[Verizon] Trying to unroot my GS4, but I can't remember how I rooted it

[Magic815]

So I realize that I should've kept better track of what I had done, but I rooted my Verizon Galaxy S4 a little over a year ago. My intent was to root it so that I could download some tethering apps, but I quickly lost my unlimited data in an unrelated incident. After that, I didn't really use anything from the root and kinda just went on acting like it was a stock phone. I've since forgotten how I rooted the phone or with what process.

However, fast forward to now and I am trying to sell my S4 back to Verizon. I have to imagine that I would need to get my phone back to stock before sending it back to them.

Is there an easy way to unroot my phone if I don't remember what process I used to root it in the first place? At this point I honestly can't remember how I rooted it, and I'm all but certain that my phone has since gotten OTA updates from Verizon. I also want to make sure that I can unroot in a way that Verizon will never be able to tell that it had been rooted so as to not interfere with the sale back.

Any help is appreciated!

-----------
Edit: Would this be the right guide to follow?
http(colon)//www(dot)droidviews(dot)com/how-to-unroot-samsung-galaxy-s4-gt-i9500-and-reclaim-warranty/

One issue I'm seeing off the bat is that when I open up SuperSU now, it gives me the following error message:
"There is no SU binary installed, and SuperSU cannot install it. This is a problem!
If you just upgraded to Android 4.3, you need to manually re-root - consult the relevant forums for your device!"

So I'm guessing this has to do with my phone eventually getting bumped to 4.4.2 through OTA updates after I had done my initial root? Does this mean I have to first update my root before I can unroot? If you guys know of any relevant guides that I could follow here, that'd be awesome.

 

[itguyjax8430]

So I realize that I should've kept better track of what I had done, but I rooted my Verizon Galaxy S4 a little over a year ago. My intent was to root it so that I could download some tethering apps, but I quickly lost my unlimited data in an unrelated incident. After that, I didn't really use anything from the root and kinda just went on acting like it was a stock phone. I've since forgotten how I rooted the phone or with what process.

However, fast forward to now and I am trying to sell my S4 back to Verizon. I have to imagine that I would need to get my phone back to stock before sending it back to them.

Is there an easy way to unroot my phone if I don't remember what process I used to root it in the first place? At this point I honestly can't remember how I rooted it, and I'm all but certain that my phone has since gotten OTA updates from Verizon. I also want to make sure that I can unroot in a way that Verizon will never be able to tell that it had been rooted so as to not interfere with the sale back.

Any help is appreciated!

-----------
Edit: Would this be the right guide to follow?
http(colon)//www(dot)droidviews(dot)com/how-to-unroot-samsung-galaxy-s4-gt-i9500-and-reclaim-warranty/

One issue I'm seeing off the bat is that when I open up SuperSU now, it gives me the following error message:
"There is no SU binary installed, and SuperSU cannot install it. This is a problem!
If you just upgraded to Android 4.3, you need to manually re-root - consult the relevant forums for your device!"

So I'm guessing this has to do with my phone eventually getting bumped to 4.4.2 through OTA updates after I had done my initial root? Does this mean I have to first update my root before I can unroot? If you guys know of any relevant guides that I could follow here, that'd be awesome.

If you have SuperSU installed there should be an option in the settings to unroot.

 

[Magic815]

The issue is that SuperSU will no longer run. When I open it, it gives me the error message I copied into my original post. And then it exits the app automatically.

It looks like I need to find a way to properly update my root (since OTA updates have hit my phone since I did the initial root). Do you have any info/guides on how I'd do that?

 

[Rukbat]

If your kernel date is prior to June 3, 2014, Towel Root will root the phone, then you can use SuperSU to unroot it.

 

[itguyjax8430]

If your kernel date is prior to June 3, 2014, Towel Root will root the phone, then you can use SuperSU to unroot it.

Sounds like a plan, just push a new copy of SuperSU on to the phone and it should fix it.

 

[Magic815]

It looks like my kernal version is as follows:
"3.4.0
Tue Nov 4 2014"

I guess this means the Towel Root approach will not work? Any other suggestions?

 

[itguyjax8430]

It looks like my kernal version is as follows:
"3.4.0
Tue Nov 4 2014"

I guess this means the Towel Root approach will not work? Any other suggestions?

Give this a look.

[STICKY] How to Root Your Verizon Galaxy S4 … | Verizon Samsung Galaxy S 4 | XDA Forums

 

[Magic815]

My build number is: VRUFNK1

I don't see that as one of the build numbers that those guides are written for. :/

 

[Rukbat]

Those are early JellyBean builds. I don't know of a root for a November 2014 kernel. (itguyjax, if it were that simple, rooting a phone would be easier than answering a phone call. You have to be rooted to push su to /system/bin, which is what you do to root the phone [basically "install the SuperSU binary"]. Rooting consists of finding some security hole that gives you root temporarily so you can push su to the phone. If the phone isn't rooted - permanently or temporarily - you can't write to the /system tree.)

 

[Magic815]

Well so again, my final intent is to just get my phone back to stock firmware (with no warranty voiding) so that I can sell the phone back to Verizon.

It's definitely apparent that my phone is in a current state of a "broken root." I was only interested in fixing the root if it was a necessary step towards un-rooting. If there is a way to skip the root-fix and just undo my broken root entirely, I'm all ears!

 

[Rikk_Phlair]

I recommend downloading Root Checker Basic from the Play Store. Verify that your phone is actually still rooted before going through these other steps. One of your OTA downloads might've broken root in the past.

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[ellisz]

Can you just odin a factory image on the phone? I believe I unrooted mine this way. I used one that would not wipe the data partition but for you it works not matter.

Posted via Android Central App