Develop Bugs

[HOWTO] [ROOT] No Tripping Flash Counter [SPR L710VPBLJ7] JB 4.1.1

This is a completely stock ODIN flashable ROM with root injected into the system image. The latest image is based off of the official Kies SPR L710VPBLJ7 release which is the first official JB release on this phone.
This is a fairly easy way to get root WITHOUT tripping the flash counter that will void the warranty. If you don't care about tripping the counter then you can get root other ways.
You can get ODIN here
and the drivers for the SPH-L710 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.
First download the stock odin tar that has a rooted system image injected into it:
SPR Image (JB 4.1.1)
Perm Mirror 1: Download - root66_SPR_L710VPBLJ7.7z
SPR Image (ICS 4.0.4)
Perm Mirror 1: Download - L710VPALI3
Old SPR Image (ICS 4.0.4)
Perm Mirror 1: Download - L710VPALEN
Second,
Extract the root66_SPR_L710VPALI3.tar from the .7z file you downloaded.
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_L710VPALEN.tar 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.
Third, (optional) - on a Jelly Bean release, loading a non-stock recovery will trip your flash counter.
If you want to get clockworkmod recovery loaded so you can flash whatever you want, nandroid, etc then continue on....
Once rebooted you can essentially follow this thread to load the clockworkmod recovery but make sure you use METHOD 1 or you will trip the counter. As long as you flash the recovery using the dd method with adb (or use terminal emulator from the play store) then you will NOT trip the flash counter. If you use ODIN to flash a custom recovery you will trip the counter.
The standard CWM recovery is here and the touch recovery is here.
If you've made it this far with a stock, rooted phone with cwm and you don't want to flash a custom rom (which will do its own de-bloating) you can check out my Aroma installer based De-bloater to easily get rid of bloat system apps you no longer want to see. Simply flash in CWM 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 Recommended and a decent de-bloat.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
OTA Updates
I understand on Sprint there are OTA updates available. If you use this root method and want to move to an OTA update you basically have two options.
1. After using this method you can grab voodoo OTA rootkeeper from the play store and apply the update straight as it is from OTA. The rootkeeper app should keep root for you after the update is applied.
2. Find someone who made a CWM flashable update, potentially with certain pieces removed and simply flash it in CWM.
Thanks
To get the injected root system image I followed pieces of
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=27801304&postcount=1
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=22798858&postcount=32
so thanks to those guys. Neither of those worked out of the box needed a bit of tweaking.

OK...any one willing to take the leap and see? :victory::cyclops:

Naddict said:
OK...any one willing to take the leap and see? :victory::cyclops:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No leap needed. it'll work.

Does this wipe data?
Sent from my SPH-D710 using xda premium

Thanks! Been waiting for these to show up for the SGS3! They were priceless on the SGS II Epic 4G Touch.
Sent from my SPH-L710 using Tapatalk 2

crawrj said:
Does this wipe data?
Sent from my SPH-D710 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Since the original .tar file didn't wipe data, I'll go out on a limb and say this doesn't either. However, if you're restoring your home .tar file for warranty purposes I'd suggest performing a full wipe in CWM prior to flashing this in Odin, or Mobile Odin.
Sent from my SPH-L710 using Tapatalk 2

Correct. It will not wipe data. You may want to depending on your needs.

so not to sound stupid, but after doing this method and getting root and CWM, then we can flash anything in cwm without tripping the counter correct?

robl45 said:
so not to sound stupid, but after doing this method and getting root and CWM, then we can flash anything in cwm without tripping the counter correct?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
correct.

robl45 said:
so not to sound stupid, but after doing this method and getting root and CWM, then we can flash anything in cwm without tripping the counter correct?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's what I'm wondering. Anyhoo, is there any basis to state that the tripping the flash counter will void the warranty or is that just a wild assumption?

