I have a bricked I337 that fails on every odin flash I've tried. It will go into download mode. When you cut the phone on from inserting battery, there is a big yellow triangle that says non at&t software found. I've tried MDB and MDL with odin. Both fail. In real small letters it says fail kernel. Any thoughts or help is much appreciated. :crying::crying::crying:
Need more info. How did you brick it. What rom was it on prior to bricking. Can you get Into recovery. What recovery did you have prior to brick. Anything relevant.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I957 using xda app-developers app
All good questions. I got it this way. I'm not sure of rom , recovery or kernel. I bought it in this condition at a really good price. That is as long as it can be restored in some form or fashion. I know that really makes it more difficult not knowing what it had. I'm ok with total recovery back to original state, it just won't load.
Well if odin is not working there may not be away to revive it. I've seen posts where even mobiletechvideos has not been able to jtag it back to life. The boot loader is locked down pretty tight.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I957 using xda app-developers app
jd1639 said:
Well if odin is not working there may not be away to revive it. I've seen posts where even mobiletechvideos has not been able to jtag it back to life. The boot loader is locked down pretty tight.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I957 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for your help. Yeah. I'm going to try a local phone repair shop and it that doesn't work, sell it for parts.
If anyone has any advice, I'm open to it. Thanks a lot.
Sounds like there is a custom ROM on there that was not loki'd after installing. If you can get into recovery, use ADB to send the Loki doki patch and flash it, that should get passed the non authorized software message
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using xda app-developers app
j3ffyyy said:
Sounds like there is a custom ROM on there that was not loki'd after installing. If you can get into recovery, use ADB to send the Loki doki patch and flash it, that should get passed the non authorized software message
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sounds like it has an MF3 update possibly, locked bootloader.
You'll have to wait until the samsung stock mf3 odin file leaks and you can recover it.
brojoe11 said:
I have a bricked I337 that fails on every odin flash I've tried. It will go into download mode. When you cut the phone on from inserting battery, there is a big yellow triangle that says non at&t software found. I've tried MDB and MDL with odin. Both fail. In real small letters it says fail kernel. Any thoughts or help is much appreciated. :crying::crying::crying:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
"I can provide you with everything you need to know."
(emphasis on the quotes...)
The previous owner of this device managed to flash a kernel that was either not official, or not Loki'd.
It sounds like this device is likely stuck on MF3 firmware.
There's no telling whether the /system partition is still in-tact or not.
This was likely caused by someone with MF3 and root access, trying to drop a new kernel and/or recovery on it. There is no known way to do this once a device has been upgraded to MF3 - only the original MF3 recovery or kernel will boot at this time (not even Loki will work, because the exploit was patched).
It might be possible to flash a new boot.img (kernel) to the device. If the /system partition is still fine, this would rescue your device.
What your device REALLY needs is the MF3 Odin package (from Kies) which does not exist yet, last I checked. This would restore the kernel/recovery/system just fine.
Your bootloaders are fine. The point of JTAG would normally be to restore these. If any part of the bootloader chain has been upgraded to MF3, the bootloader is no longer repairable with JTAG at this time (might be possible after we get our hands on the MF3 Odin package, not clear at this time).
It might be possible to just load up a new kernel and recovery via JTAG. I have a riffbox (and a handy no-solder PCB attachment for the I337) and could try this, but this would require putting trust in someone you've never met.
I propose that you try to build an odin-flashable tarball that contains only boot.img.
Check out my thread here.
Download File #4. (boot.img).
Follow the instructions I posted under File #5, but exclude the "system.img.ext4" part only.
Flash that with Odin and see if it will take it. Odin should accept the file just fine, but it's a matter of whether the phone will accept the signature on boot.img or not.
Good luck. Keep us posted.
Man. Thanks. I've got it at a local cpr repair shop right now. If those tech guys can't figure it out, I'll try this and definitely keep you up to date. I'm just waiting on them to see what and if they can help. Thanks again. :highfive:
Please close thread
Thanks everybody who replied and tried to help with this issue. I finally just sold this phone for parts. Got an Aurora Red one coming. Let's move on to bigger and better things. Thanks again. :highfive:
Closed as per op request....
