painiac's Essential Guide to Samsung Galaxy S5 (SM-G900V) Flashing, Rooting, Fixing, and Customizing
This is a distillation of everything I've learned about rooting, installing custom recovery, installing custom ROMs, and customizing the Verizon Galaxy S5 SM-G900V. I am NOT the creator of any of the hard work that has made all of this possible, I simply compiled it all in one place. I have done this for the convenience of newer people, and to hopefully decrease the need for the same questions coming up every time somebody discovers they can improve their phone but doesn't yet know how. The Galaxy S5 has a steeper learning curve because of its locked bootloader, hence the need for a guide. I know I had a LOT of questions and more than a little worry about accidentally screwing up my phone, so I did a lot of research and accumulated a lot of information in a short amount of time.
CAUTION: Some of the more general information here might apply equally to all variants of the Galaxy S5, but much of it is specific to the Verizon SM-G900V (and attempts to flash any G900V-specific files to a non-G900V variant will in all likelihood brick your phone. You have been warned.)
This is meant to be a general repository of information, but for projects in active development (such as the 5.0 root method, SafeStrap, custom ROMs, etc) I encourage you to ask questions in their respective threads where their developers (who are most knowledgable about their projects) are best able to see and answer your questions.
If a piece of information originated from you and I have failed to credit you properly, please say so and I will do so immediately.
I encourage you to share this information freely, and I encourage you to submit even minor corrections.
Table of Contents
Android Versions
Updates and Flashable Stock Files
Restoring, Upgrading, and Downgrading
Recovery Mode and Download Mode
Flashing Files with Odin
Custom Recovery Environment
Fixing a Bricked Phone
Rooting 4.4.x and 5.x
Custom ROMs
Debloating
Disabling Knox
Xposed Framework and Modules
Android Versions
First, a brief introduction of the Android versions available on this phone. You find your version number by opening "Settings" and scrolling down to "About Phone" The version numbers look like (for example) "G900VVRU1ANCG", and only the last three or four digits are what we refer to. In this example, we would abbreviate this as "ANCG" or "NCG". You'll note that the version numbers are roughly alphabetical.
KitKat 4.4.2 versions (root with TowelRoot, more on this later)
ANCG = 4.4.2
ANE9 = 4.4.2
KitKat 4.4.4 versions (downgrade kernel to root with TowelRoot, more on this later)
ANHA = 4.4.4
ANI2 = 4.4.4
ANK2 = 4.4.4
ANK7 = 4.4.4 (incremental update to prepare for 5.0; it is not available for download, nor is it necessary to do so)
Lollipop 5.0 versions (root with KingRoot, more on this later)
BOA8 = 5.0
BOC4 = 5.0
BOD5 = 5.0 (last version of the bootloader that can be downgraded)
BOE1 = 5.0 (prevents downgrading the bootloader)
BOG5 = 5.0 (prevents downgrading the bootloader)
BOK3 = 5.0 (prevents downgrading the bootloader)
BPB1 = 5.0 (security update. prevents downgrading the bootloader))
Marshmallow 6.0.1 versions (not rootable yet)
DPD1 = 6.0.1
DPF4 = 6.0.1 (minor bugfix)
Updates and Flashable Stock Files
If you accept an OTA (Over-the-Air) update from Verizon, it updates everything. The same thing happens when you manually flash a "firmware" or "factory restore image" file. Note: If you are still on BOD5 or earlier, do not accept an OTA update.
You can also selectively update certain components by flashing only those files. Most files are flashed with Odin, but some can be flashed in a custom Recovery if they were so prepared.
CAUTION: If you are on BOE1, BOG5, BOK3, or PB1, do not under any circumstances attempt to flash any older versions, or you will brick.
Firmware: Collectively refers to the Operating System and Applications that allow the phone to function. A "Retail" firmware file also contains all the components listed below, so be sure you know what you intend to accomplish by flashing one. You should stick with the latest safe firmwares provided by jrkruse.
CAUTION: If you have BOE1, BOG5, BOK3, or PB1, do not under any circumstances flash an older firmware file unless it specifically says it it is either "for BOE1 or later" or that it does not include a bootloader.
Bootloader: Performs basic checks and then instructs the kernel and the other essential software to boot. On this phone, the bootloader is locked: if it doesn't find the correct (TouchWiz-based) kernel, it will not allow the phone to boot. As of the BOE1 update, a hardware "qfuse" is tripped permanently, which prevents downgrading. In order for a 5.0 ROM to boot, you need a 5.0 bootloader: If you have not previously accepted an update to BOE1, BOG5, BOK3, or PB1, then the best thing to do is update the bootloader to BOD5, which is the last bootloader that can be downgraded later.
CAUTION: If you have BOE1, BOG5, BOK3, or PB1, do not under any circumstances flash an older firmware file unless it specifically says it it is either for BOE1 or later or that it does not include a bootloader.
Note that on the special "Developer Edition" S5, the bootloader is not locked, but the price is unreasonably high.
CAUTION: If you do have a "Developer Edition" phone, do not under any circumstances flash any file that has a retail bootloader, or your phone will have a permanently locked bootloader and will, practically speaking, no longer be a "Dev Edition" phone.
Kernel: Basically the layer that allows the operating system (Android) and the hardware to communicate with each other. You can flash a different kernel version independently, but the operating system will not actually be able to start with an incompatible version of the kernel and it will hang forever on the splash screen. Downgrading the kernel temporarily is necessary for obtaining root on later builds, because the root exploits always get patched in later versions. Simply flashing the compatible kernel will allow the phone to again boot normally. You should stick with the latest safe kernels provided by jrkruse.
CAUTION: Do not attempt to flash a custom (non TouchWiz-based) kernel, or you will brick.
Baseband: This is the Modem, sometimes called a Radio. This is what allows the phone to communicate with the cellular network. Modems can be flashed independently and without regard to the firmware version you're running. You can experiment with which modem gives your particular phone the best reception in your area (which may or may not be the most recent one). You can find flashable modems here.
Non-HLOS: This contains other radios such as Wifi and Bluetooth.
PIT file: Re-partitions the internal storage. You do not normally need to do this, but it can correct specific problems.
Restoring, Upgrading, and Downgrading
If you are on 4.4.x, you can update to 5.0 and keep root.
CAUTION: If you want to preserve your ability to downgrade to 4.4.x, never upgrade via an OTA or other official update; Only upgrade with flashable ROMS or modified Odin files that do not upgrade the bootloader past BOD5.
If you are on 5.0 BOD5 or earlier, you can freely downgrade to 4.4.x, but do not upgrade your bootloader to BOE1 or later if you want to be able to downgrade later
If you are on BOE1 or later, you can freely upgrade but you CANNOT downgrade.
If you need any restore files for NCG through OC4, Misterxtc has provided them here.
I advise you to download these files now if you need them, because I have noticed with previous phones that as people lose interest in particular models, files that are hosted in only one place tend to disappear.
If you need BOG5 and BOK3 restore files, jrkruse has provided them here
Note that he has provided a version that will update (lock) the bootloader, and a BOD5 bootloader version that will not lock the bootloader if it has not previously been locked. If you are on Lollipop there is no good reason to not update to the latest BOK3 firmware, but if you're still on a BOD5 or earlier bootloader then use the "BOK3 firmware with BOD5 bootloader" it in order to preserve your option to downgrade to KitKat.
Recovery Mode and Download Mode
Recovery Mode: This phone has a built-in recovery environment (typically referred to as "stock recovery"), which you access by first powering off the phone (and making sure it's not plugged in), then holding the Home + Volume UP + Power buttons at the same time. After a couple seconds, blue text will appear at the top of the screen which says "Recovery Booting..."
CAUTION: Never attempt to install a custom ROM or unofficial update file from the stock recovery mode: the phone will flip out and brick.
The stock recovery mode contains the following options:
1) reboot system now
2) apply update from ADB
3) apply update from external storage
4) wipe data/factory reset
5) wipe cache partition
6) apply update from cache
Wiping the cache is an easy and painless fix to a lot of vague problems and even solves some boot failures after installing a custom ROM. Doing a factory reset can solve a lot of things too, but be aware that you'll have to reinstall and reconfigure all of your apps unless you keep good backups.
Download Mode: The phone also has a mode where you connect to software on a computer and flash files to it, sometimes referred to as "Odin Mode". Access Download Mode by first powering off the phone (and making sure it's not plugged in), then holding the Home + Volume DOWN + Power buttons at the same time ("down" = "download"...get it?). After a few seconds, a screen will appear giving you a dire warning that installing a custom operating system is known to the Surgeon General of California to cause cancer, or...something....I don't know, I've never actually read the whole thing. Just press Vol-Up to acknowledge the warning. While in this mode, connect the phone via a microUSB cable to a Windows computer.
Flashing Files With Odin
The operations in Download Mode will be performed with a piece of Windows-based software called Odin. This tool is reported to be the actual software that Samsung uses to flash and repair phones, which has been leaked to the Android community. I caution you to only download this from XDA-provided sources. Odin is used to flash files to the various system partitions of the phone (firmware, kernels, modems, factory restore images, etc). Odin cannot be used to flash custom ROMs.
Odin 3.09: can be downloaded here.
Note that when you have the phone in Download mode, your computer won't show it as a device in "My Computer" because it's not connected as a media device., but Odin (or any other software that knows how to look for it) can see it. Odin will highlight blue in its first "ID:COM" box when it detects your phone.
{
"lightbox_close": "Close",
"lightbox_next": "Next",
"lightbox_previous": "Previous",
"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
"lightbox_zoom": "Zoom",
"lightbox_new_window": "New window",
"lightbox_toggle_sidebar": "Toggle sidebar"
}
You'll see several boxes on the right side when you open Odin.
BL = Bootloader
AP = Your system, recovery, and boot.img (this was labelled "PDA" in older versions of Odin)
CP = Modem
CSC = Cache and Hidden CSC features
Everything on this phone is flashed using "AP" box (highlighted in blue in this picture), and you'll want to leave every option at the default setting unless specifically told otherwise.
When you click "AP", a file browser window will pop up, and you browse to and select the flashable file you've downloaded. The file needs to be one that ends with a file extension "tar.md5", or Odin can't see it. If what you've downloaded is a zip archive, the image is inside that and you need to extract it first.
Only extract a flashable file if the contents of the archive are "FILENAME.tar.md5", because that itself is the Odin-flashable archive. But do not attempt to extract the contents of the tar.md5, just flash it with Odin. If the file is a .zip that contains "META-INF" and/or other files and folders, it is to be flashed with SafeStrap or FlashFire rather than Odin.
MD5 Checksum: Before flashing ANY file, you need to verify that it downloaded fully and accurately. To do this, you use an md5 checksum tool (such as this one provided by Misterxtc), which generates a hash string based on the exact bit content of the file you've downloaded. You then compare that string of characters to the one provided along with the original. For example, AndroidFileHost.com will always list it here (as I've highlighted in red). You don't have to manually compare them, as most md5 tools have an input box where you can paste the string for comparison. If the file you've downloaded is even slightly corrupted or incomplete, the md5 checksum will not match and you'll know immediately that you need to re-download it. Obviously, attempting to flash a corrupted file will fail. You should check the md5 after you download a file, and again after moving it to your phone's storage. Here you see the md5 hash, which I have outlined in red.
After you select your file, Odin will verify its integrity. When that process is complete, click Odin's "Start" button. The file will flash to your phone, then when the flash is complete (unless you unchecked that option) the phone will be rebooted automatically. The text box on the bottom-left of the Odin window will report the results of the flash operation, including any errors.
CAUTION: Do not unplug your phone or allow your battery to die while a flash is in progress!
Odin troubleshooting (if your phone is not recognized by Odin, or a flash fails)
1) Verify the md5 checksum of the file you're trying to flash
2) Ensure the USB drivers for the phone are installed and up to date on the computer you're using. If you have problems, you may have to "uninstall" the phone from the computer's "Device Manager" and then reinstall it.
3) Check that your microUSB cable is fully seated in both the phone and the USB port on the computer.
4) Try a different microUSB cable and/or a different USB port on your computer (a bad cable or bad USB port are very common causes of a flash failure)
5) Examine the microUSB port on your phone to ensure it's not damaged, or plugged with pocket lint which may be preventing a complete connection
Samsung provides a free tool called "Kies", which allows you to do various things including installing drivers, transferring files to/from your phone, etc. You may find it useful if you are having difficulty connecting your phone to your computer. Just be aware that if you have Kies running, it will prevent Odin from functioning.
If Windows is not an option for you, you might try the open-source alternative to Odin known as "Heimdall Suite". I have no experience with Heimdall so will not try to comment on it further, but if anybody has any important info about it I would be happy to edit it into this guide.
Custom Recovery Environment
Due to the locked bootloader, the custom recovery environments such as TWRP (TeamWin Recovery Project) and ClockworkMod Recovery (CWM) cannot be used. However, hashcode created SafeStrap Recovery (a heavily modified TWRP recovery environment) that is safe to use on the S5.
A custom recovery is optional, but it's a powerful tool and safety net, allowing you to flash files (except Odin files), install ROMs, selectively wipe partitions, and create/restore full system backups (known as NANDroid Backups), among other things.
