Develop Bugs

[HOWTO] [ROOT] No Tripping Flash Counter - Root Injected L900VPALJC +[TWRP] + more

This is a root injected FACTORY Stock L900VPALJ1 Odin Flashable Image. You flash this in Odin just as you would the completely stock ROM from samsung. I've simply injected the su binary and SuperSu app so you now have rooted stock image.
So if you want to keep your device stock yet have the functionality of root without tripping the counter or messing up OTA updates then this would be your best bet.
You can get ODIN here
and the drivers for the SPH-L900 so ODIN can detect your phone can be found at Samsung's site. Click on the Manuals & Downloads tab at the bottom and then on Software for the latest driver.
Instructions:
First, Download Image:
New Full Rom VPALJC
Mirror 1: root66_SPR_L900VPALJC.7z
Orig Release JB 4.1.1
Mirror 1: root66_SPR_L900VPALJ1.7z
Mirror 2: root66_SPR_L900VPALJ1.7z
Second, Extract and Flash:
Extract the root66_SPR_L900VPALJ1.tar.md5 from the .7z file you downloaded.
Use Odin, put phone into download mode [with phone off, hold vol. down + home + power ], connect to computer and open Odin.
once in odin click the PDA field and select the root66_SPR_L900VPALJ1.tar.md5 you downloaded.
Leave Auto Reboot and F. Reset Time checked.
click start and
when done let phone reboot.
If you have issues flashing with Odin please ensure you are using the microusb cable that came with the phone, users have had issues using other cables.
If you just want a stock, rooted phone with no custom recovery, no plans to flash custom roms, etc. then you can stop HERE.
OTA Updates:
Stock Recovery: Once rooted with above method, if you receive a notification for an OTA update, it has been verified you can use OTA RootKeeper to retain root through the update process.
Non-Stock Recovery: If you have loaded a non-stock recovery (per below) you can simply use it to flash the OTA update flashable zip I've created.
Mirror 1: OTA Update LJ1 to LJC
Mirror 2: OTA Update LJ1 to LJC
Optional, Recovery (will trip counter):
It seems loading any custom recovery will trip the download mode flash counter. Loading a non stock recovery will also prevent you from successfully applying any OTA updates however here is a procedure for any who want a non-stock recovery:
Currently I see TWRP has support for this device so the instructions here will install that recovery.
Option 1: Download GooManager from the Play store. Once installed click the menu and select "Install OpenRecovery Script".
Option 2: Download the TWRP recovery image here. Copy it to the /sdcard of your phone.
Connect your phone to your computer and use adb
type adb shell
once in the shell run su
then
dd if=/sdcard/openrecovery-twrp-2.3.1.1-t0ltespr.img of=/dev/block/mmcblk0p9
Alternate if unfamiliar with adb commands
Grab android terminal emulator from the play store and run the same commands starting with su and then the dd command.
De-Bloater
If you've made it this far with a stock, rooted phone with CWM or TWRP and you don't want to flash a custom rom (which will do its own de-bloating) you can check out my mrRobinson Note II De-Bloater to easily get rid of bloat system apps you no longer want to see. Simply flash in CWM or TWRP like anything else and you will be presented with a menu system to choose what to remove. If you are unsure it is safe to pick Minimal and still get a decent de-bloat.​
Bonus Files
ODIN Flashable LJC Stock Recovery: SPR_recovery_L900VPALJC.tar.md5
CWM Flashable LJC Modem: modem_CWM_L900VPALJC.zip
History:
I've injected root into other stock images and those threads have a lot of valuable information which could answer some questions that may arise here. If you have time to do some reading here are a few of the informative ones:
Samsung Galaxy S3 [ATT / Bell / Telus / Rogers / Sasktel ]
Samsung Galaxy S3 [TMO / Wind / Mobilicity]
Also did sprint and vzw but there isn't much there that won't be covered above.
FAQ
Does this remove the Sprint bloatware?
A: No. It is same as stock, nothing is removed.
Does this use an unsecured boot.img
A: No. This flashes the stock boot.img in the VPALJ1 image.
If my flash counter has been tripped, and I flash this and reset the counter, will it stay at 0.
A: Yes, as long as you don't then flash a non-stock recovery.
Can I still get OTA updates?
A: Yes if you do not load a custom recovery or remove any system apps OTA updates will still come and be able to be successfully applied. If you want to retain root through the OTA process I'd recommend trying the SuperSU survival mode.

okay will this reset my phone completely? or just install root

Question can this be implemented in to custom roms the "not tripping the counter"
Sent from >> here <<

steviee7 said:
okay will this reset my phone completely? or just install root
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just root.

moose1313 said:
Question can this be implemented in to custom roms the "not tripping the counter"
Sent from >> here <<
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No. Custom roms would trip.

