Develop Bugs

[Q] Custom Kernel Problems, HELP!

OK, here it goes.
I have a R800x CDMA Verizon Xperia Play
I had bootloader unlocked successfully by alejandrissimo.
I am rooted.
Today I decided to try the MIUI rom for CDMA.
It required custom kernel, and recommended Kieren's darkforest kernel.
I installed that kernel via fastboot with no problems.
Upon turning on phone, i get a page that says Sony, then I get ANDROID page.
Then it just stays on ANDROID. I can tell that it is not frozen because I can see the waving lines going across.
SO, I decided to just go back to stock kernel then try again.
BUT, I cannot get into fastboot!!
I hold search while connecting usb, and the led blinks blue once, then continues with boot.
I am at a loss.
I Can get into CWM.
Please Help!
Edit: I just noticed that after holding search then plugging in USB, the light blinks blue once. Then about 25 seconds later, the light turns solid blue for about 3 seconds. Then just to orange for charging. During this time, I can not get fastboot to recognize device, nor does my computer recognize any devices.

OK, first - don't panic! I had some issues myself with this, but it's easy to resolve.
First - if you want to return to stock, the easiest thing to do is to download flashtool from this link:http://androxyde.github.com/Flashtool/
And the FTF of the stock ROM from here: http://www.mediafire.com/?u70ci3bdzak3u9e
Follow the directions on the Flashtool website for how to flash back to stock. This will make your phone just like it came out of the box. It does not touch the SDCard.
Second - Make sure the kernel you flash in fastboot is the one intended for the ROM you want to install. Also make sure you copy the zip file of the rom you want to install onto your sdcard. Then enter into CWM and do the following:
- clear data
- clear cache
- clear Dalvik cache (under the advanced menu)
- clear Battery Stats (same menu as above)
Then use the menu "install zip from sd card" (or whatever it says ) find the zip file you copied onto you card and load it. Reboot when finished and you should be good to go. Please be aware some ROMS take a long time to boot up the first time around.
Good luck.

netizenmt said:
OK, first - don't panic! I had some issues myself with this, but it's easy to resolve.
First - if you want to return to stock, the easiest thing to do is to download flashtool from this link:http://androxyde.github.com/Flashtool/
And the FTF of the stock ROM from here: http://www.mediafire.com/?u70ci3bdzak3u9e
Follow the directions on the Flashtool website for how to flash back to stock. This will make your phone just like it came out of the box. It does not touch the SDCard.
Second - Make sure the kernel you flash in fastboot is the one intended for the ROM you want to install. Also make sure you copy the zip file of the rom you want to install onto your sdcard. Then enter into CWM and do the following:
- clear data
- clear cache
- clear Dalvik cache (under the advanced menu)
- clear Battery Stats (same menu as above)
Then use the menu "install zip from sd card" (or whatever it says ) find the zip file you copied onto you card and load it. Reboot when finished and you should be good to go. Please be aware some ROMS take a long time to boot up the first time around.
Good luck.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
ok, small problem with that.
when I click to install flashtool, it tells me that it is not available for my region (Central USA).
I do have a nandroid and titanium backups made just before flashing.

Use this link - I forgot about their link blocking us. But use that site for instructions.
http://www.mediafire.com/?t2pxz1j7snieeos
Having just unlocked my bootloader this weekend as well, I don't know what to tell you there. But since you can get into CWM, reverting to stock is a good way to go. Then try flashing the firmware, etc again.

still stuck
netizenmt said:
Use this link - I forgot about their link blocking us. But use that site for instructions.
http://www.mediafire.com/?t2pxz1j7snieeos
Having just unlocked my bootloader this weekend as well, I don't know what to tell you there. But since you can get into CWM, reverting to stock is a good way to go. Then try flashing the firmware, etc again.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
OK, thanks for your help, but I am still stuck.
I can not get the device to be recognized.
So, now I need an alternate method.
I will attach the kernel that I flashed, maybe I could flash a ROM that could be compatible.
I tried to flash MIUI v4 from near the end of the MIUI port for CDMA thread (pg 9, I think) , which paxchristos and a few others reported working fine for the R800x
I flashed the kernel that was listed to use in the same post.
But, when I tried to flash the ROM, CWM told me that it was not compatible with my device. It checked the ro.build.fingerprint and determined that it was not compatible.
Maybe another rom would work, and then I would be able to work on it from there

zeeky120 said:
OK, thanks for your help, but I am still stuck.
I can not get the device to be recognized.
So, now I need an alternate method.
I will attach the kernel that I flashed, maybe I could flash a ROM that could be compatible.
I tried to flash MIUI v4 from near the end of the MIUI port for CDMA thread (pg 9, I think) , which paxchristos and a few others reported working fine for the R800x
I flashed the kernel that was listed to use in the same post.
But, when I tried to flash the ROM, CWM told me that it was not compatible with my device. It checked the ro.build.fingerprint and determined that it was not compatible.
Maybe another rom would work, and then I would be able to work on it from there
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, that seems to be the wrong boot.img. It should be called boot-v2.img.
EDIT: WOW - I just reread your post after posting mine and realized I pointed you to the same spot!
Try this ROM which is a version of CM9 that Chevyowner got working for our R800x. I know it works because I'm using it. http://www.mediafire.com/?1xnh54i6lvnnh73

