So I gave my old Nexus 5 to a friend and wanted to wipe the phone data.
The phone was rooted with supersu and xposed installed.
I did a "factory data reset" (under the "settings -> backup & reset" menu, NOT via the bootloader menu), and after it was done it rebooted into the new phone startup wizard mode. My friend then proceeded logging in under his Google account, and everything looked fine.
Today he tells me after taking a picture he saw that my whole photo collection was still on the phone. Why? It can't come from the cloud because this session never logged on my Google account.
Now I wonder what else stayed on the phone? I guess the Music folder, apart that anything I should worry about? Any way to flush everything that comes from my installation without my friend losing his current installation?
The phone was running a stock recovery or twrp?
audit13 said:
The phone was running a stock recovery or twrp?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
twrp
Reset from the ROM settings will work to fully wipe the phone if it's running a stock recovery. With twrp installed, you need to wipe from twrp.
audit13 said:
Reset from the ROM settings will work to fully wipe the phone if it's running a stock recovery. With twrp installed, you need to wipe from twrp.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok, but now that I don't have access to the phone anymore, do you know if there's a list of what was deleted and what was kept? Apps, launcher theme and customization, application settings were indeed removed. But what about call and sms history? Saved passwords / searchi history? Download/Music directories?
Unfortunately, I'm not sure what would and would not be kept with a TWRP reset from the ROM settings.
Safest thing to do would be to boot into TWRP, perform a wipe of the data and cache, and then reboot. This will require the person to set up the phone again.
Related
Now it's my turn. Pressed factory reset by accident in boot loader. Can get to TWRP but it says E: Unable to mount storage
e:Unable to mount /sdcard/TWRP/twps. when trying to read settings file. etc...
Advanced File manager in TWRP shows /sdcard/TWRP
Any ideas???? If I try to mount data in TWRP my Mac wants to initialize.
Thanks
TWRP shows internal storage 0 mb
I flashed the stock recovery, then ran it and somehow it booted right into CM11. Everything was lost, but it's working again.
Factory reset wipe everything! Including SD card.
null0seven said:
Factory reset wipe everything! Including SD card.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Possibly, but how come CM11 was still on there? I think that the Boot Loader in Moonshine's factory reset is not compatible with CM11. Luckily the stock recovery fixed things for me.
808phone said:
Possibly, but how come CM11 was still on there? I think that the Boot Loader in Moonshine's factory reset is not compatible with CM11. Luckily the stock recovery fixed things for me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I had the same issue, pressed by mistake factory reset in bootloader some time ago. I was pressing vol down to reach recovery, there was a slight lag and I pressed it a second time the immediately I've pressed power...so cursor has jumped 2 rows then executed. I've solved it only by flashing stock recovery and resetting to factory settings again, then flashed TWRP.
Now why you still had CM11...well not 100% sure but in TWRP when you wipe to factory the system partition is not formatted. I've paid attention once to the messages during a wipe and it was formatting data, cache, dalvik and android secure but not system. A reason can be that while flashing any ROM, the install script formats system at the beginning so theres no need to do that with factory reset.
Now I can only think that the factory reset from bootloader does the same and system is not wiped. Theoretically it is correct...system is read only especially on a stock non rooted device and resetting it to factory practically means that any trace of personal settings/aps and so on should be erased. And those are not stored on the system partition. There is also no hidden place on the phone where a recovery image of the original android OS is kept so this is not like on the laptops where you reset to factory and Windows is reinstalled from the recovery partition. My guess is that the factory reset just wipes all partitions that contain personal data and settings and leave system intact. So after a wipe and reboot is like you first start it.
You still had CM11 cause the wipe didn't format system...If anyone has a better explanation I would be glad to hear it. So From my point of view nothing went wrong and has nothing to do with the Maximus recovery or it's compatibility with CM11. It would have happen the same if you have used any other stock recovery
Factory reset, resets youre phone to original settings.
Anyway, its good that the phone works.
null0seven said:
Factory reset, resets youre phone to original settings.
Anyway, its good that the phone works.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes. And it is not formatting system when doing this. So any os is installed will be kept
Sent from nowhere over the air...
Rapier said:
Yes. And it is not formatting system when doing this. So any os is installed will be kept
Sent from nowhere over the air...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't want to try it again but I wonder if moonshine's factory reset is incompatible with cm11?
Dont understand what do you mean by "incompatible". The factory reset from bootloader is not the same thing as the one from a custom recovery. You shouldn't do a factory reset from bootloader regardless of the ROM you're using
Moonshine is an S-Off method, I didn't used it myself so I don't know what factory reset option is in there
Sent from nowhere over the air...
