Database Users

[Q] I caused problems with updates and other general issues

I will save you the details of what I was thinking and why. But I rooted through Kingo and using nobloat I uninstalled a handful of apps, mainly what I saw listed as safe to remove. Then I had to do a factory reset on my phone and I did it without thinking and now everything I blocked is gone.
When it first came back up I had no touchwiz or Samsung keyboard. I had to plug in an external keyboard and install Nova Launcher before I could even use my home screen.
So I'm back up on a non-rooted phone (removed Kingo root) with my knox not tripped. However it fails to install updates. I have no warranty left on this device.
Is there any way to get ota updates to work again or did I need it up to badly? I have also lost kies so I think that eliminates all other ways to update the phone. I have android 4.3
Should I just leave well enough alone? Is there as way to get this phone back to pristine? Should I even be concerned with future updates? Do I just figure out how to properly root this device and install a 4.4.2 rom?
Thoughts and suggestions? Thanks in advance!

Deleted TouchWiz, can't use UPSM.

I got my new S5 (SM-G900W8, Telus) and I rooted using Towel Root. I installed a bunch of root apps, including Titanium Backup. I then proceeded to remove apps (backing them up first). I removed TouchWiz (backing it up) and used Nova. A few days later, I decided to activate UPSM (Ultra Power Saving Mode), and found that my entire screen went black, I could only drop down the notification bar, I had no apps, no ability to deactivate it.
I googled and found no way to force UPSM to turn off. I tried charging to full, no. I eventually restarted, and my phone got stuck on the "Samsung" logo, in black and white. I everything I could think, and then just decided to factory reset. I re-installed all my apps, and stuff, and just remembered that I didn't backup Titanium Backup, so I couldn't re-install TouchWiz.
What do I do now? I'd like to use UPSM, but I would prefer to not soft-brick it, and have to factory reset it after everytime I use it. I know I'm n00b, and it was my first rooted phone, and I should have researched first, but oh well.
Is there anything I can do to get TouchWiz back without tripping the KNOX counter (i.e. reflashing my phone to get it back)?

Once rooted I don't think you can use UPSM. You could install a TouchWiz based ROM with safestrap and probably get similar functionality, but I don't believe ultra power saving mode is available after rooting.

Find a rom for your device and either flash that, take the apk out and put it in your system/priv-app, or find someone here to post it for you. It's called TouchWizHome.apk. Seeing as how you don't want to trip Knox you will need to put it back yourself using something like root explorer.

Actually. Look at this thread here http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2732110. The second post has all the bloatware that was removed that I think you can add back.

i9506 problems with SU

hello.
I have rooted my phone for some time with chainfire super user.
I started facing blue screen problems and random restarts now. thought maybe there is some hardware faults. started SU app and have choosed full unroot and problem have disappeared for some time.
What have happened and why?
firmware 4.4.2.
Currently i updated software through kies (nj1 update).
so far so good. no bluescreen for now.
update.. still getting randoms reboots... what is causing them?

I also had random reboots after I rooted. Though I don't think the super user app caused it. It happened only after I installed viper4android.
I changed roms since then and no problem.
Maybe you installed an app that causes it. Only thing I can suggest is, either change roms, or reinstall stock rom and root again

Did you delete Knox-related apps from /system?

no. i didn't delete them... should I? there were nothing mentioned about file delete in rooting manual so i did nothing.
Should I delete every file that contains word knox or any concrete files?
After I updated phone by kies, rooted again, data format couple times + dalvik cache clear, problem seems to disappear. for half day so far so good, no reboot.
to change rom will be next thing i will do if reboots reappear

Knox can cause problems on rooted phones. That's partly why you don't find Knox in ROMs based off stock. So yes, you should remove the Knox apps in /system.

just remembered... when I launched SU app it asked me do i want to disable knox. i choose yes.
is it enough for removing knox or it is necessary run for example DE-SAMSUNGNIZER_KNOX_REMOVAL_SCRIPT_V1.0.zip
p.s. sadly i can't install busybox. after i click install it shows "checking system" forever

Choosing yes was the right answer, but while SuperSU does disable Knox, I'm inclined to believe it's only so that SuperSU can properly function and install the su binary and doubt it's permanent. However, I never tested this, as I delete Knox apps regardless.

HELP! - Titanium backup Killed GPS and a few settings.

I have a Note 3 running stock 4.4.2. I rooted successfully using the towel root method as shown here.. http://forum.xda-developers.com/galaxy-note-3/general/root-root-xxufnf4-stock-firmware-knox-t2840150. I installed SuperSU and Titanium Backup (the non-pro version) from Google Play.
I used the phone and all the features for three days. However yesterday I ran a backup for the first time using Titanium backup ( all settings and apps) and since then my GPS seems to have conked off.... it keeps hunting and does not get a lock. I have tried rebooting multiple times, tried using it with both with Google Maps and Sygic (paid version) but both dont get a GPS lock. I was using the GPS successfully till then, so I have to assume the Titanium backup process must have messed something up . Additionally, immediately after the back up process was over, I found a lot of my setting were gone. I lost the wall paper I had set (reverted to a blank one), keyboard reverted to default Samsung keyboard from Swype, etc. This further reinforces my feeling the backup process mucked something up.
I am sure this is not normal. While the other settings was able to change manually, I cannot do without GPS. Pls help!

