Develop Bugs

[Q] Help Accidently wiped sdcard

Help a friend accidently wiped her sd card how do i get it mounted to computer thru usb to transfer an old nandroid for her or a new rom? and is there anything else I need to do?

Just plug the phone via USB to a computer. It should recognize it automatically. If not, reboot into recovery, select the MS-USB option and wait for the drive icon to appear on your computer. Afterwards, transfer any file you want. As for the nandroid you mentioned, please make sure it is a backup made from her device ONLY! If you're transferring a backup made from a different EVO, and your friend decides to restore it on her device, she will be asking for trouble.
posting & replying via the XDA Premium app.

dougjamal said:
Just plug the phone via USB to a computer. It should recognize it automatically. If not, reboot into recovery, select the MS-USB option and wait for the drive icon to appear on your computer. Afterwards, transfer any file you want. As for the nandroid you mentioned, please make sure it is a backup made from her device ONLY! If you're transferring a backup made from a different EVO, and your friend decides to restore it on her device, she will be asking for trouble.
posting & replying via the XDA Premium app.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes I knew only to use one of her old ones couldnt get the phone comp to reconise the phone so i used an alternate sdcard and my phone to dl and flash a new rom then backup and restore her old nandroid.

before writing any new files on the card, I suggest that you try Recuva, I managed to recover all the files on my card when it got wiped a while ago (though I still don't know how it happened!).

[Q] how to backup /sdcard ?

PLEASE READ THE ENTIRE POST BEFORE REPLYING. IF YOU DON'T I'LL JUST REPORT YOU FOR SPAM.
just spent an hour trying to find a way to do this and no such luck. i've read that clockworkmod recovery, when doing a factory wipe does not wipe the /sdcard but i still would like to be able to make a backup.
I've tried simply doing a copy/paste but windows refuses to even attempt it. even trying to do one folder at a time gives me issues. i've resorted to using airdroid for all my file transferring needs.
But using airdroid, even trying to do a backup, it eventually goes so slow that it fails. I have 4Gb of data i want to backup, and eventually it just stops transferring. i could do it one file at a time but honestly i don't feel like spending hours.
so does anyone know of any program, or possible easy way, that won't take days, to backup the /sdcard

You could always use cloud storage. Sugarsync gives you 5GB for free. Also, you could try running an FTP server app on your phone and then connect to it from your computer. I've used FTPServer in the past and it has been pretty quick to transfer lots of data.(https://market.android.com/details?...t#?t=W251bGwsMSwxLDEsImx1dGV5LkZUUFNlcnZlciJd)

yeah, i've thought of that, my internet at home isn't that great though. 6Mbps down, 1Mbps up. so cloud storage hasn't worked that great for me in the past, but maybe i'll give that ftpserver a shot.
BTW, i would like absolute confirmation that if i choose Wipe data/factory reset in CWMR Touch 5.504 beta 3 it won't erase any of the data on /sdcard.
as i've read, any CWMR won't erase the sdcard partition, but doing that through ICS, will.

Isn't CWMR 5.5.0.4 the non-touch version? I was using 5.5.0.4 and I can confirm that "Wipe Data/Factory Reset" does NOT erase anything on /sdcard, but I haven't actually done it in any other versions.

Hmm... what about using terminal/adb shell to build a .tar(.gz) of /sdcard and just copy that over to your PC?

codesplice said:
Hmm... what about using terminal/adb shell to build a .tar(.gz) of /sdcard and just copy that over to your PC?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
sounds like a good idea if possible. correct me if i'm wrong, but wouldn't that allow you to use adb to restore all of your sd contents as well?

palisaide said:
Isn't CWMR 5.5.0.4 the non-touch version? I was using 5.5.0.4 and I can confirm that "Wipe Data/Factory Reset" does NOT erase anything on /sdcard, but I haven't actually done it in any other versions.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
idk, mine has touch. not sure when/how i updated to it though. good to know that it doesn't though. thank you.

