Hi,
Somehow I managed to forget my screenlock pattern (freshly changed) on my OnePlus 5T and it seems like my enrolled fingerprints are useless now. I need some help to recover access to my phone (preferably without factory reset).
This is the current situation of my phone:
- Phone Rooted
- TWRP Custom Recovery
- USB Debugging enabled
- WiFi On/Data and GPS OFF
- Currently logged in with my google account on the phone, but can't access it over the google account (i kind of disabled history and other features in my google acc).
- Also "Unknown Sources" is enabled on my phone.
If there is any way to recover the password via ADB, or to unlock the Data, that would be just awesome...
Thanks for any help.
derei said:
Hi,
Somehow I managed to forget my screenlock pattern (freshly changed) on my OnePlus 5T and it seems like my enrolled fingerprints are useless now. I need some help to recover access to my phone (preferably without factory reset).
This is the current situation of my phone:
- Phone Rooted
- TWRP Custom Recovery
- USB Debugging enabled
- WiFi On/Data and GPS OFF
- Currently logged in with my google account on the phone, but can't access it over the google account (i kind of disabled history and other features in my google acc).
- Also "Unknown Sources" is enabled on my phone.
If there is any way to recover the password via ADB, or to unlock the Data, that would be just awesome...
Thanks for any help.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hey Bud,
I had a similar issue when I restored a nandroid backup and the password had been glitched so that I couldn't sign into my phone anymore.
Anyways here's a shortened version of a solution I found here: https://forums.oneplus.com/threads/fix-wrong-pin-pattern-when-restoring-twrp-nandroid-backup.452384/
1. Boot into TWRP
2. Open the file manager inside of TWRP and delete (or rename - they get restored whenever the phone is booted so deleting them does no harm) the following files inside "/data/system":
-password.key
-pattern.key
-locksettings.db-wal
-locksettings.db-shm
-locksettings.db
(they might not all be there but whichever ones you can find, delete/rename)
3. Reboot your phone and you should no longer have any kind of pin/pattern on your lockscreen
4. Re-setup your password and don't forget it this time!
Hope this helps :good:
BenisMusical said:
Hey Bud,
I had a similar issue when I restored a nandroid backup and the password had been glitched so that I couldn't sign into my phone anymore.
Anyways here's a shortened version of a solution I found here: https://forums.oneplus.com/threads/fix-wrong-pin-pattern-when-restoring-twrp-nandroid-backup.452384/
1. Boot into TWRP
2. Open the file manager inside of TWRP and delete (or rename - they get restored whenever the phone is booted so deleting them does no harm) the following files inside "/data/system":
-password.key
-pattern.key
-locksettings.db-wal
-locksettings.db-shm
-locksettings.db
(they might not all be there but whichever ones you can find, delete/rename)
3. Reboot your phone and you should no longer have any kind of pin/pattern on your lockscreen
4. Re-setup your password and don't forget it this time!
Hope this helps :good:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi, thanks.
I've been checking that post, but something didn't quite match. The following files are available on my phone ( /data/system):
-gatekeeper.password.key
-gatekeeper.pattern.key
-locksettings.db-shm
-locksettings.db
-locksettings.db-wal
So, as you can see, there are two files with the "gatekeeper" prefix. Are those two supposed to be also deleted (renamed)? Did you have them when you did your fix?
Thanks.
derei said:
Hi, thanks.
I've been checking that post, but something didn't quite match. The following files are available on my phone ( /data/system):
-gatekeeper.password.key
-gatekeeper.pattern.key
-locksettings.db-shm
-locksettings.db
-locksettings.db-wal
So, as you can see, there are two files with the "gatekeeper" prefix. Are those two supposed to be also deleted (renamed)? Did you have them when you did your fix?
Thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hey man,
When I fixed my issue I didn't touch those - worst comes to worst just rename the files that were on the list I gave and leave the other 2. If it doesn't work then you can try renaming the files you found from my list as well as the two you have highlighted in red.
