What is a flash counter and how can it effect me? I have a Sprint SGS II. TIA
Edit: i have the SGS III
The flash counter is a binary counter built in Samsung phones that is used by Samsung to basically help identify if you have been tampering with your firmware and flashing unofficial software.
Each time you flash unofficial firmware via Odin, your binary flash counter goes up by 1. Good news is this can be reset using triangle away.
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ergibson83 said:
The flash counter is a binary counter built in Samsung phones that is used by Samsung to basically help identify if you have been tampering with your firmware and flashing unofficial software.
Each time you flash unofficial firmware via Odin, your binary flash counter goes up by 1. Good news is this can be reset using triangle away.
Sent from my SGH-T999 using xda app-developers app
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Sorry I'm a noob too. Triangle? I wanna return my s3 from att to Verizon s3 because of coverage. I wanna reset it just in case. Please help
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adlzian said:
Sorry I'm a noob too. Triangle? I wanna return my s3 from att to Verizon s3 because of coverage. I wanna reset it just in case. Please help
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Click to collapse
Do a Google search for "Triangle Away". It's an app that will reset your counter back to zero
Sent from my SPH-L710 using Tapatalk 2
Just a heads up. Im not sure if you want to use triangle away. I think its only been tested om the s 3. But a flash counter is a counter that increases every time you use odin to push/flash a file to your phone. I dont really recommend using triangle away on ur s 2. Good luck. Im sure there is something in the s 2 forums to reset it back to 0. Ur warranty is void if its 1 or more
EDIT: i read that it will work for your sgs2 but only uf it is on ics.
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Related
Is there something to reset the binary counter in odin I'm just curious? Thanks
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Search ebay for samsung jig. you just turn phone off and it puts you in download mode and resets binary and counter. please search before posting as this has been mentioned alot. also jig is very cheap.
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Lots of discussion here, along with links to photos & video:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1281299
Thanks for the help I really appreciated.
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What is a binary counter?
bluefire808 said:
What is a binary counter?
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Click to collapse
It counts & displays how many times the device has been custom flashed via download mode (Odin, Heimdall). You can flash via recovery to avoid adding to the counter.
Why would you want to reset it?
bluefire808 said:
Why would you want to reset it?
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In case you ever need to use your warranty. Custom flashing voids your warranty. They can look at the counter and see how many times the device has been flashed.
I can also confirm that 300k ohm of resistance between pins 4 and 5 does the job quite nicely.
I need to send my phone back to T-Mobile because Im trading it for an s3 to my friend. Nothing is wrong with the phone he just wants a refurbished one. Now im wondering where is the flash counter located if any. I put it in download mode and it didn't say anything mmaybe I am looking at the wrong place?
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seedofchaos said:
I need to send my phone back to T-Mobile because Im trading it for an s3 to my friend. Nothing is wrong with the phone he just wants a refurbished one. Now im wondering where is the flash counter located if any. I put it in download mode and it didn't say anything mmaybe I am looking at the wrong place?
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Click to collapse
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1578184
Flash the file in that thread. Then boot to download mode and check to see if you get a "NO" for custom binary
I didn't install it because im worried about brick, but it does say "no" where it needs to. Kind if wierd correct me if im mistaking but I rooted through Odin shouldn't it be at least one? Or am I fine to send it in.
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seedofchaos said:
I didn't install it because im worried about brick, but it does say "no" where it needs to. Kind if wierd correct me if im mistaking but I rooted through Odin shouldn't it be at least one? Or am I fine to send it in.
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Click to collapse
There's no risk of brick, no one has had an issue because of this. But in any case, you're fine with a no. The counter is only tripped when you flash a custom kernel through Odin (rom and recovery is fine). When you first went through the root process, all you did was flash a recovery through Odin, thus you didn't trip the counter. So to go back to stock you should do this in order if your counter hasn't tripped:
1)flash stock kernel through cwm/twrp
2)flash stock rom/recovery through Odin
That way you don't trip the counter.
seedofchaos said:
I didn't install it because im worried about brick, but it does say "no" where it needs to. Kind if wierd correct me if im mistaking but I rooted through Odin shouldn't it be at least one? Or am I fine to send it in.
