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Creating and flashing image to Android device
I have created an image of my Android device (Lenovo A6000) using the command
adb shell -c su 'dd if=/dev/block/mmcblk0p23 > data.img'

Now I would like to flash this image to the same device, and I am trying to accomplish this using fastboot in the following way
sudo fastboot flash data data.img

I am using the latest version of fastboot shipped with Android's SDK.
Doing the above command I get the error
target reported max download size of 268435456 bytes
Invalid sparse file format at header magi
error: write_sparse_skip_chunk:
don't care size 4894735982 is not a multiple of the block size 4096
fastboot: ../libsparse/sparse.c:143:
           write_all_blocks: Assertion `pad >= 0' failed.

I suspect it has something to do with the sizes, the image appears to have size ~5GB while the reported max download size appears to be ~2GB.
But I am not sure what the real error is and how to fix it?
Can someone tell me where the mistake is and how to solve it? It seems that if I make a smaller image I can flash it properly.

Just asking: Why are you trying the hard way if the device is rooted? Isn't Nandroid backup good for the needs?

Invalid sparse file format -- you didn't create a sparse file.

Apart from that: if you created the image with dd, what keeps you from restoring it the same way (from within recovery mode, of course)?

Also you should try the -S option, to split the file while sending. fastboot loads the file over USB into RAM, not directly to the memory (NAND/SD/eMMC) etc...

try using this sparse converter. http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2749797

Android fsutils (on Ubuntu) comes with tools you need. You can also find them on GitHub. You need: simg2img, simg2simg, img2simg, make_ext4fs, and some terminal knowledge.
sudo simg2simg ./data.img ./data.raw.img
This gives you an image that can be mounted on Linux. To mount it, create an empty folder, then issue command...
sudo mount -t ext4  -o loop ./data.raw.img [new_folder_name]/
You can the find all the files in the folder you created. When you're done with the changes you want to make. Use this to make an Android image for fastboot.
sudo make_ext4fs -s -l [size_of_partition_in_bytes] -a data ./data data_new.img
The output will be the file data_new.img. Then you just use fastboot to flash like you normally would.

You can try this command from adb shell:
cat /proc/partitions

But mount lets you see /dev/block/bootdevice/by-name/ (in my case).
So if you do:
ls -al /dev/block/bootdevice/by-name/

You have all blocks you want to add.
But I'm still searching for how to add straight to a computer instead of an SD card.


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What framework/app executes the lockscreen on android 4.2.2
Im looking to modifying and perhaps changing the way the lockscreen works. I have heard about keyguard.apk but I cant seem to find that in system/app or anywhere in the device. So I wonder which file executes the lockscreen code and contains the resourcea.

It's usually the System-UI itself. Either SystemUI.apk or /system/priv-app/SystemUI/SystemUI.apk (ART devices).

yeah I decompiled it but couldnt seem to find any resources or code relating the lockscreen.

did you look for keyguard? additionally you could check the AOSP: frameworks/base/packages/Keyguard

Its been a awhile since I went hunting around those files but I believe its in \system\framework\framework-res.apk

source: Stack Exchange

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

sort: votes


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Why are certain songs on Google Play Music greyed out on my phone but not on PC?
Here's one that's been driving me crazy: The other day, I noticed songs on my phone's "Thumbs Up" playlist, songs that were both bought from Google Play or from elsewhere, were greyed out on my phone.
This seems to be a problem with Google auto-matching songs to their own songs offered on the Play Store. The songs that are greyed out and were uploaded have an option to "Fix Incorrect Match", but songs that were purchased from Google are greyed out anyway. Songs that can't be matched are left alone. This is also only limited to the "Thumbs-Up" playlist.

(Click the image for full-size)
This issue does not persist on Windows and does persist on Android regardless of internet connectivity or playlist downloading.

? DRM not being honored consistently between the music apps on the different devices?

I don't think it's a DRM issue. Some of the greyed out songs are songs I've actually purchased from Google. In fact, EVERY greyed out song in the picture is from Google except for Thriller, which I uploaded myself from the This Is It album, ripped myself way back when I used iTunes.

Maybe a silly thought, but on my phone the songs are only greyed out if I'm offline. Only songs that are available offline are not greyed out. Maybe try to select "downloaded only" in your menu and see if they disappear completely. This would also explain why the songs are still available on your PC.

As you can see, "Downloaded Only" is not turned on, and even though I appear to have no or very little signal, the songs would not be greyed out.

I managed to fix it by checking my settings, "stream only on wifi" was turned on some how.. once I turned that off, everything available as before

It's actually quite simple. Those songs aren't available because you have no internet connection, and Google never cached them on your phone for offline music.
To test this out, try this: Connect to WiFi, and you'll notice that all your songs are available. Try playing a song all the way through. Now turn off WiFi/your data connection and you'll notice you can still play that particular song, while others might be grayed out.
Note: This also happens for songs on a data connection as well when the "Stream on WiFi Only" toggle is checked.

Oddly enough, this fixed itself on it's own.

(Click the image for full-size)
Thanks for nothing, Google.

It probably is about license issues

It may be due to the device thinking it is offline as the grayed out portion is that of songs not in Cache or songs not downloaded for offline listening

I had this issue. I force stopped the app and cleared the cache. All good now.

This fixed the problem for me on my S7. I did a Clean All from Smart Manager, then force stopped Google Play Music from Applications -> Application Manager.

all_licenses: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/


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Inexplicable lack of internal storage on Asus TF701T tablet
I own an Asus tablet, model TF701T 32GB internal memory. The tablet is rooted and contains the last snapshot build of Cyanogenmod 11 (Android 4.4.4). The tablet works well without any issues except the free space in internal memory.
The problem is that there is only 600MB of free space as shown in the screenshot but the summed space of all items is much less than 32GB.

Note that the ratio of available storage (Beschikbaar) is weird. The gray bar is longer than the green bar while green means 8,79GB and gray 603MB only.
Things that I tried already:

Cleaning the tablet by using Clean Master Phone Boost
Booting in recovery mode and wipe cache and dalvik cache
Using root explorer to show properties of the content of the internal storage and the app displayed approximately 9GB of total content.

I installed pretty much games on the tablet that can explain 8,79GB of apps and its data and some megabytes of pictures on the tablet but what will eat up the other 16GB memory? Last week my free space was 5GB and without installing any new apps it dropped down to 603MB now.
Does anybody know how to find why this 16GB of memory is lost and how to empty this memory?
I scanned my internal storage with the app DiskUsage and the result is:

download this app https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.android.diskusage post a screenshot of it scanning your internal story

Thank you for this tip, I posted the result of the scan.

I found the solution. The directory /data/gps/log/ contained 16GB of log files and I could delete all of this files by using root explorer. I didn't delete the folder but empty the folder.


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Is there a way to make an android phone only run one app and nothing else?
I want to take an old android phone and turn it into a dedicated calculator. In other words, I'd like to make it so I boot up the phone and my calculator app is running, and there is no way to access any other app, the home screen, app drawer, anything. No lock screen either. Just this app and the settings app, which there would be a shortcut too in this app.
Is this possible? Is android the best OS for this project? Is there an easy way to make this happen?

You can come close to the goal at least. Remove or disable the launcher so the app drawer would be gone; use Tasker to launch Calculator after boot is completed (there will a short span where you will see a black screen because launcher is missing and so the home screen) and disable the home button after that (needs root access); settings can be accessed from the quick settings always; lock screen can be set to none under settings which is same as disabled. (Note: It's a theory and I haven't tested it yet).

But why do you want to restrict Android this much? May be [tag:kiosk-mode] can also help here.

If you didn't have the requirement of being able to access the settings (the settings app is part of the launcher in some ROMs), this would probably be easier. In that case, you could simply build a custom ROM that boots straight to calculator. The main disadvantage would be the absence of even a battery indicator.

and how to do that? where to start? any link or tutorial?

There is screen pinning in lollipop which you can access from the recent apps screen. This will keep the pinned app open. The home button will be disabled, no notifications will show, and the lock screen is bypassed. If you need to unpin the app, you hold the back and recent apps buttons for about a second.
You did mention this is an old android phone, which will most likely not have lollipop (Android 5.0+), so unless you can somehow update it or flash an updated ROM, then you can't use screen pinning.

Does the screen pinning stay active even if the device is forced rebooted?

I think you would have to re-pin it when you reboot.


