Nvidia pulled all factory images down - Shield Tablet General

I noticed about 3 weeks ago that Nvidia pulled all of the ST factory images from their website. I called and spoke with their tier 2 support several times but they had no idea they were pulled down because they asked me to flash one of them. I trust the rep I spoke with because we've spoken many times regarding issues with the tablet and TV and he's always been honest. It's a little odd that the images got pulled but I suspect it's for one of two reasons which I'll list below.
1. It might have to do with users downgrading back to earlier versions to get quick charge which is a bad idea with the battery issue. Its strange to me because everything else is there for the TV and portable but nothing for the tablet besides the USB drivers.
2. I also think they might have pulled the files so users can't downgrade to avoid the permanent brick Nvidia sends out to the old tablets once the RMA for the battery issue has been received.
I also sent this in as a tip to Android Police to see if they could get more information from Nvidia regarding this. It's unfortunate because I always like downloading the images just in case which makes me happy I have a few of them but I wish I was able to keep a backup of each one like I normally do. I'm wondering if they will appear back and if they do will they have the forced OTA in the code along with QC 2.0 getting disabled.
If anyone knows/has a email from Nvidia about this feel free to post it below.
Mods: I search the forum and didn't see a specific OP for this issue so I'm making one here. If there is another one please let me know so this can be merged with it. Thank you in advance

I would vote for 2, I had the idea of downgrading to avoid brick and disabling quick charge myself. Seems they thought of it too.

Gootah said:
I would vote for 2, I had the idea of downgrading to avoid brick and disabling quick charge myself. Seems they thought of it too.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It could be a combination of the two but fit now it's anyone's guess

