Samsung Galaxy Note 2 Cannot Update Firmware Via KIES [Troubleshooting Guide]

There are two ways you could update your Samsung Galaxy Note 2; over the air (OTA) and via the Samsung KIES. While both methods often work without any problem, there are times when things are screwed up. And worse, you don’t even know what caused the problem. But between the two, it’s the KIES that is prone to problems because it needs physical connection to transfer data and things could happen any time.

Possible Causes

• There is a temporary issue connecting to the Kies update service.
• There is a temporary issue with your computer that is stopping the Kies app from properly updating your device.
• Your firewall, anti-virus, anti-malware, or other security software is keeping Kies from running the update process.
• An issue with the prior installation is keeping the update from being performed correctly.
• Your device lost its connection with your computer or the battery charge was too low to complete the update.
• The update is not available through Kies.

Troubleshooting

Step 1: Make sure the update is available through KIES. Most of the time, Samsung would make firmware updates available through its servers that is why owners could pull them down via the KIES but not all the time. Some carriers would prefer to have their devices updated over the air that is why you must check if the update has been made available via Samsung servers, or you would end up troubleshooting when there is no problem with your phone at all.

Step 2: Reboot the computer and the phone. It is still unclear at this stage which one has the problem; it could be the computer, but it could also be the phone. But to eliminate the possibility of a temporary device issue, you would need to reboot the phone and since you’re unsure of your computer’s condition, you would also want to restart it and see if they can establish a connection after.

Step 3: Disable firewall and other security suites. While the firewall is the safest thing you could use in your computer, it also has a potential of blocking everything that tries to access one of its services. After rebooting both the phone and the computer and the problem still persists, it’s safe to assume that perhaps the firewall and other security programs are interfering with connection. So, try disabling your firewall and anti-malware to see if a bridge would be built between the two devices.

Step 4: Reinstall KIES. With the firewall already disabled and the problem still persists, you have no other option but to uninstall the program from your computer and install it back to make sure all necessary files and services would run normally. It could be that your installation was corrupt or some files are missing. The KIES brings all necessary drivers for any Samsung devices to make them detectable and readable by the computer when plugged in via the USB port. Corrupt installation means some drivers might be missing, hence, connection cannot be established.

Updating Device Via KIES

Assuming you had your phone properly detected by the computer, follow the procedures below to update your firmware via the Samsung KIES.

1. Connect your device to your computer using the USB cable. Firmware upgrades are available only when you connect your device via USB.
2. Open Kies. When a new version of firmware is available, you will see a notice on the Basic information tab.
3. Click Firmware upgrade to start the upgrade process.
4. You will be taken through the backup process to preserve all of your data.

Tell us your phone problems

The solutions we provided here are based on reports and testimonies from owners who have encountered these problems. I also ask my XDA developer friends regarding some of the problems. Now if you have other problems or questions with your smartphone that you want answered, don’t hesitate to send us email at [email protected].

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