SafeStrap was originally conceived to allow ROMs to be installed in different "ROM Slots", allowing the stock OS to be untouched and easily swapped between. Unfortunately, hashcode abandoned SafeStrap development before the slots were ever made to work reliably. If you are still using the KitKat 4.4x version of SafeStrap, only flash ROMs to the "Stock" slot and pretend the other slots do not even exist.
hashcode's original SafeStrap thread - Use this if you are still on 4.4.x
If you are on Lollipop 5.x, hashcode's version of SafeStrap is functional, but requires a workaround so it is a bit of a hassle. SafeStrap will not function with a 5.0 kernel, so you most first either use Odin or the NI2Flasher.apk to flash an older 4.4.x kernel, then boot into SafeStrap. You must then flash your appropriate 5.0 kernel with Odin or from within SafeStrap BEFORE rebooting, or your phone will not be able to boot. Fortunately, jrkruse has modified SafeStrap Recovery to work smoothly on 5.0: it automates the process of the necessary kernel flashes ( and has several other small improvements, such as removing the non-functioning ROM slots).
jrkruse's updated SafeStrap for Lollipop - Use this if you are on 5.x
FlashFire: If you don't want to use SafeStrap for some reason, an alternative is Chainfire's "FlashFire" app. It is fully capable of doing most anything SafeStrap can do, without you having to boot into a custom recovery environment. The only real downside is that Flashfire is an app, so if your phone won't start up then you can't use it to restore a backup. You can selectively use both FlashFire and SafeStrap depending on the circumcstances.
Fixing a Bricked Phone
"Bricked" means a phone will not start and can no longer be used; in other words, it's as good as a brick. Fortunately, in almost every case the phone is not totally ("hard") bricked, but is only "soft" bricked and can be repaired fairly easily. If you are unable to load your operating system but you are seeing any kind of logo or splash screen, relax: you are only soft bricked, and the phone can be fixed bexcause you can still boot the phone into Download Mode and Recovery Mode.
If you've just flashed a file (such as a custom ROM) and the phone won't start, don't panic.
1) The first thing to try is to wait: if you've just flashed a deodexed ROM, it can take up to ten minutes to load and boot, and all you'll see is the splash screen. Let the phone sit for 10-15 minutes to see if it's just busy.
2) If the phone still won't boot, unplug the phone and pull out the battery, then re-insert it and try again.
3) If the phone STILL won't boot, pull the battery again, then reinsert it. Enter Recovery Mode by holding the Home + Volume UP + Power buttons at the same time until the phone says "Recovery Booting" at the top of the screen. From there, select "clear cache" and then reboot.
4) If the phone STILL won't boot, repeat step 3, but select "factory reset", then reboot. CAUTION: In case you're not clear on what "factory reset" means, you will lose all apps you have installed and all settings you have configured.
If you've flashed a kernel and the phone won't boot, you may have used a non-compatible kernel version. Flashing the same kernel version as your phone's firmware version will allow the phone to boot. After you boot into Recovery mode, you will see the firmware version listed at the top of the screen.
If all else fails, you can always boot into Download Mode by holding the Home + Volume DOWN + Power buttons, then use Odin to flash a Stock Restore image file. This will restore the phone to its factory state. CAUTION: To be clear: all of your apps and settings, and everything on the phone's internal storage will be deleted (but anything on your external SD card will not be affected).
Unbrick Image: If you are unable to get into Download Mode, there is one thing you can try. There was a method developed (I believe) for the Galaxy S3 that also works on the S5.
1) First, you must obtain an Unbrick Image that has been created with the Unbrick Image Creator on a phone with the same version of firmware and bootloader as the one you're trying to restore. Use the forum search function to find the image you'll need (unless someone is willing to provide a permanent repository of unbrick images).
2) Rename that file to "unbrick_IMG.img", and use Win32DiskImager to flash that image file to a "16gb Class 10" MicroSD card.
3) Insert the Unbrick MicroSD card into the phone, and power it off by unplugging it and removing the battery.
4) Re-insert the battery, then boot into download mode by holding the Home + Volume DOWN + Power buttons.
5) Now connect with Odin and flash a factory restore image.
JTAG: If your phone is truly bricked, you have one last possible recourse. There is a hardware tool called a JTAG that may be able to help you. It's a fairly expensive piece of hardware, but some repair places offer a one-time JTAG repair for a modest fee.
ROOTING 4.4.x and 5.x
As of mid-January 2016, root has now been achieved on every firmware version from NCG all the way to PB1.
Root access is simply a configuration within the operating system that allows one write access to protected system files. This is HUGELY powerful, allowing one to modify or delete system apps or alter how they function. If you are not very computer literate, you may want to pass on rooting until you've learned more. If you don't know what you are doing, it's possible to do some damage to your phone's configuration (possibly rendering it unusable to you, at least until you learn how to repair it). It can be dangerous to play outside the boundaries of User Space. Here there be monsters...
Note that although we have root access, the Bootloader is still locked and is extremely likely to remain so indefinitely. The bootloader is booby-trapped with a hardware "qfuse": attempts to alter the bootloader result in a hard-bricked phone, which effectively dissuades developers from messing with it. Fewer and fewer developers care about this phone, anyway, and have moved on to brands that are less hostile to power users.
Root Kitkat 4.4.2 or 4.4.4 (uses TowelRoot after temporarily downgrading kernel to NCG)
Update from rooted 4.4.x to 5.0 and Keep Root
Root Lollipop 5.0 (uses KingRoot)
Busybox: Android is a gutted variant of the Linux operating system, stripped down to only those functions needed to run a smartphone. Busybox adds back in a lot of the linux/unix functions and commands that were removed. You'll need this once you root if you want to be able to do anything really useful.
Custom ROMs
With a rooted phone, it is possible to install a customized version of the operating system, which is known as a "ROM". These range from rooted Stock ROM, mildly to heavily debloated versions of the Stock ROM, to more heavily customized and themed ROMs.
Unfortunately, because the bootloader on the Verizon S5 is locked, it is only possible to choose from a small selection of TouchWiz-based ROMS. Cyanogenmod (and all the various AOSP-based ROMs) require a different kernel: if you try to use a non-TouchWiz based kernel, the locked bootloader will not allow it to boot.
Only install ROMS found in the Verizon Galaxy S5 Android Development section of the forum.
The Verizon "Developer Edition" S5 comes with an unlocked bootloader, so on that device you CAN run non-TouchWiz ROMs.
As of March 2016 an unlock method for one of the two possible bootloaders has been discovered and exploited, essentially allowing you to turn your phone into a Dev Edition. To determine if your model is unlockable, you need to check the eMMC version. Do this by using a file explorer to browse to /sys/block/mmcblk0/device/cid. The CID file will contain a string of characters: if the first two digits are 15, your phone has the Samsung chip that is unlockable. If the first two digits are 11, your phone has the Toshiba chip and is NOT unlockable.
Odexed vs De-Odexed: You will also see in a ROM's description if it is "odexed" or "de-odexed". This is referring to how all of the applications on the phone are packaged.
An ODEXED application is one where parts of it have been "optimized" in a separate file (with the file extension .odex). This makes the application take up a little less storage apace and also load a little more quickly. However, because the parts of the app are packaged separately, it makes it harder to alter that application on-the-fly (such as theming or modifying the way it behaves).
A DEODEXED application is one where this optimization has been undone. This is necessary for theming or other modifications, and the space and speed difference is probably not really noticeable. If you plan to do any theming or on running Xposed framework, you should install the DEODEXED version of your chosen ROM.
The basic procedure for installing a custom ROM:
1) Boot into SafeStrap Recovery
2) Make a NANDroid backup of your current system, saved to the MicroSD card. If something goes wrong, you can easily restore to where you are now.
3) Wipe cache, dalvik cache, and system partitions.
4) Install your chosen ROM (which will be a .zip file)
5) Install any optional modification zips included and compatible with that particular ROM
6) Wipe cache
7) Reboot
jrkruse goes into much more detail for installing Lollipop ROMS here
Always do a full system wipe from SafeStrap before installing a ROM, or you will have many problems with conflicting settings and system files. Wiping first is known as a "clean flash". The only exception is if you are updating to a newer version of the same ROM, in which case it may be successful to do a "dirty flash", where settings files are unlikely to have changed enough to cause conflicts.
Likewise, never restore "system" apps with Titanium Backup or anything else unless you're on exactly the same version of the OS, because this is almost certain to try to configure those system apps in ways they can no longer function. Doing so will introduce strange problems that can be very difficult to troubleshoot.
If something goes catastrophically wrong, you can always get back to a factory state with Odin, root, install SafeStrap, and restore your NANDroid backup (provided you saved it to the external SDcard like I instructed you, rather than wiping it into oblivion with a ROM flash).
Debloating
Once rooted, you can remove a lot of the bloatware from your phone. It is possible to just uninstall or delete unwanted bloatware, but this can cause problems if you unknowingly remove something that was required for something else to work.
The safest option is to use Titanium Backup to "freeze" the undesirable apps. Then run your phone normally for a few days to make sure everything is functional. Once you're sure an app is safe to delete, you can then do so, or you can just leave it frozen. If it turns out you need to re-enable a frozen app, just "defrost" it in Titanium Backup.
Disabling KNOX
If you choose to use a Stock ROM after rooting, you will want to disable a few things: Knox, security update notifications, and the Verizon Over-the-Air updater.
Use Titanium Backup to freeze the following system apps:
com.sec.enterprise.knox.attestation
com.sec.knox.eventsmanager
KLMS Agent
KNOX
Knox Notification Manager
KNOX Store
Security policy updates SPD_v2_1402_4_1 (Security update notification)
SDM 1.0 (Verizon OTA update)
Xposed Framework and Modules
I won't go into a lot of detail here at this point. Just a few notes. I'll probably flesh this out more later and list my favorite modules.
In order for Xposed to function, you must be using a DEODEXED version of your ROM.
Xposed is awesome, and you should look into using it. I've been using the GravityBox module, and it allows me to get most of the little features I've previously enjoyed in custom ROMs.
Xposed installer for Lollipop
The specific Xposed framework you need to use for S5 Lollipop
Xposed bootloop: If you install an incompatible Xposed module, the worst case is a bootloop. You fix that by getting into Safestrap, choosing file explorer, and creating a file called "disabled" in /data/data/de.robv.android.xposed.installer/conf/
Alternately, there's a flashable zip file somewhere that puts the "disabled" file where it needs to be.
Then you reboot, get into Xposed and turn off the offending module. Then use a file explorer to go delete that "disabled" file and reboot.
Awesome thread!! Thank you very much for spending the time and putting this all together!!
Sent from my still locked down SM-G900V ?
Lots of great info in here! I appreciate the time and effort.
Are there any roms beyond 5.0 for verizon? I'm still running 4.4.4 right now. I tried 5.0 and hated some of the changes with sounds settings (Normal/Vibrate/Silent). My understanding is that 5.1.1 replaces these with the older setup. If that's the case I'd love to move to 5.1 but haven't found any ROMs that do 5.1.x except for one in the Unified forum. But the links for that are dead.
RedRamage said:
Lots of great info in here! I appreciate the time and effort.
Are there any roms beyond 5.0 for verizon? I'm still running 4.4.4 right now. I tried 5.0 and hated some of the changes with sounds settings (Normal/Vibrate/Silent). My understanding is that 5.1.1 replaces these with the older setup. If that's the case I'd love to move to 5.1 but haven't found any ROMs that do 5.1.x except for one in the Unified forum. But the links for that are dead.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not to my knowledge. The locked bootloader makes development very difficult. I think we will have to receive a stock 5.1 that functions with our locked bootloader before anybody can develop ROMs based on it.
I still prefer 4.4.4, too. However, if you want to give 5.0 another try, you may be able to use an Xposed module to restore the way you prefer the sound settings to work.
RedRamage said:
Are there any roms beyond 5.0 for verizon? I'm still running 4.4.4 right now. I tried 5.0 and hated some of the changes with sounds settings (Normal/Vibrate/Silent). My understanding is that 5.1.1 replaces these with the older setup. If that's the case I'd love to move to 5.1 but haven't found any ROMs that do 5.1.x except for one in the Unified forum. But the links for that are dead.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As of now, we are limited to 5.0. If you give 5.0 another shot, I'd suggest using Wanam Xposed and enabling expandable volume control. I couldn't stand the volume settings of Lollipop until I started using Wanam.
---------- Post added at 12:22 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:21 PM ----------
Thank you, @painiac! Now I have a thread I can link every time someone asks how to do the basics. Having a device specific root/ROM thread makes things much easier.
I'm trying to help a fellow user who's trying to install the Optimal ROM and he keeps getting the OTA update message. I mentioned for him to try to freeze the SDM 1.0 but he said that it's not listed in TB. And to be honest, I don't see it listed anywhere in the MOAR ROM that I'm running. So if someone could point me in the right direction on how to freeze the OTA update. I/he would be greatly appreciated. He's posted the issue on the Optimal thread. Thank you in advance
al50 said:
I'm trying to help a fellow user who's trying to install the Optimal ROM and he keeps getting the OTA update message. I mentioned for him to try to freeze the SDM 1.0 but he said that it's not listed in TB. And to be honest, I don't see it listed anywhere in the MOAR ROM that I'm running. So if someone could point me in the right direction on how to freeze the OTA update. I/he would be greatly appreciated. He's posted the issue on the Optimal thread. Thank you in advance
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It has been a long time since I've used MOAR, but I'm sure the OTA updater has been removed from it. The name of the app is SDM.apk. You should be able to find it in Titanium, but you can delete it manually if need be.
