Related
Just running this by, to see if i have everything correct.
if i have cwm installed, regardless of model,
to install a stock firmware from samsung, thus basicaly resetting my device back to stock,
i can go into cwm and install this,
http://samsung-updates.com/details/12916/Galaxy_Note_8.0_LTE_Canada/SGH-I467M/RWC/I467MVLAMG2.html
since thats my model,
and it will restore the device to factory settings, correct?
will this wipe out cwm or will cwm stay?
also, can i do this from odin?
if so,
as long as one can get there device into download mode, they can restore the device correct?
and if thats the case, what are the ways that one may wipe out that portion of the device?
is that part of the bootloader?
or is it part of the kernal,
sorry for such noob questions...
i am really new to rom flashing, but really want to get good at it.
thanks everyone in advance,
ths forum is amazing, and all you people are amazing.
Samsung devices are pretty easy to restore and hard to brick, as long as you have some firmware you can flash through Odin. Download mode should remain intact even if you mess up the bootloader/system.
I haven't looked at the link you provided, but assuming the downloads there are in Odin format, flashing back to stock should be easy as pie.
If however, you don't have Odin flashable firmware, and you ahve soemthign that needs to be flashed via fastboot/recovery, then I'm hoping your recovery is still intact and you can boot to it via Volume Up + Home + Power. If you can get into it, you should be able to load firmware onto a MicroSD card and flash from there.
GhostCyber said:
Just running this by, to see if i have everything correct.
if i have cwm installed, regardless of model,
to install a stock firmware from samsung, thus basicaly resetting my device back to stock,
i can go into cwm and install this,
http://samsung-updates.com/details/12916/Galaxy_Note_8.0_LTE_Canada/SGH-I467M/RWC/I467MVLAMG2.html
since thats my model,
and it will restore the device to factory settings, correct?
will this wipe out cwm or will cwm stay?
also, can i do this from odin?
if so,
as long as one can get there device into download mode, they can restore the device correct?
and if thats the case, what are the ways that one may wipe out that portion of the device?
is that part of the bootloader?
or is it part of the kernal,
sorry for such noob questions...
i am really new to rom flashing, but really want to get good at it.
thanks everyone in advance,
ths forum is amazing, and all you people are amazing.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
sorted!
Got it sorted, thanks very much..:good::laugh:
Ok guys, here's the deal. i bought a secondhand s4 which was advertised as a google edition. it has a couple of annoying issues, first i noticed it switching itself off and on. the worst problem with it is that when my battery goes reeeally dead it just bootloops when i have recharged. the only way i can get it back on is to start it in recovery mode (which is clockworkmod v6.0.4.4) then do a factory wipe. so yeah thats a major pain. the s4 itself is a red model and behind the battery it says its a gt-19505, however in the settings on the phone it says its a gt-19505g.
my goal is to install an official firmware if possible that i may be able to update easily, the worry that i have is that i dont know if it would then accept my network as although it appears to run google edition custom firmware it may not once i install something official on it. this may be a nooby statement i know but a noob i am lol.
if its at all possible could i keep the cwm recovery?
and if its any help when i load the other boot loader thingy (with the green android on it) in the top left it says gt-19505, im just sayin cus im sure its vital which ever this phone actually is.
here are as many details as i can give but please ask if im missing anything
ANDROID VERSION 4.4.2
KERNEL VERSION 3.4.0-faux123-KK44-GE-Custom
[email protected]omain #20
Sun Dec 1 02:30:28 CST 2013
BASEBAND VERSION 19505XXUFNA1
BUILD NUMBER KOT49H.S001.131204
also upon booting in the top left it says "kernel is not seandroid enforcing
set warranty bit:kernel"
THANKS FOR YOUR TIME And please tell me where to start as i tried updating it via kies to fix it but it just wont connect, i assume due to custom firmware.
The Google Play Edition S4 devices didn't come in any color but white. Therefore, this is an I9505 with a custom ROM on it. The download mode screen reading GT-I9505 confirmed it.
Since this is an I9505 and not an I9505G, the main question is whether this device will work with your SIM card. For that, simply insert your SIM card and boot the device. If you get signal, you're good. Otherwise you'll have to unlock the device, either by purchasing an unlock code from one of the sites that sells them, or by trying the unlock methods available on the forums.
This will also help answer the question of which stock ROM you can install on the device. If the S4 doesn't prompt you to unlock the device, then you can install one of the unbranded S4 ROMs available on sammobile.com. After that, you can put the recovery of your choice on the S4, though I recommend TWRP over the other options.
Thanks for your help. I'm a little confused though, at the moment with this custom google edition ROM it does take my sim, in fact I bet it takes any sim, I heard that was a feature of google play devices. What I meant was after I install the stock ROM will it then not take my sim. So if it has already been unlocked How would I know which ROM to install? As I now know its not a google edition, is it possible to install an official google edition ROM? Do i use this download mode, Odin, or cwm to install a firmware. I'm just not sure what my starting point is. I don't wanna follow someone's guide yet to installing something just in case I'm jumping the gun and need to uninstall this custom ROM somehow.
Sorry for asking questions that I'm sure seem dumb I'm really just trying to learn at the moment I'm green as they come with android. BTW thanks for your suggestions so far, you def seem like you know what you're talking about, cheers
Google Play devices are carrier unlocked, but this is not a Google Play Edition S4. Therefore the device was carrier unlocked at some point in its past. The unknown here is how the original owner unlocked the device. If he or she used the unlocking methods found on XDA there is a chance the lock will be lost when installing a stock ROM.
If the S4 is unlocked, you aren't restricted to a particular region and can install any I9505 ROM using Odin, though I recommend the carrier unbranded ROMs. You cannot install a stock Google Play Edition ROM on the device as the model number of a GPE device is not the same as the device you have. However, you're already rooted and have a custom recovery installed. In I9505 Development here on XDA there is a Google Play Edition ROM that can be installed on your device. Download it to your S4, wipe everything in recovery, then flash the ROM's flashable zip in recovery. I've used said ROM and it works quite well.
