[Q] Asus Transformer Pad tf300t Help! - Transformer TF300T General

I updated my Transformer pad tf300t to android 4.2 and it lags a lot right now. I want to go back to Android 4.1 or 4.0. I know how to do this but i cannot find a 4.1 or 4.0 firmware file for the 'US' sku version. I have searched everywhere but have found nothing. Please can anyone provide me with a link to the downloadable firmware file.

Everywhere, you say? Well, that doesn't sound correct. The firmware (full rom, really) for 4.1 is listed on http://support.asus.com.
To downgrade, it will wipe EVERYTHING except your external SD, if you have one. For good measure, take it out. But a word of caution, I wouldn't try downgrading to 4.0. To my knowledge, we are only able to downgrade to 4.1, but I would LOVE if someone tells me otherwise before you end up with yet another brick added to the long list.
And yes, 4.2 didn't fix much of the lag problems. It merely moved them, in my opinion. There is much less lag when installing apps (still very present), while there is a bit of lag when opening the quick settings and notification bars, which wasn't present in 4.1.
______________________________
HTC Evo 4G LTE

aarsyl said:
Everywhere, you say? Well, that doesn't sound correct. The firmware (full rom, really) for 4.1 is listed on http://support.asus.com.
To downgrade, it will wipe EVERYTHING except your external SD, if you have one. For good measure, take it out. But a word of caution, I wouldn't try downgrading to 4.0. To my knowledge, we are only able to downgrade to 4.1, but I would LOVE if someone tells me otherwise before you end up with yet another brick added to the long list.
And yes, 4.2 didn't fix much of the lag problems. It merely moved them, in my opinion. There is much less lag when installing apps (still very present), while there is a bit of lag when opening the quick settings and notification bars, which wasn't present in 4.1.
______________________________
HTC Evo 4G LTE
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Fully agreed with this, after installing 4.2 it was laggy as hell then I went on to remove even more bloatware and cleanup the start-process, things got better but nowhere near as smooth as 4.1
My recommendation:
Backup your whole system on an external storage and wipe the whole thing, don't downgrade to 4.0 unless you are very sure (!) it works. I would only go down 1 number if that doesn't work use a custom ROM like Cyanogenmod, AOSPA or Paranoid.

Related

[7.March.2012][ROM][P73xx] ♫♫ Overcome 8.9 Series v2.3.1 ♫♫

DISCLAIMER: You know the drill, I am not responsible if loading this rom makes your Tab melt, explode, disintegrate, or cause harm to anyone near it. (I am fairly certain none of that will happen though )​
Change log in second post.
Welcome to The Overcome Experience - 8.9 Edition . For those of you that don’t know me, let me introduce myself. I am AlterBridge86, the creator of The Overcome Experience. I started developing a ROM on the OG Galaxy Tab (P1000) about 10 months ago and have moved on to having my own brand of ROM’s, Kernels, and Recoverys. The Galaxy Tab 8.9 (P7310) is now the third device family to get a “Overcome Series” ROM, however it will most definitely not be the last.
My mission is simple. I aim to vastly improve the stock user experience on Samsung devices. I think that Samsung makes fantastic hardware, however fails to bring the same level of software quality to their devices. This is where I step in. I take the base rom, as provided by Samsung, and perform further optimization and modification to it. My mods aim not to completely customize the user interface, but rather add some very useful key functionality while retaining the “stock android” look.
NOTE: This will NOT work on the LTE variants of the 8.9!!!​
ROM FEATURES
Please read the announcement post on the TOE website for a full rundown of the release! http://www.teamovercome.net/p7300
Based on P7300XWLA2 / P7310UELA3 (Android 3.2)
Fully Deodexed
Fully Zipaligned
Rooted/Busybox installed
Stock kernel with modified initramfs
Themed with stock-ish Honeycomb look
Ads blocked
Updated Maps to 6.3.0
Updated Play Store to 3.4.6
Updated SamsungApps to 3.10.115
Updated Flash Player to 11.1.111.7
Updated Play Books to 2.3.5
Updated Play Music to 4.1.513
Updated Play Movies to 1.4.9
Updated YouTube to 3.5.5
Launcher from P7310UELA3 (equally as smooth as the stock launcher while retaining TW functionality)
Modded Browser from Android 3.2.2 (UAString chooser in Advanced Options)
Bootanimation.zip support (cool boot animation included thanks to gammaRascal in the Iconia forums)
Extended Power Menu (Reboot, Recovery, Download)
Install Instructions
Download CWM from here if you don't have it already: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1312218
Download the appropriate install zip from below and put it in your Tabs internal storage
Reboot into CWM recovery (Turn Tab off, then press power button and volume down until you see the choice to boot download mode or recovery. Press volume down to highlight recovery, then volume up to select it.)
Navigate to install from zip, choose the install zip and install away! (Wiping data prior to install is recommended)
However, if you wish to attempt a non-wipe install (ONLY for users already on Overcome), follow these instructions: Prior to rebooting into recovery for install, go into Manage Apps and clear data on launcher. Immediately reboot into recovery using the power menu - DO NOT go back ot the home screen first. Install zip without data wipe. After install completes, wipe cache. Reboot.
Wiping data is highly recommended, especially if coming from a stock rom or another rom. You can do this prior to the install from the main screen of CWM recovery.
SCREENSHOTS
INSTALL GUIDE
http://www.teamovercome.net/p7300/?page_id=6
DOWNLOADS
http://www.teamovercome.net/p7300/?page_id=9
MIRRORS
None at this time...
SOURCES
https://github.com/alterbridge86
REMOVED APPS DOWNLOAD - To install, simply place the apks in /system/app. These will NOT install like a normal APK.
P7300 - Removed until i modify them to not include non-samsung apps
P7310 - Removed until i modify them to not include non-samsung apps
HideBar - http://ppareit.github.com/HideBar/
The best is yet to come!
KNOWN ISSUES
Wallpaper does not scroll (but this is by design really...its why the launcher is SO smooth...)
ROM AND KERNEL CHANGE LOG
Overcome 8.9 Series v2.3.1
eBook application returns!
Updated Books to Play Books 2.3.5
Updated Music to Play Music 4.1.513
Updated Videos to Play Movies 1.4.9
Updated Market to Play Store 3.4.6
Updated Flash Player to 11.1.111.7
Updated YouTube to 3.5.5
Removed HideBar (did not work reliably when preinstalled – please get from HideBar website if you wish to use this app)
Reverted to a modded stock browser (will fix most back button bugs as well as some user agent issues)
Overcome 8.9 Series v2.3.0
Rebased on P7300XWLA2/P7310UELA3
Updated Maps to 6.3.0
Updated Flash Player to 11.1.111.6
Updated Samsung Apps to 3.10.115
Launcher from UELA3 used (significantly improved landscape performance)
HideBar v0.12 included (installed in /data so can be removed by user if they so choose)
SwitchMe v1.2.2 included (installed in /data so can be removed by user if they so choose)
CWM Recovery 5.5.0.4 Included
Hello All! The Overcome Experience has come to the Galaxy Tab 8.9 I am glad to be here and providing the best experience possible to all Galaxy Tab 8.9'ers out there
I have just a few points to cover in this post, and then we're off to the races. I'm sure some of you may be familiar with my works and know that I have a website, www.teamovercome.net, which houses an excellent install guide, tweaks, faqs, downloads, and more for all the devices I support. Unfortunately, we are having an issue with our host so I will not be building a website for this device until we are set up on a new hosting service. However, I did not want that alone to hold up the release of this ROM, so here we are
During the course of my development, I have made two very important discoveries. Firstly, as you most likely noticed in the first post, we are running a P7510 rom. Yes, P7510 roms are 99% compatible with the P7310 - only minor tweaking is required to make it work perfectly. For this reason, I have based this rom off of the latest rom available for the P7510 which is very smooth and performs exceptionally well.
My second discovery comes with some good and bad news. I'm sure you all have noticed that there is horrendous lag when swiping between the homescreens in landscape mode. Initially, I blamed this on the rom. I tried several different P7310 roms, including the P7510 rom which this release is based on, and while some were better than others, it continued to exhibit more lag than the P7510. Naturally, I found this extremely odd because these devices are identical with the exception of the screens. Another bit of background info before moving on in this story, Honeycomb has been plagued with an issue up until the 3.2 release which caused the device, when used in portrait mode, have very stuttery, laggy performance. The 3.2 release significantly improved that issue so much that it is nearly identical to the performance of landscape mode.
Moving on, I learned that the tab actually has a default orientation of portrait (notice that CWM is in portrait mode on the 8.9, whereas on 10.1 it is in landscape). As a result of this, there is a modifier in the build.prop that rotates the screen appropriately. However, the side effect of this, is that the performance issues seen on typical Honeycomb tablets in portrait mode now manifest in landscape mode. If you flip the tab into portrait, you will see the butter smooth performance one would expect in landscape. (I urge you to try this out once you flash the rom - it gives you a taste of what is to come in the future!) So the bad news of this is that there is really nothing I can do to fix this at this time. This rom has SIGNIFICANTLY improved landscape performance, but its still not perfect. The good news however is that once we get 3.2, and definitely ICS, we will no longer have to worry about these sorts of performance issues.
All that said, I hope you all enjoy the release and as always, the best is yet to come!
Great! Can't wait to flash!
does it work with p7300??
eager to try it i loved overcome for galaxy tab
davioxx said:
does it work with p7300??
eager to try it i loved overcome for galaxy tab
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You would lose 3G capability...I will have a P7300 rom coming in the near future...its just not ready yet
well i dont use my 3g capability , so I will download it right now but still count me for testing/using the correcto 7300 version =D, also is it necessary to wipe?
edit: recovery is good to go for the 7300?
thanks alterbridge
Wipe is a recommended idea - you can try without it and see how it goes, but if you are seeing all sorts of FC and stuff, then you should wipe.
Recovery works on both 7310/7300, if thats what you mean...
Looking forward to your P7300 ROM, any ETA date?hehe
Would like to see this work on 3g as well. But I can't stop salivating on this...
I'm strapping myself now, not to do anything with my tablet. I relied too much on 3g internet...
Much obliged alter. Putting it through the paces now, so far so good.
Sent from my GT-P7310 using Tapatalk
Success
Hello guys just confirming it working on the 7300 no 3G data Ive never used it before so cant confirm anything,
took around 5 minutes for first boot, wouldnt work without wipe
Looking forward to the 3G version- can't have that not working so please release it soon. Pretty please
waiting ROM for support my TAB8.9 7300B
Sweet! Will flash once I get home from work tomorrow!
Hey, I just won a 8.9 and am considering this ROM due to the HW acceleration. Is it possible to revert the soft buttons to the TouchWiz versions? While I'm fine with the "Tron" look of stock Honeycomb, it doesn't match Touchwiz well.
davioxx said:
Hello guys just confirming it working on the 7300 no 3G data Ive never used it before so cant confirm anything,
took around 5 minutes for first boot, wouldnt work without wipe
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Great! So who would u describe the performance? Compared to stock. Does the UI still lag? What are your first impressions
Sent from my GT-I9100 using XDA App
can this kernel be overclocked?
is there any posibilities to have a GSM voice call on this ROM in the future?
Very much looking forward to a P7300 3G build of this!
Also, +1 on the question of overclocking/undervolting; Tegra 2 is cool and all, but it's no Exynos.
My GS2 has spoiled me when it comes to performance. <_<;;