Related
Before I get jumped, YES, I did do countless readings to the point of going blind with information overload! Rooting phone was a confirmed success after the OTA update, and I did not do any bootloader roms, but now I can't get pass the download screen while booting up the phone. When I was trying to boot into recovery mode after I did a few quick restarts in a row after rooting phone, to install a debloater .zip, it came to this screen only (see screenshot), quickly (Samsung logo comes up before with the blue corner text) before this, and it's all that it does now. I think I might have pulled the battery a couple times when I saw the first image, my dumbass fault, as a quick power button push wasn't doing anything to reboot. Thinking it's a soft brick as this screen is the only thing that keeps coming up after Samsung Logo with no unlock/lock symbol, when I try to reboot the phone in various ways. I know I can't use Odin to reflash back to stock MDL after the June OTA update, as I tried with no luck came up failed like I knew it would. Plug in via usb to computer, PC doesn't recognize it, so I can't check / access anything on the phone. Pulling straws here. Just looking to get her back to normal
UPDATE
Plugged stock USB cable/Phone in another USB slot, Odin picked it up (See pics), of course I can't downgrade to MDL from MF3.... failure.
US ATT SGH-1337 Jelly Bean 4.2.2
(Last night) Stock Firm: I337UCUAMDL
(This morning) OTA Firm: I337UCUAMF3
You tried to install a custom recovery from what you are describing, yet not really saying.
You wanted to flash a debloat zip... How would one go about doing that? A custom recovery. Unfortunately, there is none for the MF3 update. The only way you would be in this situation is by trying to flash one. So... You're screwed.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
graydiggy said:
You tried to install a custom recovery from what you are describing, yet not really saying.
You wanted to flash a debloat zip... How would one go about doing that? A custom recovery. Unfortunately, there is none for the MF3 update. The only way you would be in this situation is by trying to flash one. So... You're screwed.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I figured I was, was hanging on by chance for a bypass, that I might have a chance on getting the phone to boot normally again, by trying a method I hadn't tried / known yet... :crying:
l33t_killa said:
I figured I was, was hanging on by chance for a bypass, that I might have a chance on getting the phone to boot normally again, by trying a method I hadn't tried / known yet... :crying:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can try what this guy did and see if it helps...
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=44433724&postcount=11
If it doesn't work i would say you screwed yourself.
Maybe when you "read yourself blind" you missed the Numerous warnings throughout the MF3 root thread and the rest of the forum about MF3 not being able to use custom recoveries or flashing anything?
Good luck.
scott14719 said:
You can try what this guy did and see if it helps...
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=44433724&postcount=11
If it doesn't work i would say you screwed yourself.
Maybe when you "read yourself blind" you missed the Numerous warnings throughout the MF3 root thread and the rest of the forum about MF3 not being able to use custom recoveries or flashing anything?
Good luck.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
,
Yep, I missed that tidbit of info, I did try your suggestion from another member via this thread http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2407443 as I'm getting closer as per my updates there. Going to try out ou812bkewl's method here http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2360859
MF3 Nandroid Backup
I was able to get a full Nandroid Backup for AT&T S4 with the MF# firmware using an app called OBackup. Im not real sure if any of the files would be helpful to those stuck after trying to install a custom recovery. I think if you could get into download mode and in Odin, these .tar files might be helpful.
I have the att s4 with the mf3 build which I received via an ota update. I recently did the root for this build which worked perfectly, afterwards I read through 47 pages of forums and was trying to do the work around djrbliss put out, around page 40 someone says if your phone is rooted just download goomanager and installscriptrecovery. then reboot recovery. I downloaded goomanager then installed script, after this I hit the reboot recovery and the phone went into download mode. and it will stay there. If i restart it returns to download mode. Any Ideas?
Im not 100% but u may hve read wrong. This has happened to everyone who has tryed to flash a recovery on mf3. You can only have root there is no custom recovery for this build. Ok now this is wat you do take your phone to bestbuy tell them kies f'd ur phone up nd they can reflash mf3.at this moment mf3 isnt available to general public
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using xda app-developers app
Yeah, read the forums. I mean seriously, almost every other post, including the one you read, tells you that drjbliss's exploit was patched in mf3, and can brick your device if you attempt to install a custom recovery. It is, quite literally, the biggest topic in the S4 forums. Also, there is no odin flashable image for mf3, so you cannot return to stock without taking it to bestbuy. Read more in the q&a section, as this same mistake has been made and asked about at least a hundred times. Literally.
