Related
I'm sure this has been asked many times before, but I just wanted to make absolutely sure I'm ready before I flash, so I don't brick my phone. I have been reading the forums for a few days now. I have an S3 (i747M) with Fido. I'm not totally sure which ROM to go with. From what I understand so far, I'm thinking StockMOD or Dandroid. I want a fairly minimalistic OS, latest version (4.3 vs 4.4?), so I can play the occasion game on it and get good idle battery life. I believe I have rooted my stock rom and I have disabled some of the bloat through the "Application Management" option under settings. Any advice on flashing? I have spent many years building, modding and generally tinkering with windows pcs but I haven't done anything with phones, android or linux. Any advice? Obviously do the backup of my current phone with the app mentioned on the related ROM installation page. I assume I can restore my phone back to this stock ROM is the new one fails? After the backup, do a full phone wipe and default restore. Then hook the phone to my PC via USB and use the related program to flash the phone? Thank you for any and all replies in advance. :good:
Kwijybow said:
I'm sure this has been asked many times before, but I just wanted to make absolutely sure I'm ready before I flash, so I don't brick my phone. I have been reading the forums for a few days now. I have an S3 (i747M) with Fido. I'm not totally sure which ROM to go with. From what I understand so far, I'm thinking StockMOD or Dandroid. I want a fairly minimalistic OS, latest version (4.3 vs 4.4?), so I can play the occasion game on it and get good idle battery life. I believe I have rooted my stock rom and I have disabled some of the bloat through the "Application Management" option under settings. Any advice on flashing? I have spent many years building, modding and generally tinkering with windows pcs but I haven't done anything with phones, android or linux. Any advice? Obviously do the backup of my current phone with the app mentioned on the related ROM installation page. I assume I can restore my phone back to this stock ROM is the new one fails? After the backup, do a full phone wipe and default restore. Then hook the phone to my PC via USB and use the related program to flash the phone? Thank you for any and all replies in advance. :good:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
in my opinion or anyone will say that 4.3 is the most stable right now, and 4.4 is only available for CM based roms.....Samsung Touchwiz will always be the last to update their devices to 4.4 while custom roms AOKP, SLIM BEAM, PAC ROM, BEAN STALK, CM, PARANOID, ETC they will always have nightlies on latest the Android version but will take sometime for stable roms to be released
1st before you think of flashing please research and know what you're getting into
2nd read all the info. ROOT your i747m with cf-auto root (i recommend it cuz its the simplest, easiest, safest way to root)
3rd install custom recovery there are two that i know of but am confident and comfortable with clockworkmod recovery....u can try TWRP
4th yu can either wish to stay stock touchwiz, 2types of stock
-one that comes from samsung all bloated and no tweaks and
-the one that is taken by devs debloated, modded, customized, xposed mod, minimalistic, faster and better.
--OR you can go completely Android vanilla stock, which has nothing but the normal google staff (ITS LIKE A NEXUS DEVICE from Google) you dont have any bloatware, or features/addons just plain stock
5th Once yu know the basic, the universe is yours, with Android comes endless customization and possibilities just like Microsoft Windows, Linux, ubuntu or even OSX
6th wish to become a DEV its your choice, wish to modify, play with the filesystem its your choice but without knowledge of what you're doing bricking is easy as just deleting a file yu think its not important
7th help the rest with android as you do with PC
PS am learning to code now but one thing at a time so am starting with Web design, plan to learn some computer languages, hacking, etc computer science :laugh: maybe yu can help me out
everything you need to know about what i said or root http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1725839
Thanks for the reply. It's been a while since I originally posted this. I decided to hold off on a custom ROM at that time but I find myself back again, still wanting to customize my phone (especially now that my contract is about to expire). I figure that if I do brick my phone beyond repair, I'll just get another phone anyways so not so worried about it now.
Anyways, one concern I have about flashing a custom ROM on my S3 is can I go backwards in Android versions? I can confirm that I am running the stock (Rogers / Fido) Android 4.4.2 which I believe is Kitkat? I am very interested in going either StockMOD or Dandroid, which as far as I can tell are 4.3 Jellybean? Can I do that?
