Read/modify system files through USB? - One (M8) Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

Hi, I have a stupid question: Is there any way to read and modify system files on my HTC One M8 through USB to a computer that can access them and doesn't care about file permissions? I have an annoying WiFi notifications issue that I can't disable anywhere implemented by Verizon and they lock the bootloader on 5.0.1 and I've found no safe workaround. I just want to edit the file that has this setting.
Maybe I don't know enough about the technology, but is there no program I can use on Windows or Linux that can read the memory through USB and let me change the data without it caring about permissions? If the files are not encrypted but accessible, something should be able to read them and let me edit them, as I can get Linux to read and edit any information on a Windows drive that isn't encrypted even if the user has a lockscreen password as it bypasses boot-up.
(I realize I may be sounding like an idiot as someone might have already done this if possible but maybe I haven't searched hard enough)

This would never work, since the system partition is write protected. Even if you can somehow change the system files by USB (which I think is unlikely), the changes would just revert when you rebooted. You need a kernel mod to disable the system write protection; and for that you need root.

Related

Beware: Encrypt SD + New ROM == lost files

I'm assuming this is associated with the recent phenomenon of hardware ID's changing everytime a new ROM is installed. Apparently MS uses the same hardware ID when it encrypts files on SD cards. What this means is you will lose all of your files on the SD card (including backup files) if you have encryption turned on, the files get encrypted, and then you switch ROM's.
So.. uh.. this is just a little warning, and it might be obvious to everyone but me... don't use SD encryption unless you know you're going to stick with a ROM.
I have no idea why MS doesn't just use the IMEI, but... they don't.
From what I read about the encryption, the key is generated after a hard reset, so basically you can't hard reset the device once data is encrypted.
Do you know wether there is an option to backup ones key to a file, save it to ones PC, and then reimport it once one has finished hardresetting the device?
If I were MS I'd see the vast usefullness of such an option and integrate it at once
the encryption key is created when you turn the Setting on...
and when flashing a new ROM or a HardReset the key is desteroid...
i am still yet to find the location... still looking...
Providing you remember, can't you just turn off the setting before a flash or hard reset and restore all the files to there unencrypted state?
Once the ROM has been flash and everything hard-reset you can just encrypt them again?
Percz said:
Providing you remember, can't you just turn off the setting before a flash or hard reset and restore all the files to there unencrypted state?
Once the ROM has been flash and everything hard-reset you can just encrypt them again?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, because turning it off doesn't decrypt existing encrypted files. Just like turning it on doesn't encrypt the normal files. It will decrypt them as you open and resave them.
:-\
walshieau said:
the encryption key is created when you turn the Setting on...
and when flashing a new ROM or a HardReset the key is desteroid...
i am still yet to find the location... still looking...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
OK; that makes sense. I just realized that after I hard-reset I restored most of my settings with the data from a backup (Sprite Backup). I wasn't seeing the encoded files problem because I was restoring from a non-encrypted file.
ugh.
y2whisper said:
From what I read about the encryption, the key is generated after a hard reset, so basically you can't hard reset the device once data is encrypted.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That makes perfect sense, actually. That way someone can't hard reset your phone to get at the data.
Too bad it also means the real owner can't get to his own data..
Some FAQs from the horse's mouth: http://blogs.msdn.com/windowsmobile...ows-mobile-6-storage-card-encryption-faq.aspx
What you can do is ActiveSync your Device and then drag and drop all the files you want to keep before the hardreset. And then when you finish installing your ROM and Hardresetting your device, just transfer back the files via activesync. I know its tedious and long if you have like 1 gig of **** in the SD card, but thats the only way i've found.
just lost files to encryption
Been reflashing my 8525 with new versions of custels and vanilla and have never lost files to encyption. However just flashed to Black 3.01 and lost all my stuff. If i flash back to my previous ROM is it conceivable that the same key will be created and i will regain access to my files?
Unfortunately, I was also unaware of this. I presumed MS would use a key based on the hardware or something like that.
