Develop Bugs

Creating an unique update.zip

I switch roms constantly on my phone and the most annoying part of that is having to every time enter my gmail, facebook, twitter and other information that never changes... Is there anyway to make a FLASHABLE update.zip that I can just install after a rom flash? Out would even be better if I can put certain applications in there too. Like my Angry Birds, Rom Manager, and Titanium Backup. You know just the apps that no matter what rom I use I always have to reinstall. This would save me and whoever find themselves in this situation alot of time when it comes to experimenting with different Roms. Please help!
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA App

I don't know about login information but you can make an update.zip with miscellaneous apps that you don't want to re-download. It's kind of a pain (personal opinion) to make an update.zip but here are some directions:
1. Create a folder, we'll call it "update".
2. Inside "update" make two new folders called "META-INF" (without the quotes and capitalized) and "data" (also without quotes).
3. Inside "META-INF" create a folder called "com".
4. Inside "com" create a folder called "google".
5. Inside "google" create a folder called "android".
6. Close the folders you have open and re-open "update".
7. Open "data" and create a folder called "app".
8. Add the .apk files you want to flash to "data/app".
9. I've attached a few files to the post, unzip "secFiles.zip" and put "CERT.RSA", "CERT.SF", and "MANIFEST.MF" into your "update/META-INF" folder.
10. Also attached is "script.zip". Unzip this and add the "updater-script" and "update-binary" to "update/META-INF/com/google/android".
11. Now that you have the folder structuring complete you can zip it all up. When you zip it, make sure you zip "data" and "META-INF" NOT "update". You will have errors if you zip "update"!
12. If you have ClockworkMod Recovery you do not need to sign it. If not then I recommend making a nandroid backup and copying it to your computer so that your WiMax (4G) keys are backed up, then switching to ClockworkMod Recovery.
13. Make a nandroid backup anyways! Don't come calling me if you're phone messes up. I do not believe there to be anything wrong in my directions but I can't afford to fix you're phone.
14. Flash away! Hopefully it worked. I'll try to elaborate if you're confused.

Thank you so Much! but thats just half the equation... Titanium Backup has a way to backup and restore the Accounts and Sync data which is what the goal is here... im thinking about finding a way to extract that and put it into a flashable zip. Im learning alot about the android structure and it might now be long until i unintentionally solve this myself

You could add Titanium Backup to your flashable zip and have it preinstalled as well as your backup wherever it belongs. (Sorry, don't use Titanium Backup)
Or another idea to try out, if you have Clockwork Recovery you can restore just the data partition. I'd be careful of doing it but if you're in the mood to experiment I think it might do what you're looking for. Note that you'll have to have a data.img nandroid backup of everything you want. If you manage to figure it out please share because I hate typing my ridiculously long passwords every time I flash a new rom.

you can make a flashable zip for titanium. from the app, press menu > more > create update.zip
this option gives you an option to create a signed zip file (you need a free app from the market called zip signer) that will install titanium as either a user or system file

It would be great to know how to create a update.zip of the titanium backups and that way, it would include +data
Anyone know how to do that?
Keri

Extract SMS on WP7

Hello there,
just for your info - maybe it helps somebody:
after some days of trying i found the shortmessages (with tel-number etc.) and some other stuff in a file:
1. Explore your phone with Windows Phone Device Manager
2. goto \Application Data\
3. Add "\Microsoft" to the path (under the file-explorer logo)
4. goto Outlook\Stores\DeviceStore
5. Rename "store.vol" to something like "store.vol.txt" (it is mandatory to rename this file - without this step the file is in use by outlook)
6. extract it (drag n drop)
7. run perl script (#perl test.pl store.vol.txt)
8. See output
Maybe one of you could build a backup application or something like that!
Link to perl script:
http://uploaded.to/file/he26q0d2
Original source of script:
http://www.pocketpcjunkies.com/Uwe/Forum.aspx/pocketpc-dev/21040/Reading-pim-vol-EDB-File-on-a-PC
Edit:
Don't know if you've seen it:
\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook\Stores\DeviceStore\data
ALL emails and other messages + contact-pictures + signature (three sizes) (just edit the file extension to .html or .jpeg - hex edit helps to find what is right )
\Application Data\Microsoft\Internet Explorer
-> TabsStorage.bin: Opened tabs from internet explorer (where are the cookies?! )
\Applications\Data\82A23635-5BD9-DF11-A844-00237DE2DB9E\Data\IsolatedStore
ALL Facebook-Information (if app is installed), including messages, pictures, notifications etc. etc.
\Application Data\Location\Cache
Wifi & GSM Data when features is enabled in WP7-preferences (encrypted?! don't know..)
Much more to come...
greets
endeffekt

Thanks! Looks interesting, I might try that!
Hey just wondering but does syncing with outlook have the option to sync texts? Only reason I wonder is because you said that file was in use by outlook....

