Galaxy S4 M919 need some advice/help. - T-Mobile Samsung Galaxy S 4

Hey guys! This might sound noobish, but i really never flashed, rooted, or anything on a droid/etc before. So atm I bought a galaxy s4 for my dad, and tried unlocking this stupid phone, but unlocking thru the dialer didnt work(couldnt even get *#27663368378# to work, when using *#0011#, still couldnt do anything.) All i know about it, is that it recognizes the European sim card, but the simple mobile(usa) sim card doesnt recognize, can't make calls, etc, as when you try to make a call it says "cant register to network" or w.e. So i was wondering what should I do? Do i need to flash the modem? rom? Root it? I want it to be able to work in global, in usa and euro.
On another note, I got my other phone that's on ver 4.2.2. Should i try upgrading my modem/baseband from mdl to nb4? Anything new with the new modem or anything i should update? Since i cant update OTA anymore on my 4.2.2. lol. Any suggestions would be awesome Tell me from your point of you, is it better to stay at 4.2.2? or just get the 4.4.2, and should i root my phone? Any vernabilities/security problems if done?
I found this: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2780006
Samsung Galaxy S4 M919 T-mobile
ROM: M919UVUFNB4
4.4.2 kitkat

Den Den said:
Hey guys! This might sound noobish, but i really never flashed, rooted, or anything on a droid/etc before. So atm I bought a galaxy s4 for my dad, and tried unlocking this stupid phone, but unlocking thru the dialer didnt work(couldnt even get *#27663368378# to work, when using *#0011#, still couldnt do anything.) All i know about it, is that it recognizes the European sim card, but the simple mobile(usa) sim card doesnt recognize, can't make calls, etc, as when you try to make a call it says "cant register to network" or w.e. So i was wondering what should I do? Do i need to flash the modem? rom? Root it? I want it to be able to work in global, in usa and euro.
On another note, I got my other phone that's on ver 4.2.2. Should i try upgrading my modem/baseband from mdl to nb4? Anything new with the new modem or anything i should update? Since i cant update OTA anymore on my 4.2.2. lol. Any suggestions would be awesome Tell me from your point of you, is it better to stay at 4.2.2? or just get the 4.4.2, and should i root my phone? Any vernabilities/security problems if done?
I found this: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2780006
Samsung Galaxy S4 M919 T-mobile
ROM: M919UVUFNB4
4.4.2 kitkat
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
To unlock your dad's phone the guide you linked to should do what you need done.
As far as your phone still on MDL, you should be able to use the old method through the service menu to unlock if that's what you wanted to do. You can update your modem/baseband if you desire, although if you're staying on stock 4.2.2 TouchWiz there is really no need to. It's only when you flash ROMs based on 4.3 and above that you run into issues using the MDL modem/baseband.

To add to lordcheeto's post, there's a difference between MDL bootloader and the MDL modem. When the S4 was released with Android 4.2 it had an unlocked bootloader (MDL), but with Android 4.3 and 4.4 Samsung included new security software called Knox. Knox doesn't prevent rooting, but if you flash a custom recovery such as CWMR, TWRP, or Philz Touch then a security flag will be irreversibly tripped which voids your warranty. Because this Knox software is tied into the bootloader, developers found a way around it by extracting the modems from 4.3 (MK2) and 4.4 (NB4) firmwares which allows us to keep our MDL bootloader and still use 4.2, 4.3, and 4.4 roms. The advantages are that we keep our warranty and we're able to use any 4.2+ rom. We can downgrade and upgrade easily while Knox phones can't.

lordcheeto03 said:
To unlock your dad's phone the guide you linked to should do what you need done.
As far as your phone still on MDL, you should be able to use the old method through the service menu to unlock if that's what you wanted to do. You can update your modem/baseband if you desire, although if you're staying on stock 4.2.2 TouchWiz there is really no need to. It's only when you flash ROMs based on 4.3 and above that you run into issues using the MDL modem/baseband.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Should i keep the 4.4.2 kitkat thats not working with my usa sim card atm? Or should i flash it to 4.2.2. ADL? If having 4.2.2 is better doing that guide i put link to above, then give me a good tut on doing it, need to do it today xD THanks in Advance!

HampTheToker said:
To add to lordcheeto's post, there's a difference between MDL bootloader and the MDL modem. When the S4 was released with Android 4.2 it had an unlocked bootloader (MDL), but with Android 4.3 and 4.4 Samsung included new security software called Knox. Knox doesn't prevent rooting, but if you flash a custom recovery such as CWMR, TWRP, or Philz Touch then a security flag will be irreversibly tripped which voids your warranty. Because this Knox software is tied into the bootloader, developers found a way around it by extracting the modems from 4.3 (MK2) and 4.4 (NB4) firmwares which allows us to keep our MDL bootloader and still use 4.2, 4.3, and 4.4 roms. The advantages are that we keep our warranty and we're able to use any 4.2+ rom. We can downgrade and upgrade easily while Knox phones can't.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What do you suggest? Should i downgrade to 4.2.2.? Or just run with the guide i posted above keeping the 4.4.2. NB4, I just need it to run so i can call, use date, and go to euro and use in usa ofc. Ive been using my 4.2.2. pretty good so far, been almost a year and had no problems with it, should i worry about updating my modem on my 4.2.2.? or anything important, etc? If i should go with 4.2.2., i need to root it eh? If so, point me to the good rooting method and downgrading to 4.2.2. frin 4.4.2 Kitkat(updated OTA). Thanks in Advance!

