please help this windows guy/android noob figure this out. ok i'm thinking an apk file is equivalent to an msi file.
i download an app from the android store...
it downloads as apk file to /data/app...
ok so is that the final home for the apk file or does this extract and "install" files and folder in other locations on the internal memory or sdcard?
does the app run from this location? when uninstalled, is it removed entirely or are there orphan files that can be left behind? where is the data associated with that app saved? same folder /data/app/?
when titantium backs up an app, does it just copy the apk files from /data/app?
thanks
mark
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/APK_(file_format)
thanks, i already saw your link. doesn't really address my questions though. and yeah i do google questions prior to posting.
markkal123 said:
please help this windows guy/android noob figure this out. ok i'm thinking an apk file is equivalent to an msi file.
i download an app from the android store...
it downloads as apk file to /data/app...
ok so is that the final home for the apk file or does this extract and "install" files and folder in other locations on the internal memory or sdcard?
does the app run from this location? when uninstalled, is it removed entirely or are there orphan files that can be left behind? where is the data associated with that app saved? same folder /data/app/?
when titantium backs up an app, does it just copy the apk files from /data/app?
thanks
mark
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was in a hurry when I posted the link and that was the best I could do at the time.
apk is more like a java jar file (in fact you can sign your apk with jarsigner in java) or self extracting zip. Don't quote me on it, but you need both the files in /data/app and /data/data to run the application. Some gets left inside the container, and files that get modified a lot are extracted to /data/data (along with data that personalizes the app for you, such as settings and profiles).
The xml manifest file in the apk tells it what permissions to ask for and what systems it can run on and such. If you get this http://code.google.com/p/android-apktool/ you can reverse the apk so you can make sense of the files inside of it.
Titanium backup takes both the app and the data and stores them on the sdcard (unless you only tell it to backup the app, then it only takes from /data/app). The files located under /data/app are the entire application itself though and that will run if you give it to someone else as if you downloaded it from the market.
thanks for the great response.
Related
If I have a *.apk that I download, is there anyway to backup/extract it?
The apk is really just a ZIP file. Try renaming the file to whatever.apk.zip and open using your favorite ZIP utility. You should be able to view all the contents. Resources (such as images) can be extracted. The java code is compiled into a .dex file so you can't view the raw code, but there are utilities (like this one) to decompile it: http://dedexer.sourceforge.net/
ghostfaced said:
The apk is really just a ZIP file. Try renaming the file to whatever.apk.zip and open using your favorite ZIP utility. You should be able to view all the contents. Resources (such as images) can be extracted. The java code is compiled into a .dex file so you can't view the raw code, but there are utilities (like this one) to decompile it: http://dedexer.sourceforge.net/
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Right but how do I find the *.apk if I am downloading it off of the market?
apps are located in data/app/
There are also various apps in the market that will backup apps.
I use appmonster incedently.
7zip can extract and view contents of an apk without renaming.
backup and reinstalling apps....
view the first link in my signature.
I used MyBackup Pro to do a backup of my apps onto the sd card, then I used ASTRO file manager to navigate to /sdcard/rerware/MyBackup/AllAppsBackups where I found the file LastBackupApps.zip. I then used androzip or something similar to unzip that file and it contained the apk for every one of the apps I backed up.
how to extract .apk.p files
ghostfaced said:
The apk is really just a ZIP file. Try renaming the file to whatever.apk.zip and open using your favorite ZIP utility. You should be able to view all the contents. Resources (such as images) can be extracted. The java code is compiled into a .dex file so you can't view the raw code, but there are utilities (like this one) to decompile it: http://dedexer.sourceforge.net/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have a zip file with .apk.p files in it which are exracted with package_extract_file in the updater script. Is there a way to manually extract these, since renaming to .zip doesn't help if I open them with any unzipper program?
Thanks
lxrose said:
I have a zip file with .apk.p files in it which are exracted with package_extract_file in the updater script. Is there a way to manually extract these, since renaming to .zip doesn't help if I open them with any unzipper program?
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I believe the files you are referring to - the files ending in ".p" - are "patch" files. They only appear in the OTA download .zip file, and they are worthless to you. They are not complete files, but just enough data to patch the corresponding 1.5 app .apk so that it turns into the 2.1 version.
If you want the complete .apk files which they correspond to, just download the Leak-V3 .zip file, extract the "system.img" file, and then unpack that file using the "unyaffs" utility (search for it, you'll find it at code.Google.com).
bftb0
bftb0 said:
I believe the files you are referring to - the files ending in ".p" - are "patch" files. They only appear in the OTA download .zip file, and they are worthless to you. They are not complete files, but just enough data to patch the corresponding 1.5 app .apk so that it turns into the 2.1 version.
