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All Q's in one place: How to safely upgrade to official UK ICS ROM and root it?

I am on rooted stock GB LA6 with Abyss kernel 4.2. As I have bricked my phone in the past and have a replaced one now, I am a little caution about ICS.
Could someone answer the following questions?
- What is the safest way to upgrade to the official ICS UK ROM?
- Is the ICS UK ROM wipe or non-wipe?
- If I will lose root after upgrading, what is the safest way to root the official ICS UK ROM?
- Will I be able to flash a new kernel and recovery on the new ICS ROM?
- What are the best (safest) kernel and recovery for ICS?
- And, finally, for safety, how to revert back to stock UK GB ROM if ICS doesn't work out?
I am sure these questions have been answered somewhere else, but again, it would be helpful to have these answers in one place, in an easy-to-follow language. Please be as clear as possible in your responses as these answers will be read by newbies, too. Thanks.
Sent from my GT-N7000 using XDA

Its non wipe. I had stock gb la6. Upgraded via kies to lq2 ics. Still had all data. Then I rooted using cwm method. Flashed icstunner.
Sent from my GT-N7000 using XDA

+1 to all those questions.
I just flashed the original rooted LC1 , gb rom from here, added CWM and abyss kernel and all is good. However , I am downloading now the stock ICS LQ2 rom and don't know if it is ok to flash it via PC odin, putting the 3 files in PDA, CSC, MODEM, or is it some special procedure I need to follow ?

Doubts, afraid and don't know how to do it safely

Ok, i know this must be here somewhere but i just can't find it. Too much time digging i guess....
I'm tired of waiting for samsung to release a solution and want to try something else.
Currently i'm on ics with lpy (german stock) so i have the famous problem (already checked). Here's the doubt: if i go back to gb with pc odin won't i have a chance to brick my device ?? I'm talking to dload an official gb rom (from dr ketan's thread) and do it as it's supposed to be done.
If i brick it will it be "the one"??
Second doubt: what rom can i flash safely?? I read a lot of threads with a lot of kernels and so far the only ones mentioned to be safe are cm9 and franko...... So basicly i need a rom with one of those??
So i can just do it like this: flash gb with pc odin, dload rom (and kernel) from what i like?? After i tried it out and don't like it and with a supposed safe kernel i can alway flash a new rom ?? No possibilty to superbrick it??
What is currently the best combination regarding battery and performance since they all claim the same............?????
Another (stupid) question: every time i flash an unofficial rom it will increase the counter or with the newer ones this is annulled? I know with a jtag i can clear them.
So basicly i'm confused and afraid to play around with this device. I have flashed other android devices in the past and did a bit of reading, the only thing that still is unclear is the possibility of superbrick........
Thanks for the help,
becosemsaida

Speedmod and Dafuq kernels are safe as well. Basically you are good to go with the knowledge you have.
Flash an older GB rom with PC Odin without the hardbrick risk, root it and flash a CWM kernel and then flash a rom based on CM9 or any safe kernel, just stay clear of roms based on official Samsung roms unless you replace the kernel with a safe one and never wipe data, cache or Dalvik on an official ICS rom.
I've been using the official AOKP rom, build 39 at the moment. It's fast, smooth, great battery life and excellent customization, based on the CM9 kernel so it's safe from the superbrick.
If you use a safe rom you can use CWM to wipe and flash other roms without the risk of superbricking.

same as above, flashed rootable GB then rooted using cfroot... and waiting for samsung to release the fix

I had the same problem I was afraid to be on the official ICS and last week I had solved like previous members said.
- First I flashed GB rom (I preferred KKA because it is directly rootable which dr.ketan mentioned it on his root guide)
- Then I rooted it with zergrush (see dr.ketan's root guide) it is the easiest way to root the device without yellow triangle
- After that I have flashed Paranoid Android ICS rom which is based on CM9 and is totally safe against the superbrick bug. It is also really exciting to use my Galaxy Note on the tablet mode with this rom I can recommend it to you.
Anyway if you really dont want to use any of the custom roms you can also flash ICS but not with its original kernel because it is totally risky.
you can use Mobile Odin and before flashing you can select an ICS stock rom but you have to change the kernel with speedmod or franco kernel. then with this combination you can flash and wipe your data after flash completes.
most of the people says that the bug is in the official ICS kernels and it triggers the emmc bug which superbricks the device. So with the other custom kernels you should be safe.
As final words I still would say that the safest way is to flash a custom ICS rom which is not based on official ICS roms. For example Paranoid is a CM9 based rom and is totally safe.
So decision is yours dude

