[AT&T, Rogers, Bell, Telus Samsung Galaxy S III] chdrummerdude:
This is literally a step by step guide to get you rooted, flashed over to a custom recovery, and get you running a stable rom. I take no credit for the work of the devs. I also take no responsibility for any damages incurred to your cellular device, SD card, or voidage of thy warranty. Thanks for listening! Also I have an AT&T device so things here or there may change for others on different carriers. Read carefully.

1.	Backup music, pics, and important files

2.	Download xda member mskip’s toolkit that will be used for rooting/backing up your phone & restoring it if need be (http://goo.im/devs/mskip/toolkit/samsung_galaxy_s3/Samsung_Galaxy_S3_ToolKit_v7.0.exe)

3.	Install the toolkit

4.	Once installed run the toolkit it will ask if you want to check for an update ignore that for now as you haven’t donated to the project yet.

5.	It will ask for which device you own. Read very carefully you want the one for AT&T 4.1.1 I think on the non donated version its selection 42 and on the donated version its 72. On your first time opening the toolkit may download the Stock rom for your phone incase you ever need to revert back.

6.	Ok so now you should be at a list of options, this is the main menu for the toolkit.

7.	Make sure your phone is unplugged and hit selection 1. This will install all the correct drivers you will be using with ADB to pretty much use the toolkit.

8.	Ok so once that’s done you can go back to the toolkit to donate. Look for the option toolkit settings, go there. Look for the option to donate. This will take you to a separate page online to donate over paypal. Finish that get your activation code from your email. Go back to the tool kit setting and look for activate tool kit donate functions. Once in that option type in the code given and let the toolkit activate.

9.	Close and reopen the toolkit this time select yes to update. It will probably ask twice as the toolkit will update then theres an internal program that will update.

10.	Ok You ready? Were about to get rooting!!

11.	Ok so open the toolkit, type no to the updater, now if you donated the option for your device will most likely change to selection 72. Now you should be at the main menu

12.	Before you proceed make sure you have backed everything important up to at least your sd card or computer(Pics, files, music)

13.	Go into the phone settings go to developer options and make sure debug mode is checked on.

14.	Select option 2 (Root/Unroot options)

15.	Select option 3 It does it all in one shot!

16.	Select option 2 TWRP Touch Recovery (It’s nice)

17.	Select option 2 I just did it cause it was recommended

18.	It will compile a list then ask if you are ready type yes if you are

19.	Let it do its thing. Now it will ask you to do some things with odin and stuff but the instructions are pretty clear. I cant bring them back up because im already rooted. once done your rooted and have a custom recovery (Woohoo)

20.	Ok nothing has changed on the phone your Apps and app data are still there.

21.	Ok open the toolkit back up. Select option 7 Backup/restore device

22.	Select option 1 Backup all. Select 2

23.	Select 1

24.	Select option 2

25.	Now follow the onscreen instructions you'll have to agree on the phone to let the backup happen. Don’t worry about encrypting the backup. Just let it do its thing

26.	Let it do its thing, took mine a good hour to backup but its worth it as I did not lose my place in any of my apps or games!!!

27.	Once that’s done go back to the toolkit select option 7 again then select option 5 (TWRP NAND) as this allows you to make a backup of

the original setup and is nice to have in case you mess up somewhere along the line.

28.	Type yes

29.	Now this next option is up to you you can have the phone save the backup on both your pc and sd card with option 4 or just have it save it to the pc with option 5 or just have it save to the sd with option 6. I would probably do option 4 just to have a safe backup on your phone in case your not near your computer.

30.	Let it do its back up. This will take a while as well but is totally worth it as it insures that you have a stable backup to fall back to.

31.	Ok so now EVERYTHING should be backed up to the MAX

32.	Now lets discuss custom roms. You basically have unlimited options from tweaked original Sammy TouchWiz to AOSP & AOKP (That original Android look) and the Iphone looking MIUI.

33.	I've Always been a fan of the AOSP and AOKP roms

34.	As you become more familiar with how flashing works and constantly backing up and making a nandroid copy everytime you get a new rom setup you will be able to flop back and forth from your nandroid saves to see which roms you truly like best.

35.	Ok so you need to download a rom (http://goo.gl/tTWxh) this rom is AOKP by XDA member TASK. So far its my favorite.

36.	Now you need to download the google apps for this rom (http://goo.gl/QQqzc)

37.	Now most roms that I've tried use the standard google apps. Task has compiled a set of google apps that work well with his rom so use them lol. When it comes to other roms cyanogenmod has Gapps on his site that you can dl if need be.

38.	Ok once those finish dl, move both files to the SD card NOT internal storage as you will be wiping the internal storage.

39.	Once everything is moved over. Make sure one last time everything is backed up as these next steps will erase all data on the internal storage of the phone.

40.	Power down the phone. Remove the phone from its case. It was just easier for me with it outside the case.

41.	Now you need to enter the custom recovery you flashed some 30 odd steps ago. Press the volume up key + Home Key + Power button. Getting the phone into recovery can be tricky. once you see the phone screen come on with the little blue words at the top left corner of the screen let go of the buttons and it should flash the screen a couple times and bring up the recovery. If it doesn’t pull the batt. And try again. Also I’ve had better luck getting into recovery with the phone disconnected from the usb.

42.	Ok so your into recovery!

43.	Select wipe, Wipe cache, Wipe dalvik cache, & System

44.	Hit the onscreen home button in the lower left corner of the screen

45.	Now go to install, Make sure (Use external SD) is checked

46.	Look for the zip file with the rom should be like AOKP_datt2_ota-eng-task650

47.	Click that file & start the flash process

48.	When its finished go ahead and rewipe the Dalvik/cache

49.	Now go back to the main screen on the recovery and hit install. Find the google apps that you put on the SD card. Install those.

50.	Now this next part is important. After you install the gapps, go to the recoveries main screen and select wipe. Now do a factory reset. If you don’t do this its likely that you will either get a boot loop or get stuck at the animation screen.

51.	Once the wipe is finished go back to the main screen on the recovery, hit reboot then hit system. Let everything load and you should be on a custom rom now!

52.	Once it starts connect to WIFI but resist the urge to sign into google or any account just keep skipping.

53.	Once you have android up and are at the home screen plug back to your pc and restart the toolkit. Also go back into the developer options and make sure debug mode is checked. Now I had an issue where the toolkit could see my device but would list it offline so therefore adb wouldn’t work to restore my apps. What I did to fix that was pull down the notification bar change the usb mode to camera let it install the drivers then switch back to media device. And poof it worked again.

54.	Select backup/restore option 7

55.	Select 10 Restore apps from backup

56.	Type in the name of the backup file listed in the toolkit. Once again you will have to confirm on the phone that you want to restore the files. Let it do its thing. It took a while to do. Mine seemed like it got hung up on a file but just let it work. Also mine didn’t go back to the home screen after it finished. You’ll notice as you are restoring the apps it will list the apps & data its restoring. When mine was finished it just stopped listing things on the phone. So you will have to back outta that and restart the toolkit.

57.	After that’s done you should have all your apps back & data to those apps!

58.	Now you can go into your phones settings and add you google account info. And your phone will get back all your contacts and what not!

59.	Now as a final option you can go back in and do steps 27-32 to have a backup of this rom.

60.	Enjoy the rom, go customize, if you have any questions hit me up on gtalk chdrummerdude@gmail.com