SM-N960F/D Odin flashing - blunder after blunder.... :( - Samsung Galaxy Note 9 Questions & Answers

Ok... So where to begin...
I've searched the threads for a few days now and tried several flashing methods and tools, but I'm having no luck. So please bare with me, and I will get into it...
I recently purchased a new Note 9 international unlocked model. I was super excited and ready to get it running. Except, I started it up and then no Bixby Voice. Unlike most, I prefer to use it and find it helpful to me regularly, so I'd like to keep it. Anyway, when pressing the button I received the much noted "Bixby Voice is not available in your country" message. Well, I found from Samsung support live chat, that this is because of two reasons. One, I currently live in Japan. Two, the phone is a Singapore model phone. My immediate thought was "Oh, ok well, I'll just flash it with another country's firmware then". Seemed easy enough. I flashed it with firmware baring an OXM csc, and after booting up I noticed the the VoLTE feature that was not select-able before was now able to turned on. "Ooow, extra win!" I thought, but of course same issue with bixby. So I searched and found a csc for a location that has bixby is available and is also a carrier unlocked Exynos chipset firmware (XEU). I flashed this, but guess what... still no Bixby Voice. Frustrated, I began looking into changing the Sales code. Using the *#272*IMEI# code and found that MM1 was the sales code for some reason. I changed this to XEU and the phone rebooted. I restored and then tried Bixby Voice again... same. Except, I noticed I also lost the VoLTE option completely. It doesn't even show in the menu bar anymore. I tried the code again to change the sales code back, but now I get error "Connection problem or invalid MMI code." So now, I lost that too. "To hell with it", I thought. I'll flash it back to the old firmware... nope. Now I get:
SW REV. CHECK FAIL. DEVICE: 2, BINARY: 1
This will sometimes change slightly if I try to flash a single part of the new firmware, BL, AP, CSC, etc...
I have done some research and found via the serial number that the firmware I should have installed is: N960FXXU1ARH5_N960FOXM1ARGD_N960FXXU1ARGC_N960FXXU 1ARH5_XSP (according to the Chimera Mobile tool)
I've obtained this, but I still get the same Revision error. I found that the one last one I successfully flashed is a newer version than the others. So now what can I do? Is it possible I can just manually manipulate the CSC details? I rooted the phone and got ES Explorer going, set all the access rights to R/W but I cant find the /System/CSC folder that people keep going on about. Did they do away with that on the Note 9?
It looks like I also have some regional troubles with the Play store too.
WTH... I'm really not sure what to do here. Can anyone please help? I'll be satisfied if I can just get it back to the stock firmware...

Decoding SW REV. CHECK FAIL. DEVICE: 2, BINARY: 1 come out to: Software Revision check fail, you have 2 and it's expecting 1.
That does indeed sound like you've installed a newer version and it's not letting you roll back the device. You may now need to wait for Singapore's stock firmware to be updated to the same or newer and get a copy of that.

who uses bixby use google assistant for peats sake!!!"!!!!

willhemmens said:
Decoding SW REV. CHECK FAIL. DEVICE: 2, BINARY: 1 come out to: Software Revision check fail, you have 2 and it's expecting 1.
That does indeed sound like you've installed a newer version and it's not letting you roll back the device. You may now need to wait for Singapore's stock firmware to be updated to the same or newer and get a copy of that.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi willhemmens! Thanks for replying back.
I was also speculating the same thing about having to wait for the revision, but I know the people here are significantly more knowledgeable, so I thought I'd try to pick some brains. My first though was that there must be something in one of the package files that identify to the phone what "version" it is, and then perhaps that can be modified and then re-packaged. But if that were the case, this would be the best place on the planet to verify that. I have tools to un-package and repackage, maybe I'll make a duplicate copy and tinker around in it.
It looks like everyone is complaining about it. It's been a while since I rooted a device (7 years maybe?), so I hadn't realized Samsung took a dump in the downgrade pool. I also found some other new 'glorious' features they've graced us with-after the fact of course. Now, when I un-root... it's still flagged as modified! Woohoo. ....Fricken' KNOX. Now all of the nifty Samsung apps are blocked. Is it just me, or has Samsung turned a little extra Ass-hat recently?
Anyway, I guess I'll have to deal with this lame iOS quality version of Oreo until then... By the way, off the top of your head do you know where I can go to keep an eye out for that update to happen? All I know is SamMobile.com
Thanks again.

mikey_sk said:
who uses bixby use google assistant for peats sake!!!"!!!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi Mikey! Yeah, I suppose your right. I've just been using it a lot and have gotten accustomed to it. Plus I enjoy creating my own custom Bixby voices, attitudes, and responses. Bixby on my Note 8 has split personality.
Luckily she doesn't randomly laugh in the dark like Alexa. If she did she'd fly out the window like a Note 7.

csc was omc and now odm.

bober10113 said:
csc was omc and now odm.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
HI Bober10113! Thanks for your reply. I was able to find my way there, but It seems the csc feature files are encrypted now. I'm still looking through the threads for something about how to decrypt/encrypt them, but I haven't found anything yet.

VetteMike69 said:
HI Bober10113! Thanks for your reply. I was able to find my way there, but It seems the csc feature files are encrypted now. I'm still looking through the threads for something about how to decrypt/encrypt them, but I haven't found anything yet.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Actually, I just found a video on YouTube where Yakapa40 is able to unpack the xml files using some "cscfeature" executable.
@yakapa40
Is there any chance you might be willing to share your "cscfeature.exe" file for unpacking the feature XML files in the CSC?

VetteMike69 said:
Actually, I just found a video on YouTube where Yakapa40 is able to unpack the xml files using some "cscfeature" executable.
@yakapa40
Is there any chance you might be willing to share your "cscfeature.exe" file for unpacking the feature XML files in the CSC?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ah sorry, nevermind... I was able to make a ps1 for it instead. I'm good one decoding and encoding the XMLs now.

@VetteMike69
if you need it , you have an automatic encode/decode feature here in post 5 : https://forum.xda-developers.com/galaxy-note-9/how-to/n960f-n960n-n960u-n960u1-n960w-n9600-t3833721
regards
edit : sorry no licence , but you can make your own patch file

yakapa40 said:
@VetteMike69
if you need it , you have an automatic encode/decode feature here in post 5 : https://forum.xda-developers.com/galaxy-note-9/how-to/n960f-n960n-n960u-n960u1-n960w-n9600-t3833721
regards
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
you made the exe with freeware(advance bat to exe converter)that only works on your PC. read the software policy.. its clearly written that what you compile only works on 1 computer.
anyways for everyone else, here is a proper tool:
https://1drv.ms/f/s!AhXVLDDj8g3Agdl8B0jk3H1dqccrXw

bober10113 said:
you made the exe with freeware(advance bat to exe converter)that only works on your PC. read the software policy.. its clearly written that what you compile only works on 1 computer.
anyways for everyone else, here is a proper tool:
https://1drv.ms/f/s!AhXVLDDj8g3Agdl8B0jk3H1dqccrXw
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi bober, don't know where else to post this, so posting it here...I have seen a bunch of your posts and it seems you've figured out a way to use Canadian CSC on the 960 F/DS...i have a few questions:
1- First step is install TWRP?
2- then root?
3- do I have to change the actual firmware of the device? Mine is a singapore unit
4- Once I change CSC, how are updates handled after that if I want to keep using stock firmware?
5- If I can't do OTA, then how will I update to the latest version and security patches? Do I download these for the Canada version? or the Singapore version?
Any help would be highly appreciated!!

