Related
Hello all, hopefully this will help give some clarification for users, especially ones who have a newer SGS3, who are experiencing issues trying to flash certain ROM's and are getting errors due to assert/bootloader checks.
There is a specific part of a ROM .zip file called the updater-script which contains a security feature known as the assert lines. These parts of the script look for a bootloader match prior to flashing to ensure the ROM is compatible with the phone. This is used when there are multiple variants of one phone, such as the SGS3, which is available from Sprint, AT&T, T-Mobile, and some international variants. Flashing a ROM meant for a different carrier can have disastrous consequences, so developers include this bootloader check as a CYA measure. Here is where a lot of newer users are running into trouble and are choosing a "fix" which is incorrect. If your phone has MK3 (Sprint) or MK5 (Virgin Mobile/Boost) as the bootloader (not the modem, will address that later), then you have a bootloader which is not recognized for 4.3.x or earlier builds of CyanogenMod or custom ROM's based on AOSP. The CM 11 builds do recognize MK3, so will flash fine with no modification needed for rooted users. More importantly though, if MK3 or MK5 is your bootloader, then you have Knox as well, and Knox will fight any attempt to replace it with another bootloader, as in it will brick your phone badly. Therefore, MK3 and MK5 users who think their flash has failed because they need a different bootloader and then proceed to change their firmware, either with a "return to stock" .tar file via Odin or a flashable .zip designed to change the firmware have just inadvertently bricked their phone.
Here are some rules of thumb:
1. Know what is on your phone! Be aware of what bootloader you have, specifically you need to know if you have Knox or are Knox-free. If you are Knox-free, congratulations, if you have Knox, my condolences. In the Knoxed-up situation NEVER EVER try to push, via Odin a .tar file designed to "return to stock" if the bootloader associated with that file is MD4 or earlier (Sprint users) or MG2 or earlier (VM/Boost). Sprint users also have .zip files available designed to do the same thing, avoid these as well if you have Knox. Flashing a ROM with an earlier Android build is just fine, there is no bootloader included in a custom ROM based on AOSP, contrary to what some people are posting. You can "downgrade" to an earlier build of Android if you wish, you absolutely CANNOT downgrade your bootloader if you already have Knox on your phone.
2. If you get an "assert failed" message, you just need to modify or delete the asserts to match your bootloader, you do not need to change the bootloader itself. DO NOT assume that changing your bootloader is a fix for anything without knowing what you are doing first.
3. Modem does not equal bootloader. We use the same nomenclature (MD4, MK3, etc.), which can be confusing, but modems are interchangeable, and there are .zip files available so that you can easily flash from one to another. Additionally, anybody who has an SPH-L710 can use any modem designed for Sprint, VM, or Boost. A lot of Sprint users actually achieved great signal/data results with the MG2 modem from VM/Boost, and I have used MK3 modem just fine myself (I am on VM). ROM .zip files don't care about your modem, only your bootloader.
I hope this helps, I am seeing way too many users asking why they bricked their phones when this information would have helped them in advance had they not just forged ahead and assumed the bootloader was the problem. If anyone would like to know how to safely modify or delete the assert lines please let me know via posting or PM.
Useful information.
One item that could use some clarification is how to know whether a package includes a bootloader, and whether the assert line in the script will work with the Knox bootloader?
poit said:
Useful information.
One item that could use some clarification is how to know whether a package includes a bootloader, and whether the assert line in the script will work with the Knox bootloader?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
For the most part, as far as I know any custom ROM in the Original Android Development section, as well as anything AOSP based in the Android Development section will never contain a bootloader. The ROM's that do should be clearly (hopefully!) labeled as being "return to stock" (wording may vary), with the specific bootloader listed, and will almost always be a .tar file, not a .zip file. If it is a .zip, there should be some mention of "firmware" involved. This is not set in stone, just what I have seen in the various titles.
