Develop Bugs

Wiping cache only?

If you went and wiped cache only, not data, and installed a new rom, would all data remain? What exactly is this cache that nandroid wipes?
I'd like to install a rom for a friend but dont want to completley wipe his phone. I just want to install the virtuous rom, which is basically the stock 2.2 update rom and would like to keep all his data on the phone. would just wiping the cache work? I know some people just install without wiping but would wiping cache help?
And I know a wipe is always better, thats what I do on my phone. But its not mine and would like to save his data.

Having a huge problem with my phone not wiping.

Okay, I was on AOKP M4 and I wanted to upgrade to M5.
So I backup everything and make a backup of my ROM. I wipe the phone and caches and flash M5 with the GAPPS, with the latest CWM touch recovery. When my phone reboots I notice I have the same wallpaper as before and when I unlock my phone my pin is still requested and all of my apps and settings stayed exactly the same. I was never asked to sign into my Google account and the start up/set up screen never came up. I checked to see if I even updated and yes I was on M5. Now the ROM isn't very fast or smooth and I get a lot of force closes and things not working properly.
I tried the whole process again with the CWM non-touch recovery, and again my phone did not fully wipe and all my apps and setting remained exactly the same.
I tried it again with the TWRP touch recovery, and again my phone did not fully wipe and everything was the same and my phone remains kind of slow and I'm getting a lot of force closes.
Why is my phone not fully wiping? What can I do to fix this?
I would really appreciate some help!

you need to wipe factory / data.
wiping cache and dalvik doesn't wipe "/system/etc etc etc"
1. Wipe Factory
2. Wipe Data
3. Wipe Dalvik
4. Flash ROM
5. Flash Gapps.
6. Flash Kernel
for full wipe.

zephiK said:
you need to wipe factory / data.
wiping cache and dalvik doesn't wipe "/system/etc etc etc"
1. Wipe Factory
2. Wipe Data
3. Wipe Dalvik
4. Flash ROM
5. Flash Gapps.
6. Flash Kernel
for full wipe.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, that is what I'm doing. I'm wiping factory/data and I'm still having the same problem

Like with the TWRP recovery, I went to wipe, I hit factory reset, then cache, then dalvik cache and then flashed the ROM and GAPPS and all my apps and settings stayed the same. It was like if I had dirty flashed it. I don't understand what's going on.

zephiK said:
you need to wipe factory / data.
wiping cache and dalvik doesn't wipe "/system/etc etc etc"
1. Wipe Factory
2. Wipe Data
3. Wipe Dalvik
***FORMAT /SYSTEM*** (under mount in CWM I believe)
4. Flash ROM
5. Flash Gapps.
6. Flash Kernel
for full wipe.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Try that additional step too. May or may not help
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using XDA

killyouridols said:
Try that additional step too. May or may not help
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using XDA
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What does that do exactly? Would I have to worry about my media and sd card being wiped?

SubyWill said:
What does that do exactly? Would I have to worry about my media and sd card being wiped?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, all music, pictures ect will still be in place.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using XDA

Okay thank you, I guess this time in TWRP I'll do factory reset, cache, dalvik cache, and system and see if it works out

Okay, so I did factory reset, cache, dalvik cache, and format system.
I flashed M5 and GAPPS, rebooted and everything was still the same. My phone did not fully wipe.
I don't understand what's going. I'm so frustrated right now

SubyWill said:
Okay, so I did factory reset, cache, dalvik cache, and format system.
I flashed M5 and GAPPS, rebooted and everything was still the same. My phone did not fully wipe.
I don't understand what's going. I'm so frustrated right now
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I would do a factory reset, if that doesn`t help flash a stock rom and root your phone again. BTW don`t you have a nandroid backup to revert to

gee2012 said:
I would do a factory reset, if that doesn`t help flash a stock rom and root your phone again. BTW don`t you have a nandroid backup to revert to
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have a nandroid backup, but that doesn't solve the problem of my phone not wiping.
I guess I'll unroot my phone and lock the bootloader and re-do everything to see. I don't understand why my phone isn't wiping correctly.

sometimes cwm just doesnt work with factory wipe. i've used it a few times now and sometimes it works and sometimes it doesnt. i have no idea why. you can try doing a factory wipe from the phone settings>backup and reset. ive only done that twice but it worked both times. if that still doesnt work just go with a fresh flash of google images using fastboot.

