Good news for the Samsung Galaxy S I900 users, the CyanogenMod team has just released a new custom firmware for their device, named CM 11 Nightly firmware. The new custom firmware is build on Android 4.4.1 Kitkat firmware and today, during this step by step instructional guide we will teach you how to install it into Samsung Galaxy S I9000 device.
This official CM 11 Nightly build represent the first stable custom ROM based on KitKat platform that the CyanogenMod’s Team has released. That’s means there might exist some errors and bugs. But, as you probably know that the latest official KitKat firmware isn’t available as an OTA update for Samsung Galaxy SI9000 device and the CM11 build can be a good opportunity to have latest features and optimizations from Android 4.4.1 directly on your Galaxy SI9000 device. If you want to know more information about this latest CM11 custom ROM, you can visit the following link.
Prerequisites:
- The present step-by-step guide is provided for Samsung Galaxy S I9000 only, so do not try to use the same for any other incorrect devices, because you will end up bricking your device.
- The Galaxy S I9000 device has to be rooted and to run the latest CWM Recovery image tool. Note: the TWRP Recovery will work too.
- Note: You need to use the latest version of CWM or TWRP recovery images.
- A ‘factory reset’ step is required on this guide, do not skip it.
- Note that: the ‘factory reset’ will wipe all data stored into device’s system partition, but the data from internal and external sdcards will not be erased during this operation.
- So, do not skip the factory-reset step, unless you have already run a previous CM 11 Nightly build.
- Create a full NANDROID backup so that will create a full backup for the OS that is running on Galaxy S device.
- Backup all your personal data stored into the device’s internal memory.
- In case the new custom ROM does not work smoothly, or the device does not boot in normal mode with the new CM 11 Nightly ROM inside of it, then you can use the NANDROID file created above for restore your previous ROM.
- Backup all your important data using Helium application from Google Play Store by visiting this link from here.
- You can save your SMS text messages and the APN Internet Settings by using the SMS backup and restore application and the APN Settings Backup & Restore.
- You need synchronize Contacts info by using your default Gmail account; you can use our guide from here.
From Developer Options menu enables USB Debugging mode. - Ensure that the smartphone’s battery charge level is more than 65 % power left. So that the Galaxy S device will not get a power off in the middle of the flashing process.
- All the instructions and information listed here are provided for Advanced Android users and instructional purposing, do not held liable or responsible the Android Source Team for any data lost or in case you brick the smartphone or lose any important data.
- Read all instructions and information listed here and make sure you do not skip any steps from here.
- Important: This is not an official update released by Samsung, and it is a custom ROM developed by the CyanogenMod team.
I think that all prerequisites that are required to be followed before moving to the next section where we will teach you how to install the CM 11 Android 4.4 Nightlies custom ROM for Samsung Galaxy S I9000.
How to install the latest CM 11 Nightlies build based on Android 4.4 for Samsung Galaxy S I9000:
- Firstly, download the CM11 Nightly build from here, make sure you’ll download the latest version and not an older CM version.
- Secondly, download Gapps for Android 4.4 KitKat custom ROMs by visiting this link from here.
- Connect the Samsung Galaxy S I9000 device to your PC, then move both downloaded zip files to the internal storage.
- Once the files are successfully copied, you need disconnect the Galaxy S device from the PC.
- Do not unzip the archived files.
- Turn off the Galaxy S device completely.
- Boot the Galaxy S device into CWM Recovery mode, to do this you need to press and keep holding the Volume UP, Home and Power buttons simultaneous then release the buttons when the custom Recovery Mode screen is displayed.
- Get a full NANDROID Backup for the actual installed ROM, to do this select “Backup and restore” option and then save the backup file on the Galaxy S device. This step will set a restore for the Galaxy S device, and it can be very useful in case you want to restore your previous ROM if the new CM 11 custom ROM is not working very well or the device does not want to enter into normal mode.
- Now, apply the “factory reset” for the Samsung Galaxy S device. To do this, select ‘wipe data/ factory reset’ and confirm the process.
- Note: skip the factory reset step only if the Galaxy S device already has installed and run a previous version of CM 11 build.
- Now, select ‘install zip from sdcard’ and after that ‘choose zip from sdcard’ browse and find the CM 11 Nightly zip file and then confirm the process.
- Wait until the flashing process is completed and do not touch any buttons.
- When the new CM 11 Nightly ROM is installed, you need select once again the “choose zip from sdcard” option. Install the Gapps zip now.
- Once both CM 11 Nightly ROM and Gapps are flashed, return into main custom Recovery Mode menu.
- Restart the Galaxy S device in normal mode.
- The first boot will take a while to be completed, and you should only wait until you see the first home screen.
- Now, create or log into CyanogenMod Profile and take full control over the Galaxy S device.
Congratulation, you have successfully learned how to install the custom CM 11 Nightly KitKat custom ROM on Samsung Galaxy S device.
Troubleshooting:
In case the smartphone enters into a boot loop then you need power off the smartphone by removing its battery and then re-insert the battery after five seconds have passed, and after that repeat the entire step-by-step guide once again.
If you do not like the new CM 11 Nightly custom ROM then you can restore its previous OS using the NANDROID backup file created previously.
For any other supplementary questions, use our comment section from below.