Related
Current setup - stock - 4.0.4 - I have not made any modifications to this phone so far other than upgrading it from GB OTA. It is the standard unlocked SIM free UK/Irelend edition.
PDA: I9100XWLPT
PHONE: I9100XXLQ6
CSC: I9100XEULPA
I am interested in trying the stock leaked version of 4.1.2 - actually I'm fed up with waiting for the official release which always seems to be "coming in the very near future" but never arrives.
I have read around extensively on this site and others about how to do this, but still have some questions that I would be grateful if someone could answer.
1. Brick bug - I have run eMMC check and it reports that it reports: NO. Sane chip. Does this mean that I have nothing to fear regarding factory resets/data wiping on 4.0.4?
2. Some mention that USB debugging should be checked - others make not mention of it at all. Should USB debugging be checked in this case when going up to 4.1.2 or back down to 4.0.4?
3. Should the SIM card be removed before flashing with odin or is it alright to leave it in?
4. When the phone reboots after flashing 4.1.2 with odin, some tutorials do nothing and let the phone reboot - others suggest removing the battery as it begins to reboot and then booting into stock recovery mode and doing a factory reset, wipe cache. Some even say also wipe dalvik cache. Is this battery removal step necessary? Or should the phone be left to attempt to boot and if the process hangs enter recovery and reset/wipe cache?
5. I have read in a couple of cases that the SIM lock has been activated after this flashing procedure on a previously unlocked phone. I have found an unlock apk on this forum that can resolve this issue. But why does it happen? How common is this problem?
6. In my 4.1.2 download from Sammobile there are 2 files that are not mentioned in the articles I have read. emmc_EXT4_16GB.pit and emmc_EXT4_32GB.pit - what are these for? Are they needed for this procedure?
7. How long should the reboot process take after the flashing is complete? - or after how long should I start to get worried if it seems to be stuck?
8. If I wish to return to stock 4.0.4 (here the brick bug is the problem yes?)- is the procedure the same as flashing 4.1.2? And if I do go back to 4.0.4 stock will the phone work with KIES again?
9. I have odin 3.07 - is this version appropriate for this procedure?
dimbo33 said:
Current setup - stock - 4.0.4 - I have not made any modifications to this phone so far other than upgrading it from GB OTA. It is the standard unlocked SIM free UK/Irelend edition.
PDA: I9100XWLPT
PHONE: I9100XXLQ6
CSC: I9100XEULPA
I am interested in trying the stock leaked version of 4.1.2 - actually I'm fed up with waiting for the official release which always seems to be "coming in the very near future" but never arrives.
I have read around extensively on this site and others about how to do this, but still have some questions that I would be grateful if someone could answer.
1. Brick bug - I have run eMMC check and it reports that it reports: NO. Sane chip. Does this mean that I have nothing to fear regarding factory resets/data wiping on 4.0.4?
Yes. If you have the sane/safe chip no need to worry.
2. Some mention that USB debugging should be checked - others make not mention of it at all. Should USB debugging be checked in this case when going up to 4.1.2 or back down to 4.0.4?
Doesn't matter whether it is on or off. It's just for debugging. I usually keep it on since you don't know when it might be useful. There is no harm in keeping it ticked.
3. Should the SIM card be removed before flashing with odin or is it alright to leave it in?
No need to remove sim card.
4. When the phone reboots after flashing 4.1.2 with odin, some tutorials do nothing and let the phone reboot - others suggest removing the battery as it begins to reboot and then booting into stock recovery mode and doing a factory reset, wipe cache. Some even say also wipe dalvik cache. Is this battery removal step necessary? Or should the phone be left to attempt to boot and if the process hangs enter recovery and reset/wipe cache?
After flashing, your phone will restart. If it doesn't go past the samsung logo, you'll need to pull out the battery, reinsert it, boot into recovery and perform a factory reset. Wiping cache and dalvik isn't necessary. However, if you do boot into recovery (which most certainly you'll have to, to do the data wipe), it takes less than 15 seconds to wipe the cache and dalvik.
5. I have read in a couple of cases that the SIM lock has been activated after this flashing procedure on a previously unlocked phone. I have found an unlock apk on this forum that can resolve this issue. But why does it happen? How common is this problem?
I believe it's designed to be that way. However, I am not sure about this one. Sorry.
6. In my 4.1.2 download from Sammobile there are 2 files that are not mentioned in the articles I have read. emmc_EXT4_16GB.pit and emmc_EXT4_32GB.pit - what are these for? Are they needed for this procedure?
No need for the .pit files. Better avoid them at all costs.
7. How long should the reboot process take after the flashing is complete? - or after how long should I start to get worried if it seems to be stuck?
Don't worry. You'll know when to worry ... Taking upto 5 minutes is perhaps normal. After that, update here if you think there is a problem.
8. If I wish to return to stock 4.0.4 (here the brick bug is the problem yes?)- is the procedure the same as flashing 4.1.2? And if I do go back to 4.0.4 stock will the phone work with KIES again?
Yes, and yes.
9. I have odin 3.07 - is this version appropriate for this procedure?
Better use v1.83 or v1.85. I've read a complaint against the latest one. Old is gold in some cases
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've replied under every question. Didn't want to quote the whole thing then write my answers, or scroll up and down continuously. Good luck and don't worry
Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk 2
Spiralzz said:
I've replied under every question. Didn't want to quote the whole thing then write my answers, or scroll up and down continuously. Good luck and don't worry
Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for your answers. I appreciate it. I've done this kind of thing loads of times on other types of device, but I'm always nervous as hell when it's the first time and don't want any holes in my understanding of the process.
dimbo33 said:
Current setup - stock - 4.0.4 - I have not made any modifications to this phone so far other than upgrading it from GB OTA. It is the standard unlocked SIM free UK/Irelend edition.