So what am I missing?

Reading through these forums has been a real education; much thanks to everyone for posting and sharing!
I was given a reconditioned A500 by a friend (obviously a very good friend!), stock Acer_A500_1.104.02_COM_GEN1 with Android v3.0.1. Rooted with Gingerbreak, everything running fine. Really love the tablet.
Anyway, been looking over all of the choices for upgraded ROMS so graciously provided by members of the community, and hit a little analysis-paralysis. What are the major advantages (other than the "latest-and-greatest" factor) to upgrading to 3.1, 3.2, or 3.2.1? Is there any "must-have" advantage to the upgrade? And will my GEN1 have issues with some of the ROMs developed from GEN2 packages?
Thanks for being patient with an old dog trying desperately to learn some new tricks...
The later the version of Honeycomb generally the more stable and quicker it runs. You probably notice with 3.0 and 3.0.1 there are a lot of force closes on apps. There are other benefits to newer versions, such as ability to plug in USB peripherals etc, but I don't know all of them off the top of my head.
One problem that many people learned (myself included) was that when we got the upgrade to 3.2, those who had root lost it and nobody could figure out how to root it because Acer changed their boot loader. Since then people have found ways around it. Custom ROMs that the devs had created here usually make the tablet run better (of course there are risks to doing this and the occasional bug!). Some people run custom ROMS to overclock, some load them to remove Acer Bloatware and some just have the urge to try new and great things.
In terms of having issues with GEN1 and GEN2 packages, when you are installing custom ROMS made by the DEVs on XDA you won't have to worry. I think the GEN1 and GEN2 are just for ACER to distinguish things like the country that the device is from, or to determine when they should be receiving OTA updates.
CharlieSummers said:
Reading through these forums has been a real education; much thanks to everyone for posting and sharing!
I was given a reconditioned A500 by7 a friend (obviously a very good friend!), stock Acer_A500_1.104.02_COM_GEN1 with Android v3.0.1. Rooted with Gingerbreak, everything running fine. Really love the tablet.
Anyway, been looking over all of the choices for upgraded ROMS so graciously provided by members of the community, and hit a little analysis-paralysis. What are the major advantages (other than the "latest-and-greatest" factor) to upgrading to 3.1, 3.2, or 3.2.1? Is there any "must-have" advantage to the upgrade? And will my GEN1 have issues with some of the ROMs developed from GEN2 packages?
Thanks for being patient with an old dog trying desperately to learn some new tricks...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Early HC versions have issues with Netflex, video, voice, GPS, etc. Alot of the drivers have been patched since 3.0.1.
TD
If you want a mostly stock rom with just Root and busybox I suggest this one:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1429199
It is very fast and very smooth. haven't run into any problems or force closes yet.
I found that the full screen feature of 3.2 and 3.2.1 was a great reason to upgrade. My iconia came with 3.1 on it and i was content with that rooted until i learned that my apps that didnt fill the screen (guitar hero 5) and some that just didnt run (dance dance revolution s) worked great in full screen on 3.2+.
Greatly appreciate all of the responses. It's pretty clear I need to read the threads here and learn how to upgrade the Android in this tablet. (I especially appreciate starkiller86's pointer to the 3.2.1 sorta-stock image...that looks like the most sensible direction for me to go.)
Thanks again!

