I have checked the other threads where people have posted this same error message, but found only a vauge reference to a "flashtool" and some comments about baseband versions. So, hopefully, if i make a greater description in detail here someone might have a few other tips or ideas.
I love the Motorola Defy. I have owned several and found it to be an excellent device. I have tested the ruggedized feature as thoroughly as one may ever imagine and only successfully killed one device (it fell into a hot tub and sat there kind of boiling for a while, ha!)
I currently have two Defy devices. One primary (we'll call this my A phone) and the secondary that i use for dev, testing new ROMs, tweaking, and as a backup (the backup phone's earpiece speaker died so that's why i still keep it around but only as a backup) which we'll call my B phone. Until recently, i was running CyanogenMod 7.1 on these phones.
A few days ago, my primary phone was having network problems. I was visiting rural Iowa, where a buddy of mine (who also has T-Mobile) used to live and he even prepared me by saying "get ready for some iWireless fun!"... indeed, once on the ground out there i constantly failed to have T-Mobile signal, and their roaming agreements with others seem to be a patchwork mess. I could go into...
System Settings > Wireless & Networks: More... > Mobile Networks > Network Operators
...and the "Available Networks" would occasionally show T-Mobile, it would always show AT&T, and sometimes another minor carrier (like iWireless, etc)
I successfully would "force" the A phone to select T-Mobile and it would be happy for a while, then after lots of rural driving it would seem to get lost again. When i flew home back to a proper city, all was well with the A phone again and it remained happy. Suddenly, however, just the other day it lost GSM signal. When i went back to the "Available Networks" screen i started getting the "Error while searching for networks" message. I've had this happen on other drvices before and it would often right itself after a few reboots and i never knew why.
Since i was planning on upgrading my ROM anyway, i took out my B phone (which i use for testing, etc) and fired it up. It was still running CM 7.1 and when i swapped my SIM card over, everything was fine. Just for fun, i made a nandroid backup from this phone (the working B phone) and pushed it onto the A phone. Still the same problem with the A phone... "Error while searching for networks"
I downloaded the latest nightly of CM10 (and i'm ever so distressed to see that CyanogenMod still does not have permission management replaced. How much money someone at Google paid them to take that out we'll never know) and installed it fresh on the B phone. I did a fresh install of CM10 on the B phone and really liked it. After some tweaking, installing basic apps, etc. i was pretty satisfied. I made a nandroid image of the B phone's new CM10 environment and pushed it to the A phone. Still the same problem... "Error while searching for networks"
Now i'm really stumped. These are both running with identical settings, etc...
Model MB525
Android 4.1.1
Baseband EPU93_U_00.60.03
Kernel 2.6.32.9-ga649a2e
CyanogenMod 10-20120924-NIGHTLY-mb525
... and as of just a day or so ago, the A phone had no problems with its radio. It wasn't dropped or otherwise subjected to anything funny. People have made reference in other threads to tweaking the baseband somehow (although this wouldn't seem to be an issue, since both devices show the same identical details when i check the About Phone status) but just in case, i updated my Baseband Switcher and tried to force the A phone to some other setting, then back to the USA setting. Still no joy.
Here's something weird, though... currently the IMEI shows as all zeros on the A phone (the phone with this problem). Is that normal, when the phone is not on a network? What could cause that? Is this perhaps just a fluke hardware problem that i've identified after trying everything else?
I also seem to see conflicting information (or unclear wording) in other threads about the kernel. Is it or is it not part of what gets backed up with a nandroid backup? I would try updating or fussing with the kernel, but as you can see from my text above... even the kernel version appears to be identical between both phones.
So, there you have it. Now i have two phones...
A phone - used to be my primary, until the radio nuttiness and permanent "Error while searching for networks" condition
B phone - used to be my secondary due to faulty earpiece speaker, now my primary so i just either make speakerphone calls or text for now
... and no matter what O/S i run on them (i've tried switching back with nandroid to CM 7.1, CM9, etc etc) they all manifest these same behaviors. Anything else i can try or do you think my A phone's radio is just shot somehow? (Frustrating because it was litterally fine merely days ago. Ah well, everything works until it doesn't.)
"Error while searching for networks" detailed discussion
If anyone out there has some really deep knowledge about what the Android system does when it interacts with the radio and searches for networks, etc... i'd love to know. It's always so disheartening when a non-specific error message appears and you have limited means of discerning exactly what is happening under the hood to cause it.
picked up another phone... same problem
on a whim i picked up another Motorola Defy because i utterly love these devices and they are starting to go away... the restore with clockworkmod was perfectly simple and straightforward... but the new phone has the same problem: "Error while searching for networks" and there is no way of connecting to any GSM tower.
this is incredibly frustrating, and i cannot for the life of me figure out what the difference between these phones can be. why would one phone be connecting just fine and the others totally and utterly failing to? they are all US T-Mobile Defys.
i'm going to borrow a buddy's SIM card and see if it will register on any network, maybe my SIM is just doing something loopy.
IMEI all zeros
on all of the phones that are experiencing the GSM problem, Android reports the IMEI to be all zeros under "About Phone"
this is also the case with the latest brand new phone that i just purchased. now, i'm fairly certain that this wasn't the case until i put the CyanogenMod 10 ROM on it. how the hell can a ROM foul up a radio so badly? (and how can it happen on just some phones but not others of identical model?)
a-ha, i may have discovered something non-symmetrical between these phones after all...
there are slight differences one phone's kernel version data. they are very slight, only pertaining to details after the version number. (which, for all i know is just a checksum or some other value specific to when the kernel was compiled)
Phone #1 (currently can connect to GSM networks)
Kernel version
2.6.32.9-ga649a2e
[email protected] #1
Thu Jan 20 07:50:55 CST 2011
Phone #2 (used to connect to GSM networks but no longer does)
Kernel version
2.6.32.9-ga649a2e
[email protected] #1
Thu Jan 20 07:50:55 CST 2011
Phone #3 (brand new and has never connected to any network under CM10)
Kernel version
2.6.32.9-ga28fcc4
[email protected] #1
Wed Apr 6 15:55:29 CST 2011
... so, that seems to raise more questions than it answers for me. two of them appear to be completely identical, yet they behave differently with the SIM card (Phone #1 sees networks, Phone #2 does not).
the last one, Phone #3, has slightly differing kernel version data but i don't know why. that phone also cannot see networks.
Deviant Ollam said:
that phone also cannot see networks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
read this http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1857054 , If you have 0000 as your IMEI, you may have to correct it for it to be allowed to connect by some networks
i'm reading other forums and seeing repeated references to the files...
libril.so
librilswitch.so
... which appear to live in /system/lib
one user on a forum asserts that "These types of bugs are due to mismatched RIL and Radio" but does not offer any information on how one might go about checking this or addressing the problem.
i'm going to try copying those two above-mentioned files from the "working" phone and pushing them to one of my non-working phones. let's see how this goes.
(and, of course, anyone with real knowledge in this area is free to jump in at any time... but for now this is a sort of fun intellectual exercise, just seeing my own process play out in this thread that i alone am posting in. ah well, maybe it will help some future person someday.)
xsenman said:
read this http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1857054 , If you have 0000 as your IMEI, you may have to correct it for it to be allowed to connect by some networks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thanks! great irony, to see an expert pop up right as i comment about being monologing to no one in this thread, hah. i'll read that other thread right after i try my file copy experiment.
i've copied over libril.so and librilswitch.so to the non-working phone's /system/lib directory, but i see that the permissions were altered in the process. i've fixed that (set them to RW- R-- R--) but now i wonder if a chown command is in my future, too.
xsenman said:
read this http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1857054
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
upon reading that, i started to follow instructions for repairing a lost IMEI.
one of your instructions in this post is to "Download EFS Folders for modification and restoration My Android Collection" however when one visits that link there does not appear to be any entry (even when you expand all the sub-sections) called "EFS Folders" or anything that makes mention of "modification" or "restoration"
help?