PDA: I9100XWLPT
PHONE: I9100XXLQ6
CSC: I9100XEULPA
I am interested in trying the stock leaked version of 4.1.2 - actually I'm fed up with waiting for the official release which always seems to be "coming in the very near future" but never arrives.
I have read around extensively on this site and others about how to do this, but still have some questions that I would be grateful if someone could answer.
1. Brick bug - I have run eMMC check and it reports that it reports: NO. Sane chip. Does this mean that I have nothing to fear regarding factory resets/data wiping on 4.0.4?
2. Some mention that USB debugging should be checked - others make not mention of it at all. Should USB debugging be checked in this case when going up to 4.1.2 or back down to 4.0.4?
3. Should the SIM card be removed before flashing with odin or is it alright to leave it in?
4. When the phone reboots after flashing 4.1.2 with odin, some tutorials do nothing and let the phone reboot - others suggest removing the battery as it begins to reboot and then booting into stock recovery mode and doing a factory reset, wipe cache. Some even say also wipe dalvik cache. Is this battery removal step necessary? Or should the phone be left to attempt to boot and if the process hangs enter recovery and reset/wipe cache?
5. I have read in a couple of cases that the SIM lock has been activated after this flashing procedure on a previously unlocked phone. I have found an unlock apk on this forum that can resolve this issue. But why does it happen? How common is this problem?
6. In my 4.1.2 download from Sammobile there are 2 files that are not mentioned in the articles I have read. emmc_EXT4_16GB.pit and emmc_EXT4_32GB.pit - what are these for? Are they needed for this procedure?
7. How long should the reboot process take after the flashing is complete? - or after how long should I start to get worried if it seems to be stuck?
8. If I wish to return to stock 4.0.4 (here the brick bug is the problem yes?)- is the procedure the same as flashing 4.1.2? And if I do go back to 4.0.4 stock will the phone work with KIES again?
9. I have odin 3.07 - is this version appropriate for this procedure?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Firstly,
Idk exactly about USB debugging but what i do know is that...
"USB Debugging is intended for development purposes only. It can be used to copy data between your computer and your device, install applications on your device without notification, and read log data." A few apps use it, like the aforementioned PdaNet app. USB Debugging can also be used with ADB when issuing commands from a command line on your computer to your Android handset or tablet. One-Click root apps often require USB Debugging to be enabled to deliver the exploit that roots your device.
SIM card wouldn't affect anything, so it doesn't matter if you leave it in the phone..
After Flashing the JB, first check whether the phone goes into boot loop or anything like that....if you experience any problems then do the factory reset, wipe cache...though its usually recommended to factory reset anyways..
I don't think we need to flash the "emmc_EXT4_16GB.pit" or the other pit file..
The reboot process shouldn't take more than 5-10 minutes max..
Well i have gone from custom ROM 4.1.2 XXLSJ back to the stock 4.0.4 using the usual flashing steps of ODIN....I didn't experience any problems..
If its anything above Odin3v1.85 it shouldn't be a problem...
Press thanx if i helped..
Is there any need to do any factory reset/cache wiping from recovery before flashing 4.1.2?
I guess that when I flashed jb leak I had all those questions, and maybe a couple of more.
Then I read about Mobile Odin, flashed & rooted my device in half a smoke (3 mins). All I had to do was select the 3 tar files.
The flash did network lock my device. Galaxysim Unlock solved it for me.
good luck and happy flashing.
dimbo33 said:
Is there any need to do any factory reset/cache wiping from recovery before flashing 4.1.2?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Only once. Either before flashing the ROM, or after. Order doesn't matter.
Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk 2
Spiralzz said:
Only once. Either before flashing the ROM, or after. Order doesn't matter.
Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I would imagine then it's better to do it whilst on 4.0.4 prior to flashing (since I have the sane chip) so that you don't get the possible failed boot after flashing 4.1.2 with odin.
So after doing the wipes in recovery prior to flashing, is the phone turned off by a long press of the power button?
dimbo33 said:
I would imagine then it's better to do it prior to flashing so that you don't get the possible failed boot after flashing 4.1.2 with odin.
So after doing the wipes in recovery prior to flashing, is the phone turned off by a long press of the power button?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, I don't think so. Come to think of it, I've never tried that A battery pull works though
Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk 2
Spiralzz said:
No, I don't think so. Come to think of it, I've never tried that A battery pull works though
Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Do you mean it's not better to factory reset before flashing or the long press doesn't turn off the phone from recovery (in which case best to pull the battery out)?
dimbo33 said:
I would imagine then it's better to do it whilst on 4.0.4 prior to flashing (since I have the sane chip) so that you don't get the possible failed boot after flashing 4.1.2 with odin.
So after doing the wipes in recovery prior to flashing, is the phone turned off by a long press of the power button?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well since your flashing 4.0.4 its pretty much a must to also install custom kernel to avoid possible silly bricks by wiping data.
So simply flash rom via odin and then do same for custom kernel like Siyah and then reboot into kernel and wipe data/factory reset and you're off
TheATHEiST said:
Well since your flashing 4.0.4 its pretty much a must to also install custom kernel to avoid possible silly bricks by wiping data.
So simply flash rom via odin and then do same for custom kernel like Siyah and then reboot into kernel and wipe data/factory reset and you're off
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sane chip, he's already off.
gastonw said:
Sane chip, he's already off.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah didnt notice OP was on sane chip. Was speaking more in general though anyway.
