Database Users

Root Access, Can't Uninstall Bloatware

So I'm rooted on my Evo and as far as I can tell I've flashed the stock rom that should allow me to uninstall the bloatware, however, I dont see any uninstall options for that crap like facebook.
Anything I'm doing wrong?
I followed this guide to root and flash. I've tested my root using the "Terminal Emulator" and typing "su" and it returned a "#"
Thanks XDA, I love most of you

You know you need to uninstall from your computer using adb
Sent from my EVO using Tapatalk

I've installed Android Debug Bridge but I was under the impression that rooting my phone would allow me to do things on my phone, such as install and uninstall what I want.
Could you explain the process more or send me to a link that does?

If you want to do it in android you either need console program or a file manager. Root explorer us the best one and easiest. Looks just like a typical explorer, tap the rw/ro button for read only or read write and delete away.
You have to have completed the second part of unlocking nand. Otherwise your only option is using a computer and adb in recovery.

They dont make this easy do they? I would have figured Android to be very open for things like this, I'm starting to feel like I have to "jailbreak" again, only this time it's to remove crap.
This seems like so much work to get rid of facebook and sprint tv.

It took me 10 minutes total including the file downloads. Its a one time thing and there is a learning curve with any new platform.

Aridon, is there a free explorer you'd recommend? I dont mind buying software, just want to make sure I'm not mistaken before I buy something that is worthless to me.

You get a trial on any purchased software in android. After its installed if you go backto market and pull it up again there will be a refund option. So no risk. I think its for 24 hours.
As for a free one I'm not sure when I first started messing around with android I bought it because people said it was the best. I don't have any regrets.
Just remember to tap the top button for rw. Long press brings up options. Menu had an option for multiple file select and other goodies. its very powerful.

Aridon, thanks for everything, just 1 more question. I bought it, and the program is slick. I went to /system/app and deleted facebook, is that all I need to do?
Cause I still see it in the menu
I may have done a bad thing, my phone just reset itself.... I need a trainer to be with me at all times.

So after that restart, the files I thought I deleted are back.

Yes just go into system/app, make sure it says rw up top which means read write access, then select the file, general an .apk and .odex and delete. Not all files have both and some roms don't have any .odex files.
I'll be up for another 30 min or so and I'll keep an eye on this thread in case you have any questions.

Ok that means the second part where you unlocked nand wasn't done correctly. Make sure you go slow, download the files again because they are different and watch for errors.
The only hiccup I had was when I copied the new recovery and other files to my sd and tried to adb push it gave me some kind of can't find file error. I had to reboot and it was fine. It send after the boot I could go back in and adb the files it must have been some kind if a refresh error on the sd while in recovery.
Edit. I'm responding on my evo and in bed so excuse errors.

Go to sleep, I'll resume this thread tomorrow if I'm still having trouble. You Sir, are a life saver. This is why XDA is THE FORUM for anything mobile.

Good night then.
I know it can be a bit of a pain to do this but I promise you it will be worth it. Things have only just started and the custom roms are already awesome. Once we get the source code things are going to be insane over here.

Got it! Everything is working well. However, now my voice mail says it can not download messages.... Rebooted and it's all good.
Facebook and Twitter Free! Also, no more Sprint crap.
Life is good, again.

Another terminal substitute is Android Commander, out is naturally a file explorer that allows transfer and deletion off whatever you want. This program runs in your pc.
As Was mentioned above, root explorer is the easiest way.

Aridon said:
If you want to do it in android you either need console program or a file manager. Root explorer us the best one and easiest. Looks just like a typical explorer, tap the rw/ro button for read only or read write and delete away.
You have to have completed the second part of unlocking nand. Otherwise your only option is using a computer and adb in recovery.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So with Android - one simply deletes the application rather than un-installing it? That doesn't cause problems with the system thinking the application still exists somewhere?

DrawnToScale said:
So with Android - one simply deletes the application rather than un-installing it? That doesn't cause problems with the system thinking the application still exists somewhere?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It depends on where it is installed. /system/apps do not allow you to just uninstall you have to delete it. One this is done its gone. Obviously if you delete phone.apk you are going to have issues or if you delete a process that is running you may get a force close but for the most part unless you delete an app like people or dialer you are fine. After the single force close everything works properly.
Some custom roms moved programs to /data/app which allows them to be removed the other way.

