error code 97: phone is fubar'dSupport

  1. bassballboy

    bassballboy Member

    My month old Evo LTE is giving me error code 97. I spent an hour on the phone with sprint, hard reset it, and tried to do a PRL update countless times(that errors out). I also try ##786# but it won't take me to the menu to do that reset.

    I also took it to the corporate sprint store but they couldn't do anything except tell me to pay for a new one via warranty...


  2. Rxpert83

    Rxpert83 Dr. Feelgood Moderator

    I don't know what that error code means, so what are the other symptoms you are having?

    Why is it giving you the error :-!?
  3. bassballboy

    bassballboy Member

    It's a data call error. The phone and text seem to work, but it will not connect to the mobile data network.
  4. EngineofRuin

    EngineofRuin Well-Known Member

    I mentioned in a thread in the Root section of having the same issue. The last person I spoke with guided me into the MDN and MSID profile within the phone I believe (I don't remember if the ## numbers were the same both times) Essentially I reset it and the data for both were refreshed and it was fine after that. Might be the same thing, first person had me manually change the numbers but that only gave me voice and text back.

    The firmware attempted an upgrade when everything was reinitializing, stopped it in time though since I'm rooted.
  5. bassballboy

    bassballboy Member

    hhmm.... wonder if there's hope. I would guess they'd want to get into that root access part (the ##something) which oddly wont work on this phone
  6. EngineofRuin

    EngineofRuin Well-Known Member

    Sometimes it's about asking the right question or not, maybe ask them about that profile page (sorry I should of copied down more of the info during the call) and ask them out a reset. I really thought it was a hardware issue, it doesn't require root access I believe. It's strange you can't get to that ## page though, that's probably exactly where you need to be.

    Good luck.
  7. Mr. Ed

    Mr. Ed Well-Known Member

    your phone is not fubar'd

    it is no longer communicating with the network

    you also do not need "to buy a new one with the warranty" if it were.

    you have tep? in store replacement covers pretty much anything but cracked screens and water damage unless they found wither of those evident on your phone, it should have been covered

    using the asurion only applies to a phone that has specific damage which is doubtful in your case.

    to fix the problem all you (typically) need to do is continue to try and update your data profile...from other locations helps sometimes (5 or more miles away)
    Rxpert83 likes this.
  8. bassballboy

    bassballboy Member

    I can run update profile 1 time per boot, then it comes back with an error with the vDM client. After that clicking the update profile button does nothing.
  9. Mr. Ed

    Mr. Ed Well-Known Member

    what reason did they give on you needing to buy a new phone via asurion?
  10. bassballboy

    bassballboy Member

    They just said they couldn't fix so we would have to go through the warranty. I don't have TEP, which shouldn't affect me this time in my opinion since this is clearly a defect. The kid at the store said it would be at least $35, but maybe more since we don't have TEP.

    It baffles me how I could be charged for a new phone when this is their fault.

    The person flagged as the correct answer is describing my exact issue
  11. desert dogs

    desert dogs Active Member

    I only had this phone for 17 days and I had the same error codes last Saturday. I did a PRL update and when I went to update the profile I started getting that code. If I was connected to wifi I could make calls, but did not receive calls or text messages. I waited over night and tried again Sunday. Basically the same thing happened except the first time trying to update after turning on my phone, the phone was trying to update but would time out. I looked at the phone identity area and my username was missing as was my phone number.

    I took it back to Best Buy to have them try to fix it. Fortunately, the guy that sold it to me was working. He tried to update the PRL and failed. He called sprint and got master unlock codes, one time codes, etc. Nothing worked. He talked to 4 people doing the same thing each time. One rep asked why was i trying to update the PRL. Seemed to me that they were trying to say i shouldnt do that and it was my fault. Lol We were both getting frustrated. Finally trying a factory reset. Nothing.

    After 2+ hours, I said I can't have a phone. I'm traveling out of town and need it. He was great to work with and he wound up giving me a new phone. Glad i have their black tie insurance. It seemed that sprint was not aware of this problem even though this store has had a few people bring back their phone for this issue.

    So far this new phone is working well, knock on wood. I have never had to return a phone so I guess I was due. But I will never go to a sprint store to get any phone due to their customer service.

    Just a quick side note, I called sprint on Friday to get my caller ID back to just the number showing and not my name. I have always had just my number and wireless caller as the ID showing to others until about 3 weeks a ago. They tell me it is set to that, but when I call it shows my name I told him. He assured me that he fixed it. Well, it wasn't and still isn't. But the next day my phone went to crap after it had been working just fine. Makes you go hmmmm....did they do something to mess it up? Lol
  12. bassballboy

    bassballboy Member

    On the phone with sprint tech support right now. They're telling me that this is not a "official known issue" aka they can bury their heads in the sand and act like nothing is wrong, then try to screw me.

    In that link above there are other people talking about my exact same issue. Anyone have a way I can cancel my contract without getting dinged? They can have their phones back, I want to out of this terrible company's grasp.
  13. Mr. Ed

    Mr. Ed Well-Known Member

    There seems to be some miscommunication

    sending you a pm
  14. bearballz

    bearballz Well-Known Member

    Yeah I'm really glad I bought my phone at Best Buy this time around. Their service at least on the mobile side has been just great. I've taken my phone back twice for various issues and twice I wasn't given the run around. They looked at the issue and promptly swapped out my phone.
  15. falconey

    falconey Well-Known Member

    The only thing I can say about that is alot of ppl can't tell the difference from a corp store and an authorized dealer store.
  16. bassballboy

    bassballboy Member

    I've now gotten the run around twice, once from the Sprint call center, and also a Corporate owned store that has a technical service department.

