Related
Hi all- I have a 16gb GT10.1 and, while 16gb of storage was more than I could have dreamt of having in my first computer, it's not a lot once you've had your tablet for a few months. 100 apps + copilot GPS maps (deleted all but NA) + a gig of music, and I end up so low on space I can't do a new backup. I don't keep any videos on the tab, but it's fine with me because streaming works great on the GT10.1 (allshare, netflix, grooveshark, and google music beta FTW!). With only one nandroid backup and one Titanium backup I still find that I usually don't have more than 1-3 gigs of space left, and it often drops to less than one gig, especially if I forget to delete my old nandroid backup. Using the "clear data" function when installing a new ROM through CWM doesn't affect your SD card.
So I decided that it was time to figure out what was hogging my SDcard. I found a few files and directories that can be deleted without ill effect (at least as far as I can tell, I backed them up on my laptop just in case). So far I haven't deleted anything I use and I'm up to about 5 gigs free.
I'll post what I've found here, but I'm sure there's more. If you know of other directories, files, or apps that take up significant space and can be safely deleted, or other ways to free up space, put them into the comments and I'll try to update the OP. Also, try to figure out what the files are for and put that information in too.
***Warning: I am not responsible for deleting your important files, your backups, your homework, or your favorite picture of your cat. Everything in this thread has been tested by me or by at least 2 other forum users (hint, hint), but that doesn't guarantee that it won't set your tablet or your hair on fire. Use this guide at your own risk***
Big files that can be deleted:
mnt/sdcard/DCIM/.thumbnails/.thumbdata3-xxxxxxx
(Has something to do with a database of thumbnails. Deleting it has not had any effect on me, but I don't use my tab for photos. Mine was 124mb).
Directories that can have ALL files in them deleted:
mnt/sdcard/Android/data/com.amazon.venezia/cache/
(This is where the Amazon Appstore puts downloaded apks, including the daily free ones, and it NEVER gets cleared out. Mine was almost 2gb when I found it.)
mnt/sdcard/ScreenCapture/
(This is where all those screencaptures you accidentally took went. I've personally never intentionally taken a screen capture...)
Apps that can be deleted
Coming soon! (Haven't flashed Task's newest (v11) yet and I think he finally got rid of some of the garbage that I have to uninstall every time I flash... Will update this list when I do)
Other ways to save space:
Titanium backup: [preferences menu]
Backup app external data
(Allows you to choose whether you want to backup app data every time you do a Titanium backup. Serious reduction in the size of your backup, but with a pretty obvious disadvantage... Check the next option for something less drastic)
Select external data by max size
(Allows you to choose the maximum size of app external data backup. Default is to keep 32mb or smaller data caches. Most apps don't exceed that, but the few that do - like copilot - don't get backed up. I didn't mess with this one but)
Max backup history : set to "1"
(Sets the number of backup data "points." One is plenty unless you want double or triple backups)
Also, check this directory:
mnt/sdcard/Android/data/
This is where most app data goes. I found lots of stuff here that I didn't need any more. It's worth mentioning that this is where music you set as "offline" on google music beta is stored.
*Tip* Most of the subfolders are easy to identify as software you own, but sometimes you'll find that an app didn't uninstall properly and the data is still there!
Hope this helps! Please add your ideas for significant space savings in the comments.
**Update: So just after I originally posted this, Task650 started making a "slim" version of his ROM. Though none of the stuff above is affected, he's taken out many of the crappy Samsung programs and saved a lot of space that way. I usually had to use Titanium Backup to delete those programs with every new flash; now there's no reason to! I definitely recommend that ROM.
**Update 2: Just wanted to say "thanks" to the person (or persons) who voted this thread 5 stars. Also "thanks" to the person (or persons) who voted it one star. That's awesome of you.
DecrAPPify - removable apps list
Here's a list of apps installed in stock 3.2 (and some custom ROMs) that can be safely removed.
You may want some of these depending on your uses, so don't just remove them because you can...
Delete these with Titanium Backup. You might have to go into the settings and turn on "Chuck Norris Mode" (I didn't make that up).