rsync backup for Android
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=871307
Since you're on Windows, you would need to setup an SSH server. People in that thread have done this. A Linux desktop would make things a tad easier though.
This is how I backup the microSD on all my phones.

neok44 said:
sounds like a good idea if possible. correct me if i'm wrong, but wouldn't that allow you to use adb to restore all of your sd contents as well?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I believe so. You'd of course have to find some other folder on your internal storage (not /sdcard) to store the tarball while it's being created.
Or heck, adb should be able to do it all for you:
Code:
adb backup -shared -noapk -nosystem
*should* (according to adb help output) backup your /sdcard to "backup.ab" in the current directory
Code:
adb restore backup.ab
*should* then restore it.

Also, checkout "adb backup"
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1420351
Allows you to set a flag to include shared content (the microSD). You could probably get it to backup just shared content.

so i've gone through my whole sd card trying to figure out exactly how much data really needs to be backed up, and it's not much. biggest thing ist he 1.5GB CWM backup. everything else is pretty tiny.
so i'm thinking of giving the cloud a try.
are there any that anyone can recommend? I'm hoping for one that i'll be able to choose what folders to backup and have it automatically do it at a time that i set.

neok44 said:
so i've gone through my whole sd card trying to figure out exactly how much data really needs to be backed up, and it's not much. biggest thing ist he 1.5GB CWM backup. everything else is pretty tiny.
so i'm thinking of giving the cloud a try.
are there any that anyone can recommend? I'm hoping for one that i'll be able to choose what folders to backup and have it automatically do it at a time that i set.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I like dropbox + the DropSync app - best two-way cloud sync I've found yet.

Assuming you can get an MTP connection with your pc then try copying across the sdcard folders 1 at a time to back them up. First time I tried to back up the entire contents in a single go it seemed like it was stalled but it was actually just trying to work out how long it would take before starting and probably would have succeeded if left long enough. Copying the android folder and sometimes stall a copy so do that last.
Alternatively if you dont want to use cloud storage (which would take quite some time depending on upload speeds) you could try the backup option in my ToolKit which uses the latest version of adb and will give you an option to include internal storage in the backup file. Just make sure to check the backup file size after it completes as that function is a bit buggy in adb and has been known not to restore everything such as pictures and music so copy across what you can before starting.
Mark.

Thanks to both of you. I was able to do files one at a time and get them over. and luckily nothing was that big, except for the CWM backups. freaking 1.5GB, that alone is the reason why i wish i had a 32GB phone.
good to know that the toolkit has that option. i'll be sure to use that if i ever need to do a full backup in a hurry.
The dropbox dropsync solution sounds interesting and i'm gonna give that a try. basically i'm just trying to make sure my backup files from apps that don't use cloud syncing will be secure in case something ever goes wrong. with having only 13Gb in the phone i'm keeping most of my big stuff like movies in a 32gb microsd that i'm connecting with an OTG cable.

Although I don't think the tone of the first line of your OP is conducive to soliciting help, I'll thought in my two cents anyway.
The contents of your sdcard is located in /data/media. If you connect your phone to your PC, and open a command prompt in the same directory as your ADB.exe file, the following command will copy everything from your sdcard to your PC in a folder called sdcard_backup:
adb pull /data/media /sdcard_backup
Although not speedy by any means, I've successfully backed up over 8GB this way.

Are pictures saved

So my S2 is stuck in an infinite reboot loop. I was wondering if there's any possible way for me to retrieve my photos? I saved Gallery in Titanium backup.
My question is: when I log into my account with a different phone and I restore the gallery app with Titanium backup, will my photos be restored too?

