[Q] AT&T GS5 Data Encryption help - AT&T Samsung Galaxy S 5

Hey guys i wasn't real sure where to ask this but its very important to me that i figure this out.
i have a sm-g900a and i successfully rooted the phone. i never installed bootstrap or any custom recovery mod because i didn't get that far yet. i haven't put a rom on the phone either. i recently have been put in a situation where i need to encrypt my data, remove the data and wipe it clean so that absolutely no data can be recovered. this of course i know is hard to do without destroying the memory itself haha i just need to figure out how to get as close as possible to non recoverable data as possible. now for most encryption would suffice but my encryption program is not working so i need to fix that. this being said. data encryption can be decrypted if the password is found somewhere on the system. is there a way for me to delete the data and its residue off my phone so that it is not recoverable.

Related

Encrypt storage questions (on flashing rom)

I would like to install my company's email and software to my HTC One. However, it needs us to encrypt the phone first.
From my understanding, there are no way to decrypt the phone other than wiping off the phone and starting from scratches.
Thus, I would like to know that in case later I dont want to use the company's software and flash another ROM, would I be able to do so?
I heard that after the phone is decrypted, data can not be read in the recovery mode. Hence, flashing ROM will not be probable.
Can anyone answer me on this issue? Thanks!

[Q] Will reset delete all my files?

Hi,
Just got my new Nexus 6 64GB. Rooted and I transferred my titanium backup files from my Galaxy Note 3. Everything went fine. 3 hour later all my apps are up and running and I'm peachy.
After that I was doing some reading a I stumbled upon the tutorial on how to disable encryption. I gave it a go and upon restart it asked me for my pin number. I enter the pin and then I get the message saying that the phone has to be reset. I hit reset and after the procedure finished phone rebooted and all my files where completely wiped clean. In all my previous phones I could do a reset and keep all my downloaded and backed up files. Is there a way to do this too with the nexus or every time I screw something up I will loose everything?
Stock recovery always resets /sdcard too. Custom recovery only /data and /cache, etc.
However, ALL your data is on an encrypted file system so the only way to decrypt is by reformatting the places that contain ALL the data
rootSU said:
Stock recovery always resets /sdcard too. Custom recovery only /data and /cache, etc.
However, ALL your data is on an encrypted file system so the only way to decrypt is by reformatting the places that contain ALL the data
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Does this apply even if I disabled the encryption?
I love the phone but this is an issue for me. Please give me your opinion on which is the best way to go. I was thinking to not install a custom recovery so I can be able to do the OTA updates even thought I never owned a phone that I didn't root and install custom recovery and ROM from day one (Only have used Samsung Note Phones all these years). Is there a ROM that is based on the Original with encryption disabled and has some good tweaks and will be updated as soon as there is an update? Thanks for your help.
slekkas said:
Does this apply even if I disabled the encryption?
I love the phone but this is an issue for me. Please give me your opinion on which is the best way to go. I was thinking to not install a custom recovery so I can be able to do the OTA updates even thought I never owned a phone that I didn't root and install custom recovery and ROM from day one (Only have used Samsung Note Phones all these years). Is there a ROM that is based on the Original with encryption disabled and has some good tweaks and will be updated as soon as there is an update? Thanks for your help.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
All phones that have "internal storage" their stock recovery wipes "sdcard" when you factory reset.
slekkas said:
Does this apply even if I disabled the encryption?
I love the phone but this is an issue for me. Please give me your opinion on which is the best way to go. I was thinking to not install a custom recovery so I can be able to do the OTA updates even thought I never owned a phone that I didn't root and install custom recovery and ROM from day one (Only have used Samsung Note Phones all these years). Is there a ROM that is based on the Original with encryption disabled and has some good tweaks and will be updated as soon as there is an update? Thanks for your help.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The ROMs have nothing to do with encryption. When you want to turn encryption off, all your data will be reset, there is no way around it.
However, once you have disabled encryption, then you can stay on a stock rooted ROM, or go to any ROM you like, your internal files will not be touched (data will be deleted though). If you were to stay on the stock rooted ROM, and then accept an OTA update, your phone will automatically encrypt on first boot afterwards. Most ROMs update within a day (if not hours) after the OTA update, so best bet is to flash than to accept OTA if you want to stay unencrypted.
When you wipe your phone in recovery yo flash a different ROM, you do a custom wipe, where you uncheck "internal storage", so your files/pictures/etc don't get deleted.
The cool thing about the N6 is the restore option. If you were to completely wipe right now and go to a different ROM, on first boot, upon logging in you will be asked if you want to restore a backup (if you have enabled backup apps, data, WiFi passwords for your google account). If you select yes, all your apps will automatically be downloaded from the play store, you won't have to do it manually. However, I have seen data for the app is not restored, but you can log into most apps and most games save your progress on the cloud now.

