Develop Bugs

[Q] Replace recovery without rooting?

Bit of an unusual request and I think I might already know the answer to this but here goes...
I'm looking for a way to gain adb access to my desire without booting the Android OS. I figured the best way of doing this would be to flash the recovery with a replacement (ClockworkMod for example).
Why am I doing this? I'm a forensic investigator and have a suspect's desire. I'm testing on my own phone and want to find a way of accessing the phone without changing any data inside the MTDs.
I'm thinking that a fastboot command might work but I'd like some confirmation before I start as I do not want to brick my own phone
Is it possible either:
a) gain adb access or replace the recovery without rooting the phone?
b) root the phone, get into recovery with a modified recovery, get the data, and then 'fix' the rooting?
Any help would be gratefully received.

Pretty sure you need root to flash a new recovery

Well as rooting is just the superuser apk and a Su binary placed on the system partition it should be possible. This is usually done after flashing the recovery which is flashed using an exploit. Most programs like unrevoked do both things though so you will have to remove the superuser apk and the binary afterwards.
Alternately there might be a command to dump a partition from fastboot. I don't know.

schizophreud said:
Bit of an unusual request and I think I might already know the answer to this but here goes...
I'm looking for a way to gain adb access to my desire without booting the Android OS. I figured the best way of doing this would be to flash the recovery with a replacement (ClockworkMod for example).
Why am I doing this? I'm a forensic investigator and have a suspect's desire. I'm testing on my own phone and want to find a way of accessing the phone without changing any data inside the MTDs.
I'm thinking that a fastboot command might work but I'd like some confirmation before I start as I do not want to brick my own phone
Is it possible either:
a) gain adb access or replace the recovery without rooting the phone?
b) root the phone, get into recovery with a modified recovery, get the data, and then 'fix' the rooting?
Any help would be gratefully received.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I want your Job....

killyouridols said:
I want your Job....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I kinda need it to support my family

I suppose if you contact HTC or Google and supply the proper credentials, they would have a way to access that information. Worth a shot, anyway.
Sent from my CDMA Hero. I got some hot Froyo on Hero action here!

user7618 said:
I suppose if you contact HTC or Google and supply the proper credentials, they would have a way to access that information. Worth a shot, anyway.
Sent from my CDMA Hero. I got some hot Froyo on Hero action here!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In a perfect world yes, but I don't work for the police directly and there's all kinds of trade secret issues with software and phones so HTC are, sadly, disinclined to acquiesce to our request!
I know where their offices are in the UK so I might go knock on their door instead

So unrevoked's payload includes the superuser.apk and su. I guess it should be possible to do something similar but without so those in the payload. Pity they haven't shared their exploit.
Sent from my HTC Desire using XDA App

Hi, I have a similar question - how to replace custom recovery by original one?
Sent from my HTC Desire using XDA App

[Q] The G2 - Unbrickable? Questions inside!

So I tried searching for this, but couldn't really find it, I basically just want someone experienced to explain a few things to me.
My friend says the G2 has one-touch rooting, or something, is this true?
Same person says the G2 is unbrickable, because of rooting-protection put in the phone.
And that it can be overclocked to 1.4ghz.
I bought a G1 and bricked it while installing DANGER SPL, I now want to buy a G2, and want to know what the risks of rooting and installing custom firmware on it is.
If someone could basically give me a detailed run down on it, that'd be great.
I'm pretty good with computers, I figured out how to use ADB and etc. I know my way around linux command line and stuff, but I'm pretty new to android.
Thanks guys,

Yes it is a one touch root app. There's really a lot to it technically wise but here's the jist. No custom firmwares yet. Root only lasts till you rebot. There's a new security feture and everytime u root your phone and delet any files on /system or make any changes it erases on reboot and goed back to normal. It doesn't mess with your /data at all all the changes you make screen brightness, sound settings, apps you download will still all be there but /system is write protected and you have to re root again and everytime you reboot. But the one touch root app makes this simple. Yes you can oc to 1.4 gz but its via a module witch again you will have to re apply the module wen u reboot. The module will still be there you just have to run a command via terminal to initiate it. G script will help you a lot
Edit: not sure if its unbrickable I'm not gunna give an answere on that cuz I don't know for sure. I'm sure there's always a possibility to brick wen u have root but in the case of the g2 I'm guessing it will be very hard rite now

There is no Danger SPL to use for rooting the G2 (I bricked my G1 as well..) As the previous poster said, there is an one touch root, but it only lasts till you turn it off. This means you can't flash any roms or anything, you can just run apps that require root.