Den Den said:
What do you suggest? Should i downgrade to 4.2.2.? Or just run with the guide i posted above keeping the 4.4.2. NB4, I just need it to run so i can call, use date, and go to euro and use in usa ofc. Ive been using my 4.2.2. pretty good so far, been almost a year and had no problems with it, should i worry about updating my modem on my 4.2.2.? or anything important, etc? If i should go with 4.2.2., i need to root it eh? If so, point me to the good rooting method and downgrading to 4.2.2. frin 4.4.2 Kitkat(updated OTA). Thanks in Advance!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I thought the answers given were pretty clear... I'm actually confused about what phone you're asking about, and if there are, in fact, 2 different phones in question... My answer will be a bit lengthy, but I hope that you can put 1 and 2 together and apply the information I am about to type to your particular situation: Also, I'm not trying to be a ****, just concise.
In reference to the S4 that is on 4.4.2 (NB4) firmware: The unlock method which you posted SHOULD enable the device to use different SIM cards and function in "euro" and "usa." That includes making calls and using "date" (data?) as you mentioned. As far as your question on reverting that particular device: There is no way whatsoever to downgrade the firmware on a device running either stock 4.3 (MK2) or stock 4.4.2 (NB4) obtained by flashing via Odin, Kies, or OTA; so that idea can be forgotten about. The unlock method, from what I gather, simply reverts the modem and allows you to use the old unlock method. then returns the modem to NB4. It does not touch the firmware, bootloader, or anything other than the modem/baseband.
For whichever device this applies to: there should be no need to root either to accomplish either goal. If you wish to root, then I can point you in the right direction; otherwise, if you haven't needed it so far and don't foresee needing it in the future, I say don't worry about it.
As for the device running 4.2.2: if you have had no troubles with reception, then there is no need to update your modem/baseband. There are really only 2 times that updating your modem would come in handy. 1: If you are having reception problems, or 2: If you plan on keeping your bootloader at MDL AND using custom ROMs 4.3 and above. The benefit of this scenario is that keeping your bootloader on MDL means that your device does not have the KNOX-implemented bootloader and can easily be reverted to a completely stock state for warranty purposes yet you still get to have the most up-to-date version of Android. If neither of those conditions apply to you, then there is really no real need to update your modem.

Den Den said:
What do you suggest? Should i downgrade to 4.2.2.? Or just run with the guide i posted above keeping the 4.4.2. NB4, I just need it to run so i can call, use date, and go to euro and use in usa ofc. Ive been using my 4.2.2. pretty good so far, been almost a year and had no problems with it, should i worry about updating my modem on my 4.2.2.? or anything important, etc? If i should go with 4.2.2., i need to root it eh? If so, point me to the good rooting method and downgrading to 4.2.2. frin 4.4.2 Kitkat(updated OTA). Thanks in Advance!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The guide you posted should work just fine. Just follow the instructions.
Also, I left out one of the most important parts of having the modems extracted from the 4.3 and 4.4 firmwares. The reason for extracting the modems is so that we can flash them separately from the official firmware which would upgrade us to a Knox bootloader. Using the 4.2 modem with 4.3 and 4.4 roms causes data and sound issues that make the phone pretty much unusable. The same goes for using the 4.3 modem with a 4.4 rom. With the extracted modems we can flash them separately for whatever Android version we're using and have full functionality and retain the MDL bootloader and all it's perks.
If you use a 4.2 rom, you'll need to make sure to flash the MDL modem with it.
For 4.3 roms, you'll need to be on MK2 modem.
4.4 roms require NB4 modem.
As long as you don't update to official 4.3 or 4.4, you'll be able to use any version rom you want according to your preference. Personally, I use 4.4 roms, but it's nice to have the option to go back to 4.2 if I want to. Once you SIM unlock, it should stick between all versions. You should be able to flash any rom that you want without having to worry about going through that process again.

lordcheeto03 said:
I thought the answers given were pretty clear... I'm actually confused about what phone you're asking about, and if there are, in fact, 2 different phones in question... My answer will be a bit lengthy, but I hope that you can put 1 and 2 together and apply the information I am about to type to your particular situation: Also, I'm not trying to be a ****, just concise.
In reference to the S4 that is on 4.4.2 (NB4) firmware: The unlock method which you posted SHOULD enable the device to use different SIM cards and function in "euro" and "usa." That includes making calls and using "date" (data?) as you mentioned. As far as your question on reverting that particular device: There is no way whatsoever to downgrade the firmware on a device running either stock 4.3 (MK2) or stock 4.4.2 (NB4) obtained by flashing via Odin, Kies, or OTA; so that idea can be forgotten about. The unlock method, from what I gather, simply reverts the modem and allows you to use the old unlock method. then returns the modem to NB4. It does not touch the firmware, bootloader, or anything other than the modem/baseband.
For whichever device this applies to: there should be no need to root either to accomplish either goal. If you wish to root, then I can point you in the right direction; otherwise, if you haven't needed it so far and don't foresee needing it in the future, I say don't worry about it.
As for the device running 4.2.2: if you have had no troubles with reception, then there is no need to update your modem/baseband. There are really only 2 times that updating your modem would come in handy. 1: If you are having reception problems, or 2: If you plan on keeping your bootloader at MDL AND using custom ROMs 4.3 and above. The benefit of this scenario is that keeping your bootloader on MDL means that your device does not have the KNOX-implemented bootloader and can easily be reverted to a completely stock state for warranty purposes yet you still get to have the most up-to-date version of Android. If neither of those conditions apply to you, then there is really no real need to update your modem.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That Makes sense...just trying to grasp info. on everything so it's more clearer ;p and thanks for correcting me, yea it was data lol.