Related

Waiting for AT&T for NODO? - here it is in spite of them

http://blog.walshie.me/2011/04/04/so-who-wants-windows-phone-updates-like-right-now/
I did this. My Focus was totally stock. No mods. This took less that 10 minutes total.
After it was complete, all of my stuff was still there. About as painless as it could get.
There was no chance to backup anything. Also this can't be reversed. But who cares? It worked great.
Make sure you download the 32 bit or 64 bit versions as appropriate to the PC the phone is connected to. If you read some of the comments, you will get the feeling that the few that complain probably ran the wrong version.
If you are not sure if you are 32 or 64 bit, go to Control Panel, then System. It will tell there.
The No mods portion is quite misleading. If it runs Chevron, chances are it is modding it. I would be stunned if this didn't void your warranty, absolutely stunned. The only way to update sans any mods would be to wait for the update to come. Otherwise, you might as well run the debrander and update that way...
Concerned
I used this to update to pre-NoDo (7004-7008). I have not done NoDo yet and I'll tell you what my concern is. I would like to know where this update is coming from (I am assuming the MS servers) and whether it is the same version currently being tested by AT&T. I am concerned that there may be AT&T or Samsung specific "fixes" in the AT&T version that are not included in the version being downloaded through this method. Wish someone could tell us.
Well I did it all
Went to nodo and my samsung is working fine if you need me to test some things for you just let me know and I will be happy, as far as warranty goes whenever I did chevron I didn't worry about it anyway, nor did I when I have had any previous devices.
My phone was not modded prior to the update. As far as I can tell it is still unmodded. I didn't see anything happen except the two updates. There is a command window open while this process is taking place.
JamesAllen said:
I used this to update to pre-NoDo (7004-7008). I have not done NoDo yet and I'll tell you what my concern is. I would like to know where this update is coming from (I am assuming the MS servers) and whether it is the same version currently being tested by AT&T. I am concerned that there may be AT&T or Samsung specific "fixes" in the AT&T version that are not included in the version being downloaded through this method. Wish someone could tell us.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I had a similar thought, but after a few days of read about people getting NoDo, I said screw it. As far as I have read no company, Samsung included, has added anything to NoDo. I would be shocked if they did anything.
bennyj71 said:
I had a similar thought, but after a few days of read about people getting NoDo, I said screw it. As far as I have read no company, Samsung included, has added anything to NoDo. I would be shocked if they did anything.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Samsung firmware updates come separate. This update method works because Microsoft released " Windows Phone Support Tool "; Chris acknowledges. When you update, your specific phone gets identified.
I have a non-mod AT&T Samsung Focus. Like everyone else who followed the directions it took about 10 minutes, and worked perfectly. I've tested the features and my apps and it is much snappier. I'm happy with it!
*** Oh, I also used the windows phone support tool before trying to update ***
It appears the chevronupdater file has been removed from the linked post... Does anybody still have a copy?
I can't find it either
Sent from my SGH-i917 using XDA Windows Phone 7 App
thealanshow said:
The No mods portion is quite misleading. If it runs Chevron, chances are it is modding it. I would be stunned if this didn't void your warranty, absolutely stunned. The only way to update sans any mods would be to wait for the update to come. Otherwise, you might as well run the debrander and update that way...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No one here should be misled. If you're worried about warranty, be advised NOT to install, run , deploy almost anything that is discussed here.
chevronupdater
Here's the chevronupdater for 64 bit windows. Also, i had trouble doing this as it would run and not update anything. Then i ran windows phone support tool and it updated my focus from 7004 to 7004.3 or something. If it's not working for you, you could try that
You guys might also want to go ahead and download .Net 4, since the updater apparently requires it.
I would link directly to it, but I haven't posted 8 times yet!
One general thing I noticed last night
My phone kept chiming .........bing, bing, bing, bing bing bing......... well you get the point. I turned it off and back on and it came back so at that time I just switched my phone to vibrate reason I have no idea besides that it has been running great.
Reported
buffalosolja42 said:
My phone kept chiming .........bing, bing, bing, bing bing bing......... well you get the point. I turned it off and back on and it came back so at that time I just switched my phone to vibrate reason I have no idea besides that it has been running great.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Do you have a Focus? This behavior has been reported with the Focus a few times, in fact there is a thread somewhere about this. I had(?) this as well. The battery icon would flash like it was charging when it was not connected to a charger. When the usb cable was plugged in it behaved normally. It would not allow the screen to turn off. I worked with ATT Technical Support as well as Samsung. ATT informed me it was a known problem and they had seen many cases, MS knew of it and it was being fixed "in the next update". This was over a month ago. Mine stopped this behavior. I was normally able to stop it by plugging it into the PC and then, through a combination of turning off Zune, turning off the phone and unplugging while the screen was off, get it to stop.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1020668
