Easy Installer Samsung Galaxy S9 no Teamwin

[LTR]

Hi
I am trying to use the easy installer to install e on a Samsung Galaxy S9 (which has Android 10) to no avail. I have downloaded and installed the easy installer on to my Windows 10 PC and performed the following steps:
Open the easy install app
Connect the phone via usb
Enabled developer mode by tapping on build 7 times
Enabled USB debugging
Found USB Configuration and selected MTP
The easy installer then says my SM-G960F is compatible
The easy installer downloads 2 files
I enable OEM unlock
I turn off the phone
I press power, bixby and vol down until a bluescreen appears
I press volume up to continue and the screen turns blue downloading
Meanwhile on me PC widi-simple.exe asks permission and I allow
Then on PC a command prompt window opens
C: Extracting driver files…
Success
Installing driver(s)…
USB\VID_04E8&PID_685D&REV_021;&Modem:
The command prompt window closes after 30 seconds
The easy installer says press power, bixby and vol down until the device turns off
The easy installer then says press power, bixby and vol up until Teamwin appears but it does not come on the screen

I have repeated the above processes a bunch of times in case i missed a step or there was some other random issue but nothing changes… still no Teamwin menu.

Rather than the Teamwin menu the standard Samsung Android Recovery options are shown instead including Reboot system, Reboot to bootloader, Apply update from ADB, Apply update from SD card, Wipe data/factory reset, wipe cache partition, Mount /system, View recovery logs, Run graphics test, Run locale test, Power off, Repair apps.

Any help would be very much appreciated.

Thanks!

[aibd]

Hi @LTR welcome to the /e/ forum. Thanks for the good description of your issue!
You say:

The easy installer says press power, bixby and vol down until the device turns off
The easy installer then says press power, bixby and vol up until Teamwin appears but it does not come on the screen

In Know your Hardware # Your first boot into TWRP I wrote:

The instruction set to make your first boot into TWRP is often abbreviated for experienced users, but for a first timer would read:

• Please now Force stop the phone (in the current “Download mode” never mind “Do not turn off target”)
• Use Volume down + Home/Bixby + Power to Force stop.
• Attend carefully, keep holding the buttons - it may take about 7 seconds,
• the instant the screen goes black (black as in off) and before the device starts to restart
• instantly change the finger press to Volume up + Bixby/Home + Power.
• Be prepared for another 7 second hold without relaxing, until Teamwin is seen.

Here, as a video.

https://gitlab.e.foundation/e/backlog/-/issues/2678

[pere_thibaud]

HI,
I have a problem just a step later: I access to the screen “teamwin” with button like install, swipe… but nothing happen on my laptop. No indication. the “continue” button disappear. I can do nothing.
Thanks for help.
(Config: Samsung G S9 but Linux, easy installer 0.13.3)

[aibd]

Hi @pere_thibaud welcome !

In this case it is good to look for the log, you will find the method here. Howto troubleshoot issues with the easy-installer

Perhaps that will tell you or please share it here.

At this point, I think your action of pressing “Keep Read only” (is that the action which you had just been asked to do ?) is the “trigger” to tell the laptop to move on. That is this screen:

So … the cable is important at this point. Please check that you connect it or disconnect it at exactly the instructed time.

It can happen that the cable is capable of transmitting the data for the TWRP install, but the cable fails to transmit the return signal. Try a different cable, avoid USB hubs and check if you are using a USB socket on the laptop that is the best one. (Sometimes further USB ports are added to a machine with an internal “extension)” that is sub optimal.

Easy Installer does fine anytime you just start again. Downloads will be verified as necessary and will take a little time, but the downloads are not repeated.

[pere_thibaud]

Thank you for your help. Unfortunately, I have a new problem. I can’t no more access to teamwin. When restarting with Volume up + Home/Bixby + Power I have a very short message “any command” and a screen (a bit like windows blue screen) written in yellow "Android recovery…
Reboot system now
Rebbot to bootloader
…
wipe data/factory reset
…
One precision, i did a change on “unlock OEM”. It whas unlocked, I tried to lock and to unlock. Two times it make a long restarting.
I tried with two different cables.
What should I do?
Thanks.

