Hi all
Recently I upgraded from Samsungs stock 4.1.2 firmware to CyanogenMod 10.2 Stable (based on 4.3.1) using their installer program. Since upgrading the Wifi has been unusable and I have not managed to get the problem resolved through their forums so I have decided to go back to the stock rom.
Now that Samsung have re-released 4.3 for the S3 in the UK (after the one from last month which was pulled for problems) I would like to use this one as it fixes a bluetooth streaming issue I have endured for a long time. I can't find this new firmware for download anywhere so wondered if it is feasible to download say the stock rom 4.1.2 and then upgrade somehow? I have a red line on the bootup screen which shows it has been modified (which triangle away won't remove due to custom rom/bootloader or something like that) so I believe this means I will be blocked from then upgrading from 4.3 OTA but able to do so with Kies?
Being a novice at this I am obviously worried about breaking my phone and I am not sure if having i9300XXEMG4 as a baseband version is an issue among other things after reading the forums. As much as I have read about EFS and the downgrading modem problems, none of it is making sense to me at the moment, even after reading all the documents. Brain freeze maybe!
The cyanogenMod also changed recovery and unlocked the bootloader going by what I have read, is this an issue I need to worry about?
Any advice that can take away some worries and get me on the right path would be muchly appreciated!
You are posting in the wrong forum .
UNDERSTAND FIRST
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2362743
Network IMEI EFS
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2393289
Downgrade and network problems .
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2531221
JJEgan said:
You are posting in the wrong forum .
UNDERSTAND FIRST
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2362743
Network IMEI EFS
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2393289
Downgrade and network problems .
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2531221
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you for your post. I did follow a link in the !!ALL QUESTIONS GO IN THE Q&A FORUM!! OR THEY MAY BE DELETED!! sticky thread which took me to the Q&A forum where I thought I was posting. It is possible a confusion happened during the sign up process.
After reading those threads, two of which I had already read before posting, I have more understanding than I did before. Somehow I missed about the S3 not having a locked bootlader to begin with. I have backup up the EFS using Ktool but also understand it would have been more useful to do before flashing CM 10.2 as I now only have a EFS v2 backup rather than a version 1. What I am unsure of is what is my best action to take at the moment, going by the information I have. I can it is best not to go downgrade to earlier firmwares unless I wanted an added headache of the modem workarounds but do not see the best way to get back to a stock 4.3 firmware still.
I am on Three mobile (H3G) in the UK but don't think my phone is actually locked to them and don't know if that means the BTU is the option I should be choosing. Even so, when I check the firmwares on http://www.sammobile.com/firmwares/2/ I can only see a firmware added last month which I have to assume is the bad 4.3 update that hit the UK and was pulled after the problems it caused. If it was my best option for flashing, even with the problems it caused, how would I then go about getting the extra update that Samsung pushed out to fix the problem?
I saw the Korean factory flash in one of the threads too, not sure if this is too extreme (and potentially more dangerous) than the other options which may be available to me.
Obviously I would like to do this right the first time, rather than stumble backwards fixing all the mistakes I make at the time. So sorry if I am asking what may be simple to some. My knowledge of phones sucks and I wish I hadn't been tempted by the easy looking Cyanogenmod installer now!
Noticed after a few cache and devlik cleans and reboots that the wifi started working on the CM 10.2 mod but only for the main browser and hit and miss with google play. Every over app didn't work on wifi though, but did on cell. I googled all over to see many with similar problems, which suggested manually setting the time and date and static ip settings, clean davlik and updating play apps after deleting their cache.
None of them worked. So to potentially getting away from flashing, does anyone know any other ideas to resolve this? Wifi connects, stock google browser works, Play works flakey. Other installed browsers wont load any pages or connect to the net, such as speed testing app. The only unusual app that also works in a twitter app. Installed an app to see if there was a hidden proxy setting, but it found nothing, Really strange. All the apps work on cell.
Follow the guide in general forum, stickies, to flash back to stock BTU. Network lock is irrelevant to rom.
Choose either 4.1.2 or 4.3 but your baseband must be EMG or later as you now have efs v2.
Don't flash things you don't fully understand, any non Samsung rom has drawbacks you'll have to live with.
In the stickies is a world of information supposed to help you.
boomboomer said:
Follow the guide in general forum, stickies, to flash back to stock BTU. Network lock is irrelevant to rom.
Choose either 4.1.2 or 4.3 but your baseband must be EMG or later as you now have efs v2.
Don't flash things you don't fully understand, any non Samsung rom has drawbacks you'll have to live with.
In the stickies is a world of information supposed to help you.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Appreciate you giving me a direction to go. It seems the problem I had finding firmwares the last few days were due to Hotfile going offline and Sammobile rebuilding their index of firmwares. I found through the forums 4.3 BTU I9300XXUGMJ9_I9300OXAGMJ9_BTU.zip which contained a 1.5GB file called I9300XXUGMJ9_I9300OXAGMJ9_I9300XXUGMJ9_HOME.tar.md5 which I think is the correct one which I will try and flash later using the guides. It's not the new fixed 4.3, it's the older broken one but I guess in time I can apply the fix that Samsung are pushing out. This was part of my original question and now i have seen from other posts in the last few days that there is no full copy of the 4.3 anywhere.
The timing of me doing this appears to have been bad for a few of the above reasons, making working it out more difficult to work out for someone who has not done this before.
I can see from your signature and also your post that you think questions such as mine are easily answered in the various threads and through search. Personally I did try all those options first but either my lack of understanding or the overwhelming amount of information meant I was unsure as to what I should actually be doing, let alone which guide to follow. Even googling for BTU or searching xda to try and find what it means was fruitless so trying to put the pieces together is not easy if you have no experience with phones. I have programmed a Pi to do many tasks, built mainframe>SAS gateways and various technical challenges but I still struggle with all the phone flashing info
Many thanks again. Even a few words have been helpful
If you flash the kernel from the Chinese ZCUBMK it will fix all the broken parts of the current uk rom, until the latest ota emerges on xda.
