After rooting my phone for the first time about a month ago, I though to myself "This is awesome!". After thinking that, I dug deeper and deeper into the Android Universe and found custom ROMs. The first one I flashed was just a standard 4.0.3 ROM that worked fine. The second one I flashed was a CM10 JB ROM (for my device), and this also worked. But yesterday, (22nd August) I realised that flash player wouldn't work, even though I had the .apk installed on my phone. I found out what dual-booting was when I flashed the CM10 ROM but I didn't need to do it at that time. I downloaded the latest Siyah kernel, flashed it, turned on my phone and it worked fine (CM10) and then I realised I had to go back into recovery mode to change my primary and secondary ROM. I did this, and then next time I tried to turn it on, it just stays on the boot logo. (Siyah logo when I had the SIyah kernel on there and the default SGS2 boot logo with the yellow triangle when I changed back to a plain, old, boring, nothing special kernel). I am currently downloading an OSP file to see if that will help.
That is pretty much all the info I can supply with my knowledge of Android devices but I can try and give some more if needed.
Also, do you think if I took my phone back to **** Sith (Australian retailer where I bought it from) and played dumb (eg. I went to turn it on and the screen just stayed like this, I even left it like that over night and nothing happened) they would give me a new one? I know it voids warranty when you root but maybe if I get someone who doesn't know much about these phones I could get lucky.
Please give me as much help as you can. I haven't told my parents yet because I'm not prepared to face their wrath yet. God knows what they'll do to me!
So your hoping theres someone like you on the other side of the counter when you take the phone back?
Can you get into recovery/download mode lol
Maustin96 said:
After rooting my phone for the first time about a month ago, I though to myself "This is awesome!". After thinking that, I dug deeper and deeper into the Android Universe and found custom ROMs. The first one I flashed was just a standard 4.0.3 ROM that worked fine. The second one I flashed was a CM10 JB ROM (for my device), and this also worked. But yesterday, (22nd August) I realised that flash player wouldn't work, even though I had the .apk installed on my phone. I found out what dual-booting was when I flashed the CM10 ROM but I didn't need to do it at that time. I downloaded the latest Siyah kernel, flashed it, turned on my phone and it worked fine (CM10) and then I realised I had to go back into recovery mode to change my primary and secondary ROM. I did this, and then next time I tried to turn it on, it just stays on the boot logo. (Siyah logo when I had the SIyah kernel on there and the default SGS2 boot logo with the yellow triangle when I changed back to a plain, old, boring, nothing special kernel). I am currently downloading an OSP file to see if that will help.
That is pretty much all the info I can supply with my knowledge of Android devices but I can try and give some more if needed.
Also, do you think if I took my phone back to **** Sith (Australian retailer where I bought it from) and played dumb (eg. I went to turn it on and the screen just stayed like this, I even left it like that over night and nothing happened) they would give me a new one? I know it voids warranty when you root but maybe if I get someone who doesn't know much about these phones I could get lucky.
Please give me as much help as you can. I haven't told my parents yet because I'm not prepared to face their wrath yet. God knows what they'll do to me!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can you still boot to your second Rom ie CM10?
Can you still get to CWM recovery?
If your answer are yes.
-boot to CWM recovery
-flash your Samsung custom ROM again
-wipe dalvik cache
-wipe permissions
-flash Siyah kernel
-reboot phone
Swyped from my Samsung Galaxy SII
Dude, take a chill pill. This is XDA, there are a lot of awesome people here who might know a solution to your problem
Luckily, you are not the only person alive to screw up their flash player while they were on cm.
If you can go to download mode, you can start all over again from scratch by flashing a stock firmware.. and from there, let your custom stuffs begin!cheers
Sent from my brain using telekinesis
Thanks for all the responses guys!
I have managed to fix through scouring every corner of the internet. It probably took a lot longer than it should have since it i sme, oh well! I'm just so thankful everything is working again.
I think I'll stay away from dual booting!
How do I close this thread?
Send a PM to prbassplayer. He's the moderator.
Sent from my Galaxy S2 GT i9100
Thread closed
Per request.