hkalltheway said:
Hi bober, don't know where else to post this, so posting it here...I have seen a bunch of your posts and it seems you've figured out a way to use Canadian CSC on the 960 F/DS...i have a few questions:
1- First step is install TWRP?
2- then root?
3- do I have to change the actual firmware of the device? Mine is a singapore unit
4- Once I change CSC, how are updates handled after that if I want to keep using stock firmware?
5- If I can't do OTA, then how will I update to the latest version and security patches? Do I download these for the Canada version? or the Singapore version?
Any help would be highly appreciated!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i think you should weigh in what you want to achieve by changing csc and if it really is worth rooting for.
i rooted for custom roms, sound mods and just sheer control over my device.
but this comes with a price:
no samsung pay ( yet)( can always unroot)
tripped knox fuse, so probably no warranty. depends.(once tripped, this cannot be reverted)
misc apps detect root and might no longer root.(can always unroot)
so you should read up and get informed on what you need and if you need root/twrp.
concerning updates once rooted:
either use custom roms. BL and CP can be manually updated via stock firmware while custom rom keeps the system up to date.
or flash full stock firmware each time then re-root.
in both cases above, firmware files to be used are for exynos F devices. forget the canadian firmware, you cant flash that since it's for snapdragon devices.

yakapa40 said:
@VetteMike69
if you need it , you have an automatic encode/decode feature here in post 5 : https://forum.xda-developers.com/galaxy-note-9/how-to/n960f-n960n-n960u-n960u1-n960w-n9600-t3833721
regards
edit : sorry no licence , but you can make your own patch file
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi @yakapa40!
Thank you, this looks like it'll be a bit more convenient than the one I made previously. I'll put it on record for next time. Luckily I was able to find what prevented me from flashing the older revision CSC and modify that. So now I was able to use Odin to drop down my PDA and CSC while keeping the newer Bootloader and Baseband. I guess it's a bit of a Frankin'-Firm now. Whats weird though, is that now my knox sometimes shows tripped and sometimes doesn't; sometimes root checker fails and sometimes it passes.
I wonder if I grazed on something that's related to the knox handler... Nagh... probably just wishful thinking. Still weird though.

bober10113 said:
i think you should weigh in what you want to achieve by changing csc and if it really is worth rooting for.
i rooted for custom roms, sound mods and just sheer control over my device.
but this comes with a price:
no samsung pay ( yet)( can always unroot)
tripped knox fuse, so probably no warranty. depends.(once tripped, this cannot be reverted)
misc apps detect root and might no longer root.(can always unroot)
so you should read up and get informed on what you need and if you need root/twrp.
concerning updates once rooted:
either use custom roms. BL and CP can be manually updated via stock firmware while custom rom keeps the system up to date.
or flash full stock firmware each time then re-root.
in both cases above, firmware files to be used are for exynos F devices. forget the canadian firmware, you cant flash that since it's for snapdragon devices.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi @hkalltheway!
Bober10113 is absolutely right on this. Really, you need to know what exactly you are rooting the device for. If you don't have a set reason, it may be better not to root it. You can flash stock firmware and CSC all day long without needing a root. But if you want to customize the features (there's not really a lot right now by the way) and setup custom menus, layouts, or run CFW... Then you'll have to go the way of rooting. But again, there is currently no definitive way to "untrip" your knox. As he said, you can "unroot" but you cannot "technically" regain your unmodified status; even though you can revert back to a stock rom. By loosing this status you loose access to Pay, Secure Folder, and a few other things. I think there is a mod out there to get Samsung Health working again, but as far as I'm currently aware, that's the only one you can re-gain. Most of them validate against your knox value.
Regarding your questions.
YES! You should always install TWRP first before doing any 'messin'. This is your ultimate line of recovery and the best mulligan your gonna get from your device. Always follow the two step wonder on this:
1. Install TWRP
2. Boot into TWRP and create a full backup of your partitions (Before anything else). I do this to the SD card in the tray. That way it's always handy.
After this, feel free to play around, but keep in mind what versions/revisions your flashing. If you jump to a new one, it's not easy to downgrade -it'll take hours to download and rewrite the firmware you need and trick the phone into thinking it's flashing the latest update.
Regarding a changed CSC and the updates... You should have no problem getting updates. But Samsung sends out updates to devices based on the CSC. So, if you flash the CSC, the updates you get will come at the same time interval of the country and location of the CSC that you flashed. For example, you have a Sin model with Sin CSC just like me, but if you flash to a UK CSC, then you will get your updates at the same time that the UK get their updates. Etc, Etc...
For the OTA Updates, if your on a stock firmware you should get these fine. If they do not automatically update you can just tap the update button manually in settings to check for new updates and then download them. Some have said you need to turn off automatic updates, and some say you do not. This, I'm not 100% sure on this one. Also, you can manually update by flashing the newest version through Odin as the come in. Usually SamMobile.com is good about keeping up to date firmware that you can download with all 4 packs, nicely labeled for you.
Hopefully that helps you out a bit.

VetteMike69 said:
Hi @hkalltheway!
Bober10113 is absolutely right on this. Really, you need to know what exactly you are rooting the device for. If you don't have a set reason, it may be better not to root it. You can flash stock firmware and CSC all day long without needing a root. But if you want to customize the features (there's not really a lot right now by the way) and setup custom menus, layouts, or run CFW... Then you'll have to go the way of rooting. But again, there is currently no definitive way to "untrip" your knox. As he said, you can "unroot" but you cannot "technically" regain your unmodified status; even though you can revert back to a stock rom. By loosing this status you loose access to Pay, Secure Folder, and a few other things. I think there is a mod out there to get Samsung Health working again, but as far as I'm currently aware, that's the only one you can re-gain. Most of them validate against your knox value.
Regarding your questions.
YES! You should always install TWRP first before doing any 'messin'. This is your ultimate line of recovery and the best mulligan your gonna get from your device. Always follow the two step wonder on this:
1. Install TWRP
2. Boot into TWRP and create a full backup of your partitions (Before anything else). I do this to the SD card in the tray. That way it's always handy.
After this, feel free to play around, but keep in mind what versions/revisions your flashing. If you jump to a new one, it's not easy to downgrade -it'll take hours to download and rewrite the firmware you need and trick the phone into thinking it's flashing the latest update.
Regarding a changed CSC and the updates... You should have no problem getting updates. But Samsung sends out updates to devices based on the CSC. So, if you flash the CSC, the updates you get will come at the same time interval of the country and location of the CSC that you flashed. For example, you have a Sin model with Sin CSC just like me, but if you flash to a UK CSC, then you will get your updates at the same time that the UK get their updates. Etc, Etc...
For the OTA Updates, if your on a stock firmware you should get these fine. If they do not automatically update you can just tap the update button manually in settings to check for new updates and then download them. Some have said you need to turn off automatic updates, and some say you do not. This, I'm not 100% sure on this one. Also, you can manually update by flashing the newest version through Odin as the come in. Usually SamMobile.com is good about keeping up to date firmware that you can download with all 4 packs, nicely labeled for you.
Hopefully that helps you out a bit.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
phone info tool and other root detect apps are notorious for reporting wrong Knox status.....
he wants a csc from a snapdragon to a exynos. so flashing csc from SD in odin is ill advised. so it will require root and files be either manualy modded or i have updated tkkg1994 csc pack to work on note 9. ive only added canadian region.
https://1drv.ms/u/s!AhXVLDDj8g3AgdkwkPIxwDu5ZFASuQ
in twrp backup:
EFS
carrier files
then flash zip.
i wont be held responsible for anything. Ive tested on my N960N.
should work on any F or FD/DS too.
all credits to tkkg1994.

bober10113 said:
phone info tool and other root detect apps are notorious for reporting wrong Knox status.....
he wants a csc from a snapdragon to a exynos. so flashing csc from SD in odin is ill advised. so it will require root and files be either manualy modded or i have updated tkkg1994 csc pack to work on note 9. ive only added canadian region.
https://1drv.ms/u/s!AhXVLDDj8g3AgdkwkPIxwDu5ZFASuQ
in twrp backup:
EFS
carrier files
then flash zip.
i wont be held responsible for anything. Ive tested on my N960N.
should work on any F or FD/DS too.
all credits to tkkg1994.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the help guys! The only reason I wanted root was for having VoLTE and Wifi calling working in Canada. One more reason is titanium backup so I can back up the device completely so it's easy to restore. Finally, I was curious how the scene is now and what else I can play with in magisk, as I've never used it. Thanks!

