Develop Bugs

[Q] Help? I get this when flashing a new rom "Unfortunately setup wizard has stopped"

[Q] Help? I get this when flashing a new rom "Unfortunately setup wizard has stopped"
I have a Galaxy s3 and I have twrp installed. And so far I have tried flashing 4 or 5 different custom roms and every time I end up getting this message "Unfortunately setup wizard has stopped" and then some message about ".com.goolge gpapps has stopped".
I am flashing the rom's and gapps from trwp. And I get the success comment after both the rom and gapps flash. I then restart/reboot and the new rom's custom boot animation comes up, like with cm10 the blue clockwork logo spins, and then after 10 or 20 seconds I get the two error messages and thats its. And when I flashed liquid smooth, I got the Liquid Smooth boot animation.as well and the the two messages. I eventually get my phone tuned off and I get it booted back into twrp and restore my backup to my stock rooted setup which is what I currently have running and so far is the only thing I can get to boot up. I have tried cm10 nightlies from the past week and cm10 stable and liquidsmooth, and a couple others. I downloaded several from goo.manager but i most recently tried a cm nightly i downloaded directly from clockworks site.
Any Idea's. I have seen a couple other threads on other devices with a similar problem but most seemed to have the wrong gapps, and I am using the most current gapps, i even downloaded it from multiple sources to double check.
Does the fact my phone is android 4,1,1 and most these roms are 4.1.2 or newer matter? And if so what is the fix?

nwjimmy said:
I have a Galaxy s3 and I have twrp installed. And so far I have tried flashing 4 or 5 different custom roms and every time I end up getting this message "Unfortunately setup wizard has stopped" and then some message about ".com.goolge gpapps has stopped".
I am flashing the rom's and gapps from trwp. And I get the success comment after both the rom and gapps flash. I then restart/reboot and the new rom's custom boot animation comes up, like with cm10 the blue clockwork logo spins, and then after 10 or 20 seconds I get the two error messages and thats its. And when I flashed liquid smooth, I got the Liquid Smooth boot animation.as well and the the two messages. I eventually get my phone tuned off and I get it booted back into twrp and restore my backup to my stock rooted setup which is what I currently have running and so far is the only thing I can get to boot up. I have tried cm10 nightlies from the past week and cm10 stable and liquidsmooth, and a couple others. I downloaded several from goo.manager but i most recently tried a cm nightly i downloaded directly from clockworks site.
Any Idea's. I have seen a couple other threads on other devices with a similar problem but most seemed to have the wrong gapps, and I am using the most current gapps, i even downloaded it from multiple sources to double check.
Does the fact my phone is android 4,1,1 and most these roms are 4.1.2 or newer matter? And if so what is the fix?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Are you wiping system and data before flashing? This is most likely your issue.

zelendel said:
Are you wiping system and data before flashing? This is most likely your issue.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yes, cache and dalvik, and a factory reset.

nwjimmy said:
yes, cache and dalvik, and a factory reset.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok what you have to try is this.
Boot into recovery and wipe system and data (removes settings so you will need to reset up everything) They wipe delvic cache and normal cache, then flash the rom and the proper gapps for the rom.

zelendel said:
Ok what you have to try is this.
Boot into recovery and wipe system and data (removes settings so you will need to reset up everything) They wipe delvic cache and normal cache, then flash the rom and the proper gapps for the rom.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
On the wipe screen in twrp there is a system option but for data it says format data? Do I need to wipe "system" and "format data"? or does the wipe system option take care of what i need to do? If I need to also select "format data" which do I do first ? format data or system wipe? will i need to wipe cache or dalvik as well, or will those be wiped in the system wipe? Sorry for all the ?'s I am a real noob at all of this.

nwjimmy said:
On the wipe screen in twrp there is a system option but for data it says format data? Do I need to wipe "system" and "format data"? or does the wipe system option take care of what i need to do? If I need to also select "format data" which do I do first ? format data or system wipe? will i need to wipe cache or dalvik as well, or will those be wiped in the system wipe? Sorry for all the ?'s I am a real noob at all of this.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No wiping the system doesnt format the data partition. Wipe system then format the data and then wipe the caches and then flash the rom.

