Develop Bugs

[Q] S3 locked after 4.4.2 OTA

Here is what happened, i downloaded the OTA from AT&T, unrooted my phone and installed the update. It went all the way through, rebooted and that's where it stops. As soon as the AT&T welcome screen comes up the phone just freezes. When i plug it to my PC the phone is not recognized. Kies says it can't connect to the device. I'm able to get into download mode and odin seems to find the phone. But in download mode there is no option to reboot or anything. It only says "custom" on all options.
Can anybody help?

Factory reset usually solves most boot hangups. It will wipe your internal sd if you have stock recovery though.

i can't find any option to do a factory reset. I flashed Philz touch with odin, it said it passed. Tried a factory reset but it still freezes at the AT&T homescreen.
Any other way to do a factory reset?

Why'd you re-root BEFORE installing the update? Is there a particular reason? From what I've read on here, towelroot will easily root it afterwards.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using XDA Free mobile app

keithfrombm said:
Why'd you re-root BEFORE installing the update? Is there a particular reason? From what I've read on here, towelroot will easily root it afterwards.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using XDA Free mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I took root off the phone since most of the time root stops OTA updates. Then i downloaded and installed the update. I had plans to root it again after the update.

Hello there. I also attempted the 4.4.2 OTA from stock 4.3, and now I'm having this exact same issue. The device had TWRP recovery installed, so I re-installed the stock recovery. It was also rooted and a few system files were edited (lock sounds, hosts file), I reverted all the changes, did a full unroot via SuperSU and proceeded with the OTA. It seemed successful until it tried to boot.. it now freezes on the AT&T logo, as the OP mentioned. I installed TWRP recovery again via Odin so I could back up all the data from the phone and do a factory reset. Unfortunately, this did not fix the freezing. I've attempted reverting back to the latest official Odin .tar (4.1.1), which I've now learned is not possible since the 4.3 update and its locked bootloader. It would seem that the only thing that would do the trick now would be an Odin-flashable 4.4.2 tar. For now, I've installed CyanogenMod as a temporary solution.

I dunno if it has been tested yet but this is a TWRP/CWM flashable zip which also preserves root.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=53539462&postcount=5

It didnt work. I am currently uploading two more attempts now and will post the links in that thread as soon as they are ready.

this worked for me
Hi All, Just wanted to share a solution that worked for me. I was in the same boat. OTA update locked phone on ATT screen. Used steps 2 and 6 from link below and now have 4.4.2 running on my phone. Happy flashing.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=53574211

[Q] Can't Install 4.4 OTA Update

Rooted/Flashed my phone a long time. Constant bugs and errors. I really don't remember what all I did but I think I almost have it completely unrooted and back to stock. However, I can't update OTA. I've reflashed using this file, http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2658486. Fixed just about all my issues and I actually have a lot of space on my phone. When I try to do the OTA Update, it doesn't install the update. Once it boots into recovery mode to install the update it gives an error. Can someone help my to 100% fully get my phone back to stock and be able to install OTA updates? I'm clueless.

First, did the 4.4.2 ota fail after a certain percentage? If so you may actually be partially updated already. If so, flashing MJB firmware/bootloader will hard brick.
Install and open Terminal Emulator and enter this:
getprop ro.bootloader
If it says MJB, you are still on 4.3 and can refresh that. If it says NE4, do not flash MJB!
If you can still flash MJB, there is a thread in General (I think that's where) that has the Odin flashable firmware package. Flash that with Odin and factory reset. Then try the OTA.
Factory resetting with stock recovery installed will wipe internal sd card, so back up first!
There are also a few threads in General that can help you update if the OTA continues to fail.

I'm unrooted. At least im pretty sure of that. I cant run superu anumore and root checker says im not rooted. Can I still access the terminal without being rooted. I know I had clockeork mod recovery. I also had used cyanogen mod at one point. Now I have the stock recovery but when I boot into recovery I get an error. I will post the error and install percentage as soon as the ota update downloads.

