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[Q] Rooting + Flashing CWM

Hey guys, I just ordered this tablet today on sale from newegg. Pretty excited for it! I had a nexus 7 I purchased today but for $30 I feel I got a lot more tablet.
I have only rooted two devices in the past, my S3 and Droid X2, both were either 1 click roots or simply plugging into odin and flashing a rooted image.
I saw there were two different guides, one was very in depth..I also heard of tablets coming with a new software update that might not be rootable yet? Which is the best guide to follow for rooting this device?
Also, I noticed there are two CWM recoveries, one for JB and one for others. When I update to the latest JB OTA, and flash that, what happens when I install a custom ROM, should I flash the 'other' CWM then?
Thanks for the answers! Can't wait for this tablet to come in the mail!

duarian said:
Hey guys, I just ordered this tablet today on sale from newegg. Pretty excited for it! I had a nexus 7 I purchased today but for $30 I feel I got a lot more tablet.
I have only rooted two devices in the past, my S3 and Droid X2, both were either 1 click roots or simply plugging into odin and flashing a rooted image.
I saw there were two different guides, one was very in depth..I also heard of tablets coming with a new software update that might not be rootable yet? Which is the best guide to follow for rooting this device?
Also, I noticed there are two CWM recoveries, one for JB and one for others. When I update to the latest JB OTA, and flash that, what happens when I install a custom ROM, should I flash the 'other' CWM then?
Thanks for the answers! Can't wait for this tablet to come in the mail!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1697227
For rooting and installing custom recovery, check out the videos on the link there, especially the ones from allaboutandroid. There should be a step to unlock your tablet there as well...
I'm guessing you're still on stock ICS, yes? In that case, after you apply the OTA JB update from Asus, you should install the CWM for JB only. You don't lose recovery after you flash a custom ROM. Do not, however, attempt to flash a JB ROM on ICS recovery, and vice versa. That would soft brick your tablet. Hope that helps
Update: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1966910
Link to a post that explains the rooting process as well.

Thanks man. That first guide is a little overwhelming at first. Lots of information haha. I haven't received mine yet but really looking forward as its my first tablet. Really appreciate the links and everything. Unlocking the boot loader seems easy enough!
Edit: should I apply the JB OTA and then unlock boot loader? Or does it not matter since the boot loader unlock works on ICS and jellybean?
Sent from my SCH-I535 using xda app-developers app

duarian said:
Thanks man. That first guide is a little overwhelming at first. Lots of information haha. I haven't received mine yet but really looking forward as its my first tablet. Really appreciate the links and everything. Unlocking the boot loader seems easy enough!
Edit: should I apply the JB OTA and then unlock boot loader? Or does it not matter since the boot loader unlock works on ICS and jellybean?
Sent from my SCH-I535 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, it doesn't really matter which step you do first, but you might as well apply the OTA first, and then unlock and flash custom recovery + root all at once. Also, there might be a chance that you won't be getting the OTA notification from the tablet itself if you unlock first (some users reported this, although it doesn't seem to be across the board)...
Update: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1845377
Another link for rooting and recovery, this one labelled 'noob-proof'. If you're installing the OTA first, start from Step 3..

Haha thanks. Really appreciate it. As I said all of my past rooting experience has been simple. This one is a bit more in depth but I can follow directions just fine
I recall reading somewhere about two types of recoveries. One for stock JB and one for everything else. If I flash a custom ROM will I need to change my recovery at all if I go with TWRP JB?
Sent from my SCH-I535 using xda app-developers app

Yeap, this tablet was my first experience with android, and from what I heard there are more steps involved here than with the other tablets/phones. I actually skipped a step and soft-bricked my tablet once XP
No, unless you want to flash stock-based ICS ROMS, which by now is kinda outdated anyway (they even ported CM10 to the JB bootloader already). TWRP should do the trick for some time

sosroz said:
Yeap, this tablet was my first experience with android, and from what I heard there are more steps involved here than with the other tablets/phones. I actually skipped a step and soft-bricked my tablet once XP
No, unless you want to flash stock-based ICS ROMS, which by now is kinda outdated anyway (they even ported CM10 to the JB bootloader already). TWRP should do the trick for some time
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sounds great, thanks for all the replies. I would hate to get my tablet and accidentally brick it (I would probably cry). It was between this and the Nexus 7 but I feel I made the right choice. My S3 already has a decently big screen, 3 more inches isnt worth $300 IMO. However 6-7 more I think is a winner!
Edit: Ugh, looks like an update was pushed out today. Curious if this will break the rooting methods or not...

