[Q] Kies stuck in update loop - Galaxy S III Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

I'm trying to update my S3 software by using Kies but in order to do this I have to update Kies to the latest version. However every time I do this Kies restarts and again says it needs to update to the same version (2.3.1.12064_9).
Can I get an Android update OTA or am I forced to use this itunes like P.O.C software?
If anyone has any suggestions it'd be appreciated, thanks.

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Zammo76 said:
I'm trying to update my S3 software by using Kies but in order to do this I have to update Kies to the latest version. However every time I do this Kies restarts and again says it needs to update to the same version (2.3.1.12064_9).
Can I get an Android update OTA or am I forced to use this itunes like P.O.C software?
If anyone has any suggestions it'd be appreciated, thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Uninstall Kies, reboot your pc and install the latest version of Kies from the samsung website. This should help.

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It is the latest version from the website (I installed it today), but I'll give it a try anyhow.

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The Kies in-program check for updates says there is a newer version than the one that is on the Samsung website for download. The website version is Kies_2.3.2.12054_20_1; the check for updates within the program itself lists a 2.3.2.12064_9.
I've tried to update from within the program running the program as admin and anything else I could think of but just like you it's stuck in an update loop. No OTA on AT&T here in the US either.

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Good to know I'm not alone!
I tried re-installing Kies and still got the same BS loop.
There is an Android update too (I9300XXLFB) so this is very annoying. I guess I'll need to contact Samsung and find out what the hell is going on.
Whats wrong with being over to download updates OTA like with my old HTC phone, why has Samsung got to over complicate things?

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I don't know where you are or what network you're on but keep in mind that the OTA updates are normally distributed by the carrier and not by Samsung directly. And any updates need to be customized for the specific carrier's specs so there will always be a lag between Samsung releasing an update and the carriers finally getting around to pushing it OTA (if they ever do; a carrier not bothering to release an update is not unheard of). That's one of the reasons why using a custom ROM is so desirable as often custom ROMs have the latest and greatest OS updates while the stock ROM will be behind sometimes for months.

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is mine up to date?
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Note that I didn't update it after I got it, and when I connected it via kies no update

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Kies
I am here in South Africa and I expect this type of thing here but world wide ????. Not even local support seems to know about this new version.:crying:

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i have never had an OTA update, i have twice updated on kies, as i bought the phone sim free and not through a carrier. Perhaps that is why im not getting the updates through the OTA.
However i seem to have a different problem with kies. i have also done the above, and have the _9 version but mine although it connects through USB, when it comes to backing up the phone's info, it goes round and round trying to read the phone's items and then after 2 minutes brings up a screen saying: unexpected error, cannot backup etc...
I have emailed samsung yesterday and waiting for a reply from them...
i did manage to update, although my firmware was LFB, and of course updating a firmware keeps the phone's memory intact, but i really want to continue to be able to backup.
So it seems that new version of KIES may need an even newer one to fix those bugs.
EDIT: looks like kies is stuck trying to load my contacts! I think i may have found the culprit, but dont know how to solve it. It could before and i havent changed anything!

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erikk said:
I don't know where you are or what network you're on but keep in mind that the OTA updates are normally distributed by the carrier and not by Samsung directly. And any updates need to be customized for the specific carrier's specs so there will always be a lag between Samsung releasing an update and the carriers finally getting around to pushing it OTA (if they ever do; a carrier not bothering to release an update is not unheard of). That's one of the reasons why using a custom ROM is so desirable as often custom ROMs have the latest and greatest OS updates while the stock ROM will be behind sometimes for months.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the explanation, I know this is a possibility but I can't even get Kies to update to even see if my carrier (T-Mobile in the UK) has got around to releasing the Android update.
I don't want to root as I'd loose the ability to use Sky Go, and I've been trying to get this working for months on my other two rooted devices with no success.
I've now emailed Samsung so hopefully there'll be able to offer some advise.