WP7SuperFan said:
Thanks! Looks interesting, I might try that!
Hey just wondering but does syncing with outlook have the option to sync texts? Only reason I wonder is because you said that file was in use by outlook....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hey,
i just THINK it's in use
If you look at this file without renaming it's at 0,00 KB and you can't extract it. Maybe the contacts-tile or something else is using it

Hi Endeffekt,
thank you for this great hint!
But one more question before I try. Is it possible, to rename the file after the procedure back to "store.vol" without losing the messages on the phone?

schluff1 said:
Hi Endeffekt,
thank you for this great hint!
But one more question before I try. Is it possible, to rename the file after the procedure back to "store.vol" without losing the messages on the phone?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
WP7 creates a copy of this file (automatic), so no problemo sir

Great! Alle messages are there. But the script doesnt work for me.
Now we need a smart developer who can make a viewer for it.
Is there a way to copy the vol file back to the phone? Or is the file always locked? For restore reasons...

I think this is very interesting (possibility to backup/restore SMS), so probably we should keep it on the front page so the devs could notice it.

Has anybody tried to restore that store.vol into the device after a reset? I mean rename the current store.vol to any filename, then copy the backed up store.vol to the phone and restart.
I'd like to try but i need to get hold all my current sms!

Pixa1 said:
I think this is very interesting (possibility to backup/restore SMS), so probably we should keep it on the front page so the devs could notice it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i agree
thanks a lot Endeffekt for sharing such important information
i sent the file to my pc but still couldn't edit it,
if anyone know other way than perl script please share,
i'm trying to edit the file and insert old sms from my old phone
thanks

Gray.Fox said:
i agree
thanks a lot Endeffekt for sharing such important information
i sent the file to my pc but still couldn't edit it,
if anyone know other way than perl script please share,
i'm trying to edit the file and insert old sms from my old phone
thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hint: it's an EBD database (like other files too)

Don't know if you've seen it:
\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook\Stores\DeviceStore\data
ALL emails and other messages + contact-pictures + signature (three sizes) (just edit the file extension to .html or .jpeg - hex edit helps to find what is right )
\Application Data\Microsoft\Internet Explorer
-> TabsStorage.bin: Opened tabs from internet explorer (where are the cookies?! )
\Applications\Data\82A23635-5BD9-DF11-A844-00237DE2DB9E\Data\IsolatedStore
ALL Facebook-Information (if app is installed), including messages, pictures, notifications etc. etc.
\Application Data\Location\Cache
Wifi & GSM Data when features is enabled in WP7-preferences (encrypted?! don't know..)

da_mayhem said:
Has anybody tried to restore that store.vol into the device after a reset? I mean rename the current store.vol to any filename, then copy the backed up store.vol to the phone and restart.
I'd like to try but i need to get hold all my current sms!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I will try this today

endeffekt said:
I will try this today
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How was it?

endeffekt said:
Hint: it's an EBD database (like other files too)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thanks endeffekt for the hint i'll look into it thanks alot
endeffekt said:
I will try this today
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i hope you or anyone can try and confirm i have only one device i can't risk it
also couldn't try it on my emulator i think i misconfigured something
if i find anything i will post here

SMS retreival on Windows phone 7 using device manager
Hey all.
I have an Samsung Omnia phone 7. Dev unlocked. Running 7.0.7004.0
Anyone any idea how to view the file in question? I need to download this file, and save the SMS entries to my PC.
When I use device manager, I cant see a folder called
\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook\Stores\DeviceStore
I mean, when I copy and paste the above text into the path, its just beeps and doesnt show anything.
On the root under file explorer, I have
My Documents (which is empty)
Windows (lots of files in it)
-ActiveSync
-Application Data
--KeyStorage
-AppMgr
-ColdInit
-eventlog
and a few others
When I open the Application Data folder, I only have a 'Key Storage' (certainly no Microsoft folder, and I tried typing it incase it was hidden or something , but just a ping sound and no refresh of the file list)
and when I open Key Storage, I have no files.
Any help working out why I cant see these folders / store.vol file would be very much appreciated
Does Windows Phone Device Manager not support this functionality on the Omnia?
Thanks

