My experiences with the Verizon Galaxy S4 - Verizon Samsung Galaxy S 4

I started with a “refurb” phone from our insurance company, glass got broke on my first S4 that accidentally got updated to ME7. Came with MDK happily.
First step for me was to put the phone in Airplane Mode after I went through setup. This step was to ensure that the ME7 OTA didn’t come in without me noticing. After in Airplane mode, I set up my Wi-Fi to get Titanium Backup on the phone. At this point, the OTA attempted to load anyway, I stopped it from downloading by turning off Wi-Fi, this caused the download to fail and not flash ME7. I have Premium TBU so I was able to freeze both SDM and SEAndroid. This stopped the update from coming in at all. There is another free App that does the same thing, if anyone wants to enlighten me I’ll just add the name here.
Start rooting by visiting this stickied post in the Android Development Section. This walks you through root and has all the files and instructions needed to do so. BIG thanks to open1your1eyes0 for such a thorough walkthrough. http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2381382. Just a FYI when rooting MDK and then flashing the MD2 kernel, it doesn’t change in the About Phone settings area, still reads MDK. Running motochopper as per the instructions will work. The phone will then NAG you about the fact that it’s rooted unless you froze SEAndroid.
You then can flash custom recovery, this can be done easily by downloading Rom Manager for CWM or Goo Manager for TWRP from Play Store. I used Goo Manager and flashed the newest TWRP. The thing I noticed was that TWRP was extremely slow loading up. After flashing Hyperdrive and a few reboots, it seems to have settled down.

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[Q] Galaxy S4 Can't install custom recovery issue

So my Galaxy S4 has been rooted for over 2 months now. I had heard about a move to SD card update on OTA and had to install it, I originally had TWRP recovery installed with custom backups. But when I went back to a stock backup and attempted to take the update it wouldn't allow me to with a 410 error. I flashed a file through Odin replacing TWRP with stock recovery (still couldn't install the OTA updates) And finally installed the updates through my pc on a Verizon software. I had lost root and got it back an hour later, but now I can't get TWRP back to flash a few mods. (Getting rid of annoying Wifi bar, sound boost, Wifi toggle) Any advice? When I try to install TWRP through GooManager it boots into download Odin mode. And I don't even have access to Odin anymore, I tried to flash back through Odin and it keeps saying Auth fail. Any advice would be appreciated. Feeling kinda lost here, Searched all over the threads and came up with nothing. Just feels less safe with my galaxy s4 without anyway to back it up if anything goes wrong.
Model Number SCH-I545
Android Version: 4.2.2
Baseband Version: VRUAME7
Secure boot status: Samsung
Thanks in advance.
DemonSoul1996 said:
So my Galaxy S4 has been rooted for over 2 months now. I had heard about a move to SD card update on OTA and had to install it, I originally had TWRP recovery installed with custom backups. But when I went back to a stock backup and attempted to take the update it wouldn't allow me to with a 410 error. I flashed a file through Odin replacing TWRP with stock recovery (still couldn't install the OTA updates) And finally installed the updates through my pc on a Verizon software. I had lost root and got it back an hour later, but now I can't get TWRP back to flash a few mods. (Getting rid of annoying Wifi bar, sound boost, Wifi toggle) Any advice? When I try to install TWRP through GooManager it boots into download Odin mode. And I don't even have access to Odin anymore, I tried to flash back through Odin and it keeps saying Auth fail. Any advice would be appreciated. Feeling kinda lost here, Searched all over the threads and came up with nothing. Just feels less safe with my galaxy s4 without anyway to back it up if anything goes wrong.
Model Number SCH-I545
Android Version: 4.2.2
Baseband Version: VRUAME7
Secure boot status: Samsung
Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Don't know how you came up with nothing cause its posted all over the place. I hate to say it but you should have read FIRST and updated second. You are now officially screwed. At the present time there is only a root method for me7. You CANNOT install any custom recovery on that firmware. They changed/locked the boot loader with that update. No flashing back to MDK, no nothing. That is why there is a sticky in the general thread called Bounty. There is about $3000 worth of donations ready to go to the first person to crack the boot loader. But ad of now, no solution. Sorry man, always read first before you OTA. Hope you enjoy you apps2sd.
Sent from a Shaftamle Galaxy S4
"Thanks Button" is always appreciated!
http://mycolorscreen.com/Shaftamle/
It's not as though this isn't well documented- it's all over the forum and should be common knowledge at this point. You now have a device on which the loki exploit has been patched. You cannot install a recovery, kernel, or rom at this point.
If there is ever another exploit discovered, I would hope you have learned a lesson about die diligence and blindly flashing updates without having an inkling about what the update entails. Had you done your die diligence, you would have not only known about the patched bootloader, you would have also known how utterly useless the "apps to sd" feature is.
Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk 4 Beta
Wasn't just the App 2 SD I also wanted to leave hyperdrive to go back to stock. Hyperdrive would constantly crash when I run the OTA app. And S health wouldn't properly count correctly (Not that S healths important) But still a minor bug. I appreciate everyone's response, and will be keeping an eye out for the next exploit (if). Least I won't be spending all day browsing for a way to install a custom recovery. And SQLite Editor helped remove the Wifi annoying notification and added a wifi toggle. (main things I wanted to mod) And I am pretty sure there is a way around the sound increase without flashing. Anyways, sorry I was dumb and wasted 5 minutes of your guys time. And thanks for the advice. Will leave a small 20$ tip to the donations also.. xD