/data/app/com.androidapps.spare_parts-1.apk
/data/app/com.keramidas.TitaniumBackup.apk
/system/app/Asus_Weather.apk
/system/app/BluetoothTest.apk
/system/app/CalendarGoogle.apk
/system/app/ChocoEUKor.apk
/system/app/ChromeBookmarksSyncAdapter.apk
/system/app/Dlna.apk
/system/app/DualClock.apk
/system/app/Ebook.apk
/system/app/FactoryTest.apk
/system/app/Finsky.apk
/system/app/fotaclient.apk
/system/app/GoogleFeedback.apk
/system/app/GooglePartnerSetup.apk
/system/app/HelvNeueLT.apk
/system/app/HTMLViewer.apk
/system/app/Kies.apk
/system/app/kieswifi.apk
/system/app/lcdTest.apk
/system/app/LiveWallpapersPicker.apk
/system/app/Memo.apk
/system/app/mini_penmemo.apk
/system/app/MiniTwCalculatorService.apk
/system/app/MobilePrint.apk
/system/app/MusicPlayer.apk
/system/app/oem_install_flash_player.apk
/system/app/PenMemo.apk
/system/app/PhotoEditor.apk
/system/app/PRUI.apk
/system/app/Quickoffice.apk
/system/app/Roboto.apk
/system/app/signin.apk
/system/app/SnsAccountFb.apk
/system/app/SnsAccountLi.apk
/system/app/SnsAccountTw.apk
/system/app/SnsDisclaimer.apk
/system/app/SnsImageCache.apk
/system/app/SnsProvider.apk
/system/app/SoundRecorder.apk
/system/app/Swype.apk
/system/app/Vending.apk
/system/app/VideoEditorGoogle.apk
/system/app/Videos.apk
/system/app/wipereceiver.apk
/system/app/WorldClock.apk
/system/app/wssomacp.apk
/system/app/wssyncmlnps.apk
As above, if I've missed any, please let me know!
Thanks for the list twa_priv!
** Most of these apps have been removed in Galaxy Task v12 slim **
Or you can get cache cleaner from market. It help cleared a few more mb's . Disk space is another app that can show you what's taking up the space.
Sent from my GT-I9000 using XDA App
It amazes me how much crap accumulates on my tab as well - thanks for starting this thread.
A couple suggestions that I've found useful, too:
1. NANDROID backups - each of mine is at least 1GB - keep an eye on how many you're keeping around... I'm a bit of a flash-junkie, so I have 2 currently, but usually only keep one around;
2. SD Maid in the market is pretty useful at rooting out junk.... I only use the free version, so not sure how much more the paid one would remove - but every time I've run it, I usually can clear up a few 100mb.
Hope it helps!
I just do a factory reset every few months. Gets rid of a lot of crap.
Most people don't like this method because they want to "settle in" and doing a factory reset upsets the nest. However, I like to experiment a lot with apps and a reset clears out the experiments. It lets me start all over fresh.
TabGuy said:
I just do a factory reset every few months. Gets rid of a lot of crap.
Most people don't like this method because they want to "settle in" and doing a factory reset upsets the nest. However, I like to experiment a lot with apps and a reset clears out the experiments. It lets me start all over fresh.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Most of us serial flashers are doing factory resets weekly...if not nightly.
slack04 said:
Big files that can be deleted:
Hope this helps! Please add your ideas for significant space savings in the comments.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the effort!
Where could I find a "summary" of the Android file structure (no joy with google search)? Let say, a factory install of Android 2.2 or 3.0 or whatever.
It would be interesting to know what each directory is for.
got556 said:
Most of us serial flashers are doing factory resets weekly...if not nightly.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In the last 3 weeks Ive probably did a full wipe at least 20 times all on my phone though
Since Ive installed the CM KANG I havent wanted to flash anything else
DT3CH said:
In the last 3 weeks Ive probably did a full wipe at least 20 times all on my phone though
Since Ive installed the CM KANG I havent wanted to flash anything else
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just to be clear: there's a difference between a "full wipe" (which most people mean is just using the "clear data" function in CWM) and a factory reset (which is done by going to Settings-->Privacy-->Factory Data Reset.)
The factory data reset deletes everything on the tab. I personally never use this; there's no advantage to the user since the android system sees it as an SD card. The full wipe deletes the system partition and that's the only thing that makes a difference when you're installing a new ROM.
Think of it this way: There are 3 partitions. Android is installed on one partition and an image of the stock ROM is saved on another backup partition. A third partition is just for data (this is what you see when you plug your tab into windows). When you factory reset, you're formatting both the android partition and the data partition, then installing the ROM on the android partition and recreating the file structure on the data partition. Wipe data, on the other hand, just formats the android partition--which is where the ROM is loaded. (BTW--This is totally oversimplified, if you're a dev don't flame, I'm just trying to make it easier to understand. Also, don't ever mess with the partitions on your tablet...)
