[GUIDE] Restore Back to Clean Factory Stock UPDATE 10/23

[PsYcHoNeWb]

[WARN]Disclaimer as usual. I do not take any responsibility for what you do to your device. If you decide to do this, you do so at your own risk . I always recommend you be very careful with flashing and rooting. No one likes an expensive paperweight.

This is how to fully return to stock whether you have a locked or unlocked bootloader. This will wipe all data on your device so back up anything you want to save. This will also take some time to do, not a 5 minute job and will take some understanding of ODIN.[/WARN]

[INFO]This process will work for both locked and unlocked bootloaders so there is no need to worry about that. If you want to relock your bootloader, you will need to relock your bootloader while you are on a rooted ROM and then perform these steps. Use the App over on RootzWiki V1.2 to relock your bootloader and then continue on with these steps. If you get a message about non authorized software, don't panic that will go away once you have completed this process.[/INFO]

[TIP]Before starting this process... back up everything you have on your phone that you want to keep. This process will erase all user data so if you don't want to loose certain files back them up now before you begin.[/TIP]

RESTORING TO STOCK WITH LOCKED BOOTLOADER

First: You will need to download ODIN obviously if you haven't already. You can get that from Cyber Warrior's guide here. I assume that you already have that but just in case. When using ODIN to flash, NEVER use the phone tab. ALWAYS select PDA. Second: You will want to download two files: Stock Nonrooted ROM: samsung-updates.com - Thank you for download! Kernel: http://samsung-updates.com/kernel/Samsung-Updates.com-SCH-I535-VZW-I535VRALF2_Kernel.zip VRALEC Bootchain:Goo.im Downloads - Downloading VRALEC.bootchain.tar.md5 VRALF Bootchain:Goo.im Downloads - Downloading BOOTLOADER_I535VRALF2_618049_REV09_user_low_ship.tar.md5 Here is a listing of all the STOCK ROMs from Samsung... Firmware archive | Samsung Updates. I have only tested flashing F2 based ROM on ODIN so the others have not been test by myself. Third: The stock ROM will be in a .rar file. DO NO RENAME THE .rar FILE. Extract the actual file in it (not the .dll the .tar.md5 file that is about 1.2gb). The kernel file is fine as is, no need to extract anything. Put those where you can find them easily. My file name looked was this: Stock Rom: HOME_I535VRALF2_I535VZWALF2_618049_REV09_user_low_ship.tar.md5 Kernel: kernel.tar Simple extract them from the .rar that they are in. Forth: Boot your device into ODIN mode (hold vol down, home button and then power and select yes when prompted). Once in ODIN mode, plug into you computer and ODIN on your computer should recognize the device. When it recognizes the device the ODIN box (usually farthest to the left) will show "COM Port: xx". The xx will be different for everyone since that is the USB port that it is connected too. Fifth: Select in the PDA tab the VRALEC Bootchain file and go over to the option pane under the ID:COM boxes and to the left of Re-Partitioning and unselect Auto Reboot. You should only have F.Reset Time selected when you flash this file. Make sure you have the file selected in the PDA tab and hit start. This should not take very long. Once it is done you should see a green PASS. Unplug your device and DO NOT RESTART. Close ODIN and reopen ODIN. Repeat this step for the VRALF Bootchain in the exact same manner. Sixth: Select the PDA tab on ODIN and point it to the stock image you downloaded in step 2. Go over to the option pane under the ID:COM boxes and to the left of Re-Partitioning and make sure the standard 2 are selected, Auto Reboot and F. Reset Time. Hit start and this will take a LONG time. It took my device around 10 minutes to do this. Once it is finished you should see ODIN say "REBOOT" and when your phone is rebooting. Your phone WILL NOT boot, wait for ODIN to say "PASS" and then unplug your phone from ODIN and pull your battery. Close ODIN and reopen it, you will need it for the final step. Seventh: Put your battery back in your phone and boot directly to your stock recovery by holding volume up, home and power button. Once you get into your recovery perfore a "wipe data/factory reset" and "wipe cache". This process may take some time so just be patient. Once it is done, reboot out of recovery. Let your phone reboot like normal and it should boot as if you just took the phone out of the box. Eighth: Once your phone boots like normal, power you phone off again and boot back into ODIN mode and plug it back into your PC. When you phone is connected to ODIN, open in the PDA section the kernel file you downloaded in step 2 and start the flash process. No need to change and settings on ODIN and this process should take 30 seconds or so, maybe less. Once this is done, you should see a normal boot process and get into your phone as if it was brand new.