Give that a try
BenisMusical said:
Hope this helps :good:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just did the steps (including the gatekeeper. prefixed files) - I just renamed them, so I can revert back. Indeed I was able to get my phone unlocked, but everything is blank. Only a wallpaper, status bar and Nav Bar. No apps, no app drawer, nothing. I can access the Settings, but that doesn't help much... (except that I can set a new password).
Going in Settings -> Apps, shows me all the apps, which is good. But I can't see them on screen.
Also, the following are happening:
- Settings -> Apps -> Defaults: Nothing set up for "Home App". And there is a blank grey menu when I click on it.
- Settings -> Apps -> Application List -> OnePlus Launcher: clicking on Open By Default, crashes the Settings Menu.
Is it possible that I did something wrong here?
derei said:
Just did the steps (including the gatekeeper. prefixed files) - I just renamed them, so I can revert back. Indeed I was able to get my phone unlocked, but everything is blank. Only a wallpaper, status bar and Nav Bar. No apps, no app drawer, nothing. I can access the Settings, but that doesn't help much... (except that I can set a new password).
Going in Settings -> Apps, shows me all the apps, which is good. But I can't see them on screen.
Also, the following are happening:
- Settings -> Apps -> Defaults: Nothing set up for "Home App". And there is a blank grey menu when I click on it.
- Settings -> Apps -> Application List -> OnePlus Launcher: clicking on Open By Default, crashes the Settings Menu.
Is it possible that I did something wrong here?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Possibly?
When I followed the method in the link in my previous post I had no issues - I just had to setup a new lock method.
It may have been the gatekeeper files - when I did this method previously I didn't touch those as I didn't know they were there
Do you have a backup from TWRP by any chance that you could restore?
BenisMusical said:
Possibly?
When I followed the method in the link in my previous post I had no issues - I just had to setup a new lock method.
It may have been the gatekeeper files - when I did this method previously I didn't touch those as I didn't know they were there
Do you have a backup from TWRP by any chance that you could restore?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Restored the gatekeeper files, but no success. Same behaviour. I have a backup, but is only a "initial backup" - sort of how the phone was at first. I was too dumb to do a backup after I set up everything.
It seems my only way now would be to do a factory reset and lose all data.
Unless there would be a way to recover the password from the database? I know is encrypted and salted, but that salt also has to be stored somewhere... maybe there would be a way to revert that hash into a pattern? grr, this is extremely frustrating.
derei said:
Restored the gatekeeper files, but no success. Same behaviour. I have a backup, but is only a "initial backup" - sort of how the phone was at first. I was too dumb to do a backup after I set up everything.
It seems my only way now would be to do a factory reset and lose all data.
Unless there would be a way to recover the password from the database? I know is encrypted and salted, but that salt also has to be stored somewhere... maybe there would be a way to revert that hash into a pattern? grr, this is extremely frustrating.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I apologise for possibly making matters worse whilst trying to help but this is beyond my understanding of TWRP's capabilities
It might be worth restoring your previous backup even if it is blank and then setting up your phone again. During the setup choose an option that should be something like: "Restore from the cloud" which will allow google to restore most of your app data. However, your internal storage will be completely wiped . Once that's all good and setup then definitely make a backup - it's a good habit to get into and will save you a lot of hassle in future.
I don't know if there's anything else I can suggest you to do,
hope this doesn't take up too much time - I personally know how infuriating it is to spend hours on something when there's no easy solution. You'd be better starting from a clean flash of OOS.
Sorry, there's nothing else I can think of to help you out
Best of luck bud.
BenisMusical said:
Sorry, there's nothing else I can think of to help you out
Best of luck bud.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm grateful for your effort. It offered a solution. It just got more complicated than expected. Probably the last Oxygen update patched some security issues - which is not bad after all (it's just bad for me NOW).
Personal data is encrypted with the screen lock pattern, so your only choice is a factory reset
Related
Hi all!
I'm new to DHD but NOT to android as I have a HD2 running android since July 2010!