[Q] APKs won't sideload via adb or a file manager

So I am trying to load a couple of apks I have and it's been no go. On my Epic I usually just dropbox, open, and install. I tried that and initially got the security message. That is already taken care of via nookcolor tools. So that isn't the issue. My issue is every time I go to install I go to Astro, open the file via the "open app manager," it takes me to the info install page...I click install and it loads into the package installer, excellent...and then it just stalls and the progress bar runs and runs but never progresses. This has happened with every apk I have now tried.
Okay...so I figured I'd just go the little more involved (very little, no need to be that lazy, right) route and adb install. Well carp. All goes well, I adb install blahblah.apk and it starts rolling..."570kb blah..etc pkg /blah/temp/blah"...and just hangs there...never to give me the gratifying "success" message. Again, I have tried this with different apks that I know work and the same results. I restored to stock and rerooted, just in case. Same
I am running stock rooted (manualnooter) at this point, just got the nook day before yesterday (one of the many who jumped at the refurbs). Market apps download fine. I'm a blue dot, if that makes any diff. Likely not but meh.
I have searched and googled and not found the answers...but I know I am missing something elementally simple. My luck I'll look like an idiot and it will be a "did you check to see if you had any gas?" broken down car scenario. I'm okay with that, as long as I'm running again. I'm pretty sure I checked all the out of gas scenarios but I likely missed one or two so... any help is much appreciated. Thanks a ton...
I should know better than trying to write before coffee

Well, My answer is not a "check gas" answer. It's pretty dang weird.
1. Download ES Explorer from the market.
2. Start ES Explorer, hit Menu>Settings. Goto Root Options (NEW) and tick both check boxes. Hit allow when it asks you to.
3. Go back twice, until you see your sd card contents. Find the APK on there and select and hold. Hit copy and then hit the 1st button on the row of buttons (it's an icon of an sd card OR a Home icon) If you see a data folder, go in to it. If not, hit the 1st button again.
3. Once in the data folder, go into the app folder. Pull up the little white tab on the bottom. Tap the APK you wanted to install. It will copy. Once you see the APK's icon in the folder, hit the home button and restart. That should have installed it but it is a slow method. Note that you can Multi-Select APK's by pressing the Multi-select button and pasting them all in the /data/app/ folder.

are you sure you have side loading checked
Settings > applications should be the top box.

fnordsnafu said:
So I am trying to load a couple of apks I have and it's been no go. On my Epic I usually just dropbox, open, and install. I tried that and initially got the security message. That is already taken care of via nookcolor tools. So that isn't the issue.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think he already took care of that. And he is on stock, so there is no Applications setting.

ikingblack, thank you, thank you!
Not sure why but by doing this it somehow unsnafued the package installer as well (fingers crossed). I went through your instructions with a known good apk that would not install for anything before. And there it was after the copy, paste reboot etc. Not too much to ask for...still was confused as to the why of the normal package installer method not working. So I decided to give it (package inst) a go with another known working apk (I had just tested it on my epic) that previously wouldn't install, repeatedly, and now it installed just like it should. Scratching my head in wonder. It shouldn't be the reboot, as I have do so many times...the only difference is the install instructions and adding ES (I'm leaving astro behind I think). All I know is it is working and I am a happy camper (tent is in the back yard...) Thanks again! cheers!

Sure. Also, you can select all the APK's using the 2-file icon at the top and tapping the APKs, then press-and hold on one of the APk's and then go to data app, and keep tapping the APK's you wanna copy. And then reboot. Enjoy your Nook!

Thanks for this, it fixed it, but I don't know why.
I suffered this issue on my dell streak.
It was working fine a couple of days ago when I installed GetJar.
Suddenly today for no reason I can determine:
All APK's I tried the install button in the package installer was not grayed out, but it would not respond when pressed.
I've just been setting up my streak again and installing a lot of software. I'm guessing something must of gone wrong.
Someone on another post suggested JuiceDefender may have caused it but I've not installed that recently.
In my case I did:
(1) Installed esFileExplorer
(2) Copied an apk to the folder /data/app/ as described above
(3) restarted the phone
This did not install the app for me.
(4) Tried running the apk file again. Suddenly the Install button is clickable again?! The app then installed just fine.
(5) Tried a different apk (without copying to /data/app/)
Now that will install fine?!
This is really weird. I can't replicate the issue now (which is good!)
but I also can't tell which action fixed it.
As said above it may have been installing esfileexplorer and giving it root access.
It may have been the act of copying the file that reset something.
It wasn't the reboot, at lease not on its own as i'd already tried it.
Regardless, thanks for the info.
If anyone sees this issue again you might want to just try installing esfileexplorer and see if apk's will then install.
This might help us identify which bit of the process is creating the fix.
Just found another suggestion if anyone is interested:
Some suggests using the 'Fix permissions' option of Titanium Backup. I have no way to test this.