Galaxy S3 [I9300] - Basics,Best Performance Package - Mod's and ROM's & Kernels

So, I have been using an S3 {yeah S3 , i know old, but duh i just love it } for over 3 years now . I started out as a complete noob, still am, and S3 was the first phone that i started working on. Over the years i have tried many custom ROM's , Kernel's and MOD's and i have tried here to create a List of Best Performing Custom Items over the course of 1 year, with special care for people like me who have just started out in the world of android, So here goes. {in 4 steps} :-
<1> Best "FAIL-SAFE" Method of Rooting/Installing a custom ROM - I know most of the people are afraid of bricking their device's, the first time they root. I have been in that situation and had my phone soft bricked many times while trying out different thing's. So the Most FAIL-SAFE Method that i have come up with is this:-
Many people suggest rooting the devices first and then installing a custom ROM. I have tried to do things a little differently so that the first timers can get comfortable.
A. First thing to do is install CyanogenMod on your specific devices. [without rooting] , The developers at cyanogen have made an application to directly install Cyanogen to your devices from your PC like a regular Software Install. The Link and the Instructions can be found on the official Website - http://get.cm. The process is very simple and easy to do and after the install your device gets automatic root access. The xda thread - http://http://forum.xda-developers.com/android/apps-games/app-cm-app-installer-t2959922 - {you get CM - 11 from this download }
B. Now that your device is has CyanogenMod, you get a rooted device and a custom ROM. But the problem with Cyanogen is that the Custom recovery which it provides has very limited options available. So the next step is to go to Google Play Store and download "TWRP Manager" or "ROM Manager" [i personally use TWRP]. This application will help you to Install the TWRP or CWM recoveries on your Phone. The process is fairly simple, After Installing the App, Choose your Device Model and Version and Let the app do the rest of the work. PS the apps require ROOT access which your phone can provide now.
C. By now if all the steps are performed correctly [very less chance of something going wrong because most of the tings are done automatically] your respective device should have a custom Recovery installed. Next and Most important step is to Create a NANDROID BACKUP [basically an ultimate backup to restore everything]. Go to recovery mode [Home+Volume up + Power button] and select backup, and make a complete backup on your SD card. It's really important to create a Backup before doing anything. This step must not be skipped in any case.
D. Now it's time to let your imagination run wild xD, Download custom ROM's, Kernel's MOD's etc and just copy the zip's to the SD card and install them using the recovery. In case anything goes wrong Just restore from the Backup you made earlier.
[PS: Update your backup's regularly]
<2> Now's the list of My Personal Favorite's which Have Improve the overall Performance of My Phone Greatly. All the ROM's, Kernel's etc have been personally tested by me for over 3 month's for Issues related to Stability, Performance and Bug's . I have tried to put forward the Best package for optimal performance.
1. Recovery [doesn't affect much] - - TWRP Recovery: Personally "Team Win Recovery Project (TWRP)" is my favorite because of it's easy to use touch control's , it's efficiency and Design. I like the cool blue texture theme of TWRP and the speed with which it create's backup and install's new things. The performance of the Phone does no depend upon the Recovery though and you may choose whichever recovery you are comfortable with.
2. ROM - BlissPOP v4.0.3 (CM 12.1 base) : Yes i have chosen this ROM out of the many other i tried. The reasons are very simple, This ROM provides outstanding stability and Performance to the device. There is no bloatware in the ROM and there are simply hundred's of features available for customization. It's compatible with generally all the Kernel's and Mods available for your device and the regular Nightlie's are an added bonus. It's the only ROM based on Lollipop(5.1.1) in which i haven't found any Bug's or stability issues.
Many people told me to try Paranoid ROM but personally i find Paranoid a little buggy, and i found that the PI controls and Halo, due to which the ROM is popular are not of any important use to people like us. They only add a touch of appearance to the device [strictly my view and i mean no offence to any other person ].
3. Kernel - Archie kernel for Galaxy S3 - http://forum.xda-developers.com/galaxy-s3/development/kernel-archikernel-v1-0-power-hands-t2785337
4. MOD's -
A. Audio Engine - Ac!d Audio - http://http://forum.xda-developers.com/galaxy-s3/development/mod-acid-audio-engine-v5-0-samsung-t2002197
Viper4Android -http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2191223
6. Root Applications -
A. Titanium Backup:
You can backup, restore, freeze (with Pro) your apps + data + Market links. This includes all protected apps & system apps, plus external data on your SD card. You can do 0-click batch & scheduled backups. Backups will operate without closing any apps (with Pro). You can move any app (or app data) to/from the SD card. Available on Google Play
B. AdAway for Android [built-in app in BlissPop ROM]:
to block ads on your Android device this app is not avalibale on the playstore but you can still install it from this link
C. Greenify:
Is a good application to make your Android device more faster, by hibernating the background apps that you don't use. this application is completely free. Available on Google Play
These are the only Apps which i find useful in the long run as i have to use them constantly. Rest application's are used from time to time but not regularly. So this is My List, i'd be glad if anyone want's to add to it ^.^
I'd Like to Thanks the Amazing People who have Made the above Programs to make our Phone More performance and Appearance efficient. ------> CyanogenMod community, BlissPOP community, xda developers, Jeeko, JustArchie, amarullz, the Ac!d Audio Engine Team,zhuhang(Viper Mod), TWRP team.
Give a Thanks if u were helped by the post
================================================================================================================
Intense Testing Period -> Over 8 months [tried the new Lollipop ROMS's , over 20 kernels, Latest Android M ROM's , some personal opinions
================================================================================================================
Firstly sorry, for the delayed updates, i have been a little busy trying to develop my own ROM (surprise! surprise!, not for S3 unfortunately thought as i can never come close to the current ROM wiz's ), now in the second edition , I have tried to utilize my knowledge over 8 months to put up a new more enhanced guide and have also put up common and uncommon bugs which I experienced along the way and have provider the working solutions for them. Also I am extremely sorry for all those broken links and not working Mods, i'll try to keep my list precise, sharp and accurate this time.
1. Alternate method to Root (super easy, risk free, takes at maximum 5 minutes) - {for windows running PC, stock ROM or any other custom ROM can be used}
So, I would still recommend using my method 1 in order to initially root your device, install a custom ROM and a Recovery as i know the fear and anxiety or every new user trying to root his phone for the first time.
Now for a little more experienced users (quickie guide) [for I9300 version] who do not want to spend a lifetime to just get their devices rooted -
(a) Download the Chainfire's AutoRoot file here and place this file on your PC.
(b) Download Odin (latest version) on your PC here and unzip the file and start odin.
(c) Power down the device, then reboot in Download Mode [ press Power button + Home Button + Volume Down Key] and press volume up key at the caution screen. (little Hint: mostly the device reboots itself when you do not press the 3 buttons at the same time, to counter this press the volume up button and the home button first and hold them and then press the power button until you see the Galaxy S3 logo)
(d) Now connect your device to your PC using a sturdy USB cable. After doing this 2 outcomes are possible:-
~1. Your device is identified by Odin and a faint blue colour is shown on one of the top tabs indicating the port through which your device is connected. In this case proceed to step (e).
~2. If your device is not recognized by odin ie no blue colour, then the drivers of your device might not be installed on your PC. To tackle this download the Driver Suite from Samsung here and run the program. If done correctly when you next connect your device the drivers should get installed and odin should recognize your device.
(e) Click the "AP" button on odin and select the "Chainfire's v-xxx .mad5.tar " file which you downloaded above, odin will then take some time to check the file and when it's ready press start. CAUTION - do not change Odin's settings and assure that Reset Runtime and Auto Reboot are selected, never select re-partition on the odin interface.
(f) After the installation is complete your device should reboot automatically and you should have SuperSU installed (indiacting 99.99% times that your device rooted successfully ).
(g) If you want you can then install a custom recovery using the method indicated in my "method 1" [above].
-feel free to message me for any doubts-
Here are some of my new recommendations based on personal experiences:-
2. ROM's - I will try to divide this section based on firstly Android System and then further based on Stability, Features, Performance. Further i will be adding 2 ROM's for Android M . [i will not be naming ROMS which have a touchWiz interface]
(A) Android Lollipop and Below
Stability - Official CyanogenMOD 11.x [kitkat 4.1.1] - Zero Doubt, this one is the most stable thing out there for S3, old, yes but well you can do anything you want with this ROM and it will not seriously bug out on you when you need it. If someone does not mind going for an older version of android and needs epic stability, just go for it.
Features - BlissPop v3.0.x [CM 12.1 base][ Lollipop 5.1.1] - This ROM is filled with features, you name it, this ROM has it, PI controls, Built-in apps including AdAway, Kernel Modifier, Greenify, SuperSU etc, seamlessly integrated into the build environment. Each and every feature of this ROM is customizable, every font, colour and animation. Simply put, for someone who needs features and customizations go for this one. On the other hand, this ROM is less stable (crashes quite often ) and provides a slightly laggy gaming experience. No bloatwares in this ROM.
Performance - ArchiDroid [CM12.1 base][Lollipop 5.1.1] - Performance, Performance and more performance, all the technical aspects of your device will be enhanced and although the customization features are minimal but this ROM turns your device into a Performance Beast. All the gamers and performance lovers, what are you waiting for
Android 6.x.y Marshmallow
1. RESSURRECTION REMIX M - Fast, Durable, Amazing performance. Fell in love with this one when i used it, and this is my current ROM, no bugs so far and have been using it for over 1 month. Immensely Customizable, no lag during gaming, an amazing upgrade from Lollipop.
2. NamelessROM 3.0 - Feature Loaded, Minimal, good Looks and customization features and of course the ever caring support team of Nameless makes this a go to ROM.
>>> A bit more studying will be required before i finally divide the Android M ROMS's based on their features, performance and stability. Will be posting the results as soon as i am finished.
3. Kernels - AGNi pureCM and Boeffla-Kernel (26-03-2016) , tied, tested and proved that they are the best on very benchmark or performance test, although battery usage is better balanced on AGNi whereas Boeffla is more inclined towards performance.
You can find the Links to all the above ROM's and Kernels and many more in this thread - here
PS - Please Post your bugs in the thread and i will do my best to try and solve them out with an easy and sure solution
Cheers!
Awesome rundown for a new user like me. I've just got an S3 after using a Nexus S for 3 years. The S3 feels like such a beast compared to it!
I want to root and put a custom ROM on my device this weekend. I currently use cm11 on my Nexus S but it's a bit slow (which is understandable considering the hardware) so I can't wait to try it on the S3. My priority is long term stability ( I don't like flashing the emperors new clothes every 5 minutes). I just want to flash a ROM and forget it.
Have you tried any slimroms on the S3?
Sent from my Nexus S using XDA Free mobile app
[email protected][email protected] said:
A. First thing to do is install CyanogenMod on your specific devices. [without rooting] , The developers at cyanogen have made an application to directly install Cyanogen to your devices from your PC like a regular Software Install. The Link and the Instructions can be found on the official Website - http://get.cm. The process is very simple and easy to do and after the install your device gets automatic root access. The xda thread - http://http://forum.xda-developers.com/android/apps-games/app-cm-app-installer-t2959922 - {you get CM - 11 from this download }
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi.
Can you just go over this again. Do I use my phone to download an installer from http://get.cm, install the apk then I will have root?
edit - damn I don't use WIndows, only Ubuntu. I can't use it.
Cheers.
Hi warren
Yes I have used slimrom too on the s3. Its good but as u are looking for stability I would suggest go for cyanogen because in my experience cyanogen shells out a better performance as compared to slimrom. My gaming experience was a little reduced in slimrom and I experienced a little lag but no such issue in cyanogen.
Secondly if you use ubunto I would suggest going for a virtual box to install windows and then the cyanogen application as it's the safest way to install a ROM.
U have to got to " get.cm " from both your phone and PC
On PC a windows installerbwoll be downloaded and on the phone an APK will be downloaded first install the apk the install the windows program and then continue as given in the installer setup.
Else mate, I wud say first download the stock ROM of s3 as a backup and the continue to root in the traditional way .
Any problem just ask me
Cheers
Hi.
I was thinking the same. CM11 all the way! I used Slimrom on my Nexus S but it was very very slow. I almost smashed my phone in frustration.
Nice tip about using a virtual machine to install cm. I will have a think about that. At the moment I have found a very good guide that involves using Heimdall on Ubuntu and Chainfire,so i will probably go for that method.
