[Q] Unrooting or updating - AT&T Samsung Galaxy S 4 Q&A, Help & Troubleshootin

Hi, almost a year ago shortly after I got my S4 I was very eager to root it, so I came here and followed the guides. I successfully flashed the ROM and proceeded to root my phone but still didn't fully understand the process. I've been sitting on the same version of Android (4.2.2) for a while now and cannot update because there was a file I had to back up and rename. This file was the file which launched the updater, and wasn't part of the guide...
Just now I decrypted my phone, re-flashed it with TWRP, did a factory reset and still have a rooted phone with no update file. I fear the risk of bricking it if I proceed with adding ROM's. Is there an easy way to either update my phone, or unroot it? I may have naively made the only backup image the one that was rooted and with no update file. Staying rooted and updating would be prefered but I just have no idea what I'm doing, to be honest :fingers-crossed:
-Take care, Rob

tenthsun said:
Hi, almost a year ago shortly after I got my S4 I was very eager to root it, so I came here and followed the guides. I successfully flashed the ROM and proceeded to root my phone but still didn't fully understand the process. I've been sitting on the same version of Android (4.2.2) for a while now and cannot update because there was a file I had to back up and rename. This file was the file which launched the updater, and wasn't part of the guide...
Just now I decrypted my phone, re-flashed it with TWRP, did a factory reset and still have a rooted phone with no update file. I fear the risk of bricking it if I proceed with adding ROM's. Is there an easy way to either update my phone, or unroot it? I may have naively made the only backup image the one that was rooted and with no update file. Staying rooted and updating would be prefered but I just have no idea what I'm doing, to be honest :fingers-crossed:
-Take care, Rob
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
@tenthsun
Could u tell me what is your firmware from about device .....If u have MDL or MDB then u just install any custom 4.4 Kitkat roms and then flash loki patch. U are pretty lucky to have that firmware. Do Not update using your phone coz u would stuck with locked BL and u won't be able to use loki patch anymore. On the other side if u like to unroot just odin to stock firmware according to your firmware.
☆Swyped From Venomous Droid Blue Chrome Edition☆

ted77usa said:
@tenthsun
Could u tell me what is your firmware from about device .....If u have MDL or MDB then u just install any custom 4.4 Kitkat roms and then flash loki patch. U are pretty lucky to have that firmware. Do Not update using your phone coz u would stuck with locked BL and u won't be able to use loki patch anymore. On the other side if u like to unroot just odin to stock firmware according to your firmware.
☆Swyped From Venomous Droid Blue Chrome Edition☆
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It seems to be MDL.
Much appreciated and I think i'll try Odin because I want to be able to update officially from Samsung for now.
Thank you

Related

Went back to stock 4.2.2, how do I update to 4.3 stock? (won't let me update)

So basically I went back to stock by "TAR files to flash MF3 via ODIN" and now I am on 4.2.2 stock. I don't really need root and just want to go 4.3
What I want to do is go 4.3 but it won't let me, it says I am up to date even though I am on 4.2.2.
It also won't let me update via kies...how do I fix this?
btort1 said:
Ok so I have a rooted 4.2.2 mf3 S4 and I want to factory reset it because it's pretty laggy if I compare it to my gf's s4 which is also rooted.
I didn’t do the odin root, I used this method to root my s4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A_lu4ibJQtg
Is there any easy way to factory reset without losing the root?
I got a few more questions
Is there a way I can go to 4.3 root from 4.2.2? What would happen if I update to stock 4.3 or 4.4 (when it officially comes out) using the AT&T software update, will it brick my phone or will I be ok?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
ODIN root method is for the I337m only anyways, so it wouldn't have worked. If you do a factory reset in the stock recovery, it doesn't touch the system files at all so you should still keep root. I'd make SuperSU a system app first though. You can get the 4.3 OTA through the software update menu and as long as you activate survival mode in SuperSU and you haven't made any changes whatsoever to the system files (besides root), it will run just fine.
Nvm got it! thanks
Bump! updated OP

Unroot

As many of you know, we have a update for the 4.4 KitKat version. Also, most people are rooted with SS and some runnning a custom ROM like myself. My question is, how can I fully unroot my phone beacuse I thought I unrooted it fully and the error message popped up. Should i do the unbrick method with the MF3 stuff. Or what other option. Im not brocked though.
I would flash your firmware version in Odin and then take the ota. Back everything up first of course. Also there is currently no root method so tibu is not a good backup solution.

