What exactly does a "factory reset" mean? - Galaxy Note 10.1 Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

While I have been using my Note for about a week and a half now I have been carefull to use it in a way that does not keep any stuff on it that I would hate to lose. My plan has always been to do a factory reset after two weeks to a month when I was clearer on how exactly i use it.
So now that I'm thinking about it. i would like to know what a factory reset means for the Note.
I know what it means with a PC. In the old days, it would reformat a disk reinstall the OS and preinstalled crap.
In newer days basically the same thing, but as a restore from an image. This meant that, other then for a little wear, you could not distinguish a the computer from the day you bought it.
How does this differ from a tablet reset?
My understanding is that you get an updated version of the tablet -- ie-- the one you would get if you bought it now versus the one that you get when you actually bought it.
Do I get a choice about what version of Android I get? ( Meaning that if JB is the present store version, could I still get ICS if I don't want the upgrade? )

All it does is wipe the /data and /sdcard partitions so all your settings and files are erased. . It does not touch the Android OS. You will remain on the same version of Android.

As above, all data is wiped. It is restored to out of the box condition however if you have upgraded your OS it will be the newer OS that is restored.
If you have put a custom rom on it this will be the rom restored, it will NOT return to stock even though I've met people who argue otherwise....:silly::laugh:

ultramag69 said:
As above, all data is wiped. It is restored to out of the box condition however if you have upgraded your OS it will be the newer OS that is restored.
If you have put a custom rom on it this will be the rom restored, it will NOT return to stock even though I've met people who argue otherwise....:silly::laugh:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sigh. "Stock" is one of those terms that no one likes to admit they don't know. Since no one admits they don't know what it means it picks up a variety of similar but different meanings. So what do you mean by "stock".
The truth is that since I got my note, I've been ( looking down at crotch in shame) practicing unsafe computing. Nothing Illegal ( in other words no warez ) but I have been goofing around with it and making a mess. Plus adding apps from other stores then the app store, most notably the Opera store. Now I am a bit worried about viruses especially those based on the "Exynos exploit". On top of that when messing around, I'm sure that I accidentally created empty folders and empty files. Knowing those are there even though I can't find them is annoying.
So I would like to make it like it was brand new. That's what I would do for a desktop or laptop.

Its okay. As long as you are on the latest 4.1.2 rom your device and stuff is safe from being exploited since Sammy fixed the exploit.
Stock is basically the state the device came out of the factory in. Except in the case of rom updates explained above. All the apps on the device are whatSamung have installed on the device. There is NO user information. Basically, it reverts back to the state when you first unpacked the box and cast your eyes upon it for the first time. In other words, it goes from being a two bit whore to a vestal virgin untouched by human hands.
The only way to jump Android versions is via Odin for non rooted devices. Rooted devices can install updates via custom recoveries and mobile version of odin.
If a user wanted to go back to ICS from Jelly Bean they would need to download the Stock Rom from either Samfirmware or from a link found on here via the search. Once downloaded they would need to flash via odin using a PC. Updates arrive via Kies, Over The Air or where most of us get them Samfirmware or a link on here.
IF you are worried that you might have downloaded something cheap and nasty that will nick your wallet while you're asleep then I suggest performing a full factory reset. Give the lady her dignity back To do this you need to boot into recovery mode. Switch the device off, hold down volume down (nearest the power button) then press and hold the power button until the samsung logo appears, keep holding the volume down button until it enters recovery. Using the volume up/down buttons scroll down to perform factory/data reset. Click the power button to select it. Scroll down to confirm and press power button again.
Make sure you back up anything you want to keep on the device. Save it to the external SD card which doesn't get wiped during a reset. Once the device resets you will have a fresh out of the box experience to set up and abuse as you see fit. Just stay away from those red light app stores and you will be fine

This only applies to stock recovery, NOT CWM...
As I said though, if you have updated to a new OS (OTA, Official from another area or custom), this is the OS that you will reset to.
It's not quite out of the box as it doesn't store the original rom supplied. However all user data, apps, system settings and call/sms logs are wiped to be like it was out of the box...
If you have something on the internal memory you want to keep, photos or music/video, then you nee to back it up to PC or external sd because after you run the factory reset then it won't be there.

Quick question. After back up your apps to your sd card using Titanium, do you have to take your card out when performing the factory reset? So will the factory reset wipe the sd card as well?
In order to get your apps back you need to install titanium first thing and then run the back up to get all your apps back, correct?

deeselcyde said:
Quick question. After back up your apps to your sd card using Titanium, do you have to take your card out when performing the factory reset? So will the factory reset wipe the sd card as well?
In order to get your apps back you need to install titanium first thing and then run the back up to get all your apps back, correct?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No need to remove sdcard.. And yes you are correct..
Sent From Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 [N8013]

Just make sure you have backed up to external sd card as backing up to sd card may mean internal card... Real good idea except you then loose everything when you factory reset... Lots of people make this mistake...

