[Q] How can i fix DATAFS particion?'' - Galaxy Note GT-N7000 Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

Hi all.
i´ve flash the last ics firmware with bootloader pit repartition an all the file. all that thing go wonderfull. i whant to go back to my kingdroid rom doing fullwipe. i reboot into recovery and i flash a cwm temporary. i go to wipe cache dalvik but data got stuck. i pull out the battery and i´ll see that the phone its stuck into bootloop. i tryed to flash a stock gingerbread, a stock ics a custom rom and avery thing go stuck in odin pc on DATAFS. can i fix it??

Dr.Taly said:
Hi all.
i´ve flash the last ics firmware with bootloader pit repartition an all the file. all that thing go wonderfull. i whant to go back to my kingdroid rom doing fullwipe. i reboot into recovery and i flash a cwm temporary. i go to wipe cache dalvik but data got stuck. i pull out the battery and i´ll see that the phone its stuck into bootloop. i tryed to flash a stock gingerbread, a stock ics a custom rom and avery thing go stuck in odin pc on DATAFS. can i fix it??
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Why don't you ask Entropy512 in a PM? He's best qualified to give you an answer to your question.
Everything else you're likely to get here would be pure conjecture.

It would be nice to know however, was it LPF of LPY.
and while, yes, entropy knows a lot of things, not all samsung flashers are dumbots that can not systematically analyze such information.

If he has bootloader on this, cant i sound like its LPF ?
If so its sounds like the same problems Ficeto from darky team had on LPY ?

opsakas said:
It would be nice to know however, was it LPF of LPY.
and while, yes, entropy knows a lot of things, not all samsung flashers are dumbots that can not systematically analyze such information.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Why don't you systematically analyze the information and offer us a viable way of getting out of the superbrick situations?
I freely admit that I am a dumbot when it comes to that, and could use some help.

Well, statement about bootloader does not mean anything. It is an assumption and thus not reliable in such situation. People do mix files, intentionally, unintentionally, and by chance.
But then again, we all know what is in common with 99.9% of hardbricks.
And the 'reported' few cases of bricking on stock fw - is it sure that these phones were never-ever flashed with anything else than stock?
But as for devs, i have to stress one thing. The higher the price of failure, the more we tend to find culprits outside of our own circles. And it is human. One of the toughest things to admit is always admitting one's own part in unwanted results.

In other words, you don't know squat, but are offering general philosophical musings instead.

What i am thinking... Is it that in Germany the service centers are really overcrowded these days? I do not have information, but if that would have been the case, some information would be even here in XDA.
And with the stock fw brick - with every flash there is risk for small percentage of failure. Perhaps that was the one.
It seems that there may be almost identical functions for handling file system. Perhaps in raw level and perhaps there is only one function but it depends of the parameters.
What it seems to me is that custom roms are working just abit too fast. Perhaps with stock ther is no chance for the error show out.
And going into dark side, i personally have met with several serious computer and related malfunctions during last week. The sun activity or something else similar may cause undesired effects where tolerances are too tight. The 32 k of zeroes might be written not by random but by some input that may depend on things that creators of the chip could not foresee - but nevertheless exists.
For practical considerations i assume the custom roms allow the note to execute some functions too fast.
---------- Post added at 11:31 AM ---------- Previous post was at 11:29 AM ----------
There is one word and that is responsibility. You might want to think about it.
---------- Post added at 11:32 AM ---------- Previous post was at 11:31 AM ----------
Well, statement about bootloader does not mean anything. It is an assumption and thus not reliable in such situation. People do mix files, intentionally, unintentionally, and by chance.
But then again, we all know what is in common with 99.9% of hardbricks.
And the 'reported' few cases of bricking on stock fw - is it sure that these phones were never-ever flashed with anything else than stock?
But as for devs, i have to stress one thing. The higher the price of failure, the more we tend to find culprits outside of our own circles. And it is human. One of the toughest things to admit is always admitting one's own part in unwanted results.

Related

I'm on i9220ZCLP6 kernel. Need some advise.

I'm on ICS Stunner right now which means my kernel is I9220ZCLP6. I've read that i can not flash from this kernel which is about to be right because since I'm on this ROM I can't flash any other custom rom because of some error while installing a ROM. I did full wipe in CWM many times and i remember that about four months ago my phone stopped working correctly and I couldn't install any ROM not even ISC Stunner. Then what I did was installed I9220LP1-N7000-ICS-REPACK again and it worked fine and since then I'm on ISC Stunner. But now I want change and install Rocket ROM or Asylum. Mostly I need tablet mode and I know that Asylum got one but I'm not sure if Rocket ROM have one? In Rocket ROM thread I found:
d) coming from CM9, ROMs based on CM9 or other ICS AOSP ROM:
- boot in Recovery
- FullWipe
- Flash ROM
- reboot system
-...you are done
Whenever you do a FullWipe:
- install Abyss Kernel 4.2
- boot back in Recovery (find it under 'advanced')
- now FullWipe!!!
- Flash ROM
- reboot system
-...you are done
==> ONLY, ONLY, ONLY FullWipe with Abyss Kernel 4.2 installed!!!! NEVER, NEVER, NEVER Full Wipe with CF-Root Kernel installed!!!
But I also found that first I have to return to stock ROM and some people hardbricked theirs phones doing this. So I don't want any mistakes. Please tell me what's best in my situation?
Its suggested to flash stock root able gb rom first and foremost, then you can follow the steps above.
It sounds like the damage is already done though. If the flash gets stuck at factoryfs.img then you know there's trouble ahead and you may need to repartition the emmc chip.
Best of luck.
Sent from my Paranoid Android GT-N7000. It doesn't get much better than this!
Since Stunner thread got closed and many people suppose that ROM won't get any further development it would be a good idea to write a thorough instruction on how to switch from the Stunner ROM safely.
Need some brave guy to try to escape "already damaged but still working NOTE by Stunner" and update an instruction on this for everyone.
The reason I said that it seems the damage has already been done is that you were only able to reflash the same ics repack kernel. This suggests that you're only able to access the emmc that you were originally using. When trying to write a different kernel or rom, it sounds like its failing to write to the new sections of emmc, suggesting damage.
It would be more helpful if you tell us how the writes were failing, how you were flashing (PC Odin/mobile)? Was it failing at factoryfs.img?
Sent from my Paranoid Android GT-N7000. It doesn't get much better than this!
SpyderTracks said:
The reason I said that it seems the damage has already been done is that you were only able to reflash the same ics repack kernel. This suggests that you're only able to access the emmc that you were originally using. When trying to write a different kernel or rom, it sounds like its failing to write to the new sections of emmc, suggesting damage.
It would be more helpful if you tell us how the writes were failing, how you were flashing (PC Odin/mobile)? Was it failing at factoryfs.img?
Sent from my Paranoid Android GT-N7000. It doesn't get much better than this!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It was few months ago and I don't remember but 90% it was factoryfs.img error and that happened few seconds after begining install process of other ROM then Stunner. All the time I've been using CWM for data wipe/cashes/dalvik/installing roms/fixes. I didn't know about this issue then and I don't think that anyone knew. I remember that my phone didn't want to boot up sometimes before stopped working but after i fixed it it's alright so obviously I shouldn't change anything and leave it like that But before I start doing anything with this phone I need to know where can I get new motherboard from in UK and what is the cost? For 50 pound I can take the risk but if it's much more it's not worth it. It needs to be in the UK because if I'll ****ed up I need new parts as soon as possible. Ok, I'm waiting for some answers now. Thanks.
PS. I've found this tutorial
bulla666 said:
It was few months ago and I don't remember but 90% it was factoryfs.img error and that happened few seconds after begining install process of other ROM then Stunner. All the time I've been using CWM for data wipe/cashes/dalvik/installing roms/fixes. I didn't know about this issue then and I don't think that anyone knew. I remember that my phone didn't want to boot up sometimes before stopped working but after i fixed it it's alright so obviously I shouldn't change anything and leave it like that But before I start doing anything with this phone I need to know where can I get new motherboard from in UK and what is the cost? For 50 pound I can take the risk but if it's much more it's not worth it. It needs to be in the UK because if I'll ****ed up I need new parts as soon as possible. Ok, I'm waiting for some answers now. Thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Where did you buy the phone? If it was bought new from operator or sim-free then you'll be under warranty and if you brick again, there's no way they can check for binary counter or what rom you have installed. You just say it broke after ota update to ics, and it'll be fixed under standard 1 year warranty. Just need proof of purchase. Either send it to your operator, usually next day collection and up to 2 weeks fix, or Samsung will direct you to a local partner who'll fix it, probably under similar time frame.
If it was eBay or second hand then different story. From what I've read of others getting replacements outside warranty its around £150-200 for new motherboard.
That emmc "fix" you've found will repartition the chip so you bypass the damaged section, so you lose storage, often between 3 or 4gb of internal storage.
Hope it helps.
Sent from my Paranoid Android GT-N7000. It doesn't get much better than this!
SpyderTracks said:
Where did you buy the phone? If it was bought new from operator or sim-free then you'll be under warranty and if you brick again, there's no way they can check for binary counter or what rom you have installed. You just say it broke after ota update to ics, and it'll be fixed under standard 1 year warranty. Just need proof of purchase. Either send it to your operator, usually next day collection and up to 2 weeks fix, or Samsung will direct you to a local partner who'll fix it, probably under similar time frame.
If it was eBay or second hand then different story. From what I've read of others getting replacements outside warranty its around £150-200 for new motherboard.
Hope it helps.
Sent from my Paranoid Android GT-N7000. It doesn't get much better than this!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've got my phone from affordablemobiles.co.uk with T-mobile. Now I don't know if there won't be any problem returning this to T-mobile. Propably I'll have to deal with affordablemobiles because they sold me the contract about 10 months ago. That tutorial I've posted in my last post it seems to be alright. Maybe I'll test it later. First I need to change display in my old HTC HD2 for in case of hardbricked N7000.
All the best dude. Repartitioning does work, no doubt about it, but for a true fix and if you're able, it would be worth sending it for replacement under warranty to regain maximum internal storage space.
Sent from my Paranoid Android GT-N7000. It doesn't get much better than this!

