I recently swapped my iPhone 5c to a guy with a Samsung S4 AT&T.I am aware that these carriers are locking their bootloaders.Everytime I restart or turn on my phone normally,there is a "Samsung Custom" message on the boot screen with an unlocked padlock on it.Most of the time it shows up,and in rare random moments in goes away with the normal Samsung S4 boot screen.What does this mean? Did the guy unlocked the bootloader? or flashed another firmware? or is it because Knox was tripped off due to rooting,And I can see that the phone is actually rooted because there's the SuperSU app.I am asking on how I can indentify if my phone's bootloader is actually unlocked.Because I dont have access to my own PC,so it means I cant operate adb.Are there any direct methods? I also checked if he installed a custom recovery,and there's none,just the default one.
Most likely it's from just rooting it. The bootloader hasn't been unlockable on those since 4.2.2, build number ending in MDK (I think). Not many were kept on that update. It's possible to update the rest of the system and firmware on that older bootloader, but since it doesn't have a custom recovery already, that seems unlikely.
es0tericcha0s said:
Most likely it's from just rooting it. The bootloader hasn't been unlockable on those since 4.2.2, build number ending in MDK (I think). Not many were kept on that update. It's possible to update the rest of the system and firmware on that older bootloader, but since it doesn't have a custom recovery already, that seems unlikely.
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Thanks for the reply! I am sending my phone to a local tech guy to unlock my bootloader.He only charged me $6 and it is pretty cheap.
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OK so here is the story and I was debating if this is the right place to post but I do feel it is more on the developing side. I originally rooted and unlocked my bootloader following Casuals method and everything was just fine. I had an option to sell the phone in preparation for buying the GS4 so I used the return to stock method posted in the forums to return my device completely to stock. After doing so everything was also fine. I received an update to LL4 and that went OK straight from Verizon but last night when the VRAMC3 update was pushed to my phone it soft bricked it. It ultimately was stock on the splash screen stating Samsung Note 2. After trying to ODIN back to stock with multiple FAILS I was able to get it back to the Root66 MR Robinson by using the pit file but every time I try to update and or root/unlock bootloader it soft bricks again. I am assuming that the update that was pushed updated my bootloader and as of now I am stuck till there is a new bootloader Jailbreak. If not I would love some instruction on how to get my phone rooted with an unlocked bootloader or a flashable ODIN file that will at least get me to the latest VRAMC3 fully stock ROM. Thank you for the HELP.
want relocked BL running newest stock via odin flash without tripping flash counter
Edit; I never did manage to relock the bootloader. However, Verizon still accepted the device since it appeared close enough to stock. I used the alternative restore and triangle away to bring it 95 percent to stock. So I can safely say from my experience that if this is your problem you will probably be fine. It's been a few months and still no new charges on my bill for out of warranty device but YMMV
Shawnkanan said:
OK so here is the story and I was debating if this is the right place to post but I do feel it is more on the developing side. I originally rooted and unlocked my bootloader following Casuals method and everything was just fine. I had an option to sell the phone in preparation for buying the GS4 so I used the return to stock method posted in the forums to return my device completely to stock. After doing so everything was also fine. I received an update to LL4 and that went OK straight from Verizon but last night when the VRAMC3 update was pushed to my phone it soft bricked it. It ultimately was stock on the splash screen stating Samsung Note 2. After trying to ODIN back to stock with multiple FAILS I was able to get it back to the Root66 MR Robinson by using the pit file but every time I try to update and or root/unlock bootloader it soft bricks again. I am assuming that the update that was pushed updated my bootloader and as of now I am stuck till there is a new bootloader Jailbreak. If not I would love some instruction on how to get my phone rooted with an unlocked bootloader or a flashable ODIN file that will at least get me to the latest VRAMC3 fully stock ROM. Thank you for the HELP.
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I am in a similar situation. I am sending the device back for warranty service since the screen must have burnt out or something. The digitizer catches a touch but there is no light emanating from the screen and since the device was purchased March 28th it is completely under warranty. As it is obvious the root modifications did not cause the screen issue, I do not wish to get a new device via insurance claim and so I am getting another sent.
but my issue is after managing to run triangle away via screencast/adb, how the hell does one relock the device if it's been upgraded to vramc3? from what I have searched, and trust me I have been searching the past two days, which led me here and a few other threads btw, it appears that once the device is on vramc3 it cannot odin back to anything else or it will fail on sboot.bin. And I am not finding any stock odin packages for vramc3, so how the hell does a person take this bad boy back to stock and relock the bootloader for sending to vzw for service? not only that but I can no longer activate recovery since I wouldnt have access to screencast and there is absolutely no way I am sending this device back with even the most minute amount of data in tact so it can be sold to the highest bidder or handed over via an illegal court order for mass search and seizure. anybody have experience with this? i am at the point where i think the only thing I can do is flash the alternate restore for vral but wouldnt that trip my flash counter, and then when they check the device it would probably OTA and softbrick, which I do not want them to have to deal with.
I have rooted and installed a custom rom on my GS4 and it still says official. Is this normal?
