Posted this on Google Pixel forum earlier but haven't had much action there, perhaps it's a better question for this community as would like to figure things out sooner than later as I'm currently without a phone.
Hope all reading are healthy and safe...
Pixel 3 on verizon still on Pie (9) with PQ3A.190801.002 build, which I believe is from August 2019. Have not modified phone at all.
One morning the other day turned phone on and stuck with a "Pixel is starting" message. I can access settings and receive calls, when connected to BT in car can make calls too. Cannot receive messages though receive "You have new messages" notifications, got an alert about a VM that I was able to access.
I realize I can likely do a Factory Reset to fix THOUGH I do not want to go down that path without giving it a go trying to at the very least pull some data off the phone (texts, photos, videos). Yes, everything *should* be backed up...
I tried connecting to computer to see if could recognize as drive and transfer files onto computer (Pixel and MTP USB drivers would not install- tried on two laptops running Win7). I know I should probably be updating to Android 10 and am fine doing so, but would like to recover files first.
I mention some potential solutions below I found by some fellow XDA members when searched this topic before posting and am curious if there is anything I should attempt to do before/instead of possibly going with one of the 2 below.
Thanks SO much in advance,
Matt
Possible easier solution:
From _Ra1n_ on xda forums
"I couldn't fix the "Pixel is starting..." issue. Factory Flashing (after removing -w) QQ1A.191205.008 resulted resulted in being stuck at the "G" screen. I flashed the QQ1A.200105.002 factory image (again with -w removed) and was left in the same "Pixel is starting..." state.
Here is where things get interesting:
Over adb I launched the Settings app:
Code:
adb shell am start -a android.settings.SETTINGS
Next, I went into "Security," which prompted for my PIN, and then removed the screen lock. After doing this, I was able to get into /sdcard in the ADB shell, something that was not possible before.
Back in the settings app, I enabled USB File Transfer and copied all my files & photos off. I was also able to launch apps from within the apps list in Settings. This let me export settings/data from other apps that allowed it.
So it seems that entering your PIN in the Settings app also unlocks the phone!
Possible more complicated solution:
From sic0048 on XDA forums
"Is you bootloader unlocked? If so, you can flash the factory image and remove the "-w" command as suggested above, but if your bootloader is not unlocked this will not be an option. If you are on a locked bootloader, you can sideload an OTA image (which really is a full factory image). This will not wipe your phone or do a factory reset. It will however replace your OS with a clean version. Hopefully that fixes the issue. If not, then you will have to do a factory reset in order to "clean out" the problem."
Can you get into Settings? If so, you should be in pretty good shape. It seems like in the "Pixel is starting..." state, USB File Transfer (ie: MTP mode) only works AFTER the phone is unlocked (fingerprint or PIN). The problem is since the lock screen doesn't load, you can't actually unlock. You have to remove your PIN and/or fingerprint (I set "screen lock" to "None") and USB File Transfer should then work.
You should also be able to launch apps from the app list in Settings.
Link to my thread for reference (just in case someone arrives here from a search): https://forum.xda-developers.com/pixel-3-xl/help/stuck-pixel-starting-boot-t4038847
Yes, I can get into settings and just disabled the lock screen. I don't notice any difference but if you are saying that's what it takes to enable MTP then great. Seems like for MTP to even work requires some futzing in Windows, a known MTP issue I guess? I will have to play around on how to enable MTP and then hopefully device manager will recognize on computer now that lock screen disabled. When connecting to computer I'm alternating between use USB for file transfer both with and withOUT USB debugging on, even using USB for charging only, each time it tries to install drivers for Pixel 3, MTP, occasionally ADB. It's never installed Pixel 3, ADB installed once and MTP actually installed once (after disabling lockscreen) but asked for a restart and then didn't install the next time...
As far as launching apps from the settings, I *can* get into the app list but Android 9 does not give an option to open them (unless I need to do something else that's not currently set-up). I know you said this:
"There should be a "Open" shortcut just below the app icon to the left of "Uninstall" (or "Disable" if it is a built-in app)." But I don't see one. If I can get into my backup app, I can hopefully back up my latest SMS which I'm not sure would be possible by just copying things onto computer, such as photos/videos.
Once I get MTP enabled, should I just be able to access my files by opening my phone as a device or will I need to get into ADB to access?
Thank you for your continued help
Matt
_Ra1n_ said:
Can you get into Settings? If so, you should be in pretty good shape. It seems like in the "Pixel is starting..." state, USB File Transfer (ie: MTP mode) only works AFTER the phone is unlocked (fingerprint or PIN). The problem is since the lock screen doesn't load, you can't actually unlock. You have to remove your PIN and/or fingerprint (I set "screen lock" to "None") and USB File Transfer should then work.
You should also be able to launch apps from the app list in Settings.
Link to my thread for reference (just in case someone arrives here from a search): https://forum.xda-developers.com/pixel-3-xl/help/stuck-pixel-starting-boot-t4038847
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Matt Spo said:
Seems like for MTP to even work requires some futzing in Windows, a known MTP issue I guess?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Honestly, it should "just work." I'm not sure why you're having issues. Did USB File Transfer work before you ran into this problem?
Matt Spo said:
As far as launching apps from the settings, I *can* get into the app list but Android 9 does not give an option to open them (unless I need to do something else that's not currently set-up).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ah, I forgot Android 9 didn't have this! If you're familiar with ADB, you can launch apps by activity. You may be able to launch the Pixel Launcher with: "adb shell am start com.google.android.apps.nexuslauncher/.NexusLauncherActivity"
Matt Spo said:
Once I get MTP enabled, should I just be able to access my files by opening my phone as a device or will I need to get into ADB to access?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
With USB File Transfer enabled you should be able to just access it like you normally would with it plugged into a computer. I was able to, at least.
Matt Spo said:
Thank you for your continued help
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Of course!
_Ra1n_ said:
Honestly, it should "just work." I'm not sure why you're having issues. Did USB File Transfer work before you ran into this problem?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Never attempted USB file transfer before now!
_Ra1n_ said:
Ah, I forgot Android 9 didn't have this! If you're familiar with ADB, you can launch apps by activity. You may be able to launch the Pixel Launcher with: "adb shell am start com.google.android.apps.nexuslauncher/.NexusLauncherActivity"
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sounds good, essentially launching the Pixel Launcher will allow me to see all of my apps on the device and open whatever necessary?
_Ra1n_ said:
With USB File Transfer enabled you should be able to just access it like you normally would with it plugged into a computer. I was able to, at least.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sounds great, just need to get USB File Transfer working on computer (trying on 3 diff ones).
_Ra1n_ said:
Of course!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry I'm likely not replying to this in sequence. That adb shell Pixel Launcher did not work, gave a type 3 error, does not exist.
MTP is not installing allowing me to access the phone as a device. Perhaps that's because I'm stuck with "Pixel is Starting" on my screen? I can launch ADB though, just trying to figure out to command to launch Google Photos so I can perform cloud backup from there onto my account. Also, would like to perform backup of SMS/MMS. The app I use "SMS Backup & Restore" gave me a shell command to try to launch a backup but did not work. I'm also trying a program called "backuptrans" which I was able to install on phone via ADB but am still trying to figure out a command that will launch the app so I can possibly use for backup of sms/mms/photos.
I am without root if that matters for anything. I have not given up hope of saving these photos/videos, sms/mms but it's getting frustrating trying various commands each night in ADB to launch apps to no avail.
Thanks,
Matt
_Ra1n_ said:
Honestly, it should "just work." I'm not sure why you're having issues. Did USB File Transfer work before you ran into this problem?
Ah, I forgot Android 9 didn't have this! If you're familiar with ADB, you can launch apps by activity. You may be able to launch the Pixel Launcher with: "adb shell am start com.google.android.apps.nexuslauncher/.NexusLauncherActivity"
With USB File Transfer enabled you should be able to just access it like you normally would with it plugged into a computer. I was able to, at least.
Of course!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Matt Spo said:
Never attempted USB file transfer before now!
Sounds good, essentially launching the Pixel Launcher will allow me to see all of my apps on the device and open whatever necessary?
Sounds great, just need to get USB File Transfer working on computer (trying on 3 diff ones).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Let's take a few steps back. Does the following adb command list the contents of your internal storage?
Code:
adb shell ls /sdard
If so, everything is certainly still there. You can lookup how to use the "adb pull" command to pull files/folders manually. If not, please post any errors that are returned.
The following command should copy the DCIM folder from internal storage onto your computer (where the camera app stores pictures & videos):
Code:
adb pull /sdcard/DCIM
That will copy the DCIM folder into the directory your currently in. You mentioned you were using Windows 7, the command prompt (C:\some\path>) indicates your current directory.