However i made a fatal idiot error when i was so existed to the extent where i updated the software directly when getting it and now i'm stuck with it. I have:
-2.3.3 android
-2.42.415.1 build
-12.54.50.25U_26.09.04.11_M2 baseband.
- and of course a stock ROM unrooted and locked!
Ok so here's the minor issues i'm having:
1- Although i have disabled (unticked) all prediction and spell correction in keyboard settings, it's still giving me a red line under wrong words (or so it thinks) and gives me the ability to add it to custom words although i dont want that.
Any help on that?! (i know i can install another keyboard but the stock one is the perfect for me)
2- Weather animation (after unlock) plays 1 on 20 times with sound effects and the remaining 19 times without any sound!
Any help on that too?!
4- The magnification window that is created when u scroll on a keyword while typing is shifted upwards!!!
Example: if i write : asdaksdj asd midnight lkj asdakjd akj daklsj dalkjsd
asd asdl kjas dlkajsd lakjd laksjd daytime laskjd laskjd laskj dlakjfggjwpio
qweoiusdfkj dfknsdlfisdfop
and if slide on "daytime" i can see the word "midnight" magnified while i can see the top of the cursor moving on the word "daytime"!!!
However also 1 on 20 times it works normally!!!
Any help?!
3- Finally one irritating issue is that i cannot set a security lock screen for this phone!
In fact, i "can" set a "pattern" or a "PIN" or a "Password" without any problem, however it does only work once after unlock!!! After that it will be disabled automatically. When i go to settings i can see like if there's no security locks!!!
Any help on that please?! (PS whatever the duration of autolock (i mean immediately, after 3min, etc....) is set, it's still the same)
Thanks guys!
Anyone please?!
red dots are bug(or maybe htc didnt want to disable that) , also all htc gingerbread update have bugs, that's the reason i rooted my phone, because factory reset didnt help me.
i didnt have problem with weather.
try factory reset, and if that does not solve the problem, root is your friend.
before you done factory, remove battery for few seconds, and see if you still have problems.
I think you try doing 'Factory data reset'
Factory data reset will lose all data on your phone memory but not the data on SD card. So make sure you back up SMS, Contacts and calendar entries etc..
Then go to 'Settings > SD & phone storage > Factory data reset
then follow the instructions.
Hope this will help,
Good luck!
the question is
How in the hell you couldn't downgrade ...to get ROOT
Re-written to be more concise and readable:
Long story short: I installed the program "Permissions Denied" from the market and restricted a few games. When I rebooted something was broken and I can't quite figure out what, but it runs deep through the phone.
The phone isn't bootlooping, but when I starts up it will very often become unresponsive immediately after getting to the lockscreen, my theory is that things are trying to load and crashing in the background. The only fix for this is to wait until it appear to reboot itself; the screen will come back on and show me a quick few cycles of the boot animation, then back to the lockscreen. After this, it asks to re-activate on the network. Whether or not everything works after this point has been highly variable. Currently, my phone is on but has no way of signing into a google account (isn't even an option in the list under settings).
If I try to restore a nandroid, at the very end it spits out "Error while restoring /data!". I've done this with a couple nandroids that I've used fine in the past. Fully wiping from CWM and installing a fresh rom yields similar results.
Basically my thinking at this point is to back up anything I want while I have access to the phone and try to do as full a factory reset as possible. Any ideas? Of note is that I've run the "fix permissions" function both in CWM and ROM Manager, and when I run it in ROM Manager the log shows permissions for a bunch of programs that have been wiped. So I'm guessing that permissions settings persist across wipes, but I don't know what to address that with specifically.
Bump? (rewrote OP to make it less of a train wreck of my late-night detective work)
Edit with maybe-progress: I found and installed an older apk for Permissions Denied and even though this is an older nandroid and everything has been wiped time and again, the permissions for the games I changed are still disabled.
Having trouble getting the program to actually undo anything though, and rebooting the phone is a rather tiresome task with all this going on just to find out nothing changed.
Does anyone know
1)Where permissions live, and if I can reflash whatever that is, as it is clearly corrupt here.
