[Q] How did my sdcard get "wiped" when I installed the newest AOKP ROM? - Verizon Samsung Galaxy S III

OK, so I'm using wiped in quotes because according to my available free space, it appears my data is still there somewhere. It's just that it's really not and I don't understand why (or where it may be hiding). I've done this many times and never had this problem, so I don't think I did anything wrong, but here are the steps I took: I made a TWRP backup. I wiped my cache, then my Dalvik cache, and then did a factory reset. I installed the new AOKP ROM (aokp_d2vzw_jb-mr1_build-3), installed Gapps, and installed the flashable zip for Titanium Backup. I then booted into Android with no problem, went through the setup process, and rebooted into TWRP. At that point, I was going to install the flashable update.zip I created from Titanium Backup, but I couldn't find it or any of my normal files or folders. I booted back into Android and checked again with a file explorer and sure enough – it's only showing the basic folders you start with and none of my content is there. Like I said, it appears my data is still there somewhere according to my available free space, but I haven't been able to find it anywhere. When I was in TWRP, I hit the button to restore and it showed me my two Nandroid backups, so I feel like the files have to be hiding somewhere.
I'm not really sure what caused it, but I know the files were still there after the wiping and the factory reset, or else I wouldn't have had the zip files to then flash. Therefore, I feel like it had to be during the AOKP or the Gapps install where my sdcard got erased (I forgot to mention my Titanium Backup somehow never got installed). Oh, and just to be clear, I'm talking about the internal (emulated) sdcard, so I can't simply pull it out and put it in my PC to search the contents.
Does anyone have any idea how this happened or where my files are? I'm tempted to do a restore to see if get everything back so I can then make more backups and store them somewhere else.

On your internal SD, do you have a /0 folder? methinks all your stuff's in there....
It's an artifact of flashing 4.2.1 and it's "multiple user accounts" feature

letinsh said:
On your internal SD, do you have a /0 folder? methinks all your stuff's in there....
It's an artifact of flashing 4.2.1 and it's "multiple user accounts" feature
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, I don't have a /0 folder on my sdcard. I did find a /0 folder somewhere in my root, but it only mirrored what's currently on the sdcard.

I found it! It's not on my card, but in the root, under data/media. There is a /0 folder in there as well and it links to the sdcard folder. To be safe, I'm going to first copy everything to my real external sdcard before trying to put it back.

/data/media is the real path for your internal sd card. All the other paths (/mnt/sdcard0, /sdcard, /storage/sdcard0, etc) are just pointers that look at the /data/media location. If you were looking in any of those other locations, the 0 folder should have been seen...
Either way, I'm glad you found your data!

letinsh said:
/data/media is the real path for your internal sd card. All the other paths (/mnt/sdcard0, /sdcard, /storage/sdcard0, etc) are just pointers that look at the /data/media location. If you were looking in any of those other locations, the 0 folder should have been seen...
Either way, I'm glad you found your data!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, that makes sense, but I assure you it isn't showing. The only thing that's showing is the contents of the /0 folder which is inside the data/media folder.
In other words, it appears the system created a /0 folder in my internal sdcard and decided that new folder would now be my internal sdcard. So if I'm trying to browse the internal sdcard, I have no way of going up a level and getting to my old content; the system considers that part of the root. Luckily, I can use FX File Explorer to get in there and access the files.

JerseyMike4 said:
Well, that makes sense, but I assure you it isn't showing. The only thing that's showing is the contents of the /0 folder which is inside the data/media folder.
In other words, it appears the system created a /0 folder in my internal sdcard and decided that new folder would now be my internal sdcard. So if I'm trying to browse the internal sdcard, I have no way of going up a level and getting to my old content; the system considers that part of the root. Luckily, I can use FX File Explorer to get in there and access the files.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's like that because of Android profiles you can create now on 4.2, so basically I'd you were to make another profile it'd be /1 and so on.
Sent from my SCH-I535 using xda app-developers app

GoonAssJuan said:
It's like that because of Android profiles you can create now on 4.2, so basically I'd you were to make another profile it'd be /1 and so on.
Sent from my SCH-I535 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That makes sense. But it would have been nice if the system "moved" my data automatically when I upgraded.