I don't mind helping people who have made a genuine attempt to help themselves, my signature is aimed at the those who flash anything they find then demand someone give them an instant fix.
Your only mistake seems to have been the depth of research before you started, which could have been fatal to your phone -many first time flashes end up with a new motherboard required.
Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk
If the ota doesn't work in the next few day's I will try that kernel, thanks for that info!
I managed to flash the older official 4.3 firmware just now, so progress has been made A quick check shows me that the power on/lock screen lag problem is present so I assume the other issues will be there too. The red line showing the flash counter has gone and I got no modified phone error when attempting an ota update, as well as device status saying official, so I assume I should be able to upgrade that way when they allow more upgrades on the rollout server.
In case anyone else needs to do the same, this is what I did:
1) Downloaded https://mega.co.nz/#!DVxVgZZb!LIxKGA2Q_KbBH9APo_slOCdZNGJgfn1O6fxOF4C OkHA which I found via a thread titled [Official Firmwares] I9300XXUGMJ9 (Android 4.3) - Ireland (VDI) [04-11-13]
2) Followed the flashing instructions on this page
3) After flashing I got stuck at the Samsung boot screen with the blue light on, even after reseting a few times. So I powered off, held down the home button, volume up and then the power button which took me to the recovery screen where I chose the factory default option. All worked fine after that.
Thanks once again for your help with this boomboomer. A bit of direction was enough to give me the confidence to try it. It's nice to be back to a familiar interface (although it has changed from the 4.1.2 I had before) but the initial setup reminded me of all the bloatware installed. It's a fair bit slower than CyanogenMod was but it all seems to work ok. Once I get the ota update i'll root and freeze some apps to sort that out. Now to install TSF shell
Related
Hello!
I've been researching a lot the last few days about flashing ROMs, Unbranding and Root etc..
i currently have SGS2 which is also my first Smartphone / Andriod Phone.
So even tho I've read FAQ's Wikis guides. etc i still have some things to get cleared up. which i hope some here could help me with ^_^.
1. I live in Scandinavia, more specific Denmark. Do i have to use Certain "CSC" and "PHONE" Number/Codes, for the phone to work, where i live. afaik. the CSC and Phone is the things that controls WIFI BT GPS, and the 2g/3g networks.
2. Sometimes i see people mention "Kernel" and that its important to use a rom based on the same "kernel" is kernel just another word for firmware? the thing is i think its entirely different. some clarification is needed here.
3. If i flash a modified Stock rom To my phone. with ROOT CWM for example this one (http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1103399). is it possible to undo Root and CWM. i'm in doubt because further down in the thread, he states by flashing a stock rom onto the phone, you can remove the triangle but not the root and cwm.
This is the things that is still unclear for me. and since it's my first time to try and do all this, i must be 100% sure, i understand it all correctly.
Thanks!
Edited the first post.
If the questions is hard to understand, i can try and Re-formulate them.
//Tolana
1. I live in Scandinavia, more specific Denmark. Do i have to use Certain "CSC" and "PHONE" Number/Codes, for the phone to work, where i live. afaik. the CSC and Phone is the things that controls WIFI BT GPS, and the 2g/3g networks.
on your dialler enter *#1234# and look at the last 3 letters of the description under PDA.
- You will also find this info if you go in to settings\about phone\Baseband Version
2. Sometimes i see people mention "Kernel" and that its important to use a rom based on the same "kernel" is kernel just another word for firmware? the thing is i think its entirely different. some clarification is needed here.
Similar to what I mentioned above, use one of the ROMs that has the same 'extension' as your phone now as it is most likely using the same modem etc..
3. If i flash a modified Stock rom To my phone. with ROOT CWM for example this one (http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1103399). is it possible to undo Root and CWM. i'm in doubt because further down in the thread, he states by flashing a stock rom onto the phone, you can remove the triangle but not the root and cwm.
If you flash a stock, unmodified ROM, it will remove root. It's like getting an update from Samsung directly.
Tolana said:
Hello!
I've been researching a lot the last few days about flashing ROMs, Unbranding and Root etc..
i currently have SGS2 which is also my first Smartphone / Andriod Phone.
So even tho I've read FAQ's Wikis guides. etc i still have some things to get cleared up. which i hope some here could help me with ^_^.
2. Sometimes i see people mention "Kernel" and that its important to use a rom based on the same "kernel" is kernel just another word for firmware? the thing is i think its entirely different. some clarification is needed here.
Kernel is not firmware its the base below OS level that communicates with the CPU . Firmware is a full package CSC Modem OS Kernel APPS .
Kernels can be mixed but thats a user choice and user accepts it may not work well .
3. If i flash a modified Stock rom To my phone. with ROOT CWM for example this one (http://forum.xda-developers.com/sho...ecovery jig .
Makes it much easier .
jje
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the answers.
I'm still a bit unclear on my first subject.
The Modem/PHONE number, does it have to be a specific "Scandinavia Compatible" Number/Code for my phone to function with calls etc.
the same goes for the CSC code.
Thanks again.
//Tolana
Some users report that particular radios/modems work better in certain countries than others, but you sohuld be able to use ANY of the modem/radios found on these forums on your SGS2.
For example, my phone came with KE1 radio. I flashed KE7 to match the cf kernel installed when rooting. It works fine
Right. Thank You!
Well it's regarding rooting.
