Database Users

[HOWTO] Backup and Restore the System Software

The recently posted rooting method for the KFHD has been great for owners to get started on modifying the device to suit their own tastes. However, I've been a little concerned about everybody jumping in without a safety net in place. There are numerous ways that this device can get bricked. Not to put all of you into a panic, but just getting an eventual OTA update from Amazon might put some of these rooted KFHDs in jeopardy. With no custom recovery on the horizon, I think it's important to have some backup/restore plan to get these devices booting again.
Overview
This backup plan involves making raw data clones of all critical storage partitions required to boot the device. These backup archives can then be stored somewhere off the device. In case of some critical failure that prevents the device from booting normally, these archives can be used to get the device booting normally again. The restore procedure requires the use of fastboot to write the backup archives back to their proper partitions. The use of fastboot requires a working bootloader, so the device will need to boot to the bootloader's bootlogo at a minimum. If the device has a broken bootloader, this guide will not be helpful. There's currently no working procedure for repairing a broken bootloader on the 2nd generation Kindle Fire devices.
To be clear, this guide is not a backup/restore plan for your data. This is strictly for backing up the system software while in a bootable state and recovering it if some modification bricks the device. This procedure has been tested on a KFHD with system software version 7.1.1. Although I have not tested it, I'm nearly certain it will work just fine on version 7.1.5. If the KF2 has the same partition layout as the KFHD, there's no reason why it shouldn't work for that device as well. Check the post on KFHD partitions for details.
Warning: Everything below is inherently dangerous and can potentially brick your device if they are not executed properly. I have tested various aspects to the best of my ability, but you assume all responsibility for performing any of these steps.
Backup
Attached is a small shell script written to do the following…
Make a "kindlebackups" directory in /sdcard (if necessary) and make it user read/writeable.
Create gzipped backup archives of partitions 1 through 11. This includes all partitions except /cache and /data.
Make all archive files user read/writeable.
The entire backup (stock) takes up approximately 550 MB, so be sure to have at least that much available in /sdcard. Root privileges are required for the script to run properly. The best time to use this script is after step two of the published rooting procedure. That's after the second reboot of the process when the device boots up in emulation mode and allows root access for the first time. At this point, the system partition is completely stock and has not been exposed to any modifications. Even if you are past this point, the backups will still be useful for any bootable state that allows root privileges.
Download the script, unzip and place it into your current working directory where you still have access to adb, then run the following adb commands to copy the script to the Kindle Fire and prepare it to be executed...
Code:
adb push backup.sh /data/local/backup.sh
adb shell chmod 777 /data/local/backup.sh
If the device is in the process of being rooted and it has just finished rebooting for the second time...
Code:
adb shell /data/local/backup.sh
If the device has already been rooted and the su binary is available on the system...
Code:
adb shell su -c "/data/local/backup.sh"
The entire process should take approximately 5 minutes. Once the script has completed the backup, access the Kindle Fire's storage area from your computer, then copy the contents of the "kindlebackups" folder to it. The "kindlebackups" folder may be deleted after transferring to your computer.
Restore
To begin the restore procedure, the device must be put into fastboot mode. My factory cable did the job for me, so I have not explored the possibility of changing bootmodes. I developed this guide on a borrowed KFHD and I do not intend to risk the device more than necessary. Unless someone comes forward with a procedure to change bootmodes into and out of fastboot mode, I'm going to say that a factory cable is required for the time being. Besides, based on my experience with the original Kindle Fire, a broken system almost always means there is no way to change the bootmode through it. Since this procedure will very likely be used on a device that cannot boot completely or otherwise has a bad system, a factory cable will probably be the only way into fastboot mode. If you plan to root or modify your system software, invest in a factory cable.
Use the factory cable (with the device turned off, plug into the device, then the computer) to get to fastboot mode. If successful, a "fastboot" logo will take the place of the original "kindle fire" logo.
Decompress the gzipped archive to be flashed… Linux users have gunzip, Mac OS X users also have gunzip and a built-in GUI utility, and Windows users can use 7-zip. The archive must be decompressed before flashing. Skipping this step will brick your device.
Flash the image file(s) back to the device. In most cases, the device will just have to get a working system partition flashed back to it, but the others are available if they are needed. To flash the system partition...
Code:
fastboot -i 0x1949 flash system system.img
- Optionally erase the cache and/or userdata partitions if the contents of either interfere with the operation of the system software. The system will rebuild them on reboot…
Code:
fastboot -i 0x1949 erase cache
fastboot -i 0x1949 erase userdata
Once the process is complete, long-press the power button (~20 seconds) until it powers down, unplug the factory cable, and power the device back up.
Good luck.

