I have a Samsung Galaxy S4, the Sprint version. I wasn't able to send or receive picture messages and I thought it might have something to do with my APN being wrong (I bought the phone on eBay and had it flashed to nTelos, my provider) but I wasn't able to edit the APN and nTelos was, as usual, no help. So I figured I'd just root it and be able to edit it then!
It was at that moment I stuck my shovel into the soft dirt and started digging.
Essentially, I believe my phone is without an OS at this point. I have tried using ODIN to put a recovery on there so I can at least do something, but now even ODIN is freezing up when I try and flash the Clockwork recovery. I am stuck on the Samsung S4 logo screen and while I can enter download mode I don't think I can enter recovery mode - at least, it hasn't been working tonight. I don't remember everything I've done to my poor phone, but it has to be hurting after the beating I've put it through. I originally tried to root it though I don't think I was successful because the Root Checker said I wasn't, though I'm not sure what I was doing wrong then. Things went downhill from there.
I've read through thread after thread hoping for something that would work, but I've given up trying to use other people's problems to solve my own. This is me saying "Uncle". I require assistance. Let me know what you need from me to provide me with the help I need.
Also - I have ADB on my computer and I think I have a basic understanding of how to use it, but since I can't enter recovery mode I can't do anything other than pat myself on the back for figuring it out. I think my first problem at this point is ODIN. I uninstalled KIES so that's not interfering (and don't even get me started on KIES - I installed KIES and it told me to install KIES3 which told me my device wasn't supported... which is crap because it's running Android 4.3 - or was before I got to it).
Thanks,
If you're sure the phone was on 4.3, then your options are limited thanks to Knox. You can only restore a 4.3 (MJA) based ROM to the phone via Odin, whether it is stock or custom. Easiest giveaway is if you see a line for "Knox" on the Download Mode screen.
At this point you should look in the ROM directory here for a full ROM (xxxxx.tar.md5), either MF9 (4.2.2) if it doesn't have Knox or MJA (4.3) if it does. If you cannot use Odin to put a full ROM on there, then you will need some more serious help.
Odin the stock 4.3 MJA OEM. Will return your phone to a stock unrooted state.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2522810
Please post here ALL of what you learned/thoughts/ideas. My goal is to get the Sprint based phone "G900P.04" Virgin Mobile users up and going.
I am not responsible for ANYTHING!!! Try doodling with your phone at your own risk!
THIS IS WHAT I GOT SO FAR:
APN SETTINGS:
Virgin Mobile Samsung Galaxy s5 as all the capabilities of flashing any Sprint based G900P.04 ROM/Tweak. However, once flashed, you will have Sprint based network APN settings/not virgin mobile network APN settings. APN settings is what allows you to call/text/LTE/send receive text/pictures. Currently the Virgin Mobile stock ROM doesn't have the option to manually set APN settings though settings/network connections/more networks. However, once flashed to a Sprint ROM, this option "should" now be available to edit. If ballzy enough to try flashing a Sprint ROM and obtain data capability PLEASE POST YOUR FINDINGS. Virgin Moible APN settings can be found at this address:
Virgin Mobile USA APN Settings
I called Virgin Mobile and told them that my send recieve text doesn't work and ask if i can access APN settings manually to check if there correct. He gave no option to view them manually. He advised to dial ##72786# which he said redoes the hands free activation process and "?may?" fix the APN issue.
Apps like the APN backup & restore is another option "if exhausting all other available options" a thread I found HERE It appears that if you know what your doing, the app will work but nevertheless, people has reported it not restoring APN settings.
ROOTING Virgin Mobile Galaxy s5 Obtain warranty without tripping knox counter:
The CF autoroot though odin I seen threads that it trips the knox counter but the "towelroot" method doesnt trip the knox counter and was easy for me.
How to:
1. Go to settings/system/security/allow 3rd party apps. As long as you know what you download I disabled "verify apps" while I'm their.
