How to get rid of root and get back to factory - Galaxy S III Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

Ok so I need to exchange my phone and need to set it back to factory. Phone is rooted and had custom Rom running. So long story short I flashed the factory Rom back and had to reroot to be able to flash the counter to none. So if reflash the stock Rom again to remove the root will that mess up the counter again? Is there a way to get rid of root evidence without reflashing the stock Rom?
Sent from my GT-I9300 using XDA

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Unroot, Back to Stock Kernel?

I have read through posts...just need straight easy answers though, at times I am stupid.
I have a non stock kernel and rooted SG2. Where is the stock kernel(one that won't have the ! mark at bootup) and how do I Odin flash back to stock safetly?
If I go back to stock kernel, will it keep the count of kernels I had on the phone still? Or there a way to reset that easily?
Thank you!
Entropy512 was kind enough to put together a package just for this purpose:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1286432
Your best bet is the *NEW* - Kernel + non-rooted system package option.
jflexe99 said:
I have read through posts...just need straight easy answers though, at times I am stupid.
I have a non stock kernel and rooted SG2. Where is the stock kernel(one that won't have the ! mark at bootup) and how do I Odin flash back to stock safetly?
If I go back to stock kernel, will it keep the count of kernels I had on the phone still? Or there a way to reset that easily?
Thank you!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you buy a jig, and use it to put the phone into download mode, that will both clear the flash counter and remove the warning triangle. And all while remaining on your custom rom.
If you want to return the phone, then flash back to stock with the package mentioned above, and then do a wipe/factory reset in stock 3e recovery. That will also reset your flash counter and remove the warning triangle.
If you want to keep the phone and run custom software but not show the warning on boot, that is quite possible.

[Q] 2.3.6 cant update to 4.0.4 because of flash counter?

I'm currently rooted on stock 2.3.6. I'm trying to sell the phone today and the guy wants me to update to ICS. I just have one problem... Whenever I flash back to stock everything, Kies keeps giving me the error that I'm not eligible. I assume it's because I tripped the flash counter going back to stock. How can I avoid this? Can I use Kies with a custom recovery installed to flash the flash counter wipe, and then it'll just remove the recovery?
Edit - Trying with a custom recovery and it said I was eligible.
I am no expert on here but lurk these forums, but I think I'll throw my 2 cents in here. I received a warranty replacement from ATT in the mail after the manager of the ATT repair center told his lackey to allow my warranty exchange. You see, I had mine rooted (on 2.3.6) and loaded with a custom rom (ICS 4.0.4) and the lackey could see the counter incremented and all. He gave me the script of not being able to warranty it due to the rooting but the manager could see that I knew what I was doing and that the issue (no sim error) was a hardware issue so he said he'd take the hit if it came back due to the flash counter. He had the lackey try to reflash it with official rom with their samsung tools just incase the sim issue could be fixed with a flash, but no cigar. All that did was leave me with an official ICS rom that was unrooted with a counter showing 1. A couple days later the replacement came in and I transferred all my info to the new phone.
Now just to be on the safe side, even though the manager of the corporate repair center ok'd it, I decided to return the defective Gnote back to stock unrooted condition with it's counter reset.
What I did was,
Flash the GB stock unrooted rom 2.3.6 using odin.
Then flashed CWM using odin.
Copied the ATT stock recovery zip and the flash counter reset zip to the internal memory. Reason being is that you will flash the counter reset with the custom CWM and then flash the stock recovery after to replace the CWM with the stock ATT recovery.
Afterwards I checked in download mode and the flash count was :no which means I'm in the clear and the underneath it said Samsung Official.
I haven't used kies, but I do know that using odin was painless. I'd suggest browse these forums for a while until you feel comfortable enough and then take care of the problem without Kies. Could be done in less than an hour after hitting a few links in the stickies of these forums.
DinoSoup said:
I'm currently rooted on stock 2.3.6. I'm trying to sell the phone today and the guy wants me to update to ICS. I just have one problem... Whenever I flash back to stock everything, Kies keeps giving me the error that I'm not eligible. I assume it's because I tripped the flash counter going back to stock. How can I avoid this? Can I use Kies with a custom recovery installed to flash the flash counter wipe, and then it'll just remove the recovery?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Its got nothing to do with the flash counter. Unless your phone is completely stock, Kies rejects it.
rangercaptain said:
Its got nothing to do with the flash counter. Unless your phone is completely stock, Kies rejects it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It actually was the flash counter. I wiped the counter and then tried, rooted and with a custom recovery, and it worked. Stock with a 1 on the flash counter and nothing.

