[Verizon Samsung Galaxy S 4] Surge1223:
Upgrade to VRUFNC5 and keep root from NC2/MK2

I'm not responsible for anything negative that may come from using this method, and it should be treated as a WIP

Directions

1. Download Upgrade_I545VRUFNC5_fromNC2_with_Root.zip,, and Odin3-v3.09.zip

2. Download I545VRUFNC5-Stock-Root-Deodex.zip or I545VRUFNC5-Stock-Root-Odex.zip and put it on your external sdcard make sure you have the AT&T Safestrap 3.72 for KK installed (get it here) also download the SuperSu zip from here and put in on your External SD Card as well just in case.

3. Reboot into Safestrap and delete all rom slots (except stock) and wipe data, cache, system, and dalvik-cache via SS's wipe menu

4. Install I545VRUFNC5-Stock-Root-Deodex.zip or I545VRUFNC5-Stock-Root-Odex.zip on the stock slot and install the SuperSu zip after (optional-just incase) Once the install completes don't reboot, use SS's reboot menu and reboot into Download mode

5. Extract the contents of Upgrade_I545VRUFNC5_fromNC2_with_Root.zip into a folder of your choice then launch Odin 3.09

6. In "AP" input AP_VZW_I545VRUFNC5_I545VZWFNC5_1151670_REV06_user_low_ship_MULTI_CERT.tar.md5 and in "CP" input CP_VZW_I545VRUFNC5_I545VZWFNC5_1151670_REV06_user_low_ship_MULTI_CERT.tar.md5 then click start. Let it reboot and you should be done! ---

-Additional notes:

*If it still doesnt boot up then try flashing the CSC_VZW_I545VRUFNC5_I545VZWFNC5_1151670_REV06_user_low_ship_MULTI_CERT.tar.md5 in Odin under the "CSC" slot, I incuded this file in the zip just incase.

I545VRUFNC5-Stock-Root-Deodex.zip

MD5: c9ac7a4e62679693f43ac0c150761269

Features:

-rooted

-busybox

-deodex

-init.d

-setup wizard now completes, no force closes at boot, fixed majority of reported issues

-Knox is present (SuperSu apk will ask you to disable it when launched)

-write to external sd is enabled

-tethering is enabled

-no apks have been deleted

-no aroma installer

-extended reboot menu added

- NC5-patch1.zip- This patch will add toggles, remove the init.d toggle script so that you can save your own customized order of toggles and will fix the lock screen security types issue.

I545VRUFNC5-Stock-Root-Odex.zip

MD5: 6a4013e4e15acfc9b45e16ad7aac6ddf

Features:

-rooted

-busybox

-odex

-Knox is present (SuperSu apk will ask you to disable it when launched)

-write to external sd is NOT enabled

-tethering is NOT enabled

-no alterations have been made aside from root and busybox being added

-no aroma installer

-NC5-patch1.zip- This patch will add toggles, remove the init.d toggle script so that you can save your own customized order of toggles and will fix the lock screen security types issue.

-zip to add tethering here

-zip to add write to external sd fix here

Video of the process for MK2 to NC2 (note you don't have to flash the BL tar) video was made courtesy of @Tomsgt

VIDEO

Video - Verizon Galaxy S4**KitKat (NC5) Upgrade**With Root&Tethering

thanks to [MENTION=5456847]Scottchy014[/MENTION]

How to Downgrade back to 4.2 MK2

I want to address somethings...im uploaded a new version of this zip Downgrade_I545VRUEMK2_I545VZWEMK2_1937946_REV06_us er_low_ship_MULTI_CERT.zip

that should get rid of the inital fail error and hopefully prevent some from getting the status 7 error

If your phone says and/or gives the "Kies emergency firmware" message, that doesn't mean you've bricked, it just means a flash didnt succeed all the the way through. Most of the time this is at the cache step. You might also get the "failed to mount /preload error". None of this means you're bricked. most of the time you can

recover by following these steps in this order:

1. Flash I545VRUEMK2_Downgrade.tar.md5 --> Should no longer fail at cache; I accidentally included it in the first tar I uploaded but when i noticed the error I didn't think to much of it because i knew that step 3 would take care of it. Anyways no longer an issue.

2. Then reboot into download mode immediately after step one and flash flash I545VRUEMK2_System.tar.md5 --> should have no errors here, if you do try again. At this point, the phone should boot back into MK2, if it doesn't, then proceed to reboot into normal recovery and wipe data/factory reset. Next boot into download mode and go on to step 3.

3. Finally flash the I545VRUEMK2_cache.tar.md5 --> as long as you didn't deviate from the steps that I just listed then this should pass in Odin. The device should not give the /preload error after this step. If you do get an error then factory data reset in recovery then flash the zip from step 1 followed by the zip from this step (step 3) again , that is flash the cache tar.md5 again.

4. I was going to type something about Wifi...but this issue drives me crazy...(...

its not a issue

, learn adb) You need to use bypasslkm. Flash the NC2 hlos for sound to work and use bypasslkm for wifi

su
cd /data/local/tmp
chmod 755 bypasslkm
./bypasslkm
cd /system/lib/modules
rmmod dhd.ko
insmod dhd.ko

Credits:

@Hashcode

@bajasur

@BeansTown106

@jeboo

@ted77usa

@muniz_ri

@rebel1699

@Maribou

@sextape

@Chainfire

@ryanbg

@jrkruse

@sbreen94

Changelog:

05/13/2014 - added odex stock root rom