[Verizon Galaxy Note 4 General] tripLr:
A Noobs guide to Galaxy Note 4 Verizon Motherboard Hardware repair and replacement

and Other Samsung Galaxy Note 4 repair ( Att, Tmobile etc ) starting in thread 2 ( user input welcome )
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My Overheat Heat and flash problem issues leading to

OEM Motherboard replacement and acquiring ROOT again
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OP Note : read the whole guide or for that matter any OP
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Thanks to many XDA-Developers forums, if you are not quoted or mentioned here I will add you !!

Device : Samsung Galaxy Note 4 Verizon SM-910V this OP ONLY !!!

[COLOR=Red][B]Your warranty is now void.[/B][/COLOR]
*most likely you don't have a warranty because you broke it, ROM'd it, its old and past warranty anyway !**
So, There is no warranty anyway, not even if you did anything in this thread to it

We are not responsible for bricked devices, dead SD cards,
thermonuclear war, or your getting fired because the alarm app failed. Please
do some research if you have any concerns about features included in this guide
before flashing it! (thanks @hsbadr)

YOU are choosing to make these modifications, and if
you point the finger at anyone for messing up your device, we will laugh at you

Symptoms : ROMs not flashing/installing , crashing, High heat, low battery life on new battery hardware note working specifically fingerprint.

Problems : digging through many forums 2 years later to root and unlock the bootloader, it took DAYS

Solution: keep track of my progress and make a useful step by step NOOB guide for Everything !

Section 1: Repairs

Then the rest of the sections are for Rooting, Installing TWRP custom recovery, fixing bootloader , and installing ROMS

Section 2: Flashing via ODIN and the correct rootable OEM rom 5.1.1 on a windows PC

section 2a: Flashing via Heimdall on a Linux device --need comments

Section 3: Achieve temporary root to install bootloader fix

Section 4: Use of ADB to (windows and linux ) to copy over bootloader fix

Section 5: install TWRP custom recovery and your first rom

Section 1: Repairs

If you have to replace the motherboard, and you have any other futzy component, might as well order it at this point, your going through pretty much the same process. I am only doing the motherboard, but the cameras and USB board are right there as well on this repair

I have been running a rooted Verizon Galaxy note 4 since Cynogenmod crashed and switched to Lineageos 14 and then 15.

Here is the forum

https://xdaforums.com/note-4/snapdragon-dev/oreo-8-1-0-unofficial-lineage-15-1-rom-t3760969​

After several suggestions and searches, many users hinted I may be getting a Bad internal memory,

which refuses to write anymore.

So I had to go to Walmart and buy a LG Straight talk phone to use as my daily driver,

Then I ordered a new motherboard from China, 29.00 on Aliexpress.

See OP thread #2 below!! It was not fun searching for it, but I saved $20 to $40 from buying on ebay

What I bought may not be available from this seller, but here is the link. Use a desktop browser, it will show "suggested" other devices...

[URL]https://www.aliexpress.com/item/with-Android-System-Original-unlocked-for-Samsung-Galaxy-Note-4-N910V-Motherboard-Good-Working-Free-Shipping/32802513232.html?spm=a2g0s.9042311.0.0.66e04c4dpohrQm[/URL]

When I received it , it was time to look for a repair procedure on YouTube.

Hardware needed: thin shim and 00 size phillips, AND a blank cheap SD card you don't mind losing. It may be unusable after we are done

Cell Phone repair tool kit really helps save your fingernails !

Complete note 4 teardown video:

[youtube]ZND9Q73wjr8[/youtube]

Just the Motherboard video

[youtube]5KpT755hNpM[/youtube]

In the second video, you can see the phone booting up as a test to see if you have all the connections correct.

Because it came from china, its a good idea to setup your user and

download the app CPUz before you put all the screws back in,

and check to see if you have a real or fake chipset.

Yaayyyy mine was real . Thanks Aliexpress.

Button it up and do a factory reset (it booted up set up as a no user) so I wanted a fresh install oem with my user.

Section 2: Installing the Correct rootable OEM rom so we can install Anything else.

FIRST check to see if you have the emmc brickbug or you will BRICK it !!

1. Google play store install eMMC Brickbug

If your long number starts with 15xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, YOU are Golden ! if not STOP, get another board ! or you are going to waste time , and get another board !

The Galaxy Note 4 Verizon had a special custom locked bootloader installed after the 4.4.4 release to 5.0.1 and made it very difficult to get

root access to your device.

I saw the notice

DON'T UPDATE YOUR BOOTLOADER TO ANYTHING AFTER THE LATEST BUILD AS OF 4/19/16

warning about a week to late. So I finished out my 2 year contract and watched the forums.