[NOTE]You are good to go! All of you data should be wiped and you should be running a clean OS.[/NOTE]

[INFO]If you run into any errors or problems during this process go here and follow this process: [HOW-TO] Unbrick your soft bricked Galaxy S3 - xda-developers. This will unbrick your phone if it is bricked and get your back up running stock by flashing the proper boot partitions.[/INFO]

 

[websterzx10r1]

Re: [GUIDE] Restore Back to Clean Factory Stock

I tired this odin saw my phone when i hit pda and directed it to the home image file it ran thru a check and said finished but my phone never did anything after this? no reboot or signs of anything being done. Phone was put in odin mode as well.

 

[davidnc]

Re: [GUIDE] Restore Back to Clean Factory Stock

Afer you extracted you "home file" image from the .zip. You didnt change or edit the file name did you?
When it completed did it show" Pass" up in the left hand side of Odin?
Also did you have usb degguing checked before going into odin mode ?
When odin was open and phone connected to computer,,did it show a "Com Port" with some number in it in the left hand corner of odin?
Also in the message window of odin with phone connected to computer ,Did it show a ID and a number with "added" in the message window of odin?

Also just in case you havent doubled checked this :
Open the platform-tools folder >right clickon blank spot inside folder>and go in command window and type adb devices and a serial number of your device show?

In windows XP to check its a little different you have to go into command prompt then type cd c:\android-sdk\platform-tools>and hit enter
then type adb devices.
FYI I changed the name of my android-sdk-windows folder to just android-sdk .So it depends on what you named your folder as to what to type there

 

[PsYcHoNeWb]

Re: [GUIDE] Restore Back to Clean Factory Stock

I tired this odin saw my phone when i hit pda and directed it to the home image file it ran thru a check and said finished but my phone never did anything after this? no reboot or signs of anything being done. Phone was put in odin mode as well.

Did the process take 8-10 minutes? If it processed the file right on the phone it would have automatically rebooted the device. Walk me through the steps that you took to do this and I will see if I can find what happened along the chain of events.

Afer you extracted you "home file" image from the .zip. You didnt change or edit the file name did you?
When it completed did it show" Pass" up in the left hand side of Odin?
Also did you have usb degguing checked before going into odin mode ?
When odin was open and phone connected to computer,,did it show a "Com Port" with some number in it in the left hand corner of odin?
Also in the message window of odin with phone connected to computer ,Did it show a ID and a number with "added" in the message window of odin?

No I did not, left it same. I rarely ever change file names unless I know it wont harm the file.

Yes once your phone reboots or is rebooting it will show "Pass" and I believe the box turns green.

I do not believe that would make a difference for ODIN but I had it enabled.

Yes it will show COM Port. This is just registering that your are connected to the computer and tell you which USB port.

Not sure what you mean by the last one. You mean where is says like COM Port:10? Or something in the output window?

 

[PsYcHoNeWb]

Re: [GUIDE] Restore Back to Clean Factory Stock

Thread is edited to hopefully clarify what these 2 posts asked.

 

[davidnc]

Re: [GUIDE] Restore Back to Clean Factory Stock

Not sure what you mean by the last one. You mean where is says like COM Port:10? Or something in the output window?

Exactly ,,,,, depending on your port depends on what number shows . For example your number showing there wouldnt probably match my number showing there.

 

[PsYcHoNeWb]

Re: [GUIDE] Restore Back to Clean Factory Stock

Exactly ,,,,, depending on your port depends on what number shows . For example your number showing there wouldnt probably match my number showing there.

Yes exactly. If you chage the USB port the COM Port should also change.

 

[websterzx10r1]

I opened odin3 auto reboot f.reset time checked clicked on pda inserted home_I535VRAF2_I535VZWALF2_618 yada yada tar file. I noticed there is a M.D.5 connected to the file no numbers just the M.D.5. Any ways in the Odin message box am told to wait M.D.5 hash value is invalid end all the while phone is connected in Odin mode. The second picture is after i dislodged my phone and took a quick picture of the screen.