2. With your phone, Download towelroot HERE and click the red logo to start download
3. Download a file explore application from Google Play "my favorite is FX File Explorer/has secondary Playstore download for accessing root files" and install the tr-1 .apk you downloaded.
4. Read and click the option to root phone.
5. When it says remove knox I clicked "yes."
6. As mine did also, a lot of users report that the phone didn't complete/auto reset device but hung on the "removing knox process." Personally I waited 5min---pressed the home button---manually reset phone.
7. Go to Play store and download/install SuperSU---update binary's---reset phone
8.Your phone is rooted/complete.
Return to Factory Stock
Reflash the phone with the factory stock ROM with Odin can see instructions HERE
Note: Virgin Mobile users only has the option of the Sprint ROM so im curious if this will bork up APN settings...putting them on Sprint/not Virgin Mobile settings. The hand free activation by dialing ##72786# may/may not work.
Custom Recovery:
All Sprint based recoveries I'm positive will work. Custom Recovery opens up any theme/tweak/ROM capability. However, im reluctant to do so because you will not have the ability to update the OS when it arrives because it requires the stock recovery....where you have to do the Return to Factory Stock option just posted.
I've always used Philz Touch Recovery and was always happy with it. Insturctions HERE
There is a TWRP recovery but even people on the TWRP thread say that they hear good things about Philz Recovery.
Installing a ROM:
As mentioned, only Sprint Based ROMs work because it's a Sprint phone. However, if flashing a Sprint ROM through your custom recovery it should error. This is because the developer Puts a script in the ROM that only allows Sprint not Virgin mobile phones to flash the ROM. To fix this, it requires editing the ROM with NotePad++ and deleting the first few lines of code. Good thread to read how to do this is HERE
Apps/Tweaks:
Im still using stock ROM up until somebody with experience can guarantee I can start flashing ROMs without any mishapps.
..Adaway is working great.
Link HERE Couldn't beileve the amount of ad's is on the Internet...even on XDA. Just open/install with a file explorer like FX File Explorer...make sure under settings/security you check "Unknown sources" so you can install apps outside of play store
Wanam Xposed is amazing
Verified working on my Virgin Mobile Stock ROM. Install Wanam from Playstore and install frame work from HERE Now got my phone all theme'd blacked-out like how I like it. 4-way boot menu working too. NOTE: Wanam website states S-Health conflicts with it...so recommend uninstalling it.
Native Hotspot Enabled:
Install this App HERE GalaxyTools.apk. Click Enable Native Hotspot and reboot phone. "Mine rebooted automatically once enabled." Now I access my Hotspot using a playstore hotspot widget "my perfered is called Elixir 2 from the playstore. " on my home screen.
Debloat Stock ROM:
App Master is small and can go to system files and debloat all dumb apps Samsung/Virgin Mobile put on there. A thread HERE shows what Apps are safe to remove.
PLEASE POST ALL YOUR FINDINGS/THOUGHTS/IDEAS
Rather than restoring a Virgin Mobile phone to a Sprint stock firmware we can use these firmwares instead
G900PVPU1ANE5 STOCK VIRGIN MOBILE
G900PVPU1ANK4 STOCK VIRGIN MOBILE
G900PVPU1BOA6 STOCK VIRGIN MOBILE
G900PVPU2BOD3 STOCK VIRGIN MOBILE
G900PVPU3BOF6 STOCK VIRGIN MOBILE
G900PVPU3BOG1 STOCK VIRGIN MOBILE
Notice the Product Code is VMU, which is for VIRGIN MOBILE!
I'll try to keep this post updated with Virgin Mobile Firmwares in case more are added, for convenience and reference
Here is where I got them from
FIRMWARES | SAMMOBILE | VMU
VM's stock ROMs are on sammobile.
Working are CF auto-root, and Philz recovery (via ODIN).
The latest Sprint NK4 ROM (4.4.4) can be ODIN flashed on top of the VM stuff, and everything keeps working as VM. (Towelroot does not work on 4.4.4.)
I don't believe the VM APN settings posted above are accurate for this phone. But if you do the above (CF auto-root, Philz, Sprint ROM), you should be able to get to them on your own phone.
