Develop Bugs

[SPH-L900] CF-Auto-Root

Check your device model ! Settings -> About device -> Model number. This stuff is made for the SPH-L900, if your model number has a suffix, it may not work, or if it is a totally different model, it will not work (may even brick) !
CF-Root is the root for "rooting beginners" and those who want to keep as close to stock as possible. CF-Root is meant to be used in combination with stock Samsung firmwares, and be the quickest and easiest way for your first root.
Donate
CF-Root has been available for many device (Galaxy S1, Galaxy Tab 7", Galaxy S2, Galaxy Note, Galaxy Nexus, Galaxy S3) and has clocked over 8 million downloads. This is not even counting custom ROMs that already include it. Don't be a leech, buy me a beer (and use the "Thanks" button!). Imagine if every CF-Root user has donated me $1...
What's installed
- SuperSU binary and APK
- Stock recovery
Installation and usage
Flash the CF-Auto-Root package as PDA in ODIN (details on how to do that are in next post), and your device should reboot into a modified recovery (signified by a large red Android logo) and it will install SuperSU for you and restore the stock recovery, and reboot back into Android.
If you don't get to the red Android logo, boot into recovery manually ("adb reboot recovery", or boot while holding Power+VolUp+Home).
Using this root increases your flash counter. You should run Triangle Away (see below) after rooting to reset the counter. Note that if you want to run custom kernels or custom recoveries, your flash counter will be set to 1 at every boot. Either configure Triangle Away to reset the counter at every boot (Play version only) or only reset the counter when you need to go into warranty.
Did you see the red Android logo during rooting, but SuperSU does not appear? This may sometimes occur due to left-over files and settings, however, you can usually install SuperSU from Google Play at this stage and it'll just work.
Not included - Triangle Away
Triangle Away can be used to reset the flash counter after installing CF-Root. The flash counter keeps track of how many custom firmwares you have flashed, as this voids warranty. (No idea what this about ? Read up on it, you will want to use this !)
Not included - adbd Insecure
As this CF-Root does not include a custom kernel, adb shell does not have root access by default (you can still get it by typing su inside the shell), nor is adb remount supported, nor will adb push and adb pull work on system files. adbd Insecure can be used to remedy this situation. (No idea what this is about ? Don't worry about it !)
CF-Auto-Root homepage
http://autoroot.chainfire.eu/
CF-Auto-Root main thread
[CENTRAL] CF-Auto-Root
For requests for new roots and generic discussion - please keep device specific discussion in the thread you are viewing now.

ODIN Installation (detailed)
- Follow these instructions to the letter. Do not touch any buttons or checkboxes that are not listed below to touch!
- Unzip the attached Odin3-vX.X.zip file
- Download and unzip the CF-Auto-Root-....zip file (see posts below this one)
- If you end up with a recovery.img and cache.img file, you've extracted twice. You need to end up with a .tar.md5 file - don't extract that one
- (USB) Disconnect your phone from your computer
- Start Odin3-vX.X.exe
- Click the PDA button, and select CF-Auto-Root-....tar.md5
- Put your phone in download mode (turn off phone, then hold VolDown+Home+Power to boot - if it asks you to press a button to continue, press the listed button, or run adb reboot download command)
- (USB) Connect the phone to your computer
- Make sure Repartition is NOT checked
- Click the Start button
- Wait for Android to boot
- Done (if it took you more than 30 seconds, you need practise!)
- NOTE: Sometimes the device does *not* boot into recovery mode and root your device. Just do the entire procedure again if this happens. If it still will not install root and such, make sure that in Odin "Auto Reboot" is not checked. Then after flashing, pull the battery, and boot with VolUp+Home+Power button to boot into recovery manually. This will start the install process.
New to Samsung? Unfamiliar with Odin? Think all the above is a hassle? Get used to it. It's very simple, and us Samsung folk use Odin (or Mobile ODIN ) for everything! It's so very very convenient once you get used to it. Notice the 30 second comment above? For experienced users, the entire process indeed takes only 30 seconds!
You may now optionally want to install and run Triangle Away to reset the flash counter.

Download
2013.05.20 --- CF-Auto-Root
SuperSU: v1.30
Download: CF-Auto-Root-t0ltespr-t0ltespr-sphl900.zip
--- History ---
2013.05.20: SuperSU v1.30
2013.02.20: SuperSU v1.05
2012.12.02: SuperSU v0.98
2012.10.31: SuperSU v0.96

Thanks for ALL you do!
Imagine if every CF-Root user has donated me $1...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I just made up for myself and a couple of others.

Thanks much

rooted. awesome. thanks

Thanks Chainfire! You are God!
Conf: 3GC122393T563813M

Rooted here as well!
Thanks!

So, how long should it take to reboot? Last message I see in Odin is all threads completed. (succeed 0 / failed 0) and phone is still in downloading... Been 15 minutes now.

Should take seconds.
Did it boot into recovery?
With 0 succeed, something went wrong

rwright64 said:
Should take seconds.
Did it boot into recovery?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It just sits at Downloading the whole time. Phone is in Odin mode.

Flak said:
It just sits at Downloading the whole time. Phone is in Odin mode.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Start from the beginning and do it exactly as it says. Maybe you missed something?
Did odin show that you were connected?

scrosler said:
Thanks Chainfire! You are God!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ohh ****, we getting some cleanrom love?
---------- Post added at 02:16 AM ---------- Previous post was at 02:06 AM ----------
So, note to myself and anyone else. If you use the universal driver package for everything, they no workie for the Note 2 (though they do install successfully). Grabbed the driver package from Samsung and root went fine.
Thanks and sorry for causing a stir.

Flak said:
Ohh ****, we getting some cleanrom love?
---------- Post added at 02:16 AM ---------- Previous post was at 02:06 AM ----------
So, note to myself and anyone else. If you use the universal driver package for everything, they no workie for the Note 2 (though they do install successfully). Grabbed the driver package from Samsung and root went fine.
Thanks and sorry for causing a stir.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Glad everything went okay!
Sent from my SPH-L900 using xda premium

Took 30 secs just like Chainfire said!
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OMG! Thank you! Took about the 30 seconds as advertised. I did have Samsung drivers already installed and this is coming from an 8 year HTC user.

@chains anything you need?
Sent from my SPH-D710 using Tapatalk 2

def DID NOT WORK until i installed samsung drivers from their site..then everything went smooth
heres the direct link for those who need it
http://downloadcenter.samsung.com/c..._L900_Note_II_Samsung_USB_Driver_v1_4_6_0.exe

yeah you need samsung drivers. if youre coming from a previous samsung phone like me they should already be installed if not you need to go download them

sextape said:
@chains anything you need?
Sent from my SPH-D710 using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Whatever latest tar you have would be great. When we were working on root, I know he mentioned he would like a stock recovery.img from the software the device launched on. Not to bother you further about releasing the tar, but it really is essential for people that screw something up. I made a system dump of my phone and tar'd it for use with Odin, but I didn't get to test it.
Sent from my SPH-L900 using Tapatalk 2