[Q] What are the underlying principles of Flashing and Rooting

Hi,
I'm new to Android since I first bought my GT-N7000 on eBay back in February. I waited until the official ICS upgrade (through Kies) to even start considering rooting my device and flashing Kernels. I haven't dared custom ROMs yet because I feel I don't have the necessary knowledge to proceed with confidence.
What I read in threads are a collection of particular cases with answers that are equally case specific, without ever referring to the underlying principles that govern the said operations. Worse, most members "think" that their process does this and that. In short, I'm left with an empirical approach to these crucial and potentially device crippling operations. I can't and won't take those kind of risks with my precious device until I can understand what would and wouldn't screw up/brick my device (what I'm really doing, not what I think is going on).
Everyone should be in a position to assess their machine's various parts and current state accurately and to know the basic dangers/pitfalls in order to elaborate any kind of OS and Hardware config alteration process.
By underlying principles, here's what I mean:
- what is a bootloader, how can it be determined, does it have any incidence on the Kernel and ROM being loaded on top, can it be changed, how?
- what is my modem and radio build, how can I determine, can it be changed, does a ROM or Kernel flash change that?
- What does LPY, LPT, ... refer to, and do they have any incidence on the flashing process?
- what exactly is the Dalvik cache, what does wiping it actually mean (and what about the hard brick bug), and what is Odexing?
- What should I use to flash, what are the differences/risks (Odin Pc, mobile Odin, CMW all versions), all considering my device's current state (bootloader, modem & radio, Kernel, rom, partial/full root)?
- What is a partial root, how can I determine, and what will happen if I flash Kernel or Rom in such a state?
- What will a factory reset actually do (restore phone as when I bought it with Gingerbread, or to the point after the Kies upgrade with ICS)?
Thanks and Cheers,
------------------------------------ Organized answers below --------------------
First of all, before you start anything, you need to understand that the XDA is not for the random general consumer. Instead, it is intended for people with genuine interest in the technological devices they own, and who strive to fiddle or hack their way into a working knowledge and skill-set for it. The URL says "xda-developers", so read this article from a retired moderator, and move on with your journey:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=2031989&postcount=45
1. ROM, internal SD and partitions
[ ref: http://www.samsung.com/global/business/semiconductor/product/flash-emmc/overview ]
[ ref:http://www.cpkb.org/wiki/Samsung_GT-N7000_GT-N7000L_Galaxy_Note_service_manual ]
[ ref:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flash_memory ]
[ ref:http://www.cpkb.org/wiki/Samsung_PIT ]
The ROM is the dead space, the hard drive of your phone (nothing executes in the ROM, it's just a data repository). In the GT-N7000, that hard drive is called the eMMC chip. This chip uses NAND flash for storage, which is a particular type of solid state memory (Nandroid backup wrings a bell?). Together, the components of this chip form what is called the ROM (read-only, non-volatile). It contains all the instructions and code necessary for your device to bring itself to life by reading the said instructions and loading the said code into RAM for execution.
Since these instructions and this code are responsible for various parts of the power on cycle and system functions, it makes it easier to manage if they sit on distinct parts of the hard drive. Think about this: how could you change the kernel if the data sat on the same physical ground as the recovery console data? ... Hence the partitions.
There is also the concept of internal sd (or /sdcard when you look at the mounted filesystem through a file explorer). This is a reserved space on the eMMC chip itself, a mount point for the system to access (look at the service manuals, you'll notice there is only one internal flash memory chip). That's why when you use a utility app to look at the size declared for that space, you notice that it isn't the full 16GB or 32GB, but a fraction of that. There are other pieces of data written to your eMMC chip that take up space as well (like the bootloader, the recovery, the OS or the kernel).
Hint:
You probably cannot and should not attempt to repartition your eMMC chip from the device itself (that would mean that the partitioning process would have to be executed from RAM, since ROM would be unworkable during the operation). You'll want to do that from a desktop or other flashing apparatus, and you'll need to know exactly what you're about to do.
Clarification (disambiguation):
ROM --> the read-only memory, the type of memory, the memory chip itself
ROM --> a collection of data that developers have concocted and that is written to the read-only memory, populating the various eMMC chip partitions. This data is what makes up the software stack on your device (quite probably recovery, kernel, OS and root for custom ROMs).
2.BOOTLOADER
[ ref: http://www.androidenea.com/2009/06/android-boot-process-from-power-on.html ]
[ ref:http://www.extremetech.com/computin...tloader-and-why-does-verizon-want-them-locked ]
The bootloader is the first gasp of air your phone takes when powered on (there are other steps prior, but intricately tied to the hardware and outside our scope). It is a program, separate from the kernel and from Android OS, that is responsible for setting up initial memories and RAM and finding+loading the kernel, or loading the recovery console. Think of it as GRUB on a desktop, or that thing in Windows that prompts you to boot in safe mode after a crash. As such, it can be conceived as the entry point to the loading of the software stack, and ultimately, the user space from which you, the user, and your apps operate from.
Since the bootloader is a software specific to the device itself, and that it is in charge of validating the prerequisites for loading the kernel into RAM, it has specific functions that scan the ROM partitions for validity. It also has provisions to refuse moving on to further steps if it thinks something is not kosher. This is where the notion of "locked" bootloader comes in. In order to load customized code in the software stack, the bootloader must allow the operation to take place, it must be programmed in that manner.
Some manufacturers program their bootloaders to load only stock firmware and halt if anything custom is written to the ROM. Furthermore, they may even encrypt this piece of software so that developers can never alter it: no root ever, no custom kernel, no modem flashing, no custom Roms, no custom recovery, no joy!
Luckily for us, Samsung is quite dev-friendly and ships the GT-N7000 with an unencrypted bootloader (cheers to them). Beware though, because carriers and manufacturers aren't the same people. Your carrier may one day decide that it wants the bootloader encrypted on all of its new devices, I can't foresee the future. Don't confuse unlocked and unencrypted: an unencrypted bootloader doesn't mean that it's unlocked, just that it can easily be unlocked.
[ need to confirm implications of locked bootloader, find a way to confirm state and list a few ways to unlock ]
Hint:
[not sure: Make sure your phone is unlocked before attempting any flashing]. Also make sure that the piece of data you are loading is correct for your device. Writing foreign data to your eMMC chip (ROM chip) could throw the bootloader into panic.
Notice:
There should be very few reasons for you to flash the bootloader (it would really be one of your last resorts). That would mean that something utterly wrong happened to your device. In any case, you truly want to flash the Samsung official bootloader, using the official Samsung flashing tool (Odin).
3.KERNEL
