[GUIDE] (OB6/OF1) Root, Bootloader Unlock, and Custom Recovery!

[GUIDE] (OB6/OF1) Root, Bootloader Unlock, and Custom Recovery! - Verizon Galaxy Note 3 General

Disclaimer:
I am not responsible for anything that happens to your device after following this guide. Also, I'm not entirely sure if this works 100% for OF1, although I can guarantee that this guide works for OB6 because I just successfully rooted, unlocked the bootloader, and flashed a custom recovery onto my Galaxy Note 3 running the OB6 update.
This guide was compiled for the sole purpose of convenience for other users here on XDA Forums. My reason for making this guide was to make it as easy as possible for Verizon Galaxy Note 3 owners to root, unlock the bootloader, and flash a custom recovery without jumping from thread to thread, searching for answers.
ONLY FOLLOW THIS GUIDE IF YOU KNOW WHAT IT MEANS TO BE ROOTED, HAVE AN UNLOCKED BOOTLOADER, AND WHAT A CUSTOM RECOVERY IS USED FOR
If you are the proud owner of a Verizon Galaxy Note 3 (SM-N900V) and would like to root, unlock the bootloader, and/or flash a custom recovery onto it, you've come to the right place. Included in this guide are methods of doing these exact things, which also happen to be generally easy to perform.
Before you begin, you'll need a few things:
a Verizon Galaxy Note 3 (running OB6 or OF1, obviously)
a computer of some sort (running Windows)
a micro SD card (make sure there isn't anything on it, because it WILL be erased)
Odin 3.09 *
TWRP 3.02-1 *
ArabicTool *
eMMC Brick Bug Checker app
unlock_n3 (for unlocking the bootloader, attached) *
* place these files in a location that you know the path of. e.x. C:\ or C:\Users\...\Desktop
Once you are 100% sure that you have all of these things, continue to the rest of the guide.
Root
Open ArabicTool
Make sure your phone is connected to your computer
In ArabicTool, click on the "Version" field and select your firmware version (OB6/OF1)
Click on "Read phone info" and wait for the information above to show your phone's status
Check the logs on the bottom right to make sure that everything is correct, then click on "Root" below the "Phone info" box (if there is an error about not being on 5.0, close the app, set the compatibility mode to W7, and run as admin)
Once your phone restarts, continue to the next part of the guide
Unlocking the Bootloader
Just follow this tutorial. The consequences of messing this part up can lead to bricking your phone, although the process itself is fairly simple. Just remember that you need to unzip samsung_unlock_n3.zip and rename the file in there to unlock_n3. Follow the instructions from there.
Flashing TWRP
Honestly, this part was the easiest for me.
Unzip and open Odin 3.09
Reboot your phone into download mode (with it plugged into the computer, obviously)
In Odin, click "AP" and find the flashable TWRP tar that you downloaded earlier
Start the flashing process by clicking "Start" in the bottom right hand corner
If, after this process, your phone reboots and shows an error about the recovery partition in the top left hand corner (in blue), then goes into a bootloop:
Download the stock recovery.tar from the attached files at the bottom of this post
Open Odin again
Click "AP", find the file you just downloaded, and start the flashing again
Follow the instructions to unlock your bootloader again, but only do the second set of code. The first set is irrelevant to us at this point.
Flash TWRP onto your phone again. This time, it should work if it didn't already.
To make sure, boot your phone into recovery mode. If TWRP boots up, success (obviously )!
If you have any issues whatsoever that I haven't covered in this guide, please either PM me or reply to this thread. Also, if I have made any mistakes in outlining the instructions in this guide, do the same.
Credit to:
@androidyemen and others for finding the root method,
@ryanbg for finding the bootloader unlock method,
@beaups for finding the eMMC backdoor,
and Team Win for creating TWRP
Source posts:
[Official] Note 3 Verizon Bootloader Unlock by ryanbg
OB6 & OF1 N900V Note 3 Verizon Oneclick SuperSU Rooted Successfully
If in any case you would like to donate to me for this post (which in no way am I asking you to), here is my PayPal email:
[email protected]

Any thoughts on if this will work on OF1 partial firmwares such as the one included for jasminerom 6.1 retail edition?
Since I'm rooted already, I would be picking up from after the rooting steps.
Also, can you provide the steps for bootloader unlock. The link provides is coming up as invalid link in xda mobile app.
Sent from my SM-N900V using XDA-Developers mobile app

i420bdawg1 said:
Any thoughts on if this will work on OF1 partial firmwares such as the one included for jasminerom 6.1 retail edition?
Since I'm rooted already, I would be picking up from after the rooting steps.
Also, can you provide the steps for bootloader unlock. The link provides is coming up as invalid link in xda mobile app.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm not entirely sure if it will work on JasmineROM 6.1 specifically, but it won't hurt your device to try. Unless your CID doesn't start with 15 for some reason. If it does, the worst that can happen is the unlock file won't work.
I'll have to edit that part when I get home. I'm only going to be gone for about 20 minutes or so.
Sent from my LG-H634 using XDA Labs

i420bdawg1 said:
Any thoughts on if this will work on OF1 partial firmwares such as the one included for jasminerom 6.1 retail edition?
Since I'm rooted already, I would be picking up from after the rooting steps.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It really only needs root, although the spot it looks for the eMMC CID value changed from kernel release to kernel release, so there were some minor release dependencies.
[Edit 8/25/2016] Based on feedback from member shallmann, it appears that specific binary versions released within the Unlock Thread should be used depending on the firmware revision of your phone. See this post in that thread.
The version which seems to be most compatible with M*, N*, and O* kernels is the build posted (along with source code) in post #218 of the bootloader unlock thread.
( The newly-rebuilt version in the OP of that thread is still incompatible with 4.3 and 4.4 (M*, N*) releases. )
Man up and use your browser if the XDA app is broken.
.

i420bdawg1 said:
Any thoughts on if this will work on OF1 partial firmwares such as the one included for jasminerom 6.1 retail edition?
Since I'm rooted already, I would be picking up from after the rooting steps.
Also, can you provide the steps for bootloader unlock. The link provides is coming up as invalid link in xda mobile app.
Sent from my SM-N900V using XDA-Developers mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes it will, I did it already months ago when all this first came out.
Sent from my SM-N900V using Tapatalk

@jamesalynch
I know you are trying to help and everything, but you've kind of screwed the pooch in a couple of different ways. First, the binary that you attached doesn't work on any 4.3.x (M*) or 4.4.x (N*) series ROMs, and I'm not sure it ever worked even on OB1 and OF1.
Second, you should not be re-attaching files that are available in other people's posts. Just provide a link to the original post; if there is an ambiguity as to what download is desired, then describe it in your post.
Third, you should not be taking other people's downloads, unpacking them, and then renaming the included files to match filenames used elsewhere - that is only going to increase people's confusion.
Fourth, in that OP (@ryanbg 's post) he mentions re-building the code and NOT USING the version that you provided as an attachment. Unfortunately, he was in a hurry when he rebuilt the code, and even the new version he built still does not work on 4.3.x and 4.4.x ROMs.
[Edit 8/25/2016] Based on feedback from member shallmann, it appears that specific binary versions released within the Unlock Thread should be used depending on the firmware revision of your phone. See this post in that thread.
The version that will work for everyone is in @donc113's post #218 in that thread.
Code:
$ find . -type f \( \! -name '*.zip' -a \! -name '*.c' \) -exec md5sum {} \;
[b][color=green]ea856efcb7de0ca8ff428522dbdc0267 ./donc113-post218/unlock[/color][/b] [b]<<<==== Use this for NK1 and prior.[/b]
0bcb409af65e311ce4b67faf7ed3f0af ./ryanbg0804/unlock_n3 [b]<<<==== Use this for OB6 and OF1.[/b]
cba959357ed1d0207dbde56bb6b6a1b7 ./ryanbgORIG/samsung_unlock_n3
cba959357ed1d0207dbde56bb6b6a1b7 ./JAL/unlock_n3 [b]<<<==== Your version with name change from 'samsung_unlock_n3'.[/b]

Thanks to everyone who posted. I will be going back to the post mentioned in the comments.
Sent from my SM-N900V using XDA-Developers mobile app

This is kinda confusing, to be honest.
Once bootloader is unlocked you could just download FlashFire and download and flash TWRP from there rather than using Odin.
The root tool you linked didn't work for me, even on Windows 7, granted others said it worked for them. If they are on Windows 10, there is a different tool to use.

stock recovery?
I need the stock recovery file, that you said would be attached. My phone is not booting with the Recovery warning..

