[Q] Data erase question - Captivate Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

Im selling my captivate tomorrow and I want to make sure all of my personal data is removed. The phone is rooted and running a custom rom (froyo if my memory serves me correct) I believe new boot loaders were involved if that matters, screen shot below.
Should I be using the factory reset option with it running a custom ROM? is this harmful? or should i be doing it a different way
Thanks for any help!!

I think its not a bad idea to restore to stock. It will make sure everything is as it should be in a 'out of the box' phone and nothing more.
And doesn't hurt to use CwM and do a data and sd card wipe beforehand.
Are you upgrading to another galaxy? or something else?
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App

Thanks for answering. your sure I dont need to use like Odin to flash back to eclair?
I remember reading somewhere that with the new boot loaders ODIN couldnt be used or something like that. I could be waay wrong
I got rid of my old Iphone for the Captivate and loved it for a while but i got bored with it after a while like i did my old Iphone. Picked the new new 4S. Apple is just more convenient for me to use for the time being. Im not a crazy fanboy of either by anymeans.

Personally, I would flash back to either 2.1 or 2.2, whichever came on your phone originally, or the official 2.3 release. Once you are back to stock, then do a reset just to be sure.
If you leave a custom ROM on it and something goes wrong (or if they weren't expecting it), they're going to come back to you wanting to know why they can't get the stock upgrades, etc.

good point I was hoping to avoid all that. Im just selling to some random person on craigs list but I guess it would be the courteous thing to not screw them in the future

& Odin worked like a charm

I use Odin to flash back to stock JF6 ROM and use that same Odin to do a masterclear after going back to stock. Works like a charm and EVERYTHING is wiped out.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I727 using XDA App

Related

An indepth guide explaining how to load ROMs?

I've been trying to read as much as I could about loading custom roms, but I haven't found a guide that explains everything. I've gone through all the stickies but I haven't gotten a clear idea of flashing roms.
In the past, I've rooted my captivate and then downloaded the Titanium backup manager. But after wanting to go back to stock, my phone completely died using Odin to go back to JF6 and then doing an OTA update.
So before experimenting with my phone again, I want to be sure I know exactly what I'm doing. So is there a detailed guide on about using custom roms? Such as, what exactly is the update.zip file? When should I create a copy of it? What is Clockwork? If I want to revert back to stock, how do you go back to JH7 instead of JF6?
Not really, not for the level of detail you are looking for.
I'd recommend trying before you know everything . Just make sure make sure you have download mode working via the 3 button combo
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App
Update.zip is what android automatically uses in recovery mode - clockwork is an update.zip that leads you into a super cool recovery mode that lets u do more.
U don't really need to mess with it.
Just install ROM manager and it will handle it
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App
Thanks!! If you flash one ROM and want to switch to another, do you have to use odin to go back to stock? Or can you use a rom manager to flash a different one on?
dngen said:
Thanks!! If you flash one ROM and want to switch to another, do you have to use odin to go back to stock? Or can you use a rom manager to flash a different one on?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Most of the time you can do it on top, but its considered a safe measure to go back to stock. Also make sure you disable lagfix if you have one or else it will screw everything up.
joeshmoe08 said:
Most of the time you can do it on top, but its considered a safe measure to go back to stock. Also make sure you disable lagfix if you have one or else it will screw everything up.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you are going back to stock, disabling lagfix isn't necessary. Everything is completely overwritten. It's only necessary if you don't go back to stock and just upgrade instead.
I'm interested in this too - First Android device and being on a tiny bit of a learning curve...
Reading through the forums here, I see the popular safety first consensus seems to be Odin back to stock, then root/ROM Manager and on with the next ROM. Fair enough, I have no problem with that, but I'd like to know the reasoning?
So lets say I try to go from my current Cog 2.1.6 (voodoo disabled) to the latest Cognition 2.4.1 beta (or any other ROM) via ROM Manager. What disasters "will" befall me? What disasters "might" befall me? Why?
You may or may not get frequent crashes if you do not flash to stock first.
Just make sure you can get into download mode. Everything else will work out
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App