HampTheToker said:
The guide you posted should work just fine. Just follow the instructions.
Also, I left out one of the most important parts of having the modems extracted from the 4.3 and 4.4 firmwares. The reason for extracting the modems is so that we can flash them separately from the official firmware which would upgrade us to a Knox bootloader. Using the 4.2 modem with 4.3 and 4.4 roms causes data and sound issues that make the phone pretty much unusable. The same goes for using the 4.3 modem with a 4.4 rom. With the extracted modems we can flash them separately for whatever Android version we're using and have full functionality and retain the MDL bootloader and all it's perks.
If you use a 4.2 rom, you'll need to make sure to flash the MDL modem with it.
For 4.3 roms, you'll need to be on MK2 modem.
4.4 roms require NB4 modem.
As long as you don't update to official 4.3 or 4.4, you'll be able to use any version rom you want according to your preference. Personally, I use 4.4 roms, but it's nice to have the option to go back to 4.2 if I want to. Once you SIM unlock, it should stick between all versions. You should be able to flash any rom that you want without having to worry about going through that process again.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So If i was on 4.3, and it updated to 4.4.2 kitkat, means it went to the official update eh? As "lordcheeto03" said that once u go to 4.3 or 4.4.2 you cant go back to 4.2, the menu options and w.e go updated, the "about me" is now yellow, the top border of the phone is grey, etc. The new security is enforcing, I guess I'll try the guide i found, hope i don't do anything stupid or skip a step(usually doesn't happen) but feels kinda weird doing things the first time.
On another note, if a phone bricks or in a loop, etc can it be solved? So i still have hope if something goes wrong xD
edit: The guide i link that i found, it works for all m919 models? Since i got t-mobile, not sure if all models(tmobile, att, etc) have the same modem, wouldnt want to brick cuz of not flashing the correct file, w.e(disregard this, i forgot i posted in the t-mobile section, man sometimes i feel like an idiot because i dont double check xD)

Den Den said:
So If i was on 4.3, and it updated to 4.4.2 kitkat, means it went to the official update eh? As "lordcheeto03" said that once u go to 4.3 or 4.4.2 you cant go back to 4.2, the menu options and w.e go updated, the "about me" is now yellow, the top border of the phone is grey, etc. The new security is enforcing, I guess I'll try the guide i found, hope i don't do anything stupid or skip a step(usually doesn't happen) but feels kinda weird doing things the first time.
On another note, if a phone bricks or in a loop, etc can it be solved? So i still have hope if something goes wrong xD
edit: The guide i link that i found, it works for all m919 models? Since i got t-mobile, not sure if all models(tmobile, att, etc) have the same modem, wouldnt want to brick cuz of not flashing the correct file, w.e(disregard this, i forgot i posted in the t-mobile section, man sometimes i feel like an idiot because i dont double check xD)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Once you hit 4.3, you lost your ability to downgrade. You can upgrade, but you can't go back. Rest easy, as long as you can get into download mode, you can recover your device. Bootloop, soft brick, whatever; as long as Power + volume down brings you to download mode everything is still OK. Just read the directions a few times.. get used to the idea of what's going on, double check and make sure you have the right software and files, and jump in. You'll do fine. Even after years of jailbreaking iphones and rooting Droids, I still get nervous whenever I have to fire up Odin; but just remember... many many others (more than have posted in that thread for sure) have done the same thing you're about to do, so as long as you follow the directions you will be fine!

lordcheeto03 said:
Once you hit 4.3, you lost your ability to downgrade. You can upgrade, but you can't go back. Rest easy, as long as you can get into download mode, you can recover your device. Bootloop, soft brick, whatever; as long as Power + volume down brings you to download mode everything is still OK. Just read the directions a few times.. get used to the idea of what's going on, double check and make sure you have the right software and files, and jump in. You'll do fine. Even after years of jailbreaking iphones and rooting Droids, I still get nervous whenever I have to fire up Odin; but just remember... many many others (more than have posted in that thread for sure) have done the same thing you're about to do, so as long as you follow the directions you will be fine!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the reply, now I'm all fired up and ready to do this I'll post back here when i'm done and see how it went xD
Edit: Can i ask you a favor? Could you get me the "M919UVUFNB4_M919TMBFNB4_TMB.zip" modem file and "M919UVUAMDL_M919TMBAMDL_TMB.zip", i think that's what the tutorial link i posted is asking for. But the files r huge, 1.6gb, etc, would take me 3hrs+ each for each file to download just to extract the modem =/ If that's the only thing i need.
found these links: http://rapidgator.net/file/59487dc515500a0430ddaddc780fa555/TMB-M919UVUFNB4-20140314115123.zip.html
and : http://terafile.co/32d149264215/M919UVUAMDL_M919TMBAMDL_TMB.zip
Not sure if they are safe to use or not, not everything on the net is...plus they r huge files =/

