Hi ya'll,
This is my first post! (I actually made an account just for this purpose) Without taking the time to read all of the information available to me on the forums, I, rather stupidly, tried to downgrade my g900a device running lollipop to 4.4.2 kitkat. In that process I managed to soft brick my phone due to the locked bootloader and whatnot. In order to restore my phone to a workable state, what I've gathered is that I need to flash a stock version of the lollipop rom (no root) for the g900a onto my device using odin. This wouldn't be a problem, except that I've spent the last 4 hours or so scouring the internet in search of such a rom. I did find an executable file that looked to be a version of odin with the rom pre-loaded into it, but it failed a hash check leading me to believe that they didn't actually have a lollipop rom loaded into the software. (Link if you're curious: http://forum.xda-developers.com/att...-s5-lollipop-stock-rom-g900aucu3boc4-t3137519). Does anyone know where I can obtain a copy of the stock version of AT&T Lollipop for the g900a?
Many Thanks,
James
Found a fix: You must use odin to flash the partition tables located here: here. Just toss the file into the AP section, ensure that auto reboot and f. Reset Time are the only options checked, and start it up! Hope this helps someone in the future!
Related
Hey guys so recently I had rooted my i537 S4 active and have been researching and modifying here and there until i decided to get a custom ROM. I found WickedROM via this post http://forum.xda-developers.com/show....php?t=2491762 and considering it had worked on this person's i537 I decided to flash the ROM. After flashing I had become stuck in a bootloop and I can't get to anything besides DOWNLOAD MODE. Due to this problem I decided to run a stock firmware via Odin with this one_click http://rootzwiki.com/topic/44121-sgh...axy-s4-active/ ... this filled up until the bar was about 90% and then all of a sudden fails at <ID:0/003> system.img.ext4. I've tried other firmwares with no luck and have resorted to posting about this problem. please help and guide me in the right direction, my phone's been bricked for 3 days now. Trying to boot into recovery gives me the "there's been a problem with your firmware update, please run in Kies recovery" and Kies doesn't recognize my phone.
nickeon1 said:
After flashing I had become stuck in a bootloop and I can't get to anything besides DOWNLOAD MODE.
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Click to collapse
You forgot to flash the masterpatch which makes roms designed for the AT&T S4 (not active) work for our phone. If I understand correctly it needs to be flashed immediately after the rom is installed (i.e. still in SafeStrap, before you attempt to boot up).
nickeon1 said:
Due to this problem I decided to run a stock firmware via Odin with this one_click http://rootzwiki.com/topic/44121-sgh...axy-s4-active/ ... this filled up until the bar was about 90% and then all of a sudden fails at <ID:0/003> system.img.ext4 and Kies doesn't recognize my phone.
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Click to collapse
That link is for MF1, an outdated firmware. Here is a collection of stock i537 firmwares. I can personally confirm the NH3 file is usable since I used it to upgrade to the most recent firmware without losing root.
This thread will provide you instructions on how to use Odin to flash any stock firmware. I can only add I recommend using Odin v3.07, as I've used it with the most success and fewest issues. Also use NH3 firmware or at the very least NE3, because anything else is outdated, assuming you were on stock KitKat originally, and you will encounter similar issues if trying to downgrade to jellybean.
Also flashing with Odin deletes all your saved files/user info etc. on your phone. From the sound of it, fixing your phone is going to involve inevitably wiping it one way or the other, so I hope you have a backup saved somewhere other than your phone's internal memory.
nickeon1 said:
Hey guys so recently I had rooted my i537 S4 active and have been researching and modifying here and there until i decided to get a custom ROM. I found WickedROM via this post http://forum.xda-developers.com/show....php?t=2491762 and considering it had worked on this person's i537 I decided to flash the ROM. After flashing I had become stuck in a bootloop and I can't get to anything besides DOWNLOAD MODE. Due to this problem I decided to run a stock firmware via Odin with this one_click http://rootzwiki.com/topic/44121-sgh...axy-s4-active/ ... this filled up until the bar was about 90% and then all of a sudden fails at <ID:0/003> system.img.ext4. I've tried other firmwares with no luck and have resorted to posting about this problem. please help and guide me in the right direction, my phone's been bricked for 3 days now. Trying to boot into recovery gives me the "there's been a problem with your firmware update, please run in Kies recovery" and Kies doesn't recognize my phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
When you flash back to stock, you can only flash a version that is equal to or greater than the version you were already on. So if you were originally on 4.4.2 you can only flash a 4.4.2 stock ROM, any other ROM will fail to flash.
thisisapoorusernamechoice said:
You forgot to flash the masterpatch which makes roms designed for the AT&T S4 (not active) work for our phone. If I understand correctly it needs to be flashed immediately after the rom is installed (i.e. still in SafeStrap, before you attempt to boot up).
