Database Users

Firmware upgrade?

Recently i bought my s4 its the 9505 version and on the device its unlocked but it has som crap software from France's network,on the phone the firmware installed is I9505XXUAME2 and its says there isnt a new update (kies and ota) but i think there must be a new update so am i right and wich is the latest update for the S4 s600?

metko said:
Recently i bought my s4 its the 9505 version and on the device its unlocked but it has som crap software from France's network,on the phone the firmware installed is I9505XXUAME2 and its says there isnt a new update (kies and ota) but i think there must be a new update so am i right and wich is the latest update for the S4 s600?
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Click to collapse
Hi,
MH1 is the latest.
Do you want to upgrade?
Try THIS ROM
It is pre-rooted,de-bloated and does not affect your warranty.

i meant more a stock solution (odin,ota,kies) as i dont want to root for now,if im going too root im flashing then a GPE room for sure but for now until i get bored of TW il stick to stock so should i upgrade and is my firmware old?

metko said:
i meant more a stock solution (odin,ota,kies) as i dont want to root for now,if im going too root im flashing then a GPE room for sure but for now until i get bored of TW il stick to stock so should i upgrade and is my firmware old?
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Click to collapse
Hi,
Yes,ME2 is quite old now.

metko said:
i meant more a stock solution (odin,ota,kies) as i dont want to root for now,if im going too root im flashing then a GPE room for sure but for now until i get bored of TW il stick to stock so should i upgrade and is my firmware old?
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Click to collapse
The firmware linked is an ODIN flashable packagre, it is pre-rooted and is still stock official meaning you get OTA's, TW and all the stuff you get in an official rom...

ok i thought its old because its missing some features(semi transparent statusbar,yellow icon in about phone mine is blue,HDR recording,smart pause toggle,legebility in display options) and because my phone is from france's SFR network i thought ill flash the I9505XXUBMEA using odin?

so i did the update to I9505XXUBMGA_I9505OXXBMG3_I9505XXUBMGA but one question when i go in stock recovery it shows a android guy with an open chest and a red triangle and below it says No command. and with yellow letters
# Manual Mode #
Appling Multi-CSC....
Applied the CSC code: BTU
Successfully applied multi-CSC
what should i do and when i go reboot it says Error and reboots

[Q] Should I update from 4.3 JB to 4.4.2 KK ?

Hello
I recently got my S4 i9505. I'm planning to root it
I have Android version 4.3
I used to flash costum roms on my s2 but I'm not really planning to do much flashing on my S4. not soon anyway
So as I connected the phone to Kies to make sure the drivers were downloaded so I can proceed with rooting
Firmware update popped up
I'm not sure what the best option for me now.
Should I root now and then I'd be able to flash a costume KK rom? and are there any stable ones that are better than the stock?
Can I use kies to update my rooted phone?
Maybe I should stick with JB 4.3? Which one is better 4.3 or 4.4.2?
I remember facing some issues when I update my s2 back. So I searched for the KK Update for the s4 and some people weren't so happy with their KK update
I know that doesn't represent the majority but still it could happen to me
So I confused myself
What is your advice to me?
sorry for the long post
Also I have an extra question What is KNOX? and do I need it?

egy_b0y said:
Hello
I recently got my S4 i9505. I'm planning to root it
I have Android version 4.3
I used to flash costum roms on my s2 but I'm not really planning to do much flashing on my S4. not soon anyway
So as I connected the phone to Kies to make sure the drivers were downloaded so I can proceed with rooting
Firmware update popped up
I'm not sure what the best option for me now.
Should I root now and then I'd be able to flash a costume KK rom? and are there any stable ones that are better than the stock?
Can I use kies to update my rooted phone?
Maybe I should stick with JB 4.3? Which one is better 4.3 or 4.4.2?
I remember facing some issues when I update my s2 back. So I searched for the KK Update for the s4 and some people weren't so happy with their KK update
I know that doesn't represent the majority but still it could happen to me
So I confused myself
What is your advice to me?
sorry for the long post
Also I have an extra question What is KNOX? and do I need it?
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Click to collapse
First, the most problems in 4.4.2 are fixed, so if you flash the officical, latest firmware of your country you shouldn't have any problem.
An important thing: if you flash a custom rom, your warranty will be set 0x1, that means, you lost your garanty if you flash a custom rom, that's the so called KNOX. You can use knox like a second system on your phone, with all secure data in it, you can only access with a passwort and all datas are locked without this passwort.
Root your phone after the software update if you want to root it.