[Q] 6.2.1 rooted, market force close

My KF was never rooted before. After I received update to 6.2.1, I restored it to factory then followed the step from Androidpolice to root it. Everything works, rooted. However, the market force close every time. I have google framework installed, and I have write access to system folder. Any idea? or would you post your version of Market for me to try? Thank a lot!!

goto applications - select market - clear data - force close

I did that, nothing changed.
In fact, the very first time that I open the Market, it let me type in my Google account info. But it crashes ever since.

I fixed this my downloading market opener and installing that

[Solution] Applications and games owned by this account will appear here

I have had this issue for a very long time and could not find a lasting and solid solution. After researching the problem for a few weeks I found a solution that worked for me, finally.
The issue seems to have triggered when I used the Titanium Backup Pro Market tools to unlink and link apps to my market account and system apps were added by accident. This should work with any app that can link and unlink apps to and from the Market.
Here is the step-by-step solution for TB Pro:
1) Go to Market Tools -> Market Doctor and Unlink all User & System apps.
2) Reboot device.
3) Open any Root Explorer or Browser and locate and delete the file "market_assets.db" in "/data/data/com.android.vending/databases".
4) Reboot device.
5) Go to TB Pro and to Market Tools -> Market Doctor -> User Apps and link all the User Apps that you installed on your device from the Android Market. Make sure that no System App is linked.
6) Reboot device.
Then the apps you have linked to your account will appear again in Your Apps of the Market after a few minutes. If they do not then install a new free app or a free app that you had previously installed and uninstalled and your apps should appear soon.
In my case I had used all proposed solutions with no luck and this was the only solid solution. I used TB Pro and Root Browser Lite to do this. You could probably use MyBackup for free (30 days trial) to do the same process but if you had this issues chances are that you already have an app that can unlink and link apps from the market.
I hope this sorts out your issue too
Edit 6 FEB 2012: This solution is temporary unfortunately. The cause of the problem is linking apps to the market that were not downloaded from the market or linking to the market from a backup that is quite old/corrupted. To sort this out there is an app now and you can find it from here:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=22178757&postcount=162
It is called Market Fixer and it detects market links that are problematic and removes them to restore the My Apps functionality in the Market.

Cool thanks, I had already found that solution by myself and it works fine, but doesn't survive a hard reset, meaning everytime I flash a new rom with full wipe the problem comes back and I have to go through this again...
I tried to use another account with a full wipe and no problem, so my account must be screwed for life.
Thanks titanium
Sent from my GT-N7000 using XDA App

Also, with market enabler I can see paid apps and even install previous bought apps but cannot buy anything.
With 2 accounts setup at the same time, I can mysteriously buy apps !!!
If I delete the second account, bam, I can't buy anymore.
Looks like the simple presence of a "clean" account sorts things out for the corrupted one...
Sent from my GT-N7000 using XDA App

Latoc said:
Also, with market enabler I can see paid apps and even install previous bought apps but cannot buy anything.
With 2 accounts setup at the same time, I can mysteriously buy apps !!!
If I delete the second account, bam, I can't buy anymore.
Looks like the simple presence of a "clean" account sorts things out for the corrupted one...
Sent from my GT-N7000 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This hasn't occurred to me at any point. I can always purchase apps from the Market.

Vrayhem said:
I have had this issue for a very long time and could not find a lasting and solid solution. After researching the problem for a few weeks I found a solution that worked for me, finally.
The issue seems to have triggered when I used the Titanium Backup Pro Market tools to unlink and link apps to my market account and system apps were added by accident. This should work with any app that can link and unlink apps to and from the Market.
Here is the step-by-step solution for TB Pro:
1) Go to Market Tools -> Market Doctor and Unlink all User & System apps.
2) Reboot device.
3) Open any Root Explorer or Browser and locate and delete the file "market_assets.db" in "/data/data/com.android.vending/databases".
4) Reboot device.
5) Go to TB Pro and to Market Tools -> Market Doctor -> User Apps and link all the User Apps that you installed on your device from the Android Market. Make sure that no System App is linked.
6) Reboot device.
Then the apps you have linked to your account will appear again in Your Apps of the Market after a few minutes. If they do not then install a new free app or a free app that you had previously installed and uninstalled and your apps should appear soon.
In my case I had used all proposed solutions with no luck and this was the only solid solution. I used TB Pro and Root Browser Lite to do this. You could probably use MyBackup for free (30 days trial) to do the same process but if you had this issues chances are that you already have an app that can unlink and link apps from the market.
I hope this sorts out your issue too
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This solution fixed the problem for me (for the time being). Thanks!!!

Vrayhem said:
...
3) Open any Root Explorer or Browser and locate and delete the file "market_assets.db" in "/data/data/com.android.vending/databases".
...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Strange ...
I could not find the "maket_assets.db" in the indicated folder.
Worse ! I could find the databases folder !

ledbrv said:
Strange ...
I could not find the "maket_assets.db" in the indicated folder.
Worse ! I could find the databases folder !
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is strange. Are you looking in the internal SD card? What rom are you running and which version of the Market you have installed?

Vrayhem said:
This is strange. Are you looking in the internal SD card? What rom are you running and which version of the Market you have installed?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am using Root Explorer. From "/" i navigate to "/data/data/com.android.vending/".
At that folder is see these sub-folders:
app_carrier_billing
app_sslcache
app_uri_url_map
cache
lib
But there is no databases sub-folder.
I am using DarkyROM 10.4.2 and Market version is 3.4.4.

@Vrayhem
I'm not sure yet but it seems to work.
I had too much disappointment to excite me too.
But thank you very much for your job.
@ledbrv
What root browser to you use?
If it is ES Explorer you can't search file in root system with it.
Choose "Root Browser Lite"
Bye

ledbrv said:
I am using Root Explorer. From "/" i navigate to "/data/data/com.android.vending/".
At that folder is see these sub-folders:
app_carrier_billing
app_sslcache
app_uri_url_map
cache
lib
But there is no databases sub-folder.
I am using DarkyROM 10.4.2 and Market version is 3.4.4.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You are missing the folders databases and shared_prefs then. What happens if you try to create an empty folder there called databases?
Alternatively you can search for the file "market_assets.db" to see where it is saved at. Root browser lite has both search and create new folder functions.

I use Root Explorer.
I created the "databases" folder under /data/data/com.android.vending/ and rebooted. Nothing happened. No files appeared inside databases. Then I "Force stop" and "Clear data" of Market app and reboot. After that databases folder disappears again.

ledbrv said:
I use Root Explorer.
I created the "databases" folder under /data/data/com.android.vending/ and rebooted. Nothing happened. No files appeared inside databases. Then I "Force stop" and "Clear data" of Market app and reboot. After that databases folder disappears again.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This can only be explained by the fact that you are using a custom rom which is probably based on a previous stock rom than the one we have or it has been modified to affect that part of the market.
I also had an Android Market account corruption where apps I never purchased or never downloaded appeared in my apps when I logged into my account on the PC. Some of those apps would appear under my Apps in the Market for a long time. What I did was flash the latest rom XLA4 with Mobile Odin Pro (to not lose root), flash the CF root kernel to restore CWM functionality, wipe internal sd card/apps/data/factory reset/dalvik cache, install all the apps I wanted through the Android Market account on my PC and then follow the procedure I mention in my first post here. Now (today in fact) I checked my Android Market account online and all the "fake" apps are gone, the duplicates are gone and everything is in place. Also the Market on my phone is working great with no issues and all the apps I linked are there.

Hi,
One day after the changes, the market on my phone is still working great with no issues.
Just a point, system applications are considered not installed.
It seems to me that before this kind of application was not in the list of installed applications on the market or unable to uninstall.
Could you tell me what you think about and if I have to do something?

mich0111 said:
Hi,
One day after the changes, the market on my phone is still working great with no issues.
Just a point, system applications are considered not installed.
It seems to me that before this kind of application was not in the list of installed applications on the market or unable to uninstall.
Could you tell me what you think about and if I have to do something?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
System applications should not appear in your apps unless you updated an app like Youtube or Maps at some point, so that it will give you the option to uninstall it. You probably added them with TB Pro when you linked the apps to the market as part of the solution. I haven't added them in my case and added only the apps I have installed/bought from the market myself. Therefore, they are not in the Not Installed section.
Some apps indeed do not have the option to be uninstalled (even apps I have bought myself) but it is rare and you can still uninstall them using TB Pro.

