help with galaxy s2 - Galaxy S II Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

Hi,
I'm new here and I wanted your help with galaxy s2.
my mom and little sister has it and the battery dies very fast and the device is working very slowly.
Should I install a rom?
If so, what kind and how to do it?
(maybe other programs as well like google play, camera and i don't know what)
Also, if you think I should buy a new battery, please send me a link to battery on ebay - better world free shipping (amazon doesn't send most of its items to my country)
Many thanks,
Eli.

elis02 said:
Hi,
I'm new here and I wanted your help with galaxy s2.
my mom and little sister has it and the battery dies very fast and the device is working very slowly.
Should I install a rom?
If so, what kind and how to do it?
(maybe other programs as well like google play, camera and i don't know what)
Also, if you think I should buy a new battery, please send me a link to battery on ebay - better world free shipping (amazon doesn't send most of its items to my country)
Many thanks,
Eli.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you want to install a rom, try neatrom 6.4 by sale. It's based on stock jelly bean and is very stable and gives excellent battery life. You will be able to customise what bloatware you want to install (e.g Samsung apps, etc). You might also want to consider installing a custom kernel as well like apolo kernel 4.15b as it can greatly improve battery life if tuned accordingly.
If you need a battery, the anker 1900mah batteries are pretty good, I'm using them right now and they are performing quite well. I bought them from eBay from the seller 'ankerdirect'. I wouldn't really recommend buying 'genuine' batteries online since most Samsung batteries for s2 have stopped production, so there is a chance of them being fake.
If all option fails, it is most likely a hardware problem. My second s2 has very poor battery life due to hardware problems and old age, so buying a new phone may be the only solution.
Regards, gsstudios

gsstudios said:
If you want to install a rom, try neatrom 6.4 by sale. It's based on stock jelly bean and is very stable and gives excellent battery life. You will be able to customise what bloatware you want to install (e.g Samsung apps, etc). You might also want to consider installing a custom kernel as well like apolo kernel 4.15b as it can greatly improve battery life if tuned accordingly.
If you need a battery, the anker 1900mah batteries are pretty good, I'm using them right now and they are performing quite well. I bought them from eBay from the seller 'ankerdirect'. I wouldn't really recommend buying 'genuine' batteries online since most Samsung batteries for s2 have stopped production, so there is a chance of them being fake.
If all option fails, it is most likely a hardware problem. My second s2 has very poor battery life due to hardware problems and old age, so buying a new phone may be the only solution.
Regards, gsstudios
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks but I think i need more info since i'm a newbie
Why is this rom better than new ones? (and how to install it-guide?)
what is kernel and how to define it?
Thanks,
Eli

elis02 said:
Thanks but I think i need more info since i'm a newbie
Why is this rom better than new ones? (and how to install it-guide?)
what is kernel and how to define it?
Thanks,
Eli
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Are you already on STOCK Jelly bean? If not, you should update your phone to the latest official samsung release.

gsstudios said:
Are you already on STOCK Jelly bean? If not, you should update your phone to the latest official samsung release.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have android 4.1.2 on the phone.
there are no updates to the phone.

so what would you suggest and why?
you suggested 4.1.2 rom but why not newer?
and, can I make the phone in Hebrew or Russian using this rom?

elis02 said:
so what would you suggest and why?
you suggested 4.1.2 rom but why not newer?
and, can I make the phone in Hebrew or Russian using this rom?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have suggested a rom based on stock jellybean 4.1.2 as this version of Android seems to give the best battery for the s2. Normal stock rom is very bloated and so battery life is lost. However neatrom can remove most of the bloatware so that you can get the best possible battery life from stock 4.1.2. Lollipop roms have bad battery life no matter how many you try, however kitkat is the last good version of Android for our phone. If you really want to have a updated rom, try slimsaber 4.4.4 by fusionjack.

