Hey guys,
I have a query on recovering data from Android phone's internal storage.
The phone is J7 Pro (SM-J730GM) and I am trying to recover some deleted data from the phone.
I have tried UltData for Android but it only lists the data that is already present on the phone...it does not show the deleted data.
I tried DroidKit and it clearly states that 'Root required for Deep Scan'. Only quick scan available which is same as UltData (lists only data that is already present).
I did some research and it seems that without root, it is not possible to recover lost/deleted data.
I was wondering if anyone here has some knowledge/experience about this topic?
Is there any reliable tool out there that can recover data WITHOUT root? Or using commands via ADB shell ?
Root is the last thing I want to go for as it may sometimes brick the device.
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jwoegerbauer said:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
mru007 said:
Root is the last thing I want to go for as it may sometimes brick the device.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
First of all, unlocking the bootloader will erase all data of your internal storage.
To recover deleted files you investigate your storage to find file signatures.
When deleting a file only the corresponding entry in the partition table will be erased. But the data of your file itself remains physically on your storage until it gets overwritten.
Best practice for that is to create an image file of your entire storage. But at least you will need full access to your data partition '/userdata'. That requires an unlocked bootloader to install a custom recovery like TWRP and/or root. Both give you full access to /userdata at all levels, increasing your chances of successfully recovering your files.
Factory reset: Files that have been deleted by a factory reset are due to encryption of internal storage (file based) almost unrecoverable. Wiping all data also deletes the decryption key stored in the system. During the next boot process /userdata (which is empty) gets encrypted again but with different keys.
It's not mandatory to have root permissions but you must have an unlocked bootloader.
An USB connection to your PC is not suitable to recover deleted files. Both, ADB and storage access, won't open your file system directly. There's at least one system service on your phone that manages the data transfer, e.g. MTP.
WoKoschekk said:
First of all, unlocking the bootloader will erase all data of your internal storage.
To recover deleted files you investigate your storage to find file signatures.
When deleting a file only the corresponding entry in the partition table will be erased. But the data of your file itself remains physically on your storage until it gets overwritten.
Best practice for that is to create an image file of your entire storage. But at least you will need full access to your data partition '/userdata'. That requires an unlocked bootloader to install a custom recovery like TWRP and/or root. Both give you full access to /userdata at all levels, increasing your chances of successfully recovering your files.
Factory reset: Files that have been deleted by a factory reset are due to encryption of internal storage (file based) almost unrecoverable. Wiping all data also deletes the decryption key stored in the system. During the next boot process /userdata (which is empty) gets encrypted again but with different keys.
It's not mandatory to have root permissions but you must have an unlocked bootloader.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the detail info!
When I go to Developer options -> OEM unlocking, it says here "Bootloader already unlocked." So it's a good thing for proceeding further I suppose.
For TWRP installation, I checked the method but it says 'unlocking bootloader will Wipe Data.
Does installing TWRP automatically attempts to unlock bootloader (and hence the risk of wipe data?)
Here is the blog that list steps to root with TWRP and gives a bright red warning -
Root Samsung Galaxy J7 Pro SM-J730GM and Install TWRP Recovery
Easy tutorial to Root Samsung Galaxy J7 Pro SM-J730GM in easy steps. For rooting, you have to flash TWRP Recovery first through the guide.
www.androidweblog.com
So my q. is -
If I just install TWRP, does it pose a risk to automatically wipe data?
Any options in TWRP itself to recover deleted data?
The other way is to root the device using Magisk app which does not require TWRP, but a bit complicated process.
This is the blog I came across to root J7 Pro without TWRP -
Root Samsung Galaxy J7 Pro SM-J730GM/G using Magisk Without TWRP
Easy tutorial to Root Samsung Galaxy J7 Pro SM-J730GM/G in easy steps using Magisk. For rooting, you we have described Magisk method, without installing TWRP.
www.androidweblog.com
Hope TWRP method does not Wipe Data & rooting method does not brick the device.
Even if we follow all the steps properly, there is always a little chance that it may brick the device
WoKoschekk said:
An USB connection to your PC is not suitable to recover deleted files. Both, ADB and storage access, won't open your file system directly. There's at least one system service on your phone that manages the data transfer, e.g. MTP.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Interesting.
I also tried mounting the phone internal storage as a 'disk drive' (with letter) using a tool called MTPdrive but then no data recovery software recognizes it as a 'valid' partition. It says invalid.
mru007 said:
If I just install TWRP, does it pose a risk to automatically wipe data?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If your bootloader is already unlocked, it is very good news for you. TWRP doesn't unlock bootloader or wipe your data.
mru007 said:
Any options in TWRP itself to recover deleted data?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No.
Follow the steps properly with the correct files to root your device.
Once successfully rooted, install a good data recovery app and try to recover your lost files.
Important thing to remember is that the more files you copy or install (i.e. the more changes you make to your file system), the lesser chance there will be to recover data because the system tries to use the space occupied by deleted data to write new files to it.
So do one thing at a time and make as little changes as possible to root your phone and install the data recovery app. Do your research first to find out the best options.
All the best!
mru007 said:
Any options in TWRP itself to recover deleted data?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, but you could do the following when TWRP runs:
1. Download the ADB/Fastboot tools here.
2. Extract the downloaded ZIP to C:\ and open the new created folder C:\platform-tools. You should see single files like adb.exe or fastboot.exe
3. In the address bar of your Explorer windows type cmd and hit Enter.
4. Connect the phone in TWRP mode via USB to your desktop PC and execute
Code:
adb devices
which should give you a output like this:
Code:
C:\platform-tools>adb devices
* daemon not running; starting now at tcp:5037
* daemon started successfully
List of devices attached
<SERIAL_NO> recovery
If any errors then tell us!
5. Execute
Code:
adb pull /dev/block/by-name/userdata
This pulls an image of your data partition right into the current folder C:\platform-tools.
But be aware!! The data image is as big as your total internal storage!
So, make sure there is enough free space on your storage.
If you successfully pulled the image, then I will explain you how to rescue the deleted data on it.
Even if you can recover files... the file and folder structure is lost forever. Jpegs will have no exif data, no time stamp etc. It will be a real mess.
The most you can do then is search for file type, for example jpegs. A sea of juxtaposed jpegs; every bloody jpeg on the drive.
You learned a valuable lesson on how fragile digital data can be, the hard way. Why didn't you use a SD card as the data drive? All critical data should be redundantly backup at least twice in addition to the SD card.
blackhawk said:
Even if you can recover files... the file and folder structure is lost forever. Jpegs will have no exif data, no time stamp etc. It will be a real mess.
The most you can do then is search for file type, for example jpegs. A sea of juxtaposed jpegs; every bloody jpeg on the drive.
You learned a valuable lesson on how fragile digital data can be, the hard way. Why didn't you use a SD card as the data drive? All critical data should be redundantly backup at least twice in addition to the SD card.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I learnt my lesson the hard way in 2013 or 2014, but I was eventually lucky after spending 2 sleepless nights. Lost all files on my laptop hard disc by passing a command that I didn't fully understand. After 2 days and 2 nights which looked like eternal, and trying a dozen data recovery softwares that did nothing, I eventually found one that, in hindsight, was Godsend. That software actually recovered almost every single file and was also free back then. It was then that I created a backup plan for myself and it has worked well so far.
But you missed talking about cloud backups. They are actually much more secure since they are managed professionally, although they come with some privacy concerns.
TheMystic said:
I learnt my lesson the hard way in 2013 or 2014, but I was eventually lucky after spending 2 sleepless nights. Lost all files on my laptop hard disc by passing a command that I didn't fully understand. After 2 days and 2 nights which looked like eternal, and trying a dozen data recovery softwares that did nothing, I eventually found one that, in hindsight, was Godsend. That software actually recovered almost every single file and was also free back then. It was then that I created a backup plan for myself and it has worked well so far.
