Probably against my better judgement, I've bought a 'new' S4 active off of Ebay here in the UK...it turns out its an unlocked AT&T device. While the phone works, it has AT&T branding all over it, and has an AT&T firmware updater rather than the stock android one, which is stuck on 4.3
Is it possible to flash this device with standard UK 4.4.2 firmware? I've attached a screenshot from the device showing what it's running. CSC information is:
Original CSC: XSG
Firmware CSC: ATT
Active CSC: XSG/ATT
CSC Country UAE
CSC Country ISO : AE
Using Phone info it shows:
Baseband I537UCUBML2...but in standard phone settings Baseband I9295XXDMK1??
PDA: I9295UCUBML2 / I537UCUBML2
I think stock UK firmware is BTU CSC, so I've downloaded that from SAMMOBILE.COM, but when I try to flash that with Odin, it just give me a fail with "Complete(Write) operation failed". I've tried different ports, cables and making sure no Kies processes are running (as I've read these can affect it), but still fail.....So my question is, is what I'm trying to do even possible....it is possible to turn an unlocked AT&T device into a stock UK device? If it is maybe I just have to keep trying different PC's and ports and cables till I strike lucky!
Many thanks for any help
Vince
vincexda said:
Probably against my better judgement, I've bought a 'new' S4 active off of Ebay here in the UK...it turns out its an unlocked AT&T device. While the phone works, it has AT&T branding all over it, and has an AT&T firmware updater rather than the stock android one, which is stuck on 4.3
Is it possible to flash this device with standard UK 4.4.2 firmware? I've attached a screenshot from the device showing what it's running. CSC information is:
Original CSC: XSG
Firmware CSC: ATT
Active CSC: XSG/ATT
CSC Country UAE
CSC Country ISO : AE
Using Phone info it shows:
Baseband I537UCUBML2...but in standard phone settings Baseband I9295XXDMK1??
PDA: I9295UCUBML2 / I537UCUBML2
I think stock UK firmware is BTU CSC, so I've downloaded that from SAMMOBILE.COM, but when I try to flash that with Odin, it just give me a fail with "Complete(Write) operation failed". I've tried different ports, cables and making sure no Kies processes are running (as I've read these can affect it), but still fail.....So my question is, is what I'm trying to do even possible....it is possible to turn an unlocked AT&T device into a stock UK device? If it is maybe I just have to keep trying different PC's and ports and cables till I strike lucky!
Many thanks for any help
Vince
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have bad news for you, currently it is impossible. About the only thing you can do is flash i537 firmware and then use UK modems, since it seems like that is what was already done. Sorry, you bought a phone with a locked bootloader and there's nothing that can be done until somebody figures out how to unlock the bootloader on Samsung phones.
Thanks for the reply....I had a bad feeling this was going to be the response, at least now I don't have to waste any more evenings trying to do this, that's the risk of ebay I guess!! Not sure if I'm brave or experienced enough to know how to get hold of the latest 4.4.2 AT&T firmware, flash that, and THEN install UK modems without risking a bricked device!
vincexda said:
Thanks for the reply....I had a bad feeling this was going to be the response, at least now I don't have to waste any more evenings trying to do this, that's the risk of ebay I guess!! Not sure if I'm brave or experienced enough to know how to get hold of the latest 4.4.2 AT&T firmware, flash that, and THEN install UK modems without risking a bricked device!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I try to make people's lives easy, check out the i537 Firmware Guide. At some point in the future I'm going to put together a post on how to flash modems so you can wait for that if you want, but it is really easy to flash modems with Odin and there is pretty much no risk to bricking, the only risk you'll run in to is that your radios won't work until you properly flash the modem. Good luck.
That looks like a great source of information thanks....so it should be possible to install the latest 4.4.2 AT&T firmware, then re-install the UK modems ....I wasn't what the risk of flashing modems was, but it seems like you just use Odin again with the correct file. So as long as I can get hold of those I should be OK.
Many thanks again for the assist.
Hi I'm trying to flash the T-Mobile firmware from sammobile.com, but whenever I try, I get an error at 32% when it says Installing System Update. I attempted to flash CSC,AP,BL, and CP with it saying PASS in Odin. I really need the T-Mobile firmware and am wondering if it is possible to do? I determined that I cant install CSC files and get the error when I try. Any Solutions?