In conclusion, you have a paperweight till you take it to get it flashed back to normal.
ok thanks for the help
cooljg said:
ok thanks for the help
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Read this thread. Best buy can flash the stock mf3 firmware and get your recovery back. http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=45457012
Either that or J-Tag.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
Hey guys thanks for chiming in. I want to give a thank you to those who have gave me a serious answer. I will go back to best buy and try again, but I sent my wife up there and she said the cell phone department told her they do not flash firmware there. She said she asked them if the service section did and the lady told her no again. I am fairly familiar with flashing the firmware on an s3 I just haven't messed with the s4 that much,and obviously I didn't read as well as I thought I did or it wouldn't be bricked. I do have one other question tho if Best Buy can flash it back to stock firmware, is it safe to assume at some point I should be able to flash it back via odin when the mf3 build is released by sammobile? Either way if best buy doesn't flash it back i'm screwed on this one and i'll just have to pick up another s4 tomorrow. I just want to know if this one can be fixed i'd really hate to waste a perfectly good phone.
If and when mf3 firmware is available you should be able to flash with odin. Best buy seems to be using a new software package other than Odin so who knows if an odin package will be available.
I believe at best buy they have to have a "Samsung Experience" booth or area to do the flashing. The normal best buy service counter can't do it.
~wolverine~ said:
I believe at best buy they have to have a "Samsung Experience" booth or area to do the flashing. The normal best buy service counter can't do it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Correct
Question on brick fix
Hey guys thanks for the helpful info. I took it to the samsung experience part of best buy and the guy fixed it. He didn't have to flash the firmware tho, he took the back off and replaced the battery then I don't know what combination of buttons he hit or what but he held something and it was able to reset the phone and came up normally. Does anyone know what he could of hit? The phone was stuck in download mode no matter what you hit it would only reset to it. I had tried booting and holding volume up and home and releasing home for the recovery boot. As a recap of what happened I had rooted the phone and then downloaded goomanager and ran the installed script option under settings then I reset and was stuck in download mode. I just found it crazy that he never had to hook it to his computer to fix it.
cooljg said:
Hey guys thanks for the helpful info. I took it to the samsung experience part of best buy and the guy fixed it. He didn't have to flash the firmware tho, he took the back off and replaced the battery then I don't know what combination of buttons he hit or what but he held something and it was able to reset the phone and came up normally. Does anyone know what he could of hit? The phone was stuck in download mode no matter what you hit it would only reset to it. I had tried booting and holding volume up and home and releasing home for the recovery boot. As a recap of what happened I had rooted the phone and then downloaded goomanager and ran the installed script option under settings then I reset and was stuck in download mode. I just found it crazy that he never had to hook it to his computer to fix it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hmm, that is interesting. Did he replace the battery temporarily while 'resetting the phone with combination of buttons'?
Or did he place the battery inside and let you have it?
Sounds like a simple factory reset...
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
haremmon said:
Hmm, that is interesting. Did he replace the battery temporarily while 'resetting the phone with combination of buttons'?
Or did he place the battery inside and let you have it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
He originally plugged my phone up when I gave it to him but it wouldn't come on so he unplugged it and replaced the battery. The battery I had was completely dead. After he replaced the battery he turned it on and it went to the download screen with the little green alien. After that he held some buttons and kept looking at the back and then the front of the phone. I couldn't really see what he hit but shortly afterwards it came up with my lock screen picture. After that he said it doesn't need flashing but he would flash the firmware if I wanted so I said ok and he did. I have the phone now working great but it doesn't show rooted anymore.
Omg how do people not know this already. I have had my S4 for 2 days even i know better and I cant believe people dont read
So, I was at work today, and a customer came and asked if I can recover her deleted picture on her GS4 I337. I thought, OK, I've never played with S4, this is a good chance. So I took the phone and started mess around with it.
As Usual, before any recovery, you need to do a 1:1 backup of the device. so I was thinking, android's file system is basically ext4, if I could install a busybox, I can then make a clone of the internal storage with dd or whatever; before I can install busybox, I need to root the phone.
so without carefully reading I just downloaded kingo android root I found in GS4 forum. and it worked out pretty well.
then, maybe because I haven't had any breakfast, or something....my mind wasn't thinking stuff right.....I told myself that I need to find a busybox flashable and flash it into the phone. so I found the busybox flashable zip. but for obvious reason the stock recovery didn't take it lol. at that point I was like, ok let's try something else....because I need a custom recovery to flash anything other than stock auth ....
and I found CASUAL....again, without reading the manual, I just plugged in the phone and clicked go...
after CASUAL finished its job, it reboot the phone, and I found myself in deep****.....
the phone is stocked in download/odin mode.....