this should be a sticky, and testers needed

Using the diagnosis code 5**6244*3
I was able to open the Apps Launcher and Shortcuts Menu and can confirm that the path \Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook\Stores\DeviceStore exists on my Focus.
In that folder, I have:
temp
0
4
6
3
19
8
Each of these folders has a list of single alpha named folders (a, b, c, d, e, etc...)
Each of these alpha folders has a single .dat file
I haven't tried to extract those files to try to play with them. I don't know how I would with the Focus... But just confirming the path exists on my Focus and has the .dat files

thank you munkeyphyst, still waiting for endeffekt

endeffekt said:
Hint: it's an EBD database (like other files too)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanx for your hard work... Any success???? i'm intrested in the extraction of sms in the form which can b read on computer. i tried as you said renamed and copied to computer but i can not read that in computer... is it encrypted ?? Any help in that is appreciated.......

I've checked out all the EDB recovery/readers on teh net and cannot open one of these "edb" files from the phone.
if anyone knows the architecture of the file, I can parse it and have a program ready quickly.
some talk about EDB

[Q] Backup .apk files that are stored on an HTC Desire HD (rooted)

I have searched this forum and have not found an answer. I would like to know how to backup the .apk files that are stored on the phone memory, not the SD card. I have used ASTRO file manager but cannot locate the .apk files. I have already used Titanium Backup Pro but I have found that the .apk files are backed up a .tar.gz files. What I want to do is backup the .apk files as .apk files for future resoration or transport to another Android device. I have searched the phone and cannot loacte where the downloaded .apk's are being stored. Could someone out there please help point me in the right direction.

emelnick1 said:
I have searched this forum and have not found an answer. I would like to know how to backup the .apk files that are stored on the phone memory, not the SD card. I have used ASTRO file manager but cannot locate the .apk files. I have already used Titanium Backup Pro but I have found that the .apk files are backed up a .tar.gz files. What I want to do is backup the .apk files as .apk files for future resoration or transport to another Android device. I have searched the phone and cannot loacte where the downloaded .apk's are being stored. Could someone out there please help point me in the right direction.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You have a couple of options. You can tell titanium backup not to use compression when backing up, or you can use 'Root Explorer' and navigate to /data/app where you will find all your user installed apps, be aware that the data for the apps, such as save games etc... is stored in /data/data.
Hope that this is of some help to you.

Tahnsk for your help
Doktaphex,
I tried turning compression off but titanium backup still created .tar files, not .apk files. Secon option of using root explorer worked just great.
Thanks for your help.

You can use Titanium backup, which will create compressed file, but you can decompress it on your PC and extract .apk file.
Method I use is with ASTRO. Go to menu-tools-backup programs, choose programs you want to backup and hit 'Backup' button. Then navigate to backup folder and there are your programs. But be aware, they will show market names whic are not always easy to determine which .apk is which program.

I use appmonster as it backs up when you install from any source, using an old version 1.9.0 as they changed the way it puts file names, nopw it does via market, on prior it was a readable name

I am using app saver, it works~

A simple option would be to install appInstaller (the one by Gregory House) from the market.
It's a lightweight app which backs up apk files to a folder on your sd card named app saver.

Noob here,
how can you locate or transfer a apk files? where are they exactly saved? how can you install/run them? what app should i use?
using a Huawei u8860 phone.
Thanks

mojo_ojoj said:
Noob here,
how can you locate or transfer a apk files? where are they exactly saved? how can you install/run them? what app should i use?
using a Huawei u8860 phone.
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It all depends of the app...if is a system app or a market one. You have to use a file explorer such as file manager or ES explorer.
If the app you are looking for is a system on you need to be rooted.

Try apk extractor in the market its free, its what I use.
Sent from my Inspire 4G using xda premium

Saving or Storing .apk's

I'm about to start buying a few different apps, and want to save them on my PC so I can have them for either future use or if I am gonna be wiping my phone, returning it, getting another phone, etc... Anybody save them straight to their computer from amazon.com, or can I pull them off my phone thru Kies after dowloading from the market? Then I guess I'll also need to know how would I get the apk running once I put it on my SD Card? Sorry in advance if this is a dummy question- it's my first run at this and there are tons of different opinions and people pitching their softwares on google search and youtube that span back to 2009, so I'd like to see what someone who knows how and has a T989, Thanks!