TheATHEiST said:
Yeah didnt notice OP was on sane chip. Was speaking more in general though anyway.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sometimes I dream my phone is bricked or scracthed. This Q&A thing might be messing with my head.
gastonw said:
Sometimes I dream my phone is bricked or scracthed. This Q&A thing might be messing with my head.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
:laugh:
gastonw said:
Sometimes I dream my phone is bricked or scracthed. This Q&A thing might be messing with my head.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I know what you mean. I haven't even done this procedure yet and I'm dreaming of bricked phones/ corrupted IMEIs etc.
Probably a bit melodramatic I know.
It did occur to me that instead of flashing stock 4.1.2 from stock 4.0.4, it may be better to flash the Siyah kernel to my current 4.0.4. This way I can back up efs, do a nandroid and titanium - before embarking on fully fledged ROM flashing etc.
What do you think?
dimbo33 said:
I know what you mean. I haven't even done this procedure yet and I'm dreaming of bricked phones/ corrupted IMEIs etc.
Probably a bit melodramatic I know.
It did occur to me that instead of flashing stock 4.1.2 from stock 4.0.4, it may be better to flash the Siyah kernel to my current 4.0.4. This way I can back up efs, do a nandroid and titanium - before embarking on fully fledged ROM flashing etc.
What do you think?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well...the beauty of flashing is that you can do both Stock & Custom. You can also Dual Boot if you want.
My advice is this:
1) Always Back up EFS folder (HC-ktool is a good app for that).
2) Get Titanium Back up Pro.
3) Flash CMW or Flash siyah, it can't never hurt (well, if you go JB leak, might wanna try usin stock kernel first and the flash a custom kernel)
4) Get mobile odin Pro (so you can flash as many stock ROMs as you like, with the chance of getting bricked or soft bricked close to none + you'll always be rooted)
5) Read about ROMs features. You are the only person in the world that knows what ROM will fit your needs.
6) Start flashing.
7) If you are scared about bricks, read the bricked device's threads. That way you will know what NOT to do.
In my experience, I went jb and never came back.
Now, you really dream about IMEI, lol, that's something
I haven't flashed 4.1.2 yet. I was going to do it last night but realised I had forgotten my GPS active and the battery went flat. I took this as an omen and aborted the mission.
I've been reading around the subject for days. There seem to be so many people that encounter problems that it is difficult to have any perspective. The myriad of users that flash stuff via odin without any trouble obviously don't post that it went well - so you read 10 problem posts and never see the other thousand flashes that went without a hitch.
I also have read on xda that the leaked JB 4.1.2 is somewhat buggy. I'm not sure how buggy, but the lock screen freeze would be annoying in practice.
Again the carrot of official jb has been dangled before us - supposedly in February now.......Given that this will probably be the last official release for the S2 I might hang on and wait for it - then embark on the routing/custom ROM journey.
dimbo33 said:
I haven't flashed 4.1.2 yet. I was going to do it last night but realised I had forgotten my GPS active and the battery went flat. I took this as an omen and aborted the mission.
I've been reading around the subject for days. There seem to be so many people that encounter problems that it is difficult to have any perspective. The myriad of users that flash stuff via odin without any trouble obviously don't post that it went well - so you read 10 problem posts and never see the other thousand flashes that went without a hitch.
I also have read on xda that the leaked JB 4.1.2 is somewhat buggy. I'm not sure how buggy, but the lock screen freeze would be annoying in practice.
Again the carrot of official jb has been dangled before us - supposedly in February now.......Given that this will probably be the last official release for the S2 I might hang on and wait for it - then embark on the routing/custom ROM journey.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, you read 10 problems while flashing, right now we got 50.000 users going thru these threads, here, at XDA.
Jb is buggy, it's a leak, but too buggy? don't think so.
As for the bugs, we got plenty of people coming up with work arounds & fixes every day. In my case, I only have the lockscreen issue (let's face it, it doesn't always happens, like maybe 1 time a day and it's only for 3 seconds till the capacitive buttons light up. If you lock the screen and re unlock it with the power button, you're off. For me, it's not even an issue). I don't even remember when was the last time I had this issue, maybe 3 days ago now that I think about it.
Where's flashing, there's risk. TRUE. That's why I layed the Mobile Odin Pro option for you, that could be the best way to lose you flashing's fright.
BTW: we are getting the lime pie update, SII Plus was released just now
gastonw said:
Where's flashing, there's risk. TRUE. That's why I layed the Mobile Odin Pro option for you, that could be the best way to lose you flashing's fright.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have had a look at mobile Odin Pro and I like the look of it. Thanks for the tip. To use it I need to root the S2.
I have seen this guide http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1501719 - this seems simple. I could also flash the Siyah kernel via Odin. Which root method would you recommend? The first method seems to avoid the triangle issue - although this is not a big deal.
With a routed device I can backup efs etc before flashing anything else. Does the efs folder contain the simlock status?
Also, as you know I have been looking at the leaked jb, but perhaps it might be worth looking at neatrom 4.1.2 (or similar) instead?
I seem to get the impression that mobile Odin Pro is a safe method. Is it safer than using PC Odin?
Wow! I need some help. I've acquired a Samsung Galaxy Note (i717, I believe) that shows all the signs of being healthy (appearance, touch screen, etc.) but persistently slows down at the ATT opening splash screen, begins to load Android, dies and reboots. Whatever variant rooted ROM I received it with (sluggish and unreliable) I have written over and now I can't get any farther than the Android settings screen. Therefore I do not know the exact version nor can I begin to set it up (wifi, etc.).
