Unable to update S3 past 4.1.1 - T-Mobile, Samsung Galaxy SIII

Hi. A few months ago I received a phone for my daughter from my mom. I reset the phone back to factory settings and it's working fine. I had to reset it back to factory again after locking myself out recently but other than that there hasn't been any issues until now. I picked up an activity tracker for my daughter recently and it wasn't connecting to the phone like it should even though it was listed as a compatible device.
Turns out the phone is at Android 4.1.1 and when I try to update it OTA it says there are no updates to download. So I tried updating through Kies and it isn't connecting the phone. At this time I started to do some more research.
The knox counter is at 2 and the device status is modified, which I have never rooted the phone and my mother can't even set up her wifi printer and most certainly can't root a phone. I installed triangle away but the phone needs to be rooted in order to do it's magic.
Do I need to root the phone in order to get the knox counter back to 0? Will this put the phone back where I can get android updates for it? I don't know where to start.

Boot into download mode. Do you see anything about warranty bit? If you do, the updates are working because it sounds like the phone has a stock 4.1.1 rom on a 4.3 or newer bootloader.

sarie15 said:
Hi. A few months ago I received a phone for my daughter from my mom. I reset the phone back to factory settings and it's working fine. I had to reset it back to factory again after locking myself out recently but other than that there hasn't been any issues until now. I picked up an activity tracker for my daughter recently and it wasn't connecting to the phone like it should even though it was listed as a compatible device.
Turns out the phone is at Android 4.1.1 and when I try to update it OTA it says there are no updates to download. So I tried updating through Kies and it isn't connecting the phone. At this time I started to do some more research.
The knox counter is at 2 and the device status is modified, which I have never rooted the phone and my mother can't even set up her wifi printer and most certainly can't root a phone. I installed triangle away but the phone needs to be rooted in order to do it's magic.
Do I need to root the phone in order to get the knox counter back to 0? Will this put the phone back where I can get android updates for it? I don't know where to start.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you would to reset the knox counter to 0x0... yes, you have firstly to root your phone, then install triangle away.

delete

Knox cannot be reset to 0x0 once it has been changed to 0x1.
Since the word "modified" appears in download mode, this leads me to conclude that the phone may be rooted and cannot receive ota updates.
It is strange that the phone is running 4.1.1 with Knox as Knox was not introduced until 4.3.
Before flashing anything, you need to confirm the phone's current bootloader and modem.

audit13 said:
Knox cannot be reset to 0x0 once it has been changed to 0x1.
Since the word "modified" appears in download mode, this leads me to conclude that the phone may be rooted and cannot receive ota updates.
It is strange that the phone is running 4.1.1 with Knox as Knox was not introduced until 4.3.
Before flashing anything, you need to confirm the phone's current bootloader and modem.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How do I confirm the bootloader and modem? I literally am learning all the language and how all of this works as I go. All I know is I have a phone that is running 4.1.1 and won't update and when I went to the download odis (I think that's what it is called) said it was tripped 2 times where I was supposed to read the knox number.
I ran to the mobile store it's connected to and they said the T Mobile Galaxy S3 phone that I-Wireless puts out was never given an update past 4.1.1 Not sure how true that is. If that's the case, I probably need to root the phone anyway to force an update (Is that what I would need to do to get it at least to 4.3?

there is an app in the playstore called samsung info. download it and it should tell you bootloader and modem.
pretty sure it is true that 4.1.1 was the last.
heres the link to the xda thread , which of course will lead you to the playstore ; but will tell more detail about the app :
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2609045
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Bootlegger version: T999UVDLJA
Modem Board: MSM8260A
Some other info that might help
Root Existence: No
Latest Firmware: Not Found
Knox Warranty Void: Warranty bit not found

Try flashing the stock lja firmware from here: http://www.sammobile.com/firmwares/database/SGH-T999/

way way off topic. @audit13 , is your avatar your cat & is its name audit13.
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Avatar is a cat named Arthur.

I've never flashed something. Sorry if I ask a hundred questions as I go through this.
So you want me to flash the 4.1.1 that's already on the phone? Is that correct? Can I ask why? (I'm just wanting to know the meaning behind the action so understand what your thought process is so I can understand for next time.)
Just follow the directions underneath?

Is this what we're doing?
[GUIDE] How-To Completely Unroot Your Galaxy SIII |Zero Flash Counter|"Normal" Status http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2136921

if i'm guessing right about what @audit13 & @ arthur (lol) are asking you to do is flash that firmware since the samsung info app said "firmware not found".
you might be confusing firmware version with android version. you say your on 4.1.1 which is the android version.
also if i'm not mistaken that firmware will match your bootloader which is a good thing.
[tp_noparse]W2NlbnRlcl1baW1nXWH0dHBzOi8vZGwuZHJvcGJveHVzZXJjb25OZW50LmNvbS91LzlzNjl3OTl3L0ltYWdlcy9TaWduYXR1cmVzL3ZhcmlvdXMvcmRiLmdpZlsvaW1nXVsvY2VudGVyXQ==[/tp_noparse]

Ah! That makes sense. In the process of it now. We'll see what happens and if I'm successful with it.

Success. It has auto updated to Android 4.3 after this. Thanks for your help.

good to hear.
that @ arthur (a.k.a. @audit13) knows his androids/tech/uhh...stuff.:good:
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Related

ROOTED - Your device has been modified. Software updates are not available.?