But you missed talking about cloud backups. They are actually much more secure since they are managed professionally, although they come with some privacy concerns.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I never use cloud except for Gmail and text messages backups. Otherwise it's backed up at least 3-6 times on different drives, in different locations including time staggered copies. I may lose some data but never all...
blackhawk said:
I never use cloud except for Gmail and text messages backups. Otherwise it's backed up at least 3-6 times on different drives, in different locations including time staggered copies. I may lose some data but never all...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's one reason why you stick with the N10+ which is the last Samsung flagship with an external SD card. Since this feature isn't coming back on future flagships, you'll either have to settle with a budget device going forward, or get the 1 TB variants of Flagships, if you want access to your entire camera roll all the time.
In either case, you'll eventually run out of storage and may have to setup your own personal cloud server, if you have the required expertise to keep it safe for online access.
Cloud is not just about backups. It is also about having access to files all the time on multiple devices.
TheMystic said:
That's one reason why you stick with the N10+ which is the last Samsung flagship with an external SD card. Since this feature isn't coming back on future flagships, you'll either have to settle with a budget device going forward, or get the 1 TB variants of Flagships, if you want access to your entire camera roll all the time.
In either case, you'll eventually run out of storage and may have to setup your own personal cloud server, if you have the required expertise to keep it safe for online access.
Cloud is not just about backups. It is also about having access to files all the time on multiple devices.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Samsung. If they can't put out they will be kicked out. Another manufacturer will pick up the slack. Both Samsung and Gookill Android are a mess now; I will continue to use what fullfills my mission for the next 3+ years. No hurry here.
Currently I'm using about 510 gb of my 1tb capacity, plenty of room left. I also have 350/100gb available on internal.
With cloud you're at the mercy of your internet connection/bandwidth, always. It wastes battery and they will charge you for the "privilege" of high capacity storage.
Multiple more layers to cloud introduce new failure modes and vulnerabilities, KISS.
Lol, do you still trust Samsung servers?
In the future you will own nothing and be happy. Not me.
blackhawk said:
With cloud you're at the mercy of your internet connection/bandwidth, always. It wastes battery and they will charge you for the "privilege" of high capacity storage.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Internet today is cheap and convenience has a price. So it is okay.
blackhawk said:
Multiple more layers to cloud introduce new failure modes and vulnerabilities, KISS.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
They have multiple redundancies built-in and I am positive they have systems in place to prevent catastrophe. I do use multiple cloud providers though, just in case.
blackhawk said:
do you still trust Samsung servers?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't have the expertise to keep a personal cloud server safe online.
blackhawk said:
In the future you will own nothing and be happy. Not me
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have local backups too. It's not like I'm completely dependent on them. The local backups are just backups, and I cannot access them online.
TheMystic said:
I have local backups too. It's not like I'm completely dependent on them. The local backups are just backups, and I cannot access them online.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you had an SD card* you don't need to have internet access at all to do a full reload, anytime, anywhere. If you phone OS crashes the data on the SD card usually remains intact as well as in most hard display smashing drops.
A dual drive device trumps a single drive device every time.
*A OTG flashstick can be used but they are much slower. Backups can't be done in real time and one more critical piece of hardware to lose.
blackhawk said:
If you had an SD card* you don't need to have internet access at all to do a full reload, anytime, anywhere. If you phone OS crashes the data on the SD card usually remains intact as well as in most hard display smashing drops.
A dual drive device trumps a single drive device every time.
*A OTG flashstick can be used but they are much slower. Backups can't be done in real time and one more critical piece of hardware to lose.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You're focussing only on backups.
I'm also looking at multi-device access to all files. This is possible only with cloud, whether 3rd party or personally hosted one.
blackhawk said:
If you had an SD card* you don't need to have internet access at all to do a full reload, anytime, anywhere. If you phone OS crashes the data on the SD card usually remains intact as well as in most hard display smashing drops.
A dual drive device trumps a single drive device every time.
*A OTG flashstick can be used but they are much slower. Backups can't be done in real time and one more critical piece of hardware to lose.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You're focussing only on backups.
I'm also looking at multi-device access to all files. This is possible only with cloud, whether 3rd party or personally hosted one.
TheMystic said:
You're focussing only on backups.
I'm also looking at multi-device access to all files. This is possible only with cloud, whether 3rd party or personally hosted one.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Exactly. Android is the only internet portal I use.
My other Android only shares cloud Gmail and texting for security. My laptop internet/wifi access is always offline; completely physically firewalled. You might hack one device but never all three. All backup drives are always physically/electronically separate from the PC unless being used for backup. In the case of malware none of the backups are connected until the victim device is clean.
I've seen a Gmail account get hacked and become unrecoverable. Never had that happen to a backup hdd... in the end the only protection you have is sound data management. If you fail to do this you may lose your whole database.
blackhawk said:
Exactly. Android is the only internet portal I use.
My other Android only shares cloud Gmail and texting for security. My laptop internet/wifi access is always offline; completely physically firewalled. You might hack one device but never all three.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is a very special use case. For most people, multi-device access is pretty common.
blackhawk said:
I've seen a Gmail account get hacked and become unrecoverable.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As in all emails got permanently deleted? And Google couldn't help?
Related
I need to wipe two Android Phones that do not have the "encrypt" option. I am selling them very soon so this is important. One phone is running stock Gingerbread, the other is using a custom rom running ICS 4.04.
I attempted a secure wipe on the ICS phone by choosing every wipe option found in TWRP (dalvik, cache,etc), then I did 2 factory resets and flashed a NEW ROM after that. Guess what..? I used the free program "DiskDigger" on my PC and I found THOUSANDS upon THOUSANDS of recoverable files. FULL pictures, not just thumbnails; I found videos, I found zip files, I found voice recordings, I found music, and more!
There is no way in hell I can sell these phones until I know they are CLEAN of my information. What pisses me off is that with iPhone, it's as simple as pressing "Erase All Content And Settings". That takes maybe 5 minutes tops and it works on iPhone's as old as the iPhone 3GS! I thought custom flashing a new rom and wiping cache in TWRP would do the trick but NOPE.
Can anyone help me?
I have an idea:
Just keep copying some random worthless files over and over till your memory fulls up
then do your erase and reset, check again with your DiskDigger again th make sure only the worthless files are retrievable instead of your personal.
Luaai said:
I have an idea:
Just keep copying some random worthless files over and over till your memory fulls up
then do your erase and reset, check again with your DiskDigger again th make sure only the worthless files are retrievable instead of your personal.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Is this really my only option? If so, that is sad and scary at same time, because results are still not guaranteed.
For comparison's sake, I ran Recuva which found 1,243 files. It found A LOT less, so I am glad I tried DiskDigger first. Still, Recuva showed a lot of pictures, and even if they were recoverable, you can see the FULL picture in the preview window!
umirin said:
Is this really my only option? If so, that is sad and scary at same time, because results are still not guaranteed.
For comparison's sake, I ran Recuva which found 1,243 files. It found A LOT less, so I am glad I tried DiskDigger first. Still, Recuva showed a lot of pictures, and even if they were recoverable, you can see the FULL picture in the preview window!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Look, when erase a file from your memory it dose not actually erase it, it just hide it from gallery or file explorer and mark it on memory allocation table to be overwritten when copy other file. So your best option is to overwrite with another worthless files. Just give it a try, you wont lose any thing.
I think you might also use any safe erase application or disk utility while connecting your phone as a USB memory. Google it.
Luaai said:
Look, when erase a file from your memory it dose not actually erase it, it just hide it from gallery or file explorer and mark it on memory allocation table to be overwritten when copy other file. So your best option is to overwrite with another worthless files. Just give it a try, you wont lose any thing.
I think you might also use any safe erase application or disk utility while connecting your phone as a USB memory. Google it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I know that flash memory is different from magnetic drives. I say it's not guaranteed because who knows how many files I have to copy over and over to replace the old stuff.
What I need is a proper sanitizing app like DBAN, but for Android. I am going to check Google Play tomorrow and see if I can find one that still works on Gingerbread and ICS. I have checked these kinds of apps in the past and they were all garbage; I could still recover files easily.
An update for you... I downloaded these two apps and ran them on both phones. Here are the results...