How to OTA to 4.4.2 from LJ2 4.1.1 (w/NE5/MK6 bootloader!) *** POST #3 UPDATES

DISCLAIMER: This was performed on a SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 on ATT. I can only attest to it's success on that model, because that's what I have. And that's the multiple hours I have tested in on.
Background:
I was impatient and flashed the ATT 4.3 OTA thereby locking myself into to the 4.3 bootloader.
** So I am using an i317 AT&T Note 2 with the MK6 locked bootloader as the baseline for testing.
After 4.3 came out there were multiple issues, people getting softbricked, etc. I started following the HOW-TO Downgrade from 4.3 OFFICIAL MK6 to LJ2 4.1.1 from @perez6991.
I was honored to test Zen Arcade's AT&T I317-UCUBMK6 *Stock* Rooted De-Odex ROM.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=48935684&postcount=1
He suggested to me, try some follow on testing of how to go from Stock ODIN KIES_HOME_I317UCALJ2_I317ATTALJ2_215287_REV04_user_low_ship.tar.md5, all the way up to OTA 4.3.
After many heart stopping, panic attacks from a phone that would not boot.....
Here are the steps:
Section 1: Flashing LJ2 4.1.1 via ODIN
Thanks to perez6991 for the HOW-TO Downgrade Guide, I’m just reusing his steps for the first part and thanks to fuzio1963 for finding out the param.bin and tz.img unbricks recovery mode. Saved my butt !
STEP 1: Download the USA AT&T 2012 OCTOBER I317UCALJ2 firmware from Sammobile (You need an account to download/registration is free)
Download Link http://www.sammobile.com/firmwares/1/?model=SGH-I317&pcode=0#firmware
Or download from here:
http://d-h.st/2L2
Stock UCALJ2 ODIN package for those with MK6 bootloaders
Generously hosted by Zen Arcade
Extract the file (I317UCALJ2_I317ATTALJ2_ATT.zip) to Desktop or somewhere convenient
STEP 2: Download Odin 3.07 or your preferred choice, extract zip file to Desktop or somewhere convenient. Go to directory to where you extracted Odin307.zip
Run Odin3 v3.07.exe
Download Link http://www.mediafire.com/download/772dlmuaxfgm0x2/Odin307.zip
STEP 3: Put your Note 2 in Download Mode
Entering download mode is very simple. First you will need to turn off your device. Once it’s off, you need to press this button combination: volume down, power button and home button. Keep them pressed until the download mode shows up. Once you’re there, you will be required to press volume up to enter the download mode or volume down to cancel and reboot the device.
Plug into a RELIABLE usb port and a RELIABLE usb cable (preferably the white Samsung cable) and wait for it to show up in Odin (COM5 or something like that)
STEP 4: Click the PDA slot in Odin and locate the USA AT&T 2012 OCTOBER I317UCALJ2 firmware from Sammobile that you downloaded and extracted in Step 1
The filename that goes into the PDA Slot is KIES_HOME_I317UCALJ2_I317ATTALJ2_215287_REV04_user_low_ship.tar.md5
Wait for it to verify, it may look like the program freezes but it’s just verifying the md5 checksum.
BEFORE ANYTHING MAKE SURE IN THE OPTION AREA ONLY AUTO REBOOT AND F.RESET TIME ARE CHECKED!!!
STEP 5: Click START and wait. After a while Odin should say RESET in the BOX above the Option area
{
"lightbox_close": "Close",
"lightbox_next": "Next",
"lightbox_previous": "Previous",
"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
"lightbox_zoom": "Zoom",
"lightbox_new_window": "New window",
"lightbox_toggle_sidebar": "Toggle sidebar"
}
*** Upon reboot the phone will hang. This is because of left over 4.3 file(s) not letting the system boot.
Pull the battery and let the phone sit for a few seconds, pop the battery in and boot into stock recovery (HOLD VOL UP+HOME+POWER) and do a FACTORY RESET then reboot.
When it hangs on the Pulsing Blue Samsung logo, do this step. (expect to do this)
STEP 6: SUCCESS!! If you did everything right your phone should boot into LJ2 4.1.1
If your phone did not boot, you probably did not read the info after ***.
[*]Thanks to perez6991 for the HOW-TO Downgrade Guide
[*]Thanks to fuzio1963 for finding out the param.bin and tz.img unbricks recovery mode
[*]Thanks to Zen Arcade for the encouragement to write this up

SECTION 2: OTA to MH3
You are now booted into the original stock 4.1.1 Note II ROM, i317UCALJ2.
You do not need to set anything up except your wireless connection to download the 302 MB OTA update. Cancel all setups and make a Wifi Connection. (connect to a wireless connection to not use Phone Data)
After you have made a Wifi connection:
Go to Settings> About Device> Software Update
It should come up and tell you an update is available.
[If it says update not available, go to Settings Date/Time and take auto sync off. Advance the date one day and try again]
Complete the steps in the Update Windows (Simply by clicking NEXT or CONTINUE)
* You have flashed using ODIN to the original stock 4.1.1 Note II ROM, i317UCALJ2.
* You have now OTA’d to i317UCAMH3, which is the required baseline to OTA to 4.3.
After the reboot of the 302 MB OTA install, your phone will hang on the Samsung GALAXY Note II screen.
The step below needs to be done to get the install to complete successfully for the i317UCAMH3 OTA.
- Download from http://d-h.st/CDK
I317UCUBMK6-TZ-PARAM.zip
- Extract the I317UCUBMK6-TZ-PARAM.zip file to get to I317UCUBMK6-TZ.tar.md5
It has two files in the I317UCUBMK6-TZ-PARAM.zip. You should only need the I317UCUBMK6-TZ.tar.md5.
I kept both files in there, in rare case you will need to flash the param file.
Read information under the If you *are* running the Official 4.3 (MK6) bootloader: section from @Zen Arcade thread http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=48935684&postcount=1
Thanks @jdnyc for suggesting edit to clarify which file to flash.
- Put your Note 2 in Download Mode.
Entering download mode is very simple. First you will need to turn off your device. Once it’s off, you need to press this button combination: volume down, power button and home button. Keep them pressed until the download mode shows up. Once you’re there, you will be required to press volume up to enter the download mode or volume down to cancel and reboot the device.
Open ODIN and place the I317UCUBMK6-TZ.tar.md5 file that you extracted from the I317UCUBMK6-TZ-PARAM.zip in the PDA section (or AP section if you are using ODIN 3.09). Click the Start button to flash.
Phone will now boot into i317UCAMH3.
Thanks to @Zen Arcade for the I317UCUBMK6-TZ.tar.md5

