Database Develop

[Q] Samsung Galaxy S apps not remembering their settings?

So a friend of mine updated his T-Mobile UK Samsung Galaxy S to the official 2.2.1 JPY firmware using Odin a few weeks ago. This went well, and is the same firmware that I've had on my unbranded SGS since December.
However, he has an interesting problem. Some of his apps (Handcent, Dolphin HD, plus a few others) seem to forget all of their settings every time the app is exited. For example, every time he goes back into Dolphin it enters the setup wizard as it it's being ran for the first time. This doesn't happen on every app, and it doesn't happen every time.
I noticed there are a couple of other threads on here with people reporting similar issues on custom ROMs (with no solution), but this is a stock ROM from samsungfirmware.com and certainly doesn't happen on my SGS, so it's not the ROM to blame.
Anyone know of a fix?

This question posted in the last few days .
jje

As I said in my post "I noticed there are a couple of other threads on here with people reporting similar issues ... (with no solution)". I wasn't being lazy and just starting another thread without doing some research first. I've read the other threads and they do not contain a solution that will work for him.
I'm assuming you're referring specifically to this thread? http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=992335 In my friend's case, rooting is not an option, so this solution won't work for him.
However, based on that it looks like a factory reset may fix it. If I don't come back people reading this can assume it worked.

Hello
I experimented the same issue.
Looking at some log traces event it reported some permissions errors on intestinal filesystem like database location access write errors. This can explain setting persistence trouble.
After various workaround, bypass or others kind of fallback I did a full reinstallation of filesystem including a wipe data of the system. Take care to backup application and sensible data SMS, photo...
Since all is working fine and no more problems with settings
I don't know if it's helping you.
This is just my personal experience on this same problem.
Perhaps more simple solution is possible
Regards
Gilles

Thanks. So far so good after a Factory Reset. If it were my phone I'd be looking at Logcat, etc, too, but it's a bit hard to do remotely.
It's odd how some apps saved their settings fine, but some don't.

A factory reset did fix it... for a while. But then other apps started suffering from the problem.
So I've been researching this a bit more today. Here's what I've discovered:
The problem is unique to Samsung Galaxy S phones, and appears to be only ones running 2.2.1 (but maybe 2.2. too?).
Samsung have renamed /data/data to /dbdata/databases, and shared preferences for applications are persisting in this folder even if the application is uninstalled. If you install the app again, the app becomes a different user from the one that owns the shared preferences.
For example - If you install some random application and you look at its process running with the ps command, it will show as "app_XX", where XX is some number. For our example here let's say it shows as "app_55". When it then saves its settings in /dbdata/databases the folder the settings are saved in will have owner (shown by ls -l) as "app_55" too. That's fine, and normal.
The seed of the problem is sewn when you uninstall the app. Those shared preferences are not removed. Even using the "Clear data" option before uninstalling doesn't seem to help. If you then install the app again and look at the output of ps you'll see the new app is "app_56". The shared preferences are still there from last time with owner "app_55", hence the permissions error when it tries to save its settings, as user app_56 cannot modify user app_55's files.
A factory reset obviously cures it as this, at least temporarily, as it wipes the data in /dbdata/databases.
If you're rooted, you can go into /dbdata/databases and delete the relevent folder for the application that's having the problem. It will be recreated with the correct owner next time the app saves its settings.
I didn't try chown to change the owner to the correct one, but maybe that's a way to keep the old settings and correct the problem.

Bingo. No wonder my titanium backup is not remembering the preference settings.

[Q] Icons disappear from Home Screen ! How to solve this?

My Galaxy Note is running Android 4.0.4. I am running the stock ROM. Not rooted.
After I just installed the latest Samsung patch DDLR9, whenever I switch off my phone and restart it, the Icons on my Homescreen disappear. These are those programs which I have saved on my SD Card.
Never happened before this. Is there is fix to this specific to the Galaxy Note?

no this is a bug in the new DDLR9 firmware and happens to the apps moved to sd. For now move all these apps to phone and it will work fine
Sent from my GT-N7000 using xda premium
---------- Post added at 10:50 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:49 PM ----------
and wait for jb uodate
Sent from my GT-N7000 using xda premium