Yes, you can run a 4.3 rom on your phone as long as you do not try to downgrade the bootloader.
You can go back to completely stock Rogers by using Odin to flash as stock kk rom from sammobile.com.
audit13 said:
Yes, you can run a 4.3 rom on your phone as long as you do not try to downgrade the bootloader.
You can go back to completely stock Rogers by using Odin to flash as stock kk rom from sammobile.com.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the reply. Regarding the bootloader, the versions of Android I'm looking to install say they need the 4.3 bootloader. How can I check which bootloader I am running on my phone?
If you're phone is running stock Rogers kit kit, you have a kit kat bootloader which you can't downgrade.
If the rom needs a 4.3 bootloader and since you have a newer bootloader, you can probably load the rom.
Kwijybow said:
I'm not totally sure which ROM to go with.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Using the most recent build of the most popular ROM has it's advantages.
cm-12.1-20150807-NIGHTLY-d2att.zip
fast, light, stable, secure, supported
I have had several issues with the 4.4.2 OTA update on my I747 . The most annoying is the battery drain and "hot phone syndrome" which apparently is a bug related related to the camera daemon. Details can be found here http://tinyurl.com/KK-Batt
My goal is to throw 4.4.2 in the bit bucket and go back to stock 4.3 (when life was perfect), however I am leery of the older ROM's running on the newer NE4 bootloader and modem. I have done much reading on XDA for the past week (scortched eyeballs) but haven't found a 4.3 ROM that gives me any confidence ( they all state specifically to flash the MJB or MJ2 level firmware)
Has anyone sucessfully accomplished running 4.3 on the new NE4 bootloader / modem ?
I read a post from @DocHoliday77 that said this "should" be possible .....but I cannot afford a brick. The phone is my ISP, as I have no cable or DSL available , just a mediocre LTE signal from ATT (for which I am grateful)
I am considering this ROM http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2504903
Thanks for any info or suggestions that you may have
You can flash any ROM you like as long as the ROM does not attempt to flash a new bootloader or modem.
The reason many ROMs require the 4.3 bootloader and modem is the fact that the ROM requires these two things to function properly.
audit13 said:
You can flash any ROM you like as long as the ROM does not attempt to flash a new bootloader or modem.
The reason many ROMs require the 4.3 bootloader and modem is the fact that the ROM requires these two things to function properly.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the response audit13 , that all makes perfect sense ..... I was hoping maybe someone out there had suffered the same plight and tried this solution.
I read that the problem won't be corrected until android "L" (they attempted to fix it in 4.4.3 but failed). To me this is like Ebola for Android so I don't understand the lack of urgency by Google to correct it ??? Also, one would think a developer would have suffered this plague and been motivated to fix it.
This is not necessarily a Google problem. Samsung ROMs use Samsung kernels, not stock Google kernels.
Samsung is on 4.4.2 while custom ROMs are at 4.4.4.
audit13 said:
This is not necessarily a Google problem. Samsung ROMs use Samsung kernels, not stock Google kernels.
Samsung is on 4.4.2 while custom ROMs are at 4.4.4.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes but the problem exists in the Nexus line as well, looks like Sam inherited it in the source code. I have thought about trying a different kernel , but IDK if the problem is with the kernel or the daemon or a combination of both.
@audit13 since I am mostly a NOOB here maybe you can help me. I am about to try a custom ROM but am leery that they may mess with my bootloader and modem (NE4) is that possible or typical when you flash a ROM? or do they always state it if they do?
I was running the latest version of Liquid Smooth 4.4.4 and never experienced excessive battery drain or a hot phone on my Nexus 4. After a few days, I installed a custom kernel and my battery life improved but not by very much. Maybe I have been lucky with my Nexus 4. I tried Android L on my Nexus 4 for a while but didn't like the interface. Again, battery drain did not appear excessive on L.
I Don't have KK on my s3 as it is running 4.3 bootloader and modem with a custom ROM.