SubyWill said:
I have a nandroid backup, but that doesn't solve the problem of my phone not wiping.
I guess I'll unroot my phone and lock the bootloader and re-do everything to see. I don't understand why my phone isn't wiping correctly.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Init.d folders can only be wiped with a factory reset afaik, or manualy off course. By locking and unlocking the phone you perform a factory reset anyway, so i would flash a stock rom and start fresh. No chance on left files or scripts. You can do it with GNex Toolkit, option 8. Put the downloaded and not extracted .tgz file here C:\Galaxy Nexus ToolKit\put_google_factory_image_here and flash.

Thanks guys, I'll try that!

[Q] updating a ROM - flash what? wipe what?

I want to update my Unofficial CM10 +3.x Kernel to the latest update from Hashcode.
UNOFFICIAL CM10 + 3.x Kernel for Kindle Fire [09/16 CHARGING+]
When you do an update like this, do you wipe everything like I did when I first flashed the ROM? I mean, when I installed, I wiped system, factory reset, cache and dalvik cache. Then I flashed the ROM and then I flashed gapps.
So now I just want to update the OS, what do I need to wipe? And will I need to flash gapps again?
CAn't ask this in the development thread 'cause my n00b hat it still too shiney.
Thanks!

A question like this doesn't belong in the development thread because it isn't development related.
If you're going from one ROM to a different one, you need to wipe System and Factory Reset (data and cache).
If the ROM is simply an update of an existing ROM, generally all you need to wipe is data and cache. There are always exceptions to this so it's always a good idea to make a backup in case things turn sour.
After installation of the ROM you have the option to wipe cache and dalvik. It isn't required but not wiping them has been known to cause some bugginess.

soupmagnet said:
A question like this doesn't belong in the development thread because it isn't development related.
If you're going from one ROM to a different one, you need to wipe System and Factory Reset (data and cache).
If the ROM is simply an update of an existing ROM, generally all you need to wipe is data and cache. There are always exceptions to this so it's always a good idea to make a backup in case things turn sour.
After installation of the ROM you have the option to wipe cache and dalvik. It isn't required but not wiping them has been known to cause some bugginess.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you once again, soupmagnet. Yeah this is just an update to my current ROM. So .... I won't need to flash gapps again?
I'm slowly figuring this stuff out. hehehe... When I was 30 I picked this stuff up quick. Turning 60 on Thursday and stuff tends to need a little more pondering lately. hahaha
Anywho.... thanks

Oh, yeah. You need to flash Gapps if you wipe system.

soupmagnet said:
Oh, yeah. You need to flash Gapps if you wipe system.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
OK, see, now you're messin' with the old man here... hehehe
On one hand I'm hearing if I am only updating my current ROM, I just wipe data and cache.
Then you tell me I have to flash gapps if I wipe System.
But prior you said I only need to wipe system if I'm going from one ROM to a different ROM.
So.... I'm just updating my current ROM. I wipe data and cache, flash the updated ROM, wipe dalvik.... done...
no flash gapps, right?
I need to look at TWRP again to see exactly how it presents the choices. Don't be hatin' on the old guy for bein' dumb now.
OK, booted to TWRP. When I select Wipe my choices are : Cache, Dalvik Cache, Factory Reset, System and then External Storage. So... in your first answer to me when you said to go to a different ROM I should wipe "System and Factory Reset (data and cache)" it appears you are telling me that "System and Factory Reset" is another way of referring to "data and cache". Is that correct?

Gapps go in the /system/app folder so if you wipe the system partition, Gapps will go along with it.

soupmagnet said:
Gapps go in the /system/app folder so if you wipe the system partition, Gapps will go along with it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
GAaaahhh..... I just wiped System and watched as it processed /system
and then I wiped Factory Reset and watched as it processed /data and /cache
So I guess that answers my confusion.

