Galaxy J7 Sky Pro (SM-S727VL) Stock Firmware

[Jonathansard]

So did you try flashing the stock boot image patched with magisk? It didn't occur to me that might work. I have been trying to dump my phones boot.img without root for about a week. Is this a situation where I need to factory reset to break the encryption before flashing? I assume it is. I was able to break the frp a while back but nothing I learned then is helping with this.

 

[[email protected]]

Stock boot.Img

I found the stock firmware for the galaxy j7 sky pro(SM-S727VL) message me for link. Also looking for a root method and Google Frp bypass for the galaxy j7 sky pro. Any help much appreciated.

Any chance you could shoot me a link for the boot. Img?

 

[mattman1978]

No root yet, but I figured it out!
If you download the stock firmware. I believe this is where I got mine from:
https://updato.com/firmware-archive-select-model?record=831FDD75692211E7963AFA163EE8F90B

CAUTION!!! Apparently, this phone may have 2 variants using the same model number! See link.
https://www.theandroidsoul.com/galaxy-j7-2017-release-date/
Make SURE you get the right file for your device:
https://updato.com/firmware-archive-select-model?q=S727VL&exact=1
Go into your "device info" and look at the build number. The two links in the above site show the build numbers. Make sure you get the right one! I happened to get the right one by dumb luck!

Now, extract the zip using 7-zip. Then, right click on each file individually and use 7-zip to extract them.
In any case, one of the files should have boot.img in it. I found boot.img in "AP_S727VLUDU1AQB5_CL10551307_QB12606263_REV00_user_low_ship_MULTI_CERT.tar.md5"
I have transferred the boot.img file to my phone and am attempting to patch it using magisk. (Which I have installed the apk.) No root, just the apk tool so far.
Magisk did patch the boot file and produced a "patched_boot.img.tar" file. Supposed to be ready to flash using odin.

Where do I go from here? Can I simply flash it back, as-is?
Do I put the updated version back into the same .tar.md5 file and then flash it?
Thoughts? Ideas?
I have done this and I have a new Boot.img file that's a bit larger in tar.md5 format. Apparently, odin is supposed to be able to flash this directly to the phone?

I'm very close, just not quite ready to pull the trigger. Anyone brave enough to throw caution to the wind and pull the trigger? Download ODIN and go for it. Of course, let us all know how it goes.

The patched boot.img file is 11.12mb. Original file was 10.86mb. Sounds reasonable...
If someone is willing to flash it using odin AND tell us if it worked and how to do so step by step, then I will gladly share my patched boot image file. Just send me a means to upload it. Of course, I'm not liable for such exercises.
I'm going to read a bit more before I jump in.

NOTE: all of this assumes the download of the stock firmware is really the correct firmware for our phone and that the patch worked correctly. I'd feel better if someone else had already done this.

https://forum.xda-developers.com/apps/magisk/official-magisk-v7-universal-systemless-t3473445
https://forum.xda-developers.com/apps/magisk/guide-magisk-troubleshooting-t3641417

---------- Post added at 01:31 AM ---------- Previous post was at 01:31 AM ----------

 

[mattman1978]

Ok, I cleaned out my dropbox account to make some room for this.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/ws9q1dmpm7v7kx9/boot.img?dl=2

That is the STOCK unedited boot.img that was extracted from:
https://updato.com/firmware-archive-select-model?q=S727VL&exact=1

Build ending in AQB5 Confirm your build number as there are at least two variants of this phone!
I then used magisk on my phone to modify the boot.img
It produced this file:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/f60m5ek3q99dbuf/patched_boot.img.tar?dl=2

Use at your own risk, please confirm build number and DO NOT use it if your phone does not match! Please let us know if it does or does not work and what happens.

 

[[email protected]]

Fortune favors the bold

I will bite the bullet and be the one to test am testing this on one of my client's phones, and if it successful I've decided to donate the fifty dollars I'm charging them to split between xda and twrp. If unsuccessful i may ask for help restoring the phone to stock. But I'm pretty sure i can restore it myself. So wish me luck!

 

[mattman1978]

I will bite the bullet and be the one to test am testing this on one of my client's phones, and if it successful I've decided to donate the fifty dollars I'm charging them to split between xda and twrp. If unsuccessful i may ask for help restoring the phone to stock. But I'm pretty sure i can restore it myself. So wish me luck!

So did you download the stock firmware and extract the boot.img and then patch it using magisk or did you just use the one I shared?

In any case, I wish you good luck many times over. I've had this phone since Black Friday without activating it. Still using my older, yet very customized samsung.

 

[mattman1978]

I attempted to flash with Odin, no luck. It fails each time. No damage, just won't take the file. Secure Check Fail is the result.
FRP is off, I have NOT used any encryption.
Thoughts?

 

[utkoop]

Same here. On the newest build so had to patch boot.img myself and didn't use the one above. May reset phone then boot directly to download mode and see if that helps.... Doubt it though.

 

[mattman1978]

Same here. On the newest build so had to patch boot.img myself and didn't use the one above. May reset phone then boot directly to download mode and see if that helps.... Doubt it though.

I read that samsung devices can be really picky about the headers when flashing. Magisk probably didn't get it perfect. Hopefully something that will be fixed soon..

 

[juntjoo]

So is this the farthest this phone has come to rooting it? And is this what I gotta do to be able to use my data as I see fit? I mean, what if I rented to you a room with that rule you couldn't dance in it.

They're charging you for relieving you of control they'd taken over you that they NEVER EVEN HAD IN THE FIRST PLACE.

 

[juntjoo]

J727p (perx) as a straight talk hotspot in place of s727vl?

Once I can unlock my boost phone(it decided to stop internet from being suitable inside house after 15 day Wal-Mart return policy) to be able to use it on ST should it be good for the hotspot? And I'll keep my S727VL as extra processing power(since it's the slower one)and my main rear(13mp vs 5 or 8 on the other (perx)) camera.

 

[vampirefo]

I got one of these phones today, so far nice phone.

 

[tstivers1990]

So I'm a software developer and this is something up my alley. I managed to find a way to bypass FRP. I'd like to figure out how to root this thing, as well. Are there any guides on the low level details of how to go about rooting this? Or does anyone know what the barriers are to rooting it? If it can't be rooted, what is the reason it can't be rooted?

 

[vampirefo]

So I'm a software developer and this is something up my alley. I managed to find a way to bypass FRP. I'd like to figure out how to root this thing, as well. Are there any guides on the low level details of how to go about rooting this? Or does anyone know what the barriers are to rooting it? If it can't be rooted, what is the reason it can't be rooted?

No idea at this point, I just got the phone, downloaded kernel source, and once I get near my computer I will compile source and see what I can do with phone.

 

[vampirefo]

I talked to both Samsung and Straight talk, both claim they have no way of unlocking the bootloader.

So the reason the phone can't be rooted is due to bootloader being locked.

The bootloader prevents any flashing to phone other than stock images.

The bootloader isn't locked by crom, so Crom service simply states phone is already unlocked cause it can't find the Crom lock.

 

[DenzilAlida]

Can you send me the link for the stock rom ( galaxy j7 (sm- 727vl)

 

[avadondragon]

Does the OEM unlock in the developer menu not work on this phone like other Samsung models?

 

[vampirefo]

Does the OEM unlock in the developer menu not work on this phone like other Samsung models?

OEM unlock works just fine, it doesn't unlock bootloader, that's not it's design.

Sent from my SM-S727VL using Tapatalk

 

[StormeonSinner]

OEM unlock works just fine, it doesn't unlock bootloader, that's not it's design.

Sent from my SM-S727VL using Tapatalk

So, Odin seems to not work at all..
I have debugging, oem unlocked, etc..
I do have the LATEST TWRP Recovery for the SM-S727VL (j7popqltetfnvzw) dated 6-6-2018. (Was sent to me from TWRP Builder resource.)
ADB Fastboot and drivers.
Phone is recognized in fastboot and Odin.
Flashing of the recovery fails, but leaves system intact.

Are we really locked out of our own phones?

 

[vampirefo]

So, Odin seems to not work at all..
I have debugging, oem unlocked, etc..
I do have the LATEST TWRP Recovery for the SM-S727VL (j7popqltetfnvzw) dated 6-6-2018. (Was sent to me from TWRP Builder resource.)
ADB Fastboot and drivers.
Phone is recognized in fastboot and Odin.
Flashing of the recovery fails, but leaves system intact.

Are we really locked out of our own phones?

There is no twrp recovery for this device, cause the bootloader is locked.

Sent from my SM-S727VL using Tapatalk