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How to Unlock (and Root) the Bell Galaxy S2. Step by Step Guide

I just registered to this forum to talk about my exprience with ICS rom.

I have installed XXLPQ that is linked and it has been a little over a day.
Everything is quite stable. Here are some good and bad things about the rom.

The good
1. The battery life is enourmousely improved. The battry graph actually looks quite flat. I used to get to 30% after 10 hours without charging with wifi on but not connected in the stock rom, which means I could not get by a day without charging it during the day at one point. Now I have wifi left turned on and after 10 hours, I have 70% of juice still left to go.

2. The rom is really stable, and I call it a production level quality. I have used million other custom roms with different android phones but they all have glitches all the time, big or small. At one point, I was so sick of wiping and installing new patched roms in couple days so I just get SGS2 to forget all the custom rom business.

3. Faster. It is simply faster than 2.3.3 Bell rom. I can't say anything about other 2.3 roms that did not come with bell craps tho.

The bad
1. There are slight lags on touch at times. It is not really noticible nor happening all the time. I guess the rom is not optimized to the best possible ways but is good enough for the public release.
2. Screenshot feature is gone, or at least it cannot be activated the same way it used to be.

The weird
The only weird thing I found is that the data connection is keep bumping in and out between HSDPA(H+) and UMTS(3G) where in the stock rom, it was either H+ or no data at all. There is not noticible issue regarding this. My guess is that Bell had removed 3G icon all together to give us a false idea that we are in 4G all the time.
 
pnjacket said:
I just registered to this forum to talk about my exprience with ICS rom.

I have installed XXLPQ that is linked and it has been a little over a day.
Everything is quite stable. Here are some good and bad things about the rom.

The good
1. The battery life is enourmousely improved. The battry graph actually looks quite flat. I used to get to 30% after 10 hours without charging with wifi on but not connected in the stock rom, which means I could not get by a day without charging it during the day at one point. Now I have wifi left turned on and after 10 hours, I have 70% of juice still left to go.

2. The rom is really stable, and I call it a production level quality. I have used million other custom roms with different android phones but they all have glitches all the time, big or small. At one point, I was so sick of wiping and installing new patched roms in couple days so I just get SGS2 to forget all the custom rom business.

3. Faster. It is simply faster than 2.3.3 Bell rom. I can't say anything about other 2.3 roms that did not come with bell craps tho.

The bad
1. There are slight lags on touch at times. It is not really noticible nor happening all the time. I guess the rom is not optimized to the best possible ways but is good enough for the public release.
2. Screenshot feature is gone, or at least it cannot be activated the same way it used to be.

The weird
The only weird thing I found is that the data connection is keep bumping in and out between HSDPA(H+) and UMTS(3G) where in the stock rom, it was either H+ or no data at all. There is not noticible issue regarding this. My guess is that Bell had removed 3G icon all together to give us a false idea that we are in 4G all the time.
Click to expand...

1. Flash LP7, it's a better ROM. No lags.
2. To take screenshot hold down Volume Down + Power buttons together for about a second.
 
Hi guys I want to upgrade from 2.3.6 to 4.0.3. Is DXLP7 working good with no bugs on your phones? Also after that I will install the lp7 kernel to root the phone. Then I want to install domination odexed ICS theme. Also when I wipe data/caches what gets deleted? I have some emulators like gba/fpse and will those get deleted? Are they going to release another firmware soon that I should just wait for? Sorry for all the question I tried asking these question on xda but the people their got angry and kept calling me a noob:S
 
RoRo1990 said:
Hi guys I want to upgrade from 2.3.6 to 4.0.3. Is DXLP7 working good with no bugs on your phones? Also after that I will install the lp7 kernel to root the phone. Then I want to install domination odexed ICS theme. Also when I wipe data/caches what gets deleted? I have some emulators like gba/fpse and will those get deleted? Are they going to release another firmware soon that I should just wait for? Sorry for all the question I tried asking these question on xda but the people their got angry and kept calling me a noob:S
Click to expand...
I personally do not understand people treat new comers as noobs. Everyone should start from somewhere. All those self claimed smart guys for sure did not know how to solve 1+1 when they were born.

That being said, your questions are not ones that one can give satisfactory answers because they are very specific to your usage of the phone. Let me try my best.

