Firstly, I am not new to flashing or searching on XDA! I have installed custom roms/recoveries on at least 10 different android devices and have been a member here for some time. I'd like to think that I have helped more people out than I've asked for help....
but my new (to me) Note 2 has me stumped!!!
I have recently traded in my much loved Note 1 (running a rock solid AOKP KIT KAT rom) for a SGHi1317m (I believe originally from Rogers). It was unlocked and I am able to get full LTE service from my carrier (Bell Mobility) after setting the APN.
I originally upgraded in order to get greater functionality out of my Gear 1 smartwatch (better battery life with BT 4.0, among other benefits)
24 hours in and I am dieing to get back to some form of KitKat! The question is How?
I have searched this forum and have come away with the impression that because of the different variations on this phone, Knox, differing bootloaders with differing recoveries, there are many ways to brick this phone!!
I have already found out that one cannot easily update the recovery via the simple solutions offered on the playstore for CWM or TWRP. I am familiar with ODIN and have multiple versions of it running on different laptops in my house ready to try. The question is which package will give me a recovery that will allow me to flash roms and persist through a reboot?
According to my phone info, I am on bootloader i317MVLUCMK5 ( a version I have not seen in any of the tutorials) My KNOX counter reads 0x0 but when I try to search for updates ( I am presently on stock android 4.3 rogers), it says that I will not receive any as my phone has been modified (i suspect it can tell that the phone is unlocked as I am using a Bell sim in a Rogers phone).
As I have no warranty, and don't really care if my Knox counter is tripped, I am hoping someone can help me get started in flashing this phone.
i think if you look in the cwm thread you'll find instructions. mostly everything i see is a soft brick meaning it just doesnt boot into rom. i suggest cwm as it seems more maintained than twrp, and twrp gave me issues.
download a stock modem because the international roms will overwrite your modem and you'll get no signal bars and need to reflash after a upgrade. check out the n7100 form, sub forum n7105 and look for roms there. this forum is really dead. i'm running international rom nc3 with my at&t mk6 modem. mj5 bootloader because its 4.3 but unlocked from downgrading.
i too didn't care about knox or warranty, but most of the good stock roms have it stripped. i can't find anything as good as 4.3 tw stock roms and the custom roms i've tried seem to have fc's and whatnot.
i also used devil kernel and got tons of fc's so i'm using the stock kernel for now. might try agni. but back on topic your best bet is to try and find cwm odin package for philz touch. really once you get past all the noobs here you find it works just like any other samsung. you can flash a recovery via odin, cf auto root, and you're done.
Hello,
I just bought my first Galaxy device (had a CDMA LG for a while, and I have a Nexus Tablet), and I am looking at how to get this new phone set up right. I bought my i747 retail, so I was unable to unlock it. However, now I'm struggling with finding the right method for upgrading, rooting, etc. I know nothing about knox or any of these Samsung intricacies. Could someone please give me a little guidance on how to go about getting to the OS and status that I'm looking for? This is what I've done so far:
Came unrooted with 4.1.2 stock rom
Unlocked using legit unlock code
Tried OTA updates, but none were available (must be because of unlock)
Rooted w/ ODIN using 4.1.1 file based of MrRobinson method. (http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1739426)
Now I keep getting popups like process. ... .acore,media, etc. stopped.
I'm looking to ideally get a custom recovery (either CWM or TWRP, whichever is better) and either kitkat Touchwiz or possibly kitkat nexus stock (I read somewhere that it was possible). Also, i just bought it, and have the code still, so I don't mind deleting everything if needed. Regardless, I'd like the ability to get it back to pure stock with no flash counter (I have a manufacturer's warranty I want to use if need be).
Could someone please just give me a little guidance? I'm pretty capable with rooting, etc., so you'd only need to lead me to other threads, etc. that will take me where I want to go. Thank you very much.
Before flashing or doing anything else, confirm the bootloader on your phone. Download and install the Samsung Phone Info app from the playstore and post your bootloader.
audit13 said:
Before flashing or doing anything else, confirm the bootloader on your phone. Download and install the Samsung Phone Info app from the playstore and post your bootloader.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, the bad news is I already flashed using MrRobinson's instructions, and now my phone is barely workable, as things like process.android.media and Touchwiz keep crashing. I was able to install the info app though, and my bootloader is listed as I747UCDLK3. Thanks again though, and let me know what else you need from me.