hkalltheway said:
Thanks for the help guys! The only reason I wanted root was for having VoLTE and Wifi calling working in Canada. One more reason is titanium backup so I can back up the device completely so it's easy to restore. Finally, I was curious how the scene is now and what else I can play with in magisk, as I've never used it. Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
well then root might be food for you.
have a read at Dr Ketan roms thread for the root procedure and details of what it involves.

hkalltheway said:
Thanks for the help guys! The only reason I wanted root was for having VoLTE and Wifi calling working in Canada. One more reason is titanium backup so I can back up the device completely so it's easy to restore. Finally, I was curious how the scene is now and what else I can play with in magisk, as I've never used it. Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
what is your carrier?
because Rogers blacklists non carrier phones. i believe bell might also do that too. So even if all is there and options appear, your phones imei code will be blocked from enrolling for wifi calling.

bober10113 said:
what is your carrier?
because Rogers blacklists non carrier phones. i believe bell might also do that too. So even if all is there and options appear, your phones imei code will be blocked from enrolling for wifi calling.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm currently with fido but thinking of switching to freedom mobile. Still too worried about all this rooting stuff that it seems the best thing to do is stay away from now and choose from one of the 2:
1- use wifi calling / VoLTE by getting the rogers/fido phone directly; that phone will not have dual sim capability
2- forget wifi calling / VoLTE and use this dual sim version, which has a lot of advantages while traveling
Seems like I'll stick to the 2nd option for now. Thanks for the help!

Related

[NO LONGER ACTIVE] Sprint T817P ODIN Flashable OEM Software

ODIN FLASHABLE STOCK FIRMWARE
For the Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 - SM-T817P
**** UPDATE: JUNE 30, 2016 - For personal reasons, I am unable to continue to host the flashable tars or any other files for this device. Links have been removed. Moderators, please delete this thread or freeze it.
Sorry for the inconvenience.
These are untampered, unaltered, original firmware in the event that you need to recover from a soft brick or otherwise desire to / need to restore to out-of-box.
NOTE THIS WILL NOT RESET THE KNOX WARRANTY VOID COUNTER.
This will only restore original Samsung firmware
I will add links to new versions when they are released.
DOWNLOAD LINKS:
USE PASSWORD: XDAdevelopers
Password is case sensitive
5.1.1 - OL1 - Released December 23rd 2015 - Link Deleted
5.1.1 - OJ5 - Released November 11th 2015 - Link Unavailable
5.1.1 - OH6 - Initial Version Released September 11th 2015 - Link Deleted
Use ODIN 3.10.7 which can be downloaded at http://androidcentral.us/2013/11/download-odin/
** IF RESETTING, OR RECOVERING FROM A SOFT BRICK, After Flashing, boot to recovery and perform a factory reset or manually wipe /data and /data/media **
Thanks for this, alwwys good to have a copy of the stock firmware on hand.
**** UPDATE: JUNE 30, 2016 - For personal reasons, I am unable to continue to host the flashable tars or any other files for this device. Links have been removed. Moderators, please delete this thread or freeze it.
Sorry for the inconvenience.
**** UPDATE: JUNE 16 2016 - For personal reasons, I will soon be unable to host the flashable tars or any other files. June 30 I will be removing download links. I encourage you to download now. If anyone else wants to host or start a new thread, be my guest. If you host, I would be more than happy to link here.
Otherwise, June 30th, All links will be removed and I will be asking XDA Mods to close and/or delete this thread. Sorry for the inconvenience.
What's the difference between the Sprint version and the normal SM-T815? Is it possible to flash the Sprint firmware on a normal SM-T815?
P3CO said:
What's the difference between the Sprint version and the normal SM-T815? Is it possible to flash the Sprint firmware on a normal SM-T815?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
NO absolutely not. I assume by "normal SM-T815" you mean WiFi Only? The image for the T817P contains both the radio for the 3G/4G LTE/Spark and Wifi, and is specifically meant for that specific model. If you try to flash it to yours, it might potentially HARD BRICK - as in no way to recover. It becomes a $400 - $800 (depending on what model) paperweight. Always only flash the OEM software for your specific model only.
If you're unable to find the firmware for your device, PM me and I can locate, host and send you a link for it.
What specifically is your model number? after the T-815 is there a letter? T-815X... what is X?
typefortytardis said:
NO absolutely not. I assume by "normal SM-T815" you mean WiFi Only? The image for the T817P contains both the radio for the 3G/4G LTE/Spark and Wifi, and is specifically meant for that specific model. If you try to flash it to yours, it might potentially HARD BRICK - as in no way to recover. It becomes a $400 - $800 (depending on what model) paperweight. Always only flash the OEM software for your specific model only.
If you're unable to find the firmware for your device, PM me and I can locate, host and send you a link for it.
What specifically is your model number? after the T-815 is there a letter? T-815X... what is X?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
T815 is actually the LTE model, so not much different to the t817p.
Don't know why anyone would want to flash carrier firmware to an international model anyway unless they are attempting to use it with that network?
Unfortunately this is not always possible due to differences in the radio.
I'm adding a password due to bots downloading the file.
The Password is: XDAdevelopers
P3CO said:
What's the difference between the Sprint version and the normal SM-T815? Is it possible to flash the Sprint firmware on a normal SM-T815?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Some firmware for the international LTE model T815 is in the thread for the stock firmware collection here, and in my posts like this one and this one. Also see the very useful tool in this thread.
The stock firmware for T815 is still 5.0.2, not 5.1.1, if that was the reason for your question.
GidiK said:
Some firmware for the international LTE model T815 is in the thread for the stock firmware collection here, and in my posts like this one and this one. Also see the very useful tool in this thread.
The stock firmware for T815 is still 5.0.2, not 5.1.1, if that was the reason for your question.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Your tool was not able to decrypt the update it downloaded unfortunately. The update hasn't been pushed to Samsung Smart Switch yet so I can't grab and host the MD5 yet. And I have not been able to trick the OTA into downloading it yet even using xposed and wanam to set a fake system status. If you are able to update the decryption method, do let me know and I'll give it another go
typefortytardis said:
Your tool was not able to decrypt the update it downloaded unfortunately. The update hasn't been pushed to Samsung Smart Switch yet so I can't grab and host the MD5 yet. And I have not been able to trick the OTA into downloading it yet even using xposed and wanam to set a fake system status. If you are able to update the decryption method, do let me know and I'll give it another go
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not my tool, I was just pointing to the thread of the tool I used to download the firmware for the T815.
For T817P, SPR, the OJ5 seems indeed to be known in OTA mode, but not available for download yet; this also happened for T815 and that delay lasted about a day.
Does anyone have a OJ5 stock odin tar for SM-t817? I have twrp but the boot.img provided put me in a boot loop & I didn't make a backup like a noob.
Edit : Actually I think it was the super su zip (BETA-SuperSU-v2.52.zip)
The tablet is not usable @ all & it's actually a Christmas present for my son that I just wanted to setup & get going. So plz anyone with the file can use smart switch to download it would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks in advanced
Nvm, I'm on OJ5 (sprint variant t817p) & everything including boot.img & su zip work on the latest update. :highfive:
I'm bricked. I have a sprint t817p on latest firmware, and i keep getting frp lock fails on anything i flash in odin and i cant get to recovery, and it will not boot. I cant find the latest tar file, and all the older ones fail. Can anyone assist?
liquidhaste said:
I'm bricked. I have a sprint t817p on latest firmware, and i keep getting frp lock fails on anything i flash in odin and i cant get to recovery, and it will not boot. I cant find the latest tar file, and all the older ones fail. Can anyone assist?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I still have not had a chance to update mine. I am not certain why, but newer softwares for a lot of samsung devices have been hard to come by lately *suspiciously looks at Samsung*. Also I am out of town til the 20th of January.
As far as frp lock, or "Factory Reset Protection", you forgot to go into developer settings and enable "OEM Unlock".
It is basically like Samsung's 5.0 "Reactivation Lock", except this is enabled by default and encompasses KNOX verification. It cannot be circumvented now. HOWEVER.... there are TWO THINGS I can think of you can try (If anyone else has anything to add, please do)
1.) Try using the OH6 ROM with ODIN. Yes it's one edition older but it might work. I bricked by Galaxy Note5 after going to the latest firmware and forgot to disable FRP Lock (by enabling "OEM Unlock" under developer settings). Reflashing with ODIN worked. Then Flash your recovery, go into recovery, and format /data /system and /cache and dump the Dalvik/ART cache. Then boot back to download mode and re-flash the same ROM. Upgrade to most recent via OTA, then re root.
It worked when I ran into FRP lock errors with my note 5. it might work for you. It will not let you do anything that is not official samsung. Be prepared to log in with your samsung account info once you finally boot if you registered that before you bricked.
2.) Go to a Sprint store, pretend you're a tech illiterate and say after your cousin or someone messed with it, that happened. Sprint (most locations and employees anyways - try another if one fails) stick with the original pro-development attitude towards Android and will generally look the other way - and flash back the correct software or warranty replace it for you (YES EVEN IF KNOX IS Tripped)
TRY #1 first. It fixed my note which was bricked by FRP.
*Meant to type OH6 not AA1. That was a place holder while I typed (and tried to find the version info)
I already tried to flash oh6 and it won't take it. Probably going to try the tech illiterate route. To make matters potentially worse. It wasn't even on oj5 it was the newest update released Dec 23 (don't have the build number handy), I just found that out late last night. Fortunately Knox is not tripped though, I never made it that far. I guess forgetting to check oem unlocking will prevent a flash but not prevent said flash from corrupting your boot.img? Weaksauce.
typefortytardis said:
[...] and will generally look the other way - and flash back the correct software or warranty replace it for you (YES EVEN IF KNOX IS Tripped).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Really? I thought (and heard here and there) that once you tripped KNOX, you have no chance to make your clsims on the warranty. Please prove me wrong
Depressed T.Bear said:
Really? I thought (and heard here and there) that once you tripped KNOX, you have no chance to make your clsims on the warranty. Please prove me wrong
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You do not. Once KNOX is tripped, your warranty is void. You are no longer eligible to turn in a claim.
However, certain carriers (however they organize their purchasing contracts) have it to where they are authorized to process, handle and fulfill the warranty. Sprint is one of those carriers in the US. And a lot of times you have in store agents that either do not get paid enough to care or otherwise still hold true to the original pro development spirit of Android.
I personally replaced 3 Galaxy S5 devices that had KNOX tripped. That store started actually checking my KNOX thing and didn't let a 4th happen so Samsung probably did not credit them, but my account was never charged back. I did it a 4th time at another Sprint store.
liquidhaste said:
I already tried to flash oh6 and it won't take it. Probably going to try the tech illiterate route. To make matters potentially worse. It wasn't even on oj5 it was the newest update released Dec 23 (don't have the build number handy), I just found that out late last night. Fortunately Knox is not tripped though, I never made it that far. I guess forgetting to check oem unlocking will prevent a flash but not prevent said flash from corrupting your boot.img? Weaksauce.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Then yes if you did not trip KNOX, you should have no problem pretending to be tech illiterate and having them swap it out for you or reflash it for you.
If they reflash, take it home and use Samsung SmartSwitch to do an "erase / initialization / reset" (however it is worded). Sprint might also be too lazy and just use the romfile and not the reset romfile which is equivalent to a "dirty flash". So go home and use Samsung Smart Switch to start fresh.
Then make sure you enable "OEM Unlock" under development settings next time you attempt root.
ashyx told me I should find someone with this tablet and the newest update that is still on a stock firmware, if they can possible make a backup of the boot.img and system.img using TWRP. This should help others who are stuck with the issues i'm reading on this post as well as the tablet I'm trying to fix now.
Thanks for reading

