Related
CLICK HERE TO GO TO THE WIKI
I have decided to open a Questions and Answers thread on this section of the forum. This is a good way to keep the number of new threads with questions down to a minimum, which will make new threads essentially for people that are contributing to the Samsung Epic 4G. This includes, but is not limited to, people that are providing the following:
- Roms & Kitchens
- Programs & Apps
- Fixes & Tweaks
- Skins & Themes
- Tips & Tricks
I would like to request the help from other members to keep the thread in order and in check. This will have the added side effect of creating an ever self updating knowledge base that will far extend the content of the Wiki. This will in turn save us from having to answer the same question a billion times...
Please refer to the Wiki first before asking any questions though! It can be located here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/wiki/index.php?title=Samsung_Galaxy_S/SPH-D700
CLICK HERE TO GO TO THE WIKI
Any idea when the OTA push for2.2 will start?
jg187211 said:
Any idea when the OTA push for2.2 will start?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Unfortunately, we don't have anyone in the community who has inside access to that information. Some of our members are affiliated with Sprint, and so have slightly more reliable rumors, but even their sources have thus far been wrong if they quoted a specific date...
So I hope you understand that I'm not being a jerk when I say, we won't know until it actually happens (and this will probably always be the case)
That being said, this most recent leak (DK28) seems stable so far IMO, so it could potentially become our official update
ok im a total noob to all this stuff. i followed the guide to update my epic to 2.2. the problem is, that the camera, gallery, and a couple other apps dont work. Can someone help me? Should i go back to 2.1, if so, how do i do that?
EDIT: Angry rant removed, thanks to the mods for a quick response (and to the member who's post was removed: no hard feelings, I hope you understand)
Just remember to read before posting, to make sure your post will be relevant and not redundant
jayzn210 said:
ok im a total noob to all this stuff. i followed the guide to update my epic to 2.2. the problem is, that the camera, gallery, and a couple other apps dont work. Can someone help me? Should i go back to 2.1, if so, how do i do that?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Whenever flashing a ROM using either recovery, it's always a good idea to wipe the phone (as in factory reset - I'm not referring to wiping the cache or the dalvik cache, although both steps are also usually recommended)
If you used the odin method described in this thread: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=861213
then you might have flashed the wrong tar - DK05 and DK17 both had the camera problem, make sure you have the DK28 file.
If you have the right tar, then you could have an incomplete download... I doubt that though, when that happened to me, my phone wouldn't boot at all. But you might want to redownload the tar just to be sure (double check the filesize after it finishes and before you flash, if it seems too small then it messed up again)
That's the best general advice I can offer, but if you'd like to provide more details about the method you used (especially a link to the guide you used, if it isn't the one I provided), someone here might be able to identify where you're going wrong
i followed the instructions from http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=861213. i didnt use odin, i just used the .zip method. it took me a lot of tries cause i kept getting errors. the second mirror link worked for me, but like i said, my camera, gps, gallery and some other apps dont work.
oh and everytime i try to flash again, i get the error.
It sounds like you're either starting from the wrong rom or not wiping the phone before flashing the zip. All of the zip updates I have seen require you to start from DI18 stock (root an clockwork seem to be okay in my experience, all other mods must be removed) - if you have installed any custom roms, your best bet is to follow the odin method using the stock DI18 tar - so you may as well just skip the zip methodand odin to the stock DK28 tar
And you absolutely must wipe the phone (again, factory reset - I suspect many people are just wiping the cache and/or the dalvik cache).
Sent from my SPH-D700 using XDA App
Odin flashing
I've got a quick question. I'm looking to move to a build using the DK28 information release and it requires that I update the pit and modem files on my phone using Odin. Do I need to flash a 2.2 rom right away or am I safe to boot into my current rom first?
KaiXXV said:
I've got a quick question. I'm looking to move to a build using the DK28 information release and it requires that I update the pit and modem files on my phone using Odin. Do I need to flash a 2.2 rom right away or am I safe to boot into my current rom first?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Are you doing the strictly odin method (full froyo in a tar file)? Or an update.zip?
The odin method *should* include the modem and everything (and you use the updated pit in the same process) - you'll have to read the particular thread that you got the download link from, but I haven't noticed any odin tar files that required the modem separately
For the update.zip method, I don't know if it matters whether you flash the modem before or after applying the zip through recovery - I don't think either one overwrites the other, but that's a part of the process I can only guess about. But regardless of when you odin flash the modem, that's when you'll use the new pit file (the same as the odin-only method above).
As far as I know, the primary difference is that the update.zip doesn't inherently overwrite user data (but you'll probably have broken programs that FC all the time, which means a wipe is necessary, making this somewhat null). I prefer the odin method because it is a fresh flash of the entire system (I usually let it repartition as well - no one else has posted about that feature so I have no idea if it's a fluke that it hasn't given me problems)
Hope that helps
which is the best
so i have updated to dk28 froyo 2.2 i like battery life and performance can anyone offer info on which is the best rom for me or just some insight on which rom is the best overall
How do I stop running applications from starting every time I restart my phone?? I have the start up auditor but for some reason everytime I restart my phone the apps I have disabled keep restarting themselves and I have to go into the running programs and disable them manually. WTH?? Doesnt programs constantly running in the background kill the battery life?? How do I disable apps from starting?
youngpro83 said:
How do I stop running applications from starting every time I restart my phone?? I have the start up auditor but for some reason everytime I restart my phone the apps I have disabled keep restarting themselves and I have to go into the running programs and disable them manually. WTH?? Doesnt programs constantly running in the background kill the battery life?? How do I disable apps from starting?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How I understand it, especially with Froyo, you shouldn't have to kill programs in the background, if said 'background' process or service is working normal or efficiently. I still kill the DRM process when I reboot my phone, and not sure if it's still causing drain issues.
Also (someone else confirm this), I believe that constantly 'killing' certain background processes actually uses MORE battery, since it has to constantly restart itself. I've had a much more stable device *not* using auto killers, and just sniping one here and there that I know to cause drain.
Some reading material on GC, tho, in regards to memory management
Ignore me!
devo52 said:
so i have updated to dk28 froyo 2.2 i like battery life and performance can anyone offer info on which is the best rom for me or just some insight on which rom is the best overall
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
A lot of it is personal preference - this early in the game, the primary differences between the roms are going to be mostly cosmetic. So for now, the best advice I can offer is to try each of them and decide which theme you like. Regardless of how you upgraded, you had to use odin, so you have succeeded at the most difficult step of the process - and odin can bring your phone back to life if something goes wrong, so it's an invaluable skill to have.