Anyway, is there any way of breaking the encryption and get back the files?
Thanks!
Keshen
As the DataProtection API as in WinXP and Win2003 is used, it is AES-128 by default.
"The design and strength of all key lengths of the AES algorithm (i.e., 128, 192 and 256) are sufficient to protect classified information up to the SECRET level. TOP SECRET information will require use of either the 192 or 256 key lengths."
So brute force attack is not really an option….
As the key is stored somewhere in the flash I think this will be the only feasible way to decrypt the files.
But as the key is lost because of the hard-reset during upgrade, there is not much hope...
Only if we can get more information on how the keys are generated, maybe this will reduce
the complexity of an attack.
You won't have good luck trying to crack the encryption. Which, is actually a good thing since the purpose is to keep your data safe in the wrong hands. I prefer to use a 3rd party encryption solution as it allows more choices and control.
MrGAN said:
As the DataProtection API as in WinXP and Win2003 is used, it is AES-128 by default.
"The design and strength of all key lengths of the AES algorithm (i.e., 128, 192 and 256) are sufficient to protect classified information up to the SECRET level. TOP SECRET information will require use of either the 192 or 256 key lengths."
So brute force attack is not really an option….
As the key is stored somewhere in the flash I think this will be the only feasible way to decrypt the files.
But as the key is lost because of the hard-reset during upgrade, there is not much hope...
Only if we can get more information on how the keys are generated, maybe this will reduce
the complexity of an attack.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Breaking AES is pretty hopeless unless you have access to the NSA's computer systems.
The big problem, in my opinion, is MS doesn't give you an easy way to back up the key and restore it. Now that I've given it more thought, it makes perfect sense that the key gets nuked on a hard-reset: otherwise someone could just hard-reset your phone and have access to your data. In most cases, it's better to permanently lose the data than to allow someone else to have access to it.
Another thing that MS would be wise to offer is a "mass decrypt" function that would go through the entire SD and decrypt all of the encrypted files.
Other than that -- the way I've been dealing with it is by using SpriteBackup (I'm sure SBP does this too) and back up the SD card along with the main memory. Since the encoding happens in the OS level, the backup software sees the normal unencrypted files. So this way I can restore the SD backup after a rebuild (I don't recommend restoring the main ROM image, since so much changes between each release).
j
keshen said:
Unfortunately, I was also unaware of this. I presumed MS would use a key based on the hardware or something like that.
Anyway, is there any way of breaking the encryption and get back the files?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Once you hard-reset your device and lose that key, your files are gone, unless you somehow have access to some very very high powered computer systems that can break AES -- and even then it would take several years.
I think the NSA in the US has managed to break AES (that's the rumor I've heard), but it takes quite some time.
j
AES-128 offers a sufficiently large number of possible keys, making an exhaustive search impractical for many decades.Correctly implemented AES-128 is likely to protect against a million dollar budget for at least 50 – 60 years and against individual budgets for at least another 10 years.
But as there are many pitfalls to avoid when encryption is implemented, and keys are generated.
So if the key is easy to guess it doesn’t matter if AES is secure ot not.
Creating good and strong keys is a surprisingly difficult problem and requires careful design when done with a computer. The challenge is that computers are notoriously deterministic, but what is required of a good and strong key is the opposite – unpredictability and randomness.
Provided that the implementation is correct, the security provided reduces to a relatively simple question about how many bits the chosen key, password or pass phrase really corresponds to. Unfortunately this estimate is somewhat difficult to calculate, when the key is not generated by a true random generator.
To make a long story short: if at all then the key generation might be the weak spot...
So i've to realyze that i've lost all the data of mi SD card. That sounds incredible!!, i don't know if i will be able to recover all the changes made.
I installed Mobsync, wich makes me backups of the SD data to avoid SD corruption, but the files are also encrypted on my PC.
WM5torage
I'm curious if anybody has tried turning encryption on, and using WM5torage to transfer files to/from the Hermes. Does it properly encrypt/decrypt the files, or does that work only when using ActiveSync?
-- Joe

