Noob here. No longer a virgin after this post. Ok, I have been reading for weeks and have most of the basic understanding down on phone setup and flashing using ROM Manager/CWM but still having issues I can't find answers to so here goes.
Samsung Captivate running 2.2 flashed from ODIN one click. Backed up apps and data using TI backup. I have installed ROM Manager, picked the Dragon ROM to flash and here are my problems.
1. ROM Manager 4.2.0.2 - Pick Flash CWM Recovery- 2.5.1.2, pick captivate, "successfully downloaded CWM Recovery" (did not say "installed" CW Recovery). Where did it download to and how do I install? Its not in My Files. Some of the recovery options are missing when in Sys recovery <3e>and don't look like the options listed in posts.
A. Tried to backup current ROM with RManager - It gave me a stamped file name, said "backed up" within a few seconds but when I click "manage and restore backups" I just get a black screen. Can't find the backed up ROM nor the files listed on one of the posts??? I read it takes several minutes and the copied files scroll. This did not happen.
B. Install ROM from SD card - Everyone has said make sure the ROM is installed in the "root", but exactly which file are we talking about??. No one ever says which file exactly. I use Droid Explorer and there is a file named SD Card, then SD. Which file is the ROM to be installed in? No file called "root". I used SD file and renamed it update.zip. I click "install ROM from SD" then pick SD and the update.zip file, click all three options (B/U ROM, wipe data N cache, dalvik cache then ok. Phone reboots, click reinstall packages, ERROR: E:failed to verify whole file signature - E: signature verification failed, installation aborted.
2. I have read to reinstall 2.1 via ODIN before flashing new ROM's. Trying to flash "Dragon ROM RC7" "Full Flash" which is 2.2.1. Can I not just flash this over 2.2?
I know there is more. I was up till 2 last night and tried to get all issues posted here. Like I said, pretty new to the ROM thing but not a dummy and can follow instructions. Have read a ton but there is sooo much out there. If anyone can help me through this I would be very greatful. Hitting the frustration point real quick now.
Found this: ROM Mgr 4.2.0.2 "Samsung users: You must flash a Clockwork compatible kernel first." This could be one issue. Which kernal? Have not tried to flash any kernals yet. Still reading.
Same issue
I'm having the exact same issue. Tried install and uninstall, no go.
Which part did you have a problem with. I have resolved the CWM issue and the errors I was getting in recovery.
you should youtube a tutorial on how to do this... it will take 10 minutes to explain how to do it all and it would be easier than going back and forth through forum messages. google can be your friend also if you just use it. if you eff it up too bad you can always put your phone back into dl mode and odin it back to stock.
True, Google can be you're best friend but at the same time, I was able to find a detailed fix right on the forum. After another hour or so of searches. Just installed my second ROM yesterday and running great. Chose the Dragon ROM for the Captivate. It's Great!! and I happen to be a fan of Dragons!
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=884364
And for phone specific questions post them in the phones forum, though not in developers forum
i found that rom manager does not work for certain phones, period. i use odin and flash cwm 2.5.1 to my phone while in download mode. then i can use the 3 button combo to get into cwm,oh yeah and dont forget to back up your rom version once in cwm! i then wipe cache (user data) and delvic cache and batt stats. then i go into a folder i created on "root" (which i made on the sd card) i store my roms/kernels themes ect...in this folder i pick which rom to install "please do your homework" make sure u know which rom ect, is right for your phone, or u will have a nice shinny paperweight!!!
ok so, now your in your folder with the rom of choice, flash install from .zip let it install.......takes awhile just be patient. thats about all i can say. took me awhile but its well worth it, i have a way better understanding about everything now. hope it helps, i own the mesmerise and found rom manager is useless for this type of application so ditch it!
IDK if this is ever an issue for new users but When I search I never find the exact thing I wish to know but much close to it.
In all My 16GB phone as of yesterday with no media or installed apps my phone had only 1 GB free and the filesystem was full of folders from old apps. I had installed and uninstalled many apps and flashed many roms, Which I believe left many leftover files. So I was told to format the System Partition and either restore or install a new rom. Since my latest nandroid was ICS based I decided to start fresh (also to clear up as much space I could.
My question now is, I still have many extra files from uninstalled apps. My phone now has 6.8GB of the available 11.8GB according to Windows 7.
So to completely START CLEAN what is the best method? (I will have a nandorid backup and a rom to install both on my pc and on my External SD Card)
Using CWMR,
Format System, Then Format SdCard? Then the Steps Required to install The Specific ROM you will now install.
Is the SdCard partition the usable space? If it is then the System Partition Contains all System Files and leftovers from flashing Roms and Kernels? If that is correct then Is the SdCard Partition basically the Users Space for apps and Media and what Shows up on the PC and The user Directory once Rooted?
Is this The Best way to do it? I have Seen Superwipe although have not found a page specifically about it. I have found versions of the script for many devices. Since their seems to be one available for the Samsung GS3 should i just flash that (I see it on the page for installation of the Xquizit Rom) and on an older post for another device said that it would "wipe /boot /data /system /cache and /devlog" then it says your phone is ready to install the rom (on the page i forget the rom or device it was for).
