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question about unlocking bootloader on d2vzw sch-i535

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

So you can no longer root p900?

I sold my p905 a while back, going to get a p900 however, the biggest factor is able to delete files on the sd card. I know I have to root it, however, from what I read there's issues and you can no longer root it?.

rirawin said:
I sold my p905 a while back, going to get a p900 however, the biggest factor is able to delete files on the sd card. I know I have to root it, however, from what I read there's issues and you can no longer root it?.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Use Odin to Flash TWRP then use TWRP to Flash Super SU.

nrage23 said:
Use Odin to Flash TWRP then use TWRP to Flash Super SU.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks, so no issues with rooting with latest firmware?.

http://androidxda.net/root-samsung-galaxy-note-pro-12-2-all-variants-on-android-4-4-2-kitkat/
This guide?, been ages since I rooted.

rirawin said:
http://androidxda.net/root-samsung-galaxy-note-pro-12-2-all-variants-on-android-4-4-2-kitkat/
This guide?, been ages since I rooted.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I love how that guide says all variants and then makes no mention of the P907. I would love to be able to use a custom recovery. Unless the P907 falls under the LTE moniker even though the model number is different?

Yes, TWRP works with P900
I went through this a week ago (with some help) and once I figured out how to get TWRP 2.8 to flash using Odin the process of rooting and installing a custom rom was easy. There is a thread a little lower on this forum that goes through the process.
Keith

do you have the link please.
What happens if I wish to unroot?

rirawin said:
do you have the link please.
What happens if I wish to unroot?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I can't post a link but the thread is in this forum. I have not unrooted but there are several threads that mention going back to stock.

Please can someone link me to an up to date method to root?
I understand towelroot only works for p905 and p900/

okay
rirawin said:
Please can someone link me to an up to date method to root?
I understand towelroot only works for p905 and p900/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I do not have enough posts to link an email. About three weeks ago I had the same question. The thread is in this forum on page 3, 5 or so messages down. I am the op, stedmakr. Gastrom answered the thread, provided a link and helped me root the p900 and install his rom (its excellent). Sorry I can't post links. Page 3 of this forum.
Keith

http://forum.xda-developers.com/gal...reliable-root-method-p900-build-bnk1-t2986600
I still don't quite understand, I just like to root to get sd card fix

Since there's this thread... How about KNOX? Is there a way to root P900 without tripping KNOX flag? I don't care about KNOX software itself, but since here in Poland warranty problems are left to the decision of the service, it is quite important for me not to give them opportunity to refuse a repair (if something happens, which - I hope - never will).
Wytaptalkowane na notatniku

Peri Noid said:
Since there's this thread... How about KNOX? Is there a way to root P900 without tripping KNOX flag? I don't care about KNOX software itself, but since here in Poland warranty problems are left to the decision of the service, it is quite important for me not to give them opportunity to refuse a repair (if something happens, which - I hope - never will).
Wytaptalkowane na notatniku
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nope, no way to avoid Knox trip.
Sent from my SM-P900 using Tapatalk

can anyone confirm please, is this the method to root:
https://androidxda.net/root-samsung-galaxy-note-pro-12-2-all-variants-on-android-4-4-2-kitkat/
So after I done that, I update su user and then I install sdfix is that right?.

anyone please?

Are you having problems or just too afraid to try it?
Not sure if you realize this but one of the reasons people aren't answering you is because those of us who have rooted do so and never look back. I wish I could tell you for sure that it will work with the current version of the firmware but I cant . . I rooted 8 months ago and haven't looked back. I cant speak for others but I'm not about to flash stock and go through the whole thing again just to update an old thread so I suspect that this is part of the reason that there's no updated guide. For devices that get a ton of development things are different but this niche device doesn't have a flurry of development activity surrounding it so . . .
One thing I can say is that it is my experience that if CF Autoroot fails the worst thing you're left with is a tripped knox and the stock rom without root. I say this because I was one of the unlucky ones who had to struggle through multiple attempts to get CF Autoroot to work. Eventually it did but during that time I had multiple shots at it and each time I was able to at least recover to the point of getting stock OS and recovery working again.
I see no reason why you can't achieve root on a SM-P900. If you can't do it with CF Autoroot then just download one of Gatsrom's images of stock rooted, flash TWRP using Odin (with auto reboot option disabled), boot into TWRP and do a full wipe and flash Gatsrom's image. You'll lose your setup and apps but you'll get root.

