Hi,
So I have a SGS4 with ME7 and and unlocked bootloader. I am looking to upgrade to MJ7(4.3?) and be able to keep my full root. Is there a good way to do such a thing yet? Most info I see says MJ7 is only for safe strap, I have a custom recovery so I am not sure if it will work or if it is worth it. Please advise and help me....
Thank you in advance!!!
If you are on ME7 you only have safestrap, which is not available for MJ7. MJ7 upgrade while retaining root is covered in the general section of this site. There are files you need to download and first install MI1. There are no rom options but the benefit of a rom are little on ME7 as you can't get off TW and are stuck on 4.2.2 becaise of kernel limitations.
Read a bit but I took the update from ME7 after losing MDK due to insurance replacement. Only if you really have a custom recovery such as TWRP or CWM on MDK are you losing much.
Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk
kdo23 said:
If you are on ME7 you only have safestrap, which is not available for MJ7. MJ7 upgrade while retaining root is covered in the general section of this site. There are files you need to download and first install MI1. There are no rom options but the benefit of a rom are little on ME7 as you can't get off TW and are stuck on 4.2.2 becaise of kernel limitations.
Read a bit but I took the update from ME7 after losing MDK due to insurance replacement. Only if you really have a custom recovery such as TWRP or CWM on MDK are you losing much.
Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have CWM Touch Recovery V1.0.3.5 with my ME7 phone so it sounds like I should probably not take the update... I am pretty sure I don't have safestrap. I was on MDK then updated to ME7 and kept my unlocked bootloader and root. I just wish there was a way I could get 4.3 or 4.4... I will keep reading and searching... Thank you.
sonnycohopie said:
I have CWM Touch Recovery V1.0.3.5 with my ME7 phone so it sounds like I should probably not take the update... I am pretty sure I don't have safestrap. I was on MDK then updated to ME7 and kept my unlocked bootloader and root. I just wish there was a way I could get 4.3 or 4.4... I will keep reading and searching... Thank you.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You updated the radio I take it? That will show you on ME7 but have the MDK bootloader. Thus leaving your TWRP intact.
So anyway, I'm looking for the same thing. Not happening right now
kdo23 said:
If you are on ME7 you only have safestrap, which is not available for MJ7. MJ7 upgrade while retaining root is covered in the general section of this site. There are files you need to download and first install MI1. There are no rom options but the benefit of a rom are little on ME7 as you can't get off TW and are stuck on 4.2.2 becaise of kernel limitations.
Read a bit but I took the update from ME7 after losing MDK due to insurance replacement. Only if you really have a custom recovery such as TWRP or CWM on MDK are you losing much.
Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Up until today I had ME7 *with* CWM Recovery. I have no idea how that happened but I think it had something to do with flashing Hyperdrive while I was on MDK. I flashed a ton of ROM's through CWM since having ME7. However, lately I started to have a few bugs that seemed to carry over even after flashing a new ROM (like intermittent boot loops) so I decided to go back to a factory image (without knowing the limitations of ME7). Since I was on ME7, my understanding is that I had to flash an ME7 factory image, which I did and *now* I can't get recovery back, aside from Safestrap. It's a bit of a bummer but I just wanted to post to point out that it is possible to have ME7 and a custom recovery, it just seems like it isn't possible to flash a custom recovery *after* you have ME7. If you got it, keep it.
Super Sam Galaxy said:
Up until today I had ME7 *with* CWM Recovery. I have no idea how that happened but I think it had something to do with flashing Hyperdrive while I was on MDK. I flashed a ton of ROM's through CWM since having ME7. However, lately I started to have a few bugs that seemed to carry over even after flashing a new ROM (like intermittent boot loops) so I decided to go back to a factory image (without knowing the limitations of ME7). Since I was on ME7, my understanding is that I had to flash an ME7 factory image, which I did and *now* I can't get recovery back, aside from Safestrap. It's a bit of a bummer but I just wanted to post to point out that it is possible to have ME7 and a custom recovery, it just seems like it isn't possible to flash a custom recovery *after* you have ME7. If you got it, keep it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You didn't have stock me7 which was my meaning. You had an me7 rom I think is what you're saying.
Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk
kdo23 said:
You didn't have stock me7 which was my meaning. You had an me7 rom I think is what you're saying.
Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk
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Click to collapse
Well, it wasn't stock ME7 for sure. I think it changed to ME7 when I first flashed Hyperdrive, but was that way for a while on every ROM I flashed after Hyperdrive so whatever change Hyperdrive made seemed to be permanent. Or else I may have just been flashing ROM's that were ME7 by coincidence - do all ROM's explicitly set the baseband or do some just use whatever is already on the device? I don't really understand basebands too well. Anyway, sorry about the mix-up, I wasn't aware you were referring to stock. I sure hope that someone is able to figure out a workaround that allows for a custom recovery because I really like KitKat and I suppose we won't be seeing any TW based KitKat ROM's until Samsung releases an update first. My understanding is that Safestrap only works with TW.
I find a certain degree of irony in the fact that I've never permanently damaged a device when rooting or flashing ROM's (which is pretty good for a noob like me), yet I've done something even worse just by inadvertently allowing an update that came straight from the manufacturer! Why do they have to make things so complicated? :crying:
Super Sam Galaxy said:
Well, it wasn't stock ME7 for sure. I think it changed to ME7 when I first flashed Hyperdrive, but was that way for a while on every ROM I flashed after Hyperdrive so whatever change Hyperdrive made seemed to be permanent. Or else I may have just been flashing ROM's that were ME7 by coincidence - do all ROM's explicitly set the baseband or do some just use whatever is already on the device? I don't really understand basebands too well. Anyway, sorry about the mix-up, I wasn't aware you were referring to stock. I sure hope that someone is able to figure out a workaround that allows for a custom recovery because I really like KitKat and I suppose we won't be seeing any TW based KitKat ROM's until Samsung releases an update first. My understanding is that Safestrap only works with TW.
I find a certain degree of irony in the fact that I've never permanently damaged a device when rooting or flashing ROM's (which is pretty good for a noob like me), yet I've done something even worse just by inadvertently allowing an update that came straight from the manufacturer! Why do they have to make things so complicated? :crying:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Baseband is separate, your rom base is what we were referring to. The baseband change happened with a file you flashed for sure but likely not hyperdrive but a radio file. With a custom recovery you could have had mj7 baseband and custom recovery. Look at build number in the future.
Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk
Edit: build number can change too with a rom. Mdk is the only starting stock firmware which can be exploited to allow a custom recovery. Since you had one it meant you rooted on mdk and should not have odined to a later release.
Super Sam Galaxy said:
Up until today I had ME7 *with* CWM Recovery. I have no idea how that happened but I think it had something to do with flashing Hyperdrive while I was on MDK. I flashed a ton of ROM's through CWM since having ME7. However, lately I started to have a few bugs that seemed to carry over even after flashing a new ROM (like intermittent boot loops) so I decided to go back to a factory image (without knowing the limitations of ME7). Since I was on ME7, my understanding is that I had to flash an ME7 factory image, which I did and *now* I can't get recovery back, aside from Safestrap. It's a bit of a bummer but I just wanted to post to point out that it is possible to have ME7 and a custom recovery, it just seems like it isn't possible to flash a custom recovery *after* you have ME7. If you got it, keep it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Absolutely impossible to have a custom recovery on an ME7 boot loader. You could've flashed a ME7 radio or a ME7 based rom such as HyperDrive but your boot loader is still MDK. Which is why you lost your recovery, you flashed the wrong factory image.
Sent from my SCH-I545 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
kdo23 said:
Baseband is separate, your rom base is what we were referring to. The baseband change happened with a file you flashed for sure but likely not hyperdrive but a radio file. With a custom recovery you could have had mj7 baseband and custom recovery. Look at build number in the future.
Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk
Edit: build number can change too with a rom. Mdk is the only starting stock firmware which can be exploited to allow a custom recovery. Since you had one it meant you rooted on mdk and should not have odined to a later release.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I figured out the part about not flashing to a later release after the fact, unfortunately. It was simply a matter of not thoroughly researching and it's a pretty big bummer now because I can't flash! But I suppose worse things can come of not researching, like bricking and thankfully that hasn't happened yet (though I'm certainly going go be more careful in the future). Thanks for explaining about all the baseband/radio stuff, that is a bit over my head. Sure hope an exploit for ME7 (or a way to revert to MDK) is found soon, though from the sound of it that isn't likely.
Related
I just rooted my ME7 and I want to back up my stock rooted version so I can always flash back to stock. CWM says I need a custom recovery but it won't complete one?
You can't put a custom recovery on if you're have me7. Do some research before you brick your phone.
jd1639 said:
You can't put a custom recovery on if you're have me7. Do some research before you brick your phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
But I can install Safestrap and install a custom rom.
OR CAN YOU?
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2441441
Safestrap is real! Although it may not be ready for prime time yet. I've got MDK so I'm not following the thread too closely, but he seems to have made a lot of progress in getting custom ROMs onto ME7.
Edit: From what I understand of SS, it is its own recovery with a backup/restore function you can use when you boot into it. You shouldn't be messing around with TWRP.
CrookedKnight said:
OR CAN YOU?
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2441441
Safestrap is real! Although it may not be ready for prime time yet. I've got MDK so I'm not following the thread too closely, but he seems to have made a lot of progress in getting custom ROMs onto ME7.
Edit: From what I understand of SS, it is its own recovery with a backup/restore function you can use when you boot into it. You shouldn't be messing around with TWRP.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks. I'll keep asking questions before I go any further.
Hi All,
I picked up an MI1 GS4 a month ago and after a few nights of scrolling through the forums I was able to get HD 10.2 loaded onto my phone via Safestrap. During the root process, I got a little bit a head of myself and flashed a custom recovery. After some research (and a presumed brick scare) I found that there is no way to get CWM recovery on the phone. While it's a major disappointment, it is what it is. So I have two questions:
So right now, my phone doesnt have a recovery and if I try to boot into it, it will go into Odin mode and give me some sort of an error. I assume I need to flash a new recovery through Odin, but am wondering if someone could point me in the direction of the correct file.
Is MJ7 the latest OTA from VZW? Should I wipe my device completely, go back to stock, and take the latest OTA? From what I am gathering, safestap is now working on MJ7, but I want to be sure that is what I will get to if I take the OTA. If I do want to take the OTA, how would I go about doing this and is the problem listed above an issue?
Thanks!
madtomatoes said:
Hi All,
I picked up an MI1 GS4 a month ago and after a few nights of scrolling through the forums I was able to get HD 10.2 loaded onto my phone via Safestrap. During the root process, I got a little bit a head of myself and flashed a custom recovery. After some research (and a presumed brick scare) I found that there is no way to get CWM recovery on the phone. While it's a major disappointment, it is what it is. So I have two questions:
So right now, my phone doesnt have a recovery and if I try to boot into it, it will go into Odin mode and give me some sort of an error. I assume I need to flash a new recovery through Odin, but am wondering if someone could point me in the direction of the correct file.
Is MJ7 the latest OTA from VZW? Should I wipe my device completely, go back to stock, and take the latest OTA? From what I am gathering, safestap is now working on MJ7, but I want to be sure that is what I will get to if I take the OTA. If I do want to take the OTA, how would I go about doing this and is the problem listed above an issue?
Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
safestrap is a recovery of sorts, so what you are saying, you rooted, installed safestrap, installed HD10.2 than installed a recovery on top of that like CWM? So you soft bricked your phone?
Your only recourse is odin the full wipe stock image back and start over.
I suggest a thorough reading of the forum threads here first so you know better what to do.
I have a guide in the general forum here that lists steps to go from ME7 to MJ7 and root, install safestrap 3.65 and HD11....I'm not sure how it would play with your MI1 base phone so proceed at your own risk
decaturbob said:
safestrap is a recovery of sorts, so what you are saying, you rooted, installed safestrap, installed HD10.2 than installed a recovery on top of that like CWM? So you soft bricked your phone?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The other way around. I first rooted and attempted to install CWM. After that failed, I read further and discoved that only MDK roms are truly unlocked. From that point, I installed safestrap and HD. My phone is functional right now, I just have no way of getting into the stock recovery.