So to Clean my phone to the point that it is as close to possible as being new and this is the first rom to be installed and the first apps to be installed, when i install apps.
To accomplish this Should I? Use CWMR and manually format the system and the sd card partitions? or use the Superwipe script from the Xquizit Rom page?
Lastly but Most Importantly to use Superwipe do I simply just flash the zip? Also if i do it manually Have i described the correct way to do it?
Last of all Thank you and Sorry Its I just have never done this and as i still haven't even paid off my phone I don't want to Brick this phone at ALL.
Since this post has no reply's but some views that means i either asked a question that either A. has been asked and answered and i have not found it. or B. This is something that is so easy its never really been an issue.
If its A. Could someone be kind and just link to a post, or post the correct search term as I have been unable to find it.
If its B. Then to close this will I have a problem formatting the SD-card the same way I formatted the system partition
Also is their a Superwipe how to? and does it do what i think it does (basically format your hole phone in one easy step by running a script via your recovery mod?
I just don't want to brick this phone when it comes to formatting it just scares me for the first time.
Use the Odin software for a clean install. It wipes partitions, radio's everything. You can choose to intall a rooted Tmo update with Odin so that way you are ready to go. Just flash CWM with Rom manager after using Odin and you are ready to flash any rom you want.
See this thread.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1949687
Go here http://samsung-updates.com/device/?id=SGH-T999
Download: Galaxy S 3 (T-Mobile) SGH-T999 TMB T999UVDLJA Android 4.1.1 20.10.2012 19.10.2012
Then just odin that file and this will reset your phone 100% like you bought it from the store.
Then after that you can re-root your phone, download Titanium Back up and clean up bloatware or simply flash a custom rom.
Crisisx1 said:
Go here http://samsung-updates.com/device/?id=SGH-T999
Download: Galaxy S 3 (T-Mobile) SGH-T999 TMB T999UVDLJA Android 4.1.1 20.10.2012 19.10.2012
Then just odin that file and this will reset your phone 100% like you bought it from the store.
Then after that you can re-root your phone, download Titanium Back up and clean up bloatware or simply flash a custom rom.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Will Odin even replace custom recovery and radio with the stock recovery and radio? Or must that be done manually?
-Sent from my Razr i on AT&T.-
Yes ODIN will replace everything. I suggest using the pre-rooted route66 file for ODIN in Doc's thread I referenced above. It saves a step.
phositadc said:
Will Odin even replace custom recovery and radio with the stock recovery and radio? Or must that be done manually?
-Sent from my Razr i on AT&T.-
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes. Odin will replace everything. You would have a phone just as if you bought it brand new @ a store.
Sent from my SGH-T999 using xda app-developers app
jcbofkc said:
Yes ODIN will replace everything. I suggest using the pre-rooted route66 file for ODIN in Doc's thread I referenced above. It saves a step.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wow good to know so returning to bone factory stock is as simple as running triangle away if necessary and then using Odin to flash stock firmware. Amazing!
-Sent from my GS3 running CM10.-
When the update file downloads then it verifies but when it goes to install, it errors out and stops [see attached image]. There is also mention of Gmail.apk but when I go and look for it, it's not there. I have deleted the file and downloaded several time but wind up with the same result. I have put a copy in the ext sd card and tried from there but it will not install. Any ideas on how to do the upgrade?
Thanks, Dave
Correct me if I'm wrong, but it sounds like you're trying to do an ota when you're rooted (with a custom recovery). This won't work. Please read through this thread by CNexus about otas:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2209418
It should give you everything you need to know.
Sent from my SPH-L710 using xda app-developers app
topherk said:
Correct me if I'm wrong, but it sounds like you're trying to do an ota when you're rooted (with a custom recovery). This won't work. Please read through this thread by CNexus about otas:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2209418
It should give you everything you need to know.
Sent from my SPH-L710 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wow! I went through over 30 pages looking for a step by step and am quite confused as to the proper process. I am currently on 4.1.1 with LJ7 and have downloaded MD4 both DeOdex and Odex plus the MD4 kernal. The only thing I did when I got the phone was root it enough to make the hot spot app work.
JOB Dave said:
Wow! I went through over 30 pages looking for a step by step and am quite confused as to the proper process. I am currently on 4.1.1 with LJ7 and have downloaded MD4 both DeOdex and Odex plus the MD4 kernal. The only thing I did when I got the phone was root it enough to make the hot spot app work.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for reading all of it. Most people would just look at the first page and the last page and say "Oh, it's not there!" That being said, I hope you have a better understanding of what's going on when you get an OTA notification.
Now that's been said, I had written a post on another thread that covers the steps A-Z. I've linked it and quoted it below.
Ok, let's start at the very beginning (it's a very good place to start).
Before we get started, I'm going to make the following assumptions:
You successfully rooted your phone through Odin.
You currently have a custom recovery (either TWRP or CWM).
