Got a Galaxy S2. Now what? - Galaxy S II Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

Hello. I came here from the Xperia X10 mini forum, because i just got a S2
Thing is i don't know what to do with it. With the SE it was different, I was a SE user my whole life, so I was up to date with how to do things on SE droids (root, flash with flashtool, etc.). But i have 0 experience with samsung.
I have:
PDA: I91000XWKE2
BASEBAND: I9100XXKDJ
KERNEL: 2.6.35.7-i9100xwke2-cl187606 [email protected] #2
It's running droid 2.3.3 and I cant update with KIES because it gives me windows encountered a problem etc etc... the old send dont send but on windows 7 (x64).
So I would like to flash it to a 2.3.5 rom and root it. Can anyone explain how do I do this? I don't know what and where to search because I'm new to samsung.
So far i have downloaded ODIN 1.85 and a found this "GT-I9100_OXA_I9100XXKI3_I9100XXKI3_I9100OXAKI3" file. What do i do with it? (also explain steps plz).

I never had a smartphone in my life before I got my SGS2, and I managed to flash all the ROMs without creating threads with questions that are answered in stickies. But maybe I'm a genius, not anyone can be one.
So, try here for starters.. or just search around.

install this kernel and read all the texts.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1103399
You should now be root and have cmw recovery, and you can flash pretty much any rom you want.
Not to familiar with teh sony's but i assume you had clockwock mod recovery?

Odin to flash, cf root to flash as kernel to allow root and get cwm, cwm to flash a custom rom as a quick guide on what to search. Generally reading around will help.
Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk

Ty for the reply guys. Really apreciate the help and am reading everything you posted.
But 1 thing: witha ll respect, stop acting like I'm using up your personal space, I opened this thread for a reason, because i dont understand sh!t, and reading wont help unless i start to read the very beginning.
When i was at the Xperia thread, i used a program called Flashtool to flash a new generic rom to my X10 mini pro. It also updated the baseband (and basebands where important when i flashed a custom ROM, you needed to have latest baseband and kernel to flash X,Y,and Z custom roms).
I just want to update to the original samsung 2.3.5 ROM with odin (as kies sucks and wont work) and the rest will be easy. Don't want CWM and root yet, just a plain stock 2.3.5 rom. I just wanted to know if i can flash THAT file (first post, long text) to my phone with ODIN.
Again, thank you very much for the support, and will continue to read everything you guys post here.
It's easy to say search for this and search for that when you know exactly what to search for. In my case, I dont even know where to begin. And i would like to finish this "job" in the next 2 hours, as after that its time to sleep :/

norbi_nw said:
Ty for the reply guys. Really apreciate the help and am reading everything you posted.
But 1 thing: witha ll respect, stop acting like I'm using up your personal space, I opened this thread for a reason, because i dont understand sh!t, and reading wont help unless i start to read the very beginning.
When i was at the Xperia thread, i used a program called Flashtool to flash a new generic rom to my X10 mini pro. It also updated the baseband (and basebands where important when i flashed a custom ROM, you needed to have latest baseband and kernel to flash X,Y,and Z custom roms).
I just want to update to the original samsung 2.3.5 ROM with odin (as kies sucks and wont work) and the rest will be easy. Don't want CWM and root yet, just a plain stock 2.3.5 rom. I just wanted to know if i can flash THAT file (first post, long text) to my phone with ODIN.
Again, thank you very much for the support, and will continue to read everything you guys post here.
It's easy to say search for this and search for that when you know exactly what to search for. In my case, I dont even know where to begin. And i would like to finish this "job" in the next 2 hours, as after that its time to sleep :/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No offence mate but when I moved from an HTC to a Samsung based device I was a newb then to, coming from another phone to different methods to another new method I got to grips with everything just reading around.
To answer your questions, yes you can flash a stock rom using odin, all you need is to check out intratechs thread in original development section, as of now KJ3 is the latest 2.3.5 firmware, download a frankenstein version and read his thread which had a guide on what to put where.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=13712988
[ROM+Guide]Official i9100 Firmwares KG, KH1/2/3/4, KI1/2/3/4/8, KJ1/2/3 Download
Your original post mentioned you wanted to root it hence I gave you the easiest way of doing so is to flash cf root, searching cf root would have given you that thread plus instructions within that thread.
Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk

well i flashed that rom i pasted there and it worked. Was simple once i knew i need to put that in PDA and start it.
Yes i know about CF root and will be my next move. Thank you so much for everythingyou posted (again). And will REread every post again for extra knowledge. Need to forget everything i know about SE and learn new stuff.

Related

Question about flashing roms?