Samsung SM-935U firmware install guide on SM-935A device **Updated with FAQ**

Another interesting development! You can flash the firmware from the U model of the S7 Edge to the AT&T model. Do not know if this is possible for the T-Mobile, Verizon, etc. models. It should be. If anyone tries it and finds out, let me know and I’ll update the post accordingly.
Edit: Root is possible using previously posted method for 935A. Working on a method that doesn't require the engboot file for the U firmware but no promises yet.
The major advantage here to some will be that there is less bloatware. There is zero carrier bloat. None. Nada. Zip. The Samsung bloat is still there, however you can uninstall (yes, uninstall, not disable) most of it. There are 4 it seems that remain and can’t be uninstalled. These are Samsung Pay, Galaxy Apps. Clock, and Calendar (S Planner).
The menus are different. I think the menus are an improvement to be honest. Everything is there aside from the AT&T specific stuff (since this is the U firmware, it's not carrier specific). If you rely on AT&T specific items/bloat, they are not present here.
Frequently asked things I have tested:
Hotspot – Working fine here.
Samsung Pay – Bit the bullet and tested because I knew it would be asked, even though I don’t care to use Samsung Pay. My device was rooted previously. I flashed this and am no longer rooted. Samsung pay works fine. Tested it at the store this morning. IF YOU HAVE A DIFFERENT EXPERIENCE PLEASE UPDATE ME, AS THIS SEEMS TO BE THE MOST ASKED QUESTION.
Update - I have now heard from 7 other users besides myself confirming that Samsung Pay works in store and haven't heard a single report of it failing so far. I'm now confident to call this working across the board, however do keep in mind there's always a risk.
Everything else seems to work as normal. User experiences are different. You may use things that I don’t, so you may find something that’s broken. If you do, please let me know and I’ll update this post for everyone. Please note the firmware also installs Instagram and Whatsapp by default in addition to Facebook, and they are both removable. Facebook however, much like on the AT&T version, is not. You can still turn it off though.
How to install:
Put your phone in download mode.
I personally had success with this version of Odin: http://www.mediafire.com/download/2t2sjqxtogbkafk/odin_3.12.3.rar
However another user couldn’t get it to work and used this version: http://d-h.st/gsDA
Flash the 4 files in this zip to your phone using Odin. All 4 of them: https://www.mediafire.com/?fm3oxddajta1k07
Put the BL in the BL slot, AP in it's slot, and so on. Flash all 4 at once through Odin.
When using the second version of Odin, I encountered an issue where the phone would crash during setup just after the wifi screen. If you have any problems with either, please report back and let me know. Either way, this seems safe to try on the AT&T version of the S7 Edge. I am able to go back to the stock AT&T firmware I’ve uploaded in my other thread just fine. So if this doesn’t work for you, it’s possible to go back. I have went back and forth 4 times now, and met with success going to and from the stock AT&T firmware to this one each time. However as always, try at your own risk.
Again, since many people are asking about carrier specific features - This is the SM-935U firmware. U meaning unlocked. It's not carrier specific. Anything AT&T does to modify the firmware WILL NOT BE PRESENT.. Use this solely if you want a more pure Android experience. No carrier bloat, being able to remove almost all Samsung bloat completely without having to root to do so, and getting updates before carrier specific models. If you rely on AT&T specific modifications to the S7 Edge, this is not for you unless/until someone finds a way to add them (which then defeats the purpose of the U firmware, meaning you might as well stick to the stock firmware).
FAQ
1. Does Samsung Pay work? – Yes. As long as you don’t root the 935U firmware (which is possible using the method currently available for the 935A) Samsung Pay works fine.
2. Does it have Enhanced LTE? – No. Enhanced LTE is a carrier specific feature. This is the U (unlocked) firmware. Anything unique to any carrier is absent. Period. Confirmed by testing against an actual SM-G935U.
3. Does it work with any other carrier than AT&T? – I have had people reporting success with T-Mobile and Verizon versions of the 935. I do not have one, so going from what they say – it works, but attempt at your own risk or search for their posts and ask them personally.
4. How does it perform compared to the 935A firmware? – It benchmarks noticeably higher. It also has a measurable advantage in terms of battery life. It performs better stock than the 935A rooted and tweaked, and when the U firmware is rooted and tweaked, it performs even better still. It’s all around superior to carrier specific firmwares.
5. Can you uninstall the Samsung bloat? – All but 3 apps. Yes, uninstall, not disable, and no, you don’t need to root the U firmware to do it.
6. Can I still revert back to my stock firmware? – Yes. If you have the stock firmware, it’s easy to flash back to it. It won’t trip knox or break Samsung Pay.
7. Will you be modifying it to have the AT&T features? – Likely not. That would entirely defeat the purpose of going to the U firmware. If you want the carrier bloat and features, you’re ahead to just stick to the carrier firmware.
8. Does this work for the regular S7 or the S7 Active? – I have no idea. I don’t own either phone, and cannot test it. I’m going to assume not. If you are brave and test it, do let us all know.
9. Do you have access to the S7 flat or S7 Active U firmwares? – No.
10. It shows the security patch from May. Is it out of date? – As of 7-7-2016 I have an actual 935U as well as my 935A with the U firmware. Neither has an update currently, so it seems the May security patch is the latest out for the U model so far. If I get an update on my actual 935U, I will let you know if it shows on the 935A with the U firmware or not.
And for those wondering about all the U files floating around...
gtg465x said:
For what it's worth, I downloaded three versions: the one from the first post, one labeled an ATT version posted by someone else in the thread, and an XXA one from SamMobile that was a different size zip file, and all three zips contained the exact same firmware, as verified by md5 check, but the SamMobile version was missing the CP and CSC files and was compressed differently.
Here are the md5s of the various firmware files:
AP_G935UUEU2APEH_CL8086184_QB9638174_REV02_user_low_ship_MULTI_CERT.tar.md5
md5: 0d736fd16ea372e21019a5640b54d965
BL_G935UUEU2APEH_CL8086184_QB9638174_REV02_user_low_ship_MULTI_CERT.tar.md5
md5: bd4d93a5387abcac2ba8737a95989fa3
CP_G935UUEU2APEH_CL8086184_QB9638174_REV02_user_low_ship_MULTI_CERT.tar.md5
md5: abf5821c3edeed42b752329b301ab01e
CSC_OYM_G935UOYM2APEH_CL8086184_QB9638174_REV02_user_low_ship_MULTI_CERT.tar.md5
md5: 7aa4025b7a02dfee0d0470cd3ddc98d2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Here are a few screenshots. I hadn’t installed all my stuff yet, however I had uninstalled several of the Samsung bloat apps already.
great write-up
Dumb question but this will only work on the edge and not flat AT&T variant, correct?
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk
brianray14 said:
Dumb question but this will only work on the edge and not flat AT&T variant, correct?
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have no idea to be honest. I only have the AT&T Edge. But I will update the post if anyone tries it!
I can't wait to try this... i am gonna install the stock 935a firmware you posted first to see which one i am gonna like better my bets on the 935u though that mobile data toggle icon alone is swinging my vote
Cool, thanks! Would love to have this option for flat S7 as I only have interest in debloating at this stage
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk
malcomp87 said:
I can't wait to try this... i am gonna install the stock 935a firmware you posted first to see which one i am gonna like better my bets on the 935u though that mobile data toggle icon alone is swinging my vote
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
935U is also showing better geekbench scores and so far the battery drains less. (nothing disabled, testing it just as it comes aside from uninstalling the Samsung bloat that's uninstallable. Nothing disabled, greenify not installed.)
brianray14 said:
Cool, thanks! Would love to have this option for flat S7 as I only have interest in debloating at this stage
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'd love for it to work too! And on the Active! So if anyone tries it and confirms or denies that it works for sure I will let you all know!
i ended up using the modded odin(2nd one). mainly because i had it already loaded up because i ended up having a faulty cord when trying your odin version. so im sure your version odin wouldve worked also if i had my good cord at the time.
Tried 5x keeps failing
Venom0642 said:
Tried 5x keeps failing
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hmm that shows that the hash file failed verification it seems, but also verified it before that. Weird. Have you tried re-downloading it? Or if you like, I'll post the program that allows you to download the firmware straight from the source. However it downloads extra files and I'll have to tell you which to use. Let me know.
Venom0642 said:
Tried 5x keeps failing
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Did you try the other version of Odin I linked out of curiosity? Some reported failures with the first while it works for others of us.
Symphony0fLife said:
Hmm that shows that the hash file failed verification it seems, but also verified it before that. Weird. Have you tried re-downloading it? Or if you like, I'll post the program that allows you to download the firmware straight from the source. However it downloads extra files and I'll have to tell you which to use. Let me know.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I tried tool where i download it myself and it fail 3x then i download it yours and still failed, so not sure why is doing this.
Running On Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge G935A Wicked Dark Carnage Edition Theme
Can't wait to see if anyone can get this on the T-Mobile variant...
Venom0642 said:
I tried tool where i download it myself and it fail 3x then i download it yours and still failed, so not sure why is doing this.
Running On Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge G935A Wicked Dark Carnage Edition Theme
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That is strange! have you previously rooted the device? Just wondering. So far everyone I've confirmed this with was previously rooted, maybe that's part of it?
cybrwulf said:
Can't wait to see if anyone can get this on the T-Mobile variant...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The file is actually for T-Mobile believe it or not! However since I don't have a T-Mobile device myself I was hesitant to state it works. But I am sure someone will try it at some point!
Symphony0fLife said:
That is strange! have you previously rooted the device? Just wondering. So far everyone I've confirmed this with was previously rooted, maybe that's part of it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
never rooted but worked with second option odin, its booting now!
Venom0642 said:
never rooted but worked with second option odin, its booting now!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good to know! That's the reason I posted both odin files. I and others had success with the first, and others still failed there and the second worked. Enjoy!
Honestly this sounds too good to be true. Remove the carrier bloat, potentially get better speed and better batter and have zero downsides. I definitely didn't want to root, because I want to use Samsung Pay, but if I can remove all the AT&T and Samsung stuff I don't use and still use Samsung Pay, that's a win win win.
Hi
I used 3.12 odin at the beginning, it complains sha-256 is not valid. Then I search internet and xda has a new fixed 3.12 version in the root package which could by pass this check. If you have not rooted, I guess you have to use the one in the root package.
By the way, samsung pay works if you jave not rooted