OK I have found the 5.0.1 ge ROM , but in there it says I must use latest recovery or whatever plus it recommended one different to mine, is it safe to install using my version of cwm or do I need to learn how to change it??
Deleted by user
TWRP is recommended as there are people who are still maintaining it, unlike Clockworkmod and Philz. While you probably can get the ROM installed using the version of Clockworkmod you have, learning how to change recoveries is useful.
OK thank you for all your help my friend, I will now find out how to do this, I'm sure there is a section on this somewhere, BTW I think you are right about my device being rooted, but I wanted to check and I followed a guide and used super su but apparently its not rooted so I guess something must've gone wrong. Bit scary if I try to change my recovery or my firmware and this causes a brick hmmmmm
It's virtually impossible to brick the S4, especially as the recovery is flashed through Odin.
Phew that's a relief. Thanks man.... Well I'm gonna just risk using cwm for now as I'm new to this........ Thanks a whole lot for your time I really mean that.
KlLLFRENZY said:
Phew that's a relief. Thanks man.... Well I'm gonna just risk using cwm for now as I'm new to this........ Thanks a whole lot for your time I really mean that.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Use TWRP. CMW is outdated.
Lennyz1988 said:
Use TWRP. CMW is outdated.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I want to, I really do but I'm struggling here. Before I wrote that last comment I tried to find a guide on this forum for swapping to twrp, but couldn't and didn't wanna bug this guy as he had helped enough. Anyway I went to the place he told me and have hit another wall anyway because I don't know how to use the firmware the relevant kernel or the git. My life is so busy and I'm getting about an hour on this subject a day and its gonna take forever lol
If you can help me on my way even a little its much appreciated, I would like to use twrp and the 5.0.1 ge plus the right kernel of course
KlLLFRENZY said:
I want to, I really do but I'm struggling here. Before I wrote that last comment I tried to find a guide on this forum for swapping to twrp, but couldn't and didn't wanna bug this guy as he had helped enough. Anyway I went to the place he told me and have hit another wall anyway because I don't know how to use the firmware the relevant kernel or the git. My life is so busy and I'm getting about an hour on this subject a day and its gonna take forever lol
If you can help me on my way even a little its much appreciated, I would like to use twrp and the 5.0.1 ge plus the right kernel of course
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
https://twrp.me/devices/samsunggalaxys4internationalqualcomm.html
Follow the Odin guide. It's excactly the same when you flashed CWM.
@Lennyz1988: The S4 was bought secondhand and already had CWM on it from the original owner.
@killfrenzy: Follow the guide Lenny mentioned, but don't worry about the second paragraph. Our device isn't one of those that restores the original recovery on boot.
ok will do, i just tried the app install method but as i suspected, it said root is required for this app and promptly exited so i shall do the odin method, i heard that some people remove root or it could be that it was done wrong. also after reading a few posts here and there i found out that someone had similar issues with their phone random re-booting and they had custom ge with the wrong kernel so it seems once im done my issues should be history if i learn how to install fw + kernel, after this twrp thing i will be one step closer for sure. i also know ppl slate lollipop but once im all done with this im sure i will have picked up enough terminology to install cfw's to my hearts content. hooray for forums and people like you, sounds like im kissin ass but its just gratitude
so using the twrp install guide i gotta install using the odin method i have now got 3.07 odin but this is the next step.........
Odin Install Method (No Root Required):
You will need to download and install Odin on your PC. Once you have Odin installed, download the proper .tar file for your device from the download link above. Power off your device. Turn on your device using the proper key combo to get into download mode and attach the device to your computer via a USB cable. Use the PDA tab or button to browse to and select the tar file that you downloaded and flash the device.
lololol nothins ever simple i see the list of tar files in the link above but no mention at all as to which is the proper .tar for my device, i guess they assume the guide is for people who have done it before. more research tomorrow maybe i gotta be up early ugh
Lennyz1988 said:
https://twrp.me/devices/samsunggalaxys4internationalqualcomm.html
Follow the Odin guide. It's excactly the same when you flashed CWM.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Think you misunderstood, I have flashed nothing yet I got it like this. I'm completely green
Don't suppose anybody knows which is the tar file for my device?? S4gt-19505
OK now I get it, the list of tars in that section are all the same just newer builds of the same version. Seems obvious if you have done this before, but I wasn't to know that and cannot assume things. I'm also gonna guess and say Lenny thinks my s4 needs this particular version for an international, am I right?? Anyway it would've made a lot of sense but how does he know. I have no idea what this phone was I have never owned it new.
Different devices have different codes. For example, jfltexx is the I9505. A T-Mobile S4 would be jfltetmo, and so on.The link Lenny provided is for the I9505. Download the 2.8.6.0 version as its the latest.
As to how you were supposed to know, having never owned one, you weren't. There are tutorials in the General forum though that can help.
Hello there,
I am having a little bit of an issue with a new Galaxy Note 4 that i got for my wife. We both bought our devices yesterday, mine from Three, and hers from EE (we are in the UK), both SM-N910F, so i proceeded to root my device and it worked all great. So earlier today i started the exact same procedure, unfortunately, my wifes Note 4 got stuck in a Recovery Boot Loop, and i genuinely don't understand what is happening.
As for the rooting method, i went with the [SM-N910*] CF-Auto-Root and choose the right .tar file, or else it wouldn't of had worked on the first device.
I have read quite a few posts, saw a few videos on youtube, but it far beyond me. I have seen a few people mention that i need to download the German (?) version of the Stock firmware, and then flash it. I seem to have found a link for it on SamMobile but it's gonna take 5 hours to finish, and i don't understand why i would download the German Stock firmware, is that the correct one for her device ?