In the meantime, keep watching the threads (quietly, unless you have a question that hasn't been asked already - we're working on cleaning up the forum to make it easier for everyone to find answers... but I digress...)
It's too early to be sure of any of the fixes out there - we have at least three separate fixes for the GPS issues; some people find success with one, others with another, and a lucky few don't need the fixes at all... so in summary, we can't say which is better or worse just yet, stay tuned and decide whether you want to experiment on the bleeding edge, or wait for these things to be stable and thoroughly tested.
And if you have any doubts, just stick with the stock DK28 for now
tl;dr, questions in BOLD.
Okay, after spending the entire night scouring the internet/this forum and starting from absolutely zero-knowledge about the Android OS, I managed to update my Epic to 2.2, and root the phone. Now, I'm kinda stuck as far as customization goes. I see all these cool skins and battery life mods and stuff, but they don't exactly offer any steps as to how to install them. Since I don't exactly know what file-types do what, I'm kinda shooting blindly at trying to update/install something "custom" onto the phone. So, my question(s) is/are:
What does the ROM do?
What does the ROOT do?
I know the root basically "unlocks" your phone, but that's all I know. The process of customizing the phone still remains a mystery. (that's the problem with following step-by-step instructions, rather than actually knowing what you're doing.)
I also don't understand the purpose of flashing a phone. Flashing, in my experience is to update something, like say a BIOS. But that sets the system back to square 1 as far as all settings go, in this particular example.
If I flash, with say Odin, after having updated to DK28 and "rooting," won't this make all the "customization" that I've done prior basically 'null' because I've just flashed the phone into a blank-state?
Sorry if these are questions easily answered by searching, but I just spent my entire sleep-cycle trying to find the answers to these questions, and managed to only get so far. I look forward to the answers On another note, I am now EXTREEEEMELY pleased with my phone. Before this evening, I was just the regular, old run-of-the-mill enduser. I liked the cool built-in customizations and all the apps and what not, but never dreamed of being able to customize my phone to THIS EXTENT. So, now it's something I'm very interested in doing..it makes my phone truly mine.
zdavidi said:
What does the ROM do?
What does the ROOT do?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Did you see the link to the Wiki in the original post of this thread? That's where I started when I first got here, it helped me understand the basics.
zdavidi said:
If I flash, with say Odin, after having updated to DK28 and "rooting," won't this make all the "customization" that I've done prior basically 'null' because I've just flashed the phone into a blank-state?.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It depends on what you flashed with Odin. If you only flash a modem file, then your customizations and apps are untouched. If you flash an entire ROM in "tarball" form then not only does it re-write the modem but it also overwrites all user data. Think of the latter as resetting the phone to stock and works even if you cannot boot up.
When can we expect a custom Kernel with netfilters for wifi tethering?
n00b question.
If an SDK version is released (say, like, Gingerbread today), does that mean chefs could take it and cook up a ROM for ANY phone (say, like, the Epic)? Or do they need something else to do that?
Remove Touchwiz Launcher (consequences?)
Hey-- I'm using Quantum 2.0.0 ROM, and I never use the touchwiz launcher. Does anyone know if it's safe to just remove the apk? (TouchWiz30Launcher.apk) or is there other functionality tied to it?
I use LauncherPro, fyi.
Please forgive my ignorance... I've searched the forums, looked at the wiki...
I use titanium backup and am now running the DK27 froyo build by noobnl. My question... How do I restore my e-mail accounts to the phone everytime without having to re-type them in? I've been flashing a rom every other day on average since I got the phone and it's getting REALLY old.
are their any problems with it? if so are they fixable? FYI im talking about the leaked froyo update. Also is their more then one version of it? IVe been thinking about updating and could use some input as to what I should do. Any help is appreciated.
Hey bro I wasn't being a **** towards you on your last post. I was just trying to tell you that it was in the wrong section. Welcome to the.forums and this is a great place if you want to learn. I'm on the update now running bonsai rom with ext4 and its very stable. I get better battery life than eclair and everything works. The only issue I have is occasionally when I make a call I don't hear it ring till I toggle speakerphone on/off. That's a common bug. Other than that its an awesome leak and I'm gonna be on it till the official release and update it manually. I would Def. Update if I were you. The best way in my opinion is to use Odin to get a fresh install and make sure you have a GPS lock before you flash so your GPS will work on froyo. Good luck
Sent from my Evo Killer!
Its cool. could you provide me link to all the things listed? assuming its not against the rules. Preferably the best version of the update or clarification of what it is would be helpful.
http://briefmobile.com/how-to-update-sprint-epic-4g-to-android-2-2. Use the second set of instructions. Download Odin and the full tar file. Put the phone in download mode by turning it off and then holding the 1key on the keyboard and the power button. If it's in dl mode you will see a guy like shoveling stuff. Open Odin and put the full dk28 tar file (make sure it's the correct size like 289mb) in the PDA section. Make sure first that Odin recognizes the phone so there should be COM that pops up in the box on the upper left corner with some numbers(don't worry bout what the number is). So plug the phone into the computer after Odin is up not before. After Odin recognizes the phone go to the PDA section not phone but PDA and plug the full Dk28 file into this. Make sure only auto reboot is the only thing checked on the left side and DON'T USE THE PIT FILE. it can cause Odin to fail and it's not needed for rom flashing. Once everything is ready hit start. You will see a progress bar on the phone and computer. Once you hit start it should take around 3-4 mins to complete and don't unplug the phone till it's done. If for some reason it says it failed or it just hangs at a certain step just keep trying. Sometimes it takes me a couple tries. One more thing before you shut your phone off to put it on dl mode one up aps and turn your gps on and get a lock. That way your gps will work once it's flashed. Good luck. Any questions just ask but you can follow the guide n the website I gave you the only thing that I told you that is different than the website is they say to use the pit file. remember don't you dont need it.
KEY PIECE OF ADVICE MISSING HERE. before you flash that file rename out taming the .md5 extension off. Also when he says only have reboot checked, means un check that box labeled f.reset its easy to overlook. Now the pit file, normally I don't use it but this is changing complete os version not just an eclair update I would go ahead and use it. Its just a map for odin to use when partitioning the install and with froyo for sure the modem has been moved around on a diff sector. This time I would use it. Best of luck and read over all the directions before you do it to make sure you are comfortable with it.
Sent from my SPH-D700 using Tapatalk
You can rename the file but I've never had a problem with using the tar file with. Md5. Odin accepts it but I guess some people have had problems with it. Also I didn't use the.pit going to dk28 and my.phone works fine. I've never used the pit file. Only time its needed is for.flashing kernels and modem files bit it's not gonna hurt if you use it. I've actually had the pit.file make my flash fail before the first time I tried to use the pit file.