Just to be sure, at this time there is no method of resetting the trip counter, so those that already rooted need to wait for a way to reset the counter and then will be able to use this method if they're so inclined... Is my understanding correct?
Sent from my SPH-L710 using xda app-developers app

mlin said:
That's what I'm wondering. Anyhoo, is there any basis to state that the tripping the flash counter will void the warranty or is that just a wild assumption?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
haha, wild assumption? The counter isn't there because people like counting. Samsung has made it incrementally harder with each gen of device to reset that counter. They provide that so the carriers and themselves CAN void your warranty as they have proof that you have flashed something that wasn't stock.
Now notice the CAN word up above. That doesn't mean they WILL void your warranty. I know for a fact I've seen friends denied service from ATT for having that counter tripped. From what I've read on these forums, it seems ATT would be one of the more strict carriers and Sprint the least. I think I read yesterday that Sprint won't really care. I have no personal experience regarding that however and they can change their stance when they like.
If you haven't tripped your counter, this is as easy a root method as any other, you are just flashing something in Odin. So if you want to ensure you are warranty covered why not use this?

mrRobinson said:
haha, wild assumption? The counter isn't there because people like counting. Samsung has made it incrementally harder with each gen of device to reset that counter. They provide that so the carriers and themselves CAN void your warranty as they have proof that you have flashed something that wasn't stock.
Now notice the CAN word up above. That doesn't mean they WILL void your warranty. I know for a fact I've seen friends denied service from ATT for having that counter tripped. From what I've read on these forums, it seems ATT would be one of the more strict carriers and Sprint the least. I think I read yesterday that Sprint won't really care. I have no personal experience regarding that however and they can change their stance when they like.
If you haven't tripped your counter, this is as easy a root method as any other, you are just flashing something in Odin. So if you want to ensure you are warranty covered why not use this?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Gotcha, thanks for the break down. At this point I've already rooted and as a Sprint customer I'm not worried about it. Sprint's policy is to handle rooted phones the same way they handle completely stock phones. I've had rooted phones running obvious custom ROMs serviced and exchanged for warranty type issues. Anyhoo, thanks for posting!
LOL, just chatted with Samsung. Apparently they will still handle all warranty issues under warranty but will charge to reflash the phone.

mrRobinson said:
Correct. It will not wipe data. You may want to depending on your needs.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks it was for a friend just needed root.

so to go back to completely stock, you would flash a stock tar in odin and that wouldn't trip the counter either?

robl45 said:
so to go back to completely stock, you would flash a stock tar in odin and that wouldn't trip the counter either?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Correct. Anything that is a stock Samsung provided file(or phone thinks it is Samsung provided file) will not trip the counter.

Thanks! This will come in handy if the wife ever lets me root her phone lol
Sent from my Samsung Galaxy SIII using Tapatalk

You Sir have made my day exactly what I was waiting for.

I've read in some threads that flashing completely to stock will reset the flash counter, can someone please confirm or refute this for me?

elfhater said:
I've read in some threads that flashing completely to stock will reset the flash counter, can someone please confirm or refute this for me?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No it does not.

How can I go back to 100% stock?

Okay basically, when I got my phone I used the toolkit to root my phone, busybox, and CWR on the phone. Now I flashed like so many different roms, I want to go back to stock, I realize how important to have a stable OS then a buggy one. How can I do this, do I need Odin? if so would this void any warranty?
I hear if you use Odin, then the device will always show that I voided the warranty. is this true?
Thanks

rayoubi said:
Okay basically, when I got my phone I used the toolkit to root my phone, busybox, and CWR on the phone. Now I flashed like so many different roms, I want to go back to stock, I realize how important to have a stable OS then a buggy one. How can I do this, do I need Odin? if so would this void any warranty?
I hear if you use Odin, then the device will always show that I voided the warranty. is this true?
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Check this post out. It should help you
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1725839

rayoubi said:
Okay basically, when I got my phone I used the toolkit to root my phone, busybox, and CWR on the phone. Now I flashed like so many different roms, I want to go back to stock, I realize how important to have a stable OS then a buggy one. How can I do this, do I need Odin? if so would this void any warranty?
I hear if you use Odin, then the device will always show that I voided the warranty. is this true?
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you want to go back to stock and keep root access, then follow this guide to the letter (skip the custom recovery part if you want to)
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1739426
If you want to go back to stock without root, do the same thing, but use the applicable image from http://samsung-updates.com/device/?id=SGH-I747M instead. TLS is Telus, RWC is Rogers and BMC is Bell. None of these will void warranty because they are stock images. I've done this, using the rooted images, to make a backup that I forgot to make when I first flashed a custom rom and It didn't trip my flash counter. Flashing stock images, as I understand, is pretty much like doing an official update, so it won't trip your flash counter or anything like that and your warranty will be intact. Hope this helps!

