[Sprint Samsung Galaxy Note II] ColeTrain!:
I was happy as a lark with TWRP. But 4.3 happened and it is a new process. There are variations, here is one way to get your phone and 4.3 to play nice together. I'm on Sprint Galaxy Note 2 and if you are coming to a 4.3 or 4.4 for the first time, or having trouble. Try this first! I give credits Below, but it's for all ROM's. "Google process stopped" is a common sign that this wasn't done. Or if it just hangs on the samsung screen... Btw it does seem like an eternity sometimes. Lol

General theory: skip to the next paragraph if you dont care. I've Googled and read. You should too. We are trying to clean and prepare your phone for 4.3. "Wipe" is not the same as "format. " We need to remove all the little pieces of data that may still be there from before. We need to start fresh. Also, the partitions sizes are different in 4.3. In general we need to clean.

PROCESS A is this link. Billard412 This is back to stock, completely cleaning your phone. It requires odin and a computer. If you want to try procees B alone, you can skip A and just do "process B" and see if that works. If you still have trouble, you know you need to do the full thing. Just a note, you might think it works, but then your nandroids don't restore.. Time for process A. Back to stock. It's good to do this once in a while to start fresh, also.

http://xdaforums.com/showthread.php?t=2086769

Then install USE PHILZ recovery 6.07.9 (link below)

-Install philz. Some people have luck with TWRP , i didn't. I don't think TWRP works with 4.3

There is a newer Philz version, not sure all the bugs are worked out, use 6.07.9

One thing that might be confusing, the process A restore from billard recommends TWRP and I'm recommending Philz recovery. So best advice, although possibly confusing, is install TWRP, billard restore, then flash Philz. It's not any more work really. The back to stock will put you in a stock recovery. So you have to flash something. I was a TWRP fan too, but Philz has had less problems in 4.3.

1. You can follow billard 's instructions

2.there is a YouTube if you want to follow that in billards thread

or3 . Jlmancuso provided this to try and simplify the process:

a. Boot into download/bootloader mode.

b. Connect to pc and use odin to flash TWRP. Make sure you uncheck reboot and flash twrp in the pda slot.

c. Once flashed pull battery and disconnect from pc.

d. Press vol+ menu power buttons while inserting battery (yes it is difficult but can be done)

e. Now in recovery perform factory reset.

f. Flash this http://xdaforums.com/showthread.php?p=36388145

g. Now reboot it will act/look weird but dont worry this is normal. It will reboot and take a long time to boot.

Now you are on stock mc2 (no knox anymore). Root using cf autoroot http://xdaforums.com/showthread.php?p=33278464

Now use odin once again and flash your recovery again, this time Philz. Now you are rooted and have a custom recovery. Oh and you have a working phone again.

PROCESS B.

This is done before any ROM install and before any nandroid restore.

Preparation: BACK UP INTERNAL IF DESIRED, I WILL RECOMMEND WIPING IT in the next steps . NOT REQUIRED, BUT RECOMMENDED. You can move it to external, external doesn't need to be wiped.

In PHILZ recovery 6.07.9 (link below)

1. Mounts and Storage

Format / system​

Format / cashe​

Format / data​

Recommended optional. Format internal SD card

Format / data and /data /media (/sdcard) ALL INTERNEL SD CARD DATA IS LOST.​

PREVIOUS IS NOT EXTERNAL, EXTERNAL IS "SDCARD1" which i would not recommend

2. Power Options > reboot recovery

3. Wipe cashe partition

4. Advanced > Wipe dalvik cashe

5. Wipe data / factory reset > Wipe data / factory reset

6. Wipe data / factory reset > clean and install new ROM

I would stick with 4.3 and Philz backed up things. Don't restore something from before. Neither a 4.2 rom or a TWRP backup. Once you know you have got this process down, then try / do those sorts of things. Philz is supposed to be able to do that, but let's keep it simple until you have this figured out.

If you want to try process B first only , it may be all you need. But if it doesn't work, do all of it.

I hope this helps -

LINKS & CREDITS in next post