Develop Bugs

Flash stock rom - Keep Root & CWM

Hello, I am currently rooted and have CWM 6.0.4.3. installed. I'm on CM11 but want to go back to stock.. Is there an easy way to keep root and go back to stock. Want stock for a few functions that ROMS dont seem to be offering but can keep root and CWM ??
Thanks.

Which phone do you have? You could try flashing a pre-rooted stock ROM via Odin. Then use Odin to flash CWM.

Bt its better to firstly install ur stock rom and then again root it as it takes no longer than 5 mins

DeathNotice said:
Bt its better to firstly install ur stock rom and then again root it as it takes no longer than 5 mins
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok perfect, thats what I was looking for. Phone btw is S3 - d2att - SGH i747) Sounds good to install the stock rom and re-root.. I'm sure its here but I have searched everywhere to find a tutorial on this and I cannot find a straight answer.
Would you mind giving me the steps or pointing me to a thread that explains how to and has the files in need to download ?

audit13 said:
Which phone do you have? You could try flashing a pre-rooted stock ROM via Odin. Then use Odin to flash CWM.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Do you know if there is a step by step on this somewhere ? I dont mind going back to complete stock.. I can just re-root and flash CWM after.
OR
Maybe you could just answer the bigger question : the reason I want to go back to stock is I need to use MHL/HDMI which CM11 doesnt support. I dont want to go back to stock, I would rather even go to another ROM that supports mhl/hdmi.. but if I have to go to stock, than so be it.?

Were you running the stock AT&T 4.3 ROM before you switched to CM11?

audit13 said:
Were you running the stock AT&T 4.3 ROM before you switched to CM11?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, I bought the phone new and was running stock, Canadian Rogers version and had changed to CM10, then to 11.

robberrobbie said:
Yes, I bought the phone new and was running stock, Canadian Rogers version and had changed to CM10, then to 11.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Since you installed a custom recovery, that would have tripped the Knox counter which voids the warranty. It's not a problem if the phone is working properly.
Did you update to 4.3 or did it come with 4.3?
You may be better off installing a pre-rooted ROM.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1739426

audit13 said:
Since you installed a custom recovery, that would have tripped the Knox counter which voids the warranty. It's not a problem if the phone is working properly.
Did you update to 4.3 or did it come with 4.3?
You may be better off installing a pre-rooted ROM.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1739426
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It was quite some time ago but I believe I was on ICS 4.0.. and switch to CM from there. Im not worried about the counter for warranty, that's expired on my unit anyways. I just want to be able to use MHL/HDMI function.. so if fine with flashing pre-rooted.. or stock.. or a different ROM that support MHL/HDMI. Can you recommend the easiest route ?

robberrobbie said:
It was quite some time ago but I believe I was on ICS 4.0.. and switch to CM from there. Im not worried about the counter for warranty, that's expired on my unit anyways. I just want to be able to use MHL/HDMI function.. so if fine with flashing pre-rooted.. or stock.. or a different ROM that support MHL/HDMI. Can you recommend the easiest route ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I asked about 4.3 because the 4.3 bootloader cannot be downloaded. Flashing via mobile Odin will not touch the bootloader or modem.
You could try a pre-rooted rom and then flash a custom recovery via Odin.
I use Philz Touch from here: http://goo.im/devs/philz_touch/CWM_Advanced_Edition/d2att

audit13 said:
I asked about 4.3 because the 4.3 bootloader cannot be downloaded. Flashing via mobile Odin will not touch the bootloader or modem.
You could try a pre-rooted rom and then flash a custom recovery via Odin.
I use Philz Touch from here: http://goo.im/devs/philz_touch/CWM_Advanced_Edition/d2att
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok thanks, I will do that. 1 thing I'm not quite sure of is the bootloader situation ? In the first tutorial there is a note : Flashing a prior bootloader can hard/soft brick your device. How do I know ?
I see the steps as:
Extract tar 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 tar file
Leave Auto Reboot and F. Reset Time checked.
click start and when done let phone reboot.
If you just want a stock, rooted phone with no custom recovery, no plans to flash custom roms, etc. then you can stop HERE.
For my situation, is it just that easy ?