Updated Instructions
SECTION 3: OTA to 4.3
Almost there !!
Now it’s time to get to i317UCUBMK6.
There are two options:
1. Continue on to 4.4.2 Over The Air (OTA) update
OTA now goes to Kit Kat 4.4.2
2. Flash a 4.3 stock root ROM I have not attempted any other 4.3 ROM from the AT&T Galaxy Note II Android Development Forum. That does not mean it will not work. Do so at you own risk.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2589891
[ROM][4.3][Dec-2013] AT&T I317-UCUBMK6/MJ4 *Stock* Rooted Odex/De-Odex/Odin
***************************************************************************************************************************************************************
OPTION 1:
Again you don’t need to setup anything except a wireless connection. The 4.3 OTA Update is 702 MB.
- Go to Settings > About Device > Software Update
- Do the same thing as the MH3 Update, Click Continue or Next to get Download started.
- Let the download finish,let it reboot and the installation will complete.
---- > You will reboot into the OTA 4.3 i317UCUBMK6.
OPTION 2:
You will need to flash a custom recovery. I'm detailing a TeamWin Recovery Project (TWRP) install
Here is an explanation of TWRP and how to use it to flash the [ROM][4.3][Dec-2013] AT&T I317-UCUBMK6/MJ4 *Stock* Rooted
http://www.addictivetips.com/android/what-is-twrp-how-to-install-use-it-on-android-devices-guide/
by Haroon Q Raja
Here are other ways to install a custom recovery on your Android phone
http://www.addictivetips.com/mobile/how-to-install-a-custom-recovery-to-an-android-phone-device/
Also by Haroon Q Raja
INSTALLING TWRP 2.6.3.1
- Run Odin3 v3.07.exe
Download Link http://www.mediafire.com/download/772dlmuaxfgm0x2/Odin307.zip
- Put your Note 2 in Download Mode
Entering download mode is very simple. First you will need to turn off your device. Once it’s off, you need to press this button combination: volume down, power button and home button. Keep them pressed until the download mode shows up. Once you’re there, you will be required to press volume up to enter the download mode or volume down to cancel and reboot the device.
Plug into a RELIABLE usb port and a RELIABLE usb cable (preferably the white Samsung cable) and wait for it to show up in Odin (COM5 or something like that)
- Click the PDA slot in Odin and locate the openrecovery-twrp-2.6.3.1-t0lteatt.img.tar that you downloaded.
The filename that goes into the PDA Slot is openrecovery-twrp-2.6.3.1-t0lteatt.img.tar
MAKE SURE IN THE OPTION AREA ONLY AUTO REBOOT AND F.RESET TIME ARE CHECKED!!!
- Click START and wait. It will complete and reboot.
Download AT&T UCUBMK6 i317 *Odexed* Stock CWM Note 2
Download link http://d-h.st/Pnd
Save the file to a location that you can easily find. After the download is complete you will need to copy it to your phones SDCARD or External SDCARD.
After copying i317-cwm-ucubmk6-rooted-deodex.zip to your phone. Power off phone.
Wait a minute and turn it back on. To boot into TWRP recovery (HOLD VOL UP+HOME+POWER) while it is powering on. Do this quickly after turning phone on.
You will boot into the TWRP Interface
The interface of TWRP comprises of large buttons that make it easy to spot the feature you require at a quick glance and select it with a quick tap. You’ll also find soft buttons for Home and Back here, along with one for the log view that shows progress of all the operations you’ve performed in recovery.
Install Button
As the name suggests, the Install option lets you install any recovery-flashable zip file to your device. This can be a ROM, a kernel, a mod, a theme, a system app – pretty much anything that’s available in the recovery-flashable zip file format.
Upon hitting Install, you’re presented with the files and folders on your phone’s storage, from which you can select the file you want to flash. Find the file i317-cwm-ucubmk6-rooted-deodex.zip With the file selected, you can swipe the slider to confirm and start flashing the selected file.
After install completes, press the Back Button. (Looks like a U-turn arrow)
You should be back to main screen. Press Reboot.
Press System button on Reboot Menu.
---- > You will reboot into the AT&T UCUBMK6 i317 *Deodexed* Stock Note 2 ROM created by Zen Arcade,
And there you have it.
NOTE: I have done this multiple times, so many I've lost count. My Knox is tripped. The last test (today) I did not use Triangle Away. So my flash count was at 5.
This method works. You may want to start from scratch.
************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************
Thanks to Zen Arcade for all the help, the idea and procedures in which to test.
Want to know about flashing 4.3 ROMS?
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2618460
Thanks to Bajanman

Whew !!!!

Thanx for this write up:thumbup:

A fantastic resource !!
Many thanks for this !!
And it absolutely should be added to the super thread...g
Sent from my NOTE 2.750...
Courtesy of our amazing developers...

Thank you so much for this!! I was wondering just today if this was possible yet. It is nice to see it all in one place!
So does triangle away work to clear the binary? I know knox is undoable as of now, but wondering about the other counters.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using xda app-developers app

geeve420 said:
Thank you so much for this!! I was wondering just today if this was possible yet. It is nice to see it all in one place!
So does triangle away work to clear the binary? I know knox is undoable as of now, but wondering about the other counters.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My pleasure. Yes triangle angle clears the binary count and sets status back to unmolested.
But to do this, using TA is not a requirement.
Just the stock LJ2 and param/tz tar to Odin, TWRP, and the MH3 stock recovery.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
EDIT:
Binary status pic during the testing
Binary Status pic after Triangle Away

dicksteele said:
Whew !!!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good stuff! This will be great for anyone who reverts and wants to go forward to MH3 or MK6 - no more getting stuck during the LJ2 to MH3 OTA. Thanks for putting this together.
. :thumbup::thumbup:
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app

Zen Arcade said:
Good stuff! This will be great for anyone who reverts and wants to go forward to MH3 or MK6 - no more getting stuck during the LJ2 to MH3 OTA. Thanks for putting this together.
. :thumbup::thumbup:
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you for your support. It was fun.
I don't remember if we had this as a test, but from MH3 stock flashing your MK6 CWM zips worked great.
Really no need to OTA to 4.3 with your awesome contribution.

Thank you so much! My Note II was bricked and this seems to have fixed it. My only issue is that now that I am back to 4.1.1 CALJ2, I went to software update and it says no update available? Also S-note seems to be missing.

Racing666 said:
Thank you so much! My Note II was bricked and this seems to have fixed it. My only issue is that now that I am back to 4.1.1 CALJ2, I went to software update and it says no update available? Also S-note seems to be missing.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Try setting your date one day ahead. Take date/time off of automatic sync. Advance date one day. That should do it.
Forgot to add that in instructions. Thanks.

Changing the date to one day ahead seems to have solved it It says it's downloading software update now. Thanks for the help!

Racing666 said:
It says it's downloading software update now. Thanks for the help!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sweet. No worries.
I'll be around checking in, to see if you need help get past the MH3 update.
When update finishes, It will say Update Completed and reboot. But it won't boot. You need to do the TWRP recovery ODIN flash and the param/tz ODIN flash.

dicksteele said:
When update finishes, It will say Update Completed and reboot. But it won't boot. You need to do the TWRP recovery ODIN flash and the param/tz ODIN flash.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I didn't have to do that. After the update, mine booted straight into 4.3 perfectly. I would have stayed with 4.1.2 because I prefer it better, but I got sick of the nagging notification.

Thank you for the great write up. Was following the how to downgrade article and glad that I stumbled upon this. :angel:
I have an ATT GN2 and Im wondering if I can stll download the ATT updates if I only have a Tmo sim card? I jumped onto tmo when they announced uncarrier 4.0 but have not realize that I cannot unlock my GN2 with the OTA 4.3 and no longer with ATT. Thanks in advance.

cx831 said:
Thank you for the great write up. Was following the how to downgrade article and glad that I stumbled upon this. :angel:
I have an ATT GN2 and Im wondering if I can stll download the ATT updates if I only have a Tmo sim card? I jumped onto tmo when they announced uncarrier 4.0 but have not realize that I cannot unlock my GN2 with the OTA 4.3 and no longer with ATT. Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't think you can.

Racing666 said:
I didn't have to do that. After the update, mine booted straight into 4.3 perfectly. I would have stayed with 4.1.2 because I prefer it better, but I got sick of the nagging notification.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sweet !

cx831 said:
Thank you for the great write up. Was following the how to downgrade article and glad that I stumbled upon this. :angel:
I have an ATT GN2 and Im wondering if I can stll download the ATT updates if I only have a Tmo sim card? I jumped onto tmo when they announced uncarrier 4.0 but have not realize that I cannot unlock my GN2 with the OTA 4.3 and no longer with ATT. Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Agree with Racing....
You may want to try this forum
http://forum.xda-developers.com/note-2-tmobile/development
And maybe this ROM
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2568537

dicksteele said:
Agree with Racing....
You may want to try this forum
http://forum.xda-developers.com/note-2-tmobile/development
And maybe this ROM
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2568537
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the reply. I just downgraded to LJ2 & unlocked my note maybe will stick around until I can get a hold of an ATT sim to complete the rest. Thanks again!