It is the same one, i just renamed it because i thought kernels had to be boot.img to flash correctly. I will try that rom when i get home.
Sent from my T100 using XDA

zeeky120 said:
It is the same one, i just renamed it because i thought kernels had to be boot.img to flash correctly. I will try that rom when i get home.
Sent from my T100 using XDA
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
just an fyi, you can name kernels whatever you feel like (I'm not sure about spaces, I use linux, so I never have spaces in names anyways )
Sent from my R800x using Tapatalk

Flashing now
OK, I just downloaded and flashed the ROM about 3 minutes ago.
I cleared everything just like you told me to.
It installed with no errors.
You may be right about long boot times for first boot, otherwise I have a really bad kernel.
It has just sat on Sony screen for the past 10 minutes.
It hasn't even went on to the android page that I got before.
Hoping that it will Work.
Assuming that it doesn't, what would be my best next move?
Can I flash a kernel (Such as doom_lord's CDMA Kernel) via clockwork?
I think I saw a video about it for the Samsung fascinate, however I seem to recall something about needing an s2 file or something??
I will update as soon as I get something. (hopefully good news)
Update: It has been about 20 minutes now and still on Sony screen.
Now it has been 30, im starting to get worried. Should I plug in? Should I just let it be? Should I let it die? Should I battery pull?
Major Edit: I got impatient and just battery pulled. I then tried to get into CWM, but failed. THen I got a bright Idea, why not try fastboot with the new rom. IT WORKED. I WILL NOW TRY TO FLASH A NEW KERNEL AND SEE IF THAT HELPS.

it should not take 30 minutes to boot, only thing i can think of right now is to redownload kernel (boot-v2.img) and reflash that.

chevyowner said:
it should not take 30 minutes to boot, only thing i can think of right now is to redownload kernel (boot-v2.img) and reflash that.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
is this your kernel, or someone else's? If it's yours/you have a working copy, could you post an md5 so the op can double check it?
Sent from my R800x using Tapatalk

nope not my kernel, and i doubt i have an original working copy as i added 2 lines so i could mount my sdext partition.

Finally!
OK, I am now back up and running.
I went through every kernel and rom for CDMA play, and got nowhere.
I ended up getting Doom's kernel to run. It worked, and booted to android... Then stayed at android.
Then I decided to flash my nandroid i made, and am now working on stock rom W/ DoomKernel.
The ROM seems to be lagging a lot.
Since everything is *working* now, what kernel/ROM combo can anyone verify working for the Play R800x CDMA.
I would really like CM9 or ICS based roms.
Thanks for your help getting me out of this mess!!
EDIT: Nothing seems to be working!! My touchscreen seems to be non responsive, no phyiscal keys except for the power key seem to be working with my original ROM now!!! Maybe somebody could attach a copy of the stock kernel for my device, so that I could start from scratch.

If you're using keiran (darkforest) cm9 kernel the md5sum for it should be: 74a5be2bf95322b8c45780d9daeda4fa
Sent from my R800x using Tapatalk

zeeky120 said:
Nothing seems to be working!! My touchscreen seems to be non responsive, no phyiscal keys except for the power key seem to be working with my original ROM now!!! Maybe somebody could attach a copy of the stock kernel for my device, so that I could start from scratch.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This site has some of the stock FTFs, just extract the kernel.sin from the R800x one http://www.xperiagamer.com/Stock-Roms/233-se-stock-firmware-for-root.html

kernel.sin: http://www.mediafire.com/?e29j13d9wpgdvoj
md5sum: 45116201967408d70895ef63c500ed1e

@zeeky120 - I'm sorry you're having so many problems. For me when everything seemed hosed, I started over by using Flashtool and flashing the ftf file I gave you links for. Then once it came back up as stock, I started again from scratch. Depending on what your goals are, you need to flash the proper kernel for that. Then get into CWM. Clear DATA, CACHE, DALVIK CACHE before you do anything else. Then load via zip file the rom you want to install, making sure it matches the kernel you loaded. And, whether necessary or not, I always wipe the big 3 again, just in case. (Call me paranoid, but it helps! )

Ok now up and running on stock everything working great just like out of box. The only thing I have done so far is to root. I want to do it right this time. I would like to flash cm9 based miui for r 800x. Could anyone provide detailed step by step instructions and links for download. Thanks in advance.
Sent from my R800x using xda premium

Closing Notes
This thread has reached its end, because my problem has been fully solved. Advice to future users, always clear the big three, and when in doubt: use flashtool to reboot the ftf. Right now I am up and running on CM9 (use the link in Chevy's signature to download. I can verify that it works great on CDMA. (faster download speeds than stock!!!) Thanks for everyone for all of their help, and I hope to be contributing to development in the near future.