Thanks kinfauns. I appreciate everything you did for the original kindle fire. This should help a lot of people.
Sent from my Kindle Fire

My kindles /system directory is already screwed. Do you have a system.img file I can use?
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda app-developers app

When i boot my kindle fire hd to fastboot (by factory cable) and connect it to pc, pc can't recognize kindle, it don't have driver for it.

Could anybody post his clean backup here? Screwed my kindle, want go back to stock. Backup is only way.

Copying kindlebackup folder
Thanks for the script - the backup procedure was smooth -
I couldnt find the kindlebackups folder while browsing through my PC and for others like me who wonder how to take these out of your KFHD, here is a simple way - I used a program called Wondershare MObilego (Manage SDcard option under more tools) Backing up was a cakewalk.
I have no affiliation to this tool maker - Just sharing a way that helped a n00b like me. (First rooting experience)

Thanks for the efforts!
BTW, will a backup from a clean device work for other devices instead of the same one which the backup was created from? Just wondering if people who have already fiddled around their root devices can get a fresh start.

vuhai6 said:
When i boot my kindle fire hd to fastboot (by factory cable) and connect it to pc, pc can't recognize kindle, it don't have driver for it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't know if anybody has packaged the device drivers set up for this device. If nothing else, you can get the device driver installer in the "Kindle Fire Utility" for the original KF and use that. You just have to change the PID from 0006 to 0007 before installing it and should work. Refer to this post if you still have problems...
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=23747671&postcount=2
for device driver information. Again, written for the original KF, but the process for installing device drivers is the same. Only the PID is slightly different and that should get edited in the INF before installation.
ceebu said:
Thanks for the script - the backup procedure was smooth -
I couldnt find the kindlebackups folder while browsing through my PC and for others like me who wonder how to take these out of your KFHD, here is a simple way - I used a program called Wondershare MObilego (Manage SDcard option under more tools) Backing up was a cakewalk.
I have no affiliation to this tool maker - Just sharing a way that helped a n00b like me. (First rooting experience)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Glad to hear it worked out for you. I am not familiar with that program, but the KFHD should connect automatically to a Windows device as external storage... does it not?
dreamcryer said:
Thanks for the efforts!
BTW, will a backup from a clean device work for other devices instead of the same one which the backup was created from? Just wondering if people who have already fiddled around their root devices can get a fresh start.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have not tested this and don't have a way to do so. I have some concerns about it, but I'm sure someone desperate enough will jump in and try it out. I know it's too late for some, but my suggestion is for everybody to make a backup if you can and not rely on someone else to give you archives after the fact. It's better to have your own backups.

Not recognized
My kindle is also not recognized when plugged in

kinfauns said:
I don't know if anybody has packaged the device drivers set up for this device. If nothing else, you can get the device driver installer in the "Kindle Fire Utility" for the original KF and use that. You just have to change the PID from 0006 to 0007 before installing it and should work. Refer to this post if you still have problems...
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=23747671&postcount=2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
But pc don't recognize as Kindle, it as Tate-PVT-08 (sorry, i use mac cho screenshot, but windows too)

vuhai6 said:
But pc don't recognize as Kindle, it as Tate-PVT-08 (sorry, i use mac cho screenshot, but windows too)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I know that the vendor id is correct.
Sent from my Kindle Fire

kinfauns said:
Glad to hear it worked out for you. I am not familiar with that program, but the KFHD should connect automatically to a Windows device as external storage... does it not?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was only able to see the contents of /sdcard using windows...
Sent from my GT-I9100 using xda app-developers app

cesdev89 said:
My kindle is also not recognized when plugged in
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Then you're first going to have problems getting root privileges. You need to get adb working before you attempt any part of rooting or backing up with this procedure.
vuhai6 said:
But pc don't recognize as Kindle, it as Tate-PVT-08 (sorry, i use mac cho screenshot, but windows too)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is the correct "product" reported by the KFHD. This and the product ID (0007) are the only differences between the KFHD and the original when it comes to installing the device drivers on Windows.
ceebu said:
I was only able to see the contents of /sdcard using windows...
Sent from my GT-I9100 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
/data/media and /sdcard are essentially the same thing (see the second post in this thread for an explanation of why this is the case). You should have seen kindlebackups in that directory.

kinfauns said:
You should have seen kindlebackups in that directory.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
For some reason I didn't see it there, on hindsight I guess I panicked a bit (n00b) and fell back to the solution I already had.. (been using mobilego to manage my sgs2)..
Sent from my GT-I9100 using xda premium

kinfauns said:
I don't know if anybody has packaged the device drivers set up for this device. If nothing else, you can get the device driver installer in the "Kindle Fire Utility" for the original KF and use that. You just have to change the PID from 0006 to 0007 before installing it and should work. Refer to this post if you still have problems...
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=23747671&postcount=2
for device driver information. Again, written for the original KF, but the process for installing device drivers is the same. Only the PID is slightly different and that should get edited in the INF before installation.
Glad to hear it worked out for you. I am not familiar with that program, but the KFHD should connect automatically to a Windows device as external storage... does it not?
I have not tested this and don't have a way to do so. I have some concerns about it, but I'm sure someone desperate enough will jump in and try it out. I know it's too late for some, but my suggestion is for everybody to make a backup if you can and not rely on someone else to give you archives after the fact. It's better to have your own backups.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm ready to try

Didn't show at first
Kindlebackups showed up in root browser right away, but didn't show on PC until I rebooted KF2. So now should
I decompress and put in folder containing ADB?