JamesAllen said:
Do you have a Focus? This behavior has been reported with the Focus a few times, in fact there is a thread somewhere about this. I had(?) this as well. The battery icon would flash like it was charging when it was not connected to a charger. When the usb cable was plugged in it behaved normally. It would not allow the screen to turn off. I worked with ATT Technical Support as well as Samsung. ATT informed me it was a known problem and they had seen many cases, MS knew of it and it was being fixed "in the next update". This was over a month ago. Mine stopped this behavior. I was normally able to stop it by plugging it into the PC and then, through a combination of turning off Zune, turning off the phone and unplugging while the screen was off, get it to stop.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1020668
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks J I see you everywhere on Focus post lol, yes I have a Focus I need to update my sig I know. It was the first time I experienced that I had my Focus since launch and it has been unlocked since the chevron came out, until I tried the unbranding update ;(. But it is up and running since running chevronupdate, I really haven't noticed anything as of yet, because my device was running fine prior to update, but the XDA disease really keeps my wanting more Thanks for the update big guy.
Your Welcome
buffalosolja42 said:
Thanks J I see you everywhere on Focus post lol, yes I have a Focus I need to update my sig I know. It was the first time I experienced that I had my Focus since launch and it has been unlocked since the chevron came out, until I tried the unbranding update ;(. But it is up and running since running chevronupdate, I really haven't noticed anything as of yet, because my device was running fine prior to update, but the XDA disease really keeps my wanting more Thanks for the update big guy.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I know, I need to get a life. I got tired of tweaking and upgrading when I was in my "crazy" phase with WM 6.5. Thought I "had to" constantly visit here and update. Didn't realize until I had WP7 that I really didn't need to do that. But, I did not want to wait for that foot dragging AT&T to get me this simple update but also had no interest in sideloading apps. This was a perfect solution.
Wonder why the updater was pulled?????
JamesAllen said:
I know, I need to get a life. I got tired of tweaking and upgrading when I was in my "crazy" phase with WM 6.5. Thought I "had to" constantly visit here and update. Didn't realize until I had WP7 that I really didn't need to do that. But, I did not want to wait for that foot dragging AT&T to get me this simple update but also had no interest in sideloading apps. This was a perfect solution.
Wonder why the updater was pulled?????
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am guessing ATT, asked MS to do it because it looks like it makes them seem to not care about customers (worked a while for Cingular/ATT) and alot of things I know can be implemented into devices and they just don't. They nickel and dime us to death I think MS should I hate to say it (do like Apple) and just push the updates themselves to the devices and only radio updates should be pushed by providers (the only thing they need to do anyways). If anyone needs it I have it in my dropbox (the chevron upate 32 and 64)
Agreed
buffalosolja42 said:
I am guessing ATT, asked MS to do it because it looks like it makes them seem to not care about customers (worked a while for Cingular/ATT) and alot of things I know can be implemented into devices and they just don't. They nickel and dime us to death I think MS should I hate to say it (do like Apple) and just push the updates themselves to the devices and only radio updates should be pushed by providers (the only thing they need to do anyways). If anyone needs it I have it in my dropbox (the chevron upate 32 and 64)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The worst thing MS did was allow the carriers to play such a significant role in the update process, especially their "Premier Partner", AT&T. I worked for them for 9 years during a time when customer satisfaction was at the core of the company. Today's AT&T is not that company, not even a shadow. MS will get the brunt of the criticism for this early update fiasco, even though AT&T deserves the blame. MS will receive it because consumers view this as an MS update. In addition, MS agreed to this "model" with the carriers so, in a way, they deserve the criticism.
AT&T Samsung Focus Success!!!!
Detail and I don't know how many had this issue. DO NOT turn off your phone before the update as the Windows Phone Support Tool instructions tell you. I know, I know, but I did that for quite some time until I decided NOT to turn off the phone.
Did have to run it twice, but I've already copy and pasted to my heart's content
Great job guys.....Thanks a million!!!!!!
just Unbrand
I just got a new Samsung Focus and all I did was dev unlock my device because I am a dev, but after that all I did was plug in my phone, unbrand it, and I got the 7008 update, followed by the another check and I got the Nodo update. No other mod necessary. Just an unlock and an unbrand and I got both updates.