Re: [Q] Help? I get this when flashing a new rom "Unfortunately setup wizard has stop
Sounds like your flashing the wrong version of gapps.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using xda app-developers app

Re: [Q] Help? I get this when flashing a new rom "Unfortunately setup wizard has stop
matt_schieman said:
Sounds like your flashing the wrong version of gapps.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Agreed.
Double check your gapps and make sure uts the right version
sent from my 1920 overclocked note 2 running jedi xp12

What gapps should I be using ? I hav gapps jb -20121011. I havnt wiped the additional areas yet either but thats because I want to make sure im installing the correct zip files
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using xda app-developers app

nwjimmy said:
What gapps should I be using ? I hav gapps jb -20121011. I havnt wiped the additional areas yet either but thats because I want to make sure im installing the correct zip files
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Most rom threads have a download link to the gapps that work with the version of android that specific rom is on. Look in the rom thread for the one you're currently running. There are different gapps for each android version (4, 4.1, 4.2)

I have that same problem too
I was trying to install new roms for my phone i tried liquid smooth and avatar and CM 10. I also tried install a new kernel and also different recoveries but nothing seems to work. I never "dirty" flashed and i use the right gapps. Someone please help me here i hate stock roms!

No matter what Gapps version I've tried I still get this same error. This occurred after trying out the Dark ROM modeled after CM11, but now no matter what ROM I try, this error still occurs. The only time I was ever able to get passed it was using a backup, but that has mysteriously gone AWOL. With that in mind, has anyone actually figured this out? Is there anyone with any USEFUL input? So far all I'm seeing is a bunch of suggestions that don't work.

xantechie said:
No matter what Gapps version I've tried I still get this same error. This occurred after trying out the Dark ROM modeled after CM11, but now no matter what ROM I try, this error still occurs. The only time I was ever able to get passed it was using a backup, but that has mysteriously gone AWOL. With that in mind, has anyone actually figured this out? Is there anyone with any USEFUL input? So far all I'm seeing is a bunch of suggestions that don't
Is your recovery updated to the latest version? Do the roms you are trying support the recovery you are using?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

fig03 said:
xantechie said:
No matter what Gapps version I've tried I still get this same error. This occurred after trying out the Dark ROM modeled after CM11, but now no matter what ROM I try, this error still occurs. The only time I was ever able to get passed it was using a backup, but that has mysteriously gone AWOL. With that in mind, has anyone actually figured this out? Is there anyone with any USEFUL input? So far all I'm seeing is a bunch of suggestions that don't
Is your recovery updated to the latest version? Do the roms you are trying support the recovery you are using?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's a good point. You should be on TWRP 2.7.0.0 that's the latest version of that recovery.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

I use the latest CWM. I'm a creature of habit. The first Samsung I ever put a custom ROM on was done with CWM, so I stick with it. I finally got it to go, but it constantly froze, tried to reset, stuck with the same issue. Never used TWRP, so if someone could actually point me in the right direction, that'd actually be helpful.

xantechie said:
I use the latest CWM. I'm a creature of habit. The first Samsung I ever put a custom ROM on was done with CWM, so I stick with it. I finally got it to go, though...it doesn't really look the way I remember it last it worked, but it's had the issue so long, I forget what it actually looked like before.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have no idea how to use TWRP...it only lists a .img file and no instructions on how to use it. zip files can be used from the bootloader or recovery. WTF am I supposed to do with an .img file. And it can't be to use the terminal emulator because to do that I would have to be able to get passed the Setup Wizard...which is the issue.