Safely go from Official stock Gingerbread to Official Samsung ICS ?

Ok, I hate to be a noob, but I feel that I have to in this case.
I just got a new unlocked G-Note and it has has gingerbread. However I want to install ICS, Been trying to research through the threads myself, but its overwhelming for someone who hasn't been here to follow the threads from the beginning
I would appreciate some advice or steps to safely go from bone stock G-note to Official Samsung ICS
Current "About phone" Info:
Model number
GT-N7000
Android Version
2.3.6
Baseband Version
N7000XXLB2
Kernel Version
2.6.35.7-N7000XXLC1-CL-CL1003701
[email protected] #2
Build number
GINGERBREAD.XXLC1
PDA: N7000XXLC1
PHONE: N7000XXLB2
CSC: N7000OXXLB3
The guilds quickly get confusing, I have done a great deal of flashing device over the years, but have never been this lost.
Help/warnings are welcome

Hey man! Seems like you want to upgrade from GB to ICS on the Galaxy Note. GB is far more stable and bug free on the Galaxy Note. This is one device where upgrading to ICS is more of a downgrade. So to be honest i would recommend that you stay on GB until samsung get out a stable ICS ROM for the Note.
Firstly what i would recommend you to do is download chinfires app called Gotbrick.(Google it) Install the app on your Note on GB and see the verdict. The verdict will tell u if your Note has the eMMC brickbug. If the verdict tells "Danger" then upgrading to ICS is equal to suicide because all stock ICS kernels are known to have the eMMC_Erase functionality which will cause this bug to superbrick your phone.
However if you still want to take the rist then the steps to upgrade are: you can try the connecting your phone to your PC and run kies. It will automaticly check for updates and install them. Another method is using the phone itself. Goto Settings>About Phone>Software Update and check for updates. It should update to ICS automatically.
If none of the above work then use the ODIN method:
For the ODIN method the steps are:
1- Register and Download the Stock ICS for your region from here:http://www.sammobile.com/firmware/?page=3&t=1&o=1&m=GT-N7000&r=-1#modelsa
2-After download you should get a zip file. Unzip the content. You will get a .tar.md5 file.
3- Next get ODIN v1.83 (download it if u dont have it)
4- Make sure you have Samsung Drivers Installed on your PC and put your phone in download mode(Volume Down + Home + Power) and connect it to your PC using USB Cable
4- Then run ODIN as admin and then click the PDA button and choose the .md5 file you extracted. Make sure only Auto Reboot and F.Reset Time are checked in ODIN. Then click the start button and Let it flash the new Firmware.
After flash complete you should have Stock ICS 4.0.3 on your Note. What i would recommend is to flash a safe ICS kernel like Speedmod N7000 k3 on it to prevent it from getting bricked.
If this helped please click the Thanks button! Cheers!

Sorry to be a noob,
but i couldn't get a download link for the *chinfire's app Gotbrick* to check whether my SGN is not from *DANGER* to Stock ics update. =(

Looks like it's "Chainfire"
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1693704

OK, here's my experience with upgrading to ICS. I've had my note for about 2 months and have been following the forum trying to learn. It's very confusing to me and I was afraid to do anything so I did nothing. I live in Melbourne, FL and use Straight Talk. My note was purchased from Newegg and had a Brazil build number. Several days ago someone posted that Brazil was now on the "update to ICS" list, so I thought I'd check it out with kies. I use linux so I had to boot into my Windows 7 Ultimate OS(ugh). I opened kies and it said it could be updated to newer version, so I updated kies. Then I pluged in my note and low and behold it said update version available! I sweated a little and decided to go for it. It updated smooth as silk with no problems and now I have ICS! I have all the apps with all the data I had before update.
The new ICS is much quicker and smoother than GB, the difference is immediately noticable.
All the phone info changed to new numbers(android, baseband, kernel version and build number) and I didn't think to write it down so I can't post what it was. Anyway hope this info helps someone.