[Q] boot loop...(sort of)

I just flashed the newest version of the codename rom (JustLoveCodename-Android-(Alpha1)2.0.0-RC to my epic 4g touch. I also flashed the Google apps pack that comes with it. It seemed nice at first, but then I tried using the market and it just kept telling me there was a server error. I tried re-downloading it from third party sites but nothing was working. So I went to flash back to Calkulins rom. As I got into recovery mode, it seems the phone somehow changed itself to another recovery system (It might've been CWM) instead of the rogue one I had prior from the initial root process. I tried flashing anyway and the a picture of a dead android with his front opened up and a red exclamation popped up. I rebooted the phone to see what would happen. It brought me right back to Code name's rom. I tried it 3 more times yet the same thing happened every time. I also tried a battery pull. It did not work. I am thinking of doing one of two things: I am going to either go through the initial root stages again or I am going to try to delete the Codename rom from my SD card and try flashing another rom (preferably Calkulin). Please tell me if this is the right thing to do or if there is another method of fixing this problem. Thank you for taking time to read this. I really appreciate any help. FYI: My phone is still in working condition, but I am stuck using the Codename rom which I really do not want to use anymore. I just was able to get ES file manager working and i checked my external sd folder, but there is nothing in it. When i look at my storage from system settings, it says i still have the memory on it. So why is ES not displaying it? =( I re-installed rogue cwm and flashed calkulin's rom again and everything is fine. Heed my advice and be wary of the Codename Rom. Editor's, you can delete this thread if you wish. =)

Gzerner said:
I just flashed the newest version of the codename rom (JustLoveCodename-Android-(Alpha1)2.0.0-RC to my epic 4g touch. I also flashed the Google apps pack that comes with it. It seemed nice at first, but then I tried using the market and it just kept telling me there was a server error. I tried re-downloading it from third party sites but nothing was working. So I went to flash back to Calkulins rom. As I got into recovery mode, it seems the phone somehow changed itself to another recovery system (It might've been CWM) instead of the rogue one I had prior from the initial root process. I tried flashing anyway and the a picture of a dead android with his front opened up and a red exclamation popped up. I rebooted the phone to see what would happen. It brought me right back to Code name's rom. I tried it 3 more times yet the same thing happened every time. I also tried a battery pull. It did not work. I am thinking of doing one of two things: I am going to either go through the initial root stages again or I am going to try to delete the Codename rom from my SD card and try flashing another rom (preferably Calkulin). Please tell me if this is the right thing to do or if there is another method of fixing this problem. Thank you for taking time to read this. I really appreciate any help. FYI: My phone is still in working condition, but I am stuck using the Codename rom which I really do not want to use anymore. I just was able to get ES file manager working and i checked my external sd folder, but there is nothing in it. When i look at my storage from system settings, it says i still have the memory on it. So why is ES not displaying it? =( I re-installed rogue cwm and flashed calkulin's rom again and everything is fine. Heed my advice and be wary of the Codename Rom. Editor's, you can delete this thread if you wish. =)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
K. The reason you aren't getting to the old version of CWM is because you flashed Codename. Codename is an AOSP ROM which has been known to cause bricks when flashing with Rogue. Because if the bricks the developers opted to but include CWM of any kind in the kernel. What you need to do is find a replacement ROM and download it. Once you've downloaded it you need to flash the EL26 stock CWM (you can find it in the OP of the link below) then use it to flash your new ROM.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=295021
Well you're at it is suggest reading the How Not To Brick Your Phone thread in general.
Good luck!

Codename rom is an AOSP rom so your external SD storage will be under /emmc and not /sdcard/externalsd. That's why it wasn't showing up. Same thing with CM9 and AOKP, not because it doesn't work. Also I wouldn't recommend flashing anything ICS related from rogue recovery, js.
And recoveries changed because with our phones, the recovery is packed into the kernel itself so when you flashed Codename, the recovery changed to the stock recovery included with the roms kernel. Hope that clears it up lol.
Sent from my SPH-D710 using Tapatalk

If you want a fresh install, the best way is to Odin the el29 kernal. From there, get into your recovery and wipe and flash away.
Sent from my SPH-D710 using XDA

[Q] COMPLETE wipe not using CWM / .md5 ROM files

I have figured out that there is something wrong with my phone only when I have CWM5/6 flashed. So this leads me to believe that I need to clean out anything at all that is being left behind after certain flashes. (I get past my unbootable pixelated screen with one ROM that uses the original recovery)
So my question is how can I totally obliterate any and all files left behind or that were damaged by something from a custom flashed ROM?
On top of this question, I am wondering what ROMs are out there in the .tar.md5 file format so that I could use Download Mode to flash another ROM and at least have a working phone??
I find all the ROMs available but only in .zip format.

