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[Q] In the middle of the root/unlock process... Need some help

Hi everyone. After 5 months, I decided to come back and try to root my phone again.
First, I'm on JB 4.1.2 with my VZW GS3.
I get to this step in the process.... Step 4 - Rooting Your Device and Unlocking Your Bootloader and every option I choose, tells me that the signature failed and the installation is aborted. Can someone tell me what I did wrong, if it can be fixed, and how?
I was once rooted before, and went back to stock using ODIN in the past. Will that have an effect on it?
When I got to Step 3, I used these instructions: •Flash the VRALEC Bootchain using ODIN v3.07 - My phone shows VRBMB1 - should I have used that boot chain instead? Can I still flash it using ODIN, over what is already there?
I can get my phone to boot normally, but when it boots it just shows custom at the bottom. I haven't bricked it or anything, I'm just concerned I haven't messed up the root process all together.
Thanks for the help...

Did you choose to install the zip in recovery or did you pick a different option? First make sure your zip is good and you didn't get a bad download. You can flash the VRALEC Bootchain whenever, and you must do it before flashing your recovery. If installing your zip isn't working in CWM try installing TWRP and flash the zip on that recovery instead. And no restoring back to stock with Odin won't affect anything.
Sent from my Verizon Samsung Galaxy SIII

joshua5683 said:
Did you choose to install the zip in recovery or did you pick a different option? You can flash the VRALEC Bootchain whenever, and you must do it before flashing your recovery. If installing your zip isn't working in CWM try installing TWRP and flash the zip on that recovery instead. And no restoring back to stock with Odin won't affect anything.
Sent from my Verizon Samsung Galaxy SIII
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I chose to install the zip in recovery, and I did it after flashing my recovery.
Can I install TWRP using ODIN, right over the CWM installation? Will it hurt anything?
Thanks for your help!!

lou1210 said:
I chose to install the zip in recovery, and I did it after flashing my recovery.
Can I install TWRP using ODIN, right over the CWM installation? Will it hurt anything?
Thanks for your help!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Here's what I did:
1. Booted into ODIN, Flashed VARELC
2. Booted into ODIN again, Flashed Recovery (following ALL directions exactly) Pulled battery, put back in, went back into ODIN
3. Attempted to install the Update -> Download SuperSU + Unlocked Bootloader (showed FIXED in the file name)
4. Got this process: finding update package, opening update package, verifying package, signature verification failed, Installation Aborted.

lou1210 said:
Here's what I did:
1. Booted into ODIN, Flashed VARELC
2. Booted into ODIN again, Flashed Recovery (following ALL directions exactly) Pulled battery, put back in, went back into ODIN
3. Attempted to install the Update -> Download SuperSU + Unlocked Bootloader (showed FIXED in the file name)
4. Got this process: finding update package, opening update package, verifying package, signature verification failed, Installation Aborted.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah you're doing everything right I don't know why it's saying that. Try installing with TWRP - you can flash it at anytime and overwrite the old recovery.
Sent from my Verizon Samsung Galaxy SIII

lou1210 said:
Here's what I did:
1. Booted into ODIN, Flashed VARELC
2. Booted into ODIN again, Flashed Recovery (following ALL directions exactly) Pulled battery, put back in, went back into ODIN
3. Attempted to install the Update -> Download SuperSU + Unlocked Bootloader (showed FIXED in the file name)
4. Got this process: finding update package, opening update package, verifying package, signature verification failed, Installation Aborted.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Your second and third step are wrong. You need to flash SuperSU in recovery NOT download mode. Download mode handles "tar" files, recovery handles "zips."
Edit: well, the latter half of your second step is wrong, pull battery then boot into recovery mode...home, volume UP, and power
Sent from my SCH-I535 using xda app-developers app

SlimSnoopOS said:
Your second and third step are wrong. You need to flash SuperSU in recovery NOT download mode. Download mode handles "tar" files, recovery handles "zips."
Edit: well, the latter half of your second step is wrong, pull battery then boot into recovery mode...home, volume UP, and power
Sent from my SCH-I535 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm sorry, I am doing the supers in recovery, not ODIN. I tried both CWM now and TWRP and still have the same exact error messages. Not sure what to do to fix this, but I'm almost ready to try to reverse what I did. I have been wanting to remove the bloatware and now I saw the Carbon ROM that looks pretty cool. If you can get me past this issue, it would be great.