[ ref:http://forum.xda-developers.com/wiki/index.php?title=ROM-VS-Kernel#The_kernel ]
[ ref:http://www.vikitech.com/8239/beginners-guide-android-kernels ]
[ ref:http://www.linfo.org/kernel_space.html ]
Once all the preliminaries are set, the bootloader loads the kernel into ram and hands control over to it. It will be the captain from now on. So far, we have (almost) no way to access the hardware. That's the responsibility of the data that sits on the SYSTEM partition of the eMMC chip, the one that's just been loaded into RAM for execution.
As it loads, the kernel sets up all things concrete like interrupt controllers, schedulers, cpu frequency, memory management, safeties... everything so the hardware is functional and ready to use. As such, the kernel is now the gateway to the hardware layer: if you want something to blink or beep on your machine, you'll have to ask it to manage your request.
Now that the kernel is done with rigging up all the organs and limbs of the robot, it looks to initiate actions, or processes. It launches the init process, the first of all processes, and the parent of all processes (all future processes will be generated by this very process, system services and apps alike). The init process looks for its instructions (setting of environment, mounting of filesystem, setting of system permissions, etc.) in a file named "init.rc". Just as in Linux, when you launch a shell, the shell looks for its associated .rc file. You may want to read through the "init.rc", just for kicks. It's very informative as to what goes on during the power-on process after the kernel is ready to operate. From then on, the init process looks to start to Dalvik virtual machine by launching Zygote.
Note:
It is important to know that the hardware functions present in the recovery console are provided by the kernel. That's why it can be problematic to perform these operations from a "buggy" kernel. More on that in the Recovery section.
4.ZYGOTE AND DALVIK (and caching+Odexing) cached .dex and .odex rely on the kernel so swapping kernels without wiping dalvik cache can cause problems
- APP AND USERSPACE DATA: apps are system users, the user interacts with the system through apps. Internal SD and backing up/restoring/wiping.
5.RECOVERY
[ ref:http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1667886 ]
[ ref:http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=26285877&postcount=12 ]
akin to flashing tool (short description of software type and confer to next section for functional details)
- kernel does the eMMC format. Possible to fry some blocks of the memory chip with software itself (the cap erase flag seems to circumvent that unfortunate frying). Since kernel formats (wipes and resets) are done from recovery.
6.FLASHING TOOLS
- Identify your device (in the stock state) before you do any flashing
- always be able to go back to the state you were in before a flashing operation (be prepared with the proper data at hand, images to flash and/or self-made backups)
7.CUSTOM ROMS
- what is it?
- talk about LPY (Touchwiz), AOSP, AOKP ... how they could be compared to Gnome, KDE, or other OS GUI.
- talk about the potential for roms to modify various parts of the system (like the kernel or the structuring of the filesystem, or even the radio, who knows) = ask the right questions to the developers instead of crying to them after you've bricked.
Man..you just need to do a lot of reading and be selective in what you read based on what you want to achieve, whether you have the sufficient knowledge and the tool to achieve it..
Next, gain confidence in what you're about to do..read feedback, success stories and setbacks by others.. If the risk is relatively high, be prepared to roll back..
Finally, you've got to try it out yourself.. You know faith without works is dead..
I've done my fair share of reading, and I still do. Also, I'm not an agnostic when it comes to computers (I'm a developer myself, web/server/network/Flash and Flex, so I'm aware of a few things). I have given faith a go, but you read where I'm at presently (totally unsure and unwilling to do anything).
There's nothing worse than a false sense of security or assurance, you'll hit a wall anyhow (reality doesn't care my friend!). I don't mind handling a stickie and doing all the grunt work. What I'm looking for is to confirm certain basic pieces of knowledge without crapping out my machine (it's expensive, I can't afford a new one every other week), and to share that with other GT-N7000 owners, so we can go about trying stuff for ourselves without a false sense of "that's not a wall, it's mirage, don't worry".
Trying stuff is the basis of discovery, true. But when you try stuff and you can't even confirm what you're actually trying, you won't be able to learn, let alone deduce any kind of principle from it...
This being said, would I be allowed to start collecting these basic pieces of information, to organize them in a coherent manner and to post them somewhere in the GT-N7000 forum?
Oh, Oh, Oh, ah, ... you said "rollback". How? I've read that applying backups in certain states could actually screw things up, like a partial root for instance. Rollback procedure should be defined, and I'm willing to define it for the rest of us.
Very Good set of questions hopefully somebody answers them.
Sent from my GT-N7000 using xda app-developers app
Stock Recovery v/s Custom Recovery
I was keen on asking about the difference between Stock Recovery and Custom Recovery, for which I thought of creating a new thread until I came across your topic, Monkey_banana.
Thank you for initiating a relevant thread.
Personally, I have not rooted my Galaxy Note yet. I am unsure about many issues and thus I am taking my time, reading and posting queries (naive and stupid many a times) with the motive of acquiring a strong base of knowledge which I can put into practice and achieve confidence.
Can the Galaxy Note be rooted without a custom recovery or is it advisable to have a custom recovery installed on the device?
I sincerely apologise if you feel I have hijacked your thread.
Hey YLNdroid,
No hijacking felt! I started this thread because I needed to positively confirm basic concepts. The consolidated summary idea is a little ambitious, I admit, but if at least it gets a discussion going (about concepts, not about specifics of every device, kernel and ROM), then all the better.
From what I've read, recovery sits on a bootable partition ( androidcentral.com/what-recovery-android-z/ ):
- Stock recovery allows you to wipe/reset and to flash stock ROM. Very limited, and probably not to be used if you intend to or have previously flashed anything remotely custom (like rooted kernels or Ketan's busybox installer).
- Custom recovery is tweaked and enhanced version (like CWM) that allows backups and recovery, custum wiping, custom ROM flashing and so on. They are probably also different in the way that changes are applied in order to satisfy the hacking requirements of various custom pieces of data.
This is the best of my knowledge, can anyone confirm?
Monkey_banana said:
[*]- what is a bootloader, how can it be determined, does it have any incidence on the Kernel and ROM being loaded on top, can it be changed, how?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
boot loader is the first piece of code that runs after power on and loads the kernel. flashing kernel or custom ROM does not effect boot loader on note. check the following link for booting process
http://www.androidenea.com/2009/06/android-boot-process-from-power-on.html
Monkey_banana said:
[*]- what is my modem and radio build, how can I determine, can it be changed, does a ROM or Kernel flash change that?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
go to settings->about phone-> Radio version. This will be your modem build. Modem is mainly responsible for making calls and data connections. Modem is usually independent of rom or android version you are using. unless you are experiencing poor signal it is not much you get by changing a modem. Some roms include a modem some don't. check out modems thread