As to the assert lines, one of them just has to be an exact match for the bootloader designation, Knox or otherwise. If you have managed to install custom recovery and root post-Knox (it is possible, just can be a little bit of a headache), then Knox is a non-issue in terms of the assert lines and the bootloader check, the check is not looking for Knox, it is looking to see if any one of the several bootloaders listed in the asserts is present on the phone before proceeding.
using sprint stock rom on boost mobile s3
Mr. Struck said:
Hello all, hopefully this will help give some clarification for users, especially ones who have a newer SGS3, who are experiencing issues trying to flash certain ROM's and are getting errors due to assert/bootloader checks.
There is a specific part of a ROM .zip file called the updater-script which contains a security feature known as the assert lines. These parts of the script look for a bootloader match prior to flashing to ensure the ROM is compatible with the phone. This is used when there are multiple variants of one phone, such as the SGS3, which is available from Sprint, AT&T, T-Mobile, and some international variants. Flashing a ROM meant for a different carrier can have disastrous consequences, so developers include this bootloader check as a CYA measure. Here is where a lot of newer users are running into trouble and are choosing a "fix" which is incorrect. If your phone has MK3 (Sprint) or MK5 (Virgin Mobile/Boost) as the bootloader (not the modem, will address that later), then you have a bootloader which is not recognized for 4.3.x or earlier builds of CyanogenMod or custom ROM's based on AOSP. The CM 11 builds do recognize MK3, so will flash fine with no modification needed for rooted users. More importantly though, if MK3 or MK5 is your bootloader, then you have Knox as well, and Knox will fight any attempt to replace it with another bootloader, as in it will brick your phone badly. Therefore, MK3 and MK5 users who think their flash has failed because they need a different bootloader and then proceed to change their firmware, either with a "return to stock" .tar file via Odin or a flashable .zip designed to change the firmware have just inadvertently bricked their phone.
Here are some rules of thumb:
1. Know what is on your phone! Be aware of what bootloader you have, specifically you need to know if you have Knox or are Knox-free. If you are Knox-free, congratulations, if you have Knox, my condolences. In the Knoxed-up situation NEVER EVER try to push, via Odin a .tar file designed to "return to stock" if the bootloader associated with that file is MD4 or earlier (Sprint users) or MG2 or earlier (VM/Boost). Sprint users also have .zip files available designed to do the same thing, avoid these as well if you have Knox. Flashing a ROM with an earlier Android build is just fine, there is no bootloader included in a custom ROM based on AOSP, contrary to what some people are posting. You can "downgrade" to an earlier build of Android if you wish, you absolutely CANNOT downgrade your bootloader if you already have Knox on your phone.
2. If you get an "assert failed" message, you just need to modify or delete the asserts to match your bootloader, you do not need to change the bootloader itself. DO NOT assume that changing your bootloader is a fix for anything without knowing what you are doing first.
3. Modem does not equal bootloader. We use the same nomenclature (MD4, MK3, etc.), which can be confusing, but modems are interchangeable, and there are .zip files available so that you can easily flash from one to another. Additionally, anybody who has an SPH-L710 can use any modem designed for Sprint, VM, or Boost. A lot of Sprint users actually achieved great signal/data results with the MG2 modem from VM/Boost, and I have used MK3 modem just fine myself (I am on VM). ROM .zip files don't care about your modem, only your bootloader.
I hope this helps, I am seeing way too many users asking why they bricked their phones when this information would have helped them in advance had they not just forged ahead and assumed the bootloader was the problem. If anyone would like to know how to safely modify or delete the assert lines please let me know via posting or PM.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can i use a return to stock of Sprint S3 "L710VPUCMK3_L710SPRCMK3_L710VPUCMK3_HOME.tar" on a Boost mobile with bsaeband version L710VPUBMk5???
alemosman said:
Can i use a return to stock of Sprint S3 "L710VPUCMK3_L710SPRCMK3_L710VPUCMK3_HOME.tar" on a Boost mobile with bsaeband version L710VPUBMk5???
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, you will want a return to stock tar meant specifically for Boost. There is one available on the Android Forums Boost subforum, give me a minute and I will get you a link.