SM-N920F (Actually SM-N920A) on 3 UK - updating from 5.1.1 to MM and beyond

*Utter noob alert!*
tl;dr - can i update to MM 6+ without totally screwing my phone and entering a whole world of pain?
Proud owner of mongrel SM-N920A purchased from HK via eBay. Device has no branding on hardward / software other than Samsung.
Settings > System > About Device shows model number = SM-N920F. LIES!!!!!
Phone INFO *Samsung* apk shows it's really an SM-N920A
I've attached output from Phone INFO showing 'General', 'CSC', 'Firmware' and 'Android' info.
Having read over threads on Sammobile and here on XDA, it appears some people are losing anything from mobile reception & data to full on apocalyptic bricking. Most of these posts are from earlier in 2016 so I'm wondering, now we're further down the line and the dust has settled, whether there's any consensus on best way forward to get Marshmallow / Nougat and beyond - if at all.
Anyone out there able to offer help and guidance?
Please :crying:
Ah come onnn! Someone here must be able to help!?
dmlargo said:
Ah come onnn! Someone here must be able to help!?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is commonly done to increase the value of the phone by tricking the buyer into thinking it's a non-US model.
Anyway, AT&T and T-Mobile are better than Verizon or Sprint if it comes to using them outside the US, because of better LTE band support.
Since an AT&T phone will only receive OTA updates with an AT&T SIM inserted, you have to sideload the MM update yourself through adb and then keep on sideloading every new build as it comes out.
murtaza02 said:
This is commonly done to increase the value of the phone by tricking the buyer into thinking it's a non-US model.
Anyway, AT&T and T-Mobile are better than Verizon or Sprint if it comes to using them outside the US, because of better LTE band support.
Since an AT&T phone will only receive OTA updates with an AT&T SIM inserted, you have to sideload the MM update yourself through adb and then keep on sideloading every new build as it comes out.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So...
If I can get my hands on a prepaid / payg at&t sim here in the UK I could theoretically just get an OTA update that way?
If not, I'll look into sideloading. Do you know of any instructions on how to do?
And, thanks for replying. Very much appreciated
dmlargo said:
So...
If I can get my hands on a prepaid / payg at&t sim here in the UK I could theoretically just get an OTA update that way?
If not, I'll look into sideloading. Do you know of any instructions on how to do?
And, thanks for replying. Very much appreciated
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not necessarily, since the device needs to be connected to AT&Ts network, the SIM would either not work, or start Roaming in the UK.
Sideloading means you will have to get the OTA Zip files and install them on your phone using the Android Debugging Bridge (ADB).
This is the thread HERE: http://forum.xda-developers.com/att...ow-to-manually-update-to-marshmallow-t3380624
It's a very well written guide on how to update the AT&T Note 5.
Your current build number is different from the one used in the main post of the guide, so you're going to have to browse through the thread, grab a different build of Lollipop, flash that, then sideload the Marshmallow updates, one by one, till you get to a fairly new build, then what you do is, factory reset the phone, so you have a clean install of Marshmallow on your phone.
murtaza02 said:
Not necessarily, since the device needs to be connected to AT&Ts network, the SIM would either not work, or start Roaming in the UK.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Of course! I'm an idiot. Doesn't bode well does it! :laugh:
murtaza02 said:
Sideloading means you will have to get the OTA Zip files and install them on your phone using the Android Debugging Bridge (ADB).
This is the thread HERE: http://forum.xda-developers.com/att...ow-to-manually-update-to-marshmallow-t3380624
It's a very well written guide on how to update the AT&T Note 5.
Your current build number is different from the one used in the main post of the guide, so you're going to have to browse through the thread, grab a different build of Lollipop, flash that, then sideload the Marshmallow updates, one by one, till you get to a fairly new build, then what you do is, factory reset the phone, so you have a clean install of Marshmallow on your phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Build number being LMY4X.N920AUCU1AOGG
Doesn't matter that bootloader, PDA,CSC and baseband versions are mostly all different?
You're a great help. Thank you! +1
dmlargo said:
Of course! I'm an idiot. Doesn't bode well does it! :laugh:
Build number being LMY4X.N920AUCU1AOGG
Doesn't matter that bootloader, PDA,CSC and baseband versions are mostly all different?
You're a great help. Thank you! +1
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You're on AOJ1 According to your screenshot.
You need to downgrade to UPB2 Or something and then flash the OTAs from Marshmallow to your phone from PB2.
I'm out of the house at the moment, will be home very soon, and try to find a link for you.
murtaza02 said:
You're on AOJ1 According to your screenshot.
You need to downgrade to UPB2 Or something and then flash the OTAs from Marshmallow to your phone from PB2.
I'm out of the house at the moment, will be home very soon, and try to find a link for you.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks man.
For that version AOJ1 - that's bootloader version right? Just so I can differentiate what to look for.
Take it easy
dmlargo said:
Thanks man.
For that version AOJ1 - that's bootloader version right? Just so I can differentiate what to look for.
Take it easy
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I happened to come across the 2BPE6 Marshmallow ROM file for the N920A Note 5.
Here's the link: https://mega.nz/#!8Ep0DRZA!jXd4QtMcmN47QIOQSHV8h0CqAc7aVMB5aR4VA_Zw1Pw
You can flash it with Odin, a bit easier to use than ADB, so it'll be better for you as well.
The file is zipped, once you extract it, there'll be 4 different files, one containing system and the main ROM, the other will contain the BL (Bootloader), another with the modem (Radio) and the last with the CSC (Customer Sales Code). Match each file to it's respective field in Odin, the BL file will have BL in the filename so add the BL file to the BL tab in Odin, the CP file to the CP tab, the AP file to the AP tab and the CSC file to the CSC tab.
Then turn your phone off, once it's completely off, hold Power + Home + Volume Down, it'll ask Continue or Cancel, press Volume Up to Continue. You'll be in Odin / Downloading mode, from here, just connect your phone to your PC, flash the Odin files, the phone will reboot itself a few times, not to worry, and it'll eventually boot to the marshmallow start screen.
As for grabbing Odin, I'd recommend the latest version 3.12.3, it supports the newest devices up to S7 and S7 Edge, and it has all the bug fixes as well, so it should work fine on your phone. Link here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/android/software/odin-3-12-3-worlds-att-s7-odin-firmware-t3401470
Good luck.
murtaza02 said:
I happened to come across the 2BPE6 Marshmallow ROM file for the N920A Note 5.
Here's the link: https://mega.nz/#!8Ep0DRZA!jXd4QtMcmN47QIOQSHV8h0CqAc7aVMB5aR4VA_Zw1Pw
You can flash it with Odin, a bit easier to use than ADB, so it'll be better for you as well.
The file is zipped, once you extract it, there'll be 4 different files, one containing system and the main ROM, the other will contain the BL (Bootloader), another with the modem (Radio) and the last with the CSC (Customer Sales Code). Match each file to it's respective field in Odin, the BL file will have BL in the filename so add the BL file to the BL tab in Odin, the CP file to the CP tab, the AP file to the AP tab and the CSC file to the CSC tab.