[Q] NOOB trying to update MK2 firmware to Lollipop

As the Title states I have been trying to flash to Lollipop using the thread Update to lollipop and keep root using Flashfire app. I have downloaded and followed the procedure (yes I am rooted and confirmed with RootBasic) with it failing.
What happens is I load the files in order stated per the guide hit the lightning bolt, does the reboot and then gives error no command and then sits at stock flash update where you can either reboot, flash file or few other choices. I have tried numerous times with each time same result. What is going wrong? As I stated on am on MK2 firmware with ATT update frozen so not sure why this is. When put in download mode I confirm Knox 0 and Offical software with it having 0x30 for bootloader. Any suggestions or should I ODIN update but with what?
Frankpjr said:
As the Title states I have been trying to flash to Lollipop using the thread Update to lollipop and keep root using Flashfire app. I have downloaded and followed the procedure (yes I am rooted and confirmed with RootBasic) with it failing.
What happens is I load the files in order stated per the guide hit the lightning bolt, does the reboot and then gives error no command and then sits at stock flash update where you can either reboot, flash file or few other choices. I have tried numerous times with each time same result. What is going wrong? As I stated on am on MK2 firmware with ATT update frozen so not sure why this is. When put in download mode I confirm Knox 0 and Offical software with it having 0x30 for bootloader. Any suggestions or should I ODIN update but with what?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
We just discovered this morning on the Vz S4 that FF does not function properly on their MK2(4.2) firmware which is likely also the issue here. You will first need to update to KitKat using the following file then root with towel root before updating to 5.0: https://www.androidfilehost.com/?fid=23501681358548937
Before I proceed to KitKat with file linked to is there a guide to properly performing this and then rooting? I will update from MK2 to NB 1 then I need to root, then do the FlashFire and Lollipop undate. I see the guide to use ODIN but then I will have to root I also have not used towel root either so any guide would be awesome. This should not change KNOX either correct (although I guess it does not matter since I am long out of warranty)?
I want to have a clear understanding of procedure so I don't brick the phone! I have not used ODIN before since I haven't really done much rooting other than when I first got the replacement phone last year
I'd suggest [GUIDE]Odin to Stock, Updating, Rooting, and Installing Safestrap by guut13, and of course [How-To] Update to I337_OC3 - 5.0.1 and KeepRoot (4/7/2015) by muniz_ri for rooted Lollipop. Look in the I337 General forum for both.
Thanks Creepyncrawly and muniz_ri for both of your help it was easy to update from MK2 for this noob!
Ok I followed the guide and did update to stock nb1 and rooted, used towel root and then used flashfire to Lollipop and all seems to be working (I still am in process of setting phone up but it is running lollipop).
Since this is oc3 rooted is there anything else I have to do such as freeze att update? Anything else I should do right away?

Galaxy S4 How to unroot?

I rooted my AT&T Galaxy S4 running Android 5.0.1 using kingroot and it worked great. I proceeded to try to install a custom ROM, which failed and I never even overwrote the stock ROM. So I am currently using the stock ROM. I recently got an update from AT&T for the stagefright patch, but every time I try to install the update, it puts the device into a secure boot download screen. I have to reboot the device to get back to Android. I also tried factory reset but it also causes the secure download screen to show up. I want to trade in to upgrade soon and I need to know how to fix this. Thanks!
Ok, if you want to get the stagefright patch and still be rooted, follow directions here with the stock rooted rom. http://forum.xda-developers.com/gal...-to-update-to-i337oc3-5-0-1-keeproot-t3075814
After the flash, don't install or flash anything else, update with the OTA from AT&T. If you want to remove the custom padlock nag, use triangle away from play store.
If you just want to get it completely stock, Odin to stock NB1 by following directions in this thread. http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2616221
You can take the OTA updates after that but only one every 24 hours. It'll update from NB1 to NJ4 first. Not sure how many updates get you to OC4 4.
Snapping along on stock rooted 0C4 I337, wishing for some good up to date lollipop ROM's to throw into flashfire
Thank You!
buggerritt said:
Ok, if you want to get the stagefright patch and still be rooted, follow directions here with the stock rooted rom. http://forum.xda-developers.com/gal...-to-update-to-i337oc3-5-0-1-keeproot-t3075814
After the flash, don't install or flash anything else, update with the OTA from AT&T. If you want to remove the custom padlock nag, use triangle away from play store.
If you just want to get it completely stock, Odin to stock NB1 by following directions in this thread. http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2616221
You can take the OTA updates after that but only one every 24 hours. It'll update from NB1 to NJ4 first. Not sure how many updates get you to OC4 4.
Snapping along on stock rooted 0C4 I337, wishing for some good up to date lollipop ROM's to throw into flashfire
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank You so much! I was having a hard time finding a solution! I appreciate it very much!

rooted - trying take OTA lollipop dont care about keeping root

i was able to take part one of the update which i think did something to Root....when I open SuperSU it says cant install binary, may need to re-root. I don't want root anymore. I tried second OTA update and fails.
I'm guessing i just have to odin flash a stock img?...my question is, can i do the lollipop one? or do i have to do kitkat and just take the OTA? also, does it matter which version of kitkat or lollipop?
thanks!
download the latest stock rom from somewhere, and flash with odin or flashfire. That should be all you need to do.
thanks...just flashed one of the lollipops and worked great! didnt have to even kept data and custom went away!

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