Tremo419 said:
I need the stock recovery file, that you said would be attached. My phone is not booting with the Recovery warning..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
http://www.sammobile.com/firmwares/download/45906/N900VVRUEOB6_N900VVZWEOB6_VZW/
Open that file and extract the recovery image. Compress it in a TAR. Flash.
Sent from my LG-H634 using XDA Labs

I have the sm-900v on 5.0 and I rooted and unlocked bootloader and twrp and flash a rom but didn't go through so I Odin stock rom back to begin fresh and now it won't root...as soon as I do the root process and it restarts my phone into stock recovery...so I clean cache and reboot and goes right back to stock recovery...can anyone help
Sent from my SM-N900V using XDA-Developers mobile app

ozz200127 said:
I have the sm-900v on 5.0 and I rooted and unlocked bootloader and twrp and flash a rom but didn't go through so I Odin stock rom back to begin fresh and now it won't root...as soon as I do the root process and it restarts my phone into stock recovery...so I clean cache and reboot and goes right back to stock recovery...can anyone help
Sent from my SM-N900V using XDA-Developers mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Firstly, if you have an unlocked bootloader, you never have to flash STOCK again.
So - after you have gotten this problem fixed - learn how to avoid using Odin with STOCK firmware bundles.
Odin can flash a custom recovery when the bootloader is unlocked. That will save you trouble in the future. You need to learn how to build Odin ".tar.md5" files. In a nutshell, for doing what I just mentioned, you take a TWRP .img file, rename it to "recovery.img", put it in a "ustar" format tar file, and then compute the md5 signature of that and append it to the end of the file. Search for "Odin md5 ustar" in these forums.
For your current problem, I can't tell exactly what you are saying. If you are saying "I am stuck in a vicious cycle of nothing but recovery reboots (the stock recovery)", then
- pull the battery and wait ten seconds
- put the battery back in
- start in download mode with Vol_Down+Home+Power. When you get the pop-up screen, select cancel.
- if it still boots into the stock recovery, the do a full wipe (yes the whole phone, data+cache) and try booting. If the same trouble persists, go back and do the Odin STOCK flash again. (You can't flash a custom recovery with a locked bootloader).
If it still doesn't work, make sure your next problem report includes far more details than the one above, for instance:
- what version of firmware was on your phone before this mess started
- what version of firmware you were trying to flash with Odin
- what version of Odin you were using
- the name of the Odin file and it's MD5 signature.
that's a start.

VZW Note 3+Root+Jasmine Rom+Partial Firmware
CID starts with 15 (verified with EMMC)
Android Ver: 5.0
N900VVRUEOF1
Ive ran the unlock countless times I gets nothing no unlock of the bootloader at all

Omegastorm said:
VZW Note 3+Root+Jasmine Rom+Partial Firmware
CID starts with 15 (verified with EMMC)
Android Ver: 5.0
N900VVRUEOF1
Ive ran the unlock countless times I gets nothing no unlock of the bootloader at all
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It produces error messages when it encounters a problem and exits without completing it's job.
Is there some reason why you believe we should be able to intuit what those countless error messages were? (It would be simpler if you just cut-n-paste that output into your post.)
You might also want to state which version of the tool you used - there are at least 3 in the original thread.

im thinking about getting a verizon note 3.. does this work for all variants to get root, twrp and custom roms?
thanks

Jaws4God said:
im thinking about getting a verizon note 3.. does this work for all variants to get root, twrp and custom roms?
thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No
You can root all variants but can not unlock all variants, thus can't use TWRP or use custom ROMS or kernel.
Must be model SM-N900V, must have a specific Samsung eMMC (cid must start with 15) and the external SD card slot must work along with the USB port.
Sent from my SM-N900V using Tapatalk

bftb0 said:
It produces error messages when it encounters a problem and exits without completing it's job.
Is there some reason why you believe we should be able to intuit what those countless error messages were? (It would be simpler if you just cut-n-paste that output into your post.)
You might also want to state which version of the tool you used - there are at least 3 in the original thread.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh wow didn't know there was three I'm gonna go back and check that out again thanks

This is awesome man, great thanks to you. I'm new on n3 verizon, i like unleashing the power of my phone, =D

THANK YOU!
Nice post! I hadn't looked at XDA/ note 3 development in awhile. Awesome to see an exploit found! BAM!
Has anyone made a STOCK deodex/? CM is cool, but I like the S-pen. I have the n900V.
Thanks again

1Xfan said:
Nice post! I hadn't looked at XDA/ note 3 development in awhile. Awesome to see an exploit found! BAM!
Has anyone made a STOCK deodex/? CM is cool, but I like the S-pen. I have the n900V.
Thanks again
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There are some Stock out there:
[LP] [5.0] [RE/DE] [Xposed] [MultiSystem] JasmineROM v6.1
mostly stock N900VVRUEOF1[debloated/deodexed/wifi fixed]

Related

[Guide] OTA & ROOT GUIDE

WELCOME TO THE VERIZON NOTE 3 GUIDE FOR ROOTING, USING ODIN & UPDATING TO THE LATEST OTA
****HOW TO UPGRADE TO LEAKED 4.4.2 KITKAT BUILD****
@Hashcode has explained this very well here - do read it and recognize how neat this opportunity is for us.
That being said, there are some special instructions for utilizing this leak. They are pretty simple and require no special tools or procedures most people around here haven't already used at some point, see below.
1) Start from any Rooted 4.3 MJE Rom (including Stock) with Safestrap 3.65 installed
2) Make any necessary Titanium Backups, etc
3) Reboot to SafeStrap Recovery - I'd recommend making a backup of your 4.3 setup at this point, just in case.
4) Wipe Data & Caches - This is the wipe that is queued up for you immediately upon entering wipe menu in SS - When finished hit "home" button in SS
5) Click Install and flash either the Deodex or Odexed version of the NC2 4.4.2 leak
6) DO NOT CLICK REBOOT SYSTEM WHEN FINISHED - Instead, hit the "home" button in SS and click the main menu Reboot option.
7) Click Reboot to Download mode & follow typical Odin procedure (instructions below) to flash the 4.4.2 Firmware tar
8) Boot into Stock 4.4.2 and download Safestrap 3.72 built specifically for KitKat
9) Boot to SS 3.72 - I'd recommend making a backup at this point as well
10) Click thanks over on Beans thread and Hashcode's SafeStrap thread & ENJOY!
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
***OLD INFO***UPDATE TO LATEST OTA (MJE) ***OLD INFO***
METHOD 1 - BACK TO MJ7 & ACCEPT OTA:
1) Download and MD5 check the Tar (file removed).
2) Power down your device. Once fully off, HOLD POWER, HOME & VOLUME DOWN BUTTONS. A screen will appear with a warning about custom operating systems - press VOLUME UP to continue to download / odin mode
3) Plug your device into the PC & wait for Odin to show a "com" box with a number in the upper left corner of the window. Put the tar file above into the "AP" slot of Odin and wait for the "Start" button in Odin to be enabled. It could take a minute or two for Odin to read the tar file - it's a couple gigs, which is large - be patient. Once it's ready, click start and it will install a clean, unrooted MJ7 stock OTA firmware.
4) Once on this firmware you can navigate to Software Update via Menu > Settings > About Phone > Software Update. Once you've tapped this you'll see an option to either check for updates or download now/later. Select whichever option you have to update and wait for the file to download. You'll then be prompted to install now or wait. Install and it will automatically take over and install the latest OTA Firmware build ending in MJE. This will install the latest software, firmware, modem and kernel. As always with Odin, most likely you will lose all your data. Some have reported that their data was intact - I have no explanation for this as Odin is supposed to wipe your device during the flashing process - PREPARE AS IF DATA WILL BE LOST.
METHOD 2 - STRAIGHT TO MJE:
1) Download and MD5 check the Zipped Tar (file removed).
2) Navigate to the MJE file on your PC. Right click it and hover over "7-Zip," on the pop-out menu select "Extract Here." (Nearly any archiving software will appear in this right-click menu) It will decompress the tar file we need and you'll be ready to continue. This process will not work until you've decompressed the zip file!
3) Power down your device. Once fully off, HOLD POWER, HOME & VOLUME DOWN BUTTONS. A screen will appear with a warning about custom operating systems - press VOLUME UP to continue to download / odin mode
4) Plug your device into the PC & wait for Odin to show a "com" box with a number in the upper left corner of the window. Put the tar file above into the "AP" slot of Odin and wait for the "Start" button in Odin to be enabled. It could take a minute or two for Odin to read the tar file - it's a couple gigs, which is large - be patient. Once it's ready, click start and it will install a clean, unrooted MJE stock OTA firmware. As always with Odin, most likely you will lose all your data. Some have reported that their data was intact - I have no explanation for this as Odin is supposed to wipe your device during the flashing process - PREPARE AS IF DATA WILL BE LOST.
****DISCLAIMER: PROCEEDING & ROOTING YOUR DEVICE IS YOUR CHOICE - USING THE FOLLOWING ROOT TECHNIQUE(S) IS, AS ALWAYS, AT YOUR OWN RISK - FOLLOW INSTRUCTIONS AND YOU'LL BE FINE.****
****HOW TO ROOT 4.4.x KITKAT BUILDS FOR VERIZON NOTE 3****
There is an amazingly easy tool called "towel root" that is an application you install like any other side loaded app - once it's installed it's one click and you're rooted...can't ask for it to be much easier than that!
Get towel root here or Get more info here
***OLD INFO***HOW TO ROOT 4.3 JELLYBEAN BUILDS FOR VERIZON NOTE 3***OLD INFO***
There are two known methods to root MJ7 & MJE. I will not discuss how to root MI9 because there's no benefit whatsoever to remaining on that original build. Nothing was lost moving to MJ7 or MJE so if you want to be rooted I'd recommend moving on up to a later build.
Both Root methods are essentially "One-Click" applications produced by people or companies not using XDA as their methods of distribution. They are very simple and easy to use tools that are installed on your PC and guide you step-by-step through the process via the computer program. The one I recommend using is called "Kingo." There is also one called "vRoot" but, since I have no experience using it nor have any data on others successfully using it, I'll always recommend Kingo. Because they don't post these to XDA, I cannot post links to the source files. This is at the moderators and administrators of XDA's request. DON'T ask for the direct link(s) and NO posting them - they will be flagged down and moderators will haunt your dreams.
Once you've downloaded the files...Google is your friend ...install them and run them. They will ask for your phone to be connected - use the same USB to Micro USB cable as you used before - it should be a reliable one, as well as a reliable port on your PC. Watch the PC screen and the Device screen - there will be a few times you need to either wake the device or accept something on the device screen to progress - don't take a nap during this process. Sometimes it can take a while to download the files needed, other times it's a 5 minute process. YMMV
****HOW TO ADD A CUSTOM RECOVERY****
A logical next step after rooting is to add a custom recovery. Currently the Verizon Note 3 has a locked bootloader - this is bad news. It means we have no true custom recoveries available. There is nothing you can do about this, short of becoming extremely proficient in hacking enterprise level encryption overnight. Godspeed in this endeavor.
We have been blessed though - @Hashcode has worked his magic and enabled "Safestrap" a form of "Bootstrap" recovery which is, as the name implies, more reliable and, well, safer. This is a very stable and viable replacement for a typical custom recovery. In fact, it's based on one of the most popular recoveries - Team Win Recovery Project, or TWRP for short.
Head over here [RECOVERY LOCKED/MJ7,MJE,NC2,NC4] Safestrap Recovery v3.75 [2014-06-26 KK B03] to grab the latest APK and read the install instructions in the OP there CAREFULLY. This is not a foolproof tool and you are taking the same kind of risks as you took rooting your device. See appropriate disclaimers in Hashcode's thread. That being said, it's worked flawlessly for nearly everybody involved and word of "bricks" (or permanently damaged devices) for the Note 3 is basically nill - so stop worrying, follow directions and enjoy!

