[SUPPORT] Star S9500

IvanSantosPT · Sep 25, 2013

If you are interested in this phone, you can found it here:
http://www.geekbuying.com/item/Star-...ey-316069.html

This thread is ONLY for support of the Star S9500!
The Review topic is here:
http://xdaforums.com/showthread.php?t=2458161

Support thread for Star S9500

Topics:

Essential tools;
Installing drivers
How to ROOT;
How to remove China Apps;
How to change screen's DPI;
How to install CWM;
How to make a backup;
How to flash with stock ROM;
Solving Messages app BUG (tomorrow I will post);
Solving any GPS issues (tomorrow I will post);
Changing the Launcher (tomorrow I will post);
Changing the Resolution up to 960p (tomorrow I will post).

Essential tools

Here is a list with download links for some indispensable tools:

Installing Drivers

Preloader

We will start with the Preloader driver, which is the trouble one.
First of all, shutdown the Phone.
Go to the Start Menu, right click in the Computer, and click Manage. Then go to the Device Manager.
Now you need to be quick! Connect the Phone to the computer via USB cable, and when appears MT65xx Preloader as unknown driver, right click in the device, Update Device, select the second option, select the folder mt65xx+preloader+drive that you downloaded and check the Include Subfolders option. Now let it install. Once installed, it will disappear, that's the reason that I said to be quick. The Preloader disconnects when the device is not in use and goes to charging mode.
Now you can turn on the device.

ADB Driver

This is the easy one. Connect the phone in debugging mode, and in the Device Manager it will appear another driver to install.
This time you only need to select the MTK_USB_ Driver folder and it will install!

How to ROOT

Download the MTKDroidTools which is in the Essential tools section, create a folder and extract the files.
If the drivers are installed and the device is in debugging mode, it will appear a green block at bottom left side like this:

Go to root, backup, recovery section, then click on SuperUser option. Click on YES to every option that will show up. You can select SuperSU app or the SuperUser app. I selected the SuperSU. Now click on Reboot at bottom right corner
Now you have your device rooted!

How to remove China Apps

In the same section as in the ROOT tutorial, you this time click in Delete china.

How to change the screen's DPI

Preparing the scenary

This gives a better look to the screen and it will look like Galaxy S4.
I changed the DPI because of the 240 DPI to 480x854 screen is so huge that hurts my eyes, and I have so small space to the apps!

We will prepare the work to you don't manually edit anymore the build.prop file, just this time.
So, lets begin. You need ROOT to do this!
Open the Root Explorer, go to the system folder, keep the finger at the build.prop file and select Copy.

Now go back to the root (/), go to the sdcard folder and select Paste.

Now connect the phone to the Computer and enable the USB file transfer.
Go to the phone internal memory by your Computer, and edit the build.prop file with Notepad++ to preserve the Unix Style of the text. Go to the end and add the following line:

Code:

ro.sf.lcd_density=240

Save the file. We have set the DPI to 240, but we will change it later in an easier way.
Now let's put the file back to the phone.
Go to Root Explorer and go to the /sdcard directory. Now press the build.prop file and click the Move option. Go back to root, go to the system folder, click in Mount R/W and click in Paste. Overwrite the file.

Changing the DPI

Now we can do the trick with the MTKDroidTools.
Go to MtkDroidTools folder, and edit the build_prop_replace.txt file.
It must have this code inside:

Code:

ro.sf.lcd_density=240

You can change to a DPI between the 120 and 320 I think. Higher the DPI, higher the icons, less space for them.
You can calculate here the right DPI for your screen:
http://pxcalc.com/

Insert the data just like I did:

Seems like the right DPI to the screen is 195 DPI.
You can test this inserting the 1080x1920 resolution with 5 inch. If it gives us 440 DPI, that is the correct DPI from Galaxy S4 specs from GSMArena.

Now change the 240 value to 195:

Save the file and go to MTKDroidTools.
Go to the root, backup, recovery section and click in build.prop option.
Then click Reboot to reboot the device.

Compare here the difference between 240 DPI (left) and 195 DPI (right) screen:

Now when you want to change DPI you only need to do this steps.

How to install CWM

To install CWM on the phone, open the MTKDroidTools and go to the root, backup, recovery section.
Click on To use boot from phone and click the Recovery and Boot button.
Now click Yes to every option.
Now you can access to CWM recovery by pressing Volume Up + Home + Power, and the Volume Down + Home + Power stock recovery is still working.

How to make a backup

To backup you whole ROM, open the MTKDroidTools and go to the root, backup, recovery section.
If you want to backup your personal data to a personal backup, check the Backup userdata and cache box (I don't think it is recoverable, it didn't worked for me).
If you want to create only a ROM only with ROOT, do not check any box.
Now click in Backup and wait a few minutes. If it asks to pack the ROM, click Yes.
Now click in To create updates for modified recovery and select the files.md5 file inside backup folder.
The backup is complete. It is in the backup folder, and works with SP Flash Tool and CWM.

How to flash with stock ROM

Be sure that you have CWM installed and the preloader drivers succefully installed!
Turn off your phone and start with CWM (Volume Up + Home + Power). Click in wipe data/factory reset and YES, the same for wipe cache partition and go to advanced. Now click in Wipe Dalvik Cache and do YES, the same for Wipe Battery State. Go back.

Open the SP_Flash_Tool_v3.1312.0.139 folder and open Flash_tool.exe.
Click on Scatter-loading button. Go to the 20130517_e2006_v89_jbla768_asx folder and select the MT6589_Android_scatter_emmc.txt file. Be sure that you have all the options selected like in the print.

Now this is a very quick step! In the main CWM menu in the phone, click in reboot system now.
Now go to the Smart Phone Flash Tool window. When the Windows makes the hardware inserted sound, you must click in the Firmware -> Upgrade option. If you hear the sound of hardware disconnected before the tool does it job, you must restart your phone and do this again.

If the Flash tool flashed the cellphone successfully, it will auto boot as the first time.
This means that you did the trick!

This thread will be updated to add more tutorials as requested or if I need to add something.
I will notify with a comment to the thread.

JaxDrive · Sep 29, 2013

Requests

IvanSantosPT said:
If you are interested in this phone, you can found it here:
http://www.geekbuying.com/item/Star-...ey-316069.html

This thread is ONLY for support of the Star S9500!
The Review topic is here:
http://xdaforums.com/showthread.php?t=2458161

Support thread for Star S9500

Topics:

Essential tools;

Installing drivers

How to ROOT;

How to remove China Apps;

How to change screen's DPI;

How to install CWM;

How to make a backup;

How to flash with stock ROM (tomorrow I will post);

Solving Messages app BUG (tomorrow I will post);

Solving any GPS issues (tomorrow I will post);

Changing the Launcher (tomorrow I will post);

Changing the Resolution up to 960p (tomorrow I will post).

Essential tools

Here is a list with download links for some indispensable tools:

Notepad++

Drivers

MTKDroidTools

SP Flash Tool v3.1312.0.139

Installing Drivers

Preloader

We will start with the Preloader driver, which is the trouble one.
First of all, shutdown the Phone.
Go to the Start Menu, right click in the Computer, and click Manage. Then go to the Device Manager.
Now you need to be quick! Connect the Phone to the computer via USB cable, and when appears MT65xx Preloader as unknown driver, right click in the device, Update Device, select the second option, select the folder mt65xx+preloader+drive that you downloaded and check the Include Subfolders option. Now let it install. Once installed, it will disappear, that's the reason that I said to be quick. The Preloader disconnects when the device is not in use and goes to charging mode.
Now you can turn on the device.

ADB Driver

This is the easy one. Connect the phone in debugging mode, and in the Device Manager it will appear another driver to install.
This time you only need to select the MTK_USB_ Driver folder and it will install!

How to ROOT

Download the MTKDroidTools which is in the Essential tools section, create a folder and extract the files.
If the drivers are installed and the device is in debugging mode, it will appear a green block at bottom left side like this:

Go to root, backup, recovery section, then click on SuperUser option. Click on YES to every option that will show up. You can select SuperSU app or the SuperUser app. I selected the SuperSU. Now click on Reboot at bottom right corner
Now you have your device rooted!

How to remove China Apps

In the same section as in the ROOT tutorial, you this time click in Delete china.

How to change the screen's DPI

Preparing the scenary

This gives a better look to the screen and it will look like Galaxy S4.
I changed the DPI because of the 240 DPI to 480x854 screen is so huge that hurts my eyes, and I have so small space to the apps!

We will prepare the work to you don't manually edit anymore the build.prop file, just this time.
So, lets begin. You need ROOT to do this!
Open the Root Explorer, go to the system folder, keep the finger at the build.prop file and select Copy.

Now go back to the root (/), go to the sdcard folder and select Paste.

Now connect the phone to the Computer and enable the USB file transfer.
Go to the phone internal memory by your Computer, and edit the build.prop file with Notepad++ to preserve the Unix Style of the text. Go to the end and add the following line:

Code:

ro.sf.lcd_density=240

Save the file. We have set the DPI to 240, but we will change it later in an easier way.
Now let's put the file back to the phone.
Go to Root Explorer and go to the /sdcard directory. Now press the build.prop file and click the Move option. Go back to root, go to the system folder, click in Mount R/W and click in Paste. Overwrite the file.

Changing the DPI

Now we can do the trick with the MTKDroidTools.
Go to MtkDroidTools folder, and edit the build_prop_replace.txt file.
It must have this code inside:

Code:

ro.sf.lcd_density=240

You can change to a DPI between the 120 and 320 I think. Higher the DPI, higher the icons, less space for them.
You can calculate here the right DPI for your screen:
http://pxcalc.com/

Insert the data just like I did:

Seems like the right DPI to the screen is 195 DPI.
You can test this inserting the 1080x1920 resolution with 5 inch. If it gives us 440 DPI, that is the correct DPI from Galaxy S4 specs from GSMArena.

Now change the 240 value to 195:

Save the file and go to MTKDroidTools.
Go to the root, backup, recovery section and click in build.prop option.
Then click Reboot to reboot the device.

Compare here the difference between 240 DPI (left) and 195 DPI (right) screen:

Now when you want to change DPI you only need to do this steps.

How to install CWM

To install CWM on the phone, open the MTKDroidTools and go to the root, backup, recovery section.
Click on To use boot from phone and click the Recovery and Boot button.
Now click Yes to every option.
Now you can access to CWM recovery by pressing Volume Up + Home + Power, and the Volume Down + Home + Power stock recovery is still working.

How to make a backup

To backup you whole ROM, open the MTKDroidTools and go to the root, backup, recovery section.
If you want to backup your personal data to a personal backup, check the Backup userdata and cache box (I don't think it is recoverable, it didn't worked for me).
If you want to create only a ROM only with ROOT, do not check any box.
Now click in Backup and wait a few minutes. If it asks to pack the ROM, click Yes.
Now click in To create updates for modified recovery and select the files.md5 file inside backup folder.
The backup is complete. It is in the backup folder, and works with SP Flash Tool and CWM.

This thread will be updated to add more tutorials as requested or if I need to add something.
I will notify with a comment to the thread.

Hi Ivan, I just wanted to thank you for the time you took to make this guide. You see, I'm from Argentina, and i bought this phone. It is excellent. The only problem I had, is that for example, I can use the phone all day without issues, but after a day or less, when i try to open an app, it just closes itself, and every app that i try to open does the same thing. The only thing that solves this is restarting the phone. Anyway, it isn't a big issue but it becomes a pain in the *** when you're trying to work. So after a few weeks, I reached the conclusion that it may be a problem with the stock ROM. In this post, you said that you were going to update the method to flash with the sotck rom, but you didn't. I wanted to know if you could help me with this, and to know if you had the same issue. Thanks for everything, and I'll be waiting for your answer

IvanSantosPT · Oct 1, 2013

JaxDrive said:
Hi Ivan, I just wanted to thank you for the time you took to make this guide. You see, I'm from Argentina, and i bought this phone. It is excellent. The only problem I had, is that for example, I can use the phone all day without issues, but after a day or less, when i try to open an app, it just closes itself, and every app that i try to open does the same thing. The only thing that solves this is restarting the phone. Anyway, it isn't a big issue but it becomes a pain in the *** when you're trying to work. So after a few weeks, I reached the conclusion that it may be a problem with the stock ROM. In this post, you said that you were going to update the method to flash with the sotck rom, but you didn't. I wanted to know if you could help me with this, and to know if you had the same issue. Thanks for everything, and I'll be waiting for your answer

Hi JaxDrive, thank you for the opinion

I had some documentation to present in the school, so I didn't had time to do, but I will do in a few hours I think.

By the way, try to install this Launcher:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.gau.go.launcherex

The stock Launcher had some bugs, and I think that would be because of the stock Launcher, so I've installed this, which it gives better look also!

JaxDrive · Oct 1, 2013

RE

Oh, sorry then for my bad aproaching to the topic haha :fingers-crossed:. Anyways, it's good to know that someone has the same phone as I do (only that I have the white version), and knows about programing, to help this noob to sort this issues out :B. Anyway, I already changed the launcher, because the stock one was buggy and ugly, but mostly ugly :laugh:. I'm currently using the Nova Launcher, which is pretty and works wonderfull. Like I said, the only problem that the phone has, is the apps closing themselves issue, which now became pretty annoying

. I though that as you posted the method to have CWM recovery on our phone, if I'm able to get in my hands the original ROM of our phone, I can flash it, and hopefully fix this problem. But work at your own speed, I'm sure you have other things to care about besides this. So thats it, if you could provide the next tutorials about our phone, I would be very gratefull. Also I saw in one of your previous posts that you succesfully overclocked our processor, that would be an interesting feature too

IvanSantosPT · Oct 4, 2013

JaxDrive said:
Oh, sorry then for my bad aproaching to the topic haha :fingers-crossed:. Anyways, it's good to know that...

How to flash with stock ROM

Be sure that you have CWM installed and the preloader drivers succefully installed!
Turn off your phone and start with CWM (Volume Up + Home + Power). Click in wipe data/factory reset and YES, the same for wipe cache partition and go to advanced. Now click in Wipe Dalvik Cache and do YES, the same for Wipe Battery State. Go back.

Open the SP_Flash_Tool_v3.1312.0.139 folder and open Flash_tool.exe.
Click on Scatter-loading button. Go to the 20130517_e2006_v89_jbla768_asx folder and select the MT6589_Android_scatter_emmc.txt file. Be sure that you have all the options selected like in the print.

Now this is a very quick step! In the main CWM menu in the phone, click in reboot system now.
Now go to the Smart Phone Flash Tool window. When the Windows makes the hardware inserted sound, you must click in the Firmware -> Upgrade option. If you hear the sound of hardware disconnected before the tool does it job, you must restart your phone and do this again.

If the Flash tool flashed the cellphone successfully, it will auto boot as the first time.
This means that you did the trick!

JaxDrive · Oct 5, 2013

Dude, you're awesome

. Many thanks for the tutorial and sorry for the time that I made you lose. I just found the link that you made for the ROM haha. I'm flashing it in a couple of minutes. I'll post some feedback when its done c:

IvanSantosPT · Oct 5, 2013

Isnt a lost time! I said that I will support the phone and I will do as long as I can

About the overclock, I just need to learn to compile the kernel and sure that I will post for everyone!

Sent from my 06_v89_jbla768_asx using xda app-developers app

zarlin · Oct 5, 2013

Thanks a lot for your great work and for the time you spend on this post.
Stay tuned to follow the other steps you listed. :good:

Tyto · Oct 13, 2013

Hello,

Dude i cannot manage to install the preloader drive!

I disconnect the phone, next i connect it via usb but nothing happens!

Does anyone can help me with that, i realy apreciated?

Tyto · Oct 13, 2013

I managed to acess the preloader by by this method

1>TAKE THE BATTERY ,SD ,SIM OUT OF THE PHONE
2>HOLDING VOLUME+ CONNECT IT TO PC VIA USB(ONCE YOU HEAR A SOUND FROM PC YOU CAN RELEASE VOLUME+)
3>OPEN DEVICE MANAGER(ON COMPUTER SEARCH IT OR CONTROL PANEL)

But i get the error "Windows was unable to install...."

Windows 7 OS

Strange

Tyto · Oct 13, 2013

Hello,

I'm having trouble to root the phone, see image bellow.

Also i bought this Star S9500 (S4 5" SmartPhone Mobile S9500 - Android 4.2 Dual SIM Quad Core MTK6589 12MP Cam)
on ebay but the cpu hardware is different from ebay, as seen on picture.

Any help on root will be apreciated and about the cpu hardware also

IvanSantosPT · Oct 14, 2013

Try installing the drivers like I explained

Sent from my 06_v89_jbla768_asx using xda app-developers app

Tyto · Oct 14, 2013

IvanSantosPT said:
Try installing the drivers like I explained

Sent from my 06_v89_jbla768_asx using xda app-developers app

The drivers are installed.

idolleon · Oct 14, 2013

Hello,

Dude i cannot manage to install the preloader drive!

I disconnect the phone, next i connect it via usb but nothing happens!

Does anyone can help me with that, i realy apreciated?

Tyto · Oct 14, 2013

Hello,

Yes, sorry, the drivers problem is already solved!
I Installed the pre loader drivers successfully, but i'm still unable to root the phone as you can see in the picture above.

Can anyone help me with this?
Thanks

Tyto · Oct 17, 2013

Hello,

Can anyone give me some support please?

iamwrong · Oct 17, 2013

Tyto said:
Hello,

Can anyone give me some support please?

what support do you need?

Tyto · Oct 17, 2013

Hello,

I'm having trouble to root the phone, see image bellow.

Also i bought this Star S9500 (S4 5" SmartPhone Mobile S9500 - Android 4.2 Dual SIM Quad Core MTK6589 12MP Cam)
on ebay but the cpu hardware is different from ebay, as seen on picture.

Any help on root will be apreciated and about the cpu hardware also

This, the full post is in the beginning of this page!

Tyto · Oct 18, 2013

Any ideas how to root this?

coffee4berlin · Oct 20, 2013

Thanks!

Hey IvanSantosPT,

at first I want to thank you so much for for sharing your experiences and possibilities about that Phone! You cant find so much support for that phone at the hole web.
I bought my star s9500 at amazon and hope, that it will come quickly to my country. So, I allready started to download your content to be prepared for the arrival.

But I have one question: Is it really possible to set the screenresolution higher? ...up to 960p,like you write? or did I confound some details?

Greets from Germany!

[SUPPORT] Star S9500

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