[aibd]

Hi @pere_thibaud, sorry, but I have insufficient information !

it make a long restarting.

Has the phone returned to stable Samsung / Android and functional ?

In your first post when you said

I access to the screen “teamwin” with button like install, swipe

that sounded like Teamwin or TWRP Recovery, while

Reboot system now
Reboot to bootloader
…
wipe data/factory reset

sounds like original Android recovery, I think ? This implies that Samsung found an opportunity to overwrite the changes that Easy Installer had already made. This is not uncommon, Samsung tried to protect the device (benefit) but it does not try to help you to take control of it !

If the phone has returned to functional, then I suggest you try reading the manual install instructions which are found here https://doc.e.foundation/devices/starlte/install.

If your phone is non functioning, please feel free to give your description in your own language !

Meanwhile were you able to find the log ?

An idea !

One downside of Easy Installer is that when it is all very new to you it can be really quite hard to follow what is required of you while Easy Installer works in the background. It might help make Easy Installer more understandable if you prepare a written skeleton guide from the manual instructions, indicating what you might expect from Easy Installer, stage by stage.

Then when you next run Easy Installer please take a screenshot of each screen to compare with your own guide.

If you were to work in your own language (je suppose que le français) we could use your images to produce a tutorial for others !

[pere_thibaud]

Finally, it worked normally, with the easy installer.
Why? I think because of change of cable and USB port, and I tried to follow instruction for manual installation precisely to plug at the right time the câble. (easy installer doesn’t give so many precision about it).
Thanks for help. Effectively, I’m french (and I don’t have a lot of chance to practice my english)

[LTR]

Thanks for everyone’s responses but unfortunately i am still having problems.

I am using the original Samsung cable which supports data transfers and when i plug my phone into my computer i am able to transfer files to and from my phone without issue.

I followed the steps and reviewed the video (thanks for that btw!) and am performing the steps correctly from everything i can see.

I get into download mode ok and the Easy Installer recognizes this and appears to transfer files etc. Once all the popups from the Easy Installer disappear i click Next and then force the phone off as prompted (Volume down + Home/Bixby + Power) and once the phone is off i immediately switch to Volume up + Home/Bixby + Power.

The phone turns on, something flashes up on the phone’s screen too fast to read and then I’m presented with the standard default Android Recovery menu with the usual options to Reboot system, Reboot to bootloader, Apply update from ADB, Apply update from SD card, Wipe data/factory reset, wipe cache partition, Mount /system, View recovery logs, Run graphics test, Run locale test, Power off, Repair apps.

I went through the logs as recommended and there are some errors which may help explain what’s going wrong. My logs are here: 0bin - encrypted pastebin

• NOTE: The log is quite and takes a minute to load while 0bin color codes the code to make it easier to read.

Any further help would be very much appreciated. Thanks!

[aibd]

As soon as I read the words “I am using the original Samsung cable” I guessed that was the problem and I think it is!

Please read this post [LIST] Devices working with the Easy Installer - #78 by aibd

Your log contains multiple repeats of

C:\Program Files\easy-installer>"C:\Program Files\easy-installer\bin\heimdall" detect  1>nul 
 ERROR: Failed to detect compatible download-mode device.
 
C:\Program Files\easy-installer>if errorLevel 1 (
 echo not found  
  ping 127.0.0.1 -n 2 -w 1000  1>NUL  
  goto :heimdall_detect 
 )  else (echo succeed ) 
 not found

… and then finishes with
ERROR: Failed to access device. libusb error: -12

This is the same a similar error as the linked post, quoting from that post …

Benjamin-Dobell commented (re the general thread there) “Hmm. it couldn’t open /dev/bus/usb/001/050, due to a general IO error, which unfortunately isn’t very specific, and is quite odd. It’s not a permission issue, because there’s a separate error code for that.
I did some quick digging through libusb and for this error message to occur POSIX open() is setting errno to EIO, which is unfortunately a general error. However, under normal circumstances, realistically it shouldn’t occur, you should get a more specific error. This makes me think that there is a driver bug, or some kind of hardware failure on your system - but it’s hard to tell with such a generic error.”

