Database Info

To Root or not to Root?

I'm getting my Mom a Skyrocket for Xmas. I'm going to set it up for her. I would like to remove some of the ATT junk. That would require root. But when ICS comes, I would like her to be able to get the update OTA without any problems. She lives 600 miles away and I can't just fix things for her easily.
If I root and then unroot, will she be able to gt OTA updates?

yes if you unroot you can recieve the update. even if your rooted but have stock recovery you should be able to recieve the update.. you must have stock recovery

silver03wrx said:
yes if you unroot you can recieve the update. even if your rooted but have stock recovery you should be able to recieve the update.. you must have stock recovery
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So if I just root for su access. Then install a few apps that require superuser to install but not run,then uninstall root I should be OK. But I could also leave root maybe?

So we can root, delete bloat ware then unroot?

you may not be able to take and ota update if u deleted bloat... you can root and freeze your bloat then if theres an ota update unfreeze and take teh update. as long as you have stock recovery..

draztikrhymez said:
So we can root, delete bloat ware then unroot?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You missed a step
1) Root
2) Uninstall Bloatware
3) Install my own Bloatware
4) Unroot
I'm hoping that will work.
Or maybe leave root in place?

Silver03wrx is one of the best sources of help skyrockets have right now.
You only need stock recovery and bloatware means, you only need stock recovery and bloatware.
So freeze it, don't uninstall it. Anything that needs to be flashed by cwm, don't. Do it manually as cwm replaces stock recovery.
Aside from those, do whatever you want. Just make sure if any over the air updates come out, all the apps are unfrozen first or it can cause issues and/or no allow the update to install.
Play around with droidvnc. It allows remote connection to an Android. Let's you do remote assistance. Can be slow, but sometimes, most the time, faster than our parents.
Sent from my páhhōniē

silver03wrx said:
you may not be able to take and ota update if u deleted bloat... you can root and freeze your bloat then if theres an ota update unfreeze and take teh update. as long as you have stock recovery..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm new here, what does freezing do? I've seen it in Titanium. Won't the app still show in the appz menus?

les_garten said:
I'm new here, what does freezing do? I've seen it in Titanium. Won't the app still show in the appz menus?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
no. thats the point of freezing. it wont show up in app drawer or run in background if its a service....from looking at your phone, it wont appear that its installed, however, the files are still there in case you need to defrost them later on for some service that Samsung requires for an OTA (over the air)
if you uninstall, you are REMOVING the files from /system/apps/ and we dont know how that will react to an OTA at this point.

Hi, sorry to re-open an old thread but I too am a new android user and was wondering about the future ICS update for our skyrockets.
The words that keep repeating in this post are "freeze bloatware" and "stock recovery" in order to get the official ICS update.
I rooted my phone and used bloat freezer free found in the app market to freeze a bunch of bloat and installed wifi tether for root users. Does this mean I still have "stock recovery"?
Sorry- I've been an iphone user for the past 4 years (since nearly the first day it came out) and i'm not familiar with all the android terms yet. thanks!

You would know if u had stock recovery. Because you would have had to flash cwm recovery tar with odin or installed it with rom manager. If u did not do eiher of those yes you have stock recovery

Is there a way to get root access without installing CWM? I thought that was the only way to install the superuser file?

device status

Hi,
my device status is modified, but ive used the traingle application to make the binary count like stock, but you cannot remove the battery on a tablet which is what ive seen people say to do...so what do I do to fix this?

asustf700t said:
Hi,
my device status is modified, but ive used the traingle application to make the binary count like stock, but you cannot remove the battery on a tablet which is what ive seen people say to do...so what do I do to fix this?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Did you remove root by deleting superuser?

mertin said:
Did you remove root by deleting superuser?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I genuinely don't understand what that means...

Triangle-away only resets the flash counter on our device... It will still say modified as samsung get the tabs to do a scan of the root directory to see if it can find any "abnormal" binaries meaning the tab is rooted... It will show "Custom" in the about settings everytime... The ONLY way, so far, is to reset flash counter, remove Super User access and essentially go back to stock...
It's Samsung's little way of finding out if you have flashed a custom rom/recovery using ODIN as triangle-away cheats their system...
You will need to reset EVERYTHING back to stock if you have a valid warranty claim....

