Today my U.S. cellular Galaxy S III should finally make it here. I apolgize if this is a "noob" question, and have been reading through the forums.
It appears i should get a SCH-R530 model from reading today in the mail. With it being so close to Verizon model, will any of the Verizon ways to root the S3 work with the US Cellular version? If not is there any way currently to root a U.S. Cellular S3?
Thanks for any help
nairbandroid said:
Today my U.S. cellular Galaxy S III should finally make it here. I apolgize if this is a "noob" question, and have been reading through the forums.
It appears i should get a SCH-R530 model from reading today in the mail. With it being so close to Verizon model, will any of the Verizon ways to root the S3 work with the US Cellular version? If not is there any way currently to root a U.S. Cellular S3?
Thanks for any help
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If I'm not mistaken the root method for the VZW SIII should work on that phone. HOWEVER, the same image that is in the dev forum SHOULD NOT be used. It is the stock Verizon with su and Superuser.apk added.
If samsung-updates.com drops a stock image of your phone a system.img can be built so that is flashable via Odin. Regardless, before you go flashing anything you should make sure you have that stock image around so you can get back to square one if anything odd should come up.
EDIT:
If you're interested in building the rooted system image here is the thread where they actually were able to build a clean root from the stock Verizon dump: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1762204 It's not a pretty process. The actual instructions used came from this thread: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1739426 I didn't see a drop for the US Cell image yet, but I could be missing it. I can be of some help later this evening if nothing has come up.
Root / Recovery / Custom ROM USCC Galaxy S III
I was able to root my USCC SGS3 using Team Epics directions at epiccm.org/2012/06/cwm-recovery-on-all-sgs3-lte-variants.htm
Make sure to apply root.zip. At some point the OTA updated OS so now overwrites custom recovery.
I have Samsungs default ROM on a rooted S3 with CWM recovery. Now onto CM10 (M snapshot). Heard it was very stable.
get.cm/?type=snapshot
Just used the Samsung easy update tool to get LK5 on my USCC GSIII (OTA update failed) but want to get root again without tripping the flash counter. Thoughts?
Hey. So I have a note 2 on at&t. It was on 4.3. I used odin to downgrade to 4.1.1, then factory unlocked it and all was well. I tested with tmobile sim and it was on tmobile 4g and able to make calls using tmobile. I then went to update the version (I read once its unlocked it can be updated) Now, it gets stuck at "samsung galaxy note 2" when booting up and wont go past it. I tried to odin it again and successfully installed 4.1.1, but still wont get past samsung galaxy note 2. have disconnected phone and tried to boot up using vol+ (+) home button (+) power button, but nothing......PLEASE HELP
thanks
scottrf8 said:
Hey. So I have a note 2 on at&t. It was on 4.3. I used odin to downgrade to 4.1.1, then factory unlocked it and all was well. I tested with tmobile sim and it was on tmobile 4g and able to make calls using tmobile. I then went to update the version (I read once its unlocked it can be updated) Now, it gets stuck at "samsung galaxy note 2" when booting up and wont go past it. I tried to odin it again and successfully installed 4.1.1, but still wont get past samsung galaxy note 2. have disconnected phone and tried to boot up using vol+ (+) home button (+) power button, but nothing......PLEASE HELP
thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't have a Note (I have the GS3 on TMO). Do you have any idea if the Note 2 has the same issue that the GS3 has, where with the 4.3 update you get a new locked bootloader that prevents you from going back to anything earlier than 4.3? That's the way it is on the GS3. I guess if you were able to actually boot up and make calls after you downgraded back to 4.1.1, then that must not be the case.
In any case, you're getting stuck on the boot logo when you power it on? Can you get into the recovery at all? Do you have the stock recovery or a custom recovery installed? Have you tried clearing cache/dalvik and fixing perms? That often fixes things for me when I'm stuck on the boot logo.
scottrf8 said:
Hey. So I have a note 2 on at&t. It was on 4.3. I used odin to downgrade to 4.1.1, then factory unlocked it and all was well. I tested with tmobile sim and it was on tmobile 4g and able to make calls using tmobile. I then went to update the version (I read once its unlocked it can be updated) Now, it gets stuck at "samsung galaxy note 2" when booting up and wont go past it. I tried to odin it again and successfully installed 4.1.1, but still wont get past samsung galaxy note 2. have disconnected phone and tried to boot up using vol+ (+) home button (+) power button, but nothing......PLEASE HELP
thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I start to wonder if people research before doing anything.
