Hello, fellow gTablet users!
I'm kinda newbie here, so first of all my apologies to everyone if that was already asked, 'cause I did some research on the matter and couldn't find all the necessary info for solving my particular issue.
Ok, so here's the deal. I was using my gTab for about half-year now. When I received it, I installed VeganTab-7 Ginger Edition on it (thanks for the devs - very nice ROM!) and it worked flawlessly until yesterday. But then something not good happened and the tablet stopped booting. Now it starts from birds screen, goes on to G-Tabdevs screen, after which VeganTab GingerEd boot screen appears, it has flashing letters for a couple of seconds and then tablet goes black and tries to boot again. I guess it's a boot loop so it's kinda soft brick and I'll have to do wipe data/factory reset through CWM to solve the issue. So this isn't the biggest problem - I've already found all the instructions.
The real problem is that I didn't make backup of my data (guilty!), but I don't want to lose some of it, especially the browser data. I was using Opera Mobile, so I guess that its data should be on /data partition. So I'll need an advice on how I can dump the necessary data before doing factory reset!
I've already tried connecting to desktop, using guide from this (http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1010943) thread (third method from it), but it didn't work, at least on my Win7 Pro x64 SP1: the tablet shows as removable disk, but I can't access it. I tried to mount /data or /sdcard partitions through CWM recovery menu, but it tells me that it can't find /dev/block/... - I guess that's block device, associated with those partitions. So what are my best options of backuping data?
And the last question: I'll probably install some other ROM just to try something different, but unfortunately I don't remember what loader I have. I'm nearly sure that I installed VeganTab for 1.1, 'cause I did it back in May 2011 and there wasn't one available for 1.2 yet. But just to make sure: how can I find my loader version before I do reset? Or maybe I just have to do the reset and look for it when back on stock ROM?
Seriously, guys, doesn't anybody know how to solve these problems?
Boot into CWM first, then try mounting both /data and /sdcard using the CWM menu. Note down the exact error message displayed in each case. Then connect the USB cable and run these ADB commands on your PC:
Code:
C:\> [B]adb shell dmesg >dmesg.txt[/B]
C:\> [B]adb shell fdisk -l /dev/block/mmcblk3 > fdisk.txt[/B]
C:\> [B]adb shell fdisk -l /dev/block/mmcblk2 >> fdisk.txt[/B]
Post the error messages and those 2 .txt files here.
Thank you for reply, rajeevvp.
When I'm trying to mount /data and /sdcard it says respectively:
Code:
E:Can't mount /dev/block/mmcblk3p2
(No such file or directory)
Error mounting DATA:!
E:Can't mount /dev/block/mmcblk3p1 (or /dev/block/mmcblk2p1)
(No such file or directory)
Error mounting SDCARD:!
Unfortunately I didn't have ADB installed. Now I'm trying to use the guide from here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=902860, but fail on step 4, cause there is nothing like "Nvidia harmony" appearing under other devices in my dev manager, just "Nvidia Tegra 2 USB Device" under Disk Drives and "USB Mass Storage Device" under Universal Serial Bus Controllers. I guess these devices are gTablet's internal memory presented as disk drive...
I'll try to install ADB and then write back how it worked.
Interesting error messages. Now I really have to see those text files.
If you're having problems installing ADB on Windows, try using Linux.
Ok, thanks you very much! I'll try that, but unfortunately tomorrow, as it's already too late here.
Btw, I read your post about linux - you're suggesting Knoppix Live CD there. Is it mandatory to use it? I mean I already have PartedMagic live CD burned, maybe I could use it instead...
anary said:
I mean I already have PartedMagic live CD burned, maybe I could use it instead...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If sudo and adb work, then no problem.
rajeevvp said:
Boot into CWM first, then try mounting both /data and /sdcard using the CWM menu. Note down the exact error message displayed in each case. Then connect the USB cable and run these ADB commands on your PC:
Code:
C:\> [B]adb shell dmesg >dmesg.txt[/B]
C:\> [B]adb shell fdisk -l /dev/block/mmcblk3 > fdisk.txt[/B]
C:\> [B]adb shell fdisk -l /dev/block/mmcblk2 >> fdisk.txt[/B]
Post the error messages and those 2 .txt files here.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok, I finally managed to do it. Sorry for the delay.
The files are attached. Did everything how you told me.
Actually I don't think that I understand too much in Android inner mechanics But having looked through these files, I thought that inner sdcard device (mmcblk3) doesn't seem to produce any strange behavior...