ultramag69 said:
Triangle-away only resets the flash counter on our device... It will still say modified as samsung get the tabs to do a scan of the root directory to see if it can find any "abnormal" binaries meaning the tab is rooted... It will show "Custom" in the about settings everytime... The ONLY way, so far, is to reset flash counter, remove Super User access and essentially go back to stock...
It's Samsung's little way of finding out if you have flashed a custom rom/recovery using ODIN as triangle-away cheats their system...
You will need to reset EVERYTHING back to stock if you have a valid warranty claim....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thank you

[Q] Noob Successful Root now silly Unrooting question

Ok so i followed instructions and sucessfully rooted my galaxy player 4.2 XXA (usa version) now my question is if I decide I don't find a need to have root wich I haven't yet.. How would I go about unrooting it..my first guess is by flashing the stock firmware via odin like I did with the rooted firmware.. would this be enough to undo it or are there more steps? Would this be cleanly unrooting it
as for warranty purposes?
excuse my ignorance but I've never owned an android device before

You can just Google this. Something like "unroot <device name>". Personally, I wouldn't have rooted it in the first place if I didn't have a reason - you're opening yourself up to potential problems and security issues especially if you're not sure what's going on.
And, I'm just a no obligation, too - but Googling it would be what I'd do and I bet I'd find an answer.
Sent from my Transformer TF101 using xda app-developers app

OTA Update
If you perform an OTA software update, 99% of the time, your root will pack up and remove with the OTA update. Also, some SuperSu or Super User applications have the options to unroot or fully clean up root. These should resolve the issue should you need to unroot.
If my post was helpful, feel free to hit my thanks button!!

Thanks
Great thanks.. yeah this SuperSU app has the option to fully clean up root. I'm not going to do that just now since I'd like to clean up some of the bloatware first. I was just curios since I'd like to be able to go back if I ever need warranty service but hopefully I wont... I hit thanks button for you guys.
jmurph said:
If you perform an OTA software update, 99% of the time, your root will pack up and remove with the OTA update. Also, some SuperSu or Super User applications have the options to unroot or fully clean up root. These should resolve the issue should you need to unroot.
If my post was helpful, feel free to hit my thanks button!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

[email protected] said:
Great thanks.. yeah this SuperSU app has the option to fully clean up root. I'm not going to do that just now since I'd like to clean up some of the bloatware first. I was just curios since I'd like to be able to go back if I ever need warranty service but hopefully I wont... I hit thanks button for you guys.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You're welcome!! and thank you! Some phones are also unable to be opened in a repair center, opening and slyly disabling functionality can save a butt here and there with bricked and rooted devices, just because they can't open them doesn't mean you can't.

Triangle Away Question

So, I've got JB 4.1.2 and am rooted. No custom ROM. (I think I used Chainfire's method, but can't remember exactly. If anybody can tell me if there's a way to verify that, it would be helpful.)
I'd like to be able to get OTA updates and have read several threads about Triangle Away. Frankly, I don't really understand them, and they scare me.
So, my questions are:
1. Is Triangle Away a pretty safe thing to do? I've read about having to reset if something should happen. I don't really want to have to do that.
2. Once I run Triangle Away, is my device the way it was before I started? I keep reading about a factory reset and am not really sure what that entails.
I don't want to have to start over. I just want to keep it the way I have it and be able to install OTA updates.
Thanks in advance!

loribuono said:
So, I've got JB 4.1.2 and am rooted. No custom ROM. (I think I used Chainfire's method, but can't remember exactly. If anybody can tell me if there's a way to verify that, it would be helpful.)
I'd like to be able to get OTA updates and have read several threads about Triangle Away. Frankly, I don't really understand them, and they scare me.
So, my questions are:
1. Is Triangle Away a pretty safe thing to do? I've read about having to reset if something should happen. I don't really want to have to do that.
2. Once I run Triangle Away, is my device the way it was before I started? I keep reading about a factory reset and am not really sure what that entails.
I don't want to have to start over. I just want to keep it the way I have it and be able to install OTA updates.
Thanks in advance!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1. Yes it works pretty well for me
2. No - you're still rooted. Factory reset will make no difference.
If you're rooted then it's simple no OTA. You need to return to stock so a stock OTA can be applied.
Incidentally for my $500 device I can remember exactly what method I used to root it on every occasion that I have needed to.
1. Exynos Abuse - first root - maintained by Mobile Odin
2. Chainfire for 4.1.2 BTU
3. Chainfire for 4.1.2 XSG
---------- Post added at 12:43 AM ---------- Previous post was at 12:36 AM ----------
Now that I think about it, I've probably done you a dis-service.
Did you even check what Triangle Away does?
It (requires root) resets the Binary flash counter so Samsung don't know you've flashed something you shouldn't have.
The things you shouldn't have flashed include
Chainfire AF
TWRP
CWM
etc
For any changes to Recovery - The Binary counter cannot be reset permanently. It will increases every time it detects a custom recovery

im thinking of rooting now as I'm not sure that Samsung are going to role out any more updates for the note 10.1 - its all quiet on that front (I have S3 to and it's quiet on that front to). So in reality it doesn't really matter about OTA (i guess). Ill make my mind up more once I have a question answered regarding root apps.