Deviant Ollam said:
there does not appear to be any entry (even when you expand all the sub-sections) called "EFS Folders" or anything that makes mention of "modification" or "restoration"help?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
sorry its in My Android Solutions and mostly for Samsung , none for motorola, you may need to search google . But mostly flashing the initial STOCK firmware the unit came with would correct it
maybe i'm misunderstanding what you mean when you say the "efs folder is found in your root of your Internal Phone memory"... because none of these three phones appear to have any folder called "efs" anywhere i can find it, least of all in the root location (at least when viewed with Root Explorer)
in the root path i see folders like...
acct
cache
config
data
dev
etc
mnt
pds
... and so on and so on, but no efs folder in there. is it a hidden folder? is there a way one must manually turn on the viewing of hidden folders in Root Explorer?
xsenman said:
flashing the initial STOCK firmware the unit came with would correct it
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
heh, that sort of reminds me of using a recovery CD that would ship with PCs back in the day... where does one acquire the stock firmware that comes with a device? is there a hidden recovery partition that does not get disturbed somewhere on the phone?
i tried to choose "stock recovery" instead of "custom recovery" in my bootloader, but that just resulted in the boot error image (similar to this but with a little android figure as opposed to a phone)
EDIT: seems like RSDLite with the stock SBF file might do me right. i have both of those (but i recall RSDLite being an absolute bastard when it comes to ever seeing a phone properly) so i'll try that.
Deviant Ollam said:
... and so on and so on, but no efs folder in there. is it a hidden folder? is there a way one must manually turn on the viewing of hidden folders in Root Explorer?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yep, it should be hidden and cannot be edited , and all the information, I am able to provide is based on Samsung, so I am afraid it can be different for your units.
---------- Post added at 11:37 AM ---------- Previous post was at 11:35 AM ----------
Deviant Ollam said:
i have the original backups from my very first Motorola Defy, if that will work. or is there a stock Defy image somewhere kicking around online?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
try your original backup. that should do it
---------- Post added at 11:44 AM ---------- Previous post was at 11:37 AM ----------
use your WIKI http://forum.xda-developers.com/wiki/Motorola_Defy
xsenman said:
yep, it should be hidden and cannot be edited , and all the information, I am able to provide is based on Samsung, so I am afraid it can be different for your units.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
any suggestions on where i might look, heh?
xsenman said:
try your original backup. that should do it
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
sadly, i misspoke... don't have the original backup for this device. i have only backups after installing CyanogenMod in various stages
trying now to download the stock rom from the wiki. i cannot say how much of a strong and passionate hatred i have for all these goddamn terrible upload sites. is there a reason that the community can't just settle on ONE that is reliable and useful? the stock Froyo rom for my Defy is linked in a thread with a multiupload link and that forwards to a lnx.lu link which is a steaming pile and doesn't even load in Chrome or Firefox. It loads in IExplore but doesn't download.
is there not just one standard site where people would upload??
got RSDLite to recognize phone
so... for those who later find this thread and keep on reading (i'm continuing to post in the spirit of this) i will report that now RSDLite is updating my phone back to the Froyo 2.2 stock image that i have.
getting RSDLite to see the phone involved getting it into the bootloader (not, as i now realize, the "boot menu")
power on Motorola Defy with VolUp pressed... bootloader (some folk even say that hold VolUp while inserting battery)
power on Motorola Defy with VolDown pressed... boot menu (and then recovery)
... so that was the trick on that one, i do recall knowing that in the past. learning is fun. re-learning is less fun.
wonder of wonders... using RSDLite to push the stock 2.2 rom to the phone worked, and upon boot (wherein the whole MotoBlur nonsense started) i was able to see that the phone thinks it has an IMEI number now! so now i'm going to see about doing a step-by-step upgrade to CM10 and i'll see if the IMEI stays put. =)
Deviant Ollam said:
wonder of wonders... using RSDLite to push the stock 2.2 rom to the phone worked, and upon boot (wherein the whole MotoBlur nonsense started) i was able to see that the phone thinks it has an IMEI number now! so now i'm going to see about doing a step-by-step upgrade to CM10 and i'll see if the IMEI stays put. =)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
make a nandroid backup using CWM first so that you don't need to do it all over again
xsenman said:
make a nandroid backup using CWM first so that you don't need to do it all over again
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
hah, yeah... that's the first thing i'm doing.
Related
I need help, I searched the forums and I did everything the forums told me to do but no go. . Im trying to put android on my htc hd2. First I installed the spl, that went through without a hitch I downloaded everything, from the customRUU.exe, to radio 2.15, to a rom android sense, i tried flashing both not at the sametime changing them to RUU_signed.nbh, and when i run the ruu.exe it give me an error. When i try the other way, by changing them to LEOIMG.nbh and ptting it on my storage car, and shutting my phone off then turning it back on by holdong the volume button down with the power button all i get is the tri color screen with either serial or usb, nothing more, no image screen to continue, so i have to take out my battery and put it back in to restart my phone to normal. Im lost the process is very easy to do, but im having problem and i cant find anything in the forums to fix them nothing seems to be working. please help and sorry to be such a noob to this.
Also side note one user said i can us my tmobile rom, and radio, my current rom is like 3.14 and my current radio is higher the 2.08. just put android on my phone and run it. i put the folder in ran clrcad.exe, of course did nothing, then i ran haret.exe, it bootloaded to linux, now i phone is stuck on a blank screen with green htc lettering. I dont know why something so simple is giving me such a problem. I even looked at the vids on how to do, I did nothing different but no go.
Did you have memory card at 2gb memories minnimum? Maybe that is....android create a data image of 512mb to 2gb size,that is in the startup.txt file writing
Sent from my HTC HD2 using XDA App
You have looked every where but not the sticky??
I suggest you look at it again:
[REF] HD2 STICKIES | USEFUL INFO | POSTING RULES - Read Before Posting!
You should have NO problems after going thru it. Remember you are those very few that have problems. Read then you will find your answers.
Also, this is a Development forum, you should read the forum rules and such questions should be in the General section. Thanks Good luck!
memory card is at 16gig, as for sticky going to work now, ill check it later. Why do I have to be part if that little few? lol thank u
In startup text what does the last two lines say
Sent from my HTC HD2 using XDA App
which rom works best with cht2.0?
Just curious, how long did you waited at the "green htc" screen. During first boot, it can take up to 20 minutes to create the data files needed. I have to be patient. That screen usually indicate that it is working.
another, which android build did you try?
You are probably almost there. When you get the green htc letters on the blank screen, that is probably the time the image file is being created. This can take a good 10 minutes (according to the size of the image file being created. Your phone may seem stuck but its working in the background. Just leave it as it is for at least 15 minutes. If it stays like that then there must be another problem.
something tells me, you might not have hardspl installed yet...
Edit: Deleted
lacusxharo said:
something tells me, you might not have hardspl installed yet...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
that was the first thing i installed on my phone. Also the screen i left it alone while i was working for about an hour, came back still the same green htc lettering. I am trying it again as we speak I switched to something else im using "Mdeejay_eVo_Sense_v._2.0_REVOlution", copying it to the storage card as we speak., Find out soon.
