Database Users

[Q] How do I fully refresh and deep clean my SGS4 ?

Dear Friends,
I have done some serious criss cross flashing /modem/rom/recovery etc. (Rom upon rom) over the last months. I've recently had a soft brick and had to reinstall stock. I want a fresh start.
I feel like my phone's memory has been rewritten many times by now and that there are some resedues (crap files) in the system that I can't get out and that are slowing the system down. I'd like to do a full blown erase and restore to factory settings and then set up my custom roms again.
What is the best way to do this?
I am familiar with the use of Odin etc.
It would be delicious to get full instructions from you.
Best,
Thomas

Install a custom recovery like PhilZ and go to mounts and storage and then format system, cache, data, preload and SD card.
You will now have a totally clean system and can boot I to download mode and flash firmware in Odin.
Sent from my GT-I9505

Obagleyfreer said:
Install a custom recovery like PhilZ and go to mounts and storage and then format system, cache, data, preload and SD card.
You will now have a totally clean system and can boot I to download mode and flash firmware in Odin.
Sent from my GT-I9505
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the Help bro

Cache partitions erase error.

Guys, I need some help with my Galaxy S4 - 9505.
I'm running Omera rom with TWRP recovery.
I had one random restart and decided to wipe cache and dalvik. But I can't. , recovery report that cache could not be mounted.
I changed recovery with PhilZ but its the same. Also the partition size is shown 0MB.
This is the second time i got this issue.
Could anyone of you help me to understand why this happen?

re: cache issues
samo_ said:
Guys, I need some help with my Galaxy S4 - 9505.
I'm running Omera rom with TWRP recovery.
I had one random restart and decided to wipe cache and dalvik. But I can't. , recovery report that cache could not be mounted.
I changed recovery with PhilZ but its the same. Also the partition size is shown 0MB.
This is the second time i got this issue.
Could anyone of you help me to understand why this happen?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
First you should do a nandroid backup.
Your best bet is to do a system reset (under settings in the phone) and then download the stock odin
flash pre-rooted i9505 rom from here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2409867
Odin flash it and then check out the phone make sure all is well.
After that get the Odin flashable Philz, CWM or TWRP recovery and flash it, (or simply use goomanager to get twrp)
then get the latest update of SuperSU and flash that in recovery. (both goomanager & superSU are free apps at the playstore)
Then after checking everything out making sure everything is working properly make another nandroid backup.
After that flash any of the i9505 compatible custom rom you like.

@Misterjunky, thanks for the reply.
I actually have done this first time i got this issue, so did same and now.
More or less I try to understand why cache got corrupted? And could this be some kind of hardware issue with the internal memory.

[Q] Flashing various TW Lollipop fw over existing CM12 fails

Hello,
actually I'm using a SGS4 I9505 with cm-12-20150304-NIGHTLY-jfltexx and CWM 6.0.5.1.
I've tried to flash several TW Lollipop firmware wich i found in the I9505 forum:
1. Kushan+Touchwiz+Lollipop+Lite+Rom+v.1.2
2. S4_Echoev42_EchoePop2_020315
3. OA7-2.1F
4. XXUHA07-v2.01
Before flashing any oft this firmwares i made a factory reset, wiped both caches and installed the modem Firmware via Odin.
After flashing firmware # 1 and 2 my phone was stuc in a bootloop (only Samsung Galaxy S4 Logo appears).
Flashing firmware #3 and 4 fails and cwm reports error 7.
Flashing cm12 afterwards isn't a problem and runs fine.
I think the wipe fails or doesn't work properly. Is it enougth to select factory reset in cwm and wipe the dalvik cache manualy?
What can I do?
With besteht regard
Mirko (NemesisMF)

What if it is a recovery problem?

Thought about that too.
Should i try twrp or philz?

I switched to Philz Recovery and flashed S4 Echoe Rom v42 without any Problems.
CWM seems to have a problem to falsh TW Lollipop images ower an existing CM12 an the I9505.

You need to do full wipe not just cache.

ranger4740 said:
You need to do full wipe not just cache.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As I wrote above I did a factory reset before flashing and wiped the caches with cwm. If that is not enougth it would be nice to explain what else I have to wipe or post a link.
While using philz recovery the factory reset for clean system is enougth and the new System is working fine.

Factory wipe is not full wipe, you need to do a full wipe as in format to install new rom, phillz recovery has this feature can't remember exactly where, I think its under advanced.
Just have a look in the sub menus.
Just to explain it better when you do a full wipe it deletes every part of the existing
Rom including the system, data and cache and some other stuff completely removing the android operating system, so unless the rom you install does a wipe before install parts of the existing system will remain and can cause boot issues. For example as you've already discovered you are trying to install a tw rom over an existing cyanogenmod 12 installation which Will cause it to hang on boot.

NemesisMF said:
As I wrote above I did a factory reset before flashing and wiped the caches with cwm. If that is not enougth it would be nice to explain what else I have to wipe or post a link.
While using philz recovery the factory reset for clean system is enougth and the new System is working fine.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Do you mean a factory reset from within Android itself? If so, then that's a complete obsolete step. When before flashing a rom you should perform a factory reset, then they always mean a full wipe from the recovery. You need to do a full wipe from the recovery. That means the /system partition is being wiped. You will see it in the screen during the wipe if it wipes /system.
But it also could have been a problem of CWM. I don't think it is being updated anymore, so better use TWRP or Philz.

Fix freeze , lags etc.

Hello people my phone getting old i think 1.5 year so far my phone started to freeze having lags getting too hot while browsing. And bootloops started without flashing anything. First bootloop happened 2 weeks ago. Today happened again twice i wiped dalvik cache and everything is fine how can i fix it? I thought rom cause it i flashed stock firmware rooted it and removed bloatware. Still happens lags,freeze,getting too hot and bootloop. Is it lollipop update? I never had this issues with kitkat. How can fix this and keep my alive?

Orangley said:
Hello people my phone getting old i think 1.5 year so far my phone started to freeze having lags getting too hot while browsing. And bootloops started without flashing anything. First bootloop happened 2 weeks ago. Today happened again twice i wiped dalvik cache and everything is fine how can i fix it? I thought rom cause it i flashed stock firmware rooted it and removed bloatware. Still happens lags,freeze,getting too hot and bootloop. Is it lollipop update? I never had this issues with kitkat. How can fix this and keep my alive?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Try a full factory reset. Be careful as this will wipe your internal storage.

GDReaper said:
Try a full factory reset. Be careful as this will wipe your internal storage.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you for your answer but I did it after flash stock rom via odin. Wiped data / factory reset , cache partition , mounted cache , system , data , wiped dalvik cache..

Wiping data does not equal a factory reset. Wiping data does just that, wipes user installed apps. But generally leaves the internal storage alone.
A factory reset returns the phone to the settings it came out of the factory with, including a clean internal storage(If you have the stock rom). I heard that changing roms and just wiping data, dalvik and cache will still leave behind some files.
But it could also be untrue.

GDReaper said:
Wiping data does not equal a factory reset. Wiping data does just that, wipes user installed apps. But generally leaves the internal storage alone.
A factory reset returns the phone to the settings it came out of the factory with, including a clean internal storage(If you have the stock rom). I heard that changing roms and just wiping data, dalvik and cache will still leave behind some files.
But it could also be untrue.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Flashing stock rom is same with factory reset i think clears everything.

I don't know. Haven't flashed stock on this device yet.
But don't most guys recommend doing a wipe before going back to stock?

I dont know i'll try that when i have free time. I did research some guys saying lollipop causing these problems. I'll try wipe before flash stock rom again , if issues keep happen i'll use lates 4.4.2 custom rom. Thank you for your answers i'll report back.

Real reset
This method will wipe everything, including operating system and efs files. Before you do this:
you must root
Download twrp recovery
Install the recovery using the app from the play store
Boot into recovery mode and have twrp backup everything
save your backup to an SD card and the computer (can't hurt to have two backups)
Doing the above will preserve your phone important data like your imei and efs
in case something goes wrong.
NOW
after you have backed everything up use twrp recovery to wipe data. Have twrp wipe everything except for your SD card (don't won't to lose the backup)
After everything has been obliterated have twrp boot you into download mode.
Download Odin from XDA preferably 3.09 (most stable release) and then grab an official stock firmware from a trusted source. The latest stock firmware should be at least 4.4.2
If you have carriers other than t-mobile you will also need to find a PIT file for partitioning.
When you have all of this open up Odin with your phone connected in download mode and make sure repartitioning, clear efs and nand-erase is checked along with the defaults.
Select pda button and choose your firmware (unzipped tar.md5 format.) Then select repartitioning PIT file button and direct to where you have the PIT file downloaded.
now click start (be sure that the Com port is recognized by Odin: will be highlighted in blue or yellow.)
This will take a while depending on your computer.
when it finishes your phone should reboot with a fresh os and filesystem. If you get stuck in a bootloop reboot into recovery mode and do a wipe data and wipe cache. Reboot and your phone should be good as new.
IMPORTANT!!! It is vital you keep your TWRP backups for as long as you have your phone if you lose them and something goes wrong while flashing your phone you will lose important things such as IMEI baseband which will prevent you from connecting to your network and Sim card recognition.

Thank you so much i'll try this now.

AndroidInitiate said:
This method will wipe everything, including operating system and efs files. Before you do this:
you must root
Download twrp recovery
Install the recovery using the app from the play store
Boot into recovery mode and have twrp backup everything
save your backup to an SD card and the computer (can't hurt to have two backups)
Doing the above will preserve your phone important data like your imei and efs
in case something goes wrong.
NOW
after you have backed everything up use twrp recovery to wipe data. Have twrp wipe everything except for your SD card (don't won't to lose the backup)
After everything has been obliterated have twrp boot you into download mode.
Download Odin from XDA preferably 3.09 (most stable release) and then grab an official stock firmware from a trusted source. The latest stock firmware should be at least 4.4.2
If you have carriers other than t-mobile you will also need to find a PIT file for partitioning.
When you have all of this open up Odin with your phone connected in download mode and make sure repartitioning, clear efs and nand-erase is checked along with the defaults.
Select pda button and choose your firmware (unzipped tar.md5 format.) Then select repartitioning PIT file button and direct to where you have it downloaded.
now click start (be sure that the Com port is recognized by Odin: will be highlighted in blue or yellow.)
This will take a while depending on your computer.
when it finishes your phone should reboot with a fresh os and filesystem. If you get stuck in a bootloop reboot into recovery mode and do a wipe data and wipe cache. Reboot and your phone should be good as new.
IMPORTANT!!! It is vital you keep your TWRP backups for as long as you have your phone if you lose them and something goes wrong while flashing your phone you will lose important things such as IMEI baseband which will prevent you from connecting to your network and Sim card recognition.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Odin freeze everytime i put twrp tar.md5 file cant i use philz touch which i use for long time?

Orangley said:
Odin freeze everytime i put twrp tar.md5 file cant i use philz touch which i use for long time?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Is that another custom recovery?
If so then yes just make sure you have all of your system files and most importantly your efs backed up.
Run odin as administrator if that doesnt work, try using another version of Odin.

AndroidInitiate said:
Is that another custom recovery?
If so then yes just make sure you have all of your system files and most importantly your efs backed up.
Run odin as administrator if that doesnt work, try using another version of Odin.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Doesnt work another versions both twrp and odin. I'll keep my custom recovery and try it.

Orangley said:
Doesnt work another versions both twrp and odin. I'll keep my custom recovery and try it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What carrier are you using, model number of the phone, etc.
Have you backed everything up? And can you flash the custom recovery through Odin if it fails?
Try it without wiping efs first just to be safe
Look here for your device you will be able to find standalone flash able versions of twrp that should work through odin.
http://twrp.me/Devices/

Using i9500. And i did what you said and works fine thank you! Mods close thread please.

help about /vendor

im having big problems about vendor. for start im giving some info:
device: mi a1 (tissot)
current os: lineage OS 17.1
root: yes
twrp: can install or use just booting .img
i unlocked my device and installed twrp. there is no problem.
i wanted flash lineage OS and i wiped my device. gives error about cannot mount /vendor
i installed treble supported twrp and installed lineage OS. flashed magisk. installed microg...
then i tried flash mapsv1.zip which is recommended for microg. then booom. another /vendor error.
now i can boot device. i can use everything except gps. google maps app cannot found location. yandex maps can found and i can use it until lock screen or going main screen (or another app). then it starts stopping everytime until i clen its data and cache. then again... in chrome when i open google maps and try found my location chrome stops.
i tried to change /vendor/etc/gps.conf. its still same.
what to do now guys? im worrying about if i try re-flash rom it doesnt flash and device bricked. any solution without re-flash rom? what causes to cannot mount /vendor after solved it?

What exactly did you wipe? I think you wiped vendor, or bumped your O.S. from an old firmware. However, wiping system, data and Dalvik was more than enough.
To solve this, the worst thing to do is trying to hook around. Just reflash the latest original firmware and start again.
Keep in mind that you might need to backup your stuff first.
Use adb pull and push commands in case your device is rebooting too much. Check if device works well this time.
Next, open adb access from device and reboot fastboot to reflash your custom recovery, then reboot recovery and wipe just these items. Finally, complete Rom flashing procedure, depending of your needs.

KaaMyA said:
What exactly did you wipe? I think you wiped vendor, or bumped your O.S. from an old firmware. However, wiping system, data and Dalvik was more than enough.
To solve this, the worst thing to do is trying to hook around. Just reflash the latest original firmware and start again.
Keep in mind that you might need to backup your stuff first.
Use adb pull and push commands in case your device is rebooting too much. Check if device works well this time.
Next, open adb access from device and reboot fastboot to reflash your custom recovery, then reboot recovery and wipe just these items. Finally, complete Rom flashing procedure, depending of your needs.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Dalvik cache , system, data, and cache. My device is not rebooting too much. Sory if i couldn't explain. Everything working fine except when an app tries use my location, app stops running, i cant flash anything right now.
İ thought anyone knows mapsv1.zip file(microg.org) and which files are replaced or added by this file when flash it. And can i do it manually? Btw i can read and write /vendor file with solid explorer
İf needed to re-flash rom thats ok but i think lineage OS was perfect for me until this error. And a last thing: can i backup my settings. (İ already took backup of everything in stock when unlocked bl)
Thank you for help
Edit: gps problems started when i tried flash mapsv1

ROM could be perfect, but what I doubt is how perfectly you followed the procedure. Again, better start from zero, being sure you have all the prerequisites (latest firmware included). My humble opinion.

KaaMyA said:
ROM could be perfect, but what I doubt is how perfectly you followed the procedure. Again, better start from zero, being sure you have all the prerequisites (latest firmware included). My humble opinion.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Okey ilk try it and share the result night. But is it possible to backup settings of phone?

Well, that's why in step 0 is always recommended to backup you phone. At this level you should have nothing in settings, since you wipe it all... However, that's better, that's the goal of a Clean Install after all. Each ROM has its own flavour and is not recomendable to overwrite these values from a backup, if you're changing ROMs. What you could do, was to backup your apps and some settings with a third app like Swift Backup, or older Titanium Backup, before starting it all, or else, making a complete backup from recovery, in case you end with a problem with newly installed ROM (recommendation here is disable any screen security lock before doing Backups).

KaaMyA said:
Well, that's why in step 0 is always recommended to backup you phone. At this level you should have nothing in settings, since you wipe it all... However, that's better, that's the goal of a Clean Install after all. Each ROM has its own flavour and is not recomendable to overwrite these values from a backup, if you're changing ROMs. What you could do, was to backup your apps and some settings with a third app like Swift Backup, or older Titanium Backup, before starting it all, or else, making a complete backup from recovery, in case you end with a problem with newly installed ROM (recommendation here is disable any screen security lock before doing Backups).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
İ did it all. Step by step. But i realized something. That errors doesnt matter on my device. Bcs when i flashing stock mi flash tool said failed but i booted system and everything working fine. İ installed persistent twrp. Same error. Then wiped. Same error but wipe completed. Than i flashed this zips single and booted everytime: lineage os, magisk, backup of migrate. Everytime it said cannot mount vendor but all of this apps and os and recovery working fine
Thank you for your helps
[Helping alone ]

Nurullah44 said:
İ did it all. Step by step. But i realized something. That errors doesnt matter on my device. Bcs when i flashing stock mi flash tool said failed but i booted system and everything working fine. İ installed persistent twrp. Same error. Then wiped. Same error but wipe completed. Than i flashed this zips single and booted everytime: lineage os, magisk, backup of migrate. Everytime it said cannot mount vendor but all of this apps and os and recovery working fine
Thank you for your helps
[Helping alone ]
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
if you didn't treblized your device then its not a problem. I have this error too but that's because there is no vendor partition to mount. as been said by unipo:
https://forum.xda-developers.com/mi...-3-3-1-0-tissot-manager-t3976117/post81326153

portox said:
if you didn't treblized your device then its not a problem. I have this error too but that's because there is no vendor partition to mount. as been said by unipo:
https://forum.xda-developers.com/mi...-3-3-1-0-tissot-manager-t3976117/post81326153
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Are you sure? Bcs i can view and change /vendor in root path. Treblizing is updating and repairing system partitions right? İ am using treble support twrp, flashed stock rom via mi flash(said error but worked fine) then how to treblize a device? And is this required for anything(like a rom, an app)?