"Cloning" my Nexus 6, using Nandroid image

Hi,
I have a Nexus 6 with a shattered screen, and just bought another one to replace it (exact same model, XT1103 32GB).
I want to make a Nandroid dump of the old device by booting into TWRP temporarily, then restoring the backup to the new phone using the same method. Both phones are bootloader unlocked and totally stock (latest Android update).
Is there anything in particular that I should watch out for? Which partitions should I not touch - a friend on another forum suggested that I should not touch EFS?
Cheers,
Su
If you restore the efs from one to the other you'll loose your imei number on the second one
needleyepoke
---------- Post added at 07:49 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:47 PM ----------
I've cloned a Nexus 5 but I'm not sure if it's the same way.... P.S. of course your not supposed to do it unless you own both phones... From what I've been told
needleyepoke
Hi,
I don't want to mess about with the IMEI etc - I just want the same system settings, apps etc.
What partitions should I backup/restore? I guess just System, Data, Cache, Boot & Recovery should be enough?
Thanks,
Su
[edit] This seems to suggest just System, Data and Boot is ok - but is that all I need if I am restoring to another device?
Sumanji said:
Hi,
I don't want to mess about with the IMEI etc - I just want the same system settings, apps etc.
What partitions should I backup/restore? I guess just System, Data, Cache, Boot & Recovery should be enough?
Thanks,
Su
[edit] This seems to suggest just System, Data and Boot is ok - but is that all I need if I am restoring to another device?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes if they're on the same version. I cloned a 32 into a 64.
Ok I just tried this now, and it is not working...
The restore to the new device worked fine, but when I power up I get the "your device is corrupt screen" (which I think is normal if you use TWRP), but then after that it's just a blank screen...
The phone is still able to boot into bootloader and recovery (stock).
Any ideas what could have gone wrong please?
Thanks,
Suman
I think this might be something to do with encryption... when booting into TWRP the new phone still requires the encryption pin I set up from its original software....
Do I need to start again?
Ok, I flashed the new phone with the factory image and started again... this time, when I restore the backup it just hangs on the white Google logo screen...
Any help appreciated please!
Thanks,
Su
If your firs N6 was encrpted (default) there's no way to clone it. Android will generate different encryption keys etc.
Secure lockscreen is a big no-no too. With it, you can't even properly restore backup on the same device!
Trying to take the lazy way out is just asking for trouble. There are many things that can go wrong.
Also just a side note. Cloning devices is illegal, even if you own both devices. The was set by the cell phone cloning laws set up by the FCC.
Your best bet is just to reset it up from scratch.
zelendel said:
Trying to take the lazy way out is just asking for trouble. There are many things that can go wrong.
Also just a side note. Cloning devices is illegal, even if you own both devices. The was set by the cell phone cloning laws set up by the FCC.
Your best bet is just to reset it up from scratch.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh well,
I'm remembering what I did and I did not restore the Nandroid from Device A to Device B, I titanium Backup'd all the apps and moved them to TitaniumBackup folder on the new phone, restored from there.
For /sdcard/ I had to copy and paste it from one phone to the other...
I'm going to reply this to your reddit thread also.
Lawstorant said:
If your firs N6 was encrpted (default) there's no way to clone it. Android will generate different encryption keys etc.
Secure lockscreen is a big no-no too. With it, you can't even properly restore backup on the same device!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ah dang, so there is no way for me to do what I want then... that's annoying, I would have bought a different phone in that case!
I believe Google requires encryption to be active in all devices with Android 6.0.1 installed, so any new device you purchase will have this (non-) issue.
Think of the alternative however. You could always be dealing with Samsung and Knox.
Strephon Alkhalikoi said:
I believe Google requires encryption to be active in all devices with Android 6.0.1 installed, so any new device you purchase will have this (non-) issue.
Think of the alternative however. You could always be dealing with Samsung and Knox.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I believe that is correct. All Nexus devices going forward will have the kernel force encryption. The only way around it is to format data in TWRP (completely wipe the phone) and then when you re setup your ROM (or even the stock image) just make sure you flash a custom kernel that doesn't force encryption (which pretty much all custom kernels don't) before booting into OS for the first time. I run mine unencrypted because nandroid backups are wayyyyy quicker without encryption. I know the security isn't as good but not a deal breaker for me.
I asked this question a while back when I was in the same situation, and was told that it's a bad idea.
TriguyRN said:
I asked this question a while back when I was in the same situation, and was told that it's a bad idea.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It is a bad idea. Restoring any system files from one device to another is a risky game. I wouldn't even recommend restoring data from one device to another.
Start fresh, clean. No need to bring junk over, or risk issues. Takes 15 minutes to setup a phone how I like it after a clean rom flash. That's not a long time.
Last year I returned my N6 because of the peeling-back problem. I had a full TWRP backup on my laptop. I loaded it on to the replacement N6, renamed the backup folder to the new device id, and restored it. Worked perfectly, no problems.

