Develop Bugs

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..
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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?
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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.

When wiping data, will I lose "SD Card" data?

Will wiping the data (before ROM flash) also wipe the "SD Card" data? I know on other phones, that have a physical SD card, when you wipe data the SD data remains. But, with the Nexus having a virtual SD card, I didn't know what would happen.
In essence, I'm thinking Titanium Backup is useless unless you pull the backup data from the phone before flashing a new ROM, because the backed up data would be deleted with a data wipe for new ROM flash.

cmcfalls said:
Will wiping the data (before ROM flash) also wipe the "SD Card" data? I know on other phones, that have a physical SD card, when you wipe data the SD data remains. But, with the Nexus having a virtual SD card, I didn't know what would happen.
In essence, I'm thinking Titanium Backup is useless unless you pull the backup data from the phone before flashing a new ROM, because the backed up data would be deleted with a data wipe for new ROM flash.
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Click to collapse
The "sd card" data remains. Nothing is messed with in that portion of memory. TiBu works great.

strongergravity said:
The "sd card" data remains. Nothing is messed with in that portion of memory. TiBu works great.
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Click to collapse
Thanks! I wondered what would happen with a data wipe.

If you flash a stock ROM via fastboot it WILL WIPE THE "SDCARD". EVERYTHING.

Basically:
Stock recovery data wipe/factory reset = SDcard wiped
Custom recovery data wipe/factory reset = SDcard untouched
So if you haven't rooted/CWM'd your phone yet, don't put anything big and important on the SDcard. If you have put stuff on your card just make a backup of it on your PC and then do the unlock/recovery install procedure. Then you'll be set. Titanium Backup will be back to working just like it does on any other phone once you have a custom recovery installed. No worrying about the SDcard getting wiped.

you'll definitely want to install a custom recovery if you're going to be wiping anything. Id highly recommend the clockwork touch recovery. The standard one is really a pain to use as the navigation is odd and its hard to select what you want.

^ I wonder as well, but I proceed without thinking about sdcard. Lucky enough our great dev took care of that. Btw, I didn't have time to see the recovery since when I got it I flash CWM immediately.

The answer is here for TWRP
the answer

Kiwyxda said:
The answer is here for TWRP
the answer
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This thread had been dead for 8 months...

what exactly gets wiped when i wipe data?

Hello everyone,
after more then 2 years with my trusted N1 i finally had to move to a new phone because i broke the screen of my old one.
having the GN now for allmost a week, and within the first few hours of owning the device it got 3 OTA updates and is now at 4.1.1. i am quite happy with it but 2 days ago i startet messing around wiht it. so i ulocked the boodloader and rooted and got myself franco kernel on the GN.
as expected everything worked fine.
today i wantet to give some 3th party roms a try. i tried installing MIUI and euroskanks cm10. both with rom manager.
but on each of them i got in a bootloop after flashing, just showing the franco kernel boot animation.
i flashed both roms without wiping the data (just the cache)
i suspect that is my problem.
i am a little bit scared about the wipe data option for flashing new roms. on my N1 it worked fine since all my files on the sd card where not touched and i could get started allmost immediantly.
unlocking the bootloader of the GN wiped everything out off my phone and i had to copy it all back from a backup.
if i choose wipe data will that also (again) wipe my complete device or just the "OS part" and leave my data alone?
if it wipes everything how do i avoid having to make a backup of my data and restore it afterwards after each and every rom i flash?
i have noted the mnt/sdcard folder on my GN that (apparently) just links back to the root of the memory. what is the puropse of this folder? just to be compatible with "old" apps that insist on writing files to the SD-card or something else?
thanks for the info

no data from sdcard gets removed.
its basically a "NON REMOVABLE sdcard"... think of it that way.

patlabor said:
Hello everyone,
if i choose wipe data will that also(again) wipe my complete device or just the "OS part" and leave my data alone?
if it wipes everything how do i avoid having to make a backup of my data and restore it afterwards after each and every rom i flash?
i have noted the mnt/sdcard folder on my GN that (apparently) just links back to the root of the memory. what is the puropse of this folder? just to be compatible with "old" apps that insist on writing files to the SD-card or something else?
thanks for the info
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1. It will wipe your "OS part" + apps. Will leave data in "sdcard" alone. Factory Wipe clears the virtual "sdcard"
2. Can't be avoided, I use Wugfresh's toolkit to make app backups a breeze. Takes a little more time than it used to when I had my OG Droid with a EXT partition but hey, at least you'll always have a current backup of your apps.
3. Yes. It'd actually be less obvious it's still called /sdcard/ if you weren't rooted and poking around . I believe JB switches this to sdcard0 now to account for devices that have external sdcards to be mounted as /sdcard1 and so on.