CVertigo1 said:
It has been a long time since I've used MOAR, but I'm sure the OTA updater has been removed from it. The name of the app is SDM.apk. You should be able to find it in Titanium, but you can delete it manually if need be.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you for replying CVerigo1. That's what I was thinking about it may have been removed. We suggested that he wipe 2 timesbefore installing the ROM just in case he had some files lingering around. I'm hoping that will solve his issue. Thanks again and apologize for posting this in Painiac's thread.
Thanks for putting all of this together. I sent in a request for the thread to be stickied since we need an updated "How to" thread.
Dudash said:
Thanks for putting all of this together. I sent in a request for the thread to be stickied since we need an updated "How to" thread.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It appears your request has been approved. I appreciate everyone's kind words.
So, say I have a phone that is BOK3 rooted (sweet) and I want to go back to factory unrooted BPB1 (to sell it)... what steps do I follow?
Update (3/8): Found out one solution to going back to stock...
1.) (This Step Is Probably Optional) -- Flash the stock BOK3 Rom using Odin and the PA slot -- This clears the bulk of your custom/rooted files off the phone
2.) Check for system update, allow it to install (should be BPB1)
3.) Boot into recovery mode and clear the phone (WARNING: You will lose all data on your phone)
--- Turn the Galaxy S5 off.
--- Press and hold the Volume up button, the Home button, and the Power button together until you see the Android on screen.
--- Use Volume down to highlight the wipe data/factory reset option and press the Power button to select it.
--- Use Volume down again to highlight Yes – delete all user data and press Power to select it.
--- Wait until you see the reboot system now option and then use the Power button to select it.
--- When the S5 restarts it should be completely wiped and ready to set up again.
Thanks,
Wook
rxwookie said:
So, say I have a phone that is BOK3 rooted (sweet) and I want to go back to factory unrooted BPB1 (to sell it)... what steps do I follow?
Update (3/8): Found out one solution to going back to stock...
1.) (This Step Is Probably Optional) -- Flash the stock BOK3 Rom using Odin and the PA slot -- This clears the bulk of your custom/rooted files off the phone
2.) Check for system update, allow it to install (should be BPB1)
3.) Boot into recovery mode and clear the phone (WARNING: You will lose all data on your phone)
--- Turn the Galaxy S5 off.
--- Press and hold the Volume up button, the Home button, and the Power button together until you see the Android on screen.
--- Use Volume down to highlight the wipe data/factory reset option and press the Power button to select it.
--- Use Volume down again to highlight Yes – delete all user data and press Power to select it.
--- Wait until you see the reboot system now option and then use the Power button to select it.
--- When the S5 restarts it should be completely wiped and ready to set up again.
Thanks,
Wook
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That works, but it has some extra steps. Just flash the PB1 factory image with Odin: there's no real reason to do BOK3 and then wait for an update to install. Flashing a factory image should have cleared all of your user data as well, but you can initiate a factory reset to be sure if you're selling it.
painiac said:
That works, but it has some extra steps. Just flash the PB1 factory image with Odin: there's no real reason to do BOK3 and then wait for an update to install. Flashing a factory image should have cleared all of your user data as well, but you can initiate a factory reset to be sure if you're selling it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you for clarifying that. I was afraid to just flash the PBP1 Rom without knowing how it would act.
When I flashed the stock OK3 Rom it took the OTA update just fine. Interestingly, flashing the stock Rom didn't clear anything off the phone, so a factory reset had to be performed in my case.
In all honesty, I love the phone overall... But I'm just really sick of the locked bootloader.
Thank you for the comprehensive thread (and response to my post above).
Thanks,
Wook
rxwookie said:
Thank you for clarifying that. I was afraid to just flash the PBP1 Rom without knowing how it would act.
When I flashed the stock OK3 Rom it took the OTA update just fine. Interestingly, flashing the stock Rom didn't clear anything off the phone, so a factory reset had to be performed in my case.
In all honesty, I love the phone overall... But I'm just really sick of the locked bootloader.
Thank you for the comprehensive thread (and response to my post above).
Thanks,
Wook
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You're very welcome. I can't blame you... my next phone likely won't be a Samsung.
Thank you for putting all of this together. Does http://forum.xda-developers.com/ver...t/rd-unlocking-galaxys-s5-bootloader-t3337909 change any of the information regarding custom ROMs?
jokajak said:
Thank you for putting all of this together. Does http://forum.xda-developers.com/ver...t/rd-unlocking-galaxys-s5-bootloader-t3337909 change any of the information regarding custom ROMs?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It does, IF you have the specific chipset that can be unlocked. Thanks for mentioning that, I should add it to the guide.
This is a wonderful guide, thank you for putting it up. I'm a software engineer, but I rarely work with android code and have been using iPhones for awhile.
I used to root old droid phones back in the days of the Droid X2 and Droid 3, but I haven't done it in awhile. My girlfriend has an S5 that is causing her lots of problems, specifically terrible battery and no more space for adding apps because of the bloatware. When I used the older motorola droids, there was a process termed "sbf-ing" that would allow me to downgrade my phone to a different version. Is there any way I can do this with an s5 ? She has an S5 running 5.1.1, and I'm curious if I can bring it down to 5.0 or 4.xx to work with some of these roms.
Thanks!
Related
I am new to android. I got sick of apps not being able to write to my SD card so I eventually got the guts to attempt rooting (which worked) and then I even convinced myself to try and install TWRP because I heard I can type commands in there to get my device still rooted after encrypting since superSU does not work after encryption (not tried it yet).
I updated to a new version of TWRP 2.8 I think? Any way, what kind of safety net do I have now? I am in the process of doing a fresh backup (everything ticked) with this new version of TWRP and I will trash the old one once this is done. I had zero intentions of flashing custom OS' on my Galaxy S4 mini (I9195 LTE) for fear of bricking my first ever brand new android phone.
Once this backup is created (and duplicated on every damn hard drive I have for backup purposes...) what kind of protection is this? Could I experiment with Cyanogen Mod and have no fear of it failing to load, have problems with it once installed, something go wrong and phone won't boot up? Would I be able to load my backup into TWRP and magically the phone would be in the state it is in today, rooted and everything?
If there are any things I should know I would appreciate being made aware of them before I dare proceed with any (what I assume would be potentially dangerous things) flashing custom roms etc because I want to always ensure I can get my phone to exactly the state it is now, with all my google apps still installed and everything. With everything ticked on my backup, is there anything that wouldn't be able to be restored, as in apps/data or anything?
Sorry for sounding like a noob, but as far as android and flashing is concerned, I am a noob.
tldr; Essentially I just want to be informed, as well as I can be, as to what I can now do (that I have TWRP installed and made a backup) and what I still shouldn't do, what isn't covered in a backup with all boxes ticked etc.
Morthawt said:
I am new to android. I got sick of apps not being able to write to my SD card so I eventually got the guts to attempt rooting (which worked) and then I even convinced myself to try and install TWRP because I heard I can type commands in there to get my device still rooted after encrypting since superSU does not work after encryption (not tried it yet).
I updated to a new version of TWRP 2.8 I think? Any way, what kind of safety net do I have now? I am in the process of doing a fresh backup (everything ticked) with this new version of TWRP and I will trash the old one once this is done. I had zero intentions of flashing custom OS' on my Galaxy S4 mini (I9195 LTE) for fear of bricking my first ever brand new android phone.
Once this backup is created (and duplicated on every damn hard drive I have for backup purposes...) what kind of protection is this? Could I experiment with Cyanogen Mod and have no fear of it failing to load, have problems with it once installed, something go wrong and phone won't boot up? Would I be able to load my backup into TWRP and magically the phone would be in the state it is in today, rooted and everything?
If there are any things I should know I would appreciate being made aware of them before I dare proceed with any (what I assume would be potentially dangerous things) flashing custom roms etc because I want to always ensure I can get my phone to exactly the state it is now, with all my google apps still installed and everything. With everything ticked on my backup, is there anything that wouldn't be able to be restored, as in apps/data or anything?
Sorry for sounding like a noob, but as far as android and flashing is concerned, I am a noob.
tldr; Essentially I just want to be informed, as well as I can be, as to what I can now do (that I have TWRP installed and made a backup) and what I still shouldn't do, what isn't covered in a backup with all boxes ticked etc.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The backup covers /system (Android OS with settings) /data (all user apps with settings) /EFS (Latest TWRP should backup this, too - MOST IMPORTANT as it stores your IMEI and baseband code) /boot (kernel) + caches (not that important)
In any case your phone has a "DOWNLOAD" mode integrated in the bootloader that will allow you to restore all partitions except "EFS" by flashing the stock firmware via ODIN. So as long as you have a EFS backup and nandroid backup and you don't screw up the phones bootloader (You could do this by flashing a firmware for another (incompatible) Samsung model via ODIN) you're on the safe side. You stock rom backup or a custom rom backup can easily be restored via TWRP. Even if TWRP brakes, you can flash it again via ODIN as long as your bootloader is fine.
LS.xD said:
The backup covers /system (Android OS with settings) /data (all user apps with settings) /EFS (Latest TWRP should backup this, too - MOST IMPORTANT as it stores your IMEI and baseband code) /boot (kernel) + caches (not that important)
In any case your phone has a "DOWNLOAD" mode integrated in the bootloader that will allow you to restore all partitions except "EFS" by flashing the stock firmware via ODIN. So as long as you have a EFS backup and nandroid backup and you don't screw up the phones bootloader (You could do this by flashing a firmware for another (incompatible) Samsung model via ODIN) you're on the safe side. You stock rom backup or a custom rom backup can easily be restored via TWRP. Even if TWRP brakes, you can flash it again via ODIN as long as your bootloader is fine.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok, so Odin is the only thing that could screw my phone up, given that I have a backup? What about if I attempt to install an incompatible rom via TWRP? Is that just as dangerous? Also if I were to some how screw up the bootloader, how would I fix that? In what circumstance might the bootloader get screwed up? From putting a custom mod on? Or is the bootloader getting screwed something specifically I would have to foolishly mess with?
If I download a cyanogen mod zip file and do the install through TWRP, would that essentially wipe everything and start completely fresh with the new OS as a virgin clean OS? Then I am correct, I hope, that if I want to get back my phone how it is now, with the stock firmware, rooted I would just do an install on TWRP and choose the backup and it would just make everything as it is currently? Even if it were screwed up and unable to boot into an OS? If that is the case, I would be a lot more open to trying different mods.
If I do try a custom rom like Cyanogen, is there an official way to get the google apps like playstore and gmail etc on it? I have seen random guides with strange links like "trust us this is a legit download!" Hmm...
Sorry for all the questions guys, I am just trying to become educated on key things before I attempt any other further things.
Morthawt said:
Ok, so Odin is the only thing that could screw my phone up, given that I have a backup? What about if I attempt to install an incompatible rom via TWRP? Is that just as dangerous? Also if I were to some how screw up the bootloader, how would I fix that? In what circumstance might the bootloader get screwed up? From putting a custom mod on? Or is the bootloader getting screwed something specifically I would have to foolishly mess with?
If I download a cyanogen mod zip file and do the install through TWRP, would that essentially wipe everything and start completely fresh with the new OS as a virgin clean OS? Then I am correct, I hope, that if I want to get back my phone how it is now, with the stock firmware, rooted I would just do an install on TWRP and choose the backup and it would just make everything as it is currently? Even if it were screwed up and unable to boot into an OS? If that is the case, I would be a lot more open to trying different mods.
If I do try a custom rom like Cyanogen, is there an official way to get the google apps like playstore and gmail etc on it? I have seen random guides with strange links like "trust us this is a legit download!" Hmm...
Sorry for all the questions guys, I am just trying to become educated on key things before I attempt any other further things.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Asking is good. Better safe than sorry
Yes, in case flash TWRP via ODIN, restore the backup and you should be fine.
Bootloader repair is about 40$ on ebay.
. Before flashing any new (different) rom,perform a NANDROID BACKUP" + manually internal SD Crad backup and then a FULL WIPE (/system /data /cache /dalvik cache /internal SD (Virgin like)
- If you just install a newer version of the same rom e.g. 03/01/2015 -> 03/14/2015 you only need to wipe /cache /dalvik cache (Not so virgin like)
- You can restore all apps/settings from NANDROID backups with "Titanium Backup" on your new OS
- I never heard of flashing a custom rom via recovery messed up the bootloader on Samsung phones, (In rare cases the EFS but you got the backup)
- Use only THIS GApps and make sure you pick the right version (For Android 4.4.x / 5.0.x / 5.1.x) -> Smallest (Pico bundle) will totally do it, you can install any other needed apps (also google's apps) from the pklaystore. Legit and safe.
Make sure you READ and UNDERSTOOD everything before you start flashing a custom rom.
LS.xD said:
Asking is good. Better safe than sorry
Yes, in case flash TWRP via ODIN, restore the backup and you should be fine.
Bootloader repair is about 40$ on ebay.