muzzy996 said:
Are you having problems or just too afraid to try it?
Not sure if you realize this but one of the reasons people aren't answering you is because those of us who have rooted do so and never look back. I wish I could tell you for sure that it will work with the current version of the firmware but I cant . . I rooted 8 months ago and haven't looked back. I cant speak for others but I'm not about to flash stock and go through the whole thing again just to update an old thread so I suspect that this is part of the reason that there's no updated guide. For devices that get a ton of development things are different but this niche device doesn't have a flurry of development activity surrounding it so . . .
One thing I can say is that it is my experience that if CF Autoroot fails the worst thing you're left with is a tripped knox and the stock rom without root. I say this because I was one of the unlucky ones who had to struggle through multiple attempts to get CF Autoroot to work. Eventually it did but during that time I had multiple shots at it and each time I was able to at least recover to the point of getting stock OS and recovery working again.
I see no reason why you can't achieve root on a SM-P900. If you can't do it with CF Autoroot then just download one of Gatsrom's images of stock rooted, flash TWRP using Odin (with auto reboot option disabled), boot into TWRP and do a full wipe and flash Gatsrom's image. You'll lose your setup and apps but you'll get root.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well said mate! Well said.
If someone's gonna root their tablet, especially one of this caliber & price point. Then they should know how to recover it back to stock on their own. Concerning the tripping of Knox, who cares! Samsung won't turn down a hardware issue covered under warranty just because you decided to load another ROM. That topic has been discussed to death in another thread. If your going to root this thing, then root it and live on! LoL ?
Developers don't need no stinkin' signature!
If I've been able to help you, please hit the "Thanks" button.

Android.Ninja said:
Samsung won't turn down a hardware issue covered under warranty just because you decided to load another ROM.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not here in Poland...

Is it worth Rooting anymore?

1. I noticed exploits are being patched left and right.
2. Knox is easy to trip now.
3. There are no custom firmwares anymore for Samsung phones.
4. Samsung requests the removal of links on this board constantly.
5. Can't use Samsung pay with a knox tripped phone.
6. Downgrading is blocked in case you have an upgraded phone.
Is this what Samsung forums have come to now? Are there phones out there that you don't have to deal with Knox?
It seems people don't really care anymore about Samsung phones?

nafeasonto said:
1. I noticed exploits are being patched left and right.
2. Knox is easy to trip now.
3. There are no custom firmwares anymore for Samsung phones.
4. Samsung requests the removal of links on this board constantly.
5. Can't use Samsung pay with a knox tripped phone.
6. Downgrading is blocked in case you have an upgraded phone.
Is this what Samsung forums have come to now? Are there phones out there that you don't have to deal with Knox?
It seems people don't really care anymore about Samsung phones?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Your question has been asked by many people on multiple forums. Samsung's flagship is great as is, however the software has a few bugs that bother everyone which is why we root. Samsung built knox so there products would appeal to corporate customers. That is why it exists. To say there are no custom firm wares is false. Just read the development forums. Root is not an absolute must, but it is getting harder as time goes on

Snowby123 said:
Root is not an absolute must, but it is getting harder as time goes on
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That doesn't make me hopeful.

nafeasonto said:
That doesn't make me hopeful.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I obtained root just to prove to myself it can be done. It is not the most important thing In the world. That said, I do understand your perspective. I appreciate the root apps and custom ROMs, and each year root access I harder and harder. Even without root you can appreciate any android device

I stopped rooting just because my Barclay's bank app doesn't work on rooted phones and it's very convenient for me. Also stock android got a lot better and I like it as it is. Also you have theme engines build it now so you can customize your phone without rooting. All that said of course there is some exceptional cases that root is needed, like recently with the new S6 there is no option to choose 2G only network mode on stock rom and I don't know if there is a no root solution for it

So perhaps I am in a shrinking group of people that still needs, or rather appreciates, rooting.
I'm not sure what I can discuss here...
I am switching from my S5 to my new S6 (got it today!) and I need to use Titanium Backup Pro. I am restoring every app from the former to the latter and some of my games aren't... stored on the Google Play store. And I like root-requiring game alterers, unlocking my phone to be a hotspot, and simpler things like using Coolify, Root Booster and Root Explorer, among others.
Now I've tested my ability to transfer everything over from one device to another (my tablet), so I know it will work. I just keep reading more and more about KNOX (which I successfully avoided on my S5) and how it's unavoidable on the S6. How you can't rollback to an earlier version of Android (since I got my phone today, I'm assuming I have 5.1.1). I don't care about Samsung Pay. At all.
Is it advisable for me to root? If I have 5.1.1, CAN I? I read that PingPongRoot won't even WORK on 5.1.1! What am I to do? Or does no one care about rooting anymore? Is anyone devoted to resolving these issues or did everyone shrug and go, "Eh."?