Edit: Can't find the specific post right now, I would suggest going to the Boost subforum and starting a thread or contacting either @jdsingle76 or @wetbiker7 (they are both active here on XDA as well) as they are probably the two most knowledgeable Boost users of this phone that I know.
http://androidforums.com/boost-mobile-galaxy-s3-all-things-root/
Mr. Struck said:
No, you will want a return to stock tar meant specifically for Boost. There is one available on the Android Forums Boost subforum, give me a minute and I will get you a link.
Edit: Can't find the specific post right now, I would suggest going to the Boost subforum and starting a thread or contacting either @jdsingle76 or @wetbiker7 (they are both active here on XDA as well) as they are probably the two most knowledgeable Boost users of this phone that I know.
http://androidforums.com/boost-mobile-galaxy-s3-all-things-root/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
@Mr. Struck is right, MK3 is for the Sprint version of the S3. If you want to go back completely stock MK5, at this time, the only way I can think of to do that, is to Odin flash back to MG2, and then do OTA to get MK5. Two things here to remember, as Mr. Struck pointed out. First, DO NOT DO THIS if you have the Knox bootloader on your phone. Flashing back to 4.1.2 will hard brick your phone. Secondly, if you don't have the Knox, and flash back to MG2, and then OTA MK5, you WILL get the Knox bootloader. Your call...here's the link for MG2 tar. Good luck!
http://www.androidfilehost.com/?fid=23212708291678209
Hey guys...I hope you can help me out here. After days of searching this thread is the closest I've come to some clarification but I'm still a little confused.
My brother bought an AT&T i747 S3 (d2att) off of a coworker the other day. When I started to look through it I noticed it has SuperUser installed so I downloaded root checker and sure enough the guy that sold it had already rooted it. I thought to myself "great", mind you it was running 4.1.1. So in decided to throw some kitkat on it! Before doing that I thought it wise to update the recovery to the latest. So I went and found a "d2att philz touch cwm" and began the update process only to receive a status 7 error informing me that the package was for a d2att device (which I knew) and I was using a d2spr (which I'm not). So I went and downloaded the d2spr recovery and it updated allowing me to install a d2lte ROM. Everything works but I can not get an LTE signal at all.
My question is...is there anything I can do to make this work? My brother would love to have LTE connectivity but if we can't do anything we'll probably just sell it to a pawn shop. They probably won't know diddly squat.
Anyone still following this thread? I wanted to change roms from LiquidSmooth to MOAR 9.0.1. I have MD4 radio installed and have read that installing MK3 will put the dreaded KNOX bootloader lock on our phones? I thought this was just when we updated to 4.3? Thanks in advance
mcc23 said:
Anyone still following this thread? I wanted to change roms from LiquidSmooth to MOAR 9.0.1. I have MD4 radio installed and have read that installing MK3 will put the dreaded KNOX bootloader lock on our phones? I thought this was just when we updated to 4.3? Thanks in advance
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Part three of the OP: modem does not equal bootloader.
Bootloader, Modem and a new ROM (S4)
Mr. Struck said:
Here are some rules of thumb:
1. Know what is on your phone! Be aware of what bootloader you have, specifically you need to know if you have Knox or are Knox-free. If you are Knox-free, congratulations, if you have Knox, my condolences. In the Knoxed-up situation NEVER EVER try to push, via Odin a .tar file designed to "return to stock" if the bootloader associated with that file is MD4 or earlier (Sprint users) or MG2 or earlier (VM/Boost). Sprint users also have .zip files available designed to do the same thing, avoid these as well if you have Knox. Flashing a ROM with an earlier Android build is just fine, there is no bootloader included in a custom ROM based on AOSP, contrary to what some people are posting. You can "downgrade" to an earlier build of Android if you wish, you absolutely CANNOT downgrade your bootloader if you already have Knox on your phone.
2. If you get an "assert failed" message, you just need to modify or delete the asserts to match your bootloader, you do not need to change the bootloader itself. DO NOT assume that changing your bootloader is a fix for anything without knowing what you are doing first.