First...titanium backup backs up and saves everything on either your sd card or internal storage. So if you sign into a different phone, you wont be able to restore anything you backed up.
Second...pictures are saved in your internal storage. They are files, not data or apps that can be restored.
Now since you're using titanium backup im assuming you are rooted and have a recovery installed. You can try booting into recovery..connect usb cable from phone to computer and mount storage to transfer them onto your computer for safe keeping.
Or if you want to have a fully functional phone again, take a look at this thread.
EDIT: You can use the new jellybean 4.1.2 update instead of the ics version. Just go to the thread and download the odin version.

iburnhearts said:
First...titanium backup backs up and saves everything on either your sd card or internal storage. So if you sign into a different phone, you wont be able to restore anything you backed up.
Second...pictures are saved in your internal storage. They are files, not data or apps that can be restored.
Now since you're using titanium backup im assuming you are rooted and have a recovery installed. You can try booting into recovery..connect usb cable from phone to computer and mount storage to transfer them onto your computer for safe keeping.
Or if you want to have a fully functional phone again, take a look at this thread.
EDIT: You can use the new jellybean 4.1.2 update instead of the ics version. Just go to the thread and download the odin version.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Reverting back to stock does not delete your internal storage I believe. I can't turn on my phone at ALL so I can't use adb or anything.

lilsaiful said:
Reverting back to stock does not delete your internal storage I believe. I can't turn on my phone at ALL so I can't use adb or anything.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
*face palm* you said your phone is stuck in bootloop...pull the battery...hold volume up and down and connect USB cable from computer to phone
Did you even read the thread I provided?
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-T989 using xda app-developers app

iburnhearts said:
*face palm* you said your phone is stuck in bootloop...pull the battery...hold volume up and down and connect USB cable from computer to phone
Did you even read the thread I provided?
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-T989 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's what I meant by turn on my phone. It's just non stop vibrations. I somehow got lucky and managed to get into recovery mode and restore a previous backup. And yes, I read those before you even posted it to me. People have been solving it by different methods but it's all luck. It's a manufacturer's problem.

NOOB Q About Memory

Hi All,
Hopefully this should be a very quick question. I'm loading CM onto my phone, and this is the first ROM I've ever used. I've loaded CWM, made a backup, and I'm about ready to go and load CW on. I've noticed though that out of the 5 or so gig the phone comes with for internal memory, about 4gb is used up. Is this just the system and the back up and apps?? It seems quite a lot. Will CM fill this up further? Will I encounter any issues?
I hope thats all clear, but excuse me for being a beginner.
EDIT: This is now even more relevant now CM is flashed. I've just looked in the file viewer, and there's still all the folders etc from the old samsung, and amazonmp3 etc etc. I thought the "wipe data/factory reset" in CWM would have cleared all this.....
Many thanks for looking.

floateruk said:
Hi All,
Hopefully this should be a very quick question. I'm loading CM onto my phone, and this is the first ROM I've ever used. I've loaded CWM, made a backup, and I'm about ready to go and load CW on. I've noticed though that out of the 5 or so gig the phone comes with for internal memory, about 4gb is used up. Is this just the system and the back up and apps?? It seems quite a lot. Will CM fill this up further? Will I encounter any issues?
I hope thats all clear, but excuse me for being a beginner.
EDIT: This is now even more relevant now CM is flashed. I've just looked in the file viewer, and there's still all the folders etc from the old samsung, and amazonmp3 etc etc. I thought the "wipe data/factory reset" in CWM would have cleared all this.....
Many thanks for looking.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Factory reset only wipes the data partition. For the first time installing a custom ROM, and especially going from stock to cm for the first time, you should wipe the system partition which can be done from cwm.
Sent from the dark side of the moon.
Want to know how to boost your devices performance and battery life? See my thread here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2495269

iKlutz said:
Factory reset only wipes the data partition. For the first time installing a custom ROM, and especially going from stock to cm for the first time, you should wipe the system partition which can be done from cwm.
Sent from the dark side of the moon.
Want to know how to boost your devices performance and battery life? See my thread here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2495269
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi again.
So I finally got round to trying to get this sorted.... and I'm failing. I've booted into CWM, rerun the "wipe/data factory reset", rerun the "wipe cache" then went into "mounts and storage" and did a format of the system partition, but it still hasn't cleared any of the data.
Am I doing something incorrectly? I didn't want to play around with it too much, in case i bork it all. Any help would be massively appreciated.
Also, I'm a bit concerned about what formatting the system partition will do. Does it just clear the rom already on there, and I can then flash Cyanogenmod back on from my sd card?
Thanks

