[Rukbat]

This guide was originally posted by Golfdriver97 ( with some additional posts in the thread which you may want to read).
I've just updated the screenshots of Odin and the references to the button name PDA - it's now called AP.
(If you've never used Odin before you have enough to worry about without having to wonder why there's no PDA button on yours.)

In the event you think your stock ROM is faulty, or you want to flash back to a previous version on your Samsung device, here is how.

This is for Samsung devices, and a general guide at that. Some carriers may have more detailed steps that need to be taken. I cannot guarantee how well this will work for every device.

The things you will need:

- Download and install ODIN
- A program called 7Zip
- A copy of your stock ROM in question.

Note: If you don't want to lose all your work, your data and your downloaded apps, find a ROM file with a "HOME" in the name. If you want to start fresh, make sure the file doesn't have HOME in the name. (If you're downloading 4 separate files, it will be the CSC file that has HOME in the name.)

As of the date of this post, March 4, 2015, Odin Version 3.10 is still controversial. Some people have reported malware with the download. Stick to Version 3.09 for now. See this site for the latest version when you're downloading Odin.

I've since found a link to a known working version 3.10 (posted by a trusted XDA developer) - Odin

There's a newer version available now, 3.10.6. Minor changes, but it pays to keep up with the latest, in case a newer phone doesn't work with an older version of Odin.

Just to keep things updated, Version 3.13.1 is out.

Odin is a program that can utilize the MD5 file to install ROMs to your device. MD5 files can be anything from recoveries, modems, and even ROMs.

First, one of the things that may need to be done is to update your device drivers. You can do this one of two ways.
-You can search the net for your updated drivers. Download and then install to your PC.
-Or you can download or update Kies. Part of those processes are to install or update drivers.

Once drivers are installed, a restart of your PC may be required. In fact, I would highly suggest it.

Second, is downloading and installing 7Zip. 7Zip is a file extraction program, that unzips compressed files. Windows has a file compression and decompression program as well. Depending on where you get your file from, having both is handy in case one works and the other does not.

Third, Your copy of your stock ROM. This will be the compressed file you downloaded. You will need to extract it. The best thing to do is create a file on your desktop. This will make the extracted file easier to find. Once created, you can right click on the downloaded file and click Extract. Either program will ask where to extract to. Click on the small box with the 3 dots and navigate to your desktop and locate your newly created file.

Edit: One of the best places to find the stock ROM is SamMobile Firmwares. If you want a custom ROM, look around the forum for your phone at XDA Forums. You can also fine them at Samsung Stock Rom for all models.

Next, you will need to download and install ODIN.
Once done, you should start it by right clicking and 'Open as Administrator'. This option works best for using ODIN in general.


This is ODIN just after the program has been launched.

The MD5 file would go into the AP box. Sounds weird, I agree, but the AP box will be your best friend. You don't need to worry about any other Boxes.


This is the AP box that will be needed to flash any file.

Once the file is in the box, you would now need to turn off your device, and reboot into Download Mode by holding volume Down and power (If using the Galaxy S3, S4, Note 3 or Note 4, Home will also have to be held).


This is the first step to getting to Download Mode.

Press Volume Up to proceed to the actual Download Mode.


This is what Download Mode actually looks like.

Once in Download Mode, you can plug in your device. You will need to wait several minutes, as ODIN, your PC, and the device all talk to each other.
After some time has passed, upward of several minutes, you should see a box that is colored and has a type, and a number: Ex: 'COM:3' That means your PC recognizes the device and everything should be ready to go. The number is irrelevant. (It will depend on which USB port on your computer you plugged the device cable into.)

There will be a COM port indicated in Odin, and the MD5 file will be in the AP box. Now, to begin, just click the Start button in Odin.

At this point, DO NOT remove your device until ODIN says finished, or if something goes wrong, it will say failed.

When ODIN is done, you should see a box that will say reset or passed (depending on which version you have, you may see either or both.). At this point it is okay to remove your device.

ODIN has completed the flash, and by now, the device should be going through the reboot screen.

Any problems, try these few things: Update Drivers, and restart your PC; Different cables; Different USB ports.

Other solutions may include redownloading the file.

[B. Diddy]

Thanks, Rukbat!

[Golfdriver97]

Linked from my guide to this one, Rukbat. Thanks for the update.

