[GUIDE] Flashing ROMs correctly, every time - Galaxy Note II Android Development

[GUIDE] Flashing ROMs correctly, every time - Galaxy Note II Android Development

***original post copied verbatim******************************************************************
So I was rummaging around the dev section, QA, so forth. And I have seen numerous threads, questions, posts, where people have had issues with ROMs or just general left field issues that were resolved by going back to square 1 doing a fresh clean install of "rom.zip..
My goal with this thread is to contribute some insight and experience with customizing android devices in the way we all do... at square one, clicking the download button.... we also do not have a thread dedicated to this one subject alone, so here it is. I feel stickying this thread would be extremely useful, as so many people could see it right from the get-go and get valuable information from it.
Just getting right into it, I will say this, I have flashed (I'm sure) damn near 1,000 ROMs to various devices. Mine. Friends. Etc. And never once have I installed a corrupt zip file to these devices. This should never happen, and among other important details to any installation of a ROM, this one is the most important...
VERIFY THAT YOUR DOWNLOADS ARE GOOD!
How do you do this??? Well I will show you... it is with this handy little app called md5 checker from the play store. EVERY. SINGLE. ONE OF US.... should have this app, guys (and gals, because I know you are out there it is a free app. No excuses
What is an MD5 checksum? Trusty link to get the gist of it.. http://www.fastsum.com/support/md5-checksum-utility-faq/md5-checksum.php
Making this simple - I will break this down into steps. Follow this meticulously and 99.9% of the time you will not have an issue or be one of the random bugs popping up when everyone else seems fine.
1. Download md5 checker.
2. Download all zip files needed for your ROM. (whether you do this from your mobile device or a desktop/laptop it doesn't matter, because you WILL verify the file AFTER you have transferred it to where it needs to be allocated - your device). Basically, download it, transfer it.
3. Open md5 checker, the app is pretty easy to use. Much like a file explorer in its layout with the obvious differences.
4. Retrieve md5 for your zip files.
5. Verify them with ROM developer, or others using that particular ROM. Any discrepancies - back to step 2.
6. All is well? Boot to recovery.
7. Wipe data 3 times (you don't need to wipe dalvik cache, that directory is found in the data partition - wiping data = wiping dalvik cache)
8. Wipe cache 3 times (this sometimes does not need to be done either depending on whether or not your recovery wipes cache with data.. most recoveries will spit out some text during the wiping phase letting you know the details of the process and you'll see see something like this when wiping data)..
"Wiping /data...
"Wiping /cache
If you see cache being wiped, you are good. No need to manually wipe cache.
9. Format your system partition through recovery 3 times
10. Install your ROM. Reboot. Let it sit for a minute or two, reboot it again. If you are not installing a custom kernel, stop here. You are done, and winning.
11. Reboot to recovery, wipe cache partition 3 times AND dalvik cache. They are both there as options, for this reason - the goodies we install after a full ROM install.
12. Flash kernel zip. Reboot. Let it sit for a minute or two, reboot it again. You are done, and winning.
Interesting fact about all the ROMs I have installed over the years, NOT ONCE, have I ever installed something corrupted, and every issue/bug I have ever had with a ROM was a known issue. This also doesn't mean your particular device is always going to be able to run for weeks on end without needing a quick reboot. Sometimes its good to do the dishes, I get that. But my disclaimer here is for all to note, if you follow these steps meticulously, you will ALWAYS be able to say to yourself with confidence "nope, did it right, there is something else going on here." And thus you will be a greater problem solver and contributor to the community as a whole every single time you pose a thought or question regarding any problems you are having.
"Do it right once, instead of doin it wrong twice before doing it right."
We are nothing useful without useful information. Useful information = posting in a thread in this tone...
"Hey, installed ROM correctly/thoroughly, verified downloads, XXX is buggy blah blah etc etc... can somebody else here verify if they are or aren't having this issue? Thanks!"
Based on people's response you'll know if it is just you or a legitimate issue, in which case, you brought it to the attention of us all, and the dev(s), and you have now been very useful.
What you don't want to do is this....
"My phone keeps rebooting!!! Haaaalp"
The reason why you shouldn't post like that is because you will ALWAYS get a sour response or people will just ignore you. Or, they will reply with questions you should have already asked yourself... "did you verify your downloads were good??? Did you do a clean and thorough install???"
Long post, but I hope somebody will find it useful and utilize it. It will increase your experience with your android device in a positive way, as it has for me. Cheers

Ah yes i get random freeze screen with some ROM installer

why not format every partition 3 times (idk how recovery looks at this device, im used to 4ext on the HTC sensation) and the wipe data to set al parations right again and install the rom? even why wiping 3 times instead of 1?

Very nice guide. Extremely helpful for beginners
Sent from my GT-N7100 using xda premium

And please have to say that use a wipe script it's such a kind of blasfemy ...

Alienator9191 said:
why not format every partition 3 times (idk how recovery looks at this device, im used to 4ext on the HTC sensation) and the wipe data to set al parations right again and install the rom? even why wiping 3 times instead of 1?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
agreed
since nand ram has its life time of cycle. wiping the nand for more than needed is some kind of suicide mission to your droid....

I disagree. If you are the type that flashes a ROM 5 times a day then yes that might be a factor.... might be. Each android device I have owned I have flashed a ROM/kernel to it literally thousands of times and nothing was ever damaged because of scrubbing the disk too much and flashing to it too much. Sorry, but misinformed about just how robust these disks are.

It needs to a must read for noobs
Sent from my GT-N7100 using xda premium

Most definitely, wiping 3 times is completely unnecessary. Only 1 time is enough for the NAND to perform the wipe commands. Not only that, but also you're wearing out the flash drive by wiping so much, even though you flash a lot. Another reason to only wipe once.

First of all thz for this step-by-step guide, for newbie is useful.
Phistachio said:
Most definitely, wiping 3 times is completely unnecessary. Only 1 time is enough for the NAND to perform the wipe commands. Not only that, but also you're wearing out the flash drive by wiping so much, even though you flash a lot. Another reason to only wipe once.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree, why repeat 3 time the same wipe command, when 1 time is enough for wipe data from NAND...
unless there is an hidden reason, I don't see a good reason to do that! :cyclops:

zenzip said:
First of all thz for this step-by-step guide, for newbie is useful.
I agree, why to repeat 3 time the same wipe command, when 1 time is enough for wipe data from NAND ?
unless there is an hidden reason, I don't see a good reason to do that! :cyclops:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1 wipe is more than enough
plus this thread should be in general section

I never face any problem with these steps (surely more then 100 flashing)
1.Downoad and flash ROM with Odin (odin doesn't check md5??)
2.Reboot, nevermind if stuck
3.Reboot to recovery, wipe cache and data.
Thats it.
If your counter is already raised, first make sure you have stock kernel and recovery
Reset counter
Start from step 1 above.

**knock knock knock**
Leonard
**knock knock knock**
Leonard
**knock knock knock**
Leonard

BullHorn7 said:
**knock knock knock**
Leonard
**knock knock knock**
Leonard
**knock knock knock**
Leonard
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Lol... this is Sheldon wiping style...
Inviato dal mio GT-N7100 con Tapatalk 2

Related

[Script/Mod]How 2 avoid a FC ever again when updating your rom or flashing a theme!

THIS IS FOR A2SD ONLY!
THIS METHOD HAS BEEN VERIFIED 6 TIMES!
We all have been there at one time or another. We just finished upgrading our G1's or MT3G's to the next awesome version of CYANOGEN rom or we have wiped and installed a fresh CYANOGEN rom and then when the phone boots all of these FC's come up. Normally the next steps are to go in the market and unistall and reinstall the problem apks. Well those days are over, I don't know if anyone here has discovered this method but you will no longer have to install each Protected APK one by one.
Procedure:
Step 1: Make sure you have the latest version of RA-dream-v1.2.3 installed on your device. Now assuming you have just finished flashing the latest update to your phone then follow the next step.
Step 2: Reboot into recovery by holding down the HOME key
Step 3: Select the option in the list for "Wipe Dalvik-Cache on SD", select this option and then hit the HOME key to confirm.
Step 4: Once that completes reboot the phone (it may take 5 or 6 minutes as it is re-Odexing) until it loads as normal, open up your Terminal Emulator. Type in "su" and enter. Then type in "fix_permissions" (depending on how many apps you have this may take a couple of minutes, so do something to stay occupied..) Once this completes proceed to step 5
Step 5: Now while in Terminal Emulator type in "reboot recovery" and hit enter. This will force the phone into recovery without holding the HOME key.
Step 6: Once recovery has loaded, chose the option for "fix mismatched apk uids" and hit HOME key to confirm. Let this run for a little bit, its usually quicker than fix_permissions while the phone is on completely.
Step 7: Once complete reboot your device.
Final Step: Assuming all steps were followed, attempt to open a protected app such as Power Manager or watch it load. If you have any issues please let me know here or PM me.
-flak0

Reserved
Reserved for future SPACE... Just in case

Reserved
Reserved again..... really just in case... Screenshots possibly..

What script? This should be common knowledge by everyone who flashes a rom. This will help with questions and it should be linked whenever someone asks about the flashing procedure.

~~Tito~~ said:
What script? This should be common knowledge by everyone who flashes a rom. This will help with questions and it should be linked whenever someone asks about the flashing procedure.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hmm I was hoping theres some new magical method that he created, instead its just a how-to tutorial on what most people usually do (well almost..why run fix permissions twice?)
You might as well suggest a WIPE to never have a single FC issue!