Kindle Fire OTA software update coming in less than two weeks

In the wake of many user complaints about web browsing speeds and other performance issues, Amazon has told the New York Times that it will be releasing a software update for the Kindle Fire "in less than two weeks." That timeframe would put this new software update about a month after the 6.2 update released at the end of November.
http://www.theverge.com/2011/12/11/...ta-software-update-coming-less-than-two-weeks
Oh God lol, now I have to root again....
Sent from my Kindle Fire using xda premium
Well hopefully this time it will be at least a worthwhile update. instead of a no visible difference update like the last one or take away a feature like the one before that.
Sent from my Kindle Fire using Tapatalk
Let's hope the Development get a solid kernel and Rom by then...I don't want to be stock when they update the bootloader and lock it down after all the returned rooted and bricked fires due to people testing kernels that didn't know what they were doing and then returning them.....
Sent from my ADR6400L using Tapatalk
Lets hope some concrete updates...... But wht about some hardware issues......
http://mirolta.com/2011/12/12/amazo...for-kindle-fire-to-encounter-critical-issues/
The OTA will be a non-issue as much as the 6.2 update was. Sure you might have to reroot but Big Deal! That took all of a 30 seconds to do again.
Stuff about Amazon changing to a locked bootloader ignores the fact that most people never root or modify their device. The ones that do are a very miniscule minority of the total users that have the unit. Besides, has any device manufacturer locked a bootloader for a device that was originally released as unlocked? I don't think so.
I bet a lot more units are returned due to some malfunction than due to some someone screwing up their unit trying to modify it.
My wife has her unit stock... no mods, no tweaks, just uses it the way it came. I have mine rooted, different launcher and tons of apps that I have loaded from Android Market or side loaded via other means. I think the device is great for the price.
People who use forums like this have a very skewed idea of how many people actually modify their devices... most never do, never know about it and don't even know forums like this.
krelvinaz said:
The OTA will be a non-issue as much as the 6.2 update was. Sure you might have to reroot but Big Deal! That took all of a 30 seconds to do again.
Stuff about Amazon changing to a locked bootloader ignores the fact that most people never root or modify their device. The ones that do are a very miniscule minority of the total users that have the unit. Besides, has any device manufacturer locked a bootloader for a device that was originally released as unlocked? I don't think so.
I bet a lot more units are returned due to some malfunction than due to some someone screwing up their unit trying to modify it.
My wife has her unit stock... no mods, no tweaks, just uses it the way it came. I have mine rooted, different launcher and tons of apps that I have loaded from Android Market or side loaded via other means. I think the device is great for the price.
People who use forums like this have a very skewed idea of how many people actually modify their devices... most never do, never know about it and don't even know forums like this.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Exactly ... That's a well explained post
Yeah, companies lock bootloaders for concrete reasons. They are not going to all of a sudden lock the device down a month after it was released just to mess with modders. Because that is literally the only thing it would do.
The Nook Tablet, for instance... I believe the reason the bootloader is locked is because they had to as part of an agreement with Netflix to provide higher quality streaming to the device. B&N decided that annoying the tiny minority of modders was worth it in exchange for high quality Netflix streaming - something that a much larger percentage of users can benefit from and of course an extra marketing bullet point for them to use.
I'm fine with them updating the device. Look at all the Android phones that don't get regular updates. All people do is whine about NOT getting updated! The KF is some great hardware for the price but it still has issues. Touchscreen responsiveness still needs to be improved, battery life REALLY needs to be improved, and they have to fix the sleep of death as well. I will GLADLY go through the hassle of re-rooting and re-installing the market if these things are fixed.