Then turn your phone off, once it's completely off, hold Power + Home + Volume Down, it'll ask Continue or Cancel, press Volume Up to Continue. You'll be in Odin / Downloading mode, from here, just connect your phone to your PC, flash the Odin files, the phone will reboot itself a few times, not to worry, and it'll eventually boot to the marshmallow start screen.
As for grabbing Odin, I'd recommend the latest version 3.12.3, it supports the newest devices up to S7 and S7 Edge, and it has all the bug fixes as well, so it should work fine on your phone. Link here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/android/software/odin-3-12-3-worlds-att-s7-odin-firmware-t3401470
Good luck.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Epic. If I take it back to 2BPE6 successfully, I'm guessing it's then just the same process to push up to 6.0.1 and beyond?
dmlargo said:
Epic. If I take it back to 2BPE6 successfully, I'm guessing it's then just the same process to push up to 6.0.1 and beyond?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nope, that was the process I described initially that required you to flash 2BP2 First and then onwards to Marshmallow.
The file I've linked (2BPE6) isn't an OTA. It's the entire full ROM file for the 6.0.1 update for the N920A. Once you flash this and the phone reboots, it'll go directly to Marshmallow.
murtaza02 said:
Nope, that was the process I described initially that required you to flash 2BP2 First and then onwards to Marshmallow.
The file I've linked (2BPE6) isn't an OTA. It's the entire full ROM file for the 6.0.1 update for the N920A. Once you flash this and the phone reboots, it'll go directly to Marshmallow.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
And, more importantly, I'll hopefully have a standardised stack across csc, PDA and what not.
Like I said in op - there's unsurprisingly a lot of talk out there about note 5 on at&t when it comes to updates. I'd hoped because mine was already rooted and had a CHN / TGY csc that it kind of showed if someone in China had done stuff to it, and it still worked, then there was a possibility of moving it to 6.0.1
I'll get all files together along with your notes and have a go after getting a nandroid back up. Might be a while given time of year though.
Nice one
dmlargo said:
And, more importantly, I'll hopefully have a standardised stack across csc, PDA and what not.
Like I said in op - there's unsurprisingly a lot of talk out there about note 5 on at&t when it comes to updates. I'd hoped because mine was already rooted and had a CHN / TGY csc that it kind of showed if someone in China had done stuff to it, and it still worked, then there was a possibility of moving it to 6.0.1
I'll get all files together along with your notes and have a go after getting a nandroid back up. Might be a while given time of year though.
Nice one
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The CSC and everything will go back to the default ATT one and it'll have no trace of ever being a fake N920F.
Everything will show N920A and you may also have a bit of AT&T bloat ware, most of which can be disabled.
But the main point is that the phone will no longer be modified in any way and will be completely stock.
murtaza02 said:
The CSC and everything will go back to the default ATT one and it'll have no trace of ever being a fake N920F.
Everything will show N920A and you may also have a bit of AT&T bloat ware, most of which can be disabled.
But the main point is that the phone will no longer be modified in any way and will be completely stock.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
But doesn't that mean it'll be region locked / potentially losing network connection?
dmlargo said:
But doesn't that mean it'll be region locked / potentially losing network connection?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nope. Once it's unlocked, it's always unlocked.
I live in Pakistan, American carrier phones are very common here. AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile and Sprint, all the variants of Note 5 are available here and I've flashed updates on a friends AT&T Note 5 and it didn't get re-locked. I've flashed a T-Mobile Note 4 and 5, neither got re-locked.
Point being, that re-locking crap only used to happen on phones that were unlocked using a glitch or a software based unlock.
murtaza02 said:
Nope. Once it's unlocked, it's always unlocked.
I live in Pakistan, American carrier phones are very common here. AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile and Sprint, all the variants of Note 5 are available here and I've flashed updates on a friends AT&T Note 5 and it didn't get re-locked. I've flashed a T-Mobile Note 4 and 5, neither got re-locked.
Point being, that re-locking crap only used to happen on phones that were unlocked using a glitch or a software based unlock.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Cool. I'll have a look this weekend. Fingers crossed.
After that I'll have a go a re-rooting using something similar to: https://www.search4roots.com/how-to-easily-root-samsung-galaxy-note-5-sm-n920a-marshmallow-6-0-1/
murtaza02 said:
I happened to come across the 2BPE6 Marshmallow ROM file for the N920A Note 5.
Here's the link: https://mega.nz/#!8Ep0DRZA!jXd4QtMcmN47QIOQSHV8h0CqAc7aVMB5aR4VA_Zw1Pw
You can flash it with Odin, a bit easier to use than ADB, so it'll be better for you as well.
The file is zipped, once you extract it, there'll be 4 different files, one containing system and the main ROM, the other will contain the BL (Bootloader), another with the modem (Radio) and the last with the CSC (Customer Sales Code). Match each file to it's respective field in Odin, the BL file will have BL in the filename so add the BL file to the BL tab in Odin, the CP file to the CP tab, the AP file to the AP tab and the CSC file to the CSC tab.
Then turn your phone off, once it's completely off, hold Power + Home + Volume Down, it'll ask Continue or Cancel, press Volume Up to Continue. You'll be in Odin / Downloading mode, from here, just connect your phone to your PC, flash the Odin files, the phone will reboot itself a few times, not to worry, and it'll eventually boot to the marshmallow start screen.
As for grabbing Odin, I'd recommend the latest version 3.12.3, it supports the newest devices up to S7 and S7 Edge, and it has all the bug fixes as well, so it should work fine on your phone. Link here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/android/software/odin-3-12-3-worlds-att-s7-odin-firmware-t3401470
Good luck.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I had a very similar situation ( AT&T re-custom Note5 ) , followed the procedure and everything went straight
so thanks to both of you for this thread and pretty straight guide
really
the only "issue" is that quite many thing ( graphically speaking ) changed from Lollipop , not in a "good" way , and I'm not sure wheter they're supposed to change for Marshmallow or for the AT&T bloatware/customization ..what is sure is that the phone was running bit cleaner before . ( i.e. no extra icons , no recording or "AT&T video call " icon available on phonecall screen when calling ..just an example among some things i noticed besides some at&t apps in the home screen )
is there a way to know it and to remove any of it , besides rooting the phone ? - which I'm not sure can be done on a n920a
boodi said:
I had a very similar situation ( AT&T re-custom Note5 ) , followed the procedure and everything went straight
so thanks to both of you for this thread and guide
the only thing is that quite many thing ( graphically speaking ) changed from Lollipop , not in a "good" way , and I'm not sure wheter they're supposed to change for Marshmallow or for the AT&T bloatware/customization
is there a way to know it and to remove any of it , besides rooting the phone ? - which I'm not sure can be done on a n920a
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Package Disabler Pro. It's a paid app. You can use it to disable (not remove) some bloatware that's preinstalled by Samsung and AT&T.
No root possible, so you can't remove the apps.
Sent from my SM-G935F