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2

 

[PsYcHoNeWb]

Re: [GUIDE] Restore Back to Clean Factory Stock

I opened odin3 auto reboot f.reset time checked clicked on pda inserted home_I535VRAF2_I535VZWALF2_618 yada yada tar file. I noticed there is a M.D.5 connected to the file no numbers just the M.D.5. Any ways in the Odin message box am told to wait M.D.5 hash value is invalid end all the while phone is connected in Odin mode.

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2

Your ODIN looks fine, however if I am understanding your right are you trying to use a .tar file or .md5 file?

My file for stock is: HOME_I535VRALF2_I535VZWALF2_618049_REV09_user_low_ship.tar.md5

You want the .tar.md5 and unless it is showing something different I can see why you might be getting an error message. When you extracted the file from the .rar file downloaded before did it only come out as a .tar or .tar.md5?

 

[websterzx10r1]

I have the same file u posted but when inserted when I click pda it reads information then does nothing else. It was from the direct download link I will download try again. Thanks for ur quick response.

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2

 

[PsYcHoNeWb]

Re: [GUIDE] Restore Back to Clean Factory Stock

I have the same file u posted but when inserted when I click pda it reads information then does nothing else. It was from the direct download link I will download try again. Thanks for ur quick response.

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2

<OSM> Enter CS for MD5..
<OSM> Check MD5.. Do not unplug the cable..
<OSM> Please wait..
<OSM> HOME_I535VRALF2_I535VZWALF2_618049_REV09_user_low_ship.tar.md5 is valid.
<OSM> Checking MD5 finished Sucessfully..

This is the output that I get when I put the home file in the PDA tab. If you are getting invalid something may have gotten screwed up in the download.

Here is the MD5 checksum that I have for my home file that worked when I flashed mine: 5EB8A8F43DE56655F4D5C10BBD7DE67C

 

[Metups]

Re: [GUIDE] Restore Back to Clean Factory Stock

What is the purpose of the seventh step? Is it necessary?

 

[xliderider]

Re: [GUIDE] Restore Back to Clean Factory Stock

What is the purpose of the seventh step? Is it necessary?

Probably not, but the OP and others take no chances and reflash the kernel with a stock image to be safe/sure.

 

[PsYcHoNeWb]

Re: [GUIDE] Restore Back to Clean Factory Stock

What is the purpose of the seventh step? Is it necessary?

Probably not, but the OP and others take no chances and reflash the kernel with a stock image to be safe/sure.

It is not 100% necessary however this is correct. In case you flashed a kernel and eventually went back to stock this is just the fail safe way to get fully 100% back to stock. I noticed that if I didn't do this I would get a different boot image of the Samsung logo and under it saying "CUSTOM" with an unlock symbol on the bottom because I flashed a different kernel once. Just in case, I would recommend this step.

 

[websterzx10r1]

Re: [GUIDE] Restore Back to Clean Factory Stock

okay got it to reboot on its own must have been a bad download about to install the kernel.tar. Thank you for bearing with me back to stock.

 

[PsYcHoNeWb]

Re: [GUIDE] Restore Back to Clean Factory Stock

okay got it to reboot on its own must have been a bad download about to install the kernel.tar

Great. Glad that worked out for you. Kernel is easier... No need to do anything with the file that you download. Once you do that you are set to go!

 

[yz_aker]

Re: [GUIDE] Restore Back to Clean Factory Stock

Does this process include getting back to a stock Recovery? In otherwords, if CWM was loaded, will this remove CWM and get you back to the stock Recovery?

 

[PsYcHoNeWb]

Re: [GUIDE] Restore Back to Clean Factory Stock

Does this process include getting back to a stock Recovery? In otherwords, if CWM was loaded, will this remove CWM and get you back to the stock Recovery?

I believe it does, I never flashed a different recovery from the stock one. However to be safe I would recommend you flash the stock one. I would recommend you download this app and flash the stock recovery before you do anything.

 

[Gatanater]

Re: [GUIDE] Restore Back to Clean Factory Stock

Do you have a different mirror or dropbox link because the website for samsung downloads is down

 

[PsYcHoNeWb]

Re: [GUIDE] Restore Back to Clean Factory Stock

Do you have a different mirror or dropbox link because the website for samsung downloads is down

Should be fine, sent you a PM with a link. If that doesn't work I will post a dropbox link for you.