[Q] When to reformat and/or wipe data and/or cache and/or dalvik cache

Guys I tried searching and only found this thread http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1147152&highlight=cache+dalvic+wipe
which didn't help me at all
Can someone please explain when to do each of the following?
Reformat
Wipe Data
Wipe Cache
Wipe Dalvik
I want to have the cleanest install, so do I do all?
Thanks
I will give thanks to all that help me clarify when to use what in what combination

eyecon82 said:
Guys I tried searching and only found this thread http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1147152&highlight=cache+dalvic+wipe
which didn't help me at all
Can someone please explain when to do each of the following?
Reformat
Wipe Data
Wipe Cache
Wipe Dalvik
I want to have the cleanest install, so do I do all?
Thanks
I will give thanks to all that help me clarify when to use what in what combination
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yes do all for the cleanest install, I only do this if switching ROMs, or a developer tells you too in his updated thread. Some do it after every update. Basically I just overwrite old ROM with new update, which doesn't erase your data(always wipe dalvik and cache prior to doing this). Wiping data erases everything you've done to the newly installed ROM. Sometimes not doing a clean install even from the same ROM update can cause issues with certain apps that are reading your data. I had this issue with one app last update to jellybomb jb ROM.

Assuming you mean factory reset when u say wipe data. If u actually choose the "wipe data" option it will wipe internal sd.
But yes all 3 should be wiped, however factory reset usually wipes cache and dalvik-cache too. So factory reset by itself should do just fine

[Q] Remnants

Hi there, apologies if this is a silly question. I'm not an expert by any means, just a guy who follows the directions given on helpful sites like this.
I recently flashed the Slimkat ROM onto my n7100 for various reasons. But when I did, I obviously didn't completely wipe everything (which is what I intended).
Because for example, I installed a couple games on there and found that my game-saves were still there, also there were some bits on the obb folder from apps that I had on my phone previously but haven't installed since flashing the new ROM.
Why is this? Did I maybe miss a step when flashing the ROM? I know I did the 'wipe and restore factory settings' part in CWM, but I'm not 100% if I did the part with wiping the dalvik and cache etc.
Would that be the reason?
And If I want to give my phone a completely clean wipe what's the best way to do that now? Would I have to go through the steps as if I were flashing the ROM all over again? Or could I just go into recovery mode and wipe the dalvik, cache, system, data etc and reboot?
P.S. Yes, I know that no one who gives advice is responsible if I brick my phone.

sonofsmallface said:
Hi there, apologies if this is a silly question. I'm not an expert by any means, just a guy who follows the directions given on helpful sites like this.
I recently flashed the Slimkat ROM onto my n7100 for various reasons. But when I did, I obviously didn't completely wipe everything (which is what I intended).
Because for example, I installed a couple games on there and found that my game-saves were still there, also there were some bits on the obb folder from apps that I had on my phone previously but haven't installed since flashing the new ROM.
Why is this? Did I maybe miss a step when flashing the ROM? I know I did the 'wipe and restore factory settings' part in CWM, but I'm not 100% if I did the part with wiping the dalvik and cache etc.
Would that be the reason?
And If I want to give my phone a completely clean wipe what's the best way to do that now? Would I have to go through the steps as if I were flashing the ROM all over again? Or could I just go into recovery mode and wipe the dalvik, cache, system, data etc and reboot?
P.S. Yes, I know that no one who gives advice is responsible if I brick my phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
wipe cache + factory reset and dalvik cache. you should be ok. Also don't wipe system.
Sent from my GT-N7100 using Tapatalk

ceomaverick said:
wipe cache + factory reset and dalvik cache. you should be ok. Also don't wipe system.
Sent from my GT-N7100 using Tapatalk
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Click to collapse
Just a follow up - I did a wipe + factory reset, wiped cache partition, wiped davlik cache, and was surprised to find I still had leftovers on my phone. For example I had some episodes of a tv show in my downloads folder and also there was still app leftovers in the obb folder. Meh... I'll just delete stuff manually.

sonofsmallface said:
Just a follow up - I did a wipe + factory reset, wiped cache partition, wiped davlik cache, and was surprised to find I still had leftovers on my phone. For example I had some episodes of a tv show in my downloads folder and also there was still app leftovers in the obb folder. Meh... I'll just delete stuff manually.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, you will have to flash stock recovery then. after that, wipe data/factory reset and wipe cache. This will erase everything on internal SD card. I assume u have backed up EFS and other important stuff.
press thumbs up if u find this suggestion helpful.

ceomaverick said:
Well, you will have to flash stock recovery then. after that, wipe data/factory reset and wipe cache. This will erase everything on internal SD card. I assume u have backed up EFS and other important stuff.
press thumbs up if u find this suggestion helpful.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
By the way, I sort of overlooked the obvious - in the end I just did a factory wipe and reset from inside Slimkat i.e. not via recovery mode.
And that did the job fine. Cleaned up several gigs worth of clutter which apps like SD Maid seemed to have skipped over as well.