Den Den said:
Thanks for the reply, now I'm all fired up and ready to do this I'll post back here when i'm done and see how it went xD
Edit: Can i ask you a favor? Could you get me the "M919UVUFNB4_M919TMBFNB4_TMB.zip" modem file and "M919UVUAMDL_M919TMBAMDL_TMB.zip", i think that's what the tutorial link i posted is asking for. But the files r huge, 1.6gb, etc, would take me 3hrs+ each for each file to download just to extract the modem =/ If that's the only thing i need.
found these links: http://rapidgator.net/file/59487dc515500a0430ddaddc780fa555/TMB-M919UVUFNB4-20140314115123.zip.html
and : http://terafile.co/32d149264215/M919UVUAMDL_M919TMBAMDL_TMB.zip
Not sure if they are safe to use or not, not everything on the net is...plus they r huge files =/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
These files include modem.bin that is required... I'm not sure why the OP linked to the entire firmware instead of just those links, but anywho...
The NB4 modem can be found in this thread. It's only ~20MB.
The MDL modem is in this thread. It is ~25MB.
Also, quote me instead of just replying to the thread. I'll respond quicker

lordcheeto03 said:
These files include modem.bin that is required... I'm not sure why the OP linked to the entire firmware instead of just those links, but anywho...
The NB4 modem can be found in this thread. It's only ~20MB.
The MDL modem is in this thread. It is ~25MB.
Also, quote me instead of just replying to the thread. I'll respond quicker
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Flashed ADL using odin, somehow got the menu to work(couldnt budge for some reason to umts), went thru all the steps, it rebooted, put it back to download mode, and flashed it back to nb4. Put my simplemobile simcard in, still nothing, am I supposed to put a different sim card in like ATT or something for it to work? Confused why it didnt work, yet it still detects the MTC european version simcard(not in service, but it had a pin set on it, so it always asks you to unlock the sim with the sim pin u put on it to view ur files on it, etc). Am i doing something wrong? I could give you more info on the phone...
Edit: Just checked on Swappa.com of my imei and got this =/
{
"lightbox_close": "Close",
"lightbox_next": "Next",
"lightbox_previous": "Previous",
"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
"lightbox_zoom": "Zoom",
"lightbox_new_window": "New window",
"lightbox_toggle_sidebar": "Toggle sidebar"
}
Nvm, Looks like i think its blocked on Tmobiles network, but i put in the H2O sim and it worked.(under ATT) phew....

Related

Procedure for downgrading android 4.3

Hi, I am sure there are countless threads out there already talking about the inconveniences that 4.3 bring and the problem you get for trying to downgrade. I have read through many of them and I think I have the general idea of how to downgrade relatively safely without running into the problems I am currently aware of. I want to confirm what I know. I would like to be informed before I do anything, especially something as dangerous as a downgrade attempt.
So all that I am aware of right now is that 4.3 brings in a new bootloader, attempts on trying to change the bootloader will result in hard brick, so does that mean any previous firmware that does not flash a bootloader will be fine? will stock firmware from sammobile work? I am looking at this one right now,
http://www.sammobile.com/firmwares/3/?download=16006
Second problem is 4.3 also changes the efs format, any modem before I think MG4 won't be able to read it, and you won't get network, this should be easily fixed by flashing the latest modem here
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1831898
...right? also the modems are made custom recovery flashable, if I want to use odin instead, do I just unzip and put the modem.bin into odin?
Also plans to root first and backup efs, I hear you have to go through hell to get it back if you lose it...
Doing any of those should trigger the knox counter...so basically anyone that still have warranty left and plan to use it cannot do anything...even rooting...right?
But that should be the least of your worries if you are determined to downgrade...
I am not sure if that is all the trouble I will run into, I don't know what made samsung so confident that they can even say it is impossible to downgrade, they meant to say difficult but you can do it, right?
also I am on SGH i747m bell.

