Develop Bugs

Why won't my i317m Unlock? Help with a story

Long story short - I got screwed over today.
I sold my Nexus 4, and bought a Brand New still in plastic Note II today off Kijiji (Canada's craiglist) for $480.00
Its locked to Rogers, but seller said he unlocked the phone to sell it. I powered it on, it worked great and still had all the plastic on it.
I brought it, got my Microsim out, got it activated with Telus, put it in my phone and boom - Its locked. Realized I made a huge mistake not trying the Sim before buying the phone.
Emailed the seller, he said he was told it was unlocked and I'm out of luck, sell it or unlock it myself. Wow... I couldn't believe it. He hasn't responded to anything else since. He told me he already spent the money on a iphone5 so good luck with it. Shocked by the response.
I called Rogers - explained the story - gave the IMEI. They told me its a brand new activation - she said she can't tell me much but felt bad so she told me it was literally a brand new phone but was subsidized so they can't unlock it for 90 days, but did ensure me if I decided to use it with Rogers it would work. (She all but told me it was just activated this past weekend by the seller, so it was 1-2 days old). She said after 90 days I could get it unlocked for $50 but need to be a customer to do it. Well isn't that helpful.
So now, I tried Cellunlocker.net and quickphoneunlock.com to get it unlocked. She recommended me try these. I had used these services many times in the past without issue... well this time, both providers gave me the exact same lock code - but were unsuccessful. Still waiting to hear back from both services.
I then found the "free unlock" method on XDA and around the net, but the last step's menu isn't present in my phone so it won't unlock. This step to be exact - "choose [4] NW Lock NV Data INITIALLIZ"
Anyone have any idea's on why "choose [4] NW Lock NV Data INITIALLIZ" isn't in my menu options? Or have any other unlocking suggestions?
I'm basically down to one option - switch to Rogers - which is a Major pain in the ass and something I'd like to avoid.
Yes I know I made the mistake of buying without testing the sim first, Please no need to comment about this.

My phone has 4.1.2
It updated as soon as I enabled WiFi.
Seems if i Left Rogers 4.1.1 on it I would have the option to unlock, correct? Anyone tell me if I can go back to 4.1.1 somehow and if this would fix it? (Rogers Canada) And how I can do it?
Having some bad luck here.

bigystyle84 said:
My phone has 4.1.2
It updated as soon as I enabled WiFi.
Seems if i Left Rogers 4.1.1 on it I would have the option to unlock, correct? Anyone tell me if I can go back to 4.1.1 somehow and if this would fix it? (Rogers Canada) And how I can do it?
Having some bad luck here.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That is correct. Go to www.sammobile.com and get the stock 4.1.1 firmware for your phone. Flash it with odin and then follow the steps for the free unlock guide. Make sure the firmware you download is for the canadian model . I believe it will be sgh-i317m . Once you get it unlocked then you can go back to 4.1.2 and it will stay unlocked forever. Make sure you read everything. I dont want you to brick your new phone.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using xda premium

Correct. Starting in 4.1.2, unlock is blocked. Downgrade to 4.1.1 and you can unlock for free. It's been proven to work in many many forum posts.

Thanks all
I flashed back to 4.1.1 using Rogers and the unlock code I bought still didn't work, but the free method worked! Phone is now unlocked.

bigystyle84 said:
Thanks all
I flashed back to 4.1.1 using Rogers and the unlock code I bought still didn't work, but the free method worked! Phone is now unlocked.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good to hear.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using xda premium

bigystyle84 said:
Thanks all
I flashed back to 4.1.1 using Rogers and the unlock code I bought still didn't work, but the free method worked! Phone is now unlocked.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You may update your thread title to resolved so maybe people in the future can see how to resolve it. Just a tip.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using xda premium

[Q] Bought S4 that was rooted

I bought a t-mobile S4 and discovered it came rooted already. Is this normal? It was from an authorized t-mobile reseller. I don't mind the fact that it's rooted, but what precautions can I take that some malware/spyware isn't installed? Is running a scan with malwarebytes good enough? The reseller said it was rooted to remove some bloatware, but how can I make sure nothing bad was installed? Since the phone is rooted, that also means I can't receive OTA updates, is that right?
Thanks for any info.