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System UI Crash on Boot
I was playing with the developer options on my Droid Turbo, and I think I accidentally hit Force RTL Layout, which crashed System UI. I tried rebooting and now it also says "Unfortunately, System UI has stopped". I cannot access any apps or settings, even in safe mode. Is there any way I can turn this setting off or reset the developer options, maybe through a computer? I would like to not have to do a factory reset. I am running Android 5.1

Is the USB debugging enabled or custom Recovery installed?

USB debugging might be enabled, not sure about either.

If the USB debugging is enabled, then you can clear Settings data using ADB followed by a Reboot. Things should become normal then. But for that, you need to confirm whether it is enabled or not?

I cannot confirm whether or not USB debugging is on since I cannot access settings, but I can say Windows doesn't do anything with it plugged into my computer. I have Linux with the ADB installed on my laptop if you could tell me the steps required to reset the settings.

Run your Linux with root account if possible or open a Terminal and gain root privileges in it. After that, connect your device into Laptop using USB, type adb devices in terminal; and tell the output here.

sudo adb devices returns "List of devices attached" with nothing listed, so I would assume this means USB debugging is off?

There are two possible things here: either the Linux is not detecting the device for some other reason even when root privileges are given (can happen, but might be unlikely here), or as you thought, the USB debugging is off, in which case I would rather ask again whether Custom Recovery is installed or not (is the device rooted, or have you ever taken a Nandroid backup or flashed a ROM)? // Otherwise, factory reset seems to be the only option here, but may be other users can help.

Linux does make a noise when I boot the phone, so it is detecting it. I don't exactly know what custom recovery is so I would assume that is not installed, and this is a Verizon device, so no custom ROMs, and no backups.

In that case, all hands up here besides factory reset. But may be other users can help you out in this case. So good luck!

Should I have to do a factory reset, is there any way I could get files from the device before I reset it?

@Alex ADB or Recovery should work for retrieving files.

@MatthewRead USB debugging is off (or at least not detected even in sudo adb devices) so no ADB at least when Android is running. But yeah, stock Recovery can be given a try.


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Google Play Games fails to find "Public Google+ Profile"`
I created a "Public google+ profile" after the first time it asked me, but it just endlessly asks for this every time I try to launch Google Play Games, or any game that relies on it.
I deleted cache, deleted data, and running short on ideas here.

Is this something that's known?
Does my Google+ profile need to be more public?
Does anyone know the requirements on a Google account for Google Play Games to be able to find it?

@Firelord ah geeze, everybody's a critic ;P (thanks - though I'm still pondering upping my hipster cred to solve the problem. Maybe some craft beer and suspenders..)


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WiFi does not work properly on my phone only
This problem occured randomly. I have this problem for a week now.
My phone does not connect to the router, although it shows it in the list. If I get very close to the router (max. 2-3 meters) it does work.
I have tried setting the router to 5 or 2.4Ghz and tried different channels. The router does not show any problems. Also deleting the WiFi profile on the phone and re-adding it normally or via WPS does not help. I even installed another ROM on the phone (was on a 5.1.1 ROM, changed to stock one).
The connection works fine on at least 10 other devices (no, they are not connected at the same time, that's not the problem ^^)
Phone: Sony Xperia Z, newest firmware (Android 5.0.2)
Router: Fritz!Box 7490, newest firmware (113.06.30)
Thanks for your help!

Sounds like a hardware issue for me. To zero on it, can you measure the wifi signal strength from this and another device with both next to each other? If your Sony Xperia Z reports a lower signal strength than other, it could be a hardware issue.  You can also try the *#*#4636#*#* key sequence as well.

@Narayanan I don't think this is a hardware issue. Although my model is pretty old, the device is only some weeks old. I have an insurance for the phone and got the new one ~6 weeks ago... I had to be pretty unlucky for this. My notebook has 4/5 bars when my phone disconnects

I agree with @Narayanan but have you tested the signal while its plugged in/full battery and turning off Bluetooth & mobile data?

@XLR8 It kinda works. The signal strength is higher. 3/4 bars. But if I click on it and then on "connect" it just does nothing. Sometimes (rarely) I get an authentication error.

@kaesaecracker It has to be a hardware problem/power problem, I would suggest you Google your phones make with your problem and if you don't find anything then just take it to a phone repair shop/get a new phone


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Kingo rooted my phone, windows laptop died
Now running Ubuntu 14.04 on my main computer; my windows laptop that i ran kingo root on to root the phone died, my LG G Vista is due for the lollipop upgrade from version 4.4.2 and it will not let me do the upgrade while its rooted. Is their a way to UN-root it using a different method even though i rooted it with the app so i can do the upgrade? I tried running kingo root in the wine emulator and it seemed to run fine it just didn't see my phone through the usb even though it was plugged in and on debugging mode. Any help is appreciated and thank you in advance!

Can't you just unroot from within the Superuser app?

@SuperThomasLab Some root apps, although allowing unroot, do not fix the "system modified" problem.

Alright. You are going to need:

Your device + cable
the stock ROM (Download here
adb (ill help you install that)

Ok, heres what to do:

plug in your phone in usb debugging mode(in developer options. if not there, go to about device and tap build number 7 times, then back once.)
open terminal, and dosudo apt-get install adb remember to put in your password!
in terminal, do cd /home/<username>/downloads
boot your device into recovery mode (you made need to look up how, it varies on device) and choose install from adb or similar options.
in the terminal, do adb sideload <name of ROM file, include the extension.>
Wait dor it to finish, and you will be updated!!
Boot your device up. Charge it to full (if not already) and use the system update option. It should work.
Enjoy your 4.4.2 :)

Does it matter that I own an at&t phone? This rom says verizon, i just wanted to make sure before starting this process.

I believe  it may.


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Does restoring a TWRP backup restore everything, including the ROM?
Suppose I were to do the following:

Make a backup with TeamWin Recovery (TWRP)
Delete everything (not the backup of course) including my ROM and all
Flash a new ROM, then after having fun with all that, delete everything once more
Restore the previous backup via TWRP

Would my ROM, my apps, and my data, all be restored to their original state?

Yes, your earlier ROM will be fully restored as long as you backup system partition as well since that's where the ROM resides. If you wants your apps and apps' data, then you should back up data partition.
Note: Backup feature doesn't backup SDcard's content. If you delete all the data of the SDcard you will not be able to restore it.


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Locked phone with Android Device Manager and can't remember the password
I lost my phone and used Android Device Manager to lock it. However, it turns out my boyfriend was last logged into my Gmail, so his phone is the one that was locked and now I can't remember the password!
How can we unlock his phone?

Welcome to the Android Enthusiasts!  Please see How to unlock Google Device Manager remote lock? (plus the questions in its "Linked" section), How can I unlock my phone? I locked it using Android Device Manager, but it claims I entered a wrong password, and similar questions with answers for a starter.

Only solution,Hard reset your phone and do a reset factory settings in recovery mode. BTW which phone model you are using, I guess it must be Samsung :)
updated
One more way, if you know your phone is rooted and ADB on..
You have to delete all your key files from system folder. Try this.
Connect you device with usb and run following command. If you are not able to do so, i am afraid. You need a full wipe.
adb devices
adb shell
cd data/system
su
rm *.key

Even if shows lock screen after reboot, try a easy random pattern/password.

Are you sure that's the only way – and there's nothing to be tried before losing all data? This answer to a similar question seems to show otherwise: Use device manager again to set another password (and this time remember it), then use that.

@Izzy sadly that's not the case anymore or it is different from device to device. But I just tested that, remotely locking the device twice, and got this error message "Since google has verified that a screen lock is already set, the password that you entered won’t be needed"

@jer3my That's what I "like" so much about Google (and MS as well). They always know better what we need than we do :( Sorry to read that!

@Izzy Yeah, But don't worry I don't have this problem. I remember my passwords. Not saying the OP is lying, but often time's people just want to get into phones they aren't meant to get into and they think ADM will let them do that. So the "no need to relock the phone" is another safety feature, in my opinion.

@jer3my valid points. But in order to use ADM, one would need the credentials of the associated Google account.

@izzy Yep. That's why even if you are logged into gmail/g+/etc, I am glad Google requires you to relog in to use ADM.

Note that on on most versions of Android your phone has to be unlocked for USB or network debugging to be enabled, so this method may not work if you restarted the phone and are trying to plug it into your computer as ADB will be unable to connect to the locked phone.

sorry that is probably too late, but I found a solution.  You have to sign in to a SAMSUNG account, and there is an unlock feature.
If it doesn't work the first time, locked it with a 4 digit pin from the same Samsung page, in the cell enter the code and the lock will be temporarily removed but the screen lock will still be in place, so then again Unlock it from the Samsung tool.