I recommend starting over by flashing the stock AT&T 4.1.1 firmware from sammobile. Once flashed, boot the phone and make sure your phone is sim unlocked. If it isn't sim unlocked, unlock it using the free method or your unlock code.
http://www.sammobile.com/firmwares/database/SGH-I747/
After sim unlocking, run OTA updates until you have the latest stock AT&T ROM on your phone. Upgrading the phone's bootloader and modem is the easiest way to do it for someone that is new to the phone and custom ROMs.
audit13 said:
I recommend starting over by flashing the stock AT&T 4.1.1 firmware from sammobile. Once flashed, boot the phone and make sure your phone is sim unlocked. If it isn't sim unlocked, unlock it using the free method or your unlock code.
http://www.sammobile.com/firmwares/database/SGH-I747/
After sim unlocking, run OTA updates until you have the latest stock AT&T ROM on your phone. Upgrading the phone's bootloader and modem is the easiest way to do it for someone that is new to the phone and custom ROMs.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you, but wouldn't OTA updates install Knox, which would basically void my warranty if I tried to flash anything after that? And, I've checked for OTA updates twice, once on 4.1.2 and on 4.1.1, and both times it said my software was up to date.
I spoke with StoneyJSG about my situation, and he suggested that I go to stock 4.1, root w/ saferoot, then flash a kitkat custom rom without Knox through TWRP. That way, I could use triangle away and flash stock unrooted if I needed to send it in.
Although, I'm not sure if I should do that, as I thought I read that you need to update the radio and bootloader first before you can install a custom kitkat rom from jelly bean, but I'm still not entirely sure how that works.
The most recent release of many custom ROMs will not work but you may not have a signal without an updated modem and you should not be running updated modems on an older bootloader. Doing this could brick your phone.
With a rooted system, OTA updates will not work.
Thank you again for helping walk me through the minutia around this phone.
I think I have a much better understanding of everything now. I read the following article on Knox (http://omegadroid.co/wanted-knox-void-warranty-0x1/) and with an understanding of that, I get now that there is no way to load any custom rom on 4.3 or higher without losing my warranty.
So, basically my options are to stay at 4.1 and flash whatever, using triangle away to erase my tracks. Or, I could update to 4.3, but only be able to use saferoot/towelroot, otherwise I'd trip the warranty void. But, if all I did use was towelroot (no custom recovery or rom), then I could just unroot the phone using the full unroot option in SuperSU and send it on in for service if needed, right?
Also, I did unroot my phone and did a factory reset, so it's back at 4.1.1 and unrooted. Yet, I still do not see any software updates available from Samsung. I even plugged it into Kies, and nothing (http://i.imgur.com/E0xPGpf.png). Does anyone know why this could be? Does it have something to do with my not having a carrier for the phone yet? I'm sorry for all the questions, but I do appreciate your help.
jateed said:
Thank you again for helping walk me through the minutia around this phone.
I think I have a much better understanding of everything now. I read the following article on Knox (http://omegadroid.co/wanted-knox-void-warranty-0x1/) and with an understanding of that, I get now that there is no way to load any custom rom on 4.3 or higher without losing my warranty.
So, basically my options are to stay at 4.1 and flash whatever, using triangle away to erase my tracks. Or, I could update to 4.3, but only be able to use saferoot/towelroot, otherwise I'd trip the warranty void. But, if all I did use was towelroot (no custom recovery or rom), then I could just unroot the phone using the full unroot option in SuperSU and send it on in for service if needed, right?
Also, I did unroot my phone and did a factory reset, so it's back at 4.1.1 and unrooted. Yet, I still do not see any software updates available from Samsung. I even plugged it into Kies, and nothing (http://i.imgur.com/E0xPGpf.png). Does anyone know why this could be? Does it have something to do with my not having a carrier for the phone yet? I'm sorry for all the questions, but I do appreciate your help.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What is your cell service? If not AT&T, you will never get OTA.