Download astro file manager (free) from the market and u can back up your apk's. Save them to ur sd card and transfer it to ur pc.
Sent from my SGH-T989 using XDA

zero86ea said:
Download astro file manager (free) from the market and u can back up your apk's. Save them to ur sd card and transfer it to ur pc.
Sent from my SGH-T989 using XDA
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+1
Sent from my SGH-T989 using XDA

You can also use JRUMMY6 apps - Ultimate app manager pro or ROM Toolbox Pro. This will save the apk as well as the settings for that app.

CincoDeDrinko said:
I'm about to start buying a few different apps, and want to save them on my PC so I can have them for either future use or if I am gonna be wiping my phone, returning it, getting another phone, etc... Anybody save them straight to their computer from amazon.com, or can I pull them off my phone thru Kies after dowloading from the market? Then I guess I'll also need to know how would I get the apk running once I put it on my SD Card? Sorry in advance if this is a dummy question- it's my first run at this and there are tons of different opinions and people pitching their softwares on google search and youtube that span back to 2009, so I'd like to see what someone who knows how and has a T989, Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Here's a quick guide:
1) Download and install a file explorer application that can write to the system partition. You can use ROOT explorer or ES file explorer. I'm not sure if astro has system writing capabilities.
2) Go into the application and enable root access and the ability to write to system. For ES, you go into settings then scroll down and check "Up to Root" and "Root Explorer" and "Mount File System"
3) Navigate to the apk files that you want to save. For user apps, it's under /data/apps and for system apps (memo, contacts, etc.) it's under /system/apps. Now you probably default to /sdcard so you'll have to go up one more level to reach the root directory (it'll just be "/") to access system or data. Save those apks.
4) If you want to restore these apks to a future phone/ROM, it's the same idea, except you just have to copy paste the files to the directory that you found them in. But you have to watch out for odexed/deodexed apps because they're not compatible. So if you go into /system/apps or /data/apps and you see a .odex file after each respective .apk file, you won't be able to install those apps to a ROM that is deodexed. If you go into those directories and you only see .apk files, you won't be able to install those apps on a stock ROM (almost all custom ROMs are deodexed).
5) All you have to do is copy the files into the directories and reboot, you don't have to install them or anything. Some will say that you should change the permissions to (rw- r-- r--) but I've tried both ways anecdotally and I don't think it makes a difference whether you do or not.
Although I'm not sure why you want to go about it this way, if you have titanium backup it'll do all your backing up and restoring for you. The only thing that I use this method for is for the memo.apk which I use but isn't included on all ROMs. TB doesn't back this up because it's a system app. So this process is really only necessary for system apps.

yoft1 said:
Here's a quick guide:
1) Download and install a file explorer application that can write to the system partition. You can use ROOT explorer or ES file explorer. I'm not sure if astro has system writing capabilities.
2) Go into the application and enable root access and the ability to write to system. For ES, you go into settings then scroll down and check "Up to Root" and "Root Explorer" and "Mount File System"
3) Navigate to the apk files that you want to save. For user apps, it's under /data/apps and for system apps (memo, contacts, etc.) it's under /system/apps. Now you probably default to /sdcard so you'll have to go up one more level to reach the root directory (it'll just be "/") to access system or data. Save those apks.
4) If you want to restore these apks to a future phone/ROM, it's the same idea, except you just have to copy paste the files to the directory that you found them in. But you have to watch out for odexed/deodexed apps because they're not compatible. So if you go into /system/apps or /data/apps and you see a .odex file after each respective .apk file, you won't be able to install those apps to a ROM that is deodexed. If you go into those directories and you only see .apk files, you won't be able to install those apps on a stock ROM (almost all custom ROMs are deodexed).
5) All you have to do is copy the files into the directories and reboot, you don't have to install them or anything. Some will say that you should change the permissions to (rw- r-- r--) but I've tried both ways anecdotally and I don't think it makes a difference whether you do or not.
Although I'm not sure why you want to go about it this way, if you have titanium backup it'll do all your backing up and restoring for you. The only thing that I use this method for is for the memo.apk which I use but isn't included on all ROMs. TB doesn't back this up because it's a system app. So this process is really only necessary for system apps.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
TI backup also just requires the pro license key to be stored in the same location as the backup directory. this way you can change roms and get Ti pro back without needing to re purchase.
Sent from my SGH-T989

try using root explorer
then goto the data/app directory copy your apps and move to whatever folder that you like. then if you want you could sign up for minus and upload all your apks (they have a 2gb upload limit so it works great). Or just connect hercules to computer and pull files from folder you copied to to your computer.

rom tool box pro backs up ALL your installed apks on your sd. manual install and market installed.