floateruk said:
Hi again.
So I finally got round to trying to get this sorted.... and I'm failing. I've booted into CWM, rerun the "wipe/data factory reset", rerun the "wipe cache" then went into "mounts and storage" and did a format of the system partition, but it still hasn't cleared any of the data.
Am I doing something incorrectly? I didn't want to play around with it too much, in case i bork it all. Any help would be massively appreciated.
Also, I'm a bit concerned about what formatting the system partition will do. Does it just clear the rom already on there, and I can then flash Cyanogenmod back on from my sd card?
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Formatting system partition wipes the currently installed rom / system apps.
How do you know that it is not wiping the data? If you do a system format and your rom still boots then it isn't working properly.
It could be a problem with the version of recovery (cwm / twrp) that you're using. It can't hurt to update it, which could be the case here.
Good luck. Let me know how it goes.
Sent from the dark side of the moon.

iKlutz said:
Formatting system partition wipes the currently installed rom / system apps.
How do you know that it is not wiping the data? If you do a system format and your rom still boots then it isn't working properly.
It could be a problem with the version of recovery (cwm / twrp) that you're using. It can't hurt to update it, which could be the case here.
Good luck. Let me know how it goes.
Sent from the dark side of the moon.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for coming back so quickly!
So if you see the attached, this is what I'm looking at. The phone has 5.5gb internal memory, of which, looking at the below, I'm using about 1.5gb, BUT I only have 1gb left to use, and I get warnings about lack of memory.... So there's 3gb being used for.... I don't know.
When I first put cyanogen on, I noticed that the file structure from stock was still there (i.e. all the folder my old apps made). I expected when I put CM on that it would wipe everything, including all of those folders.

You can try an app called es file explorer, it has a feature that fully scans the contents of the internal SD card.
It should show a list of all the folders from the old stock data folders. You can multi select and delete what you want.
Another option which is more efficient, is to make a full backup of all the internal data in your PC. Then fully format the internal SD card via cwm and transfer which contents you need back from the PC such as photos and music. Asides from photos, music and other media items, most of those internal SD contents aren't needed as Android uses these folders for app data etc.
Always make back ups.
Your welcome.
Sent from the dark side of the moon.

iKlutz said:
You can try an app called es file explorer, it has a feature that fully scans the contents of the internal SD card.
It should show a list of all the folders from the old stock data folders. You can multi select and delete what you want.
Another option which is more efficient, is to make a full backup of all the internal data in your PC. Then fully format the internal SD card via cwm and transfer which contents you need back from the PC such as photos and music. Asides from photos, music and other media items, most of those internal SD contents aren't needed as Android uses these folders for app data etc.
Always make back ups.
Your welcome.
Sent from the dark side of the moon.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, I have got ES File explorer. I couldn't find a "scan" but I've gone through all the folder on my device and I can see the following:
/storage - 3.83gb
/mnt - 2.11gb
/sdcard - 893mb
A lot of this seems to be duplicated though.... The stuff on mnt seems to be a shortcut to whats in sdcard, and all that in storage seems to be in the other two. I don't technically think it's all duplicated, but different ways to get to the same stuff, which makes me very nervous about deleting any of it....

Just got a liitle program to give a break down. See attached.
Surely my system data shouldn't be that big?