I heard it opens up a world of opportunity with your smartphone, and some apps I really want are only available vain rooted phones. I have the Samsung galaxy s3 international version. It was originally from Australia if that matters at all. It is on 4.0.4. Anyways, being a noob to android more or less, and being a bit apprehensive (because I have no warranty and I cannot obtain another phone easily) I was wondering basically how risky it is to brick your phone in a) the process of rooting your phone. Is it common? If it does get bricked is it reversable by a restore or simply gone? Also after rooting, is there any upkeep or management I need to do to make sure my rooted phone does not screw up? And lastly. What is the safest and easiest way to root the international quad core gs3 on ics. Thank you to everyone for your time
mysticgorilla said:
Well it's regarding rooting.
I heard it opens up a world of opportunity with your smartphone, and some apps I really want are only available vain rooted phones. I have the Samsung galaxy s3 international version. It was originally from Australia if that matters at all. It is on 4.0.4. Anyways, being a noob to android more or less, and being a bit apprehensive (because I have no warranty and I cannot obtain another phone easily) I was wondering basically how risky it is to brick your phone in a) the process of rooting your phone. Is it common? If it does get bricked is it reversable by a restore or simply gone? Also after rooting, is there any upkeep or management I need to do to make sure my rooted phone does not screw up? And lastly. What is the safest and easiest way to root the international quad core gs3 on ics. Thank you to everyone for your time
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, most you could pick up be reading a bit, everything is already explained around here but since i was in your shoes very recently:
- there's always a risk. You need to be aware of that. That said, most cases that actually go wrong it's usually user's fault who failed to follow instructions closely. So read them. And read some more. And then read again just to make sure. And then i'd read again.
I used this very recent method from chainfire (salute and donate to the man if you like and can, he deserves it) to root my 4.0.4 international GT-I9300 S3:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1957273
Triangled away next and everything worked like a charm. This preserves everything as stock as possible just adding root to your phone.
- from what i can tell, as long as you don't do anything that messes with the bootloader, you can always recover from a procedure gone wrong. Just disconnect, remove battery, insert and try again. Rebooting the computer or changing usb ports usually helps too (on odin).
- after rooting successfully, the very first thing you should do is backup your /efs folder. This is easy, just pick up root explorer or some other file manager that allows exploring you root (/), go up in your folders until you get to / look for the efs folder and just copy it (NOT MOVE) elsewhere (sd card, external sd, your computer preferably, whatever, just have that safe). This will come in handy in case you lose your imei at some point. Just restore this folder's contents and you're good to go. If that happens and you don't have a backup, it's a f'ing pain you can do well without.
- anything else root related is just common sense. Since you have the potential to screw up your entire phone with root permissions (this is why you don't have them in the first place), if an app pops up asking for root permissions, be sure what it is before allowing. If you're not sure, you can always deny first and allow later in the superuser app.
- you can also look into backing up with nandroid. You can think of this as an image of your entire phone. With this you can restore your phone to the same state it was when you did it. Useful when something went wrong and your phone doesn't boot anymore or you just wanted to try new roms with the option of coming back to what you had before. Not sure how you do it on the S3 still, but it usually requires a modified recovery like CWM. The method to root above doesn't install one though, it preserves what you had. Check this instead if you're interested:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1695238
Cheers dude, i'm sure everything will go well for you too.
Chance of a brick about .0001 % rising to 100% for those that are to lazy to read follow instructions .
BASICS
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1927113
jje
Thankyou very much to everyone who has read and replied to this. 3 more minor questions. Is there a way to first update my phone to jellybean 4.1 via Odin or something like that? Or is this possible after root, because I don't want to stay on ics. Also what exactly happens if I update while rooted. Does it wipe or unroot my phone or the like? Also should my phone be in use debugging, and lastly what does it mean to unlock my bootloaders? That was more than 3 questions sorry thanks again
mysticgorilla said:
Thankyou very much to everyone who has read and replied to this. 3 more minor questions. Is there a way to first update my phone to jellybean 4.1 via Odin or something like that? Or is this possible after root, because I don't want to stay on ics. Also what exactly happens if I update while rooted. Does it wipe or unroot my phone or the like? Also should my phone be in use debugging, and lastly what does it mean to unlock my bootloaders? That was more than 3 questions sorry thanks again
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1) You don't need to root to update to JB.
Just download any ROM you want from http://samsung-updates.com/device/?id=GT-I9300 (I recommend the UK unbranded ROM, BTU) then use Odin3 to flash it to your devices. Search the forums for specific instructions on this procedure. I'll just tell that it takes no more than 2-3 minutes.
2) If you're going to root, I suggest you do it beforehand, by flashing a kernel like Siyah (in ICS), and then proceed to flashing the stock JB ROM, HOWEVER, instead of using Odin3, you will use MobileOdion (available from Play Store), because that way you'll have a fully rooted and stock device.
3) Using step 2 above, it will not wipe not unroot your phone. It is safe and retains all your settings. That is the beauty of MobileOdin. There is a free version.
If you root and THEN install via Odin (PC), then you'll lose root, but not your settings.
In either case, you only wipe the device IF YOU WANT TO.
So, the best option is to:
a) Install SiyahKernel using Odin3 (PC)
b) Download the JB BTU ROM from http://samsung-updates.com/device/?id=GT-I9300
c) Extract the .md5 from the ZIP file and move it to the device's ext. sd card
d) Install MobileOdin in the device
e) Use MobileOdin to flash the .md5 you moved to it in step (c)
f) install TriangleAway (download from XDA) and run it to reset binary counter (which got incremented in step [a] )
Results: rooted, JB, stock, all settins retained, no binary counter increment
Simonetti2011 I have been searching the internet here in New Zealand and that has been the best answer I have found so far!