[SECURITY] Security on android - FS encryption, among others

Hi! I managed to compile a bionic version of cryptsetup with libcrypto instead of gcrypt, and I put it inside Steam Kernel, so anyone can play with it. This is actually not new to android, as from Froyo, the APKs that can get installed on the external SD, are actually also uding dm-crypt, although they are doing through vold, and not via device-mapper. It is actually strange, that Android has filesystem encryption on inside the kernels by default, but they are using it to keep us out from the system, and not actually to make other people get inside the system more harder.
In Steam Kernel, you can now chose to apply filesystem encryption to any of the 3 main partitions (cache, data, dbdata). The password can be entered using the screen by one, or multiple Swypes (up to 255 elements). Each swype creates a word, and words will be separated by "_". This mechanism was invented, as with this one can potentially achieve a good-enough entropy (although I'm not a cryptoanalyst), than by for example a simple PIN code entry box.
If you worry about speed, quadrant scores are around 1400 if using ext4+crypt, so they're still better, than stock rfs. I can't say much about battery life yet.
This feature is beta however, so don't rely valuable data to it yet, as it hasn't been throughly tested yet. (ancrpytion should be fine, I'm actually worried about data corruption).
The way to secure android is not yet finished however. I'm trying to find a way to secure adb, even if it's running root mode. (as running adb in root mode is good for debugging, but bad for security).
Questions on this topic is welcome.
Very impressive stuff, and still opensource.
It's a real innovation, congrats!
sztupy said:
The way to secure android is not yet finished however. I'm trying to find a way to secure adb, even if it's running root mode. (as running adb in root mode is good for debugging, but bad for security).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
First weak security point for the Galaxy S phones is definitely the ability to flash anything with Odin.
As you cannot trust, well... anything your Filesystem Encryption approach is definitely the good one!
Other current weak point is the adbd exploit (rageagainstthecage) - so easy to use. I guess you can replace adbd in your ramdisk by the Gingerbread one, which is not vulnerable, if not done already
Yes this is really impressive man...
You should be hired by samsung to set there software ass rite :-D
Sent from my GT-I9000 using XDA App
supercurio said:
First weak security point for the Galaxy S phones is definitely the ability to flash anything with Odin.
As you cannot trust, well... anything your Filesystem Encryption approach is definitely the good one!
Other current weak point is the adbd exploit (rageagainstthecage) - so easy to use. I guess you can replace adbd in your ramdisk by the Gingerbread one, which is not vulnerable, if not done already
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You would still lose the benefit of being secure + having the comfort of adb root. I'm more into the fact you have to login to the phone in order to use adb, just like you have to login to a real linux.
sztupy said:
You would still lose the benefit of being secure + having the comfort of adb root. I'm more into the fact you have to login to the phone in order to use adb, just like you have to login to a real linux.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I meant, for general security, we can replace the vulnerable adbd by a non vulnerable updated one - just that -
I feel your title could have security under [ ]. More noticiable.
AS I SEE IT NOW. supercurio's THANK's meter stands at 666. ROFL...
EVIL
Seems really great !
I'm not sure about a thing : Does this work when you power on the device (ie, you'll have to enter a pass to make it boot to Android), or before to be able entering into recovery ? Or none of these two things, and I totally misunderstood what you're saying ?
I was about to make a request to Koush if he could add some (basic?) security system to his recovery, as if you phone is stolen, they even won't be able to reflash a new rom.
This security layer + WaveSecure or any similar soft, and you would be sure that even if you phone is stolen / lost, nobody will be able to use it
Anyway thanks for your big stuff, will look deeper for sure when I'll get some free time, but your steam package seems amazing
Cheers
This works when you want to mount the partition. (eg at every boot). The partition can not be mounted wirhout a password ever
Amazing project. Good work.