. Before flashing any new (different) rom,perform a NANDROID BACKUP" + manually internal SD Crad backup and then a FULL WIPE (/system /data /cache /dalvik cache /internal SD (Virgin like)
- If you just install a newer version of the same rom e.g. 03/01/2015 -> 03/14/2015 you only need to wipe /cache /dalvik cache (Not so virgin like)
- You can restore all apps/settings from NANDROID backups with "Titanium Backup" on your new OS
- I never heard of flashing a custom rom via recovery messed up the bootloader on Samsung phones, (In rare cases the EFS but you got the backup)
- Use only THIS GApps and make sure you pick the right version (For Android 4.4.x / 5.0.x / 5.1.x) -> Smallest (Pico bundle) will totally do it, you can install any other needed apps (also google's apps) from the pklaystore. Legit and safe.
Make sure you READ and UNDERSTOOD everything before you start flashing a custom rom.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh I will read everything before trying anything serious like this. I felt as if I was smashing my phone into the ground when I rooted it lol, so dangerous :S, even though I was following a guide. But now that I have all the tickboxes ticked and backed up and I have also copied that backup to 2 different hard drives... I should be safe with that.
So for my additional questions.
Is it possible but unlikely/impossible etc that a custom OS rom install through TWRP would break TWRP to the point of being non-functional to perform restores? (if so I know I could follow the guide again to install TWRP again)
Just to clarify, I should wipe everything except EFS right? When I do a completely new OS rom, perform the install and it should work or it will break. Regardless if it is broken and non functional OR it worked and I don't like it for some reason, I do the same thing again, boot to TWRP, format everything except EFS and install my backup and then the next time my phone is ready for use it will be as if nothing was ever done to it. Does that sound about right? If so, I might have an experiment with Cyanogen.
Also, you said you never heard of the bootloader being screwed over by a TWRP-based rom install. Does that also cover incorrect roms for a different model of the handset or completely different phones? I guess what I mean is, is it safe to perform an OS mod install via TWRP (in case you got the wrong one) and more dangerous to do it through odin if it is the wrong one?
I have a Samsung Galaxy S4 mini GT-I9195 LTE. I see the latest "stable" release is only version 10 of cyanogen mod? Yet there is v11 and v12 versions all without any stable release. Does that mean 11 and 12 won't work on my S4 mini or that it would be a mistake to install it on my phone? Or is there a method I can tell which one would be the best one to get for my phone (newest best)?
Lastly, as for odin, since I have TWRP and a backup of my phone as it is now, is there any reason to use odin for anything other than maybe reinstalling TWRP? If so, what else would require me to use odin that TWRP couldn't do?
Thanks so much for answering my questions, it is really making me feel more confident with the whole process. I don't like going into things blind, I'm a computer techie and like to know what I am doing and why I am doing it. This phone customization business is entirely new to me beyond changing settings and themes lol.
Is it possible but unlikely/impossible etc that a custom OS rom install through TWRP would break TWRP to the point of being non-functional to perform restores? (if so I know I could follow the guide again to install TWRP again)
--> You could flash a wrong zip containing a recovery (Probably you will not do)
Just to clarify, I should wipe everything except EFS right? When I do a completely new OS rom, perform the install and it should work or it will break. Regardless if it is broken and non functional OR it worked and I don't like it for some reason, I do the same thing again, boot to TWRP, format everything except EFS and install my backup and then the next time my phone is ready for use it will be as if nothing was ever done to it. Does that sound about right? If so, I might have an experiment with Cyanogen.
--> Yes
Also, you said you never heard of the bootloader being screwed over by a TWRP-based rom install. Does that also cover incorrect roms for a different model of the handset or completely different phones? I guess what I mean is, is it safe to perform an OS mod install via TWRP (in case you got the wrong one) and more dangerous to do it through odin if it is the wrong one?
--> Every rom has an updater-script that (normally) checks the compatiblity before TWRP installs it
I have a Samsung Galaxy S4 mini GT-I9195 LTE. I see the latest "stable" release is only version 10 of cyanogen mod? Yet there is v11 and v12 versions all without any stable release. Does that mean 11 and 12 won't work on my S4 mini or that it would be a mistake to install it on my phone? Or is there a method I can tell which one would be the best one to get for my phone (newest best)?
--> Stable means NO BUGS, Nightlies are updated nearly every day with the latest commits as they are in development status. May or may not contain bugs. Check out the specific rom thread on xda. Stability of the rom / bugs are discussed there by the users every day. So you can check out which version will work.
Lastly, as for odin, since I have TWRP and a backup of my phone as it is now, is there any reason to use odin for anything other than maybe reinstalling TWRP? If so, what else would require me to use odin that TWRP couldn't do?
--> Restore the phone to fully stock firmware. Such official firmware can be found at SamMobile.com
And most important: Press "thanks" at the botom of my posts
(had to remove quotes due to outside links preventing my posting.)
If I were to flash a stock firmware rom with odin, would it destroy TWRP? At which point I could flash it back on again? Or would TWRP still be there?
I think I am going to actually try Cyanogen, once I decide on a build to try. Are there any "minimum requirements" for cyanogen major versions? Like I could see I shouldn't install CM12 on my S4 mini and should instead try ones prior to 12? Or is it pretty much just a features and updates thing and 12 would work just as effectively (in terms of just "working smoothly" discounting any bugs etc) as 10?
Thanks button pressed on them, because truly your information is extremely helpful.
If I were to flash a stock firmware rom with odin, would it destroy TWRP? At which point I could flash it back on again? Or would TWRP still be there?
--> TWRP will be replaced by the stock recovery. You can instantly flash TWRP again.
I think I am going to actually try Cyanogen, once I decide on a build to try. Are there any "minimum requirements" for cyanogen major versions? Like I could see I shouldn't install CM12 on my S4 mini and should instead try ones prior to 12? Or is it pretty much just a features and updates thing and 12 would work just as effectively (in terms of just "working smoothly" discounting any bugs etc) as 10?
--> Your phone got enough permorfance to handle any kind of android version available. Bugs and performance are rom related.
LS.xD said:
If I were to flash a stock firmware rom with odin, would it destroy TWRP? At which point I could flash it back on again? Or would TWRP still be there?
--> TWRP will be replaced by the stock recovery. You can instantly flash TWRP again.
I think I am going to actually try Cyanogen, once I decide on a build to try. Are there any "minimum requirements" for cyanogen major versions? Like I could see I shouldn't install CM12 on my S4 mini and should instead try ones prior to 12? Or is it pretty much just a features and updates thing and 12 would work just as effectively (in terms of just "working smoothly" discounting any bugs etc) as 10?
--> Your phone got enough permorfance to handle any kind of android version available. Bugs and performance are rom related.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So when they say 5.x isn't coming to the S4 mini, that's a sales thing only?! Not based on performance limitations of my phone's hardware?
EDIT: Should I wipe Preload?
Morthawt said:
So when they say 5.x isn't coming to the S4 mini, that's a sales thing only?! Not based on performance limitations of my phone's hardware?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just like that. I use 5.x on both of my phones
Galaxy Ace II -> performance is okay, with 4.4.4 it runs as hell, better than ever with stock firmware [Last official Android is 4.1]
HTC One S -> Flying on a Lollipop [Last official Android is 4.1]
LS.xD said:
Just like that. I use 5.x on both of my phones
Galaxy Ace II -> performance is okay, with 4.4.4 it runs as hell, better than ever with stock firmware [Last official Android is 4.1]
HTC One S -> Flying on a Lollipop [Last official Android is 4.1]
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am having trouble finding any specific information about the S4 mini LTE and CM12. I don't know if I should try the last version of CM11 instead? Not sure to try a CM12 or CM11 at the moment. I am sat here ready to perform the wipe but I just can't make my mind up which to try :|
Which reminds me, if I use the latest CM11, will there be any further security updates and things? Or are updates only on the nightlies? I would hope they will update CM11, I'd hate to think the only way you get updates is on the bleeding unstable edge :S ?
Morthawt said:
I am having trouble finding any specific information about the S4 mini LTE and CM12. I don't know if I should try the last version of CM11 instead? Not sure to try a CM12 or CM11 at the moment. I am sat here ready to perform the wipe but I just can't make my mind up which to try :|
Which reminds me, if I use the latest CM11, will there be any further security updates and things? Or are updates only on the nightlies? I would hope they will update CM11, I'd hate to think the only way you get updates is on the bleeding unstable edge :S ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Possible security issues can be fixed later by modules. By the way, stock firmware is also updated just a few times and stays at this state. If you want as less trouble as possible a CM11 variant will be more sensefull for your purpose. Feel free to get some more informations HERE
LS.xD said:
Possible security issues can be fixed later by modules. By the way, stock firmware is also updated just a few times and stays at this state. If you want as less trouble as possible a CM11 variant will be more sensefull for your purpose. Feel free to get some more informations HERE
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am on the latest CM11 snapshot Amazing! Although I am confused by some of the options. Is there any documentation on the OS? I see for Network modes things like "2G | 3G", or "2G | 2G + 3G" and "2G | 3G | 2G + 3G" . I pretty much can assume I know that 2G | 3G means 2 or 3G but when it comes to ones with +'s that is just confusing. 2G and 3G at the same time? No idea lol.
Unfortunately the compass sensor does not work. I may have to either risk trying a CM12 or go to CM10 :/ What would you recommend?
Morthawt said:
Unfortunately the compass sensor does not work. I may have to either risk trying a CM12 or go to CM10 :/ What would you recommend?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
2G = GSM Data
3G = UMTS / HDPA / WCDMA Data
Do you often need the compass sensor?
SlimKAT is a fast, lightweight rom and should be working.
LS.xD said:
2G = GSM Data
3G = UMTS / HDPA / WCDMA Data
Do you often need the compass sensor?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not always but when I am using offline navigation software, it is very handy to see realtime if I am pointed in the right direction instead of having to wait for enough distance to be detected to determine what way I am pointing. I don't like limitations. Period. That is the root of why I am messing with... well, root and roms. I could not use software to write to my SD card because of some security "enhancement" which just crippled the functionality of having an android phone. First I rooted and used SDFIX or what ever it is, now I am testing roms to see if I can find a good one. I have the latest (this year) stable AICP installing and gaps currently. I will give this one a whirl and see what I think. I was disappointed that I could not find a nice "Hey.. this is why you should choose our rom!" page. Nothing. Just a download link and ability to get the source code.
I want to read about all the amazing reasons and features why AICP (or any rom for that matter) is a great choice. But I found no such page.
Morthawt said:
Not always but when I am using offline navigation software, it is very handy to see realtime if I am pointed in the right direction instead of having to wait for enough distance to be detected to determine what way I am pointing. I don't like limitations. Period. That is the root of why I am messing with... well, root and roms. I could not use software to write to my SD card because of some security "enhancement" which just crippled the functionality of having an android phone. First I rooted and used SDFIX or what ever it is, now I am testing roms to see if I can find a good one. I have the latest (this year) stable AICP installing and gaps currently. I will give this one a whirl and see what I think. I was disappointed that I could not find a nice "Hey.. this is why you should choose our rom!" page. Nothing. Just a download link and ability to get the source code.
I want to read about all the amazing reasons and features why AICP (or any rom for that matter) is a great choice. But I found no such page.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you can't find any custom rom that fits your needs, you can also choose a modified (debloated) stock firmware if you need 100% functionality.
LS.xD said:
If you can't find any custom rom that fits your needs, you can also choose a modified (debloated) stock firmware if you need 100% functionality.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Those exist in the TWRP zip format? Where can I find those?
Morthawt said:
Those exist in the TWRP zip format? Where can I find those?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I should have read before I answered Seems not to exist for your phone. I don't know the reason.
N920PSPT2BPA2 Marshmallow Engineering Build
Just in case you miss the note below:
THE ODIN FLASH WILL WIPE AND REPARTITION THE ENTIRE PHONE.
THIS INCLUDES ALL BACKUPS AND EVERYTHING STORED ON INTERNAL STORAGE.
This is not OTA, this is an engineering build of the stock Sprint Marshmallow rom 'leaked' to us.
Thanks to an anonymous donor.
Please read:
- do not flash this on an UNLOCKED SM-920P, you will lose lock and we're not sure if you can get it back yet
- this build is fully functional however it may contain some bugs and does not contain all the features that will be available on final release.
- there are additional debugging tools and options in this build
- you will see additional code displayed on boots & reboots that are part of this being an engineering build
- this stock build is already deodexed
- you CAN go back to 5.1.1, see post #2 for the how-to
Download Link --- > Signed_ALL_SPT_N920PVPE2BPA2_N920PSPT2BPA2_CL6833823_QB8008180_REV00_eng_mid_noship.tar.7z
Rom Installation
Before You Start:
- Backup EVERYTHING you want to save from internal storage
THE ODIN FLASH WILL WIPE AND REPARTITION THE ENTIRE PHONE.
THIS INCLUDES ALL BACKUPS AND EVERYTHING STORED ON INTERNAL STORAGE.
Stage 1:
** Skip to STAGE 2 if OEM Unlock has already been done **
Preparing your current rom
** This is REQUIRED
• In the stock rom, turn on developer mode, enable USB debugging and OEM Unlock
• Settings>>>about device>>> scroll to bottom and tap build number 8 times
now press back button once and tap developer options...
• Toggle on both USB debugging and OEM Unlock.