Ummmm....besides the whole "G2 is unbrickable" question, try searching the entire HTC Vision: G2 forum....i.e G2 Android Development . Im pretty sure all of your other questions will be answered.
One touch root:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=808514
Overclock:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=813681

[Guide] How to Root, Unroot, S-OFF, and Flash ROMs your G2!

I've been getting a lot of requests from people, simply asking how I went about Rooting and Flashing new ROMs to my lovely G2 Vision. Well, I'm gonna make a guide with step by step instructions on how to do so. This Guide will teach you how to Root, Unroot, S-OFF (security off, to enable development), and how to Flash a new ROM to your G2.
NOTE!: I am NOT a developer, and i will only accept thanks for putting this information together, I did not create these instructions. Thank the individual developers/posters for their information!
WARNING!!: These procedures are not only dangerous if you don't follow them to the point, but also void the warranty on your phone!! Following these steps incorrectly can brick or otherwise damage your phone!! XDA-DEVELOPERS as well as MYSELF accept NO RESPONSIBILITY to what happens to your phone!!
Just in case you didn't get the message.. WE AREN'T RESPONSIBLE. HACK AT YOUR OWN RISK!!
I will do my best to help anyone along their way, but you've been warned. We aren't here to take the blame for a mistake, we're here to help you do what you're seeking to do.
Got it? Let's proceed, shall we?
First off? The Rooting!
ROOTING: Allowing the phone and it's softwares to have access to the "Root", or complete control, of the phone itself.
This procedure includes two major steps. Temporary Root and Permanent Root. The rooting process for the Temp Root will revoke itself after a reboot. The Perm Root method will not. The rooting process is not complete until the Perm Root process has been finished and the Root is still active after a reboot!
Temp Root the G2:
1. On your phone, go to Settings > Applications > Development > and make sure USB Debugging is ON (it MUST be ON) and make sure Fastboot is checked OFF (it MUST be OFF).
2. Visionary was removed from the Market, please download it from Here instead. Save it to your phone's memory card, then simply open it on your phone with any file manager app. (like Linda File Manager for free from the Market, for example) Find the visionary .apk file in the file manager and click it and follow the prompts to install it.
3. Install Visionary from Modaco.
4. Once installed, open Visionary and check ON Temp Root After Reboot, and check ON System R/W After Root. Then click TempRoot Now, and wait for it to finish. DO NOT CLICK ATTEMPT PERMROOT NOW! We'll get to that momentarily.
5. Once it is done, you have temp root and can use rooted apps without rebooting, OR continue to the next procedure to gain persistent root access.
Perm Root & S-OFF the G2:
An explanation of what S-OFF is and why you might want it - S Off means security off for your HBoot mode (aka Bootloader). The bootloader is what allows you to flash updates and write to the file system of your phone. By turning the Security OFF, we can flash any updates/ROMs we want without the phone checking to see if it is an official update or not.
Let's continue.
1. Download the rooting files: Right here.
2. Extract the files somewhere to your computer.
3. Plug your phone in via USB cable and mount the SD card so we can transfer files to it.
4. Copy the .ko and .img files from inside the extracted folder from step 2 to the root of your sd card on your phone (NOT in any folders, just on the SD card itself).
