OS upgrade.

spooky donkey

Hi guys, just wondering if I should upgrade my OS to lollipop on my S4 tab. I'm getting the impression from people I talk to that they feel their android device slow down with every update. Like the manufactures do this to make you feel you need to upgrade all the time.

Is there any truth to this, should I let my tab install the lollipop OS?
Any help appreciated.

petrolcan

If you are rooted just perform a nandroid backup beforehand. That way if you don't like the upgrade you just restore your previous system.

twinex

Updated my s4 yesterday to Lollipop and now my home broadband wi-fi is forgotten every time i switch it (wi-fi) off. Upgrade looks great though and can't see much slow down as of yet....

Any advice on the wi-fi problem would be much appreciated

irishpancake

petrolcan wrote: »

If you are rooted just perform a nandroid backup beforehand. That way if you don't like the upgrade you just restore your previous system.

If you are rooted, an OTA update to Lollipop will not succeed.

There may also be a difference in System partition sizes and configuration between the two versions, Lollipop and KK. I think there are.

I wouldn't advise restoring a Nandroid backup of a Kitkat device onto a device now running Lollopop, due to those partition differences.

spooky donkey

irishpancake wrote: »

If you are rooted, an OTA update to Lollipop will not succeed.

There may also be a difference in System partition sizes and configuration between the two versions, Lollipop and KK. I think there are.

I wouldn't advise restoring a Nandroid backup of a Kitkat device onto a device now running Lollopop, due to those partition differences.

No am not routed haven't bothered yet as it's just a new tab. My s4 is and I'm liking it with the cage mod at. Just want see what Samsung o's is like for a while on my tab...

wotzgoingon

I'd say do the update but do a clean install rather than an update. It's a while since I owned a Samsung device(note II) but download the newest update from Samfirmware and install with odin.

petrolcan

irishpancake wrote: »

If you are rooted, an OTA update to Lollipop will not succeed.

True but you could download the OTA update before rooting and store it on a memory card.

There may also be a difference in System partition sizes and configuration between the two versions, Lollipop and KK. I think there are.

I wouldn't advise restoring a Nandroid backup of a Kitkat device onto a device now running Lollopop, due to those partition differences.

Never an issue for me. Done it several times after Lollipop became available but wasn't running stable enough for my liking.

irishpancake

petrolcan wrote: »

True but you could download the OTA update before rooting and store it on a memory card.



Never an issue for me. Done it several times after Lollipop became available but wasn't running stable enough for my liking.

I'm delighted you had no trouble.

But Stack Exchange does not fully agree, here:

Can I restore a Nandroid backup that was made on an older OS?

Remember, do it in steps, if you choose to. It is possible that your Nandroid backup has some partitions whose size were changed during 5.0 update. Reverting haphazardly to 4.4 may lead to severe consequences. (e.g.: Yureka device hard-bricked when downgrading to Kitkat.)

Did you restore all partitions?

Had you backed up all partitions?

I'm not saying it won't work, just that it can be dodgy if you are unsure of just what you are doing.

If the Tab is a 3G model, there is that Sammy EFS Folder to be backed up and restored, and it contains vital stuff relating to IMEI, etc.

I'd say you know the drill OK, but not all might, and it's a very powerful tool.

But, as you say, most times there is no problem, it's just that one time which will cause panic to set in......

I know the feeling, and you probably do too...

Usually, you don't have a brick, but you don't always know that when it happens!!

Cheers.

petrolcan

The only thing I don't back up is the ext SD card.

I've just restored a 4.4 ROM from earlier this year and then reverted back to my 5.1.1 ROM and had no issues whatsoever.

YMMV

irishpancake

TG, I'm on a Diesel....DERV

spooky donkey

so what im getting here from the replies is that I should try the upgrade but be prepared to downgrade and I will need to root to so this?

Am I taking this up right.
Are Samsung trying to make me not happy with my tab and trying to make me thinking of upgrading a device that I only just got?

irishpancake

spooky donkey wrote: »

so what im getting here from the replies is that I should try the upgrade but be prepared to downgrade and I will need to root to so this?

Am I taking this up right.
Are Samsung trying to make me not happy with my tab and trying to make me thinking of upgrading a device that I only just got?

About right....

and being prepared to downgrade from your new Lollipop will involve having a Backup of your system as it is now.

That means having a custom recovery, like TWRP or CWM/Philz Recovery, which is capable of making a snapshot of all your Partitions, to be used if you need to revert to where you are now, when this backup is made.

The problem here is that an OTA Upgrade [Over The Air], which is what you are being offered, will not work if you are rooted and have a different recovery partition, and other system stuff, which the update will baulk at, as it expects a totally Stock system.

So, if you just go ahead as is, without rooting, or making a backup with a custom recovery, to restore, it will be difficult, but not impossible, to easily go back.

But there are always options, if you detest Lollipop....

but it will involve rooting, wiping your device, and flashing a stock Jellybean image, which will be available for your device, and then restoring your user apps, which you can back up, with an app such as Titanium Backup....

it could be fun.....

but if you need a phone, it could also be frustrating and unproductive.

spooky donkey

well its not a phone its a tab and I have not done that much to it so its no big loss if I have to revert..... I think ill go with the upgrade so..... But I still worry its samsungs way of slowing my tab down to make me want to upgrade later...

irishpancake

spooky donkey wrote: »

well its not a phone its a tab and I have not done that much to it so its no big loss if I have to revert..... I think ill go with the upgrade so..... But I still worry its samsungs way of slowing my tab down to make me want to upgrade later...

Hi spooky....

Sorry, lost track there.....

but phone or tab, how do you plan to revert if you are not satisfied with Lollipop?

You're not rooted, you have no custom recovery, therefore no backup [Nandroid] of your existing system which would probably allow you to go back, or any method to even flash a previous stock version of your ROM once you update to Lollipop, unless you are prepared to root after update, and then download a stock firmware image for your device, which can be flashed via a custom recovery or via ODIN, which is the Samsung Devs method of flashing and debugging firmwares.

Once you update, going back is really not an easy option.

spooky donkey

yes ill probably end up rooting the device I think....

D'Peoples Voice

twinex wrote: »

Updated my s4 yesterday to Lollipop and now my home broadband wi-fi is forgotten every time i switch it (wi-fi) off. Upgrade looks great though and can't see much slow down as of yet....

Any advice on the wi-fi problem would be much appreciated

Try this
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2057415048

In short, you are registering your device on the home modem/router as a DHCP client, so that the router assigns your device a fixed IP address. You should not have problems after this.