I finally figured it out with CWM. Thankfully. The phone would've went flying otherwise.
If anyone else stumbles upon this thread (so they can find the answer for CWM also), you have to format the device from the CWM Recovery to get rid of the crap that is blocking it. I did the following:
Once in CWM Recovery, Remove your SD card to avoid formatting it by accident.
Use the Volume Key to scroll to "mounts and storage".
Format all existing options (this is why the SD needed to be removed); this will blank out the phone's system which was causing the Setup issue to begin with.
Put your SD card with the ROM to be installed back into the phone.
Follow the guide as normal after this (install ROM, then reboot, then KK_gapps, then wipe the two caches, then reboot.)

[Q] wiping cache and dalvik caused boot loop?

my s2 was being glitchy so i went into recovery to wipe cache and dalvik and then rebooted from recovery. i waited and then it just boooot loops and shuts off. im currently using cwm recovery 5.2.7 or something like that. will i be able to flash the newer roms like CyanogenMod 10.2 with that current recovery? and why did the wiping of cache and dalvik booot looped my phone? i thought wiping those just makes my phone less glitchy

You probably had some other issues to cause phone to be glitchy in the first place.
When flashing a new ROM it's recommend you wipe data, system cache and dalvik cache.(cache and dalvik can be wipe after the ROM install before rebooting)

nooob 4 ever said:
im currently using cwm recovery 5.2.7 or something like that. will i be able to flash the newer roms like CyanogenMod 10.2 with that current recovery?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, you are going to have to update to either the newest TWRP or CWM to flash 4.3 ROMs.

I'm gonna jump in and hope this isn't a hijack. I had a similar experience but I wanted to update to the latest TWRP so I could flash a 4.3 ROM (Simbean) .
I Odined in and flashed TWRP 2.6.3. Was able to flash the Slimbean ROM but on first reboot I can't make it past the Samsung screen.
I can get back into TWRP but everything fails. - typical process. "Fix permissions- Success", then "Full wipe - Success" then "Fix permissions (cause I'm trying anything at this point)- Failed"
In TWRP Restoring backups "Failed" Flashing new image "Failed" In between I've tried Erasing everything but the MicroSD card and starting fresh but Noting will install.
I've reflashed TWRP through ODIN but same issue. A couple of times I've got a restore to work but if the phone sleeps it won't wake up. I can only get back to TWRP.
What is the Nuclear Option? Or have I done that already? I've been flashing for years. I've never seen anything like this.
Help.

pairustwo said:
In TWRP Restoring backups "Failed" Flashing new image "Failed" In between I've tried Erasing everything but the MicroSD card and starting fresh but Noting will install.
I've reflashed TWRP through ODIN but same issue. A couple of times I've got a restore to work but if the phone sleeps it won't wake up. I can only get back to TWRP.
What is the Nuclear Option? Or have I done that already? I've been flashing for years. I've never seen anything like this.
Help.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Some people have problems with 2.6.3.0. Try to Odin 2.6.1.0 and see if it helps.
http://techerrata.com/browse/twrp2/hercules

help
so what are my options to fix my phone with the current cwm 5.0.27?

nooob 4 ever said:
so what are my options to fix my phone with the current cwm 5.0.27?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i can get into cwm and thats it

nooob 4 ever said:
i can get into cwm and thats it
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nothing, that recovery is good for 4.1.2 and lower, of u want newer roms u can go to my beanstalk thread or @ThdDude's hellybean thread and the new recoveries are posted...
Sent from a soup'd up Herc while climbing a giant beanstalk to crazy heights.....

what I did is to hold the power button/ remove the battery of your phone. Open it again and wait for it to start. no bootloop.

4.3 issues

I have tried every method I can think of to get 4.3 to play nice with my phone. I have used Odin to flash stock and twrp, tried cwm recovery, tried beanstalk, hellybean, cm, and aokp. I changed twrp settings and infamous wipe. Everything I do always results with my phone getting stuck on the boot animation. Even if I clear caches, it will boot and get to the upgrading apps screen and then freeze and reboot and again stuck on the boot animation.
4.1.2 gets stuck on the kernel boot for me, 4.2.2 doesn't work with BT correctly. So frustrating.
Any suggestions are welcome.