To say again. You can't downgrade. You have Knox. You possibly tripped the Knox flag. Reflash the 4.3 stock ROM. If that fails, It's most probably eFuse, if It's 4.3.
(Basically, eFuse messes up your phone aka bricks You phone aka @#%& it up.)
Smack that thanks button if I helped!
Note 2 LTE powered by Illusion ROM and Plasma Kernel.
Sent from dat small country called Singapore.
---------- Post added 5th January 2014 at 12:05 AM ---------- Previous post was 4th January 2014 at 11:59 PM ----------
mcgrabowski said:
I don't have a Note (I have the GS3 on TMO). Do you have any idea if the Note 2 has the same issue that the GS3 has, where with the 4.3 update you get a new locked bootloader that prevents you from going back to anything earlier than 4.3? That's the way it is on the GS3. I guess if you were able to actually boot up and make calls after you downgraded back to 4.1.1, then that must not be the case.
In any case, you're getting stuck on the boot logo when you power it on? Can you get into the recovery at all? Do you have the stock recovery or a custom recovery installed? Have you tried clearing cache/dalvik and fixing perms? That often fixes things for me when I'm stuck on the boot logo.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You're right. The locked bootloader messed those who didn't research about it's life's real bad. 4.3 supposedly has eFuse in it, which FU*CKS your phone. I read it up on the Samsung Knox website, and it said that eFuse "rewrites a read-only part of the phone, resulting in a unusable phone." If u triggered that, it'll be a hard brick, (in my knowledge)
Knox itself is irritating. The Knox Warranty Void counter, which max at 1, is unresetable, (even with JTAG, will brick if h try) so your warranty is *poof*
Smack that thanks button if I helped!
Note 2 LTE powered by Illusion ROM and Plasma Kernel.
Sent from dat small country called Singapore.
I did a fair amount of research before downgrading. In fact I didn't want to downgrade, but I did want to unlock it. It is unlocked and it's running on 4.1.1. So when you say that you can't downgrade, you mean you shouldn't downgrade cause then you will be stuck with 4.1.1?
scottrf8 said:
I did a fair amount of research before downgrading. In fact I didn't want to downgrade, but I did want to unlock it. It is unlocked and it's running on 4.1.1. So when you say that you can't downgrade, you mean you shouldn't downgrade cause then you will be stuck with 4.1.1?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
When you were on 4.3, was that an OTA update or an ODIN flash of a stock firmware? Or did you just have a 4.3 ROM from the forums that you loaded (AOSP or rooted stock based ROM with Knox, etc., removed) with TWRP or CWM? Supposedly from what I've been reading if you take the 4.3 OTA or ODIN flash the stock 4.3, the bootloader gets updated, as Irwenzhao mentions above and I've experienced, where you CAN'T downgrade again to 4.1.2 or earlier. I believe that just means you can't go back to a fully stock pre 4.3. I THINK it just means you can't ODIN back to a factory image earlier than 4.3, which is what I experienced. But with TWRP or CWM, I believe I can still load other ROMs at will regardless if they are pre 4.3 or not.
yeah, that sounds kinda like the same thing I have come across. 4.3 was OTA and downgraded to a stock 4.1.1 ROM. Guess this triggers KNOX cause now KNOX WARRANTY VOID is 1. which once that is triggered, you cannot go from a non KNOX version (4.1.1) to a version that has KNOX. My question now is does that apply to just the stock firmware? Would ANY of the ROM's created by the devs work?
There were some posts in the unlock thread that people were able to go from 4.1.1 (after downgrading) back up to 4.3. Just trying to figure out how that would be the case? Could the knox warranty flag not have been set for them?
scottrf8 said:
yeah, that sounds kinda like the same thing I have come across. 4.3 was OTA and downgraded to a stock 4.1.1 ROM. Guess this triggers KNOX cause now KNOX WARRANTY VOID is 1. which once that is triggered, you cannot go from a non KNOX version (4.1.1) to a version that has KNOX. My question now is does that apply to just the stock firmware? Would ANY of the ROM's created by the devs work?
There were some posts in the unlock thread that people were able to go from 4.1.1 (after downgrading) back up to 4.3. Just trying to figure out how that would be the case? Could the knox warranty flag not have been set for them?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just to make it clear, Knox is a bootloader, which means u can flash anything that's not a bootloader, but your warranty would be history. Flashing anything trips the flag, even 4.1.1/2 stock ROMs.
Smack that thanks button if I helped!
Note 2 LTE powered by Illusion ROM and Plasma Kernel.
Sent from dat small country called Singapore.