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.pinellascodeworks.securewipe&hl=en - Secure Wipe
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.aiuspaktyn.secureeraser&hl=en - Secure Eraser
On the stock Gingerbread phone, 3 photos were found by DiskDigger and I was able to preview them and recover them. Recuva found 20 files, the same 3 pictures, plus some overwritten garbage. I ran both apps AGAIN and got the same results, those same 3 photos were still there, intact. So what I then did was click on the photos in Recuva and selected "Secure Overwrite Checked". I ran the scans a THIRD time, Recuva first. It found 15 different files, 11 ignored all labelled as "unrecoverable" or "very poor". Only one photo was from before was found, but there was no preview. I recovered it, but no photo program could open it, so it looks to be successfully overwritten and corrupted.
On the phone running custom ROM ICS: I ran DiskDigger and it found 0 files; Recuva found 3 files after secure wiping. One was in "poor state" and two were in "excellent" state - a .bin file and .M file. I overwrote these files in Recuva and ran the scans a second time. DiskDigger found nothing, Recuva found 3, 14 ignored, all were "unrecoverable".
So I have some peace of mind now. Before running these Secure erase programs, DiskDigger found 99% of the contents on the phone that was running custom ROM ICS. So wiping dalvik cache, other cache, multiple factory resets, and flashing a new ROM did NOTHING!
If anyone has suggestions on other recovery programs, I will do a third check to put my mind at ease.
Wow... very surprised that there is no discussion on this. Do people not care about about the security of their devices?
NOTE:
I'm not a developer or something even near to that. I'm a newbie and will be, seems so. All information provided here is copied and compiled from different internet sources. This information is according to best of my knowledge and comprehension and is just for curious souls like me who want to understand things in quite simple words.
I have tested this on different devices. I'll not be responsible for any harm to you or your device. It works perfectly for me. You may try it on your own risk.
Encrypted memory may cause problem in backing up and restoring data. So better decrypt it before proceeding. Or the Recovery should support decryption of /data partition.
WHY YOU NEED TO BACKUP YOUR DATA
For security, in case if device is lost. Read here more about the risks.
If you are going to change your device.
If your device is running out of memory space.
If your device is slowing down or giving random errors and you want a clean start i.e. by factory data reset.
If you are upgrading your Factory Firmware or ROM (OS).
If you are a curious soul like me and interested in experimenting with device.
WHAT TO BACKUP
Backup is a broad term used in many contexts.
PERSONAL DATA
On an android device, backing up personal data like pictures, music, videos, documents, e-books etc. means backing up Internal Memory (/data/media/) and SD card (if you use one). If you have disabled internal memory (D.I.M), your SD Card would be working as Internal Memory.
Personal data might be created by apps (like Camera, Facebook, WhatsApp etc) or imported from internet or other devices by yourself.
APPS & APPS DATA
If you are upgrading your ROM permanently, you might be interested in backing up your apps and their data as well. So that you don't lose important data and don't have to install apps again. System apps are stored in different folders under /system/ while user apps under /data/.
Apps typically store their data in /data/data/ but it's not a rule. Many apps save / backup their data on Internal Memory and/or SD Card as well. That's why you see folders named 'Android', 'data' etc. on Internal Memory and SD Card. Also, there are numerous folders named after app names. These folders may contain Personal Data as well, created by that certain app.
Contacts and messages are also stored in their default apps' data folder i.e. in /data/data/ and are not usually backed up manually.
OPERATING SYSTEM & APPS & APPS DATA
If you are going to install new ROM temporarily, you may want a complete backup so that you don't have to go through the hassle of installing apps and setting up / personalizing your device again. It usually includes /system, /boot and /data partitions.
OS consists of SYSTEM and BOOT. While user apps & apps data is stored in DATA.
PARTITION IMAGES
From a developer's perspective, one may want to backup the whole device partitions, in case if something goes wrong during experimenting.
Read here more about android partitions.
WHERE TO BACKUP
INTERNAL MEMORY (/sdcard) (/storage/sdcard0) (/data/media/0)
This memory can be used to save data if you are not going to wipe / clean it. A Factory Data Reset usually doesn't wipe this but it can. It depends on the device. Similarly, Recoveries usually don't wipe internal memory but you can manually do so. However, formatting /data would certainly erase internal memory. Formatting might be a part of flashable zip if you are going to install new ROM. Flashing Factory Firmware using flasher will also erase internal memory.
EXTERNAL SD CARD (/external_sd) (/storage/sdcard1)
This is a more safer place to save / backup data because it is not wiped unless done manually or accidentally.
PERSONAL COMPUTER (USB Flash drive or Internal / External Hard Disk)
This is the safest place to keep data with abundant space and the least chances of losing / corrupting data.
ONLINE / CLOUD STORAGE
Some apps, including Google offer backing up your data online and auto-synchronizes it. You should certainly avail this option particularly for sensitive and light weight data like contacts, messages, documents, saved passwords, bookmarks, financial transactions etc. WhatsApp also has a good online backup option. You can use apps like Drive, SMS Backup & Restore, FolderSync, KeepSafe etc. to better utilize this option. But technically, this is a limited option.
HOW TO BACKUP
FILE EXPLORER APPS
You can use a file explorer like ES Explorer or Solid Explorer to manually copy files from, say, Internal Memory to SD Card to back it up.
BACKUP APPS
Some default apps have built-in feature to backup data and settings locally and online e.g. GO-SMS, Tasker etc. You can check apps for this feature.
Also, special backup apps like Titanium Backup can backup almost all of your user and system apps and their data. It can also backup contacts, messages, device settings etc. It can create a flashable zip of backed up data to flash through recovery. However, backups from one ROM may not fully work with other ROM's.
CUSTOM RECOVERY
Backing up data when ROM is running isn't safe. When files are being used by OS, they might not be written / read sometimes. So, a custom recovery is the best option to backup/restore data. Custom recoveries (TWRP/CWM) can backup / restore partitions SYSTEM, BOOT and DATA (excluding internal memory) for sure. Some new recoveries offer backing up more (or all) partitions on device. You can choose where to save backup files i.e. Internal Memory or SD Card. Then you can transfer these files to PC as well.
You can also use recovery's File Explorer to copy Internal Memory to SD Card. However, it's a slower process if you have a large number of files to backup.
PC
You can use PC in multiple ways to backup/restore data within device or from/to PC.
First of all, you will often come across different software advertised on net claiming to fully backup your device when connected to PC. They work but are not much useful / reliable according to my experience. Give them a try, if you want to.
Secondly, you can use USB cable to directly connect your device (as MTP in ROM or recovery) to PC or use apps like Wi-Fi File Transfer to wirelessly connect (in ROM) and then explore Internal Memory and SD Card. FTP or SFTP (SSH) server may also be setup on Android to remotely access it from PC if both are on same network.
Thirdly, you can mount SD Card as flash drive (UMS in ROM) or switch off your device, remove SD Card and then insert directly into PC through card reader to manually copy files. This method is faster, to copy large data. However, mounting as UMS in running ROM isn't recommended, particularly if you are using D.I.M. It will crash apps.
In Android 5+ UMS may not be available in USB settings as it has been deprecated in favor of MTP to avoid problems. However, to copy large data from internal SD card is really problematic without direct USB connection. Or what if we need to recover accidentally deleted data from internal memory? We can directly attach internal memory (as in UMS) to PC by a little hacking.
Fourthly and ultimately, like a boss , you can use life saving ADB feature of android to backup/restore your data as well as recovering your device from difficult situations and doing a lot of stuff. It's the best and fastest method to backup Internal Memory to SD Card and then restore (COPY WHOLE FOLDER (within device)). Or you can COPY WHOLE FOLDER (From/To PC) or COPY WHOLE PARTITION IMAGE (within device) or BACKUP / RESTORE APPS & DATA (From/To PC) in seconds.
Read here more about android partitions.
