Database Users

Best Method to Install APK?

hey guys, was googling this question and i came across three ways. I was wondering if the simplest method achieved the same result as the hardest method with no issues. The first method was through android market, second was something about downloading the sdk, than command prompting etc etc, and the last method (which i prefer) was just moving the apk file over and clicking on it (this is the method i prefer).
are there any drawbacks to each one or are they all the same? not sure why theres the command prompt one if you could just move it over and click it...

boogieboogie said:
hey guys, was googling this question and i came across three ways. I was wondering if the simplest method achieved the same result as the hardest method with no issues. The first method was through android market, second was something about downloading the sdk, than command prompting etc etc, and the last method (which i prefer) was just moving the apk file over and clicking on it (this is the method i prefer).
are there any drawbacks to each one or are they all the same? not sure why theres the command prompt one if you could just move it over and click it...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
first of all:
"downloading the sdk, than command prompting etc etc", that is what we call an "adb push" into the phone, now for the drawbacks:
1. through market download and install, you need a steady connection while the apk is downloaded, interrupted connection means failing installs
2. adb push needs a little more knowledge on commands, and if you don't know any, you might just mess up stuff, or even not installing apps when you think you installed it
3. moving apk file is the easiest, but if the SD gets corrputed or a bad transfer, then you will be installing corrupted apps that will not work
well ,thats the drawbacks of the 3

noobandroid said:
first of all:
"downloading the sdk, than command prompting etc etc", that is what we call an "adb push" into the phone, now for the drawbacks:
1. through market download and install, you need a steady connection while the apk is downloaded, interrupted connection means failing installs
2. adb push needs a little more knowledge on commands, and if you don't know any, you might just mess up stuff, or even not installing apps when you think you installed it
3. moving apk file is the easiest, but if the SD gets corrputed or a bad transfer, then you will be installing corrupted apps that will not work
well ,thats the drawbacks of the 3
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thanks for the reply
for the third one, if the SD gets corrupted than a restore would fix the cd card correct? and if i do somehow install a corrupted app, just uninstalling it would solve it right?
but than, why do all the videos on youtube tell me that i should download appinstaller from the market to install apk files when apk's can be installed just by selecting them?

Droid Exlorer > Batch Install

would it can help?
open2go make it easy to download link on your phone.
1) access open2go.com on your phone and create shortcut on homescreen
2) type open2go.com/APK_URL on addressbar of desktop broswer.
input 4 digits on the phone.
download. install. done.
example:
open2go.com/angrybird_apk/ht tp://download.getjar.com/downloads/web/adp/107604/AngryBirds_1.4.2.apk
(remove space ht^tp )

boogieboogie said:
thanks for the reply
for the third one, if the SD gets corrupted than a restore would fix the cd card correct? and if i do somehow install a corrupted app, just uninstalling it would solve it right?
but than, why do all the videos on youtube tell me that i should download appinstaller from the market to install apk files when apk's can be installed just by selecting them?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
if the app corruption appears (not the SD card), the app will keep on FC or making your phone look stupid, and yeah uninstalling it may help, but if it fails, you will have to manually remove it, and that I am not sure bout how cause it never happens to me. Next bout the SD corrupt, no, restoring will not help since it is the SD's partition in problem, you will have to do some formatting
using appinstallers have a advantage of keeping record of your activity(depending on the app you use), or even do batch installations, which is faster than average one-by-one installs. Imagine downloading something to your pc via internet, would you use a download manager of some sort, or just use browser's download manager?

[Q] unable to install apps?

Hi,
First post so please be gentle. I've got a Lg GT540 running 1.6 and wanted to install a couple of apps onto the phone internal memory, so I got the apk files onto my desktop and connected the phone up via usb and could not and have not been able to copy these files onto the internal memory. In fact the phone does not come up as a drive or anything and copying the files onto the sd card leaves them stuck there and not being installed.( Mainly the astro file manger app.)
I then considered upgrading the phone to 2.1 via the LG site and downloaded LG suite etc and all was going well until the process stopped at 4% upgrade and requested I disconnect from pc, remove battery etc etc. I tried to follow that procedure 3 times and it still failed.
Not beaten I then found some stuff online to enable me to reflash to 2.2 (Modaco) and started that process. One of the first things it required me to do was start the phone in Fastboot mode by holding the camera button down whilst powering up. THe phone stubbornly refused to go into Fast boot.
Sooo, How do I get to copy Astro onto the internal memory so I can do what I want to and/or how can I upgrade to 2.2/