Oh I just noticed you chose update. You have to choose to install in CWM not update. But if it didn't work in TWRP either it sounds like there is something wrong with the zip file. Have you tried redownloading the zip file?
Sent from my Verizon Samsung Galaxy SIII

lou1210 said:
I'm sorry, I am doing the supers in recovery, not ODIN. I tried both CWM now and TWRP and still have the same exact error messages. Not sure what to do to fix this, but I'm almost ready to try to reverse what I did. I have been wanting to remove the bloatware and now I saw the Carbon ROM that looks pretty cool. If you can get me past this issue, it would be great.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Here is another interesting thing....
Should I have an install or is Apply Update the same thing. When I boot into recovery, here are my choices:
reboot
apply update from adb
apply update from external storage
wipe data/factory reset
wipe cache
apply update from cache
Do I have the right version of recovery? Does this help any?

Ok. So I decided to download a new recovery file for CWM and this time it worked.
I'm not sure what told me to do it, but I decided to give it a go.
Next question, I remember the root processing being very involved with clearing cache, clearing dalvik cache, etc.
Is there a link to the newest process on how to root exactly and apply new ROMs? I of course will be backing up my existing ROM first.

lou1210 said:
Ok. So I decided to download a new recovery file for CWM and this time it worked.
I'm not sure what told me to do it, but I decided to give it a go.
Next question, I remember the root processing being very involved with clearing cache, clearing dalvik cache, etc.
Is there a link to the newest process on how to root exactly and apply new ROMs? I of course will be backing up my existing ROM first.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's odd someone else had that issue where install wasn't an option. He ended up using TWRP. That clearing thing is for flashing roms. The way you flash every rom is wipe data/factory reset, clear cache, clear dalvik cache, and wipe /system. Make a backup before. I recommend using TWRP cause there have been times in CWM where I would try to restore and I would get an MD5 mismatch error, which I've never gotten on TWRP
Sent from my Verizon Samsung Galaxy SIII

I was thinking of using the carbon ROM. I realized that I didn't install the md5 file extension for cwm using ODIN so I went back and flashed it with one i was able to find, and it worked. I'm ok with using twrp but I haven't been able to find an md5 file for ODIN. Can you give me a link to one? I've only found .tar files and that seems to have been my problem. I might still try to use cwm now that I have my existing stock ROM backed up. Still debating.
On a side note, if I decide to unroot again, since I have not flashed, is there a method for that so I don't lose what I've got?
Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2

lou1210 said:
I was thinking of using the carbon ROM. I realized that I didn't install the md5 file extension for cwm using ODIN so I went back and flashed it with one i was able to find, and it worked. I'm ok with using twrp but I haven't been able to find an md5 file for ODIN. Can you give me a link to one? I've only found .tar files and that seems to have been my problem. I might still try to use cwm now that I have my existing stock ROM backed up. Still debating.
On a side note, if I decide to unroot again, since I have not flashed, is there a method for that so I don't lose what I've got?
Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What do you mean you can't find the md5? You can flash the .tar twrp recovery in Odin the same way you flash md5s. And no sorry I don't know of any way to unroot without flashing a factory image. But to get your apps back you can use App Backup and Restore. It won't recover the app data obviously cause you need root for that but it's faster for restoring your apps so you don't have to make a list and download each one off the Play Store.

The file I had used didn't have an md5 filename and I think that's why it failed. I found one and downloaded it so it worked for me after that. Thank you for the unroot info too.
Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2

lou1210 said:
The file I had used didn't have an md5 filename and I think that's why it failed. I found one and downloaded it so it worked for me after that. Thank you for the unroot info too.
Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2
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Click to collapse
No problem glad you got things working
Sent from my SCH-I535 using xda app-developers app

MF1 and clockworkmod

I updated to MF1, and it changed my recovery from ClockWork Touch to a much more basic recovery mode (rom manager says CWR and TWRP are both installed). I tried to flash basic clockwork using rom manager and as it reboot I got a message saying "software not authorized" and it would not boot.
I just used ODIN to flash the VRALEC boot chain which allowed the phone to boot. I still seem to have still have MF1. Step 6 here http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2046439 says to then install the correct boot chain, but i dont see one for MF1 yet.
I then tried ODIN to flash CWR from the the above post with the same results (had to re odin vralec).
1. Should I ODIN the VRBMD3 boot chain in the mean time?
2. How do I get ClockWork Recover for MF1, touch or regular?