majingrim said:
If you want to go back to stock and keep root access, then follow this guide to the letter (skip the custom recovery part if you want to)
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1739426
If you want to go back to stock without root, do the same thing, but use the applicable image from http://samsung-updates.com/device/?id=SGH-I747M instead. TLS is Telus, RWC is Rogers and BMC is Bell. None of these will void warranty because they are stock images. I've done this, using the rooted images, to make a backup that I forgot to make when I first flashed a custom rom and It didn't trip my flash counter. Flashing stock images, as I understand, is pretty much like doing an official update, so it won't trip your flash counter or anything like that and your warranty will be intact. Hope this helps!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You gave me some good info. I flashed my phone with odin using a stock image. However, I rooted my phone and it told me to use a insecure image. So to be rooted you cant use the offical stock rom? is this correct?

rayoubi said:
You gave me some good info. I flashed my phone with odin using a stock image. However, I rooted my phone and it told me to use a insecure image. So to be rooted you cant use the offical stock rom? is this correct?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Even if you load your default stock provider ROM with Odin, you can still re-flash recovery and then flash SuperSU or Superuser (whatever app you prefer) and it will show your on a custom binary, but your OS is still stock + root. It won't affect the operation of the stock rom to my knowledge. Anytime I ever run into an issue, I just take my Telus Stock tarball and flash it with Odin, then I'm completely stock, including the bootloader and recovery app. Once I'm ready to start loading ROMs again, just flash the CWM recovery, it goes to custom, but your free to do whatever.

baldockdrew3 said:
Even if you load your default stock provider ROM with Odin, you can still re-flash recovery and then flash SuperSU or Superuser (whatever app you prefer) and it will show your on a custom binary, but your OS is still stock + root. It won't affect the operation of the stock rom to my knowledge. Anytime I ever run into an issue, I just take my Telus Stock tarball and flash it with Odin, then I'm completely stock, including the bootloader and recovery app. Once I'm ready to start loading ROMs again, just flash the CWM recovery, it goes to custom, but your free to do whatever.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was using the toolkit and it made me choose an insecure rom to give me root, busybox, and CWR. if I can just get the stock rom that came with my provider and have it rooted, I rather do that. I mean its not a big deal I guess if im using insecure rom, but I want to know why its called insecure rom. I want to know if there is a difference.

rayoubi said:
I was using the toolkit and it made me choose an insecure rom to give me root, busybox, and CWR. if I can just get the stock rom that came with my provider and have it rooted, I rather do that. I mean its not a big deal I guess if im using insecure rom, but I want to know why its called insecure rom. I want to know if there is a difference.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As I understand it, an insecure rom simply means it can grant root access. So if your rom is not insecure, and an application asks for superuser (root) access, it won't be able to get it. If you're insecure, and you have an app to manage superuser access (Superuser, SuperSU) then it can be allowed/granted as you like. As someone else said, if you're using the rooted rom, and you have an issue that you think might need warranty work, simply flash your unrooted stock rom and bring it in. The only problem would be if you had a problem that prevented you from flashing, but even then, if it was that bad, it's probably beyond warranty issues anyway. Again, hope this helps out, cheers.

[Q] Very confused on my options

I have a S4 - with 4.4.2 stock . Sadily ever since the update I had nothing but issues. Getting my 2nd replacement tomorrow to try and resolve this issue where the cell radio locks up and I have no connectivity .
At this point I am ready just say screw the warranty but I dont know what I can do as there so many threads it is very confusing.
Note at this point i dont care about tripping the efuse.
From what I have read is that I can root the phone. But where I am confused at is if I can load custom bootloader /roms I had a moto cliq2 with a locked boot loader that then eventually loaded a 2nd boot loader and then the rom.
Really if anyone can clear up where i stand on getting one of the 4.4.4 aosp roms on the phone I be greatly appreciated.

