Develop Bugs

Would reinstalling from scratch help with performance?

The last two months my s3 has been performing terribly. I was on custom ROMs for over a year and made the switch back to stock which made my s3 feel like a new phone. But the last two months is a different story. I can't figure out why but things keep stalling and I find myself restarting my phone more often than I would want to
Anyway, I'm wondering whether reinstalling the stock ROM would help any bit
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using Tapatalk

andy_d0 said:
The last two months my s3 has been performing terribly. I was on custom ROMs for over a year and made the switch back to stock which made my s3 feel like a new phone. But the last two months is a different story. I can't figure out why but things keep stalling and I find myself restarting my phone more often than I would want to
Anyway, I'm wondering whether reinstalling the stock ROM would help any bit
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I went to stock 4.3 and it lagged terribly. I tried S3Rx and have fallen in love try it it may fix everything you don't like as it did for me. Look for it in the development section. There are still some things that don't work like bluetooth tethering. Look at it it is buttery smooth for me.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 running S3Rx MJ2 bootloader MJB modem and it is smooth

Ok I'm sold. I'll give it a shot. But, what is with the MJ2 / MJB stuff?

andy_d0 said:
Ok I'm sold. I'll give it a shot. But, what is with the MJ2 / MJB stuff?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The stock / OTA 4.3 comes with the MJB version of bootloader and modem. The earlier leaked version of the Samsung/AT&T 4.3 ROM came with the MJ2 modem and bootloader. As long as you are installing to the correct device, the d2att, there should be no issues with the MJB modem, as long as it is good in your area. Some prefer the MJ2 bootloader over the MJB because the MJB will brick your phone if you try to Odin to an earlier version of stock. Yet some of the well known devs do not have an issue with the MJB bootloader. It is not until the last few days that recovery flashable version of the stock 4.3 became available, enewman17 posted it in the development forum.

dawgdoc said:
The stock / OTA 4.3 comes with the MJB version of bootloader and modem. The earlier leaked version of the Samsung/AT&T 4.3 ROM came with the MJ2 modem and bootloader. As long as you are installing to the correct device, the d2att, there should be no issues with the MJB modem, as long as it is good in your area. Some prefer the MJ2 bootloader over the MJB because the MJB will brick your phone if you try to Odin to an earlier version of stock. Yet some of the well known devs do not have an issue with the MJB bootloader. It is not until the last few days that recovery flashable version of the stock 4.3 became available, enewman17 posted it in the development forum.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ah ok thanks for the info. I just got done installing the ROM and so far so good. Thanks for the recommend!

Flashable (TWRP/CWM) 4.4 NE4 Modem

Does someone have a "flashable" zip for the new 4.4 NE4 modem?

Not a good idea at this point. Unless yours already on NE4 firmware it'll brick.

I'm updated to NE4 and want to flash back to a 4.3 rom. I was able to downgrade but unable to get any signal due to not having NE4.
I just need the NE4 to flash to get signal back but not the whole OTA.
DocHoliday77 said:
Not a good idea at this point. Unless yours already on NE4 firmware it'll brick.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

Ok. Ill get one posted shortly if someone else doesn't get to it first.
---------- Post added at 04:35 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:00 PM ----------
Ok, I just posted this in a Q&A thread as well, so just a quick copy/paste, and...................Here is your modem!
NOTE TO ALL!!!!!!
WARNING!!!
WARNING!!!
WARNING!!!
DO NOT FLASH THIS MODEM UNLESS YOU ARE ALREADY ON THE UCUFNE4 FIRMWARE!!!!! THIS WILL BRICK YOUR DEVICE IF FLASHED ON 4.3 FIRMWARE!!!!!!!
THIS IS ONLY SAFE TO FLASH IF YOU ARE ON 4.4.2, NE4, I747 FIRMWARE AND BOOTLOADER!!!
ATT_GalaxyS3_UCUFNE4_Modem

So let me get this straight. This is for if a person:
Updated via OTA to 4.4.2
Installed TWRP/CWM 4.3 backup
No Wi-Fi after installing the 4.3 backup
This will simply get Wi-Fi working again after restoring a 4.3 backup, after on 4.4.2 OTA?