Yuretz said:
Could anybody post his clean backup here? Screwed my kindle, want go back to stock. Backup is only way.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I got the same situation, could anyone kindly help to provide a backup?

Same here ... just need the system image ... Please

I'd appreciate it if everybody would refrain from making this a "beg for a system image" thread.
strat6 said:
Kindlebackups showed up in root browser right away, but didn't show on PC until I rebooted KF2. So now should
I decompress and put in folder containing ADB?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can put the the images wherever you want, but you'll need to specify the path to the file. For example, if you are using Windows and put the kindlebackups directory on C:, you just need to modify the command to...
Code:
fastboot -i 0x1949 flash system C:\kindlebackups\system.img

Thank you for posting how to do this. It opens a lot of doors with at least a little security.
I made a backup earlier without a problem, then went ahead and made myself a factory cable(easy to do and worked great- old asus usb cable, 1k resistor, soldering iron, shrink tape and voila!). I feel much better about doing any mods to this device now knowing I can just flash my backup.

[Q] can i recover files on nexus 7

i moved file via mtp mode，because copy/paste is so slow while you have so many files(I move about 5 or 6 files/directory every ) But
while i Move 2 or 3 times, all files on nexus 7 disappeared. Indeed I only moved about a half files, there should be many files left on nexus 7.too weird. after this action I lost many photos. The nexus 7 has no files. Photos doesn't exist my computer too.
I know if nexus 7 could mount as USB mass storage I can recovery files through recovery software like recuva, But I didn't very familiar with this device and I didn't find a solution to mount nexus 7 as USB storage on the Web.
So I want to ask is there a method to recovery files through some file recovery software or some other method. please help me, this nexus 7 is my friend's.

You could try to do a image backup of your /sdcard and loop mount it later on your PC. Then you have something like a virtual disk where you could run some photo recovery programs. I wrote / am still writing a program which is able to back up the partitions of your device directly to the PC. You might want to have a look at http://anddisa.tk. It's still in alpha/beta state, but the backup functions are working.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda app-developers app

thannnk you
thannnk you very much.AndDiSa
Is it art.jar(0.2), which on your site, which can make a full image backup.
It seems can't run on windows,I will try it after I installed a linux client on virtualbox. I will rely if it works
but I wonder whether nexus7 could connected through virtual machine.

It should work in Windows, too, but I didn't check yet. Have a look at art.sh, which is a wrapper to start the java program. The Windows .cmd file should be similar. For starting the application, open a command shell and then
art.cmd ...
Be sure to have java 1.6 / 1.7 installed and a working adb environment. Good luck!
BTW. as soon as I find some time I will write the windows wrapper and test it on Windows.
Edit: I've added a windows wrapper file which can be downloaded from http://anddisa.tk
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda app-developers app

I tried many times arguments of ART.cmd, but don't work. like:
art.jar -backup -i -bd /backups -tsf yyyy-MM-dd-hh-mm UDA or RECOVERY or CACHE or userdata...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
always show "unknown partition name for device: XXX.
if without type the last argument. like
art.jar -backup -i -bd /backups -tsf yyyy-MM-dd-hh-mm
it will show no errors, but the programe will terminated, and i can't get any image file also.

Could you try to call
art.cmd -info
it will print you some device informations and also the partitions known for the device connected.
Btw.: do you have grouper or talipa? Only grouper partitions are build in, otherwise you need to pass a pif as parameter.

How can I access & write to my /data partition

Hi,
My tablet was having some issues yesterday and wouldn't turn on, so I managed to do a factory reset, planning on restoring everything from Titanium Backup (from my TWRP backup), however, when I look at my TWRP Backup in TiBu, there doesn't seem to be anything there?
However, when I copy the data.win file to my computer and extract it, I can see all the files and I would like to try and copy some of the saves back to my data partition, however, I can't seem to find a way to find it or write to it?
Any ideas?
Stewart

There are many possibilities, on of them:
- boot Nexus 7 into recovery mode
- connect the Nexus 7 with USB to you PC
- mount /data in recovery
- adb push the files / directories you want to restore to the /data partition
- ...
There is only one problem: as you have done a factory reset / wipe the corresponding apps are no longer installed and even if you install them again,they will get a different uid so that the restored data is no longer accessible to them. Probably fix_permissions can help in that situations, but I didn't try yet.