At this point, is there any way around it ? Why did my device which is the same work perfectly, but not hers ?
I would appreciate any and all help, if you could make it quite detailed for me i would appreciate it even more.
Thank you!
Hi @Vaskie!
Can you enter in download mode?
Hello there @_mone, the following has happened since i posted:
Went ahead and flashed the following: N910FXXU1BOB4_N910FOXA1BOB4_N910FXXU1BOB4_HOME.tar and it made the device reach the home screen, from there i attempted to root using the same method which worked, but it ended installing a few extra applications, which i don't understand how. I also don't understand how flashing a new stock rom didn't make me start the device from the beginning, it already had all my information and went straight to the home screen ready to use. I feel quite confused if im honest.
On the other hand, most things seem to be working perfect, but i am having some issues with the front camera. I have two Note 4s, both bought yesterday from the same place, but one was flashed with the Stock rom (N910FXXU1BOB4_N910FOXA1BOB4_N910FXXU1BOB4_HOME.ta r) due to being stuck in a boot loop. The front camera seems to be massively over exposed compared to the other Note 4, not just a little bit either, making it almost unusable.
Would anyone be able to help ?
Vaskie said:
I also don't understand how flashing a new stock rom didn't make me start the device from the beginning, it already had all my information and went straight to the home screen ready to use. I feel quite confused if im honest.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's because you "dirty" flashed a new ROM on top of the old one.. it was like an "update".
What I suggest you (because you already rooted your phone and your knox is 0x1) is to flash TeamWin Recovery Project from ODIN and then flash a TW ROM from the Galaxy Note 4 Android Development (Snapdragon) page
To do so download "twrp-2.8.7.0-trltexx.img.tar" from here, put your phone in download mode, connect it to the pc via usb, from the pc launch odin, let it recognize your phone, add the downloaded .img.tar file on the pda button, click on the "start" button and let it flash the recovery.
Now download a TW ROM like _alexndr's DevBase from here and this modem and this bootloader.
Then put the downloaded ROM (N910FXXU1POF2_DevBase_alexndr.zip) in your external SDcard. Reboot your phone in recovery mode. From TWRP go Wipe/AdwancedWipe/ and tick DalickCache, System, Data, Internal Storage, Cache and "Swipe to Wipe". After go back to the first page, hit "Install" search "N910FXXU1POF2_DevBase_alexndr.zip" in "/external_sd" and install it. Wipe Dalvick and Cache again and reboot into download mode. Again connect your phone to the PC and launch ODIN now put the downloaded modem "CP_N910FXXU1POF1.tar.md5" in the CP button and the bootloader "BL_N910FXXU1POF2.tar.md5" in the BL button and click on the "start".
Once it is done switch off and on your phone and start again with the latest samsung rom for N910F already with root, busy box and all the fixes by _alexndr
And let us know if you still have problems.
Thank you very, very much for the very well detailed reply @_mone
I will attempt to go ahead with your explanation tomorrow. Would that somehow fix the camera, and i guess the other question is.. is the front camera issue that i explained myself above to do with me "dirty flashing" ?
Is there anything inherently wrong with "dirty flashing" ?
Thank you yet again!
Nothing wrong with dirty flashing.. but sometimes doing so you can create conflicts between old and new rom or leaving "bugs" from the old to the new generating problems in your new os that may wont be there if you performed a clean install. :good:
Hello guys,
Here is a long story, interesting to read maybe for some.
I had android 4.3.2 on my Note 3 N9005, for 2 and a half years now. I rooted the phone as soon as it came out. Had many applications which ran smoothly on it, schreenshots/screenrecorders, xposed installer with a lot of mods.. etc.. everything worked fine. Until the last few months, where suddenly "some application" stopped working. I began to have that message, more and more often, and on different applications. I thought, it was time to run a factory reset. BUT I remembered that I ran into some applications on Play Store, which couldn't be installed, since I had an old android version.
So, now, I thought, maybe it was time to try a custom rom. So I installed LiquidSmooth, (android 5.1.1). Nice jump, I must say, many things different, than 4.3.2. Some problems though, the sound was with interference, and some apps just froze. Some games I was playing, just froze.
Then I thought I try another ROM. Found a page with best ROMs, for 5.1.1 and saw that LiquidSmooth only had like 4.8% of the votes, while Nightly had like 40% of the votes and was much more stable (well, according to that site). So I thought I change. BUT, then I saw, that I could actually update to 6.0.1 with Ressurection Remix. So I thought, wow, lemme try that !
So I did. I installed Ressurection Remix, and I must admit, it looks damn good. Even bought the swift dark theme, and it is beautifull. It is candy for the eye. God damn, almost like the 3D cube I played with in Linux a few years back. But some of my games, still freeze. - And as you can guess, I do not like that.. I also got the message on boot: Kernel is not seandroid enforcing.. and I know it's normal, but still I do not like it. (I want everything to be perfect). And with some games, not being able to run, I got tired of RR.
So now, I was thinking, what if I could switch back to 4.3.2? I should have run maybe a factory reset on 4.3.2 instead of trying ROMs, at least my stuff was working. So I thought I get the original stock firmware, and just flash it with ODIN. So, it should be good.
Now I know that on a lot of threads here on the site, people mention that you can't downgrade android. Well, at least not from 6.0.1 to 4.3.2. Because ODIN is not working in 6.0.1 and other stuff.
BUT, I think this: I have a backup, with CWM, for 4.3.2, which I know works, (since I used it a few times).
So, what if I run that backup and get my phone back to 4.3.2.? (again, some ppl here on site, that they accidentally downgraded from 4.4 to 4.3, then they could't upgrade back to 4.4).
