[Q] How to replace Chinese firmware with European one

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Snodster

New member
Nov 13, 2011
2
0
lrojasma, I flashed my phone China S2 with
PDA-> CODE_I9100XXKI3_CL577579_REV02_user_low_ship.tar (modified as you suggested); but it just bricked my phone with the red Android with explanation point in middle and "Software update fail". I was able to re install the China firmware and unbrick it again. I guess the part of your instructions that I wasn't sure on is the flash part. I'm only supposed to fill in the PDA file or do I need to have files for PIT, Phone, and CSC as well. Thanks for you help if you have time.
 

ulyp

New member
Nov 13, 2011
1
0
hi!
I'm suffering from exactly the same problem.
I've bought a S2 phone in China.
Now I wan't to change the firmware to European one, more exactly Portuguese one.

I would really like to thanks lrojasma for is post.
I've not yet tried it out, but as soon as i clear some doubts I'm facing concerning his fix, i will give it a go.

I've downloaded a firmware from the topic:
http://xdaforums.com/showthread.php?t=1075278

I've chosen the following:
XWKI4

Firmware info
PDA:XWKI4
PHONE: XXKI1
Date: 14/09/2011
Android 2.3.4

Downloaded an exe file that when clicked got into RAR file.
When extracted the RAR file I could not find any ".TAR" or ".md5"
I'm placing a print screen with the files found.(exe and RAR in the same folder)


I got the boot.bin, sbl.bin and modem.bin files, but I don't know how to get tar.md5 that ODIN recognizes.

Since this is my first Android, I'm feeling pretty noob on all these issues. :eek:

Thanks a lot for your support.
 

Snodster

New member
Nov 13, 2011
2
0
Unable to get lrojasma method 2 to work.

All, I'm encouraged that multiple people have got lrojasma method 2 to work; but I have failed mutliple times to get it to work.

Procedure followed:

1) Download the file I9100XXKI3.rar from either: ttp://s560.hotfile.com/get/067da9533ae8b477e9c33ec9d165e226dc673c6c/4ea43601/512/1d269b5487686ae9/7c8cee3/I9100XXKI3.rar, or ttp://downloads.androidadvices.com/i9100XXKG6.zip.

2) Extract all 4 files from I9100XXKI3.rar:
a) CODE_I9100XXKI3_CL577579_REV02_user_low_ship.tar.md5,
b) GT-I9100-CSC-MULTI-OXAKI3.tar.md5,
c) MODEM_I9100XXKI3_REV_02_CL1062028.tar.md5,
d) u1_02_20110310_emmc_EXT4.pit

2) Extract all 8 files from CODE_I9100XXKI3_CL577579_REV02_user_low_ship.tar.md5.
a) boot.bin,
b) cache.img,
c) data.img,
d) factoryfs.img,
e) hiddent.img,
f) param.lfs
g) Sbl.bin
h) zImage
I used two different tar file tools: PeaZIP and 7-Zip. Note, I'm running Win7 64 and these are the only two programs I could get to run on my computer. Both complained that the original tar file ended incorrectly; but seamed to extract all the files correctly.

3) I re compressed the 6 files
a) cache.img,
b) data.img,
c) factoryfs.img,
d) hiddent.img,
e) param.lfs
f) zImage
excluding sbl.bin and boot.bin and named the file: "CODE_I9100XXKI3_CL577579_REV02_user_low_ship.tar". Same as before except removing the .md5

3) Flashed galaxy S2 with odin:
PDA = CODE_I9100XXKI3_CL577579_REV02_user_low_ship.tar (new file w/ sbl.bin and boot.bin removed and renameded w/o .md5),
PHONE = MODEM_I9100XXKI3_REV_02_CL1062028.tar.md5 (original from I9100XXKI3.rar),
CSC = GT-I9100-CSC-MULTI-OXAKI3.tar.md5 (original from I9100XXKI3.rar),

No PIT file.

Flash fails when trying to load cache.img. See report below:

<ID:0/020> Added!!
<OSM> Enter CS for MD5..
<OSM> Check MD5.. Do not unplug the cable..
<OSM> Please wait..
<OSM> MODEM_I9100XXKG6_REV_02_CL1044543.tar.md5 is valid.
<OSM> GT-I9100-CSC-MULTI-OXAKG6.tar.md5 is valid.
<OSM> Checking MD5 finished Sucessfully..
<OSM> Leave CS..
<ID:0/020> Odin v.3 engine (ID:20)..
<ID:0/020> File analysis..
<ID:0/020> SetupConnection..
<ID:0/020> Initialzation..
<ID:0/020> Get PIT for mapping..
<ID:0/020> Firmware update start..
<ID:0/020> cache.img
<ID:0/020>
<ID:0/020> Complete(Write) operation failed.
<OSM> All threads completed. (succeed 0 / failed 1)

My phone now is soft bricked with the red android "Software update fail" and I must reflash with china flash to get it to work again. I'm really frustrated as I've had this phone for 6wks now and my S2 virtually worthless to me with china flash. I'd really appreciate anyone's help to debug this problem.
 

