[Q] [Samsung] Read Flash Counter - Android Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

Hi
I'm working on an observer app which should be able to detetect modifications on the system. Is there a way to read out the flash counter of Samsung Galaxy Devices?
I'm not interrested to reset the counter I just like to get informed if someone did it or replaced the boot.img or recovery.img.
There is an app called TriangleAway which is able to do that. Do I have to access the bootloader to get the counter?
Regards
cloooned

Related

[Q] Warranty and the download counter

Hello.
I have some questions regarding the warranty and the download counter / custom Roms
I found a counter (download mode) for non samsung installed roms.
Has the counter any impact regarding the warranty?
Is it possible to reset the counter with the USB Jig?
If i flash a custom Recovery via fastoot (http://droidbasement.com/db-blog/). Recognize the counter this as a non Samsung FW?
Greetings

[Q] Help did i reset the download counter?!

Bascially got my galaxy S2 I9100 a few weeks ago , i am pretty familiar with android and know my way about , so the first thing i did was root stock ROM with Cf Root then the second thing i did was flash the Siyah Kernel via odin then dual booted a few roms such as RR or Paranoid Android. As the Siyah kernel enables dual boot i kept my stock 4.0.3 but replaced the launcher with the touchwhiz ux launcher found on the galaxy s3. Since i have flashed various roms and also removed them ect. I have been seeing on XDA that alot of people sent their galaxy s2 to warranty and it didnt get fixed as the "download counter" showed that custom software had been obtained and flashed within the device & that one way to fix it was by downloading well known developer chainfires "Triangle Away" apk in order to remove the triangle at boot as well as reseting the download counter to 0. i am just confused as this is what i done get.
-Say i send my device for warranty and i have restored stock ics GS2 rom kernel and so on will they be able to tell without me using chainfires
"triangle away app?"
-If somehow i encounter a "softbrick" or "hardbrick" could i just buy a usb jig enter download mode, plug it in, restore counter to 0 then flash stock ics & kernel for GS2 via odin & get it fixed free by warranty?
thank alot
xiFIL said:
Bascially got my galaxy S2 I9100 a few weeks ago , i am pretty familiar with android and know my way about , so the first thing i did was root stock ROM with Cf Root then the second thing i did was flash the Siyah Kernel via odin then dual booted a few roms such as RR or Paranoid Android. As the Siyah kernel enables dual boot i kept my stock 4.0.3 but replaced the launcher with the touchwhiz ux launcher found on the galaxy s3. Since i have flashed various roms and also removed them ect. I have been seeing on XDA that alot of people sent their galaxy s2 to warranty and it didnt get fixed as the "download counter" showed that custom software had been obtained and flashed within the device & that one way to fix it was by downloading well known developer chainfires "Triangle Away" apk in order to remove the triangle at boot as well as reseting the download counter to 0. i am just confused as this is what i done get.
-Say i send my device for warranty and i have restored stock ics GS2 rom kernel and so on will they be able to tell without me using chainfires
"triangle away app?"
-If somehow i encounter a "softbrick" or "hardbrick" could i just buy a usb jig enter download mode, plug it in, restore counter to 0 then flash stock ics & kernel for GS2 via odin & get it fixed free by warranty?
thank alot
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
u could just root ur phone, install triangle away, run it, and all set.
uninstall any app that indicates that ur phone is rooted and there. also u could flash an unrooted kernel too.
when i had to live my phone at service i did this:
-used triangle away
-factory resets
-wipe dalvik and cache
-flashed via ODIN stock ICS rom
-give it to service!
pelpa87 said:
u could just root ur phone, install triangle away, run it, and all set.
uninstall any app that indicates that ur phone is rooted and there. also u could flash an unrooted kernel too.
when i had to live my phone at service i did this:
-used triangle away
-factory resets
-wipe dalvik and cache
-flashed via ODIN stock ICS rom
-give it to service!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
so when it is rooted or has a custom rom i use triangle away then-
& what do you mean factory resets? & then i flash custom stock ics? & how can i wipe dalvik cache when it is not rooted?!
xiFIL said:
so when it is rooted or has a custom rom i use triangle away then-
& what do you mean factory resets? & then i flash custom stock ics? & how can i wipe dalvik cache when it is not rooted?!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
He simple said:
When you are on a custom rom or rooted rom, use triangle away to reset the counter.
Then do a factory reset and wipe cache/dalvik cache by using custom recovery mode. (you are still rooted)
Then flash an official stock kernel via odin (it will not increase the counter)
The counter will say no and binary official and you have unrooted new firmware
with no way to know you messed around with it. Warranty reclaimed!!
aziz981 said:
He simple said:
When you are on a custom rom or rooted rom, use triangle away to reset the counter.
Then do a factory reset and wipe cache/dalvik cache by using custom recovery mode. (you are still rooted)
Then flash an official stock kernel via odin (it will not increase the counter)
The counter will say no and binary official and you have unrooted new firmware
with no way to know you messed around with it. Warranty reclaimed!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
exactly! U stated that u r on a custom rom..so i supposed u have cwmr..then u can follow the steps i mentioned
Sent from my GT-I9100 using xda premium