Presumably there will be a stock VM 4.4.4 ROM released soon regardless.
I don't know that there's a need to do much VM-specific stuff separate from what's done for Sprint.
I've been having two flashable zips that I use when switching to a new AOSP based rom (like CM, PAC, whatever), so rather than doing it manually, for you lazy folk like me, you can boot into Recovery, after having checked that you properly flashed your ROM, and flash these VMU APNs. This is for KK ROMs only! If you flash the file named AOSP_MMS_FIX.zip on lollipop you will get a Bootloop.
I got them a while ago so I forgot where or who made them, if you are reading this however, let me know so that I can give cred
By the way, does anybody know how to get MMS working on lollipop? With lollipop roms I can flash the file Universal_vmu_ApnFix-v.R2.zip to get texting and calls working but it doesnt fix picture messages.
EDIT: The Universal_vmuApnFix-v.R2.zip DOES work on AOSP lollipop roms. Just do not flash the other file.
The Sprint Lollipop 5.0 OA6 stock tar posted at the following does also appear to work for VM. Somehow it does know it's on a VM phone -- VM boot logo and everything:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=58662929&postcount=1
No problems with the latest CF Auto-root in that thread. Philz 6.57.8 appears to still work after renewed flashing, too.
boost mobile send the update same day Sprint relesed
Sent from my SM-G900P using XDA Free mobile app
d99x, no APN fix was needed when you flashed that Sprint OA6 onto the VM S5?
TheBritton said:
d99x, no APN fix was needed when you flashed that Sprint OA6 onto the VM S5?
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Correct. And though APN settings are no longer accessible via "More networks," an S-Finder search for "Access Point Names" still turns up the settings. Confirmed to be VM. Everything's hunky dory automatically. :good:
For what it's worth, I backed everything up via Kies in advance. After all apps re-downloaded from the Play store, a Kies restore did get back most if not all of my settings. It just can't restore apps themselves to the new build.
Anyone know the best way to root with the lollipop update installed?
TheChiZ said:
Anyone know the best way to root with the lollipop update installed?
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Click to collapse
The CF Auto-Root linked in the first post of this thread works, but trips Knox:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2729617
And for what it's worth, the official VM firmware is now up at SamMobile:
http://www.sammobile.com/firmwares/database/SM-G900P/VMU/
d99x said:
The CF Auto-Root linked in the first post of this thread works, but trips Knox:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2729617
And for what it's worth, the official VM firmware is now up at SamMobile:
http://www.sammobile.com/firmwares/database/SM-G900P/VMU/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah im on the stock update
TheChiZ said:
Yeah im on the stock update
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Whats Knox like on this phone coming from the s3, if i trip knox once while rooting, how does that affect me when I want to flash a custom rom?
i just got my virgin mobile galaxy s5. i have yet to root and want to understand this fully before i do what i would like to do as ive had experience with bricked devices and dont want a repeat of the feeling. i want a to make a list of what i think i should do and i would love it if i could get corrections on anything thats wron with my process. i and on the sm-g900p model for VM. baseband: g900pvpuboa6 and android version 5.0 lollipop.
1. (while in download mode) connect s5 to computer
2. open odin 3.9 or 3.7
3. select pda/ap and place CF Auto Root into the slot and let it run until the bar turn bluor green or whatever color means that its good to go.
4. apply a custom recovery (i personaly like PhilZ touch recovery)(i am not sure exactly how to do this. on my s3 i was able to apply the recovery via the stock recovery but i dont know if that is possible with knox and all)
5. go into custom recovery on phone and apply the latest version of supersu
6. in custom recovery apply and deknoxify and debloat zips
7. boot up phone and update supersu and run a root checker
8. do whatever with your new rooted s5
i would love it if someone could tell me if this is a tested method or if i am missing something or doing something wrong. any help would be much appreciated as i really dont want anything to go wrong. i also would love it if someone had a link to philz touch recovery that is properly compatible with my version of s5 (sm-g900p VM)
It's not critical, but the latest ODIN is 3.10.6:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2711451
PhilZ is at the following. You can flash the latest 6.57.8 tar.md5 the same way in ODIN. Remember he's no longer developing or supporting this, but it works for now.
https://goo.im/devs/philz_touch/CWM_Advanced_Edition/klte/
You do not need to flash SuperSU via a custom recovery if you don't want to. You can add/update it just fine via the Play store.