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1645202
Monkey_banana said:
[*]- What does LPY, LPT, ... refer to, and do they have any incidence on the flashing process?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
They refer to different releases of ics from samsung. any operation involving format operation with these build might result in bricking of you note. check this emmc bug thread for more info http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1644364
Monkey_banana said:
[*]- what exactly is the Dalvik cache, what does wiping it actually mean (and what about the hard brick bug), and what is Odexing?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Dalvik cache is a cache folder for dalvik VM running on android. Odex is how things come stock. It takes up less room but making modifications or taking apks from other roms is hard.
Deodex basically takes the odex file and stuffs it into the apk as a classes.dex. First boot it dissembles the file into /dalvik-cache (i believe). Now there is basically 2 copies of the odex, one in the apk one in cache. This makes it "portable". This allows modders to work on the apks & easily change stuff. If you want themes or stuff like lockscreen fixes you MUST use Deodex.
got it from http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=710648
Monkey_banana said:
[*]- What should I use to flash, what are the differences/risks (Odin Pc, mobile Odin, CMW all versions), all considering my device's current state (bootloader, modem & radio, Kernel, rom, partial/full root)?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
first do check if there is any damage to your sdcard since you are an effected kernel. http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1709054
For you case i suggest you to flash GB ROM from this thread [LINK]http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1424997[LINK] and then root it and then flash abyss kernel 4.2 from mobile odin or pc odin. If you flash with mobile odin it won't cause flash counter to increase but pc odin increase the flash counter resulting in a yellow triangle.
once abysskernel 4.2 is flashed go to recovery mode (volumeup + home+powerbutton). from there you can wipe dalvik cache+ wipe cache + wipe data. once that is done you can flash any custom rom you like. go for roms with cm9 kernel as it is safe from emmc bug. i am stunner and it great.
wipe operations usually format the corresponding partitions.
Monkey_banana said:
[*]- What is a partial root, how can I determine, and what will happen if I flash Kernel or Rom in such a state?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
try to paste some test file in to /system partition and delete it. if you have a proper root that you should be able to successfully complete those operations.
Monkey_banana said:
[*]- What will a factory reset actually do (restore phone as when I bought it with Gingerbread, or to the point after the Kies upgrade with ICS)?
it is similar to wipe i guess.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
kopitalk said:
Man..you just need to do a lot of reading (...)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I see this regularly but I've never seen any "real" documentation yet.
I've only seen some flashing docs from well intentioned people for whom English was a third language and who assumed every acronym was well known to their readers and which is written in a toned down l33t style (although with lots of colours). This doesn't really help.
All I've found from Google was dev documentation which didn't really address this specific topic. (since I have an itch to scratch in that area I'm slowly making my way through it, maybe I just didn't find the right bit yet)
I know that writing documentation is complex and yields many traps. I have written enough in my time (and was one of the few to actually enjoy it). However as an old time Unix user, I'm still trying to figure out Android and still haven't found anything that was worth the read. All I found were recipes that were really hard to understand.
Now I know that good documentation takes ages to write, so I'm certainly not downplaying what we have. At least we have it. But it *is* terrible.
Hey srik02003,
Thank you very much for the ton of info. Particularly the link about the bootloader... Precious information very well explained.
I'm reading everything and will later update the original post to organize what we've got so far.
Again, thank you!
Monkey_banana said:
Hey srik02003,
Thank you very much for the ton of info. Particularly the link about the bootloader... Precious information very well explained.
I'm reading everything and will later update the original post to organize what we've got so far.
Again, thank you!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wish you luck, seeing lots of threads with repetitive questions and problems, it seems a very good idea, especially to help absolute beginners
i am glad it helped you...if you could summarize, it will sure help a lot of android beginners
Sent from my GT-N7000 using xda app-developers app
Summarizing and sorting at the moment. I'm going through everything in an organized fashion and modifying the original post as I go along.
Do check the original post from time to time and feel free to make comments, refute, or provide more information.
Monkey_banana said:
Summarizing and sorting at the moment. I'm going through everything in an organized fashion and modifying the original post as I go along.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Only one thing you need to know (don't worry about bootloaders etc.) And this is coming from a guy who recently superbricked his phone. (more about that in a minute). Anyway, here it is.....
ONLY FLASH FROM or do WIPES/FORMATS/FACTORY RESETS ON a kernel that has eMMC_CAP_ERASE DISABLED!
There's the whole superbrick scenario summarized in a nutshell. If CAP_ERASE is disabled, you wont brick your phone.
So which kernels am I talking about? - the following:-
SAFE!
Stock or CF-Root GB
Abyssnote 1.4.2
DAFUQ
SpeedMod
Franco
Th*r
PC or Mobile Odin
UNSAFE!
Stock or CF-Root ICS
CWM ICS
Any custom kernel where it has not been verified that CAP_ERASE is disabled.
Why? - Crap firmware. The GT N7000 doesn't like to have its eMMC chip formatted (even if only a partition). It damages it and eventually turns it into a superbrick! This happens during flashing new ROMs, doing factory resets, formatting partitions and wiping data. HOWEVER! If MMC_CAP_ERASE is disabled in the kernel, then the format instruction reverts to a simple, (and harmless) delete (like on a PC) and no damage occurs:good:
How did I brick my phone? Easy, wiped on an unsafe kernel after having a few beers and not DOUBLE CHECKING which kernel I was on before I did so:crying: (New MoBo being replaced under warranty as we speak)
Hope this helps.
BTW. I have rooted, flashed, un-roooted, reflashed, re-rooted wiped, formatted etc. for about 6 weeks until I had a brain-fade and did it on the wrong kernel.
"If you drink and wipe, your a bloody idiot!"
shoey63 said:
Only one thing you need to know (don't worry about bootloaders etc.) And this is coming from a guy who recently superbricked his phone. (more about that in a minute). Anyway, here it is.....
ONLY FLASH FROM or do WIPES/FORMATS/FACTORY RESETS ON a kernel that has eMMC_CAP_ERASE DISABLED!
[...]
"If you drink and wipe, your a bloody idiot!"
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Firstly, thanks for participating in the discussion!
Secondly, although I understand your "forget about it, only consider the eMMC brick bug" recommendation, it presupposes some form of knowledge to forget about (which not every user has). You are able to formulate that your phone needs wiping because you figure that some operation, let's say a custom ROM flash, was not clean, or that it created some conflict between the various parts of your system. Right?
Lastly, a newbi or noob is not that far off from a baby in Android terms. I don't know if you've ever watched a baby, but they seem pretty drunk to me, wouldn't you agree?