I just want to let you guys know I got it baby finally got android working. Thank you all for your help and patience. Only one problem so far, it drains my battery.
am facing the same issue...so what made it work..please let me know
zamtabs said:
am facing the same issue...so what made it work..please let me know
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
read the thread
hardspl
flash a custom rom
download an android build
drag and drop extracted android build to your storage card
select clrcad.exe and then haret.exe on your storage
How difficult is that?
zamtabs said:
am facing the same issue...so what made it work..please let me know
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I didnt change my rom, or my radio I kept them all original tmobile. My radio was already higher then 2.08, and my rom was the newest from tmobile 3.14. All I did was format the sd card, downloaded Mdeejay_eVo_Sense_v._2.0_REVOlution extracted it, moved it to the sd card and thats it. Clicked on clrcad, then haret and after about ten minute it worked. The only bad thing was i left my phone on with android running and I fell asleep, and woke up with a dead battery, i thought my phone bricked lol thank god the other way around.
falustine said:
I didnt change my rom, or my radio I kept them all original tmobile. My radio was already higher then 2.08, and my rom was the newest from tmobile 3.14. All I did was format the sd card, downloaded Mdeejay_eVo_Sense_v._2.0_REVOlution extracted it, moved it to the sd card and thats it. Clicked on clrcad, then haret and after about ten minute it worked. The only bad thing was i left my phone on with android running and I fell asleep, and woke up with a dead battery, i thought my phone bricked lol thank god the other way around.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Now whatever you do, be sure to ignore anyone that tells you that it's your microsd card that's draining the battery. It's misinformation that's still be spread like it's 'The Android Gospel'.
Do yourself a favor and get SetCPU and CurrentWidget. There's a thread on SetCPU (google for it) and use the settings that you find there.
The most recent builds tend to not really need taskkiller, as 2.2 is pretty good at memory management.
For future help, it's best to post in the existing thread for whatever build you're using, instead of a OMFGHELPAAAaaaaa thread in the wrong place.
apallohadas said:
Now whatever you do, be sure to ignore anyone that tells you that it's your microsd card that's draining the battery. It's misinformation that's still be spread like it's 'The Android Gospel'.
Do yourself a favor and get SetCPU and CurrentWidget. There's a thread on SetCPU (google for it) and use the settings that you find there.
The most recent builds tend to not really need taskkiller, as 2.2 is pretty good at memory management.
For future help, it's best to post in the existing thread for whatever build you're using, instead of a OMFGHELPAAAaaaaa thread in the wrong place.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
kool thanx ill check it out.
Just a noob sharing some thoughts, hope it can help some other noobs like me.
A no wipe in my book:
Here is how i do a no wipe.
In recovery, mount and storage and choose format system.
Go back and wipe Cache and Dalvik
Install / flash the rom.
A full wipe in my book:
Into recovery, mount and storage and format system, data and cache.
Go back, wipe/ reset data, cache and dalvik.
Install/flash rom
Format of the internal SD:
Here is what i do:
Make a app backup with TB to my external sd
Make a nandroid to my external sd
Make sure i also have a efs backup on my external sd
I only save mods, roms on my internal sd in my download map and this map i move to my external sd.
Then i reboot to recovery.
Mount and storage and format internal sd.
And to be save and have it nice a clean, also format system, data and cache and because i am not only a flashohalic but also a cleanohalic, i then wipe/reset factory reset, cache and dalvik.
Probably a big overkill, but he, done it several times it works for my and it only cause a few seconds.
Then i reboot, skip the setup/registration, move my download map back to my internal sd (don't like flashing from external sd).
Back in cwm, again a full wipe which includes the formats data, system and cache.
Then flash the rom and setting it up.
This way, you have a nice clean fresh S3, but and this is a big BUT.
Backup, backup backup and don't forget a efs backup to your external sd and pc.
Don't think lightly about those backups, when imei is broken and you don't have a backup, your a done, only thing left is a visit to Samsung.
Good luck when you are going for it.
And i know, Aroma installer is also doing some automatic wiping, but i am just a bit old fashion and like to do some stuff manually.
Bootloader.
As you all know, the new bootloader can be a pain in the ass.
But, i am still not sure that Samsung only released the new bootloader just to discourages us to flash custom stuff.
So, if you like flashing stuff and you are on the new bootloader like me, just remember when you entered recovery and you are done flashing stuff, use Triangle Away from Chainfire,
But, for some, like on my wifes phone, the latest version works without problem, but on my S3, i need to use the older version, 2.37, why, don't have a glue.
Not all S3 are the same, although have the same name and using the same chipsets.
But you can also use the old bootloaders, with does, you just have to run Triangle Away just once, when entering recovery, it will not count.
Your own choose.
About Sudden Death.
A lot of threads are open for this.
My 5 cents:
I have the "sudden Death" chips VTU00M chip with 0xf1 on both our phones.
Mine is running since 27 may 2012 without problems, still fast and smooth.
The other is up and running since 31 Augustus 2012 and also still fast and smooth.
Both have been rooted from day one, the only thing i do, is turning the devices off completely for a few minutes 4 to 5 times a week.
Old habit to clear memory, anyway, gives me time to do a good cleaning of my screen.
Here is the code to check your revision and to see from which day you are running your S3 *#12580*369#
Further more, AndreiLux found i string in the ELLA kernels released by Samsung that looks like that it solves the sudden death issue.
So, if indeed if fixes this issue, then off course the latest kernels releases from Sammy has also the fix and not just the custom kernels.
As far as i know, all the custom kernels has the fixes integrated this string by now, but i myself like the stock kernels, Indie puts in the Omega Roms.
Phil3759 has also made a repack of recovery based on CWM touch 6.0.2.7 to get it all safe.
More to come in the future, because i am learning everyday here on XDA and like to share and help others.
Edit, here is quote from AndreiLux about the new bootloader:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=37163086&postcount=1298
Do I need any particular Bootloader? No - There is no evidence to suggest this fixes anything
Apparently that's wrong, download mode on the device uses a microkernel from inside the bootloader instead of the full blown Linux kernel. When flashing something via Odin in download mode you'd be using the bootloader's MMC driver and thus be at risk.
All-day users are still safe via recovery and live kernel, but are not advised to flash things in download mode with an older bootloader. This also explains why they updated the bootloader in LLA. The security checks are a mere update to bring it up with what the 9305 and Note 2 users already have in terms of not able to get rid of the exclamation mark.
Personal note:
Maybe i am seeing this wrong, to much thinking in terms of home computers, but here is some thoughts regarding above.
From cold, turned off device,.
Turning the device on, micro kernel inside the bootloader kicks in to send information how to start the device correctly.
If it works this way and you are on the old bootloader, then every time you start the device with the old bootloader, you are at risk?
Some useful links:
My struggle with TA
Omega roms S3
Chris_84 Faq
Triangle Away
http://www.chainfire.eu/articles/118/Triangle_Away_vs_Samsung/
Old bootloader
Philz recovery
https://www.google.nl/search?q=andr...s=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.electricsheep.asi&hl=nl
https://play.google.com/store/apps/...sIm5ldC52aW5hZ3JlLmFuZHJvaWQuZW1tY19jaGVjayJd
Here i will post stuff that comes along the road like question about batterystats at recovery.
We used to have a option to wipe the battery stats at recovery, also there are some tools at Play store that claims to give a better battery life by just wiping those stats.
But after reading this excellent article, it comes clear that wiping those stats are bull.
So i am glad that option isn't available anymore and perhaps in time, the questions about those stats will faint away in oblivion
And another one i like to share.
Fast Dormancy.
Here is a great article about it, made by Erica.