[Have seen this in other forums but wasn't sure if the solutions there applied to the S4]
Anyways, the only thing I've done on my S4 is 1) sim-unlock the device via (http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2282683) and 2) root the device via KIES.
I have not installed any custom firmware or whatnot, I've only done the above 2. When I try to hit System Update, I get the message "Your device has been modified. Software updates are not available."
I even ran Triangle Away to bring my counter back down to 0 (even if I didn't install any custom firmware) and I'm still getting this error. Does anyone have any solutions?
Should I unroot the device and will that bring it back to normal?
Thanks in advance!
It's because you rooted your phone
Sent from my SGH-M919 using xda app-developers app
Just flash a new ROM. As software updates become available the devs will base ROMs off of the latest update.
Sent from my SGH-T999 using xda app-developers app
no updates
I got the same message. I removed root and tried to update and got the same thing. I was wondering if a factory reset would restore my updates.
Bell, GS4, Qualcomm
ElvinWasHere said:
[Have seen this in other forums but wasn't sure if the solutions there applied to the S4]
Anyways, the only thing I've done on my S4 is 1) sim-unlock the device via (http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2282683) and 2) root the device via KIES.
I have not installed any custom firmware or whatnot, I've only done the above 2. When I try to hit System Update, I get the message "Your device has been modified. Software updates are not available."
I even ran Triangle Away to bring my counter back down to 0 (even if I didn't install any custom firmware) and I'm still getting this error. Does anyone have any solutions?
Should I unroot the device and will that bring it back to normal?
Thanks in advance!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
GnexMatic said:
I got the same message. I removed root and tried to update and got the same thing. I was wondering if a factory reset would restore my updates.
Bell, GS4, Qualcomm
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Try using Triangle-Away.
In triangle away there is an option to disable root for a minute or so when booting, this will have the stock rom think its not rooted, enabling software updates.
same issue
I had the same issue. I had rooted my phone and got that message when trying to update OTA.
I really wanted the ability to put apps on the sd card from the phone itself and not have to use some fancy app to do it for me and make symbolic links (Linux stuff)
What I did was goto settings-accounts-backup and reset- and selected factory data reset.
This completely returns your phone to stock like it came out of the box. afterward I didn't get the message but I kept getting server communication errors so I connected my phone through usb to kies and it is doing the firmware upgrade as I type and OMFG is it the slowest ****ing thing I have ever had the misfortune to do. Its been on for about 3 hours and its only at 42%
And strangely my phone is still completely usable while this is going on.
Wait, is the update available for the T-Mobile devices now?
Sent from my SGH-M919 using Tapatalk 2
stevessvt said:
In triangle away there is an option to disable root for a minute or so when booting, this will have the stock rom think its not rooted, enabling software updates.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Does anyone know if it works?
I've just rooted my phone a few days ago, and removed some Sumsang and t-mobile bloatware, and that message appeared.
Thanks in advance.
Anyone of us will be answer. Soon as an update is released. But in order to get an update, you MUST be completely stock, down to the bloatware.
your system has been modified
Hi, I have successfully installed cynogen mod 10.1 nightly. And I again restored my original 4.1.2 but now when I trying to check OTA update it says "your system has been modified, software update is not available. Please please please help me.
Jatin Ganatra said:
Hi, I have successfully installed cynogen mod 10.1 nightly. And I again restored my original 4.1.2 but now when I trying to check OTA update it says "your system has been modified, software update is not available. Please please please help me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You need to Odin back to totally stock. Use Triangle Away to clear your flash counter.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2336392
Thanks
baseballfanz said:
You need to Odin back to totally stock. Use Triangle Away to clear your flash counter.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2336392
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks a lot Brother.. i will try it and hope it will work.. and will get back to you soon.. thanks again..
misunderstanding
Jatin Ganatra said:
Thanks a lot Brother.. i will try it and hope it will work.. and will get back to you soon.. thanks again..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hello brother, I guess there is some misunderstanding regarding device model. My question is for my samsung note 10.1 GT-N8000 . Should I follow the same steps to get back my original system ? Please suggest. Thanks.
Seems like you should be asking this question in right forum then.
Im having the same issue after using triangle away. Everything says official and flash count is at 0. Any ideas? Also, with flash count set at 0 and everything listed as official, does this mean i will be ok for warranty? Im having an issue with my touchscreen working and the Tmobile place had to send me a new phone
Edit: Done a factory reset after using triangle away and i got the "Your device is up to date." Message. Still somewhat worried about warranty though.
JudgeHudge said:
Im having the same issue after using triangle away. Everything says official and flash count is at 0. Any ideas? Also, with flash count set at 0 and everything listed as official, does this mean i will be ok for warranty? Im having an issue with my touchscreen working and the Tmobile place had to send me a new phone
Edit: Done a factory reset after using triangle away and i got the "Your device is up to date." Message. Still somewhat worried about warranty though.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you have used Triangle away and flash counter shows 0 plus everything show "Official" you shouldn't have a problem
Wow I had never seen that before... I'm totally stock though...
Sent from my SGH-M919 using Tapatalk 4
The link provided is for T-Mobile GS4 only, please do not try it on any device other than T-Mobile GS4. You will need to find similar procedure for your device. I would recommend looking into the specific device forum.
---------- Post added at 05:29 AM ---------- Previous post was at 05:29 AM ----------
Jatin Ganatra said:
Hello brother, I guess there is some misunderstanding regarding device model. My question is for my samsung note 10.1 GT-N8000 . Should I follow the same steps to get back my original system ? Please suggest. Thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The link provided is for T-Mobile GS4 only, please do not try it on any device other than T-Mobile GS4. You will need to find similar procedure for your device. I would recommend looking into the specific device forum.
Someone has already tested this?
Universal Unroot @ Google Play

