[Galaxy Note II Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] Headscan:
I am in a similar situation as some of you in this thread. I run my GT-N7100 on the stock ROM that it came with, I have not rooted the device or made any such changes to it. All I've done is to add the accounts and install the apps I need, seeing that my phone is my primary tool when o the field. Kies (version 2.5.0.12114_1, running on Windows 7) connects fine to my GT-N7100, but gives me the following error message:

Firmware information:

Your device's current firmware version is not supported to update firmware via Kies.

On this one, I am not sure whether this is really an error or not. Some people say that it sits there until there is an update available and then will update. If someone can confirm this to be true, maybe the text is just a cryptic piece of text saying "you got the latest firmware so I can't update it for now"?

I am running following firmware: PDA:LJ13 / PHONE:LJ2 / CSC:LJ4 (XXX). I have no idea what XXX is supposed to mean in this case. If I've understood it correct, it should give a hint about the countr/region, i.e. Korea and it should be (KOR) instead? In my case that should be (NEE) seeing that I reside within the Nordic Countries (according to the SamMobile Firmware Page).

More detailed information about my firmware:

PDA: N7100XXALJ3 (displayed as "AP" when performing *#1234# on my dialpad)

PHONE: N7100XXALJ2 (displayed as "CP" when performing *#1234# on my dialpad)

CSC: N7100OXXALJ4

From the SamMobile Firmware Page:

Latest firmware info

GT-N7100 - Nordic countries

PDA: N7100XXALJ3

CSC: N7100OXXALJ4

Version: 4.1.1

Modified: 2012-10-17

Regions: Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Spain, United Kingdom

So far so good, I hope? To me it looks like a match. It is the latest firmware for the Nordic countries. However, Kies still gives me the error message about the firmware above. This brings me two questions

Is it really an error or is it just a piece of cryptic text?

Is my phone up to date as it should be? If so, why does Kies give me the error message about not supporting my firmware?

Now, hold and behold, there is yet another firmware out there:

GT-N7100 - Nordic countries

PDA: N7100XXALJ1

CSC: N7100OXXALJ1

Version: 4.1.1

Date: 2012-10-03

Regions: Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Spain, United Kingdom

The one above was released 2 weeks before the firmware I am using. My phone did not come with this firmware, so I haven't updated anything. This makes me wonder: is there something between these two firmwares that makes Kies act the way it does? If so, why? It makes me no sense.

Since Kies is displaying me what is a possible error message, I can't see if there are really any updates there for me. When I select Tools --> Firmware Upgrade and Initialization in Kies, I get the error message "GT-N7100 does not support initializing". So, obviously, something is wrong.

Now this brings up yet another question: If Kies is refusing for whatever reason to support the firmware I have now, will the phone's software update (found in "About device") be enough to download Jellybean 4.1.2 once it is available for the Nordic countries? I know I can always use Odin to flash it, but I would prefer to keep it as simple as possible.

Anyone have a clue what this could depend on? Firmwares and these kind of errors is not really within my area of knowledge, so please forgive me if I have not all details in place. I know there are many questions in my post, but it would be great to get a more in-depth answer and explanation to what this could be about. I am stuck and this is what I've researched over the past hours. I don't know if it is to much of help, but this is as far as I got. Quite frankly, I don't know that the hell to do at this point... :(