Rooting S4 with Odin without wiping user data - Galaxy S 4 Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

Help needed - I have accidentally deleted the entire gallery of my S4, and with S4 running KitKat 4.4.2 build XXUGNI1
I tried all the one click solutions to try to prevent any over writing of the storage but none of them, including tower root, seems to work on this build.
Is there any other way to try? I am thinking of changing to a custom Rom and load it via Odin - is there any way it can be done without overwriting user data?
Thanks in advance for any hints or pointers. Cheers.

mhwong said:
Help needed - I have accidentally deleted the entire gallery of my S4, and with S4 running KitKat 4.4.2 build XXUGNI1
I tried all the one click solutions to try to prevent any over writing of the storage but none of them, including tower root, seems to work on this build.
Is there any other way to try? I am thinking of changing to a custom Rom and load it via Odin - is there any way it can be done without overwriting user data?
Thanks in advance for any hints or pointers. Cheers.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Storage meaning stuff you have on your internal storage, like music, photos, and such? Or are you actually talking about installed apps and games?
Firstly, rooting will not wipe your phone. Only when flashing a custom ROM it is recommended to wipe cache and data (will not wipe internal storage) to prevent bugs.
Second, you could try rooting the phone via Odin. I also tried rooting my device with one click rooting software but it didn't work.
Use Odin and CF-Auto-Root. Here's the link to a thread: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2219803
But make sure that you have the correct model first.
Note: This may change knox status to 0x1 and void your warranty.

GDReaper said:
Storage meaning stuff you have on your internal storage, like music, photos, and such? Or are you actually talking about installed apps and games?
Firstly, rooting will not wipe your phone. Only when flashing a custom ROM it is recommended to wipe cache and data (will not wipe internal storage) to prevent bugs.
Second, you could try rooting the phone via Odin. I also tried rooting my device with one click rooting software but it didn't work.
Use Odin and CF-Auto-Root. Here's the link to a thread: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2219803
But make sure that you have the correct model first.
Note: This may change knox status to 0x1 and void your warranty.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, I have to try to recover the deleted photos, so would have to preserve the user data rather than have it wiped during rooting
Will try that. The phone is already out of warranty. Havent tried since installing custom rom on my Galaxy S (the first one) but Odin didnt seem to have changed at all. Many THanks!

Related

[Q] Omega v7 ROM on sgh-i337M

Hello all,
Forgive me if I'm posting this in the wrong section - my post count is too low to post in the proper dev forum.
I have installed the new Omega v7 ROM and loaded KT-GS4 kernel for compatibility with the SGH-i377M.(http://forum.xda-developers.com/show...53528&page=480).
Everything appears to be running very well except the email app. It just displays a white screen then eventually I will get a message stating the app is hung, continue waiting or kill it. Not sure if it matters, but I have two pop3 accounts, and two exchange accounts setup.
Any assistance would be great!
did the email app work at any point after initially running it?
what rom did you come from and how did you wipe before flashing this?
Stock
xBeerdroiDx said:
did the email app work at any point after initially running it?
what rom did you come from and how did you wipe before flashing this?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I came from a completely stock, Rogers SGH-i337M phone. The email app runs fine before I flash Omega v7 and after (when I restore my backed up image via TWRP).
In my reading of the Omega ROM v7 thread, a wipe was not required prior to the loading of the image. So, no wipe was done.
Thanks.
so how long did you run on omega before you started having problems with the email?
wiping is important and the key to a bugless, functioning ROM. there are different levels of wiping based on the type of flashing you are doing. in your case, a backup and full wipe would have been recommended.
xBeerdroiDx said:
so how long did you run on omega before you started having problems with the email?
wiping is important and the key to a bugless, functioning ROM. there are different levels of wiping based on the type of flashing you are doing. in your case, a backup and full wipe would have been recommended.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It never worked, it was immediate.
I will take your advise, and follow your noob guide in your signature.
Is there anyway to do this without backing up/restoring as I use this device for business and don't want to risk loosing anything?
Thank you very much for your guidance.
Switch Blade said:
It never worked, it was immediate.
I will take your advise, and follow your noob guide in your signature.
Is there anyway to do this without backing up/restoring as I use this device for business and don't want to risk loosing anything?
Thank you very much for your guidance.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
if you dont want to lose anything, move everything you want to save to a computer or your micro sd card. if you are uncomfortable with any procedures, read some more and return to stock until you are sure of what you're doing. i dont want to see you damage your device.
xBeerdroiDx said:
if you dont want to lose anything, move everything you want to save to a computer or your micro sd card. if you are uncomfortable with any procedures, read some more and return to stock until you are sure of what you're doing. i dont want to see you damage your device.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have installed Titanium back and followed your guide (thank you). Within Titanium backup, is there a way to restore all apps at once without having to manually press install for each? Also, will this restore all my email data?