[Andrew Suyom]

IF after doing it 3 times and the device still wont go passed the boot screen does it mean my tablet is as good as trash?

[Golfdriver97]

IF after doing it 3 times and the device still wont go passed the boot screen does it mean my tablet is as good as trash?

Sorry for the delay.

Have you tried redownloading the files you need, and trying again?

[milo williamson]

Where to find the stock rom for samsung galaxy s3, schi -353 does it come with the Odin download?

[neuroxik]

A huge thanks! Worked out perfect on my Galaxy S4. Exactly what I needed

[..] and reboot into Download Mode by holding volume Down and power (If using the Galaxy S3, S4, Note 3 or Note 4, Home will also have to be held)

If other users see this method not working on the S4 (I can't tell for other models, haven't tested), DON'T hold the Home button.

[Golfdriver97]

Where to find the stock rom for samsung galaxy s3, schi -353 does it come with the Odin download?

Welcome to the forums. Try samsung-updates, or Sammobile. The files do not come with Odin.

[Hawkeye9]

This worked like a champ - thanks, Rukbat! I was having problems upgrading to Lollipop with my Note 3 because I was rooted with Towelroot and had used SDCardFix. Following your steps in this tutorial, I had my phone all set in under an hour. Now to re-root and have more fun...

[Dubstepgamer60]

I having Samsung Galaxy Note II
how to get the file for AP

[Dubstepgamer60]

It takes a lot of time for me
the binary size is : 2093 Mb

Galaxy Note II (GT-7100)

[neuroxik]

Quit spamming. Of course it's not 5 MB's, it's an OS.

[Kijiro]

I finally managed to revive S2 successfully. took me all day today.
Thanks for your helpful information. One of the most difficult things was to find the right stock ROM which did not come up straightway. I had faild with 3 ROMs.
The helpfull sites were MrCrab.Net, androidcentral.com, and Vodafone, the current carrier.
The carrier also was the key. I have bought the S2 from Three. The carrier Vodafone later has bought the carrier Three. It needs all the info to reach the right ROM.
Thanks again.

[Mamboz]

Hi,

I have a Galaxy S4 I9500 and tried to update the ROM a few days ago. ODIN crashed before completing and I am now stuck in the yellow triangle screen with " Firmware upgrade encountered an issue....."

I downloaded the stock firmware from Samsung and when I try to install i get the following message:

<ID:0/004> Added!!
<OSM> Enter CS for MD5..
<OSM> Check MD5.. Do not unplug the cable..
<OSM> Please wait..
<OSM> I9500XXUEMJ8_I9500OJVEMJ8_I9500XXUEMJ8_HOME.tar.md 5 is valid.
<OSM> Checking MD5 finished Sucessfully..
<OSM> Leave CS..
<ID:0/004> Odin v.3 engine (ID:4)..
<ID:0/004> File analysis..
<ID:0/004> SetupConnection..
<ID:0/004> Initialzation..
<ID:0/004> Get PIT for mapping..
<ID:0/004> Firmware update start..
<ID:0/004> SingleDownload.
<ID:0/004> sboot.bin
<ID:0/004> NAND Write Start!!
<ID:0/004> FAIL!
<ID:0/004>
<ID:0/004> Complete(Write) operation failed.
<OSM> All threads completed. (succeed 0 / failed 1)

Also the phone has a red message in the left corner: SW REV CHECK FAIL DEVICE:3 BINARY:2

I have also tried with to ODIN with a PIT file and looked at various forums and tried different things however nothing seems to work. Is there anything else i can do or is my phone busted?

[puchodog1977]

i get fails too. red white blue text in odin mode. fused 4 binary 2 says sw rev check fail

[ryan8954]

Okay, so I followed this tutorial letter by letter, and my Galaxy S3 i747m is now bricked.

I tried different computers. I tried different cables. Different firmwares, Odin keeps saying "fail!"

I have no idea what's different because I tried a different version of Odin as well and nothing. So yeah... phone bricked. Woo.

[Marron Stum]

no, it doesn't, try it again and if it doesn't work then try to download the rom again, another method you can do it load the rom onto a micro sd card and intall a custom rom using the same method as the rom has, and then load it from there.

