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[GUIDE] Root for Verizon Galaxy S4

26K views 31 replies 28 participants last post by  ddjr 
#1 · (Edited by Moderator)
How to Root your Verizon Galaxy S4


Description: This is a simple guide that will allow you to easily root your Verizon Galaxy S4 device without having to wipe your device or flash a full prerooted factory image. This method works using a leaked prerelease kernel (provided by user sextape) and root method (provided by user djrbliss). Only change is I have modified the Motochopper root method to use the latest SuperSU instead.

Step 1 - Preparation
  • Download and Install Samsung Official USB Drivers - Link
  • Download and extract ODIN v3.07 - Link
  • Download the VRUAMD2 Prerelease Kernel - Link
  • Download the VRUAMDK Stock Kernel - Link
  • Download and extract the Motochopper Root Exploit Tool - Link
Step 2 - Flashing VRUAMD2 Prerelease Kernel to remove Root block
  • Boot phone into ODIN mode (See here for how-to)
  • Flash the VRUAMD2 Prerelease Kernel using ODIN v3.07 ***in PDA section only*** (See here for guide on flashing)
  • Boot back to Android and verifying everything is still working and kernel has flashed successfully
Step 3 - Rooting Your Device
  • Verify in Security setting on your device that you have "Unknown sources" checked
  • Verify in Developer options setting on your device that you have "USB debugging" checked
  • Verify in Developer options setting on your device that you have "Verify apps via USB" unchecked
  • Connect your phone to your computer and open "Run.bat" file from the location you have extracted motochopper to
  • If successful, after your phone reboots, open SuperSU app and let the binary update itself to the latest ***IMPORTANT*** - You will loose root on the next step if you do not do this.
  • Once complete, just open a root application and verify that is able to access root properly
Step 4 - Restoring VRUAMDK Stock Kernel
  • Boot phone into ODIN mode (See here for how-to)
  • Flash the VRUAMDK Stock Kernel using ODIN v3.07 ***in PDA section only*** (See here for guide on flashing)
  • Boot back to Android and verifying everything is still working and kernel has flashed successfully
  • After your phone boots back to Android, you should now be fully rooted and on the fully original stock firmware as the device came
Credits

Credit goes to sextape for providing the VRUAMD2 Prerelease Kernel (Original Source)
Credit goes to sextape for providing the VRUAMDK Stock Firmware and Kernel (Original Source)
Credit goes to djrbliss for creating Motochopper Root Exploit Tool (Original Post)
Credit goes to cnlson for providing ftp filehosting (via PM)
Credit goes to ChainsDD for creating Superuser (Original Source)

Credit goes to Open1your1eyes0 for the guide i just brought it here

Please note: Credit for this method goes entirely to the users who have created these tools and provided the files/guide.
 
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#2 ·
FYI flashing back original kernel you have linked removes root for me.
 
#3 ·
you have to go into supersu and update the binary before flashing the original kernel back
 
#6 ·
agreed lol! soon enough
 
#7 ·
Is anyone having problems after using this method? I have two things right now.

My phone was lagging and the typing was really struggling. Now that seems to be working fine but I am worried it will happen again.

Main thing is I noticed my hovering is not working. When I hover my finger of the screen it does nothing now and before (like in the gallery) i could haver my finger over and I would get previews. Thanks in advance.
 
#18 ·
followed the instructions, thing is rooted, running Rootbox now. One thing that is confusing about those instructions are step three says to connect your device to a computer. Now wouldn't my phone already be connected to the computer since I just Odin flashed the pre-release kernel? Made me think that for some reason it shouldn't have been connected to the computer before I ran the motochopper fix thing.
 
#19 ·
***WARNING: DOES NOT WORK ON THE OFFICIAL VRUAME7 UPDATE***

See post

Do not flash that update or you will permanently lose root with no way of flashing back!

A bounty has started for finding a new root method on the updated build

Link to Thread
 
#21 ·
Only if you're already rooted and have recovery installed and have not taken the ota update. The latest vzw ota update broke root and recovery if ive read correctly. I don't have the s4 so if I'm wrong feel free to chime in and correct me.

sent from my thumbs...
 
#22 ·
#23 ·
Alright. So I just got a sgs4, coming from an s3. I have read reports that the bootloader was unlocked, but I can't find anything other than that initial posting about it. This phone is right from the store and has the i545vruamdk baseband and jdq39.i1545vruamdk build numbers.

Should I keep this firmware, or should I go for the ME7?
 
#24 ·
The root link to ME7 works great.

Ok dumb question, but Ive looked and looked, and now searched the forums....

Where is develop options? Its always been right there between "about phone" and "date and time"?? On every galaxy I've ever had!

Any help is appreciated.
 
#27 ·
Soooo.... I followed all of these instructions and my phone has been rooted and working for months. However, I decided I wanted to try some new ROMS and cannot seem to flash any zip packages or ROMS? Any ideas? I can get to TWRP just fine and do backups. Any help would be great thanks. Also any ROM suggestions would be helpful as well.
 
#28 · (Edited by Moderator)
Possibly an ignorant question:
After extracting ODIN on the PC, do I put it on the phone? Or hook the phone to the PC to boot into ODIN?

I rooted my last two phones with adb, not familiar with ODIN.


EDIT- After carefully rereading the "how to ODIN" linked in the OP, I think I'm ok. All those acronyms were foreign to me, but once I figured out what "PDA only" meant it became pretty straight forward.
GNex Toro
 
#31 · (Edited by Moderator)
Just a heads up for anyone trying to root their phone and they've updated OTA to NC5.

The easiest method to do this now is via towelroot.

This might be old news but I didn't feel like scanning through all of these comments to see if anyone else suggested it.

Just head on over to towelroot.com, click the logo and download the apk. Open it on your phone, and click the button. Reset after it's finished, and then use the SuperSU to update the binary and boom... thats it.

**edit: more details were found here: http://www.andromods.com/root-unlock/sch-i545-vzw-galaxy-s4-kitkat-rooted-i545vrufnc5.html
 
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