Develop Bugs

[Q] Force closes long lag times, other problems so un-root/re-root or something else?

So, I have been having some major problems with my phone. Tons of force closes, major lag times and things like that. I have tried a handful of different ROMs, including CM7, the nightlys, Miui and a few others. I hear great stories about people and rooting and I want to be one of them. I am tired of all the hassles. So, when talking to someone in the office who has had no issues with his Droid 2, he suggested, and said he has read, the best thing to do is go back to stock, unroot, as they will remove all possible conflicting files that could be causing problems. Then, re-root, and install whatever.
Any thoughts on that? Generally, my process for installing a new ROM, I boot into recovery manually, clean cache, clean Dalvik, then install ROM. Then, I restore apps and data from Titanium and restore the Nandroid from Rom Manager. The past couple times, I have done the factory reset, but eventually, a day or 2, it goes back to the same problems. Maybe, I should just try it without the restoring the Nandroid (even though it is a backup from when there was no problems) and the app data from Titanium. I assume, you know what happens when you assume, that both the Nandroid and Titanium backups are clean as I backed up when I was having no issues.
So, any thoughts here? Unroot, then re-root or is there something else I should try to wipe everything clean to solve the problems? Currently, on the original Droid Incredible (got it on the release day, so the first screen), running 2.2 when I rooted, currently on Miui 1.9.16, but just installed it 10 minutes ago and was running the Cyanogen nightly's before hand..
Thanks in advance

When flashing a new ROM you should always do the following before flashing, especially if you're flashing completely different ROMs:
Wipe user data/factory reset
Mounts and Storage - format /system, format /boot, format /data, format /cache
Advanced - Wipe Dalvik, Wipe Battery Stats
Then flash the ROM zip.
Try not restoring apps and data from Titanium, as restoring the app is okay, but restoring data can cause unwanted things to happen more times than not.
When you say restore nandroid from ROM Manager, what do you mean here? A nandroid is backing up your ROM via ROM Manager, which gets stored to your clockworkmod/backups folder...you shouldn't be pulling anything from that...
If you flash the RUU to return to stock and re-root, make sure you use the 2.2 RUU. If you use the 2.3, you need to be s-off to get rooted again. If you use the 2.3 RUU and you're s-on, no root for you...come back one year.

The ONLY time you want to restore a nandroid backup is if you've wiped your device clean and want to return to a previously backed up setup. You should never restore a nandroid backup over a ROM you've just installed. If that's what you're doing, that's your problem. You're effectively replacing whatever ROM you just flashed in it's entirety.
As for Titanium, I restore apps with data all the time, but system data should almost never be restored as it's OS and app version specific. Basically, if it's green, it's safe. If it's red, don't mess with it. If it's white, like a user app, app and data are usually safe to restore.
ROM Manager is a bigger pain in the ass than it's worth and is useless for anything more than flashing a new recovery. If my recovery is working reliably, I never install ROM manager. Most devs will tell you to never flash with ROM manager anyways. Any function that ROM Manager performs can be performed in recovery in a safer, more reliable fashion.

loonatik78 said:
The ONLY time you want to restore a nandroid backup is if you've wiped your device clean and want to return to a previously backed up setup. You should never restore a nandroid backup over a ROM you've just installed. If that's what you're doing, that's your problem. You're effectively replacing whatever ROM you just flashed in it's entirety.
As for Titanium, I restore apps with data all the time, but system data should almost never be restored as it's OS and app version specific. Basically, if it's green, it's safe. If it's red, don't mess with it. If it's white, like a user app, app and data are usually safe to restore.
ROM Manager is a bigger pain in the ass than it's worth and is useless for anything more than flashing a new recovery. If my recovery is working reliably, I never install ROM manager. Most devs will tell you to never flash with ROM manager anyways. Any function that ROM Manager performs can be performed in recovery in a safer, more reliable fashion.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the correction, I forgot to put system in there...restoring system data is not good.
+1 on ROM Manager issues, always get a zip file of the ROM, and flash through recovery.

RMarkwald said:
When flashing a new ROM you should always do the following before flashing, especially if you're flashing completely different ROMs:
Wipe user data/factory reset
Mounts and Storage - format /system, format /boot, format /data, format /cache
Advanced - Wipe Dalvik, Wipe Battery Stats
Then flash the ROM zip.
When you say restore nandroid from ROM Manager, what do you mean here? A nandroid is backing up your ROM via ROM Manager, which gets stored to your clockworkmod/backups folder...you shouldn't be pulling anything from that....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That is pretty much what I do, except for the Mounts and Storage parts.
For the Nandroid part, maybe I have my terminology mixed up. I do a restore from Rom Manager...which I thought was called the Nandroid backup. It seems to me, that it makes sure the launcher and things are set up right.
loonatik78 said:
The ONLY time you want to restore a nandroid backup is if you've wiped your device clean and want to return to a previously backed up setup. You should never restore a nandroid backup over a ROM you've just installed. If that's what you're doing, that's your problem. You're effectively replacing whatever ROM you just flashed in it's entirety.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I rarely use the ROM Manager to do anything, just restore (what I thought was called the Nandroid) to make the launcher the way things were..
But it seems like that is my problem. I am installed the new ROM, then just restoring a back up of all the problems. DUH.. Guess I should try it all without restoring anything from the ROM Manager and see how it all works. That will be my project tonight..
Thanks

MikeDaub said:
That is pretty much what I do, except for the Mounts and Storage parts.
For the Nandroid part, maybe I have my terminology mixed up. I do a restore from Rom Manager...which I thought was called the Nandroid backup. It seems to me, that it makes sure the launcher and things are set up right.
I rarely use the ROM Manager to do anything, just restore (what I thought was called the Nandroid) to make the launcher the way things were..
But it seems like that is my problem. I am installed the new ROM, then just restoring a back up of all the problems. DUH.. Guess I should try it all without restoring anything from the ROM Manager and see how it all works. That will be my project tonight..
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you want to restore your launcher, try it through Titanium Backup. If that doesn't do it, and I can't promise you it will work correctly, you're probably SOL on restoring a launcher unless some other backup app does the job better.

loonatik78 said:
If you want to restore your launcher, try it through Titanium Backup. If that doesn't do it, and I can't promise you it will work correctly, you're probably SOL on restoring a launcher unless some other backup app does the job better.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am fine with not restoring it, I just thought "that is what you should do".
I don't venture too far from the regular settings, so it isn't a pain to do, just thought I should...