Nice work!

mrRobinson said:
No. Custom roms would trip.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks I only asked because I figured if it could be injected as in tricking the phone this is coming from the manufacturer you could also tweak other things and still get away with it. ..Also without an OTA released yet can you say 100% an OTA will go through with no problems if we used this Thanks again
Sent from >> here <<

mrRobinson said:
No. Custom roms would trip.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
maybe im just a lil special at the moment, i haven't tripped the flash counter yet i learn something when i had the s3 i think that after you flash the tar for the recovery wait till its done (uncheck reboot before u flash) and then pull the battery and it doesnt trip the counter. if im wrong someone please correct me.

Just wanted to let everyone know I did this method then accepted the OTA update and I'm still rooted. Thanks for this!

Very nice! Thank you very much! This will make it easy to go back to stock AND have custom recovery!

wraptor said:
Just wanted to let everyone know I did this method then accepted the OTA update and I'm still rooted. Thanks for this!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Anyway u could get this in the hands of devs particularly joshbeach so he can start getting this in the jellybomb rom?
Sent from my SPH-L900 using xda app-developers app

If I odin this, does it reset everything? Seems large for just a reocvery

JBizzleFoSho said:
If I odin this, does it reset everything? Seems large for just a reocvery
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Its not just a recovery. that's a root method that trips the counter. Maybe you responded in wrong thread.
This will reset nothing, just fyi.

yay gonna run this and flash the new update .... ive been doing dirty jellybomb flashes for quite awhile time a start with a fresh base :good:
---------- Post added at 11:14 AM ---------- Previous post was at 10:28 AM ----------
wraptor said:
Just wanted to let everyone know I did this method then accepted the OTA update and I'm still rooted. Thanks for this!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I did it and lost root

fatboypup said:
yay gonna run this and flash the new update .... ive been doing dirty jellybomb flashes for quite awhile time a start with a fresh base :good:
---------- Post added at 11:14 AM ---------- Previous post was at 10:28 AM ----------
I did it and lost root
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yes you should as it overwrites all /system. use an ota rootkeeper or supersu survival mode to retain root through the ota process.

mrRobinson said:
yes you should as it overwrites all /system. use an ota rootkeeper or supersu survival mode to retain root through the ota process.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thanks

Yes sorry must of been delirious last night. Some of my programs that need root (like mybackuppro) still work after the OTA so I just assumed all was good. Titanium backup doesn't however confirming no root =/. Best method to get it back?

wraptor said:
Yes sorry must of been delirious last night. Some of my programs that need root (like mybackuppro) still work after the OTA so I just assumed all was good. Titanium backup doesn't however confirming no root =/. Best method to get it back?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i ran CF auto root then installed rootkeeper than flashed the update again ..... still tying to get custom recovery going at the moment TWRP from goo manager says it installed but its not sticking i goto recovery and its still stock

actually i looked at the patch.... I don't see where it would be removing root.... I must be missing something.

fatboypup said:
i ran CF auto root then installed rootkeeper than flashed the update again ..... still tying to get custom recovery going at the moment TWRP from goo manager says it installed but its not sticking i goto recovery and its still stock
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
if you have a root explorer go to /system/etc and delete the install-recovery.sh file you see there. Or just rename it something else like install-recovery.bak

Return to stock with a broken USB connector

Hi all
My USB connector does not work, I would send him assistance, but unfortunately my device has the bootloader unlocked, with root and rom Mincov6.
I tried to use Mobile Odin, I downloaded directly from the phone the factory image of 4.2.2 and tried to open the file .tgz, however, tells me: "Partition could not be found in file."
What can I do? I'm desperate, I await your response
Thanks in advance.
Sorry for english, but i'm italian :crying:

http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=27945515&postcount=128

bodh said:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=27945515&postcount=128
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My device is GSM, not Verizon

It's the same method, except you need odin flashable .tars for gsm...Unfortunately the link in that link only leads to verizon, but if you can find or make the tars, and follow that guide, you're in business.

bodh said:
It's the same method, except you need odin flashable .tars for gsm...Unfortunately the link in that link only leads to verizon, but if you can find or make the tars, and follow that guide, you're in business.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
From what I understand, who used the Verizon tar in GSM, brock the device.
Now, I can not find anywhere the. Tar for GSM..