Whether you get OTA can vary from carrier to carrier and phone to phone in my opinion.
I have a Rogers HTC One X that gets OTA updates from HTC even though I am on the Bell network.
I have a Bell S3 that is running on the Rogers network and it receives OTA updates from Bell even though it has a Rogers sim card in the phone.
I have a Telus Moto G running on the Bell network and it received the Telus KK OTA update while connected to the Bell network.
audit13 said:
Whether you get OTA can vary from carrier to carrier and phone to phone in my opinion.
I have a Rogers HTC One X that gets OTA updates from HTC even though I am on the Bell network.
I have a Bell S3 that is running on the Rogers network and it receives OTA updates from Bell even though it has a Rogers sim card in the phone.
I have a Telus Moto G running on the Bell network and it received the Telus KK OTA update while connected to the Bell network.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, I have an AT&T model which I unlocked and will be putting on Cricket at the end of the week (when my plan month is set to end). Right now there's no SIM in it, and I've been doing everything over wifi. I looked up whether the carrier had something to do with the OTAs, and I was told that Samsung sent the updates out, not AT&T, so I figured that the carrier info was irrelevant. I now wonder what my options are.
Can I manually flash 4.3 stock without tripping the knox warranty void?
Does Towelroot/Xposed framework trip the Knox void flag?
If I can update to 4.3/4.4 and root without tripping the knox flag, I might just manually update and just run towelroot and xposed to modify my OS the best I can until my warranty runs out.
If I can't root it at all once I'm on 4.3+, then I'll just sit on 4.1.1 for a few months until I can't stand it anymore and just void the warranty anyway.
Thanks again everyone. This whole knox/binary counter thing is not something I dealt with on my CDMA LG or Nexus, so I was totally in the dark about how it all worked. This is also my first GSM phone, so all those intricacies are new to me too. Once I know about manually flashing stock and running towelroot/xposed, I think I'll be in good shape.
Flashing the stock 4.3 ROM should not trip the counter as long as you do not need to install a custom recovery to flash it.
Apparently, the latest KK stock ROM cannot be rooted using Towelroot.
If you want a custom ROM, use one that will work with a 4.1.1 bootloader and modem. Once on 4.3 or higher, it's a little harder to recover from a soft brick.
audit13 said:
Flashing the stock 4.3 ROM should not trip the counter as long as you do not need to install a custom recovery to flash it.
Apparently, the latest KK stock ROM cannot be rooted using Towelroot.
If you want a custom ROM, use one that will work with a 4.1.1 bootloader and modem. Once on 4.3 or higher, it's a little harder to recover from a soft brick.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Excellent. If I did flash stock, i would just use ODIN, then factory reset to wipe the caches. And that's good to know about the KK rom, as I would probably update straight to 4.4 if at all (I've read a lot of bad things about 4.3 on the S3), but not if it means I cannot root safely and cleanly.
I'll check out the custom roms for 4.1.1. I know that flashing the rom and/or a custom recovery will trip the binary counter, but I can just use triangle away to clean that up. Do you know if there is a list of custom 4.1.1/4.1.2 roms somewhere, or do I need to scour the older threads here?
Thank you very much audit13 (thanks to StoneyJSG and pre4speed as well). You have been immensely helpful and really brought me up to speed on everything surrounding S3 customization. Needless to say it's way more complicated than what I've dealt with from LG and Google/Asus. (I mean, i could root my nexus with a single click using Wugfresh's toolkit)
4.1.1 is the only complete stock ROM that AT&T released for flashing via Odin.
4.3 ROMS and higher were prepared by XDA members for flashing in either a custom recovery or Odin.
audit13 said:
4.1.1 is the only complete stock ROM that AT&T released for flashing via Odin.
4.3 ROMS and higher were prepared by XDA members for flashing in either a custom recovery or Odin.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh, so what other way can you flash a stock rom, if not through ODIN or a custom recovery? Regardless, it seems as though I really should not dive into 4.3+ until I'm ready to concede that my warranty is over. There are just too many potential pitfalls and headaches.