I am definitely going to try arter97 kernel. It looks immense. It has boeffla sound which I am looking forward to trying.
Sent from my GT-I9300 using XDA Free mobile app
A little Confused....???
[email protected][email protected] said:
Hi warren
Yes I have used slimrom too on the s3. Its good but as u are looking for stability I would suggest go for cyanogen because in my experience cyanogen shells out a better performance as compared to slimrom. My gaming experience was a little reduced in slimrom and I experienced a little lag but no such issue in cyanogen.
Secondly if you use ubunto I would suggest going for a virtual box to install windows and then the cyanogen application as it's the safest way to install a ROM.
U have to got to " get.cm " from both your phone and PC
On PC a windows installerbwoll be downloaded and on the phone an APK will be downloaded first install the apk the install the windows program and then continue as given in the installer setup.
Else mate, I wud say first download the stock ROM of s3 as a backup and the continue to root in the traditional way .
Any problem just ask me
Cheers
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My understanding is that unless you rooted your S3 quite a while ago, pre 4.4.2, you can't add custom ROMs. The late-rooters would have a locked bootloader and would be severely limited on what mods are possible. Is my understanding incorrect? Thanks!
Oh my I hope this isn't the case.
Is this not just on Verizon or all s3's?
Sent from my Nexus S using XDA Free mobile app
Sorry to confuse things. I believe the locked bootloaders only apply to those unlucky enough to have Verizon phones.
Yay not me then! NP.
P.S. Verizon suck!
Yes mate unfortunately Verizon version of S3 has a locked boot loader and it does not allow the user to install a new recovery. I would suggest using Odin to auto root your phone which in turn also unlocks the boot loader. I can make a step by step guide for Verizon version if anyone requires it. Personally I prefer the international version though. It has more optimized system functions.
Tell me if u want a Verizon guide
$$-
Thanks for your reply. Sure, if you have something that will allow me to unlock my Verizon Galaxy S3 bootloader, that would be great! Is that what your verizon instructions will allow me to do? I've never heard of any way of doing this, so that would be great if it works! Btw, I am running 4.4.2. Thanks again!
What about /EFS backup and locked boot loader?
I have been an old time user of android starting with sony xperia X3. I had a bad luck with that phone. When sony updated android from 1.6 to 2.2 , the phone went into a boot loop and finally got dead. I sold the battery and screen separately to make some cheap buck!!
After that experience, I have been reading a lot for rooting and there seems to be lot of info on that.
My phone model is Samsung S3 GT-I9300 international version. I am still on the stock Rom with 4.3 on it.
I tried with kingroot app and it bricked the phone and was able to recover with kies.
What I want to know is that, you have mentioned option A, do I need to make any backups (not the contacts and personal stuff which I am not worried when I start playing with the phone) of EFS partition?
Will I be able to restore to old stock ROM just by using ODIN and the firmware which is available from the market?
What I need to know is , will I need any specific data (IMEI or EFS) unique from my phone?
Hi [email protected][email protected]
I used Heimdall in Ubuntu and I managed to root and put SuperSU on my phone ! I also put TWRP recovery on as well and then did a backup of my stock ROM. I am now ready for some ROM flashing!
I am unsure whether to go for CM11 or something like Tamasek's CM12.1 ROM. Have you used Tamasek's ROM before? Thinking about it for the first flash I think I will use CM11 snapshot and arter97 kernel. Then I will nandroid backup and then I have a stable ROM/kernel combo to fall back on in the future.
Looking at arter97 kernel can you tell me about f2fs support and how I get it? Does it speed up certain parts of the memory? Is it worth flashing? Also, the kernel mentions touch wake. Is this available for the S3?
Cheers.
I can't believe it I bust my sim slot! I cut my old sim card with a tool cutter and it looked good but it was a little tight going into the slot and I pulled it out and that’s when I must of bent some pins. I'm gutted :crying::crying:
Thankfully a replacement is only £3 and swapping it over looks a doddle :fingers-crossed:
Looks like I will have to wait a week until I can have a proper play. I did download BlissPop ROM and I like it. Been playing around with that all day but Its still not a phone until I get my sim in it.
You live and learn
mathew_p_a said:
I have been an old time user of android starting with sony xperia X3. I had a bad luck with that phone. When sony updated android from 1.6 to 2.2 , the phone went into a boot loop and finally got dead. I sold the battery and screen separately to make some cheap buck!!
After that experience, I have been reading a lot for rooting and there seems to be lot of info on that.
My phone model is Samsung S3 GT-I9300 international version. I am still on the stock Rom with 4.3 on it.
I tried with kingroot app and it bricked the phone and was able to recover with kies.
What I want to know is that, you have mentioned option A, do I need to make any backups (not the contacts and personal stuff which I am not worried when I start playing with the phone) of EFS partition?
Will I be able to restore to old stock ROM just by using ODIN and the firmware which is available from the market?
What I need to know is , will I need any specific data (IMEI or EFS) unique from my phone?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi Mate,
First of all, don't worry at all about the bricking thing, with the option A that i have mentioned, it's 99.99% success, i haven't found a single person yet for whom the method didn't work.
Secondly i would suggest u take the backup of your phone contacts in a vCard format using Kies first so that u don't loose them. And copy all your Personal things on your PC (pics, videos etc).
Thirdly you do not need to make a separate disk partition for the method to work, the CM installed will do it for you. Also if u have an International i9300 version u need not do a single thing yourself. Just start the setup and sit back and relax. Just follow my method to the letter and you can have a great custom ROM with root access in no time.
MOST Importantly - You can go to stock firmware of samsung but this time you will have to use odin instead of Kies to do that. You won't be able to use Kies once you have installed a custom ROM, but trust me that's a small price to pay for a very efficient ROM.
You do not need to know the IMEI or EFS number though i would suggest u still make a note of it somewhere in case ur phone is lost. Prevention is always better Message me if u have any queries. Cheers!
Warren_Orange said:
Hi [email protected][email protected]
I used Heimdall in Ubuntu and I managed to root and put SuperSU on my phone ! I also put TWRP recovery on as well and then did a backup of my stock ROM. I am now ready for some ROM flashing!
I am unsure whether to go for CM11 or something like Tamasek's CM12.1 ROM. Have you used Tamasek's ROM before? Thinking about it for the first flash I think I will use CM11 snapshot and arter97 kernel. Then I will nandroid backup and then I have a stable ROM/kernel combo to fall back on in the future.
Looking at arter97 kernel can you tell me about f2fs support and how I get it? Does it speed up certain parts of the memory? Is it worth flashing? Also, the kernel mentions touch wake. Is this available for the S3?
Cheers.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hello Warren,
Good to hear that you are having fun with your new phone.
Firstly yes i have used Tamasek's/JustArchie's CM12.1 ROM and it's quite good to be honest. So first i'll talk about it then i'll come to the kernel.
So 12.1 yes, the most noticeable change android L 5.1, all good, nice appearance, but i would say just think again for a bit.
A comparison between the two is a mammoth task but i'll try to brief it for you and tell you why i like the CM11 better even though it has android KK. It's upto to you though what you choose to flash. i even have a nice tip for you in the end
So first let's see the CM12.1 -
Quite stable, i used it for like a month or so for testing and got a good result. The performance was at par with the rest of the ROM available for S3. The Graphics, Audio and Processing quality is also good and is suitable for light use. Here's the catch though, Firstly the Gaaps, many gaaps available Android L are not compatible with the unofficial 12.1 so u'll have to look around to find the correct set of Gaaps.
Secondly i personally find that the CM 11 has a much neat finish as compared to CM 12.1, i don't really care about the android version as for me if i can have all the features of android L in a more stable KitKat ROM i don't usually upgrade my ROM. THe reasons are very simple
Firstly it's Unofficial, No Nightlies, rare updates. Also the unofficial ROM is alive only till the Developer is still working on it. Once he stops his work it's a very slim chance that you can get your bugs fixed.
As for the Official one, there are thousands of forums on Solutions to various Bugs and Numerous customization options. We can't really know whether the unofficial 12.1 supports all the things available for the official ROM.
Based on Performance both the ROMS perform equally, there's a camera Bug in the 12.1 which can be a problem sometimes but rest is all good.
On a personal side [not really of importance] i like the Calculator of the CM 11 better than CM 12.1.
Now the Kernel - arter97 is simply amazing, The most noticeable changes are - 1800 GHz overclocking [yeah from 1400 to 1800 BOOM!],
the Knock feature - Tap the screen to unlock the phone, no need to use any buttons, Battery Tweaks etc.
Also it used a custom engine to allocate the Files to various partitions to the memory so yeah it saves space plus we can even Increase our RAM a bit by using the Internal Memory of the Phone.
I am a Hardcore Gamer and use my phone to the limit sometimes [ Playing Asphalt 8, Real Racing, GTA: San-Andreas, FIFA 15 and WWE Immortals can take it's toll on the phone.] these games require very high end phones but with this kernel they all run liquid smooth on my phone without even a slightest bit of lag. So yeah i would surely recommend arter97's Kernel. PLUS u get Boeffla Audio Engine which is an added BOnuS
Touch WIZ -- Not Necessary, I flashed it using TWRP and it worked Just fine.
f2f - f2f has better memory allotments and it's pre configured, we usually don't have to enable it, it's much better than extD though.
TIP - arter97 supports dual Booting so you can even enjoy cm12.1 and cm 11 at the same tine [Dual Booting i'll cover in the next post if you have a problem doing it ]
-----> Also U can use the Siyah Kernal, which work's just fine and even has an amazing Boot Image but now as much features as arter's.
straykat said:
$$-
Thanks for your reply. Sure, if you have something that will allow me to unlock my Verizon Galaxy S3 bootloader, that would be great! Is that what your verizon instructions will allow me to do? I've never heard of any way of doing this, so that would be great if it works! Btw, I am running 4.4.2. Thanks again!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hello,
well i have two methods for Verizon Phones, One i have tried myself the other one was tested by one of my friends,
For the First one -
Using Odin Use the Chainfire's Auto Root Application to give root access to your phone. https://autoroot.chainfire.eu/ This application in turn also unlocks the bootloader and hence you can easily install further ROM's. Check the Xda general Samsung forum to learn how to use Odin if u don't know , or just message me
Second - This Method requires Root Access on you r Phone. THere's an app on Google Play named "EZ Unlock" to unlock the bootloader , I think this app can help you out but i haven't tried it myself so i can't really comment. But looking at the reviews i would say that this app really works. ----> http://www.mediafire.com/download/qozzz1p43kxzs3z/EZ-Unlock14.apk
Here's a custom Recovery that can help too - http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2797314
Cheers!
Hi..I did a search but i am completely confused and bewildered by the vast amount of different posts and opinions in threads..so i apologise if this has broken any rules.
Basically i have a stock s3 i9300 (uk) with original samsung jellybean 4.3 rom,I am getting a bit sick of it now (and the bloat) and i am looking to move on to something more appealing..I have already rooted and installed Rom Manager and CWM..i was wondering what the "Best Simplistic dark themed (small footprint) rom" to go for As i want minimal installed size to make the most of my 16gb memory,i dont mind which android version as long as the process is easy and the battery life is among the best available..And of course it is as stable as my current Samsung android rom..
i would really appreciate any valued veteran guidance..many thanks.
[email protected][email protected] said:
Hello,
well i have two methods for Verizon Phones, One i have tried myself the other one was tested by one of my friends,
For the First one -
Using Odin Use the Chainfire's Auto Root Application to give root access to your phone. https://autoroot.chainfire.eu/ This application in turn also unlocks the bootloader and hence you can easily install further ROM's. Check the Xda general Samsung forum to learn how to use Odin if u don't know , or just message me
Second - This Method requires Root Access on you r Phone. THere's an app on Google Play named "EZ Unlock" to unlock the bootloader , I think this app can help you out but i haven't tried it myself so i can't really comment. But looking at the reviews i would say that this app really works. ----> http://www.mediafire.com/download/qozzz1p43kxzs3z/EZ-Unlock14.apk
Here's a custom Recovery that can help too - http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2797314
Cheers!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
[email protected]
Thanks for the info! I looked on a Chainfire thread here on xda to see if others have done what I would be attempting to do with my Verizon S3, but I don't see anyone else saying they've used this method to unlock their bootloader & install roms. By chance, do you know any place on this forum or any others that talk about peoples' successes using this method on a Verizon S3? I'm a little nervous about attempting this method without knowing that lots of other people have done so successfully.... Thanks for your help & your understanding of my feelings on this.
Broken Link
Your "Mods" links are broken.