N950F or N950N given the choice, which one is better for updates?

Hi! Former Note 4 owner here, about to switch from One Plus 3T to Note 8. It has been a sweet ride with the OP3T but I am getting Note withdrawal already ! I just realized I buy (and lose) cheap styluses (styli?) every other week as I spend a lot of time editing pictures on the fly for our home business FB and IG ads.
Have a simple question:
In my country we have 2 variants available, N950F and the Korean N950N. almost same price, gladly both Exynos which is what I want. However, I would like to know if there is any advantage for any of them regarding system updates timing from Samsung, security updates and the like. Also, any chances of Oreo being rolled out for one of them earlier than the other?
I dont feel a need to root at the moment although just in case I would like to know if there are any major differences or ease of doing that for any of them . I did some research before posting the question and looks like N950F has more dev support but correct me if I am wrong.
I just need to decide on this "XDA world problem" to pull the triger. No one I know understand my conundrum and they look at me like I am from Mars.
Garoto1973 said:
Hi! Former Note 4 owner here, about to switch from One Plus 3T to Note 8. It has been a sweet ride with the OP3T but I am getting Note withdrawal already ! I just realized I buy (and lose) cheap styluses (styli?) every other week as I spend a lot of time editing pictures on the fly for our home business FB and IG ads.
Have a simple question:
In my country we have 2 variants available, N950F and the Korean N950N. almost same price, gladly both Exynos which is what I want. However, I would like to know if there is any advantage for any of them regarding system updates timing from Samsung, security updates and the like. Also, any chances of Oreo being rolled out for one of them earlier than the other?
I dont feel a need to root at the moment although just in case I would like to know if there are any major differences or ease of doing that for any of them . I did some research before posting the question and looks like N950F has more dev support but correct me if I am wrong.
I just need to decide on this "XDA world problem" to pull the triger. No one I know understand my conundrum and they look at me like I am from Mars.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Updates will be released in tandem. One after other. So not much delay
950N , yes I said it.
Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk
Limeybastard said:
950N , yes I said it.
Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Lol...you might as well give OP a reason why you suggest one over the other
sefrcoko said:
Lol...you might as well give OP a reason why you suggest one over the other
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It believe you have better color options and memory?plus made in Korea. LOL
Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk
n950n = no possible OEM jail time issue. F's are a hit or miss. Uk seem ok but the rest of asian and Oceania seem to have the dreaded 7 day jail time.
bober10113 said:
n950n = no possible OEM jail time issue. F's are a hit or miss. Uk seem ok but the rest of asian and Oceania seem to have the dreaded 7 day jail time.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Really? Why is there no possibility of "jail time" on the SM-N950N? Kindly elaborate.
MrElectrifyer said:
Really? Why is there no possibility of "jail time" on the SM-N950N? Kindly elaborate.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
because the OEM unlock is there by default. My first attempt at a note 8 was a dual sim 950F and OEM unlock was not there. Not being able to root/flash twrp for 7 days and possibility of jail time every time a new rom or csc is flashed is not my cup of tea.
bober10113 said:
because the OEM unlock is there by default. My first attempt at a note 8 was a dual sim 950F and OEM unlock was not there. Not being able to root/flash twrp for 7 days and possibility of jail time every time a new rom or csc is flashed is not my cup of tea.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well then, that makes me better appreciate my 256GB SM-N950N.
I was on the lookout for the 256GB SM-N950FD 'cause I wanted a globally unlocked, Multi-CSC supported, and unbranded bloatware-free Exynos device with support for OTAs. The Dual SIM support is a welcome added bonus. However, never came across a 256GB version of the SM-N950FD, only 64GB version, which I'm not willing to settle for, especially as I plan on keeping this device (my first ever Samsung Smartphone) for the next 5+ years (unless something a whole lot more useful becomes available) and I'm using it more and more as a full-fledged Pocket PC.
After you've rooted, do you always clean install via Odin in order to install the monthly security updates? Or how do you update the device? Please and thank you.
MrElectrifyer said:
Well then, that makes me better appreciate my 256GB SM-N950N.
I was on the lookout for the 256GB SM-N950FD 'cause I wanted a globally unlocked, Multi-CSC supported, and unbranded bloatware-free Exynos device with support for OTAs. The Dual SIM support is a welcome added bonus. However, never came across a 256GB version of the SM-N950FD, only 64GB version, which I'm not willing to settle for, especially as I plan on keeping this device (my first ever Samsung Smartphone) for the next 5+ years (unless something a whole lot more useful becomes available) and I'm using it more and more as a full-fledged Pocket PC.
After you've rooted, do you always clean install via Odin in order to install the monthly security updates? Or how do you update the device? Please and thank you.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
for monthly updates, no need to be rooted.
If you root then chances are you have twrp and probably are on a custom rom. the dev which makes the rom will update their Rom(monthly?) and then just flash that in twrp.
only thing you need to do is maintain your bootloader and modem up to date via odin. never flash these 2 firmwares that might be provided within roms or as seperate files as they are almost always for n950F.
I too have a 256gb version and it has been nothing but smooth sailing!
bober10113 said:
for monthly updates, no need to be rooted.
If you root then chances are you have twrp and probably are on a custom rom. the dev which makes the rom will update their Rom(monthly?) and then just flash that in twrp.
only thing you need to do is maintain your bootloader and modem up to date via odin. never flash these 2 firmwares that might be provided within roms or as seperate files as they are almost always for n950F.
I too have a 256gb version and it has been nothing but smooth sailing!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the information. I don't have a custom ROM (frankly, I really like Samsung's feature-packed stock ROMs), I rooted so that I could switch the CSC to the Canadian Fido CSC (FMC) to enable WiFi Calling and also native call recording. Unfortunately, haven't figured out how to get either of those working yet, but also using Magisk root for other handy root applications like Titanium Backup, DisableService, etc., all while keeping Safetynet happy