2)Where I can get a copy of the v2.9 apk for this app, as maybe it will be better at restoring what it did than the older version I dug up.
Edit2:I eventually just did a factory reset and it fixed everything. I had also emailed the developer of the app and he got back to me with the following advice:
It sounds like the permissions file is locked, packages.xml. Try opening my app, going into the settings, and make sure that the first option is NOT checked.
Then hit the unlock option to unlock the file.
If that doesn't work, try the following in a terminal...
su
chattr -ia /data/system/packages.xml\
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Intuitively this sounds like it may have fixed the problem, so I'm posting it here in case anyone ends up with similar problems and finds this thread searching.
Greetings dellow xda dev's, I am currently running a Tmobile galaxy note 3, with the newest stock odexed FOL1 firmware, rooted, running twrp 2.8.5.0, I hav been installing apps and setting things up all day as a recent problem has forced me to factory reset my phone. Due to the way I use tasker to lock my phone (using secure settings to set a password) and restoring the old tasker profiles, my password appears to have been corrupted in some form or another as I have entered it a bunch of times and it won't unlock, claiming that the password is wrong. I have spent most of the evening looking at exploits and bypasses but none seem to work with my phone, there is no password.key file in the data/system folder, and deleting the gesture.key doesn't help. Using android device manager I can send a message to my phone and 'lock' it, but there is no unlock option anywhere on the screen; until I hit the home button and it simply sends me back to the normal lockscreen, and whatever new password I punched in with the manager doesn't work. I have tried several flashable zip files (lockscreen security bypass and pattern password disable), I have also tried everything mentioned in :http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2620456 that article, as well as poking around in adb and in twrp's file manager, as well as some old lockscreen vulnerabilities (sadly copy and paste do not appear on the emergency dialer or the password field).
I am rather desperate to get my phone unlocked without a factory reset, as I just barely recovered from one recently, and need my phone for work tomorrow morning. I do have some tasker and autoremote profiles running that will tell my phone to setoff an alarm through tasker, and that will alert my phone to when my tablets battery life is low, but I don't know if either of those will help. I do not have any trusted bluetooth devices that can unlock the phone, nor do I ever seem to find a password reset/forgot your password option after typing in my password.
Any help or guidance would be greatly appreciated and tried come morning before work.
Hey guys -
Need some detective help. I did something to my 10, and I think I did something with the encryption, but I'm not sure how or what.
Follow me here, since I'm not sure what caused it, I'll start at the beginning, and see if anything raises a red flag..
Got phone from HTC, US unlocked version. Got it in.. heck, this past June, I think.
Unlocked bootloader. Got Sunshine, ran it, but never paid and never turned S-OFF.
Never set PIN or Fingerprint.
Installed Viper10 when it was out.
Went to do fingerprint. Got screen saying that for backup, needed to set PIN. Set PIN, then taught it some fingerprints.
Never had data issues, and as far as I know, never encrypted phone. TWRP, when run, did not need me to enter any password or key to access the phone. On bootup, would get PIN prompt, but AFTER Android loaded.
Never got any RUUs, never upgraded Viper10.
Installed CM13 today. Whohoo!
Install went fine, no issues. Restored apps from TiBu, deleted unused bloatware, including the built-in Android keyboard.
Set up other options, and finally got to enter in fingerprints.
It gives me the same screen I got on Viper. This time, though (and I have no idea why), I back out back to Security settings, and enter in PIN there.
Then train fingerprints!
Now, when I reboot system, or boot to TWRP, I get a prompt asking for password (TWRP) or PIN (Android). HOWEVER.. I can enter my pin in TWRP just fine. But not Android. Apparently, since it hasn't booted, Swype doesn't work, and I get no keyboard. Can't enter PIN in at all.
That is my mistake, however, as I removed the built-in Android keyboard. (Something I've done countless times before on other Android versions without issue..)
So I restore Nandroid backup of Viper10. I still get the PIN entry, and STILL have no keyboard.