SM-G950U
Odin 3.12.3
T-Mobile Firmware:
PDA: G950USQU1AQD9
CSC: G950UOYN1AQD9
I'm having the same problem with an ATT phone flash with the US "U" unlocked version firmware. When I don't flash the csc it will start up only with the USB plug in but shut down after the beginning startup
Search for a "modified Odin". It was what I used to be able to flash unlocked firmware on a 7 and 7 edge a few months ago. The "normal" Odin wouldn't let me do it, but the modified one did. Though you may need to wait until it's been updated....I haven't checked it in awhile.
Still no solution to avoid the error to 32%?
Try this Odin. This is the one I used to flash the Canadian firmware on mine.
I managed with odin version 3.12.5! But only with BL AP and CP!
When I add CSC I get the error at 32%!
So a priori everything works, I no longer have the Verizon overlay (nor the logo at startup) more by cons I have duplicates in the settings menu ...
What is the CSC file?
bsharp8 said:
Try this Odin. This is the one I used to flash the Canadian firmware on mine.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The Canadian firmware you got it or? On sammobile I find it not:
https://www.sammobile.com/firmwares/galaxy-s8/SM-G950U/
The Canadian firmware is stock or operator?
I would have access to all the bands?
Its the firmware with the "w" at the end. Please read this thread for all the information on doing this and make sure you want to do it.
https://forum.xda-developers.com/galaxy-s8/how-to/rd-carrier-switch-root-snapdragon-t3597473
bsharp8 said:
Its the firmware with the "w" at the end. Please read this thread for all the information on doing this and make sure you want to do it.
https://forum.xda-developers.com/galaxy-s8/how-to/rd-carrier-switch-root-snapdragon-t3597473
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
so to do this we actually have to go to the canadian firmware first, do the csc change then flash the Tmo firmware? You can't just flash the Tmo Firmware via the modded Odin? Just to save confusion.
I would imagine it's worth it just to get the proper network options, VOLTE, WiFi calling and such.
How To Flash To T-Mobile
dbpaddler said:
so to do this we actually have to go to the canadian firmware first, do the csc change then flash the Tmo firmware? You can't just flash the Tmo Firmware via the modded Odin? Just to save confusion.
I would imagine it's worth it just to get the proper network options, VOLTE, WiFi calling and such.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is the exact thread that I used. Follow the steps and you can skip engboot. If you flash the full Canadian firmware, its impossible to reverse. So, only flash whatever is in the steps. I successfully went from Verizon To T-Mobile and then back to Verizon. https://forum.xda-developers.com/galaxy-s8/how-to/switch-to-carrier-firmware-100-t3609487
This tread also helps, who wants to flash their phones: https://forum.xda-developers.com/galaxy-s8/how-to/snap-guide-flashing-standard-fw-carrier-t3625817
Hi,
I'm having a problem flashing my N960N with a N960F.
So far, I've rooted my phone with twrp and installed magisk.
However, when I tried to flash my phone with stock firmware in Odin I would get a fail to re-repartition error.
Any help would be great.
Thank you
trannote9 said:
Hi,
I'm having a problem flashing my N960N with a N960F.
So far, I've rooted my phone with twrp and installed magisk.
However, when I tried to flash my phone with stock firmware in Odin I would get a fail to re-repartition error.
Any help would be great.
Thank you
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
you should use a custom rom and flash it throught twrp and not odin, use odin to flash official firmware.
in this case go to the note 9 roms forum and search for a rom that supports your model in this case its usually in the tittle N, even thought i read that you can flash the F rom to N model but i didnt try it, maybe some one can confirm this or not.
ubejd said:
you should use a custom rom and flash it throught twrp and not odin, use odin to flash official firmware.
in this case go to the note 9 roms forum and search for a rom that supports your model in this case its usually in the tittle N, even thought i read that you can flash the F rom to N model but i didnt try it, maybe some one can confirm this or not.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for reply, I've been trying to flash my phone with official firmware using Odin from N960N to N960F BTU (United Kingdom). I don't want to use custom rom.
then you are trying for nothing and it will never work. worst comes to worst you might brick.
bober10113 said:
then you are trying for nothing and it will never work. worst comes to worst you might brick.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks
trannote9 said:
Thanks for reply, I've been trying to flash my phone with official firmware using Odin from N960N to N960F BTU (United Kingdom). I don't want to use custom rom.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You shouldn't have any issues installing the N960F BTU OS onto your N960N as they are basically the same device and run on the same hardware specs. They even run on the same LTE bands...
iceepyon said:
You shouldn't have any issues installing the N960F BTU OS onto your N960N as they are basically the same device and run on the same hardware specs. They even run on the same LTE bands...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It doesn’t install even tho it’s the same device. Odin throw some error repartitioning
I'm not new around here, and I've used Odin many times, but I am trying to flash the T-Mobile firmware on my S10 and it fails EVERY DANG TIME!!!!!!!!! I have all the file selected, and again it's the patched Odin, I just do not understand. PLEASE, help me. Image is attached.