This is something i've looked up, but haven't truly found yet. How to make an odin flashable .tar.. After all, your best bet is to make it yourself and then you know what you're getting.
EDIT: try googling "how to make an odin flashable tar", you'll get better results than the built in xda search..

bodh said:
This is something i've looked up, but haven't truly found yet. How to make an odin flashable .tar.. After all, your best bet is to make it yourself and then you know what you're getting.
EDIT: try googling "how to make an odin flashable tar", you'll get better results than the built in xda search..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was able to get me by a friend a nandroid backup, I locked the bootloader and I did Unroot with the use of some applications.
Now I should return the stock recovery .. How do I?

Try this
ciccionicosia said:
I was able to get me by a friend a nandroid backup, I locked the bootloader and I did Unroot with the use of some applications.
Now I should return the stock recovery .. How do I?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You should've replaced the stock recovery before locking the bootloader. You can try finding a flashable .zip of the stock recovery, but it'd probably have to be made. Has the device ever gotten an OTA update? I'm thinking you could use the following OTA script and patch to reflash the stock recovery in a very minimal sort of way.
First, you'll have to re-root by installing supersu.zip from sdcard download via custom recovery(which youll need to remove later).
Install Root Browser Lite by jrummy, and say no to installing the additional features (you may have to remove some binaries from your sdcard later after unrooting).
Unzip the attachment.
Place the install-recovery.sh in /system/etc/ with r-xr--r-- permissions and root root ownership and group ownership (via long pressing the file once it is in place, first permissions, then ownership).
Place the recovery-from-boot.p in /system/ with rw------- permissions and root root ownership and group ownership (same way as above).
Now power down.
Boot into recovery from fastboot (vol up+down+power, scroll with volume keys until the top says recovery, then press power).
Does it say android recovery on top, or is it still your custom?
If it's stock, let it sit until it boots on its own.
Remove the supersu.apk and su binary via root browser.
Remove rootbrowser and its binaries on the sd.
You should now be in business.
P.S. You could also look for an odin flashable .tar for your device, and flash it to return, but i think that'd be more complicated for you. Those files I provided are put in place during every ota update, and I believe this should work for you.

[Q] which recovery after root?

Howdy, I plan on rooting my tablet in a few days. The instructions say to root, then, flash stock recovery. Is flashing the stock recovery necessary if i plan on using goo to install twrp recovery prior to flashing cleanrom on my device?
Also, the cleanrom thread says to flash the appropriate version of twrp. Am I to assume the latest version on goo is the ticket for that?
Also, while the dev has indicated there will be further versions after 1.2, can I expect to simply download updates, or expect to flash new versions every time? I guess this particular question doesn't really matter I'm just interested.
And finally, has anybody used heimdall with any success with the p600? Google says no...
I would have posted this on the clean rom thread but was not allowed since I have not had enough posts yet. moving this to there would not hurt my feelings.
I appreciate any and all help and of course feel appreciation and give thanks to the developers who have put in such great effort. Thank you.

sleekmason said:
Howdy, I plan on rooting my tablet in a few days. The instructions say to root, then, flash stock recovery. Is flashing the stock recovery necessary if i plan on using goo to install twrp recovery prior to flashing cleanrom on my device?
Also, the cleanrom thread says to flash the appropriate version of twrp. Am I to assume the latest version on goo is the ticket for that?
Also, while the dev has indicated there will be further versions after 1.2, can I expect to simply download updates, or expect to flash new versions every time? I guess this particular question doesn't really matter I'm just interested.
And finally, has anybody used heimdall with any success with the p600? Google says no...
I would have posted this on the clean rom thread but was not allowed since I have not had enough posts yet. moving this to there would not hurt my feelings.
I appreciate any and all help and of course feel appreciation and give thanks to the developers who have put in such great effort. Thank you.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's a lot questions! Lol.... here's two answers:
If you want to flash CleanRom, then you don't need to root your stock rom, just use Odin to flash TWRP and that will either let you install CleanRom or let you install SuperSU (root). You can the recovery from their website.
I'm on the P600 and the goomanager didn't install the recovery correctly, so I had to flash with odin.
I don't know about Heimdal. Good luck on your ten posts
Sent from my SM-P600

Odin eh?
grmcrkrs said:
That's a lot questions! Lol.... here's two answers:
If you want to flash CleanRom, then you don't need to root your stock rom, just use Odin to flash TWRP and that will either let you install CleanRom or let you install SuperSU (root). You can the recovery from their website.
I'm on the P600 and the goomanager didn't install the recovery correctly, so I had to flash with odin.
I don't know about Heimdal. Good luck on your ten posts
Sent from my SM-P600
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My understanding is that root is neccesary to flash twrp. If that is not the case, they why use Odin at all?
Heimdall is a program reverse engineered to work on Samsung devices. Potentially more stable than odin. Open source. I use a linux box but will have access to a windows box in a week or so.