Before flashing, verify the version of your bootloader.

audit13 said:
Before flashing, verify the version of your bootloader.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
OK I have made an effort to go read and figure out how to find out what version of bootloader on my own.. But i cannot find ? Any chance you know... And could help?

You mentioned your have the i747 and Rogers. Do you have the AT&T s3 (i747) or Rogers/Bell/Telus s3 (i747m)?
What is the most recent stock ROM you had on your phone?

Hey. I got the i747m. As for what was the last stock ROM I had, can't say. I know when I bought the phone it was ICS and I had received and update to jellybean.. But them went to cm10. The tutorial I followed told me had me back everything up, which I did. Have it in a file somewhere on my comp, would that tell me ?
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using xda app-developers app

If you are flasjing back to stock you should flash back to the same baseband/bootloader that came stock on your phone.
I'm looking for a stock rooted zip for the sasktel i747m (MF1) that i can flash in CWM....I need to go back to stock to fix a data issue that ive encountered through flashing these new d2lte builds...
Does anyone know if a cwm flashable stock rooted rom exists for Sasktel's i747m with baseband MF1 ???I already have the Odin flashable stock rooted zip but don't have a laptop handy until tuesday....And im pretty sure i cant flash that zip in cwm recovery....
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app

Ariesdroid said:
If you are flasjing back to stock you should flash back to the same baseband/bootloader that came stock on your phone.
I'm looking for a stock rooted zip for the sasktel i747m (MF1) that i can flash in CWM....I need to go back to stock to fix a data issue that ive encountered through flashing these new d2lte builds...
Does anyone know if a cwm flashable stock rooted rom exists for Sasktel's i747m with baseband MF1 ???I already have the Odin flashable stock rooted zip but don't have a laptop handy until tuesday....And im pretty sure i cant flash that zip in cwm recovery....
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have not seen a stock mf1 ROM that can be flashed in CWM. You could use mobile Odin to flash back to stock and then flash Philz Touch via desktop Odin later.

OK, so back to my question.. If I have the i747M and bought the phone with ICS.. does this help.?

audit13 said:
You mentioned your have the i747 and Rogers. Do you have the AT&T s3 (i747) or Rogers/Bell/Telus s3 (i747m)?
What is the most recent stock ROM you had on your phone?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hey there Audit, Sorry to bother you again, I just dont know how to move forward from here and neeeeeed some help.
I have been reading for days and days have not found a straight answer for my issue and I dont want to just go ahead and start flashing when I dont know if its the right method ?
I dont know how to get back to stock from where I'm at, I dont know how to figure out what bootloader I have (you asked me)
I have found a couple links on XDA that I can follow, I'm just not sure if they apply to my situation ?
This is a pretty detailed response/tutorial, but I dont know if I can just go ahead with this or not ?
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2186967
This is also very detailed: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1739426
Any help would be greatly appreciated !

robberrobbie said:
OK, so back to my question.. If I have the i747M and bought the phone with ICS.. does this help.?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you are sure you have the Rogers i747m and you have never loaded a stock Rogers 4.3 ROM onto your phone, you could use desktop Odin to flash a pre-rooted 4.1.2 ROM from here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1739426.
Flashing the pre-rooted 4.1.2 ROM will return the phone to completely stock, wipe out all installed apps and data, and you will have root. I do not recommend flashing the Rogers 4.3 pre-rooted ROM from the link.
Once you are able to boot into the phone and set things up, you can flash Philz Touch from Odin which will give you a custom recovery on a rooted stock 4.1.2 ROM.

