S3 freezes with google account and internet

[Danio]

Hi all,


My old Galaxy S3 started freezing randomly during the day and always while charging overnight. Although I now have a S7, I tried to fix the S3 for my girlfriend (and not produce too much electronic waste for the environment). I have gotten this far:

I can do factory reset and everything works fine for days (Android 4.3, without SIM card, but with WLAN) until I log into any google account, even a fresh dummy one with no data on it. The phone freezes usually a couple of hours after last use and I have to remove the battery to revive it. It also freezes overnight while charging usually with the green LED then still on. However if I disable WLAN, everything is fine again. Seems like my phone is allergic to google accounts when they call home.

The phone was rooted, but meanwhile I also unrooted with ODIN (but did not reset the Flashcounter) without any improvement.


Any idea what could be wrong and how I can save the phone ?


Thanks


Danio

 

[svim]

Sounds like maybe that S3 is just getting hung up on the Google account issue. Try starting over and reflash the ROM, and while you're in Recovery Mode don't forget to also wipe the system cache partition. When it boots up try using the Google account you used to log into it originally, then once it's up and running switch user accounts. Reboot it again and see if that makes any difference and it runs OK again.
http://www.pcadvisor.co.uk/how-to/g...e-id-on-android-smartphone-or-tablet-3494710/

 

[Danio]

Thanks svim,


This is basically what I did before, but without wiping the cache. I tried again (with cache) last night. This morning the phone was dead and it died again during the day. Anyway, I will now swap the google account to a dummy one and see what happens.


Cheers,


Danio

 

[svim]

The battery could be another matter. The S3 is a four year old + model so if yours still has its original battery it wouldn't be too surprising if it's starting to fail. Replacing it is quick and easy, and an OEM replacement is relatively inexpensive:
https://www.amazon.com/Samsung-Repl...=1482093477&sr=1-6&keywords=galaxy+s3+battery
Just power off your S3 and the back cover comes off without any tools needed, a finger nail is adequate. With the back cover off just remove the old one and replace it.

 

[Danio]

Well, I am currently at the 3rd battery, two from Samsung and one from a company called ‘Anker’. Unfortunately it happens with all three batteries and at all different battery charge % and frequently over night when the battery is full.

 

[Danio]

Ok, phone froze over night after account swap. The problem started already with my old account, so I don’t think it is specific to any google account, but rather some general problem of the phone with something that every google account does when it has access to the internet.

Any other idea ? Such a waste, as everything works fine till google meets internet ;-(

Many thanks,

Danio

 

[svim]

What's the model I.D. for your S3? And what version ROM did you reflash previously?

 

[Danio]

Model is GT-19300, Baseband version 19300XXUGNA8, Kernel Version 3.0.31-2713958, Build number JSS15J.19300XXUGNG3. Is any of this the ID you asked for ? ;-)
I used two different firmware versions from sammobile.com:
I9300XXUGNG3_I9300DBTGNG2_I9300XXUGNA8_HOME (the last one I tried)
and
I9300XXUGMK6_I9300DBTGMK2_I9300XXUGMK6_HOME

both 4.3. I tried to get an earlier version, but sammobile only gave me a 404 error when I tried to get one of these.
Is there any other/better source / version I can try ?? Would it make a difference ?

 

[svim]

Nuts, I'm out of suggestions (and yes, the items you listed where just what I was asking about). You could download a ROM from another non-Samsung source but as you've already done multiple tries I wouldn't think it will make a difference.

Considering that S3 will otherwise run OK and it seems to have a problem with logging into your Google account. In your Settings >> Accounts >> Google if you disable all syncing temporarily maybe there's something relative to one of them triggering a freeze up. In the Play Store app go into its Settings menu and disable 'Auto-update apps'. Then later if things are OK, start enabling things one or maybe two at a time to see what might be the problem.

Also, there's the option of going without Google oversight, but that does hamper a lot of the usefulness of a phone:
http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/using-android-without-google/

 

[Danio]

Many thanks svim,

I already tried disabling everything connected to google /samsung update:
all sync of the google account
automatic update in play store
automatic update security in More>>security
data backup to google server

did not help.

Its really strange too that the problem just suddenly appeared on a running system with a running google account. I now tend to think that there is something broken in the hardware, that leads to a failure of the software and finally freezing of the phone...

running without google oversight is not an option for my girlfriend, who was supposed to inherit the phone.

alternatively I found an article that describes KitKat on the S3, but not sure if that would help and I did not exactly get all the steps...

 

[svim]

Can't find anything definitive on this but perhaps this Google account problem is a Google services <> Jelly Bean issue and not anything to do with your S3 itself. (... or more specifically WebView but I don't know how much or how little this ties a v4.3 phone in the back end to Google servers.)

http://www.zdnet.com/article/google...s-for-pre-kitkat-webview-abandons-930m-users/

http://www.computerworld.com/articl...-core-android-component-in-60-of-devices.html

 

[Danio]

Thanks svim and happy new year !
The only thing that comes to my mind is trying an older version of android. Is there a trustable source where I can get something ealier than 4.3 ? As mentioned before I could not get this from sammobile.

Cheers,

Danio

 

[svim]

I'd be thinking a later version would be less likely to give you these Google account issues as opposed to earlier. You mentioned previously about running across a KitKat upgrade for the S3 GT-I9300, is it similar to this one?:
http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/galaxy-s3-i9300-gets-official-port-android-4-4-4-kitkat-update-1467538
Might be worth re-rooting your S3 and giving it a try. Also, the article refers to this link also worth reading through:
https://forum.xda-developers.com/galaxy-s3/development/i9300-to-n00t-bring-lte-fun-to-3g-t2886574/
... and just offhand, as the article is a couple of years old it points to an older version (2.02) of SuperSU, the current version is 2.79 so even though it'll update itself either way you might as well just get the current one:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=eu.chainfire.supersu&hl=en
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=eu.chainfire.supersu.pro
Also support for CWM has stopped, TWRP is still actively developed so continuing to use CWM on a phone like a S3 will still work out OK but if you're going to be reflashing the Recovery anyway give TWRP some thought:
https://dl.twrp.me/i9300/

 

[Danio]

Hmmmm, I put KitKat on and still have the same freezing problem. I guess I just give up and use the phone as an alarm clock ;-(...
Anyway, many thanks svim !! I really appreciate the effort you put into my problem !

Cheers,

Danio

 

[svim]

Too bad things didn't work out. I kept thinking it's a software thing but with all that you've done I have to wonder if it is a hardware issue. But it's puzzling to think how that correlates with just that Google account problem you keep having.