Sent from my Evo Killer!!!
Thanks Guys! One more question. Could you tell me how to also root my phone after this update so I can use my phone as a wireless hotspot? Im also curious as to what the benefits of rooting are and what I can do once im done. Hopefully I dont sound like a idiot ,but I am needing to educate myself more.
Sure I can help you. Once you get to 2.2 like I Saif you have 2 options. To keep you rfs filesystem or switch.to ext4. I.recommend going.to ext4. It will make your phone faster and alot.of rom developers have switched to ext4 so.if you want.the newest rom updates you need it. http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=897612. That's the link for the one click.root plus clockwork version 3 that will convert you to ext4.http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=770388 . That's the link for the one click root and cwm. If you want to stick with the stock filing system. I have the latest version of bonsai rom installed with ext4 filing system. Let me know what you decide to go with. If you go with ext4 and cwm3 it only supports edify scripts to flash but a lot of zips have been converted to edify. Just let me know if you go with cwm3 and I'll explain this in more detail for you.
Sent from my Evo Killer!!!
Will it change the stock layout/menu of my phone? or erase anything? Also Im assuming a rom is somthing you load on your phone like a game with a emulator. But what exactly do these roms do?
Also last question and im off to work on this. I heard this update can also increase my battery life is that true?
As far as a rom erasing all your data yes when you flash the rom you boot into clockwork and you have to clear all data and cache before flashing so when your phone boots up you won't have any data there. It's like a brand new phone, but if you do a backup in clockwork and then after you erase all data and flash the rom you can do an advanced restore and restore all your data. It's a really nice feature to have. As far as a rom losing the stock look it depends on the rom. Some roms look stock and others don't. The best thing you can do is go to the development section and open up the different roms and look at the pics of what it looks like to have that rom on your phone and also look at the change logs and it will tell you what is on the rom. If you want to keep the stock look bonsai rom v1.1.4 leafless version looks pretty stock and if you get tired of that you can then flash the theme over top of the rom and it changes it up a bit. If you want I can post pics of my setup so you can see if you like it. I hope I answered your questions so you can understand it. As far as battery life I'm getting better battery life on dk28 But it will get even better when custom kernels come out for froyo and then they can under volt them. That won't happen till the ota comes out and the source code is released but yes I'm getting better battery life on froyo then I was on stock eclair. Also the good thing bout rooting is you can freeze or delete all of the bloatware that you don't use. For instance the sprint NASCAR app or whatever else that comes on the phone that wastes space. If you have any more questions just ask. When you decide to do this I can give you my google talk username and I can walk you thru the process and get you a nice rom setup on your phone. Just let me know. Later
Got it done. But now I can't find apps I need in the market place is teir any kind of fix for that?
Ok did you instal the drivers? If not let me know if you have a 32 or 64 bit and ill post them for you. Also if its a desktop try.the USB in the back closest to the motherboard. Also the stock cable sucks and you need to get another one. Radioshack has one or eBay. But you need the computer to recognize the phone or you can't root it either and install cwm. If you did install the drivers plug the phone in when its turned on and it should install them for you as long as you downloaded them. If you installed the drivers try turning on USB debugging ( settings-applications-development) and then plug the computer in and if the drivers are installed properly in the notification bar it would say USB connected and then USB debugging on. That means the phone and the computer can recognize each other
Sent from my Evo Killer!!!
found the drivers and got the update installed but some of my apps just arent in the market place that I used to have. Is that normal? I was hoping to redownload mobile banking and cant find it.
found the drivers and got the update installed but some of my apps just arent in the market place that I used to have. Is that normal? I was hoping to redownload mobile banking and cant find it. Is their a fix?
Yeah that's normal I can't.remember why but when you flash a rom they will come back. There us a fix somewhere in the development section but if you flash a custom rom you'll be fine. Noe use.the one click root with cwm version 3 to convert to ext4.
Sent from my Evo Killer!!!
at this point all i have done is install the leaked update. I want to be able to download the apps I cannot get to some of which may be protected in the marketplace. Is their a link or way around this with out rooting or would i need to root to access them? also if I do root I want the same layout my menus have now so where can I find a walkthrough for this? thanks guys for your patience and help. ALSO UPDATE I want to go ahead with the root and ext.4 rom it and but i dont want my menus or anything to change whats the next ?or would they change?
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=848778. That will help you to fix why uoi are missing some apps. If you want yo ho to ext4 rom then I suggest bonsai Mammon rom v 1.1.4 leafless. This rom has the stock look but with extra performance added. Just run the one click root with.clockwork mod version 3 to convert to ext4 then flash the rom http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=897612. That's Tue.root you have to run. Here's the rom I recommend http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=869295
update I placed ext 4 on here and rooted it. Now how do I apply the market fix and im done for a while.
I cant seem to find the folder to apply the fix
I have an epic that was rooted and flashed with syndicate's 1.1.1 rom. For whatever reason the phone rebooted and went into clockwork without my pressing the appropriate buttons. I then tried to reload the rom, reflash EC05 through odin and followed about 3 or 4 threads of getting the phone back to stock. But every time I reboot, I go straight into clockwork. Any help would be great since all the stores are closed and I'm waiting on a phone call tonight
Use the search next time. Use ODIN to revert your phone back to stock and then either flash a NAND backup or start fresh with SFR.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1052813
I did use that thread and as soon as I got to factory.rfs (or something like that) I hung for about 45 minutes before I quit and tried again, to only have it happen again. I've been pretty good about searching a bunch of threads, been at this for about 3-4 hours now.
Change USB cable/port on computer and reinstall Samsung drivers.
Use the victory pit with Odin and check the repartition box. I would use the EB13 prerooted tar found here:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=853209
Then use the included EB13-EXT4 pit included instead of the victory pit.
So after replacing cables and regoing over all the instructions, I swapped the phone only to figure out that the SD card was corrupted somehow and my loads weren't working. so I am now back on syndicate 1.1.1 and happy. I thanked kenny since he was the only one to offer something besides "reread all the posts you already read noob"
As the title says this will be a one stop for ALL your questions related to Sprint Epic 4G Touch (SPH-D710). Please use this thread.
This thread is completely noob friendly. :angel: Please no trolling or flaming. Any posts insulting or trolling fellow members will be reported promptly. Use
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button. Don't abuse it. We don't want our moderators to waste time. Also no general chit chat please. We want this thread to be as helpful as possible so less clutter is better
Ask ANY question related to root, kernels, recovery, any roms, battery issues etc.
Don't think that if you post your question in this thread it won't get answered. If you feel an urge to start a "new" thread for each question thinking that people will answer that quickly or something like that then you are mistaken. Don't worry and ask away here!
