Database Info

What's My Course of Action Here?

Yikes, am I in a predicament.
So, here I am, with my Nexus S I9020A on Koodo in Canada, rooted with TWRP v2.2.0 recovery and stock 4.0.4; well, with all the JellyBean buzz going about I figured, hey, why not, and I made a nandroid backup using TWRP, and copied said backup onto my PC for an extra copy.
Well, after playing around with an AOSP rom of 4.1.1 I want the stock OTA, but restoring the backup I made yields no results, touting "no recovery or img" as an error. So now I have no idea how to get to either stock JellyBean (which is where I want to be) or at least stock 4.0.4 for the I9020A so I can get the OTA.
What do I do?!

Try flashing twrp again. I had this problem on my ns4g awhile ago while running one of the older twrp recoveries. If memory serves, I was able to reflash twrp, reboot recovery, then restore a twrp backup. If it still won't restore, try wiping & flashing a ROM of your choice. You may have to adb fastboot flash...
Sent from my Nexus S 4G using xda premium

p1gp3n said:
Try flashing twrp again. I had this problem on my ns4g awhile ago while running one of the older twrp recoveries. If memory serves, I was able to reflash twrp, reboot recovery, then restore a twrp backup. If it still won't restore, try wiping & flashing a ROM of your choice. You may have to adb fastboot flash...
Sent from my Nexus S 4G using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm trying to reflash TWRP and restore again - fingers crossed.
What happened to that list of all official OTA variants for the Nexus S?
I'm referring to that list that had for instance :
Nexus S - I9020A:
2.3.4 - Download link
2.3.6 - Download link
etc, etc.
I just want to get back to stock 4.0.4 so I can get the 4.1.1 OTA :S
Or have any way to get to STOCK 4.1.1 for the I9020A Nexus :S

Found this link posted by user oldblue910, it should have what you need if you're still stuck... http://www.randomphantasmagoria.com/firmware/nexus-s/
Sent from my Nexus S 4G using xda premium

p1gp3n said:
Found this link posted by user oldblue910, it should have what you need if you're still stuck... http://www.randomphantasmagoria.com/firmware/nexus-s/
Sent from my Nexus S 4G using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's exactly what I was looking for, thanks, ended up just taking the long road there and back from Gingerbread to JellyBean, so far so good!
Thanks for everyone's help!

noobs guide to flashing roms?

hello guys im new to the samsung game! im a former razr owner! but i noticed the is allot of differences in the motto hacking and the samsung hacks? i have a stock rooted Verizon galaxy s3 i downloaded the bootloader unlock app but haven't had the guts to hit the unlock button! and downloaded the ez recovery app but haven't use it ether! Im not sure where to start? i want to flash cm10 to try out the jelly bean effect! lol but i don't know where to start with that ether! and if i unlock the bootloader am i still able to flash the stock rooted rom using the same odin process that Ive done b4? do i need to back up anything? please help with a flashing guide 101 for samsung lol !

drnoob said:
hello guys im new to the samsung game! im a former razr owner! but i noticed the is allot of differences in the motto hacking and the samsung hacks? i have a stock rooted Verizon galaxy s3 i downloaded the bootloader unlock app but haven't had the guts to hit the unlock button! and downloaded the ez recovery app but haven't use it ether! Im not sure where to start? i want to flash cm10 to try out the jelly bean effect! lol but i don't know where to start with that ether! and if i unlock the bootloader am i still able to flash the stock rooted rom using the same odin process that Ive done b4? do i need to back up anything? please help with a flashing guide 101 for samsung lol !
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
See this:
forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1837863
(sorry of the non-hyperlink, I'm not allowed)

You have everything you need. If you're rooted, unlock the bootloader using the app you have, flash the non-touch cwr 6.0.1 or 6.0.2 using the ez recovery app or rom manager, then download cm10 and appropriate latest jelly bean gapps, boot into recovery from rom manager or pull battery hold volume up+home +power. From there, do a nandroid backup first, then wipe data, cache, system, and dalvick. Now flash your cm10 or any other rom, then your gapps, profit.
Edit: no over the air updates should be accepted or you can brick that shiny phone.
The whole process is much simpler now that the bootloader is unlocked.
Sent from my SCH-I535 using xda premium

thanks for the info! so say I'm on a custom Rom with my boot loader unlocked and i want to go back to stock rooted, would i just flash the stock rooted image? and won't that lock the boot loader again?
Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2

drnoob said:
thanks for the info! so say I'm on a custom Rom with my boot loader unlocked and i want to go back to stock rooted, would i just flash the stock rooted image? and won't that lock the boot loader again?
Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Depends if you're on an AOSP based rom. If so, you'll need to flash a stock kernel and a full wipe is also necessary. Otherwise you should pretty much just be able to dirty flash over any stock based roms.
No, it won't relock the bootloader. That's a separate process.