Please try a different cable !

Good luck

[LTR]

Thanks for your reply.

I tried a different cable and had the exact same problem unfortunately. With both cables i can transfer files to and from the phone in Windows so i am unsure the cable is the cause. Wouldn’t a faulty or “charge-only” cable prevent files from being transferred in Windows?

When i boot into Download Mode the installer in Windows appears to do a few things, command prompt windows appear and disappear but there’s no visible progress indicators shown on the phone’s screen. Should i also be seeing confirmation of completion on the phone, or rely solely the installer program alone?

The installer appears to complete and advises to force the phone off “Volume down + Home/Bixby + Power” and once off press and hold “Volume up + Home/Bixby + Power” until you see Teamwin etc but Teamwin never appears… just a super quick flash across the phones screen of a white Android Robot with an exclamation mark i think and then the standard Android boot menu which includes the ability to erase or reboot etc etc.

It is unfortunate the installer does not visually show/indicate there’s a problem and exactly what the cause of the problem is. Are there any further recommendations or steps or am i going to have to try and do this manually the hard way to see exactly where the problem occurs… if at all?

[aibd]

@LTR

Wouldn’t a faulty or “charge-only” cable prevent files from being transferred

We seem to see that some cables can transmit data successfully, but fail at some point to do the necessary transactions to do a ROM flash. Speculation: perhaps Samsung design it that way !

I wonder if your log with cable #2 shows the libusb error? The libusb error, as observed before is irregular; it is just a guess that there is some oddness about the configuration of USB routing (in the most general sense) at a hardware level between device and PC.

It could be that something has changed and that you are now at the point I had guessed in your OP — that TWRP is now being transferred successfully, but you are not getting the timing right to boot into it, before it is now overwritten by Samsung again.

When you have successfully booted into TWRP on a Samsung, it seems easy, but before you succeed it can seem impossible, especially as you get only one chance before your moments old TWRP is overwritten by Samsung and you certainly get no second attempt !

I would be interested to see a recent log to see if the libusb error still exists.

Should i also be seeing confirmation of completion on the phone

No, it doesn’t happen — no change to the download mode screen with a successful Custom ROM flash !

just a super quick flash across the phones screen of a white Android Robot with an exclamation mark

An interesting observation. Pure speculation on my part, but this could be the TWRP recovery being overwritten, especially if you only see it once after the Easy Installer run.

[janoschkus]

Hi everyone, I am new to the forum, but actually used it extensively before installing /e/OS on my S9 two days ago. So I thought it might be useful to others to share my experience here.

I had the same issue as LTR and also the libusb -12 error. For me, it worked after switching from my laptop to a desktop PC, using one of the usb ports at the back of the computer. I used the same cable for all attempts. I immediately saw a difference in the process after changing computers, because there was now a thin progress bar on the download screen on the phone before I was asked to restart into recovery by the easy installer.

Also, as I was unsure about this before and it might be good to know for others who want to use the easy installer with the S9: the installer succeeded to flash the old version of /e/OS (oreo), in spite of having had stock android 10 and the latest updates on the phone before. After installation, I could download the OTA upgrade to version q and it is now working smoothly on the latest version, as far as I can tell.

Many thanks to the developers and everyone who is sharing information in the forum.

[aibd]

Hi @janoschkus welcome to the /e/ forum and thank you for your contribution. Reviewing your error @LTR I have seen I had to make a small correction to my earlier reply to you. I did a little more research on libusb which I included in this post

/e/ installation on galaxy s9 plus can't get into Teamwin

I will make a very quick reply now and look at your log on a bigger screen later. I see libusb error -12. There is a comment today on a post with a similar title - this error is discussed. It is described as a non-specific error – somewhere in the USB chain. So, first call, try a different cable, avoid USB hubs, avoid secondary ports on a PC or laptop. (On a PC often front ports are secondary, similar some laptops include an internal hub.) In the end, try a different machine. I will look at th…

[LTR]

@janoschkus Thanks for sharing that info. I tried a USB port on the back of the computer this time around and although it still failed i think things may have changed a little as the errors in the logs are different this time.