    Apparently it's ok for them to sell me a phone that breaks, them try to charge me for their or the manufacturer's defect.
  17. Mr. Ed

    Mr. Ed Well-Known Member

    I sent you this in PM and I really do hope you understand

    I am going to post it here for clarification for others

    Your phone from x y z does have a warranty... when something goes wrong, WITH ANY retailer you have options after the 14 day return period.

    The policies I know...everyone has their own

    Best Buy (30 day return, 14 day contract rule applies)
    You bought black tie..use it..they verify the issue and send your phone off for repair, or in some cases initiate a replacement be SENT to you.

    you did not get black tie, YOU send the phone in to x y z manufacturer

    there is no "in between" for those who did not buy protection and are outside of the return period

    You bought TEP...which is two things (won't get into that now but look into it), visit a repair center, techs look at phone right then and there, diagnose the issue and attempt to repair, give a replacement if one is available otherwise order one WHEN IT APPLIES that a replacement need be given. (It is amazing over the past 13 years of being a sprint customer how many feel they need a replacement just because something quit working.) TEP is not soley a replacement plan, it is a repair/replacement plan, and Asurion provides a insurance. Some issues can be repaired.

    You didn't buy a COURTESY, Sprint will troubleshoot your phone for $35, and even attempt to repair it, some repairs do require an additional fee. You also have the option to ADD TEP at the completion of this repair process. Many people do not know that.

    You didn't buy TEP option 2...YOU send off your phone to HTC for warranty evaluation.

    another personal note from me

    I have ALWAYS had TEP. THose of you that know me from the orig Evo prolly remember how many times that phone was replaced..I have it and pay full price for it on my Sprint company phone, on my son's Sprint phone, on my parents phones and on ALL 6 of our ATT lines...hell my current and last Samsung phones on ATT were replaced a total of 9 times for defects.
    PattiCakeUS likes this.
  18. Mr. Ed

    Mr. Ed Well-Known Member

  19. omiller315

    omiller315 Well-Known Member

    I am the one at the bottom(omiller315a) and got it resolved.Posted on here over in the Sprint forum with my fix. I had the same issue with getting to the menu and then the error would pop up and boot me from the hidden factory reset option. Was very happy with the Sprint store near me with the ESN trick and then remembering the hidden menu on my way home(they said they tried all and figured I had to call Sprint for a new phone). Glad to see Mr Ed around as well as a Sprint employee(think I remember seeing that) to have some inside scoops on these issues. 2 weeks ago I did see the error 97 again, but I rebooted and it went away. went into panic mode and was afraid it was starting all over again.
  20. Mr. Ed

    Mr. Ed Well-Known Member

    If its sprint by is not corporate

    I use the website to determine...or just ask.

    Not all non corp stores are bad. We have a resource here that is a manager at one
    EarlyMon likes this.
  21. bassballboy

    bassballboy Member

    Very cool, so yours was able to be fixed through doing an ESN swap to another phone (did they activate that phone with your ESN?) then swapping it back to your phone... and then running the ##786# and doing the factory reset?
  22. bassballboy

    bassballboy Member

    I appreciate all of the help with the issue, but I think I need to clarify here. I understand that malfunctions with the phone are generally not Sprint's fault, they are the manufacturer's fault. But after speaking with HTC they are pointing the finger back at Sprint here, so what's the consumer supposed to do in this scenario where the two giants are pointing fingers at each other?

    I feel as though the manufacturer's warranty should be treated as such - a warranty against malfunction. For example, I bought a vacuum a few years ago with a 5 year warranty. The brush recently stopped working. I took it to the vacuum shop and they took it and fixed it at no cost to me since it's under manufacturer's warranty. Why is this not the case with phones? Why should I be required to carry additional insurance against phone malfunction? I completely understand it in cases where people abuse the product, but this is clearly a case of phone malfunction.

    In any case, I'm hoping we can find a way to fix it and avoid any further hassle with Sprint or HTC. If not I'm going to need to figure out how to get HTC to cover their warranty...
  23. CapThrowback

    CapThrowback Well-Known Member

    I believe I had this issue, and it took the ##786# -> Menu -> Reset -> Enter MSL to fix it.

    Sprint can give you the MSL code for your device. After a fresh factory reset, you should be able to use that ##786# code in the dialer. You might want to turn off Mobile Network first, or even try putting the phone in Airplane mode (though I'm not sure if that'll work). Either way, you may have to wait up to a minute for the View/Edit Mode box to pop up, in which you would choose "Edit Mode" so you can follow the above procedure.

    ##[YOUR MSL]# will bring up the screen that should show your phone number and MSID. If that's all in there correctly, the above process is the only thing that'll fix it. I had to go through this a bunch of times with Sprint myself. Hopefully my 4th LTE won't give me as much trouble . . .
  24. omiller315

    omiller315 Well-Known Member

    Yes. It seemed by moving the ESN to another phone my texts came to that phone(the error 97 is text not being able to be received). They went back to my phone and they couldn't get it to work by turning on data(wouldnt turn on) and a normal factory reset. Once I went back to the ##786# and did a reset, my phone rebooted and went through activation again and all has been well. Mine seemed to happen during a PRL and Profile update. It errored out during the profile update and I believe got corrupted.
    bassballboy likes this.

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