Bootloader is not locked on this device, so just flash custom recovery with Odin and flash your ROM

+1 serio... If you're not on the evil bastard vzw service, then:root, intstall custom recovery and flash what you want!! You're lucky enough to have a device that hasn't had its n-ts cut off!! I have sprint as a carrier, so I'm in the same boat as you, but I've been collecting phones from all carriers for a while now and since vzw has such a monopoly on the us, I've racked up about 9 vzw phones with locked bootloaders. You're actually quite in luck man. Root, install recovery, ROM, profit!

youdoofus said:
+1 serio... If you're not on the evil bastard vzw service, then:root, intstall custom recovery and flash what you want!! You're lucky enough to have a device that hasn't had its n-ts cut off!! I have sprint as a carrier, so I'm in the same boat as you, but I've been collecting phones from all carriers for a while now and since vzw has such a monopoly on the us, I've racked up about 9 vzw phones with locked bootloaders. You're actually quite in luck man. Root, install recovery, ROM, profit!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Actually no root is needed. Just flash recovery with Odin and flash ROM

Fair point, as recovery supercedes root since its not within the os, but whats the fun of romming without rooting?
Sent from my SM-G900P using XDA Free mobile app

youdoofus said:
Fair point, as recovery supercedes root since its not within the os, but whats the fun of romming without rooting?
Sent from my SM-G900P using XDA Free mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
All custom ROMs come pre-rooted. So no reason to root the stock ROM, if all you will be doing is flashing a custom ROM. Just eliminates a step.
Rob

rlichtefeld said:
All custom ROMs come pre-rooted. So no reason to root the stock ROM, if all you will be doing is flashing a custom ROM. Just eliminates a step.
Rob
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Many people think you have to be rooted to flash a custom recovery, I think this is why they said that

serio22 said:
Actually no root is needed. Just flash recovery with Odin and flash ROM
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok so knox does not lock the boot loader just acts as a trigger for the annoying efuse.
Question still comes down to if I root install recovery and then flash or flash with oldin and not deal with the boot loader. I just got my 2nd replacement another one with 4.4.2 I give it a few days if it does not act up great if it does I just going to flash it .
As the current stock 4.4.2 has caused nothing but connectivity issues for me.

jawa78 said:
Ok so knox does not lock the boot loader just acts as a trigger for the annoying efuse.
Question still comes down to if I root install recovery and then flash or flash with oldin and not deal with the boot loader. I just got my 2nd replacement another one with 4.4.2 I give it a few days if it does not act up great if it does I just going to flash it .
As the current stock 4.4.2 has caused nothing but connectivity issues for me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just forget the bootloader it is not locked, and no root is needed to flash recovery. Just flash custom recovery of your choice with Odin, reboot straight into recovery RIGHT after, and flash ROM
Edit: and yes pretty much the only thing that will happen is that your counter will be tripped

Just thought of something while flashing a new ROM on my nexus 7 flo. If all custom ROMs are rooted, why then is it then that when you flash some ROMs, root can break? I flashed a different ROM on the n7 and lost root until I went back and reran the exploit
Sent from my SM-G900P using XDA Free mobile app

Knox on hold?

I just got the note. Love the hardware but the software is pissing me off. I was waiting to root until I get the lollipop but I can't handle the lack of control and all the advertisements. I gave my S4 to my son and it is still running better than this new machine that should be a Monster.
So... Can I root without a custom recovery? If so what can I do about the knox before it unroots. If it's disabled or gone will I still get my 5.0?
More preferably can I get the stock recovery so I can get a copy of the 4.4.4 before it upgrades?

You can root stock without custom recovery but you'd need custom recovery for a nandroid backup or custom ROM or kernel.
Chain Fire auto root will disable Knox enough for root and Knox would not disable root. It's an Odin tar flash so no custom recovery required for root.
As far as upgrading, you'd have to fully un-root for OTA upgrade but there's always Kies or Odin for updates which would mean rooting again. As far as having a stock backup, the stock NK2 tar is available for download both in the Sprint Note 4 XDA forum and sammobile.com or even Kies. Voiding the warranty with Knox trip and risking root are the only true risks to consider. I'd suggest having the tools you need in a folder before you begin. CF auto root includes Odin; have a backup of NK2 stock tar and TWRP in case you need them. It wouldn't hurt to also have a custom ROM on hand to flash if you run into root issues.