My procedure before flashing any rom is:
Repartition *manually, meaning removing the ext partition and the linux-swap partition, then recreating them
Wipe
Repair ext
Wipe
Never get a issue, or FC, and once you get the procedure down it takes about a 1 minute and a half. Then I flash and I only get the issues that are issues with the rom I flashed(If there's any) and not an issue on my end. Everyone should do that and no one will have problems
*using Gparted in console of course
Oh and when I flash a theme for cyanogen I usually boot into the fresh flash then I reboot into recovery and nandroid back up then flash the theme, then I only get the problems that occur with a theme(If there's any).

THANKS for this bit of info. What people fail to realize is that EVERYONE is NOT a root specialist like some of us so things that are "easy" to us are difficult and frustrating to others with less skills. That's like me and my IT friends expecting a new graduate to know all the tricks and trade of fixing and maintaining servers across the world. Common knowledge is knowing HOW to root, HOW to find roms/themes and how to wipe and flash new roms. Everything else may get a little sticky for the "common" android users. Afters hours of helping people with tasks who seriously have no clue, i can tell you...its TRUE lol

can anyone please update RA-dream-v1.2.3 link in the first post or post here this is my last hope trying out

phone2175 said:
can anyone please update RA-dream-v1.2.3 link in the first post or post here this is my last hope trying out
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Here ya go, just had to remove the double "http://"
Ra-dream-v1.2.3

~~Tito~~ said:
My procedure before flashing any rom is:
Repartition *manually, meaning removing the ext partition and the linux-swap partition, then recreating them
Wipe
Repair ext
Wipe
Never get a issue, or FC, and once you get the procedure down it takes about a 1 minute and a half. Then I flash and I only get the issues that are issues with the rom I flashed(If there's any) and not an issue on my end. Everyone should do that and no one will have problems
*using Gparted in console of course
Oh and when I flash a theme for cyanogen I usually boot into the fresh flash then I reboot into recovery and nandroid back up then flash the theme, then I only get the problems that occur with a theme(If there's any).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So you like going through and having to install everything again and setting up all your settings again? or do you use some type of back up?
I think he came out with this "guide" to help reduce FCs for those that don't want to wipe every time, because really, it's unnecessary and quite a hassle.

This is brilliant. I just tried it going from a themed cyan 4.2.3.1 to plain 4.2.4 and I had just one force close (which is a protected app that I had a widget for on my home screen so I suspect that is why) instead of at least 8 apps that normally need to be reinstalled taking time and losing settings.
Awesome work sir!

Ummmm doesn't the option of "fixing mismatched uid" mean fix_permissions

don kiedic said:
Ummmm doesn't the option of "fixing mismatched uid" mean fix_permissions
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Seems you are correct there:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=4727115&postcount=377
So I guess we can skip either the fix_permissions step or running 'fix uid mismatches' then? Does it make a difference running in the booted system as opposed to from recovery?

Hmm, this isn't working for me anymore. Do themes have some affect on this?

How to properly do a "Full Wipe" ?

NOTE:
DO NOT FOLLOW ANYTHING i have posted below
AS the steps I took maybe out of order
I'll Update these steps with advice people gave soon
.......................................................................
ORIGINAL POST BELOW
........................................................................
This is to help all people on how to do a "Full Wipe." Before you engage in, installing a ROM, kernel, MOD, returning your Phone to TM, or any other reason
you need a full wipe for!
Reason for this post is. I personally did not know how to do a Proper "Full Wipe." Hence I thought this was needed to help others! This is the step I took,
if there is a different, or easier way, or if i missed a step, please, make a post here so I can update this and learn something
Please Note the steps you do, CAN NOT BE UNDONE! also I'm am NOT responsible nor is XDA responsible, if your Phone breaks, bricks, or misbehaves for following,
not following, or Doing anything you see (or read) here!
NOTE as ALWAYS it is best to do a Backup!
NOTES on abbreviations i use here
PB --> Power Button
SDB --> Sound down button
NOTE these steps assume you have ClockworkMod and have installed it VIA "One-Click ClockworkMod Recovery NvFlasher for Windows"
found here
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1056847
failure to use this MOD may result in undesirable results. But I'm not sure. So use your own judgment!
The steps I took for doing a proper Full Wipe
1) press and hold PB + SDB until you see the Yellow (Orange ?) "Android" then release these buttons.
1a) you may have to unplug your USB cable if pressing and holding the PB + SDB, results in you only getting the green battery Icon.
2) SDB till "Advanced" is highlighted, then press the PB
3) SDB till "Wipe Delvik Cash" is selected, then press the PB
4) SDB to "Yes - wipe Delvik cash", then press the PB
Now follow steps 1 to 4 except doing it for
"Wipe Battery stats" and "Fix Permissions"
Now using SDB select "Go Back" and then press the PB
1) SDB till "Wipe cash partition" is selected, then press the PB
2) SDB to "Yes - Wipe cache", then press the PB
3) SDB till "Wipe data/factory reset" is selected, then press the PB
4) SDB to "Yes - delete all user data" then press the PB
Now I don't know, if this last step is needed or not. so maybe someone can tell me, to help me do it right and complete this guide properly.
last step) I Think you have to reboot into the OS at least once ? all the way to the initial log-in/setup screen ?
Now reboot going back into ClockworkMod and do what you did a "Full Wipe" for, IE: installing a ROM
then your done
Peace
.

yes a reply to my own post
going through the options of ClockworkMod i noticed the option
"Mounts and storage"
under this option is
format
/cache
/data
/sdcard
/system
when doing a full and proper wipe do you need to do these things ?
If "Yes" do you, do them before or after the above guide ?
if "No" when do you use format on the above options ?
thanks!
.

I usually stick to "wipe data/factory reset" then "wipe /system" then flash.
And once you've wiped, you've wiped. No need to boot the phone and head back to recovery. Just do whatever you need to do while you're still in recovery.

r4d14n7 said:
I usually stick to "wipe data/factory reset" then "wipe /system" then flash.
And once you've wiped, you've wiped. No need to boot the phone and head back to recovery. Just do whatever you need to do while you're still in recovery.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was told in the Vibrant section to do the following when you are flashing a rom:
Go into CWM recovery
select wipe data/factory restore
select Install zip from sd card
select choice zip from sd card
Select zip to be installed
select yes to install zip selected
After flash is completed
wipe cache
Select yes to wipe cache
Use power button to cursor down to Advanced
In advanced select wipe davlik cache
Select yes to wipe davlik cache
Use power button to cursor down to Fix permissions
Select yes to Fix permissions
Select Go back
Select Reboot system now
Let it sit for at least 10 minutes(do nothing)
Reboot and then sign in with Google
Enjoy

a1yet said:
going through the options of ClockworkMod i noticed the option
"Mounts and storage"
under this option is
format
/cache
/data
/sdcard
/system
when doing a full and proper wipe do you need to do these things ?
If "Yes" do you, do them before or after the above guide ?
if "No" when do you use format on the above options ?
thanks!
.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
These steps may be required in some cases. I developed persistent problems getting Titanium Backup to run properly (either FC or complete failure to load any app data from backup or from the system) on any non-CM7 ROM. I performed these steps after backing up my external card and before re-installing a non-CM7 ROM, after which my persistent TiBu problem went away. I'm not sure what part of the "nuclear wipe" process did the trick (or whether some independent factor was at work). But if I develop persistent cross-ROM problems in the future, I will be re-doing the "wipe and format everything" process.

Thanks a1yet for posting this. Don't let the negatives affect you. There are always those who want to bring you down out there. (They try to do it to me all of the time and I just ignore it). If you helped one person (which looking through your thread you have) you have done a service.
Alot of people like to judge and bash with out themselves every really contributing.
XDA Needs more people like yourself who are willing to help others.

TGA_Gunnman said:
Thanks a1yet for posting this. Don't let the negatives affect you. There are always those who want to prove they know it all. If you helped one person (which looking through your thread you have) you have done a service.
Alot of people like to judge and bash with out themselves every really contributing.
XDA Needs more people like yourself who are willing to help others.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
oh sh*t you got meatloaf to back you!
(just kidding TGA)
i wasnt trying to be a "fracker" i was just stating it doesnt need to be in dev section.. then you get all butt hurt and im trying to quit smoking cigs so im ready to troll... sorry A1... didnt try to offend you... or make my self look like a ass
but then again its just a web site =)

nate420 said:
oh sh*t you got meatloaf to back you!
(just kidding TGA)
i wasnt trying to be a "fracker" i was just stating it doesnt need to be in dev section.. then you get all butt hurt and im trying to quit smoking cigs so im ready to troll... sorry A1... didnt try to offend you... or make my self look like a ass
but then again its just a web site =)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I wasn't speaking about anyone in particular as know it alls, I edited my post and reworded it. Wasn't meaning you at all just giving the young padawan some advise.
I just quit smoking too. 3rd week off 1st week off patches. I'm a freaking bear sometimes I know it. All I want right now is a shot of Whiskey and a smoke!!!
lol Naughty Nate! Have you seen Half Baked? lol

aquariumdrinker said:
I agree it should be in General (not that my opinion on that matters), but I don't think this thread is useless. I read in another thread that CWM is not properly wiping the Dalvik cache. I don't know for what versions that is true, or whether it's true at all, but it seems like the kind of thing that would come out in this thread. And OPs don't always include details when they say "wipe before flashing". This thread gives people a place to go with questions like "does it matter what order I perform wipe steps in?".
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I believe that this is a very helpful post for many. Just to state again I have been told that it the order in which you wipe does matter. I have been told(and this is what I do each and everytime) to wipe data/factory reset than flash rom than while still in recovery before rebooting wipe cache and then wipe davlik cache and than fix permissions. After rebooting let it sit at opening screen for at least 10-15 minutes and than reboot. It seems to work well that way.

tenbeau said:
I believe that this is a very helpful post for many. Just to state again I have been told that it the order in which you wipe does matter. I have been told(and this is what I do each and everytime) to wipe data/factory reset than flash rom than while still in recovery before rebooting wipe cache and then wipe davlik cache and than fix permissions. After rebooting let it sit at opening screen for at least 10-15 minutes and than reboot. It seems to work well that way.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can't I just take an Electro-Magnet put it to my phone and turn it on?