Sammy firmwares and use Odin.
http://www.sammobile.com/firmware/
Sent from my SGH-I927 using xda app-developers app

Return phone to LITERAL factory state
I guess I should have been more clear.
What I mean that I would like to do, is to wipe out ANYTHING on the phone. Completely blank it as if it just rolled off the line. Then install the entire hidden partitions that samsung would do plus then add a new firmware.
The reason is that I cannot use CWM6 and my phone is an expensive paper weight right now. The problem arises from the fact that there has only been one ROM that actually worked for me from the beginning. That is the Bio360, and well originally the factory setup. Since I cannot use CWM and cannot flash a zip which Bio360 comes in. I have no way to enjoy the ROM or my phone for that matter. I have spent about a 100 hours flashing in all sorts of order and arrangements of kernels, ROMS and recovery files using every odin program I could find. Plus I have done about an equal amount of searching in between trying to figure out what has caused the issue. However, since my issue is localized then I would like to return my phone to LITERAL factory state.
Is it possible to format EVERYTHING and rewrite all of the necessary files? THAT would be a complete wipe by my definition.
Thanks for any help people.

I repeat Sammy firmwares had the stock files for you to flash via Odin. It is what you are asking for. Flash one of those roms then do a factory reset or format all partitions. Should be all nice and clean.
Sent from my SGH-I927 using xda app-developers app

dudejb said:
I repeat Sammy firmwares had the stock files for you to flash via Odin. It is what you are asking for. Flash one of those roms then do a factory reset or format all partitions. Should be all nice and clean.
Sent from my SGH-I927 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Take a backup of \efs before attempting to format everything.

dudejb said:
I repeat Sammy firmwares had the stock files for you to flash via Odin. It is what you are asking for. Flash one of those roms then do a factory reset or format all partitions. Should be all nice and clean.
Sent from my SGH-I927 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the reply. I already have all of the stock firmwares, but the thing is that that only flashes the actual software that a user uses daily. There is still boot software, recovery files and others within the hidden partition. A bit like a laptop keeps a partition or seperate small hard drive specifically just for a recovery and wipe clean of everything.
I was hoping that perhaps there is a possibility of startin with a clean slate, then re-writing all pertinent information back into the device, then putting the stock ROM etc back.
Again, the reason that I was thinking this would be my last hope is that everytime I use the CWM or anything other than a single ICS with a particular order of flashing the Cranium kernel without Auto-Reboot and then using the NAND Erase All and the other two checked can I get a ROM to work. The challenge is that now after I have got the phone back up and running without the CWM and with ICS is that it will not read a SIM card. I was thinking it was a hardware issue until after another 10 hours of trying various arrangements of flashable files, I finally got the device to not only boot into ICS, but after leaving it for 6 hours I 'awoke' it and it had loaded all the files and I got past the, black screen with pull down menu. I finally had a ROM that worked again even after my green and red pixelated screen issue. That leads me to believe again that it must be a software issue again. Not a hardware.
Thus leading me to think about any other options to literally start the device from scratch. Boot loading files, hidden files, etc etc. Literally EVERYTHING.

Excuse me, this might be a silly question, but as I've read no mention of it: Have you tried KIES?
Many a borked phone has been saved by an emergency recovery through KIES, or so I've been lead to believe. Perhaps it can help you in some way?
Seeing how you're the only one reporting this problem it seems far more likely to be a hardware issue. Maybe your internal drive is damaged? But I do hope I'm wrong in that regard. Anyway, if you haven't already, give KIES a try. It seems impossible to make things worse than they already are.
Good luck!
PS: You could also try the ICS-Leak, as it's a one-click executable containing bootloaders. Might fix whatever's messed up...?
Sent from my SGH-I927 using xda app-developers app

Evil Alex said:
Excuse me, this might be a silly question, but as I've read no mention of it: Have you tried KIES? ...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+1
I borked my Glide trying different ROMs a little while back and Kies is what brought it back to life. There is an option for firmware updates right below the emergency recovery option that asks you for the model and serial number of your phone. Takes a while but I watched it repartition and flash the hidden partition during the process. Brought the software back to out of the box. HTH.

EaglesIII said:
Thanks for the reply. I already have all of the stock firmwares, but the thing is that that only flashes the actual software that a user uses daily. There is still boot software, recovery files and others within the hidden partition. A bit like a laptop keeps a partition or seperate small hard drive specifically just for a recovery and wipe clean of everything.
I was hoping that perhaps there is a possibility of startin with a clean slate, then re-writing all pertinent information back into the device, then putting the stock ROM etc back.
Again, the reason that I was thinking this would be my last hope is that everytime I use the CWM or anything other than a single ICS with a particular order of flashing the Cranium kernel without Auto-Reboot and then using the NAND Erase All and the other two checked can I get a ROM to work. The challenge is that now after I have got the phone back up and running without the CWM and with ICS is that it will not read a SIM card. I was thinking it was a hardware issue until after another 10 hours of trying various arrangements of flashable files, I finally got the device to not only boot into ICS, but after leaving it for 6 hours I 'awoke' it and it had loaded all the files and I got past the, black screen with pull down menu. I finally had a ROM that worked again even after my green and red pixelated screen issue. That leads me to believe again that it must be a software issue again. Not a hardware.
Thus leading me to think about any other options to literally start the device from scratch. Boot loading files, hidden files, etc etc. Literally EVERYTHING.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have faced the same problem.. after trying to update to ICS my sim is not recognized, even in GB.. It recognizes a new sim but stops working after 20-30 mins in GB... let me know if Kies sorted this out for u.

