Database Info

What are your basic steps when flashing a new ROM?

1. Titanium backup to backup apps
2. Boot to recovery - wipe data / cache / dalvik
3. Flash new ROM
4. Titanium backup to restore apps
5. Rebuild my homescreen and settings etc
J/w how the rest of you guys flash new roms. Anything else I should be doing when flashing a new rom?

Only think I would add is to wipe /system while in recovery. You can do that by accessing the "format /system" option in CWM Recovery under "Mounts and Storage"
Also, maybe make a Nandroid Backup before wiping /data incase something goes wrong
Sent from my Nexus S 4G using Tapatalk

I'll be honest I could care less about anything on the ROM itself. Apps I just reinstall, contacts/email/calendar resync. All my music/pix are saved to the internal memory.
1. Reboot to recovery
2. Wipe boot/system/data/cache/dalvik
3. Reboot ROM and reinstall all apps and accounts
I don't like backing up the apps because I like the "starting fresh" feeling by putting back in the apps I actually want.

What i do
boot into recovery
wipe boot/system/data/cache/dalvik
install the rom/kernel
boot and leave the phone for 5 mins then reboot again =D

I know a lot of users will disagree but I simply nandroid, factory wipe and then flash the new rom. A factory wipe clears data and cache and flashing the rom will wipe system and boot. I've yet to have an issue with this method. I also know how to recover from most problems I could encounter on my own. Additionally, i'm a member of the do as i say, not as i do club. Always nandroid and follow dev instructions is what most people really need to do.
Sent from my Nexus S 4G running CM7/franco.Kernel

[Q] If phone isn't rooted, does it mean I'm unable to wipe...

....to wipe unneeded files in the dalvik cache, and so they will add up over time and take a lot of space and make the phone slower? Therefore it is a MUST to root one's phone?
Is that a correct assumption?
Thanks!

Try it. Use any file manager, go to /cache/dalvik-cache, and delete something, or everything.

The reason why it is called a cache is to speed up the phone.
It won't take up memory because of the way the phones storage is partitioned.
Sent from my DROID2 using xda premium

MarlonKaye said:
....to wipe unneeded files in the dalvik cache, and so they will add up over time and take a lot of space and make the phone slower? Therefore it is a MUST to root one's phone?
Is that a correct assumption?
Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
For formating caches you could use file manager but it also need root permission...
And until you flash other custom rom you need not to wipe cache...
Apps cache is being created for the first time you boot your phone for better application launch...
So if you got a serious problem of force crash on stock rom, please do full reset...
Rom: CodeBox 1.4.0 Unofficial
Kernel: Horsepower 3.1 by fuss
If you like my post please hit thanks button...

You can use Factory Reset from Settings menu.

guys...
Guys, please read the original post.
Anyway, I tried unrooting my phone and deleting contents of dalvik cache. As expected, this is what happened:
1. Using ES File Explorer, WAS NOT ABLE to access the /data/dalvik-cache folder. It showed "Empty folder" or something like that.
2. Using Root Explorer, message that read "You're phone doesn't seem to be rooted, etc. etc. " (cannot access folder also)
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So here's my new set of questions:
1. Does factory reset erase dalvik-cache? (I would assume so)
2. If phone is unrooted, dalvik cache contents cannot be accessed or deleted (as I have proven). Does that mean they will add up over time (unless you factory reset the phone??) and cause problems like making the phone slower?
Hope that's clear.
Thanks!!!

What phone are you using? If for samsung, you can still wipe that in stock recovery even if you are unrooted...
Dalvik cache is in your /data partition, so yeah, it will be erased if you factory reset...your phone should manage dalvik by itself, it should not build up (except if you mess with it), so don't worry...

Ryuinferno, hello. I'm using Samsung Galaxy Ace. So how do I wipe the dalvik cache in stock recovery of unrooted phone? Are you referring to factory reset / data wipe? I know that already. I know that already. If you're referring to something else, please let me know.
Are you sure android phones manage the dalvik cache by themselves? Because sometimes when I uninstall an app, a related file would still be left in dalvik. I would then manually delete it or delete it using Titanium Backup. Also, why does Titanium Backup have an option to "Clean up the Dalvik cache..." if the phone manages it by itself?
Thanks!!!

