[How To][ROOT] Block Verizon OTAs (post bootloader/ROM flash)

[Srambo217]

Some words of advice; to block Verizon OTAs install Root Explorer (or a similar file explorer app with root access) and navigate to system > app, than edit the following:

Change the extension of 'FWUpgrade.apk' to '.bak' (FWUpgrade.bak), locate the corresponding '.odex' and add '.bak' to the end of the title. Do the same for SDM.apk /.odex.

FWUpgrade.apk = FWUpgrade.bak
FWUpgrade.odex = FWUpgrade.odex.bak

SDM.apk = SDM.bak
SDM.odex = SDM.odex.bak

This simply 'freezes' them, re-enable by reapplying the .apk extension and removing the .bak extension.

Thanks appreciated!

Sent from my unlocked/modded Samsung Galaxy SIII using Android Central Forums

 

[Cyber Warrior]

Good advice.. this is a problem that plagues members every time there's on OTA. If you're rooted.. Never except an OTA... It will most likely soft brick your device. Wait for the devs to come out with a version of the OTA that will work with a rooted phone.

Ways to stop an OTA from being auto pushed to phone:
-follow the steps from the OP, just keep in mind that this is not guaranteed fool proof and sometimes still will not protect you.
-flash a custom ROM, this is the only way an OTA will not get pushed to your phone. If you don't like the fancy custom ROMs.. then flash one of the stock debloated, zip aligned, deoxed ROMs.

 

[Srambo217]

Good advice.. this is a problem that plagues members every time there's on OTA. If you're rooted.. Never except an OTA... It will most likely soft brick your device. Wait for the devs to come out with a version of the OTA that will work with a rooted phone.

Ways to stop an OTA from being auto pushed to phone:
-follow the steps from the OP, just keep in mind that this is not guaranteed fool proof and sometimes still will not protect you.
-flash a custom ROM, this is the only way an OTA will not get pushed to your phone. If you don't like the fancy custom ROMs.. then flash one of the stock debloated, zip aligned, deoxed ROMs.

The process in OP is what these ROMs with OTA blocks do. The only difference is that some ROMs delete these files instead of rendering them useless.

Sent from my unlocked/modded Samsung Galaxy SIII using Android Central Forums

 

[Cyber Warrior]

The process in OP is what these ROMs with OTA blocks do. The only difference is that some ROMs delete these files instead of rendering them useless.

Sent from my unlocked/modded Samsung Galaxy S3 using Android Central Forums

Not always the case... Only time will tell but I remember the HTC Thunderbolt days when we tried the same process by renaming the otacerts.zip to otacerts.zip.bak and members were still getting the official OTA from Verizon pushed to their phones.. I can't even count the number of soft bricks members were complaining about.. I spent weeks helping members getting their phones back to a usable state. Now maybe this is an HTC only problem because I remember using this method on Motorola devices and it worked perfectly... So just be prepared, it may work but there's always the slight chance that it may not... even with declining the pushed update, eventually Bolt users were forced to accept the update because every time they rebooted their phone trying to flash a custom ROM last minute, they couldn't get passed the start menu... the update took over. The only guaranteed method that I've seen work is by using a custom ROM.
Again, hopefully this was just an HTC issue and we won't see this problem.

 

[Srambo217]

Not always the case... Only time will tell but I remember the HTC Thunderbolt days when we tried the same process by renaming the otacerts.zip to otacerts.zip.bak and members were still getting the official OTA from Verizon pushed to their phones.. I can't even count the number of soft bricks members were complaining about.. I spent weeks helping members getting their phones back to a usable state. Now maybe this is an HTC only problem because I remember using this method on Motorola devices and it worked perfectly... So just be prepared, it may work but there's always the slight chance that it may not... even with declining the pushed update, eventually Bolt users were forced to accept the update because every time they rebooted their phone trying to flash a custom ROM last minute, they couldn't get passed the start menu... the update took over. The only guaranteed method that I've seen work is by using a custom ROM.
Again, hopefully this was just an HTC issue and we won't see this problem.

eschelon over at XDA is the one who sharing this method with devs. Regardless if you're using a custom ROM or stock image, if you're attempting to block OTAs on a SGSIII you're using the "same" technique.

You're right that only time will tell, but right now this is the only known first step of protection.

Sent from my unlocked/modded Samsung Galaxy SIII using Android Central Forums

 

[davidnc]

I am hoping that along with the mentioned programs in the OP froze and or with .bak added to them along with all the vzw/samsung bloatware froze thats not used any update will fail even if it makes it to the phone.I remember about the HTC saga, although I didnt have a Tbolt
Regardless the days are numbered when I will be flashing a custom Rom,probably long before any OTA is released anyhoo Ha.

 

[oper8or]

When I try to edit the file name it says that the system files cannot be edited because they are read only. What am I doing wrong?