RMarkwald said:
When flashing a new ROM you should always do the following before flashing, especially if you're flashing completely different ROMs:
Wipe user data/factory reset
Mounts and Storage - format /system, format /boot, format /data, format /cache
Advanced - Wipe Dalvik, Wipe Battery Stats
Then flash the ROM zip.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
One more quick question since I am thinking of it....is this same process if doing nightly updates from Cyanogen, or just is I change from say, Cyanogen to Miui or something??
Thanks again for all the help..

MikeDaub said:
One more quick question since I am thinking of it....is this same process if doing nightly updates from Cyanogen, or just is I change from say, Cyanogen to Miui or something??
Thanks again for all the help..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Generally, CM nightlies can be flashed over top of each other without a wipe since the vast majority of the code is identical. However, if an issue crops up, a wipe and flash might be a good thing to try. Probably won't help though, since nightlies, by definition, are experimental.
Always wipe and flash when moving from one ROM type to another.

loonatik78 said:
Generally, CM nightlies can be flashed over top of each other without a wipe since the vast majority of the code is identical. However, if an issue crops up, a wipe and flash might be a good thing to try. Probably won't help though, since nightlies, by definition, are experimental.
Always wipe and flash when moving from one ROM type to another.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's kinda what I figured, but I thought it was worth asking so I don't completely wipe the whole thing every time I install an update. The nightly I am on now seems to be working, so the new plan is keep whats working until it doesn't work anymore, or some major update comes along..
Thanks again for the help. I really appreciate it.

If the issue continues you can try copying everything off of your SD card to your PC and reformatting your SD card. Remember to use FAT32 format. Then copy everything back to your SD card. I've read threads were this helped the force close issues for many people - Just a thought.

jackbtha1 said:
If the issue continues you can try copying everything off of your SD card to your PC and reformatting your SD card. Remember to use FAT32 format. Then copy everything back to your SD card. I've read threads were this helped the force close issues for many people - Just a thought.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Certainly worth a thought. The card that is in it now came from a different phone. I am pretty sure I formatted it when I first plugged it in, but it can't hurt to try...
Thanks

Sorry if this has been posted already...

I'm freaking out and need some help. I recently rooted my S3 and everything went smoothly. I was running stock android 4.1.2 I think (multi-window feature) with root. Wanted to flash the cyanogemon 10.1 rom. I got titanium back up,backed up eveything. Flashed it. Seemed to be working normally but as I tried to restore my apps and things from the titanium back up it went all wrong. "Unfortunately,Email has stopped,the process android,process media has stopped. Also says process.acore has stopped and process.gapps has stopped pop up that is constant. I freaked out and tried to go back to normal and now I'm screwed.
I tried recovery and it tells me I dont have a OS on my phone. I than decided to Unroot the phone and start from a fresh stock android but it seemed like it worked 50%. I see the background and it shows me the set up google account for the phone but the pop up messages haven't stopped.If I go into the normal recovery and wipe data/factory reset will it solve the issue? And if it will should I choose to wipe cache partition first before doing so?

Which recovery do you have? Also I never backup system apps such as email, because they change when going from 1 rom to the next. No OS means you wiped system, without having another ROM saved on your sd card. If your computer still sees the internal and external memory and your custom recovery is still working, you should be able to save a new rom, do a full wipe-system, data, cache, dalvik cache. Then flash rom you already saved to your memory. I take it you didn't do a Android backup after you rooted and flashed custom recovery?
sent from somewhere

Miguelcoo1 said:
I'm freaking out and need some help. I recently rooted my S3 and everything went smoothly. I was running stock android 4.1.2 I think (multi-window feature) with root. Wanted to flash the cyanogemon 10.1 rom. I got titanium back up,backed up eveything. Flashed it. Seemed to be working normally but as I tried to restore my apps and things from the titanium back up it went all wrong. "Unfortunately,Email has stopped,the process android,process media has stopped. Also says process.acore has stopped and process.gapps has stopped pop up that is constant. I freaked out and tried to go back to normal and now I'm screwed.
I tried recovery and it tells me I dont have a OS on my phone. I than decided to Unroot the phone and start from a fresh stock android but it seemed like it worked 50%. I see the background and it shows me the set up google account for the phone but the pop up messages haven't stopped.If I go into the normal recovery and wipe data/factory reset will it solve the issue? And if it will should I choose to wipe cache partition first before doing so?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok, first I'll describe what you did and how that (most likely) messed up your phone. Then I'll describe what you can do to fix it.
Problem
It seems like your original flash of CM10.1 went smoothly. It must have been something to do with your Titanium Backup (TiBu) restores. More than likely, you tried to restore too much. In TiBu, the different apps have different colors: Red, Yellow, Green, and White. In the menu, you can see the following Legend:
{
"lightbox_close": "Close",
"lightbox_next": "Next",
"lightbox_previous": "Previous",
"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
"lightbox_zoom": "Zoom",
"lightbox_new_window": "New window",
"lightbox_toggle_sidebar": "Toggle sidebar"
}
White: User Application. These are apps that you installed from the Play Store or sideloaded by directly installing an apk. These are safe to restore.
Red: System Application. These are system files that heavily rely on which Android version (4.1.x vs. 4.2.x) and whether you're on TW or AOSP. I always try to avoid restoring these backups (even when just upgrading to a newer version of the same Rom). Some people will say that you can restore the Data only for these, but my motto is: caution will help prevent mistakes (ground-shaking, I know).
Green: System Service with Useful Data: These are system apps that have useful information (such as User Accounts, etc.). I treat these the same as Red Backups, but am a bit more likely to restore the data of them (green means go, right?).
Yellow: These backups are system data that can be restored as an xml file. These are inherently safer than the red and green ones, and I say restore away (I always restore my Call Log, Messages, and Wi-Fi Access Points).
The reason you were getting FCs was restoring a red or green backup. This can sometimes work, but has a lot of potential for issues when switching between TW and AOSP Roms. Most likely something in your /system folder is messed up due to restoring an app. Even when you flash a new Rom, it just overwrites items in your System folder, it doesn't wipe /System. So whatever is wrong in your /System folder is still there, regardless of what you flash.
Ok, now that we've identified what's wrong with your phone, we can now help solve it!
Solution/Fixes
Are you able to get into a custom Recovery? If not, you need to use Odin and follow The Rooting Guide to get back to a custom recovery (I recommend TWRP, but CWM is just as good).
Next, you want to download a Rom and put it on your device. I'd recommend (just for now), to get Freeza's stock TW Rom.
Now, before you try to flash this Rom, you'll have to wipe. In order to get rid of the FCs, you'll have to at least wipe System. I'd recommend a full wipe of your Internal SD Card (after backing up anything you want to save), but it's not technically necessary. Afterwards, you can wipe data and cache/dalvik cache.
Then you can flash your Rom. It seems like you know how to do this, but in case you don't, I have previously posted directions over here.
Hope this helps!