[Q] downgrading to cyanogenmod 10.2

hey guys,
i recently rooted my galaxy s3 i747 and installed cm11 on it. the whole process was done automatically using one of those cm installers. however, i recently learned that cm11 is not stable yet. so i want to downgrade to 10.2 which is the most recent stable cm.
i did try that, using manual methods, such as flashing it via recovery, however a picture of a dead android with a red warning triangle popped up saying it couldn't be done.
my question is, why would this happen? i know official android doesn't allow downgrade, but rooted ones should allow installation of any custom rom no matter which verison, right?
another question, how do i downgrade to 10.2, or install any other stable custom rom? i am afraid that the phone might become bricked due to my inexperience, but i want stability in my phone.
also, if my phone is indeed hard bricked, would it be possible to get it fixed under $100?
P.S. i am quite new to xda, so sorry if i posted this in the wrong area.

Are you using the most up to date custom recovery for your phone? Are you wiping system, Dalvik, and cache before installting the new ROM?

audit13 said:
Are you using the most up to date custom recovery for your phone? Are you wiping system, Dalvik, and cache before installting the new ROM?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
used goo manager to install recovery, and wiped system, dalvik cache and cache. you see, i was following a video tutorial, and the custom recovery on that one was an older version. so, although i wiped them all, it was a bit different. you think that might be the problem?

user9560 said:
used goo manager to install recovery, and wiped system, dalvik cache and cache. you see, i was following a video tutorial, and the custom recovery on that one was an older version. so, although i wiped them all, it was a bit different. you think that might be the problem?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I would start over by flashing the tar version of Philz Touch via Odin 3.07 from here: http://goo.im/devs/philz_touch/CWM_Advanced_Edition/d2att.
Copy CM10.2 to your phone or external SD card, boot into recovery, wipe cache, Dalvik, data, and system. Then install CM10.2, boot into the OS, set things up, boot into recovery, and flash Gapps.
I prefer doing everything via recovery mode.

thanks! aah i'm a little scared though. do you think if i follow the instructions correctly, there'll be little chance of a hard brick? i know nothing's full proof tho.... what do you think? is it worth it? is 10.2 better than cm11 nightly as of yet?

You're using an AT&T s3 i747? What ROM was on the phone before you installed a custom ROM?
If it was any stock 4.3, don't touch the bootloader.

audit13 said:
You're using an AT&T s3 i747? What ROM was on the phone before you installed a custom ROM?
If it was any stock 4.3, don't touch the bootloader.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yup s3 i747 with bell. i think its the same as att. the phone came with 4.2 then i updated to 4.3 jelly bean.
also, isn't odin like a software on the computer? could you perhaps point to a tutorial? sorry ^_^' i'm not so familiar with android and there r so many tutorials out there, i wouldnt know which one i should follow in this case.

user9560 said:
yup s3 i747 with bell. i think its the same as att. the phone came with 4.2 then i updated to 4.3 jelly bean.
also, isn't odin like a software on the computer? could you perhaps point to a tutorial? sorry ^_^' i'm not so familiar with android and there r so many tutorials out there, i wouldnt know which one i should follow in this case.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The model # for the Bell s3 is i747m. The AT&T version is an i747. Make note of the difference when posting and looking solutions.
Do you have any warranty left on your phone? If you do, installing the 4.3 update will install the 4.3 bootloader and Knox. Once you have upgraded to the 4.3 bootloader, any attempts to downgrade the bootloader will brick the phone. Any reason you updated to 4.3?
Since you have Knox on your phone, installing a custom recovery will trip the knox counter and void your warranty. If you have no warranty left, tripping the counter isn't a problem.

