Root [Verizon] Uh oh! MF1 Update Forced on my Rooted Phone

[MasterCylinder]

DANG! After sitting by safe on the sidelines after rejecting the update, I had it forced down my throat this morning after a reboot which I hadn't done in 5 days. Actually, I may have avoided it by freezing SDM 1.0 with Titanium Backup, which I was just about to try, since my phone is stock rooted.

However, I thought the last time I had to push okay to get a "reject" option, but, oops, not there. Didn't find a reject option this time. Phone starts to reboot. I try to get TWRP recovery going to possibly opt out and TWRP starts but it just implements the update, reboots and then update continues. Maybe it rebooted again? Then I get a notice that says "Update Complete - Sorry we were not able to update your phone, no changes were made" or something like that. So I thought "whew!"

But not "whew" as I'm in some kind of tutorial mode with everything I do is bringing up a screen explaining how to push buttons and such. Never saw this before. AND, I lost root, my TWRP and I now have MF1. Seem to still have my unlocked boot loader - I have "Custom" and the unlock symbol on there.

I don't know what the status of some of the things I've frozen with TB but some of the apps I froze still are missing.

I had just made a nandroid backup (!) and the reboot pulled the update. I guess I will have to root again and install a custom recovery. :bawling:

 

[Rxpert83]

Yup, just reroot. If you want to go back restore your nandroid.

 

[MasterCylinder]

Yup, just reroot. If you want to go back restore your nandroid.

Thanks Rxepert83. Do you know if freezing SDM 1.0 will keep my phone from receiving a pushed update?

 

[Rxpert83]

I'm not entirely sure on that one.

I've always flashed the latest updates as soon as they come out. I've never been in the situation of wanting to stay on the older stock ROM.

Hopefully someone else can chime in. :thumbup:

 

[MasterCylinder]

I've always flashed the latest updates as soon as they come out. :thumbup:

Rxpert83, Are you rooted and completely up-to-date on the stock ROM of your S3?

 

[Rxpert83]

Rxpert83, Are you rooted and completely up-to-date on the stock ROM of your S3?

I am rooted, but I'm also on sprint and currently running an AOSP ROM

 

[Mikestony]

Why do some folks get the option to update or have it forced upon them? Is it because they run the stock rom as the op has?
I have never had an update pushed, or asked of me, but that could be because I run a custom rom?
Also, question to the OP...is your bootloader unlocked? Just trying to get my info correct as to the ability for an update to successfully install.

 

[jhawkkw]

It does seem weird that the ota installed of you had twrp installed. Usually having custom recovery installed prevents otas from installing.

 

[Mikestony]

It does seem weird that the ota installed of you had twrp installed. Usually having custom recovery installed prevents otas from installing.

Ah that's it I wasn't sure if it was a custom recovery or an unlocked bootloader that should prevent an OTA

 

[MasterCylinder]

Why do some folks get the option to update or have it forced upon them...

Mikestony: my bootloader seems to be still unlocked and I had TWRP. It installed the update! When the Verizon update came out a few weeks ago, I had to initiate an update check from Settings>About Phone to discover it. I was able to select reject at that time and got the message that I could go back and get it any time I wanted. I may not have even known about it otherwise except through the forum.

This time after reboot it displayed every time I woke up the screen though pressing return would dismiss it. It seems to have been a Samsung update, though it was early this morning before my coffee ;-) However, I seemed to have received the entire update/upgrade with multi-window and everything even though I got a message telling me it didn't work.

I may have accidently selected check for update in the last couple of days and quickly pressed return to bail out. Next time I rebooted it was making demands. Perhaps if I had gone back through "About Phone" I could've rejected it.

So far everything seems to work! Just lost root and TWRP.

 

[Mikestony]

hmmm, very odd
Well, I would do as Rxpert suggested and reroot ...what method did you use before?

 

[Rxpert83]

Was this the update that fixed all the radio issues from the prior one?

Big red may have forced that as it was a critical fix

 

[Mikestony]

Yes...you think that update could override root etc? Kinda sounds like it eh?