joeyhdownsouth said:
So you never had a custom recovery, like CWM or TWRP? Also I never backup system apps such as email, because they change when going from 1 rom to the next.
sent from somewhere
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I did have a Custom Recovery. I believe it was TWRP. I think all this happened was because when it occured I might of went into the recovery and accidently wiped system. I know that the phone didn't have OS on it and was blank. It just stayed on the Samsung boot screen. About 20 minutes ago I tried to unroot the phone and start with stock android. I didn't have much important stuff on my phone so I don't mind. The problem is when I did that it seemed to work. Only to find out that the pop-ups still exist and are constantly popping up where I cant do anything.
I would it worked seeing as though I can go into my stock recovery mode. Could it be possible to just wipe everything there and factory reset it or would it brick the phone? Also if I can just factory reset it through the stock recovery should I wipe the cache partition first?

topherk said:
Ok, first I'll describe what you did and how that (most likely) messed up your phone. Then I'll describe what you can do to fix it.
Problem
It seems like your original flash of CM10.1 went smoothly. It must have been something to do with your Titanium Backup (TiBu) restores. More than likely, you tried to restore too much. In TiBu, the different apps have different colors: Red, Yellow, Green, and White. In the menu, you can see the following Legend:
White: User Application. These are apps that you installed from the Play Store or sideloaded by directly installing an apk. These are safe to restore.
Red: System Application. These are system files that heavily rely on which Android version (4.1.x vs. 4.2.x) and whether you're on TW or AOSP. I always try to avoid restoring these backups (even when just upgrading to a newer version of the same Rom). Some people will say that you can restore the Data only for these, but my motto is: caution will help prevent mistakes (ground-shaking, I know).
Green: System Service with Useful Data: These are system apps that have useful information (such as User Accounts, etc.). I treat these the same as Red Backups, but am a bit more likely to restore the data of them (green means go, right?).
Yellow: These backups are system data that can be restored as an xml file. These are inherently safer than the red and green ones, and I say restore away (I always restore my Call Log, Messages, and Wi-Fi Access Points).
The reason you were getting FCs was restoring a red or green backup. This can sometimes work, but has a lot of potential for issues when switching between TW and AOSP Roms. Most likely something in your /system folder is messed up due to restoring an app. Even when you flash a new Rom, it just overwrites items in your System folder, it doesn't wipe /System. So whatever is wrong in your /System folder is still there, regardless of what you flash.
Ok, now that we've identified what's wrong with your phone, we can now help solve it!
Solution/Fixes
Are you able to get into a custom Recovery? If not, you need to use Odin and follow The Rooting Guide to get back to a custom recovery (I recommend TWRP, but CWM is just as good).
Next, you want to download a Rom and put it on your device. I'd recommend (just for now), to get Freeza's stock TW Rom.
Now, before you try to flash this Rom, you'll have to wipe. In order to get rid of the FCs, you'll have to at least wipe System. I'd recommend a full wipe of your Internal SD Card (after backing up anything you want to save), but it's not technically necessary. Afterwards, you can wipe data and cache/dalvik cache.
Then you can flash your Rom. It seems like you know how to do this, but in case you don't, I have previously posted directions over here.
Hope this helps!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well as of right I believe I just unrooted the phone and went back to stock android because when I try and go into recovery mode, it gives me the normal stock recovery. I thought it would work but needless to say the applications pop-ups saying it stopped working is still happening. I can see the google account set up but cant do anything because of the pop-ups and also theres a I icnon with a no symbol around it on the top left corner (dont know what that means). Is it possible to factory reset and wipe the data from this stock recovery? And if so should I wipe cache partition first?
Also thanks for the help. My head hurts trying to figure out how to fix this...It just seems like everything I try and do makes it worse or the same.

Miguelcoo1 said:
I did have a Custom Recovery. I believe it was TWRP. I think all this happened was because when it occured I might of went into the recovery and accidently wiped system. I know that the phone didn't have OS on it and was blank. It just stayed on the Samsung boot screen. About 20 minutes ago I tried to unroot the phone and start with stock android. I didn't have much important stuff on my phone so I don't mind. The problem is when I did that it seemed to work. Only to find out that the pop-ups still exist and are constantly popping up where I cant do anything.
I would it worked seeing as though I can go into my stock recovery mode. Could it be possible to just wipe everything there and factory reset it or would it brick the phone? Also if I can just factory reset it through the stock recovery should I wipe the cache partition first?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's not gonna work because you wiped system, and now you have stock recovery. I would follow topherk's post above this one. Very well written.
sent from somewhere

Miguelcoo1 said:
Well as of right I believe I just unrooted the phone and went back to stock android because when I try and go into recovery mode, it gives me the normal stock recovery. I thought it would work but needless to say the applications pop-ups saying it stopped working is still happening. I can see the google account set up but cant do anything because of the pop-ups and also theres a I icnon with a no symbol around it on the top left corner (dont know what that means). Is it possible to factory reset and wipe the data from this stock recovery? And if so should I wipe cache partition first?
Also thanks for the help. My head hurts trying to figure out how to fix this...It just seems like everything I try and do makes it worse or the same.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You're doing well, don't get too frustrated.
Stock recovery is relatively limited and it won't be able to wipe what you need to wipe. When you do a factory reset in Stock (or custom) recoveries, you are just wiping the /data folder. Since we've identified that it's most likely an issue with /System, a Factory Reset won't do any good.
Your best bet it to get a Custom Recovery again through the Rooting Guide. That guide is really well-written and has pictures so it's easier to follow.
After you have CWM and TWRP, it's real easy to wipe everything (in TWRP 2.5.0.0, you just wipe internal sd card and you're good to go). Or you can do a comprehensive wipe by wiping /System, /Data, Cache and Dalvik Cache. Then you can flash a Rom (again, I'd recommend Freeza's). After you get Freeza's Rom up and running, I'd make a Nandroid Backup immediately (in a Custom Recovery). This will be the backup that you can return to whenever something doesn't flash well.