@aibd As requested the new logs have been uploaded here:
https://haste.tchncs.de/iyegoxixay.yaml

NOTABLE ERRORS I FOUND ARE:

• ERROR: Failed to detect compatible download-mode device.
• (debug)libusb: error [init_device] device ‘USB\VID_04E8&PID_6860\2330667C8C0C7ECE’ is no longer connected!
• ERROR: Failed to receive session end confirmation!
• • 2022-04-27 09:24:50,072 WARN [JavaFX Application Thread] e.e.i.u.UiUtils [null:-1] loadImage(), image’s file name = , error = java.lang.NullPointerException: Input stream must not be null

• 2022-04-27 09:24:50,083 INFO [Thread-15] e.e.i.t.CommandRunnerService [null:-1] Command Task call()
• 2022-04-27 09:24:50,084 DEBUG [Thread-15] e.e.i.t.CommandRunnerService [null:-1] updateParameters(), Parameters = {device_id=2330667c8c0c7ece, adb_folder_path=C:\Program Files\easy-installer\bin\adb}
• 2022-04-27 09:24:50,084 DEBUG [Thread-15] e.e.i.m.Command [null:-1] command: [cmd.exe, /c, ““C:\Program Files\easy-installer\bin\scripts\wait-recovery.bat”, “2330667c8c0c7ece”, “C:\Program Files\easy-installer\bin\adb””]
• 2022-04-27 09:24:50,095 INFO [Thread-15] e.e.i.m.Command [null:-1] Command’s Process started

Also, to confirm, do the drivers need to be installed manually if everything is working fine such as files can be transferred to and from the phone in Windows?

Just to confirm, once in Download Mode and the transfer appears to have been completed by the installer i should HOLD DOWN “Volume down + Home/Bixby + Power” and the instant the phone is off IMMEDIATELY PRESS AND HOLD “Volume up + Home/Bixby + Power” and hold down ONGOING until i see TEAMWIN? If so, i have been doing that but seeing a white Android with an error flash across the screen super briefly and then the standard Samsung boot/recovery options.

Any further advice would be appreciated. I would really like to get this sorted out once and for all. I’ve rooted and flashed phones in years past but never had issues like this before. Are there any other options other than doing this manually without the Easy Installer?

[aibd]

Hi @LTR I commend your patience.

I think you probably mastered the finger presses. I think this is still an Easy Installer problem. Here is my extract from your log.

OS name = Windows 10
language = en, country = AU

adb devices
Command's Process started
List of devices attached
2330edit-alt7ece       device product:starltexx model:SM_G960F device:starlte transport_id:2

C:\Program Files\easy-installer>"C:\Program Files\easy-installer\bin\heimdall" detect  1>nul 
ERROR: Failed to detect compatible download-mode device.

C:\Program Files\easy-installer>if errorLevel 1 (
echo not found  
ping 127.0.0.1 -n 2 -w 1000  1>NUL  
 goto :heimdall_detect 
)  else (echo succeed ) 
not found

C:\Program Files\easy-installer>"C:\Program Files\easy-installer\bin\heimdall" detect  1>nul 
ERROR: Failed to detect compatible download-mode device.

Uploading RECOVERY
... 97%...99%...100%
RECOVERY upload successful
Ending session...
ERROR: Failed to receive session end confirmation!

It is mysterious; success followed by fail looks like fail.

It looks very much like a communication error !

One of the jobs of libusb is to be an intermediary between multiple specifications and configurations used by multiple manufacturers. However libusb did not complain this time ! adb is seen to connect fine. My naive interpretation is that you have an unlucky combination of hardware.

In packaging Easy Installer I guess other intermediaries are involved which may be responsible. I am sorry not to be more useful. (I can hardly bring myself to say … try a different PC)

Trying to answer a question about Windows drivers gives me the creeps … Here is an image of Windows device manager

• Kudos and thanks to https://www.tenforums.com/

If you try to run Easy Installer with Windows device manager open alongside do you see any problem device? The implication in this case would be that you require a driver. There are those on the web who say it is fine to load random drivers for good luck; Windows will only access them if they are a match for your problem – I am naturally over-cautious. You do not have to install an “unknown” driver, you can simply offer a driver from external media like USB stick.