It's not normal if you got it from a T-mobile store. An independent but authorized site is different. Maybe someone rooted it but returned it or traded in. If you're really concern just Odin flashed the stock firmware.
☞ Sent from here☜???

baseballfanz said:
It's not normal if you got it from a T-mobile store. An independent but authorized site is different. Maybe someone rooted it but returned it or traded in. If you're really concern just Odin flashed the stock firmware.
☞ Sent from here☜???
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Odin back to stock would deffinately work.
But you don't really have to do that. You could just put on a custom recovery, and flash any rom.
Any spyware that a previous user put on the device you have to reside in th esystem partition. Flashing any other rom would wipe out the system partition and installing a fresh one over top.

re: Unrooting
pcglue said:
I bought a t-mobile S4 and discovered it came rooted already. Is this normal? It was from an authorized t-mobile reseller. I don't mind the fact that it's rooted, but what precautions can I take that some malware/spyware isn't installed? Is running a scan with malwarebytes good enough? The reseller said it was rooted to remove some bloatware, but how can I make sure nothing bad was installed? Since the phone is rooted, that also means I can't receive OTA updates, is that right?
Thanks for any info.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes a rooted phone will not be able to update using OTA or KIES.
There is another easier way to Unroot the phone, just click on superSU
then click on the settings tab and scroll down til you see "Full Unroot"
"cleanup for permanent unroot" (you still will be able to re-root the phone).
That way there is no reason to flash any roms unless you don't like
what you already have, also even without root you still can use
a custom recovery if that's what you want to do.
After unrooting you will no longer be able to use any apps or
anything else which requires root access.
Good luck!

Skipjacks said:
Odin back to stock would deffinately work.
But you don't really have to do that. You could just put on a custom recovery, and flash any rom.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Would I be able to use tmobile's wifi calling if I use a rom other than stock?
Thanks everybody for the help and useful info!

pcglue said:
Would I be able to use tmobile's wifi calling if I use a rom other than stock?
Thanks everybody for the help and useful info!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As long as it's a TouchWiz rom based on the T Mobile Stock ROM.

Skipjacks said:
As long as it's a TouchWiz rom based on the T Mobile Stock ROM.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, I just found out some other disturbing info. The IMEI on my S4 is 0. It's obviously different from the sticker on the back. And on 2 other S4's I bought at the same time, the IMEI's look valid, but are different from the stickers on the back as well.
I bought these from an independent tmobile store. Why would the phones I bought be rooted and have non-matching IMEI's? Do I have stolen/black market/refurbished phones? I thought I got a discount because of the quantity I bought (5 total, it was for 2 families), but now I think there's something shady about these phones. I don't have ready access to the last 2 phones I bought in this batch, but I suspect they are rooted with non-matching IMEI's as well.
What are the implications of this? I would think these phones are not under Samsung or Tmobile warranty, even though the guy at the store says they are. And in the future, would Tmobile help me (unlocking or I don't know what else) if I am using these phones? They should still help with account/plan changes, but I imagine there are probably some things they won't help with. I'm thinking of returning these phones to avoid future hassles now. Or am I being too paranoid?

pcglue said:
I bought these from an independent tmobile store.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is where your worries should stop.
You bought these from a store. You have a receipt. Take them back to the store and tell them to fix it.
If they won't, take the matter up with T Mobile and tell them that one of their authorized retailers (if it says T Mobile it's an authorized retailer, even if i'ts an independantly owned shop) is selling stolen phones. I promise you that T Mobile will take this very seriously, though you may have to get past the front line customer service rep to find someone who cares.
If it's not a T MObile authorized retailer and it's just a random genric cell phone shop, then T Mobile isn't going to care. But the cops will.
I'd also file a complaint with your local consumer protection agency.
It's one thing is a back ally deal from a guy in a trench coat who started the transaction with "Pssst....hey, buddy...wanna buy a cheap cell phone?" goes south. It's another thing entirely when it's a legitimate store that's ripping you off and cahrging to sale taxes and stuff on tope of your purchase.
And if they didn't know what they were doing when they sold you stolen / broken / semi-refurbished goods, well quite frankly that's their problem. It's not your problem. They told you they were selling you new phones. If they sold you not new phones, they have defrauded you. It doesn't matter if they knew or not.
The IMEI's on the stickers on the phones should match the receipt. That will be proof that you're not pulling a switcheroo on the store.
If they don't match the receipt and you left the store with them anyway, there is a certain amount of Caveat Emptor that applies. (Latin for "Let the Buyer Beware"). You might be out of luck.