Thank you so much DocHoliday77! This works if you are on NE4 bootloader
DocHoliday77 said:
Ok. Ill get one posted shortly if someone else doesn't get to it first.
---------- Post added at 04:35 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:00 PM ----------
Ok, I just posted this in a Q&A thread as well, so just a quick copy/paste, and...................Here is your modem!
NOTE TO ALL!!!!!!
WARNING!!!
WARNING!!!
WARNING!!!
DO NOT FLASH THIS MODEM UNLESS YOU ARE ALREADY ON THE UCUFNE4 FIRMWARE!!!!! THIS WILL BRICK YOUR DEVICE IF FLASHED ON 4.3 FIRMWARE!!!!!!!
THIS IS ONLY SAFE TO FLASH IF YOU ARE ON 4.4.2, NE4, I747 FIRMWARE AND BOOTLOADER!!!
ATT_GalaxyS3_UCUFNE4_Modem
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

plastic_green_head said:
So let me get this straight. This is for if a person:
Updated via OTA to 4.4.2
Installed TWRP/CWM 4.3 backup
No Wi-Fi after installing the 4.3 backup
This will simply get Wi-Fi working again after restoring a 4.3 backup, after on 4.4.2 OTA?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No it most likely won't fix WiFi, this is only for if you flashed the 4.3 modem as instructed in many 4.3 Rom threads, after having updated to the 4.4.2 firmware.
I believe the wifi issues you are referring to are kernel related. If on a 4.3 rom, flash the MJ2 kernel to fix.

Yeah Wifi is kernel issue. I've had to use the Ktoonez 4.3 kernel if I'm running a 4.3 ROM after updating to the NE4 bootloader.
DocHoliday77 said:
No it most likely won't fix WiFi, this is only for if you flashed the 4.3 modem as instructed in many 4.3 Rom threads, after having updated to the 4.4.2 firmware.
I believe the wifi issues you are referring to are kernel related. If on a 4.3 rom, flash the MJ2 kernel to fix.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

Mj2 and mjb kernels work for 4.3 too.
Sent from my SGH-I747 running TW4.4.2 TMS3KK

DocHoliday77 said:
No it most likely won't fix WiFi, this is only for if you flashed the 4.3 modem as instructed in many 4.3 Rom threads, after having updated to the 4.4.2 firmware.
I believe the wifi issues you are referring to are kernel related. If on a 4.3 rom, flash the MJ2 kernel to fix.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
so I'm currently on 4.4 NE4 bootloader and on an AOSP rom(AOSPA), will I be able to flash 4.3 kernel to fix wifi? I remembered some roms mentioned that 4.4 aosp rom only accept 7/1/14 and up kernels.. but forgot which

The kernel will have to match the rom. So if you're on a 4.4 rom, you'll need the kernel to be the same. Also, aosp/cm kernels are not compatible with touchwiz and vice versa. The MJ2 kernel fix I mentioned previously is only for 4.3 touchwiz roms. Im not sure about what you'd need to do for aosp though.

DocHoliday77 said:
The kernel will have to match the rom. So if you're on a 4.4 rom, you'll need the kernel to be the same. Also, aosp/cm kernels are not compatible with touchwiz and vice versa. The MJ2 kernel fix I mentioned previously is only for 4.3 touchwiz roms. Im not sure about what you'd need to do for aosp though.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i've pretty much tried all the 4.4.x kernels and none of them seem to work :3

Probably best to ask in the thread you got your rom in then. I dont use non touchwiz roms so im not well versed with them and their requirements.
Generally, you should use the kernel included or recommended with the rom for troubleshooting.

DocHoliday77 said:
Probably best to ask in the thread you got your rom in then. I dont use non touchwiz roms so im not well versed with them and their requirements.
Generally, you should use the kernel included or recommended with the rom for troubleshooting.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yeah i know that, but thing is when i flashed the TW 4.4.2 from my previous post, the problem already showed up, I couldn't turn on wifi at all.
which happened to me before in the past and when i flash an AOSP rom, it fixed, so that was what i did, but just that this time it didn't work
and what pain me is that going back to stock will reset everything again...

rishidhar said:
I'm updated to NE4 and want to flash back to a 4.3 rom. I was able to downgrade but unable to get any signal due to not having NE4.
I just need the NE4 to flash to get signal back but not the whole OTA.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
did you manage to fix signal? im in the same boat and failed to flash NE4 (( i dont have a baseband and no modem will flash

