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Root [Verizon] Can't Update to KitKat, Lost Root Too

A

ArchanAlias

Newbie
I am running the Android Version 4.3 on my Galaxy S3, and I have the option to update my phone to 4.4, but I've run across a problem.

When I try to accept the update, the phone does not complete the update and shows me the 'dead Bugdroid' picture partially through the update, and I cannot update my phone to 4.4.

After I tried updating the first time, I lost my root access to my phone. I use SuperSU by Chainfire and, when I try to launch it, I get a message saying:
"There is no SU binary installed, and SuperSU cannot install it. This is a problem!"

I am not running any custom ROMs. I speculate that the reason I can't update is because the update is trying to update Knox, but I believe the rooting method I used froze Knox, and the update cannot manipulate it while it's frozen, but I'm only speculating. I'm not entirely sure.

I cannot unfreeze Knox without root access, and I've been scouring the internet for weeks trying to understand my issue so I could resolve it myself, and I can't seem to figure it out. All rooting processes I've tried fail to reroot my phone. This is my last resort. What can I do to successfully update my phone, and, if possible, how do I recover my root?

I rooted using a process I found in this Youtube video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yuBuD9aL12o

Disclaimer: I am new to Android Forums and realize that there is a chance that I can be filing this thread under the wrong place. If I am doing anything incorrect, I apologize in advance for my inexperience here.

Edit:
Message to lurkers who have a similar problem:
Skip to post 22 and beyond for the solution.
This thread is specific for Verizon Galaxy S3
 
Welcome to our AndroidForums, ArchanAlias :).

First off, you did indeed post in the correct area, so no worries there :) :thumbup:.

It sounds like you've got two issues at the moment:

1. you're currently not rooted

2. you're having trouble upgrading (installing an OTA?) to 4.4

Just a disclaimer: I don't have an S3, so I can only try to ask you for and give you some general information--the S3 root experts I'm sure will have to weigh-in to give you some specific advice.

The video you linked to uses the saferoot rooting method and I would imagine you should still be able to re-root using that method again if you are indeed still running 4.3 (that rooting method relies on an exploit of the Linux kernel before version 3.5.5).

So, if you're having trouble re-rooting, are you using this method and what issues / messages / warnings are you seeing?

~ ~ ~

Regarding the upgrading to 4.4: I assume you were prompted with an OTA installation and accepted it? Is that right and if so, what did you see, how long did it take, etc.?

It does look like the knox package can indeed be disabled using k1mu's saferoot process, but it's not a given that is what could cause the OTA installation to fail.

Information about a failed OTA installation is typically recorded in a /cache/recovery/last_log file, but that file (and directory) is typically only accessible with root access.

I am a little worried that your 4.4 update partially updated things--resulting in you losing root. Can you also confirm what your current Android and kernel version are at the moment?

~ ~ ~

So, let us know what additional information you can provide.

Thanks!
 
Hey just popping in but what country are you in? If outside north America, the gt-i9300 (international version) never got official kitkat.
I'll try n help you flash a kitkat custom rom later mate if u want :thumbup:
 
@funkylogik:
I'm in North America. My phone keeps on telling my to download the update over, and over, and over again and automatically update. So, I'm thinking it's about time for me to figure this problem out before I get overly annoyed with this thing. But thanks for the offer! :D

@scary alien:
Yes. Your 2 assumptions are correct. When I try to use the method over again, it tries to find the SU files under the system binary files, but says that they aren't there. It fails to successfully root. (I would get a screenshot of the cmd prompt from the video trying to root, but my computer is having an issue with the USB port at the moment and I'm trying to resolve that. I'm recalling this from memory.)

As for my Kernel, the information it gives me is:
3.0.31
se.infra@R0210-08 #1
Mon Apr 7 23:34:46 KST 2014

Any suggestions on what I should do?
 
ArchanAlias,

Thanks for that info! :thumbup:

Couple more questions for you:

1. When you were rooted, what kind of mods/changes did you make (after being rooted) to your phone with your root powers? I'm asking this because there has to be something that explains why the OTA will not successfully install.

2. Your Android version still says 4.3, correct?

The kernel version should have allowed the saferoot process to work, but not having an S3 or having run the rooting utility, I'm not sure how much help I can be in debugging your issue...:( Perhaps there's some nugget of information or help in k1mu's thread over on XDA that will help? (and/or some of the comment in the YouTube thread)
 
I added AppFreezer, AFWall+ (a firewall), made it so I wouldn't have to have my mock location dev-settings checkbox checked to use Fake GPS, tinkered with MAC address spoofing in a terminal app a little, and changed some UI sounds (like locking and unlocking sounds). The worst thing I've done is probably freezing Knox and uninstalling Google's bloatware music app for playing music I download from the Play Store. That's just about it. I only used my root access for trivial things, and I've tried to only play with the things I know what I'm doing with.

And yes, I'm still on Android 4.3.
 
ArchanAlias said:
I added AppFreezer, AFWall+ (a firewall), made it so I wouldn't have to have my mock location dev-settings checkbox checked to use Fake GPS, tinkered with MAC address spoofing in a terminal app a little, and changed some UI sounds (like locking and unlocking sounds). The worst thing I've done is probably freezing Knox and uninstalling Google's bloatware music app for playing music I download from the Play Store. That's just about it. I only used my root access for trivial things, and I've tried to only play with the things I know what I'm doing with.