Ok, I guess I get it.
Just one more thing to make sure.
It looks like all my files are in the root of my phone and mnt/sdcard has just one folder but with the same files as the folder with the same name in my root.
When I wipe data now will it keep everything or just the files in my mnt/sdcard folder?

patlabor said:
Ok, I guess I get it.
Just one more thing to make sure.
It looks like all my files are in the root of my phone and mnt/sdcard has just one folder but with the same files as the folder with the same name in my root.
When I wipe data now will it keep everything or just the files in my mnt/sdcard folder?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Custom recovery (AKA not CWM or TWRP or whatever you're using) will wipe your SD card. Just remember that.
All the custom recoveries wipe /data/ while keeping /data/media/ (your sd card).
Nothing on your "SDcard" will be lost.

I'm in the same situation as the original poster and would like a "definitive" answer. CWM has both a factory reset and a format /data option (in a separate submenu). Which preserve the content of the virtual sdcard ? Which is the raccomended way to try out a JB rom? I have 10+ Gb of data in the sdcard and i would like to avoid moving everything forth and back via MTP protocol...
Thanks
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda app-developers app

IF you are using CWM recovery, "wiping data" will erase the entire userdata partition EXCLUDING /sdcard. This means that everything under /data (except /data/media which = /sdcard) will be erased. This includes all apps you have installed in /data, and most data for those apps.
IF you are using a stock recovery, "wiping data" or "factory reset, will wipe the entire userdata partition, including /sdcard.
Wiping data or factory restore/reset/whatever does NOT touch the system partition or return the device to "factory condition". So if you have installed apps in /system or have root, the will still be there.

[Q] Factory restore wipes internal SD card as well?

Hi,
I just installed CWM and flashed the new CM10 milestone for my Galaxy Nexus.
As part of this, I wiped data via CWM, and also wiped cache.
However, this seems to have removed *everything*, including the SD card storage, DCIM etc.
Err, is this normal on the Galaxy Nexus? I know it doesn't have a separate SD card per se, but I was under the impression that the internal SD card storage gets left alone on a factory reset.
This isn't good...
Long shot, but any way to recovery? Lol.
Cheers,
Victor

No only the stock recovery wipes everything. Unless you hit format /data in recovery... even then it doesnt format /data/media which is the true location of the symlinked "sdcard" The recovery wouldnt have done this i would say either you messed up and hit an option that said something otherwise. Or it just had a hiccup and corrupted.

phone memory still almost full after wipe

I recently switched roms from Carbon to CM11 trying to find a rom where the bluetooth works. I did the factory reset and wiped everything but even before putting apps back on phone I only had about 2gb of space left. I thought factory reset would format and clean out the phone.

i believe you have to select option 'format sd card' to clean it out. make sure you have a backup of important stuff, i.e. pics, music, etc. or else move to external sdcard. make sure you have a ROM to flash afterwards also.!
err on the side of kindness

Even when I dona full clean install with a wipe of everything, my back up folders remain with a lot of space used in them, especially if you have a large titanium back up folder
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app

mrrocketdog said:
i believe you have to select option 'format sd card' to clean it out. make sure you have a backup of important stuff, i.e. pics, music, etc. or else move to external sdcard. make sure you have a ROM to flash afterwards also.!
err on the side of kindness
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Format sd option I assumed was for the external sd card. I can try re-flashing the rom doing that. As long as it doesn't wipe the external I'm good!
Is there a fix for bluetooth on 4.4.4?

think is option to format either. i dont use bluetooth but you could check your ROMs thread to see if others are having it and if theres a fix.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2682905
err on the side of kindness

mrrocketdog said:
think is option to format either. i dont use bluetooth but you could check your ROMs thread to see if others are having it and if theres a fix.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2682905
err on the side of kindness
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the info. I'll check the cm thread. I know nobody seems to respond in the carbon thread when I asked about it. I really like the carbon better than the cm11. I work outside and live with the bluetooth headset all day long. It socks that I cannot seem to get it working.

When you wipe data its formating the /data partition if you want to wipe internal you have to choose to wipe internal SD card

crazymonkey05 said:
When you wipe data its formating the /data partition if you want to wipe internal you have to choose to wipe internal SD card
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Click to collapse
Got it, on my next flash it is!

Just to clarify because some of the posts seem a little confusing. ..
If you factory reset from custom recovery it will preserve the internal sdcard. To wipe that you have to choose the format /data option. Wiping sd card I believe is for the external sd only. Ive never used that option though so I suppose I could be a bit off on that point.
Factory resetting from stock recovery formats the entire /data partition. There is no way to preserve the internal sdcard in this case.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using Tapatalk