Of course I'd prefer to have a custom ROM so I can get updates without having to redo all that stuff, but it's only a matter of time.
please, dear god, let non-rooted users change the lockscreen wallpaper
Is there a way yet to block OTA updates (that is also easy to reverse)?
Don't want to be caught with my pants down by this update if it does more than anticipated ....
andTab said:
Is there a way yet to block OTA updates (that is also easy to reverse)?
Don't want to be caught with my pants down by this update if it does more than anticipated ....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Haven't read through it, but this post seems to cover it.
ryanlbowen said:
please, dear god, let non-rooted users change the lockscreen wallpaper
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This. 10char
Also hoping for a clean re-root-only response to this update... I have it stowed away as a gift for my wife, and take it out at night to perform nerd-surgery. It would be great to not have issues right before holiday, as it's going to be enough fun explaining the different launchers, etc.
ReverseWolf said:
Also hoping for a clean re-root-only response to this update... I have it stowed away as a gift for my wife, and take it out at night to perform nerd-surgery. It would be great to not have issues right before holiday, as it's going to be enough fun explaining the different launchers, etc.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have nothing to contribute to this, just lmfao at your analogy of what you do late at night. ;-)
Sent from my MB860 using XDA App
andTab said:
Is there a way yet to block OTA updates (that is also easy to reverse)?
Don't want to be caught with my pants down by this update if it does more than anticipated ....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not the best solution, but it's easy: turn off wireless.
You don't need a widget for this, but it's nice. I recently installed a power control widget ( I used Widgetsoid ) to allow me to turn off wireless ( as well as adjust brightness, volume, toggle USB, and turn off GPS ).
Since I'm mostly content with my setup for now, I leave the wireless turned off to conserve battery and avoid the next update. I'd rather wait until I hear from the good folks here that the next update is OKAY before I turn on wireless and let it update. In the meantime, if I need wireless, I can check here just to be sure there is no update waiting to be pushed, flip on the wireless, do what I need, then turn it back off.
Like I said, it's not the best solution, but it works for me, and it's really simple.
ReverseWolf said:
Also hoping for a clean re-root-only response to this update... I have it stowed away as a gift for my wife, and take it out at night to perform nerd-surgery. It would be great to not have issues right before holiday, as it's going to be enough fun explaining the different launchers, etc.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Let me ask you something- same situation here.. My wife's just came in the mail today. I'd like to know more about device setup before said "nerd surgery" as I want to do a similar thing.. Did you login with your own amazon account or hers? If I login w/ hers I don't want her to get a "Congrats on your Kindle registration" type of email- as this is a surprise after all.. But- I'm also thinking that if I go ahead and login w/ mine- anything I do as far as loading apps, etc will be wiped out when she has to login w/ hers?
Sorry to be long winded- overall my main question is- Whats the best way to tinker/root/play with this thing w/o giving away any surprises or having to re-do work?
I'd leave it in the box. When my wife's came, she wanted it right away. It auto registered to MY account, not hers. Didn't add anything to it, it just happened.
I had to deregister it and then reregister it to her account. Doing so is like a default reset.
Also, it is going to auto update at least once as they come with 6.1 and 6.2 is the current. Might even be 6.3 or whatever the new OTA is by the time she opens it.
Do you remember if she got an email when you deregistered and assigned it to her account?
Dont recall. I don't read her email so I don't know and I did a quick check of my email and don't see anything either...
I definitely got an email when I registered mine.
Sent from my BAMForever Thunderbolt

GT-P7510 Wifi Issues after ICS Update?

