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Lost camera image.

M

Motorhomer

Well-Known Member
I rooted my Galaxy S2 recently and all seemed fine. This morning my phone notified me that a firmware upgrade was available. I downloaded the upgrade by connecting to Samsung Kies and all seemed well.

I then found that Titanium Backup wouldn't work as my phone was no longer rooted. Obviously something happened in the upgrade that affecting the rooting.

I went through the rooting process again and it appears to be fine and Titanium Backup is now working OK.

That's the background to my problem, which is:

I no longer have a viewfinder image for my camera. The screen has all the symbols, but no image. I can take a photo OK but can't see what I'm photographing!

However, as I return to my home screen by pressing the 'Back' button, I get a brief glimpse of what the camera is seeing.

How can I restore my camera? I've tried every setting and two different launchers, so it's not a launcher problem?

The camera is important to me and I'd rather go back to a non-rooted phone than lose my camera. I restored the camera app using Titanium but it made no difference.

Help please!
 
Motorhomer said:
I rooted my Galaxy S2 recently and all seemed fine. This morning my phone notified me that a firmware upgrade was available. I downloaded the upgrade by connecting to Samsung Kies and all seemed well.

I then found that Titanium Backup wouldn't work as my phone was no longer rooted. Obviously something happened in the upgrade that affecting the rooting.

I went through the rooting process again and it appears to be fine and Titanium Backup is now working OK.
Click to expand...

It is very unusual for a, "rooted", phone to receive a firmware upgrade via Kies as normally Kies does not recognise rooted phones. The download and installation of the new, "stock", firmware would have overwritten your CF-Root kernel so having to re-root is to be expected.


I no longer have a viewfinder image for my camera. The screen has all the symbols, but no image. I can take a photo OK but can't see what I'm photographing!

However, as I return to my home screen by pressing the 'Back' button, I get a brief glimpse of what the camera is seeing.

How can I restore my camera? I've tried every setting and two different launchers, so it's not a launcher problem?
Click to expand...

Things you can try are...

1. In Recovery, wipe cache and Dalvik cache

2. Factory Reset

3. Re-flash your stock firmware, after a Factory Reset, using Odin, see under, "My firmware is not eligible for ICS yet but I want it now!", in post #1, here.

4. Install a custom ROM using CWM. I would suggest a, "stock-like", ROM such as NEAT.
 
Thank you for responding.

Where is 'Recovery' I can't find it in settings?

I found a 'Clean up Dalvik cache in Titanium B.U. but that did nothing.

I am now on 4.0.4 from the yesterday's Samsung upgrade. If I restore factory settings will it take me back to pre ICS software?

I'm not too confident yet about re-flashing the firmware. Presumable this puts a different and possibly superior operating system on? If I do this will I then be able to take advantage of further updates as I have done recently to ICS?

Sorry to be a pain and I'm very grateful for your help.

In the meantime I'll try to learn as much as I can about re-flashing different firmware.
 
When I did the last post I was a bit busy. I have now used my brains and found out how to go into Recovery Mode. I did as you suggested but it hasn't helped so it looks as though I'll have to do a factory reset.

I'm still wondering about re-flashing. Research so far talks about re-flashing the rom or the kernel. Which should I be attempting if I decide to go that route?
 
Motorhomer said:
When I did the last post I was a bit busy. I have now used my brains and found out how to go into Recovery Mode. I did as you suggested but it hasn't helped so it looks as though I'll have to do a factory reset.

I'm still wondering about re-flashing. Research so far talks about re-flashing the rom or the kernel. Which should I be attempting if I decide to go that route?
Click to expand...

Kernel will have no effect. You will need to re-flash your stock ROM, (the one that is already on your phone), or you can choose a custom ROM.
 
Thanks. This is where I am now. I did the factory reset and it made no difference. My phone is now back to normal except for the missing image, thanks to Titanium.

I have another app that relies on the image on the screen. It's called Magnifying Glass and it's in Swiss Army Knife. That no longer sees the camera image either so there is some big problem with the software.

If I flash a new rom can it be done over the existing one or do I need to do another factory reset and hope that I can restore all my apps OK?

Which rom do you suggest for me? I'm clearly no expert and just want the thing to work. If I loaded a new rom I presume that I can use my existing set up? I have Go Launcher, which I love and just want to duplicate what I have on my phone now.