You do not need to apply the de-knoxify and debloat zips if you don't want to. If you want, there are other file manager programs out there that you can also use to "freeze" Knox (if it makes you feel better for some reason), and to debloat manually yourself.
If you mess up badly, you can use ODIN to flash the full restore TAR from the following (extract it first). Though it's in a "Sprint" folder there, it recognizes it's on the VM variant of the Sprint phone just fine.
http://rwilco12.com/downloads.php?d...print) (SM-G900P)/Stock ROMs/OA6/Full Restore
thank you. the philz recovery i was using was too outdated and caused me some problems. and cf auto didnt seem to want to work. however the recovery you gave the link to worked flawlessly and allowed me to flash the supersu update and gain root.
my next question is weather or not it is safe to flash a sprint stock android L rom and keep my calling, text and mms, and 4g data seeing as i am on VM and not sprint (i do know they are the same phone internally but coming from a VM s3 i needed to flash a APN fix everytime i flashed a new rom to keep things working)
revins95 said:
thank you. the philz recovery i was using was too outdated and caused me some problems. and cf auto didnt seem to want to work. however the recovery you gave the link to worked flawlessly and allowed me to flash the supersu update and gain root.
my next question is weather or not it is safe to flash a sprint stock android L rom and keep my calling, text and mms, and 4g data seeing as i am on VM and not sprint (i do know they are the same phone internally but coming from a VM s3 i needed to flash a APN fix everytime i flashed a new rom to keep things working)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I read somwhere that this may be the case this time around aswell, dont know 100% though
The Sprint stock ROM recognizes it's on a VM phone just fine. What's been issued is identical. On a VM phone, it sets up everything for VM -- boot animation, APN settings, everything. There is no need to flash an APN fix or alter any settings to adapt it to VM. That's why when people have tried to start Virgin Mobile threads here, there's been little to no response. There's virtually no need to do anything unique to VM when it comes to the S5. What works for the contract Sprint, works for the pay-as-you-go Sprint, aka VM.
I have not tested non-Stock ROMS, and don't know what you may run into if you start experimenting with custom Sprint ROMs on the VM phone.
If you want to alter your APN settings (though there should be no need on the stock ROM), you can search "Access Point Names" in S-Finder in the drop down menu once the ROM is installed.
d99x said:
The Sprint stock ROM recognizes it's on a VM phone just fine. What's been issued is identical. On a VM phone, it sets up everything for VM -- boot animation, APN settings, everything. There is no need to flash an APN fix or alter any settings to adapt it to VM. That's why when people have tried to start Virgin Mobile threads here, there's been little to no response. There's virtually no need to do anything unique to VM when it comes to the S5. What works for the contract Sprint, works for the pay-as-you-go Sprint, aka VM.
I have not tested non-Stock ROMS, and don't know what you may run into if you start experimenting with custom Sprint ROMs on the VM phone.
If you want to alter your APN settings (though there should be no need on the stock ROM), you can search "Access Point Names" in S-Finder in the drop down menu once the ROM is installed.
