Database Users

[Q] Rooted Samsung Fascinate v. Google talk service

So yes, Titanium Backup and the deletion of google talk are at it again. This time I actually knew I shouldn't delete then brain farted and did it anyway. So here lies my marketless and FC gapps everytime I pull the market app up.
For the record I searched as best as possible for a solution and the closest I got was a link for gtalk and the Evo 4G, and needless to say it still doesn't work, the market and the force close gapps.service still happens after re install
A solution without a flash and re-root is preferred, please educate the new guy! Thanks for the record I know I'm a jack wagon lol.

Search these forums (or Google) for Fascinate System Dump. It will have whatever files you deleted.

So dump files obtained. Is this is simple drag and drop to the OS or do I need a program on the computer to be able to interface with the filesystem on the Fascinate?
Bare with me guys, while I bring myself up to speed on tearing through the Andriod OS, hacking windows is one thing - tearing apart my phone for the first time - thats a whole nother ball game for me.

DeezNotes said:
Search these forums (or Google) for Fascinate System Dump. It will have whatever files you deleted.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So I did that, finally got the files onto my phone and reinstalled all the google.apks including ones that were already existing on the phone.
To no avail I still get the gapps Force close and I'm still unable to download from market after restoring Google Talk Service.
Any help or a simple suggestion would be appreciated - been trying this all day with no success.

I'm not sure if you "installed" the apps or if you placed them back in their proper folder(s), but my guess is that any app you had pre-installed which you deleted was previously in the /system/app folder. The dump has all the files in this folder. You don't need to re-install these files, you need to just copy them back to the /system/app folder.
When you download and install an app, it will install to /data/app. If you "installed" the files rather than copying them back to /system/app, that may be the problem.
On a side-note, this is why I like to move files from one folder to another rather than use Titanium Backup to delete apps/files.

Don't forget to reboot your phone after you copy the files back to /system/app.
Lastly, I'm not responsible for what you break.

DeezNotes said:
I'm not sure if you "installed" the apps or if you placed them back in their proper folder(s), but my guess is that any app you had pre-installed which you deleted was previously in the /system/app folder. The dump has all the files in this folder. You don't need to re-install these files, you need to just copy them back to the /system/app folder.
When you download and install an app, it will install to /data/app. If you "installed" the files rather than copying them back to /system/app, that may be the problem.
On a side-note, this is why I like to move files from one folder to another rather than use Titanium Backup to delete apps/files.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Roger that side note - that will be my new policy when managing files.
As far as the clarification - I have been indeed installing the apps instead of moving them to the appropriate location - I guess the difference in installation location never occurred to me. Thank you in advance for the heads up and I'll report my success or failure, hopefully success after i get out of work this evening.
Don't worry if I brick I won't hold you accountable - after all I'm the one who deleted Google apps from the Andriod phone. LOL, In hindsight it was a terrible Idea.

[Q] apk file issue!!

I have a confusion regarding android. this is very general query.
In Computer, first we have to have exe file to install anything and then we click on it to install the app on windows computer generally. when the app is installed on computer, we have installed app files in program files and then a dump (that is exe file) which we keep to install this app on any other computer.
Now, please let me know if this is applicable in android phones also?
I know that in android, there is .apk file instead of .exe file in computer. I observed that after installation apk file disappears. Is this true?

Not sure if in understood well, did you mean if instal anything from SD card? If you are asking that the answer is yes, i install everything from SD card and the apk file stay there after installation.

What if u install any app from Market?

vijay.gupta said:
I have a confusion regarding android. this is very general query.
In Computer, first we have to have exe file to install anything and then we click on it to install the app on windows computer generally. when the app is installed on computer, we have installed app files in program files and then a dump (that is exe file) which we keep to install this app on any other computer.
Now, please let me know if this is applicable in android phones also?
I know that in android, there is .apk file instead of .exe file in computer. I observed that after installation apk file disappears. Is this true?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Even in Android you can see the .apk files under /system/app. Also applications installed by you can be backed up & later restored using software available on market.

"Normally" these apks dissapear when you download from.market, but all of.your apks are stored in your phone, the thing is that you have to hav permission to do that, when you download an apk (the single file) and store it in sd card to install it, the apk is copied to the phone.
Sent from my GT-I5801 using XDA App

But if u back up ur apps as .apk and install them later using softwares (with exception of Titanium backup) u will loose connection between the app and android market (that means no updates)
the best option is to backup ur apps with titanium backup along with user data and restore it using the same

how do i access /system/app? Do I need to root the phone in order to see this directory?

vijay.gupta said:
how do i access /system/app? Do I need to root the phone in order to see this directory?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Download Terminal emulator from market & you are ready to go to /system/app !!!!