[Q] Help Wanted: revert SG4 to ME7

I had ME7 and rooted that, MODded some stuff, tweaked settings, disabled/froze bloatware... and everything was fine. Stable, fast enough.
Then I allowed (because I couldn't stand the constant Update Nag!!!) the MI1 update and DeLaVega Rooted that and things have been unstable since. Seemingly random apps are crashing and occasionally causing rebooting, sometimes it needs the battery pulled. The most critical app, and the one that leads to reboots the most, is Google Maps Nav - the one app I need most.
I am thinking I would like to revert to factory stock ME7, then re-root it, and maybe TWRP (and I have Titanium). There's nothing in MJ7 I need or want and I don't trust MI1 (it was out what... three weeks?)
I would do this myself but I can seem to find a ME7 Image that WIPES and unroots the phone.
It would probably help if someone would explain a bit more how the pieces work. I gather there's a bootloader, a kernal, the ROM and user data. Rooting deals with the boot cycle, the kernal is the main OS, the ROM contains OS layer above the kernal along with system apps and such. Obviously, those three have to get along. So my question is, if I used DeLaVega to root MI1, Can I just flash a non-wipe ME7 ROM? It seesm to me that the MI1 root tool would not get along with the ME7 ROM -- is that right?
BTW, I'm not a ROMmer. I get how ODIN works but I've never flashed anything (via Odin) to my phone(s) other than that MI1 root image (and WHY/WHAT is that 1.3gb?!? The ME7 exploit was a few KB)
Thank you VERY MUCH in advance for explanations, links and so on.
-- Bear
lordbear said:
I had ME7 and rooted that, MODded some stuff, tweaked settings, disabled/froze bloatware... and everything was fine. Stable, fast enough.
Then I allowed (because I couldn't stand the constant Update Nag!!!) the MI1 update and DeLaVega Rooted that and things have been unstable since. Seemingly random apps are crashing and occasionally causing rebooting, sometimes it needs the battery pulled. The most critical app, and the one that leads to reboots the most, is Google Maps Nav - the one app I need most.
I am thinking I would like to revert to factory stock ME7, then re-root it, and maybe TWRP (and I have Titanium). There's nothing in MJ7 I need or want and I don't trust MI1 (it was out what... three weeks?)
I would do this myself but I can seem to find a ME7 Image that WIPES and unroots the phone.
It would probably help if someone would explain a bit more how the pieces work. I gather there's a bootloader, a kernal, the ROM and user data. Rooting deals with the boot cycle, the kernal is the main OS, the ROM contains OS layer above the kernal along with system apps and such. Obviously, those three have to get along. So my question is, if I used DeLaVega to root MI1, Can I just flash a non-wipe ME7 ROM? It seesm to me that the MI1 root tool would not get along with the ME7 ROM -- is that right?
BTW, I'm not a ROMmer. I get how ODIN works but I've never flashed anything (via Odin) to my phone(s) other than that MI1 root image (and WHY/WHAT is that 1.3gb?!? The ME7 exploit was a few KB)
Thank you VERY MUCH in advance for explanations, links and so on.
-- Bear
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
as for as i know there is no method to downgrade once you have taken an update, not even with ODIN. once you take an OTA or update it you are stuck with it, you cannot go backwords
th3bl3d said:
as for as i know there is no method to downgrade once you have taken an update, not even with ODIN. once you take an OTA or update it you are stuck with it, you cannot go backwords
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+1.
Now the only thing I can say is backup using TI and do a FDR (factory data reset).
This should clean up your issue. You will not lose root.
After that restore your apps one at a time and by all means make sure you *DO NOT* take the MJ7 update.
You think you are stuck now????
I have MI1 and it's rock solid with no crashes.
I have all the bloat frozen or disabled.
My phone never reboots or hangs.
tech_head said:
+1.
Now the only thing I can say is backup using TI and do a FDR (factory data reset).
This should clean up your issue. You will not lose root.
After that restore your apps one at a time and by all means make sure you *DO NOT* take the MJ7 update.
You think you are stuck now????
I have MI1 and it's rock solid with no crashes.
I have all the bloat frozen or disabled.
My phone never reboots or hangs.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I did FDR twice. Turned off restore of Google stuff during setup wizard, turned of AutoUpdate in Store so I could control what apps loaded, too.
After first FDR it appears I still had root. I think that MAYBE something went funky because I was rooted on ME7, let MI1 come via OTA, then DeLaVega'ed that. I just don't know.
Now, I have a different phone, I am going to need to UNroot and FDR the phone I will send back. Haven't found info on UNroot for Mi1/DeLaVega yet. I've seen ROMs for ME7-nowipe and MJ7-wipe.
Thanks
Bear
lordbear said:
I did FDR twice. Turned off restore of Google stuff during setup wizard, turned of AutoUpdate in Store so I could control what apps loaded, too.
After first FDR it appears I still had root. I think that MAYBE something went funky because I was rooted on ME7, let MI1 come via OTA, then DeLaVega'ed that. I just don't know.
Now, I have a different phone, I am going to need to UNroot and FDR the phone I will send back. Haven't found info on UNroot for Mi1/DeLaVega yet. I've seen ROMs for ME7-nowipe and MJ7-wipe.
Thanks
Bear
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Look at this thread. -> http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2301259