Bulbous said:
1. Yes it works pretty well for me
2. No - you're still rooted. Factory reset will make no difference.
If you're rooted then it's simple no OTA. You need to return to stock so a stock OTA can be applied.
Incidentally for my $500 device I can remember exactly what method I used to root it on every occasion that I have needed to.
1. Exynos Abuse - first root - maintained by Mobile Odin
2. Chainfire for 4.1.2 BTU
3. Chainfire for 4.1.2 XSG
---------- Post added at 12:43 AM ---------- Previous post was at 12:36 AM ----------
Now that I think about it, I've probably done you a dis-service.
Did you even check what Triangle Away does?
It (requires root) resets the Binary flash counter so Samsung don't know you've flashed something you shouldn't have.
The things you shouldn't have flashed include
Chainfire AF
TWRP
CWM
etc
For any changes to Recovery - The Binary counter cannot be reset permanently. It will increases every time it detects a custom recovery
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't understand your answer to number 2. No, it's not the same as it was before Triangle Away? It's still rooted? That is the way it was before Triangle Away.
I also don't understand this: "If you're rooted then it's simple no OTA."
What I want to know is: Will running Triangle Away on my rooted device (no custom ROM) allow me to install OTA updates (by resetting the counter), but leave my device otherwise unchanged?

from what I understood by researching this for myself (correct me if I'm wrong) , as long as you have root your device will be shown as 'custom' under device settings(even it you have no binary count ), So you won't be able to relieve OTA updates, the only way to receive OTA would be to format system , but then you would lose root, So having root AND OTA at the same time is not possible .
however,I think that apps like triangle away have a option that can hide root or something like that.I didn't read into this though
again, I'm new here as well So I'm not sure it what I said here is correct- its also a way to check if I understood
Sent from my GT-N8010 using xda app-developers app

loribuono said:
I don't understand your answer to number 2. No, it's not the same as it was before Triangle Away? It's still rooted? That is the way it was before Triangle Away.
I also don't understand this: "If you're rooted then it's simple no OTA."
What I want to know is: Will running Triangle Away on my rooted device (no custom ROM) allow me to install OTA updates (by resetting the counter), but leave my device otherwise unchanged?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Triangle Away is used to reset the built in flash counter that Samsung can check to see if you flashed a custom recovery. Typically people flash a custom recovery as a first step in rooting their phone. So the flash counter is increased from 0, and they can tell that you're a naughty boy and have "abused" your phone - warrant void. Triangle away DOES NOT alter the fact that you then went on to root the phone. So your root status remains.
OTA updates check the status of the phone (custom), they don't check the flash counter. So Triangle Away has no effect at all on OTA updates since it doesn't effect root.
So if your phone is rooted then you CANNOT get OTA updates and TA will not help you. You have to NOT be rooted to get OTA.
To go further, you probably have to have never rooted on that particular ROM to receive OTA updates.
So - to be clear
1. If you want OTA - then use TA to clear flash counter and then use ODIN to flash the latest stock rom for your country - this will erase root and place stock recovery.
2. If you want root then just face the fact that you cannot have OTA
I just checked my flash counter - it's 1 because i have TWRP installed. I can reset it to 0 with TA, but it just goes back to 1 all the time that TWRP is there.

loribuono.... can you tell us what version or build rom you have?
Please correct me if I'm wrong guys.........
As loribuono is running a stock rooted rom they could reset flash count with Triangle Away.
Then use odin to install the latest rom for his device from http://samfirmware.com/
This should put them back to factory and my experience has been that no data will be lost.
Then run update to see if you truly have all the latest updates.
Then root again.
This should work correct??????
Oh..... remember to make a backup in TWRP or CWM before doing any of the above and you will be OK.
.