Yes you do have options. Are you aware of this

[HOWTO] Install /e/ on a Samsung smartphone with Windows easily

Version française disponible ici. Hi everyone ! I have just installed /e/ on my smartphone (Samsung Galaxy J5 2015 / SM-J500FN / j5nlte) and I would like to offer a better tutorial for Samsung smartphones. Indeed the method currently proposed by /e/ here is really not simple, I didn’t understand what I was doing, and I didn’t succeed in the end. Instead of downloading a lot of complicated stuff, here we will download simple tools, and… without a command line ! I will illustrat…

Edit, @LTR (I have little Windows experience, but) should you be thinking further about drivers and Zadig mentioned in the linked post, I noticed that LineageOS wiki points to this as a source of guidance https://github.com/pbatard/libwdi/wiki/Zadig.

[Anonymous]

Hi @LTR and @janoschkus,
Do you have “RMM State: Prenormal” on the download screen?
If yes, your issue is probably linked to the latest Samsung security patch on S9/S9+ and maybe newer models. I’m looking into it for more than 2 weeks now, here is the link to my post in the forum if you would like to follow my research.

[LTR]

@aibd Thanks for your in depth explanation and help, it is much appreciated. I cannot see any issues with the drivers and none of them are showing any errors or missing drivers.

@Anonymous I didn’t see anything related to “RMM State:Prenormal”. Did you manage to find a fix with your problem?

I decided to wait for a while until a newer version of the easy installer and E OS came out and have just tested again and now have updated results.

I followed the instructions over from the beginning and all appears normal visually until i reach the Recovery Screen. The Recovery Screen i see is the stock standard Android one, NOT the E Recovery version as indicated in the instructions. Does this matter?

The standard Recovery Screen i see still includes the option to “Factory Reset” (the next step in the E installation instructions) as well as the option to “Apply Update From ADB” (a further step in the E installation instructions).

Should i continue with these steps despite it being in the stock standard Android Recovery???

[aibd]

@LTR

NOT the E Recovery version as indicated in the instructions. Does this matter?

Yes it matters a lot. When we flash a custom ROM we must flash a custom Recovery first. While Samsung/Android is in charge you cannot flash /e/.

I notice the first thing I said to you was Post #2. This would be the first thing to rule out.

[LTR]

Yeah i figured it did matter but was trying to be hopeful…

Ok so i have gone through the Easy Installers steps again and all the options it recommends like USB Debugging, USB File Transfer Mode, Developer Mode and OEM Unlock are already enabled so i turn off the phone in the standard fashion. Is all this correct so far?

I then simultaneously press and hold down the Power, Volume Down and Bixby buttons and the phone enters Download Mode. I then release all 3 buttons and press Volume Up to continue. The Easy Installer does it’s thing in a command prompt window which eventually goes away and i then turn off the phone by simultaneously pressing and holding down the Power, Volume Down and Bixby buttons until the phone turns off completely. Is this all correct so far?

Then i simultaneously press and hold down the Power, Volume Up and Bixby and continue to hold the buttons down even after the Samsung screen loads and continue to do so expecting the TeamWin based recovery menu to appear. However it never appears and instead i briefly see a white Android with a (red?) exclamation mark flash across the screen super fast and then the stock standard Android recovery menu.

Please advise if any of the above steps are incorrect.

[aibd]

@LTR

Is this all correct so far?

Well I think it is correct, I prefer the wording

• the instant the screen goes black (black as in off) and before the device starts to restart
• instantly change the finger press to Volume up + Bixby/Home + Power.

If you did get that right, then you have a different issue that the custom recovery failed to flash. (This might also be indicated “a (red?) exclamation mark flash across the screen”)

As you are trying a different version of Easy Installer it might be worth sharing a new log – my original wording suggested I was not totally sure of my interpretation of the log (but I have not revisited it today!) At the time I noted usb cable, this has to include the whole chain: cable, usb hubs (avoid) and usb secondary ports in the PC (avoid front ports when they are not wired direct to the motherboard – generally the back usb ports are direct wired).

I mentioned that using a Samsung “original” cable is no guarantee of success.