I had the same problem on my LG Nexus 4. I just logged into Android Device Manager and set another password. No need to remember the old password!


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How can I delete cookies for a specific site in chrome in android
I can see 'Settings' -> 'Privacy' -> 'CLEAR BROWSING DATA', but that will clear my browsing info for all sites. I can also see under 'Settings' -> 'Site settings', there is an option to select 'All sites' and then pick a specific site. However, the site that has a cookie that I want to delete is not in that list (perhaps that list is only sites that have more than just cookies set?).
I also tried navigating to chrome://settings/cookies (which works in the desktop browser), but this doesn't work in the mobile browser.

Press the favicon for the site and a pop-up will allow you to change a few settings for that specific site including removing data like cookies, just did it, Android 6.01, works.

In Chrome 108 on Android 13, I have this: tap icon to left of address bar; tap "Cookies and site data"; I see "199 cookies in use" and I tap the trash bin icon, tap Delete to confirm; afterwards, though, it still says "199 cookies in use".

It's been like this for a long time, too - I had the same problem on my Pixel 2XL for as long as I can remember.

Settings → (under Advanced) Site settings → All sites
Select the site you want and under Usage you can clear any stored data, includes cookies. You can also Clear & Reset.
I do not think there is a way to clear only cookies but this will allow you to clear data for individual sites.

No, as I clearly wrote in my original question, I already found that settings area, but the site I want to delete a cookie (or all cookies, or even all site data) from doesn't appear in that list.

Oh I see. Under Site settings, does the site show up under Storage? It's strange that it has a cookie but isn't in the list.

I can only delete data for a specific time span but not for specific site I want

Click Menu (the 3 vertical dots on top right of screen)
Cilck History
Click the Search magnifying glass
Enter the name of the site OR you can be less specific so you pull up EVERYTHING with the site name....Example....you want to clear cookies from www.butterball.com.  Enter "butterball" and all sites, including search pages, will be listed in your resulting History.  (If you want to clear cookies from just one site, put that site's specific URL.)
Click the Trash icon next to each site in the History list (ALL of them)
ALL your cookies for your "blocked" site are cleared
Now try the site...it worked, right???? :-)

I don't believe history entries would clear any cookies. For the site I'd like to delete cookies for I have about 100 history entries...


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Save images via Chrome for Android
I can save images from other sites on chrome browser but cannot do it on Facebook. Does it contains any JavaScript which block saving images?
How to save them ?

Try this way.
Go to the photo > Click "View Full size" > Then click and hold on the photo, where you'll get an pop-up asking to Save image,Open in new tab...etc

Thank you! Just an addendum for "dumb" people like me. "View full size" is at the end of the picture post, just before the comments. So you problably will have to scroll down to see it

type in address 'mbasic.facebook.com' and you will be able to save images.


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After resetting, phone is crippled
I got an old HTC Wildfire S from someone, without a SIM card, but I won't need one since I'll only be using this for testing purposes. Now the first thing I did was give it a hard reset to get rid of all his old stuff, his Google account etc.
Maybe I shouldn't have. Or maybe I should have backed up everything first. So it's really my fault. Anyway, this is what I have now.

The home screen is black. There's nothing on it, no background image, no icons, nothing
There is no keyboard. Tapping in a text field does nothing
In Settings, many items give the error "The application Settings (process com.android.settings) has stopped unexpectedly"
I can't connect to my Wifi, because the WPS button doesn't do anything. (And I can't type in the password to my modem manually, because there is no keyboard to type on.)
Restart > Recovery no longer works properly; this does the same as a normal Restart instead of booting into the Recovery console

So, does anybody recognise these problems, and do you have any idea what I can do about them?

Have you tried to get to the bootloader? Power off the device. Wait for it to fully power off. Then hold down volume and press the power button. If you can get to the bootloader, You should be able to get to the stock recovery and try a factory reset that way. Use the volume keys to move through the menu, use the power button to enter the selected option.
But worst case scenario, if a factory reset doesnt fix all of the above problems you were talking about, you can download a custom rom and go through the process of unlocking the bootloader, installing a custom recovery.... continued...

Then install a custom rom or a stock rom. It's been awhile since I used an HTC device and I know your device is a bit older but you might be able to still find the RUU for your device. HTC calls factory images "RUU's" and that should return your phone to 100% stock, like when it came out of the box.

Pressing Volume Down on start causes the "loading" icon to appear for a very long time (several minutes; I was afraid it wasn't going to do anything else), after which it ends up in the same black home screen, except it now says "safe mode". Wanted to try again, but then it wouldn't shut down any more (the shutdown menu appears when pressing the power button, but tapping the choices does nothing). Removed the battery to switch it off, but after retrying I have the same result.

Considering the bullet points you mentioned that are plaguing you (even after factory reset ([tag:hard-reset] is different thing)), I suggest you save yourself the trouble and flash the stock ROM.

And that's what I did manage to do in the end. Couldn't get the connection to the PC working, but fortunately my PC has an SD card reader, so I could download a new system to the SD card and and then put it in the phone again. Problem solved.


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samsung galaxy s cannot add google account
My HTC was run over by a bus and I am temporarily using my Samsung Galaxy S whilst the phone is being repaired.
I discovered yesterday that my google account was syncing.  I was able to login into my gmail via the internet but the account would not allow me to sign in via the gmail/ youtube or market app.
From reading around it appears these apps need to be updated but there is no update option in settings.
When I try to access the play store via the browser to download , it says it is no longer supported.
Any ideas?

I assume you added your account through, Settings > Accounts > Google. or ran the setup for the device? You could also try removing your account from the device and readding it.
One thing you could try is going into the settings, Look for App Manager and find the play store, Clear the data for the app. Then try relaunching it.

No play store, only android market .

there's your answer. if you have android market, its wayyyy out of date

@DanB I know but how to I get play store?  Is it even possible?  Is there a way to update market to play?

There should be

@DanB I agree.  In end I created a new gmail account.  It just would not let me use my old email account, no idea why....


text:
Do people in your circles/contacts see your downloaded apps in their recommendations?
is your app/movie/book history available to people in your circles/contacts by means of recommendations or some other way

App Recommendations in Play Store are based on different criteria. But, overall one can say that the following are some of the things which google takes into account when showing the recommendations to you or your friends,

You/Your friend +1'ed an item on the Playstore.
You/Your friend rated an item.
Some recommendations are based on locality.
Items that you have already installed/bought with your google account.
Items that are top rated in different categories like Games, Apps, Movies, Music, Books etc.

i think i once read somewhere that your bought items are private to you.is it correct?

Can you provide me the source? I don't think so because recommendations are a way to market Play Store products. And when you do rate or +1 the app when you bought it for free or paid version it will be displayed in you friend's recommendation list. So its better you  avoid rating or +1 the app you buy and it wont be displayed else where on you friends or other people in your circles. ;)

so you are agreeing with me right?

yepp agreeing with you..you can follow my comment not to rate or +1 any apps you buy for google to respect your privacy ;)

authors: ثائر القريشي


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Titanium Backup "insufficient free storage space" error
Because of my external SD card issue, I thought I should factory reset my phone then reinstall the firmware on it. Before I'd do that though, I'd have to back up my apps and their data so that I can restore it afterwards. For that purpose, I had been relying on Titanium Backup Pro, so I entered the app, changed the backup directory to /storage/emulated/legacy/TitaniumBackup (as the external SD card was unavailable) and attempted to backup all user apps and system data. A progress dialogue appeared and was stuck at 0% for about 30 seconds until it close and Titanium Backup displayed the notification 'Batch backup interrupted: Insufficient free storage space' despite having 7 gigabytes left on /storage/emulated/legacy.
I tried searching on Google for a solution - the only one that came up was to remove /data/app/com.keramidas.TitaniumBackup-1.odex but the file did not exist on my end. How can I fix this issue?
Clarification: My copy of Titanium Backup is a Pro version activated by a Pro key obtained from the Google Play store. There is no need for any external patchers, cracks or keygens.

This may sound trivial let alone odd but did you consider removing SD card from the device and restarting the latter? Your SD card issue wasn't straightforward, the card  was visible to root (which means to apps running as root as well) but not to others.

that odex file couldn't exist in that path ,only if you odexed that titanium yourself ,that file is located in /data/dalvic-cache/arm/data@app@com.keramidas.TitaniumBackup-1.dex

@Firelord I have tried restarting the device with the card removed, but that didn't solve the issue. I'm getting the same error from Titanium Backup.

@Arielle have you tryed uninstalling and then reinstalling ?

@lord-ralf-adolf I have just tried that, and it still doesn't work.