Related

[Q] Accidentally unzipped CM10 then placed on root, how do i remove these files?

Since i'm still on stock and I was supposed to place the rar file on the root, not the extracted files.. How do I remove all the extracted files??? backing up from my restore wont work because I did the backup after I placed all the files on. DOH!
rybednarski said:
Since i'm still on stock and I was supposed to place the rar file on the root, not the extracted files.. How do I remove all the extracted files??? backing up from my restore wont work because I did the backup after I placed all the files on. DOH!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
With root explorer app of your choice. Or Odin back to stock.
in the CM10 rar is has 2 folders: system and meta-inf
When i copied it to the phone the system folder merged with system folder on my phone, along with all the other deeper folders.
So so i have to go through an manually select ALL the files that merged and arent supposed to be there since im still running my stock rom.
That's essentially my question.
Think you need to Odin stock firmware .tar image to format and restore system partition unless those folders are still intact and show as system/system and system/meta which is possible. They need to run the binary to split the files inside the folders. You only copied the folders to the root. Should not have split them up. I could be wrong. Not sure how you copied them to system root. Should have went to SD root. Can't access system root from PC via USB. Would have to put there with file explorer.
Download the original zip, explore all its contents and remove each one individually.
annoyingduck said:
Download the original zip, explore all its contents and remove each one individually.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
They should just be sitting on the sd card. There are no original system, meta ect folders on sd card to merge with. Has me confused. Can't access system root from PC without using ADB. Also if on SD root would not affect anything and would not be in backup. Just delete the main folders that were extracted from the zip from the SD card.
Agreed
i have no sd card. I installed abd then moved then extracted zip to the root of my internal memory. ATM i have installed CM10 and have no issues except for a huge chunk of my memory is gone.. if i delete the system folder from the root is it going to mess up a bunch of other things??
rybednarski said:
i have no sd card. I installed abd then moved then extracted zip to the root of my internal memory. ATM i have installed CM10 and have no issues except for a huge chunk of my memory is gone.. if i delete the system folder from the root is it going to mess up a bunch of other things??
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As long as it is on internal memory (SD) and not in the system partition should be no problem. If you mounted system in adb it is on or in the partition and not sure what to do except odin to reformat the partition. Some AOSP roms report the memory available wrong.
But he should have no issue finding it regardless of aosp storage issues. Op has no external, so he's either mnt/sdcard, internal, or usb storage. Emmc is out of play. Files should be clear as day. If you can put them on your root, you can take them off.
Agree with prdog, just Odin back if your unsure. But completely fixable.....
If I were you I'd give it more of a try without Odin just for the educational value.

[Q] Late stage backup

Having never gotten the rom I was using 100% working I, stupidly, did not set up a full backup. Long story short, things went sour, I can't boot into my rom and I'm hoping I can get some backup help.
What I've done:
Tried everything I can think of to get the rom working
Copied the sd card to my pc
What I would like to do:
Somehow get my installed apps (and hopefully app settings) copied back onto a clean install of the same rom.
There is not enough room to do a nandroid backup 2g free. Is there anything else I can do/can I use the copied sd card as part of a restore?
Thanks.
You can do a nandroid of /data in recovery. But if the problem is in that partition, restoring it will just put you back where you are now.
Does a /data backup do everything I need? I assumed android_secure was required and that's a whole 3 GBs too big.
android_secure is where the apps are stored when you move them to your sdcard. But if you can't back that up, it's academic. /data might save some of your app settings and files.
iElvis said:
android_secure is where the apps are stored when you move them to your sdcard. But if you can't back that up, it's academic. /data might save some of your app settings and files.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just curious why there would be an android_secure if this phone has only internal storage?
Sent from my HTC One X using xda premium
bkmo said:
Just curious why there would be an android_secure if this phone has only internal storage?
Sent from my HTC One X using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Because it partitions the storage (stupidly).
If I copy android secure, could I just put it back after a restore, or would that mess with things? Alternately, if there clear files I could delete to make room for the nandroid of android.secure I could do that. Nearly all of my apps are in there, meaning the data backup is a bandaid on a pretty huge cut.

Restored nandroid, what's with the sdcard?