I never said anything about the custom recovery. If you should never use it, why is it there and why does it make the SD card not available?
Wow, HTC says you can use it here:
http://www.htc.com/us/support/htc-one-x-att/howto/313779.html
I'm sure you know something others like me don't, but I when I mean "incompatible" I mean that I don't believe that it should make the sdcard unavailable and make the phone think it has zero MB. I think what you might have missed is that I used factory reset from the custom boot loader from moonshine. I was wondering if that factory reset was compatible - that's all.
Again, it was a mistake - it's not like I chose it on purpose. Thank you for the help.
808phone said:
I never said anything about the custom recovery. If you should never use it, why is it there and why does it make the SD card not available?
Wow, HTC says you can use it here:
http://www.htc.com/us/support/htc-one-x-att/howto/313779.html
I'm sure you know something others like me don't, but I when I mean "incompatible" I mean that I don't believe that it should make the sdcard unavailable and make the phone think it has zero MB. I think what you might have missed is that I used factory reset from the custom boot loader from moonshine. I was wondering if that factory reset was compatible - that's all.
Again, it was a mistake - it's not like I chose it on purpose. Thank you for the help.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The reset to factory from bootloader exists because on stock ROM there's no custom recovery that has that option....so it's in bootloader. For it to work properly though, you must have the stock recovery also. If you have a custom recovery like twrp/cwm and use the wipe from bootloader it'll mess your sd cause phone is not able to perform the wipe properly with that custom recovery. That's why, in order to get back to normal you should flash back stock recovery and perform the wipe from bootloader again.
Sent from nowhere over the air...
Thank you for the clarification. It makes sense. Too bad that reset is so close to the recovery command. It's pretty weird that I didn't have to run the wipe from the stock boot loader again. It ran and rebooted the phone into CM11. Anyway, I am glad I am back to running. Thanks.
No matter what rom i'm running I get random reboots. I even took the update from Verizon to 4.4.3 and still recived random reboots. Is this just me? I have also ran safe mode and get them.
Have you tried a factory reset?. If not try that. Don't do it from security settings though. Do it through fasboot. Just be sire to save anything you don't want to lose.
Yes and have tried multiple roms. IT does it not matter what rom or what settings I have.
Sounds like a complete wipe via fastboot may be your only fix. Just be sure to back up all the stuff youbwanna save cause it gonna wipe it clean. I am stock and was having same issue did the reset and everything fine now. I however forgot to make a back up lol
How do I do that? I tried the factory reset option and it took me back to TWRP
Make sure quick boot is turned off in battery settings. Then power down device. Power back on holding down volume and power. Your phone will boot to a white screen. Then use volume down to cycle to factory reset. Only thing is I'm not entirely sure what it will do to s-off and unlocked bootloader. You may want to Google that and see what it says
I've had my m8 for several weeks and never had a random reboot, that's on both stock and custom Rom. If the factory reset doesn't fix it, you may have a hardware issue
Factory reset doesn't work on a custom recovery
tjamscad said:
Factory reset doesn't work on a custom recovery
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Better: You should not try a factory reset from settings if you have a custom recovery installed. It can lead to unintended consequences......
And why would you? That's what a recovery is for! TWRP and CWM both have the factory reset option, which basically just wipes /data (without /data/media), cache and Dalvik. And that's what you need 95% of the time. For the rest format data.
A factory reset doesnt clear everything. I have done a few and nothing ever seems to be reset. When I did it from hboot I was required to set up phone again as if it had just been powered on for the first time.
berndblb said:
Better: You should not try a factory reset from settings if you have a custom recovery installed. It can lead to unintended consequences......
And why would you? That's what a recovery is for! TWRP and CWM both have the factory reset option, which basically just wipes /data (without /data/media), cache and Dalvik. And that's what you need 95% of the time. For the rest format data.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
For the record,twrp wipe was what I was referring to when I said factory reset. I thought about saying wipe, but was afraid of how that might be interpreted.
mdorrett said:
A factory reset doesnt clear everything. I have done a few and nothing ever seems to be reset. When I did it from hboot I was required to set up phone again as if it had just been powered on for the first time.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
A factory reset in TWRP (at least on every version I've used) wipes /data without wiping /data/media, cache and Dalvik.
Meaning it wipes all your apps and settings without wiping your personal files, but rquiring ou to go through setup again. Just did exactly that before installing CleanROM 2.0. If you had a different result I don't know which option in TWRP you chose.....