Yes, you can still run getprop w/o root. Just install terminal emulator by jackpal from the play store.

Yeah it said I747UCUEMJB. Like I said my recovery gives me an error. When I try flashing at all with odin it fails. Trying to install the ota update now. After it fails ill give the error recovery gives me. OTA update fails at 24%

Ok, booting into Android system recovery gives me a no command error than it shows the list of options. When I go to reboot system now, it gives me a no command error as well. Download mode used to give me an error, might only show up when attempting to flash something. However, these are the details of my ODIN Mode right now.
Product Name: SGH-I747
Custom Binary Download: Yes (1 Counts)
Current Binary Custom
System Status: Custom
QUALCOMM SECUREBOOT: ENABLE
Warranty Bit: 1
BOOTLOADER RP SWREV: 2

When you try to flash the firmware with Odin, what does it say in the message box?
Have you tried flashing TWRP via Odin?
A lot of people seem to be having issues with the OTA failing at 20-something percent. No idea why though. I know some found that their firmware was partially updated afterwards though, which is why they couldn't flash with Odin. Need to know what odin says about the failure to know for sure though.
You might need to factory reset btw.

I've already did a factory reset when I flashed this latest rom from that thread I posted.
Point me in the right direction of the firmware I need. I've got AT&T btw.

Try MJB firmware again. Im assuming that's what you tried to flash with odin earlier right? When/if it fails again, copy the text from the message box and paste it here.

So you want me to try flashing using Odin with that firmware I provided in that link? Like I said, ODIN on the pc gives me an error. I'll provide the error later when I get off work. Before I just put the firmware on my sd card, went into refovery mode and installed it from there.

From what I can see that is for flashing in recovery only. Of in only flashes .tar and .tar.md5 files.
This is the stock MJB firmware you can use in Odin:
http://www.androidfilehost.com/?fid=23329332407590581
Its from enewman17 in his how to update thread here (step 4):
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=53563776
If you still want to update to 4.4.2, that thread has had a pretty good success rate from what I've seen.
Let me know if you have any ither questions about this.

I'll try ut as soon as I get home from work and posy my results. Thanks for the help so far!

Wow I think one of the reasons I couldn't use ODIN after trying to unroot, is because I never had turned on USB Debugging mode. You wanted me to just go through Step 4 for right now right? Just to get back to stock 4.3 AT&T S3 like right out the box?

Thanks so much Doc. After following step 4 on that thread I was able to Ota update!

DocHoliday77 said:
From what I can see that is for flashing in recovery only. Of in only flashes .tar and .tar.md5 files.
This is the stock MJB firmware you can use in Odin:
http://www.androidfilehost.com/?fid=23329332407590581
Its from enewman17 in his how to update thread here (step 4):
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=53563776
If you still want to update to 4.4.2, that thread has had a pretty good success rate from what I've seen.
Let me know if you have any ither questions about this.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Been using my newly updated S3 and now the Touchwiz Home stops on startup and resets my default app settings repeatedly. Not sure what's the deal, tried suggestions on diff sites and am trying a factory restore, wipe date, and wipe cache partition. Any clue how to fix this?
PS: Seen in Android System Recovery it says KOT49H.I747UFNE4. Should that be I747UCEMJB since that's what mine is and recovery still gives me no command when I start it up?

You said you had updated with the OTA so NE4 would be correct.
As for recovery, if you want to keep stock recovery, enewman17 has it available in one of his threads (in development section I think). Redland that by itself and it ought to be good to go.
Otherwise, use Odin to flash TWRP recovery.
Factory reset should take care of the launcher/home issue you mentioned. You may not be able to though since it sounds like recovery is corrupted. Fix recovery as I said above and then try the reset.
If you factory reset with stock recovery installed, it will wipe your internal sd card. With custom recovery it will not.
You could also try clearing data for Touchwiz Home in application management.