I see reference in TWRP about PINs not working, so I delete that locksettings.db file (from memory, filename is likely wrong here..)
Phone boots up. Yay. No PIN prompt. Yay.
But now I do NOT have data - as in, it's acting like my phone is unencrypted now.
So, what I'd like to know is -
If NOW my phone is unencrypted, and I'm getting the 'No Data' issue, what was my phone doing BEFORE, when I didn't have to enter PIN, but was getting data?
How can I get BACK to not having to enter PIN and still get data? (In my case, will the instructions for unencrypted work? Or is my phone now 'special'?)
How did I set the PIN the first time on Viper10, and not have it encrypt my phone? I'd like to ultimately get back to THAT scenario - where the lockscreen asks for PIN, but nothing else does (TWRP, Bootup, etc).
Thanks guys!
-Mike
I may be pointing the obvious, but have you do a full wipe before restoring your nandroid? If so, did you try to clean flash your rom to see what happens?
Maybe by removing stock keyboard something got messed up and keeps the keyboard in your nandroid from properly installing.
Yup, I tried restoring the Nandroid several times, some with wiping, some without. Also, I always clean-flash my new ROMs (i.e. ones not restored from nandroid backup, installed new, like going from Viper10 -> CM13)
Going to try again today while at work, see what happens.
During setup in CM13, there should be option to require PIN at startup (It is usually checked by default). Uncheck it and your phone will remain encrypted without requiring a PIN to start.
jackebuehner said:
During setup in CM13, there should be option to require PIN at startup (It is usually checked by default). Uncheck it and your phone will remain encrypted without requiring a PIN to start.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Technically correct (encrypted) but effectively incorrect: encryption is moot if a password is not required to decrypt it. It would be like locking your door and leaving the key in it: it's locked but it's not secure.
You need a system keyboard to be able to enter PIN on bootup; hence, the pre-installed keyboard (Google on vanilla, TouchPal on htc) isn't really 'bloatware' as it's necessary. Google makes a good keyboard; TouchPal, though, yeah, necessary bloatware in this case.
Rolo42 said:
Technically correct (encrypted) but effectively incorrect: encryption is moot if a password is not required to decrypt it. It would be like locking your door and leaving the key in it: it's locked but it's not secure.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ah, so in previous ROMs (both OEM and Viper10, it technically WAS encrypted, I just never set the password? .. Huh.
Rolo42 said:
You need a system keyboard to be able to enter PIN on bootup; hence, the pre-installed keyboard (Google on vanilla, TouchPal on htc) isn't really 'bloatware' as it's necessary. Google makes a good keyboard; TouchPal, though, yeah, necessary bloatware in this case.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Interesting, thanks for this; good to know. A shame, but good to know that's just how it is.
coyttl said:
Ah, so in previous ROMs (both OEM and Viper10, it technically WAS encrypted, I just never set the password? .. Huh.
Interesting, thanks for this; good to know. A shame, but good to know that's just how it is.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Correct. The password is to get at the encryption key; it isn't the encryption key itself.
Bitlocker/SED works the same way. Otherwise, a password change would mean re-encrypting everything.
If you put in the wrong password, it'll look like you have no data.
Alright, this is a weird one! Only of few instances of the mystical "pixel is starting..." screen show up online and I'm mostly out of ideas at this point.
First, some background:
I was still on the December 5th update (QQ1A.191205.008). Stock, unlocked, rooted with Magisk. I hadn't yet flashed the patched Magisk boot image, it was running only by fastboot boot pachted.img. The only root-related App I had installed was Battery Charge Limiter.
What happened:
I created a custom theme & changed my wallpaper. I then used Activity Launcher to launch the "hidden" System UI Tuner. While in there I disabled the clock in the system tray. I also went into the "Plugins" menu and toggled the "enable" toggle on, then off (I thought more plugin options, whatever they may be, were hidden since they were not enabled...). I fiddled with a few more settings hiding/showing icons and hit the home button.