firmware mirror
thanks for doing this!!! The other one was super slow.... DL now and ill let you know if it fixes my problem! THANKS!!!

Does this method work IF:
I am rooted via root de la vega, running latest safestrap, beans v2 on Rom slot 1.
Baseband ver MI9
Build number MJ7
Would I have to uninstall anything to use your instructions OP?
Would I need to switch in safestrap to stock slot before beginning process?
Honestly haven't had a lick of trouble being on M19 baseband, but maybe I'm on borrowed time?

Nidisa said:
Does this method work IF:
I am rooted via root de la vega, running latest safestrap, beans v2 on Rom slot 1.
Baseband ver MI9
Build number MJ7
Would I have to uninstall anything to use your instructions OP?
Would I need to switch in safestrap to stock slot before beginning process?
Honestly haven't had a lick of trouble being on M19 baseband, but maybe I'm on borrowed time?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you're already on build MJ7 then I'd just Odin the MJ7 baseband over in beans thread here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2524572 No need to do this which will lose you root.
Transmission courtesy of my Note 3 & XDA Premium

Why wouldnt you just flash Beans Stock J7 rom in SS recovery then Odin the J7 modem? The only need to use Odin would be for returning to stock or fixing a soft brick.

droidstyle said:
Why wouldnt you just flash Beans Stock J7 rom in SS recovery then Odin the J7 modem? The only need to use Odin would be for returning to stock or fixing a soft brick.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
But flashing that rom wouldn't change his baseband which is what he's after. That's why I said to Odin the modem
Transmission courtesy of my Note 3 & XDA Premium

DutchDogg54 said:
But flashing that rom wouldn't change his baseband which is what he's after. That's why I said to Odin the modem
Transmission courtesy of my Note 3 & XDA Premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks, DutchDogg, for the response!
*muah* from Nidisa....a her !

droidstyle said:
Why wouldnt you just flash Beans Stock J7 rom in SS recovery then Odin the J7 modem? The only need to use Odin would be for returning to stock or fixing a soft brick.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I would image that there are some firmware updates that you wouldn't be able to get if you just flashed the modem. I have not looked at the update package so I may be wrong about the firmware updates

DutchDogg54 said:
But flashing that rom wouldn't change his baseband which is what he's after. That's why I said to Odin the modem
Transmission courtesy of my Note 3 & XDA Premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am talking about in regards to this tutorial.

Am I correct in assuming that if it goes as planned I should not lose any data?
I see nothing about that in the OP, but I'm extra cautious without my nandroid security blanket...
Sent from my SM-N900V using XDA Premium 4 mobile app

PrettyPistol555 said:
Am I correct in assuming that if it goes as planned I should not lose any data?
I see nothing about that in the OP, but I'm extra cautious without my nandroid security blanket...
Sent from my SM-N900V using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, no data loss
EDIT - DATA LOSS HAS OCCURRED FOR SOME, PREPARE ACCORDINGLY
Transmission courtesy of my Note 3 & XDA Premium

I was under the impression that the Kingo was malware and not trusted? Someone said it was stealing IMEI and personal information? Is this not the case?

dcoy82 said:
I was under the impression that the Kingo was malware and not trusted? Someone said it was stealing IMEI and personal information? Is this not the case?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not really, see this thread below discussing a response from the Kingo developers. Essentially, no its not not malware or malicious. It's closed source which is a little unnerving for some around open source friendly XDA. It kind of has to be closed source though because if it was open source then anyone, Verizon included, could patch the root exploit...Also, it & vroot (also confirmed non malicious) are essentially the only way to root the note 3 & several other Samsung devices in the post-knox hyper security world of big red. So, we have to bite the bullet on closed source so we can keep our path to root.
I used it and nothing funny is going on in my world. Hope this makes you a little more comfortable.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2522602
Transmission courtesy of my Note 3 & XDA Premium

DutchDogg54 said:
Not really, see this thread below discussing a response from the Kingo developers. Essentially, no its not not malware or malicious. It's closed source which is a little unnerving for some around open source friendly XDA. It kind of has to be closed source though because if it was open source then anyone, Verizon included, could patch the root exploit...Also, it & vroot (also confirmed non malicious) are essentially the only way to root the note 3 & several other Samsung devices in the post-knox hyper security world of big red. So, we have to bite the bullet on closed source so we can keep our path to root.
I used it and nothing funny is going on in my world. Hope this makes you a little more comfortable.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2522602
Transmission courtesy of my Note 3 & XDA Premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Right, but Kingo has still not stated why he collects imei and other personal information. I pulled the plug and rooted with it just to have root but I also watched the traffic during the root process and plenty of data was sent at the end of the root process to 3 separate IP addresses all which are registered in China. It may be safe but he is definitely collecting information. I just want to make anybody aware of this before running this method blindly.
Sent from my SM-N900V using Tapatalk

dcoy82 said:
Right, but Kingo has still not stated why he collects imei and other personal information. I pulled the plug and rooted with it just to have root but I also watched the traffic during the root process and plenty of data was sent at the end of the root process to 3 separate IP addresses all which are registered in China. It may be safe but he is definitely collecting information. I just want to make anybody aware of this before running this method blindly.
Sent from my SM-N900V using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Obviously it's not the ideal situation - no doubt about that - but I'm happy to have a simple, fairly safe method to root what is otherwise a very tough nut to crack. Here's a great response from a forum moderator that pretty much sums up the whole scenario as well as can be done at this point: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=47326216&postcount=26
Transmission courtesy of my Note 3 & XDA Premium

dcoy82 said:
Right, but Kingo has still not stated why he collects imei and other personal information. I pulled the plug and rooted with it just to have root but I also watched the traffic during the root process and plenty of data was sent at the end of the root process to 3 separate IP addresses all which are registered in China. It may be safe but he is definitely collecting information. I just want to make anybody aware of this before running this method blindly.
Sent from my SM-N900V using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes they did, if you had been paying attention to their Facebook and the other threads. The serial collection is inevitable. Your phone basically gives it up to your computer when establishing a connection. And the new update they released like a week ago made the collection of imei stop.
Sent from my SM-N900V using Tapatalk

