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[Q] I think I killed my Nexus S! Please help! (unlocking process/rooting stuff)

So, this is what has happened so far:
I googled for a small and easy to follow guide to unlock my phone so that I can later on install a custom rom. I followed the steps provided here:
http://nexusshacks.com/nexus-s-hacks/how-to-root-nexus-s/
What I didn't notice on the first place was the "UPDATE: DO NOT FOLLOW THIS GUIDE INSTEAD Please see new root method which works on all Nexus S and Nexus S 4G!" link. Don't ask why - really don't know.
The result was having my Nexus S stuck on a screen that shows Google logo on the middle and an unlocked padlock on the bottom.
It seemed, or to be exact, I figured out that, the problem was the .img file mentioned on some point in the middle of this.. tutorial.
So, I decided to follow the newer guide that can be found here:
http://nexusshacks.com/nexus-s-hacks/how-to-root-nexus-s-or-nexus-s-4g-new/
Although all went well (didn't have to go all over the same processes up to the .img installatin point), I ended up with the same screen that shows Google logo on the middle and an unlocked padlock on the bottom.
I figured out that I could just install a rom at this point, and decided that I should go back to stock. So, I followed this guide here:
http://nexusshacks.com/nexus-s-hacks/how-to-unroot-nexus-s-i9020ti9020ai9023/
But, when I choose to install the .zip file, I get this error:
assert failed: "getprop ("ro.product.device") == "crespo" || "getprop ("ro.product.device") == "crespo"
E: Error in /sdcard/i9020t_i9023.zip
(status 7)
Installation aborded
..let me add to this point that I have bought my Nexus S from EU, it is an i9023. Let me also add that all I wanted is to flash an ICS rom and I think I have ended with a f****d device I don't know what to do with!
Any help, really, would be so much appreciated since I need to use this phone. I have a backup for calls etc but I need some smartphone features!

I seriously doubt you killed your Nexus S. Temporarily disabled is more like it.
From off position, hold down Power + VOL-UP. You should be greeted with a screen with a green android and 4 options. If you can get there, that's the bootloader, and unless you manage to kill it (which is VERY hard to do), you can reflash everything from there via usb and adb.
What model Nexus S do you have? That's important for helping you to flash it.

nickmv said:
I seriously doubt you killed your Nexus S. Temporarily disabled is more like it.
From off position, hold down Power + VOL-UP. You should be greeted with a screen with a green android and 4 options. If you can get there, that's the bootloader, and unless you manage to kill it (which is VERY hard to do), you can reflash everything from there via usb and adb.
What model Nexus S do you have? That's important for helping you to flash it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, I can enter this menu - there already. My model is an i9023GSM.

OK, then you DONT have a dead phone. You just need to reflash it correctly.
I'm sorry I can't be helpful for longer, because I am at work,but follow this guide and make sure you follow every detail (take note of step 6 in particular).
I know it's a long guide, but it's VERY detailed, and should get you up and running.
On a side note, for ROM selection, are you looking for an Ice Cream Sandwich alpha ROM (android 4.0) (less stable) or the older Gingerbread ROMs (2.3.7)?

nickmv said:
OK, then you DONT have a dead phone. You just need to reflash it correctly.
I'm sorry I can't be helpful for longer, because I am at work,but follow this guide and make sure you follow every detail (take note of step 6 in particular).
I know it's a long guide, but it's VERY detailed, and should get you up and running.
On a side note, for ROM selection, are you looking for an Ice Cream Sandwich alpha ROM (android 4.0) (less stable) or the older Gingerbread ROMs (2.3.7)?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You gave me the good news so, thank you for that. Now, I should follow this guide and come back in case I have a problem.
As far as the rom, I wanted to flash an ICS since I cannot wait any longer for Google to release the official update. But right now, anything that can get my device up and running would be really good!

Edit: nvm. >_<

kijp15 said:
Why don't you just use shabby's one click root. Simple & much easier. Saves all sorts of troubles.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Will this solve the problem I'm facing? If yes, then it's fine by me.
Ok, just saw the edit, no worries!

nickmv said:
but follow this guide and make sure you follow every detail (take note of step 6 in particular).
I know it's a long guide, but it's VERY detailed, and should get you up and running.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
OK, stuck already. On Part 2 what I understand is that I have to open the CMD and copy-paste the path to the "tools" folder? Because this is what I do, and after - since this is what I have understand - I type "fastboot oem unlock" and I get "'fastboot' is not recognized as an internal or external command,
operable program or batch file."
What do I do wrong?
EDIT:
Tottaly stuck on Part 2. It seems that there is no fastboot.exe file inside "tools" folder. I don't think the problem is something else - I'm sure I give the right commands since I tryied for fun another folder I have with fastboot.exe inside and it worked - to be exact it just gave me a FAILED messsage since device is already unlocked. Plus, regarding Part 3, Step 1, the first file for download is missing so I used the second link and downloaded 5023-cyan file. Hope this was a right move to do.
EDIT 2:
Ok, here is the story so far: I followed the guide given step by step. The USB drivers has been installed correctly so the device can be connected to the PC.
In the "tools" folder there was no such fastboot.exe file so I manually added one that I've found on the newer guide given on the 1st post. The unlocking process is failing because the device is already unlocked.
I did manage to install after this, the 5023-cyan.img file since this is the only link working from Part 3, Step 1. This gone well too!
Now, I couldn't go on with Part 4, I mean, I could not install the .zip file as it describes so through recovery mode I installed the .zip file succesfully (confirmation message to Nexus S screen).
I reboot and still get the same Google logo on the middle and an unlocked padlock on the bottom.
I cannot understand what I do so wrong? Oh, I'm so disappointed..

