[Completed] WhatsApp chats disappeared after Android Operating System Update - XDA Assist

Hello everyone,
I am having a Moto E XT-1022 (1st generation) 2014 model. In order to update its OS from 4.4.4 to 5.1, I had to make 500MB space available so I deleted all WhatsApp database backup files without copying them elsewhere as I knew from my own experience that WhatsApp had nothing to do with Android OS upgradation process since I had already upgraded the same android from OS 4.4 to 4.4.4 and my old Samsung even before that without losing any of my WhatsApp messages but unfortunately, this time all my chats are gone after OS update. As I thought, WhatsApp tried to take the backup automatically on 3AM like any other day, but it's not working either. Now I'm left with a possibly corrupt file msgstore.db.cypt8 (size: 103.62 MB). I have read somewhere in this forum that there is a possibility of mending the corrupt backup and regenerating it afresh if the key can be extracted somehow. So is there any ray of hope for me?
I request all kind-hearted developers over here to help me get my WhatsApp back as I just can't afford to lose my three years' important data. I haven't been using WhatsApp for more than a month now. I thought that I could be able to resolve the problem on my own just by Googling and searching through your comments to others who were facing similar problem like mine but I guess, I was wrong.
All of you (respected administractor, moderators, developers and members senior to me), please forgive me if I broke any rule as it was purely unintentional, I'm not a developer and this is my first-ever post.
Thanks and regards,
Rohit Kumar
PS: Mine is a non-rooted device.

XDA Visitor said:
Hello everyone,
I am having a Moto E XT-1022 (1st generation) 2014 model. In order to update its OS from 4.4.4 to 5.1, I had to make 500MB space available so I deleted all WhatsApp database backup files without copying them elsewhere as I knew from my own experience that WhatsApp had nothing to do with Android OS upgradation process since I had already upgraded the same android from OS 4.4 to 4.4.4 and my old Samsung even before that without losing any of my WhatsApp messages but unfortunately, this time all my chats are gone after OS update. As I thought, WhatsApp tried to take the backup automatically on 3AM like any other day, but it's not working either. Now I'm left with a possibly corrupt file msgstore.db.cypt8 (size: 103.62 MB). I have read somewhere in this forum that there is a possibility of mending the corrupt backup and regenerating it afresh if the key can be extracted somehow. So is there any ray of hope for me?
I request all kind-hearted developers over here to help me get my WhatsApp back as I just can't afford to lose my three years' important data. I haven't been using WhatsApp for more than a month now. I thought that I could be able to resolve the problem on my own just by Googling and searching through your comments to others who were facing similar problem like mine but I guess, I was wrong.
All of you (respected administractor, moderators, developers and members senior to me), please forgive me if I broke any rule as it was purely unintentional, I'm not a developer and this is my first-ever post.
Thanks and regards,
Rohit Kumar
PS: Mine is a non-rooted device.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hello Rohit, and welcome to XDA!
Maybe the current file relied on a backup? At any rate, once one of those are corrupt, recovering them are pretty slim.
I would try asking here (once you have an XDA account):
> Motorola Moto E > Moto E Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting > [FAQ] Frequently Asked Questions For Moto E [UPDATED-05/10/14]
Hope this helps, and good luck!

Thanks Jim!
I read this on Stack Exchange but it's a 2014 post dealing with .crypt7 file while mine is .crypt8 extension. Is it gonna work? Can someone improvize on this?
Usually if you place your msgstore.db or msgstore.db.crypt7 file in the following directory on your SD card and reinstall WhatsApp it will see it and ask if you would like to restore your old messages during installation.
/sdcard/WhatsApp/Databases/
However if your database (msgstore.db or msgstore.db.crypt7) is corrupt you may still be able to regenerate the databases using sqlite3.
The WhatsApp Database is an sqlite3 database and is stored unencrypted at this path on the Android device:
/data/data/com.whatsapp/databases/msgstore.db
Backups of the database are also stored encrypted on the SD card typically at the following location:
/sdcard/WhatsApp/Databases/msgstore.db.crypt7
The unique key for the encrypted backup databases is stored here:
/data/data/com.whatsapp/files/key
Access to the /data/data directory requires root access. Alternatively ADB (Android Debug Bridge) can be used to extract the above files after booting into recovery on the device.
If you are dealing msgstore.db.crypt7 files then you must Decrypt them first as follows:
(commands below are run from a linux enviroment)
Extract Key File: /data/data/com.whatsapp/files/key
Extract crypt7 file: /sdcard/WhatsApp/Databases/msgstore.db.crypt7
Extract Decryption Keys from "key" file extracted in step 1:
256-bit AES key:
hexdump -e '2/1 "%02x"' key | cut -b 253-316 > aes.txt
IV (initialisation vector):
hexdump -e '2/1 "%02x"' key | cut -b 221-252 > iv.txt
Strip Header in crypt7 File:
dd if=msgstore.db.crypt7 of=msgstore.db.crypt7.nohdr ibs=67 skip=1
Note: Size of header stripped file in bytes must be divisible by 16
Decrypt crypt7 File:
openssl enc -aes-256-cbc -d -nosalt -nopad -bufsize 16384 -in msgstore.db.crypt7.nohdr -K $(cat aes.txt) -iv $(cat iv.txt) > msgstore.db
Once you have you msgstore.db file either by first decrypting the msgstore.db.crypt7 or by extracting it from the /data/data/com.whatsapp/databases/ directory you can now try to regenerate it using the following commands:
echo .dump | sqlite3.exe msgstore.db > Temp.sql
echo .quit | sqlite3.exe -init Temp.sql msgstore_new.db
Now Try to Restore your database Again
If you followed the procedure above correctly you should now have a msgstore_new.db file.
Rename this file to msgstore.db and place it file in /sdcard/WhatsApp/Databases/ and reinstall WhatsApp. Choose to restore your old database/messages when asked during installation.
Reference:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=24566937&postcount=3
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1583021

