With the firmware update that we'll be presenting today, a lot of hurrahs and hoorays will definitely be shouted by the owners of Samsung Galaxy Note GT-N7000. With the announcement of the Samsung Galaxy Note 2, owners of the first phablet may have thought that their devices were now cast in the dark. Thankfully, Samsung did not forget the phablet that took the world by storm because of its S Pen technology.
Today, we will be showing you how to update your Galaxy Note to the official Android 4.0.4 Ice Cream Sandwich (ICS) XXLRQ firmware released just recently. Awesome changes are incorporated in this firmware, such as the S-Cloud, launcher and UI similar to the Galaxy S3, revamped gallery with 3D effects similar to the Galaxy Note 2, new contacts list, and tons more.
The update is intended for the Germany region, but it reported works for the GT-N7000 in other regions.
This guide shows you how to upgrade the Galaxy Note N7000 to Android 4.0.4 ICS build XXLRQ (stock official firmware).
Warning
- The instructions in this guide are intended for use with the Samsung Galaxy Note, model number GT-N7000. Applying these instructions on another device or model may produce undesired outcomes.
- The information in this guide is provided for instructional and educational purposes only. There is no guarantee that these instructions will work under your specific and unique circumstances.
- Use these instructions at your own risk. We shall not hold any responsibility or liability for whatever happens to you or your device arising from your use of the info in this guide.
- Read and understand the whole guide first before actually performing the instructions.
Requirements
- A Samsung Galaxy Note GT-N7000.
- Your phone's USB cable.
- A Windows PC.
- Handset USB drivers installed on the PC. You may install the drivers by installing Samsung Kies.
- Enable USB debugging on your handset. To do this, go to Settings > Developer options > USB debugging. Make sure that the check box beside the “USB debugging” option is ticked.
- Disable antivirus, firewall, and other security software. Also disable Samsung Kies and other software that accesses your phone. Such software can interfere with the procedure in this guide.
- 7-Zip, WinRAR or any similar program that can extract archive files.
- Download the following files:
- XXLRQ Android 4.0.4 ICS Firmware packages (N7000XXLRQ_N7000DBTLRQ_DBT.zip, 657.8 MB):
- Odin3 v1.85 package (Odin 1.85.zip, 198.58 kB)
- Make sure your phone's battery is charged up to 75% or more to avoid interruptions during the process.
- Backup all personal data on your phone to make sure you have a copy of your personal data (e.g., contacts, SMS, MMS, Internet settings, Wi-Fi passwords, and the like) in case the procedure in this guide erases such data.
Instructions
- Extract the contents of the N7000XXLRQ_N7000DBTLRQ_DBT.zip file to get a file named N7000XXLRQ_N7000DBTLRQ_N7000XXLRK_HOME.tar.md5.
- Extract the contents of the Odin 1.85.zip file to obtain the Odin3 v1.85.exe file.
- Double-click on the Odin3 v1.85.exe file to launch Odin on your computer.
- Unplug your phone from the computer if it is connected. After unplugging, turn your phone off.
- Put your phone into Download Mode. To do this, hold down the Volume Down, Home, and Power buttons together until the screen turns on and a “Warning!” message appears. Press the Volume Up key to put your phone into Download Mode.
- Connect your phone to the PC using the USB cable. In Odin, a message saying “Added!!” will appear in the message box at the bottom left of the window.
- In the Odin window, click on the PDA button and select the N7000XXLRQ_N7000DBTLRQ_N7000XXLRK_HOME.tar.md5 file. The file should show on the space beside the PDA button.
- NOTE: Don’t alter anything else in Odin. Leave everything else as is, except for adding the file mentioned in step 7. Make sure that the check box beside the “Re-partition” under Options is NOT TICKED.
- Click on the Start button in Odin to start flashing the firmware to your phone.
- After the flashing completes, your phone will automatically reboot. You should be able to get a “PASS“ message on the top left part of Odin. Once you see the Samsung logo on your phone’s screen, you can safely disconnect your phone from the PC.
- NOTE: If you get a “FAIL” message or Odin gets stuck, disconnect your phone from the PC and close Odin. Remove the battery from your phone, re-insert it, and place your phone into Recovery Mode by pressing and holding down the Volume up, Home, and Power buttons together. Once in recovery, select Wipe data/factory reset and confirm on the next screen. Select Reboot system now to reboot your phone. This will then let your phone boot properly.
Congratulations! You have successfully upgraded your Samsung Galaxy Note GT-N7000 to the XXLRQ firmware build of Android 4.0.4 Ice Cream Sandwich. How does the firmware fare so far? Let us know what you think through leaving a comment below.