Related

[q] help on a shw-m250k for philippines

Hi,
Good day to everyone.
Could you help out with a unit I bought which is a S2 SHW-M250K? I'm a residence in the Philippines but unfortunately the device is limited in certain features. Like creating a SMS is limited to 90 characters and thus prompts MMS not available. Upon the call feature, is always goes to autoroaming. Its really annoying and a hassle for me.
Is there a way I could totally reformat the whole system and install a new one that is compatible here in the Philippines or like the standard look of a S2 l9100?
If there is, could you give a step-by-step procedure cause I really don't know the "how-to" with phones, flash ROM or anything that pertains to his matter.
Hope for a assistance.
Thanks.
Jan from the Philippines
i have the same phone in the same country and i don't have either of your issues. the reason is because i flashed a stock i9100 rom to my shw m250k so now it's basically an i9100 phones with an antenna but doesn't have an fm radio. anyway, if you haven't tried flashing before i suggest you read up on some guides. there are some here and more can be found on google. i don't want to give you one myself in case your phone somehow gets bricked (almost impossible though) btw the rom i'm using is the european kg6 one. no issues at all
OT: since we have the same unit, i want to know how long your battery lasts. mine just barely touches 12hrs before it's completely drained, i don't know if it's an isolated case or if all m250k's are the same. i'm using a replacement 1800mah battery though, so that might be the reason. i just don't want to spend money on an original one yet just to find out it's the same story.
hi fyre31,
GREAT!!!! Really appreciate your technical advice on this predicament. Though I don't the "how-to's" on flashing or rooting on this device.
Haven't tried the unit yet but if ever I flashed it I'll give you a feedback on the battery thing.
Thanks again.
Jan
We have the same phone in the same country, regarding battery life, mine got 30 hours with the stock battery on normal use, I'm currently using LiteningRom v5.0
hmm guess i'm gonna have to get myself an original samsung battery then. thanks for sharing
fyre31 said:
hmm guess i'm gonna have to get myself an original samsung battery then. thanks for sharing
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yeah, I guess the rom and kernal is the main factor with regards to battery life, and also I forgot to mention, I disabled fast dormancy on *#9900# and wipe battery stats in recovery mode
janlim888 said:
Hi,
Good day to everyone.
Could you help out with a unit I bought which is a S2 SHW-M250K? I'm a residence in the Philippines but unfortunately the device is limited in certain features. Like creating a SMS is limited to 90 characters and thus prompts MMS not available. Upon the call feature, is always goes to autoroaming. Its really annoying and a hassle for me.
Is there a way I could totally reformat the whole system and install a new one that is compatible here in the Philippines or like the standard look of a S2 l9100?
If there is, could you give a step-by-step procedure cause I really don't know the "how-to" with phones, flash ROM or anything that pertains to his matter.
Hope for a assistance.
Thanks.
Jan from the Philippines
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
flash another rom! go to sgsII android development, you can find a lot of custom roms out there with the "how-to" and step-by-step procedure, good luck!
Hi guys, where did you get your Korean version from? I'm looking for a replacement LCD for my SGS2 Korean
SamAce 2 said:
Hi guys, where did you get your Korean version from? I'm looking for a replacement LCD for my SGS2 Korean
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Noone is here?
ecl121869 said:
We have the same phone in the same country, regarding battery life, mine got 30 hours with the stock battery on normal use, I'm currently using LiteningRom v5.0
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You have no idea, this post of yours is my savior! I tried different roms and they caused my phone to have a boot loop. Now I have Lite'ning Rom v6.1 and it's rooted and has a custom rom without the bloatware in one go. Loving it so far!
For those who need help, these are the steps I followed (don't blame me if something goes awry on your phone though...)
Follow the steps here: http://www.inspiredgeek.com/2011/04...ng-odin-and-superoneclick-step-by-step-guide/
Except! After Step 2, press the volume up button. And then On step 5, instead of the "XWKDD_insecure.tar", replace it with the latest Rom you can download in http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1095274.
By the way, if it wasn't obvious, I have the same predicament as everyone else. I bought the phone before it was officially released in the Philippines, and it was imported from Korea. My phone has an antenna... and it serves nothing other than make my friends laugh because it makes the phone look like some cheap brand, haha My version had M250K before I installed the custom rom.