4.3
dkrcubsfan said:
I have tried every method I can think of to get 4.3 to play nice with my phone. I have used Odin to flash stock and twrp, tried cwm recovery, tried beanstalk, hellybean, cm, and aokp. I changed twrp settings and infamous wipe. Everything I do always results with my phone getting stuck on the boot animation. Even if I clear caches, it will boot and get to the upgrading apps screen and then freeze and reboot and again stuck on the boot animation.
4.1.2 gets stuck on the kernel boot for me, 4.2.2 doesn't work with BT correctly. So frustrating.
Any suggestions are welcome.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Twrp 2.6.10 is the minimum. I am using 2.6.30. 2.6.00 will not work. Also wipe everything but SD. That includes android secure and preload.

stormannorman said:
Twrp 2.6.10 is the minimum. I am using 2.6.30. 2.6.00 will not work. Also wipe everything but SD. That includes android secure and preload.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks, but I've tried all that.
Sent from my SGH-T989 using Tapatalk 4

dkrcubsfan said:
Thanks, but I've tried all that.
Sent from my SGH-T989 using Tapatalk 4
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Twrp version 2.6.3.0 has bugs and is causing issues for a lot of people.
Make sure you use 2.6.1.0 and see how it goes.
Sent from my cellular telephone

kj2112 said:
Twrp version 2.6.3.0 has bugs and is causing issues for a lot of people.
Make sure you use 2.6.1.0 and see how it goes.
Sent from my cellular telephone
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have had Zero issues with 4.1 or 4.2 never bricked my phone---- until 4.3 I will tell you how i solved my problems - I have no boots, to 4.3 working but issues with data corruption and gapps crashing random apps crashing, finally after reading and reading i solved it.
1. Flash TWRP 2.6.1 (NOT 2.6.0, not 2.6.0.4 and especially NOT 2.6.3) any other recovery will not work properly - yes for some it may but some people seem to have some of the same problems.
2. Wipe data, Davlik, Cache and the prior rom. it has to be a clean wipe/flash
3. Flash Rom of choice (Black Liquid smooth is awesome)
4. Flash Standard gapps 08/13 (dont get fancy yet and flash slim gapps or inverted, just use the tried and true basic to get it working)
5. let the damn phone rest and settle 10 min minimum.
6. reboot to recovery, wipe Davlik and cache for good measure and fix permissions, reboot and enjoy.

dkrcubsfan said:
I have tried every method I can think of to get 4.3 to play nice with my phone. I have used Odin to flash stock and twrp, tried cwm recovery, tried beanstalk, hellybean, cm, and aokp. I changed twrp settings and infamous wipe. Everything I do always results with my phone getting stuck on the boot animation. Even if I clear caches, it will boot and get to the upgrading apps screen and then freeze and reboot and again stuck on the boot animation.
4.1.2 gets stuck on the kernel boot for me, 4.2.2 doesn't work with BT correctly. So frustrating.
Any suggestions are welcome.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
if twrp keeps giving you problems like these maybe try doing it from cmw. ive read it gives way less problems than twrp:good:

Decimus Meridius said:
I have had Zero issues with 4.1 or 4.2 never bricked my phone---- until 4.3 I will tell you how i solved my problems - I have no boots, to 4.3 working but issues with data corruption and gapps crashing random apps crashing, finally after reading and reading i solved it.
1. Flash TWRP 2.6.1 (NOT 2.6.0, not 2.6.0.4 and especially NOT 2.6.3) any other recovery will not work properly - yes for some it may but some people seem to have some of the same problems.
2. Wipe data, Davlik, Cache and the prior rom. it has to be a clean wipe/flash
3. Flash Rom of choice (Black Liquid smooth is awesome)
4. Flash Standard gapps 08/13 (dont get fancy yet and flash slim gapps or inverted, just use the tried and true basic to get it working)
5. let the damn phone rest and settle 10 min minimum.
6. reboot to recovery, wipe Davlik and cache for good measure and fix permissions, reboot and enjoy.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This. 2.6.1.0 twrp.
Sent from my cellular telephone

[Q] which TWRP?