1. I am not using DXLP7, but in general ICS rom that I am using is very stable. Bugs are always there but the real problem is how serious they are. I think we need more time to figure them out. For now, 2.3.6 should be more stable as it has been there for a while.
2. I do not root my phone so I can't say anything about that.
3. When you wipe the phone, you lose app data and cache. App data might mean the settings or saved game state or whatever the app decided to save to the location that should really be used for a temprary storage. So many apps are not created correctly so you might lose something there. Deleting cache won't delete anything important so that part is safe.
4. Usually, the main problem that causes apps to break after a major update is permission related as Google makes changes to the permissions on their backbone software, called Android. This will cause then correctly working software to break. If your software is using too many permissions and accessing every single hardware functions, it will likely not work. Otherwise, it should be fine.

Personally, I am not going to upgrade if there aren't any issues. This is the basic principle for software updates to me.
 
elishnevsky said:
1. Flash LP7, it's a better ROM. No lags.
2. To take screenshot hold down Volume Down + Power buttons together for about a second.
Click to expand...

Thank you for the tips. I will probably not going to try LP7, though, unless I find serious issues with the current rom.

Getting the screenshot feature back is really cool. :D
 
When going from GB to ICS I should wipe the data/cache before going into download mode and installing through odin?
 
RoRo1990 said:
Ok thanks one more question you can use any modem with the galaxy s2 but its better to use the one with your carrier?
Click to expand...
Actually I had the same question. I am not sure. My phone is currently running LP7 with the modem that came with it, which is different from the original Bell's, but everything works fine. I want to know too if it's better to flash it with stock modem or not. Anyone?
 
AAnother question I have i'm download a theme i'm currently using stock lp3 but was wondering what the difference between DEODEXED and ODEXED is? is odexed for stock?
 
Hi
I am new on this forum. My english is not too good because I speak franch.
I tried to root my phone with these steps of the tutorial but my phone is still unrooted.
Blue1k said:
Here is a new users guide I posted on craigslist. Just in case you get stuck on steps: :D

Bell Galaxy S2 (i9100M) Unlock Guide with Steps

To all the people who are paying people to root their phones or paying big dollars to unlock your Bell Galaxy S2 here is a guide to do it for FREE!

Edit: Please ensure you are on KG2 before proceeding. You want to use a rooted kernel that matches the ROM you are currently running. Dial *#1234# to find out

1. Go to this XDA thread: ] and download this file:
*Remember!: You should be flashing the rooted the CF-Root Kernel that matches your current firmware. If you are on KG2 then this KG2 root kernel is the proper match. If you are on something newer, then you can root with a newer CF-root kernel which can be found in the thread listed above.

2. Next, unzip the file you downloaded. There will be a file left inside. Leave it alone.

3. Next, download Odin. Odin is a flashing tool used by Samsung developers to flash roms, kernels etc. Unzip Odin into a folder and leave it for now.

4. You will need to install Samsung Kies which is like iTunes for your Samsung Phone. If you have not you can get it from here: ]. Make sure Kies fully installs and connect your phone at least once so it loads all the necessary drivers. Then close Kies and disconnect your phone from computer.

UPDATE: If you don't want Kies you can instead install just the Samsung USB drivers from

5. You will need Debugging to be active. To do this on your phone, go to SETTINGS>APPLICATIONS>DEVELOPMENT>check debugging

6. Next, go to the folder on your computer where you have Odin and launch it. Press the PDA button and select the file you unzipped in step 2 (CF-Root file)

7. Power off your phone. Now, before connecting your phone to Odin you must put it into download mode. To do this simply press: HOME button, VOLUME DOWN, and POWER-all at the same time.

8. Then connect your phone and let it load all the drivers. Once Odin shows a YELLOW com box you are good to go. Press start and boom it will install the patched kernel. Your phone will reboot and it will be rooted. This means you have full access to system files and is like jailbreaking on an iPhone.
Click to expand...

I have a unlocked white bell SGS2 and I think do all steps carrefully but the phone is still unorooted. When I boot the phone there is yellow and It means the phone runs the kermel SGS2_JP_XSG_KG2-v4.1-CWM4 is installed.
I need a hand to root my phone.

Thanks a lot
 
Hi i have just rooted and unlocked my bell samsung s2. I am looking to flash 4.0.3 LPQ onto my phone which is running 2.3.3. Is 4.0.3 stable and are there any major issues? I am currently downloading LPQ 4.0.3 XEO and if i were to back up all my stuff on samsung kies could i do a restore on 4.0.3 with kies to get all my stuff back? I also understand that i have to install all my apps again but is there a way to back up all my app data and apply it? Is there also a root for LPQ yet that has no major issues? And since i am new to rooting and everything what is some good stuff to get for my phone if it is rooted?
 
punk4596 said:
Hi i have just rooted and unlocked my bell samsung s2. I am looking to flash 4.0.3 LPQ onto my phone which is running 2.3.3. Is 4.0.3 stable and are there any major issues? I am currently downloading LPQ 4.0.3 XEO and if i were to back up all my stuff on samsung kies could i do a restore on 4.0.3 with kies to get all my stuff back? I also understand that i have to install all my apps again but is there a way to back up all my app data and apply it? Is there also a root for LPQ yet that has no major issues? And since i am new to rooting and everything what is some good stuff to get for my phone if it is rooted?
Click to expand...