No one person is responsible if your phone becomes a shiny black brick..Neither me nor anyone answering question.
Any one can answer questions and point users in the right direction.
Although it is encouraged to search and research before asking, I can understand that maybe you feel overwhelmed by your search results and just want to make sure before you do anything stupid or are just confused by all the answers you find
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Oh and about the search function. Some tips. There are different ways to do a search on Xda.
-Site wide search which is on the top right corner and looks like this -
This search is useful for apps and such which are not necessarily device specific.
-Another search option is to search within the forum for example search in "Epic 4G Touch Q&A". This will search all threads created in this forum. It looks like this right above the threads.
-Third search option will show up where you see the option above when you are in a particular thread. It is the most useful when you are in a ROM thread an looking for some help specific to that rom.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Goal here is to stop repeatedly asked questions in Q&A forums AND have all the questions in one place. Chances are high that the issue you are having was already experienced by someone else and the answer is somewhere in the forums.
Post 2 will have all the common questions/answers. New FAQs will be added as I come across something noteworthy.
Post 3 will have all the questions/answers that other members have asked. I will link to posts from within the thread here so you don't have to go looking for them.
Please let me know about any errors or recommend changes. I am all ears.
________________________________________________________________
Thanks to all whose threads I have linked below.
General Q&A
Ok here we go: Most common questions. I will be adding more from time to time.
Q. How do I root my phone?
A. The safest and easiest way to obtain root is to use one of the stock Odin one clicks. They are all found here. That thread has all versions listed. You want to use the one-click for the version you have. There are 2 versions. No data version will save all your user data. Use that only if you need to root your current version. Not recommended when downgrading versions.
Alternate Method:-
This is not recommended for first time users. Its a bit complicated but not hard.
-You need the EL26/29 kernel with CWM(linked below), CWM SuperSU zip, and stock kernel for the build you are on. By stock kernel, I mean for example if you are on unrooted ICS FL24 then you need the FL24 Stock kernel in a zip format. All these files need to be on your SD Card before you begin. All files can be found at rwilco12.com.
-Flash the EL26/29 kernel first using mobile odin kernel slot or desktop odin PDA slot.
-Boot into recovery.
-Flash zip from internal/external SD card.
-Find the SuperSU zip file and flash it.
-Now remember to not reboot. Flash the stock kernel zip.
-Now you can reboot.
Phone will boot up and you are still completely stock but rooted with NO CWM.
Q. Now I am rooted, how do I install clockwork mod (CWM) recovery to flash new ROMs etc? Oh did I mention flash ANY ROM? ICS or JB.
A. There are several ways to do this and need to be careful in choosing the right version. If you are not using a safe recovery then you may brick your phone. More on bricks later.. Before you install cwm you need to decide why you want cwm recovery. Are you just looking to install CWM recovery so you can flash a new ROM? If So.. Follow those steps to be as safe as you can get with flashing new roms.-Make sure you have the ROM zip file already on your SD Card before starting this. Gapps too if it is a CM/AOKP/AOSP based rom.
-Download Mobile Odin Lite from here. You can also download from play store.
-Download GB - EL26 Stock repacked with CWM from here. You want the .tar.md5 file. OR use EG4T-EL29-directbootCWM-v3.tar.md5 md5 - 2b781e4515982a6b7d9586cbb3158647. Direct boot kernel will boot into recovery after flashing in mobile odin.
-Open Mobile Odin and select the kernel slot. Find the file on your sd card and select it.
-Flash firmware. It will take few seconds and phone will reboot.
-Next step is very important..
-Now one thing to keep in mind here is that you just flashed a Gingerbread based kernel. If you are on ICS or JB, your phone will no longer boot. So you want to hold down power + vol up until you see the CWM recovery.
-From here on follow the instructions of the rom you are trying to install.Only follow the above process ANY time you need to flash a new rom.
Any new rom you flash comes with its own recovery which are generally safe to flash different mods etc for that particular rom.
You can also use desktop odin to flash the kernel but it will trigger a yellow triangle and show a flash count which shows how many times you have flashed something custom.
Q. Now that I have my favorite ROM and its all setup... How do I make a nandroid backup?
A. Simple.. Just go to recovery that the rom came with by holding down vol + power up OR most roms have the reboot to recovery option in the power menu. Once in recovery go to backup and restore. Go to backup and let it run. It will take few minutes to complete. Also avoid changing names of these nandroid backups because that could cause MD5 mismatch and you won't be able to restore it.
A nandroid backup is a FULL backup of your phone. It comes very handy if you want to go back to your setup when trying new roms.
Now off to brick related questions.
General advise:- Please please please read the directions of the rom you are trying to flash and ask if you are not sure before you regret making a mistake.
Q. I flashed something (lets say you were on some ROM and decided to try a new kernel) and now all I have is a Samsung boot logo and my phone is stuck on it for few mins...
Am I bricked?? Did I brick it for good?
A. In most cases, No. If you see the Samsung boot logo then you are lucky and what you likely have is "Soft" brick. You can recover from this. You can do different things to fix this. If you are not sure and do not feel confident and just want to get your phone working to take a breather, follow this..
-Download EL29 rooted Odin one click to a pc. (you should always keep a copy on your pc)
-Put your phone into Odin download mode by holding power + vol down until you see a screen asking you to press vol up to continue.
-Open the one click .exe file.
-Plug your phone into your pc using an usb cable.
-Wait for drivers to install if you don't already have. Be patient.
-You should see COM:XX where XX is port number. Doesn't matter what number. Now be patient and wait a min or 2. (Sometimes I have seen the COM:XX disappear and then comeback due to some driver reloading..)
-Press start and wait for the flash to complete. *DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES MOVE YOUR PHONE AROUND THAT THE CABLE COULD UNPLUG.
*MAKE SURE BATTERY HAS GOOD CHARGE.
*MAKE SURE PC DOESN'T RESTART.
*If the process is interrupted, you will brick your device for sure depending on where odin was in the flash process and it will be hard to fix it or impossible.-You should wait till phone reboots by itself. Device can be unplugged then.
Another thing you could do to recover from a soft brick is just go into recovery and restore your nandroid backup that you had created.
Q. Ok so now what is "hard" brick?
A. To explain it in simple words.. if you get a flashing blue led and nothing on the display, cannot go into odin mode or recovery then you have a hard brick. For more info refer to this thread and this thread
User Questions
Q: I want CWM which will run with my current version of stock rom. I don't care about EL26 kernel w/cmw. Where do I get it?