All that being said, even seasoned developers/modders end up in dark places from time to time. The difference with noobs is that they have a pretty clear idea where that dark place is, how they got there, and how to get back into the light. Your recommendation is excellent at that point ("don't wipe unless you're sure your kernel is safe, or you'll go from a dark place straight to hell"), but not sufficient to fully grasp what is going on and to formulate a correct way out.
That's why I will pursue this basic knowledge round-up I have started. Again, thanks for the knowledge, I definately will integrate to the original post.
Cheers.
Before considering flashing any custom rom, rooting is required. Where can you learn how to root your phone? Well there is a thread here at xda, or there are other sites such as rootgalaxynote.com which explain how to root or unroot your phone. And the ideea of flashing custom roms and rooting and whatever is that each and everyone of us is required to do some research. It took me 2 days of researching and reading before i rooted and overclocked my note and another week before i flashed a custom rom. Bottom line, everyone who wants to flash anything: do some research and read the instructions provided by the devs. I never ever had a single problem because i read, read and read again the instructions.
LaCroyx said:
Before considering flashing any custom rom, rooting is required.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Indeed, that's very well put: "can't root, can't mod". [ not sure: It is an actual test for the unlocked bootloader prerequisite ]. I'll integrate that! (That's what we need, verifiable knowledge).
LaCroyx said:
[...] And the idea of flashing custom roms and rooting and whatever is that each and everyone of us is required to do some research. It took me 2 days of researching and reading before i rooted and overclocked my note and another week before i flashed a custom rom. Bottom line, everyone who wants to flash anything: do some research and read the instructions provided by the devs. I never ever had a single problem because i read, read and read again the instructions.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Although I strongly agree with the responsibility to read and inform oneself, there tends to be a crucial lack of referenced/verifiable information in the various posts across the forum. This leads to false knowledge and ultimately, a flurry of nonsensical questions that bog down threads and frustrate developers and readers alike.
Reading sets of instructions is cool and all, but it doesn't prevent you from formulating a question like "I've rooted my bootloader and wiped my phone. Can I Flash your kernel safely now?". That person read a series of recipes and applied them one after the other without a logical understanding (no better than a robot).
Monkey_banana said:
Firstly, thanks for participating in the discussion!
Secondly, although I understand your "forget about it, only consider the eMMC brick bug" recommendation, it presupposes some form of knowledge to forget about (which not every user has). You are able to formulate that your phone needs wiping because you figure that some operation, let's say a custom ROM flash, was not clean, or that it created some conflict between the various parts of your system. Right?
Lastly, a newbi or noob is not that far off from a baby in Android terms. I don't know if you've ever watched a baby, but they seem pretty drunk to me, wouldn't you agree?
All that being said, even seasoned developers/modders end up in dark places from time to time. The difference with noobs is that they have a pretty clear idea where that dark place is, how they got there, and how to get back into the light. Your recommendation is excellent at that point ("don't wipe unless you're sure your kernel is safe, or you'll go from a dark place straight to hell"), but not sufficient to fully grasp what is going on and to formulate a correct way out.
That's why I will pursue this basic knowledge round-up I have started. Again, thanks for the knowledge, I definately will integrate to the original post.
Cheers.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah you're quite right, I'm not a developers arsehole. But I do know what will brick a phone. (first hand experience!) Sorry if I appeared arrogant before, but I'm still mad about Samsung selling brickable SGN's. Just hoping that if a noob like me runs into this thread he will be pay a bit more attention to his kernel before he does anything drastic - flashing wise.
And yes there are plenty more questions to be answered, Like - Why are virgin stock ICS builds seemingly immune from eMMC bug (Or are they)? Samsung reckons they cant replicate the problem!! (WTF!)
And another one - Does rooting and/or CWM increase the likelihood of bricking? (On ICS) and if so, why?
BTW Latest CWM9 builds are safe (as long as you dont flash from a dodgy kernel)
Monkey_banana said:
Although I strongly agree with the responsibility to read and inform oneself, there tends to be a crucial lack of referenced/verifiable information in the various posts across the forum. This leads to false knowledge and ultimately, a flurry of nonsensical questions that bog down threads and frustrate developers and readers alike.
Reading sets of instructions is cool and all, but it doesn't prevent you from formulating a question like "I've rooted my bootloader and wiped my phone. Can I Flash your kernel safely now?". That person read a series of recipes and applied them one after the other without a logical understanding (no better than a robot).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have to say you are perfectly right. I've seen a lot of stupid questions. In your spirit of helping out i will search for a very well formulated post about acronims and abreviations used in the android world. I think it's the first thing anyone should learn.
shoey63 said:
But I do know what will brick a phone. (first hand experience!) Sorry if I appeared arrogant before, but I'm still mad about Samsung selling brickable SGN's.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
We shouldn't have to learn that way because it makes people mad and arrogant. We're a community, so we must be able to learn from one another and spread some joy... Emotions aside, we do have to thank Samsung for allowing us to customize/tamper with our phones in the first place. Opening their source means that we'll be testing scenarios they never thought of. Let's play nice and give them a break.
shoey63 said:
And yes there are plenty more questions to be answered, Like - Why are virgin stock ICS builds seemingly immune from eMMC bug (Or are they)? Samsung reckons they cant replicate the problem!! (WTF!)
And another one - Does rooting and/or CWM increase the likelihood of bricking? (On ICS) and if so, why?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
All part of the same concept: using stock/manufacturer-prescribed-and-tested methods of flashing vs. using custom flashing methods.
As far as Samsung not acknowledging the eMMC wipe brick bug, read this: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1698977
If you go the manufacturer's way, you're pretty much guaranteed that they ate their own dog food. If you decide to flash custom data, then you make yourself responsible for eating your on dog food, make sure you're recipe is kosher!
CWM is a custom recovery console, so yes, you're increasing your chances of bricking your device. Rooting is also a custom piece of data written to your device, so you've increased your risk (especially if you're using custom recovery).
I reckon that wiping data on the eMMC from stock recovery and custom recovery with a faulty eMMC chip can trigger the disastrous brick (the formatting process hangs, and lord knows what partition got affected).
I don't know if that stands with Samsung Odin (aka PC Odin) as it is probably not using the kernel to do the wipe (you can also repartition from there, so maybe the routines handle faulty chips better).

