[HOW TO] Flash U1 firmware to U device

[yeltrah123]

Is it possible to flash W firmware on a U1 device? Like I am currently on U firmware, but I was wondering if it would be possible.

 

[jcsww]

Okay! I got this to work finally on my 965W. For whatever reason, being directly plugged into a USB port plugged directly into the header on my Crosshair VI Hero motherboard, wasn't allowing the flash. Plugging it through my Monoprice USB 3 hub with 7 ports had everything go well. Successful flash of my S9+ that had 1ARC1 to the 1ARB7 U1 image. One other thing to note that I kind of felt stupid for overlooking. When factory resetting the device (Vol. Up + Bixby + Power) before flashing it and also remove your SIM and leave it out until you have successfully flashed. You actually need to skip the setup, enable Developer Options, and enable USB Debugging before you can flash.

Later on, I will flash the T-Mobile firmware and be very happy if that all goes successfully, which it should with the more complex part out of the way.

 

[MrCes]

I have t mobile and Verizon .Tomorrow i am getting a verizon s9+, i would like to install the t mobile firmware so i can use it mainly with t mobile . I am reading everything but i dont see a clear way of doing it .Can someone please post a step by step for doing this .

 

[jcsww]

I have t mobile and Verizon .Tomorrow i am getting a verizon s9+, i would like to install the t mobile firmware so i can use it mainly with t mobile . I am reading everything but i dont see a clear way of doing it .Can someone please post a step by step for doing this .

Have you read the first and second post of this thread? Before you can flash another carrier firmware, you need to flash to the U1 firmware first. Once you do that, flashing a carrier firmware is the same process when flashing from the U1.

 

[MrCes]

Have you read the first and second post of this thread? Before you can flash another carrier firmware, you need to flash to the U1 firmware first. Once you do that, flashing a carrier firmware is the same process when flashing from the U1.

so once i install that then i can flash the latest t mobile firmware ?

 

[jcsww]

so once i install that then i can flash the latest t mobile firmware ?

Yes! The only step that I found is mentioned but doesn't seem obvious because you repeat it is, needing developer options enabled so you can enable USB Debugging. I did a factory reset before flashing so I skipped the setup and had to re-enable this. When you flash the U1 and it completes, you have to repeat this step. At that point, you can then flash the carrier branded firmware of your choice.

Edit: I also think it is better to flash with your SIM removed and to flash the user data as well. This prevents any carrier related stuff from sticking around to cause any issues. Do not put your SIM back in until you have successfully flashed to the firmware you want.

 

[dhionisis]

Flash failed

Anyone help with Odin flash U1 .no matter what I do it goes to Alb.elf and then FAIL (Auth) ,I try different port,run Odin as administrator,uninstalled and reinstalled usb drivers,I open cmd and I can see my device,after that reboot bootloader and no matter what I do fail.i try 3 different Odin v3.13.1 with there own sm-g960u and 960u1 and nothing fail ,fail,fail please

 

[jcsww]

Anyone help with Odin flash U1 .no matter what I do it goes to Alb.elf and then FAIL (Auth) ,I try different port,run Odin as administrator,uninstalled and reinstalled usb drivers,I open cmd and I can see my device,after that reboot bootloader and no matter what I do fail.i try 3 different Odin v3.13.1 with there own sm-g960u and 960u1 and nothing fail ,fail,fail please

Do you have USB Debugging enabled in the Developer Options? Are you using the USB cable that came with your phone? What is the software version your 960 is on? If it has already been upgraded to the v2 bootloader, then you won't be able to flash U1 until a version comes out with the v2 bootloader.

 

[dhionisis]

Yes usb debugging is enabbled ,firmware on the phone is sm-g960u baseband G960USQU2ARC6 and yes the original cable,I don’t know how to check the version so help

---------- Post added at 09:45 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:32 PM ----------

Usb debugging is on,Tmobile sm-g960u firmware ,original cable,build number R17NW.G960USQU2ARC6 anyone has any idea why I get failed (auth)?

---------- Post added at 10:13 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:45 PM ----------

JCSWW are you here?please help let me know how do I check what version of bootloader I have ?if I have the v1 why I am getting failed message on Odin no matter what I do?

---------- Post added at 10:28 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:13 PM ----------

Anyone else available?

 

[jcsww]

Yes usb debugging is enabbled ,firmware on the phone is sm-g960u baseband G960USQU2ARC6 and yes the original cable,I don’t know how to check the version so help

---------- Post added at 09:45 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:32 PM ----------

Usb debugging is on,Tmobile sm-g960u firmware ,original cable,build number R17NW.G960USQU2ARC6 anyone has any idea why I get failed (auth)?

---------- Post added at 10:13 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:45 PM ----------

JCSWW are you here?please help let me know how do I check what version of bootloader I have ?if I have the v1 why I am getting failed message on Odin no matter what I do?

---------- Post added at 10:28 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:13 PM ----------

Anyone else available?

Currently, you can't! If you look at the build number, the last part of it, 2ARC6, is your issue. The 2 is the version of the bootloader number. Because your phone has the v2 bootloader, you can not flash back to a v1 bootloader.

I have actually been considering trying to see if it is possible to upgrade to the ARC6 system but trying to leave my bootloader on v1. by omitting the bootloader in the flash process. Even though I am using my phone on T-Mobile, I don't want to lose the option of being able to flash whatever other firmware I want to it if I ever decide to switch carriers or pass it on to someone else. Has anyone tried mixing aspects of an image to do this?

 

[dhionisis]

Thanks jcsww I figured out later on I googled,but again thanks for your help.so there is no way to downgrade to v1 bootloader and then flash the u1 firmware?you no downgrade to previous build with v1 bootloader?what I am asking if was a way everyone could do that ,

 

[jcsww]

Thanks jcsww I figured out later on I googled,but again thanks for your help.so there is no way to downgrade to v1 bootloader and then flash the u1 firmware?you no downgrade to previous build with v1 bootloader?what I am asking if was a way everyone could do that ,

No prob. Hopefully a way pops up soon but there is currently no way to downgrade the bootloader successfully. I am still re familiarizing myself with ODIN but am very tempted to flash the T-Mobile ARC6 with the U1 v1 bootloader and see what happens. With Nexus and Pixel devices, you can still flash the rest of the factory image without having to flash the updated bootloader and this also applies to the radio. Maybe there is a way to do the same with Samsung device. I personally don't know.

 

[dhionisis]

I am sorry to disappoint you but I think I saw it somewhere that one of the reasons of the latest firmware release was to lock the bootloader .i hope I am wrong and someone finds the way to release v2

 

[freddie813]

Any other links to download the U firmware?

Does anyone have any alternative links for the fw download?

 

[jcsww]

Does anyone have any alternative links for the fw download?

Did you check this thread?

 

[freddie813]

Did you check this thread?

THanks for the response. I ended up just searching AFH and Updato, and the MD5 for both downloads matched.

All set up and running. :good:

 

[jcsww]

THanks for the response. I ended up just searching AFH and Updato, and the MD5 for both downloads matched.

All set up and running. :good:

The md5 images seem to be much more reliable. I have had isses with the non md5 images failing before they even start to flash on modded ODIN.

 

[maximus721]

Hey All, I've been out of the flashing scene for a long long time and I'm trying to get reacclimated. I'm ordering a Verizon S9 , (presumably its unlocked like most LTE phones through this carrier), and want to be able to set it up to work on Sprint. Is this the right way?

 

[jcsww]

Hey All, I've been out of the flashing scene for a long long time and I'm trying to get reacclimated. I'm ordering a Verizon S9 , (presumably its unlocked like most LTE phones through this carrier), and want to be able to set it up to work on Sprint. Is this the right way?

I am not too sure if it will come SIM unlocked but flashing really hasn't changed all that much. Up until getting an S9 Plus, I haven't touched ODIN since the days of the Samsung Galaxy Nexus. As long as you flash to the U1 non-carrier firmware first, then to the Sprint firmware. Everything should go perfectly. Flashing to the U1, I would recommend leaving your SIM out. Set up the device on U! by skipping through the setup, enable Developer Options, turn on USB Debugging, power off your device, put your SIM in, and flash the Sprint firmware, and you will be good to go. Just make sure you get the right firmware from the threads posted around here and the modded ODIN.

The only thing that could prevent you from flashing is if your S9 comes with the v2 bootloader. Don't allow it to update any firmware and check your firmware version under About Phone, Software Version, and have a look at the build number. The last 5 characters are the most important. The number that is the first of the last 5 characters represents the version of the bootloader. If you have something like, 1ARC6, then the 1 would be your bootloader version. Version 1 of the bootloader if flashable with the U1 firmware, which will then allow you to flash to another carrier firmware. If you hsve something like, 2ARC9, then the 2 would mean you are stuck with what you have until there is a version of the U1 firmware that comes out with the version 2 bootloader.

 

[zenlifexxa]

Downloaded the G965U1 firmware from RapidGator mirror.

I used 7-zip (v.18.05, x64) to unzip the file (XAA-G965U1UEU1ARBG-20180315103500.zip), and I got a warning message:
"There are some data after the end of the payload data"

I re-downloaded the file and got the same warning message. What does this mean? Is the file corrupted? Thanks!