What is the best current way to root & unlock VZW S3?

Guys, I have spent hours rooting and unlocking my S3. Reason it has taken so long is either I don't know what I'm doing or there are so many ways to do it, some may be outdated or something. I'll side with the first reason. But, I do have experience in rooting...kept my OG Droid rooted/overclocked/customized. Did the same with my Thunderbolt. Also rooted my S3 a few months ago after the VZW update that crapped out the radio. When they released the fix, I removed root and installed it. Got the urge for some new stuff and here I am...
Here is what I'm doing:
- Using CausalR795b. Seems quick and easy. Definitely provides root, but I'm not sure about unlocking the bootloader. What is the insecure aboot? Says it's ready to install it, but I can't find out what this is?
- Trying to install TWRP recovery. What is the easiest way to do this? The last time I did it with Goomanager, I got the Verizon Unauthorized Software message at boot.
- Trying to install the latest Hyperdrive ROM. Got it installed once and on reboot, got the VZW Unauthorized message again,
- Using ODIN 3.07 to flash a stock ROM after getting the error message.
Can anyone tell me a link with good directions, start to finish? Or, give me some advice? To me, at least, seems like VZW has made customizing the S3 unnecessarily complicated,
Thanks in advance.

Insecure aboot is the unlocked bootloader. Once you install that you will no longer get the VZW Unauthorized message.

First welcome to the community.
second, this is the wrong section.
third, you have to use D2VZW-CASUAL-R634b release to fully unlock bootloader

omair2005 said:
First welcome to the community.
second, this is the wrong section.
third, you have to use D2VZW-CASUAL-R634b release to fully unlock bootloader
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My bad...I did post in the wrong place. Wasn't even thinking about it. Had just spent so long in this subforum trying to find answers, must have lost my bearing.
I really appreciate your help! The older Causal did everything in one try with no hiccups whatsoever. Why isn't anything posted about this noted in the newer Causal thread? It might be in there somewhere and if I would have seen it, hours would have been saved.
Now rocking the newest Hyperdrive and probably going to try a few more ROM's. Thanks again!