hamstrman said:
So perhaps I am in a shrinking group of people that still needs, or rather appreciates, rooting.
I'm not sure what I can discuss here...
I am switching from my S5 to my new S6 (got it today!) and I need to use Titanium Backup Pro. I am restoring every app from the former to the latter and some of my games aren't... stored on the Google Play store. And I like root-requiring game alterers, unlocking my phone to be a hotspot, and simpler things like using Coolify, Root Booster and Root Explorer, among others.
Now I've tested my ability to transfer everything over from one device to another (my tablet), so I know it will work. I just keep reading more and more about KNOX (which I successfully avoided on my S5) and how it's unavoidable on the S6. How you can't rollback to an earlier version of Android (since I got my phone today, I'm assuming I have 5.1.1). I don't care about Samsung Pay. At all.
Is it advisable for me to root? If I have 5.1.1, CAN I? I read that PingPongRoot won't even WORK on 5.1.1! What am I to do? Or does no one care about rooting anymore? Is anyone devoted to resolving these issues or did everyone shrug and go, "Eh."?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
-_- 5.1.1 is perfectly/easily rootable just by flashing a custom kernel. And if you looked in the development forums you'd see there's plenty of devs that care as there is plenty of rom and kernel development going on.

hamstrman said:
So perhaps I am in a shrinking group of people that still needs, or rather appreciates, rooting.
I'm not sure what I can discuss here...
I am switching from my S5 to my new S6 (got it today!) and I need to use Titanium Backup Pro. I am restoring every app from the former to the latter and some of my games aren't... stored on the Google Play store. And I like root-requiring game alterers, unlocking my phone to be a hotspot, and simpler things like using Coolify, Root Booster and Root Explorer, among others.
Now I've tested my ability to transfer everything over from one device to another (my tablet), so I know it will work. I just keep reading more and more about KNOX (which I successfully avoided on my S5) and how it's unavoidable on the S6. How you can't rollback to an earlier version of Android (since I got my phone today, I'm assuming I have 5.1.1). I don't care about Samsung Pay. At all.
Is it advisable for me to root? If I have 5.1.1, CAN I? I read that PingPongRoot won't even WORK on 5.1.1! What am I to do? Or does no one care about rooting anymore? Is anyone devoted to resolving these issues or did everyone shrug and go, "Eh."?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
First thing I want to say is I appreciate root just as much as you.
Secondly, PingPongRoot is incompatible with 5.1.1, but depending on which variant you have,
you might still be able to root or roll back to 5.0.2
Which variant do you have?

Two years ago I would not have dreamed of using an unrooted Android phone, but Android has come a long way now. I have been using my old Note 3 and my current S6 unrooted and I'm not missing root at all. Most of the reasons why I would root are available now without root.
I also enjoy unprecendented stability on my phones. No more flashing untested amateur stuff that fixes one thing and breaks 10 other things. So the answer to your question for me is, no, it's not worth rooting anymore.

drock212 said:
-_- 5.1.1 is perfectly/easily rootable just by flashing a custom kernel. And if you looked in the development forums you'd see there's plenty of devs that care as there is plenty of rom and kernel development going on.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I appreciate your response. I have been looking at the development forums. I've been reading all kinds of threads and I guess I just find it daunting. I'm kind of in my own head about how I'm going to do all this and it SEEMS there are so many restrictions on what will work with what (moreso than used to be), incompatibilities and laser-focused restrictions.
I typically feel confident about these things, but when I start reading the various threads, I feel like a n00b. I have to ask because, as you've seen here, I convinced myself out of the possibility of rooting.
---------- Post added at 05:30 AM ---------- Previous post was at 05:26 AM ----------
Snowby123 said:
First thing I want to say is I appreciate root just as much as you.
Secondly, PingPongRoot is incompatible with 5.1.1, but depending on which variant you have,
you might still be able to root or roll back to 5.0.2
Which variant do you have?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good to know. Possibly. Thing is, I haven't activated my phone yet (and I just got it 5 hours ago) because I know it will deactivate my old one and I'm still doing Titanium Backup to Dropbox. And I'm just incredibly terrified that I will lose the ability to do something that requires my old phone to be active. I don't actually know what that would be, but that's just me.
So, I don't know what variant I have yet. I will report back on that. I should be ready to activate by tomorrow morning.
And thanks for the response. Whether you think I'm an idiot or not (goes for you too drock212), I'm glad I'm not alone in figuring this out.

hamstrman said:
And thanks for the response. Whether you think I'm an idiot or not (goes for you too drock212), I'm glad I'm not alone in figuring this out.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I do not like to ever use the word 'idiot' on XDA.
Newbie is the more appropriate word to use on these forums since 'idiot' is disrespectful.
Also, you sound more like the kinda guy who is not new to Android, just new to the Galaxy S6.