You can also download Root Explorer and so the same

Thank all. Can you please confirm what I am writing below:
Suppose I buy a android phone (with android 2.1 so you cannot install apps from SD card) in which I installed an application named XYZ from Market. Now, there is a apk file for XYZ which gets downloaded somewhere in the phone memory and then it gets installed automatically.
Now, I just want to know, where does this apk file go after XYZ is installed? Does it stay in phone memory with the installed files of XYZ.
If it goes to phone memory and not deleted from there, then phone memory

if u install .apk from market it will be stored and installed in /data/app in phone memory. i do not think it is stored twice in the phone.

Do u mean to say that only the installed file gets stored and. apk. File got deleted automatically after getting installed?

vijay.gupta said:
Do u mean to say that only the installed file gets stored and. apk. File got deleted automatically after getting installed?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Remember that an .apk file its a variant of the .jar files when you install an .apk this file gets stored inside the phone along with its necesary dependencies when the app starts, the os reads this file line by line while the app is executed.
In short terms the .apk file its the application itself that need a proper interpreter to run, in that way when you install and app to the phone, it copies this file and links the dependencies, so the .apks downloaded from makret are stored directly inside the app folder, in that way you can extract them from this folder and use it in another android phone.

You are relying too much on the windows ways of things. You see an exe file installion in windows essentially unpacking everything (other things aside) where it is needed and you then often see a bunch of files and folders. This is not what happens in android, the apk file is conserved when installed and can be found in the root part of your phone. Its data/app/ if installed on your phone, mnt/asec. (or something like asec) if installed on your sd card. You can copy that file to your sd card or send it to another device and install it again. I did just that today (I sent an apk to a friend)

anyway i dont think its same if i delete .apk + odex files from /data/app as i uninstall it with titanium backup. i think TB will be delete also data stored by the app inside the database (its the place where the apps are saving data, settings, etc...)

In case you are installing from Android Market:
1. When you are at market, it doesn't ask you to download. You will only get option either to install or update the existing app.
2. If you are a normal user, after installing, you won't be able to see the apk file anywhere on your memory card. But if you are a root user or with the help of special file managers and specific apps like root explorer and terminal emulators, you can locate those spk files in the phone's hidden memory.
3. If you are a root user, or with the help above mentioned type of apps, you can locate the apk files in phone memory and copy it on your memory card and distribute it to your wish.
4. If you are worried for paid apps and losing your phone or apps because of resetting or any other reason then stop worrying. A record of your paid apps is stored in google servers. So, even if you reset your phone or lose your phone, once you log in to a your new android device with the same google account, it will automatically show your paid apps. You don't have to pay for it again. Just need to install it again. This is applicable only if you are paying for the app through android market and you are logging into your android device with the same google account you had before losing your apps.
In case of installing via your SD card:
1. apk files are just like java files (.jad or .jar). You can download it on your PC from various sources and transfer it to your SD card or any of your friends' via USB, bluetooth or any other way.
2. After transfering the apk file to your SD card, it doesn't get automatically installed. You have to click it or open it to install, just like how we double click the exe file in windows.
3. Whether installed or not installed, the apk file you transfer to your SD card will always remain there unless and untill you or someone else delete it or you format your memory card.
4. Once installed, a copy of the same apk file would also be there in your phone's hidden memory, which you can access using special apps.
If you worried about losing your apps, try searching for other apps which backups apk... you can do so at android market. Moreover, also search on the net about having root access on your android device.. it'll let you access files in your phone's memory.
I hope, this would solve down all your queries !!!

Thanks next2 devil. Very gud explanation. It cleared almost all confusions. I have some more confusions that i want to clear out.
1) just a general query that just like exe file got unpacked after double clicking on it and install its files in c: genrally, does the same happen with apk, jad and jar files?
2) just want to clear out that phone memory which is hidden for normal users contains the copy of only those apk files that are currently installed on the phone and not the ones that are uninstalled or not installed at all?

vijay.gupta said:
Thanks next2 devil. Very gud explanation. It cleared almost all confusions. I have some more confusions that i want to clear out.
1) just a general query that just like exe file got unpacked after double clicking on it and install its files in c: genrally, does the same happen with apk, jad and jar files?
2) just want to clear out that phone memory which is hidden for normal users contains the copy of only those apk files that are currently installed on the phone and not the ones that are uninstalled or not installed at all?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1. I am not sure about JAD and JAR files, but yes, APK files unpack itself to get installed. You can come to know the exact size/space that would be taken by the app directly from the android market. Details would be given there.
2. Yes, the phone memory would be having copy of files only which is installed. There would be no copy of any apk file which in not installed.