The following commands should open Google Photos and SMS Backup & Restore, respectively:
Code:
adb shell am start -n com.google.android.apps.photos/.home.HomeActivity
Code:
adb shell am start -n com.riteshsahu.SMSBackupRestore/.activities.IntroActivity
Thanks for your continued help, posted responses below. Also, after a lot of searching someone recommended the app "Backuptrans Data Sync," which apparently can backup all I'm looking to (SMS/MMS/Photos/Videos) and I have since installed the .apk to my phone (provided by developer) via ADB and am trying to figure out the exact ADB command to trigger that to open on my phone so I can attempt a connection to their software on PC via WiFi since I cannot get USB working. Supposed it's activity name is "com.backuptrans.datasync.DataSync"
_Ra1n_ said:
Let's take a few steps back. Does the following adb command list the contents of your internal storage?
Code:
adb shell ls /sdard
That gives me error message "closed"
If so, everything is certainly still there. You can lookup how to use the "adb pull" command to pull files/folders manually. If not, please post any errors that are returned.
The following command should copy the DCIM folder from internal storage onto your computer (where the camera app stores pictures & videos):
Code:
adb pull /sdcard/DCIM
That will copy the DCIM folder into the directory your currently in. You mentioned you were using Windows 7, the command prompt (C:\some\path>) indicates your current directory.
The following commands should open Google Photos and SMS Backup & Restore, respectively:
Code:
adb shell am start -n com.google.android.apps.photos/.home.HomeActivity
Gives type 3 error, activity class does not exist
Code:
adb shell am start -n com.riteshsahu.SMSBackupRestore/.activities.IntroActivity
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Gives type 3 error, activity class does not exist
Matt Spo said:
Thanks for your continued help, posted responses below.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Of course! I just wish we were making progress!
The "error: closed" message suggests you may not be using an up-to-date version of the Android Platform Tools (https://developer.android.com/studio/releases/platform-tools). Does the following command produce the same error?:
Code:
adb shell ls /storage
Are you absolutely sure you removed your PIN/passcode and disabled the lock screen? If you go into Settings > Storage, does the phone display the usage breakdown between (images & video, music & audio, ect) as you'd expect it?
The following ADB command will list every "package" currently on the phone:
Code:
adb shell pm list packages
Without getting into too much detail, every app resides in it's own "package." Locate the package for the app you want to launch and attempt to launch the app with the following command:
Code:
adb shell monkey -p app.package.name -c android.intent.category.LAUNCHER 1
Replacing app.package.name with the package you want to launch. For example, the following command should launch Google Photos:
Code:
adb shell monkey -p com.google.android.apps.photos -c android.intent.category.LAUNCHER 1
_Ra1n_ said:
Let's take a few steps back. Does the following adb command list the contents of your internal storage?
Code:
adb shell ls /sdard
If so, everything is certainly still there. You can lookup how to use the "adb pull" command to pull files/folders manually. If not, please post any errors that are returned.
The following command should copy the DCIM folder from internal storage onto your computer (where the camera app stores pictures & videos):
Code:
adb pull /sdcard/DCIM
That will copy the DCIM folder into the directory your currently in. You mentioned you were using Windows 7, the command prompt (C:\some\path>) indicates your current directory.
The following commands should open Google Photos and SMS Backup & Restore, respectively:
Code:
adb shell am start -n com.google.android.apps.photos/.home.HomeActivity
Code:
adb shell am start -n com.riteshsahu.SMSBackupRestore/.activities.IntroActivity
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
_Ra1n_ said:
Of course! I just wish we were making progress!
The "error: closed" message suggests you may not be using an up-to-date version of the Android Platform Tools (https://developer.android.com/studio/releases/platform-tools). Does the following command produce the same error?:
Code:
adb shell ls /storage
I believe I am using the most current version of Android Platform Tools as I just downloaded it within the last week. As far as the command above receiving same "closed" error, no, I get "emulated self"
Are you absolutely sure you removed your PIN/passcode and disabled the lock screen? If you go into Settings > Storage, does the phone display the usage breakdown between (images & video, music & audio, ect) as you'd expect it?
Definitely disabled the lock-screen and fingerprint. Yes, going into Settings>Storage displays the usage breakdown as I would expect it. Fwiw- in "Security & Location" phone is encrypted.
The following ADB command will list every "package" currently on the phone:
Code:
adb shell pm list packages
Without getting into too much detail, every app resides in it's own "package." Locate the package for the app you want to launch and attempt to launch the app with the following command:
Code:
adb shell monkey -p app.package.name -c android.intent.category.LAUNCHER 1
Replacing app.package.name with the package you want to launch. For example, the following command should launch Google Photos:
Code:
adb shell monkey -p com.google.android.apps.photos -c android.intent.category.LAUNCHER 1
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, that command does display every package name. Trying to launch Google Photos via monkey command above led to "No Activities Found to Run, Monkey Aborted." Same message when trying to launch SMS Backup & Restore.
I don't believe I previously mentioned it, but device is NOT rooted. Imagine you probably figured that, lol.
Matt Spo said:
I believe I am using the most current version of Android Platform Tools as I just downloaded it within the last week. As far as the command above receiving same "closed" error, no, I get "emulated self"
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I assume the following command returns the same "closed" error as before, then?:
Code:
adb shell ls /storage/emulated
Matt Spo said:
Definitely disabled the lock-screen and fingerprint. Yes, going into Settings>Storage displays the usage breakdown as I would expect it. Fwiw- in "Security & Location" phone is encrypted.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is expected. All modern phones are encrypted whether or not a PIN is set. The PIN, fingerprint, ect. simply protects the key. This enables the user to set a PIN quickly and allows the PIN to be changed without re-encrypting everything with a new key.
Matt Spo said:
I don't believe I previously mentioned it, but device is NOT rooted. Imagine you probably figured that, lol.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In theory, that shouldn't matter. Nothing we've tried so far requires root and I recovered without root when this occurred on my phone.
Clearly your phone is reacting differently than mine did when I ran into this. Other than the Pixel 3 / Pixel 3 XL difference, the only other thing I can think of is that I was on Android 10 not Android 9. Without digging through the source code, Android 10 likely handles the device encryption differently.
Unfortunately I'm not really sure what else to suggest. You may have success updating to Android 10. I doubt it fixes the "Pixel is starting" issue though it may unlock the phone and let you pull data off. I would recommend doing this by sideloading a recent OTA instead of doing a System Update on the phone. If you'd like guidance with this, let me know. Google's page containing all of the OTA images & instructions for sideloading them is: https://developers.google.com/android/ota
_Ra1n_ said:
I assume the following command returns the same "closed" error as before, then?:
Code:
adb shell ls /storage/emulated
"Permission denied" is the error I get when I try that command. Does knowing that change anything regarding your thoughts on the matter?
This is expected. All modern phones are encrypted whether or not a PIN is set. The PIN, fingerprint, ect. simply protects the key. This enables the user to set a PIN quickly and allows the PIN to be changed without re-encrypting everything with a new key.
In theory, that shouldn't matter. Nothing we've tried so far requires root and I recovered without root when this occurred on my phone.
Clearly your phone is reacting differently than mine did when I ran into this. Other than the Pixel 3 / Pixel 3 XL difference, the only other thing I can think of is that I was on Android 10 not Android 9. Without digging through the source code, Android 10 likely handles the device encryption differently.
Unfortunately I'm not really sure what else to suggest. You may have success updating to Android 10. I doubt it fixes the "Pixel is starting" issue though it may unlock the phone and let you pull data off. I would recommend doing this by sideloading a recent OTA instead of doing a System Update on the phone. If you'd like guidance with this, let me know. Google's page containing all of the OTA images & instructions for sideloading them is: https://developers.google.com/android/ota
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you for that link and for all of your efforts thus far. I messaged google tech support with the issue, I guess before I go the sideloading route to install Android 10, which may or may not help me, I'll see what they say. But I will certainly reach out, privately(?) if I need further assistance.
Matt Spo said:
Thank you for that link and for all of your efforts thus far. I messaged google tech support with the issue, I guess before I go the sideloading route to install Android 10, which may or may not help me, I'll see what they say. But I will certainly reach out, privately(?) if I need further assistance.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, wait until you hear back from Google and see what (if anything) they have to say first.
One random thought I had regarding updating to Android 10: Note that on the Verizon model, since the bootloader is locked, you cannot downgrade (as far as I'm aware, hopefully someone can correct me if I'm wrong). I would first try sideloading QQ1A.200105.002 since that is the version I had success recovering my data on.
_Ra1n_ said:
Yeah, wait until you hear back from Google and see what (if anything) they have to say first.