[Q] First timer with restoring Rogers GS3 to factory but keep unlocked

Hey there!
So here's my situation: I recently got rid of a Rogers cellphone plan and decided to sell my GS3. Someone I know, immediately showed interest and decided to buy it from me. Good! At that moment, the device was locked to Rogers and was running stock Samsung GS3 (SGH-i747M) firmware.
That person decided to play with the phone, try to root it, flash Cyanogenmod or whatever it may be, and having failed several times, he decided to return the phone and get his money back. I shouldn't have accepted to reimburse him knowing how much he fiddled with it but I did.
Anyways too late now. The good thing is that I believe the phone is 100% functional (it boots, runs perfect and under system info shows everything as usual except under Status > Device Status, it shows modified.
I am not 100% sure of that what means but I believe it has something to do with a modified ROM or something like that.
That person supposedly unlocked the device because he was with another carrier.
Now I am putting the phone in the classifieds. Obviously I would like to have the phone back to 100% factory settings and ROM, no aftermarket stuff whatsoever BUT I'd like to keep it unlocked (if that's possible).
That way, it will be easier to resell.
So here's my questions:
What does "Device Status: Modified" really means?
How can I find out if the phone has been altered in any ways?
If it has been altered, is there a LINUX based procedure to restore EVERYTHING back to factory?
If I restore whatever has to be restored, will it re-lock the device?
As you can see, I am a total noob in that field. I would appreciate if someone can help me to prepare this device to be resold.
I don't want to cause any problems to anyone, that wouldn't be fair.
I appreciate. Thanks!!!
Okay a lot of questions, you can download the stock firmware from Samsung updates and if it is rooted you can get triangle away on the play store and reset the counter the using kies or the Samsung galaxy s3 toolkit from mskip's to flash the original firmware, your phone should be unlocked as none of the procedures should/could reloj the simple card
Sent from my SGH-I747M using Tapatalk 4
jimchee said:
Okay a lot of questions, you can download the stock firmware from Samsung updates and if it is rooted you can get triangle away on the play store and reset the counter the using kies or the Samsung galaxy s3 toolkit from mskip's to flash the original firmware, your phone should be unlocked as none of the procedures should/could reloj the simple card
Sent from my SGH-I747M using Tapatalk 4
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok I have verified with an app called Root Checker Basic, and it said that the device wasn't rooted. I wonder if this is reliable.
I wiull check mskip's toolkit or Kies to restore the stock firmware.
What a pain..
Thanks jimchee for replying!!
Actually it's pretty easy but you can probably sell it just as easy if it's rooted and that way you can clear the counter, there is also a post in the Samsung sIII THREAD for AT&T that will walk you through restoring to stock, just make sure you download the file for your device the link is also in the att thread, if you have any trouble pm me and I can help, I am just a tinkerer but been doing it since my 1st original Motorola Droid
Sent from my SGH-I747M using Tapatalk 4
Probably the easiest approach would be to look for the Samsung S3 V7.0 toolkit post. This is a flash (programming) tool. It would easily root your phone if it needs that. Then you can use the app referred to earlier to reset the phone to an "unmodified" status.
Then finally go to the Samsung updates site as suggested and flash the phone with a stock Rogers firmware. I'd recommend a 4.1.1. version. Probably your phone will still be unlocked at this point. But if not, the stock v 4.1.1. Rogers firmware will allow you to unlock it again from an onscreen menu (search for "S3 unlock code *#197328640#"). And your phone will report an unmodified status at the end.
mrwhite0732 said:
Hey there!
So here's my situation: I recently got rid of a Rogers cellphone plan and decided to sell my GS3. Someone I know, immediately showed interest and decided to buy it from me. Good! At that moment, the device was locked to Rogers and was running stock Samsung GS3 (SGH-i747M) firmware.
That person decided to play with the phone, try to root it, flash Cyanogenmod or whatever it may be, and having failed several times, he decided to return the phone and get his money back. I shouldn't have accepted to reimburse him knowing how much he fiddled with it but I did.
Anyways too late now. The good thing is that I believe the phone is 100% functional (it boots, runs perfect and under system info shows everything as usual except under Status > Device Status, it shows modified.
I am not 100% sure of that what means but I believe it has something to do with a modified ROM or something like that.
That person supposedly unlocked the device because he was with another carrier.
Now I am putting the phone in the classifieds. Obviously I would like to have the phone back to 100% factory settings and ROM, no aftermarket stuff whatsoever BUT I'd like to keep it unlocked (if that's possible).
That way, it will be easier to resell.
So here's my questions:
What does "Device Status: Modified" really means?
How can I find out if the phone has been altered in any ways?
If it has been altered, is there a LINUX based procedure to restore EVERYTHING back to factory?
If I restore whatever has to be restored, will it re-lock the device?
As you can see, I am a total noob in that field. I would appreciate if someone can help me to prepare this device to be resold.
I don't want to cause any problems to anyone, that wouldn't be fair.
I appreciate. Thanks!!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Give this a shot.........works well. I've used it a number of times on both my phones ( SH-I747M/SH-I747 )
[ROM/RESTORE][AT&T/ROGERS/TELUS/BELL]Return to UNROOTED STOCK WITH FLASH COUNT RESET
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2363882
Once the phone is unlocked it will stay that way whether you go back to stock or not.