Does anyone have a working link for mj7? It states to many downloads have been created.
Thanks for any help.
Sent from my SM-N900V using Tapatalk

sistemacaido said:
Does anyone have a working link for mj7? It states to many downloads have been created.
Thanks for any help.
Sent from my SM-N900V using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Uploading to a different host now. I've never had this kind of trouble from Google Drive before... Sorry for the inconvenience. It will be up mid early morning and if I wake up in the middle of the night (not uncommon) I'll post the link then, if not it'll be up early tomorrow.
Transmission courtesy of my Note 3 & XDA Premium

New Host for MJ7 Tar file over at Android File Host, shouldn't have any restrictions going forward... Google Drive - You disappoint me
edit: See OP for Google Drive link...Android File Host link was throwing binary mismatch codes

DutchDogg54 said:
Uploading to a different host now. I've never had this kind of trouble from Google Drive before... Sorry for the inconvenience. It will be up mid early morning and if I wake up in the middle of the night (not uncommon) I'll post the link then, if not it'll be up early tomorrow.
Transmission courtesy of my Note 3 & XDA Premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Unfortunately google drive is just like dropbox in the aspect of bandwidth limitations.

Causal, TWRP, 4.3 OTA

A while back when I first got my Verizon Note 2, I used Adam Outler's Casual method to root my phone to Stock. I don't mind stock and root mostly for the Tethering.
About a week back the OTA notice hit my phone. I have declined the notice/update twice giving myself time to look for the root update. I found this thread by Beans: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2518704 ........ It seems right but this thread by AdamOutler says not to use ODIN: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2045563
So I am a little confused. I just want the update but don't want to mess up and not have my tethering ever again.... or brick the phone.
As a newbie, it's a scary task. Someone please help point me in the right direction. I just want the 4.3 Stock. If there is a thread for my situation I couldn't find it. I search "casual TWRP 4.3 OTA" and other similar variations.
I can still get to the TWRP 2.5.0.0. I have also downloaded the ODIN and started it... looks simple, but there are no instructions.
Someone please help me...
Thanks

Jiggabitties said:
Welp, couple things...
#3 - If it is only ROOT you are after, the 4.3 OTA is Rootable, just not unlockable. So if by chance you accidentally take the OTA you should still be able to ROOT and install your Tethering app. You just won't be able to unlock the bootloader and install a custom recovery/rom.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So if you are OTA'd to MJ9, how do you unlock?

SteveHebe said:
So if you are OTA'd to MJ9, how do you unlock?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You cannot. Best bet is to not take the other and unlock your bootloader. If you take it you will probably be locked for a very long time.
Sent from my SCH-I605 using Tapatalk 2

michigan66 said:
You cannot. Best bet is to not take the other and unlock your bootloader. If you take it you will probably be locked for a very long time.
Sent from my SCH-I605 using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
SteveHebe said:
So if you are OTA'd to MJ9, how do you unlock?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Correct, you cannot currently UNLOCK the OTA MJ9 boot loader. But you can ROOT. Which will allow you to tether.
Sent from my SCH-I605 using xda app-developers app

MrNewbie said:
A while back when I first got my Verizon Note 2, I used Adam Outler's Casual method to root my phone to Stock. I don't mind stock and root mostly for the Tethering.
About a week back the OTA notice hit my phone. I have declined the notice/update twice giving myself time to look for the root update. I found this thread by Beans: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2518704 ........ It seems right but this thread by AdamOutler says not to use ODIN: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2045563
So I am a little confused. I just want the update but don't want to mess up and not have my tethering ever again.... or brick the phone.
As a newbie, it's a scary task. Someone please help point me in the right direction. I just want the 4.3 Stock. If there is a thread for my situation I couldn't find it. I search "casual TWRP 4.3 OTA" and other similar variations.
I can still get to the TWRP 2.5.0.0. I have also downloaded the ODIN and started it... looks simple, but there are no instructions.
Someone please help me...
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I would think long and hard about taking the OTA...although root is available, you may want an unlocked bootloader at some point, and there is no guarantee that is coming to the official 4.3. My guess is that it will not simply because this phone is 18 months old and the skilled developers that put in the time to do things like unlock bootloaders move on to newer devices.
If you managed to use Casual in the past, Odin won't be a problem for you. Below are the steps:
Odin takes about 5 minutes total...its really easy.
Download Odin (it's just a simple windows program). - http://forum.xda-developers.com/atta...3&d=1304094576
Make sure you have the latest samsung drivers - http://www.mediafire.com/?hzlnda0l5t8qyes
Download and extract the firmware from the first post in this thread - http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2578458
Save whatever 4.3 ROM you choose to your external SD card.
Power down the phone and boot back into download mode (volume down, power and home at the same time).
Open Odin, plug in phone...Odin should recognize the phone and you will see the com port noted in yellow.
Check the PDA box and put the firmware file (unzipped) in the PDA slot. Click start and 30 seconds later you are done. Phone will reboot into recovery at this point.
Then you can flash any of the 4.3 ROMs (including stock) in TWRP (I use 2.5.0.0 too). I have tried them all and Sophisticated 3.0 has worked the best for me...I will be trying beans 23 as soon as it is done.

tfly212 said:
I would think long and hard about taking the OTA...although root is available, you may want an unlocked bootloader at some point, and there is no guarantee that is coming to the official 4.3. My guess is that it will not simply because this phone is 18 months old and the skilled developers that put in the time to do things like unlock bootloaders move on to newer devices.
If you managed to use Casual in the past, Odin won't be a problem for you. Below are the steps:
Odin takes about 5 minutes total...its really easy.
Download Odin (it's just a simple windows program). - http://forum.xda-developers.com/atta...3&d=1304094576
Make sure you have the latest samsung drivers - http://www.mediafire.com/?hzlnda0l5t8qyes
Download and extract the firmware from the first post in this thread - http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2578458
Save whatever 4.3 ROM you choose to your external SD card.
Power down the phone and boot back into download mode (volume down, power and home at the same time).
Open Odin, plug in phone...Odin should recognize the phone and you will see the com port noted in yellow.
Check the PDA box and put the firmware file (unzipped) in the PDA slot. Click start and 30 seconds later you are done. Phone will reboot into recovery at this point.
Then you can flash any of the 4.3 ROMs (including stock) in TWRP (I use 2.5.0.0 too). I have tried them all and Sophisticated 3.0 has worked the best for me...I will be trying beans 23 as soon as it is done.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you so much. Updated and everything seem to work just fine, but after some use it started rebooting. I am going to put on Sophisticated as you suggested. Hopefully, it will be more stable then the stock ROM.
And I can't get the WIFI Tethering to work. Which Tethering app are you using? I have unlimited data... and need to make sure Verizon isn't charging me for no reason.

MrNewbie said:
Thank you so much. Updated and everything seem to work just fine, but after some use it started rebooting. I am going to put on Sophisticated as you suggested. Hopefully, it will be more stable then the stock ROM.
And I can't get the WIFI Tethering to work. Which Tethering app are you using? I have unlimited data... and need to make sure Verizon isn't charging me for no reason.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I had some reboots on the stock rom too...but once I went to the other roms (I tried Nephilium, Sophisticated and N3bula, but had the best results with Sophisticated) and I haven't had one reboot.
As for the wifi tethering, on stock you need to flash the file below (some of the newer roms, including Sophisticated have it baked in).
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=48315091&postcount=245

IS anybody getting close to an unlock/root post VRUEMJ9 VZWi605 Note 2.
the reason I ask is I unrooted back to stock 4.1.1 and then picked up the VZW OTA 4.3 and now can't use Casual or any other method, I can root but not unlock bootloader. well anybody have any Ideas? thank you.

david515 said:
the reason I ask is I unrooted back to stock 4.1.1 and then picked up the VZW OTA 4.3 and now can't use Casual or any other method, I can root but not unlock bootloader. well anybody have any Ideas? thank you.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The reason you ask what? You didn't ask anything. And as it's been stated a million times, no unlock method avaliable and unlikely there will be one.
Sent from my SCH-I605 using xda app-developers app

akellar said:
The reason you ask what? You didn't ask anything. And as it's been stated a million times, no unlock method avaliable and unlikely there will be one.
Sent from my SCH-I605 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Eh, he is one of those that puts the question in his title instead of the body of the reply. But as @akellar said, there is nothing available.