OK, people, head's up! I did manage to install the latest stable rom of cyanogenmod and the phone is up and running! It means that somehow everything went well! Now, how do I return back to OEM? Because I just need to make things as they where before..
..or should I give cyanogenmod a chance?

http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1063664 or use ROM manager and select Stock ROM (you should then receive OTA upgrades to 2.3.6).
On the latter: You colud just back up different ROMs and switch between them using CW.

skatastamoutrasas said:
Will this solve the problem I'm facing? If yes, then it's fine by me.
Ok, just saw the edit, no worries!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you are still facing problems. Try locking your bootloader again with this method. Then it will let you go back on stock. Use v3 it is stable solid and easy to use.
Nexus S + CM9 kangs = Awesomeness

mixtapes08 said:
If you are still facing problems. Try locking your bootloader again with this method. Then it will let you go back on stock. Use v3 it is stable solid and easy to use.
Nexus S + CM9 kangs = Awesomeness
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can you give me a CM9 kangs link since as new here, I'm kinda lost?

Ok new problem this time! After I installed my 3rd rom (probably, a totall noob thing to do) which was the OEM one, I tryied to re-enter recovery mode to wipe all data and re-install the rom I want. But now I get this mark of the small green android with a big exclamation mark on top of his head. What is this new hell that found me?

skatastamoutrasas said:
Ok new problem this time! After I installed my 3rd rom (probably, a totall noob thing to do) which was the OEM one, I tryied to re-enter recovery mode to wipe all data and re-install the rom I want. But now I get this mark of the small green android with a big exclamation mark on top of his head. What is this new hell that found me?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Try re-flashing the recovery. Either threw rom manager or fastboot.
Fastboot flash recovery "nameofrecovery".img

kijp15 said:
Try re-flashing the recovery. Either threw rom manager or fastboot.
Fastboot flash recovery "nameofrecovery".img
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Worked just fine! Thank you!

skatastamoutrasas said:
OK, people, head's up! I did manage to install the latest stable rom of cyanogenmod and the phone is up and running! It means that somehow everything went well! Now, how do I return back to OEM? Because I just need to make things as they where before..
..or should I give cyanogenmod a chance?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nice, glad to see you managed to get it working. Honestly, the hassle is kind of worth it, because you learn more about the process anyways.
That being said, give CyanogenMod a chance. There's also several other ROMs. Unless you need stock OS for warranty service, I'd recommend going with one of the many custom ROMs we have here.
There are several minimalistic AOSP-built ROMs that mimic the feel of the stock OS, but are optimized for speed, and still have some very nice tweaks that you may enjoy. Just take a look through the dev section, and you'll see we have tons of options.

nickmv said:
Nice, glad to see you managed to get it working. Honestly, the hassle is kind of worth it, because you learn more about the process anyways.
That being said, give CyanogenMod a chance. There's also several other ROMs. Unless you need stock OS for warranty service, I'd recommend going with one of the many custom ROMs we have here.
There are several minimalistic AOSP-built ROMs that mimic the feel of the stock OS, but are optimized for speed, and still have some very nice tweaks that you may enjoy. Just take a look through the dev section, and you'll see we have tons of options.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It did worth the hassle, that's for sure. Now I think it's so easy to unlock a Nexus plus I now have a little more knowledge regarding Android .
I will stick with CM 2.3.7 as it looks just fine. I don't care about warranty, I don't think I will ever need the official service for a software issue. Now I have to re-install my apps, re-sync my accounts and setup the phone the way I want it. It will take a little more time.
But I'm glad that I pulled this through - with your help of course! Guys, you rock!
I wish that I'll be as helpful as you at the near future.

Today's latest CM9/ICS kang is here
I'd also recommend getting a custom kernel.
For batt life, morfic's SEUV kernel.
For reg performance, perhaps Matrix's kernel
MAKE SURE THAT YOU HAVE CLOCKWORKMOD PERMANENTLY INSTALLED BEFORE DOING THIS. It saves time if you mess up. Also, make sure you get the latest gapps HERE
Instructions:
1. Go to clockwork recovery
2. Select data/factory reset/wipe
3. Select clear cache as well
4. Adv Mounts and Storage > wipe /system (note, this wipes android off the phone. It's a good idea since youre going from ver 2.x to 4.x)
5. Choose "flash from zip" (or whatever it's called.....NOT flash from update.zip)
6. Flash the cm9 update file first, then flash the kernel of your choice, then flash the gapps file.
7. Back out of the menu and select reboot.
Take note though, that the new ICS OS has incompatibilities with certain apps while GPU rendering is turned on, etc. It'll prob reboot on you sometimes, etc. For the most part it's stable, but that's completely subjective.
If you do run ICS, make sure you turn on GPU rendering in Dev Options. It takes full advantage of the GPU for UI animations, etc. Sometimes there's a stray app here and there that doesnt play nice, and you'll notice if the window looks really tiny or funny. Turning it off will fix the problem.

nickmv said:
Today's latest CM9/ICS kang is here
I'd also recommend getting a custom kernel.
For batt life, morfic's SEUV kernel.
For reg performance, perhaps Matrix's kernel
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Two questions:
The link you give me to download the ICS rom keeps loading for ever. So, I choosed this one instead:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1356228
Right or wrong thing to do?
It it essential to install a custom kernel? I ask because I forgot to copy/paste the .zip file and due to lack of time, I procceded without it, installing the ROM and G-APPS.