[Q] N7000 emmc bricked can now only run GB

Hi,
I was quite happily running ICS4.0.4 (rooted) when I decided to try a different ROM (and/or JB - can't even remember any more).
After I did a wipe (I know, I know!!!) it got stuck on the boot logo screen.
I had the phone fixed by a 3rd-party repair shop, who installed ICS4.0.3 on it and, while at the shop, I used the phone a bit to make sure it was ok.
It kept crashing intermittently, so they had another go at it and now they tell me they could only install GB on it.
So, keeping in mind that the phone had the emmc bug and I tripped over it:
Is there anyway I can install ICS again on it?
I could use some of the tools floating around to detect damaged partition blocks and work around them.
What procedure should I use to go from a stock GB (non-root) to ICS?
Specifically,
- is there a safe way to root GB (given the emmc damage already), so that I can flash the other ROM/kernels (below)
- what kernel should I use
- what ROM should I use
I would greatly appreciate any help on this. I have been eating humble pie for a week now, so I hope there is no more 'why didn't you pay attention' coming my way
Cheers
You could use hydracore kernel which works with all GB and ICS ROMs and JB none Tw ROMs I be leave you can flash with PC odin to gain root and is a safe kernel
Sent from my GT-N7000 using XDA Premium HD app
ttibbetts83 said:
You could use hydracore kernel which works with all GB and ICS ROMs and JB none Tw ROMs I be leave you can flash with PC odin to gain root and is a safe kernel
Sent from my GT-N7000 using XDA Premium HD app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks ttibbetts83, I will try that and see how i go
Thanks Arobase40.
I'll get a strong coffee and read your reply from top to bottom and then plan my next move.
The repair was done by people unrelated to Samsung.
I currently have GB v2.3.5, (SGN_XX_OXA_KJ1_FACTORYFS) which works well, it would seem.
I'd love to get ICS back on it but need to gather info (such as that from yourself) before I do anything.
A bit more info on the state of the emmc storage: Using 'adb shell' and executing the command DD did in fact find bad blocks in partitions 9-11 (can't recall right now exactly which ones), so there are issues there.
The partition that is in place now, __appears__ to have successfully skipped those bad blocks.
And on something slightly tangential to the current topic, I know that doing a 'WIPE DATA' from the recovery menu zaps emmc, but does that also happen when you do a factory reset from within Android? From memory, when doing so, it seems to go into recovery mode and do it, so I'd expect that it'd also damage emmc.
Cheers
arobase said:
As opposed to all alarmist and contradictory posts about eMMC bug on stock Samsung ROM : GB or ICS, I never got any issues with this so called eMMC bug and never got bricked G-Note as long as I kept at using the stock kernel, nevertheless I made various and numerous wipe whichever the ways (from recovery or the settings)...
For rooting, I always used the temporary Touch CWM to flash (which has been may be removed from XDA, I guess as it was supposed to cause bricked devices) anything : superuser, busybox, and other custom ROM... ^^
BUT when I flash a custom ROM, I always removed the custom kernel (so called "safe"), and replace it for a stock kernel and never got issues with it.
The first and last time I flashed a custom with custom kernel I got my G-Note bricked (just forgot the replace the custom kernel for a stock one... ^^) !!!
So, if you want to flash an ICS version, get one from Sammobile, and flash it with PC Odin !
You shouldn't have any problem with them !!!
Get all root and busybox files from dr Ketan, and if you can find it again use the temporary Touch CWM which has NO kernel inside : it WORKS quite fine !!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Unfortunately there are no high trees on XDA beause you should look for one before typing this utter personal nonsense that could brick anybody's Gnote.
Taking your own convictions for thruth is one thing, sending innocent ppl into the jungle is another...
What you are saying is: If there is a lightning storm, just go into an open field en enjoy. I cannot say it is 100% safe, but I never got struck....I think they removed the tree i used to seek shelter from the rain, but if you search real hard you might find it anyway.
---------- Post added at 10:33 AM ---------- Previous post was at 10:17 AM ----------
amanmasgaman said:
Hi,
I was quite happily running ICS4.0.4 (rooted) when I decided to try a different ROM (and/or JB - can't even remember any more).
After I did a wipe (I know, I know!!!) it got stuck on the boot logo screen.
I had the phone fixed by a 3rd-party repair shop, who installed ICS4.0.3 on it and, while at the shop, I used the phone a bit to make sure it was ok.
It kept crashing intermittently, so they had another go at it and now they tell me they could only install GB on it.
So, keeping in mind that the phone had the emmc bug and I tripped over it:
Is there anyway I can install ICS again on it?
I could use some of the tools floating around to detect damaged partition blocks and work around them.
What procedure should I use to go from a stock GB (non-root) to ICS?
Specifically,
- is there a safe way to root GB (given the emmc damage already), so that I can flash the other ROM/kernels (below)
- what kernel should I use
- what ROM should I use
I would greatly appreciate any help on this. I have been eating humble pie for a week now, so I hope there is no more 'why didn't you pay attention' coming my way
Cheers
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Actually you should be happy that they revived your Note after brick even if it's only running GB for now.
However if you are a brave person you can do the same trick on ICS.
Just read and understand the thread that is a guide on doing so.
You can root your GB without a problem, but there is no obligation for it to install ICS with odin.
However what you do need is the following (besides a lot of patience and courage) :
1. get the ICS files you want to flash including the pit file.
2. get a program called PIT MAGIC to recreate a suitable pit file
3. determine where your bad blocks are located
4. Load the pit file into the magic program and alter the stock pit file
with the values needed to ommit your bad emmc area
5. save it and then flash your note in odin with your newly created pit file and repartition ticked.
@OP: could you please check your internal storage capacity? Is it aroung 8GB?
Arobase we are not going to rediscuss this matter for another 556643 pages.
Just ask yourself : if there was no problem then why did samsung patch their JB kernels for it. http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=34933643&postcount=683
Also nobody asks you to reconsider your own experience and beliefs, but the day someone follows your instructions and bricks his phone, are you going to pay for a new motherboard ?
I'll stop this discussion here, and just hope nobody will get struck under the tree.

[Q] Flashing ICS/JB on an XXJVU i9000?

