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[Q] [Urgent] May have softbricked my phone, need help

Ok so I'm very new to the whole root business, and I only rooted my phone so I could use my ps3 controller via bluetooth which would then allow me to charge my phone at the same time. Got all that working and I was pretty much done with anything root related. That was two days ago. About an hour ago I decided, hey, why not see what I can do with my phone now that it's rooted. So I download the ROM manager and titanium backup. I found a ROM that I think I've heard people talk about before called Cyanogen Mod and I download the stable version of that and I went into ROM manager and I installed it there, it went through the reboot into recovery and everything. At least I thought it worked. It rebooted and I really didn't see anything different. So I manually went into recovery mode and installed Cyanogen from my sd card and rebooted my phone. However, it didn't reboot. It took me to a screen with a yellow triangle that says Verizon found software it doesn't authorize and I should take my phone to the nearest verizon store. It displays this everytime I try to boot my phone. All I can do is boot into ODIN mode. Please someone help, I'm at a loss as to what I should do.

All I can tell you is that you did not unlock your bootloader. You can fix this, but you're going to
have to do the work. Read about Odin.

Well, I read around and It told me to flash the Jellybean 4.1.2 thing to re-root my device and unlock the bootloader in the process. The heading was, If I rooted my device and forgot to unlock and now am getting a yellow triangle, so that seemed like what I needed. I flashed with odin, it said it passed and it auto rebooted my phone, but it still came up with the triangle.

I never said anything about flashing files with Odin.
I just said to read about it.
That's all I'm going to say...read.

"it" told me not "you" told me. All you said to do was read, so I did. I found something that seemed to be similiar to my problem, so I tried it out. It didn't work, so I put it here for more information, just in case someone has an idea on what might be wrong.

Brontis said:
"it" told me not "you" told me. All you said to do was read, so I did. I found something that seemed to be similiar to my problem, so I tried it out. It didn't work, so I put it here for more information, just in case someone has an idea on what might be wrong.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Unlock your bootloader! Same thing happened to me.

Try this threadhttp://http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2199042&highlight=system+software&page=2

kmsck5 said:
Unlock your bootloader! Same thing happened to me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
AS RipRip said...read. Do your homework no matter how long it takes to gain knowledge. I took a month to learn what to do with everything. I'm still learning. If you feel uncomfortable with anything don't mess with your phone.

My intention is to offer hints without just handing the solution to you
I'm not sure if the link I posted is working. If it is you should find help there.
If its not working just google your situation, ie. " system software not authorized..."

RipRip said:
My intention is to offer hints without just handing the solution to you
I'm not sure if the link I posted is working. If it is you should find help there.
If its not working just google your situation, ie. " system software not authorized..."
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ditto same here!

Brontis said:
Well, I read around and It told me to flash the Jellybean 4.1.2 thing to re-root my device and unlock the bootloader in the process. The heading was, If I rooted my device and forgot to unlock and now am getting a yellow triangle, so that seemed like what I needed. I flashed with odin, it said it passed and it auto rebooted my phone, but it still came up with the triangle.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I can tell you are new as you rooted your phone twice and STILL didn't unlock the bootloader. It makes sense to ask us how to unlock the bootloader since that is the problem in the first place. Also it is a stupid idea to take a rooted phone to Verizon as you just voided your warranty by rooting your device which is why you read before altering the software of an expensive device.

jmxc23 said:
I can tell you are new as you rooted your phone twice and STILL didn't unlock the bootloader. It makes sense to ask us how to unlock the bootloader since that is the problem in the first place. Also it is a stupid idea to take a rooted phone to Verizon as you just voided your warranty by rooting your device which is why you read before altering the software of an expensive device.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, it is pretty obvious that I am new. If all I have to do is unlock my bootloader, then is there somewhere you can point me so I can work on that? I'm just having some trouble figuring out how to unlock it with only being able to boot into ODIN mode.

Brontis said:
Yes, it is pretty obvious that I am new. If all I have to do is unlock my bootloader, then is there somewhere you can point me so I can work on that? I'm just having some trouble figuring out how to unlock it with only being able to boot into ODIN mode.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
which root method did you use? As all pretty much give you instructions to unlocking the bootloader. If you use the Odin method then you didn't follow the method to the T as you are SUPPOSE flash a file provided that unlocks the bootloader. In one of your posts you said the following "Well, I read around and It told me to flash the Jellybean 4.1.2 thing to re-root my device and unlock the bootloader in the process" That is basically one of the root methods so no I won't point you the right direction as you already found it. Oh and please follow directions carefully.

Look I can tell you are pretty frustrated. So i am going to be a little bit nicer than the guys above. First make sure your phone is fully charged. This is very important. The first link is Odin. load that on your computer. Make due you have Samsung drivers. The 2nd link is to unlock your bootloader. It gets flashed via odin. Make sure you load the file via the PDA button in Odin. After the flash your phone will reboot automatically. This should get u up and running. If it doesn't you will need to follow the instructions for the last 2 links I posted below. This last 2 links flashes stock and shows you how to root and unlock your bootloader. I know the guys above want to u to learn how to do this stuff on your own but many people seem to forget that some people that come in here are not as tech saavy as they are. But be warned. You MUST read ALL instructions to the letter BEFORE starting the process. This is to educate yourself. Remember u need Odin and the Samsung USB drivers installed
Odin: http://goo.gl/ASdXg
Unlock Bootloader: http://open1your1eyes0.cnlson.com/VRALEC.bootchain.tar.md5
Stock 4.1.2: http://hotfile.com/dl/233201455/b70504c/VZW-I535VRBMF1-20130627174111.zip.html
Root + Unlock: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2046439
Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 4

Well I finally managed to fix it. It was after I read the post above, but it works now. I want to thank everyone who posted in here offering advice.
It may not have been the most sophisticated way to do it, but I basically flashed a stock image of jelly bean 4.1.2 onto my phone, and then factory reset it. It's fine by me that I lost my data, (the only annoying thing is all the game saves) and I'm just glad I'm not going to have to go through the awkward process of explaining how I voided my warranty to my parentals.
Again, thank you all.

[Q] Can someone braindump me on M8 hacking?

Hoping some kind soul will take a few minutes to get me up to speed on what I need to know about hacking the M8.
I am not a total newb, and have lingered around XDA for a while. I've rooted many phones and tablets, even worked with cooking my own ROMS for android and older winmo 4+ years ago. I've just not been involved in the scene and am just about to get my new M8 and would like a crash course.
I really don't mind reading - so if someone has a great all-in-one guide they recommend, I'll certainly start with that...its just the endless searching for the up-to-date info I'm looking to avoid. I actually prefer to understand what I'm doing rather than just click "unlock"
Top most questions in my mind:
1) The biggest thing I would like to know to start is the best way to backup/up protect my device before I do anything to it.
I'd like to be able to return it to total stock (minus any impossibility in re-locking a bootloader) in case I mess things up or need to return, etc.
2) Current best methods for rooting, unlocking, etc. I just want to make sure I'm not doing something out of date that might be more effort than necessary/dangerous.
3) I see this new TWRP thing...which looks like an alternate to CWM. Which is better for me to use for M8?
4) Any M8 specific big dangers to watch out for to prevent bricking.
I always look to XDA for the best advice, but sometimes the site is difficult to navigate to find the most clear explanation.
TIA!

