[Galaxy S II Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] KidCarter93:
[SIZE=+3]Frequently Asked Questions[/SIZE]

[SIZE=+2]Samsung Galaxy S II I9100[/SIZE]

[SIZE=+1]*NOTICE* To put an end to some of the unneeded posts in this thread, this thread will be remaining locked. If there's anything which needs to be added to this FAQ, please PM me and I'll get back to you ASAP![/SIZE]​

[SIZE=+1]This a short list of frequently asked questions in this device forum and the answers often given as a response. It should serve as a starting point for gathering knowledge and finding solutions to many common problems. Please only post in this thread with feedback on how to improve this document. Do not post "Thank you" type responses. If you have additional questions or require more help, try to find an existing thread or create your own. Do not use this as a general help thread.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=+1]Q1: What's the difference between "Development" and "Original Development"?[/SIZE]

Here are the rough guidelines as to what should be placed in "Original Development":

*Official release of highly original and upstream custom ROMs (built from the ground up with significant original development within them).

*Official releases/development of such original ROMs, perhaps posted by the maintainer or their nominated person.

*A significant "first" in development for a device. This is something which took considerable time/effort and is generally accepted by developers to be non-trivial.

*Kernels which are built with beneficial changes that are not simply pulled from other kernels already available.

*Tools and utilities with a clear purpose, and which are well-made, and useful to users. They should have an element of originality, either in purpose or through significant improvement in the means of operation.

*Significant port of a ROM from one device to another, giving enhanced features or functionality to the users of the target device.

All other development work goes into "Android Development".​

[SIZE=+1]Q2: How do I root my phone?[/SIZE]

There are a few different ways you can root your phone. Below are a couple of threads to help you successfully root your SII;

CF-ROOT 5.6 - This is a rooted kernel which will root your stock firmware and add busybox & ClockWorkMod recovery onto your device.

ROOT/UNROOT stock firmware without flashing insecure kernel - This simply roots your stock kernel so you don't have to flash a different kernel to your device.

Universal Rooting for most phones [ICS/JB] - This thread lists other methods to root your device, which I have not written here.

*NOTE* Always be sure to double check everything you read and follow the instructions carefully.​

[SIZE=+1]Q3: What are download mode and recovery and how can I enter them?[/SIZE]

Download mode and recovery are very important in the rooting world and you will likely hear a lot about them.

Read the following thread to get a brief description of what they are and how to enter them - What is recovery and download mode?​

[SIZE=+1]Q4: When I turn my phone on, I see a yellow triangle. What is it and how can I get rid of it?[/SIZE]

It will appear if you have flashed a non-official kernel from download mode. If you flash kernels using CWM recovery, Mobile Odin etc. you won't get this yellow triangle.

The easiest ways to remove it are to use the app Triangle Away OR use a USB Jig.​

[SIZE=+1]Q5: How can I fix a boot loop/ how can I recover from a soft bricked phone?[/SIZE]

Fixing a boot loop is really easy and straightforward. All you have to do is boot into recovery, wipe cache partition and then go to Advanced > Wipe dalvik cache. If that doesn't work, wipe data/factory reset and then boot up your phone.

If you are soft bricked, simply read and follow the instructions of the following thread and you'll soon recover your device - Fix an unflashable or soft bricked GSII.​

[SIZE=+1]Q6: What is the best ROM/kernel/modem?[/SIZE]

Honestly, there is no "best". It's all based on personal choice. For example; I may like heavily customizing my ROMs whereas you may like it to look at basic as possible. The best thing you can do is to just test out different ROMs/kernels/modems and see which you prefer.

Also, please don't ask which is the best because your post will likely be deleted as it's against forum rules to ask that question.​

[SIZE=+1]Q7: What does dual-booting mean?[/SIZE]

Dual-booting allows you to run 2 different ROMs on your device at the same time. In doing so, it means rather than having to restore old backups or keep flashing between different ROMs, you can simply switch between the 2 you want to use.

Read the following thread for more details on dual-booting and how to dual-boot - How To Dual Boot Using Siyah Kernel.​

[SIZE=+1]Q8: I hear a lot about ADB. What is it?[/SIZE]

Find out everything you need to know by reading the following thread - ADB Workshop and Guide for everyone.​

[SIZE=+1]Q9: Am I required to backup my ROM before flashing anything else?[/SIZE]

No you're not, but it is definitely a good idea because if you don't do a backup and then something goes wrong, it means that you'll lose all your apps, data etc. It just saves a lot of hassle.​

[SIZE=+1]Q10: Why is my battery running out so quickly?[/SIZE]

If you had bad battery life from the moment you got the phone then you're best options are either to buy a new battery OR send your phone to be repaired.

If, however, you used to have good battery life but now it's poor it could be because of a few different reasons. Either you overuse your phone and don't charge it enough, you may have too many apps installed, it could be because of the ROM or kernel you're using etc.

Try troubleshooting the problem, so if you have a lot of apps (for example), uninstall some of them and see if it helps.

If you'd like to analyze your battery stats and optimize your battery life, please check out the BetterBatteryStats thread.

For some more general tips on how to increase battery life, read the following thread - Battery Saving Tips.

The following thread is another useful option if you'd like to improve your battery life - The Complete Guide For Maximum Battery Life.​

[SIZE=+1]Q11: What is the difference between the different Samsung Galaxy SII models?[/SIZE]

The main differences are hardware and region. Some variations will have better hardware than others. Some will have a slightly different look to the body of the phone itself. Some are also specific to certain carriers. To learn more about the Galaxy SII variants, please read the following link - Samsung Galaxy SII variants.

*NOTE* If you have a device other than Samsung Galaxy SII I9100 then this FAQ is not suited to you.​

[SIZE=+1]Q12: My phone cannot make calls, send messages or use mobile data. I found my IMEI as missing or starting with 0049. What do I do?[/SIZE]

Have a look through the following thread for a solution to this problem - How to recover IMEI in nine steps

Also, here's a video tutorial on how to restore IMEI using kTool:

[YOUTUBE]iY9cDkj4CCw[/YOUTUBE]​

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