TGA_Gunnman said:
Can't I just take an Electro-Magnet put it to my phone and turn it on?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have tried this on TGA's advice, and can confirm that it performs and effective wipe. TGA, please PM me with instructions on what to do next.

I thought it was a useful guide... For the noobs out there. Didn't do me any good, but I'm sure it would have made a difference for those just starting out with android.
Anyways, I didn't feel obligated to post before, but now I feel like it's kinda necessary because this is getting funnay
To the OP, ignore the trolls. They didn't know what to do at first either. I'm sure there's people who appreciate what you've done here, including me. Your effort is seen, your effort is noted, ignore the trolls and don't get caught up in this nonsense

Full wipe - two options
It is usually unclear what may are reaaly advising when they say "full wipe". In any case, here are two options:
1. Good most of the time. Done with only Recovery. If you dn't have recovery, you can't flash - so no need for a wipe:
Wipe cache and dalvek
Format /system
This works for me 95% of the time. I even went from froyo to 2.3 without any issues. You can do a factory reset and wipe all data, but I find it is so much easier to leave data intact. Note - a factory reset does not clear the /system, and this is where a lot of the post=flashing issues come from.
If you are stuck with some problems, like WiFi, Bluetooth, etc. on a ROM that others are having no issues with, then you may need a realyl full Wipe:
This assumes you have SDK tools installed and driveer also:
Connect to computer (with USB Debug on).
Go to SDK tools and enter fastboot device. If you are connected OK, this will confirm it,
Then type - fastboot erase /system -w and hit return
If this is successful, then disconnect and get into Recovery.
Do a factory reset (this will re-establish some partition that the above deleted).
You now have a really clean device (you could also format /boot - but do not think it is necessary). Now do a clean install of the ROM (and Gapps if ROM does not include them) and boot it up.
Make sure all is working OK before you go to the trouble of restoring all your apps and data. I usually first check network connections, WiFi, Bluetooth, and GPS.
Note - have not had to do this in a while - but think the fastbook command is correct. you could first type fastboot only, and it would generate a list of commands. i do this first to check the syntax before i enter the actual command.

This is very useful. That is evident by the fact that there are so many replies of people showing different steps they take. So there doesn't seem to be a clear consensus what are the necessary steps for a "full wipe".
Don't list to those who say this is useless and shouldn't be in dev section. It's as useful in development as all the other treads in development that explain things such as how to install nvflash or how to flash CWMR. I say it belongs in development as a "guide" or "howto".
Many people forget what it was like when they started out with their first Android phone.

I know it's frustrating when you see a need, put in the effort to try and fill that need, and someone comes along and pisses on your leg. But that's life...gotta man up.
The people who don't need the information will see it as useless. The people who do will, in most cases, not voice their appreciation. It is what it is. If you provide a service for the appreciation you will most likely be disappointed. But if you do it knowing what you are doing is furthering progress...well, that's its own reward...and probably the only one you'll get.
Ok, enough preaching...and thank you. I got something from this thread and I appreciate your effort. Please, don't stop contributing just because you feel unappreciated...welcome to the world. And , man up.

Dear a1yet
You make a very valid point that whenever someone has an issue, someone always says - Did you do a full wipe first? I have been watching these forums and this is a very common theme.. and people should be informed. I was one who did not know this until recently, again, by reading these responses.. and then your guide.
With that said, don't let their responses of which forum it should be in distract you from your goal. Your goal is to get it into the dev section, and I agree it should be in there.. But why not roll with this and make an all encompassing guide on how to do a nandroid backup, backup your apps, do the full wipe, push the new rom, how to remove the rom, get a nandorid backup restored, etc.
Then, once the guide is done.. Submit it. Look at TGA_gunnman's guides and maybe see if they can be a resource? There are many helpful people that will go over it with ya and tweak it with ya. Then, submit the entire guide as a post. You can first link to the how to root guide, then how to do NVflash guide, etc..etc. It will cover many different areas.
Lastly, if such a guide is rejected and they allow others.. then ya.. the mods are just being jerks. But.. even if so, you can ask TGA to update the other guides and link to your post in general.
You see.. there are ways to work this in. There is always a solution.. but we focus so much on a roadblock that we just give up. Bust through...

TGA_Gunnman said:
Can't I just take an Electro-Magnet put it to my phone and turn it on?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What I do not understand is why my previous post referencing what I took to be sarcasm in the above quote was just deleted. There were two post after it that also are missing. I come back to this thread and it is just gone. Anyone know why???? Did the moderator just decide to delete them? Have never had any replies just deleted before, there was no profanity only questioning about sarcasm. Are there sacred cows we cannot question? I have donated to TGA and am very grateful for all the one click roots and nvflash etc. I am able to do things i could not do without these apps. My only question is once again why was my comment deleted when others which were much more inflammatory are still posted.

mapin0518 said:
This is very useful. That is evident by the fact that there are so many replies of people showing different steps they take. So there doesn't seem to be a clear consensus what are the necessary steps for a "full wipe".
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The only Android phones I've owned are the G1 and the G2x. With the G1, the factory reset only wiped the /data partition, so people figured out that wiping /data was not enough as you still held the old /cache and /dalvik-cache from the old ROM, so wiping all three was coined a "full wipe." I'm not an expert at the interweb or anything so if I'm wrong, be nice.
Anyway, it appears that in the G2x recovery, the factory reset wipes both /data and /cache. And Dalvik cache is actually located in the /data partition, so using this ONE command in CWM "Wipe Data/Factory Reset" should take care of all of your "full wiping" needs.
I just like wiping /system because it gives me a warm fuzzy feeling. And it's not puberty. That was like... 12 years ago.

schmit said:
You make a very valid point that whenever someone has an issue, someone always says - Did you do a full wipe first? I have been watching these forums and this is a very common theme.. and people should be informed. I was one who did not know this until recently, again, by reading these responses.. and then your guide.
With that said, don't let their responses of which forum it should be in distract you from your goal. Your goal is to get it into the dev section, and I agree it should be in there.. But why not roll with this and make an all encompassing guide on how to do a nandroid backup, backup your apps, do the full wipe, push the new rom, how to remove the rom, get a nandorid backup restored, etc.
Then, once the guide is done.. Submit it. Look at TGA_gunnman's guides and maybe see if they can be a resource? There are many helpful people that will go over it with ya and tweak it with ya. Then, submit the entire guide as a post. You can first link to the how to root guide, then how to do NVflash guide, etc..etc. It will cover many different areas.
Lastly, if such a guide is rejected and they allow others.. then ya.. the mods are just being jerks. But.. even if so, you can ask TGA to update the other guides and link to your post in general.
You see.. there are ways to work this in. There is always a solution.. but we focus so much on a roadblock that we just give up. Bust through...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+1
Very well said.

r4d14n7 said:
The only Android phones I've owned are the G1 and the G2x. With the G1, the factory reset only wiped the /data partition, so people figured out that wiping /data was not enough as you still held the old /cache and /dalvik-cache from the old ROM, so wiping all three was coined a "full wipe." I'm not an expert at the interweb or anything so if I'm wrong, be nice.
Anyway, it appears that in the G2x recovery, the factory reset wipes both /data and /cache. And Dalvik cache is actually located in the /data partition, so using this ONE command in CWM "Wipe Data/Factory Reset" should take care of all of your "full wiping" needs.
I just like wiping /system because it gives me a warm fuzzy feeling. And it's not puberty. That was like... 12 years ago.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Agreed. Since the G2X has no need for "Apps to EXT", a simple "Wipe Data/Factory Reset" should take care of all aspects of /data and /cache.

You are NOT doing a full wipe!