Another application that you can use to backup your phone to computer is Apowersoft Phone Manager. This works greatly in managing your devices plus it make sure that all your files are secured from being corrupted or loss.
doublematteo said:
Another application that you can use to backup your phone to computer is Apowersoft Phone Manager. This works greatly in managing your devices plus it make sure that all your files are secured from being corrupted or loss.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I can't determine the efficiency of the Apowersoft tool, but if you want to backup data , this is right way , after the phone data is backuped ,you don't have to worry about the deleted data unable be recovered back ,
The backup files is the best way to recover deleted data from phone
Kindly guide me on restoring app data alone from a nandroid to newer version of an app..
The scenario is that ,I upgraded to a higher android OS but find some of my apps(with no cloud storage),restored from my nandroid ,crashing; probably prompted by the change in OS.
I downloaded the compatible version of the app from playstore,but am clueless how to sync restored app data from nandroid to this version.
DIGVIJAY24 said:
Kindly guide me on restoring app data alone from a nandroid to newer version of an app..
The scenario is that ,I upgraded to a higher android OS but find some of my apps(with no cloud storage),restored from my nandroid ,crashing; probably prompted by the change in OS.
I downloaded the compatible version of the app from playstore,but am clueless how to sync restored app data from nandroid to this version.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Would you please mention apps names? Don't uninstall previous version. Just install compatible version over it. It should automatically have previous app data.
The backup program is much simpler than the android recovery program,
I came here looking for the best way to back up my internal storage before activities like flashing a new ROM or firmware. Previously, I'd plug my phone into my PC and just drag and drop the internal storage partition to a folder on my computer, but I'd often have to do it a few times because some file would get hung up, or the phone would randomly disconnect (even though my phone, cables, and computer are all new and high quality).
I'm currently using the TWRP file explorer to copy /sdcard to /external-sd/!InternalBackup, but there is no running log or progress indicator... So, this approach is less than ideal.
I'm still looking for the best method (not necessarily a software that will do it for me) that will do it fast, not get interrupted, and provide good feedback on if it's working and how much longer it will take. (The TWRP method above checks the first 2 criteria, but the 3rd is woefully insufficient.
I'm thinking that the best way to back up the internal SD will be in recovery, otherwise something might be in use and will halt the process.
Any suggestions?
DrPhant0m said:
I came here looking for the best way to back up my internal storage before activities like flashing a new ROM or firmware. Previously, I'd plug my phone into my PC and just drag and drop the internal storage partition to a folder on my computer, but I'd often have to do it a few times because some file would get hung up, or the phone would randomly disconnect (even though my phone, cables, and computer are all new and high quality).
I'm currently using the TWRP file explorer to copy /sdcard to /external-sd/!InternalBackup, but there is no running log or progress indicator... So, this approach is less than ideal.
I'm still looking for the best method (not necessarily a software that will do it for me) that will do it fast, not get interrupted, and provide good feedback on if it's working and how much longer it will take. (The TWRP method above checks the first 2 criteria, but the 3rd is woefully insufficient.
I'm thinking that the best way to back up the internal SD will be in recovery, otherwise something might be in use and will halt the process.
Any suggestions?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Commandline solutions are always best. You have better control over them. Use TWRP built-in terminal to run commands.
Simply 'cp' with verbose option "-v" is what fulfills your needs. 'rsync' is better if you want to save time by automatically skipping unchanged existing files. If you want to preserve file attributes and permissions, use 'tar'. Added compression can be achieved by 'xz' or '7za'. All of these commands are stable solutions, with high speed and ability to handle/resume broken/interrupted operations.
TWRP comes with busybox bundled. Busybox utilities have limited functionality and mostly suffice the need but rarely we face unexpected behavior. Instead you can use full static binaries of these commands.
Typing lengthy commands in TWRP shell terminal is somewhat challenging. Either use 'adb shell' or for repeated use, create a shell script and place it in internal memory or SD card. Or you can unpack TWRP image and save script in /sbin directly to run it just as a normal command. Another easy way is to create a flashable zip of your script. This way you can also see progress bar moving if you write a proper script for it.
Hope it helped.
mirfatif said:
Commandline solutions are always best. You have better control over them. Use TWRP built-in terminal to run commands.
Simply 'cp' with verbose option "-v" is what fulfills your needs. 'rsync' is better if you want to save time by automatically skipping unchanged existing files. If you want to preserve file attributes and permissions, use 'tar'. Added compression can be achieved by 'xz' or '7za'. All of these commands are stable solutions, with high speed and ability to handle/resume broken/interrupted operations.
TWRP comes with busybox bundled. Busybox utilities have limited functionality and mostly suffice the need but rarely we face unexpected behavior. Instead you can use full static binaries of these commands.
Typing lengthy commands in TWRP shell terminal is somewhat challenging. Either use 'adb shell' or for repeated use, create a shell script and place it in internal memory or SD card. Or you can unpack TWRP image and save script in /sbin directly to run it just as a normal command. Another easy way is to create a flashable zip of your script. This way you can also see progress bar moving if you write a proper script for it.
Hope it helped.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's a lot of help... But I lack the basic understanding and experience to make use of it all. I'll have to Google it a bit and look at some examples. Thanks!
UPDATE: I did a little research, and I succeeded in using "cp" to do a test move in TWRP (I had to use -r and -v), but even using -v didn't create a progress bar or any indication that files were being moved. It just finished and went to the next new line. Is this expected?
Also... my version of TWRP doesn't seem to have rsync available. When I try to use rsync in TWRP, I get
Code:
sh: rsync: not found
So it seems that TWRP's terminal doesn't have rsync. I'm using TWRP 3.0.2-1
So... I'm currently using the Termux app to do the cp operation. I'd prefer to use rsync, which is supported in Termux, however, unless I do "su" first, it says it doesn't have access to the destination folder. And, when I use "su" I can't use rsync. I get pretty much the same message as when I try to use it in TWRP... something like "rsync not found"
Does this mean that when Termux is using root, it can't use rsync? Does that make sense?
Any help?
Thanks!
DrPhant0m said:
I did a little research, and I succeeded in using "cp" to do a test move in TWRP (I had to use -r and -v), but even using -v didn't create a progress bar or any indication that files were being moved. It just finished and went to the next new line. Is this expected?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
'cp -r' copies recursively i.e. files/directories under directories and so on. So it's definitely required if you want to copy directories. 'cp -v' shows each file which is being copied, but not the progress during a single file copying. Check 'cp --help' for options.
Also... my version of TWRP doesn't seem to have rsync available. When I try to use rsync in TWRP, I get
Code:
sh: rsync: not found
So it seems that TWRP's terminal doesn't have rsync. I'm using TWRP 3.0.2-1
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
TWRP uses busybox which doesn't have rsync built-in. You can get a copy of static (independently working) rsync binary from many sources like this. Aarch64 will be a bit faster. Check 'getrpop | grep ro.product.cpu' to find your CPU architecture if it's 64-bit or 32. When in TWRP, place binary in /sbin directory. Then do 'chmod 0777 /sbin/rsync' to make it executable. Now you can use rsync. 'rsync --help' will show you options and basic help. Do note, /sbin is on volatile filesystem i.e. it will be gone on reboot. Don't expect it to be permanently there. You can also use rsync from other locations like sd card but that will need to call binary with full path and filesystem may put restrictions on execution.
So... I'm currently using the Termux app to do the cp operation. I'd prefer to use rsync, which is supported in Termux, however, unless I do "su" first, it says it doesn't have access to the destination folder. And, when I use "su" I can't use rsync. I get pretty much the same message as when I try to use it in TWRP... something like "rsync not found"
Does this mean that when Termux is using root, it can't use rsync? Does that make sense?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's expected. When we do 'su' on Termux, it's environment is gone and PATH is set to /system/bin etc. So any binaries which Termux downloaded to /data/data/com.termux/files/usr/bin won't work. There are better options, but easiest is to use 'tsu' instead of 'su' on Termux. It will handle things for you to run Termux binaries in superuser mode. Do 'apt install tsu' when connected to internet. Once installed, simply execute 'tsu'. Now you can use Termux rsync binary.