I am on ICS 4.0.4 if that helps. This is the latest firmware that Samsung notified me about yesterday and which I wish I'd never heard of!

If I load a custom rom do I forget Samsung Kies and Samsung updates in future.

I do appreciate the help. I'm quite old and not too techy!
 
Motorhomer said:
I am on ICS 4.0.4 if that helps. This is the latest firmware that Samsung notified me about yesterday and which I wish I'd never heard of!
Click to expand...

Oh dear! :ahhhhh:

I'm guessing that you are on the latest XEU or CPW firmware that was released yesterday.

Android 4.0.4 stock ROM's, up until now, have contained kernel's with the, "Brick Bug", which can break your phone. DO NOT USE CWM RECOVERY OR RESTORE ON THIS ROM!.

***My initial thought is to get you off this ROM before taking any further steps as I do not want you to possibly risk bricking your phone. To do this, you should download an Android 4.0.3 ROM, say, LPG and flash it to your phone using Odin PC firmware as described in this guide, just ignore the firmware that they use which is now very old. Flashing an Android 4.0.3 firmware using Odin is safe to do as it does not involve using CWM Recovery on an Android 4.0.4 kernel.

Once you have done that, it may even solve your camera problem and you may wish to stay on it, you can then proceed with the following.

If I flash a new rom can it be done over the existing one or do I need to do another factory reset and hope that I can restore all my apps OK?
Click to expand...

I would recommend using Hawker's ROMNuke immediately prior to flashing a new ROM as it will clear any detritus from your previous ROM. You can then, after checking that you do not have the camera problem, use TB to restore your app's/settings.

Which rom do you suggest for me? I'm clearly no expert and just want the thing to work. If I loaded a new rom I presume that I can use my existing set up? I have Go Launcher, which I love and just want to duplicate what I have on my phone now.
Click to expand...

I would suggest using either, another stock ROM or, my own personal favourite, NEAT ROM which is virtually stock ROM on steroids. Perhaps go for the LPG FULL NEAT ROM v2.3.2 in post #1, here.



If I load a custom rom do I forget Samsung Kies and Samsung updates in future.
Click to expand...

Kies does not recognise rooted phones or custom ROM's.

I do appreciate the help. I'm quite old and not too techy!
Click to expand...

Are you related to a guy on here called, "Hawker"? ;)


*** Alternatively, you could re-flash the stock Android 4.0.4 firmware, using Odin, to see if that gets rid of your camera problem. You can download it from SamMobile using the steps under, "My firmware is not eligible for ICS yet but I want it now!", in post #1, here.
 
Thanks again. I'm up to this stage.

Before reading your last post I re-downloaded the firmware 4.0.4 and re-installed it successfully using Odin. The camera and everything else worked perfectly!

However, I lost root and Titanium backup wouldn't work. So using Odin I've just rooted my phone again. It went well except that the camera didn't work once more!

I'm now about to root it again and when that's done I'll try either 4.0.3 or a different one altogether.

What fun!
 
Motorhomer said:
Thanks again. I'm up to this stage.

Before reading your last post I re-downloaded the firmware 4.0.4 and re-installed it successfully using Odin. The camera and everything else worked perfectly!

However, I lost root and Titanium backup wouldn't work. So using Odin I've just rooted my phone again. It went well except that the camera didn't work once more!

I'm now about to root it again and when that's done I'll try either 4.0.3 or a different one altogether.

What fun!
Click to expand...

What CF-Root kernel are you using to root Android 4.0.4, LPT?
 
I presume that this kernel is the file I load into Odin?

It's one I found on the web and it's called

CF-Root-SGS2_XW_XEN_LP7-v5.4-CWM5.tar

It works fine apart from destroying my camera!
 
Motorhomer said:
I presume that this kernel is the file I load into Odin?

It's one I found on the web and it's called

CF-Root-SGS2_XW_XEN_LP7-v5.4-CWM5.tar

It works fine apart from destroying my camera!
Click to expand...

That's an Android 4.0.3 kernel from the LP7, ICS, firmware, which is why you may be getting the problems.

There has, AFAIK, been only one CF-Root kernel, released by Chainfire, for rooting Android 4.0.4 and that is the LQ5, 5.6, here.
 
