If you are looking for a detailed and yet easy to comprehend guide to unroot your Verizon Galaxy S3; you are at the right place! This guide will help you unroot your Samsung Galaxy S3 Verizon i535 and revert it back to clean factory settings. This will get you back the warranty too if you are unrooting your Android smartphone for that reason. Let's go ahead with the tutorial now.
To unroot your T-Mobile Galaxy S3 SGH-T999, please check this guide or head over to this post to get details about the highly-used custom ROMs packed with features and tweaks for Galaxy S3 on Android 4.2.2 and 4.2.1!
Check the binary counter:
- Turn the Galaxy S3 SGH-i535 off. Press and hold the Volume Down, Home and Power buttons simultaneously and press the Volume Up then.
- Check the counter, indicating the number of counts.
- If the counter shows Yes (1 Counts) or more, we would need to reset it first to restore the Samsung Galaxy S3. In case of no counts, skip the following process of resetting the binary counter and continue to the steps afterwards.
Reset the flash/binary counter of Samsung Galaxy S3 Verizon SGH-i535:
Required files: get Triangle Away by Chainfire from the Play Store. Install TA and follow this guide to reset the binary counter.
- Triangle Away requires some data to be downloaded so enable WiFi on your Galaxy S3. Now launch the Triangle Away. When the download is complete, click Reset Flash Counter.
- SGS3 i535 will now boot into Reset flash counter warning Menu. Press Volume Out button to start resetting the flash counter.
- Your Galaxy S3 will reboot once reset flash counter is done.
- To confirm the process, recheck the counter in Download mode. SGS3 should now display 0 counts.
Once we have reset the binary counter of Galaxy S3, proceed to re-installing SGS3 stock firmware provided by Samsung for Verizon SGH-i535. Re-installing the stock firmware will wipe the root kernel and unroot your Samsung Galaxy S3 Verizon.
Prerequisites before you unroot Verizon Galaxy S3 and revert back to Stock Firmware:
- Ensure that SGS3 i535 is fully charged.
- This guide will use Odin which does not work on MAC OS, hence use a computer running Windows operating system.
- Make sure to close the KIES and stop it even from running in the system tray. KIES interrupts Odin and will block it from flashing.
- Enable USB debugging in your SGS3 phone: Settings > Applications > Development, and check the Enable USB debugging box.
- Perform backup of all your data while using your custom ROM and then perform the wipe data/dalvik cache operation to get rid of any bootloops.
- Stock ROM packages come in two formats: Full-Wipe (deletes the stored data after flashing) & Non-Wipe (doesn't delete phone’s stored data). It is though highly recommended that you should back up all the important files stored in your SGS3's internal memory before flashing regardless of stock ROM package.
Unroot Samsung Galaxy S3 and revert it back to Stock firmware:
Required files: download SGH-i535_GSIII_USB_Driver and Odin3_v3.07.
Next, choose the Stock Firmware for your Galaxy S3 Verizon: Jelly Bean or Ice Cream Sandwich from these links (4.1.1 Jelly Bean I535VRBLK3, 4.0.4 ICS I535VRALG1, and 4.0.4 ICS I535VRALF2). Extract the downloaded file to get the .tar.md5 file and install the USB drivers. Also, install and run Odin on your computer.
- Switch off the Verizon SGS3 and reboot it into Download mode: press and hold the Volume Down, Home and the Power buttons simultaneously. You'd be prompted with a warning screen, simply press Volume up to get into download mode.
- Connect your smartphone with your PC using the USB cable. When the device is connected, ID:COM box in Odin will turn blue and an “Added!!” message will be displayed on Odin screen.
- Click on the PDA button in Odin and locate the stock folder where the .tar or .tar.md5 had been extracted to. Select and load it. Ensure that RE-PARTITION is unchecked whereas AUTO-REBOOT and F.RESET TIME check-boxes are both checked.
- Double check the settings as shown in the screenshot above and hit the START button to initiate flashing process.
- It will take a good few minutes. When the Stock ROM installation successfully completes, you will see a message saying “PASS” in Odin. Your Galaxy S3 will then automatically reboot. Disconnect the phone from PC now.
Ta da! Your Verizon Galaxy S3 SGH-i535 is now unrooted and back to its official stock firmware. Verify the stock firmware installation: Settings > About Phone > Firmware info.
About the author: Rafia joined Wccftech in 2012 as a tech reporter. She is currently working on stories focusing on people and technologies that are turning Microsoft into a “company to watch” again. She is also responsible for collaborating with tech makers and e-commerce platforms to bring annoying but tempting deals to our readers.
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