3. Modem does not equal bootloader. We use the same nomenclature (MD4, MK3, etc.), which can be confusing, but modems are interchangeable, and there are .zip files available so that you can easily flash from one to another. Additionally, anybody who has an SPH-L710 can use any modem designed for Sprint, VM, or Boost. A lot of Sprint users actually achieved great signal/data results with the MG2 modem from VM/Boost, and I have used MK3 modem just fine myself (I am on VM). ROM .zip files don't care about your modem, only your bootloader.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am glad to have found this post as I have been struggling with the decision to update my ROM from 4.3 (old bootloader and modem) to 4.4.2 on my S4 GT-i9505. With a lot of discussion about Knox I was very uncertain whether I could leave the BL and Modem as they were and merely update the ROM. I am pleased to say you can but now I am trying to understand the value of upgrading the BL +/- Modem as new Official products have been released. This thread is very useful but I thought I'd add a few more links to it in case others are also interested in this topic.
Here's a description of the purpose of the modem I found in one of the links below. I think it helps me see why you may want or need to update it at some stage: •Baseband/Radio/Modem - radio[version].img - Is the firmware for the separate cell modem and is responsible for your cell phone signal and on older devices may control wifi, bluetooth, and GPS (on most newer devices, these are handled by the kernel and ROM). Upgrades may improve or diminish battery performance, network signal strength, and roaming capability. It is also sometimes required to have a minimum Baseband version to use a ROM so that the RIL will play nice with the Baseband.
Here's a description of what a radio/modem is:
http://www.reddit.com/r/AndroidQuestions/comments/1wzmp7/what_are_all_the_different_pieces_of_android/
http://androidforums.com/galaxy-s2-international-all-things-root/588852-modems-dummies-guide.html
Here's a link to whether you need to upgrade your modem and how to do it on an S4:
http://galaxys4root.com/galaxy-s4-radiomodems/
http://android.stackexchange.com/questions/63870/omega-rom-4-4-bootloader-modem-problems
Here's a link to Official modems for S4s [i9505/i9000]: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=48113546
Discussion of Knox with new BL can be found here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=46189882
I am still searching for why one would want to update their BL and/or modem if their existing ones are working fine? I am also trying to understand why some ROM update the BL (and modem?) as part of their install processes.
So if you have any links or thoughts about these issues, please post here or drop me a line.
Galaxy Note 4 Acquisition Day is rapidly approaching, but first I need to do some housekeeping... like get my AT&T S3 unlocked so I can keep using it after switching to T-Mobile. I'm currently running CM11 [d2lte] w/MJ2 bootloader, CM kernel, and TeamWin recovery. As far as I know, the phone has to be running a stock(-ish) ROM in order to use the unlock code from AT&T.
Paranoia point: I had a HELL of a time reflashing from a pre-rooted Knox-disabled 4.3 ROM to CM11... literally, I spent a day and a half trying desperate, semi-random things over and over again until it the flash seemed to finally "catch" and work. I have a hunch my problems might have been eMMC-related. For obvious reasons, I'd like to be better prepared this time around & I'm open to suggestions for specific semi-stock ROMs to try.
More concerns: I know you can't downgrade from stock 4.4 to stock 4.3... but can you downgrade from CM11-4.4 to stock-derived 4.3?
I'd very, very much like to keep the phone un-Knox'ed, so I can have my cake (keeping it rootable & reflashable without permanent consequences) while eating it too (preserving my ability to flash it to official Samsung 4.4 someday in full Knox glory, just in case I end up needing a Knox-capable wifi device for company email purposes someday). If push came to shove, I guess I could deal with Knox'ing it now since I'm getting my new phone in another week or three, but I'd really rather avoid burning the Knox bridge behind me if I can avoid it.
For unlocking, most stock based roms will work. As long as it has the stock dialer.
Im not completely sure about MJ2 firmware, but I believe you are still free to flash older versions. If this is confirmed, you can flash 4.1.1 firmware and unlock for free. Then from there update to MJB or NE4.
Once there though, if you trip the warranty bit you can never use knox. So if you want to preserve that ability, dont go above MJ2. (Not sure if it has the warranty bit.)
