[HOWTO] [ROOT] No Tripping Flash Counter - Root Injected L900VPALJC +[TWRP] + more

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This is a root injected FACTORY Stock L900VPALJ1 Odin Flashable Image. You flash this in Odin just as you would the completely stock ROM from samsung. I've simply injected the su binary and SuperSu app so you now have rooted stock image.

So if you want to keep your device stock yet have the functionality of root without tripping the counter or messing up OTA updates then this would be your best bet.

You can get ODIN here
and the drivers for the SPH-L900 so ODIN can detect your phone can be found at Samsung's site. Click on the Manuals & Downloads tab at the bottom and then on Software for the latest driver.

Instructions:

First, Download Image:
New Full Rom VPALJC
Mirror 1: root66_SPR_L900VPALJC.7z

Orig Release JB 4.1.1
Mirror 1: root66_SPR_L900VPALJ1.7z
Mirror 2: root66_SPR_L900VPALJ1.7z


Second, Extract and Flash:
Extract the root66_SPR_L900VPALJ1.tar.md5 from the .7z file you downloaded.
Use Odin, put phone into download mode [with phone off, hold vol. down + home + power ], connect to computer and open Odin.
once in odin click the PDA field and select the root66_SPR_L900VPALJ1.tar.md5 you downloaded.
Leave Auto Reboot and F. Reset Time checked.
click start and
when done let phone reboot.
If you have issues flashing with Odin please ensure you are using the microusb cable that came with the phone, users have had issues using other cables.
If you just want a stock, rooted phone with no custom recovery, no plans to flash custom roms, etc. then you can stop HERE.

OTA Updates:
Stock Recovery: Once rooted with above method, if you receive a notification for an OTA update, it has been verified you can use OTA RootKeeper to retain root through the update process.

Non-Stock Recovery: If you have loaded a non-stock recovery (per below) you can simply use it to flash the OTA update flashable zip I've created.
Mirror 1: OTA Update LJ1 to LJC
Mirror 2: OTA Update LJ1 to LJC

Optional, Recovery (will trip counter):
It seems loading any custom recovery will trip the download mode flash counter. Loading a non stock recovery will also prevent you from successfully applying any OTA updates however here is a procedure for any who want a non-stock recovery:
Currently I see TWRP has support for this device so the instructions here will install that recovery.
Option 1: Download GooManager from the Play store. Once installed click the menu and select "Install OpenRecovery Script".
Option 2: Download the TWRP recovery image here. Copy it to the /sdcard of your phone.
Connect your phone to your computer and use adb
type adb shell
once in the shell run su
then
dd if=/sdcard/openrecovery-twrp-2.3.1.1-t0ltespr.img of=/dev/block/mmcblk0p9

Alternate if unfamiliar with adb commands
Grab android terminal emulator from the play store and run the same commands starting with su and then the dd command.

De-Bloater

If you've made it this far with a stock, rooted phone with CWM or TWRP and you don't want to flash a custom rom (which will do its own de-bloating) you can check out my mrRobinson Note II De-Bloater to easily get rid of bloat system apps you no longer want to see. Simply flash in CWM or TWRP like anything else and you will be presented with a menu system to choose what to remove. If you are unsure it is safe to pick Minimal and still get a decent de-bloat.

Bonus Files
ODIN Flashable LJC Stock Recovery: SPR_recovery_L900VPALJC.tar.md5
CWM Flashable LJC Modem: modem_CWM_L900VPALJC.zip

History:
I've injected root into other stock images and those threads have a lot of valuable information which could answer some questions that may arise here. If you have time to do some reading here are a few of the informative ones:
Samsung Galaxy S3 [ATT / Bell / Telus / Rogers / Sasktel ]
Samsung Galaxy S3 [TMO / Wind / Mobilicity]
Also did sprint and vzw but there isn't much there that won't be covered above.

FAQ

1. Does this remove the Sprint bloatware?
   A: No. It is same as stock, nothing is removed.
2. Does this use an unsecured boot.img
   A: No. This flashes the stock boot.img in the VPALJ1 image.
3. If my flash counter has been tripped, and I flash this and reset the counter, will it stay at 0.
   A: Yes, as long as you don't then flash a non-stock recovery.
4. Can I still get OTA updates?
   A: Yes if you do not load a custom recovery or remove any system apps OTA updates will still come and be able to be successfully applied. If you want to retain root through the OTA process I'd recommend trying the SuperSU survival mode.

okay will this reset my phone completely? or just install root

Question can this be implemented in to custom roms the "not tripping the counter"

Sent from >> here <<

Originally Posted by steviee7

okay will this reset my phone completely? or just install root

Just root.

Originally Posted by moose1313

Question can this be implemented in to custom roms the "not tripping the counter"

Sent from >> here <<

No. Custom roms would trip.

Nice work!

Originally Posted by mrRobinson

No. Custom roms would trip.

Thanks I only asked because I figured if it could be injected as in tricking the phone this is coming from the manufacturer you could also tweak other things and still get away with it. ..Also without an OTA released yet can you say 100% an OTA will go through with no problems if we used this Thanks again

Sent from >> here <<

Originally Posted by mrRobinson

No. Custom roms would trip.

maybe im just a lil special at the moment, i haven't tripped the flash counter yet i learn something when i had the s3 i think that after you flash the tar for the recovery wait till its done (uncheck reboot before u flash) and then pull the battery and it doesnt trip the counter. if im wrong someone please correct me.

Just wanted to let everyone know I did this method then accepted the OTA update and I'm still rooted. Thanks for this!

Very nice! Thank you very much! This will make it easy to go back to stock AND have custom recovery!