[Q] Hard to navigate this place... need stock firmware

Hey, so I've been bouncing around this place (as well as the google search engine) looking for a download link to a stock firmware (4.1.2) for the SGH-I317M (Bell) version.
Every link I've gotten to, thus far anyway, has been a "hotfile" link, and, as I'm sure you're aware, is no longer available.
Can somebody direct me to a download link to it? I'm looking to unroot my phone so I can update to 4.3
Many thanks in advance.
Go to www.sammobile.com/firmwares type I317M in search box... then scroll down to the Canada (Bell Mobile) firmware you want
DoctorQMM said:
Go to www.sammobile.com/firmwares type I317M in search box... then scroll down to the Canada (Bell Mobile) firmware you want
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, I tried doing that and it said the previous version was unavailable to users who aren't "members"; and when I login, it only gives me the current update (which I could easily get from Kies itself if I was going to go that route).
I've managed to find the previous version 4.1.1 via http://stockroms(dot)net/file/GalaxyNote2 - (replace the dot with a 'period' there) so I'll give that a whirl first.
Thanks for replying though!
i10010110i said:
Yeah, I tried doing that and it said the previous version was unavailable to users who aren't "members"; and when I login, it only gives me the current update (which I could easily get from Kies itself if I was going to go that route).
I've managed to find the previous version 4.1.1 via http://stockroms(dot)net/file/GalaxyNote2 - (replace the dot with a 'period' there) so I'll give that a whirl first.
Thanks for replying though!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm not sure what happened... but, apparently ODIN won't allow my phone to connect to the port correctly.
So, I finally got the previous website working as well; so, now I'm downloading v 4.1.2 from there.
I have the USB debugging mode on, is there something else I should be doing?
If you update to 4.3...you WILL have a locked bootloader...and currently no good way to root..
Additionally....your KNOX flag will trip and your warranty is toast...if you attempt to root...( as of today, and until the devs can fix Sammy's latest patch)...
Beyond that...you can never go back to 4.1.2 again...
Stay on a 4.1.2 bootloader without KNOX and then you can flash every rom we have along with a full return to stock if you want...
An update to 4.3 will stop any means of going back....g
I guess this is true of the official OTA update people are getting?
Man, I don't want that!
gregsarg said:
If you update to 4.3...you WILL have a locked bootloader...and currently no good way to root..
Additionally....your KNOX flag will trip and your warranty is toast...if you attempt to root...( as of today, and until the devs can fix Sammy's latest patch)...
Beyond that...you can never go back to 4.1.2 again...
Stay on a 4.1.2 bootloader without KNOX and then you can flash every rom we have along with a full return to stock if you want...
An update to 4.3 will stop any means of going back....g
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Those bastards... what is this, Apple!? This is why I love Samsung and Android phones, being able to have control of your own product.
i10010110i said:
Those bastards... what is this, Apple!? This is why I love Samsung and Android phones, being able to have control of your own product.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You know that Knox is a Samsung thing right? That and the Knox warranty flag that Samsung says voids their hardware warranty if triggered.
krelvinaz said:
You know that Knox is a Samsung thing right? That and the Knox warranty flag that Samsung says voids their hardware warranty if triggered.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, I'm completely aware... I should have said "loved", although I still love my phone and Samsung as a product; however, KNOX is really annoying at the moment.
I've been an Android lover for the past few years anyway, S2, S2 HD LTE, Sony Xperia Z, and now a Note 2. I really don't want to bash Samsung, because I think they make the best product in the market; but, yeah, this KNOX thing really needs to go.