So my question is: I use CWM to restore the 4.3.2 backup, THEN in the phone with ODIN I run the original full stock firmware?
Then later, I could unlock bootloader and root my phone again if I want to try something. Would this be possible?
A second question, which I have is: Before I upgraded to lolipop and marshmallow, i ran of course a factory reset, reset cache and dalvik from CWM. But still, now, where I am on 6.0.1 I still saw some folders of some programs I had on 4.3.2. How is that possible? The programs are not in the menu, but the folders are on phones memory. Shouldn't they have been deleted on those 3 resets from CWM? (factory, cache and dalvik?). This is also a reason, for why I would want to return to original stock firmware. Cos I could root my phone right away again, and then upgrade to some rom, so those programs do not come along, and I would have a clean rom. Or with other words, the phones "user" memory, /storage/emulated/sdcard0 - could I just delete it all? I mean the operating system is on root, this directory /storage/emulated/sdcard0 is usually what the user installs on the phone, am I right?
And last question, cos I am greedy for answers. The samsung pen, is of course not working, and I miss it. Any app to install or flash to get the pen alive again?
Thank for your time ro read this Hope u can help ))
Please somebody help. I am also interested.
Wao, boy it was a real long story. And I read it all.
LordTicut said:
Hello guys,
Here is a long story, interesting to read maybe for some.
I had android 4.3.2 on my Note 3 N9005, for 2 and a half years now. I rooted the phone as soon as it came out. Had many applications which ran smoothly on it, schreenshots/screenrecorders, xposed installer with a lot of mods.. etc.. everything worked fine. Until the last few months, where suddenly "some application" stopped working. I began to have that message, more and more often, and on different applications. I thought, it was time to run a factory reset. BUT I remembered that I ran into some applications on Play Store, which couldn't be installed, since I had an old android version.
So, now, I thought, maybe it was time to try a custom rom. So I installed LiquidSmooth, (android 5.1.1). Nice jump, I must say, many things different, than 4.3.2. Some problems though, the sound was with interference, and some apps just froze. Some games I was playing, just froze.
Then I thought I try another ROM. Found a page with best ROMs, for 5.1.1 and saw that LiquidSmooth only had like 4.8% of the votes, while Nightly had like 40% of the votes and was much more stable (well, according to that site). So I thought I change. BUT, then I saw, that I could actually update to 6.0.1 with Ressurection Remix. So I thought, wow, lemme try that !
So I did. I installed Ressurection Remix, and I must admit, it looks damn good. Even bought the swift dark theme, and it is beautifull. It is candy for the eye. God damn, almost like the 3D cube I played with in Linux a few years back. But some of my games, still freeze. - And as you can guess, I do not like that.. I also got the message on boot: Kernel is not seandroid enforcing.. and I know it's normal, but still I do not like it. (I want everything to be perfect). And with some games, not being able to run, I got tired of RR.
So now, I was thinking, what if I could switch back to 4.3.2? I should have run maybe a factory reset on 4.3.2 instead of trying ROMs, at least my stuff was working. So I thought I get the original stock firmware, and just flash it with ODIN. So, it should be good.
Now I know that on a lot of threads here on the site, people mention that you can't downgrade android. Well, at least not from 6.0.1 to 4.3.2. Because ODIN is not working in 6.0.1 and other stuff.
BUT, I think this: I have a backup, with CWM, for 4.3.2, which I know works, (since I used it a few times).
So, what if I run that backup and get my phone back to 4.3.2.? (again, some ppl here on site, that they accidentally downgraded from 4.4 to 4.3, then they could't upgrade back to 4.4).
So my question is: I use CWM to restore the 4.3.2 backup, THEN in the phone with ODIN I run the original full stock firmware?
Then later, I could unlock bootloader and root my phone again if I want to try something. Would this be possible?
A second question, which I have is: Before I upgraded to lolipop and marshmallow, i ran of course a factory reset, reset cache and dalvik from CWM. But still, now, where I am on 6.0.1 I still saw some folders of some programs I had on 4.3.2. How is that possible? The programs are not in the menu, but the folders are on phones memory. Shouldn't they have been deleted on those 3 resets from CWM? (factory, cache and dalvik?). This is also a reason, for why I would want to return to original stock firmware. Cos I could root my phone right away again, and then upgrade to some rom, so those programs do not come along, and I would have a clean rom. Or with other words, the phones "user" memory, /storage/emulated/sdcard0 - could I just delete it all? I mean the operating system is on root, this directory /storage/emulated/sdcard0 is usually what the user installs on the phone, am I right?
And last question, cos I am greedy for answers. The samsung pen, is of course not working, and I miss it. Any app to install or flash to get the pen alive again?
Thank for your time ro read this Hope u can help ))
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi friend.
I think you asking: I installed Android MM and It's possible to downgrade 4.3 via Odin tar.md5 flash installation?
I answer: Yes, i think i like you (or you like me). I love use all rom as possible as quickly, but i tired from "system" process not respond and sound quality issue.
I say you ITS POSSIBLE. because i flash via odin anytime (my stock firmware .tar.md5). Even from android mm to 4.3, lollipop > kitkat, v5.1.1 port rom > v5.0.
You can try, first time i'm newbie on XDA, there said something like bootloader. I now said, its necessary (important), just not too for Flashing Stock ROM.
I hope this little helps to you...
Good luck, i'm now Android MM!
Now i searching for backing knox to 0x0.
Via CWM not ODIN
Thanks dalisoft for answering.
My question was actually if I could restore my backup I made with ClockWorkMod a few years ago.
dalisoft said:
Hi friend.
I think you asking: I installed Android MM and It's possible to downgrade 4.3 via Odin tar.md5 flash installation?
I answer: Yes, i think i like you (or you like me). I love use all rom as possible as quickly, but i tired from "system" process not respond and sound quality issue.
