So I was fortunate enough to get a warranty replacement that is BOC4 after being stuck with a phone that came in on BOE1. I already have it rooted stock NCG and am preparing to put Safestrap on it.
I am planning on installing the Optimal BOG5 rom on it and want to be sure I am doing this correctly as I MUST have the ability to roll back to stock if I have to return it under the extended warranty.
As I understand it: I flash the ROM. Then I flash flash the firmware. Then I flash the OD5 bootloader.
Questions: Since Optimal is a BOG5 ROM do I flash BOG5 firmware? Or do I need to find OD5 firmware since it is OD5 bootloader?
I am assuming I have to use OD5 bootloader so I can roll back to stock later if needed for warranty as BOE1 and OG5 are locked tight?
Any help would be greatly appreciated. I was rooted early on in S5 life before there was a 5.0 and am anxious to get back to it but REALLY don't want to bork the phone. This has to last until the S7 drops in January.
Related
I just purchased an unlocked stock I337 S4 from Ebay that I intend to send to the Phillipines for my fiancee. It currently has MK2 firmware. I would like to upgrade it to OC4 before I send it overseas. I tried using ODIN to flash it to OC4, but it fails.
I managed to root it using Saferoot, and that worked except now it has a lock icon and says CUSTOM on the boot screen, but it still boots fine.
Anyway, I have been reading through this forum for about 3 hours now, and have found no sensible way to update this phone. Even if I could just update it to 4.4.4 I would be happy. Do I have to upgrade it step by step through all the firmware updates? Do I really need to have Safestrap installed to do a stock upgrade from a stock ROM?
Any links that could be provided to make this an easy process would be most appreciated..
You're so close. http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2616221
Snapping along on stock rooted 0C4 I337, wishing for some good up to date lollipop ROM's to throw into flashfire
I currently have AT&T stock (I used to have a custom ROM then had to flash to stock ROM to be able to flash to another custom ROM--however, I accidentally flashed a newer version of the AT&T stock ROM which locked my bootloader and I could no longer flash to a custom ROM). I updated my AT&T stock ROM recently and now my back/menu buttons don't work, so I want to see if I can flash to a custom ROM now.
I don't remember the procedure to flash a custom ROM--do I first need to get root in order to unlock the bootloader to be able to flash ROMs (i.e. if I have root then I am guaranteed to be able to unlock bootloader in order to flash ROM)? Is the baseband version the only thing that determines whether I can unlock the bootloader and then be able to flash ROMs?
I currently have OK2 as broadband version and checked one of the stickied threads which said this:
" ROOT
OK2 -- No direct root method. Must Odin OC4 kernel, use Kingroot, then Odin OK2 kernel back."
Does that mean what I have to do is use Odin to get OC4 kernel, then use Kingroot, then Odin OK2 kernel and then I will be able to have root, which means I can then unlock my bootloader and be able to flash to ANY ROM (not just TouchWiz-based ROMs)? Is there anything else I need to consider or is this 100% foolproof? In the future, what should I be careful of in order to prevent getting my bootloader locked again--just that I don't flash a stock (AT&T) ROM that is known to lock back the bootloader?
Thank you all!
There's no way to unlock the bootloader if you have updated your device to the lastest firmware version. The only thing you can do is flash SafeStrap and use Stock Kernel Based ROMs which are compatible with Safestrap.
As regards to the procedure of rooting an OK2 firmware, I'm afraid I won't be able to help you.
Have a happy new year.
mindstormer said:
...however, I accidentally flashed a newer version of the AT&T stock ROM which locked my bootloader ...
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I was just about to sit down and flash a stock ROM. Can you explain what you mean by this? Did you flash OK2 and it caused you a problem?
smock9 said:
I was just about to sit down and flash a stock ROM. Can you explain what you mean by this? Did you flash OK2 and it caused you a problem?
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It was a while ago but I used to have I believe an MDL broadband version which meant I could flash any ROM available. I tried a different ROM, didn't like it, then decided to flash back to the stock ROM but accidentally flashed a newer version of it, which meant that my bootloader is now locked. With a locked bootloader, apparently I can only flash to a newer stock ROM (not other ROMs like Cyanogenmod) via Safestrap.
I think if you don't have the MDL broadband version you shouldn't worry about it anyway because it is locked and you will only be limited to flashing stock ROMs.
Slight correction
The previous entry is not entirely correct. Like the OP, I was originally on an unlocked bootloader on my i337. I'd purchased my i337 on the first day and eschewed OTA updates. I wanted to try a touchwiz based ROM, Hyperdrive, and in doing so I recall flashing the stock NB1 firmware. Every firmware beginning with NB1 has a locked bootloader and there has been no progress for more than a year in unlocking the bootloader again. This can limit you to either stock ROMs OR other touchwiz based ROMs like Hyperdrive. I love the Hyperdrive ROM (now on release 21) but its developer has moved on to a newer phone, so it's stuck at Android 4.4.2 and no one has picked up the project in many months. There are several other touchwiz based ROMs for the i337 version of the S4 which I have also tried but I prefer Hyperdrive's myriad customization, even without proper patching. I'll be moving on soon to the Nexus 6P as my daily driver, but would very much like to keep my S4 up to date with a custom ROM. Given the number of people that have been in this same situation, where a newer stock ROM from AT&T locked a previously unlocked bootloader, it's been surprising that the issues have not been overcome on a phone as popular as the Galaxy S4 was and continues to be. I've seen unlocked versions of the S4 selling for just under $400 in the last week of 2015.