Second Hand Note II, cannot get cellular data

I apologize if i am not as clear in this post as I need to be. My dad tried to root his note 2 sgh i371 using odin but said that once he did this, he was unable to access the internet outside of connecting to wifi, he could not get any cellular data. Because of this issue, he tried to then un-root his phone by flashing 4.1.2 stock rom. Unfortunately, the issue of not being able to get cellular data persists. In his frustration, my dad bought a note 3 and gave his note 2 to me saying that if I could fix it I could keep it. This is my first android and I would like to make it my primary phone if possible. what I would like to simply to reset the phone to factory default settings by flashing the latest stock rom for the phone. I have Odin, I was hoping that someone could tell me where I could get the latest stock rom and, if they believed that flashing it would fix the cellular data issue. I do not believe my dad made a backup at all. Thank you in advance.
GreatGrizzwald said:
I apologize if i am not as clear in this post as I need to be. My dad tried to root his note 2 sgh i371 using odin but said that once he did this, he was unable to access the internet outside of connecting to wifi, he could not get any cellular data. Because of this issue, he tried to then un-root his phone by flashing 4.1.2 stock rom. Unfortunately, the issue of not being able to get cellular data persists. In his frustration, my dad bought a note 3 and gave his note 2 to me saying that if I could fix it I could keep it. This is my first android and I would like to make it my primary phone if possible. what I would like to simply to reset the phone to factory default settings by flashing the latest stock rom for the phone. I have Odin, I was hoping that someone could tell me where I could get the latest stock rom and, if they believed that flashing it would fix the cellular data issue. I do not believe my dad made a backup at all. Thank you in advance.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sammobile has all the stock firmwares for our phones, check there. Also check in about phone to see what it says, if it says Baseband unknown, then the EFS folder (and subsequently IMEI #, etc) have been corrupted. It's possible flashing the latest stock firmware will fix it (it includes a new modem and all), so try that first.
http://www.sammobile.com/
absinthesummer said:
Sammobile has all the stock firmwares for our phones, check there. Also check in about phone to see what it says, if it says Baseband unknown, then the EFS folder (and subsequently IMEI #, etc) have been corrupted. It's possible flashing the latest stock firmware will fix it (it includes a new modem and all), so try that first.
Thank you very much for the advice. I am downloading the firmware now. baseband version is showing i317ucama4. Right now the phone is not activated with AT&T, is there a way I could test if I will be able to get cellular data before going to AT&T and activating it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well you're baseband is good. Just get a little cheap prepaid sim card for testing purposes. The stock firmware should fix anything in the modem or system that could have been corrupted... So flash that and have a cheap at&t Sim handy for testing.
Just use your father's sim card. Either it connects to the GSM network or it doesn't.
absinthesummer said:
Well you're baseband is good. Just get a little cheap prepaid sim card for testing purposes. The stock firmware should fix anything in the modem or system that could have been corrupted... So flash that and have a cheap at&t Sim handy for testing.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I attempted to flash the stock rom via odin v. 307 but I get a failed message. The phone shows I have a custom binary download (12 counts), official Samsung binar but, my system status is custom and my knox warranty is void: 1. Then there is a red message stating "unsupported version" at the bottom. The date for the stock rom was Jan 2013 AT&T, US on the sammobile site. I can no longer boot into the phone's OS, I am stuck in download mode until I manually restart and then it displays a message that I need to connect to Kies recovery. Thank you for the help so far, Any chance I can salvage this phone still? I did try going into Kies, but it cannot connect with my phone for some reason?
1425
rangercaptain said:
Just use your father's sim card. Either it connects to the GSM network or it doesn't.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Unfortunately, I got the phone when I was visiting home, I currently live a few states away from him. It would definitely make things much simpler if I didn't right now though.
GreatGrizzwald said:
I attempted to flash the stock rom via odin v. 307 but I get a failed message. The phone shows I have a custom binary download (12 counts), official Samsung binar but, my system status is custom and my knox warranty is void: 1. Then there is a red message stating "unsupported version" at the bottom. The date for the stock rom was Jan 2013 AT&T, US on the sammobile site. I can no longer boot into the phone's OS, I am stuck in download mode until I manually restart and then it displays a message that I need to connect to Kies recovery. Thank you for the help so far, Any chance I can salvage this phone still? I did try going into Kies, but it cannot connect with my phone for some reason?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It sounds like the phone was updated previously to either 4.3 or 4.4.2, which have Knox and that pesky counter. Technically you can't directly downgrade, so be sure you're downloading firmware that is 4.3 or higher. I didn't realize sammobile only went to MA4 for US AT&T. (In a pinch you can use Canadian firmware, but we have other links for stock firmware). Also, don't worry too much about Kies. It can be helpful, but honestly I could never get my note 2 recognized by kies either.
When I get back from taking my kids to school, I'll gather some links that will help you revive this phone Links below:
@GreatGrizzwald:
More recent links to stock firmware: STOCK PACKAGES TO MK6 This is LJ2 (4.1.2), MK6 (4.3) and up. He's got all the stock firmwares, available for flashing either in recovery on via odin. I've highlighted the one I would use in the attached screenshot (MK6- ODIN)
He also has a thread for NE5 (The latest firmware, 4.4.2) HERE
So if MK6 doesn't work, try NE5. One of those two has to work. You're dad already updated to either 4.3 or 4.4.2, I don't know which so start with 4.3 (MK6) and if it doesn't work try 4.4.2 (NE5)
On those two threads, he has a TON of links that will be helpful to you in getting back to stock also.
And here's a reference page with some useful links: One Stop Shop
This one is dedicated to downgrading back to LJ2 (4.1.2) from 4.3+, it MIGHT come in handy for you: Downgrade Instructions
If you have trouble with the stock firmware, you can also try Chainfire's CF Auto Root. It's stock firmware but it's rooted. Try the other firmwares by Zen Arcade first though CF AUTO ROOT
We'll get it going for you The stock firmware will re-flash the modem and all the configuration files so you're data should work again. Then you can do whatever you want, root, recovery, flash other stuff, or leave it stock. You got this
---------- Post added at 07:51 AM ---------- Previous post was at 07:09 AM ----------
GreatGrizzwald said:
Unfortunately, I got the phone when I was visiting home, I currently live a few states away from him. It would definitely make things much simpler if I didn't right now though.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Also you have to figure out if it's software or hardware. I'm inclined to believe it's software so I think if you get it back to stock you'll be good. If it was hardware, it wouldn't even recognize a sim being inserted (recently repaired an htc one mini with this problem, it needed a new Sim tray, thankfully it was only $20).
But it sounds more like a bad flash corrupted some of those important files and configurations controlling data connections, it's all good, if it's software it can definitely be fixed. If it were hardware it could still be fixed it would just be a bit more time consuming.
One more thing, after you flash the stock firmware, and you have a sim card to test with, make sure your apn settings are correct for whichever carrier you're using. If the apn is wrong, or there is no apn listed, it won't connect. If you need assistance with that, let me know.
absinthesummer said:
One more thing, after you flash the stock firmware, and you have a sim card to test with, make sure your apn settings are correct for whichever carrier you're using. If the apn is wrong, or there is no apn listed, it won't connect. If you need assistance with that, let me know.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you for all this, I will start working with it today. You have been a huge help.
GreatGrizzwald said:
Thank you for all this, I will start working with it today. You have been a huge help.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No problem, I know how much of a pain it can be when things just don't seem to be working. But you have all the resources you need now and I'm gonna talk to my friend who runs the one-stop shop page to see if he will update it and add some of these resources to make it easier for you, and others with similar problems, to find what they need. Good luck!
1100
absinthesummer said:
One more thing, after you flash the stock firmware, and you have a sim card to test with, make sure your apn settings are correct for whichever carrier you're using. If the apn is wrong, or there is no apn listed, it won't connect. If you need assistance with that, let me know.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hey, I was able to flash the stock rom you recommended, everything is working fine. Took the phone to AT&T and got a new sim card, everything seems to be working perfectly. Thank you again for all your assistance. could not have done this without your help.
GreatGrizzwald said:
Hey, I was able to flash the stock rom you recommended, everything is working fine. Took the phone to AT&T and got a new sim card, everything seems to be working perfectly. Thank you again for all your assistance. could not have done this without your help.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That is great news! I'm so glad it's working for you. Enjoy your (new-to-you) note 2 and keep those files on hand in case you need them in the future!
absinthesummer said:
No problem, I know how much of a pain it can be when things just don't seem to be working. But you have all the resources you need now and I'm gonna talk to my friend who runs the one-stop shop page to see if he will update it and add some of these resources to make it easier for you, and others with similar problems, to find what they need. Good luck!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If I can ask one more question, the phone keeps trying to download and install a software update however, it is unable to complete the update. Could this be because my counter was tripped? or could I be missing something that I should have flashed along with the stock firmware?
GreatGrizzwald said:
If I can ask one more question, the phone keeps trying to download and install a software update however, it is unable to complete the update. Could this be because my counter was tripped? or could I be missing something that I should have flashed along with the stock firmware?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There are a few reasons it won't flash. If it still says custom in download mode, for instance, from when your dad tried to root it. You can check in your about phone section to see if it says modified or official. It should say official there but when you're in download mode it will tell you your status:custom.
Something like
Model : SGH-i317
Binary count:
Firmware: Samsung official
Status: Custom (it should say official to receive OTA)
Knox warranty bit: 0x1 (from where your dad tried to root)
^Either of those last two can prevent an OTA from completing. The update checks for certain things and then continues or rejects based on those checks.
Also (and this shouldn't apply to you) if you have a custom recovery installed or you've rooted and removed pre-installed apps, it won't flash. Check those things and your OTA should work. If it still doesn't, you can download the ne5 firmware I linked you to before. That's official 4.4.2 firmware and it will update you to the latest via Odin if you can't take the OTA for whatever reason.
The firmware you flashed should have taken everything back to stock for you, but it wouldn't really reset the Knox counter & custom status... and that very well could would an OTA. It seems it does anyway, so just update yourself with Odin.
Lastly, if you really want to reset completely, and be able to OTA, you can do that downgrade method I linked before to completely reset your phone and allow you receive OTAs again. (It would take you ALL the way back to 4.1.2 and you would OTA back to 4.3-4.4.2. Personally, I wouldn't do all that unless I planned to sell it, because the firmwares that are released for OTAs are usually available on here to flash with Odin within a day of release, so you'll always be able to have the latest firmware regardless.
Hope that helps you didn't miss anything, it's just the nature of the OTA.
---------- Post added at 09:08 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:02 PM ----------
Edited to add, you can also go about it another way: root it and use triangle away to reset your custom status & flash counter and then reflash the same firmware you did yesterday. Then you should be able to OTA. (Although I'm not 100% on whether or not the Knox counter will interfere with the OTA update, I think it's just the flash counter that trips it).
And if you want the OTA notice to stop completely, you can root it and turn off the notifications entirely. I wasn't sure on whether you wanted to take the update or not... if you do, I'd just update with the latest via Odin. It's the simplest way to update and you wouldn't have any issues or surprises that people tend to get with OTAs.
absinthesummer said:
There are a few reasons it won't flash. If it still says custom in download mode, for instance, from when your dad tried to root it. You can check in your about phone section to see if it says modified or official. It should say official there but when you're in download mode it will tell you your status:custom.
Something like
Model : SGH-i317
Binary count:
Firmware: Samsung official
Status: Custom (it should say official to receive OTA)
Knox warranty bit: 0x1 (from where your dad tried to root)
^Either of those last two can prevent an OTA from completing. The update checks for certain things and then continues or rejects based on those checks.
Also (and this shouldn't apply to you) if you have a custom recovery installed or you've rooted and removed pre-installed apps, it won't flash. Check those things and your OTA should work. If it still doesn't, you can download the ne5 firmware I linked you to before. That's official 4.4.2 firmware and it will update you to the latest via Odin if you can't take the OTA for whatever reason.
The firmware you flashed should have taken everything back to stock for you, but it wouldn't really reset the Knox counter & custom status... and that very well could would an OTA. It seems it does anyway, so just update yourself with Odin.
Lastly, if you really want to reset completely, and be able to OTA, you can do that downgrade method I linked before to completely reset your phone and allow you receive OTAs again. (It would take you ALL the way back to 4.1.2 and you would OTA back to 4.3-4.4.2. Personally, I wouldn't do all that unless I planned to sell it, because the firmwares that are released for OTAs are usually available on here to flash with Odin within a day of release, so you'll always be able to have the latest firmware regardless.
Hope that helps you didn't miss anything, it's just the nature of the OTA.
---------- Post added at 09:08 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:02 PM ----------
Edited to add, you can also go about it another way: root it and use triangle away to reset your custom status & flash counter and then reflash the same firmware you did yesterday. Then you should be able to OTA. (Although I'm not 100% on whether or not the Knox counter will interfere with the OTA update, I think it's just the flash counter that trips it).
And if you want the OTA notice to stop completely, you can root it and turn off the notifications entirely. I wasn't sure on whether you wanted to take the update or not... if you do, I'd just update with the latest via Odin. It's the simplest way to update and you wouldn't have any issues or surprises that people tend to get with OTAs.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Awesome, that makes a lot more sense now. Thanks again.
Hey I forgot you don't have custom recovery. Anyway, I sent you PMs,and you can do a search of this very forum- use the search term "update" or "ota" and you will find a LOT of threads on boot failures after OTA. Most people got their phones back.
If you can't get into DL mode (Vol-, Home, Power), try getting into the stock recovery (Vol+, Home, Power) because you should/could be able to factory reset the device from there. Also hold the button combo longer than usual. If one recovery option (DL mode) isn't working, than theoretically the other should still be accessible, through which you can adb sideload to the device or try factory reset. I know it's frustrating, but you're not the first nor the last to have an OTA go wrong ;/ We'll get ya back up & running.
You're not the only one in trouble after that update: http://forum.xda-developers.com/galaxy-note-2-att/help/todays-update-soft-bricked-phone-t2939649

