Database Develop

A question about wiping

OK, just a quick background:
I have a G1,
running Amon_ra's Recovery Image
CyanogenMod-4.2.13
OK, so I love Amon-Ra's recovery because it makes all the maintenance things very easy. Wiping the Dalvik Cache is a quick task.
Here's my question: When folks on here say they wipe every month of so, or wipe before each new Cyanogen update, do they mean wiping everything? SD card reformat etc? Or do they just wipe certain things?
I had never wiped before 4.2.13, and found each Cyanogen release more sluggish and crashy than the last. Then I wiped, installed 4.2.12, and it ran like a brand new phone. I loved it. But now a couple weeks has passed and my phone is slowing again. I tried wiping the Dalvik Cache but didn't see any real improvement.
So do I need a full wipe to get things back to speedy? It seems like a big pain in the ass to have to reinstall all my apps, reset notification tones, etc every time the phone gets slow. Is this the case, or is the general term "wiping" refering to a lesser operation?
Thanks for any help,
Tony

It is easy to backup the apps with the command 'pull' in adb, then use the command 'push' to push them back and the phone will install them.
I would just bite the bullet and redo your settings. I know there are programs like backup for root users that will redo the settings, but I have had problems with it and would rather reappy the settings myself.

One other option to try first: download "Cachemate" from the market. It's a paid app but so worth the buck.
The app clears all the temp caches - you would be amazed at how much memory is taken up by the caches as apps run. And the apps often don't release those caches even after reboots.

Shrivel said:
One other option to try first: download "Cachemate" from the market. It's a paid app but so worth the buck.
The app clears all the temp caches - you would be amazed at how much memory is taken up by the caches as apps run. And the apps often don't release those caches even after reboots.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can also do it manually by going "setings->apps->app management->select the app, then wipe cache" And sure it will take longer, but hey, for me it is one of the joys of using a phone, actually performing those tasks.
As for wiping, in ArmonRA, wipe data, wipe dalvick, wipe ext, then go to sd partion option, and repair ext, then wipe data one last time. That is the proper way to do a full wipe with ArmonRA.
As for wiping at home, I like Charmin Ultra Soft.

pjcforpres said:
You can also do it manually by going "setings->apps->app management->select the app, then wipe cache" And sure it will take longer, but hey, for me it is one of the joys of using a phone, actually performing those tasks.
As for wiping, in ArmonRA, wipe data, wipe dalvick, wipe ext, then go to sd partion option, and repair ext, then wipe data one last time. That is the proper way to do a full wipe with ArmonRA.
As for wiping at home, I like Charmin Ultra Soft.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
LOL! and for the thread, when they say rewipe, they don't mean to reformat your whole sdcard. That would be such a pain. You just gotta wipe the ext, (if you have partitions on your sd card), Cache, and data.
-EDIT-
Oh wait he already said that..

[Q] Wipe issue

I've been learning to edit and make ROMs for couple of months, some of the early works had been uploaded to a Chinese Milestone developers' BBS.
But there is a simple question which still confused me a lot. (- =)
Some senior developers in that Chinese BBS reminded their supporters in their threads to wipe before and AFTER applying the Rom in Open Recovery. But, why should we wipe AFTER applying the Rom? I've viewed some threads here, but none of them require to wipe after applying.
So I wonder if it is really necessary to wipe AFTER applying a new ROM. I'm very appreciate if you guys can answer my question and tell me why. Thx~~~
BTW, Xda is an excellent website. And it's much more professional than the BBS I used to visit. May you have a nice day~

It's a common myth. I'm not sure why it gets repeated over and over again.
One wipe is enough. Dalvik-cache is not populated again until the system is booting for the first time. While you are in recovery, it also doesn't matter if you wipe before or after you apply the update (unless the updater script in some particular update.zip also installs something to /data or /cache partition, which is not very common).
You can read cvpcs's thoughts on this matter here: http://cvpcs.org/blog/2011-06-05/time_to_wipe_data/cache

kabaldan said:
It's a common myth. I'm not sure why it gets repeated over and over again.
One wipe is enough. Dalvik-cache is not populated again until the system is booting for the first time. While you are in recovery, it also doesn't matter if you wipe before or after you apply the update (unless the updater script in some particular update.zip also installs something to /data or /cache partition, which is not very common).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks a lot~ (I'm looking for some threads which can explain how "wipe" works. Actually I still got some problem about that, like " Why system app still maintain after wipe? Is it because those system app has a backup in Flash Memory, and it will restore after wipe the EEPROM?")