Related
getting to be far too familiar a scenario lately....
lately EVERY time i reboot my phone (running ics build 2, 3 and 4, stock kernel) it gets stuck on samsung logo.. somehow my phone will only boot into the frigging cm7 recovery which as im sure youre all aware is rather useless to fix any problems im having in ics and leaves me unable to flash, backup, or restore anything. it's quite frustrating and i have no idea how to fix it but by going back to bml, re-partitioning, then odin ei20 modem, cm7 fixed recovery, then flash back to ics but doin this every reboot it getting very tedious..
ive read about recovery loops, but the fix doesnt work for me as i cant mount the ICS /system partition in cm7 recovery...and ive been all over trying a zillion things to get it to work and havent pulled dmesg or logcat but if someone thinks it would be useful ..i wish i knew why EVERYTHING is great, then BANG, reboot and it's FML city.
i should add this phone is a replacement via insurance and that the entire time ive had it, i've been having this problem to varying degrees of intensity,.sometimes if i rebooted enough the ics boot animation would finally come up and freeze part way through, and in the first week with this phone is seemed fine. the first few times i rebooted and battery pulled until it started but this is the fourth time in two weeks ive found myself going back to repartition from odin and then back to ics.. the phone is only mine for a month,.
if nobody has any ideas ill be getting it replaced tomorrow in store. i have the no fee insurance replacement plan, but i would prefer not to have to use another as it's not under warranty and this would be my second replacement and this mes has to last me until the gnex hits uscc in hopefully april if it ever does because i'd rather switch to vzw than take any of usccs other offerings currently.. if they dont get the gnex it'll be time for me to move on...
anyway please advise.. thanks
http://exzacklyright.blogspot.com/2012/01/how-to-flash-ics-on-verizon-samsung.html
exzacklyright said:
http://exzacklyright.blogspot.com/2012/01/how-to-flash-ics-on-verizon-samsung.html
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the response. Sounds like a good guide for newbs but in my case information is redundant. I have no problems with the install, unless recovery switches to cm7 recovery during reboot and cannot manage to boot/flash/nandroid until I Odin stock ei20 with repartition and wipe out every bit of data I had. The posts about howto fix CWM bootloop for cm9 do not seem to work for me, as the post says.. Please reread the OP, ya got me excited thinking there was a solution ;-/ thanks anyway, maybe it will help another user.
wizayne said:
Thanks for the response. Sounds like a good guide for newbs but in my case information is redundant. I have no problems with the install, unless recovery switches to cm7 recovery during reboot and cannot manage to boot/flash/nandroid until I Odin stock ei20 with repartitions and wipe out every bit of data in had. The posts about howto fix cwm bootloop for cm9 do not seem to work for me, as the post says.. Please reread the OPEN, ya got me excited thinking there was a solution ;-/ thanks anyway, maybe it will help another user.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
have you tried flashing glitch kernel to the phone. imo it sounds like a kernel issue and not so much a phone issue.
mkuehl06 said:
have you tried flashing glitch kernel to the phone. imo it sounds like a kernel issue and not so much a phone issue.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The problem started after using ics from alphalulz v1 on around build 3 team hacksung IMMEDIATELY AFTER flashing glitch kernel v14 build 4...I have since kept away from glitch on ics, and the problem remains.
Lately it hasn't been as bad though and it seems by hitting random buttons during boot that it will eventually start but reading tells me glitch v14 build 5 is still recovery bootloop ridden and I haven't seen a word about it in the OP for ANY ics components be it team hacksung roms or glitch kernel, and an issue like this which from reading is seemingly widespread *should* be mentioned.
Any suggestions?
In your op you said e120, what phone are you using. E120 isn't a fascinate build.
Sent from my SCH-I500 using XDA App
Ei20 is the latest and greatest version of gb/radio from uscc for the mesmerize, not that it'll change the outcome afaik to go to anything else... unfortunately ;-/
But it is a full flash package if ya open the tar up complete with movinand, sbl, radio, rfs, etc.. I think it is a 10 or 11 file package and I've used it a hundred times with making the switch from mtd to bml
wizayne said:
Ei20 is the latest and greatest version of gb/radio from uscc for the mesmerize, not that it'll change the outcome afaik to go to anything else... unfortunately ;-/
But it is a full flash package if ya open the tar up complete with movinand, sbl, radio, rfs, etc.. I think it is a 10 or 11 file package and I've used it a hundred times with making the switch from mtd to bml
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That makes more sense to me now I know what phone your on. Try rootzwiki they have a mesmorize section, they can help ya out more than I can. I have fassy so idk much about mes
Sent from my SCH-I500 using XDA App
So, SGH-177 had been rooted and installed CM7, then Unnamed, then AOKP. All were pretty buggy. We wanted to bring it back to factory (with root if possible). Not for a warranty claim, just so it would be somewhat stable.