I was scared ****less...after search and read like a crazy, I found out that 1, there's no custom recovery for MF3 and, 2, CASUAL doesn't work for MF3 phones (before soft-brick I don't even know what's MF3 lol)...and, 3, people with similar issue sent their phone over to a ebay seller who offers jtag unbricking service for $30...
after reading CASUAL log, I noticed that CASUAL didn't successfully flash the recovery(of course) but it just went ahead with the progress anyways...so, I think there's something wrong with the boot env or bootstrap it mess up to cause the phone not able to boot up.
so I thought, if I can find the stock rom and flash boot.img, maybe it will unbrick the phone.
because it was a HUGE responsibility, it's not my own phone. it's a customer's, and may or may not contain life and death information in there that was probably why the owner was willing to pay for recovery service at the first place... and I mess it up for her...it was so much pressure.....
thank god it was not the end of my life....
I downloaded and extracted I337UCUAMDL_I337ATTAMDL_ATT.zip, and tried to flash the boot.img with Heimdall .
heimdall flash --BOOT boot.img
heimdall failed with a message like "there's no partition name boot" or something, BUT it DID successfully update the PIT, and rebooted the phone. Magically, the phone came back alive. PIT corrected the partition problem so phone will boot normally??? I was SO HAPPY!!!!
I stopped there and put the phone aside, I don't wanna touch it anymore LOL
I actually posted a small guide about how to get it back up and working again, but you nuked her recovery. She'll have to get it fixed at a Samsung experience shop. They do it for free.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N900A using Tapatalk 5
If only I found your guide at my 3-hour panichour lol
I am not sure if the stock recovery is still there. do you think technically I can use heimdall flash --RECOVERY recovery.img to reflash the recovery if it was nuked?
crumpz said:
If only I found your guide at my 3-hour panichour lol
I am not sure if the stock recovery is still there. do you think technically I can use heimdall flash --RECOVERY recovery.img to reflash the recovery if it was nuked?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's been posted in many threads about manually putting the phone into ODIN (download) mode and then manually cancelling out to usually boot the phone. However, as mentioned, the stock recovery probably no longer works. It seems to me, and you mentioned it a couple of times yourself that your biggest issue is not reading about what it is you are doing. Hopefully, you learned a lesson about that.
Trying to just get my $900 Verizon Note Edge Dev flashed and the third person I am talking to is taking extra time to tweak me, and make me repeat every last bit of information that is in the ticket. It mt 3rd call and the first 2 gave me incorrect info, now this B****!
That girl needs to find a job where she does deal with the public!
Vent over.
Did you get your stock recovery.img yet? If not I found the process in the forum. I haven't had time to try it, hopefully soon.
Nope, still waiting.
I'd have to agree with you... Samsung rep told me i basically wasted $800 on the developer edition as it is no different from retail, locked bootloaders are a default configuration and there is no way to unlock them.
is this true? doubt it, else whats the point of developer editions? I guess we just ned to wait around a bit and see if someone comes up with something.... hopefully soon. towel root didn't work btw lol. gonna try kingroot and 1 click too. i'm scared to try and of the CF auto methods they are all for other carriers and i dont want to end up soft bricked...
if i am able to get something from this i'll let you all know.
They don't even know their own products...call 3 times, get 3 different answers (literally happened to me). Love Samsung products, but will never rely on their support.
NekoShinigami said:
I'd have to agree with you... Samsung rep told me i basically wasted $800 on the developer edition as it is no different from retail, locked bootloaders are a default configuration and there is no way to unlock them.
is this true? doubt it, else whats the point of developer editions? I guess we just ned to wait around a bit and see if someone comes up with something.... hopefully soon. towel root didn't work btw lol. gonna try kingroot and 1 click too. i'm scared to try and of the CF auto methods they are all for other carriers and i dont want to end up soft bricked...
if i am able to get something from this i'll let you all know.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
docugod said:
They don't even know their own products...call 3 times, get 3 different answers (literally happened to me). Love Samsung products, but will never rely on their support.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It all depends on the support center/staff you visit or speak to. Have had good experiences on this end of the globe.
