i've planned to format my internal since it left insufficient storage left.. i dont know what's wrong with my internal memory.. i already transfered all the files like photo, music and movie to my computer, and the storage still low.. so i decide to format it, but i had read some thread in google that said if we format our system, we will lost our "certificate file" something called EFS.. is this true?
No, sdcard is in /data/media folder.
EFS and other files are storaged somewhere else won't be affected if you format sdcard in right way.
if you use recovery like TWRP when you factory reset, you will see it reports something like "Wipe data without wipe /data/media "
Suggest you do so in recovery instead of system
You can format these partition without problem
Cache, dalvik cache, internal /external sdcard, data and system, don't do anything you don't know about.
If you format system, then you have to install new one otherwise phone won't even boot up.
Just be careful.
And if you do something wrong, and you can still go into recovery and download mode, then your phone is still alive.
Remember backup EFS and copy to PC!!!
Sent from my GT-I9300 using xda premium
Formatting sd won't mess up your efs, in fact I format data/system/sd card and preload every flash, but that is mainly because I'm swapping between Samsung Roms and Aosp, with the associated sd/0 problems
qtwrk said:
No, sdcard is in /data/media folder.
EFS and other files are storaged somewhere else won't be affected if you format sdcard in right way.
if you use recovery like TWRP when you factory reset, you will see it reports something like "Wipe data without wipe /data/media "
Suggest you do so in recovery instead of system
You can format these partition without problem
Cache, dalvik cache, internal /external sdcard, data and system, don't do anything you don't know about.
If you format system, then you have to install new one otherwise phone won't even boot up.
Just be careful.
And if you do something wrong, and you can still go into recovery and download mode, then your phone is still alive.
Remember backup EFS and copy to PC!!!
Sent from my GT-I9300 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thank u for the information, which setting provide a format for system
slaphead20 said:
Formatting sd won't mess up your efs, in fact I format data/system/sd card and preload every flash, but that is mainly because I'm swapping between Samsung Roms and Aosp, with the associated sd/0 problems
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thank u for the information, so it's safe to for mat data/system/sd card?
NoobSEowner said:
thank u for the information, which setting provide a format for system
thank u for the information, so it's safe to for mat data/system/sd card?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As long as anything you may need is on ext. SD, ie the Rom you want to flash after wiping!
And make sure your titanium backups and nandroid are on ext sd also, and backed up on pc, in other words, all usual precautions.
Grab HC-kTool from Play, and make a back up of your efs and copy that to multiple places then you are well and truly ready to go!
slaphead20 said:
As long as anything you may need is on ext. SD, ie the Rom you want to flash after wiping!
And make sure your titanium backups and nandroid are on ext sd also, and backed up on pc, in other words, all usual precautions.
Grab HC-kTool from Play, and make a back up of your efs and copy that to multiple places then you are well and truly ready to go!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
but, after formatting internal, does CWM recovery will also gone? then how can i flash a new ROM?
NoobSEowner said:
but, after formatting internal, does CWM recovery will also gone? then how can i flash a new ROM?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, your recovery will still be there
slaphead20 said:
No, your recovery will still be there
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
and the internal will have more space? now im running out of MB in my internal =.=
Related
Long story short bought a galaxy note off craigslist met up at best buy to swap phones check numbers and so on and reset phones
Went home wiped again rooted and flashed cm10 just noticed all his pics are still on here (some with sensitive info drivers license checks vin numbers).
Rather then call the guy and get him paranoid what would be the best way to wipe this completely clear
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I717 using xda app-developers app
format of the SD card, and the internal EMMC partition...
Format the External card to FAT32 on your PC with the adapter....unless it's yours and you know it's clean....otherwise...scrub it..
Once the external is clean or replaced...(your call) then move any files you wish to keep from the internal card to the fresh external..
Then boot into your recovery, under advanced options, and format the EMMC partition..(note, not all recoveries will do this, but the latest CWM or TWRP will work)
Once the EMMC is clean, reboot the device, and the rom will populate only the files it needs to run, and all of his internal garbage will be gone..
(note: this will not remove app data stored within any apps, but the standard data wipe should handle that)
DISCLAIMER: this method "WILL" wipe all data from the internal space of the device.....proceed at your own risk....(low)
the rom will remain the same....So "SAVE" anything you want to keep before doing this..
After the EMMC format, you can move back anything you saved prior to wiping/formatting of the EMMC space....g
gregsarg said:
format of the SD card, and the internal EMMC partition...
Format the External card to FAT32 on your PC with the adapter....unless it's yours and you know it's clean....otherwise...scrub it..