Hey guys,
a nandroid backup is a really convenient method to backup your complete phone and restore everything or partially data. All partitions (/system, /data, /cache) were being backed up.
But what happens with the sdcard?
Before I flash/install a new rom, I always format my sdcard with my PC, hence I make sure, that it’s clean and has no remains from older roms.
On first boot, the android system creates a lot of folders contaning data, which both are modified during the daily use. For example the folder “DCIM” contains all the taken pictures and videos.
But what’s about these?
- .android_secure
- .dta
- .estrong
- and especially “Android” and subfolders
What happens, if I make a full nandroid of my phone, format my sdcard, so that all the folders and data, which were created while using the rom, were deleted. After that I restore the complete backup and boot up the phone.
My question is, how the restored system will react, if it notices, that these folders and their contents were not available?
- will they be recreated?
- does the system not boot
- after booting it will show some error messages?
- something else?
Thanks in advance!
@@RON
Hi
Greeting
Nandroid only backups phone memory
It does not backup sdcard
And their is no need to format sd card everytime before flashing Rom (i haven't formated my sd card even once ) every thing works f9
Even if u remove all the file from sdcard which u mentaion then the phone recreate these file againg and causes no problem
Basically a Rom has to do nothing with the sdcard the phone runs completely even without sdcard . Sd card is just an expansion of memory to phones
And you do whatever with it , it does not affect the way your Rom runs
Sent from my HTC Sensation XE with Beats Audio Z715e using xda premium
@@RON said:
Hey guys,
a nandroid backup is a really convenient method to backup your complete phone and restore everything or partially data. All partitions (/system, /data, /cache) were being backed up.
But what happens with the sdcard?
Before I flash/install a new rom, I always format my sdcard with my PC, hence I make sure, that it’s clean and has no remains from older roms.
On first boot, the android system creates a lot of folders contaning data, which both are modified during the daily use. For example the folder “DCIM” contains all the taken pictures and videos.
But what’s about these?
- .android_secure
- .dta
- .estrong
- and especially “Android” and subfolders
What happens, if I make a full nandroid of my phone, format my sdcard, so that all the folders and data, which were created while using the rom, were deleted. After that I restore the complete backup and boot up the phone.
My question is, how the restored system will react, if it notices, that these folders and their contents were not available?
- will they be recreated?
- does the system not boot
- after booting it will show some error messages?
- something else?
Thanks in advance!
@@RON
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
When making a nandroid backup, system, data, boot and cache partitions are saved. Also, the android_secure from the SDcard is saved. As for the other folders, they are not kept. EStrongs is the guys who make ES File Explorer, and I believe this folder has something to do with the app. I don't know about the other folders, but they are not required for running the ROM. If they are missing, they will be recreated.
I believe I answered some of your questions above, but I'll answer the rest here:
-As I said, the restore won't create the folders, but the ROM might create them. At least one of the folders you listed is of an app, and there are many more apps that create folders on your SDCard, that's just cache or some data, which is not a problem to restore.
-The system will boot. That's the idea of a nandroid backup (if those folders were required, they would have been backed up)
-It will not show error messages, it will resume just like when you made the backuo.
-Something Else? You name it. There is no need to format your SDCard every time you flash a ROM, as usually it doesn't create problems. It can get a bit messy, but besides that, it's fine to keep it the way it is.
astar26 said:
When making a nandroid backup, system, data, boot and cache partitions are saved. Also, the android_secure from the SDcard is saved. As for the other folders, they are not kept. EStrongs is the guys who make ES File Explorer, and I believe this folder has something to do with the app. I don't know about the other folders, but they are not required for running the ROM. If they are missing, they will be recreated.
I believe I answered some of your questions above, but I'll answer the rest here:
-As I said, the restore won't create the folders, but the ROM might create them. At least one of the folders you listed is of an app, and there are many more apps that create folders on your SDCard, that's just cache or some data, which is not a problem to restore.
-The system will boot. That's the idea of a nandroid backup (if those folders were required, they would have been backed up)
-It will not show error messages, it will resume just like when you made the backuo.
-Something Else? You name it. There is no need to format your SDCard every time you flash a ROM, as usually it doesn't create problems. It can get a bit messy, but besides that, it's fine to keep it the way it is.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, you're right!
I clicked through the folders on my sdcard and the most directories are named "cache" etc. Only some exceptions for e.g. whatsapp message database or downloaded maps for htc locations ...etc.
So it seems, that the android system and the installed apps create folders for their use. If a nandroid will be created, the last mentioned folder should be backed up, too ... but manually. Thus the first mentioned folders (.data ...) are unnecessary.
You said, that there is no need to format the sdcard everytime a new rom will be flashed. I think it is, because every new rom deserves a clean sdcard, which has no remains from older roms. So the rom can expand themself and have a great feeling
No joke, in my opinion it will be the better way, if there are no possible complications with older existing files.
@@RON said:
Yeah, you're right!
I clicked through the folders on my sdcard and the most directories are named "cache" etc. Only some exceptions for e.g. whatsapp message database or downloaded maps for htc locations ...etc.
So it seems, that the android system and the installed apps create folders for their use. If a nandroid will be created, the last mentioned folder should be backed up, too ... but manually. Thus the first mentioned folders (.data ...) are unnecessary.
You said, that there is no need to format the sdcard everytime a new rom will be flashed. I think it is, because every new rom deserves a clean sdcard, which has no remains from older roms. So the rom can expand themself and have a great feeling
No joke, in my opinion it will be the better way, if there are no possible complications with older existing files.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What needs to be cleaned is cleaned when you wipe the phone. Anyway, formatting the SDCard is your choice. Files of apps that are not installed just won't be used. I like your idea of starting fresh, but it's quite a hassle to format and rearrange the SD every time I flash a ROM.
It's nice to have it clean without many directories (Imust say that I managed to reach such a situation with my own documents, with directories I created myself and have no idea what they are for. But I guess that's what you get when you don't clean your "room" for a couple of years.