question about unlocking bootloader on d2vzw sch-i535

Hello XDA Developers,
Okay so here is my unusual situation...
I have two phones. I have one Verizon (d2vzw) SGS3 that I run CM 11 on with CWM Touch installed on that phone. On my second phone which is also a Verizon (d2vzw) SGS3 i was running stock 4.1.2 ROM which was rooted with CWM recovery manager. The stock SGS3 was the baseband version that supported multi windows.
Okay so today i decided to go ahead and check for an OTA update on my stock (rooted) SGS3. I knew there had been an update available for some time but I never decided to update my phone because i figured with it being rooted and with CWM recovery manager installed there was no way that the OTA update would work...
So like an idiot i went ahead and tried the update. I figured what is the worst that could happen? I figured that at the worst it was just going to tell me that the update failed and i would just be stuck with Android 4.1.2 which isn't the end of the world. I really like the multi windows setup. Moving on...i downloaded the update and I hit the install update button. My phone booted into recovery manager and it installed the update. When the phone rebooted I saw the message "Android is upgrading" and i thought whoa! no way!. After android finished upgrading which i believe was the dalvik rebuilding I saw a message in notifications saying "upgrade installation failed", however when i went into settings it now told me that i was running Android 4.3. So to me it looked like the upgrade took but I think the problem was that when it asked me to flash the stock recovery there was an option in CWM to say no and i choose that to keep CWM recovery manager instead of the stock recovery manager. Maybe i should have let the update install the stock recovery manager...
Now i knew ahead of time that if this update worked I was going to loose root but again I didn't think it was that big of a deal since I could just re-root my phone and I would be on a newer Android version. I looked around for the best rooting option and I wanted to use Chainfire's CF-AutoRoot exploit but I know that if you do not have the bootloader unlocked that there is a chance of bricking your phone. So after some research (which i should have done before i updated my phone!) i saw that there was an exploit out called "saferoot.zip" and that you could root your phone running a windows.bat file or a shell script if you are in Linux. Even though the program is for SGS4 many users on XDA with SGS3 phones reported success with "saferoot". So i tried saferoot 2 times with no luck. Finally on the third attempt (3rd times a charm!) i was able to root my phone and SuperSU was able to "disable KNOX".
So i now had my Verizon SGS3 updated from Android 4.1.2 to Android 4.3 and I had successfully re-rooted my phone. I was feeling good...
Until I wanted to make sure that CWM Recovery Manager was still on my phone. I opened up the app "quickboot" and choose to boot into Recovery Manager this is where the trouble began...
When my phone booted into recovery mode i saw a big Yellow Triangle. Under this very scary yellow triangle it said that "Verizon has detected unauthorized software on this phone. Please turn off the phone and take it into your nearest verizon store". Other something along those lines...
I thought I was in big trouble...
I could not get the phone out of recovery mode. I tried pulling the battery but every time my phone rebooted it just kept going back into recovery mode. The trick to get out recovery mode was to hold down Volume Down + Home for a few seconds then press the power button. This brought me to a new menu and i was able to hit "cancel" on installing a new OS and it rebooted my phone back to its normal state.
So finally here is my questions...
Question 1: I know i need to unlock my bootloader again. After you apply an OTA update it re-locks your bootloader right? Does anyone know of a method of unlocking the bootloader with the Verizon (d2vzw) SGS3 baseband version I535VRUCML1 running on Android 4.3?
Before when my phone was running 4.1.2 I unlocked the bootloader with Odin and the app EZ-UNLOCK but i don't think EZ-UNLOCK is going to work with Android 4.3
Question 2: Is there a way to get rid of that message about Verizon has detected unauthorized software on this phone? Now I know that ChainFire has a Yellow Triangle Away app on the Google Play store and I will happily buy it but I know that in order for it to work you first must have your bootloader unlocked right? If i try to use that app with my bootloader in a locked state i could brick my phone permanently right?
Is there possibly any file or exploit i can flash with either Odin or the app "Flashify" so that I can unlock my bootloader. Has anyone here tried unlocking their bootloader on their SGS3 running 4.3 with the app "EZ-UNLOCK" ?
I am very concerned about damaging my phone which is a company work phone so if i mess it up i will be in deep trouble...
Oh, one last question...
Question 3: Since i got that yellow triangle message about unauthorized software when i tried to boot into recovery mode could it have possible been because CWM recovery was somehow deleted with the OTA update? After i was able to get out of recovery mode I used the app "ROM Manager" to install CWM Recovery Again hoping that I might have a recovery manager... Now ROM Manager says that CWM Touch was installed successfully but I am not sure since I am kind of scared to boot into recovery mode again until I unlock this bootloader.
If my recovery manager is being blocked until I get my bootloader unlocked could i use the app "flashify" if i need to flash any files?
I know my situation might be a bit unusual but I am really going to need some help on this and someones expertise advice.
I hope to hear from someone soon...
XDA Members, have a great New Years and make 2014 count!
I thank you all for your time and assistance.
-droidshadow

After accepting the 4.3 OTA, your bootloader is locked and there is no way to unlock it. My suggestion to you would be to grab the 4.3 ODIN file, reflash to 100% stock, root using saferoot, debloat as wanted, and hope for the best.
Probably not what you wanted to hear, but there is no way to unlock the bootloader once taking the 4.3 OTA. Attempting to do so will brick the phone.