[Q] Benefits to a Nougat Upgrade?

The A7U with MM (as I have modified it) has been very satisfactory, but I continue to debate over the upgrade to N7.0.
I did try some early Nougat versions on the old Nexus 5 and a Samsung tablet and ended up reverting back due to various performance issues, but that was a while ago.
Also, some here have reported problems either with the process or with the function of the end resut, so I am looking for some recommendations pro or con about making the move to B15.
Thanks
amphi66 said:
The A7U with MM (as I have modified it) has been very satisfactory, but I continue to debate over the upgrade to N7.0.
I did try some early Nougat versions on the old Nexus 5 and a Samsung tablet and ended up reverting back due to various performance issues, but that was a while ago.
Also, some here have reported problems either with the process or with the function of the end resut, so I am looking for some recommendations pro or con about making the move to B15.
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm on N and the only reason im on N is because ZTE fixed the VoLTE and its not roaming on Verizon any more. Pretty much works as it should and acts just like a Verizon device which is impressive, because we never get to play with unlocked devices on Verizon.
Now to the actual B15 stuff. Its a bit more laggy then MM and a few apps are pretty much unusable on N. Those are WhatsApp and LinkedIn on my device. I think I've seen another one or two somewhere else.
Camera is definitely better for me. Battery is great for me but it was great before the update.
Pretty sure im forgetting a few things. Overall im happy with the device and even happier that VoLTE works now.
7.1.1 should be out soon, hopefully that takes care of these few issues.
All of this is covered in the nougat thread.
Seeing a higher build number in About Device
lafester said:
All of this is covered in the nougat thread.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for your typical, cryptic response. I see lot of ROM threads and conflicting guides, but certainly no "Nougat thread". Can you offer a link?
Regards.
amphi66 said:
Thanks for your typical, cryptic response. I see lot of ROM threads and conflicting guides, but certainly no "Nougat thread". Can you offer a link?
Regards.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
https://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=3552251
This is the thread that was started when nougat was released.
It mostly covers flashing issues but there is feedback as well.
You can also read the zte forum for lots of N opinions, probably more then anyone could ever need.
Personally I think its ok, but only with custom kernel to speed it up. Hoping 7.1.1 will be better.
lafester said:
https://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=3552251
This is the thread that was started when nougat was released.
It mostly covers flashing issues but there is feedback as well.
You can also read the zte forum for lots of N opinions, probably more then anyone could ever need.
Personally I think its ok, but only with custom kernel to speed it up. Hoping 7.1.1 will be better.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks, hadn't seen it & gave it a read. I loaded Stock (rooted) 7.0 and found it fine. Perhaps a touch slower than MM, but certainly no noticeable problems (or benefit).
I had Substratum working 98% (including Android System) in MM so missed the darker theme. Also TB was unable to see its archive on the extSDcard, although worked fine when I moved it to the internal storage.
Also tried RR, but couldn't get Gapps to install over the ROM (TWRP errors: either unsupported device or incompatible ROM errors), so reverted back to B29 for now.
I saved a TWRP BU of B15 w/ all data for a starting point when 7.1 is released.