One random thought I had regarding updating to Android 10: Note that on the Verizon model, since the bootloader is locked, you cannot downgrade (as far as I'm aware, hopefully someone can correct me if I'm wrong). I would first try sideloading QQ1A.200105.002 since that is the version I had success recovering my data on.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry for delay, been trying some things in the interim, unfortunately none of which have helped. I have now updated my Computer OS from Win7 to Win10 which helps get drivers recognized, both MTP and ADB (MTP was not working with Win7). Everything seems to be "running" properly. Upon doing some research, it seems like MTP connection for transfer has been disabled, possibly with my latest software update, which I believe is November 2019 (Android Pie). I could not find anyone mentioning that MTP/USB transfer has been RE-enabled with Android 10.
Could that be a reason I am getting the messages I am getting for ADB commands or is that a separate entity, unaffected by MTP mode being disabled by Google? It seems to me, that possibly my best/only option at this point, in order to (hopefully) recover SMS/MMS as well as photos/videos is to sideload updated software? If MTP still not enabled in the sideloaded update you mention, thereby having same results with ADB commands, perhaps I could at least have the option like you initially mentioned of opening the apps via settings, something which is not an option with Pie?
As always, thanks for your continued help. Btw, Google Tech support had no information to help my situation!
Matt Spo said:
I have now updated my Computer OS from Win7 to Win10 which helps get drivers recognized, both MTP and ADB (MTP was not working with Win7). Everything seems to be "running" properly.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In theory that should make a difference. MTP has been a standard for quite some time. Not sure what is (or was) causing your driver issues (if any). Out of curiosity, do you have another computer (or a friend/family member's computer) you can try plugging the phone into?
Matt Spo said:
Upon doing some research, it seems like MTP connection for transfer has been disabled, possibly with my latest software update, which I believe is November 2019 (Android Pie). I could not find anyone mentioning that MTP/USB transfer has been RE-enabled with Android 10.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Interesting, I hand't heard of this. In developer options, what happens when you set "Default USB configuration" to "File Transfer" and then plug the phone in?
Matt Spo said:
Could that be a reason I am getting the messages I am getting for ADB commands or is that a separate entity, unaffected by MTP mode being disabled by Google? It seems to me, that possibly my best/only option at this point, in order to (hopefully) recover SMS/MMS as well as photos/videos is to sideload updated software?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Honestly, I'm starting to think that your issue is either A) different than mine in some way or B) The "Pixel is starting..." bug acts differently on Android 9 and Android 10. What we've learned from ADB is that your phone isn't mounting the internal storage. It is possible that Android 10 mounts (and/or unlocks) the Internal storage earlier in the boot process than Android 9. This may be why I was able to access the data from the "Pixel is starting..." screen but you can not.
Unless you can find someone more knowledgeable that has something better to try, I would update to QQ1A.200105.002 (the Feb 2020 update) since that is where I had luck. Since your device has a locked bootloader, you will not be able to revert back to Android 9 (if that matters at this point). Let me know if you need help with this.
Matt Spo said:
If MTP still not enabled in the sideloaded update you mention, thereby having same results with ADB commands, perhaps I could at least have the option like you initially mentioned of opening the apps via settings, something which is not an option with Pie?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
At this point, I'd say anything is possible.
_Ra1n_ said:
In theory that should make a difference. MTP has been a standard for quite some time. Not sure what is (or was) causing your driver issues (if any). Out of curiosity, do you have another computer (or a friend/family member's computer) you can try plugging the phone into?
It seems like drivers are working, at least according to device manager. I have tried 3 diff windows 10 computers, all with USB-C->USB-A connections. I might try to find someone with a USB-C port so I can go USB-C->USB-C but given the state of the world right now, tough to go to someone's house or have them let me borrow a computer to test.
Interesting, I hand't heard of this. In developer options, what happens when you set "Default USB configuration" to "File Transfer" and then plug the phone in?
Tried that, nothing happened!
Honestly, I'm starting to think that your issue is either A) different than mine in some way or B) The "Pixel is starting..." bug acts differently on Android 9 and Android 10. What we've learned from ADB is that your phone isn't mounting the internal storage. It is possible that Android 10 mounts (and/or unlocks) the Internal storage earlier in the boot process than Android 9. This may be why I was able to access the data from the "Pixel is starting..." screen but you can not.
I was able to pull up directory of what apps were installed on the phone via ADB, is that different? When you say "access the data" do you mean open the individual apps from the settings menu? If so, you previously mentioned that that might be a new Android 10 option?
Unless you can find someone more knowledgeable that has something better to try, I would update to QQ1A.200105.002 (the Feb 2020 update) since that is where I had luck. Since your device has a locked bootloader, you will not be able to revert back to Android 9 (if that matters at this point). Let me know if you need help with this.
If I were to update to that update you mentioned (the following link lists what you mentioned- 105.002 as the January update, with 205.002 being February update), is it just following the steps here? https://developers.google.com/android/ota OR here https://drive.google.com/file/d/0Bz6x7k-VkpUJMlZ1aEliVnhMOHM/view Do I have to sideload each OTA image in sequence from what I'm currently on until I get to the one you mentioned? Thought I saw mention of that somewhere.
At this point, I'd say anything is possible.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Before going with the sideloaded OTA updates, I found the following sites which had a bunch of tips for people who have had recent trouble getting various Pixel phones to mount as drives on CPU, I am going to play around with these tips first, perhaps it's glitchy software update(s)? https://support.google.com/pixelphone/thread/8621523?hl=en&msgid=16913445 AND https://www.reddit.com/r/GooglePixel/comments/58mp7o/pixel_xl_wont_connect_to_windows_10_pc/
Matt Spo said:
I was able to pull up directory of what apps were installed on the phone via ADB, is that different? When you say "access the data" do you mean open the individual apps from the settings menu? If so, you previously mentioned that that might be a new Android 10 option?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes. Even without a security PIN set, the "internal storage" (where app data is stored, where your photos are stored, ect) is still encrypted. Really your PIN only encrypts the key to unlock the internal storage. This is why you can set a PIN after you've used the phone and have a lot of data stored on it without waiting for the data to be encrypted (and change/remove your PIN without waiting for the data to be decrypted/re-encrypted). When a PIN is not set, the phone (should) automatically unlock the storage with the stored key. (I'm over-simplifying a little bit, of course)
My comment about Android 9/10 differences was a (somewhat educated) guess that Android 10 "unlocks" the "always-encrypted" internal storage at a different time than Android 9. If this "unlock" occurs earlier, the internal storage may be accessible once on the "Pixel is starting..." screen. Unfortunately we're fighting with a bug/glitch; none of this is an exact science.
Matt Spo said:
If I were to update to that update you mentioned (the following link lists what you mentioned- 105.002 as the January update, with 205.002 being February update), is it just following the steps here? ... Do I have to sideload each OTA image in sequence from what I'm currently on until I get to the one you mentioned? Thought I saw mention of that somewhere.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, follow the steps on Google's OTA page. No, you do not need to flash the OTAs in sequence. The OTAs available on that page are "Full" OTAs; you can jump straight to any Full OTA as long as it is more recent that the version you're currently on.
Matt Spo said:
Before going with the sideloaded OTA updates, I found the following sites which had a bunch of tips for people who have had recent trouble getting various Pixel phones to mount as drives on CPU, I am going to play around with these tips first, perhaps it's glitchy software update(s)?/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If the issue was only an MTP issue, you'd still be able to access the data through ADB, something that it doesn't seem like we've been able to accomplish. Since you've tried multiple computers, I don't think this is related.
_Ra1n_ said:
Yes. Even without a security PIN set, the "internal storage" (where app data is stored, where your photos are stored, ect) is still encrypted. Really your PIN only encrypts the key to unlock the internal storage. This is why you can set a PIN after you've used the phone and have a lot of data stored on it without waiting for the data to be encrypted (and change/remove your PIN without waiting for the data to be decrypted/re-encrypted). When a PIN is not set, the phone (should) automatically unlock the storage with the stored key. (I'm over-simplifying a little bit, of course)
My comment about Android 9/10 differences was a (somewhat educated) guess that Android 10 "unlocks" the "always-encrypted" internal storage at a different time than Android 9. If this "unlock" occurs earlier, the internal storage may be accessible once on the "Pixel is starting..." screen. Unfortunately we're fighting with a bug/glitch; none of this is an exact science.
Yes, follow the steps on Google's OTA page. No, you do not need to flash the OTAs in sequence. The OTAs available on that page are "Full" OTAs; you can jump straight to any Full OTA as long as it is more recent that the version you're currently on.
