Screen cracked, need to recover very important data!

[AmandaH]

yargnits..... were u already set up with samsung dive before you broke your phone.. or is there a way of doing this without seeing your screen???

[Ads]

[erho]

How to Recover data from you phone Samsung Galaxy s2 with broken screen using adb and recovery mode

I managed to pull and retrieve all the files I wanted from my non rooted AT&T Samsung Galaxy S2. It has a broken screen and digitaliser I believe. Screen lock was always on, and I HAD NEVER HAD USB DEBUGGING ON. When I connected my phone two drives appeared. When clicked they said insert disk. ATnT tech EXTRENDED TECH SUPPORT or something said that the memory is corrupt and there is nothing you can do. That’s it for the extra monthly payment. I gotta remember to cancel it because I managed to get my pictures, videos, some voice recorder, and even some notes from a memo app. . THIS IS HOW.

Make sure you have the latest Samsung Usb Drive

[USB Drivers][10-06-2012] SAMSUNG USB Drivers for Mobile Phones [x86 & x64] - xda-developers

GETTING STARTED, Setting up environment

Download android SDK

Android SDK | Android Developers

I found that there are programs like loadscout that can let you preselect which zipped files to download so you don’t have to download the whole bundle which is 390 mb approx. Or I didn’t understand how to use them or they don’t work with it, so I downloaded it all and extracted it to C:\ I find it easier this way.
The easiest way of understanding adb, and the files that you need from the sdk bundle to pull your pictures, videos, music, voice recordings, etc and what to do with it for starter I found it to be here.
What Is ADB And How To Install It With Android SDK

In step 1 I did the same thing, though instead of installing, I extracted the folder to root of the C drive also. The path that I got was

C:\adt-bundle-windows-x86. (principal folder name)

I believe this is the easiest way and best place to place the folder. To extract just right or open the downloaded bundle see where its at, click extract all and choose a location. Choose in my computers OS C:\ or something, so you can pull of adb commands better.
Now to the installation of the necessary parts (Though I believe some things where already installed automatically). You will need to search for the SDK Manager file to make sure you have all the necessary tools to use adb.

, In my case the SDK manager was hidden in the Lib folder found in sdk platform tools from the sdk folder, I never had to open the eclipse folder. The SDk Manager is supposed to be in the main sdk folder, next to platform, platforms tools, etc, if its not From here Sdk Manager wouldn’t open, because it didn’t find the dll or whatever it needed to run, so You can do a search when inside the sdk folder from the top right by typing SDK Manager to see where it is. Then copy it or move it (prefer)and move it from where it is up to the main SDk folder, where folders like addons, extras, platforms, platform tools, etc are. Just leave it there so when you open it it can scan or something and find the things it needs to run. At least, that’s how I got it to run. When running the sdk manager…

Make sure you have selected the Android SDK Platform-tools as said in step 2 of the link, though I could not click install since it already appeared installed,:/ .. but I left it selected. Also jump for a second to step 4. You need to also look and select the Google Usb Driver. I don’t know if it is displayed with the exact same name but you wont miss it Google usb driver, Don’t select anything else, you wont need it. When you select it( the google usb driver) (at least when I did) is when the install button in the SDK Manager Appeared since it wasn’t already installed. Click Install.

I omitted step 3, I found it kinda risky. The’re various methods to do it. It just changing the system variables from the command line to make your life supposedly easier when issuing commands in the command prompt, but I wouldn’t dare. Instead You can just navigate to (in my computer) to C: and then to the sdk folder, than to platform-tools. There is where adb is at.

You can press shift and right click a blank space and click open command line window or something like that here. But I prefer to just click the tab where the folders and subfolders addresses are displayed at the top of the screen on the address bar (I don’t know if that is the name but it is an address bar, kinda like a website address bar but for folders)and copy the address (when you click it and select it its suppose to narrow down) paste it to a notepad document. save it just in case, and leave it open. For me it is the best way to prevent any glitch.

It should look something like this.

C:\adt-bundle-windows-x86\sdk\platform-tools

(C:\android-sdk-windows\platform-tools\ path shown in step 3, I think of an earlier version or they changed the name. you can really just ignore it its just reference.