Fast Boot option may be the culprit
This is actually a long-standing problem in Android OS, going back at least two years (donkey's years in this technology!)
Something about the interaction of the OS and an sdcard formated for holding apps creates odd behaviours.
Lots of complicated suggestions have been made, including reformatting sdcard, reinstalling ROMs, changing launchers (the one suggested here) and such.
None of these approaches seems really to solve the problem even in most cases.
Now a ROM bug is proclaimed the cause. Well, maybe... That could always be the case, but given all the problems all the others have had in so many different configurations, I wonder...
What seems to be working for me (at least for the last week or so) is the following very simple tweak.
CUT TO THE SOLUTION BELOW -- SEARCH FOR ////
Some (not all) of my apps moved to SD (all by Titanium Backup Pro) have begun to disappear and (sometimes) reappear without warning after I began to add and delete large Virtual Machines created in QEMU from my 16GB SanDisc class 10 microSD card on my HTC Droid Incredible running rooted stock Verizon Android Froyo 2.2.3. I know this thread is far from my phone's "home base", but from what I can tell this problem with disappearing apps located on an sdcard is NOT determined by hardware or even Android version.
I also happen to use LauncherPro by Federico Carnales instead of the built-in HTC Sense launcher. I noted elsewhere on XDA that a user had suggested that because at least some (maybe all) launchers start before the SD Card that this may be a problem, especially if changes are made to the sdcard that the launcher did not perform, or was not active during their performance by other apps such as Titanium Backup. That fits my situation, because I unmounted the SD, physically removed it to a PC, and added/deleted large VM files to save (lots) of time. No problems of this sort before I did this, so there must be some connection.
I noted that other users have tried reformatting SD, substituting different brands of SD, using newer/older SD etc. None of these reliably helped. So I skipped these options.
//// The (simple!) solution I tried that SEEMS to work (only time will tell!) is buried in the main Android Settings (accessed from the Menu button while in Home screen). Under "Applications" there is a setting "Fast Boot" that I checked long ago and forgot about (it seemed like a good thing to do at the time). The text warns "Turn off to use some Market apps" (that shows the age of my 2-yr old used phone and Android OS -- ohmygosh!-- because it refers to Market rather than Google Play Store!) Anyway, I unchecked the option and rebooted the phone.
Yes, it took a bit longer to boot (maybe a whole minute!), but after waiting about another minute ALL my home screen apps had normal icons and loaded properly. Titanium Backup Pro batch scenarios confirmed there were no apps in a forced uninstalled state (i.e. I had not done the deed, the system somehow had done it or at least rendered the apps "invisible" to Titanium, which decided they needed reinstallation).
The only odd behaviour was that auto brightness was turned off after I unchecked Fast Boot and rebooted. Going into Android Settings > Display and rechecking "auto brightness" took care of that. No other oddities or strange behaviours thus far (but it has only been about an hour).
I will report anything further on this thread only (Samsung Fascinate > Fascinate Q&A > What just happend? apps on sdcard) if anything else requires reporting. Silence implies success!
link: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1873670
(I am copying this post to other relevant threads, but will not post anything further elsewhere -- only there. This is a bit arbitrary (especially now that the chosen thread no longer is the most recent active one on this topic), but I hope this approach pleases the XDA sysops/admins) :angel:

My pixel 4 xl "Files" app will not show current information

Hello friends.
I'm posting this today seeking the help of someone who is smarter than me. I know it's not very likely for anyone to have my particular phone model and android version combination, but here goes nothing:
First of all, I'm talking about the "Files" application that is a basic file manager that comes with pixel phones.
Anyway, ever since I got my pixel 4xl phone over a year ago, I noticed the Files app is never "current". By that, I mean it keeps showing files that were already deleted, either with another file manager or by accessing the phone storage with a computer.
The deleted files keep being showed in "Files" for several hours and sometimes even days after they are actually gone from my storage. "Refreshing" the app (by pulling down) does nothing, and trying to open the files gets me a toast notification saying "Can't open file", while trying to delete it gets me a silent notification that sais "Couldn't delete item".
Surprisingly, deleting the apps cache and storage does nothing either.
After a while, seemingly without rhyme or reason, "Files" seems to "catch up" to the fact that the files are no longer there, and stops showing them.
Can anyone relate to this?
Best regards!
Details: Pixel 4xl, unrooted, android 10

Essentially Android keeps a "media" database that the Files app is probably looking at. Most actions that create or remove a file through high level APIs will update this database, but some will not. For example, an alternate file manager app could add/delete an image and Photos won't realize it. Or a folder contains a ".nomedia" file in it, and random apps won't know about files stored there.
The type of operation you're looking to do is to force a media rescan.

Thank you for your reply and your useful information. I will try to find out if the app has a media rescan option somewhere.
Cheers.