 

[Rxpert83]

No clue

Custom recoveries can usually handle an ota file, they just usually fail on the system checks.

They may not have done the normal system checks. Hard to know what happened without delving into the file.

 

[MasterCylinder]

hmmm, very odd
Well, I would do as Rxpert suggested and reroot ...what method did you use before?

I used the "All Things Root" link to http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2046439

Was this the update that fixed all the radio issues from the prior one?

Yes, this is the one with the MF1 radio in it - that seems to have fixed the connectivity issues people were having.

Does anyone know what this means when I boot the phone? Sorry it's a little blurry - I took it with a camera. It says "Custom."

 

[Mikestony]

That image indicates that your bootloader is unlocked

 

[bucknasty]

Running stock 4.1.2 rooted on S3.

VZ pushed an update that fixed the earlier release that enabled multi-window that was bad and broke many things, the radio being one.

Had root before they pushed out the "fix" . So naturally I can't get TI backup to run or any other program that needs root .

Do I just re-do the entire 3 step process using ODIN as before to get root back?

Or do I just need to do 2 of the 3 steps (let me know which ones) since I already have unlocked the bootloader before VZ pushed the fixed update out. Thanks

 

[MasterCylinder]

Thanks Mike. That's what I figured, and might be responsible for getting messages after the update about things not being completed properly.

Do you think that means I need to still flash the VRLAC bootchain as directed by the guide as a first step?

Also, the last step is to flash the original JB bootchain. I wonder if the bootchain after the MF1 update with the new features would be different from the "original" one in that link? Has there been any reports of people having a problem using the guide and it's software on phones with the latest updates?

I don't remember reading of any complaints yet.

 

[Mikestony]

@ bucknasty--Hmm, yours is the 3rd post about this happening--Verizon pushing out the update that is breaking root for folks...something odd is going on I think..not sure.

But anyways, if I were you, I would try to get root back by going to this guide:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2046439

since your bootloader is already unlocked, I would download the SU file in step 1 (prep)/#3/bullet point 1.
I would assume you have no custom recovery either?

Then do all the steps except #5 (restoring the bootchain)--because the MF1 bootchain is not up and running yet there.

I surmise that would work...it will install SU and a recovery.

Now like I said the MF1 bootchain is not posted there yet...I know he, (open1your1eyes0) is looking for it to post in his guide there.

My best educated guess is that will get your root back and your custom recovery.

 

[jhawkkw]

Breaking root isn't uncommon for otas. The su binary installs to a place that is generally overwritten when an ota is installed. Hence, if it's overwritten, it's no longer there and thus no root. That's why it's nice to use one of the root protection methods, provided by either Voodoo rootkeeper, SuperSU root protection, etc because it creates a backup of it in another part of the root directories that isn't touched by otas, generally only factory image flashes. Then when root is broken by the otas, you can use the program to copy the backup back to it's proper location.

 

[Mikestony]

Thanks Mike. That's what I figured, and might be responsible for getting messages after the update about things not being completed properly.

Do you think that means I need to still flash the VRLAC bootchain as directed by the guide as a first step?

Also, the last step is to flash the original JB bootchain. I wonder if the bootchain after the MF1 update with the new features would be different from the "original" one in that link? Has there been any reports of people having a problem using the guide and it's software on phones with the latest updates?

I don't remember reading of any complaints yet.

Ha, I just responded in this thread about the same thing...I may merge these two threads as they deal with the same issue:
http://androidforums.com/verizon-ga...ked-bootloader-no-root-after-mfr1-update.html

 

[Mikestony]

Merged threads...

 

[bucknasty]

Thanks! I will wait for the MF1 bootchain to appear and a couple of others to "go first" and see what happens.

 

[MasterCylinder]

Then do all the steps except #5 (restoring the bootchain)--because the MF1 bootchain is not up and running yet there.

Whew! Thanks a million! I'm glad I hesitated before blundering forward. A little birdie was whispering in my ear. (Sometimes I don't listen to it ...)
:trytofly:

I will root and then wait for the updated bootchain.

 

[Mikestony]

Someone else may have a better idea, as my idea is not gospel truth, but my best guess