Make sure your path matches with the name of your adt sdk bundle folders or w.e, and follows up to platform-tools. Copy and paste it, than add adb(see below how) so you get an early feel to it from now,)

Now add \adb to the path so it looks like this

C:\adt-bundle-windows-x86\sdk\platform-tools\adb

(C:\android-sdk-windows\platform-tools\adb) shown in step 3 ignore parenthesis its just to show reference on difference in name but its the same, depending what you get.

Leave it there for now and save. Remember, that is just the path or where adb file is at.



PREPARING PHONE FOR DATA TRANSFER PROCESS and checking device state on adb and placing device on RECOVERY MODE and navigating through it blindly

As I said, USB DEBUGGING WASN’T ON, but I managed to mount the usb and storage through recovery mode. Now this is A tricky part because I blind navigated the recovery menu, but did it from the first try apparently. My recovery menu was STOCK (no root no cyanogen or w,e), so a quick google image could lead the way. You can google if you have other cWm clockwork recovery mods for your rooted phone i guess. play with the phone and mod name or w.e on google images to see if you can give it a shot.

(though I think you can try and google it.

I tried: Galaxy 2 recovery mode on google images and galaxy 2 mounts and storage and different wording till I got it, you need both options.

But first, lets give ADB a try and check something very vital.

Connect your device ON into the computer. Make sure drivers are correctly installed, etc.

Open a command prompt window

Paste the notepad text in the command prompt window that we left open and add devices

(you can only paste in command prompt using right click paste)

C:\adt-bundle-windows-x86\sdk\platform-tools\adb devices

It will look something like

C:\Users\Name\C:\adt-bundle-windows-x86\sdk\platform-tools\adb devices

*just have the phone connected to the computer nothing else. (and pc charger duh J)

This will look up adb devices in a jiffy. You phone should appear as a serial number (various # and letters) and it should say OFFLINE if adb debugging is off. If it is On it should say DEVICE. If it says device, or starts something daemon unable to run then daeom startup port something then the serial number and DEVICE skip the whole navigation because your usb debugging is On or at least usb storage is mounted. Now this doesn’t mean that you can acces it like a normal USB you can only acces it from adb, but its fairly simple and you can scroll down to where the funs at. For now if its off well.. continue.

Just look at the serial number and the state of the device (offline or device)

You can google adb commands to get the feel of it and look for what I just mentioned but feel free to continue scrolling, i tried to fit everything here.

If your device says offline. Disconnect it. Turn it off (or take out battery :S like I did and put it again)

GALAXY RECOVERY MODE NAVIGATION

Now you need to get the galaxy into recovery mode:
[How To] Put Phone In Download Mode and/or Recovery Mode - xda-developers (same for s2 and skyrocket)

-Press Up and Down volume buttons and the power button at the same time (get a grip on bot volumes than press power button and leave all three pressed. Watch if the preset buttons at the bottom blinks one time or something (white lighted in my phone) and a small vibration.

-when they blink and the phone vibrates slighly leave the power button pressed for 2 seconds more or less and release but keep both volume keys pressed for an extra 2 approx give or take. Mine just blinked once and I knew I was in recovery mode because if it was turned on they would of still kept on.

-Connect the phone to the computer (BE Carefull not to press the volume keys!!!) So WHILE youre carefull, you are going to see if the phone really is in Recovery mode, if you feel lucky, skip this part, but all you have to do after you connect your phone and wait for the windows icons and all to know that it is connect properly, run again the last commands we used

C:\adt-bundle-windows-x86\sdk\platform-tools\adb devices

It should list your device serial number but the current state now should be RECOVERY, the serial number should appear with Recovery listed next to it. Your on the right track.(careful with the volume keys!)

Samsung Galaxy S2 and Galaxy S2 Skyrocket recovery mode menu goes like this.
Galaxy s2

http://www.traemcneely.com/wp-conten..._01.58.451.jpg

another pic

http://software2tech.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Reboot_thumb.jpg

galaxy s2 Skyrocket is supposed to be the same

http://www.traemcneely.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/8c3f6_medium_clockworkmodrecovery.jpg

Now we want to go to the MOUNT and STORAGE MENU that looks like this so we can select mount usb storage (at least that’s what I think I clicked lol)

http://img.androidsis.com/wp-content/uploads/samsung-galaxy-s-como-instalar-una-rom-de-una-manera-limpia-2.jpg

I suppose that for skyrocket is the same I hope.