Please for the love of god someone help I will paypal someone 20 dollars if they can help me figure out why it always fails.
I am currently downgrading from Beta 7 to Pie 9 BSIV as we speak on my Sprint S10 using ODIN 3.13.1. Did you download the software using Frija? I am also on a Sprint phone flashing Sprint firmware, is the phone you have originally from T Mobile? If you didn't download the firmware using Frija I would re download it using that and try it.
Poppawu696 said:
I am currently downgrading from Beta 7 to Pie 9 BSIV as we speak on my Sprint S10 using ODIN 3.13.1. Did you download the software using Frija? I am also on a Sprint phone flashing Sprint firmware, is the phone you have originally from T Mobile? If you didn't download the firmware using Frija I would re download it using that and try it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No I found the firmware on here. Everytime I put the corresponding fields in Odin, it always fails, and I don't understand why.
C-4Nati said:
No I found the firmware on here. Everytime I put the corresponding fields in Odin, it always fails, and I don't understand why.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Download most recent firmware using frija. I bet the one you trying to flash is older than what the phone is currently on. You can't flash older firmware no matter what even if using patched Odin.
abl.efl is bootloader, it is normal to fail at bootloader, cause that bootloader is older than the actually one you do have.
You either have to remove bootloader from firmware (if you can), or flash another firmware with the same - or higher bootloader.
Why don't you use stock Odin?
no update samsung Note 9 AT&T unlocked phone in another region without AT&T sim card
Hello everyone i've been really struggling with updating my phone that i got pre-owned It's a Samsung Galaxy Note 9 (SM-N960U) and I have not recieved updates since I got it the phone is still on Android version 8.1.0 and security patch from 2018 so i've been really wanting to update it to the latest version but I couldn't and i figured out that phones from AT&T only update via their own app or OTA thing anyway I thought of flashing it with a stock firmware VIA ODIN but i checked on sammobile that the note 9 AT&T csc only has 1 update and thats 8.1.0 also so i was wondering if i can use some other firmware to flash it or do i change csc? would that work if i changed the csc or am i gonna have baseband and signal issues? I tried KIES it said it didnt recognize my phone probably because the software version has never been updated and very old , i wanted to flash it to a different CSC than AT&T but i dont think thats a good idea, please help
ep1kku said:
Hello everyone i've been really struggling with updating my phone that i got pre-owned It's a Samsung Galaxy Note 9 (SM-N960U) and I have not recieved updates since I got it the phone is still on Android version 8.1.0 and security patch from 2018 so i've been really wanting to update it to the latest version but I couldn't and i figured out that phones from AT&T only update via their own app or OTA thing anyway I thought of flashing it with a stock firmware VIA ODIN but i checked on sammobile that the note 9 AT&T csc only has 1 update and thats 8.1.0 also so i was wondering if i can use some other firmware to flash it or do i change csc? would that work if i changed the csc or am i gonna have baseband and signal issues? I tried KIES it said it didnt recognize my phone probably because the software version has never been updated and very old , i wanted to flash it to a different CSC than AT&T but i dont think thats a good idea, please help
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Kies is for older Samsung devices, Smart Switch is for newer Samsung devices.
Here is a list of firmware at Sammobile that has android 10 for your device. They are for T-mobile but I'm pretty sure it can be used on the AT&T Note 9.
https://www.sammobile.com/samsung/galaxy-note9/firmware/sm-n960u/tmb/
Here is a thread for AT&T note 9 where another user flashed their Note 9 with firmware from another carrier. Use the T-Mobile firmware and follow the steps from post #4 of the thread linked below.
https://forum.xda-developers.com/galaxy-note-9/help/please-help-flashing-att-n960u-firmware-t4107287
Sent from my SM-S767VL using Tapatalk
Droidriven said:
Kies is for older Samsung devices, Smart Switch is for newer Samsung devices.