If you want the complete .apk files which they correspond to, just download the Leak-V3 .zip file, extract the "system.img" file, and then unpack that file using the "unyaffs" utility (search for it, you'll find it at code.Google.com).
bftb0
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Click to collapse
Thanks for the info. I thought I can update the apk files manually, because from recovery it doesn't work (it is a rooted image, so signature not accepted) and there are some fixes in the new update that I wanted to give a chance.
Unable to install ddx1.14.jar in my HTC wildire
I hve downloaded dexeder.jar file in to my SD card. but i can't install it in my HTC wildfire...
it shows an error...
"ddx1.14.jar cannot be installed because critical information is missing from the application file (MIDlet-Name). Please contact the application provider for more information."
Help me Pls..... Thanks in advance.....
apk download
did you search for the apk online?
Hi
I'm trying to move my security software apk file to the /system/app folder to make it hard reset proof. I renamed the original apk which is in the /data/app folder. I then copied the file to the /system/app folder and renamed it to the original filename. I then installed the apk, chose replace. What happend was that the app created another apk in the /data/app folder this time with a "2" behind it.
I'm guessing the apk has code in it that tells it to install there. So what I was wondering, can I set a specific default install directory, install the apk and then return it to default?
or
Where do the file go after the apk is ran, the program isn't ran by the apk because when you try and run it, it just asks to install it, not open the program. Could I move the actual app files and edit the install path in where the os stores the list of installed apps and there paths (where ever that is?)?.
I am looking for an app that will remove everything about an app. When I install some apps they create folders and files in various locations. sometimes when I "uninstall" the app, the folder will still be in "obb" or "data" folder. I would like to not have to manually go about deleting these extra files. is there an app that can help me?
ES File Explorer has an option to so this.
Hi guys,
I was checking my download folder today using the default Files app and saw this .apk file that I didn't download. Naturally, I wanted to remove the .apk but when I tried to remove it, the function failed.
I tried to get more information but there's nothing I can do to the .apk. I can't open it, copy it, rename it, etc.
Next step, I plugged my phone into my computer and looked at the internal Downloads folder via USB file transfer. I could not see that specific .apk, even with view hidden objects on.
So, I went into my file manager app (Amaze with root access) and went to the emulated Downloads folder, same thing. The folder did not show the .apk at all.
I opened up SD Maid and see if they can find and remove the file, but nope, didn't work.
Now, I'm thinking it's probably just a bug with the Files app so I deleted user data and cache, restarted my phone and all that but still, that .apk persists.
I'm at my wit's end and I have no clue how to remove this file. Any help will be appreciated.
I'm using Google Pixel 3, Android 10.
SeraphChaos said:
Hi guys,
I was checking my download folder today using the default Files app and saw this .apk file that I didn't download. Naturally, I wanted to remove the .apk but when I tried to remove it, the function failed.
I tried to get more information but there's nothing I can do to the .apk. I can't open it, copy it, rename it, etc.
Next step, I plugged my phone into my computer and looked at the internal Downloads folder via USB file transfer. I could not see that specific .apk, even with view hidden objects on.
So, I went into my file manager app (Amaze with root access) and went to the emulated Downloads folder, same thing. The folder did not show the .apk at all.
I opened up SD Maid and see if they can find and remove the file, but nope, didn't work.
Now, I'm thinking it's probably just a bug with the Files app so I deleted user data and cache, restarted my phone and all that but still, that .apk persists.
I'm at my wit's end and I have no clue how to remove this file. Any help will be appreciated.
I'm using Google Pixel 3, Android 10.
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Click to collapse
Same is happening with me right now
Using Oneplus 5 Android 10
Hi, does anyone know how to edit Android/Data and Android/OBB folder?
I can't move any files to those folders and I can't edit the contents even rename it too.
It was just fine when I'm on OneUI 3. After I update it to OneUI 4, which is Android 12, those folders completely uneditable.
I CAN still access it, I just CAN'T edit the inside of those folders.
not sure what folder you are referring to, but you can reproduce the issue and submit error to samsung members app > get help > error report.
Samsung should be able to confirm what the issue is. Hope this helps.
Have you tried this ?
https://ictfix.net/active/how-to-access-obb-data-folders-on-android-11-when-denied/
muppetz said:
Have you tried this ?
https://ictfix.net/active/how-to-access-obb-data-folders-on-android-11-when-denied/
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Click to collapse
I've tried this.
The thing is, I can access the OBB and Data folders but I cannot edit the contents inside of it. So I can't rename or add anything inside those folders..
Try TotalCommander file manager.