Ryuinferno said:
What phone are you using? If for samsung, you can still wipe that in stock recovery even if you are unrooted...
Dalvik cache is in your /data partition, so yeah, it will be erased if you factory reset...your phone should manage dalvik by itself, it should not build up (except if you mess with it), so don't worry...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Even wiping dalvik cache will cause apps to misbehave in you don't factory reset ...
If you are rooted , it will also have same effect ...
So do factory reset if you are in stock ROM and full wipe if you are on custom ROM ...
ROM : CodeBox Unofficial 1.4.0
Kernel : Horsepower 3.1.0-Fuss
If you like my post please hit like button...

Hmm...I can't remember too well as I left stock recovery too long...never left my phone unrooted......I think there is a wipe cache option in stock recovery but I am not sure whether will it wipe dalvik or not...
Titanium backup has an option to wipe dalvik because when changing ROMs/restoring apps, the current dalvik may be conflicting with the newly restored app...that is why you need to rebuild them...usually the old unused dalvik should be cleared upon a reboot...

"Hmm...I can't remember too well as I left stock recovery too long...never left my phone unrooted......I think there is a wipe cache option in stock recovery but I am not sure whether will it wipe dalvik or not..."
Maybe not? Because wipe cache and wipe dalvik cache are two separate options in ClockworkMOD Recovery, is it not? Or maybe in stock recovery, it DOES wipe dalvik as well....

[Q] CleanRom 5.0 re-install

I flashed CleanRom 5.0 the other day, along with the new Modem and RPM. I was previously stock and rooted ICS. I no longer have the ability to use DLNA, and searching the CleanRom thread in the Developement section it looks like it might be because I did not install the Allshare app when installing the ROM.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=30877701&postcount=1131
I want to go through the install again, but have a few questions, but don't have the authority to post in the ROM thread. Just want to make sure I go through the right steps.
Do I just need to boot into CWM recovery and do a system wipe, cache wipe and delvik cache wipe, then reflash and install the ROM with the options I want?
Do I need to reflash the Modem and RPM?
Also, in this post, http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=34675681&postcount=7511
Scott states at the bottom "3. Restoring data form ICS is highly discouraged but I dont th ink would cause any screen jitters."
Does this mean that I should not restore my User Apps & Data that were backed up using Titanium Backup Pro from my original ICS ROM? I can re-download my apps from the Playstore, but it really easy to do with Titanium BU. I restored my User Apps & Data this way after originally flashing CleanRom 5.0, and didn't notice any issues, but want to make sure I do things the right way this time. I did not restore any system apps & data, just user apps & data.
Any help/input would be greatly appreciated. Thanks for helping a rookie out!

Boot into CWM, wipe data then flash the ROM the way you want. You don't have to flash RPM or Modem again. Just restore your apps and their data. Don't restore any system data (never should).
This what you needed?

Yes, that is perfect, and what I thought. Just wanted to make sure. Thanks!
I do have a few other questions that I would like to have answered:
With the CleanRom installed, am I going to get prompted for the Verizon OTA updates when they get pushed out? I assume not.
Not saying I want to go back to my stock/rooted ICS which I made a nandroid of, but if I did decide to restore that nandroid, it restores the Modem and RPM that go with that ROM, correct? Or will I need to find and flash these?
Thanks

The OTA is disabled in CleanROM. Nandroid backup should copy everythng.

Got another question regarding data wiping.
In section 2 of this thread: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1762709
states "Step 5: Wipe Data/Factory reset, then under the "mounts & storage" menu Format System."
In all the threads I have read I see folks state to do a data wipe/factory reset, wipe cache, and wipe dalvik cache. I have only seen the "Format System" in this thread.
The reason I ask, I just went through the process of re-flashing CleanRom 5.0 and did the data wipe/factory reset, wipe cache, and wipe dalvik cache and when I go into my file explorer, I see folders from before doing a data wipe.
I assumed a "data wipe/factory reset" would delete all this info from the internal sd card bringing it to a clean factory setting. Looking at the "Mount and Storage Menu" in CWM, there is the option "format /system", "format /sdcard" among others.
I guess I would like to know if a "format /system" is required, and would this get rid of old data, or is a "format /sdcard" the right thing to do?