Hello,
It's worth trying, just be sure to make a backup of the original (corrupted) file first.
Sounds like you got a handle on which thread(s) to ask for help in.
Good luck!

Thanks for wishing me luck, Jim!
Well, I've been trying for one month and made the backup at three different storage devices. I believe that I need the key, first of all. What are all the possible ways to extract the unique key from /data/data/com.whatsapp/files/key?
The post containing possible solution to my problem says, "Access to the /data/data directory requires root access. Alternatively ADB (Android Debug Bridge) can be used to extract the above files after booting into recovery on the device." But when I try to boot into recovery, Android says - no command. How to proceed further?
Is it possible to extract the key without rooting the device? As I have tried a few one-click rooting tools; i.e. Kingo ROOT, iRoot, Root Genius, towelroot, Framaroot but root failed every time.:crying: Please suggest me some application/tool/apk/person that might root my Moto E or a simple step-by-step procedure of rooting since I'm a noob.
Some other method to capture the key, if any? You would be a great help.

Rohit Jaroudiya said:
Thanks for wishing me luck, Jim!
Well, I've been trying for one month and made the backup at three different storage devices. I believe that I need the key, first of all. What are all the possible ways to extract the unique key from /data/data/com.whatsapp/files/key?
The post containing possible solution to my problem says, "Access to the /data/data directory requires root access. Alternatively ADB (Android Debug Bridge) can be used to extract the above files after booting into recovery on the device." But when I try to boot into recovery, Android says - no command. How to proceed further?
Is it possible to extract the key without rooting the device? As I have tried a few one-click rooting tools; i.e. Kingo ROOT, iRoot, Root Genius, towelroot, Framaroot but root failed every time.:crying: Please suggest me some application/tool/apk/person that might root my Moto E or a simple step-by-step procedure of rooting since I'm a noob.
Some other method to capture the key, if any? You would be a great help.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can without rooting, but you will need to unlock your bootloader first (which also voids warranty - just so you know).
Follow this guide until you finish step 7 (btw, if you were to compete the guide, you would be rooted ):
> Motorola Moto E > Moto E General > [Root][Moto E][Guide HowTo]How to root Moto E [Condor][Noob Friendly]
While in TWRP, you can then use ADB to pull the unique key file from /data/data...
Code:
adb pull /data/data/com.whatsapp .
Any questions about the first 7 steps can be asked in that thread, any other questions can go in any appropriate threads mentioned earlier.
I believe you now have all the resources you need to get started, and going forward, a successful XDA'er. Since the purpose of XDA Assist is to get new users in the right direction, as opposed to solving the issue alongside the new user (the user still has the responsibility to self-learn), I feel I have done all I can do.
Good luck out there!