Stage 2:
• Did you remember to backup your stuff to PC or OTG storage? This will WIPE the entire phone.
• Download Rom file to pc and extract the 7zip file
• Download Odin
Odin3_v3.10.7.zip
• Extract Odin zip-file
• Power down the phone
• Open Odin on pc
• Boot phone in Download Mode (press and hold Home + Power + Volume Down buttons)
• Connect phone and wait until you get a blue sign in Odin
• Within odin, add the Rom xxx.tar.md5 file to AP / PDA (depending on version of Odin)
It may take several minutes to verify file integrity, let it complete.
• Click the start button and let the Odin flash complete, the phone will automatically reboot (if you haven't uncheck the reboot option)
• Let the rom fully boot (about 10 minutes), setup can be a lengthy process and will require at least one automatic reboot. Continue through the setup process and if downloading Play Store apps with your profile, let that complete as well.
You can check on the progress of your Play Store downloads from within 'My Apps & Games' in the Play Store app.
[Guide] How to Root this stock Marshmallow Rom
1. Download and place on internal storage -- > BETA-SuperSU-v2.68-20160228150503.zip
2. Download TWRP for MM -- > twrp-3.0.2-0-M-nobleltespr.tar.tar
3. Flash TWRP custom recovery with Odin (same instructions as rom flash apply).
Reboot into custom recovery and flash SuperSU and reboot. (see button sequence for custom recovery in post #2 if you're not sure how to get in)
** You may get a kernel panic on first reboot, just hot boot the phone by holding pwr + volume/down.
Known Issues
- Gear VR does not work
- Gear watch does not work
Mini-Bootloaders
These will allow you to flash between 5.1.1 and 6.0x with ease.
Important note:
- You MUST flash the full marshmallow tarball at least once to prepare the phone.
- You MUST match the Bootloader version to your backup, they are not interchangeable. The OK3 firmware will run older versions of 5.1.1 too.
5.1.1 OK3 Mini Bootloader
SM-N920P_OK3_BOOTLOADER.tar.md5
6.0.1 PA2 Mini Bootloader
SM-N920P_PA2_BOOTLOADER.tar.md5
Use of Mini Bootloaders:
- These do not include the OS and REQUIRE that you have a matching OS backup already saved to restore
- Flash the bootloader with Odin (same instructions apply as rom flash in Post #1). Make sure you uncheck the auto reboot choice first.
Once the flash is complete unplug the phone, press and hold pwr + volume/down to reboot and as soon as the phone resets, immediately press pwr + home + volume/up to enter custom recovery and restore your backup.
** If you missed the key sequence try again, it takes good timing but I'm sure you'll be a pro at it in no time.
Modifications and other Stuff
PA2 New Stuff
- Hotspot hack, 5 way reboot, Knox removal scripts
- Bootanimation restored
- No more big lag on reboot (Version 1 issue)
- Removed ongoing dumpstate nag
- Removed engineering code from shutdown
Note:
As of version 2, developer options is disabled as default.
To re-enable, tap on 'Build number' in settings/About device.
Download is available at the bottom of this post.
Flash in custom recovery (available at the bottom of Post #1).
___________________________________________
TIPS:
- to increase screen speed and responsiveness, go into developer settings and change all three animation scales from 1.0 to .5.
- If rooted, install Titanium Backup and freeze all the unnecessary apps (backup first)
- If rooted, install Greenify and snooze everything that doesn't need to run or sync in the background
___________________________________________
Note 5 Recoveries
(Only version compatible with marshmallow is already posted in the OP)
Sprint Galaxy Note 5 Kernels
Sprint Galaxy Note 5 Modems
** Modems are flashed in Odin. The tar file gets placed in the CP slot.
Stock factory tars, flashable with odin, are available here:
N920PVPU1AOGD_N920PSPT1AOGD_SPR-STOCK_TARBALL
Stock rom mirror download
N920PVPU2AOI6_N920PSPT2AOI6_SPR.zip
[ROM] N920PSPT2AOK3_SPR Stock Factory Build
___________________________________________
Nice this is fun. Can't wait to get more into it and have a good rom
Chaz187 said:
Nice this is fun. Can't wait to get more into it and have a good rom
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'll finish this and OTA will be out within the week.
tdunham said:
I'll finish this and OTA will be out within the week.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yup you know it..... then the real fun can start!!!!!
Swwwwwweeeeetttt. U the man
Looks good T
Thanks "Mr. Dunham"!!!!!! Wearing it out as you so often do.
Sent from my SM-N920P using Tapatalk
Great work
ATTENTION:
I think just about everything is posted.
Please read through all 3 opening posts for all pertinent information and extras.
I don't see a Q&A thread for this rom but does anyone know if like previous engineering roms / bootloaders in others Samsung devices if root can be achieved without tripping knox.
NotLinusTorvalds said:
I don't see a Q&A thread for this rom but does anyone know if like previous engineering roms / bootloaders in others Samsung devices if root can be achieved without tripping knox.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The million dollar question. We need a guinea pig.
Because if this is true, we can use this bootloader along with OTA build and new users can retain knox flag.
tdunham said:
The million dollar question. We need a guinea pig.
Because if this is true, we can use this bootloader along with OTA build and new users can retain knox flag.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I know Chaz posted in the MM thread in the general section that there was some battery life issues he was facing. I guess my question is, how is your battery holding up while running this?
I mean, I'll probably end up flashing it either way but I'm just curious.
Sent from my SM-N920P using Tapatalk
weavr said:
I know Chaz posted in the MM thread in the general section that there was some battery life issues he was facing. I guess my question is, how is your battery holding up while running this?
I mean, I'll probably end up flashing it either way but I'm just curious.
Sent from my SM-N920P using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Seems fine to me. But i rooted and froze everything i could lay my hands on with Titanium Backup also.
Man you da man thanks for putting this together
Anyone having any issues with this? Id love to go this way so i can kill Samsung pay framework issues after going back stock from rooted.
Sent from my SM-N920P using Tapatalk
So I've got this installed and running on both my phone and my wife's. No problems so far. Gonna do a full battery cycle a couple of times and report back.
I wanna try it out, but I need the hotspot hack.
Yeah. Thanks you.. im test it
Alright guys, so this happened 100% ON ACCIDENT but it actually worked! I wanted to let you guys know because maybe it will help some of the devs figure out how to eliminate the static boot for good.
I have the H910 ATT V20. I initially rooted it using Dirty Santa but, at the time, nobody had made a custom ROM for the ATT variant yet. I flashed the Konverged Kernel and from then on, I had the dreaded static screen on boot. @Tilde88 was extremely generous in offering to make a custom ROM if I provided some files for him and he made the first excellent NotSoStock ROM for the ATT V20. However, I had some issues installing it on the first try. When I tried to flash his ROM, TWRP gave me an error telling me I had a US996. I patched the zip with a file from Tilde88 and it worked like magic!
Since then, there has been a lot of progress in ROMs and kernels for all the variants. For the sake of experimentation, I have tried different ROMs and kernels to see how they affect the phone. Since my phone is registering as a US996, I flashed that variant of the NotSoStock ROM. The Werewolf Kernel from @USA-RedDragon is the only one I know of so far that does not have the static on boot. I have been flashing Werewolf and Konverged along with different ROMs to see the difference in performance and battery.
The ROM I am on right now is Extreme Syndicate from @elliwigy. Since it is based off of the stock deodexed US996 firmware, I thought it sounded great to try since it has NONE of the bloat from any of the various carriers. I read in a post by @AlkaliV2 here about flashing the stock kernel located on my computer from the original Dirty Santa root method:
https://forum.xda-developers.com/v2...-nrd90m-modded-notsostock-rom-t3525344/page21
That gave me an idea to download and flash the stock unlocked US996 kernel since Extreme Syndicate is based off of that. I had Konverged Kernel at the time. I flashed the US996 kernel, but forgot to flash SuperSU before boot... Woops lol. So I went back to TWRP and formatted my phone to start from a fresh flash, but realized I also deleted my ROM backup when I formatted my phone. So I decided to install a ROM and kernel fresh.
HERE IS HOW I FIXED THE STATIC BOOT
After formatting my phone, I flashed the Extreme Syndicate ROM with the Werewolf Kernel. I chose this kernel so there would not be any static on boot.
Then
I booted back to TWRP, made a backup just in case, and flashed my stock H910 ATT kernel from the file named bootbackup.img. After that, I flashed SuperSU, wiped Cache and Dalvik, rebooted... and BAM, just like that, no static! It says under software information that I am on kernel version 3.18.31. 3C Toolbox shows the kernel as Linux 3.18.31g12e8957
It is still fresh so I have to see how it goes with battery and performance. Initially, it was noticeably slower. I completely fixed this by:
1. Implementing all options under "One Click -> Performance Optimizations" in the app 3C Toolbox
2. Selecting "Performance" under Profiles in the app L Speed
I just wanted to share this with everyone to put this info out there. I have not seen a fix for the static boot yet and though that this might be useful info for someone out there! I hope this helps!
Yes, there is an updated driver branch using CAF sources that fixes static boot. I'm far too busy in life to get anything done, and before anything else, I have to get v6.0 for the H918 going. Once that is up (using the latest build and soruces from LG), I can move forward for 6.0 for the other devices.
nikktrikk said:
I just wanted to share this with everyone to put this info out there. I have not seen a fix for the static boot yet and though that this might be useful info for someone out there! I hope this helps!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is an interesting approach, I'm not entirely sure why it would work but I'm willing to give it a shot. I'm not entirely convinced that you are running the stock AT&T kernel though since you are seeing performance loss and no static on boot. I don't have a normal method for ensuring that you have the stock kernel (like Wi-Fi calling being enabled) but I do have one way you could check. Use any terminal emulator (no root/su needed) and pass the command
Code:
uname -r
and let me know the output.
I have the stock AT&T kernel installed with everything working aside from static boot and mine reads:
Code:
3.18.31-perf-ge3230fb
AlkaliV2 said:
This is an interesting approach, I'm not entirely sure why it would work but I'm willing to give it a shot. I'm not entirely convinced that you are running the stock AT&T kernel though since you are seeing performance loss and no static on boot. I don't have a normal method for ensuring that you have the stock kernel (like Wi-Fi calling being enabled) but I do have one way you could check. Use any terminal emulator (no root/su needed) and pass the command
Code:
uname -r
and let me know the output.
I have the stock AT&T kernel installed with everything working aside from static boot and mine reads:
Code:
3.18.31-perf-ge3230fb
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hmmm interesting. Mine returned with:
Code:
3.18.31-g12e8957
[/QUOTE]
Do you have any idea why that might have happened? I used the file directly from the Dirty Santa folder, but maybe there is an issue since I flashed it over the previous kernel.
AlkaliV2 said:
This is an interesting approach, I'm not entirely sure why it would work but I'm willing to give it a shot. I'm not entirely convinced that you are running the stock AT&T kernel though since you are seeing performance loss and no static on boot. I don't have a normal method for ensuring that you have the stock kernel (like Wi-Fi calling being enabled) but I do have one way you could check. Use any terminal emulator (no root/su needed) and pass the command
Code:
uname -r
and let me know the output.
I have the stock AT&T kernel installed with everything working aside from static boot and mine reads:
Code:
3.18.31-perf-ge3230fb
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Also, I think it is an issue with my phone registering as a LG-US996. None of the ATT ROMs will flash onto it and I don't know how to convert it back to register as an H910. It seems like that is one of the primary reasons that the kernel I used from my computer may be having issues. Do you know how I can revert my phone? Nemisisg4 mentioned that when he tried to reflash the NotSoStockRom, it said no OS was installed. I also got that error numerous times when messing with different setups and it caused me to have to flash things all over again. I could not restore my saved backups of the 5.5 either after wiping the ROM I think because, since the ROM needed to go from the 5.1 to the 5.5, when I backed-up the 5.5, there was a conflict during the restore process.
nikktrikk said:
Also, I think it is an issue with my phone registering as a LG-US996. None of the ATT ROMs will flash onto it and I don't know how to convert it back to register as an H910. It seems like that is one of the primary reasons that the kernel I used from my computer may be having issues. Do you know how I can revert my phone? Nemisisg4 mentioned that when he tried to reflash the NotSoStockRom, it said no OS was installed. I also got that error numerous times when messing with different setups and it caused me to have to flash things all over again. I could not restore my saved backups of the 5.5 either after wiping the ROM I think because, since the ROM needed to go from the 5.1 to the 5.5, when I backed-up the 5.5, there was a conflict during the restore process.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Alright, I was out for a little but I'm back now and I have a suggestion. I'm going to write up a short how-to but go here: https://forum.xda-developers.com/v20/how-to/stock-att-h910-stock-recovery-boot-image-t3528060
You are not going to follow that guide directly as I need to update it to include the actual stock kernel bootbackup.img but the backup files need to be placed in TWRP for the Restore function to work.