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Zammo76 said:
I'm trying to update my S3 software by using Kies but in order to do this I have to update Kies to the latest version. However every time I do this Kies restarts and again says it needs to update to the same version (2.3.1.12064_9).
Can I get an Android update OTA or am I forced to use this itunes like P.O.C software?
If anyone has any suggestions it'd be appreciated, thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Same problem here. It starts installing then new version and when reaching 100% it reverts all files back to the old one...
So can't update my firmware :-(

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Zammo76 said:
Thanks for the explanation, I know this is a possibility but I can't even get Kies to update to even see if my carrier (T-Mobile in the UK) has got around to releasing the Android update.
I don't want to root as I'd loose the ability to use Sky Go, and I've been trying to get this working for months on my other two rooted devices with no success.
I've now emailed Samsung so hopefully there'll be able to offer some advise.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I can tell you tmobile or any UK network have not released this yet like above they have to mess about with it first so kies won't tell you this, the kies update is from Samsung, I had a problem as well with kies updating itself so I uninstalled reboot laptop, reinstalled, then let it update it does take forever to do this so give it time.
Although my firmware update did download and it installed on the phone for some reason it failed and didn't actually install on the phone but plenty of people have been successful.
-------------------------------------
Xda signature.
To unroot and return to stock for warranty., watch this.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_8Tga_yKywc&feature=youtube_gdata_player

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I uninstalled Kies, rebooted, installed latest version of Kies from Samsung website, turned off AV, ran Kies, tried to update, and the same thing happened. Samsung support is just stalling. I don't know why they don't just upload the updated version to the Samsung website.

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Solution to kies update loop
khund said:
Same problem here. It starts installing then new version and when reaching 100% it reverts all files back to the old one...
So can't update my firmware :-(
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Found a less than ideal solution, but it allowed me to update my handset:
1. Open kies and let it try and update as usual, click more details.
2. Ctrl alt del to get a task manager up.
3. As soon as it has gone through all the files extracting and installing, and just as it starts to revert and uninstall the update, kill the update process.
4. Restart Kies and verify version installed in the about kies dialog.

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nicklord said:
Found a less than ideal solution, but it allowed me to update my handset:
1. Open kies and let it try and update as usual, click more details.
2. Ctrl alt del to get a task manager up.
3. As soon as it has gone through all the files extracting and installing, and just as it starts to revert and uninstall the update, kill the update process.
4. Restart Kies and verify version installed in the about kies dialog.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've been having the same problem but just tried that and it worked:good:. Can't thank you enough as i've been trying all afternoon to get the damn upgrade to work. Finally managed to upgrade the firmware aswell though it did take absolutely ages to download it. The whole thing is so ridiculous...why couldn't they just do an OTA update

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Stopping in the middle of the installation didn't work for me. So I modified the KiesVersion.txt file that was in the Program Files folder to be the latest version number that it was saying I needed.

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fishbulb15 said:
Stopping in the middle of the installation didn't work for me. So I modified the KiesVersion.txt file that was in the Program Files folder to be the latest version number that it was saying I needed.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You have to do it right at the end when the details change from extracting and installing to reverting but you have to be very quick before the installation ends.

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HTC > Samsung
this works. might take a couple tries took me 2 but got it updated. this is why i have a HTC. this samsung kies **** is garbage. my sensation took a half hour to update. im already over 2 hours with my girlfriends s2 and i havent even started to download the new firmware 2 hours jst to get kies up and running.

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The "kill the updater" trick worked for me, thanks.

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I got this reply from Samsung and followed the steps and it actually worked!
Regarding this issue, please try reinstalling the Samsung KIES software. First uninstall Samsung KIES completely from your computer. Also, please uninstall any Samsung USB drivers that may be installed as well. Restart your computer after you do this.
After your computer has restarted, please download and install the latest version of the software from the link below.
Before you do this though, make sure that your PC has the minimum systems requirements, shown at the bottom of the download page, in order to run this software.
Note: Please use Internet Explorer to install the KIES software. Click the blue download button on the left on the screen and then select “Run”.
http://www.samsung.com/uk/kies
After you have reinstalled KIES make sure you have turned off Bluetooth and USB debugging on your handset (Settings, Applications, Development), also make sure the device is unlocked and on the home screen. Then connect your handset to the computer via a USB data cable and launch the KIES software. After a short time KIES should then recognise and display the device.
Not sure why it didn't work before, unless installing Kies through Google Chrome (my default browser) was causing an issue? Regardless though Kies is BS bring back OTA updates like my HTC had.