How to upgrade after root - Galaxy Note 4 Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

HI.
I really liked the idea of keeping pretty stock (ie no custom rom).. but just tweaking with root / xposed etc.
But.. doing that I now cant install firmware upgrades...
Is it possible to remove root so that ota firmware upgrades work? Have no idea as in the past I've just had custom roms..
Thanks!

llewelld said:
HI.
I really liked the idea of keeping pretty stock (ie no custom rom).. but just tweaking with root / xposed etc.
But.. doing that I now cant install firmware upgrades...
Is it possible to remove root so that ota firmware upgrades work? Have no idea as in the past I've just had custom roms..
Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
One of the mods will probably move this to Q&A as its where you should be asking this question.
Anyways if your sticking with stock and rooted but want to update the firmware as they come out you simply get it via a full firmware flash from Samsung's own Kies 3 software.
Doing this however breaks your root and any apps/mods that you've installed to the system partition however you can simply just re-root and reinstall any system apps/mods you happened to have installed there.
This is not a big deal and is generally quick and painless.
Also remember that if you use a custom recovery TWRP or CWM doing a full firmware flash will restore the stock recovery and you will half to re-flash that back as well.
You wont get notifications about updates however since your rooted and OTA gone. Just keep an eye on things for your specific device and region for updates. People generally post here on XDA about the new updates when their available as well as firmware update news from Sammobile.com
You can also plug your phone into your computer with Kies3 running and it will check to see if your on the latest firmware available as a way of manually checking.

II had the same doubt. Thank you for the clear explanation.

Related

[Q] Global rom for AT&T SGH-I337 ?

Hi there,
I am planning on getting a Red AT&T S4 and getting it unlocked for use with a Canadian Carrier. I would like to know if it will be possible to flash the phone with the stock rom,that is,one that still has touchwiz but no AT&T bloatware. Does such a Rom even exist and can I find it online ? Also,will I get OTA updates once I flash it or will I need to keep re-flashing to get the latest version ?
Thank you for the help.
Goldeneye has exactly what you want:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2313469
Touchwiz ROM based on the latest international firmware, debloated, with lots of option addons. AND AWESOME dev support in the above thread.
Once you flash the ROM, you will not be able to receive OTA updates unless you go back to stock. The dev will quickly release updates to the ROM and you can flash the update and reap the benefits!
Sounds good,thanks for the fast reply ! Will flashing the updates afterward remove my data ? Anyway,I guess I will move over to this particular rom thread for more info about that....
One more thing,if I stay with att rom I will be able to get OTA updates ? Or will I loose this ability if I root and go outside the US ?
Thanks,
kiwi32 said:
Hi there,
I am planning on getting a Red AT&T S4 and getting it unlocked for use with a Canadian Carrier. I would like to know if it will be possible to flash the phone with the stock rom,that is,one that still has touchwiz but no AT&T bloatware. Does such a Rom even exist and can I find it online ? Also,will I get OTA updates once I flash it or will I need to keep re-flashing to get the latest version ?
Thank you for the help.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Read these first...
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2314494
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2301762
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2283918
After you read those, ROMs are located in the "Development" and "Original development" sub forums. But read these before you do anything with them...
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2312444
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2295557
Why would you buy an AT&T S4 (bootloader locked) and then use it on a Canadian carrier? Why not just get a SGH-i337M (Canadian) with an unlocked bootloader? If you get the AT&T S4 on MF3 firmware you will only be able to Root it. Custom recovery is not available for that firmware.
Make sure you read all of the information in the threads I linked you to above. The information you need for all of your questions is located in those threads. Good luck.
Really helpful,thanks ! So once I install say goldeneye rom,I'll be able to dirty flash updates without loosing anything right ?
kiwi32 said:
Really helpful,thanks ! So once I install say goldeneye rom,I'll be able to dirty flash updates without loosing anything right ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That depends on how significant the updates are. The dev will usually let us know if we can dirty flash.
There's also a semi dirty flash where you wipe everything, flash the rom cleanly, then do an advanced NANDROID restore of only the /data partition.
Once in awhile you might have to redo all your settings but you can use Titanium Backup to help out with the app settings. Titanium can also restore your calls logs/SMS/MMS. Of course all your contacts should be stored on Google's cloud so those come back automatically.