It is possible that a custom ROM will attempt to flash a bootloader or modem but I have never seen this happen other than a couple of ROMs for a Nexus 4. To ensure that a new bootloader/modem is not going to be flashed to your phone, make sure you look at the first few posts for instructions and warnings.
audit13 said:
I was running the latest version of Liquid Smooth 4.4.4 and never experienced excessive battery drain or a hot phone on my Nexus 4. After a few days, I installed a custom kernel and my battery life improved but not by very much. Maybe I have been lucky with my Nexus 4. I tried Android L on my Nexus 4 for a while but didn't like the interface. Again, battery drain did not appear excessive on L.
I Don't have KK on my s3 as it is running 4.3 bootloader and modem with a custom ROM.
It is possible that a custom ROM will attempt to flash a bootloader or modem but I have never seen this happen other than a couple of ROMs for a Nexus 4. To ensure that a new bootloader/modem is not going to be flashed to your phone, make sure you look at the first few posts for instructions and warnings.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the feedback @audit13 much appreciated ...... I feel better now. I think I will try upgrading first since there has been no specific feedback on downgrading and my gut tells me it may not be the best idea SlimKat 4.4.4 looks interesting.
Hopefully you will not see a post from me in the future that starts with HELP !!!
I also have never seen a rom that flashes the bootloader or modem. Doing so would be a HUGE mistake!
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using Tapatalk
DocHoliday77 said:
I also have never seen a rom that flashes the bootloader or modem. Doing so would be a HUGE mistake!
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
@DocHoliday77 ....... Thanks Doc
Hi,
I know this information is probably available somewhere, but I have spent hours of reading, and still having some trouble getting my head around things. So I will try to be clear here as to what my issues are.
Firstly... I have Samsung Galaxy S-III, SGH-i747M, with virgin mobile canada. It started with android 4.1.2. I wanted to unlock it, and there was a way to do it with 4.1.1 (http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2176719), so I used odin, with firmwares (found at SamMobile.com I think) to flash a 4.1.1 ROM, did the unlock procedure, and then used odin to flash stock firmware for 4.1.2 again. Seems to have all worked out ok.
Anyway, I want to try some custom roms, like cyanogenmod, as they are purported to improve battery life, speed, clearing off bloatware, giving me more control, etc.
However, I really want to maintain the ability to go back to how it is now, if I don't like the custom roms. (or if I need warranty help, though there's not much of that left).
The main thing that's concerning me is that while I was playing with this phone before, I read in a number of places that if I had updated to Android 4.3 or 4.4.2 when those had become available from my carrier, I would not have been able to downgrade to 4.1.1 (which I needed to be able to do to use the built-in unlock method). This is because of Knox, which would be installed, and gets "tripped." So now I'm scared: if I did that upgrade, I wouldn't have been able to revert; so now, if I flash a CGM ROM, will I also be unable to revert?
I think there are a few pieces of android to sort out in my mind... If I'm not mistaken, there's bootloader, there's recovery, and there's the ROM. Flashing a ROM with Odin apparently would restore recovery and the ROM? But not the bootloader (that's where knox is? though I still don't understand, if an upgrade can modify the bootloader and put knox there, where it wasn't before, shouldn't there be a way to put a pre-knox version back there?)
Oh, there's also EFS, which some say should be backed up before doing anything (though you need to root first, which in my mind counts as doing something before backing it up).
Anyway, please let me know if you can help clarify these issues, thanks!!
There is a lot to cover to address all that you bring up.
Regarding EFS, there are a number of ways to back it up. Use several. This thread is an excellent place to start for more info and several ways to make the backup. I was rooted, so I used A2 and B. I believe you can use A1 without being rooted, probably B as well. Long after that post was written wanam came out with two backup apps available in the PlayStore. One was specifically for EFS, but I do not think it is still supported. The other is a more comprehensive app, both require root.
As a rule, bootloaders and modems are not installed with custom ROMs. If you are flashing a stock ROM from these forums that is installed from within a custom recovery it probably does not install a bootloader and modem either, but read the relevant thread to be certain. Full stock ROMs flashed from with Odin, or Heimdall, almost certainly install a bootloader and modem.