[Q] A little guidance for a galaxy newbie

Hello,
I just bought my first Galaxy device (had a CDMA LG for a while, and I have a Nexus Tablet), and I am looking at how to get this new phone set up right. I bought my i747 retail, so I was unable to unlock it. However, now I'm struggling with finding the right method for upgrading, rooting, etc. I know nothing about knox or any of these Samsung intricacies. Could someone please give me a little guidance on how to go about getting to the OS and status that I'm looking for? This is what I've done so far:
Came unrooted with 4.1.2 stock rom
Unlocked using legit unlock code
Tried OTA updates, but none were available (must be because of unlock)
Rooted w/ ODIN using 4.1.1 file based of MrRobinson method. (http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1739426)
Now I keep getting popups like process. ... .acore,media, etc. stopped.
I'm looking to ideally get a custom recovery (either CWM or TWRP, whichever is better) and either kitkat Touchwiz or possibly kitkat nexus stock (I read somewhere that it was possible). Also, i just bought it, and have the code still, so I don't mind deleting everything if needed. Regardless, I'd like the ability to get it back to pure stock with no flash counter (I have a manufacturer's warranty I want to use if need be).
Could someone please just give me a little guidance? I'm pretty capable with rooting, etc., so you'd only need to lead me to other threads, etc. that will take me where I want to go. Thank you very much.
Before flashing or doing anything else, confirm the bootloader on your phone. Download and install the Samsung Phone Info app from the playstore and post your bootloader.
audit13 said:
Before flashing or doing anything else, confirm the bootloader on your phone. Download and install the Samsung Phone Info app from the playstore and post your bootloader.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, the bad news is I already flashed using MrRobinson's instructions, and now my phone is barely workable, as things like process.android.media and Touchwiz keep crashing. I was able to install the info app though, and my bootloader is listed as I747UCDLK3. Thanks again though, and let me know what else you need from me.
I recommend starting over by flashing the stock AT&T 4.1.1 firmware from sammobile. Once flashed, boot the phone and make sure your phone is sim unlocked. If it isn't sim unlocked, unlock it using the free method or your unlock code.
http://www.sammobile.com/firmwares/database/SGH-I747/
After sim unlocking, run OTA updates until you have the latest stock AT&T ROM on your phone. Upgrading the phone's bootloader and modem is the easiest way to do it for someone that is new to the phone and custom ROMs.
audit13 said:
I recommend starting over by flashing the stock AT&T 4.1.1 firmware from sammobile. Once flashed, boot the phone and make sure your phone is sim unlocked. If it isn't sim unlocked, unlock it using the free method or your unlock code.
http://www.sammobile.com/firmwares/database/SGH-I747/
After sim unlocking, run OTA updates until you have the latest stock AT&T ROM on your phone. Upgrading the phone's bootloader and modem is the easiest way to do it for someone that is new to the phone and custom ROMs.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you, but wouldn't OTA updates install Knox, which would basically void my warranty if I tried to flash anything after that? And, I've checked for OTA updates twice, once on 4.1.2 and on 4.1.1, and both times it said my software was up to date.
I spoke with StoneyJSG about my situation, and he suggested that I go to stock 4.1, root w/ saferoot, then flash a kitkat custom rom without Knox through TWRP. That way, I could use triangle away and flash stock unrooted if I needed to send it in.
Although, I'm not sure if I should do that, as I thought I read that you need to update the radio and bootloader first before you can install a custom kitkat rom from jelly bean, but I'm still not entirely sure how that works.
The most recent release of many custom ROMs will not work but you may not have a signal without an updated modem and you should not be running updated modems on an older bootloader. Doing this could brick your phone.
With a rooted system, OTA updates will not work.
Thank you again for helping walk me through the minutia around this phone.
I think I have a much better understanding of everything now. I read the following article on Knox (http://omegadroid.co/wanted-knox-void-warranty-0x1/) and with an understanding of that, I get now that there is no way to load any custom rom on 4.3 or higher without losing my warranty.
So, basically my options are to stay at 4.1 and flash whatever, using triangle away to erase my tracks. Or, I could update to 4.3, but only be able to use saferoot/towelroot, otherwise I'd trip the warranty void. But, if all I did use was towelroot (no custom recovery or rom), then I could just unroot the phone using the full unroot option in SuperSU and send it on in for service if needed, right?
Also, I did unroot my phone and did a factory reset, so it's back at 4.1.1 and unrooted. Yet, I still do not see any software updates available from Samsung. I even plugged it into Kies, and nothing (http://i.imgur.com/E0xPGpf.png). Does anyone know why this could be? Does it have something to do with my not having a carrier for the phone yet? I'm sorry for all the questions, but I do appreciate your help.
jateed said:
Thank you again for helping walk me through the minutia around this phone.
I think I have a much better understanding of everything now. I read the following article on Knox (http://omegadroid.co/wanted-knox-void-warranty-0x1/) and with an understanding of that, I get now that there is no way to load any custom rom on 4.3 or higher without losing my warranty.
So, basically my options are to stay at 4.1 and flash whatever, using triangle away to erase my tracks. Or, I could update to 4.3, but only be able to use saferoot/towelroot, otherwise I'd trip the warranty void. But, if all I did use was towelroot (no custom recovery or rom), then I could just unroot the phone using the full unroot option in SuperSU and send it on in for service if needed, right?