Flashing Galaxy S2

Hello everbody,
My girlfriend has a galaxy S2. Now she want to flash her phone to a custom rom.
Now we want some information what is good for a galaxy S2.
For the S1 i know what I need, but the S2 is new for me.
Who can tell me about this phone. Which kernel do i need and which rom is good with low battery drain?
Thanks in advance from both of us
Greetz,
ikkuh007 said:
Hello everbody,
My girlfriend has a galaxy S2. Now she want to flash her phone to a rom.
Now we want some information what is good for a galaxy S2.
For the S1 i know what I need, but the S2 is new for me.
Who can tell me about this phone. Which kernel do i need and which rom is good with low battery drain?
Thanks in advance from both of us
Greetz,
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, first of all you say flash a ROM to your phone, not flash your phone to a ROM.
That said, if you're looking for a close to stock experience, with a tweaked ROM you could try this one http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1312240 . It was released yesterday and was the merge of two ROM proyects, both which I tried and liked. SO you will go risk free with that one.
I personally am on CM7 and like it over anything but it's not based on samsung firmware so there is a downside. For example you have to renounce to all samsung apps like the samsung camera which is great and polaris office (which was really bad for me), but besides that it's all great. CM7 is fastest than any samsung based ROM, smoother, etc... Just a little bit harder to flash it for the first time.
Sorry, was not good english. I changed it.
I will look at that, I maybe found something else.
Is this a good, stable rom without much battery drain?
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1237495
ikkuh007 said:
Sorry, was not good english. I changed it.
I will look at that, I maybe found something else.
Is this a good, stable rom without much battery drain?
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1237495
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I really don't know about that one. Anyway, trying it cannot do any harm, maybe you find yourself with a great ROM.
Well you right. There are not so many roms for the S2. I hope some people with a S2 with custom rom can tell more about the roms and the kernels...
yes, it is a good rom but what kind of custom rom?
gives us what you are looking for and we can point you in the right direction.
Hello,
She is looking for a stable rom with low battery drain. She does not much with the phone. Sometimes little games, call, sms, whatsapp. She also like a nice design.

Stock vs Custom (for a noob)

