode you can unlock the phone with an unlock pattern, and she's just given me the wrong one!!!
Click to expand...

Hopefully. Good luck.
 
I've now got the right unlock pattern....

If I boot to safe mode and don't unlock it stays on, or appears to - I've had it in this state for 30+ mins.

If I boot to safe mode and unlock it crashes/reboots pretty much straight away when I start digging our Settings.

If I boot to safe mode and unlock and leave it at the menu screen it can reboot after a few seconds or stay stable for a while..

I've had it on long enough to copy off all the photos in the DCIM folder and that's it....
 
Check if you can use the manufacturer software to backup all your messages and contacts. Or sync your contacts to Google account before your wipe.
 
Going to try this:

Performing a factory reset may take some time, so make sure that you plug your device into a power source before you start. If your phone becomes unresponsive at any point during these steps, you can restart it by holding down the Power button for several seconds.

  1. If your phone is on, turn it off.
  2. Press and hold the Volume Down and Volume Up buttons, and then press and hold the Power button at the same time until the phone turns on. You'll see the word "Start" with an arrow around it.
  3. Press the Volume Down button twice to highlight "Recovery."
  4. Press the Power button to restart into Recovery mode. You'll see an image of an Android robot with a red exclamation mark and the words "No command".
  5. While holding down the Power button, press and release the Volume Up button once.
  6. Press the Volume Down button three times to highlight "wipe data/factory reset" and press the Power button to select it.
  7. Press the Volume Down button seven times to highlight "Yes - erase all user data" and press the Power button to select it.
  8. After the reset is complete, press the Power button to select the option to reboot your device.
 
It looks like it's doing something the messages come up:

-- Wiping data...
Formatting /data
Formatting /cache
Data wipe complete.


I then restart and all the apps etc are still there - I thought this was going to reset the phone back to factory settings!
 
kennysarmy said:
It looks like it's doing something the messages come up:

-- Wiping data...
Formatting /data
Formatting /cache
Data wipe complete.


I then restart and all the apps etc are still there - I thought this was going to reset the phone back to factory settings!
Click to expand...
depending on how you've set your phone up, it'll remember some of your settings and apps and reapply them on first switch on.
 
neil_g said:
depending on how you've set your phone up, it'll remember some of your settings and apps and reapply them on first switch on.
Click to expand...

The android version is JWR66Y and it's a Galaxy Nexus.

Does anyone know of any instructions I can follow to reload on the operating system using a Windows 7 64 bit PC?
 
1) Make sure your computer recognizes your device by typing: fastboot devices
2) Unlock your bootloader (if you have not already done so): fastboot oem unlock
3) You will see a prompt on your device. This will wipe your entire device (including the /sdcard folder). Accept. Note: you use the volume keys to change the option and the power button to accept. You cannot use the touch screen.
4) Reboot by typing: fastboot reboot-bootloader
5) Flash the bootloader: fastboot flash bootloader bootloader-mako-makoz10o.img (or whatever the name of the bootloader image that you downloaded).
6) Reboot: fastboot reboot-bootloader
7) Flash the radio: fastboot flash radio radio-mako-m9615a-cefwmazm-2.0.1700.48.img (or whatever the name is of the radio image that you downloaded).
8) Reboot: fastboot reboot-bootloader
9) Flash the system partition: fastboot flash system system.img
10) Optional, but read note. Flash the data partition: fastboot flash userdata userdata.img Note: this command will wipe your device (including /sdcard), EVEN if your bootloader is already unlocked.See note 2 below.
11) Flash the kernel/ramdisk: fastboot flash boot boot.img
12) Flash the recovery partition: fastboot flash recovery recovery.img
13) Erase the cache partition: either a) fastboot erase cache OR b)fastboot format cache<<== the second option seems to work better for most people. Thanks joostburg.
14) Reboot: fastboot reboot
15) Done! The first boot will likely take quite a bit longer than you are used to, as Android builds the Dalvik cache.


I'm up to step 9.
Fastboot Status on the phone says "flash system"

How long should this take?
 
What was the last app or update installed on it before it went mental? Also if it's run out of internal memory that can send them into a right fritz. Or if some app uses a particular memory card and that memory card doesn't work it can again go nuts.

Does it have a micro SD card slot and is there anything in it?

Was it installed originally as a fresh phone or was content migrated from other devices?
 
srichards said:
What was the last app or update installed on it before it went mental? Also if it's run out of internal memory that can send them into a right fritz. Or if some app uses a particular memory card and that memory card doesn't work it can again go nuts.

Does it have a micro SD card slot and is there anything in it?

Was it installed originally as a fresh phone or was content migrated from other devices?
Click to expand...

Plenty spare disk space left, device does not have an SD card.

Was factory reset by myself before I gave it to my daughter (it used to be my phone)
 
Well I left it longer at step 9 and it eventually completed - I did all the remaining steps - no errors - phone rebooted and it's exactly the same as it was!!!!

EVERYTHING IS STILL THERE - all apps, data etc - I don't know how it could flash everything - with no errors and still be the same!
 
