Database Users

[Q] i9505 "clean" stock Android

Hello guys,
I’m aware this has been discussed many times before, but this information is "old" most of the times. My Galaxy S4 (i9505) is now running stock Touchwiz Android 4.3 (i9505XXUEMJ7).
What I want to do is the following: flash my phone to a i9505G, but with some research I've found that that isn't possible. Are there any other ways to get the clean i9505G 4.4.2 ROM without any changes (like root) on my i9505? (I know there are much custom ROM's, but if possible I'd like to keep it "stock".)
Since I'm running 4.3 with Knox I'm a little scared about the Knox 0x1 status, is this already "resolved" or will this still be a problem?
Thanks.

Broodplank's AOSP rom is the way to go:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2397511
You still need to flash a custom recovery to flash it, though. I recommend CWM. Simply works.

tsphere said:
Broodplank's AOSP rom is the way to go:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2397511
You still need to flash a custom recovery to flash it, though. I recommend CWM. Simply works.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for your reply. Rooting and flashing a custom recovery shouldn't be a problem, however I'm still a little worried about Knox, there simply isn't a way to reset it after it goes to 0x1?
The HTC One can be "changed" into a HTC One Google Edition: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2358781
But as far as I can tell this isn't possible for the Galaxy S4?

As far as i seen, once you flash something with odin, your knox flag gets changed. However it's not clear to me whether it changes the warranty actually...

tsphere said:
As far as i seen, once you flash something with odin, your knox flag gets changed. However it's not clear to me whether it changes the warranty actually...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's not just the warrenty I'm worried about. If I want to sell the phone later I want it to be fully working, I assume with Knox 0x1 Knox isn't working anymore?

JoeyLe said:
Thanks for your reply. Rooting and flashing a custom recovery shouldn't be a problem, however I'm still a little worried about Knox, there simply isn't a way to reset it after it goes to 0x1?
The HTC One can be "changed" into a HTC One Google Edition: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2358781
But as far as I can tell this isn't possible for the Galaxy S4?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In theory every non G device can be converted into a G device if the hardware model is the same but in practice is not always accomplished 100%. The problem here is Knox, for waht I understand it has 2 layers: The knox bloatware that comes stock on sammys ROM and the off rom portion included in the bootloader. The bootloader is basically what the system loads up first
. so it can't bypassed. So to kkep it simple, if you flash ANYTHING (not sure however if re flashing the stock original ROM activates the flag) on the knox bootloader (AKA: new bootloader) the ''flag'' will change to 0x1, this flag is called eFuse so basically 0x1 means is burned and it can't be changed ANYWAY. If you don't plan to use your phone for work you shouldn't care about the flag.
For more information you can check this thread
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2447832

JoeyLe said:
It's not just the warrenty I'm worried about. If I want to sell the phone later I want it to be fully working, I assume with Knox 0x1 Knox isn't working anymore?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1. It isn't clear if Knox 0x1 voids warranty or not.
2. If you have Knox 0x1 your phone will work fine, but you won't be able to use Knox security enhancements.
3. You can't convert the 9505 to the 9505G, the Google Play edition has different bootloader, modem and pit partition.
Enviado do meu Xposed Galaxy S4 4G LTE

dclarkg said:
In theory every non G device can be converted into a G device if the hardware model is the same but in practice is not always accomplished 100%. The problem here is Knox, for waht I understand it has 2 layers: The knox bloatware that comes stock on sammys ROM and the off rom portion included in the bootloader. The bootloader is basically what the system loads up first
. so it can't bypassed. So to kkep it simple, if you flash ANYTHING (not sure however if re flashing the stock original ROM activates the flag) on the knox bootloader (AKA: new bootloader) the ''flag'' will change to 0x1, this flag is called eFuse so basically 0x1 means is burned and it can't be changed ANYWAY. If you don't plan to use your phone for work you shouldn't care about the flag.
For more information you can check this thread
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2447832
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you very much! That was very interesting to read. I personally don't care about Knox, all the Samsung bloatware is the main reason I want to have stock Android on my S4.

dandroid13 said:
1. It isn't clear if Knox 0x1 voids warranty or not.
2. If you have Knox 0x1 your phone will work fine, but you won't be able to use Knox security enhancements.
3. You can't convert the 9505 to the 9505G, the Google Play edition has different bootloader, modem and pit partition.
Enviado do meu Xposed Galaxy S4 4G LTE
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the information. I see there are many custom roms which are very close to stock Android, that should be fine as well.