(This message is only for testing whether it is reply to the original poster or the people who answer it....)

[E]Xtreme said:
Thanks a lot~ (I'm looking for some threads which can explain how "wipe" works. Actually I still got some problem about that, like " Why system app still maintain after wipe? Is it because those system app has a backup in Flash Memory, and it will restore after wipe the EEPROM?")
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
System apps are installed into a different partition (/system), which also holds the OS files. Wiping data and cache only wipes the /data and /cache partitions and leaves /system alone. Otherwise the phone wouldn't work at all.

Dave Lister said:
System apps are installed into a different partition (/system), which also holds the OS files. Wiping data and cache only wipes the /data and /cache partitions and leaves /system alone. Otherwise the phone wouldn't work at all.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Got it~ That's very kind of you.

[Q] how to clean '/' after multiple flashings

How do I "clean" my phone after flashing different roms. I explored the contents of the root directory ('/') and I could find the files/directories which I suspect are from earlier roms that I had used.
I thought flashing stock rom through ODIN would delete everything related to previous rom but looks like that is not the case. Should I use reparttition option in ODIN with pit file to achieve this ?

What i do when i get to this point is copy everything off internal sd card onto a folder on my pc and format internal sd card. Then do all the normal clear data, cache, dalvik, init'd and ns tools and finally flash new rom...
Sent from my GT-P7500 using Tapatalk 2

You'll want to go into CWM prior to flashing and format /system as well as 'wipe data/factory reset' (this will format the rest). Optionally you can format the sdcard, but with the above you'll have a clean system.

scubadude said:
What i do when i get to this point is copy everything off internal sd card onto a folder on my pc and format internal sd card. Then do all the normal clear data, cache, dalvik, init'd and ns tools and finally flash new rom...
Sent from my GT-P7500 using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I understand sd card formatting & WIPE (data, cache & dalvik). But what exactly is init'd and ns tools ? how do I do this ?

upichie said:
You'll want to go into CWM prior to flashing and format /system as well as 'wipe data/factory reset' (this will format the rest). Optionally you can format the sdcard, but with the above you'll have a clean system.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks..I believe format /system will format /system (i.e. cleaning up system directory in root '/'). Does it mean that I don't have any other leftover in the root directory ( '/') ? Every thing that a rom & kernels install will be wiped after formatting /system ?

If you don't format sd card you still going to have those left over folders and files from various roms and programmes you have installed and removed. This stuff isn't necessary to remove but thought that is what you were asking about.
Sent from my GT-P7500 using Tapatalk 2

scubadude said:
If you don't format sd card you still going to have those left over folders and files from various roms and programmes you have installed and removed. This stuff isn't necessary to remove but thought that is what you were asking about.
Sent from my GT-P7500 using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Essentially, /sdcard is the only thing you don't need to format. Apps store files here, but they aren't within the system and won't affect performance if they're left over. You can manually delete them if you no longer have the app, or you can backup things to keep and then format it as well.
Otherwise, you'll want to format everything (except for boot).
Init.d is a folder which contains scripts that run at boot. Wiping this prevents problems that may occur from leftover scripts. NSTools is an app that has settings that run at boot, such as overclocking, undervolting, etc. It is also advised to wipe these settings as to avoid conflicts when flashing new kernels, ROMs, etc.
But formatting /system and wiping data/factory reset (which formats the rest of the Androids operating system) will allow you to have a clean install of any ROM. The leftover app files on /sdcard are negligible and can be deleted.