...if you are not formatting /system.
I keep reading on almost every development thread, pages of posts from people stating that they are having all kinds of problems and it is the fault of the rom they flashed. Then after several people try to help out, the poster of the problem will usually state something like, "I DID DO A FULL WIPE DAMMMMMITT!!! I cleared cache, dalvik and EVEN did a factory reset...I even fixed permissions after I flashed...THIS ROM IS JUNK!!!!"
Time and time again, I see that they neglected to format /system. If you don't include this as a part of your "full wipe", you can leave behind remnants of your previous rom, which is most probably going to cause problems.

couldn't have said it better myself. especially when coming from a 2.3.5 rom but should do it for any.

mmapcpro said:
...if you are not formatting /system.
I keep reading on almost every development thread, pages of posts from people stating that they are having all kinds of problems and it is the fault of the rom they flashed. Then after several people try to help out, the poster of the problem will usually state something like, "I DID DO A FULL WIPE DAMMMMMITT!!! I cleared cache, dalvik and EVEN did a factory reset...I even fixed permissions after I flashed...THIS ROM IS JUNK!!!!"
Time and time again, I see that they neglected to format /system. If you don't include this as a part of your "full wipe", you can leave behind remnants of your previous ROM, which is most probably going to cause problems.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have continually recommended this also, but maybe doing it here in a separate thread will get better attention.
I format /system between ALL ROM flashes (only takes a few more SECONDS if you are also wiping davlik and cache).
Per your OP - I have had very few issues as a result. I really think most of the posts on problems that are not know issues in these threads are the direct result of not doing this.
PS - formatting /system does also not always work either. I have not had problems so far with my G2X from not doing a "real full wipe" (fastboot system erase....), but I did a few times when I was crack-flashing nightlies over on the MT4G forum. I could not otherwise get WiFi and/or bluetooth to work at times even after doing a factory reset and formatting /system.

besides the wide data, cache, dalvik and format/system, is it safe or recommended to format anything else when flashing a new rom?

gaww said:
I format /system between ALL ROM flashes (only takes a few more SECONDS if you are also wiping davlik and cache).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Um, how? There's no option in CWM. Do you shell in and do an "rm -rf" in the /system directory?
gaww said:
I have not had problems so far with my G2X from not doing a "real full wipe" (fastboot system erase....), but I did a few times when I was crack-flashing nightlies over on the MT4G forum.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Is there such a thing as fastboot for Terga2 devices? I thought that was ARM thing (like my old HTC Magic)...? Is there an equivalent tool for the G2x?

lannister80 said:
Um, how? There's no option in CWM. Do you shell in and do an "rm -rf" in the /system directory?
Is there such a thing as fastboot for Terga2 devices? I thought that was ARM thing (like my old HTC Magic)...? Is there an equivalent tool for the G2x?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Its under mounts and storage I believe.
Also this whole problem could easily be alleviated by rom makers putting a format /system in there install script like CM does. Not defending dumb asses, just saying it would be helpful for the people less in the know.
Sent from my LG-P999 using xda premium

xsteven77x said:
Its under mounts and storage I believe.
Also this whole problem could easily be alleviated by rom makers putting a format /system in there install script like CM does. Not defending dumb asses, just saying it would be helpful for the people less in the know.
Sent from my LG-P999 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh, CM formats /system? Awesome, I only use CM, so I don't have to worry about this issue.

To be honest, it's stuff like this that has kept me from flashing a ROM. I've started a procedure doc, filling in details as I read threads. I hadn't seen this one...
Some day I will hopefully have an all-encompassing "this is how you flash a ROM" doc, and I will post it. Unless it already exists?
Then I have to start on a Kernel flash doc...
Just so I can use a stable phone...
I write embedded C for a living, and music is my hobby - I didn't mean for my phone to become a hobby, also. But it is addicting...

mmapcpro said:
...if you are not formatting /system.
I keep reading on almost every development thread, pages of posts from people stating that they are having all kinds of problems and it is the fault of the rom they flashed. Then after several people try to help out, the poster of the problem will usually state something like, "I DID DO A FULL WIPE DAMMMMMITT!!! I cleared cache, dalvik and EVEN did a factory reset...I even fixed permissions after I flashed...THIS ROM IS JUNK!!!!"
Time and time again, I see that they neglected to format /system. If you don't include this as a part of your "full wipe", you can leave behind remnants of your previous rom, which is most probably going to cause problems.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+1, I make sure EVERYTHING is wiped before I flash a ROM.

lannister80 said:
Um, how? There's no option in CWM. Do you shell in and do an "rm -rf" in the /system directory?
AS others have now said, it is under mounts and storage. It fortunately is no longer right below format SD Card - a number of people have done so accidentally.
Is there such a thing as fastboot for Terga2 devices? I thought that was ARM thing (like my old HTC Magic)...? Is there an equivalent tool for the G2x?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This was done with SDK tools fastboot commands. I have not had to try it yet on a G2x, but I assume it would work - other fastboot commands do.
I usually also added the -w to wipe cache and data at the same time.

lannister80 said:
Is there such a thing as fastboot for Terga2 devices? I thought that was ARM thing (like my old HTC Magic)...? Is there an equivalent tool for the G2x?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Tegra stuff does have fastboot, on the O2X and Advent Vega, if you wipe the boot partition and reboot the phone drops to fastboot. I would assume the G2X is the same.
You can flash or boot a recovery, and boot a boot image, although you can't flash a boot image for some reason. That's all I've tried though.

wyldkard said:
besides the wide data, cache, dalvik and format/system, is it safe or recommended to format anything else when flashing a new rom?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes...the internal SD card. This is an often neglected step and could cause problems (such as boot loops) if not formatted.

Interesting, I've done many ROM flashes using about 5 different types of ROM and not had to do this but I'll bear it in mind.
I just do a data wipe when using different types if ROM and just cache when upgrading the same ROM. Maybe I've been lucky?
Sent from my HTC Desire using Tapatalk

hidden_dragon said:
Yes...the internal SD card. This is an often neglected step and could cause problems (such as boot loops) if not formatted.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You erase ALL of your personal data each time? That's thorough for sure, but not really necessary.

leenukes said:
Interesting, I've done many ROM flashes using about 5 different types of ROM and not had to do this but I'll bear it in mind.
I just do a data wipe when using different types if ROM and just cache when upgrading the same ROM. Maybe I've been lucky?
Sent from my HTC Desire using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've never had any issues just wiping data/caches when switching roms. But it doesn't hurt to start with as clean a slate as possible.

Oh how I miss Ohsaka's superwipe from my g1 days... I can't be spending all day manually wiping caches, dakviks and formatting systems...
Sent from my LG-P999 using xda premium

BobbyDukes707 said:
Oh how I miss Ohsaka's superwipe from my g1 days... I can't be spending all day manually wiping caches, dakviks and formatting systems...
Sent from my LG-P999 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How many times per day do you flash new ROM's - lol ???

leenukes said:
Interesting, I've done many ROM flashes using about 5 different types of ROM and not had to do this but I'll bear it in mind.
I just do a data wipe when using different types if ROM and just cache when upgrading the same ROM. Maybe I've been lucky?
Sent from my HTC Desire using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You have been lucky - especially in flashing different types of ROMs on the same device
Also, it takes a lot more work to reload data (unless you are using advanced restore) and most flashing issues happen with the system rather than data. I always try to preserve data but clear the system.

Way to exaggerate...the entire process takes about a minute and a half, lol.
Sent from my LG-P999 using xda premium

BULL****, my mom told me to fold the toilet paper 4-6 times and wipe from my turkey neck outward toward my crack.
NEVER TOWARD THE TURKEY NECK, NEVER..

[FAQ] [REF]★ All you need to know about Android | Read this before you post/root ! ★