hamstrman said:
...
Now I've tested my ability to transfer everything over from one device to another (my tablet), so I know it will work. I just keep reading more and more about KNOX (which I successfully avoided on my S5) and how it's unavoidable on the S6. How you can't rollback to an earlier version of Android (since I got my phone today, I'm assuming I have 5.1.1). I don't care about Samsung Pay. At all.
...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
KNOX & many other apps can be made non-functioning with the Google Playstore app:
"Package Disabler Pro".
It is very easy to follow or change any of their suggested recommendations.
Settings can be saved or restorded to or from .xml files. Password protection is possible.
Worthwhile.

Snowby123 said:
First thing I want to say is I appreciate root just as much as you.
Secondly, PingPongRoot is incompatible with 5.1.1, but depending on which variant you have,
you might still be able to root or roll back to 5.0.2
Which variant do you have?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hey! I have version 5.0.2 on my phone! Fantastic. Now I just have to turn off auto updating.
Update: My phone is not supported by PingPongRoot... G920PVPU1AOC9.
M%#$&^@#r F*($&!er!

hamstrman said:
Hey! I have version 5.0.2 on my phone! Fantastic. Now I just have to turn off auto updating.
Update: My phone is not supported by PingPongRoot... G920PVPU1AOC9.
M%#$&^@#r F*($&!er!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Did you try using odin to revert back to an earlier build?

Snowby123 said:
First thing I want to say is I appreciate root just as much as you.
Secondly, PingPongRoot is incompatible with 5.1.1, but depending on which variant you have,
you might still be able to root or roll back to 5.0.2
Which variant do you have?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Snowby123 said:
Did you try using odin to revert back to an earlier build?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No... I... feel really dumb right now. Rooting has always been so easy. My build just WAS fine.
I will go find ODIN and a tutorial on that.
Update: Not finding anything remotely like that on the Internet, but will search these forums.
Edit 2: Not finding anything. I assume I'm searching incorrect terms. And the PingPongRoot thread is closed because people couldn't stay on topic!
Also wondering if downgrading my build will trip KNOX, for which PPR is specifically made to avoid.

Found this on rooting the sprint s6
http://techbeasts.com/2015/04/27/install-twrp-recovery-root-sprint-galaxy-s6-g920p/

hamstrman said:
No... I... feel really dumb right now. Rooting has always been so easy. My build just WAS fine.
I will go find ODIN and a tutorial on that.
Update: Not finding anything remotely like that on the Internet, but will search these forums.
Edit 2: Not finding anything. I assume I'm searching incorrect terms. And the PingPongRoot thread is closed because people couldn't stay on topic!
Also wondering if downgrading my build will trip KNOX, for which PPR is specifically made to avoid.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
http://forum.xda-developers.com/galaxy-s6-edge/general/sm-g925f-s6-firmware-thread-t3078841
This is the thread to follow if you want to downgrade.
Restoring the stock firmware WILL NOT trip KNOX.
It is true that the PingPongRoot thread is closed, but you still can sideload the apk.

Snowby123 said:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/galaxy-s6-edge/general/sm-g925f-s6-firmware-thread-t3078841
This is the thread to follow if you want to downgrade.
Restoring the stock firmware WILL NOT trip KNOX.
It is true that the PingPongRoot thread is closed, but you still can sideload the apk.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is great. I had found this thread, but didn't know if it applied.
And I already installed PPR, it just told me when I clicked "Get Root" that my build wasn't supported. Is there some close cousin of my build that would be "correct" to change to? Like the closest build name?
I have: G920PVPU1AOC9
On the list of approved builds, I see, for example, G920PVPU1AOCF.

hamstrman said:
This is great. I had found this thread, but didn't know if it applied.
And I already installed PPR, it just told me when I clicked "Get Root" that my build wasn't supported. Is there some close cousin of my build that would be "correct" to change to? Like the closest build name?
I have: G920PVPU1AOC9
On the list of approved builds, I see, for example, G920PVPU1AOCF.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Since your build number is for the Sprint variant, downgrade to the earliest build there is for the sprint variant.
If it is listed on the PingPongRoot thread, install it. The one you just mentioned looks like the one to use. Try it.