I reloaded 4.0.4 and lost root as expected. I then rooted again using the new CF-root kernel that you sent me, and everything appears to be fine, including the camera!

It appears that all along I've been using the 4.0.3 rooting kernel. That was the one I originally used when I successfully rooted it the first time, as I was on 4.0.3. Of course I then received the upgrade notification from Samsung, went on Kies and upgraded to 4.0.4 and never thought that the rooting kernel would be different.

You're a genius! Thank you very much!

Now that it's rooted and all is OK I think I'll stick with the stock rom for a while and maybe try something else when I've recovered from this trauma!

I shall now delete Kies!
 
Sorry guys, since I am new here, I had to do a second post to be able to place links as I do below.

I am having EXACTLY the same issues with my camera as Motorhomer is describing in this thread. I have an LPT device, did a firmware update via Kies to 4.0.4 and then rooted my SGS2 with the "CF-Root-SGS2_XW_XEN_LP7-v5.4-CWM5.tar" file.

After that I noticed my camera had the same problems as described above. On top of that I can't watch video's anymore; I do have sound but the screen stays black as it does with the camera.

Motorhomer, which 4.0.4 firmware did you use to re-install? The one you found through Sammobile on this page I assume? I9100XWLPT_I9100XEULPA_XEU or I9100XWLPT_I9100NEELP4_NEE ?

I am asking because I've found some people mentioning a problem with some stock LPT firmwares on the XDA forum. Especially concerning Play Store not working anymore.

Many thanks!
 
Browney S said:
Sorry guys, since I am new here, I had to do a second post to be able to place links as I do below.

I am having EXACTLY the same issues with my camera as Motorhomer is describing in this thread. I have an LPT device, did a firmware update via Kies to 4.0.4 and then rooted my SGS2 with the "CF-Root-SGS2_XW_XEN_LP7-v5.4-CWM5.tar" file.

After that I noticed my camera had the same problems as described above. On top of that I can't watch video's anymore; I do have sound but the screen stays black as it does with the camera.

Motorhomer, which 4.0.4 firmware did you use to re-install? The one you found through Sammobile on this page I assume? I9100XWLPT_I9100XEULPA_XEU or I9100XWLPT_I9100NEELP4_NEE ?

I am asking because I've found some people mentioning a problem with some stock LPT firmwares on the XDA forum. Especially concerning Play Store not working anymore.

Many thanks!
Click to expand...

I hope that you have had success using the correct kernel as supplied by Ironass. It worked for me.
 
Thanks to Motorhomer & especially Ironass. I had exactly the same problem, and this thread got me back up and running. I just signed up to say thanks :)
 
Thanks!!I have gone through the right root and faced the camera problem for this 2 days. Now i have my right kernel and every app run smoothly now!I gonna stick with this adroid version for some time.
:)
 
ironass said:
That's an Android 4.0.3 kernel from the LP7, ICS, firmware, which is why you may be getting the problems.

There has, AFAIK, been only one CF-Root kernel, released by Chainfire, for rooting Android 4.0.4 and that is the LQ5, 5.6, here.
Click to expand...

I found this thread via Google, and was wondering if you guys could help?

I'm using a Galaxy S2 with Siyah version: 3.3b8 and am having this same camera issue and cannot find a Siyah fix (maybe I'm not looking in the right place?)

I'm also running I9100XXLQ6 on Android 4.0.4 - Can I use the LQ5 kernal from the post #11 or is there a Siyah based update?

Thanks.
 
2JohnSmith3 said:
I found this thread via Google, and was wondering if you guys could help?

I'm using a Galaxy S2 with Siyah version: 3.3b8 and am having this same camera issue and cannot find a Siyah fix (maybe I'm not looking in the right place?)

I'm also running I9100XXLQ6 on Android 4.0.4 - Can I use the LQ5 kernal from the post #11 or is there a Siyah based update?

Thanks.
Click to expand...

Hello and welcome to Android Forums 2JohnSmith3! :)

DO NOT use the kernel mentioned earlier in post #11 as it is firmware specific.

As you are running Android 4.0.4, ICS, I would recommend updating your kernel to Siyah 5.0.1.
 
Brilliant! Thank you, I just updated that quickly, it works perfectly via Odin! :)

I've also got a new 'STweaks' app, seems interesting.

Thanks again.
 
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