I do have a slight question thought. I live in New Zealand and have the GT-I9300T model of the GS3 and I'm wanting to install the international unbranded rom for that I can get updates faster (here in NZ it takes months and months to get updates)
I downloaded the International UK unbranded firmware 4.0.4 and was going to flash that rom onto my phone then upgrade to jelly bean via kies but have since relised I should just download the jellybean UK firmware straight away. Do you by any chance havea link to the firmware that I would need, I noticed there were a few different versions.
Also about the CSC, would I need to do any changes?
Many many thanks in advance, Sorry for hijacking this thread, just figured I was on the same pages as the OP
prawln said:
Simonetti2011 I have been searching the internet here in New Zealand and that has been the best answer I have found so far!
I do have a slight question thought. I live in New Zealand and have the GT-I9300T model of the GS3 and I'm wanting to install the international unbranded rom for that I can get updates faster (here in NZ it takes months and months to get updates)
I downloaded the International UK unbranded firmware 4.0.4 and was going to flash that rom onto my phone then upgrade to jelly bean via kies but have since relised I should just download the jellybean UK firmware straight away. Do you by any chance havea link to the firmware that I would need, I noticed there were a few different versions.
Also about the CSC, would I need to do any changes?
Many many thanks in advance, Sorry for hijacking this thread, just figured I was on the same pages as the OP
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks!
The 9300T and the 9300 are NOT the same device, therefore they use different firmware (ROM). The ROMs for the 9300T are here: http://samsung-updates.com/device/?id=GT-I9300T
I don't think there is a 9300T ROM for the UK, since the model released there is the 9300 (non-T).
It seems that either Samsung-updates hasn't indexed any ROMs for your model or they haven't been released.
About CSC: just don't worry about it... download and flash any ROM you want for your specific model and don't worry. If you don't like it, just download and flash another one.
Thanks heaps for that!
I actually just tried the UK unbranded rom that was for the i9300 on my i9300T and suprisingly everything seems to work ok so far (phone calls, txting, 3g etc)
Thankyou to everyone!
Thank you for your responses to my post regarding rooting my s3. They were very helpful. i succesfully rooted via chainfire cf auto root for the I9300 model without problem. Just one last question, I have been searching around a bit and some people are saying that flashing the jellybean firmware via odin, is not a perfect copy.. i mean some say they have been experiencing very minor problems here and there. So, if i update to the uk firmware on jelly bean via odin or mobile odin, and i experience some problems, can i still get the official ota update or jellybean 4.1 via kies when it is released? Thanks again for your help. Im pretty new to this android stuff
Error: “Not Registered on Network”
SGS III have JB 4.1.1 (I9300XXDLI8) ROM/baseband, rooted with CF-Root/TWRP.
I was running the above ROM with some sort of (probably) Soft unlocking done by a local mobile repair shop. Anyway, recently I decided to try out one of the custom ROM i.e. Omega 32.1 (JB 4.1.1) and before proceeding any further I made a full backup on SD card with TWRP.
I downloaded and flashed Omega 32.1, thinking that I can always go back if something doesn’t work out. Anyway, long and the short of it, when I restored my S3 through TWRP restore, I found out that it isn’t connecting with my mobile network i.e. Warid Tel with the error “Not Registered on Network”.
By the way I also happen to have the factory unlock code for this SGS3, but unfortunately all the USSD codes I've tried to enter it, doesn't work.
Although, I guess I can take it back and get it re-unlocked again, but that isn’t going to allow me to install custom roms.
Can anyone guide me how to fix this situation, any tips, help, will be highly appreciated.
Regards
Babur
Megneto said:
Error: “Not Registered on Network”
SGS III have JB 4.1.1 (I9300XXDLI8) ROM/baseband, rooted with CF-Root/TWRP.
I was running the above ROM with some sort of (probably) Soft unlocking done by a local mobile repair shop. Anyway, recently I decided to try out one of the custom ROM i.e. Omega 32.1 (JB 4.1.1) and before proceeding any further I made a full backup on SD card with TWRP.
I downloaded and flashed Omega 32.1, thinking that I can always go back if something doesn’t work out. Anyway, long and the short of it, when I restored my S3 through TWRP restore, I found out that it isn’t connecting with my mobile network i.e. Warid Tel with the error “Not Registered on Network”.
By the way I also happen to have the factory unlock code for this SGS3, but unfortunately all the USSD codes I've tried to enter it, doesn't work.
Although, I guess I can take it back and get it re-unlocked again, but that isn’t going to allow me to install custom roms.
Can anyone guide me how to fix this situation, any tips, help, will be highly appreciated.
Regards
Babur
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Check your IMEI number.
Has it changed?
eggman89 said:
Check your IMEI number.
Has it changed?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No it hasn't changed.
The problem was the original "soft unlock"
Megneto said:
...
I was running the above ROM with some sort of (probably) Soft unlocking done by a local mobile repair shop. Anyway, recently I decided to try out one of the custom ROM i.e. Omega 32.1 (JB 4.1.1) and before proceeding any further I made a full backup on SD card with TWRP.
...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The problem was the original "soft unlock" - some of those (I believe even some early that were made by NSPro) are rather poor and are based on flashing a special modem binary. You will be able to fix it if you search around for the fix posted by Ariza (even if I believe something happened to the original post).
I am trying to find the fix by Ariza, but so far nothing has turned up. Also, if I search for the user "Ariza" it doesn't help either. Do you remember exact member alias?
Also, does that fix result in permanent resolution of the issue?
Or, is it better to get rid of this SGS3, and get factor unlocked version?
Thanks for your help and patience.
Edit:
I forgot to mention in OP that it correctly identifies the network when I check Status of the device.
Edit 2:
I was able to get hold of the guy who actually did the 'soft' unlocking in the first place, and he confirmed that it was done using NSPro (through Dongle) and is willing to do it again.
But the issue is, it will restrict me to JB 4.1.1 and I can't install any custom ROM.
Hmm ...
