{GUIDE} Flashing the SM-935U firmware onto your Verizon S7 Edge and Rooting

[dajmanjt]

Alright here is a guide to installing the unlocked S7 Edge firmware onto your Verizon S7 edge. I will also be giving some tips on setting up specific parameters to get the best battery and performance towards the end of this guide. A list of credits for all the folks who actually discovered and wrote about all these topics will be at the end of the guide as well. All credit goes to those guys!!!!

I am not responsible for anything that occurs to your phone. Period. Use this Guide at your own risk.


Part 1: Installing the 935U firmware

WARNING: YOU WILL LOSE ALL DATA ON YOUR PHONE (except SD card)! BACKUP EVERYTHING BEFORE YOU START THIS PROCESS.

Before you start, make sure you have the Samsung phone USB drivers installed. If you do not have them installed ODIN will not recognize your phone. Here is a link to the drivers installation package: http://downloadcenter.samsung.com/c...G_USB_Driver_for_Mobile_Phones_v1.5.45.00.exe

Note: I personally had success with this version of Odin: https://www.dropbox.com/s/6a2xg2frrin92o6/odin_3.12.3.rar?dl=0 (MD5 - 9C878DB69273148F01910D1CBCB1ABBD)
However another user couldn’t get it to work and used this version: https://www.dropbox.com/s/hfe8zn2adnwdtuw/ODIN .zip?dl=0 (MD5 - 136E707B39C2E4CDC47820C68065CD5C)

How to install:

Step 1. Put your phone in download mode. You do this by having the phone off and pressing the power button, the home button, and the volume down button at the same time, holding them until the download screen comes up. Sometimes there will be a prompt that says press the home button to continue to download mode. In that case press the home button as well.

Step 2. Flash the 4 files in this zip (https://www.androidfilehost.com/?fid=24588212152304771)(MD5 - BB4D013B3B6D7638484A4B0F56953BFA) to your phone using Odin, all 4 of them at the same time. Unzip the files into the folder that contains your ODIN installation, or a folder where they are easy to find. Open up ODIN and put the BL file in the BL slot, AP file in the AP slot, and so on. Then flash all 4 at once.

I have flashed the U firmware multiple times in experimentation and at one point the flash failed. I simply forced the phone to reboot into download mode (by the normal method listed above) and tried reflashing. It went through just fine. So don't panic, just retry.

Part 2: Rooting the U firmware

NOTE: This guide is mostly taken from an excellent guide already made by @Argyrus. The only reason I am posting it here is to keep the flow of the overall guide together.

First off download these files (https://www.dropbox.com/s/x4yymhbthn6nmqp/Root Files.zip?dl=0) and extract all the files to one main folder. Make sure all the files that are in the "SuperSU-v2.76-S7QC" folder are moved to the main folder.

- Folder named "SuperSU-v2.76-S7QC" contains the SuperSU and thing needed to root the phone
- ADB Setup EXE called "adb-setup-1.4.3.exe", needed to install ADB and the Drivers
- Special patched Odin that skips the SHA 225 called Odin PrinceComsy.exe (Mainly for AT&T) including an .ini file named "Odin3.ini"
- file named "Samsung_G935x_QC_Rooted_BOOT.TAR", this is the engBoot for the phone that will allow rooting

NOTE: Some users have experienced endless boot loop; this seems to be caused by using a package disabler that disabled certain services. If you used one and end up getting an endless boot loop try wiping the cache and factory reset the phone.

1. Install ADB by running adb-setup-1.4.3.exe (select YES to all options, especially system wide ADB)
2. Make sure to put your phone into downloading mode (Power off--- Hold Down arrow + Home + Power button)
3. Open up Odin and click AP and mount Samsung_G935x_QC_Rooted_BOOT.TAR, then flash it
4. Once restarted put the phone into USB debugging mode, if it is not already enabled (need Developer options for this)
4b. To get developer mode, go to "About" then tap "build number" about 6 or 7 times
4c. Go back to settings and you should now see developer options, turn on USB debugging
5. Now back on your PC, double click on the file called "root.bat" (it should be in the main folder with ALL the other files, aka no subfolders)
6. Wait for the CMD to finish and then your phone should restart
7. Once your phone has finally restarted you will notice that SuperSU was installed and root should be working, download root checker to find out for yourself.

Part 3: Implementing all the Verizon specific fixes (enable Verizon volte, fix wifi password saving issues, doze issues, cpu issues, VVM, etc.)

1. Download the Verizon s7 edge fix zips (there are two zips that will be flashed together in a certain order) (File 1 - http://dl.psouza4.com/android/S7_or_S7Edge_Fixes_V15.zip)(File 2 - https://www.androidfilehost.com/?fid=24591023225178488)

2. Use Flashfire (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=eu.chainfire.flash&hl=en) to flash both zips, keep the standard options that are already selected in Flashfire. Arrange the zips so that S7_or_S7Edge_Fixes_V15.zip is flashed first, and Verizon_VVM_Volte_Wifi_Calling_G935U_Fix.zip is flashed second. It will auto reboot after flashing both files.

3. Profit


Also it is always a good idea to change all the animation speeds to .5, which you can find under the developer options. This speeds up the phone visually, providing for a faster user experience.

Part 4: Setting up xposed and additional battery life saving tools (optional)

These are some steps that I have taken to see great battery life results. Feel free to try them out and see if they work for you.

1. Install xposed using Flashfire (only use the modified xposed zip below or else you will have serious issues)
Here is the modified xposed zip to flash through Flashfire (https://www.dropbox.com/s/67aujyog5...arm64-custom-build-by-wanam-20160709.zip?dl=0)

Note: It takes a while to boot after flashing this due to the cache rebuild. Do not panic, let it do its thing.

Also you will need to install the Xposed apk to be able to use Xposed: (https://www.dropbox.com/s/euqp5ofg32gjspj/XposedInstaller_3.0_alpha4.apk?dl=0)

2. Install Greenify (xposed module) and enable all the additional features (donate only), including aggressive doze. Add any apps that are running in the background that seem to be battery hogs and enable auto-hibernation.

I also went through the system files and removed or froze any Samsung files I did not want with Titanium. But that's just a personal preference of mine, I'm OCD about files I have enabled on my phone lol.

Note: By request I have posted screenshots of all the files I have frozen, as well as a screenshot of all the apps I have greenifyed. I decided to Greenify more apps than disable this time to see if I get the same battery life as disabling everything. Time will tell.

That's about it. Hopefully this is helpful to us Verizon users who are trying to comb through multiple forums trying to find all the pieces to the puzzle in regards to flashing and rooting the U firmware. I am simply putting everything into one guide, along with any additions which I learned from my personal experience flashing and rooting my S7E onto the U firmware.

If there is any questions or comments hit me up, i'd be happy to help anyway I can.

Cheers!




Credits:
@Misterxtc for the U firmware link (and firmware updates in general)
@wanam for the modified xposed installation for samsung phones
@psouza4 for the fix zip that cures many issues
@gtg465x for providing info on the U files
@Symphony0fLife for his excellent AT&T guide which I used a lot of here
@jrkruse for his CSC and ims hacks and the U fix zip
@Argyrus for his guide on how to root our Verizon phones
@Mastajeff for his original T-mobile guide that helped Argyrus and I with our guides
@br3w3r, @Chainfire and @princecomsy for making the root possible and guiding us towards the light of freedom
@Syn Ack for posting a guide with all the fixes he had collected from other forums
@lahegry for originally posting the modified xposed zip
@Snoop05 for his awesome system wide ABD installation package

NOTE: If I have forgotten anyone on the credits list please let me know and I will add them.

 

[MArtyChubbs]

Thank you. Great guide!

 

[Symphony0fLife]

Nicely done!

 

[dajmanjt]

I would love for someone who uses wifi calling on Verizon to try out the CSC file replacement I have posted here. I want to see if that file fixes that function but i personally don't use Wi-Fi calling so I can't test out out.....

Sent from my Verizon S7 Edge (U firmware / rooted)

 

[TheWu-Wei]

This is outstanding. Thank you so much!

I've yet to go through the whole process, as I want to set aside some time to prepare everything, etc. But I was wondering whether you'd be willing to share a list of the packages you froze or removed with Titanium. I am also a minimalist when it comes to what files I keep around on any device. If you'd prefer to share via PM, that's fine too. I know those kinds of lists elicit a variety of reactions from a variety of users.

Sent from my SM-G935V using XDA Labs

 

[dajmanjt]

This is outstanding. Thank you so much!

I've yet to go through the whole process, as I want to set aside some time to prepare everything, etc. But I was wondering whether you'd be willing to share a list of the packages you froze or removed with Titanium. I am also a minimalist when it comes to what files I keep around on any device. If you'd prefer to share via PM, that's fine too. I know those kinds of lists elicit a variety of reactions from a variety of users.

Sent from my SM-G935V using XDA Labs

No prob! Glad I could help in a small way. I'll post the screenshot of what I have disabled to the main thread..... let the haters hate, it don't bother me ??

Sent from my Verizon S7 Edge (U firmware / rooted)

 

[spiderbolt]

Md5s to check downloads please and thank you for posting this can't wait to try it out

 

[dartz28]

Quick question
I already rooted us8ng adb
-So to flash U firmware
I use regular Odin for that
-Then is modded Odin for Eng g935x_qc_rooted_boot.tar. is that right?
- then adb and root.bat?

Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk

 

[dajmanjt]

This is outstanding. Thank you so much!

I've yet to go through the whole process, as I want to set aside some time to prepare everything, etc. But I was wondering whether you'd be willing to share a list of the packages you froze or removed with Titanium. I am also a minimalist when it comes to what files I keep around on any device. If you'd prefer to share via PM, that's fine too. I know those kinds of lists elicit a variety of reactions from a variety of users.

Sent from my SM-G935V using XDA Labs

Screenshots are posted ?

Sent from my Verizon S7 Edge (U firmware / rooted)

 

[dajmanjt]

Quick question
I already rooted us8ng adb
-So to flash U firmware
I use regular Odin for that
-Then is modded Odin for Eng g935x_qc_rooted_boot.tar. is that right?
- then adb and root.bat?

Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk

Yea it actually does not matter that you are rooted. You are basically starting over from scratch by using ODIN to flash the U firmware. So start at the beginning and follow all the steps and you should be good!

Sent from my Verizon S7 Edge (U firmware / rooted)

 

[dartz28]

Yea it actually does not matter that you are rooted. You are basically starting over from scratch by using ODIN to flash the U firmware. So start at the beginning and follow all the steps and you should be good!

Sent from my Verizon S7 Edge (U firmware / rooted)

Okay thank you.

Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk

 

[zachchen1996]

Thanks so much for this!
What's your reasoning for leaving greenify aggressive doze off?

 

[dajmanjt]

Thanks so much for this!
What's your reasoning for leaving greenify aggressive doze off?

No worries! I leave aggressive doze off because I use Force Doze to control doze instead. It does a much better job than Greenify at dozing quickly, as long as you use xposed to manage it. Force Doze screws up auto rotate and auto brightness bad if you don't use xposed settings in it.

Sent from my Verizon S7 Edge (U firmware / rooted)

 

[dajmanjt]

Md5s to check downloads please and thank you for posting this can't wait to try it out

I will post the md5 files when I get back to my house tonight. Also it appears that the ODIN files mediafire link is down. I will replace all links in my guide with files linked to my Dropbox to ensure they stay live and reliable.

Sent from my Verizon S7 Edge (U firmware / rooted)

 

[ykjae]

Can someone repost the vzw files? It won't let me view them keeps taking me to file manager. Weird.

Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk

---------- Post added at 02:31 AM ---------- Previous post was at 02:26 AM ----------

Can someone repost the vzw files? It won't let me view them keeps taking me to file manager. Weird.

Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk

Nevermind I got it thank you.

Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk

 

[dajmanjt]

Can someone repost the vzw files? It won't let me view them keeps taking me to file manager. Weird.

Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk

---------- Post added at 02:31 AM ---------- Previous post was at 02:26 AM ----------


Nevermind I got it thank you.

Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk

Yea I'll repost all the files hosted from my own Dropbox when I get home, so that I know the files won't get deleted or moved. I don't like mega download anyways lol

Sent from my Verizon S7 Edge (U firmware / rooted)

 

[TechBSwift]

Yea I'll repost all the files hosted from my own Dropbox when I get home, so that I know the files won't get deleted or moved. I don't like mega download anyways lol

What's your battery life looking like?

 

[dajmanjt]

Md5s to check downloads please and thank you for posting this can't wait to try it out

Can someone repost the vzw files? It won't let me view them keeps taking me to file manager. Weird.

Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk

---------- Post added at 02:31 AM ---------- Previous post was at 02:26 AM ----------


Nevermind I got it thank you.

Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk

All files (except the U firmware files) have been uploaded to my Dropbox and posted with md5 info. The U firmware has also been updated with md5 info. If the mediafire link ever goes down for the U firmware I will share a Dropbox link to that file as well.

What's your battery life looking like?

I am getting 5 to 6 hours screen on time with medium to heavy usage (navigation, maps, streaming music, YouTube, Tapatalk, internet browsing, etc)

Sent from my Verizon S7 Edge (U firmware / rooted)

 

[NoogynSmith]

Hi, I need help with one of the step to root the phone. So i was able to flash the .tar file on the phone using the custom Odin but I couldn't flash SU on the phone. Whenever I tried to run the root.bat file the cmd return this:

C:\adb\super>adb wait-for-device
'adb' is not recognized as an internal or external command, operable program or batch file.

Please help!

 

[markwebb]

Thanks again for this. So, If I have the actual unlocked phone which already has the U firmware, I can skip a few steps and just root, do the cpu fixes, etc., right? The only thing I don't like about this phone is lack of voicemail notifications since the U firmware is stripped of that function.

Or is it better for me to perform all of the steps knowing I can flash the full U firmware to get back to the original state if I have to?