Considering your final goal, this might be an XY problem. Wouldn't the real question be how to backup all your apps – instead of how to repair TiBu? Especially as the TiBu issue won't be there anymore with your ROM fixed :) If you agree to that, it would be helpful to know what you wish to backup (plus, maybe, what OS you're using on your desktop). I have an approach in mind, but "one piece dosn't fit everything" there.

@Izzy I'd like to backup my apps with their respective data. I'm not sure if simply copying the folders /data/app and /data/data would do the trick.
Oh, and on my desktop computer, I have Windows 8.1.

@Arielle it might work but ,it wouldn't be as organized and safe as using titanium ,by the way try changing the backup path to /storage/emulated/0 instead of /storage/emulated/legacy ,the two location are pointing to the same location

@lord-ralf-adolf I tried that, but it still doesn't work - same error message. There appears to be nothing relevant in the logcat.

@Arielle check our backup tag-wiki, especially the part on ADB backups (and make sure to follow-up the first linked question at the end of the page). I will update the wiki now for one missing item concerning ADB backups (apps protecting themselves against it setting ALLOW_BACKUP = FALSE in their manifests, plus a work-around for that – mentioned question already has that at least in the comments on one answer) – DONE.

@Izzy I tried using the adb backup command, but my phone didn't show a backup confirmation prompt like that in the answer.

this is weird ,I can say there is something wrong with your rom/kernel ,sdcard doesn't mount ,and now this ,still can you change the path to /data/media/0 it points to the same locations as legacy

@lord-ralf-adolf I tried that, but Titanium Backup said that folder was 'inaccessible', and so was /mnt/shell/emulated. I tried changing the path to Ye Olde /mnt/sdcard, but it gave the same error as previously.

This is due to the 'Mount namespace separation' setting in SuperSU being turned on (by default). Untick that, reboot and try your Titanium Backup operation again.
This happens because the permissions to app-created folders are restricted in newer Android versions, I believe. Ironically, I didn't have this issue on Marshmallow-based CM13, but I did face it in the Lollipop-based OxygenOS for the OnePlus One.

This works like a charm on my Lollipop 5.1.1 based DU ROM for HTC One m7, thanks!

Worked for me as well. I had missed backups for weeks thinking I really was out of space.

Thank you very much! This works for me on Kitkat 4.4.2. It's stupid of SuperSU to silently introduce this, as it entirely disables some other apps without warning, and without any hint about the cause. Or is it really Titanium's fault?

@Cerberus It's Google's fault :-)

@KiranJonnalagadda Good to know! Btw, we should reconnect! :-)

Where is the option to disable name space separation? CM 12.1 doesn't use SuperSU.

@Celeritas Good question. Even I'd like to find this out. Anyone?

This happens due to some service change in kitkat. Some research on google showed that there is an app available to modify the platform.xml file. The app once run, prompts the user to allow it to go ahead and make the modifications to the above file. Everything works fine after this.
NextApp SDFix

At TB's startup it always displayed a warning that SuperSU's namespace separation feature "might not work reliably on some platforms".
Well, I never faced any problems until a recent SuperSU update...
So disabling that option in SuperSU and rebooting solved the "insufficient space" on my OnePlus One/CM12.1.
This was the obvious solution before fiddling around with permissions etc.

In recent versions of Android, paths under /storage/emulated/legacy only work for the apps that created them. If the OS doesn't know that TB created /storage/emulated/legacy/TitaniumBackup, then you'll get this error.
Try using TB to create a directory,  then use that for your backups. Alternatively, use a path that doesn't start with /storage/emulated/legacy, like /data/media/0/TitaniumBackup. Either should work.

Either should work... but neither did. I tried creating another directory on /storage/emulated/legacy, and using that for the backups - didn't work. I tried using a path that did not start with /storage/emulated/legacy - /mnt/sdcard (/data was not accessible to Titanium Backup at all) and it still didn't work as intended.

Hmm, I know I solved this exact problem on my TF700T after installing a new ROM. But I had similar issues in a number of apps. I must have used the /data trick in a different one. I assume you used TB to create the other directory in /storage/emulated/legacy? Won't work otherwise.

(Titanium Backup)batch backup interrupted: insufficient storage space
this solution work for me any one can try see if it work.
I have a fix. I did a little research and found that you can edit /etc/permissions/platform.xml and add a group to WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE
Original:

Add the media_rw group:

Done. Doing a TiBU right now to my external card.
 This may fix other apps that have issues writing to the card, I personally didn't find any.
Suggest that you do an adb pull of the file for safekeeping before doing this.
 If you pull the file, edit it, and push it back make sure the permissions are set to 644.

I didn't have this group on Android 6, but had it on Android 5. Just adding it fixed the insufficient storage space message for me. So add this above the "WRITE_MEDIA_STORAGE" entry:

just go to super user-settings-untick "mount namespace separation" and reboot done!!

And the reasoning behind it?

Same answer as highest rated. Titanium Backup now pops a warning if Namespace separation is enabled, which separates the superuser commands in some way. Titanium backup can't access the right things if namespaces are separated.

If you are using Magisk as your superuser manager, go to settings > mount namespace mode and select isolated namespace. Hope this helps someone!

Unfortunately, this did not really help. At the end, I set mount-namespace-mode to "global namespace" in Magisk and selected "DocumentProvider storage" in Titatium backup settings and there the correct folder on the external SA card. This combination seem sto work.

Open Preferences of your Titanium Backup.
Then look for an option called Backup app external data in Backup Settings. Make sure it is NOT Enabled. Rather set it to 'Enabled if smaller than a chosen size' and set the size to 35 MB.
(Click image to enlarge)

Some apps have a hefty amount of external data (stored in /sdcard/Android/data), particularly games which may span over several gigs. This option disables backing them up as they can be downloaded again.

Sorry, but that solution didn't really work on my end. 'Backup app external data' was already set to 'Enabled if it's smaller than a chosen size' and the size was set to 32 MB, so I tried setting it to 'Disabled (Always)' and retrying the backup... which didn't work.

@Arielle Try turning on Compression  (setting it to BZIP2). Make sure you're just backing up the user apps and NOT any system apps.

I tried changing Compression from GZIP to BZIP2, and backing up the user apps only. Still doesn't work. Even though I have 7 GB of space left.

Last resort: Run logcat as root. It will give you an idea at least.

As @Izzy said, this was an XY problem - I could have looked for another backup solution instead of insisting on using Titanium Backup. And I did - I used the adb backup feature (which worked when I rebooted my phone). In the end, I didn't have to restore the backup at all, but that's a different story altogether.

Go into Titanium Backup settings

Backup Folder location
Storage provider
Select "DocumentProvider storage"
Allow access to ____

https://forum.xda-developers.com/t/titanium-backup-insufficient-storage-root-with-magisk.3806051/#post-76858004

I have also faced this weird situation. I don't know whether it will work or not. But for me it works.
Install lucky patcher. It will automatically remove the odex file and you will be able to install Titanium Backup.

But there doesn't seem to be any .odex file. And it doesn't seem to be hidden considering its tutorials around the web. // And TitaniumBackup is already installed!

In my case same scenario is there. I also not able to view the file. Please install this apk and open . just wait for 5-10 sec it will automatically scan and remove. You will se a notification when its done

http://android.stackexchange.com/questions/105816/google-play-insufficient-space-error   see my question

there is not odex file ,only if you odex the app your self ,like applying a patch from lucky patcher ,if you do lucky patcher will apply patch to an odex file and put it in the same directory as the apk (I think the use of lucky patcher is illegal -just saying- )

I don't need to use Lucky Patcher as I've already bought the Pro version of Titanium Backup on Google Play. I should have been more clear about that.

@lord-ralf-adolf i dont know about odex in deep. But Lucky patcher solve my problem. I was stuck for months. IT is not illegal it is just the power of open source

@Arielle  I am not saying you to use it. You just install it. and open it. You have to do nothing. It will automatically remove the odex file. then you can uninstall the app

@Dalvik Thanks for the help but you're missing the basic point. We can't seem to find that odex file and that patcher is certainly no magical thingie which would create that file on its own, delete it, and then tell us that it did the job! Right!

@Dalvik not the power of open source (the power of open source can be seen in many project like linux kernel ,xbmc ,chromium  ect ) ,it emulates in-app purchases! patch free to make pro versions ,I know it has a set of useful tools but still there more illegal and legal stuff

@Firelord I am not supporting lucky patcher. I am sharing my experience and how it solved my issue . If it works for someone then its good

@Dalvik OK, I got the point. Now it's up to the community users to decide the usefulness of this answer. Good luck! (and I didn't down-vote).