I agree that the update makes the UI quicker but however it makes the brick bug effective in the ICS kernel. With GB although the UI is slower, there is no risk of brick bug.
So its ur choice to choose between a relatively slower UI with no brick bug Or a faster UI but risking your phone. I recommend installing a custom GB rom which is stable and fast.
Sent from my GT-N7000 using xda premium

Hey, so I got really excited when ics came out and instanly went out to flash the repack (stupid, I know) and I checked and I do have the brickbug. So I know that I shouldn't flash using clockwork or do a factory reset and I wanna take your advice and flash a safe kernel like Abyss.
So I just wanna know if I should just flash it through clockwork and then I'll be ok right? My phone's performance and everything wouldn't be affected right? Also would prefer rather not downgrading to GB.
Thanks!

So yea, I do have the bug, but before I found out, I flashed ICS. Panic when I found out I could brick my phone, then flashed back
Question: Even though I have the bug, if I flash Stock Indian ICS, then Speedmod, will I be safe?

Daman1997 said:
Hey, so I got really excited when ics came out and instanly went out to flash the repack (stupid, I know) and I checked and I do have the brickbug. So I know that I shouldn't flash using clockwork or do a factory reset and I wanna take your advice and flash a safe kernel like Abyss.
So I just wanna know if I should just flash it through clockwork and then I'll be ok right? My phone's performance and everything wouldn't be affected right? Also would prefer rather not downgrading to GB.
Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok firstly i would like to say that if you do have the bug and are already on ICS then instead of downgrading to Gingerbread, try to flash a safe kernel. But stay away from Clockworkmod. Do not flash using CWM. Instead use ODIN to flash any kernel from the following:
Speedmod kernel
Franco Kernel
CM9 Knightlies
The best of these kernel is Speedmod kernel which has the best performance and best battery life. I have already made a tutorial on how to do this, just follow the steps on the tutorial found here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o5K5Wm_201Y
---------- Post added at 11:36 AM ---------- Previous post was at 11:31 AM ----------
DJTJ said:
So yea, I do have the bug, but before I found out, I flashed ICS. Panic when I found out I could brick my phone, then flashed back
Question: Even though I have the bug, if I flash Stock Indian ICS, then Speedmod, will I be safe?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Before you flash anything tell me what are you running currently? are you running a stock ICS or a Custom ROM? If you are running stock ICS then you can easily flash Speedmod kernel with ODIN and you will be safe. You can see my tutorial here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o5K5Wm_201Y

endingcolt007 said:
Ok firstly i would like to say that if you do have the bug and are already on ICS then instead of downgrading to Gingerbread, try to flash a safe kernel. But stay away from Clockworkmod. Do not flash using CWM. Instead use ODIN to flash any kernel from the following:
Speedmod kernel
Franco Kernel
CM9 Knightlies
The best of these kernel is Speedmod kernel which has the best performance and best battery life. I have already made a tutorial on how to do this, just follow the steps on the tutorial found here:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok, really appreciate the advice will try the speedmod kernel through ODIN, but I also have mobile ODIN installed, but I shouldn't use that then I assume. Thanks again!

Currently on a leaked LPY ICS and I have the dangerous kernel. I'm suffering from poor battery life at the moment.
What do you suggest I do? Should I go back to GB or give a new kernel a try?
If I flash a new kernel over LPY will it be safe to perform a factory reset?