bought a device that has been blocked by T-Mobile

Hey guys
My country(Pakistan) does not have 4g yet so samsung did not officially release the 4g model. However, as I read a lot about how much the 4g version is better than the regular version, I decided to get one even if it meant no warranty.
I looked around the local markets and found only the t-mobile version available. I asked the retailer about it and he insisted that it is factory unlocked. I bought it and had to leave the country for 2 weeks.
So here I am in a foreign country with my new phone. I buy an internet sim card and use the 4g network. It works fine. I find out my phone has supersu installed. This makes me suspicious. Out of curiosity, I check t-mobiles imei check service. Turns out my device has been blocked by t-mobile. I can only guess it has been unlocked through software.
Other than this, the phone seems to be working great. It looks brand new with box/original accessories et al. In my one and a half week of usage, it seems to be working fine too. Only problem I found was that upon trying to update, I got the message that it was unable to do that because my software has been modified.
Once I return to my country, I will definitely have a word with the retailer, however the chances of him accepting and returning the phone are slim. Chances are, I'm stuck with the device.
My question, how bad of a position am I in? Will I be unable to flash future updates even manually? Is there risk that I could lose the software unlock?
I ask this because even if the retailer returns the device(1% chance), I will still need to go through the trouble of looking for another device. And as I said, this one seems to have no other defect. The silverlining though, is that this device came rooted...which saves me the trouble to do it myself.
Please guide me as to what my best course of action would be.
Thank you in advance =)

The reason it won't allow you to update is because it's rooted. That's what it's talking about when it says it's been modified. All you have to do is use Odin to flash back to complete stock and you will be able to update. If the phone is sim unlocked, flashing or updating the phone should not effect the unlock.
Sent from my SM-N900T using Tapatalk 4

Ok. But the phone's IMEI appears as 'blocked' on t-mobiles imei verification website. Doesnt that mean this is a phone that has not been factory unlocked but software unlocked? Why else would someone root a brand new phone?
Also, given I do not want to lose my root, how should I update to new versions of android without losing my unlock?

The reason why the IMEI is blocked is probably because the device was stolen/taken.
The reason why it will not update automatically is because the device is rooted.
If you have a rooted device, you have to wait for someone to post the official update and then flash it through ODIN/TWRP.
The retailer will do nothing for you, there's nothing he CAN do unless he gives you a full refund for the device.
This sort of thing happens a lot when you buy devices from people / 3rd party retailers.
Sent from my SM-N900T using XDA Premium 4 mobile app

Well I doubt it was stolen. It was brand new with box and all accessories. He had dozens more in stock. More likely someone is buying contract phones from tmobile and selling them witbkut paying the full contract.
How hard will it be to upgrade new roms for me? Could I lose my unlock in the process?
Edit: also, im reading a lot about how all versions of the n9005 come region locked. Since it isnt officially available in pakistan, does that mean I will need to unlock my phone regardless of where I buy it from?

Since it's rooted, you can always just flash custom roms based off whatever update comes out.
Sent from my SM-N900T using Tapatalk

If it's blacklisted then it won't work with any T-Mobile services if you're in the US or whatever. As stated, once rooted you won't be able to update the phone through the software update from the phone. However, you're now free to flash any of the awesome roms that is out for the Note 3 and use it over there.

iphantomi said:
Well I doubt it was stolen. It was brand new with box and all accessories. He had dozens more in stock. More likely someone is buying contract phones from tmobile and selling them witbkut paying the full contract.
How hard will it be to upgrade new roms for me? Could I lose my unlock in the process?
Edit: also, im reading a lot about how all versions of the n9005 come region locked. Since it isnt officially available in pakistan, does that mean I will need to unlock my phone regardless of where I buy it from?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yea, he probably opened a bunch of accounts, payed the down payments for the phones ($0-$100) and now he's selling em full price.
And with the updating.
When a new update comes out, developers will make a rom from it, and then you can just flash the rom.
You will NOT lose unlock when flashing a rom.
Sent from my SM-N900T using XDA Premium 4 mobile app

And are all note 3 region locked? If I get a refund, will I need to unlock any new phone I buy as well?