supersu
Furthermore, for verification, super su does not root your device, it only manages the permissions of those programs that need root access. Can somebody else chime in for verification?

sleekmason said:
Furthermore, for verification, super su does not root your device, it only manages the permissions of those programs that need root access. Can somebody else chime in for verification?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, you CAN flash recovery without rooting, and if your not rooted then TWRP asks if you'd like to install SuperSU and root that way. I guess you don't have to believe me though
Sent from my SM-P600

grmcrkrs said:
No, you CAN flash recovery without rooting, and if your not rooted then TWRP asks if you'd like to install SuperSU and root that way. I guess you don't have to believe me though
Sent from my SM-P600
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
that sounds great but doesn't TWRP need root in order to be installed? my understanding is yes. If not I should be able to install it using Goo manager. from what I've read the developers for GooManager are very serious and would not allow a non working application to remain in their program.

sleekmason said:
Howdy, I plan on rooting my tablet in a few days. The instructions say to root, then, flash stock recovery. Is flashing the stock recovery necessary if i plan on using goo to install twrp recovery prior to flashing cleanrom on my device?
Also, the cleanrom thread says to flash the appropriate version of twrp. Am I to assume the latest version on goo is the ticket for that?
Also, while the dev has indicated there will be further versions after 1.2, can I expect to simply download updates, or expect to flash new versions every time? I guess this particular question doesn't really matter I'm just interested.
And finally, has anybody used heimdall with any success with the p600? Google says no...
I would have posted this on the clean rom thread but was not allowed since I have not had enough posts yet. moving this to there would not hurt my feelings.
I appreciate any and all help and of course feel appreciation and give thanks to the developers who have put in such great effort. Thank you.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You wont need to root if your intent is to just flash my ROM.
Appropriate version would be 2.6.3.3
As far as updates / patches... Depends on the issue. Mostly do full updates if something changes. If its a bug fix then I would just do a patch.
Hemidall? No, never tried it.
Basically to flash a custom ROM you just need to flash TWRP using Odin then flash the ROM using TWRP.
You dont techincally need to root unless you want to stay stock and have root. But that is no fun!
Also, the goo.im app does not work with this device so you have to use Odin manually (for simplicity).
Hope this helps!

sleekmason said:
that sounds great but doesn't TWRP need root in order to be installed? my understanding is yes. If not I should be able to install it using Goo manager. from what I've read the developers for GooManager are very serious and would not allow a non working application to remain in their program.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I read the TWRP thread, and others are having problems installing through goomanager. I also wanted to install it that way, but it wouldn't work. But it didnt work. It also wouldn't flash through the stock recovery. Hence, odin.
Sent from my SM-P600

thank you for the clarification! in order to flash TWRP in Odin do I simply use the AP slot as you would to flash autoroot by their directions?
one of the things thats tripped me up is that on the TWR P site as well as in Google Play it says you must have a rooted device. This would suggest that in order to get TWRP on your device it would already have to be rooted. it seems strange to me that the tablet will allow odin to install it on a non rooted device.
hoops I guess. So being a non Windows user, that is not familiar with the Windows operating system,( bet you don't hear that everyday) ,I would suppose the order would go something like this.
1 download Samsung drivers from kies.1
2. Download TWRP from site for odin.
3. Open odin.
4. go to download mode on device.
5. Plugin device and wait for it to be recognized.
6. Drag the Twrp zip for odin to the AP slot, enter,
7. Wait for it to .......?
8. Reboot.
9 download the cleanrom rom.
10. Reboot into recovery
11. Installcleanrom
12 enjoy.
a couple of other questions concerning the SD card. Should I leave it in during any or all of these processes? I've seen where other people have had problems with their SD card not being read is this due to it not being installed when they install clean rom? I really do appreciate all the help.
not breaking my device by doing something stupid is paramount. Lol! as I will be using my daughters computer any other information regarding the installation of the Samsung drivers or Odin would be much appreciated I do not want to hurt her computer.

I kept my SD card installed while flashing TWRP in Odin and had no problems. If you're worried then take it out. As far as Odin goes... run it as an admin and after connecting your Note (in DL mode) just click on "AP" and navigate to the directory where you saved the TWRP file. From there just hit "start" and your good to go. Odin isn't gonna mess anything up on your daughters pc and if you have a copy of the stock recovery just reflash it if you run into problems with TWRP. Also, read through all the different threads/watch YouTube videos. Most of this has been covered many times over and you can see what success or problems others have had.

Trying to root, have no idea what I'm doing.