Tkkg1994 said:
First, the most problems in 4.4.2 are fixed, so if you flash the officical, latest firmware of your country you shouldn't have any problem.
An important thing: if you flash a custom rom, your warranty will be set 0x1, that means, you lost your garanty if you flash a custom rom, that's the so called KNOX. You can use knox like a second system on your phone, with all secure data in it, you can only access with a passwort and all datas are locked without this passwort.
Root your phone after the software update if you want to root it.
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Click to collapse
the fact is that 4.4.2 GNG8 international version cannot be rooted....

christty31 said:
the fact is that 4.4.2 GNG8 international version cannot be rooted....
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Click to collapse
That's wrong, just not with towelroot.

thank you for your input

How to upgrade after root

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.

Samsung S5 - Lollipop - can i downgrade back to KitKat

Hi Guys,
I stupidly got excited and installed the official Lollipop (S5 on THREE UK network) update when i was notified.
BUT...
I want to go back to KitKat as i preferred it (i wont go into reasons why)
Is there a downgrade path for me, either officially or unofficially?> I dont think there is at the moment.
Thanks guys!

Yep, this forum is literally packed with instructions on how to do it, a simple search will bring up what you need

hi thanks, i thought with the new protected bootloader i didnt think it possible.
this is what i read:
Note: The G900FXXU1BNL9 Android 5.0 Lollipop update comes with a protected bootloader it is clearly emphasize that the “SE for Android Status – Enforcing” that might cause issues when you try to downgrade to the old software updates. This also applies if you are planning into rooting and installs any custom recovery and any unsigned firmware once you are on Android 5.0 Lollipop , so please be aware with that.

manikm303 said:
hi thanks, i thought with the new protected bootloader i didnt think it possible.
this is what i read:
Note: The G900FXXU1BNL9 Android 5.0 Lollipop update comes with a protected bootloader it is clearly emphasize that the “SE for Android Status – Enforcing” that might cause issues when you try to downgrade to the old software updates. This also applies if you are planning into rooting and installs any custom recovery and any unsigned firmware once you are on Android 5.0 Lollipop , so please be aware with that.
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Click to collapse
Yesterday I tried out AllianceROM 6.0 and a few hours ago I went back to 4.4.2 'cause I liked it better than Lollipop. Here's what I did :
1. Enter Download Mode and flash STOCK 4.4.2 KitKat firmware in Odin (I used 3.10.6) and let it start booting.
2. It won't boot, this is normal (I panicked when this happened though ).
3. Go to recovery and factory reset/wipe data your phone.
4. Now hit reboot in recovery and your phone will boot up again (YAY :sun.
5. OPTIONAL : If you've made a nandroid backup before going to 5.0 you can now flash TWRP and restore it over your STOCK 4.4.2 KitKat firmware.
Hope I helped Let me know if it works out for you!

SUCCESS!!!
All sorted.
The hardest part was finding a link to the rom. sammobile kept giving me a gateway 502 error.
im now back to kitkat, AND no THREE UK rubbish.

manikm303 said:
SUCCESS!!!
All sorted.
The hardest part was finding a link to the rom. sammobile kept giving me a gateway 502 error.
im now back to kitkat, AND no THREE UK rubbish.
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Click to collapse
Lol.....so which firmware did you flash? I'm with 3 as well......though for me, all the 3 c**p was frozen with TiBu as soon as I rooted (along with 100+ other 'system' apps too)......I don't want/need all that knox/Samsung/Google rubbish either.......lol
Sent from my rooted kn0x0 SM-G900F S5

I used a stock Samsung 4.4.2 btu mate...took me forever to find a good link though
Still got the Samsung rubbish on it though but I prefer an official rom to a 3rd party one.

Guide me Please
manikm303 said:
I used a stock Samsung 4.4.2 btu mate...took me forever to find a good link though
Still got the Samsung rubbish on it though but I prefer an official rom to a 3rd party one.
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Click to collapse
Okey so i want to downgrade mine s5 from Lolipop to Kitkat 4.4.2. But i wonder if i breaks my varanty and can you make like an min guide and add the links you used also please
Would be really helpful since i'm not sure on where to download the things required. And can i get the Stock samsung 4.4.2, whitout messing up anything, incase i turn my phone in for repairs some time and what not. (cause they can complain that you have touched up stuff in the programs ect )
i appriciate any help peace

answer
hey guys i just followed this tutorial to downgrade it was so easy took several minutes now im running kitkat again yaaay
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=glNRCuH4Yyw

Running on outdated ROM and trying to get current

Hey all,
My T230NU has been sitting in a desk drawer for...I dunno a long ass time. I'm at 4.4.2 and I see most ROMS require the 5.x bootloader, and I'm trying to figure out the best way to get there. Is it just a matter of flashing a 5.x ROM at this point, or am I best to go back to stock, get the OTA, and then re-root and install?