Yep. Once you update to NE4 then you have to use NE4 modem from then on because the NE4 bootloader will enforce that.
Post #4 on this thread by DocHoliday77 provides a flashable NE4 modem zip that you can flash though CWM or TWRP and get your signal back.
Even if you use a 4.3 rom once you have tried or updated to NE4 bootloader, always flash NE4 modem.
NE4 Flashable Modem - Thanks DocHoliday77!
Rishi
smallyetzon said:
did you manage to fix signal? im in the same boat and failed to flash NE4 (( i dont have a baseband and no modem will flash
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

I understand that this is an old thread, but I have recently pulled out my old S3 and see I am on FW Ver. I747UCUEMJB. I have seen the new lollipop roms for the S3 and they suggest flashing the NE4 modem/bootloader. Is this now safe to do? If not how would I go about upgrading my bootloader/modem?

Stupid question here but ... I'm already on NE4 but I Got the phone from a stranger. It works 100% but I don't know if anything was dine and put back or antrhiing. Its absolutely on NE 4. Can I reflash this in Odin without additional risk of bricking the device? I put lollipop on it and would miss it terribly

reverting to 4.1.1

i have the s3 att on a 4.4.4 CROM. the baseband says ...LK3. can i use any guide using odin to go back to 4.1.1 stock unrooted and then use OTA updates to get the latest baseband/bootloader/modem? just want to make sure before i do it. i hear this is the safest way and i want to make sure i have met the requirements before i do it so i dont end up having a brick! (not sure if it matters but i have never used OTA updates before)
thanks in advance.

Is your bootloader also the lk3? If the modem and bootloader are lk3, you can use Odin to flash back to stock using firmware from sammobile.com.

Ok, I'm on a similar boat. I tried several AOSP based ROMs, and while I like most of them a lot more than stock touchwiz, they all present the same problems:
- Camera stops working sometimes and I have to reboot device;
- Camera won't record videos in 1080p, even when it's selected in the settings;
- Cannot make video calls on Skype longer than 5 seconds before the call drops;
- Disconnecting a bluetooth media device while music is streaming causes sounds to stop working;
- Tap to pay doesn't work at all;
So because of these problems, I want to go back to stock . My phone is the AT&T version. Currently I'm running Carbon Rom with KitKat 444. The baseband version is I747UCUFNJ1. The latest version of the stock ROM available on sammobile is:
Version: Android 4.1.1
PDA: I747UCDLK3
CSC: I747ATTDLK3
MODEM: I747UCDLK3
Would I be able to revert my phone back to stock with Odin? If not, what would I have to do to revert? Am I stuck with custom ROMs?
I'm pretty new to this so I'd appreciate anybody's help.

If your bootloader and modem is the lk3, you should be able to Odin back to stock 4.1.1.

Ok, how do I find out if they are? And if they are not, do I have any other options?

Download and install the Samsung Info App from the Playstore. Report back here with your bootloader and modem.

audit13 said:
Download and install the Samsung Info App from the Playstore. Report back here with your bootloader and modem.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok, according to the Phone INFO *Samsung* app:
Baseband Version:
I747UCUFNJ1
Bootloader Version:
I747UCUFNJ1
There was no other modem info reported besides this
Modem Board:
MSM8960

someone correct me if i'm wrong.you cannot downgrade bootloader or it will brick. there is no stock rom for NJ1. this link will take you to a stock based 4.4.2 ROM which is safe to flash with the NJ1 bootloader/modem.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2848080
"all i can really do , is stay out of my own way and let the will of heaven be done"

mrrocketdog said:
someone correct me if i'm wrong.you cannot downgrade bootloader or it will brick. there is no stock rom for NJ1. this link will take you to a stock based 4.4.2 ROM which is safe to flash with the NJ1 bootloader/modem.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2848080
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, that's a bummer if I can't restore stock rom to the phone. So there is absolutely no way of safely downgrading the booatloader?

nope. it will brick your phone if you try to downgrade your bootloader.
"all i can really do , is stay out of my own way and let the will of heaven be done"

Have you tried CM-11-based or TW-based ROMs?

mrrocketdog said:
someone correct me if i'm wrong.you cannot downgrade bootloader or it will brick. there is no stock rom for NJ1. this link will take you to a stock based 4.4.2 ROM which is safe to flash with the NJ1 bootloader/modem.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2848080
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I tried to push that ROM the phone using adb to flash it with ClockWorkMod, but the file is 1.7 GB and the phone always shuts itself down during the push process... So I wasn't able to try that. Also, the instructions say you're supposed to be on UCUFNE4. Are you sure it's safe to flash it on I747UCUFNJ1?
audit13 said:
Have you tried CM-11-based or TW-based ROMs?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have tried CM11 and Carbon ROM, which is CM based, both have all the same problems. I haven't tried TW-based ROMS. Do you have any suggestions?