Once the external is clean or replaced...(your call) then move any files you wish to keep from the internal card to the fresh external..
Then boot into your recovery, under advanced options, and format the EMMC partition..(note, not all recoveries will do this, but the latest CWM or TWRP will work)
Once the EMMC is clean, reboot the device, and the rom will populate only the files it needs to run, and all of his internal garbage will be gone..
(note: this will not remove app data stored within any apps, but the standard data wipe should handle that)
DISCLAIMER: this method "WILL" wipe all data from the internal space of the device.....proceed at your own risk....(low)
the rom will remain the same....So "SAVE" anything you want to keep before doing this..
After the EMMC format, you can move back anything you saved prior to wiping/formatting of the EMMC space....g
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Everything is on the internal memory
Understood ....
Format the internal storage and your good ....g
I'd keep all that info in case you want to fake your death one day
johnrippa said:
I'd keep all that info in case you want to fake your death one day
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Noted.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I717 using xda app-developers app
Currently the older version of clockwork mod doesnt support this feature 5.8.4.8 and TWRP doesnt work for the note any other suggestion??
Can you not format the sd card and internal memory using a menu in the settings for CM10? I am not familiar with CM10 but there should be no need to use recovery to do this. The stock ToucWiz ROM can.
Agoattamer said:
Can you not format the sd card and internal memory using a menu in the settings for CM10? I am not familiar with CM10 but there should be no need to use recovery to do this. The stock ToucWiz ROM can.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Actually CM10 was all buggy just went back to ICS not fimiliar with Touchwiz will try to look through the menus of touchwiz and see what i find
Go menu button/settings/storage. There you can format both. Simple as that.
Hi All,
I did a factory reset today and flashed the stock 4.1.1 Polish ROM via Odin. This process seems to have wiped my files (including photos etc) from my S3 (internal memory, not SD card). I've flashed plenty of ROMS before and this has never happened.
Anyone know if it's possible to get them back? I guess I've installed new apps etc now so a lot of the data would have been overwritten. Frustrating!
Thanks for any tips.
UnitedWeFall said:
Hi All,
I did a factory reset today and flashed the stock 4.1.1 Polish ROM via Odin. This process seems to have wiped my files (including photos etc) from my S3 (internal memory, not SD card). I've flashed plenty of ROMS before and this has never happened.
Anyone know if it's possible to get them back? I guess I've installed new apps etc now so a lot of the data would have been overwritten. Frustrating!
Thanks for any tips.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You answered your own question with your first sentence : I did a factory reset...
Unfortunately its not possible to get back the data
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2
Unless you backed up on PC or sd card...
Factory reset in S3 will always wipe internal memory as it shares internal memory for applications.
If you want to restore try some data recovery software that supports SD card.
ultramag69 said:
Unless you backed up on PC or sd card...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That would be the only way. There is a very small window to recover data wiped from flash memory and on a phone it would be even more difficult. Maybe a Clockwork backup?
Internal SDcard is mounted on the system partition via Fuse..so if you format the /system partition..sdcard is formatted as well..
Pointers for future..
Use CWM for flashing ROMS..(I hate Odin )
Backup your internal SDcard on your PC regularly
Perform a Nandroid Backup on your ExtSDcard before flashing any ROM.
If you ever need to factory reset..use the wipe data/factory reset option in CWM and not in Stock Recovery
For a clean install, if you want to wipe system partition..use wipe /system option under mount and format in CWM..it just wipes the system files and your SDcard data will be safe..
You will not face such issues if you in the future if you follow these pointers.
zoot1 said:
Internal SDcard is mounted on the system partition via Fuse..so if you format the /system partition..sdcard is formatted as well..
Pointers for future..
Use CWM for flashing ROMS..(I hate Odin )
Backup your internal SDcard on your PC regularly
Perform a Nandroid Backup on your ExtSDcard before flashing any ROM.
If you ever need to factory reset..use the wipe data/factory reset option in CWM and not in Stock Recovery
For a clean install, if you want to wipe system partition..use wipe /system option under mount and format in CWM..it just wipes the system files and your SDcard data will be safe..
You will not face such issues if you in the future if you follow these pointers.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for that. Lesson learnt I guess..
Hello,
I got my international S3 2 months ago and I would now like to try a new ROM.
I am worried about looding data.
I did backup my device using CWM and Titanium Backup but it seems to me that neither backs up all of the contents of the internal SD.
Shall I worry about backing up these folders;
.AllSharePlay, .aptoide, .clipboard, Alarms, Andoird/data/(many files under this directory), Gameloft and many many more folders.