Hello guys, it's me (nay, not Mario :laugh again. Another question.
Got a new battery which seems to hold charge well so I thought I might flash something in the likes of CM9 or CM10(.1).
I'm starting this thread because I would like to be totally sure what should I do (although I know I will never be 100% sure I'm doing it right). The reason I'm starting this thread is fear from bricking my phone (now troll me).
A little background (might be TLTR so freely skip it):
A year or so ago, I had a LG GT540 in my possession. Spoiled by the painlessness (is this a word?) of flashing Huaweis I fearlessly dared to flash fastboot on it in order to flash custom ROMs and stuff. The installation instructions seemed dead simple. Battery was full. Followed the procedure from letter to letter. Despite the fact that I followed the whole tutorial, in the end I got a hard brick. One hour later I thought it ought to be either finished or terminated due to an error of some kind. But no. It just stuck. Unplugged it and tried to turn it on. Fail, bootloop. Tried to reflash it, in all the modes I knew of. There were two or so modes: emergency and some über-emergency mode thingy. Fail. Then I tried with the official LG update tool. Final fail. That was the worst idea one could ever get, it got hard bricked, with no signs of life at all. RIP.
Back to the question.
As a proof that I used that damned search feature (at least tried to) here goes the procedure as I've understood it (while searching):
do a Nandroid and TB backup (optional, but you might really regret it if you don't do so)
back up your EFS folder
wipe data/factory reset
flash the ROM thru recovery
reboot
if it bootloops, reboot to recovery manually
flash the ROM again to finalize the procedure
eventually flash GApps
So,
did I leave out something?
what's the most reliable procedure/app to backup EFS?
is there a way to verify if EFS is properly backed up?
what's the proper, ahem, primer ROM to flash first and make stuff glue together nicely?
Semaphore's recovery tends to blink when browsing through using the capacitive menu button instead of volume buttons, is that a problem?
is Semaphore's recovery itself, regardless of the before mentioned issue, appropriate for flashing ICS/JB (or should I flash some other kernel/recovery before flashing)?
will I survive on XDA with that much questions at once?
It's SIM unlocked (don't know how, second hand phone, most likely with Helroz's unlock application), other details are in the signature.
Thanks in advance!
EDIT: See last post (#7 if the discussion goes on) for more details and answers to my questions.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2DLySUtI8vo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iRnH13sRAIc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1RoZU5ZPMS4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PwHVm90HO1w
check out these and you wont brick your phone happy flashing
I have already flashed a rooted kernel with CWM (CF-Root and later Semaphore).
Please, I know my English ain't perfect, but try to skim through my post. At least the second half of it.
your english is fine i read your post all of it i was just giving you a bit of direction incase you soft bricked your sgs,and as for what the best rom is they are all good roms the devs spend alot of time developing them its just a matter of what set up you like so try them all till you find one you like darkyrom v11 ,is pretty smooth its ics and stable cm 9 is good also ,remics jb 4.2.2 is good also .sgs i9000 is almost impossible to brick just read or watch the info two or three times just to be sure goodluck
TIGER 123 said:
your english is fine
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Aw, thank you! Sorry for me being kinda needlessly rude.
TIGER 123 said:
and as for what the best rom is they are all good roms the devs spend alot of time developing them its just a matter of what set up you like so try them all till you find one you like darkyrom v11 ,is pretty smooth its ics and stable cm 9 is good also ,remics jb 4.2.2 is good also .
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You meant this?
moorkai said:
what's the proper, ahem, primer ROM to flash first and make stuff glue together nicely?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In fact I wanted to know (along with the doubts from post #1) what do I need to flash prior to playing with ICS and/or JB because I thought that there are some ROMs (e.g. CM9) that do the necessary repartition process(es) as there are some partition layout differences between stock Gingerbread and the newer ICS and JB ROMs... and that failing to do so might lead to soft/hard bricks.
I know that asking questions like "What's the best ROM for my phone?" might lead to subjective and conflicting answers as some prefer lightweightness over functionality and vice versa, thus I don't prefer to do so, neither I did so in my first post. Sorry if you understood me otherwise.
Hope that I made some things more understandable now.
Okay, solved this doubt:
moorkai said:
what's the most reliable procedure/app to backup EFS? Tar zcvf contents of the /efs folder in terminal.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
However, in one of the videos you posted here CWM 2.5.1.2 was used and thus it additionally stresses the following question:
moorkai said:
is Semaphore's recovery itself, regardless of the before mentioned issue, appropriate for flashing ICS/JB (or should I flash some other kernel/recovery before flashing)?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Help me!
I finally dared to flash CM10.1! Everything went silky smooth. Here are my conclusions for further reference (maybe someone can find them useful). These might be inaccurate, but I didn't brick my phone. After all, don't hesitate to correct me if I'm wrong.
How I flashed CM10.1:
do a Nandroid and TB backup (optional, but you might really regret it if you don't do so)
back up your EFS folder
wipe data/factory reset, wipe cache partition, advanced > wipe dalvik cache
flash the ROM through recovery (install zip from sdcard > choose zip from sdcard)
now it will reboot and finalize the flashing if everything is OK
eventually flash GApps
Questions from the first post and ...answers:
Q: Did I leave out something?
A: Most likely, not.
Q: What's the most reliable procedure/app to backup EFS?
A: Type the following stuff in Terminal Emulator or adb shell (root privileges necessary):
Code:
su
tar zcvf /sdcard/efs-backup.tar.gz /efs
# some users suggest that backing this up can also help if IMEI goes belly up
cat /dev/block/stl3 > /sdcard/efs_dev-block-stl3.img
Q: Is there a way to verify if EFS is properly backed up?
A: Dual File Manager is quite useful for testing archive integrity.
Q: What's the proper, ahem, primer ROM to flash first and make stuff glue together nicely?
A: CM10.1, I guess.
Q: Semaphore's recovery tends to blink when browsing through using the capacitive menu button instead of volume buttons, does that mean it will cause ROM installation to fail?
A: I don't know, maybe, so flash CM10.1 with CF-Root kernel installed instead.
Q: Is Semaphore's recovery itself, regardless of the before mentioned
issue, appropriate for flashing ICS/JB (or should I flash some other kernel/recovery before flashing)?
A: See previous answer.

[Q] In light of the eMMC bug, is the N7000 still worth getting?