well that stinks...
podspi said:
After accepting the 4.3 OTA, your bootloader is locked and there is no way to unlock it. My suggestion to you would be to grab the 4.3 ODIN file, reflash to 100% stock, root using saferoot, unbloat as wanted, and hope for the best.
Probably not what you wanted to hear, but there is no way to unlock the bootloader once taking the 4.3 OTA. Attempting to do so will brick the phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The only reason that I even attempted the upgrade is because next week I am going to purchasing the smart watch from the Samsung Galaxy Gear. For that watch (you can make calls from the watch) you need the upgrade to pair my SGS3 with my smartwatch when I get it next week.
Now this OTA update is quite new so that means that there still might be a chance to unlock the bootloader eventually when someone works it out right?
Big question:
Is it still possible to have CWM or TWRP with this 4.3 OTA update?
Thanks for the reply.
-droidshadow

droidshadow said:
The only reason that I even attempted the upgrade is because next week I am going to purchasing the smart watch from the Samsung Galaxy Gear. For that watch (you can make calls from the watch) you need the upgrade to pair my SGS3 with my smartwatch when I get it next week.
Now this OTA update is quite new so that means that there still might be a chance to unlock the bootloader eventually when someone works it out right?
Big question:
Is it still possible to have CWM or TWRP with this 4.3 OTA update?
Thanks for the reply.
-droidshadow
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
To bad you took the ota. There is a twrp flashable rom for stock 4.3. And no you can not have custom recovery.

droidshadow said:
Okay so today i decided to go ahead and check for an OTA update on my stock (rooted) SGS3...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There's no need to read any further than that.... Sorry to be another bearer of bad news, but if a phone is rooted and you want it to stay that way, "OTA" should be a term that you never, ever, ever even think about !

The S4 boot loader has been locked down with Knox longer than the S3 has, and no one has cracked it yet. I'd say the chances of this boot loader being cracked wide open are slim to none. If unlocking this boot loader were as simple as using EZ unlock 1.2, it would have been written about all over these and all forums.
Sent from the Shark Tank using XDA Premium 4 mobile app

so what entails for the future of samsung phones?
landshark68 said:
The S4 boot loader has been locked down with Knox longer than the S3 has, and no one has cracked it yet. I'd say the chances of this boot loader being cracked wide open are slim to none. If unlocking this boot loader were as simple as using EZ unlock 1.2, it would have been written about all over these and all forums.
Sent from the Shark Tank using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So what is the going to happen to the future of Samsung Phones? Are we no longer going to be able to put custom ROM's and custom Recovery Managers on Samsung Phones?
Will KitKat + SELinux + Knox no longer allow us to enjoy the true beauty of Android? I think that is major BS.
So what are our options now? Are we going to simply have to choose different phones like future Google Nexus phones? I love Samsung phones and I love having the options of flashing custom roms or reverting back to stock and I really really love CWM recovery or TWRP recovery.
These phones are our property...
I understand that the software and the code is Samsung's or Verizon's yet we should be able to do what we want to our property. Could you imagine if Toyota or Chevy said that after you purchased one of their cars you could never paint it a different color or add custom rims + wheels! That would be ridiculous... It is the same concept here really.
It is really sad that Samsung and Mobile carriers such as Verizon have resorted to this...
-droidshadow

droidshadow said:
So what is the going to happen to the future of Samsung Phones? Are we no longer going to be able to put custom ROM's and custom Recovery Managers on Samsung Phones?
Will KitKat + SELinux + Knox no longer allow us to enjoy the true beauty of Android? I think that is major BS.
So what are our options now? Are we going to simply have to choose different phones like future Google Nexus phones? I love Samsung phones and I love having the options of flashing custom roms or reverting back to stock and I really really love CWM recovery or TWRP recovery.
These phones are our property...
I understand that the software and the code is Samsung's or Verizon's yet we should be able to do what we want to our property. Could you imagine if Toyota or Chevy said that after you purchased one of their cars you could never paint it a different color or add custom rims + wheels! That would be ridiculous... It is the same concept here really.
It is really sad that Samsung and Mobile carriers such as Verizon have resorted to this...
-droidshadow
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Difference is though, if you were to somehow screw up your car by customizing it you wouldn't try to take it back to the dealership and get a new car under a warranty claim. I would have to think at least part of the reason phone manufacturers and mobile carriers are locking down phones is all the "warranty" claims people are submitting after screwing up while rooting and flashing their phones. Warranty claims are for inherent manufacturer defects, not a hard brick from flashing the wrong software. If more people took responsibility for their mistakes and bought a new phone instead of making the carriers or manufacturers pay for their mistakes, perhaps this wouldn't be happening. I'm not saying absolutely, just perhaps. OK, I'll get off my soapbox now. Happy New Year everyone.