That's the 'presenting problem', so let me explain what I've done to this point (about 25 hrs. worth!). I have reloaded latest version of CWM (runs great) and then Padawan JB . . . same symptoms. I have loaded the ATT JB and ICS via the latest Odin successfully . . . with same symptoms. I have loaded TWRP (touch screen is snappy and works as it should) and Padawan JB again . . . with same symptoms. I have wiped caches before, after, and in between till I'm blue in the face, each time with the same symptoms. Most recently I have done a hard reset to native/factory settings . . . with no change! I've tried to scour the XDA (and any other sites) trouble shooting articles and seem to have come to a dead end.
Here's a couple things that I'm wondering: because I can't get deep enough into Android to check out the model number, could the phone be something other than an ATT model? At the top of the front face it simply says 'Samsung', not ATT at top and Samsung at bottom like my previous ATT Note. Right after boot I persistently get an ATT splash screen which would lead me to believe that it is ATT. Is there some other way to find model, say in TWRP? Do I need a phone specific version of Android? Second, everything seems to be working fine physically (i.e., no hardware problems). Could this thing have gotten a virus in an earlier life that's preventing the ROM from working right? I've not been able to get far enough to register it with my cell provider (second party, not ATT). Must you be up and running with the cell service to correctly load and use the ROM (wouldn't think so)? And if so, how without Android working? I've been using and playing with computers for 25 years, but I'm fairly new to the Android system (but learning fast!) Any help would sure be appreciated. I'd really like to resurrect this baby. I loved my first Note (till it fell off the car and disappeared).
pstrulm said:
Wow! I need some help. I've acquired a Samsung Galaxy Note (i717, I believe) that shows all the signs of being healthy (appearance, touch screen, etc.) but persistently slows down at the ATT opening splash screen, begins to load Android, dies and reboots. Whatever variant rooted ROM I received it with (sluggish and unreliable) I have written over and now I can't get any farther than the Android settings screen. Therefore I do not know the exact version nor can I begin to set it up (wifi, etc.).
That's the 'presenting problem', so let me explain what I've done to this point (about 25 hrs. worth!). I have reloaded latest version of CWM (runs great) and then Padawan JB . . . same symptoms. I have loaded the ATT JB and ICS via the latest Odin successfully . . . with same symptoms. I have loaded TWRP (touch screen is snappy and works as it should) and Padawan JB again . . . with same symptoms. I have wiped caches before, after, and in between till I'm blue in the face, each time with the same symptoms. Most recently I have done a hard reset to native/factory settings . . . with no change! I've tried to scour the XDA (and any other sites) trouble shooting articles and seem to have come to a dead end.
Here's a couple things that I'm wondering: because I can't get deep enough into Android to check out the model number, could the phone be something other than an ATT model? At the top of the front face it simply says 'Samsung', not ATT at top and Samsung at bottom like my previous ATT Note. Right after boot I persistently get an ATT splash screen which would lead me to believe that it is ATT. Is there some other way to find model, say in TWRP? Do I need a phone specific version of Android? Second, everything seems to be working fine physically (i.e., no hardware problems). Could this thing have gotten a virus in an earlier life that's preventing the ROM from working right? I've not been able to get far enough to register it with my cell provider (second party, not ATT). Must you be up and running with the cell service to correctly load and use the ROM (wouldn't think so)? And if so, how without Android working? I've been using and playing with computers for 25 years, but I'm fairly new to the Android system (but learning fast!) Any help would sure be appreciated. I'd really like to resurrect this baby. I loved my first Note (till it fell off the car and disappeared).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, if you keep flashing an AT&T based rom, then yes, you will get an AT&T boot animation simply because it's part of the rom you are flashing.
You said "you think" you have an I717, did you take the battery off and physically look at the sticker beneath it to see the model?
Try TWRP, go to WIPE, and WIPE everything, which means checking every checkbox. Then flash a stock rom with a fresh phone (no data, nothing at all)
You said you did CWM->Padawan.. these are two totally different roms, so you should always do a factory reset whenever flashing two totally different roms.
You can't just rely on the Android->settings to see the info since roms overwrite these stuff in build.prop so if you flash a wrong rom, wrong info will show up.
Here's my advice:
1. Flash TWRP
2. Wipe in TWRP, check every checkbox
3. Flash a stock i717 rom
4. Reboot
If that doesn't work, either hardware is bad or your phone isn't for the I717 roms.
Edit:
Question, have you ever come to a point that the phone boots successfuly at all? You did mention CM works great. But you can't go from CWM->TW Based rom without factory reset in between.
fbauto1 said:
Well, if you keep flashing an AT&T based rom, then yes, you will get an AT&T boot animation simply because it's part of the rom you are flashing.
You said "you think" you have an I717, did you take the battery off and physically look at the sticker beneath it to see the model?
Try TWRP, go to WIPE, and WIPE everything, which means checking every checkbox. Then flash a stock rom with a fresh phone (no data, nothing at all)
You said you did CWM->Padawan.. these are two totally different roms, so you should always do a factory reset whenever flashing two totally different roms.
You can't just rely on the Android->settings to see the info since roms overwrite these stuff in build.prop so if you flash a wrong rom, wrong info will show up.
Here's my advice:
1. Flash TWRP
2. Wipe in TWRP, check every checkbox
3. Flash a stock i717 rom
4. Reboot
If that doesn't work, either hardware is bad or your phone isn't for the I717 roms.
Edit:
Question, have you ever come to a point that the phone boots successfuly at all? You did mention CM works great. But you can't go from CWM->TW Based rom without factory
I would reflash cwm thru odin after that I would flash the latest TWRP 2.5. Then you can flash whatever. If padawan is givin u problems try something else like AOSP or AOKP. Padawan is TW based. JaimeD builds are pretty sweet.
sent from my GalaxySuperNote running OC Padawan JB
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
androidmechanic said:
fbauto1 said:
Well, if you keep flashing an AT&T based rom, then yes, you will get an AT&T boot animation simply because it's part of the rom you are flashing.