Related

GUIDES & FAQs [Android]: ADB Workshop by Adrynalyne and Guide by Captainkrtek

DO NOT POST IN THIS THREAD BEFORE READING THE WHOLE POST
PLEASE ADD GUIDES TO COMMON ISSUES YOURSELVES
To my recollection, the previous WM Guides thread was successful.. so we'll be moving on to android as well - from beginner to pro.
I hope this thread will provide answers to a decent percentage of your questions.
Please hold until guide collecting is finished..
In the meanwhile you are ALL invited to send me links or full guides to add to this thread.. remember, we are all about sharing.
COMING SOON! (in the meanwhile, you've got a great battery life guide at http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=471521 - be sure to thank BruceElliot for it!)
also, if you decide to post a guide, please keep the guide as neat as possible, with a title containing the LEVEL ([BEGINNER], [INTERMEDIATE], [PRO]) and the commonly searched words so that people who look for it can find it easily. (if you can, use the same color (dark orange) and same size (4) and Bold.. for the main title.. tho that's not a must )
post #2. [BEGINNERS+INTERMEDIATE] Replacing System Files using Android Commander
post #3. [EVERYONE] ADB Workshop by Adrynalyne and Guide by Captainkrtek
post #4. [QUICK FAQ's] Common QnA's for beginners by Timmymarsh (work in progress)
[BEGINNERS] Replacing system files using Android Commander
Replacing system files using Android Commander:
(This post was formally based in the HD2's RTL support thread and revolved around our need to replace frameworks)
so:
1. Download the android SDK from: http://dl.google.com/android/android...08-windows.zip
2. EXTRACT(!!!) the android-sdk-windows to c:\
(make sure you extract the dir - not run the setup from inside the zip file)
3. install Android Commander from http://androidcommander.com
4. Connect your device and make sure it's set to Debugging mode in /settings/applications/development/
5. You might have to set a dir containing your adb.exe file. set it to c:\android-sdk-windows\tools\
6. You will see a Total Commander-like interface. you can then copy the framework.jar file to the correct directory (there's no difference between SD android builds and androids in ROM - the system dir will be shown the same way)
a. Yes, you can replace/delete system files while android is running.
b. (for androids running from SD) Any file copied to /sdcard/android/root/system/X will be copied to /system/X in the system file. The sdcard/android root dir is JUST LIKE your root in ROM androids.
c. Make sure you either created a backup or verified a match in any other way before replacing files like frameworks, zimage, modules, etc.. your android might not boot afterwards (I keep all system.ext2 files backed up so that i can restore them incase i screw something up.)
enjoy
[EVERYONE] ADB Workshop by Adrynalyne and Guide by Captainkrtek
This following guide was rewritten by Captainkrtek, please make sure to thank him for it
Original Post:
(http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=879701)
This workshop was held in #android-learning on irc.freenode.net by XDA Member Adrynalyne. All credit to him for this guide, I simply am taking it and turning it into a guide. Here we go!
You can find the raw IRC log here
Good evening folks, and welcome to my ADB workshop. This is by no means a full explanation on the subject, but more of a crash course to help folks get up to speed, and get more from their devices. There may be some things you already know here, so please be patient and respect those who do not.
Reference Files
http://adrynalyne.us/files/How to install adb.pdf
http://adrynalyne.us/files/Using ADB.pdf
So, lets just start with the basics.
What is ADB?
ADB stands for the android debugging bridge and is used for testing and debugging purposes by developers.
However, we like to get more out of our devices, and its a great way to fix things.
Knowing adb can mean the difference between a paperweight and a working phone.
So, to start with, we will look at installing ADB.
Generally speaking, the Sun/Oracle JDK is required to run all SDK functions.
ADB is but one tool in the SDK arsenal.
So, we begin by downloading and installing the JDK. This can be found here:
https://cds.sun.com/is-bin/[email protected]_Developer
Choose your OS, download and install. I recommend that 64 bit users use the regular x86/32 bit version as well.
Moving ahead, we download the Windows sdk from here:
http://dl.google.com/android/installer_r08-windows.exe
Due to already installing JDK, you won't be stopped by the install process.
Now, if you notice, I installed it to:
C:\android-sdk-windows
I did this because it makes things easier when setting up path variables.
I encourage everyone to do the same, but obviously it is not required.
So, this SDK is handy, but is only good up to 2.2. We want the latest and greatest! (Well I do)
So, we navigate to:
C:\android-sdk-windows\
and we run SDK Manager.exe
If you notice in your PDF file for installing adb, you will notice that you can update, and I made a choice not to include earlier sdk versions.
I won't go into full detail on that, but depending on the version of SDK you have, 8 or 9, it WILL make a difference in using adb.
By default, for version 8 adb.exe resides in C:\android-sdk-windows\tools
By default, for version 9 adb.exe resides in C:\android-sdk-windows\platform-tools
We will assume version 9 in this guide
Really, the SDK is installed and adb is usable right now, but in my humble opinion, its not enough
I like the ability to use adb in ANY directory on my machine.
To do this, we edit Windows's environment variables.
Specifically, the system path.
To do this, we click on start, or the orb (depending on OS), and right click on Computer, left clicking on properties in the menu.
If its windows XP, I believe it brings you into advanced system properties immediatly. Vista and 7 need a second step.
On the left hand side, as you notice I have highlighted in the pdf, left click advanced system settings.
Under advanced tab, we left click environment variables...
There are two boxes here.
We are concerned with system variables, however.
So we scroll down the list and highlight path and click edit.
Ignoring all the extra stuff in here, make sure you are at the end of the line, and type
Code:
;C:\android-sdk-windows\platform-tools
The semicolon allows us to separate it
from the previous path statement.
Click ok all the way out.
We now have ADB setup globally. We can use cmd.exe (I use powershell) and no matter what directory we are in, adb is recognized.
If it is not, make certain you entered the path into system variables, and made no typos.
If you installed to a different location, you will need to adjust the path accordingly.
This concludes the section on installing the Android SDK to use ADB.
This next section will be on using ADB, so please open that pdf now.
Now, this applies to any OS, not just Windows.
Well, with the exception of the USB drivers.
I will not go too much into that, but if you take a look at the PDF, it goes through installing usb drivers for the sdk, and how to download them.
Fiarly straightforward, in that rspect.
Now, to setup our phones to use with the SDK and ADB, we must change some settings.
First, we go to menu softkey, then settings.
We scroll down to Applications and tap it.
Under Development, we will check Enable USB Debugging. Please note the SGS phones are different in this respect.
The USB cable must be unplugged before enabling or disabling this setting.
Once this is done, we are now ready to play with adb
One quick note: If you get device not found/conencted, please reboot your phone. DJ05 has a quirk in it where ADBD randomly crashes on boot.
A reboot will fix this
ADBD= ADB Daemon
Ok, continuing on.
Lets look at installing applications. This is also known as sideloading.
Unlike installing from the SD card, it does not require unknown sources to be enabled.
The command for this is
Code:
adb install packagename