Hi,
So my old man has an S2, and while he loves it, having seen my Nexus 4, he fancies a bit of the Jelly Bean loveliness. Anyway, we tried to load the trusty Samsung Kies and do it the official route, only for it to hang forever on 'Connecting' (quality software Samsung :good: ). Now I've downloaded the official Samsung Jelly Bean ROM, I figured I'd stray on here first before jumping the gun.
Considering the guy using the phone is going to be an old geezer, not totally useless with phones but he isn't exactly that sharp with them either, would it be wise to stick with a stock ROM? Obviously the stock ROM can be rooted (he does have his GB rooted) so we can still access a number of the apps he uses but how are custom ROMs fairing with regards to battery life, and performance. I noticed a considerable drop in battery life when using Jelly Bean on my old i9000 but a large improvement in performance. How is it for the i9100?
I'm not asking for a ***** fight, I just want simple answers.
Stock vs Custom?
Battery better or worse?
Performance?
Yep thanks
i am going to answer your questions.
the rom doesnt make the battery life. kernel does. if you change your kernel battery life will be better. i say to try again but this time use a different kernel.
performance is better on custom roms, at least my opinion.
He's right.
Now, your dad wants stock JB, trust me.
I'm sure he's gonna use the device for calls, mail, browsing, camera and that's about it, he'll get 2 days of battery. If he gets less and start *****ing, flash a custom kernel and that's that.
Sent from the little guy
gastonw said:
He's right.
Now, your dad wants stock JB, trust me.
I'm sure he's gonna use the device for calls, mail, browsing, camera and that's about it, he'll get 2 days of battery. If he gets less and start *****ing, flash a custom kernel and that's that.
Sent from the little guy
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah he isn't much of a hacker. He does really use for calls, texting, email, browsing and camera, and not much else apart from the standard apps such as sports scores. He's not quite as keen as I was on an S1 when I was hacking everything and anything possible and tweaking the **** out of it lol!
OK, we'll give the latest version a pop, Italian XWLSD. We'll get that on, root it, then if necessary I'll flash a UK modem (not that Italian modems are much different I imagine, it isn't that far away).
Flash nordic.
Sent from the little guy
Downloaded LSD, it's only 1 file though. As I'm coming from Gingerbread do I need to go to ICS first, or can I use the single file without a .pit file?
Straight to JB.
No pit files involved, just the single LSD file.
Sent from the little guy
Stick to stock for him. Tried custom roms on wifes phone gave me a headache !
Sent from my GT-I9100 using xda premium
OK, having seen the Multi-Window he fancies a bit of that lol!!! Yep, I know, I know, so I'm going to give him a custom ROM, with that feature, see what he says, and then if needbe, I can always flash back to stock.
Anyway, fancy recommending a good custom ROM with decent battery life and the multi-window mod?
I've been looking at RainBox, (elsewhere doesn't have a thread here for some reason) but also NeatROM has it and I'm quite impressed with that.
Unless it's possible to put the Multi-Window mod on XWLSD stock? Which would be good too, so if so, let me know
You should try AllienceRom.It has multiwindow and great battery life for me
v6.0 ???
skezza said:
v6.0 ???
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
ive put neat rom and speed mod kernel on my dads phone , hes pretty happy with it
skarma103 said:
ive put neat rom and speed mod kernel on my dads phone , hes pretty happy with it
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah. I'm either going to try Alliance or Neat. Maybe both lol. I'm trying to explain that once you've flashed one, it's very easy to flash another and there's no reason you can't switch between the two until you like one lol. Hitting a brick wall right now though
skezza said:
Yeah. I'm either going to try Alliance or Neat. Maybe both lol. I'm trying to explain that once you've flashed one, it's very easy to flash another and there's no reason you can't switch between the two until you like one lol. Hitting a brick wall right now though
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
haha true , you need to test the roms before you pick one ... but having a stable kernel is more important :silly:
Of course, the current kernel has some cool battery profiles which would be great in this new kernel. I've never been one to go for the massive performance thing, you gain about 0.1ms of time on apps loading, but by having a good battery kernel, you can save a lot of battery lol

Suggest a ROM for my dad...