Flashing Roms

This Might have been asked already but i dont know how to search for it. Mainly what im asking is if there is a way to flash roms without restoring to stock each time. I want to be able to just boot to a different rom on the go without the computer. Kindof like dual booting a computer. Please let me know if this is possible and if its a bad idea. Thanks
im curious to know the same!
I do not think you can do what you are asking. You can flash one rom directly over another but there is a risk it does not go over well. I use to flash cognition build over the last without issue. I think it its more dangerous to go from one rom to a different rom
Sent from my SCH-I897 using XDA App
As I am new to tall this I can honestly say that it is a VERY BAD IDEA to do that. You are better off just going back to stock and flashing a new one. I figured this out the hard way.
generally you can flash a new version of the same ROM over an old version only if you go in order. Any other situation no. In other words:
1.0
1.1
1.2
not
1.0
1.2

[Q] Why go back to stock 2.1 before each flash?

Hey all. Just joined the forums a few minutes ago and I have a burning question on why it is necessary to flash back to stock with odin before you try different roms. Why can you not just boot into clockwork, factory wipe, wipe cache, wipe d cache and then simply load the new rom from sd? The reason I ask is because I have been bouncing between cognition and paragon for about 2 weeks now NOT using the method of flashing back to stock 2.1 without a single problem. I'm sure there is a good reason flashing back to 2.1 before trying new roms, I would just like to know why. I was able to preform a stock wipe using odin3 one time last week (just did it to make sure the phone would do it) it just seems like a really long process, but I'll start doing it that way to avoid a brick.
Thanks
to be safe, and some roms mod files that others dont, some roms depend on apps and files in the stock rom that might be different or not there at all in other roms.
long process? extra 5 minutes when you get used to it. if you are ATT use ODIN ONE CLICK to restore stock 2.1 (hint: it takes one click)
For the most part, you don't really need to flash back to stock. It used to be a bigger deal to flash back to stock because some of the Roms would intervene with each other and mess things up. It is still recommened for a clean flash, but I rarely do it and my flashes work great.
EDIT: @Trusselo: damn it! Second time someone beat me to the answer tonight!
HAHA
and forget ODIN ONE CLICK !!
i keep forgetting about this
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=944418
ALL IN ONE CAPTIVATE TOOLBOX
I have been trying roms weekly since November and have only needed to flash to stock twice, after failed flashes caused by my lack of patience. YMMV of course
jayjr1105 said:
Hey all. Just joined the forums a few minutes ago and I have a burning question on why it is necessary to flash back to stock with odin before you try different roms. Why can you not just boot into clockwork, factory wipe, wipe cache, wipe d cache and then simply load the new rom from sd?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's not necessary and not even a good idea. Also, why wipe cache and d-cache when the install script does that?
Trusselo said:
to be safe, and some roms mod files that others dont, some roms depend on apps and files in the stock rom that might be different or not there at all in other roms.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
ROMs don't mod or use any files which are on the phone prior to installing them. All the files on your phone after the install were in the CWM flashable zip file. Any ROM cook would be stupid to do otherwise. The exception would be no-wipe ROMs, but you would never flash to stock before using one of those.
Ive also wondered this as well and talking to guys like opcow, and a couple other Devs such as MikeyMike and a lot of guys at the Andromeda IRC they all agree that you should be perfectly fine now as long as you wipe everything before you flash.
I may try with Andromeda when I get home because I have my PC and Jig there just in case but still may try now. But also tlaking to a lot of users that they dont even do it anymore now because of the install scripts and as Opcow said if you think logically its technically safer.
Trusselo said:
long process? extra 5 minutes when you get used to it. if you are ATT use ODIN ONE CLICK to restore stock 2.1 (hint: it takes one click)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Actually thats not true at all.
If your a build 1009 and under you can use the one click. Although the build 1008 sometimes have problems.