[Completed] [Q] CWM 6.0.4.8 help, when I choose back up, it's not backing up certain folders

I have did google searches for the answer (can't seem to find the answer), and I checked out the CWM website, can't find support there. Also, there is no specific thread here for my phone. So I choose to post here.
Problem is with the program itself, anyways.
Using CWM 6.0.4.8 Touch
When I do a back up, it doesn't back up everything or every folder (on the internal storage card). I was told by people that it should back up everything.
What it doesn't back up is "storage/sdcard0" It just skips it
Now it does back up the "data/" folders. All the folders in that directory.
cache/
system/
There is a lot of folders it doesn't back up for some reason. Not sure why. Also, I did something, I copied the contents of "sdcard" folder and put it in the data\lost+found\ folder.
To see if it would back it up. And it didn't for some reason.
What it did was create a file called "sdcard" when extracted. It says this:
/storage/sdcard0
But nothing in that folder is backed up. Am I not selecting an option here, or is there something that needs to be done with sdcard0, I take it that is my internal memory storage.
Not sure why it's not backing up everything. Anyone good with CWM, wish to help me or point me in the right direction. That will be good. Thanks.
VeiledChameleon said:
I have did google searches for the answer (can't seem to find the answer), and I checked out the CWM website, can't find support there. Also, there is no specific thread here for my phone. So I choose to post here.
Problem is with the program itself, anyways.
Using CWM 6.0.4.8 Touch
When I do a back up, it doesn't back up everything or every folder (on the internal storage card). I was told by people that it should back up everything.
What it doesn't back up is "storage/sdcard0" It just skips it
Now it does back up the "data/" folders. All the folders in that directory.
cache/
system/
There is a lot of folders it doesn't back up for some reason. Not sure why. Also, I did something, I copied the contents of "sdcard" folder and put it in the data\lost+found\ folder.
To see if it would back it up. And it didn't for some reason.
What it did was create a file called "sdcard" when extracted. It says this:
/storage/sdcard0
But nothing in that folder is backed up. Am I not selecting an option here, or is there something that needs to be done with sdcard0, I take it that is my internal memory storage.
Not sure why it's not backing up everything. Anyone good with CWM, wish to help me or point me in the right direction. That will be good. Thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
A CWM backup is meant to back up only /data, /cache and /system partitions.
It is normal that it isn't backing up the internal storage.