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Android Central Forums

 

[Cyber Warrior]

When I try to edit the file name it says that the system files cannot be edited because they are read only. What am I doing wrong?

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Android Central Forums

If you're using Root Explorer.. when you first open the app, there's a tab/button up top for switching Read/Only Read/Write (R/O, R/W).... Change it to read/write before renaming the file.. when done switch it back to read only.

 

[wilk489]

Changed the extension on FWUpgrade.apk and SDM.apk to .bak, but it won't let me change FWUpgrade.odex and SDM.odex to .bak because it says it already exists. Anything I'm doing wrong?

 

[Hovik818]

Changed the extension on FWUpgrade.apk and SDM.apk to .bak, but it won't let me change FWUpgrade.odex and SDM.odex to .bak because it says it already exists. Anything I'm doing wrong?

FWUpgrade.apk = FWUpgrade.bak
FWUpgrade.odex = FWUpgrade.odex.back

SDM.apk = SDM.bak
SDM.odex = SDM.odex.bak

 

[Ratbastrd]

Can someone point me to a stock, debloated, zip aligned, deoxed ROM for the Verizon S3? Until the custom ROM's get cleaned up, stock still appears to be the best, suspect performance and battery life would dramatically improve just by removing bloat and unwanted services running.

 

[Srambo217]

Can someone point me to a stock, debloated, zip aligned, deoxed ROM for the Verizon S3? Until the custom ROM's get cleaned up, stock still appears to be the best, suspect performance and battery life would dramatically improve just by removing bloat and unwanted services running.

Here - http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1768218

Or choose something else - http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1850506


Sent from my rooted/modded/stock Samsung Galaxy SIII using Android Central Forums

 

[OWybPPgO]

I rooted without Odin and haven't flashed anything - just ran the script that copied su in. Do I have to worry about an OTA update?

Couldn't I just delete the su executable and then it would be back to stock? Or are there more issues?

 

[Srambo217]

I rooted without Odin and haven't flashed anything - just ran the script that copied su in. Do I have to worry about an OTA update?

Couldn't I just delete the su executable and then it would be back to stock? Or are there more issues?

If you didn't follow the instructions in the OP post rooting than yes, you haven't done anything to prevent an OTA. Rooting alone does not prevent anything.

If I were going to unroot completely I would just Odin my device to a pure unrooted stock build. This is the norm. You could manually remove root bits and pieces but it would be rather redundant. Better to wipe everything and start fresh than "tidy up," although I don't see why anyone wouldn't want root access in general.

PS: rooting, blocking OTAs, than Odin-ing back to stock will put you back to square one. An Odin flash rewrites the entire system.

Sent from my rooted/modded/stock Samsung Galaxy SIII using Android Central Forums

 

[OWybPPgO]

If you didn't follow the instructions in the OP post rooting than yes, you haven't done anything to prevent an OTA. Rooting alone does not prevent anything.

If I were going to unroot completely I would just Odin my device to a pure unrooted stock build. This is the norm. You could manually remove root bits and pieces but it would be rather redundant. Better to wipe everything and start fresh than "tidy up," although I don't see why anyone wouldn't want root access in general.

PS: rooting, blocking OTAs, than Odin-ing back to stock will put you back to square one. An Odin flash rewrites the entire system.

Sent from my rooted/modded/stock Samsung Galaxy S3 using Android Central Forums

thanks. I do like being rooted, I'm just paranoid about having voided my warranty.

 

[Srambo217]

thanks. I do like being rooted, I'm just paranoid about having voided my warranty.

I've rooted/returned phones many times (mostly Motorola devices because those things like to randomly fall apart), as long as you restore to stock (Odin back to a factory ROM in this phone's case), you're golden

Sent from my rooted/modded/stock Samsung Galaxy SIII using Android Central Forums

 

[PJnc284]

thanks. I do like being rooted, I'm just paranoid about having voided my warranty.

You didn't void your warranty. That's just something people like to say to scare others out of rooting. Assuming you don't brick it by being dumb, your warranty is perfectly fine in the event that you have a legit issue.

 

[BitRifle]

edited by moderator.. app devs, please use the application forum to advertise apps.

 

[Srambo217]

edited by moderator.. app devs, please use the application forum to advertise apps.

The method in OP worked 100% fine for me. Please don't try and frighten these good people into buying your app (if anything, offer a discount or something).

At this point there is no real reason to fear the OTA anyways. It's completely rootable/unlockable.

Future OTAs perhaps, but I wouldn't hold my breath. We probably won't see one for quite sometime.

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Android Central Forums

 

[CypherMax]

So I'm rooted running clean rom 5.0. I went through every system app in root explorer and cannot find the upgrade apk is it possible this rom doesn't have it as a safety measure? I definitely don't want this JB update forced to my phone.

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