I am currently on ME7 stock build. I have rooted and unlocked my last 5 phones and thought I would do the same with the GS4 until I was surprised to see all the issues with the newer builds. I know about safestrap but I haven't taken the plunge yet. Every night I have been delaying the OTAS update Verizon is pushing out. I didn't want to upgrade to an even worse build to be on that nothing would allow me to root.
1) What is the build that Verizon is currently pushing?
2) Is it better, worse or the same when it comes to future potential to unlock and root?
3) Is there a list or chart anywhere what has a chronological order of Verizon build numbers so I can see what is being pushed each time an OTA is offered and I can research what it means for unlocking and root purposes?
Thanks,
Jim
calaski8123 said:
I am currently on ME7 stock build. I have rooted and unlocked my last 5 phones and thought I would do the same with the GS4 until I was surprised to see all the issues with the newer builds. I know about safestrap but I haven't taken the plunge yet. Every night I have been delaying the OTAS update Verizon is pushing out. I didn't want to upgrade to an even worse build to be on that nothing would allow me to root.
1) What is the build that Verizon is currently pushing?
2) Is it better, worse or the same when it comes to future potential to unlock and root?
3) Is there a list or chart anywhere what has a chronological order of Verizon build numbers so I can see what is being pushed each time an OTA is offered and I can research what it means for unlocking and root purposes?
Thanks,
Jim
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1)mk2
2) nobody has been able to unlock new boot loader so as long as there is a root method it should not matter. Don't know about mk2 but I believe mj7 has root.
3)mdk
Me7
Mi1 (I think)
Mj7
Mk2
I think I got them all.
Sent from a Shaftamle Galaxy S4
"Thanks Button" is always appreciated!
http://mycolorscreen.com/Shaftamle/
calaski8123 said:
I am currently on ME7 stock build. I have rooted and unlocked my last 5 phones and thought I would do the same with the GS4 until I was surprised to see all the issues with the newer builds. I know about safestrap but I haven't taken the plunge yet. Every night I have been delaying the OTAS update Verizon is pushing out. I didn't want to upgrade to an even worse build to be on that nothing would allow me to root.
1) What is the build that Verizon is currently pushing?
2) Is it better, worse or the same when it comes to future potential to unlock and root?
3) Is there a list or chart anywhere what has a chronological order of Verizon build numbers so I can see what is being pushed each time an OTA is offered and I can research what it means for unlocking and root purposes?
Thanks,
Jim
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Being on ME7 you are being prompted to update to MI1, then you will be prompted to update to MJ7, and finally to MK2 (the most recent). Safe rooting methods for each of these builds are different but readily available if you look in the Verizon Galaxy S4 forums. Recently, Hashcode has provided the community with the only recovery for MJ7 and MK2 - Safestrap. When you say unlock I'm guessing you mean the bootloader which is still locked - and a difficult nut to crack although there are some very smart guys working on it. I recently got my GS4 and am currently on MK2 rooted with safestrap installed. I don't see an advantage of ME7 to MJ7 or MK2 but others may feel differently. For a while ME7 and MI1 were the only builds that Safestrap worked on, but now that MJ7 and MK2 are safestrap compatible, there doesn't seem to be a disadvantage to the newer builds. Hope that helps sort it out a little. Cheers.
CoMtnMan said:
Being on ME7 you are being prompted to update to MI1, then you will be prompted to update to MJ7, and finally to MK2 (the most recent). Safe rooting methods for each of these builds are different but readily available if you look in the Verizon Galaxy S4 forums. Recently, Hashcode has provided the community with the only recovery for MJ7 and MK2 - Safestrap. When you say unlock I'm guessing you mean the bootloader which is still locked - and a difficult nut to crack although there are some very smart guys working on it. I recently got my GS4 and am currently on MK2 rooted with safestrap installed. I don't see an advantage of ME7 to MJ7 or MK2 but others may feel differently. For a while ME7 and MI1 were the only builds that Safestrap worked on, but now that MJ7 and MK2 are safestrap compatible, there doesn't seem to be a disadvantage to the newer builds. Hope that helps sort it out a little. Cheers.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
YEs thanks... I'll do some research on the newer builds. I really just wanted to know if there was one build that is best to be on and then root. I didn't want to update and find out rooting would be more difficult or have problems but likewise, I didn't want to root on ME7 and miss out on some added features in the newer builds.
If you guys had to pick the best build to be on for a balance of rooting and features, which would it be. For purposes of rooting, I'm OK with stock, I don't need a custom ROM. I just want to delete bloatware, run an ad blocker, wifi tether and Google Wallet (with NFC payments).
And yes, I meant an unlocked bootloader when I said unlocked. I know safestrap works, I just have always been on unlocked with a custom recovery where I could make backups. I felt way safer that way. I'm sure its fine, but safestrap is a new method I'm not yet comfortable with.
Thanks,
Jim
I think MJ7 would be best. I upgraded to MK2 and don't notice much difference (it was a small incremental update - still 4.3). The nice thing is that if you do manage to screw up MK2 or MJ7 you can always ODIN back to MJ7 and start fresh. MJ7 seems to be slightly better for flashing as you also have to flash the kernel module after each new rom and MJ7 has one on Hashcode's page whereas MK2's is "coming soon".
I have been using safestrap for over a year with my Razr prior to the SG4 - very stable and a huge help when you want to try multiple roms but not want the hassle of flashing back and forth between stock and custom roms. Just make sure you read all of Hashcode's instructions on using it.
He probably knows more about it than me I'm on MDK still.