That link is for MF1, an outdated firmware. Here is a collection of stock i537 firmwares. I can personally confirm the NH3 file is usable since I used it to upgrade to the most recent firmware without losing root.
This thread will provide you instructions on how to use Odin to flash any stock firmware. I can only add I recommend using Odin v3.07, as I've used it with the most success and fewest issues. Also use NH3 firmware or at the very least NE3, because anything else is outdated, assuming you were on stock KitKat originally, and you will encounter similar issues if trying to downgrade to jellybean.
Also flashing with Odin deletes all your saved files/user info etc. on your phone. From the sound of it, fixing your phone is going to involve inevitably wiping it one way or the other, so I hope you have a backup saved somewhere other than your phone's internal memory.
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Click to collapse
Thanks very much for this! I flashed an NE3 firmware and was able to get my phone in working condition. So if I wanted to flash a rom on my phone I would have to masterpatch AFTER the rom flash via Safestrap?
nickeon1 said:
Thanks very much for this! I flashed an NE3 firmware and was able to get my phone in working condition. So if I wanted to flash a rom on my phone I would have to masterpatch AFTER the rom flash via Safestrap?
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Click to collapse
Yes, but make sure the phone doesn't reboot in between flashing the ROM and flashing the Masterpatch.
(RESOLVED)
Alright so in order to not bore you all, ill get to the point. I messed up trying to do impossible things with my I537 because I didn't read any forums before trying... stupid I know. That being said I now have a "soft bricked" phone stuck in download mode. I have been looking around (I assume not hard enough) for the right file to flash with ODIN to get me back up and running so I can actually do my research this time before playing with different stock roms.
Can anyone point me in the right direction to get the right files to unbrick this thing?
First things first: this forum is for the SGH-I537 AT&T Galaxy S4 Active, not the I527 Galaxy Mega. I just want to make sure you have the right device. If you have the Mega (I527), you want this forum, and ignore the rest of this post.
If you do in fact have the Galaxy S4 Active (I537), then check out this thread, it has all the official firmware files that have been released for this device. I would recommend using the firmware files for NE3 (KitKat) to flash in Odin. The NE3 build is the easiest to root, and you can always use the keep-root method to upgrade to lollipop if you so desire.
Oh yes sorry that was a mistype. I did indeed mean to type I537. Ok Ill give this a shot and update on how it goes.
Ok so Im currently downloading the Full Odin package, but I have already rooted the phone with towelroot. Is that going to be an issue?
Nah it won't be a problem. Flashing firmware files with Odin will unroot your phone (it resets everything to original factory settings). You can always reroot with towel root again
Ok new problem though, I was able to get everything flashed through ODIN, it restarts; then I get the Samsung boot screen, att boot screen and then it just goes black. I put it back into download mode and tried to re-flash it a couple times but it keeps doing the same thing. Thoughts? This Is the section I got the file from;
I537UCUCNE3 (4.4.2) Released 2014-06-06 - OFFICIAL
Issue has been solved, I just had a battery issue but after changing that and letting the phone charge up it started up great. Thanks for all your help "thisisapoorusernamechoice"
Hello. I was hesitant to start a new thread, but there are a lot of threads in this section of the forums, and i keep getting an error when trying to use the "Search this forum" bar. Anyway, I have a rooted 6.0.1 Note 5 (DPG1 update) with TWRP 3.0.2-1 and am trying to flash stock rom back to Lollipop. I am using ODIN with the firmware file named thusly "N920TUVU1BOH6_N920TTMB1BOH6_N920TUVU1BOH6_HOME.tar". I first tried flashing with the .md5 extension on the end, but it failed as well as with the .tar extension. I've looked quite a bit on the forums, as well as on the web, and anything i have found say it is as simple as ODIN flashing stock rom through download mode. any suggestions, or tips? am I going about this totally wrong? need more information from me? please let me know, any feedback is appreciated. thank you.
EDIT: I am looking to completely remove root from my device, including restoring stock recovery; trying to sell device. thanks again.
Jenquist82 said:
Hello. I was hesitant to start a new thread, but there are a lot of threads in this section of the forums, and i keep getting an error when trying to use the "Search this forum" bar. Anyway, I have a rooted 6.0.1 Note 5 (DPG1 update) with TWRP 3.0.2-1 and am trying to flash stock rom back to Lollipop. I am using ODIN with the firmware file named thusly "N920TUVU1BOH6_N920TTMB1BOH6_N920TUVU1BOH6_HOME.tar". I first tried flashing with the .md5 extension on the end, but it failed as well as with the .tar extension. I've looked quite a bit on the forums, as well as on the web, and anything i have found say it is as simple as ODIN flashing stock rom through download mode. any suggestions, or tips? am I going about this totally wrong? need more information from me? please let me know, any feedback is appreciated. thank you.