LineageOS: Encrypted phone, all data gone

I thought that while encrypting my phone, the result would be that my data is preserved, just encrypted. So I went through the encryption process only to find that all my data is wiped, so that I have to restore everything from backups, as far as I have them.
Did I overlook something, or is this a bug? I have LineageOS 14.1, installed yesterday, official.
Found that after a reboot, the data was again gone. (after I spent considerable time setting the phone up yet again), now factory reset, running unencrypted, until I know what has been going wrong here. Sigh. Custom roms and encryption continue to be a toxic mix for me.
yahya69 said:
Found that after a reboot, the data was again gone. (after I spent considerable time setting the phone up yet again), now factory reset, running unencrypted, until I know what has been going wrong here. Sigh. Custom roms and encryption continue to be a toxic mix for me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
When I first started playing around with encryption (Samsung Note 3) I discovered that to get encryption to work properly I had to format /data (you lose everything, including internal shared storage) and that it worked better on stock ROM rather than custom ROMs.
Sent from my OnePlus3T using XDA Labs
BillGoss said:
When I first started playing around with encryption (Samsung Note 3) I discovered that to get encryption to work properly I had to format /data (you lose everything, including internal shared storage) and that it worked better on stock ROM rather than custom ROMs.
Sent from my OnePlus3T using XDA Labs
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
which I kind of accepted after learning it the hard way, but the problem was that after encrypting the device, all data was wiped each time the phone was rebooted, so something is buggy here.
yahya69 said:
which I kind of accepted after learning it the hard way, but the problem was that after encrypting the device, all data was wiped each time the phone was rebooted, so something is buggy here.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I resolve this problem using latest official twrp.
dimon2242 said:
I resolve this problem using latest official twrp.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How did you? (What version of TWRP did you install) After all, it is not TWRP that does the encryption, or is it? So I don't see how this could be the cause.
With TWRP, I had the additional issue that it kept asking me for a password to mount /data, but it wouldn't accept the PIN that I had set in Android. I have no idea what other password it might want.
Oh, well, there is just too much fumbling in the dark in this whole mobile devices business. I have been a Linux user for some 20 years, and there, if things go wrong, you can actually view what is happening. On android, this is so much more difficult, even with logcat.
yahya69 said:
How did you? (What version of TWRP did you install) After all, it is not TWRP that does the encryption, or is it? So I don't see how this could be the cause.
With TWRP, I had the additional issue that it kept asking me for a password to mount /data, but it wouldn't accept the PIN that I had set in Android. I have no idea what other password it might want.
Oh, well, there is just too much fumbling in the dark in this whole mobile devices business. I have been a Linux user for some 20 years, and there, if things go wrong, you can actually view what is happening. On android, this is so much more difficult, even with logcat.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Have you tried default_password as the password in TWRP?
Also, if you can actual log into your system normally, then you can set the password again and require it on boot.
BillGoss said:
Have you tried default_password as the password in TWRP?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What "default password"? You mean, literally typing "default_password"? No I did not. What would that have done?
After all, again, it required a password for the /data partition, hence a password with whom it is encrypted. But I had used no password other than the PIN. And again, I can't see how my problem of data disappearing on each boot would be caused by TWRP.
Also, if you can actual log into your system normally, then you can set the password again and require it on boot.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Again, what password do you have in mind? The PIN? Yes, the system asked for the PIN at boot, but nonetheless, all data was wiped on each boot.
For the time being,I run the system without encryption, because I have had enough of setting is up again and again anew (had to do this three or four times.)
Again, it looks like this is a bug. Because after initially encrypting the phone, my data should still have been there. But it was gone. The phone was now encrypted, but there was nothing on it. That's something that I am pretty sure is not supposed to happen.
just had the same using Samsung S5 Duos with latest lineage-os (20180427): this is a cluster-f**k, I cannot believe it. I advocate using Lineage-OS whereever I go. Of course, it's my fault, I did trust Lineage-OS too much so I didn't think of backing-up. I didn't believe something like this could happen.
chaos_prevails said:
I did trust Lineage-OS too much so I didn't think of backing-up. I didn't believe something like this could happen.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You probably already realize this, at this point. But there is no such thing as an OS (on any device) that is so secure or stable, that backing up your data is not necessary. Even regardless of OS, memory corruption and data loss can happen for any number of reasons. Golden rule: If your data is important to you, back it up.
Of course, I know.
I took the loss of all data as opportunity to flash newest modem, CSC, and PDA firmware via latest stock-rom, and then re-flashed latest Lineage OS again. This time, it didn't factory reset my phone with encryption. Don't know if that had anything to do with my old firmware (I had G900FDXXS1CPK2 installed when factory reset-with-encryption happened).
Beside, I was lucky as no other migration method to my new phone worked out except going via a old-school micro-sd card copy. I could undelete almost all pictures on it

A2 restore files after factory reset possible?

Hi,
This is my first post here, so hello to you all
So here is issue that I'm looking advice for...
I have MI A2 clean no hacks unlocks or roots with september update installed...
Two days ago looks like phone preformed factory reset by itself, I know it sounds silly and I'm not ruling out possibility that somehow I did that but i don't know how...
However, last backup I have is from January and I would really like to try rescue lost data.
Since phone is formatted I was wandering can I?
- Make image of phone flash or partitions to use PhotoRec for extracting data
I have tried few tools without success but they all do same:
- read data from existing partition -> nothing found
- want to root phone to try better extraction -> canceled that part
So here is my dilema should I?
- unlock boot
- root phone
- dump partitions with adb pull
- extract data from raw images (hopefully most of data is written sequentially)
Looks like I can't dump partitions without boot unlock+root, if I do that I lose warranty so it is not that good idea.
Can it be done somehow without boot unlock + root?
Can I even expect to read anything than trash from dumped partitions since by default phone encrypts storage and
I don't know what happens when phone is factory reset, generates new encryption keys so without old ones everything
read is trash.
Thanks for help and ideas!

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