But for the Build 1010's and up (like me) you have to use Odin3 and take a good 30-40 minutes just to get to JH7 because half of the time I lose my 3 buttons then have to push the 3 button fix over via ADB. I have gotten use it and its a pain in the ass.
And the time I listened to someone that says ALL ATT people can use the one click it completely ****ed my phone and if I didnt have a jig my phone would have been completely screwed up.
Im not trying to be rude im just saying I saw a post very similar to that a couple weeks ago and it came very close to completely bricking my phone and reading posts here now saying they have the same problem and if they dont have a jig they just got a 200 dollar paper weight.
Sorry for getting off topic back to topic today Im going to flash Andromeda over Darkyy 9.3 and wipe data cache and d cache in CWM and see how it goes although everyone and even the devs and a lot of users now a days say it should work perfectly.
Dlev7 said:
Actually thats not true at all.
If your a build 1009 and under you can use the one click. Although the build 1008 sometimes have problems.
But for the Build 1010's and up (like me) you have to use Odin3 and take a good 30-40 minutes just to get to JH7 because half of the time I lose my 3 buttons then have to push the 3 button fix over via ADB. I have gotten use it and its a pain in the ass.
And the time I listened to someone that says ALL ATT people can use the one click it completely ****ed my phone and if I didnt have a jig my phone would have been completely screwed up.
Im not trying to be rude im just saying I saw a post very similar to that a couple weeks ago and it came very close to completely bricking my phone and reading posts here now saying they have the same problem and if they dont have a jig they just got a 200 dollar paper weight.
Sorry for getting off topic back to topic today Im going to flash Andromeda over Darkyy 9.3 and wipe data cache and d cache in CWM and see how it goes although everyone and even the devs and a lot of users now a days say it should work perfectly.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+1 Guys if you don't know exactly what to do/suggest please don't say it. I'm not trying to start a war, but a wrong suggestion can easily soft or hard brick someones phone. This is a forum, so no one can stop you from saying things, but think about if it happened to you? You would be pissed!
Anyways back on topic, what model phone do you have, because having a 1009 model phone makes flashing and going back to stock (usually) so much easier. But then again, I rarely use odin because all the roms are compatible for the most part.
Sent from my SGH-I897 using XDA App
I've never used ODIN because I haven't wanted to try to run it from GNU/Linux in a virtual box.
I just wipe and flash from clockwork like the op. Been flashing roms for a couple months now, never had a single problem. (except when I noobed it up by trying to flash back to a nandroid backup via Rom Manager. Even then, didn't need Odin to sort it out).
If I ever run into a problem, then I'll try Odin, but I'm waiting to cross that bridge till I come to it.
To prevent exceptions or troubles from the version you already have... so everybody comes from the same rom, understand?
I flash to jf6 because that's what I have been conditioned to do for a while. However, the few times I was impatient and didn't....no problems either.
From all the reading I've done here, the only reason to do it is for the placebo effect.
There was once a time when all the new roms were built on the unofficial froyo and it only had 3e recovery. The quickest way to get around that was to flash stock. Also the lag fixes were tricky and easily fixed by flashing stock. Now recovery is in the kernel. As long as you insure the kernal lag fix in rom A understands the kernal lag fix in rom B flash away. Nandroid backups are kind of useless they don't backup the kernal or the modem. Save odin for when things go really wrong(;~ )
Sent from my i897 using XDA App
I have done it both ways, and there its no difference going back to stock and or flashing over other roms. I flash often, have not got stick in boot loop in months
I like to go back to stock since I KNOW that everything has been defaulted back to normal. Just a security blanket step for me.
I flashed andromeda over darkyy 9.3 just wiping data cache and d cache. Nothing wrong. Everything worked perfect so I got to believe that if you just wipe everything it should work perfectly.
Just for safety I got a jig and odin but for now I'm saving a good 45 minutes to not flash back to stock
Sent from my SGH-I897 using XDA App

Going back in time... Sort of.

