[Verizon Galaxy Note 4 General] radionerd:
GUIDE how to backup Verizon Developer Device aboot Partition​

All Samsung Developer Devices are identical to retail devices with exception of one partition "aboot". What is all this fuss aboot? This partition holds the magic that unlocked your bootloader. It has a signed SHA256 key that a thousand Monkeys could not crack. If this partition is overwritten or corrupt the DE phone could brick, and bootloader will lock. Welcome to retail. This partition is device ID specific and coded to the device with super encryption. If this partition is backed up prior to corruption, it could be possible to restore a locked developer device. Some discussion of DE's aboot here and here

As of this writing several DE owners were smart enough to backup aboot, several were able to restore their unlocked bootloader. They were able to restore with the help of several XDA devleopers that were able to take the pre-saved aboot, and make it into an Odin flashable tar. It was reported that EFS Professional could create an Odin flashable aboot.tar.gz, that doesn't need any prior modifications. This info was incorrect, all backups of aboot will require modification prior to flashing. If you accidentally "Retail" your DE, post to this thread, and myself or one of the other devs will fix your backup. There is risk involved with restore, so please don't perposly flash your device to retail.

(No you can't flash aboot on your retail phone)

There are several ways to backup this unique partition, these procedures are not real difficult, but care should be taken. One method is by using ADB. Big learning curve, but rewarding. install Google SDK and use ABD [ADB Guides] Setup and run ADB, and backup the partition using dd command. This is a computer to Android terminal interface via USB. If you have used Linux scripts, this should easy peasy once ADB is functional. Copy and paste a script to copy aboot to SD, and the rest of the partitions using the ADB Method below.

You could even copy aboot to your phone's SD using your recovery file editor, or use ADB pull (permissions, mount, could make this tough though).

There is a cool program built by XDA contributor [MENTION=1834730]lyriquidperfection[/MENTION], it's called EFS Professional It is a very powerful tool, it runs on windows computers, and uses a GUI, no scripts, just point and, click, click, click :) Easy Method.

Both interfaces require ROOT, and use Busybox. SuperSU, and busybox must be installed on your device prior, as well as Samsung drivers (Direct link to VZW Note 4 DE )

I like BusyBox Tools by Stephen (Stericson), or try Busybox On Rails

Disclaimer: If you are careful, study a bit, and follow direction closely there isn't much risk. Please be careful, these tools are capable of bricking your phone if you blindly explore other commands. If you run into problems, Post to this thread, someone will help you. If you go poking around the advanced user commands and mess it up, good luck. Don't hate on me if you do something stupid.

1. ADB Method Here is a quick guide that I made while backing up my note-4 DE. I point out the path to the partitions on Note-4. The VZW note-4 aboot partition is mmcblk0p7 This location and partition number are different in other DE models. This backup will need to be made flash-able if it's ever needed.

2. EFS Professional Easy Method (This guide will work for the other developer devices too. Tested on Note-3 & Galaxy S5 Developer Editions)

Download EFS Professional on windows computer, install EFSProfessional. This program has an imbedded version of ADB built in (don't run any other ADB programs at the same time)

Make sure USB debug is checked under phone's setting "Developer options", tick "USB debugging" (might already be ticked) If "developer options" tab is missing from "Settings", go to "Settings", "About phone", then tap, tap, tap, on "Build number" do it spasticly until it unlocks, aboot 7 times. ha ha Canada :)

(Click on the attached thumbnails to enlarge them to huge)

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Hook the phone to USB & computer prior to running EFSPro. Keep an eye on the phones screen when the program starts, a few popups will probably pop up on the phone, allow your computer's RSA key, tic the always remember, and allow access to your computer. SU will pop up on the screen too, grant access. (If it doesn't connect, check phone's drop down for connection options. Worst case, toggle usb debug off/on while attempting connection in efspro).

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Click on EFS Professional, The only folder you need to use is under the backup tab. Don't mess around under the other tabs, just click on backup.

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Under the Backup Tab select "manage" Then select "Create New". Now you will create a PIT file, the map of your DE's system.

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Type in the File name, display name, and description. I typed "note-4" in all three boxes.

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Click "Read Pit" a popup will nag, just click "OK" and continue, device written, click "OK", Then hit "Save".

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You now have your DE's PIT, the road map to your system partition. Ready to backup aboot? Lets go, press "Manage" then "refresh". Now your new pit should be visible under the "manage" drop down.

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From the drop down find your device (Note-4), and "select" it.

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"Deselect all", then tic aboot only (You don't want to save all in one zip, it's +3GB, and will take forever, and most likely choke on it's self. Later after backing up aboot you can go back, and save the other partitions that aren't backed up by TWRP).

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Click "backup". When it's finished you should now have two copies of aboot zipped up in a nice file (Note-4_xxxxxxxx.tar.gz) in EFSProBackup folder on your internal SD (or External SD), and on your computer both locations should contain a TAR of aboot. You can rename it "MyNote4_aboot.tar.gz". Later you should also manually move this to external SD using Root Explorer or ES File explorer

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Now is the time to donate to [MENTION=1834730]lyriquidperfection[/MENTION] , or a least go back to his OP and hit the thanks button.

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If a stock Tar is accidentally flashed, locking the boot loader, the phone won't be able to run EFS Pro because it requires root, and busybox, and may not boot anyway. If you do somehow lock your boot loader. Post your request for help to this thread, someone will PM you asking for your aboot backup, one of the devs here will make your aboot odin flashable, and send it back ready to go.

*Odin can't flash all the partitions, only the ones that are mapped in your PIT file. Please do a second backup, make a combined zip, select the following: aboot.mbn, NON-HLOS.bin, rpm.mbn, sbl1.mbn, sdi.mbn, tz.mbn. This will up your insurance policy to premium ;)

Now that your are "out of the woods", go back into EFSPro and backup all partition blocks, minus a few huge ones that are already backed up by your recovery. I back up all blocks on a fresh DE image, before installing a bunch of apps (recovery, SuperSU, and Busybox). If you have a bunch of stuffs already installed you might want to skip blocks: 25 Cache, and 27 User Data. They are huge, and redundant if you already backed up everything in TWRP. You do have everything backed up in TWRP, right??? ;)

Eye glazing stuffs: The backups can be un-zipped to a tar, aboot.mbn.tar. Then unzipped again to reveal the unzipped partitions. These can be selectively modified into an Odin flash-able tar.md5. This part should be done by a developer because some hex editing and special software adds an md5 checksum .

Don't be the one that flashes a stock image tar, or allows a repair kiosk to touch your precious. Hopefully the insurance policy you just made won't ever have to be claimed.

Check back for correction, and updates. Please post your results good, or bad to this thread.:o

THANKS!