Now wait just a moment...why would you encrypt those directories, when you alone (the user) are responsible for giving applications certain permissions. I mean...you agree to giving access to your Radio, messages and...whatever when you install applications, but then you want to encrypt certain directories. Why? You've already installed a trojan or a root kit and given it permission to do whatever it wants to do. That's the main security issue.
If your phone gets stolen they can't access your data.
Sent from my GT-I9000 using XDA App
... But another issue! Great work, Great project!
Edit: to slow, I was referring the post 2 above
sztupy said:
This works when you want to mount the partition. (eg at every boot). The partition can not be mounted wirhout a password ever
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
And I guess the partition has to be mounted if you want to flash another rom (By recovery, Odin, Kies, whatever) ?
If it's the case, then it's really really great !!!
No, if you're flashing a new ROM, you don't have to mount the partition. But the point is that nobody can read your data from the partition - that's the security risk sztupy is trying to prevent.
kidoucorp said:
And I guess the partition has to be mounted if you want to flash another rom (By recovery, Odin, Kies, whatever) ?
If it's the case, then it's really really great !!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
When you flash a new rom the data will be inaccessible (unless it's a steam rom and you know the password, or you can dump the partition AND know the password. Without the password the data can not be accessed, as it's AES encoded there).
This means that if you use all the security feautres inside Android (lockscreens, pin code, etc.), and use this too, and you don't allow adb to be run as root, there is actually no way of accessing your data (unless you can circumvent the security provided by Android, like the lockscreen), not even by flashing a new ROM.
Good work these kind of improvements make android better and better. I think the phones should be encrypted from the factory.
Great idea
If I might suggest though - can you make it so that it turns off decryption a couple of minutes after the screen is locked so that you have to enter the code again? Otherwise if the unit is on and stolen and never rebooted...
Being in Healthcare related IT I can say you'd have a product that is in severe need if any doctors really want to start using an Android tablet.
@sztupy
This is simply the best thing to happen to my SGS I've ever heard.
I can not test it right now (running 2.2.1 Darky's mod) but I have some questions about the security.
- What type of encryption is used? 128/256? weaker?
- Is it possible for you to figure how to use this encryption with different kernels/mods? We're talking about quite big a deal breaker for lots of people here. Perhaps even a separate app? I almost bought a blackberry as a second phone *kugh kugh* because android lacks encryption I so hardly need.
Sierra November said:
@sztupy
This is simply the best thing to happen to my SGS I've ever heard.
I can not test it right now (running 2.2.1 Darky's mod) but I have some questions about the security.
- What type of encryption is used? 128/256? weaker?
- Is it possible for you to figure how to use this encryption with different kernels/mods? We're talking about quite big a deal breaker for lots of people here. Perhaps even a separate app? I almost bought a blackberry as a second phone *kugh kugh* because android lacks encryption I so hardly need.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As already stated Android already uses dm-crypt for encrypting the application data on the external sd card, so in theory any kernel can actually use dm-crypt. Originally Android kernels only support aes-plain (which is AES-128 I think), and that is what you can use on probably every 2.2+ android (and even on some 2.1 too). (You can get a stronger encryption if you compile a better kernel as aes-plain has some weaknesses).
The hard part is actually not the encryption therefore (You just have to run cryptsetup before init, which is very-very similar of the process of creating "lagfixes"), but the fact that you'll need a way to enter the password every run. The latter is problematic, as you'll need to access the framebuffer to show the user the pin code panel, then leave the framebuffer in a state, so Android can boot from it without problems. On SGS, and probably all SGS based devices (including the Nexus S), this is already accomplished (in steam kernel). On other devices it might work too, but the framebuffer support might need to be rewritten. On other devices the fact that they use yaffs2 might also pose problems (as yaffs is working on a block), but that can be circumvented using a few tricks (like creating loop devices, putting the /data partition on the sd card, etc.)