[Q]WhatsApp not sending/receiving media

Hello everyone. I've tried really hard to DO NOT create this thread. As it happens I have used all I know (which isnt much) to try to fix this problem but got no success.
So I've got a S4 GT-I9505. I've recently decided to root it mainly because I wanted full External SD-card access to some apps. Here are some facts about my rooting:
- I used TWRP;
- I used SuperSU;
- I kept the stock ROM. I personally dont have anything to complain about it so I didnt install any custom ROMs.
- I had a problem with Knox afterwards, the phone was rebooting and freezing. I made a backup on Titanium and then uninstalled every Knox-related app.
- The system worked nicely for days.
Then I decided to clean some garbage that I knew was present in my device, like ghost folders and foster files and such.
- I installed SD-Maid and Clean Master.
- On the same day, I switched my SIM card because of some personal issues. I'm brazilian but now living in Deutschland. The change of SIM cards (if it matters) was as follows: bought the phone > inserted brazilian SIM > inserted deutsch SIM > inserted brazilian SIM (due to a personal problem) > back to deutsch SIM. I'm telling you this because I'm not sure of how relevant it is. Just trying to give as much info as possible.
- I cleaned some **** with SD-Maid AND Clean Master.
What happened next:
- WhatsApp was broken. I couldnt receive any media (voice recordings, videos, images, nothing at all).
- I tried re-installing the App
- I tried to restore my WhatsApp backup from Titanium. No success*.
- I tried to restore my backup from TWRD. No success.
- I tried to change WhatsApp folder (on data/media) permissions to r-r-r---- and then back to 00775. No success.
- I tried re-registering my phone to whatsapp network. No success.
- I tried deleting whatsapp folder on data/media (WhatsApp FAQ recomendation). Thats when WhatsApp stopped also SENDING media. I couldnt simply send or receive through the app.
- I tried re-creating the WhatsApp media folder on data. No success.
- I tried a factory reset followed by a TWRD backup restoration. WhatsApp was once again SENDING, but NOT RECEIVING media. When my phone finished booting and the launcher loaded, I was immediately prompted by a WhatsApp message saying something like "Conection failed! Please verify your phone number. WhatsApp can only be installed in one device per phone-number" even though everything else internet-related was working just fine.
(* when I say NO SUCCESS, I refer to the fact that WhatsApp still not receiving/sending media, not that I failed to implement that given fix)
Now, when I wiped my phone to factory defaults, I noticed that in TWRD prompt it said something like "Wiping Data, EXCEPT data/media". My knowledge of the subject isnt great but I think it might be something with this folder.
Any thoughts?
Thank you very much in advance!
Do nothing. Delete your account from whatsapp and recreate it with the number you wish to use
My whatsapp works fine with a different no. And has a diff sim for calling.
Maybe to much of backup.. restore...bla bla..made it crash.
Press Thanks if I helped
Sent from my Samsung Galaxy S4 via XDA app.
Venorian said:
- I tried re-registering my phone to whatsapp network. No success.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
DeepankarS said:
Do nothing. Delete your account from whatsapp and recreate it with the number you wish to use
My whatsapp works fine with a different no. And has a diff sim for calling.
Maybe to much of backup.. restore...bla bla..made it crash.
Press Thanks if I helped
Sent from my Samsung Galaxy S4 via XDA app.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It was not very clear in my post, indeed, but yes I have tried that as well. Thanks for trying!
I would just take the shortcut.
- Backup the apps you want to backup with Titanium.
- Make a backup of Whatsapp from within the app.
- Wipe from TWRP recovery (I assume that's what you mean by TWRD). Use the option prepare for rom flash (don't know the excact words, but you understand when you see the option).
- Reflash the rom you are currently on with Odin (or flash a custom rom).
You can also just skip the wiping part and just flash the rom with Odin again. I always like to start from scratch if something goes wrong, but it should probably work without the wipe.
Then restore the apps you want to restore. Whatsapp should probably be working now.
You can spend many more hours finding a solution, but my guess is that SD-maid or Clean Master deleted something it should not have. Always be carefull with those kind of apps. I don't really like those apps because the benefit you get from them is limited.
GOT A FIX!
After 2 days of hitting my head on the wall with this, I came up with a solution.
My girlfriend has the exact same phone as me (though I think any rooted android with WhatsApp installed would do).
I entered her data/media/whatsapp folder and created all the folders that were missing on my own folder (deleted by CleanMaster just for being empty). Then I gave all the folders the exact same permissions (rwxrwx--x or 0775) as my girlfriend's device and voila! It's working perfectly!
Now just for future reference and to feed my curiosity: why does factory reset through TWRP do not also wipe data/media? If this folder were wiped, I would get a fresh WhatsApp install and the problem would have been gone sooner. I kinda dont understand the folders' structure in my phone. Sometimes it looks like I can get to the same very place using diferent paths (like /data/ OR /emulated/ OR /0/ OR /sdcard/).