An update: Worked beautifully. Laterally changed my build from G920PVPU1AOC9 to G920PVPU1AOCF - success!
Installed PingPongRoot - success!
And everything followed... Titanium Backup, Lucky Patcher, etc.
Last part is kind of important, though. Tried to install Modded Google Play Store. Failed. Did research and found out I need Xposed to install it.
So I install Xposed (I already had a backup). It tells me my framework is outdated. So I do some more digging and find out I need a special version of Xposed for Lollipop, which I get and install. There's a .zip that I have to flash via recovery in order to make Xposed work which would make Lucky Patcher work which would make the Store work.
Flashing the zip requires TWRP or CWM recovery. Can I install either of those without tripping KNOX? This is getting way too complicated. I mean, logically, I would think that since I have PingPongRoot already, that I'm good.

Phone was rooted and not sure how to remove

A couple of months ago I bought a used Samsung Galaxy S 7 edge from a place called Aarons. A friend and I quickly realized that the phone had been rooted at one point, and I only recently believe I figured out what was used. The phone of course was wiped when I got it, but whatever was used was never removed. Normally I wouldn't care so much however it is preventing security updates. I'm not very good with this kind of stuff so I am NOT sure what to do to either remove it from my phone or get the updates I need.

if nothing helping you should considering flashing stock firmware as last option, i think this will work

If you want to unroot, I think some unroot.zip files that can found across the net might be helpful.
Also, if it is rooted with magisk, I don't think there is a reason to remove it.

First you have to figure out what app it was rooted with. It's probably Magisk or SuperSU. If it's one of them you can either unroot the phone through the parameters of the "root control" app or flash the unrooting zip which you can download it from the official magisk thread or the supersu website.

This is what I found concerning what was on the phone. I may not every be right about it. Which is why I wanted someone with more knowledge to help. As I said my main concern is my inability to do security updates. whatever it is, it's even preventing me from connecting my phone to my PC.
If you'll can determine the best course of action from the screenshot that would be great. Like I said, I know nothing about this kind of thing, so I have no idea where to start with flashing the firmware our weekday unroot.zip I should be looking for.
Edit: so apparently I'm prevented from posting the image because I have under 10 posts. I'll figure that out later, but I was using sd maid when I found this info. Under device it says hero2lte @ 6.0.1 (23). Under root status it says none for su binary, but that there is a built-in superuser app.

How do you relock a U11 to receive OTA updates?

Aloha to all. So after learning the hard way of relocking my U11 and bricking it (it's on its way to HTC in Texas) what would have been the safest way in relocking my phone to get the OTA update?
When I started getting the OTA update nag screen a couple weeks ago I had the phone download the update file and chose the option to install the update. But as you guys know a unlocked phone will not allow the OTA update to install. I then used ADB to relock and that's when I got my phone in trouble.
Before all this drama, my phone was working fine and I had a few apps installed that may have aided me to do the transition from unlock to relock to get the OTA update then back to unlock. I had the official TWRP app and Magisk installed.
Could someone please explain to me what would have been the best course of action I should have undertaken to have smoothly updated my phone going from having an unlocked phone, to installing the OTA update, to relocking the phone? I would love to understand and follow a failsafe bulletproof method of doing this process (installing the OTA update when my phone is in the unlocked state) I really would appreciate it if the senior members could take the time and guide me or at the very least post some links for the specific process. Aloha and mahalo.
Sent from my HTC6545LVW using Tapatalk

You don't need to "relock" to receive OTA. When I needed to revert my FW to an "official" build, I simply used an RUU to restore and immediately received an OTA to the latest build. I then re-flashed TWRP and Magisk to re-root. At no point did I touch the bootloader after initially unlocking it.

mroshaw said:
You don't need to "relock" to receive OTA. When I needed to revert my FW to an "official" build, I simply used an RUU to restore and immediately received an OTA to the latest build.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So no need to relock? I'm sorry for being obtuse but what do you mean to "revert my FW to an "official" build, I simply used an RUU to restore and immediately received an OTA to the latest build"? How do you revert to official build and where do you find the RUU file to be restore?
mroshaw said:
Then re-flashed TWRP and Magisk to re-root. At no point did I touch the bootloader after initially unlocking it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How does TWRP and Magisk utilized to reroot? I'm sorry for all the questions and thanks for your reply.
Sent from my HTC6545LVW using Tapatalk