[FAQ] [REF]★ All you need to know about Android | Read this before you post/root ! ★
Understanding the Android world before rooting your LG Nexus 5
Here is a *noob friendly* collection of information every user that wants to root their phone should know. Many people blindly follow guides without even knowing what "Rooting" means. Hopefully, this will help new users (and old ones, why not?) understand what is happening with their phone, and what they will put up with.
This may seem as a lot to read, but there are no shortcuts. You either read and learn what you're dealing with, or find out the hard way.
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Contents
Post 1:
★What does rooting mean?
★The advantages of rooting
★The disadvantages of rooting
★What about the internal memory? How does that work?
★Things you hear people talk about
★How to backup your stuff
★Flashing a custom ROM
★ADB and Fastboot
★Restoring your Nexus 5 to STOCK
Post 2:
★Tips and Tricks
★Questions and Misconceptions
Let's get started, shall we?
What does rooting mean?
To 'root' your phone means to gain administrative rights on the file system of your phone (in linux, root is the username of the master admin, kind of being an Administrator on Windows). With root access, you can install and uninstall anything you want on the phone. Android is, in fact, based on Linux.
Most phones come with limited access regarding what you can and can't do on it. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, because it can keep users from accidentally breaking something they shouldn't mess with on the phone, especially in regards to the operating system. However, many manufacturers limit your rights to things that aren't really so mission critical, too, and rooting the phone gets around this.
If you have a few unnecessary applications (bloatware) pre-installed on your phone that you cannot uninstall, rooting will give you this ability. It will also allow you to upgrade to newer versions of Android before your phone's manufacturer and/or cell provider make the updates available to you.
So now you know what rooting means. And I bet you are now thinking "Should I do it, or not?" Well, hope this helps you decide:
The advantages of rooting
-De-bloat your phone. Uninstall any unwanted system apps.
-More control over how the CPU acts. This can increase performance or battery life, depends on how you configure it.
-More control over power consumption. This implies undervolting your CPU, giving it less power, so it consumes less.
-More control over how apps start up. Prevent apps from starting up when they don't need to.
-Change your Baseband (Radio). Try different radio versions, with the purpose of reducing battery drain or improving your signal strength.
-Flash custom ROMs. Bored of the stock ROM and look? Browse through the hundreds of custom ROMs provided by this community, each having different features and looks.
-Backups. The ability to completely backup your phone, and fully restoring it to the time of the backup. This is done with a Nandroid Backup (we'll talk about this later)
-Mods and Inovations. Use many mods, fixes, tweaks or features created by the community!
-Custom Kernels. As a Nexus device, the Nexus 5 will have tons of kernels with different features, supporting better performance, or battery life! To see what a kernel is, keep reading.
-Run apps that need Root Permission. These apps can be very useful, like Titanium Backup, Root Explorer, Terminal Emulator and many others!
The disadvantages of rooting
-Rooting will void your warranty (Although reverting root is very easy)
-The process a bit dangerous. Something could (99.9% probably not, but still) go wrong, and end up bricking your phone. So, yes, the process is 0.1% risky. You can end up deleting everything on your phone. You'll have to handle this process gently and with care.
-You will be able to do a lot more mistakes. These may cause damage to your phone (But hey, that's why we have these kind of threads, eh?)
-No more over the air official updates. You'll have to update your phone manually, through your recovery. (Which isn't that hard)
Now that you fully know what rooting implies, let's continue exploring the Android world.
What about the internal memory? How does that work?
Now, as you might already know, each phone has an internal memory. In the Nexus 5's case, it's either 16GB or 32GB. This internal memory needs to hold a lot of things, not only your personal data. This is why you only have available to use 12.9 GB or 28 GB.
An Android's internal memory is partitioned into many chunks that have their separate purposes.
These are all the Nexus 5's partitions, and their names.
Code:
/dev/block/platform/msm_sdcc.1/by-name/system /system
/dev/block/platform/msm_sdcc.1/by-name/userdata /data
/dev/block/platform/msm_sdcc.1/by-name/cache /cache
/dev/block/platform/msm_sdcc.1/by-name/persist /persist
/dev/block/platform/msm_sdcc.1/by-name/modem /firmware
/dev/block/platform/msm_sdcc.1/by-name/boot /boot
/dev/block/platform/msm_sdcc.1/by-name/recovery /recovery
/dev/block/platform/msm_sdcc.1/by-name/misc /misc
/dev/block/platform/msm_sdcc.1/by-name/modem /radio
/dev/block/platform/msm_sdcc.1/by-name/sbl1 /sbl1
/dev/block/platform/msm_sdcc.1/by-name/tz /tz
/dev/block/platform/msm_sdcc.1/by-name/rpm /rpm
/dev/block/platform/msm_sdcc.1/by-name/sdi /sdi
/dev/block/platform/msm_sdcc.1/by-name/aboot /aboot
/dev/block/platform/msm_sdcc.1/by-name/imgdata /imgdata
Yes, there are quite a lot. You, as a user, don't need to care about all of them. Here are the ones you will need to know about:
/system- size: about 0.5GB
This partition holds the Android OS itself. Kind of like the C:// disk on your every day Windows PC. This partition has many folders and files you cannot normally get to, due to safety reasons. For example, system/app is where all the system apps are installed.
If something gets deleted from this partition, Android will most probably won't work properly.
/data- size: either 12.9GB, or 28GB
This is where all your personal data is kept. This includes apps, sms, contacts, e-mails etc. It also stores your system settings, like wallpaper, and all those stuff you set up when you got your phone. The most important folders on this partition are data/app (where your apps are stored), data/data (where you app data is stored, like highscores and stuff), and data/media.
Data/media might be considered your sd-card. Yes, I know the Nexus 5 doesn't have an sd-card, but this folder works like one. When you connect your phone to your PC, this is the folder that pops up, with all your music, images, videos, and whatever else you keep on your phone.
Things are getting a bit more complicated, eh? Just bare with me. Next, I will be explaining the different terms you will be encountering throughout your Android experience.
Things you hear people talk about
Kernel
The kernel is an essential part of any Linux based operating system. It's the program that manages input and output requests of the operating system. Imagine you're at a restaurant. You give your order to a waiter. He takes it to the chef, the chef makes your food, then the waiter brings it back to you, and you enjoy it. In this case, you are the Android system, the waiter is the Kernel, and the chef is the hardware. The system gives the Kernel a request, like firing up another processor core when you play a heavy game, and the Kernel fulfills the request.
Here is an image for better understanding
Recovery
This is a secondary, mini operating system that has access to your internal memory. It contains a few commands that would normally help you recover your Android system in case of a failure, like factory resetting. You will see that, for rooting, you will need to install a custom recovery.
The stock recovery does not have the ability to write custom ROMs (I'll explain these later) on your internal memory. A custom recovery has this option, and many more.
Here are some images for you to fully understand:
Stock recovery:
Custom Recovery
You can see that the Custom Recovery has more options, including "Backup and Restore", Advanced, and Install zip from Sd-card.
You can get in Recovery by powering off your phone, then hold Power+Volume Down button until a black screen with colored text appears. Then, use the volume buttons to select 'Recovery", and then press the Power Button to select it.
Bootloader
The bootloader is the first thing that fires up when you open your phone. As the name says (Boot+Loader), this program loads the kernel, which when boots up the Android system.
The same bootloader can also boot in recovery, as explained above.
When you first get the phone, the bootloader is in a locked state. That means that you cannot use fastboot commands like "fastboot flash" or "fastboot boot". With other words, you cannot simply flash a custom recovery. Thankfully, Google gave us the option to unlock the bootloader very easily, and flash a custom recovery of our choice.
Custom ROMs
A custom ROM is a ZIP file that contains an altered version of the Android OS. There will be many custom ROMs for the Nexus 5, made by wonderful and skilled devs for the community. You can install a Custom ROM with your Custom Recovery. Custom ROMs contain the following folders and files:
META-INF- This folder holds the installation info and data. A custom recovery does not know on it's own how to install a ROM. In this folder, there's a txt file that contains a script, with the purpose of telling the recovery what to do.
System- This folder contains the stuff that will be installed on the /system partition that we talked earlier about.
boot.img- Among others, this file contains the kernel that comes with the ROM.
Dalvik Cache
Android is an open source OS, which supports many different architectures. While it's mainly used in the ARM architecture, it could run on x86. Even with in the ARM there are still some variations. Just like in x86, there are many extensions and SSE is an example of that; ARM is no different and there are some variations from one ARM CPU to another. Dalvik is basically a VM(Virtual Machine) engine, this keep the apps to be universal across many architecture. While this is good, this costs processing power. Meaning, if the apps have to run through VM everytime, they will be very slow. Dalvik cache is basically cache of those apps that's already gone through the VM thus it doesn't require to go through the VM everytime. And when an app run, it run from this version instead. Since each ROM may contain different version of app or optimization or even different kernel or Android version, using dalvik cache from different ROM can get you into trouble. Think of it like trying to run application designed for Windows XP on Windows 7 or Windows 8. It may work, it may not work, or it may even crash. Wiping the Dalvik cache will force the Android OS to optimize all the installed apps all over again.
Ok, so now, after you read all this stuff, you're probably thinking "Ok, I will never get the hang of this". Don't worry. With time, you will know all of these from reflex. And, after you got over that, and manned up again, you probably thought "Ok, let's root this damn thing!". Not quite yet. We aren't done. There are still some crucial things that you need to know. So let's continue.
How to backup your stuff
Before you do anything EVER, you'll always have to backup your stuff, even if you don't feel like it, or your dog died (in which case I'm truly sorry), but, no matter what you're about to do, always have a recent backup sitting around.
There are many ways and things you can and will probably have to backup.
1. Backup your entire phone, by creating a Nandroid Backup.
As you saw in the 'Custom Recovery" picture above, you have a "Backup and Restore" option. Here it is again:
With every occasion, it's best to use it as often as possible. It only takes about 2 minutes, but it could be a life saver.
A Nandroid will backup:
/system
/data (Except /data/media, where your "sd-card" is, because it's too large and not that important)
/cache (Yes, there is a cache partition, and it will be backed up, although not really necessary)
kernel (The kernel will be backed up too)
***Optional tip: I always keep a recent nandroid backup on my PC, in case I somehow wipe all my phone's contents, and my backup among with them. The Nandroid backup is saved at this location, which can be accessed with a root file explorer, like ES File Explorer : mnt/shell/emulated/clockworkmod/backup or sdcard/TWRP. If you want to copy it to your storage, just copy the latest backup, and then move it to your PC.
2. Your apps and data only
This can be very useful when changing ROMs. You just got bored of your ROM, and want to move to another one. The only way of taking your apps and data with you is by backing them up with an application like Titanium Backup. The backups will be saved in data/media, and will be restored using the same app with which you backup up on the new ROM.
3. Your SMS, Contacts, MMS etc.
These things can be backed up by special apps on the Play Store. Ok, contacts will be restored by Google Sync ( although not always done properly, that's why I still back them up), but SMS will not be restored. There are many free apps that back them up for you, nice an easily, for them to be restored in case of a ROM change or data loss.
4. Your storage (data/media, sd-card)
You just connect your phone to your PC, select all folders, and copy all over on your PC. This will be useful when you unlock the bootloader. A bootloader unlock will wipe all the stuff on your phone (This can be avoided, read guides). So keeping a copy of your sd-card contents on your PC isn't such a bad idea.
Now you know how to keep it safe by creating backups. I will say it again, you are never too safe! Backup when you do a modification, even if it's tiny. Now, after you've finished reading the above, you will probably attempt to root. You will use one of the guides out there ( I will link one at the end of this thread ) to install a custom recovery, and gain root access. But what to do with it? Well, you will most likely end up flashing a custom ROM.
Flashing a custom ROM
You will get bored of the stock ROM, and will decide to flash a custom ROM. But you haven't done it before, and you don't really understand the process.Before you do anything, you must:
-Make sure that the files are for your phone ! If you flash files that were made for another phone, you might end up with a brick!
-Never panic! There is always a way out! That's what backups are for!
-Read all the instructions! Every ROM thread has instructions. Read them!
{By the way, flashing = installing}
Now, let me take you through the whole flashing process. ( Use the steps in the ROM threads if instructed differently than here )
1. You will search far and wide in these forums for a custom ROM that fits your needs. Every ROM comes as a ZIP file. So when you decide on a ROM, download the zip. For copyright reasons, Google Apps (Play Store, Google Now etc) don't come included with the ROM. So you will have to download them too. They are usually linked on the ROM main thread.
Some ROMs might have addons too, so check them out, and download the ones you want.
2. You now downloaded the ROM, Google Apps, and some addons. The next step will be to put them on your sd-card. Connect your phone to your PC, and make an easy access folder, like "Root Stuffs" where you'll put all these zips.
3. Now, let the backup process begin. You first backup your apps, app data , SMS, Contacts etc., like I explained above. I recommend Titanium Backup for apps and SMS, MC Backup for contacts.
4. Now you are ready to go in recovery. Power down your phone. Then, press and hold the Power Button and the Volume Down button at the same time. You will be brought to the Bootloader Screen. Now, with the Volume Buttons, switch through the options until you find "Recovery". Then press the Power Button again.
5. Now you will be booted in your Custom Recovery. Depending on your recovery, you will have the options on your screen.
CWM Recovery:
6. You will go to the Backup and Restore menu, and select "Backup". If you made a backup before, you can select "Delete" first, and delete it, for space consumption purposes.
7. After the backup finished, you will return to the main screen. There, select 'Wipe data/ Factory Reset". This will wipe everything in /data except /media, so your sd-card will remain untouched. Don't worry, you have a Nandroid Backup!
8. After the wipe finished, you will go to "Install zip from sd-card". You'll have to navigate to the folder where you put the ROM, and select it. You'll see it will nicely install.
9. After the ROM finished installing, you will have to flash the Google Apps zip, and the mods. Install them the same way you installed the ROM itself.
10. After you have flashed everything, you can select "Reboot system now" . First boot will take longer to complete. Again, don't panic. You have a Nandoid bakcup . You will end up with the ROM booted, and you'll continue setting it up.
TWRP Recovery:
6. Go to the "Backup" menu, select "Boot", "System", and "Data", then swipe the thing on the bottom on the screen to start backing up.
7. Once you're done, use the home button to get to the main screen. Select "Wipe", and swipe the thing again to Factory Data Reset. This will wipe data, cache and dalvik cache. This will not wipe your internal storage (Music, photos, etc).
8. After the wipe finished, use the home button again to get to the main screen. From there, select the 'Install" option. You'll have to navigate to the folder where you put the ROM, and select it. Then, by using the "Add more zips" option, add the Gapps package, and and then any addons or mods, in this order. Then swipe the bottom thing to flash.
9. After you have flashed everything, you can select "Reboot" . First boot will take longer to complete. Again, don't panic. You have a Nandoid bakcup . You will end up with the ROM booted, and you'll continue setting it up.
***In case something went bad, like your phone doesn't boot for more than 10 minutes, or the animation endlessly repeats itself (Boot Loop), do the following:
11*. Hold down the Power +Volume Buttons until the phone shuts down. Then release them for a second, and immediately press them again. You will be brought to the bootloader screen. Enter recovery.
12*. In recovery, go to the "Backup and Restore" menu, and select "Restore" for CWM, or "Restore" for TWRP. Then pick the backup you did earlier, and wait for it to complete. Then, select "Reboot system now", and you should be booted back in your original ROM.
Now, let's say that after you flashed a ROM, it either did not boot, or you had some bugs with it. You will go to the thread ROM to report your problem. Here's how to not post:
"This ROM doesn't work"
You will have to be a lot more specific than that. In reporting a problem, you will have to do the following:
-Say what you did (Flashing process)
-What you flashed afterwards
-What you did to reproduce the bug
-What recovery you use
-ROM Version
-even provide a logcat <This is quite advanced> (http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1726238)
You have to give as many details as possible, so the developer can sort things out.
ADB and Fastboot
ADB (Android Debug Bridge)
The Android Debugging Bridge is kind of a toolkit, that has many commands to control your Android from your PC. This is an essential part of your Android experience. With ADB, you can do many stuff that you couldn't normally do, like backup your apps, or push and pull packages from your phone.
ADB is also used by many of the useful tools out there, like toolkits, and all sort of programs that enhance your Android experience.
With ADB, you can also Logcat. Logcatting is creating a log of everything that happens on your Android phone while it's on. This is used to find the sources of bugs.
Example of ADB Commands:
Code:
adb pull /system/app/RANDOM APP = creates a copy of a system app on your PC
adb push app /system/app = Copies an app from your PC to your system partition
adb reboot bootloader/recovery = Reboots the phone in bootloader or recovery
adb logcat = Starts a logcat
Fastboot
Fastboot is also a toolkit of commands, but a bit different from ADB. While with ADB, you can do simple actions, with fastboot, you can do major ones, like flashing a whole partition, or formatting one. Fastboot is usually the preferred method to flash a recovery. Also, Fastboot usually works with .img files.
Fastboot is also a very easy method of bricking your phone. Always make sure you are flashing the right files for your phone. Furthermore, fastboot is not the preferred method for recovering your phone. It is the last resort. ADB and/or recovery is much easier and safer.
Example of Fastboot commands:
Code:
fastboot erase boot = Erases the kernel
fastboot erase recovery = Erases the recovery
fastboot flash system system.img = Flashes the System partition with an image
fastboot flash boot boot.img = Flashes kernel
fastboot flash userdata data.img = Flashes Data partition
fastboot flash recovery recovery.img = Flashes a new recovery
fastboot reboot = Reboots the phone
To use ADB and Fastboot, you must first have ADB drivers and Fastboot drivers installed. Here is a very good guide to set up these two useful things:
http://www.redmondpie.com/how-to-set-up-android-adb-and-fastboot-on-windows-tutorial/
Restoring your Nexus 5 to STOCK
I moved the whole guide here:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2513701
Check it out.
Now please proceed to the next post