Different animal. You own the hardware, but the providers have the right to control the firmware since it can change how the phone interacts with the network.
Just like the firmware in your cars computer. The manufacturer and the federal government have control over what went in. Modifying it can be done, but it is a violation of EPA emission laws.
Modifying the paint, tires, rims etc is like putting a different case, bling etc on your phone
Your phone needs to have the 4.3 odin tar installed to clean the recovery.
Sent from my SCH-I535 using xda app-developers app

droidshadow said:
So what is the going to happen to the future of Samsung Phones? Are we no longer going to be able to put custom ROM's and custom Recovery Managers on Samsung Phones?
These phones are our property...
It is really sad that Samsung and Mobile carriers such as Verizon have resorted to this...
-droidshadow
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Its really Verizon, They have had many Moto and HTC phones with locked bootloaders , unless Verizon unlocks it, it won't be cracked.

http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2586319
Sent from my SCH-I535 using xda app-developers app

DigitalMD said:
Its really Verizon, They have had many Moto and HTC phones with locked bootloaders , unless Verizon unlocks it, it won't be cracked.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I know but still i think it should be our choice! While there are millions of us out there that love to customize the software on our phone's by adding new recovery managers or custom rom's we are a small population to the rest of the stock phone using world...
Insurance companies make big bucks by all the people who never file a claim...but i won't get into that.
Many of you have made excellent points and i respect that. I especially liked the comparison of car rims to phone cases i thought that was great!
Hopefully someone will work it out soon or some how an unlocked bootloader will get leaked.
Come one Verizon developers! Leak it! We wont tell!
I was planning on getting the NOTE 3 but i doubt that phone comes with an unlocked bootloader so this d2vzw (sgs3) will most likely be my last samsung phone that I ever buy. I guess i will have to stick with the Nexus phones... I am going to miss micro sdcards!
-droidshadow

droidshadow said:
I know but still i think it should be our choice! While there are millions of us out there that love to customize the software on our phone's by adding new recovery managers or custom rom's we are a small population to the rest of the stock phone using world...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Having that debate at this site is kinda silly.... Fact is, "we" will lose the fight against the carriers and/or manufacturers as it stands. The only way to really impact them is to STOP giving them our money, but you know what ? The number of people who "hack" their phones is a tiny percentage in the grand scheme. We'd probably get a "good riddance" response from them anyway.

droidshadow said:
So what is the going to happen to the future of Samsung Phones? Are we no longer going to be able to put custom ROM's and custom Recovery Managers on Samsung Phones?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's correct and.... read on.
So what are our options now? Are we going to simply have to choose different phones like future Google Nexus phones?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That could be the only solution. I believe the success that Samsung/Verizon have had with locking down their phones will soon result in ALL phones on ALL carriers being locked down with little or no possibility of rooting or flashing.
I suspect we've seen the end of modifying any phone on any network. I sure hope I'm wrong....