Alright so I was rooted, but now there's been at least one new version of Android, so I need to do it again and update. I am confused as to how this whole thing works. I used to have an iPod touch which I jailbroke, and you could update the firmware simply by jailbreaking with a jailbroken version of the newer OS. Does Android work in a similar fashion with rooting, in which when you flash the ROM (am I saying this right?), it is a different Android version? So can I just find a ROM that's 4.3 to update, or should I update to 4.3 over the air and then root again? I actually already did the OTA update because it was really bothering me and currently I don't even use root features frequently. Anyway, the no-flash trip link in the how to root section says 4.1.1, which I assume means Android 4.1.1, and I don't want this. What can I do?
If I get a current version of a custom ROM, LiquidSmooth or something, will that update my Android version?
I'm sorry if I'm making zero sense right now, or if this is in entirely the wrong section. I'm trying my best here.

You're on stock ? If so what version,4.3?

FYI this isn't the right place to post this. But check out THIS thread about Preparing to flash an ND8 (kitkat) rom. It is short, very informative and has important links to other things you may need. Good luck!
~CTP

Nexus11 said:
You're on stock ? If so what version,4.3?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Indeed.

Azhai said:
Indeed.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I will help U but you take full responsibility for anything that may happen to your device in the process.
It seems like U are still rooted, but but just on MK3 still. This will upgrade U to ND8
Here goes:
#1 Install Odin on your PC, run the program. (Link to Odin 3.07. LINK for ODINClick link and it will automatically download to system) Extract from ZIP
#2 Load the ND8 tar in the PDA Slot, put your phone in Download Mode (power off, hold Vol Down, Home, and Power), and connect your phone to the PC. (leave check in the Auto-Reboot and F-Reset)
#3 Then after that is successful run CF Auto Root LINK CF-AUTO ROOT This down load must be extracted and U will see Odin application in there too along with CF-Auto tar
#3b (I didn't do this because I don't really care, but if U want) get ROM Toolbox or something of that nature and remove any app with Knox in the title or that has the Knox symbol.
#4 Load your phone into Download Mode one last time and then put whatever recovery you have (I use Philz, make sure you grab the .tar format instead of the zip) and put that in the Bootloader slot in Odin. U will then be rooted and custom recovery.. U can stay there and set up phone or flash a custom ROM. I would do a nandroid back-up in philz first before U flash a new ROM though.
Link to PhilZ 6.416 Tar DIRECT LINK I use this one because it WORKS with no issues
or U can go here and get other versions of Philz. LINK
This guide was originally posted by Bilgerryan (below) and I augmented a few things and added links so U wouldn't have to search and search.
Quote:
Originally Posted by bilgerryan
Install Odin on your PC, run the program. Load the ND8 tar in the PDA Slot, put your phone in Download Mode (power off, hold Vol Down, Home, and Power), and connect your phone to the PC. Then after that is successful run CF Auto Root or whatever root injector you have in the PDA slot again. Once that finishes (wait until Odin tells you it was a Success before doing anything), get ROM Toolbox or something of that nature and remove any app with Knox in the title or that has the Knox symbol. Load your phone into Download Mode one last time and then put whatever recovery you have (I use Philz, make sure you grab the .tar format instead of the zip) and put that in the Bootloader slot in Odin. Then you're good to go, rooted and custom recovery, sky's the limit.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2738533&page=51

Needs to be moved
Glad that answers are coming in, but this thread needs to be moved; @KennyG123, can you assist?

What in the blue hell????!! A question in Development?!!!
Please read forum rules before posting. Rule 15 will help you decide where your post needs to go.
Thank you for your cooperation
Thread moved

Thanks for the move. Reading is hard.
So can someone just clear up the whole version thing for me? I attempted to do the 4.4 OTA update that showed up, and it seems to have worked in the sense that the notification went away, but my version is the same (4.3) and I seem to still be rooted. I guess I really don't understand any of the rooting process. I know I've used Odin and stuff but I really don't know what any of it does. Is there already a thread somewhere that explains what all of this stuff actually does? I mean, updating and staying rooted can't be that hard to do.

Azhai said:
Thanks for the move. Reading is hard.
So can someone just clear up the whole version thing for me? I attempted to do the 4.4 OTA update that showed up, and it seems to have worked in the sense that the notification went away, but my version is the same (4.3) and I seem to still be rooted. I guess I really don't understand any of the rooting process. I know I've used Odin and stuff but I really don't know what any of it does. Is there already a thread somewhere that explains what all of this stuff actually does? I mean, updating and staying rooted can't be that hard to do.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Attempts to take an OTA on a rooted phone should fail. There is already a thread, chad the pathfinder gave u the link...
Sent from my SPH-L710, using Tapatalk 2 Cyan. ND8. Rooted and rom'd with WICKED-X (HELLS YA!)

