[Sprint Samsung Galaxy Note 3] jimzweb1:
OK, first what version of KIKAT are you on ? If you are on 4.4.4 NH7 the latest upgrade then you can root with Chainfires CF-autoroot or his SuperSu v 1.94 or v2.02 this will trip KNOX warranty. Towel Root will not work yet for NH7. 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 v2.02 this will trip KNOX warranty on NC5.

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/ 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. When Samsung paid millions to the NSA to design a security system to track and spy on others than they care !!!

Ok lets install a recovery !!!

1. you need Odin on the desktop of your PC here is the link http://www.downloadodin.info/download-odin-1-85

2. you need to install Samsung drivers on your PC you can get them from the link in #1

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 1, 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/396/SuperSU/ to version v1.94. 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 Root Explorer (what I use)

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+.

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 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.