5. Unplug the phone.
6. Go to the Market on your phone and download/install Android Terminal Emulator (free).
7. Open the Terminal Emulator app and type the following with hitting enter at the end of each line (to get the touch screen keyboard to come up hit the menu button then toggle soft keyboard):
Code:
su
cd /sdcard
insmod /sdcard/wpthis.ko
*After typing the last line, you should see an error saying failed:
(function not implemented). If you DO see that, you have done it correctly
and can continue.
8. Now, type the following line in the terminal emulator hitting enter at the end of the line.
Code:
dd if=/sdcard/hboot-eng.img of=/dev/block/mmcblk0p18
[the last part is mmcblk(zero)p(one)(eight)]
9. After you have typed the dd line for your specific phone, it should say something was written etc. Now, type the following into the command prompt with hitting enter at the end of each line:
Code:
sync
10. After that is done, reboot the phone. When it boots back up, turn it off and back on holding down Volume Down and Power until the HBoot screen comes up. Confirm it says S-OFF at the top. If so, you have S-OFF.
11. Now, to get permanent root, turn the phone back on to get to the normal home screen.
12. Open Visionary and Uncheck TempRoot on Boot and click Temproot Now.
13. Then select Attempt Perm Root Now and the phone should reboot.
14. Once the phone reboots, open Terminal Emulator on the phone and type su and hit enter. If you get the # symbol, you have permanent root access and S-OFF!
Next? The ROM Flashing!
Alright, guys. If you've made it this far, You're golden. Grade A directions taker, In my opinion. Let's get to the last step, yeah?
Getting Recovery:
1. Once you have done the above to procedures, open the Market on your phone and search for ROM Manager (Free).
2. Install it.
3. Open the ROM Manager app and click Menu, then Settings and turn ON Delete Recovery.
4. Click Back and then select Flash Recovery.
5. Choose your phone model and then let it flash the recovery.
6. Click Reboot Recovery and you should be put into the custom recovery image screen. If so, you are all set.
Now, to Flash a Custom ROM:
1. Head over to theunlockr.com's ROM page here and choose your preferred ROM. Download it and save it to your computer.
2. Once it is saved, plug in your phone via USB cable and mount the SD card so we can save files to the sd card.
3. Copy the ROM's .zip file over to the root of the sd card (NOT in any folders on the sd card, just on the root of the card) (do NOT extract it, leave it as a .zip).
4. In the custom recovery screen, Backup/Restore and backup your current ROM.
5. Then select Wipe Data.
6. Then select Apply .zip from sd card and choose the ROM you downloaded earlier.
7. Once it is done flashing, click reboot system. Once it reboots, you are all set!
Congrats! You've flashed a new ROM to your G2! Hopefully..
There are some known issues out there, that prevent mostly the Rooting process. I'll touch on one of them real quickly.
The main issue I experienced was that I accepted and flashed the update that T-Mobile released to prevent Rooting. I've found an article on how to downgrade your firmware to pre-OTA, so that you can Root. Try this if you have severe issues trying to complete the Rooting process. Thanks to Apache14 for this info!
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=831398
There's now also a process to UNROOT your phone! Here's the link. Thanks to David Cogen from theunlockr for all this information!!
http://theunlockr.com/2010/12/01/how-to-unroot-the-t-mobile-g2-htc-vision/
Thanks for reading, XDA friendlies, and Happy Rooting!!

