[Q] Malicious daily "alarm" - Nexus 7 Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

I have an issue that is making me crazy. Starting about 1 month ago, my N7 plays a very annoying "tune" for about 1-2 minutes precisely at 12:35 AM every day.
Some specifics:
- volume cannot be controlled or muted
- the "tune" that is played is not one of the normal choices. It is kind of crude sounding (like MIDI).
- does not provide any notification of any kind or show up as a running app
- does not appear to be associated with clock or calendar
- the only way to stop it is to power off
Steps I have taken to try to kill this thing (leaving out the obvious)
- "soft" factory reset/restore from N7 Settings menu - fail
- "Hard" facory reset using power/volume controls. Did not do a restore.. Only logged onto wireless and into my Google account . - fail
- complete wipe/reflash using adb/fastboot/nakasi image from Google developer page instructions. - fail
I'm a complete Android noob, but not a software/hardware noob. This defies logic to me. I found reference to a very similar problem on another forum, but the post was never answered. I have several other Android devices and none have this issue. I'm convinced that this is something malicious. Where is this thing hiding that it can survive a reflash? Please help, I'm beginning to think my N7 is haunted.

Bump for help
Sorry to bump this but it appears that the views have stopped and so far no replies. As noted in my original post I have seen this issue reported elsewhere but not solved. I even tried loading Cyanogenmod and it's still there! I realize that asking for help on you first post is asking a lot, but I really could use some help/suggestions. Is there somewhere in the file system I should look for the code that is running this? Are there monitoring tools I could use to identify the process that is running? Are there log files somewhere I could look at?
Besides being really annoying, it's hard to feel secure when something like this keeps coming back after the device has supposedly been wiped multiple times. If I can't solve it, it's probably going to get beaten to a pulp with a sledgehammer! Thanks for any suggestions.
gdbbcmi said:
I have an issue that is making me crazy. Starting about 1 month ago, my N7 plays a very annoying "tune" for about 1-2 minutes precisely at 12:35 AM every day.
Some specifics:
- volume cannot be controlled or muted
- the "tune" that is played is not one of the normal choices. It is kind of crude sounding (like MIDI).
- does not provide any notification of any kind or show up as a running app
- does not appear to be associated with clock or calendar
- the only way to stop it is to power off
Steps I have taken to try to kill this thing (leaving out the obvious)
- "soft" factory reset/restore from N7 Settings menu - fail
- "Hard" facory reset using power/volume controls. Did not do a restore.. Only logged onto wireless and into my Google account . - fail
- complete wipe/reflash using adb/fastboot/nakasi image from Google developer page instructions. - fail
I'm a complete Android noob, but not a software/hardware noob. This defies logic to me. I found reference to a very similar problem on another forum, but the post was never answered. I have several other Android devices and none have this issue. I'm convinced that this is something malicious. Where is this thing hiding that it can survive a reflash? Please help, I'm beginning to think my N7 is haunted.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

Solved!
This is solved. I'd like to say I know exactly what worked, but apparently after the umpteenth wipe/re-flash, the poltergeist got bored and moved on. Thanks for thinking about it.
gdbbcmi said:
Sorry to bump this but it appears that the views have stopped and so far no replies. As noted in my original post I have seen this issue reported elsewhere but not solved. I even tried loading Cyanogenmod and it's still there! I realize that asking for help on you first post is asking a lot, but I really could use some help/suggestions. Is there somewhere in the file system I should look for the code that is running this? Are there monitoring tools I could use to identify the process that is running? Are there log files somewhere I could look at?
Besides being really annoying, it's hard to feel secure when something like this keeps coming back after the device has supposedly been wiped multiple times. If I can't solve it, it's probably going to get beaten to a pulp with a sledgehammer! Thanks for any suggestions.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

Related

How to prevent OS exiting my applications?

Hi,
I noticed that OS constantly unloads my applications.
Say, I visit some page using IE, then switch to another application, then switch back - it is usually at the same page, but, probably depending on idle time, it sporadically gets closed.
That said, when I go to IE again, it starts afresh on its initial page and I must reload my page again. Needless to say, in most cases this is unacceptable. (extra traffic, so it costs $$, also GPRS could become unavailable etc :x )
How do I PREVENT this behaviour?
Not only IE suffers, any application! Sporadically exits despite of fact there are tons of free memory and I would better free resources with another way than just closing what is required for me.
I have elder device with PocketPC 3.0 (Cassiopeia E-125) and it does NOT behave in such a way. Does not close even it has 4times less memory! Now I understand how nice it is.
While this problem persists, I forced to have both devices with me.
Please help me solving this!
Vadim.
I've noticed the same behavior randomly also. I don't have a fix, but you're not alone.
What ROM version are you using? There was an issue with the earlier ROMS in that there were too many programs running and when you launched another program the OS would terminate a background program to provide the necesssary process space.
The newer ROMs have solved this problem, but CheckNotify and ClearNotify (search the forum) will help with the earlier ROMs.
This is an old problem, related to the number of running processes.
Consult this thread
http://www.ppcw.net/?itemid=1645
which will show you how to solve it. Also the newer roms cut down on the number of processes at startup, which helps.
Surur
Mine is much more random than that described. Sometimes I can have a half dozen apps open with no problem, and sometimes a single app will close itself while I work in the phone or the Today screen.
Carlos said:
Mine is much more random than that described. Sometimes I can have a half dozen apps open with no problem, and sometimes a single app will close itself while I work in the phone or the Today screen.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Don't forget that we are talking processes, not appications, here. One app. may have many processes and multiple app's may use the same common processes. Therefore, launching one application can generate a number of new processes and that can push you over the limit (e.g. ActiveSync, which launches three or four I recall), so something gets nuked.
I understand, and was looking for a pattern, but there is none. In fact, it seems reversed, as it happens more often while I'm just out and about and less frequenty while the device is in the cradle. Very often it happens after a fresh boot with a single app running.
I may look at it more closely with a process viewer. It's not bugging me enough to make it a priority.
Thank you all for providing many help!
surur said:
This is an old problem, related to the number of running processes.
Consult this thread
http://www.ppcw.net/?itemid=1645
which will show you how to solve it. Also the newer roms cut down on the number of processes at startup, which helps.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That explains it all, many fruitful comments, and a prove that there could be no fix but just temporary solutions to reduce a problem a bit.
It is a bit larger problem in my case, because I use special sotware to support Russian.
Too bad MS can't recognize and fix such a big design mistakes.

Serious freezing issues

I have reflashed the phone about three times with the stock rom and now have moved to custom ones which seem to be working a little better, but I am honestly getting annoyed with how much this phone freezes while in the text window. I have to do a battery pull every time because none of the hard buttons respond either. I have seen many posts and was wondering if anyone has found a fix to this. I might, however, have a bad phone. I did not but it from T-mobile, so if I brought it in to them would they even be able to replace it or how do I go about doing that?
otter5 said:
I have reflashed the phone about three times with the stock rom and now have moved to custom ones which seem to be working a little better, but I am honestly getting annoyed with how much this phone freezes while in the text window. I have to do a battery pull every time because none of the hard buttons respond either. I have seen many posts and was wondering if anyone has found a fix to this. I might, however, have a bad phone. I did not but it from T-mobile, so if I brought it in to them would they even be able to replace it or how do I go about doing that?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The SMS freezing issue is widespread in this phone, I honestly don't think you have a bad piece of hardware.
One of the solutions that seems to work most frequently is to keep the number of text messages retained in your phone down to an absolute minimum (like 50 or less) at all times. Clearing them out regularly (and from the deleted folder as well) seems to have eliminated the issue for a bunch of people. If it's critical for you to retain messages longer than that would allow, I'd suggest just backing your messages up with myphone or something similar that allows you to access them off the phone.
I know that's not an ideal solution, but it seems to work. That's the strategy I use all the time, and I've never once had the sms lagging or lockup issues that so many others report.
I've been deleting all my texts as soon as they get over 20 just to minimalize the problem, everything else will start lagging as well if I let this happen. Thanks though. I hope they get a fix for this because I love this phone.
I was haVing the same issues but not as bad as you...you can also try changing the messages too standard not threaded. you can do that by selecting all messages then menu then options...also try running titanium. go to settings/all settings then select windows default I trash mine like that for a while. but what seems to have fixed my problems was just un installing cookies home tab...I mentioned to sirphunkee that in a few days I would install cookies again to see if my problems came back.
I think this MIGHT help you id the problem.
See if removing the memory card helps.
My first unit seemed as bad as yours, if not worse.
Whenever I removed the memory card, it would run SUPER smooth, so I thought to myself, maybe a higher class sdhc would do the trick?
Nope.
There is just something defective about all the TMOUS HD2s...they just fail imho.
toreone said:
I was haVing the same issues but not as bad as you...you can also try changing the messages too standard not threaded. you can do that by selecting all messages then menu then options...also try running titanium. go to settings/all settings then select windows default I trash mine like that for a while. but what seems to have fixed my problems was just un installing cookies home tab...I mentioned to sirphunkee that in a few days I would install cookies again to see if my problems came back.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I unthreaded it and have not had a problem all day. Thank you

2 Gmail Problems

I have searched the forums and scanned the results and can't seem to find any posts on this, so I'm wondering if I'm the only one with these two issues with gmail:
1) Choppy images - when I'm looking at my emails, when I scroll in any direction, the images take a noticeable fraction of a second to 're-focus' (for lack of a better word). They're not smooth. When I use the browser (for instance), I don't have this issue, so it's obviously Gmail-specific.
2) Auto-advance: older conversation - I love this feature, but wish it would actually work. I find that when I read my first email and archive/delete it, I move on to *AN* older one, but often Gmail skips an email or two in between. So I end up going back to the inbox and going through the process again, just to address all my new mail.
I can't imagine I'm the only one with these issues, but confirmation would be great. Also, I don't see any settings I could adjust to fix these, but if you have a suggestion, fire away. Both issues are minor, but they grate on the mind...
you can either wait for the update that's apparently going around slowly or use the "Wipe data" in the Recovery of the phone to reset your G2 back to the way it was when you bought it (erasing you apps data not your SD) then re-setup the phone. I don't know for sure if ANY of these options will work but i think they're the best you can do right now seeing as I've never heard of anyone having this problem, me included.
Thanks for trying to help - I'm definitely more concerned if this is just happening to my phone. I'll try a wipe of the data in the gmail app itself and if that doesn't work will just wait for the update and hope that fixes things. I really don't want to wipe the whole thing! Thanks again.
Sent from my T-Mobile G2 using XDA App

I9100xxlpq (4.0.3) issue list <------

So, lets make a list of issues with this release:
1. Wifi from time to time crashes when enabling it, for example when you try to enable wifi it goes into "limbo state" where you cannot disable or enable it again.
2. Shazam/soundhound cannot identify songs if you play them from integrated music player.
3. The 3rd one is most hardest to explain, basically if application crashes "home" button does not work (in gingerbread it always worked), so you have to wait app to respond or wait about 30 seconds for android message, that application hung.
I'm seriously thining about returning back to gingerbread due to these issues, although battery usage is nice and gps work really impressive, but this release is very buggy
read the stickies - you know...the giant one right at the top of the screen that says
*******DO NOT Start any more New Threads on ICS*******
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1544657
I dont care what it says, its not related to that topic anyway, I'm sure I'm not only one who has issues with this release and I think it would be a great idea to keep all issues in one forum thread instead on many threads in this forum.
I'll add an issue too: it has Touchwiz.
Exchange battery bug drain!
Before stating any issue at all, one should state whether or not they did a full wipe/factory reset, if you didn't, the problem is not the firmware, but the owner of the phone.
Of the three issues stated by the opening poster, I only have one, which is the lengthy wait if an app force closes, the other two are not firmware bugs, they are user bugs.
Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk
If you are interested, I have wiped my phone before installing this release.
Iskorptix said:
I'm seriously thining about returning back to gingerbread due to these issues, although battery usage is nice and gps work really impressive, but this release is very buggy
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Agree with you there, just gone bag to GB as I am off on hols this week and can do without any hiccups for now.
Iskorptix said:
If you are interested, I have wiped my phone before installing this release.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Do it after installing on stock kernel to be 100% sure
except for the occasional force close, I have zero issues (three so far, twice was gmail and lastly the PGA Tour App)
And I did test both Soundhound and Shazam while playing music, identified songs in less than 10 seconds
first of all, i did a full wipe before and after flashing, have no mods installed, just a bunch of apps.
for me, the biggest problem right now is email with social hub. in gingerbread, when i opened the social hub it was in the state i left it, mostly the email accounts overview, now it always starts on feeds, and when you click messages, it shows all accounts' combined inbox and it seems kinda buggy, because the number of new emails never match. notifications show 3 new emails, the social hub says there is 5 and upon opening, it looks like there is only one, because the combined inbox just does not work properly.
also, i set it to display the next message, once i deleted one, but no, it goes back to the ridiculous overview. and within an email there is no next message and previous message buttons anymore, they are only present in the email app, which, incidentally, looks like the social hub, but has completely different buttons, whereas on gingerbread, it was exactly the same (only that the social hub also has facebook and twitter, which is why i use it, to combine all messages in one place, at least if it works).
another bug i already posted in the release thread (but of course it was lost in between all the noob posts, "halp, mai pohne brokez") is that many menu items are way too long and disappear to the right, see attached screenshot. there are settings with checkboxes, and you can't even read, what you just activated/deactivated.
samsung should either make small blue explanations underneath or let those lines scroll through to reveal the right part.
also, after rooting, i could not restore my titanium backup, so i set it all up manually and even then, google play apps that install to the sd card by default, didn't work.
Solution: flashing back stock kernel. another piece of important information, completely lost in the release thread.
i never bothered before, because with the old bootloader and if you bring your device into bootloader mode using the jig, you never have a yellow triangle. (yes, even if you root your device and NOT use the jig afterwards, no yellow triangle).
the following might be specific to my device and not apply to yours, so it does not count as a bug:
when i bought the phone in june '11, it came with ke2 i believe, and it got incredibly hot while playing 3d games (gameloft etc.). non of the roms that came after that had that problem until la2, which also had incredibly poor battery life.
now, lpq has great battery life and does not really get hot, but once you play, while charging your phone, it gets as hot, as it never has before. yesterday, after 30 minutes of osmos hd, i couldn't continue, as my fingers hurt, touching the display and the phone's backside. on battery, i can play for hours without any temparature change.
(if anyone can confirm this, i'd be glad)
oh and before i forget:
@leftovermagic and the others posting while i write this:
the point of that sticky is to stop noobs from creating a new thread with the same topic, which is "lpq released". this is a bug collection and just like the "my first impressions" thread it is something different from the release message. as stated above, reported bugs get totally lost in that thread with hundreds of people too stupid to flash the rom in the first place.
if this thread were to be kept clean from comments and just be a collection of bug reports, it would be useful, general whining is not.
EDIT: oops, forgot the screenshot.
For me the big problem is that some games black screen after 1 minute playing, especially many gameloft games..
Not compatible with ICS yet?
Guys, to keep information somewhat organized and to respect lufc's sticky to not create anymore ICS threads, please discuss issues in one of these 2 existing threads:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1544487 (preferable)
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1544557
This makes searching and keeping up with things much simpler.

Tab a SMT585 Advice please for a newbie

Hi guys/girls
First off im totally new to rooting any kind of device, thanks to a lot of the awesome work from people on this forum i have done a lot of reading and think i have successfully rooted my device (according to the root check app it is yay!)
However on reading a lot of things i just wanted to check if i have done all steps correct
So
Put device in to download -
Went on odin
Added the .tar file
Rebooted in to the other boot option
Transfered the SU zip file over
Clicked the zip file and installed
All seems to be working fine but reading things about flashing etc have i missed something?
Also an app i was using (the whole reason i rooted in the first place) HiroMacro
Was working fine nearly all day until i stopped and restarted it
Now it is not recognising any touch inputs? and not recording any types of input? any suggestions as to why this may of suddenly happened? Did i do something wrong or has something possibly changed that i need to investigate?
Thanks in advance and also thanks already for the endless knowledge on here
EDIT
I have tried other applications that "record" a touch input for auto playback, NONE are recoring/recognising any kind of input has something gone wrong with the root process? or is my tab security blocking something im not realising?
Thanks again
Update :
Proof i am still trying and battling with this,
I completely wiped my tablet and have installed a completely new ROM
Now this still has not fixed the issue!
However now when i enable the touch location debug there is a grey bar appearing at the top of the screen, just below the notification line that moves on rotation
Just a crazy idea... but is this the area that the app is going ot recognise touch input? as this was never there before? the area is not big enough to attempt to record any input? however any ideas if this is the case on how to "extend" the touch area
Thanks again
jcole90 said:
Update :
Proof i am still trying and battling with this,
I completely wiped my tablet and have installed a completely new ROM
Now this still has not fixed the issue!
However now when i enable the touch location debug there is a grey bar appearing at the top of the screen, just below the notification line that moves on rotation
Just a crazy idea... but is this the area that the app is going ot recognise touch input? as this was never there before? the area is not big enough to attempt to record any input? however any ideas if this is the case on how to "extend" the touch area
Thanks again
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
On Google or Youtube, try searching up how to reset your tablet with the Samsung Smart Switch app for Samsung Devices. It works a lot better than Kie 3 (It's been updated) and it should fix all of it. ODIN way is not the most fool-proof method but the official Samsung Smart Switch is a lot more easy and it's automatic. You will only need your Device Model Number and Serial Number.

Categories

Resources