Chronic Mobile Data Issues with MK2 Baseband regardless of ROM

I never had any issues with my old M919, which is still sitting in a drawer awaiting a new display assembly I cannot afford. It was running CM 10 perfectly and no issues with HSPA or LTE. I was suffering for a while with an HTC Espresso which I could not S-OFF due to HBOOT being incompatible with AlphaRev. Anyway, I ended up with my old roomate's M919 about a week ago and have had nothing but issues getting mobile data to work properly.
It already had the MK2 Baseband installed-though I did not bother to check if it worked on the stock 4.3 ROM he had already installed. Nor did he ever say anything about issues. Anyway, I tried almost all of the Infamous ROM's(and all the kernels available with AROMA) as well as Cyanogenmod 10.2. All ROM's have major issues maintaining mobile data connection regardless of network mode or which cell I am on. Wi-Fi works flawlessly however. Also, to note, my fiance is running MK2 on her stock M919 so I have had a reference of which type of cell we are on and its signal strength.
So, finally I flashed the MK2 modem manually and rebooted into CM 10.2. That just made it completely unable to connect to any type of network although Wi-Fi worked just fine. So, now I am attempting to reinstall Infamous S4 from a full wipe to see if that will work, but after that I am out of ideas.
fallofredmond said:
So, finally I flashed the MK2 modem manually and rebooted into CM 10.2. That just made it completely unable to connect to any type of network although Wi-Fi worked just fine. So, now I am attempting to reinstall Infamous S4 from a full wipe to see if that will work, but after that I am out of ideas.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Have you checked your APN settings (versus your fiancés) to make sure they are correct? And to be completely fair, you could post in one of the many CM threads like this one here, you will target a much larger and focused support base. :good:
The whole mdl / mk2 radios are a mess. There are 2 radios, one for lte and one for hspa and below. The LTE one stays mdl and only the other is upgraded because of knox installation that some people are worried about (their warranty).
I believe what you may want to do is install the ota official for 4.3 to get all the correct radios and just forget about the warranty. There have been ways to reset the knox counter later down the road if you want to claim your warranty but I do not recall any guides.
I've started a thread here too for some clarifications on this subject so check that for answers too
POQbum said:
The whole mdl / mk2 radios are a mess. There are 2 radios, one for lte and one for hspa and below. The LTE one stays mdl and only the other is upgraded because of knox installation that some people are worried about (their warranty).
I believe what you may want to do is install the ota official for 4.3 to get all the correct radios and just forget about the warranty. There have been ways to reset the knox counter later down the road if you want to claim your warranty but I do not recall any guides.
I've started a thread here too for some clarifications on this subject so check that for answers too
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
First, there is currently NO METHOD to reset your KNOX counter, please do not give wrong information (which is why we have THIS thread).
Second, a link to this thread of yours would be useful, if you only linked it.
Third, "correct" radios are already freely available on XDA without taking the 4.3 OTA. He may have flashed an improper or incompatible modem.bin file, which is why his problem is occurring.
xdapowerapps said:
First, there is currently NO METHOD to reset your KNOX counter, please do not give wrong information (which is why we have THIS thread).
Second, a link to this thread of yours would be useful, if you only linked it.
Third, "correct" radios are already freely available on XDA without taking the 4.3 OTA. He may have flashed an improper or incompatible modem.bin file, which is why his problem is occurring.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Correct radio's without knox means that there is still an old LTE radio which creates and has been creating lots of problems for people.
I don't care about a flash counter anyway, and sorry did not mean to spread mis-information.
My thread is here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2609962
the only answer I was given was one that told me to do the exact thing I didn't want to do, which is to flash the GSM MK2, but leave the LTE MDL.
-------------
I'm looking to see if anyone can help me find a way to flash the OTA update which contains KNOX (which includes the MK2 LTE) and also the MK2 GSM radio's.
The only downside I see to flashing KNOX (and the MK2 LTE) is this flash counter. I believe I heard somewhere you may not be able to flash new kernels, but I'm not sure if that is correct or not. If it is correct and I can not flash new kernels, I also do not care and don't know why so many people are okay with LTE radio's that go out all the time vs a flash counter+stock kernel
POQbum said:
Correct radio's without knox means that there is still an old LTE radio which creates and has been creating lots of problems for people.
I don't care about a flash counter anyway, and sorry did not mean to spread mis-information.
My thread is here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2609962
the only answer I was given was one that told me to do the exact thing I didn't want to do, which is to flash the GSM MK2, but leave the LTE MDL.
-------------
I'm looking to see if anyone can help me find a way to flash the OTA update which contains KNOX (which includes the MK2 LTE) and also the MK2 GSM radio's.
The only downside I see to flashing KNOX (and the MK2 LTE) is this flash counter. I believe I heard somewhere you may not be able to flash new kernels, but I'm not sure if that is correct or not. If it is correct and I can not flash new kernels, I also do not care and don't know why so many people are okay with LTE radio's that go out all the time vs a flash counter+stock kernel
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's okay, we are all learning about information . The modem.bin file you flash in Odin replaces your old one (which is why the name of the file HAS to be modem.bin, otherwise nothing will get replaced).
Why do you WANT KNOX? KNOX is part of the bootloader for 4.3+. The guide you linked is how almost everyone has updated their modems on 4.2.2 bootloader.
If you are on 4.2.2 bootloader, follow these steps:
1) Download the 4.3 modem.
2) Place phone in download mode (Vol Down + Home + Power)
3) Open Odin and plug into computer.
4) Select "Phone" and then choose the modem.bin file.
5) Uncheck "Auto-reboot"
6) Press Start and wait 30 seconds after it says "Passed."
7) Restart phone.