Thnx for the link to the unroot man
Sent from my HTC Vision

No problem!
Sent from my HTC G2 using XDA App

Thanks for the effort. But I'm not sure what this is achieving other than duplicating the existing rooting guides in the dev forum.
Also this isn't a very up-to-date guide, it only seems to use one version of "wpthis.ko" and it isn't clear if this is for pre-OTA or post-OTA G2s. And it doesn't cover the DZ either, so it's not a "Vision" guide, just a G2 one.
The existing wpthis.ko was found by scotty not really to work properly anyway, and the newer gfree method of rooting (fully documented in the Wiki) is more reliable (though still does not work with all kernels). And you know Visionary hasn't been updated for months now, right ?
Sorry if this seems like I'm just trashing your guide, but I don't see how posting old information is going to help people ?

steviewevie said:
Thanks for the effort. But I'm not sure what this is achieving other than duplicating the existing rooting guides in the dev forum.
Also this isn't a very up-to-date guide, it only seems to use one version of "wpthis.ko" and it isn't clear if this is for pre-OTA or post-OTA G2s. And it doesn't cover the DZ either, so it's not a "Vision" guide, just a G2 one.
The existing wpthis.ko was found by scotty not really to work properly anyway, and the newer gfree method of rooting (fully documented in the Wiki) is more reliable (though still does not work with all kernels). And you know Visionary hasn't been updated for months now, right ?
Sorry if this seems like I'm just trashing your guide, but I don't see how posting old information is going to help people ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It may be old, but I had yet to see a collective guide on xda developers' website about rooting, s-off, and flashing the 'G2' vision. In which I clearly stated this was for the G2. Not the Desire Z. This is the only method I knew about, and this guide was for a few select friends, and whomever else felt the need to use it. Its okay if you don't agree this post was helpful. But come on. This was the surefire way I used to root my G2, so I'm spreading the knowledge. Let not hate.

So visionary still works right?
Just checking before I go threw with this.

ijoshv2 said:
It may be old, but I had yet to see a collective guide on xda developers' website about rooting, s-off, and flashing the 'G2' vision. In which I clearly stated this was for the G2. Not the Desire Z. This is the only method I knew about, and this guide was for a few select friends, and whomever else felt the need to use it. Its okay if you don't agree this post was helpful. But come on. This was the surefire way I used to root my G2, so I'm spreading the knowledge. Let not hate.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Exactly, it's old. If you're writing a new guide, why use very old, out-of-date info, when you could easily provide the latest info (e.g. from the Wiki).
Yes, it's a collective guide, but one with old info in, so I don't see how that's helpful.
Your guide uses wpthis.ko, but makes no reference to G2s that might be running the original shipped ROM, or the OTA update. So this will only work on some of those phones.
Your article talks about something that T-Mobile did "to prevent rooting". I don't know where you got that information from, but it's not correct. T-Mobile did nothing to prevent rooting, because the OTA came out before root was fully achieved. It's just that the way of disabling NAND write protection needed to be done differently on the OTA (more as an accident than anything that T-Mobile did).
You refer to Visionary as a "sure-fire" way of rooting. Are you sure ? Have you seen how many phones have ended up stuck in a boot loop after using Visionary ?
Also, I find it kind of weird/interesting how your guide points people to another website to choose their list of custom ROMs. Why not point them to the dev forum on this site ?
Sorry but your guide is full of mistakes and out of date. You haven't even posted it in the right forum, this is the Q&A forum.

It worked for me. Bottom line, That's because i did it step by step and actually followed directions.
Old or not, IT WORKS.
If you want to make something better, then do so. Otherwise, silence your lout. Thank you.

Thank you for this write up. I was having problems getting my root to stick even though it was showing s-off but I followed your steps
10. After that is done, reboot the phone. When it boots back up, turn it off and back on holding down Volume Down and Power until the HBoot screen comes up. Confirm it says S-OFF at the top. If so, you have S-OFF.
11. Now, to get permanent root, turn the phone back on to get to the normal home screen.
12. Open Visionary and Uncheck TempRoot on Boot and click Temproot Now.
13. Then select Attempt Perm Root Now and the phone should reboot.
14. Once the phone reboots, open Terminal Emulator on the phone and type su and hit enter. If you get the # symbol, you have permanent root access and S-OFF
AND IT WORKS!!!!

You're welcome, fellow G2 owner.
Why don't you join my group, for those who love their G2? just check my groups in my profile, hopefully we can get a good set of owners together. You never kno what a mass of similar thinking people could accomplish!
Plus, i'm going to start posting some cool guide on how to further customize / enhance your device! Good stuff to kno.

Can i use this tutorial for HTC Desire Z?

Dimitri1992 said:
Can i use this tutorial for HTC Desire Z?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This tutorial was create for THE G2. I would NOT recommend you trying this method. Go around and search google for a tutorial MADE FOR YOUR PHONE. Although the phones are almost exactly alike, they don't necessarily mean they are exactly the same.
Find a different method.