Hello. A year ago I bought an unlocked SGH-I337 which is the Galaxy S4, ATT unlocked. When I first got it, it had this Samsung Custom boot and it also was manufactured refurbished. After using it, I rooted it using towel root. I was on Kit Kat 4.4.2 and I saw a post where you have to first something through odin to let towelroot work. I rooted it, wifi worked fine after I put the kernel on. Now I tried to install CWM (I think) and I tried installing a rom which said it was to work with my phone. I wiped cache and everything. And it went through and nothing changed. I was back to my normal phone, with root but the wifi button is not working. Before I flashed the kernel it would go to green and get stuck, now after I tried to install a rom, the wifi wont turn on at all as in the button flicks back to the off position. I have the SGH-I337, unlocked att, I unrooted it, I reset it, nothing changed (ie. batter out, calling *#0010* and something like that). This is in the UCUFNi1 running 4.4.2. PLease help me! Thanks.
Hello,
Welcome to XDA.
If you installed CWM and then flashed a custom ROM with CWM did you do the wipes after flashing the ROM?
If you don't know what that is just boot to recovery, in CWM choose the "wipe data/factory reset", confirm the choice and let it wipe, then choose the " wipe cache" option, confirm the wipe and let it wipe, then choose the "advanced" option, in the advanced menu choose "wipe dalvik cache", confirm the wipe, let it wipe, after that go back to main menu and select the reboot to system option and let your phone reboot and set it all up again then see if WiFi works. Backup any apps and their app data that you want to keep before factory resting in recovery, it deletes your user installed apps and leaves only system apps, your pics and other stuff on internal will be safe, you won't need to back those up anywhere, only the apps and app data get wiped with factory reset in CWM. When it reboots install the backed apps and their data and you'll be back where you are.
You can post your questions in the forum linked below.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/galaxy-s4-att/help
The experts there may be able to help.
Register an XDA account to post and reply in the forums.
Okay, I'm not sure if this entirely the right place. Have updated to Viper 2.1.0. Rebooted my phone, as I do each morning. It came up with needing to to enter a decryption key, ie; my password. Did said & it failed saying that data is corrupt. TWRP can no longer read the data portion either. Therefore can't wipe it in TWRP.
Is there a way to format or wipe the data partition through either fastboot or adb?
Factory reset but your data will be gone.
Random Pinenut Joy said:
Okay, I'm not sure if this entirely the right place. Have updated to Viper 2.1.0. Rebooted my phone, as I do each morning. It came up with needing to to enter a decryption key, ie; my password. Did said & it failed saying that data is corrupt. TWRP can no longer read the data portion either. Therefore can't wipe it in TWRP.
Is there a way to format or wipe the data partition through either fastboot or adb?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Try this, Venom helped with it a while ago and it worked, you will just have to re activate smart lock in google setting.
TWRP-Advanced-File Browser.
Navigate to /data/system and delete the locksettings.db.
I got my phone back from HTC after repair my phone screen and they wiped my custom rom and recovery but still have unlocked bootloader and restore oreo 8.0.
I managed to re-install twrp and tried to install a customed rom and experienced the same "decryption unsuccessful". But there is no lockingsettiings.db in the folder.
I will later try this method and report.... been a frustrating day....
=https://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=59685278&postcount=3
Hi everyone!
Yesterday after entering boot loops after trying to install the Xposed module from Magisk, I reinstalled the latest Oxygen OS zip via TWRP's "Wipe / Swipe to Factory Reset". When the phone booted in "hello, new user" mode, I saw there were still files from before under sdcard/, so, to be sure, I also tried to do a Factory reset from within OOS Settings / System. When the phone booted in "hello, new user" mode, I noticed there were still files from before under sdcard.
I re-flashed Magisk, installed a few things, did a backup via TWRP. Worked on setting up the phone for two more hours (didn't install any Magisk module, only software from the Play store), rebooted the phone to check everything was okay… boot loop!
Using the backup, I was able to reset the phone to the state of before wasting these two hours… But these boot loops seem so fickle, so random, that I wonder if I'm missing something with the factory reset, if maybe there is a more brutal reset that would erase all trace of activity after the state where the phone was after unlocking the bootloader.
Is there a way to do a more complete "factory reset" than what I've done? I see that Magisk has an "Advanced Wipe", if I checked all the box would that do it? Or is that a bad idea because some important OOS recovery files would vanish. Which "Advanced Wipe" options should I check? If I follow that procedure, will I be able to reinstall TWRP and Magisk via ADB?
Really needing some expert insight, I feel very lost!
Thanks in advance!
who ah way said:
Hi everyone!
