[Q] Wiping /sdcard without wiping ROM - Samsung Galaxy Nexus

My question here is if i decided to wipe only my internal sdcard contents, because of slow performance of I/O and files not showing in windows, will the ROM still be there or will it get wiped along with it.
I know that if i wipe data/factory reset in CWM recovery the sdcard will NOT be wiped, but my question is the other way round.
Thanks for help

Related

[Q] Cyanogenmod v.7 and dalvik cache

Recently I've managed to root using Unrevoked and flash a new ROM to my HTC Desire, I currently have Cyanogenmod v.7 RC2 running and it's fantastic!
However I'm already running low of internal memory.
I've done some reading about how to boost this by setting up a partition on my memory card, however there are some things that don't quite add up in my head. Below is a list of what I think I need to do to obtain A2SD+ for Cyanogenmod v.7 RC2, correct me if I'm wrong anywhere please
Make a backup using ROM manager
Copy all important data from memory card as I will have to format it - This includes the backup.
Use ROM manager to format the SD card and create a ext3 partition
Download S2E (Simple2ext) from the android marketplace and tick the box to move the dalvik cache to the SD card.
If the process list above is correct then my questions are:
Do I need to have obtained S-OFF to complete this process?
Do you need to start from a clean slate when moving the dalvik cache, i.e. should I factory-reset/wipe dalvik cache/wipe cache and then install Cyanogenmod v.7 RC2 again?
When you move over the dalvik cache is this a permanent move? For example if I had problem booting and I went through the factory-reset/wipe dalvik cache/wipe cache and then install Cyanogenmod v.7 RC2 again would this reset the dalvik cache back to its original location on the internal memory? Or would something more complicated need to be done to achieve this?
Thank you in advance for any help,
I'm slowly learning the basics
-Jackson
Bump,
any help would be greatly appreciated.
For any tl;dr
I really just want to know if moving the Dalvik cache to the SD card is permanent? Or will a full re-flash restore the dalviks original path back to the internal memory?
1) No.
2) No, don't do anything.
3) The dalvik cache does get moved but not too sure if it's permanent.
I would say to move dalvik cache back to internal, you would have to wipe /system because it's a script that gets installed as you need to remove the script. It's not permanent the way your thinking of. Just if you move it using the script then I don't think you can move it back whilst the script is installed. When the script is removed it will reset and go back to internal. Does that even make any sense?

Quick question on wiping data & "SD"

Will wiping the phone in CWM delete files on the "SD" space of the phone? I've read it is all apart of the same partition, so I wanted to make sure before awkwardly deleting the ROM I am about to install..
I have wiped tons of times in CWR and it hasn't touched the /sd yet. All my files are safe and sound.
Sent from my GNex
Grims said:
Will wiping the phone in CWM delete files on the "SD" space of the phone? I've read it is all apart of the same partition, so I wanted to make sure before awkwardly deleting the ROM I am about to install..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, it clears *all* internal storage.
So...which is it?
Maybe I misunderstood but are you talking about wiping /data and /cache? Because when I do this it does NOT wipe the /sd but does wipe all other user data, just like on every other android phone I have had.
Sent from my GNex
Grims said:
So...which is it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wipe data/factory reset on CWM wipes your WHOLE phone, including "SD" card. I advise you to use the Super Wipe Lite script from the Android Revolution ROM, get it here. This will do a complete wipe, except SD card.
A bit of more info, in case you're interested: the SD card is the folder /data/media mounted as /sdcard. When you wipe in CWM, the data folder is emptied as well.
EDIT: i havent actually tried to do a normal full wipe from CWM, im stating the above just from reading other reports here. Maybe the last version from CWM has fixed this, i dont know
EDIT2: You can wipe cache and dalvik as usual from CWM without any problems.
flakz0r said:
Wipe data/factory reset on CWM wipes your WHOLE phone, including "SD" card. I advise you to use the Super Wipe Lite script from the Android Revolution ROM, get it here. This will do a complete wipe, except SD card.
A bit of more info, in case you're interested: the SD card is the folder /data/media mounted as /sdcard. When you wipe in CWM, the data folder is emptied as well.
EDIT: i havent actually tried to do a normal full wipe from CWM, im stating the above just from reading other reports here. Maybe the last version from CWM has fixed this, i dont know
EDIT2: You can wipe cache and dalvik as usual from CWM without any problems.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I figured that was how it was setup, but didn't know if CWM had any logic built into it to filter out the folder. I'll take a look at the script, thanks.
The built-in factory reset in Android will also wipe everything.
I did data,cache,dalvik wipe and formatted system going from 4.0.2 to 4.0.3.
I did NOT lose my SD card
The default wipe in ICS clears *all* internal memory. The default Factory Reset feature of CWM does the exact same thing. I've done it twice and it wiped fully both times.
Very interesting direct contradictions going on in here..
Wiping data in CWM DOES NOT WIPE THE VIRTUAL SDCARD. People need to stop saying it does.. it is all one partition but the virtual SD card is not wiped when you wipe data in cwm.. Factory resets in settings will wipe your virtual SD card but cwm WILL NOT.
Edit: sorry I had a long night, but I will leave the caps so people actually read it.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium
It is quite troubling to read how many people are saying that wiping in CWM will erase the SD card.
It 100% DOES NOT. I have wiped in CWM dozens of times already. I can not say the same for Factory Reset in Android...but in CWM wiping data DOES NOT wipe your SD.