As for roms, if youre on at least MJ2 or newer, you can flash any rom you want. Old or new. Its just the base firmware that cannot be downgraded once on MJB or newer.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using Tapatalk
Hello,
I just bought my first Galaxy device (had a CDMA LG for a while, and I have a Nexus Tablet), and I am looking at how to get this new phone set up right. I bought my i747 retail, so I was unable to unlock it. However, now I'm struggling with finding the right method for upgrading, rooting, etc. I know nothing about knox or any of these Samsung intricacies. Could someone please give me a little guidance on how to go about getting to the OS and status that I'm looking for? This is what I've done so far:
Came unrooted with 4.1.2 stock rom
Unlocked using legit unlock code
Tried OTA updates, but none were available (must be because of unlock)
Rooted w/ ODIN using 4.1.1 file based of MrRobinson method. (http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1739426)
Now I keep getting popups like process. ... .acore,media, etc. stopped.
I'm looking to ideally get a custom recovery (either CWM or TWRP, whichever is better) and either kitkat Touchwiz or possibly kitkat nexus stock (I read somewhere that it was possible). Also, i just bought it, and have the code still, so I don't mind deleting everything if needed. Regardless, I'd like the ability to get it back to pure stock with no flash counter (I have a manufacturer's warranty I want to use if need be).
Could someone please just give me a little guidance? I'm pretty capable with rooting, etc., so you'd only need to lead me to other threads, etc. that will take me where I want to go. Thank you very much.
Before flashing or doing anything else, confirm the bootloader on your phone. Download and install the Samsung Phone Info app from the playstore and post your bootloader.
audit13 said:
Before flashing or doing anything else, confirm the bootloader on your phone. Download and install the Samsung Phone Info app from the playstore and post your bootloader.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, the bad news is I already flashed using MrRobinson's instructions, and now my phone is barely workable, as things like process.android.media and Touchwiz keep crashing. I was able to install the info app though, and my bootloader is listed as I747UCDLK3. Thanks again though, and let me know what else you need from me.
I recommend starting over by flashing the stock AT&T 4.1.1 firmware from sammobile. Once flashed, boot the phone and make sure your phone is sim unlocked. If it isn't sim unlocked, unlock it using the free method or your unlock code.
http://www.sammobile.com/firmwares/database/SGH-I747/
After sim unlocking, run OTA updates until you have the latest stock AT&T ROM on your phone. Upgrading the phone's bootloader and modem is the easiest way to do it for someone that is new to the phone and custom ROMs.
audit13 said:
I recommend starting over by flashing the stock AT&T 4.1.1 firmware from sammobile. Once flashed, boot the phone and make sure your phone is sim unlocked. If it isn't sim unlocked, unlock it using the free method or your unlock code.
http://www.sammobile.com/firmwares/database/SGH-I747/
After sim unlocking, run OTA updates until you have the latest stock AT&T ROM on your phone. Upgrading the phone's bootloader and modem is the easiest way to do it for someone that is new to the phone and custom ROMs.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you, but wouldn't OTA updates install Knox, which would basically void my warranty if I tried to flash anything after that? And, I've checked for OTA updates twice, once on 4.1.2 and on 4.1.1, and both times it said my software was up to date.
I spoke with StoneyJSG about my situation, and he suggested that I go to stock 4.1, root w/ saferoot, then flash a kitkat custom rom without Knox through TWRP. That way, I could use triangle away and flash stock unrooted if I needed to send it in.
Although, I'm not sure if I should do that, as I thought I read that you need to update the radio and bootloader first before you can install a custom kitkat rom from jelly bean, but I'm still not entirely sure how that works.
The most recent release of many custom ROMs will not work but you may not have a signal without an updated modem and you should not be running updated modems on an older bootloader. Doing this could brick your phone.
With a rooted system, OTA updates will not work.
Thank you again for helping walk me through the minutia around this phone.
I think I have a much better understanding of everything now. I read the following article on Knox (http://omegadroid.co/wanted-knox-void-warranty-0x1/) and with an understanding of that, I get now that there is no way to load any custom rom on 4.3 or higher without losing my warranty.