[Q] Cannot update firmware via official channels despite reinstalling stock firmware

I don't know what's going on here.
I've had a rooted phone for a while, but wanted to update to 4.3 since that came out recently.
So I've reinstalled the stock firmware on my I9505 (XXUAME2, Poland), the whole big package. Installing this went without a problem, and now I'm back with a stock ROM. I did this because I wanted to go the official update path (perhaps I don't really need this, but... well, I'm a flash-addict).
However, if I try to find a new update using the "Update" button in the "About device" menu, all I get is an information that I've already got the latest software.
KIES, on the other hand, tells me that my device's current firmware version is not supported.
What's going on here?
Shaamaan said:
I don't know what's going on here.
I've had a rooted phone for a while, but wanted to update to 4.3 since that came out recently.
So I've reinstalled the stock firmware on my I9505 (XXUAME2, Poland), the whole big package. Installing this went without a problem, and now I'm back with a stock ROM. I did this because I wanted to go the official update path (perhaps I don't really need this, but... well, I'm a flash-addict).
However, if I try to find a new update using the "Update" button in the "About device" menu, all I get is an information that I've already got the latest software.
KIES, on the other hand, tells me that my device's current firmware version is not supported.
What's going on here?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi,
Did you try Triangle Away,from the market?
It will show if you triggered the flash counter.
Having said that,you still have the old ,non-knox bootloader.
You might want to just keep that and flash custom ROMS.
They have all the goodness of official ones,but you are still free of any restrictions.
malybru said:
Hi,
Did you try Triangle Away,from the market?
It will show if you triggered the flash counter.
Having said that,you still have the old ,non-knox bootloader.
You might want to just keep that and flash custom ROMS.
They have all the goodness of official ones,but you are still free of any restrictions.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've used Triangle Away before, to reset my counter. Of course, after flashing in the official firmware the phone's no longer rooted, so Triangle Away won't work.
That said, I THINK I know why the official update procedure(s) failed - I've mixed up the firmware for my product code. Apparently when I originally rooted the device I've changed the product code to BTU and have been using that ever since without really knowing about it. But now I've installed the Polish firmware XEO, and I think this is why the update process went crazy.
With regards to custom ROMs... I've already got the phone configured the exact way I like it, and I know some custom ROMs can be... quite different. Are there any specific custom ROMs you had in mind that have all the goodies of official ROMs without the restrictions you mentioned?
Shaamaan said:
I've used Triangle Away before, to reset my counter. Of course, after flashing in the official firmware the phone's no longer rooted, so Triangle Away won't work.
That said, I THINK I know why the official update procedure(s) failed - I've mixed up the firmware for my product code. Apparently when I originally rooted the device I've changed the product code to BTU and have been using that ever since without really knowing about it. But now I've installed the Polish firmware XEO, and I think this is why the update process went crazy.
With regards to custom ROMs... I've already got the phone configured the exact way I like it, and I know some custom ROMs can be... quite different. Are there any specific custom ROMs you had in mind that have all the goodies of official ROMs without the restrictions you mentioned?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi,
TA is used while you are still rooted to reset the counter.
Then, you install stock ROM/firmware.
Only you know how you like your phone,so only you can make that decision about the ROM you choose.
The main restrictions are that once you root the new firmware with the new knox bootloader, you will trigger the knox warranty,and you will never be able to flash an older firmware.
Not everyone is bothered by this,so, this is all a personal choice again.
malybru said:
Hi,
TA is used while you are still rooted to reset the counter.
Then, you install stock ROM/firmware.
Only you know how you like your phone,so only you can make that decision about the ROM you choose.
The main restrictions are that once you root the new firmware with the new knox bootloader, you will trigger the knox warranty,and you will never be able to flash an older firmware.
Not everyone is bothered by this,so, this is all a personal choice again.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Any chance there's a custom ROM created from the stock firmware but with the bootloader removed?
I've read about Knox and I'm kind of glad the firmware update failed, as I wouldn't feel comfortable with that "warranty void" flag...