topherk said:
You're doing well, don't get too frustrated.
Stock recovery is relatively limited and it won't be able to wipe what you need to wipe. When you do a factory reset in Stock (or custom) recoveries, you are just wiping the /data folder. Since we've identified that it's most likely an issue with /System, a Factory Reset won't do any good.
Your best bet it to get a Custom Recovery again through the Rooting Guide. That guide is really well-written and has pictures so it's easier to follow.
After you have CWM and TWRP, it's real easy to wipe everything (in TWRP 2.5.0.0, you just wipe internal sd card and you're good to go). Or you can do a comprehensive wipe by wiping /System, /Data, Cache and Dalvik Cache. Then you can flash a Rom (again, I'd recommend Freeza's). After you get Freeza's Rom up and running, I'd make a Nandroid Backup immediately (in a Custom Recovery). This will be the backup that you can return to whenever something doesn't flash well.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for all the help. I'm downloading the GS3 Root Kit Zip so I can follow your instructions. I'm going to try and bring my phone back to life. I'll update when hopefully its fixed lol.

topherk said:
You're doing well, don't get too frustrated.
Stock recovery is relatively limited and it won't be able to wipe what you need to wipe. When you do a factory reset in Stock (or custom) recoveries, you are just wiping the /data folder. Since we've identified that it's most likely an issue with /System, a Factory Reset won't do any good.
Your best bet it to get a Custom Recovery again through the Rooting Guide. That guide is really well-written and has pictures so it's easier to follow.
After you have CWM and TWRP, it's real easy to wipe everything (in TWRP 2.5.0.0, you just wipe internal sd card and you're good to go). Or you can do a comprehensive wipe by wiping /System, /Data, Cache and Dalvik Cache. Then you can flash a Rom (again, I'd recommend Freeza's). After you get Freeza's Rom up and running, I'd make a Nandroid Backup immediately (in a Custom Recovery). This will be the backup that you can return to whenever something doesn't flash well.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well I did everything but flash the rom. My question is in the link you gave me to flash Freeza's rom which one do I download, The first one on the top?

Miguelcoo1 said:
Well I did everything but flash the rom. My question is in the link you gave me to flash Freeza's rom which one do I download, The first one on the top?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I knew this question was going to pop up... I should've put it in my original post.
You're probably going to want to flash the Deodex MD4 one:
DeOdex:
Sprint Touchwiz Jelly Bean 4.1.2 L710VPBMD4
MD5: 77262D9D6CF1A6AF30A8981A95A75D57
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I find that a lot of mods require DeOdex Roms, so in case you decide to flash one in the future, it'll help to have it. And the main negative of DeOdex is a slightly longer start-up time, so I recommend people use DeOdex.

topherk said:
I knew this question was going to pop up... I should've put it in my original post.
You're probably going to want to flash the Deodex MD4 one:
I find that a lot of mods require DeOdex Roms, so in case you decide to flash one in the future, it'll help to have it. And the main negative of DeOdex is a slightly longer start-up time, so I recommend people use DeOdex.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok, I'm downloading the massive zip file on my desktop and waiting for it to be finished. My question is how am I going to transfer the zip file into the sdcard? Could it be just as simple as putting the phone in download mode and connect to my computer to transfer the file? Also I wanted to know once I Flash the rom and Custom Recovery which would be TWRP to Backup does it back up everything or is there only a few things I do need to back up. I ask because as of right now my phone is shut off and doesn't have a OS on it. Just waiting on the zip file to finally flash the rom and back it up.
I also wanted to ask you about something I been thinking about. When all this mess happened because I backed up files I wasnt suppose to back up with titanium back up, the backup file still exist on my sdcard. Is it possible for me to delete everything other than just the apps and it will work fine? I ask because I'm planning on getting the Cyan 10.1 rom again because I loved it (for the few minutes it ran fine). Or should I just not do it and start fresh? Would it be possible to use those app back up files when I install titanium back up again?

Miguelcoo1 said:
Ok, I'm downloading the massive zip file on my desktop and waiting for it to be finished. My question is how am I going to transfer the zip file into the sdcard? Could it be just as simple as putting the phone in download mode and connect to my computer to transfer the file? Also I wanted to know once I Flash the rom and Custom Recovery which would be TWRP to Backup does it back up everything or is there only a few things I do need to back up. I ask because as of right now my phone is shut off and doesn't have a OS on it. Just waiting on the zip file to finally flash the rom and back it up.
I also wanted to ask you about something I been thinking about. When all this mess happened because I backed up files I wasnt suppose to back up with titanium back up, the backup file still exist on my sdcard. Is it possible for me to delete everything other than just the apps and it will work fine? I ask because I'm planning on getting the Cyan 10.1 rom again because I loved it (for the few minutes it ran fine). Or should I just not do it and start fresh? Would it be possible to use those app back up files when I install titanium back up again?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok, so from what I can tell, you've already wiped your internal memory. Since you can't load up into the Rom to copy the files, there are a couple of ways to get them on your phone:
Manual Copy: Take the external Micro SD card out and pop it into an adapter and insert it into your computer to copy the file (I've done this once or twice).
Recovery Mounting as USB: If you have TWRP 2.4.1.0 or 2.5.0.0, there should be an option which allows you to mount the phone as a usb mass storage. It should be in the mount menu.
ADB Copy: Connect the phone to the computer and boot the phone into download mode. You can then use adb to copy the file over to the phone. I'm personally not very good with adb, but there are good guides on here with how to do this. (Guide 1) (Guide 2)
Once you get a Rom up and running on your phone, you won't have to do these, but since it wasn't working before, this is the way to do it.

topherk said:
Ok, so from what I can tell, you've already wiped your internal memory. Since you can't load up into the Rom to copy the files, there are a couple of ways to get them on your phone:
Manual Copy: Take the external Micro SD card out and pop it into an adapter and insert it into your computer to copy the file (I've done this once or twice).
Recovery Mounting as USB: If you have TWRP 2.4.1.0 or 2.5.0.0, there should be an option which allows you to mount the phone as a usb mass storage. It should be in the mount menu.
ADB Copy: Connect the phone to the computer and boot the phone into download mode. You can then use adb to copy the file over to the phone. I'm personally not very good with adb, but there are good guides on here with how to do this. (Guide 1) (Guide 2)
Once you get a Rom up and running on your phone, you won't have to do these, but since it wasn't working before, this is the way to do it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok, the phone is back and running good. I just flashed and its working great...Again, Thanks a lot. Thanks for being so patient with me lol. It's been a all day affair for me wit this. I just Backed up the Rom in the TWRP recovery mode and just backed up /System /Data /Boot. I also compressed it and put it on my external SD. Now that I got that out the way, I wanted to verify if my thought on using the back up files (apps only) from the last titanium backup (which messed up my phone) to maybe try and restore them to get the phone to how it was and wont lose my apps/games? Can this be done or would it be difficult to know the differences between a app and other files?