[GUIDE] T-Mobile US One S - How to ROOT and flash ROMs

So I know there's been some controversy and scares going around about the US version, since it JUST came out. I'm here to calm you guys down. I have now rooted mine, flashed an interim CWM touch version (not permanent) and have flashed a ROM......ALL successfully.
Here's what I did:
UNLOCKING:
Unlock your bootloader by registering at HTCdev.com and following the unlock instructions. Under device, choose "All other devices", as the One S is not yet listed. It'll walk you through getting your unlock token and flashing it.
ROOTING
Follow Paul O Brien's instructions on rooting your phone. I flashed the r3 superboot file he had. The first time it didnt take and just booted the phone back up. Second time it took, and seems to have stuck, at least for apps. Please note that my phone says *TAMPERED* along with the *UNLOCKED* notification. I have no idea what that means exactly, but everything works great for me.
This means if you dont want to leave Sense but want to get the tons of useless and annoying T-Mobile and other bloatware apps out, you can. T-Mo are dicks and make almost 100% of the apps on it by default SYSTEM apps, therefore unremovable. So you'll need root and Titanium Backup to freeze or delete them. I'd recommend freezing the non-TMo one's just in case.
FLASHING ROMS
1. Flash Paul O Brien's intermin CWM touch version. You MUST use this interim CWM version for the moment, as the others do not work properly. Some things like USB mount dont work in this interim version, but the important functions like wipe and flash, backup and restore, and restart do work. The CWM recovery seems permanent, based on my initial trials, so no worries about reflashing it each restart.
2. Flash your ROM of choice from Clockworkmod Recovery. I'm using Black Dragon right now, but there are others out there as well. I'm personally looking forward to CM9, but its a little ways away, usability-wise.
So there you have it, all you US guys. Don't be afraid to mod your phone. Remember all the warranty void disclaimers as always. I'm not responsible for you bricking your phone. This is just my experience in just under 24hrs of use. Things are looking good for the One S.

bump... i see US users still asking.
Mods, can we perhaps sticky this post of mine? I don't want to take credit for the actual methods of rooting, since Paul O Brien and others deserve that credit, but I think it'd be helpful for US users, since many don't know whether or not the international method works.
That, or perhaps editing the Intl guides to make it clear that the US version accepts the same methods and ROMs.

Worked great for me
Sent from my HTC VLE_U using xda premium

So if we root and flash a custom ROM is there any way to get the phone back to factory state, and get rid of the *TAMPERED* and *UNLOCKED* notification??

Did anyone else get a bit of a sad chuckle out of the first step in the instructions being "remove and reinsert battery"?

cyberchuck9000 said:
Did anyone else get a bit of a sad chuckle out of the first step in the instructions being "remove and reinsert battery"?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Great, now my blisters on my fingers will heal.
But still.... I cannot imagine not needing a batt pull.

nickmv said:
Mods, can we perhaps sticky this post of mine? I don't want to take credit for the actual methods of rooting, since Paul O Brien and others deserve that credit, but I think it'd be helpful for US users, since many don't know whether or not the international method works.
That, or perhaps editing the Intl guides to make it clear that the US version accepts the same methods and ROMs.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+1

androidcues said:
Great, now my blisters on my fingers will heal.
But still.... I cannot imagine not needing a batt pull.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you need to perform a hard reset on the One S, you hold down the power button for about 7-10 secs.

First of all, thanks for this thread...I used the HTC One S All in one tool kit to unlock my phone, unfortunately I miss understood one of the directions(#5) and stopped using the tool kit and followed another thread, much to my surprise, my bootloader is unlocked, hooray My question is, how do I get back to the original state if that is possible? The reason I ask, is I would like to go back and do it correctly...I used better terminal emulator to see if I had root, but all I got was the $ sign instead of the # sign So I would like to start over...
Thanks in advance for the help

I'm honestly not sure what the procedure is for relocking an HTC bootloader. Perhaps do some Google research on some of the latest models, and I bet you'll find something.
That being said, once you unlock the bootloader a single time, the best you can do is go to **RELOCKED** state. You'll never get back **LOCKED**. Once it's gone it's gone. I'm curious about the **TAMPERED** message though. That's an ugly word.

not sure what exactly went wrong.
somehow flashed CWM and now thats the only thing my phone will boot to, even after re-flashing the stock recovery.
can't get the phone to turn on, only CWM every single time.

suhailtheboss said:
not sure what exactly went wrong.
somehow flashed CWM and now thats the only thing my phone will boot to, even after re-flashing the stock recovery.
can't get the phone to turn on, only CWM every single time.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Uh oh that doesn't sound good
Sent from my HTC VLE_U using xda premium

yeah, tried reflashing both CWM & stock recovery. phone still boots to CWM everytime.
Luckily i can still access the phone via ADB, (while in recovery) so i'm sure i'll be able to sort it out. just need to take a fresh crack at it tomorrow. gonna switch back to my galaxy nexus tonight. (oh wait, i dont have any other phones that use microsim)
haha.

Hmm, interesting. Did you flash the interim recovery that Paul O Brien posted, and not another version? Just wanna make sure. I've heard of this happening in my past experience with the Nexus S, but I can't recall what the deal was. Regardless, I don't think you're in trouble. As with your GNex, it's very hard to completely brick the device unless you flash perhaps a bad hboot file, however I'm not really familiar with HTC devices.
This is my first HTC so I'm still trying to learn how the hboot and other processes work together. Sry to hear you had bad luck.
UPDATE: You should try the root install script. It tells the phone to boot after install. That might get you booted atleast.
Some thoughts:
1. Flash the stock recovery back and reflash CWM
2. Clear cache and dalvik within CWM, and make sure to use the 'Reboot System' option if you aren't already.
From what I can tell, your "boot-to-recovery" flag is set on the phone, and isn't getting cleared.

