THIS. I was in the same position as you. I got the official OTA unrooted ICS and it made my phone awful. I think there's a big misconception here that you only run into problems with ICS if you had rooted your phone. That's the problem, it's still very unclear what makes some phones work great with it, and others are just riddled with problems.
[GUIDE - How To] Rollback to Gingerbread (EL29)
- Thread starter JayWill
- Start date
THIS. I was in the same position as you. I got the official OTA unrooted ICS and it made my phone awful. I think there's a big misconception here that you only run into problems with ICS if you had rooted your phone. That's the problem, it's still very unclear what makes some phones work great with it, and others are just riddled with problems.
wow i cant tell you how thankfull i am for this thread and links. finally after a week of ice cream sandwich hell im back to gingerbread and all my problems are gone. what a sigh of relief.
to anyone ready to do this flash back i recommend watching qbkings video. he makes it so simple its impossible to screw up.
to anyone ready to do this flash back i recommend watching qbkings video. he makes it so simple its impossible to screw up.
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Finished reading many of the posts here and got a little amused. I didn't root my phone, thought GB was not so bad, but I see most here had to root their phone to get ICS before the official upgrade. They have problems with the unofficial ICS and now they want to go back to GB.
I just waited it out, woke up on Monday morning, ICS update had been downloaded and I hit Update. It took about 10 minutes for the entire process, then another 10+ minutes to update all the apps that needed ICS update. The only thing I lost was my Playlists on the Player app.
My battery life seems to be a little better, the phone seems a little zippier, I like the face recognition (really quick) unless the lights are all off. I am having to get used to not having the contact list in the phone app, but no biggie. I do like all the UI updates and I am a happy camper.
I am posting this just to have some balance here, when someone else waits for the update and is affraid to update based on this thread. If you haven't rooted and tried to update your phone with a pre update ICS, then it appears you got trouble ahead. If you just wait, from what I see it pretty clear sailing. Not that I have ICS I am not sure I need to go out and get the SIII, just sit and wait for JB.
Wolfie
wrong. i got the official upgrade. i have to admit i liked the upgrade to ics except for three problems that were major.
first was battery life. i'd estimate conservatively it was reduced by 30-40%
second was overheating. my phone got so hot it literally was uncomfortable to hold. i got so nervous about it being damaged i put it in front of a fan at work for half an hour to cool down.
iv'e overclocked many pc's. i have some experience with overheating pc components. i dont get that nervous about it for no reason. the phone was freaking hot.
third and most annoying was internet (specifically 4g but 3g as well). i tested my upload and download speeds on half a dozen independent services. my upload speed was faster than my download speed on 4g and 3g networks. download speeds averaged 500Kbps. you read that correctly Kbps. Upload averaged 1 Mbps.i spent the better part of this week researching it on my own and on the phone with Sprint trying to find a fix with no luck. it started happening immediately after ics update.
i flashed my phone back to Gingerbread this evening. first thing i did was check my download speed. first test...10Mbps. It proves ics was the problem.
there were other minor problems but those were the major issues that made it un usable. and i'm not an ics hatter. like i mentioned i really liked the interface and all the features. it is simply a broken application of an OS on this model phone with this carrier. if you dont believe me go to the sprint forums or any other. they are filled with pissed off customers.
Very happy to be able to return to Gingerbread!!
When the Ice Cream Sandwich OTA update appeared on my phone, I thought "Great! It's about time! It will be nice having a new OS!" WRONG. After about 2 weeks of living with Ice Cream Sandwich I decided it's back to Gingerbread for me, even with all the hassles involved in going back.
For the record, these are issues I had with ICS (no particular order):
Every time I go out of 3G range it pops a notification. Annoying. I know I'm out of 3G range, that's why I'm on WiFi because there's no 3G here. GB was pleasantly silent when I lost 3G coverage.
When I first updated all I could see was gibberish in the email app. Turns out they removed the "in between" font sizes (there were 5, now there are 3) leaving me with no email for the 2 hours it took to figure out what happened.