A: First of all, I don't see why you would need a kernel with cwm if you are on a stock rom. There is no use as the kernel is not considered safe to perform most functions. But if you still want it.. You can get it here - [KERNELS][CWM][ODIN] Kernel Repository - Download Them All Here and flash it using mobile odin as described in post 2.
Q: I am running AOSP/AOKP/CM based rom and my data is slow. Also my 3g/4g is not working. Oh yeah and I never get a GPS lock. I don't want to go back to stock touchwiz! Please HELP!!!
A: Well you can't update profile and prl using AOSP/AOKP/CM based rom and it has to be done from touchwiz based roms. But there is some good news. You can temp boot to stock EL29 rom and do whatever you want to such as use dialcodes, update profile/prl etc. Temp boot means that you will be able to boot 1 time to EL29 and then next time you boot, you will be back on whatever rom you were on. Follow this simple video to do this.
Also you can try different modems which you can flash in CWM or ODIN. Get them here- [MODEMS][CWM][ODIN] Modem Repository - Download Them All Here
Q. How do I disable the annoying OTA update notifications? They always comeback even after clearing the notifications..
A. It is very easy. Thanks to an apk or a zip created by rocket321 you can disable them permanently. Here is the quote and the post..
[How-to] Disable OTA updates on Stock + Rooted ROMs
rocket321 said:
1. Download FOTAKill.apk and copy to your Phone/SD
2. Use a root explorer (such as ES Explorer) to copy the file to /system/app
3. If the update already downloaded, delete it from /cache
4. reboot
*Credit for the apk goes to the CM team and or whoever creates the gapps packages!
Alternate method if you have a custom recovery:
1. Download the Disable.OTA.Updates.zip file and flash in CWM (this will install fotakill and clear cach for you)
*Thanks to tdunham for alternate method!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Q. There are so many modems and with the JellyBean leaked modems, things got real confusing. What modems can I use with which ROM?
A. Just remember one thing. With the leaked JB stock samsung builds and custom TouchWiz ROMs based off of these leaked builds, you can ONLY use the leaked JellyBean modems. These leaked JellyBean modems will NOT work with ANY previous GB and ICS builds or AOSP JellyBean ROMs.
Note:- You CANNOT flash any modem using the EL29 directboot kernel.
This **** needs to be stickied.
Sent from my SPH-D710 using xda premium
Hey BluesRulez, you might want to add the descriptor for our phone describing for the newb what it is and is not. That the Epic 4G Touch is Sprint USA's version of the Samsung Galaxy SII (Model SPH-D710). What I mean is at least a couple of times a week we see someone who has flashed an international version of a ROM or kernel and borked their phone.
Thanks for the work and contributions. Hope more will come and contribute and more importantly read this too.
Current problem: My girlfriend woke up to realize that her alarm hadn't gone off and her phone was locked up tight and wouldn't respond to anything. After a battery pull, it would only boot to the splash screen.
Background: Her phone has only been flashed a couple of times. She was on Calk 2.8.1 and 2.9 almost forever. Odin one click for a fresh start before going to Recaulked 1.8. (w/ included Agat 5.4 kernel). Version 1.9 had just come out, but was based on a leak and had warnings about bootloops, so we went with 1.8. After a couple of weeks she started having problems when trying to do almost anything, it would try to open the clock. It would also freeze up. She removed clock and installed a 3rd party clock. She started having the problem again. She kept putting off my request to install alogcat.
What has been done so far: Two finger salute into recovery, tried to run a backup. It failed to mount system. I tried a recovery. It stuck at writing system. I had to battery pull. USB jig does put it into download mode. I have stopped there. It sounds like the system partition (or part of it) is borked. This phone has not had a flashhappy life.
Best way to proceed?: Should I find an unrooted stock to odin to and visit a sprint store? I know Vanberge bricked on the Agat 5.4 kernel and read most of that thread back a while. 1.8 was still current when it was flashed and it was the last thing that was flashed, so there hasn't been anything to call MMC_CAP_ERASE. Nothing had been flashed since the beginning of September.
As a recap, this phone has never had anything on it but stock, Calk, and ReCalk. All help will be appreciated.
Edit: I am not blaming anyone for anything. I am trying to decide how to go forward. If it was just bootlooped, I would have Odined and flashed to a newer version of the ROM. With the problems that our phones have had and the fact that it doesn't seem to want to mount "system", I decided to ask before moving forward. I know repartitioning is possible. If there is a way that a developer can learn more about the problem since it is still in pre-permabrick state, let me know.
I originally posted this this morning in the Re-Caulked thread. at:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=33218365#post33218365
I just copied and pasted to here. I think that ReCalk 1.8 is based on FH13? but will have to double check.
If a mod would like to delete the other duplicate post, please do. I am not trying to spam the boards.
Thanks to any and all who help.
Followup: My girlfriend started to have the clock issue again with her new phone. Once again, it never happened when I was there. After asking her all sorts of questions, she mentioned vlingo. It ended up being her charger at work. There was a bent pin and it tried to put the phone into dock mode. Long term use must have shorted the usb port. Her phone was charging (with a good cable) when it was locked up. I don't know exactly how this caused it, but at least there is some explanation now.
driftinganomaly said:
Current problem: My girlfriend woke up to realize that her alarm hadn't gone off and her phone was locked up tight and wouldn't respond to anything. After a battery pull, it would only boot to the splash screen.
Background: Her phone has only been flashed a couple of times. She was on Calk 2.8.1 and 2.9 almost forever. Odin one click for a fresh start before going to Recaulked 1.8. (w/ included Agat 5.4 kernel). Version 1.9 had just come out, but was based on a leak and had warnings about bootloops, so we went with 1.8. After a couple of weeks she started having problems when trying to do almost anything, it would try to open the clock. It would also freeze up. She removed clock and installed a 3rd party clock. She started having the problem again. She kept putting off my request to install alogcat.
What has been done so far: Two finger salute into recovery, tried to run a backup. It failed to mount system. I tried a recovery. It stuck at writing system. I had to battery pull. USB jig does put it into download mode. I have stopped there. It sounds like the system partition (or part of it) is borked. This phone has not had a flashhappy life.
Best way to proceed?: Should I find an unrooted stock to odin to and visit a sprint store? I know Vanberge bricked on the Agat 5.4 kernel and read most of that thread back a while. 1.8 was still current when it was flashed and it was the last thing that was flashed, so there hasn't been anything to call MMC_CAP_ERASE. Nothing had been flashed since the beginning of September.
As a recap, this phone has never had anything on it but stock, Calk, and ReCalk. All help will be appreciated.