So to modify the steps a bit for your usage:
!) You need SuperSU 2.79 stable and your bootbackup.img file saved to your microSD card
1.) Put the files in the TWRP > Backups folder (preferably on your microSD card because we are formatting your entire data and internal storage) *
2.) You are going to go to advanced wipe and wipe everything except microSD and USB-OTG
3.) Go back and choose Format Data from the wipe screen and swipe to wipe data again just to be sure
4.) Reboot to recovery
5.) Now we want to restore the system image you have saved to your MicroSD card. Hit the restore menu, make sure the system checkbox is checked only, and slide to start
6.) Once finished head back to the main menu and choose Install > Install image and choose your bootbackup.img file
7.) Once done immediately flash SuperSU 2.79 stable
8.) Power off the device from the menu leave it be for about 30 seconds then turn it back on and let it boot.
It SHOULD work. Let me know if it doesn't and I wish you luck. Also, avoid US996 ROMs for the time being. I am getting the H910 image out to devs as quickly as I can and it has files that are pretty important to the hardware in our phone. If you get this to boot just use TiBu to remove things you don't want and always keep a copy of this backup ROM on your drive.
*If you do not have a microSD card to put these files on you can do a full wipe like I mention above, but you'll have to fully wipe it as I have instructed, reboot recovery to TWRP, hook the phone up to the PC at that point and copy the files you need over to it at that point.
AlkaliV2 said:
Alright, I was out for a little but I'm back now and I have a suggestion. I'm going to write up a short how-to but go here: https://forum.xda-developers.com/v20/how-to/stock-att-h910-stock-recovery-boot-image-t3528060
You are not going to follow that guide directly as I need to update it to include the actual stock kernel bootbackup.img but the backup files need to be placed in TWRP for the Restore function to work.
So to modify the steps a bit for your usage:
!) You need SuperSU 2.79 stable and your bootbackup.img file saved to your microSD card
1.) Put the files in the TWRP > Backups folder (preferably on your microSD card because we are formatting your entire data and internal storage) *
2.) You are going to go to advanced wipe and wipe everything except microSD and USB-OTG
3.) Go back and choose Format Data from the wipe screen and swipe to wipe data again just to be sure
4.) Reboot to recovery
5.) Now we want to restore the system image you have saved to your MicroSD card. Hit the restore menu, make sure the system checkbox is checked only, and slide to start
6.) Once finished head back to the main menu and choose Install > Install image and choose your bootbackup.img file
7.) Once done immediately flash SuperSU 2.79 stable
8.) Power off the device from the menu leave it be for about 30 seconds then turn it back on and let it boot.
It SHOULD work. Let me know if it doesn't and I wish you luck. Also, avoid US996 ROMs for the time being. I am getting the H910 image out to devs as quickly as I can and it has files that are pretty important to the hardware in our phone. If you get this to boot just use TiBu to remove things you don't want and always keep a copy of this backup ROM on your drive.
*If you do not have a microSD card to put these files on you can do a full wipe like I mention above, but you'll have to fully wipe it as I have instructed, reboot recovery to TWRP, hook the phone up to the PC at that point and copy the files you need over to it at that point.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wow, thank you for such a detailed post! So just to clarify, after flashing the bootbackup.img that includes the stock kernel AND the stock ROM? And this is basically unrooting my phone and putting it back to stock, so I would need to go through this process, then re-root?
Before you responded, I managed to flash the stock US996 kernel to my phone with the extreme syndicate ROM. So far it is lightning fast, the battery seems good. Usage so far is about 7 hours with an estimated time remaining of 35h 27 min. I know you said to avoid the US996 ROMs, do you think it is worth it to go back to stock if I am getting those stats as of right now, will the battery life and speed be comparable? Isn't the hardware the same, just each phone has it's own OS, hence why my phone functions on the US996 after the conversion happened? I have no idea about this so I am just throwing that out there to ask!
Thanks again for your help!
nikktrikk said:
Wow, thank you for such a detailed post! So just to clarify, after flashing the bootbackup.img that includes the stock kernel AND the stock ROM? And this is basically unrooting my phone and putting it back to stock, so I would need to go through this process, then re-root?
Before you responded, I managed to flash the stock US996 kernel to my phone with the extreme syndicate ROM. So far it is lightning fast, the battery seems good. Usage so far is about 7 hours with an estimated time remaining of 35h 27 min. I know you said to avoid the US996 ROMs, do you think it is worth it to go back to stock if I am getting those stats as of right now, will the battery life and speed be comparable? Isn't the hardware the same, just each phone has it's own OS, hence why my phone functions on the US996 after the conversion happened? I have no idea about this so I am just throwing that out there to ask!
Thanks again for your help!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I can't even begin to tell you what the right thing to do here is. I can only say what my experience was having my device run as a US996. Broken comfort view, no wifi-calling, FM radio not working (variant kernel related), and issues with battery drain. But that was my experience. If you are having good results running 996 then don't feel obligated to change. My post was just to get your phone back to being recognized as a H910. Now to answer your original question:
The files I linked to above in the guide are for the H910 system, recovery, and boot image made immediately after I got dirty cow working. The kernel in that backup set is the US996 kernel, not the one you need to go back to full rooted stock. The restore method I mention does not remove root or break TWRP it just puts back the stock ROM in full and then you flash bootbackup.img along with SuperSu to keep root and boot the stock kernel. It is the config I am running right now because it gets me all the features working aside from the static boot. So you only need to follow my guide if you can't get back to stock H910 rooted.
Edit: let me be clear in case it wasn't before. If you decide to use my backup files: do NOT use the boot or recovery image from those restore files. Use just the system restore image and your own personal bootbackup.img kernel along with SuperSu 2.79 stable.
AlkaliV2 said:
I can't even begin to tell you what the right thing to do here is. I can only say what my experience was having my device run as a US996. Broken comfort view, no wifi-calling, FM radio not working (variant kernel related), and issues with battery drain. But that was my experience. If you are having good results running 996 then don't feel obligated to change. My post was just to get your phone back to being recognized as a H910. Now to answer your original question:
The files I linked to above in the guide are for the H910 system, recovery, and boot image made immediately after I got dirty cow working. The kernel in that backup set is the US996 kernel, not the one you need to go back to full rooted stock. The restore method I mention does not remove root or break TWRP it just puts back the stock ROM in full and then you flash bootbackup.img along with SuperSu to keep root and boot the stock kernel. It is the config I am running right now because it gets me all the features working aside from the static boot. So you only need to follow my guide if you can't get back to stock H910 rooted.
Edit: let me be clear in case it wasn't before. If you decide to use my backup files: do NOT use the boot or recovery image from those restore files. Use just the system restore image and your own personal bootbackup.img kernel along with SuperSu 2.79 stable.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Definitely makes sense. Yeah I have been having issues with battery drain and all that, as well. This is the very first time since I have been having issues with the US996/H910 conversion and incompatibility that I have actually got it to be stable. I also didn't like not having comfort view, and this actually fixed it! Comfort view now works on my phone, it didn't work earlier today before this most recent flash. I think that I will just give it some time before I make a decision and see how the battery fares. You have been a HUGE help, I really appreciate you taking the time to explain the process to restore my phone. I do want to do it, but being that it currently seems to be doing a lot better than before, I'll wait before making the leap back to stock just for comparison.
Help me
I also have h910 model but when i tried to boot after dirtysanta 3 rd step it didnt boot into twrp..even though i tried to flash recovery with fastboot flash recovery command.
I m stuck and static screen is a mess..plz help me
Hi, I'm a bit of a novice at this, can you please explain this line:
"flashed my stock H910 ATT kernel from the file named bootbackup.img"
Where do I get this file, and how do I flash it?
titmus said:
Hi, I'm a bit of a novice at this, can you please explain this line:
"flashed my stock H910 ATT kernel from the file named bootbackup.img"
Where do I get this file, and how do I flash it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
you where supposed to back up your original filesystem you would have gotten it from there.
tl;dr - TWRP touch screen won't work after installing custom ROM, much hassle to unbrick, looking for a "bumped" (still not actually sure what that term means) or otherwise modified version of TWRP that won't go haywire when installing a custom ROM.
tl;dr 2 - Also interested in the LATEST "stock-based" ROM recommendations anyone may have... G3 backports or whatever. She needs her Camera to work well but older 4.4.x and 5.0.x OS is missing a lot of new functionality and compatibility with new apps.
I'll just start out by saying that I've figured out just about every way to brick and subsequently un-brick this device that is feasibly possible, and am considering starting a thread specific to those various methods... but that's not what this is for.
This is an issue I've encountered a few times now, definitely on my girlfriend's T-Mobile LG G2 D801 with Lollipop (30B and now again on D801 30C), and iirc, also on KitKat.
I'll explain what I can remember, most of this has been done in the middle of the night after many frustrating hours of attempting various methods... I have to say, this phone has been much more difficult to mod compared to my previous experiences with Samsung and Nexus devices.
I had gotten this device all the way through to CM12 or 13 a year or so ago but recent issues made us decide to attempt to revert back to a Stock-based ROM.
Steps:
1. Root (ioroot / Autorec, can't remember which or for what reason, I have multiple versions of each)
2. Install TWRP Custom Recovery (most recently and successfully using a modified version of the "30B Freedom Tool", although I haven't tried that on 30C - yet.
3. Transfer custom ROM & Kernel to SDCard.
4. Boot into TWRP and install custom ROM & Kernel - most recently GoogleEdition 1.5 and then DorimanX 12.0 Kernel
5. Clear Cache / DALVIK Cache.
6. Reboot device. This is where the trouble begins...
Results: Won't boot into OS at all, instead I end up at the text-based "fastboot" screen, which after multiple tries I can eventually get back into TWRP or into Download Mode.
Once in TWRP after installing custom ROM, the bottom ~1" of the screen won't respond and all other touches aren't accurate... playing with it, I can usually eventually get into some of the TWRP screens, but for most purposes it's about useless.
I managed to restore a backup of the original 30B system image via command line over MTP using ADP TWRP commands, but that bricked the phone in an entirely separate manner where I couldn't access Recovery anymore and the system wouldn't boot at all... I ended up using the LG Update tool to get it up to 30C, and was surprised to find that it still had the restored backup data (apps, pictures, settings, etc), and the phone is now working again, albeit back to stock recovery.
Now, as I mentioned, this isn't the first time I've run into this "phantom touch" issue in TWRP on this device, although the circumstances seem to be a little backwards this time vs when I was taking the device over to CM12/13. I think I remember something about a "bumped" or otherwise modified version of TWRP being out there, but I can't find it now or put my finger on what the changes were.
Has anyone else run into this? I am hoping I've just overlooked something, but days of digging through threads hasn't turned up much.
/edit/ To give you an idea, attached is the folder I've got files stored in... with tons more in Archive and Stock-Based... I've used them ALL at some point. I'd like to get enough info in here to write a Step by Step guide for new owners who are picking these devices up on the cheap, and would appreciate if anyone wants to help out with this!
I just checked my Magisk 13.3-rooted Sprint htc u11, running 1.13.651.6 for htc s/w updates & d/l'ed the update abt 750Mb, which is said contained a security update & it was supposed to bring me to 1.28.651.3.
After d/l & clicking on install, it went thru 20% on the "gas gauge" progress bar, before the screen went black & 5 second
screen came up as usual & then the twrp main screen came up.
Not knowing what to do, I decided playing it safe was best, I simply rebooted the system & all went fine. I got a msg telling me that I have a system update & I chose to put installation off & chose to be reminded in 4hrs. In 4hrs, the fone will be off. I'm going to be AFK fm the fone - as I have to be away & the fone has to be of until Sat. nite when I'm done w/the other stuff I'm doing until then.
I'm not sure what to do, or why it rebooted, showed the 5 second screen & then went into the twrp main screen. I did nothing to make that happen. In the past I obviously unlocked the BL, installed twrp, & rooted w/Magisk 13.3 & Magisk Mgr. 5.11- carefully following posted instructions, but I have no idea why reboot went fm 5 second screen to main twrp screen & equally no idea if that should have happened- or what in hindsight I should have done.
***BTW, I have an icon in my notification bar fm the Updater program that is telling me I have a System Update Ready & I should tap on the notice to install.***
PLEASE ADVISE!
Is there any problem taking the 1.13.651.6 -> 1.28.651.3 update w/unlocked BootLoader & twrp & root that will damage my fone, the setup, or Bootloader, twrp, or root?
What should I do when I power-on & restart fone on Sat. nite when I will ostensibly get the update process kicking in after the 5 Second screen & then progressing to 20% of the update & then the Update process reboots & reboots me back to 5 second screen & then the twrp main screen (or maybe another prompt)? Or can I do something to prevent / remove the update if there are any problems.
Would going into a diff mode fm 5 second screen, like bootloader, download, or recovery mode & then have to do something else to get the System Update to work?, or do I have to do something else - related to unrooting, &/or removing twrp, &/or re-locking the bootloader ? - (please don't let it be any of that!), & how would I do whatever I have to do?. Or do I have to somehow avoid the update - don't know how to do that either- I've played w/this kind of stuff on a # of prev devices, but not on an htc device & I'm sorta like a newbie w/htc 'under the hood' stuff. ***Thanks very much in advance***. This is the only Sprint device I have… so I can't just switch to another fone & do whatever I have to do on this fone w/out any stress & plenty of time to sort out the details.
Again, TIA, oldwolf
oldwolf613 said:
I just checked my Magisk 13.3-rooted Sprint htc u11, running 1.13.651.6 for htc s/w updates & d/l'ed the update abt 750Mb, which is said contained a security update & it was supposed to bring me to 1.28.651.3.