Misterbashi

New member
Nov 28, 2011
3
0
This all sounds good news on the Chinese S2 front, however I have a I9108 version as my work contract is with China mobile.
I want to change the ROM, but everyone seems to be doing it with an I9100 ROM.

Any ideas where I can find a suitable ROM for mine, or can I use another?
One thing I dont really understand is how you go about choosing a ROM,

My Kernel is 2.6.35.7 se.infra@SEP-68 #2
Baseband : I9108ZMKI5
 

yannickhk

New member
Nov 30, 2011
1
0
I second Misterbashi's question.

I tried to flash mine and bricked it. I was stuck at the opening screen 'galaxy sii ...' with a yellow triangle. Couldn't go into recovery mode but I could enter download mode. Still I had no idea how to get it to work, I had to give it to China mobile to fix it.

Has anyone a link to the official i9108 firmware? Would it unbrick the phone if I flashed the official one with odin?
 

elghandor

Senior Member
Apr 6, 2010
55
6
i got galaxy I9108

is says (software update fail)

i tried to flash it with this ver.

1:I9108ZMKI5_I9108CHNKI5
2:I9108ZMKK3_I9108CHNKK3

<ID:0/091> Added!!
<OSM> Enter CS for MD5..
<OSM> Check MD5.. Do not unplug the cable..
<OSM> Please wait..
<OSM> I9108ZMKK3_I9108ZMKK3_I9108CHNKK3_HOME.tar.md5 is valid.
<OSM> Checking MD5 finished Sucessfully..
<OSM> Leave CS..
<ID:0/091> Odin v.3 engine (ID:91)..
<ID:0/091> File analysis..
<ID:0/091> SetupConnection..
<ID:0/091> Initialzation..
<ID:0/091> Get PIT for mapping..
<ID:0/091> Firmware update start..
<ID:0/091> MLO
<ID:0/091> NAND Write Start!!
<ID:0/091>
<ID:0/091> Complete(Write) operation failed.
<OSM> All threads completed. (succeed 0 / failed 1)

plz any help
 

elghandor

Senior Member
Apr 6, 2010
55
6
i also tryied to flash the original kernel
I9108ZMKH6_KERNEL.tar

and to flash the original software
I9108ZMKH6.tar
in PDA but it fail as previous post

now phone is restart at first screen

and idea? !!

b.r
 

cyberkiller

Member
May 13, 2005
11
1
One thing that you can do to solve this fast is to flash only one modified kernel with clockmodrecovery partition on it.

So this way you can flash a CWM rom from one from the net without using Odin.

To flash you only need to put the CWM rom, or modified kernel, etc on the phone via ODIN, then use the volum up + home + power button combo to call the recovery partition and from there you can flash any CWM flashable ROM.

If you still have problems with it, let us know if we can help.
 

Ippikiryu

New member
Apr 1, 2012
1
0
Hi, I've read through the thread. I pretty much have the same problem: Chinese Samsung Galaxy S2, tried to flash a non-Chinese ROM onto the phone and (semi-?)bricked it with the error screen with a yellow triangle and "SOFTWARE UPDATE FAIL."

I've tried, and can neither get the phone into download nor recovery mode.

I don't know which rom to use for this which is the main problem for me at the moment. I grabbed a random rom and tried irojasma's suggestion of removing the boot and sbl from the .tar then flashing it, but it didn't work either. I have no idea if I did it right though.

If anyone could help me, I'd greatly appreciate it. Thanks!
 

peteinchina

Member
Nov 5, 2011
39
6
64
NZ Mount Maunganui
Maybe hope, but not help

It was a while ago, maybe 6 months - B70 ROM?
But I flashed a near as I could find ROM onto my chinese phone via odin.
I spent days finding a stock ROM with the same serial numbers, but XX (euro?)
I rooted and flashed this ROM via odin and it worked. It allowed market - google is blocked in China!!! and only works via hong kong.
After that it allowed me to play with all of the great ROMs and kernels. Now I have a fully functioning S2 with no trace of Chineseness.

So the message is to keep trying. Find stock ROMs close to your serial number using google and freegate, download and try them out. I remember CF root being useful.

I'm so sorry I did not keep records for you guys! A (chinese) virus wrecked my computer AND backup hard drive.
One happy thing is that the week it took me to solve the chinese phone problem helped me to understand my phone very well!

Good luck.....
 
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lrojasma

Member
Oct 17, 2011
10
2
Dear all,
For me it works as "lrijasma" advise us.
i use this firmware until now without any problems. Now I would like to update to ICS firware. The question is: should i use same steps like before?

thanks again lrijasma.

George

Yes exactly the same steps.

Basically what you are doing is skiping from flash the files that fail at odin.

Like cache.img, modem.bin, Etc. Every android device provider lock some files as their wish, i dont know why exactly, but all of this is on the bootloader, i just corrobored this with my current device a Samsung Galaxy S3 i9300.

My device as my old one was bought at china, so the model is i9300_chn_chn and i couldn´t directly flash anything that wasn´t chinese coded. I follow the steps that i talk about earlier and it worked, but now i have found a much better way.

The way that i found consist in replacing the device bootloader with a generic international one, but it can´t be done directly as the bootloader is locked for any kind of flash, the method was originally used to recover a bootloader dead device, but i used to change my working device from chinese locked bootloader to international free one.

Here is the fórum where this was discussed.

http://xdaforums.com/showthread.php?p=39734124
 
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  • 2
    I have bought a SGS2 in China. It comes with Chinese firmware (has English language though) but mostly with Chinese software and without Android Market. So it does not sync with Google, searches go through Baidu, I can't find and install most apps so it's essentially not very fun to use.

    I have been trying to exchange the Chinese firmware for European firmware using ODIN.

    Sadly, this seems not to work: the flashing always fails, leaving my phone bricked until I reflash the Chinese firmware (which works fine). This Chinese firmware has a different format, i.e. there are no CSC, MODEM and CODE tarballs. Instead there is one single tarbar containing the following files

    boot.bin
    cache.img
    factoryfs.img
    hidden.img
    modem.bin
    param.lfs
    Sbl.bin
    zImage

    I would be terribly grateful if someone could help me make my 500 euro phone useful, or at least I would like someone to tell me why this firmware cannot simply be installed on this phone.
    1
    yeah every android handset supports english locale I guess.
    like ur china version does.
    1
    Search will help all your questions have been answered .

    jje

    Sometimes a search is frustrating beyond compare. The JKay mod thread has thousands of posts and a poor install instruction. When I searched for an issue I was having I got over 100 possible posts out of the 3000 in the thread. So at what point are we allowed to just give up and post?

    That said, if you took the time to post, why not add just a few keywords to your post that could've put a person in the right direction such as:

    "Search in my post will help all your questions..."

    or some keyword you know to be relevant

    "Search for unicorns will help all your questions...."

    I'm new here, and use English as my native language, but all too often a search returns several threads with 100's or even 1000's of posts here in just the Samsung area. Anything to help focus the search is always a help.


    And as for "us" being those that have chinese issues, the RTL Arabic crowd is doing a good job taking care of it's needs here as far as I can tell. Sadly the great firewall may be preventing our mainland chinese compatriots (TM) from accessing this site, and perhaps the talented chinese folks aren't coming here due to language barriers as well. But for those chinese readers and writers here who use both worlds please urge the folks on chinese sites to post here, and even help them if language is an issue. We don't need Android LANGUAGE fragmentation too!
    1
    Maybe hope, but not help

    It was a while ago, maybe 6 months - B70 ROM?
    But I flashed a near as I could find ROM onto my chinese phone via odin.
    I spent days finding a stock ROM with the same serial numbers, but XX (euro?)
    I rooted and flashed this ROM via odin and it worked. It allowed market - google is blocked in China!!! and only works via hong kong.
    After that it allowed me to play with all of the great ROMs and kernels. Now I have a fully functioning S2 with no trace of Chineseness.

    So the message is to keep trying. Find stock ROMs close to your serial number using google and freegate, download and try them out. I remember CF root being useful.

    I'm so sorry I did not keep records for you guys! A (chinese) virus wrecked my computer AND backup hard drive.
    One happy thing is that the week it took me to solve the chinese phone problem helped me to understand my phone very well!

    Good luck.....
    1
    Dear all,
    For me it works as "lrijasma" advise us.
    i use this firmware until now without any problems. Now I would like to update to ICS firware. The question is: should i use same steps like before?

    thanks again lrijasma.

    George

    Yes exactly the same steps.

    Basically what you are doing is skiping from flash the files that fail at odin.

    Like cache.img, modem.bin, Etc. Every android device provider lock some files as their wish, i dont know why exactly, but all of this is on the bootloader, i just corrobored this with my current device a Samsung Galaxy S3 i9300.

    My device as my old one was bought at china, so the model is i9300_chn_chn and i couldn´t directly flash anything that wasn´t chinese coded. I follow the steps that i talk about earlier and it worked, but now i have found a much better way.

    The way that i found consist in replacing the device bootloader with a generic international one, but it can´t be done directly as the bootloader is locked for any kind of flash, the method was originally used to recover a bootloader dead device, but i used to change my working device from chinese locked bootloader to international free one.

    Here is the fórum where this was discussed.

    http://xdaforums.com/showthread.php?p=39734124