Anyway, I found a one click ODIN solution for UCKH7 stock. I used that, it passed. then the phone just looped through the AT&T "Rethink Possible" splash screen. I tried to get into recovery mode, but it wouldn't load, so I flashed the Siyah kernel to get CWM on there. Still I can only get into download mode and the phone loops the splash screen.
I hoped that it was just taking some time to load up the first time, so I left it overnight. Still stuck on the splash screen this morning.
I spent hours on here last night and found lots of people saying that if you have access to download mode, or recovery mode, you should be able to fix it. I wasn't able to find any answers as to how.
Help?!
I've had this same problem before. what always fixes it for me is to get into the factory 3e recovery to do a reset. I know you said you couldnt get there but make sure (while the phone is off; remove battery if you have to before this) you are holding down both Volume buttons and the power button at the same time until you see the "Samsung Galaxy SII" screen, then release the buttons.
factory reset, then it should be fine.
If you can't get to recovery, read some more on here. I'm sure something is out there, but I don't know what it is.
Here are two posts that might help you out. I've been doing the same research since my "Oh crap its stuck in a bootloop I'll sell it cheap on eBay" SGII is due to arrive today or tomorrow.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1451590
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1580885
Best of luck to you!
UnNamed buggy?
Out of curiosity how did you root and flash, cause that is probably one of the most stable builds we have with minor changes to stock.
Anyways good luck getting back to stock.
So, for some reason, the next time I tried booting into recovery, it worked. I got a couple errors, but then it booted up just fine. Don't know why it wouldn't get into recovery before.
Everything seems to be working as it should so far.
I'm guessing this may be why some of the threads I had seen didn't really offer a solution. Sometimes it finally works if you just hold your head right.
Thanks all!
Regarding UnNamed... I don't recall the method I used to root, it's been a long time and I've done various work on this (my wife's phone) and my Nexus One. Easy to get it confused. I flashed it through CWM recovery, factory wipe, flash from SD.
It worked fine for a while (a couple months), then it got really glitchy. Unable to answer phone calls, random reboots, etc.
Major Wood said:
I flashed it through CWM recovery, factory wipe, flash from SD.
It worked fine for a while (a couple months), then it got really glitchy. Unable to answer phone calls, random reboots, etc.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Did you also wipe cache and dalvik? May have been the problem...
I don't recall, but would be surprised if I hadn't done that
A year ago. When I first started flashing roms. I spent an entire week just reading the atrix forums and learning. I planned. I schemed. I asked questions. Through pm. And googled a LOT. Then when I had learned enough I did it. Point is....if yer not willing to have patience and learn as much as u can before u jump into this. Then its maybe not for you.
Sent from my SGH-I777 using Tapatalk 2
Hello all,
I have tried many things before asking for help, but nothing worked so far.
Here is the story:
I was on ICS 4.0.4, with default ROM coming from carrier.
I wanted to install CM9.1,
spent countless hours doing all backup and reading tutorial.
Tried finally yesterday and it was stuck doing "wiping data". Left it for 20min+ and nothing.
After restarting it, it is now stuck on the boot logo.
I couldn't enter anymore CWM or stock recovery (up+home+power), but could enter Download mode.
So I tried a couple of things I have read on the forum, like installing Siyah-s2-v5.0.1.tar through Odin 3.04 but I still cannot enter recovery mode.
I've read (too late) about the mmc brick bug (couldn't find anyone speaking about it in any tutorial until I reached this point... nothing on CM wiki or in other tuto... classic!).
I hope I'm not in this case though as I can still go to DL mode, and the phones having the brick bug are completely dead (blank screen or no DL mode), as per http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1756242
I managed to finally get CWM working only by using GT-I9100_ICS_ClockworkMod-Recovery_5.5.0.4.tar from Odin, then tried to install CM9.1 from SD card but after reboot it is stuck on the blue cyanogenmod animation boot screen and nothing happens.
Tried also to restore from CWM my nandroid backup, but during the restore it seems to hang then restart by itself, and then I'm back to Galaxy S boot logo (the animated one with the big S).
And after this I have lost again access to recovery mode.
I can't go back to stock and I can't install CM... I was not expecting such issues, it all seemed pretty basic on paper.
