Data Recover on an old Mobile/Cell phone (LGu8120)

[OfficeJerk]

Hi

I would like to know if anyone on this forum knows or has any experience in data recovery from an old cell phone's internal memory. The phone is as per below:

http://www.gsmarena.com/lg_u8120-843.php

Reason being is that I had some photos/videos that I took years back on this device which I transferred to my computer after I upgraded my phone, then I reformatted my phone and put it in its box. Now, years later, the HDD that I transferred the contents to has crashed quite badly and the contents are inaccessible. I'm working on recovering the contents from the HDD but its proving to be quite a pain, so I figured I might give the mobile a go instead.

I still have the phones USB cable and driver software, but it only installs on XP operating system and nothing higher as there were never any other updated drivers released. Upon connecting to XP, I can only gain access to the phones internal memory by using the phones manufacturer software, which is no good to me because I need to get the device to show up as a disk so I can run recovery software on the device.

Am I on the correct path here? Or is there a completely different method that I should be attempting in order to run data recovery on this device?

Any insight into this is appreciated.

[HaQue]

I could probably attempt recovery using chip off method, I would read the nand chip and try raw recovery(you mentioned formatting it). I am in Adelaide(well Melbourne right now, but driving back later today) It may be quite a long shot depending on how the phone actually formats, or it could be easy, wont know until you try. Not sure you can get it to show as a disk, but maybe you can connect the phone and use DMDE to see if it shows up there, then take an image of it.

there may be some third party tool or something from the hacker community that mounts it.

Alternatively, if you are in NSW, contact Troy at Central West Data Recovery. If in WA, talk with Andy at Elcotronics.

[OfficeJerk]

Really appreciate the reply.

Can I ask how much you would charge to have a look at it for me? I actually have two mobiles of the same kind which i wouldn't mind trying to extract some old data from... Also, after chip off method, can the phones become operational again?

You also mentioned that there may be some kind of hacker created mounting tool for such devices... this would be ideal. Do you know of where i could look for something like this?

Again, thanks again.

[HaQue]

the chips could be soldered back on, though this isn't usually done. The person unsoldering would need to keep it in mind and do it carefully. I have soldered NANDs back on many times.

If there is nothing actually wrong with the phone, there should be no issue with it working again.

I am speculating on the hacker tools, I never really looked into them but I have seen various tools and hacks over the years and would be surprised if one didn't exist for almost any "problem" on a working phone. I will have a search around when I get some time.

I would be willing to read chips, provide the chip dumps and return for $30ea, as I am interested in what the data image looks like.

[OfficeJerk]

the chips could be soldered back on, though this isn't usually done. The person unsoldering would need to keep it in mind and do it carefully. I have soldered NANDs back on many times.

If there is nothing actually wrong with the phone, there should be no issue with it working again.

I am speculating on the hacker tools, I never really looked into them but I have seen various tools and hacks over the years and would be surprised if one didn't exist for almost any "problem" on a working phone. I will have a search around when I get some time.

I would be willing to read chips, provide the chip dumps and return for $30ea, as I am interested in what the data image looks like.

I can surely confirm that there is nothing wrong with the phone at all, have tested it recently too - no issues at all.

Yeah shoot anything you find in regards to tools that might be able to mount this device, would really love to give this a go myself first without dismantling if possible. If this isnt possible however, i would be glad to send it to you to do some surgery on it

The internal memory was only 32mb i think, but the file sizes of each photo were around only 20kb, so i am genuinely interested to see what can be extracted also...

[fzabkar]

Service Manual, Exploded View, Parts List:
http://www.jordansmanuals.com/Default.a ... odel=U8120

[fzabkar]

Here are the memory chips:

NZ48F4000L0YBQ0, 1.8 Volt Intel StrataFlash Wireless Memory (L18):
http://www.ece.umd.edu/courses/enee759h ... 190203.pdf
http://pccomponents.com/datasheets/RD38.PDF

Intel Flash Memory Programmer for RD38F4050L0YTQ0 and NZ48F4000L0YBQ0:
http://pdf.datasheetarchive.com/indexer ... 458169.pdf

Last edited by fzabkar on November 11th, 2015, 3:19, edited 3 times in total.

[OfficeJerk]

Wow, very impressive.

Any info on custom tool that will let me mount this device? As stated earlier, the fact that i can access the device through its own manufacturer software makes me think its certainly possible to do such a thing.

[fzabkar]

Any info on custom tool that will let me mount this device?

See my most recent edit.

Edit: Sorry, the Intel tool will read the memory chips. Accessing the phone is another story. I think you'll need to read the service manual for yourself.

[OfficeJerk]

the chips could be soldered back on, though this isn't usually done. The person unsoldering would need to keep it in mind and do it carefully. I have soldered NANDs back on many times.

If there is nothing actually wrong with the phone, there should be no issue with it working again.

I am speculating on the hacker tools, I never really looked into them but I have seen various tools and hacks over the years and would be surprised if one didn't exist for almost any "problem" on a working phone. I will have a search around when I get some time.

I would be willing to read chips, provide the chip dumps and return for $30ea, as I am interested in what the data image looks like.

Sent you a PM.