Anyway, thanks people! Though I figured it all by myself, this forum still rocks!
Venorian said:
GOT A FIX!
After 2 days of hitting my head on the wall with this, I came up with a solution.
My girlfriend has the exact same phone as me (though I think any rooted android with WhatsApp installed would do).
I entered her data/media/whatsapp folder and created all the folders that were missing on my own folder (deleted by CleanMaster just for being empty). Then I gave all the folders the exact same permissions (rwxrwx--x or 0775) as my girlfriend's device and voila! It's working perfectly!
Now just for future reference and to feed my curiosity: why does factory reset through TWRP do not also wipe data/media? If this folder were wiped, I would get a fresh WhatsApp install and the problem would have been gone sooner. I kinda dont understand the folders' structure in my phone. Sometimes it looks like I can get to the same very place using diferent paths (like /data/ OR /emulated/ OR /0/ OR /sdcard/).
Anyway, thanks people! Though I figured it all by myself, this forum still rocks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good that you found a solution.
It would be bad thing if the custom recovery would standard wipe data/media because that would wipe your entire internal sd. People that flash roms don't want that to happen. You can still wipe it from the recovery, it's just in a different place then the standard wiping.
Lennyz1988 said:
Good that you found a solution.
It would be bad thing if the custom recovery would standard wipe data/media because that would wipe your entire internal sd. People that flash roms don't want that to happen. You can still wipe it from the recovery, it's just in a different place then the standard wiping.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So basically its just a matter of keeping your apps and app data? Not something system-damaging or system-related at all?
And thanks for your answer!
Venorian said:
So basically its just a matter of keeping your apps and app data? Not something system-damaging or system-related at all?
And thanks for your answer!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No your apps and data will be wiped. Basically every part that could interfere with a new rom is wiped. It's only the data on your internal storage that is kept. So apps (like Whatsapp) also write data to your internal storage and that won't get wiped.
/system
/data (excluded /data/media)
/cache
and a few more will be wiped.
(There are more parts that don't get wiped, but that are parts that neither an app or you will ever touch.)
Now the problem is back. I can't really understand what happened.
I rebooted my phone just to check if everything was OK and then to do a new backup in TWRP.
Checked WhatsApp and the problem was back. Then I went to see the files and some folders that I've just copied were gone! The WhatsApp main folder on data/media was still there, but some subfolders were simply missing. I also noticed that my copy of that folder on my External SD-card was also gone! Like WTH?!
Any help will be much appreciated.
P.S.: and to my happiness, copying the files once again (as I've done before) simply doesnt work. This is driving me crazy, seriously.
this happened to me once, and wasn't whatsapp only, the reason whatsapp wasn't being able to receive/send media files was because it somehow could not access the internal storage.. same with all my other apps, it happened when restoring a full rom backup with CWM.. and the only way i managed to fix it was to re-flash the stock rom with odin
-Ric- said:
this happened to me once, and wasn't whatsapp only, the reason whatsapp wasn't being able to receive/send media files was because it somehow could not access the internal storage.. same with all my other apps, it happened when restoring a full rom backup with CWM.. and the only way i managed to fix it was to re-flash the stock rom with odin
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not even a factory reset will do?
How do I find a stock ROM from Samsung (with 4.4.2) compatible with my S4 GT-I9505? Also: should I also wipe everything or simply flash the rom without doing anything else?
Now that you said, I also noticed that one of my favorite games (Mushroom Wars) has also stopped working. Might be that you're right!
Venorian said:
Not even a factory reset will do?
How do I find a stock ROM from Samsung (with 4.4.2) compatible with my S4 GT-I9505? Also: should I also wipe everything or simply flash the rom without doing anything else?
Now that you said, I also noticed that one of my favorite games (Mushroom Wars) has also stopped working. Might be that you're right!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Do as I suggested. Start from a blank sheet and stay away from those rom cleaners for now.
You could just take a clean custom rom, then you don't have to worry about deleting those knox stuff and rerooting again.
Venorian said:
Not even a factory reset will do?
How do I find a stock ROM from Samsung (with 4.4.2) compatible with my S4 GT-I9505? Also: should I also wipe everything or simply flash the rom without doing anything else?
Now that you said, I also noticed that one of my favorite games (Mushroom Wars) has also stopped working. Might be that you're right!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i honestly didn't attempt a factory reset because i wanted to keep all my stuff, so i just flashed the stock rom on odin and everything worked out fine, was the only way i was able to fix it
-Ric- said:
