Root [Verizon] Nervous about rooting...

dagactor · Jan 25, 2013

I've got a week old Verizon S3 SCH-i535 (which I bought immediately before the S4 announcement, DOH!) and my annoyance with the lack of customability and poor battery life has led me to consider rooting. I've been reading though a lot of posts and articles and it seems like the thing to do, but of course, I don't want to void my warranty should the hardware break or something, so I want to make sure I use the best method and have a clear, easy backup plan. Can anyone recommend which post/method would be the best bet for a neophyte like me?

THANK YOU!!!

Mikestony · Jan 25, 2013

Welcome dagactor!
Can I assume you are on JB version 4.1.1?

dagactor · Jan 25, 2013

Yessir!

Mikestony · Jan 25, 2013

I was in the same boat as you!
Got my phone and a week later I rooted it by following this guide:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2046439

And a nice video to check out:
How To Root Verizon Samsung Galaxy S3 4.1.1 & Install CWM Recovery! SCH-I535 - YouTube

Just be sure to read carefully, and then read some more, then read again.

Ask questions if you are not sure on something and also read thru the threads also.

dagactor · Jan 25, 2013

Thank you! Which ROM did you decide to use? Liquid sounds like the smoothest.

Mikestony · Jan 25, 2013

I went with CleanRom...haven't tried any others yet.
There is a link to CleanRom in my signature in my first post in this thread.

Just click on the "show" button for a link.

phonephreak32 · Jan 25, 2013

i am pretty nervous as well. i dont want to screw anything up.

what is the deal with the flash counter?

Mikestony · Jan 25, 2013

phonephreak32 said:
i am pretty nervous as well. i dont want to screw anything up.

what is the deal with the flash counter?

I believe the flash counter tells Verizon or the manufacturer that the phone has had custom roms/kernels/recoveries flashed to it.
But...there is a way to reset that counter to zero via an app called "Triangle Away" or a JIG (I wont get into that but if you want to Google "Samsung JIG", you'll see what I am talking about

), if the need arises that you need to send your phone back.

Like I told dagactor, just read and ask questions before you decide to root so you have a good understanding of the process.
I had to read it thru a few times and watch the video a few times yada, yada, yada.

phonephreak32 · Jan 25, 2013

do you know a guide to use RootDebugFS for 4.1.1?

from what i read using RootDebugFS will now trip the flash counter.

there is way too much information and too many different guides. i dont know which to use.

dagactor · Jan 25, 2013

I just watched the video and it seems like a great guide along with the written tutorial. I'm curious once you've finished the rooting process though:

1) It looks like you are now in a rooted standard TouchWiz...how do you flash the new ROM?

2) Will I need to re-download all the apps I had?

Mikestony · Jan 25, 2013

@phonephreak-- As far as that guide goes, I do not know.
Only because the guide I posted earlier worked for me and others on version 4.1.1.

Do you have a link to that guide or the info you got, so I can check it out?

phonephreak32 · Jan 25, 2013

this is it

http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1762709

its a one click root but i dont think it works for 4.1.1

Mikestony · Jan 25, 2013

dagactor said:
I just watched the video and it seems like a great guide along with the written tutorial. I'm curious once you've finished the rooting process though:

1) It looks like you are now in a rooted standard TouchWiz...how do you flash the new ROM?

2) Will I need to re-download all the apps I had?

Well flashing a rom involves making a nandroid backup in recovery, downloading the rom, checking the md5 of it, using Titanium Backup to backup apps/data etc....
So lets concentrate on rooting first before a rom flash

It is really easy once you understand it all, so don't worry....
baby steps my friend!

Mikestony · Jan 25, 2013

phonephreak32 said:
this is it

http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1762709

its a one click root but i dont think it works for 4.1.1

You are correct....that guide is not for 4.1.1

dagactor · Jan 25, 2013

Mikestony said:
Well flashing a rom involves making a nandroid backup in recovery, downloading the rom, checking the md5 of it, using Titanium Backup to backup apps/data etc....
So lets concentrate on rooting first before a rom flash

It is really easy once you understand it all, so don't worry....
baby steps my friend!

Ha, I just wanted to make sure once I root I have a working phone! I guess it will work right after the root though without flashing, right?

Mikestony · Jan 25, 2013

dagactor said:
Ha, I just wanted to make sure once I root I have a working phone! I guess it will work right after the root though without flashing, right?

I believe, using that guide, it will not wipe your data. So after you complete it, you will be rooted, with an unlocked bootloader, and a custom recovery with all your data intact

Then you can play with that for a while if you desire while you look at the different options for roms

dagactor · Jan 25, 2013

I'm rooted, I'm rooted!!!! Now what?!

Mikestony · Jan 25, 2013

dagactor said:
I'm rooted, I'm rooted!!!! Now what?!

Whoa! That was quick and easy eh? NICE!!

Now what I would do is make a backup via your recovery if you have not done so

What recovery did you decide to go with?

dagactor · Jan 25, 2013

As in ClockworkMod?

Mikestony · Jan 25, 2013

Exactly.

dagactor · Jan 25, 2013

How do I do that? I've definitely read that people use Titanium to backup...

Mikestony · Jan 25, 2013

dagactor said:
How do I do that? I've definitely read that people use Titanium to backup...

Well, a nandroid backup is different..it is like a game save, or a restore point on a computer. If your phone ever acts funky after a rom flash and you cannot fix it, a nandroid backup can save you by restoring it like it was when the backup was made...follow?

So, to make a nandroid backup:
Boot into recovery.
Find the backup option.
If you have an external sd card, I would recommend backing up to that instead
of the internal....(that way you have more room for apps etc)

Choose to backup to the external and click on it.
It will start doing its thing.
I have an app called QuickBoot which allows me to quickly boot into recovery instead
of shutting down the phone and doing the whole power/volume up/home button thing.
You can find that in the Play Store.

I would also look into an app called Titanium Backup. And, buying the ProKey for it.
It will allow you to backup your user apps/data and then you can restore them after a new
rom flash. Just don't restore /system apps or data. You only need to backup your user apps.

dagactor · Jan 25, 2013

I accidentally backed up all the data to Titanium, but it looks like I could restore just the user app data in the restore menu, so that's okay, right?

Nandroid backup is almost done.

samsgun357 · Jan 25, 2013

Mikestony, you are an asset to the community! Seems you are really helping people out.
Just thought I'd mention an app that I love, romtoolbox pro. It let's you backup as TiB does plus it has many other functions, rebooter- reboot to recovery, regular reboot etc. It has kernel tweaker, CPU over/under clock, root browser, boot animations and much much more. This one app can replace a multitude of apps.

Mikestony · Jan 25, 2013

dagactor said:
I accidentally backed up all the data to Titanium, but it looks like I could restore just the user app data in the restore menu, so that's okay, right?

Nandroid backup is almost done.

That is no problem because, yes you can just restore the user stuff.

And once your nandroid is done you can explore the different roms etc...I'll find you a link to all the roms in a minute, or you can click on the "show" of my sig in my first post on this page to direct you to the clean rom if you want to check it out

Root [Verizon] Nervous about rooting...

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