Tips and Tricks
1. Try to not use toolkits. (I'm not disregarding any toolkit dev. They did a wonderful job)
Chromium_ said:
It has been proven that every time you use a toolkit, god kills a kitten. Save the kittens.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Due to the fact that people are lazy in nature , toolkits have been made so that users don't struggle with rooting their phone. But there are many reasons for you to not use one:
-->you won't learn anything from using a toolkit, and, if something goes wrong, a toolkit can rarely fix your problem. It's better if you rely on your own forces.
-->you put the fate of your phone in someone else's hands. If a bit of code is wrong, then your phone could get bricked.
-->you miss out all the fun. Why buy a Nexus device if you don't want to explore the depths of the Android OS?
2. Never panic
Whenever you don't know what to do, and you're stuck, don't panic. There are many people here that can help you. Don't try doing anything blindly. Search the forums, or start a thread in the Q&As section, and we will help you.
3. Read everything carefully!!
(If you read this, post a cat picture in this thread, and you will be rewarded with a thanks from me)
I might have said it a couple of times throuout this post, but always read everything. Someone wrote something for a reason. Usually, if you read everything, and do what you are told, you are bound to be failproof.
4. Battery pull emulation
If you hold the Power Button and both Volume buttons for 10-15 seconds, the Nexus 5 will power off, as if it had its battery pulled out. Useful when you get stuck.
5. Never try to make any system modification(root or flash ROM/recovery) without having enough time and resources to troubleshoot.
While most of the time, this is relatively painless when the you follow the instruction carefully. That said, things can go wrong. So, don't just say I saw a new ROM when I woke up and I wanna try it, and you have 30 minutes before going to work. Even if it only take 5 minutes to flash the ROM, if a thing goes wrong, those 25 minutes you have left may not be enough to fix your problem and you have no phone to use that day.
When you flash something, always make sure you have about an hour of free time, and a PC with ADB and Fastboot, ready to make us of if something goes wrong.
Ok, so now you know pretty much all a normal user should know. But there are still questions that are very frequently asked that need answering. Here are some questions and answers about popular problems and misconceptions. You might encounter these problems later, so give it one more minute of your time:
Questions and Misconceptions
1. My Nexus 5 is getting very hot. Hardware problem?
Nope. There are many reasons that contribute to your phone getting hot, like
-the fact that it doesn't have any way of cooling itself
-the fact that a quad core produces more heat
-etc.
Don't worry. Everything is working as it should. For example, the Ipad gets 3 times hotter than the Nexus.
2. If I am rooted, will I receive OTA updates? (See Return to stock section)
Yes, and no.
You will be able to download the update by having installed the Stock ROM with stock kernel, though it will not be installed automatically, due to the fact that you have a custom recovery. You will need to install it manually.
3. The Nexus 5 audio quality is horrible. Why?
It isn't horrible. It's normal, but the max volume isn't as loud as on other devices. I have been a piano player for 12 years. I have quite a sensitive ear, and I can tell you that the audio quality on the Nexus is comparable with that of an Ipod. The only major difference is that, with the Ipod, you can go deaf with the max volume.
4. Which kernel/ ROM should I use?
Don't ever ask this question. What's good for others isn't necessarily good for you. You'll have to try the many kernels and ROMs yourself.
5. Google Now doesn't activate with "Ok, Google". Why?
Make sure your language is English (United States) in Settings>Language & Input.
6. My battery life is short. What should I do?
-Use a custom kernel made for battery life (like Franco)
-Use the Greenify app from the play store (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.oasisfeng.greenify&hl=ro)
-Don't use Automatic Brightness. Set the brightness to about 35%.
7. My Baseband and IMEI are unknown. What do I do?
Flash the factory images, and then boot in the stock recovery and do a factory data reset. If it does not solve the issue, repeat. I had to do it 3 times for it to work.
8. What's the difference between "Development" and "Original Development"?
Original Development - Usually original pieces of work, based on the original AOSP source, or coded by yourself.
Development - Projects based on works from the Original Development, or that don't include actual developing (Stock rooted ROMs)
This is all for now. I hope you understand what's up with this Rooting process. If you have any questions, don't be shy to ask in this thread
If there is anything to be added to this thread, please post below
Thank you for the time you allocated to reading this! You are now smarter :good:
Good day, and Happy flashing!!!
For credits, useful links and other stuff, see the post below.