★ |[How-To]| EffortLess Guide | NK3 | | Flashing | | Rooting | | Recovery | 26NOV14 ★

★ |[How-To]| EffortLess Guide | NK3 | | Flashing | | Rooting | | Recovery | 26NOV14 ★
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
If you do care about KNOX and do not want a custom recovery or custom ROM installed, but want stock rooted- Go to my other thread here!
A custom ROM or custom recovery WILL trip your KNOX to 0x1
(this is irreversible and KNOX will cease to function on your phone forever and ever and ever).
Only proceed to the steps below if you do not care for KNOX.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
************************************************** ************************************************** ************************************************** ************************************************** **************************************************
Welcome to the EffortLess Guide!!​ROOT, RECOVERY, AND ROM the EffortLess Way :highfive:​This is a quick and easy way to root and install a custom recovery & ROM on the N900T T-Mobile Note 3​
************************************************** ************************************************** ************************************************** ************************************************** **************************************************
**********************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************
!!!!!!!!!!! THIS GUIDE WILL ASSIST YOU IN FLASHING ALL THE LATEST NK3 FILES, ROOTING, INSTALLING A CUSTOM RECOVERY AND THEN FLASHING A CUSTOM ROM IN THAT RECOVERY !!!!!!!!!!!
NOTE: ANY STEPS AFTER INSTALLING FULL N900TUVUENK3 STOCK WILL SET KNOX WARRANTY VOID :0X1. KNOX WILL NOT FUNCTION ON YOUR PHONE!
SO IF YOU REQUIRE KNOX FOR WORK, DO NOT PROCEED WITH ROOTING OR FLASHING A CUSTOM RECOVERY!
DO NOT USE MOBILE ODIN PRO (IT DOESN'T HAVE THE ABILITY TO UPDATE YOUR BOOTLOADER)
DO NOT ATTEMPT ANY SHORTCUTS... THERE ARE NONE!
ODIN IN A VIRTUAL MACHINE ENVIRONMENT MAY OR MAY NOT WORK... IF IT FAILS TO FLASH, USE A NATIVE WINDOWS MACHINE.
**********************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************​If you are already on stock N900TUVUENK3
Either through over the air update (OTA) or the phone came with it from TMO or from a full NK3 Odin flash (Only these methods will mean you have the FULL NK3!) proceed to "Rooting NK3" below.
If you flashed a custom NK3 ROM (without updating the baseband/modem and bootloader), flash the full NK3 Odin below.
If you need to update to N900TUVUENK3 and are on a stock firmware that has not been rooted yet:
Use the built-in Over The Air (OTA) software updater in your phone settings to check for an update then follow the instructions to update.
After booting up, check for an update again and confirm there are none and that you are on firmware N900TUVUENK3 before proceeding to "Rooting NK3" below.
If you are updating from any prior rooted stock or custom firmware follow these steps (or if you don't know if you have a full NK3 install, follow these steps):
Download EffortLess ROM Prep.zip and Full Stock NK3.zip
Unzip both files
Turn off your phone and then hold the Volume Down, Home Button, and Power Button at the same time, when the phone vibrates, let go of Power Button. Press Volume Up to continue past the "Warning!!" screen.
Open the EffortLess ROM Prep folder and double click on EffortLess Odin.exe
Connect your phone to the computer via USB cable (one of the boxes under ID:COM in Odin will fill with a com number and turn baby blue meaning it can communicate with your phone.. if it does not, unplug your phone and run EffortLess Odin USB Driver.exe from the EffortLess ROM Prep unzipped folder. Now plug your phone in again and it should load the driver and the box should turn baby blue and display a com number)
Click the PDA button and navigate to the unzipped Full Stock NK3 folder, click on N900TUVUENK3_N900TTMBENK3_N900TUVUENK3_HOME.tar.md5 and click Open
Wait for the file to load properly in Odin, it will take a minute and you'll see a check-mark to the left of the PDA button and the system path of the NK3 file to the right.
Now click start and wait, don't touch anything until after your phone restarts.
Now go to menu, settings, General tab, and click About device and verify the Baseband version AND Build Number are N900TUVUENK3 if so, go to Rooting NK3
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Old Example Image.. yours should reflect N900TUVUENK3
IF NOT:
Update baseband to NK3 (Only if it didn't update when you flashed full stock):
Follow the steps for Rooting NK3 then continue to step 2
Download the triangle away app from the playstore, or download it from XDA for free.
Run and reset your flash counter
(even if your counter is 0, run it anyway to allow the baseband and bootloader to update)
Repeat the steps above for full N900TUVUENK3 stock
Rooting NK3 (CF-Auto-Root)
Turn off your phone and then hold the Volume Down, Home Button, and Power Button at the same time, when the phone vibrates, let go of Power Button. Press Volume Up to continue past the "Warning!!" screen.
Open the EffortLess ROM Prep folder and double click on EffortLess Odin.exe
Connect your phone to the computer via USB cable (one of the boxes under ID:COM in Odin will fill with a com number and turn baby blue meaning it can communicate with your phone.. if it does not, unplug your phone and run EffortLess Odin USB Driver.exe from the EffortLess ROM Prep unzipped folder. Now plug your phone in again and it should load the driver and the box should turn baby blue and display a com number)
Click the PDA button and navigate to the unzipped EffortLess ROM Prep folder, click on CF-Auto-Root-hltetmo-hltetmo-smn900t.tar and click Open
Wait for the file to load properly in Odin, it will take a minute and you'll see a check-mark to the left of the PDA button and the system path of the root file to the right.
Now click start and wait, don't touch anything until after your phone restarts.
Flashing a custom recovery (TWRP):
Turn off your phone and then hold the Volume Down, Home Button, and Power Button at the same time, when the phone vibrates, let go of Power Button. Press Volume Up to continue past the "Warning!!" screen.
Open the EffortLess ROM Prep folder and double click on EffortLess Odin.exe
Connect your phone to the computer via USB cable (one of the boxes under ID:COM in Odin will fill with a com number and turn baby blue meaning it can communicate with your phone.. if it does not, unplug your phone and run EffortLess Odin USB Driver.exe from the EffortLess ROM Prep unzipped folder. Now plug your phone in again and it should load the driver and the box should turn baby blue and display a com number)
Click the PDA button and navigate to the unzipped EffortLess ROM Prep folder, click on openrecovery-twrp-2.8.1.0-hltetmo-4.4.img.tar and click Open
Wait for the file to load properly in Odin, it will take a minute and you'll see a check-mark to the left of the PDA button and the system path of the root file to the right.
Now click start and wait, don't touch anything until after your phone restarts.
Flashing EffortLess ROM in custom recovery:
Connect your phone to PC and copy EffortLess ROM (or any custom ROM) onto your SD card (internal or external)
Power off your phone and hold the Volume Up, Home Button, and Power Button at the same time. After the phone vibrates, let go of power but hold the other two and you should see the new TWRP recovery boot.
Click on "wipe", "advanced wipe", select everything EXCEPT! "INTERNAL STORAGE" AND "MICRO SDCARD" (if you select those you will lose your pics and the EffortLess ROM that you have on there to flash) then "Swipe to Wipe" at the bottom.
Click the home button on the bottom left then click wipe again and slide the slider to "Swipe to Factory Reset" at the bottom.
Now go home again and click install... find the EffortLess ROM zip (or your custom ROM of choice) file on either internal or external storage, click it, then swipe to confirm flash at the bottom.
When it finishes, click "Reboot System"
be very patient on first boot.. Enjoy!
********************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************
For those that still are not sure, you can use the Phone INFO ★Samsung★ app as a final verification to see if the Bootloader, PDA, Modem and CSC files all are now updated to NK3.
Old Example Image yours should reflect N900TUVUENK3
If this helped, please click the "Thanks" button! :good:
Download EffortLess ROM
| Let me know you like it :highfive: Donate to show your support |

mine

Good tutorial! I'm sure users will benefit greatly.
Sent from my leanKernel 2.5.1 powered stock 4.4.2 (NE6) SM-N900T