Megneto said:
I am trying to find the fix by Ariza, but so far nothing has turned up. Also, if I search for the user "Ariza" it doesn't help either. Do you remember exact member alias?
Also, does that fix result in permanent resolution of the issue?
Or, is it better to get rid of this SGS3, and get factor unlocked version?
Thanks for your help and patience.
Edit:
I forgot to mention in OP that it correctly identifies the network when I check Status of the device.
Edit 2:
I was able to get hold of the guy who actually did the 'soft' unlocking in the first place, and he confirmed that it was done using NSPro (through Dongle) and is willing to do it again.
But the issue is, it will restrict me to JB 4.1.1 and I can't install any custom ROM.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The thread was this:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1918601
(in a post towards end I have some of the stuff from the forum where you had to register in order to get the files, and you might still recover some of those links - apparently those are patched versions of the corresponding stock modems which no longer check some of the information from nv_data.bin; you will need to add that modem after each major ROM change).
If you only plan to use 4.1.1 and not upgrade then NsPro should be OK, otherwise you either need a "subscription" to the services of that guy
Thank you for the help. I will go through that thread soon.
I've have also looked at this thread http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1705650 by UpInTheAir. I have installed android SDK for Winx64 and successfully extracted modem.bin (as a test). I think I'll get the phone back to that guy, so he can patch the modem with NSPro again, once that is done, I'll extract the modem, repackage it so I can install it with CWM and test whether that can eventually help me in experimenting with other ROMs.
I will keep you posted on my progress.
Again thank you for your valued help.
Kind regards.
Babur
Having tried the method mentioned in my previous post, I finally gave up and took the phone for repair.
What transpired from thereon is interesting and confusing. As according to Mr. Repair 'serial number and IMEI' were repaired, nothing more. In fact I extracted the modem and compared it with the one I have, they are exactly same no patch applied.
However, both IMEI and serial number were showing correctly prior to the repair, and even after repair they are same (I double checked those with the original invoice/phone box etc.). So I am not sure how they were damaged when they were showing correctly.
Update:
I've sold the unit question, as I felt not to take any more risks with it, and bought an factory unlocked SGS3. Hopefully I will not face any problems with playing around with custom ROMs from hereon in.
Thank you and kind regards to all.
Babur
Hello everyone,
I did the same mistake again by updating my S2 from GingerBread to IceCreamSandwitch without calibrating the horizontal accelerometere, and now my phone sensor is a bit off "to the left"
(when i play games like " Trial ", the phone is supposed to be in the "normal" position so the rider should not move at all but in my case he is always going back {like am rotating the phone to the left} so i have to rotate the phone about 15 degrees to the right in order to be "normal" )
Unless you have a better solution for this problem cause seriously, why on earth there is only a gyroscope calibration for a device that have more than that sensor >_< !??!
anyway
i would really appreciate if your link me to all the necessary files to downgrade from ICS to GB,
IMPORTANT:
i don't want to root my phone cause i will update to official ICS again
SOLVED
i just need the PDA file which i found my model here : http://www.androidfirmwares.net/
thank you
Maybe post in the dedicated forum for that device lol
You mean you did the same thing on your S2 as you did on your S Advance 6 weeks ago ? If so, go get the rom files you need from Samfirmware, flash with Odin following instructions in thread stickied near top of Q&A titled 'Flash Stock firmware'.
If you're still talking about your S Advance then yeah, you're obviously in the wrong place.
MistahBungle said:
You mean you did the same thing on your S2 as you did on your S Advance 6 weeks ago ? If so, go get the rom files you need from Samfirmware, flash with Odin following instructions in thread stickied near top of Q&A titled 'Flash Stock firmware'.
If you're still talking about your S Advance then yeah, you're obviously in the wrong place.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yes that's exactly what happened (am with S2 now) and i actually tried both Samsung-updates and samfirmwares but the search results contain Roms for 4.1.2, 4.0.3 and 4.0.4 i might be searching in the wrong place though so i would really appreciate it if you post a link for me
thank you very much
If you can't find GB firmware at those two places, you can try AndroidFirmwares.net, but they probably won't have what you want either. If they don't, you're probably SOOL; try Google searches or use something else (or do a bunch of XDA searches, you might get lucky & someone might have uploaded it somewhere & linked to it in a thread way back).
Edit - You need to use the pulldown boxes @ Samfirmware better, there's plenty of GB firmwares available. If there isn't one for your country/carrier, you're going to have to use something else.
MistahBungle said:
If you can't find GB firmware at those two places, you can try AndroidFirmwares.net, but they probably won't have what you want either. If they don't, you're probably SOOL; try Google searches or use something else (or do a bunch of XDA searches, you might get lucky & someone might have uploaded it somewhere & linked to it in a thread way back).
Edit - You need to use the pulldown boxes @ Samfirmware better, there's plenty of GB firmwares available. If there isn't one for your country/carrier, you're going to have to use something else.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thanx man i'll keep looking, but just a question, is it really impossible to recalibrate the accelerometer on Android 4.1.2 ?
i am 100% sure that it's not a hardware problem so why there is no way to fix that
No idea, never had a problem with it myself. Hopper8 had issues with it maybe 12 mths ago & searched high/low for a solution went really 'in depth' with it. Maybe search for his threads on that issue/from about that time.
MistahBungle said:
No idea, never had a problem with it myself. Hopper8 had issues with it maybe 12 mths ago & searched high/low for a solution went really 'in depth' with it. Maybe search for his threads on that issue/from about that time.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you, i checked that but it seems that he is facing problem with the gyroscope mine is an accelerometer problem (i make casual mobile games for a living and i made a little accelerometer test, it is simple 18 degree "wrong" to the left)
anyway,
i found this website : AndroidFirmwares.net - News and am downloading this firmware the bad news is that i have no idea where to find the .pit file, cause as i remember with my S-Advance (and my old S too) i need a pit file to use with Odin right ? and it's always a very small size,
any help with that please ?