AndDiSa said:
There are many possibilities, on of them:
- boot Nexus 7 into recovery mode
- connect the Nexus 7 with USB to you PC
- mount /data in recovery
- adb push the files / directories you want to restore to the /data partition
- ...
There is only one problem: as you have done a factory reset / wipe the corresponding apps are no longer installed and even if you install them again,they will get a different uid so that the restored data is no longer accessible to them. Probably fix_permissions can help in that situations, but I didn't try yet.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ah ok, that sucks!
Is there not anyway I can use an Android based GUI tool to copy the files from my SDCard to /data.
I am not the best with adb, but I imagine the command would be "./adb push <insert file name here> /data/com.bigideas.swys/files", would that work?
Cheers
Stewart

Yes, that should work. Unfortunately I don't know any tool providing the functionality you are looking for.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda app-developers app

Ummm... how about you restore it in TWRP like you're supposed to?
Sent from my SGH-I777 using xda premium

TWRP should work, too, but if I remember well, the USB id is different, so you might get problems with adb if you do not have the correct driver installed.
To push a file to the device:
- unzip/untar data.win on your PC
- boot device to recovery
- on PC cmd-line:
- adb shell mount /data
- adb push <file_or_dir_to_push> /data/
But as I said, most likely it's not enough ...
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda app-developers app

korockinout13 said:
Ummm... how about you restore it in TWRP like you're supposed to?
Sent from my SGH-I777 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Because that caused it to stop booting like it did when it first powered off!
Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 2

StuMcBill said:
Because that caused it to stop booting like it did when it first powered off!
Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The data.win file is just a tar archive. You can extract whatever you want, although there are a couple caveats:
- the .tar archives seem to be absolutely rooted (e.g. /foo/bar instead of ./foo/bar) so you might need to fool with -C or other tar command line options to get the result you are after.
- while you certainly could use 7-zip or similar to unpack the archive and cherry pick whatever you want on a Windoze box, you probably ought to do offline unpacking using Linux so you don't lose file permission settings. An alternative would be to unpack on the device itself to someplace such as /data/local/tmp using your preferred terminal emulator (or adb command line) and busybox combination. Then you can adjust ownership via "chmod -r" as needed and "mv" to move your cherry picks into place. Note you also need to pay attention to /data/app-lib/* in addition to /data/data/* and /data/app/* cherry picks.
- To reiterate about file ownership, probably what you should do is install only the .apks you want first, and then after rebooting, note the assigned user/group IDs chosen for each app install, and change the restored /data/data/* and /data/app-lib/* files to that uid.
Confused? Well, you asked. Look up a decent Linux administration guide for clarification.
good luck

[Q] Desperate need some help, failure updating 4.4

my nexus 4 was rooted with 4.3 but then i decide to upgrade to 4.4
this is the video i am trying to follow, basically just wipe & install which i did most the time.
youtube title "NEXUS 4: HOW TO MANUALLY UPDATE TO ANDROID 4.4 KITKAT"
it has two files one is mako and one is gapp.
after i did all the wiping in cwm and try to install the mako file, it shows "no file context" or sth similar, and installation is abort (i think there is problem when i transfer the file), but then i continue to install the gapp file (what the hell was i thinking?)
so now i am stuck in the google start up loop, i can only access cwm recovery mode and don't have a valid rom to install in my sdcard.
i tried to adb push another rom to the sdcard with no success (my storage was already very low, any way to remove files in the storage at this point?)
the "mount & storage" also doesn't seem to let me mount the sdcard (but system shows up "unmount").
so now i don't know what to do.
if anything has any idea or suggestion please let us know.
i am quite desperate now with a dead phone and will try anything.
thanks for reading such a long thread.

Dude that vid is old and it installs pa or some other port just flash factory images from google
Sent from my F1 using xda app-developers app

try to sideload a zip with ADB in recovery. no need to copy to your internal storage.
also try to connect with adb shell, then you can delete some files manual with rm.

Frickelpit said:
try to sideload a zip with ADB in recovery. no need to copy to your internal storage.
also try to connect with adb shell, then you can delete some files manual with rm.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
any step by step guide to do this?
i am still new to this thing even i install a few roms before.
i will google it now, but any additional info is much appreciate.
thanks

Frickelpit said:
try to sideload a zip with ADB in recovery. no need to copy to your internal storage.
also try to connect with adb shell, then you can delete some files manual with rm.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
frustrated..
i can't seem to get my windows to recogize the device (when i type adb devices, it shows an empty list)
already try trouble shooting this for a long time with no result.
any idea?

telly0050 said:
frustrated..
i can't seem to get my windows to recogize the device (when i type adb devices, it shows an empty list)
already try trouble shooting this for a long time with no result.
any idea?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
after tons of troubleshooting finally got it back to work.
it ends up the reason is i didn't update to the latest cwm at the very beginning.
and sideloading 4.4 didn't work because of that too, i have to install an old 4.2 to have it working.