samep said:
You can root stock without custom recovery but you'd need custom recovery for a nandroid backup or custom ROM or kernel.
Chain Fire auto root will disable Knox enough for root and Knox would not disable root. It's an Odin tar flash so no custom recovery required for root.
As far as upgrading, you'd have to fully un-root for OTA upgrade but there's always Kies or Odin for updates which would mean rooting again. As far as having a stock backup, the stock NK2 tar is available for download both in the Sprint Note 4 XDA forum and sammobile.com or even Kies. Voiding the warranty with Knox trip and risking root are the only true risks to consider. I'd suggest having the tools you need in a folder before you begin. CF auto root includes Odin; have a backup of NK2 stock tar and TWRP in case you need them. It wouldn't hurt to also have a custom ROM on hand to flash if you run into root issues.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sprint's OTA is disabled with root or with out Knox. I rooted my daughter's S3 a week ago. Just used Odin to TWRP and flashed superuser. Chains asked if he could fight back and I said no. within 12 hrs Sprint sent an update and on reboot it was full un root. I was hoping if I was able to just put Superuser in that things would be manageable until I get 5.0.
If you have the stuff to unroot that would be awesome. It's impossible to say when I'll get the update. I can't get KIES to work on stock devices much less anything with root. Sprint doesn't use a serial number that samsung recognizes for a push. Does a Knox trip really void the Warranty if the phone is broken?

Root/Knox trip voids warranty as far as Samsung is concerned. Sprint and other extended warranties may not check but it's a warning that gets reiterated often for non liability reasons.
Odin the stock tar is only true un-root method that should work to restore OTA updates but also Odin the lollipop stock tar, when available, would be an option many rooted users would choose.

When I say root with stock ROM I don't mean install a ROM. I just want to have root control over apps. If I can just get super user unstalled things would be great. I"m lost where it comes to the knox though. and there seems to be a whole lot of it on this ROM. Can knox be disabled with out a trip. I know it can on the S4 and earlier. I just sent TWRp in with ODIN 3 or 4 times in a row then booted straight to recovery flashed superuser then as soon as it booted back in into Andoid I gave superuser permission to jump on knox.
I downloaded an app that says it can make ADB work with out root. But I can't get it to work on my pc

Knox trips now; no way known to undo that.
The stock kernel blocks ADB access. I haven't tried it but I thought I had read that ADB will work if phone is in recovery. Don't hold me to it.
Edit: reading your earlier post about Knox undoing root for OTA if flashing superuser and keeping Knox enabled, many rooted users found that they could un-root and download the NK2 update but it wouldn't flash due to "modified" system. I think Knox is evolving more complex in Note 4. Your method may be simpler but may not work as intended to OTA to lollipop. Odin is the method you'd have to be comfortable with before rooting.

samep said:
Root/Knox trip voids warranty as far as Samsung is concerned. Sprint and other extended warranties may not check but it's a warning that gets reiterated often for non liability reasons.
Odin the stock tar is only true un-root method that should work to restore OTA updates but also Odin the lollipop stock tar, when available, would be an option many rooted users would choose.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How do you get he tar for Odin? Your totally right. about Odin and the tar. I really don't have to wait to get the OTA when I can just find it myself.
How did you root, a recovery and Odin? I'm trying to get the ADB to work first. I guess ADB unlock OEM will wipe everything you have but opens the firmware also. I'm not going to try that way right now I just want to shoot superuser in that way.
Sorry didn't word that very well. How do you use Odin to root without installing a custom recovery?

http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=55865442&postcount=3
Find the 910P link and download it; open the archive and placed the contents into a folder placed and named something like Odin or Note 4 root.

There are many users around xda that have sent their phones to samsung for a warranty repair with Knox tripped and had no problem. If you really look around you'll see this Knox bit thing is really no big deal. Just don't truly brick your phone and you'll be fine

Voiding Samsung warranty isn't an issue for most people anyways. I don't warranty through Samsung. I purchased my phone from Sprint and Sprint handles the warranty.

samep said:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=55865442&postcount=3
Find the 910P link and download it; open the archive and placed the contents into a folder placed and named something like Odin or Note 4 root.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the instructions here. It worked like a charm. I had no idea I could root with out a custom recover.

planb234 said:
Thanks for the instructions here. It worked like a charm. I had no idea I could root with out a custom recover.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You're welcome. If you want to backup stock recovery and use custom recovery and go back to stock recovery without flashing the the stock tar in Odin, try Flashify.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.cgollner.flashify
You'd need custom recovery for backup nandroid or flashing custom ROMs, kernels, and mods (remember stock Rom is Odexed and some mods are intended for the ROM it was based on and may also be deodexed).
Flashify can also backup the stock kernel but I'd recommend the stock kernel flash because custom kernel will swap some modules that Flashify won't restore. You could skip the custom kernel unless you enjoy fiddling with custom apps and settings. The custom kernel will also have to be worked around for some video streaming and games. The stock kernel is quite capable and in my experience holds it own in benchmarks and battery savings.