TraderJack said:
Hoping some kind soul will take a few minutes to get me up to speed on what I need to know about hacking the M8.
I am not a total newb, and have lingered around XDA for a while. I've rooted many phones and tablets, even worked with cooking my own ROMS for android and older winmo 4+ years ago. I've just not been involved in the scene and am just about to get my new M8 and would like a crash course.
I really don't mind reading - so if someone has a great all-in-one guide they recommend, I'll certainly start with that...its just the endless searching for the up-to-date info I'm looking to avoid. I actually prefer to understand what I'm doing rather than just click "unlock"
Top most questions in my mind:
1) The biggest thing I would like to know to start is the best way to backup/up protect my device before I do anything to it.
I'd like to be able to return it to total stock (minus any impossibility in re-locking a bootloader) in case I mess things up or need to return, etc.
2) Current best methods for rooting, unlocking, etc. I just want to make sure I'm not doing something out of date that might be more effort than necessary/dangerous.
3) I see this new TWRP thing...which looks like an alternate to CWM. Which is better for me to use for M8?
4) Any M8 specific big dangers to watch out for to prevent bricking.
I always look to XDA for the best advice, but sometimes the site is difficult to navigate to find the most clear explanation.
TIA!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1) The best most efficient way of backing up your device is to make a Nandroid backup with a recovery such as CWM or TWRP, but of course there will always be times where you could do something simpler to solve your problem such as disabling the Xposed framework but how? My phone is stuck in a bootloop, how would I disable it? The answer is when installing the framework make sure to first in the settings select to create flashable zips (manual) then once they are created go back and do the 'Classic' method. Now I'm sure if you're as new as you say you are you most likely don't know what Xposed is, it is a separate framework which allows you to customize your ROM to do things similar to what a 'Custom' ROM would normally always do. Most people don't think before installing these modules and end up soft-bricking their device and have to use their Nandroids to restore them but the way I mentioned is far simpler.
2) The utmost best method currently available (and only available) for rooting, unlocking, S-OFF & etc is currently Sunshine, you can read up about it here. Sadly and or not so sadly it costs $25 per device but it will do everything you will need to get started such as S-OFF (Security OFF, S-ON prevents writing to the /system partition and some other things I can't remember), Bootloader unlock & root.
3) Personally I prefer TWRP because it just feels like it has more ease of use towards it but thats just my opinion. There is an alternative to it which is CWM as you mentioned or 'PhilZ' CWM, Philz CWM is a touch-based version which to my experiences is a bit buggy but it works. I personally recommend TWRP but you might as well play around with them and see which one you like best.
4) Biggest danger of them all: To my knowledge that is, attempting to revert to S-ON. That is the most dangerous thing I am aware of at the moment but there may be something more dangerous but from what I know that is the most risky thing that is HTC based and or anything based.
This can be considered a good "All in one guide" for you to follow, it has pretty much everything I can think of at the moment.
An alternative to that one would be this one excluding all of the stuff involving Weaksauce and Firewater as Firewater does not work on newer devices and already rooted users don't have a use for Weaksauce. Still though it's a good tutorial for flashing a recovery and rooting.
Here is a solid tutorial on how to revert to stock if you ever decide to (once more do NOT attempt S-ON).
& if you're interested in using ROM's for other carrier variants of your phone then this one may be of interest to you.
Lastly, if you're concerned about any warranty things then as long as you do an RUU like the one mentioned in the 'Reverting to Stock' thread you will have no problems with it even if you're bootloader is unlocked and you're S-OFF. Why you may be wondering?? HTC sometimes ships phones already S-OFF/Bootloader unlocked and also I sort of think they just don't really care... you know as long as you didn't mess the phone up.
-----------------------------------------------------
If you have any further questions, I left something unclear or you just need me to elaborate further on something then feel free to ask further questions and I recommend doing your own research on these things before attempting them. Good luck and happy modding!

TraderJack said:
Hoping some kind soul will take a few minutes to get me up to speed on what I need to know about hacking the M8.
I am not a total newb, and have lingered around XDA for a while. I've rooted many phones and tablets, even worked with cooking my own ROMS for android and older winmo 4+ years ago. I've just not been involved in the scene and am just about to get my new M8 and would like a crash course.
I really don't mind reading - so if someone has a great all-in-one guide they recommend, I'll certainly start with that...its just the endless searching for the up-to-date info I'm looking to avoid. I actually prefer to understand what I'm doing rather than just click "unlock"
Top most questions in my mind:
1) The biggest thing I would like to know to start is the best way to backup/up protect my device before I do anything to it.
I'd like to be able to return it to total stock (minus any impossibility in re-locking a bootloader) in case I mess things up or need to return, etc.
2) Current best methods for rooting, unlocking, etc. I just want to make sure I'm not doing something out of date that might be more effort than necessary/dangerous.
3) I see this new TWRP thing...which looks like an alternate to CWM. Which is better for me to use for M8?
4) Any M8 specific big dangers to watch out for to prevent bricking.
I always look to XDA for the best advice, but sometimes the site is difficult to navigate to find the most clear explanation.
TIA!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The above post about covers it. Only thing I would like to add is I much prefer Phil's touch recovery based on CMW and try firewater method for soft and unlocking boot loader before paying for sunshine. It may or may not work. But could possibly save you the cash.

mdorrett said:
The above post about covers it. Only thing I would like to add is I much prefer Phil's touch recovery based on CMW and try firewater method for soft and unlocking boot loader before paying for sunshine. It may or may not work. But could possibly save you the cash.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Philz recovery is amazing, have you used the M8 unified builds yet? Or are you still sticking to the last Verizon build?
Sent from my HTC6525LVW using Tapatalk

Thanks all. I will certainly read up on what you've written and follow up with any questions I may have.

So I read a little bit on the posts above... Ick...when I was deciding on the M8 I checked to see if it was all hackable and apparently found the positive information for only the old methods and didn't realize a $25 price tag was the *only* way to really unlock the phone.
I mean...I don't totally begrudge the devs charging for it...but honestly I've never heard of this before in the 8-10 years I've been modding with smartphones of charging for this. While $25 may be nothing compared to a $700 unlocked phone, it sure is a heck of a lot more than $0, which was where the previous bar was set. You'd think $5 or $10 would be a better place to start.
Of course, it doesn't look like I have any other option though. I do have some more questions:
1) What are the pieces that sunshine does that can't be done elsewhere? It looks like there are several root methods - so is sunshine the only way to S-OFF or is it also the only way to unlock the bootloader?
2) If I don't do sunshine, and therefore can't S-OFF (and maybe can't unlock bootloader), can I still root? If so, is it only a temp unroot? And is there really a downside to that?
3) In all honesty, while I'd like to have everything unlocked, I think I will be happy with a root for now if that's enough to do some hacks (like maybe energy saving and wifi tether, etc.). Will I be able to do those with just root? I'm not really clear on the actual purpose of the S-OFF vs. the unlocked boot loader. Maybe in a few months I will be tired of the stock ROM and cough up the dough.
4) In order to do the backups to revert to stock, what steps must I first obtain and can I do those steps for free (aka no Sunshine) and are they reversible? IOW, what's the minimum I must "hack" the device in order to get a stock backup and/or to recover it.
Finally - when did the "firewater" method stop working? Is it newer hardware being shipped or a certain firmware/OS level update that blocked it? It sounds pretty unlikely that it will work for a new phone, but it won't hurt to try if it doesn't, right?
thanks again for the jump start....I think just jumping in and doing is the best way to learn, but I don't want to leap without protecting myself at the outset.

TraderJack said:
So I read a little bit on the posts above... Ick...when I was deciding on the M8 I checked to see if it was all hackable and apparently found the positive information for only the old methods and didn't realize a $25 price tag was the *only* way to really unlock the phone.
I mean...I don't totally begrudge the devs charging for it...but honestly I've never heard of this before in the 8-10 years I've been modding with smartphones of charging for this. While $25 may be nothing compared to a $700 unlocked phone, it sure is a heck of a lot more than $0, which was where the previous bar was set. You'd think $5 or $10 would be a better place to start.
Of course, it doesn't look like I have any other option though. I do have some more questions:
1) What are the pieces that sunshine does that can't be done elsewhere? It looks like there are several root methods - so is sunshine the only way to S-OFF or is it also the only way to unlock the bootloader?
2) If I don't do sunshine, and therefore can't S-OFF (and maybe can't unlock bootloader), can I still root? If so, is it only a temp unroot? And is there really a downside to that?
3) In all honesty, while I'd like to have everything unlocked, I think I will be happy with a root for now if that's enough to do some hacks (like maybe energy saving and wifi tether, etc.). Will I be able to do those with just root? I'm not really clear on the actual purpose of the S-OFF vs. the unlocked boot loader. Maybe in a few months I will be tired of the stock ROM and cough up the dough.
4) In order to do the backups to revert to stock, what steps must I first obtain and can I do those steps for free (aka no Sunshine) and are they reversible? IOW, what's the minimum I must "hack" the device in order to get a stock backup and/or to recover it.
Finally - when did the "firewater" method stop working? Is it newer hardware being shipped or a certain firmware/OS level update that blocked it? It sounds pretty unlikely that it will work for a new phone, but it won't hurt to try if it doesn't, right?
thanks again for the jump start....I think just jumping in and doing is the best way to learn, but I don't want to leap without protecting myself at the outset.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1) sunshine is the only way to s-off if firewater doesn't work. It pushes an exploit that turns the secure flag off so s-off is achieved, then it pushes a separate exploit to unlock the bootloader. You may be able to change your phone carrier ID so htc dev can s-off your phone, but it doesn't do everything sunshine does.
2) without using sunshine you can still have temporary root with weaksauce, but it's really limited. Since your phone is still s-on, it isn't able to write to the system partition. It means you lose root on every reboot, and you have to wait up to a minute for weaksauce to root again.
Also without an unlocked bootloader you are unable to flash a custom recovery, which means you can't make a nandroid. Not having a nandroid sucks because if you soft brick your phone you have no choice but to go completely back to stock. Not a great situation to be in.
Any root framework or application that requires modification of your system folder won't work.
There's no question paying $25 for sunshine is worth it.
3) here's the some definitions:
S-on = security flag on, system write protected
S-off = security flag off, system write enabled
Unlocked bootloader: ability to flash custom kernels and Recoveries.
Having access to a custom recovery is everything. Allows easy backup capabilities in case a rom modification goes bad. Allows super user permissions to be flashed directly into the system partition to allow permanent root. And gives you the ability to keep an unlocked bootloader without worry that Verizon will patch the current exploit.
Even on a stock rom it's worth it to have an unlocked bootloader. The modifications you're referring to require a custom recovery, and even if you could install them without it, it's still recommended to have a nandroid available in case your phone doesn't boot afterwards. I'm still running stock myself.
4) getting back to stock isn't easy. Verizon or HTC didn't release an official ruu. You'd have to flash the unofficial ruu, then turn your flags back to S-on, and hope it doesn't detect anything weird and flag your phone as tampered. The information was already linked to you in earlier posts, you just have to read up on it.
5) firewater stopped working on newer hardware versions, has nothing to do with firmware versions. There's no harm in trying it, but it most likely won't work on a new phone.
Sent from my HTC6525LVW using Tapatalk