You said "you think" you have an I717, did you take the battery off and physically look at the sticker beneath it to see the model?
Try TWRP, go to WIPE, and WIPE everything, which means checking every checkbox. Then flash a stock rom with a fresh phone (no data, nothing at all)
You said you did CWM->Padawan.. these are two totally different roms, so you should always do a factory reset whenever flashing two totally different roms.
You can't just rely on the Android->settings to see the info since roms overwrite these stuff in build.prop so if you flash a wrong rom, wrong info will show up.
Here's my advice:
1. Flash TWRP
2. Wipe in TWRP, check every checkbox
3. Flash a stock i717 rom
4. Reboot
If that doesn't work, either hardware is bad or your phone isn't for the I717 roms.
Edit:
Question, have you ever come to a point that the phone boots successfuly at all? You did mention CM works great. But you can't go from CWM->TW Based rom without factory
I would reflash cwm thru odin after that I would flash the latest TWRP 2.5. Then you can flash whatever. If padawan is givin u problems try something else like AOSP or AOKP. Padawan is TW based. JaimeD builds are pretty sweet.
sent from my GalaxySuperNote running OC Padawan JB
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you want TWRP, flash TWRP. No need to flash CWM
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
AT&T Phones have a [logo}AT&T] on the top-center!!
But if you are in doubt, use kies to do a full recovery-restore [WILL ERASE EVERYTHING ON YOUR DEVICE].
See post #4 on this thread.
fbauto1 said:
androidmechanic said:
If you want TWRP, flash TWRP. No need to flash CWM
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you go thru Odin you would have cwm first. With the problems talked about, I would go back factory stock then re-root with Odin. Then thru cwm, flash twrp or whatever floats your boat.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I717 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
androidmechanic said:
If you go thru Odin you would have cwm first. With the problems talked about, I would go back factory stock then re-root with Odin. Then thru cwm, flash twrp or whatever floats your boat.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I717 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nope. If you want TWRP, then flash TWRP via Odin. No need to go through CWM first. You can flash TWRP via Odin, you know that, right?
fbauto1 said:
Nope. If you want TWRP, then flash TWRP via Odin. No need to go through CWM first. You can flash TWRP via Odin, you know that, right?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No I didn't know that. All of the Odin programs that I dealt with flash cwm. Than for the Intel tho. :thumbup:
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I717 using xda premium
fbauto1 said:
Nope. If you want TWRP, then flash TWRP via Odin. No need to go through CWM first. You can flash TWRP via Odin, you know that, right?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
androidmechanic said:
No I didn't know that. All of the Odin programs that I dealt with flash cwm. Than for the Intel tho. :thumbup:
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I717 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
you are both actually correct, however, I am looking at PSTRULM's stats. if he is anything like me when I started, the more simple and less complication involved in the process, the more he may understand.
ANDROIDMECHANIC is stating the most basic and beginner way to do this and understand simply. after doing this a few times as I did, the basic mechanics of the process will become more fluent.
then he can make his own decisions as to methods which might be easier for him, without confusing.
I am sure you both are a huge help to everyone and I thank members such as yourself for your efforts. ME, I prefer baby steps, cause I know I can really EFF things up if I get confused
androidmechanic said:
No I didn't know that. All of the Odin programs that I dealt with flash cwm. Than for the Intel tho. :thumbup:
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I717 using xda premium
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Just a reminder.. when flashing through Odin, make sure it's an ODIN-flashable tarball, i.e., you can't flash a recovery-type zip through Odin and vice versa.
Hey all!
Wanting to upgrade my firmware from ICS to Jelly Bean (as a definite noob, though having flashed firmwares before) I opened Odin and added what I considered the correct .tar file from Sammobile in the PDA field. In short, it failed and I thought I had a new brick*. Following Phistacio's guide to fixing an unflashable GSII I've now got my phone back (woohoo!!), but am stupid enough to want to give it another go!
My question really, is what could have gone wrong, and more largely, what are the variable errors that us noobs make when trying to flash? I'm using Odin, but it seems using a CWM (is this the correct term?!) might now be the chosen route to flashing?
I'm rooted, on an unlocked GSII, recently moved from O2 to Everything Everywhere (T-Mob), currently using an O2 issued ICS, stock kernel and tried flashing Jelly Bean from Sammobile.
So what's critical here? Is my carrier relevant? Is it not possible to go from some firmwares to others? Do I need a different kernel for some firmwares? Or is my mistake in thinking it's as straight forward as I'd like, when in fact all the above make a critical difference in which firmware I can flash, and therefore I should stop trying??!
Thanks in advance for any light you can shed!
*I think I was softbricked - could enter download mode but not recovery, flashing would hang on either "Nand write start!!" or Sbl.bin or Cache.img.
my two cents
Hi joelinit,
First of all, should congratulate you on taking the first step of flashing the roms..
Second, good you got an issue while flashing. It helps you understand the intricacies better once you try to solve it yourself.
You need not worry about the brick. Try flashing back to stock rom available from sammobile using Odin(3.04). (United Kingdom (O2) 2013 March 4.1.2 PDA-I9100XWLSD CSC-I9100O2ULS7). Yes carrier is important as Modem file differs based on which carrier you use.
This will fix the recovery and will get you on stock JellyBean.
but it seems using a CWM (is this the correct term?!) might now be the chosen route to flashing?
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CWM is clockworkmod recovery which provides options for flashing custom roms(CM10, SlimRom, NeatRom etc, there are so many).