I say you ITS POSSIBLE. because i flash via odin anytime (my stock firmware .tar.md5). Even from android mm to 4.3, lollipop > kitkat, v5.1.1 port rom > v5.0.
You can try, first time i'm newbie on XDA, there said something like bootloader. I now said, its necessary (important), just not too for Flashing Stock ROM.
I hope this little helps to you...
Good luck, i'm now Android MM!
Now i searching for backing knox to 0x0.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
LordTicut said:
Thanks dalisoft for answering.
My question was actually if I could restore my backup I made with ClockWorkMod a few years ago.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, you can restore nandroid backup if you have CWM.
But, remember, before restoring you should to do some steps:
1. Wipe data/factory reset
2. Wipe cache
3. Advanced > Wipe dalvik cache
4. Mounts > Format /system
5. Mounts > Format /data
Allright, thanks Dalisoft.
Do you know by the way, if CWM also takes a copy of EFS? I mean EFS is a system directory, so is it included in the nandroidbackup by CWM, right? So if I restore that backup, I will have my EFS exactly as it was, just after I rooted my phone. (not because something is wrong with it, but in case sometyhing is altered, it will be back to normal, right?).
I mean, there are 2 partitions on the phone, the ROM and the recovery. And CWM does an exact image of the ROM partition, so I would assume that the EFS folder is there too. But I am not sure, that's why I am asking.
Guess I am happy and lucky I made a backup with CWM right after root..
CWM also takes a copy of EFS?
Answer = NO .
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2698639
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2481255
JJEgan said:
CWM also takes a copy of EFS?
Answer = NO .
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2698639
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2481255
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
JJEgan
You are right, I posted this thread in the wrong forum. I am deeply sorry for that. I just wanted quickly an answer. It won't happen again. ( I saw in the meantime it has been moved, so I guess everything is good)
Cheers !
N00b w/ "new SGH-I337 that is running original kernel & 4.2.2 & needs to be updated
I am going to apologize from the start. I've read through a lot of threads here and have ended up more confused (and somewhat scared lol). I am a tad more skilled than average when it comes to PCs but I'm a complete mess when it comes to phones!
For various reasons, I like my old ATT Samsung S4 SGH-I337 but am hard on them and need to replace them about every 2 years (I usually wear out the power port among other things). I buy a replacement, copy over my apps, etc, maybe run a minor update and I'm good to go. This time, I bought a "new" open box S4 on Ebay for a great price but when I went to install all my apps, discovered that it was STILL (since it was "brand new") running Android 4.2.2 and the original kernel from the release in 2013! Ok, no big I thought, I will just run the ATT update and I will be good. Nope. Too far out of date and no one at ATT or Samsung is willing to help. I did learn that if I can get 4.4.4 on the phone, then I should be able to update it via ATT to 5.0.1 but I can't even find those files (or at the least any links to them that are still any good!)
Due to life issues, it is critical that I get this phone updated ASAP. Please, can someone spell out step by step in N00b-speak where I can get the needed files and how I update this phone to 5.0.1 or better? I'd really rather not root it if I can avoid it but will do what is needed. I'll buy you a beer (or reasonable beverage of your choice! )
Samsung Galaxy S4 (ATT) SGH_I337
Android 4.2.2
Baseband ver: I337UCUAMDL
Kernel ver: 3.4.0-453947
[email protected]#1
Sat April 27 17:06:05 KST 2013
SilkRoadDog said:
I am going to apologize from the start. I've read through a lot of threads here and have ended up more confused (and somewhat scared lol). I am a tad more skilled than average when it comes to PCs but I'm a complete mess when it comes to phones!
For various reasons, I like my old ATT Samsung S4 SGH-I337 but am hard on them and need to replace them about every 2 years (I usually wear out the power port among other things). I buy a replacement, copy over my apps, etc, maybe run a minor update and I'm good to go. This time, I bought a "new" open box S4 on Ebay for a great price but when I went to install all my apps, discovered that it was STILL (since it was "brand new") running Android 4.2.2 and the original kernel from the release in 2013! Ok, no big I thought, I will just run the ATT update and I will be good. Nope. Too far out of date and no one at ATT or Samsung is willing to help. I did learn that if I can get 4.4.4 on the phone, then I should be able to update it via ATT to 5.0.1 but I can't even find those files (or at the least any links to them that are still any good!)
Due to life issues, it is critical that I get this phone updated ASAP. Please, can someone spell out step by step in N00b-speak where I can get the needed files and how I update this phone to 5.0.1 or better? I'd really rather not root it if I can avoid it but will do what is needed. I'll buy you a beer (or reasonable beverage of your choice! )
Samsung Galaxy S4 (ATT) SGH_I337
Android 4.2.2
Baseband ver: I337UCUAMDL
Kernel ver: 3.4.0-453947
[email protected]#1
Sat April 27 17:06:05 KST 2013
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I too was lucky enough to snag a S4 off ebay with the original kernel still on it. So with that said....do NOT update your phone! You're on the very special Android 4.2.2 jelly bean MDL bootloader! If you update, you will lose the ability to boot AOSP ROMs and install a custom recovery like TWRP.
AOSP ROMs can take you past Android 5.0.x lollipop and give you Android 6.0.x marshmallow or 7.0.x nougat. You can also boot custom touchwiz ROMs that will take you to Android 5.0.x lollipop. Use the towel root app to root the phone and then freeze any OTA with the titanium backup app. You can also benefit from my guide here:
https://forum.xda-developers.com/galaxy-s4-att/general/how-to-one-guide-to-mdl-bootloader-t3584122
StoneyJSG said:
I too was lucky enough to snag a S4 off ebay with the original kernel still on it. So with that said....do NOT update your phone! You're on the very special Android 4.2.2 jelly bean MDL bootloader! If you update, you will lose the ability to boot AOSP ROMs and install a custom recovery like TWRP.