planb234 said:
Voiding Samsung warranty isn't an issue for most people anyways. I don't warranty through Samsung. I purchased my phone from Sprint and Sprint handles the warranty.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You pay the extra $$ for sprints protection plan?

jhill110 said:
You pay the extra $$ for sprints protection plan?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes I pay 11 a month for insurance. Everything is covered for 6 months or something like that. The insurance is for breakage.
samep said:
You're welcome. If you want to backup stock recovery and use custom recovery and go back to stock recovery without flashing the the stock tar in Odin, try Flashify.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.cgollner.flashify
You'd need custom recovery for backup nandroid or flashing custom ROMs, kernels, and mods (remember stock Rom is Odexed and some mods are intended for the ROM it was based on and may also be deodexed).
Flashify can also backup the stock kernel but I'd recommend the stock kernel flash because custom kernel will swap some modules that Flashify won't restore. You could skip the custom kernel unless you enjoy fiddling with custom apps and settings. The custom kernel will also have to be worked around for some video streaming and games. The stock kernel is quite capable and in my experience holds it own in benchmarks and battery savings.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

I'm going to give this method a shot. I'm sick of waiting on v Sprint to delivery anything but hidden costs. I thought it would be cool to have the original lollipop delivered to my phone but honestly I wouldn't use it long anyways. There is bound room for outside influence in a 700 dollar device. I'm going with the deodexed 5.0 on xda. I'll let you know how the flashify toy recommended goes. Your your saying it can be used to back entire stock device without custom recovery so i can lock it down before i start sending repeated knox trjps to Samsung? In putting all good Samsung apps into backup and then locking Samsung from my device indefinite

planb234 said:
I'm going to give this method a shot. I'm sick of waiting on v Sprint to delivery anything but hidden costs. I thought it would be cool to have the original lollipop delivered to my phone but honestly I wouldn't use it long anyways. There is bound room for outside influence in a 700 dollar device. I'm going with the deodexed 5.0 on xda. I'll let you know how the flashify toy recommended goes. Your your saying it can be used to back entire stock device without custom recovery so i can lock it down before i start sending repeated knox trjps to Samsung? In putting all good Samsung apps into backup and then locking Samsung from my device indefinite
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I believe I was saying you could backup stock recovery, Odin flash a custom recovery, perform a nandroid backup, flash a custom ROM.
Not sure who it was that asked but attempting to restore a nandroid and restore stock recovery in order to gain OTA update of lollipop may not be a sure thing. I'm not sure if it would work coming from CM12 because the partitions may be different; unsure myself. It's also no guarantee that the update feature wouldn't still flag the system as modified and refuse to install the update. Don't hold me to that; I'd recommend Odin stock tar to come back to KitKat but still unsure if OTA would be possible, if that is your goal. And most, if not all developers, recommend a full wipe/clean install before flashing custom ROMs and updates. Odin to stock tar is also a common suggested troubleshooting step as well. There is Kies and Odin for Samsung lollipop that would still give you the update for rooted devices.
I'd also recommend having CF Auto Root that includes Odin downloaded and standing by along with tar for TWRP, and NK2 stock tar. If things go wrong, you'll recover quicker with less stress. And wait until you have some to time to recover before attempting. Gotta be comfortable with Odin and have the Samsung PC drivers pre-installed and willing to risk the consequences. Others and myself can offer helpful advice, if needed.
The rooted warranty concerns have been explained away by a few. But if you feel more comfortable taking a phone in for repair with stock recovery and a restored stock nandroid go for it. You at least have to accept the notion that your custom ROM may be flashed over if taken in as well.
As far as skipping the CF auto root, I think you can if flashing a rooted ROM in custom recovery but I don't know for sure you can. I'm guessing you can because there's a flashable SuperSU that you can flash to root stock after Odin of custom recovery. A rooted ROM shouldn't be different.
Sorry if I've made assumptions. Just wanted to be clear and not misleading. Flashify can simplify things, especially stock recovery backup and restore. But don't use Flashify to backup and restore kernels unless you're also manually restoring the lib modules along with it; Flashify won't do that for you.