Here is a list of firmware at Sammobile that has android 10 for your device. They are for T-mobile but I'm pretty sure it can be used on the AT&T Note 9.
https://www.sammobile.com/samsung/galaxy-note9/firmware/sm-n960u/tmb/
Here is a thread for AT&T note 9 where another user flashed their Note 9 with firmware from another carrier. Use the T-Mobile firmware and follow the steps from post #4 of the thread linked below.
https://forum.xda-developers.com/galaxy-note-9/help/please-help-flashing-att-n960u-firmware-t4107287
Sent from my SM-S767VL using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
hey thanks for replying so basically i can flash my phone to any other csc because it's unlocked correct? i live in Saudi Arabia so is the reception or whatever gonna get messed up by chance if i flash to something other than AT&T? thanks again.
ep1kku said:
hey thanks for replying so basically i can flash my phone to any other csc because it's unlocked correct? i live in Saudi Arabia so is the reception or whatever gonna get messed up by chance if i flash to something other than AT&T? thanks again.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Read post #4 of the thread that I linked, it will tell you everything you need to know.
Sent from my SM-S767VL using Tapatalk
Droidriven said:
Read post #4 of the thread that I linked, it will tell you everything you need to know.
Sent from my SM-S767VL using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yeah but my phone is sm-n960u not sm-n960u1 what should i be changing in the methods?
ep1kku said:
yeah but my phone is sm-n960u not sm-n960u1 what should i be changing in the methods?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So, all the SM960U devices are the same. Just flash the T-Mobile firmware.
Sent from my SM-S767VL using Tapatalk
Droidriven said:
So, all the SM960U devices are the same. Just flash the T-Mobile firmware.
Sent from my SM-S767VL using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
oh alright, tyvm im gonna go through with it and update you how it goes, ty for the help and response :highfive:
Hello people, having exactly the same problem, so its a SM-N960U phone, unlocked from AT&T. First to say, im not in the US, dont have AT&T sim, the phone is updated to android 10 with 2.0ui, with baseband ver. N960USQS3DTB1.
Now somewhere i read that bootloader must be unlocked in order even to begin thinking of flashind the device, dont know how accurate that is... Id like to ask the Owner of the post, if he was able to make it, to update his firmware. And if so did he indeed succeded from the link above from ep1kku ?
Denis95M said:
Hello people, having exactly the same problem, so its a SM-N960U phone, unlocked from AT&T. First to say, im not in the US, dont have AT&T sim, the phone is updated to android 10 with 2.0ui, with baseband ver. N960USQS3DTB1.
Now somewhere i read that bootloader must be unlocked in order even to begin thinking of flashind the device, dont know how accurate that is... Id like to ask the Owner of the post, if he was able to make it, to update his firmware. And if so did he indeed succeded from the link above from ep1kku ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, the bootloader does not need to be unlocked before flashing if you are flashing stock software, unlocked bootloader is required to flash custom software, not stock software. There are some manufacturers that require unlocking bootloader even when flashing stock software but Samsung is not and probably never will be one of them.
You can flash your device with stock firmware any time you want, provided that the firmware is not a firmware that is older than your currently installed firmware and if the firmware is for your model number or an equivalent variant of your device with a similar model number and the same CPU series.
Droidriven said:
No, the bootloader does not need to be unlocked before flashing if you are flashing stock software, unlocked bootloader is required to flash custom software, not stock software.
You can flash your device with stock firmware any time you want, provided that the firmware is not a firmware that is older than your currently installed firmware and if the firmware is for your model number or an equivalent variant of your device with a similar model number and the same CPU series.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wow didn't know that, well how to find out if the firmware on my device is stock or not, im trying to flash for a week now, odin keeps giving me error ... All threads succed 0/1 no idea whats up with that
Denis95M said:
Wow didn't know that, well how to find out if the firmware on my device is stock or not, im trying to flash for a week now, odin keeps giving me error ... All threads succed 0/1 no idea whats up with that
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can boot into download mode and it should say whether the firmware is "official" or "custom".
As I said, you can flash stock firmware provided that the firmware that you are flashing is not older than your current firmware, you can't downgrade the firmware, you can only flash an equivalent firmware to what is already on the device or a newer, updated firmware. Your error may be due to this. For all Samsung firmware, the 5th character from the right in the build number is referred to as the binary version. Your currently installed firmware has a "3" for the binary version, this means you can only flash a firmware that also has a binary 3 or you can flash a firmware that has a number higher than 3 but you can not flash a firmware that has a binary that is lower than 3(you can not flash a binary 1 or 2 firmware).
Depending on the specific error that you got, this could be your issue. What was the specific error that you got?
Droidriven said:
You can boot into download mode and it should say whether the firmware is "official" or "custom".
As I said, you can flash stock firmware provided that the firmware that you are flashing is not older than your current firmware, you can't downgrade the firmware, you can only flash an equivalent firmware to what is already on the device or a newer, updated firmware. Your error may be due to this. For all Samsung firmware, the 5th character from the right in the build number is referred to as the binary version. Your currently installed firmware has a "3" for the binary version, this means you can only flash a firmware that also has a binary 3 or you can flash a firmware that has a number higher than 3 but you can not flash a firmware that has a binary that is lower than 3(you can not flash a binary 1 or 2 firmware).