mrigancb said:
I have faced the same problem.. after trying to update to ICS my sim is not recognized, even in GB.. It recognizes a new sim but stops working after 20-30 mins in GB... let me know if Kies sorted this out for u.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have the freeze problem, i try a lot of think (kies doesnt even start to flash), maybe is because the storage from rogers is only 4gb and the rom try to access like a 8gb storage, i dont know, when i flash GB, in the recovery menu, i see a meesage that cant access something. I hope someone can help us. Only ICS works, but, without root or any custom recovery.
I think that it need a clean install, atotal wipe.
THe Kies Give me this error, so i cant try if that can fix the problems
http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/411/errorkies.jpg/

[Q] Newbie Request For Assistance

Hello All,
aXcelio here…..
I'm new to the world of Android switched from the iPhone….(was and still am a loyal user of IOS devices for the better part of 5 years)…..but out of shear boredom, I made the decision to decided to make the switch and I for the most part could not be happier. In doing so I picked up a Galaxy Note II SGH-1317 (AT&T), I've updated the stock rom (I think that's what its called) to JellyBean 4.2.1……now I'm in a place where I want take advantage of some of the feature embedded in CM (it looks really cool)……
So a buddy of mine, who's been running with droid's for as long as I've been running IOS decided to give me a hand in getting my device rooted……we used an exploit called EXYNOS, and installed TWRP (again forgive me ignorance if I'm speaking out of term…I'm learning, or trying too), everything appears to be running without incident, (with the exception of my not being able to create any backup…as the system tells me that I don't have any free space)….get back to that in a lil bit.
Now….I scored the CM site as well as XDA, but haven't really been able to find what I'm looking for (some of which could be out of fear of destroying my device, and some of which is based on a lack of understanding….more I think though of destroying my device……..I should note that I completely understand that any of that any info I get here or there…..is as is, and without any guarantee.) So here I am reaching out to you folks for some guidance……..with that allow me to ask a couple of questions…..
In an effort to get a better understanding of what my buddy did…..I would like to go through the process of setting my device back to defaults (as if I just brought it home from the store) no root, no play apps that I've installed….(I can do that later, and I'm not overly concerned about losing anything) and re-root the device…..that being said, is there a way to that (set the device back to defaults)….I've seen one article using the stock firmware, (which I've downloaded) and another which states that I can do a factory reset which will unroot the device…(but not sure what approach to take or for that matter I should even worry about that)
The second thing I'm wondering about is this……most of what I've read regarding the install of CM is that I need clockwork recovery (or something along those lines) but I have TWRP…..if I opt to not reset the phone back to factory default and unroot (or find that I really don't need to move in that direction) can I install CM using TWRP?…..if I need clockwork, can I instal this over TWRP……or do I need to do something different?
a
The last thing I have (at least for right now) is this….assuming I can move forward with the install and configuration of CM, I wonder if any of you can provide a step by step guide on how I go about this on my particular device……I've seen this article well as this ones these however appear to be for version 10, of CM…but I see there is a 10.1……I read another article (but can't seem to find it now…which stated that it worked with my device and 10.1, with a link but all of the nighties….seemed to be specific to the Galaxy Note…..not the Note II…..and again I would much rather reach out to you guys for guidance prior to doing anything…..The last question I have is I see there is a version 7100 of my phone and then one that says something about LTE (but not specific version……) is the SGH-1317 an LTE device that is version agnostic (if you will)….in other words if I see a post for an LTE GNII is that speaking to my device or something else……
Thanks a lot……
aXcelio

If your all ready rooted why go back to stock?
You don't have to install CWM TWRP is fine as your main recovery.
don't install any ROM for the N7100, that is the non LTE version of the Note 2, it will brick your phone.
CM10 is Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean. CM10.1 is 4.2 Jelly Bean.
Read the forums for the specific ROM it will give instructions on installing the ROM even if it mentions to use CWM, installing with TWRP is fine.
READ READ READ and have fun

I think i understand, you want to reset and do all this stuff on your phone yourself.
? You would would have to Odin your phone back. Either mobile Odin or one for pc. Pretty simple task once you get the files you need. Think that's right..
Edit: as the guy above me said either is fine. Just preference in what recovery to use. I would suggest to only use cmr based recovery as those seem to be more friendly with development programs and roms than the official by koush that you see in play store. I wouldn't even downloaded it.
Sent from my SGH-I317 using xda premium

nidnarb said:
I think i understand, you want to reset and do all this stuff on your phone yourself.
? You would would have to Odin your phone back. Either mobile Odin or one for pc. Pretty simple task once you get the files you need. Think that's right..
Edit: as the guy above me said either is fine. Just preference in what recovery to use. I would suggest to only use cmr based recovery as those seem to be more friendly with development programs and roms than the official by koush that you see in play store. I wouldn't even downloaded it.
Sent from my SGH-I317 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
PC Odin is more safe for the record

