Verizon S4: ROM Flashing problems

Iroxusux

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Alright, so i obviously have a Verizon Samsung Galaxy S4 I-545 Phone. I have rooted my phone, created a backup and tried flashing a custom rom after doing a factory reset, however, when i tried opening the zip file my phone said there was an error and it didnt finish loading from my SD card. I then had to reboot and my phone looks like it just came out of the box.
anybody seen anything like this or could offer some help on the matter?
 
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Golfdriver97

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Re: ROM Flashing problems

Alright, so i obviously have a Verizon Samsung Galaxy S4 I-545 Phone. I have rooted my phone, created a backup and tried flashing a custom rom after doing a factory reset, however, when i tried opening the zip file my phone said there was an error and it didnt finish loading from my SD card. I then had to reboot and my phone looks like it just came out of the box.
anybody seen anything like this or could offer some help on the matter?

It sounds like a bad flash. Try restoring your Nandroid, and download the file again.
 

Iroxusux

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Re: ROM Flashing problems

it's happened with multiple ROMS so far. I'm wondering if i'm doing it wrong?
I am putting both the ROM and the GAPP in the root of my SD.
I reboot into recovery, format factory settings, then upload from my SD.
Is that right, or am i wrong?
 

wtherrell

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Re: ROM Flashing problems

Also, i'm pretty new at all of this. Forgive me if i sound stupid for any of this

Is your phone a lokied Mdk build or developer phone? Since you are flashing Gapps, it sounds like you are trying to flash ASOP based roms. Unless you have one of the devices two I mentioned above, they won't work.


Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk
 

Iroxusux

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Re: ROM Flashing problems

Is your phone a lokied Mdk build or developer phone? Since you are flashing Gapps, it sounds like you are trying to flash ASOP based roms. Unless you have one of the devices two I mentioned above, they won't work.


Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk

I don't believe they are either, but how do i find out if they are either?
 

Iroxusux

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Re: ROM Flashing problems

Actually, I looked into it some more today. Apparently, unless you have a certain build of the Verizon version of Samsung's Galaxy S4, you cannot flash ROMS without a safestrap. ie, you risk bricking your phone. So yet again, bummer for me having Verizon.
 

wtherrell

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Re: ROM Flashing problems

Actually, I looked into it some more today. Apparently, unless you have a certain build of the Verizon version of Samsung's Galaxy S4, you cannot flash ROMS without a safestrap. ie, you risk bricking your phone. So yet again, bummer for me having Verizon.

Correct


Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk
 

soma4society

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Can you confirm the build that does NOT work? Trying to help someone get their Verizon s4 to Google edition status or a close equivalent.

Thanks...

Moto X/Nexus 5
 

wtherrell

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Can you confirm the build that does NOT work? Trying to help someone get their Verizon s4 to Google edition status or a close equivalent.

Thanks...

Moto X/Nexus 5

As I understand it, only original builds ending in MDK WILL work. All others need safestrap. My dev edition was MDK with unlocked bootloader. Verizon originally was MDK with locked bootloader and the Loki exploit was a necessary work around to install custom recovery. But VZW plugged that with next OTA update and screwed everyone wanting to flash roms. All other factory builds must use safestrap method. Thanks to developer Hashcode, safestrap works for the later builds.


Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk
 

paintdrinkingpete

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So safe strap will help unlock and root, can I then flash a Google play edition ROM or am I limited to safe strap ROMs?

Moto X/Nexus 5

ROMs must be safestrap compatible.

All VZW GS4s can be rooted as far as I'm aware, but the bootloader is locked and encrypted so that it cannot be unlocked. Root itself will allow you to run root apps and remove bloatware, etc, but the reason the latter part is important is for the ability to install a custom recovery partition and install custom firmware (ROMs).

A workaround was discovered for the *ORIGINAL* build on the Verizon GS4 (I545VRUAMDK) called "Loki" which enabled users to install ROMs despite the locked bootloader. (ROMs had to be compatible with Loki). Unfortunately, this no longer works on all future builds of the VZW GS4...so any phone that has been upgraded or purchased recently can no longer use this method to install ROMs.

What Safestrap does is circumvent this by essentially running a virtual instance of Android that you can boot to, without touching the existing OS (paraphrasing and simplifying here for noobs). It's probably more suited for "expert" users, and yes, the ROMs have to be compatible with this method of install (check the ROM OP and/or thread...but as far as I know, there are no SS compatible AOSP or CM ROMs). Also, because it has to use the user partition to install the ROMs (/sdcard), you will lose a considerable amount of available storage on the device. If you want more information on safestrap, please see the original XDA thread here:
[RECOVERY LOCKED] Safestrap Recovery v3.71 [2013-12-27 EXFAT Fix] - xda-developers


I definitely consider myself lucky to still have my rooted MDK Verizon GS4.
 

Shannon Ross

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i have a samsung att s4 active SGH-I537. Its rooted and the other day i put it on the charger and went to sllep, got up and turned it on and it gets stuck on the att logo when booting up. Ive hard reset it 4 times with no luck. It takes me to odin mode and tells me to flash it. Im not sure how to flash it or what custom rom I need to flash to it. Plz help this is driving me insane...
 

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