Thanks next2devil. Your response give rise to one more query.
if i compare unpacking logic from windows, there is no need for original exe file to remain in existence after it has been installed and user can delete exe file after installing it. Deleting exe file has no negative impact on the working of installed app. Please let me know if this is also the case with apk files? If yes, then what is the need of apk file to remain in phone memory after it has been installed?

vijay.gupta said:
Thanks next2devil. Your response give rise to one more query.
if i compare unpacking logic from windows, there is no need for original exe file to remain in existence after it has been installed and user can delete exe file after installing it. Deleting exe file has no negative impact on the working of installed app. Please let me know if this is also the case with apk files? If yes, then what is the need of apk file to remain in phone memory after it has been installed?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Short and simple. Deleting the apk file from /data/app removes the app.
Sent from my Lestatious v1.4.5.5 Galaxy 3 FROYO

App install Fails?

hey all iv noticed this a lot with the stock 2.2 rom on my POV Mobii tegra 2 (advent vega rebrand).
e.g i uninstalled a game called jelly defence, then tried to install an updated version of it. the install fails saying aplication not installed.
ok so i then tried to reinstall the first version i had working on the tablet, and that also fails to install saying again application not installed..
why would this be happening? iv noticed that it happens on a fair few number of apps that i install, then uninstall, then try to install again and they fail to install.
installation is done via apk file from sd card. even tried over wifi and still same error.

I know this might sound rude, but did you try Google?
http://stackoverflow.com/questions/4226132/application-not-installed-error-on-android

ahh, could be something to do with the certificates or the AndroidManifest.xml file.
where is this file located so that i can check its permissions?

This might be a tough nutt to crack...
"AndroidManifest.xml" file is inside .apk files.

ok i managed to fix the problem. i mounted my sd card to the pc with card reader, and in the android.secure folder there was a file called smdl2tmp1.asec , i deleted that and now the app installs fine. got both jelly defence and few others installed with no issues.
strange how i cant see that folder on the tablet itself because its hidden. need an app to see the folder and its contents directly on the tablet so i can delete it again if needed.

Yeah, folders and files with a dot infront of their names are invisible.
It's a Linux thing!
Glad you got that sorted out!

is there no file manager app that can see these files directly on the tablet?

Just tried "iFileManager" app I got with stock tablet software and it can see hidden files/folders.
I also tried Root Explorer and it can see hidden files/folders, but this is a paid app.
Astro File Manager can also see hidden files/folders, but you need to go into Preferences-->Look and Feel-->and enable "Show Hidden Files" option.
Maybe your current file manager app also has such an option?
Hope I helped, and don't forget to give a thanks!

ahh, i have stock ifilemanager, but i dont use it, i use ES File Explorer since i can access my LAN shares with it easily over the wifi. will give ifilemanager a go in few mins time.
thanks again.

just checked ifilemanager can see the folder but it cant see any of the file which are inside the folder.

Just checked some "hidden" folders myself on my tablet.
Some have files / sub-folders inside and some don't.
Not all folders need to have files inside.

but when i check the folder on the pc via sdcard reader, there are files in the folder.
cant see them directly on the tablet, but when connected to pc i can see the files in exact same location.

Files disappearing?

I did a search, but it yielded no results, so I'll ask it here... I use file Explorer and every now and again it will tell me in the status bar that I'm using this much space on the internal memory and ask to delete recently downloaded files or something to that effect. I tell it no and go on with my day. Today I realised that 7gb have mysteriously gone missing from my download folder inside file Explorer. I have no idea what happened to them. I'm currently running PureNexus with elimentalX kernel. Has anybody else experienced this? I'm wondering if this could be rom, file Explorer, or download manager related. Thanks in advance...

I am having the exact same damn problem as you. and I cannot copy it out of my phone, because it cannot be found in my phone. lol wtf
PS I am on Android N, and this has happened to me multiple times in the past.

Same thing with me. Stock ROM, rooted.
It's weird, the files can be found on the phone but not while trying to transfer files to PC.

There was a known bug since Android I-don't-know where whenever there is a new folder/file created, commonly in the Downloads folder, Java wasn't reloading that folder so it was stuck to the last time the folder was reloaded, long story-short, it stays as it is until you reload the code.
Try clearing Media Storage cache and then reboot. That got mine fixed.

Removing cache from Android files

Hi
I removed an app from my phone
I connected my phone to my computer and checked if there are any left over files, and yes there are
I am trying to remove the app folder in Phone->Android->Data
It gives me this error: "cache_blablabla cannot be removed: the storage location is write protected. Remove the protection and try again"
Could I somehow get administrator permission so I can remove it?

denniserino said:
Hi
I removed an app from my phone
I connected my phone to my computer and checked if there are any left over files, and yes there are
I am trying to remove the app folder in Phone->Android->Data
It gives me this error: "cache_blablabla cannot be removed: the storage location is write protected. Remove the protection and try again"
Could I somehow get administrator permission so I can remove it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Any time you add or remove apps(especially apps in the system partition), you can boot the device into stock recovery mode and select the "wipe cache partition" option, then reboot. This is necessary because left over cached data from apps that are no longer there can cause conflicts with your device functioning properly.
When the device reboots, it will rebuild the cache as it needs and everything will work like it is supposed to.
This will wipe all cached data on your device, this does not remove your personal files or anything else important, it is not the same as factory reset, it only wipes the "live" data that the app has stored/loaded in the background while the device is on. Similar to clearing your RAM space on PC, it doesn't wipe the user data or any other data from your harddrive, it just dumps what is in your RAM.
One other thing, the Android/data folder is a necessary folder, that is where it stores app data for ALL of the apps that you installed. If you look inside that folder, you will see other folders, each of these other folders is a folder for each individual app that the phone is storing data for.
What you are actually probably looking for is how to remove that data that was associated to the app that you removed. That can be deleted using your phones file manager. Just open your file manager on your android device, select your internal storage. There you will see the Android folder, open it, then you will see all the folders for the individual apps. Find the folder there that is associated to the app that you removed. When you find it you can delete it from within your file manager app.
You don't need a PC, ADB or any other apps or fancy special tricks to delete folders that are stored within the Android/data folder.
Sent from my SM-S767VL using Tapatalk

Droidriven said:
Any time you add or remove apps(especially apps in the system partition), you can boot the device into stock recovery mode and select the "wipe cache partition" option, then reboot. This is necessary because left over cached data from apps that are no longer there can cause conflicts with your device functioning properly.
When the device reboots, it will rebuild the cache as it needs and everything will work like it is supposed to.
This will wipe all cached data on your device, this does not remove your personal files or anything else important, it is not the same as factory reset, it only wipes the "live" data that the app has stored/loaded in the background while the device is on. Similar to clearing your RAM space on PC, it doesn't wipe the user data or any other data from your harddrive, it just dumps what is in your RAM.
One other thing, the Android/data folder is a necessary folder, that is where it stores app data for ALL of the apps that you installed. If you look inside that folder, you will see other folders, each of these other folders is a folder for each individual app that the phone is storing data for.
What you are actually probably looking for is how to remove that data that was associated to the app that you removed. That can be deleted using your phones file manager. Just open your file manager on your android device, select your internal storage. There you will see the Android folder, open it, then you will see all the folders for the individual apps. Find the folder there that is associated to the app that you removed. When you find it you can delete it from within your file manager app.
You don't need a PC, ADB or any other apps or fancy special tricks to delete folders that are stored within the Android/data folder.
Sent from my SM-S767VL using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wow, thank you a lot!
Can I do that without rooting my phone?
And I am doing it because there's an app that gives away something free, you can use it max. 5 times and then you have to purchase. So I thought it'd be a good idea to remove everything associated to that app what might makes it possible to give me the free stuff again, haha
Do you know if it's even possible by removing those files? And if it isn't, do you maybe know where I should be looking at?

denniserino said:
Wow, thank you a lot!
Can I do that without rooting my phone?
And I am doing it because there's an app that gives away something free, you can use it max. 5 times and then you have to purchase. So I thought it'd be a good idea to remove everything associated to that app what might makes it possible to give me the free stuff again, haha
Do you know if it's even possible by removing those files? And if it isn't, do you maybe know where I should be looking at?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It is pointless for you to even try, the information that keeps track of how many times you've done it is probably stored online somewhere in some server for the developers/owners of the app.
Sent from my SM-S767VL using Tapatalk