audit13 said:
The model # for the Bell s3 is i747m. The AT&T version is an i747. Make note of the difference when posting and looking solutions.
Do you have any warranty left on your phone? If you do, installing the 4.3 update will install the 4.3 bootloader and Knox. Once you have upgraded to the 4.3 bootloader, any attempts to downgrade the bootloader will brick the phone. Any reason you updated to 4.3?
Since you have Knox on your phone, installing a custom recovery will trip the knox counter and void your warranty. If you have no warranty left, tripping the counter isn't a problem.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
hmm when i look at my about phone it just says SMASUNG-SGH-I747... so i'm not sure where i747m comes in... i assume there's no warranty for my phone anymore since it's been rooted already. i just updated to 4.3 because i assumed that a reputable company like samsung would give out a good and better performance update. after i updated however, the phone started going haywire. it became laggy and slow. not that noticable, but still bothered me. the main reason i ditched iphone was because of it's sluggy behavior. so i had nothing to do but root. cm11's great, but some features are unstable, like random reboots and stuff. so i wanted to try cm10.2 or miui v5. hmm. i'm still thinking about how to figure out odin..

user9560 said:
hmm when i look at my about phone it just says SMASUNG-SGH-I747... so i'm not sure where i747m comes in... i assume there's no warranty for my phone anymore since it's been rooted already. i just updated to 4.3 because i assumed that a reputable company like samsung would give out a good and better performance update. after i updated however, the phone started going haywire. it became laggy and slow. not that noticable, but still bothered me. the main reason i ditched iphone was because of it's sluggy behavior. so i had nothing to do but root. cm11's great, but some features are unstable, like random reboots and stuff. so i wanted to try cm10.2 or miui v5. hmm. i'm still thinking about how to figure out odin..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The Bell, Rogers, and Telus version of the s3 is sgh-i747m. The AT&T version is sgh-i747. Did you get the phone from one of the Canadian carriers?
If you're running a custom ROM, this may be the reason it just shows sgh-i747. Custom ROMs on XDA are designed for the d2att but are compatible with the Canadian version of the s3.
Updating to 4.3 would have loaded a 4.3 bootloader and Knox. Once your phone has the 4.3 bootloader, do not attempt to downgrade the bootloader as it will brick your phone.
Knox software can interfere when trying to root your device.
You updated to 4.3, then installed CM?

audit13 said:
The Bell, Rogers, and Telus version of the s3 is sgh-i747m. The AT&T version is sgh-i747. Did you get the phone from one of the Canadian carriers?
If you're running a custom ROM, this may be the reason it just shows sgh-i747. Custom ROMs on XDA are designed for the d2att but are compatible with the Canadian version of the s3.
Updating to 4.3 would have loaded a 4.3 bootloader and Knox. Once your phone has the 4.3 bootloader, do not attempt to downgrade the bootloader as it will brick your phone.
Knox software can interfere when trying to root your device.
You updated to 4.3, then installed CM?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
ah i understand now. i got the phone from bell. thanks for clarifying that.
i installed cm after the update, unfortunately. but when i went into recovery mode, i did not see anything related to knox. does it show up on the phone or in recovery mode? as of this moment, i was not thinking about the bootloader. because we're just tyring to downgrade the os, right? or is it something like previous os would not run on an updated bootloader?

user9560 said:
ah i understand now. i got the phone from bell. thanks for clarifying that.
i installed cm after the update, unfortunately. but when i went into recovery mode, i did not see anything related to knox. does it show up on the phone or in recovery mode? as of this moment, i was not thinking about the bootloader. because we're just tyring to downgrade the os, right? or is it something like previous os would not run on an updated bootloader?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Go into download mode and look at the screen. What does it say? It will probably have the model #, warranty bit, and whether it is running custom or official software.
Are you running TWRP or CWM?

audit13 said:
Go into download mode and look at the screen. What does it say? It will probably have the model #, warranty bit, and whether it is running custom or official software.
Are you running TWRP or CWM?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
ok sir, this is what it says:
-ODIN MODE
-PRODUCT NAME: SGH-I747M
-CUSTOM BINARY DOWNLOAD: Yes (2 counts)
-CURRENT BINARY: Custom
-SYSTEM STATUS: Official
-QUALCOMM SECUREBOOT: ENABLE
-Warranty Bit: 1
-BOOTLOADER RP SWERV: 1

This screen tells you that your phone is an i747m, you have knox installed, any warranty on your phone has been voided, and you're loaded 2 custom ROMs.
Since you have a custom recovery, you can wipe data, cache, Dalvik, and install cm10.2.