Edit: I am not blaming anyone for anything. I am trying to decide how to go forward. If it was just bootlooped, I would have Odined and flashed to a newer version of the ROM. With the problems that our phones have had and the fact that it doesn't seem to want to mount "system", I decided to ask before moving forward. I know repartitioning is possible. If there is a way that a developer can learn more about the problem since it is still in pre-permabrick state, let me know.
I originally posted this this morning in the Re-Caulked thread. at:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=33218365#post33218365
I just copied and pasted to here. I think that ReCalk 1.8 is based on FH13? but will have to double check.
If a mod would like to delete the other duplicate post, please do. I am not trying to spam the boards.
Thanks to any and all who help.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you can go to download mode then flash the el29 odin one click.
Sent from my SPH-D710 using xda app-developers app
BluesRulez said:
If you can go to download mode then flash the el29 odin one click.
Sent from my SPH-D710 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So, you don't think that the inability to mount /system will be an issue?
driftinganomaly said:
So, you don't think that the inability to mount /system will be an issue?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You tried to run a backup in recovery and that's when you saw that error. Not sure what you exactly mean by that. Making a backup at this point is useless IMO.
Sent from my SPH-D710 using xda app-developers app
I also tried to restore a backup. That is why I was concerned is that it wouldn't mount the system when I was trying to restore. I have seen people talk about custom pit files because of part of a partition being borked. From what I read, it seemed, further flashing could destroy more of the file system.
Edit: I tried to do a backup, because it had been a while since one was done, and if I could do a backup, I could look into possibly extracting anything important that my girlfriend needed. That part wasn't really important, I just included that I had attempted it for thoroughness.
driftinganomaly said:
I also tried to restore a backup. That is why I was concerned is that it wouldn't mount the system when I was trying to restore. I have seen people talk about custom pit files because of part of a partition being borked. From what I read, it seemed, further flashing could destroy more of the file system.
Edit: I tried to do a backup, because it had been a while since one was done, and if I could do a backup, I could look into possibly extracting anything important that my girlfriend needed. That part wasn't really important, I just included that I had attempted it for thoroughness.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In that case I would recommend you read this thread. Has much more info there. Discussion thread for /data EMMC lockup/corruption bug
BluesRulez said:
In that case I would recommend you read this thread. Has much more info there. Discussion thread for /data EMMC lockup/corruption bug
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks, that is one of the threads that I was planning on reading into more post homework. I think that I only made it through 30 or so pages of that thread a couple of months ago. I haven't been able to stay current on all the info, so I asked hoping someone would be able to point me in the right direction. Have a good evening and thanks for the help.
Bump!!!
This deserves a bump to the top...hopefully it will become a sticky soon....
Very nicely done BluesRulez!
PS.... Moble ODIN is the bomb!!!!
Well I don't understand why people don't ask here?? If folks don't start using it, I might just ask mods to delete this.. there is no point to keep this...
Sent from my SPH-D710 using xda app-developers app
Don't do that bluez. I wish I had this info when I started out. Sometimes it takes awhile to generate traction. Did you pm the mods?
Sent from my SPH-D710 using Tapatalk 2
third son said:
Don't do that bluez. I wish I had this info when I started out. Sometimes it takes awhile to generate traction. Did you pm the mods?
Sent from my SPH-D710 using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No. Going to wait few days.
Sent from my SPH-D710 using xda app-developers app
OK Well don't be discouraged. You put a lot of thought and effort into this valuable thread. Please don't remove it. I will link to it anytime I can.
lol good concept to have one thread but kinda pointless when there a whole section dedicated to q & a that is also noob friendly.. good try tho .. agreed for the one guy that did post his issue.. just go into dl mode and flash el29 one click.. your phone clearly didnt get hit with the eMMc bug since you not hard bricked and you werent flashing something and the phone was just sitting
Sent from my SPH-D710 using xda app-developers app
Old age creeping up on me, I could've sworn that MiguelHogue posted here already about the battery spin test. LOL
We need a section for 'My battery life is horrible' please.
How to check your battery... is it the battery or the rom... is it an app or is it the battery (run stock for a while to be certain).
I always lead off with:
As our phones are getting older, I've been seeing a lot of battery failure issues. If your phone battery is over 10 months old, more than likely it is time for a new battery.
Lately, I've also been seeing a ton of power button failures too btw. All those users holding their power buttons down to boot into recovery I bet. Lately, I've been getting into the habit of only using the software solution to boot into recovery since most extended toggles include it on custom roms. If I'm running without extended toggles, I always download the app 'Quickboot'. It saves from having to press and hold our aging power and volume buttons down while waiting for the recovery screen to pop up.
tdunham said:
Old age creeping up on me, I could've sworn that MiguelHogue posted here already about the battery spin test. LOL
We need a section for 'My battery life is horrible' please.
How to check your battery... is it the battery or the rom... is it an app or is it the battery (run stock for a while to be certain).
I always lead off with:
As our phones are getting older, I've been seeing a lot of battery failure issues. If your phone battery is over 10 months old, more than likely it is time for a new battery.
Lately, I've also been seeing a ton of power button failures too btw. All those users holding their power buttons down to boot into recovery I bet. Lately, I've been getting into the habit of only using the software solution to boot into recovery since most extended toggles include it on custom roms. If I'm running without extended toggles, I always download the app 'Quickboot'. It saves from having to press and hold our aging power and volume buttons down while waiting for the recovery screen to pop up.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Lol there is that battery thread I took over in general section too. Smart people figure out the problems and people with issues don't act smart and don't use resources available.
Sent from my SPH-D710 using xda app-developers app
So when diving into the world of modifying a smart phone, there is a lot of learning one must do reading threads and watching videos prior to getting started. Otherwise instead of rooting your phone, you may end up bricking it.
So lets talk about some of these things.
First off, if you are looking to open your phone up to unlimited modification, the quintessential step is rooting it, which is to say, unlocking root access so everything can be changed from fonts and colors to CPU overclocking.
If I understand this correctly, Rooting is done by flashing a modified kernel onto the phone. I wont try to pretend I know that with any confidence, these are the terms I'd like better explanations for. so... A release comes from the manufacturer and contains everything from the operating system to the firmware and the modem. A ROM is a pre-customized variation of a release, dunno exactly what a TAR, MD5, or a kernel is. A modem is a part of a release, but just the software part that deals with how your phone uses its radios. NANDroid is a way to completely backup your phone as a NAND. Clockworkmod is a utility set that can load and manage ROMS, NAND's, themes, and all kinds of other stuff. Recovery is actually usually used as a term for a built in function for restoring your phone back to a pre-loaded state (if it's not bricked, which means something went wrong and the phone won't turn on, which is different from soft-brick which means the phone is in a startup-boot-loop) I don't know what a bootlogger is. ODIN is a program 'leaked' by samsung used for flashing updates onto phones. Download Mode or Odin mode is used for updating and what you boot into by turning off your phone, then turning it on while holding the volume down button. a OneClick is a pre-made ODIN update that that automatically updates your phone. Stock means the release is unmodified from the manufacturers original. A Tweak is a modification that can be flashed onto a ROM? A Theme I assume is an aesthetic style that can be applied to even a non-rooted phone. But I think it requires the phone to be Deodexed, which is something that can be done to a release... otherwise the release is odexed?