I'm really stressed and don't know what to do
Flash a stock rom in Odin (download mode), re-root your phone/flash a kernel with CWM, restore your backup ?
Hi,
thanks for answering,
I have tried to locate such a rom, but I'm not sure which one... is there a specific one to try ? could you point me to it please ?
so far I have tried I9100XXLPQ_I9100OXALPQ_I9100XXLPQ_HOME.tar.md5
but no luck
you also say "re-root", at the time I used this method:
[GUIDE] ROOT/UNROOT Stock ICS Firmware without flashing unsecure kernel - xda-developers
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1501719
Do I need root to install Siyah kernel from Odin ?
I'm trying one from sammobile... let's hope :/
The bad thing is I had no Yellow triangle at the beginning since I'm stuck in this boot loop or no boot to be precise.
Now that I have tried different things to fix it, it is still not working and I have my flash counter = 10.
I cannot even go back to the shop, is there a way to reset it knowing I cannot even reach the OS, I have only DL mode or CWM...
Use a stock rom for your region/carrier (or any stock rom from any region really), it doesn't really matter as I presume you'll be restoring a backup and/or going back to a custom rom anyway won't you ?
Samfirmware & AndroidFirmwares.net have lots of stock roms.
No, you don't need root to flash an Odin version of Siyah. So yes, you can flash that after you've got stock up & running to root your phone rather than re-rooting your phone by flashing a CFRoot kernel or using another root method. Just make sure the version of Siyah you're going to flash matches up with the stock rom you've got on (I.E if you flash a GB stock rom use GB Siyah, ICS stock = use ICS Siyah, etc, etc).
thank you again, I'm downloading the rom from sammobile matching my carrier,
Would you be so kind to send me a PM with your skype username or anything to "chat" with you ? I'm really worried and I spent all night already trying to fix it with no progress at all
Don't worry about the flash counter. That's the least of your problems while your phone is borked Worry about it when it's fixed. There's nothing you can do about the triangle while your phone is cactus.
When you've got it up & running again, use Triangle Away.
But first things first.
---------- Post added at 04:02 AM ---------- Previous post was at 03:59 AM ----------
You're welcome.
Um, no. Absolutely not. Nothing personal, but if I did that for every person who's asked me for 'hands on' help since I've been here, I'd have spent my time doing nothing else. I don't do 'personal' with people from XDA (which is why I have PM's blocked except for mods).
Besides, you're going to learn much more fixing this yourself. I've given you a stack of information thus far, ball is in your court. Every answer to every question you could possibly ask is on this site. It just sometimes takes a bit of work/reading on your part to find it.
megosu said:
thank you again, I'm downloading the rom from sammobile matching my carrier,
Would you be so kind to send me a PM with your skype username or anything to "chat" with you ? I'm really worried and I spent all night already trying to fix it with no progress at all
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
ok I understand.. it is just I have literally spent more than 8 hours on it and had not make any progress at all (even worse I cannot return it to the shop because of the yellow triangle).
I appreciate your help, it gives me a bit of hope but I'm in a very bad situation and I feel I have read and do so much already with no success at all.
I will try your option of restoring the one from Sammobile, I have tried other before without any luck, maybe this one will do... (5min left to DL it).
thanks again for your support
I know where you're coming from. The first flash I tried when I got my phone in 2011 borked because I was careless, and it took me a bit over a day to get the right info/files/etc to get it fixed. I know it's frustrating/tiring/annoying & you're wondering at the start whether you can even fix it. But as long as you've got download mode 99 times out of 100 you can save it.
And as I said, it's good experience; once you've fixed it, you'll be able to handle anything that comes up in future
Let us know how you go. I'm going to bed shortly, but I'm sure someone else will step up & help if you have any further problems.
You're welcome Happy to point you in the right direction.
I have flashed the rom, the exact same one as I had before everything happened...
if it helps, I flashed it from Odin 3.04 as PDA.
I9100BVLPH_I9100TMULPH_I9100BVLPE_HOME.tar.md5
I'm now back to the Samsung GALAXY S2 GT-I9100 logo and nothing happens.
I cannot use recovery mode,
I can use DL mode (it shows 11 counts and current binary as Samsung official.)
update:
I left the phone on the first logo for about 5min and it moved to the next Samsung Galaxy S2 logo, with the big animated S.
I'm waiting but nothing else is happening.
I'm still desperate to fix it.
One thing which can be relevant, whenever I try to wipe or format /data from CWM, my phone is restarting after a few minutes or is saying it cannot be done.