Don't touch a PIT file unless:-
A) You have a specific reason to.
B) You know what you're doing.
I've seen literally hundreds (and no doubt there has been many more I haven't seen) of people flashing PIT files when they absolutely didn't need to brick their phones on here over the past 2 & a bit yrs (almost always a case like yours of simply needing to flash a one part stock firmware to fix, but people have to over-complicate things).
Neither A nor B applies to you, so don't do it. If you think what I've said is overkill, I'm merely trying to save you from having to throw your phone in the bin.
MistahBungle said:
Don't touch a PIT file unless:-
A) You have a specific reason to.
B) You know what you're doing.
I've seen literally hundreds (and no doubt there has been many more I haven't seen) of people flashing PIT files when they absolutely didn't need to brick their phones on here over the past 2 & a bit yrs (almost always a case like yours of simply needing to flash a one part stock firmware to fix, but people have to over-complicate things).
Neither A nor B applies to you, so don't do it. If you think what I've said is overkill, I'm merely trying to save you from having to throw your phone in the bin.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you,
so following what you said, i only need to select the downloaded firmware from the PDA button and press start ?
Remark :
i tried that and i got this error :
"Can't open the serial(COM) port."
Since kies is completely closed and am 100% that i have the USB direver installed (phone detected and i've done that before)
i am going to assume that my cable or my ports are the cause of the problem, if you have a better suggestion please illuminate me, otherwise i'll try with different cable/PC tonight and keep you updated, lastly i REALLY hope that an expert android developer or maybe someone that can spread this problem for more people cause it is VERY annoying to have to do this for such a minor problem just because the OS developers have forgot or didn't want to allow us to adjust all the phone sensors ...
Note that after this downgrade, i will have to upgrade again and restore all my previous data,setting, apps again... and that is a real painful waste of time >_< !!!
Hopper8's 'Odin troubleshooting' thread stickied in the General section has all the info/stuff you need to try in order to get a successful flash.
MistahBungle said:
Hopper8's 'Odin troubleshooting' thread stickied in the General section has all the info/stuff you need to try in order to get a successful flash.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you very much, changing the cable solved this, the phone is back to stock again :victory:
just in case someone face this,
i got a SplashScreen loop (my SplashScreen is changed from TIM {italian operator} to the default samsung wich is another victory for me :highfive: )
anyway,
that was simply solved by booting into recovery mode and wipe all data
Edit :
Samsung Kies doesn't detect new update anymore, i think that is because i only used PDA in Odine ?
i'll have to update with Odine again (it take less time than kies anyway)
Hi Zatta and S3 users of the xda forums!
Last Monday, almost a week ago now, I attempted to upgrade my I9300 from 4.1.2 to 4.3 stock and after 6 days of constant reading, experimentation, re-flashing and being told Samsung would not fix my device for me I finally regained the ability to make calls. This nightmare could've been avoided if the FAQ in this forum was a little more complete as xda was the first place I came to look for answers for Android tech issues and that is the case for many others but instead I got bogged down in 1000's of similar and mostly incorrect and/or incomplete threads. We can do better!
Here are my suggestions for improving the S3 FAQ in this forum:
'How should I flash my custom ROM?' should be changed to 'How should I flash my ROM?' so that it covers flashing both official and custom roms. It needs to make mention of Heimdall as an Odin alternative because not everybody runs Windows. AFAIK the drawback of using Heimdall instead of Odin is that it cannot flash a single .tar.md5 that contains multiple tar.md5s - instead they have to be extracted and installed using a pit file.
The EFS section needs a bit more detail. It should mention that TWRP and Philz can backup and restote EFS whilst CWM cannot and maybe it should also say something about the change in format after the MG4 modem.
Last but not least this really needs to address how to fix the incorrect IMEI / serial issues that lead to people getting 'Not registered on network' and 'Emergency Calls Only' type errors and not being able to use the phone features. I read 100's of threads on here that were all so certain this was strictly a EFS issue when in many cases it will be caused by users having flashed a incorrect CSC, as is what happened to me when I flashed BTU roms instead of H3G. Its's also worth mentioning that H3G roms are for Three (UK) users. Panicked me saw *3G not 'Three' - I dont think H3G is quite as obvious as say vod etc is so this must've snagged a few S3 Three/UK users.
If I9300 users can't find a ROM with the correct CSC, they can try rooting and then using 'csc changer' to change csc. Failing that, I'd recommend i9300 users flash A.S._ids recovery ROMs:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/galaxy-s3/general/odinfirmware-sgsiii-i9300-prerooted-t1825272/
Here's the thread leading up to my discovery on the importance of csc's in having a correct IMEI/serial and being able to connect to your phone providers network:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/galaxy-s3/help/i9300-network-0049-imei-0-serial-t2900470/page2
If we can get all that added to the FAQ I think we'll see a significant drop in the amont of repetetive threads about the same problems over and over on here!
Thanks Zatta and the xda admins!
The need for a patched modem and kernel in 4.3
The FAQ also needs to make mention of the fact that having the correct ROM and CSC is not enough to upgrade to 4.3 or later as it seems most (all?) I9300 users upgrading to 4.3 such as myself have had no luck with the Ariza patch and have had to resort to using zuluman's or another set of patched, 4.3 compat modem FW and a patched kernel. It should note the Boeffla kernal can be used with patched modems if users prefer that route.
Here's a bunch of patched 4.3 modems and kernels that could be linked to if we can't get them uploaded somewhere better:
https://drive.google.com/folderview...sharing&tid=0B6MIUd7HJudAbU5YaGkzOUowMG8#list
sammobile
A link to
http://www.sammobile.com/firmwares/
As a good (if not so fast) source of stock firmware wouldn't go amiss either.