blindguyinanorgy said:
I updated to MF1, and it changed my recovery from ClockWork Touch to a much more basic recovery mode (rom manager says CWR and TWRP are both installed). I tried to flash basic clockwork using rom manager and as it reboot I got a message saying "software not authorized" and it would not boot.
I just used ODIN to flash the VRALEC boot chain which allowed the phone to boot. I still seem to have still have MF1. Step 6 here http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2046439 says to then install the correct boot chain, but i dont see one for MF1 yet.
I then tried ODIN to flash CWR from the the above post with the same results (had to re odin vralec).
1. Should I ODIN the VRBMD3 boot chain in the mean time?
2. How do I get ClockWork Recover for MF1, touch or regular?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1. No, you don't have to change the bootchain. Vralec is just an old ics bootchain and should run fine.
2. http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2096735
Use ez recovery to flash the most recent CWM recovery, touch or non-touch should both work great. Don't use rom manager anymore until it's updated, that's the second report I've seen of it doing that.
Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2

Did you ota to mf1 by any chance? Im pretty sure your boot loader was relocked.
Sent from my SCH-I535 using xda premium

Watoy said:
Did you ota to mf1 by any chance? Im pretty sure your boot loader was relocked.
Sent from my SCH-I535 using xda premium
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Click to collapse
I did OTA. I can still get into recovery, it is just not CWR.

BadUsername said:
1. No, you don't have to change the bootchain. Vralec is just an old ics bootchain and should run fine.
2. http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2096735
Use ez recovery to flash the most recent CWM recovery, touch or non-touch should both work great. Don't use rom manager anymore until it's updated, that's the second report I've seen of it doing that.
Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2
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Click to collapse
EZ-Recovery worked, but i also think i did something different inside CWR. It asked me if I wanted to disable something and this time I said yes.

blindguyinanorgy said:
EZ-Recovery worked, but i also think i did something different inside CWR. It asked me if I wanted to disable something and this time I said yes.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good, if you say no it'll reinstall the stock recovery and you don't want that. The recovery you were seeing is the stock recovery, very basic with the hardly any options.
Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2

Soft-bricked - Looking for Odin Flashable Stock Recovery 3e

So after 2 days of trying via Odin, I give up. Anybody here got a copy of Stock Recovery 3e? One that can be flashable via Odin?? I tried installing hyperdrive, and it installed via aroma but when I rebooted I got a Verizon Unauthorized rom warning. I really, really thought I had an unlocked bootloader after ez unlock. I don't have stock recovery nor cwm touch anymore (the one I replaced 3e with).
Since Odin just wouldn't work (tried all versions) and just fails after a few minutes, I figured maybe I could get away with flashing a recovery 3e, then wiping and reflashing a flashable stock rom from there. Any help will be appreciated.

Your best option is to figure out how to get Odin to flash stock. That will fix your recovery. Do you have the proper drivers installed? Does Windows detect it in device manager? Does Odin see it?
Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk

This solved my soft brick, I hope it solves yours too!
ojpd said:
So after 2 days of trying via Odin, I give up. Anybody here got a copy of Stock Recovery 3e? One that can be flashable via Odin?? I tried installing hyperdrive, and it installed via aroma but when I rebooted I got a Verizon Unauthorized rom warning. I really, really thought I had an unlocked bootloader after ez unlock. I don't have stock recovery nor cwm touch anymore (the one I replaced 3e with).
Since Odin just wouldn't work (tried all versions) and just fails after a few minutes, I figured maybe I could get away with flashing a recovery 3e, then wiping and reflashing a flashable stock rom from there. Any help will be appreciated.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

Thank you! Finally out of soft brick.
Sent from my SCH-I535 using xda app-developers app

[Q] Can I go back to a stock rom from CWM?

Hi guys,
3 days ago I had root but softbricked by installing hyperdrive when "I thought" I unlocked via ez-unlock but I guess that didn't take. Tried to restore back to stock but couldn't, I lost access to CWM and Odin nor Heimdall (Mac, Linux and Windows) didn't like my phone in 3 computers using 3 different cables.
But from continuous failed/incomplete/partial flashes, CWM is miraculously back! So that's like my only glimmer of hope right now. So my question is could I get back to stock or any rom from flashing something from CWM? Could I get ANY kind of ROM running again, could I root again, unlock bootloader and install new rom via CWM.. Basically can I fix my phone from CWM? Or is the only way back to any rom is via stock via Odin/Heimdall?
PLEASE HELP.