Thanks so much for all the help. I got everything working right based on the instructions from this thread. I initially had an issue with the "Wifi Tether" because I was using a 3rd party app. Instead the correct app is the "Mobile Hotspot" app. It might be named differently for other carriers, but for Verizon it is "Mobile Hotspot".
Again thank you for all the replies.
Thank you for Sophisticated v3.
Thank you Adam Outler for the original Casual root.
And Thank you runandhide05 for the "Mobile Hotspot" hack!
:good::fingers-crossed: LOL

[Q] How do I unroot?

Hello, recently I have rooted my phone using the toolkit. The current recovery I have is TWRP. I wanted the root in the first place to be able to use xposed. However, it wont work, Whenever I try to install the update or new version it force reboots my phone. Also I found out I cannot update my software! I tried unrooting using the unroot option on SU but it was only temporarily. I want a permanent unroot and back to stock.
Android version : 4.4.2
Software number : 1.12.502.18
I downloaded my stock image from http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2701376 and the toolkit from http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2699065
I tried to flash it using the toolkit but it gave me an error when I tried to flash it. I don't recall correctly but it said something about a remote error right when it was sending the image over. Honestly I do not want to do it again to see what it said in fear of bricking my phone. So I will try to be as detailed as possible.
When I downloaded the image it said something about the name not being the original one. When I first tried flashing the stock ROM with the original name when I download it"stock recovery 1.12.502 recovery.img" it (the toolkit) gave me an immediate error of not being able to select it. So I renamed it to "recovery.img". I tried again and it actually was in the process of flashing. THen the error showed up as said above. Someone please help me. Thank you.

Update
So i just downloaded a different image. I flashed it successfully! I am currently rebooting from the original recovery! Currently I am on the htc one loading screen. It's been a couple minutes, hopefully I did not brick it...
NOPE! I successfully returned to stock! ANother issue...I still have root access! How can remove SU? I tried the unroot option in the app but I am still rooted after reboot...

UNROOTED. Sadly SU won't delete...but at least I'm unrooted and can update now.
Sent from my HTC One_M8 using XDA Free mobile app

helpmeunrootmyphone said:
UNROOTED. Sadly SU won't delete...but at least I'm unrooted and can update now.
Sent from my HTC One_M8 using XDA Free mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't know if the app is that big of a deal to you, but if it is, your options are...
1. Try factory reset in settings (may or may not work)
2. Reflash TWRP and flash the SuperSU.zip again than do a full unroot in settings.
3. Reflash TWRP and flash stock Sense ROM
Also, I made a guide in general which will help you fully return to stock. To begin the guide, you will need to be unlocked, rooted, and S-Off. That guide will help you hide the tampered and relocked banner.
If you don't care about the banners and the SuperSU app, it's probably not worth the effort and time.
Good luck.
Sent from my HTC One_M8 using Tapatalk

So you had an issue with Xposed, and you solution was to unroot? Wouldn't it have made more sense to troubleshoot the xposed problem? If you bothered to unlock the bootloader and root in the first place, IMO unrooting is a step backwards.
I'm also not a big fan of applying OTAs to a modded device. Yes, you cannot install official OTA updates on a modded phone. In particular, if stock recovery is not present, as its required for the OTA to install. If you want the latest software, just wait until the rooted version is posted in the Development section. Custom ROMs based on the 1.58 update started to be posted one day after the OTA started rolling out; and the stock rooted version was posted only 2 days after OTA release. For some people, getting it from here may even be faster than waiting for the OTA! That's pretty much how it goes. As long as there is developer interest in the device, you can rely on the latest software being available very quickly in the Development section.
The stock AT&T software is garbage anyway. I can't stand the amount of bloat, gimped features (WiFi hotspot) and other AT&T meddling. I don't understand why anyone would prefer this over other options. Software updates are always going to go to the international version first, anyway (AT&T is notorious for delaying updates for "testing"). What are you really getting with the 1.58 update? Extreme Power Savings mode, and a few other fixes? International M8 has had EPS mode for some time now.
---------- Post added at 09:31 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:17 AM ----------
helpmeunrootmyphone said:
I downloaded my stock image from http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2701376 and the toolkit from http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2699065
I tried to flash it using the toolkit but it gave me an error when I tried to flash it. I don't recall correctly but it said something about a remote error right when it was sending the image over. Honestly I do not want to do it again to see what it said in fear of bricking my phone. So I will try to be as detailed as possible.
When I downloaded the image it said something about the name not being the original one. When I first tried flashing the stock ROM with the original name when I download it"stock recovery 1.12.502 recovery.img" it (the toolkit) gave me an immediate error of not being able to select it. So I renamed it to "recovery.img". I tried again and it actually was in the process of flashing. THen the error showed up as said above. Someone please help me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Why do you need to use the toolkit at all, to flash recovery? Flashing recovery is a single fastboot command. Easy.
The toolkit adds unnecessary complication; and I've seen them cause errors when doing it "manually" works just fine. The toolkit might not be the problem in your case, but we would never know unless you try to do it manually.
If you really want to flash stock recovery (not my personal recommendation), I would start by wiping cache and flashing recovery with fastboot. I've seen maybe dozens of cases where issues with flashing a recovery was solved simply by wiping cache:
fastboot erase cache
fastboot flash recovery "filename.img"

I am having the same issue as above using the same build file from the link given in the other thread. However, whenever I am in Bootloader, the computer or terminal does not recognize my device.
1.12.502.18
Anytime I try to use the toolkit or manually through the command line, it gives me "unc paths are not supported" or "device not found". It is the same for both Bootloader and Recovery. My original problem was the person I bought it from had root on it so I decided to wipe the OS without backing up and now cannot get the Stock Recovery ROM or any other Custom ROM to install on the phone. I have also tried the SD card method and that brought up an error as well resulting in "failed."
Any help would be appreciated as the phone as it sits right now does not have any OS on it so it is stuck on the HTC Boot up screen.
Thanks in advance for those that can help.

ROOT BOUNTY FOR SGH-527 with 4.4.2 KitKat Update

Greetings, fellow Mega-Maniacs!
I am currently working with dev Geohot to get us root access for the SGH-I527 with Baseband Version I527UCUBNE7. All known root methods have been tested and proven to not work with this version of android with this baseband, due to the extremely locked down nature of Samsung Knox on this device.
I, personally, have been throwing every exploit I can think of at this device, to no avail. As of the time and date of this post, we have a donor ready to help the cause (Special thanks to caguas56). That is why I'm proposing a bounty on root access for this phone (SGH-I527 AT&T US version only, although there is a high possibility that it'll work on the Sprint,T-Mo and VZW variant).
The first developer who can successfully get ROOT on KitKat with baseband I527UCUBNE7 and demonstrate this with a successful public test will be awarded the bounty. The bounty will be split equally between devs and donors willing to team up.
I'm in for $10 at the moment, and I'll piss away more if needed down the line.
Who else is in? LETS GET THIS DONE, PEEPS!
Please, only posts regarding root access on this thread. For firmware rollbacks to 4.2.2, see azpatterson3's thread located HERE

kmt5150 said:
Greetings, fellow Mega-Maniacs!
I am currently working with dev Geohot to get us root access for the SGH-I527 with Baseband Version I527UCUBNE7. All known root methods have been tested and proven to not work with this version of android with this baseband, due to the extremely locked down nature of Samsung Knox on this device.
I, personally, have been throwing every exploit I can think of at this device, to no avail. As of the time and date of this post, we have a donor ready to help the cause (Special thanks to caguas56). That is why I'm proposing a bounty on root access for this phone (SGH-I527 AT&T US version only, although there is a high possibility that it'll work on the Sprint,T-Mo and VZW variant).
The first developer who can successfully get ROOT on KitKat with baseband I527UCUBNE7 and demonstrate this with a successful public test will be awarded the bounty. The bounty will be split equally between devs and donors willing to team up.
I'm in for $10 at the moment, and I'll piss away more if needed down the line.
Who else is in? LETS GET THIS DONE, PEEPS!
Please, only posts regarding root access on this thread. For firmware rollbacks to 4.2.2, see azpatterson3's thread located HERE
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In for at least $20.

Put me down for 2 bucks.