[Q] How to update to 5.0.1

Hi,
Im from the netherlands and noticed that the update for 5.0.1 is available.
I have the Exynos (N910C) version android 4.4.4 rooted installed now.
I have changed dpi settings true xposed.
What is the best way to update to the new version 5.0.1 ?
Thanks,
Roy
I have used the auto root to root the stock rom.
N910C is Exynos, not Snapdragon, so choose your ROM carefully.
Best way to upgrade is to backup everything first, then install new ROM with Odin (download correct version from sammobile), then root using your method of choice (I personally recommend flashing TWRP recovery and choose root on exit).
After that, you can restore everything you need from the backups.
roytyo said:
Hi,
Im from the netherlands and noticed that the update for 5.0.1 is available.
I have the snapdragon (N910C) version android 4.4.4 rooted installed now.
I have changed dpi settings true xposed.
What is the best way to update to the new version 5.0.1 ?
Thanks,
Roy
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Your device was rooted and no way to upgrade 5.0.1 via OTA. The only way now is download latest Firmware (for your Area) on Sammobile.com or similar website then using Odin to upgrade. Remember: full wipe on recovery first then flashing FW via Odin on Downloadmod.
Thanks for the awnsers. i meant the Exynos, sorry for that.
I havent tryed to update it true normal update way becouse i thought this wasnt possible as my device is rooted.
So i might try if i can do this?
Roy
OTA will fail because you tripped Knox when you rooted.
Besides, lollipop brings a new bootloader, modem and csc, so even if you choose to flash a custom lollipop ROM, you still need to upgrade those using Odin.
silvake said:
OTA will fail because you tripped Knox when you rooted.
Besides, lollipop brings a new bootloader, modem and csc, so even if you choose to flash a custom lollipop ROM, you still need to upgrade those using Odin.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the advice.
My device was imported from hungary and i found this one on sammobile :
http://www.sammobile.com/firmwares/download/44754/N910CXXU1BOC3_N910COXX1BOC1_XEH/
does this also incule the new bootloader, modem and csc ?
Roy
Yes, it seems ok.
silvake said:
Yes, it seems ok.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thanks,
I have installed the 5.0.1 version true odin without doing a full wipe. I still have all my apps and files and it seems to work oke.
Did i have to do a full because of the battery draining stuff? or is it oke like this?
Roy
Should be fine as it is, but a full wipe once in a while never hurts...
If you notice something wrong, battery drain, lag or even applications force-close, then why not... perform a full wipe and restore your apps and settings gradually.
Make sure you backup everything, i failed my stock update to android 5..0.1 (OTA), and now i still didnt found anyway to get my data back, it remains dead there
Titanium Backup FTW