@Firelord  its ok

for more info about odex files I recommend reading this http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2336411

I have just tried opening Lucky Patcher, then closing it and reinstalling Titanium Backup. It still doesn't work as intended.

@Arielle Have you waited for some time after opening lucky patcher ?

@Dalvik I waited until the progress dialogue disappeared. Was I supposed to wait for longer?

yes ... for 5-10 sec.. give it time to scan all the apps .... and wait for a while

all_licenses: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/


text:
How to turn off animation in Lenovo A6000 Plus
I am using Lenovo A6000 Plus smartphone.
I want to turn off all the animations. But in  Developer options there are only few options. The animation option is missing. I searched but I didn't find anything.

Screenshot (click to enlarge)

Previously answered here (it involves having your phone rooted though): http://android.stackexchange.com/questions/53720/disable-window-animations-when-the-menu-option-is-missing

There was an app released a long time ago that might be able to do this for you called Spare Parts Plus


text:
Where is the "download mode" code stored?
At least Samsung Galaxy series devices support download mode(also known as Odin mode or flash mode) which usually can be accessed by pressing down specific buttons while powering on the phone. Is this download mode on a small separate partition on internal-storage like recovery mode? Or is it device-dependent?

not sure but ,I think it's part of the boot loader it self ,I recall I lost download mode and any other mode when I played with the GANG partition (emmc.img) ,I will come back with a reference

Depends on how corporate paranoia is going at the time or their design tactics.  A lot of Samsung's download mode is coded within the secondary bootloader. I'm not seeing a non .pdf that I'm happy with but Many references are easily found around the worldwide web. Keywords: secondary bootloader. (edit added detail below)
First attempt to add more details was too long. incase you want more details about the process involved some links at the. Bottom to give a base for research.
Per Samsung knox website refer to PG. 7 under Boot Loader/ Primary Boot Loader/ Secondary Boot Loader: glossary of terms

The SBL adds functions for erase and programming of flash memory and EEPROM; it also handles the actual download of new or updated software. This allows a minimum ROM utilization by the PBL.

Now compare it to what Odin mode does and You will notice similarities. That fact that the bootloader itself can be used as a gateway to obtain sensitive corporate documents. Including the fact that both Qualcomm and Samsung Knox have multiple defense contracts. Makes it tough to find officially supported documentation such as spec sheets or R&D documentation but not impossible.
IBM Linux boot
Android bit fastboot protocols
The new android book process..
stack exchange boot and aboot
Google fastboot protocol

Alright I will go into more detail

Alright.  From what I gather,  it is in either a separate partition "SBL1" and/or it is in a file called sbl.bin.  See here for the partition  names/ locations. And, yes, it is chain fire's triangle away which is featured in the post,  but it seems that the flash counter is stored there,  among other things. So I downloaded a partition viewer,  looked for, and found the two partitions he mentions:


text:
behaviour Syncing of contacts in telegram app
When I installed telegram, I was astonished to see the contacts which I had deleted long before. I wonder how they are still in my phone or still attched to my google contacts. What happens when we delete a contact from android phone? will it be deleted forever of google just hides it?

It depend where you delete the contact from. There are local copies and copies on your Google account, you have to delete it from both places, because if sync is enabled it will automatically re-add them. But if you did delete it from both places, but it could be an error (Things like this do happen sometimes).
Additional Info: if you had another device with the same Google account on it, and edited your contacts then Google automatically keeps the latest record of your contact book and saves the latest version of it. Hope this helps


text:
File copied to /system/bin keeps disappearing
After copying Sqlite3 to by /system/bin folder, the file disappears.  I can successfully change the folder to rw and modify the file properties on sqlite3.  However, as soon as I remount my /system as ro, the sqlite3 file disappears.  I have attempted this using these instructions, from both a terminal session on the phone and adb session from my pc with the same results.
Here's what I've tried:
mount -o remount,rw /system
cp /sdcard/sqlite3 /system/bin (ls confirms that the file is present)
chmod 4755 /system/bin/sqlite3 (SQLite command works)
mount -o remount,ro /system (file is gone)

I also tried copying SQLite from my TitaniumBackup folder, but with the same results.  Although, calling SQLite from this folder seems to work.
And, I tried using File Manager with root to copy and set permissions on the files, also unsuccessfully.
And, I have also tried SQLite Installer for Root, but it hasn't worked.
My device is a Sprint HTC One M8, rooted with TWRP, Android 5.0.1.
This question is very similar to this old, unanswered one on StackOverflow.
UPDATE 2015-07-27:  I have used @Izzy's suggestions and run a logcat and collected the file (actually several repetitions). After searching the files for anything related to any key terms (e.g. sqlite3, mount, chmod, remount, cp...) I can't find anything of obvious value.  Of course, I've never done this before, so I don't have any experience parsing or interpreting these files.  Any other thoughts/directions would be appreciated. FWIW, for the short term, I'm using the TitaniumBackup SQLite file, so my immediate problem is solved-not it's just personal between me and my OneM8!
UPDATE 2015-07-28:  This problem affects any file I try to copy to /system/bin-they're all erased/removed upon a reboot.  I also tried from TWRP Recovery's file manager with the same result

try remount from stepehen sterricson on the play store. just pick what you want remounted, how you want it remounted, and click the logo.

To get some more info, try the "core steps" again this way: 1) preparation: open your terminal app and su, 2) start logging: from your computer, start adb logcat, preferably having it write to a file, 3) action: back in your terminal, do the remount/copy/remount, 4) stop logging: cancel the logcat with Ctrl-C, 5) investigate the logs. Hopefully, you find some pointers there.

@DanB, I have tried Sterricson's Remount and it fails (with no message/log).  FWIW, his Busybox (basic and pro) also fails on install-although when I run Busybox verify it shows as present?!?

@dav odd. To be honest, I have heard a lot of negative noise for that app

Is this the case with SQlite3 or with any file that has been tried to be copied into /system?


text:
Main functions failure (USB Storage, WIFI, SIM, Camera) after boot in Samsung Galaxy Mini 2 running Android 2.3.6
PROBLEM
So far, I noticed that after I turn it on and it completely loads up, it can't:

show notification-bar
use camera
detect or recognize "internal USB storage"
detect or recognize "SD card"
use WIFI (when clicked, just says "Error")
sometimes use cellular network (have good signal strength but can't reach the network)
sometimes detect "SIM card" (PIN asked on booting but on settings page can't detect!)

WHAT HAPPENED
My device is pretty heavy on apps (about 200 apps installed), sometimes while I`m working, it hangs and everything just freezes but after about half hour cellular network automatically forced to turned off and everything will be just normal and after reset, net will be back too but the last time that this happened, it took about two hours and when I reset the device, my problems began.

WHY
I think  all of this is happening because of two reasons:

the Operating System kernel drivers maybe damaged
hardware failure (maybe some IC controller fried!)
because device can't detect internal/external storage so many apps (such as operating system's own apps) can't work properly

DEVICE INFO

Model number - Samsung Galaxy Mini 2 (GT-S6500D)
Android version - 2.3.6
Baseband version - S6500DJPLI1
Kernel version - 2.6.38.6-1206137
Build number - Gingerbread.JPLJ1
Status - Rooted

P.S.
I know that I simply can use Android's Recovery mode or Odin for flashing a new Operating System but I don`t want to wipe all of my data (very important to me!)

I just want to add that this is not a forum (consider a [tour]) which means all that flashy formatting is unnecessary here. :)

200 apps on Gingerbread :O, time to upgrade now. Even on my OnePlus One with 3gigs RAM and 64gigs Internal Storage, I merely have 20-30 downloaded apps with 2-3 in start-up.
But anyhow, follow this:

Format and install some custom ROM like Cyanogenmod
Keep only required apps.
Remove apps from start-up. Use AIO Toolbox from Play Store.
Use AIO Toolbox on regular basis to clean up.

For all your apps backup: I believe in that list of 200 apps, you must have some system tools. Check if it has backup option for apps or not. Even you can create backup from recovery mode too, if your recovery supports. TWRP/Cyanogenmod/ClockWorkMod do have this option.

thanks a lot, but i mentioned that i dont want wipe my all data (in p.s. section!) and about create backup in recovery mode, i agree thats the best shot if any other ways are dead-end.

you could backup the whole system via adb, edit the backup, and sideload it back on, keeping all your data. I'll put a more descriptive how-to below.

I think you're using CyanogenOS that comes with OPO but there is no ROM named "Cyanogen". It's either CyanogenOS or Cyanogenmod and the former is actually proprietary version of the latter.