I can format /cache and /system.
Could it be the root cause ? Any way of fixing it ?
Thank you
update: I cannot mount /data from CWM, it says Error mounting /data!
is it the brick bug ? :|
Easy now....your device is still good.
Those animations should take like 1-2 mins when you flash a rom.
Now, you are completly sure that you are actually flashing the right ROM for your device model?
If so, just keep flashing stock roms until you're up and running again, so you can start from scrap.
I tried, the issue is as soon as I flash a stock rom (through Odin), then I can't get into stock recovery mode anymore, I have to flash GT-I9100_ICS_ClockworkMod-Recovery_5.5.0.4.tar to get back the recovery mode.
I tried to flash several times, I think it is down to the fact I cannot mount or format /data.
Which is why I'm wondering if it is the famous brick bug.
My device is GT-I9100 and I took the stock rom from sammobile:
I9100BVLPH_I9100TMULPH_I9100BVLPE_HOME.tar.md5 which is ICS 4.0.4 (that I had before trying to move to CM9.1 and having all this mess in my hands.)
flash this:
http://www.sammobile.com/2012/11/15/i9100xxlsj-%E2%80%93-galaxy-s-ii-android-4-1-2-jelly-bean-test-firmware/.
you are on siyah kernel right?
what you wanna do know is to get to whatever rom your flashing, forget about cmw for now.
this also might help:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1457458
So it is not lost yet ? Not the brick bug ?
just to be sure:
you want me to install through Odin: Siyah-s2-v5.0.1-CWM.zip
then going back to DL mode
I flash through Odin: I9100XXLSJ_I9100OXXLS1_OXX.zip (coming from your link).
anything I'm missing (even if it seems obvious, please let me know as I'm maybe missing something important)
?
I still cannot do Factory reset... is it a problem ?
I dunno what kernel you are using, If stock 4.0.4 kernel you should flash siyah first (safe kernel, no brick bug), and then countinue flashing the ROM. Check out the brick bug thread in general SII forum for directions if you want.
BTW, Odin recognizes your phone right? Check it out, you'll get a huge long breath.
BTW 2: you don't have any kies applications running in your pc.....am I right? if so, CLOSE THEM ALL!
I did had stock 4.0.4 kernel when I first tried to follow CM9.1 wiki, and I did a factory reset through CWM... which is why I think I might have bricked it...
I have checked the brick bug thread (too late it seems...) but so far I can't be sure if I'm in this case or not as they say they can't even reach DL mode, and I can.
Odin recognizes my phone, yes, but anything I flash is stuck on the animated logo.
I do not have Kies installed, just installed the drivers.
Not my first time to root and install a custom rom on other phone, but this phone isn't treating me well.
So I followed the root guides to root the phone.
Downloaded an insecure kernel for i9100. Although, oddly enough, I bought this phone 2nd hand, and when I went to the "about" part for the kernel look up before tried to root it, the kernel info just contained ICS3.?? (forgot) and the date. There was no four or five letter kernel code like I've been seeing. But according to cnet (one of many rooting tutorials), the kernel version doesn't matter as you can change the kernel anytime, or after rooting in this case.
So I installed Kies to get the Samsung drivers installed. Done.
Restarted phone to download mode (volume down, home, power)
Started Odin 3 v1.83
Phone was recognized. Click the 2 boxes (Auto reboot and F. Rest Time).
Clicked PDA, loaded up an insecure kernel.
Status went through OK, ended up with "Pass!"
Phone automatically restarted.
Now the problem. It restarts, shows the Samsung Galaxy S2 logo with the big triangle underneath it, and thats it. Never leaves this screen. I thought maybe it's a kernel problem, so I tried several different insecure kernels, all with no change. I have no idea how to find what kernel was the original one that came with this phone. Would using Odin with the original secure kernel (or even insecure) solve this problem? Otherwise, what else can I do? My note 2 was stolen so I bought this s2 second hand until I can scrape up enough money for a note 2 again, but the damn thing won't even boot up now. :crying:
How can I get this working again, even to have it stock again I'd be fine (though obviously putting on a custom room with root would be best).
Well you dont seem to mention what you have tried after flashing your kernel?
Have you tried going into download or recovery mode, do they work? If so simply flash another kernel or rom.
Also, I my be wrong but there isnt a China i9100 afaik so you may have flashed incorrect kernel so system isnt booting.