Prior to 4.3 there was an ability to downgrade bootloaders and modems, nor were they required to match - be at the same version. Once you upgrade to the official 4.3 bootloader you can no longer downgrade it. Once you have upgraded to 4.4.x the bootloader and modem versions must always match. If they are mismatched you risk soft bricking your phone at a minimum. For the i747 there was an unofficial 4.3 release; ROM, bootloader, and modem. I do not recall seeing mention of an unofficial release for the i747M, so I will not go into the exceptions on the above the unofficial bootloader/modem introduced.
For TouchWiz ROMs, custom or stock, the bootloader (and modem) version should match or be more current than the ROM Android version. (One of the unofficial 4.3 release exceptions applies here, I make use of it.)
For CyanogenMod, CM based ROMs, AOSP ROMs, and their derivatives the bootloader and modem version can lag behind Android version of the ROM. With your 4.1.2 bootloader and modem you could run the earlier releases of 4.4.x CM and AOSP ROMs. Later in the 4.4.x development, around Oct or Nov 2014 IIRC, I began reading reports of needing to be on 4.3 or later, there were a few said the 4.1.2 firmware still worked for them. For the 5.x.x LP releases of CM and AOSP most report that they must be on a 4.4.x bootloader and modem.
Knox is in the ROM, not the bootloader and modem. It was introduced with the official 4.3 releases. It is not present in CM/AOSP nor most of the custom TW ROMs. It will be present in stock ROMs from official sources or sites like sammobile. Many of the stock ROM images/dumps have Knox disabled, especially those from enewman17, but read to make sure what you are getting.
I don't feel qualified to discuss tripping the Knox counter, I am still on the unofficial 4.3 bootloader, which has not kept me from running 4.4.x ROMs. I am not the only Luddite, but I feel we will all be updating bootloaders and modems due to the Stage Fright bug. I am long out of warranty so there is no loss.
ABOVE ALL, read thoroughly before taking any action. Keep in mind that I am on the i747 and not the i747M as you are, I am not be correct on all comments for your device. @audit13 should be able to clear any gaffs I have made.
@dawgdoc is correct about everything said.
It is not Knox that prevents downgrading from 4.3 to an earlier version, it is the code in the bootloader itself.
Ok, starting to feel a bit more comfortable with the whole system and relationships, thanks!
audit13 said:
@dawgdoc is correct about everything said.
It is not Knox that prevents downgrading from 4.3 to an earlier version, it is the code in the bootloader itself.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for verifying that. There could have easily been small, but very important, differences in the devices that had slipped my mind since I don't have the i747M.
This is the way xda should be. Good questions from a concerned user & great answers from @dawgdoc. Nice job guys!
canodroid15 said:
This is the way xda should be. Good questions from a concerned user & great answers from @dawgdoc. Nice job guys!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I would like to extend similar praise and thanks to @mrrocketdog and @audit13
more uncertainty
Hi,
I'm a lot more experienced now, having rooted (I flashed root66_BMC_I747MVLDMF1 by MrRobinson, since CF-autoroot just made the phone show "booting recovery" then blank screen indefinitely), I backed up EFS by a couple methods, flashed TWRP, did a nandroid backup, and flashed a couple versions of CM. Still a few things I want to clarify though.
Unsurprisingly, after flashing the final CM 11 release, data did not work, as I'm still on the 4.1.2 (MF1) bootloader/modem. In general, I see a lot of posts simply saying "update the modem." From what you've said though, that will create problems, unless I update the bootloader as well, correct? Just feels like the phrase "update the modem" is said so casually, without also mentioning the bootloader, and the inability to go back.
(an older CM 11 worked with data just fine)
(a big issue is that S3 is over 3 years old, so there are over 3 years of posts, so there's a lot of conflicting information, likely due to different versions, new discoveries, etc. )
I'm not quite sure myself what I'm trying to ask, I guess it's something along the lines of "am I just being silly by not updating?" There are a lot of "Never update to 4.3 (or above) because of knox!" comments. But also in general, it seems the only real issue with knox is that warranty bit, otherwise it doesn't have too big an impact on our lives? Seems the consensus is that we can still root, install custom roms, and everything else. (Do you know if this remains true with latest bootloaders and modems (OB3 for i747M). There are also "My battery life became way worse after the upgrade" or "more FCs" or other issues, which is a significant concern if my phone which currently comfortably lasts a day starts to not last a day after updating. Though it's likely a small percent noting that, while the quieter majority are fine. Meanwhile, by not updating, we may be missing out on features and security improvements (and maybe actually improved performance). What do you guys think? (I know dawgdoc was sticking to an unofficial 4.3 rather than updating, so it's not an obvious choice).