You have a Rom you'd like to flash on either your internal storage or your SDcard (I'd recommend the SDcard, but that's your prerogative).
If either of the first two is not true, I'd recommend going back to qbking77's thread and check out the videos on how to use Odin to gain root and a custom recovery.
If number 3 above is not true, download a ROM (nor someone new to flashing/custom Roms, I'd recommend Freeza's stock rooted Rom, as it's identical to stock TW, but just with Root). Once you download a Rom, check it's md5sum to verify that it's a good download. Copy the file to your SD card and get ready to flash (make sure you have decent battery life left, I try to keep at least 50% or more when flashing Roms, although it shouldn't take too long.
I'll give directions on how to flash a Rom below. The instructions will be for TWRP, but CWM has similar options/settings
Turn your phone completely off (hold down power for 3-5 seconds)
Boot your phone into recovery. Hold Up, Menu, and Power for a few seconds (until SAMSUNG appears on your screen and the phone vibrates)
Make a Nandroid backup. I can't emphasize this enough. In flashing, it's almost a certainty that one time, something will mess up. When that happens, you want to be able to restore a backup. In TWRP, just go into Backup Menu and choose where you want it (internal vs. External storage). It takes my phone a few (5-10) minutes to completely backup my data.
In TWRP, click the wipe button, then system. This will completely wipe the Rom from your phone. Doing this will allow you to get a "clean" install, without any settings or leftover files from your old Rom getting in the way. Instead, you could only wipe data (factory reset), which is good enough for most Roms. I'd still recommend a system wipe, though.
Also while in the Wipe menu, wipe Cache and Dalvik Cache.
Go back to the TWRP main menu.
Click Install, then find your Rom zip file (may have to switch from internal to external storage).
Let TWRP do it's thing.
If you're installing a TW-based Rom, it should have gapps already installed. If not, you should now flash the correct gapps package from goo.im. Make sure you're flashing the correct one, as if you don't, your google apps will force close upon use.
Reboot into system and give it time to boot (first boot sometimes takes a couple of minutes).
Set up your phone the way you like.
These should be the directions to follow whenever you flash a new Rom. Some Roms have the Aroma installer, so you'll have more options once you choose to flash the Rom zip, but those are typically easy to follow (and vary from Rom to Rom, so I won't be able to give you a good guide on that).
Hope this helps!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
JOB Dave said:
The only thing I did when I got the phone was root it enough to make the hot spot app work.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't think there's a way to be "just a little rooted"
:silly:
Follow topherk's directions to a tee, and you'll be fine.
As a noob, I was scared to death knowing that I was rooted and I was going to get an OTA!
xda-developers has everything you need. The files, the guides, the support from senior members.
Relax and have fun...
---------- Post added at 06:11 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:54 PM ----------
BTW, I flashed freeza's md4 odexd rom (cause a stock sg is odex), the md4 firmware, and the optimized kernel. Flashed (installed) them in that order. Just download them from the site onto your phone, and boot into recovery to flash each. Probably too paranoid, but i rebooted after each flash *just* to be sure). Cleared dalvik cache after installing the rom. Ummm, and ran checksum on my files before I installed them (I use md5 checker app).
Thanks, that got me started. now I have to figure out which rom and kernal I want to install.
ROMs come with kernels already, so if you're unsure ATM, just flash a ROM and then later you can check out kernel switching. Just make sure that the kernel you are flashing is for your ROM version (4.1.2, 4.2.2, etc) and for your type (AOSP, Touchwiz).
Since you are just starting out, I would suggest TPR (The Peoples ROM) or MOAR (Mother of All ROMs). Both in Android Dev section (as opposed to Original Android Dev).
TPR also has AROMA installer, so it lets you pick what apps, kernel, and other goodies you want to flash and basically on-the-spot customization.
Downloaded the file MD4_update_FULL_Odex.zip and followed the instructions above and got zip signature failure, see photo. I am wondering if it worth doing the upgrade.
~Dave
In twrp, under settings, you can uncheck the zip file verification option. Most of the time it gives you that error, even though the zip is fine.
Sent from my SPH-L710 using xda app-developers app
topherk said:
In twrp, under settings, you can uncheck the zip file verification option. Most of the time it gives you that error, even though the zip is fine.
Sent from my SPH-L710 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That worked!! Thanks for all your help.
Am looking at the About screen and the build says I'm on MD4 but the Baseband is still LJ7, do I need to be concerned about that?
JOB Dave said:
That worked!! Thanks for all your help.
Am looking at the About screen and the build says I'm on MD4 but the Baseband is still LJ7, do I need to be concerned about that?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Baseband has to do with what modem/radio you are on. This is independent of your ROM, so the two can be different version numbers.
The modem impacts your mobile data coverage and speeds. What you wanna do (if you wanna find the best modem for your area) is to switch modems and run each one for a week. Then switch. After you've gone through a couple modems, single out the ones that qork best and test those out till hou find the best and/or fastest one for your area and the places you frequent.
What's the best way to update since I can't update with the version that sprint pushed out since I'm rooted. Is it like a hacked version of the update that I can just update with? Yeah I'm a noob at this.