This assumes that you are working from the directory where the file is located.
This will install the application to /data/app.
It will also show sometimes useful errors if install fails.
That is not something you will see from the Android GUI.
Now, a lot of us have probably deleted files with apps like Root Explorer. While this isn't really a bad thing, it leaves behind databases and data for the application removed.
This is where the 0kb applicaiton entries come from.
If you take that application entry name, you can uninstall the extra data via adb.
First we go to the adb shell which logs into the phone.
Code:
adb shell
If we end up with a $, we will want admin rights, in many cases. This is not one of them, I don't beleive.
To get admin rights, you want to type
Code:
su
Look at your phone if this is the first time, it may prompt you to allow access. Else you will get permission denied.
If you are not rooted, this will not work either.
Ok, now that we are logged in, we will type
Code:
pm uninstall packagename
where packagename is the name of the 0kb listing.
Now this seems like a pain in the a** and I agree.
HOWEVER
There will be a time where Manage applications crashes when you try to uninstall it from the phone. In this case, a factory reset, or this method is the only effective way to fix the problem.
Moving on.
How many of us have removed system applications or renamed them? Did you know that you can simply disable them from the system?
Code:
adb shell
su
pm disable appllicationname
This will disable it, and the system will ignore it.
This can be seen as safer than deleting or renaming things, but your mileage may vary.
On the other hand, you can also re-enable these applications.
Code:
adb shell
su
pm enable applicationname
Please note: Not all applications will properly re-enable. I believe a factory reset or reinstall of said application will fix the issue.
Also, application names are absolutely case sensitive.
*nix based Operating Systems see the letter 'a' and 'A' as two different things.
when you log into adb shell, you are playing by android rules
Ok, a lot of us tweak and mod our phones and turning off the device to get to clockwork recovery, or battery pulls, or multiple button holds to get into Download mode are troublesome and annoying at best.
ADB can help us here.
Here, we do not need to be logged into the shell
If we want to merely reboot the phone:
Code:
adb reboot
If we want to go to recovery (works well with voodoo5)
Code:
adb reboot recovery
If we want to go to Download Mode because we need Odin, heaven forbid:
Code:
adb reboot download
Its instant. No waiting on animations or anything else.
Its also handy if Android has locked up, but yet still works in adb.
I for one hate taking my case off to battery pull.
So now we move on to pushing and pulling files.
Sometimes, I don't feel like mounting my sd card to copy a file over to my phone.
I can use this command to push a file straight to my sd card:
Code:
adb push filename /pathtodirectoryonphone
So for instance, if I have test.txt that I want to send, I would type:
Code:
adb push test.txt /sdcard/
and there it goes.
Ok moving on
Pushing files can be done to any directory, however, some are protected.
For instance, /system is going to give you a permission denied or a read only filesystem error.
To get around this, the easiest thing to do is push the file to your sdcard, then log into the shell:
Code:
adb shell
Code:
su
We will then mount the system as writable
Code:
mount -o rw,remount /dev/block/stl9 /system
Then we can use something like
Code:
cp /sdcard/test.txt /system/app/test.txt
cp stands for copy
and it requires the path of the file and destination path. The name of the file is optional
When you copy it, you can rename it to whatever you like.
For instance, if we wanted to backup a file
Code:
cp /sdcard/test.txt /sdcard/backuptest.txt
Now, lets assume you do not have busybox installed.
You non rooted users will not.
Then you must use a slightly more complicated command called dd
This is used like this:
Code:
dd if=/sdcard/test.txt of=/system/app/test.txt
if is for inputfile
of= output file
Not every user friendly, but probably one of the safer copy commands.
Ok, moving on to pulling files.
Lets say you want to get a file from your phone, to modify, backup, etc.
To do this, we simply use adb in this manner:
Code:
adb pull /pathtofile/filename destinationname
For instance, if I wanted to backup ADW launcher in system/app
I would do this
Code:
adb pull /system/app/ADWLaucnher.apk ADWLauncher.apk
And it will pull the file from the phone and put it in the current directory.
Like above, you can specifcy where it goes.
pushing files to the sdcard, it seems prudent to talk about changing permissions.
sdcards are typically fat32, which destroys permisisons, and Android is heavily permission based.
So if you push an application to your sd card, then try to copy it to /system/app/ bad things are going to happen, or the app may not even show up.
So in that case, we use something called chmod.
This is used in this manner
Code:
adb shell
su
chmod 755 /pathtoapplication/applicationname
Keep in mind
you dont want to do this while its still on your sd card.
an example
Code:
adb shell
su
chmod 755 /system/app/ADWLauncher.apk
755 is good for applications and script files.
Just a couple more topics to cover.
Lets go over deleting files.
This becomes especially handy for removing rogue applications.
To do this, we must be in the adb shell.
Code:
adb shell
su
rm /system/app/ADWLauncher.apk
You may need to remount system as writable with:
Code:
mount -o rw,remount /dev/block/stl9 /system
That applies when using chmod as well.
So what I did above was delete ADW Launcher from system/app
However, what if I wanted to delete the entire contents of a directory?
Same thing as before, except
Code:
adb shell
rm -f /data/dalvik-cache/*.*
I just cleared my dalvik-cache with that command
very quick, very effective.
If you just tried that, please reboot your phone now
Ok....this leaves us with the final topic: logcat
logcat allows us to log what the OS is doing, and possibly delve information for when things are not working
its quite simple Reading it is another.
To use logcat
Code:
adb shell
logcat
To logcat to a certain file do
Code:
adb shell
logcat > /sdcard/logcat.txt
Now we let the log settle down to a reasonable amount of data coming in and not a wall of scrolling, then start the app in question. When it gives an error, we hit ctrl-C and kill the adb shell session.
This should have captured enough data to see the error. Now, I prepared an example. A user came to me on IRC, and Google Maps was force closing. Clearing data didnt fix it, Clearing dalvik-cache, and fix permissions did not fix it. In this case, the user did not know how to use adb So I had him grab an app called alogcat from the market and email me the log. This is also a very valid method.
this file explains what the problem was, and highlights what to look for as an example.
http://adrynalyne.us/files/logcat.pdf
___________________________________________________________________
This concludes the guide from Adrynalyne, there will be more workshops such as this one in irc.freenode.net #android-learning.
Thanks to everyone in #samsung-fascinate !
QUICK FAQ's
sources: Q&A Section, The Weekly Q&A Section by XDA News Writers (thanks guys)
Q: ‘Is there any way to block specific apps from using my data connection?’
A: Try the Droid Wall application.
Q: ‘I read how you can make changes in the build.prop file on my Android device. How exactly do I get to it?’
A: Install ASTRO file manager, browse to /system, long press on build.prop – Edit – Copy. Press on the home icon then Edit icon – Paste. Connect sd card, edit it, and paste it over from where you copied build.prop
Q: What happens if I update my phone? will I need to re-root it and get the ROM again? will all of my applications get erased? If so, is there a way around this?
A: You will lose your root, but not apps if it is just an update.