I think these sorts of challenges and questions are what XDA is all about, and it's often through mistakes that we learn the ins and outs of device modification. Happy to help, as I've been in similar positions during my time tweaking phones and devices.
mauiblue said:
How do you revert to official build and where do you find the RUU file to be restore?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
https://forum.xda-developers.com/u11/how-to/collection-htcu-u11-ruu-firmware-t3612048
The Holy Grail, in forum post form, for all U11 owners who need to recover their devices. From here, you can pretty much recover from any sort of soft brick situation. This has got me out of trouble many, many times. Having an unlocked bootloader does NOT stop you receiving OTA - having a customer recovery, such as TWRP, prevents an OTA from being installed automatically but it's still perfectly possible to manually apply an OTA with unlock and TWRP.
mauiblue said:
How does TWRP and Magisk utilized to reroot?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
TWRP (replacement recovery) and Magisk (systemless root tool) are awesome tools that allow you flash custom ROMs, run root tools and hide root from prying eyes. Fairly typical to install a custom recovery and root, as part of unlocking and preparing a device for a custom ROM or some proper tweaking. Restoring from an RUU puts you "back to square one", in a good way, that requires a fresh installation of these tools if you want to continue to mod your device.
The bottom line is that you REALLY need to have an understanding about what locked / unlocked bootloader, custom recovery and root means to your device. You need to understand the power that ADB gives you and be aware of the risk inherent: ADB is the Android Debugger - it's a developer tool, not typically for normal consumption. As you've unfortunately discovered, Android gives you a lot of flexibility, often at the device manufacturers discretion (I'm looking at you Huawei), to modify your device using powerful Android tools. Without a full understanding of the consequences, it's perfectly possible to irrecoverably brick your device. When it all falls in to place, however, there's a sense of enormous satisfaction in having control over the device you've spent hundreds of bucks on.

mroshaw said:
I think these sorts of challenges and questions are what XDA is all about, and it's often through mistakes that we learn the ins and outs of device modification. Happy to help, as I've been in similar positions during my time tweaking phones and devices.
https://forum.xda-developers.com/u11/how-to/collection-htcu-u11-ruu-firmware-t3612048
The Holy Grail, in forum post form, for all U11 owners who need to recover their devices. From here, you can pretty much recover from any sort of soft brick situation. This has got me out of trouble many, many times. Having an unlocked bootloader does NOT stop you receiving OTA - having a customer recovery, such as TWRP, prevents an OTA from being installed automatically but it's still perfectly possible to manually apply an OTA with unlock and TWRP.
TWRP (replacement recovery) and Magisk (systemless root tool) are awesome tools that allow you flash custom ROMs, run root tools and hide root from prying eyes. Fairly typical to install a custom recovery and root, as part of unlocking and preparing a device for a custom ROM or some proper tweaking. Restoring from an RUU puts you "back to square one", in a good way, that requires a fresh installation of these tools if you want to continue to mod your device.
The bottom line is that you REALLY need to have an understanding about what locked / unlocked bootloader, custom recovery and root means to your device. You need to understand the power that ADB gives you and be aware of the risk inherent: ADB is the Android Debugger - it's a developer tool, not typically for normal consumption. As you've unfortunately discovered, Android gives you a lot of flexibility, often at the device manufacturers discretion (I'm looking at you Huawei), to modify your device using powerful Android tools. Without a full understanding of the consequences, it's perfectly possible to irrecoverably brick your device. When it all falls in to place, however, there's a sense of enormous satisfaction in having control over the device you've spent hundreds of bucks on.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the post. I also was wondering what happens when a phone is totally bricked. What does HTC do to repair a phone that was relocked and flashed incorrectly? Is a physical part replaced on the phone?
Sent from my HTC6545LVW using Tapatalk

mauiblue said:
Thanks for the post. I also was wondering what happens when a phone is totally bricked. What does HTC do to repair a phone that was relocked and flashed incorrectly? Is a physical part replaced on the phone?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I imagine it depends on a case by case basis and on which support center you end up dealing with. I'd be surprised if HTC don't have some sort of toolset to restore a bricked device without a physical part replacement, but who knows. Could be costly if they do insist on a physical repair.

mroshaw said:
I imagine it depends on a case by case basis and on which support center you end up dealing with. I'd be surprised if HTC don't have some sort of toolset to restore a bricked device without a physical part replacement, but who knows. Could be costly if they do insist on a physical repair.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well I could have used my Asurion phone insurance to replace the phone and the deductible would have been $150 but they would have replaced the phone with a Google Pixel. So if repair/replacement would be about that much, I'm fine with that.

mauiblue said:
Well I could have used my Asurion phone insurance to replace the phone and the deductible would have been $150 but they would have replaced the phone with a Google Pixel. So if repair/replacement would be about that much, I'm fine with that.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, best of luck from me! Keep us posted as to HTCs response!