Related

NVIDIA-was trying to Root from 2.3.3 and chose "Flash Stock Recover!"

Hello,
First post, and greetings.
After following TGA_Gunnman's steps in order to Root from 2.3.3, I
chose "Flash Stock Recover" (the third one) instead of the middle one.
Now all my apps and contacts are gone. Am I pretty much screwed?
My wife just fell asleep and this is her phone so I dead meat if I can't
restore it.
I'm thinking I wiped all the existing internal data since I selected the option
that is only used if I'm "returning to T-mo." All the SD card pics seem to be
though (thank God).
Is there a way to restore though if I've never backed up with NVIDIA?
I'm now proceeding to normal root options and will report how that goes.
Thank you in advance.
Unless you did a backup there would be no way to undo it. If you synced your Google account you could get it back via google
Sent from my LG-P999 using XDA App
First, you used nvflash to install recovery, not Nvidia ... that's the name of a company. Second, flashing stock recovery wouldnt have deleted that info. However, if after flashing stock recovery you attempted to boot into recovery by holding volume down + power, then it WOULD most definitely delete that info. Here's how it works:
-- With stock recovery (which is what u flashed) holding volume down + power performs a factory reset. A factory reset deletes all user-installed apps and user settings. System apps and anything on your sdcard are left intact and not deleted.
-- With clockworkmod recovery (what you intended to flash) holding volume down + power boots into recovery where you can make backups, flash roms, etc.
The good news is you didn't cause any permanent damage or lose anything you can't replace. You'll just have to download apps and change the settings back to the way she wants them.
If you still want to root. Use the nvflash tool again and install clickworkmod recovery. Then flash the root zip that jboxer posted in the development section.
Sent from my LG-P999 using XDA App
Should warned everyone I'm a total noob too
Ultimately, was able to root and think I'm going to like
the benfits. All pics were still on sd card so lucked out there
atleast.

Ampe A85 A31S - 0.00kbs, format and factory reset every boot

Hey guys. Forgive my noobity but I could do with some help and might have a unique problem although I dare say someone has had this or similar.
Firstly, after putting a 64GB stick in my tablet the other day, it all went badly wrong. I had done it before with my previous 64GB that had been playing up so I sent it back and got a new one. The new one seems to be where it all went pear shaped. I might add, the 64GB is for my phone really but my phone cam was playing up so I was swapping it over and stuff... anyway the card itself seems fine in my phone.
Anyways... now my ampe tablet is suffering some strange effects that have changed. initially it would not boot up unless I redone it with the official firmware.. but then wouldn't boot up again, unless I did the same thing over and over. then one time it just refused to boot up past the initial boot screen. I gave up for weeks then picked it up again two days ago.
Now I give it the firmware installed using pheonix again and it booted up. Ahh I thought... lets play. Now I plug it into the pc but the pc says I need to format the 5GB internal partition. So I did. I then looked how to fix the fact that the tab still says it has 0.00kbs internal storage in settings. Then after a while it came up saying 5GB so i copied some files onto it.. great. But I still can't install apps as I found when trying to do this tested working fix http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sJlpek6w624
I then read about using android commander to move busybox from xbin to bin in the system folder but mine is already there.
So now I am stuck. I can't test if my tab is rooted for the youtube link fix above although this is what I said to Nayeem on youtube:
================
Hi Nayeem. I'm really struggling with this. At first my tab was staying at the 2nd initial boot up screen after I put in a 64GB SD card. Using pheonix I managed to get it to boot by reinstalling the updated official rom from szampe but every reboot back to square one. I left it alone for weeks and came back to it, reinstalled the factory rom again and now it will boot up everytime but it has factory reset every time. I cant run the apps you supply for some reason. Everytime I have rebooted the tab, and connected back to pc it says I need to format the internal 5GB partition. I don't know if I have rooted it properly as I can't check. The commands you give above, work as it changes the location proven when I 'get' it. I'm really stumped. I'm trying out a method someone said about moving busybox from sys/xbin to sys/bin but it's already there (using android commander) so I am really stumped now. When I format the partition, it allows me to copy files to it.
================
So far I am stuck with boot up being a factory reset and the partition needs formatting and although the tablet seems a little laggy, everything I have tried works including wifi and incoming email alerts after logging into google account for playstore but no apps will install or update. the best warning I get is there is no memory to install anything and Nayeems method of moving the install location to the sd card seems to work but nothing will install still saying NOT INSTALLED when I try.
Sorry for the long winded thing but I am really new to all of this.
My hat is off to you if you read all of this and can offer a solution so i can give this tablet back to the kids.
Do you have an installed recovery
Try installing a recovery and wipe data and cache. If it does not work u have to repartition ur tablet
nelsontky said:
Try installing a recovery and wipe data and cache. If it does not work u have to repartition ur tablet
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am gonna look into this tonight and see what I can find out. I really don't know exactly what I am doing outside of getting pheonix up and sending a standard rom back to it as previously mentioned.
How would I repartition it ? Sounds stupid asking as i can build pcs... just want to make sure I am doing the correct method.