Q: I just tried to flash a ROM from recovery on my Android phone and got “Verification Failed, Installation Aborted” What happened?
A: Before you can flash a custom ROM the .zip file must be digitally signed in the ROM kitchen, if unzipped and re-zipped it will lose its verification, this happens often using the Safari browser as it likes to decompress .zip’s. Or if your download is corrupted (download the ROM again) it will fail the Verification.
Q - HTC Location Widget shows "map data unavailable"
A - On the widget, click the pin/then click the windows button/click get more/scroll to download maps/download relevant map (care, maybe a big file). Now exit and click onto map, your location should now be visible :)
Q:So, I moved all the apps on the SD, but is still not enough. How can I free some memory? I could delete the cache of the older upgrade or something else?
A:Do you have pictures and videos? If so, check if they are on the SD card and not on your internal memory. Cleaning your cache helps, and try deleting your text messages threads.
Q: ‘What exactly is a kernel and what are the benefits in changing it?’
A: A kernel is a bridge between the applications and the actual data processing done at the hardware level. The kernel’s responsibilities include managing the system’s resources – the communication between hardware and software components. Flashing different kernels gives you different operating speeds, better battery life, the ability to overclock, and more.
Android control other device with IOIO Board.
It use ADB.
http://androidcontrol.blogspot.com/2011/10/ioio-board-for-android-control-io.html
timmymarsh said:
QUICK FAQ's
sources: Q&A Section, The Weekly Q&A Section by XDA News Writers (thanks guys)
Q: ‘Is there any way to block specific apps from using my data connection?’
A: Try the Droid Wall application.
Q: ‘I read how you can make changes in the build.prop file on my Android device. How exactly do I get to it?’
A: Install ASTRO file manager, browse to /system, long press on build.prop – Edit – Copy. Press on the home icon then Edit icon – Paste. Connect sd card, edit it, and paste it over from where you copied build.prop
Q: What happens if I update my phone? will I need to re-root it and get the ROM again? will all of my applications get erased? If so, is there a way around this?
A: You will lose your root, but not apps if it is just an update.
Q: I just tried to flash a ROM from recovery on my Android phone and got “Verification Failed, Installation Aborted” What happened?
A: Before you can flash a custom ROM the .zip file must be digitally signed in the ROM kitchen, if unzipped and re-zipped it will lose its verification, this happens often using the Safari browser as it likes to decompress .zip’s. Or if your download is corrupted (download the ROM again) it will fail the Verification.
Q - HTC Location Widget shows "map data unavailable"
A - On the widget, click the pin/then click the windows button/click get more/scroll to download maps/download relevant map (care, maybe a big file). Now exit and click onto map, your location should now be visible :)
Q:So, I moved all the apps on the SD, but is still not enough. How can I free some memory? I could delete the cache of the older upgrade or something else?
A:Do you have pictures and videos? If so, check if they are on the SD card and not on your internal memory. Cleaning your cache helps, and try deleting your text messages threads.
Q: ‘What exactly is a kernel and what are the benefits in changing it?’
A: A kernel is a bridge between the applications and the actual data processing done at the hardware level. The kernel’s responsibilities include managing the system’s resources – the communication between hardware and software components. Flashing different kernels gives you different operating speeds, better battery life, the ability to overclock, and more.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you for your patience and taking the time to answer those questions. I loved your simple and easily digestible format.
There is a note
*nix based Operating Systems see the letter 'a' and 'A' as two different things.
when you log into adb shell, you are playing by android rules
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
this note is all wrong..
1. linNUX is not *NIX.
2. Mac OS-X is a *NIX OS, it is based upon UNIX, they use their own variant called Darwin. Darwin does not require capitolization.
3. The word should be POSIX. Linux is POSIX compliant and POSIX defines the capitolization standardards
soft brick
Taioba said:
Is there any way to use ADB even though I can not enable USB debugging by the android?
I have an Atrix with soft-brick. How can I restore a file (framework-res.apk) knowing that my USB debugging is off?
I can enable ADB via fastboot?
Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I found this for atrix 4g....
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=965546
hope it helps
knoknot said:
i have a bricked s2 not so sure how to go about reviving it via adb
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
check this thread
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1237815
thanks. searched for that
Thanks for it.
Great Guys............ :good:
Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for sharing this guild :d, i am new member for reccod
Great job~ Sometimes could be used this.
I'm using Windows 10 RTM and I've set the path, yet I still get the "unrecognized application" error in the command console. What am I missing?
Nevermind, a restart fixed it. Used to be you didn't have to.... sheesh.
nir36 said:
Replacing system files using Android Commander:
(This post was formally based in the HD2's RTL support thread and revolved around our need to replace frameworks)
so:
1. Download the android SDK from: http://dl.google.com/android/android...08-windows.zip
2. EXTRACT(!!!) the android-sdk-windows to c:\
(make sure you extract the dir - not run the setup from inside the zip file)
3. install Android Commander from http://androidcommander.com
4. Connect your device and make sure it's set to Debugging mode in /settings/applications/development/
5. You might have to set a dir containing your adb.exe file. set it to c:\android-sdk-windows\tools\
6. You will see a Total Commander-like interface. you can then copy the framework.jar file to the correct directory (there's no difference between SD android builds and androids in ROM - the system dir will be shown the same way)
a. Yes, you can replace/delete system files while android is running.
b. (for androids running from SD) Any file copied to /sdcard/android/root/system/X will be copied to /system/X in the system file. The sdcard/android root dir is JUST LIKE your root in ROM androids.
c. Make sure you either created a backup or verified a match in any other way before replacing files like frameworks, zimage, modules, etc.. your android might not boot afterwards (I keep all system.ext2 files backed up so that i can restore them incase i screw something up.)
enjoy
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks, this Guide is very informative
Help with LG D722
I'm using LG D722 phone and I somehow unlocked bootloader and installed twrp recovery. I backed up Lollipop that's what I'm using and i want to restore custom ROM
I know I need to install Google Apps after installing Custom ROM. But Do I also need to install Modem files on my device ? Because I can't find them on XDA Forums. Please give me a link or something. The help is not just appreciated but seriously needed.
Success. Thanks
Hello, I walk testing one recovery but I'm booting before flashing, the question is, will the recovery feel same when booted vs flashed? I've booted and used to flash a pair of zips but felt very laggy and bugged although did the work right. Thanks
Edit: solved, tried myself
Sent from my SHIELD Tablet K1 using XDA-Developers mobile app
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=872128&page=2