Lets update the FAQ!
Does anyone agree this is important stuff every S3 ROM flasher should know?
I've PM'd Zatta but no response yet and the S3 FAQ itself is closed.
If he can't re-open it or edit it I'm happy to write a new FAQ for the i9300 based on his but updated with the above and a few more tidbits. I'll only do so IF the admins agree to sticky it provided I do a good job else it'll just get lost in endless posts. I'd be open for advice and suggestions for additions to the FAQ should I go ahead with this.
I've created a number of FAQs and manuals for various Linux-related projects in the past inc. most recently the KXStudio manual and the Tracktion Linux FAQ.
Imei / efs faq
The IMEI / EFS FAQ also needs updating to mention that there seems to be (at least) three ways you can get a generic IMEI/serial - the third being using an incorrect CSC to that which is required by your network provider.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/galaxy-s3/general/ref-imei-efs-stuff-i9300-including-t2393289
I'm have commented on that thread with my suggestions for updating the FAQ but I've not had any reply yet.
improving battery life
Another good addition to the FAQ would be something like this:
Q. What can I do to conserve/improve battery life?
Samsung Touchwiz Android 4.3 (and later?) enables Smart Screen by default. You can tell it's enabled if you see an eye icon in the top right corner of your phones home screen. Smart Screen attempts to sense when you are looking at the screen to turn it on and to rotate the screen when you change your viewing angle but it is also notorious for draining the battery.
To turn it off go to Settings -> My Device -> Smart Screen then disable 'Smart Stay' and 'Smart rotation'.
To conserve your battery it is also recommended to enable power saving mode and turn off the WiFi, Bluetooth and your mobile data connections whenever you are not using them.
pfmdan said:
Another good addition to the FAQ would be something like this:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi, I've just noticed your pm in my inbox, sorry for the late "reply", although I do this in public now.
At the moment I'm abroad without the possibility to edit the thread. When I get home I will edit the faq according your proposals but that will have to wait until the first half of december. I will be at sea until that time.
Is great that finally someone responds to this thread actually, it had been unlocked without any useful comment for months. In fact, I've asked people to come up with ideas to improve it but it looked like no-one is interested.
Great to hear from you too Zatta!
There is no great rush to update the FAQ as I've already waited so many weeks to get any kind of useful response from anyone on here. Some even suggested I was nigh on trolling in my efforts to see the important S3 FAQs improved so I doubt I'll have any more luck than you in getting constructive feedback for making further improvements. I hope I'm proved wrong in that respect.
I'm an experienced Linux user (since '96) but I don't claim to be a Android expert. I'm certainly not a S3 expert either but we can definitely improve this FAQ which should in turn improve these forums by reducing repeat questions.
Updated S3 FAQ complete
Hi XDA S3 users!
I'm sorry its took so long to get this done but I've finally updated the S3 FAQ.
I've mailed this to zatta so he should get the official XDA S3 FAQ updated shortly but here it is in its entirety for those who cannot wait.
Hopefully this will drastically reduce a lot of the frequent S3-related questions on these forums!
[SIZE=+3]Frequently Asked Questions[/size]
[SIZE=+2]Samsung Galaxy S III - International GT-I9300[/size]
[SIZE=+1]This a short list of frequently asked questions with answers related to the Samsung Galaxy S III. It should serve as a starting point for gathering knowledge and finding solutions to many common problems. Please only post in this thread with feedback on how to improve this document and refrain from posting "Thank you" type responses. If you have additional questions or require more help, try to find an existing thread or create your own. Do not use this as a general help thread.[/size]
[SIZE=+1]Q1: How do I root my Samsung Galaxy S3 i9300?[/size]
There are several methods to achieve this:
CF-AutoRoot by Chainfire
CF-Root by Chainfire
A custom kernel like Siyah, Speedmod and others which can be flashed with Odin or Heimdall
Use the toolkit by mskip
[SIZE=+1]Q2: What can I do to conserve/improve battery life?[/size]
Official Samsung Touchwiz ROMs enable Smart Screen by default. You can tell it's enabled if you see an eye icon in the top right corner of your phones home screen. Smart Screen attempts to sense when you are looking at the screen to turn it on and to rotate the screen when you change your viewing angle but it is also notorious for draining the battery.
To turn it off go to Settings -> My Device -> Smart Screen then disable 'Smart Stay' and 'Smart rotation'.
To conserve your battery under official firmwares it is also recommended to enable power saving mode and, for all firmwares, you should turn off the WiFi, Bluetooth and your mobile data connections whenever you are not using them to minimize battery drain.
[SIZE=+1]Q3: How do I flash (install) ROMs?[/size]
ROMs that come packaged as a .zip file are usually installed using a custom recovery tool such as TWRP or ClockworkMod. Unlike previous Samsung Galaxy S devices the recovery for the Samsung Galaxy S3 i9300 is NOT part of the kernel. Instead, the SGSIII has a separate recovery partition. Custom recovery partitions can be installed using Odin if you are running Windows or Heimdall, which is available for Linux/UNIX and Mac OSX as well as Windows.
Some ROMs come packaged as a .tar.md5 file. These can only be directly flashed using Odin. Heimdall users are required to extract the individual tar files from within the .tar.md5 file and then flash them to the correct partitions using an appropriate .pit (partition map) file. Heimdall can be used to generate .pit files by extracting the existing partition map from your phone. Note that .tar.md5 files are actually just regular tar files with an added .md5 extension.
[SIZE=+1]Q4: How can I return to the stock ROM?[/size]
There is sometimes the need to revert to the stock ROM, for example when you need to return your device if its still under warranty. doovd made this great guide to the process.