Out of the game for a while advice welcome

The last time i flashed a rom was about 6 months ago and the last time i had to get my hands dirty in a root and recovery process was even longer, probably as much as 2 years back with my old S2.
With this in mind i was hoping for a little guidance on a couple of things.
1) I'm not too concerned with triggering knox that i heard could be a problem in the early days for the note 3 as it's nearly 2 years old but I'd prefer not to, what is the best way and the best order to root, flash recovery and then flash a rom?
2)i know there isn't much love for people asking what is the best rom but what i would like to have is a stable rom even if it isn't the most recent and i do like touchwiz. However i do like the idea of extra features and tweaks. So, are there roms around that meet these requirements?
Cheers guys.
There are ROMs.. but Xposed is still not stable for Lollipop Samsung phones...
I'm not a fan of Touchwiz either but Lollipop Touchwiz is awesome (coming from a CM Fan)
Also ROMs like AryaMod are promising
cheers mate.
any other advice for the rooting and recovery processes from anyone?
You are not out for long enough to forget stuffs Welcome back anyway.
Rooting can't be more easy. Just flash any custom recovery (TWRP/ Philz), and flash the SuperSU zip package which can be found in Chainfire's website from it, https://download.chainfire.eu/696/SuperSU/UPDATE-SuperSU-v2.46.zip
Done, you are rooted.
And for stable ROMs, well some are out there, but my favourite is AryaMod. It is based on stock TW ROM and comes with lots of customisations. If you are looking for purely stock based ROMs then just download those cooked ROMs by Alexandar (pardon if the spelling is wrong), they are as close to stock as you will get. And I don't like S6 based ROMs, I have a Note 3 and I want it as a Note 3, but there are few out there which will give you some S6 features. But the ones I mentioned are purely Note 3 based, you won't find any other phones' feature in them
marc.knuckle said:
...1) I'm not too concerned with triggering knox that i heard could be a problem in the early days for the note 3 as it's nearly 2 years old but I'd prefer not to, what is the best way and the best order to root, flash recovery and then flash a rom?
2)i know there isn't much love for people asking what is the best rom but what i would like to have is a stable rom even if it isn't the most recent and i do like touchwiz. However i do like the idea of extra features and tweaks. So, are there roms around that meet these requirements?
Cheers guys.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1. I triggered Knox ages back so haven't kept up on things but if you flash a custom recovery, AFAIK you WILL trigger it. There are ways to flash custom ROMs etc without triggering Knox but I think you have to flash a pre-rooted ROM. Do some reading around - I've seen a number of threads about it.
2. I am currently on Temasek's CM12.1 ROM and have been for some time. I occasionally try others but have always come back to his - it's everything I like. Even on stock though, I run Nova launcher. For a stock-based ROM I'd recommend Sparx's Alliance ROM - I used it for months and it is easily the most configurable ROM I have seen - you don't need Xposed or other app to mod things, it's all built in.
You'd be surprised how much i could forget haha
So, would it be - 1) root (which method and how?) 2) flash recovery (which one and how?) 3) if I'm to use arya rom it says I'd need a stock lollipop installed first so would i do this before the root and recovery (again which one and how?)
Thanks guys for advice and patience.
devilsdouble said:
You are not out for long enough to forget stuffs Welcome back anyway.
Rooting can't be more easy. Just flash any custom recovery (TWRP/ Philz), and flash the SuperSU zip package which can be found in Chainfire's website from it, https://download.chainfire.eu/696/SuperSU/UPDATE-SuperSU-v2.46.zip
Done, you are rooted.
And for stable ROMs, well some are out there, but my favourite is AryaMod. It is based on stock TW ROM and comes with lots of customisations. If you are looking for purely stock based ROMs then just download those cooked ROMs by Alexandar (pardon if the spelling is wrong), they are as close to stock as you will get. And I don't like S6 based ROMs, I have a Note 3 and I want it as a Note 3, but there are few out there which will give you some S6 features. But the ones I mentioned are purely Note 3 based, you won't find any other phones' feature in them