BadUsername said:
1) sunshine is the only way to s-off if firewater doesn't work. It pushes an exploit that turns the secure flag off so s-off is achieved, then it pushes a separate exploit to unlock the bootloader. You may be able to change your phone carrier ID so htc dev can s-off your phone, but it doesn't do everything sunshine does.
2) without using sunshine you can still have temporary root with weaksauce, but it's really limited. Since your phone is still s-on, it isn't able to write to the system partition. It means you lose root on every reboot, and you have to wait up to a minute for weaksauce to root again.
Also without an unlocked bootloader you are unable to flash a custom recovery, which means you can't make a nandroid. Not having a nandroid sucks because if you soft brick your phone you have no choice but to go completely back to stock. Not a great situation to be in.
Any root framework or application that requires modification of your system folder won't work.
There's no question paying $25 for sunshine is worth it.
3) here's the some definitions:
S-on = security flag on, system write protected
S-off = security flag off, system write enabled
Unlocked bootloader: ability to flash custom kernels and Recoveries.
Having access to a custom recovery is everything. Allows easy backup capabilities in case a rom modification goes bad. Allows super user permissions to be flashed directly into the system partition to allow permanent root. And gives you the ability to keep an unlocked bootloader without worry that Verizon will patch the current exploit.
Even on a stock rom it's worth it to have an unlocked bootloader. The modifications you're referring to require a custom recovery, and even if you could install them without it, it's still recommended to have a nandroid available in case your phone doesn't boot afterwards. I'm still running stock myself.
4) getting back to stock isn't easy. Verizon or HTC didn't release an official ruu. You'd have to flash the unofficial ruu, then turn your flags back to S-on, and hope it doesn't detect anything weird and flag your phone as tampered. The information was already linked to you in earlier posts, you just have to read up on it.
5) firewater stopped working on newer hardware versions, has nothing to do with firmware versions. There's no harm in trying it, but it most likely won't work on a new phone.
Sent from my HTC6525LVW using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It also seems that firewater has nothing to do with hardware versions either. As I have a buddy with same hardware versions as me and FW worked perfectly. I am not exactly sure why FW works for some and not others.
---------- Post added at 08:07 AM ---------- Previous post was at 08:06 AM ----------
Also as far as changing CID I have not found a way to do this with out having S-Off already. If there is one please point me in the right direction. Thank you!

mdorrett said:
It also seems that firewater has nothing to do with hardware versions either. As I have a buddy with same hardware versions as me and FW worked perfectly. I am not exactly sure why FW works for some and not others.
---------- Post added at 08:07 AM ---------- Previous post was at 08:06 AM ----------
Also as far as changing CID I have not found a way to do this with out having S-Off already. If there is one please point me in the right direction. Thank you!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I guess I meant hardware variation, not version, it's not something you can simply check, but the internals of each phone is different. If htc used different manufacturers for the same internals it'll break firewater. The hardware version number would look the same.
Sent from my HTC6525LVW using Tapatalk

So I've read up on a good bit of what you've all posted - again thanks for that.
My M8 will be here tomorrow and I plan to use it for a few days without any tampering to ensure that I like the phone and that the reception in my home is adequate (problem had on my last upgrade attempt a year ago to a Razr M with Verizon). If all looks good, I will attempt the firewater method this weekend. If unsuccessful, I think my plan is probably to just play with the stock configuration for a month or two just to get used to working with a modern android version (I'm coming from a Droid 2 with large areas of pixel smear...so anything will be an improvement).
Hopefully, after a couple months if I am feeling like I want to tinker, sunshine will have come down in $$ or there is another working method. If not, I'll pay for it if I feel it's worth what I'll gain at that time. In all honesty, I like knowing I have the power to do whatever I want on my phone, but because I use my phone day in and out for business, I'm not often that adventurous in constant flashing ROMs as I want a very stable experience and don't want to take the time to constantly flash and restore.
I do have a few follow-up questions from some of my reading:
1) My understanding is that S-Off is also equivalent to a bootloader unlock. And that if you S-OFF, there is no need to also unlock the bootloader (it's either done as part of it, or simply not needed since S-Off overrides any boot lock). Is this correct?
2) Is CID unlock necessary to flash custom ROMs? Does doing a CID unlock also have the same benefit of a SIM unlock? Some pages I read indicate that setting to the superCID (11111111) is basically the same as a region unlock and therefore your SIM is also unlocked?
3) Since you can apparently gain temp root with weaksauce, is it possible to use this temproot with xposed framework? Or is S-off still required to apply the xposed framework modules?
thanks!

TraderJack said:
So I've read up on a good bit of what you've all posted - again thanks for that.
My M8 will be here tomorrow and I plan to use it for a few days without any tampering to ensure that I like the phone and that the reception in my home is adequate (problem had on my last upgrade attempt a year ago to a Razr M with Verizon). If all looks good, I will attempt the firewater method this weekend. If unsuccessful, I think my plan is probably to just play with the stock configuration for a month or two just to get used to working with a modern android version (I'm coming from a Droid 2 with large areas of pixel smear...so anything will be an improvement).
Hopefully, after a couple months if I am feeling like I want to tinker, sunshine will have come down in $$ or there is another working method. If not, I'll pay for it if I feel it's worth what I'll gain at that time. In all honesty, I like knowing I have the power to do whatever I want on my phone, but because I use my phone day in and out for business, I'm not often that adventurous in constant flashing ROMs as I want a very stable experience and don't want to take the time to constantly flash and restore.
I do have a few follow-up questions from some of my reading:
1) My understanding is that S-Off is also equivalent to a bootloader unlock. And that if you S-OFF, there is no need to also unlock the bootloader (it's either done as part of it, or simply not needed since S-Off overrides any boot lock). Is this correct?
2) Is CID unlock necessary to flash custom ROMs? Does doing a CID unlock also have the same benefit of a SIM unlock? Some pages I read indicate that setting to the superCID (11111111) is basically the same as a region unlock and therefore your SIM is also unlocked?
3) Since you can apparently gain temp root with weaksauce, is it possible to use this temproot with xposed framework? Or is S-off still required to apply the xposed framework modules?
thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1) s-off is not equivalent to bootloader unlock, they are different things. S-off is needed to unlock bootloader.
2) super cid is only needed if swapping carriers, it allows another rom specific to any carrier to be flashed. If you flash any rom on Verizon it won't work, so you have to use a compatible Verizon rom anyways.
3) maybe, I never use xposed anyway because it breaks some apps I use. My guess is that it would be hit or miss depending on what the module does.
Sent from my HTC6525LVW using Tapatalk