Compress files

Hello,
I have an idea to make an App, and I have one problem, I have to upload one folder that its content have a lot of files and folders in order to upload to skydrive. I think that it is more easy if I compress the main folder and then upload this compressed file. How Can I compress this folder?
Thanks you

cansado2930 said:
Hello,
I have an idea to make an App, and I have one problem, I have to upload one folder that its content have a lot of files and folders in order to upload to skydrive. I think that it is more easy if I compress the main folder and then upload this compressed file. How Can I compress this folder?
Thanks you
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
have you tried zip...

dazza9075 said:
have you tried zip...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi dazza9075,
Thanks by your answer, but I thought the same, but I don't know how to use this, Can you explain about use of zip? Or, Where can I find information about this?
Thank you again

cansado2930 said:
Hi dazza9075,
Thanks by your answer, but I thought the same, but I don't know how to use this, Can you explain about use of zip? Or, Where can I find information about this?
Thank you again
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+1 for the idea... I also want a program like winrar which also available in symbian phones.plz any dev note this and develop an app for compressing and decompressing files...

WP will unzip zip files, make the sip, copy to sky drive, open via IE, it will then give you the contents of the zip,, it can't compress files to zip though. Technically there would be little point since docs auto sync to sky drive, and WP doesnt support anything else or file system access, but its doable for unlocked devices I suppose
Sent from my SGH-i937 using XDA Windows Phone 7 App

dazza9075 said:
WP will unzip zip files, make the sip, copy to sky drive, open via IE, it will then give you the contents of the zip,, it can't compress files to zip though. Technically there would be little point since docs auto sync to sky drive, and WP doesnt support anything else or file system access, but its doable for unlocked devices I suppose
Sent from my SGH-i937 using XDA Windows Phone 7 App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi dazza9075,
Thank you by answer, I had thought that it isn't possible, because I want to compress a folder of other app that her content are a lot of files and folders. So, Do some api exist in order to compress this? Or, Have I upload files and folders one by one?
Thank you again

I think it's completely possible
sombody names Ego zheng,wrote an application. It is program manager.
u can repack your apps,and save apps data in a single .zip file.
i think he can do this
contact him for this idea.

Leo_zodiac said:
I think it's completely possible
sombody names Ego zheng,wrote an application. It is program manager.
u can repack your apps,and save apps data in a single .zip file.
i think he can do this
contact him for this idea.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
its doable so long as you have interop unlock and WP tools installed and setup

if the Windows Phone SDK is missing Zip functionality (it may be called "DEFLATE" which is the name of the compression algorithm; ZIP is the file format) then there are surely libraries for various compression methods which you could download. Alternatively, if you don't mind using native code homebrew, there are compression libraries (zlib, etc.) that can be compiled to a native DLL, and you could then access them via COM.

i add this to new version of my file manager and now you can compress and decompress file and folders

Hi!
Thanks you by your answer, they have been very useful.
Thanks you

Hi again,
I'm using the lib "SharpZipLib" and I have problems with it. Can you explain how use it? or what is the problema? I probe in a program of pc and it working correctly but in app for my mobile say it crashed when it go to create the file, this is code:
FileStream fsOut = File.Create("Copia.zip"); //here is the problema at this moment
ZipOutputStream zipStream = new ZipOutputStream(fsOut);
zipStream.SetLevel(3);
zipStream.Password = null;
........
It can't create the file.
Thank you again

Generally speaking, Silverlight (which WP7 uses for apps) doesn't even allow normal file access, so you might just be getting a MethodAccessException on File.Create. If not, that still won't work without elevated privileges. The default working directory for a program is it's install directory. For a WP7 app, that's going to be either its install location (\Applications\Install\<GUID>\Install) or the Windows directory where the taskhost.exe file lives (\Windows\). Trying to create a file without specifying full path will crete it relative to the working directory, which in this case means creating it in the working directory directly (no path specified). Since the app can't write to the working directory, you'll get an error from that too.
To get around the permissions error, use the IsolatedStore folder (\Applications\Data\<GUID>\Data\IsolatedStore\) or run the app with full permissions ("Trusted" or root unlocked).