SM-T719 is this app a virus or malicious

I have a Galaxy Tab S2 SM-T719, running Android 7, not rooted
I am generally pretty careful about the sites that I visit, but yesterday, a BBC app appeared, see attached screenshot
I am concerned about this because:
1) I do not recall installing it
2) I already have the official BBC app - which has a red background
3) When I select the App, there is no uninstall option
4) It does not appear in my list of Apps under Settings
5) It does not appear in 'My Apps and Games' in Playstore
6) I can not find this via a search on Playstore
Can anyone shed any light on this or suggest how I can remove it
Thanks for reading and any help

Search Google for that image.
Malicious jpeg that are downloaded can cause mischief in the folder they are in. They must be deleted! They will corrupt a database.
Don't move anything out of the download folder for now! Check for changes and any downloads you didn't do. Scan with Malwarebytes; it may find something but not necessarily all of what's there.
Treat all data on the device as infected for now; backup data but quarantine it from other Androids* and backup drives. Place backups on preferably on standalone OTG flashsticks or hdds.
Backup all critical data, NOW if not already done!!!
It may be a malicious app or trojan preloader manage to breach the browser. If the right conditions were met it may have install a rootkit or virus. If so it must be completely erraticate.
Again check the download folder. If in doubt delete entire it's content.
If you can't find and purge the infection, factory reset. Change all passwords after the reload.
Don't goof around if an infection is suspected. Take the device offline, now.
No time to dilly-dally Mr Wick, tik-toc...
After the reset if done be careful when adding your old data as it may be laced with a malicious file. Install only trusted apps. Keep trashware like WhatsApp, FB, Twitter, etc off of it.
*it's unlikely to cross infect a Windows system but best to isolate the data as much as possible to avoid rude surprises. Treat as infected until proven clean.

Blackhawk
Thanks for your suggestions
This may just spur me onto doing a LineagOS installation if I can resolve a couple of queries - posted here
LineageOS Installation queries
I would like to prolong the life of my Tab S2 SM-T719 (8 inch LTE, 2016), which is running Android 7, not rooted I have done a fair bit of reading through the various threads, but I have a couple of questions about the install - apologies if...
forum.xda-developers.com
It sounds like it might be best to do the factory reset and then do the installation

You're welcome.
If you're running Android 8 or lower a reflash may be needed if it got infected with that "immortal" rootkit that can hide on multiple partitions.
Apparently there is now a way to remove the dreaded Xhelper.
Be aware of this little nasty... check for it.
Android 9 and higher are immune to this one.

Question unable to view micro-sd card with 3rd party apps?

Hello,
As usual with all my 'new' phones, I struggle with file explorer as I prefer to sideload my apps (I'm not Google's best friend) via desktop / usb / micro-sb / install. This seems to coincide with Google's view that micro-sd card is not Google's best friend either, and it seems (am I wrong?) that with each new OS variant, it's a steeper and steeper uphill struggle with Android v. external storage. I managed, in the end, to take it under control in Android 6, but under Android 12 in my new G50 I've failed miserably. Basically, every (about 5 - 6) file manager / browser apps I installed (from apks put directly in internal memory), fails to see the micro-sd. I formatted and then formatted again inside my phone (my desktop can see it, G50 can see it in settings (storage), Storage can 'see it, but those apps can't see what is actually inside. I have a vague idea it's about 'permissions', but I did check that those file manager apps have permission for 'file and media' and no other permissions have been denied, so I've hit the wall here.
Interestingly (perhaps 'obviously'), VLC player can browse (and play) sound files on the card, even though it's got exactly the same permissions. Presumably some photo browser would be able to access images on the card, so why is that such a struggle with file managers?
In fact, I wouldn't mind the built-in file browser ('Files'?), if it wasn't for the fact that it's an abomination to start it. I can see it in settings (as system app), but I can't create a shortcut to it (home screen), because it's not listed in the app drawer (presumably, as it's a system app). So, to get to any files on micro-sd, I need to go through a very convoluted route of:
Settings > Storage > choose storage > Files.
On top of which, it is a truly HORRIBLE file browser in terms of features and interface. Yes, there's the google files app, which also can access micro-sd card, but I generally disable all Google apps, unless I absolutely have to.
Is there anything else I can do about it, or is that 'it', i.e. this is baked in and no replacements will work? (short of google files and rooting, presumably, but I can't root G50, because I do need a couple of banking apps and one or two others, which won't work on rooted handset).
Regards,
N.

Welcome the the Gookill nightmare of scoped storage. Some more work arounds.
Google hates expandable storage as it conflicts with their lame cloud everything strategy. Like MS they want to ram cloud down our throats.
I run 2 Samsung N10+'s one on Pie the other Q so I don't have to deal with this bs.