Formatting system is a matter of preference to be honest. You don't realize this but by flashing CleanRom 5, Scrosler (that roms dev) has the rom automatically format /system before it installs. You'll notice it does so if you watch and read it as its installing although it does say this in passing. So to answer your question, it already formatted /system as it installed BUT this isn't the case with every rom.
When you "wipe data" and flash a rom, all you're deleting is the software on the phone itself not the data saved to your internal or external sd card UNLESS you manually select "format sd card" in the process. All your photos/movies/etc are untouched otherwise it would delete all this data and therefore you would not be able to flash anything because your internal storage was already wiped/empty. Make sense?
Sent from my SCH-I535 using xda app-developers app

That helps. Thanks. I'm picking up the info little by little, but there is a lot to learn.

08G8V8 said:
That helps. Thanks. I'm picking up the info little by little, but there is a lot to learn.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yea, I do agree but if you stick around long enough you'll pick up quite a bit. There are a lot of helpful threads here and helpful people at that.
Sent from my SCH-I535 using xda app-developers app

[Q] Factory reset doesn't delete data/restore system?

Aside from the pee-stain at the bottom of the phone I did notice one thing. When you do a factory reset (and select/check that deleting userdata is okay) it does not:
• delete sdcard data
• remove user settings for apps/wifi
• restore modified system files (hosts, etc...)
• root remains as well
Is there actually a way to do a proper reset and have it restore things as it should? In line with that how do I securely erase the data if possible so in given it to a family or it ends up on some truck with Avast that the data can't be restored?
Thanks!

windraker said:
Aside from the pee-stain at the bottom of the phone I did notice one thing. When you do a factory reset (and select/check that deleting userdata is okay) it does not:
• delete sdcard data
• remove user settings for apps/wifi
• restore modified system files (hosts, etc...)
• root remains as well
Is there actually a way to do a proper reset and have it restore things as it should? In line with that how do I securely erase the data if possible so in given it to a family or it ends up on some truck with Avast that the data can't be restored?
Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
WTF? Factory reset does not actually factory reset..? This seems like a huge bug with CM11... Especially the part about the lack of deletion in the SD card and user settings.

an_xda said:
WTF? Factory reset does not actually factory reset..? This seems like a huge bug with CM11... Especially the part about the lack of deletion in the SD card and user settings.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nope. I had rooted the phone and while I think I lost root; the modified hosts file I changed (http://winhelp2002.mvps.org/hosts.htm) was still there as well as the entire SD card contents. It remembered my home wifi as well because I looked in settings and it showed my home one as "out of range"
Not sure if it's a bug or by design as I haven't tried flashing the stock image yet.

For a complete factory reset that will erase everything. Everything! You can do a factory reset from the boot loader. (Restart or power on phone and hold down the volume down button, scroll to factory reset, push power button) or from TRWP data reset, it makes you confirm and type "yes"
I reset my phone through the boot loader on accident a couple times and wanted to kick my dog.
Sent from my HTC One using XDA Free mobile app

You guys do know that factory resetting only formats the data partition excluding the /data/media directory. This is not a bug. It wouldn't need to do anything to the system partition of you don't root. And it's not able to restore the system partition without a system image and where are you going to store that? In the system partition? All user settings including apps and WiFi settings are stored on the data partition will actually be wiped unless when you log into your Google account you select restore from backup. There's no reason you would want to delete storage too when factory resetting unless you want to sell the phone and you can delete that in so many ways since it's your storage.
Sent from my TouchPad using XDA Premium 4 mobile app

cannonofcourse said:
For a complete factory reset that will erase everything. Everything! You can do a factory reset from the boot loader. (Restart or power on phone and hold down the volume down button, scroll to factory reset, push power button) or from TRWP data reset, it makes you confirm and type "yes"
I reset my phone through the boot loader on accident a couple times and wanted to kick my dog.
Sent from my HTC One using XDA Free mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The Jack of Clubs said:
You guys do know that factory resetting only formats the data partition excluding the /data/media directory. This is not a bug. It wouldn't need to do anything to the system partition of you don't root. And it's not able to restore the system partition without a system image and where are you going to store that? In the system partition? All user settings including apps and WiFi settings are stored on the data partition will actually be wiped unless when you log into your Google account you select restore from backup. There's no reason you would want to delete storage too when factory resetting unless you want to sell the phone and you can delete that in so many ways since it's your storage.
Sent from my TouchPad using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you both Tried that and worked. Wanted to restore the hosts file to stock but couldn't find the original again. (didn't think to extract factory rom files on cyangen site)

The solution is in their FAQ.