It's my understanding that I will need to use Odin to flash the stock MI1 image. I just want to confirm what happens from there. After flashing the stock image, I will be stock MI1, unrooted, with the opportunity to OTA to MJ7 (?). From that point, I'll take the OTA, re-root, reinstall safestrap, and finally HD11/12. Is all of this correct?
Thanks
madtomatoes said:
The other way around. I first rooted and attempted to install CWM. After that failed, I read further and discoved that only MDK roms are truly unlocked. From that point, I installed safestrap and HD. My phone is functional right now, I just have no way of getting into the stock recovery.
It's my understanding that I will need to use Odin to flash the stock MI1 image. I just want to confirm what happens from there. After flashing the stock image, I will be stock MI1, unrooted, with the opportunity to OTA to MJ7 (?). From that point, I'll take the OTA, re-root, reinstall safestrap, and finally HD11/12. Is all of this correct?
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
that sounds about right. When you do HD12, be sure you have the safestrap version....
I just recently rooted and flashed CM11 on my little brothers phone because well.. I could.. So yeah I basically had to! But I would kiiiillll for baseband MDK at the moment. Is their any way to get that? Or at least get CM on a me7, Other than looking to buy an old phone..
Nope
Unfortunately CM is out of reach for you. In order to run it you must have the MDK bootloader. It is the only one that can be exploited (via loki) to allow the installation of a custom recovery such as CWM or TWRP. Without one of those you cannot flash CM. Safestrap will not allow the use of CM.
Does that mean, if I Odin back MDK and take the Loki approach - can I install CM11 then?
You are unable to Odin back to MDK once you have upgraded.
jmgib said:
You are unable to Odin back to MDK once you have upgraded.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is correct. And if you do try at best the process will fail and you will reboot to where you were before, worse case you risk bricking your device.
I was one of the idiots that accidentally upgraded to the newest firmware when it first came out. My device is totally rooted, but I've been reading that I'm required to use things such as SafeStrap or Loki to install custom roms. I'm not sure if this is still the case as its been months since this was discovered. I've been trying to search the forums extensively for a fix, but I've been unable to find one. One thing I came across: here seems to be a very simple way to install TWRP on the Galaxy S4, however, I don't wan to run the risk of bricking my phone and being SOL because I have ****ty firmware and no way to custom recover my phone.
Point blank, would I be able to install TWRP manager via GooManager given that I've updated to NC5? Or even if not, what are my options for custom recovery/roms? End game, I want to walk away with 5.0.1 GPE or Cyanogenmod 12. Hopefully.
I'd really appreciate any and all help. Attached is a screenshot of my phone information.
zQueal said:
I was one of the idiots that accidentally upgraded to the newest firmware when it first came out. My device is totally rooted, but I've been reading that I'm required to use things such as SafeStrap or Loki to install custom roms. I'm not sure if this is still the case as its been months since this was discovered. I've been trying to search the forums extensively for a fix, but I've been unable to find one. One thing I came across: here seems to be a very simple way to install TWRP on the Galaxy S4, however, I don't wan to run the risk of bricking my phone and being SOL because I have ****ty firmware and no way to custom recover my phone.
Point blank, would I be able to install TWRP manager via GooManager given that I've updated to NC5? Or even if not, what are my options for custom recovery/roms? End game, I want to walk away with 5.0.1 GPE or Cyanogenmod 12. Hopefully.
I'd really appreciate any and all help. Attached is a screenshot of my phone information.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Once you updated to anything past MDK there's no going back . Safestrap is the only option to install Touchwiz ROMS.
scrillakev said:
Once you updated to anything past MDK there's no going back . Safestrap is the only option to install Touchwiz ROMS.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Damn! That's what I figured. I followed [this guide](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BLHZfPwLkPM) and installed the SafeStrap APK, but stopped at the "install recovery" step. I've been reading that this can soft brick your phone. Do you have any input? Is it safe to do? If it does brick my phone will I be able to factory reset with Odin?