Thanks!
Not sure if your talking about 4.2 which is to my knowledge only with cm 10 or liquidsmooth or aokp most likely or 4.1.2 md4 either case download the appropriate file of your choice and flash from recovery do make sure backup amyways hope that answers your question
Sent from my SPH-L710 using XDA Premium HD app
six3onei said:
What's the best way to update since I can't update with the version that sprint pushed out since I'm rooted. Is it like a hacked version of the update that I can just update with? Yeah I'm a noob at this.
Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think you mean update to 4.1.2. Check your version in settings about device. If it's 4.1.1 go here :
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=586
Sent from my SPH-L710
Cm10.1
Sent from my SPH-L710 using xda app-developers app
Deviant Xone (linked in my sig). Awesome 4.2.2 ROM.
If you're going to any AOSP rom, be sure to update your recovery to the latest!
Also - Create a 0 folder in the root of your internal storage and move all of your files into /sdcard/0 (and I mean everything, files, folders, etc.) When you boot into latest recovery, it'll treat the sdcard/0 as your sdcard root folder. Once you flash an AOSP based rom, it will always use sdcard/0 as the root so if you create the 0 folder prior to flashing, you'll have all of your internal memory accessible.
Overstew said:
If you're going to any AOSP rom, be sure to update your recovery to the latest!
Also - Create a 0 folder in the root of your internal storage and move all of your files into /sdcard/0 (and I mean everything, files, folders, etc.) When you boot into latest recovery, it'll treat the sdcard/0 as your sdcard root folder. Once you flash an AOSP based rom, it will always use sdcard/0 as the root so if you create the 0 folder prior to flashing, you'll have all of your internal memory accessible.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Apparently you can avoid this by updating your recovery....the emulated 0 folder, I mean
Sent from my SPH-L710
Please read forum rules before posting
Questions and help issues go in Q&A
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I'm running stock rom that I rooted... The phone version as of now is 4.1.2... as of 1 week I recieved an over the air update from sprint. I was thinking its 4.2 something maybe? maybe I wrong. I was wondering how could I get that update to install? Would i have to un-root then re-root?
Thanks!
six3onei said:
I'm running stock rom that I rooted... The phone version as of now is 4.1.2... as of 1 week I recieved an over the air update from sprint. I was thinking its 4.2 something maybe? maybe I wrong. I was wondering how could I get that update to install? Would i have to un-root then re-root?
Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hey six3onei,
I'm assuming you just got the notification for the OTA (Over-The-Air) update. The newest version of the Stock Rom is MD4 which is still 4.1.2. Android version 4.2.x probably won't come out for your phone for a couple of months (that's my guess with no data to back it up other than my own intuition).
As far as upadating, you actually don't have to apply the OTA to get the latest and greatest for our phone. All you have to do is flash Freeza's Stock Rooted Rom (You'll want the DeOdex MD4 Rom). It'll give you the most up-to-date Stock Rom with Root. I've linked and quoted a previous post I made which will give you directions to flash it. Also, CNexus has done a great guide about OTAs over in the general sub-forum. I suggest giving that a look-through.
Also, just a note on the flashing sequence below: In step 4 below, if you're coming from a stock Rom and you're going to a stock Rom, all you have to do is wipe Cache and Dalvik Cache. If you're going to a different Rom, it's best to do a full wipe (in my opinion).
Ok, let's start at the very beginning (it's a very good place to start).
Before we get started, I'm going to make the following assumptions:
You successfully rooted your phone through Odin.
You currently have a custom recovery (either TWRP or CWM).
You have a Rom you'd like to flash on either your internal storage or your SDcard (I'd recommend the SDcard, but that's your prerogative).
If either of the first two is not true, I'd recommend going back to qbking77's thread and check out the videos on how to use Odin to gain root and a custom recovery.
If number 3 above is not true, download a ROM (nor someone new to flashing/custom Roms, I'd recommend Freeza's stock rooted Rom, as it's identical to stock TW, but just with Root). Once you download a Rom, check it's md5sum to verify that it's a good download. Copy the file to your SD card and get ready to flash (make sure you have decent battery life left, I try to keep at least 50% or more when flashing Roms, although it shouldn't take too long.
I'll give directions on how to flash a Rom below. The instructions will be for TWRP, but CWM has similar options/settings
Turn your phone completely off (hold down power for 3-5 seconds)
Boot your phone into recovery. Hold Up, Menu, and Power for a few seconds (until SAMSUNG appears on your screen and the phone vibrates)
Make a Nandroid backup. I can't emphasize this enough. In flashing, it's almost a certainty that one time, something will mess up. When that happens, you want to be able to restore a backup. In TWRP, just go into Backup Menu and choose where you want it (internal vs. External storage). It takes my phone a few (5-10) minutes to completely backup my data.
In TWRP, click the wipe button, then system. This will completely wipe the Rom from your phone. Doing this will allow you to get a "clean" install, without any settings or leftover files from your old Rom getting in the way. Instead, you could only wipe data (factory reset), which is good enough for most Roms. I'd still recommend a system wipe, though.
