If you have a T-Mobile Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7 SGH-T859 and you just can't contain your excitement in receiving the official Android 4.0.4 Ice Cream Sandwich (ICS) firmware update over-the-air, you always have another way to update your tablet officially. Although this method entails more patience and hard work since you'll make use of Odin, the results will surely make up for it.

Now that your tablet will run on an improved Ice Cream Sandwich UI, it is bound to have a faster stock browser, new multitasking menu, better battery life, and all the goodies you have been patiently waiting for to arrive on your device.

If, for some reason, you can't receive OTA firmware updates, you can always resort to updating manually.

This guide shows you how to upgrade the Galaxy Tab 7.7 T859 to official Android 4.0.4 ICS build UVLH6 manually.

Warning

• The instructions in this guide are intended for use with the T-Mobile Galaxy Tab 7.7, model number T859. 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

• T-Mobile Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7 SGH-T859
• Your tablet'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 > Applications > Development >USB debugging. Place a check mark on the box beside the USB debugging option.
• 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.
• Download the following files to your computer:
  • official Android 4.0.4 UVLH6 firmware update package (T859UVLH6_T859TMBLH6_TMB.zip, 712.8 MB)
    • Download Link 1
    • Download Link 2
  • Odin3 v1.85 (Odin3-v1.85.zip, 198 kB)
• Make sure your tablet's battery is charged up to 75% or more to avoid interruptions during the process.
• Backup all personal data on your tablet 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.
  • For backup tips, check our guides on how to sync your data to the cloud and how to create local backups of your mobile data.

Instructions

1. Extract the contents of the T859UVLH6_T859TMBLH6_TMB.zip file to get a file named T859UVLH6_T859TMBLH6_T859UVLH6_HOME.tar.md5.
2. Extract the contents of the Odin3 v1.85 file to obtain the Odin3 v1.85.exe file.
3. Unplug your tablet from the computer if it is connected. After unplugging, turn your tablet off.
4. Double-click on the Odin3 v1.85.exe file to launch Odin on your computer.
5. Put your tablet in Download Mode. To do this, hold down the Volume Down and Power buttons together until the screen turns on. Release the Power button but keep pressing the Volume Down button until you see a “Warning!” message on the screen. Press the Volume Up key to enter Download Mode.
6. Connect your tablet to the PC using the USB cable. In Odin, a message saying “Added!!” will appear on the bottom left of the window.
7. In the Odin window, click on the PDA button and select the T859UVLH6_T859TMBLH6_T859UVLH6_HOME.tar.md5 file. The file should show up in 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” option is NOT TICKED.
8. Click on the Start button in Odin to start flashing the firmware to your tablet.
   • NOTE: If you get a “FAIL” message or if Odin gets stuck, disconnect your tablet from the PC and close Odin. Repeat the procedure from step 4.
9. After the flashing completes, your tablet will automatically reboot. You should be able to get a “PASS” message on the top left part of Odin and from here, you can safely disconnect your tablet from the PC.
   • NOTE: If your tablet gets stuck at the boot animation, boot your tablet into Recovery Mode. To do this, press and hold down the Volume Up and Power buttons together until the tablet reboots. Once you are in recovery, select Wipe data/factory reset and confirm the action on the next screen. Select Go back and select Reboot system now. Your tablet will then boot properly.

Great job! You have successfully updated your T-Mobile Galaxy Tab 7.7 SGH-T859 to the official Android 4.0.4 Ice Cream Sandwich build UVLH6. How do you like the update so far? Anything worth taking note of? Let us know what you have discovered with the latest update by leaving a comment below.