TraderJack said:
So I've read up on a good bit of what you've all posted - again thanks for that.
My M8 will be here tomorrow and I plan to use it for a few days without any tampering to ensure that I like the phone and that the reception in my home is adequate (problem had on my last upgrade attempt a year ago to a Razr M with Verizon). If all looks good, I will attempt the firewater method this weekend. If unsuccessful, I think my plan is probably to just play with the stock configuration for a month or two just to get used to working with a modern android version (I'm coming from a Droid 2 with large areas of pixel smear...so anything will be an improvement).
Hopefully, after a couple months if I am feeling like I want to tinker, sunshine will have come down in $$ or there is another working method. If not, I'll pay for it if I feel it's worth what I'll gain at that time. In all honesty, I like knowing I have the power to do whatever I want on my phone, but because I use my phone day in and out for business, I'm not often that adventurous in constant flashing ROMs as I want a very stable experience and don't want to take the time to constantly flash and restore.
I do have a few follow-up questions from some of my reading:
1) My understanding is that S-Off is also equivalent to a bootloader unlock. And that if you S-OFF, there is no need to also unlock the bootloader (it's either done as part of it, or simply not needed since S-Off overrides any boot lock). Is this correct?
2) Is CID unlock necessary to flash custom ROMs? Does doing a CID unlock also have the same benefit of a SIM unlock? Some pages I read indicate that setting to the superCID (11111111) is basically the same as a region unlock and therefore your SIM is also unlocked?
3) Since you can apparently gain temp root with weaksauce, is it possible to use this temproot with xposed framework? Or is S-off still required to apply the xposed framework modules?
thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1) No, s-off simply allows you to write to the /system partition and do some other stuff like RUU's and etc that i cant think of at the moment but no it is not equivalent to bootloader unlock. Bootloader unlocking allows you to flash recoveries, roms, scripts, kernels, etc. S-OFF allows the more advanced stuff like firmware flashing in fastboot. (at least I think that's what s-off does)
2) Super CID allows you to flash ROM's made for other carriers. So if you set your CID to super CID or another carriers CID then you could flash their ROMS and receive OTA Updates from them. It does not allow Sim unlock and or is not a Sim unlock.
3) I'm quite sure that weak sauce only allows access to /system/xbin but I may be wrong BUT in the case I'm right then no you cannot use xposed without S-OFF because without S-OFF you can't flash a system write enabled kernel to allow it.

Ok... so two more questions:
1) Verizon M8 is already SIM unlocked, correct?
2) I can see that firewater/sunshine do both an S-off and bootloader unlock. However, they don't seem to differentiate between these two things, simply stating they do both. Is there another stand-alone method to unlock the bootloader and if so, do you gain anything having an unlocked boot loader but not s-off? I know you can unlock the bootloader on all the other M8 variants via HTCdev, but they have blocked Verizon.

TraderJack said:
Ok... so two more questions:
1) Verizon M8 is already SIM unlocked, correct?
2) I can see that firewater/sunshine do both an S-off and bootloader unlock. However, they don't seem to differentiate between these two things, simply stating they do both. Is there another stand-alone method to unlock the bootloader and if so, do you gain anything having an unlocked boot loader but not s-off? I know you can unlock the bootloader on all the other M8 variants via HTCdev, but they have blocked Verizon.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1) No, you have to manually unlock it.
2) HTCDev is the only way that I've heard about for unlocking the bootloader alone & the only thing different is you wouldn't be able to flash firmware I believe.

S1L3nTShaDoWz said:
1) No, you have to manually unlock it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
http://htcsource.com/2014/06/how-to-sim-unlock-the-htc-one-m8-for-free/
"Verizon: the HTC One (M8) from Verizon is SIM unlocked right out of the box."
Also found this on Verizon's Global Ready policy FAQ:
http://www.verizonwireless.com/support/faqs/InternationalServicesandRoaming/faq_global_phone.html
"We do not lock our 4G LTE devices, and no code is needed to program them for use with another carrier."
Some info on this thread people seem to indicate it is already unlocked:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2730159
So are those sources above incorrect? I can't find any guide on how to SIM unlock the M8 on verizon... this is why I'm thinking it was already unlocked?

TraderJack said:
http://htcsource.com/2014/06/how-to-sim-unlock-the-htc-one-m8-for-free/
"Verizon: the HTC One (M8) from Verizon is SIM unlocked right out of the box."
Also found this on Verizon's Global Ready policy FAQ:
http://www.verizonwireless.com/support/faqs/InternationalServicesandRoaming/faq_global_phone.html
"We do not lock our 4G LTE devices, and no code is needed to program them for use with another carrier."
Some info on this thread people seem to indicate it is already unlocked:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2730159
So are those sources above incorrect? I can't find any guide on how to SIM unlock the M8 on verizon... this is why I'm thinking it was already unlocked?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It is sim unlocked, you can take it into any carrier and it'll work. The only reason it wouldn't work is if you don't have the correct bands to get LTE or GSM data.
Sent from my HTC6525LVW using Tapatalk

So i got my M8 yesterday and could already tell that reception wise it was much better than my previous upgrade attempt with the RAZR M.
Since there aren't a lot of options for customizable phones anymore with VZW, I've decided to keep it and am happy to report that firewater worked for me to S-OFF!
I had some issues with weaksauce and superSU...the latter not seeming to want to run, but eventually I determined that it wasn't necessary to actually run and update the app to get firewater to work (even though I never got any toast pop-ups from weaksauce after boot).
Firewater ran find and unlocke me after 4 bottle chugs.
I then had some problems loading on CWM. The reason is that on the CWM site the list the M8 down at the very bottom away from all the other HTC devices (including the HTC One - which they don't qualify as the M7 or M8). I accidentally flashed the recovery for the M7 since that is what was listed. After that I couldn't get into any recovery, although the phone still booted. When I realized what happened, I was a little peeved that they so carelessly listed these on their site that I chose not to continue using the stock CWM even though I prefer it's streamlined approach.
I went ahead an installed this version of PhilZ CWM:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2725348
It sounded like you guys were praising this one, and I do prefer CWM. Even though it sounds like TWRP is more popular now, I saw several threads where it seemed like there were issues with TWRP doing funky stuff that CWM users didn't have issues with.
So, after I got that on I removed weaksauce and SuperSU.
What I would like to do now is probably reset to factory defaults and do a nandroid backup. Then, I would like to perma-root.
Some questions on this:
1) Do i need an SD card to nandroid backup? It appeared to work when I started a backup without an SD card...I didn't let it finish, but I'm not sure this method will work. I want to make sure I have a backup that I can use to revert to stock. I do have an sd card coming, but if I can do a successful backup without one I will go ahead.
2) Do I use all the default settings in Philz/CWM for the backup, or do I need to tweak anything in the advanced to ensure that I get *everything* that would be stock on the phone?
3) I saw some method that involved flashing a supersu update to get perma-root? Is this the best method?
Thanks again for all the help.

TraderJack said:
So i got my M8 yesterday and could already tell that reception wise it was much better than my previous upgrade attempt with the RAZR M.
Since there aren't a lot of options for customizable phones anymore with VZW, I've decided to keep it and am happy to report that firewater worked for me to S-OFF!
I had some issues with weaksauce and superSU...the latter not seeming to want to run, but eventually I determined that it wasn't necessary to actually run and update the app to get firewater to work (even though I never got any toast pop-ups from weaksauce after boot).
Firewater ran find and unlocke me after 4 bottle chugs.
I then had some problems loading on CWM. The reason is that on the CWM site the list the M8 down at the very bottom away from all the other HTC devices (including the HTC One - which they don't qualify as the M7 or M8). I accidentally flashed the recovery for the M7 since that is what was listed. After that I couldn't get into any recovery, although the phone still booted. When I realized what happened, I was a little peeved that they so carelessly listed these on their site that I chose not to continue using the stock CWM even though I prefer it's streamlined approach.
I went ahead an installed this version of PhilZ CWM:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2725348
It sounded like you guys were praising this one, and I do prefer CWM. Even though it sounds like TWRP is more popular now, I saw several threads where it seemed like there were issues with TWRP doing funky stuff that CWM users didn't have issues with.
So, after I got that on I removed weaksauce and SuperSU.
What I would like to do now is probably reset to factory defaults and do a nandroid backup. Then, I would like to perma-root.
Some questions on this:
1) Do i need an SD card to nandroid backup? It appeared to work when I started a backup without an SD card...I didn't let it finish, but I'm not sure this method will work. I want to make sure I have a backup that I can use to revert to stock. I do have an sd card coming, but if I can do a successful backup without one I will go ahead.
2) Do I use all the default settings in Philz/CWM for the backup, or do I need to tweak anything in the advanced to ensure that I get *everything* that would be stock on the phone?
3) I saw some method that involved flashing a supersu update to get perma-root? Is this the best method?
Thanks again for all the help.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1) You don't need an SD card but I recommend it because if you ever encounter the dreaded "encryption" glitch that some AOSP ROM's have then you'll lose everything on your internal storage. I also recommend you back your Nandroid backups to your computer or some other sort of storage too so that if you ever encounter it or somehow manage to lose it then you can get it back.
2) It doesn't really matter what settings you choose or at least it never has for me but it should backup everything (ROM & apps)
3) Yes, that is the best method for getting perma-root is to flash the SuperSU zip in your recovery. You can find the latest version of the flashable zip at Chainfire's thread over here or the direct download link to the flashable zip here on his official website
Also I'd like to apologize for the invalid information I gave you yesterday on the SIM unlocking, my bad on that. I've had a cold for the past few days and it's been making me lazy lol.