Or use rsync static bianry instead as explained above. Copy rsync to /system/bin/ or /system/xbin/ etc. and set permissions. SELinux may interfere if it's set to "Enforcing". Do 'getenforce' to check and 'setenforce 0' to set it "Permissive".
DrPhant0m said:
That's a lot of help... But I lack the basic understanding and experience to make use of it all. I'll have to Google it a bit and look at some examples. Thanks!
UPDATE: I did a little research, and I succeeded in using "cp" to do a test move in TWRP (I had to use -r and -v), but even using -v didn't create a progress bar or any indication that files were being moved. It just finished and went to the next new line. Is this expected?
Also... my version of TWRP doesn't seem to have rsync available. When I try to use rsync in TWRP, I get
So it seems that TWRP's terminal doesn't have rsync. I'm using TWRP 3.0.2-1
So... I'm currently using the Termux app to do the cp operation. I'd prefer to use rsync, which is supported in Termux, however, unless I do "su" first, it says it doesn't have access to the destination folder. And, when I use "su" I can't use rsync. I get pretty much the same message as when I try to use it in TWRP... something like "rsync not found"
Does this mean that when Termux is using root, it can't use rsync? Does that make sense?
Any help?
Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This reply is probably a bit late for you, but...
If you install tsu (pkg install tsu) in TermUX and use tsu rather than su, it'll work.
Tsu sets up the runtime context for su properly.
Sent from my OnePlus3T using XDA Labs
BillGoss said:
This reply is probably a bit late for you, but...
If you install tsu (pkg install tsu) in TermUX and use tsu rather than su, it'll work.
Tsu sets up the runtime context for su properly.
Sent from my OnePlus3T using XDA Labs
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hey, it's never too late to refine your backup strategy. Thanks for letting me know.
I installed tsu in Termux, and when it finished, I tried to use rsync with su, and got the same "rsync: not found" error. Please see the following output, with my entries in Bold[/B].
Code:
$ [B]pkg install tsu[/B]
[COLOR="Gray"][I]~~
~~[LOTS OF LINES DETAILING THE INSTALLATION OF TSU]~~
~~[/I][/COLOR]
Setting up tsu (1.1)...
$ [B]su[/B]
elsa:/data/data/com.termux/files/home # [B]rsync[/B]
sh: rsync: not found
127|elsa:/data/data/com.termux/files/home #
*** Though I did enjoy watching the movie with my son, I did not pick the name Elsa for my device. That's just what LG called the carrier-free V20, Model US996.
Am I doing something wrong? To be clear.. I just did "rsync" without any commands/switches to see if it would produce the help info. I knew it wouldn't actually attempt to copy anything.
DrPhant0m said:
Hey, it's never too late to refine your backup strategy. Thanks for letting me know.
I installed tsu in Termux, and when it finished, I tried to use rsync with su, and got the same "rsync: not found" error. Please see the following output, with my entries in Bold[/B].
*** Though I did enjoy watching the movie with my son, I did not pick the name Elsa for my device. That's just what LG called the carrier-free V20, Model US996.
Am I doing something wrong? To be clear.. I just did "rsync" without any commands/switches to see if it would produce the help info. I knew it wouldn't actually attempt to copy anything.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Lol! You missed the key point: use tsu instead of su.
Instead of typing "su", type "tsu".
But don't take it too hard - I did the same thing when I first started.
Sent from my OnePlus3T using XDA Labs
Got it. Worked just fine. Thanks!
DrPhant0m said:
I installed tsu in Termux, and when it finished, I tried to use rsync with su, and got the same "rsync: not found" error. Please see the following output, with my entries in Bold[/B].
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I mentioned to use 'tsu' instead of 'su' but probably you missed that.
mirfatif said:
When we do 'su' on Termux, it's environment is gone and PATH is set to /system/bin etc. So any binaries which Termux downloaded to /data/data/com.termux/files/usr/bin won't work. There are better options, but easiest is to use 'tsu' instead of 'su' on Termux. It will handle things for you to run Termux binaries in superuser mode. Do 'apt install tsu' when connected to internet. Once installed, simply execute 'tsu'. Now you can use Termux rsync binary.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
/data/data/com.termux/files/bin/tsu is just a wrapper i.e. a shell script that sets environment variables for Termux and then executes 'su'.
mirfatif said:
I mentioned to use 'tsu' instead of 'su' but probably you missed that.
/data/data/com.termux/files/bin/tsu is just a wrapper i.e. a shell script that sets environment variables for Termux and then executes 'su'.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I see it now. I gave a thanks, though admittedly late. Sorry!
Is backup feasible when sd external card has been mounted extending the internal storage (Android 6.0), working as internal storage as well?
Can some expert comment on this, just not to go crazy for nothing. I don't want to upgrade with last rom by manufacturer and lose my data.
I have ADB , fastboot and usb drivers, but trying and use Helium backup I was unable to pair, even though the phone is connected (I can select onscreen for instance PTP or usb storage, tried both, nothing).
Not even sure about nandroid backup also.
HeyRicardo said:
Is backup feasible when sd external card has been mounted extending the internal storage (Android 6.0), working as internal storage as well?
Can some expert comment on this, just not to go crazy for nothing. I don't want to upgrade with last rom by manufacturer and lose my data.
I have ADB , fastboot and usb drivers, but trying and use Helium backup I was unable to pair, even though the phone is connected (I can select onscreen for instance PTP or usb storage, tried both, nothing).
Not even sure about nandroid backup also.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes it's feasible but depends on what, how and where you want to backup.
mirfatif said:
Yes it's feasible but depends on what, how and where you want to backup.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Any solution is fine to me, I just want to be able to restore apps and launcher (Nova launcher prime) with icons arranged as they are, without having to start all over from scratch.
Other data are on the cloud, so if I can possibly backup some folder (from phone or sd card, if the difference matter in my case) good, or I'll take care of it in advance.
Just having the phone upgraded but not reset from the beginning.
If necessary I can try rooting it. Thx for replying.
how to use a twrp data backup for oder rom?
Hi,
I have a strange issue with my 16GB GEM-703L Stock B212 unrooted device where I am always running out of internal disk space no matter how much I move over to my 32GB storage card.
My Internal Storage shows as 10.37GB with 552MB free, and my "Default location" for storage is Internal but I have moved numerous apps data from Internal to my External memory card. Still, I am always running out of disk space to the point where the OS notifies me constantly. I even scheduled my Whatsapp photos and videos to be periodically moved over to my external memory card.
My Internal Storage partition shows as only 1.05GB capacity and that seems a bit low to me but wasn't sure so I thought I would post about it here.
Admittingly, since my "Default location" is set to Internal, all APKs are stored on my internal storage and I have a total of 2.95GB of APKs for all my apps.
Since I am not rooted (this is the first device in my life I have not rooted since it's battery life is amazing), I cannot see the full details of all my partitions but feel there might be something wierd happening here.
Is this normal? Or is there simply not much space left for me to use with everything being taken up including the OS system partition, APKs in the data partition, etc?
Thanks.
Please use the QUOTE feature when replying to me to get my attention. Thanks!
Anyone?
Please use the QUOTE feature when replying to me to get my attention. Thanks!
It almost sounds like the device was rooted at one point but after flashing a stock rom the internel storage was never wiped in TWRP thus it only shows as 1.05gb.
ajsmsg78 said:
It almost sounds like the device was rooted at one point but after flashing a stock rom the internel storage was never wiped in TWRP thus it only shows as 1.05gb.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi AJ, thanks for replying. When I first received this device a few years ago, it was on Stock B112 (also unrooted), and I used the recovery to wipe data and factory reset FULL including media contents. Since then however I have upgraded from B112 to B211 to B212. I don't know if somehow somewhere along the way one of the upgrades didn't clean up after itself or something but I do wipe cache/dalvik cache once in a while.
Not sure what else I can do while being unrooted besides doing a full backup and then a full restore of that same backup, but I am looking to find a less time consuming process because there are many customized settings I hav in terms of permissions and disabling of stupid Huawei apps, etc.
Do you have any suggestions by any chance?