[Alvaro Rodriguez Estruch]

The original vanilla android 5.1.1 for my galaxy s5 is only 250MB

[neuroxik]

The original vanilla android 5.1.1 for my galaxy s5 is only 250MB

If by original you mean the one distributrddistributed by Android and not by your carrier than yeah, it doesn't have all the bloatware and customizations making it smaller in your case.

[Ryan_carter]

I recently did a hard reset on my Galaxy S duos GT-S7562. I wiped the cache partition and wiped the user data. After the reset the phone booted up, I did the Initial set up (language, wi-fi, time).
Now a black screen shows up displaying the battery status, time network strength and nothing else.
If I press the back key the set up starts all over again. I inserted my sim card and was able to set up the sim also but nothing else. No home screen, no app drawer. Nothing except a "black" screen. I tried another reset and the same thing happened.
What do I do now? Can I use this method to revive the phone.

[mrtgman23]

I have tried several times to downgrade my S4 from Lollipop but continue to get failed errors from Odin. I downloaded the correct MD file from Sammobile and even tried different versions of Android all wit the same result. See below the error message I am getting. Please help. Thanks.

ID:0/007> Added!!
<OSM> Enter CS for MD5..
<OSM> Check MD5.. Do not unplug the cable..
<OSM> Please wait..
<OSM> I545VRUEMJ7_I545VZWEMJ7_I545VRUEMJ7_HOME.tar.md5 is valid.
<OSM> Checking MD5 finished Sucessfully..
<OSM> Leave CS..
<ID:0/007> Odin v.3 engine (ID:7)..
<ID:0/007> File analysis..
<ID:0/007> SetupConnection..
<ID:0/007> Initialzation..
<ID:0/007> Get PIT for mapping..
<ID:0/007> Firmware update start..
<ID:0/007> SingleDownload.
<ID:0/007> sbl2.mbn
<ID:0/007> NAND Write Start!!
<ID:0/007> sbl3.mbn
<ID:0/007> rpm.mbn
<ID:0/007> aboot.mbn
<ID:0/007> FAIL! (Auth)
<ID:0/007>
<ID:0/007> Complete(Write) operation failed.
<OSM> All threads completed. (succeed 0 / failed 1)

[anon8380037]

Duh.. I forgot... but how can someone tell if a pre-owned device has been rooted by looking at something in Settings.

On my previous Samsung, About Device - Status showed Official or something. That's not on a Motorola.

[milo williamson]

I have tried several times to downgrade my S4 from Lollipop but continue to get failed errors from Odin. I downloaded the correct MD file from Sammobile and even tried different versions of Android all wit the same result. See below the error message I am getting. Please help. Thanks.

ID:0/007> Added!!
<OSM> Enter CS for MD5..
<OSM> Check MD5.. Do not unplug the cable..
<OSM> Please wait..
<OSM> I545VRUEMJ7_I545VZWEMJ7_I545VRUEMJ7_HOME.tar.md5 is valid.
<OSM> Checking MD5 finished Sucessfully..
<OSM> Leave CS..
<ID:0/007> Odin v.3 engine (ID:7)..
<ID:0/007> File analysis..
<ID:0/007> SetupConnection..
<ID:0/007> Initialzation..
<ID:0/007> Get PIT for mapping..
<ID:0/007> Firmware update start..
<ID:0/007> SingleDownload.
<ID:0/007> sbl2.mbn
<ID:0/007> NAND Write Start!!
<ID:0/007> sbl3.mbn
<ID:0/007> rpm.mbn
<ID:0/007> aboot.mbn
<ID:0/007> FAIL! (Auth)
<ID:0/007>
<ID:0/007> Complete(Write) operation failed.
<OSM> All threads completed. (succeed 0 / failed 1)

Just do not harm your phone in the process, key is <b> not to root your phone </b> otherwise it will be thrown in a loop hole again.

[James Sayre]

im gettin the same problem it just errors out do i reboot the phone and try again or just keep hitting start

[rahulandroid]

Hello Anderw

I have also came across same kind of situation where it hangs on samsung LOGO.if this is happening follow this step.
1. go to same install mode again.
2. then click on restart.
3. when you click on restart,at that same time you press all buttons which take you to the recovery model and then click on clean all cache and do factory reset.
4.Then its done.

I tried this on Tab s and working perfectly to me.