When I backup in twrp, I typically choose everything. The recovery and cache are typically so small it doesn't matter.
In terms of titanium backups, I'd say it's safe to restore any user apps, but no system apps, not even the green ones.
Glad to hear everything worked for you!
Sent from my SPH-L710 using xda app-developers app

topherk said:
When I backup in twrp, I typically choose everything. The recovery and cache are typically so small it doesn't matter.
In terms of titanium backups, I'd say it's safe to restore any user apps, but no system apps, not even the green ones.
Glad to hear everything worked for you!
Sent from my SPH-L710 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Believe me you saved me from disaster. I was going nuts trying to find a way to fix it. Glad you saw my thread and your patience to help. I'm thinking about backing up the rom again after updating all the normal stock apps but before I try and get my apps that I downloaded from the play store. I do have one quick question, The TWRP backup also backs up the apps that you have right?
I have one last question. If my backup file (titanium) is on my external SD how can I tell which apps I can restore when I download titanium back up again? Is there even a way to know?

Yeah, it's better to have a nandroid backup of your set-up phone. It makes a restore much more palatable.
In terms of TiBu, it should find your restore folder. If not, you can manually set it from the settings.
Sent from my SPH-L710 using xda app-developers app

topherk said:
Yeah, it's better to have a nandroid backup of your set-up phone. It makes a restore much more palatable.
In terms of TiBu, it should find your restore folder. If not, you can manually set it from the settings.
Sent from my SPH-L710 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I now learned to always have a nandroid backup to make life so much easier lol. My only concern with TiBu finding the restore folder on my External SD, I'm concerned that all this might happen again. So from what you told me just restore the user apps only..Nothing more? Thank you man, your a life saver.

No problem man, I enjoy helping people and it deepens my understanding of my own phone.
TiBu shouldn't restore your apps unless you tell it to. I always restore one app at a time, so I know exactly what I'm restoring. I have my TiBu to automatically backup my phone daily at 3am. It backs up everything, system and user apps. I just make sure that I only restore user apps when I flash a new Rom.
Sent from my SPH-L710 using xda app-developers app

topherk said:
No problem man, I enjoy helping people and it deepens my understanding of my own phone.
TiBu shouldn't restore your apps unless you tell it to. I always restore one app at a time, so I know exactly what I'm restoring. I have my TiBu to automatically backup my phone daily at 3am. It backs up everything, system and user apps. I just make sure that I only restore user apps when I flash a new Rom.
Sent from my SPH-L710 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry to bother you again but I just saw something that seems pretty fishy. I been practically on Wifi since I flashed the phone and now everything works. The issue i'm seeing though is that the signal bars are good with reception yet the 3g symbol isnt showing up. I tried to make a call and it seems like it works but I can't go on the internet. It just gives me the webpage not available screen. I dont think I have a data connection..Any ideas?

Update profile and prl.
Transmitted with a portable device using Xparent Blue Tapatalk 2

Does anybody have a Odin-able copy of SM-T800 LRX22G.T800XXU1BOE2?

Apparently, TWRP v2.8.6.2 compressed images to external SD cards are damaged, and it wiped my Recovery Mode and part of my previous Stock OS LRX22G.T800XXU1BOE2 installation.
I was able to Odin a Canadian copy of T800XXU1BOCC_T800XAC1BOC4_XAC, but it isn't working properly on my SM-T800.
Can somebody please point me to a US LRX22G.T800XXU1BOE2?
Thanks,
¿GJ?

¿GotJazz? said:
Apparently, TWRP v2.8.6.2 compressed images to external SD cards are damaged, and it wiped my Recovery Mode and part of my previous Stock OS LRX22G.T800XXU1BOE2 installation.
I was able to Odin a Canadian copy of T800XXU1BOCC_T800XAC1BOC4_XAC, but it isn't working properly on my SM-T800.
Can somebody please point me to a US LRX22G.T800XXU1BOE2?
Thanks,
¿GJ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Always check sammobile.com
http://www.sammobile.com/firmwares/download/47566/T800XXU1BOE2_T800XAR1BOC5_XAR/

Ramer said:
Always check sammobile.com
http://www.sammobile.com/firmwares/download/47566/T800XXU1BOE2_T800XAR1BOC5_XAR/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks, @Ramer - I checked Sammobile earlier this morning, and it wasn't there. They must have posted it later today.
I can't get to it right now, tho, their website may be having issues. I'll try later.

What do you mean the backup was damaged, what failed and which partition?
You can reflash recovery then just restore system. No need to do a full restore.

ashyx said:
What do you mean the backup was damaged, what failed and which partition?
You can reflash recovery then just restore system. No need to do a full restore.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Unfortunately. @ashyx - I'm not sure exactly where now. The recovery failure was almost instant (within the first 5 to 10 steps), and I remember that the error occurred right after a progress comment about EXT4. I lost the capability to boot up, and I lost the capability to get into Recovery Mode. My only option was to stay stuck in Download Mode, and hope that my battery didn't die before I was able to get a Odin image re-installed.
It was nerve-wracking.
I wasn't sure if the tablet would be charging while in Download Mode, and there was no way (that I knew of) to get out of Download Mode. I thought there was a high probability that I was about to permanently lose my brand-new tablet.
I paid for a subscription to Sammobile to get an older image installed until someone was able to get me the more recent stock image.
I'm too nervous to try and restore the image again without need, but I will definitely do it if you want me to. I understand the urgency to make sure that TWRP makes good images 100% of the time, and I am reluctant to do anything future to my tablet if I can't make a reliable back-up.
¿GJ?

