Rooting Wind Samsung Galaxy S3 (SGH-T999V)

Here is a quick tutorial on how to Root your Wind Mobile Samsung Galaxy S3 (SGH-T999V). At the end of these steps, you will end up with a completely stock OS (Ice Cream Sandwich 4.0.4 or JellyBean 4.1.1), but with root capabilities. The whole process after downloading the necessary files should take about 15 minutes or less to do. From my experience, you will not lose any of your data or apps, but it is recommended that you backup your data before following this guide.

At the time of writing this, no Rom for JellyBean 2 (4.2.2) is available for a Wind Mobile Galaxy S3.

1. DISCLAIMER
 CAUTION: PERFORM THE FOLLOWING STEPS AT YOUR OWN RISK. ANY ERRORS ALONG THE WAY CAN RESULT IN YOUR PHONE GOING INTO A 'BRICK' (NON USABLE) STATE. ROOTING YOUR PHONE WILL VOID YOUR WARRANTY.

2. DEFINITIONS

ROOTING - To give Super User access. Allows you to modify system files. A common example is most work computers that run Windows disable you from doing a lot of stuff like installing new programs or even changing the desktop background because you are just a local user, but if you log in as System Administrator, you get a lot more access. Rooting would be giving you System Administrator access for example. 

ROM - The Operating System your phone will run. In this tutorial we will be using a Stock Rom (Samsung released OS) modified with Root capabilities. 

ROM IMAGE - Without being technical it is the Rom in a form that can be installed. 

FLASHING - Installing a Rom. Parts of the OS (boot loader, cache, etc.) are installed on a system partition that cannot be written to while an OS is running. This will have to be done while the phone is in recovery/download mode and will completely change the OS.

3. REQUIREMENTS

1. PHONE - Samsung Galaxy S3 Model: SGH-T999V provided by Wind Mobile (Non-LTE, HPSA+ version of S3). You can confirm your version from the Settings -> About Device -> Model Number
2. ODIN - Software to Flash the Rom onto your phone. You can download Odin 3.07 here [1.2 MB]
3. DRIVERS - You need to download the USB drivers for your phone in order for Odin to recognize when the phone is plugged into the computer. You can download them directly from Samsung's website here [11 MB to 14 MB] or just go to http://www.samsung.ca and Support -> Mobile Phone and Select 1. Mobile Phone 2. Smart Phone 3. SGH-T999V then click on Downloads and then click on Software. If you still experience trouble with Odin detecting your phone, then you can select Samsung Galaxy S3 as your phone and download the entire Kies program and install it (it will install the drivers for it) [65 MB].
4. ROM IMAGE - Download the one you prefer:
   December 2012 - 4.1.1 JellyBean
   Note: This is based off of the stock image GLW T999VVLDLL1
   Perm Mirror: root66_GLW_T999VVLDLL1.7z [570 MB]
   
   August 2012 - 4.0.4 ICS
   Note: This is based off of WIND T999VVLALH2
   Perm Mirror: root66_GLW_T999VVLALH2.7z [571.2 MB]
5. USB CABLE - It is recommended that you use the USB cable that came with the phone. There are people that report having the installation gone wrong because of the USB cable. 
6. WINRAR - Needed to extract the .md5 from the Rom download in Step 4. You can download from http://rarlab.com
7. Phone must be at least 50% battery life to continue. 

4. BACKUP

At this point it is recommended that you backup your phone. I used Kies, but I found that it took a really long time, over an hour.

5. INSTALLATION

1. Extract the *.md5 file from the .7z file you downloaded using WinRAR (or any other compatible unzipping program). 
2. Put the phone in Download Mode. In order to do this Power Off your phone, then hold the Volume Down Key + Power Key + Home Key simultaneously until a disclaimer comes up asking if you want to put the phone in Download Mode. Press the Volume Up key to accept. Here it will show you the Rom Counter (how many times your phone was flashed after it left the factory). It must be 0 to not void your warranty, but this Root66 method is supposed to not increment this counter.
3. Connect USB to computer and wait for your phone to be detected on the computer. In Windows your computer should make a sound. 
4. Once your phone is connected, open Odin. In Windows right click on Odin and click Run As Administrator to open. The top left square should say ID: COM and then have a number, if it doesn't then it doesn't detect your phone (either because of bad/wrong drivers, usb cable, etc.). If it has a number then we can continue. 
5. In Odin, click on PDA and load the .md5 you extracted earlier. 
6. In Odin, make sure the only 2 Options checked are Auto Reboot and F. Reset Time
7. Click Start and wait. It should complete in about 15 minutes and your phone will be restarted automatically into the OS. 

That's it, now you have a Rooted phone. You can install a different Rom now if you want, but I find it very hard to find Roms that are confirmed to work on SGH-T999V. If you download and install a Rom that ends up bricking your phone, then you can just follow these steps again to reinstall this Rom that you know works and you should be fine. 

For download files for Mobilicity, Videotron and T-Mobile, you can follow this guide here.