Hi everyone. Just guy my note tablet. Rooted with towlie.
Build number kot49h.p607tuvuane2
Finding a bit of confusion on which TWRP I should install. I did one with Odin, and it didn't take.
Can someone point me to right file and/or directions if i need to downgrade first?
I want to start playing and customizing, but cannot back up or reflash.

redheadplantguy said:
Hi everyone. Just guy my note tablet. Rooted with towlie.
Build number kot49h.p607tuvuane2
Finding a bit of confusion on which TWRP I should install. I did one with Odin, and it didn't take.
Can someone point me to right file and/or directions if i need to downgrade first?
I want to start playing and customizing, but cannot back up or reflash.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
most stable version would be 2.6.3.3

buhohitr said:
most stable version would be 2.6.3.3
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Have heard a few things about needing an Odin firmware downgrade. Is that necessary with my firmware? And should I use Odin, or ADB?
Really appreciate the info. I want to tinker, but without working recovery, I'm a bit Leary.

redheadplantguy said:
Have heard a few things about needing an Odin firmware downgrade. Is that necessary with my firmware? And should I use Odin, or ADB?
Really appreciate the info. I want to tinker, but without working recovery, I'm a bit Leary.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
the version I stated is most stable, other twrp version may cause cache corruption and other issues.

buhohitr said:
the version I stated is most stable, other twrp version may cause cache corruption and other issues.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
the closest release i could find was twrp 2331.
i flashed with odin. but when i tried to reboot to recovery, i got a scrambled, pixelated screen which after a few seconds rebooted system.

redheadplantguy said:
the closest release i could find was twrp 2331.
i flashed with odin. but when i tried to reboot to recovery, i got a scrambled, pixelated screen which after a few seconds rebooted system.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Get it here http://www.techerrata.com/browse/twrp2/lt03wifiue
You need to wipe cache, davik cache and data, then flash the rom.

buhohitr said:
Get it here http://www.techerrata.com/browse/twrp2/lt03wifiue
You need to wipe cache, davik cache and data, then flash the rom.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I found that version on the link, but i thought that was for the Exynos chipset.
I have the Qualcomm LTE version. Will it still work?

redheadplantguy said:
I found that version on the link, but i thought that was for the Exynos chipset.
I have the Qualcomm LTE version. Will it still work?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
For Qualcomm LTE the version is 2.6.3.1
https://goo.im/devs/OpenRecovery/lt03ltexx/openrecovery-twrp-2.6.3.1-lt03ltexx.zip/

Hi,
This post saved me, I installed TWRP 2.8 and my system froze, I couldn't get past the Samsung 10.1 screen.
But found this post and flashed 2.6.3.3 via Odin and it all went smoothly.
PS Goo.img.com dosen't have the files anymore

buhohitr said:
For Qualcomm LTE the version is 2.6.3.1
https://goo.im/devs/OpenRecovery/lt03ltexx/openrecovery-twrp-2.6.3.1-lt03ltexx.zip/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I currently have no recovery. I tried flashing 2.8 originally.
How would i clear cache, data, and all before trying to flash 2631?

redheadplantguy said:
I currently have no recovery. I tried flashing 2.8 originally.
How would i clear cache, data, and all before trying to flash 2631?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, you flash TWRP 2631, then boot into the twrp then select advance then put a check for cache, davik cache and data, then swipe. Once done just flash your rom. I would copy the rom to the download folder on the internal storage (/sdcard/download/) before flash your new twrp.