Which custom ROM to use on a Canadian SM-G920W8 model

If this post or just part of it was usefull to you, please give a thank you, it's just one click below this post and encourages authors to keep their threads up to date.
What is this thread for?
To all those wondering what to install on their old Samsung Galaxy S6, abreviated "S6". This thread will tell you what you need to know concerning available ROMS for the Canadian W8 model of the S6.
There are 5 major guests in the Samsung Galaxy S6 Android world:
Versions 5.x.x named Lollipop abreviated "LL"
Versions 6.x.x named Marshmallow abreviated "MM"
Versions 7.x.x named Nougat abreviated "NG"
Versions 8.x.x named Oreo abreviated "O"
Versions 9.x.x named Pie abreviated "P"
Versions 10.x.x named 10 abreviated 10
Basic things you must know:
Stock ROMs which are kept as is with only deknoxed but still stock won't show you much besides keeping your phone as it is with the freedom of installing what you want.
AOSP ROMs are usually the most debloated ones and best ones. LineageOS IS an AOSP based ROM.
Debloated ROMs: There seems to be a lot of different levels of debloating. High, Partial, Light. When using a Custom ROM, you usually want to remove most of the stock stuff and install the things you desire after. But in this ROM world, when debloating, authors often rebloat them with some of their prefered apps and mods. So Debloated ROMs are mainly to say that stock apps were removed.
Kernels are not ROMs, just saying AND, they need to be installed with the PROPER version of the ROM you are installing AND must fit AOSP or Stock because they will not work and you will get bootloop.
Aroma installer which permit to choose options during the ROM's installation. These take soo much space and are huge files to download. They boost the ROM's file size. Of course, you can choose what you want during the install process, but most ROMs are over 1Gb in size which is enormous while a non-aroma file can be way under 700Mb and do the job perfectly.
LL (v5.x.x):
These are just old, your cell phone can handle much more up to date roms AND stock roms are already way passed these versions.
MM (v6.x.x):
If you need well working, functional and complete ROMs, there's a few of these which have been tested and work very well. I'd go back without hesitating if I were not too greedy on later versions,
NG (v7.x.x):
There has been a lot of apps and mods that have been made stable from NG ROMs. A system on this would be considered a good in-the-middle installation. Not too old but not too young. There is also a custom framework app out there permitting some nice handling and modding that is considered stable for this version of Android. BUT, there's a bit BUT here. There is v7.0 and 7.1.x. 7.1.x seem to have audio issues, at least, the AOSP ROMs I tested.
0 (v8.x.x):
OK! I have read sooo many articles concerning battey problems in this ROM and I have also lived the battery problem myself with a custom ROM in this version. Oreo would be the system which crosses the line between old and new, merging from MM and NG to PIE.
P (v9.x.x):
Well, you are now up to date. BUT, We are now going well over S10 models of the Samsung Galaxy nowdays so a ROM in this version working bugfree is a bit of a dream, at least, for now. Problem encountered from these ROMs are audio, camera and wifi. Camera app is just nonesense with very poor audio quality. Users talk about bluetooth audio problems and echos during calls. Frequent application crashes notably when using camera, for example in messenger. BUT, the good is a cleaned up interface with a nice fresh modern feel.
10 (10.x.x):
Please refer to Pie (v9.x.x). Pretty much the same things happen.
I decided to give you a list of ROMS I have tested and believe should still stay alive for those questionning what the best ROM is for your needs or dreams.
Links to my suggested custom ROMs:
LL (5.x.x):
• None (just don't install any of these, too old)
MM (6.x.x): Only one stands out which I used for years and has a very nice position in recommended mods.
• XtreStoLite 3.3.1: https://forum.xda-developers.com/ga...xtrestolite-deodexed-mod-edition-1-0-t3094423
XtreStoLite has made me happy for years. If you want a stable ROM with what the S6 looked like during it's glorious days, that's the ROM to install.
NG (7.x.x): Most of these ROMs seem to be stock ROMs with not so much debloation so huge file sizes and Samsung's connection wizard AND all the Google Apps you did not ask for. I fell on 1 which boasts being HIGHLY debloated.
• OdexLite 4.2: https://forum.xda-developers.com/ga...rom-odexlite-rom-920f-920i-925f-925i-t3550706
If you do not install any of the Samsung or Google apps in the aroma installer, this is a highly debloated rom. I'm mentionning it here because I managed to instal it once but not a second time. Some users have reported a boot loop which makes the ROM below pretty much safe for install compared to this one. Because of a first successfull try, I still list it here, but I suggest Ultimate Nougat below. If you want to try and have time, then I suggest to try OdexLite if you are willing to test out and see for yourself.
• UlTiMaTe NouGat V3.1:https://forum.xda-developers.com/ga...elopment/rom-ultimate-nougat-s8-port-t3681259
I managed to make it work after wating for about 15 minutes for my phone to boot initially. It is not as much debloated as OdexLite but is a bit more flexible for adblock and Magisk since you are offered to install or not in the Aroma Installer. This actually is a flaw I found in OdexLite where some applications detect Magisk and AdBlock so they make certain options unavailable. With this version, you can install AdBlock and Magisk after and get apps to work flawlessly. System is stable and a good solution if you want, what I consider, a semi-debloated acceptable ROM. Many users also mentioned that mobile and LTE networks work flawlessly with this ROM.
O (8.x.x): None (I just di not try any of them after my battery problem)
P (9.x.x): 2 Came out of the lot and work strait out of the box. OK, WORK is a big word here, be prepared for a few issues. BUT, battery life is good, not too many apps and some fun customized options.
• LineageOS 16.0: https://forum.xda-developers.com/ga...opment/rom-unofficial-lineageos-16-0-t3880888
Used it for a few months without major issues besides the common Pie ROM issues notably camera and audio issues and some WiFi problems.
• ViperOS 6.3: https://forum.xda-developers.com/ga...elopment/rom-unofficial-viperos-v6-3-t3921301
I was pretty surprised by this ROM. It's basically Lineage OS 16 with extra Viper mods for extra customizations and configuration with, as a user stated, the extra no audio during calls problem. I still consider the Viper addons as bloatware but at least, there's no Samsung apps.
10 (10.x.x): I stopped at Pie. Same issues when reading the ROM threads so I have not even tried any of them because I overuse camera and video calls, who doesn't during COVID-19?
Recommended and usefull apps:
AdAway: https://f-droid.org/packages/org.adaway/
Removes many inapp ads, not those in full screen, but removes lotsand most of them.
Magisk: https://forum.xda-developers.com/apps/magisk/official-magisk-v7-universal-systemless-t3473445
Adds root access to your apps if you don't have it pre-enabled in your ROM
OpenGApps: https://opengapps.org/
Installs Google Play and other Google stuff on your phone
Xposed Framework: https://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=58828974#post58828974
Adds numourous other possibilities to customize your phone. NOTE: Please allow an extra boot time after installation.
Xposed Modules: https://forum.xda-developers.com/xposed/modules
Launchers and other apps:
Launchers will give more style to your phone. From changing icon size to drawer's background color, you may want to have a look at launchers for a more customized experience. 2 Launchers held my attention. There's not too many out there that are worth the download even with an above 4/5 star rating. Some of them even show ads which is ridiculous for a launcher as you will see ads popup just in the middle of nowhere.
Microsoft Launcher: My prefered launcher. Has everything you need, notifiction dots, decent customizations and works with icon packs. It lacks a few customizations such as folder colors and opacity, but that left asside, I still think it is the best out of all of them considering that it is totally FREE.
Nova Launcher: The only problem with THIS launcher is that you need the paid version to enable notification badges on your icons.
Evie Launcher: Well it's one or the other, Nova permits lots of customizations with background colors but no badges. Evie permits badges but no background colors or status bar customizations. But, very fast and simple.
MX Player: I've tested a few, one of the best. Reads almost anything, fast and highly customizable. Some may say VLC would be nice but VLC showed a few lags here and there and ended up not reading some files MX read OR had more time with videos accros the network, MX Player does a very nice job.
Options you may want to change:
Enable programmer's options and disable all animations for a faster response time in apps.
Enable USB Debugging and set USB mode to File Transfer or Media Transfer Protocol.
Final Notes: I love the Pie experience but I had to resigne and go back to Nougat for stability and the camera which I use very often. It took me a while to find a reasonable Nougat ROM because I was going to resigne and go back to XtreStoLite. If you plan on testing, Facebook and Google accounts are your best friends to save your stuff so you don't need to restart your games or retype your contacts.
The chosen one: ULTIMATE NOUGAT
I hope this will help people make a choice on what to install for Canadian W8 phones. Do not hesitate to post your comments on your experiences and if you have suggestions or more information on tests you did with other ROMs not mentionned here.