How do I know all was backed up with Titanium / CWM
Another irritating issue is that via Windows 7 browser it is impossible to tree size or Beyond compare the phone storage, (both internal and external SDCards). Am I missing something?
If you
Wipe data (factory reset)
Wipe cache
format system
then your internal sd card stays as it is and you dont have to worry about backing it up
CuttyCZ said:
If you
Wipe data (factory reset)
Wipe cache
format system
then your internal sd card stays as it is and you dont have to worry about backing it up
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Half right, CWM will not wipe the internal SD with a factory reset, but stock recovery will.
And I don't think Titanium backs up the internal SD, all you can do is copy the files to your PC.
delsus said:
Half right, CWM will not wipe the internal SD with a factory reset, but stock recovery will.
And I don't think Titanium backs up the internal SD, all you can do is copy the files to your PC.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
By saying stock recovery you mean flashing new ODIN?
The thing about copying files to my PC as you stated is a pain, tree size or beyond compare cannot work on the phone's memory, also some files are in use by the system causing the copying to stop and then you have to start guessing what was / not copied.
Consumes a long time, I'm sure there should be an easier way.
Are these files seen in the img I attached needed at all or all is covered by the TIT and CWM backup?
Thanks
rmetanes said:
By saying stock recovery you mean flashing new ODIN?
The thing about copying files to my PC as you stated is a pain, tree size or beyond compare cannot work on the phone's memory, also some files are in use by the system causing the copying to stop and then you have to start guessing what was / not copied.
Consumes a long time, I'm sure there should be an easier way.
Are these files seen in the img I attached needed at all or all is covered by the TIT and CWM backup?
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Stock recovery is what is included with stock ROMs, can't remember exactly what it's called.
I have never had problems backing my internal sd up on my PC, and the files in your pic seem to be your files and some app data, CWM does not back up the internal SD, but it also does not wipe the internal sd, if you wipe data in CWM, it only wipes the data partition and cache partition, 100% not the internal SD. I also don't know Titanium will backup app data from the SD.
delsus said:
Stock recovery is what is included with stock ROMs, can't remember exactly what it's called.
I have never had problems backing my internal sd up on my PC, and the files in your pic seem to be your files and some app data, CWM does not back up the internal SD, but it also does not wipe the internal sd, if you wipe data in CWM, it only wipes the data partition and cache partition, 100% not the internal SD. I also don't know Titanium will backup app data from the SD.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Delsus, so you only copy and paste the Internal SD to your PC I guess.
rmetanes said:
Delsus, so you only copy and paste the Internal SD to your PC I guess.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Pretty much.
Internal SD card Backup
If U use apps like Lexicomp and Medscape
The file size for lexicomp is about 850,225,187 bytes (only for med not for dental) and number of files are 32037 and Medscape are 60,843,144 bytes and number of files are 2926. It takes more than 1 hour for the PC to determine the time to calculate the duration, to copy the files to PC.......android is still in its infancy comparing to PALM OS
Main Phone is Centro after treo 680, My secondary phone is SIII (a phone with lots of bugs, no one never denies it)
Thank you all guys.
I did rest to FD and you were right the internal SD was not wiped and I have also successfully installed Omega Rom on my S3.
I have to much junk and empty folders on the phone. I tried format through CWM, format system, cache, data, emmc...everything is still there. I want to clean (as in new) my internal storage.
Does "factory reset" does that, or is it just for deleting any 'personal' data (pics, files) etc?
Thanks.
Wipe data/factory reset only wipes the data partition. What you want is to format the internal sdcard. Go to Settings | Storage and select "Format SD card."
creepyncrawly said:
Wipe data/factory reset only wipes the data partition. What you want is to format the internal sdcard. Go to Settings | Storage and select "Format SD card."
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks.
Will I then be able to boot into recovery, or CWM will no longer be there and I'll have to use ODIN?
Also, am I losing ROOT when doing that?
No. No. No.
You can format the root files from CWM recovery. You said you tried that and it didn't do what you want.
Formating the internal sdcard will remove all your personal files from the phone, including pictures and any other files and directories you have created. If that's not what you want to do, then don't format the internal sdcard.
Formating the internal sdcard will not touch the system, kernel, data partition or any other root files. You will not lose root. So yes you will be able to boot into cwm recovery, or even into whatever system you have installed after formating the internal sdcard.
sbi1 said:
Thanks.
Will I then be able to boot into recovery, or CWM will no longer be there and I'll have to use ODIN?
Also, am I losing ROOT when doing that?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Common sense, make a backup (meaning copy and save your personal info to somewhere else first, you can delete them later if you really don't need them).
Also, adding to what creepy has said, be sure "SD card" is your internal storage, not external uSD.