Hello everyone!
So I got the ICS update the other day Via Kies. Worked great for the first day, however I noticed some hiccups in my connection to wifi points. Last night though I couldn't go 60 seconds without disconnecting and reconnecting. Is anyone else having this issue?
I am going to try a Factory Reset and see if that works. Just gotta back up all my data.
Thanks!
Miles
I'd do the reset, if that fails try changing the channel on your router.
Sent from my GT-N7000 using Tapatalk 2
Alright, I tried the factory reset. It didn't seem to help. Any time I push data it drops my connection. I have tried changing channel on the routers and even multiple connections (I'm up to 5 different wifi points). I may try an Odin flash... but I think its hardware related the way it acts. Thankfully I have a full Warranty with Best Buy that I can swap it out if they will let me. We will find out.
No issues here so far.
I use an Apple Airport Express for my wap, as my home network is all hard wired.
I bought our tabs and the Express back in March, and it hasn't skipped a beat since I installed it.
The Tabs have worked fine on HC, and still do on ICS.
Yeah, It's a hardware issue. I did a full ODIN restore of the ICS install and I am still having issues. I am going to call Best Buy as soon as they open and see what they can do for me. I know they can't "Sell" the Galaxy Tab Right now to due the Injunction against it, so I may end up sacrificing my amazing Galaxy Tab to the Apple crap and switch to something new... If that is how it has to work.
You need to modify the CCODE in the file /system/etc/wifi/nvram.txt and set it from GB to US or ALL, you'll find better performance after restarting the tablet.
Do the wifi versions come with a baseband/modem.bin in the tar, if do you could try flashing just that from a honeycomb ROM with mobile Odin.
Swyped from my finger to your face, on my Samsung Galaxy Note.
I've tried all of the above requests and it continues to have issues. It was already set to the US setting due to it being an OTA update for the US Model. I took it up to Best Buy and the answer I received was "Sorry but due to the Apple stuff our hands are tied. We can send it in for repairs but we cannot and will not take it back into stock to protect ourselves from legal issues. It will take between 3 and 16 weeks to have it sent out and repaired. Is that an Ok Solution?" I picked up my tablet and left... Looks like I am out a tablet... I paid 106 bucks for "Accidental damage" and immediate exchange for a working one and now they are screwing me out of it.
I installed the official US version via ODIN and the CCODE value was set to GB as previously mentioned so you may want to at least take a look at the file to confirm yours is already correct.
MilesAeon said:
I've tried all of the above requests and it continues to have issues. It was already set to the US setting due to it being an OTA update for the US Model..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The U.S. firmware still references to GB in build.prop and nvram.txt, the only difference is the GoogleSearch.
Thanks for the info... is there a specific program I should use to mod that variable?
MilesAeon said:
Yeah, It's a hardware issue. I did a full ODIN restore of the ICS install and I am still having issues. I am going to call Best Buy as soon as they open and see what they can do for me. I know they can't "Sell" the Galaxy Tab Right now to due the Injunction against it, so I may end up sacrificing my amazing Galaxy Tab to the Apple crap and switch to something new... If that is how it has to work.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No problems here.
They can still sell you an new Tab. The injunction allows retailers to sell whatever remaining stock they may have. Of course if they've already sold them all, then you're out of luck.
MilesAeon said:
Thanks for the info... is there a specific program I should use to mod that variable?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You have to root your tab and then you can use the built-in Text Editor in Root Explorer.
So I went ahead and rooted the tab (huzzah for that) and used ES File Explorer and mounted System as Writable. Went down into the System\Etc\Wifi looking for the nvram.txt file. I currently have 3 of them which I thought was strange.
Nvram_net.txt (Was set to GB, changed it to ALL)
nvram_mfg.txt (Set to US)
nvram_net.txt_us (Set to US)
I seem to be having much better connections today. I am really not sure which of the above files are actually the ones my tablet uses but since making the change I am no longer getting random disconnects. Seems strange they would leave something like that in there. I will keep an eye on it and see if there are anymore hiccups.
Thanks so much everyone!!!
Do you not have the option of tethering to your phone to get wifi?
No Wifi Issues, but cannot play any video after upgrade
Just to report I've not seen any issues with WiFi, it works well wherever I take it. After the upgrade it connected to a couple of saved networks without issue. However I have ran into an issue with the video playback after the upgrade to 4.0.4. I detail it on a separate post here:
No Video, Flash broken after upgrade on GT-P7510
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=30473702&postcount=154
If anyone has any advice I'd appreciate it. I cannot go to any website and play its video, flat out does not work on Dolphin or stock browser.
I was able to get a raincheck for the SG Note 10.1
MilesAeon said:
So I went ahead and rooted the tab (huzzah for that) and used ES File Explorer and mounted System as Writable. Went down into the System\Etc\Wifi looking for the nvram.txt file. I currently have 3 of them which I thought was strange.
Nvram_net.txt (Was set to GB, changed it to ALL)
nvram_mfg.txt (Set to US)
nvram_net.txt_us (Set to US)
I seem to be having much better connections today. I am really not sure which of the above files are actually the ones my tablet uses but since making the change I am no longer getting random disconnects. Seems strange they would leave something like that in there. I will keep an eye on it and see if there are anymore hiccups.
Thanks so much everyone!!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was having the same issue and when I took it in, the CS rep told me the same thing that happened to you; due to the injunction they could not replace it, I threw a fit and finally ended up speaking with a manager. He told me since I had the Product Replacement Plan, I was entitled to have either the product or the value that I paid for it towards another product. I was therefore able to pre-order it and should have it by the end of next week. I would suggest to go to another BB and argue your point, you did pay for it so they should honor it, you have nothing to do with Apple vs. Samsung, your beef is with BB upholding and honoring their replacement plan.
gziggy said:
Just to report I've not seen any issues with WiFi, it works well wherever I take it. After the upgrade it connected to a couple of saved networks without issue. However I have ran into an issue with the video playback after the upgrade to 4.0.4. I detail it on a separate post here:
No Video, Flash broken after upgrade on GT-P7510
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=30473702&postcount=154
If anyone has any advice I'd appreciate it. I cannot go to any website and play its video, flat out does not work on Dolphin or stock browser.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Reinstall Adobe Flash Player. But don't spam the threads with your question. One thread is enough.
I ended up speaking with a store manager the other day whom basically told me he wasn't going to budge in the rudest way possible.
After going through a "Customer Service Manager" Whom was polite enough to explain their process and how they did thing, which make sense, I pushed a bit harder. He went and got the store manager whom basically said "You're **** out of luck because I'm not helping you" in a somewhat polite way.
I ended up sending off my Tablet for "Repairs" instead of an instant replacement like I was promised because they are too afraid of legal matters. Or at least my store is. Once I was done doing the repairs I basically told the store manager I wouldn't be shopping with best buy anymore and that I see why his company is crashing in around their ears and walked out.
I also returned a 500$ Galaxy Note as they couldn't get me one that wasn't basically falling apart.
So did you return it because of continued wi-fi issues?