[SIZE=+1]Q5: What is Odin?[/size]
Odin is a leaked tool from Samsung. It is used to flash firmwares (aka ROMs) to phones. There are many how-to's covering the use of Odin, such as this. Others can be found on the XDA WIKI.
[SIZE=+1]Q6: How do I unlock my bootloader?[/size]
There is no need to unlock the bootloader as it is already unlocked! This is the case for most Samsung devices.
[SIZE=+1]Q7: I have heard about EFS. Why is this so important?[/size]
/EFS is a partition on your phone where your IMEI code is stored. Without it your phone is an expensive PDA as you will not be able to make calls. Make sure to have a backup of this partition on a separate device before you attempt to flash new ROMs. TWRP and Philz recovery let you backup the EFS partition.
The format of the EFS partition changed with the release of the MG4 modem firmware so this can cause issues if your modem version and EFS don't match. Here is an explanation of the Samsung firmware naming convention.
[SIZE=+1]Q8: After flashing a ROM I cannot make calls. I now get a 'Not registered on network' error on my lock screen and if I look under Settings -> About Phone -> Status my IMEI begins with 0049 and my serial number has changed to a string of zeros. How can I fix this?[/size]
There are many threads on this forum suggesting this problem is caused by an EFS/modem mismatch or a corrupt EFS partition. This is a potential cause but its more likely you have flashed a ROM with the incorrect CSC (Customer Sales Code) for your phone network. For example, you can experience this error if you've flashed a BTU ROM when your network requires a H3G (Three) CSC. It can also be caused by flashing a ROM using the PDA instead of the CSC option under Odin. You can check your current CSC by dialling *#1234# or connecting your phone to Kies.
If you flashed with Odin and you're sure you flashed a ROM with the correct CSC, the first thing to try is flashing the same ROM using Odin's CSC mode instead of PDA mode. If your phone is rooted you can try changing the CSC mode using a CSC changer app but be warned that doing so will perform a factory reset - wiping all your settings, apps, messages and locally stored contacts etc. If none of those methods restore your correct IMEI, serial and network connectivity then a number of S3 users have reported success by flashing A.S._id's rescue firmware.
[SIZE=+1]Q9: I'm sure I've correctly flashed an SGSIII ROM with the right CSC for my network but why can I still not make calls?[/size]
If your phone was running an Android version less than v4.3 before you flashed a new ROM then you may need to install a patched modem and, if you upgraded to a newer stock ROM, a patched kernel too such as the zuluman modem FW/kernel. You will usually not need to install a patched kernel if you install CyanogenMod or a CM-based ROM. A number of kernels and modem firmwares patched for Android 4.3+ are available here.
[SIZE=+1]Q10: What is the best ROM for the SGSIII?[/size]
Galaxy ROMs come in two flavours. CyanogenMod-based ROMs and TouchWiz-based ROMs. CyanogenMod is completely open source and forms the basis of several derivatives such as AOKP, ParanoidAndroid and many more. These ROMs lack a number of features exclusive to Samsung's TouchWiz like Svoice, Smart Stay, S-Beam and so on. On the other hand, they generally perform better thanks to consuming less resources.
There is no such thing as 'the best rom', it is a subjective matter. Please read this sticky thread in the General section.
[SIZE=+1]Q11: Where can I download the official firmware files from?[/size]
Official firmware files are available here.
[SIZE=+1]Q12: How do I enable Debug mode?[/size]
Since Android 4.2 debug (developer) mode has been hidden by default. Debug mode can be enabled by tapping 7 times on Build number under Settings -> About Phone.
[SIZE=+1]Q13: How do I enter Download Mode and Recovery mode?[/size]
Make sure your phone is unplugged and powered off, then:
Download Mode: Hold Volume down, home, and power until you see the green dude.
Recovery: Hold Volume up, home, and power for about 5 seconds then release all buttons. This might take a couple of tries.
[SIZE=+1]Q14: What is the 'Flash Counter'?[/size]
Your phone's flash counter is triggered and incremented after installing a custom firmware. This is Samsung's way of knowing that you have modded your device. Thanks to the awesome people at XDA, this counter can be reset. Refer to this thread.
[SIZE=+1]Q15: What is ADB and how do I use it?[/size]
[GUIDE] ADB Workshop and Guide for everyone
[SIZE=+1]Q16: I've been asked to provide a logcat. How do I do that?[/size]
How to read a logcat/ Troubleshoot your own issues!
[SIZE=+1]Q17: TitaniumBackup can't find my backups anymore![/size]
This usually occurs after upgrading to Android 4.2 when users forget to also update the recovery partition. Older recoveries can't handle the multiuser support on the sdcards so your data got repeatedly shifted to a folder named 0, resulting in /sdcard/0/0/0... etc. That is where your backups have gone! You simply have to update TitaniumBackup's settings to point to the correct location and your backups will re-appear.
[SIZE=+1]Q18: I have searched everywhere and still can't find an answer to my question![/size]
Have you really searched everywhere? Google? Have you tried asking in the XDA thread relating to your problem? Have you read the stickies and FAQs? If you have honestly spent more than 5-10 minutes searching for an answer, post a new thread in the Q&A section.
This FAQ is part of a Recognized Contributor Group Initiative.Please look for a similar FAQ thread when visiting another device forum.
A special thanks to everyone who contributed to the production of this FAQ
pfmdan said:
Hi XDA S3 users!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi! Thanks for your work, I've copy-pasted your complete proposal to the op of the FAQ thread, Thanks a lot for you hard work again!
You're welcome Zatta!
One more thing...
I should add something like this too:
Q. How do I flash TWRP under Linux /UNIX / OSX?
A. Boot your phone into Download Mode, connect it to your computer then run a command such as this:
Code:
sudo heimdall flash --RECOVERY openrecovery-twrp-2.8.5.0-i9300.img