JoeyLe said:
Thanks for the information. I see there are many custom roms which are very close to stock Android, that should be fine as well.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sure, but the 4.4 roms (Google Play) have one main issue, random reboots.

[Q] Should I be afraid of KNOX?

Hello.
I know this might have been asked a million times already but I'm gonna ask anyway..
Should I be afriad of KNOX?
I would like to root, customize stock rom, try custom roms, flash CWM recovery & kernels etc.
but I heard and read that flashing, modifies KNOX which voids the phone's warranty but I would like to have my phone's warranty.
So should I try anything?
Is there any way to revert KNOX back to default?

KNOX doesn't carry a gun around, so no don't be afraid of it.
By rooting and doing all the things you mentioned above, you void the warranty of any phone dat has warranty on it. Samsung is only trying to protect themselves. So they don't fix more faults dat were caused by users... So, security for Samsung. And NO, it can't be reset. At least, not yet. However, there are ways to avoid tripping it. Do some research urself. I own Exynos Note 3. Cheers!

MariosFFX said:
Hello.
I know this might have been asked a million times already but I'm gonna ask anyway..
Should I be afriad of KNOX?
I would like to root, customize stock rom, try custom roms, flash CWM recovery & kernels etc.
but I heard and read that flashing, modifies KNOX which voids the phone's warranty but I would like to have my phone's warranty.
So should I try anything?
Is there any way to revert KNOX back to default?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
no way to revert KNOX back ,you can root knox save but you cant flash roms kernels or cwm

I'm not afraid and I love the freedom!
Sent from my SM-N9005 using Tapatalk

jaythenut said:
no way to revert KNOX back ,you can root knox save but you cant flash roms kernels or cwm
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1 .Safely root using de la vega root without tripping KNOX
2. Safely custom rom using kn0x0ut Toolbox without tripping KNOX
Others will trigger knox :good:

You could get hit by a bus this week , Flash and enjoy the phone.
Same applies with life ( No flashing necessary )

Ry2mkk said:
Same applies with life ( No flashing necessary )
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thgough theres danger involved there too if you do flash....:silly::laugh:

Well, I have previously rooted my phone without tripping the knox. I didn't flash any custom recovery, firmware or kernels, though.
Now, unrelated to knox, my phone started to behave strangely (reboot loops on charging and erratic signal reception) - some device problem I guess - , and since I have not tripped the knox, I'm going to take the phone to the service centre for a replacement, hopefully free of charge, since it's been only 2 months since I bought it.
Using an International SM-N9005.

I guess if some manufacturing defects cropped up, not related to the flashing of custom firmwares and so on, within the warranty period, and if the knox is tripped, it may be troublesome to replace/repair free of charge. That's the only downside I can see by tripping the knox within the warranty period.

[Q] CWM recovery removal with out tripping Knox Counter??

I recently purchased a SM-N900W8. Love this device, just retired my S2 which i messed around with for a few years and never had issues...
I neglected to do research on XDA (Big mistake) before rooting it and had no idea about the repercussions of this KNOX issue.
I used this method to root it (http://galaxynote3root.com/galaxy-note-3-root/how-to-root-galaxy-note-3/)
I successfully installed CWM recovery and SuperSu and the phone is rooted. I had no intentions of installing Custom Roms just yet just wanted to be able to use some of my favorite apps that require rooting. The phones Current Binary and Phone status have both been tagged custom but my KNOX Warranty Void is still tagged at 0X0. Needless to say maybe I got lucky?
I was hoping to Revert to Stock and Unroot so I could follow this method instead (http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2498850)
Is there anyways to Accomplish this without tripping the KNOX counter? I've been scouring the forums for several hours trying to find a concrete answer but cannot.
I have downloaded my stock firmware (http://www.sammobile.com/firmwares/3/?download=26653)
Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. I have included a screenshot of my device info. I apologize in advance if this issue has already been addressed.
Thanks,
-Rob

For device info and Knox warranty status, you can use my app Phone INFO ★Samsung★ to get more detailed info.
Download link in my signature.

Why did you even install CWM if you didn't need it ?
Why do you want to remove it ? Don't fix it if it ain't broken. De la vega will trip Knox in 4.4, so leave it as it is.
Sent from my N9005

Dejan Sathanas said:
Why did you even install CWM if you didn't need it ?
Why do you want to remove it ? Don't fix it if it ain't broken. De la vega will trip Knox in 4.4, so leave it as it is.
Sent from my N9005
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Will do. Was just worried about official updates and warranty if phone still says custom but knox is not tripped. But bell outsources another company for repairs and doesn't send back to Samsung directly so I probably don't need to worry to much..
I used CWM because I've used it for a couple years with my S2 and enjoyed the features so when I saw cwm was avaliable for note 3 I jumped on it.
But there is no way to revert to stock without tripping count?
Thanks.