NekoShinigami said:
I'd have to agree with you... Samsung rep told me i basically wasted $800 on the developer edition as it is no different from retail, locked bootloaders are a default configuration and there is no way to unlock them.
is this true? doubt it, else whats the point of developer editions? I guess we just ned to wait around a bit and see if someone comes up with something.... hopefully soon. towel root didn't work btw lol. gonna try kingroot and 1 click too. i'm scared to try and of the CF auto methods they are all for other carriers and i dont want to end up soft bricked...
if i am able to get something from this i'll let you all know.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'd say the vzw note 4 cf auto root may work but I would ask chainfire before doing it also person you talked to is stupid If you bout the DE from Samsung it has an unlocked bootloader which allows for root and other various thing like twrp or cwm recovery
Sent From The EDGE
Ah I'm past that lol. Just skipped root straight flashed twrp in Odin then used twrp to flash supersu update zip and was good to go. Now I have a whole new problem though lol. I noobed out and forgot to do a backup before deleting stuff and I deleted something I shouldn't have. Now I can't make or receive calls. Internet works fine, but when I try calling or texting I get "mobile network unavailable."
I tried to get samsung to send me stock recovery for it and they couldn't. Tried asking others here who had the phone also but no luck there either. Probably just gonna have to buy another one...
Sent from my SCH-I545 using XDA Free mobile app
I posted the stock recovery...
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=59874945&postcount=892
Hope it helps...
NekoShinigami said:
Ah I'm past that lol. Just skipped root straight flashed twrp in Odin then used twrp to flash supersu update zip and was good to go. Now I have a whole new problem though lol. I noobed out and forgot to do a backup before deleting stuff and I deleted something I shouldn't have. Now I can't make or receive calls. Internet works fine, but when I try calling or texting I get "mobile network unavailable."
I tried to get samsung to send me stock recovery for it and they couldn't. Tried asking others here who had the phone also but no luck there either. Probably just gonna have to buy another one...
Sent from my SCH-I545 using XDA Free mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
docugod said:
I posted the stock recovery...
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=59874945&postcount=892
Hope it helps...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I tried to flash that and got stuck on boot lol. I'm not sure how to change it to a .tar or into an actual flashable recovery. I tried to use 7zip to extract that then compress it into a tar but I still couldn't flash it. How was it you were able to get the recovery? The guide I read involved taking the update via kies then copy and paste the image from your temp folder.
Sent from my SCH-I545 using XDA Free mobile app
Maybe with the tool here http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2281287
You can do just step 5 (since you already have the recovery.img), then use Odin to flash?
NekoShinigami said:
I tried to flash that and got stuck on boot lol. I'm not sure how to change it to a .tar or into an actual flashable recovery. I tried to use 7zip to extract that then compress it into a tar but I still couldn't flash it. How was it you were able to get the recovery? The guide I read involved taking the update via kies then copy and paste the image from your temp folder.
Sent from my SCH-I545 using XDA Free mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
docugod said:
Maybe with the tool here http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2281287
You can do just step 5 (since you already have the recovery.img), then use Odin to flash?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I tried, but that program fails. when i run normally it says
bin/tar: value 4294967295 out of gid_t range 0..2097151
bin/tar: exiting with failure status due to previous errors
(then it asks me 6 times to thank him on XDA lol)
when i run as admin i get a similar response but it says
the system cannot find the patch specified.
the system cannot find the patch specified.
the system cannot find the patch specified.
(3 times just like that, then asks for thanks 6 more times)
i tried to redownload the recovery just in case i got a bad download but still same outcome.
When you extracted that recovery file did you also get the stock rom? if so could you by chance post that? or a twrp backup of stock?
NekoShinigami said:
I tried, but that program fails. when i run normally it says
bin/tar: value 4294967295 out of gid_t range 0..2097151
bin/tar: exiting with failure status due to previous errors
(then it asks me 6 times to thank him on XDA lol)
when i run as admin i get a similar response but it says
the system cannot find the patch specified.
the system cannot find the patch specified.
the system cannot find the patch specified.
(3 times just like that, then asks for thanks 6 more times)
i tried to redownload the recovery just in case i got a bad download but still same outcome.
When you extracted that recovery file did you also get the stock rom? if so could you by chance post that? or a twrp backup of stock?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think u need to download stock firmware from Sammobile and flash it via Odin first.