My dad has GSII (I9100, the "original" S2) and it feels kinda sluggish compared to my One S C2(pretty much HTC Sensation) and it also lacks app space(I have moved all of them to SD card but still cant install new apps). Since I'm going to reinstall it I might aswell install some other ROM. It needs to be almost fully stable with all the features working and it would be nice if it had touchwiz(my dad isnt a power user and doesnt like to adopt to new things). I don't know how much faster non-touchwiz ROMs are so you can suggest some of those too. Also I don't really know yet how to install custom ROMs on GSII except for the stock one but I'm sure I'll find info on how to do that. Oh, performance and battery life should be balanced although my dad has 4 batteries
Thank you for your help!
EDIT: after some searching I have realized that 95% of roms are without touchwiz... So just suggest any ROM that is stable and smooth
Mixz1890 said:
My dad has GSII (I9100, the "original" S2) and it feels kinda sluggish compared to my One S C2(pretty much HTC Sensation) and it also lacks app space(I have moved all of them to SD card but still cant install new apps). Since I'm going to reinstall it I might aswell install some other ROM. It needs to be almost fully stable with all the features working and it would be nice if it had touchwiz(my dad isnt a power user and doesnt like to adopt to new things). I don't know how much faster non-touchwiz ROMs are so you can suggest some of those too. Also I don't really know yet how to install custom ROMs on GSII except for the stock one but I'm sure I'll find info on how to do that. Oh, performance and battery life should be balanced although my dad has 4 batteries
Thank you for your help!
EDIT: after some searching I have realized that 95% of roms are without touchwiz... So just suggest any ROM that is stable and smooth
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hey!
To root your phone, head here: http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/galaxys2-i9100-root-android412-jellybean-install-clockworkmod-445008
1. Neat ROM: is perhaps based on Touchwiz. Also, it has had a huge support. So, it should fit your Dad's expectations.
2. SlimSaber 4.4.4: I guess pretty much the best non-touchwiz ROM for the S2. And stable as well!
3. Go ahead and try out Lollipop ROMs as well, although they are still under work and can have some bugs: CM12.1, Resurrection Remix , BlissPOP, SlimLP and many more.
Hope this helps.
Regards.
warrior1208 said:
Hey!
To root your phone, head here: http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/galaxys2-i9100-root-android412-jellybean-install-clockworkmod-445008
1. Neat ROM: is perhaps based on Touchwiz. Also, it has had a huge support. So, it should fit your Dad's expectations.
2. SlimSaber 4.4.4: I guess pretty much the best non-touchwiz ROM for the S2. And stable as well!
3. Go ahead and try out Lollipop ROMs as well, although they are still under work and can have some bugs: CM12.1, Resurrection Remix , BlissPOP, SlimLP and many more.
Hope this helps.
Regards.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Big thanks for your help man! I think I'll try both of the ROMs you suggested, but not going to try lollipop because my classmate has GSII with it and its just too buggy. Gonna report back on how it went.
Mixz1890 said:
My dad has GSII (I9100, the "original" S2) and it feels kinda sluggish compared to my One S C2(pretty much HTC Sensation) and it also lacks app space(I have moved all of them to SD card but still cant install new apps). Since I'm going to reinstall it I might aswell install some other ROM. It needs to be almost fully stable with all the features working and it would be nice if it had touchwiz(my dad isnt a power user and doesnt like to adopt to new things). I don't know how much faster non-touchwiz ROMs are so you can suggest some of those too. Also I don't really know yet how to install custom ROMs on GSII except for the stock one but I'm sure I'll find info on how to do that. Oh, performance and battery life should be balanced although my dad has 4 batteries
Thank you for your help!
EDIT: after some searching I have realized that 95% of roms are without touchwiz... So just suggest any ROM that is stable and smooth
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Try http://www.cyanogenmod.org/, that's how i started with custom ROM's, they have "idiot friendly" way of installing their ROM, you just install app form google store and follow setup proces, really easy. Very stable ROM also. I still use Cyanogenmod, bus some unnoficial lolipop version. I recomend it!
Slimsaber 4.4.4 by fusionjack. Would recommend it to anyone on XDA and to friends and family.
gordak985 said:
Try http://www.cyanogenmod.org/, that's how i started with custom ROM's, they have "idiot friendly" way of installing their ROM, you just install app form google store and follow setup proces, really easy. Very stable ROM also. I still use Cyanogenmod, bus some unnoficial lolipop version. I recomend it!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I know but for some reason I don't like Cyanogenmod...Its not always the fastest anyway.
gsstudios said:
Slimsaber 4.4.4 by fusionjack. Would recommend it to anyone on XDA and to friends and family.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Tried it but dad didnt like it so I installed him NeatRom and everything is working really well.