Dynamic Mode (under Display) makes text on any background color other than black very fuzzy. (Took me days to figure out why the text suddenly looked great in some places but awful in others).
I had a couple apps and several widgets that quit working entirely, although I suppose that's to be expected. Still, if not for the upgrade that wouldn't have happened.
Some apps continue to display transitions when changing pages even though I have that turned off in Development options.
Social Hub (I use it to centrally manage 7 email accounts + texting) now defaults to Feeds instead of Email.
Overall slower, nothing in particular, but the entire feel of the OS isn't as snappy. Anybody remember "upgrading" from XP to Vista on the same hardware?
In GB when an app hung I could hold Home, wait a few seconds, click Task Manager, click Exit on the offending app, launch the offending app again, and be back up and running within seconds. In ICS when an app hangs holding Home does nothing at first, after a LONG time (sometimes I feel the home key vibe 2-3 times while continuously holding it) I get taken back to the menu but then have to release and hold home again in order to click Task Manager and kill the app. It takes 2-5 times as long to recover from a hung app depending on when it decides to respond.
I am getting SO MANY MORE random app crashes. All through the day. Everything you can imagine. Both downloaded and system apps, most of which had never once crashed in GB. I'm not talking about hanging apps, I'm talking about flat out crashes, some of which require restarting the phone. I'd gone weeks in between phone restarts on GB. I don't think I made it a full day without having to restart on ICS since the upgrade.
As has well been documented, I also observed various issues with battery, contacts, slow WiFi, Bluetooth, and the message LED. I also noticed some minor annoying differences in the Calendar app.
My general impression is that the upgraded "features" in ICS don't outweigh the glitches, slower operation, and hangs & crashes that ICS brings with it. I *loved* my phone with GB. I don't care that I can't slide individual notices off the screen or that I don't have face recognition. Does it really matter that Task Manager doesn't have thumbnails? GB was so solid and so fast that I'm going back to it for good on this phone. Besides, with the Samsung Touchwiz interface bolted into ICS, ICS pretty much looks like GB anyway.
As a bonus now I'm rooted so I can do even more with GB.
The ONLY improvement I really really really liked in ICS was the email app now has a "Select All" checkbox so you can finally empty your trash! Ohhhhh how I wish GB had that!
To anyone who absolutely loves ICS and magically has experienced none of these types of problems: My point isn't that ICS is bad for everyone, I'm simply relating my personal experience and that my "downgrade" back to GB using this guide was successful.
When the Ice Cream Sandwich OTA update appeared on my phone, I thought "Great! It's about time! It will be nice having a new OS!" WRONG. After about 2 weeks of living with Ice Cream Sandwich I decided it's back to Gingerbread for me, even with all the hassles involved in going back.
For the record, these are issues I had with ICS (no particular order):
Every time I go out of 3G range it pops a notification. Annoying. I know I'm out of 3G range, that's why I'm on WiFi because there's no 3G here. GB was pleasantly silent when I lost 3G coverage.
When I first updated all I could see was gibberish in the email app. Turns out they removed the "in between" font sizes (there were 5, now there are 3) leaving me with no email for the 2 hours it took to figure out what happened.
Dynamic Mode (under Display) makes text on any background color other than black very fuzzy. (Took me days to figure out why the text suddenly looked great in some places but awful in others).
I had a couple apps and several widgets that quit working entirely, although I suppose that's to be expected. Still, if not for the upgrade that wouldn't have happened.
Some apps continue to display transitions when changing pages even though I have that turned off in Development options.
Social Hub (I use it to centrally manage 7 email accounts + texting) now defaults to Feeds instead of Email.
Overall slower, nothing in particular, but the entire feel of the OS isn't as snappy. Anybody remember "upgrading" from XP to Vista on the same hardware?
In GB when an app hung I could hold Home, wait a few seconds, click Task Manager, click Exit on the offending app, launch the offending app again, and be back up and running within seconds. In ICS when an app hangs holding Home does nothing at first, after a LONG time (sometimes I feel the home key vibe 2-3 times while continuously holding it) I get taken back to the menu but then have to release and hold home again in order to click Task Manager and kill the app. It takes 2-5 times as long to recover from a hung app depending on when it decides to respond.
