Android Wizards, help desperately needed

[AndyStobbs]

My Samsung galaxy s4 mini updated to Kitkat yesterday morning OTA. Man what a mistake, I don't like the layout as much as I did jellybean and worst of all Messages is constantly crashing (update do they call it)

I dabbled years ago changing ROMs on my S1, and so re-apraised myself and downloaded the 02 UK jelly bean ROM 4.2.2 and Odin to set about re-flashing back to jelly bean.

Odin will not write the older ROM to the phone because its a 'downgrade' from the current version. I'm desperate to get back to stable operation on 4.2.2
My knowledge falls over at the point of rooting the phone, but if I do this, will it allow the downgrade?
I've only just bought the phone 6 weeks ago (out right) brand new from ebay - presumably a contract upgrade that somebody didn't need. So I've got no warranty to fall back on - or to worry about voiding for that matter.

TIA

 

[Robotstar5]

I've found Modaco pretty good for Android info, mods etc.

 

[eSCHEn]

I attempted to fix a Samsung Galaxy Note III a while back for a friend who'd had a go at it. I spent three solid nights at it and it was still the brick he handed to me. I found the Samsung toolkit to be a bit poor but Odin seemed decent if somewhat cryptic in places. Have you tried the offical program, "kies" I think it was called?

Cyanogenmod is a better version of Android with a lot of rough edges taken off. They probably have good instructions on how to root your model as well.

 

[Shedendman]

pretty sure you should have rooted the phone 1st before you flash it
search the net theres bundles of info about this.
https://www.google.co.uk/#q=rooting+samsung+galaxy+s4+mini

 

[chunkolini]

How boring, I thought you were looking for Half human half robot weavers of spells to save the universe from Chuck Norris.
It would have been great band name in the 70's.
What Odin is involved as well, a concept album even.

 

[AndyStobbs]

pretty sure you should have rooted the phone 1st before you flash it
search the net theres bundles of info about this.
https://www.google.co.uk/#q=rooting samsung galaxy s4 mini

No it doesn't need to be rooted to reflash.
I've found that according to a youtube video there is a brazilian version of jellybean that will superseed Kitkat. I'm not sure if I can use it as a stepping stone back to the UK version of jellybean but its got to be better than nothing.

 

[eSCHEn]

How boring, I thought you were looking for Half human half robot weavers of spells to save the universe from Chuck Norris.
It would have been great band name in the 70's.
What Odin is involved as well, a concept album even.

Damnit now I want to listen to Warrior on the Edge of Time. Time to dig the headphones out

 

[Shedendman]

No it doesn't need to be rooted to reflash.
I've found that according to a youtube video there is a brazilian version of jellybean that will superseed Kitkat. I'm not sure if I can use it as a stepping stone back to the UK version of jellybean but its got to be better than nothing.

Well what ever you do backup the best you can,otherwise you might be left with a brick