Need help
This is not working for me. I temprooted my phone using visionary but when i try to use terminal to permroot, whenever i type "su" it say permission denied. Please help. I've been trying to do this all night and have been unsuccessful.

steviewevie said:
Exactly, it's old. If you're writing a new guide, why use very old, out-of-date info, when you could easily provide the latest info (e.g. from the Wiki).
Yes, it's a collective guide, but one with old info in, so I don't see how that's helpful.
Your guide uses wpthis.ko, but makes no reference to G2s that might be running the original shipped ROM, or the OTA update. So this will only work on some of those phones.
Your article talks about something that T-Mobile did "to prevent rooting". I don't know where you got that information from, but it's not correct. T-Mobile did nothing to prevent rooting, because the OTA came out before root was fully achieved. It's just that the way of disabling NAND write protection needed to be done differently on the OTA (more as an accident than anything that T-Mobile did).
You refer to Visionary as a "sure-fire" way of rooting. Are you sure ? Have you seen how many phones have ended up stuck in a boot loop after using Visionary ?
Also, I find it kind of weird/interesting how your guide points people to another website to choose their list of custom ROMs. Why not point them to the dev forum on this site ?
Sorry but your guide is full of mistakes and out of date. You haven't even posted it in the right forum, this is the Q&A forum.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hmm...It is true that it is out of date but for me it works fine. I didn't use the wiki way cause it was to confusing for me and Unfrogivens method was working fine on me. Not saying this method is better or anything and I know this method is unsafe "if" you do not fallow what it says. Like always people try Gfree method 1st before trying this one...(Only for G2)
Sent from my HTC Desire Z/G2 Using XDA Premium App

lainvalenajr said:
Hmm...It is true that it is out of date but for me it works fine. I didn't use the wiki way cause it was to confusing for me and Unfrogivens method was working fine on me. Not saying this method is better or anything and I know this method is unsafe "if" you do not fallow what it says. Like always people try Gfree method 1st before trying this one...(Only for G2)
Sent from my HTC Desire Z/G2 Using XDA Premium App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
When I rooted my DZ, I combined all referrences and guides
It was very hard at the beginning to understand the instruction, but after read and tried, it become easier to understand.. and I finally could root my DZ...
Cheers

Hello
Hello all totally new to android and was trying to root my g2. I followed instructions thourghly ( so i thought at least) and the s is still on after i exit the emulator and reboot. The last part about typing sync threw me off, how many times am i supposed to type sync while hitting enter after each line? Which lines, im sure overanaylzing something but didnt seem to work and tried multiple times. Thanks for your time..

[Q] Unroot International Variant M8 or app workaround

OK guys, Firstly apologies if I'm duplicating any threads, I haven't been on for some time so a little out of touch and also logged in on a mobile device... I'm looking to either unroot my phone, hide root or work around for apps. I've searched high and low and can't find a working method thus far.. I've always rooted my devices but it seems there are more and more apps unable to work on rooted devices. I've tried apps like hide my root etc and tried disabling SU in the app menu with no avail, I need more so Barclays banking but also sky go app working. I work as a response driver and can have periods at work with no events so rely on sky go to keep my brain at least semi functional. I completely forgot these wouldn't work on my phone after I rooted it yesterday. Can anyone offer a solution to get these apps to work either via somehow cloaking root, installing older APK or anything I'm open to all suggestions whether it's something direct with handset or via ADB... Or alternatively advise the easiest way to remove root. Bootloader unlocked via HTC Dev, PhilZ touch ClockworkMod Recovery, S-off via firewater. May also be worth mentioning I'm in UK
Your help is greatly appreciated