[Q] Dump Memory from Mango Phone / Extract Data From Backup?

I haven't found anything on the forums about this (I have searched) so forgive me if it's a basic question. Is it possible to either:
1) Dump all data on a mango phone (in my case, a Samsung Focus, no interop-unlock) to a file on my computer, or alternatively
2) Access the data stored in the umpteen files created during a WP7 backup.
If anyone knows how to do either of these things (without interop unlocking -- I have data I need to pull off, but my firmware is too old to get interop unlocked, and I get error messages when I try to manually update the firmware), it would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Beakin
Note: edited to clarify
I doubt it's even possible *with* interop-unlock.
1) A native app could map a large region of memory, but the WinCE kernel uses process isolation (same as every other modern OS) so there's no way for one app to access the full physical memory.
2) They're encrypted with a key that appears to be stored in the device itself. Nobody has yet figured out how to reverse this encryption.
GoodDayToDie said:
I doubt it's even possible *with* interop-unlock.
1) A native app could map a large region of memory, but the WinCE kernel uses process isolation (same as every other modern OS) so there's no way for one app to access the full physical memory.
2) They're encrypted with a key that appears to be stored in the device itself. Nobody has yet figured out how to reverse this encryption.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
On #1, I should have been more specific -- I meant dump the phone's storage; what's in non-volatile memory, not RAM.
Still no without interop-unlock, then - standard apps don't have the privileges to access the filesystem (aside from a few very specific locations, like their isolated storage folder). That probalby means no access to the storage device itself either, although I admit to not knowing how that works on CE (NT or Linux, but that's it). If the app was initially sideloaded you can use the Isolated Storage Explorer to pull files from that app specifically, but if it's a marketplace app or something built-in like the SMS store, no such luck.
Of course, you can get more permissions if you can call into a driver - which is what ID_CAP_INTEROPSERVICES allows you to do, and ID_CAP_INTEROPSERVICES is why you need interop-unlock. I'd suggest you focus on figuring out why you can't interop-unlock and fixing that. Unfortunately I can't really help you there; I don't have a Samsung phone and the steps to IU an HTC phone are very different.
GoodDayToDie said:
Still no without interop-unlock, then - standard apps don't have the privileges to access the filesystem (aside from a few very specific locations, like their isolated storage folder). That probalby means no access to the storage device itself either, although I admit to not knowing how that works on CE (NT or Linux, but that's it). If the app was initially sideloaded you can use the Isolated Storage Explorer to pull files from that app specifically, but if it's a marketplace app or something built-in like the SMS store, no such luck.
Of course, you can get more permissions if you can call into a driver - which is what ID_CAP_INTEROPSERVICES allows you to do, and ID_CAP_INTEROPSERVICES is why you need interop-unlock. I'd suggest you focus on figuring out why you can't interop-unlock and fixing that. Unfortunately I can't really help you there; I don't have a Samsung phone and the steps to IU an HTC phone are very different.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the clarification. I've spent the last month trying to figure out how to get the interop unlock working on my phone to no avail, which is why I was changing tact by asking this. Oh well, back to the old drawing board.
BTW if you or anyone know how to take a windows phone firmware CAB file and alter it (removing items) I'd appreciate it. My problem with updating the firmware is that I get a "file name conflict" error pointing to specific items in the CAB. At the risk of bricking my phone, at this point I'd try removing those items and installing it anyway.
Editing a CAB is easy; Win7 Explorer can open them natively and many third-party tools also exist. Editing a CAB so that it can still be isntalled may take a little bit more effort, but the important point is that as soon as you edit it, you'll invalidate the signature on the CAB. That means it will no longer install through the default update-OS at all. On HTC phones, you can use RSPL (or HSPL) to install custom updates, but on a phone with a retail bootloader (such as a Samsung), you can only install official updates.

[Q] Desperate newbie with deleted files problem….help please!!