EDIT: I am looking to completely remove root from my device, including restoring stock recovery; trying to sell device. thanks again.
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Click to collapse
What firmware did your device ship with? If it didn't come with BOH6 ( which mine didn't ) I don't believe you can flash it, I could be wrong but only flash with the earliest the phone came with. I can't think of any other reason Odin wouldn't work as I flash back and forth all the time between PD1 I can't think of the last 5.1.1, I've been on 6.0 roms for about a month.
I see. It doesn't necessarily have to be lollipop that I use to flash, that is just what the site recommended, could I use the latest marshmallow? Or does it have to be the version that shipped with the device? Because I do not have that information sadly. Perhaps you could link me to something that is sure to work? As long as I am removing root, I am ok with what I end up with. Thanks again!
I've been searching and searching for either file and I've got nothing but dead links. The one file I did find is bad and failed to write in Odin. It's been a long time since I worked on this phone and it's currently on 4.4.2, NC2 and it's not able to receive calls after unlocking and switching carriers...so my one thought is to flash the modem file. The phone is rooted but Safestrap is not installed. Going from NC2 up to what's currently available seems very daunting and there are many conflicting instructions on how to go from one version to another.
So, does anyone have a good link to either of the mentioned files? I've been looking for Odin files but I'd install Safestrap (if I can find the right one) and flash in recovery if that is the way to do it.
Or is it possible to update 4.4.2 to 5.0? What are the best instructions? I've spent four hours researching and it's just not obvious what I can or should do. I just want the phone to receive calls.
Safestrap is installed but won't work. Installed reinstalled busybox, etc. No love.
Found this, finally. https://mega.co.nz/#F!wg5wRQrQ!vR7a6pze9dgSWjbaRSyhWA. I flashed the modem but there is still the same problem. Did unlocking break the phone? I'm going to go ahead and download the whole stock ROM and try that next.
Hi, My phone has outdated Android 6.0.1 baseband.
I downloaded the new file "N920W8VLU4BPJ1_N920W8OYA4BPJ1_N920W8VLU4BPJ1_HOME .tar" and extracted out the modem.bin
But I am not sure if it is possible to simply drop this file on the phone and restore that file from TWRP (I think that is wrong)
or how to flash this file by itself inside of ODIN so I do not change everything else on my phone.
It was already running MM before I rooted & flashed TWRP & custom roms.
I'm getting terrible battery life and issues with WiFi shutting on and turning on when the screen comes back on (even though no software/settings are set for that)
I have some prior Samsung experience, but I'm not sure how to, or if its even possible to simply flash this updated modem.bin without doing the whole samsung firmware and then starting root/TWRP/custom rom again from scratch basically.
Thanks in advance!!
I'm reposting this from another thread in hopes to get quicker response.
I will edit both posts if a solution is provided to assist in others finding that info.
SOLheel said:
Hi, My phone has outdated Android 6.0.1 baseband.
I downloaded the new file "N920W8VLU4BPJ1_N920W8OYA4BPJ1_N920W8VLU4BPJ1_HOME .tar" and extracted out the modem.bin
But I am not sure if it is possible to simply drop this file on the phone and restore that file from TWRP (I think that is wrong)
or how to flash this file by itself inside of ODIN so I do not change everything else on my phone.
It was already running MM before I rooted & flashed TWRP & custom roms.
I'm getting terrible battery life and issues with WiFi shutting on and turning on when the screen comes back on (even though no software/settings are set for that)
I have some prior Samsung experience, but I'm not sure how to, or if its even possible to simply flash this updated modem.bin without doing the whole samsung firmware and then starting root/TWRP/custom rom again from scratch basically.
Thanks in advance!!
I'm reposting this from another thread in hopes to get quicker response.
I will edit both posts if a solution is provided to assist in others finding that info.
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Click to collapse
do so at your own risk. If you extracted the individual components of the firmware, you can use 7-zip to save as .tar file which is ODIN flashable. I do this to flash boot and sboot files in ODIN to enable ADB for FRP removals. Do so at your own risk however, I do not take responsibility for you messing up your phone if you don't know what you're doing.
Personally I think you'd be better off flashing stock firmware and going from there. Rooting and TWRP take literally seconds to accomplish. Plus this route is safer than what you're doing...