Also while in the Wipe menu, wipe Cache and Dalvik Cache.
Go back to the TWRP main menu.
Click Install, then find your Rom zip file (may have to switch from internal to external storage).
Let TWRP do it's thing.
If you're installing a TW-based Rom, chances are it had gapps already installed. If not, you should now flash the correct gapps package from goo.im. Make sure you're flashing the correct one, as if you don't, your google apps will force close upon use.
Reboot into system and give it time to boot (first boot sometimes takes a couple of minutes).
Set up your phone the way you like.
These should be the directions to follow whenever you flash a new Rom. Some Roms have the Aroma installer, so you'll have more options once you choose to flash the Rom zip, but those are typically easy to follow (and vary from Rom to Rom, so I won't be able to give you a good guide on that).
Hope this helps!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The rom you want to download off of Freeza's page is:
DeOdex:
Sprint Touchwiz Jelly Bean 4.1.2 L710VPBMD4 | Mirror
MD5: 77262D9D6CF1A6AF30A8981A95A75D57
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
so i recently dove into rooting my s4 after first spending a lot of time reading this great board, thought i had a handle on it, thought things were going very well, but i've hit a snag, which came while attempting my first restore - i'm hopeful someone will give me a little help,
a little background:
1. before rooting i backed up my phone with titanium, also backed it up by copying all of its contents to my pc.
2. i followed the excellent "[SGH-M919] CF-Auto-Root" instructions and it worked without a hitch, it was a quick and easy process, no surprises.
3. confirmed that i was rooted using "root checker", all systems were go.
4. once the root was done i made another backup using titanium and sms backup. i also made a full system backup using online nandroid pro and, to be extra safe, i also backed up efs using efs backup tool.
5. i then moved some folders and files to my external card and once again backed up my phone as before, including to my pc.
6. feeling confident that i could now restore my system to its rooted stock state if things went south, i decided to flash my first rom with cwm, i went with cm11 m7 4.4.3 - i saved the cm11 and gapps zips to my external card using rom tool box pro, rebooted into cwm recovery, selected the two files, and flashed. i also did a data and cache wipe before doing so.
6. needless to say i was thrilled when cm11 loaded perfectly, it worked great, and it was just what i was hoping for.
7. having been bitten by the apparent ease of flashing roms, i decided to restore my system to it's pre cm11 state, to it's rooted stock rom state, and try another rom, rather than just flash another rom from cm11 - i wanted to make sure that returning to my rooted stock rom state would be a simple matter.
and that's where i've run into problems.
1. as i mentioned i made two system backups of my stock rom before flashing cm11, one right after i rooted my phone, and one after moving some folders and files to the external card.
2. after doing a wipe, i chose to restore the second backup, the one i made after moving files and folders, and it didn't quite work out - everything appeared to restore perfectly, but my device was immediately inundated with pop up warnings about stopped apps, i also got a persistent warning that the system had stopped responding as well, prompting me to choose between "wait" or "stop it". not only was the restored backup mired in popup screens, but it was impossibly slow, impossibly "laggy".
3. so i decided to restore the other stock backup, the one i made before i moved folders and files, and the results were the same, pop screens for apps not working, system warnings, severe lags, etc., identical to the first backup.
then i panicked.
1. i decided to flash my phone with the "[SGH-M919] CF-Auto-Root" file again, again with odin, hoping that it would put me where i started - i didn't stop to think that my phone was already rooted, that the file was was for unrooted phones.
2. not only did the reflash not work (my phone just booted as normal, as if the flash didn't get a chance to finish), but cwm recovery in boot mode was gone, replaced by what appears to be the andorid stock recovery screen, a screen with an animated dying/collapsing robot, - the screen was titled: "android system recovery <3e> and asked for an "update" from the external storage or cache.
3. not knowing what "update" it was looking for, i selected a backed system files (the first rooted stock rom backup i made, the second rooted stock backup i made, and even the cm11 file) - none worked.
4. i then downloaded a clean stock rom from cwm's website, converted it from zip to tar, and tried to flash it using odin with my device in upload mode, it didn't work either.
so how badly did i mess up my phone? any help would be greatly appreciated.
aeneas1 said:
so i recently dove into rooting my s4 after first spending a lot of time reading this great board, thought i had a handle on it, thought things were going very well, but i've hit a snag, which came while attempting my first restore - i'm hopeful someone will give me a little help,
a little background:
1. before rooting i backed up my phone with titanium, also backed it up by copying all of its contents to my pc.
2. i followed the excellent "[SGH-M919] CF-Auto-Root" instructions and it worked without a hitch, it was a quick and easy process, no surprises.
3. confirmed that i was rooted using "root checker", all systems were go.
4. once the root was done i made another backup using titanium and sms backup. i also made a full system backup using online nandroid pro and, to be extra safe, i also backed up efs using efs backup tool.
5. i then moved some folders and files to my external card and once again backed up my phone as before, including to my pc.