@DanB ADB can't backup the whole system.

@firelord i don`t use CyanogenOS, i just rooted my device and used it normally...

@DanB i love to try but i cant find such app you mentioned and i`m still searching, but if ADB works instead what firelord said, so i like to try that, thanks a lot :)

@yek-nafar Umm, I actually didn't use @ for you, neither mention anything related to you. So my comment was meant for the poster of the answer here.

@Firelord Are you sure? it seems to work doing that for me.

@DanB Yes I am. Hold on! My claim  is limited to adb backup. If you're using that in combination with adb pull then of course, the whole system would be backed up (given that the device is rooted).

sorry for asking but adb is the best? or ClockWorkMod or Titanium-Backup?

@Firelord I am using them in combination.

as you quoted:

I don't want to wipe all of my data(very important to me!)

So, A way to do this would be backup editing. You will need the following:

A PC
Your phone, rooted, with cable
adb installed (intall from here)
a copy of the stock ROM from online(you made need a MD5 dismantle method, look at this link here

Assuming you are not rooted, do this first:
download kingo root from here and install it on your phablet. Then, press root and wait. Once it's done, continue on below.
If you do not want to root (even though half this process will unroot it) look at the answer here
First, turn on your phone. head to developer options, and enable USB debugging. Then,
 plug you phone, and use the command 'adb root' to ensure no problems, or very few anyway. adb pull / backup.zip (leave a space between the source i.e. the /, and the place you will save it) Be sure to to put what you want to save it as.(I suggest backup.zip)
next, with the stock ROM, take it apart (see link i gave you on how) and "loot" the /system file.
Then, open the backup you made, and replace the backups /system with the stock /system. re-zip the modified backup, and boot your device into recovery.
from recovery(must be custom, 2.3 does not have what we need by default) choose an option along the lines of install update via sideload,then run this command on your PC: adb sideload <filename of update.zip> or, in this case:
adb sideload backup.zip

And wait. By the time it reboots, it should be in fine condition, without the loss of your data. Good luck :)

if this works then i don`t know how can i repay you, you saved me, but that``s you said is too advanced, it take time to learn and do it, i hope you guys will be here when i have more issues with this solution, thanks again.

Dan, I'm not sure if that's a recommendable approach. First, yek will see a lot of permission denied errors (as adb pull cannot access the entire file system unless the ADB daemon is running in root mode – which is just the case with development ROMs). Second, if the device cannot detect the storage anymore, such a backup would be incomplete at best. Third, flashing such an inconsistent backup to the fixed device might just get it broken again.

I know. Sometimes, high-risk is the only method. However, in light of this, I'll update the method, and I just had an idea

authors: Александр Сендер


text:
Lenovo Update failed. Stuck in recovery
Today my Lenovo A6000plus said there is an update to download, and I clicked it. It was a 9MB download. Download went fine, and to update it restarted to recovery. I think there is some error in the downloaded update. It is now stuck in recovery mode. I tried wiped cache, and factory resetted it through recovery, Still no change. It was rooted, but no CWM installed.  What should I do?
Urgently need help.
Thanks

Could you provide additional info, do any errors messages appear? When you format it, does it say it was successful? Did it show the 'Updating Apps' screen when you updated it?

Sorry, I panicked. I left my mobile to update and when I came back it was in Recovery, I thought it was normal, so I rebooted it from the menu. and No, the Updating apps didn't showed.

Does it show up in adb if you connect it to a PC?

Actually I dont know to connect via adb. So I didn't checked. Sorry again

And I would suggest flashing the default ROM to it

That is the problem. I got hold of a link to stock rom. but the instructions said that I need CWM installed.  I have flashed Galaxy S2 with Odin. Is it the same procedure?

If it says 'Apply Update from external storage' in the Android System Recovery Screen, then its possible to restore your tablet, but you could end up having your tablet bricked.

K, I'll try that... thx


text:
Samsung Galaxy s6 Music Player Track Sort
Okay, I have tried google and here and cannot find the answer to this. When I transferred all of my music from my s4 to the s6, it worked correctly but all of the tracks are in reverse alphabetical order (Z-A). The only settings within the music player are "Sound Alive, Play Speed, Music Auto Off, and Smart Volume". I cannot find any way to alphabetize the music (A-Z).
I haven't had the phone long so I might just not know of some other new navigation to this feature but any help would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks!

Have been searching for a solution to this for a few days and have finally found one.

Open music
Top left drop down menu, go to tracks

If you only want to have it in alphabetical order in the app, stop here, if you want to fix the widget as well continue.

Go to more in the top right, edit
Top left, select all
Press more again, add to playlist
Create a playlist
Play a song in the playlist and go back to the home screen widget

This should fix the order :D

Thank you so much Tom!! This is exactly what I was looking for. So glad you could help.


text:
Incoming calls from unsaved numbers showing UNKNOWN NUMBER in my MOTO G
I recently bought this phone for my dad and its upgraded to lollipop. But whenever any call is coming from an unsaved number, its showing "UNKNOWN NUMBER calling. " The phone happens to be brand new and i haven't yet added a google account or started using play store. Please help. Thank you for your kind attention.

This usually happens when your phone contract doesn't include caller ID. When you have caller ID, numbers will show and Google will do a search to show you who is the caller.


text:
How can I enable debugging on LG G Stylo smart phone?
I looked through all the options and did not see any thing for developeer settings.  I cannot figure out how to turn on the usb debugging for my LG G stylo phone, I imagin it is something pretty simple.

Did you enable Developer options?

Since android version 4.2.* and up the "Developer options" menu is hidden.
To enable Developer options you have to go to About Phone (or About phone > Software info) and tap Build number 7 times
Now you should have Developer options in the options menu as usually

Hi.I could not find a build number. when I clicked on About Phone, I got Phone Name, Update center, Network, Status, Battery, Hardawre info, Software info and legal info, no About phone?

Build number also could be inside Software Info :) Check if that works!

yes build number was inside software info. Click it 7 times and return to settings menu and now developers options is listed above About Phone in the settings list.


text:
Verifying Wallet Information
I had my first Google play account for a little under a year and I made a few purchases and and long story short, those purchases got refunded so now my account won't let me buy anything without veryfying my wallet information. Well, I do not have that card anymore and I can't verify without it. I got a new phone and logged into my old account simply to link my contacts, pics, calendar info, etc. I then logged into my new account and tried to buy one small in-app purchase which was denied because my wallet info wasn't verified. I'm confused because this is a new account and I haven't bought anything so how could my wallet info need to be verified if their shouldn't be anything in the wallet?

Sounds like you need to update your Google Play Account and remove the old credit card.  From your phone hit Google Play store app, go to your account, go add a payment method, or edit an existing one. Once there delete the old card and add the new one.

authors: Замира Такядорова


text:
I have to delete my deleted call logs permanently
I tried many apps like complete wipe,but I am unable to delete my deleted call logs permanently,whenever I start recovery program they show my deleted call logs can u please suggest how to permanently delete call logs which cannot ne recovered ASAP..Please help Stucked very badly..

If you have a rooted device, you can delete your call logs by using any file explorer with root access and modify this file: /data/data/com.android.providers.contacts/databases/contacts2.db

A File explorer can only take you to that file, it won't (usually) open the .db file for you. So how exactly should this file be opened, what needs to be modified, please detail. // You possibly got this info from other source, so do mention it here.

@Firelord ah yes my bad. Here's the source http://www.droidforums.net/threads/call-log-location.147841/

Sorry!, but we try to use off-site resources only as a source not as a dependency which means if the link fails our answers would still remain useful to people. Please consider adding the relevant info into the answer.


text:
Android to listen TCP connection
Is it possible to put Android to accept outbound connections, ie. act as a server waiting for connections?
If so, is there any hindrance like an embedded Android firewall?
What I have in mind is to make a server-less, direct Android-to-Android (p2p) connection. My suspicion is that a few applications make use of that, eg. Skype when a call is established.

Your question is very unclear

If you want to share files like from android to android then you can use an app called ShareIt
If you want your android act as SAMBA server, there's Samba Fileshare app
If you want to make your own app that uses P2P between 2 android devices, then you've probably came to wrong place, maybe you'd like to check stackoverflow from top left corner

True, from hindsight it's unclear. Objective is to have my own app share files between two Android devices. Thanks

ahha now I see that you want some code like library or function, I think you have to post this to stackoverflow site then. Check top left corner


text:
Phone automatically hangup when the call is picked up by receiver
I am having problems when I call people. Every time I try to make a call to someone I can hear the ringback tone, but as soon as someone picks up the phone or their voice mail activates my phone will automatically hang itself up. I'm not sure what  should I do. I thought that factory resetting my phone would work but I don't want to risk losing all of my information that I have stored in my phone.
Is there any possible solution to my problem?