For me, my provider is saying it's not supporting FD, but when use the method to check, it is supported.
So i tested it for a few days on and off and found that when it's off, i do get some better battery life, but it's just minor.
Instead of losing 5% battery at 8 hours standby, i lost 6%.
Also, i didn't see any benefits in speeds, so i turn it off every time after a flash of a new rom using gokhanmoral tool.
Another thing i like to add.
Wifi.
I have seen many posts about wifi problems.
Here what always works for me.
Sometimes just a reboot of the router will help.
Also, i find changing from dynamic (default) to static that my connection is faster connecting to my router (always use the never setting at wifi advanced to save battery).
Here is how to do it the easy way.
First set it up using it with the default dynamic settings, this way all will be filled in for you.
To change it to static.
Long press your connection and choose modify network config and check show advanced options.
Scroll down a bit and tap on IP settings and choose Static.
And that is all, now you have changed it to static and there is no more need for ip adress to negotiation any more.
https://www.google.nl/search?q=wifi...s=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a
Also if still having problems, adding some more permissions can solve it.
I use root explorer for this
ETC > Long press wifi folder and choose permissions (remember to change Mount R/W to Mount R/O) and check all nine boxes.
Hit back and go to Data > Misc and again long press wifi folder and again, check all nine boxes.
Space
I know, i am a control freak and i hate it when i see space just vanish.
So did some search and found a thumbnail map with more then 1gb size.
Looked at some submaps and i only saw some old stuff.
So, selected all the submaps and just deleted it without problems and gain more then a gb free space.
Here is where you can find it using root explorer:
storage > sdcard0 > .thumbnails.
Edit:
As bigmo7 pointed out, the thumbnails will be rebuild, but off course not off stuff that isn't present on the S3 anymore.
So, if you are someone that is just making pictures or making / creating movies and never delete then from your S3, there is no point off deleting the thumbnails.
But if you like me, moving, creating copying and deleting this kind off stuff, then you can gain space.
Battery life
Always a hot item.
First all, the S3 is a mini computer and computers need juice, just remember this.
Here are some stuff i always do after flashing a new rom.
If the rom comes with a aroma installer which let you select stuff to install or not install, look careful to the list.
Stuff you don't use, can just eat resources and i myself, just find it a waste.
Next, after flashing and setting up the new rom, you will be presented with the option to use wifi.
I always go to advanced when making a wifi connection to choose Never when phone is in standby.
For me, but this can be different for you, wifi is a bit off a drainer so do some testing, let it run overnight with Always selected and another night with Never and see the difference.
Next you will be present if you want to restore and let google backup your phone.
I always deselect backup my phone, first reason, i am a control freak and i decide when and what i want to backup.
And second it can give you wakelocks and this will cost you battery life.
Next step i do is going into settings and to sounds, i don't like the clicking sounds and i deselect all the system sounds.
Next, location services and deselect GPS and Location and Google search.
I want GPS active only when i need it, some apps like Facebook will activate GPS when running and i don't like this.
And i don't want Google to know where i am all the time.
Some weather apps needs Location and Google search to determine your location, but i use Weather pro and it don't need it.
Next step is going into accounts and look what you have selected for syncing.
I always deselect Google photos, Internet and Picasa web albums.
Stuff i don't need .
Location settings at accounts is also off.
Next step is using the Fast Dormancy toggle to disable Fast Dormancy, although my provider is supporting it, enabled costs me a little more juice. Although it's minor, but a lot off minors things makes it bigger .
Then starting Playstore and at settings, deselect Notifications.
And finally freeze stuff i don't use with Titanium Backup pro.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=31576747&postcount=105
All this, is giving me a great battery life, with screen on time between 4 1/2 to 6 1/2 hours, depends what i am doing.
And with the latest JB roms, 1 to 2% battery los in 7 hours standby.
No need for me to toggle Airplane mode, mobiledata or some other powersaving setting or app.
I am also always running the stock insecure kernel that comes with the rom, for me no need for a custom one.
Reserved
KeesStolk said:
I only save mods, roms on my internal sd in my download map and this map i move to my external sd.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hello, when we flash a rom that already has mods ... do you know a way to save them ? (where to find them)
I mean. For example, my rom has a mod (and theme) on the toggles (pandoriam i9305). How can I save that mod ? Do you know a good tutorial to learn (safe) modding ?
thorcyar said:
Hello, when we flash a rom that already has mods ... do you know a way to save them ? (where to find them)
I mean. For example, my rom has a mod (and theme) on the toggles (pandoriam i9305). How can I save that mod ? Do you know a good tutorial to learn (safe) modding ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I never save mods because most of the time when flashing a new rom, it's based on a new build and not every time mods are compatible, just like some themes by the way.
I just safe the mod files and thems, when i am sure they are compatible, i just flash them again.
Indie's Omega roms has already a lot of mods in it by default by the way, but i don't think he was for a 9305.
Good work Kees! Now I'm learning from you.
Chris_84 said:
Good work Kees! Now I'm learning from you.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you for your kind words, but it is l who is learning from you every day .
Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 2
and why dint i see this , brilliant my friend .... one of the best posts , well explained and really good stuff all at one place
thanks my friend
vegeta1 said:
and why dint i see this , brilliant my friend .... one of the best posts , well explained and really good stuff all at one place
thanks my friend
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you very much, but from you, Chris, Indie and the rest of the omega team are the ones I learn all this great stuff every day.
Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 2
i always feel like a noob when ever i read here
big big thanks my friend for pointing out all this so nicely
Very nice posts KeesStolk. Maybe you should write a manual for us?
I'm about to post this in Q&A (searching for an answer brought me here )
I just (3 days ago) upgraded my Omega ROM to v40. All seemed fine - I did as normal but in v35, my last Omega there wasn't a Full Wipe option. I chose not to wipe and everything went as per usual with Omega. I reinstalled my extras (6 x 5 icons, Loud phone hack, Increasing ring phone, Note2 Keybd) and was back to normal.
Except, now my apps will not update.
I found out the hard way. I had a problem with Play Store - open it and it would flash briefly then close. Tried all I knew of but nothing worked so, logic said, Omega v40 is different enough I need a wipe and that why they put it in there as a choice this time. (I checked the Omega thread and couldn't see anything relevant but I was in the pub at the time and may not have been as thorough as I should have been)
I had a TB backup and Nandroid on my ExtSD from 2 days back and an EFS so I ran the install again and chose Full Wipe - again everything went well... until I tried to download TB so I could restore all my apps and data. Play Store opened and stayed Open (yaaaay!) and TB acts like it is downloading but nothing comes through - it just sits until it times out on an error.
I tried several apps and none would DL but then AuWeather DL'd just fine. I went back to TB - no go.
After much frustration I Restored my Nandroid and got back to where I was (Omega v35) but still I can't DL and update for TB. At least Play Store stays open though. I tried running the v40 update again, installing the Default, just in case, (& I have just finished DL'ing v41) but the DL/Update problem persists.
I'm now on:
AP – I9300XXEMA2
CP – I9300BUELK1
CSC – I9300LBEMA1
RF cal – 2012.6.28
HW Rev – MP 1.100
Any ideas? If I can't DL TB once I have flashed, I can't get my data back so a wipe isn't really an option until I fix the DL issues.
As I said, this will also be in Q&A but you seem to have a good grasp on the basics so I thought maybe...? :fingers-crossed:
So... I tried restoring back to v35 and got the same problem. And yet that version has been running since v35 came out, at least a couple of months. So I did it again but this time used the Android Revolution Wipe zip, then a straight install of v35. I could then load TB from Play Store and restore my apps and data. Phone seems back to normal now although I have lost some logs data from the couple of days between my backup and now - no biggie... I also now can update my apps.