Sent from a Shaftamle Galaxy S4
"Thanks Button" is always appreciated!
http://mycolorscreen.com/Shaftamle/
OK great. So if I do the OTA update Verizon is pushing, it will install each one individually so I can stop when I get to the one I want? It won't just go right to the most recent build?
Jim
calaski8123 said:
OK great. So if I do the OTA update Verizon is pushing, it will install each one individually so I can stop when I get to the one I want? It won't just go right to the most recent build?
Jim
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes. Correct. That one I do know!
Sent from a Shaftamle Galaxy S4
"Thanks Button" is always appreciated!
http://mycolorscreen.com/Shaftamle/
Ok I updated to MJ7. I'm getting this shield notification now that says it detected unauthorized access to a secured area. I searched and found this is an annoying issue that only seems to be fixed with a factory reset... ugh WTF? ! ? Samsung and Verizon are really starting to blow.
If I try and update this security thing it's it going to prevent me from rooting?
Any other way to stop it besides a factory reset?
Thanks,
Jim
calaski8123 said:
Ok I updated to MJ7. I'm getting this shield notification now that says it detected unauthorized access to a secured area. I searched and found this is an annoying issue that only seems to be fixed with a factory reset... ugh WTF? ! ? Samsung and Verizon are really starting to blow.
If I try and update this security thing it's it going to prevent me from rooting?
Any other way to stop it besides a factory reset?
Thanks,
Jim
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's Knox. On the initial MJ7 build, it was raising that issue whenever you went from one WiFi access point to another.
If you allow it to update the policy, that defect goes away.
No need to factory reset.
If you root your phone, allow SuperSU to disable Knox and the problem will go away.
I just rooted my SG4 MK2 and that Knox thing showed up on my supersu access. It scared the crap out of me because I thought I was tripping it and on my way to hard bricking my phone. Thanks k1mu. I just hit disable and the shield went away.
Sent from my SCH-I545 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
I have the GS4 (I545.06 if it matters), build ME7, on Verizon, Android 4.2.2, with root.
I've been trying to read through threads about upgrading and keeping root, installing CM, etc., but I'm honestly just lost.
So here's what I'm wondering:
Is the latest version of Android for this device on Verizon 4.4.3? If so, can I upgrade with OTA updates to that version and keep (or regain) root somehow? If not, what is the latest version of android that I can upgrade to and still keep root?
It seems very difficult or impossible to install a normal, up-to-date, functioning version of CM on this phone due to bootloader issues. Is this correct?
I gained root on this device so long ago that I'm not even 100% sure what I did to get root or keep it. I think I used Titanium Backup to "freeze" the system apk that checks for OTA updates from Verzion, and that is why I am still on 4.2.2.
Anyway, I'm super confused and just wondering what my options are as far as upgrading to the latest version of Android or CM at this point from the state my phone is currently in. If I left out some necessary info please let me know.
Thanks in advance!
roostishaw said:
I have the GS4 (I545.06 if it matters), build ME7, on Verizon, Android 4.2.2, with root.
I've been trying to read through threads about upgrading and keeping root, installing CM, etc., but I'm honestly just lost.
So here's what I'm wondering:
Is the latest version of Android for this device on Verizon 4.4.3? If so, can I upgrade with OTA updates to that version and keep (or regain) root somehow? If not, what is the latest version of android that I can upgrade to and still keep root?
It seems very difficult or impossible to install a normal, up-to-date, functioning version of CM on this phone due to bootloader issues. Is this correct?
I gained root on this device so long ago that I'm not even 100% sure what I did to get root or keep it. I think I used Titanium Backup to "freeze" the system apk that checks for OTA updates from Verzion, and that is why I am still on 4.2.2.
Anyway, I'm super confused and just wondering what my options are as far as upgrading to the latest version of Android or CM at this point from the state my phone is currently in. If I left out some necessary info please let me know.
Thanks in advance!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
did you read the links and look at youtube videos listed in this thread? Remember modding your phone is not for the faint of heart and you need to understand and be able to use odin and be familiar with ADB as well.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2606501
Does anybody have any news or information about the OTA after OC1 on Verizon? I was going to Odin restore my phone on fresh OC1 (my bootloader has already been updated, so I'm stuck anyway), but I happened to check if there was another update and there is one. I'm curious as to what it actually is, and if it will make my phone run a little smoother or not.
Munir_ri just posted a safe way to update. The fix fixes stage fright...
Apologies as I searched for the last two days, and still not sure I have the answer to this.
My phone did the automated update to NK4 this summer. It then failed to do the upgrade to 5 or 5.1. I made the mistake of rooting it, thinking I could just put a custom ROM on, but (if I'm correct) that's not possible from NK4?
Assuming that is correct, is there any way to fix my phone so that it will do the stock update? Everything I read says that once I'm rooted, there's no way to do the stock update. True? Did I screw myself?
Right now my phone is running VERY buggy with seriously reduced battery life. I need to do something.
thanks
You can Odin to nc5 and root with towel root. If you want to keep root don't ota use a method that doesn't upgrade bootloader past nk4 like muniz.
Sent from S4 using the better than it was then they jacked it again Tapatalk
Hi there. I just broke my s6 and so had to go back to my old s4, heh. I currently have a rooted OC1, and I was looking at the latest info on available root methods and see that the OF1 can be rooted using kingroot. My phone shows an OTA available but repeatedly fails when trying to update.
My question is, should I try to figure out what is causing the failure, update the "right" way, and then root with kingroot? Or should I just figure out another way to get the update, like I think the old way was to downgrade to OC1, root, then odin the OF1 update. Should I just do that?
This happens when you try to ota on a rom which has root or has been modified. Just dont update it doesnt add any features