What do you mean by the phone shuts down? Did you try copying the ROM to a microSD card?
Did you notice any bootloader or modem files in the S3Rx 4.0 (11-9-14) ROM? It may not include a modem or bootloader. In step 1 of the flash process, it says "AT&T I747 users should update bootloaders and modem to NE4 http://forum.xda-developers.com/gala...pdate-t2808654 I747M and T999 users need to be on 4.3 firmware or ROM will not boot. "

the link i posted is TW. post #1306 claims is o.k. to flash with UFNJ1.
did not see any mention of bootloader or modem in changelog or in list of 'extra' features.
"all i can really do , is stay out of my own way and let the will of heaven be done"

audit13 said:
What do you mean by the phone shuts down? Did you try copying the ROM to a microSD card?
Did you notice any bootloader or modem files in the S3Rx 4.0 (11-9-14) ROM? It may not include a modem or bootloader. In step 1 of the flash process, it says "AT&T I747 users should update bootloaders and modem to NE4 http://forum.xda-developers.com/gala...pdate-t2808654 I747M and T999 users need to be on 4.3 firmware or ROM will not boot. "
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I reboot the phone in ClockWorkMod recovery. Then I go to the command prompt and type:
Code:
adb push S3Rx_UCUFNE4_AROMA_11-9-14.zip /sdcard/
It starts pushing the file to the phone, but after a while, the phone screen goes black, and I get a "Protocol failure" on the command prompt. After this the power button no longer works, I have to do a battery pull for the phone to work again. The phone has 10 GB of storage left so it didn't run out of space. The USB chord is brand new so I don't think it's that either. It worked fine before when I pushed other smaller roms.
In another question, would this process allow me to downgrade the modem and restore stock rom?
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1831898

i am pretty sure that since youre on MJ1 , your bootloader and modem have to match.
"all i can really do , is stay out of my own way and let the will of heaven be done"

Did you try flashing the card from an external microSD card?
AT&T never released a stock ROM for the i747 beyond 4.1.1 afaik; therefore, you cannot get back to stock unless you flash an OTA ROM that has been compiled for flashing in Odin.
I do not recommend mixing and matching bootloaders and modems as a mismatch may result in a hard brick.
Downgrading only the modem will not allow you to flash back to stock.

audit13 said:
Did you try flashing the card from an external microSD card?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I haven't tried flashing from external microSD card as I don't have one.
audit13 said:
AT&T never released a stock ROM for the i747 beyond 4.1.1 afaik; therefore, you cannot get back to stock unless you flash an OTA ROM that has been compiled for flashing in Odin.
I do not recommend mixing and matching bootloaders and modems as a mismatch may result in a hard brick.
Downgrading only the modem will not allow you to flash back to stock.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So you're basically telling me I'm stuck with custom roms unless I find a 4.4.2 OTA ROM I can flash with Odin (which doesn't appear to exist)?
---------- Post added at 05:24 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:01 PM ----------
Would it be safe to try this:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2788357
Even though I'm on I747UCUFNJ1 and not on I747UCUFNE4?

Once you upgrade to the 4.3 or newer bootloader on the i747, you are stuck with either custom ROMs or OTA ROMs that have been compiled for flashing in Odin or CWM/TWRP.
You can try flashing the NE4 ROM because it doesn't appear to include a bootloader or modem. The first post says "Prerequisites include a minimum of a 4.3 bootloader and modem.
If you are not on the official 4.4.2 bootloaders and modem then you will need to flash ktoonsez kernel."

Thanks audit13 and mrrocketdog for all the help. I was able to get the AROMA rom installed on the phone. All functionalities lost with AOSP ROMs are back working so that's a plus. Still can't get updates OTA updates but this phone is probably not gonna have any new ones. Still hopeful that lolipop based AOSP ROMs fix the problems I had, but I'm not holding my breath.

