[Q] Root causing OTA to fail? - Verizon Samsung Galaxy S III

I'm rooted/stock and have been deferring OTA updates for a looooong time. last time I took an update it screwed thing sup badly and I had to wipe my phone and start clean so I've been avoiding the update. I figured it's time but the install fails every time. I'm on 4.1.2 VRBMF1. Is it the fact that I'm rooted causing the trouble? Can I "un-root" to take the update?

If you have removed system apps or applied framework changes (like a mod) then the OTA could fail cuz of that. It could even be from your custom recovery. There should be an error code that gets saved in /cache or it should give you a reason why it fails as it is attempting to apply the update. Have you done any permanent changes similar to what I outlined?
If you have no issues with wiping the entire phone, then you could use Odin (Windows only program) to apply the 4.3 update. Now, I must say that you will not have any option to use AOSP roms or custom kernels once on 4.3. If this matters to you, then I can help you get rid of the ota notification.
Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 4

I haven't changed anything aside from freezing a bunch of apps with Titanium Backup. I haven't even installed a custom recovery. When **** got so screwed up from the last OTA I started fresh and rooted, intending to install CWM but never got around to it. So I'm rooted and nothing else. I've used Odin before to start fresh and I have no trouble with doing that again except that I hate having to set all of my screens, widgets, and folders up again. The couple times I've used a backup recovery they didn't recover those settings. I have all of my apps sorted into folders and it would be a huge PITA to do that again. I figure there has to be a way to backup and recover the layouts of the home screens. I have MyBackup Pro and can install CMW.
My phone has become very laggy over the past few months, which is why I decided to take the OTA hoping it would clean some things up. Honestly, I lost interest in doing all kinds of customization. I just want the phone to work smoothly again. If stock 4.3 with some crap frozen will do that then that's all I need. Is there a 4.4 version that runs without issues on the GS3?

Don't take the OTA, just go here and install this stock rooted version of the 4.3 OTA. Gives you everything you want and keeps your options open.
4.3 is much better than 4.12 and there is no stable 4.4 for the S3.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2625483

I'll go that route.
Any advice for backing up and restoring my apps folders? I just realized that the apps pages are not included if I backup/restore home screens with MyBackup Pro. I've sorted my apps into a dozen different folders on the apps pages and really don't want to do that from scratch again.
DigitalMD said:
Don't take the OTA, just go here and install this stock rooted version of the 4.3 OTA. Gives you everything you want and keeps your options open.
4.3 is much better than 4.12 and there is no stable 4.4 for the S3.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2625483
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

Related

Will my tab modifications affect the ICS update?

Hi all,
I used Titanium Backup to remove bloatware apps from my rooted 6210. Will this modification affect the ICS update? will it give me an error message or will it just install these bloatware apps back? Thanks in advance!
PS I heard the update is coming in September...LOL
To be safe I would recommend that you reinstall all the apps you uninstalled. I mean, it should be ok, but I always like to be safe rather then sorry..
And September 2013 got it
vamp6x6x6x said:
To be safe I would recommend that you reinstall all the apps you uninstalled. I mean, it should be ok, but I always like to be safe rather then sorry..
And September 2013 got it
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not this. When ICS comes along you'll want to do a complete wipe and start from scratch. The process of rooting should prevent OTA updates, so if you want the stock ICS you'll have to unroot first. I'll wait it out for someone to build rooted ICS builds.
Dunno if that will hold for the SGT+. Previous devices I've gotten on rooted devices just broke root. (TF101 comes to mind) Could be different for Sammy. But then we all did full backups before rooting....right?
I think that it will not matter what you have installed or uninstalled. M major updates like those will wipe everything and probably could not be done on OTA.
I would advice to do backup of your personal data only. If you restore a full backup of hc on ics you will got a bootloop.
Root should not prevent updates at all, but we will lose it. But probably we can use the same steps to take it back an the same update file.
Sent from my MB525 using Tapatalk 2
You'll have no problems updating through Kies but it will wipe everything. Not sure if an OTA will even be put out for those who bought it through a carrier or if everyone will have to update through Kies. I believe AT&T is forcing everyone to update their GSII to ICS through Kies. We will also most likely lose the ability to root until someone fixes it in ICS which shouldn't take too long.
jesusdiedforyourroms said:
Hi all,
I used Titanium Backup to remove bloatware apps from my rooted 6210. Will this modification affect the ICS update? will it give me an error message or will it just install these bloatware apps back? Thanks in advance!
PS I heard the update is coming in September...LOL
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
based on my experience, it doesn't matter what bloatware you delete, it'll all be back with a vengeance in the update. Things related to your apps and data shouldn't be wiped, but you will lose root and have to wait for the talented folks here to figure out how to re-root.

Fix for CWM/OTA issues?

I've looked around a bit, and while I've seen a few threads from a while back of folks complaining about the issue, I was wondering if we had any sort of fix? Currently I am unable to install any OTAs on my phone, and it's getting annoying. The phone is constantly reminding me of the OTAs, but after installing, they fail when CWM kicks in. Removing ROM Manager didn't help. Do I have to do a factory wipe for this to work?
Do you want the OTA or to stay off it? To take the OTA Odin back to stock but make a backup first with CWM or titanium. Then after the update re-root and restore your apps.
Or freeze the SDM.APK in titanium backup to stop it from pestering you and stay off the OTA track for good. Which is what I'd recommend. You don't need OTA on a Samsung. Unlike Motorola devices we don't need the kernel updates from official ota. We can rip those out and just install the kernel by itself. So using OTA is pointless unless you want verizon garbage apps and a locked bootloader. Cause you know when JB drops they will remove the ability to use the aboot and block us from unlocking most likely.
TLR
If you want stock. Odin. If you want to stay custom freeze SDM or remove it
Sent from a GlaDos Baked Potato

Cannot update to JB due to missing Messaging.apk

I rooted on ICS and used Titanium to disable the Moto messaging app in favor the stock ICS app instead. I ignored the 6 mb "security update" that came out a couple of weeks after the phone's release but now that JB is available I'd love to get my phone updated to that.
So I used Voodoo to temporarily disable root and I downloaded both the security update and the JB update to the cache partition on my phone. It's my understanding I need to install the security update first.
Unfortunately, when I go into recovery to install, the process stops when the phone can't verify the signature on system/app/Messaging.apk.
When I go back into Titanium, for some strange reason the original Moto messaging app isn't in the list of apps, even in the uninstalled/disabled section at the bottom of the list. I can't find the damn file anywhere! I must have accidentally deleted it at some point along the line.
Is there either a way to disable the check for the stock app, or would someone be nice enough to provide the stock app in apk or update.zip form? Or any other solution suggestions?
Many thanks!
just download the utility in the development section, go back to stock ics, root, use ota root keeper, take the ota update, restore root
I was hoping I'd be able to fix it without wiping. Guess not eh? Thanks for the thought!
Someone could theoretically upload the stock messaging app for you.. If it doesnt matter that i'm on jellybean i can send it to you...
Well i looked and it is the 4.1.1 version, so i don't think that will work for your needs.. If anyone is on ICS at the moment they can get it for you.
I went ahead with the method suggested with the Razr utilities and surprisingly awesome enough, it didn't wipe. I guess the utilities just rewrite the /system partition so it reset not just messaging but all the bloatware I had removed. It asked if I wanted it to format /data as well. I said no and everything booted and worked fine so I just went ahead with the OTA's no problem. It was a pleasant surprise. Thanks for the help guys!!

Keep JB OTA from my phone

A few days ago, I deferred the download of the JB update to my phone. It will now download on 12/19. I just got done rooting, unlocking, and installing a custom recovery. I think I remember reading somewhere that it is bad to take an OTA once this is done. Is there any way that I can prevent this from happening? I am waiting to install JB until it is more stable. It seems like there are issues with lagging and battery life.
Thanks
usmaak said:
A few days ago, I deferred the download of the JB update to my phone. It will now download on 12/19. I just got done rooting, unlocking, and installing a custom recovery. I think I remember reading somewhere that it is bad to take an OTA once this is done. Is there any way that I can prevent this from happening? I am waiting to install JB until it is more stable. It seems like there are issues with lagging and battery life.
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You won't be able to install it anyway, since you need the stock recovery to install the OTAs. But if you want to block the prompt, download Titanium Backup, find "sdm 1.0" and freeze it.
By the way, I have been running JellyBean for a month and a half now. It is stable. Most people's issues are user error. I am problem free.
pdykstra said:
You won't be able to install it anyway, since you need the stock recovery to install the OTAs. But if you want to block the prompt, download Titanium Backup, find "sdm 1.0" and freeze it.
By the way, I have been running JellyBean for a month and a half now. It is stable. Most people's issues are user error. I am problem free.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the info. How can battery issues and lag be user error?
usmaak said:
Thanks for the info. How can battery issues and lag be user error?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Improper installation, not wiping between flashes, etc. The JellyBean leaked ROMs have been out for months. The vast majority of users have no issues.
I'm not opposed to going to JB, now that I have a nand backup of my current setup. I just don't want to have to redo everything on my phone. I have everything on it that I like, just the way that I like.

tf700 Major, strange problem after update!

Everyone help! I just updated my tf700 to the newest update which was supposed to be minor. Everything went smooth but upon boot up everything went wrong. Every single app force closes upon unlocking the lock screen. I get a pop up for just about every single app that's trying to start saying sorry the app has closed. Oddly, any app that was originally on the device works OK. I did a normal reboot and then again I saw the upgrading message and another message saying optimizing apps and it counts through the apps its optimizing. Then again when I reboot fully it does the same thing. I did a cold reboot and it seemed a little smoother but then again I had the same force closes and error messages. And still only the stock apps will function, anything and everything else force closes upon opening.
I've never even heard of errors or problems such as this. I have no idea what to do and I have lots of data on the device I don't want to lose and can't lose. By the way I am rooted and I did not uninstall any stock apps. Just froze a couple. Build # now 10.6.1.14.10-20130801
Please any and all suggestions!
Ps - under kernel version it says (concerned about name cancer):
3.1.10-gba9af5
[email protected] #1
Thu Aug 1 17:00:24 cst 2013
bobstone said:
Just froze a couple.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There's your problem...
Sorry mate, but I can't help myself - attention everyone, here comes a rant:
I cannot believe how many people do not backup the data on their tablets! This is the second time in as many days that I read: "Something unexpected went wrong and I cannot loose my data".
If you did not back it up the question is not if you loose it, the question is WHEN!
This is a portable device! Pre-destined to be lost, stolen, dropped, submerged, spilled upon, run over by trucks - and those are everyday scenarios which are LIKELY. Don't even want to get into freak accidents... It's so easy to protect your data now-a-days! There's Dropbox in conjunction with Dropsync, there's Google Drive and a host of other solutions. There is no excuse for having only one copy of important data...... End of rant
To your problem. Before you apply a stock update you have to replace/unfreeze all stock apps. Usually the update just fails if you have frozen system apps - I do not know what went wrong in your case.
How did you update? OTA or manually?
It sounds as if your data partition is corrupted since the stock apps (installed in /system) work, but your user apps (installed in /data) do not. But that your system apps work is the good news! At least you didn't brick your tablet.
One of the stock apps is the file browser. See if you can copy your precious data to a microSD. And I'm only talking about data like pictures, files, video, projects. Don't worry about your apps.
If the file browser cannot see your data you're gonna have to get into the area of data recovery tools - lots of research ahead of you there.....
Another possibility may be - if you can access your tablet from your PC through USB - to ADB pull files off your tablet, check if your computer recognizes your tablet.
Once you have your data safe (or given up on it) you can perform a factory reset and possibly have to reflash the firmware.
BTW, if you did not protect root with Voodoo Rootkeeper before the update or if you flashed the full firmware (as opposed to doing an OTA update) you also lost root. And Asus plugged the hole Motochopper used in the latest firmware version. At this point 10.6.1.14.10 is not rootable without unlocking.
Sent from my ASUS Transformer Pad TF700T using Tapatalk 4
bobstone said:
Everyone help! I just updated my tf700 to the newest update which was supposed to be minor. Everything went smooth but upon boot up everything went wrong. Every single app force closes upon unlocking the lock screen. I get a pop up for just about every single app that's trying to start saying sorry the app has closed. Oddly, any app that was originally on the device works OK. I did a normal reboot and then again I saw the upgrading message and another message saying optimizing apps and it counts through the apps its optimizing. Then again when I reboot fully it does the same thing. I did a cold reboot and it seemed a little smoother but then again I had the same force closes and error messages. And still only the stock apps will function, anything and everything else force closes upon opening.
I've never even heard of errors or problems such as this. I have no idea what to do and I have lots of data on the device I don't want to lose and can't lose. By the way I am rooted and I did not uninstall any stock apps. Just froze a couple. Build # now 10.6.1.14.10-20130801
Please any and all suggestions!
Ps - under kernel version it says (concerned about name cancer):
3.1.10-gba9af5
[email protected] #1
Thu Aug 1 17:00:24 cst 2013
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I would just wipe and start over, even if you get it functional again you could end up with problems.
Hmmm - I too think you are going to lose your data here as I can't see how you can recover without wiping if everything is force closing now.
BTW don't worry about the kernel version being cancer that is Asus naming convention. They have been using planets and have now run out so they are now using astrology instead of astronomy which is rather odd but there you go.
Previously we had mercury, venus, jupiter, uranus etc now we have aquarius and cancer......
What don't make sense and I can't accept, I've updated this device 4 times now total and never had a problem like this. Also, I've updated a few devices with frozen apps and had no problems. Are frozen apps really the cause? I can't see it.
And if I do have to wipe, and I really don't want to, will I still be rooted after wiping and is there a way to back up things since I can't use 3rd party apps? (Also, I used voodoo)
It just seems like something went wrong with the update, say something initializing or cache problem, and im sure there's an easy fix.
Please, keep the ideas coming...
I guess, I just need to clerify , stock bootloader, stock ROM, but rooted??
Sent from my [email protected]
Sorry all was reading it on the app wow that really is not good lol
Correct, stock rom rooted. No interest in custom roms. I know there's gotta be something simple, maybe even a chkdsk in linux or something. I just hate to wipe n start over. My files seem to be intact and non stock apps start to open for a split second then they force close.
Any responses guys? Would really appreciate any help.
Thanks,
Sent from my rooted Galaxy S4
bobstone said:
Any responses guys? Would really appreciate any help.
Thanks,
Sent from my rooted Galaxy S4
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think you will have to wipe mate as said. Painful but can't see any other way around it.
bobstone said:
Correct, stock rom rooted. No interest in custom roms. I know there's gotta be something simple, maybe even a chkdsk in linux or something. I just hate to wipe n start over. My files seem to be intact and non stock apps start to open for a split second then they force close.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yea, wipe, and no you won't keep root on a stock rom wipe. As I said previously even if you managed to "fix" the problem you would be creating potential for lockups/forced reboots. Your also not the first to have issues when upgrading with sys apps frozen, look around the forum, its been discussed before. Sucks, but there it is.
I have the same issue, and I can't remember freezing any apps. I don't have any critical data that I can't loose though. Still it sucks to have to wipe if there's another way.
Stock, locked bootloader, rooted. Temp unrooted using OTA Rootkeeper and did the OTA. Then upon the next reboot, all apps FC. All earlier updates has worked flawless. :/
vatvedt said:
I have the same issue, and I can't remember freezing any apps. I don't have any critical data that I can't loose though. Still it sucks to have to wipe if there's another way.
Stock, locked bootloader, rooted. Temp unrooted using OTA Rootkeeper and did the OTA. Then upon the next reboot, all apps FC. All earlier updates has worked flawless. :/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
boy, i can't believe how close i was to actually going forward with this OTA when it "pooped" up in the notification area. good thing i had just been reading xda forums and i saw a couple posts bout ppl losing root and whatnot with said update.
now i am a happy camper on Cromi-x =D
best bet as a few already said is to try to extract your data from the thingy, and wipe it out, if you wanna take a n00b advice, if you're close to the end of your warranty period, go ahead and unlock it then proceed to cromi-x it. i was of the same position as you back when i bought it, not interested in custom roms and whatnot, just root...... but since my warranty was expiring next month anyways, and it had grown considerably sloppy and laggy, i figured out, why not? and i gotta tell you, it was the right thing to do.
hands down
anyways, good luck on your recovery.
I wiped and downgraded to .8 and will happily stay there for now. Maybe until I unlock the bootloader in the future.
vatvedt said:
I have the same issue, and I can't remember freezing any apps. I don't have any critical data that I can't loose though. Still it sucks to have to wipe if there's another way.
Stock, locked bootloader, rooted. Temp unrooted using OTA Rootkeeper and did the OTA. Then upon the next reboot, all apps FC. All earlier updates has worked flawless. :/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you don't have it download Titanium Backup, hit Menu and wipe Dalvic cache. Reboot. The reboot will take a while because the Dalvic has to be rebuild - so don't panic
If that doesn't do it, I'm fresh out of ideas.
I tried to wipe via the stock recovery, but all the FC's was still there, and what's worse was that because of the FC's I couldn't finish (or quit) the "Set up your tablet" thingie. I always crashed on setting up a gmail account. Didn't matter if I was connected to the internet or not, or if I declined setting it up. So I had to do everything from the stock recovery.
Downloaded the .8 firwmare, unpacked the first .zip file, renamed the second .zip (to EP201_768_SDUPDATE.zip) and put it on an empty micro SD, made sure the SD-card was FAT32, booted to recovery (Power Vol down for 5 sec) and installed it via RCK, Android stock recovery.
Thanks for the tip, though. It might have worked. I don't know.

Categories

Resources