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
hi and thanks for the referral to Arya. i see it mentions having to come from an existing stock lollipop. could you take a look at my post just before this one and see if you can guide me a little as i dont want to brick my note 3 by doing something either wrong or in the wrong order. thanks for your help.
marc.knuckle said:
You'd be surprised how much i could forget haha
So, would it be - 1) root (which method and how?) 2) flash recovery (which one and how?) 3) if I'm to use arya rom it says I'd need a stock lollipop installed first so would i do this before the root and recovery (again which one and how?)
Thanks guys for advice and patience.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1,2- Root: Simple as I said before. Just head over to Development section and find TWRP recovery. Flash that via Odin. Then go to Chainfire's website, to download the SuperSU zip package, 2.46 I believe is the latest version. Have that zip package copied to your internal or external memory, enter Recovery (I am sure you remember Vol Up + Power button combo will help you to enter recovery) and flash that SuperSU zip file. Just reboot the phone and you are now rooted.
3- Yes, you will be needing to flash a stock Lollipop ROM to be able to use Arya. I am not sure but I think its because of the bootloader. If you want to flash a stock ROM, just head over to sammobile.com and download any Lollipop ROM you want and flash it via Odin. Then download Arya ROM, it will be a zip package, and install that from TWRP, just like you would flash that SuperSU zip for rooting.
devilsdouble said:
1,2- Root: Simple as I said before. Just head over to Development section and find TWRP recovery. Flash that via Odin. Then go to Chainfire's website, to download the SuperSU zip package, 2.46 I believe is the latest version. Have that zip package copied to your internal or external memory, enter Recovery (I am sure you remember Vol Up + Power button combo will help you to enter recovery) and flash that SuperSU zip file. Just reboot the phone and you are now rooted.
3- Yes, you will be needing to flash a stock Lollipop ROM to be able to use Arya. I am not sure but I think its because of the bootloader. If you want to flash a stock ROM, just head over to sammobile.com and download any Lollipop ROM you want and flash it via Odin. Then download Arya ROM, it will be a zip package, and install that from TWRP, just like you would flash that SuperSU zip for rooting.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Cheers mate, i think I'm nearly there. Flashing the stock lollipop will wipe out root won't it? Do is it best to first flash the stock lollipop, then flash twrp then root then arya?
Lastly, when i looked on sammobile there were many different regions of it. I'm in the uk on an unlocked international model which i believe is btu. I know btu hasn't had it yet so which one is best? I know I'll be flashing arya over it but would like it to be the right one as i might try it out for a few days before flashing arya.
marc.knuckle said:
Cheers mate, i think I'm nearly there. Flashing the stock lollipop will wipe out root won't it? Do is it best to first flash the stock lollipop, then flash twrp then root then arya?
Lastly, when i looked on sammobile there were many different regions of it. I'm in the uk on an unlocked international model which i believe is btu. I know btu hasn't had it yet so which one is best? I know I'll be flashing arya over it but would like it to be the right one as i might try it out for a few days before flashing arya.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yep, you got it right, you should flash the stock Lollipop ROM first, then flash TWRP, then root the phone (SuperSU zip package from recovery) and then flash AryaMod. That way you won't have to repeat any steps, cause flashing any stock ROM will restore stock recovery anyway, but I am sure you've already figured that.
About the ROMs on sammobile.com, well I can't really say which one you should download. I once downloaded a German or UK ROM (can't recall really) and it wouldn't flash on my UAE Note 3, someone told me that mine is 32 gigs phone and that ROM was meant for 16 gigs phone, since then I really didn't put much thought about those ROMs anyway, and obviously I had found Arya by then. You can ask in on the UK only topic in general section, they should be able to help you. The ROM from sammobile which worked for my phone was Polish Lollipop ROM, but again, it worked on my phone, so you get the point.