cmatic2 said:
I have a Note 3 running stock 4.4.2. I rooted successfully using the towel root method as shown here.. http://forum.xda-developers.com/galaxy-note-3/general/root-root-xxufnf4-stock-firmware-knox-t2840150. I installed SuperSU and Titanium Backup (the non-pro version) from Google Play.
I used the phone and all the features for three days. However yesterday I ran a backup for the first time using Titanium backup ( all settings and apps) and since then my GPS seems to have conked off.... it keeps hunting and does not get a lock. I have tried rebooting multiple times, tried using it with both with Google Maps and Sygic (paid version) but both dont get a GPS lock. I was using the GPS successfully till then, so I have to assume the Titanium backup process must have messed something up . Additionally, immediately after the back up process was over, I found a lot of my setting were gone. I lost the wall paper I had set (reverted to a blank one), keyboard reverted to default Samsung keyboard from Swype, etc. This further reinforces my feeling the backup process mucked something up.
I am sure this is not normal. While the other settings was able to change manually, I cannot do without GPS. Pls help!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not sure what your level of expertise is, but simplest would be to run a Nandroid backup to your extSDCard, then reflash the ROM. You will then need to re-root etc. One thing to be aware of - when going to Download Mode, ALWAYS power off, remove the battery for 10 secs or so, insert it and hold down the keys to get into DL mode.
Once the firmware is installed & you've got root, you can Restore the Data from your nandroid and be back where you were.
I don't know how running a backup could do anything like you describe - maybe a Restore might do something, but I've been using TB for a couple of years with nothing like that.

Not sure what your level of expertise is, but simplest would be to run a Nandroid backup to your extSDCard, then reflash the ROM. You will then need to re-root etc. One thing to be aware of - when going to Download Mode, ALWAYS power off, remove the battery for 10 secs or so, insert it and hold down the keys to get into DL mode.
Once the firmware is installed & you've got root, you can Restore the Data from your nandroid and be back where you were.
I don't know how running a backup could do anything like you describe - maybe a Restore might do something, but I've been using TB for a couple of years with nothing like that.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am an absolute newbie wrt flashing etc. I am a sales guy - so my computer knowledge is layman-ish. I can follow instructions though! This is the first time i am trying something with an Android phone - my earlier trysts were limited to unlocking my iPhone 2 some 7 years back!
1. I used this method of rooting since it does not trigger knox. I will look up Nandriod backup - any links you can point me to will help. Only worry is does Nandriod trigger knox?
2. The towel root method only needed me to flash back the kernel related to my ROM (GNJ1) . Do you think reflashing that kernel again will do or do I have to flash the whole ROM again?
3. Do I have to unroot etc before I flash the ROM?
4. Lastly - Do I use KIES 3 to reflash the ROM? (to keep the warranty etc intact)

cmatic2 said:
I am an absolute newbie wrt flashing etc. I am a sales guy - so my computer knowledge is layman-ish. I can follow instructions though!
1. I used this method of rooting since it does not trigger knox. I will look up Nandriod backup - any links you can point me to will help. Only worry is does Nandriod trigger knox?
2. The towel root method only needed me to flash back the kernel related to my ROM (GNJ1) . Do you think reflashing that kernel again will do or do I have to flash the whole ROM again?
3. Do I have to unroot etc before I flash the ROM?
4. Lastly - Do I use KIES 3 to reflash the ROM? (to keep the warranty etc intact)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nandroid has to do with the Recovery you install. TBH I don't know if installing a custom recovery like TWRP will actually trip Knox if you are currently rooted and HAVEN'T tripped it. My bet is it would. If you have all your apps saved in TB, you could use a root browser like ES File Explorer to make sure you have any photos, Media etc. copied to your extSDCard before doing anything else. Shouldn't have to unroot as normally the firmware will flash over the top, then you need to follow the root procedure again - I haven't used Towelroot so maybe ask in that thread?

Samsung said that it is rooted although i've flashed oreo stock rom

I moved from custom pie rom to stock rom. But some samsung apps told me that it is still rooted so they won't run. My bank apps just runs normally and when i check using some root checker apps, they said that my phone is not rooted. Please help

Have you flashed it with odin? if not try it.

rizaldiwn said:
I moved from custom pie rom to stock rom. But some samsung apps told me that it is still rooted so they won't run. My bank apps just runs normally and when i check using some root checker apps, they said that my phone is not rooted. Please help
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The very first time you rooted your phone, samsung's efuse was triggered. Now you cannot undo it even by flashing stock rom. The changes are permanent. Your phone has recorded that change to system was made at some time so it'll stay as unofficial forever

Only thing you can do is root again, edit build.prop > change ro.config.tima=1 in build.prop to ro.config.tima=0 save and reboot. This wil set Knox to 0x0.
Now unroot(if you dont want root)
Now you can use all Samsung apps like Health etc again