SSJ3Rob said:
Will do. Was just worried about official updates and warranty if phone still says custom but knox is not tripped. But bell outsources another company for repairs and doesn't send back to Samsung directly so I probably don't need to worry to much..
I used CWM because I've used it for a couple years with my S2 and enjoyed the features so when I saw cwm was avaliable for note 3 I jumped on it.
But there is no way to revert to stock without tripping count?
Thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Flashing stock using odin should rever everything back to stock and possibly not trip knox counte, I am saying possibly cuz nobody has tried to flash stock recovery and try to keep knox cool as custom recoveries have tripped everyone's knox AFAIK. But your phone FW or maybe something else might make your device an exception.
Sent From My SM-N9005 To All You Wonder Nobodies!!

Khizar said:
Flashing stock using odin should rever everything back to stock and possibly not trip knox counte, I am saying possibly cuz nobody has tried to flash stock recovery and try to keep knox cool as custom recoveries have tripped everyone's knox AFAIK. But your phone FW or maybe something else might make your device an exception.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I will leave as is for now until more info on the subject surfaces. As much as I want to try to flash back to stock recovery and test your theory I will hold out and not mess around with CWM or mess with apps requiring root to much incase it decides to trip the counter.
Thanks.

[Q] Binary Counter

Hello guys, i have recently bought a Samsung Galaxy S4 I9500. I switched from ios to android and i am loving it so far. I have a couple of questions: I want to root my device. Does this affect the binary counter? Also if i have a problem with my device and i have warranty, will i be able to format my device (un-root)? Also will this affect binary counter? I don't want to loose my 2 years warranty. Thanks!
PS: While i was on IOS i received a lot of support on reddit but when i asked for android stuff, i never got any response. Is this the right forum for a beginner like me?

Arjoni said:
Hello guys, i have recently bought a Samsung Galaxy S4 I9500. I switched from ios to android and i am loving it so far. I have a couple of questions: I want to root my device. Does this affect the binary counter? Also if i have a problem with my device and i have warranty, will i be able to format my device (un-root)? Also will this affect binary counter? I don't want to loose my 2 years warranty. Thanks!
PS: While i was on IOS i received a lot of support on reddit but when i asked for android stuff, i never got any response. Is this the right forum for a beginner like me?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1)Yes rooting will affect your binary counter.
2) Yes you can unroot your device to gain back warranty.
BUT the binary counter is HIDDEN!
So you can just reset the STATUS(which is official for stock n custom for unofficial)
There is an app called Triangle away which resets this counter but it only available for i9505 n not for i9500.

you have one more problem that is Knox In some service centers do not pay attention to it, but in others lose two year warranty on the phone

AIkizov said:
you have one more problem that is Knox In some service centers do not pay attention to it, but in others lose two year warranty on the phone
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes absolutely a problem. I forgot to mention it. If any unofficial stuff is flashed then this knox pox is triggered.

Mandark52 said:
1)Yes rooting will affect your binary counter.
2) Yes you can unroot your device to gain back warranty.
BUT the binary counter is HIDDEN!
So you can just reset the STATUS(which is official for stock n custom for unofficial)
There is an app called Triangle away which resets this counter but it only available for i9505 n not for i9500.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
AIkizov said:
you have one more problem that is Knox In some service centers do not pay attention to it, but in others lose two year warranty on the phone
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So does this mean i shouldn't root? I don't want to loose my warranty...

Arjoni said:
So does this mean i shouldn't root? I don't want to loose my warranty...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Where do you live? In the UK, for example, (and I believe the EU as a whole) then it doesn't matter if you trip Knox.

Arjoni said:
So does this mean i shouldn't root? I don't want to loose my warranty...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
First have a look on the stickies of Knox discussion. You wont get official software updates if you trip knox(as recovery is custom aftr rooting) n there are knox friendly rooting methods. But I dont really care about knox and after rooting it is upto you that you aint flashing anything wrong or not following the instructions. All the best.