So it seems it is something to do with Omega v40.
I've just DL'd v41 so will give that a try. Any help with what might have gone wrong would be much appreciated.
Thank you for your kind words, just sharing what i know and hoping this info can help others.
And how is it with v41?
Did you tried it with wifi and 3g, any difference?
Also tried removing your google account, reboot and setting it up again?
Hi kees !
Nice idea you've got with this thread but ... I hope it won't turn into another omega q&a thread . I would like to direct people here but it will be quite difficult if they will see Omega issues all over. Please point them out to the correct thread as you already posted the link to it. Just a thought , correct me if I'm wrong
Thanx !
Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 2
xanthrax said:
Hi kees !
Nice idea you've got with this thread but ... I hope it won't turn into another omega q&a thread . I would like to direct people here but it will be quite difficult if they will see Omega issues all over. Please point them out to the correct thread as you already posted the link to it. Just a thought , correct me if I'm wrong
Thanx !
Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks and you are right, but the main purpose for me, is just help others with the noobish knowledge i have and let people and myself learn and share.
I don't mind which rom people are running, that's everyone his or here's choice and i totally respect that.
I think this thread deserves to be in General, since you're not asking anything. Hit "report" and see what a mod thinks about it
KeesStolk said:
Thanks and you are right, but the main purpose for me, is just help others with the noobish knowledge i have and let people and myself learn and share.
I don't mind which rom people are running, that's everyone his or here's choice and i totally respect that.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
absolutely !!!
everyone`s choice ! but people must follow proper threads , i`ve got nothing against a certain rom but against disarray when users post or open endless threads about same thing .
some users hates me for this , i know it well , in my thread i always pointed out but somehow is unfair to maintain same topic on more threads .
that`s a bad habit for new users and not only for the rule`s sake but this is the way should be in a human community .
-=-=-
i was thinking as well to open a thread as yours but due to lack of time i didn`t. as soon as i`ll find interesting things i`ll let you know .
i myself am a NOOB !
---------- Post added at 11:28 AM ---------- Previous post was at 11:24 AM ----------
Glebun said:
I think this thread deserves to be in General, since you're not asking anything. Hit "report" and see what a mod thinks about it
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
... and i must agree with you this time ...
Thanks guys.
@xanthrax, i know the feeling, kind off busy family
But i like your comments, just straight forward, the way i like it.
Glebun said:
I think this thread deserves to be in General, since you're not asking anything. Hit "report" and see what a mod thinks about it
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think it should stay here as it "Helps" other users. General is more for discussions IMO.
But how about these?
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1749214
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1827635
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1732722
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1895737
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1946481
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2041679
and that's just the first page. all of the above are for "help"
Hey guys....here's my situation.
I bought a Blu Touch Book 7.0 plus off of Amazon. Got it two nights ago. It's a true phablet. 512 RAM / 512 ROM - I was a little concerned but figured as long as I could root it, I was good to go.
Anyways - no I am not looking for a root. I was able to root it relatively easily after an initial failed attempt which required a factory reset - if anyone is interested, it required PDANET+ & UnlockRoot, SuperOneClick and other methods failed. I threw in a class 10 SD, and modded Android so all apps would be downloaded/installed to my SD card (I did this using the SDK & command prompt in USB debugging mode). I had researched apps previously and began to furiously download and tweak. I threw in a T-Mobile SIM, and everything was going well, I was very happy. It actually seems to be a well made device, though it's a little bulky and the phone function works much better with a bluetooth headset.
Then, I deleted Phone.apk. Despite all apps being downloaded/installed to my SD card, space was still at a premium and I had downloaded a third party dialer. I figured worst case, I could do a factory reset and/or could simply re-download the file (I was actually about to download a good backup program tonight after work, I've been busy the past two days and my anxiety to set up other stuff got the better of me). There was no immediate issue, but shortly later I got the dreaded 'com.android.apk has stopped' (or what not) message popping up constantly. I reset the device, it booted up but it was not reading my sim, and was missing icons. That's when I did something stupid-er. I found a Phone.apk file on the net, downloaded to my device, and copied it to the relevant directory.
Since then, when I boot up, first it shows that Android is upgrading, then it shows the 'unfortunately, the process com.android.apk has stopped.' I click 'Okay,' and it keeps popping up. I wasn't able to delete the wrong Phone.apk as there was not enough time for a longpress between error messages. I was able to initiate a factory reset - I was rather relieved - I had learned a bit the past day or two via trial and error, and I would be able to re-do everything perfectly this time.
But the factory reset did not revert to the right 'Phone.apk' file. So the problem still exists....
If anyone can help me, I would be oh so grateful....thanks...
A factory reset clears all user data & apps. If you deleted the phone app from system, you will have to reflash a stock zip, which I'm assuming you don't have, or find the stock apk and put it back in the right place as a system app.
If you have Titanium Backup you can use that to do it, provided you can find the stock phone apk.
Well, a problem is, I doubt that I will be able to find any ROMs or Phone.apk's for my device. At least not for a little while. There are some ROMs out there I believe for the original Blu Touch Book - but the original has a diff processor and is running Froyo rather than ICS.
Now, if I somehow can find a workable Phone.apk or a workable ROM, how do I go about flashing/copying? I can hook up to a PC (though I'm not aware of any USB storage mode that I can turn on), but the phone itself is just about unusable unless I can manage to delete the wrong Phone.apk file, as long as the file is simply missing it will boot up without the relevant features. And - let me repeat that I did a factory reset to try and fix this - it didn't fix my problem but it erased my apps and my root access....I can probably restore root but it won't stop the warning notification from popping up non-stop.
I was able to boot into safe mode previously - but it didn't help. If there is an applicable recovery mode, I can't figure that out. To my knowledge, there is no USB Mass Storage option that I can turn on.
I purchased from Amazon, so luckily I can return the item, and worst case they review it's condition and charge a restocking fee. Of course, I was looking forward to receiving this device for more than a week and have been obsessed with it since it's arrived...and I am also temporarily back to using Sprint (in Phoenix) on a 3.5" Windows Phone (I am an ex Windows Mobile fan boy, Windows Phone disappoints) after experiencing 6 MB/s 3G speeds on T-Mobile for a day or so (on a 7 inch screen and on a prepaid plan far cheaper than what I pay Sprint). I was about to port my number. Basically I am depressed. An irony here - I'm pretty sure Amazon sold me a used device that was advertised as new. On initial boot, the Android set up program did not launch. Upon my first factory reset, the set up program launched, and the dialer skin was different than what it was out of the box. The 'refuse product if this seal is broken' sticker on the packaging was partially broken, too, although it appeared to be partially in tact. But now if I try to play that angle, I come off like a scam artist...
Anyways thank you very much for your reply...all attempts to help are appreciated quite a bit...
Taking things one step at a time, let me simplify my request:
How can I delete (or replace) a system file from my device (in this case, the incorrect Phone.apk) remotely via a USB connection? I have the sdk installed on my computer, I can connect the device to my computer, but I can't really use the device until the file is deleted. Is it possible to push via ADB? Something to that effect? Will the 'push <local> <remote>' command work even if I do not have root access? What syntax is used to specify the path? Is it possible to simply delete a file without replacing it?
Does the Phone.apk file have to be specific to my device or could it be specific simply to my mobile carrier/frequency bands and/or ICS? I realized the Phone.apk file I copied to the device earlier was for the Huawei m835, a CDMA phone running Froyo...