I have a real cry for help!
Somehow all my pictures disappeared from my Galaxy Nexus. My only possible explanation (since it could not have decided to delete them itself!) is that I must have been a complete idiot and last night when I thought I was deleting a video I had just taken I must deleted the camera directory itself. This is supported by the fact that there was no ‘camera’ directory when I looked this morning. I then took a new photo and the directory reappeared. I have plenty of experience with PC’s but I’m a newbie with smartphones. I figured if I don’t write any more files to the phone then most of the actual data should still be there so I hoped to do some kind of undelete.
I’ve done some research and it looks like the ‘feature’ of only connecting as an MTP device (rather than USB mass storage) is potentially a killer blow. Without an assigned drive letter it seems that none of the usual recovery programmes will recognise the phone.
In theory an alternative might be to take a complete image of the phone contents and somehow recover the data from here?
I am pretty desperate as I have five months of pictures/videos of my kids etc, and most of that data must still be on the phone – but how to get to it?
Finally – yes I am a complete plonker, I shouldn’t have made such a stupid mistake and I should have backed up the phone or the pictures. I have learned my lesson. But given that, is there anything I can do?
BTW - the phone came from 3 network (via a reseller) and I have not touched it with respect to unlocking/rooting etc. It is in the state I received it.
HELP please!
Thanks very much...........
I believe the MTP vs. USB Mass storage would be a driver thing. There are many different versions of drivers so its possible there are ones that will mount the phone with a drive letter. I can think of some other things to try (Boot into fastboot mode by turning phone off then powering on by holding power, volume up and volume down at the same time and holding till it vibrates). You could also try Disk Management under windows to see if you can assign a letter
In the future I highly recommend setting up a google account and using Google Photo/Instant Upload to keep a backup of your photos. You dont even have to sync anything else
Thanks for your suggestions, much appreciated.
I’ve now tried going into fastboot mode and connecting to PC but no joy – Windows recognises there is a device connected (usually ID’d as an OMAP4440) but can’t find a driver.
Disk Management also doesn’t show the Nexus as a drive and therefore won’t allow a Drive letter to be assigned.
Try these (obviously no guarantees and I havent used any personally)
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=fahrbot.apps.undelete
http://android-photo-recovery.com/tutorials/deleted-file-recovery-for-google-nexus-phones.html
EDIT: Found another:
http://www.wondershare.com/disk-utility/recover-deleted-photos-from-nexus-s-and-galaxy-nexus.html
Thanks again, I appreciate all suggestions. Yes I have come across these and unfortunately they don’t solve my issue. The last two are amongst those I’d seen reported as not working as they need a drive letter. I had installed both anyway but found that to be true (
The first requires root access which I don’t have. If I understand correctly, to root I’ll need to unlock the bootloader first, and unlocking will erase all the data anyway??
Unfortunately, you are out of luck. You cannot mount the storage on a GNex in USB Mass Storage mode, and I am pretty sure that none of the "undelete" programs that run in Android support ext4 (which is what our GNex internal storage is formatted).
If you are running 4.0.1 or 4.0.2, you can still get root access without losing your data (but not on 4.0.4), but I can't see how it will help you given what I mentioned above.
I am on 4.04 so sounds like I can't get root access without overwriting, can I roll back to 4.01/2 without overwriting the data? (sounds unlikely but I have to ask - I upgraded from 4.02 without losing data....).
If not, is there a way to get a data image without rooting? That way at least I have the data preserved if at some future point it becomes possible to do an undelete on Ext4 data??
Gavdroid said:
[snip]
can I roll back to 4.02/3 without overwriting the data?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Unfortunately no.
Gavdroid said:
If not, is there a way to get a data image without rooting? That way at least I have the data preserved if at some future point it becomes possible to do an undelete on Ext4 data??
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I believe there are utilities to "do an undelete" on ext4. The problem is how to get access to the data image. I don't really know of any way to pull off the data partition of a GNex to your computer, but it may be possible.
Have a look at this thread. I think shaaXo managed to find a way for your computer to see the memory on the GNex and likely dump it (although it is not very user-friendly).
That sucks. If it's deleted, it's gone for good. Sorry, buddy.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using XDA
Thanks very much I will go through that post and see where I get to!
Edit! - uh-oh, taking a quick look it seems you need to use CWM, which I take to be ClockworkMod, which I thought required the phone to be rooted to install it? And if I understand correctly, rooting requires an unlocked bootloader, which wipes your data??
I will take a deeper look in case I've misunderstood (very likely), but am I thinking clearly here?