F***ed up badly, now downloading factory rom, need help to continue

Hi guys, I just registered @ xda because it looks like it's the only serious and feedback active community available. In 10 minutes I found most of the info I was looking for, but I still want to make sure what Im planning to do is fine before I mess up again. Here's the issue:
I was fooling around with the tablet and had just rooted it so I could get rid of some bloatware, and decided to go further and install cyanogen, just for the looks. So I got this thing cm-10.1-20130411-EXPERIMENTAL-p3110-M3 from the official site, which was I put on a folder inside the tablets storage (not on the 16gb SDcard it had in it). I downloaded Rom Manager and skipped through the "search and download rom" and went for the option of looking for it inside the SD card. I had the Backup options and the wipe cache and data ON.
So I proceeded and it booted, started to do the backup and at some final point it had an error, something like "could not backup Data!". I had the options of rebooting, some other stuff and the option of installing a rom from the SD Card. I went for it and searched for the .zip inside the storage, and installed it. It did it withouth trouble, and when it finishd it prompted me to install an update, which I didn't (don't know why).
Then, I went for the reeboot option and when it started I get the normal samsung's black screen with the device's name on it, but then I get a fast glitching image that sweeps through the screen and the cyanogen startup logo which gets stuck for ever.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Now Im past it, I can get to download or recovery mode, so I moved onto getting the original firmware so I can clean-install again. I got it from sammobile, chose the one belonging to Chile (that's where I got the tablet), and it's 729mb of data. The tablet is a Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 P3110
If I flash it with Odin will everything be fine? All I have to do is that thing in downloadmode when I rooted it, but with that 729mb file? Should I put it in the external SD or is it more convenient to place it in the internal storage?
I appreciate your help in advance, I know this is as basic as it gets but messing up again would cost me dearly, since I have to do other stuff.
forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1900055 read here, all the information you will need.
It's fine to flash through odin, you will back at stock provided you don't overlook small details and do exactly like the way it is shown. Don't worry, Don't panic. Just be careful to use the files meant for your device only. Second be extra careful when you are dealing with kernel file, pit file or reparation in odin in future.
Third, get root and custom recovery,twrp.
Fourth, after your device start running take backup from twrp recovery. That will save you from most of the trouble.
Most of the details and instructions are already here
billysam said:
forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1900055 read here, all the information you will need.
It's fine to flash through odin, you will back at stock provided you don't overlook small details and do exactly like the way it is shown. Don't worry, Don't panic. Just be careful to use the files meant for your device only. Second be extra careful when you are dealing with kernel file, pit file or reparation in odin in future.
Third, get root and custom recovery,twrp.
Fourth, after your device start running take backup from twrp recovery. That will save you from most of the trouble.
Most of the details and instructions are already here
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
hey thanks a lot, im feeling better ow. There's just one issue left: I cant download the original firmware (it's 699mb, and the download keeps stopping midway through it). What happens if I go into clockwork recovery mode and do a factory reset? would that bring me to the original OS? Im kinda scared of downloading an erroneous file again.
EDIT: im doing a factory reset and then flashing this rom called AOSP Project Android 5.1.1 Lollipop on Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 P3110 which is a 161mb file. Will that work?
aguscanzani said:
hey thanks a lot, im feeling better ow. There's just one issue left: I cant download the original firmware (it's 699mb, and the download keeps stopping midway through it). What happens if I go into clockwork recovery mode and do a factory reset? would that bring me to the original OS? Im kinda scared of downloading an erroneous file again.
EDIT: im doing a factory reset and then flashing this rom called AOSP Project Android 5.1.1 Lollipop on Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 P3110 which is a 161mb file. Will that work?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Factory reset is just clearing data and cache, if you have made changes in kernel or system, factory reset won't reset them, in your case, system has been altered so you will have to format system, then flash the new rom. If you were on jelly bean stock, you are good to flash it.
billysam said:
Factory reset is just clearing data and cache, if you have made changes in kernel or system, factory reset won't reset them, in your case, system has been altered so you will have to format system, then flash the new rom. If you were on jelly bean stock, you are good to flash it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You guys have helped me a lot. I've worked everything out and now i've got to reinstalling android on it, AOSP's 5.1.1 Lollipop. It's beautiful. There's just one problem: Since it came with no apps at all, I wanted to install everything on it again. Problem is, when I go to google play, it shows that i've already got my apps installed, so it wont let me download them, and it doesn't matter if I place the APK's inside the tablet as there's no manager to open them. Even if I download apk's through the tablet's own web browser, it says it can't open the file. Any ideas on this?