[Completed] irulu 10.1 root/remount problems solved

I own an irulu K1001L1 10.1 (build number A20_K1001_K1001L1.20130713), a cheap one.
Many people complain about "partial rooting" and being unable to remount system in rw mode. Clueless as I was, I had tried several times with Uberizer, z4root and SRSroot, to no avail (the problem is not in the root, in my tablet su came by default in xbin directory).
D_rex (http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2606510&page=2) found an effective solution which also helped in my situation: I think my tablet came with "su" application by default (notice overclocking worked) but due to /dev/block/nandd ext4 partition (I think /system starts at some offset) containing some errors (seen in dmesg) and due to this partition having the "s_errors" flag (behavior when errors detected) set to "mount read-only (02)", the partition is ALWAYS mounted read only, and remount as root doesn't change anything. More info on this ext4 option can be found here
For me, the solution that worked was changing that flag s_errors to continue (01). I wasn't able to run e2fsck as the partition is already mounted; and I wasn't able to do a fsck in recovery mode since the recovery mode of this tablet lacks seems to lack both shell and e2fsck.
Tune2fs (old version precompiled here) can change that flag in the partition. Using adb shell I pushed it to de device, set attribute as executable and run it, successfuly changing that "behavior when errors detected" in both partitions.
It has been suggested filesystem errors are linked to stability and realiability problems. Unfortunately this tablet lacks a version of CWM o TWRP as a recovery custom rom. I also adjusted the "max-mount-counts" value via tune2fs -c hoping it forces Android to run e2fsck, but it seems dmesg keeps displaying errors. I can only hope this problem is given more attention by developers.
After this I used the usual tools to root the device, noticing I had spent many hours in this cheap tablet.
On a side note, the adb driver setup tool found here didnt work for me (it seems &USER_PROFILE% in the .bat file should be replaced by "%USER_PROFILE%" and Desktop should be replaced according to the language of your operating system. Nevertheless the tool didn't work for me and I had to install another driver found in Uberizer distribution as the official "android_winusb.inf" didn't work in my Windows XP computer.
Thanks to the creators of tune2fs, to D_rex and other people/programs mentioned here. This is my experience with this problem; I'm not responsible if anyone tries this and bricks his device. All brands are property of their owners.
edition: should also mention by default now my tablet mounts in read-only mode (which is of course safer) but lets me change to rw whenever I want
Hi there,
Sorry but this forum is not for guide and tutorials.
The mission of XDA Assist is to provide basic help to those who have tried searching but can't find what they are looking for and need assistance. This is not a "helpdesk" providing technical assistance but more to point you in the correct direction with your problem. Perhaps you can't find posts on how to root your phone, install custom recovery or maybe you have questions about how to navigate and use features on the site.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can post your thread, in this forum:
> Android Development and Hacking > Android Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting
Good luck
Thread closed

