I am very curious to learn whether there are experienced Android flashers here who do flashing of their Android devices on a regular basis, or have experiences to share or tips to give.

When I was researching how to flash my Samsung Tablet I learned to do this with great caution only, and preferably not at all if one is not very advanced, experienced or have taken every possible care to do it right. For starters, with a Samsung device the warranty will be immediately voided with flashing as it has something included in its firmware that would detect when flashing is used.

I found two tools for flasing a device - Google Developer SDK Tools and Samsung's Odin3.  Which one are you using?  Is the difference perhaps to do with SDK Google tools would only be used for Google devices like Nexxus, and Odin3 has specifically been created for use with Samsung?  I learned that the Samsung developers are officially using Odin3, and have unofficially released it for use by Samsung users, but strictly at the users' own risk with loss of warranty.  

From my research, this is my summary of steps to follow for flashing my Samsung Tablet. If experienced users notice a "not to do" step - please let me know:

1. Check the specific model of my Samsung Tablet - which is SM-T819.  What I learned during my research was that the Android firmware is tablet model specific rather than tablet version specific.  This means the Android firmware of one Samsung Galaxy S2 may not work on another Samsung Galaxy S2 with a different model number.  

2. I had to search very deep to find a reliable source for downloading the exact Android firmware for my model Samsung tablet.  The challenge was every possible tutorial directed one to Sammobile, the Web authority for Samsung mobile firmware, but then it looks like not only does this Website want you to register an account, but also to take a paid subscription - which it does in a sneaky way. So eventually I dropped this Website and thankfully if one searches deep enough there are reliable alternatives. After a very long search I found this source that looked reliable although I can't vouch for it as I haven't used the firmware yet.  I judge it by how professional the firmware is presented and operates, and my MalwareBytes hasn't found any malware or viruses when I was downloading a copy of the firmware:
https://desktop.firmware.mobi/

You need to input your device model at the page that comes up, and then you are taken to this page to download the firmware.  You then have to choose a .tar.MD5 boot image:
https://desktop.firmware.mobi/device:825/firmware:2139

If you are downloading the firmware it's best to go for the last date in the firmware before it changed to the next Android version.  I was looking at the possibility of changing from Nougat (Android 7) back to Marshmallow (Android 6.01).  The last available Marshmallow version was dated 6 December 2016.  After which the firmware changed to Nougat (Android 7.0) in 2017.

3. Next is to set up the flashing tool on your computer, which seems to be Odin3 for Samsung.  Again, during my research it felt as though I was wading through risky Websites that may have malware attached.  So I first downloaded free Malwarebytes trial, as a way to check possible virus sites.  I then found this download place for Odin3 script:
https://updato.com/how-to/how-to-install...sing-odin/

One then has to set the tool up.

While I was researching this step, I also checked the Google SDK tools route.  It looked very complicated.  Looks like a couple or more years ago one was able to download the SDK tools separately from Google but now one has to get it after downloading Android Studio first.

Here are a few good YouTube tutorials by Jamie Wagner on how to set up the SDK Tools for flashing Nexxus mobile phones:

1. How To Download & Install Android Studio On Windows PC
2. How To Fastboot OEM Unlock & Lock Bootloader Android Nexus 7
3. How To Install/Flash Android KitKat Nexus Factory Images
4. How To Install Google USB Driver Android ADB Debugging Windows PC
5. How To Downgrade Android Nougat To Android Marshmallow

4. You then also discover that you may need a USB driver for the device you are going to flash on your computer. Otherwise your computer won't be able to communicate with the device. How I checked it was to connect my Samsung Tablet to my computer with a USB cable and then navigated to devices in the Control Panel of my computer. My Samsung Tablet had a yellow exclamation mark next to it which indicated there was an issue with the computer finding a USB driver for the device.  Then after finding the right driver (below), and I was able to install the driver by rightclicking the Yellow Exclamation mark,  the yellow exclamation mark went away. The driver is a very important tool so your flashing tool in your computer can communicate with the device while you are flashing the firmware. You won't be able to do it otherwise.
https://developer.samsung.com/mobile/and...river.html

5. You then have to set up your Samsung device - unlock it.  You do this by going into the settings of the device and getting to the Developer Tools.  Samsung seems to like to hide the Developer Tools in the settings, as to get to it I had to tap 5-7 times on the "About Tablet" tablet details for it to open up.  You then have to enable OEM Unlocking and USB Debugging.  