And yes, I'm still on Android 4.3.
Click to expand...

Hmm, I'm guessing uninstalling a stock app would probably cause the OTA to fail (i.e., if it's checking the SHA1 of a non-existent file, it's not going to match and the assert (verify_patch_check) is going to fail).

ArchanAlias said:
Model: SCH-I535

If that's not the correct info you're asking for, where can I find it?
Click to expand...

Ah, I'm guessing your carrier is Verizon?

We'd need to move your thread over to the (Verizon) Galaxy S3 - All Things Root area once we confirm that.
 
Yes, I'm on Verizon. If you can please show my thread that way, I would appreciate it.

And in second look, it looks like the music app was never uninstalled. All 'important' apps are still here. Either that, or frozen.

Edit: I checked up on my frozen apps. The only 2 critical freezes are Knox and S Suggest. If freezing IS the problem, that's all I can find on it. Otherwise, I'm stumped.
 
ArchanAlias said:
Yes, I'm on Verizon. If you can please show my thread that way, I would appreciate it.

And in second look, it looks like the music app was never uninstalled. All 'important' apps are still here. Either that, or frozen.
Click to expand...

Ah, thanks!

Freezing apps shouldn't affect an OTA's installation, so there's got to be something else that has changed (some root apps can and will change things and not impart that information to you--lots of us have had that happen on our 1st gen Nexus 7s).

I've moved this thread over to the Verizon all-things-root area, so hopefully we'll get some VZW S3 rooting folks that are as helpful as FunkyLogic and GTWalling have been.
 
Does the update wipe out my su files?
I have a root explorer, so I can try to see if it's still there if somebody can provide the file path. SuperSU, and everything that I've tried to reroot with, look for that file, but they can't find it nor can they install it themselves. Is there a way to reinstall or recover that file?

I had my root access up until the point where I first tried to update to 4.4. After the first attempt, I lost my root immediately
 
ArchanAlias said:
Does the update wipe out my su files?
I have a root explorer, so I can try to see if it's still there. SuperSU, and everything that I've tried to reroot with, look for that file, but they can't find it not can they install it themselves. Is there a way to reinstall or recover that file?
Click to expand...

Well, the first half of an OTA update typically does a long series to cross-checks to validate/verify that all of the files it will patch later are exactly what it expects (so it doesn't try apply patches to the wrong file).

Any cross-checks that fail should cause the OTA installation to cease and not attempt any patching or installing, so it's a bit of a mystery as to why you lost root...:dontknow:

If you fire-up an Android Terminal app session and type "su", do you get the "#" prompt?
 
ArchanAlias said:
Is it possible to flash or recover the su file?

Otherwise, I've exhausted every lead I can think of now.
Click to expand...

Do you have a custom recovery (TWRP or ClockworkMod) installed?

If so, you should be able to flash a SuperSU .zip file to re-root.

Otherwise, it's probably best that we wait for someone in this VZW S3 root area to suggest a next step (how to re-root, other way to re-root besides saferoot, etc.).
 
I don't think I have that installed. I followed the directions from the linked video the best I could, and it didn't look like it paid to much attention to the recovery stuff, so I didn't give it a second mind. I'll wait for somebody who knows more about my issue and see if I can find the solution.
 
ArchanAlias said:
I don't think I have that installed. I followed the directions from the linked video the best I could, and it didn't look like it paid to much attention to the recovery stuff, so I didn't give it a second mind. I'll wait for somebody who knows more about my issue and see if I can find the solution.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I didn't see that k1mu's saferoot installed a custom recovery, so unless you specifically did this, you probably don't have it installed.

I'm guessing you'll have to re-root some other way or otherwise flash back to stock...
 
Briefly skimming thru this thread, ArchanAlias, (welcome! by the way :) ) , are you just wanting to unroot and update via OTA? or trying to save root?

Thanks to Scary for the investigative questioning :D and to Funky and GT for jumping in too;)
 
At this point, the priority is updating to 4.4. I'll deal with the rooting stuff later.

I'm currently not rooted, and I'm unable to root. There really isn't much of it to save. :)
 
Problem after problem...
I'm trying to add the firmware file to Odin under "AP", but it doesn't seem like it's showing up when I follow the file path. I'm following the same steps to install firmware in this video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4NMTWvXQPjk), except I'm using the firmware Mikestony showed me earlier. The only difference is that the I535VRUDNE1_I535VZWDNE1_I535VRUDNE1_HOME.tar.md5 file isn't showing up in the "Open" file explorer.

I downloaded and extracted the files, I connected my phone to my computer (successfully now), started recovery mode on my phone, started Odin, confirmed the checkboxes, clicked "AP", followed the file path, and couldn't find the ".md5" file.

Anybody know why I can't find it? :confused:

Edit:
Message to lurkers who have a similar problem:
If Odin worked for you, skip to post 44.
 
This is what I'm seeing. Unfortunately... this is low quality.
It's me showing my file paths on both file explorers, the folder existing in my downloads folder, and the Odin explorer not finding it.
(Sorry for double posting. Couldn't add this photo in the previous post.)
 

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