ADB drivers for Samsung Galaxy S9

Hi,

I want to install /e/ on my Samsung Galaxy S9 (Exynos) so first I try to install TWRP following this:

Everything goes fine until that point: when I type “fastboot flash recovery twrp-3.5.2_9-0-starlte.img” I end up with the message “< waiting for any device >”

I tried to install different ADB drivers thanks to this tutorial https://www.makeuseof.com/tag/android-wont-connect-windows-adb-fix-it-three-steps/ but I’m stuck with the same error again and again … please help me.

Thank you in advance !

Tom

I know this HOWTO is for a different device, but Windows not detecting a phone in fastboot mode is a rather frequent problem and the solution depends on Windows and not so phone model. So the steps described there should help you, too.

Hi Ingo_FP_Angel,

Thank you for your answer, much appreciated.
Unfortunately your link doesn’t help me: I’ve already perform that step unsuccessfully. The “Google, Inc. - Other hardware - Android Bootloader Interface” driver doesn’t show up in the list of available drivers on my computer unfortunately.

Do you have any other idea/suggestion to help my Windows detecting my S9?

Do you see the S9 in the device manager under “unknown devices”?

If even that isn’t the case it might indicate a broken/charge-only cable.

Other than that: are you sure the phone is in the correct mode?

Thank you.

Here is what I have in the device manager:

I’ve enabled USB debugging mode on my phone and I checked OEM unlocking is On.
The USB mode is set to “Transferring files / Android Auto”

I’m not 100% sure because I’m not using Windows and can’t check how it’s supposed to look.

But in your case it’s shown as “Android ADB Interface” while the HOWTO mentions “Android Bootloader Interface”.
So if I interpret that correctly, your phone is in the wrong mode. When adb commands work, fastboot commands don’t and vice versa.

I don’t know enough about Samsung devices but maybe you can find some useful hints in this topic: Know your hardware - Samsung
Probably the “Your first boot into TWRP” section contains what you need.

About two weeks ago I installed TWRP on Windows on Galaxy S8. With the phone connected, I ran Widows update and some drivers got installed. I even installed USB drivers for phones from
https://developer.samsung.com/mobile/android-usb-driver.html

I don’t know it it was needed. But then I used Odin to flash TWRP into the phone. I downloaded Odin from the firmware page for my device at:
https://www.sammobile.com/firmwares/

I used the following how-to for flashing TWRP using Odin (point 1-8):
https://appuals.com/install-twrp-root-samsung-galaxy-s8-s8-plus-exynos/

I found the following for S9 in the same site:

https://appuals.com/how-to-install-twrp-for-galaxy-s9-snapdragon/

Please make sure to do some research to find the right method corresponding to your device

HTH

Samsung has Download mode in place of Fastboot, so until you have a Custom ROM you don’t have Fastboot. Samsung calls Download mode Odin mode, which gives the clue to Windows users that you have to use Odin.

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Ok, does that mean, following https://doc.e.foundation/pages/install-twrp like in the original post is wrong for Samsung devices?

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Thank you all for your answers, I start to get a better understanding of the process.
I will keep on reading links you provided, and first of all I will install new drivers, probably these ones: https://www.androidusbdrivers.com/samsung-galaxy-s9-exynos-usb-drivers/

Hi, @tOm8 I suggest you include this in your reading list. [HOWTO] Install /e/ on a Samsung smartphone with Windows easily :smiley:

Thank you so much aibd: I followed the tutorial [HOWTO] Install /e/ on a Samsung smartphone with Windows easily and everything went just fine, /e/ is now installed on my S9 !! :grinning_face_with_smiling_eyes:

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Rather than I review /e/documentation directly I offer this view

So in short the answer is “yes”, right?
Which means, no fastboot on Samsung :wink:

Good morning @Ingo_FP_Angel. The OP’s initial problem solved - Fastboot on Samsung is an issue.

Our three documentation sources present TWRP install on Samsung as quite a challenge, imho, for users new to this.

doc.e.foundation Starlte install
HowTo Linux Samsung /e/ install
HowTo Windows Samsung /e/ install

The Starlte install includes the wording: “Samsung devices come with a unique boot mode called “Download mode”, which is very similar to “Fastboot mode” on some devices with unlocked bootloaders.” Sorry, but I don’t have the experience to argue with some devices.

When I read my first comment here and the way that I tagged you in, and look at the Install TWRP source, I see that the OP’s TWRP link is actually quite newly edited. The way that I made my comment now looks insensitive. For that insensitivity I apologise. I had not logged in on Sunday, and seeing this thread I felt perhaps I could add something for the OP in a couple of minutes before an early start.

Now I think you are driving at improving documentation? I am certainly in favour of that and will share my very limited knowledge if you ask. :slight_smile:

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@manoj, I copy you in because your name appears on the page in question, and I was unable to access a New Topic under “Documentation suggestions + TWRP tag”.

The Install TWRP page linked in the OP is challenged due to it contradicting our other Samsung install documentation.

On most/all Samsung devices the instructions will fail at some point (the actual point may vary with device.)

It seems appropriate to flag this page as unsuitable for Samsung devices. What would be the best way to do that?

Here is a suggestion

This method will work with devices with a standard Fastboot interface. It is not expected to work with any of the /e/ supported Samsung devices which have the “Odin mode”, Download mode, in place of a standard Fastboot interface.

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Thanks for pointing this out @aibd …will add a warning for Samsung device users…there are some modifications in progress to the Documentation site which means this change will take a little longer.

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