S1L3nTShaDoWz said:
1) You don't need an SD card but I recommend it because if you ever encounter the dreaded "encryption" glitch that some AOSP ROM's have then you'll lose everything on your internal storage. I also recommend you back your Nandroid backups to your computer or some other sort of storage too so that if you ever encounter it or somehow manage to lose it then you can get it back.
2) It doesn't really matter what settings you choose or at least it never has for me but it should backup everything (ROM & apps)
3) Yes, that is the best method for getting perma-root is to flash the SuperSU zip in your recovery. You can find the latest version of the flashable zip at Chainfire's thread over here or the direct download link to the flashable zip here on his official website
Also I'd like to apologize for the invalid information I gave you yesterday on the SIM unlocking, my bad on that. I've had a cold for the past few days and it's been making me lazy lol.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1) Ok...but to get my first stock backup so I can proceed with everything else, it's safe to nandroid to internal memory? Where exactly will it place a nandroid backup if I don't have an SD card?
2) I was looking at the Misc Nandroid Settings like "include /preload" "use TWRP mode" etc. No reason to use anything but the defaults?
3) Cool...as soon as I have my nandroid I will go that route.
No worries about the SIM data...you guys have helped accelerate me pretty fast, and I'm thrilled that firewater worked. I'd now just like to get my full backup so I can begin fully migrating to the new phone and having fun

TraderJack said:
1) Ok...but to get my first stock backup so I can proceed with everything else, it's safe to nandroid to internal memory? Where exactly will it place a nandroid backup if I don't have an SD card?
2) I was looking at the Misc Nandroid Settings like "include /preload" "use TWRP mode" etc. No reason to use anything but the defaults?
3) Cool...as soon as I have my nandroid I will go that route.
No worries about the SIM data...you guys have helped accelerate me pretty fast, and I'm thrilled that firewater worked. I'd now just like to get my full backup so I can begin fully migrating to the new phone and having fun
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah it's safe, it will be stored in a folder called TWRP/Backups/Phone_Id_Here/ in the storage/emulated/0 folder (in root Explorer).
Also you can change them around to what you like, it doesn't matter.
& glad we could help!

Just bought one!

I bought a MyTouch on Amazon for 43 dollars.
Can someone provide a simple guide for me so I can update it to the latest CWM? I've never done any mods with an HTC like this and when I did it was the Hero and I hard bricked it. I had a few G1's, too...
Anyway, can someone PM me or reply to this? I need something quick and easy.
Starting from Rooting and finishishing at CM install.
My current device is an LG Phoenix, so... Big Upgrade!

AndrMatr said:
I bought a MyTouch on Amazon for 43 dollars.
Can someone provide a simple guide for me so I can update it to the latest CWM? I've never done any mods with an HTC like this and when I did it was the Hero and I hard bricked it. I had a few G1's, too...
Anyway, can someone PM me or reply to this? I need something quick and easy.
Starting from Rooting and finishishing at CM install.
My current device is an LG Phoenix, so... Big Upgrade!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I would start with this thread:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1801106
It will unlock your bootloader, add CWM, and root your (arriving) phone (in that order). If there are any dead links, I should be able to help out (except for the drivers - you can either try ADBSetup or use Linux to unlock the bootloader).
I would skip Juopunutbear unless you are planning to flash every other week . I did it, it's no big deal, but the best I got out of S-OFF was to change the start-up logo (before the bootanimation).
Hope this gives an idea.

joel.maxuel said:
I would start with this thread:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1801106
It will unlock your bootloader, add CWM, and root your (arriving) phone (in that order). If there are any dead links, I should be able to help out (except for the drivers - you can either try ADBSetup or use Linux to unlock the bootloader).
I would skip Juopunutbear unless you are planning to flash every other week . I did it, it's no big deal, but the best I got out of S-OFF was to change the start-up logo (before the bootanimation).
Hope this gives an idea.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So what if I don't have Admin privileges on a computer? Will Fastboot and ADB still work? I don't know about the drivers...
And I had the original myTouch 3G and I installed the Visionary (the one with the yellow triangle with the lightning bolt hitting a guy) APK file. I was able to flash CWM Recovery after Visionary rooted the device. Is it possible to flash ROMS using CWM instead of unlocking the bootloader?

AndrMatr said:
So what if I don't have Admin privileges on a computer? Will Fastboot and ADB still work? I don't know about the drivers...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Probably not. I haven't seen a situation where drivers can install without admin priv.
AndrMatr said:
And I had the original myTouch 3G and I installed the Visionary (the one with the yellow triangle with the lightning bolt hitting a guy) APK file. I was able to flash CWM Recovery after Visionary rooted the device. Is it possible to flash ROMS using CWM instead of unlocking the bootloader?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That would be gaining root through an exploit. If I recall correctly, all of those have been sealed in future OTA's. The only way that makes sense (that is, not trying every rooting package out there) is to unlock the bootloader first. It's really not that bad.

Confusion
joel.maxuel said:
Probably not. I haven't seen a situation where drivers can install without admin priv.
That would be gaining root through an exploit. If I recall correctly, all of those have been sealed in future OTA's. The only way that makes sense (that is, not trying every rooting package out there) is to unlock the bootloader first. It's really not that bad.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The MT4GS I'm getting is running Gingerbread. If I use GingerBreak APK to root the phone and install CWM, can I still back up the stock OS? And for future reference, how would I keep the baseband once I'm ready to flash ROMs? Like the IMEI and stuff like that?
And the guide that you directed me towards is slightly complicated.
Is there an APK that can turn S-Off? if so, how reliable is it?
And for future reference (I like saying that) the ETA for device delivery is Wednesday on the East Coast of the United States.

AndrMatr said:
The MT4GS I'm getting is running Gingerbread. If I use GingerBreak APK to root the phone and install CWM, can I still back up the stock OS? And for future reference, how would I keep the baseband once I'm ready to flash ROMs? Like the IMEI and stuff like that?
And the guide that you directed me towards is slightly complicated.
Is there an APK that can turn S-Off? if so, how reliable is it?
And for future reference (I like saying that) the ETA for device delivery is Wednesday on the East Coast of the United States.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Getting out of my comfort zone here, but that should be possible. CWM will be able to back up system and boot, effectively the stock OS.
Haven't heard of people losing their IMEI's with this phone, nor of any backup to protect it, so that should be fine.
When I went through it, I found the guide a bit daunting as well, but you get used to it (alternatively there is below, which I never used).
There is no APK to S-Off (too complicated for a user app, and your phone would be upside down half the time thus making the screen unreadable), but there is this that can speed up the process:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2438884
This can root as well. It's no APK, but should get the job done.

joel.maxuel said:
Getting out of my comfort zone here, but that should be possible. CWM will be able to back up system and boot, effectively the stock OS.
Haven't heard of people losing their IMEI's with this phone, nor of any backup to protect it, so that should be fine.
When I went through it, I found the guide a bit daunting as well, but you get used to it (alternatively there is below, which I never used).
There is no APK to S-Off (too complicated for a user app, and your phone would be upside down half the time thus making the screen unreadable), but there is this that can speed up the process:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2438884
This can root as well. It's no APK, but should get the job done.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
*cringes* Windows admin priiivveellleges.....?
And can we just talk about this through PM? the XDA site is destroying my data. The app is better.

s-off has gotten easier. juopunutbear (or however you spell it) is no longer needed. rumrunner s-off is by far easier to use. this is what I used combined with the windroid program to root.