Black listed note 3

So i bought my tmobile note 3 on CL. Bad idea yes i know. Well the phone was working super awesome for 3 weeks and now its reported lost/stolen. So no LTE or service. I tried calling Tmobile and there was nothing they could do. I tried calling the seller and no answer. Ive tried region lock away no help there. Anyone know how to fix this?
Sent from my SM-N900T using XDA Premium 4 mobile app

Work with T-mobile to get the phone back to the owner.

Nothing you can do. Install Google voice/groove up and call with wifi

.....

ivan0323 said:
So i bought my tmobile note 3 on CL. Bad idea yes i know. Well the phone was working super awesome for 3 weeks and now its reported lost/stolen. So no LTE or service. I tried calling Tmobile and there was nothing they could do. I tried calling the seller and no answer. Ive tried region lock away no help there. Anyone know how to fix this?
Sent from my SM-N900T using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
RegionLock Away has worked for a lot of people (including myself). Are you sure you can't get it unlocked using that? There's a thread that has a lot of troubleshooting tips somewhere in this section for Chainfire's app (things like using a non-T-mobile SIM, not allowing the app to reboot (i.e. rebooting manually and changing SIM card) and inputting the correct APN settings).
Edit: Here is the thread: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2471742
I was able to unlock following the instructions in the first post, so if you haven't done that, you might want to try again.

Well the thing with region lock away is i want to use my phone through tmobile. My note 3 is a tmobile phone
Sent from my SM-N900T using XDA Premium 4 mobile app

ivan0323 said:
Well the thing with region lock away is i want to use my phone through tmobile. My note 3 is a tmobile phone
Sent from my SM-N900T using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm sorry to tell you this, but if it's blocked by T-Mobile, there's really nothing to be done. T-Mobile just won't budge (although I have read posts where people basically lied and got T-Mobile to unblock the device, but I am dubious about those claims). Your only options are to unlock to another carrier, or sell the device. If you sell it on Ebay to an international buyer, that would be the best way to recoup most of your money. Neither option is ideal, of course.

Yep, I almost got burned buying a s3 for my mom. Luckily we met at a tmobile store and verified the esn. Turns out it was reported lost/stolen. Chalk it up as a learning experience.

Ivan0323
Like was said a couple of posts prior:
With a BLACKLISTED - N900T - you can:
1) Root, and Use Region Lock Away, it may possibly unlock the sim slot - so you can use an At&t based Sim Card. (Or, you may still need to get an unlock code from someone.)
2) Or - Sell for what its worth on Ebay.- Cut your losses, and find another Handset.
I have bought more than a few from people here locally (different models), seems Craigslist is running rampant (or rather the criminals) with those who are buying a phone, selling for cash on cl, and then reporting lost / stolen for an insurance claim. Then the buyer is stuck holding the bag, and has a tablet. (Or, bends and changes carriers possibly). Its sad but the only true way to be sure the device will be able to be used, is to go with the seller to (Tmo, Vzw, Att etc.) and get the rep to note the account. I have tried to do so via the 800 number, and had mixed results.
Good luck.
Be well.

best buy won't update unlocked phones on different carriers

hey xda family long time no see, im just curious to see if anyone knows about this. i went to best buy to update my unlocked att note 4 since im on metro pcs and can't get the update because im on different carrier. when i went to the desk and told the guy what i wanted to do, he said no problem and i handed him my phone. when he plugged it up he had asked if it was an unlocked device and i said yes, he then asked if i had att i said no im on metro. he then said unfortunately because of best buys policy that he can't update my phone because i wasn't on att which didn't make any sense because i did the same thing with my last note 4 that unfortunately got watered damaged. apparently somebody with an unlocked t mobile phone tried to update through best and it hard bricked his phone, which is odd to me because the only way you could HARD brick your phone is unless he had the exynos note 4 or he had tried to install official software on a modified device which is a big no no. he kept telling me that because im on metro pcs i'd have to go to odin and reflash my note 4 back to att which made no sense because it's still an att phone it's just on a different carrier. i do know as long as you install the right firmware for your device in this case an update file thats exclusively for sm-n910a devices. what gives did i run into a clueless rep? im thinking of going to another best buy and just taking out the sim card and play stupid when they bring up the word unlocked. sorry for the long paragraph folks

