[HOW-TO] Update to 4.4.2 NAB & NC5 w/Root from MJ4 Rooted without triggering Knox 0x1 - Sprint Samsung Galaxy Note 3

[HOW-TO] Update to 4.4.2 NAB & NC5 w/Root from MJ4 Rooted without triggering Knox 0x1
This How-to guide will show you how to update from Jellybean MJ4 Android 4.3 with Root and Knox 0x0 to KitKat NAB Android 4.4.2 with Root without triggering the Knox 0x1 Warranty Bit.
This guide will be useful to those who want to have Root on their phone without triggering the Knox Warranty bit (and losing your warranty) and don't care/mind about flashing custom recoveries, kernels and ROM's. I, for one, only need Root so I can use Root apps like Xposed, Titanium Backup, AdAway, etc.
I also have a Galaxy S4 and a Nexus 5 and I don't use custom kernels and ROM's on those phones either (I just like stock & Root, lol~). And I don't have phone insurance on my Note 3 and S4 so that's why I want to keep Knox at 0x0 just in case. Also, I like the feeling of out-smarting/going around Samsung's ridiculous Knox implementations.
Disclaimer/Heads-Up
You undertake these steps at your own risk to your phone. This method has been used successfully many times by many users to go from Rooted 4.3 to Rooted 4.4.2 without triggering the Knox Warranty bit. Please read the instructions carefully in the entire post and download/install all the files before proceeding.
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Now, onto the steps.
Before beginning the process, make sure you have the following installed on your phone and Windows laptop:
1. Samsung USB driver (PC) (So your Windows PC can detect your Note 3 when you plug it in.)
2. Odin v3.09 (PC) (You'll be using this to flash the NAB bootloader. I modified the .ini file for flashing the bootloader correctly. Clicking on the link will lead you to download Odin v3.09 from my Dropbox account.)
3. Mobile Odin Pro v4.0 (phone) (You'll be using this to flash the NAB tar file to update to Android 4.4.2.)
**Please DO NOT use Mobile Odin Lite. It won't work. If you already have Mobile Odin Lite installed, uninstall it & reboot your phone. Then download & install Mobile Odin Pro.
4. The NAB tar file, transferred over to the root directory of your phone (phone) (Thanks to @freeza for getting this for us~!)
5. The NAB engineering bootloader (PC) or stock NAB bootloader (PC). (Again, thanks to @freeza ~!!)
6. Kingo Android Root (I used v1.1.8.1835 to Root MJ4 4.3) (PC) (You can use this, without triggering Knox 0x1, to Root your stock MJ4 4.3.)
7. Stock NAB 4.4.2 CSC.tar file. (PC) You'll need to flash this with desktop Odin in order for your phone to have the correct CSC information as well as important System apps. If you don't flash this, you'll lose the ability to choose GSM/UMTS in the Mobile Network setting and you'll have S-Pen-related app crashes.
8. Odin v3.04 (for flashing the above CSC.tar file) (PC).
** Optional: If you don't like seeing multiple lines of code every time you reboot your phone (b/c of the engineering bootloader that has been flashed), you can flash the stock NAB bootloader prepared by rwilco12 for us.
His One-Click stock NAB bootloader can be downloaded here.
If you want the stock NAB bootloader in tar format, you can download it from my Dropbox here.
Before I began the process, my Note 3 was as follows:
Stock MJ4 Rooted (achieved with Kingo Android Root)
Stock MJ4 kernel
MJ4 baseband
MJ4 bootloader
Knox Warranty Bit = 0x0
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[1] Backup anything that's important to you first just in case (e.g., app data, pictures, videos, SMS, call log). I like to backup using Helium, MyBackup Pro, Titanium Backup, & SMS Backup & Restore.
[2] Open up Mobile Odin Pro v4.0 and click on "Open file...". Select the NAB tar file. Make sure the following options are checked:
-"Enable EverRoot"
-"Inject Superuser (SuperSU)"
-"Inject Mobile Odin"
[3] Click on "After flash..." and choose "Download Mode."
[4] Finally, click on "Flash firmware." The phone will reboot automatically and MOP will begin flashing the NAB tar. You'll see a screen like this:
(Modile Odin Pro v4.0 flashing the NAB tar)
[5] Once MOP has finished flashing the NAB tar, it'll boot you directly into Download mode.
(Knox Warranty Bit is still 0x0)
[6] Now, open Desktop Odin v3.09 (download from link above). Click on the "BL" button and select the NAB bootloader you downloaded earlier.
-Be sure the following options are unchecked: "Auto Reboot" and "F. Reset Time."