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you didn't technically root through odin, you just flash a recovery through odin and that doesn't trigger the flash counter for some reason.
Do not flash that flash counter, it's been reported that its been causing bricks
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bmakk2055 said:
Do not flash that flash counter, it's been reported that its been causing bricks
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Click to collapse
2 people bricked out of countless that didn't brick, including myself and mrx. Those two people either had a bad download, or, more than likely did something stupid. In the case of a bad download, mrx switched file hosts so that shouldn't be an issue.
The saying in favor of gun rights applies here too: zips don't brick phones, people brick phones.
yoft1 said:
There's no risk of brick, no one has had an issue because of this. But in any case, you're fine with a no. The counter is only tripped when you flash a custom kernel through Odin (rom and recovery is fine). When you first went through the root process, all you did was flash a recovery through Odin, thus you didn't trip the counter. So to go back to stock you should do this in order if your counter hasn't tripped:
1)flash stock kernel through cwm/twrp
2)flash stock rom/recovery through Odin
That way you don't trip the counter.
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Click to collapse
Will it matter if I have ics if I flash stock kernal? And if so would it be a problem if I flashed the Rom directly after through Odin?
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That is the question
I wasnt going to root my phone but while playing with phone and seeing Ads come up and cant install adfree worth rooting for this alone .Ok back to the pc hope I find a good roooting method
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I have decided to hold back on root at the moment due to the flash counter and OTA break issue.
Its killing me though to have to live with such high lcd density atm
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i'm holding off as well...
waiting to see what sort of custom roms appear in the coming weeks before i decide what to do with it...
aside from Titanium Backup, i don't really use a lot of root packages... changing the DPI would be nice, but i can live with it for the moment until the devs get coding
M
I'm holding off for now too, I really like having this phone stock at the moment but if Google wallet comes out for root then I will.
One idea if you afraid from raising flash counter.
Flash pre rooted rom
Use mobile odin to flash stock rom.
This won't raise flash counter.
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dr.ketan said:
One idea if you afraid from raising flash counter.
Flash pre rooted rom
Use mobile odin to flash stock rom.
This won't raise flash counter.
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What happens when the flash counter rises?
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Warranty will be voids.
Though soon triangle away application will get support for note2, then it can be reset.
Edit
Just looked your sign
PS : any special reason for asking? As you have already used sgs3,note and difficult to believe you don't know it.
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dr.ketan said:
Warranty will be voids.
Though soon triangle away application will get support for note2, then it can be reset.
Edit
Just looked your sign
PS : any special reason for asking? As you have already used sgs3,note and difficult to believe you don't know it.
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Click to collapse
I really do not. I buy unlocked phone and import it in the US where the warranty isnt valid anyway.....
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Ok.
Then you have never need to worry about that. I can say you are lucky, flash anything with pc odin.
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dr.ketan said:
Warranty will be voids.
Though soon triangle away application will get support for note2, then it can be reset.
Edit
Just looked your sign
PS : any special reason for asking? As you have already used sgs3,note and difficult to believe you don't know it.
Sent from my GT-N7000 using xda premium
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Any ideas if the break OTA problems can be fixed that comes with rooting?
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I don't think it can be fixed as recovery is custom.
But let's hope it can get fixed.
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dr.ketan said:
Ok.
Then you have never need to worry about that. I can say you are lucky, flash anything with pc odin.
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Awesome thanks for the info!
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DMax99 said:
Any ideas if the break OTA problems can be fixed that comes with rooting?
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Click to collapse
You need to choose what you want:
1. Have root and forget about OTA`s and Kies and use CWM and PC/Mobile Odin or
2. Stay on stock firmware and forget about root all together.
You can`t have it both ways mate
You will never be able to install OTA`s if you are rooted as you have a custom recovery.
ok still some what a new bee im looking to get note 2 unlock and run it on att..i have a gs3 on att..
i like rooting to get rid of my crap ware on att..but unlock is nice pure TW and i like it..so if i root and theres a update do i just flash the new update ? coming from a rooted stock TW?
thanks
ROOT!