Here is a link to a post that breaks down the basics of starting from scratch, rooting and installing clockworkmod and then flashing a ROM. The instructions are in reply to a gentleman inquiring about the Jedi ROM but the instructions will be good for most other ROMs out there. Just check the installation instructions in the op of any rom to make sure there is not something else required for install.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=35726061
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using xda app-developers app

Samsung Galaxy S4 Problem

Hello everyone,
I really need your help with my wife's Metro PCS Samsung GS4 M919N.
The thing is, we are now living outside the US so I had to unlock her phone. After ordering the unlock codes, I decided to root the phone and use a custom ROM while waiting for the codes.
That is why I found this guide here: androidforums.com/metropcs-galaxy-s4-all-things-root/790899-metropcs-galaxy-s4-all-things-root-guide.html
So while reading the guide, I aimed to have the following accomplished at the end:
Recovery: TWRP
Custom ROM: CyanogenMod 10.2.1
I then started doing the guide for the TWRP recovery by using Odin. I got the message saying that the flashing passed and went ahead to restart to recovery to install CM 10.2.1 as a custom ROM. The thing is that I keep on restarting to the stock recovery not TWRP. So I went to YouTube and found a video showing how to flash TWRP using GooManager. After following that guide, I went to restart to recovery and I successfully got into TWRP.
Now, to achieve my goal, all that's left to do is to flash CyanogenMod 10.2.1 (jfltetmo).
Before doing that, I decided to make a backup. After using TWRP to do a backup, I proceeded to installing the custom ROM + gapps (wiped with the default settings). Everything was working I think (I handed the phone to my wife so she was he one testing it). After some time, she decided she wants the stock ROM instead so I decided to download the androidforums.com/metropcs-galaxy-s4-all-things-root/783769-rom-recovery-flash-able-stock-m919nuvuamf2-rooted-deodexed-rom.html ROM.
I flashed the newly downloaded ROM + gapps (same file). This time, I couldn't get the gapps to work probably because it was meant for another version. So I decided to just restore from the backup I created earlier.
So, the usual stuff. Wipe. Restore. Restart.
Seems to be going smoothly because my wife was happy to see the old ROM she was used to.
Until the phone started to restart on it's own. (It's pretty much downhill from here on out).
At first I thought it was just a random thing that probably would never happen again. I was wrong as it became more frequent as days went by.
Recently I can't just restart the phone, I would have to remove the battery and then restart it. Now, it's getting really hard to restart the phone. Please help me fix this. I prefer to leave the phone rooted, but if the fix unroots the phone then so be it, anyway my wife prefers the stock ROM so only the unlocking was necessary.
Metro PCS Samsung Galaxy S4 M919N
Recovery:
TWRP 2.6.3.1
ROMs:
Stock Metro PCS
CyanogenMod 10.2.1
Let me know if you need more information from me. Hopefully I can restart the phone so I can give you some version numbers.
Thanks everyone!

I didn't read everything but just wanted to say
VERY GOOD THREAD!
this is how threads should be done. Very descriptive, organized, told us everything you did and asked for help! Good job man! Only negative is it prolly should have gone in Q&A section but irregardless very good thread!
About your issue, I recommend flashing stock Odin tar file to everything back to stock and reroot and start over. Flashing stock will not lock it again it will remain unlocked. But should get you back up and fresh. Just be aware it will erase all your data and all of the internal SD card.
Sent from my SGH-M919 using Tapatalk

