[Q] HELP to back old IMEI

isisnx said:

Please, I need help, my motherboard burned and bought a new one with no IMEI, after the technician installed the motherboard, it got generic IMEI "0049 ..." Before the burn motherboard, I had made a backup of the ROM "4.0.4" using CWM, and made a copy of the folder EFS "efs.img/efs.tar.gz" using KTOOL, not sure about KTOOL because was this in 2012^^, but I've tried everything I know, I have tried to restore using the KTOOL, already restored the backup using CWM, already flash ROM "4.1.2/4.3" via ODIN, I have done several reported here in some posts related about IMEI but it still fails, hope some enlightened can help me :/ sorry for my bad english

Model: GT-I9300
Actual ROM: 4.0.4

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error of the technician, the imei is stored in the nand chip(comes with the mobo)and he should had flashed correctly it for you
now since you made a ktool backup(dont know what it is, but looks like a imei backup) and if this ktool is designed for the s3(so it backups all efs partitions, if i remember there are 3, can be wrong tho) you*should* could restore.
but there is a problem,if ktool is correct but its from 2012 that means it did a backup of the old style efs partiton (efsv1) witch dosent work anymore since Samsung upgraded it to efsv2 and downgrading will not help
what you should do is get a s3 with 4.1.2 or earlier and restore your efs to that, upgrade it to 4.3, and get a new efs backup
i could be wrong tho
Edit: i remember a thread about a guy fixing the imei issue without a backup, and i remember Reading a part where he formats the efs partition, so that should help, see if you can find it(i can´t look now). it was in the s3 forums

You cannot restore an efs backup to another handset or motherboard, it's also illegal to change the imei and discussion of this is banned on xda.

Your new motherboard is faulty, return it to the technician.

Backing up and restoring efs to same motherboard/handset is legal, trying to move the imei from your old motherboard to new is illegal for you to do.