Please use the QUOTE feature when replying to me to get my attention. Thanks!
E--Man said:
Hi AJ, thanks for replying. When I first received this device a few years ago, it was on Stock B112 (also unrooted), and I used the recovery to wipe data and factory reset FULL including media contents. Since then however I have upgraded from B112 to B211 to B212. I don't know if somehow somewhere along the way one of the upgrades didn't clean up after itself or something but I do wipe cache/dalvik cache once in a while.
Not sure what else I can do while being unrooted besides doing a full backup and then a full restore of that same backup, but I am looking to find a less time consuming process because there are many customized settings I hav in terms of permissions and disabling of stupid Huawei apps, etc.
Do you have any suggestions by any chance?
Please use the QUOTE feature when replying to me to get my attention. Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I would unlock the bootloader and root, then install TWRP then do a backup of your current setup then do a wipe then restore your backup.
Well, now that I am rooted, I am able to provide some further info about my data partition in the screenshot below.
My Internal Storage shows only 1.28GB total and this seems to be a result of apps storing their APKs on the Internal Storage even though the Storage Location for many of these apps are set to External Storage.
Looks like the only solution to having many apps with this 16GB device is to change the Storage "Default Location" to External in the settings as opposed to Internal and this *should* (?) change the location of the APKs. Correct?
Even if so I'm worried about the performance of the device if I do that.
Thoughts?
@ajsmsg78
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E--Man said:
Well, now that I am rooted, I am able to provide some further info about my data partition in the screenshot below.
My Internal Storage shows only 1.28GB total and this seems to be a result of apps storing their APKs on the Internal Storage even though the Storage Location for many of these apps are set to External Storage.
Looks like the only solution to having many apps with this 16GB device is to change the Storage "Default Location" to External in the settings as opposed to Internal and this *should* (?) change the location of the APKs. Correct?
Even if so I'm worried about the performance of the device if I do that.
Thoughts?
@ajsmsg78
View attachment 4463164
View attachment 4463167
View attachment 4463168
Please use the QUOTE feature when replying to me to get my attention. Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I see. Having the 16GB model stinks for the limited storage space. I'm jealous of you getting 4G on the X2. Here the best I get is 2G which makes it pretty much useless.
i have same problem 32gb version.. device roted + twrp + kangv3
i just dont get it : i checked with some app all partitions and all does have some free space like 40% or more, main internal storage is 12gb free out of 24available, i had 95%full external 32gb card but now changed to empty 64gb ndidnt helped
device was vorking fine about half year after i got it and instaled kangvip, now i cant do anything, most apps just crashes right away, or all aps just dont save setings, files, system keeps defaulting and forgeting its setings
what things i need to check or do before upgrading to kandg4
and how to upgrade without loosing my aplications setups and system setups ?
i realy need advise, cuz even uninstaling apps arent helping - no space eror
if its internal storage fault - how to check it ?
if its failing, how can i resurect this device internal storage (geting new one to rebuild at quality technician) is it even posible ?
if thats not posible, what kind of posibility is to transferr whole system to fastest suported external storage ?
wthell is this problem ? buged logs, lost folder ? thumbnails ? why these space eaters doesnt apear while checking partitions sizes ?
[update]
https://www.asus.com/zentalk/thread-67589-9-1.html asus solved this ?
one more Q is it possible to enlarge every every systems partitions by repartitioning like on linux by moving resizing partitions ?
[update]
i was trying to make backup of whole system with twrp:
last line was backing up data and:
4644mb of 5930 it freezes under 78% aited 10mins or more no go,
using DiskUsage app (x2 is rooted)
i found wery interesting direcyory that is actualy invisible to other space calculators,
and does have more then 6gb - ~1.6 milion files a (wtf)
/data/adb/hdb201********************* some files
i canot enter directory, should i try comand line to erase its contents ?
just what a hell is happening ? i see files does have a date im guesing some log files or something.. but why the hell they are created th3re and are still growing every hour ?
[update]
file names look like this :
...hdb-2017-12-14-14-03-57-3815
hdb-2017-12-14-14-04-02-3816
hdb-2017-12-14-14-04-33-3825
hdb-2017-12-14-14-06-39-3836
hdb-2017-12-14-14-06-44-3837
hdb-2017-12-14-14-06-49-3838
hdb-2017-12-14-14-06-54-3847
hdb-2017-12-14-14-06-59-3848
hdb-2017-12-14-14-07-04-3849
hdb-2017-12-14-14-08-56-3868
hdb-2017-12-14-14-10-46-3908
hdb-2017-12-14-14-12-58-3926
hdb-2017-12-14-14-14-34-3934
hdb-2017-12-14-14-19-49-3947
hdb-2017-12-14-14-21-57-4251
hdb-2017-12-14-14-22-02-4314
hdb-2017-12-14-14-24-17-4328
hdb-2017-12-14-14-25-56-4336
hdb-2017-12-14-14-29-15-4342
hdb-2017-12-14-14-31-55-4355
hdb-2017-12-14-14-36-55-4368
hdb-2017-12-14-14-40-46-4405
hdb-2017-12-14-14-43-17-4453
hdb-2017-12-14-14-46-55-4468
hdb-2017-12-14-14-51-55-4484
hdb-2017-12-14-14-56-55-4498
hdb-2017-12-14-15-00-45-4509
hdb-2017-12-14-15-06-55-4521
hdb-2017-12-14-15-09-34-4586
hdb-2017-12-14-15-13-00-4624
hdb-2017-12-14-15-14-34-4638
hdb-2017-12-14-15-19-34-4667.....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i cp one of them and inside of the file is :
--- hdb starting (pid 2950) ---
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
130|[email protected]:/data/adb # rm -rf /data/adb/hdb-2017-1*
tmp-mksh: /system/bin/rm: Argument list too long
what im doing wrong ? help me, why adb is excesively loging onto drive, and more files dont even have extension
sauliavas said:
using DiskUsage app (x2 is rooted)
i found wery interesting direcyory that is actualy invisible to other space calculators,
and does have more then 6gb - ~1.6 milion files a (wtf)
/data/adb/hdb201********************* some files
i canot enter directory, should i try comand line to erase its contents ?
just what a hell is happening ? i see files does have a date im guesing some log files or something.. but why the hell they are created th3re and are still growing every hour ?
[update]
file names look like this :
i cp one of them and inside of the file is :
130|[email protected]:/data/adb # rm -rf /data/adb/hdb-2017-1*
tmp-mksh: /system/bin/rm: Argument list too long
what im doing wrong ? help me, why adb is excesively loging onto drive, and more files dont even have extension
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi did you ever progress on this issue? I have been recently deleting many apps and combing through my /data partition deleting unnecessary folders, but even after all of that my phone now shows full once again.
I am thinking it is due to a corrupt file system. Oddly, just yesterday folders inside my /storage/emulated/0/media/audio are getting deleted randomly and when I copy my ringtones back it does it again. This tells me that maybe the files are not actually being deleted but rather UN-REFERENCED by the pointers, and would also explain why the device thinks it's full.
Any advice?
@ajsmsg78
Please use the QUOTE feature when replying to me to get my attention. Thanks!
E--Man said:
Hi did you ever progress on this issue? I have been recently deleting many apps and combing through my /data partition deleting unnecessary folders, but even after all of that my phone now shows full once again.
I am thinking it is due to a corrupt file system. Oddly, just yesterday folders inside my /storage/emulated/0/media/audio are getting deleted randomly and when I copy my ringtones back it does it again. This tells me that maybe the files are not actually being deleted but rather UN-REFERENCED by the pointers, and would also explain why the device thinks it's full.
Any advice?
@ajsmsg78
Please use the QUOTE feature when replying to me to get my attention. Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'll have to go on my X2 tonight and check.it out. What ROM(s) is it happening on?
ajsmsg78 said:
I'll have to go on my X2 tonight and check.it out. What ROM(s) is it happening on?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
GEM-703L Stock B212 rooted with TWRP, never reflashed. Thanks.
Please use the QUOTE feature when replying to me to get my attention. Thanks!