So, basically my options are to stay at 4.1 and flash whatever, using triangle away to erase my tracks. Or, I could update to 4.3, but only be able to use saferoot/towelroot, otherwise I'd trip the warranty void. But, if all I did use was towelroot (no custom recovery or rom), then I could just unroot the phone using the full unroot option in SuperSU and send it on in for service if needed, right?
Also, I did unroot my phone and did a factory reset, so it's back at 4.1.1 and unrooted. Yet, I still do not see any software updates available from Samsung. I even plugged it into Kies, and nothing (http://i.imgur.com/E0xPGpf.png). Does anyone know why this could be? Does it have something to do with my not having a carrier for the phone yet? I'm sorry for all the questions, but I do appreciate your help.
jateed said:
Thank you again for helping walk me through the minutia around this phone.
I think I have a much better understanding of everything now. I read the following article on Knox (http://omegadroid.co/wanted-knox-void-warranty-0x1/) and with an understanding of that, I get now that there is no way to load any custom rom on 4.3 or higher without losing my warranty.
So, basically my options are to stay at 4.1 and flash whatever, using triangle away to erase my tracks. Or, I could update to 4.3, but only be able to use saferoot/towelroot, otherwise I'd trip the warranty void. But, if all I did use was towelroot (no custom recovery or rom), then I could just unroot the phone using the full unroot option in SuperSU and send it on in for service if needed, right?
Also, I did unroot my phone and did a factory reset, so it's back at 4.1.1 and unrooted. Yet, I still do not see any software updates available from Samsung. I even plugged it into Kies, and nothing (http://i.imgur.com/E0xPGpf.png). Does anyone know why this could be? Does it have something to do with my not having a carrier for the phone yet? I'm sorry for all the questions, but I do appreciate your help.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What is your cell service? If not AT&T, you will never get OTA.
Whether you get OTA can vary from carrier to carrier and phone to phone in my opinion.
I have a Rogers HTC One X that gets OTA updates from HTC even though I am on the Bell network.
I have a Bell S3 that is running on the Rogers network and it receives OTA updates from Bell even though it has a Rogers sim card in the phone.
I have a Telus Moto G running on the Bell network and it received the Telus KK OTA update while connected to the Bell network.
audit13 said:
Whether you get OTA can vary from carrier to carrier and phone to phone in my opinion.
I have a Rogers HTC One X that gets OTA updates from HTC even though I am on the Bell network.
I have a Bell S3 that is running on the Rogers network and it receives OTA updates from Bell even though it has a Rogers sim card in the phone.
I have a Telus Moto G running on the Bell network and it received the Telus KK OTA update while connected to the Bell network.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, I have an AT&T model which I unlocked and will be putting on Cricket at the end of the week (when my plan month is set to end). Right now there's no SIM in it, and I've been doing everything over wifi. I looked up whether the carrier had something to do with the OTAs, and I was told that Samsung sent the updates out, not AT&T, so I figured that the carrier info was irrelevant. I now wonder what my options are.
Can I manually flash 4.3 stock without tripping the knox warranty void?
Does Towelroot/Xposed framework trip the Knox void flag?
If I can update to 4.3/4.4 and root without tripping the knox flag, I might just manually update and just run towelroot and xposed to modify my OS the best I can until my warranty runs out.
If I can't root it at all once I'm on 4.3+, then I'll just sit on 4.1.1 for a few months until I can't stand it anymore and just void the warranty anyway.
Thanks again everyone. This whole knox/binary counter thing is not something I dealt with on my CDMA LG or Nexus, so I was totally in the dark about how it all worked. This is also my first GSM phone, so all those intricacies are new to me too. Once I know about manually flashing stock and running towelroot/xposed, I think I'll be in good shape.
Flashing the stock 4.3 ROM should not trip the counter as long as you do not need to install a custom recovery to flash it.
Apparently, the latest KK stock ROM cannot be rooted using Towelroot.
If you want a custom ROM, use one that will work with a 4.1.1 bootloader and modem. Once on 4.3 or higher, it's a little harder to recover from a soft brick.
audit13 said:
Flashing the stock 4.3 ROM should not trip the counter as long as you do not need to install a custom recovery to flash it.