They don't have the Verizon stock firmware
Sent from my SCH-I545 using XDA Free mobile app
Ok guys, here's the deal. i bought a secondhand s4 which was advertised as a google edition. it has a couple of annoying issues, first i noticed it switching itself off and on. the worst problem with it is that when my battery goes reeeally dead it just bootloops when i have recharged. the only way i can get it back on is to start it in recovery mode (which is clockworkmod v6.0.4.4) then do a factory wipe. so yeah thats a major pain. the s4 itself is a red model and behind the battery it says its a gt-19505, however in the settings on the phone it says its a gt-19505g.
my goal is to install an official firmware if possible that i may be able to update easily, the worry that i have is that i dont know if it would then accept my network as although it appears to run google edition custom firmware it may not once i install something official on it. this may be a nooby statement i know but a noob i am lol.
if its at all possible could i keep the cwm recovery?
and if its any help when i load the other boot loader thingy (with the green android on it) in the top left it says gt-19505, im just sayin cus im sure its vital which ever this phone actually is.
here are as many details as i can give but please ask if im missing anything
ANDROID VERSION 4.4.2
KERNEL VERSION 3.4.0-faux123-KK44-GE-Custom
[email protected]omain #20
Sun Dec 1 02:30:28 CST 2013
BASEBAND VERSION 19505XXUFNA1
BUILD NUMBER KOT49H.S001.131204
also upon booting in the top left it says "kernel is not seandroid enforcing
set warranty bit:kernel"
THANKS FOR YOUR TIME And please tell me where to start as i tried updating it via kies to fix it but it just wont connect, i assume due to custom firmware.
The Google Play Edition S4 devices didn't come in any color but white. Therefore, this is an I9505 with a custom ROM on it. The download mode screen reading GT-I9505 confirmed it.
Since this is an I9505 and not an I9505G, the main question is whether this device will work with your SIM card. For that, simply insert your SIM card and boot the device. If you get signal, you're good. Otherwise you'll have to unlock the device, either by purchasing an unlock code from one of the sites that sells them, or by trying the unlock methods available on the forums.
This will also help answer the question of which stock ROM you can install on the device. If the S4 doesn't prompt you to unlock the device, then you can install one of the unbranded S4 ROMs available on sammobile.com. After that, you can put the recovery of your choice on the S4, though I recommend TWRP over the other options.
Thanks for your help. I'm a little confused though, at the moment with this custom google edition ROM it does take my sim, in fact I bet it takes any sim, I heard that was a feature of google play devices. What I meant was after I install the stock ROM will it then not take my sim. So if it has already been unlocked How would I know which ROM to install? As I now know its not a google edition, is it possible to install an official google edition ROM? Do i use this download mode, Odin, or cwm to install a firmware. I'm just not sure what my starting point is. I don't wanna follow someone's guide yet to installing something just in case I'm jumping the gun and need to uninstall this custom ROM somehow.
Sorry for asking questions that I'm sure seem dumb I'm really just trying to learn at the moment I'm green as they come with android. BTW thanks for your suggestions so far, you def seem like you know what you're talking about, cheers
Google Play devices are carrier unlocked, but this is not a Google Play Edition S4. Therefore the device was carrier unlocked at some point in its past. The unknown here is how the original owner unlocked the device. If he or she used the unlocking methods found on XDA there is a chance the lock will be lost when installing a stock ROM.
If the S4 is unlocked, you aren't restricted to a particular region and can install any I9505 ROM using Odin, though I recommend the carrier unbranded ROMs. You cannot install a stock Google Play Edition ROM on the device as the model number of a GPE device is not the same as the device you have. However, you're already rooted and have a custom recovery installed. In I9505 Development here on XDA there is a Google Play Edition ROM that can be installed on your device. Download it to your S4, wipe everything in recovery, then flash the ROM's flashable zip in recovery. I've used said ROM and it works quite well.
OK I have found the 5.0.1 ge ROM , but in there it says I must use latest recovery or whatever plus it recommended one different to mine, is it safe to install using my version of cwm or do I need to learn how to change it??
Deleted by user
TWRP is recommended as there are people who are still maintaining it, unlike Clockworkmod and Philz. While you probably can get the ROM installed using the version of Clockworkmod you have, learning how to change recoveries is useful.