After d/l & clicking on install, it went thru 20% on the "gas gauge" progress bar, before the screen went black & 5 second
screen came up as usual & then the twrp main screen came up.
Not knowing what to do, I decided playing it safe was best, I simply rebooted the system & all went fine. I got a msg telling me that I have a system update & I chose to put installation off & chose to be reminded in 4hrs. In 4hrs, the fone will be off. I'm going to be AFK fm the fone - as I have to be away & the fone has to be of until Sat. nite when I'm done w/the other stuff I'm doing until then.
I'm not sure what to do, or why it rebooted, showed the 5 second screen & then went into the twrp main screen. I did nothing to make that happen. In the past I obviously unlocked the BL, installed twrp, & rooted w/Magisk 13.3 & Magisk Mgr. 5.11- carefully following posted instructions, but I have no idea why reboot went fm 5 second screen to main twrp screen & equally no idea if that should have happened- or what in hindsight I should have done.
***BTW, I have an icon in my notification bar fm the Updater program that is telling me I have a System Update Ready & I should tap on the notice to install.***
PLEASE ADVISE!
Is there any problem taking the 1.13.651.6 -> 1.28.651.3 update w/unlocked BootLoader & twrp & root that will damage my fone, the setup, or Bootloader, twrp, or root?
What should I do when I power-on & restart fone on Sat. nite when I will ostensibly get the update process kicking in after the 5 Second screen & then progressing to 20% of the update & then the Update process reboots & reboots me back to 5 second screen & then the twrp main screen (or maybe another prompt)? Or can I do something to prevent / remove the update if there are any problems.
Would going into a diff mode fm 5 second screen, like bootloader, download, or recovery mode & then have to do something else to get the System Update to work?, or do I have to do something else - related to unrooting, &/or removing twrp, &/or re-locking the bootloader - (please don't let it be any of that!), & how would I do whatever I have to do?. Or do I have to somehow avoid the update - don't know how to do that either- I've played w/this kind of stuff on a # of prev devices, but not on an htc device & I'm sorta like a newbie w/htc 'under the hood' stuff. ***Thanks very much in advance***. This is the only Sprint device I have… so I can't just switch to another fone & do whatever I have to do on this fone w/out any stress & plenty of time to sort out the details.
Again, TIA, oldwolf
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You cannot update the phone while rooted. You need to be on an Untouched System image. There is quite a few threads explaining this. Did you do a twrp System image and boot.img backup? If not, there are a few different ways to update. You can flash(a few different ways to flash the signed firmware update in BadBoys ROM/Firmware thread. RUU(wipes everything) and then take the OTA. Flash the OTA in TWRP, however you will still have to manually flash firmware.zip inside the OTA. You could have saved yourself the trouble of writing this page long explanation and read through a few threads, lol.
Since you are on Sprint, there is BadBoyz ROM/Firmware thread HERE. 5m4r7ph0n36uru's firmware HERE
Schmeggy929, thanks so much!
If I knew why I got that result I would've searched threads for an answer. I turned on my U11 tonite & told it to cancel update. It told me install would be removed. Whew! Was afraid I keep getting prompted to do update, or worse, I'd not be given the chance to remove!
So far, I've only unlocked BL (htc provided step by step), rooted, & installed twrp (courtesy of Capt Throwback's guide) so that's the extent of my htc dev experience / knowledge.
You mentioned flashing OTA in twrp. Did a quick search & scanned thru replies, got basic idea; but need to ask, will that wipe my 3d party apps & data & settings? I'm guessing not... also, in which mode would I flash? Recovery, Download, Bootloader? Also, you asked if I did a twrp system image & boot.img backup & if not you listed those approaches. What should I do if Ihad done twrp backup? Usually I b/u everÿhing but the cache & will be doing that soon, along w/my homework i.e. looking up threads…
I'll do w/out the update until I'm better prepared.
I've been considering going to BadBoyz ROM, but would be curious to see what main screens look like & I see you are a recognized themer & on Team BadBoyz; would itbe possible to please send me some screen captures of the rom via PM; looked in ROM thread but didn't find any…
TIA, Oldwolf
oldwolf613 said:
Schmeggy929, thanks so much!
If I knew why I got that result I would've searched threads for an answer. I turned on my U11 tonite & told it to cancel update. It told me install would be removed. Whew! Was afraid I keep getting prompted to do update, or worse, I'd not be given the chance to remove!
So far, I've only unlocked BL (htc provided step by step), rooted, & installed twrp (courtesy of Capt Throwback's guide) so that's the extent of my htc dev experience / knowledge.
You mentioned flashing OTA in twrp. Did a quick search & scanned thru replies, got basic idea; but need to ask, will that wipe my 3d party apps & data & settings? I'm guessing not... also, in which mode would I flash? Recovery, Download, Bootloader? Also, you asked if I did a twrp system image & boot.img backup & if not you listed those approaches. What should I do if Ihad done twrp backup? Usually I b/u everÿhing but the cache & will be doing that soon, along w/my homework i.e. looking up threads…
I'll do w/out the update until I'm better prepared.
I've been considering going to BadBoyz ROM, but would be curious to see what main screens look like & I see you are a recognized themer & on Team BadBoyz; would itbe possible to please send me some screen captures of the rom via PM; looked in ROM thread but didn't find any…
TIA, Oldwolf
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Taking OTA, whether normal or flashing will not wipe apps. From what I gather you can (if you are stock and untouched System Image) can download OTA, Extract Firmware.zip , then back to OTA install, let it install(will reboot to TWRP and install) then reboot to Download Mode and fastboot flash Firmware zip.
If you did make a System, Recovery and Boot Image backup(even better) Boot to TWRP and restore those backups, reboot and take the OTA normal(as you would with a completely stock phone).
Or easier, download the updated signed firmware from BadBoyz Thread HERE. Flash with either scard method or computer fastboot method. Then download The latest ROM for 1.28.651.3.
None of these will wipe you apps and Data. Badboyz ROM is nothing more than a Stock ROM with great Tweaks. Other than my Boot animation , the two BadBoyz apps and some bloatware missing, you would never know the difference, except for performance and extra goodies.
this is the easiest way I've found to install a ota...preparation
-from 100% stock, unlock bootloader, flash twrp
-on 1st twrp boot, keep ready only & immediately do a system & boot img backup
-once backup is done, copy stock recovery into the twrp/backup stock imgs folder & rename it recovery.emmc.win
-flash rom, magisk, supersu, whatever changes u want
-when a ota is available, boot to twrp, & restore your system/boot/recovery imgs backup
-boot to OS, download & install ota
repeat steps from top
@ Schmeggy929 is this the latest updated signed firmware ? : ->
2PZCIMG_1.28.651.3_RUU.zip ? & is the scard method renaming that file on root of sd card to 2PZCIMG.ZIP & flashing it fm twrp in download mode? If so the next step, as you said, would be to d/l the ROM - would that be
{ Bad_Boyz_Sprint_HTC_U11_v2.0.zip } ? & then just flash that fm download mode in twrp?
@ OMJ, After unlocking BL, & flashing twrp, & rooting (or does it have to be unlock & then root & then flash twrp,I forget) I had some 3d party apps & I made a nand backup of everything but cache fm twrp, to have a clean, stock, relatively new setup. I noted in Solid Explorer that under twrp/backups/sdcard_hexname/twrp_bu_name directory, there is a recovery.emmc.win file - is that the 'stock recovery' you were referring to? & wouldn't I just restore that whole backup to take an ota? - after unrooting of course! Also, aren't there stock image files to either recover from or take OTA? Have I missed anything? TIA…
Thanks much to all, Oldwolf
oldwolf613 said:
@ Schmeggy929 is this the latest updated signed firmware ? : ->
2PZCIMG_1.28.651.3_RUU.zip ? & is the scard method renaming that file on root of sd card to 2PZCIMG.ZIP & flashing it fm twrp in download mode? If so the next step, as you said, would be to d/l the ROM - would that be
{ Bad_Boyz_Sprint_HTC_U11_v2.0.zip } ? & then just flash that fm download mode in twrp?
@ OMJ, After unlocking BL, & flashing twrp, & rooting (or does it have to be unlock & then root & then flash twrp,I forget) I had some 3d party apps & I made a nand backup of everything but cache fm twrp, to have a clean, stock, relatively new setup. I noted in Solid Explorer that under twrp/backups/sdcard_hexname/twrp_bu_name directory, there is a recovery.emmc.win file - is that the 'stock recovery' you were referring to? & wouldn't I just restore that whole backup to take an ota? - after unrooting of course! Also, aren't there stock image files to either recover from or take OTA? Have I missed anything? TIA…
Thanks much to all, Oldwolf
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
2PZCIMG_1.28.651.3_RUU.zip is a full RUU which will wipe your phone (except ext sd card) & restore factory imgs
this is the latest signed firmware, you can rename to 2PZCIMG.ZIP, copy to ext sd card & boot into download mode to flash...firmware is not flashed from twrp... 2PZCIMG_Sprint_1.28.651.3_signed_firmware.zip
signed firmware will overwrite twrp, so you'll need to reflash twrp after the signed firmware. my latest ROM is Bad_Boyz_Sprint_HTC_U11_v2.0.zip (based on 1.28.651.3), it's always flashed from twrp
unlocking bootloader is a 1 time thing, you've already unlocked so no need to worry about it. when u backup in twrp, you would need to make sure you chose the system img option to be able to restore for an ota, and you would only need to backup system & boot, if u chose recovery, it's not backing up stock recovery, it's backing up twrp.
if you flash my rom, there's really no need to worry about all this, I typically have a updated ROM ready for everyone the same day or within 24-48hrs of a ota. in this case, you would just need to flash the updated firmware, then flash my new/updated ROM.
for now, I would just flash the latest signed firmware, then flash twrp, boot to twrp & flash my ROM....no need to flash root prior to the ROM. if you do want to restore stock system/boot/recovery imgs for the next ota, I'll upload my backup...
OMJ, I was going to leave my fone on pure stock, but since BB is mostly stock, & there are improvements & less bloat & you quickly update for new OTA's & put up prev stock img's in case OTA is needed, & you have been *so* responsive, I'm going to go w/your rom.
I have some stuff I want to research myself & then I'll go to BB.
I do have some Q's that I'd like to ask you now: You said that flashing the latest FW would kill twrp, if I put the Official TWRP App on my U11, can I use that to reflash twrp?, it has a "Flash TWRP" button, but I don't know if that process will work in this situation.
Also, will flashing the FW & thereby killing twrp do anything to "under the hood" stuff like pointers/links to NAND backups I already did since I added twrp? I have original setup + some critically needed apps I loaded until the 10day return period ended in 1 NAND (didn't want to unlock BL & root until I was sure I had no h/w probs, like some had w/audio adapter) a 'base NAND backup' & I keep one other, 'latest' backup of everything except Cache to ensure I have a NAND image to restore in case of emergency.
I'd hate to lose access to those if flashing FW & killing twrp would also kill needed pointers/links to those backups.
Since you said flashing FW can't be done from twrp, pls confirm that going into Download mode is done by pressing Vol. Up, Power, & Home/fingerprint buttons. Is there any order & do I have to release any button at any point to get where I have to be?
One last Q: I looked on pg for your rom, & need clarification - which mode do I have to choose in twrp to install your rom?
TIA, oldwolf
p.s. once installed, I will add BB to my forum sig!
oldwolf613 said:
OMJ, I was going to leave my fone on pure stock, but since BB is mostly stock, & there are improvements & less bloat & you quickly update for new OTA's & put up prev stock img's in case OTA is needed, & you have been *so* responsive, I'm going to go w/your rom.
I have some stuff I want to research myself & then I'll go to BB.
I do have some Q's that I'd like to ask you now: You said that flashing the latest FW would kill twrp, if I put the Official TWRP App on my U11, can I use that to reflash twrp?, it has a "Flash TWRP" button, but I don't know if that process will work in this situation.
Also, will flashing the FW & thereby killing twrp do anything to "under the hood" stuff like pointers/links to NAND backups I already did since I added twrp? I have original setup + some critically needed apps I loaded until the 10day return period ended in 1 NAND (didn't want to unlock BL & root until I was sure I had no h/w probs, like some had w/audio adapter) a 'base NAND backup' & I keep one other, 'latest' backup of everything except Cache to ensure I have a NAND image to restore in case of emergency.
I'd hate to lose access to those if flashing FW & killing twrp would also kill needed pointers/links to those backups.
Since you said flashing FW can't be done from twrp, pls confirm that going into Download mode is done by pressing Vol. Up, Power, & Home/fingerprint buttons. Is there any order & do I have to release any button at any point to get where I have to be?
One last Q: I looked on pg for your rom, & need clarification - which mode do I have to choose in twrp to install your rom?
TIA, oldwolf
p.s. once installed, I will add BB to my forum sig!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
good decision
good question about the twrp app, honestly I've never used it, I'm old school so I always manually flash via fastboot...I'll have to give it a try so I know.
new firmware usually does has fixes & improvements but HTC is not the greatest at sharing what has been improved...I always store my backups to ext sd, but no, updated firmware will not affect your backups.
yes you would flash twrp via download mode....when phone is powered off, hold power + volume down, once you feel the vibration or screen come on, let go of both....once on my ROM, I have a option on the reboot menu to reboot to download mode.
when flashing the ROM, from twrp main menu, choose install, then find the rom zip
oldwolf613 said:
OMJ, I was going to leave my fone on pure stock, but since BB is mostly stock, & there are improvements & less bloat & you quickly update for new OTA's & put up prev stock img's in case OTA is needed, & you have been *so* responsive, I'm going to go w/your rom.