[GUIDE] Android deep clean-up / wipe

Now with the release of many JB leaks for our Galaxy Note, more and more people are starting to flash custom ROMs into their devices. However, many don't do a proper clean-up / wipe of their devices before doing so, complaining about supposed "bugs" that in fact are not real bugs, but just incompatibilities with previous app data and config left from the previous ROM or improperly restored from backups (TB etc.).
So, after facing that myself with the first ROMs I flashed, reading a lot of tips from the senior members, and experimenting different approaches, I came up with a method that I always follow before flashing a new ROM, which gives me less or no issues at all.
Pros: you minimize the chance of having issues when flashing a new ROM.
Cons: you have to manually reinstall your apps (can be somewhat automated from Google Play) and reconfigure everything.
Pre-reqs: I'm assuming you have CWM installed and know how to use it, and are not a complete noob. If you don't, search the forums and read the guides. Read this guide fully and make sure you understand everything before proceeding.
IMPORTANT: ONLY wipe your device if you have a SAFE (BRICK-FREE) KERNEL. Check your kernel and search the forums. Don't proceed if you are not sure! I'm not responsible for any bricks, unexpected issues that can happen to you or personal data loss because you forgot to backup that! If you want to stay safe, don't want to experiment with your cell phone, it's critical you have it working everytime, stay with the official Samsung ROMs updates you get OTA and don't proceed with this how-to.
How-to:
1) Boot into recovery and perform a full backup (a.k.a. nandroid) to your internal or external SD card.
2) Reboot, and create backups of personal data needed from your apps in your internal or external SD card. For instance, I backup data from apps which are not cloud-based; they usually have a "backup" menu for that.
3) Plug your device into your computer, and copy everything you need from your internal and external SD cards (including the backups done in 1) and 2)). Don't forget your pictures and MP3 files.
4) Delete any apps and data from your external SD card. Leave it as clean as possible (it's OK to leave personal data such as MP3s, pictures etc.).
5) Copy the ROM you are about to flash to your EXTERNAL SD Card (don't copy to internal, because we are going to wipe it).
6) Boot into CWM Recovery and do the following wipes:
6.1) Wipe data / factory reset
6.2) Wipe cache partition
6.3) Advanced -> Wipe dalvik cache
6.4) Mounts and Storage -> Format /system
6.5) Mounts and Storage -> Format /preload
6.6) Mounts and Storage -> Format internal SD card (make sure you know if your internal SD card if /emmc or /sdcard; see below!)
7) Install Zip -> Flash ROM from your external SD card.
8) Wipe cache partition again.
9) Advanced -> Wipe dalvik cache again.
10) Reboot
11) Don't restore anything from Titanium Backup. Reinstall and reconfigure everything from Google Play. I never tried but I think that if you just restore user apps, it should work. Just never restore system apps and data. The backups you created in step 2) and copied to your computer in step 3) can be safely restored from within the apps themselves.
Now you may ask why we format the internal SD card. Many apps store their configuration and app data there, so this way we ensure no old data and config are there which may be incompatible with the new ROM. In fact it might not be that important, since it's only related to user apps, but I prefer to clean everything before flashing a new ROM.
How to find if your internal SD card is mounted on /emmc or /sdcard in CWM Recovery:
1) Boot into CWM Recovery.
2) Install Zip -> Choose zip from internal sdcard. In the top you can see where yours is mounted (/emmc or /sdcard).
3) This is the partition you should format in step 6.6. Pay attention to not format the external SD card, because the ROM zip file is there!
If you still have issues after flashing a new ROM, try to reflash it without any wipes (i.e. just do step 7 again).
Hope it can help people with their flashing!

Good job

Is it any better to just install user apps from google play and then restore just the data from TB?
Sent from my GT-N7000 using xda app-developers app

allansy said:
Is it any better to just install user apps from google play and then restore just the data from TB?
Sent from my GT-N7000 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No..the main purpose of the thread is to remove the incompatible app data and system data

Useful.
Sent from my GT-N7000 using xda premium

dbolivar said:
How-to:
6.1) Wipe data / factory reset
6.2) Wipe cache partition
6.3) Advanced -> Wipe dalvik cache
6.4) Mounts and Storage -> Format /system
6.5) Mounts and Storage -> Format /preload
6.6) Mounts and Storage -> Format internal SD card (make sure you know if your internal SD card if /emmc or /sdcard; see below!)
7) Install Zip -> Flash ROM from your external SD card.
8) Wipe cache partition again.
9) Advanced -> Wipe dalvik cache again.
10) Reboot
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
6.2 ---> unnecessary, because factory reset wipes user data and cache
6.6 ---> how on earth does formatting internal SD card help flashing any Rom?
8) ---> unnecessary, because your cache is already wiped
9) ---> see above

6.2) True, thanks for pointing out.
6.6) Some apps, including ones that usually give strange issues between ROM flashes like SNote, leave data there which may cause incompatibilities with a different version. This incompatibility is just a guess; as I said in the original post, it may not be that necessary to format the internal SD card, but I prefer to make sure there is no old data at all floating around, and this recommendation can also be useful when people are going to sell their devices (many think that just a factory reset is enough).
8) and 9) Is it possible that a new ROM can come with stuff in cache and dalvik cache, say, from the developer testing/cooking environment? If it is, can be useful to clean it again after flashing. Otherwise, I agree, it can be skipped.