Maybe your backup somehow got corrupted.
Which partitions were you actually trying to restore? For future reference if you made a backup of recovery don't restore it. Only restore it if you want to revert to a different version.
Also don't worry about bricking your device. As long as you still get download mode you will always be able to recover. I soft brick my tablet on a daily basis lol.
The only thing you need to flash to get into a bootable state is recovery. From recovery you can usually solve most issues. Even if your battery had died you would have been able to charge it and then power it back on. Also the tablet does charge in recovery mode.
Twrp can be a funny so and so sometimes. You just get the one time when it doesn't t behave as you expect. 99% of the time though its pretty solid.
I always find its good practise to restore a backup immediately after making it to ensure its sound. You don't want to wait until its too late to find out its corrupt.

ashyx said:
Maybe your backup somehow got corrupted.
Which partitions were you actually trying to restore? For future reference if you made a backup of recovery don't restore it. Only restore it if you want to revert to a different version.
Also don't worry about bricking your device. As long as you still get download mode you will always be able to recover. I soft brick my tablet on a daily basis lol.
The only thing you need to flash to get into a bootable state is recovery. From recovery you can usually solve most issues. Even if your battery had died you would have been able to charge it and then power it back on. Also the tablet does charge in recovery mode.
Twrp can be a funny so and so sometimes. You just get the one time when it doesn't t behave as you expect. 99% of the time though its pretty solid.
I always find its good practise to restore a backup immediately after making it to ensure its sound. You don't want to wait until its too late to find out its corrupt.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks, @ashyx - Good advice on the partition recovery steps. Normally, I have automatically accepted the three defaults, and swiped. I will not do that anymore.
I have found TWRP to be very reliable in the past: If it's working fine, I always get a good backup. If it's failing on something, I always get a bad backup image, or always can't restore. I haven't had a random corruption yet. There was a problem I saw with TWRP and my Samsung GS3 a few years back where it would corrupt compressed archives, but uncompressed archives were fine. Maybe this is a replay on that problem.
I will backup my current CM12.1 image uncompressed, and then try just restoring my system & data partitions from the previous backup, and let you know what happens.

¿GotJazz? said:
Thanks, @ashyx - Good advice on the partition recovery steps. Normally, I have automatically accepted the three defaults, and swiped. I will not do that anymore.
I have found TWRP to be very reliable in the past: If it's working fine, I always get a good backup. If it's failing on something, I always get a bad backup image, or always can't restore. I haven't had a random corruption yet. There was a problem I saw with TWRP and my Samsung GS3 a few years back where it would corrupt compressed archives, but uncompressed archives were fine. Maybe this is a replay on that problem.
I will backup my current CM12.1 image uncompressed, and then try just restoring my system & data partitions from the previous backup, and let you know what happens.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I can assure you compressed backups should work fine. I have done it countless times. Probably just a one off for whatever reason, could be a failing sd card. You may find the backup is fine and will be ok to restore. I wouldn't be afraid to try again. When a backup fails to restore you usually only get an error message not a sudden crash and reboot.
Try making a compressed test backup by just backing up the cache partition then restore.

ashyx said:
I can assure you compressed backups should work fine. I have done it countless times. Probably just a one off for whatever reason, could be a failing sd card. You may find the backup is fine and will be ok to restore. I wouldn't be afraid to try again. When a backup fails to restore you usually only get an error message not a sudden crash and reboot.
Try making a compressed test backup by just backing up the cache partition then restore.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, as a point of reference, I just tried to restore system & data from my older (apparently corrupted) image.
I saw:
...
Wiping System...
Formatting System using make_ext4s function.
Restoring System...
E:extractTarFork() process ended with ERROR=255​
I will follow your suggestion, and try writing a compressed Cache backup to see what happens.

¿GotJazz? said:
Well, as a point of reference, I just tried to restore system & data from my older (apparently corrupted) image.
I saw:
...
Wiping System...
Formatting System using make_ext4s function.
Restoring System...
E:extractTarFork() process ended with ERROR=255​
I will follow your suggestion, and try writing a compressed Cache backup to see what happens.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Is this backup also encrypted. I have seen that error with encrypted backups in the official twrp. However this was fixed with an update pushed to the twrp repo which I have incorporated into the latest build.
Does your version of Twrp show your model number at the top?

ashyx said:
Is this backup also encrypted?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes.
ashyx said:
Does your version of Twrp show your model number at the top?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, it just shows Team Win Recovery Project v2.8.6.2. It doesn't show any Samsung model numbers (If that is what you are asking).
I installed it using your All-In-One Root/Recovery tool.

Ok I think you're actually running an earlier build. I have updated builds below.
Install one of the f2s versions from the link below.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/gal...p-2-8-6-1-unofficial-sm-t800-805-807-t3074633

ashyx said:
Ok I think you're actually running an earlier build. I have updated builds below.
Install one of the f2s versions from the link below.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/gal...p-2-8-6-1-unofficial-sm-t800-805-807-t3074633
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks, @ashyx! I'll download the SM-T800 F2FS version right now.
BTW, I've been really interested in installing F2FS. One thing I have been worried about, though, is that once I go down the F2FS path, it may be easy to really mess things up. For example, if I update a ROM, I would always need to use a F2FS ROM, or I might lose all my data - is that right?

Normally you would only format the data and cache partition to f2fs. There isn't much point formatting system to f2fs.
Also f2fs requires a special kernel. Myself and Tkkg1994(Iron Rom) have been working together to get this working properly. Still testing.
We are almost there.
Once formatted to f2fs you would need to reformat back to ext4 and flash a kernel to return back to normal. You could then flash your backup.

Titanium Backup Restores (ROOT)

Since rooted phones can't take OTA's, we have special considerations before updating. (flash/wipe/then recover ... ). Google restores a lot but I've discovered not many system or app settings. TWRP makes full backups, but if your data is full of pics and videos there's not enough available space for backups.
I have Titanium Backup Pro but I'm not sure 'when' to use it for recovery. Individual app restores sure, but what about a complete restore? After a flash and boot, should I bypass the Google setups, install TiB, and restore with that? Will that give me a 100% restored device (all system and app settings)?
Will this work? Is there a better strategy? Or is it impossible to get 100% recovery.
Insight/ Advice are appreciated.

Can't systemless root take OTAs?