Additional Bloatware you may not need
Now this is for modders who may come upon some bloatwares installed. When installing Ultimate Nougat, I decided to uninstall apps I do not use and found combersome and irritating for me. Here is the list of package names that can be removed which include App Lock, Weather and other widgets. If you are not sure of what you are doing, please do a Google Search on the package names to make sure you are uninstalling something you really do not need. In my case, I chose to uninstall these packages. You may want to get a package name virwer to know where these have been installed to remove them.
I use Total Commander with root permissions and I delete them. When I delete these packages, the phone boots properly and I get no messages or service stopping errors so I consider this my safe to remove list.
List of packages that I removed in the "system" folder (you need root permissions or use TWRP to delete):
Spoiler: KNOX
app/KNOXStub
app/KNOXStore
app/KnoxAttestationAgent
app/KNOXAgent
app/KLMSAgent
app/ContainerAgent
app/ContainerEventsRelayManager
app/KnoxFolderContainer2
app/KnoxRemoteContentsProvider
app/KnoxAppsUpdateAgent
app/KnoxFolderContainer
app/KnoxSetupWizardClient
app/KnoxSwitcher
app/MyKNOXSetupWizard
app/KnoxMigrationAgent
app/KnoxSetupWizardStub
app/SamsungDLPService
app/BBCAgent
app/SecurityLogAgent
priv-app/MyKNOXSetupWizard
priv-app/KLMSAgent
priv-app/SPDClient
priv-app/SKMSAgent
container
tima_measurement_info
framework/knoxsdk.jar
framework/knoxvpnuidtag.jar
etc/secure_storage/com.sec.knox.store
etc/secure_storage/com.sec.knox.store!dex
Spoiler: AUDIO
media\audio\ringtones\A_Rustling_in_the_Trees.ogg
media\audio\ringtones\Basic_Bell.ogg
media\audio\ringtones\Basic_Tone.ogg
media\audio\ringtones\Beep_Once.ogg
media\audio\ringtones\Beginning.ogg
media\audio\ringtones\Bunny_Hopping.ogg
media\audio\ringtones\Chimes.ogg
media\audio\ringtones\Crossing_a_River.ogg
media\audio\ringtones\Dance_Party.ogg
media\audio\ringtones\Day_by_Day.ogg
media\audio\ringtones\Drifting_Downstream.ogg
media\audio\ringtones\Ecliptic.ogg
media\audio\ringtones\First_Light.ogg
media\audio\ringtones\Fresh_Morning.ogg
media\audio\ringtones\Mystic_Tone.ogg
media\audio\ringtones\Ocean_Voyage.ogg
media\audio\ringtones\One_Step_Forward.ogg
media\audio\ringtones\Prelude.ogg
media\audio\ringtones\Scampering_Tone.ogg
media\audio\ringtones\Somewhere.ogg
media\audio\ringtones\Ticktac.ogg
media\audio\ringtones\Warm_Greetings.ogg
media\audio\notifications\Beep_Once.ogg
media\audio\notifications\Good_Time.ogg
media\audio\notifications\Run.ogg
media\audio\notifications\S_Harmonics.ogg
media\audio\notifications\S_Opener.ogg
media\audio\notifications\S_Temple_Bell.ogg
media\audio\notifications\Sweet_Favour.ogg
media\audio\notifications\Whisper.ogg
media\audio\notifications\Hello.ogg
media\audio\notifications\Peanut.ogg
media\audio\notifications\S_Bubbles.ogg
media\audio\notifications\S_Charming_Bell.ogg
media\audio\notifications\S_Dew_drops.ogg
media\audio\notifications\S_Knock.ogg
media\audio\notifications\S_Tickety_Tock.ogg
Spoiler: SAMSUNG
app/SamsungSans
app/VirtualTour_N_OS
app/VideoTrimmer_Dream
app/VideoEditorLite_Dream_N
app/VideoCollage_Grace_N
app/SlowMotion_Dream_N
app/EasterEgg
app/EasyOneHand3
app/GameOptimizer
app/WallpaperBackup
app/Weather2017_SE
app/WeatherWidget2017_SE
app/SmartRemote_zero
app/SmartSwitchAgent
app/SecFactoryPhoneTest
app/SecurityProviderSEC
app/STalkback
app/OneNote_Compact_Samsung
app/GearManagerStub
app/SecMemo3
app/AllshareFileShare
app/AllshareMediaShare
app/SBrowser_5.0
app/SPrintSpooler7
app/CloudGateway2017
priv-app/DiagMonAgent
priv-app/GalaxyAppsWidget_Phone
priv-app/SamsungPayStub
priv-app/SamsungBilling
priv-app/GalaxyApps_3xh
priv-app/GalaxyCare
priv-app/GalaxyThemes
priv-app/PowerPoint_SamsungStub
priv-app/SamsungAccount_Dream
priv-app/SamsungCloud
priv-app/HealthService
priv-app/LegacySmartManagerProvider
priv-app/SamsungPass_1.1
priv-app/VoiceNote_5.0
priv-app/Word_SamsungStub
priv-app/ThemeCenter
priv-app/SecLiveWallpapersPicker
priv-app/SHealth5
priv-app/SmartManager_v5
priv-app/SmartManager_v5_DeviceSecurity
priv-app/EasyLauncher2_Zero
priv-app/SVoicePLM
priv-app/SVoiceLang_EnglishPack_US_1.0
priv-app/SVoiceLang_FrenchPack_1.0
priv-app/SamsungMagnifier3
priv-app/SecEmail_N
priv-app/SecureFolderStub
priv-app/EasySetup
priv-app/GameHome
priv-app/GameTools
priv-app/OneDrive_Samsung_v2
etc/sysconfig/samsungaccount.xml
etc/sysconfig/samsungauthframework.xml
etc/sysconfig/samsungemail.xml
etc/sysconfig/samsungfidouafasm.xml
etc/sysconfig/samsungfidouafclient.xml
etc/sysconfig/samsungpushservice.xml
framework/gamemanager.jar
I just picked up a used SM-G920W8 as a backup until I get my Pixel 2 XL back. I plan to keep it as a backup phone but also as a music player for around the house, on trips and at the gym. The battery life is pretty poor!
I was hoping to put a custom ROM and was wondering if you'd be able to give me some guidance. So many posts on this forum are from 3 years ago and I'm not sure what is valid anymore. After seeing your post, and thank you, I would suspect you have a good deal of experience with this Canadian version of the S6.
My questions are:
What is the process to get TWRP on my device?
Can any of the other ROMs you tried but didn't run be made to work if we flash a custom kernel after flashing the ROM?
In your OP the problems you say you have, are those with your current Unofficial Lineage ROM? I'd hate to have the camera issues.
Thanks in advance.
Installing TWRP with ODIN
blyndfyre said:
I just picked up a used SM-G920W8 as a backup until I get my Pixel 2 XL back. I plan to keep it as a backup phone but also as a music player for around the house, on trips and at the gym. The battery life is pretty poor!
I was hoping to put a custom ROM and was wondering if you'd be able to give me some guidance. So many posts on this forum are from 3 years ago and I'm not sure what is valid anymore. After seeing your post, and thank you, I would suspect you have a good deal of experience with this Canadian version of the S6.
My questions are:
What is the process to get TWRP on my device?
Can any of the other ROMs you tried but didn't run be made to work if we flash a custom kernel after flashing the ROM?
In your OP the problems you say you have, are those with your current Unofficial Lineage ROM? I'd hate to have the camera issues.
Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
A simple Google search makes it easy to find but, having a thread like this one , I believe that your questions are relevant. So...
Question #1 (getting TWRP on your phone): 2 links to start with ODIN to make the flash and TWRP, the thing you need to install:
ODIN (remove spaces in the following link): ww w.droid views.com/download-odin-tool-for-samsung-galaxy-devices-all-versions/
TWRP: https://twrp.me/samsung/samsunggalaxys6.html
Follow the instructions on the ODIN website. ODIN is used to flash your phone to have TWRP installed. Also note that this process is pretty critical as it can brick your phone so be carefull and follow the instruction properly. I have flashed TWRP a few times without any problems on my side.
Question #2 (Installing a custom kernel):
I have not tried this and did not adventure myself into installing any such thing. I tend to stick with original stuff to make sure to not brick my phone. AND seeing that many custom ROMS for Pie are not out yet and also seeing the battery problem with OREO, this simply means that noone has ever found anything stable yet for this device. I don't believe that installing another kernel may make things work better. But this is just an opinion and since I did not try any custom kernel, I don't believe to have the best answer for you concerning this.
Question #3 (Camera issues with custom ROM):
Samsung Galaxy S6 is made to work with Marshmallow abreviated as MM in certain threads and posts. So anything after MM is a risk, stable or not. I had XtreStoLite for many years and I had absolutely no problems until some apps just said that MM was not supported anymore. That's pretty much the only reason I decided to install something new. I also noticed that Nougat is still very popular but have not found any Nougat ROMS that were not too heavy or simply unavailable for my Canadian phone. But, if you install any MM ROMS, your are mostly not going to have any problems. You could try OREO roms and fall in luck and find someone that figured out how to elliminate the battery issue but in my case, I tend to stick myself to the latest ROMS and live temporarly with my problems until an update fixes it as I don't have too much stuff on my phone that makes me take the reinstallation as a waste of time. I can install over 15 custom ROMS in one day while only 3 or 4 Windows during the same period, I believe that trial and error in this case is worth it. There are few stable builds that correspond to my criterias which are very few custom apps and lightweight that are less than 650 mb ROMS. Most roms go over 2 Gb while som maintain between 1.2 to 1.7 gb which I find pretty huge to my opinion seeing I can get a fully working rom for 550 mb.
I hope this helps a bit. I'm not one of those geeky people with all the technological knowledge to explain or understand the nuances of kernels and roms. I'm not a developper nor a ROM creator myself so just following the installation processes proposed makes me a simple user. I applaud those creating custom kernels and roms from scratch with nothing but their knowledge without any installation instructions until they figure out by themselves how to explain their procedures, these people are the real fun guys or girls that make us use our phone to their outmost potential without any controls giving us the freedom to use the full unlimited functionalities of our android phones.
