Newbie having problems with installing on Samsung S7, device is not found

Using / e / Setup
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#57

Thanks for your help so far.
Ultimately it failed. I installed Smart Switch, ran something called Emergency Recovery…
It did not work. The screen is now black and the phone does not even start.

It has been a total nightmare. 4 days of work, endless problems and frustration. One of the worst IT-related projects I have experienced. But of course, I am just an ordinary guy, IT-wise, with no experience in mobile phones, so that was probably to be expected.
But it would be great if guys like me could do this, then /e/ would become a serious challenge to big tech.

Crazy as it seems, I am still not giving up. Although /e/ installation, at least in my case, seems quite lacking and undeveloped still, I realize the need for a deGoogled and Apple-free phone. So I am buying another Samsung Galaxy S7 and will try again.
Would be better to buy a pre-installed phone yes, but the phones in the shop does not suit my taste, too large. I like the Galaxy S7, small and light.

#58

Thank you for reaching out to me.

I have imagined your poor phone not surviving but you always do bring it back from death, despite your previous lack of experience.

You have helped to point out some deficiencies in the /e/ documentation.

Back to your poor phone, not toast I am sure.

The glib answer would be just to follow the on screen instructions - use the Emergency recovery function in the Smart Switch PC software.

I found dozens of links to that with a reputable search engine, some offered video format thus avoiding too much reading. Be lucky, looking forward to next week’s installment already.

#59

aibd,
I managed to get it back to the “An error occured while updating the device software”. Connecting to Smart Switch but it is not recognized.
I am probably giving up on this phone. I don’t know what to do with it.

IF I were to try again on another S7, do you advice I should run Easy-Installer, or do it completely manually? It seems Easy-Installer almost always do not work anyway for the majority of users and maybe that is what screwed up my phone from the beginning?
I have on the other hand been warned not to install /e/ from scratch, because it is not for mere amateurs, but this may be what I have to do, then setting myself up for another failure.

#60

To be perfectly honest, No. With your vivid imagination you struggled with not knowing the exact progress of the install.

I suggest you buy a Pinebook with Linux, get some experience at coding - I know you have the right brain for it - then install /e/ with Linux. Never think yourself a mere amateur.

I am sure I had read in an earlier post of yours that your poor phone was dead, or murdered - but so glad to hear it had a reprieve. My son brought a phone back from inoperable by leaving in the bottom of a jar of rice (raw rice, that is) for a week.

As you do further research I think you will find a way to obtain a Samsung ROM of the correct vintage for your phone, check the serial number.

#61

Keep in mind that people will post here if they need help but most likely won’t register to a forum just to say “hey, your install tool which I assumed to work did work in fact”.

#62

Thanks aibd and Ingo, for all your support!
(and for putting up with my frustration).

I am honoured by your confidence in my ability. A Pinebook with Linux you say. I will research that.

By the way, yes I thought Smart Switch had murdered my phone, but it may not have, maybe just severed it. We don’t know who the culprit really was.

In any case, I am bidding on an auction site on a couple of Galaxy S7’s. I might buy a bunch, just for the hell of it, to see if I can get one running. I am bidding on a few with smashed glass and scratches, then I can do a face transplant with my pretty but slain S7.

I have learnt quite a lot already, so for the next phone I may be more lucky.

Ingo, yes, to be fair, I know people only come here when they have trouble.
I have had an amazing amount of trouble. Maybe I was just unlucky in my choice of used phone. It is likely that I also screwed up and caused trouble myself, but I can honestly say that I don’t know exactly where… :thinking:

I really believe in the idea of /e/, which I probably said many times already, so I want it to work.
I’ll be back…

1 Like
#63

I first used the /e/asy installer 0.11.2-beta and a few days later the new version v0.12-beta for the Windows platform for flashing /e/ OS ‘Q’ on the Samsung Galaxy S9 and Gigaset GS290 devices to get my own judgement of its functionality. I usually flash all devices manually without a script - and don’t fail.

Both times the /e/asy installer downloaded and installed “stable” builds, although these are currently not suitable to update the devices to a working /e/ OS ‘Q’ system. Both devices were non-functional with bootlop. The problem has been known - but not fixed - since at least late January 2021. Thus, it is not possible for me to give a positive overall verdict.