I am getting SO MANY MORE random app crashes. All through the day. Everything you can imagine. Both downloaded and system apps, most of which had never once crashed in GB. I'm not talking about hanging apps, I'm talking about flat out crashes, some of which require restarting the phone. I'd gone weeks in between phone restarts on GB. I don't think I made it a full day without having to restart on ICS since the upgrade.
As has well been documented, I also observed various issues with battery, contacts, slow WiFi, Bluetooth, and the message LED. I also noticed some minor annoying differences in the Calendar app.
My general impression is that the upgraded "features" in ICS don't outweigh the glitches, slower operation, and hangs & crashes that ICS brings with it. I *loved* my phone with GB. I don't care that I can't slide individual notices off the screen or that I don't have face recognition. Does it really matter that Task Manager doesn't have thumbnails? GB was so solid and so fast that I'm going back to it for good on this phone. Besides, with the Samsung Touchwiz interface bolted into ICS, ICS pretty much looks like GB anyway.
As a bonus now I'm rooted so I can do even more with GB.
The ONLY improvement I really really really liked in ICS was the email app now has a "Select All" checkbox so you can finally empty your trash! Ohhhhh how I wish GB had that!
To anyone who absolutely loves ICS and magically has experienced none of these types of problems: My point isn't that ICS is bad for everyone, I'm simply relating my personal experience and that my "downgrade" back to GB using this guide was successful.
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Hi,
Thanks for the guide on how to roll back the phone. I'm having a few problems after the roll back that I'm hoping you might be able to help me out with.
google services (process com.google.process.gapps) keeps crashing as well as calendar storage (process.com.android.providers.calendar) even after clearing the data for google play and wiping the cache in recovery mode, as the bottom of this thread suggests:
[ODIN][TAR] SPH-D710.EL29_CL852097 (EL29 Modem/Kernel/ROM - Full Restore - Rooted) - xda-developers
any advice on how to fix this as the phone has become fairly unusable because those two devices mentioned above keep crashing?
Thanks for the guide on how to roll back the phone. I'm having a few problems after the roll back that I'm hoping you might be able to help me out with.
google services (process com.google.process.gapps) keeps crashing as well as calendar storage (process.com.android.providers.calendar) even after clearing the data for google play and wiping the cache in recovery mode, as the bottom of this thread suggests:
[ODIN][TAR] SPH-D710.EL29_CL852097 (EL29 Modem/Kernel/ROM - Full Restore - Rooted) - xda-developers
any advice on how to fix this as the phone has become fairly unusable because those two devices mentioned above keep crashing?
Sounds to me like you used the Preserve User Data version of the file. You need to use the RESET User Data version. Download and flash that version and you should be fine.
that would be correct.
thanks, I went back and used the other file and it's working well now!
do you know how to stop the software update from popping up? I'd rather NOT click on that again, if possible.
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If you did not remove root, you can install this: [How-to] Disable OTA updates on Stock + Rooted ROMs - xda-developers
unfortunately I did remove root.
Well, you could always flash the No Data version this time, and not remove root. Since your Apps will be back on Gingerbread, flashing the No Data wipe version shouldn't give you the problems you experienced on the rollback.
thanks for the tip.
I'll give it a try tonight after work.
I must say, the OTA update messages are RELENTLESS! I'll bet I closed the message box no less than 30 times in the past 4 hours.
very interesting...its been a few days since iv'e rolled back to gingerbread and i haven't received one yet. wonder why?
I was lucky enoiugh to get a replacement phone from Sprint that hs GB EL29. And i love my phone again. Two questions:
1.) Can i follow the same steps listed in the OP/youtube video if i already am back to GB EL29 in order to be rooted w/o the constant update request?
2.) Once rooted, can i successfully get rid of this annoying update request? This is the main reason i would like to root. I know i have seen the link to do this but i have not seen peoples responses to the Fotakill? APK. I have come close a few times to inadvertently hitting the update now key when the update request shows up while i am doing other things on the phone.