6. feeling confident that i could now restore my system to its rooted stock state if things went south, i decided to flash my first rom with cwm, i went with cm11 m7 4.4.3 - i saved the cm11 and gapps zips to my external card using rom tool box pro, rebooted into cwm recovery, selected the two files, and flashed. i also did a data and cache wipe before doing so.
6. needless to say i was thrilled when cm11 loaded perfectly, it worked great, and it was just what i was hoping for.
7. having been bitten by the apparent ease of flashing roms, i decided to restore my system to it's pre cm11 state, to it's rooted stock rom state, and try another rom, rather than just flash another rom from cm11 - i wanted to make sure that returning to my rooted stock rom state would be a simple matter.
and that's where i've run into problems.
1. as i mentioned i made two system backups of my stock rom before flashing cm11, one right after i rooted my phone, and one after moving some folders and files to the external card.
2. after doing a wipe, i chose to restore the second backup, the one i made after moving files and folders, and it didn't quite work out - everything appeared to restore perfectly, but my device was immediately inundated with pop up warnings about stopped apps, i also got a persistent warning that the system had stopped responding as well, prompting me to choose between "wait" or "stop it". not only was the restored backup mired in popup screens, but it was impossibly slow, impossibly "laggy".
3. so i decided to restore the other stock backup, the one i made before i moved folders and files, and the results were the same, pop screens for apps not working, system warnings, severe lags, etc., identical to the first backup.
then i panicked.
1. i decided to flash my phone with the "[SGH-M919] CF-Auto-Root" file again, again with odin, hoping that it would put me where i started - i didn't stop to think that my phone was already rooted, that the file was was for unrooted phones.
2. not only did the reflash not work (my phone just booted as normal, as if the flash didn't get a chance to finish), but cwm recovery in boot mode was gone, replaced by what appears to be the andorid stock recovery screen, a screen with an animated dying/collapsing robot, - the screen was titled: "android system recovery <3e> and asked for an "update" from the external storage or cache.
3. not knowing what "update" it was looking for, i selected a backed system files (the first rooted stock rom backup i made, the second rooted stock backup i made, and even the cm11 file) - none worked.
4. i then downloaded a clean stock rom from cwm's website, converted it from zip to tar, and tried to flash it using odin with my device in upload mode, it didn't work either.
so how badly did i mess up my phone? any help would be greatly appreciated.
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Click to collapse
If it boots at all you didn't kill it.
Not sure what rom you got from the CWM site. They do recoveries, not roms. The ROM manager app does allow you to download roms, but you can't just convert those from zip to tar. That doesn't make them flashable in Odin.
Here's what you do. Get the stock ROM from either here on XDA (use the search feature to find it) or from Sammobile.com.
Flash that in Odin.
Then you can start over.
---OR---
If you want to try to fix what you've got now, download CWM or TWRP RECOVERY (nor ROM) and flash that in Odin. Boot to recovery, wipe data and system, and flash any other rom you want. That will start you over with a fresh rom of your choice.
Skipjacks said:
f it boots at all you didn't kill it.
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Click to collapse
hallelujah!
Skipjacks said:
Not sure what rom you got from the CWM site. They do recoveries, not roms.
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Click to collapse
my apologies, i meant that i downloaded recovery files from the cwm website, not a rom files - i got them from https://www.clockworkmod.com/rommanager - i downloaded both (touch & non-touch) s4 t-mobile versions (6.0.4.7). i'm assumed those were recovery files?
Skipjack" said:
The ROM manager app does allow you to download roms, but you can't just convert those from zip to tar. That doesn't make them flashable in Odin.
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Click to collapse
again, my apologies - i meant that i downloaded *.img files, not zips, and converted them to tars for odin use. i used a batch file to convert them from img to tar, found at xda, here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2281287 - it seemed to do the job, odin ran and reported success. wrong files? wrong conversion?
Skipjack said:
Here's what you do. Get the stock ROM from either here on XDA (use the search feature to find it) or from Sammobile.com.
Flash that in Odin.
Then you can start over.
---OR---
If you want to try to fix what you've got now, download CWM or TWRP RECOVERY (nor ROM) and flash that in Odin. Boot to recovery, wipe data and system, and flash any other rom you want. That will start you over with a fresh rom of your choice.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
given a choice, i'd like to do what's bolded in red - but that's what i thought i was doing by flashing the cwm file i downloaded from the cwm website - but after the flash attempt it wouldn't boot into cwm, it would just boot into (i'm assuming") the stock rom i restored, which was a mess. i also unchecked auto-boot to see if that helped - but when i manually booted it didn't boot into cwm, it booted into the stock recovery, with the animated android.
i'll try downloading cwm from the sources you provided, and see if that does the trick. btw, why do you think i was able to flash the cm11 rom with (seemingly) perfect success, but wasn't able to restore either one of the full system (android) backups i made after i rooted my phone?
anyway Skipjack, thanks a ton for your assistance and i'll report back after i give your sources a try. fwiw, it sure is a great charge when a newbie like me sees a custom rom load for the first time, displaying a new ui as it boots, fun stuff.