Hi ive tried to do alot of research as to how to flash roms and so im not getting a clear image from anyone thats posting things. Again im new to galaxy s2 got it bout 2 days ago and id like to be a flash junkie again from my x10 thaats how i was what i want to find out from anyone that can assist me and explain step by step how to flash roms on my device. my sgs2 is from bell and its kg2 with 2.3.3 and i see on forums of 2.3.5. so id like to know if im able to flash any roms on my phone and how to flash and things it doesn't seem straight foward as how xperia x10 was lol sorry for being a noob. once i get my answers go ahead mods or admins to closing my thread. thank you
You can check out this thread for a step by step guide for installing 2.3.5. You can also find all the firmware's leaked/official that you can flash here. The only thing I would advice is for you to read up as much as you can and familiarize yourself with Odin, if you are not already. Also when flashing roms it's safest if you don't include the .pit file. If you ever want to flash back to the stock bell rom, you can find it here. Good luck and happy flashing

[Q] Noob - Where to Start

Hiya guys,
I have a Samsung Galaxy S2 that I got this week. Im finding the phone is brilliant to use at the moment and works very well. It's alot better for me to use this device that it was when I had my previous phone which was an iPhone (don't shoot me)...
Anyway here we are. I've had the phone 4 days and i'm wanting to root it. The main reason for this is that I hate bloatwear. Samsung have filled it with all their own specific software that they find useful and I don't want that. All I want is a lovely OS with no Samsung to worry about etc.
Right a little about what i'm wanting. Ok so the phone is a Samsung Galaxy S2 GT-I9100. The andoid version is 2.3.4, the Baseband is I9100XXKI1 and the Build is GINGERBREAD.
Im basically wanting to install the exact same version of Gingerbread but without all the bloatwear. Is this possible? Im completely new to this so any guides and tutorials that you can point me to would be brilliant. Is there anything I should be wary of when rooting my phone etc.
I have been looking around on the net and from what I can see Cyanogen M7 seems to be the same version as what im on now other than you don't get the touchwiz.
Any help would be brilliant on where to start.
If there are any questions then please ask.
Regards,
Just freeze the bloat yourself, rather than trying to find a ROM with it removed.
Root via zergRush, freeze bloat with one of the apps on the market.
However, if you do go down the CM7 route, just follow the instructions on http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1176411
Other things to look out for. If any instructions are telling you to make a nandroid backup, do it, and back up your efs folder. You can use Hellcat's kTool for that.
Ok thanks for your post. So i guess my next question is What is Rooting and what does it actually do to your phone?
Do I need to root my phone in order to install new Roms??
Also the link to the M7 *Nightly* release you gave me. Is that stable? I read on their forums that I should only look at installing their *Stable* release and be wary of their *Nightly* release as its still buggy.
Since your first post said you were wanting to root, I kinda thought you'd know why. Bad assumption on my part, I know.
Anyway, before you flood the place with more questions, have a read for a while.
FAQS/Guide/Additional Info For Rooting S2 - High level summary
[FAQ] GT-i9100 Galaxy S II FAQ thread
Also, there is no so called "stable" CM7 build for the Samsung Galaxy S II.
Hi again.
Ok so I've had a read through the links provided to me and Im positive i want to root my device so that i can install new roms and unlock the phone and such. So next then can someone suggest what method i should do next. could someone also tell me what cf-root and clockworkmod is? Im confused as to what these are.
Regards
CF will give you root and clockwork, you can then reboot into clockwork and flash roms. Just make sure you read everything thoroughly and be sure to avoid the repartition option in odin.
Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk
Thanks but could you explain to me what they both do? Im assuming that its better to use cf-root as it allows you to install roms also...
Love spoon feeding eh?
http://www.lmgtfy.com/?q=cf-root
http://www.lmgtfy.com/?q=clockworkmod+recovery
Please search before open a new thread. All the info you need is there to be found. Start you hunt.
Thread closed

I have a few question. Im a noob :))