ojpd said:
Hi guys,
3 days ago I had root but softbricked by installing hyperdrive when "I thought" I unlocked via ez-unlock but I guess that didn't take. Tried to restore back to stock but couldn't, I lost access to CWM and Odin nor Heimdall (Mac, Linux and Windows) didn't like my phone in 3 computers using 3 different cables.
But from continuous failed/incomplete/partial flashes, CWM is miraculously back! So that's like my only glimmer of hope right now. So my question is could I get back to stock or any rom from flashing something from CWM? Could I get ANY kind of ROM running again, could I root again, unlock bootloader and install new rom via CWM.. Basically can I fix my phone from CWM? Or is the only way back to any rom is via stock via Odin/Heimdall?
PLEASE HELP.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So confusing....
Ok, so you're on a stock rom right now and you have cwm installed? You must have some type of root enabled, do you have supersu or superuser installed? If you don't you need to install one from the playstore.
If you have cwm, then all you need to do is use ez unlock to unlock your bootloader then you can flash away. Use version 1.2, you likely used 1.4 which doesn't always work.
Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2

BadUsername said:
So confusing....
Ok, so you're on a stock rom right now and you have cwm installed? You must have some type of root enabled, do you have supersu or superuser installed? If you don't you need to install one from the playstore.
If you have cwm, then all you need to do is use ez unlock to unlock your bootloader then you can flash away. Use version 1.2, you likely used 1.4 which doesn't always work.
Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2
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Click to collapse
I'm really sorry about the confusion.
I came from a stock rooted, "unlocked" rom, it had CWM touch installed. Then I tried to install Hyperdrive.. Install went well via aroma.. But after reboot I got the verizon unauthorized error and I lost access to CWM Touch but I could go into download mode... Now here's where the confusion starts...
I tried to flash back to stock via Odin. Each and every single time it failed after a few files. Believe me I looked for a solution as in several solutions all of which failed until my last flash which also failed but installed a few more files before it failed and I dunno I got CWM Touch back.
Hence the reason why I'm asking if I could fix my phone via CWM because Odin is crazy and Heimdall is also picky.

ojpd said:
I'm really sorry about the confusion.
I came from a stock rooted, "unlocked" rom, it had CWM touch installed. Then I tried to install Hyperdrive.. Install went well via aroma.. But after reboot I got the verizon unauthorized error and I lost access to CWM Touch but I could go into download mode... Now here's where the confusion starts...
I tried to flash back to stock via Odin. Each and every single time it failed after a few files. Believe me I looked for a solution as in several solutions all of which failed until my last flash which also failed but installed a few more files before it failed and I dunno I got CWM Touch back.
Hence the reason why I'm asking if I could fix my phone via CWM because Odin is crazy and Heimdall is also picky.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So you can get into download mode just fine? You need to use a better USB cable and try a different port on your computer. It should be able to flash, but if you're using a lower quality cable than what came with the phone it might be your issue.
This guide should work if you can't get a normal flash back to stock work:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1840030
Basically, the only other way I know of to go back to stock without a pc is to use mobile Odin, but that needs root access. There's no file you can flash in recovery to go completely back to stock as it will still leave you with a custom recovery installed.
Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2

I finally got into my rom, after flashing the first boot chain (vralec) Odin messed up again, couldn't flash the 2nd one nor root66 so I pulled my batt and I guess the first vralec gave me stock recovery n just let me boot into my rom, installed twrp and ez unlock 1.2 from there, rebooted into twrp and then installed TkROM.
Thanks for all the help.
Sent from my SCH-I535 using xda app-developers app

Glad it worked out, and nice rom choice.
Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2

Strange TWRP problem, no OS detected etc. Boots fine to stock

I ran the causal root applet on a new SG3 on 4.1.2. Ran root, the unlock script and installed TWRP. Booted into recovery and I got the error for a locked bootloader. I used download mode to get back to the stock rom and then used E-Z unlock to unlock the bootloader. Was able to boot into recovery this time but TWRP read internal and external memory as 0mb, unable to make a backup, and gave a no OS error when went to reboot. I updated TWRP with TWRP manager but the problems are still persistent. Phone boots fine and reboots fine at the moment.
I'm not sure what to do now though. I'm at the point were I don't care if I get stuck with the OTA update but I'm afraid that will brick the phone. I'm not sure what went wrong with TWRP, since this is the second S3 I've rooted.
Any sugestions? I'm afraid to use odin or try anything else since the phone currently works fine. But I'd prefer to not have to sleep in fear it might force the OTA update while I'm asleep and wake up to a bricked phone.
I tried searching, the best I could find is that newer versions of TWRP can't read the memory on a 4.1.2 rom, but the problems were there when I originally started with the recommended version.
Thanks for any help anyone can give.