I bought one from a liquidator online. Brand new, out of the box, with the plastic still on the screen and stuff. Unmarked battery, though. Charges a bit too fast. Was labelled as "refurbished" but came in the original manufacturer box with original PC sync cable and chager. I found a way to root the stock ROM without S-OFF, just with CWM. All I had t do was flash a 2.3.6 ZIP that had the SU binary and the .apk file for the Samsung Galaxy Admire. It works on the really stupid Huawei model, too. Which, I installed the Raspberry Pi variation of SliTaz on it, and it works great! But as soon as I came back to my apartment from work I unlocked the bootloader(HTC model), installed CWM, flashed the ZIP fro 1.4 DS, and then did a backup of my old non-functional broken peice of shi...Yeah, and then then flashed the boot image through fastboot, and then restored my backup. My point is, though, my Minecraft PE and my Ravensword 2 installations diappeared after restoring the backup. Any ideas of why this happened?

mattlowry said:
s-off has gotten easier. juopunutbear (or however you spell it) is no longer needed. rumrunner s-off is by far easier to use. this is what I used combined with the windroid program to root.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thanks this is good info, i recently just got my slide to have cm9 without s-off and lets say that was a process trying to shift about all these dead links on this forum. but i plan on getting another mytouch cause i wanna switch back to a keyboard phone and well the keyboard died some how from sitting for so long but now that i have cm9 on this phone holly poo it runs fast and smooth.
anyway thanks for the info
i looked up the rumrunner and does it matter that its not completely made for the doubleshot? or does it just do it to any htc phone?

g-fetus6 said:
thanks this is good info, i recently just got my slide to have cm9 without s-off and lets say that was a process trying to shift about all these dead links on this forum. But i plan on getting another mytouch cause i wanna switch back to a keyboard phone and well the keyboard died some how from sitting for so long but now that i have cm9 on this phone holly poo it runs fast and smooth.
Anyway thanks for the info
i looked up the rumrunner and does it matter that its not completely made for the doubleshot? Or does it just do it to any htc phone?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
they have a universal version that works fine

Should I root and unlock

I just got this phone and debating if I should root and unlock this phone. I'm a big fan of CM. I traded a friend for this phone. I used to have a gs5 and touchwiz was driving me crazy and that it could not be unlocked. This phone is way better. I have been rooting and unlocking since the days of the htc eris. I'll never buy another Samsung phone again. Sorry for the dumb post.

So do you have a question? Or what's the point behind the post

Yes, you should root and unlock. I have flashed more than a few roms on this pbone, but I have been on stock rooted for a couple months now. Mostly because it has the least amount of issues and most consistent performance. I got it all tweaked up though. IMO HTC did a great job on the stock ROM but to each there own.
And another big plus is that you can easily unroot and relock your phone back to 100% stock state (thankfully we have all the most recent stock ROM ruu's). So really as long as you know what your doing which it sounds like you do, you can only gain by rooting/s-off

No, wait a few weeks first so you know the phone works. You don't want to be those guys that spam issues in rom threads only to find out it's your phone and not the rom.
A rule of thumb I always follow is make sure it runs properly before you start modding. (Cars, phones, computers, etc.)

the real question is why wouldn't you unlock an S-OFF - full control over YOUR device for only $25 AND you can always go back to S-ON. :good:

I tried to unlock the boot loader through HTC Dev with no luck. My boot loader says ***software status*** Modified
***Locked**
He was running the phone on T-Mobile. I was wondering if he had it flashed to T-Mobile to work. Any Ideas!!

Never mind I just used sunshine apk and worked. Thank god

Bootloader still says modified. Only getting temp root, but s off

Droid0351 said:
Bootloader still says modified. Only getting temp root, but s off
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
To get permanent root you will need to install a custom recovery and flash the supersu.zip and that will get you full root. You can then get rid of the temp root by uninstalling the apk

I figured it out. Its been awhile since I rooted and s-off. I already fixed the bootloader saying modified. Had to connect it to htcsync and do a repair. Thanks guys. I'm enjoying cm again.

T-Mobile S4 M919UVSFQA1 OTA update - Should I accept?

Hi,
I know this is a NooB question, I know HOW to root my S4, and have a RIFF box, but I need an honest opinion.
I just bought a new mobo to replace my old one with the dead eMMC. It came with Android 4.3, Knox, and firmware version M919UVUEMK2. T-Mobile is offering me an OTA update to M919UVSFQA1 every 24 hours. I want to root my device, simply so they cannot take that ability away from me. I'm too busy really to develop my own apps now, but I don't think it's fair to tell me how I can and can't use MY phone.
If I accept the update, from what I read, it's most likely I will be able to root it, using CF Auto Root, but RegionLockAway (my phone is already unlocked from T-Mobile giving me the code - do I still need this?) may not work. Is M919UVSFQA1 still rootable? I know it will trip the KNOX bit, that's OK. If I root my M919UVUEMK2 the way it is, will it trip the KNOX bit?
Also, what are these "Security Policy Updates" offered by Google they are asking me to accept? Security policy for malware, or security policy against me?
I guess I want my cake and eat it too. I want the stability and security against malware, and the latest baseband, but I don't a security update against myself. If I root my phone the way it is (M919UVUEMK2), will it trip the KNOX bit anyway?
All I am asking is, have I got anything to lose by accepting the OTA update? Will I lose rooting / bootloader options, or is my bootloader already locked on MK2, and it will still trip the KNOX bit. If so, and nothing's different, I will accept the OTA update first so my phone is the latest OFFICIAL version, then I can be sure my new rooted phone is most stable, as I doubt T-Mobile will support a rooted phone.
My S4 employs E-Fuses (a.k.a. the "Knox" bit) and once they're blown, that's it. If you want them un-blown, you need to buy a new CPU hence a new mobo. This is why I'm wary of ANY update, especially security. (Google eFuse if you're interested in the technology). eFuse was a brilliant idea from IBM, but was abused like most other technology.
Thanks,
-Rob

filter4ever said:
Hi,
I know this is a NooB question, I know HOW to root my S4, and have a RIFF box, but I need an honest opinion.
I just bought a new mobo to replace my old one with the dead eMMC. It came with Android 4.3, Knox, and firmware version M919UVUEMK2. T-Mobile is offering me an OTA update to M919UVSFQA1 every 24 hours. I want to root my device, simply so they cannot take that ability away from me. I'm too busy really to develop my own apps now, but I don't think it's fair to tell me how I can and can't use MY phone.
If I accept the update, from what I read, it's most likely I will be able to root it, using CF Auto Root, but RegionLockAway (my phone is already unlocked from T-Mobile giving me the code - do I still need this?) may not work. Is M919UVSFQA1 still rootable? I know it will trip the KNOX bit, that's OK. If I root my M919UVUEMK2 the way it is, will it trip the KNOX bit?
Also, what are these "Security Policy Updates" offered by Google they are asking me to accept? Security policy for malware, or security policy against me?
I guess I want my cake and eat it too. I want the stability and security against malware, and the latest baseband, but I don't a security update against myself. If I root my phone the way it is (M919UVUEMK2), will it trip the KNOX bit anyway?
All I am asking is, have I got anything to lose by accepting the OTA update? Will I lose rooting / bootloader options, or is my bootloader already locked on MK2, and it will still trip the KNOX bit. If so, and nothing's different, I will accept the OTA update first so my phone is the latest OFFICIAL version, then I can be sure my new rooted phone is most stable, as I doubt T-Mobile will support a rooted phone.
My S4 employs E-Fuses (a.k.a. the "Knox" bit) and once they're blown, that's it. If you want them un-blown, you need to buy a new CPU hence a new mobo. This is why I'm wary of ANY update, especially security. (Google eFuse if you're interested in the technology). eFuse was a brilliant idea from IBM, but was abused like most other technology.
Thanks,
-Rob
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There are several threads covering most of your questions or at least have answers somewhere in them in the Tmobile S4 forum if you take the time to search and read. I don't have Tmobile S4 so I don't know the details.
And it's called qfuse in Samsung devices, not e-fuse.
Sent from my SM-S903VL using Tapatalk

Thanks
Thanks. I've had a lot of homework so I haven't had the time to search very deep. I found a Knox less NH7 update and installed it, guess I'm just going to have to wait for the OTA to become available.

qFuse
Droidriven said:
There are several threads covering most of your questions or at least have answers somewhere in them in the Tmobile S4 forum if you take the time to search and read. I don't have Tmobile S4 so I don't know the details.
And it's called qfuse in Samsung devices, not e-fuse.
Sent from my SM-S903VL using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks. If you're interested, I found the code that burns qfuses. Bootloader.rollback(blowFuse) at 0x00004000 (I think). Has only to do with bootloader upgrades.
Qfuse, for Qualcomm, duh. Still the same thing though. It makes me sick that they would go THAT FAR to prevent even the advanced nerds from doing with... I guess I'll say Samsung 'so phone now, I won't buy an S7 if I don't own it fully. It's the principal, I can understand if it is their network they are worried about security, but I don't see how that is an issue. if I buy it, it's mine. If I fixed it from the garbage, it's REALLY mine. Just who do they think finds these bugs and security flaws? The average user? If phones get bricked, wouldn't they want to hire someone who learned what they're doing? Using to pirate apps, OK, I can see that it not right. Running your own software and being able to repair the firmware? If I can run it over with my car and break it, I should be allowed to do anything in between.
Anyways, thats my rant about qfuses, efues, any permenent harfware changes being used this way.