Nicely done, this will definitely help people that is having troubles updating [emoji106][emoji106]
---Shadow God---

Galaxy Note 3 T-Mobile Root
Quick question from a newbie. I have GN3 n900a NC2 which doesn't have root at this time. So I'm planning to buy GN3 tmobile version. The question is, will I be able to root it even with the latest update installed? Does it have a looked bootloader? I don't care about triping knox. Thanks

yousifnamir said:
Quick question from a newbie. I have GN3 n900a NC2 which doesn't have root at this time. So I'm planning to buy GN3 tmobile version. The question is, will I be able to root it even with the latest update installed? Does it have a looked bootloader? I don't care about triping knox. Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can root latest update and it does not have a locked bootloader. Just follow the guide above and you'll be set once you get it.
Sent from my SM-N900T using Tapatalk

effortless said:
You can root latest update and it does not have a locked bootloader. Just follow the guide above and you'll be set once you get it.
Sent from my SM-N900T using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Awesome. Thanks for your help.

If anyone downloaded the EffortLess ROM Prep.zip earlier today and had a bootloop after attempting to root, I apologize. I have uploaded a fixed root tar in the EffortLess ROM Prep.zip. Please redownload!

Thanks for the guide....was easy and well documented

now i cant even get my phone to start its in a bootloop

joeloe03 said:
now i cant even get my phone to start its in a bootloop
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What was the last thing you did? And did you get the new zip from last night?
Just hold volume down and home and as it loops it'll go into Odin mode.
If you were using the old auto cf root file, just download the new one and repeat the steps for root.
Sent from my SM-N900T using Tapatalk

Thank You
I've used many of your methods in the past; this is my first Note 3 Root. I'm quite excited to give it a try to get my Note 3 rooted since that idiotic 4.4 update took away our mass storage usage. Loved streaming from my drive and moving files around.
I've hesitated; but it looks like once again you all at XDA dialed this process in for us newbies and I appreciate you for it. Always nervous on the first root. Once it's done and TWRP is on there; I'll be able to breath again. Process is always nerve racking; but I know to be patient on first boot because the files require setup which can take several minutes.
My question: Is there a Gapps version we should look for and is there a way to obtain our Samsung apps (mainly because I own music and a couple of movies on their app)?
Thanks again for everything :good:
---------- Post added at 10:32 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:24 PM ----------
fuqnstoned said:
I've used many of your methods in the past; this is my first Note 3 Root. I'm quite excited to give it a try to get my Note 3 rooted since that idiotic 4.4 update took away our mass storage usage. Loved streaming from my drive and moving files around.
I've hesitated; but it looks like once again you all at XDA dialed this process in for us newbies and I appreciate you for it. Always nervous on the first root. Once it's done and TWRP is on there; I'll be able to breath again. Process is always nerve racking; but I know to be patient on first boot because the files require setup which can take several minutes.
My question: Is there a Gapps version we should look for and is there a way to obtain our Samsung apps (mainly because I own music and a couple of movies on their app)?
Thanks again for everything :good:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
********I may have over thought my question considering i'm flashing Stock ROM and not a custom for now. This is just an unlock so therefore Gapps would not be necessary nor should I worry about the Samsung apps since it's just an unlock. Forgive the overthinking if that's what I've done Ran into that problem with my Samsung Tab 10.1 ver 3 flash I did a while ago*****

fuqnstoned said:
I've used many of your methods in the past; this is my first Note 3 Root. I'm quite excited to give it a try to get my Note 3 rooted since that idiotic 4.4 update took away our mass storage usage. Loved streaming from my drive and moving files around.
I've hesitated; but it looks like once again you all at XDA dialed this process in for us newbies and I appreciate you for it. Always nervous on the first root. Once it's done and TWRP is on there; I'll be able to breath again. Process is always nerve racking; but I know to be patient on first boot because the files require setup which can take several minutes.
My question: Is there a Gapps version we should look for and is there a way to obtain our Samsung apps (mainly because I own music and a couple of movies on their app)?
Thanks again for everything :good:
---------- Post added at 10:32 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:24 PM ----------
********I may have over thought my question considering i'm flashing Stock ROM and not a custom for now. This is just an unlock so therefore Gapps would not be necessary nor should I worry about the Samsung apps since it's just an unlock. Forgive the overthinking if that's what I've done Ran into that problem with my Samsung Tab 10.1 ver 3 flash I did a while ago*****
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, no need for gapps or Samsung apps as they are part of the stock rom. Follow the guide and you'll be fine. Let us know how it goes.
Sent from my SM-N900T using Tapatalk

Do anyone have a flashable NE6 bootloader please. I got the modem to stick but lost my NE6 bootloader when I nandroid back to NB4.
Thanks in advance.
Sent from my SM-N900T using xda premium

Had friend of mine root phone because of the 4.2 debacle on my phone. Anyways... Currently have rooted Stock 4.4.2 (N900TUVUCNB4) and looking to update to the new version.
Your instructions are very easy but I dont understand why I would need to Flash stock, then reroot (again) then twrp and then rom. If i still want root i would need to follow the rest correct? Or can I just go into TWRP and reboot into recovery, select wipe, advanced, select all but internal and sdcard then slide. Once done select install, find zip of Stock NE6 then wait. This should load up a rooted stock right?
Or am I able to just download EffortlessROM and install from phone via TWRP.
Sorry for sounding stupid, Im not understanding why I would need to go through all the steps if rooting to begin with was to make things easier.
Thanks for your time.

dasudevil said:
Had friend of mine root phone because of the 4.2 debacle on my phone. Anyways... Currently have rooted Stock 4.4.2 (N900TUVUCNB4) and looking to update to the new version.
Your instructions are very easy but I dont understand why I would need to Flash stock, then reroot (again) then twrp and then rom. If i still want root i would need to follow the rest correct? Or can I just go into TWRP and reboot into recovery, select wipe, advanced, select all but internal and sdcard then slide. Once done select install, find zip of Stock NE6 then wait. This should load up a rooted stock right?
Or am I able to just download EffortlessROM and install from phone via TWRP.
Sorry for sounding stupid, Im not understanding why I would need to go through all the steps if rooting to begin with was to make things easier.
Thanks for your time.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
A lot of people went (what they thought was) the easy way of just wiping in TWRP and flashing NE6 ROMs without updating their whole system and just read in the EffortLess ROM thread all the problems they have.
NE6 came with an updated bootloader and modem/baseband, unless you do a full stock install, those won't be updated. ROMs such as EffortLess ROM only contain the OS part and not the modem or bootloader. If you don't have the updated NE6 bootloader and baseband, you'll have issues such as the 4 digit pin lock not working, being stuck on the white TMO 4G LTE screen, or having problems with your 4G signal not switching properly (I'm pretty sure there are also updates in the modem that are required for voLTE to function correctly) etc.
Also, some are having issues updating their bootloader and baseband... there is a write lock on those if you have a flash counter other than 0. That is why you check to see if your modem updated after the first stock Odin flash (if it hasn't most likely your bootloader hasn't either), and to fix it, you run triangle away (to remove the write lock) and then reodin the entire stock (to update those two things properly).
I know it seems like rework, but it's a very simple process and will ensure you have no issues once you're on NE6. Also, once you're on NE6 (including modem and bootloader), then you can do as you asked and just use the last part- wipe in TWRP in between other NE6 ROMs.
Hope that clarified it a bit.