OK thank you for all your help my friend, I will now find out how to do this, I'm sure there is a section on this somewhere, BTW I think you are right about my device being rooted, but I wanted to check and I followed a guide and used super su but apparently its not rooted so I guess something must've gone wrong. Bit scary if I try to change my recovery or my firmware and this causes a brick hmmmmm
It's virtually impossible to brick the S4, especially as the recovery is flashed through Odin.
Phew that's a relief. Thanks man.... Well I'm gonna just risk using cwm for now as I'm new to this........ Thanks a whole lot for your time I really mean that.
KlLLFRENZY said:
Phew that's a relief. Thanks man.... Well I'm gonna just risk using cwm for now as I'm new to this........ Thanks a whole lot for your time I really mean that.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Use TWRP. CMW is outdated.
Lennyz1988 said:
Use TWRP. CMW is outdated.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I want to, I really do but I'm struggling here. Before I wrote that last comment I tried to find a guide on this forum for swapping to twrp, but couldn't and didn't wanna bug this guy as he had helped enough. Anyway I went to the place he told me and have hit another wall anyway because I don't know how to use the firmware the relevant kernel or the git. My life is so busy and I'm getting about an hour on this subject a day and its gonna take forever lol
If you can help me on my way even a little its much appreciated, I would like to use twrp and the 5.0.1 ge plus the right kernel of course
KlLLFRENZY said:
I want to, I really do but I'm struggling here. Before I wrote that last comment I tried to find a guide on this forum for swapping to twrp, but couldn't and didn't wanna bug this guy as he had helped enough. Anyway I went to the place he told me and have hit another wall anyway because I don't know how to use the firmware the relevant kernel or the git. My life is so busy and I'm getting about an hour on this subject a day and its gonna take forever lol
If you can help me on my way even a little its much appreciated, I would like to use twrp and the 5.0.1 ge plus the right kernel of course
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
https://twrp.me/devices/samsunggalaxys4internationalqualcomm.html
Follow the Odin guide. It's excactly the same when you flashed CWM.
@Lennyz1988: The S4 was bought secondhand and already had CWM on it from the original owner.
@killfrenzy: Follow the guide Lenny mentioned, but don't worry about the second paragraph. Our device isn't one of those that restores the original recovery on boot.
ok will do, i just tried the app install method but as i suspected, it said root is required for this app and promptly exited so i shall do the odin method, i heard that some people remove root or it could be that it was done wrong. also after reading a few posts here and there i found out that someone had similar issues with their phone random re-booting and they had custom ge with the wrong kernel so it seems once im done my issues should be history if i learn how to install fw + kernel, after this twrp thing i will be one step closer for sure. i also know ppl slate lollipop but once im all done with this im sure i will have picked up enough terminology to install cfw's to my hearts content. hooray for forums and people like you, sounds like im kissin ass but its just gratitude
so using the twrp install guide i gotta install using the odin method i have now got 3.07 odin but this is the next step.........
Odin Install Method (No Root Required):
You will need to download and install Odin on your PC. Once you have Odin installed, download the proper .tar file for your device from the download link above. Power off your device. Turn on your device using the proper key combo to get into download mode and attach the device to your computer via a USB cable. Use the PDA tab or button to browse to and select the tar file that you downloaded and flash the device.
lololol nothins ever simple i see the list of tar files in the link above but no mention at all as to which is the proper .tar for my device, i guess they assume the guide is for people who have done it before. more research tomorrow maybe i gotta be up early ugh
Lennyz1988 said:
https://twrp.me/devices/samsunggalaxys4internationalqualcomm.html
Follow the Odin guide. It's excactly the same when you flashed CWM.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Think you misunderstood, I have flashed nothing yet I got it like this. I'm completely green
Don't suppose anybody knows which is the tar file for my device?? S4gt-19505
OK now I get it, the list of tars in that section are all the same just newer builds of the same version. Seems obvious if you have done this before, but I wasn't to know that and cannot assume things. I'm also gonna guess and say Lenny thinks my s4 needs this particular version for an international, am I right?? Anyway it would've made a lot of sense but how does he know. I have no idea what this phone was I have never owned it new.
Different devices have different codes. For example, jfltexx is the I9505. A T-Mobile S4 would be jfltetmo, and so on.The link Lenny provided is for the I9505. Download the 2.8.6.0 version as its the latest.
As to how you were supposed to know, having never owned one, you weren't. There are tutorials in the General forum though that can help.