New around here. Some doubts.

Hello.
Ever since I bought a Galaxy Nexus and found XDA, my life changed. Without noticing I got infected a virus: addiction to Android.
My Nexus got outdated quickly and now is pretty done and I need a new toy. 3,5 years later I finally got some spare money to buy a new phone. Since here in Portugal the minimum wage is around 500€ and top flagship phones cost around 700€ (and there's no affordable contract to get something cheaper and still nice), I had to wait until now to get a used Note 3 for 300€.
I love the phone's design and above all the specs. There's no other phone with 3GB RAM and Snap 800 for this price and I always liked big sized phones.
Well, I write too much unnecessary info... I need to stop
Let's get down to the point. I will get the phone tomorrow!!
TL;DR
How do I check the bootloader version? I want to flash TWRP right away and maybe install a Note4/5 port or something stock Android, do I need to be careful with the bootloader?
I know from other phones (i.e LG G2) that any custom rom uses KK bootloader and the stock roms use their respective version bootloader. Is this also true for the Note?
Also, which version of TWRP should I flash? Does it depend on the stock rom version that I have?
Checking if the device has 2.3x GB of available RAM, if Odin and Recovery have their stock aspect and if the S-Pen works is enough to ensure that the Note I'm getting is truly original?
Well, that's all. I'm sorry if I'm asking the same questions everyone does. I'm used to Nexus so I'm afraid of bricking the Note with dumb moves. That's why I am taking my time to read every important thread and asking here some doubts that went into my mind while doing the required reading. I have no warranty (no box nor invoice) so I can't afford to mess up with the new babe
Cheers!
This app!
diogofd8 said:
Hello.
Ever since I bought a Galaxy Nexus and found XDA, my life changed. Without noticing I got infected a virus: addiction to Android.
My Nexus got outdated quickly and now is pretty done and I need a new toy. 3,5 years later I finally got some spare money to buy a new phone. Since here in Portugal the minimum wage is around 500€ and top flagship phones cost around 700€ (and there's no affordable contract to get something cheaper and still nice), I had to wait until now to get a used Note 3 for 300€.
I love the phone's design and above all the specs. There's no other phone with 3GB RAM and Snap 800 for this price and I always liked big sized phones.
Well, I write too much unnecessary info... I need to stop
Let's get down to the point. I will get the phone tomorrow!!
TL;DR
How do I check the bootloader version? I want to flash TWRP right away and maybe install a Note4/5 port or something stock Android, do I need to be careful with the bootloader?
I know from other phones (i.e LG G2) that any custom rom uses KK bootloader and the stock roms use their respective version bootloader. Is this also true for the Note?
Also, which version of TWRP should I flash? Does it depend on the stock rom version that I have?
Checking if the device has 2.3x GB of available RAM, if Odin and Recovery have their stock aspect and if the S-Pen works is enough to ensure that the Note I'm getting is truly original?
Well, that's all. I'm sorry if I'm asking the same questions everyone does. I'm used to Nexus so I'm afraid of bricking the Note with dumb moves. That's why I am taking my time to read every important thread and asking here some doubts that went into my mind while doing the required reading. I have no warranty (no box nor invoice) so I can't afford to mess up with the new babe
Cheers!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.vndnguyen.phoneinfo&hl=en
this app will help you confirm your phone.
then you can proceed flashing twrp and supersu, things are so easy for N9005
and Welcome Aboard
Install phone info samsung from playstore. It could tell a lot about your phone.
To make it easy as long as the phone is running with android version 4.4.2 and above you should use twrp 4.4. If 4.3 use the right one for 4.3.
Sent from my SM-G925F
White Note3 do you have? There are several versions made by Samsung.
Regardless of the bootloader on the phone, I recommend using the latest TWRP as the latest TWRP can be used to flash all ROMs and zip files. Find your device from here: https://twrp.me/Devices/
Before moving to custom ROMs, I also recommend installing the latest bootlloader and ROM.
Not sure if your phone still has warranty but if it does, I would not change the ROM or root because doing either may trip the knox counter and void the warranty.
nijom said:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.vndnguyen.phoneinfo&hl=en
this app will help you confirm your phone.
then you can proceed flashing twrp and supersu, things are so easy for N9005
and Welcome Aboard
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks! I will keep the link in my favorites and install the app when I get the chance to test things.
Rosli59564 said:
Install phone info samsung from playstore. It could tell a lot about your phone.
To make it easy as long as the phone is running with android version 4.4.2 and above you should use twrp 4.4. If 4.3 use the right one for 4.3.