Worked until i got to the install TWRP part. Froze and Odin said FAIL quickly. So i pulled battery and phone had BIG triangle saying its basically messed up reinstall via kies . So I am starting back at 1. Hopefully this works
Been stuck in the downloading part for at least 5 minutes with the progress bar at the bottom not moving. This seems to be stuck, not working or something. I have to be missing something please help.
Update 3:
Unplugged all. Shut down Odin, Removed battery and same thing. Decided to start at step 1 in that screen with the Phone -- Triangle -- Computer. So far seems to be working. Will update hopefully with good news and VERY SOON! 8 minutes later via Odin time ALL GOOD. Back to stock w/ no ROOT. Auto rooting now. WOW fast. Rooted!
I guess I will wait a bit for some answers on TWRP install. Maybe i did something wrong and a simple talking to will fix me. Till then I am rooted and on Stock. Lets start deleting some BS apps. WOW there is a lot

dasudevil said:
Worked until i got to the install TWRP part. Froze and Odin said FAIL quickly. So i pulled battery and phone had BIG triangle saying its basically messed up reinstall via kies . So I am starting back at 1. Hopefully this works
Been stuck in the downloading part for at least 5 minutes with the progress bar at the bottom not moving. This seems to be stuck, not working or something. I have to be missing something please help.
Update 3:
Unplugged all. Shut down Odin, Removed battery and same thing. Decided to start at step 1 in that screen with the Phone -- Triangle -- Computer. So far seems to be working. Will update hopefully with good news and VERY SOON! 8 minutes later via Odin time ALL GOOD. Back to stock w/ no ROOT. Auto rooting now. WOW fast. Rooted!
I guess I will wait a bit for some answers on TWRP install. Maybe i did something wrong and a simple talking to will fix me. Till then I am rooted and on Stock. Lets start deleting some BS apps. WOW there is a lot
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You should be able to flash TWRP in a similar way as the root file. I'm can't think of anything that you may have done to cause it to hang like that when flashing TWRP.
I'd suggest to try again, but backup your stuff just in case.
Sent from my SM-N900T using Tapatalk

effortless said:
You should be able to flash TWRP in a similar way as the root file. I'm can't think of anything that you may have done to cause it to hang like that when flashing TWRP.
I'd suggest to try again, but backup your stuff just in case.
Sent from my SM-N900T using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thats what i was thinking. I do know when we (friend and I) rooted the first time and tried to get TWRP installed it kept failing like it did. Ended up researching like crazy and finding out he had an outdated file. The one provided is up to date. Had to be something on my end. So far Im okay with just Stock Root. Ill give it a day or two before I figure it out. Im tired and need sleep. 1 hour in a 22hr time frame is not good for brain.
Thanks Effotless for your help

Thanks and Worked Perfect
effortless said:
Yeah, no need for gapps or Samsung apps as they are part of the stock rom. Follow the guide and you'll be fine. Let us know how it goes.
Sent from my SM-N900T using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
:beer:
This worked GREAT on version 4.4.2 T-Mobile Samsung Note 3. Like I had any doubt, you guys ROCK!!! :good:
For the NOOBS out there, just make sure you read twice, print the directions, and download everything ahead of time. If you do this it will go just fine. Final tip, Patience is Key.
Have a great day all

Different Software, Baseband, Bootloader After Flashing ROM

I just checked my phone with Galaxy Tools and it's showing a different version for the software, baseband, and bootloader.
The ROM is the Sprint Hybrid-X 3.0 COG5...could this cause a problem with the phone not running right?
Software version is COG5
Baseband version is COK1
Bootloader version is COJ6
I need to get everything the same but I can't flash any firmware tar files in ODIN, they all fail.
In recovery my "/system" won't stay mounted.
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I can help you with this. You definitely need to update your bootloader. I'm not sure how you managed to update the kernel to OK1 and not the bootloader. The modem is OK1 and that's fine. It will work on all roms. If you want to continue running my Hybrid-X 3.0 rom you should go ahead start fresh by downloading the latest official samsung OK1 rom tar package. Search the general threads here in the sprint N4 forum to find a link. Once you have that downloaded you need to extract it with 7zip. Inside the extracted folder will be the actual tar file that u will flash in odin. But first you will need to backup anything you need to back up from you sd-card and internal storage. Next, reboot to TWRP recovery and do factory reset a few times then press "advanced wipe options" and wipe all of the partitions except internal storage and micro-sd card. do this two or three times repeatedly. You must do this BEFORE you odin the OK1 tar or else you will have left over data and it will cause problems. So wipe everything FIRST. Once you do this, while you're still in recover, go back to reover home screen and then select reboot and reboot to Download mode. Then launch odin and then connect your phone to your pc & usb cable. Use the AP button and select the tar you extracted earlier. It will verify the md5. Once that finishes then you can start the flash process. When it finishes you will be fully updated to OK1. At that point you should be able to odin TWRP again then the rom of your choice.
Edit: If you can't odin the OK1 tar and it fails then you will need to do this... download the OJ6 tar ball. extract it like usual. Then flash it in odin. If it fails then do this... Open odin. Don't connect your phone yet! click on the "options" tab and check the "re-partition", "auto reboot" and "reset time" options. then flash OJ6 and watch it work. Let you phone boot up completely! Then do the device activation, prl and profile updates in settings BEFORE you flash any other custom rom. This will set you straight.

tx_dbs_tx said:
I can help you with this. You definitely need to update your bootloader. I'm not sure how you managed to update the kernel to OK1 and not the bootloader. The modem is OK1 and that's fine. It will work on all roms. If you want to continue running my Hybrid-X 3.0 rom you should go ahead start fresh by downloading the latest official samsung OK1 rom tar package. Search the general threads here in the sprint N4 forum to find a link. Once you have that downloaded you need to extract it with 7zip. Inside the extracted folder will be the actual tar file that u will flash in odin. But first you will need to backup anything you need to back up from you sd-card and internal storage. Next, reboot to TWRP recovery and do factory reset a few times then press "advanced wipe options" and wipe all of the partitions except internal storage and micro-sd card. do this two or three times repeatedly. You must do this BEFORE you odin the OK1 tar or else you will have left over data and it will cause problems. So wipe everything FIRST. Once you do this, while you're still in recover, go back to reover home screen and then select reboot and reboot to Download mode. Then launch odin and then connect your phone to your pc & usb cable. Use the AP button and select the tar you extracted earlier. It will verify the md5. Once that finishes then you can start the flash process. When it finishes you will be fully updated to OK1. At that point you should be able to odin TWRP again then the rom of your choice.
Edit: If you can't odin the OK1 tar and it fails then you will need to do this... download the OJ6 tar ball. extract it like usual. Then flash it in odin. If it fails then do this... Open odin. Don't connect your phone yet! click on the "options" tab and check the "re-partition", "auto reboot" and "reset time" options. then flash OJ6 and watch it work. Let you phone boot up completely! Then do the device activation, prl and profile updates in settings BEFORE you flash any other custom rom. This will set you straight.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
lemme explain the whole "situation" real quick---
I flashed the stock rooted deodexed rom a while back, soon as it was posted and it ran perfectly, no reboots, no freezing, not a problem ever.
Last Monday I was charging the phone, it fully charged and I hit the home button and the screen wouldn't lightup/open...first time I ever had this happen on this phone. I yanked the battery, put it back in and it wouldn't boot.
tried to re-flash the rom after factory reset and when it booted i got the MMC Failed/can't do normal boot error.
reflashed the stock frmware in odin and that failed, odin said I need a PIT file...found the PIT file to flash with the unrooted stock firmware, failed in odin.
I managed to restore from TWRP, which worked until I rebooted then got the same "can't do regular boot" error after it booted ...I checked TWRP and the "/system" is unticked and even when I check it to boot it doen't boot and always go back to unticked.
I finally re-installed this rom and it's working now but as you saw above everything is different (firmware, etc.)
I want to get it to where I can at least use it again and at the best revert to unrooted stock to send to samsung for repairs of whatever caused the initial problem since the phone is only 3 months old.
Thanks for the response btw:good:

broad_st_bully said:
lemme explain the whole "situation" real quick---
I flashed the stock rooted deodexed rom a while back, soon as it was posted and it ran perfectly, no reboots, no freezing, not a problem ever.
Last Monday I was charging the phone, it fully charged and I hit the home button and the screen wouldn't lightup/open...first time I ever had this happen on this phone. I yanked the battery, put it back in and it wouldn't boot.
tried to re-flash the rom after factory reset and when it booted i got the MMC Failed/can't do normal boot error.
reflashed the stock frmware in odin and that failed, odin said I need a PIT file...found the PIT file to flash with the unrooted stock firmware, failed in odin.
I managed to restore from TWRP, which worked until I rebooted then got the same "can't do regular boot" error after it booted ...I checked TWRP and the "/system" is unticked and even when I check it to boot it doen't boot and always go back to unticked.
I finally re-installed this rom and it's working now but as you saw above everything is different (firmware, etc.)
I want to get it to where I can at least use it again and at the best revert to unrooted stock to send to samsung for repairs of whatever caused the initial problem since the phone is only 3 months old.
Thanks for the response btw:good:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Your phone has a hardware failure. If you have insurance through Sprint, take it in to a Sprint owned store. They won't be able to fix it, and will offer to replace it.
Sent from my SM-N920P using Tapatalk

followed the first set of instructions and it failed, on the phone screen under the odin info it said write fail, no pit file,read fail

LMMT said:
Your phone has a hardware failure. If you have insurance through Sprint, take it in to a Sprint owned store. They won't be able to fix it, and will offer to replace it.
Sent from my SM-N920P using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have full insurance but when i brought it to the store the "tech specialist" saw the "SEANDROIDENFORCING" at the top of the screen and saw it was rooted and blamed the root

broad_st_bully said:
I have full insurance but when i brought it to the store the "tech specialist" saw the "SEANDROIDENFORCING" at the top of the screen and saw it was rooted and blamed the root
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
tinker with the phone and try to get it back to a regular stock firmware. even if it won't boot up. that will get rid of the red and yellow text at boot screen. formatting System may also clear the red and yellow text.
it will still show when booting twrp though.
never take a rooted phone to Sprint lol 98% of their employees either think it's witchcraft or are too afraid of repercussions for servicing a rooted device. the warrantee void the phone refers to is manufacturer warrantee though and has nothing to do with Sprint. it's aggravating.

I agree. it definetely sounds like hardware failure. Do like the previous poster said. Odin the stock OJ6 or OK1 rom and then go back to the sprint store and see what they can do for you. If it's hardware related and you do have TEP "Total Equipment Protection" on your line then they will order you a free replacement. Don't let them bully you into filing an insurance claim. this is not physical damage therefore you DO NOT have to file an insurance claim. They will tell you to file insurance but you have to explain to them that it is not physical damage to the phone and let them know you are a little wiser than that.

[GUIDE][17.06.2019] RMM/KG bypass - Root/Install TWRP on Exynos Samsung after 2018

UPDATE 17.06.2019 - NEW RMM/KG bypass patch
UPDATE 23.02.2019 - Pie and more
Please take some time and read carefully the whole post. I am not and i won`t be responsable for anything.
Disclaimer
I am not responsible for bricked devices, dead SD cards, thermonuclear war, or you getting fired because the alarm app failed.
Please do some research if you have any concerns about this guide!
YOU are choosing to make these modifications, and if you point the finger at me for messing up your device, I will laugh at you.
Flashing any custom binary will trigger knox and you may lose your warranty. Make sure you know what you do to your device.
Introduction
December 2017 update (for some even older) brought us a different lock, that creates panic among users as usual. As described here by my friend @BlackMesa123, this is not a lock to developement, rather an advanced lock for theft or scams. This has a bypass too, specially when you`re the owner of the device.
How it works
This lock is in bootloader, but the trigger to it is inside the system, it`s hard to reproduce, but usually happens when you plug another country sim than your firmware country, because changing the country might not seem as a traveling guy and more like a thief. If you are on stock rom all this time, you might not feel the change, as the device reboots and wipes data, but it will eventually boot. The nice thing comes if you already have custom binary installed (rooted kernel or twrp), as you can`t boot anymore because bootloader is preventing you to boot on custom binaries and alter the system.
Devices confirmed to have the lock:
Any other Samsung device manufactured after 2017
Samsung Galaxy S9 & S9+ - SM-G960F & SM-G965F
Samsung Galaxy Note 8 - SM-N950F
Samsung Galaxy S8 & S8+ - SM-G950F & SM-G955F
Samsung Galaxy A8 & A8+(2018) - SM-A530F & SM-A730F
Samsung Galaxy A Series (2017) - SM-A320F/FL, SM-A520F & SM-A720F
Samsung Galaxy Note FE - N935F
How to know if you are locked
There are 3 things at this chapter:
1. "Only official released binaries are allowed to be flashed" message shows up and now you know for sure you got locked outside your phone
2. Missing OEM unlock toggle in developer settings, if your device has FRP
3. "RMM state = Prenormal" in download mode
How to unlock
1. As i personally did, and other users reported, if you face any of the things above, flash latest full stock fw of your country with Odin, boot up, don`t reboot, don`t unplug the sim and don`t disconnect the network connection for 7 full days (168h). It seems that after 7 days of uptime, RMM state resets and you can flash TWRP again without issues. You can see uptime in settings/about device/status.
2. Some users reported this guide was working in first Oreo fw releases, can't guarantee it still works.
How to avoid getting locked again
Unfortunately bootloader can`t be reverted to older revisions, so we need to live with this. My friend @BlackMesa123 made some investigation and found out how to disable this lock. After waiting those 7 days, go to settings/developer option and enable OEM unlock. In order to never get locked again, flash TWRP for your device (install instructions below), boot into TWRP (do not boot into rom yet as you might get locked again), download and flash his fix from here (don`t forget to thank him too for his findings).
You can keep this zip near and flash it after flashing any custom rom, to be sure you don`t get locked again. The zip contains an universal script that disables the services responsable. Can be flashed on any device, if the device has the lock, won`t get locked again, if not, nothing will happend. I like to say "better safe than sorry".
How to safely install TWRP
Considering you are already unlocked (waited those 7 days), follow the next steps carefully:
Make sure you downloaded latest Odin, samsung usb drivers installed, latest RMM-State_Bypass fix (download links are in #2 post) and latest TWRP available for your device
Put RMM-State_Bypass.zip in external sdcard
Go to settings/Developer options and enable OEM unlock (If you don't see developer settings, go into Settings/About phone/Software info and tap "Build number" 10 times to show Developer options menu)
Reboot the phone into download mode and connect the usb cable
Open Odin, go into options and untick Auto-reboot and put the TWRP tar file in AP tab of odin, hit Start and wait
When Odin shows "PASS", take your device in hands, disconnect the usb cable and press simultaneously the "Power" + "Vol. Down" + "Vol. Up" buttons until the downoad mode disappears
At the precise moment the screen becomes black, immediately release the "Vol.Down" button and press the "Vol. Up" + "Power" buttons during 10 to 15sec to forcefully enter TWRP
***Don't boot into rom because it will lock your device again!!!!
Once the custom recovery booted, swipe to "Allow modification" and flash RMM-State_Bypass.zip as normal zip
Now you can reboot into rom and hopefully never get locked again.
If any of above steps fail, redo from step 1, more carefully this time.
How to safely root
Considering you already unlocked (waited those 7 days) and you have TWRP installed, follow the next steps carefully:
Download root zip and no-verity-opt-encrypt-6.0 (download links are in #2 post) and drop the zips into external sdcard
Boot into TWRP and swipe "Allow modifications"
Go into Wipe menu and select "Format data" - note that this will erase all your data including internal storage
Reboot recovery, swipe to "Allow modification" and flash RMM-State_Bypass.zip
Flash no-verity-opt-encrypt-6.0 zip downloaded at step #1 to disable data partition encryption
Flash root zip downloaded at step #1
Reboot the phone into system
After booting up in setting wizard make sure to uncheck diagnostic data
If any of above steps fail, redo from step 1, more carefully this time.
You can read more about it here here, here, here, here or here.
Credits
@BlackMesa123
@RicePlay33
@Yahia Angelo
@TaifAljaloo
@ananjaser1211

