Samsung rolling out Jelly Bean update for Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 -- P3100BUCLK1

With multiple phones out in the market with Android 4.1 out of the box, and with phones like the Galaxy S3 already updated to Jelly Bean, Samsung is now seemingly turning their attention towards their tablets, as the Jelly Bean update for the Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 has started rolling out in Italy, Greece, Spain, Germany, Romania and Slovenia.

The update is currently only for Vodafone branded Galaxy Tab 2 7.0’s in the above mentioned countries (and Si.mobil in case of Slovenia) and updates the tablet to firmware version P3100BUCLK1, and is rolling out over the air and is also available through Samsung’s Kies PC Suite software, bringing important Jelly Bean features such as a faster and more responsive interface, expandable and actionable notifications, the voice assistant and automatic information providing Google Now app, offline voice typing, resizable widgets, and more.

If you’ve bought your Galaxy Tab 2 7.0″ from Vodafone (or Si.mobil in Slovenia), the update should be appearing on your device in the next few days, though you can manually check if it is available from the Settings » About menu » Software update menu on the tablet, or connect it to the computer and check on Kies.

Or, if you prefer to manually install the complete firmware on your tablet, use the guide to find out how you can do that.

Compatibility

The procedure described below is only for the Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 7.0, model number P3100. Do not try it on any other device, not even on other variants of the same tablet.

Warning!

The methods and procedures discussed here are considered risky, so try them out at your own risk, and make sure to read each step carefully before attempting anything. We will not be held responsible if anything goes wrong.

How to Update Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 to P3100BUCLK1 Android 4.1.1 Firmware

[Important] You might need to wipe the data on the tablet to make the firmware boot up properly. Hence, to be sure you do not lose any data, backup your Apps and important data — bookmarks, contacts, SMS, APNs (internet settings), etc. This Android backup guide would help you. The SD card contents are always safe, so there is no need to back up those. Only backup apps and personal data.
NOTE: Don’t forget to at least note down your network’s APN settings, which are required to make mobile data work. Go into Settings » More » Mobile Networks, click on the APN that is in use, then note down the setting for each field. While APN settings should be automatically restored from network, you can enter them manually if needed to make mobile data work. You can also find your APN details → here.
You need to have the drivers for the tablet installed on your computer. You can download Samsung’s Kies software and install it, which will install the drivers as well (skip this step if Kies is already installed on your computer).
Download Kies
You can also download the drivers directly — download from here: 32 bit (x86) Windows | 64-bit (x64) Windows
Download the firmware for your respective country from the links below. Remember, only install the firmware if you are on a Vodafone-branded Galaxy Tab 2 7.0, or a Si.mobile one if in Slovenia.
Italy | Greece | Spain | Germany | Romania | Slovenia
Extract the file downloaded in step 3 on the computer to obtain a file with a .tar.md5 extension. The file name may also end at .tar, which is normal. This is the actual firmware file that we need to flash on the tablet.
Download Odin. Odin is Samsung’s PC tool for flashing firmware, and we’ll use it to flash the firmware file obtained in step 4.
Download Odin3 v3.04 | Filename: Odin3_v3.04.zip
Extract the contents of the Odin3_v3.04.zip file to a folder on your computer.
Turn off your Galaxy Note 2 and wait for it to shut down completely.
Now, put the Galaxy Tablet 2 7.0 in Download Mode — press and hold these keys together: Volume Up + Power (the volume up key is the volume key on the right). A Warning! screen will come up; press Volume Up key to continue to enter Download Mode.
Open Odin by double-clicking on the Odin3 v3.04.exe file obtained in step 6 after extracting Odin3_v3.04.zip.
Important! Connect your tablet to PC now. You should get the message “Added !!” under Odin’s message box in the bottom left.
- If you don’t get this message, make sure you installed drivers correctly (using Kies or directly) as given in step 2. If it still doesn’t work, try changing to another USB port on the computer and also use the USB ports on the back if you have a desktop PC.
Click on the PDA button in Odin, then browse to and select the .tar/.tar.md5 file obtained in step 4 above.
Important! Do not make any other changes in Odin except selecting the required files as given in step 11. Leave all other options as they are. Make sure Re-Partition check box is not selected.
Now, make sure you took a backup as explained in step 1 before continuing, then click the Start button in Odin to start flashing the firmware on your tablet. When the flashing is complete and is successful, you’ll get a PASS message (with green background) in the left-most box at the very top of the Odin, and the tablet will automatically reboot. When you see the Samsung logo, you can safely unplug the cable.
- What do if Odin gets stuck or doesn’t do anything:If ODIN gets stuck and doesn’t seem to be doing anything, or you get a FAIL message (with red background) in ODIN, disconnect the tablet from the PC, close ODIN, then press and hold Volume Up + Power keys till the device reboots and shows the Warning! screen. Here, press Volume Up key to continue to enter Download Mode, then repeat the procedure again from Step 9.
[Important] What to do if tablet doesn’t boot: After you get the PASS message and the tablet reboots, the tablet might get stuck at the booting animation. If that happens, perform the following steps to make it boot. Remember that these steps will wipe your personal data like contacts, apps, messages, etc. If your tablet has already booted, you can stop reading the guide here, your tablet has been updated successfully.
1. Boot to recovery mode — for which, hold down Volume Down + Power buttons (the volume down button is the volume key on the left i.e the one next to the power button) together till the tablet reboots, then when the screen turns on, let go of power button but keep holding the Volume down button for a few more seconds to boot into recovery. Once you are in recovery mode, use volume keys to move the selection up and down and home/power key to select the option.
2. Go to Wipe data/Factory Reset and select it. Select Yes on next screen.
3. Then, select reboot system now to reboot the tablet, which will now boot properly.
If you run into any roadblocks while flashing the firmware, let us know and we’ll help you out.