AOSP ROMs can take you past Android 5.0.x lollipop and give you Android 6.0.x marshmallow or 7.0.x nougat. You can also boot custom touchwiz ROMs that will take you to Android 5.0.x lollipop. Use the towel root app to root the phone and then freeze any OTA with the titanium backup app. You can also benefit from my guide here:
https://forum.xda-developers.com/galaxy-s4-att/general/how-to-one-guide-to-mdl-bootloader-t3584122
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you for your reply. So I root it, then where do I go from there? How do I know what ROM is what and which one will give me at the least what I had on the old phone (less bloatware would be nice but right now I am so up a creek that I would be ok with stock)? Also, do you have good links to the tools you recommend? One issue I have been having searching here is that the 3-4-year-old posts here have sketchy or dead links.
SilkRoadDog said:
Thank you for your reply. So I root it, then where do I go from there? How do I know what ROM is what and which one will give me at the least what I had on the old phone (less bloatware would be nice but right now I am so up a creek that I would be ok with stock)? Also, do you have good links to the tools you recommend? One issue I have been having searching here is that the 3-4-year-old posts here have sketchy or dead links.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No problem, I always try to help when possible. After rooting you can follow my guide to get Loki doki installed. Then you can install a custom recovery like TWRP or clock work mod. My guide gets you clock work mod recovery installed but it's an old version. I use it though and it works fine for me. If you want TWRP recovery, you will have to search the web on how to install it with loki doki.
After a custom recovery is installed you can choose to boot touchwiz based ROMs or AOSP based ROMs like cyanogen mod. Custom touchwiz ROMs will look just like stock only modified (deodex, debloated, etc.) and AOSP ROMs will look like bone stock Android only with added features.
You can find AOSP ROMs in the original Android development forum here in the s4 forums. You can find touchwiz ROMs in Android development which is right under original Android development forum. Sorry, but I don't have any links to tools handy except for the link to my guide which I posted above in my last post. I use golden eye ROM on my s4 which is a stock based touchwiz ROM on Android 5.0 lollipop.
When booting ROMs, be sure that they do not have a bootloader update or else it'll override everything and will patch the loki doki exploit and lock down everything for good.
StoneyJSG said:
No problem, I always try to help when possible. After rooting you can follow my guide to get Loki doki installed. Then you can install a custom recovery like TWRP or clock work mod. My guide gets you clock work mod recovery installed but it's an old version. I use it though and it works fine for me. If you want TWRP recovery, you will have to search the web on how to install it with loki doki.
After a custom recovery is installed you can choose to boot touchwiz based ROMs or AOSP based ROMs like cyanogen mod. Custom touchwiz ROMs will look just like stock only modified (deodex, debloated, etc.) and AOSP ROMs will look like bone stock Android only with added features.
You can find AOSP ROMs in the original Android development forum here in the s4 forums. You can find touchwiz ROMs in Android development which is right under original Android development forum. Sorry, but I don't have any links to tools handy except for the link to my guide which I posted above in my last post. I use golden eye ROM on my s4 which is a stock based touchwiz ROM on Android 5.0 lollipop.
When booting ROMs, be sure that they do not have a bootloader update or else it'll override everything and will patch the loki doki exploit and lock down everything for good.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you so much for the reply. While I am very grateful, with all due respect, I understood only about half of it. Here is the deal. I'm an older guy N00b with chronic pain issues under an extreme amount of stress, and my cognitive abilities are not what they should be. There was a step by step guide posted back in 2015 that is what I need but most of the links are bad or sketchy. Like I said above, I really need something along the lines of "go here and here to get this software and put it in "X" place. Then press these keys and do "Y", then press those keys and do "Z". I'm really sorry to be so difficult but I am trying my best to get it.
SilkRoadDog said:
Thank you so much for the reply. While I am very grateful, with all due respect, I understood only about half of it. Here is the deal. I'm an older guy N00b with chronic pain issues under an extreme amount of stress, and my cognitive abilities are not what they should be. There was a step by step guide posted back in 2015 that is what I need but most of the links are bad or sketchy. Like I said above, I really need something along the lines of "go here and here to get this software and put it in "X" place. Then press these keys and do "Y", then press those keys and do "Z". I'm really sorry to be so difficult but I am trying my best to get it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I gotcha, no problem. Okay so what's the status of your phone now? Rooted? Not rooted? To root, goto https://towelroot.com on your phone and click the big red thing in the middle of the page. Make sure you have a Wi-Fi or data connection to the internet, as this will root your phone. Then goto https://galaxys4root.com/galaxy-s4-...tt-or-verizon-galaxy-s4-sgh-i337sch-i545/amp/ to get loki doki installed and clockwork mod recovery. You can also install TWRP recovery instead of clockwork mod recovery, I THINK this is the link: https://galaxys4root.com/galaxy-s4-...rp-on-rooted-galaxy-s4-using-goo-manager/amp/
Galaxys4root.com is a reputable site ran by Mr. HIGH ON ANDROID himself, Xedomax aka Max Lee. The tools you need should be on his site for download and the links shouldn't be dead. He also has a YouTube channel with videos on how to do different things with your phone. My guide I wrote that I linked before, has step by step instructions on how to root and install a custom recovery and how to boot custom ROMs.