If the issue was only an MTP issue, you'd still be able to access the data through ADB, something that it doesn't seem like we've been able to accomplish. Since you've tried multiple computers, I don't think this is related.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I reached back out to Google Tech. Support since realizing my issue seems to stem from the phone NOT being able to be controlled through connected device (computer) but not being allowed to do so, only allowing connection via "this device." They recommended updating software to most recent version of Android 10, which hopefully fixes that connection problem. I guess my decision is either upgrading to the software version you were on, was it - 105.002 (January) or 205.002 (February)? I saw a discrepancy in previous post between software version # and Month. Perhaps that will allow me to do what I need to do, if not I upgrade to the latest version. If I go straight to the latest version, there's no turning back to trying your software, since bootloader locked. Would you recommend starting with your software update and then potentially moving on to most recent if that doesn't work?
Thank you again for all of your help thus far, seems like this could be the home stretch, exhausted all possible scenarios. If upgrading software doesn't work, seems like I am SoL in hopes of backing up.
Matt
Matt Spo said:
I reached back out to Google Tech. Support since realizing my issue seems to stem from the phone NOT being able to be controlled through connected device (computer) but not being allowed to do so, only allowing connection via "this device." They recommended updating software to most recent version of Android 10, which hopefully fixes that connection problem. I guess my decision is either upgrading to the software version you were on, was it - 105.002 (January) or 205.002 (February)? I saw a discrepancy in previous post between software version # and Month.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You're correct; I mistyped that a few posts back. The version I had success recovering on was "QQ1A.200105.002" specifically.
Matt Spo said:
Perhaps that will allow me to do what I need to do, if not I upgrade to the latest version. If I go straight to the latest version, there's no turning back to trying your software, since bootloader locked. Would you recommend starting with your software update and then potentially moving on to most recent if that doesn't work?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Correct, if you sideload the most recent update you will not be able to sideload an older update with a locked bootloader. My gut instinct would be to update to the version I had success with because we know it worked at least once. Obviously I can't guarantee it will work for you, but I'm really hoping it does. If it doesn't help, updating to the latest version would be the next step.
Matt Spo said:
Thank you again for all of your help thus far, seems like this could be the home stretch, exhausted all possible scenarios. If upgrading software doesn't work, seems like I am SoL in hopes of backing up.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Of course! I'm still hopeful this will work out!
Random aside: @Ditamae ran into the exact same issue as me and seems to have had similar success with recovering data. He responded to my original post about this issue: https://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=82567069&postcount=5. He indicated he was on the January 2020 update as well.
Related
I've recently started having problems after changing ROMs a couple of times.
I tried installing a new Rom (CM12.1) but it is still happening and I've installed a new GAPPS each time too so I guess the problem runs deeper than that.
The ROM runs fine for a bit but then all of a sudden I get a force close which constantly keeps coming up no matter how many times I press 'Ok'.
I've had a few different processes stop but the last two that spring to mind are 'process.android.phone', 'Swiftkey' and 'Google Play'.
I have to reboot but then end up stuck at the splash screen at boot. I then have to Power+Vol Down to go into recovery and then reboot system from there. It then runs through the App optimisation screen brfore restarting.
I've never touched kernels since I've been changing ROMs so whether thats the issue.
Any help with this would be great as otherwise this is the best Rom Ive used.
Thanks in advance
A logcat showing traces of these force closes would help
Aquous said:
A logcat showing traces of these force closes would help
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I didnt do one on account of me not having a clue what the hell one was
Luckily my friend Google does know what the hell one was.
I've attached a couple of log files created around the time of the unpleasantries which hopefully might shed some light.
This one attached might be better, this was taken after I sorted out my Root Access again so might have more info.
Regards
Looks like a resources issue. Are you running any custom CM10 theme? What happens if you install such a theme providing an icon pack?
Aquous said:
Looks like a resources issue. Are you running any custom CM10 theme? What happens if you install such a theme providing an icon pack?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi, thanks for your reply. I havent been near any other custom themes. I've had this problem over a couple of Roms too.
I've tried to generate a catlog to get some error messages around the time its happening but I keep getting constant force close boxes which stop me doing anything (for a couple of different processes). The only way to stop them is to reboot but then the logs stop and reset when it boots so I cant get the info.
I've had to reboot about three times today and each time it has had to optimize the apps for some reason.
I've tried to get a catlog through ADB but I cant run the Android SDK as I need to install the JDK which keeps giving me 'Error 1500' on the install (even though I am most definately not already trying to install it).
Thanks for your help so far though and taking the time to read through the previous log.
Every solution I try just seems to create more problems
I've managed to attach a text file of all the error files its had since it started up (they are all in the space of about 10mins)
I'm not seeing any force closes in there. In your previous log, I saw these lines:
Code:
07-15 18:24:07.919 W/ResourceType(2356): No package identifier when getting value for resource number 0x00000000
07-15 18:24:07.919 W/PackageManager(2356): Failure retrieving resources for [insert any package here basically]: Resource ID #0x0
which led me to identify resources (i.e. icons, drawables, etc) as your culprit.
What we need to do with that information, I wouldn't know. Ask the rom dev, I suppose?
Aquous said:
I'm not seeing any force closes in there. In your previous log, I saw these lines:
Code:
07-15 18:24:07.919 W/ResourceType(2356): No package identifier when getting value for resource number 0x00000000
07-15 18:24:07.919 W/PackageManager(2356): Failure retrieving resources for [insert any package here basically]: Resource ID #0x0
which led me to identify resources (i.e. icons, drawables, etc) as your culprit.
What we need to do with that information, I wouldn't know. Ask the rom dev, I suppose?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well I'm assuming their force closes. I get a white box popping up that says 'unfortunately XXXXX has closed' and when I click 'ok' the box goes away but either comes straight back or another similar one pops up. Its Trebuchet quite a lot.
I can't do anything then, if I try to get to LogCat that closes too and I can't really do anything until I reboot.
Its happened over 3 different Roms so dont think theres much the Rom compiler (is that what they're called, lol) can do.
I'm am probably going to have to see if I can get a Log through ADB, if I can remember how to use it, when I have time.
Cheers
I've managed to connect the tablet through ADB and managed to get some errors taken at the time I started getting all the 'Unfortunately XXXXX has closed [ok]' boxes kept coming up.
All the error messages attached came up in the space of a few seconds.
Ahh, now this is interesting. The main cause of your problem is that your filesystem is remounted read-only, which Play Store Services doesn't like.
As to why this is going on I can only guess, but it's possible that it's due to filesystem corruption. Can you try running fsck from recovery?
Aquous said:
Ahh, now this is interesting. The main cause of your problem is that your filesystem is remounted read-only, which Play Store Services doesn't like.
As to why this is going on I can only guess, but it's possible that it's due to filesystem corruption. Can you try running fsck from recovery?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi,
Thanks for looking through them errors.
To be honest I haven't heard of fsck. Is it something I can pick up fairly simply or am I more likely to do more damage? I've done a few searches and it looks a bit difficult and couldn't really find any threads that sounded similar to what I might need.
Thanks again
Update : I've gone into recovery and found files in /system/bin called fsck.exfat and fsck.f2fs is it a case of running a command through terminal command in recovery from this directory?
Fsck is the linux file system checker. The binary is named e2fsck. I think the command should be:
Code:
e2fsck -pv /dev/block/platform/omap/omap_hsmmc.1/by-name/DATAFS
This will try to automatically fix any errors (be sure to note whether there are any). If it complains about unexpected inconsistencies, you'll need to remove the 'p' argument to prevent it from trying to do any automatic fixing.
Note: the whole point of this command is to check and, if needed, modify low-level filesystem structures, so there is a risk of data loss on your DATAFS (i.e. /data) partition.
Be sure to note if there are any errors. If there are, we need to investigate where those are coming from. If not, something else is causing your fs to remount readonly (because THAT is ultimately what is triggering your system to flip out).
(Apologies for the delay, it's been a busy week)
Aquous said:
Fsck is the linux file system checker. The binary is named e2fsck. I think the command should be:
Code:
e2fsck -pv /dev/block/platform/omap/omap_hsmmc.1/by-name/DATAFS
This will try to automatically fix any errors (be sure to note whether there are any). If it complains about unexpected inconsistencies, you'll need to remove the 'p' argument to prevent it from trying to do any automatic fixing.
Note: the whole point of this command is to check and, if needed, modify low-level filesystem structures, so there is a risk of data loss on your DATAFS (i.e. /data) partition.
Be sure to note if there are any errors. If there are, we need to investigate where those are coming from. If not, something else is causing your fs to remount readonly (because THAT is ultimately what is triggering your system to flip out).
(Apologies for the delay, it's been a busy week)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi,
No worries mate, I wasn't sure if what I said didn't make sense thats why there were no replies
The problem seems to be a lot better now but I've still had it a couple of times over the last two days.
I've tried to run the command above but with no joy. I'm still only learning the basics of ADB so still having some trouble.
