Gingerbread update bricked my phone also!

[jtrower15]

I do not recommend to anyone installing this update until Verizon can figure out why it bricks some phones. I am currently on the phone with Verizon and the only fix is to send me a new phone.

[Herbb623]

OR

head over to xda developers, search for stock EH03 fascinate update, and load it yourself.

[haw4]

Did you find Tech support to be helpful? I was on the phone with them as well, and they pretty much said the same thing...there is nothing we can do but send you a new phone.

[jtrower15]

Friendly, but not helpful. They told me my phone was covered under Samsung warranty and they would overnight me a new one. I was put on hold, and when the agent came back she explained that my phone was not covered under warranty, but I could file an insurance claim and get a replacement. I then expressed concern that I would have to pay my insurance deductible and the agent said she couldn't comment on that. 

As it stands Verizon hasn't offered to resolve this situation. 

What is the next step for me?

[Wildman]

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jtrower15 wrote:

I do not recommend to anyone installing this update until Verizon can figure out why it bricks some phones. I am currently on the phone with Verizon and the only fix is to send me a new phone.

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No disrespect but I have to ask because so many use the brick term for almost everything....  What exactly is the device doing?

Have you tried wiping the cache of device (Step 1-4 below and select Clear Cache) and if that dont work do a hard reset by following full instructions...

Alternate method

1. Press and hold the Power button.
   If the device is non-responsive, remove then replace the battery. Refer to Battery Inserting / Removing for additional assistance.
   
2. Select Power off.
   
3. Press and hold the Volume Up / Down keys and the Power button simultaneously. When the Samsung logo appears, release only the Power button.
   
   
4. From the Recovery screen, press the Volume down key to select wipe data / factory reset.
   
5. Select Home.
   
6. Select Volume Up to continue.
   Allow the factory reset process to complete (approximately 1 minute).
   
7. Ensure reboot system now is selected.
   
8. Select Home.
   
9. Refer to Initial Activation and Setup.

[stonent]

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Wildman wrote:

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jtrower15 wrote:

I do not recommend to anyone installing this update until Verizon can figure out why it bricks some phones. I am currently on the phone with Verizon and the only fix is to send me a new phone.

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No disrespect but I have to ask because so many use the brick term for almost everything....  What exactly is the device doing?

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True. Bricks are phones that will not go into recovery mode.

Android phones are pretty hard to brick.

I read of someone on another forum that tried to brick his Eris just to see if it could be done, he even went as far as doing a battery pull while flashing a new firmware and was still able to boot back into recovery and restore it.

[Lion123]

As strange as it sounds to many folks but Gingerbread update managed to brick Fascinate. My up/down keys aren't working in the recovery mode. I checked XdaDevelepors forums and found few folks with the same problem. When I will get a rrplacement phone I am not planning neither recommending to update it to Gingerbread.

[thornbe]

Same here, my Up/Down keys did not work in Recovery Mode.  Went to VZW Corporate Store and they were stumped.  Arranged to send me a replacement Fascinate, but I did some "reseach" and was able to recover my phone to VZW Froyo.   Did the Gingerbread OTA Update and everything works fine.

What baffles me is the corporate store had no idea how to fix the phone.  Once I found the "proceedure", it took less than 10 minutes to get stock Froyo back.  Now I need to decide if I want to swap to the replacement Fascinate.  I am leaning towards "No", since my phone is actually working now and the replacement could bring a whole different set is issues.

Thanks,

Tim

[stonent]

I had to use a "procedure" to return my phone back to 2.2.2 before I could load the OTA.

But I bought my phone used online so I have no warranty.

[stonent]

In addition to the "vulcan neck pinch" (pressing both up, down and power at the same time) you can force the phone into download mode by powering on with the volume down held.

If the side buttons are unresponsive you can purchase or build a galaxy s download jig.

Basically it is a 300K Ohm + 1K Ohm resistor in series connected across pin 4 and 5 of a micro usb connector.

When your phone is powered on with a Galaxy S jig plugged in, it should go to a yellow triangle and say "Downloading"

At that point you would remove the jig and plug the phone into a computer that had the correct samsung drivers and a program for restoring the phone. If verizon doesn't have that available for download,  can't really help much with that.

[gfunk1865]

You wouldn't happen to remember the links for your.... project.  I have a... "friend" that would also like to do this. 

[pfarmer]

Similar problems here.

This afternoon I got the notice of the update on my Samsung Fascinate and OK'd it.

Later when I looked at my phone it was stuck at the startup SAMSUNG logo.  

The power button didn't do anything, so I took the battery out and tried again.  And again.  And again.

After perhaps the 5th time, it came up to a different screen.  At the top it said:

    Android sysrtem recovery <3e>

Below that were listed 4 options, with the "reboot system now" option highlighted. The volume up/down keys did not let me toggle among the 4 options.  Pressing the Home key got me a display of an exclamation point in a triangle and a little green Android guy, but no reboot.  No other buttons could make the phone budge from this screen.

Called Verizon support; the phone is under warranty and they're sending me a new one.  They also said that they had 4 other reports of the same thing happening.

[clymer]

Same exact thing - woke up, saw "SAMSUNG" on screen - frozen there solid. Pressed both up and down + power button, but could not toggle up or down.

Stuck in "Android sysrtem recovery <3e>".

Called Verizon wireless support - they said to take phone back to where I got it. Went to the Costco in Nashua NH and they said, go back to Verizon, nothing we can do.  Got back on the horn with Verizon and they said that phone wa still covered under manufacturer warranty - they fedex'd a refurb replacement.

Got it, updated it to gingerbread. All is working now.

{edit for TOS violation}

[clymer]

Hi Cathy:

Would you mind sending me a private message explaining how I violated TOS? I just want to understand what Verizon's policy is, specifically related to rooting. I was under the impression that this was mandated in Federal court as permissible.

Thanks,

Clymer

[bankerbouncer]

I'm bricked too... glad to see I'm not the only one. 

The customer service rep was nice but couldn't fix it. She said she had a fascinate too and got the update a week ago, and since then she's had to install 3 additional updates. She was concerned and said for me to tell me family members who have the phone not to update to Gingerbread for this reason.

It's up in the air with supervision in the back office as to whether she'll be able to get me a new phone because I'm out of warranty time.

This sounds like a conspiracy to get people to buy new phones right before Christmas.

[Ann154]

The Verizon Wireless community Terms of Service.

http://community.vzw.com/t5/Terms-of-Service/Verizon-Community-Terms-of-Service/td-p/2

[clymer]

OK - I got it:

"Posts that discuss hacking and/or rooting a wireless device from any carrier will be removed."

Thank you

[wardcst24]

Google search for

 eh03  xda

you should find what you want