I can almost guarantee you that this will work because this has been proven to work hundreds of thousands of times. I am on 4.2.2 MDL LTE (since I am already on 4.2.2) and I just flashed the 4.3 MK2 modem. I have no problems at all with data now.
EDIT: I am also using a 4.3 MK2 modem on 4.2.2 and have no issues.
xdapowerapps said:
It's okay, we are all learning about information . The modem.bin file you flash in Odin replaces your old one (which is why the name of the file HAS to be modem.bin, otherwise nothing will get replaced).
Why do you WANT KNOX? KNOX is part of the bootloader for 4.3+. The guide you linked is how almost everyone has updated their modems on 4.2.2 bootloader.
If you are on 4.2.2 bootloader, follow these steps:
1) Download the 4.3 modem.
2) Place phone in download mode (Vol Down + Home + Power)
3) Open Odin and plug into computer.
4) Select "Phone" and then choose the modem.bin file.
5) Uncheck "Auto-reboot"
6) Press Start and wait 30 seconds after it says "Passed."
7) Restart phone.
I can almost guarantee you that this will work because this has been proven to work hundreds of thousands of times. I am on 4.2.2 MDL LTE (since I am already on 4.2.2) and I just flashed the 4.3 MK2 modem. I have no problems at all with data now.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I want knox because I want the LTE radio which is tied to knox. I don't care if I have knox or not. My phone is not under warranty anyone, and if that is the only thing that is scaring people away then I have no reason to worry about knox.
I may try out this scenario but right now my phone reboots all the time and I've heard people having issues with LTE on 4.3 ROM's so I am not looking forward to spending hours configuring my phone only to wipe it all again, but it may work out better than I am thinking so I will give it a shot.
For reference, if there is a flashable full 4.3 ROM/.tar (with knox and the MK2 LTE included) out there and you could link me, I would appreciate it. I can't seem to find any which is odd.
Cheers
POQbum said:
I want knox because I want the LTE radio which is tied to knox. I don't care if I have knox or not. My phone is not under warrantly anyone, and if that is the only thing that is scaring people away then I have no reason to worry about knox.
I may try out this scenario but right now my phone reboots all the time and I've heard people having issues with LTE on 4.3 ROM's so I am not looking forward to spending hours configuring my phone only to wipe it all again, but it may work out better than I am thinking so I will give it a shot.
For reference, if there is a flashable full 4.3 ROM/.tar out there and you could link me, I would appreciate it. I can't seem to find any which is odd.
Cheers
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There are 4.3 flashable ROMs out there but they will not give you what you want. You will HAVE to Odin flash a stock file to get what you're after.
Here are some links for the stock MK2 with KNOX included (choose whichever one is faster). :good:
http://www.sammobile.com/firmwares/3/?download=22280
http://samsung-updates.com/details/16429/Galaxy_S_4_T-Mobile/SGH-M919/TMB/M919UVUEMK2.html
http://rapidgator.net/file/c98247edd8cd1cee88383ceef83a8c7f
Cheers mate!
xdapowerapps said:
There are 4.3 flashable ROMs out there but they will not give you what you want. You will HAVE to Odin flash a stock file to get what you're after.
Here are some links for the stock MK2 with KNOX included (choose whichever one is faster). :good:
http://www.sammobile.com/firmwares/3/?download=22280
http://samsung-updates.com/details/16429/Galaxy_S_4_T-Mobile/SGH-M919/TMB/M919UVUEMK2.html
http://rapidgator.net/file/c98247edd8cd1cee88383ceef83a8c7f
Cheers mate!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Okay so I load this file: http://samsung-updates.com/details/16429/Galaxy_S_4_T-Mobile/SGH-M919/TMB/M919UVUEMK2.html
How do I flash it through ODIN? Do you know what steps I need to do? Should I wipe data/cache first?
I've flashed a few things through ODIN because and am familiar with it
POQbum said:
Okay so I load this file: http://samsung-updates.com/details/16429/Galaxy_S_4_T-Mobile/SGH-M919/TMB/M919UVUEMK2.html
How do I flash it through ODIN? Do you know what steps I need to do? Should I wipe data/cache first?
I've flashed a few things through ODIN because and am familiar with it
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Open up odin, select PDA, choose the tar file you just downloaded.
Then put your phone in download mode (vol down + home + power), then connect it to your computer.
Once odin detects your phone, press start. It will take 15 to 20 mins and it will restart by itself.
After it reboots and for some reason you get stuck on the tmobile screen for more than 10 mins, go into recovery and wipe/data factory reset and wipe cache. Then your phone will boot up fine. Enjoy ^_^
Sent from my SGH-M919 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
xdapowerapps said:
Have you checked your APN settings (versus your fiancés) to make sure they are correct? And to be completely fair, you could post in one of the many CM threads like this one here, you will target a much larger and focused support base. :good:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Both M919's are set to fast.t-mobile.com, although I haven't checked to see if the settings all match. I will definitely check that later.
As for threads here and elsewhere to solve the problem, I have tried pretty much everything I have seen. Most of what I have been reading on both CM and custom TW ROM threads is "me too" or "I don't have that problem".
POQbum said:
The whole mdl / mk2 radios are a mess. There are 2 radios, one for lte and one for hspa and below. The LTE one stays mdl and only the other is upgraded because of knox installation that some people are worried about (their warranty).
I believe what you may want to do is install the ota official for 4.3 to get all the correct radios and just forget about the warranty. There have been ways to reset the knox counter later down the road if you want to claim your warranty but I do not recall any guides.
I've started a thread here too for some clarifications on this subject so check that for answers too
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok, now I just got thrown for a loop. Please use Heimdall to print your PIT and post it. On my PIT there appears to be only one partition with a radio... not 2.
xdapowerapps said:
There are 4.3 flashable ROMs out there but they will not give you what you want. You will HAVE to Odin flash a stock file to get what you're after.
Here are some links for the stock MK2 with KNOX included (choose whichever one is faster). :good:
Cheers mate!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm not waiting 4-8 hours to download a ROM. Yes, I understand those estimates are ads to try to get you to buy "premium membership" but still, do you have a legit mirror?