-Also, the "Phone Bootloader Update" box should be checked.
Now, click on the "Start" button. Wait until it reports "Pass."
[7] Hold down the Power button until the phone reboots. Right when the phone vibrates and begins to restart, press and hold down "VOL UP + HOME + POWER" until the phone enters into this screen:
(The screen looks like this b/c the NAB bootloader is the engineering bootloader version. Note that the Knox Warranty Bit is still 0x0.)
[8] Press the Power button until the phone reboots. Right when the phone vibrates & begins to restart, press and hold down "VOL DOWN + HOME + POWER" until you get to this screen:
[9] Press "Volume down" to cancel and restart the phone.
[10] The phone will reboot and start up normally. Your Note 3 may stay at the yellow Sprint screen for longer than you're used to. Be patient.
Next comes the normal Samsung boot animation.
Then the "Android is upgrading..." pop-up will appear and your apps will be optimized.
Let the phone settle for about 5 to 10 minutes. Upon settling down, reboot your phone once.
[11] Now that your phone has settled down, shut it off completely. Then boot into Download Mode (VOL DOWN + POWER + HOME).
[12] Open desktop Odin v3.04 by right-clicking it & choosing "Run as administrator."
[13] Click on the PDA button and select the csc.tar file. Click Start and let the flash finish and auto-reboot your phone.
And now, everything's finished~! ​
Some people have experienced unstableness in the NAB 4.4.2 environment after the flash. It could be because of some apps that were installed in the MJ4 4.3 environment that's causing the problem. If that's your case, I recommend booting into stock recovery and performing a factory reset/data wipe. You'll have to reinstall your apps again but at least you'll have a clean start.
**Warning: If you decide to flash the NAB tar file with Desktop Odin instead, you'll lose Root.
==============================
​ Through this method, I was able to go from Stock Rooted 4.3 to Stock Rooted 4.4.2 while keeping my Knox Warranty bit at 0x0.
You can check on your Knox Warranty Bit status by restarting the phone and going into Download Mode.
Full setting available under Mobile Network
Writing a text message with the S-Pen
Screen write
How to Update from Stock, Rooted NAB 4.4.2 to Stock, Rooted NC5 4.4.2 (Knox stays 0x0)
Files Needed
1. NC5 tar file. You can download the tar file from here:
http://samsung-updates.com/device/?id=SM-N900P
I placed the NC5 tar into my Internal Storage of the phone (not microSD).
2. NC5 CSC file ( <-- Download from my Dropbox)
3. Odin v3.04
4. NC5 modem file ( <-- Download from my Dropbox) (Credit goes to freeza)
5. NC5 stock Bootloader (optional) ( <-- Download from my Dropbox) (Flash with my modified Odin v3.09 & use the BL button).
Flashing Instructions
1. Make sure your copy of Mobile Odin Pro is at version 4.10.
2. Open MOP v4.10 and select the NC5 tar file. You don't need to set up the phone to boot into Download Mode after the flash. Click on "Open file...". Select the NC5 tar file. Make sure the following options are checked:
-"Enable EverRoot"
-"Inject Superuser (SuperSU)"
-"Inject Mobile Odin"
3. After the flash has completed and phone has rebooted, check Settings. Everything should be NC5 except for the baseband.
4. Shut off the phone completely. Then enter into Download Mode by holding down POWER + VOL DOWN + HOME.
5. Flash the NC5 baseband/modem using Odin v3.04 and using the PDA button. Let the phone reboot.
6. Check Settings. Everything should be NC5 now.
7. Reboot the phone into Download Mode again. Using Odin v3.04 and the PDA button, flash the NC5 CSC file.
8. You're done~!! ​
9. (Optional step) Steps 1 through 7 will update your phone to NC5, except for the bootloader. The bootloader will remain NAB. Even with the NAB bootloader, the phone will work just fine after updating to NC5 for everything else.
However, if you would like to have the bootloader version to be NC5 as well, then flash the stock NC5 bootloader via Odin v3.09. Be sure to power down the phone completely and reboot into Download Mode from a cold state in order for the bootloader flash to stick.
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Can someone with the phone info app and Knox tripped see if it reports 0x1. I was unaware that the app developer found a way to read the actual bit.
Thank you for this guide! Will try it out when I get home
Sent from my SM-N900P using xda app-developers app