I wasn't sure exactly where to run the commands from through the SDK so just went to the Terminal Command in Recovery and after navigating to the system/bin folder tried that command but it came up with the following:
/dev/block/platform/omap/omap_hsmmc.1/by-name/DATAFS is in use
esfsck: cannot continue, aborting
I apologise if some of what I am doing seems nonsense but I am trying to pick up what I can by myself from various sketchy threads to avoid being a 'tell me what to do cos I can't be bothered looking myself' person. I dont know if this is doing more harm then good
Thanks again in advance for your help.
You cannot check a filesystem while it is in use. Solution: boot to recovery (sorry, I should have specified), then make sure your data partition is not mounted (in CWM it isn't by default, which is good). Then it should be able to run.
(so: boot tablet to recovery, on computer run 'adb shell', in adb shell copy/paste the actual fsck command)
Aquous said:
You cannot check a filesystem while it is in use. Solution: boot to recovery (sorry, I should have specified), then make sure your data partition is not mounted (in CWM it isn't by default, which is good). Then it should be able to run.
(so: boot tablet to recovery, on computer run 'adb shell', in adb shell copy/paste the actual fsck command)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
For some reason I cannot get my PC to pickup the tablet in a command window when in TWRP so I was unable to run through ADB. 'ADB Devices just did not show anything.
In the end I did it all on my tablet in TWRP through the 'Command Terminal'. I navigated to the necessary folder (the one with fsck.exfat and fsck.f2fs in - /system/bin) through the Command Terminal and after typing the command in I got the following:
/dev/block/platform/omap/omap_hsmmc.1/by-name/DATAFS clean, 9086/791520 files, 694414/3160055 blocks
Is that good?
It means that your emmc is fine and that there's a different reason why you're getting force closes. Can you post a dmesg next time it happens?
Aquous said:
It means that your emmc is fine and that there's a different reason why you're getting force closes. Can you post a dmesg next time it happens?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi, yea sure. I could use a bit of guidance with exactly how to do that though. I take it that is something I would have to run through ADB from my PC before I reset my tablet? Step by step instructions would be appreciated a lot (as has your extensive help already, creep creep ).
Boot to normal android. Wait until you start getting force closes. Stick your tab into your computer, run 'adb shell', then run 'dmesg'. If it says permission denied, run 'su' first and then run 'dmesg' again. Post the output.
Aquous said:
Boot to normal android. Wait until you start getting force closes. Stick your tab into your computer, run 'adb shell', then run 'dmesg'. If it says permission denied, run 'su' first and then run 'dmesg' again. Post the output.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Right, first thing this morning I had some errors, so I've managed to paste the results of a dmesg into the log file attached.
Cheers!
Hmmmm, now this is interesting. It looks like random services are failing to load - they are immediately exiting after being restarted. This is basically the same problem as with your apps force closing - something at the lower layers is causing everything to crash immediately upon launch.
Yet you're able to run basic programs (e.g. adb, dmesg) just fine, meaning that it's not likely to be a hardware issue.
What happens if in adb shell you run su and then 'stop' followed by 'start'? What should happen: when you run 'stop', the whole system freezes, and when you run 'start', you see your boot logo and android starts booting up again. Is this indeed what happens in this case, or do you get a bootloop? If so, post another logcat when you're stuck in the loop; you can get out of it by simply entering 'reboot' in your still-open adb shell.
Hi Everyone,
I'm using a Samsung GT-N7105. It has 16GB of internal memory. It has no external SD card.
A few days ago my phone's screen went black. Everything else works fine, including touch, just that the screen is always completely black.
I took it to a repair centre. After the repair centre ran some tests, (they kept my phone for 2 days,) they confirmed it was the LCD screen problem (i.e. a hardware issue). Since that LCD screen is expensive to repair, I chose not to repair it.
So now I want to install Android Screencast on my phone. I connect my phone to my desktop, and to my surprise I discover that USB debugging isn't enabled anymore!
So I call the repair centre and ask them what software changes they made to my phone. Their response is:
1) The partition table has definitely NOT been altered.
2) "Your Android version has not been upgraded."
3) "We used a special software to format your phone." They declined to tell me what software they used, and they don't seem to know which partitions have been "formatted"! But they did say that "format" was not the same as "factory reset".
(Btw the people at the repair centre are non-native English speakers, whereas my first language is English, so it was hard to ask about technical details.)
Therefore my best guess about the software state of my phone is:
1) It's running stock Android 4.1.2, which it's been running since the first day I bought it
2) The bootloader should have no KNOX nonsense
3) Recovery should be stock recovery
4) A few partitions have been "formatted" to unknown states
5) There are no longer any pattern, PIN, or password locks on my phone. If my phone is on and it's been sitting idle, I just have to tap the home button, then swipe the screen, and it unlocks.
I can reconstruct the partition table of my internal memory if you guys need it. I did an entire dump of mmcblk0 about two months ago.
(Btw the size of that dump of mmcblk0 is 15,758,000,128 bytes, which is significantly less than 16GB, even if you count by 1000s instead of 1024s. Unimportant side question, but does anyone know why?)
**************
My main question is: How do I enable USB debugging ON ANDROID with the black screen restriction?
I've searched the forums, and in thread 2395047 (can't post links yet) the recommendation is to flash CWM recovery to get adb access. But keep in mind that my ultimate goal is to be able to install Android Screencast on my phone, so that I can regain full phone functionality (with the help of an attached computer screen). I don't quite see how adb access via CWM recovery can help me to achieve this goal.
Also, I've never actually used CWM recovery before and don't know how it works. One of my concerns is: Once I have flashed CWM recovery, and after I boot into recovery, do I immediately get adb access just by hooking up to USB cable to the desktop? Or do I first have to select some setting, which would be tough to do with a black screen?
Thanks in advance for all your help!
Ernest
(Note to mods: I accidentally posted this question earlier to xda assist when I wasn't logged in. You can delete the earlier duplicate.)
Hello,
I've been dealing with android for a while and have been a member of XDA for a while. In my time here I've searched for a solution to this issue many times all over the web and XDA but never came up with anything useful.
Of the possible solutions I've found, the most likely possibility is to use an OTG cable and mouse to interface your device but this requires you to see the screen which is not an option for you. adb in this situation is only useful if you want to retrieve data from your device. I do remember finding something on the web that could potentially help you turn on USB debugging but I'm having trouble finding it now. I'll keep looking but can't promise anything. In the meantime, try posting your question in the forum linked below.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/galaxy-note-2/help
If that doesn't help you find answers then try posting your question in the forum linked below.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/android/help
I hope this helps, good luck.
Hi Droidriven!
Thank you so much for taking the time to read and reply to my question.
Guess what, with the help of workdowg, I managed to work out a solution! My saving grace is that I'm running Android 4.1.2 and not one of the newer versions. My understanding is that if I was running one of the newer versions of Android, then I wouldn't even be able to get adb access via CWM recovery, because of the extra security measures. (Although I might be wrong about this point; I am still noob.)
I solved my problem in the following way:
1) Flash CWM recovery via ODIN Download mode
2) Boot into recovery, connect phone to desktop computer, open a command line terminal
3) Type "adb shell" to get a root shell in CWM recovery
4) In that root shell, type all the commands in the last code box at the end of the following post:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=63829295&postcount=27
(Much thanks to workdowg for this step)
5) Type "exit 0" to exit the shell in CWM recovery, then type "adb reboot"
6) Wait for my phone to reboot to Android
7) Type "adb devices", and now I see that I have adb connection to Android
After this, I was also able to successfully run Android Screencast with my phone. I can see my screen again!
So now, everyone please help me think of some useful search tags for this post / thread.
ErnestChia said:
Hi Droidriven!
Thank you so much for taking the time to read and reply to my question.
Guess what, with the help of workdowg, I managed to work out a solution! My saving grace is that I'm running Android 4.1.2 and not one of the newer versions. My understanding is that if I was running one of the newer versions of Android, then I wouldn't even be able to get adb access via CWM recovery, because of the extra security measures. (Although I might be wrong about this point; I am still noob.)
I solved my problem in the following way:
1) Flash CWM recovery via ODIN Download mode
2) Boot into recovery, connect phone to desktop computer, open a command line terminal
3) Type "adb shell" to get a root shell in CWM recovery
4) In that root shell, type all the commands in the last code box at the end of the following post:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=63829295&postcount=27
(Much thanks to workdowg for this step)
5) Type "exit 0" to exit the shell in CWM recovery, then type "adb reboot"
6) Wait for my phone to reboot to Android
7) Type "adb devices", and now I see that I have adb connection to Android
After this, I was also able to successfully run Android Screencast with my phone. I can see my screen again!
So now, everyone please help me think of some useful search tags for this post / thread.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'll have to remember that, I wasn't aware of the difference in 4.1.2, I've not had to deal with 4.1.2, that's good to know.