[Q] Upgrading baseband version

I'm using SlimKat 4.4.4, yet my phone's baseband version is 4.1.1 (I747UCDLK3). I'm looking to upgrade my baseband version to 4.4.2 due to some issues.
Can I upgrade straight from 4.1.1 to 4.4.2?
Or do I need to upgrade to 4.1.2 -> 4.3 -> 4.4.2? If this is the case, I have one concern. There are many footnotes saying if you downgrade from 4.4.2 to a lower version, you will brick your phone. These footnotes don't specifically say whether they're talking about OS version or baseband version. Is it safe for me to upgrade to 4.1.2 -> 4.3 -> 4.4.2 with a 4.4.2 ROM? Is it safe for me to flash a 4.1.1 stock ROM?
Any help appreciated. Thanks!

scripte said:
I'm using SlimKat 4.4.4, yet my phone's baseband version is 4.1.1 (I747UCDLK3). I'm looking to upgrade my baseband version to 4.4.2 due to some issues.
Can I upgrade straight from 4.1.1 to 4.4.2?
Or do I need to upgrade to 4.1.2 -> 4.3 -> 4.4.2? If this is the case, I have one concern. There are many footnotes saying if you downgrade from 4.4.2 to a lower version, you will brick your phone. These footnotes don't specifically say whether they're talking about OS version or baseband version. Is it safe for me to upgrade to 4.1.2 -> 4.3 -> 4.4.2 with a 4.4.2 ROM? Is it safe for me to flash a 4.1.1 stock ROM?
Any help appreciated. Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
first if wanted , i would get the free unlock sim code (am pretty sure is available on 4.1.1).
all i have ever read says to do the incremental updates (safest).; which i believe you can do OTA ; or flash thru recovery.
yes , you will most surely brick your phone if you try to downgrade bootloader from 4.4.2.
AND you want to keep bootloader and baseband at the same version. upgrade one then upgrade the other.
if your already on 4.1.1 , then yes flash away the stock 4.1.1 rom ; if youre talking about after you upgrade to 4.4.2 then the 4.1.1 may not flash unless you edit the updater script (think thats what its called , been awhile).
good luck !
"all i can really do , is stay out of my own way and let the will of heaven be done"

scripte said:
I'm using SlimKat 4.4.4, yet my phone's baseband version is 4.1.1 (I747UCDLK3). I'm looking to upgrade my baseband version to 4.4.2 due to some issues.
Can I upgrade straight from 4.1.1 to 4.4.2?
Or do I need to upgrade to 4.1.2 -> 4.3 -> 4.4.2? If this is the case, I have one concern. There are many footnotes saying if you downgrade from 4.4.2 to a lower version, you will brick your phone. These footnotes don't specifically say whether they're talking about OS version or baseband version. Is it safe for me to upgrade to 4.1.2 -> 4.3 -> 4.4.2 with a 4.4.2 ROM? Is it safe for me to flash a 4.1.1 stock ROM?
Any help appreciated. Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is an I747, right? I think the I747M had LK3 firmware too. If you happen to be on an I747M don't flash any of the I747 specific stuff below, or you'll probably brick your phone.
Since you're still on the old firmware it might be a good idea to carrier unlock your phone if you haven't already done it. You'll lose that ability if you update.
To update to 4.4.2 firmware you can go two ways. You can Odin back to unrooted stock and you should start receiving OTA updates. They will be incremental and they'll come about 24 hours apart, or you can set your system time ahead a day to cheat that. Eventually you'll get up to the 4.4.2 firmware. NE4 is 4.4.2, but NJ1 is the most recent. This is probably the safest way, but it will be somewhat slower. Those OTA's are full firmware packages so they're big downloads.
Or you can flash bootloader/modem only upgrades in custom recovery. Enewman17 has posted everything you need to get an I747 up to date to XDA. I flashed all these while running the Slimkat stable 9 ROM to get my I747 from LK3 up to NJ1. This has to be done incrementally and you have to boot successfully into your ROM in between each firmware flash. You can't jump from the 4.1.1 bootloader to the 4.4.2 bootloader. First flash the MJB firmware update linked to this thread then reboot into your ROM. Next flash the NE4 firmware zip also linked to that thread and then reboot into your ROM. You're on 4.4.2 firmware at this point, but if you want to be on the newest bootloader and modem then flash the NJ1 zip attached to this thread. If you go this route be sure you read enewman's posts very carefully and understand exactly what you're doing because fiddling with the bootloader and modem is the #1 way to hard brick this phone.
For the most part you can flash any ROM you want no matter what firmware you're on as long as it is intended for I747. You might find that your wifi won't work or your modem doesn't work or maybe it just bootloops if you get on a ROM that wasn't intended for the bootloader/modem currently on your phone, but you can still boot up into recovery and restore a backup or flash another ROM and get out of that. What you have to be very, very careful with is the bootloaders since Knox was introduced, that's MJB, NE4, and NJ1. Those bootloaders cannot ever be downgraded; don't try it. You'll hard brick and it is pretty hard to recover from. Its also for the best to keep your bootloader and modem matched on this newer firmware; the OTA method or the zips linked to the threads above will do that. Custom ROMs that are AOSP/CM based won't ever mess with your bootloader and modem. They're just a system image and a kernel. What you have to be really careful with is Odin, those are usually full firmware packages. AT&T hasn't allowed a stock image beyond 4.1.1 to be released for the I747, so once you're on the newer bootloaders there is no more option to Odin back to stock.
Good luck.