Then u can clean bloatware, like gmaps, g+, ChatOn etc.
Hi Ketan, i have a question for you, i want to install the rooted rom but before doing that i would want to take the nandroid backup of the stock rom. Can you please give me step by step guide as to how i should go ahead wih it . Thanks and await your reply.
Without root you can't do nandroid backup.
Is there still away to root or install custo m rom without raising counter and without doing full wipe as I have good set up now thx Dr
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stesteste said:
Is there still away to root or install custo m rom without raising counter and without doing full wipe as I have good set up now thx Dr
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Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Here you can download a pre-rooted stock rom`s without raising the binary counter http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1915386. Read the OP well as there are different rom`s to download.
Will it do full wipe or not thx
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After flashing twrp, rooting, and flashing a rom my counter is at 1 even though i used the guide that said it would not trip the counter.
The counter stays at 1 even when flashing more things through recovery.
I read somewhere that if the flash counter is at 1 the warranty is not voided, and only if it is more than 1 it is voided. is this true?
Ive called samsung but they were giving me some weird answers and they had no idea what they were talking about.
Use triangle away app.
Sent from my SGH-T999 using xda app-developers app
Won't matter on new firmware. Stop worrying about the flash counter.
Aerowinder said:
Won't matter on new firmware. Stop worrying about the flash counter.
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Click to collapse
what?
Stop worrying about flash counter.
Aerowinder said:
Stop worrying about flash counter.
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Click to collapse
But doesnt it affect the status of the warranty?
Yes but it can be easily reset with triangle away.
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DocHoliday77 said:
Yes but it can be easily reset with triangle away.
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yes i understand this, but i was asking if the warranty is voided when the flash counter is >1 or >0 ?
Since we got updated to jb, the way the counter works changed. If I remember right, it will always show 1 if you have a custom recovery or kernel installed.
I keep stock recovery and use Mobile Odin for my flashing needs.
If you need to, just reset with triangle away and reflash stock firmware.
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DocHoliday77 said:
Since we got updated to jb, the way the counter works changed. If I remember right, it will always show 1 if you have a custom recovery or kernel installed.
I keep stock recovery and use Mobile Odin for my flashing needs.
If you need to, just reset with triangle away and reflash stock firmware.
Sent from my SGH-T999 using xda premium
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Alright thanks for the clarification. It all makes sense now.
chromium96 said:
yes i understand this, but i was asking if the warranty is voided when the flash counter is >1 or >0 ?
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Technically, yes it voids your warranty. But if you're worried about that you may not want to root to begin with as that also voids it.
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I have to reset my phone to send it in for warranty work. Can anybody link me to the factory image, preferably on a host with better than dial-up speeds? I keep trying the one in the sticky but since it goes through a BS host that wants a "premium" membership the download keeps ending prematurely.
Thanks
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2363213
Sent from my SGH-M919 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
Thanks a ton!
Buddy,
If you flashed anything, even once, it will show.
This phone has a counter.
I just went through this.
So if you just reflash stock, they will know and your guarantee will be voided !!!
Sent from my SGH-M919 using Tapatalk 2
vlad2277 said:
Buddy,
If you flashed anything, even once, it will show.
This phone has a counter.
I just went through this.
So if you just reflash stock, they will know and your guarantee will be voided !!!
Sent from my SGH-M919 using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Use Triangle-Away to reset the flash counter before you return to stock and it's all good.
vlad2277 said:
Buddy,
If you flashed anything, even once, it will show.
This phone has a counter.
I just went through this.
So if you just reflash stock, they will know and your guarantee will be voided !!!
Sent from my SGH-M919 using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2336392
Go to sammobile.com you can find alk the firmware there. Also before you odin flash stock do triangle away to reset counter. Because you need root for that.