Latest Samsung Ativ S firmware updates

[neo158]

I am curious.two questions: .Is PfD Windows Phone OS in permanent beta? Because a critical update has been issued as you all know. I am a little confused, why issue a critical update if all PfD phones are being automatically updated/upgraded to Windows phone 8.1 or 8.1.1. BTW this column has been very interesting to follow, great hints/suggestions/observations...keep it up! My current location is in New Zealand CSC NZC and I personally am still waiting for 8.1 or 8.1.1. Second question, any evidence that a phone with 8.0 (updated to 8.0 GDR3 from CSC ATO) and back to CSC NZC will have issues updating to Windows phone 8.1 or 8.1.1?Cheers Kevin

The PfD does put your phone in a permanent beta state until you decide to deactivate the app, firmware updates only bring the "drivers" up to a level consistent with the official release. If you have the PfD app and reactivate it after the official firmware update your phone will, once again, be in a permanent beta state until you decide to deactivate the app again.

I hope that has answered your question.

 

[Marco Arrichiello]

Still no update here in Italy. Come on, Samsung :angry:

 

[Twigglet12]

Well I did ask you that cuz if you read some of the pages of this thread you would know why i ask you this.

Yes, I have read this entire thread over the last few months.

Anyway, what i am asking you now is: Is your final goal to get Windows Phone 8.1 Update 1 on your phone?

Yes, that was my original objective. Subsidiary goal was to get Internet Sharing working again.

If so, here is what you gonna do:
- You already have 3 of the CSC's on your phone that will get you to the official WP8.1.1
- Use any of those 3 (ATO, BTU, DBT) to get yourself up to WP8.1.1

Yes, did all that but then discovered that ATO doesn't appear to allow Internet Sharing.

- Then, see if your phone will work with that CSC (like, APN, SMS, MMS, etc) if it works, keep it that way, keep the CSC.

What didn't work was Internet Sharing with ATO.

- If it's not working, then you can safely switch back to your prefered CSC (Don't worry, you will still have the latest OS)

I selected at random one of the other CSCs available in the ROM I had flashed - XEO. This allows Internet Sharing, so I'm happy. Everything is working as I want on 8.1 Update 1.

We can't possibly tell you what are the advantages and disadvantages of one CSC over the other, that's carrier/region related. From my experience, usually all CSC's are the same with fewer differences here and there carrier related.
So is it now more clearer for you?
Report back what you will do if you don't mind, cuz the more info we have, the better this thread will be for newcomers

I will stay with XEO for now. It is working fine for me.Just wondered if there were any potential problems and you say that there aren't,so I'm happy.

Thanks for your help Boris. I enjoy reading all your informative posts.

 

[Twigglet12]

Personally what I would do (I'm in Australia) is flash the WP8 GDR2-3 ROM/Firmware (PM me if you need a copy) selecting CSC:NEE when flashing.

• 
  Upgrade to Samsung 8.1 update 1
  change CSC using Samsung diagnostic app to XSA

Restore backup when setting phone up again.

Thanks for the offer, but since nobody knows of any disadvantage to staying with XEO, that's what I'll do for now.

 

[nerdysquared]

Still waiting for the update in Canada, as of the 11th AT&T released the update for their Ativ S Neo, Has Samsung abandoned us. Surely their is not that much of a difference between the Ativ S Neo and the Ativ S T899M model, is there? this has to be the most painful updating/waiting ever

 

[Boris NevermorE]

Yes, I have read this entire thread over the last few months.
Yes, that was my original objective. Subsidiary goal was to get Internet Sharing working again.
Yes, did all that but then discovered that ATO doesn't appear to allow Internet Sharing.
What didn't work was Internet Sharing with ATO.
I selected at random one of the other CSCs available in the ROM I had flashed - XEO. This allows Internet Sharing, so I'm happy. Everything is working as I want on 8.1 Update 1.
I will stay with XEO for now. It is working fine for me.Just wondered if there were any potential problems and you say that there aren't,so I'm happy.
Thanks for your help Boris. I enjoy reading all your informative posts.

You welcome buddy. But you have 3 out of 6-7 CSC's that got the official WP8.1.1, If ATO didn't worked for you why didn't you tried the other two BTU and DBT? This will help you getting the official WP8.1.1 then you can switch back to your prefered XEO and have the internet sharing again. Try, you are not losing anything nor you will brick or harm your phone. It's just a suggestion.

P.S. Anybody running ATO having problems with internet Sharing like Twigglet12 have? Please share, so we can confirm. This is valuable info to know about ATO, Thanks.