Apparently, the latest KK stock ROM cannot be rooted using Towelroot.
If you want a custom ROM, use one that will work with a 4.1.1 bootloader and modem. Once on 4.3 or higher, it's a little harder to recover from a soft brick.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Excellent. If I did flash stock, i would just use ODIN, then factory reset to wipe the caches. And that's good to know about the KK rom, as I would probably update straight to 4.4 if at all (I've read a lot of bad things about 4.3 on the S3), but not if it means I cannot root safely and cleanly.
I'll check out the custom roms for 4.1.1. I know that flashing the rom and/or a custom recovery will trip the binary counter, but I can just use triangle away to clean that up. Do you know if there is a list of custom 4.1.1/4.1.2 roms somewhere, or do I need to scour the older threads here?
Thank you very much audit13 (thanks to StoneyJSG and pre4speed as well). You have been immensely helpful and really brought me up to speed on everything surrounding S3 customization. Needless to say it's way more complicated than what I've dealt with from LG and Google/Asus. (I mean, i could root my nexus with a single click using Wugfresh's toolkit)
4.1.1 is the only complete stock ROM that AT&T released for flashing via Odin.
4.3 ROMS and higher were prepared by XDA members for flashing in either a custom recovery or Odin.
audit13 said:
4.1.1 is the only complete stock ROM that AT&T released for flashing via Odin.
4.3 ROMS and higher were prepared by XDA members for flashing in either a custom recovery or Odin.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh, so what other way can you flash a stock rom, if not through ODIN or a custom recovery? Regardless, it seems as though I really should not dive into 4.3+ until I'm ready to concede that my warranty is over. There are just too many potential pitfalls and headaches.
On the lighter side, I've found a few 4.1.2 based custom roms that have some promise. I'm going to post them here in case anyone has opinions on them, or if someone else in my situation sees this thread and wants to go custom 4.1 too:
Hyperdrive RLS16
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2176793
Slim Bean-d2
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1865262
Jedi Academy
http://www.teamandroid.com/2013/12/...oid-412-jedi-academy-jelly-bean-custom-rom/2/
Jelly ‘Beans’
http://www.teamandroid.com/2013/04/...ndroid-412-att-galaxy-s3-sgh-i747-custom-rom/
I was also torn when I got my s3 that was running 4.1.2. I downgraded to 4.1.1, sim unlocked the phone, used it on stock 4.1.2 for about a week to make sure everything was working, hardware wise, upgraded to stock 4.4.2, installed a custom recovery and a custom ROM. I wasn't too concerned about the warranty since I got the phone as a free upgrade and had no intention of using the s3 as my daily phone. I kept it as a backup until my niece needed and phone and then it went to her. It's been over a year and there are still no problems with the phone.
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 guys,
For some reason, my phone shows that my SIM is locked ( I was on RR 6.0). I need to flash the 4.1.1 firmware for Koodo to unlock the SIM.
Can anyone send me a link for this firmware?
Thank you!
You don't need Koodo to unlock the sim. Just flash the stock LJ2 firmware with Odin and use the dialler menu to permanently network unlock the phone.
https://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2014982
Maybe this will work: http://rapidgator.net/file/0207e341...yos.com/samsung-galaxy-note-2-stock-firmware/
I know it's been a long time, but did this procedure actually WORK? AFAIK, Koodo Note 2s never came with less than KitKat, and we all know that Samsung has blocked downgrading though its bootloader starting then.
The reason I ask is I'm looking for a spare phone for mine as a backup and can't seem to find one on which I can load my Jellybean 4.1.2 CM based phone image.
Well this an interesting post, I have a similar problem, I have 2 exact Note 2 phones one with custom firmware (4.1.1) one without, I would like to copy/clone the stock firmware to my other (as I somehow managed to delete the stock firmware on it)
Now I have made a backup with TWRP and copied it to the other phone but TWRP refuses to install it, it tries to install and gets most of the way but at the very end I get the 255 error "install failed"
Why can't I copy/ install this backup?