Question on upgrading bootloader and modem on i747

I currently have bootloader and radio at version I747UCUEMJB that I would like to upgrade all the way to I747UCUFNJ2.
Can I do a jump from MJB straight to NJ2 or I would need to upgrade sequentially ie MJB->NE4->NJ2?
Also, I found this website: http://androidromupdate.com/att-samsung-galaxy-s3-sgh-i747-odin-stock-firmware/ and it has the links to the NE2 and NJ2 firwares, however, the file's size is about 900MB. Does modem and bootloader really need 900MB or is the file actually bundling everything together ie modem+bootloader+ROM = 900MB?
If latter, where can I find working links that only offer the modem and a bootloader to be flashed?
Thanks!!

The safest way would be to use Odin to flash this full NE4 firmware update. Once you're up on stock NE4, you can take OTA updates. You'll go from NE4 -> NJ1 -> NJ2.
enewman17 has posted everything you need to update manually linked to this thread. If you go this route, read that thread carefully, then read it again and make certain you understand it. You have to update sequentially MJB -> NE4 -> NJ1 -> NJ2, and you have to reboot into system between every firmware update. Be super careful if you go this route. This phone is easy to hard brick when messing with bootloader and modem.

@jason2678,
Thanks for a reply. I was using this site: http://androidromupdate.com/att-samsung-galaxy-s3-sgh-i747-odin-stock-firmware/ as my main software source and the available android software goes straight from NE4 to NJ2. So just to double confirm, I can not make a jump from NE4 straight to NJ2, correct?
I tried to do OTA while on NE4, but I do not get any update push notifications. It says all of my software is up to date.
jason2678 said:
The safest way would be to use Odin to flash this full NE4 firmware update. Once you're up on stock NE4, you can take OTA updates. You'll go from NE4 -> NJ1 -> NJ2.
enewman17 has posted everything you need to update manually linked to this thread. If you go this route, read that thread carefully, then read it again and make certain you understand it. You have to update sequentially MJB -> NE4 -> NJ1 -> NJ2, and you have to reboot into system between every firmware update. Be super careful if you go this route. This phone is easy to hard brick when messing with bootloader and modem.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

user-747 said:
@jason2678,
Thanks for a reply. I was using this site: http://androidromupdate.com/att-samsung-galaxy-s3-sgh-i747-odin-stock-firmware/ as my main software source and the available android software goes straight from NE4 to NJ2. So just to double confirm, I can not make a jump from NE4 straight to NJ2, correct?
I tried to do OTA while on NE4, but I do not get any update push notifications. It says all of my software is up to date.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, don't try to go straight from NE4 to NJ2. It needs to go NE4 -> NJ1 -> NJ2; the firmware order is in the bottom of enewman17's first post in his firmware thread.. Update the firmware sequentially, and do a full reboot into system in between each firmware update.
The full reboot part is faster if you are using a custom rom as you update because if you try to update firmware without updating a Touchwiz rom it probably won't boot.