I have some stuff I want to research myself & then I'll go to BB.
I do have some Q's that I'd like to ask you now: You said that flashing the latest FW would kill twrp, if I put the Official TWRP App on my U11, can I use that to reflash twrp?, it has a "Flash TWRP" button, but I don't know if that process will work in this situation.
Also, will flashing the FW & thereby killing twrp do anything to "under the hood" stuff like pointers/links to NAND backups I already did since I added twrp? I have original setup + some critically needed apps I loaded until the 10day return period ended in 1 NAND (didn't want to unlock BL & root until I was sure I had no h/w probs, like some had w/audio adapter) a 'base NAND backup' & I keep one other, 'latest' backup of everything except Cache to ensure I have a NAND image to restore in case of emergency.
I'd hate to lose access to those if flashing FW & killing twrp would also kill needed pointers/links to those backups.
Since you said flashing FW can't be done from twrp, pls confirm that going into Download mode is done by pressing Vol. Up, Power, & Home/fingerprint buttons. Is there any order & do I have to release any button at any point to get where I have to be?
One last Q: I looked on pg for your rom, & need clarification - which mode do I have to choose in twrp to install your rom?
TIA, oldwolf
p.s. once installed, I will add BB to my forum sig!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The twrp app worked like a charm...
Sent from my HTC U11 using XDA Labs
OMJ, Great news abt the TWRP app, thanks for trying it out & sharing. Will let you know how well everything went.
OMJ, can't try your ROM yet. Flashing the FW zip you showed above finished, but didn't bring fone to 1.28… 1st time twrp & Magisk root were killed; but wasn't upgraded to 1.28... that was w/buttons->Download. Tried again on Win10 laptop w/'adb reboot downdoad', but didn't try to re-root. Same result, no 1.28… Then I reflashed twrp successfully, & I tried again (adb) - no joy. Odd thing, the Download screen showed two iterations of 2PZCIMG.ZIP in yellow (color was expected) @ the bottom of the screen, even tho my SDcard root had only 1 copy of the file & the processing of the zip took place in two stages, scrn went dark between 1st & 2nd- but I got the expected msg at the end. BTW, I tried OTA, between 2d & 3d flash failure, it got thru to the reboot, & I missed something on the screen & that too failed.
Back to flashing: iCould it be I missed something abt what is supposed to happen after you get the msg to press power btn? Would you please elaborate on that? Everything else seems to be working fine & I have nand bu of relatively new, pre- rooting & another bu w/a much more recent image. Just had probs w/restoring nands, got msg abt SD card; but I'm sure it'll all get worked out.
TIA, oldwolf
oldwolf613 said:
OMJ, can't try your ROM yet. Flashing the FW zip you showed above finished, but didn't bring fone to 1.28… 1st time twrp & Magisk root were killed; but wasn't upgraded to 1.28... that was w/buttons->Download. Tried again on Win10 laptop w/'adb reboot downdoad', but didn't try to re-root. Same result, no 1.28… Then I reflashed twrp successfully, & I tried again (adb) - no joy. Odd thing, the Download screen showed two iterations of 2PZCIMG.ZIP in yellow (color was expected) @ the bottom of the screen, even tho my SDcard root had only 1 copy of the file & the processing of the zip took place in two stages, scrn went dark between 1st & 2nd- but I got the expected msg at the end. BTW, I tried OTA, between 2d & 3d flash failure, it got thru to the reboot, & I missed something on the screen & that too failed.
Back to flashing: iCould it be I missed something abt what is supposed to happen after you get the msg to press power btn? Would you please elaborate on that? Everything else seems to be working fine & I have nand bu of relatively new, pre- rooting & another bu w/a much more recent image. Just had probs w/restoring nands, got msg abt SD card; but I'm sure it'll all get worked out.
TIA, oldwolf
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
time for another lesson....flashing firmware only does not update the OS....when you update via official ota, both firmware & OS are updated...but if you only flash updated firmware, you need to flash a updated ROM to match
OMJ, ohhh thanks! Was losing root upon flashing FW to be expected like losing TWRP Recovery? BTW, maybe such comments abt flashing a matching updated ROM w/the updated FW should be included w/the FW update install text, so I wouldn't have to bother you w/these issues.
Also, short of trying to flash a matching updated ROM (which I presume will then show the new version numbers) how do you know if flashing the FW was successful?
What if there is a problem w/the FW installation, what happens when you a flash matching updated ROM?
Also, when you said "if you only flash an updated FW, you need to flash an updated ROM to match“
I'm guessing that since my fone is working, the need to flash an updated rom to match is to have the new version #, i.e. 1.28… , show up in Settings->About 7.1.1
… also, in the Settings-> System update section- what is UICC lock? Thanks for all your help.
oldwolf
oldwolf613 said:
OMJ, ohhh thanks! Was losing root upon flashing FW to be expected like losing TWRP Recovery? BTW, maybe such comments abt flashing a matching updated ROM w/the updated FW should be included w/the FW update install text, so I wouldn't have to bother you w/these issues.
Also, short of trying to flash a matching updated ROM (which I presume will then show the new version numbers) how do you know if flashing the FW was successful?
What if there is a problem w/the FW installation, what happens when you a flash matching updated ROM?
Also, when you said "if you only flash an updated FW, you need to flash an updated ROM to match“
I'm guessing that since my fone is working, the need to flash an updated rom to match is to have the new version #, i.e. 1.28… , show up in Settings->About 7.1.1
… also, in the Settings-> System update section- what is UICC lock? Thanks for all your help.
oldwolf
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Again root has nothing to do with firmware as Root is software. Like OMJ said flashing the firmware will replace Recovery.img for S-on users. Like you did easy fix is reflash TWRP whether fastboot, sdcard or the Official TWRP app. While flashing Firmware with any method, on the screen will show progress and failed or successful install. That's how you know if it installed correctly. Even though your phone might be working with new firmware and old software, the new software will contain patches, fixes, features and security updates. The reason to update the firmware along with software is to have them work together perfectly.
UICC lock is for Sprint sim card. Basically unlocking it for another carrier, but it is not that simple I believe.
Also you being somewhat new, asking these questions is the best thing you can do. You will see many people brick(phone useless, will not turn on or keeps bootlooping) simply because they didn't ask questions until it was too late. Keeping as much as you and you will start understanding.
OTA= Firmware and software update
signed firmware= for S-on users, usually all the firmware.zip removed from the OTA for those who can't take the OTA.
modified firmware= s-off users with usually with stock recovery removed(for convenience)
ROM= the software or operating System.
oldwolf613 said:
OMJ, ohhh thanks! Was losing root upon flashing FW to be expected like losing TWRP Recovery? BTW, maybe such comments abt flashing a matching updated ROM w/the updated FW should be included w/the FW update install text, so I wouldn't have to bother you w/these issues.
Also, short of trying to flash a matching updated ROM (which I presume will then show the new version numbers) how do you know if flashing the FW was successful?
What if there is a problem w/the FW installation, what happens when you a flash matching updated ROM?
Also, when you said "if you only flash an updated FW, you need to flash an updated ROM to match“
I'm guessing that since my fone is working, the need to flash an updated rom to match is to have the new version #, i.e. 1.28… , show up in Settings->About 7.1.1
… also, in the Settings-> System update section- what is UICC lock? Thanks for all your help.
oldwolf
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
just to add a little more that what schmeggy929 said...
when u flash magisk or supersu, the install process modifies the boot.img, when u flash firmware that writes a new boot.img, you wont have root until you flash magisk or supersu again
disclaimers...never been a fan, I do not add a disclaimer on my ROM thread, it means nothing...anyone that wants to root/hack/modify their phone has the responsibility to do their research prior to doing so...learning that you need to update firmware along w/ software is part of the research process
as schmeggy929 said, when flashing firmware, always pay attention to what it's doing & if there are any errors, some firmware need to be flashed 2x but it states so after the 1st flash...once firmware is flashed, you can verify the firmware level in download mode.
Thanks again to both Schmeggy & OMJ,
I am trying to do my diligence, help on these forums makes a big difference. My request for comments in the ROM install thread was not my own idea. I saw that on other ROM install threads in the past. It saved everyone time: the users get better educated & the Dev didn't get as many questions bc problems were avoided. Now w/help in this thread I will likely always remember that boot.img is affected by flashing root & firmware. Rest assured, just as I did when I was into Moto modifying - I got advice fm xda folks & then when I was familiar w/the ins & outs, I helped others. And....
I have another problem. Since having flashing the FW, & twrp replaced by the native recovery, I am not able flash TWRP again. I keep getting the following error msg:
C:\Users\a\Desktop\Minimal ADB and Fastboot>fastboot flash twrp.img
unknown partition 'twrp.img' error: cannot determine image filename for 'twrp.img'
After losing twrp due to flashing the FW, the tarp.img file didn't work - so I downloaded fresh copy of the 3.1.1.0 htc u11 twrp file & renamed it to twrp.img thinking it was just corrupt. No joy. I have it stored in the same directory as immediately above; from where I am running the adb stuff.
My workflow was as following: connected fone w/orig htc data cable, checked connection via running 'adb devices', then ran 'adb reboot download', which started properly. Ran 'fastboot devices' & got expected confirmation. Then I did 'fastboot flash twrp.img' the error msg above was the result.
Please advise. TIA, oldwolf
oldwolf613 said:
Thanks again to both Schmeggy & OMJ,
I am trying to do my diligence, help on these forums makes a big difference. My request for comments in the ROM install thread was not my own idea. I saw that on other ROM install threads in the past. It saved everyone time: the users get better educated & the Dev didn't get as many questions bc problems were avoided. Now w/help in this thread I will likely always remember that boot.img is affected by flashing root & firmware. Rest assured, just as I did when I was into Moto modifying - I got advice fm xda folks & then when I was familiar w/the ins & outs, I helped others. And....
I have another problem. Since having flashing the FW, & twrp replaced by the native recovery, I am not able flash TWRP again. I keep getting the following error msg:
C:\Users\a\Desktop\Minimal ADB and Fastboot>fastboot flash twrp.img
unknown partition 'twrp.img' error: cannot determine image filename for 'twrp.img'
After losing twrp due to flashing the FW, the tarp.img file didn't work - so I downloaded fresh copy of the 3.1.1.0 htc u11 twrp file & renamed it to twrp.img thinking it was just corrupt. No joy. I have it stored in the same directory as immediately above; from where I am running the adb stuff.
My workflow was as following: connected fone w/orig htc data cable, checked connection via running 'adb devices', then ran 'adb reboot download', which started properly. Ran 'fastboot devices' & got expected confirmation. Then I did 'fastboot flash twrp.img' the error msg above was the result.
Please advise. TIA, oldwolf
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've been here at XDA for over 10yrs, one thing I've learn, most most don't read the OP, they just jump in with questions....I constantly have to repeat myself, so why waste my time in the OP....I just wait for the questions now
here is the correct cmd...
fastboot flash recovery twrp.img
..
OMJ, well, I'm not close to being a dev, so I won't comment further abt what to put into OP, based on your reply; I'd just wish there was a book w/all this stuff, or maybe I'll get pointed somewhere. I can give user viewpoint, & but I'm not a typical user. I used to teach in Novell's official edu-channel as a Certfd Netware Instructor, so I try to remember the 'good workflow habits' I preached in the Service & Support class.
But thanks for your help, the corrected command did it, but when notified of success & told to hit power to continue, nothing happened, so I used download mode to go into bootload mode & then rebooted system (saw on Root Junky's U tube vid) & now I have TWRP! THANKS SO MUCH!!!
Apparently, my copy of the BB2.0 has bad signature or something- so I'll have to re-D/L it & flash again.
Once I've taken care of that & 'kicked the tires' I'll get back to you & let you know how much I like it.
Thanks again, oldwolf
OMJ I got it working- but had to turn off zip signature verification. In fact, this is the case of all zip installs. I suspect that it is related to the fact that on install flash the scrn says data was decrypted w/the default password, & the verification signature failed (md5). This is even the case when I used the rom's tweaks to flip the order of the sdcard's name.
The vid that Root Junky made for the flashing twrp for the htc 10 showed to cancel using a password & to leave the (data or card) unencrypted. I never got that screen.
I was following the instructions on the u11 twrp thread- Start: as you corrected my syntax- fastboot flash recovery twrp.img & Finish: fastboot reboot.
Even the modules fm the rom's tweaks failed in the same manner until I unchecked the box for verifying the zip.
I trust your code, (constantly updating right after htc sends slw updates is gonna keep your coding fresh) but who knows what'll be if I flash other packages?
BTW, the tweak to long-press the Recent Apps button & assign Menu is a real big boon. It allowed me to use my fave & unfortunately outdated & no-longer-developed app- Loot … no menu button cut it off at the knees. It was well planned out, & a feature set that was just right, & I couldn't find a good replacement. Now that I have a Menu button; I was able to pull Loot out of the cobwebs… thanks! All the best, oldwolf