filter4ever said:
Thanks. If you're interested, I found the code that burns qfuses. Bootloader.rollback(blowFuse) at 0x00004000 (I think). Has only to do with bootloader upgrades.
Qfuse, for Qualcomm, duh. Still the same thing though. It makes me sick that they would go THAT FAR to prevent even the advanced nerds from doing with... I guess I'll say Samsung 'so phone now, I won't buy an S7 if I don't own it fully. It's the principal, I can understand if it is their network they are worried about security, but I don't see how that is an issue. if I buy it, it's mine. If I fixed it from the garbage, it's REALLY mine. Just who do they think finds these bugs and security flaws? The average user? If phones get bricked, wouldn't they want to hire someone who learned what they're doing? Using to pirate apps, OK, I can see that it not right. Running your own software and being able to repair the firmware? If I can run it over with my car and break it, I should be allowed to do anything in between.
Anyways, thats my rant about qfuses, efues, any permenent harfware changes being used this way.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'll check out that qfuse code just for curiosity.
The main reason they work so hard to prevent even advanced users from altering the devices is because they got tired of losing money replacing devices under warranty that had been bricked, technically the warranty is voided when a device is modified but when fully bricked they can't tell that their was any attempt to modify it.
I agree, when you buy something it is yours to do with as you wish but most devices on plan aren't owned, technically they are considered mortgaged property, these devices that are advertised as free with a plan aren't free, it's being paid for in your monthly bill. This means it's just like financing a car, you have to have full collision insurance coverage to protect their investment. That is, in effect, the thing that gives Samsung or your carrier the right to do what they've done to protect their investment.
It would be a logistical nightmare if they had it so that people that actually own the devices didn't have to worry about qfuse but at the same time have it so that customers still paying for the device do have to worry about qfuse, so they just have them all like that across the board.
Sent from my SM-S903VL using Tapatalk

It's in the partition "SBL3" at offset 0x31160. I have a dump of my phone if interested, but I would like to remove specifics (make sure I'm not signed in, did factory wipe, imei, etc)
{
"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"
}
It appears to be C code (compiled possibly encrypted) before or after the file name. Please don't let this fall into the wrong hands :0
I bought an app, "MobileODIN", that seemed a bit iffy, but I thought I'd give it a try. T-Mobile has the OTA update, they want me to use Kies (yeah, right) so I am using that stupid RapidGator thing (oh well, at least they dont ask for my credit card, I mean, WTF?, who would do such a thing)? Anyways, EverRoot - Part of the PRO version I bought as I wanted to try Loli but KitKat is the latest. T-Mo just released M919UVSFQA1 on 2/8, if I can do things like EverRoot, do you think it would successfully castrate that code? Even if it can preserve root, if I lost it, I may not be able to get it back. Right now I'm running the M919UVUFNH7 Stock Rooted, Permissive NH7, and NH7 non-hlos and it works good. Read a couple posts on mobile ODIN and it did say it would root firmware, keeping it from being lost, BUT - not a full stock image (which possibly has boot.img - just what that nasty little firebug code is looking for in SBL3). I will post in mobile ODIN, but have you heard of an unlocked boot.img, one that doesn't have this nasty little line of code?

Just took upgrade.
Well i just flashed the ota with odin and even with supersu pro 2.79 runing survival mode it took root from me. Now. I know this may be a shot in the dark here but what about doing something similar of the i337 and flashing a previous kernal rooting locking in survival and then reflashing kernal? I have thr ota file saved on my laptop if you would need it to break it down and see what is possible. I will toy around with it as i have time to. Having 4 youngins gets a little difficult to have a whole lot of time to invest myself to most of this stuff anymore. Eventually it will work right? Lol GL And let me know if we want to give this a shot or not
xXxCyanidexXx

Been playing around the with the new upgrade trying to find some sort of root method for it. I was able to run king root and got it to suscessfully get root access, after running it like 4 or 5 times in a row. However I didn't really care much for king root itself. Just the extra unnecessary garbage it has. So I tried to swap root management over to super su.... so far i have not had any luck with that part yet.... ain't giving up on it though, so as soon as I find something successfully able to get root aside from kingroot I will let you guys know.

xXxCyanide87xXx said:
Been playing around the with the new upgrade trying to find some sort of root method for it. I was able to run king root and got it to suscessfully get root access, after running it like 4 or 5 times in a row. However I didn't really care much for king root itself. Just the extra unnecessary garbage it has. So I tried to swap root management over to super su.... so far i have not had any luck with that part yet.... ain't giving up on it though, so as soon as I find something successfully able to get root aside from kingroot I will let you guys know.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Did you try the Supersume app? Did you try normal SuperSU or did you try systemless SuperSU?
Just make sure you get rid of everything else that came along with Kingroot, it's malware.
Sent from my SM-S903VL using Tapatalk

Switched around some...
Well I got tired of the king root app really didnt want to do the bloat removal so I switched to kingo root which so far seems to be doing OK. Still no luck on SuperSu. I tried just normal SuperSu & SuperSu Pro.. also tried 2 different apk fIles for SuperSu Me one just kept saying License Verified (no app just black screen flash then that) the other one loaded the actual app and when I clicked the blue bubble thing it said please wait whIle environment is loaded & load bar went maybe 1/20 of the way then just sets there going no further. Going to mess with it some more here later on. Have a little St. Patrick's day baby girl to prepair a 1st birthday party for. I'll keep you posted when I find out more.

xXxCyanide87xXx said:
Well I got tired of the king root app really didnt want to do the bloat removal so I switched to kingo root which so far seems to be doing OK. Still no luck on SuperSu. I tried just normal SuperSu & SuperSu Pro.. also tried 2 different apk fIles for SuperSu Me one just kept saying License Verified (no app just black screen flash then that) the other one loaded the actual app and when I clicked the blue bubble thing it said please wait whIle environment is loaded & load bar went maybe 1/20 of the way then just sets there going no further. Going to mess with it some more here later on. Have a little St. Patrick's day baby girl to prepair a 1st birthday party for. I'll keep you posted when I find out more.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok, try SuperSU in systemless mode, it'll probably work for you. Good luck.
Sent from my SM-S903VL using Tapatalk

Just got home gonna get twrp .tar for Odin and the systemless zip and see what I don't break lol

New firmware successfully rooted using Kingo Root to initially access root then flashing TWRP 3.1.0-0 using Mobile Odin Pro then flashed SuperSU 2.79 with TWRP after recovery was flashed. Rebooted no problems, then froze Kingo and removed it...
Yes I'm sure there a far easier way to do this but I am patting myself on the back for not screwing up the phone considering I have still yet to back anything up >. < So thanks for starting this post and giving me something to amuse myself with these past couple of days (-:

xXxCyanide87xXx said:
New firmware successfully rooted using Kingo Root to initially access root then flashing TWRP 3.1.0-0 using Mobile Odin Pro then flashed SuperSU 2.79 with TWRP after recovery was flashed. Rebooted no problems, then froze Kingo and removed it...
Yes I'm sure there a far easier way to do this but I am patting myself on the back for not screwing up the phone considering I have still yet to back anything up >. < So thanks for starting this post and giving me something to amuse myself with these past couple of days (-:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good to go. Actually, the method you used is about the easiest, it's commonly the go-to method if Supersume doesn't work. You did good.
Sent from my SM-S903VL using Tapatalk

Thanks for the update!
So you flashed OTA at first, then re-rooted using KingoRoot? I used CF Auto Root, and CF RegionLockAway before upgrading to NH7, but I haven't tried this yet.
Here's the firmware for all who want to flash the old fashioned way using ODIN (not OTA or Kies).
Rapidgator Mirror: http://rapidgator.net/file/cc090b9fd3b077b9041ff1b6df3bf889
AltaFile Mirror: https://alfafile.net/file/vbGh
If these links don't work (I had a hell of a time), PM me or post below, I can send you a direct link.
Did you originally try to flash using Mobile Odin, regular Odin, or the OTA stock update? I don't know if mobile ODIN works yet - I'm not really into nightly builds yet. The only reason I bought mobile ODIN was because if it already HAS root, it can "castrate" the code like this:
I found in SBL3. My "new" mobo that came with M919UVUFMK2 (WITH knox ). Jellybean 4.3, I asked for a 4.2.2, but they didn't have any in stock. I disabled KNOX, but I think this is still in here.
Thank you for letting me know, I finally rooted the MK2 using CF Auto Root, T-Mo gave me the unlock code (since my previous mobo was already unlocked and IMEI changed), but I used CF Region Lock Away before upgrading. (Works GREAT, but not sure on the new firmware). I ended using this stock M919UVUFNH7, Non SE Enforcing (Permissive) Kernel, and NON-HLOS modem found here:
https://forum.xda-developers.com/ga...stock-base-4-4-4-nh7-rooted-deodexed-t2873695
If any of you developers make a modded version of this stock firmware QA1 (like NH7 above), let me know.
I just heard on the radio that Samsung (as well as other manufacturers) are desperately trying to improve the security of their devices, as they are paranoid of the govt getting in (like the story about their smart TVs), so I wouldn't be surprised of them (at least trying to) take rooting capability away soon.