Tip of the day: restoring WiFi settings after a factory reset

For some reason you may want to perform a clean install but don't want to waste all your spare time setting your complicated WiFi setup ?
Sadly you forgot to backup the WiFi settings but performed a Nandroid backup?
all the following steps can be performed directly on device, tested on Falcon running CM12
If you used TWRP, then things will be quite easy:
Take your backup, seek for data.f2fs.win copy it to a dedicated folder and rename it to data.tar.gz
Assuming the backup is on your USB otg:
Open terminal and type:
Code:
cd /storage/usbdisk/TWRP/backup/
Make sure the file is there:
Code:
ls
Untar:
Code:
tar -xvzf data.tar.gz
After the unarchiving is completed you can search for ./misc/wifi/wpa_supplicant.conf
Rename the existant one (/data/misc/wifi/wpa_supplicant.conf to wpa_supplicant.conf.bak)
Paste the new one there and give proper permissions/owner/group (-rw-rw----, owner 1000-system, group 1010-wifi).
Your WiFi settings are back and you can now focus on more interesting things.
More tips can be found on my blog, but forums are better for discussion, so if you have any advices or questions, feel free to answer here

Error in the transfer of files: windows to motorola G XT1033 (MTP ON)

Hello friends,
This is my first post on the forum, although follow you guys a long time.
Well, as I have not found a solution to this or google or here,
I'll post and I apologize in advance if there is already a related topic to this problem.
===================== ==================== My Nightmare
I bought a motorcycle G XT 1033 (Dual SIM) OS 4.3 (if I remember well)
1. Did the installation of custom recovery (TWRP)
# The TWRP gave me a message saying the phone was no root,
# And you could enable the root there.
2- I activated the root using TWRP.
3- I upgraded to 5.0.2 using the lollipop ROM that available on XDA.
After completing the installation, I installed some app's basic (whatsapp and avast). Here comes the problem. When I try to download a file (jpg, mp3 or apk) from the desktop to the parent folder of internal memory (at this point already with the USB debugging enabled and updated drivers), windows 8.1 shows me the following message from Satan, the capiroto, the baphomé, the bad thing "The new folder can not be created at this location. The device stopped responding or has been disconnected" $ #! $ #! @ $ # @! $ #! $! # $! @ WTF ?!
As supposedly I should give privileges to be able to transfer my files normally without using installable applications? (Using only the windows).
Thank you for space and congratulations for becoming one of the most important sites in the business.
And thank you google translator, to do I look like a monkey speaking English.
Atualization:
I can't write nothing, i can't make screen shots because, or create a folder with es explorer....
But the google play is avaliable to make downloads...
Well guys, i just reinstal the same rom, and the problem is already fixed.
And i already change to cyanogenmod 12.1
Thanks guys

[Completed] Softbrick Recovery with backups available (not img or zip files though)