I know you stated you had tried it all but I have a couple questions for you.
#1. Are you able to odin and access the latest PhilZ Recovery on your Mega? I ask because I read other sections like the Note 2's, etc on AT&T and they are able to flash recovery fine and boot into recovery fine.
#2. If you have tried this method, did you try and flash the latest SuperSU v2.00 from Chainfire through PhilZ?
================
Below is a method I suggested to some in my OTA Update thread to NE4 ( KitKat ) for Rooting all my Galaxy phones on KitKat listed and not one has failed to gain root or to disable KNOX. Note this method will trip KNOX and void your warranty. Try this at your own risk....
================
1.Flash the latest Philz recovery ( Galaxy Mega (meliusltexx) ) .
1a) Be sure when flashing a custom recovery not to allow the device to reboot into the OS right after and instead go straight to the recovery first.
( Uncheck reboot device in Odin or if you forgot to uncheck the box after a successful flash of the Custom Recovery in Odin, quickly hold down vol+, Menu & Power Button or last resort pull the battery before it has time to reboot into the OS {again this is after the phone reboots from flashing the custom recovery and passes}).
The security will over write the custom recovery with the stock recovery and you will have to flash Philz or if available TWRP again. First boot into custom recovery will make it stick on after.
2. Once flashed and booted into recovery, you'll be on the main screen.
( Optional but recommended )
2a) At this point, and it is just a suggestion to you all, make a complete backup of the phone as it sits unmodded. I couldn't really tell you how many times I have read/seen of people post that they forgot to back up their phones after they had attempted to do something to their phones and had caused them to have problems..... well many would be surprised how often this happens and I have been guilty of it due to just being impatient. This way you will have a starting point fresh, stock and even unrooted to go back to. After your done proceed to step #3.
3. Tick on Philz settings.
4. Tick on Re-root System (Super SU).
5. You will then see the log scroll at the bottom and tell you to reboot and install SuperSU through the Playstore.
6. Reboot Device and once you have booted up, install SuperSU via Playstore or if you have the APK on hand, install it.
7. Once installed it will ask you that it needs to update binaries, do so. It will also detect KNOX and ask to attempt
to disable it, go ahead and it will attempt to do so. ( I have yet for it to say unsuccessful )
8. Enjoy being rooted afterwards.
=======================================
If after step #6 it fails to update binaries or for some chance the SuperSU APK failed to install properly or failed to provide Root Access, below is a link for the newer SuperSU v2.00 that is flashable in your Custom Recovery. Flash it by rebooting back into Recovery and flashing the ZIP file that's downloadable from the middle of the main page in the link below. Once flashed continue on from step #6 above.
Thank you @Chainfire
SuperSU v2.00 <------- click here
.
.
.
.
.

DarkAngel said:
I know you stated you had tried it all but I have a couple questions for you.
#1. Are you able to odin and access the latest PhilZ Recovery on your Mega? I ask because I read other sections like the Note 2's, etc on AT&T and they are able to flash recovery fine and boot into recovery fine.
#2. If you have tried this method, did you try and flash the latest SuperSU v2.00 from Chainfire through PhilZ?
================
Below is a method I suggested to some in my OTA Update thread to NE4 ( KitKat ) for Rooting all my Galaxy phones on KitKat listed and not one has failed to gain root or to disable KNOX. Note this method will trip KNOX and void your warranty. Try this at your own risk....
================
1.Flash the latest Philz recovery ( Galaxy Mega (meliusltexx) ) .
1a) Be sure when flashing a custom recovery not to allow the device to reboot into the OS right after and instead go straight to the recovery first.
( Uncheck reboot device in Odin or if you forgot to uncheck the box after a successful flash of the Custom Recovery in Odin, quickly hold down vol+, Menu & Power Button or last resort pull the battery before it has time to reboot into the OS {again this is after the phone reboots from flashing the custom recovery and passes}).
The security will over write the custom recovery with the stock recovery and you will have to flash Philz or if available TWRP again. First boot into custom recovery will make it stick on after.
2. Once flashed and booted into recovery, you'll be on the main screen.
( Optional but recommended )
2a) At this point, and it is just a suggestion to you all, make a complete backup of the phone as it sits unmodded. I couldn't really tell you how many times I have read/seen of people post that they forgot to back up their phones after they had attempted to do something to their phones and had caused them to have problems..... well many would be surprised how often this happens and I have been guilty of it due to just being impatient. This way you will have a starting point fresh, stock and even unrooted to go back to. After your done proceed to step #3.
3. Tick on Philz settings.
4. Tick on Re-root System (Super SU).
5. You will then see the log scroll at the bottom and tell you to reboot and install SuperSU through the Playstore.
6. Reboot Device and once you have booted up, install SuperSU via Playstore or if you have the APK on hand, install it.
7. Once installed it will ask you that it needs to update binaries, do so. It will also detect KNOX and ask to attempt
to disable it, go ahead and it will attempt to do so. ( I have yet for it to say unsuccessful )
8. Enjoy being rooted afterwards.
=======================================
If after step #6 it fails to update binaries or for some chance the SuperSU APK failed to install properly or failed to provide Root Access, below is a link for the newer SuperSU v2.00 that is flashable in your Custom Recovery. Flash it by rebooting back into Recovery and flashing the ZIP file that's downloadable from the middle of the main page in the link below. Once flashed continue on from step #6 above.
Thank you @Chainfire
SuperSU v2.00 <------- click here
.
.
.
.
.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Bootloader is locked
So no recovery flashing
Sent from my GT-I9205 using XDA Free mobile app

Grarak said:
Bootloader is locked
So no recovery flashing
Sent from my GT-I9205 using XDA Free mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well technically all bootloaders are locked (except for the few that aren't) but I take it AT&T is wanting/trying to join the band wagon with Verizon and locking the bootloaders indefinitely by encrypting them on all the devices they can now.
Sorry then, my method will not work straight forward. Good luck. :good:

DarkAngel said:
I know you stated you had tried it all but I have a couple questions for you.
#1. Are you able to odin and access the latest PhilZ Recovery on your Mega? I ask because I read other sections like the Note 2's, etc on AT&T and they are able to flash recovery fine and boot into recovery fine.
#2. If you have tried this method, did you try and flash the latest SuperSU v2.00 from Chainfire through PhilZ?
================
Below is a method I suggested to some in my OTA Update thread to NE4 ( KitKat ) for Rooting all my Galaxy phones on KitKat listed and not one has failed to gain root or to disable KNOX. Note this method will trip KNOX and void your warranty. Try this at your own risk....
================
1.Flash the latest Philz recovery ( Galaxy Mega (meliusltexx) ) .
1a) Be sure when flashing a custom recovery not to allow the device to reboot into the OS right after and instead go straight to the recovery first.
( Uncheck reboot device in Odin or if you forgot to uncheck the box after a successful flash of the Custom Recovery in Odin, quickly hold down vol+, Menu & Power Button or last resort pull the battery before it has time to reboot into the OS {again this is after the phone reboots from flashing the custom recovery and passes}).
The security will over write the custom recovery with the stock recovery and you will have to flash Philz or if available TWRP again. First boot into custom recovery will make it stick on after.
2. Once flashed and booted into recovery, you'll be on the main screen.
( Optional but recommended )
2a) At this point, and it is just a suggestion to you all, make a complete backup of the phone as it sits unmodded. I couldn't really tell you how many times I have read/seen of people post that they forgot to back up their phones after they had attempted to do something to their phones and had caused them to have problems..... well many would be surprised how often this happens and I have been guilty of it due to just being impatient. This way you will have a starting point fresh, stock and even unrooted to go back to. After your done proceed to step #3.
3. Tick on Philz settings.
4. Tick on Re-root System (Super SU).
5. You will then see the log scroll at the bottom and tell you to reboot and install SuperSU through the Playstore.
6. Reboot Device and once you have booted up, install SuperSU via Playstore or if you have the APK on hand, install it.
7. Once installed it will ask you that it needs to update binaries, do so. It will also detect KNOX and ask to attempt
to disable it, go ahead and it will attempt to do so. ( I have yet for it to say unsuccessful )
8. Enjoy being rooted afterwards.
=======================================
If after step #6 it fails to update binaries or for some chance the SuperSU APK failed to install properly or failed to provide Root Access, below is a link for the newer SuperSU v2.00 that is flashable in your Custom Recovery. Flash it by rebooting back into Recovery and flashing the ZIP file that's downloadable from the middle of the main page in the link below. Once flashed continue on from step #6 above.
Thank you @Chainfire
SuperSU v2.00 <------- click here
.
.
.
.
.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Believe me, we have tried it all. I have tried a process similar to this and when the phone got done with all the flashing and went to boot up, I got a prompt that said 'We have detected software not approved for use by AT&T. Please take your phone to an AT&T store for assistance.' It also says Secure Check Failed: Kernel. I had to send my phone to sammy to get it fixed since I tripped a few flags. Should be back by Friday the 10th.