Is 2.6.3.3 more reliable / stable in terms of making / restoring nandroids? I just got my new Note last week (p607t) and flashed xKat with TWRP at one point, restoring apps from (some with data to avoid re-entering account info or redoing complex settings...) I have had one problem however, when I was almost done restoring, I noticed that I was getting fc's, particularly with games that required an internet connection. I wiped dalvik and cache in TWRP, then hit fix permissions, which I think screwed everything up (maybe due to the bootloader / firmware base mismatch). Anyway, my most recent nandroid was with the fresh xKat install, but fixing permissions caused this weird "hot"-bootloop where it skipped the boot animation but start loading immediately after rebooting, but then freezing before all boot tasks had completed (ex. some optimizations on boot with Android Tuner Pro, FolderMount mounting folders, loading xposed modules...)
Not wanting to re-restore, I first just tried dirty-flashing the ROM again (only wiped dalvik and cache, but did something I hadn't tried before: in the wipe menu I hit "repair partition" for system and data, pre-flash). Luckily it worked and set everything straight... but just want to make sure, 2.6.3.3 is still recommended as the most stable version (in my experience, fixing permissions in recovery can be very hit or miss on any version)?
2 questions before I roll back my recovery, I think these "killer features" (totally serious, #2 has been huge since I got a couple of the newish flash drives with micro usb on one side and regular usb on the other) of TWRP were implemented in 2.6.3.3, but just want to make sure: can you 1) compress nandroids and 2) mount a USB OTG drive and flash from or backup to it? Thanks all, really loving my new Note (massive upgrade from my Note 8!)

buhohitr said:
No, you flash TWRP 2631, then boot into the twrp then select advance then put a check for cache, davik cache and data, then swipe. Once done just flash your rom. I would copy the rom to the download folder on the internal storage (/sdcard/download/) before flash your new twrp.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I HAVE flashed 2631 for the qualcomm lte.
I've done or several times since you told me that's the best version.
IT WILL NOT BOOT INTO TWRP. it's a scrambled screen. That's all. No touch options. No check boxes. After a minute, tablet reboots itself. I am on stock firmware still. Rooted.
Maybe I should just try CWM. never had this much problems with twrp on any other device.

redheadplantguy said:
I HAVE flashed 2631 for the qualcomm lte.
I've done or several times since you told me that's the best version.
IT WILL NOT BOOT INTO TWRP. it's a scrambled screen. That's all. No touch options. No check boxes. After a minute, tablet reboots itself. I am on stock firmware still. Rooted.
Maybe I should just try CWM. never had this much problems with twrp on any other device.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How about wipe cache/davikcache/data with your stock recovery (just reflash your stock recovery). After that let it boot up, then power down and flash twrp. Once done, don't boot up, boot back to twrp . Let me know how it goes.

Cool. I can try that when I get home. Do you have a link handy for the stock recovery?

redheadplantguy said:
Cool. I can try that when I get home. Do you have a link handy for the stock recovery?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Please try this twrp. Many ppl reported it's working for p607t.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=53138918&postcount=776
If not working then we will go for stock recovery.

buhohitr said:
Please try this twrp. Many ppl reported it's working for p607t.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=53138918&postcount=776
If not working then we will go for stock recovery.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
THANK YOU SO MUCH! TWRP booted right up, and nandroid in progress. now I'll be able to try some custom ROM's and play in system.
:laugh:

After Factory Reset, Phone is Slow as Hell - HELP!!

I'm rooted on my Galaxy S3. Last month I made a backup through TWRP recovery. Yesterday when I restored to the backup, the restore wasnt complete. I tried to restore again and I encountered the same incomplete restore. My customized settings in the apps were gone and some of the apps I had backed up weren't included in the restore. Looks like something got messed up.
I then wiped cache, Dalvik, data and system. I even formatted the phone. I also did a factory reset. This messed up my phone so I installed a new rooted stock rom. So now, the phone is slow as hell and apps arent very responsive. Everything is laggy and slow. And the play store and youtube have slow connection speeds.
What should I do to fix this stupidity??