Keithn said:
Can't systemless root take OTAs?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
From my limited understanding ... no! Any boot, recovery, or system mods cause OTAs to fail when trying to apply. Getting AP working is a different issue.

since i'm not comfortable using command line programs i find myself using NRT when an update is due. in the end it's just a graphical frontend with some instructions but it makes me feel more secure.
enough rambling, your question is answered in one of the FAQs in wugs homepage:
http://www.wugfresh.com/faqs/how-to-update-ota-not-working/ said:
If you use Titanium Backup it is recommended to only backup user apps + data (not system apps), because when you update to the new android version, the system apps are most likely updated, so restoring an old system app backup will overwrite your new system app with the legacy version; and if you were just to restore the data, it may be incompatible with the new version of the system app. There are some exceptions to this rule; as in – you might be able to get away with restoring some system data, however if you chose to go this route then make sure you just restore the data (not the app), you do so selectively (as in – one system app at a time), and you know how to delete that app data if it doesn’t work properly (Settings > Apps > All > navigate to the particular app > clear data > reboot your device.)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
following that link, i mostly find my self making complete backups with TiBa and then following option #1 for smaller updates and #2 for bigger ones.

Broken303 said:
...
following that link, i mostly find my self making complete backups with TiBa and then following option #1 for smaller updates and #2 for bigger ones.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the valuable info. It appears a full restore (all system settings) is impossible after an upgrade/update. Maybe restoring app data with a TiBackup is possible, but I'm still confused about the 'when' to do this - after the Google restore? Bypass the Google restore?
I recently moved away from Apple where their update/upgrade restore was almost 100%. Maybe some day Google will follow and this will be a moot point.

Mesmurized said:
Thanks for the valuable info. It appears a full restore (all system settings) is impossible after an upgrade/update. Maybe restoring app data with a TiBackup is possible, but I'm still confused about the 'when' to do this - after the Google restore? Bypass the Google restore?
I recently moved away from Apple where their update/upgrade restore was almost 100%. Maybe some day Google will follow and this will be a moot point.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
google is certainly impoving on that part, it's only a matter of time until this kind of backup is fully implemented.
if you took a look at the link, you may have realised that at least with option 1 you would not have to go through the setup/restore process again.
in my case, i usually go for the restore option given, as it restores some of the system settings in a compatible way, which TiBa can not as already said.
another option, to carry over all of your settings to the update is to:
make a full backup with TiBa
unroot/reflash your current build (if you are using NRT choose 'no wipe mode' similar to the description in the FAQ. this way you don't have to restore anything and can ignore the next step.)
restore your full backup without fear of compatibility issues(never mind, can't restore system settings without root. stupid me.)
take OTA or trigger the update otherwise
in this case it would of course be pretty much useless to restore the google backup.

Broken303 said:
google is certainly impoving on that part, it's only a matter of time until this kind of backup is fully implemented.
if you took a look at the link, you may have realised that at least with option 1 you would not have to go through the setup/restore process again.
in my case, i usually go for the restore option given, as it restores some of the system settings in a compatible way, which TiBa can not as already said.
another option, to carry over all of your settings to the update is to:
make a full backup with TiBa
unroot/reflash your current build (if you are using NRT choose 'no wipe mode' similar to the description in the FAQ. this way you don't have to restore anything and can ignore the next step.)
restore your full backup without fear of compatibility issues(never mind, can't restore system settings without root. stupid me.)
take OTA or trigger the update otherwise
in this case it would of course be pretty much useless to restore the google backup
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I checked out Option #1 and the rest of NRT for that matter. In fact I have NRT installed. What is does mostly depends upon stock and I have Pure Nexus. In addition, it's a toolkit. Toolkits isolate users from an "understanding" of the process. However, it's the understanding that is necessary to have a fully integrated backup/restore process and to respond to issues/problems that may arise. Bottom line, I don't use toolkits.

Mesmurized said:
I checked out Option #1 and the rest of NRT for that matter. In fact I have NRT installed. What is does mostly depends upon stock and I have Pure Nexus. In addition, it's a toolkit. Toolkits isolate users from an "understanding" of the process. However, it's the understanding that is necessary to have a fully integrated backup/restore process and to respond to issues/problems that may arise. Bottom line, I don't use toolkits.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
ok then, i thought your switch to android was very recent and therefore you had very little experience. indeed toolkits are in the way of a learning curve when it comes to android.
to my knowledge the closest thing you can get to a full backup/restore process for manual updates is to use the google backup to restore the system settings and use TiBa to restore your own (user)apps and data (possibly overwriting the apps google may have tried to restore/-install). with pure nexus afaik being very close to stock using the tag to not wipe user data should in theory still work without causing problems.

Broken303 said:
ok then, i thought your switch to android was very recent and therefore you had very little experience. indeed toolkits are in the way of a learning curve when it comes to android.
to my knowledge the closest thing you can get to a full backup/restore process for manual updates is to use the google backup to restore the system settings and use TiBa to restore your own (user)apps and data (possibly overwriting the apps google may have tried to restore/-install). with pure nexus afaik being very close to stock using the tag to not wipe user data should in theory still work without causing problems.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If I understand correctly, do you recommend allowing Google to restore everything it wants, then running TiB restore after that?

Mesmurized said:
If I understand correctly, do you recommend allowing Google to restore everything it wants, then running TiB restore after that?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yes, basically. i would still be cautious when it comes to sms/mms and make a copy of every important file on the sdcard aswell.
the only problem i ever encountered this way was with whatsapp, which i had to reinstall and then manually move over its folder on the sd card from the previous installation.

Broken303 said:
yes, basically. i would still be cautious when it comes to sms/mms and make a copy of every important file on the sdcard aswell.
the only problem i ever encountered this way was with whatsapp, which i had to reinstall and then manually move over its folder on the sd card from the previous installation.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have a separate app for call logs and SMS/text messages. I'll use it!
I always have everything on /sdcard backed up .... It's just those darn system/app settings that are missing. Oh well, thanks for your help. Think I've come a little closer to a full 100% restore.

Mesmurized said:
Since rooted phones can't take OTA's, we have special considerations before updating. (flash/wipe/then recover ... ). Google restores a lot but I've discovered not many system or app settings. TWRP makes full backups, but if your data is full of pics and videos there's not enough available space for backups.
I have Titanium Backup Pro but I'm not sure 'when' to use it for recovery. Individual app restores sure, but what about a complete restore? After a flash and boot, should I bypass the Google setups, install TiB, and restore with that? Will that give me a 100% restored device (all system and app settings)?
Will this work? Is there a better strategy? Or is it impossible to get 100% recovery.
Insight/ Advice are appreciated.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just follow #10 from Heisenberg's rooting guide & your apps/data stay intact.

ING3NIEUR said:
Just follow #10 from Heisenberg's rooting guide & your apps/data stay intact.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's the easy part! Restoring app settings and all of system settings is the hard part

Mesmurized said:
That's the easy part! Restoring app settings and all of system settings is the hard part
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As long as you follow the guide and don't wipe your phone, then there's no need to restore your apps/settings. They should still be there on your phone. The only thing you have to restore is TWRP/root.