StoneyJSG said:
I gotcha, no problem. Okay so what's the status of your phone now? Rooted? Not rooted? To root, goto https://towelroot.com on your phone and click the big red thing in the middle of the page. Make sure you have a Wi-Fi or data connection to the internet, as this will root your phone. Then goto https://galaxys4root.com/galaxy-s4-...tt-or-verizon-galaxy-s4-sgh-i337sch-i545/amp/ to get loki doki installed and clockwork mod recovery. You can also install TWRP recovery instead of clockwork mod recovery, I THINK this is the link: https://galaxys4root.com/galaxy-s4-...rp-on-rooted-galaxy-s4-using-goo-manager/amp/
Galaxys4root.com is a reputable site ran by Mr. HIGH ON ANDROID himself, Xedomax aka Max Lee. The tools you need should be on his site for download and the links shouldn't be dead. He also has a YouTube channel with videos on how to do different things with your phone. My guide I wrote that I linked before, has step by step instructions on how to root and install a custom recovery and how to boot custom ROMs.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok, It's not rooted yet so I will start down the path laid out. What do you recommend as a source for Touchwiz (wth is that anyway? lol) ROMs? I don't know enough about Android 6.0.x marshmallow or 7.0.x nougat to make the call there but I do want to be able to access the Google apps and play store as before.
SilkRoadDog said:
Ok, It's not rooted yet so I will start down the path laid out. What do you recommend as a source for Touchwiz (wth is that anyway? lol) ROMs? I don't know enough about Android 6.0.x marshmallow or 7.0.x nougat to make the call there but I do want to be able to access the Google apps and play store as before.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Your instructions say " Next, you're going to want to freeze the OTA update so the phone won't update off the MDL bootloader (after installing SuperSU of course). You can do this via the Titanium Backup app or the MyBackup Root app (now called just MyBackup I think).
Let's recap...you will need a copy of the towel root app, then SuperSU, then TB or MyBackup Root app. SuperSU will kill the evil KNOX for you." Do I do that before "loki doki installed and clockwork mod recovery."? If so, where is a good source for them? If not, when do I do I install them?
".
StoneyJSG said:
I gotcha, no problem. Okay so what's the status of your phone now? Rooted? Not rooted? To root, goto https://towelroot.com on your phone and click the big red thing in the middle of the page. Make sure you have a Wi-Fi or data connection to the internet, as this will root your phone. Then goto https://galaxys4root.com/galaxy-s4-...tt-or-verizon-galaxy-s4-sgh-i337sch-i545/amp/ to get loki doki installed and clockwork mod recovery. You can also install TWRP recovery instead of clockwork mod recovery, I THINK this is the link: https://galaxys4root.com/galaxy-s4-...rp-on-rooted-galaxy-s4-using-goo-manager/amp/
Galaxys4root.com is a reputable site ran by Mr. HIGH ON ANDROID himself, Xedomax aka Max Lee. The tools you need should be on his site for download and the links shouldn't be dead. He also has a YouTube channel with videos on how to do different things with your phone. My guide I wrote that I linked before, has step by step instructions on how to root and install a custom recovery and how to boot custom ROMs.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok, forget anything I typed here in the last hour lol. Somehow there were two locals and I was in the wrong one. So far so good. So back to the other question above. " " Next, you're going to want to freeze the OTA update so the phone won't update off the MDL bootloader (after installing SuperSU of course). You can do this via the Titanium Backup app or the MyBackup Root app (now called just MyBackup I think).
Let's recap...you will need a copy of the towel root app, then SuperSU, then TB or MyBackup Root app. SuperSU will kill the evil KNOX for you."" I still need to do that, right? if so, where do I find those apps?
Thank you so much.
SilkRoadDog said:
Ok, It's not rooted yet so I will start down the path laid out. What do you recommend as a source for Touchwiz (wth is that anyway? lol) ROMs? I don't know enough about Android 6.0.x marshmallow or 7.0.x nougat to make the call there but I do want to be able to access the Google apps and play store as before.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Touchwiz is the "skin" user interface that Samsung puts on top of Android. It is the stock SAMSUNG rom. Just Google touchwiz then Google stock Android, you'll see a difference. I like touchwiz so I am running a custom ROM called "Golden eye". You can download it from the Android development forum here in the S4 section. Other people like stock Android. The magic of being on the MDL bootloader is that you can boot touchwiz and bone stock Android ROMs. Most custom ROMs both stock Android and touchwiz based will let you access Google apps and the play store.
---------- Post added at 10:36 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:21 PM ----------
SilkRoadDog said:
Ok, forget anything I typed here in the last hour lol. Somehow there were two locals and I was in the wrong one. So far so good. So back to the other question above. " " Next, you're going to want to freeze the OTA update so the phone won't update off the MDL bootloader (after installing SuperSU of course). You can do this via the Titanium Backup app or the MyBackup Root app (now called just MyBackup I think).
Let's recap...you will need a copy of the towel root app, then SuperSU, then TB or MyBackup Root app. SuperSU will kill the evil KNOX for you."" I still need to do that, right? if so, where do I find those apps?
Thank you so much.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can get all those app except towel root on the play store. Once installed you can use ES file explorer to back them up to apk files then use the my files app that's on ya phone to move them to your SD card for use with your new ROM or keep them where they are since my guide tells you how to keep your data in tact...well for touch wiz ROMs anyway.
StoneyJSG said:
Touchwiz is the "skin" user interface that Samsung puts on top of Android. It is the stock SAMSUNG rom. Just Google touchwiz then Google stock Android, you'll see a difference. I like touchwiz so I am running a custom ROM called "Golden eye". You can download it from the Android development forum here in the S4 section. Other people like stock Android. The magic of being on the MDL bootloader is that you can boot touchwiz and bone stock Android ROMs. Most custom ROMs both stock Android and touchwiz based will let you access Google apps and the play store.
---------- Post added at 10:36 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:21 PM ----------
You can get all those app except towel root on the play store. Once installed you can use ES file explorer to back them up to apk files then use the my files app that's on ya phone to move them to your SD card for use with your new ROM or keep them where they are since my guide tells you how to keep your data in tact...well for touch wiz ROMs anyway.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Since this is a "new" phone and I have nothing to back up yet, do I need to run a backup or can I follow your guide from that point, clean things up and install the ROM of choice?