TWRP lost my files

I have a XT1033
I've done a nandroid backup, complete with data.
I use AppLock. It has a Photo Vault feature, where you send your pictures you want to hide. I've put many photos there.
I've installed a custom rom over stock 4.4.4
So I did the Nandroid and then format. After that, installed the new rom.
Then I recovery AppLock with TitaniumBackup
Photos gone.
Then I recover that Nandroid backup, absolutely certain that there's no way my files would be gone with a Nandroid backup.
I open AppLock Photo Vault and.... nothing there.
I go to ES file explorar and try to find the files in the .dom0o7b1ile Applock's folder located in sdcard/0/
The directories are all there, but no pictures.
So please someone give some light on what the hell is going on here?? How could the nandroid miss the .XXXX directory??
thanks!
TWRP's data backup excludes the emulated sdcard. TWRP's "factory reset" also excludes the emulated sdcard. But if you format, it will delete all your data, so you should have copied all important files from "internal storage" (aka emulated sdcard) to your computer before.
_that said:
TWRP's data backup excludes the emulated sdcard. TWRP's "factory reset" also excludes the emulated sdcard. But if you format, it will delete all your data, so you should have copied all important files from "internal storage" (aka emulated sdcard) to your computer before.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If I get it right, /0 = emulated sdcard? What's the usage of this emulated sdcard? I don't understand how it doesn't backup that since all user files go there? You do a Nandroid backup to backup everything...
fscussel said:
If I get it right, /0 = emulated sdcard?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, /data/media or /data/media/0.
fscussel said:
What's the usage of this emulated sdcard?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
User-managed storage space with no specific per-app permissions.
fscussel said:
I don't understand how it doesn't backup that since all user files go there?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
On some devices that's the only backup target (with no physical microSD card and no OTG storage), and it often contains a lot of data that you don't want to back up regularly.
fscussel said:
You do a Nandroid backup to backup everything...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
...that is not easily copied to the PC by other means (e.g. MTP).
_that said:
Yes, /data/media or /data/media/0.
User-managed storage space with no specific per-app permissions.
On some devices that's the only backup target (with no physical microSD card and no OTG storage), and it often contains a lot of data that you don't want to back up regularly.
...that is not easily copied to the PC by other means (e.g. MTP).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Man I don't understand this.
/0, is it a shortcut to some folder? Which folder?
How to explain that the directories in the AppLock folder (which name starts with a DOT I don't know the meaning) are all there, only the jpg files are missing? it creates a folder with coded name ex 8943228 for each picture it hides. All foders, one for each picture, are there, only the jpg files missing inside.
Also, since the /0 folder seems to be a shortcut, symbolic link, what-so-ever, is it possible that the files still exists?
So did you format /data or not?
_that said:
So did you format /data or not?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I did only after the full Nandroid backup.
Then maybe your data hiding software recreated the directories based on information in app-private data that was restored with your backup. As I said, the emulated sdcard (shared storage) is not backed up as part of /data since whoever wrote that code assumed that users would back up that data by simply copying it elsewhere.
_that said:
Then maybe your data hiding software recreated the directories based on information in app-private data that was restored with your backup. As I said, the emulated sdcard (shared storage) is not backed up as part of /data since whoever wrote that code assumed that users would back up that data by simply copying it elsewhere.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
But the strange thing is:
When I recover the backup that directory exists even without booting for the first time after restore... in TWRP file manager I go and the directories are there... but not the files... how can this be possible?
Also, since the emulated sdcard refer to a folder, which is that folder? is it a sym link?
???
fscussel said:
When I recover the backup that directory exists even without booting for the first time after restore... in TWRP file manager I go and the directories are there... but not the files... how can this be possible?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not possible if you really formatted /data.
fscussel said:
Also, since the emulated sdcard refer to a folder, which is that folder? is it a sym link?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In Android, /sdcard is emulated by the sdcard daemon as a fuse filesystem using /data/media or /data/media/0 as backing storage. In TWRP it's just a bind mount.
_that said:
Not possible if you really formatted /data.
In Android, /sdcard is emulated by the sdcard daemon as a fuse filesystem using /data/media or /data/media/0 as backing storage. In TWRP it's just a bind mount.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
But how can the directories exist after twrp recovery and not the files (if I really did format /data because I don't really remember) ?

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