Unlocking boot loader??

**HAXSO21** · 07-11-2012, 11:12 AM

Can I unlock boot loader on non-developer edition? I don't wanna pay $600 on root!?

**tekhna** · 07-11-2012, 11:35 AM

You don't need to unlock the bootloader to root.
Follow the directions here:

**racedog** · 07-11-2012, 02:18 PM

Originally Posted by HAXSO21

Can I unlock boot loader on non-developer edition? I don't wanna pay $600 on root!?

Before you start doing anything you had better make SURE that you understand what it all means and the ramifications for all of this. Rooting a phone is NOT unlocking the bootloader. From what I understand, as it stands now, putting a new rom on the phone will increment the rom counter. What this means is that if you have an issue with the phone and need to return it or send it in for repair or replacement that they will be able to see that this phone had a new rom installed on it at some time. The counter will even tell them how many times the phone was flashed. Once that happens, you have no warranty whatsoever and there is nothing you can do about it and unrooting and putting the stock rom back on the phone won't change that counter.

You need to be sure that you understand what all this stuff means before doing anything.

**tekhna** · 07-11-2012, 03:19 PM

Originally Posted by racedog

Before you start doing anything you had better make SURE that you understand what it all means and the ramifications for all of this. Rooting a phone is NOT unlocking the bootloader. From what I understand, as it stands now, putting a new rom on the phone will increment the rom counter. What this means is that if you have an issue with the phone and need to return it or send it in for repair or replacement that they will be able to see that this phone had a new rom installed on it at some time. The counter will even tell them how many times the phone was flashed. Once that happens, you have no warranty whatsoever and there is nothing you can do about it and unrooting and putting the stock rom back on the phone won't change that counter.

You need to be sure that you understand what all this stuff means before doing anything.

The root method I linked to does not trip the flash counter.

**viper3two** · 07-11-2012, 05:52 PM

Flash counter did not increase.

**jaj6503** · 07-11-2012, 07:21 PM

Well said racedog.

OP should maybe wait a month or so doing research.

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**rion_j** · 07-11-2012, 08:58 PM

point me to a link that shows how someone tried to return their phone but was denied warranty service because they tripped a rom counter....anyone...i'm not buying it.

**jaj6503** · 07-12-2012, 01:26 AM

Originally Posted by rion_j

point me to a link that shows how someone tried to return their phone but was denied warranty service because they tripped a rom counter....anyone...i'm not buying it.

That's your prerogative. I'd rather be safe than sorry.

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**dubge** · 07-12-2012, 09:17 AM

where do you find the rom counter?

**HAXSO21** · 07-12-2012, 09:50 AM

Originally Posted by racedog

Before you start doing anything you had better make SURE that you understand what it all means and the ramifications for all of this. Rooting a phone is NOT unlocking the bootloader. From what I understand, as it stands now, putting a new rom on the phone will increment the rom counter. What this means is that if you have an issue with the phone and need to return it or send it in for repair or replacement that they will be able to see that this phone had a new rom installed on it at some time. The counter will even tell them how many times the phone was flashed. Once that happens, you have no warranty whatsoever and there is nothing you can do about it and unrooting and putting the stock rom back on the phone won't change that counter.

You need to be sure that you understand what all this stuff means before doing anything.

Where do you find this?

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**PJnc284** · 07-12-2012, 09:55 AM

Originally Posted by HAXSO21

Where do you find this?

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Believe they started implementing the flash counter on the Galaxy SII which keeps track of how many times you flash custom images and can be viewed when in Download mode. There's also a yellow triangle that pops up on boot to indicate a custom image has been installed but there are apps and other procedures to reset the count on most of the devices. The counter isn't tripped with the simple root and cwm install that's currently available for the Verizon GSIII. Read somewhere that it's limited to kernels/recoveries flashed through Odin but not 100% sure on that.

**tekhna** · 07-12-2012, 12:16 PM

Originally Posted by jaj6503

That's your prerogative. I'd rather be safe than sorry.

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There was MONTHS of sturm and drang over on the xda Rezound forums about whether anyone had ever been denied warranty service for unlocking their bootloader. No one was. Ever. Not on single credible case. Someone would claim "OMG WARRANTY DENIED BECAUSE OF UNLOCKED BOOTLOADER" and it'd turn out their phone was water damaged or something.

**Crispy** · 07-12-2012, 12:51 PM

There's also the famous 'Triangle Away' app which is designed specifically to deal with this and disable the warning/reset the flash counter. I'm sure once a proper root method is found (which lets us flash boot and recovery) then something like this will also be done.

**Amore514** · 07-17-2012, 08:58 PM

At some point will someone come up with away to unlock this Verizon phone or should I return it?

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**06cbrf4i** · 07-17-2012, 10:27 PM

Originally Posted by Amore514

At some point will someone come up with away to unlock this Verizon phone or should I return it?

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Unlock it? Maybe, maybe not. Will they find a work around? Probably. I'm in the same boat, I thought about returning for a Gnex but I like the hardware to much.