Also, I did unroot my phone and did a factory reset, so it's back at 4.1.1 and unrooted. Yet, I still do not see any software updates available from Samsung. I even plugged it into Kies, and nothing (http://i.imgur.com/E0xPGpf.png). Does anyone know why this could be? Does it have something to do with my not having a carrier for the phone yet? I'm sorry for all the questions, but I do appreciate your help.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What is your cell service? If not AT&T, you will never get OTA.
Whether you get OTA can vary from carrier to carrier and phone to phone in my opinion.
I have a Rogers HTC One X that gets OTA updates from HTC even though I am on the Bell network.
I have a Bell S3 that is running on the Rogers network and it receives OTA updates from Bell even though it has a Rogers sim card in the phone.
I have a Telus Moto G running on the Bell network and it received the Telus KK OTA update while connected to the Bell network.
audit13 said:
Whether you get OTA can vary from carrier to carrier and phone to phone in my opinion.
I have a Rogers HTC One X that gets OTA updates from HTC even though I am on the Bell network.
I have a Bell S3 that is running on the Rogers network and it receives OTA updates from Bell even though it has a Rogers sim card in the phone.
I have a Telus Moto G running on the Bell network and it received the Telus KK OTA update while connected to the Bell network.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, I have an AT&T model which I unlocked and will be putting on Cricket at the end of the week (when my plan month is set to end). Right now there's no SIM in it, and I've been doing everything over wifi. I looked up whether the carrier had something to do with the OTAs, and I was told that Samsung sent the updates out, not AT&T, so I figured that the carrier info was irrelevant. I now wonder what my options are.
Can I manually flash 4.3 stock without tripping the knox warranty void?
Does Towelroot/Xposed framework trip the Knox void flag?
If I can update to 4.3/4.4 and root without tripping the knox flag, I might just manually update and just run towelroot and xposed to modify my OS the best I can until my warranty runs out.
If I can't root it at all once I'm on 4.3+, then I'll just sit on 4.1.1 for a few months until I can't stand it anymore and just void the warranty anyway.
Thanks again everyone. This whole knox/binary counter thing is not something I dealt with on my CDMA LG or Nexus, so I was totally in the dark about how it all worked. This is also my first GSM phone, so all those intricacies are new to me too. Once I know about manually flashing stock and running towelroot/xposed, I think I'll be in good shape.
Flashing the stock 4.3 ROM should not trip the counter as long as you do not need to install a custom recovery to flash it.
Apparently, the latest KK stock ROM cannot be rooted using Towelroot.
If you want a custom ROM, use one that will work with a 4.1.1 bootloader and modem. Once on 4.3 or higher, it's a little harder to recover from a soft brick.
audit13 said:
Flashing the stock 4.3 ROM should not trip the counter as long as you do not need to install a custom recovery to flash it.
Apparently, the latest KK stock ROM cannot be rooted using Towelroot.
If you want a custom ROM, use one that will work with a 4.1.1 bootloader and modem. Once on 4.3 or higher, it's a little harder to recover from a soft brick.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Excellent. If I did flash stock, i would just use ODIN, then factory reset to wipe the caches. And that's good to know about the KK rom, as I would probably update straight to 4.4 if at all (I've read a lot of bad things about 4.3 on the S3), but not if it means I cannot root safely and cleanly.
I'll check out the custom roms for 4.1.1. I know that flashing the rom and/or a custom recovery will trip the binary counter, but I can just use triangle away to clean that up. Do you know if there is a list of custom 4.1.1/4.1.2 roms somewhere, or do I need to scour the older threads here?
Thank you very much audit13 (thanks to StoneyJSG and pre4speed as well). You have been immensely helpful and really brought me up to speed on everything surrounding S3 customization. Needless to say it's way more complicated than what I've dealt with from LG and Google/Asus. (I mean, i could root my nexus with a single click using Wugfresh's toolkit)
4.1.1 is the only complete stock ROM that AT&T released for flashing via Odin.
4.3 ROMS and higher were prepared by XDA members for flashing in either a custom recovery or Odin.
audit13 said:
4.1.1 is the only complete stock ROM that AT&T released for flashing via Odin.
4.3 ROMS and higher were prepared by XDA members for flashing in either a custom recovery or Odin.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh, so what other way can you flash a stock rom, if not through ODIN or a custom recovery? Regardless, it seems as though I really should not dive into 4.3+ until I'm ready to concede that my warranty is over. There are just too many potential pitfalls and headaches.
On the lighter side, I've found a few 4.1.2 based custom roms that have some promise. I'm going to post them here in case anyone has opinions on them, or if someone else in my situation sees this thread and wants to go custom 4.1 too:
Hyperdrive RLS16
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2176793
Slim Bean-d2
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1865262
Jedi Academy
http://www.teamandroid.com/2013/12/...oid-412-jedi-academy-jelly-bean-custom-rom/2/
Jelly ‘Beans’
http://www.teamandroid.com/2013/04/...ndroid-412-att-galaxy-s3-sgh-i747-custom-rom/
I was also torn when I got my s3 that was running 4.1.2. I downgraded to 4.1.1, sim unlocked the phone, used it on stock 4.1.2 for about a week to make sure everything was working, hardware wise, upgraded to stock 4.4.2, installed a custom recovery and a custom ROM. I wasn't too concerned about the warranty since I got the phone as a free upgrade and had no intention of using the s3 as my daily phone. I kept it as a backup until my niece needed and phone and then it went to her. It's been over a year and there are still no problems with the phone.

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