I am a nOOB to the android but would like to get into, or at least understand programming a little. I have 6 months left on my 1 yr warranty (with insurance)and dont really want to sacrifice this phone especially since i went through two blackberry's after dropping them in a glasses of stout. I have learned, you don't have to tell me three times.
1.) Can i follow the same steps listed in the OP/youtube video if i already am back to GB EL29 in order to be rooted w/o the constant update request?
2.) Once rooted, can i successfully get rid of this annoying update request? This is the main reason i would like to root. I know i have seen the link to do this but i have not seen peoples responses to the Fotakill? APK. I have come close a few times to inadvertently hitting the update now key when the update request shows up while i am doing other things on the phone.
I am a nOOB to the android but would like to get into, or at least understand programming a little. I have 6 months left on my 1 yr warranty (with insurance)and dont really want to sacrifice this phone especially since i went through two blackberry's after dropping them in a glasses of stout. I have learned, you don't have to tell me three times.
consider yourself lucky!
I was lucky enoiugh to get a replacement phone from Sprint that hs GB EL29. And i love my phone again. Two questions:
1.) Can i follow the same steps listed in the OP/youtube video if i already am back to GB EL29 in order to be rooted w/o the constant update request?
2.) Once rooted, can i successfully get rid of this annoying update request? This is the main reason i would like to root. I know i have seen the link to do this but i have not seen peoples responses to the Fotakill? APK. I have come close a few times to inadvertently hitting the update now key when the update request shows up while i am doing other things on the phone.
I am a nOOB to the android but would like to get into, or at least understand programming a little. I have 6 months left on my 1 yr warranty (with insurance)and dont really want to sacrifice this phone especially since i went through two blackberry's after dropping them in a glasses of stout. I have learned, you don't have to tell me three times.
JayWill directed me to this link here [How-to] Disable OTA updates on Stock + Rooted ROMs - xda-developers to stop the update messages.
ok, I did that tonight and everything seems to work except for the swipe highlighting when you go to unlock a phone.
it does it with or without that file to fix the system update notification.
edit: I figured it out. I forgot to select the "use visible pattern" option.
I've looked at that link a couple times now, and it's step 2 that has me confused. I have no idea what a root explorer is. Where can I get a quick explanation on where to find it, or what I need to do?
I had no desire to know anything about how android works, no desire to learn how to hack/root/whatever my phone, but it was so worthless on ICS, I had to do something. I finally followed the video in this thread and went back to GB, and went ahead and left it rooted.
The main thing I want to do is make sure I don't accidentally update to ICS again. But, since my phone is now rooted, I'll do some more reading on the GPS fix thread I saw a few months back as that was my only real complaint with the phone and had hoped the upgrade would have helped with that.
A root explorer is a File Explorer application that has the ability to access and modify the system folders on an Android device. There is a very popular root based file explorer called (drumroll), Root Explorer, but it's a paid App. ES File Explorer is free and also has the ability to access and modify root folders with a few settings changes.
You need to have the ability to copy and paste that FOTA.apk into the /system/app folder, and you need a root based file explorer to do it.
to add onto what JayWill said, in order for you to be able to get into your system folder and to move a file there, you need to do the following in the es file explorer settings:
enable root explorer, mount the file system and grant access to the super user (iirc).
I've had that file copied over for a day now and haven't received and update request once.
i tried this last night and it didn't work. terminal emulator worked but in his guide he says after that to accept the ics download. i did this....it froze about 1/3rd the way through, i rebooted but it didn't kick me back to the screen to clear the cache. i even tried rebooting holding volume button up which usually gets me to that screen. it wouldn't work. it kept restarting the download and freezing in same spot. i had to completely reinstall gingerbread. i had my phone rooted with his one step EL29+CWM. not sure why it didn't work.
mine hung up right at the end, now odin doesn't recognize my s2 and neither does my pc. i get a "Firmware upgrade encountered an issue. Please selected recovery mode in Kies & try Again" error message when powering up the phone. i can get to download mode but it doesn't connect to pc. tried a couple different pcs and cables. guess i'll take it to sprint today and they'll replace it since i have insurance.
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