Glad you got it going, now see if you can find one of your devices on eBay that is no longer working in one or another but still has a good digitizer and glass, you may find one cheap, then you can use the digitizer+glass from the used one to fix the one you are using.
Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk
Droidriven said:
Glad you got it going, now see if you can find one of your devices on eBay that is no longer working in one or another but still has a good digitizer and glass, you may find one cheap, then you can use the digitizer+glass from the used one to fix the one you are using.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's a really good idea, which I didn't even consider. (Maybe because I've never meddled with hardware before.)
Thanks!
Pressed the home button while using Snapchat, phone froze, had to hard reset it, phone got stuck in constant Google logo bootloop. Getting a replacement shipped out...but I have a video I recorded yesterday morning that never backed up on Photos, any possible way to save it? Someone mentioned an ADB method..? But with my little research I think you need to factory reset the phone for that, which would make this method a waste as I need to get this video off it.
I never rooted this phone, I didn't unlock the bootloader. I did turn on developer settings. That's all I know regarding that.
Other information regarding the fastboot screen: Boot-slot: a, Console: DISABLED, Secure Boot: PRODUCTION, Device is LOCKED.
I've turned it off and on multiple times, same thing. Rebooted it during loops, or at least tried to, same thing. Went into fastboot mode from loops, pressed start, same thing. Went into fastboot mode from phone off, same thing. I don't know what else to do. There is no way to clear a memory cache apparently. And I am sort of n00bish in this world.
Anyways, what could I possibly do to save this video, or to fix my phone out of this bootloop to take the video off the right way before my replacement comes in? Anyway to do either of that via 'ADB', some lowkey program I don't know about that can rip the entire phone's data onto some type of file I can decrypt, a program like Recuva that will find the file(s) for me and yank them out, etc? I know there has to be somebody out there with the skills or capabilities to do something like this... I hope. Please help out and let me know, thanks.
If you could do something like that with a locked bootloader / unrooted device then all security for Android would be a sham. I'd be very discouraged if someone could hack into a secure device and pull out information such as pictures, phone numbers, messages etc.
If it is locked, you are done. It's encrypted. If it were unlocked you could easily get it off the phone.
Well, I'm not feeling optimistic at all now. So there is 0, nada, nothing I can do to save this video/file or fix my phone? All because the device decided to randomly get stuck in this bootloop, I am absolutely screwed?
Unless you can get it to boot up then I do believe you are out of luck. You can't get into recovery menu?
Sent from my Pixel using XDA-Developers Legacy app
bobby janow said:
Unless you can get it to boot up then I do believe you are out of luck. You can't get into recovery menu?
Sent from my Pixel using XDA-Developers Legacy app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Fastboot > Recovery mode > No command screen > Power button hold + Volume up tap > Android Recovery screen with Reboot system now, Reboot to bootloader, Apply update from ADB, etc?
If that's what you mean, I can get there, I'm there right now.
czbwoi said:
Fastboot > Recovery mode > No command screen > Power button hold + Volume up tap > Android Recovery screen with Reboot system now, Reboot to bootloader, Apply update from ADB, etc?
If that's what you mean, I can get there, I'm there right now.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry afk. Yes, that is exactly where you want to be. Try an adb sideload of the latest OTA or even the last full image. I do believe you can sideload that but if not then the OTA. You might be able to recover that way. If something got corrupt then the sideload might fix it. Or is there an option to clear cache? I think there is, you can try that first.
bobby janow said:
Sorry afk. Yes, that is exactly where you want to be. Try an adb sideload of the latest OTA or even the last full image. I do believe you can sideload that but if not then the OTA. You might be able to recover that way. If something got corrupt then the sideload might fix it. Or is there an option to clear cache? I think there is, you can try that first.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No option to clear cache, the rest of the options are: Apply update from SD card, Wipe data/factory reset, Mount /system, View recovery logs, Run graphics test, Power off.
I have no idea how to sideload an OTA or image to try to fix this...if you could point it out to me step by step, literally, I'd appreciate it.
czbwoi said:
No option to clear cache, the rest of the options are: Apply update from SD card, Wipe data/factory reset, Mount /system, View recovery logs, Run graphics test, Power off.
I have no idea how to sideload an OTA or image to try to fix this...if you could point it out to me step by step, literally, I'd appreciate it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Don't have directions atm for sideload online but the way it works is you download the OTA from here: https://developers.google.com/android/ota Scroll down to Pixel latest U build 7.1.1. Download it and place it in your fastboot android sdk folder, I put it in the platform-tools so it's easy. Then click apply update from sd card by highlighting it with the vol keys and then power key to select. It will tell you what to do. I forgot exactly but it's something like "adb sideload <ota.zip> whatever the name is and then let it go. It will take about 10 min and after it's all done, highlight the reboot option. Power key and reboot. Hopefully that should fix it. If not, sorry I'm all out of ideas. Well other that adb sideload the full image although someone will have to verify if that would work.
bobby janow said:
Don't have directions atm for sideload online but the way it works is you download the OTA from here: https://developers.google.com/android/ota Scroll down to Pixel latest U build 7.1.1. Download it and place it in your fastboot android sdk folder, I put it in the platform-tools so it's easy. Then click apply update from sd card by highlighting it with the vol keys and then power key to select. It will tell you what to do. I forgot exactly but it's something like "adb sideload <ota.zip> whatever the name is and then let it go. It will take about 10 min and after it's all done, highlight the reboot option. Power key and reboot. Hopefully that should fix it. If not, sorry I'm all out of ideas. Well other that adb sideload the full image although someone will have to verify if that would work.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just sideloaded the latest OTA with the help of a friend, and no luck. Same old stuff. And I think sideloading an image would require the bootloader to be unlocked which would require a factory reset...
Here's another thing that crossed my mind, have any of you ever used EaseUS MobiSaver for Android? It's a tool that allows you to recover deleted files from your phone, similar to Recuva and hard drives. I used it before on my parents' Galaxies, this program is from circa 2014 though so I don't know if it would have much success on a new phone like this...but you never know?
For it to work you need to have your phone on (derp) and have it rooted. Here's the tricky part...if you erase your hard drive and use a tool like Recuva, even though you erased your drive the remnants are still "there" and files are recoverable with a tool like that. Do you think that the same concept would work with phones and EaseUS MobiSaver? Say that I factory reset the phone, set it up as a new device and don't transfer over any backup, I root it, and run said program to scan the deep contents of the phone's hard drive for old data. Do you think this will work in any way possible, like how regular hard drives that got erased work, or is the phone world completely different and incomparable?
EaseUS will not work on a factory reset. You can't recover anything.
bobby janow said:
EaseUS will not work on a factory reset. You can't recover anything.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well then what about programs like these: https://youtu.be/iPCoyRpMrqw?t=58s
http://www.jihosoft.com/recover-data/recover-data-after-factory-reset.html
http://androiddatarecovery.co/recover-data-after-factory-reset-from-android-mobile/
Some people say they have had some success with these...
Let us know. I'll wager you won't get anything back on the Pixel. Good luck.
czbwoi said:
Pressed the home button while using Snapchat, phone froze, had to hard reset it, phone got stuck in constant Google logo bootloop. Getting a replacement shipped out...but I have a video I recorded yesterday morning that never backed up on Photos, any possible way to save it? Someone mentioned an ADB method..? But with my little research I think you need to factory reset the phone for that, which would make this method a waste as I need to get this video off it.
I never rooted this phone, I didn't unlock the bootloader. I did turn on developer settings. That's all I know regarding that.
Other information regarding the fastboot screen: Boot-slot: a, Console: DISABLED, Secure Boot: PRODUCTION, Device is LOCKED.
I've turned it off and on multiple times, same thing. Rebooted it during loops, or at least tried to, same thing. Went into fastboot mode from loops, pressed start, same thing. Went into fastboot mode from phone off, same thing. I don't know what else to do. There is no way to clear a memory cache apparently. And I am sort of n00bish in this world.
Anyways, what could I possibly do to save this video, or to fix my phone out of this bootloop to take the video off the right way before my replacement comes in? Anyway to do either of that via 'ADB', some lowkey program I don't know about that can rip the entire phone's data onto some type of file I can decrypt, a program like Recuva that will find the file(s) for me and yank them out, etc? I know there has to be somebody out there with the skills or capabilities to do something like this... I hope. Please help out and let me know, thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can often get ADB while it's booting. It just depends how far into the boy process is made it. I would power it up and see if you can ADB pull the file.