so wait... if i factory reset from twrp... will my internal sd.. i.e. music.. and other files also get deleted?

abhimanyu bajaj said:
so wait... if i factory reset from twrp... will my internal sd.. i.e. music.. and other files also get deleted?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No.
Transmitted via Bacon

timmaaa said:
No.
Transmitted via Bacon
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
and if i flash a new rom... will it be deleted?

abhimanyu bajaj said:
and if i flash a new rom... will it be deleted?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just flashing the ROM by itself will not wipe data or internal storage, but you may encounter bugs (it's called dirty flashing). The best way to get a bug-less ROM is to clean flash which means wiping every partition. The only one that should be OK is internal so you don't have to wipe that one when clean flashing.

abhimanyu bajaj said:
and if i flash a new rom... will it be deleted?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, flashing a ROM doesn't wipe user data. When flashing a new ROM it's best to wipe system, data, cache, and dalvik cache, but it isn't necessary to wipe (internal storage) user data.

Newbie XDA member
I change my phone original bootanimation and then i get No Command when i factor reset .. Nothing Happend how do just restore my (/system) /system/media bootanimation.zip ... other way to fix this thing i have pc >?

Help on deleting residual files(?)

Hi, I am new to installing custom rom and just completed installing one. I have wiped the cache, system, data using twrp after flashing the ROM. After installation, I did a factory reset as well. I have noticed that there are residual files (files from previous rom, downloaded files, rom and firmware files). How do i go about cleaning them up? I assumed that all of it would be deleted after wiping and factory reset

sideger said:
Hi, I am new to installing custom rom and just completed installing one. I have wiped the cache, system, data using twrp after flashing the ROM. After installation, I did a factory reset as well. I have noticed that there are residual files (files from previous rom, downloaded files, rom and firmware files). How do i go about cleaning them up? I assumed that all of it would be deleted after wiping and factory reset
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Factory rest in TWRP does not wipe /data/media, /data/media is where your various internal storage(user space) folders are located, folders such as download, Bluetooth, DCIM, etc..
You can delete from /data/media manually or you can boot into TWRP, then choose "Wipe", then choose "advanced wipe", Then choose to wipe internal storage, that will wipe your internal files.
Sent from my LGL84VL using Tapatalk

Droidriven said:
Factory rest in TWRP does not wipe /data/media, /data/media is where your various internal storage(user space) folders are located, folders such as download, Bluetooth, DCIM, etc..
You can delete from /data/media manually or you can boot into TWRP, then choose "Wipe", then choose "advanced wipe", Then choose to wipe internal storage, that will wipe your internal files.
Sent from my LGL84VL using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh that explains it. Thanks! I did a factory reset from the rom and it worked. I thought the twrp factory reset did the same

sideger said:
Oh that explains it. Thanks! I did a factory reset from the rom and it worked. I thought the twrp factory reset did the same
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Be careful using the factory reset located in the device settings, using that method of factory reset has been none to frequently brick devices that are rooted, its very risky.
The best option is to use the advanced wipe in TWRP then select the cache, dalvik cache, data, system and internal storage partitions to be wiped. TWRP is the absolute best tool to use on rooted devices for everything you can think of, it is specifically designed to work with rooted devices without doing anything that the user has not specifically told it to do. In other words, as long as you understand how to correctly use the tool, there should never be an "uh-oh" moment unless you make a user error. Many features built into ROMs can be risky if the device is rooted, using built in features to flash or wipe is risky, TWRP and/or adb are better suited for the job and with much less risk involved.
Sent from my LGL84VL using Tapatalk

Droidriven said:
Be careful using the factory reset located in the device settings, using that method of factory reset has been none to frequently brick devices that are rooted, its very risky.
The best option is to use the advanced wipe in TWRP then select the cache, dalvik cache, data, system and internal storage partitions to be wiped. TWRP is the absolute best tool to use on rooted devices for everything you can think of, it is specifically designed to work with rooted devices without doing anything that the user has not specifically told it to do. In other words, as long as you understand how to correctly use the tool, there should never be an "uh-oh" moment unless you make a user error. Many features built into ROMs can be risky if the device is rooted, using built in features to flash or wipe is risky, TWRP and/or adb are better suited for the job and with much less risk involved.
Sent from my LGL84VL using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks I will definitely keep this in mind! I guess I got lucky that I did not end up with a bricked device. Thanks for the heads up!