dannyhoughton74 said:
OK guys, Firstly apologies if I'm duplicating any threads, I haven't been on for some time so a little out of touch and also logged in on a mobile device... I'm looking to either unroot my phone, hide root or work around for apps. I've searched high and low and can't find a working method thus far.. I've always rooted my devices but it seems there are more and more apps unable to work on rooted devices. I've tried apps like hide my root etc and tried disabling SU in the app menu with no avail, I need more so Barclays banking but also sky go app working. I work as a response driver and can have periods at work with no events so rely on sky go to keep my brain at least semi functional. I completely forgot these wouldn't work on my phone after I rooted it yesterday. Can anyone offer a solution to get these apps to work either via somehow cloaking root, installing older APK or anything I'm open to all suggestions whether it's something direct with handset or via ADB... Or alternatively advise the easiest way to remove root. Bootloader unlocked via HTC Dev, PhilZ touch ClockworkMod Recovery, S-off via firewater. May also be worth mentioning I'm in UK
Your help is greatly appreciated
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There is currently no way to get Sky Go working on a rooted phone. It's the one of the reasons why I don't root any more

dannyhoughton74 said:
OK guys, Firstly apologies if I'm duplicating any threads, I haven't been on for some time so a little out of touch and also logged in on a mobile device... I'm looking to either unroot my phone, hide root or work around for apps. I've searched high and low and can't find a working method thus far.. I've always rooted my devices but it seems there are more and more apps unable to work on rooted devices. I've tried apps like hide my root etc and tried disabling SU in the app menu with no avail, I need more so Barclays banking but also sky go app working. I work as a response driver and can have periods at work with no events so rely on sky go to keep my brain at least semi functional. I completely forgot these wouldn't work on my phone after I rooted it yesterday. Can anyone offer a solution to get these apps to work either via somehow cloaking root, installing older APK or anything I'm open to all suggestions whether it's something direct with handset or via ADB... Or alternatively advise the easiest way to remove root. Bootloader unlocked via HTC Dev, PhilZ touch ClockworkMod Recovery, S-off via firewater. May also be worth mentioning I'm in UK
Your help is greatly appreciated
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I had this problem but with barclays, didnt realise sky go wouldnt work. You have to flash a unrooted recovery through TWRP.
EDIT: Try this thread:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2701376
Look for your software number in the about section at the bottom of settings, mine was something like 1.54.401.5. Im on o2 so i used the o2 one, so download depending on your carrier. Also the number doesn't have to be 100% the same, as long as the first 3 numbers match you're laughing. make sure you download an unrooted one though (pretty sure they all are) put it onto your sd card wipe the phone then install the unrooted rom. Make sure it goes in sdcard/twrp/backups/(modelnumber)
if youve made any other backups with twrp they'll be in there so you know you're in the right place.
Hope this helps. I soft bricked mine so this is how i got out of it.

I've never used the apps you mention but I've had success getting no-root apps running with exposed and root cloak.

Unrooting S20 Plus

Hi all
Hope this is the correct area...
My hubby bought me a S20 plus for my birthday through a local dealer.
I noticed a few issues like not being able to use biometrics or install certain apps.
I've since found out the phone has been rooted.
I've tried to do a factory reset, but this hasn't helped.
I've downloaded root checker and it confirms the phone is rooted. I've downloaded SuperSU yet is won't work as ver 2.82 claims it's for an older Version of Android.
I've downloaded solid explorer to delete the root access files such as Busybox and SU however I cannot find these files in the system folder or the system/bin folder.
Can anyone advise on how I can unroot my phone? I am unable to install certain needed apps due to this.
Phone details below. Sorry am unable to upload pics.
UI Version = 1
Android Version = 10
Let me know if other info is needed.
I've even tried calling the Samsung Center and they are unable to assist...
Thanks all
Lee