New guy

Hello guys I just got may galaxy S3 from a friend. I think the bootloader is still unlocked after I received an OTA today. I don't have root or recovery. I just want to be sure I use the correct root and recovery method. Could someone point me to the one they used on this build with success? I would be greatly appreciated. I did look but none are specific enough for me to be sure I'm using the correct one.
Is my bootloader still unlocked if it says (custom)?
Again I appreciate any help
Sent from my SCH-I535 using xda premium

mike216 said:
Hello guys I just got may galaxy S3 from a friend. I think the bootloader is still unlocked after I received an OTA today. I don't have root or recovery. I just want to be sure I use the correct root and recovery method. Could someone point me to the one they used on this build with success? I would be greatly appreciated. I did look but none are specific enough for me to be sure I'm using the correct one.
Is my bootloader still unlocked if it says (custom)?
Again I appreciate any help
Sent from my SCH-I535 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Welcome! In order to unlock your BL in the first place you must have had root. This is a good thread on rooting, unlocking, and flashing recovery/ROMs/kernels:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1762709

nghtrain88 said:
Welcome! In order to unlock your BL in the first place you must have had root. This is a good thread on rooting, unlocking, and flashing recovery/ROMs/kernels:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1762709
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks so much bud! Will I be all good on the updated build I received today?
My bootloader is unlocked if it says custom on boot?
Again I really appreciate it!
Sent from my SCH-I535 using xda premium

mike216 said:
Thanks so much bud! Will I be all good on the updated build I received today?
My bootloader is unlocked if it says custom on boot?
Again I really appreciate it!
Sent from my SCH-I535 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As long as you have one of the stock builds listed in section 2 of that thread you should be good. The EZ-unlock app should be able to tell you if you're BL is unlocked.. also if you reboot the phone, if the samsung splash flashes for a split second (the one before you see Samsung Galaxy SIII), then you're prob unlocked.. if you see it for a few seconds then you're prob locked

Man I rooted flashed recovery in rom manager. (recovery wouldn't stick) so I flashed it again after making a nandroid and ended up having to recover a soft brick at 4am. Thank God for puremotive's guide on how to recover from it I was able to be back up. I don't know what went wrong. Because I didn't have busy box. Maybe I shouldn't have used the latest recovery rom manager flashes? I'm on stock with root and afraid to move anywhere! Anyone know how to make recovery stick on stock rom? I've never had this happen. Usually I would be OK and on to try AOSP on other devices uve had. Right now I'm rooted on stock rom with bootloader unlocked and have OTA root keeper in case I get another OTA. Any help would be greatly appreciated! Take care
Sent from my SCH-I535 using xda premium

How did you unlock your bootloader?

annoyingduck said:
How did you unlock your bootloader?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
With the app
Sent from my SCH-I535 using xda premium

Ok, issue is probably that you used the current version 1.4 I think. In the app description in the playstore is a link to older versions, you want 1.2. The new ones are unlocking, but it's not sticking. There is also a link in the current root guide somewhere, but direct from the play store is fine.

annoyingduck said:
Ok, issue is probably that you used the current version 1.4 I think. In the app description in the playstore is a link to older versions, you want 1.2. The new ones are unlocking, but it's not sticking. There is also a link in the current root guide somewhere, but direct from the play store is fine.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
link for ez-unlock 1.2

annoyingduck said:
How did you unlock your bootloader?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Let me be more specific because I may have had a locked bootloader.
I received the phone yesterday from my friend. He did unlock the bootloader with the app. I installed the official OTA from Verizon as soon as I got it. I rooted it. I didn't bother trying to unlock the bootloader because after the OTA when it booted it said custom with a lock symbol on boot up. I rooted and flashed the latest recovery from rom manager. I'm sure I picked the right phone. I made a nandroid but my recovery wouldn't stick. I remember it saying something about Co firming something about a recovery and I could have chosen yes. It sounded like CWM wouldn't stick if I choose yes?
I don't know if the OTA locked my bootloader back up?
I would like to try again. Any of you guys no how to make recovery stick on stock rom? I would like to try paranoid android. What recovery should I be on to flash this jelly bean based rom? I would really appreciate anyone who knows how I screwed up or has went straight to JB from a specific CWM recovery. I'm also not sure if I should said yes or know when in CWM when asking me that recovery question. I wish I remember what the question was
Sent from my SCH-I535 using xda premium