kkretch said:
loribuono.... can you tell us what version or build rom you have?
Please correct me if I'm wrong guys.........
As loribuono is running a stock rooted rom they could reset flash count with Triangle Away.
Then use odin to install the latest rom for his device from http://samfirmware.com/
This should put them back to factory and my experience has been that no data will be lost.
Then run update to see if you truly have all the latest updates.
Then root again.
This should work correct??????
Oh..... remember to make a backup in TWRP or CWM before doing any of the above and you will be OK.
.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+1 on this.
If you are rooted and want to remain rooted, you do not want OTA updates. Download firmware from sammobile and install via mobileODIN. Set to inject root and MobileODIN.
This method keeps my note 10.1 stock, rooted, latest firmware.
Sent from my SGH-I747 using xda app-developers app

methaq said:
+1 on this.
If you are rooted and want to remain rooted, you do not want OTA updates. Download firmware from sammobile and install via mobileODIN. Set to inject root and MobileODIN.
This method keeps my note 10.1 stock, rooted, latest firmware.
Sent from my SGH-I747 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
O I like this... But how can you be sure you downloaded the correct version when is released? ... I'm in UK note 8010 wifi... What things would I typically need to look for?
Sent from my GT-I9300 using xda app-developers app

lisa2blonde said:
O I like this... But how can you be sure you downloaded the correct version when is released? ... I'm in UK note 8010 wifi... What things would I typically need to look for?
Sent from my GT-I9300 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Go to http://samfirmware.com/ and type in 8010 and it will tell you all the firmware that is out for your unit.
It looks like this is the latest for yours.
N8010XXUCMB2_N8010O2UCMB1_O2U.zip | 1028.9 MB
http://www.hotfile.com/dl/204300257/b1c466c/N8010XXUCMB2_N8010O2UCMB1_O2U.zip.html

Oh... It's that easy to upgrade the firmware with mobile odin. Thank you so much for the tips. I'm going to root the device and forget about OTA. I could just do with knowing a number of useful and key 'root apps' now too. I guess triangle away and mobile odin are essential.
Thank you so much for the advice
Sent from my GT-I9300 using xda app-developers app

kkretch said:
loribuono.... can you tell us what version or build rom you have?
Please correct me if I'm wrong guys.........
As loribuono is running a stock rooted rom they could reset flash count with Triangle Away.
Then use odin to install the latest rom for his device from http://samfirmware.com/
This should put them back to factory and my experience has been that no data will be lost.
Then run update to see if you truly have all the latest updates.
Then root again.
This should work correct??????
Oh..... remember to make a backup in TWRP or CWM before doing any of the above and you will be OK.
.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My build version is JZO54K.N8013UEUCMA3
My counter is set to 5, because I had at one time put the German ROM on this thing. I went back to stock, updated to JB and then rooted. That's where I'm at.
I don't understand most of this stuff, like when someone says "set to inject root and MobileODIN." Set what? What is "inject root?" It's the terminology I don't get.
Not to mention the conflicting information... you can.. you can't. Still don't know if what I want is possible.

loribuono said:
My build version is JZO54K.N8013UEUCMA3
My counter is set to 5, because I had at one time put the German ROM on this thing. I went back to stock, updated to JB and then rooted. That's where I'm at.
I don't understand most of this stuff, like when someone says "set to inject root and MobileODIN." Set what? What is "inject root?" It's the terminology I don't get.
Not to mention the conflicting information... you can.. you can't. Still don't know if what I want is possible.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Since you are rooted, install triangleaway and run it... Presto, you now have 0 flash count...

Samsung Trojan.

I had a Samsung grandmax g7202(untouched stock rom) with popup ads and automatic app downloads. A factory reset didn't help.I found out that the stock recovery had been replaced with odin and the trojan has been flashed.(probably thats why odin right?)
I rooted the phone but i couldn't figure out the package names and had to flash a new rom.Its ok now but how can something like this be done remotely? Had it been a spyware...cant imagine. Is it a venerability? it seems serious or am i missing something??

Pemba_Tamang said:
I had a Samsung grandmax g7202(untouched stock rom) with popup ads and automatic app downloads. A factory reset didn't help.I found out that the stock recovery had been replaced with odin and the trojan has been flashed.(probably thats why odin right?)
I rooted the phone but i couldn't figure out the package names and had to flash a new rom.Its ok now but how can something like this be done remotely? Had it been a spyware...cant imagine. Is it a venerability? it seems serious or am i missing something??
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
man let me see
did you install any outside apps ?
if so pls name
is someone in ur family interseted in tech(root etc.)?
maybe someone had physical access to ur phone
i recommend a nice permissions app.
maybe scan your phone with avg also
if possible do you have the apk file of the trojan(s) app ?
pls send, wanna have a look
thanks