Useful links
[GUIDE] Nexus 5 - How to Unlock Bootloader, Install Custom Recovery and Root
[INDEX] Google Nexus 5 - ROMs, Kernels, MODs, Recoveries, Themes
[HELP THREAD] Nexus 5 | Ask any question
[MODEM] [EFS] Nexus 5 Flashable Modems and EFS Backup
Nexus 5 OTA Help-Desk
Credits and Thanks!!
@rootSU
For providing me a template, inspiration, and much of the info. His original thread in the S3 forums: (http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2362743)
@paxChristos
For the logcat part
@efrant
For pointing out some mistakes
@someone0
For this post: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=47474453&postcount=81

Very good post. Im not new to rooting but I am when it comes to Nexus Devices. Im use to rooting phones with external SD cards so I have one question.
When Im going to flash a rom or zip or whatever in custom recovery, I know I have to "Wipe data/factory reset" then "wipe calivk". I know that the data wipe is for apps, app data and system settings. My question is will it also delete pictures, music, videos and other files/file folders like that on the device?

MMontanez347 said:
Very good post. Im not new to rooting but I am when it comes to Nexus Devices. Im use to rooting phones with external SD cards so I have one question.
When Im going to flash a rom or zip or whatever in custom recovery, I know I have to "Wipe data/factory reset" then "wipe calivk". I know that the data wipe is for apps, app data and system settings. My question is will it also delete pictures, music, videos and other files/file folders like that on the device?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
A Factory Data Reset doesn't wipe the data/media folder, where all the things that should be on the sd-card are. You can use the option with no worries.

Very informative, didn't read the whole thing though. I stop at the advantage of flashing custom ROM. In my past experience, gaining root <> able to flash custom ROM. If I understand correctly, even if you can gain root access but not able to unlock the boot-loader, getting a custom ROM would be problematic. IMO, I wouldn't list that there. Sure this maybe beyond noobie scope and doesn't pertain to Nexus 5 specifically. But I wouldn't use that as a rule of thumb. Having used the Sprint Photon 4G, I have respectfully disagree with you on that. Gaining root, mean having admin privilege for the OS not the boot-loader.
---------- Post added at 11:29 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:12 PM ----------
MMontanez347 said:
Very good post. Im not new to rooting but I am when it comes to Nexus Devices. Im use to rooting phones with external SD cards so I have one question.
When Im going to flash a rom or zip or whatever in custom recovery, I know I have to "Wipe data/factory reset" then "wipe calivk". I know that the data wipe is for apps, app data and system settings. My question is will it also delete pictures, music, videos and other files/file folders like that on the device?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
From what I understand of basic android OS is that the system and apps are sitting on separate partition. And so is you normal partition for data, which usually the phone shown as SD card even though it's not a separate internal SD card. The phone usually have one large pool of storage space, think of it like an SSD drive. Then it got split into many partitions for many things. It has boot sector, recovery partition(for storing recovery method, either stock, CWM or TWRP), boot partition, system partition and maybe may other system relation usage partitions. Those partition are already planed out(fixed) by the people who create the ROM for the device. And the rest of the space will be given for the user to do other thing under one partition. And this partition usually won't get wipe. If you have used any custom recovery like CWM or TWRP, there usually be an option to wipe or not wipe certain things. This is possible because all those things are stored in separate partition.

someone0 said:
Very informative, didn't read the whole thing though. I stop at the advantage of flashing custom ROM. In my past experience, gaining root <> able to flash custom ROM. If I understand correctly, even if you can gain root access but not able to unlock the boot-loader, getting a custom ROM would be problematic. IMO, I wouldn't list that there. Sure this maybe beyond noobie scope and doesn't pertain to Nexus 5 specifically. But I wouldn't use that as a rule of thumb. Having used the Sprint Photon 4G, I have respectfully disagree with you on that. Gaining root, mean having admin privilege for the OS not the boot-loader.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well yeah, but from being able to flash a custom ROM to being able to get root access in your current ROM, there is only one simple step, that is installing SU binaries, and a superuser app. I just didn't want to confuse new users by changing the term used only for one small step.

I'll just adding things as I read through, while I'm not a noob by any mean, that doesn't mean I don't see thing missing out. Since sometime the author fill in the missing gap in his/her head. I know I did that a few time. As I read, I though, hmm "Understanding the Android world before rooting" that's helpful. But after I start reading, it's more like a guide to understand the rooting world of android. I understand that's not the purpose here to teach people android, hopefully not to the general XDA members audience. But I would say the headline isn't exactly saying it right. The you start throwing the term Linux. Sure I understand what it is, at least to my understanding. But, it probably wouldn't hurt to stated the first time the term linux is use that Android is a linux based OS as well. Not just saying root is an equivalent of admin in linux. If you are going to assume that the intended audiences don't know what root is, then you should assume the audience know that the same targeted audiences don't know that Android has a deep relationship with linux as well.
I would put extra emphasis on dealing with fastboot. Yes you can do a major operation w/ fastboot. That said, greater power come greater responsibility. It's much easier to brick your device w/ fastboot and less chance of unbricking from using fastboot than recovery or adb.

someone0 said:
I'll just adding things as I read through, while I'm not a noob by any mean, that doesn't mean I don't see thing missing out. Since sometime the author fill in the missing gap in his/her head. I know I did that a few time. As I read, I though, hmm "Understanding the Android world before rooting" that's helpful. But after I start reading, it's more like a guide to understand the rooting world of android. I understand that's not the purpose here to teach people android, hopefully not to the general XDA members audience. But I would say the headline isn't exactly saying it right. The you start throwing the term Linux. Sure I understand what it is, at least to my understanding. But, it probably wouldn't hurt to stated the first time the term linux is use that Android is a linux based OS as well. Not just saying root is an equivalent of admin in linux. If you are going to assume that the intended audiences don't know what root is, then you should assume the audience know that the same targeted audiences don't know that Android has a deep relationship with linux as well.
I would put extra emphasis on dealing with fastboot. Yes you can do a major operation w/ fastboot. That said, greater power come greater responsibility. It's much easier to brick your device w/ fastboot and less chance of unbricking from using fastboot than recovery or adb.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Made some modifications. Thanks!
Credited you

Good thing to see this in the N5 section too.

Great job,dude:good:

Well done! Not a noob, but still learned some things.

jd1639 said:
Well done! Not a noob, but still learned some things.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
They say we never stop learning

abaaaabbbb63 said:
They say we never stop learning
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Very true, I am 76 and learn new things all the time.
Very good and informative post.
While I knew the subject, I read the whole thing just in case I missed something.
The list of ALL the partitions was something I did not know.
:good:

Rooting may or may not void your warranty, depending on where you are. In the EU they cannot refuse warranty for a rooted device, or even a fully 'hacked' phone with unlocked bootloader, rooted and custom ROMed or even in the case of HTCs super CID'ed devices. The exception is if the fault is software related, if you brick it, you lose it, but any hardware fault is still covered.

ChrisM75 said:
Rooting may or may not void your warranty, depending on where you are. In the EU they cannot refuse warranty for a rooted device, or even a fully 'hacked' phone with unlocked bootloader, rooted and custom ROMed or even in the case of HTCs super CID'ed devices. The exception is if the fault is software related, if you brick it, you lose it, but any hardware fault is still covered.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Still, it does not apply to the whole EU. In countries where the Nexus 5 isn't sold through Google Play, warranty policies may differ. Retailers tend to take advantage of their monopoly over these countries and strip down the warranty coverage, and say that if you modified the software, it goes in the "Unsuitable Usage" category, and they can't do anything to it, not even hardware wise.
Trust me. Retailers know how to crook you with every occasion.

abaaaabbbb63 said:
Still, it does not apply to the whole EU. In countries where the Nexus 5 isn't sold through Google Play, warranty policies may differ. Retailers tend to take advantage of their monopoly over these countries and strip down the warranty coverage, and say that if you modified the software, it goes in the "Unsuitable Usage" category, and they can't do anything to it, not even hardware wise.
Trust me. Retailers know how to crook you with every occasion.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
They know how to try. Force the issue and they cave in. I went as far as starting court action over this and they then gave in because they know they would lose. Know your rights and use them.