Seriously noobs, don't update your new motherboard ...

The rom pre-installed on my replacement motherboard was already setup booted to a running 5.0.1 oem rom, I could not root it.. with any method I remember downgrading my 6.x.x to 5.1.1 in one of the many forums listed here at XDA

This one was the one I used back then, and It turned out that is where I started..

Only a Verizon Samsung Galaxy note 4 Developer Edition has the ability to install custom roms, and most likely the motherboard you bought or have is NOT a developer edition

IF you have a eMMC that starts with 15 we can reprogram it a developer edition

Thanks to @hsbadr

Here are most of the downloads we need:

[URL]https://xdaforums.com/devdb/project/?id=15720#downloads[/URL]

2. Download Odin, Download TWRP, and Samsung_unlock_n4-fix

3. On your windows PC, create a folder c:/Odin and extract the Odin zip file there, and copy the TWRP image there

4. Download the following OEM root able ROM to your c:/Odin folder

[URL]https://xdaforums.com/devdb/project/dl/?id=18880[/URL]

5. Plug your phone into a USB port on your Windows PC

6. Install the necessary drivers if they don't automatically install from Samsung

[URL]https://developer.samsung.com/galaxy/others/android-usb-driver-for-windows[/URL]

7. Set up your phone for flashing ROM and communicating

Settings - Security - Unknown sources- : check allow

settings - system -about phone - build number : click several times until you activate developer options

settings - system -about phone - developer options : Android Debugging : enable android debug bridge

settings - security - reactivation lock : Turn OFF or you will brick your device ( may vary where this is at . Important to turn off )

Power Off phone

Enter Download Mode - press and hold in this order <down arrow> <home> <power> until screen comes on. release buttons.

press up arrow to enter download mode

8. Open windows explorer and go to your c:/Odin folder. You should have an odin exe file, and the twrp file, and the large rom file.

a. right click odin exe and open as administrator

b. check to see if your connected to your phone. you should see a blue box in upper left with a com under it.

If you unplug your phone, you should hear the disconnect notice and the com and blue bar will go off, and when you connect, the com and blue bar and reconnect noise should appear.

9. click the AP button box, select the ROM file that you downloaded above.

NOTE : this ROM will disable WIFI so you wont be able to use the play store unless you have cellular connection.

you will have to transfer other files via usb cable !

Click start, do not unplug! until it stops.

10. Device will reboot. Remove cable, and battery before boot completes

11. Enter recovery mode . Press in order ,<volume up><home><power>

wait for the little android dude to do his thing, then there will be a menu. select factory reset, and reset and let it reboot

Set up minimal user or as a new phone with no user and check the settings in step 7

Set up your phone for flashing roms and communicating

Settings - Security - Unknown sources- : check allow

settings - system -about phone - build number : click several times until you activate developer options

settings - system -about phone - developer options : Android Debugging : enable android debug bridge

settings - security - reactivation lock : Turn OFF or you will brick your device ( may vary where this is at . Important to turn off )

Yayy, you now have a rootable device

Section 3 Achieve temporary root to install bootloader fix

In my try to obtain temporary root, I tried every method in all the forums ( go ahead and look and try )

The only 2 programs that reported to work is Kingroot, and Kingoroot. These are APK's that are NOT in the play store

you will have to download them and install them as unknown sources. I was only able to install kingroot . Kingoroot apk would not install

in both my 5.0.1 original on my motherboard, as well as what we just installed 5.1.1 I was unsucessful at obtaining root with these programs

Then I remembered Kingoroot has a windows version that installs on the PC <dangerous dont install yet>

On your PC you will need AVG antivirus to catch the malware ( other antivirus may work but this is what I had ) my PC is windows 7 ultimate

Advanced Users only :Recommend running a virtual machine with windows so as to keep your PC completely malware free. just delete the VM after this process !

This section you will need on your Note 4 from the Play Store : root checker

You will need a throw away SD card

You will need read through section 4 and 5 and get all files and programs there ready to install use and or transfer

0.5 update your AVG

1. With AVG installed on my PC, and my phone connected as a mtp with usb I downloaded and installed Kingoroot for windows.

https://www.kingoapp.com/

NOTE after not being able to install forum recommended kingoroot apk's i dint want wast time install the newest kingoroot apk from the website. Maybe it will work for you. If you do get kingoroot apk to work on your Note 4 let me know.

2. In the install process for kingoroot windows version AVG will quarantine a file.

there will be a couple popups .. close them

when its installed it will open and start talking to your phone.

3. press the root button.