SGN ROM Changing

I know most / all ROM's provide info on how to install etc.
My query is -
Are ICS based Custom ROM's flashable via CWM on a rooted GB ROM? Or do i need to upgrade to ICS again, Apply CF-ROOT (Or use Abyss) and install from there.
Given I have rooted GB with SpeedMod Kernel, In the even I need to upgrade to ICS to root etc - Is it as simple as just applying ICS via OTA / Or that god awful KIES Software... Or has it gotta be done in ODIN..
Sure hope they sort this big out soon..
Any help / advice is appreciated as always..

Oh no its you again
It depends on the ROM in question, If you want to upgrade to say, Paranoid Android, Or any CM / AOSP / AOKP ROM,Then you upgrade from GB, Just flash the ROM in CWM.
However, if you want to use a Samsung based ICS ROM, Such as Rocket ROM, you will need to flash ICS via ODIN. Like what we did last night
but you will lose root if you use ODIN, But there are many ways to get that back, Such as flashing a rooted kernel, Like speedmod.
Dont use OTA updates on a custom ROM, You will need stock kernel too i believe, You will also lose root when using OTA.
Hope this helps

Oh yes, I am back
Cheers - I gain confidence with each passing minute.. I think I'll probably mess around with PA - but CleaNote OP advised possible to flash over GB Rooted - we'll see haha

PA is awesome, Wait till you see it, I dont think you'll be wanting to try anything else.
EDIT: CleaNote requires you to flash ICS before installation, Not GB

Putting ICS on My N7000

I just purchased a international Note off EBay. It has GB installed. I am not sure what country this is from but the phone's baseband version is N7000UBKK1 and the kernel version is 2.6.35.7-N7000UBKK2-CL705203. I would like to move to ICS. I need US English as the language. So:
(a) What firmware should I use? I want to use Odin to install.
(b) Is there any possibility of bricking my phone due to the eMMC issue? I have run the eMMC Check app from the Play Store and it says the chip is "insane". But the test of the memory completes without errors. I am not really sure I know what this all means but I want to avoid problems (who doesn't).
(c) I understand the brick problem is with ICS and not GB. Does this continue to be a problem with the various JB roms out there?
Thanks for your time and help.

Flash stock open German XXLRQ then, look for it in dr.ketan's thread for stock roms in note original android dev sticy.
There are no official jb roms for note yet and cm10 or aokp based custom jb roms are totally safe for wipes and all.
Sent from my GT-N7000

For people who just Dont know what version they need to install u can check this from settings -about,or simply just install kies and it will detect ur version,then u can let kies install it for u or u can download it from dr.ketan post then root it then flash any safe kernel as speedmod ir hydracore,one last thing just remember not 2 make any wipes while using stock ICS thats all.
↖(^▽^)↗ Sent from Rego Galaxy Note ↖(^▽^)↗

The brick bug only triggers on unsafe kernels like stock ICS and only if you do wipes like factory resets.
Sent from my GT-N7000 using Xparent SkyBlue Tapatalk 2

So Should I NOT Use a Stock ICS ROM?
Markuzy said:
The brick bug only triggers on unsafe kernels like stock ICS and only if you do wipes like factory resets.
Sent from my GT-N7000 using Xparent SkyBlue Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hello and thanks to you and the others who have so kindly replied. Does this mean I should find a non-stock ICS ROM to install? I was thinking that going stock would be safer. I was reading this guide <android.gs/update-samsung-galaxy-note-to-official-xxlrq-firmware-update> to updating to the ROM suggested above and near the end it speaks to possibly having to select ‘wipe data/ factory reset’ in recovery mode if, after the Odin install completes, the device fails to boot beyond the logo screen. I would not want to get to that point and not be able to do this if needed.
Also, I would eventually really like to get to JB - especially for the on-device voice command processing. If there is a recommended JB ROM that can do this now and avoid the brick problem, I would appreciate recommendations.
Thanks again for your knowledge and help.

