[SGS3-R530M] Return to stock & reset your flash counter

[Shabbypenguin]

How to return your Samsung Galaxy S III (R530M) to stock​

These instructions should fix your semi-bricked or broken phone as long as you can get it into download mode. Make sure you have drivers already installed on your Windows computer before starting. Please read them all the way through and then begin.

Things you will need to restore your phone are below.
Download and use this version of Odin 3.04:
ODIN

Tar files needed to flash are in post #3

Set up the software:
Extract the odin-pit.zip
Run Odin3 v3.04.exe
Make auto-reboot box is checked:

Put your phone in Download Mode:
Power your device off
Make sure the usb cable is not connected (it tends to mess up due to charging animation)
Press and hold volume down, home and power
You will see a warning screen
Press volume up to contine to download mode
Connect USB cable

Odin should now look like this:

Uncheck F. Reset Time
Click on PDA and load R530M-VQA-LJ1.tar

You should now look like this

Now you should be able to click Start.

When you click start you should see something similar to this:

Your phone should auto-reboot when finished and should be working 100%!

This returns you back to factory stock, aka Metro has no idea stock, except your download counter (if its been tripped)

Troubleshooting:

Odin isn't detecting the phone?!

Try a different USB port
Take out battery and plug phone into computer and put into download mode without the battery installed
Uninstall the drivers, reboot, and reinstall the drivers

It seems frozen and hasn't made any progress for 15 minutes

System.img.ext4 takes awhile but if it stays on that for longer than 15 minutes unplug the phone and remove the battery and start over

 

[Shabbypenguin]

Heimdall Tutorial will go here when i find time to make heimdall 1.4 (the latest version that supports the US sgs3)

ok so for all you linux people here is a temp hold over http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=33074572 i can make heimdall 1.4 no issues but cant seem to make it into a easy install package and i cnat seem to make the frontend :/

 

[Shabbypenguin]

R530M (d2mtr)
​

All tars can be found at www.shabbypenguin.com

using these tars will wipe your entire device. the only way they will know you were rooted is via download counter.

How to reset the flash counter
​

use triangle away for flash counter resets, its the only thing that woprks anymore

Credits for flash counter reset:
airtioteclint
edgeez25
averagewonder
and a very special big thanks to billard412 for helping me learn this stuff.

 

[mike28]

I see someone is busy already thanks shabby

 

[Shabbypenguin]

hit a roadblock, system image i made gives 3 vibrates and reboots

 

[airtioteclint]

Does odin versions matter? I have think I have 3.07.

 

[Shabbypenguin]

nah not that much, i wish i could figure out what teh issue is everything else odin's fine but system

 

[mrpnut]

So does this mean shabby got his phone already. ..... sweet; )

 

[morgankslade]

He was hiding from us.

 

[mrpnut]

He was hiding from us.

Nah...he was just waiting for his phone to be delivered.

 

[morgankslade]

Man..Thought he had it. I think he got it. I saw a You Tube video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eBcOz4hbkZA

 

[n4zty]

Man..Thought he had it. I think he got it. I saw a You Tube video Metro-.............. ROM - YouTube

thats a imposter!!! the real shabby is african american

 

[averagewonder]

thats a imposter!!! the real shabby is african american

That's cool what part of Africa you from shabby?

 

[mrpnut]

Come on guys lets not go there lets stay on topic.....

 

[confed]

Very smooth.

 

[airtioteclint]

Damn homie, we're gonna have to start calling you...speedypenquin. Stock jellybean and you just got your phone less than a day!!

 

[averagewonder]

Come on guys lets not go there lets stay on topic.....

Just joking around but fair enough sorry :-(

 

[nuttmeg]

Well look what we have here, wtg shab. It Christmas all over again...

 

[Shabbypenguin]

post 3 updated with stock tar

 

[nuttmeg]

This needs to be link to ATR and or sticky.

 

[nuttmeg]

Device status is Normal in about phone where it normally says customise, and no need for triangle away even tho it wasnt compatible for metro.

 

[Shabbypenguin]

what do you mean no need for triangle away this reset your flash counter?

 

[nuttmeg]

what do you mean no need for triangle away this reset your flash counter?

No just check, but it change customize to normal in about phone just in case a metro rep might check.

 

[Pacmanmode]

Help I try like 4 times and at the end it keeps on saying FAIL!!! pleaseeee help!!!


UPDATED : Shabbypenguin the system tar didn't work for me so I found this one that work just in case someone has the same problem as me :

http://samsung-updates.com/device/?id=SCH-R530M

 

[Shabbypenguin]

sorry i need to edit the file, rename it to remove the md5 at the end off and it will flash fine

wtf?!? how did you find that site?