Btw, thanks a lot for your advice about using Knoppix - it's really very easy and handy!
anary said:
But having looked through these files, I thought that inner sdcard device (mmcblk3) doesn't seem to produce any strange behavior...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You have lost your /data partition altogether. You are supposed to have 2 partitions on that internal SD card: a 14GB FAT32 partition and a 2GB ext3 partition. You only have a single FAT32 partition spanning the entire SD card now.
I may be able to help you get both partitions back if you give me these details:
1. How and when did this happen?
2. Current ROM.
3. Current version of CWM.
4. Did you try to repartition the (internal) SD card recently?
5. Have you ever repartitioned the internal SD card? If yes, then using which version of CWM?
6. After you noticed the problem what steps did you take to fix the problem?
Yeah, I remember I was curious where it stores OS's kernel if all it has is FAT32 partition - now I get it...
Ok, here are the details:
1. I don't really know what has happened, but I guess that it happened when I tried to use tablet like cardreader for microsd card. During that I sort of formatted external sd - maybe that actually was internal memory? I checked through file manager though, and all the files seemed intact...
2. VeganTab GingerEd from this thread: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1031250. I'm pretty sure that I didn't install anything except for it.
3. Don't know. But it says ClockworkMod Recovery v2.5.1.1-bekit-0.8 in recovery menu, so I guess its version is maybe 0.8.
4. No I didn't, at least intentionally.
5. I think I did it just once, when installing the ROM. I'm pretty much sure that I used this instructions for repartitioning: http://viewsonic-gtablet-for-dummies.webs.com/repartition.htm (not exactly this, but I did the same as it's written there). To install the ROM I used the instructions from the ROM thread, mentioned above. I didn't whant to do a lot of modding, just wanted the device to work at least better than with stock ROM, so didn't try to change any other low-level things.
6. I just tried to mount partitions through CWM recovery and I tried wiping out cache partition and Dalvik cache. Nothing else.
anary said:
Yeah, I remember I was curious where it stores OS's kernel if all it has is FAT32 partition - now I get it...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The OS kernel is not stored on the SD cards. They're stored on a "boot" partition on the NAND flash. And, if the OS was messed up you would get hung up on the initial splash screen (the one with the 3 birds)--you wouldn't go into a boot loop.
1. I don't really know what has happened, but I guess that it happened when I tried to use tablet like cardreader for microsd card. During that I sort of formatted external sd - maybe that actually was internal memory?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's what caused this problem. CWM-2.5.1.1-bekit-0.8 does not work on the external SD card (but, CWM-2.5.1.3 and CWM-4.0.1.5 do).
Did you format the internal SD card using CWM?
I checked through file manager though, and all the files seemed intact...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Files where? The internal SD card or the external one? And, how did you check this? After formatting the internal SD card, the very next boot into the ROM would've put you into a boot-loop because the /data partition is missing.
I think I may be able to get stuff from /data, but, everything on /sdcard is most likely gone. (Actually, the files are most likely all there, but, without direct access to the tablet, it's very difficult to get the retrieve any of them.) Just don't touch the tablet until I've figured out the commands you will have to use.
That's what caused this problem. CWM-2.5.1.1-bekit-0.8 does not work on the external SD card (but, CWM-2.5.1.3 and CWM-4.0.1.5 do).
Did you format the internal SD card using CWM?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, I was going to format external SD card and I tried to do it through Android (or maybe VeganTab) menu. I think that doing this, I could accidentally format internal SD, but I'm not sure this could be done from within the OS. During the same logon session I checked files on internal SD with file manager and all of them were where they should have been. So I thought that all was ok. But when I rebooted next time, it wasn't booting... That's why I told you that maybe it was because of formatting.
And just to be clear: I didn't do anything using CWM after it stopped booting, apart from wiping system and Dalvik caches.
Do you have a large capacity micro SD card (anything larger than the maximum amount of data that's currently on the internal SD card) that you can use to save retrieved data into?
rajeevvp said:
Do you have a large capacity micro SD card (anything larger than the maximum amount of data that's currently on the internal SD card) that you can use to save retrieved data into?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yep. Won't be any problem.
anary said:
Yep. Won't be any problem.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
OK. Format that micro SD to contain a single DOS partition; then we'll proceed.
rajeevvp said:
OK. Format that micro SD to contain a single DOS partition; then we'll proceed.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok. That's done.