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NAE? Where is this coming from?
Sent from my SM-N900P using Tapatalk

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MikeyLee said:
NAE? Where is this coming from?
Sent from my SM-N900P using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
LOL fixed the title~
Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

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optimummind said:
LOL fixed the title~
Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
lol I was gonna say

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First thank you very much for posting this.
I have just one question. Do we have to flash the engineering bootloader?

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Porsche928Guy said:
First thank you very much for posting this.
I have just one question. Do we have to flash the engineering bootloader?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, until @freeza has the time to release the official NAB bootloader for us to flash.
Sent from my SPH-L720

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I'm trying this now, wish me luck! One thing I'd like to mention regarding your step #4. You said, "The NAB tar file, transferred over to the root directory of your phone (phone)". I tried copying the file to the root of my phone and it locked up my phone, probably because it is too big. I had to do a battery pull to get back up. Mobile Odin Pro found the file in a directory on my external card so I would advise copying it there.
Uh-oh, one more thing. I got the NAB tar file flashed with MOP, but in PC Odin 3.09.03 you said, "-Also, the "Phone Bootloader Update" box should be checked." That option is grayed out. How can I enable that? I'll wait for a reply before flashing the engineering bootloader.

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JimSmith94 said:
I'm trying this now, wish me luck! One thing I'd like to mention regarding your step #4. You said, "The NAB tar file, transferred over to the root directory of your phone (phone)". I tried copying the file to the root of my phone and it locked up my phone, probably because it is too big. I had to do a battery pull to get back up. Mobile Odin Pro found the file in a directory on my external card so I would advise copying it there.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's interesting that a simple file transfer would lock up the phone. Which app did you use to make the transfer? I used ES Explorer.
Sent from my SPH-L720

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optimummind said:
That's interesting that a simple file transfer would lock up the phone. Which app did you use to make the transfer? I used ES Explorer.
Sent from my SPH-L720
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I used Root Explorer. I assume that it either can't handle 2.2+GB files or the phone didn't have enough space left for the copy.
---------- Post added at 07:44 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:39 PM ----------
Thought I'd make this a separate post: One more thing. I got the NAB tar file flashed with MOP, but in PC Odin 3.09.03 you said, "-Also, the "Phone Bootloader Update" box should be checked." That option is grayed out. How can I enable that? I'll wait for a reply before flashing the engineering bootloader.

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JimSmith94 said:
I used Root Explorer. I assume that it either can't handle 2.2+GB files or the phone didn't have enough space left for the copy.
---------- Post added at 07:44 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:39 PM ----------
Thought I'd make this a separate post: One more thing. I got the NAB tar file flashed with MOP, but in PC Odin 3.09.03 you said, "-Also, the "Phone Bootloader Update" box should be checked." That option is grayed out. How can I enable that? I'll wait for a reply before flashing the engineering bootloader.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Did you download Odin v3.09 from my Dropbox in the 1st post? It's been modified to allow that checkbox to be checked already.
Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

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optimummind said:
Did you download Odin v3.09 from my Dropbox in the 1st post? It's been modified to allow that checkbox to be checked already.
Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh sorry, my bad. I had a newer version and thought newer was better. Okay, everything flashed, and I did the two reboots with volume up and volume down as you said. It rebooted and updated apps, and got to the lock screen with a couple notifications in the notification bar.
However, I got a "waiting for connection" message at the bottom of the screen and the screen went black and I couldn't wake it up with the power button. I have rebooted it several times and was able to boot all the way a few times, but the screen times out whether I am using it or not and it won't wake up. I also get a smartcardservices has stopped message and the phone is running quite hot.
Any ideas?