I recommend you make a full back up in your PC and format the SD card and transfer the contents of your current SD folder back. I've done it before on different devices, I do it on first root / cm install coming from stock because of all the old obsolete data. Apps like clean master won't removing it because it's marked as important for stock users. It shouldn't be a problem.
Note:
Having different links to the data partition is normal. It's purpose is compatibility.
Sent from the dark side of the moon.
---------- Post added at 12:01 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:54 AM ----------
It's possible that's reserved for the system. Mine is similar. You can still use it if you convert user apps into system ones.
Sent from the dark side of the moon.

iKlutz said:
I recommend you make a full back up in your PC and format the SD card and transfer the contents of your current SD folder back. I've done it before on different devices, I do it on first root / cm install coming from stock because of all the old obsolete data. Apps like clean master won't removing it because it's marked as important for stock users. It shouldn't be a problem.
Note:
Having different links to the data partition is normal. It's purpose is compatibility.
Sent from the dark side of the moon.
---------- Post added at 12:01 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:54 AM ----------
It's possible that's reserved for the system. Mine is similar. You can still use it if you convert user apps into system ones.
Sent from the dark side of the moon.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just found this: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2083107
It's something to do with backups. I'm gonna read through that thread and see if I can find out what I can/can't delete without bricking the phone.
Massively appreciate your time and repsonses on this iKlutz. Just out of interest, did you do a backup when you installed a rom? Have you found that the backup is this big??

Use ES file explorer or other file manager with root explorer capabilities.
Go to /data/media
You should see:
0
clockworkmod
legacy
obb
In clockworkmod folder I've found a backup (2.0GB) that was made by mistake to internal sotrage, since I allways do backup in CWM Recovery to external SD.
Deleted and 2.0GB were gained.

luisbraz said:
Use ES file explorer or other file manager with root explorer capabilities.
Go to /data/media
You should see:
0
clockworkmod
legacy
obb
In clockworkmod folder I've found a backup (2.0GB) that was made by mistake to internal sotrage, since I allways do backup in CWM Recovery to external SD.
Deleted and 2.0GB were gained.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hmmm. Data/Media is empty.... I might delete the back up from CWM. If the worst happens, I can always flash from the external SD card can't i? Do I "need" that back up of the device when it was stock?

floateruk said:
Hmmm. Data/Media is empty.... I might delete the back up from CWM. If the worst happens, I can always flash from the external SD card can't i? Do I "need" that back up of the device when it was stock?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Do not delete.
Copy the folder(s) that you have in the "backup" to the external SD card to the "backup" folder in the "clockworkmod" folder.
Then, you can delete the backup folder located in "data/media/clockworkmod/".
I allways save the backup of the stock ROM's.
To restore in CWM recovery, simply choose "restore from external SD card". And to backup, choose "backup to external SD card", or it will backup to the internal memory.

floateruk said:
Hmmm. Data/Media is empty.... I might delete the back up from CWM. If the worst happens, I can always flash from the external SD card can't i? Do I "need" that back up of the device when it was stock?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Did you solve the issue?

luisbraz said:
Did you solve the issue?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No.... I don't really know what to do with it.
I've got an s3 mini with Cyanogen and CWM and the system data portion is only 54mb.
I might go into CWM and start deleting things. If I delete the backup I made of my stock phone when I first rooted and added CWM, I can't see too many issues.... I can always flash a stock ROM again can't I?

floateruk said:
No.... I don't really know what to do with it.
I've got an s3 mini with Cyanogen and CWM and the system data portion is only 54mb.
I might go into CWM and start deleting things. If I delete the backup I made of my stock phone when I first rooted and added CWM, I can't see too many issues.... I can always flash a stock ROM again can't I?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, using Odin you can flash stock ROM again.
Next time do the backups in CWM to the external SD card!