audit13 said:
This screen tells you that your phone is an i747m, you have knox installed, any warranty on your phone has been voided, and you're loaded 2 custom ROMs.
Since you have a custom recovery, you can wipe data, cache, Dalvik, and install cm10.2.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
ok now that you mentioned cwm and twrp, i noticed my phone resembles cwm when i boot into recovery. the tutorial i followed was in what looked like twrp. but why would that happen? i followed his instructdions and updated the recovery the same way he did via goo manager. he is using twrp, i am using cwm. is that the problem?

user9560 said:
ok now that you mentioned cwm and twrp, i noticed my phone resembles cwm when i boot into recovery. the tutorial i followed was in what looked like twrp. but why would that happen? i followed his instructdions and updated the recovery the same way he did via goo manager. he is using twrp, i am using cwm. is that the problem?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As long as you have a custom recovery, you can try flashing cm10.2.

audit13 said:
As long as you have a custom recovery, you can try flashing cm10.2.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i did try it before. booted into recovery, tried to flash rom zip and gapps. but it failed to flash. are you suggesting i do it in DOWNLOAD MODE with the new tar file you have mentioned? would you be able to link me to a place which would give me instructions? i am quite new to this. thanks

user9560 said:
i did try it before. booted into recovery, tried to flash rom zip and gapps. but it failed to flash. are you suggesting i do it in DOWNLOAD MODE with the new tar file you have mentioned? would you be able to link me to a place which would give me instructions? i am quite new to this. thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What error are you getting when you try to flash a ROM?

audit13 said:
What error are you getting when you try to flash a ROM?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
it gives me a dead android with a red warning triangle. the one that says rom cannot be flashed.

user9560 said:
it gives me a dead android with a red warning triangle. the one that says rom cannot be flashed.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Are there any RPM error messages? What custom recovery do you have on your phone? It should say at the very top.

[Q] Is it possible to install a stock ROM if 4.3 and a locked bootloader is in place

Is it possible to install a stock ROM once 4.3 and a locked bootloader is in place. I've looked all over and I seem to read conflicting stories. So...
I have a Samsung S3 Telus (AT&T) version running the latest 4.3 as of May1st, my bootloader is locked and I have a tripped flash counter.
If someone actually posts a I747MVLUEND2 rooted image can I flash it?
Can I flash an older version I747MVLUEM series?
Oh yeah my phone is NOT rooted.

Check post #5, 11, 27 here Guide: How I unlocked my ATT S3 [ 1 2 3 ... Last ]
Thread By: Jasonator

I think you didn't understand the question. You pointed me to a thread about unlocking.

With a 4.3 bootloader, you will need to install a custom recovery to flash ROMs. If you want to restore a stock 4.3 ROM, try this: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2658486
With a 4.3 bootloader, you cannot use Odin to flash a stock ROM unless that ROM was specifically compiled for flashing via Odin.

No this is not possible. I have a LOCKED boot loader. I can't flash a custom recovery as far as I know.
Also how would one know a ROM is made to be flashed by Odin even if it was possible? Maybe I missed something here.

I re-read your original post and I'm a bit confused. You have a Telus s3 (i747m) or AT&T s3 (i747)?
I have never heard of an s3 having a locked bootloader. All of the phones with a stock 4.3 ROM have a bootloader that cannot be downgraded.

audit13 said:
I re-read your original post and I'm a bit confused. You have a Telus s3 (i747m) or AT&T s3 (i747)?
I have never heard of an s3 having a locked bootloader. All of the phones with a stock 4.3 ROM have a bootloader that cannot be downgraded.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry, I have a Telus I747M.
It seems all AT&T and Telus S3's have a locked boot loader after the upgrade to 4.3. This means you cannot flash CWM recovery to the phone anymore.
So, I beleive I can't fix it to put CWM recovery on but I may be able to flash a stock rom, I'm just not sure at this point what I can do. Based on your response it is not surprising I'm confused, there seems to be a LOT of conflicting information.
There are some stock ROMS that have already been rooted and I'm hoping I can flash one of those without bricking my phone.