dokgu said:
Hello everyone,
I really need your help with my wife's Metro PCS Samsung GS4 M919N.
The thing is, we are now living outside the US so I had to unlock her phone. After ordering the unlock codes, I decided to root the phone and use a custom ROM while waiting for the codes.
That is why I found this guide here: androidforums.com/metropcs-galaxy-s4-all-things-root/790899-metropcs-galaxy-s4-all-things-root-guide.html
So while reading the guide, I aimed to have the following accomplished at the end:
Recovery: TWRP
Custom ROM: CyanogenMod 10.2.1
I then started doing the guide for the TWRP recovery by using Odin. I got the message saying that the flashing passed and went ahead to restart to recovery to install CM 10.2.1 as a custom ROM. The thing is that I keep on restarting to the stock recovery not TWRP. So I went to YouTube and found a video showing how to flash TWRP using GooManager. After following that guide, I went to restart to recovery and I successfully got into TWRP.
Now, to achieve my goal, all that's left to do is to flash CyanogenMod 10.2.1 (jfltetmo).
Before doing that, I decided to make a backup. After using TWRP to do a backup, I proceeded to installing the custom ROM + gapps (wiped with the default settings). Everything was working I think (I handed the phone to my wife so she was he one testing it). After some time, she decided she wants the stock ROM instead so I decided to download the androidforums.com/metropcs-galaxy-s4-all-things-root/783769-rom-recovery-flash-able-stock-m919nuvuamf2-rooted-deodexed-rom.html ROM.
I flashed the newly downloaded ROM + gapps (same file). This time, I couldn't get the gapps to work probably because it was meant for another version. So I decided to just restore from the backup I created earlier.
So, the usual stuff. Wipe. Restore. Restart.
Seems to be going smoothly because my wife was happy to see the old ROM she was used to.
Until the phone started to restart on it's own. (It's pretty much downhill from here on out).
At first I thought it was just a random thing that probably would never happen again. I was wrong as it became more frequent as days went by.
Recently I can't just restart the phone, I would have to remove the battery and then restart it. Now, it's getting really hard to restart the phone. Please help me fix this. I prefer to leave the phone rooted, but if the fix unroots the phone then so be it, anyway my wife prefers the stock ROM so only the unlocking was necessary.
Metro PCS Samsung Galaxy S4 M919N
Recovery:
TWRP 2.6.3.1
ROMs:
Stock Metro PCS
CyanogenMod 10.2.1
Let me know if you need more information from me. Hopefully I can restart the phone so I can give you some version numbers.
Thanks everyone!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree with Elesbb. If the goal is jus tto get back to stock, just do an odin flash of the stock ROM. Be advised if you flash the latest Kit Kay update you will nto be able to go back to Jelly Bean. From your post it seems like you are partial to Jelly Bean. So if that's what you want, but sure you use the stock 4.3 ROM. You can find it around here on XDA somewhere with a quick search to make sure you have the right one.
As Elesbb said, you won't loose the 'sim unlock'. But you will lose root. However you can root the stock ROM just fine.
You might also consider one of the myriad of TouchWiz based custom ROMs. They are look just like TouchWiz that your wife wants, but have a lot of optimizations and options in them. Those should flash just like any ROM. If you still get the reboot issue then do the Odin back to stock, reroot, then flash the custom TW roms.
---------- Post added at 12:46 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:45 PM ----------

Thread cleaned.
Rather than bashing a ROM or user let's keep on topic and help the OP resolved the problems he's having. Arguing over the virtues of a ROM doesn't help anyone.
Thank you,
Rwilco12

Before posting this thread I sent the aforementioned guide's poster (arocker). He sent me a reply saying not to use gapps as the stock ROM for Metro PCS already comes with Google apps. I'll try his suggestion first and see if the phone still reboots a lot.
If the problem persists, I will try the solutions mentioned here. Thanks a lot!

elesbb said:
I didn't read everything but just wanted to say
VERY GOOD THREAD!
this is how threads should be done. Very descriptive, organized, told us everything you did and asked for help! Good job man! Only negative is it prolly should have gone in Q&A section but irregardless very good thread!
About your issue, I recommend flashing stock Odin tar file to everything back to stock and reroot and start over. Flashing stock will not lock it again it will remain unlocked. But should get you back up and fresh. Just be aware it will erase all your data and all of the internal SD card.
Sent from my SGH-M919 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
After trying arocker's suggestion to not flash gapps, the phone still reboots. So now, I am going to try your solution guys.
But before I do, I want to make sure that I am on the correct paths/links.
Here's what I found for the following:
ODIN
forum.xda-developers.com/galaxy-s3/themes-apps/27-08-2013-odin-3-09-odin-1-85-versions-t2189539
I've had a couple of chances to use ODIN but only using specific functions like flashing a recovery file while the phone is in download mode. I don't however have any experience using ODIN to put the phone back to stock where the phone gets unrooted. Having the phone unrooted is fine by me as I only needed to have the phone unlocked.
Any step-by-step guides for using ODIN for this specific purpose guys? I don't want to mess this up again.
Thanks and sorry for the trouble.

dokgu said:
After trying arocker's suggestion to not flash gapps, the phone still reboots. So now, I am going to try your solution guys.
But before I do, I want to make sure that I am on the correct paths/links.
Here's what I found for the following:
ODIN
forum.xda-developers.com/galaxy-s3/themes-apps/27-08-2013-odin-3-09-odin-1-85-versions-t2189539
I've had a couple of chances to use ODIN but only using specific functions like flashing a recovery file while the phone is in download mode. I don't however have any experience using ODIN to put the phone back to stock where the phone gets unrooted. Having the phone unrooted is fine by me as I only needed to have the phone unlocked.
Any step-by-step guides for using ODIN for this specific purpose guys? I don't want to mess this up again.
Thanks and sorry for the trouble.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No trouble at all, check out the stickies in the beginning of threads.
Look for guides similar to this.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2335109
Pp. Good luck.
sent from my bluetooth controlled toaster.

PanchoPlanet said:
No trouble at all, check out the stickies in the beginning of threads.
Look for guides similar to this.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2335109
Pp. Good luck.
sent from my bluetooth controlled toaster.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hello PanchoPlanet,
Thanks for the link. I went ahead and tried to unroot without Windows (Mobile Odin) as per the instructions on the link. I downloaded everything and went ahead to install the Mobile Odin APK. When I ran it to install the Flash Kernel, the app told me that the device is not supported.
To my understanding the guide is for M919 devices but should work for my wife's device as well (M919N - Metro PCS). I would like to try the guide for using Windows but I'm not really expecting for it to work or I might mess it up more. I'll try to search some more and provide the links where this forum will lead me to. But if you have any ideas, please let me know asap. Thanks!