Hi All,
Just curious how serious the eMMC bug is, and whether the N7000 is still worth getting??
1) Is the bug only present in ICS Roms, with unsafe kernels?
2) Is the phone safe using any of the GB or JB Roms, assuming it is only ICS thats at fault with the chip?
3) I've heard CWM is also dangerous to use, is there a certain one/version to use? (namely, Philz?)
4) How do you prepare the phone from ROM flash? All other Android devices I use to do Factory Reset Wipe in CWM, followed by wiping System and the Cache section. What can I do now, or cant I do... for fear of bricking?
5) Is this App [GalaxSim Unlock, by spocky] ok to unlock, does it work or can it be dangerous in light of eMMC? Or should I get a carrier unlock?
6) If using this phone normally, normal Apps... Is there a risk to bricking if the App write to write to the internal storage?? (such as saving files/settings) or is only if you attempt to wipe it?
7) Whats the absolute do's and DONT's with this device, like to stay away from....
I'm really keen to buy it, but dont want to end up with a BRICK through a silly mistake....
- sorry for all the questions, just really confused by whats ok and whats not...
Thanks, Lister
Emmc brick bug was there in ICS for sure but it is not worth trying on JB as it is no fun to see if the device gets bricked or not.
You can use GB (which has safe kernel) you can do the wipes. ICS and JB there are many custom kernel which are brick bug safe, meaning that it would not brick your phone if you have these kernel (say Philz for example) which also give you CWM and you can do wipes as many times you want without the risk of getting bricked. Philz kernel is available for all the versions.
For how to flash stock rom and list of stock roms use this:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1424997
i dont have any idea about unlock, you may wait for someone to respond to that.
when using the phone normally there is no risk of brick.
Dont wipe the device on stock recovery and you are safe, to be safer always use Philz kernel. if you want to claim warranty at any time you can always flash stock rom again.
Own a note for 5 months now and this device is as good as any for the flashing of ROMs and kernels. So this is surely a safe buy. The PhilZ kernel is not particularly what i am fond of as it caused problems for the flashing of certain ROMs as the recovery is CWM based and not CWM recovery. And i do not have any info about the unlock app
Hi Treacherous_Hawk and Varad297,
Thank you both for your comments and suggestions, all this info I am picking up is very useful for me... As I may of said above, but have certainly said in other places across this board (and other sites). I'm fairly ok/confidant when it comes to Android, and the other Android hardware in my collection. (ZTE Blade, HP Touchpad, and MK802-II) Dont suffer from any kinda serious bug, and are brick free, they will never die... But I must admit, I am a little scared of this eMMC bug in N7000.
So thanks for putting my mind at rest....
If / When I do get this phone (through a mate of a mate), in October when her contract runs out. Will be locked to Vodafone UK, and I am T-Mobile UK, and I believe its currently running on Android 4.1.2 JB Stock.
However I want to flash the P.A.C. Rom to it straight away, as I have this on my ZTE Blade and HP Touchpad and love it...
So whats the best way to do it...??
1) Download Philz Recovery (and which version would I need, being that the rom its on is 4.1.2, and the rom I'll be taking it too is 4.2.2)
- I assume I copy this to SD Card, and flash in Stock Recovery, via going to Download Mode
2) What steps would I follow to clear of current rom? What wipes are safe, or are they all safe with Philz? Normally I do Factory Data wipe, and then System and Cache...
- Are these fine under Philz recovery? As from above two comments... First reply says its safe to do so, second reply says its dangerous... Just really scared about this bug, cant believe Sammy released a device like that...
3) I assume I flash it in Philz CWM, rather than ODIN? Do I need to re-flash a kernel straight after or is the one in P.A.C. (4.2.2) safe from bug?
4) I think the ROM is pre-rooted, but what should I do in case its not? Use ODIN or is there an easier method?
I assume flashing the above rom, via the above method (Philz CWM) will then result in the Yellow Triangle, and bump the count upto 1? So do I just use Triangle Away to clear and reset this, and this is again safe of bricking???
Thanks, Lister
Dude dont panic.
P.A.C. Rom is rooted and does not trigger the emmc bug.
Safe way from stock is as follows:
1.
!DO NOT WIPE ANYTHING ON STOCK!
2.
Get philz kernel for your stock version.
there are packages for flashing with either ODIN which involves connectiong a Computer or with Stock Recovery, which does not involve a computer.
The latter, which is simpler is simply a file on SD you can flash through stock recovery (when off press power+home+volup), it wont even void your warranty.
That provides you with a CWM like recovery from which you can wipe or flash other roms WITHOUT triggering the brickbug.
3.
Get your favourite Rom and flash it through cwm recovery.
BTW: Almost everyone who releases for N7000 puts something in the description that says if the rom is bricksafe.
All newer AOSP/CM based roms should be bricksafe.
Most of the customized Touchwiz Roms are also bricksafe, but watch their thread to be sure.
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EDIT:
IMO if you get the Note 1 for free or cheap its well worth getting. If you plan to buy one rather look for the Note 2 because I feel that it is better supported and has better customisation diversity.
Or if I ask myself what my next phone will be... dunno. Maybe a Nexus or Xperia Z or HTC? I cant seem to find the perfectly blended device. Might go with Jolla Sailfish device if it proves usable.
EDIT 2:
I think someone should sticky this as a simple guide for this. Also the existing stickies really need a cleanup to not confuse people with too much information out of differing times.
Does XDA pay moderators? I'd happily clean stickies and test stuff all day. (I'd also assume a neutral persona/state of mind for such activity.)
Hi Illidan Pornrage,
Thank you so much for going into great detail of the steps I need to follow, I'm starting to feel more comfortable at doing and using this now... So any ROM that says they are Brick free means there is no way to trigger it?? Not that I have ever done this, maybe when I first got my Android back in 2010 just to see what it was like... If I did Factory Data Reset in P.A.C. Rom it wont trigger the eMMC bug? (not that Im likely to ever use it... just making sure).
And with Philz CWM Recovery, I can use the Wipe Data/Factory Reset and then goto other screen and wipe the System partition, and the Cache and Davlik Cache with it all being ok... its 100% safe in Philz Recovery to not brick it??
I am so use to CWM on other devices, I am scared of using the wrong selection on the famous N7000 eMMC brick bug... lol
But with the other steps, thank you so much, such a HUGE HELP!!! and I am sure that will put other new (to N7000) users minds at rest...
-- So useful that ya know the above ROM too, as it makes it even easier/safer for me knowing all is gonna be ok with it...
Cant wait to get ROMing now... Just gotta wait till October... b*gger!! lol
Cheers, Lister
If I did Factory Data Reset in P.A.C. Rom it wont trigger the eMMC bug? Yes as often as you like. I flash cm nightlies, so I wipe very often.
And my window manager somehow always loses focus of the textbox. So I write half posts and have to edit 346243 times. Sorry.
And with Philz CWM Recovery, I can use the Wipe Data/Factory Reset and then goto other screen and wipe the System partition, and the Cache and Davlik Cache with it all being ok... its 100% safe in Philz Recovery to not brick it??
Also yes.
As for 100%. I cant assure you that nothing obscure that only happens 1 in a million times happens. But the menchanism that triggers the great evil bug is removed from philz and the mentioned roms.
Phewwww..... so this eMMC bug is no big deal then....
Only an issue if you stay on stock firmwares really, esp that of ICS??
Well thats made me feel a whole lot safer and more determined to want to get it. Had my hopes set on getting it, and then when I heard about the eMMC bug, thought is this gonna be a wise purchase or will I be spending the best part of £150 (dont know the final price yet) on a very large and heavy paper weight!! lol
Thanks so much for putting my mind at rest, great help...
Hi Illidan Pornrage,
I've only just seen/noticed your updates to my original questions, thanks for the updates.... Re: Why am I going for just the Note 1 rather than the Note 2. Is that someone a know (mate of a mate) will be upgrading her phone (she prolly gonna go back to Apple... boooo) and so hopefully she will be parting with her Note (and cheaply I hope, esp re the bug... a-haaaa)
- and couldnt agree more about tidying up the Stickies, as yes a lot of it is out of date, hence my asking and checking... To which you fully re-assured me of the steps, so think this would be useful to all...
Just to add to this, which Philz Kernel would I need??
Phone: Galaxy Note 1 / N7000
Network: Vodafone UK
Current OS: Android 4.1.2 JB Stock
Planned OS to update Too: P.A.C. 22:30 (Android 4.2.2)
So not sure what Kernel I would need from the below link, and if so, can you explain why I need THIS one? What do I need to look for in a kernel?
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1901191
Also, can anyone confirm if they have a UK Note 1 on contract (esp Vodafone) as I am hearing the contract ones are unlocked by default. Its only PAYG that are locked down....
thanks, Lister
Hi Illidan Pornrage / Guys,
As per my above post, any idea what Kernel I need based on the above details...??
Thanks, Lister

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