horga_83 said:
Sorry, I have a Telus I747M.
It seems all AT&T and Telus S3's have a locked boot loader after the upgrade to 4.3. This means you cannot flash CWM recovery to the phone anymore.
So, I beleive I can't fix it to put CWM recovery on but I may be able to flash a stock rom, I'm just not sure at this point what I can do. Based on your response it is not surprising I'm confused, there seems to be a LOT of conflicting information.
There are some stock ROMS that have already been rooted and I'm hoping I can flash one of those without bricking my phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
sir, the one who got the wrong idea is you
the only S3 with locked bootloader is the verizon version
i747/M doesn't regardless of which version
which occurs to me that you might have done something wrong trying to root your device
though i've never tried this tool to root but many people succeeded rooting their phone with this http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1963790
so try it out
but again, you said to flash a stock rom... you can do it via Kies(is that how it is called? it had been so long since i last used it) or you can just use ODIN to flash it

Regardless of the subject of that thread, the posts I indicated directly speak to your 747m downgrade question.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using XDA Free mobile app

horga_83 said:
Sorry, I have a Telus I747M.
It seems all AT&T and Telus S3's have a locked boot loader after the upgrade to 4.3. This means you cannot flash CWM recovery to the phone anymore.
So, I beleive I can't fix it to put CWM recovery on but I may be able to flash a stock rom, I'm just not sure at this point what I can do. Based on your response it is not surprising I'm confused, there seems to be a LOT of conflicting information.
There are some stock ROMS that have already been rooted and I'm hoping I can flash one of those without bricking my phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can understand why some may be confused about the question. If you have stock 4.3 already (which is the latest version available), why would you want to flash another stock ROM? If you are talking about flashing an older stock ROM, yes it is possible, and there have been several posts on how you can successfully downgrade the system only without altering the bootloader. Attempting to downgrade the bootloader will, of course, cause a brick so downgrading ROM only is a rather complicated process that should be attempted only if there is a very worthwhile reason for this. So far, there are very few arguments, if any, for downgrading from 4.3 to any older stock ROM version. If you are trying to flash a rooted version of the same stock, you need to be sure it's one with the same bootloader. You may, however, find it easier simply keeping the current system and rooting via Safe Root. You can, however, flash a custom ROM if it won't attempt to mess with your bootloader . As far as recovery goes, even if you have stock 4.3, you can still flash custom recovery via Odin or other prescribed installation route. I'm not aware of 4.3 preventing the flashing of a custom recovery. I have an AT&T i747 with stock 4.3 and I've flashed custom recovery several times.

pcshano said:
sir, the one who got the wrong idea is you
the only S3 with locked bootloader is the verizon version
i747/M doesn't regardless of which version
which occurs to me that you might have done something wrong trying to root your device
though i've never tried this tool to root but many people succeeded rooting their phone with this http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1963790
so try it out
but again, you said to flash a stock rom... you can do it via Kies(is that how it is called? it had been so long since i last used it) or you can just use ODIN to flash it
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So when my bootloader says Qualcomm secure boot = 1, that means what exactly?
I haven't tried to root my phone yet.
Well actually it's a stock ROM that has been rooted. As per this page:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1739426&__utma=248941774.1179961654.1399404439.1400082744.1400099749.11&__utmb=248941774.1.10.1400099749&__utmc=248941774&__utmx=-&__utmz=248941774.1400099749.11.3.utmcsr=forum.xda-developers.com|utmccn=%28referral%29|utmcmd=referral|utmcct=/galaxy-s3-att/&__utmv=-&__utmk=261245838

horga_83 said:
So when my bootloader says Qualcomm secure boot = 1, that means what exactly?
I haven't tried to root my phone yet.
Well actually it's a stock ROM that has been rooted. As per this page:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1739426&__utma=248941774.1179961654.1399404439.1400082744.1400099749.11&__utmb=248941774.1.10.1400099749&__utmc=248941774&__utmx=-&__utmz=248941774.1400099749.11.3.utmcsr=forum.xda-developers.com|utmccn=%28referral%29|utmcmd=referral|utmcct=/galaxy-s3-att/&__utmv=-&__utmk=261245838
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think that means secure booting has been enabled. Secure booting has nothing to do with having a locked bootloader. From what I have read in other forums, a locked bootload would not allow you to load a custom kernel.