whitedavidp said:
Hello and thanks to you and the others who have so kindly replied. Does this mean I should find a non-stock ICS ROM to install? I was thinking that going stock would be safer. I was reading this guide <android.gs/update-samsung-galaxy-note-to-official-xxlrq-firmware-update> to updating to the ROM suggested above and near the end it speaks to possibly having to select ‘wipe data/ factory reset’ in recovery mode if, after the Odin install completes, the device fails to boot beyond the logo screen. I would not want to get to that point and not be able to do this if needed.
Also, I would eventually really like to get to JB - especially for the on-device voice command processing. If there is a recommended JB ROM that can do this now and avoid the brick problem, I would appreciate recommendations.
Thanks again for your knowledge and help.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
ofc you can use ICS Stock Rom. But just to be safe you have to flash safe kernel...Speedmod/Notecore/HydraCore are the safer kernels.
For JB there is no official update available from Samsung for our Note. But you can enjoy it with the efforts that developers are doing for us in XDA.
Go to Android Development Section and Have a look on the Topic Titles.Some of them are AOKP/PA/CM10/AOSP... For Me JellyCore is so far gud. You can find the link in my signatures.

I only know u r now in GB.
GB shld be ok to do full wipe. None reporting mmc brick on GB coz of full wipe.
So....
U can do ur full wipe first on stock GB.
Use pc odin to flash ICS 4.04 LRQ.
Voila.... U r on ICS alrd.
Once u r on ics, and on stock ics kernel....
Pls, do not ever do full wipe.
Unless, after that u root and install ics safe custom kernel, then u r safe to full wipe on ics.
Good luck!
Sent from my GT-N7000 at the corner of this rounded earth.

More in Jelly Core?
sahilarora2003 said:
ofc you can use ICS Stock Rom. But just to be safe you have to flash safe kernel...Speedmod/Notecore/HydraCore are the safer kernels.
For JB there is no official update available from Samsung for our Note. But you can enjoy it with the efforts that developers are doing for us in XDA.
Go to Android Development Section and Have a look on the Topic Titles.Some of them are AOKP/PA/CM10/AOSP... For Me JellyCore is so far gud. You can find the link in my signatures.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hello and thanks. I guess it may make sense to bypass the stock ICS which seems to contain issues related to the brick bug and go to something like Jelly Core as you mention. I looked at the page for Jelly Core and see that it says to install using Clock Work Mod and to wipe from a safe kernel first. As a newbie I guess I have some questions:
(a) I am on GB which I understand to be "safe". Is that correct?
(b) Where do I get the CWM for this phone and how do I install it?
(c) To do the "wipe" does that simply mean to use the built-in reset to factory or does this mean something else?
Thanks

Hi there,
a. Yes, Stock GB's are generally safe
b. When your going to flash ROM, each ROM has it's own accompanying CWM.. so when your done choosing which ROM your going to flash your Note to, when your going to bootup in recovery.. and you get the standard CWMR...
c. Yes, Wiping is synonymous to doing the built-in factory reset on your phone (thru Settings), or the alternate way is to go to CWMR and wipe data. Different Methods, same result.

Thanks but...
letters_to_cleo said:
Hi there,
a. Yes, Stock GB's are generally safe
b. When your going to flash ROM, each ROM has it's own accompanying CWM.. so when your done choosing which ROM your going to flash your Note to, when your going to bootup in recovery.. and you get the standard CWMR...
c. Yes, Wiping is synonymous to doing the built-in factory reset on your phone (thru Settings), or the alternate way is to go to CWMR and wipe data. Different Methods, same result.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am sorry but I am still a bit lost here. Before my N7000 I had a Samsung Skyrocket and flashed it using Odin from the GB that was on it to the stock ICS. I found several guides for this online and it worked fine and easily (although I still feared the brickbug). But this is basically all I know about this stuff.
So how do I flash something like Jelly Core? It sounds like I have to install some other was other than I did with Odin/stock ICS on my Skyrocket. Perhaps I need more of a tutorial on how to do this flashing of custom roms. Any suggestions?
I apologize to all for my thick-headedness.

the best and safest way first is to downgrade back to stock GB. Don't do any thing foolish by just flashing a stock ICS (with an unsafe kernel).
Downgrade first to stock GB and work your way up to eventually flash your preferred custom ROM (in cwmr or odin)