nghtrain88 said:
As long as you have one of the stock builds listed in section 2 of that thread you should be good. The EZ-unlock app should be able to tell you if you're BL is unlocked.. also if you reboot the phone, if the samsung splash flashes for a split second (the one before you see Samsung Galaxy SIII), then you're prob unlocked.. if you see it for a few seconds then you're prob locked
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The app doesn't actually check the bootloader. It just keeps the info in the app data. Meaning if you unlock with the app then uninstall ezunlock and then reinstall it won't know if you're locked or unlocked.
mike216 said:
Man I rooted flashed recovery in rom manager. (recovery wouldn't stick) so I flashed it again after making a nandroid and ended up having to recover a soft brick at 4am. Thank God for puremotive's guide on how to recover from it I was able to be back up. I don't know what went wrong. Because I didn't have busy box. Maybe I shouldn't have used the latest recovery rom manager flashes? I'm on stock with root and afraid to move anywhere! Anyone know how to make recovery stick on stock rom? I've never had this happen. Usually I would be OK and on to try AOSP on other devices uve had. Right now I'm rooted on stock rom with bootloader unlocked and have OTA root keeper in case I get another OTA. Any help would be greatly appreciated! Take care
Sent from my SCH-I535 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
mike216 said:
Let me be more specific because I may have had a locked bootloader.
I received the phone yesterday from my friend. He did unlock the bootloader with the app. I installed the official OTA from Verizon as soon as I got it. I rooted it. I didn't bother trying to unlock the bootloader because after the OTA when it booted it said custom with a lock symbol on boot up. I rooted and flashed the latest recovery from rom manager. I'm sure I picked the right phone. I made a nandroid but my recovery wouldn't stick. I remember it saying something about Co firming something about a recovery and I could have chosen yes. It sounded like CWM wouldn't stick if I choose yes?
I don't know if the OTA locked my bootloader back up?
I would like to try again. Any of you guys no how to make recovery stick on stock rom? I would like to try paranoid android. What recovery should I be on to flash this jelly bean based rom? I would really appreciate anyone who knows how I screwed up or has went straight to JB from a specific CWM recovery. I'm also not sure if I should said yes or know when in CWM when asking me that recovery question. I wish I remember what the question was
Sent from my SCH-I535 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm 90% sure you wouldn't have been able to install the OTA if your bootloader was unlocked. The 'custom' on the boot doesn't mean that, and now that I think of it the fact you saw that proves that you aren't unlocked.
If you're still stock rooted then download the EZ unlock 1.2 from the link above and also go find EZ recovery on the market. Do not use the market version of EZ unlock. Now it doesn't matter what order you do it in but unlock your bootloader with the app them use EZ recovery to flash your recovery. Then you're all set to flash ROMs.

Brian Gove said:
The app doesn't actually check the bootloader. It just keeps the info in the app data. Meaning if you unlock with the app then uninstall ezunlock and then reinstall it won't know if you're locked or unlocked.
I'm 90% sure you wouldn't have been able to install the OTA if your bootloader was unlocked. The 'custom' on the boot doesn't mean that, and now that I think of it the fact you saw that proves that you aren't unlocked.
If you're still stock rooted then download the EZ unlock 1.2 from the link above and also go find EZ recovery on the market. Do not use the market version of EZ unlock. Now it doesn't matter what order you do it in but unlock your bootloader with the app them use EZ recovery to flash your recovery. Then you're all set to flash ROMs.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for everything Boss! That probably was the reason my recovery wouldn't stick. I used the link to grab easy unlock 1.2. I'm now unlocked, rooted. I want to flash an AOSP based rom (paranoid android) what recovery should I flash? The newest in rom manager or the slightly older one EZ-Recovery has to offer?
Thanks once again!
Sent from my SCH-I535 using xda premium

Cwm 6.0.1.2 for aosp jb, do not use the old 5 . something touch in ez recovery

mike216 said:
Thanks for everything Boss! That probably was the reason my recovery wouldn't stick. I used the link to grab easy unlock 1.2. I'm now unlocked, rooted. I want to flash an AOSP based rom (paranoid android) what recovery should I flash? The newest in rom manager or the slightly older one EZ-Recovery has to offer?
Thanks once again!
Sent from my SCH-I535 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Which is the recovery that you want to use? I have the latest CWM touch on my Dropbox if that's the one you want. The regular CWM in the app is fine to use and twrp recovery has a thread in the development forum.