[Q] Downgrading CM11 to stock 4.3 on i747M

I know there are a few threads regarding this issue but I can't seem to find a definitive answer.
I am currently running stock 4.3 jellybean (rooted). My phone hasn't received the 4.4 KitKat update yet, so I wanted to install CM11 in order to get KitKat on my s3. However, I heard CM11 can be buggy on the s3, so in case things go south, I want to be able to revert back to the stock 4.3 rom. Some people have said that you can easily flash the stock ROM via ODIN. However, others said that downgrading from 4.4.2 to 4.3 will hard brick the device since installing CM11 updates the boot loader. So downgrading to 4.3 stock with a 4.4.2 boot loader will cause a hard brick according to other threads I've seen. My question is, how can I downgrade from CM11 to stock 4.3 safely without bricking? Thanks in advance.

If you are sure you are using a Canadian version of the i747m, you can flash back to stock in Odin using a stock 4.3 ROM for the phone's original carrier (Bell, Rogers, Telus).

audit13 said:
If you are sure you are using a Canadian version of the i747m, you can flash back to stock in Odin using a stock 4.3 ROM for the phone's original carrier (Bell, Rogers, Telus).
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Yes I got the phone from Rogers, it's most definitely i747M. But do I have to worry about any issues with the bootloader? I'm assuming installing CM11 will install the 4.4.2 bootloader, so if I choose to downgrade to the stock 4.3 rom, will it cause any issues seeing as I'm running a 4.3 rom with a 4.4.2 bootloader? I just want to make sure because I heard it can cause some serious problems if the bootloader is newer than the rom.

Mzrz said:
Yes I got the phone from Rogers, it's most definitely i747M. But do I have to worry about any issues with the bootloader? I'm assuming installing CM11 will install the 4.4.2 bootloader, so if I choose to downgrade to the stock 4.3 rom, will it cause any issues seeing as I'm running a 4.3 rom with a 4.4.2 bootloader? I just want to make sure because I heard it can cause some serious problems if the bootloader is newer than the rom.
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I have never come across a custom ROM that touches the bootloader. A compatible bootloader has to be loaded on the phone before you attempt to install the custom ROM. Supported bootloaders can be found in the ROM's updater script.
I assume your phone has no warranty since you rooted it on stock 4.3. Did you root it by installing a pre-rooted ROM?
You could copy a ROM to your external SD card, install Philz Touch via Odin, reboot directly to recovery, create a nandroid backup, wipe cache, Dalvik, data, and install your KK ROM.

audit13 said:
I have never come across a custom ROM that touches the bootloader. A compatible bootloader has to be loaded on the phone before you attempt to install the custom ROM. Supported bootloaders can be found in the ROM's updater script.
I assume your phone has no warranty since you rooted it on stock 4.3. Did you root it by installing a pre-rooted ROM?
You could copy a ROM to your external SD card, install Philz Touch via Odin, reboot directly to recovery, create a nandroid backup, wipe cache, Dalvik, data, and install your KK ROM.
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Okay, I was just making sure because I know OTA updates can change the bootloader, so I just wanted to make sure the custom roms don't do that. As for the custom recovery, are you recommending Philz Touch over CWM and TWRP? Do you know which custom recovery is installed from the CM installer?