So what's critical here? Is my carrier relevant? Is it not possible to go from some firmwares to others? Do I need a different kernel for some firmwares? Or is my mistake in thinking it's as straight forward as I'd like, when in fact all the above make a critical difference in which firmware I can flash, and therefore I should stop trying??!
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Searching in sammobile for firmwares you will find different firmwares for different carriers. You can flash a UK firmware for some other country, but might have issues with call reception, 3G connectivity, etc. as the modem files are different.
It is possible to go from some firmwares to others.
Stock Roms come with Stock Kernels. When you flash a ROM, kernel will remain the same.
You need to change kernels if your phone is consuming too much battery, crashes etc. This normally happens after flashing custom roms as the kernel is not capable enough to handle the updates in the rom.
Dont stop trying, you will love your phone, once you start flashing the awesome roms,kernels found in xda.
Cheers,
Maddy
Galaxy S2 || CM10.1 nightly 4.2.2 || Dorimanx 9.24
Most of the above is good advice. ....apart from the kernel bit.......
All custom roms and firmwares come with their own optimised kernels. These kernels get flashed during the rom/firmware flash. You can choose to install a custom kernel after you have flashed your chosen rom/fw. Custom kernels offer more control over your OS. All custom kernels offer cwm or twrp (depending on the kernel) and will root an unrooted phone. Most need to be Odin flashed, but some (PhilZ) can be flashed via stock recovery........
Sent from my GT-I9100 using xda app-developers app
Hey guys! Thanks so much for the friendly replies - I thought I might have got abuse as a noob, possibly asking very repetitve questions!!
So then with my recovered GSII, I decided to give it another blast and, inevitably, it's bricked again! Seems to be the same bahaviour - though instead of hanging on either "Nand write start!!" or Sbl.bin or Cache.img., it's failing on them. And this time, I can't seem to fix it,following Phistacio's guide to fixing an unflashable GSII .
I also tried flashing that firmware you suggested (although as I mentioned, I'm now on T-Mobile, not O2? So also tried T-Mobile's Jelly Bean), though with no success.
To clarify, I've installed Kies, then closed down all Kies processes, started Odin and put the .tar file into the PDA field, left Re-Partition unchecked, with both Auto Reboot and F.Reset Time checked, connected my phone and waited for Odin to recognise it, then pressed Start!
Can you suggest anything obvious that I've done wrong or suggest what I should do next? Thanks so much in advance!
4 things to try.....
Use the original usb cable. ..
Try different usb ports on your pc....
Disable any firewalls......
If you are running windows 7, open odin as an administrator. .....
Oh and a fifth suggestion.....
Try different odin versions...
Edit.....Don't ever flash/select pit
And don't select repartition......
Sent from my GT-I9100 using xda app-developers app
These steps are originally posted by MistahBungle. Follow all these steps, he knows what he's talking about.
*Must run Odin as administrator in Windoze.
*Ensure Kies & it's processes aren't running in Windoze task manager. Kill them if they are.
*Try different USB ports; you must be using a 'powered' or mainboard port.
*Try different USB cables (particularly the cable that came with the phone if you're not using it now)
*Try different versions of Odin (search on here/Google)
*Uninstall Kies, reboot, redownload & reinstall it, reboot, try the flash again.
*Turn off antivirus/antispyware/antimalware.
*Check the rom/kernel you download for corruption. Either check the MD5 sum if you have it (use md5summer or similar), if you don't have the md5 sum or can't check it, programs like 7Zip, IZarc, WinRar, etc will allow you to 'test' the rom file you download. If there are any errors/any of the files fail the test, bad download. Try again/try downloading with a different internet connection if it keeps happening.
*Run Windoze Update.
*And if all these steps fail, try a different PC. And if it won't work first go on a 2nd PC, go thru the above steps on that PC. Still doesn't work ? User error (will be almost impossible to say what given we're not there looking over your shoulder, almost always something very obvious being missed) or borked phone - return to service centre or local mobile shop.
I suspect many cases where people (say) they do all the above & still can't get it to work involve problems with the USB ports on the machines they're using. Something along the lines of the port is unable to maintain a constant connection between PC & phone; if that connection drops for even a millisecond (probably not even long enough to be registered as a broken connection by the PC in the normal way), you end up with a constantly failing flash at best and a bad flash which borks your phone at worst.
Obviously the only way I'd be able to test the theory would be to examine/test a bunch of PC's belonging to people who experience this issue, but I've given this issue a lot of thought over the past 18 mths & it's the best explanation I've got for those instances where people are being completely honest about having tried all the steps over & over and on multiple machines (a very very small % of people, most people either simply don't do every step over & over and say they do, or they forget they've forgotten they did A, B & C but not F) & still find they can't flash successfully (and it isn't a case of the phone being borked).
See how you go with that.
Sent from my GT-I9100: Powered by Dorimanx, running RootBox
Thanks so much for all these useful replies - really was expecting to get fobbed off for my noob questions! What a nice community!
I'll try all the above and report back. I have successfully flashed on this computer before and did manage to restore the phone last time, though perhaps the cable is faulty and slightly intermittent? I'm using the USB port that's connected to the mother board too.
Thanks again...
Quite possible. And impossible to diagnose unless you strip the cable (which is pointless given fixing a $10 cable is a waste of time/effort). Go thru the steps Hopper listed (with multiple PC's if necessary) & definitely try a new cable if you need to. Try to get an original Samsung one if you possibly can; for some reason switching to one magically solves this problem for some people when nothing else seems to work.
joelinit said:
perhaps the cable is faulty and slightly intermittent?
