Help Menu and back keys don't work

[0ptimal]

My Samsung galaxy express sgh-I437 has seen better days. I had to buy a battery charger, because the charger port broke, and I couldn't find a replacement anywhere I looked. Now, the back and home buttons don't work. I don't believe it's because of taking my phone apart. They don't light up either. Any help?

 

[mikedt]

My Samsung galaxy express sgh-I437 has seen better days. I had to buy a battery charger, because the charger port broke, and I couldn't find a replacement anywhere I looked. Now, the back and home buttons don't work. I don't believe it's because of taking my phone apart. They don't light up either. Any help?

It's almost certainly a hardware problem. Are you sure you didn't disturb or damage anything around the bottom area, like the fragile flexible print connections between the front parts and the main logic-board?

 

[0ptimal]

I don't think so. I'll take a picture of the phone with the back off in a minute

 

[0ptimal]

I hope this helps.

 

[Daniel Fernandes]

If they don't light up now, it's likely that their wires are disconnected. Take another look at things there, maybe you forgot to put back a connector. They could also be damaged as Mike said... In that case, it's not easy to fix this. For now, you can use an app that gives software navigation buttons...

 

[0ptimal]

OK, I'll take another look at it, see if I disconnected anything.

 

[0ptimal]

When I put it back together after taking the picture, I did find a piece of hair, so I'm going to put the battery in and see if they light up now.

 

[0ptimal]

I didn't see any disconnected wires or anything, but I found a piece of hair, so that might of been a problem. I'll try turning it on and see if that fixed it or not.

 

[Daniel Fernandes]

Do you mean human hair? That shouldn't affect it much though...

 

[0ptimal]

The white wire connecting the bottom area and the main logic board is kind of pinched in places, but I don't know if that is messing with anything, because my home button still works.

 

[0ptimal]

Well that's good.

 

[Daniel Fernandes]

That wire is normally pinched. I think that's a power wire for charging... (not sure about that)

 

[0ptimal]

Oh, okay. I turned it on again, and they still haven't lit up yet. I guess I will have to download an app. That's a bummer.

 

[0ptimal]

It is also really slow, and I have no clue why. It also drains battery quickly, and I don't know if it's just the battery, or what.

 

[Daniel Fernandes]

That is strange. There could be many possible causes for this. Try clearing system (not app) cache. That's the only software fix I can give you. For hardware, you really need to see what you had taken apart and have a double check at the things that were hard to put back...

 

[0ptimal]

How do you clear system cache? I also didn't take anything apart, so I don't know why it would be hardware.

 

[Daniel Fernandes]

Google for how to get your phone in recovery mode. (because it's usually different for different devices)
Once you are in recovery mode, you have an option to clear system cache.

 

[0ptimal]

Oh OK, thanks.

 

[0ptimal]

It didn't work. I have no clue what is happening. I'll try it again, though.

 

[0ptimal]

I am rooted, if that helps you.

 

[Daniel Fernandes]

Didn't work? Are you trying all the possible combinations of hardware buttons on your phone (volume, power AND home?). At what point does it 'not work'?
I don't have much knowledge about about the troubles rooting can cause to your phones hardware (other than when you uninstall a system app that controls it). So, I can't give much advice to you about that.

 

[0ptimal]

I did clear system cache twice, and it did not work afterwards.

 

[0ptimal]

I had the problem before I rooted, though.

 

[Daniel Fernandes]

I had the problem before I rooted, though.

Then it's a hardware problem. Go to some expert to get it fixed. Or do what I do, use an app!