Boot into CWM, go into the "mounts and storage" menu, unmount all mounted partitions, connect the USB cable, and run these commands using ADB--do not back out of that "mounts and storage" menu while we're fixing this. We're trying to see if the data on the current /sdcard partition can be retrieved.
Code:
$ [B]adb shell[/B]
~ # [B]mount -r /dev/block/mmcblk3p1 /sdcard[/B]
~ # [B]ls -l /sdcard[/B]
If the ls listing looks OK, then we force a filesystem check before copying the data to the external micro SD card:
Code:
~ # [B]mount -r /system[/B]
~ # [B]umount /sdcard[/B]
~ # [B]/system/bin/fsck_msdos -f -y /dev/block/mmcblk3p1[/B]
If the listing doesn't look OK, then the data on /sdcard is lost.
Post the exact output of each command.
Ok, mount says this:
Code:
mount: mounting /dev/block/mmcblk3p1 on /sdcard failed: Invalid argument
and ls after that gives no output - I think it shouldn't give any, 'cause I didn't mount anything...
Does this mean I'm screwed?
Try this mount command:
Code:
~ # [B]mount -r -t vfat /dev/block/mmcblk3p1 /sdcard[/B]
The same result.
Hello All,
I need help from experimented people because while trying to reformat my YP-GB70 - 5.0 korean version (internal memory went wreck after some bad manipulations in testing new roms)
Problem: partition14 is no more available, same for 15 and above and have to be reformatted through adb/fdisk.
Reformatting: OK but!
This is a normal operation I've done it 3 times already ,but the issue I am facing now is because Fdisk does not want to open the main /dev/block/mmcblk0 where the partitions are located and visible (excepted n°14 to 17 that are no more linux formated).
I am root access and I am able to access and reformat /dev/block/mmcblk1 that is my external SD card, so problem seems to be somewhere around fdisk instruction to open main memory .
Here attached the overall listing for verification.
Your suggestions are welcome, i need this issue solved for me, sure, but for any other people that can face the same behavior.
Anybody knows the trick? or any advice to help?
The most efficient way to do this is getting a full dd dump of another device. From adb in a working device:
Code:
mount /dev/block/mmcblk0p1 /sdcard
dd if=/dev/block/mmcblk0 of=/sdcard/image.img
Then dumping on your device:
Code:
mount /dev/block/mmcblk0p1 /sdcard
dd if=/sdcard/image.img of=/dev/block/mmcblk0
This command usually takes about 45 minutes or more to complete (you have 32gb internal storage).
Another way you can recover your device, but it's more risky:
DON'T DO IT UNLESS YOU HAVE THE OUTPUT OF A WORKING DEVICE (http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=21915742&postcount=3 )
Using fdisk /dev/block/mmcblk0
Recreate the partition table (if i'm not mistaken the command is o).
Then, you need to create p1 (primary), which is extended and uses all the device storage. The rest of partitions are logical (inside p1).
Make sure you replicate exactly the partition table. DON'T WRITE THE PARTITION TABLE UNLESS YOU'RE DONE. DON'T REBOOT THE DEVICE UNLESS YOU'RE DONE. If you do it --> hardbrick.
Many thanks for your prompt and precise answer.
I am going to ask for a GB70 dump with low confidence in getting it...
I will investigate the "hard" repartitionning way you suggest, I am not sure fdisk will allow me to modify anything because the main memory access is permanently denied.
(/dev/block/mmcblk0)
I already have my device partition table from previous issue I had in march.
regards
memory Issue under control
rumirand said:
The most efficient way to do this is getting a full dd dump of another device. From adb in a working device:
Code:
mount /dev/block/mmcblk0p1 /sdcard
dd if=/dev/block/mmcblk0 of=/sdcard/image.img
Then dumping on your device:
Code:
mount /dev/block/mmcblk0p1 /sdcard
dd if=/sdcard/image.img of=/dev/block/mmcblk0
This command usually takes about 45 minutes or more to complete (you have 32gb internal storage).
Another way you can recover your device, but it's more risky:
DON'T DO IT UNLESS YOU HAVE THE OUTPUT OF A WORKING DEVICE (http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=21915742&postcount=3 )
Using fdisk /dev/block/mmcblk0
Recreate the partition table (if i'm not mistaken the command is o).
Then, you need to create p1 (primary), which is extended and uses all the device storage. The rest of partitions are logical (inside p1).