It would be a shame....
xs11e said:
I suspect we've seen the end of modifying any phone on any network. I sure hope I'm wrong....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I just rooted and got into CM in the last month. Got rid of all the bloat and installed some neat little apps. And now, just when I get hooked, it's possible that my drug of choice may be going away.

hey there guys, i know this post is a little old, but i just wanted to share my story real quickly with you and to reiterate that messing with the boot loader on an sch-i535 running 4.3 is a HORRIBLE idea.
this is the first phone i have ever tried to root. i successfully rooted the phone, immediately i tried to run cwm recovery. HARDBRICK. i was so proud for all of five minutes that i rooted a phone on my first try. The phone would not power on in ANY mode. i could only get a red light to come on by plugging my phone into my computer with the battery out of the phone. after three days and alot of reading and some help from xda i managed to (amazingly) debrick my phone. I am now very VERY cautious of what i do with my rooted sch-i535 with its HORRIBLE 4.3 crap.
If you are truly hardbricked, im told that jigs (despite what is all over the internet) will not work. (maybe they do but a shop in texas told me a hardbrick will not revive by jig).
JTAG is the most dependable repair.
I revived my phone via debrick image on an sd card.
Bottom line, do everything you can to avoid the situation in the first place.

Never take updates. I unlocked boot loader on 4.3 with ez-unlock app booted into recovery and hard bricked my phone... The fun is over after 4.3...Had to send it to Tampa fl. To get JTAG and it worked.

droidshadow said:
So what is the going to happen to the future of Samsung Phones? Are we no longer going to be able to put custom ROM's and custom Recovery Managers on Samsung Phones?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's correct, given the amount of time the Devs have had to find a way to unlock the bootloader on the S3 and S4 w/o success, I believe it's hopeless.
Worse, I believe Samsung will share their technology and ALL cell phones will eventually have locked boot loaders and be un-rootable, un-flashable and, to me, at least, un-desirable!
I sincerely hope I'm wrong but I believe in a year or two any cellphone will be locked down to whatever software is installed at time of purchase.

xs11e said:
That's correct, given the amount of time the Devs have had to find a way to unlock the bootloader on the S3 and S4 w/o success, I believe it's hopeless.
Worse, I believe Samsung will share their technology and ALL cell phones will eventually have locked boot loaders and be un-rootable, un-flashable and, to me, at least, un-desirable!
I sincerely hope I'm wrong but I believe in a year or two any cellphone will be locked down to whatever software is installed at time of purchase.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How's the fun over??? Haha I've seen this same junk many times... I'm running 4.3 rooted. Safestrapped (cwmis garbage) alliance 23 build ROM CSC & build prop tweaks on sch-i535v on straightalk att side. Knox removed manually by me. All bands open except domestic 3g. (Working on it now).
So the funs over? I'm confused.. And how is that? Lol take your time. Research. Learn. Adapt. Achieve. If it can be locked. It can be unlocked. I've yet to run across a phone that I couldn't bring back from the supposed "hard brick" but I did find one I COULDNT brick on purpose. And I threw everything at it. Huwaei m8665 I think it was. I tried for two days to brick that little piece of junk, and not even wrong roots etc could. Lol

An0nYm0u5.bat said:
How's the fun over??? Haha I've seen this same junk many times... I'm running 4.3 rooted. Safestrapped (cwmis garbage) alliance 23 build ROM CSC & build prop tweaks on sch-i535v on straightalk att side. Knox removed manually by me. All bands open except domestic 3g. (Working on it now).
So the funs over? I'm confused.. And how is that? Lol take your time. Research. Learn. Adapt. Achieve. If it can be locked. It can be unlocked. I've yet to run across a phone that I couldn't bring back from the supposed "hard brick" but I did find one I COULDNT brick on purpose. And I threw everything at it. Huwaei m8665 I think it was. I tried for two days to brick that little piece of junk, and not even wrong roots etc could. Lol
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree with you if there is a way to lock it there is a way to unlock it.
is just a matter of time some smart brain will figure it out how to and share LOL

[Q] What is the safest way to get CM12 on this phone?