It will take 30 sec to a minute to install some files on your phone and achieve root, there will be a new floating toolbar on the phone. root will disappear after a reboot, but not the resident programs this root is pretty stable, but i was not able to install SuperSUME (paid version ) as recommended in a XDA guide to obtain permanent root for this 5.1.1 rom. If your successful with super SUme with this let me know.

4. Open root checker to verify ! yayy.

5. Cleanup instructions when finished with this guide below

Section 4: Use of ADB to (windows and Linux ) to copy over bootloader fix

1. Your Note4 phone should be running with root, make sure phone is connected

Explanation : ADB is a Google provided tool for the android platform. It communicates with your phones operating system , transfers files , and actuates programs remotely in the background. totally necessary for development of ROM's, TWRP, and programs for every android device

You may or may not know that your android device is running a Linux kernel, with some Linux programs, with custom folders and custom files and settings, and the touch screen is the GUI graphical user interface touch input.

ADB is a command line user interface, when you turned this on in Developer settings, the kernel is listening constantly on the USB com port and some times on the WiFi com port for commands. if you don't need it turn it off, it could be a security hole, but we need it on.

It works great on windows, mac, or Linux varieties

2. Install on your computer

[URL]https://developer.android.com/studio/releases/platform-tools[/URL]

If you have linux, your distribution may have a package you can install from your distribution. Then it will be in your path as a command

3. Windows users , extract or install into c:/ADB and add that to your PATH variable if you want to use it all the time as a command

4. Open a command prompt window (search command or cmd , right click open as administrator)

5. If you have ADB folder in your path or are running Linux change directories to the folder where you downloaded the Samsung n4 fix file

6. You should still have root

type

adb devices

The ADB daemon ( little server program ) will start and return some information.

your phone will have a popup screen and should ask for permission, click allow

again type

adb devices

7. You should see something like this

List of devices attached
123a12ab device

The 123a12ab is made up. Yours will be specific to your device.

If you see something listed like the above adb is working. Now on to the next command to move the Samsung_unlock_n4-fix to the phone.

type dir ( or ls -al for Linux users ) to verify Samsung_unlock_n4-fix is in your directory

8. Send Unlocker to Phone with adb

Type or copy and paste the following command:

adb push samsung_unlock_n4-fix /data/local/tmp/

You should see successful output .

If you don't, check your PATH, check if your in the right folder, or make sure samsung_unlock_n4-fix is in your adb folder

9. Activate the unlocker. This requires root and a reboot. After the reboot you have to go and reactivate root in Section 3.3 above

type the following

adb shell

Congratulations you are now looking at the linux command line interface on your phone . the $ prompt means you are in the shell

10. activate superuser mode ( kind of like administrator in windows but more powerful )

type

su

then press enter key

YOU SHOUD NOW SEE a # prompt

This means you succeed in root. If you dont see a # you missed a step above somewhere , or your root was unstable and took too long to get to this point,that is why I said read thru this section and get ready..

Ok at this point we have the file we needed transfered, we have root, now we need to upgrade the permissions on the file so #root level of the operating system can use it !

The next command does all that then executes the command to upgrade your phone to developer edition !

Copy and paste the following command series and press enter.the && joins each command

cd /data/local/tmp/ && chmod 777 samsung_unlock_n4-fix && chown root.root samsung_unlock_n4-fix && ./samsung_unlock_n4-fix

The device will reboot and flash the developer code.

You should see some sort of progress in the window.

When done ,unplug the cable and pull the battery to shut down phone.

11. Make sure you have a cheap throwaway SD card installed !

One More Time to unlock the boot loader !! section 3 and 4 short version

Put the battery and cable back in and turn the phone back on and make sure its plugged in your PC.

Now repeat the kingoroot PC to gain temp root

open a command prompt or shell

type or copy paste the following to verify its connected

adb devices

transfer the fix

adb push samsung_unlock_n4-fix /data/local/tmp/ && a

open the shell on your phone

adb shell

gain super user rights

su

unlock the boot loader

same command series

cd /data/local/tmp/ && chmod 777 samsung_unlock_n4-fix && chown root.root samsung_unlock_n4-fix && ./samsung_unlock_n4-fix

You will see your phone do a series of outputs then reboot. when it reboots, disconnect the cable.

If this step is sucessful your phone will keep rebooting. This is NORMAL . after the first or second reboot, pull the battery and pull the sd card, and set the sdcard aside. It will need to be thrown out or repartititioned to be usable. or you can keep it as a memento on your charm bracelet.

Your bootloader is NOW UNLOCKED . keep phone off until you read the next section

Section 5a: install TWRP custom recovery

Currently right now you have 5.1.1 installed with some Chinese malware on your phone and PC,

A custom developer edition and an unlocked boot loader. Lets fix them all.