S2 i9100 Kit Kat 4.4.4 ROM

Hi everyone,
Can someone please recommend a working Android (Kit Kat) 4.4.4 Rom for a Galaxy S2 i9100? If you can also post an xda-dev link where I can find the Rom and matching Gapps it would be great.
I tried Resurrection Remix and Neat-Rom, but the installation failed, so I had to roll back to an older 4.1.2 Avatar Rom. I would still like to upgrade to a 4.4.4
Thanks in advance.
Sent from my Z793C using XDA Free mobile app
gn82 said:
Hi everyone,
Can someone please recommend a working Android (Kit Kat) 4.4.4 Rom for a Galaxy S2 i9100? If you can also post an xda-dev link where I can find the Rom and matching Gapps it would be great.
I tried Resurrection Remix and Neat-Rom, but the installation failed, so I had to roll back to an older 4.1.2 Avatar Rom. I would still like to upgrade to a 4.4.4
Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Try SlimSaber is the best and most up to date kk rom! Latest build here.
If you get status 7 error you need kk compatible recovery
Opengapps ARM=>4.4=>pico, wipe data, cache, dalvik & system then flash rom and gapps - reboot!
I was going to start a new thread, but I figured I'd borrow this one instead to avoid spam... :angel:
I'm looking to use one of my two spare S2s as a GPS/Sat-nav & music player - bare minimum, just for MP3s/FM radio & navigation purposes, to keep the battery strain off my main phone (S4) during long motorbike journeys...
I've been using SlimSabre on my "other" S2 (which I'd re-purposed for the same job but is now dying due to hardware faults), and to be sure, it seems slick but I was wondering if you guys might suggest a more suitable, totally stripped-back rom for this specific purpose that I don't know about?
All I'm really interested in are stability (obviously) GPS performance, battery life (not always possible to run a power cable when on the bike), and FM radio compatibility. Oh, and the ability to customise the interface to make things like the statusbar clock larger would be nice too, but I'm sure I can find a mod for that later if needs be...
Many thanks!
BigJim.T32 said:
I was going to start a new thread, but I figured I'd borrow this one instead to avoid spam... :angel:
I'm looking to use one of my two spare S2s as a GPS/Sat-nav & music player - bare minimum, just for MP3s/FM radio & navigation purposes, to keep the battery strain off my main phone (S4) during long motorbike journeys...
I've been using SlimSabre on my "other" S2 (which I'd re-purposed for the same job but is now dying due to hardware faults), and to be sure, it seems slick but I was wondering if you guys might suggest a more suitable, totally stripped-back rom for this specific purpose that I don't know about?
All I'm really interested in are stability (obviously) GPS performance, battery life (not always possible to run a power cable when on the bike), and FM radio compatibility. Oh, and the ability to customise the interface to make things like the statusbar clock larger would be nice too, but I'm sure I can find a mod for that later if needs be...
Many thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi,
For best GPS reliability, you will need to chose a ROM that is based on stock 4.1.2. Every newer android version is less reliable with GPS locking so it is best to stay with stock.
I highly recommend NeatROM by Sale as it is highly customisable, stable and battery friendly.
gsstudios
gsstudios said:
Hi,
For best GPS reliability, you will need to chose a ROM that is based on stock 4.1.2. Every newer android version is less reliable with GPS locking so it is best to stay with stock.
I highly recommend NeatROM by Sale as it is highly customisable, stable and battery friendly.
gsstudios
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks! I'll definitely try it & come back with results! :good:
I'll be using Mapfactor Navigator (using OSM) & Sygic (using tomtom maps) as my GPS apps of choice here in the uk (I don't intend to run a sim in the phone, so no data connection will be available), I can't see any problem with a 4.12 based rom, ay? Cheers!
ultravy said:
Try SlimSaber is the best and most up to date kk rom! Latest build here.
If you get status 7 error you need kk compatible recovery
Opengapps ARM=>4.4=>pico, wipe data, cache, dalvik & system then flash rom and gapps - reboot!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the tip !
It took a few tries to get Gapps to work, but I have it installed.
Now I'll have to do some tests. First impression: damn this mod has such crazy small fonts !
gn82 said:
Thanks for the tip !
It took a few tries to get Gapps to work, but I have it installed.
Now I'll have to do some tests. First impression: damn this mod has such crazy small fonts !
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you don't like the DPI (size of all elements on screen), you can always change it using textdroider DPI from the Google play store. This should make everything look larger (if that's what you want).
gsstudios
BigJim.T32 said:
Thanks! I'll definitely try it & come back with results! :good:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So I promised to come back with feedback - and thanks again GS, good recommendation! :good:
Battery life has been *excellent*, something stupid like 6 days constant uptime now, and I'm still only on 48%... I can't even believe that...
Ok, to be fair that's been using aeroplane mode (no need to use data or mobile functions), and only using it for MP3s and FM radio while riding to work about 30min each way, but still, that's damn good going.
While actively using the GPS the battery drains a lot quicker of course, but the excellent battery life when not using GPS means I can throw the thing in a bag or pocket, and be relatively certain it'll be there for when I need it without any special care or attention...
Obtaining a fix using just satellite is still nowhere near as quick as with my S4, although even without a sim it can of course use nearby wifi to jump-start the process in some instances.
I'll try something like fasterfix and see if that helps any from a cold start, but so far I'm really chuffed with the pointer to this rom - cheers!

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