HOW TO ROOT NK2 / Fix boot loop after NE2 to NK2 update

HOW TO ROOT NK2 / Fix boot loop after NE2 to NK2 update
I've gotten a lot of question about rooting the Sprint Samsung Galaxy Note II from people on NK2. As we know, the NK2 update has some anti-root measures in place that have caused confusion. Some people are just rooting for the first time after receiving the NK2 update and some were already rooted on NE2 and lost root or soft bricked after taking the NK2 update. First, I'll show how to root NK2 if you're already running stock NK2. The instructions for those who soft bricked after taking the NK2 update from rooted NE2 will be listed second.
Warning #1: Rooting your device will void your warranty and your insurance.
Warning #2: I'm not responsible for your device. If you want to root it, you understand that there are risks involved. If you have questions then you should ask before proceeding or don't do it.
Instructions for rooting stock NK2.
01. Review the warnings above.
02. Charge your device to at least 60%
03. Have your device, a good micro USB cable, and your Windows PC ready.
04. Create a folder on your desktop and and name it "L900 ROOT". Download the following files into it:
file Sprint Samsung Galaxy Note II drivers for Windows.
file Odin 1.85. You will need to unzip this file using 7zip or UnRAR.
file TWRP recovery
file SuperSU (donation is recommended)
05. Install the Note II drivers on your PC.
06. Move the SuperSU file onto the root of your external SD card.
07. Power off your device.
08. Put your device into download mode by pressing and holding volume down+home+power. When the warning screen appears, press volume up. A screen saying, "Downloading...Do not turn off target" will appear. This is download mode.
09. Right click on Odin and run as administrator.
10. Connect your device to your PC. The ID:COM box will highlight. If the ID:COM box doesn't highlight, then see the troubleshooting below.
11. Uncheck Auto Reboot and F Reset Time. Repartition should also be unchecked.
12. Click the PDA button. This will prompt you to select a file.
13. Select the openrecovery-twrp-x.x.x.x-toltesrp file from your L900 ROOT folder.
14. Click Start.
15. When Odin completes flashing TWRP it will say, "PASS". This may take several minutes. If it takes more than ten minutes see troubleshooting below.
16. Disconnect your device from your PC. Your device will still be on the screen saying, "Downloading...Do not turn off target". You will ignore this warning and go to step 17.
17. Remove and then replace the battery in your device.
18. Boot into TWRP recovery by pressing and holding volume up+home+power until "Teamwin" appears.
19. Tap "Install".
20. Select the UPDATE-SuperSU-vX.XX.zip file.
21. Swipe to confirm flash. This will flash SuperSU to your device.
22. Reboot System. Your device will reboot.
23. You're now rooted running NK2. Sign into Google and your Samsung account. You can install Root Checker and run it to confirm root. Enjoy.
Instructions for soft bricked after taking NK2 from rooted NE2.
WARNING: If you're stuck in a boot loop or stuck at the Samsung logo then remove and replace your battery. Make sure your device is at least 60% charged before following these instructions.
01. Create a folder on your desktop and and name it "L900 ROOT". Download the following files into it:
file Sprint Samsung Galaxy Note II drivers for Windows.
file Odin 1.85. You will need to unzip this file using 7zip or UnRAR.
file TWRP recovery
file SuperSU (donation is recommended)
file Stock NE2 firmware. You will need to unzip this file using 7zip or UnRAR.
02. Install the Note II drivers on your PC.
03. Put your device into download mode by pressing and holding volume down+home+power. When the warning screen appears, press volume up. A screen saying, "Downloading...Do not turn off target" will appear. This is download mode.
04. Right click on Odin and run as administrator.
05. Connect your device to your PC. The ID:COM box will highlight. If the ID:COM box doesn't highlight, then see the troubleshooting below.
06. Uncheck Repartition. Auto Reboot and F Reset Time should be checked.
07. Click the PDA button. This will prompt you to select a file.
08. Select the L900VPUCNE2_L900SPTCNE2_SPR file.
09. Click Start. Odin will flash NE2. When it's complete it will say, "PASS" and reboot automatically. This will take a long time. If it takes more than 30 minutes see the troubleshooting below.
10. Your device is now stock NE2. Now you can either root it as you did before (in which case you're done here) or you can take the NK2 update (in which case go to step 11)
11. You will get an update notification for NK2 shortly. Take the update when you get the notice.
12. You will now go to the steps for rooting stock NK2 above, starting with step 06.
If you rooted NE2 and want to stop the Sprint update notification from nagging you to take the NK2 update [TAP HERE].
Troubleshooting
These are common troubleshooting steps for issues with rooting, installing firmware, and custom recovery.
1. Proceedure. This is the #1 cause of failure. Make sure you follow the instructions precisely. If you aren't sure about something then ask a question.
2. Cable. A poor quality cable can prevent Odin from recognizing your device. Use a different cable.
3. Drivers. Try reinstalling drivers.
4. Bad download. Try redownloading files, drivers.
5. USB port. Some computers, especially older ones, function better on certain USB ports. Try another USB port.
6. Insufficient charge. Charge your device, it's in the instructions.
7. Restart your PC. Sometimes all it takes to get things running smoothly is a fresh start.
I know how frustrating it can be trying to find the information you need to get your device running the way you want. I really hope this helps someone. If you need help please post a question or message me directly. We are a community and we're here to help eachother. If this has helped you, then please remember to post that it worked for you. Donations are appreciated. If it didn't work for you then ask for help. Please don't just post that it doesn't work. This process works, so it's more likely that you just a little assistance.
Cheers and happy rooting!