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Click to collapse
I would think that if you were to flash Cm 12 you would have to follow it up with some sort of apn fix
TheChiZ said:
I would think that if you were to flash Cm 12 you would have to follow it up with some sort of apn fix
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thats more so what i meant. ive realized through a little research that using a sprint rom on my vm in fine. i believe this is so because unlike most other VM phones (such as my previous Galaxy S3 VM) the Galaxy S5 uses a VM sim card. something that i found unusual but suspect is the reason for never haveing to change anything ( please coeect me if you know im wrong on this information because right now im working with this as a hypothesis). however i dont know what will happen when i install CM12, which is something i want to try out. my VM S5 doesnt have a Data Toggle in the notification tray which annoys me to no extent. i cant seem to find a way to fix this nor can i find in the stock lollipop rom that the phone comes with. ive always loved stock lollipop and ran CM12 on my S3 but the community for it on Android Forums was huge as still is, so finding how to change the APNs on the VM locked S3 was easy. this isnt the case with the S5 neither there nor here at XDA. i either want to fix my data toggle on my stock rom so i can keep my fingerprint scanner (which for me works more times than not) or switch to CM12. i dont know which is the better option as far as keeping everything working.
revins95 said:
thats more so what i meant. ive realized through a little research that using a sprint rom on my vm in fine. i believe this is so because unlike most other VM phones (such as my previous Galaxy S3 VM) the Galaxy S5 uses a VM sim card. something that i found unusual but suspect is the reason for never haveing to change anything ( please coeect me if you know im wrong on this information because right now im working with this as a hypothesis). however i dont know what will happen when i install CM12, which is something i want to try out. my VM S5 doesnt have a Data Toggle in the notification tray which annoys me to no extent. i cant seem to find a way to fix this nor can i find in the stock lollipop rom that the phone comes with. ive always loved stock lollipop and ran CM12 on my S3 but the community for it on Android Forums was huge as still is, so finding how to change the APNs on the VM locked S3 was easy. this isnt the case with the S5 neither there nor here at XDA. i either want to fix my data toggle on my stock rom so i can keep my fingerprint scanner (which for me works more times than not) or switch to CM12. i dont know which is the better option as far as keeping everything working.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Have you tried MOAR v6.0
I rooted to 4.4.2 and it went fine- then I realized I had lost wi-fi.
I have tried to restore and tried using odin and zip files to install a stock rom after I found a similar problem with link on
Sprint forums saying it will fix the ""button won't stay on" but the fix only works if the device is in stock rom.
answer on Sprint forum says baseband version was mk2 needs to be nae.
Return the phone to stock, run the fix for the wi-fi and then re-root.
I have downloaded and ran several roms that say they are stock- I've factory reset, cleared cache, no matter what I do,
I end up with a rooted device in 4.4.2 and no wi-fi. If I could just get the wi-fi back I would take it at this point
This was just a little quick upgrade that turned bad and long
The Sprint forum had a link to get it to nae, but wont work if rooted., so need to put the phone back to stock- run the patch and then can upgrade to kit kat again
TLDR: I cannot get my Sprint s4 back to any version that isn't rooted. I have tried several (lots) of roms that say" stock-unrooted" rom,
Never goes back to stock- stays rooted without wifi-
Ran a rom VPUAMDC_L720SPTAMDC_SPR but when I install I get msge "ifooter is wring signature invalid" - and it fails.
reformatted the sd card, tried different roms and get some message and it stays rooted and no wifi.
TLDR: need to get stock rom so I can get back wi-fi and then root the whole thing. as 4.4.2 Or 4 , if it exists)
Any options and any ideas as to where or what to do?
EDIT: for clarity cause I am not making much sense at this point
Thanks
Heh... a TL;DR for a TL;DR... the internet is becoming one crazy place.
thousandwatts said:
The Sprint forum had a link to get it to nae, but wont work if rooted.
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Click to collapse
Maybe a dumb question, but why not just unroot first, then?
I just swapped from my Amaze 4g, to a used Note 3, and I'm a little lost as far as where I should start.
It says that it's on 4.4.2, and that I cannot update due to a modified system.
Basically, I would like to get updated to 5.1.1 (or as close as is official for the Note 3), and root it.
I'm afraid I'm not familiar with Samsung devices, and because I purchased this from ebay, I don't know how to tell the exact state that the former user put it in (I expected they would return it to stock prior to selling).
It's currently a T-Mobile branded, SM-N900T, on 4.4.2, build is KOT49H, security software MDF v1.0 release 2. Kernel is 3.4.0-660648.