GA10, Fk23, FL16, etc etc. You're probably wondering what that is. It's a coding system for the date of the release. Because android released in 2007, the coding system starts at 2007. That first letter represents the year, the second letter the month, and the number represents the day of the month. So a release from january 1, 2007 would have been AA01. febuary 15th 2007 would have been AB15, which is why a release on december 16 2012 got FL16.
This may not be the end, but to wrap up the small bit that I've learned in 17 hours of reading FAQ's and stickies, cutting edge threads and archives. The last 4 things we need to talk about are the flash count, or odin counter, which tracks how many times your phone has been flashed by an external source. Then there is the yellow triangle which is an indicator thrown during startup by a phone which has detected that it is not running a stock ROM. these 2 indicators can be reset on our e4gt by using a USB Jig, a small piece of hardware which can be bought online specific to our phone, which when plugged into the microusb port, resets the odincount and gets rid of the yellow triangle. And finally, there are some special procedures that must be observed when flashing around from release to release. Flashing to the same release is relatively safe, it sounds, but flashing down or up should be done without preserving data. (restore vs nodata).
Honestly, I've spent a lot of time on learning just this, and I still feel like I'm writing words that don't add up. In fact, I know I am. So I'd honestly appreciate it if someone could take what I've tried to do here, edit it for readability, proper word usage, accuracy, add any or all missing information, and post a new sticky. One that explains these things. Because there are a lot of stickies that provide instructions for how to do things, but very few are written in a way a beginner can understand. I've bolded words that are regularly used but dont make complete sense to non-developers and novice power-user hopefuls.
Hey, I might add some of the terms and what they mean to the FAQ thread. :good:
Am I getting it? or am I wasting my time.? I feel like some of this is for advanced root users only, (like maybe flashing just a modem while using older releases ROMS) and some of this is for beginners only, like one-clicks. I'd love if somebody made just 3 very simple, very useful beginner wikis/stickies. ONE is a 'terminology' post, like the one I've haphazardly attempted to put together above. TWO is an "everybody knows you're supposed to blah blah blah" post, for things like mobile odin and modems, making a backup, how to stick to the basics if you're new, not flashing backwards with ROMs, and knowing how to recover back to warranty eligible stock (odin counter and everything), finally THIRD would be the thread that explains how to do each of the different kinds of flashes, but not just instructions, but what it means to do them.
I've combed through these threads for a day straight and I've got more questions than I started with.
So, if someone doesn't want to put these together, Questions I'd love to know definitive answers to, so this thread can continue to be helpful to others....
A) If I flash anything, or everything, a hundred times, ROMs, modems, kernels, recoveries, roots, can I find a stock release of whatever-is-current-OTA to flash and then use TriangleAway to reset everything back to warrenty elligible? if not, what about the USB jig? Is this even possible.... If so...
B) Since my phone is not rooted now (first timer), Am I able to make a complete backup of my phone un-rooted so I can flash back to it if I ever need to become warrenty elligible again. If so, do I use nandroid, or titanium backup? don't both of these require root? Can I flash back to undetectable stock?
C) obviously, disclaimers everywhere show that it is never safe to flash anything, everything is at your own risk, but is there a general rule of thumb for whether a stock release is more reliable than a customized ROM. or do ROMs tend to be more stable with problems fixed.
D) Does a phone need to be already rooted, (or already flashed up to a release number or with a release modem) in order to flash a ROM onto it, or does it just require Odin and the TAR. Is a ROM a TAR? is a ROM a Kernel? or does a phone need to be rooted to some version first, then using CWM to load a same-version ROM?
I would say stock is more stable, on average. Think about what your goal is, why you would want root, and why you would use a custom rom. Rom choice, for me anyway, is based on customization availability, and tweaks. If you are simply driven by curiosity, and that is a good thing, read, and read some more. Patience and knowledge will keep you from trashing your phone, but most importantly attention to detail when performing any of these activities. Good luck, we all started somewhere.
.: :: Sent from USC-GS2~PACman via Tapatalk 2 :: :.
Triangle away will reset the counter now even in jellybean. Just not gingerbread. For going back to stock for warranty, dont worry about that. You can use a tar file or a one click. If you want a stock backup for yourself to rely on, I need to know what version number you want so I know what to do. Yes titanium backup as well as m.o. require root. For anything below ga10 touchwuz roms, use exynos abuse.apk you can root your phone no computer needed.
sent from MY BAD A$$ ET4G
I don't understand how a recovery is different from a backup. but somehow is independent of a ROM, and build, but is included in a kernel? Apparently I need a CWM recovery kernel to flash Kobridges GA10 ROM. I see that there are repositories of all kernels, and modems, and roms. So a build is a TAR which contains a kernel, which contains a recovery, but also is the original ROM, after which other ROMs are built?
My phone, purchased October 2011, (only updated OTA to this point) is running FI27 ICS 4.0.4.
I've been trying to understand what I need to know, and need to have, to get started. I think I need FI27 to flash back to if I ever want to go back to un-rooted stock. Or do I want to flash back to something safer, (perhaps a 1click?) and then do OTA updates if desired. I think I'm reading that the CWM EL26 Recovery Kernel is the gold standard for pre-flashing before flashing any ROMs. But I don't know how that exactly works considering clockworkmod uses root, and I don't have root yet. I'm simultaniously trying to confirm what I'm trying to understand, but also find out what I don't yet have or understand, without asking somebody to just lay it all out for me (unless in the form of a wiki/sticky which could benefit anyone else like me who comes along after).
A)
So I have an e4gt.
I have backed up all essential files from internal storage to my PC, but if I understand correctly, I cannot create a nandroid.
I have SPH-D710_FI27_CL1127689_UNROOTED_NoData.exe to go back if I need stock.
Now if I want to just put TeamSextapes GA10 release on, that's pretty simple, I just flash the tar with odin. Everything is done. no root. No Rom
I can use a USB Jig to make it run as if I got the update from sprint even. But I shouldn't use the factory reset?
Going back from that, I'd use my one-click FI27 unrooted nodata.exe right, and then the USB Jig?