[Tutorial] LG Gpad v410 5.1 to 4.4 downgrade, root, & internal storage fix.

EDIT: If you are coming here for the first time, this guide should still work, but @PorygonZRocks has created a flashable zip that should deal with a lot of these issues automatically. You can check out his post here:
https://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=75787067&postcount=699
This method will indirectly allow you to root the LG Gpad v410 after it has been upgraded to Lollipop 5.1.1. Yes. Rooting LG v410 Lollipop. It's through a downgrade, but it works.
It took a while to get working, but here's how I did it. The process is straightforward, but the details matter greatly. You will brick your device if you mess up. Please read everything *first* before you do anything. Be sure you understand the process. I'll try to explain what's going on along the way.
An external SD card is extremely helpful for this process. You *could* adb push everything, but that will tedious.
First, you need some files.
The 4.4.2 KDZ which is a TEST OS, but it can be rooted and it downgrades to a Bump'able bootlaoder:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/g-pad-10/general/kdz-lg-g-pad-7-0-v410-t3224867
The LG 2014 Flash Tool:
http://www.mediafire.com/download/fwrcd3pdj0svjtb/LG_Flash_Tool_2014.zip
Android LG Drivers:
https://www.androidfilehost.com/?fid=24052804347802528
Parted for Android. You can probably find it other places, but I found this file:https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/84115590/LG%20G2%2016GB%20Solution/sdparted-recovery-all-files.zip
EDIT: There seems to be a lot of confusion here. My bad. All you need is the file named "parted" from this zip file - nothing else. Just put that one file in the root of your external SD card.
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/84115590/LG G2 16GB Solution/sdparted-recovery-all-files.zip linked from here: http://www.**********.com/your-32gb-lg-g2-shows-only-16gb-storage-space-heres-the-fix/
EDIT2: The dropbox link is down. I've attached the file directly.
The Candy5 ROM (This will potentially save you some manual steps. Somewhat optional, but highly recommended):
http://forum.xda-developers.com/g-pad-10/development/rom-candy5-g-pad-v410-lollipop-5-1-1-v2-t3111987
Flashify APK:
http://www.apkmirror.com/apk/christian-gollner/flashify/flashify-1-9-1-android-apk-download/
TWRP for the v410:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/g-pad-10/development/recovery-twrp2-8-5-0lgv400-410-t3049568
LG One Click Root:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/lg-g3/general/guide-root-lg-firmwares-kitkat-lollipop-t3056951
(You may use Purple Drake or whatever else you want. They all use the same root script as this does and the GUI is helpful for novices.)
Android SDK (specifically adb.exe. After installing go to SDK Manager and ensure that Android SDK Platform Tools is checked):
http://developer.android.com/sdk/index.html
For clarification below, when I have commands in "quotes" they are Windows commands. When they are in `backticks` they are commands that you run inside of ADB which actually run on your device....as root. Root can screw things up. Please be extra cautious. If you blame me for messing up your device I will laugh at you. But that's not gonna happen, right? Good. Let's go.
Now that you have everything, put it all into a folder where you can access it easily.
Install the LG Drivers.
Install Android SDK (or otherwise get adb.exe).
Extract all of the archives.
Move the KDZ to the LG Flash Tool 2014 folder.
Put the tablet into Download Mode by powering it off, holding VolUp, and plugging in the USB cable. Press VolUP when instructed. You must be in Download mode before continuing.
Run LGFlashTool2014.exe. Select the KDZ file. Click "CSE Flash". Click "Start". Select "English" and click OK. Do not change anything else.
WAIT for the flash to continue. If you really want to brick your device, here's a good opportunity.
The device will reboot into Android 4.4.2. You will only have 4GB of internal storage at this point. DON'T PANIC! We are fixing it.
Enable USB debugging.
Connect the device.
Install and run LG One Click Root. Wait for the device to be rooted before proceeding.
Copy the Flashify apk, TWRP image, and Candy5 ROM to your external SD card.
Install Flashify and flash TWRP to the recovery partition.
Use the Flashify menu to reboot in to recovery.
DON'T PANIC! You will get white vertical lines on the boot screen from now on. They only show up during boot animations. A small price to pay. This may be fixed at a later date. for the time being! Thanks to marcsoup's first post ever, we have a fix! Details below. PLEASE click this link and thank him!
Things get tricky here. Copy parted to your external SD card and then run "adb shell" from Windows to get a shell in TWRP.
In TWRP, unmount /data by tapping Mount > uncheck Data.
`cp /sdcard/parted /sbin/` This copies the parted binary to /sbin so it can be executed in the path. I had trouble running `/sdcard/parted`, but YMMV.
`chmod +x /sbin/parted` Make it executable.
`parted /dev/block/mmcblk0` Run parted against the internal mmc
`p` Prints the partition table.
`rm 34` Deletes partition 34 labeled "grow". This is the root of our problem. The KDZ apparently only creates a 4GB partition, I assume so the test build has maximum compatibility with all sized devices.
`rm 33` Deletes partition 33 "userdata"
`p` Print to verify
`mkpartfs` Create a partition and put a filesystem on it. If we only expand the partition it won't help us because the filesystem is still only 4 GB.
a) name: userdata
b) type: ext2 (the tool only supports ext2. This is ok for now.)
c) start: 3439MB (the end of part 32. IT MAY BE DIFFERENT FOR YOU!) Be sure you do not omit the MB part otherwise the offset will overwrite another critical partition.
d) end: 15.8GB (where "grow" ended above. IT MAY BE DIFFERENT FOR YOU!) Be sure you do not omit the GB part otherwise the offset will overwrite another critical partition.
`p` Verify. For me it did not name the partition properly. Gotta fix that.
(if necessary) `name 33 userdata` This is critical for mount to find it in /dev/block/platform/msm.sdcc.1/by-name/ on some/all ROMS.
`p`. Verify one last time. Compare it to my partition table in the attachments. If you want to brick, delete some random partitions here.
Flash Candy5 with TWRP. It's only 239 MB, so it will flash quickly. I do this because Candy5 will reformat mmcblk0p33 from ext2 to ext4 for you. It does this as part of it's system boot, apparently. If you install a different ROM that does not do this, you can reformat it by running `make_ext4fs /dev/block/mmcblk0p33`. If your ROM does not have make_ext4, it likely has some differnt method to make an EXT4 filesystem. `/system/bin/mke2fs -t ext4 /dev/block/mmcblk0p33` may work better. Just flash Candy5 and be done with it.
Tap Wipe > Swipe to Factory Reset.
Tap Reboot > System.
WAIT!!! It will take a minute for the ROM to start the first time. You will have white lines and and possibly a white screen. WAIT. It's moving the DEX files to cache, formatting a partition, creating default folders on the internal storage, and several other things. WAIT! When the screen goes dim or turns off then it's ready.
Cycle the display or turn it on. You should be at the Candy5 lock screen.
USB debugging is on by default. Run "adb shell".
`mount | grep userdata` Make sure mmcblk0p33 is mounted.
`df` Make sure /data is 11.3 GB (or whatever size it is on non-16GB devices).
HELL YEAH, you downgraded, rooted, and fixed the partition problem. Enjoy your tablet!
Thanks to dopekid313 for finding the KDZ.
Thanks to timmytim for Candy5.
Thanks to the creators of the root script, flashify, TWRP, and XDA for being so awesome.
Thanks to marcsoup for fixing a fix to the white lines.
Thanks to navin56 for the partition dumps. PLEASE thank his post!
White lines fix.
What we are going to do is flash the aboot partition with the stock image provided by navin56. I've removed the extra files from the dump, so simply download aboot.img.7z below. Unzip it using 7zip.
These commands are to be run in TWRP. Reboot to TWRP recovery and connect with "adb shell". All of the following commands will be run in ADB under TWRP. If you cannot figure out how to get here, please post in the thread and someone will help you. Onward:
If you do everything correctly then you don't have to reflash your ROM and you won't lose data. This process can be done any time after flashing the KDZ, even before you follow the steps above to resize the userdata partition. It's a completely separate process.
Unzip aboot.img.7z so you have the file named aboot.img. You should also make sure that aboot.img's MD5 sum is e97431a14d1cee3e9edba513be8e2b52. Do not flash the 7z file. Please.
Copy aboot.img to your external SD card. It should live at /sdcard/aboot.img
Boot to TWRP and run "adb shell"
`ls -al /dev/block/platform/msm_sdcc.1/by-name/` Let's make sure we are flashing the right partition. On my device "aboot" is /dev/block/mmcblk0p6. You should verify this on your device or you WILL brick your tablet.
`dd if=/dev/block/mmcblk0p6 of=/sdcard/aboot-fukt.img` Let's back up our current aboot partition before we go flashing things just in case there are unintended consequences later. Be sure you have the same partition that "aboot" referred to in the 4th step or you have just backed up the wrong partition.
`dd if=/sdcard/aboot.img of=/dev/block/mmcblk0p6` Be sure the file exists, is the correct aboot.img, and you are flashing the right partition. You have been warned!!
Reboot TWRP and enjoy your boot animations again.
If I missed anything, please let me know. As far as I know this is the very first tutorial that details what is necessary to accomplish this. Please hit the Thanks button on every thread that you visit to download files!
FAQ:
Q: Why do I only have 11.3 GB of space when my device is 16GB?
A: The entire internal SD card (eMMC) is 16 GB. Gotta have someplace to install the bootloader, recovery, android, the modem OS, the secondary bootloader, the cache, the resource and power manager, and all of the other partitions necessary for the table to operate. Please look at the second screenshot in the OP. All of those 33 partitions take up room on the internal card. Fortunately ALL of those partitions ONLY take up about 4.4 GB. Hence the 'userdata' partition is ~11.3 GB.

If anyone wants to use my work to create a flashable zip to make it easier for novices, please do so. My problem is solved and I don't have the time to create the zip. Please post any questions and I'll gladly answer them! I'm so stoked that we have a usable downgrade method now!

Thank You, Worked Great

Thanks for making this I was gonna do it but was to lazy lol and thanks for linking my thread and giving cred instead of just linking straight to the kdz thank you

grandamle91 said:
Thank You, Worked Great
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Glad to be of help!
dopekid313 said:
Thanks for making this I was gonna do it but was to lazy lol and thanks for linking my thread and giving cred instead of just linking straight to the kdz thank you
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Of course! If you hadn't obtained the firmware then we'd all still be looking for a solution. It pisses me off to no end when people try to take credit for other people's work. We all just need to realize and acknowledge that we are simply standing on the shoulders of those who did the work necessary for each of us to do our work.

I just noticed since we formatted the userdata it screws up TWRP. It won't mount Data and it says the settings are corrupted

grandamle91 said:
I just noticed since we formatted the userdata it screws up TWRP. It won't mount Data and it says the settings are corrupted
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Is this after you've rebooted into Candy5 and the partition is reformatted as ext4 (or you've done so manually)? TWRP may not be able to mount an ext2 partition.
EDIT: I just tested this. Following my instructions and flashing to Candy5, TWRP sees mmcblk0p33 (userdata) as the full size and mounts it at /emmc.
For clarification, after you run the parted commands, it will mess with the partition table and TWRP will most likely not be able to see it to remount it - at least not until after a reboot. This is why you need an external SD card from which to install ROMs.

/data not mounted
Edit: nevermind. The partition 33 was still ext2. I had to run make_ext4fs /dev/block/mmcblk0p33 and now I am able to mount /data. Thanks.
Thanks for taking the time to help us.
I followed the steps and till 33 I am good. But once I am in Candy5, I am not able to adb shell (adb not recognizing device eventhough usb debugging is on). I rebooted to recovery and adb works there. But my /data partition is not enabled in TWRP. I am not able to check it either under Mount in TWRP.
Code:
mount | grep userdata
is empty
Code:
df
does not show data

I tried this and my tablet bootlooped. I was able to get into fastboot and restore. I would GREATLY appreciate it if someone who has the time, would kindly donate their valuable time to into making an exe zip or something.

gridironbear said:
I tried this and my tablet bootlooped. I was able to get into fastboot and restore. I would GREATLY appreciate it if someone who has the time, would kindly donate their valuable time to into making an exe zip or something.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
At what point did it bootloop? What was the last step that you took before rebooting?

Zip
I would really appreciate a zip file as I have never been savvy with adb and for whatever reason it doesn't want to work on Windows 10.

drumm3rb0y said:
I would really appreciate a zip file as I have never been savvy with adb and for whatever reason it doesn't want to work on Windows 10.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
A zip file for what part? The only part that requires ADB directly is to fix the internal storage. You absolutely have to flash the KDZ and then root before you can do anything. If you are on 5.x then you have no possible way to root, much less flash a zip file.
If you tell me what exactly you are having issues with I will try to help.

fatbas202 said:
A zip file for what part? The only part that requires ADB directly is to fix the internal storage. You absolutely have to flash the KDZ and then root before you can do anything. If you are on 5.x then you have no possible way to root, much less flash a zip file.
If you tell me what exactly you are having issues with I will try to help.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The adb part is the part im having issue with. Everything else is flashed already. I was wondering if you could make a zip for the adb part so I can just flash it through twrp.

thanks for the great help. it did work perfectly to regain the lost space.
what about white lines ? is there any solution for that problem ?
I have tried flashing back stock recovery extracted from kdz, dd' but didn't help.
Now i am thinking of flashing back the aboot.bin extracted from original kdz or i can dump ".img" from another working device. (i have 4 similar devices)
what is your opinion i m not a developer and i need your advise. should i go ahead and which partition should i dd ? aboot or abootb or boot ?
regards