6. Next very important preparation is to make a backup of the contents of your device.  It is very important that you don't use the backup feature on the device itself.  As this may create issues with the flashing.  You do the backup to your computer by using a USB cable as you would do with uploading photos etc.  There are many ways to do this - you may already have your preferred way, but for Samsung there is Samsung Smart Switch that can be downloaded from here:
https://www.samsung.com/za/support/smart-switch/

7. After all of the preparation one is ready to do the flashing.  I haven't done this yet as I'm not quite convinced it is really necessary relative to the risk involved.  You start the flashing process by first turning off the Samsung device.  Following this you press at the same time the home, power and volume down buttons.  You then use the volume up button to scroll down to download mode and use the power button to OK it.  You then connect the device with a USB cable to the computer.  When you click on Odin it should come up with the flash load page and there will be a green box indicating it is successfully communicating with the device. If it isn't, then the first issue to investigate would be the USB driver for the device. And then the settings. Great caution is needed to ensure that the partition box in the Odin page is unticked.  One then drops the firmware .tar.mb5 file into Odin in the exact right place (refer tutorials below), and the flashing should ideally happen then.  

Here are two tutorials to show you how it works - one is a YouTube tutorial and the other a Web page.  The Web page tutorial gives much more information on the benefits of flashing, and also troubleshooting when things go wrong.  It prepares you for typical issues and how to get out of them if they should happen to you.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nOGpFJnLP3A
https://updato.com/how-to/how-to-install...sing-odin/

8. When one uses SDK Tools for Google devices the steps are slightly different and more complicated.  Best to refer to the tutorials by Jamie Wagner above and don't miss any of them.  From what I can understand the flashing tools are included in the firmware download, and you have to add the SDK Platform Tools (you get it from the Userapp folder) to the package.  You need to navigate to the appdata/Android/ folder until you get to SDK_platform_tools and add the contents of this to your firmware folder.  You then have to unlock the device, get the device in download mode, and you do that with the command CMD of your computer.  The tutorials I listed under (3) above by Jamie Wagner explain how to do it.  It's best to study very carefully through all of the tutorials and not giving any of them a miss.  

Odin3 sounds easier to me, but maybe with more room for error - it's not fail safe.  SDK Tools sound more controlled and detailed, but also with room for error, particularly in setting up the firmware and tool package.  My choice for my Samsung device would be Odin3. But only if my need for doing any flashing outways the risks. I'm still hoping one day that Android will allow one to change firmware versions easier with no need for flashing, or at least more fail safe.

• 6x VPS 1  [Games Servers not advised]
  
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• 1x VPS 18 [Until end of Dec only - Games Servers allowed]
  

We're aiming at a date of around 5/6th of November for announcing the winners.  

Note that VPS 18 will only be available until the end of December.

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I was just wondering, what is the name of the little cloudy on our header section?

It isn't possible to create multiple variant to be applied on special events?

• Santa-cloudy!
  
• Horror-cloudy (halloween)
  
• Easter-cloudy (easter)
  
• Firework-cloudy (new year)
  

I don't know much of MyBB but editing the "header" module should be easy: just check for specific dates or range of date and load a specific logo

Hello everyone,

This is not an affiliate link or referral link. This is just too good a giveaway. So i remembered about our community here. Go and join  

I will be very happy if one from among us gets the prize.

Good luck..

https://gleam.io/8FG0f/cooler-master-x-r...ility%2F&r=

Hello everyone.
i have got a new ssd which is not working and having a lot of issues. i wanted to try to fix it before im replacing it at the store.
so the problem is the windows is unable to detect the ssd. not in device manager, not in disk management and not in bios.
i have tried to see if im detecting it on windows setup disk list. and surprisingly i have seen the ssd on the disk lists on the windows setup but
 i saw something strange:

the disk is here but is not working and unable to access (picture is taken from google)
i have tried to google it and follow the steps of what people say.
for example: https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/wind...9f6?page=1
and i have tried everything but the same errors they have i have and every thread that was opened was left unanswered...
i would like to ask your help guys one last time before i replace it in shop
EDIT: forgot to mention that when the ssd is connected then pc is going very slow and stuck. on startup and when im on windows

Please note the following VPS Holders still have missing posts for October.  

I will update this list on a daily basis so you may check this for an up to date status of missing posts.  

If your name is not in the list below this means you have completed the number of posts for October.

@OldMeister   -   16
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For those who are focused on not more than 20 posts, please note the number of posts in your post counter may not always be accurate when threads/posts have been deleted.  You can check your number of posts manually by clicking on your forum name link, then click on "activity" in the list of links, and then count your posts for October.  Posts that are shaded in purple are threads/posts that have been deleted.  You need to make more posts to compensate for the deleted posts.