nickmv said:
So I know there's been some controversy and scares going around about the US version, since it JUST came out. I'm here to calm you guys down. I have now rooted mine, flashed an interim CWM touch version (not permanent) and have flashed a ROM......ALL successfully.
Here's what I did:
UNLOCKING:
Unlock your bootloader by registering at HTCdev.com and following the unlock instructions. Under device, choose "All other devices", as the One S is not yet listed. It'll walk you through getting your unlock token and flashing it.
ROOTING
Follow Paul O Brien's instructions on rooting your phone. I flashed the r3 superboot file he had. The first time it didnt take and just booted the phone back up. Second time it took, and seems to have stuck, at least for apps. Please note that my phone says *TAMPERED* along with the *UNLOCKED* notification. I have no idea what that means exactly, but everything works great for me.
This means if you dont want to leave Sense but want to get the tons of useless and annoying T-Mobile and other bloatware apps out, you can. T-Mo are dicks and make almost 100% of the apps on it by default SYSTEM apps, therefore unremovable. So you'll need root and Titanium Backup to freeze or delete them. I'd recommend freezing the non-TMo one's just in case.
FLASHING ROMS
1. Flash Paul O Brien's intermin CWM touch version. Some things like USB mount dont work, but the important functions like wipe and flash and restart do. The CWM recovery seems permanent, based on my initial trials, so no worries about reflashing it each restart. I cant speak for the non-interim solutions, but from what I can gather, they are problematic, so avoid them for now.
2. Flash your ROM of choice from Clockworkmod Recovery. I'm using Black Dragon right now, but there are others out there as well. I'm personally looking forward to CM9, but its a little ways away, usability-wise.
So there you have it, all you US guys. Don't be afraid to mod your phone. Remember all the warranty void disclaimers as always. I'm not responsible for you bricking your phone. This is just my experience in just under 24hrs of use. Things are looking good for the One S.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Is this part a must? Would you mind PM'ing me with how to do this part if it's a must? I have Unlocked and rooted my phone, just waiting for a good ROM to come by.

Thongvilay said:
Is this part a must? Would you mind PM'ing me with how to do this part if it's a must? I have Unlocked and rooted my phone, just waiting for a good ROM to come by.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That step is only if you want to flash ROMs, or need to wipe cache, dalvik, etc. CWM is used for flashing and recovery/backup purposes. If you're not using ROMs yet, then you have no need for it.

nickmv said:
Hmm, interesting. Did you flash the interim recovery that Paul O Brien posted, and not another version? Just wanna make sure. I've heard of this happening in my past experience with the Nexus S, but I can't recall what the deal was. Regardless, I don't think you're in trouble. As with your GNex, it's very hard to completely brick the device unless you flash perhaps a bad hboot file, however I'm not really familiar with HTC devices.
This is my first HTC so I'm still trying to learn how the hboot and other processes work together. Sry to hear you had bad luck.
UPDATE: You should try the root install script. It tells the phone to boot after install. That might get you booted atleast.
Some thoughts:
1. Flash the stock recovery back and reflash CWM
2. Clear cache and dalvik within CWM, and make sure to use the 'Reboot System' option if you aren't already.
From what I can tell, your "boot-to-recovery" flag is set on the phone, and isn't getting cleared.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thanks for the tips, i had tried clearing cache/dalvik within CWM and it still would not work. and yes i did flas the interim CWM from paulobrien
luckily the phone would work via ADB while in CWM. So i pushed three different ROMS to the phone, at first each oen would lock up and reboot within 20 seconds of doing anything. I then went back into recovery & wiped data/cache/dalvik maybe 10 times out of sheer frustration. Then re-flashed a fresh copy of black_dragon_v4.0, didnt do anything after boot. just let it sit there till this morning.
now the phone seems to be working perfectly...
so hopefully if anyone encounters this problem my last couple posts will help them out!

suhailtheboss said:
thanks for the tips, i had tried clearing cache/dalvik within CWM and it still would not work. and yes i did flas the interim CWM from paulobrien
luckily the phone would work via ADB while in CWM. So i pushed three different ROMS to the phone, at first each oen would lock up and reboot within 20 seconds of doing anything. I then went back into recovery & wiped data/cache/dalvik maybe 10 times out of sheer frustration. Then re-flashed a fresh copy of black_dragon_v4.0, didnt do anything after boot. just let it sit there till this morning.
now the phone seems to be working perfectly...
so hopefully if anyone encounters this problem my last couple posts will help them out!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wow, I have no idea dude. That sounds kinda crazy. Hopefully all will be well in the future and you won't come across it again.

the only variable i can think of is that i did have the phone about a week before launch. HTC mailed it to me directly.
I thought maybe that had somethign to do with it, but as far as i can tell the phone was the final shipping version.

I sent you a PM, trying to find a solution.

[Q] Help with SGH-T959W only booting into recovery

Hello, all. I hope someone can help me with my SGH-T959W. Right now I'm at the point where the phone has CWM installed, but will only boot into recovery no matter what I do. I've followed the N00b guide to Flashing/Fixing the SGS4G, but clearly I'm missing something.
I tried to follow the Windows-based procedure for the SGH-T959W, but was unable to get version 1.40 to execute, and was unable to locate version 1.31.
So, given that the SGH-T959W and SGH-T959V are the same phone except for the bootloader, I tried the Java-based Stock KJ-6 + Root. The first time I tried it, the upload failed after the PIT, and the phone was no longer able to boot into anything other than download mode. I eventually managed to get it to the point where it tried to flash the modem, but I was never able to get the modem to flash successfully. I tried both under Windows and Linux, using two different PCs and every USB cable I could find, since I know those tend to be dodgy. Still, I've never gotten past flashing the modem, though sometimes it's done worse.
But at this point, I had a phone that would dutifully boot into CWM, so I could change strategy anyway. So I grabbed the unofficial Cyanogenmod 10.1, copied it to the root of the SD card, and tried to load that via CWM. It failed the hardware check.
That's problem #1. Is it possible to modify Cyanogenmod to check for the 959W instead of only the 959V?
Now, problem #2. I decided to give Slim ICS a whirl, since it's light on requirements and a 512MB/1GHz device would probably appreciate a lighter load. The two packages claim to install, but the progress bar never reaches 100%, and when I try to boot the phone, it just boots into CWM. It's a newer version of CWM now, and the startup logo is different, so something worked, but clearly not everything.
When installing, I did mount UMMU, factory reset, wipe the cache and the Davlik cache, mount UMMU, install, then fix perms. But I still get that loop back to CWM.
So something critical didn’t take, however many times I tried (I've lost count, but I think I'm going on 10), and I don't know the architecture well enough to know where to start looking. I'm pretty comfortable with other operating systems, but this is only the second Android device I've tried to customize.
I suspect I can’t solve any other problem until I solve problem #2, regardless of which distro I end up wanting to run.
Sorry for the long-winded post, but I figured the more questions I answered up front, the better the chances of fixing this would be.
Thanks for any help you're willing to offer a n00b.
Dave F.