Tried this just now on a Galaxy Nexus with ICS 4.0.2 stock rom. (Should this work on this phone too?)
Only thing I did different is I left a couple system apps (like maps etc..) checked during the restore market links in Titanium Backup...
Could this be the problem? Also after deleting the database file and rebooting, I spent about 10+ mins deselecting system and amazon apps from the restore market links, before actually running it. Did it repopulate the database before ran the fix links option and screw things up?
I tried also clearing market data to see if that would help but i did this after this fix did not work. It didn't help either.

quick_ said:
Tried this just now on a Galaxy Nexus with ICS 4.0.2 stock rom. (Should this work on this phone too?)
Only thing I did different is I left a couple system apps (like maps etc..) checked during the restore market links in Titanium Backup...
Could this be the problem? Also after deleting the database file and rebooting, I spent about 10+ mins deselecting system and amazon apps from the restore market links, before actually running it. Did it repopulate the database before ran the fix links option and screw things up?
I tried also clearing market data to see if that would help but i did this after this fix did not work. It didn't help either.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I do not know if this fix will work with ICS. You can try it again only adding apps you actually purchased or installed free through the Market to see if that was the issue.

Vrayhem said:
I do not know if this fix will work with ICS. You can try it again only adding apps you actually purchased or installed free through the Market to see if that was the issue.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks. I did try it again like you mention and still no luck. I did however do a complete wipe and reinstalled the stock rom. Initially the market was working, until I restored user apps with data with titanium backup, then immediately I was back to the same problem.
So like you said initially, its definitely related to Titanium Backup.
Thanks,

Vrayhem,
Thank you so much for posting this solution.
I followed your instructions carefully on my fully rooted OEM Rom Atrix 2, but it did not work for me the first time. However, I performed them again, only this time, for each and every one of the reboots (I rebooted using Quick Boot ver.4.1), on the way back up I booted back up into recovery, and wiped the cache. I am not sure how that could have made a difference, but it appears to have been necessary in my case. I have not installed a custom ROM yet (was waiting for bootloader unlocking, but it's not hopeful, so I'll be using some other method).
Motorola Atrix 2
Model MB865
Market ver.3.4.4
Root Explorer ver.2.17.2
Quick Boot ver.4.1
Titanium BU Pro ver.4.7.5
System ver. 55.11.16.MB865.ATT.en.US
Android OS v.2.3.5
Kernel 2.6.35.7-gac99e44
[email protected] #1
Build Number 5.5.1-175_EDFFW1-16
======UPDATE======
Well, it worked for a few days. Somehow, it broke again on it's own. I had not messed with any market links or anything. Didn't flash anything, and didn't even muddle with any system files. Just flat out, unprovoked, snafu for no apparent reason.
meh.

Does this work across devices?
Sent from my Triumph using XDA App

This is very frustrating because I am having this happen more and more on different roms and even before installing titanium backup. The fix discussed here did not fix mine either. Sucks because it is only on some roms and not others.

Samsung A20 Stock ROM, No Root - Package Installer Issue, Cant Install APKs

This is my moms phone first off, she got it used from my sister. When she got it it had been factory reset but since my sister forgot her PIN part of setting the phone up for her was to log in with my sisters old information first to make sure it wasnt stolen. I mention this in case that might have had some bearing on anything.
The issue is when trying to sideload apps onto the phone and you tap on an APK file it comes up with the Text, Image, Video, Other popup as if you tapped on Open File As. Its as though the Android Package Installer thats built in isnt associated with APK files kinda like youd have file associations in Windows. As a temporary workaround I have gone and grabbed a third party APK installer app off the Play Store but that still isnt ideal as to install anything you have to go through that app then.
She has ES File Explorer installed and even tapn hold on an APK and using ES's Install option it uses the built in Package Installer so it doesnt work. Oh and Unknown Sources is of course enabled.
I would like to fix this without completely reinstalling the entire ROM with ODIN if I can help it or completely factory resetting the phone again.