As for updating, I think somewhere one of you suggested the better (or at least safer) way is to use odin to flash stock ROM, then do the OTA updates, or, directly flash the latest stock ROM, rather than trying to flash modems and bootloaders directly?
Once I have a 4.3 or 4.4.2 bootloader/modem, I can delete any old TWRP nandroid backups from when I had 4.1.2 since restoring them would cause a brick? Same for EFS backup (which backed up EFS, Modem, Modemst1, and Modemst2 partitions)
Thanks again!
I almost wish I'd just taken the blue pill at the start of all this
For XDA members that are new to rooting, flashing, etc., I always recommend the safest route which is to flash back to a completely stock ROM and just upgrade to the latest bootloader and modem via OTA updates. There's always a risk of something going wrong when flashing anything, be it a custom ROM, recovery, or OTA update.
If the phone still had warranty, I recommend not flashing any non-Samsung software until the warranty has expired. Once expired, flash away
Knox should not interfere with root if supersu is flashed from a custom recovery, regardless of the bootloader. I have used supersu to root the latest s3, s4, Note2, and Note3 ROMs without a problem.
Restoring old nandroid backups should not cause a brick as TWRP does not change the modem or bootloader.
sacrawfo said:
....Still a few things I want to clarify though.
Unsurprisingly, after flashing the final CM 11 release, data did not work, as I'm still on the 4.1.2 (MF1) bootloader/modem.....
(an older CM 11 worked with data just fine)
I'm not quite sure myself what I'm trying to ask, I guess it's something along the lines of "am I just being silly by not updating?" ....(I know dawgdoc was sticking to an unofficial 4.3 rather than updating, so it's not an obvious choice).
Once I have a 4.3 or 4.4.2 bootloader/modem, I can delete any old TWRP nandroid backups from when I had 4.1.2 since restoring them would cause a brick? Same for EFS backup (which backed up EFS, Modem, Modemst1, and Modemst2 partitions)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think the change date for CM11 requiring the newer bootloaders, at least NE4, is Nov 2014. Releases prior to that date would run fine on older bootloaders.
I have since updated to NE4 in order to run ROMs patched with the StageFright fixes, specifically CM11 20150831. Knox isn't installed on this ROM or even the newer custom TouchWiz based ROMs. I am not concerned about Warranty Bit being triggered. My device is long past being covered by any warranty and I have no intentions of using Knox features on this phone in a corporate environment.
Keep the EFS backups, those are from partitions not changed by flashing roms; stock or otherwise.
Finally went through the OTA updates, surprised how long it took but all done, at OB3.
Ok makes sense, restoring an old Nandroid would effectively result in a 4.1.2 OS with a 4.4.2 bootloader/modem, which != brick.
Still surprised that modem updates do not effect the "modem" partition that EFS backup saved.
Thanks,
Restoring a nandroid backup should not brick the phone brick the phone as twrp does not restore the modem or bootloader.
sacrawfo said:
...
Still surprised that modem updates do not effect the "modem" partition that EFS backup saved.
Thanks,
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There are quite a few partitions not affected by flashing, not only the EFS partitions. IIRC there are secondary modem partitions, more than two extra bootloader partitions, etc.
Hello,
I'm a noob but usually try to fix this kind of issues on my own, looking at the boards, following tutorials, learning, but this time I think I'm not able to find a solution on my own so I'm asking for advice here.
Some time ago I installed cyanogenmod 10.1 on my Note 2 LTE and was happy with it for some month, than last week I tried to upgrade to cm12.1 It worked but there where some issues and bugs, mainly I wasn't able to swap internal/external sd cards.
So I decided to go back to latest available stock rom 4.4.2 from sammobile.