I think what you were doing with heimdall is the way to go except the t959w doesn't like modems and I think there's some way to leave out the modem part but eh.. I'm not that well versed. Anyway here's a link that may or may not be relevant
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1956025

Please read forum rules before posting.
Questions and request for assistance go in the Q&A section.
Thread has been moved.
Thank you for your future attention to this.
Have a great day!

dfarquhar said:
Hello, all. I hope someone can help me with my SGH-T959W. Right now I'm at the point where the phone has CWM installed, but will only boot into recovery no matter what I do. I've followed the N00b guide to Flashing/Fixing the SGS4G, but clearly I'm missing something.
I tried to follow the Windows-based procedure for the SGH-T959W, but was unable to get version 1.40 to execute, and was unable to locate version 1.31.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Look here for 1.3.1.
dfarquhar said:
So, given that the SGH-T959W and SGH-T959V are the same phone except for the bootloader, I tried the Java-based Stock KJ-6 + Root. The first time I tried it, the upload failed after the PIT, and the phone was no longer able to boot into anything other than download mode. I eventually managed to get it to the point where it tried to flash the modem, but I was never able to get the modem to flash successfully. I tried both under Windows and Linux, using two different PCs and every USB cable I could find, since I know those tend to be dodgy. Still, I've never gotten past flashing the modem, though sometimes it's done worse.
But at this point, I had a phone that would dutifully boot into CWM, so I could change strategy anyway. So I grabbed the unofficial Cyanogenmod 10.1, copied it to the root of the SD card, and tried to load that via CWM. It failed the hardware check.
That's problem #1. Is it possible to modify Cyanogenmod to check for the 959W instead of only the 959V?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nope, not a CWM issue. Ever since TeamAcid and I started on CM9 (and I believe the last few CM7 builds) added support for T959W. Almost everyone (thankfully! ) has kanged those device trees and also support T959W. I'm sure other T959W users will chime in to tell you that 97% of all roms here work on T959W. (GB and forward)
dfarquhar said:
Now, problem #2. I decided to give Slim ICS a whirl, since it's light on requirements and a 512MB/1GHz device would probably appreciate a lighter load. The two packages claim to install, but the progress bar never reaches 100%, and when I try to boot the phone, it just boots into CWM. It's a newer version of CWM now, and the startup logo is different, so something worked, but clearly not everything.
When installing, I did mount UMMU, factory reset, wipe the cache and the Davlik cache, mount UMMU, install, then fix perms. But I still get that loop back to CWM.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Crazy mount setups shouldn't matter anymore. That was an oldschool Froyo/Early GB thing. Almost all new CWM install scripts do the right thing now.
dfarquhar said:
So something critical didn’t take, however many times I tried (I've lost count, but I think I'm going on 10), and I don't know the architecture well enough to know where to start looking. I'm pretty comfortable with other operating systems, but this is only the second Android device I've tried to customize.
I suspect I can’t solve any other problem until I solve problem #2, regardless of which distro I end up wanting to run.
Sorry for the long-winded post, but I figured the more questions I answered up front, the better the chances of fixing this would be.
Thanks for any help you're willing to offer a n00b.
Dave F.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I like the long posts! Especially when then they contain more detail for me to help you figure out your problem with. I'm also partial to the short posts that include logs!
TwitchyEye said:
I think what you were doing with heimdall is the way to go except the t959w doesn't like modems and I think there's some way to leave out the modem part but eh.. I'm not that well versed. Anyway here's a link that may or may not be relevant
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1956025
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
@TwitchyEye you're right That is the heimdall oneclick that should be used.
@dfarquhar I think using the heimdall oneclick that @getochkn made should be the right path for you. Make sure you use the right version of heimdall. Make sure you completely remove the old version (software and drivers), use zdiag to make absolutely sure!
If all else fails, post here again! (maybe with logs )

Thanks everyone. I grabbed v 1.3.1, so I'm getting ready to try it now.
If anything goes wrong, I'll look into where the logs are stored and how to retrieve them, and I'll be back. Assuming I can't use the logs to figure it out on my own of course.

dfarquhar said:
Thanks everyone. I grabbed v 1.3.1, so I'm getting ready to try it now.
If anything goes wrong, I'll look into where the logs are stored and how to retrieve them, and I'll be back. Assuming I can't use the logs to figure it out on my own of course.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sometimes, it's just the output you see on your screen is a good enough log

bhundven said:
Sometimes, it's just the output you see on your screen is a good enough log
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Got it working! Heimdall 1.3.1 was the key. I then turned around and flashed Slim ICS since I had it on the SD card already, and it worked. I'm debating whether to move on to Slim Bean, but maybe I need to leave well enough alone for a few days now that I have a working phone.
Thanks again,
Dave

Full on Noob, need help if possible.

Okay so, I love my Infuse but getting really tired of not being able to download anything off the play store. Just tired of it's rather less than great performance right now as well. It's is running 2.3.6 GB and want to get this thing up to ICS if possible. Just something running 4.0 so I can use my phone for what I need too. It is not rooted, no cyanogenMod, NOTHING. As the title says, I'm a full on noob here and I apologize if all this is covered in other threads, however I have just gotten to the point where I have found myself even more lost than where I started on what I needed to do/get. If someone can, I will literally need this spelled out to me (no pun intended), in order of the steps I need to take with everything. I'm getting tired of confusing myself even more from all the different stuff I have seen all over the place and I know without some serious guidance, I will just brick my phone. Thanks for any help! :laugh:

I understand this community can be a bit unorganized and confusing so I'll give you my process for rooting and installing custom firmware (there are other ways, but this works for my AT&T Infuse 4G SGH-i997).
First of all, no one uses ICS on the Infuse. There is a ROM, but it's underdeveloped because JB came out so quick. You will need to flash it to get to higher operating systems, but it is by no means a daily driver. Even JB is a little buggy compared to KitKat on the Infuse these days.
The first thing you want to do is root your phone and get a custom recovery.
There are more than a few options for rooting, but I prefer using ODIN (as I understand it, this is the tool Samsung uses to restore soft bricked phones). So this is a good thing to know how to do, in case you ever do soft brick your phone, you'll know exactly what to do.
Read the ODIN instructions in full as I will only briefly explain.
You're going to have to install Samsung drivers.
You'll be using UCLB3_Unbrick_root_1.1.zip. If you used UCLB3_Unbrick_1.1.zip it would just get you back to stock GB with no root added.
To put your phone into download mode, first turn off your phone. Plug a usb cable into your computer. Then with the phone off, hold down both volume buttons and plug the usb cable into your phone. A warning will come up and you push volume up to accept, realizing that you can easily soft brick your phone if you loose power or unplug during a download.
Once downloading is done, the phone will reboot and you'll be disappointed to see that nothing has changed. Except one small thing, you are now rooted and you should have an application called SuperUser that will allow you to do nifty and also dangerous things.
Now follow this step in the ODIN instructions to add the custom recovery (CWM = Clock Work Mod):
The version with root works exactly like the above version, but adds root. To add CWM recovery to the rooted version, download a custom Gingerbread kernel from HERE or HERE and flash the zImage using SGS Kernel Flasher (found in the Play Store) on the phone. If you go this route for root and CWM, your Custom Binary Download counter will not show any custom binary activity.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you follow the link in the second "HERE," you'll get the kernel I prefer since it was most recently updated. Scroll down the downloads section and grab "2013.04.30-CWM-Synthesis-1.2Ghz.zip." (1.2Ghz is stock for our processor, anything higher will be overclocked which I don't recommend).
Extract that and grab the zImage file in the update folder. You're going to copy this to your phone in a second.
But first you need SGS Kernal Flasher, you can get it off the playstore, but I despise having to log in to an OS I'm going to write over in less than a minute so I download the APK from here. Hopefully you know how to install APKs from your SD card and that you'll have to check install from unknown sources.
Now flash the zImage using SGS Kernel Flasher. Your phone will reboot and hang on the Samsung logo and a creepy voice is going to tell you about how she's partitioning your phone and installing Voodoo lag fix. This is normal. Eventually your phone will reboot back into GB and you'll be ready to flash any ROM of your choice by rebooting into recovery.
You reboot into recovery by holding the volume up and volume down button while powering on the phone. This is different than download mode and will take you do a new screen that you control with the volume keys.
You'll be using this to put new software on your phone.
Now you can bassically follow the instructions for getting to CyanogenMod 11 (Kit Kat) from GB.
The first bullet is what I just explained in detail.
Note that I didn't include the links in these instructions, just follow the link above to get to the original post.
Obtain CWM, this can be done using Jscotts Odin back to stock (Follow instructions and use SGS kernal flasher to obtain CWM)
Run Qksters IMEI backup script here
Make certain you are on ICS, this can be done by flashing Entropy's CM9
It is recommended now that you remove your SD Card
CWM: Wipe Cache / Factory Reset
Install ROM: Scroll down for downloads sectoion
... The package will start to install..
... Phone will reboot into the install screen again...
... Continue to install [Automatically] If not manually flash again
... Phone will reboot again and be at the recovery screen...
Install Gapps: Here - Working swipe!
CWM: Wipe Cache Partition
CWM: Advanced/Wipe Dalvik Cache
Reboot
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
To be clear, when you flash a ROM, it won't be like flashing the zImage (that was just to get custom recovery). To flash the CM9 ROM or Qksters IMEI backup script for example, you leave the rom in the .zip file and simply put it on your SD card. Once in the recovery screen, you select "Install Update from ZIP" and navigate to the particular ROM you wish to install.
Also after updating to a higher version of Android, your phone will sometimes hang on the install screen for a long time. If it does for more than five minutes, it's safe to pull the battery and try flashing again (and sometimes necessary).
After flashing Entropy's CM9, you will be on ICS, you can use if you want but I don't advise it. You should continue with the instructions and update to KitKat after getting to ICS. I recommend Scott's CM11 (what I linked you to) or Scott's BeanStalk (find it in the Android Development Section).
Lately I've been using CyanFox and I have to say, it's the most stable ROM I've used in a while.
If you have any questions about this, feel free to ask.
Best of luck and happy flashing,
~bokonon9

Thank you muchness!
Thank you very much for helping me in this mess! I greatly appreciate it. I love my Infuse and do not want to get rid of it quite yet so hopefully this will help! Once I get a new usb cord I will get on this. My toddler decided to get a hold of it and it has to set a certain way now and can't be moved. This, is no bueno! Anyways, THANKS AGAIN!!! :laugh:

Goodluck! :laugh: :good:

I'm new in the android world and I'm using a nexus 7 and an infuse to make experiments just to learn.
bokonon9, thank you! You're guide has been precious to me.
Unfortunately I only succeeded installing ICS, infact I get till here:
After flashing Entropy's CM9, you will be on ICS, you can use if you want but I don't advise it. You should continue with the instructions and update to KitKat after getting to ICS. I recommend Scott's CM11 (what I linked you to) or Scott's BeanStalk (find it in the Android Development Section).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I tried to install CM11 and even CM10 at least half a dozen times each, following step by step the instructions that I've found on the thread but all the times I have the same issue:
after the zip rom update and the reboot, the bootloader keeps launching the CWM recovery. I see the logo, the progress bar and then I land in recovery
I don't get any kind of error (and I don't know where to look for to get more information than what's shown on the screen) and I'm just stuck in the recovery and I have to start from scratch every time using Odin all the way down.
I'm not interested in Gapps so, at the beginning I tried without installing them but then I tried also using the appropriate gapps as indicated in the procedure. Either way I didn't get any solution to my problem.
Do you have an idea? Is there a way for me to provide more information or debug?
Thank you!