Google’s Android Flash Tool and GraheneOS Web install Tool show how flashing Mobil OS works for anyone for a few devices.

#64

SuzieQ,
I am afraid I don’t really understand what you are talking about.

Another thing, if anyone here were to recommend some phone that is an /e/ classic, proven to work, easy (well, relatively) to install, any recommendation?
I don’t have to use a Galaxy S7, just that it is a compact phone, an attractive design - no need for a suitcase with wheels when taking it with you outside.
How about older Samsungs, if I wanted to buy a bunch of a cheap model to experiment on? And if it worked - I could actually also use it as a phone, run apps and that.

#65

And I don’t understand what you want from me.

Can you please try again to describe in other words what you want to tell me. I would like to understand.

#66

SuzieQ,
Well, maybe your reply was not directed at me.
It is not that I want something from you. Just that I did not completely grasp your post.

I am not very knowledgeable in these matters, trying to learn. All I want is to run /e/ on my phone.
I was scanning your comment for advice that could be useful when installing /e/.

Ok, I will break down what I did not grasp. If you would like to reply, although not necessary, you surely are busy and it is doubtful if it will be of use for my continued efforts.

  1. You say you use /e/asy installer, but flash manually without a script. I suppose you used to use /e/asy installer, now do it manually. Or, I am not sure about that. What is a script by the way, you mean like a guide/instruction/installer?
  2. “these are currently not suitable to update the devices to a working /e/ OS ‘Q’ system”, I don’t understand this. So /e/asy installer installed a stable OS, but it doesn’t work now because they can’t be updated to a Q system? Actually I don’t know what Q system is. But it sounds worrying - it may not be easy runnings after a successful installation of /e/. Have searched “Q” but not found info. One problem is that you can not really search “Q”, all kinds of things would come up. It is probably not the Deep State fighting heroes of Q you mean either.
    This is, I believe, one problem with this task - it assumes knowledge. The learning curve someone like me (who is not in the IT or mobile phone industry, just a guy who likes privacy) has to go through is enormous. The information is scattered. Most people don’t have time to do the necessary research for this. I am lucky being a freelancer who can organize my time as I like, but I have spent 4 days so far and only just scratched the surface.
  3. your devices were non-functional with bootloop (not sure if I spelled that right or wrong, it is supposed to be bootlop?), does that mean before or after your install? I would suppose before. Or I’m not sure, because I don’t know what a bootlop is. Never mind.
  4. it is unclear whether your task succeded or not, “verdict not given”. Why would you give verdict by the way? Maybe it’s a good idea if more people did that. In this view it makes sense! You gave a verdict, sort of, and so did I, sort of.
  5. The last links, what is the purpose of those here, specially the last one. I read the last page but understand very little of it. I am not ironic or sour, honestly don’t understand how it relates.

Perhaps you ask about the last part of my post above, where I ask for recommendations on devices to install /e/ on? That was just a general question, aimed at anyone. Didn’t really expect an answer, might be a good topic for another thread - the top 10 devices for /e/ !

#67

Well, quoting addresses the subject in general and the author in particular. That, at least, is my view. Accordingly, I was primarily referring to and communicating why I, like others, was reporting problems and therefore I couldn’t say, “hey, your install tool which I assumed to work did work in fact”.

However, since you couldn’t install /e/OS on your Galaxy S7 with latest /e/asy installer, my experience with the /e/asy installer could also give you hints, especially if you follow my postings on Samsung Galaxy S9 from 25.01.2021 und S9plus from 31.01.2021.

I flash all devices out of conviction and because I can, with the usual tools adb - fastboot - Odin3 - and, will continue to do so in the future. Especially since the /e/OS ‘Q’ aka /e/ OS Android 1’Q’ upgrade was released for the Samsung Galaxy S9 / S9+, problems with its use have been piling up on the /e/Forum. So I went looking for clues, first tried the /e/asy installer v0.11.2-beta with the Galaxy S9 and a few days later the /e/asy installer v0.12.0-beta with the Gigaset GS290. I’ve shared my experiences with it in the appropriate place. My advice was also followed, and so /e/ has a few more blissful S9 ‘starlte’ and Galaxy S9+ ‘star2lte’ as well as Gigaset GS290 users. And that is exactly my intention.