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MistahBungle said:
Quite possible. And impossible to diagnose unless you strip the cable (which is pointless given fixing a $10 cable is a waste of time/effort). Go thru the steps Hopper listed (with multiple PC's if necessary) & definitely try a new cable if you need to. Try to get an original Samsung one if you possibly can; for some reason switching to one magically solves this problem for some people when nothing else seems to work.
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Thanks! Yeah the cable will be the first thing I'll try changing. It's odd that the flash seems to fail at the same point each time though, kind of implying that it's not an intermitted cable? Unless this particular cable is falling short at those particular functions or something?
Anyway, thanks again - I'm actually kinda enjoying learning about my phone, even though there's the fear it's now a brick!! Fingers crossed that's not the case though...
Well how about that - change the USB cable, and flashes successfully first time round! What a fool! I did also remove the battery/sim for the night and left the sim out during the flash - wonder if that made any difference too?
Thanks so much for all your friendly and helpful replies - I think I'll be sticking around this forum and searching for some custom ROMs to try out!
Happy Wednesdays all...
joelinit said:
Well how about that - change the USB cable, and flashes successfully first time round! What a fool! I did also remove the battery/sim for the night and left the sim out during the flash - wonder if that made any difference too?
Thanks so much for all your friendly and helpful replies - I think I'll be sticking around this forum and searching for some custom ROMs to try out!
Happy Wednesdays all...
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Good job, glad you got it working keep reading up before you do anything else. The more you read, the better you'll get at all this
Sent from my GT-I9100: Powered by Dorimanx, running RootBox
Hopper8 said:
Good job, glad you got it working keep reading up before you do anything else. The more you read, the better you'll get at all this
Sent from my GT-I9100: Powered by Dorimanx, running RootBox
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Will do! Looking forward to exploring new firmwares so will get as clued up as poss! Have now successfully flashed SentinelROM and loving having a "new" phone! Much more exploring to come.
Thanks v.much to all who've helped me in this thread...
First of all, I am not new to flashing, rooting and etc. I have helped many of my friends with custom roms and etc so flashing and Odin is not something I know nothing about.
However, I was asked by my friend that his S2 was running slow and wanted me to put a custom rom on there. So I did the usual thing of using the ZergRush method to give him root access and I tested Superuser with Root Checker and everything was fine. So I went to install a custom recovery (Phil's CWM) via Odin and using the latest tar file from Phil's website but this is where things didn't go according to plan.
When I hit the Start button in Odin, it did the normal thing of writing to the NAND but instead of taking the usual 8-10 seconds, it took a lot longer. I actually waited 20 minutes and nothing was happening. There was no indication on the S2 that anything was happening and Odin was still stuck on the NAND Writing with all the buttone grayed out. So I waited a bit longer and after 30 min I decided to close Odin and try again, but when I try to get into Download Mode, I got the message 'Software Update Fail'. I tried to flash the custom recovery again but when it gets to the NAND Write, it instantly goes to 'Fail'.
Out of the 8 Samsung phones I have rooted and put a custom rom on, this is the first time this has happened. I searched the forum but most of it point to a bricked phone. I know at this point is is pretty critical that I do not try any random thing and asking you guys for any advice. I have tried flashing with a different version of Odin and also on different computers but gave me the same result. So any help would be much appriciated.
Hopper8's 'Odin troubleshooting' guide; search for it. You need to try everything in that thread over & over & over, only way you're fixing it is if you get a successful Odin flash away. In particular flashing the 3 part firmware might fix it.
Given the alternative - motherboard replacement or new phone - keep trying stuff, these cases are sometimes fixed by persevering (for whatever reason the first 8 stock rom flashes you try don't work but the 9th does, etc)
Thanks for the information MistahBungle, I have tried most of what has been said but I have not tried the leaked rom for the i9100. I will definately give this a shot.
No worries The rationale with flashing the 3 part is it will wipe the phone & hopefully remove any 'remnants' of what was previously on the phone which might be causing issues. If that doesn't work, download a bunch of stock roms from Samfirmware (carrier/country doesn't matter, just make sure you DL I9100 firmwares) & start flashing, this sometimes solves problems like this as I mentioned in my PP. Good luck.
MistahBungle said:
No worries The rationale with flashing the 3 part is it will wipe the phone & hopefully remove any 'remnants' of what was previously on the phone which might be causing issues. If that doesn't work, download a bunch of stock roms from Samfirmware (carrier/country doesn't matter, just make sure you DL I9100 firmwares) & start flashing, this sometimes solves problems like this as I mentioned in my PP. Good luck.
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Just giving you an update. The 3 part leaked rom did the trick! I been flashing for a few years now but never ever had Odin go wrong so this is a new experience for me. I really appricate your help with this, was so worried I stuffed up a friends phone.
Good news then No worries, glad you got it sorted (& you've still got a friend ). Yeah, that's a handy trick the 3 part, it's bailed a few people out. Don't forget to thank Hopper's OP in his thread.
Z-Blade said:
Just giving you an update. The 3 part leaked rom did the trick! I been flashing for a few years now but never ever had Odin go wrong so this is a new experience for me. I really appricate your help with this, was so worried I stuffed up a friends phone.
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Good to see you got it working, always like hearing of people getting their (or not their own in your case) phone back to life
MistahBungle said:
Good news then No worries, glad you got it sorted (& you've still got a friend ). Yeah, that's a handy trick the 3 part, it's bailed a few people out. Don't forget to thank Hopper's OP in his thread.
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Thanks for keeping on referring my thread, the more people it can help the better I'm working 6 days a week for now so haven't much time to go on Q&A and help out. Also thanks for before, I think you know what I'm referring to. Much appreciated. :good:
No introductions here, just want to get straight to business... I don't mean to sound so impulsive but I've just been so annoyed by this and I just want a working phone again. I am running Stock Jelly Bean 4.1.2 on the carrier Vodafone (I have not rooted my phone). I have looked around the forums for answers but all of them don't seem to work for me.