wwr said:
I'm new in the android world and I'm using a nexus 7 and an infuse to make experiments just to learn.
bokonon9, thank you! You're guide has been precious to me.
Unfortunately I only succeeded installing ICS, infact I get till here:
I tried to install CM11 and even CM10 at least half a dozen times each, following step by step the instructions that I've found on the thread but all the times I have the same issue:
after the zip rom update and the reboot, the bootloader keeps launching the CWM recovery. I see the logo, the progress bar and then I land in recovery
I don't get any kind of error (and I don't know where to look for to get more information than what's shown on the screen) and I'm just stuck in the recovery and I have to start from scratch every time using Odin all the way down.
I'm not interested in Gapps so, at the beginning I tried without installing them but then I tried also using the appropriate gapps as indicated in the procedure. Either way I didn't get any solution to my problem.
Do you have an idea? Is there a way for me to provide more information or debug?
Thank you!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i would say go back to stock gb with odin and basically start over but with ics i always let it reboot to get a "feel" for it then i reboot to recovery and wipe basically everything then flash the next level of android which should be cm 10 then i let that boot then repeat that to get to kitkat 4.4.3 CarbonRom....sometimes you have to flash the same rom twice to get it to flash tho

I already tried all that and I can't figure out a way out ... I'm really banging my head against the wall

wwr said:
I already tried all that and I can't figure out a way out ... I'm really banging my head against the wall
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2091900&page=370
read the last post on that page by scmfxt

[Q] SOLVED: Help - KitKat upgrade from stock... ish.

So, I did a stupid thing this morning. I spent the last, probably, five hours backing up all of my apps and data from my TF300, and once that was all done, I wiped the data on my tablet. "What makes that stupid?" What makes that stupid is, it was a miracle that I ever actually managed to root this thing in the first place, and now, I don't know a) if it's still rooted (I doubt it), and b) if I'm even mentally capable of rooting it again (I doubt it).
So, here's my situation, and if someone could just dumb down the steps for me and point me in the right direction, that's all I need. I got my tablet, I don't know, probably early 2012. I can tell you that the tablet is on ICS 4.0.3, and the build number is 9.4.3.29-20120511. It's also unlocked, I don't know if that needed to be mentioned. Now, things are better since I wiped the data on this mother, but ICS, on this tablet in particular, is slow as balls, and I'm done with it, I want KitKat. But I am so far beyond lost after what I did that if I try to work my own way out of it, I'm going to brick this thing.
I wiped the data because I was trying to do something involving the Fastboot menu or something like that. Whenever I selected the USB icon and hit up on the volume strip, the tablet just locks cold. I figured whatever caused that, would probably go away with a data wipe. It didn't. So now my data's gone, my apps are gone, my tablet's not rooted anymore, I have no idea how to get to KitKat, I can't sleep at night, it burns when I pee... let's focus on the tablet stuff for now, I'm signed up to some forums for the other stuff.
I know most of the people that read this topic will be inclined to say, "You're an idiot, read this, this, and this, and take care of it yourself." I know I'm Androidiot, and I'm humbly asking for help. Again, I'm just petrified of following the wrong topic and ruining the whole thing, so if someone could tell me how I'd go about upgrading my tablet from stock ICS to KitKat, I'd appreciate the hell out of it.

Just a little bump, not too big... no love for Tim?

Normally, you need to install the latest stock ROM from ASUS in order to recover a functional device & by the way upgrade your bootloader.
Things done, you can proceed to install recovery and kitkat.
Better explanations here : http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=53738192&postcount=2

zlazaar said:
Normally, you need to install the latest stock ROM from ASUS in order to recover a functional device & by the way upgrade your bootloader.
Things done, you can proceed to install recovery and kitkat.
Better explanations here : http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=53738192&postcount=2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you, Zlazaar!
Well, it seems that after my device was wiped, it still didn't remove CWM as a bootloader or whatever, I don't know what I'm saying. When I hold down the power and volume down buttons, I could wait like ten seconds for fastboot, or I could tap vol up to enter the "RCK" menu. I don't know what that means. But I go into it, and I'm at the CWM menu, I think it was 5.5.0.4. You probably know better than me if I need to do anything further than that with CWM, but I should be good on that, right?
I'm almost going to go to the sites that you mentioned to download files and get more information on how to use it all. I appreciate your help, because without it, I'm sitting on an unrooted stock ROM with only most of my apps, because oh yeah, like 70 apps forgot to transfer with that backup I did... so, whoopee.
Thank you again, buddy!

The goal is kitkat, right ?
So, in order to get it you need 2 important things :
1- The latest bootloader, yours can't handle kitkat.
2- a custom recovery supporting kitkat, i.e i'm using TWRP 2.7.1.0 (link in my signature), your CWM is outdated.
The only way i know to update the bootloader is to flash Stock ROM via fastboot as described in tutorial.

I got some really stupid questions... apparently it's been entirely too long since I've messed with any of this.
What's a bootloader? I know mine's unlocked, but I didn't know there were versions of it. Is it the blob file I got from Asus?
And I have my tablet hooked up to my PC, it's on the fastboot menu wait for input from USB. When I go to the command prompt, I've tried to push TWRP to the device, but when I start a command with "adb push," it just tells me that it doesn't know what to do with that command. Same thing happened with fastboot, but then I realize I didn't have fastboot installed, so I tried to install it and it complained about a missing dll file on my computer, and I think I'm about ready to give up. lol

Here is the driver : Universal Naked Driver
After install, you can use fastboot and complet other steps.