For those who do not know, the missing post rule is strictly applied.  If you should fail to complete the required 20 posts by the end of the month (GMT time), then your VPS will be powered down.  If you then wish to keep the VPS you will have the opportunity to reapply for it at the next Giveaway, with a penalty of 100$.

https://post4vps.com/Forum-Gaming-Section

Some of you may have noticed a change in the Gaming Section above.  Previously it was listed under Geek World.  But problem for me was that because of it being a sub-forum not all of the gaming sub-topics were easy to notice.

So I made the Gaming Section into its own separate category and all of the sub-forums are now forums in their own right.  I'm hoping that they will now be easier to see and may motivate game enthusiasts to post more.

I also added a separate Gaming Section Forum on reviews or feedback of using a VPS for a Games Server.  The hope is of course to share experiences of using Post4VPS VPSs as Games Servers, but VPSs outside Post4VPS may also be good.  Provided it's not for advertising.  Advertising VPSs has its own section and will be removed if posted here.  This section is supposed to be about genuine feedback and recommendations of your experiences with using a VPS for a Games Server.

I really wasn't sure where to post this thread... it seems to me it could fit into several categories... Scripting and programming, hobbies, portfolio... I figured gaming general was a good  place to start. Feel free to move it if you think of a better place for it

For a few months now, I've made myself a new hobby of making (or attempting to make) video games.

The project I've been working on the most lately is a sort of dungeon crawler with RPG aspects. Think "Pilgrims Progress" (John Bunyan, 1678) meets "Eye of the Beholder" (SNES, 90). I call it "Inner Demons: Dungeon Crawl"

At this point I'll inject a screenshot:
   
In this game, you walk around a maze of a dungeon and encounter characters and enemies and grow your stats. Instead of the traditional abilities, characters, and stats you would find in a RPG, within "Inner Demons" you meet characters like "Confidence" and "Charisma" instead of "Bard" and "Warrior." You won't gain strength and speed: instead you grow stats like "Courage" and "Patience" to do battle with nasty enemies. You won't face off against a "Fire Elemental" or a "Kobold" Instead you try yourself against things like "Temptation" and "Doubt" and "Ridicule"

The challenge of the game is to find out which stats/abilities work best against which enemies - for example, "Confidence", "Compassion" and "Resilience" work great against "Ridicule" - "Courage" and "Willpower" not so much. The end game (I consider the game about 5% complete) is to create a narrative that allows the player to explore and discover different aspects of themself, while learning how to react in  difficult emotional situations.

I'm currently working on 0.0.6 release which has a few new features (and I'm sure bugs to come along with them): Primarily visual options changing the way the graphics are rendered, positioned, and layered, screen and lighting effects, and I'm considering options for a higher resolution mode.

Here's where the community comes in: There's no way I can test this on every device and figure out which options work well, what I should keep, and what I should abandon. No matter how much time I spend testing,  I'm still limited by my devices: I can test it on my phone or on my laptop... that's about it.

Should you choose to test it, and decide that it's worth your time to offer feedback, it would help me to know:

• Device you're playing on (mobile, tablet, laptop, desktop)
  
• system resources: cpu(architecture), RAM, Video card
  
• Which screen/lighting/resolution effects you tried
  
• Which screen/lighting/resolution effects worked well, which caused bad performance
  
• bugs (this is a test build, bugs are almost guaranteed)
  

As well as any other noteworthy question, comment, or suggestion. I have thick skin: don't be afraid to be harsh. I don't care if you tell me you hate it, just as long as you tell me why you hate it. Conversely, if you love it, that's great but it only helps me if I know specifically what you love about it.

Known bugs:
battle screens aren't working - I changed the way the screen resizes from absolute values to relative values and battle screens are set up in absolute, so they are currently broken. You might find them working in an older version.
No options for touchscreen yet - options screen is set up in absolute values, so that has to be fixed too.

You can test the dev build with the new effects at: https://games.gdevelop-app.com/game-92af...index.html - please note this test build link will only last about a week
You can find the current (hopefully stable) build on itch.

If you aren't convinced you want to try it, maybe a video of the new effects would help? You can find one  on youtube

And yes, it's 100% free, cross platform, and made out of 100% public domain assets assembled with FOSS
[edit]Engine: Gdevelop
Graphics: Gimp
Audio: Audacity
 check itch link for a full list of attributions
Also, if you tested and offered feedback, and you wish to be credited for testing, please pm with how you would like to be mentioned/linked.

Hello Everyone.
i am hosting a game server on my vps on a game called wolfenstein: Enemy territory and in the last 2 days the ping is always high for the players. i have tried to change config or delete bots to see if there is any change but the ping stays high and i dont know what is happening.