Thank you. rooting worked perfectly.

romagnus said:
Thank you. rooting worked perfectly.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for reporting your success. I'm happy my guide helped you!

Thanks chzeckmate. This didn't completely work for me because I ended up doing something stupid and throwing myself into a bootloop. I had to reflash NE2 and then took the NK2 OTA. Once that was done I used Chainfire's Auto Root through Odin. Now rooted on NK2 with stock recovery. I may go with a custom recovery later but prefer to leave things as is for now.
Your post got me off the fence about trying to get the NK2 update (just to get rid of the nags) and getting it rooted.

-andone- said:
Thanks chzeckmate. This didn't completely work for me because I ended up doing something stupid and throwing myself into a bootloop. I had to reflash NE2 and then took the NK2 OTA. Once that was done I used Chainfire's Auto Root through Odin. Now rooted on NK2 with stock recovery. I may go with a custom recovery later but prefer to leave things as is for now.
Your post got me off the fence about trying to get the NK2 update (just to get rid of the nags) and getting it rooted.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The second set of instructions deals with fixing the boot loop. You'll notice it instructs you to flash NE2 and then take NK2 OTA and then follow the first set of instructions to root and flash custom recovery. That said, I'm glad you got yourself sorted out. If you want custom recovery now, you can follow the first set of instructions. The fact that you're already rooted doesn't matter, it's totally fine to go ahead. I would highly recommend getting custom recovery so that you can make a nandroid backup to restore from in the event you have any issues in the future. Custom recovery is also necessary for flashing ROMs and ZIPs. I'm of the opinion that custom recovery is essential. Anyway, thanks for reporting. If you have any questions or need any help with anything let me know.
By the way, if you just wanted to get rid of the update nag there's a link at the bottom of this guide for how to do that. See it →HERE←
Thanks again and happy flashing!

chzeckmate said:
The second set of instructions deals with fixing the boot loop. You'll notice it instructs you to flash NE2 and then take NK2 OTA and then follow the first set of instructions to root and flash custom recovery. That said, I'm glad you got yourself sorted out. If you want custom recovery now, you can follow the first set of instructions. The fact that you're already rooted doesn't matter, it's totally fine to go ahead. I would highly recommend getting custom recovery so that you can make a nandroid backup to restore from in the event you have any issues in the future. Custom recovery is also necessary for flashing ROMs and ZIPs. I'm of the opinion that custom recovery is essential. Anyway, thanks for reporting. If you have any questions or need any help with anything let me know.
By the way, if you just wanted to get rid of the update nag there's a link at the bottom of this guide for how to do that. See it →HERE←
Thanks again and happy flashing!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the follow up. I started out on rooted NE2 and CWM recovery. I was hoping against hope to try to be all sly and avoid needing to reflash NE2. So I flashed the stock recovery back on my device and then used the "unroot" option in SuperSU. This is where I was hoping I could just take the NK2 OTA and then follow your instructions to install TWRP and root. I rebooted the device and there was no more option to install NK2 in the Update Samsung Software menu option. At this point I'm thinking no problem, I'll just go into stock recovery and flash the NK2 OTA I had moved out of the cache folder to prevent an accidental install. When I flashed that, that's when I got stuck in my bootloop. I'm sure there was a no-no in there somewhere. Again, I think no problem, I'll just go flash CWM back on there and grab my latest nandroid. That didn't exactly work since I realized my software and baseband were now different versions. I reflashed NE2 and tried restoring said nandroid to give up for the night. All I got was a neverending parade of force closes from gapps. I finally conceded and just flashed NE2, took NK2 OTA and then CF Auto Rooted. Super long route to what ended up being a very simple solution.
Also, what I did to get rid of the NK2 nag was to open the notification drawer and long press on the notification. It brought up the "App Info" menu option. Clicked that and went into the app info and unchecked the "Show notifications" box. I know it turned off any notifications handled by that system app, but it worked for me so I just went with it.
I wish I had a better grasp on the Android platform than I do. A lot of what I've learned has come from weeding through many, many posts here on XDA and a lot of trial and error on my part. Honestly, I'm both glad and surprised that I haven't bricked my phone yet.