Tim 13 said:
I got some really stupid questions... apparently it's been entirely too long since I've messed with any of this.
What's a bootloader? I know mine's unlocked, but I didn't know there were versions of it. Is it the blob file I got from Asus?
And I have my tablet hooked up to my PC, it's on the fastboot menu wait for input from USB. When I go to the command prompt, I've tried to push TWRP to the device, but when I start a command with "adb push," it just tells me that it doesn't know what to do with that command. Same thing happened with fastboot, but then I realize I didn't have fastboot installed, so I tried to install it and it complained about a missing dll file on my computer, and I think I'm about ready to give up. lol
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok Tim so the GOAL IS: 4.4 KITKAT CORRECT?
This is the process overview. This is a review.
Step 1 Upgrade the bootloader. Why? Inorder to flash a 4.4 rom you need a Jelly Bean 4.2 bootloader. How? Do as zlazarr suggests by flashing the lastest stock version V10.6.1.27.5 on your tf300t. Flashing the latest stock rom will update your bootloader. And here's another helpful guide.
http://www.theandroidsoul.com/how-to-restore-asus-transformer-tf300t-back-to-stock/ Remember that the SKU has to match!
Step 2 Follow this guide.
http://www.transformerforums.com/fo...nstall-roms-tf300-jelly-bean-kitkat-roms.html
It guides you on how to unlock your bootloader which you already have and it shows you how to install twrp. After installing twrp MAKE A BACKUP!
NOTE: If using the command method on the link fails repetitively use the app rashr to install the twrp version in the link
Step 3 Upgrade twrp to vr 2.7.0.0 or higher. Refer to step 2 link on the post about 4.4 kitkat.
Step 4 Install a 4.4 kk rom. I recomend the lastest snapshot of Cyanogen Mod 11. The download is on their wiki.
And then your done! Don't give up! The hardest part I find is using the command prompt! Look for work arounds. AND SEARCH FOR METHODS!
Goodluck

b..c said:
Ok Tim so the GOAL IS: 4.4 KITKAT CORRECT?
This is the process overview. This is a review.
Step 1 Upgrade the bootloader. Why? Inorder to flash a 4.4 rom you need a Jelly Bean 4.2 bootloader. How? Do as zlazarr suggests by flashing the lastest stock version V10.6.1.27.5 on your tf300t. Flashing the latest stock rom will update your bootloader. And here's another helpful guide.
http://www.theandroidsoul.com/how-to-restore-asus-transformer-tf300t-back-to-stock/ Remember that the SKU has to match!
Step 2 Follow this guide.
http://www.transformerforums.com/fo...nstall-roms-tf300-jelly-bean-kitkat-roms.html
It guides you on how to unlock your bootloader which you already have and it shows you how to install twrp. After installing twrp MAKE A BACKUP!
NOTE: If using the command method on the link fails repetitively use the app rashr to install the twrp version in the link
Step 3 Upgrade twrp to vr 2.7.0.0 or higher. Refer to step 2 link on the post about 4.4 kitkat.
Step 4 Install a 4.4 kk rom. I recomend the lastest snapshot of Cyanogen Mod 11. The download is on their wiki.
And then your done! Don't give up! The hardest part I find is using the command prompt! Look for work arounds. AND SEARCH FOR METHODS!
Goodluck
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Okay, so I've started work on this finally, but I think I might be having some trouble. I flashed the latest stock ROM onto my baby and restarted the tab like the article said, but now it's taking a very long time to load. I don't know if it's supposed to be taking this long, considering I'm pretty sure it wiped the data on it (flashing a ROM wipes data, doesn't it?), so I'd assume that removing the weight of those apps would make startup lightning quick.
I have the ASUS logo and the spinny circle. And it's just spinning and spinning and spinning and spinning. Is this a problem?
I'm going to let it spin spin spin spin spin for like five more minutes, and then I might go cry for a while.
EDIT: I cried too soon, it loaded for a long time then came to a menu that says "Android is upgrading..." and it's optimizing the apps, or apptimizing, that were apparently NOT wiped when I flashed a new ROM. lol, so I'm back on track. So far, so good. Thank you for the detailed guide, I appreciate it!
Further edit: And I'm also done rooting and flashing to KK 4.4. Thank you for dumbass-proofing the process for me, it is incredibly highly appreciated. I didn't kill my tablet!

Tim 13 said:
Okay, so I've started work on this finally, but I think I might be having some trouble. I flashed the latest stock ROM onto my baby and restarted the tab like the article said, but now it's taking a very long time to load. I don't know if it's supposed to be taking this long, considering I'm pretty sure it wiped the data on it (flashing a ROM wipes data, doesn't it?), so I'd assume that removing the weight of those apps would make startup lightning quick.
I have the ASUS logo and the spinny circle. And it's just spinning and spinning and spinning and spinning. Is this a problem?
I'm going to let it spin spin spin spin spin for like five more minutes, and then I might go cry for a while.
EDIT: I cried too soon, it loaded for a long time then came to a menu that says "Android is upgrading..." and it's optimizing the apps, or apptimizing, that were apparently NOT wiped when I flashed a new ROM. lol, so I'm back on track. So far, so good. Thank you for the detailed guide, I appreciate it!
Further edit: And I'm also done rooting and flashing to KK 4.4. Thank you for dumbass-proofing the process for me, it is incredibly highly appreciated. I didn't kill my tablet!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi Tim13,
I'm glad to hear that everything went well and my guide helped you!:good: And to answer your question flashing doesn't wipe your data. You have to manually wipe it. And lol:laugh::good: that you didn't kill your tab. I hope you find your tab faster and useful again!

It's just as slow and useless as it was. But honestly, the flashing process was fun, and I learned from it. Plus, TWRP and Cyanogen mod are awesome, and now I know that. lol

Great to see you up and running @Tim 13 :good:
Can you add SOLVED to the thread title
Thx Josh

No, I'm not gonna do that.
I'm just kidding. You're all right, darling. :good:
Edit: Actually, not being a douche, I can't figure out how to edit the thread title. I went to edit the first post and I can't change the title of the post... I'm gonna look around for how to do it a bit more but after that I'm gonna go to bed.
DOUBLE EDIT: Got it, as you can see. Thanks to all that helped out!