SMG386T1 Partition Recovery

Hi, I've been meaning to write this since 2016 or 2017, I think, butI think I can still remember all the important details of this crisis...
So I had rooted this 'Galaxy Avant' phone originally so I could disable/remove the extra stuff of the systems' in the hopes of improving the phones' performance, but I didn't change the OS from whag metropcs gave me at that time. I also had a password and/or a pin lock on both the sd card, startup, and internal memory. Everything was okay until I ran into a wifi issue where it wasn't connecting to a semi-public wifi hotspot, so I thought if I cleared the wifi apps' cache the issue would go away. Trouble was I didn't know that the wifi cache wasfor some reasin the same as the system's cache, and a few seconds after clearing it, my phone crashed, and continued to restart itself. So I panicked and tried removing the password/pin locks for easier backup to recovery/resetting. Well the external sdcard managed to decrypt, but when I proceeded to attempt the same for the device, it decided to factory reset itself.
I lost nearly everything from that event. I did periodic backups to the sd card but not daily and since that phone was also responsible for my own memory retention, at least a month or two of my soul is still missing. Any new contact, commitment, itinerary, life decision, goal, deadline, or other important note from that time was wiped and can't be found anywhere else, and I still don't know who else is or was affected from this (especially if I had just made their acquaitance).
So all that to say I must get this device back to how it was before the cache-wiping incident. The phone hasn't been turned on since, except to dump the system image onto my linux desktop. With testdisk I can see what I assume are the deleted partitions from before the factory reset, but I don't know how to undelete+decrypt them and/or copy them back to the device. Please tell me honestly that there's a way to do this, and what that way is. My functioning really depends on it...
shmusername said:
Hi, I've been meaning to write this since 2016 or 2017, I think, butI think I can still remember all the important details of this crisis...
So I had rooted this 'Galaxy Avant' phone originally so I could disable/remove the extra stuff of the systems' in the hopes of improving the phones' performance, but I didn't change the OS from whag metropcs gave me at that time. I also had a password and/or a pin lock on both the sd card, startup, and internal memory. Everything was okay until I ran into a wifi issue where it wasn't connecting to a semi-public wifi hotspot, so I thought if I cleared the wifi apps' cache the issue would go away. Trouble was I didn't know that the wifi cache wasfor some reasin the same as the system's cache, and a few seconds after clearing it, my phone crashed, and continued to restart itself. So I panicked and tried removing the password/pin locks for easier backup to recovery/resetting. Well the external sdcard managed to decrypt, but when I proceeded to attempt the same for the device, it decided to factory reset itself.
I lost nearly everything from that event. I did periodic backups to the sd card but not daily and since that phone was also responsible for my own memory retention, at least a month or two of my soul is still missing. Any new contact, commitment, itinerary, life decision, goal, deadline, or other important note from that time was wiped and can't be found anywhere else, and I still don't know who else is or was affected from this (especially if I had just made their acquaitance).
So all that to say I must get this device back to how it was before the cache-wiping incident. The phone hasn't been turned on since, except to dump the system image onto my linux desktop. With testdisk I can see what I assume are the deleted partitions from before the factory reset, but I don't know how to undelete+decrypt them and/or copy them back to the device. Please tell me honestly that there's a way to do this, and what that way is. My functioning really depends on it...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Go to Sammobile .com or samsung-updates .com, enter your model number in their search feature to find your stock firmware. If you can find the firmware, you can use Odin to flash the firmware to restore the device to normal function.
Sent from my LGL84VL using Tapatalk
Droidriven said:
Go to Sammobile .com or samsung-updates .com, enter your model number in their search feature to find your stock firmware. If you can find the firmware, you can use Odin to flash the firmware to restore the device to normal function.
Sent from my LGL84VL using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks, but the device already functions normally; it reset itself to factory defaults, after all.
I just want to be able to restore the device to as it was before the accidental cache wipe—apps as they were, files, and all...
shmusername said:
Thanks, but the device already functions normally; it reset itself to factory defaults, after all.
I just want to be able to restore the device to as it was before the accidental cache wipe—apps as they were, files, and all...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh, you mean you want to recover your lost data. All I can say is try some data recovery software on PC, there isn't any guarantee that it will work though. Data recovery on android is not very reliable.
Sent from my LGL84VL using Tapatalk