TCPDump said:
You can often get ADB while it's booting. It just depends how far into the boy process is made it. I would power it up and see if you can ADB pull the file.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My friend was able to give it ADB commands on the fastboot/recovery menu, we sideloaded the latest OTA like that to see if it would fix it. What are you describing though, how would I be able to do that? Do you have any instructions or links on what to do? I don't know the file name for instance. The last video before that one was named VID_20170104_011325.mp4, I don't know how to find out the name of the next video file to even try to attempt what you're saying, unless you know of some way...
czbwoi said:
My friend was able to give it ADB commands on the fastboot/recovery menu, we sideloaded the latest OTA like that to see if it would fix it. What are you describing though, how would I be able to do that? Do you have any instructions or links on what to do? I don't know the file name for instance. The last video before that one was named VID_20170104_011325.mp4, I don't know how to find out the name of the next video file to even try to attempt what you're saying, unless you know of some way...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, IF it had booted enough to mount storage and start the adb daemon then you would use adb shell to locate the file.
Example:
adb shell
cd /sdcard/DCIM/
ls -la
Assuming your filename is in there, it its name is VID_20170104_011325.mp4 then you could exit the shell and do this:
adb pull /sdcard/VID_20170104_011325.mp4
TCPDump said:
Well, IF it had booted enough to mount storage and start the adb daemon then you would use adb shell to locate the file.
Example:
adb shell
cd /sdcard/DCIM/
ls -la
Assuming your filename is in there, it its name is VID_20170104_011325.mp4 then you could exit the shell and do this:
adb pull /sdcard/VID_20170104_011325.mp4
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Only place I can seem to enter adb commands is when I go to apply update from adb, and when I do so the only thing it responds to is adb devices and sideloading, presumably because that is all it allows me to do in that mode. When I enter adb shell I get error: closed
(NOTE: this post is a duplicate of a similar thread I started on the Android Central user forum)
Hello everyone,
In the continuing saga of the Leagoo T5C i bought before the holidays from GearBest, I've seen the good (the price and overall build quality, along with a reasonably good user experience), the bad (some notifications that I just can't get rid of, among other things), and I now present you the ugly: after watching a review video on YouTube about my device, I learned that it came loaded with a Trojan called "Gorilla.AM"...
***EDIT: apparently, the Trojan's name could actually be "Guerrilla.AM", I'm not sure.***
Needless to say, I did as the tester had, and installed Malwarebytes, which, sure enough, found the exact same Trojan on my device.
You can watch the video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R5l3z7BvBtk
It so happens that it's embedded in Leagoo's own application launcher, called Sujet (in French; maybe it's called "Subject" in English, I don't know). I can force quit the application, since I use another launcher called Apex (good pick, by the way), but Malwarebytes can't seem to shake the Trojan off my device nonetheless.
A quick search on Google gives very little in the way of information about this malware, but I'd like to be on the safe side, so I came here.
Any contribution would be welcome at this stage.
Hi. I've seen your post on a french-speaking forum but for my own reasons I don't want to help there, too many morons.
Leagoo is well-known for smartphones with built-in spyware/adware. I've had both a Z5 and a M5 and both had such crap in the stock firmware.
This one is new to me but you'll probably have to follow the same steps to get rid of it.
Try
Code:
adb shell pm disable <internal name of that launcher>
first (from a PC connected to the device with ADB - zillions of tutorials available for this)
The internal name can be found by guessing or by using one of the many apps that will show you the information. One is https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.csdroid.pkg
If that fails, try adding "-k -user 0" to the command line.
If it fails again (denied) then you have no choice but to root your device first, then use this pm command from a root shell or directly delete the folder for "Sujet/Subject" from /system/app or /system/priv-app where you'll find it.
Lannig said:
Hi. I've seen your post on a french-speaking forum but for my own reasons I don't want to help there, too many morons.
Leagoo is well-known for smartphones with built-in spyware/adware. I've had both a Z5 and a M5 and both had such crap in the stock firmware.
This one is new to me but you'll probably have to follow the same steps to get rid of it.
Try
Code:
adb shell pm disable <internal name of that launcher>
first (from a PC connected to the device with ADB - zillions of tutorials available for this)
The internal name can be found by guessing or by using one of the many apps that will show you the information. One is https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.csdroid.pkg
If that fails, try adding "-k -user 0" to the command line.
If it fails again (denied) then you have no choice but to root your device first, then use this pm command from a root shell or directly delete the folder for "Sujet/Subject" from /system/app or /system/priv-app where you'll find it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi,
OK, first off, thanks for the reply. Secondly, as I've stated before, I'm new to Android, and though I know my way around the command line in both Windows, Linux et OS X (not so much macOS: my MacBook Pro is 12-years old...), I suppose there are some things to set up first, before you can actually do what you suggest.
I understand that ADB stands for Android Debug Bridge, so is it an existing functionality in, say, Windows, that you can trigger from the command line, or a third-party software you have to install first?
On the Android side, what action should I take? Any Developer command to enable/disable to let ADB interact with my device the way it's supposed to?
Yes, you need to enable debug mode on your phone too. I could refer you to one of the zillion tutorials available on the net, but here's a summary.
Go to settings > about... (à propos)
Make at least 7 rapid touches on the line that says "build number" or its french translation.
This will make a new settings menu available from the main settings page: developer options
In this new menu, enable USB debugging.
Then you need to install ADB on your Mac and I'm at loss to help you there because I'm totally foreign to Macs. Never used one.
This seems like a good start: https://www.xda-developers.com/install-adb-windows-macos-linux/
Note: you may also try issuing the commands mentioned above from a terminal emulator running directly on your Android device, although I'm told that it's not exactly the same thing protection-wise.
Install this: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=jackpal.androidterm and try typing the commands from the emulator window. If it works, no need for ADB (although having ADB will probably prove useful sooner or later and I encourage you to take the step).
EDIT: forget the guys from Phonandroid, they're brain-damaged beyond help
Lannig said:
Yes, you need to enable debug mode on your phone too. I could refer you to one of the zillion tutorials available on the net, but here's a summary.
Go to settings > about... (à propos)
Make at least 7 rapid touches on the line that says "build number" or its french translation.
This will make a new settings menu available from the main settings page: developer options
In this new menu, enable USB debugging.
Then you need to install ADB on your Mac and I'm at loss to help you there because I'm totally foreign to Macs. Never used one.
This seems like a good start: https://www.xda-developers.com/install-adb-windows-macos-linux/
Note: you may also try issuing the commands mentioned above from a terminal emulator running directly on your Android device, although I'm told that it's not exactly the same thing protection-wise.
Install this: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=jackpal.androidterm and try typing the commands from the emulator window. If it works, no need for ADB (although having ADB will probably prove useful sooner or later and I encourage you to take the step).
EDIT: forget the guys from Phonandroid, they're brain-damaged beyond help
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
OK, thanks for the heads-up; I've already installed a Terminal emulator on the phone, so I'm gonna give it a go in a moment. I concur about Phoneandroid, alas: I've just received flak from one of the moderators because I'd double-posted on the same subject, whereas I'd just posted one thread, in the wrong part of the forum, according to him. Go figure...
OK, please feed back on your attempts, both from terminal emulator and through ADB.
Alas, I suspect that root will be required. It was for me on my Z5 and M5 to get rid of Leagoo's crapware.
Phonandroid is a bunch of losers with bloated egos posing as experts when 2/3 of the replies given are total BS.
"Er, Houston, we've had a problem..."
On Windows: "ADB is not a recognized name for a command applet..."
On OS X: "adb: command not found"
Stumped, I am...
"Er, Houston, we've had a problem..."
On Windows: "ADB is not a recognized name for a command applet..."
On OS X: "adb: command not found"
Stumped, I am...
(Additional question, not quite related: Aida64 indicates that my device runs a 4.4.49 version of the Android kernel, when the current version for Android 7.x is supposed to be 4.4.1; how does that compute--no pun intended--with my issue?)
Missing adb command is because the adb.exe (Windows) or adb (Mac) file is not in the command path. Either make the folder that contains the adb[.exe] file the current folder using the cd command or use whatever context menu for opening a command line window within the currently selected folder works, or even add that folder to the PATH variable. Google "add directory to path" for Windows and MacOS.
No idea about the kernel version. Minor kernel versions may vary within an Android release. Not surprising and most definitely unrelated to your problem. The crapware certainly isn't part of the kernel. It's most likely a system app i.e. a folder within either /system/app or /system/priv-app folders. You can't delete it without root, but you might be able to disable (freeze) it with the commands I gave you.
OK, thanks. I did "cd" to the folder where I had unzipped ADB on Windows (on the Mac, when I tried to open the ADB executable, I got a "cpu not supported" error message in the Terminal, as I feared, since my MBP is 32-bit-only, and most Mac applications nowadays only support 64-bit CPUs), and still got the "adb unrecognized command" error in PowerShell.
The phone was plugged in, and the right USB mode, so I'm still a bit baffled here. Gonna try it again with a different approach. Will keep you posted.
Over and out...