After perma-bricking it I bought a new motherboard for it so I can get it working again. Yes i've tried everything, beside a jtag, It's gone. I don't want to make a repeat mistake so i'd like to know the exact way to getting from stock android to CM12 on this S III.

modman2 said:
After perma-bricking it I bought a new motherboard for it so I can get it working again. Yes i've tried everything, beside a jtag, It's gone. I don't want to make a repeat mistake so i'd like to know the exact way to getting from stock android to CM12 on this S III.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So I'm trying to get twrp and cyanogenmod on my 4.4 kitkat sgs3 i535 and from what I have read and tried the only stable version supported is the 10.2.1 and getting that you have to have a custom recovery.(or so I have heard) But I am still trying to get twrp on my gs3 but since it is 4.4 with knox bootloader I am not finding anything on it and if you try (from what I have read) it trips a security fuse and sets a bit from 0x0 to 0x1 and soft bricks it. But thankfully there is this
I thought I had to use it but since my root file system is in read only twrp couldn't make any changes. but there is this to but since it is read only i cant change that platform.xml at all. so this is where I'm stuck and I hope it helps. please post back here if you find anything out. desperately want this bloatware gone and to have some customizability.

http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2797314
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2639337
these will help a bit as well.

If your phone is on 4.4 kitkat, your bootloader is locked and you cannot install TWRP or any other custom recovery. Because of that, you cannot put CM of any kind on the phone. You are limited to safestrap and just a few Touchwiz based ROMs which can be found in the Verizon Galaxy S III Android Development section.

Have any of you tried using the method outlined on the CM wiki page?
http://wiki.cyanogenmod.org/w/Install_CM_for_d2vzw

CaliTilt said:
Have any of you tried using the method outlined on the CM wiki page?
http://wiki.cyanogenmod.org/w/Install_CM_for_d2vzw
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
landshark68 said:
If your phone is on 4.4 kitkat, your bootloader is locked and you cannot install TWRP or any other custom recovery. Because of that, you cannot put CM of any kind on the phone. You are limited to safestrap and just a few Touchwiz based ROMs which can be found in the Verizon Galaxy S III Android Development section.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As landshark mentioned DO NOT even attempt to flash any CM rom on a locked bootloader. You have a very high chance of hard bricking the device
Sent from my Nexus 5

Verizon Galaxy S3 4.4.2 Rooted Custom Recovery Question

Looked through google, looked through threads, can find nothing whatsoever to help.
Have Verizon Samsung Galaxy S III Unlocked running Straight Talk VIA sim card. Everything works.. as a regular old phone with root. (rooted with Kingoroot - basically I googled "root galaxy s3" and followed those steps.. that much works fine, though it is not to be confused with the chinese king root. I tried the trick of swapping out king root for SU and, well.. yeah didnt work.)
Problem is I'm running 4.4.2 (the dreaded locked bootloader) and everything I try when it comes to installing custom recovery either doesn't work, bootloops the phone, or hard bricks it. v_v
so as someone who backs up their backups, (thank you OCD fairy), running around with a phone I can't backup puts me on edge, to say the least.
tried safestrap (says not secured. still says not secured after install. does nothing.)
tried various CWM and TWRP via apk installs (whatever that app is you install then tell it to install cwm) ..wouldn't install
Odin, depending on which version I install (e\ not which version of odin, which version of custom recovery), either gives me errors or hardbricks my device.
SO.. I'm looking for someone who has a Verizon Galaxy S III and who has a custom recovery on it to tell me how the devil they managed that one.
Cheers all!!

Drach0n said:
Looked through google, looked through threads, can find nothing whatsoever to help.
Have Verizon Samsung Galaxy S III Unlocked running Straight Talk VIA sim card. Everything works.. as a regular old phone with root. (rooted with Kingoroot - basically I googled "root galaxy s3" and followed those steps.. that much works fine, though it is not to be confused with the chinese king root. I tried the trick of swapping out king root for SU and, well.. yeah didnt work.)
Problem is I'm running 4.4.2 (the dreaded locked bootloader) and everything I try when it comes to installing custom recovery either doesn't work, bootloops the phone, or hard bricks it. v_v
so as someone who backs up their backups, (thank you OCD fairy), running around with a phone I can't backup puts me on edge, to say the least.
tried safestrap (says not secured. still says not secured after install. does nothing.)
tried various CWM and TWRP via apk installs (whatever that app is you install then tell it to install cwm) ..wouldn't install
Odin, depending on which version I install (e\ not which version of odin, which version of custom recovery), either gives me errors or hardbricks my device.
SO.. I'm looking for someone who has a Verizon Galaxy S III and who has a custom recovery on it to tell me how the devil they managed that one.
Cheers all!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
A custom recovery can only be flashed on an unlocked bootloader. Trying to flash a custom recovery on a locked bootloader will result in a brick. The only available recovery on it is safestrap
Sent from my Nexus 5

