GTi9195 bootloop and Recovery problem

my S4 Mini is stuck in a bootloop

i can get to recovery screen which is CWM 6.0.4.8 but no commands work they all produce the following errors

E:Can't mount /cache/recovery/command
E:Can't mount /cache/recovery/log
E:Can't open /cache/recovery/log
E:Can't mount /cache/recovery/last_log
E:Can't open /cache/recovery/last_log
E:Can't mount /cache/recovery/last_install
E:Can't open /cache/recovery/last_install

i therefore cannot wipe or reformat the caches, or do factory reset, or load ROM from a ZIP file.

i can also get into Download mode and i have used Odin to flash a number of different ROMS; stock ROM for my Carrier, Stock ROM for unlocked UK and Cyanongenmod. In each case it looked to by uploading correctly and Odin reported success but it did not fix bootloop

i also tried to upload different versions of CWM but although Odin reported upload successful the version of CWM I have never changed and the error remained.

i tried briefly with Heimdall but could never seem to find the files i needed in the format that Heimdall requires

ADB seems to talk to the phone but i'm not sure what i'm doing with it.

Fastboot will not "see" the phone.

can someone suggest how i can proceed. i don't care about keeping any data on the phone i just want a working phone back

thanks in advance

Glen

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