On the lighter side, I've found a few 4.1.2 based custom roms that have some promise. I'm going to post them here in case anyone has opinions on them, or if someone else in my situation sees this thread and wants to go custom 4.1 too:
Hyperdrive RLS16
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2176793
Slim Bean-d2
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1865262
Jedi Academy
http://www.teamandroid.com/2013/12/...oid-412-jedi-academy-jelly-bean-custom-rom/2/
Jelly ‘Beans’
http://www.teamandroid.com/2013/04/...ndroid-412-att-galaxy-s3-sgh-i747-custom-rom/
I was also torn when I got my s3 that was running 4.1.2. I downgraded to 4.1.1, sim unlocked the phone, used it on stock 4.1.2 for about a week to make sure everything was working, hardware wise, upgraded to stock 4.4.2, installed a custom recovery and a custom ROM. I wasn't too concerned about the warranty since I got the phone as a free upgrade and had no intention of using the s3 as my daily phone. I kept it as a backup until my niece needed and phone and then it went to her. It's been over a year and there are still no problems with the phone.
My wifes phone I747 has been having a Camera fail for many months now and she misses a lot without camera. She is running the old 4.1.1 still and i think its possible a Version upgrade may fix the issue. Now I ask can anyone please provide me with a full detail way to upgrade now that i Rooted it ??
I have looked for a week now on different ways but either i get lost or many files don't work anymore since its a old phone now.
You cannot get OTA updates if the phone is rooted.
If you are on the 4.1.1 bootloader and modem, I suggest flashing back to stock 4.1.1 using Odin and firmware from sammobile.com. Once you are on stock, run OTA updates until you have the most recent ROM on your phone. This method is rather slow but it is the safest way to update to the latest KK ROM.
audit13 said:
You cannot get OTA updates if the phone is rooted.
If you are on the 4.1.1 bootloader and modem, I suggest flashing back to stock 4.1.1 using Odin and firmware from sammobile.com. Once you are on stock, run OTA updates until you have the most recent ROM on your phone. This method is rather slow but it is the safest way to update to the latest KK ROM.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's with Cricket so no OTA anyways :/
I will try what you posted and get back with ya
I thought cricket was cdma. I could be wrong as I am in Canada where there cdma has been phased out.
audit13 said:
I thought cricket was cdma. I could be wrong as I am in Canada where there cdma has been phased out.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Used to be but now only GSM At&t purchased half of Cricket wireless so now it runs the network.
Hello guys,
For some reason, my phone shows that my SIM is locked ( I was on RR 6.0). I need to flash the 4.1.1 firmware for Koodo to unlock the SIM.
Can anyone send me a link for this firmware?
Thank you!
You don't need Koodo to unlock the sim. Just flash the stock LJ2 firmware with Odin and use the dialler menu to permanently network unlock the phone.
https://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2014982
Maybe this will work: http://rapidgator.net/file/0207e341...yos.com/samsung-galaxy-note-2-stock-firmware/
I know it's been a long time, but did this procedure actually WORK? AFAIK, Koodo Note 2s never came with less than KitKat, and we all know that Samsung has blocked downgrading though its bootloader starting then.
The reason I ask is I'm looking for a spare phone for mine as a backup and can't seem to find one on which I can load my Jellybean 4.1.2 CM based phone image.
Well this an interesting post, I have a similar problem, I have 2 exact Note 2 phones one with custom firmware (4.1.1) one without, I would like to copy/clone the stock firmware to my other (as I somehow managed to delete the stock firmware on it)
Now I have made a backup with TWRP and copied it to the other phone but TWRP refuses to install it, it tries to install and gets most of the way but at the very end I get the 255 error "install failed"
Why can't I copy/ install this backup?
Do I need to to use some other recovery software or make a backup some other way.
Thanks
Old faithful said:
I know it's been a long time, but did this procedure actually WORK? AFAIK, Koodo Note 2s never came with less than KitKat, and we all know that Samsung has blocked downgrading though its bootloader starting then.
The reason I ask is I'm looking for a spare phone for mine as a backup and can't seem to find one on which I can load my Jellybean 4.1.2 CM based phone image.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The note 2 sgh-i317m was used by Telus, Rogers, and Bell.
This downgrade method works. I've used it to network unlock four note 2 models.