I am having issues updating OTA too. It gets to 100% and then says my phone will reboot in 5 seconds, then it reboots and some at&t logo with a % counter comes up, that gets to 100% then it reboots into Android and it still says 4.3...what am I doing wrong? Anyone have any advice? Many thanks if so.

Thats a new one for me...how exactly are you going about updating? Are you using one of the threads here? Have you recently modified anything?

DocHoliday77 said:
Thats a new one for me...how exactly are you going about updating? Are you using one of the threads here? Have you recently modified anything?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am trying to update by going to settings --> more --> about device --> software update. Not using a thread, no. I was rooted and uninstalled google books and newsstand then unrooted and did a factory reset in stock recovery because I found out that if you are rooted the OTA update won't take. I am 100% bone stock now except for the 2 bloatware apps I uninstalled. I have since reinstalled them via the play store , but I hear they need to be system apps?

They do, but they also need to be the same versions that were originally included. If you get them from the store they'll be updated and will cause the ota to fail.

[Q] i317 still on 4.1.2... :( SOLVED!

my work requires encryption. i was on slimkatv22 at the time and had to encrypt. as encryption kept failing, i went back to stock. way back to stock.
so i'm running
JZO54K.I317UCAMH3 ROM
TEAMWIN Recovery
I317UCUCNE5 Bootloader
with Root and Busybox installed.
everytime i try to update via device update, it downloads, reboots and runs TWRP, I decrypt using password, reboots and the update fails with "Update Interrupted" message.
Is there a way to update ROM and keep encryption?

You can't OTA stock ROMs without stock recovery.

xBkKx said:
You can't OTA stock ROMs without stock recovery.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for your response. I tried updating ROM via ODIN and was not successful. Always got stuck in boot logo after i flashed new ROM.
Is there a stock recovery I should flash over TWRP to try?
Thanks for your help.

I have never used encryption so I can't really help if there are specifics around that. What exactly are you trying to install through Odin? If it's the firmware such as THIS it should overwrite the custom recovery with the stock one. If the stock ROM isn't booting you might have to boot into recovery and factory reset/wipe dalvik cache. This is my first Samsung phone so if nothing helps someone else who'd like to offer their assistance would probably be more knowledgeable.

I was going back to stock, which I guess, was mostly successful. however, I've not been able to install new ROM, namely 4.4.2 I317UCUCNE5. so if I install from your link, that should overwrite custom recovery and allow me to upgrade to 4.4.2 ROM either OTA or via Odin?

Maybe? Using the OTA always tells me there isn't an update (cause I'm on T-Mobile I guess?) and I haven't seen any files to update to Kitkat firmware through Odin

http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2618447
i'm going to try this.
thanks,

miserly said:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2618447
i'm going to try this.
thanks,
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
haven't had time to try. tbutbut i noticed that foxfi doesn't work even though i'm rooted. i searched for tether and doesn't seem to be a working solution for a free app.

SOLVED
finally got around to following the directions from dicksteele and voila! i'm on 4.4.2!
thanks all!
m

[Q] Won't boot after return to stock via ODIN attempt

Was trying to get the phone back to stock so I can upgrade. I followed the instructions on the How to Return a Device Back to Stock thread, downloaded the stock TAR, rebooted and tried to boot into recovery but it would not let me. I then tried to boot into the device as normal and now I have a screen with the message Firmware upgrade encountered an issue, Please select recovery mode in Kies & try again. Any suggestions? I downloaded and tried but cannot connect via Kies 2.6.. I can still get into the device via ODIN. Suggestions?