Useful links
Samsung Firmware download - Updato / Sammobile / Samsung-Firmware.org / Samsung-Updates.com
Samsung Usb Drivers
Odin 3.13.1
Latest SuperSU stable or test/beta
Latest Magisk stable or test/beta
NEW-RMM-State_Bypass
no-verity-opt-encrypt-6.0
FAQ
Q: TWRP can't mount data partition, what to do?
A: Make sure you formatted data partition.
Q: Phone is not booting even after 20 minutes?
A: Try to reboot. If still not booting, make sure you formatted data partition.
Q: How to format data partition?
A:
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"lightbox_previous": "Previous",
"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
"lightbox_zoom": "Zoom",
"lightbox_new_window": "New window",
"lightbox_toggle_sidebar": "Toggle sidebar"
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Q: Why do i need to format data partition?
A: Because old rom encrypted your data partition and new rom can't decrypt and use that content / root needs access to data partition to place misc files / phone not booting after flashing root until data partition gets formatted.
Q: Why not formatting data at twrp install?
A: Phone will boot even if data is encrypted if you don't root. Also system partition is not encrypted meaning you can flash RMM-State_Bypass anyway.

Reserved for later use [emoji16]

Well done corsi ?

Nice guide fam

Wow @partcyborg
Sent from my SM-G892A using Tapatalk @elliwigy @beaups

progro420 said:
Wow @partcyborg
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
?? this write up is for unlocked F variants.. not usa locked SD variants

elliwigy said:
?? this write up is for unlocked F variants.. not usa locked SD variants
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It says any Samsung is why I asked, lol
Sent from my SM-G892A using Tapatalk

progro420 said:
It says any Samsung is why I asked, lol
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i dont recall ever seeing vaultkeeper prop value on SD variants.. im on p2xl now and also dont see it so might be specific to exynos chipsets? only time will tell (pun intended)

progro420 said:
It says any Samsung is why I asked, lol
Sent from my SM-G892A using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My bad, edited the title.
elliwigy said:
i dont recall ever seeing vaultkeeper prop value on SD variants.. im on p2xl now and also dont see it so might be specific to exynos chipsets? only time will tell (pun intended)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Vaultkeeper prop is tied to vaultkeeper service, that indeed seems to be samsung exynos related service.
Anyway US Samsung variants are very well known for bootloader lock, so even if you had this, bootloader won't let you flash anything.
Regards.
Sent from my SM-A530F using Tapatalk

progro420 said:
Wow @partcyborg
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
elliwigy said:
?? this write up is for unlocked F variants.. not usa locked SD variants
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yea, this is the new thing that made everyone panic thinking oreo was blocking comsy flashing a bit ago (lol). Idk if usa sds have this on oreo or not as i havent looked.
Thanks OP for calling out non-us snapdragon in the subject, that will definitely lead to less misunderstanding and privmsgs to me ?️
PS
That last comment was not directed at you @progro420, it sounds like it was not clear at all at first the scope of this thing so im glad you brought it to my attention)

Hi my device is network sim locked. Does rooting also disables this lock?

ShiShTuBaBu said:
Hi my device is network sim locked. Does rooting also disables this lock?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Unfortunately no.
Sent from my SM-A520F using Tapatalk

corsicanu said:
Unfortunately no.
Sent from my SM-A520F using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How can i solve this problem? would you help me?

ShiShTuBaBu said:
How can i solve this problem? would you help me?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Most likely you need an unlock code from z3x box or something, afaik there's nothing you can do from your pc. Try to reach a GSM center, maybe they can help you.
Sent from my SM-A520F using Tapatalk

corsicanu said:
Most likely you need an unlock code from z3x box or something, afaik there's nothing you can do from your pc. Try to reach a GSM center, maybe they can help you.
Sent from my SM-A520F using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
oh ok thanks!

Hello there, first time posting here. I'm facing issues with checking whether or not my device is locked, because none of the signs you've listed are telling me anything.
Here's what I did in order :
1. I first checked if the OEM unlock button was present - and it was, so I promptly enabled it.
2. I went into download mode and checked for the RMM state. This is the odd part : There is no RMM entry in the top left in download mode (See attached picture). As you can see by the Knox trip, the picture was taken after my original attempt, but the first time around the information was the exact same.
3 : Seeing no issues, I went ahead and flashed TWRP, which actually worked without any errors - Odin did display "PASS".
4. I rebooted into TWRP, flashed the RMM bypass, and rebooted to ROM.
At this point, my A8 refused to boot and was stuck in a bootloop, so I flashed back the original firmware and now it's working again, although without root or TWRP.
I still see no signs of any sort of lock on the device. If I wanted to flash TWRP again it would likely do so without any issues, but being afraid of just causing another bootloop, I'd rather report about this before trying anything else. Should I just try again?
RESOLVED : I fixed it by very carefully following the following post : https://forum.xda-developers.com/ga.../twrp-3-2-1-1-a8-sm-a530f-02-02-2018-t3744169
It appears some devices, like mine, do not have RMM protection at all. If this is the case for you and you're experiencing the same issues I'm facing, follow the guide above and make sure to do it all very neatly and carefully. Once done, your device will be wiped clean, but rooted.

You can charge the phone that is fine no reboots during the 168 hour that renable oem so can enable oem unlock.
I sharing what work for me you did put it in the right sim 1 right.
This what I did .
When I got phone I did not put sim card in until I had root and everything done.
1) in stall Odin.
2)flash twrp
3)unplug phone boot into twrp by holding power and volume up and down when download mode disappears hold power and volume up you will boot into twrp.
Swipe to allow modifications then swipe to reformat.
4)go to sdcard you put in and install mesas custom kernel v1.
5) install no verity no encrypt ashy.zip.
6) install supsu if you want root.
Know to explain the was accidentally not planned.
Follow this you get TWRP and root.
Sent from my SM-A730F using xda premium

corsicanu said:
....
How to unlock
As i personally did, and other users reported, if you face any of the things above, flash latest full stock fw of your country with Odin, boot up, don`t reboot, don`t unplug the sim and don`t disconnect the network connection for 7 full days (168h). It seems that after 7 days of uptime, RMM state resets and you can flash TWRP again without issues. You can see uptime in settings/about device/status.
.....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Is this lock reset again if script is uninstalled and stock rom flashed again?
Is there any chance that on NON-USA devices like A8 2018 can be installed TWRP and be able to revert back to stock without losing warranty in case of Samsung assistance??
Thanks!
Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk

What happens if you accidentally disconnected your phone from the network connection? Can you reconnect and wait for the remaining time or do you have to flash the stock firmware again and wait for another 7 full days? Thank you