When I returned back to the homescreen, my wallpaper had changed back to the default Pink/purple Pixel 3 wallpaper. "Huh? System UI Tuner must have reset this." I changed the wallpaper again but it didn't even change. After a few more attempts (tried changing just lockscreen wallpaper, just homescreen, both; nothing would actually change), I rebooted the phone.
Upon booting back up, I was greeted with a "Pixel is starting..." screen that won't go away. This occurs before the lock screen, prior to letting me enter my PIN.
Attempted recovery steps already taken
Rebooted many times. (Which which would have booted the factory boot.img; see above background)
Tried booting into "safe mode." (Same "Pixel is starting..." screen comes up with the words "Safe mode" in the bottom left)
sideloaded the most recent OTA for my device (QQ1A.200105.002)
Booted corresponding Magisk patched boot.img
Has this happened to anyone before? Can anyone think of a way recover anything at this point? Luckily I had adb enabled before this happened and it still functions; logcat doesn't show anything that seems helpful, though. Since I cannot unlock the device, I can't use adb to recover any data. I really wish adb had a means of unlocking via PIN!
My next step is likely going to be to flash a factory image (probably QQ1A.191205.008 as that was what I was using prior to this happening) with "-w" removed and praying I can at least unlock the phone.
Data recovered!
Edit: Wow! I wasn't able to fix the "Pixel is starting..." issue, but I was able to use adb to recovery all my data. I will follow up with what I did shortly! Dodged a bullet... unbelievable!
I couldn't fix the "Pixel is starting..." issue. Factory Flashing (after removing -w) QQ1A.191205.008 resulted resulted in being stuck at the "G" screen. I flashed the QQ1A.200105.002 factory image (again with -w removed) and was left in the same "Pixel is starting..." state.
Here is where things get interesting:
Over adb I launched the Settings app:
Code:
adb shell am start -a android.settings.SETTINGS
Next, I went into "Security," which prompted for my PIN, and then removed the screen lock. After doing this, I was able to get into /sdcard in the ADB shell, something that was not possible before.
Back in the settings app, I enabled USB File Transfer and copied all my files & photos off. I was also able to launch apps from within the apps list in Settings. This let me export settings/data from other apps that allowed it. :good:
So it seems that entering your PIN in the Settings app also unlocks the phone!
Thanks for describing this and how you ended up resolving it. I am seeing the same "Pixel is starting". Flashing the (March 2020) factory image didn't fix mine either.
I was able to get into Settings by pulling down the notification shade while the "Pixel is starting" message shows. I removed my fingerprints and PIN.
I don't seem to be able to launch apps from within the apps list in Settings. Can you describe how you did that?
I've tried this:
Settings-->Apps & notifications-->App info--> {select any app and tried clicking on icon at top of screen} Nothing. Poked around a bit and tried various things but couldn't figure out how to launch an app from here. Thanks in advance.
docdl said:
I don't seem to be able to launch apps from within the apps list in Settings. Can you describe how you did that?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There should be a "Open" shortcut just below the app icon to the left of "Uninstall" (or "Disable" if it is a built-in app).
_Ra1n_ said:
Alright, this is a weird one! Only of few instances of the mystical "pixel is starting..." screen show up online and I'm mostly out of ideas at this point.
First, some background:
I was still on the December 5th update (QQ1A.191205.008). Stock, unlocked, rooted with Magisk. I hadn't yet flashed the patched Magisk boot image, it was running only by fastboot boot pachted.img. The only root-related App I had installed was Battery Charge Limiter.
What happened:
I created a custom theme & changed my wallpaper. I then used Activity Launcher to launch the "hidden" System UI Tuner. While in there I disabled the clock in the system tray. I also went into the "Plugins" menu and toggled the "enable" toggle on, then off (I thought more plugin options, whatever they may be, were hidden since they were not enabled...). I fiddled with a few more settings hiding/showing icons and hit the home button.