[Q] Full Backup

Hi all,
I have to make a full backup of my M8.
I want to save, easy-going and at the option of restore all my data after an hard reset, all application and savegames.
I want to restore, automatically, all apps after the first boot and then I want to "copy" the savegames...
1. If I copy all data stored on both memory, will I copy all savegames and cache, right?
2. If it's wrong, what I have to do?
3. HTC Backup/Google Drive Backup can be useful for my aim?
The photos, audios, videos are on MicroSd, and the contacts are on my Google Account.
3. There is anything else to backup?
Thank you in advance,
.Fè

.Fè said:
Hi all,
I have to make a full backup of my M8.
I want to save, easy-going and at the option of restore all my data after an hard reset, all application and savegames.
I want to restore, automatically, all apps after the first boot and then I want to "copy" the savegames...
1. If I copy all data stored on both memory, will I copy all savegames and cache, right?
2. If it's wrong, what I have to do?
3. HTC Backup/Google Drive Backup can be useful for my aim?
The photos, audios, videos are on MicroSd, and the contacts are on my Google Account.
3. There is anything else to backup?
Thank you in advance,
.Fè
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just do a backup in recovery. Save it to your extSD.

Stock phone, or rooted/modded?
---------- Post added at 10:27 AM ---------- Previous post was at 10:23 AM ----------
.Fè said:
The photos, audios, videos are on MicroSd, and the contacts are on my Google Account.
3. There is anything else to backup?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If your personal photos and videos are only saved to your removable SD, than they are not backed up. Even if on the phone's internal storage and backed up to removable SD; I'd still recommend to also back these up off-phone. Either simply by periodically copying them to a computer, or using cloud solutions (which also have the option to backup your photos automatically).

This ^^^^
Never trust only your phone, or SD card to keep your stuff safe.

First af all, thank u everyone.
I don't have a rooted/modded phone, then I can't go in recovery mode and made a full backup.
Then, I've to hard reset my phone, but I want to save anywhere (I have a lots of space on Google Drive) my data, especially savegames, photos and videos...
For the videos and photos, I think that a simple upload to my Cloud could resolve the problem...but, how to save savegames? What are the folder that I have to backup?
Can I use the HTC account/Google Drive account to make a backup of my phone? Is it safe?
After restoring, How can I download, automatically, just the apps that are installed today on my phone?
Thank you

I actually have no idea how HTC Backup works, or if its capable of doing what you want (backing up app data like game saves). I've used Titanium Backup (root required) and nandroids for so long, I never tried HTC Backup.
But I've seen Helium suggested on XDA for non-rooted users to backup app data: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.koushikdutta.backup
Again, I haven't personally used it. But its made by the same dev is Clockworkmod, which is saying something.

redpoint73 said:
I actually have no idea how HTC Backup works, or if its capable of doing what you want (backing up app data like game saves). I've used Titanium Backup (root required) and nandroids for so long, I never tried HTC Backup.
But I've seen Helium suggested on XDA for non-rooted users to backup app data: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.koushikdutta.backup
Again, I haven't personally used it. But its made by the same dev is Clockworkmod, which is saying something.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you...I'm sure I will analyze Helium and I will try it...I've already heard about it but I haven't tried it yet

Damn...I have an issue with the USB connector and I can't connect my phone to the pc...Now, I can't use Helium because I don't have root and I must connect my phone to pc...

.Fè said:
Damn...I have an issue with the USB connector and I can't connect my phone to the pc....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Was this an existing issue you knew about, or something you just discovered? Reason I ask, is that majority of USB connectivity issues are due to drivers on the PC, USB spec on the PC(USB 3.0 doesn't play well), or bad cable.
Or do you know for fact the USB port on the phone is damaged?

redpoint73 said:
Was this an existing issue you knew about, or something you just discovered? Reason I ask, is that majority of USB connectivity issues are due to drivers on the PC, USB spec on the PC(USB 3.0 doesn't play well), or bad cable.
Or do you know for fact the USB port on the phone is damaged?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have this issue from 3/4 days, maybe, because I've tested a bad charger with my phone. Now I've slow charge and I can't connect my phone to the pc...
Now, I want to make a backup before send my phone to the assistance..
First of all, I've copied all data from the internal memory to the external one and I will backup all data on the external memory.
Now, I can try to go to "Account and ..." and make a Backup on both HTC Account and Google Account. Savegames doesn't matter by now...