It could be a firmware bug by your manufacturer and a update could be released if you report ASAP. However, if you are using a custom rom, then you should report the problem to the rom developer.


text:
How to remove spywares from factory reset list?
I have a lenovo phone with Android in it. The phone is so infected by auto installed apps for the past few weeks that I've decided to do a factory reset. However, the factory reset happen to reinstall all of those unwanted apps (Takatap, EasyTouch, OmniSwipe, Privacy Guard etc)
Even when I uninstalled those apps before factory reset, it got installed back by the factory reset itself.
How do I remove these apps?
I've tried:
- Disable auto restore
- formatted sd card

Are they system apps, or user apps?

I'm sure it's user apps. I don't think lenovo actually install Takatap? and a bunch of other useless auto-reinstall apps?


text:
will my apps get deleted if I update my twblet
Will my application  get deleted if I updated my tablet.if yes can I prevent it by moving them on my SD card?

You haven't specified your model number...
Anyway, if you update via the OTA Updates from within your phone,then the update shouldn't wipe your data/factory reset.
But just to be safe, backup your data. Copy your photos, app data, documents etc to your PC. So if the update goes wrong and it wipes your data, you can still restore your data from the backup you made.
By moving your apps to the sdcard, then still the apps will be removed after a factory reset. That would make no difference.
Hope my answer helps

authors: کامبیز کارگر شهامت


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Samsung syncing messages but not contacts on Galaxy S3
I messed up bad and lost all my contacts/messages when I tried to install another OS on my Samsung Galaxy S3. Now I have gotten the operating system back and Samsung Account let me retrieve my messages.
But not my contacts. I've checked all my Google accounts that I might have had synced on the phone using my PC web browser, but none of them had any contacts.
Is there any way to restore my contacts via Samsung? Or any chance I could restore them another way?
If anyone cares to hear the (almost) whole story in short:

I decided to change OS and so I rooted the phone (never done any of this   before) and made backups with Titanium Backup (TiBa).
I couldn't restore the contacts to the new OS with TiBa, guessing because it was only for the old OS.
So I reinstalled my old OS but it wouldn't boot so I had to do a factory reset as well. Which I heard would leave my data on the SD card untouched.
Well it didn't. So I lost my backups as well. I should have moved it to the computer, but I was lazy and had already started to install the old OS.
Luckily, I can at least get all my messages back because of the synced data.

Edit: Ah, also, before I did any other backup (which I lost) I did copy everything from my phone to my PC  using Windows Explorer, but I don't think that included my contacts. I have a folder  .../Android/data/com.android.contacts  but it's empty except for an empty cache folder.

It sounds like the contacts were saved as "phone-only" (unsynced) contacts. If that's the case, since all your backups are gone, I'm afraid you're out of luck. But I hope I'm wrong.

Yeah. That's probably the case. Darn. How can I keep my messages then, when I change to the newer OS this time?


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Unrooting Nvidia Shield Tablet
I have rooted my Nvidia Shield Tablet successfully, using this guide.
It installs CWM recovery, and I have also installed Link2SD.
I am not planning on unrooting it now but if I wanted to then how would I do this, removing root and cwm recovery, without losing any data?
Also would I have to get rid of Link2SD as well, and how would I move all my apps back if so?

You can download the factory image from here. Open the file and extract the recovery.img file. Then connect the device to the computer with USB debugging turned on. Then open terminal/command prompt and navigate to where adb/fastboot is stored, then run

fastboot flash recovery recovery.img

As far as unrooting, the easiest option would to be, download SuperSu from the play store, which can be found here. Then in the settings for SuperSu, you will see Full Unroot. That will remove root for you.
As far link2sd card. From the FAQ. It says the apps will still work. http://www.link2sd.info/faq

Q.What happens to my linked apps if I uninstall the Link2SD app?
Will my linked apps will be automatically uninstalled or moved back to phone memory? And then if I install it back will they stay there?
Nothing happens. All linked apps remain intact and can be run even if you uninstall the Link2SD.
And if you install Link2SD back, you can see that they are there as linked.

After flashing the recovery.img, do you just reboot or do you need to do something else first?

Nope. After flashing you can just reboot.


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How to lock the pull down menu / sound settings
I am using Android 5.1.1 on a Nexus 4.
When the screen is locked, I still can change the sound settings (mute, volume) and I can pull down the top screen menu with the settings for WLAN / Bluetooth, flashlight and so on.
Sometimes I do switch those settings accidentally when the phone is in my pocket, so the light goes on and the battery is finished fast.
How can I lock those settings?

Even with pattern lock is enabled for screen locking?

possible duplicate of Lollipop hide quick settings on Lock screen


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Motorola Moto G (2nd Gen) mobile hotspot not forwarding packets
I have a Motorola Moto G (2nd Gen/2014) phone. I have set up a mobile hot spot, and when I activate it, my laptop can connect to it. I can ping the gateway, so the wifi connection between phone and laptop is working. On the phone I can browse and check mail, etc, so the phone's mobile data connection is working. But I cannot use the internet from the laptop. It's not a DNS issue, because I can't even ping my work server by its IP, nor some common DNS servers like google's or OpenDNS.
Has anyone else had this problem, and if so is there a solution or workaround?
EDIT: after doing further digging, it seems only IPv6 forwarding is being enabled, and of course without root you can't enable it.

I faced the very same issue with MOTO E, MOto G2, 3 and Now with 4. everything works fine if i use Bluetooth tethering or USB tethering. as soon as i connect my Laptop with WiFi of the G4 (WiFi threatening option) it connects but shows a yellow mark over Wifi.
I tried every single trick available over Internet but nothing worked. finally i did a small change and everything became fine. what i did is as follows:
click on wifi symbol and go to the available networks--> find the network of your hotspot and right click--> go to connection properties --> change encryption type to "AES" if already selected go to advance setting--> click over check box (enable FIPS compliance)--> click ok --> click OK again and you are good to go.
i tried this on windows 8, things must be more or less same for windows 7 and 10.

Hi, I've since flashed my Moto G2 with cyanogenmod so I can no longer confirm this answer works. Hotspot works just fine now by the way. Thanks for the answer though.


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Factory reset without resetting settings
On a Sony Xperia, there is a way.to reset the settings, and not data. Is there a way to reset the data, without resetting the settings. I am not accepting any methods needing root. I find it a hassle to even look for the bootloader on this thing.
Why? I have a tank setup for my battery, and all sorts of power optimization settings. (They are Xperia only settngs)I don't want them reset when I clear my data
Using Sony Xperia E C1505

@Firelord I wouldn't say "rude" – but indeed, that reduces chances dramatically. // Dan: can you be a bit clearer how to identify those "settings"? Apps usually store their settings together with their data. Is it a specific app you want to retain its data? Afraid it's not possible to separate the two; that Sony feature you're referring to most likely relates to specific (device/account) settings. // Related: Clearing all the app data on an Android tablet without using factory reset?

@Izzy The choice and usage of words could've been different, yet making the same meaning. // But anyhow, I don't understand the question much so I can't really post an answer, be it requiring root access or not.

@Firelord full ack to the second part. But I disagree on the first – except for the phrasing, maybe :) Rooting your device is not always an option, for many possible reasons.

Consider: http://android.stackexchange.com/questions/34645/what-can-be-saved-before-factory-reset

@Firelord I should explain... I have a broken build.prop. I CANNOT ROOT., WHATEVER I TRY. Theres only so many time you can try to get an Apple from the tree and continue when you fail

@JohanShogun Not what I am looking for. Izzy and firelord, your points have been taken in :). But, Izzy, your related question was not what I needed. Thanks anyway!

The settings you speak of, are they settings built into the phone or from 3rd party apps? There are non-root apps that can back up apps and data for you. If it's not from a 3rd party app, you could try pulling the data off the phone via adb and factory reset then push the data back to the phone. Just make sure to remove the broken build.prop from the data you pull, so that you don't overwrite it when you push it all back. There is a lot you can do with adb, just have to know what to type. Once again not 100% this will do what you are asking. But at the very least worth looking into.

I have already  tried that.  BTW,  it is the system settings


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Forgot Pattern/ Android Device manager not prompting keyboard
I have forgot my pattern and locked the my sony z3 compact using the Android Device Manager. Unfortunately when the screens prompts the "Locked by Android Device Manager" i have no option to enter the code. There is no keyboard popping up or anything. I just have a black screen with the above message.
Does anyone know how can i input the password?