Just download the ready yo flash tar files. Cwm has them. Twrp has them.
success Skipjack thanks to your generous time and assistance!
i ended up downloading the latest odin zip i could find and philz_touch_6.08.9-jfltetmo.tar.md5... my first try didn't take, with auto-reboot checked, my phone simply rebooted into the same problematic rom i had restored. i then tried it with auto-boot unchecked and manually booted when odin reported pass/success, and it worked. what struck me as odd was how long it took to flash, to report pass/success, around 3-5 minutes if i had to guess, a big difference compared to when i first used odin to root my phone with the["SGH-M919] CF-Auto-Root *.tar.md5 file - i'm guessing that's why it didn't work with auto-boot checked, just took too long?
anyway once i booted into philz_touch recovery i executed the wipe data/factory reset > clean to install a new rom command and then flashed the cm11 m7 (snapshot) rom, which i had flashed once before, right before i attempted to restore the stock rom it had replaced. and as was the case the first time around, it installed without a hitch and is running smooth and fast.
however now when i boot the phone, as soon as the cyanogen logo appears, very tiny text appears in the upper left hand corner which reads (i had to use a magnifying glass!) - it doesn't seem to effect the performance of he device but i'd like to get to the bottom of it, i've already searched and it appears to be a rather common issue.
kernel is not seandroid enforcing
set warranty bit: kernel
btw, i forgot to mention, when i purchased my sgh-m99 it already had 4.3 installed - when i flashed my first rom (cm11 m7) it included kitkat 4.4.2... could this be what caused my problems? did trying to go back to (restore) a 4.3 rom after flashing a 4.4.2 rom screw things up? can this even be done successfully?
and finally, at the risk of bugging the heck out of you, what roms do you prefer for your s4, assuming you have an s4? do you like aosp roms or touchwiz? does one type have a better reputation of being more stable? the primary reason i wanted to rot my phone was to get rid of a bunch of t-mobile / samsung bloatware, which i thought i could do by installing a lean custom rom. any suggestions, which are your favorites? thanks again Skipkack.
ouhned after
re the two lines of text i now get in the upper left hand corner of the screen whenever i boot, the kernel message:
kernel is not seandroid enforcing
set warranty bit: kernel
well after a lot of searching and reading, including coming across dozens of "fixes" and "solutions" that didn't seem to work for many folks, these two responses seemed to make some sense, what do you think?
eclpsues said:
I'm not an expert in Android OS but I think this is not an error. It is more of a notification that the STOCK KERNEL has been change to a CUSTOM one.
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Click to collapse
Joku1981 said:
You are right.
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http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2594483
aeneas1 said:
re the two lines of text i now get in the upper left hand corner of the screen whenever i boot, the kernel message:
kernel is not seandroid enforcing
set warranty bit: kernel
well after a lot of searching and reading, including coming across dozens of "fixes" and "solutions" that didn't seem to work for many folks, these two responses seemed to make some sense, what do you think?
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2594483
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Click to collapse
The tiny text on the boot screen is basically telling you that Knox has been tripped. You are right. It does not affect the performance of the phone.
Skipjacks said:
The tiny text on the boot screen is basically telling you that Knox has been tripped. You are right. It does not affect the performance of the phone.
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Click to collapse
thanks skipjack... btw i'm really liking the cm11 m7 rom but, via the learning curve process, i've discovered it does not support wifi calling, something that apparently all aosp rom lack, guess i'll have to go with a touchwiz rom even tho the selection seems to be few and far between. also, is it possible to revert back to 4.3 once 4.4.2 has been flashed? seems like there's a lot of mixed opinions on this, altho in terms of those opinions it's hard for me tell who the pros are that should believed, and who the other guys are that really don't know. thanks again.
aeneas1 said:
thanks skipjack... btw i'm really liking the cm11 m7 rom but, via the learning curve process, i've discovered it does not support wifi calling, something that apparently all aosp rom lack, guess i'll have to go with a touchwiz rom even tho the selection seems to be few and far between. also, is it possible to revert back to 4.3 once 4.4.2 has been flashed? seems like there's a lot of mixed opinions on this, altho in terms of those opinions it's hard for me tell who the pros are that should believed, and who the other guys are that really don't know. thanks again.
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Click to collapse
Once you are rooted you can flash any custom ROM 4.3, 4.4, 4.2, etc. and then go back to stock 4.3. And only TW ROMs allow wifi calling
Sent from my SGH-M919 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
Kriptik210 said:
Once you are rooted you can flash any custom ROM 4.3, 4.4, 4.2, etc. and then go back to stock 4.3. And only TW ROMs allow wifi calling.