When I returned back to the homescreen, my wallpaper had changed back to the default Pink/purple Pixel 3 wallpaper. "Huh? System UI Tuner must have reset this." I changed the wallpaper again but it didn't even change. After a few more attempts (tried changing just lockscreen wallpaper, just homescreen, both; nothing would actually change), I rebooted the phone.
Upon booting back up, I was greeted with a "Pixel is starting..." screen that won't go away. This occurs before the lock screen, prior to letting me enter my PIN.
Attempted recovery steps already taken
Rebooted many times. (Which which would have booted the factory boot.img; see above background)
Tried booting into "safe mode." (Same "Pixel is starting..." screen comes up with the words "Safe mode" in the bottom left)
sideloaded the most recent OTA for my device (QQ1A.200105.002)
Booted corresponding Magisk patched boot.img
Has this happened to anyone before? Can anyone think of a way recover anything at this point? Luckily I had adb enabled before this happened and it still functions; logcat doesn't show anything that seems helpful, though. Since I cannot unlock the device, I can't use adb to recover any data. I really wish adb had a means of unlocking via PIN!
My next step is likely going to be to flash a factory image (probably QQ1A.191205.008 as that was what I was using prior to this happening) with "-w" removed and praying I can at least unlock the phone.
Data recovered!
Edit: Wow! I wasn't able to fix the "Pixel is starting..." issue, but I was able to use adb to recovery all my data. I will follow up with what I did shortly! Dodged a bullet... unbelievable!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hey! I just ran into the same dilemma. I toggled the "plugins" setting in System UI tuner (by mistake), and my wallpaper went black. Then I decided to just reboot. I'm in the same "Pixel is starting" loop you described. I'm also stock, rooted with Magisk, on the January update. I just found that I can get into adb, but I'm a loss of what do to from here. I can't believe toggling a system UI tuner setting could cause a catastrophic crash. How did you end up solving this? Were you able to flash the full factory image while preserving your data? I honestly have no idea what do to at the moment. I'm gonna have to use an older device and research this more after work.
Edit: I was able to remove my security PIN via launching Settings through ADB, and therefore getting into some apps. I guess I'm more bothered by having to set up the device from scratch then I am losing any data. So time consuming. I'm assuming you ended up wiping the phone entirely and flashing a full factory image in the end? Geez. I miss my Moto devices and TWRP...
Ditamae said:
Hey! I just ran into the same dilemma. I toggled the "plugins" setting in System UI tuner (by mistake), and my wallpaper went black. Then I decided to just reboot. I'm in the same "Pixel is starting" loop you described.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Interesting! Exact same order of events.
Ditamae said:
Edit: I was able to remove my security PIN via launching Settings through ADB, and therefore getting into some apps. I guess I'm more bothered by having to set up the device from scratch then I am losing any data. So time consuming. I'm assuming you ended up wiping the phone entirely and flashing a full factory image in the end? Geez. I miss my Moto devices and TWRP...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, I wiped completely. Used it as an excuse to flash LineageOS, something I had been planing on doing for a while anyway. I load very little on my devices to begin with so really its just typing in a few passwords.
Since you have root, if you want to mess around with trying to fix it without resetting, does the following directory exist on your device: /data/data/com.android.systemui.tuner
If so, take a look at the files within; that should be where SystemUI Tuner saves the settings you have selected. Maybe rename the directory & reboot so the settings can't be loaded?
Edit: Don't try messing around with anything until you're sure you got all of the data off the device though!
_Ra1n_ said:
Interesting! Exact same order of events.
Yes, I wiped completely. Used it as an excuse to flash LineageOS, something I had been planing on doing for a while anyway. I load very little on my devices to begin with so really its just typing in a few passwords.
Since you have root, if you want to mess around with trying to fix it without resetting, does the following directory exist on your device: /data/data/com.android.systemui.tuner
If so, take a look at the files within; that should be where SystemUI Tuner saves the settings you have selected. Maybe rename the directory & reboot so the settings can't be loaded?