[Q] Please Help me!!

I tried to wipe everything off my phone. I booted into Clock recovery. This is what I did: Wipe data/factory reset
wipe cache partition
Wipe Dalvik cache
Format /data
format /system
format /cache
format /emmc
format /sdcard
Because I want to get rid of everything inside my phone and then I sell it to someone.
I downloaded some roms and put it into my sd card. But obviously, what I get is "Couldn't open directory. No files found"
I tried backup and restore and install zip from sdcard. But the result is the same.
My phone(Galaxy s2 t989) is rooted
I think I screw everything up
Please help I would really appreciate it.
READ READ READ is your best friend! I think what you are looking for is http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1513359
Good luck
When you formatted /system you wiped your Android os files. You need to flash back to stock...follow the instructions doormankenneth posted.
Sent from my SGH-T989 using XDA

T800 What to wipe when installing a new rom

When installing a new rom what are you suppose to wipe? I always thought you only wiped cache/dalvik /data. Is there something I'm missing because I read today that someone was wiping their internal sd card also.
lartomar2002 said:
When installing a new rom what are you suppose to wipe? I always thought you only wiped cache/dalvik /data. Is there something I'm missing because I read today that someone was wiping their internal sd card also.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It depends what rom you are replacing. If stock to cm, you should factory reset (that automatically wipes cache and dalvik for you). If just flashing a new cm rom over an existing cm rom, then just wiping dalvik is usually enough. You should never need to wipe your internal sd media.
Sent from my SM-T707V using XDA Premium HD app
never wipe internal SD unless you have a ROM file or TWRP backup on an external SD card. wiping internal SD will delete the ROM file (in the root folder) that you plan to install after the wipe.
Yeah, I always d/l to ext sdcard. learned my lesson about the hard way when I first started rooting and flazhing roms.
I never wipe anything except cache and dalvik. I always dirty flash. If it doesn't boot then I wipe data.