i honestly didn't attempt a factory reset because i wanted to keep all my stuff, so i just flashed the stock rom on odin and everything worked out fine, was the only way i was able to fix it
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
By doing this I'll have to reroot, right? Do you think it is a problem if I recover my backup from TWRP after flashing the stock rom?
Dont wanna go through the configs and app installing all over again.
Venorian said:
By doing this I'll have to reroot, right? Do you think it is a problem if I recover my backup from TWRP after flashing the stock rom?
Dont wanna go through the configs and app installing all over again.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
you don't need to re-configure or recover a backup, if you flash the same stock on odin as you already had running, without wiping, it should work right away, without any issues and without any need for a wipe or a restore, you will have to re-root though, yes.
-Ric- said:
you don't need to re-configure or recover a backup, if you flash the same stock on odin as you already had running, without wiping, it should work right away, without any issues and without any need for a wipe or a restore, you will have to re-root though, yes.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Here is your stock firmware: http://www.sammobile.com/firmwares/3/?download=33568
Tkkg1994 said:
Here is your stock firmware: http://www.sammobile.com/firmwares/3/?download=33568
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is for switzerland, isnt it? A Brazilian version would be most welcome! I'm currently downloading one from this thread: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2265477
-Ric- said:
you don't need to re-configure or recover a backup, if you flash the same stock on odin as you already had running, without wiping, it should work right away, without any issues and without any need for a wipe or a restore, you will have to re-root though, yes.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sure! Thank you for your help!
Just a side note: while downloading the stock rom, I found this and installed the given app (Folder Mount) just to check. As soon as I opened it, it pop'd a message saying that he identified a crucial problem with my /bin/sdcardwhatever file. So yes, I'm confident that your solution will be the one to fix my problem. Let's see...
Also thanks for Lennyz1988 for your suggestion. Your fix seems a little bit... harder?... for me, but if this one doesnt work I'll try yours and post the results. BTW, where do I find a clean custom ROM? Thank you!
Venorian said:
This is for switzerland, isnt it? A Brazilian version would be most welcome! I'm currently downloading one from this thread: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2265477
Sure! Thank you for your help!
Just a side note: while downloading the stock rom, I found this and installed the given app (Folder Mount) just to check. As soon as I opened it, it pop'd a message saying that he identified a crucial problem with my /bin/sdcardwhatever file. So yes, I'm confident that your solution will be the one to fix my problem. Let's see...
Also thanks for Lennyz1988 for your suggestion. Your fix seems a little bit... harder?... for me, but if this one doesnt work I'll try yours and post the results. BTW, where do I find a clean custom ROM? Thank you!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Cause you want a Brazil version, here you go : http://www.sammobile.com/firmwares/3/?download=31097
Lennyz1988 said:
I would just take the shortcut.
- Backup the apps you want to backup with Titanium.
- Make a backup of Whatsapp from within the app.
- Wipe from TWRP recovery (I assume that's what you mean by TWRD). Use the option prepare for rom flash (don't know the excact words, but you understand when you see the option).
- Reflash the rom you are currently on with Odin (or flash a custom rom).
You can also just skip the wiping part and just flash the rom with Odin again. I always like to start from scratch if something goes wrong, but it should probably work without the wipe.
Then restore the apps you want to restore. Whatsapp should probably be working now.
You can spend many more hours finding a solution, but my guess is that SD-maid or Clean Master deleted something it should not have. Always be carefull with those kind of apps. I don't really like those apps because the benefit you get from them is limited.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
-Ric- said:
this happened to me once, and wasn't whatsapp only, the reason whatsapp wasn't being able to receive/send media files was because it somehow could not access the internal storage.. same with all my other apps, it happened when restoring a full rom backup with CWM.. and the only way i managed to fix it was to re-flash the stock rom with odin
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I just realized both solutions are the same, LOL.
ODIN just finished flashing the stock rom. Will update soon with the preliminary results.
Apparently it did NOT work. Not completely at least.
WhatsApp is now once again making voice recordings and receiving them as well, but is not handling any other kind of media. Mushroom Wars (the game I talked about earlier) is also not loading.
The system looks just it was before, only without root (I know that was expected).
Don't know what to do now.
Just one more question: how much of a problem is it restoring a backup using TWRP? I mean, in a scenario in which I get this problem fixed, I couldnt simply restore any backup due to the possibility of screwing my internal storage thing all over again?

Reset S4 with broken LCD

Hi guys, i've broken my Galaxy s4 lcd some day ago, and yesterday i've decided to sell it on ebay.
But now i have to wipe it. The problem is that i am running a custom Touchwiz rom and Philz touch recovery. So i don't think i can use Kies to make a factory reset.
I can use Odin to flash a stock image etc... But i don't know how to solve completely my problems.
Can someone help me? Thx
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=41392134
Take help from this
"If someone helps, never forget to hit thanks ? "
DeepankarS said:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=41392134
Take help from this
"If someone helps, never forget to hit thanks ? "
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you for the replay.
However, the Galaxy S4 doesn't have fastboot mode, but only download mode and recovery mode, so I don't know how to use the commands...
OmniSlyfer said:
Thank you for the replay.
However, the Galaxy S4 doesn't have fastboot mode, but only download mode and recovery mode, so I don't know how to use the commands...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Odin will fix it.
Flash the stock ronin Odin. All your user data will be (sort of) removed.
A skilled user could still recover your user data' but most people won't even know its there.
You will not need the phone's screen to work at any point in the Odin process.
Skipjacks said:
Odin will fix it.
Flash the stock ronin Odin. All your user data will be (sort of) removed.
A skilled user could still recover your user data' but most people won't even know its there.
You will not need the phone's screen to work at any point in the Odin process.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh ok perfect
I've just finished to flash the stock rom, I hope evrything worked fine. I'll try to install Kies3 to see if I can maybe do another wipe or something else to delete definately all my data inside (including photos etc...). Any suggestions?
OmniSlyfer said:
Oh ok perfect
I've just finished to flash the stock rom, I hope evrything worked fine. I'll try to install Kies3 to see if I can maybe do another wipe or something else to delete definately all my data inside (including photos etc...). Any suggestions?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Odin will wipe the data as well as Kies will.
But neither really removes the data. Both just remove the directory structure which makes it easy to sort the data.
To really remove the data you need to overwrite it with new data. That is much more difficult to do without access to the screen on the phone.
You could do it in recovery with the device mounted via usb to a computer. But you generally need to select that in recovery using the touch screen.
You can also push data to the device to overwrite using adb, but its more difficult.
All in all though...unless you have evidence of your participation in a crime on the phone, don't be so worried about it. It will be okay.
Skipjacks said:
All in all though...unless you have evidence of your participation in a crime on the phone, don't be so worried about it. It will be okay.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hahahahahahah
Skipjacks said:
Odin will wipe the data as well as Kies will.
But neither really removes the data. Both just remove the directory structure which makes it easy to sort the data.
To really remove the data you need to overwrite it with new data. That is much more difficult to do without access to the screen on the phone.
You could do it in recovery with the device mounted via usb to a computer. But you generally need to select that in recovery using the touch screen.
You can also push data to the device to overwrite using adb, but its more difficult.
All in all though...unless you have evidence of your participation in a crime on the phone, don't be so worried about it. It will be okay.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ahahah. Thank you so much for the explanation
I think the buyer will find some photos of me in the phone, i hope he will not die coz of my ugly face
I think this thread can be closed.
Skipjacks said:
Odin will wipe the data as well as Kies will.
But neither really removes the data. Both just remove the directory structure which makes it easy to sort the data.
To really remove the data you need to overwrite it with new data. That is much more difficult to do without access to the screen on the phone.
You could do it in recovery with the device mounted via usb to a computer. But you generally need to select that in recovery using the touch screen.
You can also push data to the device to overwrite using adb, but its more difficult.
All in all though...unless you have evidence of your participation in a crime on the phone, don't be so worried about it. It will be okay.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Since Google implemented Trim in Android 4.3, it's impossible (as of yet) to recover deleted data. I tried several guides here on XDA on data recovery and none of them work anymore.
See for example this article.
http://forensic.belkasoft.com/en/why-ssd-destroy-court-evidence
So basically if you delete a file or format your system, the data is really gone.
Lennyz1988 said:
Since Google implemented Trim in Android 4.3, it's impossible (as of yet) to recover deleted data. I tried several guides here on XDA on data recovery and none of them work anymore.
See for example this article.
http://forensic.belkasoft.com/en/why-ssd-destroy-court-evidence
So basically if you delete a file or format your system, the data is really gone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That article was one of the most awesome nerdy things I ever read. I had no idea about the garbage collectors on solid state memory.
Skipjacks said:
That article was one of the most awesome nerdy things I ever read. I had no idea about the garbage collectors on solid state memory.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
From my experience, flashing stock firmware with Kies DOES NOT wipe the user data/files from phones SD card. I have to always do factory reset from stock recovery to wipe it.
tomtro74 said:
From my experience, flashing stock firmware with Kies DOES NOT wipe the user data/files from phones SD card. I have to always do factory reset from stock recovery to wipe it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It wont ever wipe the external sd card
The internal sd card should depend on the tar file and if it formats that partition or not.
I never really paid attention to it myself because I have never had to flash a full stock restore on my S4 so I have no idea what the standard for S4 firmwares is.
The internal data partition though should be wiped with a full stock firmware in odin every single time.
Skipjacks said:
It wont ever wipe the external sd card
The internal sd card should depend on the tar file and if it formats that partition or not.
I never really paid attention to it myself because I have never had to flash a full stock restore on my S4 so I have no idea what the standard for S4 firmwares is.
The internal data partition though should be wiped with a full stock firmware in odin every single time.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, it's not. Believe me. I used to flash stock rom on S4 number of times and I can confirm that flashing stock rom with Odin DOES NOT WIPE any user data. Your photos and other files stays intact as well as the apss ( you may loose some apps internal data ) until factory reset is performed either from stock recovery or from rom itself.
tomtro74 said:
Well, it's not. Believe me. I used to flash stock rom on S4 number of times and I can confirm that flashing stock rom with Odin DOES NOT WIPE any user data. Your photos and other files stays intact as well as the apss ( you may loose some apps internal data ) until factory reset is performed either from stock recovery or from rom itself.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well how about that.....you learn something new every day!
OmniSlyfer said:
Hi guys, i've broken my Galaxy s4 lcd some day ago, and yesterday i've decided to sell it on ebay.
But now i have to wipe it. The problem is that i am running a custom Touchwiz rom and Philz touch recovery. So i don't think i can use Kies to make a factory reset.
I can use Odin to flash a stock image etc... But i don't know how to solve completely my problems.
Can someone help me? Thx
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
if your S4 opens, just connect it to the PC and then the internal memory will appear
delete whatever you wants

Need help/overwhelmed! Noob flashing to GPE 5.0.1?

Hi,
I want to install the ROM here on my Samsung Galaxy S4 (GT-I9505). I rooted and installed CM on it about 4 months ago, but since have forgotten anything about the process except for towelroot lol. My phone is currently running jflte snapshot M10 ROM for CM. Unfortunately, I have grown quite sick of it as I find I have to restart my phone once, maybe twice a day for everything to run smoothly. I run into problems where the WiFi likes to get stuck saying 'Turning on..'. Ive also been having problems with Google Maps and GPS lately and havent been able to rely on it, possibly its an issue its having with CM. I want to have the fresh Lollipop feel on my phone without any problems if possible. The only trouble is I dont know how to get there. Can anyone help me? Ive completely forgotten the process needed and when I try to look for it on here I am overwhelmed with things I need to do, which version I need to use etc etc. If anyone would be able to help me achieve this it would be greatly appreciated. In the end I just want a nice Lollipop android phone that doesn't have problems on my current S4 (Id rather not have to get a new phone at least until December ) I'm pretty sure I dont have a custom kernel or anything like that as it mentioned in some pages that I will need to get one I think? I also have philz CWM installed.
You have Philz installed, so you don't need to root again. Download the ROM and follow the instructions on the page.
Strephon Alkhalikoi said:
You have Philz installed, so you don't need to root again. Download the ROM and follow the instructions on the page.
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It also mentioned to make sure I have the latest modem for my variant, how do I check/update that?
In regards to the kernel (which has a link on the same page), what do I do with that?
I don't have the latest modem for my I9505 and that ROM works perfectly fine. Where you've been on a custom ROM for a while finding out which modem you're supposed to use may be difficult. That's also why I recommend not worrying about it, unless you need to.
Strephon Alkhalikoi said:
I don't have the latest modem for my I9505 and that ROM works perfectly fine. Where you've been on a custom ROM for a while finding out which modem you're supposed to use may be difficult. That's also why I recommend not worrying about it, unless you need to.
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Ok thanks. In regards to the kernel that is linked on the page, I guess I would be at an advantage if I downloaded and installed that too. How do I install it?
If' we're talking the same GPE ROM, and I think we are, the kernel is included in the ROM download. You'll be prompted to select a kernel when you run the install through the recovery.
Strephon Alkhalikoi said:
If' we're talking the same GPE ROM, and I think we are, the kernel is included in the ROM download. You'll be prompted to select a kernel when you run the install through the recovery.
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Ok thanks a lot!
So process:
Backup data/photos etc
Nandroid backup
Full wipe using philz?
Flash ROM
Done?
You've got it.
When you are prompted to select the kernel, use the Googy Max kernel. The stock kernel sometimes causes random reboots. Also, on first boot the S4 will sit for a fair amount of time before prompting you to set a language. THIS IS NORMAL. It's because Android 5.0.x uses Art instead of Dalvik, and has to compile the apps the first time around.
In other words, after rebooting, just be patient.
Strephon Alkhalikoi said:
You've got it.
When you are prompted to select the kernel, use the Googy Max kernel. The stock kernel sometimes causes random reboots. Also, on first boot the S4 will sit for a fair amount of time before prompting you to set a language. THIS IS NORMAL. It's because Android 5.0.x uses Art instead of Dalvik, and has to compile the apps the first time around.
In other words, after rebooting, just be patient.
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Ok, thanks a lot for the help! Greatly appreciated. Hope I dont run into any problems
I installed that ROM on Sunday, so what I did is still fresh in my mind. If you have problems, just use this thread and quote me. I'll do my best to help.
Strephon Alkhalikoi said:
I installed that ROM on Sunday, so what I did is still fresh in my mind. If you have problems, just use this thread and quote me. I'll do my best to help.
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Click to collapse
All installed, was quite easy! Looks bloody beautiful, love it already. Thanks a heap!
Strephon Alkhalikoi said:
I installed that ROM on Sunday, so what I did is still fresh in my mind. If you have problems, just use this thread and quote me. I'll do my best to help.
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Click to collapse
I made and error when backing up and didnt back up my photos onto a computer Is there any way that my nandroid recovery or titanium backup have saved my photos and how could I recover them?
jc258 said:
I made and error when backing up and didnt back up my photos onto a computer Is there any way that my nandroid recovery or titanium backup have saved my photos and how could I recover them?
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No, they are gone forever.
How is that even possible that you wiped them? Wiping in the custom recovery never touches your internal storage by default. So you have done it yourself. You probably did a factory reset from within android itself. Never do that again. Use the custom recovery for wiping only and you never will have this problem again.
Lennyz1988 said:
No, they are gone forever.
How is that even possible that you wiped them? Wiping in the custom recovery never touches your internal storage by default. So you have done it yourself. You probably did a factory reset from within android itself. NEVER DO THAT AGAIN. Use the custom recovery for wiping only and you never will have this problem again.
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Are you sure about that? It happened the first time I flashed a ROM. Wiped cache, wiped Dalvik through CWM. Never did a factory reset. No need for caps.
jc258 said:
Are you sure about that? It happened the first time I flashed a ROM. Wiped cache, wiped Dalvik through CWM. Never did a factory reset. No need for caps.
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No it's not possible for it to happen without you doing so. Unless you encrypted your phone or something.
ps removed the caps
The rom he installed has an aroma installer which offers the option to do a simple wipe (Dalvik, cache and data), no wipe (Dirty flash) and a factory reset (which also wipes the internal storage).
By default it is set on factory reset option.
It also says in red letters that this option is recommended.
So maybe he left it on factory reset (since it was also recommended) , instead of changing it to simple wipe, and that wiped the whole phone, including the internal storage.
Will a software that recovers deleted files not work? Since the phone wasn't encrypted.
It would if Windows saw the internal storage as a drive. Due to MTP it doesn't. He'll have to do a search, but there was another S4 owner who lost his photos and was trying to get them back. I don't know if a solution was ever found.
GDReaper said:
The rom he installed has an aroma installer which offers the option to do a simple wipe (Dalvik, cache and data), no wipe (Dirty flash) and a factory reset (which also wipes the internal storage).
By default it is set on factory reset option.
It also says in red letters that this option is recommended.
So maybe he left it on factory reset (since it was also recommended) , instead of changing it to simple wipe, and that wiped the whole phone, including the internal storage.
Will a software that recovers deleted files not work? Since the phone wasn't encrypted.
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Click to collapse
If that's the case then shame on the developer. A factory reset in a custom recovery should leave the internal storage intact.
Strephon Alkhalikoi said:
It would if Windows saw the internal storage as a drive. Due to MTP it doesn't. He'll have to do a search, but there was another S4 owner who lost his photos and was trying to get them back. I don't know if a solution was ever found.
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Click to collapse
No it's impossible. Once it's gone the files are permanently gone. Not even a professional company can restore them. That's because of TRIM that Android has from version 4.3.
Lennyz1988 said:
If that's the case then shame on the developer. A factory reset in a custom recovery should leave the internal storage intact.
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It's not in the recovery. It's in the aroma installer. Those are 2 different things.
Besides, there is a description, under each setting, of what each one does.
@Lennyz1988: Perhaps you should bring this up with the developers of the ROM and see what they say. I suspect they have a very good reason for wiping the internal storage, and my gut instinct tells me it has to do with the Android folder on there.
On the flip side, thanks for the homework you gave me. I have to look into what TRIM is all about, as my last device was powered by Gingerbread.