firmware flashing vs factory reset

Hi. i have an issue with my tablet and samsung support wants me to do a factory reset.
My question is then if i flash a firmware from samfrew.com will that remove as much data as a factory reset? or is the data stored in another partition or something similar to that?
A Factory Reset - as it name implies - only restores Android phone to the state it was brought into the market, it does NOT alter phone's Android as flashing a firmware does.
ok? so are you saying that doing the factory reset will rollback all the software updates samsung has rolled out?
Masterkong said:
ok? so are you saying that doing the factory reset will rollback all the software updates samsung has rolled out?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, but factory reset, will wipe your internal drive completely. If you have a sd card store all your photos/music etc on sd card.
Only real time, you want to flash stock firmware
etc, is if you eg... want to upgrade your firmware to newer versions, or come back from root.etc.. etc.
Chances are... if you don't know what you doing... you can soft brick your device etc.!
Factory reset, seems like the better options.?
Even though once or twice (in the past) , a factory reset, did not help, where flashing correct, Official firmware version, actually help solved my issue.
So it's your choice.!
Good luck.
to
Masterkong said:
Hi. i have an issue with my tablet and samsung support wants me to do a factory reset.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What's the issue?
Try clearing the system cache; it never hurts, it's easy and can cure erratic behavior.
Old loads will probably benefit with a clean load but for minor issues it's a shotgun overkill approach to troubleshooting.
Techs like because it works and makes things real easy... for them, not you!
Worse the issue can easily reoccur if it was caused by an app, setting, etc. Normally it's best to find the root cause rather than do a factory reset.
Exceptions are old loads and if you did a OS upgrade, in which case a factory reload fully warranted.
A reflash should only be done to upgrade or if the original factory load image has been corrupted (very unlikely).
ok.
i have an samsung galaxy tab S6 and since the upgrade to Android 11/OneUI3.1 international key on any hardware keyboard stopped working. regardless of layout set. Dvorak etc. does work though.
so i think it is a software bug and not some lingering configuration.
support asked me first to clear the cache on samsung keyboard app and when that didnt work they asked me to reset all settings in general management. no bueno there either. next thing they want me to do is facory data reset.
so my thinking is if this is a software bug that won't do any good. but reflashing the tablet with android 10 should work if the faulty software is in android 11, or rather in samsungs OneUI i guess.
does this make sense?
but i digressed. what i wanted to learn was what data is affected in a factory reset compared to a firmware flashing.
Masterkong said:
but i digressed. what i wanted to learn was what data is affected in a factory reset compared to a firmware flashing.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I basically answered your questionin above post..!
Factory reset will wipe your internal data.!
Where as flashing correct Official Firmware depends...... .!
eg If you do a dirty flash... you keep your data..! Data stays intact, but chances are "anything" (system apps) can get corrupted.?
Resulting eg, in excessive battery drain or an app not working properly.
(In Samsung devices when flashing you use /if you flash... eg Home_CSC etc with the other relevant files)
Otherwise/alternative, if you flash
(.. with the correct Official Firmware using)
eg CSC_XXX file, your device will automatically factory reset..!
Bottom line is, it depends how you flash your device.
example.....
HOME_CSC_xxx -> data will stay intact.
CSC_xxx-> device will factory reset.
Note,
If you knew the basics, about flashing official firmware......
you should have known, above information.?
So i suggest that either you do some reading /research, regarding flashing correct official
Firmware etc or you stand risk of soft
bricking you device..
Good luck
Masterkong said:
but i digressed. what i wanted to learn was what data is affected in a factory reset compared to a firmware flashing.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
All critical data photos, contacts, music, vids, etc should already fully backed up, redundantly.
The whole idea of a reload or flash is a fresh start from issues that are present.
OS's are 100% expendable, critical data is not.
It's a little game to see how long you can keep a OS copy running well, but that's all it is.
Erratic behavior could indicate a virus or rootkit.
A benign instability could end up corrupting important data, even backups.
I'm ready to reload -now- should be how you roll; keep your data organized and backed up.
If you have a SD card slot, use it as a data drive. OS/programs/download folder on the internal memory or primary drive, and all critical data on the the data drive. You can nuke the OS but your data is safely (hopefully) still on the data drive, you backup that drive at least twice.

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