Ok I got a quick question and the searching I've done really hasn't turned up anything definitive. I've got andromeda 3 right now and a back up from rom manager from when my cappy was stock running 2.2 and just rooted running either possibly onix or speed mod kernel that I made before I went with andromeda and, I also have a stock kernel backup from sgs kernel flasher.... I know I was very paranoid before my first rom flash. My question is if I wanted to go back to stock at some point should I just use clockwork to restore the nandroid I made with rom manager and flash the kernel after with sgs kernel flasher or should I do an odin 1 click to get to stock 2.1 then use mini kies to go back to 2.2. I guess it wasnt too short, really I just wanna know is one way 'safer' than the other to go back to stock if I decided too.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App
There is a cwm flashable stock image in dev somewhere, I don't have it bookmarked sorry. I always use ODIN to go stock. Doing a nandroid backup wasn't backing up all the files like it should back in the day. Not sure if it is now, but I never relied on it. I haven't used kies in months, no need to do a stock update. But, really, the only reason you would want stock is if you're selling it, warranting it, or something where you need stock on it. AdamOutler is working on heimdal. I think there is stock version of it. But as far as bootloaders go, you're on 2.2, now. ODIN brick is ok. I've had a few. Jig will solve it.
Edit
I guess, to answer your question, ODIN is fine going from any 2.2 rom to stock 2.1. The trouble is going from 2.3 to 2.2 or 2.1. Then the bootloaders change. If something messes up in the process, you're screwed.
Ok thanks that's what I've been trying to figure out, and yeah I have no reason to wanna go stock but its just for future reference, wanted to sell *gasp* or need to have it repaired. Who knows maybe i'll throw my back up at it at some point just to see what happens and see if it really was a full back up and I'll search for what you mentioned. Kies has worked the one time I used it so maybe I'll try that for fun and see if it goes alright again. Really I'm just looking for the fastest way to go back which if it goes alright should be my rom manager back up. Thanks for mentioning the deal with 2.3 roms from the forum threads I've read it seemed kinda risky to make the jump so I've stuck with 2.2 roms so far.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 w/ Andromeda 3, OC to 1.3ghx using XDA App

Clockwork disaster

Tried to restore a clockwork mod backup. It restores, the phone reboots, the music plays, but all I get is a black screen! Any suggestings, or do I have to start over!
Need more info. Gingerbread, Froyo, what Rom, etc. More info will get u a better answer to ur situation.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using xda premium
Sorry about that. Anyhow, reflashed i9000 stock and all is well. Had to reinstall apps but I don't care. Just a shame I cannot use clockwork reliably. Got the Galaxy S screen, but when it should have switched to the Android screen, black screen. Music played though, and that was it. Reflashed with Odin, good ol' Odin, and no worries. Anyhow, specs below.
Firmware 2.3.3
Baseband I9000UGJL2
Kernal 2.6.35.7-I9000XWJVB-CL118186reorient_G#10
Build Number GINGERBREAD.XWJVB
Cappy working fine now, but not being able to reliably use Clockwork is a shame. I've flashed several modems with no problem, but restore doesn't seem to work.
Another weird thing. If I go into the Clockwork App and say reboot to recovery, I get stuck with the little green Android guy and the garbage can. However, if I power the phone down and reboot, holding the Vol up and Power key, I get into Clockwork recovery no problem. I can live with this, but I eventually want to expand my knowlege and try new Roms. But, I'm happy with this stock. Really, REALLY happy after dealing with the crippling ATT crap, and want to be able to go back to this clean I9000 whenever I wish.
Not a pressing issue. Holiday weekend, phone working, I'm just NOT going to play with it right now. But, any suggestions would be helpful. Thanks.
BTW, I know saying "I get stuck with the little green Android guy and the garbage can" makes me sound like a pathetic noob. Well, I AM a pathetic noob.
Also, THIS post should go down in history. Awesome instructions, and freed this AT&T slave. http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1061203
The clock work app? You mean rom manager? That app isn't all that useful on our phones in the first place since w have all that stuff baked in. not to mention you are on a leaked firmware for another device. Use the key combos for recovery and download mode, until you flash a custom rom that has an extended power menu with those options.
As for cwm back up and restores, I don't bother with those at all. Just flash whichever rom you want and use titanium backup to back up your apps and restore just apps with it. Never system data.
There are so many damn roms. I can't decide. Thanks. Other than the clockwork this rom and kernal is very stable and fast.
Sent from my GT-I9000 using xda premium
Why don't you try the rom you linked? Its my favorite hahaha

Categories

Resources