Rooted Galaxy s4 - Verizon Samsung Galaxy S 4

This was rooted a long while back and now with the OTA update I have i545vrufnk4 baseband version but I can't install lollipop. I don't care about lollipop I just don't want to be prompted to install it when it doesn't work (thanks knox).
What are my options? Odin? Rooting? I tried towelroot and it didn't work this time around. please help

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bump

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Well, nk4 doesn't have root. NK4 is the first step to lollipop. The qfuse isn't blown yet, so you can full wipe back to nc5, get root and safestrap. You can't disablet he update thing without root, so you have two options:
A)Odin back to nc5, then disable the OTA
B)Live with the notification
-I believe if you hold on the thing, click on settings, and disable the notification, that will stop any popup. I haven't done this in a while though.

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XxD34THxX said:
Well, nk4 doesn't have root. NK4 is the first step to lollipop. The qfuse isn't blown yet, so you can full wipe back to nc5, get root and safestrap. You can't disablet he update thing without root, so you have two options:
A)Odin back to nc5, then disable the OTA
B)Live with the notification
-I believe if you hold on the thing, click on settings, and disable the notification, that will stop any popup. I haven't done this in a while though.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
When I turn on the phone it shows custom with the unlock picture so I thought that meant the fuse was blown. I

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No, it won't tell you if the qfuse is blown. That just means it detects root access on boot, and the system status is unnoficial

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Just downgrade to NC5. There is a thread for that. Install towelroot and then using TB, freeze SDM. Good to go.
Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk

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^^
That was the process to freeze OTA

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XxD34THxX said:
^^
That was the process to freeze OTA
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Does the phone need to be rooted to use odin? I saw a video on rootjunky where he does it pretty quick and easy (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GL8XwuRYoWU)

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thisdarnphone said:
Does the phone need to be rooted to use odin? I saw a video on rootjunky where he does it pretty quick and easy (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GL8XwuRYoWU)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Root not required to odin.
Sent from my SCH-I545 using XDA Free mobile app

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You just need towelroot

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XxD34THxX said:
You just need towelroot
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Towelroot doesn't work anymore for me. It did once but now it fails(this phone isn't currently supported) and I tried several codes. Is there something I should know before I try odin?
I guess what I'm asking is why do I need to root?
Secondly, does odin no longer work if I upgrade to lollipop down the road?
What firmware should I put on this phone?

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You will have to use Odin to go back to nc5, with a FULL WIPE
Then, you have several options:
1)Use the stock deodex lollipop with Root
2)Echoe ROM v49(no dev though, so no more updates)
3)Super6(s6 port)

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XxD34THxX said:
You will have to use Odin to go back to nc5, with a FULL WIPE
Then, you have several options:
1)Use the stock deodex lollipop with Root
2)Echoe ROM v49(no dev though, so no more updates)
3)Super6(s6 port)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I saw something about that, I was reading the Odin guide where they said after odin shows the green "passed", then you need to reboot the phone holding the power home and volume up keys and pick the "factory reset / full wipe" option. if you don't do that does that brick the phone?
appreciate the help, it's my first time but I'm picking this up quick

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No. The Full Wipe will wipe it for you and it will automatically reboot the phone. It will be in an "out of box" state.

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XxD34THxX said:
No. The Full Wipe will wipe it for you and it will automatically reboot the phone. It will be in an "out of box" state.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh then if I were to do a full wipe, then I wouldn't need Odin? That would take me back to MK2 from back in the day?

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no. If you get the nc5 file, it will upgrade/downgrade you to nc5, which is 4.4 Kitkat

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XxD34THxX said:
no. If you get the nc5 file, it will upgrade/downgrade you to nc5, which is 4.4 Kitkat
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm sorry I just feel like I'm missing some key concept here.
So just to clear up my understanding here are the following firmwares avaiable for my galaxy s4 i-545
i545vrugOC1 5.0.1
i545vrufnk1 4.4.2
i545vrufng6 4.4.2
i545vrufnc5 4.4.2
i545vruemk2 4.3
i545vrudmi1 4.2
My phone says it's running VRUFNK4. I'm guessing that's the temporary OTA (1/2) upgrade.
Am I right?
Is that why you want me to flash NC5 and is that why if I do a factory reset using the home and volume keys it won't do anything but just keep me where I am now? Why not an NG6 or an MK2 for that matter?
I'm sure a lot of people have these questions I just can't find it anywhere. I just don't want to brick my phone (is that permanent?)

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nk4 is part one of two yes.
Even if you do a factory reset, it still won't update because you once rooted, and knox takes note of this, and will block any OTA. nc5 is the last firmware that had towelroot working. ng6 doesn't work with towelroot. I don't see why you would go any further back since the ROMs are based off of nc5.

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XxD34THxX said:
nk4 is part one of two yes.
Even if you do a factory reset, it still won't update because you once rooted, and knox takes note of this, and will block any OTA. nc5 is the last firmware that had towelroot working. ng6 doesn't work with towelroot. I don't see why you would go any further back since the ROMs are based off of nc5.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok that makes sense, I thought for a minute the phone wasn't capable of going back to an earlier version because it had a different boot loader? is that not the case?

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That is only the case once you go to 0C1. It is not the bootloader. It is because a physical qfuse is blown, and it has two values, 0(unblown) and 1(blown). If it reads as one, no going back to an older version.