[Q] Stock rom can Vodafone tell if its been rooted?

Hi all
Ok Ive just had my phone repaired by vodafone as the motherboard was dead and it came back with stock rom so i straight away set about rooting it but ive had multiple problems.
No matter how many roms i put on it with stock different kernels, super wipe, mega wipe and now even back to vodafones stock rom it keeps crashing and rebooting
I didnt run it long enough when it came back from repair so i dont know if it did it before root, does anyone think this is a issue before i started to root or something i've done?
Also now ive put stock rom on it when i try to do anthing that requires root access it says its not rooted and there is no little orange ! in the corner when booting up, so if i send this back to vodafone can they tell from this that ive attempted rooting etc, is there anyway for them to tell?
Thanks for your helps
not if you se the triangle away app in the playstore to reset your binary counter
Its not so simple as just TA.
Your status is modified and requires run TA flash stock rom then factory reset then check status in download mode and about phone in settings .
jje
ok so i've flashed the stock romj then do a factory reset in options in android? when do i do TA? also doesnt TA need root privledges? As its showing as not rooted?
Thanks
So is the process re root, run ta then reflash stock rom and factory reset?

Weird superuser

Hello,
I have an sgs 2 and the jack broke, so i want to give it back to repair. The phone had CM7 flashed, so i flashed stock branded firmware. The only thing that makes me uneasy is that the superuser app is still there, and the root is alright. How should i remove it ?
Jasiekor said:
Hello,
I have an sgs 2 and the jack broke, so i want to give it back to repair. The phone had CM7 flashed, so i flashed stock branded firmware. The only thing that makes me uneasy is that the superuser app is still there, and the root is alright. How should i remove it ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There are different ways for unrooting.
Depends on the way you rooted.
One easy way IMO is to wipe data / do a factory reset, then re-flash the whole stock ROM with Odin to your phone.
Good luck !
P.S.: Hope that you have reset the flash counter. Maybe this will be checked.
So i downloaded the check root app, cuz i just went back to stock rom, so after what you said i should already be without root. I checked if i am rooted and i am not. But still there is a superuser app in the drawer. How should i unistall this app ? or is it in the stock rom also ?

[Q] Quick question about unrooting please

Hi, I'm a middle aged person struggling to get to grips with unrooting.
Situation is this
I want to return my phone to an unrooted state for a warranty repair.
I have only rooted the phone, but not flashed any ROMs
Do I just need to re-Flash the correct official firmware, for Vodafone UK, using Odin and then it will be unrooted?
And then use a jig to reset the counter?
Are there any other steps I need to take.
Thanks for your help
Yes, if you flash a stock rom that will unroot the phone, you could also flash just a stock kernel if you can get hold of one - search the usual haunts (Samfirmware/etc).
A jig will probably work only if you've been running Gingerbread stock roms, if you've been running ICS or JB stock roms, use Triangle Away to reset the flash counter before you unroot/flash another stock rom or kernel, then flash away.
MistahBungle said:
Yes, if you flash a stock rom that will unroot the phone, you could also flash just a stock kernel if you can get hold of one - search the usual haunts (Samfirmware/etc).
A jig will probably work only if you've been running Gingerbread stock roms, if you've been running ICS or JB stock roms, use Triangle Away to reset the flash counter before you unroot/flash another stock rom or kernel, then flash away.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi MistahBungle, huge thank you for this, just the pointers I needed. Very good of you to help some random bod on the Internet. I found the firmware I need and have installed Triangle away.
I'm all set really, going to do a bit more refreshing of my memory before I go for it. One thing am slightly curious about but will Google it, is if you reset the counter with Triangle away, and then I re-flashed the kernel with a stock, won't neck count as another flash, or is the flash counter only active if the phone is being rooted? No need to answer as long as it works
Thanks again for your help, much appreciated
No probs No, flashing stock won't trip the counter again. Good luck/post here again if you have any dramas.
Mistahbungle is a helpful guy.......and hes old enough to be your father

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