Or, am I simply SOL?
Thanks....
One of the things about Android devices, as a former Windows Mobile user also, is that factory resets work differently as you've found out the hard way. In WM you could delete any system file you wanted and a hard reset would restore it. On Android if a required /system file is deleted you are SOL unless you have a way of restoring a backed up version. Its highly recommended IMO to have a working recovery like CWM, TWRP and a backup before you go messing around with /system files. But with a generic android device its probably not possible to find a recovery to install. You cannot write to the /system directory without root access, adb will give you an error. You may be able to use a phone.apk from another device with the same version of android.
I did find a Phone.apk from a device with the same manufacturer, on the same frequencies, with the same screen res, running the same version of Android. I have the full System/App folder if needed.
And I may have restored root access using UnlockRoot (I have read iffy things about the program but again it's all that worked for me initially). (EDIT - I do now have root access, I was able to verify the Superuser app on the device)
However when I load the SDK and type in 'adb root,' after the 'daemon started successfully,' I quickly get an 'error: closed.' And then when I try to push the Phone.apk file to the relevant folder, I get 'failed to copy / permission denied' (EDIT as I was warned of)
Is there anything I can load onto my SD card to help? I can run probably install an APK off of my storage card. Although I am very limited in what I can do - between error messages I can only get in one quick touch of the screen (and it usually takes a few tries per touch)...I can't do anything that requires a long-click...and I had also deleted the stock keyboard and the stock browser...limits me further...
Now, if I can delete my current Phone.apk and upload the stock keyboard, I am certain I can figure this out. There has to be some way to do this....
EDIT// I packed it up to return to Amazon. If there was a solution out there, oh well...
Like I said you may have been able to use Titanium to install it as a system app and that may have taken care of things once you set it as the default app and/or removed the faulty one.
^^ Right, but the challenge was installing Titanium Backup, and then using it while the error notification popped up on the screen every split second. Unless I am missing something, only way to download it would have required me to buy a Bluetooth keyboard and struggle to pair it so I could type (I had a USB keyboard that didn't work), maybe reassociate my device with my Google account (struggling to type letter by letter between each 'OK' click), have the apk sent to my device over unsecured wifi, put the .apk on SD (or just delete the wrong apk and reboot), and then hope that I could use Titanium backup to do the trick without the ability to press anything on the screen for longer than a half second or so...
Actually, I guess that could have worked, provided the Bluetooth keyboard worked. Of course, there's the chance that the Phone.apk I found for the similar device, might not have worked. Anyways, late now. I have a new one on the way, and I was shipped a slightly used one to begin with anyways, might be for the better. I kinda feel bad that the phone is now 'defective' as a result of my impatience/etc but then again I didn't do anything that the instruction manual warned against, not to mention the instruction manual says a factory reset restores factory data, which I think infers that it restores essential system components. And as much as I was an idiot, I don't do anything which should have caused a nearly non-recoverable error. That's on Google's end. Google doesn't even really discourage rooting and if you allow Android on a device with 512MB rom...
Learning experience. One of the first things I do when I get my new one, I download a backup program and find out if there is a recovery mode. In any event, I won't make the same mistakes twice. Thanks to those who replied or considered replying. Anybody has tips for the future, that aren't obvious or easily found, feel free...
If u r rooted this is very easy.
Open sdk and type su if u get "#" then u r rooted.
If so let us know
---------- Post added at 10:05 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:34 AM ----------
as a rethought I see u deleted system app so u were rooted
---------- Post added at 10:21 AM ---------- Previous post was at 10:05 AM ----------
Firstly adb pull the file "/proc/mounts" open it using notepad and see how system is mounted.
then remount system as rw using
"mount -o remount,rw -t yaffs2 /
<path to your system> /
system"
Now u can delete stuff or add new stuff without perm error
---------- Post added at 10:24 AM ---------- Previous post was at 10:21 AM ----------
Or just download this . Maybe it'll work http://www.totalcmd.net/plugring/android_adb.html
caponer said:
Or just download this . Maybe it'll work http://www.totalcmd.net/plugring/android_adb.html
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Eh, I already sent the phone back to Amazon. This, however, looks like a useful something to have access to in the future. Thank you for the link...
No way. Come on,why did u send it to amazon when u had me right here we could have fixed this so easily.
thref23 said:
Hey guys....here's my situation.
I bought a Blu Touch Book 7.0 plus off of Amazon. Got it two nights ago. It's a true phablet. 512 RAM / 512 ROM - I was a little concerned but figured as long as I could root it, I was good to go.
Anyways - no I am not looking for a root. I was able to root it relatively easily after an initial failed attempt which required a factory reset - if anyone is interested, it required PDANET+ & UnlockRoot, SuperOneClick and other methods failed. I threw in a class 10 SD, and modded Android so all apps would be downloaded/installed to my SD card (I did this using the SDK & command prompt in USB debugging mode). I had researched apps previously and began to furiously download and tweak. I threw in a T-Mobile SIM, and everything was going well, I was very happy. It actually seems to be a well made device, though it's a little bulky and the phone function works much better with a bluetooth headset.
Then, I deleted Phone.apk. Despite all apps being downloaded/installed to my SD card, space was still at a premium and I had downloaded a third party dialer. I figured worst case, I could do a factory reset and/or could simply re-download the file (I was actually about to download a good backup program tonight after work, I've been busy the past two days and my anxiety to set up other stuff got the better of me). There was no immediate issue, but shortly later I got the dreaded 'com.android.apk has stopped' (or what not) message popping up constantly. I reset the device, it booted up but it was not reading my sim, and was missing icons. That's when I did something stupid-er. I found a Phone.apk file on the net, downloaded to my device, and copied it to the relevant directory.
Since then, when I boot up, first it shows that Android is upgrading, then it shows the 'unfortunately, the process com.android.apk has stopped.' I click 'Okay,' and it keeps popping up. I wasn't able to delete the wrong Phone.apk as there was not enough time for a longpress between error messages. I was able to initiate a factory reset - I was rather relieved - I had learned a bit the past day or two via trial and error, and I would be able to re-do everything perfectly this time.
But the factory reset did not revert to the right 'Phone.apk' file. So the problem still exists....
If anyone can help me, I would be oh so grateful....thanks...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Could you share how you did a factory reset please?
wizardofkoz said:
Could you share how you did a factory reset please?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Settings/Backup & reset/Factory data reset
Rooting Help
"I was able to root it relatively easily after an initial failed attempt which required a factory reset - if anyone is interested, it required PDANET+ & UnlockRoot, SuperOneClick and other methods failed."
Can you tell me how did u root it exactly because i am trying all new ways and nothing is working they just cant pick up this phablet.
androidhelp1234 said:
"I was able to root it relatively easily after an initial failed attempt which required a factory reset - if anyone is interested, it required PDANET+ & UnlockRoot, SuperOneClick and other methods failed."
Can you tell me how did u root it exactly because i am trying all new ways and nothing is working they just cant pick up this phablet.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I installed PDAnet+ on my phone & PC (as a means of installing a driver for the TB Plus). Then, I ran a program called 'UnlockRoot,' followed instructions, and I had root. UnlockRoot v3.1 is what is installed on my computer.
I moved on awhile ago to the Galaxy Tab 3 7.0 (Galaxy Tab 4 7.0 would be my best recommendation for a budget phablet). The Touch Book plus only held up so well (though I still have it and it still works albeit with no speaker and a screen that needs to be color-filtered due to a mysterious type of screen damage).