Sorry for the barrage of questions, I'm a bit of a noob.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
EDIT:
Well, I decided to go ahead with it. It worked fine. I rebooted to SafeStrap and went right to do a backup. It failed. I tried to reboot into my stock rom, and it was 0MB. I really might blow up Verizon HQ.
zQueal said:
Damn! That's what I figured. I followed [this guide](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BLHZfPwLkPM) and installed the SafeStrap APK, but stopped at the "install recovery" step. I've been reading that this can soft brick your phone. Do you have any input? Is it safe to do? If it does brick my phone will I be able to factory reset with Odin?
Sorry for the barrage of questions, I'm a bit of a noob.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
EDIT:
Well, I decided to go ahead with it. It worked fine. I rebooted to SafeStrap and went right to do a backup. It failed. I tried to reboot into my stock rom, and it was 0MB. I really might blow up Verizon HQ.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I never used SafeStrap so I doubt I will be much help. But once you rebooted your stock ROM is no longer there? Might have to just flash a stock image via ODIN and try again. Verizon isn't going to help you either with modding your phone, XDA is the place to be.
Has there been anything new since this thread was posted or is it impossible still?
mcbeat257 said:
Has there been anything new since this thread was posted or is it impossible still?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry buddy you're SOL
Sent from my SCH-I545 using XDA Free mobile app
If you are rooted use a terminal editor app and type:
getprop ro.bootloader
If it says anything other than I545VRUAMDK your only choice is SafeStrap.
That means if you bought an S4 and it came with MK1, NC5, NK1, or anything other than MDK you cannot flash a custom recovery. The same applies if you took an OTA from VZW. This has been stated 1000's of times here.
Hint:
Look on the box that your S4 came in and read the last three characters where it says what build the phone has.
mcbeat257 said:
Has there been anything new since this thread was posted or is it impossible still?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Keep checking up on SS they are working on the ability to also use custom kernels on top which would make it essentially as efficient as a custom recovery, with some storage loss.
safestrap version
Well, I decided to go ahead with it. It worked fine. I rebooted to SafeStrap and went right to do a backup. It failed. I tried to reboot into my stock rom, and it was 0MB. I really might blow up Verizon HQ.[/QUOTE]
***Make sure you are using the correct version of safestrap for your current baseband
another good app from the google play store to download is samsung info
I have used safestrap in the past as I was in the same scenario as you. I currently now have a MDK phone
Illogi.xbone said:
Keep checking up on SS they are working on the ability to also use custom kernels on top which would make it essentially as efficient as a custom recovery, with some storage loss.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How come they haven't been able to unlock the bootloader when only the build version is changing......
There should have been an exploit awhile ago....and why haven't they made an odin option for MDK yet?
mcbeat257 said:
How come they haven't been able to unlock the bootloader when only the build version is changing......
There should have been an exploit awhile ago....and why haven't they made an odin option for MDK yet?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The exploit was weeded out after MDK
Sent from my SCH-I545 using XDA Free mobile app
The bootloader was never "unlocked" on MDK, there was just an exploit available that allowed the installation of a custom recovery. That exploit was closed in the first update from MDK and a new one has not been discovered. The bootloader itself has some pretty strong encryption so it may never be unlocked.
Is there currently any ROM that works on MDK, let's me keep root, and doesn't update the boot loader so I can always revert back? For 5.0.1, that is.
I second this. All of the flash instructions seem to assume you're using Safestrap, or coming from a build later than mdk.
For the "lucky" few of us still running rooted mdk, is there a rooted OC1 zip we can flash in recovery, the old-fashioned way?
MDK
SamXp said:
I second this. All of the flash instructions seem to assume you're using Safestrap, or coming from a build later than mdk.
For the "lucky" few of us still running rooted mdk, is there a rooted OC1 zip we can flash in recovery, the old-fashioned way?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The MDK 5.0.1 is here http://forum.xda-developers.com/gal...ment/rom-i545oc1-5-0-1-100-stock-mdk-t3097902
I'm still watching everyone's experience before flashing this myself.