[Q] Could use a little help...I545 Have not taken Lollipop OTA

I've had my VZ S4 since sometime around Dec of 2013. Previously was on a DroidX, I've really honestly never had any problems rooting or installing custom rom's on my phones (A BIG THANK YOU TO ALL OF YOU HERE that made that possible) so I'm not a noob...but I'm not an expert either. I usually wait and read a lot of threads, follow the instructions and I've always been good to go. My S4 started at MK2, (took the OTA right out of the box, now I now better ) and with the help of K1mu's post on rooting the S4 with Saferoot everything went off with out a hitch (thank you!!). After successfully rooting the phone, I installed Safestrap, backed up the stock rom slot, created a custom rom slot and installed Hyperdrive 11...everything is working flawlessly.
So fast forward a year to KitKat I returned to XDA...read and read and read and followed the Dev's instructions and was good to go again. I know it involved Safestrap-I545-3.75-KitKat-A03.apk, TowelRoot, Odin and ALL_VZW_I545VRUFNC5_I545VZWFNC5_1151670_REV06_user_low_ship_Multi_Cert_Tar.md5. Definitely was one of muniz_ri post. Any way I basically used Odin...flashed back to factory stock followed muniz_ri post and was good to go again with KitKat(Thank You!!)
So now to the present, about a week or so ago I had an OTA screen pop asking to update, it actually showed 2 updates available (don't know if there is a log in the S4 that keeps track of the updates). So I came back here of course and started reading and reading and reading...and I was ready to begin the process in this thread by muniz_ri: http://forum.xda-developers.com/gal...-to-update-to-i545oc1-5-0-1-keeproot-t3096558 which again I am sure would have went flawlessly. Then I had an accident...I had been dismissing the update (it popped up a lot ) when the unthinkable happened...I pressed yes, the phone went thru the update process and I don't know what update it was but it wasn't Lolllipop...so I was like phewwww, clicked on my RootCheck (JRummy) and it said Rooted 4.4.2 KitKat (NK4), SuperSu 2.46 so I figured everything was ok. Not so, I don't know what the upgrade was but I no longer have root or access to safestrap, SuperSu or any apps that require root...and this is where I need guidance from the masters. I have a TWRP/Safestrap back up (stock-2014-12-08--19-33-37 KOT49H.I545VRUFNK1) from right after rooting for KitKat, nothing else...just root I'm pretty sure of that. So what would be the best way to fix? Is there a way to re-root the phone in it's present condition? Can I use the TWRP back up some how with out SafeStrap? How far back can I down grade with Odin using a VWZ factory image? Any idea what happened with the update prior to Lollipop? Sorry if this was long winded, just trying to figure out the best way moving forward. I don't really care about the data on the phone. Before going forward I'll do A Keis back up of the stuff I want to save. I appreciate any help/answers/suggestions...Jinx

MAYDAY! Verizon update brick- Recovery won't work as it auto installs a failed update