Did you try restoring a stock ROM via Odin?

I had the same thing happen before. Odin with a stock rom is all that fixed it for me.

audit13 said:
Did you try restoring a stock ROM via Odin?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes I did. But Playstore downloading speed and wifi speed are slow as hell. What do you suggest?

Are you downloading over WiFi or cellular data network? The phone is running the latest rom without root? After flashing, you you immediately go to b recovery and do a full wipe?

audit13 said:
Are you downloading over WiFi or cellular data network? The phone is running the latest rom without root? After flashing, you you immediately go to b recovery and do a full wipe?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes I'm downloading over wifi and its slow. The phone is laggy too. Its running JB with root. I tried a full wipe of dalvik, cache and data or system. It doesnt help.

This is really strange because a factory reset usually does the trick.
This may be a redundant question but was the phone flashed with the correct ROM? I see different variations of the T999 on sammobile.com's website.

audit13 said:
This is really strange because a factory reset usually does the trick.
This may be a redundant question but was the phone flashed with the correct ROM? I see different variations of the T999 on sammobile.com's website.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi audit.. Its not a dumb question at all. The rom was the correct one for my phone. Everything was working fine up until a week ago. Its possible that my phone fell and maybe that caused damage maybe.
Not only that but restoring bsckups through TWRP doesnt yield perfect restores. All my restores have not been complete. Customized settings all returned to default and apps were rearramged differently.
Anyeay, just to make sure, how can I do a proper wipe without wiping out my custom settings and apps? Do I just wipe dalvik, cache and system?

You would wipe dalvik and cache only.
Wiping data wipes apps.
Wiping system wipes the rom.

audit13 said:
You would wipe dalvik and cache only.
Wiping data wipes apps.
Wiping system wipes the rom.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for a speedy reply. Can you explain why my backuo restores through TWRP dont yield perfect restores? Custom settings return to default and apps are arranged differently.

I am not sure why that happens but I have used twrp on several phones, including the lg g2, nexus 4, note 3, htc one x, and Samsung tab without issue. Maybe you need to do a full wipe before restoring? Does the phone have the latest twrp?

audit13 said:
I am not sure why that happens but I have used twrp on several phones, including the lg g2, nexus 4, note 3, htc one x, and Samsung tab without issue. Maybe you need to do a full wipe before restoring? Does the phone have the latest twrp?
Click to expand...
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Hi audit. Yes the phone has the latest TWRP. I downloaded it from the play store yesterday.
I got an important question. I backed up my rom a few days through TWRP as I said. Is it possible to open up the backup on my laptop and search for specific pics? I dont want to restore the rom, since as I stated, I have problems doing so. I just need to get those pics. Is this possible?

I am not sure but it is worth a try.
Humour me but is the twrp 2.8.7?

audit13 said:
I am not sure but it is worth a try.
Humour me but is the twrp 2.8.7?
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Thats right, current version is 2.8.7.0.

I don't know why it doesn't restore properly. Maybe try re-flashing twrp from Odin? Can't really think of anything else.

audit13 said:
I don't know why it doesn't restore properly. Maybe try re-flashing twrp from Odin? Can't really think of anything else.
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How do I reflask TWRP through odin? In doing so, would I risk losing my data, apps, etc? Is it safe?

You download the tar file for d2att, open Odin, put phone into download mode, put the tar file in the pda box, and flash.

audit13 said:
You download the tar file for d2att, open Odin, put phone into download mode, put the tar file in the pda box, and flash.
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Wait, when you say the tar file for d2att you mean the TWRP file, right? Hope thats what you mean because the way you describe it, it sounds like instructions on flashing the whole rom.
Where do I get the tar file for the TWRP app?

TWRP link: https://dl.twrp.me/d2att/

audit13 said:
TWRP link: https://dl.twrp.me/d2att/
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Thanks audit. Now, I'd like to know what app do you recommend to find out which apps are causing the phone to get so hot. Thanks.