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Thanks for this. Exactly what ive been waiting for!
Sent from my GT-N8013 using Tapatalk

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JimSmith94 said:
Oh sorry, my bad. I had a newer version and thought newer was better. Okay, everything flashed, and I did the two reboots with volume up and volume down as you said. It rebooted and updated apps, and got to the lock screen with a couple notifications in the notification bar.
However, I got a "waiting for connection" message at the bottom of the screen and the screen went black and I couldn't wake it up with the power button. I have rebooted it several times and was able to boot all the way a few times, but the screen times out whether I am using it or not and it won't wake up. I also get a smartcardservices has stopped message and the phone is running quite hot.
Any ideas?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The "Waiting for connection" message should disappear once your phone connects to Sprint via 3G or 4G. My phone did something along the line of "Final connection has completed" thing after first boot.
If you keep getting errors, you might want to do a factory reset/data wipe from within the stock recovery (hope you backed up your files).
Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

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Does this works (and keeps 0x0) with OTA 4.4.2 ? I mean can I root 4.4.2, flash kernel and 0x0?
Sent from my SM-N900P using xda app-developers app

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erik077 said:
Does this works (and keeps 0x0) with OTA 4.4.2 ? I mean can I root 4.4.2, flash kernel and 0x0?
Sent from my SM-N900P using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't know whether this engineering bootloader will trip the Knox warranty bit or not when one flashes a custom recovery afterwards. It'd be great if someone could verify for us. It'd be sweet if it didn't so that people can flash custom kernels, recoveries, and ROM's without tripping Knox.
Edit: Sorry for any confusion. I've updated my words in the above paragraph.

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optimummind said:
I don't know whether this engineering bootloader will trip Knox or not. It'd be great if someone could verify for us. It'd be sweet if it didn't so that people can flash custom kernels, recoveries, and ROM's without tripping Knox.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As of this writing, one will never be able to flash custom recovery, flash kernels or any rom in the dev forum without tripping Knox.
Sent from my SM-N900P using Xparent BlueTapatalk 2

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Someone once reported that they had a knox tripped phone they brought in to a sprint store and a guy actually reset his phone to factory, including knox was set back to 0x0. I never heard any other stories like that though so who knows.
Sent from my SM-N900P using XDA Premium 4 mobile app

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Okay, I'm officially lost. This guide is about not tripping Knox and the OP says the engineering bootloader must be flashed, but then a few posts above this states they don't know if flashing the engineering bootloader will trip Knox. So does it trip Knox or not? Or is this referring to the comment I made about phone info not reporting everything for our phone correctly?
Sent from my SM-N900P using xda app-developers app

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evilvoice said:
Okay, I'm officially lost. This guide is about not tripping Knox and the OP says the engineering bootloader must be flashed, but then a few posts above this states they don't know if flashing the engineering bootloader will trip Knox. So does it trip Knox or not? Or is this referring to the comment I made about phone info not reporting everything for our phone correctly?
Sent from my SM-N900P using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I may hedge on the Knox question, likely will in my prior post, but that does not detract one jot from the utility of this thread.
Sent from my SM-N900P using Xparent BlueTapatalk 2
---------- Post added at 09:17 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:10 AM ----------
KEYofR said:
Someone once reported that they had a knox tripped phone they brought in to a sprint store and a guy actually reset his phone to factory, including knox was set back to 0x0. I never heard any other stories like that though so who knows.
Sent from my SM-N900P using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Either urban legend or maybe true. William of Occam would assert the former, I'll not speak in absolutes and simply state that it were true, more would know about it. The latent desire in having this capability is strong enough to believe that, if it is possible at the Sprint store, the good folks here would've published it.
Sent from my SM-N900P using Xparent BlueTapatalk 2