E--Man said:
GEM-703L Stock B212 rooted with TWRP, never reflashed. Thanks.
Please use the QUOTE feature when replying to me to get my attention. Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Is that on my flashable stock rom or just plain stock that you rooted?
ajsmsg78 said:
Is that on my flashable stock rom or just plain stock that you rooted?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Plain stock that came with the device. Rooted with TWRP I made myself from a P8 if you remember our PM's.
Update: I just found out my phone got full again because of running "Disk Digger" without disabling SuperSU logging. It was only 1.5GB but enough to cause my device to once again fill up.
Update 2: Still don't know how folders are being deleted. @ajsmsg78
Please use the QUOTE feature when replying to me to get my attention. Thanks!
E--Man said:
Hi did you ever progress on this issue? I have been recently deleting many apps and combing through my /data partition deleting unnecessary folders, but even after all of that my phone now shows full once again.
I am thinking it is due to a corrupt file system. Oddly, just yesterday folders inside my /storage/emulated/0/media/audio are getting deleted randomly and when I copy my ringtones back it does it again. This tells me that maybe the files are not actually being deleted but rather UN-REFERENCED by the pointers, and would also explain why the device thinks it's full.
Any advice?
@ajsmsg78
Please use the QUOTE feature when replying to me to get my attention. Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi,
i was reading some posts about linux ability to delete/read milion files in one directory, it seems thats why most aps canot see or just simply delete them by default because of some limitations. And for maanging such a huge number u must be specialy prepared for that. There are more then one posibility to delete files besides rm command.
I just delete all of contents by smaller portions. And as some guy on xda suggested nice app MacroDroid for some sceduled maintenance on system, i created task for deleting files every 48hrs on adb directory.
I think theres a bug on adb bridge or maybe it is possible somehow to turn of logging for that particular app.
Problem was clear files had no extention so cleaners wont count those files as log trash. One day (maybe) il find how to limit adb logings..
Overall i had same problem in past on my old pc with limit3d disk space and linux system, hoging up space with same silly problem like just endles loging and no automated self cleanups (casual user is totaly unaware about this)..
About music problem.. i dont know. But im geting feeling about two posiibilities, simply buggy program (wiping it, reformating reinstaling system) or if thats no go internal sstorage fault (as my old samsung galaxy tab had storage failure, started to awfuly lag from time to time and more and more, constantly runing out space, and after one reboot it couldnt boot in anymore, neather restor or instal system, twrp was stalling on half way)...
Forgive if I put this in the wrong section.
Q: my father recently passed away and I'm trying to recover some data that is on his phone. I physically have his phone. Blu G90. Is there a way to bypass or disable the native pin lock?
Usb debug not enabled. Default set to charge only for pc.
Pretty sure wipe at 15 is set so can't brute force.
I have a couple of forensics applications that can see it when it goes to bootloader but then they crash as soon as I try to grab an image or mount /system.
I'm literally begging for any assistance I can get.
Thanks in advance
AntiMatter2112 said:
Forgive if I put this in the wrong section.
Q: my father recently passed away and I'm trying to recover some data that is on his phone. I physically have his phone. Blu G90. Is there a way to bypass or disable the native pin lock?
Usb debug not enabled. Default set to charge only for pc.
Pretty sure wipe at 15 is set so can't brute force.
I have a couple of forensics applications that can see it when it goes to bootloader but then they crash as soon as I try to grab an image or mount /system.
I'm literally begging for any assistance I can get.
Thanks in advance
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Since the device is locked (bootloader locked) so the permissions to change/modifiy/copy something into phone cannot obtain the internal storage files.
Only unlocking bootloader and for it is need format phone as internal storage so the device erasing all files. The pin lock can remove with adb-fastboot commands or TWRP.
But again, with locked bootloader, without chance to have internal files.
DragonPitbull said:
Since the device is locked (bootloader locked) so the permissions to change/modifiy/copy something into phone cannot obtain the internal storage files.
Only unlocking bootloader and for it is need format phone as internal storage so the device erasing all files. The pin lock can remove with adb-fastboot commands or TWRP.
But again, with locked bootloader, without chance to have internal files.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thanks for the reply. i was afraid of that. even after factory reset, if i root, theres a chance at partial data recovery? or is it completely gone?
AntiMatter2112 said:
thanks for the reply. i was afraid of that. even after factory reset, if i root, theres a chance at partial data recovery? or is it completely gone?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can try an official unlock. Maybe it can have some result or maybe not. Trying is the attitude.
Write Google support and try to legally show some death certificate and supporting documents over your father's phone number. Write down the situation and wait for some response from them.
The only practical way would be to try a backup of the internal partition. But it depends on your knowledge with Smart Phone Flash Tool. Also you must know how to "cut" the file in the right parts.
There would be a very small possibility of restoring the internal files with a backup of userdata or in its entirety (called ROM_1).
The next step would be to unlock the phone, install TWRP and restore the file made from userdata.
Perhaps at that point you have a 1% chance of removing the PIN and booting the device without a password.
But this should only be done if Google gives you a negative answer.
Another way is with carrier company. But I think help in nothing.
Understand that despite having a userdata file with PIN, there is encryption involved and that is what makes the whole process difficult.
I know the TWRP made for BLU G90 has active decryption. But I don't know how it will behave with a userdata file made with stock ROM.
Unfortunately there is no guarantee that files like photos, docs, etc can be in userdata as this refers to internal storage. Already userdata is in ROOT storage.
So even if there is an application or software capable of restoring files, there is also the possibility that it will not be successful or have corrupted files. This will depend on your choice and risk carrying out the process.
DragonPitbull said:
You can try an official unlock. Maybe it can have some result or maybe not. Trying is the attitude.
Write Google support and try to legally show some death certificate and supporting documents over your father's phone number. Write down the situation and wait for some response from them.
The only practical way would be to try a backup of the internal partition. But it depends on your knowledge with Smart Phone Flash Tool. Also you must know how to "cut" the file in the right parts.
There would be a very small possibility of restoring the internal files with a backup of userdata or in its entirety (called ROM_1).
The next step would be to unlock the phone, install TWRP and restore the file made from userdata.
Perhaps at that point you have a 1% chance of removing the PIN and booting the device without a password.
But this should only be done if Google gives you a negative answer.
Another way is with carrier company. But I think help in nothing.
Understand that despite having a userdata file with PIN, there is encryption involved and that is what makes the whole process difficult.
I know the TWRP made for BLU G90 has active decryption. But I don't know how it will behave with a userdata file made with stock ROM.
Unfortunately there is no guarantee that files like photos, docs, etc can be in userdata as this refers to internal storage. Already userdata is in ROOT storage.
So even if there is an application or software capable of restoring files, there is also the possibility that it will not be successful or have corrupted files. This will depend on your choice and risk carrying out the process.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the reply. Google was pretty useless. They told me to contact Blu and Blu said to contact Google. I successfully hard reset and root. Went through setup to try a restore from his drive backup and it wanted the unlock pin in order to restore. Google was again quite useless. Since this is a matter if his estate i served Google with a notice of preservation on the backup, since it expires pretty soon. I'm going to try next to roll back to an older version, before the unlock pin requirement to restore Google backup. Grabbed a cellebrite image earlier so I can mess around with it later tonight. I'm hoping that because of the unlock requirement that the pin file is still there after reset.
i'm trying to recover data (mostly folders in my internal storage such as screenshots, screecaptures, etc.) but the programs i am using need my phone to be rooted. My phone runs on android 9 and needs it's bootloder to be unlocked but i need to know if there is a way to d this without factory resetting which may overwrite the lost data which i cannot recover when doing so.
A Factoy Reset only wipes files what means it deletes their entries in Android's inode-table , it doesn't overwrite them. The diskspace previously allocated by the now wiped files becomes orphaned, thus can get reused.
Use ADB pull to extract user-data files where a rooted Android isn't needed.