PanchoPlanet said:
No trouble at all, check out the stickies in the beginning of threads.
Look for guides similar to this.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2335109
Pp. Good luck.
sent from my bluetooth controlled toaster.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok, here's what I found:
forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2446497
It seems like the perfect thread for what I am trying to achieve. Will let you guys know if it is successful. But it will have to wait for tomorrow. Gonna catch some sleep.

Okay, I'm running out of options. I was able to flash the stock ROM using Odin 3.07. The recovery looks like it came back to the stock recovery as I no longer have TWRP installed. When I install Root Checker, I see that I am no longer rooted. That's good.
But my original problem is still here. The phone reboots a lot. The phone is so unstable that it is barely usable.
I am now going to try one more thing.
I have a Galaxy S4 (I337M) from Rogers Canada (my wife has Metro PCS M919N). Mine got rooted and has CyanogenMod 10.2.1 as a custom ROM. My phone is working perfectly while hers reboots a lot. I was thinking it was because of a faulty battery. So I am doing an experiment by swapping the batteries. So far no reboots have occurred, but I will continue to monitor this.
Any ideas why the battery is kinda messed up?

This thread talks about battery stuff and reboots:
http://au.ibtimes.com/articles/530338/20131216/samsung-galaxy-s4-problems.htm
Batteries can go bad a lot of ways. Extreme temperature, factory defect, phone drops, moisture, etc.
Sent from my SGH-M919 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app

Android_Monsters said:
This thread talks about battery stuff and reboots:
http://au.ibtimes.com/articles/530338/20131216/samsung-galaxy-s4-problems.htm
Batteries can go bad a lot of ways. Extreme temperature, factory defect, phone drops, moisture, etc.
Sent from my SGH-M919 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
And 100% of the time, they eventually just get old.

dokgu said:
Okay, I'm running out of options. I was able to flash the stock ROM using Odin 3.07. The recovery looks like it came back to the stock recovery as I no longer have TWRP installed. When I install Root Checker, I see that I am no longer rooted. That's good.
But my original problem is still here. The phone reboots a lot. The phone is so unstable that it is barely usable.
I am now going to try one more thing.
I have a Galaxy S4 (I337M) from Rogers Canada (my wife has Metro PCS M919N). Mine got rooted and has CyanogenMod 10.2.1 as a custom ROM. My phone is working perfectly while hers reboots a lot. I was thinking it was because of a faulty battery. So I am doing an experiment by swapping the batteries. So far no reboots have occurred, but I will continue to monitor this.
Any ideas why the battery is kinda messed up?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's a wierd situation, by swapping batteries you basically performed a battery pull, which acts as a reset, that in it self may have cleared your issue.
Now if battery is bad that could be an unusual problem. Maybe just replacing the battery will be the end of your mystery.
Pp.
sent from my P5113 using TouchPal mind control keyboard. (Beta)

The battery should be brand new as the phone was just recently purchased this April.
Anyways, so far no reboots have happened and any instability has not been shown at all. Everything looks ok, yet.
Anyone know if it is safe to swap batteries? Our phones have different S4 models. I'm not sure what the implications would be. Also what is this battery pull which acts as a reset? We've been pulling the battery a lot of times but the reboot still happens but not when we swapped batteries.

The batteries are all the same. Don't worry about that.
Even if its a new battery if could have just been bad. A manufacturing defect perhaps.
Sent from your phone. You should be more careful where you leave that thing.

dokgu said:
The battery should be brand new as the phone was just recently purchased this April.
Anyways, so far no reboots have happened and any instability has not been shown at all. Everything looks ok, yet.
Anyone know if it is safe to swap batteries? Our phones have different S4 models. I'm not sure what the implications would be. Also what is this battery pull which acts as a reset? We've been pulling the battery a lot of times but the reboot still happens but not when we swapped batteries.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This battery thing is wacky, anyway swapping batteries should not be a problem, it's just an energy storage container. Pulling the battery isn't like powering down the phone or resetting/rebooting ,sometimes devs request a battery pull to get the proper wipe effect that reboots can't provide.
You inadvertently solved your problem by accident. That's a good thing.
Pp.
sent from my P5113 using TouchPal mind control keyboard. (Beta)

PanchoPlanet said:
You inadvertently solved your problem by accident. That's a good thing.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have quite literally solved the vast majority of my problems this way.
Its a preferred method.
Sent from your phone. You should be more careful where you leave that thing.

Sometimes it's that "total disconnect "of power that kind of gets all the ducks lined up in a row and everything flows in the dynaflow.
Good.
Pp.
sent from my P5113 using TouchPal mind control keyboard. (Beta)

its very important topics and it might seen for every galaxy s4 users.just wonderful topics.

This exact same thing happened on my mother's 6-month old S3. If you're still wondering, you could try putting the old battery and running a CPU stress test app. It should increase the current draw and trigger a shutdown.
EDIT: whoops, sorry to kind of zombie. Didn't check the date.
Sent from my Galaxy S4