Brian Gove said:
Which is the recovery that you want to use? I have the latest CWM touch on my Dropbox if that's the one you want. The regular CWM in the app is fine to use and twrp recovery has a thread in the development forum.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm on stock ICS in want to go to paranoid android. Sorry guys but after last night I'm paranoid myself!
Sent from my SCH-I535 using xda premium

Brian Gove said:
The app doesn't actually check the bootloader. It just keeps the info in the app data. Meaning if you unlock with the app then uninstall ezunlock and then reinstall it won't know if you're locked or unlocked.
I'm 90% sure you wouldn't have been able to install the OTA if your bootloader was unlocked. The 'custom' on the boot doesn't mean that, and now that I think of it the fact you saw that proves that you aren't unlocked.
If you're still stock rooted then download the EZ unlock 1.2 from the link above and also go find EZ recovery on the market. Do not use the market version of EZ unlock. Now it doesn't matter what order you do it in but unlock your bootloader with the app them use EZ recovery to flash your recovery. Then you're all set to flash ROMs.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks once again! I'm now on PA after a pack of smokes! Appreciate all your help. You were absolutely right ! Recovery stuck and it flashed with no problem. I used the current recovery straight from ROM manager
Sent from my SCH-I535 using xda premium

Good, glad to hear you got it rolling.

Question Regarding Samsung s3 software Update

hi guys, im new here
just have a few questions
i have a bell samsung s3 model SGH-I747M , i have android version (stock) 4.0.4 , i have rooted my device
however, i want to update to jelly bean 4.1.2 , i was wondering, do i update using the stock software or will that cause my phone to trip since it is rooted? or do i use a jellybean update made for rooted devices? should i even update? or use the ROMs for the current version ?
also, what is the best ROM for s3? is there one where u can control CPU usage on board ?
thank you

anybody :/ ?

Well if you like stock unroot your phone and put stock recovery back on to get the ota update. You need stock recovery to get it. So if you haven't installed clockworkmod or twrp recoveries and are still on stock you're fine, just unroot. You can always reroot. If you'd like to try custom ROMs go to search your phone up top and you'll find ROMs made for your phone.
Sent from my SPH-L710 using xda premium

calebsb said:
Well if you like stock unroot your phone and put stock recovery back on to get the ota update. You need stock recovery to get it. So if you haven't installed clockworkmod or twrp recoveries and are still on stock you're fine, just unroot. You can always reroot. If you'd like to try custom ROMs go to search your phone up top and you'll find ROMs made for your phone.
Sent from my SPH-L710 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thank you
i have CWM, how would i go back to stock recovery and unroot? i have read many different instructions however none seem to be exactly what i need

SorSiegen said:
thank you
i have CWM, how would i go back to stock recovery and unroot? i have read many different instructions however none seem to be exactly what i need
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok. qbking77 on YouTube probably has a video out showing ya how to do it depending on your model of phone. Just search his videos "how to flash stock recovery" and "stock jelly bean" with your carrier varient. they are the easiest to follow. Make sure its your carrier or youll brick your phone. Once you flash a stock ROM that specifies "not rooted" you won't have to unroot.
Sent from my SPH-L710 using xda premium

thank you so practically i can install stock firmware with a rooted device as long as i have stock recovery ? makes sense

SorSiegen said:
thank you so practically i can install stock firmware with a rooted device as long as i have stock recovery ? makes sense
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
When you install stock ROMs your phone will no longer be rooted. Some roms were created with root pre installed. So if you use them you will have root. If you want to update your phone with an "over the air" update, you will need stock recovery And a stock ROM . But if it were me I would just keep custom recovery and find a rooted stock ROM to download. Sorry I didn't reply sooner
Sent from my Insanely Morphed S3 LJ7 ktoonsez747 FreeGs3 2.0.0

Galaxy S3 Not Flashing Any KitKat Roms

When I try to flash any Kit Kat Roms and it always says failed. At This point i dont even know whats happening. I have a sprint S3 And Twrp Recovery

Footzy said:
When I try to flash any Kit Kat Roms and it always says failed. At This point i dont even know whats happening. I have a sprint S3 And Twrp Recovery
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't know much about the s3 but have you updated your recovery. Because recoveries need to be updated in order to install newer Roms sometimes. And this happened to me on my G300. Old recovery wouldn't install new jb ROM until I updated the jb compatible recovery.
Sent from my Nexus F...Fi...Fii...Ahem...*clears throat*... Five.

which rom are you running?
sometimes the ROM that you are using has a bug with recovery

Try cwm if it doesn't work after you update your recovery
Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

Try to install CWM Recovery via ROM Manager. It needs an internet connection.