Tutorial: How to fix the endless spinning gears/cogs bug (for Nokia Lumia users only)

[alv3st3r]

I've seen many users here at WPCentral being affected by the endless spinning gears/cogs bug when they try to reset or update their phone and its nothing less than a nightmare.



Luckily the solution has arrived and its quite an easy fix. Nokia has updated its Nokia Software Updater to version 4.1.0 which has added an option called "My device does not boot up". So here's the procedure how to fix your phone plagued by endless spinning gears bug. I'll keep it short:

1. Download and install NSU v4.1.0: http://nds2.fds-fire.nokia.com/fds_fire/1310/0909/7297834135/NokiaSoftwareUpdaterForRetail_4.1.0.exe

2. Run NSU and this window will pop up. Then click "My device does not boot up"



3. Now connect the phone that has been stuck at spinning gears via USB cable (make sure its fully charged) and click continue.



4. After connecting the phone, this will show up (refer screenshot). Now press and hold the power and the volume down button until the phone vibrates. Your PC will detect a new hardware and will install the required drivers if needed. Then click Ok.



5. NSU will take over from here and will reflash your phone with a hefty 1.2GB of firmware download from its server. Let it finish and then you're done.

Hopefully this will resolve the issue of users being troubled by this bug and will rejuvenate their phone back to life. Cheers.

Screenshots courtesy: Moody Captain from MyNokiaBlog.

PS: Make sure to try the soft reset (power+volume down) first or hard reset (power+volume down+camera button) if the soft reset doesn't help. If it still doesn't fix the issue then only go for this tutorial. Consider it your last option.

 

[Darren Walsh]

Very nice find!! I use care suite to flash always but this will help loads of people!!!!

 

[alv3st3r]

Very nice find!! I use care suite to flash always but this will help loads of people!!!!

Yeah many people try to avoid NCS as its a bit confusing. I myself use NCS too. I'm glad Nokia added this feature. It'll help a lot of people out there.

 

[newfiend]

Wish I would have seen this last night. My wife's Lumia 920 bricked updating to Amber. Luckily I still had my rom from a previous Windows Phone 8 build saved. I was able to use Nokia Care Suite and reflash the phone and get it working again, however the ROM I used was for a black unit vs. The White one. After flashing it I used the sysapp pusher to update all the system apps and then was able to update the phone OTA to Amber. The phone seems to be working fine and back up to date. My question is why do the Lumia 920's ROM's all have different color codes and doesn't matter that I flashed a white colored phone with a black colored ROM? What's the difference if any? Thanks..

Sent from my Lumia 920 using Tapatalk

 

[newfiend]

Edit: should say Does it matter instead of doesn't.. Typo sorry..

Sent from my Lumia 920 using Tapatalk

 

[alv3st3r]

My question is why do the Lumia 920's ROM's all have different color codes and does matter that I flashed a white colored phone with a black colored ROM? What's the difference if any? Thanks..

Actually it doesn't. The only difference in the ROM which I can think of is the tiles color and theme that are matched to the respective color tone of the phone. That's the only tweak that is made to the ROM. Everything else is identical.

 

[Rahul Nirwan]

I have another kind of problem. During the installation it is showing :-( this!!! Will this work???

 

[alv3st3r]

I have another kind of problem. During the installation it is showing :-( this!!! Will this work???

Provide more details like OS version. Have you installed Nokia Suite or not.

 

[Rahul Nirwan]

I have L620, Indian firmware. Most people here have a firmware .001 due to which we didnt get the amber update. Today i received the firmware update .002, and during its installation its showing :-( sign. I had less memory in my phone, could this be the problem?
Also, i m not able to clear space because the phone boots and the cogs/gears starts showing and then the above sign.

 

[alv3st3r]

^^Are you trying to update it OTA or via PC?

 

[Rahul Nirwan]

^^Are you trying to update it OTA or via PC?

OTA... but now d/l nsu.

 

[alv3st3r]

If you're not bothered with losing your data then go for it.

 

[newfiend]

Thanks for the info on ROM difference, I figured it would be something trivial like tile color. Phone seems fine, however they really need to get this is update figured out, too many phones get stuck updating. This has happened to me 3 times on different 920's. Its beyond frustrating. I'm at least somewhat PC literate so I was able to recover it, but what a pain in the a$$! LOL

Sent from my Lumia 920 using Tapatalk

 

[Robert Novak1]

This is the only way I update my phones. Much faster to flash the rom and let WP reinstall your stuff than it is to download and run the update

 

[CaymanDreamin]

This worked awesome. Super fast and super easy. If you have the gears of death going, hold the volume down and power buttons to get it to shut down and reboot when you first connect your device. On to GDR2 for me!

 

[Austin Rogers]

This is not working for me its not letting my phone install to my brand new computer it keeps failing it says so it cant detect my device..

 

[PB_H]

Yeah many people try to avoid NCS as its a bit confusing. I myself use NCS too. I'm glad Nokia added this feature. It'll help a lot of people out there.

NCS ? not NSU

 

[zombiedonuts]

It worked, I had the phone go to last backup, which was 2 days before meltdown. Right now, its downloading all these apps!

 

[shaan3000]

Thank you so much !!!!!!!!!!!!, you are a STAR, helped solved my gears problems !

 

[alv3st3r]

Thank you so much !!!!!!!!!!!!, you are a STAR, helped solved my gears problems !

I'm glad it resolved your issue.