audit13 said:
I have never come across a custom ROM that touches the bootloader. A compatible bootloader has to be loaded on the phone before you attempt to install the custom ROM. Supported bootloaders can be found in the ROM's updater script.
I assume your phone has no warranty since you rooted it on stock 4.3. Did you root it by installing a pre-rooted ROM?
You could copy a ROM to your external SD card, install Philz Touch via Odin, reboot directly to recovery, create a nandroid backup, wipe cache, Dalvik, data, and install your KK ROM.
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Click to collapse
Oh and one more question, my phone was originally carrier locked to Rogers and unrooted on 4.3 jelly bean. I brought it in to a cell store for them to carrier unlock it for me, but they used a rooting method to unlock it (because SuperSU was installed on it when I brought it back). They didn't unlock it with a code, so I'm guessing they used something like Samsung Tool or z3x shell. If I install CM11, will I lose the unlock, considering it's more of a "soft unlock", or is the unlock permanent regardless of how many roms I flash? Thanks for your help!

Mzrz said:
Okay, I was just making sure because I know OTA updates can change the bootloader, so I just wanted to make sure the custom roms don't do that. As for the custom recovery, are you recommending Philz Touch over CWM and TWRP? Do you know which custom recovery is installed from the CM installer?
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Philz is based on the latest release of CWM and I prefer CWM over TWRP because I had problems flashing ROMs. Once I switched to Philz/CWM, no more problems.
Mzrz said:
Oh and one more question, my phone was originally carrier locked to Rogers and unrooted on 4.3 jelly bean. I brought it in to a cell store for them to carrier unlock it for me, but they used a rooting method to unlock it (because SuperSU was installed on it when I brought it back). They didn't unlock it with a code, so I'm guessing they used something like Samsung Tool or z3x shell. If I install CM11, will I lose the unlock, considering it's more of a "soft unlock", or is the unlock permanent regardless of how many roms I flash? Thanks for your help!
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The unlock should be permanent. I unlocked it using the free method when on 4.1.1 and no ROM has ever caused it to re-lock. Reflashing a completely stock ROM, including the bootloader, did not relock the phone.
Please remember that flashing and changing ROMs will always carry a risk of soft bricking or hard bricking your phone. Make sure you read all of the guides and be prepared for disaster.
Good read here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2201860

Is my method for flashing ROMS causing me problems with OctOS M?

Hi, I'm currently using this method to flash roms, and I've flashed OctOS M a total of 3 times using this method, but for some reason, after a bit of time the ROM gets really buggy.
Is there a better way of flashing this ROM, or is it the ROM itself causing these issues.
Thanks,

Which phone do you have? For the i747 and i747m can be flashed with TWRP from Odin. The custom ROM and Gapps and then flashed from TWRP.

audit13 said:
Which phone do you have? For the i747 and i747m can be flashed with TWRP from Odin. The custom ROM and Gapps and then flashed from TWRP.
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Currently have an i747m
its just that for some reason, at first OctOS M works perfect, and then starts to have tons of issues overtime, which other people dont seem to have.
I remember somebody telling me to wipe data and cache about 3 times before installing the ROM in TWRP, even tho i usually just do it once. Is that the proper way to do it?
Thanks,

The phone is running the latest KK bootloader and modem/baseband?
Did you use TWRP to wipe system as well before installing the custom ROM?

audit13 said:
The phone is running the latest KK bootloader and modem/baseband?
Did you use TWRP to wipe system as well before installing the custom ROM?
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Not sure how i can check if im running the latest bootloader or modem/baseband.
Yea, I had also wiped system, and delvik cache.

You can install the Samsung Phone Info App from the play store which will tell you the bootloader and modem/baseband version in the phone. I think FOB3 is the latest.

audit13 said:
You can install the Samsung Phone Info App from the play store which will tell you the bootloader and modem/baseband version in the phone. I think FOB3 is the latest.
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My bootloader and modem/baseband end in FOB3.

Okay, then that's not causing the problem. It may be a bug that's unique to your particular phone. The only way to tell for sure may be to install a different ROM to see what happens.