Just so you are aware the Canadian s6 is the same as the T-Mobile version, so any separate Rom download or fixes for the T-Mobile s6 apply. Any Oreo or Pie rom will have custom kernel prepackaged, as Samsung never released those on this device.
@Rouwdyboy Well that's a very constructive comment. Thank you, this may open up some possibilities and other tests on my side once I get some time again. Thank you for your comment!
@green3water5 how did you get a Canadian S6 to work? Wow!
Other than my S6 being edge, my SM-G925W8 installs LineageOS 16.1 fine but there is no cellular data at all. Calls go through but there's no sound...
I have a suspicion that the installer installs the zeroltexx version of the ROM which is causing the issue.
I guess the only thing that can differ from my installation to yours is Twrp, so which version of Twrp do you use?
Thanks (in advance)
Jeffreyyou said:
@green3water5 how did you get a Canadian S6 to work? Wow!
Other than my S6 being edge, my SM-G925W8 installs LineageOS 16.1 fine but there is no cellular data at all. Calls go through but there's no sound...
I have a suspicion that the installer installs the zeroltexx version of the ROM which is causing the issue.
I guess the only thing that can differ from my installation to yours is Twrp, so which version of Twrp do you use?
Thanks (in advance)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have to admit that I do not use my cell phone using cellular data. I constantly need wifi to use GS Wave for VoIP calls. I have not tested cellular data but I do know that MOST Pie ROMS have sound issues and some Nougat ROMS also. The sound issue is pretty redundant but in my case, using GS Wave, I do not encounter those bugs. The only problem I encounter, I have already mentionned above, BUT, I have updated my first post to warn people of possible sound problems when using cellular data. I'm sorry that I'm not of big use for your problem but thank you for your reply!
I have updated my tests and added my point of view on ViperOS.
Calls
I have no sound in phone calls, everything else is working fine.
i tried to see if there was something like "persist.vendor.audio.fluence.voicecall=true" in the build prop to edit, hoping to fix the issue.
After testing out and other numourouse trials and errors. Here's my new comments on ROMs for G920W8 models. Hope this helps. I rewrote the entire thread content for clearer explanations.
Jeffreyyou said:
@green3water5 how did you get a Canadian S6 to work? Wow!
Other than my S6 being edge, my SM-G925W8 installs LineageOS 16.1 fine but there is no cellular data at all. Calls go through but there's no sound...
I have a suspicion that the installer installs the zeroltexx version of the ROM which is causing the issue.
I guess the only thing that can differ from my installation to yours is Twrp, so which version of Twrp do you use?
Thanks (in advance)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have the exact same problem as you do. I tried many roms and so far, none kept the data ON execpt Resurrection Remix 7 (zerofltecan) for about... 3 hours.
But, when I go back to stock, mobile data comes back.
@green3water5 I sent you a private message AND THEN found that thread. Sorry to have bothered you, will keep writing in here
coolmat said:
I have the exact same problem as you do. I tried many roms and so far, none kept the data ON execpt Resurrection Remix 7 (zerofltecan) for about... 3 hours.
But, when I go back to stock, mobile data comes back.
@green3water5 I sent you a private message AND THEN found that thread. Sorry to have bothered you, will keep writing in here
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's why I chose to use OdexLite which is a Nougat based ROM. Oreo and Pie seem to be too recent to have perfect functionalities seeing that S6 is way outdated today. So seeing Pie ROMS work seems, for now at least, a bit more dreamy than reality. Nougat has passed pretty much all possible tests and seeing most of them being abandonned by their authors, I think that most problems may have been resolved and that other issues which may raise are probably corrected with Oreo and Pie ROMs. But again, I do not use cellular lines as I use voip through wifi connections so I cannot suggest anything more than my experience as a computer technician concerning roms and softwares installed on old systems. We are now at the S10 phone, 4 versions higher with Pie starting to be the default system sold on recent phones.
My experience so far with OdexLite without cellular data: I have nothing but good to say. I've had no camera issues, no sound issues, no wifi issues and no problems installing anything I wanted. Up to now, it's the best and most stable ROM I've installed after XtreStoLite. Of course there are small things that I liked in Pie like theme changes and some keyboard changes but nothing compared to how fluid and stable the system is compared to Oreo and Pie ROMs I had tested.
And I am not bothered by any messages. Thank you for your usefull comment.
green3water5 said:
That's why I chose to use OdexLite which is a Nougat based ROM. Oreo and Pie seem to be too recent to have perfect functionalities seeing that S6 is way outdated today. So seeing Pie ROMS work seems, for now at least, a bit more dreamy than reality. Nougat has passed pretty much all possible tests and seeing most of them being abandonned by their authors, I think that most problems may have been resolved and that other issues which may raise are probably corrected with Oreo and Pie ROMs. But again, I do not use cellular lines as I use voip through wifi connections so I cannot suggest anything more than my experience as a computer technician concerning roms and softwares installed on old systems. We are now at the S10 phone, 4 versions higher with Pie starting to be the default system sold on recent phones.
My experience so far with OdexLite without cellular data: I have nothing but good to say. I've had no camera issues, no sound issues, no wifi issues and no problems installing anything I wanted. Up to now, it's the best and most stable ROM I've installed after XtreStoLite. Of course there are small things that I liked in Pie like theme changes and some keyboard changes but nothing compared to how fluid and stable the system is compared to Oreo and Pie ROMs I had tested.
And I am not bothered by any messages. Thank you for your usefull comment.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was not able to install OdexLite, it always bootloop, but I was able to install Ultimate Nougat and I can confirm that it's the first ROM that mobile data works. So what I deduct is that Canadian providers locked mobile data (LTE) to Android 7 (Nougat) for SM-G920W8. I can't remember where I read that before, but it's not the first time I see that people had to update in order to get mobile data for it to work.
Sadness...
@coolmat Thank you for this very usefull comment. Even though I do not really understand why you get a bootloop with OdexLite, you still managed to get a Nougat ROM to work. If this resolved your issue for LTE network, I glad that Ultimate Nougat worked for you. And I think we just need to be patient and wait until there is more serious work for Pie ROMs until someone finds out how to resolve the network and other issues we have.
Added Ultimate Nougat in the list of Tested Nougat ROMs. Thanks to @coolmat for this little info. Tried the installation another time and rom worked.
**EDIT: I'm editing this because some people might not scroll more... Don't install this ROM. As green3water5 stated (below) it is in beta and after further testing, there's a big issue where rebooting kills it.
Guys, I just found the BEST ROM for the SM-G925W8! It's Android PIE and mobile data WORKS REALLY WELL!!!. (When you install, install the "US Variant")
This ROM is faster than all the other PIE, OREO, NOUGAT, and STOCK! It's faster than my S8 lol.
**MiUi camera, don't use stock
The ROM is also for the Note 5 and other S6 variants, hence 2GB size.
https://forum.xda-developers.com/note5/development/rom-floyd-n7fe-port-v1-0-t3882804
JeffYou said:
Guys, I just found the BEST ROM for the SM-G925W8! It's Android PIE and mobile data WORKS REALLY WELL!!!. (When you install, install the "US Variant")
This ROM is faster than all the other PIE, OREO, NOUGAT, and STOCK! It's faster than my S8 lol. This ROM gets an A+ (or as we Ontarians say "level 4+")
**MiUi camera, don't use stock
The ROM is also for the Note 5 and other S6 variants, hence 2GB size.
https://forum.xda-developers.com/note5/development/rom-floyd-n7fe-port-v1-0-t3882804
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It states that the ROM is under Beta. Did you compare the sound recording of tha camera compared to the other ROMS I listed. Does the camera work flawlessly with Facebook Messenger and other apps asking for camera?
green3water5 said:
It states that the ROM is under Beta. Did you compare the sound recording of tha camera compared to the other ROMS I listed. Does the camera work flawlessly with Facebook Messenger and other apps asking for camera?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry, my bad. Don't install the ROM. I used it all night and it worked great but if you boot it the second time, it will shutdown/reboot right after booting into the OS ( kind-of like a bootloop(?) ).
Did not work on SM-G920W8...
coolmat said:
I was not able to install OdexLite, it always bootloop, but I was able to install Ultimate Nougat and I can confirm that it's the first ROM that mobile data works. So what I deduct is that Canadian providers locked mobile data (LTE) to Android 7 (Nougat) for SM-G920W8. I can't remember where I read that before, but it's not the first time I see that people had to update in order to get mobile data for it to work.
Sadness...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Same here...

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