SuperSU
xXxCyanide87xXx said:
Well I got tired of the king root app really didnt want to do the bloat removal so I switched to kingo root which so far seems to be doing OK. Still no luck on SuperSu. I tried just normal SuperSu & SuperSu Pro.. also tried 2 different apk fIles for SuperSu Me one just kept saying License Verified (no app just black screen flash then that) the other one loaded the actual app and when I clicked the blue bubble thing it said please wait whIle environment is loaded & load bar went maybe 1/20 of the way then just sets there going no further. Going to mess with it some more here later on. Have a little St. Patrick's day baby girl to prepair a 1st birthday party for. I'll keep you posted when I find out more.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm a NooB but the only thing I can think of is that CF may have not updated SuperSU for this kernel version. Can you post your details ("Settings" > "More" > "About Device")? I still haven't updated, NH7 works OK.
Rooting without SuperSU is scary. I make sure to turn off "Auto MMS download" as I once thought I got an MMS virus with rooted firmware and just about had to change my shorts.

Here is a screenshot of my phones info... kernel build ect. Let me know if you need anything else. Or just need help in general with your phone.

filter4ever said:
Thanks for the update!
So you flashed OTA at first, then re-rooted using KingoRoot? I used CF Auto Root, and CF RegionLockAway before upgrading to NH7, but I haven't tried this yet.
Here's the firmware for all who want to flash the old fashioned way using ODIN (not OTA or Kies).
Rapidgator Mirror: http://rapidgator.net/file/cc090b9fd3b077b9041ff1b6df3bf889
AltaFile Mirror: https://alfafile.net/file/vbGh
If these links don't work (I had a hell of a time), PM me or post below, I can send you a direct link.
Did you originally try to flash using Mobile Odin, regular Odin, or the OTA stock update? I don't know if mobile ODIN works yet - I'm not really into nightly builds yet. The only reason I bought mobile ODIN was because if it already HAS root, it can "castrate" the code like this:
I found in SBL3. My "new" mobo that came with M919UVUFMK2 (WITH knox ). Jellybean 4.3, I asked for a 4.2.2, but they didn't have any in stock. I disabled KNOX, but I think this is still in here.
Thank you for letting me know, I finally rooted the MK2 using CF Auto Root, T-Mo gave me the unlock code (since my previous mobo was already unlocked and IMEI changed), but I used CF Region Lock Away before upgrading. (Works GREAT, but not sure on the new firmware). I ended using this stock M919UVUFNH7, Non SE Enforcing (Permissive) Kernel, and NON-HLOS modem found here:
https://forum.xda-developers.com/ga...stock-base-4-4-4-nh7-rooted-deodexed-t2873695
If any of you developers make a modded version of this stock firmware QA1 (like NH7 above), let me know.
I just heard on the radio that Samsung (as well as other manufacturers) are desperately trying to improve the security of their devices, as they are paranoid of the govt getting in (like the story about their smart TVs), so I wouldn't be surprised of them (at least trying to) take rooting capability away soon.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes I flashed it first.
This is the order I did it all
1 - downloaded firmware ( rom https://samsung-firmware.org )
2 - Flashed update using Odin PC version (search forums there are links everywhere.
3- downloaded Kingo root from https://www.kingoapp.com and ran root process (may take a couple times... if it fails immediately run it again
4 - after root was successful I then downloaded Mobile Odin (lite or pro your choice. I used Mobile Odin Pro. Check forums for links to download.
5- Download Twrp 3.1.0-0 follow
https://forum.xda-developers.com/ne...recovery-twrp-2-8-7-0-touch-recovery-t3234976 follow steps to retrieve .tar file. MAKE SURE IT IS CORRECT FILE FOR INSTALLATION.
Don't flash yet
6- down load SuperSu 2.79 SR3 .zip from
h1ttps://forum.xda-developers.com/apps/supersu/2014-09-02-supersu-v2-05-t2868133
Now we flash.
7 run Mobile Odin and click recovery. Place Twrp there. Then scroll down to after flash and click. Set it for reboot recovery. Run.
8- After TWRP loads click on Flash .Find SuperSu 2.79 select and flash. Reboot to System (I went ahead and wiped just the regular cache partition then rebooted)
9- Run SuperSu (if prompted by Kingo for root then allow.
10- Using something abe to freeze/Remorvebe (Root Essentials, Lucky Patcher, something of that sort) then proceed to freeze and remove all the kingo junk and bloat.
11- Reboot phone and enjoy.
Now I will warn you the Samsung-firmware is slow for download. So if need be and I am allowed to. I have the firmware file I can upload on here for everyone.
I take no responsibility for any damage that can &/or may happen to your device this method worked for me. Doesn't guarantee that this method will work for you. GL and happy rooting ^__^

qFuse Code
Droidriven said:
I'll check out that qfuse code just for curiosity.
The main reason they work so hard to prevent even advanced users from altering the devices is because they got tired of losing money replacing devices under warranty that had been bricked, technically the warranty is voided when a device is modified but when fully bricked they can't tell that their was any attempt to modify it.
I agree, when you buy something it is yours to do with as you wish but most devices on plan aren't owned, technically they are considered mortgaged property, these devices that are advertised as free with a plan aren't free, it's being paid for in your monthly bill. This means it's just like financing a car, you have to have full collision insurance coverage to protect their investment. That is, in effect, the thing that gives Samsung or your carrier the right to do what they've done to protect their investment.
It would be a logistical nightmare if they had it so that people that actually own the devices didn't have to worry about qfuse but at the same time have it so that customers still paying for the device do have to worry about qfuse, so they just have them all like that across the board.
Sent from my SM-S903VL using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree, and I don't have a problem with the qFuse "Warranty Bit" for that reason... when it says "This Will Void Your Warranty" it means exactly that. Like I said, when I buy something it's mine (including, Samsung doesn't have to support it if I screw it up).
Are there any custom variations with permissive kernel of this firmware yet? Tried looking around here and searching, none yet... this post of mine appears to be my latest. If you would like this firmware I'll provide the link.
Now that I have SuperSU Pro and Mobile ODIN pro, do I still have to worry about that bootloader qFuse code (my guess is they flashed the locked bootloader and it's already been executed) I just don't want this new update to screw me, and didn't worry about it for a year, but now my phone is acting funky.... showing ads when I open the "Lock Screen" etc. I got Super SU Pro specifically because... an Android virus... with ROOT privileges = anyone's WORST nightmare. Just look at the /dev folder, not to mention "ps -l -C", or "pidstat -l -C" (and other commands I'm not familiar with yet). Listen to you, take pictures of you, steal your data, your passwords, do something illegal and blame it on you (Use your phone as a PSTN and Internet proxy).... you name it. (also it being mine applies to they don't have to support security updates as well - caveat to all rooters that's the 'Catch 22').

LOL, thats more than my Brain Can Handle
I have the same phone.. samsung s4 with the m919uvsfqa1 . It was from Tmobile, i bought the phone in canada and have it locked to Fido in Ontario , Canada. The fact the phone is Canadian, is likely irrelevant. As the Revision is the same as the phone ASHLEY has rooted.
I want to Multitask Apps, and the Samsung Apps that are Preinstalled do not offer the ones i want.
So I read, that if i Root the Phone then any app can be Multi-Window.
As I see Ashleys , rooting was quite difficult. I ask is it Possible to Root this Phone. For someone that really dont know what they are doing. I would need, a very detailed plan that i could follow but am not able to Follow Ashleys plan. Is there a New Method since your THREAD was POSTED?
I doubt any Local Tech would ROOT THIS for a Price, in Sault Ste Marie Ontario... as the stores wont void warranty and i dont know any Techs.
I need to get something done, so that i can access the Calendar app to add Information while talking on the Phone. So far i have to hang up the phone to enter information to the Calendar. That doesn't seem like a Smartphone....