Do I need to to use some other recovery software or make a backup some other way.
Thanks
Old faithful said:
I know it's been a long time, but did this procedure actually WORK? AFAIK, Koodo Note 2s never came with less than KitKat, and we all know that Samsung has blocked downgrading though its bootloader starting then.
The reason I ask is I'm looking for a spare phone for mine as a backup and can't seem to find one on which I can load my Jellybean 4.1.2 CM based phone image.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The note 2 sgh-i317m was used by Telus, Rogers, and Bell.
This downgrade method works. I've used it to network unlock four note 2 models.
The stock 4.1.1 firmware from sammobile.com did not contain a bootloader file which allowed me to flash it using Odin on a phone running a stock 4.4.2 rom.
audit13 said:
The note 2 sgh-i317m was used by Telus, Rogers, and Bell.
This downgrade method works. I've used it to network unlock four note 2 models.
The stock 4.1.1 firmware from sammobile.com did not contain a bootloader file which allowed me to flash it using Odin on a phone running a stock 4.4.2 rom.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Man, if this really works it's going to solve all my problems. Are you saying you can flash the 4.1.x ROM on top of the the 4.4.2 bootloader (presumably one could deselect the bootloader from the 4.1.x ROM if it was included - sorry I'm quite rusty at this, haven't used Odin in years), so that the phone may be running ICS or JB despite having a 4.4.2 encrypted (locked) bootloader?
The idea is being able to load Clockworkmod recovery and from it, the rooted 4.1.2 backup on my external sd card...
Sorry if it's been asked before and if I may be confused - Thing is, I haven't done this type of tweaking in 5 years
I could flash a stock 4.1.1 ROM from sammobile.com on top of a stock 4.4.2 ROM because the stock 4.1.1 ROM didn't contain a bootloader. I did this to use the menu method to network unlock the sgh-i317m; however, the phone cannot stay on a stock 4.1.1 ROM with a 4.4.2 bootloader because the phone cannot connect to a cellular network with this 4.1.1 ROM/4.4.2 bootloader combination. After I unlocked the phone, I either re-flashed a stock 4.4.2 ROM or a new custom ROM.
The bootloader on the Canadian Note 2 was never locked the way it was with some USA carriers.
audit13 said:
The bootloader on the Canadian Note 2 was never locked the way it was with some USA carriers.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Are you saying the Koodo/Rogers.... 4.4.2 Note 2 bootloader is NOT locked on our phones, ergo, that I could downgrade to 4.1.1 including its bootloader successfully?! If so I'm set, I could purchase a used one on kijiji and simply reload my old Bell based ROM backup on it I simply look for a way to load my 5 year old Rooted ROM onto a newer version of the phone. I have on it apps that won't run on 4.4.2 that I sorely miss on my tablet (which runs 4.4.4)
The bootloader is not locked which allows for the installation of TWRP and cwm but it cannot be downgraded.
audit13 said:
The bootloader is not locked which allows for the installation of TWRP and cwm but it cannot be downgraded.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In other words it does allow for installing the 4.1.1 ROM for unlocking the phone, but it can't can't actually be used with the 4.1.1 ROM... What if I simply reinstalled the 4.4.2 modem, wouldn't that work?
I now I'm asking quite a lot - but in my case if I haven't been able to find a used phone that hadn't been at some point 'upgraded' and consequently became shackled (I've been looking for over a year now) in which case I might as well mourn it and move on to a new phone and start the fight for freedom all over again Honestly, I've grown tired of having to fight for the basic right of ownership against the relentless push for slavery that is the general trend in technology, to force people away from freedom of using the software they prefer and force them into a system where they must follow the dictates of corporate giants so perfectly exemplified by the cell phone, computer and browser based service industry.
Like Frederick Douglass famously said "Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never had and never will"... In other words if you want freedom and true control, you MUST FIGHT the providers and the manufacturers whose prime interest is to keep you enslaved
Installing the 4.4.2 modem will install but the stock 4.1.1 dialer doesn't work with a 4.4.2 modem and 4.4.2 bootloader from what I recall. It's been a long time since I had a note 2.