Arjoni said:
So does this mean i shouldn't root? I don't want to loose my warranty...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I personally am currently with stock firmware
Twice my phone was in service for Knox experiments that I did
Had twice to change the motherboard, but it was replaced under warranty because I have a version that my phone and just motherboard died and there is nothing to see in the Samsung service centre
Knox is a major obstacle
The choice is yours

andyjg247 said:
Where do you live? In the UK, for example, (and I believe the EU as a whole) then it doesn't matter if you trip Knox.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Mandark52 said:
First have a look on the stickies of Knox discussion. You wont get official software updates if you trip knox(as recovery is custom aftr rooting) n there are knox friendly rooting methods. But I dont really care about knox and after rooting it is upto you that you aint flashing anything wrong or not following the instructions. All the best.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
AIkizov said:
I personally am currently with stock firmware
Twice my phone was in service for Knox experiments that I did
Had twice to change the motherboard, but it was replaced under warranty because I have a version that my phone and just motherboard died and there is nothing to see in the Samsung service centre
Knox is a major obstacle
The choice is yours
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i want to make it clear that i don't intend to flash a custom ROM. I just want to root my stock firmware (4.4.2) and then to unroot (format with the stock ROM). Will this flag Knox and the counter? will that avoid my warranty? sorry for all of these questions but i just moved on android. thank you

Arjoni said:
i want to make it clear that i don't intend to flash a custom ROM. I just want to root my stock firmware (4.4.2) and then to unroot (format with the stock ROM). Will this flag Knox and the counter? will that avoid my warranty? sorry for all of these questions but i just moved on android. thank you
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
your warranty will void

AIkizov said:
your warranty will void
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
so samsung doesn't allow you to format your device? well i think i am going back to ios... -_-

Arjoni said:
so samsung doesn't allow you to format your device? well i think i am going back to ios... -_-
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
have the ability to format, but the stock rom allows do not have permission to freely manipulate software - Void your warranty

Arjoni said:
i want to make it clear that i don't intend to flash a custom ROM. I just want to root my stock firmware (4.4.2) and then to unroot (format with the stock ROM). Will this flag Knox and the counter? will that avoid my warranty? sorry for all of these questions but i just moved on android. thank you
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As I said previously that you should know what are you flashing and what will happen after it. If you flash anything by not following the correct procedure then you ll pay for it. I rooted my s4 3 months ago and immediately took a backup of my OS through a custom recovery. This backup helps me if something gets wrong. And I really dont care about about Knox because what you lose is only OTA updates and nothing else. So after rooting even you can backup your OS n stay on stock as long you want. Choice is yours. All the best.

Mandark52 said:
As I said previously that you should know what are you flashing and what will happen after it. If you flash anything by not following the correct procedure then you ll pay for it. I rooted my s4 3 months ago and immediately took a backup of my OS through a custom recovery. This backup helps me if something gets wrong. And I really dont care about about Knox because what you lose is only OTA updates and nothing else. So after rooting even you can backup your OS n stay on stock as long you want. Choice is yours. All the best.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Triggered Knox not prevent for receive OTA updates

AIkizov said:
Triggered Knox not prevent for receive OTA updates
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As stock recovery of the phone changes there will be no OTA updates for that device it ll say THE DEVICE SETTINGS HAS BEEN CHANGED or something similar to it. And stock recovery is replaced by philz touch or cwm while rooting. And side by side this knox pox is also triggered.

Mandark52 said:
As stock recovery of the phone changes there will be no OTA updates for that device it ll say THE DEVICE SETTINGS HAS BEEN CHANGED or something similar to it. And stock recovery is replaced by philz touch or cwm while rooting. And side by side this knox pox is also triggered.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
now just talking about root that does not alter Recoverу

Arjoni said:
i want to make it clear that i don't intend to flash a custom ROM. I just want to root my stock firmware (4.4.2) and then to unroot (format with the stock ROM). Will this flag Knox and the counter? will that avoid my warranty? sorry for all of these questions but i just moved on android. thank you
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If your warranty will be void depends strongly on in which country you live. There is no yes or no answer.

Flash anything but an official Samsung package through Odin and it will trigger the Knox flag and change the device status to Custom. OTA updates will stop.
Re flashing an official Samsung package afterwards will change the device back to Official and OTA updates will resume. But the Knox flag will still show as triggered. Theres no way to reset it.
Sent from my SM-T310

What to lose if I root my i9505 (I9505XXUGNE5)

I got my i9505 unlocked without any warranty. Its running stock I9505XXUGNE5. What could be consequences if I root my device?
Would I be able to receive OTA updates after rooting?
Do I need to delete all KNOX related stuff after rooting? Because I've heard that CF root method does interfere with KNOX in such a way that you get random reboots.