It is supposedly unlocked for carriers, though I have not attempted a SIM card use yet, until I can tell that what I have is a valid device and the IMEI is checked out.
Any thoughts on how to validate the IMEI, and sort out how to get my new phone up to date would be appreciated. As I stated, I expected the vendor would have returned it to stock, but that is clearly not the case, so I don't want to accidentally boot loop it by doing something I shouldn't. I have not owned a Samsung before, so I want to be careful on how it differs from my Nexus 7, Amaze 4g, and Droid X, as they're all obviously very different in the OS area.
Thank you for the help1
Download tbe stock 4.4.2 rom and use odin to install. Then you will get the OTA updates.
Sent from my SM-N900P using Tapatalk
There is no stock 5.1.1 for note 3, only cm12.1/ aosp. Latest is 5.0 and you can use odin to flash. Maybe it's rooted that's why you can't update.
bladebarrier said:
I just swapped from my Amaze 4g, to a used Note 3, and I'm a little lost as far as where I should start.
It says that it's on 4.4.2, and that I cannot update due to a modified system.
Basically, I would like to get updated to 5.1.1 (or as close as is official for the Note 3), and root it.
...
Thank you for the help1
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Some apps to install from Play Store...
Phone INFO Samsung - this will tell you all about your phone and the firmware etc.
Root Checker Basic - tells you if you are rooted or not.
SuperSU - this is so valuable you should buy the Pro licence. Chainfire does some great work for our phones.
TWRP - I have the zip version on my extSDCard and an Odin version on PC in case I have to rebuild from a Stock firmware. CWN works OK but most ROM builds seem to be for TWRP I think and a backup from one will not work on the other.
I don't know your previous phone so you probably need Odin v3.09 - this sits on PC and lets you flash firmware to the phone. (connected by USB)
For which you need Samsung USB drivers so the PC will recognise the phone. Install on PC before connecting phone.
Then do some browsing and find the processes to root your phone and install the ROM you want. If you just want Stock and access to all your phone, you can root it after flashing the original v5.0 download (from Sammobile or similar site - note on Sammobile you need a free account to DL) and then install Custom recovery (if wanted - it WILL trip the Knox flag but that may not matter given it's 2nd hand and might already be tripped anyway)
Read, make SURE you understand what is being said BEFORE you do anything - ask if you don't.
Good luck...
N9005 Lollipop brick
Hi All, just need a huge help here, a friend of mine has been using a N9005 which was auto restarting, she went online and downloaded this firmware...N900AUCUEOC1_N900AATTEOC1_N900AUCUEOC1_HOME.tar.md5....2.5GB in size...and flashed it, but the phone is stuck in boot loop even after recovery wiping data and cache, the phone can boot into download mode but re flashing the firmware always fails.....is there a solution for this.....please help
Thank you all for the info, especially the detailed info from Journyman16. I checked, and it is flagged as custom, which is fine, so I'm going to go ahead and try to return to mostly stock, update it, and root it.
Ok, everything went well. I had to do two attempts at rooting, but I think it's just one of those things where sometimes it doesn't restart into the process every time.
All seems good. I'm on 5.0, rooted, busyboxed, and smooth sailing.
Thank you all, again, for the tips. The Note 3 is running very well. Thank you to all of the devs that have made this process so refined. I've donated to you before, and did so again today. It's outstanding to have such well versed coders, on XDA, helping out the community.
mjmbirige said:
Hi All, just need a huge help here, a friend of mine has been using a N9005 which was auto restarting, she went online and downloaded this firmware...N900AUCUEOC1_N900AATTEOC1_N900AUCUEOC1_HOME.tar.md5....2.5GB in size...and flashed it, but the phone is stuck in boot loop even after recovery wiping data and cache, the phone can boot into download mode but re flashing the firmware always fails.....is there a solution for this.....please help
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You have never learned not to ask in others posts? What does your problem has to do with this topic at all?
When you need help. Just click on Q&A then Create a new thread. How hard is it?