DOH!
thref23 said:
I installed PDAnet+ on my phone & PC (as a means of installing a driver for the TB Plus). Then, I ran a program called 'UnlockRoot,' followed instructions, and I had root. UnlockRoot v3.1 is what is installed on my computer.
I moved on awhile ago to the Galaxy Tab 3 7.0 (Galaxy Tab 4 7.0 would be my best recommendation for a budget phablet). The Touch Book plus only held up so well (though I still have it and it still works albeit with no speaker and a screen that needs to be color-filtered due to a mysterious type of screen damage).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
After so many weeks of hunting around and asking help on forums *which no one was able to help* i stumbled across this which i hope other will find and find useful to them to!
mobiledriverfree.blogspot.com/2015/09/blu-touchbook-g7-pc-suite-and-usb.html
This not only aloud FULL root access within 3 mins, but also gave full super user, was able to retreive lost files, rebuild the software, and reboot the phone. (not to meantion remove ALL the bloatware freeing up half the phones storage)
Enjoy!!!
LeeMarden said:
After so many weeks of hunting around and asking help on forums *which no one was able to help* i stumbled across this which i hope other will find and find useful to them to!
mobiledriverfree.blogspot.com/2015/09/blu-touchbook-g7-pc-suite-and-usb.html
This not only aloud FULL root access within 3 mins, but also gave full super user, was able to retreive lost files, rebuild the software, and reboot the phone. (not to meantion remove ALL the bloatware freeing up half the phones storage)
Enjoy!!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You do realise that this thread is 3+ Years old , right ?
Intro
I don't mean this to be a thread for any specific ROM or problem, but rather a general guide that essentially eliminates all doubt of machine or user error (we all make mistakes). This is generally geared towards the issues users are experiencing when flashing an AOSP ROM, but can also apply to Sense, and even other devices. This covers from downloading a ROM forward, and also making sure that everything gets properly installed with no corners cut, so that everybody can be on the same page when a problem arises. I'm not trying to say anybody's way of doing things is wrong, but I've see a lot of people asking different questions that end up getting solved with the same few answers. This isn't a "how to flash" thread, but rather how to ensure you're getting your device in a clean, fresh state so that everybody can be on the same page when it comes to bugs, otherwise nobody is going to want to help you if you don't try to help yourself first.
I know this is on the longer side, so key points are underlined, with a TL;DR at the bottom
Downloading
Checksums or hashes are a great way to make sure that the *.zip or any other file you're downloading is not only the right one, but that it hasn't been corrupted or tampered in transfer (uploads or downloads). You'll probably need to install something to work with chescksums- personally I like the open-source HashCheck for Windows. It adds a "Checksums" tab to the right-click > Properties dialog that automatically calculates MD5 (most common) and SHA-1 (more advanced) hashes. I encourage anyone posting a file to also post the MD5 with it, for everybody's sake, since it only takes a few extra seconds to eliminate all doubt of a bad upload or download. HashCheck even gives an option to create a *.MD5 file, just like the ones you might get from goo.im. If you're on Linux, Android, or presumably Mac you can check a file's md5 by opening terminal and simply typing "md5sum <filename>" without the quotes. If a file is posted without an MD5, you can download it twice and check it against itself, but just keep in mind you're going to be hitting somebody's server twice as hard, so only do it if necessary. Now that you're sure you have the right files...
Wiping/Flashing
Most people know dirty flashing is at your own risk, and if you have a problem, the first thing anybody's going to tell you is to do a clean flash. No really, just clean flash- that's what backups are for, but that's a whole different topic. Unfortunately, most people consider a clean flash to be just a factory reset, but that only wipes dalvik, cache, and data (except your sdcard), while leaving the system partition intact. To do a proper clean flash you want to go into advanced and make sure that system gets wiped in addition to dalvik, cache, and data. I can't say exactly what (sorry), but there's lots of miscellaneous things that can persist between flashes, especially when you're going to a different ROM. For us DNA owners, there's still a lot of activity in our CM device tree, meaning that even on the same ROM, some of our device files may change between versions which will necessitate a wipe of system. Maybe it's just me, but it seems things go out of line more often on 4.3 so I just always wipe system now.
If you're here, you probably know how to flash a ROM, but always double check the OP or first few posts and see what gapps/settings/etc are recommended. I'm also going to remind you that it takes just a few extra seconds to create a *.md5 file with HashCheck that you can push to your device along with the *.zip and TWRP (probably CWM too) will check the file against it's MD5 before flashing it. After using the Setup Wizard to log in to your Google account, make sure that you uncheck the box to restore settings and data to your phone, otherwise those can cause problems. Now you can be sure that whatever is on your device is clean as can be and as the developer intended, otherwise you're probably not going to get much help.
Narrowing down the problem
Now that you've got a brand spanking new and clean ROM is the best time to try and narrow down a problem, but before you post anything, try the golden rule of IT- "Have you tried rebooting it yet?" Also, you can try booting to recovery to clear just dalvik and cache and/or repair permissions. This is the first time you should consider making a post about your problem, but please, please, please don't make a post that just says something like "Settings FCs." Posts like that don't tell anybody anything- the best thing you can do is pull a log (more on that in a second), and create a post in the appropriate thread which you can determine as follows: Start by seeing if the problem occurs with nothing installed besides the ROM and recommended gapps- do not restore any backups, install any apps, or flash any kernels, even if the OP recommends it. If you're having problems with Settings or any Google app, there's likely a conflict with the gapps package that should go away if you reflash only the ROM, otherwise it's a bug in the ROM itself. Either way, if you can reproduce a problem at this point you should post in the ROM thread. If you want to flash a custom kernel, only do so after you've verified the problem isn't with the ROM or gapps. Flash only the kernel, and if there's any problems after that, post them in thread you got the kernel from, not the ROM thread.
If you're having a problem with an app, once you've completed the above steps, install only that app without restoring any data. If you can't replicate the problem, there's likely an incompatibility any corresponding data you may have restored, and sorry, but there's not really anything you can do about that. If the problem occurs with a freshly installed app, first check the Play Store to see if other users are experiencing the same problem- there may just be something wrong with the app. If it only seems to be you having this problem with a clean install, the ROM thread is the best place to post, although keep in mind other users may not be familiar with app.
Pulling and posting logs
Even now, nobody is obligated to help you (you flashed that ROM at your own risk, remember?), but once you're at this point, you'll have a better chance at getting help. Try to include as much information as possible like what else you were doing, what screen you were on, what button you tried to press, etc. and if you can, try to see if you can replicate it. Like I mentioned above, posting a log is the best way to get help, and they're really easy to get. Not everybody is going to understand every line, but if you know what you're looking for, occasionally the log can tell the developer exactly what the problem is, and bam- easy fix.
First make sure USB Debugging is enabled in Developer Options (if you don't see Developer Options, go into About Phone and tap on the Build Number line 7 times), and make sure that Root Access is set to both Apps and ADB. Now as far as gathering these logs, SysLog is by far one of the easiest ways- download it, open it, and press "Take Log." It pop up a toast message saying that your logs are in /sdcard/SysLog/<DATE_TIME>.zip and it'll even give you the option to share it via email, Dropbox, or anything else you might use. Post that and you'll have even better chances of getting help. For simplicity, I'm not going to details on manually pulling logs, however if you're stuck in a bootloop or something like that and can't run the app, use "adb pull /proc/last_kmsg" and post a link to that file.
TL;DR
Sh*t happens, learn to deal with it or go back to stock
Verify your download with an MD5 Checksum
Wipe system in addition to factory reset (dalvik, cache, & data)
Flash ROM and gapps without installing anything else or restoring any data
Pull a log, it's really easy
Now is the best time to make a post about your problem
Radio/Reception Problems on the DNA?