Firstly you have a i9505 unlocked so there are no problem for root.Secondly if u will root u can't receive ota updates and when you are trying to root thay ask you stop the knox...after cf-rooted you never install knox again...because your flash counter start counting...but your device supported triangleaway so u can clear all your counter and u also back to official.
Sent from my GT-I9500 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app

fleming.patel said:
Firstly you have a i9505 unlocked so there are no problem for root.Secondly if u will root u can't receive ota updates and when you are trying to root thay ask you stop the knox...after cf-rooted you never install knox again...because your flash counter start counting...but your device supported triangleaway so u can clear all your counter and u also back to official.
Sent from my GT-I9500 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What I understand from your post is:
1) I can't receive OTA updates after rooting, so how will I upgrade to latest stock? Using Odin?
2) If I use CF-Root, KNOX will be deleted and I should not install it again, right?
3) Knox counter can be cleared using 'triangleaway', right?
So it means there is not much to lose other than KNOX? My last android phone was Xperia U and when I unlocked its bootloader its DRM keys were destroyed which means no more Bravia engine and XLoud. I hope nothing like this happens with S4.

Yoy can get ota update via kies and when you clear you flash counter u can install knox agian....and not much thing u lose except knox.
Sent from my GT-I9500 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app

You cant reset knox counter with triangleaway
Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk

You should read the first thread in the Q&A section about Knox. You are getting things mixed.
If you flash a good custom rom, you really don't want to go back to stock. Don't ask what a good rom is, because that's all about personal preference.

you're confusing some stuff.
the Knox warranty void counter WILL BE TRIPPED if you'll root your device, hence, your Knox app will not work on your device.
there is no possible way to reset the Knox counter as for now.
You won't get OTA updates, because your phone will change from Official status to Custom, though with xposed module: wanam xposed, you can trick your device to be official, and still get updates via the option there: fake system status.
you can always flash a new rom with odin, even stock roms of course... but you will have to root the device again.
triangle away will reset the flash counter, but it will not reset the Knox warranty void counter.
you can see that counter in download mode (pwr button+volume down+home button)
Knox warranty void: 0x0 (not tripped) 0x1 (tripped)

Sorry for the nooby question, but what does OTA mean?

Mo Neenja31 said:
Sorry for the nooby question, but what does OTA mean?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
OTA is update Over The Air.

myawan said:
I got my i9505 unlocked without any warranty. Its running stock I9505XXUGNE5. What could be consequences if I root my device?
Would I be able to receive OTA updates after rooting?
Do I need to delete all KNOX related stuff after rooting? Because I've heard that CF root method does interfere with KNOX in such a way that you get random reboots.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, no updates but you can restore via odin of you decide later you want them. For knox phones if you will be going custom then I recommend to do so sooner than later, I've got this crazy hunch......
I had number of issues with wifi just breaking intermittently on a knox bootloader gs4 once I went custom. I would have to power down for a few minutes and then power back on to get it to come back up! it's odd because with time it seems that this issue goes away on its own for good once the custom rom and kernel has had a chance to settle, which takes a few days... The only reason why I think that this would happen is because knox can't be disabled completely and perhaps the knox bootloader is looking for some kind of knox response from the wifi driver which isn't present because it's not availble in custom rom and perhaps there is a fail count that need to be triggered before knox bootloader just give up and disables this check completely? Anyone else's thoughts on this?
But beware, for me, this issue comes back once you re-flash a new custom rom/kernel and then you have to wait it out again...
So it seems knox is still active somewhat even though you have a custom rom/kernel installed. The other reason why I recommend switching sooner rather than later is this approach, I would imagine allows for more time to react and fine tune software to work with different bootloaders Eventually as kernels and custom roms are optimized the code should speak better to the knox bootloader.
If your always upgrading then you may not be allowing enough time for open source community to react and mature to the unforeseen changes that appear in new bootloaders.
I have another gs4 no knox MDJ bootloader and have no wifi issues at all, it solid! but this may be because the community has had more time to talk to and MDJ bootloader.
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

yonye87 said:
you're confusing some stuff.
the Knox warranty void counter WILL BE TRIPPED if you'll root your device, hence, your Knox app will not work on your device.
there is no possible way to reset the Knox counter as for now.
You won't get OTA updates, because your phone will change from Official status to Custom, though with xposed module: wanam xposed, you can trick your device to be official, and still get updates via the option there: fake system status.
you can always flash a new rom with odin, even stock roms of course... but you will have to root the device again.
triangle away will reset the flash counter, but it will not reset the Knox warranty void counter.
you can see that counter in download mode (pwr button+volume down+home button)
Knox warranty void: 0x0 (not tripped) 0x1 (tripped)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Triangle away can reset your phone to Official status and allow you to get OTA's again as well.