Lee KZN said:
Hi all
Hope this is the correct area...
My hubby bought me a S20 plus for my birthday through a local dealer.
I noticed a few issues like not being able to use biometrics or install certain apps.
I've since found out the phone has been rooted.
I've tried to do a factory reset, but this hasn't helped.
I've downloaded root checker and it confirms the phone is rooted. I've downloaded SuperSU yet is won't work as ver 2.82 claims it's for an older Version of Android.
I've downloaded solid explorer to delete the root access files such as Busybox and SU however I cannot find these files in the system folder or the system/bin folder.
Can anyone advise on how I can unroot my phone? I am unable to install certain needed apps due to this.
Phone details below. Sorry am unable to upload pics.
UI Version = 1
Android Version = 10
Let me know if other info is needed.
I've even tried calling the Samsung Center and they are unable to assist...
Thanks all
Lee
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You will need to get hold of the stock firmware from somewhere like Sammobile and flash back to stock using ODIN. There's tons of guides knocking about on here for the step by step. The damage is done though as far as any Knox related features go, it's like a fuse that blows when you root and you can never fix that.
Having said that, biometrics should have never been affected by rooting so that's a bit unusual. Flash stock and set up from scratch then go from there, could be faulty also

Thanks for the guidance Dave. I'll search the forums for the steps.
For clarity, when I say biometrics didn't work, it works allow me to record etc, but when I tried to enable it, like on my banking app, it wouldn't allow me. This is how I eventually figured out my phone was rooted. While I know the benefits of being rooted, a normal everyday user like myself, certainly won't benefit from it.
I've had a Samsung my entire life, and always saw the secured by knox logo... When you say damage has been done, does this mean that all my security in the device, such as my banking details etc, may be compromised?
Jees. I hope not. As this would really freak me out...

Ok so Finding the firmware wasn't to difficult. Sanmobile quite easy to navigate.
Just a query please... My phone base band version lists g985fxxu1atb2 however the closest I could find to this is G985FXXU1ATBM
Is this ok or does it have to be the exact same description?
Shoo. Lol. Really hope I'm going to be able to get this right **insert nervous smile emoticon here**

Lee KZN said:
Ok so Finding the firmware wasn't to difficult. Sanmobile quite easy to navigate.
Just a query please... My phone base band version lists g985fxxu1atb2 however the closest I could find to this is G985FXXU1ATBM
Is this ok or does it have to be the exact same description?
Shoo. Lol. Really hope I'm going to be able to get this right **insert nervous smile emoticon here**
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The last letters are the region/operator of the Rom. Not necessarily has to be the exact description, the really important are the first that indicate model number.

Ok. So have downloaded Odin and am busy downloading the flash firmware.
May I please be so bold as to ask someone on here to please share a link tot he step by step guide that I will need to follow in order to flash my phone back to the original boot thingie :silly::silly::silly:
I have tried to search but seem to only come up with a nexus thread with no mention of Odin.
~Sorry to ask, but little overwhelmed LOL and want to make sure I do this properly and not screw up my phone.
REAL noob here, so apologies if I come across lazy and getting others to do the work, but am really grateful for the help.
Maybe I'm searching incorrectly???

I found this somehow....
Is this it?
https://forum.xda-developers.com/galaxy-s20/how-to/howto-root-s20-series-upgrade-firmware-t4079353
**fingers crossed**

Can you unlock your phone with biometrics? Im guessing only the banking apps don't work because it's rooted. If i remember correctly most banking apps and maybe Google pay(not sure about that) stop working after rooting because the phone is "compromised" and it's not safe. You have to hide your root status from these apps and they will work properly then. Maybe someone else can help you with that because i do not remember how to do it.

Hi Marto
Yes, biometrics does work, although not really good. But that's probably due to the hectic screen protector.
Correctly so, it's mostly the banking / payment apps that won't work, and I can't check or download any software updates... Although I belive this can also be done manually....
But wow, there's an app that hides the root status? That might be a whole lot easier than re flashing. Truthfully I'm Sh!tting myself at the thought of attempting this ????

Hi Marto
Yes, biometrics does work, although not really good. But that's probably due to the hectic screen protector.
Correctly so, it's mostly the banking / payment apps that won't work, and I can't check or download any software updates... Although I belive this can also be done manually....
But wow, there's an app that hides the root status? That might be a whole lot easier than re flashing. Truthfully I'm Sh!tting myself at the thought of attempting this ????

if the phone was bought as new, go back to the dealer and demand a new one that is not rooted.
could also be that your husband rooted the phone and installed software that keep tabs on what you do.