[Sprint Samsung Galaxy Note 3] jimzweb1:
Samsung Note 3 Rooting & Rom Flashing Basics

First what version of KIKAT are you on ? If you are on 4.4.4 NH7 or NK4 the latest upgrade then you can root with Chainfires CF-autoroot or his SuperSu v1.94, v2.02 or 2.40 this will trip KNOX warranty. Towel Root will not work yet for NH7 or NK4. If you are still on 4.4.2 NC5 then you can use Towel Root to root your device, this will NOT trip KNOX warranty. If you root with Chainfires CF-autoroot or his SuperSu v 1.94 or v2.40 this will trip KNOX warranty on NC5. If you want odin flash a fresh copy of 4.3 NAB, 4.4.2 NC5, or 4.4.4 NH7 here is micmars link http://xdaforums.com/showthread.php?t=2712205 or rpenrod23 [ odin ] (mirrors )http://xdaforums.com/show....php?t=2522638 for NK4 and OC5 you will need to go here http://www.sammobile.com/firmwares/ . Make sure you have USB drivers installed on your PC here is the link http://www.mediafire.com/download/ti6xeoh2lx79zis/Samsung_USB_Driver_for_Mobile_Phones_v1.5.14.0.exe .

How to flash a fresh copy of a stock OS

1. download the version of KitKat you want to the desktop of your PC.

2. extract zip file to the desktop of your PC it will turn it into a .tar file

3. you need to install Samsung drivers on your PC you can get them from here http://www.mediafire.com/download/ti..._v1.5.14.0.exe

4. download odin to your desktop here is the link ( version 1.85 ) https://mega.co.nz/#!oA5xzTAL!LXoVWB...ZlOMSWdRGVX6Uo ( version 3.07 ) http://www.mediafire.com/download/2u.../Odin_v307.zip

5. completely power down device, reboot into download mode (hold power button, home button, and volume down button at the same time, then push the volume up button)

6. open odin on desktop, connect device to PC via USB cable COM: will light up in upper left corner of odin doesn't matter what color it is just shows a connection.

7. click the PDA button a box will open click on desktop then on KitKat file to open

8. now don't touch anything else and click start

9. it will take several minutes, then say pass, and automatically reboot device with new OS/ROM ( this will take 3 to 4 min. after you see Samsung logo )

10. Important !!! If the device was rooted or you are trying to downgrade from NH7 or NK4 back to NC5 the device may bootloop on the startup. ( you will know this when the Samsung logo is still on the screen after 6 to 7 min. )

11. to fix bootloop pull battery then reinstall, boot into download mode and use odin to flash the OS/ROM again it will take the second time and boot up.

Let's root the phone, there is a couple of ways. First if you are running NC5 4.4.2 you can download Towel Root directly to the device here is the link http://towelroot.org/ The second way if you are running any version of KitKat is to use odin to flash the cf-autoroot .tar, just download cf-autoroot here is the link http://autoroot.chainfire.eu/ to your PC desktop and follow the same instructions listed above just use the root file in place of the rom .tar file. Remember to choose the right root file for the version of KitKat you running so you don't trip KNOX !!!

Recoveries, the two popular ones are TWRP and Philz CWM. INSTALLING A RECOVERY WILL TRIP KNOX WARRANTY!!! You need a recovery to flash roms so you need to make choice at this point ? Here is the link to Philz CWM latest version 6.48.4.tar https://goo.im/devs/philz_touch/CWM_Advanced_Edition/hlte/ and TWRP here http://teamw.in/project/twrp2/201 download to desktop or downloads.

I run a stock rooted 4.4.2 NC5 with Philz custom recovery version 6.12.9 hltespr https://goo.im/devs/philz_touch/CWM_Advanced_Edition/hltespr/ . The device was rooted and warranty tripped the second day I owned it. I was in a Sprint corporate Store a couple of wks ago. Showed the tech my rooted note 3. He said I can't touch that, I said what if I unrooted the phone. He said no problem, now I can warranty the phone. He didn't care that the KNOX flag was tripped at all 0x1. Just can't be rooted when you bring it in for service. Sprint doesn't care about KNOX only Samsung cares about KNOX. What is KNOX, KNOX is a program that creates secure encrypted containerization of DATA so it can be sent to another location. So, when Samsung paid millions to the NSA to design the KNOX security containerization system, which apparently they won't warranty will work after the device is rooted, than maybe they care. Can you say track and spy on me !!!

