How to update from stock root 4.1.1 to current?

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n01un0

Senior Member
Feb 13, 2010
145
14
Corner Bar Stool
I'm sure this has been addressed but I can't seem to find a definitive answer. I am bone stock (stock recovery and no custom rom) with just root on AT&T.

There are no missing deleted apps, as I replaced them previously but I still have never been able to do any of the OTA updates. It's starts and then fails.

Is there a way to unroot and the do an OTA update? I am trying to avoid Odin so I dont have to wipe everything and then have to start all over and adjust settings to my liking an also reinstall all of my apps.

I seen there is an option in the Super User app to "completely unroot and uninstall". Will choosing this option allow me to finally do OTA?

I've never installed a custom recovery or a custom rom so I don't know why OTA's always fail. At this point, I dont really care about having root since the only reason I previously wanted it was to remove at&t bloatware but I'd rather have OTA's at this point.

Any advice or direction would be greatly appreciated! Please speak slowly and in layman's terms as I am an old fart that is still a bit of a n00b, lol.


Thanks!!

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using XDA Free mobile app
 
Last edited:

Larry2999

Senior Member
Feb 7, 2014
363
78
Atlanta, GA
I'm sure this has been addressed but I can't seem to find a definitive answer. I am bone stock (stock recovery and no custom rom) with just root on AT&T.

There are no missing deleted apps, as I replaced them previously but I still have never been able to do any of the OTA updates. It's starts and then fails.

Is there a way to unroot and the do an OTA update? I am trying to avoid Odin so I dont have to wipe everything and then have to start all over and adjust settings to my liking an also reinstall all of my apps.

I seen there is an option in the Super User app to "completely unroot and uninstall". Will choosing this option allow me to finally do OTA?

I've never installed a custom recovery or a custom rom so I don't know why OTA's always fail. At this point, I dont really care about having root since the only reason I previously wanted it was to remove at&t bloatware but I'd rather have OTA's at this point.

Any advice or direction would be greatly appreciated! Please speak slowly and in layman's terms as I am an old fart that is still a bit of a n00b, lol.


Thanks!!

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using XDA Free mobile app

If you are on stock and have a valid AT&T SIM card in the device with full access to Wi-Fi and the AT&T network, you should be able to get an OTA update. Root could, however, indeed prevent an OTA update so your best bet may be to unroot. You could unroot and uninstall SuperSU from the SuperSU app just as you suggested. This should do it. However, if it doesn't and you would really want to avoid Odin and custom recovery, then you could do a 2-step manual update to 4.3 via stock recovery - first to 4.1.2 and then to 4.3. This will naturally update your phone to (full) stock 4.3 and we can then see if the phone will take the Kit-Kat OTA update from there.

You can see the instructions for the 2-step update via stock recovery in the thread below ...
http://xdaforums.com/showthread.php?t=2387423

1) Download the 2 zip files under update412.zip and update43.zip respectively to your computer
2) Copy the zip files to a good quality (micro) SD card
3) Place the card in your phone and boot to recovery mode by simultaneously holding down the Volume Up, Home and Power buttons
4) Hold the buttons until you see a blue message flash across the screen. Then release the Power button but continue to hold the Volume Up and Home button until you see the Android image appear. Then release the buttons
5) Use the volume up/down key to scroll to <mount from external storage> and the power button to select
6) Navigate to the first zip file (update412.zip) and install. Wait for installation to finish and your phone to reboot.
7) Complete set up. Check your phone settings. Then power off and reboot to recovery again.
8) Repeat the process for the second update file.
 
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n01un0

Senior Member
Feb 13, 2010
145
14
Corner Bar Stool
Well I tried the unroot feature in SuperSU and then uninstalled it.

I then tried the OTA update again and as usual, it failed about 30-40% in.

Ive never installed a custom recovery or a ROM so I don't get it. All I did was use Mr.Robinsons thread/directions on "how to root without tripping...." just for root only in the sticky.

I give up.:mad::banghead:

Thank you though for responding. I may try the alternative way you suggested when I get time tomorrow and see what happens. Either that or screw it, im stuck with 4.1.1 and now I don't even have root. :banghead:

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using XDA Free mobile app
 

Larry2999

Senior Member
Feb 7, 2014
363
78
Atlanta, GA
Well I tried the unroot feature in SuperSU and then uninstalled it.

I then tried the OTA update again and as usual, it failed about 30-40% in.

Ive never installed a custom recovery or a ROM so I don't get it. All I did was use Mr.Robinsons thread/directions on "how to root without tripping...." just for root only in the sticky.

I give up.:mad::banghead:

Thank you though for responding. I may try the alternative way you suggested when I get time tomorrow and see what happens. Either that or screw it, im stuck with 4.1.1 and now I don't even have root. :banghead:

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using XDA Free mobile app

There have been several reports of failed OTA update so you may not be alone here. The process I advised is sure to take you to 4.3 JB without hassle. There is, of course, a manual update process from 4.3JB to 4.4.2 Kit-Kat (the latest OS). You will, however, require custom recovery for this ...

http://xdaforums.com/showthread.php?t=2788357
 

n01un0

Senior Member
Feb 13, 2010
145
14
Corner Bar Stool
There have been several reports of failed OTA update so you may not be alone here. The process I advised is sure to take you to 4.3 JB without hassle. There is, of course, a manual update process from 4.3JB to 4.4.2 Kit-Kat (the latest OS). You will, however, require custom recovery for this ...

http://xdaforums.com/showthread.php?t=2788357

Well I finally was able to update via OTA. I had to actually use Kies and reinstall firmware and then go through all the updates, starting from scratch and took forever. What an absolute pain in the ass. Plus, after all this work to go from 4.1 to 4.4..........I can't see where it was worth it. I am now going through the tedious task of setting up all the settings and widgets and everything else the way it was or the way I like. So much for Kies actually backing up and "restoring" anything.

I have a couple of questions though....

1. Now that I am on 4.4..........how do I root this version (that works). I was reading the thread saying to use towelroot but it's not confirmed if this is still working after I guess you do the OTA after a certain date and it's now patched. I DO NOT want to install custom roms or anything else. All I want is root so that I can remove the AT&T crapware that is now even worse with this phone on 4.4.

2. I have a battery percentage that is in the LEFT upper corner that I can not figure out what program or app it is associated with and I can not get rid of it. This is not the % indicator that is part of Android and next to the battery icon on the right which is on and is okay, this is one the left.

3. I hate the new PIN lockscreen because the keypad/numbers are so small compared to old version. Any way to fix this?
 

Larry2999

Senior Member
Feb 7, 2014
363
78
Atlanta, GA
Well I finally was able to update via OTA. I had to actually use Kies and reinstall firmware and then go through all the updates, starting from scratch and took forever. What an absolute pain in the ass. Plus, after all this work to go from 4.1 to 4.4..........I can't see where it was worth it. I am now going through the tedious task of setting up all the settings and widgets and everything else the way it was or the way I like. So much for Kies actually backing up and "restoring" anything.

I have a couple of questions though....

1. Now that I am on 4.4..........how do I root this version (that works). I was reading the thread saying to use towelroot but it's not confirmed if this is still working after I guess you do the OTA after a certain date and it's now patched. I DO NOT want to install custom roms or anything else. All I want is root so that I can remove the AT&T crapware that is now even worse with this phone on 4.4.

2. I have a battery percentage that is in the LEFT upper corner that I can not figure out what program or app it is associated with and I can not get rid of it. This is not the % indicator that is part of Android and next to the battery icon on the right which is on and is okay, this is one the left.

3. I hate the new PIN lockscreen because the keypad/numbers are so small compared to old version. Any way to fix this?

Glad to know you were finally able to update. To try to answer your questions ....

1. Towelroot indeed comes well recommended for rooting on Kit Kat. You could, however, first try CF Auto Root which is one of the simplest approaches to rooting. If this doesn't work, you could try Option 2 in the thread below ... The thread also contains instructions to CF Auto Root.

http://xdaforums.com/showthread.php?t=2538991

2. I'm not sure what that battery indicator is. I run 4.4.2 also on my S3 but I cant see this. Can you try a reset to see if it would go away?

3. You can try removing this from settings.
 

wiz4769

Senior Member
Jun 13, 2012
168
14
Im glad you asked this...

I too noticed Im on 4.1.1 stock but rooted. I wondered if you could go to 4.4.2 as my phone tried to OTA update on its own last week and failed. I did not know if it was worth it to try or not another way. About the only thing I see that would want me to try is Google Wallet now working with S3 on 4.4.2 without having to jump through all kinds of hoops, mine used to work fine, but now GW will not open up all the way. Im not sure its worth doing if I have to re setup all my crap as I will be upgrading my phone whenever I want, just holding out to see if the Nexus 6 will be out end of the year and on AT&T..Im not liking that all the new phones are getting so freakin big, the S3 is just right and I dont want to have to end up with a damn Note sized phone but that is a whole other discussion
 

pcshano

Senior Member
Dec 29, 2012
392
65
If you're still on 4.1.1, BEFORE ANYTHING ELSE, UNLOCK YOUR PHONE IF HASN'T ALREADY
otherwise you'll regret it

then the rest, tbh, you don't need to unroot at all to upgrade, just flash the firmware in ODIN or recovery..

edit: nvm it seems like you've already upgrade yours to KitKat
 
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    I'm sure this has been addressed but I can't seem to find a definitive answer. I am bone stock (stock recovery and no custom rom) with just root on AT&T.

    There are no missing deleted apps, as I replaced them previously but I still have never been able to do any of the OTA updates. It's starts and then fails.

    Is there a way to unroot and the do an OTA update? I am trying to avoid Odin so I dont have to wipe everything and then have to start all over and adjust settings to my liking an also reinstall all of my apps.

    I seen there is an option in the Super User app to "completely unroot and uninstall". Will choosing this option allow me to finally do OTA?

    I've never installed a custom recovery or a custom rom so I don't know why OTA's always fail. At this point, I dont really care about having root since the only reason I previously wanted it was to remove at&t bloatware but I'd rather have OTA's at this point.

    Any advice or direction would be greatly appreciated! Please speak slowly and in layman's terms as I am an old fart that is still a bit of a n00b, lol.


    Thanks!!

    Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using XDA Free mobile app

    If you are on stock and have a valid AT&T SIM card in the device with full access to Wi-Fi and the AT&T network, you should be able to get an OTA update. Root could, however, indeed prevent an OTA update so your best bet may be to unroot. You could unroot and uninstall SuperSU from the SuperSU app just as you suggested. This should do it. However, if it doesn't and you would really want to avoid Odin and custom recovery, then you could do a 2-step manual update to 4.3 via stock recovery - first to 4.1.2 and then to 4.3. This will naturally update your phone to (full) stock 4.3 and we can then see if the phone will take the Kit-Kat OTA update from there.

    You can see the instructions for the 2-step update via stock recovery in the thread below ...
    http://xdaforums.com/showthread.php?t=2387423

    1) Download the 2 zip files under update412.zip and update43.zip respectively to your computer
    2) Copy the zip files to a good quality (micro) SD card
    3) Place the card in your phone and boot to recovery mode by simultaneously holding down the Volume Up, Home and Power buttons
    4) Hold the buttons until you see a blue message flash across the screen. Then release the Power button but continue to hold the Volume Up and Home button until you see the Android image appear. Then release the buttons
    5) Use the volume up/down key to scroll to <mount from external storage> and the power button to select
    6) Navigate to the first zip file (update412.zip) and install. Wait for installation to finish and your phone to reboot.
    7) Complete set up. Check your phone settings. Then power off and reboot to recovery again.
    8) Repeat the process for the second update file.