I've just gotten my Galaxy s II 3 days ago. Its on stock firmware 2.3.3 but I want to upgrade it to 2.3.5 but it's not yet available in my country.
The question is, i've googled alot of guides but all of them are somehow different. In one, you need to tick repartition, while others you dont need to tick. Which one should I choose?
Please guide me through this, I've seen also the guide here but Im not very familiar with the terms and still very much confused.
I just got this phone and I dont want to brick it )
This thread has all you need to know: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1075278
mudferret said:
This thread has all you need to know: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1075278
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Im still confused. He says in this thread "All packages below this point have the old bootloader so you can safely reset the binary counter with a Jig.
If you've already flashed a full package from elsewhere or updated using KIES and cannot reset your binary counter using the Jig just flash this package in the PDA or Bootloader section of Odin to replace the bootloaders and then you can reset the counter: http://www.multiupload.com/LQQBRQVJUD
Here are the new bootloader tarball if you want to flash them back after resetting your binary counter: http://www.multiupload.com/5LNOCL7KPV"
The firmware I'll be downloading is below that point and will my warranty void? Im not gonna root it. im just gonna upgrade the firmware.
Another question, my country is not present in the firmware lists. Can I download from another country instead? If so, why did he list them as different countries?
ALL the firmwares he now uploads have the old bootloader, so you don't have to worry about that part of it. The jig just resets the binary flash counter, a.k.a. unofficial flash counter, this will come into play if you decide to root in the future. Starting with 2.3.5 firmwares the counter could no longer be reset with the jig (micro USB resistor).
The countries are the location for which the firmware was released. Assuming you have the international version of the SGSII you'll be fine with any of them; but of course you likely want the latest and "best" firmware. You're not limited to installing a firmware for your country. Research in Q&A to see what the latest firmware release is, and what people think of it. I haven't run a Samsung firmware in a while, so I'm no help there. 2.3.6 is out, some versions are better than others from the minimal reading I've done about 2.3.6
Samsung could theoretically tell you to pound sand if you needed warranty service, although you have an official firmware it's potentially not official for your area. I'm not sure what the likelihood of this is since I like voiding warranties on all my possessions, and don't try to get warranty service after I've done so.
This isn't the whole story, but should get you started.
Im so confused. There are 2 download links on the firmware on intratech's guide. Which of them should I choose?
very simple
shakra00 said:
Im so confused. There are 2 download links on the firmware on intratech's guide. Which of them should I choose?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My 2 cents
Type *#1234#
It gives you PDA , phone and CSC details , the PDA details is what uve to look for. Mostly you can find your region in the PDA details unless your phone is locked with a carrier. I think Intratech's guide on that is pretty clear , ul need that firmware only if you want to remove the yellow triangle after root. I dont think it'll be able to update your firmware version , may be am wrong , there are guys here who know stuff much better.
Guys, Is there a chance of bricking my phone when flashing a firmware goes wrong?
shakra00 said:
Guys, Is there a chance of bricking my phone when flashing a firmware goes wrong?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes
Bricking phone 1% chance not being able to recover a bricked phone 1% chance
Flashing without reading following instructions etc 70% chance .
jje
Is there a way to unbrick the phone?
honestly , yes
shakra00 said:
Guys, Is there a chance of bricking my phone when flashing a firmware goes wrong?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You might end up with a brick slab if you choose the wrong PDA or skip steps , If upgrading and rooting your phone is the priority, here is the idea,
Root the phone first with Chainfire's kernel, his post by itself is fool proof
READ the dev forums to see if you can find a ROM which is close to stock and which is upgraded to 2.3.6.
Thats exactly what I did. I tried Wicked ROM for starters as it was pretty close to stock. Now once you do that you'll get enough courage to do the rest of the stuff.
People said you can choose any firmware as long as your phone is the international version
same chance as that of a bricking the phone
shakra00 said:
Is there a way to unbrick the phone?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If this is your first android device , I suggest you to read a lot , because for a newbie upgrading or rooting will not be of much use.
The true purpose of upgrading and/or rooting comes into picture when u know what you want to do with your device , if you feel Chainfire's post is a little difficult to understand but still want root , try Superoneclick or DoomLord's tool
Is the KK2 firmware a good to update to?
KK5 probably better .
jje
How will I know if it's compatible with my phone?
shakra00 said:
How will I know if it's compatible with my phone?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you have the International version, any of the firmwares in that thread I linked you to will work.
Edit: sounds like you're unsure if you have the International version. Model = GT-I9100 (rare cases there's a letter after this which still equals International, other cases letter = NOT international).
Go to Settings>About Phone and look at your phone model # and firmware version and report back.
Sent from my MicroTAC 9800X using speech to fax modem
HI
anyone was a noob once including myself. my wife got galaxy s2 in octomber. first thing i recomand to you is to read galaxy threads here at xda. that's how i begun. first noob now flashaholic. if u go down this road you will become like many of us maybe. which is not bad at all. so lets resume for a noob:
1. read xda threads
2. install drivers on pc for galaxy s2- with kies
3. use intratech - xwkk5 original firmware. it's just one file about 600mb. use odin and put this file on pda. no repartition. don't worry about bootloader.
4. put the phone in download mode- connect the cable to pc and make sure u see that odin shows the phone.
5. hit start... with no fear.. wait 3-5 minutes and the phone will reboot.
6. don't panic - it will take about 1-2minute for the phone to reboot.
7. thats all- look in setting - about phone- new firmware
then its about rooting, removing bloatware, deodexed, new mods- phone recording, new themes, ics content, browsing everyday xda forum...
good luck.
p.s. - don't be afraid about bricking your phone. look for riff-jtag in your town. for 30$ your phone will live another day
ive been reading around and have seen you post a lot...if you are afraid to flash yourself then i suggest you wait for the update from kies...people here have been extraordinarily helpful and yet you still ask too many questions as if a lot owe you one...as said before READ READ and READ...if you are unsure then dont even bother much more if you are not even too interested following instructions because you want to ask more that learn yourself...im a bit irritated because we have already answered your questions in other threads with a more detailed answer and still you go your own way...this site is a group help site...if you prefer your way then i suggest you read a lot and watch youtube tutorials...my 2 cents to you

[Q] N00b question regarding the firmwares...