shahidmianoor said:
thanks for the great help. it did work perfectly to regain the lost space.
what about white lines ? is there any solution for that problem ?
I have tried flashing back stock recovery extracted from kdz, dd' but didn't help.
Now i am thinking of flashing back the aboot.bin extracted from original kdz or i can dump ".img" from another working device. (i have 4 similar devices)
what is your opinion i m not a developer and i need your advise. should i go ahead and which partition should i dd ? aboot or abootb or boot ?
regards
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have no solid evidence of this, but I suspect that the white lines are caused by a display driver issue where when the bootloader hands over control of the display to the kernel it doesn't get reinitialized properly. I have no ideas as to how to get rid of that at the moment but if I stumble across something I'll be sure to post here.
While I'm not an Android developer, I've been a Linux admin for 10+ years and have a lot of experience with Android devices. I'd be really hesitant to go flashing things ad hoc. While Download Mode may save you if you flash the wrong thing, I'm not entirely sure what the limitations that you may run in to with a locked bootloader are.
After having this device for months on 5.x and FINALLY being able to downgrade and run custom ROMs with root, not seeing a boot animation is a pittance to pay. But I'll keep looking.

i have same problem entered in TWRP but when ADB sheel thorough DP tools it didn't connect to my device. i m also using windows 10

Do I need to Re-mount Data ? I press format data button at TWRP and mount data. It looks work great.
After all process, it shows 16Gb total at storage, 11.04GB available. it works perfectly.
I need the stock V41010d, so I reflash the stock rom rooted at [ROM][STOCK](V410 ONLY)KOT49I.V4101d | 4.4.2 | Rooted + Busybox
Now, my Gpad is at stock V41010d, but I have a question about the boot screen, is it still with white lines and white screen? Any method to fix it?

Hello,
Thanks for the great work. unfortunately I am facing some difficulty, starting from step# 16 "Things get tricky here", how to run"adb shell in TWRP?
also can I use minimal_adb_fastboot_v1.1.3_setup.exe as mentioned in the link in the OP http://www.droidviews.com/your-32gb-lg-g2-shows-only-16gb-storage-space-heres-the-fix/ ?
also I noticed the path have been used includes 'parted' folder, but the folder I have after unzipping the parted zip called 'sdparted-recovery-all-files', do I rename the folder to 'parted' instead?
please help and excuse my broken English.

I'm also having trouble with the adb shell step. When my device is powered on normally, adb commands work. However, in TWRP mode my computer can't recognize the tablet, mount properly, and copy over parted. All the steps have been identical to this point. Any ideas?

iphone5sf said:
Do I need to Re-mount Data ? I press format data button at TWRP and mount data. It looks work great.
After all process, it shows 16Gb total at storage, 11.04GB available. it works perfectly.
I need the stock V41010d, so I reflash the stock rom rooted at [ROM][STOCK](V410 ONLY)KOT49I.V4101d | 4.4.2 | Rooted + Busybox
Now, my Gpad is at stock V41010d, but I have a question about the boot screen, is it still with white lines and white screen? Any method to fix it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You shouldn't need to remount or format data. The parted command nukes the filesystem and creates a new one formatted as ext2. At this point the running kernel has the old partition table loaded and won't know that the partition has been extended. Simply flash Candy5 and reboot at this point and it will reformat the userdata partition.
See above for the white lines during the boot animation. Known issue, no fix in sight, doesn't really matter.
nmnm4alll said:
Hello,
Thanks for the great work. unfortunately I am facing some difficulty, starting from step# 16 "Things get tricky here", how to run"adb shell in TWRP?
also can I use minimal_adb_fastboot_v1.1.3_setup.exe as mentioned in the link in the OP http://www.droidviews.com/your-32gb-lg-g2-shows-only-16gb-storage-space-heres-the-fix/ ?
also I noticed the path have been used includes 'parted' folder, but the folder I have after unzipping the parted zip called 'sdparted-recovery-all-files', do I rename the folder to 'parted' instead?
please help and excuse my broken English.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You only need the sdparted-recover-all-files.zip from that site. "parted" is not a folder, but the binary (without a file extension) inside of that zip file. Copy that file to /sbin and you are in business.
zmali1 said:
i have same problem entered in TWRP but when ADB sheel thorough DP tools it didn't connect to my device. i m also using windows 10
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
summonholmes said:
I'm also having trouble with the adb shell step. When my device is powered on normally, adb commands work. However, in TWRP mode my computer can't recognize the tablet, mount properly, and copy over parted. All the steps have been identical to this point. Any ideas?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'd recommend installing the SDK and pulling the drivers from that. Alternatively, you can try the drivers here: https://github.com/koush/UniversalAdbDriver.
Technically, when I ran the "parted" commands I was actually booted in to rooted 4.4.2 from the KDZ; I wasn't actually in TWRP. It's just not a very recommended way of going about it. I explained how to run all of this from TWRP, but there's no technical reason that you *can't* run this from Android. You just *shouldn't* because you can't cleanly unmount the filesystem and it theoretically could cause filesystem corruption. I just figured that I don't care about that partition getting corrupted since it's getting wiped out.