How would you wipe any possible malware from your phone? - Nexus 6P Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

Hi
I've got a 2nd hand nexus 6p. I would like to be completely sure it has no keylogger, no remote control app (cerberus style), etc.
A factory reset would be enough? What should I do?
Best regards

alojo said:
Hi
I've got a 2nd hand nexus 6p. I would like to be completely sure it has no keylogger, no remote control app (cerberus style), etc.
A factory reset would be enough? What should I do?
Best regards
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i would go to twrp and wipe data, cache, dalvik, and system then reflash the rom and gapps if needed and you will be fine

Flash the latest factory image

When you boot,
If no message displayed a factory reset is sufficient.
If yellow message (unlikely), then you sideload the most recent OTA + factory reset
If orange message then flash factory image. If you need extreme security (against publicly unknown vulnerability), you relock but that will *brick* your device unless the factory flash worked (which you can never be sure of). Don't relock if you are scared of malware.
For maximum security, throw out the phone

Or put it in a Safe! Better yet in a Force Field!

If orange I think you need to delete system and image partition then install rom.
I had virus like issues kept just reflashing would have issues a month later.
So I decided to just delete everything learned how to out the phone into download mode and did fresh install of pure Nexus and gapps runs like new again my battery will last 17 hrs of use now before I was getting barley 12 with little use.
Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk

Related

[Q] Wipe Data/Factory Reset. What does it entail?