I think I start to understand.
updates NE4->NJ1 and NJ1->NJ2 are not updating everything in the Android. Those are just some *incremental* feature enhancements to various facets of OS, bootloaders and modems; hence, it now makes sense why their size is so small.
Q. Does this mean I will not lose any personal settings/apps/etc in my already configured OR it resets and I will have to re-install the apps?
Also, can I use Android's recovery (Volume UP + Home) instead of suggested TWRP or CWM? is there a reason why we should do it through custom recovery?
Lastly, I read somewhere that both modem and bootloader must be of the same version. When I do 'adb bugreport', I get
Build fingerprint: 'samsung/d2uc/d2att:4.4.2/KOT49H/I747UCUFNE4:user/release-keys'
Bootloader: I747UCUFNE4
Radio: msm
However when I use PhoneInfo app, I get
Bootloader Version: I747UCUFNE4
PDA Version: I747UCUFNE4
CSC Version: I747UCUFNE4
Baseband Version: I747UCUFNE4
Latest Firmware: N/A
Q. What is Phone: msm? I thought Phone should be equal to I747UCUFNE4 as well.
Can I or can I not proceed with an installation of the NJ1 given my current spec?
Also, some random questions:
1) Will my present OS work with NJ1 or NJ2 ( I am currently on NE4) or do I need to update the OS as well?
2) if I need to also install the NJ1 ROM,
will I need flash bootloader first, reboot into NE4 OS, reboot again into recovery and install NJ1 ROM
OR
I have to install bootloader and ROM, all at the same time within the recovery without any reboots?
Thanks!
jason2678 said:
No, don't try to go straight from NE4 to NJ2. It needs to go NE4 -> NJ1 -> NJ2; the firmware order is in the bottom of enewman17's first post in his firmware thread.. Update the firmware sequentially, and do a full reboot into system in between each firmware update.
The full reboot part is faster if you are using a custom rom as you update because if you try to update firmware without updating a Touchwiz rom it probably won't boot.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

user-747 said:
Q. Does this mean I will not lose any personal settings/apps/etc in my already configured OR it resets and I will have to re-install the apps?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you're running a stock rom, you need to reflash it at each step. With stock roms, you need to use the NE4 rom on the NE4 modem, the NJ1 rom with the NJ1 modem, etc. If you don't update the rom too, then it might not boot if the rom doesn't match the modem. Even if it does boot up, you'll likely have problems like wifi not turning on. I'm not sure if you can "dirty flash" those rom zips without wiping (and keep settings and app data), or if that will fail to boot. I'd search the enewman thread for help on that. When I used these I was running CM 12.1, so I didn't have to mess with the rom. Custom roms are more flexible than stock roms in what bootloader/modem they'll work right on.
user-747 said:
However when I use PhoneInfo app, I get
Bootloader Version: I747UCUFNE4
PDA Version: I747UCUFNE4
CSC Version: I747UCUFNE4
Baseband Version: I747UCUFNE4
Latest Firmware: N/A
Q. What is Phone: msm? I thought Phone should be equal to I747UCUFNE4 as well.
Can I or can I not proceed with an installation of the NJ1 given my current spec?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sounds to me like you're on the NE4 bootloader, modem, and rom. You can confirm by entering this in an adb shell or a terminal app:
Code:
getprop ro.bootloader
getprop gsm.version.baseband
user-747 said:
Also, some random questions:
1) Will my present OS work with NJ1 or NJ2 ( I am currently on NE4) or do I need to update the OS as well?
2) if I need to also install the NJ1 ROM,
will I need flash bootloader first, reboot into NE4 OS, reboot again into recovery and install NJ1 ROM
OR
I have to install bootloader and ROM, all at the same time within the recovery without any reboots?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nope, an NE4 rom might not boot on NJ1/2 firmware, and even if it does boot up something will be screwed up like wifi not turning on or no mobile data. To make it easier I'd just flash LOS or OctOs before messing with bootloader/modem. LOS 14 should boot on any kitkat bootloader/modem (NE4, NJ1, or NJ2).
Touchwiz roms can be finicky about booting up sometimes, first boot will last 10 - 20 minutes on a new rom, and you don't want boot to fail in between these bootloader/modem flashes. To keep it simple and faster, I'd just run a custom rom like LOS while you're updating even if you go back to stock NJ2 once you're done and everything is up to date.

