Can anyone help me update my Galaxy S4 Active (i537) to 4.4?

[pvthomas]

Galaxy s4 active (i537) does not update to 4.4

Hi,

I recently bought an unlocked (used) Samsung Galaxy s4 active on Ebay. (When I started up the phone, the start up screen displayed a "Custom" message with an open padlock.) I opened the box and set up the phone as usual, and it appears to be running on stock android 4.3 TouchWiz. A day later, I went into settings and checked for updates. It found an update to 4.4.2 and downloaded the update. It shut down and got half way through the update when the phone did a reboot and booted back into the normal OS. It gave this error message: "The update was interrupted". I tried this several times and kept getting the same error message. I decided to try an update with samsung Kies 3 (the latest version) but it tells me that the firmware is up to date (even though the AT&T/ Samsung websites say that the phone has an update to 4.4 kitkat and the phone is currently running 4.3). I went to a samsung experience store at bestbuy but their software also says that the phone is up to date.

1) Any Ideas on how to update?
2) Do I have o worry about the phone re-locking to AT&T (this is the AT&T version, not the international one)


Thanks in advance!

 

[Rukbat]

Re: Galaxy s4 active (i537) does not update to 4.4

1) The Custom indication means that either the phone is or was running a custom ROM or it's been rooted - either of which will prevent the update. You could flash a stock 4.3 (using Odin) if you can find one, then it should update within hours.

2) SIM-locking and updates (and ROMs and rooting) are totally separate things. The phone should stay unlocked.

 

[pvthomas]

Thanks for your response,

The only firmware that I can find is either for the international version or is the pre-release version(it would disable updates because it is a pre-release). Neither of these options would allow for the phone to update to 4.4. Do you know where I could get a flashable version of the latest firmware or can someone at the Samsung experience store do a clean install of the stock firmware?

Thanks in advance!

 

[Jeffrausa]

Re: Galaxy s4 active (i537) does not update to 4.4

Hi,<br />
<br />
I recently bought an unlocked (used) Samsung Galaxy s4 active on Ebay. (When I started up the phone, the start up screen displayed a "Custom" message with an open padlock.) I opened the box and set up the phone as usual, and it appears to be running on stock android 4.3 TouchWiz. A day later, I went into settings and checked for updates. It found an update to 4.4.2 and downloaded the update. It shut down and got half way through the update when the phone did a reboot and booted back into the normal OS. It gave this error message: "The update was interrupted". I tried this several times and kept getting the same error message. I decided to try an update with samsung Kies 3 (the latest version) but it tells me that the firmware is up to date (even though the AT&T/ Samsung websites say that the phone has an update to 4.4 kitkat and the phone is currently running 4.3). I went to a samsung experience store at bestbuy but their software also says that the phone is up to date. <br />
<br />
1) Any Ideas on how to update?<br />
2) Do I have o worry about the phone re-locking to AT&T (this is the AT&T version, not the international one)<br />
<br />
<br />
Thanks in advance!<br/>

I can't figure out how to post a link using tapatalk, but if you do a search on XDA developers for i537 stock firmware, and you will find the files you need. You will have to flash it with odin. I had the same problem when I rooted my active, then couldn't get the Ota update. Also, I do believe that you can take it to Samsung or AT&T and they can flash it back to stock.

 

[Rukbat]

Re: Galaxy s4 active (i537) does not update to 4.4

Samsung (at the Samsung Experience desk at Best Buy) probably will. If the phone is on AT&T, any Device Support Center will. (Assuming it's actually an S4, not a Chinese knockoff that's an S4 on the outside, but some cheap imitation on the insdie.)