I am currently on CM10.1 and have been considering testing other ROMs for the Nexus 4. All ROM flash guidelines ask that I wipe everything and do a factory reset before I flash the ROM.
My question is does doing a data wipe permanently erase all data on the phone? Including installed apps, app data (game saves, whatapp chat logs, etc), SMS and Contact information, gallery files, wifi passwords, etc. Or is it just some ROM specific data. More importantly, if it is more than just ROM data, is this data gone forever or is it synced with the google cloud and is simply synced over the internet once the phone is setup with the correct google account again? If it is synced, what data is synced? I presume at least contact information is synced with the cloud but what about the rest.
I could find any clear information on what exactly wiping data entailed and what could be the expected unrecoverable losses possible. Also can I just take a backup of the data using some app (Titanium backup?)/nandroid backup and restore the data once the new ROM is installed?
Factory reset will, just as the name states, bring it back to the state is was when you first got it.
So yes, every app and data of it will be lost. This includes contacts, wifi passwords etc.
Your contacts, wifi passwords etc will be synced to the google servers, if you chose to do that when you set up your phone for the first time.
However, it will not wipe your sd card, so all your photos and music will be save.
I'd suggest you make a backup of your WhatsApp history, this way when you re-install it you will be prompted if you want to restore the messages from the backup.
Hope this helped!
EDIT: It is not suggested to restore data from a titanium backup, since this can generate problems.
mumaster20 said:
Factory reset will, just as the name states, bring it back to the state is was when you first got it.
So yes, every app and data of it will be lost. This includes contacts, wifi passwords etc.
Your contacts, wifi passwords etc will be synced to the google servers, if you chose to do that when you set up your phone for the first time.
However, it will not wipe your sd card, so all your photos and music will be save.
I'd suggest you make a backup of your WhatsApp history, this way when you re-install it you will be prompted if you want to restore the messages from the backup.
Hope this helped!
EDIT: It is not suggested to restore data from a titanium backup, since this can generate problems.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Is there any difference between delete cache and data and doing a factory reset?
While doing a cache wipe, only files from the Cache partition are being deleted. These files were saved by your phone to use as cache. (Think of it as your browser history. if you wipe that, only certain files will be deleted, while the app itself won't be touched)
While doing a factory reset everything will be wiped, including the cache partition. Excluding the sdcard ofcourse.
mumaster20 said:
Factory reset will, just as the name states, bring it back to the state is was when you first got it.
So yes, every app and data of it will be lost. This includes contacts, wifi passwords etc.
Your contacts, wifi passwords etc will be synced to the google servers, if you chose to do that when you set up your phone for the first time.
However, it will not wipe your sd card, so all your photos and music will be save.
I'd suggest you make a backup of your WhatsApp history, this way when you re-install it you will be prompted if you want to restore the messages from the backup.
Hope this helped!
EDIT: It is not suggested to restore data from a titanium backup, since this can generate problems.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
one we wiped our rom using any tool, is it possible to load the android os without installing any rom?
madhan116 said:
one we wiped our rom using any tool, is it possible to load the android os without installing any rom?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ooh, old subject haha.
The android OS IS your rom, so to have a full stock android rom, like you had when you first turned on your nexus 4, you need to flash the factory image provided by Google. Link to factory images
If you dont know how to flash these files, efrant has a great guide on how to do this. Link to the guide
thanks for ur info
mumaster20 said:
Ooh, old subject haha.
The android OS IS your rom, so to have a full stock android rom, like you had when you first turned on your nexus 4, you need to flash the factory image provided by Google. Link to factory images
If you dont know how to flash these files, efrant has a great guide on how to do this. Link to the guide
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
first of all my product is not nexus.. its alwinner a10, i have not installed any custom ROM yet. only the stock ROM remains itself in my tablet now in this situation what will be the result of wiping rom??????? ( As i am a newbie this question arises)
madhan116 said:
first of all my product is not nexus.. its alwinner a10, i have not installed any custom ROM yet. only the stock ROM remains itself in my tablet now in this situation what will be the result of wiping rom??????? ( As i am a newbie this question arises)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
By wiping rom, did you mean to wipe system off your device? If that is what you meant there, then your device won't boot after that because there is no OS installed. To clear your confusion factory reset only set your device back to the default settings when you buy it. Means it will wipe your downloaded apps, cache, saved data, contacts, messages etc.. Some stock recovery doesn't wipe your internal sd card when you performed factory reset (means all your pics and music are still there) while in some other erases all and you will be left with nothing..just like how you first received the device from store.
Further down, if you flashed any custom rom on your device and you do a factory reset. It won't wipe away the custom rom that you installed, it will only set it back to the rom default settings. To get it back to the stock manufacturer rom, you must flash the official rom released by your device manufacturer. I hope this will clear your confusion.
thanks
arffrhn said:
By wiping rom, did you mean to wipe system off your device? If that is what you meant there, then your device won't boot after that because there is no OS installed. To clear your confusion factory reset only set your device back to the default settings when you buy it. Means it will wipe your downloaded apps, cache, saved data, contacts, messages etc.. Some stock recovery doesn't wipe your internal sd card when you performed factory reset (means all your pics and music are still there) while in some other erases all and you will be left with nothing..just like how you first received the device from store.
Further down, if you flashed any custom rom on your device and you do a factory reset. It won't wipe away the custom rom that you installed, it will only set it back to the rom default settings. To get it back to the stock manufacturer rom, you must flash the official rom released by your device manufacturer. I hope this will clear your confusion.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thanks for ur nice reply.. now it has wiped out my confusion
Anyhow now my problem is regarding flash, i dont know whether i could share here so included a link...
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2542145&highlight=live+suit+flash+error
madhan116 said:
thanks for ur nice reply.. now it has wiped out my confusion
Anyhow now my problem is regarding flash, i dont know whether i could share here so included a link...
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2542145&highlight=live+suit+flash+error
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You're welcome. As for your query, I do not own that particular device so I can't help you with that. Sorry mate..
mumaster20 said:
Factory reset will, just as the name states, bring it back to the state is was when you first got it.
So yes, every app and data of it will be lost. This includes contacts, wifi passwords etc.
Your contacts, wifi passwords etc will be synced to the google servers, if you chose to do that when you set up your phone for the first time.
However, it will not wipe your sd card, so all your photos and music will be save.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am bumping the post instead of openning a new one - because it is the same question.
You wrote that Factory reset will not wipe Photos, Music etc.
Did you mean that if I saved it on external SD? Because in Nexus 4 there is no option to add SD card.
My question:
1. In my nexus 4, when doing factory reset - it erases EVERYTHING include Photos and music. so please help me understand.... cause I am confused. Does it reset everything or not?
2. In nexus 4, where is the option to Wipe data? I see only "Factory reset". In recovery console?
3. Any differences between Factory reset from the settings, to wipe data from Recovery?
thanks!
shakta said:
I am bumping the post instead of openning a new one - because it is the same question.
You wrote that Factory reset will not wipe Photos, Music etc.
Did you mean that if I saved it on external SD? Because in Nexus 4 there is no option to add SD card.
My question:
1. In my nexus 4, when doing factory reset - it erases EVERYTHING include Photos and music. so please help me understand.... cause I am confused. Does it reset everything or not?
2. In nexus 4, where is the option to Wipe data? I see only "Factory reset". In recovery console?
3. Any differences between Factory reset from the settings, to wipe data from Recovery?
thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1. We do not have external sd in nexus 4. There are 2 types of recoveries; stock and custom. Stock recovery is what you get when flashing factory images while custom recoveries are twrp/cwm. In stock recovery, factory reset delete everything on your device. Everything in your internal as well. It will wipe clean your device. For custom recovery, it won't clear your internal sd storage so your photos/music/docs/backups are intact. It will only delete data partition which stores your downloaded apps. I hope you are clear on that now.
2. Factory reset=wipe data. In every recovery, it's the same.
3. No, it uses the same command so basically there is no difference. Depends on the recovery you use, factory reset on stock recovery deletes everything while on custom recovery sd card is still intact.
The answer that explained everything for me - is that there is a different between wiping data from Stock recovery to wiping from Custom, so now i get what you mean!
Error loading
Hi! I recently use CWM and use wipe data/factory rest but now My HTC Salas not loading till standby screen and get stuck in errors not responding and force close option please guide how to rescue my device?
ansarhassan4 said:
Hi! I recently use CWM and use wipe data/factory rest but now My HTC Salas not loading till standby screen and get stuck in errors not responding and force close option please guide how to rescue my device?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I would start by opening a new thread in the relevant section of this forum. You are hijacking a thread started well over a year ago and your issue has no relevance to the OP's issue.
Start here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/
Flash rom and keep apps and data
Hi. Is it possible not to factory reset/ wipe data when flashing a newer rom? The reason I am asking is because I want to flash Lollipop on my Note 3 as Samsung keeps forgetting to send it to me OTA or via Kies. But I don't want to lose all apps and data. Thanks in advance.
arffrhn said:
By wiping rom, did you mean to wipe system off your device? If that is what you meant there, then your device won't boot after that because there is no OS installed. To clear your confusion factory reset only set your device back to the default settings when you buy it. Means it will wipe your downloaded apps, cache, saved data, contacts, messages etc.. Some stock recovery doesn't wipe your internal sd card when you performed factory reset (means all your pics and music are still there) while in some other erases all and you will be left with nothing..just like how you first received the device from store.
Further down, if you flashed any custom rom on your device and you do a factory reset. It won't wipe away the custom rom that you installed, it will only set it back to the rom default settings. To get it back to the stock manufacturer rom, you must flash the official rom released by your device manufacturer. I hope this will clear your confusion.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hey. I have 1 question. I have pictures, music and videos on my Internal Memory, and I don't want to lose it (I didn't back it up anywhere and I don't have an SD card). Will Wipe Data/Factory Reset delete those stuff, or just apps, settings, etc?
I'm using S4 Mini i9192. I also have Philz Touch Recovery.
Shawn.Killer said:
Hey. I have 1 question. I have pictures, music and videos on my Internal Memory, and I don't want to lose it (I didn't back it up anywhere and I don't have an SD card). Will Wipe Data/Factory Reset delete those stuff, or just apps, settings, etc?
I'm using S4 Mini i9192. I also have Philz Touch Recovery.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have not used Clockwork recovery for a very long time now so I don't know how it works nowadays. But last I used it, factory reset in cwm (philz is a modified version of cwm) does not result in complete wipe. It will leave out the sd card partition. But like I said, it was very long time ago. Make a backup of them if it is really important. Well, in my opinion, everything needs backup. Even things in your computer needs a backup.
p/s: Try to ask this in S4 thread. Here, we (nexus 4 users) mostly use twrp as cwm is discontinued for quite some time now.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk
arffrhn said:
I have not used Clockwork recovery for a very long time now so I don't know how it works nowadays. But last I used it, factory reset in cwm (philz is a modified version of cwm) does not result in complete wipe. It will leave out the sd card partition. But like I said, it was very long time ago. Make a backup of them if it is really important. Well, in my opinion, everything needs backup. Even things in your computer needs a backup.
p/s: Try to ask this in S4 thread. Here, we (nexus 4 users) mostly use twrp as cwm is discontinued for quite some time now.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks, but did it delete your internal memory?
Shawn.Killer said:
Thanks, but did it delete your internal memory?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, it does not. But that was long before.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk

[Q] Nexus 4 shuts down at night for no apparent reason

OK, This is my problem. I own a nexus 4 which is rooted with the Wugs Nexus Root Toolkit. All the proper drivers are installed according to the toolkit. I updated the phone to 5.0.1 and re-rooted the phone successfully. Now with that said the phone works all day and when I go to sleep at night it shuts itself down and takes holding down the power button for a while before it will turn back on. 2 nights in a row now. I am not super tech savvy so if any one knows why this update has brought on this issue please clue me in. While searching for answers most people think factory data reset and that is no guarantee and seems to be a bit drastic. Google has to be aware of this issue because you can google the problem and it has a lot of entries about Nexus 4 shutting itself down after 5.0.1 update.
randyboy99 said:
OK, This is my problem. I own a nexus 4 which is rooted with the Wugs Nexus Root Toolkit. All the proper drivers are installed according to the toolkit. I updated the phone to 5.0.1 and re-rooted the phone successfully. Now with that said the phone works all day and when I go to sleep at night it shuts itself down and takes holding down the power button for a while before it will turn back on. 2 nights in a row now. I am not super tech savvy so if any one knows why this update has brought on this issue please clue me in. While searching for answers most people think factory data reset and that is no guarantee and seems to be a bit drastic. Google has to be aware of this issue because you can google the problem and it has a lot of entries about Nexus 4 shutting itself down after 5.0.1 update.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's not a shutdown. It's a freeze. That's why you have to simulate a battery pull (hold power button longer) to restart it.
You could flash the factory images if you'd like. It's like a factory data reset, but it also re-installs the system itself. You are rooted, so you can backup your apps and data.
abaaaabbbb63 said:
It's not a shutdown. It's a freeze. That's why you have to simulate a battery pull (hold power button longer) to restart it.
You could flash the factory images if you'd like. It's like a factory data reset, but it also re-installs the system itself. You are rooted, so you can backup your apps and data.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have most everything backed up but what should I do? If Google isn't going to fix this should I factory reset or is there something else I should do.? My phone is rooted and there is a setting to "Factory Data Reset" on the Backup & Restore setting. Or should I do the reset through the WugFresh Nexus Toolkit? However I do it isn't the 5.0.1 update going to be installed if I do a Factory Data Reset? It won't go back to 4.4.4 will it?
randyboy99 said:
I have most everything backed up but what should I do? If Google isn't going to fix this should I factory reset or is there something else I should do.? My phone is rooted and there is a setting to "Factory Data Reset" on the Backup & Restore setting. Or should I do the reset through the WugFresh Nexus Toolkit? However I do it isn't the 5.0.1 update going to be installed if I do a Factory Data Reset? It won't go back to 4.4.4 will it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Okay so
1. There's probably nothing to fix. Your system just developed a bug that can be fixed by reinstalling it. I don't have any problem. It's not universal.
2. By flashing the latest factory images, which are Android 5.0.1 ( https://dl.google.com/dl/android/aosp/occam-lrx22c-factory-86c04af6.tgz ) , you will basically delete all you data on the phone, which is factory resetting, while reinstalling the system at the same time. And no, you won't go back to 4.4.4.
A factory reset by itself does not reinstall the system. It simply deletes your data.
Here is a guide on how to flash the factory images:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/nexus-4/general/how-to-how-to-flash-factory-image-t2010312
And then you can use the toolkit again to root.
Same happens to my phones and flashing or restoring is not gonna help u in any way. Roll back to 4.4 and that solves the problem for me.
Download safe charge from the play store, mines stopped doing it ever since!

wipe cashe and dalvik

Hi all,
I think I might have a problem, after I flashed xposed framework on my nexus 6p and got the modules that I wanted up and running no problem, during 4 or 5 days all worked fine but had constant reboots,
I decided to go back before I flashed xposed with twrp and restored a full backup, it failed to restore all selected at the same time, so did one a time and restored but phone would just not boot, so
Having data partition restored and then dirty flash stock without wipe data I was able to get my phone back and running, and re-root fine and flashed twrp no problems
Went to twrp to wipe cashe and dalvik but it just takes like 2 seconds optimizing apps and boots to desktop right up, now my question is
Shouldn't it take a very long time to optimize all my apps after the wipe????
all seems to be working fine but kind of bothers me that I might have something in not working right that might develop into something worst in the future
It is at this point I usually full-wipe and reflash. =) Setting things up again can suck, but it's better than wondering what unknown thing is broken and will rear it's ugly head later.
Elnrik said:
It is at this point I usually full-wipe and reflash. =) Setting things up again can suck, but it's better than wondering what unknown thing is broken and will rear it's ugly head later.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
full wipe and reflash, want to avoid that, any other commands perhaps?
OK so I did a full re flash, back to stock, re root, installed my apps, used for a while, log in on all, went to twrp to test wipe cache and dalvik, same thing, optimizing apps at first boot took like one second and boot to desktop, is this normal or should take longer to optimize all apps?? Anyone??
is my understanding that only apps that havent already been optimized will upon boot... (new installs from like a zip)
chaco81 said:
is my understanding that only apps that havent already been optimized will upon boot... (new installs from like a zip)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thats what i am thinking too now that you mention it, like when I installed xposed initially and did whipe cache/dalvik thing after it took long time to boot because was on something like optimizing app 3 out 78, same thing I have seen on my old nexus 5 when dirty flash a new firmware, but not sure if I have something broken or is normal

Rooted & factory data resetting

Here is my question. I want to reset my rooted Nexus 6P and hand it down to my wife. i'm completely fine with it being rooted but does that force me to wipe everything through TWRP, including internal storage, and push the rom vendor & google apps via adb again? or can i just do a factory data reset through the settings and hand it over? We will be running the same rom after fyi. Any knowledge is appreciated.
mrjoeyloke said:
Here is my question. I want to reset my rooted Nexus 6P and hand it down to my wife. i'm completely fine with it being rooted but does that force me to wipe everything through TWRP, including internal storage, and push the rom vendor & google apps via adb again? or can i just do a factory data reset through the settings and hand it over? We will be running the same rom after fyi. Any knowledge is appreciated.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Remove your account from within Android then factory reset in TWRP. Now fastboot flash a factory image. If she plans on using her own email and etc, that's the best step so that she can add her own account and start fresh.
Sent from my Nexus 5X using Tapatalk

Selling my 6P, but can't seem to fully reset it, nor remove password from TWRP

Been working on this for a while now, but can't figure out how to get around it.
The phone is currently runing a custom 8.1.1 ROM and I have TWRP 3.2.0.0 installed.
I've done full wipes and factory resets, but the phone never seems to fully reset. I am fine with losing everything on the phone. I just want it 100% clean so I can sell it, which of course includes getting rid of the password on TWRP so the next user can mess around in there.
I have access to TWRP, the password is mine. But I can't seem to remove it, and every time I wipe and reset the phone it still asks me for my old device password with the owner message present as well.
I have also tried to format data, but it is unable to mount the data partition it seems, which I am guessing is due to encryption.
What's my fastest way to a reset and clean phone? I'm getting desperate here since I'm running out of time.
Edit: Through no change in process of my own, it suddenly completely reset. Now I'm more curious as to why.. Can anyone explain so I can avoid this issue in the future?
for me, the only way is to flash the full factory image from the Google site
First clear data and than flash software

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