Sent from my SM-G925F
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks! I'm pretty sure it has 4.4.x or lollipop. Should I update to any of those versions (just in case it comes with 4.3) first and then install TWRP?
audit13 said:
White Note3 do you have? There are several versions made by Samsung.
Regardless of the bootloader on the phone, I recommend using the latest TWRP as the latest TWRP can be used to flash all ROMs and zip files. Find your device from here: https://twrp.me/Devices/
Before moving to custom ROMs, I also recommend installing the latest bootlloader and ROM.
Not sure if your phone still has warranty but if it does, I would not change the ROM or root because doing either may trip the knox counter and void the warranty.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The phone doesn't come with box nor invoice so I don't have any warranty xd
What is the number or version of the latest bootloader?
What is the model # of the phone? There is the n-900t, n9005, n-900w8, etc.
N9005, it's the european unlocked version
The model # is important when asking questions because the AT&T version of the note 3 has a locked bootloader so it's more complicated to flash custom recovery and to get root.
If you want to run custom ROMs, I recommend upgrading to the latest modem and bootloader, install a custom recovery, back up your stock ROM, and try some custom ROMs to see which one you like.
Look for the tar version of TWRP for your phone from here: https://twrp.me/Devices/
You can flash TWRP with Odin.
audit13 said:
The model # is important when asking questions because the AT&T version of the note 3 has a locked bootloader so it's more complicated to flash custom recovery and to get root.
If you want to run custom ROMs, I recommend upgrading to the latest modem and bootloader, install a custom recovery, back up your stock ROM, and try some custom ROMs to see which one you like.
Look for the tar version of TWRP for your phone from here: https://twrp.me/Devices/
You can flash TWRP with Odin.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'll get the phone tomorrow!!!!!
So, by upgrading to the latest official rom avaiable I'll have the most recent modem and bootloader, right?
Do I need to follow the order you mentioned: modem->bootloader->recovery->backup->croms or can I flash TWRP, backup every partition, flash most recent modem and bootloader (not sure if I can flash a bootloader) and then install croms?
No, only flashing a newer custom ROM won't update your Bootloader and Modem. You will need to flash those files separately via Odin. Then you can flash the custom ROM you want. The order is simple. Get a custom recovery first, TWRP. Then update your Modem and Bootloader. Then wipe the device from TWRP (full wipe, take backup beforehand if you need) and flash the custom ROM of your choice.
Safest way to upgrade the modem and bootloader is via ota update on a completely stock unrooted rom with stock recovery. After the phone is running the latest rom, then start with customization.
audit13 said:
Safest way to upgrade the modem and bootloader is via ota update on a completely stock unrooted rom with stock recovery. After the phone is running the latest rom, then start with customization.
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I have the phone and managed to update it to 5.0 -> n9005xxugboa1
Is it the latest version or should I update it to another one?
BOD2 appears to be the latest according to sammobile.com: http://www.sammobile.com/firmwares/database/SM-N9005/
audit13 said:
BOD2 appears to be the latest according to sammobile.com: http://www.sammobile.com/firmwares/database/SM-N9005/
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I'm from Portugal but the phone is unlocked (no carrier) and they only have firmware for carrier notes... Which one should I download and flash?
Also... with a G2 I flashed a .kdz file (official rom) and ended up with a bricked phone (later fixed via warranty), but I have no warranty in this phone, how can I make sure that the file is safe?
Just check for software updates from your phone.
audit13 said:
Just check for software updates from your phone.
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It says the phone is already at the latest version. I've cleaned framework services and checked again but got the same result.
Try removing the SIM card and moving the date ahead by two days, then try again.
audit13 said:
Try removing the SIM card and moving the date ahead by two days, then try again.
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Done that, no update avaiable. Connected to Kies3, no update avaiable.
Is it really in a old version? It's 5.0. Do I really need the latest version to start flashing a recovery?
Also, can I use the recovery without flashing it? I want to check if it works nicely before flashing if it is possible. TWRP can be used to flash any rom right? I'm interested in trying darklord first.
Yes, you can flash recovery without updating. I suggested updating because the update probably deals with the stage fright bug.

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