In this situation, how would you suggest I do the updates without losing system data? Is there a way via PrinceComsy Odin? Thanks in advance.
MrElectrifyer said:
Thanks for the information. I don't have a custom ROM (frankly, I really like Samsung's feature-packed stock ROMs), I rooted so that I could switch the CSC to the Canadian Fido CSC (FMC) to enable WiFi Calling and also native call recording. Unfortunately, haven't figured out how to get either of those working yet, but also using Magisk root for other handy root applications like Titanium Backup, DisableService, etc., all while keeping Safetynet happy
In this situation, how would you suggest I do the updates without losing system data? Is there a way via PrinceComsy Odin? Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
updates meaning CSC ? just flash the note 8 CSC pack from tkkg1994
you can also manualy extract the files to your device(dont forget to set file and folder permissions after. I acctualy post updates for the Canadian xac region file in that dev,s thread so he can incorporate them in his flashable zip.
Regarding csc options for wifi calling, unfortuantely Fido is Rogers. they blacklist foreign imei codes. meaning that you need a device sold by them which is total BS.
this is the only "downside" of having a non-carrier branded device
bober10113 said:
updates meaning CSC ? just flash the note 8 CSC pack from tkkg1994
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks again for the information. Sorry for not being clear, I meant entire firmware updates, like the security updates and the upcoming Oreo update. How would you flash them on the SM-N950N without losing data? I once attempted updating via Odin with HOME_CSC of the SM-N950N in the CSC slot, but it factory reset my Note 8. I then re-attempted with the HOME_CSC of the SM-N950W (the Canadian Note 8), but Odin threw back an error. Again, I'm not on a custom ROM, only changed the CSC.
MrElectrifyer said:
Thanks again for the information. Sorry for not being clear, I meant entire firmware updates, like the security updates and the upcoming Oreo update. How would you flash them on the SM-N950N without losing data? I once attempted updating via Odin with HOME_CSC of the SM-N950N in the CSC slot, but it factory reset my Note 8. I then re-attempted with the HOME_CSC of the SM-N950W (the Canadian Note 8), but Odin threw back an error. Again, I'm not on a custom ROM, only changed the CSC.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
stock csc firmware will wipe your fone at first but once its changed then it should not wipe after. it wipes when carrier/region is switched. flashing stock firmware from an F device to a N is not going to work.
logically is you flash the next korean full firmware update(bl,ap,cp,csc) it shouldint wipe. anyways if i remember right once csc was switched on your 1st attempt then it shouldint wipe on your subsequent tries. only thing that dies wipe is when sim triggers region to change.
if you have trwp then flash the CSC pack. it won t wipe that im sure of.
bober10113 said:
...it wipes when carrier/region is switched...
only thing that dies wipe is when sim triggers region to change.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So given that logic, it would always wipe my Note 8. 'Cause after flashing the official SM-N950N (SKC) firmware via Odin (which makes it now the SKC CSC), I again changed CSC to FMC via @Tkkg1994's CSC Selection tool. Attempting to flash future updates would again trigger a CSC change from FMC to SKC, right?
bober10113 said:
if you have trwp then flash the CSC pack. it won t wipe that im sure of.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I understand and can confirm that. However, that's used after flashing the official firmware updates, which results in a wipe in Odin as it's changing from FMC back to SKC, if I understood correctly. I'm looking for a way to avoid the wipe when doing the firmware update.
just don't flash csc part in odin next update. always use the CSC packs. of course since you flash AP then you have to reflash twrp each time and prolly have to format storage?
but all things put aside, you really should try his Iron man rom! make a trwp backup of your current state incase you want to go back.
So what about SM-N9500, the last update I received had Android January Security fix.
I jave the F edition.
Never went to jail. Flashed over 30 times different roms.
Maroc_Specops said:
I jave the F edition.
Never went to jail. Flashed over 30 times different roms.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
you are part of the 1%
maybe not literally 1 per cent but alot of F owners have had issues with "jail" time. there is a whole thread dedicated to the OEM unlock issue.
---------- Post added at 04:48 AM ---------- Previous post was at 04:47 AM ----------
itsmohsink said:
So what about SM-N9500, the last update I received had Android January Security fix.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
your on chinese snap dragon. totally different beast.
not sure if that makes updates come faster or not.
n950n just got an update 1 day before the Fs.
the rest are trailing at lest 10 days behind.
so id say the update speeds is:
Ns
Fs
U's
0's
W's
time = X quantity of space... lol

Question Any issues with changing CSC from CHN to XAR.

I just purchased a Galaxy Tab S8 (SM-X700 WiFi) in China and I want to replace the chinese firmware with US one. Are there any special considerations I need to know or can I just follow the rooting guide in the current post? Thanks!
PMB2714 said:
I just purchased a Galaxy Tab S8 (SM-X700 WiFi) in China and I want to replace the chinese firmware with US one. Are there any special considerations I need to know or can I just follow the rooting guide in the current post? Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You don't need to root to change firmware. Just re-flash your device with US firmware and if you want you can change code as well so it keeps getting US firmware updates instead of Chinese ones.
Rooting it will void warranty all together since rooting needs bootloader unlock and that trigers KNOX permanent and apps like samsung pass, secret folder will stop working permanently as well. Since they need KNOX to work, but since KNOX is broken/permanently disabled, then they won't work.
Thanks for the advice and information! I was hoping there was an option to update the region without rooting, but I wasn't sure. Cheers!
PMB2714 said:
Thanks for the advice and information! I was hoping there was an option to update the region without rooting, but I wasn't sure. Cheers!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No problem, reason why you can flash other region is because those firmware are counted as stock. Only difference in them would be some apps that are preinstalled and such.
So as long it's stock firmware you don't need to touch the bootloader.
Might not be necessary to even flash a new firmware and loose data.
Use this tool: https://samfw.com/blog/samfw-frp-tool-1-0-remove-samsung-frp-one-click
Under adb commends get a list of CSCs, see if the one you want is there. Then you can go back to the tool's main screen and change your CSC. Takes 10 seconds + a reboot, no data loss.
Worked for me both on my Tab S8+ and S22+.

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