B) Am I right so far, from A) to B)?
All of this assumes I don't want roms or root.
When we're talking about ROMs, I'm still confused, because of how to get from where I am, to there, I gather it requires root, nandroid, clockworkmod, and CWM EL26 recovery kernel, and the process seems to double back a lot. flashing a root rom seems to require root. the process seems rather more opaque. I understand how to do a 1 click root, and older versions of root kinda make sense too, but how can someone flash kobridges GA10 ROM when it requires root, but no rooted stock GA10 is available?
Maybe I need to stay away from GA10, but my whole goal for learning all of this is to know how to get the best performance, with the least bugs, out of my phone, and signs point to GA10 for that. I had expected JB to roll out with the GSIII months ago, and all news of it has gone silent except here.
Thanks for continuing to support my inquiry. If I can come to understand how it all works, I will post a supplement to the "how to not brick your e4gt". Because as absolutely fantastic as that thread is... it still is way too deep water for a complete beginner. Regarding aspects of all this, I feel like I've learned more than I need to about some, and only enough to be dangerous about others. But still, Thanks!
I'll try to help with with what I understand. Clockworkmod or any recovery in general is packed up with the kernel. So if you want to make a backup just Odin a kernal with a recovery and it would be fine (I.e Kuban kernel). The thing is when you use Odin to flash kernel's it will cause the Samsung binary counter to increase and you will get a yellow triangle on boot. This is an easy fix but you need root access to run an app called triangle away which can be found in these forums or you can buy it off the play store if you want to support the dev. I would suggest getting the Directboot el29 kernel as it boots up directly into recovery. El29 or el26 are gingerbread kernels so if your running stock your phone won't boot up unless you are on gingerbread but you can always access recovery. I would suggest also getting an app called mobile odin (same deal as triangle away on how to get it)you can flash anything you can with regular Odin except it won't cause the counter to increase. Now for root.. I can be stock and have custom recovery just from using a custom kernel through Odin. Now 1 clicks are amazing let's say I have to take my phone in for repairs or warranty reasons. All I have to so is use the triangle away app (if I have the yellow triangle on boot) then boot my phone into download mode and use the FI27 stock no root data wipe. You can run a 1 click from your phone in any ROM ect... And bam you can take your phone to sprint for repairs or warranty. When you get your phone back just flash a 1 click for root access or a custom kernel for the recovery and then restore a nandroid and return to how your phone was. Now this is why I bought mobile Odin to support the dev.. Like in your case you want ga10. What I would do is just drag the download to my phone run mobile Odin and flash the ROM through mobile Odin.. Why? Because it can inject root to stock as it flashes. Just be careful and remember to back up your data because most jellybean leaks wipe internal data like pictures etc.. This doesn't happen when you flash a ROM and they ask you to wipe data. Now for modems stock jellybean modems don't work on ICS. You need a jellybean modem (if you do use the mobile Odin route you will have to flash a jellybean modem using regular Odin because mobile Odin doesn't seem to flash modems for our phones). When you Odin modems it will not increase the binary count and trigger the yellow triangle. Gingerbread modems and ICS modems interchange with each other so I wouldn't fear odining them.. Just see which works best. Hope this helps... I'm pretty sure you will read this cause you took the time to write a very long post lol.
Sent from my SPH-D710 using XDA
Thanks! That answers a number of my questions, now that the 1click for ga10 is out, i think ive finally got enough figured out to mess with it a bit with relative confidence.
Sent from my SPH-D710 using xda app-developers app
jt323bd said:
My phone, purchased October 2011, (only updated OTA to this point) is running FI27 ICS 4.0.4.
I've been trying to understand what I need to know, and need to have, to get started. I think I need FI27 to flash back to if I ever want to go back to un-rooted stock. Or do I want to flash back to something safer, (perhaps a 1click?) and then do OTA updates if desired. I think I'm reading that the CWM EL26 Recovery Kernel is the gold standard for pre-flashing before flashing any ROMs. But I don't know how that exactly works considering clockworkmod uses root, and I don't have root yet. I'm simultaniously trying to confirm what I'm trying to understand, but also find out what I don't yet have or understand, without asking somebody to just lay it all out for me (unless in the form of a wiki/sticky which could benefit anyone else like me who comes along after).
A)
So I have an e4gt.
I have backed up all essential files from internal storage to my PC, but if I understand correctly, I cannot create a nandroid.
I have SPH-D710_FI27_CL1127689_UNROOTED_NoData.exe to go back if I need stock.
Now if I want to just put TeamSextapes GA10 release on, that's pretty simple, I just flash the tar with odin. Everything is done. no root. No Rom
I can use a USB Jig to make it run as if I got the update from sprint even. But I shouldn't use the factory reset?
Going back from that, I'd use my one-click FI27 unrooted nodata.exe right, and then the USB Jig?
B) Am I right so far, from A) to B)?
All of this assumes I don't want roms or root.
When we're talking about ROMs, I'm still confused, because of how to get from where I am, to there, I gather it requires root, nandroid, clockworkmod, and CWM EL26 recovery kernel, and the process seems to double back a lot. flashing a root rom seems to require root. the process seems rather more opaque. I understand how to do a 1 click root, and older versions of root kinda make sense too, but how can someone flash kobridges GA10 ROM when it requires root, but no rooted stock GA10 is available?
Maybe I need to stay away from GA10, but my whole goal for learning all of this is to know how to get the best performance, with the least bugs, out of my phone, and signs point to GA10 for that. I had expected JB to roll out with the GSIII months ago, and all news of it has gone silent except here.
Thanks for continuing to support my inquiry. If I can come to understand how it all works, I will post a supplement to the "how to not brick your e4gt". Because as absolutely fantastic as that thread is... it still is way too deep water for a complete beginner. Regarding aspects of all this, I feel like I've learned more than I need to about some, and only enough to be dangerous about others. But still, Thanks!
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You can still flash a kernel with a custom recovery using desktop odin if you are not rooted. You can they boot into custom recovery and make a nandroid of your unrooted stock rom.
Your flash counter only increases if you flash unofficial stock files using desktop odin. So if you flash a modem.bin in the phone slot in desktop odin, your flash counter will increase. If you flash a kernel.tar file in desktop odin, your flash counter will increase. Thats why you go to rwilco12's repo in dev forums and use the one-click.exe files. Oneclick.exe files do not increase flash counter. You only need jib to reset flash counter or boot to download mode if you can't normally boot to download mode.
You could flash EL26 CWM kernel in desktop odin and boot to CWM recovery to flash any rom zip file you want even if you are not rooted. Don't jump to jelly bean roms from ics without first flash a stock jellybean oneclick.