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Click to collapse
very interesting... i guess i misunderstood the posts i read on the subject, maybe they were discussing whether or not you could revert to 4.3 from 4.4.2 on non-rooted phones, which i'm guessing isn't possible. anyway, as i mentioned previously, i fist rooted my 4.3 phone, did a full system backup (using online nandroid), flashed a 4.4.2 rom which worked perfectly, then tried to restore my 4.3 backup only to encounter a bunch of problems, thought going from 4.4.2 back to 4.3 may have caused the problems but i guess not?
so if i'm using a 4.4.2 custom rom and want to restore a 4.3 backup i should be able to boot into recovery and restore from there? or would i need to do a 4.3 flash first, before restoring a 4.3 backup?
aeneas1 said:
very interesting... i guess i misunderstood the posts i read on the subject, maybe they were discussing whether or not you could revert to 4.3 from 4.4.2 on non-rooted phones, which i'm guessing isn't possible. anyway, as i mentioned previously, i fist rooted my 4.3 phone, did a full system backup (using online nandroid), flashed a 4.4.2 rom which worked perfectly, then tried to restore my 4.3 backup only to encounter a bunch of problems, thought going from 4.4.2 back to 4.3 may have caused the problems but i guess not?
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Click to collapse
Did you wipe before you restored? And do not misunderstand this, you cannot downgrade firmwares once you go 4.3 and up, but you can downgrade the system, which is what you did with your backup
serio22 said:
Did you wipe before you restored? And do not misunderstand this, you cannot downgrade firmwares once you go 4.3 and up, but you can downgrade the system, which is what you did with your backup
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thanks very much for the clarification, i was under the impression that firmware and system were somewhat synonymous in this context, i.e. if you upgraded firmware you were in effect upgrading the system, but i see that's not the case, again thanks. and yes i did do a full wipe before trying to restore the backup, was i not supposed to?
aeneas1 said:
thanks very much for the clarification, i was under the impression that firmware and system were somewhat synonymous in this context, i.e. if you upgraded firmware you were in effect upgrading the system, but i see that's not the case, again thanks. and yes i did do a full wipe before trying to restore the backup, was i not supposed to?
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Click to collapse
Updating firmware does update the system. Based on your previous comment the only thing you did was update the system by flashing a ROM which only contains the system, data, and kernel, so you can still flash the 4.3 firmware. Firmware consists of bootloader, recovery, modem, and system, what you cannot downgrade is the bootloader, the flash will fail every time because it will try to downgrade it. And you should not experience any issues restoring your back up. What were this problems?
btw serio22, do you have a favorite tw rom?
Yea serio22, what is your favorite TW ROM?
Sent from my SGH-M919 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
serio22 said:
Based on your previous comment the only thing you did was update the system by flashing a ROM which only contains the system, data, and kernel, so you can still flash the 4.3 firmware.
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Click to collapse
but the cm11 rom zip i flashed included 4.4.2, before flashing i was using 4.3 - so didn't i update (or change) both the system and firmware?
btw, fwiw, - now that i'm up and running thanks to skipjacks help, i decided to try restoring my 4.3 backup again. when i tried this in the past it would restore to the same state as it was before but it was virtually unusable because of severe lags and multiple app not working popups that made navigating almost impossible. well now when i try to restore it fails and i get the following message:
checking md summs...
md5 mismatch
serio22 said:
Based on your previous comment the only thing you did was update the system by flashing a ROM which only contains the system, data, and kernel, so you can still flash the 4.3 firmware.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
but the cm11 rom zip i flashed included 4.4.2, before flashing i was using 4.3 - so didn't i update (or change) both the system and firmware?
btw, fwiw, - now that i'm up and running thanks to skipjacks help, i decided to try restoring my 4.3 backup again. as i mentioned, when i tried this in the past it would restore to the same state as it was before but it was virtually unusable because of severe lags and multiple "app not working" popups that made navigating almost impossible. but now when i try to restore the 4.3 backup it fails and i get the following message:
checking md summs...
md5 mismatch
update:
well it looks like the *.md5 file was pointing to my internal drive rather than external which is where i had moved the 4.3 backup (and apparently the *.md5 file didn't update or account for the move), anyway i copied the backup to my internal drive and, viola, no more md5 mismatch errors. more importantly, it restored the 4.3 backup perfectly, in the exact same state as before, without all of lagging and pop up issues i was having before, so i'm one happy camper! not sure what i did the first time around, but all is good now, for he time being, sure wish i knew what i mucked up to cause the problems in the first place, i really have no idea, other than being a newbie at this. also, fwiw, the tiny text in the upper left hand corner that appears during boot (kernal message) no longer appears now that i have restored the 4.3 system backup... fwiw2, i'm liking the philz_touch_recovery but it sure has taken some getting used to, the commands are so close together and the thing is so sensitive, very easy to accidentally select the wrong option, and some of the wrong options aren't too friendly if it wasn't what you had intended to select.
aeneas1 said:
but the cm11 rom zip i flashed included 4.4.2, before flashing i was using 4.3 - so didn't i update (or change) both the system and firmware?
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Read my previous post more closely below. Good to see you up and running though! And no I don't have a favorite tw Rom
serio22 said:
Updating firmware does update the system. Based on your previous comment the only thing you did was update the system by flashing a ROM which only contains the system, data, and kernel, so you can still flash the 4.3 firmware. Firmware consists of bootloader, recovery, modem, and system, what you cannot downgrade is the bootloader, the flash will fail every time because it will try to downgrade it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse