[Sprint Samsung Galaxy Note 3] optimummind:
[HOW-TO] Update to 4.4.2 NAB & NC5 w/Root from MJ4 Rooted without triggering Knox 0x1

This How-to guide will show you how to update from Jellybean MJ4 Android 4.3 with Root and Knox 0x0 to KitKat NAB Android 4.4.2 with Root

without

triggering the Knox 0x1 Warranty Bit.

This guide will be useful to those who want to have Root on their phone without triggering the Knox Warranty bit (and losing your warranty) and don't care/mind about flashing custom recoveries, kernels and ROM's. I, for one, only need Root so I can use Root apps like Xposed, Titanium Backup, AdAway, etc.

I also have a Galaxy S4 and a Nexus 5 and I don't use custom kernels and ROM's on those phones either (I just like stock & Root, lol~). And I don't have phone insurance on my Note 3 and S4 so that's why I want to keep Knox at 0x0 just in case. Also, I like the feeling of out-smarting/going around Samsung's ridiculous Knox implementations. :P

Disclaimer/Heads-Up

You undertake these steps at your own risk to your phone. This method has been used successfully many times by many users to go from Rooted 4.3 to Rooted 4.4.2 without triggering the Knox Warranty bit. Please read the instructions carefully in the entire post and download/install all the files before proceeding.

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Now, onto the steps. :)

Before beginning the process, make sure you have the following installed on your phone and Windows laptop:

1. Samsung USB driver (PC) (So your Windows PC can detect your Note 3 when you plug it in.)

2. Odin v3.09 (PC) (You'll be using this to flash the NAB bootloader. I modified the .ini file for flashing the bootloader correctly. Clicking on the link will lead you to download Odin v3.09 from my Dropbox account.)

3. Mobile Odin Pro v4.0 (phone) (You'll be using this to flash the NAB tar file to update to Android 4.4.2.)

**Please DO NOT use Mobile Odin Lite. It won't work. If you already have Mobile Odin Lite installed, uninstall it & reboot your phone. Then download & install Mobile Odin Pro.

4. The NAB tar file, transferred over to the root directory of your phone (phone) (Thanks to @freeza for getting this for us~!)

5. The NAB engineering bootloader (PC) or stock NAB bootloader (PC). (Again, thanks to @freeza ~!!)

6. Kingo Android Root (I used v1.1.8.1835 to Root MJ4 4.3) (PC) (You can use this, without triggering Knox 0x1, to Root your stock MJ4 4.3.)

7. Stock NAB 4.4.2 CSC.tar file. (PC) You'll need to flash this with desktop Odin in order for your phone to have the correct CSC information as well as important System apps. If you don't flash this, you'll lose the ability to choose GSM/UMTS in the Mobile Network setting and you'll have S-Pen-related app crashes. :P

8. Odin v3.04 (for flashing the above CSC.tar file) (PC).

** Optional: If you don't like seeing multiple lines of code every time you reboot your phone (b/c of the engineering bootloader that has been flashed), you can flash the stock NAB bootloader prepared by rwilco12 for us.

His One-Click stock NAB bootloader can be downloaded here.

If you want the stock NAB bootloader in tar format, you can download it from my Dropbox here.

Before I began the process, my Note 3 was as follows:

Stock MJ4 Rooted (achieved with Kingo Android Root)

Stock MJ4 kernel

MJ4 baseband

MJ4 bootloader

Knox Warranty Bit = 0x0

[1] Backup anything that's important to you first just in case (e.g., app data, pictures, videos, SMS, call log). I like to backup using Helium, MyBackup Pro, Titanium Backup, & SMS Backup & Restore.

[2] Open up Mobile Odin Pro v4.0 and click on "Open file...". Select the NAB tar file. Make sure the following options are checked:

-"Enable EverRoot"

-"Inject Superuser (SuperSU)"

-"Inject Mobile Odin"

[3] Click on "After flash..." and choose "Download Mode."

[4] Finally, click on "Flash firmware." The phone will reboot automatically and MOP will begin flashing the NAB tar. You'll see a screen like this:

(Modile Odin Pro v4.0 flashing the NAB tar)

[5] Once MOP has finished flashing the NAB tar, it'll boot you directly into Download mode.

(Knox Warranty Bit is still 0x0)

[6] Now, open Desktop Odin v3.09 (download from link above). Click on the "BL" button and select the NAB bootloader you downloaded earlier.

-Be sure the following options are unchecked: "Auto Reboot" and "F. Reset Time."

-Also, the "Phone Bootloader Update" box should be checked.

Now, click on the "Start" button. Wait until it reports "Pass."

[7] Hold down the Power button until the phone reboots. Right when the phone vibrates and begins to restart, press and hold down "VOL UP + HOME + POWER" until the phone enters into this screen:

(The screen looks like this b/c the NAB bootloader is the engineering bootloader version. Note that the Knox Warranty Bit is still 0x0.)

[8] Press the Power button until the phone reboots. Right when the phone vibrates & begins to restart, press and hold down "VOL DOWN + HOME + POWER" until you get to this screen:

[9] Press "Volume down" to cancel and restart the phone.

[10] The phone will reboot and start up normally. Your Note 3 may stay at the yellow Sprint screen for longer than you're used to. Be patient. :)

Next comes the normal Samsung boot animation.

Then the "Android is upgrading..." pop-up will appear and your apps will be optimized.

Let the phone settle for about 5 to 10 minutes. Upon settling down, reboot your phone once.

[11] Now that your phone has settled down, shut it off completely. Then boot into Download Mode (VOL DOWN + POWER + HOME).

[12] Open desktop Odin v3.04 by right-clicking it & choosing "Run as administrator."

[13] Click on the PDA button and select the csc.tar file. Click Start and let the flash finish and auto-reboot your phone.

And now, everything's finished~! :D
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Some people have experienced unstableness in the NAB 4.4.2 environment after the flash. It could be because of some apps that were installed in the MJ4 4.3 environment that's causing the problem. If that's your case, I recommend booting into stock recovery and performing a factory reset/data wipe. You'll have to reinstall your apps again but at least you'll have a clean start.

**Warning: If you decide to flash the NAB tar file with Desktop Odin instead, you'll lose Root.

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Through this method, I was able to go from Stock Rooted 4.3 to Stock Rooted 4.4.2 while keeping my Knox Warranty bit at 0x0.

You can check on your Knox Warranty Bit status by restarting the phone and going into Download Mode.

Full setting available under Mobile Network

Writing a text message with the S-Pen

Screen write

How to Update from Stock, Rooted NAB 4.4.2 to Stock, Rooted NC5 4.4.2 (Knox stays 0x0)

Files Needed

1. NC5 tar file. You can download the tar file from here:

http://samsung-updates.com/device/?id=SM-N900P

I placed the NC5 tar into my Internal Storage of the phone (not microSD).

2. NC5 CSC file ( <-- Download from my Dropbox)

3. Odin v3.04

4. NC5 modem file ( <-- Download from my Dropbox) (Credit goes to freeza)

5. NC5 stock Bootloader (optional) ( <-- Download from my Dropbox) (Flash with my modified Odin v3.09 & use the BL button).

Flashing Instructions

1. Make sure your copy of Mobile Odin Pro is at version 4.10.

2. Open MOP v4.10 and select the NC5 tar file. You don't need to set up the phone to boot into Download Mode after the flash. Click on "Open file...". Select the NC5 tar file. Make sure the following options are checked:

-"Enable EverRoot"

-"Inject Superuser (SuperSU)"

-"Inject Mobile Odin"

3. After the flash has completed and phone has rebooted, check Settings. Everything should be NC5 except for the baseband.

4. Shut off the phone completely. Then enter into Download Mode by holding down POWER + VOL DOWN + HOME.

5. Flash the NC5 baseband/modem using Odin v3.04 and using the PDA button. Let the phone reboot.

6. Check Settings. Everything should be NC5 now.

7. Reboot the phone into Download Mode again. Using Odin v3.04 and the PDA button, flash the NC5 CSC file.

8. You're done~!! :D
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9. (Optional step) Steps 1 through 7 will update your phone to NC5, except for the bootloader. The bootloader will remain NAB. Even with the NAB bootloader, the phone will work just fine after updating to NC5 for everything else.

However, if you would like to have the bootloader version to be NC5 as well, then flash the stock NC5 bootloader via Odin v3.09. Be sure to power down the phone completely and reboot into Download Mode from a cold state in order for the bootloader flash to stick.

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