Hello! Sorry for my panic and sense of urgency, but I'm currently away for school and my lease is ending at the end of the month and I have no way to contact my parents, real estate agents, movers, or anything now. All I have is my phone and computer, and I haven't renewed my internet for the month so it should be shut off any day now as well.
But I was running Lollipop (OC1) and rooted my phone the other day with the terrible KingRoot. I attempted to use this app that was supposed to remove KingRoot and replace it with SuperUser but it only removed KingRoot - nothing else. So I lost root access, but still had all the KingRoot crap on my phone. Today a Verizon update appeared on my phone and I clicked install - I didn't think anything of it because it wasn't a major OS upgrade, just a small patch. Plus I thought it'd help remove KingRoot. Uh oh. I was wrong.
I installed the update, it went into recovery and then attempted to install. next thing I know all I see is a black screen. I tried pulling the battery and rebooting it, but I can't get passed the Samsung logo - it just goes to a black screen (but I believe it's still on, draining battery). If I try to boot into recovery it INSTANTLY starts auto-installing this update, which it of course always fails to do and gives me an error message.
My brother said I need to use 'ADB' but he's busy and can't email me much more information. I'm entirely lost, panicked, and scared! I need my phone working soon. I'm assuming theres no way to 'fix' my phone - so I'm just going to have to suck it up and realize I lost everything (man I wish I saved a lot of people I was texting as contacts *face palm*). What can I do now?
P.S. If I need to install a new ROM or whatnot over this, then can I do so with a pre-rooted Lollipop ROM? That way I don't have to risk using KingRoot ever- ever again. NOTE I NEED ROOT FOR WiFi TETHER! My internet is being shut off very soon, so to get by in the meantime I planned on using my phone and its tether.
No... You need internet access..
BUT... If you backed up everything to the external SD, then you can regain contacts..
Otherwise, Any attempt to fix it won't do anything...
ADB won't work on this phone either...
What you need to do is download a program called Odin, and a OC1 stock tar... That will recover your phone, but you will lose all contacts unless you had the Verizon contact thing...
I had the exact same experience as you yesterday... I had to put my phone in Download mode and start fresh with the Verizon Software Update Assistant. All I really cared about was my pictures, and they were on the external SD card. The other response about using ODIN to go back to OC1 works just as well... Best of luck!
Odin is your friend
Don't panic. You're contacts and other media of a similar nature are usually backed up regularly enough if you don't mess with the default sync settings of your stock rom. We can all agree Kingroot is a terrible way to root because of it's unnecessarily bloated bundle that it installs along with its super user app. To get your phone working you need to 'Odin' back to stock and from there you can root and install a custom rom. However your choices are very finite because of the new SELinux enforcing files on the OC1 build for the Verizon bootloader.
Step 1) Download Odin here ---> http://forum.xda-developers.com/gal...08-2013-odin-3-09-odin-1-85-versions-t2189539
Step 2) Download the stock OC1 Build ROM for the SCH-I545 (Verizon Galaxy S4) here ---> http://forum.xda-developers.com/galaxy-s4-verizon/development/odin-5-0-1-lollipop-oc1-t3174850
Step 3) Once the download has finished (use DownloadThemAll add-on in FireFox to boost download speed) load the tar.md5 file into Odin
using the AP button.
Step 4) Put your phone into download mode and plug it into your computer. Make sure the cables aren't loose and click start in Odin.
Step 5) Wait for the phone to reboot and for the com-slot in Odin to turn green (will say "PASS!!" when complete).
If you use KingRoot to root the phone then I suggest googling how to replace KingRoot with SuperSu and following the tutorial W0lfdroids website here ---> http://www.w0lfdroid.com/2015/05/How-to-Remove-Replace-KingUser-KingRoot-with-SuperSU.html

Help needed - Rooted S4 5.0.1 pl1 stuck on red Verison screen

I'm new to the forum. I've been lurking here for the past couple of weeks trying to piece together a way to root my SCH i545 running 5.0.1 with the pl1 update so that I might get to the point of running a custom nougat rom. Yesterday I started trying to figure out how to get a custom rom loaded on it, but got nowhere. I've never done anything like this before.
So, today I came across this thread. https://forum.xda-developers.com/galaxy-s4-verizon/general/update-1545vrsgpl1-t3537781 which linked me to the stang5litre rom. I thought I'd see if I could get that running. I downloaded kingoroot and got it rooted, confirmed by root checker. Then I downloaded SuperSU and tried to load it. I used Titanium Backup to remove the superuser, but when I tried to install the SuperSU it said that KNOX was interfering with the install. After some reading, uninstalled the KNOX using Titanium Backup and tried installing the SuperSU again. This time I got an error that said I needed to reboot. On rebooting, the phone makes it as far as the red Verizon screen and sticks.
It will still boot into the Recovery and Download modes. Can someone please tell me how to proceed from here?
Your best option is to start over by re-flashing it with stock PL1.
Then be careful during the superuser replacement process, that's when things went wrong basically breaking the system bootup.
Try using something like Super SUme to replace King with SSU.

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