BTW- This is similar to how I manage my Windows computers. I have the same three partitions described above. Every 8 weeks or so I write down the applications I want to permanently add to my system; make sure all my data is transferred to the data partition; figure out what tweaks and applications I've added since the last time I imaged the drive (I keep a list); and then I format the windows partition and reinstall the most recent image. Then I set all the tweaks and add all the applications I wrote down; run a windows update; and reimage the drive (and save the image on the recovery partition). This way my windows installation is always like brand new, except with all the updates done, all my programs installed, and all system options configured. My data is completely unaffected, and I can do this in about 15 minutes.
got556 said:
Most of us serial flashers are doing factory resets weekly...if not nightly.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's what Titanium Backup is for
EDIT: Just realized I posted this to the S4 forum instead of the S3. Should I post again in the proper forum, or wait for the thread to be moved?
Hi,
After running the latest stable Cyanogenmod for a little while, I've decided to go back to stock. I've flashed custom roms and used CWM to restore my backup before, so I was comfortable with it. But this time, CWM couldn't find my backup. Eventually I figured out that it (and all my other original files) are in /0/0/0/0/clockworkmod. I understand this is because of 4.2's changes, but I don't know why I have so many 0 folders. Perhaps from flashing MIUI and CM so many times?
Anyway, I updated CWM to be compatible with 4.2, but also tried moving the clockworkmod folder to the root of the internal memory. Something went wrong, though, because although CWM can see the backup, it always fails at restoring /data. I noticed that instead of moving the clockworkmod folder, Windows had only copied them - perhaps partially. My phone now only has about 1GB of internal memory left due to the multiple folders, and I can't delete, move, or copy any of them. I do have my CWM backup copied to my computer, but not the blobs folder, so I'm worried that if I somehow manage to reformat my device, I won't be able to restore it without the blobs.
Also, I should mention that I'm not able to use adb, it tells me it can't find the device. I'm running Windows 8 64-bit.
If anyone has any ideas, I'd really appreciate it. This is really frustrating.
Update: After a bit of waiting, I finally managed to copy my blobs and backup folders to my desktop and got adb working, so I reformatted the entire device and managed to restore it. No idea why I was having trouble before, but at least it's working again.
Vertimyst said:
EDIT: Just realized I posted this to the S4 forum instead of the S3. Should I post again in the proper forum, or wait for the thread to be moved?
Hi,
After running the latest stable Cyanogenmod for a little while, I've decided to go back to stock. I've flashed custom roms and used CWM to restore my backup before, so I was comfortable with it. But this time, CWM couldn't find my backup. Eventually I figured out that it (and all my other original files) are in /0/0/0/0/clockworkmod. I understand this is because of 4.2's changes, but I don't know why I have so many 0 folders. Perhaps from flashing MIUI and CM so many times?
Anyway, I updated CWM to be compatible with 4.2, but also tried moving the clockworkmod folder to the root of the internal memory. Something went wrong, though, because although CWM can see the backup, it always fails at restoring /data. I noticed that instead of moving the clockworkmod folder, Windows had only copied them - perhaps partially. My phone now only has about 1GB of internal memory left due to the multiple folders, and I can't delete, move, or copy any of them. I do have my CWM backup copied to my computer, but not the blobs folder, so I'm worried that if I somehow manage to reformat my device, I won't be able to restore it without the blobs.
Also, I should mention that I'm not able to use adb, it tells me it can't find the device. I'm running Windows 8 64-bit.
If anyone has any ideas, I'd really appreciate it. This is really frustrating.
Update: After a bit of waiting, I finally managed to copy my blobs and backup folders to my desktop and got adb working, so I reformatted the entire device and managed to restore it. No idea why I was having trouble before, but at least it's working again.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Glad you got it worked out..
With Titanium Backup, when you backup your apps and other files it creates a folder full of files that only it can read. When I flashed Jasmine, I copied those files to my computer and then flashed, then redownloaded Titanium Backup and moved those files as well as the license back into the correct folders. Is this the correct way to use TB, or is there a route that I am missing? It worked fine, just not sure if it is the recommended way of use or not.
More or less.
The folder is usually in the /sdcard area which is NOT wiped by custom recovery (default) "factory reset", so I'm not sure there is any reason to back it up and restore it. If you are using the default wiping method in TWRP, the (internal, psuedo-) /sdcard folder is not wiped.
But there's no harm in a PC backup. A backup that goes unused can just be deleted some time down the road; disk space is cheap & it's there in a disaster. The same can not be said for not making backups.
Warning: since you are newish to this stuff this behavior is VERY different in stock recoveries - the stock recovery version of "factory reset" wipes out EVERYTHING. In that case it would be mandatory that you backup the entire /sdcard if you want to save things. It's a little bit unfortunate that Android named this type of procedure "Factory Reset" instead of something more accurate, which would be something like "User Data Wipe", as it leads new rooters to erroneously conclude that random modifications to the /system and boot partitions can be un-done using something called "factory reset". NOT TRUE AT ALL; IT'S JUST FOR WIPING USER DATA.
Different apps use different strategies for "Pro" version licensing. If they stick with the Google Play ("market") best-practice recommendations, there shouldn't be any need to manipulate license files, so long as the app is downloaded from the Play Store with the same google login that was used to originally purchase the app. But I can't say for sure if that's the mechanism with TiBu.
I use TiBu kind of sparingly - typically only for market apps I am interested in, and even in those cases I usually download the app from the market and restore only the data from TiBu (to avoid missing market registration bugs, etc). Folks on small data plans might have different ideas about it because of data usage issues (and timeliness of restore procedures). I don't use TiBu for things like backup of data stores for launcher apps, ROM frameworks (e.g. "Settings"). There probably is some degree of compatibility from ROM to ROM with those items, but it is certainly not guaranteed. (Things like word dictionaries & dialer blacklists fall into this category - it would be nice if they were guaranteed to be compatible, but there is no way to know in advance. You sort of have to experimentally determine whether you have broken anything.)
Alternatively, you could keep a copy of the TiBu .apk file in your SD card somewhere. That would allow you to do whatever restores you like without connecting to the Google Play market. Just copy it to /data/app using TWRP after flashing/wiping and then on first boot it will be ready to do your restores.*
* in TWRP via Advanced -> Terminal
This requires getting comfortable with a minimum number of Unix command line commands, e.g. "cd", "cp", "ls", "pwd", etc.
I did download it from the store, but had previously read that the license would need to be moved in a thread not on this website. When I redownloaded it from the store, it automatically added the license back, so I ended up not needing it.
I only use TB to backup things like my offline games I want my scores saved, or apps that it logs me back into when it loads it back (Facebook, Reddit, Messenger, Twitch, Twitter, etc).
What I was looking to do was just keep the files for the backups of those apps on my SD card (or whatever is the recommended method), rather than stored to the phones internal memory since it gets wiped during the reset.
Your internal /sdcard should not be getting wiped by TWRP's default wipe method (which is used for installing ROMs for instance). You would have to go into the Advanced Wipe submenu for that to happen. A stock recovery "factory reset" would nuke the "internal" /sdcard though.
That said, there is nothing wrong with having backups off the device - especially for people that remain on a locked bootloader and do not have a (independent boot) custom recovery.
TiBu has a place in its settings where you can choose to place it's backups on the external sdcard if you want to do that. Then they would be safe from any type of factory reset, and could be retrieved if the phone suddenly died.
Hi,
I'm using a Fire HD 10. It developed a hardware fault (charger is wonky, so only charges if you wedge something under it), so Amazon have sent a replacement.
I've used the Amazon backup and restore functionality, but this only seems to re-install the apps on the new device (along with some settings), but doesn't actually migrate any data over (e.g. game progress, saved worlds in Minecraft/Terraria etc...).
I've looked online and tried several things, all without any success:
Firstly, I tried copying the contents of various key folders (such as the app specific content of /Android/Data/... and /Android/obb). I copied these from the old device to my computer, then back onto the new device, rebooted, and nothing. I've done some research and copied a few of the ...../com.amazon..... folders (only some selected one) and again, nothing. Of note, there is no /games folder on the device
Secondly I connected the first device to my computer, and used adb backup and restore. This also had no success. A complete backup would always hang (when including the -shared option) - apparently this is a known bug on some versions of Android. The command that backed up the most was "adb backup -f backup.ab -apk -all -system" - I've tried with and without encrypting the backup. The backup and subsequent restore processes complete without error, but no data is migrated.
Finally, I've contacted Amazon, who have frankly been of no help at all!
I'm on the point of giving up and shipping it all back, getting a refund and getting something else entirely. As I'm considering a return, I don't want to root the device.
Can anyone think of any last ditch attempts to help save this? Personally even if you can, I can't believe Amazon are making it this hard!!
Thanks in advance,
Hi,
First post, so be gentle. I searched the forum and found quite a few posts about a boot looping S5 but most referring to custom ROMs - my phone started doing this on its own. Running marshmallow 6.0.1. Its almost 3 years old, and up until now has never caused problems. It was charging when this first happened, and it could have updated (I have no way of knowing what update though).
First thing I tried was a new battery, I charged it up with the phone off, but it still wouldn't boot.
The problem:
-It either hangs on the startup splash screen ("Samsung GALAXY S5") and can only be turned off by pulling the battery (sometimes), or.. it restarts on the same screen (mostly).
-If I leave it for 10 minutes without a battery, it goes further, getting to the point where it asks for the password, but then freezes at this point at restarts.
-I can get into recovery (vol up + home + power buttons) and have cleared the cache. It never hangs or freezes whilst in recovery.
-Whilst I had enabled developer options (used for debugging bluetooth problems once) I have NOT enabled USB debugging - so it seems ADB push/pull to recover user data won't work.
I don't really want to do a factory reset as google hasn't backed up everything, so I'm stuck. Does TWRP or clockworkmod go into the recovery partition (sparing user data)? Or do these only work after a factory reset? I have read a fair bit about Odin, Kies, and firmware updates, but as I don't know what the problem is, I have no idea where to start - I was hoping there are some kind of debug logs on the phone that could at least point to the cause, but of course I cannot access it. The fact it doesn't crash/hang/restart in recovery leads me to believe it isn't a hardware problem - but the fact this happened suddenly without me changing anything is suspicious. Ideas?
If you have an SD card inserted remove it - a corrupt SD can cause bootloops
If it boots without sd card transfer what you need from it to a pc either via USB card reader or via USB cable whilst in twrp
Once done format sd card & transfer files back - note only transfer back personal files eg pics music etc & not the android folder or any app data
If it still bootloops your only choice maybe a factory reset
You can flash twrp at any time - it will not erase userdata unless you goto the wipe section & do it yourself
You can create a backup & extract it on a pc but remember twrp backups do not backup personal files like pics music docs
You can however mount internal storage & transfer what ever files you want to pc
If all else fails flash stock firmware via odin
TheFixItMan said:
If you have an SD card inserted remove it - a corrupt SD can cause bootloops
If it boots without sd card transfer what you need from it to a pc either via USB card reader or via USB cable whilst in twrp
Once done format sd card & transfer files back - note only transfer back personal files eg pics music etc & not the android folder or any app data
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sadly, it stil does it without the SD - forgot to mention I tried that too.
TheFixItMan said:
You can flash twrp at any time - it will not erase userdata unless you goto the wipe section & do it yourself
You can create a backup & extract it on a pc but remember twrp backups do not backup personal files like pics music docs
You can however mount internal storage & transfer what ever files you want to pc
If all else fails flash stock firmware via odin
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ahh, this is what I was hoping. So twrp, goes onto the recovery partition? I did read (here: hxxps://twrp.me/faq/backupexclusions.html ), as you mentioned, that TWRP doesn't back up internal storage automagically. Even if done manually, as long as I can transfer the files to PC, I'll be happy. Thankfully, it's only one folder of photos that I google didn't back up, but I might as well grab everything.
I may post back with questions, thanks for the reply!
Right, I keep reading that "USB debugging" must be enabled when installing TWRP, or doing almost anything. But I don't have this enabled, and I can't enable it since I don't have access to the phones system. Is this required to install TWRP? I know it is required to use ADB which I believe is used to flash the TWRP. If this is the case, it looks like a dead end. I did find one link claiming to enable USB debugging from a recovery, but the instructions are incomplete, and it also mentions performing a factory reset first - which kind of defeats the point.
BuriedCode said:
Right, I keep reading that "USB debugging" must be enabled when installing TWRP, or doing almost anything. But I don't have this enabled, and I can't enable it since I don't have access to the phones system. Is this required to install TWRP? I know it is required to use ADB which I believe is used to flash the TWRP. If this is the case, it looks like a dead end. I did find one link claiming to enable USB debugging from a recovery, but the instructions are incomplete, and it also mentions performing a factory reset first - which kind of defeats the point.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
On the g900f all you have to do is the following
Install Samsung USB drivers https://developer.samsung.com/galaxy/others/android-usb-driver-for-windows
Put phone into download mode (hold Vol down home & power button) & connect to pc
Push Vol up to start connection
Open odin https://forum.xda-developers.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=4431749&d=1519672710
Place twrp.tar in the AP section & flash
https://dl.twrp.me/klte/
As soon as the phone restarts enter recovery - hold Vol up home power button
If the phone starts to boot before entering recovery you will need to flash it again - once you have entered twrp once it will stick
Once again, thank you for the clear instructions. I Successfully got TWRP on my phone, and it appears on the PC so I could see the file structure in explorer (!). Progress.
I went to copy two photos as a test - MPT/USB transfers have always been unreliable for me anyway - and the phone froze. I only noticed when the touch screen became unresponsive and the clock wasn't updating. So this could well be the original problem - a hardware issue that causes the phone to freeze when it does anything remotely taxing. Or.. it could be the MPT transfer.
Either way, I had to pull the battery and it seems the TWRP didn't take as when I tried to boot into recovery, it had the stock recovery menu. So at least I'm not going backwards, nothing is broken.
Now I know how to get TWRP on there, and to boot back into recovery right away, and I know that it works. Next up is getting it on there and leaving it for 10 minutes to see if it crashes/freezes. If its OK, then I'll have to look for another way to pull files off. Can one use ADB with TWRP? If its enabled then I could use "pull" to get the files off and hopefully quicker (or at least more reliably) than ****ty MPT. Ideally I'd like to just pull everything off so I can decide what to add back later after a fresh reset.
Thank you once again for your advice!
Replying to my own post. It still can crash (screen has random colours on it and it freezes) but rarely whilst in TWRP. I was able to use adb and pull off all my camera photos that weren't backed up, and with the "-a" option, keep the file attributes.
Also solved the MPT problem - if anyone has the same issue or cares - using USB 3.0 sockets on my PC and only at the back rather than the sockets on the front (which are awful quality anyway). It's sitll onyl USB 2.0 but I guess the socket is higher quality.
Last question which I may make another thread for: How can I back up contacts, internet bookmarks, SMS and "memos" from a Samsung S5? I read that TWRP does not back these up, so I would need the location of the directory where these are stored. My google fu yielded somewhat vague answers from stackexchange, but no exact directories. If TWRP includes these in backup great, if not I would like to know if there is any kind of work around. MMS messages probably aren't that important, but contacts and memos really are. If I find any answers, I'll post back for others. Cheers!
Right, I realise people either know this, or don't care, but I did say I would post with anything I've found. I couldn't find the answers googling, so I was digging around in the file browser in TWRP.
- Almost everything in data/media - which isnt' backed up by TWRP - is exposed to MPT. I say almost everything, because some isn't, but I backed up the entire folder anyway with adb pull. This is the "internal SDcard" people mention in forums (internal memory partition, not an actual card). Simply copying from windows explorer grabs the files, but not with the correct directory structure. Best to use adb pull with the -a option to keep file attributes.
- Samsung memos, bookmarks (from the samsung internet browser), and contacts are not stored in /data/media. Rather these are in data/data. in the following places (absolute directories):
- memos: data/data/com.samsung.android.app.memo/databases/memo.db
- bookmarks: data/data/com.sec.android.app.sbrowser/databases/SBrowser.db
- contacts: data/data/com.android.providers.contacts/databases/contacts2.db
It seems TWRP does not back these up -I could be wrong though. Samsung's own utilities probably do but I have never used them. I don't know if google stores these either since I haven't used its backups to check.
I am still unclear of exactly what TWRO backup backs up. I understand that the /media folder is not included (downloads, photos, music etc..) but are app settings in data/data included?
BuriedCode said:
Right, I realise people either know this, or don't care, but I did say I would post with anything I've found. I couldn't find the answers googling, so I was digging around in the file browser in TWRP.
- Almost everything in data/media - which isnt' backed up by TWRP - is exposed to MPT. I say almost everything, because some isn't, but I backed up the entire folder anyway with adb pull. This is the "internal SDcard" people mention in forums (internal memory partition, not an actual card). Simply copying from windows explorer grabs the files, but not with the correct directory structure. Best to use adb pull with the -a option to keep file attributes.
- Samsung memos, bookmarks (from the samsung internet browser), and contacts are not stored in /data/media. Rather these are in data/data. in the following places (absolute directories):
- memos: data/data/com.samsung.android.app.memo/databases/memo.db
- bookmarks: data/data/com.sec.android.app.sbrowser/databases/SBrowser.db
- contacts: data/data/com.android.providers.contacts/databases/contacts2.db
It seems TWRP does not back these up -I could be wrong though. Samsung's own utilities probably do but I have never used them. I don't know if google stores these either since I haven't used its backups to check.