The flashify worked i doubt i will ever put my device back to stock. Waitng for the ota i noticed that Samsung was running updates to my device at least 10 times a day. Security updates meaning they are securing their own interests. yes it says warranty voided but I'm not sure what that means. Samsung won't sell me a phone they would rather let sprint sprint fiscally rape me in the deal. I've not seen on any Samsung site where i can purchase or warranty a device. there access is denied. The only company i allow is Google. True they market some of my information but the majority of their interest is bug reports which is used for improvement. Improvement warrants bandwith. I had the lollipop on my s4 months ago and Samsung is not even releasing it in the us. In short Samsung is left wanting in support. I rooted my device this morn and will install deodexed lollipop when i get off work. Your advice has been helpful and i lookforward to more on upgrading my kernel.

Here's my experience this past week. I flashed the stock tar and hit update now. I got the up to date message. Rooted, tried again... No dice system has been blah blah blah. I unrooted system update : system up to date. Rerooted flashed twrp of course no go. Unrooted flashed stock recovery and.... No go. Re-flashed stock rom... System up to date. Flashed twrp no go. Flashed stock recovery and still no go.
So, it seems once you flash custom recovery there's no going back without flashing the stock rom. Whew, that was a mouth full.
It's mho this Knox thing is blown way out of perportion. Hardware warranty repairs will be done even if Knox is tripped. Plenty of members have done so. If one were to brick their phone flashing that might be a different story.

I don't want the stock ROM anyways. Samsungs overkill with the Knox is equivalent to Microsoft Security update. Samsung makes some sweet hardware but fails the open source. Their trying to be Steve Jobs or Bill Gates. If wanted a to not upgrade I would stick with a Nexus. Google is the only company who agrees that your device is yours and you should always try and improve it. I was seriously getting angry being put last in the world for the newest software. Samsung saying they are updating my device which basically meant Knox was spying and correcting any changes I made. Bricking is most likely to occur if you upgrade with stock recovery.

I will say this for sprint warranty. They don't care. As long as they are able to slip in a several hidden costs with any change or purchase they are satisfied. Sprint repair are all 3rd party representatives. If you happen to find an actual sprint location you will be sent to a third party sprint store. The 3rd party will fix you up as of they don't they don't get paid.

[Q] What is the best & safest rooting method

Hi everyone.
Is there any way to root the Note 2 N7100 on Samsung official firmware Kitkat without tripping Knox. ??
My bootloader is ND4
My baseband is ND3
My PDA is ND4
If there is a safe method, what is it ...
I tried TR but got that my device is not supported.
My Knox is 0x0
If there isn't & I must trip Knox to root, so what's the best & safest method for rooting my N7100?? My warranty is gone long time ago anyway.
And if I'm gonna trip Knox so I prefer to have a custom recovery, what should I use? I thought of TWRP but found some complaining that 2.8.6 caused loss of signal... What should I use??
One more question, please.
Will rooting my phone & tripping Knox prevent future OTA update to the long awaited official Samsung Lollipop??
If the answer is yes is there a way around it ?? Will I be able to flash it by Odin after getting it from any where like Sammobile ?
Sorry for being long & Thanks

zoghrob said:
Hi everyone.
Is there any way to root the Note 2 N7100 on Samsung official firmware Kitkat without tripping Knox. ??
My bootloader is ND4
My baseband is ND3
My PDA is ND4
If there is a safe method, what is it ...
I tried TR but got that my device is not supported.
My Knox is 0x0
If there isn't & I must trip Knox to root, so what's the best & safest method for rooting my N7100?? My warranty is gone long time ago anyway.
And if I'm gonna trip Knox so I prefer to have a custom recovery, what should I use? I thought of TWRP but found some complaining that 2.8.6 caused loss of signal... What should I use??
One more question, please.
Will rooting my phone & tripping Knox prevent future OTA update to the long awaited official Samsung Lollipop??
If the answer is yes is there a way around it ?? Will I be able to flash it by Odin after getting it from any where like Sammobile ?
Sorry for being long & Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just root it as posted in sticky thread.
You don't have warranty, so just don't bother. Use odin, root and install recovery, then rom.
You can flash stock rom via odin if you want, you can install custom roms via recovery.
I'm using TWRP for 2 years and never had any problem. You can also use Philz. For normal user it doesn't really matter.

yaro666 said:
Just root it as posted in sticky thread.
You don't have warranty, so just don't bother. Use odin, root and install recovery, then rom.
You can flash stock rom via odin if you want, you can install custom roms via recovery.
I'm using TWRP for 2 years and never had any problem. You can also use Philz. For normal user it doesn't really matter.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you very much for your help.
Actually I found no sticky threads for rooting 4.4.2. Most of the sticky threads are dating since 2012 with 4.1.2 & 4.3.
However by searching I found 2 threads for 4.4.2, one of them is
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2767604
This one uses CF-auto-root... but no mention about any custom recovery. Will I lose root or mess things up if I install TWRP after that??
The other thread is
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2730764
This one uses the typical steps that I know, custom recovery then SuperSU. But it uses Philz recovery. Can I substitute it with TWRP??
Thank you for your help & patience.