Device is Rooted,Still Cannot Remove Bloatware

My device is rooted.
I've read a few other topics regarding this issue, but I'm still confused. As I understand it, using typical uninstall apps such as Titanium or Root Uninstaller do not remove the manufacturer apps from the phone still because of an S feature? I'm new to this process, so please forgive my naive rhetoric. I tried those programs, and as previously stated in other posts, the bloatware comes back.
I installed AROMA file manager to try and manually find the bloatware and delete the physical files, but I can't find the files that I'm looking to delete. I don't mind taking the time and manually deleting these unnecessary files, but, I need some guidance on where to look (or any other viable solutions.)
Thanks for your time!
Download this patch and edit update-binary file what application need remove then flash via recovery mode .
espmma said:
My device is rooted.
I've read a few other topics regarding this issue, but I'm still confused. As I understand it, using typical uninstall apps such as Titanium or Root Uninstaller do not remove the manufacturer apps from the phone still because of an S feature? I'm new to this process, so please forgive my naive rhetoric. I tried those programs, and as previously stated in other posts, the bloatware comes back.
I installed AROMA file manager to try and manually find the bloatware and delete the physical files, but I can't find the files that I'm looking to delete. I don't mind taking the time and manually deleting these unnecessary files, but, I need some guidance on where to look (or any other viable solutions.)
HTC devices are set "S on" from the manufacture. That means there are certain partitions in the nand storage that you can't access without S off ( boot partition, radio partition). The write permissions to the system partition are also not accessible unless you either obtain S off through the Sunshine app which costs $25 or a another option that is not true S off is a write permission mod called WP.MOD_ko that you flash to your phone and it installs a script and changes your phone's SElinux permissions and enables the system partition write permissions to be able to uninstall system apps or fully use certain root apps like Link2SD that also need the system write permissions at bootup.
1st option " fully" unlocks your phone and all partitions. 2nd option just installs scripts to kind of trick your system partition to allow apps to write to it and you to be able to uninstall system apps. It also changes your SElinux permissions from enforcing to permissive so be aware that's disabling the phone's security system. Not a problem unless you get malware but you should be aware of what any mod does to your phone. They have to do that because the mod can't get the phone to be true S off so this is a workaround for that one partition.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Okay cool, thank you for breaking that down for me. So, if I use what pham posted, then that would be a script change? But, even if it were a script change I could still fully uninstall the bloatware, with the risk of a potential virus. Is that correct?
espmma said:
Okay cool, thank you for breaking that down for me. So, if I use what pham posted, then that would be a script change? But, even if it were a script change I could still fully uninstall the bloatware, with the risk of a potential virus. Is that correct?
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You're welcome. I'm not familiar with what Pham linked you but I'm sure it's similar to the 2nd option I mentioned. The one I was referring to was written for lollipop versions by CaptainTitti I believe is his handle but if you search XDA for our phone WP_MOD.ko that forum should be for kit Kat and a few pages forward is the link to the lollipop version with instructions from CaptainTitti on how to install it. The malware risk is minimal i just wanted to mention it. You have that as well with just rooting and also full S off it's just those 2 leave your SElinux permissions set to enforcing not permissive. Just giving you the info so your informed because no one but us pays for our devices so we should have as much info as possible I believe but good info .
The only one of these I've actually tried is the full S off one with Sunshine so understand and read the whole forum for the other before flashing so you know all the feedback but it does work. Also be aware that the WP_MOD.ko would have to be fully removed and SElinux reenabled to be able to do stock updates and there's not just an " uninstall" box with them. You have to use a root file explorer and remove what was changed and replace with the stock files I believe. Good idea to do a stock Android backup using your custom recovery before flashing any of these, S off excepted as it doesn't mess with doing stock updates. Not knocking the others but these are the things you don't find out about till after you flash them. Now you know before.
Below is the link to the forum page for the kitkat mod and if you scroll down a bit CaptainTiiti had a link to the one for lollipop.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2707378&page=7
Can't you just use Root Browser, then go to system/app & system/priv-app to remove the bloat? That's what I do on my phone everytime I install a new ROM [emoji1]
Stachura5 said:
Can't you just use Root Browser, then go to system/app & system/priv-app to remove the bloat? That's what I do on my phone everytime I install a new ROM [emoji1]
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I don't know my friend I've never tried that. Maybe he can try it first and see if it works. To be honest I never tried to just remove system apps before i was S off I just read of all the people here on XDA saying they couldn't without S off so I did it. Turns out I switched to debloated CM roms soon after and never even debloated my stock rom, which definitely needed it ! I used Titanium backup to debloat my Samsung tablet after root to get rid of Knox and Samsung junk but it wasn't nand locked like the HTC's are. Can't hurt for him to try it because S off costs and the other mods have their down sides also.
i have completely deleted their bloatware folder, but bloatware will appear if the device boots without root and there is no app folder in user app or system folder but they can run and update normally, maybe it specially designed. Will the above patch zip help me clear the problem completely? i want to clean up the crap, and my device uses system as root so i need to flash modified binary in boot.img separately after signing.

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