Here is a guide I put together for the VZW Galaxy Note III
I TAKE NO CREDIT FOR THE LINKS POSTED IN THIS GUIDE!!!
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Section 1: How to return to Stock Android 4.X or recover from a Soft Brick
Section 2A: How to flash a Custom Recovery, Root, and More for the (Dev. Edition N3 ONLY)
2B: How to Root and flash a Custom Recovery for the Retail Locked N3
Section 3: Android Directory
Section 4: Android Glossary
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Section 1: How to return to Stock Android and recover from a Soft Brick.
Take Note If your Retail Locked N3 took the OTA update, you can not revert back to older firmware. Verizon now has Samsung blacklist the older firmwares bootloader after each update. If you try and flash older firmware the device will softbrick or fail at Aboot in Odin.
Step 1: Download and install Odin 3.09 to a Windows based PC -
http://www.mediafire.com/download/c4jk4e4i553jscs/Odin3_v3.09.exe
Step 2: Download a stock Odin image and Pit file to the PC. If Odin does not recognize the file then extract it with a program such as 7zip.
RETAIL Locked N3 Restore Files
Official VRUEOB6 5.0- http://www.sammobile.com/firmwares/download/45906/N900VVRUEOB6_N900VVZWEOB6_VZW/
Official VRUDNK1 4.4.4-http://www.sammobile.com/firmwares/download/41501/N900VVRUDNK1_N900VVZWDNK1_VZW/
Official VRUCNC4 4.4.2- http://www.sammobile.com/firmwares/3/?download=29319
-
Mirror-
http://www.androidfilehost.com/?fid=23501681358549642
Official VRUBMJE 4.3- http://www.androidfilehost.com/?fid=23269279319196106
Developer Edition N3 Restore Files
DE_VRUBMJE 4.3-http://www.androidfilehost.com/?fid=23269279319196402
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HLTE_32gb.PitFile- http://www.androidfilehost.com/?fid=23159073880936457(works for bothe DE and Retail devices)
Step 3: Power device off, hold the volume down/home/power keys until you see a yellow triangle, then press the volume up key to access "odin or download mode".
Step 4: Open Odin and connect the oem usb cable from pc to device. The driver should automatically install( it did for me on windows 7 64bit). There should also be a "comport number" in upper left hand corner of Odin indicating communication between the pc & device.
*If the drivers do not automatically install, then manually install the drivers in link and proceed to the next step.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2038555
Step 5: Click on the Pit function of Odin and select Pit file you downloaded in Step:2.
Step 6: Click on the AP/PDA(depends on Odin version) function of Odin. Select the stock 4.3 image you downloaded in step 2, then select start. This operation should take less than 8 minutes before Odin will say pass/reset.
Step 7: Your device should boot back up into factory stock Android! However, these stock Odin files do not wipe data and as a result the device may bootloop or stick at the samsung sash screen depending on the devices state before flashing the above files.
To get the device to boot: power the device off, press and hold the volume up/home/power buttons until the samsung logo appears. The device will boot into recovery and from there you will need to wipe data/factory reset, then reboot.
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Section 2A: How to Flash a Custom Recovery, Root, and More For The (Dev. Edition N3 ONLY)
Do not worry about Knox, the DE device has no warranty anyway
Step 1: Download and Install Odin 3.09 and drivers from section 1 if you have not already.
Step 2: Download the Official CWM recovery.tar to the desktop of your PC
http://goo.im/devs/philz_touch/CWM_Advanced_Edition/hltevzw/philz_touch_6.08.9-hltevzw.tar.md5
Step 3: Download the SuperSU.zip to the root of your Internal SD.
http://download.chainfire.eu/351/SuperSU/
Step 4: Power your device off, connect the OE usb cable from device to PC, Press and hold the volume down/home/ power buttons until you see a yellow triangle, then press volume up to access "odin/download mode". Take note there should be a Com port number in the upper left hand corner of Odin indicating communication with device.
Step 5: Click on the AP slot in Odin and find the recovery.image.tar you downloaded in step 2. Also make sure to Uncheck Auto Reboot!!
Step 6: Hit Start, Odin should take less then 15 seconds before indicating completion.
Step 7: Unplug device, Pull and Re-insert battery, Press and Hold the Volume UP/Home/Power buttons until you see the Samsung logo or indication that the device is Recovery Booting.
Step 8: Congrats you should now be booted into TWRP recovery!! Continue following directions below for ROOT!
Step 9: Create a Nandroid back up by tapping back up, chose partitions to back up(system, data, boot are standard), then swipe to back up. Return to the main menu by pressing the return arrow 2 times.
Step 10: Select Wipe, Advanced Wipe, Check both Cache and Dalvik cache, then swipe to perform action. Tap the return arrow 2 times to return to the main TWRP page.
Step 11: Select Install and find the root.zip you downloaded in step 3, then select it. Swipe to Confirm Flash.
Step 12: Navigate back to the home page and reboot. Once the device is booted up, open app drawer and confirm the SuperSU app is installed.
For Installing Kernels, Mods, Roms, or any .zip from Recovery
-Boot into Recovery via three finger method(hold vol. up/home/power)and follow steps 8-11, just replace the file in step 11 with the one you are trying to flash.
-The only extra step for flashing a Rom is to Wipe DATA in step 10.
-If something goes south and your device will not boot after flashing in recovery, this is where creating that Nandroid back up will save you. Simply power the device off, Three finger into Recovery, Select Restore, Then Select the back up you created and swipe to restore.
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Section 2B: How to Root and Flash Safe Strap Recovery for the Retail Locked N3
Step:1 First you need Root.
https://towelroot.com/
- Click the Red symbol and download Towel Root.apk.
-Navigate to system setting/security/unknown sources and check the box.
-Install and run the TR.apk
Step 2: Once you have verified you have Root and updated SuperSU, head over to this thread and Download the SafeStrap.apk to the root of the devices internal sd(mount/sd).
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2517610
Step 3: Open the app drawer and find the File Manager app(If you do not have this app download it from the playstore), use the app to find the SafeStrap.apk you downloaded in step 2.
Step 4: Click on the SafeStrap.apk and click Install.
Step 5: Navigate to the app drawer and open the SafeStrap app, agree to the disclaimer, then select install recovery.
Step 6: Reboot and you should see a new Splash screen upon boot.
Step 7: Congrats you now have Safestrap recovery and are ready to flash mods & roms.
Be Sure to Thank and/or donate to HashCode for his efforts!!
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Section 3: Android Directory
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[Firmware][Collection]Modems,Kernels,Stock Tars-http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2524572
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[How To][Disable Stock Apps Safely]- http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2478589
[How To][Add Toggles to Notification Panel]- http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2482867
[How To][Tethering Without Root]- http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2480705
[How To][Videos]Root-Unlock-More- http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2484201
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[MOD][ROOT][All Root Methods]- http://www.note2forum.com/forum/galaxy-note-3-development/4355-root-methods-all-one-place.html
[MOD]Native Multiwindow-http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2507975
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