Possible to use this method with 4.4 kernel from mega?
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2722073
I don't know much about this but my S4 active also has a locked bootloader, and I was able to achieve root on 4.4.2 using the above method. Thought it might be possible to adapt to your cause.

jstinger9489 said:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2722073
I don't know much about this but my S4 active also has a locked bootloader, and I was able to achieve root on 4.4.2 using the above method. Thought it might be possible to adapt to your cause.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Will definitely try this again when my phone gets here tomorrow and post updates...

jstinger9489 said:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2722073
I don't know much about this but my S4 active also has a locked bootloader, and I was able to achieve root on 4.4.2 using the above method. Thought it might be possible to adapt to your cause.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Tried and my device still won't act right, can only get into download mode. recovery is gone and when i attempt to power on, I get a msg about Secure fail: Kernel and then a yellow triangle with a ! says 'System software not authorized by AT&T has been found on your phone. Please turn off your phone and go to the nesrest AT&T store for help."
UPDATE: A buddy of mine has a JTAG service and I'm going to send it to him for repair. UGH! I'm selling this sonofabitch. I should NOT have to go thru this much bull**** just do modify something I paid 500 bucks for without a contract.

kmt5150 said:
Tried and my device still won't act right, can only get into download mode. recovery is gone and when i attempt to power on, I get a msg about Secure fail: Kernel and then a yellow triangle with a ! says 'System software not authorized by AT&T has been found on your phone. Please turn off your phone and go to the nesrest AT&T store for help."
UPDATE: A buddy of mine has a JTAG service and I'm going to send it to him for repair. UGH! I'm selling this sonofabitch. I should NOT have to go thru this much bull**** just do modify something I paid 500 bucks for without a contract.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Have you tried towel root
http://towelroot.com/

BarakOsama said:
Have you tried towel root
http://towelroot.com/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Have YOU tried towelroot?
Or have you not read any of the many theads on the subject?
Sorry, not trying to be rude, the same thing has been said so many times
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I527 using XDA Free mobile app

Can anyone send me boot.img of ATT KK rom?

captemo said:
Have YOU tried towelroot?
Or have you not read any of the many theads on the subject?
Sorry, not trying to be rude, the same thing has been said so many times
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I527 using XDA Free mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My bad..

Alright.
To summarize for people who haven't paid attention. Phone was bricked in a last ditch effort to flash back to 4.3 because the 4.4 update made my phone run like s#it. I also have an S4 Active and the service sucks harder than it already did. The 4.4 update makes the S4 drop out constantly and the battery life blows. Samsung told me to run kies in download mode to get it back to 4.3 I did and BOOM, now phone is fu©k!ng bricked and they won't fix it, claiming it's 'rooted' because the kernel says it's version 3 when it's supposed to be at 4 for kitkat. Fu©k!ng duh, you jerks made me flash it back. I am personally never buying another samsung product again because their customer service was horsesh!t. I happen to have a sammy tv, blu ray, home theater and 2 of their former 'top end' phones, but now I'm ditching them. They can lick my scrotum for all I care anymore.
end rant, back to music.

SCH-R960
I have the US Cellular Galaxy Mega SCH-R960 also updated to 4.4.2 out of the box. I am in for some bucks if you can apply this to my version also the baseband number is R960TYUBNF1, I will send you whatever info you need from the phone. Lets get this done! Thank you!

MeatHammer311 said:
I have the US Cellular Galaxy Mega SCH-R960 also updated to 4.4.2 out of the box. I am in for some bucks if you can apply this to my version also the baseband number is R960TYUBNF1, I will send you whatever info you need from the phone. Lets get this done! Thank you!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can you make a complete firmware dump and compile a .PIT file?

No root.
I do not have root so I can not do those things. If there is a way without root please point me in that direction. Thanks

MeatHammer311 said:
I do not have root so I can not do those things. If there is a way without root please point me in that direction. Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
sure you can
use heimdall
and can anyone send me the boot.img now?
I don't even think you guys want root if you're not even trying to help

Grarak said:
sure you can
use heimdall
and can anyone send me the boot.img now?
I don't even think you guys want root if you're not even trying to help
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
tell me how to get it any you will have it 1 before 5pm today est.
also here is the pit file you asked for. I used it to unbvrick my phone a few times with odin.
ita for the at&t version

NK1, OB6, OF1 testers wanted for NC4 back-booting trials

So, I cobbled together a (custom-recovery) flashable NC4 stock ROM.
I'm interested to find out whether it is possible to boot it successfully from later bootloader firmware - e.g. NK1, OB6, or OF1
(I'm still on NC4 bl and not planning on upgrading near term. It boots on NC4 bl but that's pretty obvious lol)
[size=+2]Q: Why would this be useful?
A: to provide a means for upgrading bootloader firmware without starting from scratch.[/size]
For instance, there are folks on OB6 firmware that would like to use a custom ROM that will only work on OF1 firmware. They can certainly start from scratch (backup and unload the entire device); an alternative would be to:
- Make a backup of an existing rooted ROM (that more than likely has a custom or modified boot image so is not bootable when the bootloader gets re-locked) using the currently-installed custom recovery (which will also be non-bootable under re-lock).
- Restore a (debloated) pure stock ROM w/ Samsung kernel. Root it with Towelroot (does not touch boot image)
- Flash replacement bootloader only in Odin. Locked bootloader = no custom recovery... but with a rooted stock ROM already in place with an unmodified stock kernel it can be immediately unlocked.
NC4 is easily rooted with Towelroot-v3 "on device". No need for PC drivers, online rooting tools with a separate PC, etc (e.g. as with Yemen rooting methods on OB6, OF1)
This approach in principle saves the need to backup everything up in the /sdcard - but you have to know in advance that the NC4 stock kernel and ROM can successfully be booted with later bootloaders.
So anyway, that's what I'm asking for help testing with - folks that are: (a) unlocked and (b) on NK1, OB6 or OF1 bootloader willing to try flashing a debloated NC4 Stock ROM using their existing custom recovery, and see if it boots, roots, and if root survives a single boot cycle.
Contact me via this thread or PM; I'll provide the flashable NC4 and the Towelroot .apk
.

my n900v came with 5.0 Of1 but i rooted, unlocked BL. installed twrp and flashfired NC4 tar minus recovery
runs smooth.I hate lollipop.lol
only bug is wifi password resets everytime i reboot
im curious as to why i have trouble running certain nc2/nc4 roms..some want to bootloop/freeze
baja,biggins,and objective rom
kernel issue maybe? or BL version
btw. i am rooted via towelroot v3

hotrod85z said:
my n900v came with 5.0 Of1 but i rooted, unlocked BL. installed twrp and flashfired NC4 tar minus recovery
runs smooth.I hate lollipop.lol
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you for posting that, very useful/helpful information to know.
Does Flashfire understand the Samsung "sparse" image format of the system.img.ext4 file inside the Stock (Odin) .md5 tarfile blob? Or maybe somebody else packaged up a "flashable .zip" of NC4?
hotrod85z said:
only bug is wifi password resets everytime i reboot
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
in /system/build.prop, set ro.securestorage.support=false and reboot. You might also want to set ro.config.tima=0 as well.
I suspect that mixing and matching Samsung kernels with bootloader versions breaks something in the TrustZone, and so secure containers and other sort-of-obscure security functions no longer work as the TZ smells something fishy. I am using a rooted PL1 rom on NC4 bl and it would spontaneously reboot (infrequently) until I made the above changes - it's been rock stable for about 4 days now. Why this works I can't really say - it's a "generation skipping" bootloader and stock rom combination - N* bootloader and P* ROM *
hotrod85z said:
im curious as to why i have trouble running certain nc2/nc4 roms..some want to bootloop/freeze
baja,biggins,and objective rom
kernel issue maybe? or BL version
btw. i am rooted via towelroot v3
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
all of the above or none of the above LOL
There are definitely some mysteries here, and I don't claim to fully understand the interdependence of the TZ (== bootloader firmware), the TIMA and RTKP stuff in the kernel, and the cross-communication between kernel and TZ via the qseecom service daemon (which is in the ROM in /system/bin) much less how the APIs of all these interfaces might have changed between major releases.
You could check those two build.prop settings in those ROMs for starters though. I suspect that if the TZ smells something fishy (e.g. a kernel TIMA to TZ info mismatch), a variety of secure credential services in the TZ stop working. It is possible that "ro.securestorage.support" is a toggle that attempts to use TZ services when it is set to "true", and so anything in the ROM which builds on it breaks because the TZ is refusing to play on an otherwise "stock" ROM variant.
FWIW I got the AryaMod (S7Edge MM port) + phantom kernel running on NC4 bl + OF1 modem for a full 24 hours after I disabled the qseecom service daemon. It ran long enough that I had customized the whole thing as a daily driver with all my apps, verified that all sensors & radios worked, made test calls, etc. Rebooted it and the kernel started getting reset by a "Modem Reset". Even weirder was that despite the use of the OF1 "modem" firmware, the kernel was reporting a bunch of RIL "unknown ioctl's". Strikes me as odd that the whole thing could run that long with so many different things happening, and then the "modem" is unhappy - even though other folks are using the ROM with OF1 bl + OF1 radio/modem firmware. (As if the "modem" isn't really the source of the problem, even though that's what initiates the device reset).
.