ShapesBlue said:
A custom recovery can only be flashed on an unlocked bootloader. Trying to flash a custom recovery on a locked bootloader will result in a brick. The only available recovery on it is safestrap
Sent from my Nexus 5
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
..I gathered that. I was basing my attempts off the threads I found where the OP "forgot" to mention which android OS he was using on his (or her) galaxy s3 and then omigawd installed custom recovery on it. Where nobody has yet been able to unlock the 4.3 and 4.4.2 bootloader for the galaxy s3 as yet (to my knowledge; if I'm wrong please correct me) this leaves me with safestrap, the custom recovery that doesn't touch the bootloader during install. I know this as well. Perhaps I should have clarified this, but I thought it was obvious to the folks at xda. *shrugs*
And the part where I said safestrap isn't working for one reason or another is where I was hoping to attract someone who knew how to help instead of someone who only knows how to make generic statements (+1) [e\ ftr, attempting to flash non-safestrap recoveries resulted in an error 4 times out of 5, not a brick.]
that said, I will ask again, if someone has 4.4.2 on their s3 as well as custom recovery, please come post here.
sadly, inb4 more +1ers

When you ask a question that's been asked and answered dozens of times before, you're going to get the same "generic statement" in response, because it's the right answer to your question. Your bootloader can't be unlocked, and therefore you can't install a custom recovery on your phone.

Jacquestrapp said:
When you ask a question that's been asked and answered dozens of times before, you're going to get the same "generic statement" in response, because it's the right answer to your question. Your bootloader can't be unlocked, and therefore you can't install a custom recovery on your phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
*sigh* another illiterate. Try reading before posting yeah? I *know* my bootloader cant be unlocked, and I know that a custom recovery /can/ be installed, or are you saying safestrap doesn't exist? look I'm asking for help here not drivel.
..rerolling..

Q: What did you have for breakfast today?
A1: last week, I had breakfast in Deleware!
A2: Last night's dinner was good!
...
xda: the community where post count means more than relevant answers.
*sigh*
looks like I'm going to have to figure out safestrap on my own. whether there is another method for installation besides via apk, why it failed to install, whether safestrap is the only custom recovery that works by not touching the bootloader, why it hardbricked my phone.. etc
guess I'll post the answers somewhere intelligent like Android Authority.
have fun with your +1s
now go die in a fire. cheers

Drach0n said:
Q: What did you have for breakfast today?
A1: last week, I had breakfast in Deleware!
A2: Last night's dinner was good!
...
xda: the community where post count means more than relevant answers.
*sigh*
looks like I'm going to have to figure out safestrap on my own. whether there is another method for installation besides via apk, why it failed to install, whether safestrap is the only custom recovery that works by not touching the bootloader, why it hardbricked my phone.. etc
guess I'll post the answers somewhere intelligent like Android Authority.
have fun with your +1s
now go die in a fire. cheers
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Honestly I answered your question. It's hard to talk about safestrap other than what I've learned about it. The other member was right, it gets tiring answering the same questions all the time and once in awhile people don't appreciate the answers they are given.
There are threads for safestrap as well as most of the options here on xda. And feel free to go to another forum, your posting questions in a dying forum for the VZW S3. There's not many people who are really that interested in the locked down version anymore. It's very sporadic as far as people and questions go. But to be rude about it just isn't needed.
It's not about post count at xda it's about helping the community. I've been around here long enough to know this. And if you feel someone isn't helpful there's something called a PM instead of calling them out here on the forums. I grow tired of people not being appreciative of anything when someone takes the time to do there best to explain something to someone else
Sent from my Nexus 5

running 4.4.2
PM sent. I might be able to help with that.