What firmware did you use to flash? Flash NH7 if you haven't

A little back-story and a possible solution.
demonr6 said:
Was trying to get the phone back to stock so I can upgrade. I followed the instructions on the How to Return a Device Back to Stock thread, downloaded the stock TAR, rebooted and tried to boot into recovery but it would not let me. I then tried to boot into the device as normal and now I have a screen with the message Firmware upgrade encountered an issue, Please select recovery mode in Kies & try again. Any suggestions? I downloaded and tried but cannot connect via Kies 2.6.. I can still get into the device via ODIN. Suggestions?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've never updated my S4 past the MDL firmware. I encountered this problem a few months back when I wanted to revert back to 100% stock MDL. I had updated my baseband/modem though to NB4, yet still obviously had the MDL bootloader. I was scared to death that I had bricked my phone because nothing I did would let me boot past that screen. I couldn't get to recovery, normal boot, nothing... the phone would just automatically go to that screen: Firmware upgrade encountered an issue.
What I did was simply revert my baseband/modem back to MDL. Once that was done successfully I was able to flash the MDL firmware again and booted right up. If this might be your issue, you will have to know which baseband/modem you were using and which bootloader version you were running before you attempted to flash stock. It should go without saying that the main idea here is to have your baseband and bootloader versions match before flashing the firmware in Odin.
Seems a little odd to me as the stock Odin-flashable firmware includes the modems and all... I'm just passing along what worked for me when I had that problem.

lordcheeto03 said:
I've never updated my S4 past the MDL firmware. I encountered this problem a few months back when I wanted to revert back to 100% stock MDL. I had updated my baseband/modem though to NB4, yet still obviously had the MDL bootloader. I was scared to death that I had bricked my phone because nothing I did would let me boot past that screen. I couldn't get to recovery, normal boot, nothing... the phone would just automatically go to that screen: Firmware upgrade encountered an issue.
What I did was simply revert my baseband/modem back to MDL. Once that was done successfully I was able to flash the MDL firmware again and booted right up. If this might be your issue, you will have to know which baseband/modem you were using and which bootloader version you were running before you attempted to flash stock. It should go without saying that the main idea here is to have your baseband and bootloader versions match before flashing the firmware in Odin.
Seems a little odd to me as the stock Odin-flashable firmware includes the modems and all... I'm just passing along what worked for me when I had that problem.
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I'll repost from another hoping this explains it as it is the only thing I can think of.. but it worked.
TLDR: installed stock TAR not stock TMO TAR, updated (stupid me) to 4.3, wrong baseband and recovery did not go back to stock using the stock TAR and the Philz Touch recovery would not have flown to return the phone. I figured it out with some help though!
Thank you, that was it. I returned it to stock after following the instructions in the how-to thread but something happened and it boned the recovery where it would reboot into the device every time. Being they need to inspect the phone and in my case they wiped it in front of me when I turned it in it had to be fixed. The device received the updates from TMO and stupid of me I installed them so it was now 4.3 hence the reason I could not install the stock 4.2 anymore. I found the stock firmware you mentioned above and installed it and it fixed it but tripped the counter. I installed the updates from TMO and it was enough to pass inspection. I was able to go into recovery at the store, show the clerk while he was dicking around with the paperwork for the Note I was about to buy. I reached over, showed him "look here it is in recovery and here is wipe data factory reset okay?" and wiped it. He muttered okay thanks or something like that and we were golden. Heck if he could have read the counter anyways it is so flipping tiny.
Thanks for the suggestions!

Return to Stock

Hi All,
So 2 years ago I went to cyanogenmod 10.2, twas great, but I am looking to return to a stock phone. I was able to reset the binary counter, but I can not seem to be able to flash any of the stock t-mobile s3 roms or recovery roms i have found, I just get failed errors. I was able to restore my phone to the original cyanogenmod upgrade I made using a nandroid backup, but I have not clue how to step back to stock samsumg s3 t-mobile.
Any help would be greatly appreciated, especially as I managed to temporarily softbrick my phone last night, I was finally able to fix that by re-flashing CWM Recovery using Odin.
Thanks
PS: on this current backup I am on, I am not getting any network access, just wifi.

You can use ODIN and follow the instructions on this page:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1771687
The stock recovery image is listed as well. You may have also lost your imei.

mycomputerisjunk said:
You can use ODIN and follow the instructions on this page:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1771687
The stock recovery image is listed as well. You may have also lost your imei.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks, phone works like a phone again!!!