i initially tried flashing NC4 full tar via ODIN. but even bl unlocked. i got FAIL. flashfire worked!
very curious as to whether a custom n900v kernel would boot my 4.4.2 custom roms..its either that or the BL isnt compatible with non-touchwiz roms....
most of the kernel/modem/firmware links on here are 404 error dead links.. would be nice to see an up to date sticky. ill flash anything as long as i dont end up in JTAG mode with a brick.lol
ive played with verizon s5 atnt s2,galaxy capitivate,atrix 4g and many other phones
the s2 is still by far the fastest Smoothest phone on cm7..the newer the phones..the newer the OS..the bigger the resourse hogs"ram" im a minimalist...
even after flashing NC4 official full tar..im still showing OF1 baseband under settings

@hotrod85z
FWIW I posted a bunch of recovery-flashable stock ROMs here.
There is also a link in that thread to a complete set of (Odin flashable) modems for NC4, NJ6, NK1, OB6, OF1, and PL1 if that is of interest to you.
Maybe I wasn't paying attention, but I could swear that on at least one occasion or two when I performed an Odin modem flash, it didn't "stick", despite no complaints on the handset screen or in Odin - the next boot showed the (prior) baseband version, not what I flashed. Its a bit of a mystery to me; but for now I've resolved to make sure that after the Odin session is complete, I wait 30 seconds or so, then remove the USB cable, and then pull the battery rather than try to restart the device by holding buttons down. It is possible that those events occurred when I soft-restarted the phone, but I'm not sure. For now I'm just trying to always flash and restart with exactly the same method to avoid different behaviors from creeping in.
PS I have no idea if those ROM flashables are compatible with Flashfire. They might be, but I've never tested it, and as they are not pre-rooted I'm not going to suggest it for fear that somebody with a rooted but locked (bootloader) phone will try using flashfire and then end up with a phone that needs a full Odin re-install. Appearances are that each version of the bootloader restricts the Samsung signing verification to only the matching kernel version - you can't even boot a Signed samsung kernel on a locked phone if it is a different version than the bootloader's version.

Hello all I have a emmc exploit note 3 I'm using here and I wanted to flash different radios for the us carrier note 3's and I first tried to use flash fire to try to update the modem, but even that didn't stick, cause I don't readily have a pc available, I wasn't ballsy enough to flash a different carrier modem, since I checked the odin screen and saw that instead of a bootloader unlock, its in developer mode and I didn't want a brick, so overall my question is, do I need a unlocked bootloader to flash different modems and do I need odin tovdo it or will some sort of mobile odin or something do it? Thanks mates and happy flashing.

Dlind said:
Hello all I have a emmc exploit note 3 I'm using here and I wanted to flash different radios for the us carrier note 3's and I first tried to use flash fire to try to update the modem, but even that didn't stick, cause I don't readily have a pc available, I wasn't ballsy enough to flash a different carrier modem, since I checked the odin screen and saw that instead of a bootloader unlock, its in developer mode and I didn't want a brick, so overall my question is, do I need a unlocked bootloader to flash different modems and do I need odin tovdo it or will some sort of mobile odin or something do it? Thanks mates and happy flashing.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, your question is way off topic for this thread.
But since nobody is in here anyways, I guess I'll answer the parts that I am able to.
The modems that I posted over in that other thread were meant to be flashed in Odin using a PC. You can use either the AP slot or CP slot. Note that the very first post says - in big bold blue letters "Odin-flashable Modems".
Not flashfire. It never said anything about flashfire.
Is there such a thing as MobileOdin? If there is, I know nothing about it and certainly have never tested anything with it. So I don't know and am not going to speculate.
You said something confusing here:
Dlind said:
I checked the odin screen and saw that instead of a bootloader unlock, its in developer mode
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If it says "MODE: Developer" you have an unlocked bootloader. Which is exactly the same thing as a Developer Edition phone.
If you were to use a PC with Odin and you flashed a FULL Stock firmware flash, yes it would overwrite the unlocked bootloader and indeed re-lock the phone. If you were able to re-root that (stock) ROM, you could perform the unlocking procedure again to unlock it.
On the other hand, those Odin-flashable modem packages do not contain the bootloader firmware, so if you were to use Odin on a PC to flash just those modem images, your bootloader would not get re-locked - the unlocked bootloader is still there, untouched.
When the carriers issue an OTA update, many times (perhaps most of the time) they contain a modem update (NON-HLOS.bin and modem.bin). So it is obvious that they are able to be flashed **somehow** right on the phone, without using Odin from the PC or an "Odin app" at all.
BUT that happens using a combination of the STOCK recovery and the bootloader itself during the reboot following the actions taken by the STOCK recovery. (My guess is that the recovery simply "stages" it into place, and sets some flags so that the bootloader knows that it is supposed to evaluate the crypto signatures of the file blobs that the recovery put into place and it is actually the bootloader that does the flashing. That's really not a whole lot different than what happens when you transfer files from Odin to the phone - the "Odin/Download" mode is just one of the personalities of the bootloader. (Odin is actually a rather dumb program - it's the bootloader on the phone that gets to decide whether a flash happens. It does that by carefully examining the file blob that gets transferred, e.g. crypto signature checks)
My guess is that you would be able to flash STOCK modem packages from Odin (using a PC) independent of whether the bootloader is locked or unlocked. But as I said: "guess".
I don't have a second phone to test with, so I would have to flash completely back to stock and lock my bootloader to be able to test that hypothesis. That's a big jobs because of all the crap I have to backup and restore to my phone.
Frankly, if you don't have access to a PC, and you really need your device to keep working, I would advise you to stop screwing around with it, simply because you don't have good tools available to fix it if a disaster occurs.
PS. I've never once noticed anything different between various radio firmwares on ANY device I've ever owned.

bftb0 said:
Well, your question is way off topic for this thread.
But since nobody is in here anyways, I guess I'll answer the parts that I am able to.
The modems that I posted over in that other thread were meant to be flashed in Odin using a PC. You can use either the AP slot or CP slot. Note that the very first post says - in big bold blue letters "Odin-flashable Modems".
Not flashfire. It never said anything about flashfire.
Is there such a thing as MobileOdin? If there is, I know nothing about it and certainly have never tested anything with it. So I don't know and am not going to speculate.
You said something confusing here:
If it says "MODE: Developer" you have an unlocked bootloader. Which is exactly the same thing as a Developer Edition phone.
If you were to use a PC with Odin and you flashed a FULL Stock firmware flash, yes it would overwrite the unlocked bootloader and indeed re-lock the phone. If you were able to re-root that (stock) ROM, you could perform the unlocking procedure again to unlock it.
On the other hand, those Odin-flashable modem packages do not contain the bootloader firmware, so if you were to use Odin on a PC to flash just those modem images, your bootloader would not get re-locked - the unlocked bootloader is still there, untouched.
When the carriers issue an OTA update, many times (perhaps most of the time) they contain a modem update (NON-HLOS.bin and modem.bin). So it is obvious that they are able to be flashed **somehow** right on the phone, without using Odin from the PC or an "Odin app" at all.
BUT that happens using a combination of the STOCK recovery and the bootloader itself during the reboot following the actions taken by the STOCK recovery. (My guess is that the recovery simply "stages" it into place, and sets some flags so that the bootloader knows that it is supposed to evaluate the crypto signatures of the file blobs that the recovery put into place and it is actually the bootloader that does the flashing. That's really not a whole lot different than what happens when you transfer files from Odin to the phone - the "Odin/Download" mode is just one of the personalities of the bootloader. (Odin is actually a rather dumb program - it's the bootloader on the phone that gets to decide whether a flash happens. It does that by carefully examining the file blob that gets transferred, e.g. crypto signature checks)
My guess is that you would be able to flash STOCK modem packages from Odin (using a PC) independent of whether the bootloader is locked or unlocked. But as I said: "guess".
I don't have a second phone to test with, so I would have to flash completely back to stock and lock my bootloader to be able to test that hypothesis. That's a big jobs because of all the crap I have to backup and restore to my phone.
Frankly, if you don't have access to a PC, and you really need your device to keep working, I would advise you to stop screwing around with it, simply because you don't have good tools available to fix it if a disaster occurs.
PS. I've never once noticed anything different between various radio firmwares on ANY device I've ever owned.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks SOOOOOO MUCH for your input I kinda had a feeling that the idea was risky at first and I don't know a whole lot about odin and I wish Samsung could have created something much easier to use, but thanks for answering the wayyyyy off topic question, I'm gonna smash that thanks button, I'm also going to take the advise on not cross flashing different modems, its just to risky. You answered all my questions so thanks, Also I want to say thank you for your continued work on this phone is by normal terms "old" now but in reality its still an amazing phone with the right custom software, and happy flashing!

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