Truthfully, that doesn't clear it up. Do the stock firmware through Kies or ota include a bootloader and that's why it won't install? Thanks
Flashing the stock firmware through kies, ODIN, or the OTA update will update the boot loader as far as I know and will ruin any chance of returning to stock and void your warranty. As long as you don't want to do that, I don't think it's too big of a deal.
At this point, I couldn't care less about the warranty. I would think it's expired now anyhow. As long as I can flash ROMs and boy the phone up and use it. I'm happy.
Sent from my SGH-T999 using xda app-developers app
hello i have a sprint gs3 with the new 4.4.2 kitkat update and it is causing everything to force close. i am trying to root the phone and get a custom rom. i tried installing twrp using odin and it tells me it is invalid but i have a cwm recovery lte sprint gs3 v5 tar and it says it is valid i really want the twrp tho this is my first time rooting and dont want to mess anything up. i notice in the download screen it says my bootloader is enable is that going to be a problem and is rooting going to trip the knox? and how can i get knox off my phone?
thanks for the help sorry if this is the wrong place for this im new here
Hi! It seems you're in a sticky situation with the GS3, 4.4.2, root and Knox.
I found an excellent thread that has some good info about everything you've asked about. You could ask further questions there as well. But read it all very carefully!!
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2763239
Good luck!!
Edit: also.... Knox FAQ: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2541343
Hello, my roommate has a Verizon Galaxy S3. He recently took the 4.4 update, and it apparently screwed up his phone pretty bad. He gets terrible battery life and force closes and freezing. He came into my room knowing that I'm an android nerd and he asked me to root and rom his phone. Cool.
So, now I'm trying to catch up on the current state of the GS3.
He has never rooted or installed recovery. I was under the impression that the Verizon GS3 had an unlocked bootloader, but now I'm reading that the bootloader might be locked since he updated?
1: Is it possible to ODIN back to an earlier version and then unlock his bootloader?
2: What's JTAG?
3: Is there an easy way to install recovery on 4.4 that I'm missing?
Any links or advice you guys could give me would be really helpful... I'm currently reading and jumping between links, but It's hard to figure out where the phone currently stands with all the conflicting information out there and the new update that just pushed.
9kracing said:
Hello, my roommate has a Verizon Galaxy S3. He recently took the 4.4 update, and it apparently screwed up his phone pretty bad. He gets terrible battery life and force closes and freezing. He came into my room knowing that I'm an android nerd and he asked me to root and rom his phone. Cool.
So, now I'm trying to catch up on the current state of the GS3.
He has never rooted or installed recovery. I was under the impression that the Verizon GS3 had an unlocked bootloader, but now I'm reading that the bootloader might be locked since he updated?
1: Is it possible to ODIN back to an earlier version and then unlock his bootloader?
2: What's JTAG?
3: Is there an easy way to install recovery on 4.4 that I'm missing?
Any links or advice you guys could give me would be really helpful... I'm currently reading and jumping between links, but It's hard to figure out where the phone currently stands with all the conflicting information out there and the new update that just pushed.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1: No, it is not possible to ODIN back to unlock the bootloader. Your friend is stuck on 4.4.2.
2: JTAG is a service you can send your phone off for and pay for to unbrick a hard bricked phone. As long as you or your friend do not hard brick his phone, you won't need a JTAG.
3: You cannot install any kind of standard recovery on 4.3.1 or 4.4.2 on the Verizon Galaxy S3. There is an unofficial safestrap you may be able to use on 4.4.2 found here -> http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2797314 But there are no ROMs to flash using safestrap, so for the moment it is kind of pointless.
There really isn't conflicting information in these threads unless you are looking at old, outdated threads on rooting. All of the information anyone needs to know about the current state of the Verizon Galaxy S3 can be found in just a few threads:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2575661
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2653030
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2784249
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2639337
Owned by Landshark AGAIN!
Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk
Okay guys. Here we go. I screwed up the other day while trying to load a custom ROM following a friends instructions. I tripped Knox on my Verizon Note II 4.3 and was forced to downgrade to 4.1.1. My phone is no longer rooted and I am trying to figure out how to root from 4.1.1 with a locked bootloader and then use safestrap to install custom ROMs. Sadly I cannot find any info anywhere after several hours of searching. I've read up on Knox and I could care less about warranty info (I bought the phone used after all) and I just want to be able to load custom ROMs so I can better enjoy my phone while being able to restore APN settings since I am running on a non-Verizon carrier service. Please help!
Edit: I used RootChecker to make sure that my phone is no longer rooted after downgrading to 4.1.1
Edit: Fixed with Kingo Root