Navigation is simple, use volume keys to navigate and the power button to select. What I Did with no screen?Count. After releasing both volume keys try not to touch neither of them, not even slightly. If you think you did, remove battery again because you don’t want to press a wrong menu or something. If you want to scroll down be my guest, but I preferred to scroll up.

-Press the Volume Up key 4 times, select (power button)

-then Press volume up key 2 times and press power button to select mount usb and storage. My phone turned on, if yours did, your probably on the right track J.

Now, your phone probably beeped made the powering on sound, the lights at the bottom shined for a little while longer then when you went to recovery mode. Run the adb devices command again!

C:\adt-bundle-windows-x86\sdk\platform-tools\adb devices

Your device serial number should be listed with the state DEVICE next to it. If so, where ready to insert some pull commands to transfer your data, if not, try and repeat the recovery mode. If still it doesn’t work and yur device is still on recovery or offline mode, you can try to follow, but I don’t think you will have permissions, if the device is offline or recovery still, you can maybe download a Sharutility for windows which overrides it with uudecding uuencoding or something, but that is far out of my reach, im really sorry don’t know what to say, but this worked for me. L

GETTING FILES OF YOUR PHONE

Now at this part, you can transfer files three ways, I prefer the specific way but you can try to transfer all data all at once to your computer

C:\adt-bundle-windows-x86\sdk\platform-tools\adb pull /mnt/sdcard \mysdcard (or whatever name you want to name the folder)

This will copy all sdcard (internal memory) files to a folder in the C:\ named mysdcard for example. And yes, after adb pull leave a space and after first

/sdcard also

Also you can just

C:\adt-bundle-windows-x86\sdk\platform-tools\adb pull /

It will copy all files to a folder inside the sdk, mine was

C:\adt-bundle-windows-x86\sdk\platform-tools\mnt\sdcard

But only dcim (camera files where there). Still, it didn’t transfer all my pictures and videos, and it froze.


so this is the preferred way in my opinion.

this is the path to use always when you are going to copy phone files to your computer, you just add the other pathlines from where you want to copy the files and wait for the process to finish, also remember that after every path you want to add, you need to add the folders where the’re going.

example

C:\adt-bundle-windows-x86\sdk\platform-tools\adb pull /

Add mnt/sdcard/DCIM

Space \dcim or pictures or whatever you want to name the receiving folder that the files are going

It should look like this

C:\adt-bundle-windows-x86\sdk\platform-tools\adb pull /mnt/sdcard/dcim \pictures

Pictures will appear in C: not inside sdk, which is a perk.

Just if you want to try differently, you can add Camera after sdcard/dcim/ since there is another path to the folder inside the android internal storage for where pictures and videos are store, though I don’t remember which I used. I think I went along with just until DCIM, I don’t think that capitalization is needed but I think I used it just in case. Anyways here are the commands, remember that the receiving folder name (last space \ ) are at your discretion.

Pictures and videos from camera

C:\adt-bundle-windows-x86\sdk\platform-tools\adb pull /mnt/sdcard/DCIM \dcim

Or

C:\adt-bundle-windows-x86\sdk\platform-tools\adb pull/mnt/sdcard/DCIM/Camera \dcim (though I would prefer up until dcim I think, the other one)


Ringtones

C:\adt-bundle-windows-x86\sdk\platform-tools\adb pull/mnt/sdcard/Ringtones \ringtones


(if you had recorded voice memos using the android rec app they will be in sounds)

C:\adt-bundle-windows-x86\sdk\platform-tools\adb pull/mnt/sdcard/Sounds \sounds

Music

C:\adt-bundle-windows-x86\sdk\platform-tools\adb pull/mnt/sdcard/Music \music

You pretty much catch my drift here right?