thanks.
thanks. it worked. next i'll see how to get a good backup then maybe a new ROM

Downgrade to NE2
I am sorry for out of topic, do we can downgrade from NK2 to NE2 directly from Odin?

komputertua said:
I am sorry for out of topic, do we can downgrade from NK2 to NE2 directly from Odin?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Odin will not let you downgrade.
Sent from my GT-N7105 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app

Is there any other options to downgrade?
I am on stock NK2 and have some trouble with it.
Need to go to fresh MK4 or maybe Ne2.
I've been looking for NK2 tarballs but can't find it.

Just flash a custom recovery then custom mk4 rom.
Sent from my GT-N7105 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app

So there is no way to go to stock NE2?
Sorry for being fussy, could you tell me please what differences between NE2 & NK2? Is NK2 a major update including new radio and bootloader?
Sent from my HM NOTE 1W using Tapatalk

komputertua said:
So there is no way to go to stock NE2?
Sorry for being fussy, could you tell me please what differences between NE2 & NK2? Is NK2 a major update including new radio and bootloader?
Sent from my HM NOTE 1W using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
NK2 is only a minor security update. Bootloader, modem, and kernel did not change. So you might be able to odin ne2 over nk2 but trying to odin any other version (unless we get something newer aka lollipop) will fail.
Sent from my GT-N7105 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app

Thankyou jlmancuso, it works.
I've downgraded from NK2 to NE2, directly from Odin.
Thankyou very much
Sent from my HM NOTE 1W using Tapatalk

lost root, can't get it back
I had root while on ne2. took nk2. lost root. 27 May decided to re-root. worked great. backed up with titanium. downloaded twrp manager. it said I needed root. retried titanium. it didn't have root either. re-did these instructions again and again. all "seems" right with the world. I got "passed" in green. I got "team win" ! installed super su 1.94. looked ok. but no root. what is there that I don't know? any ideas! I did have some trouble with my sd card. Sandisk 64 GIG did not want to read. replaced it.
note II Sprint L900

Seaogre said:
I had root while on ne2. took nk2. lost root. 27 May decided to re-root. worked great. backed up with titanium. downloaded twrp manager. it said I needed root. retried titanium. it didn't have root either. re-did these instructions again and again. all "seems" right with the world. I got "passed" in green. I got "team win" ! installed super su 1.94. looked ok. but no root. what is there that I don't know? any ideas! I did have some trouble with my sd card. Sandisk 64 GIG did not want to read. replaced it.
note II Sprint L900
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Would help if you stated exactly which rom you were using. Stock or name of the custom rom.
Sent from my GT-N7105 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app

lost root, can't get it back
jlmancuso said:
Would help if you stated exactly which rom you were using. Stock or name of the custom rom.
Sent from my GT-N7105 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
First I want to thank you for the quick reply!!
it was still stock rom! sorry about that. I am still headed the custom rom way. Do you know about the bluetooth stack prob? I need a rom that has that fixed.
I found out what happened. the 64 gig Sandisk sd card was wonky and it lost the super user app that managed. (I had forgotten about it) I had tried several apps (to see if any could get root) I reloaded samsung drivers. I swapped cables. Finally all is well.
all of this and I haven't even soft bricked my phone! It is great to know that you guys are ready to assist. That is what makes me brave!
Thanks again!

Had to figure all this out the hard way.... Glad to see somebody posted for others. I wasn't aware that it was a general issue, I thought it was my config! ?
Sent from my SPH-L900 using Tapatalk

Is it safe to update the SuperSU Binaries? I've run into issues losing root previously doing so...

Hey y'all, sorry if this is a dumb question. I'm looking at rooting my son's Sprint Note 2. Currently it's on stock. If I follow this will it give me root so that I can install roms? I found one here on XDA that basically makes it a WiFi only tablet which is exactly what I need. Sorry again if I should have asked thus elsewhere but this just seems really straight forward and others have told me that rooting this phone was a huge pain. Currently it's on 4.4.2
Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk