Related
Service-centre installed firmware I9003DDKp1 (india) - no root/deodex/nothing - absolute stock, absolutely no custom stuff
did the *#272*IMEI thing - CSC shown is INU (im from india)
when i connect the phone to Kies, it shows "your device does not support software upgrading via Kies" as per attached file
any ideas or thoughts to resolve would be appreciated
to which version u wany to upgrade???
vishal24387 said:
to which version u wany to upgrade???
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i9003DDKP4
pls advise regarding non-Odin solutions
its not ddkp4. Its actually ddkp2. U can upgrade it via odin. Kies update software is most stupid software.
spm123123 said:
"your device does not support software upgrading via Kies"
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I got the same message some days before the update was avaible in my country. You'll probably be able to upgrade your phone soon, just wait.
loSconosciuto said:
I got the same message some days before the update was avaible in my country. You'll probably be able to upgrade your phone soon, just wait.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
that cant be it ... the update has already been released and others have already updated
If you know how to flash...just flash DDKP2 using odin twice
I got the same problem. After waiting for months, I reflashed it with odin. So no other way except odin or samsung service center for us.
update through odin ... sammykies the most ever stupid flash program
odin is very easy
i have a galaxy s6 (SM-G920F)and it failed in an update and got stuck in a bootloop,i tried reflashing stock rom (6.0.1),ive tried smartswitch but nothing is working I cant get into recovery either,when I tried reflashing stock rom with odin it came up with sw rev check fail device 5 binary 4,any ideas what this means? as far as I can tell its a bootloader problem
god1980 said:
i have a galaxy s6 (SM-G920F)and it failed in an update and got stuck in a bootloop,i tried reflashing stock rom (6.0.1),ive tried smartswitch but nothing is working I cant get into recovery either,when I tried reflashing stock rom with odin it came up with sw rev check fail device 5 binary 4,any ideas what this means? as far as I can tell its a bootloader problem
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Use smartswitch emergency recovery , samsung have put in place some issues with the Bootloader, moreso if you're on a newer bootloader then you cannot install a firmware which has a lower bootloader
sofir786 said:
Use smartswitch emergency recovery , samsung have put in place some issues with the Bootloader, moreso if you're on a newer bootloader then you cannot install a firmware which has a lower bootloader
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
ive tried smartswitch and it just says SM-G920F does not support initialization please contact customer services
same problem here, any luck finding a solution?
god1980 said:
ive tried smartswitch and it just says SM-G920F does not support initialization please contact customer services
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
When you downloaded your firmware for odin, was it the very newest update? Or an old one, I've noticed some older firmwares fail to flash due to being on a newer bootloader
bogdanserban said:
same problem here, any luck finding a solution?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have same issue, all the stock software out there seem to be dated where can I new stock firmware? I have Samsung S 6 from tmobile SM-G920T1.
This is my problem:
device: galaxy s6 edge tmobile
system status: custom
sw rev. check fail. device:5, binary: 2
what should I do?
i solved same problem. Just flash full nougat 7.0 via odin, don't flash MM 6.0.1.
rezstrk said:
i solved same problem. Just flash full nougat 7.0 via odin, don't flash MM 6.0.1.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
from where to download?
dohcvtec said:
from where to download?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
here! have fun!
For 920F
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B0b2ginGifb-U2VzdUtzRmJTYm8/view
rezstrk said:
here! have fun!
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B0b2ginGifb-U2VzdUtzRmJTYm8/view
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thanks. I'll get back to you and let you know what happened. thanks again!
dohcvtec said:
thanks. I'll get back to you and let you know what happened. thanks again!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I also had the same issue on SW REV DEVICE 5 BINARY 4
I downloaded the Nougat 7.0 United Kingdom/Ireland and flashed using Odin and now my S6 is up and running. You can try it too.
I had tried other versions with no success.
Do you know wjere I can find Nougat for s6 edge, USA T-Mobile? Thanks
dohcvtec said:
Do you know wjere I can find Nougat for s6 edge, USA T-Mobile? Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yo, did you get it fixed? My phone for tmobile cant get passed flashing
vandres1975 said:
Yo, did you get it fixed? My phone for tmobile cant get passed flashing
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hey, nope. Didn't manage to get passed it. Nothing so far. Really looking for some help on that issue but no luck so far. If I come up with a solution, I will post it here.
Dang that sucks, idk what I'm going to do to unbrick it.
dohcvtec said:
Hey, nope. Didn't manage to get passed it. Nothing so far. Really looking for some help on that issue but no luck so far. If I come up with a solution, I will post it here.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hey, so I have the bootloader problem too and I think we have to wait for the nougat update for the type of phone you have. I have a galaxy s6 tmobile so I think I have to get nougat and flash that when it comes out for tmobile. You have to do the same I think but for now Im gonna send it to samsung and act dumb. Hopefully maybe they fix it and send it back. Do you think they will accept my phone though? It was rooted and had nemesis rom. for nougat port from s7 edge. Also current binary is: Samsung Official. System Status is: Custom. They can see knox is tripped since the counter is void: 1.
vandres1975 said:
Hey, so I have the bootloader problem too and I think we have to wait for the nougat update for the type of phone you have. I have a galaxy s6 tmobile so I think I have to get nougat and flash that when it comes out for tmobile. You have to do the same I think but for now Im gonna send it to samsung and act dumb. Hopefully maybe they fix it and send it back. Do you think they will accept my phone though? It was rooted and had nemesis rom. for nougat port from s7 edge. Also current binary is: Samsung Official. System Status is: Custom. They can see knox is tripped since the counter is void: 1.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hey, it depends if you have warranty on the phone or not. If you have warranty, it will not cover your expenses because it's void after unlocking bootloader and rooting. If you don't have warranty and you are paying them anyways, they should have no trouble accepting it. Who would deny taking money. I hope they can fix it for you and I'm sorry we couldn't figure out how to. What you said about Nougat is true. I have checked that information as well. There is no Nougat for TMobile yet. We just have to wait. Again, in the mean time if I fix it, I will post my solution here.
dohcvtec said:
Hey, it depends if you have warranty on the phone or not. If you have warranty, it will not cover your expenses because it's void after unlocking bootloader and rooting. If you don't have warranty and you are paying them anyways, they should have no trouble accepting it. Who would deny taking money. I hope they can fix it for you and I'm sorry we couldn't figure out how to. What you said about Nougat is true. I have checked that information as well. There is no Nougat for TMobile yet. We just have to wait. Again, in the mean time if I fix it, I will post my solution here.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Alright.
dohcvtec said:
Do you know wjere I can find Nougat for s6 edge, USA T-Mobile? Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Try the first one from the top from here http://updato.com/firmware-archive-select-model?q=sm+g920t&exact=1
with Odin v3.12.3
My Fried gave this phone to me (SM-N915G) which is stuck at Powered by Android, and told me to fix it.
He said that when he update to MM from LP without KIES or Odin, the phone suddenly restarted and stuck there getting HOT
He had no experiece to repair it so he asked me to fix it.
So for 3 days lately, i have tried many ways to fix it but wihout any progress, as follow :
1. Flashing Official MM wby using Odin -> still stuck
2. Downgrading Flash Official LP using Odin -> still stuck
3. Installed TWRP, and flasing CFW Micky387_MM_V3.0 for 915F/FY/G (flashing Bootloader and modem as required) -> still stuck with set warranty bit : kernel
4. After Flashing Micky CFW and Failde, i try to flash Emotion Kernel -> still stuck with Kernel is Seandroid Enforcing
5. Redoing Flash Micky CFW with other CSC -> Still Stuck (even i tried with 915F and 915FY as in the aroma installer)
6. Never failed during flash procedure with Odin or TWRP, everything is smooth
7. When stuck, the device is getting Hot slowly but and when left as long as 15 minutes, the HH is getting HOT (TWRP read 72 degree at most)
**Update
8. Tried using Official SmartSwitch sucessfully but the result is still the same -> Still Stuck and getting hot as usual T.T
Last Download Mode status is :
Odin Mode (High Speed)
Product name: SM-N915G
Current Binary: Samsung Official
System Status: Official
Reactivation Lock: Off
Knox warranty void: 0x1 (2)
Quallcomm secureboot : Enable (CSB)
RP SWREV: S1, T1, R1, A1, P1
Secure Download: Enable
UDC START
I am now thinking, should i flash another Kernel or PIT or Bootloader? but i still cant decide what to do next to revive this Phone
Please help, any suggestion is greatly appreciated, thank you.
Please give some help, thank you.
Help Please anyone?
This is Hard Brick or Soft Brick?
Any suggestion or Opinion please
Thank you
wingz17 said:
Help Please anyone?
This is Hard Brick or Soft Brick?
Any suggestion or Opinion please
Thank you
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Have you tried a reinstall using KIES?
The Radius Kid said:
Have you tried a reinstall using KIES?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes i have try to recover but not using KIES, but using smartswitch...
Is it diffrent by using KIES or SmartSwitch?
Thank you.
wingz17 said:
Yes i have try to recover but not using KIES, but using smartswitch...
Is it diffrent by using KIES or SmartSwitch?
Thank you.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I can tell you that Kies and NOT Kies 3 was what worked for me when I downloaded/installed Marshmallow from Samsung's website.
Figure that one out.
That was also using a 64 bit version of Windows 7 Pro.
The Radius Kid said:
I can tell you that Kies and NOT Kies 3 was what worked for me when I downloaded/installed Marshmallow from Samsung's website.
Figure that one out.
That was also using a 64 bit version of Windows 7 Pro.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you for the suggestion,
I will try that one out and let you know.
wingz17 said:
Thank you for the suggestion,
I will try that one out and let you know.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The Radius Kid said:
I can tell you that Kies and NOT Kies 3 was what worked for me when I downloaded/installed Marshmallow from Samsung's website.
Figure that one out.
That was also using a 64 bit version of Windows 7 Pro.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry For the long response, i have tried flasing using KIES but still stuck on the android, and no progress.
Right now i am run out of option, please help, thank you.
wingz17 said:
Sorry For the long response, i have tried flasing using KIES but still stuck on the android, and no progress.
Right now i am run out of option, please help, thank you.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm going to guess that you've tried installing MM using Kies directly from Sammobile?
If so,have you tried turning off your computer's antivirus when you download/install?
It sounds like the bootloader is looking for something and can't find it.....kind of like what happened to me when I totally ripped KNOX out of my phone.
Restore time!
Good thing I did CWM backups.
In your case,your computer's anti virus could be seeing something in the download and ripping it out.
I've seen my browsers do that when I download stuff....pain in the....
Have you tried a different battery?
Maybe a search of the forums to see if anyone else has had this problem and solved it?
I kind of remember seeing something like this a while back.
The Radius Kid said:
I'm going to guess that you've tried installing MM using Kies directly from Sammobile?
If so,have you tried turning off your computer's antivirus when you download/install?
It sounds like the bootloader is looking for something and can't find it.....kind of like what happened to me when I totally ripped KNOX out of my phone.
Restore time!
Good thing I did CWM backups.
In your case,your computer's anti virus could be seeing something in the download and ripping it out.
I've seen my browsers do that when I download stuff....pain in the....
Have you tried a different battery?
Maybe a search of the forums to see if anyone else has had this problem and solved it?
I kind of remember seeing something like this a while back.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you for the response,
I was using KIES 2.64 that downloaded from Samsung website to fix the phone as your suggestion (tools->firmware upgrade and initialisation) but still fail to fix it.
Nope, the antivirus still active when KIES download the FW and Flash it into the phone, but it is new to me that antivirus will intercept ongoing dowloaded files, if so i think the antivirus will give some notification or warning about the content of the file that being downloaded and in my case, my antivirus is still cool and no notification whatsoever.
The bad thing is i do not have any cwm backup and since this is my friend phone and not mine, well... we dont have any backup for this phone.
Regarding the battery, i admit that i havent try other battery, since i dont see any connecton between it, in my opinion, the phone works well, the charging animation working, and no sign of weak battery... but i will try to do it if i can get some other battery
I have surfed many forums and websites, but almost 90% can be fixed with simple flashing from odin or just by clearing up cache and data from recovery.
Other that that, wither, no one respond to the problem, or just some discussion without conclusion, really frustrating.
I even go further to read about android booting sequence to identify whats wrong with the boot sequence, but still confused...
But i have some question if you would to answer :
1 . Stuck at Android logo, bootloader or kernel problem?
2 . Is it possible that one of the mainboard chip that have some part in booting process is malfunctioning? But if so, the phone will be dead bricked right?
3. How about the booting process is halted due some hardware failure? ex : some chip (other than chip that have part in booting process) is bad and so the bootloader init is halted
4. The Worst guess, is it possible that the phone is fake? (the serial number behind the baterry is accepted by kies though)
Thank you very much, you are the only one who still response to my problem. :good:
As it seems you use the wrong Bootlaoder. Is his phone N915P or N915G? When you flash N915G Bootloader to N915P, it will not boot but the bootloader will work correctly. Try to flash the N915P bootloader.
I have N915FY phone but did not know first if I had N915F or FY. I flashed the N915F bootloader version, which flashed successfully, but was not booting. Bootloader said that my phones model is N915F. After flashing the FY Bootloader version, it successfully booted to system.
Bordo_Bereli51 said:
As it seems you use the wrong Bootlaoder. Is his phone N915P or N915G? When you flash N915G Bootloader to N915P, it will not boot but the bootloader will work correctly. Try to flash the N915P bootloader.
I have N915FY phone but did not know first if I had N915F or FY. I flashed the N915F bootloader version, which flashed successfully, but was not booting. Bootloader said that my phones model is N915F. After flashing the FY Bootloader version, it successfully booted to system.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you for the Response,
First, his phone is N915G (according to the box and the information in the battery compartment)
(Really sorry for the mistake i made at the thread title)
And regarding bootloader, that is also my concern at first, i think maybe i was flasing wrong region and bootloader, and so i search the way to find out the real version of the phone, but after trying many ways described on the net (by imei or serial number) , i still cannot found out the way.
But one instance when i try using KIES, and KIES asked for the version and serial number when device upgrade and initialisation, i entered the exact version and serial number that is found behind the phone in battery compartment. KIES immediately confirms that the version and serial number is valid, (i still wonder though, is KIES check it online at Samsung server or there are some serial number database embedded in the KIES) and continue to run trough the official fw download and installation by KIES but at the end still no success.
Is it possible that the version and serial number is wrong ? if so, how to determine the correct one?
and is it safe to try flasing another bootloader?
Thank you very much
Hello, there is no bootloader related to serial number or something. There are different bootloaders for different models and android version. When you flash MM-Version, you need to be sure that you use the right bootloader and baseband files for MM. If you flash different region-locked firmware/bootloader, it will not affect btw. not solve the boot-stuck problem.
http://samsung-updates.com/device/?id=SM-N915G Try to flash 6.0.1 firmware that is related to your region if you still want to try to flash different region-firmware.
Maybe download the XSA 6.0.1 Firmware with the pit file XSA http://gsm-firmware.com/index.php?a=browse&b=file-info&id=15892.
Then flash XSA 6.0.1 and TBLTE_SEA_XSA.pit together in odin. Under Odin 3 V3.12 ticke the re-partition at option-tab and select TBLTE_SEA_XSA.pit under pit-tab.
Bordo_Bereli51 said:
Hello, there is no bootloader related to serial number or something. There are different bootloaders for different models and android version. When you flash MM-Version, you need to be sure that you use the right bootloader and baseband files for MM. If you flash different region-locked firmware/bootloader, it will not affect btw. not solve the boot-stuck problem.
http://samsung-updates.com/device/?id=SM-N915G Try to flash 6.0.1 firmware that is related to your region if you still want to try to flash different region-firmware.
Maybe download the XSA 6.0.1 Firmware with the pit file XSA http://gsm-firmware.com/index.php?a=browse&b=file-info&id=15892.
Then flash XSA 6.0.1 and TBLTE_SEA_XSA.pit together in odin. Under Odin 3 V3.12 ticke the re-partition at option-tab and select TBLTE_SEA_XSA.pit under pit-tab.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the reply!
Although there is no bootloader related to serial number, but if we put the serial number in KIES, it will identify what CSC and region, which can be use as a guide to choose the correct FW or let KIES do the Flashing according to the inputted serial number, and as long as the serial number is correct one, that is my opinion but please CMIIW.
When flashing MM, if i use the MM that has been downloaded, the bootloader and baseband is included in the MM image right? or shouuld i flash it separately?
i have tried your suggestion but with no sucess, i have dowloaded the PIT and the FW, flash it trough odin which was sucess, but still stuck.
I do not tick auto restart at Odin, so i manually restart the phone, but i encounter an event which at 20% installing system update (below the greed droid guy) the progress bar is vanished and replaced with erasing, and after that the phone stuck again at the same spot.
Do you have any idea why?
Thank you very much.
Just thinking, should i erase the NAND in ODIN?
If so, how to restore it?
I think that if i backup the NAND using custom recovery and restore it later, it just bring back the same problem, if the NAND causing all this.
Do anyone have some NAND backup that i could use? or any other suggestion?
Thank you
Can you boot to recovery? if yes, try to wipe data and cache.
If it still not working, try to backup your efs with a custom recovery (ex. TWRP), or better the entire System like data, system, boot, efs, modem and save it to your computer.
After saving the backup, try to flash the firmware with pit file while checked NAND erase all.
When its finished and your device boots up, you can flash back your custom recovery and recover only the efs-partition.
If its not working, then there is maybe problems with your eMMC. But be aware using nand erase all. It is the last riskfully option left after trying several things.
I have a backup of my resurrection rom. If you want it I can upload it.
I struggle to understand why it's so difficult to get any information about when I can expect my phone to update to Oreo. I understood that it would be updateable out of the box when I bought it back in August, but I'm still waiting. I'm not overly bothered about the new features, but I need an Oreo device to properly test an app I have to update, according to Google Play.
Anyway, I was wondering. It's November the 2nd, Oreo has been about for a while now, I have a 2018 phone running 7.1. I've tried updating through the few legitimate means available but am still being told my device is up-to-date. Trawling the Internet for clues about who has or hasn't got this update, I've failed to find any definitive information. So I don't know if my phone is not updating when it should be, and I'm reluctant to do any hacking. Too many bad experiences there.
So the question is, is anyone else here with a Galaxy A8 (2018) still waiting? I'm on giffgaff, with an unbranded, unlocked (i.e. not network locked) phone.
Thanks,
Paul.
Are you rooted?
Try odin
mchlbenner said:
Are you rooted?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
djvmen said:
Try odin
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm not rooted, and I wanted to avoid using Odin or any unofficial means of updating. In the past I've just had too many headaches with those approaches. I guess I was really just wondering who else out there is waiting for this long overdue update.
took my phone half a month to see a new update
baykah said:
I struggle to understand why it's so difficult to get any information about when I can expect my phone to update to Oreo. I understood that it would be updateable out of the box when I bought it back in August, but I'm still waiting. I'm not overly bothered about the new features, but I need an Oreo device to properly test an app I have to update, according to Google Play.
Anyway, I was wondering. It's November the 2nd, Oreo has been about for a while now, I have a 2018 phone running 7.1. I've tried updating through the few legitimate means available but am still being told my device is up-to-date. Trawling the Internet for clues about who has or hasn't got this update, I've failed to find any definitive information. So I don't know if my phone is not updating when it should be, and I'm reluctant to do any hacking. Too many bad experiences there.
So the question is, is anyone else here with a Galaxy A8 (2018) still waiting? I'm on giffgaff, with an unbranded, unlocked (i.e. not network locked) phone.
Thanks,
Paul.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Have you tried Otg?
I run Oreo but and doesn't work.
jkrgalaxy said:
Have you tried Otg?
I run Oreo but and doesn't work.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can try SamFirm downloader, when there is an update available it will show up.
Odin is safe to use, you can flash official filmware through it without a problem.
It is possible to flash other country filmware with the Oreo update with the same bootloader that you've got.
For some countries there won't be any updates to Oreo, and they stay on Nougat 7.1 August patch.
solamente said:
You can try SamFirm downloader, when there is an update available it will show up.
Odin is safe to use, you can flash official filmware through it without a problem.
It is possible to flash other country filmware with the Oreo update with the same bootloader that you've got.
For some countries there won't be any updates to Oreo, and they stay on Nougat 7.1 August patch.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My device came with oreo out of the box.
I'll try every possible solution before samfirm.
Btw I tried it on a friends device and it doesn't worked on his also.!
jkrgalaxy said:
My device came with oreo out of the box.
I'll try every possible solution before samfirm.
Btw I tried it on a friends device and it doesn't worked on his also.!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Whats the other solution you have left?
With SamFirm you can see directly if there's an update or not, its that simple and can do no harm.
solamente said:
Whats the other solution you have left?
With SamFirm you can see directly if there's an update or not, its that simple and can do no harm.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Want to try the original otg.
jkrgalaxy said:
Want to try the original otg.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't see the problem, from SamFirm you get an official update just like OTG, the difference is that its updating right from your Phone with an OTG.
Basically you receive the same update.
But, "Suit yourself"
solamente said:
I don't see the problem, from SamFirm you get an official update just like OTG, the difference is that its updating right from your Phone with an OTG.
Basically you receive the same update.
But, "Suit yourself"
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I mean the actual hardware not firmware.
Don't forget that I cannot see any device that is connected via OTG adapter at this moment.
Problem solved.
OTG is supported only with the original adapter.
Hi XDA, first time poster and I could not find a similar thread with the answers I was looking for, if that thread exists I apologize!
So basically I started a job in a retail phone shop a few months back. We have a drawer in store that has a bunch of old demo units in there that, once they have been removed from display, just sit there unused. There is phones in there from almost 10 years ago. They are never given back or requested back, nor are they logged in any way.
Well I noticed there was an almost perfect condition S21+ in there so I asked my manager if we could use it as a sales incentive and he replied saying the phones are useless because of the software on them. I said I was pretty sure you could remove the retail software and use it as a normal phone and he said if I can do that and get it working, I can take the phone for myself.
Well, I took it home and did some digging / experimenting. The phone has a proper IMEI already, you can put a SIM into the phone and it registers to the network. The problem is, the phone has security restrictions on data sharing and it does not have the playstore on it and there is no factory data reset option in the settings, nor in recovery mode.
I have tried flashing a stock firmware on using Odin which I thought worked, however when the phone restarts and you go through set up, Samsung Knox pops up and installs settings which forces the phone to set up in retail mode again with the same restrictions as previous (no play store, factory reset etc).
Any idea how to get around this issue? I would have thought flashing stock software would be the obvious work around but something on the phone forces it to install on retail mode every time.
Any advice on this is much appreciated.
Frostyb said:
Hi XDA, first time poster and I could not find a similar thread with the answers I was looking for, if that thread exists I apologize!
So basically I started a job in a retail phone shop a few months back. We have a drawer in store that has a bunch of old demo units in there that, once they have been removed from display, just sit there unused. There is phones in there from almost 10 years ago. They are never given back or requested back, nor are they logged in any way.
Well I noticed there was an almost perfect condition S21+ in there so I asked my manager if we could use it as a sales incentive and he replied saying the phones are useless because of the software on them. I said I was pretty sure you could remove the retail software and use it as a normal phone and he said if I can do that and get it working, I can take the phone for myself.
Well, I took it home and did some digging / experimenting. The phone has a proper IMEI already, you can put a SIM into the phone and it registers to the network. The problem is, the phone has security restrictions on data sharing and it does not have the playstore on it and there is no factory data reset option in the settings, nor in recovery mode.
I have tried flashing a stock firmware on using Odin which I thought worked, however when the phone restarts and you go through set up, Samsung Knox pops up and installs settings which forces the phone to set up in retail mode again with the same restrictions as previous (no play store, factory reset etc).
Any idea how to get around this issue? I would have thought flashing stock software would be the obvious work around but something on the phone forces it to install on retail mode every time.
Any advice on this is much appreciated.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Have you tried following the steps in a video such as this?
DO THIS COMPLETELY AT YOUR OWN RISK! I AM NOT RESPONSIBLE IF ANYTHING GOES WRONG, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO BRICKING YOUR DEVICE, GETTING A VIRUS OR STARTING A LITERAL WAR.
Everything i was able find on the subject was kind of sketchy-looking (probably because doing this without permission would probably be illegal) so I included a warning.
BloodyFruitDestroyer said:
Have you tried following the steps in a video such as this?
DO THIS COMPLETELY AT YOUR OWN RISK! I AM NOT RESPONSIBLE IF ANYTHING GOES WRONG, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO BRICKING YOUR DEVICE, GETTING A VIRUS OR STARTING A LITERAL WAR.
Everything i was able find on the subject was kind of sketchy-looking (probably because doing this without permission would probably be illegal) so I included a warning.
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Thanks for the reply!
So I also came across this same video on the subject last night, it seems to be a workaround for bypassing Knox but I couldnt find any further info on what kind of state that leaves the phone in after, if it can still get official updates and such or if it triggered to eFuse that causes you to lose access to Samsung Pay and other official apps.
I'm aware this is at my own risk, the phone will sit in a drawer if I cant figure it out any way so no harm no foul as far as I can see. I've thought about rooting the device (I know this will trigger the eFuse) but I cant find any info on if that would get around the specific issue I'm having of Knox forcing the phone to install in retail settings or not so do not want to go down that road just yet.
Frostyb said:
Thanks for the reply!
So I also came across this same video on the subject last night, it seems to be a workaround for bypassing Knox but I couldnt find any further info on what kind of state that leaves the phone in after, if it can still get official updates and such or if it triggered to eFuse that causes you to lose access to Samsung Pay and other official apps.
I'm aware this is at my own risk, the phone will sit in a drawer if I cant figure it out any way so no harm no foul as far as I can see. I've thought about rooting the device (I know this will trigger the eFuse) but I cant find any info on if that would get around the specific issue I'm having of Knox forcing the phone to install in retail settings or not so do not want to go down that road just yet.
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I'd say that the Knox workaround would probably (do not quote me on that) leave you with un-tripped Knox (=e-fuse intact) if it even still is. Even if Knox would be tripped, you would still most likely be able to get software updates. But because you said that you have already used Odin successfully on the device, that would lead me to believe that OEM unlocking might already be on in which case there probably isn't any more to lose by rooting the device. On a rooted device there are instructions o WikiHow on how to remove the Knox , but I haven't personally tested them. If I were you, I'd check with a Knox warranty checker app or through recovery mode, etc
whether the e-fuse is already triggered before continuing with anything.
And if I confused you, feel free to ask anything!
With the root approach you would also have to worry about passing Safety Net, but that'll only be relevant if you decide to go with that path.
BloodyFruitDestroyer said:
I'd say that the Knox workaround would probably (do not quote me on that) leave you with un-tripped Knox (=e-fuse intact) if it even still is. Even if Knox would be tripped, you would still most likely be able to get software updates. But because you said that you have already used Odin successfully on the device, that would lead me to believe that OEM unlocking might already be on in which case there probably isn't any more to lose by rooting the device. On a rooted device there are instructions o WikiHow on how to remove the Knox , but I haven't personally tested them. If I were you, I'd check with a Knox warranty checker app whether the e-fuse is already triggered before continuing with anything.
And if I confused you, feel free to ask anything!
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Interesting, I may give the workaround a shot when I get home later then.
So I have used Odin but it was with official firmware obtained through Frija and, according to reading, that does NOT trip the eFuse. I did turn on OHD in dev options but from what I can tell, the fuse is only tripped when you load an unofficial image onto the device which I havent done yet. I can check when I get home by booting into recovery mode and checking the warranty line AFAIK it will say either 1 or 0 indicating if it's been tripped or not.
So my issue with rooting is I dont know if I root, will the phone still install in the retail setup that it does currently. I know I can run apps or code to remove Knox once rooted, but I dont know if then just reinstall firmware and it will be back to default like I want, or if I'll then need to figure out how to get the playstore loaded, if the security issues persist etc. Also as far as I can tell to root, I need to install Magisk on the device first to alter one of the image files, then move that file back to the PC to flash with Odin, and I'm not sure I can do that with the retail settings enabled.
Frostyb said:
Interesting, I may give the workaround a shot when I get home later then.
So I have used Odin but it was with official firmware obtained through Frija and, according to reading, that does NOT trip the eFuse. I did turn on OHD in dev options but from what I can tell, the fuse is only tripped when you load an unofficial image onto the device which I havent done yet. I can check when I get home by booting into recovery mode and checking the warranty line AFAIK it will say either 1 or 0 indicating if it's been tripped or not.
So my issue with rooting is I dont know if I root, will the phone still install in the retail setup that it does currently. I know I can run apps or code to remove Knox once rooted, but I dont know if then just reinstall firmware and it will be back to default like I want, or if I'll then need to figure out how to get the playstore loaded, if the security issues persist etc. Also as far as I can tell to root, I need to install Magisk on the device first to alter one of the image files, then move that file back to the PC to flash with Odin, and I'm not sure I can do that with the retail settings enabled.
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I am interested in how this develops. Please keep me updated with the warranty byte status and whether the workaround is successful!
BloodyFruitDestroyer said:
I am interested in how this develops. Please keep me updated with the warranty byte status and whether the workaround is successful!
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So quick update on this: none of the workaround videos on youtube seem to be capable of doing anything. They all rely on being able to connect to Wifi then get around the device before Knox settings apply, however on my build as SOON as you connect to wifi, it immediately starts applying knox settings and cannot be skipped.
I am wondering if this is because the version of software I flashed on using Odin was the most recent firmware, being android 12, and most of these workarounds are for android 11? Is it safe to locate the original firmware for the S21+ somewhere and flash that on to the device instead do you think?
Also the eFuse is still currently in tact.
Frostyb said:
So quick update on this: none of the workaround videos on youtube seem to be capable of doing anything. They all rely on being able to connect to Wifi then get around the device before Knox settings apply, however on my build as SOON as you connect to wifi, it immediately starts applying knox settings and cannot be skipped.
I am wondering if this is because the version of software I flashed on using Odin was the most recent firmware, being android 12, and most of these workarounds are for android 11? Is it safe to locate the original firmware for the S21+ somewhere and flash that on to the device instead do you think?
Also the eFuse is still currently in tact.
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You could flash an older Android version, but if and only if it has the same bootloader version as the current one, otherwise it won't work and might even brick your device. I am unsure though if the downgrade would help but if the bootloader versions match, you can try!
On SamMobile.com you can see older versions of firmware. Just check the bootloader version before flashing!
BloodyFruitDestroyer said:
You could flash an older Android version, but if and only if it has the same bootloader version as the current one, otherwise it won't work and might even brick your device. I am unsure though if the downgrade would help but if the bootloader versions match, you can try!
On SamMobile.com you can see older versions of firmware. Just check the bootloader version before flashing!
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So this may seem like a dumb question but how do I check to make sure the bootloader version matches?
Frostyb said:
So this may seem like a dumb question but how do I check to make sure the bootloader version matches?
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It's most likely as simple as comparing the bootloader filenames between the Odin flashable files for the old and new software. I could verify whether that's the case if you send the filenames for both bootloader files here. (The file that goes into the BL slot in Odin)
BloodyFruitDestroyer said:
It's most likely as simple as comparing the bootloader filenames between the Odin flashable files for the old and new software. I could verify whether that's the case if you send the filenames for both bootloader files here. (The file that goes into the BL slot in Odin)
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So the first image is of the current firmware that successfully flashed to my device via Odin.
The second is firmware from August 2021 that is on a build of Android 11. You can also see by the file modification dates.
What were your exact model and region again? Probably won't matter, please wait a minute
BloodyFruitDestroyer said:
What were your exact model and region again?
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BloodyFruitDestroyer said:
What were your exact model and region again? Probably won't matter, please wait a minute
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SM-G996B
Region is Ireland (CSC is MET)
Yeah, it seems like the current bootloader is version 4 while the Android 11 one is version 3 so these versions seem, unfortunately, incompatible.
Frostyb said:
SM-G996B
Region is Ireland (CSC is MET)
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Hi there, I can help you out! I have some experience with Samsung.
So first off, I take it this is an Exynos model? Snapdragons require the use of a paid service to get an unlock.
It seems you've flashed stock firmware before but it didn't work out due to Knox. Did you flash all the files including the CSC (wipe all data) file? Also, you could try flashing TWRP and that would trip Knox, at which point Knox is disabled due to detecting system modifications or it will try to rollback your modifications.
So the only thing I personally can think of to get rid of the problem is going the TWRP route, but this will trip the Knox warranty byte to 0x1, so think about it. There might be someone more experienced than me that might be able to help without tripping Knox, but this is right now the only thing I can personally suggest to fix the problem.
Edit: It seems like someone more experienced appeared while I was writing this! Sweet!
BloodyFruitDestroyer said:
So the only thing I personally can think of to get rid of the problem is going the TWRP route, but this will trip the Knox warranty byte to 0x1, so think about it. There might be someone more experienced than me that might be able to help without tripping Knox, but this is right now the only thing I can personally suggest to fix the problem.
Frostyb said:
SM-G996B
Region is Ireland (CSC is MET)
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Are you able to enable developer options? If so, you might be able to use ADB commands to disable the Retail Mode app. I doubt they're enabled though.
BloodyFruitDestroyer said:
Yeah, it seems like the current bootloader is version 4 while the Android 11 one is version 3 so these versions seem, unfortunately, incompatible.
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Dammit, so it seems I'm stuck on Android 12 and there is no way to get back to a previous version then I take it?
Frostyb said:
Dammit, so it seems I'm stuck on Android 12 and there is no way to get back to a previous version then I take it?
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With official firmware, I'd be pretty certain that you can't. By the way, please look at the latest messages as there is someone else with fresh ideas here, too.