ING3NIEUR said:
... The only thing you have to restore is TWRP/root.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If a flash update is performed, do you still restore TWRP/root? I would think not as it would overwrite the newly flashed update and likely make the system unstable in the least or unbootable at the worst!

Mesmurized said:
If a flash update is performed, do you still restore TWRP/root? I would think not as it would overwrite the newly flashed update and likely make the system unstable in the least or unbootable at the worst!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you are rooted, your phone will not take an OTA update. So you have two options....flash the new factory image or wait for somebody to upload a flashable update zip. The easiest way is to just download and flash the new factory image. If you follow the guide, you are also flashing stock recovery. So, you have to re-flash TWRP and root. Your data/apps stay intact.

ING3NIEUR said:
If you are rooted, your phone will not take an OTA update. So you have two options....flash the new factory image or wait for somebody to upload a flashable update zip. The easiest way is to just download and flash the new factory image. If you follow the guide, you are also flashing stock recovery. So, you have to re-flash TWRP and root. Your data/apps stay intact.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for you input, but after all this, at the least many system settings are lost even after Google does it's full restore. I know, I've done it many times. I'm looking for a process/strategy that restores system settings (and all data settings) after an upgrade.

Mesmurized said:
Thanks for you input, but after all this, at the least many system settings are lost even after Google does it's full restore. I know, I've done it many times. I'm looking for a process/strategy that restores system settings (and all data settings) after an upgrade.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Im very confused by this whole thread you have unlocked bootloader rooted phone running twrp and wondering how to stay up to date with latest google factory images?
You dont have to backup your phone to install the factory images and you can flash the new one over the current one. You can simply download the latest factory image from google and manually flash the files from fastboot or use the flashall.bat. just make sure to edit the flash allscript so it doesn't flash userdata or recovery as the flashing of userdata will delete your user data)
Flash the following from the factory image. Dont flash recovery or userdata (recovery will over write twrp and userdata will wipe your data partition.
Boot.img
Cache.img
System.img
Vendor.img
Radio.img
Then boot into recovery and reinstall su.

The_Automator said:
Im very confused by this whole thread you have unlocked bootloader rooted phone running twrp and wondering how to stay up to date with latest google factory images? ...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No. Please re-read post #1.
I want to restore all system and app settings AFTER a flash update. It is possible to retain many (most) app settings if the internal storage is not wiped, but this does not apply to system settings.

Mesmurized said:
No. Please re-read post #1.
I want to restore all system and app settings AFTER a flash update. It is possible to retain many (most) app settings if the internal storage is not wiped, but this does not apply to system settings.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Updates modify the system partition of the phone i have found that using titanium backup to restore system apps has always caused issues for me as the files have been modified by the update and you are then overwriting the update with settings from a previous version this can make settings copied incorrectly or cause issues with new features that have been implemented to the system partition. Personally I think it could create more issues than it solves is there a specific setting or thing you are trying to preserve?

Failed Boot after Flashing SuperSU

I finally got around to rooting my 5x this last weekend. I flashed the latest version of the SuperSU update zip. After flashing I used the SafetyNet Helper to check if my phone successfully jumps through all of Google's hoops. I failed the test, so I went back to recovery and restored my boot partition from my nandroid backup, which I created immediately after flashing and booting to TWRP. When I tried rebooting system I got a message my software was corrupt and phone got stuck on boot screen (Google logo with annoying padlock to indicate bootloader is unlocked). Went back to TWRP and tried restoring both boot and system but it was still getting stuck on the boot screen. So I downloaded the factory images, flashed everything but userdata, and phone was working again.
After some digging I found that I failed to read the fine print for the newer versions of SuperSU, stating that if you want the systemless install you have to write a couple of settings to a file in /data that the installer checks. Did this and root worked and passed the SafetyNet checks and I was happy. Then I installed AdAway and flashed systemless hosts and I'm even happier. But I'm still wondering why it was saying my software was corrupted, even after I restored my nandroid backup. Any ideas?

jgummeson said:
I finally got around to rooting my 5x this last weekend. I flashed the latest version of the SuperSU update zip. After flashing I used the SafetyNet Helper to check if my phone successfully jumps through all of Google's hoops. I failed the test, so I went back to recovery and restored my boot partition from my nandroid backup, which I created immediately after flashing and booting to TWRP. When I tried rebooting system I got a message my software was corrupt and phone got stuck on boot screen (Google logo with annoying padlock to indicate bootloader is unlocked). Went back to TWRP and tried restoring both boot and system but it was still getting stuck on the boot screen. So I downloaded the factory images, flashed everything but userdata, and phone was working again.
After some digging I found that I failed to read the fine print for the newer versions of SuperSU, stating that if you want the systemless install you have to write a couple of settings to a file in /data that the installer checks. Did this and root worked and passed the SafetyNet checks and I was happy. Then I installed AdAway and flashed systemless hosts and I'm even happier. But I'm still wondering why it was saying my software was corrupted, even after I restored my nandroid backup. Any ideas?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In general, phones get messed up after flashing backups or changing through multiple ROMs. The backups like nandroid backup are primarily meant for immediate resolution and a full fresh install is always recommended for any device (be it a desktop, laptop or any mobile device). Its always better to find the best suited ROM as per your needs and stick with it rather than messing up by flashing different zips through TWRP. Cheers :good:

ultraquantum said:
In general, phones get messed up after flashing backups or changing through multiple ROMs. The backups like nandroid backup are primarily meant for immediate resolution and a full fresh install is always recommended for any device (be it a desktop, laptop or any mobile device). Its always better to find the best suited ROM as per your needs and stick with it rather than messing up by flashing different zips through TWRP. Cheers :good:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Right. Nandroid can quickly get you out of the most common sticky situations by restoring the most commonly messed with partitions (system, boot, data). There are a bunch of other partitions that can mess things up. The only things flashed though were TWRP and SuperSU (non-systemless by mistake). I'm just trying to understand what might've gone wrong. Something outside of system/boot must have been modified and broke the boot, only after restoring the boot partition. Think I figured it out though - I looked at the update script for SuperSU and it looks like it could be messing with the vendor partition (at least for non-systemless installs). When I flashed back the stock boot image a change in the vendor partition must have tripped dm-verity, which the SuperSU installer had disabled when it updated the boot image.