Develop Bugs

[Q] Get apk files of installed app's

Hello everyone! I've been trying to find the answer to my question in the forum but I have not succeed.
The thing is that I want to get the apk files of some of the app's I have installed on my Desire.
I use Norton Mobile Utilities to check the directory where the apk file of each app is stored. Some of them are in /mnt/asec and these are so easy to find there and save them via copy-paste. On the other hand, some app's are stored in /data/app-private/ but when I check this directory with my file browser it appears completely empty.
What can I do?
Thanks in advance!

Get App Backup & Restore from market and than make backup to specified folder on sdcard.
Sent from my HTC Desire using Tapatalk

For backing up and restoring apps i can highly recommend titanium backup. Using it everytime i change rom or install current new. Never had problems.
Sent from Oxygen

to see /data you would need root explorer.
or you could try My backup Root, backup apps you need and then extract .apk from .rar

some file explorer programs like Astro have this feature as built in component
Sent from my HTC Desire using XDA App

Just tried both Titanium Backup and Root Explorer. They both work. Thank you all!

Titanium backup is probably the best way to get APK's quickly.
I use Astro too which you could try too.

[Q] Save APK file from Android Market ?

Hi,
I have some applications I want to save, I mean the APK file.
But I find them only on the android market, and doesn't see how to save the .apk file on my disk (for future use for example).
Do you know if the apk file is stored somewhere in the phone ?
Thanks

Is your phone rooted? It makes a difference. If not rooted you can use mybackup from the market to backup the apps. Never tried it and I am guessing it won't backup paid apps and only free versions. But it might.
If your phone is rooted you can find your apps in the data/app/ folder.

Once you have installed the App, look in /cache/download. Most apks will be in there.

You don't need rooted phone to save (backup) apk's. Just use MyPhoneExplorer which has the function to backup all installed programs (apk's) to computer (also backups SMSes, contacts, etc)
D>

yes, the phone is rooted.
I checked with Estrong explorer in the folders data and cache and there's nothing ...
The idea is to keep the apk files somewhere when they are not directly available on the net, only using the android market.

Back them up on titanium backup then when you want them again just restore them using titanium again, you can restore them fresh or with your old settings, hasn't failed me yet

ponk2k said:
Back them up on titanium backup then when you want them again just restore them using titanium again, you can restore them fresh or with your old settings, hasn't failed me yet
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Works for me too.

jean019 said:
yes, the phone is rooted.
I checked with Estrong explorer in the folders data and cache and there's nothing ...
The idea is to keep the apk files somewhere when they are not directly available on the net, only using the android market.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Look in data/app as I said. This is the location of all user installed apks. Unless you are using a ROM that uses a different location. Only familiar with sense builds myself. Or use a program that can backup apps. There were 3 mentioned in this thread.

apk with a manager go to system / app. they should be, and extract and save hello

Data/app or system/app?
Confused.
Sent from my HTC Desire HD using xda premium

dinosaurrudy said:
Data/app or system/app?
Confused.
Sent from my HTC Desire HD using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Either or, depending on what you're after. Apps you've installed (e.g. from the market) will be in /data/app, system apps (e.g Sense and the apps bundled with it) will be in /system/app.
//sent from my Desire HD using Tapatalk; all errors entirely intentional.

If the directories/files are not there then check that ES file explorer is configured to show hidden files.
Jon

For unrooted devices, using ES File Explorer:
1. Open ES File Explorer
2. Press Menu >> Manager >> App Manager
3. Long press the application and then press Backup
4. .apk file will be saved to /sdcard/backups/app/

[Q] Why do folders on /SDCARD appear empty through computer?

This is driving me crazy. I want to copy the TitaniumBackup folder from my GNEX to my Win7 PC.
Looking at the folder through Root Explorer on the GNEX all appears normal. When I look at the folder through my computer the folder is showing but the contents are backups that are almost a month older than are on the GNEX. If I delete everything in that folder FROM THE PC it still exists on the GNEX.
It is like it is looking at a different folder entirely however looking and searching through ROOT EXPLORER there are no other TITANIUM BACKUP folders.
This happens with a lot of apps. Example: I created a ZIP file using ROOT EXPLORER. The zip, viewing through ROOT EXPLORER is located in the /SDCARD/SPEEDSOFTWARE/ZIP folder however when I look at the SPEEDSOFTWARE folder via my PC the folder is empty.
I have tried both MTP and PHOTO mode. This happens with a lot of folders when trying to view them from my PC connection. Some stuff is there and a lot is not.

Hmmm, there is a /MNT/SDCARD and a /SDCARD folder (I don't know much about Linux) and the files I am NOT seeing on my PC are in /MNT/SDCARD and the files I am seeing are in /SDCARD. Why are there 2 different "SDCARD" folders? I changed the TitaniumBackup to save to /SDCARD instead of /MNT/SDCARD but the backups are still not viewable (or copyable) from my computer. I just don't get it.
So the question is, how do you "backup" the contents of the "SDCARD" directory if you can't see the files when plugged into the PC?
Well, after comparing all the "visible" files on my computer when I access the GNEX via MTP vs what I see using ROOT EXPLORER the ONLY 2 folders NOT visible from my PC are TITANIUMBACKUP and SPEEDSOFTWARE (thus is the ROOTEXPLORER app data). Why would they be hidden?

It's due to how the Android MTP service works. It hasn't scanned your internal storage for the new files/directory to present to your PC yet.
Download and run an app called SDrecan from the Market. This will force the media services on your phone to rescan the device.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using XDA App

Absolutely amazing! Thank you so much! I have been pulling out my hair for days!

thank you! I had the same problem!worked flawlessly!

silow said:
Download and run an app called SDrecan from the Market. This will force the media services on your phone to rescan the device.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks! This was really driving me crazy...

is there one for phones on android kitkat 4.4 and up

silow said:
It's due to how the Android MTP service works. It hasn't scanned your internal storage for the new files/directory to present to your PC yet.
Download and run an app called SDrecan from the Market. This will force the media services on your phone to rescan the device.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
this app is force closing. i cant even run it . do you have any idea? just today was working fine , i installed a custom rom and now when i try to put another roms on my sd card , i get this message that it's empty

trickster mod also has a media rescan option in bottom of tools section if this is helpful to you, I have to use it after using the "a better camera app" in order for pics to show in gallery without reboot

[Q] Delete folders from root\sdcard\Android\data\ using root explorer

I have some superfluous folders from long-since-deleted apps in root\sdcard\Android\data\ that i'd like to clean up. one of them is massively large.
I'm on AOKP build 31, rooted, and using an up-to-date copy of Root Explorer (w/ super user) but the delete command fails. Mounting and deleting the folders using Windows makes them disappear from windows, but they don't disappear from root explorer (And the space they were gobbling up doesn't free up in android either)
I have a feeling these folders are resisting deletion while android is running because they're "in use" (even though they shouldn't be, since the apps themselves are long since deleted) Is it possible to mount my sd card to my PC from CWM recovery/bootloader and delete them that way?
Am I doing something dumb?

Try rmdir -R /sdcard/*foldername* in terminal emulator
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using XDA

You'll find the same folders in /data/media and you should be able to delete them from there...

danger-rat said:
You'll find the same folders in /data/media and you should be able to delete them from there...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you! That did the trick. I had no idea the file structure was put together that way (fairly incomprehensible, actually)

Cant access file explorer from abd

Hi i am trying to access files inside my rooted device but it appears it cannot, even if i use a third party file explorer android app .
it is rooted and has a memory card as well but unable to access the file contents of it.
it is running the latest version fo cynageon rom as well.
any advice?

Be more specific. what's happening when you try to access files with adb or a file explorer?
Sent from my HTC Desire using xda app-developers app

chromium96 said:
Be more specific. what's happening when you try to access files with adb or a file explorer?
Sent from my HTC Desire using xda app-developers app
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Click to collapse
the file explorer is empty. nothing shown at all, even on ADB command. its as if all the files and folders are hidden or cant be accessed?

jonneymendoza said:
the file explorer is empty. nothing shown at all, even on ADB command. its as if all the files and folders are hidden or cant be accessed?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Do the files show up in windows explorer if you plug it in and mount as usb mass storage?

no they dont show up . i am going to reformat the folders and see if that works

Any suggestions?