Can anyone help me retrieve info from my broken S4mini?

nicojo98

Estimable
Mar 29, 2015
3
0
4,510
Screen stays black always
Vibrates once when I take the battery in and out and press the power button

Connect phone to PC with battery out it makes the upbeat tone followed by downbeat tone repeated every 5 seconds continually
Replace battery whilst still connected - phone vibrates once / PC stops making downbeat tone and does nothing else
Press and hold power button whilst still connected - PC makes down beat tone and phone vibrates once

Disconnect phone from PC - nothing from PC or phone
Press and hold power button - nothing
Remove battery then replace battery - nothing
Press and hold power button - phone vibrates once

History - was working normally 3 days ago
Was locked to t-mobile/EE
Prior to that I had requested an unlock code from EE which I received and entered
Tried a Giffgaf SIM in it and it showed Giffgaff
Put the t-mobile SIM back in and it carried on as before
6 hours later notification windows just started flashing up on the screen that various apps that weren't running were, I think, not

responding or crashed (don't remember exactly what it said now)
So I kept clicking OK to them
After about 6 appeared, it rebooted the phone
It came back on as normal and then more notification windows started coming, so I rebooted again
The next time I was bombarded with notification windows, so I rebooted again and then it froze and switched off at the logo screen during

boot up
It did that same thing twice more and since then the screen has remained black ever since

Been fiddling with trying to switch it on ever since and reading numerous web pages trying to find something that will help
Tried banging it, holding down power/home and volume
I can send it in for repair through the EE shop but I want to try and retrieve the photos and notes etc. off of it first, hence my efforts

So, anyone got any suggestions? Thank you
Thank you
 

Turb0Yoda

Honorable
Herald
Jul 12, 2013
66
0
10,610
You do not have to root your phone.
First pull out the battery and plug it back in. Hold the Power and Volume up(or down). You will get a warning screen Tell me if that comes up. If you get something that says stock recovery(With options to wipe the phone and reboot) tell me the software number so I can give you the right files.

http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2545784
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2751224

Those two links give you instructions and links to the right files and program. BE SURE NOT TO USE A FILE THAT DOES NOT MATCH YOUR DEVICE. THIS COULD RESULT IN A HARD BRICK, OR PERMANENT LOSS. ALSO MAKE SURE THAT IS IS A NO-WIPE FILE SO YOU WILL NOT LOSE YOUR DATA
 

nicojo98

Estimable
Mar 29, 2015
3
0
4,510
Hi XxD34THxX

My screen is always black except for, sometimes, a couple of thin horizontal white lines across if I toggle the battery about

So, no warning screen :(
 

Turb0Yoda

Honorable
Herald
Jul 12, 2013
66
0
10,610


Seems to be either a damaged screen, some other hardware issue, or something really bad happened with the OS.
There is ONE last resort if you can't get into download mode with that and no boot occurs...
Grab one of these
http://www.amazon.com/MaxLLTo-Unbrick-Download-Samsung-Galaxy/dp/B00K444UAS


Worst case scenario it won't work, and the phone is perma-bricked/hardware damage.