Ok lets install a recovery !!!

1. you need Odin on the desktop of your PC here is the link ( version 1.85 ) https://mega.co.nz/#!oA5xzTAL!LXoVWB...ZlOMSWdRGVX6Uo ( version 3.07 ) http://www.mediafire.com/download/2uxt5u83qxhz6xr/Odin_v307.zip

2. you need to install Samsung drivers on your PC you can get them from the here http://www.mediafire.com/download/ti6xeoh2lx79zis/Samsung_USB_Driver_for_Mobile_Phones_v1.5.14.0.exe

3. completely power down your device, and boot into download mode (press and hold the power button, volume down button, and the home button at the same time) a new screen will popup then push the volume up button to get into download mode.

4. click on the Odin zip file and extract to desktop, right click and run as administrator

5. with your device in download mode connect it to your pc via usb cable, COM: will light up in the upper left hand corner of Odin doesn't matter what color or number just shows a connection has been made.

6. click PDA box in odin, a box will popup click where ever you have recovery file downloaded, once open it will show up in box next to PDA

7. click start wait till you see pass and success , then your custom recovery is installed.

After the recovery is installed, download a copy of SuperSu to your desktop here is the link http://download.chainfire.eu/641/SuperSU/UPDATE-SuperSU-v2.40.zip to version v2.40 and for SuperSU 2.46 go here http://xdaforums.com/showthread.php?t=1538053. Then copy and paste to sd card via USB cable. Now the next thing you are going to do is completely power down the device and boot into recovery. (press and hold the power button, volume up button, and home button at he same time) a menu will come up, click on Install Zip, then sd card to install zip and root device. Boot device and verify it is rooted, then power down, and boot into recovery. Click on backup, MAKE A BACKUP OF YOUR ROOTED ROM !!! Then make a backup of EFS file by its self it will show up in your backup file on the sd card or ext sd card depending on where you choose to put it. Copy and paste the efs file someplace safe.

With the Google Play Store download some type of root file manager like ES File Manager or Root Explorer (what I use). Then you can remove/freeze/delete some of the bloatware on your stock rooted rom. Check out this thread on Bloatware removal http://xdaforums.com/show....php?t=2770729

OK lets flash a rom !!!

First, you CANNOT flash a rom that is based on an older version of rom you are currently running. EX: If you are on KK 4.4.2 NC5 you can flash a rom based on NAB or NC5 but you CANNOT use a rom based on mj4 or older read the OP thread carefully . You can run AOSP roms as long as they are based on 4.4+. If you are running a KK 4.4.4 based rom, you will need to odin flash a stock lollipop 5.1.1 OS. Then root the lollipop 5.1.1 OS, install a lollipop compatible recovery. Now you can flash a lollipop based rom.

1. install the new rom zip you want to flash on your sd card via usb cable from PC or download directly to device

2. power down phone completely and boot into recovery

3. from the menu find and wipe cache, delvik cache, and wipe system to install new rom, NOT FACTORY RESET !!!

4. go back to menu and click on install zip then click on where you have the zip ( i.e. sd card ) and install this will take a minute or two

5. back to main menu and reboot device this will take several minutes on the first boot of a new rom

6. enjoy your new rom !!!

Lets do a restore from a backup recovery file !!!

1. completely power down device and boot into recovery

2. go to main menu and click on wipe system to install new rom ( no need to mess with the caches on a restore )

3. back to the menu click on back up and restore, then click on the backup file location ( i.e. sd card )

4. now click on restore

5. when its completed reboot device this will install your original rooted stock rom you made a backup for

Eventually you will figure out that you can make several backups and they have really weird numbered time stamps to identify them.

If my instructions are hard to follow you can find root and recovery installation videos here http://galaxynote3root.com/ or http://qbking77.com/ both are excellent sites !!!