mroshaw said:
I think these sorts of challenges and questions are what XDA is all about, and it's often through mistakes that we learn the ins and outs of device modification. Happy to help, as I've been in similar positions during my time tweaking phones and devices.
https://forum.xda-developers.com/u11/how-to/collection-htcu-u11-ruu-firmware-t3612048
The Holy Grail, in forum post form, for all U11 owners who need to recover their devices. From here, you can pretty much recover from any sort of soft brick situation. This has got me out of trouble many, many times. Having an unlocked bootloader does NOT stop you receiving OTA - having a customer recovery, such as TWRP, prevents an OTA from being installed automatically but it's still perfectly possible to manually apply an OTA with unlock and TWRP.
TWRP (replacement recovery) and Magisk (systemless root tool) are awesome tools that allow you flash custom ROMs, run root tools and hide root from prying eyes. Fairly typical to install a custom recovery and root, as part of unlocking and preparing a device for a custom ROM or some proper tweaking. Restoring from an RUU puts you "back to square one", in a good way, that requires a fresh installation of these tools if you want to continue to mod your device.
The bottom line is that you REALLY need to have an understanding about what locked / unlocked bootloader, custom recovery and root means to your device. You need to understand the power that ADB gives you and be aware of the risk inherent: ADB is the Android Debugger - it's a developer tool, not typically for normal consumption. As you've unfortunately discovered, Android gives you a lot of flexibility, often at the device manufacturers discretion (I'm looking at you Huawei), to modify your device using powerful Android tools. Without a full understanding of the consequences, it's perfectly possible to irrecoverably brick your device. When it all falls in to place, however, there's a sense of enormous satisfaction in having control over the device you've spent hundreds of bucks on.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've tried just about everything I can think of. I'm pretty sure mine is completely bricked.
Nothing works. All RUUs I've tried have failed. I have the EU model. I wanted to use the US unlocked ruu so I rooted, achieved s-off, and changed the cid and mid to match it. I thought I had to relock the phone to flash the RUU like in previous htc phones. I tried the RUUs and they failed. I unlocked it again to try something else, which factory reset the phone. Then I foolishly locked it again thinking I'd try a different ruu. That failed too. When I rebooted, the phone went back to s-on. I cannot unlock the bootloader again because I can't access the OS. It opens to a screen I need a password for and I don't have a password for it.
I thought I was fine, though. On previous htc phones, I could still access twrp. If I factory reset, I could access the OS again and unlock the bootloader. This one gave me a screen that the phone is corrupt and won't boot, so I can't access recovery at all.
Stuck between a rock and a hard place. I hope you get your phone in working order Maui.
Sent from my HTC 10 using Tapatalk

Kaepernick said:
I've tried just about everything I can think of. I'm pretty sure mine is completely bricked.
Nothing works. All RUUs I've tried have failed. I have the EU model. I wanted to use the US unlocked ruu so I rooted, achieved s-off, and changed the cid and mid to match it. I thought I had to relock the phone to flash the RUU like in previous htc phones. I tried the RUUs and they failed. I unlocked it again to try something else, which factory reset the phone. Then I foolishly locked it again thinking I'd try a different ruu. That failed too. When I rebooted, the phone went back to s-on. I cannot unlock the bootloader again because I can't access the OS. It opens to a screen I need a password for and I don't have a password for it.
I thought I was fine, though. On previous htc phones, I could still access twrp. If I factory reset, I could access the OS again and unlock the bootloader. This one gave me a screen that the phone is corrupt and won't boot, so I can't access recovery at all.
Stuck between a rock and a hard place. I hope you get your phone in working order Maui.
Sent from my HTC 10 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I know that I will get the phone repaired (knock on wood) just as long there isn't any issues of the phone getting lost while being in the repair department. I found another thread regarding U11 owners having a very difficult time communicating with the HTC customer service department. Some members are saying they have to wait months (3, 4, 6 months) to finally find a resolution. One member says it only took 4 weeks from start of the repair to actually receiving the U11 back. I will bite the bullet and see how long I can stay in HTC Purgatory. But I really need a phone so I might just buy the U12+ I got a few discount codes that will make the phone cheaper but not a whole lot. I've got to decide soon because the codes are expiring soon,.
BTW, I wish you all the best with getting your phone repaired or replaced. I like HTC and can't see going with a Samsung or Apple.

mauiblue said:
Aloha to all. So after learning the hard way of relocking my U11 and bricking it (it's on its way to HTC in Texas) what would have been the safest way in relocking my phone to get the OTA update?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What OTA update? Don't bother for once a year update...