Very useful info. Thanks.
Quick question. I am coming from htc one x. I have fastboot and drivers installed for that device. Will these work for the n5 or do I need to install new specific ones?

columbo67 said:
Very useful info. Thanks.
Quick question. I am coming from htc one x. I have fastboot and drivers installed for that device. Will these work for the n5 or do I need to install new specific ones?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
They will work for the n5 (I think.... more like 80% sure). Try and see.

I had a question about the void warranty part. Do you know if it rooting/unlocking bootloader voids the warranty in Canada? I'll be getting the Nexus 5 as my first smartphone but would still like to mess around with rooting after a while, but would Google care if I rooted/unlocked the loader? Also, can you unroot/relock the loader?
Thanks.

[Q] Need to Start over - what to wipe in TWRP

I've TWRP 2.7 and Crombi-KK. V11.0-20140402-Crombi-kk4.4.2.tf700t. All my apps are "not responding". Would like to clear everything out and reboot in a raw Crombi (don't want to reflash it if possible). Also heard that formatting to fs2f is a screamer, which WOULD mean a reflash, but THAT would be alright if the bennies out-weigh me doing it.
What do I wipe (I HAVE read many other posts, but if I don't ask, I'll **** it up - I have)?
Thanks.
I'm assuming that I factory wipe, wipe cache, then flash cm-11.0-20140921-tf700t-crombi-kk-R1_signed - which will start me over.

Your reluctance to reflash the rom doesn't really make sense to me. All your apps are not responding, you want to "clear everything out" but not reflash? Why?
You could try to just wipe cache and Dalvik and see if that clears out whatever is going on (assuming you are not that well versed in reading a logcat which would be the analytic way to go about this....). That would not touch anything of your current setup.
If that doesn't do it you would have to at least wipe data and then all your apps are gone anyway - why not reflash the rom at the same time????
But you are on a rom that is no longer supported, no further development will happen here, so I would recommend you grab this chance to give your tablet a facelift and switch to where the action is
To do that do these steps in order:
1. Copy anything worth a damn off the tablet
2. fastboot flash lj50036's Kang TWRP 2.8.6 from the Development section (or use his flashable zip in your current recovery). Reboot
3. download ZOMBi-POP and put it onto a fat32 formatted microSD
4. boot into TWRP, go to Wipe > Advanced and format data. This will take up to 90 minutes - do not interrupt it, deep cleaning is going on.
5. Under the Wipe menu find the change/repair file system option and change data (and only data) to f2fs (I have a guide on how to do it in the General section)
http://forum.xda-developers.com/tra.../guide-convert-data-to-f2fs-twrp-2-8-t3073471
6. Flash ZOMBI-POP
7. go through basic setup, then leave it alone for 30 minutes to settle in
8. prepare to be amazed

berndblb said:
Your reluctance to reflash the rom doesn't really make sense to me. All your apps are not responding, you want to "clear everything out" but not reflash? Why?
You could try to just wipe cache and Dalvik and see if that clears out whatever is going on (assuming you are not that well versed in reading a logcat which would be the analytic way to go about this....). That would not touch anything of your current setup.
If that doesn't do it you would have to at least wipe data and then all your apps are gone anyway - why not reflash the rom at the same time????
But you are on a rom that is no longer supported, no further development will happen here, so I would recommend you grab this chance to give your tablet a facelift and switch to where the action is
To do that do these steps in order:
1. Copy anything worth a damn off the tablet
2. fastboot flash lj50036's Kang TWRP 2.8.6 from the Development section (or use his flashable zip in your current recovery). Reboot
3. download ZOMBi-POP and put it onto a fat32 formatted microSD
4. boot into TWRP, go to Wipe > Advanced and format data. This will take up to 90 minutes - do not interrupt it, deep cleaning is going on.
5. Under the Wipe menu find the change/repair file system option and change data (and only data) to f2fs (I have a guide on how to do it in the General section)
http://forum.xda-developers.com/tra.../guide-convert-data-to-f2fs-twrp-2-8-t3073471
6. Flash ZOMBI-POP
7. go through basic setup, then leave it alone for 30 minutes to settle in
8. prepare to be amazed
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank for your extensive reply. I had already (after re-reading what I had posted) decided to do as you have described. Am installing TWRP today, tomorrow the rest.
I'm using the TWRP Manager having informed it that this is a tf700t, and I'd like to "flash" 2.8.6, it is asking me if /dev/block/mmcblk0p4 && reboot is correct to write to. As I DO NOT profess to be anything other then a 2* newbie with android - I ask, on a T700 is this correct?
AND may I ask a few more questions should I need to? Although the rest is straight forward.

I would not use TWRP manager for anything - even if it happens to identify the correct partition in this case. p4 is the staging partition and that is ok, but still - I have seen TWRP manager do bad stuff - don't use it.
And you don't have to. lj's kang twrp comes in a flashable zip. Just download it, enter your current recovery, flash it and reboot. Bingo - you are now on TWRP 2.8.6
http://forum.xda-developers.com/tra...overy-kang-twrp-tf700t-2-8-x-xarea51-t3049395
Post 2, second link
Ask as much as you like. I don't HAVE to answer, right?
Except for that itch I seem to have to keep scratching :silly:

berndblb said:
I would not use TWRP manager for anything - even if it happens to identify the correct partition in this case. p4 is the staging partition and that is ok, but still - I have seen TWRP manager do bad stuff - don't use it.
And you don't have to. lj's kang twrp comes in a flashable zip. Just download it, enter your current recovery, flash it and reboot. Bingo - you are now on TWRP 2.8.6
http://forum.xda-developers.com/tra...overy-kang-twrp-tf700t-2-8-x-xarea51-t3049395
Post 2, second link
Ask as much as you like. I don't HAVE to answer, right?
Except for that itch I seem to have to keep scratching :silly:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The more I read the more I was disinclined to use the Manager, but couldn't find - and I DID look, the blob, or flashable zip to use!?!?!
So I'm formatting extfs4, THEN changing to f2fs? I changed it to f2fs, which took 10 seconds, then realized I had reversed it. No harm no foul I assume as it is formatting now - and finished in about 30 minutes?
Is this th eversion you suggest: ZOMBi-POP-5.1_B6_omni_tf700t-KANG_signed.zip

Well, I do not have any hard data on this and my knowledge of block devices is more than rudimentary, but the background is this:
Since about TWRP 2.7.x this recovery does a "secure erase" if you format your data partition ext4. All the blocks get wiped before the new file system is created. Just changing the file system to f2fs does not do that and my thinking is: Can't hurt to really, totally wipe your data partition after a couple of years of use, so why not do it once in a while.
Here's what the master said about that:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=60189650&postcount=1806
Is it necessary to format ext4, then switch to f2fs? I doubt it. Is it better? I have no idea, but that's what I did
Yes, the b6 is the latest version of ZOMBi-POP. Flash it

berndblb said:
Well, I do not have any hard data on this and my knowledge of block devices is more than rudimentary, but the background is this:
Since about TWRP 2.7.x this recovery does a "secure erase" if you format your data partition ext4. All the blocks get wiped before the new file system is created. Just changing the file system to f2fs does not do that and my thinking is: Can't hurt to really, totally wipe your data partition after a couple of years of use, so why not do it once in a while.
Here's what the master said about that:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=60189650&postcount=1806
Is it necessary to format ext4, then switch to f2fs? I doubt it. Is it better? I have no idea, but that's what I did
Yes, the b6 is the latest version of ZOMBi-POP. Flash it
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree, wiping -I assume the format "checks the disc" is not a bad idea. What I'm a little confused about is that everything I've read - including your thread (which started this whole thing - see what you did?) - states it's a 90 minute or so process. When I change the data partition to f2fs, it's a coupla seconds, and when I format it (which defaults to ext4) it only took 30 minutes or so for the 32 gig.
AND I don't see anywhere where I can "check" the disc for stats and condition, so I'd know what it was/is before I install - unless of course it's staring me in the face - I have problems with things that stare at me.

RBraverman said:
I agree, wiping -I assume the format "checks the disc" is not a bad idea. What I'm a little confused about is that everything I've read - including your thread (which started this whole thing - see what you did?) - states it's a 90 minute or so process. When I change the data partition to f2fs, it's a coupla seconds, and when I format it (which defaults to ext4) it only took 30 minutes or so for the 32 gig.
AND I don't see anywhere where I can "check" the disc for stats and condition, so I'd know what it was/is before I install - unless of course it's staring me in the face - I have problems with things that stare at me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I - and others - say 90 minutes so that people leave it alone, I guess. A few months back, when TWRP first implemented the secure erase, we had lots of people who thought the tablet was stuck and they interrupted the format which led to lots of "help - can't mount anything" posts...
90 minutes is on the extreme outside, but better safe than sorry....

berndblb said:
I - and others - say 90 minutes so that people leave it alone, I guess. A few months back, when TWRP first implemented the secure erase, we had lots of people who thought the tablet was stuck and they interrupted the format which led to lots of "help - can't mount anything" posts...
90 minutes is on the extreme outside, but better safe than sorry....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Understood. Been a week of amazement . . . . . . .
It was a WHOLE lot faster when first installed, but slowed a bit now BUT still now actually useable.
MANY MANY thanks for "walking" me through this - I've been in IT since large building, that were VERY cold, but now-a-days need to bounce stuff off someone to know I'm thinking correctly.
I've a coupla questions about the setup, but I'll run them through in the correct thread.

Database Info

welcome