[Q] Update on Furious at AT&T- NOT A RANT

Long story short; I sent the phone to a former NTSB investigator who confirmed what I already knew. Thermal damage.
The refurbished phone that they sent as a replacement was FULL of issues, so I had to have it replaced, as well. The camera would not focus, the sound recorder only recorded static, it wouldn't retain my preferences that I set in the phone, and randomly reverted to the default ringtone.
When I called back to get it replaced; I was greeted by a VERY friendly, helpful, and understanding representative who told me that the original claim WAS NOT handled properly. She overnighted a new phone and battery and asked me to return the original phone to a different address for examination. She agreed that they would probably just take one look at it and claim that it was physical damage. She reversed the charges for the replacement - even though I had the "Premium" insurance on it. She also noted that I had a written report with photos to verify that it was a manufacturing defect - with the obvious caveat that if there really was physical damage that I would have to pay the deductible. Naturally; I used my Sony video microscope to take photos of every angle of the phone, the edges, etc. - to prove that there wasn't so much as a single blemish anywhere on the phone that they could construe as being "physical damage" - aside from the obvious darkening to the inner plastic from the internal heat, and it was isolated to the rear of the display.
I got back in town early yesterday and the newest replacement was already waiting. I charged the battery and fired it up. So far; so good. Works like a champ. Bear in mind, it's been less than 24 hours...
Oddly; I didn't start having issues until AT&T forcefully crammed the firmware update down my throat. And, no; I had done no modifications - such as rooting or work-arounds to either phone. So; I actually have a legitimate question: Have any of you experienced any phantom issues with your S4's, post firmware (FM3, I think) update? I know that it gave me a message: "Updating Camera Firmware", and the camera would no longer focus. I took copious photos and videos with it and have saved them for reference. In the videos; you can see that the camera is constantly zooming in and out of focus - even though it was stationary, aimed at a fixed subject, and at a very reasonable distance. Many of my downloaded programs also no longer worked, or would freeze up for no apparent reason. They all had worked perfectly prior to the update, as well as on my previous Motorola Atrix HD. They still are working perfectly on the Atrix HD that I passed down to my kids, after I unlocked it, rooted it, and installed the Pac-Man 4.3 ROM. When I got the first replacement S4; it kept prompting me to download the firmware update, and I kept denying permission - in the event that I felt frisky enough to do some fancy footwork on it later down the road. One morning I woke up and it had a message on the screen: "Software Update Successful!" After I angrily cleared that screen, it gave me the message about updating my camera firmware. Now; I'd only had it a day or so, so I can't verify that everything was working properly before - it just seemed to be OK.
My next question is: Is there any way to block them from updating this phone, and constantly bombarding me and forcing me to install useless "bloatware" that I'll never use and only uses up more of my internal memory. I have the 32GB S4 so it's not a huge issue, but it's obnoxious, at the very least that they think that they know better than I do what I want to be installed on my phone. I can hide them, uninstall the updates and put them out of sight, but they're there, none the less, and I don't want them! Yeah; I know I agreed to their terms, but that just seems downright controlling and unfair. And, by the way; even if I do hide them, and uninstall the updates; they magically reappear in a few days and it seems like I'm constantly receiving messages prompting me to update them. Even if I decline; they download anyway. Sort of a "Wash, Rinse, Repeat" scenario.
OK; after my last nasty rant, I expect (and deserve) some nasty feedback, but I'd really appreciate any suggestions or insight to these issues. Any similar experiences? I'd been foaming at the mouth waiting to get this phone, but it seems like it's been one terrific headache after another. I've only owned Motorola phones (since 1985) until now. Motorola now seems lackluster compared to the newer models or I'd have never jumped ship. Now; it seems like I made a $700.00 mistake. I really hope I'm wrong and just unfamiliar with other manufacturers equipment. Save me from myself!
Thanks, everyone!
Nukesnooper
The Samsung updates are kind of like the old "Window Updates needs to restart, postpone for X hours." But if you leave it there, then it will reboot by itself. Kind of like this updated by itself. The only way to avoid updates is rooting the phone and freezing or deleting that service, or of course, changing ROMs. (But I believe you're on MF3 firmware now so..)
Other than that, can't say much as I have the T-Mobile variant.
If you have MDB or MDL firmware do this. It will stop AT&T updates. I would freeze anything that even looks like a Samsung updater also.
Link Here
Thanks!
~wolverine~ said:
If you have MDB or MDL firmware do this. It will stop AT&T updates. I would freeze anything that even looks like a Samsung updater also.
Link Here
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I guess the next obvious question is: "How?" I don't want to root the phone yet, but didn't think you could freeze any of their apps without rooting or modifying the stock firmware. I'm afraid to do any mods to it until I know it's going to be a stable device - and hence; not taking any chance of voiding my warranty. Sorry for what's probably a dumb question, but I'm new to modifying phones.
Also; what is the best way to sterilize the phone that I'm returning of contacts, remnants of uninstalled programs, etc?
Added: It already has the MF3 update installed. Grrr!
Thanks again!
NS
nukesnooper said:
Also; what is the best way to sterilize the phone that I'm returning of contacts, remnants of uninstalled programs, etc?
Added: It already has the MF3 update installed. Grrr!
Thanks again!
NS
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
A factory reset from settings/accounts/backup & restore will wipe out all that. I would think it would be safe to do that with MF3, but I'm no expert. You might want to get other opinions also.
ptguca cross
~wolverine~ said:
A factory reset from settings/accounts/backup & restore will wipe out all that. I would think it would be safe to do that with MF3, but I'm no expert. You might want to get other opinions also.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Great until I went to confirm that I was going to delete everything in my brain and give them a pint of virgin blood; then it asked for a "New Password" and wouldn't give me anything but a numeric keypad. Huh??? Sup wid dat? It wouldn't delete ANYTHING until I confirmed my "password" which isn't numeric at all, but gave me no other options. I'm going to try booting it up from "off" and see if there's a way to do it from there. FEAR.