Phew, its good when a plan comes to fruition. Glad you got it sorted
 
Reflashing the ROM and completing part 10) should have wiped every last user app/file off the phone
 
Bit of a head scratcher.
Only other suggestion I have is to put a custom ROM on it. In putting a custom bootloader on it you should be able to wipe both the OS partition, the user partition and also what's left over as internal memory
 
kennysarmy said:
I can't find how to put a custom Rom on using Odin, other ways say to copy Rom to the phone, but it doesn't stay on long enough to do that :(
Click to expand...

Odin is a pure Samsung tool so it might not work on the nexus model unless I'm missing something.
If you can get a custom recovery onto the phone that may just set you in the right direction.

Worth making a recovery image of your current os if you haven't already done so before you go down the custom route.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
A quick check on XDA developers suggests a galaxy nexus tool kit program to put on a custom recovery such as clockworkmod.
From there you will be able to install custom ROM - proceed with caution though as if phone gets bricked there may be no turning back.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
stupar said:
A quick check on XDA developers suggests a galaxy nexus tool kit program to put on a custom recovery such as clockworkmod.
From there you will be able to install custom ROM - proceed with caution though as if phone gets bricked there may be no turning back.
Click to expand...

Well at the moment it's unusable, so I've nothing to lose.

I'll Google nexus toolkit program later...cheers
 
I downloaded and installed Nexus Root Toolkit 2.0.5

Ran the following and this is the Live Log:

Information: Checking ADB/FASTBOOT Connectivity
adb devices
List of devices attached


fastboot devices
0149C2DC0F007012 fastboot

Connectivity Status: Fastboot Device Connected
Information: Fastboot Erasing BOOT...
fastboot erase boot

Information: Fastboot Erasing CACHE...
fastboot erase cache

Information: Fastboot Erasing RECOVERY...
fastboot erase recovery

Information: Fastboot Erasing SYSTEM...
fastboot erase system

Information: Fastboot Erasing USERDATA...
fastboot erase userdata

Information: Done!
Information: Checking ADB/FASTBOOT Connectivity
adb devices
List of devices attached


fastboot devices
0149C2DC0F007012 fastboot

Connectivity Status: Fastboot Device Connected
Information: Fastboot Formating CACHE...
fastboot format cache
Creating filesystem with parameters:
Size: 452984832
Block size: 4096
Blocks per group: 32768
Inodes per group: 6912
Inode size: 256
Journal blocks: 1728
Label:
Blocks: 110592
Block groups: 4
Reserved block group size: 31
Created filesystem with 11/27648 inodes and 3566/110592 blocks

Information: Fastboot Formating SYSTEM...
fastboot format system
Creating filesystem with parameters:
Size: 685768704
Block size: 4096
Blocks per group: 32768
Inodes per group: 6976
Inode size: 256
Journal blocks: 2616
Label:
Blocks: 167424
Block groups: 6
Reserved block group size: 47
Created filesystem with 11/41856 inodes and 5443/167424 blocks

Information: Fastboot Formating USERDATA...
fastboot format userdata
Creating filesystem with parameters:
Size: 14539534336
Block size: 4096
Blocks per group: 32768
Inodes per group: 8144
Inode size: 256
Journal blocks: 32768
Label:
Blocks: 3549691
Block groups: 109
Reserved block group size: 871
Created filesystem with 11/887696 inodes and 97200/3549691 blocks

Information: Done!
adb devices
List of devices attached


fastboot devices
0149C2DC0F007012 fastboot

Information: Rebooting your device...





And after all that the phone rebooted and was exactly as before - how can this be?????? EVERYTHING WAS FOMATTED!
 
Do you have the phone linked to a google account?

Is so make sure it is not set to auto restore
 
Get a custom recovery on it
back up old ROM (just incase)
Install custom ROM (e.g.CyanogenMod)

In theory that should write over everything other than the remaing storage partition (unless you ask it to....be wary though as chances are your backup will be saved to this partition)

If that don't work then I'm stumped!
 
stupar said:
Get a custom recovery on it
back up old ROM (just incase)
Install custom ROM (e.g.CyanogenMod)

In theory that should write over everything other than the remaing storage partition (unless you ask it to....be wary though as chances are your backup will be saved to this partition)

If that don't work then I'm stumped!
Click to expand...


I managed to get Team Win Recovery Project (TWRP) custom recover ROM on there....

Tried this:

In the Advanced section, you’ll find some further features that many users might not require. You can copy the recovery’s log to SD card for accessing it later, which can be useful for debugging purposes. You can also fix file permissions, which can help if things aren’t working properly due to improperly set permissions for important files
​
and it gives errors on some of the partitions when I try to fix file permissions :(
 
Don't worry about certain errors. TWRP tells me every time I flash a new zip that I have a Mount issue with the E drive.

Have you tried putting a custom ROM on the phone yet?
 
TWRP supports OTG so if it is stable whilst in recovery you could flash it from a hard drive or USB pen but you will need an OTG cable
 
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