Unsure how to properly wipe without wiping internal storage

Hello all,
Sorry for this semi-noob question. I have had many android phones and rooted all of them but this is my first Nexus device. I've unlocked my bootloader and have TWRP installed and I'm ready to install a ROM. Unfortunately I am unsure of how I can do a full wipe without wiping my internal storage too.
On every other phone I have had, I would go to advanced wipe and then wipe system, data, cache and dalvik cache but I just did that and it wiped my internal storage :/
I had to flash the stock system image through ADB because ADB sideload wasn't working. Now I'm afraid to wipe system again before trying again because I feel like it will wipe my internal storage again. How can I wipe system properly before installing a new ROM?
Thanks!
Now the interesting question here is: What is internal storage?
You seem to think it is the entire emmc, including your system, cache and data partitions but that is not how that term is used.
As far as I have been able to figure this out "Internal Storage" in Android refers to the entire /data partition which in itself again is divided into a user accessible part where your photos, videos, files are stored ( /data/media and mounted as /sdcard/0 ) and the rest of the /data partition which is used for apps you install and their data. That part is not accessible to the user unless you have root.
Now, for 99% of all wipe operations all you need to do when installing a new rom is to wipe the data partition of all user installed apps and their data, dalvik and cache - also called a 'clean install'.
Any rom installer worth a damn will format /system before installing a new rom, so wiping /system is redundant.
TWRP made this very easy: Enter the Wipe menu and swipe the button. Default is to wipe /data (without wiping /data/media), cache and Dalvik. Flash the rom - done.
berndblb said:
Now the interesting question here is: What is internal storage?
You seem to think it is the entire emmc, including your system, cache and data partitions but that is not how that term is used.
As far as I have been able to figure this out "Internal Storage" in Android refers to the entire /data partition which in itself again is divided into a user accessible part where your photos, videos, files are stored ( /data/media and mounted as /sdcard/0 ) and the rest of the /data partition which is used for apps you install and their data. That part is not accessible to the user unless you have root.
Now, for 99% of all wipe operations all you need to do when installing a new rom is to wipe the data partition of all user installed apps and their data, dalvik and cache - also called a 'clean install'.
Any rom installer worth a damn will format /system before installing a new rom, so wiping /system is redundant.
TWRP made this very easy: Enter the Wipe menu and swipe the button. Default is to wipe /data (without wiping /data/media), cache and Dalvik. Flash the rom - done.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
"Internal Storage" as I used the term refers to just the user accessible part of the data partition where (as you said) photos, files, etc are stored. On previous versions of TWRP for phones I have had, you could wipe system, date, cache, etc and it would always leave internal storage intact. Ergo, after wiping, you could navigate to your downloads folder and find the ROM you wanted to flash. The issue I had was that I wiped "system" using TWRP and it wiped my "internal storage", meaning my downloads and photos and everything - leaving me with no ROM to flash.
You answered my question perfectly toward the end with this
Any rom installer worth a damn will format /system before installing a new rom, so wiping /system is redundant.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I come from a series of phones where this was not standard behavior for ROM installers, so failing to wipe system would lead to a dirty flash and almost assuredly cause issues. Thanks for the input, I will just do a data wipe from now on.
You shouldn't count on roms wiping system automatically.
A well established rom like pure Nexus for instance does not wipe system at flashing, leaving it up to the user to clean or dirty flash.
Always read and follow the installation instructions that come with the rom and you should have little problems. If there aren't any instructions, stay away from the rom is my advice, especially of you are a new user.
As to your question: go to the wipe menu in twrp. Then do an advanced wipe. Check every box except internal storage and wipe. Then proceed to flash your rom.
peltus said:
You shouldn't count on roms wiping system automatically.
A well established rom like pure Nexus for instance does not wipe system at flashing, leaving it up to the user to clean or dirty flash.
Always read and follow the installation instructions that come with the rom and you should have little problems. If there aren't any instructions, stay away from the rom is my advice, especially of you are a new user.
As to your question: go to the wipe menu in twrp. Then do an advanced wipe. Check every box except internal storage and wipe. Then proceed to flash your rom.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks, I'm not a new user by any stretch, just new to the Nexus 5x.
As to your question: go to the wipe menu in twrp. Then do an advanced wipe. Check every box except internal storage and wipe. Then proceed to flash your rom.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is exactly what I did when it wiped the ROM file (and all photos/sms backups) from my internal storage. That's how I have always wiped before flashing a new ROM in TWRP and this is the first time it ever wiped my internal storage, hence my question. I think I'll just stick to ROM installers that perform a system wipe. I plan on running the odex stock based ROM I just installed for a while anyway.
The_mamba said:
Thanks, I'm not a new user by any stretch, just new to the Nexus 5x.
This is exactly what I did when it wiped the ROM file (and all photos/sms backups) from my internal storage. That's how I have always wiped before flashing a new ROM in TWRP and this is the first time it ever wiped my internal storage, hence my question. I think I'll just stick to ROM installers that perform a system wipe. I plan on running the odex stock based ROM I just installed for a while anyway.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry for assuming you're a newby. Last time i wiped that way in twrp (June 2016) it left my SD card alone. Maybe you checked the wrong box?
peltus said:
Sorry for assuming you're a newby. Last time i wiped that way in twrp (June 2016) it left my SD card alone. Maybe you checked the wrong box?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No worries, I appreciate the help either way. I suppose it's possible I checked the wrong box but I am very diligent about that because I have REALLY screwed myself over with that in the past. I accidentally wiped internal storage once or twice on my HTC One and had to RUU back to stock, losing everything including root. Luckily recovery is quicker and easier on the 5x (and the phone is brand new so it had no pictures on it).
I'm afraid to try it again even with a nandroid since the recovery files or stored on internal storage so wiping that would leave me SOL too. Like I said, I'll probably just ride on this ROM until the Nougat or so and then make a full cloud backup before trying a full wipe again.
Wiping system did not erase your files. /system is read only, so you nor your apps can store anything there.
I respectfully disagree with @peltus. In those parts of XDA where I "grew up" a dirty flash is a rom flash without wiping data. And I would be grateful for a link to a rom where the installation script does not involve formatting or wiping /system.
I could be wrong but I believe TWRP's wipe of data is without data/media.
Internal Storage wipes the entire data partition.
One if these days with more time I'll give it a try
Sent from my Nexus 5X using Tapatalk
BONUS: What is a data/media device?
https://twrp.me/faq/datamedia.html
The relevant part:
Since /data/media is part of /data, we pretty much never actually format the data partition. Formatting data, of course, also removes the media folder that contains the internal sdcard. When you choose a factory reset [or wipe data], instead of formatting, we use rm -rf commands to remove all the folders except for the media folder so that we can remove all of your apps and settings while leaving your "sdcard" intact. In TWRP we also have a wipe internal storage option that rm -rf's the media folder and a "Format Data" option that formats to recreate the entire file system in case something goes completely wrong or to remove device encryption.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
[ ] - added by me.

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