Remove battery and tell/show us what label says.
TheATHEiST said:
Well you dont seem to mention what you have tried after flashing your kernel?
Have you tried going into download or recovery mode, do they work? If so simply flash another kernel or rom.
Also, I my be wrong but there isnt a China i9100 afaik so you may have flashed incorrect kernel so system isnt booting.
Remove battery and tell/show us what label says.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There wasn't much to try, at least as far as my noob self knows about. I tried flashing 6 other kernels I found, merely taking guesses at which might possibly be the Chinese s2 one, I remember from flashing other phones that i had to look for Z or D in the kernel ID. But all of them just led to the same problem of not booting past the logo screen.
Besides just trying to start it up as normal (which doesn't work) and starting it up in download (by holding down vol+home+power), what others ways can I start it up? I don't know how to boot into recovery, and I didn't know I can flash a rom without first rooting it, which I haven't done yet because it's still stuck in start-up.
Searching enough xda threads and just googling seems show a pretty large consensus supporting the existance of a China i9100, plus I see them everywhere (as well as s3, s4, and notes), so I'm 99% sure they are an official and semi-large market for them here (after iPhones unfortunately). But even still, that doesn't help me locate the original kernel.
Under the battery, is says this:
Samsung WCDMA
Model #: GT-I9100
CMIIT ID: 2011CP2751
Do these help? So is any of the steps I did wrong, or can you otherwise point me in the right direction? Appreciate the help.
Don't post your IMEI (or your SN for that matter).
MistahBungle said:
Don't post your IMEI (or your SN for that matter).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the tip MistahBungle. Edited out.
Hate to say it, but found more help on youtube... Found a guide that walked me through replacing all the files (not just kernel) in Odin that got it back up and running. I'll follow the xda guides again and hopefully it'll work this time... Thanks anyways...
Hello everyone.
As the title says I recently got my hands on a Samsung Vibrant. I have it from a friend who just left the apartment we lived in together for 5 months as she didn't need it anymore. It currently has a MIUI ROM on it and I'd like to change it to sada23's unofficial CM 11.0
The problem is however that my only previous experience with flashing ROM was with a Samsung Galaxy Chat when I slapped Jelly Bean on it which was only released in a few countries. So I went right ahead but found the amount of things I have to do overwhelming compared to when I just used ODIN on the old phone.
I'm trying to tell what the current status is of the phone and this is what I've been able to come up with so far. (also after googling what everything is and does lol)
- MIUI present so custom ROM install definitely possible
- When I booted into recovery mode I saw it has: "Semaphore CWM Recovery v6.0.1.9" (which I presume is outdated)
- BY default the MIUI ROM apparently has a superuser app (which lead me to think that the device is rooted), however everytime I try to use an app that requires root I encounter errors.
I just did a backup using the recovery mode with semaphore cause I saw this is usually a first step in all the guides I've read. However from here on out I am completely clueless on what to do because all the guides were so different from eachother and I have a feeling my phone is in a vague situation. (root/not rooted?)
So I was hoping someone here could point me into the right direction and help me get to CM from MIUI. Thank you in advance.
I'll be following this thread.. kinda in a similar situation. Although a bit worse. I had an old vibrant in a drawer from years back in mint condish!.. last thing I did was root and install recovery. Unfortunately I'm a stooge and without thinking threw a 4.4 rom zip on the phone.. booted to recovery and cleaned and tried to flash.. bottom line i'm in a bootloop now... and I gave up when odin wasn't detecting the phone.. I"ll figure that out eventually, but it would be great to just have a 4.4 Odin tar for a quick and painless install... or at least a tar from a 4.0 with root and recovery to make the 4.4 upgrade easy.
Also would be interested in knowing if the 4.4 roms work well.. Gps will be most important to me since I plan to use this as my jogging phone.
alrighty.. let's get this party started!
Edit - I think the best thing for you to do is odin back to stock then root install custom bootloader and then flash your new rom, I've heard that you can go straight to kk from stock but the guy who posted above me has problems because of that so I would try flashing an ICS ROM for the recovery first, and don't forget to make a nandroid backup
You can find all the files and programs you'll ever need here http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1982728 in NOOB_IN_NEED 'S ref thread
Hope I was of some help if I was hit the thanks button
sent from the depths of paradise - Jamaica
using SGH-T959
ROM: unofficial CM11 4.4.4 by sada
Kernel: stock