I expected that after bricking and flashing stock and rerooting and everything I must have tripped the flash counter.
I don't really care as I don't plan on needing the warranty, I'm just surprised. I even previously had the custom unlock boot screen before bricking the phone.
Am I just looking in the wrong place?
DanGerousDroid said:
I have rooted and installed a custom rom on my GS4 and it still says official. Is this normal?
I expected that after bricking and flashing stock and rerooting and everything I must have tripped the flash counter.
I don't really care as I don't plan on needing the warranty, I'm just surprised. I even previously had the custom unlock boot screen before bricking the phone.
Am I just looking in the wrong place?
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Flash counter will only register non Samsung images which we cannot flash successfully with a locked boot loader. Unless you are unlucky enough to accidently use Odin to install cwm or push a rom, them a factory restore via Odin should for all intents be undetectable as previously rooted. There might be something on a hidden partition I am unaware of but I have heard nothing yet.
Sent from my Galaxy S4
So I made the switch from my hyperdrive S3 to the s4 yesterday. Best buy did the update to me7... Am I understanding that I'm stuck with stock because it has an unlockable bootloader? I rooted it last night and it was fine but now what?
I can't stand a bloated stock phone anymore after my slimmed s3.
Everything I've read seems to indicate there's no way around the bootloader
As of right now, yes, you're stuck on stock. You do have root, so you can at least freeze the Samsung/carrier apps you don't want, but the bootloader is locked and nobody has figured out a way to bypass it yet. If you unroot you might be able to return it on the excuse that the phone is having performance issues, and tell them you've heard the new software update is to blame so you don't want it installed on the replacement.
My mega installed cwm and rooted fine without a problem. I got it unlocked though. it is a carrier version but the guy unlocked it before selling to me.
I try doing the same to my friend's mega who's a locked rogers carrier version and not only did cwm recovery refuse to install, root would not work, and i kept getting some yellow message at the top right called "warranty bit: kernel"
I tried flashing the stock rom via odin and did a full factory reset. wifi will not switch on..it just stays in the off position.
does this have something to do with knox? How come my mega rooted no problem and i never had these problems with my mega yet my friend's mega is basically locked out? Do I need to unlock his phone before rooting? Is this because the bootloader is locked due to the fact that it's a locked phone?
Help please
Thanks.
EDIT
I was able to flash cwm philz touch version and rooted successfully. I still get the Warranty Bit Kernel message at the top and the phone boots a lot slower than it should I also downloaded wifi fixer and it states my wifi is "stuck".
d4ndr0id said:
My mega installed cwm and rooted fine without a problem. I got it unlocked though. it is a carrier version but the guy unlocked it before selling to me.
I try doing the same to my friend's mega who's a locked rogers carrier version and not only did cwm recovery refuse to install, root would not work, and i kept getting some yellow message at the top right called "warranty bit: kernel"
I tried flashing the stock rom via odin and did a full factory reset. wifi will not switch on..it just stays in the off position.
does this have something to do with knox? How come my mega rooted no problem and i never had these problems with my mega yet my friend's mega is basically locked out? Do I need to unlock his phone before rooting? Is this because the bootloader is locked due to the fact that it's a locked phone?
Help please
Thanks.
EDIT
I was able to flash cwm philz touch version and rooted successfully. I still get the Warranty Bit Kernel message at the top and the phone boots a lot slower than it should I also downloaded wifi fixer and it states my wifi is "stuck".
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That yellow warranty you see is because knox is present in the phone..what model is your mega.?
i have same problem. My model is mega 6.3.
i also have same problem with i9205 no wifi and gallery cannot open
starmaster10 said:
That yellow warranty you see is because knox is present in the phone..what model is your mega.?
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It's the same sgh-i527. I figured out the problem. Newer Megas plus all future Samsung devices will come with with a permanent knox bootloader. Once the knox kernel goes 0x01, not only is your warranty void but it ****s your stock Rom up.
My first mega was a older version without the knox crap on it. Solution is to go custom Rom, I installed pacrom on my friends mega and all is working again.
We must boycott Samsung as they are taking the apple route.
Sent from my GT-I9205 using Tapatalk
Hello,
I have a VZW S4 that is currently running 4.4.2 from an OTA update sometime ago.
Prior to that, and the previous OTA update from Verizon to go to Jellybean(I believe) I had root on the device with the unlocked boot. Root was killed when I mistakenly allowed an OTA update to take place. Ever since then, the phone has been running stock roms BUT it has always shown an Unlocked padlock icon at boot. Also, since then, I have given this phone to my GF and her work has now remotely detected the phone as rooted even though it is not. I am assuming the unlocked icon has something to do with it but I do not understand enough to know that for sure.
Now that the device has 4.4.2 and there looks to be a way to restore root, I am wondering if I go through that process of rooting, if I will be able to undo whatever settings that linger that triggered her employer to detect that the phone was at least at one point rooted - is that possible? I.E., Re-root the phone, alter any settings that need to be altered/deleted, then return the phone to a stock unrooted room and bootloader.
Hope I am being clear.
Any help is much appreciated.
Thank you!
Odin back to stock.
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