Hello all...
I am new to the Android platform.. Bought a Samsung Galaxy Tab GT-P7500
Android Version: 3.1
Baseband Version: P7500XXKI1
Kernel Version: 2.6.36.3
Build Number: HMJ37 P7500DXKI2
Bought it in Singapore, and noticed that the "Dutch" language was not available. I tried using these locale changing programs, and they work, but only change parts of the OS.
Is it quite straightforward to install another firmware to make it a Europe model? If yes, which firmware do I actually use. Have been reading in the other forums, but really cannot find which one to use.
I do understand that it is only this Odin program I need to install another firmware and it works? Can I use the same program to first backup my current firmware in case something goes wrong?
Sorry for all these questions, but have been reading through many threads now, and all seems to be for the professionals, and in Android it is not me at the moment.
Hope someone can help out.
Thanks everyone.
hi man regarding the firmware if you want a stock firmware you can go to samfirmware.com and search for the one of your model and area or you can take a look on the android development area of the forum and see if there is a firm that you like to try and regarding the odin thing you can read the instructions here http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1171089 and have the last version of cwm here http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1090289 you will now what it is once you read the first post oh and yes with this you can make a back up of the original firmware in case you want to go back
hey,
thanks for the links already.
however, still not 100% clear to me.
I have downloaded the Open Europe firmware for the GT-P7500, but still it is unclear on how to exactly do the change through Odin.
I can simply load the downloaded .TAR into the option CSC of Odin and push start? The TAR itself contains .bin and .img files
Any options that should be selected or not in this Odin software?
Sorry for the stupid questions people... Really new to this, so some detailed procedure should have been great..
And for newbies not that 100% clear that thread, at least not for me..
If it's a single tar file, flash as PDA.
ivovdb said:
hey,
thanks for the links already.
however, still not 100% clear to me.
I have downloaded the Open Europe firmware for the GT-P7500, but still it is unclear on how to exactly do the change through Odin.
I can simply load the downloaded .TAR into the option CSC of Odin and push start? The TAR itself contains .bin and .img files
Any options that should be selected or not in this Odin software?
Sorry for the stupid questions people... Really new to this, so some detailed procedure should have been great..
And for newbies not that 100% clear that thread, at least not for me..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sent from my GT-P7500 using XDA App
Thanks.. Noted.
And do I need to do the procedure first to root the device or not?
Then last question, do I leave the default options "Auto Reboot" and "F.Reset Time" on, and all the rest off? (Re-partition / Flash Lock / Phone EFS Clear / Phone Bootloader Update)
Sorry for the questions, but once I am set want to try, and afraid I might destroy it so...
Thanks to everyone for the help already...
Hello,
I just installed the new firmware without doing the root procedure first.
All seems to work fine, and now I have all languages available.
I cannot update it through KIES, will look some more for that.
But wondering, can I download and install an update directly on the Galaxy Tab? It says one 99Mb update is available for the system.
Wondering if this will destroy it or not....
Anyone who can answer this?

Need help to understand

Hi,
I am try to know what to do about the upgrade my device ROM
But i like to backup it first for that i need to put it on Root
I look on Google and get to the forum that i know from long ago when i had WM device
Any way i got lost on what CF-Root i need or what tar file i need
This is my device .
OS : 2.3.5
Model : GT-I9100T
Baseband : I9100TJIKI2
Kernel: 2.6.35.7-I9100TJIK1-CL641788 [email protected]#2
Build Number:GINGERBREAD.JIKJ1
What is the version of the tar file i am look ?
The only thing i know i need is the Odin but that is it
I look every ware on the forum but didnt manage to understand what is the right file for me.
Sorry if i post in the wrong forum
Thank who ever help
Boaz
Any one ?
boazor said:
What is the version of the tar file i am look ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hope this would help
No bumping threads after an hour :-/ This isn't your personal tech support forum.
Guides.
Re: which CFRoot kernel to use, pay attention to the section in bold red on the first page of the CFRoot thread which says 'Help ! Which file do I use ?'
If you can't find the right kernel after reading that section carefully a couple of times & comparing it to the details in your first post, you probably shouldn't be rooting your phone.
Alternatively, you can use the Odin version of another pre-rooted kernel rather than CFRoot, tho obviously you'll need to dig around in the development sections for a Gingerbread version of said kernel given you're running a GB rom (if you flash an >=ICS kernel on a GB rom the phone won't boot).

Categories

Resources