I would wipe data/cache just to make sure it goes smoothly. I didn't bother trying to backup with titanium backup cause some apps aren't compatible with ics you can try though
 
Hi there:

I have the S2 (i9100mUGKG2 - Bell/Canada). I followed the steps to get a successful root and continued with the linked XDA forum to remove the yellow triangle (take stock kernel zImage, move to phone and use CWM to flash the zImage).

It appears to work except the phone reboots into the stock recovery and I lose ClockworkMod's recovery. I no longer have the yellow triangle but I am still rooted.

I was wondering if I missed a step or if the stock kernel is screwing with things? Basically, I want to keep root, have CWM and also no yellow triangle with hopefully no use of a jig :)

Any suggestions?
 
slash3tc said:
Hi there:

I have the S2 (i9100mUGKG2 - Bell/Canada). I followed the steps to get a successful root and continued with the linked XDA forum to remove the yellow triangle (take stock kernel zImage, move to phone and use CWM to flash the zImage).

It appears to work except the phone reboots into the stock recovery and I lose ClockworkMod's recovery. I no longer have the yellow triangle but I am still rooted.

I was wondering if I missed a step or if the stock kernel is screwing with things? Basically, I want to keep root, have CWM and also no yellow triangle with hopefully no use of a jig :)

Any suggestions?
Click to expand...

You can go into recovery mode by pressing VOLUME UP+HOME+POWER, for now I wouldn't worry so much as long as the phone works fine, soon you have to upgrade to ICS (Ice Cream Sandwich) then you will have CWM again and the yellow triangle will come back but you can use triangle away HERE (very easy program to use) to get rid of the triangle. I used it and it works like a charm. Hope that help
 
I've installed a whole bunch on ICS ROM's on my BELL GS2. It doesn't which one I install --> Stock, stock based, CM9 based, AOKP based, etc... I have the same problem with ALL ICS ROMs. I get terrible battery life with them. I wipe data, wipe both cashes and then that's it. I use the phone as is to make sure it wasn't an app I had or something. I've tried different kernels including siyah.

When I check my battery stats, ANDROID OS is always high for me in ICS. It's either first, or second after "screen". In my GB Rom's it's always near the middle or bottom.

There's talk about it on XDA but I haven't been able to fix it. I've tried everything I can think of. I'm dying to stay on an ICS ROM.

My question is this for other BELL GS2 phones on ICS: Is andoid os up high in your battery stats too? Are you finding you're getting worse battery life in ICS? IS IT JUST ME???? lol. I don't get it.
 
slash3tc said:
Hi there:

I have the S2 (i9100mUGKG2 - Bell/Canada). I followed the steps to get a successful root and continued with the linked XDA forum to remove the yellow triangle (take stock kernel zImage, move to phone and use CWM to flash the zImage).

It appears to work except the phone reboots into the stock recovery and I lose ClockworkMod's recovery. I no longer have the yellow triangle but I am still rooted.

I was wondering if I missed a step or if the stock kernel is screwing with things? Basically, I want to keep root, have CWM and also no yellow triangle with hopefully no use of a jig :)

Any suggestions?
Click to expand...

And if you want to use GB rom then re-flash CF-Root that you use to root your phone (make sure it match the kernel). Happy flashing
 
Hello all,

A lot of cool info here and it's pretty clear.

Blue1K or someone else, I would like to know where I can find those files mentionned in the first thread :

Bell Stock Items
Updated Jan 1, 2012
Bell KG2 Stock Modem
Bell Stock KG2 Rom
Bell Stock KG2 Kernel

It seems the posted links do not work anymore.

Thank you very much,

Cool77
 
Sorry about all those questions but I'm really new to Android! It's not bad at all!

Well, would like to know if the timing is good to install ics. After reading the current thread, I feel it's not. If yes what would be the best rooted rom with bell. The current stock rom kg2 is draining my battery real fast. And also, the reception is not so good, I don't have a signal in my basement. I did not have one while unrooted also. My old HTC got a connection so would like to improve it on sg2.

Thanks for your support!

An happy new sg2 owner.

Cool77
 
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