#68

SuzieQ,
I see. Thanks for your links. I am reading them now.
It is a task too big for me. You’d have to upgrade to a new Android OS then over that install /e/.
I was thinking about future upgrades and how that would work, I realize now I was right, quoting you - “The software jump from Android 8-Oreo or 9-Pie to 10-Q is a big one. For future-proof S9 / S9+, I think it’s worth the work.”
The potential for further problems is immense. I already ruined the fine S7 I bought.

I’d like to buy a pre-installed phone, but they are all so large that I’d need a cart with wheels to drag one with me out on town. That’s why I want a S7.
How about you SuzieQ, would you like to do one up for me? I’d pay you of course.
How come you “flash all devices”, normal people have one, or maybe two phones, you must be working in this field?

#69

JeppeW,
I don’t see myself as a standard user of /e/OS (“normal people”), but as a /e/nthusiast, tester and promoter. And it’s all just a hobby, albeit a very time-consuming one.

I feel the need to put my acquired, theoretical knowledge into practice. To do this, I need various Android smartphones on which to try out what I’ve learned. A Samsung Galaxy is different from a OnePlus, Xiaomi or a Gigaset GS290. By the way: I’ve also ruined three Galaxy. That’s the price to factor in.

Switching your S7 to an official /e/OS Oreo 8.1.0 is an easy task for me. Only - you know that /e/ has discontinued support for it?!

JeppeW, I’m priceless :)) But seriously, I personally don’t usually charge for my services, but I do expect a voluntary donation of any amount here or here.

Please write me a Personal Message (PM) and tell me your country of residence. Then I can give information about the shipping and handling costs.

#70

One more time, i am not agree with you.
I don’t want to have one-line controverse, and you refuse off-line discution.
so, Have a nice day…

#71

So what?!

I give your nice day back to you.

#72

SuzieQ and piero,
Let’s not argue!
Instead, do explain what you mean. I was wondering about what SuzieQ said - “you know that /e/ has discontinued support for it?!”. I’m not arguing, just don’t know if there is something like support in /e/, like stop developing something for a certain model. If that is so, I may have to take that in consideration when chosing model.

Let’s be nice to each other! Have a nice day all of you.

#73

SuzieQ,
Weird, but I don’t know how to PM. Searched for it. Nothing in my account. Maybe it’s because I am too new here and this function has not been awarded me yet.
Perhaps you know how to PM me. If you would like to talk about the possibility of putting your theoretical knowledge into practice.

You’ve ruined three Galaxies as well… I see. Well, I don’t need to feel like a complete fool then. Tried at least. Tried hard. I am more and more lending toward not trying this by myself again. You might be my only hope.

#74

Android 7-Nougart and 8-Oreo have no chance of survival even with /e/. Why do you think /e/ stopped selling the once premium ePhones Galaxy S7 / S7 Edge?

I still have two S7s, one with ‘official beta’ /e/OS ‘Oreo’ one with ‘unofficial’ but ‘privat signed’ LOS 17.1+microG. I like the S7, but I wouldn’t and will not buy one again.

Instead, I recommend the Galaxy A5 2017 (a5y17lte). It’s a few millimetres longer and wider, but not thicker, and feels great in my hand. /e/ OS 9-Pie (Android 9) has been running smoothly for months, as has LineageOS 17.1 (Android 10). There are also other current CustomROMs.

#75

SuzieQ,
Great advice. I will not buy another S7.Galaxy A5 it will be. Good size as well, 5,2" display, no need for a trolley to bring it with me.

I will need to run some conventional apps here in Sweden, identification tools, bank apps e t c. I got the impression that /e/ was the smoothest OS for those who need a wider selection of apps.
That might be the next challenge and learning curve. We’ll see about that.

#76

The course is set for the amsung Galaxy A5 (2017) ‘a5y17lte’ are also set for the future at /e /…
/e/OS ‘Q’ Android 10 is coming soon …