The stock 4.1.1 firmware from sammobile.com did not contain a bootloader file which allowed me to flash it using Odin on a phone running a stock 4.4.2 rom.
audit13 said:
The note 2 sgh-i317m was used by Telus, Rogers, and Bell.
This downgrade method works. I've used it to network unlock four note 2 models.
The stock 4.1.1 firmware from sammobile.com did not contain a bootloader file which allowed me to flash it using Odin on a phone running a stock 4.4.2 rom.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Man, if this really works it's going to solve all my problems. Are you saying you can flash the 4.1.x ROM on top of the the 4.4.2 bootloader (presumably one could deselect the bootloader from the 4.1.x ROM if it was included - sorry I'm quite rusty at this, haven't used Odin in years), so that the phone may be running ICS or JB despite having a 4.4.2 encrypted (locked) bootloader?
The idea is being able to load Clockworkmod recovery and from it, the rooted 4.1.2 backup on my external sd card...
Sorry if it's been asked before and if I may be confused - Thing is, I haven't done this type of tweaking in 5 years
I could flash a stock 4.1.1 ROM from sammobile.com on top of a stock 4.4.2 ROM because the stock 4.1.1 ROM didn't contain a bootloader. I did this to use the menu method to network unlock the sgh-i317m; however, the phone cannot stay on a stock 4.1.1 ROM with a 4.4.2 bootloader because the phone cannot connect to a cellular network with this 4.1.1 ROM/4.4.2 bootloader combination. After I unlocked the phone, I either re-flashed a stock 4.4.2 ROM or a new custom ROM.
The bootloader on the Canadian Note 2 was never locked the way it was with some USA carriers.
audit13 said:
The bootloader on the Canadian Note 2 was never locked the way it was with some USA carriers.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Are you saying the Koodo/Rogers.... 4.4.2 Note 2 bootloader is NOT locked on our phones, ergo, that I could downgrade to 4.1.1 including its bootloader successfully?! If so I'm set, I could purchase a used one on kijiji and simply reload my old Bell based ROM backup on it I simply look for a way to load my 5 year old Rooted ROM onto a newer version of the phone. I have on it apps that won't run on 4.4.2 that I sorely miss on my tablet (which runs 4.4.4)
The bootloader is not locked which allows for the installation of TWRP and cwm but it cannot be downgraded.
audit13 said:
The bootloader is not locked which allows for the installation of TWRP and cwm but it cannot be downgraded.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In other words it does allow for installing the 4.1.1 ROM for unlocking the phone, but it can't can't actually be used with the 4.1.1 ROM... What if I simply reinstalled the 4.4.2 modem, wouldn't that work?
I now I'm asking quite a lot - but in my case if I haven't been able to find a used phone that hadn't been at some point 'upgraded' and consequently became shackled (I've been looking for over a year now) in which case I might as well mourn it and move on to a new phone and start the fight for freedom all over again Honestly, I've grown tired of having to fight for the basic right of ownership against the relentless push for slavery that is the general trend in technology, to force people away from freedom of using the software they prefer and force them into a system where they must follow the dictates of corporate giants so perfectly exemplified by the cell phone, computer and browser based service industry.
Like Frederick Douglass famously said "Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never had and never will"... In other words if you want freedom and true control, you MUST FIGHT the providers and the manufacturers whose prime interest is to keep you enslaved
Installing the 4.4.2 modem will install but the stock 4.1.1 dialer doesn't work with a 4.4.2 modem and 4.4.2 bootloader from what I recall. It's been a long time since I had a note 2.
Can I flash this variant (SM-G990U) over to the ATT, or even a stock unlocked firmware?
The goals are to enable WiFi calling, and remove the metro splash screen.
I cannot root the device as my work requires official firmware.
I am open to suggestions on what is best. I have not tinkered with flashing in quite some time.
U could try to root phone and use safynet fix if your apps requie official firmware non root. if you have (when i check model) standard S21FE phone with branding from ATT (?) you could flash stock rom with odin. I don't know where u from but you could flash your stock firmware for example for spain distribution.
I was able to flash the phone with stock firmware, changed csc to ATT and all works well now. This place has gone downhill. I remember when almost immediate replies to help. Now, not so much. Thanks for trying.