[Q] Restore from custom kernel, boot and ROM

Hello, everyone.
I have recently installed CF-Root and a custom ROM on my brand new Samsung Galaxy S3 i9300, but I wish to completely restore its disk, every partition, to factory default.
Should I just download the original ROM from SamMobile and flash it using download mode? Or should I use TriangleAway or something? I don't care about the counter now, I may use TriangleAway if I ever need to send my phone to service, but not now. I'm here for fun.
I appreciate your attention.
Best regards,
Filipe.
LivingPerson said:
Hello, everyone.
I have recently installed CF-Root and a custom ROM on my brand new Samsung Galaxy S3 i9300, but I wish to completely restore its disk, every partition, to factory default.
Should I just download the original ROM from SamMobile and flash it using download mode? Or should I use TriangleAway or something? I don't care about the counter now, I may use TriangleAway if I ever need to send my phone to service, but not now. I'm here for fun.
I appreciate your attention.
Best regards,
SEARCH would have answered this question asked thousands of times .
Factory default requires Triangle Away format sd card format system format cache format data = nothing on the phone all traces wiped and flash original rom via Odin.
Stock rom without setting phone back to default flash any stock rom .
jje
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've found the answer before but it didn't mention the "Recovery" (CWM) which I want to remove to.
But now everything is clear. Thank you very much, JJEgan! Sorry for the inconvenience.
JJEgan said:
LivingPerson said:
Hello, everyone.
I have recently installed CF-Root and a custom ROM on my brand new Samsung Galaxy S3 i9300, but I wish to completely restore its disk, every partition, to factory default.
Should I just download the original ROM from SamMobile and flash it using download mode? Or should I use TriangleAway or something? I don't care about the counter now, I may use TriangleAway if I ever need to send my phone to service, but not now. I'm here for fun.
I appreciate your attention.
Best regards,
SEARCH would have answered this question asked thousands of times .
Factory default requires Triangle Away format sd card format system format cache format data = nothing on the phone all traces wiped and flash original rom via Odin.
Stock rom without setting phone back to default flash any stock rom .
jje
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

Q: about the triangle and flash counter

I've been curious on how the triangle and the flash counter works. So, please consider the following scenarios and answer accordingly:
Flash a...
1. a fully stock ROM via...
a. Odin
b. Mobile Odin.
c. CWM (going from a custom ROM).
2. a modified Samsung ROM like this one http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1704185 which include very minimal stuff via...
a. CWM
b. Mobile Odin (is it even possible considering that it is a zip file?)
3. an AOSP ROM via any method.
And finally
4. If you had a triangle and then flashed a stock ROM does it disappear?
Thank you guys and I would be very grateful if you answer these questions.
There is no triangle on SGS3, only the flash counter (and a device status in phone settings)
Flashing with odin will increase your flash counter except if you're flashing a stock rom from Samsung
Flashing with mobile odin will not increase your flash counter
Flashing with CWM should not increase your flash counter
If you flash a stock rom, it will not reset your flash counter
You can reset your flash counter with triangle away (need root) from chainfire BUT you will have to reflash a stock rom in order to reset the device status
Mopral said:
There is no triangle on SGS3, only the flash counter (and a device status in phone settings)
Flashing with odin will increase your flash counter except if your flashing a stock rom from Samsung
Flashing with mobile odin will not increase your flash counter
Flashing with CWM should not increase your flash counter
If you flash a stock rom, it will not reset your flash counter
You can reset your flash counter with triangle away (need root) from chainfire BUT you will have to reflash a stock rom in order to reset the device status
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you very much. I was under the illusion that it had a triangle like SGS2.
yes the s2 has the triangle
the s3 doesnt
but if u want to reset the costume binary counter u can use the triangle away app

if i install roms via CWM it add binary counting?

guys,
if i install roms via CWM it add binary counting?
same question about Odin...
plz suggest...
Somehow i have now 1 counted already
Using CWM won't increase your binary counter, but using Odin will :
Counter is increased each time you flash something (ROM, kernel, ...) using download mode (and Odin). As CWM is in recovery mode, it won't increase binary counter.
If you want to reset your counter, you can use TriangleAway ( http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1494114 ), but it's a highly unrecommended operation if you don't plan to return your phone for warranty.
Maxypy said:
Using CWM won't increase your binary counter, but using Odin will :
Counter is increased each time you flash something (ROM, kernel, ...) using download mode (and Odin). As CWM is in recovery mode, it won't increase binary counter.
If you want to reset your counter, you can use TriangleAway ( http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1494114 ), but it's a highly unrecommended operation if you don't plan to return your phone for warranty.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i've installed JB leak ending 4 (one before the last one) using ODIN so now i've counter... well hopefully i wont need give it to warranty... if i will ever need to..i hope there will be more friendly counter reset mathod by then
tnx!!
I want update my JB into this version:
GT-I9300_I9300XXDLI5-OTA-I9300XXBLG8_BTU_297701247.ZIP
I can use odin to install this ZIP OTA?
Thanks!
rommark said:
i've installed JB leak ending 4 (one before the last one) using ODIN so now i've counter... well hopefully i wont need give it to warranty... if i will ever need to..i hope there will be more friendly counter reset mathod by then
tnx!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Triangle away is very friendly. Just read a little. And if you are rooted or have recovery installed, your binary counter is more than 0
Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 2
rommark said:
guys,
if i install roms via CWM it add binary counting?
same question about Odin...
plz suggest...
Somehow i have now 1 counted already
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Binary counter only increases if you change the recovery image or kernel image using odin.
Use odin to add cwm... Then use triangle away to reset your counter and then always flash via cwm... Your counter will stay at 0
Sent from someone in the Milky Way
zoot1 said:
Binary counter only increases if you change the recovery image or kernel image using odin.
Use odin to add cwm... Then use triangle away to reset your counter and then always flash via cwm... Your counter will stay at 0
Sent from someone in the Milky Way
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
^^What he said ^^.
I don't really care about the binary count. Although it is a good practice to keep it at zero, in case your phone breaks and you have to return for warranty.
(Good discussion but it could have been posted in q&a section)
☞ sent from GS3 or Nexus

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