I am still unclear of exactly what TWRO backup backs up. I understand that the /media folder is not included (downloads, photos, music etc..) but are app settings in data/data included?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
All app data is backed up in a twrp backup
If you were to restore a twrp backup your phone would be in exactly the same position as when the backup was created including app settings & data
The common partitions it will backup are system data cache & boot (kernel) - it can also backup (if included in the twrp.fstab) modem/efs & other partitions
The only things a twrp backup doesn't backup is personal files eg downloads music pictures documents etc
You can make a twrp backup & extract it on a pc - I'm sure there are guides which explain how to do this
TheFixItMan said:
All app data is backed up in a twrp backup
If you were to restore a twrp backup your phone would be in exactly the same position as when the backup was created including app settings & data
The common partitions it will backup are system data cache & boot (kernel) - it can also backup (if included in the twrp.fstab) modem/efs & other partitions
The only things a twrp backup doesn't backup is personal files eg downloads music pictures documents etc
You can make a twrp backup & extract it on a pc - I'm sure there are guides which explain how to do this
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Excellent. Well I've manually (well, same directory structure) backed up pretty much everything I could think of anyway so even if the phone goes south, the media files are safe. I'll do a TWRP backup on my PC as well (just for easy restoring if I need to) I'm assuming this can only be done via adb? as the UI only gives options for internal or SDcard storage - which is another option.
I have some more questions as I am not sure how to proceed. Yes, everything is (or can be) backed up. But the phone still freezes which may or may not be a hardware issue. So I am stuck deciding:
1) looking for logs to attempt to diagnose the problem. Probably won't get me anywhere. logcat doesn't seem to work.
2) Just performing a factory reset from TWRP. Unsure exactly what this resets. Firmware? OS? wipes all apps?
3) Using Odin to flash stock firmware (I only have one large md5 file from updato.com for use with "AP"). Does this wipe apps and data? (I'm not including media files here).
In some forums people claim that user data (as in apps and app data) isn't wiped by using ODIN to update the firmware, others say it wipes absolutely everything. Whilst I have back ups I'd obviously prefer it to keep the apps and their data, assuming they aren't the cause of the problem. Apologies for so many questions, I probably don't need to know all the details, but I'm curious and cautious.
BuriedCode said:
Excellent. Well I've manually (well, same directory structure) backed up pretty much everything I could think of anyway so even if the phone goes south, the media files are safe. I'll do a TWRP backup on my PC as well (just for easy restoring if I need to) I'm assuming this can only be done via adb? as the UI only gives options for internal or SDcard storage - which is another option.
I have some more questions as I am not sure how to proceed. Yes, everything is (or can be) backed up. But the phone still freezes which may or may not be a hardware issue. So I am stuck deciding:
1) looking for logs to attempt to diagnose the problem. Probably won't get me anywhere. logcat doesn't seem to work.
2) Just performing a factory reset from TWRP. Unsure exactly what this resets. Firmware? OS? wipes all apps?
3) Using Odin to flash stock firmware (I only have one large md5 file from updato.com for use with "AP"). Does this wipe apps and data? (I'm not including media files here).
In some forums people claim that user data (as in apps and app data) isn't wiped by using ODIN to update the firmware, others say it wipes absolutely everything. Whilst I have back ups I'd obviously prefer it to keep the apps and their data, assuming they aren't the cause of the problem. Apologies for so many questions, I probably don't need to know all the details, but I'm curious and cautious.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Odin firmware images (unless custom made) do not wipe user data apps & settings however unless it's the same firmware as already on the phone it will most likely bootloop until you do a factory reset in stock recovery
This will erase all app data & settings but not internal storage unless the device was encrypted in which case all internal storage will be erased
For twrp if you want to flash a custom rom
If encrypted format data (option on right of wipe menu) This will erase all internal storage - then restart to recovery
Then once encryption removed or not encrypted to begin with
Wipe system (previous rom)
Wipe data (app data settings)
Wipe cache
Flash rom
Flash gapps
Flash root (optional)
Restart
So it looks like a firmware flash with ODIN is the way to go. As I've loaded on TWRP I can no longer see the firmware version that was on the stock recovery screen to check if I have the right image downloaded. Is there a way to see the firmware version from TWRP? I tried
Code:
adb shell getprop
Which had [ro.boot.bootloader]: [G900FXXU1CRH1] that I'm guessing is the firmware version, although the hit on sammobile doesn't mention the carrier (vodafone). If I search by region and carrier, I get a different version.
Update: Just tried to backup to a blank SD micro. It freezes and restarts 2% into it every time. Tried:
Code:
adb backup " -all -noshared -f "C:\phone backup.ab" "
And it said "now unlock your device to confirm action" but TWRP gave no such dialog. At this rate I can't actually do a proper backup of anything. Is there another way? I don't have enough space on internal storage. I guess I could try USB storage (USB memory stick with adapter).
BuriedCode said:
So it looks like a firmware flash with ODIN is the way to go. As I've loaded on TWRP I can no longer see the firmware version that was on the stock recovery screen to check if I have the right image downloaded. Is there a way to see the firmware version from TWRP? I tried
Code:
adb shell getprop
Which had [ro.boot.bootloader]: [G900FXXU1CRH1] that I'm guessing is the firmware version, although the hit on sammobile doesn't mention the carrier (vodafone). If I search by region and carrier, I get a different version.
Update: Just tried to backup to a blank SD micro. It freezes and restarts 2% into it every time. Tried:
Code:
adb backup " -all -noshared -f "C:\phone backup.ab" "
And it said "now unlock your device to confirm action" but TWRP gave no such dialog. At this rate I can't actually do a proper backup of anything. Is there another way? I don't have enough space on internal storage. I guess I could try USB storage (USB memory stick with adapter).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just backup to internal storage or SD card & transfer to pc
Backup is stored in eg sdcard/twrp
The firmware you need is
https://www.sammobile.com/firmwares/galaxy-s5/SM-G900F/BTU/download/G900FXXU1CRH1/233034/
Free downloads on sammobile will be back on Monday or find an alternative site
TheFixItMan said:
Just backup to internal storage or SD card & transfer to pc
Backup is stored in eg sdcard/twrp
The firmware you need is
https://www.sammobile.com/firmwares/galaxy-s5/SM-G900F/BTU/download/G900FXXU1CRH1/233034/
Free downloads on sammobile will be back on Monday or find an alternative site
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I can't backup to SD card because it freezes at 2%. And using "adb backup " -f "C:\mybackup.ab" --twrp boot system data" " asks me to unlock my device - but TWRP doesn't show anything. On top of all that, it seems sammobile is under maintainance so I cannot download that firmware file until Monday Probably a good thing as it gives me a couple of days to keep trying to back up. Right now it gets into TWRP from recovery boot about one in 6 times. I'm out of idea's.
You can probably tell the frustration is real. Right now, I cannot use adb or twrp to backup onto internal storage (no space), the SDcard (crashes 2% into it, even with a blank SD card). It doesn't seem to crash whilst in TWRP, and I managed to pull the media folder off use "adb pull" so it seems it doesn't crash when using ADB commands.
So my only option before attempting to flash firmware is to make a backup via adb. However, I cannot get this to work at all. "adb backup --twrp" prompts me to unlock my phone, but the phone just displays the TWRP menu still. "adb backup -f "c:\backADB.ab" -noshared --twrp system boot data" tells me "adb: unable to open file c:\backADB.ab". Using simply "adb backup" puts me in the backup menu in TWRP, but then I can only change storage to internal or SDcard.
So either we can't yet backup to PC via adb and the TWRP documentation is out of date, or bugged. I'm on windows so I don't know if that makes it impossible - I just want to be able to get a backup on my PC's harddrive(s). Am I missing something with ADB?
Edit: it seems to now attempt to back up with "adb backup -f "c:\mybackup" --twrp system boot data" however.. this starts to back up and crashes at... 2%.
Just flashed the linked firmware with Odin after managing to get my apps backed up with my samsung account (the phone didn't crash for 15 minutes!). It cycled through "installing system update" restarting several times before hanging on the startup screen. I then pulled the battery, booted into stock recovery performed a factory reset (TWRP was gone). Now it is back in bootloop.
I installed TWRP again to use the file browser and my data has indeed been wiped (RIP). So what now? I could just let it boot loop and hope that it somehow gets back into android - it did that before, maybe one in 15 times. But I've done pretty much everything that has been recommended.
Rather than leave this thread hanging, I might as well post progress. After many *many* reboots interrupting the phone updating apps, it seems stable. It still occasionally crashes, but I can now make it crash and restart on demand by trying to install snapchat. It downloads it successfully and about a minute of "installing" the phone restarts, and reboots about 15 times before finally booting properly. I installed several other apps, none of which restarted the phone.
So, I'm going to get a new phone, and it seems that most things are backed up (please note, samsung doesn't back up contacts, shealth data, or splanner data despite claiming they do so). But I am curious as to what this problem could be. I have no experience debugging phone problems, and I realize it could be many things, but is there a way of checking the phones RAM (unlikely) or internal memory (flash, = more likely) for corruption? I may run a stress test to check if its power, CPU, or hover heating. If it passes that then it has to be memory usage.
Update: Today it only lasts a few minutes before it restarts. This is without any app updates - although I cannot be sure because I don't know whats going on in the background. This happens with, or without the SD card, and with both the new and old battery. I don't know where to start debugging. Any pointers?