Yesterday after entering boot loops after trying to install the Xposed module from Magisk, I reinstalled the latest Oxygen OS zip via TWRP's "Wipe / Swipe to Factory Reset". When the phone booted in "hello, new user" mode, I saw there were still files from before under sdcard/, so, to be sure, I also tried to do a Factory reset from within OOS Settings / System. When the phone booted in "hello, new user" mode, I noticed there were still files from before under sdcard.
I re-flashed Magisk, installed a few things, did a backup via TWRP. Worked on setting up the phone for two more hours (didn't install any Magisk module, only software from the Play store), rebooted the phone to check everything was okay… boot loop!
Using the backup, I was able to reset the phone to the state of before wasting these two hours… But these boot loops seem so fickle, so random, that I wonder if I'm missing something with the factory reset, if maybe there is a more brutal reset that would erase all trace of activity after the state where the phone was after unlocking the bootloader.
Is there a way to do a more complete "factory reset" than what I've done? I see that Magisk has an "Advanced Wipe", if I checked all the box would that do it? Or is that a bad idea because some important OOS recovery files would vanish. Which "Advanced Wipe" options should I check? If I follow that procedure, will I be able to reinstall TWRP and Magisk via ADB?
Really needing some expert insight, I feel very lost!
Thanks in advance!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hello, format internal storage within twrp deletes everything off your /sdcard but does not touch system, data, vendor for example.
You're still able to use fastboot/adb cause you do not delete the bootloader:good:
strongst said:
Hello, format internal storage within twrp deletes everything off your /sdcard but does not touch system, data, vendor for example.
You're still able to use fastboot/adb cause you do not delete the bootloader:good:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you for your reply!
Just to be sure I understand, are you suggesting that a strong way of getting a good Factory Reset would be:
TWRP / Wipe
[ ] Dalvik / ART Cache
[ ] System
[ ] Vendor
[ ] Data
[x] Internal Storage
[ ] USB Storage
then (if TWRP is gone):
adb devices
adb reboot bootloader
fastboot boot twrp-3.3.1-52-guacamole-unified.img
In TWRP, install twrp-3.3.1-52-guacamole-unified-installer.zip
In TWRP, install OnePlus7Oxygen_14.E.14_OTA_014_all_1907280716_7e28877dd39949e3.zip
Do the phone's "Welcome, user" setup
Flash Magisk
Does that sound right?
who ah way said:
Thank you for your reply!
Just to be sure I understand, are you suggesting that a strong way of getting a good Factory Reset would be:
TWRP / Wipe
[ ] Dalvik / ART Cache
[ ] System
[ ] Vendor
[ ] Data
[x] Internal Storage
[ ] USB Storage
then (if TWRP is gone):
adb devices
adb reboot bootloader
fastboot boot twrp-3.3.1-52-guacamole-unified.img
In TWRP, install twrp-3.3.1-52-guacamole-unified-installer.zip
In TWRP, install OnePlus7Oxygen_14.E.14_OTA_014_all_1907280716_7e28877dd39949e3.zip
Do the phone's "Welcome, user" setup
Flash Magisk
Does that sound right?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Generally the factory reset does all too need(from android settings). Why theres something left of your device I don't know.
But I meant format internal storage, not wipe internal storage.
So reboot to twrp - wipe - format and follow the instructions reading the hints.
Again: that does not wipe your twrp, system, system data only the internal storage like music, photos etc.
For installation, it's OK what you wrote
Thank you very much, @strongst.
If I understand, that "Format" option that you suggested is what gets rid of all the personal files. Then to Factory Reset, I can either flash via TWRP, or use adb.
At the moment I am thinking that like you suggested the phone is actually okay after the standard Factory Reset — and that the earlier boot loop was created by one specific piece of "bad software". So I am reinstalling things little by little, and doing TWRP backups after every 15 minutes of set-up. That way if the phone enters a boot loop, I will be able to restore and to narrow it down, and check on the forum if others have the same problem. Does this make sense to you?
Wishing you a great week!
who ah way said:
Thank you very much, @strongst.
If I understand, that "Format" option that you suggested is what gets rid of all the personal files. Then to Factory Reset, I can either flash via TWRP, or use adb.
At the moment I am thinking that like you suggested the phone is actually okay after the standard Factory Reset — and that the earlier boot loop was created by one specific piece of "bad software". So I am reinstalling things little by little, and doing TWRP backups after every 15 minutes of set-up. That way if the phone enters a boot loop, I will be able to restore and to narrow it down, and check on the forum if others have the same problem. Does this make sense to you?
Wishing you a great week!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's a good way to break a potential boot loop issue down, time consuming, but worth the effort in case it boot loops