Edit: Don't try messing around with anything until you're sure you got all of the data off the device though!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's a great idea about renaming the directory. When I'm home from work I will try to figure out how to copy internal user data to my PC and then I'll look into that directory. Do you know how to enable file transfer via adb or thru the Settings app (launched via adb)?
I did utilize the system UI tuner to disable my alarm icon from showing in the status bar, so I'm hoping I can perhaps find the file associated with the plugin specifically and rename that. Hmm. Only this is systemless... Might not be possible. This is my first rooted device without full read/write capabilities. Not sure how I feel about systemless.
Otherwise, other than time, the only bummer to all this is that I think I'm going to lose the Magisk module YouTube Vanced, as it's not longer supported.
Anyway, thanks very much for your help so far.
Ditamae said:
That's a great idea about renaming the directory. When I'm home from work I will try to figure out how to copy internal user data to my PC and then I'll look into that directory. Do you know how to enable file transfer via adb or thru the Settings app (launched via adb)?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If your luck is as good as mine, you should be able to just plug in the device and enable file transfer (Settings > Connected Devices > USB > "Use USB For ... File Transfer."
Note that, as explained above, I had to remove my security PIN in settings before that worked, though.
_Ra1n_ said:
Since you have root, if you want to mess around with trying to fix it without resetting, does the following directory exist on your device: /data/data/com.android.systemui.tuner
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was able to backup my data, and use Solid Explorer with root to search through system files. But, I don't see that directory. I see: data/data/com.android.systemui but no systemui.tuner. Any other idea where those systemui tuner files might be lurking? I'm an RN with a kindergartener home from school, and as much as I love tinkering with Android, now is not a good time.
_Ra1n_ said:
Interesting! Exact same order of events.
Since you have root, if you want to mess around with trying to fix it without resetting, does the following directory exist on your device: /data/data/com.android.systemui.tuner
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just wondering if you have any other troubleshooting ideas before I install a full factory image...
My device boots now, partially. It seems that after I disabled lockscreen security, my phone boots, but without all gesture navigation, status bar, notification overlay. Essentially all SystemUI elements appear missing. The devices behaves as it did immediately after I accidentally toggled the UI tuner "plugins" setting, before I rebooted. It's unusable as a daily, but I did get my data. As I said previously, I could not find the directory: /data/data/com.android.systemui.tuner. Seems odd. I wonder where those setting preferences are hiding. Any help/ideas would be much appreciated.
Ditamae said:
Just wondering if you have any other troubleshooting ideas before I install a full factory image...
My device boots now, partially. It seems that after I disabled lockscreen security, my phone boots, but without all gesture navigation, status bar, notification overlay. Essentially all SystemUI elements appear missing. The devices behaves as it did immediately after I accidentally toggled the UI tuner "plugins" setting, before I rebooted. It's unusable as a daily, but I did get my data. As I said previously, I could not find the directory: /data/data/com.android.systemui.tuner. Seems odd. I wonder where those setting preferences are hiding. Any help/ideas would be much appreciated.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry for the slow reply. Unfortunately I'm mostly out of ideas.
I'd ask in the general Android Help subforum: https://forum.xda-developers.com/android/help
You'll likely get more eyes on the question (where does SystemUI Tuner store it's settings & how to reset them) and hopefully someone with better knowledge on Android settings/preferences can provide some incite.
Homeboy76 said:
Guide
Do #4 'keep data', then #9 to root.
Make sure you have the latest SDK platform-tools, there is a link in the guide.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Flashing the factory image with -w removed to keep the data won't help. The issue is that SystemUI Tuner saved some setting (related to enabling the mysterious "Enable Plugins" option) that prevents the phone from completely booting up. A factory flash retaining data will retain the setting that SystemUI Tuner screwed up.
_Ra1n_ said:
Flashing the factory image with -w removed to keep the data won't help. The issue is that SystemUI Tuner saved some setting (related to enabling the mysterious "Enable Plugins" option) that prevents the phone from completely booting up. A factory flash retaining data will retain the setting that SystemUI Tuner screwed up.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
@Ditamae Rain is correct. I have edited my post.