@jason2678,
Thanks for your reply with the details and adb how-tos. Adb confirmed that both my bootloader and modem are indeed I747UCUFNE4. Not too long ago I flashed NE4 (CP, AP, BL, CSC) via Odin and it was very encouraging to see the same results via adb.
From what I gather, all in all, the amount of risk/benefit ratio is quite high in the context of moving from NE4 to NJ1.
Yeah, I was on LOS14 before and it was very extremely choppy on my i747. OctOs was much smoother but the dialer would not open up and image processing (photo viewing) was not very good. So that is why I flashed everything to stock NE4.
Few more questions..
I see the link for the rooted NJ1 rom, but are there unrooted NJ1 Roms available or do I have to unroot myself?
If I decide to proceed to NJ1, do I install BL/CP and ROM at the same time or I install CP/BL first, reboot and then ROM?
I see that there are two flavors of NJ1 BL/CP. One is 68MB and the other is 19MB. Which one do I use?
Thanks,

user-747 said:
Few more questions..
I see the link for the rooted NJ1 rom, but are there unrooted NJ1 Roms available or do I have to unroot myself?
If I decide to proceed to NJ1, do I install BL/CP and ROM at the same time or I install CP/BL first, reboot and then ROM?
I see that there are two flavors of NJ1 BL/CP. One is 68MB and the other is 19MB. Which one do I use?
Thanks,
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry, I'm entirely certain how to go about flashing those bootloader/modem combos with stock ROMs. Those details might be covered in enewman's thread. If I had to do it, I'd just flash OctOs and set it up first, so the reboots would be quicker and it would work with any of the modems.
I flashed that nj1 rom once. It's not actually pre-rooted. It asks if you want to root after it flashes system, so you can choose not to root it.
I don't know why there would be two different nj1's. Maybe one is just the modem and the other is bootloader and modem? I'd pick the one with both bundled. You always want them to match on this phone on the firmware with Knox. Only flash stuff enewman packaged. He's the man for i747 firmware.

Yes, for for sure - I want to use only enewman's packages. The thing is: in his post at https://forum.xda-developers.com/galaxy-s3-att/general/ucufne4-to-ucufnj1-update-t2941792
he lists two NJ1 bootloader/modem files from what I can understand.
1) 68MB https://www.androidfilehost.com/?fid=95784891001611091
2) 19MB https://www.androidfilehost.com/?fid=95832962473396872
Still trying to figure out which one to use...
jason2678 said:
Sorry, I'm entirely certain how to go about flashing those bootloader/modem combos with stock ROMs. Those details might be covered in enewman's thread. If I had to do it, I'd just flash OctOs and set it up first, so the reboots would be quicker and it would work with any of the modems.
I flashed that nj1 rom once. It's not actually pre-rooted. It asks if you want to root after it flashes system, so you can choose not to root it.
I don't know why there would be two different nj1's. Maybe one is just the modem and the other is bootloader and modem? I'd pick the one with both bundled. You always want them to match on this phone on the firmware with Knox. Only flash stuff enewman packaged. He's the man for i747 firmware.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

Pretty sure the 19.8 mb one is the one I used.
https://androidfilehost.com/?fid=95832962473396872

@jason2678,
Thanks!! I will use the 19.8MB one then.
Just burned TWRP over the stock recovery.
Tomorrow I will go to Samsung Experience center over at Best buy. I heard that they bring samsung phones to the most recent available updates. We'll see how that will go. If this route will not lead anywhere, then I will burn NJ1 and NJ2 myself.
jason2678 said:
Pretty sure the 19.8 mb one is the one I used.
https://androidfilehost.com/?fid=95832962473396872
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

So I went to Samsung Experience Center and guess what? My phone got upgraded from Ne4 to Nj2 directly. It took about 15 minutes. So all is working right now and I am happy to have the most recent update. It was really interesting to observe how they do it. After they connected the phone via USB and clicked something on their computer, the phone went directly from GUI into download mode without ever rebooting. I suppose they have some keys that open up a whole range of options on the phone.
The only problem that I discovered, and this has nothing to do with an upgrade, is that kit Kat is missing WebView and Google no longer supports WebView for KitKat for 442. Looking for alternatives now....
Thanks again, @jason2678, for all your help! I learned a ton. Thank you, Samsung Experience Center , for making things so easy for regular folks (who just want to use their up-to-date phone) like myself!!
user-747;76586060 [user=5927992 said:
@jason2678[/user],
Thanks!! I will use the 19.8MB one then.
Just burned TWRP over the stock recovery.
Tomorrow I will go to Samsung Experience center over at Best buy. I heard that they bring samsung phones to the most recent available updates. We'll see how that will go. If this route will not lead anywhere, then I will burn NJ1 and NJ2 myself.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse