I tried searching didnt get specific answer I am needing. I have been flashing roms for about 1 year. Its possible I have been messing it up, although my phone has always worked correctly (CM of different flavors). I usually use the following:
hboot/recovery
wipe dav/factory reset/wipe battery stats
install rom
now I am trying very hard not to make things more difficult for another user. I am trying to flash a sense rom Stock Plus v2.1.
In the install instructions it states:
Full Wipe and Flash Instructions:
Make a Nandroid Backup of your current rom
Reboot into ClockworkMod
Choose "wipe data/factory reset"
Go into "mounts and storage" menu and choose "format /boot" and confirm
Choose "format /system" and confirm
Go back to main menu and choose "install zip from sdcard"
Browse your sdcard for the rom zip and flash!
**Note: I know there are a million methods that folks say to follow for a full wipe, including: wiping dalvik, wiping cache, etc. Let me explain why that's unnecessary. The "wipe data/factory reset" option erases your /data, /cache and /data/data partitions, so doing the "wipe cache" option would be redundant. Dalvik-cache is just a folder that resides on the /data partition (Already cleared, remember, so redundant again). The ONLY 2 partitions, that effect the wipe, and were not already cleared are /boot and /system. I've changed roms quite a bit and this method is fast and works everytime.
I read the note but am confused. I have not heard of the things in red above. Could someone explain what I have been doing wrong, or why that would need to be done for rom to function properly? Thanks
Aerysana said:
I tried searching didnt get specific answer I am needing. I have been flashing roms for about 1 year. Its possible I have been messing it up, although my phone has always worked correctly (CM of different flavors). I usually use the following:
hboot/recovery
wipe dav/factory reset/wipe battery stats
install rom
now I am trying very hard not to make things more difficult for another user. I am trying to flash a sense rom Stock Plus v2.1.
In the install instructions it states:
Full Wipe and Flash Instructions:
Make a Nandroid Backup of your current rom
Reboot into ClockworkMod
Choose "wipe data/factory reset"
Go into "mounts and storage" menu and choose "format /boot" and confirm
Choose "format /system" and confirm
Go back to main menu and choose "install zip from sdcard"
Browse your sdcard for the rom zip and flash!
**Note: I know there are a million methods that folks say to follow for a full wipe, including: wiping dalvik, wiping cache, etc. Let me explain why that's unnecessary. The "wipe data/factory reset" option erases your /data, /cache and /data/data partitions, so doing the "wipe cache" option would be redundant. Dalvik-cache is just a folder that resides on the /data partition (Already cleared, remember, so redundant again). The ONLY 2 partitions, that effect the wipe, and were not already cleared are /boot and /system. I've changed roms quite a bit and this method is fast and works everytime.
I read the note but am confused. I have not heard of the things in red above. Could someone explain what I have been doing wrong, or why that would need to be done for rom to function properly? Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Assuming you are talking about formatting system and boot? If so, cm is different than sense roms, and this data needs to be wiped. The fact that you have been using cm for so long, explains why you haven't had issues with your wipe method. The data has just been overwriting itself, which doesn't work when going from aosp to sense, or vice versa.
Sent from my ADR6300 using xda premium
actually I have 2 different phones. both are htc inc orig, 2 different users. my personal phone has cm. I do not format boot or system and never have. however, when reading about flashing stock plus v2.1 on the other dinc that is freshly rooted with nothing ever having been flashed, it said to do what was highlighted in red (format boot and system). I had never heard of that.
okay, so format boot and system are needed if you are going from asop to sense (did not know that guess I got lucky). So is it still necessary to format boot and system before flashing on a dinc that was just rooted last night and nothing has been done other than rooting? stock is sense, the rom i would like to flash to the newly rooted phone is sense, so it is or is not needed?
I guess it comes down to what is exactly being wiped/formatted in the following:
data wipe/factory reset
format boot
format system
Yeah I guess thats what im trying to ask. Maybe if I understand what those areas are, then I can better understand why they would need to be wiped/formatted.
Oh and thank you for your reply, I do appreciate the help, and maybe im a bit slow in my thinking today. So please bear with me.
The boot and system files/data take on different characteristics and can be stored differently, depending on the base of the Rom. Base being froyo, gingerbread, Dinc2, Evo, aosp, etc. Things are stored in different places, which means new roms need these areas cleared before flashing in order to work properly.
Edit: Most of these roms have been ported from other devices. If flash instructions are provided, it is best to follow them for best results.
Sent from my ADR6300 using xda premium
okay i think i understand. will do it. thanks for taking the time to help. sometimes it takes me a few to get it sorted out.
Related
I have had this problem ever since the first time I have tried to use the Superwipe flashable zips, all in all I have tried around 4 different scripts.
The problem I run into is after the scripts run and I install X rom, when I boot it doesnt look like anything formatted. What I mean is on the first boot I do not get prompted to do the setup and I have my apps and widgets displayed on the homescreens from the previous rom. Could someone tell me what I am doing wrong?? I have just been flashing the Superwipe script like a normal flashable zip, do I need to mount the partitions or something?
Thanks,
Woz
It would help if you posted the zip you used.
Why even use a script, just take a few extra seconds and wipe your partitions thru recovery. The script your using probably needs modifing for use with the inc. If i googled the one your talking about it is for the evo 4g.
I believe this is the script you are refering to modified for the incredible.This will wipe your boot, cache, data, and system, partitions. VR_SuperWipe_Inc.zip.
I've never seen or heard any compelling evidence that these superwipe scripts are ever needed. Just do a full wipe in recovery and you should be good.
And for completeness, here is the "full wipe" procedure...
"wipe data/factory reset"
"mounts and storage" > "format /boot"
"mounts and storage" > "format /system"
Done. That's all you need to do. No scripts necessary. No repeating things 2 or 3 times. No manual clearing of dalvik. Just these three steps.
demarcmj said:
I've never seen or heard any compelling evidence that these superwipe scripts are ever needed. Just do a full wipe in recovery and you should be good.
And for completeness, here is the "full wipe" procedure...
"wipe data/factory reset"
"mounts and storage" > "format /boot"
"mounts and storage" > "format /system"
Done. That's all you need to do. No scripts necessary. No repeating things 2 or 3 times. No manual clearing of dalvik. Just these three steps.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thats my full wipe as well.
cvpcs from cyanogenmod said multiple wipes is pointless. But that's not going to stop people from wiping until it hurts.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk
tiny4579 said:
"...wiping until it hurts..."
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Click to collapse
gross. lol
I had been just going through the mounts menu and formatting everything there. I was just trying to be lazy by using a flashable zip to do the wipes.
As for the zips I was using most recently, they were the ones I found here in the inc dev section in this post [ROM][Update 3/12/12] Anthem™ | High Quality Performance | Sense 3.0 - post 4
Wozzie said:
I had been just going through the mounts menu and formatting everything there. I was just trying to be lazy by using a flashable zip to do the wipes.
As for the zips I was using most recently, they were the ones I found here in the inc dev section in this post [ROM][Update 3/12/12] Anthem™ | High Quality Performance | Sense 3.0 - post 4
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Click to collapse
In My Dealing lazyness leads to bricking and bad thing .. I try not to lazy or Drunk flash lol..
What do you do to make your roms run great everytime. Wipe data 1x, 2x, 3x. Etc. I get force closes and wondering if I didn't wipe right. I also got boot manager with miui stable as rom 1. It's been acting wierd lately. Hoping Simone can give me tips on flashing through clockwork and installing through boot manager for best results.
Sent from my ADR6300 using xda app-developers app
I don't use boot manager, but for a clean install of a ROM, format boot and system, and wipe data/Factory Reset, all just once.
cvpcs.org/blog/2011-06-05/time_to_wipe_data/cache
Boot to cwm recovery.
Go to mounts and storrage menu.
Format every option available except emmc and sdcard.
Flash rom of your choosing.
PonsAsinorem said:
I don't use boot manager, but for a clean install of a ROM, format boot and system, and wipe data/Factory Reset, all just once.
cvpcs.org/blog/2011-06-05/time_to_wipe_data/cache
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Click to collapse
Exactly what this guy said. Wipe data/factory reset takes care of /data, /datadata, and /cache all in one stroke. All that's left is /boot and /system
Also, with MIUI you may need to clear out your app cache regularly. Use this App Cache Cleaner, it's super simple. That should help your fc problems.
These are the steps I follow when flashing ROMs. Seems to work well for me:
Reboot your phone into Bootloader Mode. (You can do that by pressing and holding the Volume Down and Power buttons until HBOOT boots.)
Using the Volume keys, highlight Recovery and select it by tapping the Power button. Your phone will now boot to Recovery Mode.
Create a NANDroid backup of your current ROM. Go to Backup and Restoreand select Backupon the next screen. Wait until recovery finishes backing up your ROM.
Once done, go back to the main menu and perform a full wipe:
[*] ----> Select Wipe data/factory resetand confirm the action on the next screen.
[*] ----> Select Wipe cache partition and confirm the action on the next screen.
[*] ----> Go back to the main menu and select Advanced.From there, select Wipe Dalvik Cache and confirm the action on the next screen.
Select Install ZIP from SD card.
Select Choose ZIP from SD cardand locate the ROM.zip file. Confirm the action on the next screen to flash the ROM to your mobile phone.
Go back to the main menu and flash GoogleApps.zip in the same manner as in steps 6 and 7.
Go back to the main menu and select Reboot system now. This will reboot your phone with the new ROM.
What I normally do is boot into cwm and just do the factory reset/data wipe and that makes everything run nice and smooth whenever i flash a new rom.
ardax said:
Exactly what this guy said. Wipe data/factory reset takes care of /data, /datadata, and /cache all in one stroke. All that's left is /boot and /system
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Click to collapse
Yes. I find that if you don't also do /boot and /system some things linger that can cause problems. I did not do this recently and it still remembered Wifi locations, brought up an old wallpaper and sounds choices via music and ringtones were severely limited. Don't be afraid, do what the man says!!
CyanoLou said:
Yes. I find that if you don't also do /boot and /system some things linger that can cause problems. I did not do this recently and it still remembered Wifi locations, brought up an old wallpaper and sounds choices via music and ringtones were severely limited. Don't be afraid, do what the man says!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No need to format boot. Some devices don't even support that option. Plus flashing a new ROM always flashes a new boot.img in its place which overwrites the old one. System is OK but then you have to flash gapps with updates where before its optional. Wiping system isn't a bad idea on sense ROMs as it doesn't always get wiped by the script. On aosp it does and on cm it wipes system after backing up gapps.
Also WiFi and wallpaper choices are stored in datadata not system. If wallpapers come back after a factory reset that is due to Google restore. Sound choices are stored in a database that needs to rebuild after a wipe.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2
And in swoops tiny wielding the clue-by-four.
Normally I'll only wipe /system if I'm switching ROMs. Updating dailies doesn't require it.
I know this is not a development thread but I must insist we have something like this in this area. I feel it's important to all development for accurate results and debug information.
I see this all the time. People think they are fully wiping when a developer asks for it. I believe that some people still don't understand what a full wipe is because there is no such single option in ClockWorkMod Recovery. Most likely the reason for that is because Koush didn't want too many posts about "I'm stuck on Google logo" or "my phone won't boot". So here is a test you can do yourself: Backup your ROM of course, and then do a full wipe. Then don't install anything and just reboot. If you end up pass the Google logo and onto the boot loop screen, then what you think is a full wipe is incorrect. If you are stuck on the Google logo and nothing is happening however, then congratulations... you know what you're doing 
For the rest of you, here are proper steps to fully wipe without leaving any trace of ROM on your phone:
* wipe data/factory reset
* format /system
* format /boot
Now most people think that the first option is enough. That may often be the case but because the developer can drastically change the contents of the /system folder, things can get messed up if you don't format it. And guess what, that first option will not do it. Wipe data/factory reset only wipes the /data folder which contains your personal settings and all the apps you installed. The ROM is then left blank as if you just flashed it and you can start over. FYI, the format of boot partition simply wipes the boot animation and you can restore it using the advance option in recovery from ROM to another.
I've seen some zip files which do this automatically so that's fine but at least you know what needs to be done to fully wipe.
There you go. I hope this clears some things. Now lets flash some ROMs! 
Credit
Obasanity
What is the proper way to format a galaxy nexus? I want to clear everything possible and start fresh in an attempt to solve the abysmal write speeds I've been getting recently and I don't want to wind up bricking the thing in the process since I know certain partitions store the boot loader and more.
Other attempts to fix the write speed including fstrim, changing the mount command to enable trimming deleted files automatically, completely filling all free space with zeros then removing it, and none have helped yet. It gets approximately 0.10-0.15KB/s on random write with androbench, 2.0-5.5MB/s for sequencial write. I've never had anything less than 12GB free space, except when I tried filling all the free space
I want to format before reinstalling cyanogenmod and I understand there are risks involved that could brick my device so any instruction for what should and should not be touched would be greatly appreciated.
You need custom recovery installed (twrp or cwm). I have twrp. You need from recovery, for example twrp, wipe cache, dalvik cache, data and system from advanced wipe menu. After that, you should put in queue rom (which you are installing in zip format), then gapps(not all rom's need gapps, read install description for current rom) and custom kernel (not necessarily). After you just swipe on menu to proceed with installation and thats it
marko207 said:
You need custom recovery installed (twrp or cwm). I have twrp. You need from recovery, for example twrp, wipe cache, dalvik cache, data and system from advanced wipe menu. After that, you should put in queue rom (which you are installing in zip format), then gapps(not all rom's need gapps, read install description for current rom) and custom kernel (not necessarily). After you just swipe on menu to proceed with installation and thats it
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Make sure yu don't wipe "sdcard data" (there's a difference in System Data and SDCard Data). Marco207 mentioned that yu will have to wipe System Data. Rest yu may wipe anything, in fact, everything in case yu want a whole fresh ROM.
I looked through many threads, posts, websites, and tutorials, but none of them say how to literally wipe my device completely (it could be that it's not possible), what I want to do is completely remove literally everything so that it's like a brand new hard drive without even any files in it.
'Factory Reset' doesn't remove everything because android still boots after a factory reset and android wouldn't be able to boot if there were no files on the device. TWRP doesn't remove everything either because how is twrp running, and I can still see the androids root directories in twrps file manager (TWRP does tell me that there's no OS installed, but then why is there still a functioning file system with actual files in them).
I want to completely wipe everything so that any future roms I download will have no way to be affected by any old kernels/roms/apps that I have installed in the past. I want to clean install android on top of a literally empty phone hard drive. If this isn't possible then what's the closest to that that I can get? Cuz I tried various roms and I had bugs that persisted between multiple roms even though other people said that they didn't have these issues.
In case you're wondering: I'm currently running LineageOS 15.1, oreo 8.1
Your best bet it to wipe using stock image. Reinstall TWRP and wipe system, cache and data before installing new ROM
I agree with the advice given by Vanschtezla.
Also, if you would completely wipe all data on the phone's storage then that would also wipe the partition table. The storage area is divided into partitions which are mounted to for example /system /data and /cache when your phone boots.
Also there is no real need to "wipe everything" as you say as that could brick your phone. If you just boot TWRP and wipe using "Factory reset" and additionally: System then everything should be clean enough to install a new ROM. Depending on the ROM it will wipe the System partition anyway.
Kernels reside in the system partition so when you wipe System, any Kernel is gone
Pre installed (system) Apps sit in the System partition so wipe System and they are gone
User Apps sit in the data partition so wipe data (that is included in the Factory reset) and they're gone
All in all I think you're expecting issues that simply do not exist. Especially if you just follow the instructions of the (custom) ROM you want to install.
THANK YOU!
peterpv said:
I agree with the advice given by Vanschtezla.
Kernels reside in the system partition so when you wipe System, any Kernel is gone
Pre installed (system) Apps sit in the System partition so wipe System and they are gone
User Apps sit in the data partition so wipe data (that is included in the Factory reset) and they're gone
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This is exactly what I was looking for! Why don't any "How to wipe your phone" guides say these things (even the ones that get more technical don't mention what exactly gets deleted for each wipe option, which is why from your perspective it was probably very weird to read my question).