Will Installing recovery wipes the phone?

Hi Guys,
My brother he updated his phone to the new stock update android 5.0 now his device is just reboots everytime he puts the pin to unlock his device.
What's the option for him? He has already cleared the cache.
Just wondering if he flash a recovery vida odin and then install another stock rom will it wipe the phone data?
He got some important notes and messages he's worried about. Any ideas.
Thanks
hero000 said:
Hi Guys,
My brother he updated his phone to the new stock update android 5.0 now his device is just reboots everytime he puts the pin to unlock his device.
What's the option for him? He has already cleared the cache.
Just wondering if he flash a recovery vida odin and then install another stock rom will it wipe the phone data?
He got some important notes and messages he's worried about. Any ideas.
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Everytime you flash your phone will wipe your data thats not on your sd card. Have you tried connecting to a computer via usb before entering the pin and leaving it on the lock screen? If you can view the device and pull your files on your computer you should be able to recover your data before reflashing.
What kind of phone and carrier do you have? Lollipop is not available on some s4's certain carriers.
Flashing stock roms through Odin doesn't reset the device.
dave106 said:
Flashing stock roms through Odin doesn't reset the device.
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+1 I had to do this to get mine working and didn't lose anything.
AndroidInitiate said:
Everytime you flash your phone will wipe your data thats not on your sd card. Have you tried connecting to a computer via usb before entering the pin and leaving it on the lock screen? If you can view the device and pull your files on your computer you should be able to recover your data before reflashing.
What kind of phone and carrier do you have? Lollipop is not available on some s4's certain carriers.
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Incorrect.
Flashing a recovery NEVER wipes your phone. Flashing a stock rom NEVER wipes your phone unless you select re-partition. Flashing anything else trough Odin will NEVER wipe your phone unless you check re-partition.
Question to the op:
What notes/files are you talking about? Are they stored on the internal storage? Did you try to reflash the firmware (or any newer Lollipop version) trough Odin (without re-partion and .pit)?

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