SilkRoadDog said:
Since this is a "new" phone and I have nothing to back up yet, do I need to run a backup or can I follow your guide from that point, clean things up and install the ROM of choice?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's always good to make a backup in case anything goes wrong with your phone down the road you can get back to where you started without having to flash the MDL stock Rom in ODIN by connecting your phone to your computer. You should though keep a copy of ODIN and the MDL bootloader .tar ODIN file. However, it's entirely optional to make a back up so you could just follow the guide from that point and clean up for a ROM install if you don't want to make a backup.
You can also boot a ROM and then make a backup after you have everything set up. You can back up the stock Rom or any ROM you boot/install. That's the magic of having a custom recovery like TWRP or clock work mod.
StoneyJSG said:
It's always good to make a backup in case anything goes wrong with your phone down the road you can get back to where you started without having to flash the MDL stock Rom in ODIN by connecting your phone to your computer. You should though keep a copy of ODIN and the MDL bootloader .tar ODIN file. However, it's entirely optional to make a back up so you could just follow the guide from that point and clean up for a ROM install if you don't want to make a backup.
You can also boot a ROM and then make a backup after you have everything set up. You can back up the stock Rom or any ROM you boot/install. That's the magic of having a custom recovery like TWRP or clock work mod.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Unfortunately, since I already started the install before seeing this, I have no idea what I backed up or where it is. :crying:
First off, I want to thank you so much for the help. I owe you and would like to buy you a beer or the like. I have my phone back now! There were issues with the Golden Eye install (it froze at the Samsung logo for over an hour) and I had to wipe everything and start over then I was able to get it up and running. Is this the right one? https://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2313469
Quick question: Do you know if that ROM supports an external SD card larger than 32gig?
I am having some issues and so far am not thrilled with this ROM and am wondering if it's the right one or if I screwed up. It hasn't been worked on since 2015 and the dev is hasn't been responsive in years. On my phone, it's really buggy. It boots slow, apps hang when loading, a few don't work right, the screen can flash or freeze and TouchWiz keeps crashing like it was doing at the end on my old phone's life. Any ideas as to why?
SilkRoadDog said:
Unfortunately, since I already started the install before seeing this, I have no idea what I backed up or where it is. :crying:
First off, I want to thank you so much for the help. I owe you and would like to buy you a beer or the like. I have my phone back now! There were issues with the Golden Eye install (it froze at the Samsung logo for over an hour) and I had to wipe everything and start over then I was able to get it up and running. Is this the right one? https://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2313469
Quick question: Do you know if that ROM supports an external SD card larger than 32gig?
I am having some issues and so far am not thrilled with this ROM and am wondering if it's the right one or if I screwed up. It hasn't been worked on since 2015 and the dev is hasn't been responsive in years. On my phone, it's really buggy. It boots slow, apps hang when loading, a few don't work right, the screen can flash or freeze and TouchWiz keeps crashing like it was doing at the end on my old phone's life. Any ideas as to why?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you made a nandroid backup with TWRP recovery or clockwork mod recovery, then the backup file will be on your phone SD card or internal memory. Use the my files app to find it. It should be under a folder called TWRP or clockwork mod.
Hey no problem man, I know how it is to goto a forum and have 87,000 people view your post yet nothing is said. Yes that link is the correct link to golden eye ROM. When booting a ROM for the first time it will get stuck at the Samsung logo for awhile, this is normal but it shouldn't be more than 20 minutes. I think the S4 can handle SD cards up to 128GB, it might only be 64GB though.
Very odd golden eye ROM is giving you issues, I have only had one problem with it and that was the text message app acting up every so often. When you booted golden eye did you use the Aroma installer so it just asks you questions and you pick what you want? If not wipe and start over using aroma, it's built into the ROM. Also be sure to tell Aroma you want to use the "imperium kernel". That's the kernel I am using. Golden eye ROM doesn't have a bootloader update in it, so you'll stay on MDL and not have to worry about your phone patching the loki exploit.
I think you can also use the hybrid max kernel, but I don't think it's in the Aroma installer so if you want it you will have to download it from the forums here and flash it separately.
Another thing you can try is just "nuking your phone" as explained in my guide that wipes everything and gives you a nice clean install. The only reason I included the "keep your data" method in my guide is because I just stumbled upon it by doing it on my phone.
If all else fails and as a last ditch effort, you could send the phone to me and I will see if I can get it up and running with golden eye ROM, then send it back. No guarantees though as I'm no developer or anything, just a guy that knows the basics of Android ROMs and root.
Final report. It turns out the problems I've been having were related to the SU Super App. There have been complaints about the recent version. I thought that it was a corrupt install of Golden Eye so got a clean DL from another mirror and was getting ready to start all over. This time I was going to follow the dev's install instructions step by step instead of yours and his. However, I couldn't install TWRP as he instructed. It hung at 100% and never completed. I thought that maybe Super SU was the issue there so I uninstalled it and all of my other problems went away! So happy. Thank you for everything. I do owe you a drink!
SilkRoadDog said:
Final report. It turns out the problems I've been having were related to the SU Super App. There have been complaints about the recent version. I thought that it was a corrupt install of Golden Eye so got a clean DL from another mirror and was getting ready to start all over. This time I was going to follow the dev's install instructions step by step instead of yours and his. However, I couldn't install TWRP as he instructed. It hung at 100% and never completed. I thought that maybe Super SU was the issue there so I uninstalled it and all of my other problems went away! So happy. Thank you for everything. I do owe you a drink!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hey glad it finally worked out for you. You will need superSU though, try a different version of it and that might fix the issue you're having with the latest version. That is unless you have the kingroot super user app, then you can use that but it's not as good as superSU. I had problems with it authorizing my root apps so I got rid of it and installed superSU. No problem glad to help and no thanks needed but if you really wanna buy me a beer go for it lol.