[Samsung Galaxy Note 9 (Snapdragon) ROMs, Kernels, ] &oot4peace:
Solved: "SW REV CHECK FAIL : [abl]Fused 5 > Binary 3" Error when trying Extreme Syndicate Root on N960U1

If this will still be helpful to anyone out there, here it is:

The steps below worked for me so I have no doubt that if follwowed correctly it will work. Otherwise I am not responsible for bricked devices or anyone's actions.

I still enjoy the ability to almost fully own my N960U1 with root even if it means Oreo in 2020 Lol.

First off, thanks to @elliwigy, as my contribution here depends largely on his steps in the famous;

N960U1 Extreme Syndicate

https://xdaforums.com/t/root-n960u-u1-w-extreme-syndicate.4043723/

His steps will be referred to, frequently so have them close by.

>>The problem from my end:

My Note9 N960U1 came with Android 10 with a version 5 bootloader, so that when I tried to flash the combo firmware given in step 2 of N960U1 Extreme Syndicate, I ran into flash fails as below:

On the phone:

SW REV CHECK FAIL : [abl]Fused 5 > Binary 3

And in Odin:

NAND Write Start!!

SingleDownload.

abl.elf

FAIL! (Auth)

Complete(Write) operation failed.

>> Solution

i. Download N960U1 Combination firmware U5 (N960USQU5ATH1) After hours of online search, (almost gave up) I found it here: https://drive.google.com/uc?id=1prgY6214zwPeUYjQP_jBNPxNdfpy0NRP&export=download You can also search the internet for: COMBINATION_FAC_FA81_N960USQU5ATH1_FACFAC_CL14150383_QB33398976_REV00_user_mid_noship_MULTI_CERT.tar.md5

ii. Unzip the N960USQU5ATH1 .rar file to extract the N960USQU5ATH1 .tar.md5 image. You will need to flash this instead of N960U1 Extreme Syndicate combo firmware.

iii. Now perform step 2 of N960U1 Extreme Syndicate but replacing the combo firmware with the N960USQU5ATH1 .tar.md5 in ii above

iv. Perform step 3 of N960U1 Extreme Syndicate as it is.

v. --Unzip the N960USQU5ATH1 .tar.md5 file you in ii above into a folder, and copy both boot.img and recovery.img to a folder named e.g "U5bootswap", then swap their names so that recovery is named as boot and boot is named as recovery, then select both files and use e.g 7-Zip to compress them to "U5bootswap.tar" You will need this U5bootswap.tar in place of the bootswap.tar.md5 file in step 4 of N960U1 Extreme Syndicate

vi. Now perform step 4 of N960U1 Extreme Syndicate but replacing the bootswap.tar.md5 with the U5bootsap.tar in v above

vii. Continue on with the rest of the steps in the N960U1 Extreme Syndicate from step 5.

>> Some additions which may have already been suggested by other contributors:

- With the boot swapped, if you miss and boot into recovery, select reboot to system, then when screen turns black, hold power + volume up + bixby button, keep holding until you see "samsung" only at the center of the screen and release and should boot to system.

- In step 7 of the N960U1 Extreme Syndicate, while selecting odm.zip, remember to select Mount/system read\write in Flashfire. I missed that the first time and my N9 was stuck on Samsung logo for hours.

- Once done and able to boot into Extreme Syndicate Oreo with root, First thing you want to do is: Disable Always On Display and then freeze Device Maintenance (I uninstalled it using system app remover). If you dont you may experience abnoxious freezing and kernel panics

>> Things that still dont work (meh not a big deal to me but would be awesome if some are figured out):

- No Fingerprint

- No USB to computer MTP

- Battery wont charge past at 80%

- You have to use recovery combo buttons to reboot to system.

- No wireless Dex and no Windows PC Dex

>> Why I like Extreme Syndicate Root on my N960U1 regardless of the above issues. The following work

- Xposed faremework (Possibility of more mods)

- Viper4Android

- NextRadio FM Radio

- Titanium Backup

- Samsung Dex with HDMI cable to monitor.

- Taskbar and Secondscreen apps allow me to open more than one window of the same app, and most apps are resizable.

- Abiliity to debloat

- Among many other mods

Thanks!