Make sure you replicate exactly the partition table. DON'T WRITE THE PARTITION TABLE UNLESS YOU'RE DONE. DON'T REBOOT THE DEVICE UNLESS YOU'RE DONE. If you do it --> hardbrick.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
PROBLEM SOLVED:
I have applied your guide lines and I finally succeeded turning back the device to life.
This was only possible because of the work you and Adamoutler's team have done.
Was mandatory your RJ14 kernel (V5.02.7)(- 2.8 also working ) and the "Unbrickeable resurrector" stuff .
Rebuilt the device 17 logical memory partitions and back to life again.
(see attachement)
Details for interested people under request.
More than many thanks again for your great help.
hi guys,
I've been a fool and balls up a note 10.1 (n8010).
I've got a 2nd device and was wondering if I could simply do a
Code:
dd if=/dev/block/mmcblk0 of=/extSdCard/image.img
to get a complete image of ALL partitions on the device, then on the broken one do the restore
Code:
dd if=/extSdCard of=/dev/block/mmcblk0
?
Would this keep all partition table information?
I'm assuming it'll crate an exact clone of the 2nd device?
I've already done this for the efs partition as I over wrote it by mistake....
any thoughts?
thanks.
for google...
Yes I managed to fix my device.
From the working one, I opened a adb shell from CWM recovery and ran ls -l /dev/block/platform/{name}/by-name
this gave me a list of partitions and their names.
I then then did a dd (disk dump) of the partitions to a external sd card (had to mount the sd in recovery first). This gave me 7 .img files.
I then moved the sd to the broken device, booted to TRWP recovery and used the terminal to dd them the img files back into their respective partitions.
Long story short, she be working fine now
i yesterday install a new rom to my rooted s3(intl) today i try to reboot another rom i was stuck in cwm recovery...i wanted to install another rom from my sd card. but it says cant find any file in sdcard.... i cant back restore cz i dnt have back up file in phone as i moved my back up to laptop...when i search abt thz i found out this hapn because my sd card having some issue.
You most probably have an unpartitioned sdcard, clockworkmod however assumes that is partitioned and wants to mount the first partition (/dev/block/mmcblk0p1).
You can fix this by repartitioning your sdcard so that it has a mountable fat-formatted first volume and then retry.
If you don't mind using the commandline, boot to recovery and connect via adb shell to it, then mount your sdcard manually: mount /dev/block/mmcblk0 /sdcard and retry.
Technical explanation:
cat /proc/partitions lists:
/dev/block/mmcblk0 is your FAT formatted volume (no more partitions at all)
should be:
/dev/block/mmcblk0 (whole device)
/dev/block/mmcblk0p1 (1st partition, FAT formatted)
/dev/block/mmcblk0p2 (sd-ext partition, only for those that use SD2ext and such)
im new to rooting and these stuffs plz explain what is adb shell and how i can mount my sd card....
btw i also tried factory reset it didnt wrk too....i dnt want any files i just want my phone back cz i badly need it....plz help me on this guys :crying: plzzz :crying:
In cwm under mounts and storage there should be the option to format sd card...
Adb is android debugging, it's used to connect to, pull/push files, get logs and more from your phone using a terminal or command prompt window.
http://developer.android.com/tools/help/adb.html this site shows the adb commands available including shell which is connecting to your phone via the terminal to allow you to enter commands.
Also maybe try mount USB storage through cwm and see if you can connect you phone to your pc and transfer the files needed.
If I helped you in some way, take a second to hit the Thanks button.
(Sorry for my english)
My phone, S3 16 GB wasn't rooted and installed custom recovery. Someday, it appears on the screen that "internal storage is damaged". So I want to backup internal storage, attempted flashing twrp and rooting the phone through CF-autoroot, but it unable to mount /data in twrp.
To create a internal memory dump, I find this article.
dfir.science/2017/04/Imaging-Android-with-root-netcat-and-dd.html
I tried to this.
adb devices
List of devices attached
4300********061 recovery
/data directory is empty.
adb shell
su
:: permission denied
I think phone isn't properly rooted. Installing a supersu.zip from twrp, it says "install failed".
adb forward tcp:8888 tcp:8888
dd if=/dev/block/mmcblk0 | busybox nc -l -p 8888
nc 127.0.0.1 8888 > android.dd
It created a dump file of 3.5 GB size on windows, although internal memory had 15 GB in use. And mounting the dump file from OSFMount is failed.
In this situation, is it possible to get a full memory dump of internal storage, specially /data partition?
--------------------
Update.
Retry dumping of /data partition, and view this dump file from testdisk in linux. It worked.