 

[Twigglet12]

... why didn't you tried the other two BTU and DBT?

I guessed that the X-- ones would be less likely to be carrier linked and therefore more likely to allow Internet Sharing. Good point about trying BTU or DBT: they seem to get updates among the first. I might try that when I get back to my home WiFi.

 

[Boris NevermorE]

I guessed that the X-- ones would be less likely to be carrier linked and therefore more likely to allow Internet Sharing. Good point about trying BTU or DBT: they seem to get updates among the first. I might try that when I get back to my home WiFi.

About that X i think it's just a name of the CSC, but if i am correct, neo158 explained somewhere in the thread, about CSC's starting with X. (i am too lazy to search now, lol)
Oh, and if that is carrier linked, then go to BTU (which is British CSC) or DBT (which is German CSC) and get yourself up to WP8.1.1 and right after you finish upgrading, uninstall the old Diagnosis (cuz it won't work in 8.1.1) and install the new 8.1.1 Diagnosis app by typing ##634# again in stock dialer and that will install the new Diagnosis app, it will be named as Diagnosis_Ody81, then from there you know the codes how to go to CSC Converter and switch to XEO (your preferred CSC) and you got your Internet Sharing back.
Altho before switching the CSC, try if you can have Internet Sharing with the CSC that will get you up to 8.1.1 (BTU or DBT). If it works, then leave it that way. You can always go back to XEO whenever you want.

Try and report back with the results.

 

[RoyalX]

About that X i think it's just a name of the CSC, but if i am correct, neo158 explained somewhere in the thread, about CSC's starting with X. (i am too lazy to search now, lol)

Are you sure? I did the search on this thread and the Ativ S section, but could not find the post about CSC's starting with a X.
I am very curious, so could you check please?

 

[slivy58]

Wouldn't surprise me one bit if Samsung hangs us Great White North Ativ S (T899M) owners out to dry, own several of their products and can say their support has been less than stellar, will be retiring mine to the redundant phone drawer if they don't get the lead out soon:angry:

 

[RoyalX]

However, I'm now curious as to whether I should stay with this CSC or should I go back to my original ...CSC

This is a good question and I am also curious if there are any disadvantages too.
I have read that some people had to go back to their original CSC to be able to use MMS. So maybe there are some lacks when changing CSC.

Is there a code to see what was the original CSC on your phone? Like when you change your CSC and you want to see what was the original CSC.
I know with the code *#1234# you get more information about the phone. Or is it possible to tell which CSC you original had from the long model number?

 

[Twigglet12]

... get yourself up to WP8.1.1

Maybe I wasn't clear before. I am already on 8.1.1 and have been for a month or so . Here is my info:



My original question was not about how to get to 8.1.1, but was about whether there was any disadvantage in staying with CSC = XEO. I think you have answered that, thanks.

 

[Boris NevermorE]

Maybe I wasn't clear before. I am already on 8.1.1 and have been for a month or so . Here is my info:

View attachment 87866

My original question was not about how to get to 8.1.1, but was about whether there was any disadvantage in staying with CSC = XEO. I think you have answered that, thanks.

Dude, seriously next time be more specific in your posts. I did at first thought that you are already on 8.1.1 and start writing you an answer based on that, but when i read again your post before i post mine, i saw that you haven't implicate that you are actually on 8.1.1 so i changed my answer. Its all good, we manage to understand each other at the end.
And please include screenshots next time when you ask about something. See, if you posted this screenshot with your first comment, we would spare some time understanding each others, lol . After all, you got the latest firmware, so i assume with this latest firmware, your csc XEO have the internet sharing, so stick with it.

 

[Boris NevermorE]

Are you sure? I did the search on this thread and the Ativ S section, but could not find the post about CSC's starting with a X.
I am very curious, so could you check please?

My bad, he was explaining the CSC Version having X in it.
Like for example, my current CSC is NEE, my current CSC Version is: I8750OXXDNI4

 

[Boris NevermorE]

This is a good question and I am also curious if there are any disadvantages too.
I have read that some people had to go back to their original CSC to be able to use MMS. So maybe there are some lacks when changing CSC.

Is there a code to see what was the original CSC on your phone? Like when you change your CSC and you want to see what was the original CSC.
I know with the code *#1234# you get more information about the phone. Or is it possible to tell which CSC you original had from the long model number?