I suggest you removing the external uSD card first, just in case.
The reason I said so because with CwMR and Task's AOKP, format SD card is formatting the external uSD card, while "format /emmc" will be do the internal one.
Just precaution.
Thank you both.
Yes, I already 'discovered' that formatting SD Card in CWM formats the external ...luckily I didn't have anything important there.
I still don't get it though. Looks like we are talking about two different things.
I have my internal storage fully backed up. I want to wipe it clean, as in a PC Format. Is there a way to do that, or can I simply remove empty folders in file explorer? Too much junk has been collected there in a year and a half of many custom roms and different apps that I tried and removed.
sbi1 said:
Thank you both.
Yes, I already 'discovered' that formatting SD Card in CWM formats the external ...luckily I didn't have anything important there.
I still don't get it though. Looks like we are talking about two different things.
I have my internal storage fully backed up. I want to wipe it clean, as in a PC Format. Is there a way to do that, or can I simply remove empty folders in file explorer? Too much junk has been collected there in a year and a half of many custom roms and different apps that I tried and removed.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Refer to 2nd post. Your internal storage has 2 partitions. One is where all the system data is, and the other is where all the personal data is (where apps install to). If you do what's written in the 2nd post, it will completely wipe clean the personal partition.
dsmboost said:
Refer to 2nd post. Your internal storage has 2 partitions. One is where all the system data is, and the other is where all the personal data is (where apps install to). If you do what's written in the 2nd post, it will completely wipe clean the personal partition.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Will I still be able to access CWM and install custom rom from Ext SD?
sbi1 said:
Will I still be able to access CWM and install custom rom from Ext SD?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, formatting internal sd card (doesn't matter which partition) does not touch either of those.
I want to remove files that have accumulated from other roms. In others words like stock, but with custom rom. I like Beanstown106 with SD swap.
Thats a little tricky with sd swap but you will have to painstakingly go file by file and see if it's something you have deleted to something that you are still using. If you have any apps that created a folder and are gone for good then you are safe to delete. But avoid any system app folders and anything that you are still using like pictures, music and so on avoid.
M.A.D.NoTe.||
thx for help
I'm installing cleanrom ace 4.9 my goto rom next to beanstown106. No SD swap and I was thinking of formating SD card. Now how do I erase what a factory reset won't delete.
I usually wipe EVErYTahING wenever i flash something new sd card and all just to start from scratch but all i got on sd card is pix and music so its easyily backed up
SAPPERJD said:
now how do I erase what a factory reset won't delete.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
from recovery, format internal and external sd. that will wipe everything out completely.
I did consider formating from recovery. I'm just scare of deleting the OS and my phone ending up being useless. I did research and what I read it won't. Any advise is welcome THX to everyone.
SAPPERJD said:
I did consider formating from recovery. I'm just scare of deleting the OS and my phone ending up being useless. I did research and what I read it won't. Any advise is welcome THX to everyone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How would it end up being useless? Its no different than a pc...your reformatting and installing the OS on a clean slate.
I was thinking if I formated the internal it would delete recovery as well. And had no way of installing a new rom. Thx again really help full.
Wipe Everything
droidstyle said:
from recovery, format internal and external sd. that will wipe everything out completely.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I want to clean up my directory structure. If I format the internal and external sd using recovery (TWRP) to wipe everything, what rom will boot? Will my custom rom boot or will the original verizon rom boot? Will I have to unlock the bootloader again? Thanks.
rechbo said:
I want to clean up my directory structure. If I format the internal and external sd using recovery (TWRP) to wipe everything, what rom will boot? Will my custom rom boot or will the original verizon rom boot? Will I have to unlock the bootloader again? Thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
you will lose all data and need to reflash the rom in recovery...no you will not have to unlock again, nothing performed from recovery will overwrite the boot.img.
I was scared of the losing my OS as well, but it's not that hard. Treat it as two steps. Formatting your sDCard, and then prepping your SdCard by doing a Nandroid backup to your SdCard, and copying a flashable ROM (and kernel if your ROM does not flash a kernel) to your SdCard. Before formatting your SdCard copy anything you want to keep to your computer. I just copy the whole card to my computer.
Reboot and do your data resets and wipes, including internal storage (format data in twrp) Then flash your ROM that you put on your ext SdCard. Your nandroid backup is your insurance. Worst case you boot into recovery and restore your backup.
(But you should still have a working toolkit or ADB on your computer and you can recover from any screw up)
As long as you have what you need on your (ext) SdCard before wiping internal storage, and you only do a data reset and cache wipes and only do 'format data' you will be fine.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda premium