omnipotent93 said:
hey xda family long time no see, im just curious to see if anyone knows about this. i went to best buy to update my unlocked att note 4 since im on metro pcs and can't get the update because im on different carrier. when i went to the desk and told the guy what i wanted to do, he said no problem and i handed him my phone. when he plugged it up he had asked if it was an unlocked device and i said yes, he then asked if i had att i said no im on metro. he then said unfortunately because of best buys policy that he can't update my phone because i wasn't on att which didn't make any sense because i did the same thing with my last note 4 that unfortunately got watered damaged. apparently somebody with an unlocked t mobile phone tried to update through best and it hard bricked his phone, which is odd to me because the only way you could HARD brick your phone is unless he had the exynos note 4 or he had tried to install official software on a modified device which is a big no no. he kept telling me that because im on metro pcs i'd have to go to odin and reflash my note 4 back to att which made no sense because it's still an att phone it's just on a different carrier. i do know as long as you install the right firmware for your device in this case an update file thats exclusively for sm-n910a devices. what gives did i run into a clueless rep? im thinking of going to another best buy and just taking out the sim card and play stupid when they bring up the word unlocked. sorry for the long paragraph folks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Most of those reps are clueless.
Your phone is an AT&T version and is running AT&T firmware. Just tell them that it's an AT&T phone. Don't mention that you're using an unlocked device on Metro. I think you may have confused him by telling him that. He may have thought your Note 4 was a Metro version and running Metro firmware. They only have AT&T, Verizon, Sprint, and T-Mobile firmware. They may have international too, but not sure. He probably was afraid to flash AT&T firmware onto what he thought was a Metro phone.
Again... clueless. I went there once and the idiots refused to work on my phone (needed to be reflashed and I couldn't get Odin to work) because I was using Nova Launcher. The guy said it wasn't Samsung's home screen and that I had hacked the phone to change it. Well, first, the 910a isn't rootable, and second, a launcher has nothing to do with root.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N930A using Tapatalk

So you have a N910a unlocked on Metro PCS and you wanted to have the software updated to the latest? And you brought it into a Best Buy store to have them update the software? (sorry, your post is hard to read in a big block form like that).
May I ask: have you thought to try the update yourself? Even if you pulled the SIM card and connected via Wifi...

HotShotAzn said:
So you have a N910a unlocked on Metro PCS and you wanted to have the software updated to the latest? And you brought it into a Best Buy store to have them update the software? (sorry, your post is hard to read in a big block form like that).
May I ask: have you thought to try the update yourself? Even if you pulled the SIM card and connected via Wifi...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You need an AT&T sim card in order to get the update OTA. That, or the Odin files. Are the latest Odin files uploaded? If so, then that'd be the easiest (DIY) solution here. Make sure to back up your files though.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N930A using Tapatalk

thank you all for your input, i managed to get the latest firmware through another best buy that was within reasonable driving distance. however, i still think att sucks for not allowing the bootloader to be unlocked and for being slow with marshmallow it's ridiculous. if att had the image files posted somewhere i wouldn't mind doing it myself.

omnipotent93 said:
hey xda family long time no see, im just curious to see if anyone knows about this. i went to best buy to update my unlocked att note 4 since im on metro pcs and can't get the update because im on different carrier. when i went to the desk and told the guy what i wanted to do, he said no problem and i handed him my phone. when he plugged it up he had asked if it was an unlocked device and i said yes, he then asked if i had att i said no im on metro. he then said unfortunately because of best buys policy that he can't update my phone because i wasn't on att which didn't make any sense because i did the same thing with my last note 4 that unfortunately got watered damaged. apparently somebody with an unlocked t mobile phone tried to update through best and it hard bricked his phone, which is odd to me because the only way you could HARD brick your phone is unless he had the exynos note 4 or he had tried to install official software on a modified device which is a big no no. he kept telling me that because im on metro pcs i'd have to go to odin and reflash my note 4 back to att which made no sense because it's still an att phone it's just on a different carrier. i do know as long as you install the right firmware for your device in this case an update file thats exclusively for sm-n910a devices. what gives did i run into a clueless rep? im thinking of going to another best buy and just taking out the sim card and play stupid when they bring up the word unlocked. sorry for the long paragraph folks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That is not cool. Call Samsung on them. I wasn't even questioned either time. Samsung referred me to the samsung experience at Best Buy in the first place.