Try to use cwm or philz and see if you have the same issue.
Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2

Xx

BadUsername said:
Try to use cwm or philz and see if you have the same issue.
Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can you install a different custom recovery over one using the causal applet? I was planning on trying to reinstall TWRP but I wasn't sure if I had to do it a certain way like through odin or Using the unified tool kit?
Thanks for the help so far!

Smogon said:
Can you install a different custom recovery over one using the causal applet? I was planning on trying to reinstall TWRP but I wasn't sure if I had to do it a certain way like through odin or Using the unified tool kit?
Thanks for the help so far!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No.
Download latest philz touch recovery d2lte zip, then flash it in recovery, then reboot recovery.
Then check and see if you're getting a similar error message.
Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2

BadUsername said:
No.
Download latest philz touch recovery d2lte zip, then flash it in recovery, then reboot recovery.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I can't, recovery doesn't detect my internal or external memory. That's my main issue.

Smogon said:
I can't, recovery doesn't detect my internal or external memory. That's my main issue.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
OK.
Then download the Odin version and flash through that. Then boot the phone into recovery.
Or download ez recovery, and the latest cwm image file, and flash through that from your rom.
Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2

BadUsername said:
OK.
Then download the Odin version and flash through that. Then boot the phone into recovery.
Or download ez recovery, and the latest cwm image file, and flash through that from your rom.
Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'll try the second option, Thanks!

BadUsername said:
OK.
Or download ez recovery, and the latest cwm image file, and flash through that from your rom.
Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I tried CWM and the stock recovery through EZ, both gave the same error as TWRP, unable to mount /
I'm really confused as to whats wrong. At this point I don't care if I get stuck with the OTA 4.3, but I don't want to try to update it with the recovery still not reading either my SD cards.
Any Ideas?

Are you sure of your phone model? I believe it puts it on the screen in download mode and also on a sticker under the battery. I'm mostly curious because you mention that this is a new phone with 4.1.2. Are you trying older versions of cwm as well?
Sent from my SCH-I535 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app

Smogon said:
I ran the causal root applet on a new SG3 on 4.1.2. Ran root, the unlock script and installed TWRP. Booted into recovery and I got the error for a locked bootloader. I used download mode to get back to the stock rom and then used E-Z unlock to unlock the bootloader. Was able to boot into recovery this time but TWRP read internal and external memory as 0mb, unable to make a backup, and gave a no OS error when went to reboot. I updated TWRP with TWRP manager but the problems are still persistent. Phone boots fine and reboots fine at the moment.
I'm not sure what to do now though. I'm at the point were I don't care if I get stuck with the OTA update but I'm afraid that will brick the phone. I'm not sure what went wrong with TWRP, since this is the second S3 I've rooted.
Any sugestions? I'm afraid to use odin or try anything else since the phone currently works fine. But I'd prefer to not have to sleep in fear it might force the OTA update while I'm asleep and wake up to a bricked phone.
I tried searching, the best I could find is that newer versions of TWRP can't read the memory on a 4.1.2 rom, but the problems were there when I originally started with the recommended version.
Thanks for any help anyone can give.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
by any chance did u try to setup dualboot? I have a similar issue where nothing gets mounted and o mb for storage, .only receovery i get to work is cwm. im pretty sure its a partition issue but idk. i tried flashing pit files for my phone but so far the issue remains.

xevildoerxx said:
by any chance did u try to setup dualboot? I have a similar issue where nothing gets mounted and o mb for storage, .only receovery i get to work is cwm. im pretty sure its a partition issue but idk. i tried flashing pit files for my phone but so far the issue remains.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No I just used the causal tool.
dpeeps74 said:
Are you sure of your phone model? I believe it puts it on the screen in download mode and also on a sticker under the battery. I'm mostly curious because you mention that this is a new phone with 4.1.2. Are you trying older versions of cwm as well?
Sent from my SCH-I535 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm pretty sure, has all the verizon bloat and logos, also I'm pretty sure the causal applet bricks the international ones. I don't remember the version of twrp that the causal script flashed, but I tried that one, the most recent one, and 2.5 i think from EZ recovery. The stock recovery from EZ has the same issue now though which is what really confuses me. at the moment I have root dissabled and the bootloader is locked and its back with the stock recovery, it still says custom when i reboot the phone though.