Hello,
I am trying to recover from a softbrick issue. I have a BLU Studio C 5+5 LTE and therefore can't use TWRP or CWM (At least that is my assumption, maybe someone knows different). Before getting into the softbrick state I took 3 different types of backups in the hopes that one of them could be used in case it was needed. (like this)
Type 1 - I did an ADB shell backup from a completely stock device (unrooted) I used this command-
adb backup -apk -all -f fullbackup.adb
For this method I followed this guide here-
https://linuxiswonderful.wordpress.com/2015/04/04/full-backup-of-nonrooted-android/
Type 2 - I used Titanium backup and performed a complete system and application backup
Type 3 - I rooted the phone and backed up all partitions using dd after reviewing the partition layout of the device. For example, to backup the system partition I did the following at an ADB shell-
dd if=/dev/block/mmcblk0p21 of=/storage/sdcard1/firmware-img/system.img
I believe the last operation I tried before softbricking was installing the Xposed framework module for my device (running Lollipop 5.1.1).
I am able to still communicate to my device using ADB and I can get an ADB shell. or enter fastboot mode My device presently shows the manufacturer's logo when booting and gets no further.
To recover from this issue I think I have two basic options
#1 restore from backup
#2 locate the problem that is causing the system to hang at startup in the first place
At the end of the day I am trying to find the simplest, quickest method to get back up and running. Both methods are acceptable to me. I am not worried about losing any data.
My challenge/sticking point is how to turn my backups into a usable format to get me back on track or understand the boot process enough to get out of the boot loop.
The first thing I tried was mounting my raw image files created from the dd process. I followed this guide-
https://samindaw.wordpress.com/2012/03/21/mounting-a-file-as-a-file-system-in-linux/
I ran these commands-
#losetup /dev/loop0 /path/to/my/system.img
# mkfs -t ext3 -m 1 -v /dev/loop0
# mount -t ext3 /dev/loop0 /mnt
# cd /mnt
# ls
The various image files I created all seemed to mount "ok" OK meaning that the loopback mount process worked but it appears there is nothing but a lost+found folder in the mounted image. (I'm not sure why that is.)
I am still researching methods to turn my other backups into something usable for recovery purposes.
For using the adb backup file I created, this is what my understanding is-
Adb backup uses a type of compression (don’t remember what kind). I would need to uncompress the file first. After uncompressing and being able to view the file contents I would think I should be able to put together a flashable zip file of some sort.
I think the process for Titanium backup would generally be the same- uncompress/convert file format, create/assemble a flashable zip file
The last thought I had was trying to get the system to boot. To do so, I need to better understand the boot process. I am familiar with how Linux boots as I am a Sys Admin. I know Android is similar but just different enough to make me research this further. I can pull dmesg log for anyone if that will help. I was also seeing where you could use the logcat command. (That is new to me as it seems more Android specific and not used in Linux that I know of)
If there is any other info you need to see, please let me know. I made a lot of notes about the system architecture, partition layout, etc.
Many thanks in advance for your help!
XDA Visitor said:
Hello,
I am trying to recover from a softbrick issue. I have a BLU Studio C 5+5 LTE and therefore can't use TWRP or CWM (At least that is my assumption, maybe someone knows different). Before getting into the softbrick state I took 3 different types of backups in the hopes that one of them could be used in case it was needed. (like this)
Type 1 - I did an ADB shell backup from a completely stock device (unrooted) I used this command-
adb backup -apk -all -f fullbackup.adb
For this method I followed this guide here-
https://linuxiswonderful.wordpress.com/2015/04/04/full-backup-of-nonrooted-android/
Type 2 - I used Titanium backup and performed a complete system and application backup
Type 3 - I rooted the phone and backed up all partitions using dd after reviewing the partition layout of the device. For example, to backup the system partition I did the following at an ADB shell-
dd if=/dev/block/mmcblk0p21 of=/storage/sdcard1/firmware-img/system.img
I believe the last operation I tried before softbricking was installing the Xposed framework module for my device (running Lollipop 5.1.1).
I am able to still communicate to my device using ADB and I can get an ADB shell. or enter fastboot mode My device presently shows the manufacturer's logo when booting and gets no further.
To recover from this issue I think I have two basic options
#1 restore from backup
#2 locate the problem that is causing the system to hang at startup in the first place
At the end of the day I am trying to find the simplest, quickest method to get back up and running. Both methods are acceptable to me. I am not worried about losing any data.
My challenge/sticking point is how to turn my backups into a usable format to get me back on track or understand the boot process enough to get out of the boot loop.
The first thing I tried was mounting my raw image files created from the dd process. I followed this guide-
https://samindaw.wordpress.com/2012/03/21/mounting-a-file-as-a-file-system-in-linux/
I ran these commands-
#losetup /dev/loop0 /path/to/my/system.img
# mkfs -t ext3 -m 1 -v /dev/loop0
# mount -t ext3 /dev/loop0 /mnt
# cd /mnt
# ls
The various image files I created all seemed to mount "ok" OK meaning that the loopback mount process worked but it appears there is nothing but a lost+found folder in the mounted image. (I'm not sure why that is.)
I am still researching methods to turn my other backups into something usable for recovery purposes.
For using the adb backup file I created, this is what my understanding is-
Adb backup uses a type of compression (don’t remember what kind). I would need to uncompress the file first. After uncompressing and being able to view the file contents I would think I should be able to put together a flashable zip file of some sort.
I think the process for Titanium backup would generally be the same- uncompress/convert file format, create/assemble a flashable zip file
The last thought I had was trying to get the system to boot. To do so, I need to better understand the boot process. I am familiar with how Linux boots as I am a Sys Admin. I know Android is similar but just different enough to make me research this further. I can pull dmesg log for anyone if that will help. I was also seeing where you could use the logcat command. (That is new to me as it seems more Android specific and not used in Linux that I know of)
If there is any other info you need to see, please let me know. I made a lot of notes about the system architecture, partition layout, etc.
Many thanks in advance for your help!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Greetings,
Thank you for using XDA Assist.
There are no specific forums for your device model on XDA. However, if you create an XDA account, you can ask your questions here:
Android Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting
You will receive expert advice there.
Good luck and welcome to XDA!

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