For those of you who have bricked your Galaxy Note 2 (perhaps ended
up in a bootloop), want to return to stock firmware (because you forgot
to make a backup ROM!), or you want to return your Note 2 back to
Samsung Service center for warranty, here’s how to unroot/unbrick your
Galaxy Note 2 with stock firmware.
Also, you can use this method to update your stock ROM to the
latest stock firmware. For example, if Android 4.2 comes out, you can
use this method to update instead of Kies if you want.
First, if you are rooted, I HIGHLY ADVISE you to make a backup
ROM (see How to Make Backup ROM). And after making backup ROM, do MAKE A
BACKUP of your internal storage by copying everything to your hard
disk. If something goes wrong, you will be able to do a factory reset
in stock Android recovery and get all of your settings, apps, photos,
and videos back.
Also, if you are on a ROM like CM10, AOKP, or any ROM that’s
non-Samsung, non-TouchWiz, you will definitely need to do a factory
reset. You can also do a factory reset in CWM Recovery BEFORE
unrooting, that will not erase the contents of your internal storage
(then you can skip the backups).
If you are returning your phone for warranty,
run Triangle Away app before unrooting, that will erases any traces of root. (Also installing a stock firmware DOES NOT increase binary count.)
This method is using ODIN and Windows computer. If you have
Linux or Mac computer, you can also use Mobile ODIN PRO (on Play Store)
to do the same thing.
So, let’s unroot/unbrick your Galaxy Note 2.
Step 1. Turn your Note 2 off, then hold down Volume Down, Center
Home, and Power buttons together to enter ODIN Download mode warning
screen.
Step 2. Hit Volume Up to enter Download mode and connect a micro USB cable from your Note 2 to your computer.
Step 3. Go to either Samsung-updates.com or SamFirmware.com and download
a compatible stock firmware for your Galaxy Note 2. For example, if
you have the international Galaxy Note 2, search for model GT-N7100 and
download the appropriate firmware for your country. If your country
firmware does not exist you can use one that’s close to it, these
firmwares will work on all GT-N7100.
By the time you read this tutorial and there’s T-Mobile Galaxy Note 2,
you can also search for T-Mobile Galaxy Note 2 firmware model number
instead of GT-N7100 and same for all other carriers like Sprint,
AT&T, and Verizon.
Step 4. Unzip/extract the stock firmware zip file, you will find a file ending in “tar.md5″, that’s the stock firmware file.
Step 5.
Download ODINv185.zip
and unzip and run ODINv185.exe. You should see a yellow highlighted
box with a random COM number. If you don’t see it, install
Samsung USB Drivers.
Step 6. DO NOT TOUCH ANYTHING ELSE but click on “PDA” and point to the
“tar.md5″ stock firmware you downloaded/extracted earlier.
Step 7. Hit “Start” to begin the unrooting process. This should take
around 5-10 minutes. If it stalls for some reason, you can always
re-start your Note 2 into ODIN Download mode and try again. Also, if it
stalls in the beginning, try another USB hub, that usually fixes those.
Also, if you get “Kies Firmware error”, you can re-try it too, that’s
same as ODIN Download mode, no need to panic.
Step 8. When it’s done successfully, you will get “PASS!”
Step 9. If your phone boots into stock firmware, you are all good to go.
If it doesn’t boot up after 10 minutes OR you get a lot of force
closes, you can do a factory reset in stock recovery. But STOP HERE
OTHERWISE.
Step 10. To do a factory reset, turn off your phone. Then hold down
Volume Up, Center Home, and Power buttons together. When you see the
Note 2 logo, keep holding down Volume Up and Center Home button but let
go of the Power button.
Step 11. Choose “wipe data/factory reset”. DOING THIS WILL ERASE EVERYTHING ON YOUR INTERNAL STORAGE!
After that your Note 2 should reboot just like the day you got the phone with everything erased.
Galaxy Note 2 Reference
You will need a rooted Galaxy Note 2 to install all ROM/kernels.