Firstly when you try to get into fastboot it wont work until you install a fastboot kdz.
This will allow you to flash roms onto ur phone.
I've made a video on a "how to" its in the general, look trought the pages or visit www.YouTube/user/tech2tuts
There's also a video on how to install android 2.3 swiftdroid. Its on the same channel in the favorites.
But beware u will lose all you apps unfortunately. Unless you get astro file manager or titanium back up which requires your phone to be rooted.
Sent from my GT540 using XDA Premium App

Unable to install apps
Hi Chris, Thank you for the link to the demo and I will need to look at that with a view to implementing. No doubt I'll be asking for some assistance during the process.
However I'm still at a loss with not being able to install apps directly onto the phone memory and would appreciate some pointers on that. I have acess to a desktop running XP and a laptop running Windows 7.
Thanks in advance.

You probly cant install apps due to lack of internal memory. Bye install the Kdz it will enable over 230mb of internal , along with apps to sd, so no need for use of internal.

unable to install apps
Thanks again, but phone showing 3.6 gb avaiable on sd card and 120mb available on internal memory?
I really want to know why my pc connection only reads my sd card and not the internal memory. Is there an approved way of connection ie whether I need to use any LG software etc.

Hmm that's odd. When you connect to comp it should only show SD card, have u tried a factory reset?
Sent from my GT540 using XDA Premium App

unable to install apps
Hi again,
have made some progress and managed to update the os to 2.1 off the LG site.
When usb plugged into pc it does read the sd card and I am able to copy files inc apps to it but do not know how to run them!!! My belief is that I need to install apps to the phone memory???

Ohhh i think i see your problem now.
So uve downloaded apps from this website or other?
And you want to know how to install them?
Get astro file manager or any other ones the same,connect your phone, put the Downloaded file into a folder , like downloads in your SD card then disconnect your phone , open astro the go into SD card and downloads folder and press on the app, it will ask you to install and Bam your done.
Or if its saying that ur not able to install it, go settings>applications>development>usb debugging tick it and also allow installation or 3rd party apps tick that to.
I think that what you mean?

Hi Chris, I think you are close to understanding my problem, I have a apk file of astro pro on my pc but am not sure where to copy it to. I have tried copying it onto my sd card but am then not able to run it?
Do I need to have the phone rooted etc?

Cyborg mechman said:
Hi Chris, I think you are close to understanding my problem, I have a apk file of astro pro on my pc but am not sure where to copy it to. I have tried copying it onto my sd card but am then not able to run it?
Do I need to have the phone rooted etc?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The first thing to do would be to downlaod Astro Free from the market and then navigate to the sd (home on astro) and select the apk, open app manager and install, install. Now it will be installed.
Tap here and then tap download directly from market to download from market.
Sent from my jv02 using XDA App

Quinny899 said:
The first thing to do would be to downlaod Astro Free from the market and then navigate to the sd (home on astro) and select the apk, open app manager and install, install. Now it will be installed.
Tap here and then tap download directly from market to download from market.
Sent from my jv02 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah i understand. Follow these instructions. Astro is free on the market anyway. The pro version is no different.

A very big thank you to Chris and Quinney I actually had the Astro apk on my laptop and sent it across via Bluetooth and I'm now up and running, Only had bluetooth working since the update to 2.1
Wouldn't mind getting it to run a little faster though, I see people reporting 800mhz being smooth.

unable to install apps
Hi, thanks Chris and Quinney, Finally managed to send the Astro apk from my laptop via bluetooth and all my problems are behind me.
Thanks once again.

No problem.

1 Spotify installation for 2 users - how?

Hi,
I have very silly problem.
I would like to have my Spotify installation available to bot users of Windows 8 Pro.
I have installed some games (desktop mode), Office, etc.. and all of them are available for both accounts existing in the system.
Not Spotify though.
What should I do? My disk space is limited - I do not see any point for installing this software twice - I can always re-log in the program itself.
Help, please

Is it a desktop app or a "Metro" app? If it's the latter, the same installation will be used for both, you just have to "buy" it on the other account. If it's a desktop app, usually you just need to make sure "Install for all users" is selected during setup.

It is a desktop app and it does not have such an option - it does not ask during installation
But other apps I have - Office 2010, Office 2013 Preview, F1 2011 also did not asked me if I want them just form me or all users of PC.
Problem is this one installs under: C:\Users\Me\AppData\Roaming\Spotify\spotify.exe (and I do not have an option to install it in different place )
Is there any thing I can do about it?

Hmm... interesting. Can you run the installer as Admin? Installing into the user folder like that is usually something done to avoid requiring Admin permissions.
Otherwise, if the installer is not cooperating and you're seriously concerned about the space it uses, do the following:
1. Install it for both users, normally.
2. Create a location on the filesystem that both users can access. I recommend against using a folder under Program Files as that is usually write-restricted and the app may expect to be able to write to itself; ProgramData may be better.
3. Move the binaries (presumably you don't want the data files, just the binaries... or at least, only also move those data files which are same between installs) from one install folder to the new location.
4. Use symlinks (the mklink command in CMD, you may need to be running as Admin) to link the binaries back into the original install folder. You can use either symbolic links or hard links, actually; hard links may have trivially better performance. Neither one will consume a meaningful amount of disk space.
5. Verify that the first install (with the moved-and-linked binaries/data files) still works, then exit it.
6. Delete the relevant files from the second install, then create the links there too.
Congrats, you've done how much work to save yourself a few megs of space?

Your guide will be useful for future - thanks.
Spotify is small enough that I can install it twice

Where are the game save files located on Android?

Got a galaxy note 3 and a note 10.1 2014 edition. both are not rooted.
I would like to transfer my progress in Injustice - Gods among us from my tablet to the phone.
Been looking online and in other threads here and the only option I saw is TI backup, which is for rooted devices.
I've checked the iOS setup, and they have a save file *.bin that they can use iFunbox to extract.
Is there no save file on Android? where is it?
Thanks in advance

sprunknwn said:
Got a galaxy note 3 and a note 10.1 2014 edition. both are not rooted.
I would like to transfer my progress in Injustice - Gods among us from my tablet to the phone.
Been looking online and in other threads here and the only option I saw is TI backup, which is for rooted devices.
I've checked the iOS setup, and they have a save file *.bin that they can use iFunbox to extract.
Is there no save file on Android? where is it?
Thanks in advance
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Most of them in root/data/data. So you need root access as well. Maybe using adb you can pull it

Rosli59564 said:
Most of them in root/data/data. So you need root access as well. Maybe using adb you can pull it
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
ADB doesn't require ROOT?

sprunknwn said:
ADB doesn't require ROOT?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Basically root not needed but some people say it depends on what you're doing. Perhaps if you're to copy a root file no root is needed but if you're trying to delete maybe root is needed(even so with correct permission still no root required)
But i don't know adb so not sure.

Try Helium, but you will need Helium (carbon) for pc also. You need to connect ur phone to pc, start carbon on pc and phone to enable it for backup or restore. Copy the backup file over Will do.
Sent from my SM-N9005 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app

Ok, tried Helium but it didn't work.
In addition I have something to say about the Samsung service as a whole.
I tried to find the Samsung android USB drivers on the Samsung website but it's impossible to get anything useful out of it.
Eventually I found the most updated drivers on these forums.
After that I contacted Samsung online chat support to receive assistance on backing up in-app data.
Turns out, there's no way to do it with anything Samsung offers (WHICH IS ABSURD).
Such a basic functionality and it's not available through any Samsung app or feature.
The only thing the support did was to comfort me regarding this issue and telling me there's no way to do it unless I use a 3rd party app, which they cannot recommend.
I have never had such ****ty service from such a big company. It started with the update and it's just going downhill ever since.
Unbelievable.

TL DNR: Helium worked perfectly for me with my Galaxy S4 and my new Galaxy S7, both of these devices are non-rooted and I used the free version of Helium. Continue reading for a walkthrough of what worked for me and will hopefully work for you.
I just got a Galaxy S7 (I upgraded from a Galaxy S4) and I wanted to keep my progress from all of my games so I wouldn't have to start from square one. All I had to do was download Helium on both of my phones and the desktop program. Then I connected my S4 to my desktop using a usb cable, opened Helium and followed the on screen instructions to backup whichever apps I chose. After that I set my S4 to connect via MTP and opened my phone on my desktop. The file path should look like this My Computer\Your_Phones_Name\Phone\carbon (carbon is the folder where Helium saves the app data that you chose to backup). Copy all the app folders you want, then follow pretty much the same steps for connecting your new device to your desktop and paste the folders from your old device in your new device's carbon folder. Once you've done that, on your new device open Helium and go to Restore And Sync, Internal Storage, select your apps to restore, and then finally enjoy your progress that you deserve!

A much much easier solution is to make use of the cloud backup feature in the game.
Just make a WBID account in-game and all your progress will be backed up. If you reinstall the game on the same device or another, just make sure you sign in with your WBID and a prompt with Superman will appear giving you the option to restore your progress.
DO NOT RESTORE USING THE CLOUD BUTTON AT THE TOP RIGHT CORNER IN THE MAIN MENU as Google Play Games cloud restore is broken in Injustice and you'll lose your progress!!!
I find this method alot easier than fiddling with system files =)

Rosli59564 said:
Basically root not needed but some people say it depends on what you're doing. Perhaps if you're to copy a root file no root is needed but if you're trying to delete maybe root is needed(even so with correct permission still no root required)
But i don't know adb so not sure.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How to get adb to do that please? I'm new to this stuff. I tried adb root but it says "adbd cannot run as root in production builds" I'm using linux if that helps. Device I'm trying to extract from is non-rooted OnePlus 3T.

So in the internal storage (NOT ROOT), you first need to know the first company maker of the app & then the first name of the app (example : tiktok would be somthing.musically) because of the package name & how it updates & stuff.
Now when you go to the Android Folder, you see data, this is where (most) files are saved for progress & is usually in here where data gets wiped by settings for apps, scroll down for your app, click on it & then...
find a way to put all those files into your other device.
(this is also how some people cheat their way through games like subway surfers unless they're a bit complicated for most users lol)

Lollipop - cannot write to external SD card in spite of granting permission [SOLVED]

This new permissions policy for apps writing to the external SD card is doing my head in. I have the stock, rooted, Polish Lollipop 5.0 ROM on my N9005. Dropbox refuses to write to the SD card and gives me a storage full or unavailable error. I'm well aware of how to set permissions for each app that requests it but Dropbox doesn't even ask for permission! Dropsync is even worse, it asks for permission to write to the SD card and I grant it and is displays a message saying that all is OK but when I try to sync I get a storage unavailable error. Similarly, Dolphin browser refuses to save anything to the SD card and doesn't request permission. I've reformatted my SD card using Android, tried a different SD card, cleared the cache for the affected apps, signed in & out of Dropbox but with no success. I don't think the SD card fix apps for Kitkat will work for Lollipop. Can anyone solve this?
Thanks

I emailed dropbox support & they have the answer:
Thanks for writing in, I will be happy to help you with your file issue.
It appears that these duplicate documents were added from the "Samsung Device" app. Samsung created a new deep Dropbox integration for their devices that allows access to all documents in your Dropbox account from a special "DocumentSync" folder on your phone. This DocumentSync feature allows you to add, edit, and delete any files that appear in this folder and these modifications will show up both on your phone and in Dropbox.
We've worked with Samsung on a fix for this duplicate file problem and it should be released sometime soon. In the meantime, if files are still being replicated, you can temporarily disable DocumentSync until the fix is released.
DocumentSync is different from the Dropbox application on your phone and disabling the DocumentSync feature will not impact the Dropbox app. You can turn off DocumentSync on your phone by following these instructions:
1. Tap your device’s “Menu” button
2. Tap “Settings”
3. Tap “Cloud”
4. Tap “Documents” or “DocumentSync”
5. Toggle off
You can also disable this app from the Dropbox website. To do this:
1. Log in to https://www.dropbox.com/account#security
2. Under "Apps linked" find the Samsung Device app.
3. Click the small "x" at the far right of where it says Samsung Device.
Sorry for any inconvenience this might have caused, but I hope this helps! Feel free to let me know if you have any further questions.
Regards,
Randy
I think the way ahead is to uninstall the Samsung Dropbox app with Titanium Backup but when I do this it keeps coming back. How would I go about hacking it out with Root Explorer?