First things first- Double check your settings in Settings > More > Mobile networks. They should be as follows:
Data Enabled: Yes
Data Roaming: No (unless you're actually roaming)
National Data Roaming: Yes (otherwise you'll probably lose data; this won't get you any roaming fees)
Network Mode (Verizon): LTE/CDMA/EvDO (or Global, which is everything, I've never noticed any difference between the two)
Network Mode (GSM): GSM/WCDMA preferred (depending on the ROM, you may also need to flash the GSM patch courtesy of Flyhalf205 from the 2nd post in the original CM10.1 thread.)
System Select/CDMA Roaming: Automatic
CDMA Subscription: RUIM/SIM
GSM users may also need to manually enter APN settings for your carrier to get things like MMS functioning properly. I'm not going to compile a worldwide list, but if Google fails you, your carrier should have support documentation with these settings. Recently, I noticed this file in the android source lists tons of APNs, so try finding your carrier in there too.
Why do I have 0-1 bars? I got a lot more on Sense
Don't be alarmed if your reception looks low/non-existent. Sense "pads" the signal bar to get it to show bars more "accurately," but AOSP does not, so expect a drop in bars. To get an accurate assessment, you want to be looking at your actual signal in dB before trying to diagnose anything by going to Settings > Interface > Status Bar and changing Signal Status Style to Text, and your signal bars will be replaced with a negative number, therefore a value closer to zero indicates a stronger signal. If you don't like negative numbers, another way of thinking about this is as if the phone was telling you how far you are away from the nearest tower. What would normally be 5 bars on Sense equates to -70dB, and 1 bar equates to -115, but these are approximate values and depending on your location and environment, you might bee numbers outside this range.
I'm still having problems
Unfortunately, our phone is known to have problems with reading the SIM card. Some say it's purely software, some say its purely hardware, but I believe it can be either. I'd first suggest giving your SIM card a cleaning by popping it out and gently rubbing the contacts with a clean rubber eraser, another more risky option is a just drop of isopropyl alcohol on a cotton swab. If you have compressed air, you can give that a small blast into the SIM slot from a few inches away. If the phone is still having issues with reading the SIM after that, it might need to be replaced.
Another possibility is issues with the radio firmware. You can try updating the firmware by following the instructions in this post. Personally, I recommend the most recent version, 2.06.605.1. Some users, myself included, have reported that sometimes a full RUU back to 100% stock is necessary to restore proper radio function. Instructions for that can be found here, but be aware that this can be a lengthy, tedious process. You'll end up having to re-unlock and root your phone before you'll be able to flash anything else again, so I only recommend this as a last resort, but is nonetheless something to bear in mind.
Stickie this?
Sent from my HTC6435LVW using Tapatalk 4
I'm going to stick it for now, it's actually good basic info. But I am moving it to the Q&A forum.
Thank you. I debated where to post this, but since this mainly applies to those of us who are flashing away from Sense, I thought it would get more attention with the development section, but I respect your decision to move it.
pyroguysf said:
Thank you. I debated where to post this, but since this mainly applies to those of us who are flashing away from Sense, I thought it would get more attention with the development section, but I respect your decision to move it.
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Yeah that makes sense, and I was hoping this would also cut down on unnecessary thread starts.
I think what I'll do is have this in both development forums as a sticky, hopefully this will help out some of the chefs.
If you edit one thread, be sure to edit the clone in the other forum.
I am going to let you clean this up as much as possible over the weekend, then maybe move it to the dev threads Monday as a polished product, see if you can get as much info as possible about GSM to include about the signal issues etc.
Part of the issue is that a lot of the users who are guilty of saying "this is broken, fix it" with no logcat and not having wiped or installing some app that is causing the issue don't read stickies, but it's a good resource to have.
You might add something about restoring apps from TI or MyBackup and apps causing issues, or installing some root app and then having issues, a solution might be to wipe, then boot, then try to reproduce the issue, or uninstalling the app.
Also if you flash a different kernel, do not then go into the ROM thread and start saying something doesn't work, having installed a kernel that did not even come with the ROM and confusing the chef.
orangekid said:
Part of the issue is that a lot of the users who are guilty of saying "this is broken, fix it" with no logcat and not having wiped or installing some app that is causing the issue don't read stickies, but it's a good resource to have.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've noticed this, but I made this in hopes of giving people a place to link back to rather than having to waste time typing out the same things over and over, which is why I also put the link in my sig.
orangekid said:
You might add something about restoring apps from TI or MyBackup and apps causing issues, or installing some root app and then having issues, a solution might be to wipe, then boot, then try to reproduce the issue, or uninstalling the app.
Also if you flash a different kernel, do not then go into the ROM thread and start saying something doesn't work, having installed a kernel that did not even come with the ROM and confusing the chef.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good ideas. I'll try to add a section for apps when I get a chance. I tried to briefly touch on the kernel situation by saying to read the OP for recommended settings, but I'll definitely expand on that.
OP edited for clarity/grammar and updated with information for apps and determining where to submit your post (e.g. ROM vs kernel thread). Second post updated with GSM info.
pyroguysf said:
OP edited for clarity/grammar and updated with information for apps and determining where to submit your post (e.g. ROM vs kernel thread). Second post updated with GSM info.
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Sounds good.
Moved to dev forum.
If you want to go ahead and create the same thread and copy / paste the first 2 posts, I can sticky it.
I did post this in the forum specific to my device, but I though I'd look for help elsewhere too, since the question is more basic to Android, and not really just my phone.
I recently rooted my LG G Pro 2 smartphone, did some stuff and everything was great. I was using CCleaner to remove some unneeded apps, but apparently, I removed the basic "phone" system app that allows the phone's cellular modem to work and make phone calls and texts (I'm thinking of it like a Windows driver, rather than a Windows software app). The unit works fine (WiFi, internet, and such), but I cannot make phone calls or texts, and I have NO bars (reception) at all.
So, here's the question: Can just adding in that system app back into the OS be done, or am I screwed?
I read two ideas...
One was to try and find a "phone.apk" and add it back to the data folder. But then I was unsure if "phone"apk" files are the same on all android phones or if each manufacturer has unique phone apk for each device.
The other idea I heard was to do a full restore, which would be OK, but then someone else suggested that if I deleted the phone apk, that I might have also screwed up the possibility of restoring the phone.
Finally, I used an undelete software after this incident, and the undeleter found a lot of apks and zip files, and I recovered those to a storage file on the SD card for now. But the problem there is that the files all just have number for names (for example, like "recovered_file_342579.apk or .zip). I have no idea if any of these are the phone file I deleted. I feel like I should be able to identify these files somehow, and just re-insert the phone file back to where it was.
What do you guys think?
Reflash your rom. Or flash a new one. Restore will not work. Trying to drop in a dialer apk will probably be a big headache you don't want to deal with.
Wakamatsu said:
Reflash your rom. Or flash a new one. Restore will not work. Trying to drop in a dialer apk will probably be a big headache you don't want to deal with.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Part of the problem I'm running into now is that I can't find ROM for this phone. I googled, and a couple websites listed stock ROM, but then the links don't work. Device-specific forum here on XDA doesn't list any actual ROMs, either. This phone was in the upper eschelon of LG's line couple years ago, and is still pretty good by today's standards. I find it hard to believe I cannot find some kind of working ROM for this thing.
Is using a D838 ROM (or whatever the equivalent American model is called) OK to use on a South Korean model that I have (F350S)?
I'd still like to know if I can just re-install whatever phone file I erased and get phone function back again.