In this guide, we will show you various methods to fix the Fail (Auth) error in the Odin Tool. There can be quite a few instances wherein you would want to manually flash a firmware. For instance, going back to the stock ROM from a custom one, unbricking or fixing bootloop issues, and manually upgrading to newer firmware, among others. In this regard, the OEMs have either their own dedicated flashing tool or you can flash their partition files via Fastboot Commands.
As far as Samsung is concerned, it falls in the former category- flashing the firmware takes place in the Download Mode via the Odin Tool. While it’s usually a straightforward process, however, in some instances, you might come across a roadblock or two. For instance, a bunch of users have voiced their concern regarding the Fail (Auth) error while trying to flash the firmware in the Odin Tool. The error message looks something along the following lines [taken from Odin’s Log]
<ID:0/005> Odin engine v(ID:3.1401).. <ID:0/005> File analysis.. <ID:0/005> Total Binary size: 11390 M <ID:0/005> SetupConnection.. <ID:0/005> Initialzation.. <ID:0/005> Set PIT file.. <ID:0/005> DO NOT TURN OFF TARGET!! <ID:0/005> Get PIT for mapping.. <ID:0/005> Firmware update start.. <ID:0/005> NAND Write Start!! <ID:0/005> SingleDownload. <ID:0/005> abl.elf <ID:0/005> xbl.elf <ID:0/005> FAIL! (Auth) <ID:0/005> <ID:0/005> Complete(Write) operation failed. <OSM> All threads completed. (succeed 0 / failed 1)
Moreover, since the failure occurs just after the xbl flashing, some users are also greeted with the “MDM mode can’t download (xbl)” error message in the Download Mode on their device. As a result of this, the flashing stops midway and the device is unable to boot to the OS, thereby leaving the users in the lurch with no way out. Well, up until now. In this guide, we will show you various methods that should help you address this issue once and for all. So without further ado, let’s get started.
Table of Contents
Fix Odin Fail (Auth) Error
It is recommended that you try out each of the below-mentioned workarounds and then see which one spells out success. Moreover, if possible, do take a backup of all the data on your device. So with all that in mind, let’s get started. Droidwin and its members wouldn’t be held responsible in case of a thermonuclear war, your alarm doesn’t wake you up, or if anything happens to your device and data by performing the below steps.
FIX 1: Install Samsung USB Drivers
First and foremost, make sure that you have the Samsung USB drivers installed on your PC. If that is not the case, then your PC [and hence Odin] will not be able to identify the connected device [in Download Mode], and hence the flashing will fail. So get hold of the said drivers from the official site, install them onto your PC right away, and then check out the results.
FIX 2: Download the Latest Firmware via a Different Source
Next up, you should consider downloading the stock firmware from a different source than what you had used initially. For instance, if you had used the SamFW website, then this time consider using the Frija Tool or vice versa. Moreover, it is also recommended that you download the latest firmware and not an older one [more on that later]. So carry out these tweaks and check if they fix the Fail (Auth) error in the Odin Tool.
FIX 3: Disable Repartition in Odin
Some users were able to rectify this issue by disabling the Repartition check in the Odin tool. So go to the Options tab of Odin, uncheck Repartition, and then retry flashing the firmware. Verify if it gets the job done or not.
FIX 4: Use Patched Odin
Instead of the original Odin Tool, you can try flashing the files via its patched counterpart and then check if it fixes the Fail (Auth) error. So get hold of the patched Odin from here and use the same set of instructions that you use while flashing via the normal Odin.
FIX 5: Use CSC Instead of Home_CSC
As opposed to the Home_CSC which tends to preserve data, CSC tends to wipe all the data from your device after by flashing a firmware. In most cases, flashing in a clean environment without any leftover files from the previous buggy build is the preferred option. So do give this tweak a try and check if it works out in your favor or not.
FIX 6: Bootloader Downgrade
If during the flashing of the firmware, a bootloader downgrade is taking place, then Odin will not flash that firmware, to prevent your device from getting hard bricked [Samsung doesn’t allow bootloader downgrading]. With that said, it is highly recommended that you refer to our guide and video on How to Find the Samsung Bootloader Version for Downgrading OS to flash the firmware.
That’s it. These were the various methods that should help you fix the Fail (Auth) error in the Odin Tool. If you have any queries concerning the aforementioned steps, do let us know in the comments. We will get back to you with a solution as soon as possible.