Yeah total clean scenario is best. In my opinion. So also SD, but never efs
Sent from my GT-N7000 using Tapatalk 2

I too do things that are not necessary, I have a ritual when doing a deep clean lol
It involves things like the above method, but i do it twice.. No harm in that is there !

azzledazzle said:
I too do things that are not necessary, I have a ritual when doing a deep clean lol
It involves things like the above method, but i do it twice.. No harm in that is there !
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wel, better safe then sorry. Totally clean just feels right
Sent from my GT-N7000 using Tapatalk 2

Thank you very much. I will do this like you say.
I have CWM v6.0.1.2 and I don't have format/ preload. What can I do?

You can try to proceed without formatting it, or you can first flash a kernel with a more recent CWM. Always a safe kernel, of course. After flashing it, you can just select "reboot recovery" from your current CWM to boot into the new CWM. I'm not sure if the absence of /preload is due to an old CWM, or it's because you don't have a /preload partition. Anyway, trying a newer CWM won't harm.

i follow this guide , considering that i'm a noob it mean that is written really really clear. Thanks for all your job . i have a clean cooked rooted cell now.

error preload
Hello, I got error when formatting preload
it is said "make_extf4fs failed on/dev/block/mmcblk0p9
and when i'm trying to format/scard it pop up some type format
"deafult
"exfat
"fat
bla bla bla
so i choose default, am i right to choose it?
what should i do?

What device, what recovery, what rom?

dbolivar said:
flashing!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hey bro,
i forgot to do step 9
9) Advanced -> Wipe dalvik cache again.
Phone is working fine, but just curious. will it have any effect ? or will it cause any problem later ?

[Q] Install New Rom Without Deleting Photos,Video & Music?

I AAlready Rooted My Phone HTC One but Wanted to know. If There is a possible Way to install a New Rom without Deleting My internal Pictures Videos & Music What are Some Options?

cornell said:
I AAlready Rooted My Phone HTC One but Wanted to know. If There is a possible Way to install a New Rom without Deleting My internal Pictures Videos & Music What are Some Options?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The best option I have found is to use the Superwipe Script. It does a full wipe and optimizes your system for a ROM flash. It does not touch your internal SD card.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1762712

cornell said:
I AAlready Rooted My Phone HTC One but Wanted to know. If There is a possible Way to install a New Rom without Deleting My internal Pictures Videos & Music What are Some Options?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Your pics,videos,music are not erased when you flash a rom

Yes, ...
what recovery are you using?
If its twrp
Wipe
This section is dedicated to wiping all standard partitions on your Android device. By default, TWRP offers you to perform a full factory reset upon hitting Wipe, since it’s the most common form of wipe operation that most users need in recovery. This will wipe all your user data from the phone, including your installed apps, cache, and dalvik cache. This will not effect the internal or SD card storage area of your phone, meaning your documents, downloads, pictures, music, videos and other files will stay safe.
If you would rather want to wipe EVERYTHING including the aforementioned data, tap ‘Format Data’. This will wipe all your apps, backups, downloads, pictures, videos and media, and will also remove encryption on your internal storage, if you have applied it, essentially leaving nothing but the operating system itself on the device, in a complete factory state.
If you want to be more specific about the partitions you want to wipe, hit ‘Advanced Wipe’ instead. You can then select one or more common partitions to wipe specifically, leaving the rest untouched. The partitions available for wiping include system (where your operating system is stored), data, cache, Dalvik cache, and usb-otg in case of our Nexus 4, but may (or may not) include other partitions as well. Just remember – if you are unsure of whether to wipe a partition or not, NEVER touch it, especially if it’s the system partition. If you are following instructions provided somewhere, wipe only the partitions that the instructions clearly specify to wipe, and leave the rest untouched. Otherwise, you might be stuck with a device with no operating system installed, or lose all your data stored on the device.
http://www.addictivetips.com/android/what-is-twrp-how-to-install-use-it-on-android-devices-guide/
boy did I come last to this party. You guys are quick!