See also here:
How to Download Files to the Computer with ADB Pull - KrispiTech
You can actually copy and download files from your Android smartphone to the PC using some simple ADB Pull commands as long as you enabled USB Debugging.
krispitech.com
so i can still recover files i deleted prior to a factory reset needed to unlock my oem?
please reply
To recover deleted files Android must be rooted and a special commercial forensic software must be used. GIYF ...
xXx yYy said:
To recover deleted files Android must be rooted and a special commercial forensic software must be used. GIYF ...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
do you know any that i should use?
Your device is encrypted with FDE. the same answer applies. One can't recover data after factory reset. encryption key is gone forever, and so is your data.
edit: if you haven't done factory reset yet, device might still encrypted with same crypto-footer. this leads you to hypothetical option to obtain temporary root shell and pull decrypted block partition /dev/block/dm-0 (or whatever)
assuming you found vulnerability/exploit and managed to get raw dump, still your chances to recover deleted files are low, because of the way android flash translation controller handles eMMC flash storage.
aIecxs said:
Your device is encrypted with FDE. the same answer applies. One can't recover data after factory reset. encryption key is gone forever, and so is your data.
edit: if you haven't done factory reset yet, device might still encrypted with same crypto-footer. this leads you to hypothetical option to obtain temporary root shell and pull decrypted block partition /dev/block/dm-0 (or whatever)
assuming you found vulnerability/exploit and managed to get raw dump, still your chances to recover deleted files are low, because of the way android handles eMMC flash storage.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
if only i have discovered these posts sooner...
so those recovery apps are useless?
most of the data recovery tools / one-click-rooting apps aren't working anymore since marshmallow. there are however some companies like cellebrite claiming they can still hack. maybe they got somehow access to Samsungs OEM signing keys idk
Don't know if I got you right, you haven't factory reset your device, yet?
This app might help you to find existing files and thumbnails of deleted files. To my understanding it won't undelete anything but some users claim different. It will search for hidden trash can in gallery, maybe you are lucky...
FindMyPhoto – Recover Photos o - Apps on Google Play
A truely free app to recover deleted photos on Android devices.
play.google.com
aIecxs said:
Don't know if I got you right, you haven't factory reset your device, yet?
This app might help you to find existing files and thumbnails of deleted files. To my understanding it won't undelete anything but some users claim different. It will search for hidden trash can in gallery, maybe you are lucky...
FindMyPhoto – Recover Photos o - Apps on Google Play
A truely free app to recover deleted photos on Android devices.
play.google.com
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i did factory reset...
i should probably give up and move on, shouldn't i?
the app looks really promising, but it has alot of one star reviews
just another useless app..
better root your device, factory reset again and disable encryption. this way you are prepared next time
aIecxs said:
just another useless app..
better root your device, factory reset again and disable encryption. this way you are prepared next time
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
have you actually used the app, seen the reviews, or both?
Best Cellebrite Alternatives & Competitors
Compare the best Cellebrite alternatives in 2023. Explore user reviews, ratings, and pricing of alternatives and competitors to Cellebrite.
sourceforge.net
Besides Cellebrite is there an alternative
Besides Cellebrite is there an alternative to capturing data from a cell phone on the physical side (ie deleted items)? In addition to bypassing the ...
www.forensicfocus.com
https://www.reddit.com/r/computerforensics/comments/a1j43j
These links have cellebrite alternatives and one person said that they use odin + twrp. I hope some of them are freeware/ have free trials. Can someone help me verify if these are legit?
moutsu said:
have you actually used the app, seen the reviews, or both?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
another user suggested this app. but only helpful to find existing pictures in trash can. read full discussion here
https://android.stackexchange.com/q/231132
moutsu said:
These links have cellebrite alternatives and one person said that they use odin + twrp. I hope some of them are freeware/ have free trials. Can someone help me verify if these are legit?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
once you factory reset device NOTHING can help you - it's gone. well, technically spoken that's not true, but next to impossible. forensic lab might partially recover old crypto-footer from the lower emmc firmware, and spend some years bruteforcing missing bytes.
TWRP is completely useless for samsung encryption, samsung encryption not supported, yet (although it's possible just a matter of time)
consider: all these tools might still work on quite a few older devices, from the days where exploiting was possible or encryption wasn't hardware-backed. They mainly offer breaking into lock screen and maybe can recover deleted files. They can by-pass locked bootloader, let android do it's work and pull (decrypted) partition image from root shell (for further analysis). They can break into TEE and extract encryption master key for chip-off bruteforce. But none of these tools ever claimed to recover data after factory reset. except for scams (like wondershare Dr. Fone) I don't know anything about iPhone I am talking about Android only.
conclusion:
- if a company offers you JTAG or chip-off they are trying to scam you.
- recovery of deleted files is not the same as recovery after factory reset. encryption is the showstopper here.
Demystifying Android Physical Acquisition
Numerous vendors advertise many types of solutions for extracting evidence from Android devices. The companies claim to support tens of thousands of models, creating the impression that most (if not all) Android devices can be successfully acquired using one method or another. On the other side o
blog.elcomsoft.com
aIecxs said:
once you factory reset device NOTHING can help you - it's gone. well, technically spoken that's not true, but next to impossible. forensic lab might partially recover old crypto-footer from the lower emmc firmware, and spend some years bruteforcing missing bytes.
TWRP is completely useless for samsung encryption, samsung encryption not supported, yet (although it's possible just a matter of time)
consider: all these tools might still work on quite a few older devices, from the days where exploiting was possible or encryption wasn't hardware-backed. They mainly offer breaking into lock screen and maybe can recover deleted files. They can by-pass locked bootloader, let android do it's work and pull (decrypted) partition image from root shell (for further analysis). They can break into TEE and extract encryption master key for chip-off bruteforce. But none of these tools ever claimed to recover data after factory reset. except for scams (like wondershare Dr. Fone) I don't know anything about iPhone I am talking about Android only.
conclusion:
- if a company offers you JTAG or chip-off they are trying to scam you.
- recovery of deleted files is not the same as recovery after factory reset. encryption is the showstopper here.
Demystifying Android Physical Acquisition
Numerous vendors advertise many types of solutions for extracting evidence from Android devices. The companies claim to support tens of thousands of models, creating the impression that most (if not all) Android devices can be successfully acquired using one method or another. On the other side o
blog.elcomsoft.com
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
aww
to let anyone know about how i ended up into this rabbit hole of recovery apps and finding out about xda, heres a backstory: some, if not all, of the folders were deleted in the storage/emulated/0 file directory after possibly me deleting them after they have popped up in an app that accessed your files. this is why i've been asking questions and doing research on how to recover them. i had to root my device according to the answers, but i didnt want to unlock the bootloader but i had to unlock it eventually. i really regret doing that. if this happens to someone in the future, i would ask anyone if it is possible to recover the files in storage/emulated/0 after they were deleted.
aIecxs said:
once you factory reset device NOTHING can help you - it's gone. well, technically spoken that's not true, but next to impossible. forensic lab might partially recover old crypto-footer from the lower emmc firmware, and spend some years bruteforcing missing bytes.
TWRP is completely useless for samsung encryption, samsung encryption not supported, yet (although it's possible just a matter of time)
consider: all these tools might still work on quite a few older devices, from the days where exploiting was possible or encryption wasn't hardware-backed. They mainly offer breaking into lock screen and maybe can recover deleted files. They can by-pass locked bootloader, let android do it's work and pull (decrypted) partition image from root shell (for further analysis). They can break into TEE and extract encryption master key for chip-off bruteforce. But none of these tools ever claimed to recover data after factory reset. except for scams (like wondershare Dr. Fone) I don't know anything about iPhone I am talking about Android only.
conclusion:
- if a company offers you JTAG or chip-off they are trying to scam you.
- recovery of deleted files is not the same as recovery after factory reset. encryption is the showstopper here.
Demystifying Android Physical Acquisition
Numerous vendors advertise many types of solutions for extracting evidence from Android devices. The companies claim to support tens of thousands of models, creating the impression that most (if not all) Android devices can be successfully acquired using one method or another. On the other side o
blog.elcomsoft.com
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
so there IS a way? if it's not impossible then it is possible!
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