I don't think there is a way to know which was your original CSC unless you made a screenshot or remember it before you switch to other CSC. At least i haven seen a code that can make that. That's why we always say backup everything you need before switching to other CSC, this includes making screenshots of the page that you got with the command *#1234#. Before i switched to NEE from my original CSC MBM i did make screenshot of that info page who you get with the command *#1234#.
I don't know if there is a chance if you have your ATIV S interop unlocked to manage to pull the CSC files from the phone to see them. I should ask these days the guys on the ATIV S section over the XDA-Developers if there is a code to see that.

 

[RoyalX]

What!!! You changed your CSC from MBM to NEE?!?
I thought your original CSC was NEE, but it is not! Why did you change it too NEE, which is Nordic region (far from your hometown).
I already read somewhere that you have like 40+ CSC's on your phone and you tried 20 of them. Which from your own words is not a good thing to do. Cause the phone resets a lot of time.

Thanks for asking it to the developers, please let me know.

Already made them screenshots.

 

[Boris NevermorE]

What!!! You changed your CSC from MBM to NEE?!?
I thought your original CSC was NEE, but it is not! Why did you change it too NEE, which is Nordic region (far from your hometown).
I already read somewhere that you have like 40+ CSC's on your phone and you tried 20 of them. Which from your own words is not a good thing to do. Cause the phone resets a lot of time.

Thanks for asking it to the developers, please let me know.

Already made them screenshots.

Well, since i have them already on my phone and i bought the phone from my carrier, that means that whatever CSC i choose of them 40 it will work with my phone. all the things you need your phone to work are on the SIM card and the phones read them from there. Like the number you need for sms, mms. and automatic APN settings. I haven't had problems with that switching to NEE.
I was about to switch back to MBM but then i saw that MBM got me up to WP8 GDR2, but NEE got me to WP8 GDR3 and now to WP8.1.1, and also saw that everything works perfect with this CSC on my carrier (sms, mms, apn, internet sharing, etc.)
Yes, i have 40 different CSC on my phone, here i made screenshot of them all:

 

[t333to]

So guys, as I said before I was still stuck with GDR2 firmware which was OK but of course the well known problems with PfD and old firmware were quite annoying. So while some of you confirmed that you got the latest firmware with ATO CSC and PfD and I still didn't, I decided to change the CSC to BTU as again it was confirmed to get the update even if PfD is enabled, but again nothing. So I tried DBT, still nothing, then I tried another CSC, something with an X in it and still nothing. That was really pissing me off, so I decided I will simply flash back to stock GDR2 using the tutorial which Satan wrote in another thread here, the only difference was I used a GDR2 firmware as someone here reported that he was updating from GDR3 to 8.1 and got only the OS update without the latest firmware, it was reported around page 40 I think. I set the CSC to ATO. Well while flashing the first time downloading the OS files something went wrong and it failed, for a moment I thought I bricked my phone, but luckily I could restart it again to download mode, so I tried again and then everything went smoothly, firmware loaded, got all the updates including the latest Samsung FW update.

One thing, one guy above said something about Internet sharing not working with ATO. I can confirm that it works, I just connected my iPad to the phone and no problem here. One thing to note here is that after all the regular updates I again enabled PfD so maybe the with the stock ATO FW Internet Sharing doesn't work, but with PfD there ain't no problems.

Another thing that is different with stock Samsung FW and PfD are the APN settings - on PfD you can set them under mobile+SIM/SIM settings/ while on the stock FW you have to use APNs and apn settings directly under system settings.

I think the phone is smoother with the latest FW, the battery seems better, and the page loading seems faster in IE, maybe they updated the Wifi and 3g radio drives for better battery and performance.

Now I'm here:
OS: 8.10.14203.306
FW: 2424.14.9.3
Radio SW: 2424.14.9.3

 

[t333to]

Oh, the thing about critical updates that are coming with PfD is that Microsoft is just testing the "critical update" procedure, there is nothing critical in the updates, they are regular PfD updates, but are just taged critical so MS can see if the critical update procedure is working in the real world.

Also PfD is NOT pushing beta OS updates as infact they are in RTM stage - past beta stage. But of course problems can occur if conflicts with the OEM drivers happen, like we've seen on the Ativ.

 

[neo158]

Oh, the thing about critical updates that are coming with PfD is that Microsoft is just testing the "critical update" procedure, there is nothing critical in the updates, they are regular PfD updates, but are just taged critical so MS can see if the critical update procedure is working in the real world.

Also PfD is NOT pushing beta OS updates as infact they are in RTM stage - past beta stage. But of course problems can occur if conflicts with the OEM drivers happen, like we've seen on the Ativ.

Correction, they are post beta preview updates that still have issues, which is why preview releases get regular updates.