Turn on phone download mode . <down volume><home><power> then volume up to enter download mode

Open Odin again ( see above )

Connect phone ( look for com and blue bar )

Select AP button, and browse to TWRP file

Press start. when finished phone will restart.

Don't let it boot all the way back up! , pull battery, and install good SD card, and if you read this section you downloaded what you needed for a new ROM onto your sdcard

Turn off the automatic rebooting in the custom tab, DO NOT select the PIT tab

Press start

Once it finishes it will say Success or FAILED

IF it says FAILED start the whole process over! you didn't unlock the bootloader !

If success, Power off the phone with the pull battery method and disconnect your cable

Press and hold these buttons immediately to enter TWRP ,

<volume up> <home> <power>.

Swipe to allow changes in TWRP.

Select backup , change to SD card, You can also plug in a memory device into the USB port. If it sees it you will be able to use that for backup space

BACKUP everything . You now have a custom recovery installed, a unlocked bootloader, and a rootable ROM Backed UP !

If you feel you want to do this all over again if you flash the OEM Samsung ROM via Odin by accident like I did, ha ha skip the next steps

Select the backup button, select all the partitions, select the source, where you want to store it.

Name the backup rooted-backup-everything-5.1.1

Select start and go make some coffee or a sandwich. its about 4 gigabytes compression, so it may take about 5 to 10 minutes

Clean up -

uninstall windows kingoroot PC and do a virus check

check for hidden folders and registry entries

Section 5b. Install your first ROM

Cleanup : After your backup WIPE your phone twice

THIS IS TO guarantee, no Kingoroot or kingroot stuff is in the phone !!!

WIPE IT TWICE !!!

Some guides (listed below ) say to adb sideload over a root file , then install an older rom. I haven tried this. Let me know if you did and are successful.

Whatever ROM you use, please post a success story in the reply's. I am interested in how you all do.

I have tried every note 4 ROM and this is the most succesful for me and most stable

I have been using this ROM for a while, and the lineageos 14 version too

[URL]https://xdaforums.com/note-4/snapdragon-dev/oreo-8-1-0-unofficial-lineage-15-1-rom-t3760969[/URL]

In most all ROMS, you can update the bootloader (TWRP) by TWRP app if rooted

you can update the modem ( a partition that contains original Samsung code to run the cell and wireless ) via ODIN

Roms and patches and other goodies can be installed via TWRP by downloading to your device or transfering them to your sd card

Oem ROMS must be installed via ODIN, and will WIPE all you just accomplished. so unless your selling your device, or giving it to grandma DONT.

If you copied the rom ( usually a zip file ) and the necessary files, and have upgraded your bootloader and modem to the newest,

Now install your ROM, and after your initial setup, come back to TWRP and do a full backup !

every time you try a new rom, and get it set up, do a backup. that way you can switch and test to your hearts desire till you run out of SD memory.

The cool thing is you can backup to an external memory device ! more room !

Follow the directions in the OP of your ROM to install. Enjoy

All the above info was gleaned from the following pages

Thanks to @beaups for discovering exploit !!!

Thanks to @hsbadr [HOWTO] Bootloader Unlock and Upgrade to Marshmallow [N910VVRU2CQL1]

[URL]https://xdaforums.com/note-4-verizon/development/howto-bootloader-unlock-upgrade-to-t3398144[/URL]

and his files

[URL]https://xdaforums.com/devdb/project/?id=15720#downloads[/URL]

Thanks to @ryanbg [Official] Note 4 Verizon Bootloader Unlock

[URL]https://xdaforums.com/note-4-verizon/general/note-4-verizon-bootloader-unlock-t3358913[/URL]

and @urgodfather

[URL]https://xdaforums.com/showpost.php?p=66381707&postcount=342[/URL]

Thanks to @chriskader [HOWTO] Converting your Retail Note 4 to a Developer Edition Note 4

and @Mickey387 for discovering how to compile the note 4 32bit hardware drivers into Oreo !!

and @_mone @ripee

for maintaining and working hard on

[ROM][UNOFFICIAL][8.1.0] LineageOS 15.1 [trlte][trlteduos]

[URL]https://xdaforums.com/note-4/snapdragon-dev/oreo-8-1-0-unofficial-lineage-15-1-rom-t3760969[/URL]

Information Sources: felixtaf, ryanbg, kingroot, twrp, emotion, ibowtoandroid, shimp208, & urgodfather

some of this was also posted on reddit. https://www.reddit.com/r/galaxynote4/comments/4f8cgc/guide_a_noobs_guide_to_permanent_rootunlocked