[Q] HELP!!

Hello everyone i have an galaxy s3 at&t version and i was trying to install a rom and the rom said it needed a certain bootloader so i download it and flash it and now my phone won reconize my sim or network state nor imei and i need help please !!!
!!!!!
ive tried odin and try reflashing back to stock but odin failed
ImJusDatGuy said:
Hello everyone i have an galaxy s3 at&t version and i was trying to install a rom and the rom said it needed a certain bootloader so i download it and flash it and now my phone won reconize my sim or network state nor imei and i need help please !!!
!!!!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Definitely more info needed.
What ROM is on your device?
What bootloader did you install?
What modem/baseband/radio is on your device?
What method did you use to try to install the bootloader?
Is your phone still showing the correct IMEI in settings or 0 ? (Compare between that shown in settings and under the battery.)
It may be as simple as updating your modem, but I/we can't tell yet.
dawgdoc said:
Definitely more info needed.
What ROM is on your device?
What bootloader did you install?
What modem/baseband/radio is on your device?
What method did you use to try to install the bootloader?
Is your phone still showing the correct IMEI in settings or 0 ? (Compare between that shown in settings and under the battery.)
It may be as simple as updating your modem, but I/we can't tell yet.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
the rom i have at the moment is the restored verison of the rooted rom i have which is stock 4.1.1 with root
the bootloader i install is I747UCUEMJB
my phone says baseband verison is unknown
i install the bootloader through cwm
the imei is unknown also my phone number to and network and roaming says not roaming mobile network state is disconnected.
everything is messed up thanks for the quick reply man i need help.
ImJusDatGuy said:
the rom i have at the moment is the restored verison of the rooted rom i have which is stock 4.1.1 with root
the bootloader i install is I747UCUEMJB
my phone says baseband verison is unknown
i install the bootloader through cwm
the imei is unknown also my phone number to and network and roaming says not roaming mobile network state is disconnected.
everything is messed up thanks for the quick reply man i need help.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm new at this, in fact I have flashed by old Captivate several times but yet to flash my SGS3. Anyhow, I have spent many hours reading. Before doing anything I suggest, read, and read some more.
Don't flash back to 4.1.1 or 4.1.2 at this point. They will install an older bootloader than is currently on your phone. From what I have read, you narrowly escaped bricking your phone. You might want to read some of the threads regarding the 4.3 stock ROM and unbricking before making any changes in restoring your device.
You can probably fix this by flashing the modem that goes with the 4.3 series ROMs. It would also be the MJB flavor, although the MJ2 would probably work. Several of the 4.3 TouchWiz ROMs in the development forum have download links for the MJB modem. I would guess you were probably going to install one of them. I would recommend flashing the modem to see if that solves your issues before going ahead with the ROM flash.
dawgdoc said:
Definitely more info needed.
What ROM is on your device?
What bootloader did you install?
What modem/baseband/radio is on your device?
What method did you use to try to install the bootloader?
Is your phone still showing the correct IMEI in settings or 0 ? (Compare between that shown in settings and under the battery.)
It may be as simple as updating your modem, but I/we can't tell yet.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
dawgdoc said:
I'm new at this, in fact I have flashed by old Captivate several times but yet to flash my SGS3. Anyhow, I have spent many hours reading. Before doing anything I suggest, read, and read some more.
Don't flash back to 4.1.1 or 4.1.2 at this point. They will install an older bootloader than is currently on your phone. From what I have read, you narrowly escaped bricking your phone. You might want to read some of the threads regarding the 4.3 stock ROM and unbricking before making any changes in restoring your device.
You can probably fix this by flashing the modem that goes with the 4.3 series ROMs. It would also be the MJB flavor, although the MJ2 would probably work. Several of the 4.3 TouchWiz ROMs in the development forum have download links for the MJB modem. I would guess you were probably going to install one of them. I would recommend flashing the modem to see if that solves your issues before going ahead with the ROM flash.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Could you provide an link by any chance please i dont want to install anything wrong and btw im on jb 4.1.1 do i need to install a 4.3 rom also ? or ?
ImJusDatGuy said:
Could you provide an link by any chance please i dont want to install anything wrong and btw im on jb 4.1.1 do i need to install a 4.3 rom also ? or ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The reason I didn't put a link in the previous posts was to get you to read about what you were doing as you searched for the modem. I am offering advice on things I have yet to experience on this device and only speaking second hand. My advice is only based on what I have read not on anything I have had to correct myself.
In truth I think you just stopped too soon in the process of what you were doing earlier. You said you installed the 4.3 bootloader in preparation to installing a 4.3 or later ROM that required the up to date bootloader. You didn't mention installing the current modem/baseband. You didn't mention trying to flash whatever ROM you had been considering.
You may be able to correct your device simply by installing the 4.3 modem. HERE is the modem thread, it is in the General Forum for our device. Make sure you pick the correct one. I don't know if your device will work well on the MJB bootloader and modem with a 4.1.1 ROM, from something I seem to recall reading I suspect it will.
Take this in steps. Install the correct modem, the one that matches your bootloader. See if that corrects you sim, data, and IMEI problems. If it does correct the issues, the next step is to decide if you want to stay on the 4.1.1 ROM or change to whatever ROM you had been considering. If you decide to change, make backups first. If it doesn't fix the problem while on 4.1.1 you may want to flash the version of the official 4.3 ROM enewman17 has provided on the development thread.
Take it one step at a time. Read about what you are about to do until you understand it well, all before doing anything. Make backups sequentially as you make each corrective step.
HTH.
dawgdoc said:
The reason I didn't put a link in the previous posts was to get you to read about what you were doing as you searched for the modem. I am offering advice on things I have yet to experience on this device and only speaking second hand. My advice is only based on what I have read not on anything I have had to correct myself.
In truth I think you just stopped too soon in the process of what you were doing earlier. You said you installed the 4.3 bootloader in preparation to installing a 4.3 or later ROM that required the up to date bootloader. You didn't mention installing the current modem/baseband. You didn't mention trying to flash whatever ROM you had been considering.
You may be able to correct your device simply by installing the 4.3 modem. HERE is the modem thread, it is in the General Forum for our device. Make sure you pick the correct one. I don't know if your device will work well on the MJB bootloader and modem with a 4.1.1 ROM, from something I seem to recall reading I suspect it will.
Take this in steps. Install the correct modem, the one that matches your bootloader. See if that corrects you sim, data, and IMEI problems. If it does correct the issues, the next step is to decide if you want to stay on the 4.1.1 ROM or change to whatever ROM you had been considering. If you decide to change, make backups first. If it doesn't fix the problem while on 4.1.1 you may want to flash the version of the official 4.3 ROM enewman17 has provided on the development thread.
Take it one step at a time. Read about what you are about to do until you understand it well, all before doing anything. Make backups sequentially as you make each corrective step.
HTH.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i've read this one thread and ive downloaded the modem and the rom ive tried to instal was a kitkat version of quatom v3.3 and it say get prop bootloader and i looked up the error everyone said to update your bootloader and thats how i got into this mess. :'( but thank you bro i really appreciate you took the time out of your day to help me.
ImJusDatGuy said:
i've read this one thread and ive downloaded the modem and the rom ive tried to instal was a kitkat version of quatom v3.3 and it say get prop bootloader and i looked up the error everyone said to update your bootloader and thats how i got into this mess. :'( but thank you bro i really appreciate you took the time out of your day to help me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thanks man for telling me what was wrong your an amazing human being and i love you (no homo) and thanks again a million thanks bro.
Did that modem fix some of the problems?
If your on 4.1.1 shouldn't you flash the DKL3 version or can't you just flash thru Odin the DLK3 stock ROM thru Odin Amd start all over again
I've been on 4.3 with that bootloader Amd have flashed back to 4.1 back to the baseband version DLK3 firmware. I would think being on 4.1 you should be able to reflash using Odin to fix the issue or flash the modem for 4.1 .