The most important question: Why do you want to root?
If you like to flash a custom rom no need for root, any custom recovery - TWRP or CWM - flashed with Odin will do.

Androidwizzard said:
The most important question: Why do you want to root?
If you like to flash a custom rom no need for root, any custom recovery - TWRP or CWM - flashed with Odin will do.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm not planning to flash custom rom right now, may be later.
I want to root to be able to use some apps that require root. Plus, having full control over my phone.

In odin you have option to choose recovery file - AP.
After flashing recovery just install superSU via recovery.
DO a backup of your device and EFS before you flash anything.

yaro666 said:
In odin you have option to choose recovery file - AP.
After flashing recovery just install superSU via recovery.
DO a backup of your device and EFS before you flash anything.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you for your help.
I don't know how to make a backup without recovery. So I flashed TWRP 2.8.6, took a backup then installed SuperSU via TWRP.
All went well except that I lost the signal and IMEI.
I found that I flashed TWRP t03gup while I should flashed t03g.
I reflashed the correct file then flashed the modem.bin of XXUFND3.
Everything thing is back to normal again except 2 things:
The icon of my service provider shifts place to the last app page after reboot, no matter where I place it...
The phone status shows custom (expected) but stays so even after using Triangle Away.
Is it better if I flash the stock firmware then recovery then SuperSU? ?? Or flashing the modem as I did was enough to straighten things up? ?
Thank you for your patience and help.

zoghrob said:
Thank you for your help.
I don't know how to make a backup without recovery. So I flashed TWRP 2.8.6, took a backup then installed SuperSU via TWRP.
All went well except that I lost the signal and IMEI.
I found that I flashed TWRP t03gup while I should flashed t03g.
I reflashed the correct file then flashed the modem.bin of XXUFND3.
Everything thing is back to normal again except 2 things:
The icon of my service provider shifts place to the last app page after reboot, no matter where I place it...
The phone status shows custom (expected) but stays so even after using Triangle Away.
Is it better if I flash the stock firmware then recovery then SuperSU? ?? Or flashing the modem as I did was enough to straighten things up? ?
Thank you for your patience and help.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It should be OK just as it is now, but if you have 30min free time, you can flash stock, root, custom rom with full wipe to make sure you have everything straighten up

yaro666 said:
It should be OK just as it is now, but if you have 30min free time, you can flash stock, root, custom rom with full wipe to make sure you have everything straighten up
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
30 min or even an hour is ok by me...
I'll do it right away. Flash stock, TWRP recovery then root with SuperSU.
As for the custom rom it'll have to wait as I didn't make up my mind which Lollipop to get... I'm kinda confused about it very much. I can't decide which to get.
I'm open for suggestions. lol
Thanks a million for your support.

If you need your phone for business don't flash lollipop. Still in beta phase, so bugs are occuring often.
I use dr. ketan's V14 and it's the most stable rom I have used

yaro666 said:
If you need your phone for business don't flash lollipop. Still in beta phase, so bugs are occuring often.
I use dr. ketan's V14 and it's the most stable rom I have used
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My phone is for personal use not for business.
But I think I'll follow your advice & give Dr. Ketan's V14 a try.
I did flash stock firmware then flashed TWRP 2.8.6 (correct file this time.. lol) then installed root.
I did backup my phone & EFS by TWRP. All is excellent now.
Now I'll backup my contacts, sms, apps & data using Titanium back up then go for Dr. ketan's rom.
Wish me luck.
Thanks.

you will be positively surprised if youhad stock the whole time.
cheers
salute

yaro666 said:
you will be positively surprised if youhad stock the whole time.
cheers
salute
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wow... it's awesome. ..
Thumbs up. ..
You are right.
I'm wondering right now how did I stuck to the stock firmware all the past time.
Thanks.