Shield Kill Switch

Hi figured we could use our own separate thread to discuss the killswitch Nvidia supposedly put in place on our old Shield tablets and see what has worked for those who have received their replacement units. If you've gotten a replacement please share if your old unit has been destroyed or not...if not please let others know what the old tablet has on it or what you did to attempt to prevent the brick! Thanks for helping us all out here!
As I said in the other thread, I received my new one, and my old one is still usable on rooted latest stock, unlocked bootloader, with the only app missing being Chrome for some reason. Nothing else disabled or uninstalled. Maybe they haven't turned on the server that sends the kill signal yet.
If the company wants the other device back (dunno if that is true), why keep it? You are breaking a deal while making it less appeling for companies to do this type of thing...+its a saftey risk for you and others around you.
Nvidia said they do not need it back
ManualG on the Nvidia forum said they are not requiring you send it back
"We don't require you to send it back to us to receive the replacement and are collecting them only to make it less of a burden on everyone else who dont have drop off locations like that close by." So you can keep it if you want ?
16 gig tablet, got it this morning. My original is still functional, it was stock rom, rooted with xposed on it. That's as much modding as I've done with mine.
does anyone have more informations about this killswitch?
Is it a service that needs to be deactivated or deleted or a kernel feature?
I just want to make sure it doesn't kill my old tablet when I set up the new one.
Alternatively, I could just flash an older factory image or custom firmware.
From what I've read on other forums (i.e. reddit) most have indicated that the killswitch is embedded in the bootloader and will activated on the defective tablet once the replacement tablet is registered on the nvidia side. I of course cannot confirm for this to be the case but just sharing what others have reported.
yea but it must communicate with the server then and that only works when Android is booted up and all communication drivers loaded.
So there must be another service running in Android that gives this information to the bootloader to kill itself.
If it's bootloader based, flash a bootloader from one of the older recovery images.
Will try that. BL from Update 2.2.2 should be fine?
actually if I flash it back to 2.2.2 it should be fine too since the changes to 3.X aren't that big
That should work just fine.
big time noob question but where are you getting the old bootloaders from to flash?
Until somebody's tablet gets deactivated and a log is captured during the deactivation process, everything said here or anywhere else is just speculation.
bluegizmo83 is right, however the discussion has to start somewhere so kudos to the OP for getting this thread started.
chicodelta said:
bluegizmo83 is right, however the discussion has to start somewhere so kudos to the OP for getting this thread started.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh I completely agree. I'm all for conversion. But I don't want people to get the wrong impression, like trying to flash an older bootloader. That may stop the deactivation, but it also may not. Its only speculation at this point.
bluegizmo83 said:
Oh I completely agree. I'm all for conversion. But I don't want people to get the wrong impression, like trying to flash an older bootloader. That may stop the deactivation, but it also may not. Its only speculation at this point.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well said. I apologize if my post came through as a solution. I was only mentioning that as folks had mentioned a possible bootloader lock.
Any thoughts on whether flashing CM would serve as a way to circumvent the killswitch? I see that release for this tablet is already available http://forum.xda-developers.com/shi...-cyanogenmod-12-shield-tablet-lte-na-t3055043. Thoughts?
scorpionx said:
Well said. I apologize if my post came through as a solution. I was only mentioning that as folks had mentioned a possible bootloader lock.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No problem. As I said, I'm all for the discussion, I just wanted to make it clear to everyone that its all just speculation at this point.
I think the old bootloaders are in the old full OTA's someone correct me if I'm wrong. You can also extract them from the full OTA
chicodelta said:
Any thoughts on whether flashing CM would serve as a way to circumvent the killswitch? I see that release for this tablet is already available http://forum.xda-developers.com/shi...-cyanogenmod-12-shield-tablet-lte-na-t3055043. Thoughts?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
To me, this is the most logical place to start at this point! Maybe it works, maybe it doesn't, but unlocking the bootloader, rooting, and installing a custom rom seem like a good starting place. If the stock devices are definitely getting wiped anyways, any changes we make now can't hurt the chances of keeping it alive!

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