If you want to pull something from an app or something write the name correctly, it will extract whatever info is there cache also sometimes and maybe get the files you want out also

Other paths after /mnt/sdcard/ for extracting you can try (im giving you correct and precise name

Movies (if you had download any), Pictures (downloaded pictures that is), Podcasts

*Doing it like this guaranteed me a more precise option and a full transfer of files. Doing it the other way Freezed my computer while still extracting some pictures and videos from dcim. I had to force shut it down (turn it off actually) and turned it on. I left the device connected, tried it again the last way (better way) and it froze only after it finished (it took a while). Remember to let the process finish, when it finishes you will see the C:Users\Name> . If you lunched command prompt from platform tools with shift right click or changed the variables correctly it will be C:Users\Name\ C:\adt-bundle-windows-x86\sdk\platform-tools\adb* (*in variable change adb is there in shift right click it isn’t, it ends at platform-tools\ or however the folder is named), and that’s when you know the process is complete and you can start to extract files from other folders with the above commands. I hope this helps. Feel free to hit me up. Sorry about grammar syntax, etc. English is my second languish, and I am at my second day with no sleep with work and studies and all that nonsense.

All for the ladies and their
sloppy hands
lol ..that break phones!
breaking phones suck
hope all this wording is not in vain. . Godbless

[CR6]

Sounds like quite the process you had to go through!
Thanks for the detailed instructions though, I'm sure someone will benefit greatly from this.

[erho]

Sounds like quite the process you had to go through!
Thanks for the detailed instructions though, I'm sure someone will benefit greatly from this.

No problem! thank you for the forum and your moderating hehe. The hardest part I think was taking info from here and there, everything is so scattered around.

[erho]

" Sorry about grammar syntax, etc. English is my second languish, and I am at my second day with no sleep with work and studies and all that nonsense."

talking about grammar, hmhm Language .... i can't believe i just did that hahaha, :S

[jelmer85]

Thanks for notifying me.
I managed however to get all the files I needed simply by using Samsung's KIES software and by the USB data transfer: I got all contacts and pictures, that was all I needed really. Additional stuff I could also get via USB mass storage transfer.

Good luck to all!

[benlucifer]

You can try and access the micro SD card on some other storage device or PC. Try to connect the memory card using a card reader. If none of the things work for you then formatting is the only option left. Make sure you create a valid backup file before you move forward for formatting. In case if the backup file does not work anymore then I personally suggest you to opt for Stellar Windows Data Recovery software. It is the best option available for you.

For more info please read:http://samsung.androidfilerecovery.net

[Coneyfox]

I had the same problem trying to get contacts off my broken galaxy s3, and the solution was a program called "My Phone Explorer" from https://play.google.com/store/apps/d...xplorer.client I had tried everything, but couldn't find a solution that worked for retrieving contacts AND SMS messages. I hope it's as good for you as it was for me. This seriously was a couple of clicks for a solution. All I ask is that you tell two people about it if it works for you, since this program is free, and promotion is the best thing we can do for the guy that made it. Donation is also an option on the fjsoft website.

Coney Fox

Link edited per forum moderator.

[IC10021]

Thanks for notifying me.
I managed however to get all the files I needed simply by using Samsung's KIES software and by the USB data transfer: I got all contacts and pictures, that was all I needed really. Additional stuff I could also get via USB mass storage transfer.

Good luck to all!

This actually worked for me too -- on my dropped, cracked & blackened S3 screen. (I really wish they still made them so its easy to attach a $2 wrist loop to them--could have easily saved my device from dropping. I mean they are really expensive, somewhat delicate items that, in my life, anyway, are in constant use. Currently I have a $35 flip cover case, but atm considering a bump case to cushion if dropped.)

Now, I'm trying to get everything I am able to off it before 15 days lapse as that is when I must return it to insurance since my new device was shipped out overnight for a deductible of $100. (A great response, imo.)

Two residual problems now:

1. the alarms keep going off (I have many with 3 or more snooze options on them) and I am unable to shut them down. I am trying to figure out how to delete the app from the phone via Google.
2. I am also trying to figure out how to quickly wipe the phone before I return it to insurance. Any suggestions, pls?

Any ideas? -- time is short -- !! Lol!!

Thanks in advance!

[UltraDroid]

Welcome to the forum!