Use the desktop version of Kingoroot to root and use Super su and update the binary. Don't forget to hit thanks if this helped.
The bootloader for the at&t s4 was never unlocked. The MDL bootloader had a flaw in it that allowed you to use LOKI which is a lock bypass, not a way to unlock the bootloader.
Hello, my S5 is currently stock unrooted on KK 4.4.4 ANK7 and lately I've been thinking on rooting. However I have a concern if it matter whether you root from Kitkat or Lollipop? Meaning are there any differences that affect rooting depending on what version of Android you're coming from? If I take the LP ota update and then root, would I be able to flash KK roms or just LP roms?
Never, under any circumstances, take an OTA update. Once you take an upgrade to Lollipop, you're stuck with it forever. If you instead root KK and flash a safe Lollipop ROM that doesn't update the bootloader past BOD5, you can still downgrade to KK easily.
It's easier to stick with what you have, root it, and then flash a rooted Lollipop ROM. Lollipop is now rootable, but the root process is a little hit-or-miss. Rooting KK is painless.
I had success using this KK root method: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2784880
CAUTION: The BOD5 bootloader is the last one that will allow you to downgrade back to KK. If you ever flash anything that has a BOE1, BOG5, or BOK3 bootloader, you can never go back.
You won't use these for the KK root process, but you'll need them later so save them: you want to ONLY flash these latest safe kernels and/or firmwares by jrkruse: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=64744448&postcount=2
Looked thru the other threads, and didnt see anything that pertained directly perhaps someone can point me in the right direction.
Have my stock S5 from verizon, on 4.4.4 NK2 firmware. Looking to update to whatever is the most current stock firmware with root. I'm coming to this from years of rooting Sprint devices, this is my first Verizon and I've been putting it off forever. Been getting the nag screen everyday now for a software update and I figured it was the time to update this and get myself root.
Thanks in advance for any help in where to look. Please forgive me in advance if this is a duplicate, I searched...I really did, but since its all new to me I wanted to ask.
Looks like the process is to flash 4.4.2, root, check if bootloader can be unlocked, and then proceed 2 different ways if it can be dev bootloader unlocked. If it can, unlock bootloader, flash twrp, and then flash whatever rom you want. If you can't unlock the bootloader, folow the guides to upgrade keeping root with safestrap and use roms that are TW for locked bootloaders. Someone correct me if I'm wrong. I just got a 4.4.4 g900v myself in a trade and I'm figuring out how to proceed as well.
Ok, slight difference. You can root & check the bootloader from 4.4.4...
Root here (Using NCG stock kernel...
http://forum.xda-developers.com/ver.../safely-upgrade-root-4-4-4-nha-volte-t2879348
If you're having trouble finding the NI2 kernel like I did it's here...
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2784880
Then use the method bootloader unlock from method 3 here...
http://forum.xda-developers.com/ver...t/rd-unlocking-galaxys-s5-bootloader-t3337909
If you can unlock your bootloader (I could), then flash the bootloader of choice from that link above to correspond to the rom you want. I'll be trying out Phoenix with pd4 (installed from above link) from here...
http://forum.xda-developers.com/verizon-galaxy-s5/development/port-phoenix-rom-v12-0-t3400292
Hello all, quick question
I have an S4 I9500 running GearCM13 (6.0.1) and I want to go back to stock 4.4.2, would following this guide do the trick or is it no longer possible to downgrade?
If this has already been discussed, a link is appreciated as I've searched and found nothing conclusive.
Thanks
It depends on your bootloader. If you never upgraded the bootloader from 4.4.2 you should be able to go back to stock rather easily. You may be able to go back even with an upgraded bootloader, since both the 5.0.1 bootloader and 4.4.2 bootloaders have Knox. You'll just have to try the guide.
Strephon Alkhalikoi said:
It depends on your bootloader. If you never upgraded the bootloader from 4.4.2 you should be able to go back to stock rather easily. You may be able to go back even with an upgraded bootloader, since both the 5.0.1 bootloader and 4.4.2 bootloaders have Knox. You'll just have to try the guide.
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Thanks, that's the info I needed.
To summarize the whole situation which led me to want to downgrade: I was on GEARCM13 and battery drain was too much to handle so I wanted to go back to a KK 4.4.2 rom (Ozcan) but then I read about Infernus Rom (Based 5.1.1 Ale95 Note Port) and went that way. Strephon's info helped me notice I didnt have to downgrade anything since I have a 5.0.1 bootloader.
Kinda convoluted response, if anyone wants further details, please pm.