What's the deal with lte radio?

hey guys I'm on 4.2.2 still. Rooted it and deleted the galaxy walking app, so haven't been able to do legit update, and with working alot just haven't fooled with it. Anyway I'm off and have time, want to come up to kitkat, am I not able to update my LTE radio? I'm reading and searching before turning to asking, but all I'm seeing is if I update it my sound will act up. Am I stuck on an old radio now? Was hoping for improved signal, can I go stock, update and reroot and everything will be current?? Anyway any help is appreciated.
If you don't care about tripping Knox counter, just flash the NB4 firmware with Odin and you'll be good.. I recommend fenny's fixed firmware
Edit: well it will only trip if you flash custom recovery or kernel, other than that there is root method without tripping if you plan to stay stock
serio22 said:
If you don't care about tripping Knox counter, just flash the NB4 firmware with Odin and you'll be good.. I recommend fenny's fixed firmware
Edit: well it will only trip if you flash custom recovery or kernel, other than that there is root method without tripping if you plan to stay stock
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
im not staying stock, just want the updated lte radio on it. thinking of going lg g3 since sammy become such a pain in the ass. I've flashed stock and am updating official kitkat now, i guess that will update my modem and lte radio also, i'll reroot after that and throw something on there
If you are updating officially there shouldn't be a reason to manually update anything
i was just trying to save time, my home internet is crappy ( 100.00 bucks a month for 5mb, more like 1-3 mb) and you have to use wireless to update. I'm on kit now, abut to root and find a rom
sleekgreek said:
i was just trying to save time, my home internet is crappy ( 100.00 bucks a month for 5mb, more like 1-3 mb) and you have to use wireless to update. I'm on kit now, abut to root and find a rom
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There is a thread in general specifically for updating radios for those of us still on MDL. If you were to have followed that guide you would have updated your radio without any sound problems, would still be KNOX free, and would still be able to have the option to run 4.2.2, 4.3, and 4.4.x ROMs flawlessly.
lordcheeto03 said:
There is a thread in general specifically for updating radios for those of us still on MDL. If you were to have followed that guide you would have updated your radio without any sound problems, would still be KNOX free, and would still be able to have the option to run 4.2.2, 4.3, and 4.4.x ROMs flawlessly.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i've been searching here for years on everything. Unless you stay in the loop everything is just cluttered. Even rooting, I'm looking and reading threads from pre 4.4.2 where chainfire link was last updated in 2013, it sucks searching here. And I thank you guys for the help. I'm rooted now and didnt want to ota, but everything I found to read said I could update the modem but not the LTE radio without sound issues... I must of missed something. LOL, I had a ton of tabs open from searches before posting. Been rooting since iden on nextels in early 2000's so it's just basic info I need thats hard to find here , tons of threads I guess. Anyway lets a get rom on this thing..
sleekgreek said:
Unless you stay in the loop everything is just cluttered. Even rooting
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I totally agree and understand. I've pretty much been tinkering around the S4 forums since a few weeks after release (before I even purchased my S4) and have followed pretty well everything from square one so it's pretty easy to remember THAT I've read something but not remember WHERE I read it... Looking back through the Q&A and General threads, I couldn't imagine just now getting into the S4.
lordcheeto03 said:
There is a thread in general specifically for updating radios for those of us still on MDL. If you were to have followed that guide you would have updated your radio without any sound problems, would still be KNOX free, and would still be able to have the option to run 4.2.2, 4.3, and 4.4.x ROMs flawlessly.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I would be interested in that thread... I have updated my GSM modem (modem.bin) to NB4 but as I understood it, the LTE part is tied to the bootloader. So, those of us with MDL have to retain the MDL LTE radio. If it is possible to update the LTE radio, without the sound/wifi problems, and retain MDL bootloader and thus no Knox, I'd love a link!
Frankenscript said:
I would be interested in that thread... I have updated my GSM modem (modem.bin) to NB4 but as I understood it, the LTE part is tied to the bootloader. So, those of us with MDL have to retain the MDL LTE radio. If it is possible to update the LTE radio, without the sound/wifi problems, and retain MDL bootloader and thus no Knox, I'd love a link!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ahh, you got me on that one. It didn't even register to me that the LTE modem is unaffected by that method. My apologies.

[Q] A little guidance for a galaxy newbie

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.

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