MoshPuiu said:
What OTA update? Don't bother for once a year update...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well I was getting the OTA update nag screen constantly and to get rid of it I would just allow the update to install. It wouldn't. I obviously didn't do my research enough to understand what I could have, should have, would have done.
So now I hope the phone makes it back to Maui without costing too much money.
Edit: Well I can't wait for my U11 to come back from service and ended up getting the U12+. The HTC phone I'm using is giving up the ghost soon and I need a reliable setup now. So this issue is costing me big time. Oh well...
Sent from my HTC6545LVW using Tapatalk

mroshaw said:
You don't need to "relock" to receive OTA. When I needed to revert my FW to an "official" build, I simply used an RUU to restore and immediately received an OTA to the latest build. I then re-flashed TWRP and Magisk to re-root. At no point did I touch the bootloader after initially unlocking it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So I should have followed these instructions since I already had unlocked the bootloader via the HTC Dev website? See below. I did not flash any custom ROM and I was all stock after I unlocked the bootloader. I hope I am using the correct nomenclature (unlocked the bootloader).
5m4r7ph0n36uru said:
{
"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",
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}
reboot to download mode
perform
Code:
htc_fastboot getvar all
and note down your original software version
download the latest Stock RUU for your device over here.
flash your RUU to revert to stock
rename RUU to 2PZCIMG.zip
copy 2PZCIMG.zip to root directory of SD card
reboot to download mode
press Volume Up button to confirm flash of RUU
As soon as your RUU has been flashed sucessfully, that's it. Your are now Full Stock again!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

Never relock if the phone ain't stock. You don't need to relock anything anyway. S-off and unlocked bootloader don't affect flashing. Just flash a stock firmware, take ota, reroot or leave it as is.

shivadow said:
Never relock if the phone ain't stock. You don't need to relock anything anyway. S-off and unlocked bootloader don't affect flashing. Just flash a stock firmware, take ota, reroot or leave it as is.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So since I unlocked the bootloader and rooted my U11 but didn't flash a custom ROM it is not stock anymore? So I needed to flash it a stock firmware then my phone would have taken the OTA update. Then I could have rooted the device again or leave it as is.
If there is a next time (which I know there will be) I'll do more research and do it right.
Sent from my coconut frond hut using Tapatalk

Update:
I just got my phone back from HTC repair department. The battery was dead and I had to charge it. I was able to turn it on and it looks like the bootloader is still unlocked. I didn't get a chance to look around in the phone to see if the os was updated.
There was no documentation on what was done to the phone. Fortunately I was not charged for any repair service. All together it was almost five weeks going to Texas and coming back to Hawaii. I'm going to check the phone out and post back again.
BTW, I am a bit more learned about tweaking the phone now after all these weeks. In fact I just unlocked my replacement phone, the U12+, and rooted it the other day. I'm going back to the U11 when I get all my apps installed and use it for a little bit. I'll be more careful tweaking it this time around.
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UPDATE:
When I got home the day I received my HTC U11 I was quite excited about getting the phone set up again. When I turned it on it booted up and I decided I wanted to update the software using the software update menu on the phone. I noticed that it had the 2.42.617.6 version. So I let it run its course and when the phone tried to boot up I got the corrupt phone error message. I was disappointed to say the least. The phone was away for 5 weeks and HTC didn't resolve the issue. Well at least they didn't charge me for anything. Thanks for nothing.
I emailed HTC and they were of no help. They sent me an email pertaining to trying to clear the phone cache. I already mentioned that I couldn't even get the phone to boot! So the last several nights (I work a second job) I've been working on figuring out how to resolve the issue with the phone not being able to boot up. As I examined the phone, I found that the phone was still in the "relocked" status. So I decided I would unlock the bootloader first. I got the unlock BIN file after going through the bootloader unlock process on the HTC Dev website and I was able to unlock the phone. I was happy I got that issue resolved. So now I needed to somehow install an OS/firmware that could boot the phone up.
I followed the xda forum guides and I was stumped at first. I used the ADB method and I was met with failure. Either I was not correctly doing the procedure correctly or I was using the wrong files or ??? I then used the SD card method. When I first used the latest OS/firmware version (this is the same version that was on the phone and listed on the download mode) the procedure would produce a couple error messages right at the end. The phone would be stuck in an endless boot loop. So I decided I would use an earlier version of the OS (2.42.617.1) and use the SD method to install the zip file. It was successful in the install and the phone booted up.
I was still pessimistic that the phone issue was resolved until I was able to update the phone completely. I updated the OS using the software update menu on the phone. The phone took a couple OTA updates without issue and booted up and now I am satisfied. I've learned a lot over the past month about my phones (I also have an HTC U12+ that I bought after I sent off the U11). I was also happy to see that there are a few members here on the forum that is considerate to offer their assistance in getting my phone back in order. So no more relocking the bootloader and I will make sure I backup the phone before I do anything to the OS/firmware.
Aloha and mahalo for reading.