Here is where the problem starts. The stock 4.4.2 resulter in a bootloop, tried cache/dalvik/factory reset, flash again, whipe again.. nothing.
The phone is not able to get past the white label "Samsung Note 2 gt-n7105" screen. It goes black than the white label again and again.
It doesn't even get to the Samsung animated logo.
Ok bottloop, no problem, try to flash again something else.
I tried different Custom roms, different kernels, different flashing methods. I can flash anything with no problem but every time a get a bootloop.
During the various attempts knox fired, but I don't care. I don't know if this could be the cause.
Actually the only firmware that works is the original oldest STOCK 4.1.2, every other stock firmware past that or any custom rom is bootlooping the same way. To fix I only can reinstall stock 4.1.2 with odin.
I really need any advice or hint.
At the moment my goal is to get at least to stock 4.3 but I cant.........
Thanks!
When you first bought your phone, did it come with Knox?
ErnestChia said:
When you first bought your phone, did it come with Knox?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
nope it doesn't existed before, but now I can see it when I boot in download mode "knox warranty void:1"
Try to get the latest firmware available via kies ,that worked for me
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2088809/[URL]
From what you've described, I think the Stock ROM 4.4.2 from Sammobile contained a bootloader update. So when you flashed this ROM, it updated your bootloader from the non-Knox version to the Knox version.
I am very unfamiliar with the technical details of Knox, but I think the new Knox bootloader is causing your bootloop problem.
However, I don't know why 4.1.2 works when everything else doesn't work!
Can you check the Stock ROM 4.4.2, and see whether it really contains a bootloader update?
mysuperdonghae said:
Try to get the latest firmware available via kies ,that worked for me
http://forum.xda-developers.com/sho...can flash cm10, 11 and 12 with no issue too..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
misthero said:
I think so, there is a boot.im, anyway I also discovered that I can flash cm10, 11 and 12 with no issue too..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Since a boot.img is present, it means that it would flash your boot partition. So now we know for sure that when you attempted to flash the Stock ROM 4.4.2, your bootloader was changed to the Knox version.
So the lesson here is: before you flash anything via ODIN, always check to see if there is a bootloader update. Usually you don't want to be changing the bootloader on your phone.
***
So now there are 2 possible ways to reach your goal:
1) Keep your new bootloader and see whether you can get Stock 4.3 or Stock 4.4.2 running on your phone
2) Try to restore your old bootloader
As I said earlier, I'm not familiar with the technical details of Knox, so I'm not sure how to get Stock 4.3 or Stock 4.4.2 running on your phone when your Knox indicator is already 0x1. You need someone else to help you.
And you can only restore your old bootloader if you happen to have made a copy of your boot partition before you flashed the Stock ROM 4.4.2. Even if you did have a copy of your original boot partition, I'm not confident with helping you to restore your old bootloader. You need someone else to help you in this case too.
Conclusion: I don't think I can help you to solve your problem I'm sorry. Hopefully someone else who is more of a pro than me will come along to help you out.
Good luck!
Hello!
I have a friend who is fed up with Lollipop, downgraded to KitKat and is still having issues, so now he wants to downgrade the Note 3 back to Android 4.3 (Jelly Bean), but the ODIN process keeps failing. I've read around that downgrading the bootloader (to a version prior to the KitKat update) would bypass the "Must be a KitKat ROM" check and allow his device to be downgraded to the older firmware, so my question for you guys is could you please provide me (or at the very least) point me in the right direction so I can successfully complete this for him? If it's absolutely NOT possible, please let me know, but based on my reading around on XDA, I'm pretty sure it's possible once you downgrade the bootloader to one which doesn't include those checks.
Thanks.
You cannot load a 4.3 bootloader over a KK or LP bootloader.
Your only option is to flash a custom ROM based on JB, but at this point in time I highly doubt that any links to JB are still functional. As stated above, you cannot load a 4.3 bootloader once you've updated to LL.
What are the so fed up with on 5.0? Mine has been a dream especially with all the recent little updates. Buttery smooth, and no issues at all. Maybe a full factory reset, or even a factory reset, and ODIN flash of it again? Sorry to hear about the problems.