Depending on the specific error that you got, this could be your issue. What was the specific error that you got?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I got you, well iv got into download mode many times, its say official, so in theory i can flash official release right, but keeps ending with that odin error, no idea ... Could it be because im in different region than the device's market, its a US market phone like i said, in from europe
Denis95M said:
I got you, well iv got into download mode many times, its say official, so in theory i can flash official release right, but keeps ending with that odin error, no idea ... Could it be because im in different region than the device's market, its a US market phone like i said, in from europe
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
When using Odin, in the box that shows the flashing process, it should say exactly which error you are getting. When I asked what error you are getting, I was not asking "why" you are getting the error, I'm asking what it says in that box. Post the exact name of the error. Try to flash the device, while it is flashing, watch the dialog box in Odin, when it gives the error, take note of exactly what the error is, you can scroll up and down within the box and read all of the output data in that field.
Yes, it could be due to being from a different region but I doubt it. It could also be because your device is a Snapdragon version but the firmware that you are trying to flash could be for a Exynos version instead, or vice versa.
Droidriven said:
When using Odin, in the box that shows the flashing process, it should say exactly which error you are getting. When I asked what error you are getting, I was not asking "why" you are getting the error, I'm asking what it says in that box. Post the exact name of the error. Try to flash the device, while it is flashing, watch the dialog box in Odin, when it gives the error, take note of exactly what the error is, you can scroll up and down within the box and read all of the output data in that field.
Yes, it could be due to being from a different region but I doubt it. It could also be because your device is a Snapdragon version but the firmware that you are trying to flash could be for a Exynos version instead, or vice versa.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes i know that i cant downgrade, well all software that i attempt to flash is downloaded from sammobile, my binary is v3, but one problem, all at&t release for that model is the original one, with android 8.1 ... So i try U1 model still didn't work, my software is official, says in download mode
Denis95M said:
Yes i know that i cant downgrade, well all software that i attempt to flash is downloaded from sammobile, my binary is v3, but one problem, all at&t release for that model is the original one, with android 8.1 ... So i try U1 model still didn't work, my software is official, says in download mode
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You still aren't telling me the SPECIFIC error that you are getting in the dialog box in Odin. That has been the most important question to understand your issue but you keep dodging it. Flash the firmware, watch for the error, take note of exactly what error it says it is, then post exactly what it says the error is. If you can't post that then there is no point in replying.
If you are trying to flash the device in a different region, you may not need to flash the whole firmware from the different region, you may be able to flash just the modem.img from the alternative firmware. To do this, extract the firmware, find the modem.img then convert that modem.img into an Odin flashable .tar using 7zip with its highest level of compression, then flash the modem.img.tar via Odin.
Droidriven said:
You still aren't telling me the SPECIFIC error that you are getting in the dialog box in Odin. That has been the most important question to understand your issue but you keep dodging it. Flash the firmware, watch for the error, take note of exactly what error it says it is, then post exactly what it says the error is.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry rigth in posting screen shot of the error.
Denis95M said:
Sorry rigth in posting screen shot of the error.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I added to my previous post.
Strange, your screenshot doesn't show an error, it just stops without giving an error.
I'm assuming that your firmware came in multiple parts with some CSC files? If so, try flashing without using the CSC files.
Droidriven said:
I added to my previous post.
Strange, your screenshot doesn't show an error, it just stops without giving an error.
I'm assuming that your firmware came in multiple parts with some CSC files? If so, try flashing without using the CSC files.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Right tonight i will try when I'm home, could it be thoug because of wrong firmware ?
Denis95M said:
Right tonight i will try when I'm home, could it be thoug because of wrong firmware ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Give me a link to the firmware that you downloaded and I'll compare to see if it is supposed to work.
Droidriven said:
Give me a link to the firmware that you downloaded and I'll compare to see if it is supposed to work.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Alright, https://www.sammobile.com/samsung/galaxy-note9/firmware/#SM-N960U this is without the carrier, if you put at&t in search menu, you will see that only 1 is available, with android 8.1
So i tried U1, version at&t https://www.sammobile.com/samsung/galaxy-note9/firmware/SM-N960U1/ATT/#SM-N960U1 also didn't work, i tried T-mobile on same U1 model, also didn't work. Everytime same error/none error like on the screen shot