OK, here's what I got: "Error: java.lang.SecurityException: Shell cannot change component state for com.leagoo.launcher3/null to 2"
Basically, from my poor understanding of how Android works, it's root or die, right?
UglyStuff said:
OK, here's what I got: "Error: java.lang.SecurityException: Shell cannot change component state for com.leagoo.launcher3/null to 2"
Basically, from my poor understanding of how Android works, it's root or die, right?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I see that this phone has 7.x android. So, a Magisk Systemless flash might work. After rooting your device, get a good launcher integrate it to /system. Then delete your stock launcher all together.
Tell me if this works.
---------- Post added at 01:23 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:20 PM ----------
rhn19 said:
I see that this phone has 7.x android. So, a Magisk Systemless flash might work. After rooting your device, get a good launcher integrate it to /system. Then delete your stock launcher all together.
Tell me if this works.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you are new to this, use an app from play store for uninstalling and integrating apps.
Hi,
Yes, like I said, I'm a newbie when it comes to Android, so I'll abstain from rooting my device for now, but I'll keep your suggestions under advisement, because I suppose there'll be no other option in the long run. I'm gathering info on how to safely root a device.
I've done countless jailbreaks on iPhones, and it was always absolutely painless, but then, I had better understanding of how iOS works than I have Android, so until I know more about the OS, I'll keep my phone as it is.
Thanks again!
UglyStuff said:
Hi,
Yes, like I said, I'm a newbie when it comes to Android, so I'll abstain from rooting my device for now, but I'll keep your suggestions under advisement, because I suppose there'll be no other option in the long run. I'm gathering info on how to safely root a device.
I've done countless jailbreaks on iPhones, and it was always absolutely painless, but then, I had better understanding of how iOS works than I have Android, so until I know more about the OS, I'll keep my phone as it is.
Thanks again!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Jailbreaking vs Rooting is like 5-1 on difficulty level. Because Android is Open source while IOS is not. I would highly suggest you Root it if your phone does not have warranty. After all something that is on /system partition like your launcher will need superuser access to modify it. I cannot think of a way that wont void your warranty.
You can flash TWRP and then boot into aroma-fm but that will void your warranty. Rooting is the preferred option here.
Yeah, well, the phone is brand-new, and still under warranty, but that's not what's holding me back: I'd rather not brick it, most of all, because I need it, if not as my main phone, at least for connectivity.
I've read tutorials on this very website about using TWRP to flash a new baseband, but I'm curious about what firmware to choose, where to download it from to be sure it's not laden with bad stuff, and how sure I'll be to have an operable phone afterwards.
UglyStuff said:
Yeah, well, the phone is brand-new, and still under warranty, but that's not what's holding me back: I'd rather not brick it, most of all, because I need it, if not as my main phone, at least for connectivity.
I've read tutorials on this very website about using TWRP to flash a new baseband, but I'm curious about what firmware to choose, where to download it from to be sure it's not laden with bad stuff, and how sure I'll be to have an operable phone afterwards.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Why do you want a new firmware? I don't get you man, do you want to clear out the malware or try a new ROM? Because i think you would have to build a new ROM, there is not one available i guess.
That's the thing: the malware on my phone is part of the application launcher installed by the OEM. In other words, it's embedded inside the ROM. If I root my phone and somehow manage to get rid of this launcher, what's to tell me that Leagoo won't push it silently back onto my device under the disguise of an update?
I don't know what to do here. I understand that based on stock Android, each OEM applies a certain number of modifications to accommodate the hardware it used to build the phone, and since the SoC is brand-new, I gather there aren't many drivers available, unless I leave the current baseline in place.
I'm kinda caught between a rock and a hard place here...
UglyStuff said:
That's the thing: the malware on my phone is part of the application launcher installed by the OEM. In other words, it's embedded inside the ROM. If I root my phone and somehow manage to get rid of this launcher, what's to tell me that Leagoo won't push it silently back onto my device under the disguise of an update?
I don't know what to do here. I understand that based on stock Android, each OEM applies a certain number of modifications to accommodate the hardware it used to build the phone, and since the SoC is brand-new, I gather there aren't many drivers available, unless I leave the current baseline in place.
I'm kinda caught between a rock and a hard place here...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you use malwarebytes after root that thing wont happen. And almost all of the OEMs have a trigger which voids when rooting or flashing firmware. After that the OEM wont give you updates unless you use the A/B partitioning system.
OK, I understand how rooting my phone would void the warranty: after all, it's a substantial change in the phone software, and the OEM can't be made responsible for any mishap that occurs after I've rooted the phone.
What's the A/B partitioning system (I suppose it helps partition your storage space)? I don't have a microSD card installed (I use the slot for my second SIM), but I do have 32 Gb of storage space, minus what's already used up.
Do you know KingRoot? Is it as good and (reasonably) safe a rooting tool as they say it is?
Recently updated my Pixel 4a and have run into an issue that causes a strange boot loop to a screen that states "Cannot load Android system. Your Data may be corrupt." and prompts to either factory data reset or try booting again. What's strange is that when attempting to boot it again, it is able to load into the device and I have normal access to the phone for about 30-60 seconds before it restarts and prompts a factory reset again.
My main issue is that I need to backup/upload about 900 photos to google photos that were not saved. So far the phone has been rebooting, connecting to wifi and uploading about 0-3 items to google photos per boot until it restarts. Eventually I may be able to secure all my photos this way but I want to know if there is a more efficient method to do this.
Things to know:
Bootloader is locked (can't unlock due to wipe) -> cannot use custom recovery/ flash twrp
USB debugging is enabled and I have sideloaded the latest OTA (sunfish) via ADB sideload in recovery mode but the boot loop has not resolved.
I can successfully use ADB pull /sdcard/DCIM/Camera for only up to 60 seconds until it force restarts. When I attempt to pull again on the next boot, it will pull the same files because it is copying and not moving them.
Does anyone have a solution to this rather than to just factory reset or continuously rebooting? It is frustrating because I still have access to the phone's files but only for about less than a minute. I have scavenged reddit threads, forums, and google for some way to do this but to no avail. (Also is there a way to use the stock recovery's "mount /system" option?)
It's not very elegant, but I could totally imagine a script that listed the files and then copied a few at a time, waiting for the phone to reboot before continuing...
I have a python script that uses adb to "sync" a directory on the phone with a directory on the PC, but it's doing a push, not a pull.
a1291762 said:
I have a python script that uses adb to "sync" a directory on the phone with a directory on the PC, but it's doing a push, not a pull.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I modified my script a bit to pull instead of pushing, it's ... awfully rough (eg. you have to manually create a Camera directory to store the files it copies) but it seemed to work in principle. It might be enough for you, or it might serve as a base for a better solution. No doubt it'll need a few mods anyway, especially if you're on Windows (in which case ls won't work).
You might also try booting into safe mode, in case that stops the phone from rebooting? https://www.androidauthority.com/how-to-enter-safe-mode-android-801476/
a1291762 said:
I modified my script a bit to pull instead of pushing, it's ... awfully rough (eg. you have to manually create a Camera directory to store the files it copies) but it seemed to work in principle. It might be enough for you, or it might serve as a base for a better solution. No doubt it'll need a few mods anyway, especially if you're on Windows (in which case ls won't work).
You might also try booting into safe mode, in case that stops the phone from rebooting? https://www.androidauthority.com/how-to-enter-safe-mode-android-801476/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you for the reply! I am on Windows and I am not too script savvy out of writing a few simple AHK actions so I am not entirely sure how to proceed with what you have there.
Booting into safe mode did not work unfortunately. Seems the time until restart was the same as well.
Expressionize said:
Thank you for the reply! I am on Windows and I am not too script savvy out of writing a few simple AHK actions so I am not entirely sure how to proceed with what you have there.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I do have a windows PC for gaming so I'll fire it up and see if I can make it work there.
a1291762 said:
I do have a windows PC for gaming so I'll fire it up and see if I can make it work there.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was able to brute force the process and finally made my way through the photos. There was one lucky boot that allowed normal access for about 3 minutes and that was enough time for adb pull to completely grab what I needed. I appreciate your time and help.
I guess it still doesn't solve the issue if someone else runs into my similar situation though, but it seems like a rare enough problem.
Expressionize said:
I was able to brute force the process and finally made my way through the photos. There was one lucky boot that allowed normal access for about 3 minutes and that was enough time for adb pull to completely grab what I needed. I appreciate your time and help.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No worries. I'm glad you got your photos.
I had to go out, but I got back and literally just finished updating the script so it runs on Windows and is a bit smarter (eg. waiting for the phone to come back when it goes away). I'll attach it here in the event someone else finds it useful
There's a few variables at the top to configure it. It needs python and adb but shouldn't need anything else.
python3 fetch_files.txt
It's got a .txt extension instead of the more typical .py because XDA won't let me upload a .py file.