This all started over a month ago when I was on Youtube and suddenly the touchscreen froze (the video was still playing) and the buttons were unresponsive. I pulled the battery out and put it back in after a few seconds. When I turned it back on it came to the 'Samsung' animation again and again (a boot loop).
Not knowing that the best option here want to go into recovery and do a factory reset, I went to recovery mode and wiped the cache partition. I rebooted the phone. But this time I was stuck on the 'Samsung Galaxy S2 GT-I9100' screen. I also found out that my recovery mode was not working. It would just have the android robot with a sphere in the middle for ages then it would reboot into the 'GT-I9100' screen. My download mode however, is still functional to this day.
As I've been told, as long as you have access to download mode, there is still hope for recovering your phone and putting it back to normal. So far I have tried:
Installing multiple stock JB ROM's such as the ROM's with LSW and MS2 on the end of the file. I have tried two versions of Odin (1.35 and 3.07) but with no results. The downloads of the ROM were no problem.The flash would be OK up until 'cache.img'. The flash would then freeze then proceed to say a big red 'FAIL'. Note that I have tried to do this on multiple computers while using different USB ports (mainport with no USB hub) for each flash. I have Kies installed but have killed all the processes and opened Odin as an administrator. I have used the original S2 cable that came with my phone and one other data cable, but still no results. I refuse to flash any PIT files because I don't like the risk associated with them. I have yet to flash these firmwares:
LSJ (JB leak), LSD, LSS, LS8, MS7
The drivers might be the problem so I might reinstall them but I don't know how...
Yesterday, I was told by a friend that he had the same problem before and all he did to simply fix this was to download the S2 Jeboo custom kernel (which has CMW with it). He also said rooting the phone would also fix it. I have attempted to flash said kernel with Odin 1.35 when it got stuck when the green bar was full. I pulled out the battery and the USB, put the battery back in and the USB (in a different port) and attempted to flash again. Nothing. I notice now that there is a yellow triangle below the 'GT-I9100' screen when I attempt to boot the phone and that my custom binary count has increased to 2. When I attempt to go into recovery mode the screen flashes twice and just stays in the 'GT-I9100' screen instead of the android robot from earlier.
That's it really. I hope someone can help me in this almost hopeless situation... I have typed about this before on another forum but I had no replies that would help me. I could go to a service centre but my warranty's gone and the yellow triangle might cause some problems. The information from xda-developers has always been solid and reliable... so can someone help me out
Same as everyone else in this situation - find Hopper8's 'Odin troubleshooting' thread stickied in General, and go through the troubleshooting steps in a methodical manner until you get a successful stock flash, as this is the only way you're fixing it.
In your situation/given what you've already tried, I would be downloading the 3 part firmware (the 'leak' you referred to) linked to in the thread & flashing that first, which will wipe your phone & hopefully remove any remnants of what was previously on the phone which may be tripping you up.
This may not be successful first time, your flash may still barf as the one's you've tried so far have; in this case it's a matter of going through as many of the suggestions in the thread as many times as you need to until you meet success (including multiple PCs if necessary). When these are recoverable (and most are), they're often fixed by perseverance.
That thread is 'the bible' in these situations, and there isn't anything else which isn't in the thread that can be suggested in these situations, so you really do need to try absolutely every thing in that thread if you want your phone fixed.
MistahBungle said:
Same as everyone else in this situation - find Hopper8's 'Odin troubleshooting' thread stickied in General, and go through the troubleshooting steps in a methodical manner until you get a successful stock flash, as this is the only way you're fixing it.
In your situation/given what you've already tried, I would be downloading the 3 part firmware (the 'leak' you referred to) linked to in the thread & flashing that first, which will wipe your phone & hopefully remove any remnants of what was previously on the phone which may be tripping you up.
This may not be successful first time, your flash may still barf as the one's you've tried so far have; in this case it's a matter of going through as many of the suggestions in the thread as many times as you need to until you meet success (including multiple PCs if necessary). When these are recoverable (and most are), they're often fixed by perseverance.
That thread is 'the bible' in these situations, and there isn't anything else which isn't in the thread that can be suggested in these situations, so you really do need to try absolutely every thing in that thread if you want your phone fixed.
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Thanks for the quick reply, I will look into the guide in more detail and follow the instructions carefully. In regards to the flashing of the JB leak, will this fix the problem of being unable to access recovery mode? And is there any other firmwares you recommend flashing? I really don't want to wipe my phone, as I'm saving the flash of the JB leak as a last resort.
Given what you've already tried & the information you've provided, if I was in your situation I'd be starting with the leak. But that's up to you. If you don't want to do that, you'll need to go through everything in Hopper's thread methodically; eventually you'll get a successful stock flash (and you may end up having to flash the leak to fix it anyway).
Will the leak fix your problem ? Quite possibly, but possibly not. What it will do (if it works) is take you back to a stock setup, so you'll have access to stock recovery. You may end up with bootloop after the flash even though it's successful; in that case you boot into recovery & do a wipe/factory reset.
So far as what stock firmwares to flash, it doesn't matter; they're all essentially the same. The only important thing is you get a firmware on your phone/working. But if it was me in that situation, I'd be sticking with firmwares released by your carrier (flash one of these after the leak if you go down that path).
There isn't a lot else beyond what I've already told you & I can offer; we have that thread as 'the reference' in these situations, neither I nor anyone else here can offer you anything which isn't in that thread. It's the gold standard & covers this issue from every possible angle.