If USB debugging is enabled, you can do adb input text <PASSWORD>

Maybe this answer helps you out?

Press the home button or back button. The soft keyboard will pop up.


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Is Applock by Gizmoquip safe?
I tried to install an app on my tablet called Applock, by a developer called Gizmoquip (I think there are a few apps with that by different developers). AVG came up with a message saying it will install adware, and malware to steal personal information, but it has more than 2 million downloads and very few bad reviews, and I can't find any information about it online anywhere else.
Is AVG wrong, and it's actually a safe app?
(EDIT: I'm sorry if it was an innappropriate question. Without anyone saying they downloaded it and are sure without a doubt that it is malware because it broke their phone or whatever, I'm afraid I really am just asking for a more informed opinion than my own.  But, since the issue is resolved now, and you've given me some very good advice, please feel free to close the question or delete it or whatever you need to do. If I have any other problems I'll try to think more about it before posting next time. Thank you!)

Lulu, don't feel too bad about it. I understand why Matthew put it on hold (as my answer pointed out, we can only guess here); though I wouldn't have been that strict, it's a bit "border-line". Admitted, a little different phrasing and Matthew would agree with me: "Are there any clues to tell whether an app is safe", with your app taken as example, might have done – but how should you have known that :) Once you've reached 20+ rep, you can "raise doubts" in our chat room. Waiting for you there :)

I cannot give you a satisfying "100% answer", but maybe bring some light into the issue:
What AVG reports for this app is:

it includes ad modules
specifically, it includes something called Android/deng (sorry, AVG doesn't give me the English page, obviously due to my current location/IP – with some luck it will reroute you to it)

This "Android/deng" thingy seems to be ransom-ware (see e.g. here ; VirusTotal reports it for another app of the same author).
With two places mentioning different packages of the same author "infected", that makes it at least suspicious: one can be wrong (not a rare case), but two of them for different apps of the same author rings the bells.

So far the first analysis. I'm still not convinced enough to scream "Malware!" straight out, neither "Safe!" – but "Special care!" never hurt. That said, what would I recommend? Different things:

as you've already installed that app, check it with a product specialized on this. My Android-app-list for Ad-Modules and Privacy Checker will give you some choice: two of them are marked with an "IzzyOnDroid recommendation" – which is naturally what I recommend you now :)
If all that seems to be "too suspicious and dangerous" to you, you might wish to pick an alternative app for your purpose. For that, be welcome to take a look at my list on App Lockers.

Thank you for answering! If you think it's even a little bit suspicious, I think it's better to use one of the other apps, since it seems there are quite a few. I've installed App Lock by Domobile instead, and I might look at a few of the others in your list as well :)  Thanks again!

You're welcome, Lulu! Yes, that's always the safe variant. If you found the answer useful, please condiser upvoting (tick the "up" arrow next to it) and/or "accepting" (tick the "checkmark") if it solved your issue. And enjoy your new app locker! // Btw: Another consideration is contacting the dev for clarification and see how "trustworthy" the answer seems to be.

authors: ام ميار ام ميار


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control shield with phone
I am thinking about buying an NVidia shield for my TV. Can I control this shield with e.g. my android phone or an android tablet using something like this app: com.google.android.tv.remote?

According to the reviews on the app you asked about and from searching a little bit on google. Yes. You can control the shield tv from your phone. According to Nvidia, the shield tv comes with the controller which can of course control it as well.
Edit Adding a link to the app in question. Which can be found here.


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Permission denied for “dd” of Android phone's file system connected over mtpfs in Ubunutu 14.0.4
I have connected my rooted Mi3 android phone to Ubuntu 14.0.4 using jmtpfs. I am using ~/Desktop/phone as my mount point. I am able to browse the Android device using Nautilus.
Now I want to recover the files from my phone because I have done a factory reset. I am using the dd command to make a clone of the storage of the phone. When I try to do this I get the following error:
:~/Desktop$ sudo sh -c "dd if=~/Desktop/phone of=/media/sf_phone_recovery/image"
dd: failed to open ‘~/Desktop/phone’: Permission denied

Is it because the phone has root priviliges?
:~/Desktop/phone$ ls -l
total 0
drwxr-xr-x 29 root root 0 May 19 4441318 Internal storage

I have also tried Foremost to recover files but it takes forever to run. Have important files on my phone. Help needed asap.
This is the output of lsblk:
:~$ lsblk
NAME   MAJ:MIN RM   SIZE RO TYPE MOUNTPOINT
sda      8:0    0  14.2G  0 disk
├─sda1   8:1    0   8.3G  0 part /
├─sda2   8:2    0     1K  0 part
└─sda5   8:5    0   5.9G  0 part [SWAP]
sr0     11:0    1  1024M  0 rom

I am running Ubuntu using VirtualBox on Mac OSX Yosemite.
This is the discussion of this question at askUbuntu.com link
EDIT: There is another method for recovering your data from an Android phone that does not require access to a PC elaborated here. It involves installing an Android terminal and using the dd command to clone the required storage block of internal memory to a SD card or a pen drive (connected to your phone via a USB OTG cable).

Not a good idea you received here. They should've told you to flag that question for migration here. Now you ended up with cross-posting.

Apart from that: since when is it possible to dd a mapped network drive? dd IMHO requires "physical" access to the partition, which MTP explicitly does not offer (that was one reason why Android switched from UMS to MTP, to be able to access the storage from "both ends" simultaneously). Just checking: You've already got that answer here. We can't tell you differently – so asking until you get the answer you'd like to hear doesn't work ;)

Short answer: a complete copy of your phone over dd can't be done.
Explanation: Normally when you access a file, your file system driver will parse the folder hierarchy, translate it to an inode, locate the sector on which the file is stored, the metadata is parsed and the file is read. MTP does things differently: your computer sends a request to the device to get file X, your device will parse the directory structure, parse the metadata, locate the sector/cell on the storage device, read the file and then send the data back over MTP.
dd will make a copy of the blocks that are on the storage device itself. Therefore you can copy files and entire partitions because they are blocks of data on the disk. Directories are stored on the disk but they aren't real regions of disk space, they're more like references so files can indicate "I'm part of this folder". Therefore you cannot do a block copy of a directory. Because you cannot do a block copy of a directory, copying the entire storage device of your Android phone over MTP is not possible.
But there is hope: if your device software allows it, you might be able to mount your device as a USB storage device. This will directly attach the storage partition to your computer, allowing you to make a backup using a command like dd if=/dev/sdb of=~/backup_file.
Alternatively, because you have root you could enable Developer Mode on your Android device and then execute the following command after installing the ADB tools (sudo apt-get install android-tools-adb):
adb shell su -c "dd if=/dev/block/mmcblk0" > ~/full_phone_backup.image

This will make a copy of everything on the storage device. It will run for quite some time. I never reached more than 20MB/s over ADB, so it would take 64000/20=3200 seconds at max speed to copy a 64GiB device. After the copy has finished you can run your file recovery software over full_phone_backup.image to get any files back from the system.

when I run this command adb shell su -c "dd if=/dev/block/mmcblk0" > ~/full_phone_backup.image I get error: device not found

Did you enable developer mode on the phone? Do you get a command line shell if you type in adb shell? "device not found" usually means that the device was not connected to/recognized by the OS.

No I get the same error error: device not found when I run adb shell. I can explore the device using Nautilus on Ubuntu 14.0.4. I am running the OS in virtualbox, thus the OS is brand new. Are there any dependencies that I need to install for the terminal to detect the device.

Did you enable devoper mode on your phone? This can be done via Settings->Device information and then tapping the field called "build number" seven times. After that, reconnect your device. Then try running adb shell again.

Yes I did enable developer mode and my phone is also rooted

Try running adb devices. If your device is not on the list, disable developer mode, disconnect your device, enable developer mode and connect your device again. Then try adb devices again to see if your device is recognised now. If this fails, your device might require some kind of special driver for ADB to work.

Got it to work on Mac OSX. Don't know why it's not working in Ubuntu. Thanks @gertmenkel


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Chrome and Skype takes up a lot of storage
I'm not sure if this is a problem different for anyone but these apps are very large.
I'm on a very limited storage of 2Gb with no move to sd capabilities and both these apps rise above 150Mb in space.
Updating both apps is simply impossible because I would have to remove a lot of apps to do so.
I'd rater rather just delete both but I actively use both and Chrome is the default browser.
Also Skype had issues with the latest version so I was forced to downgrade.
And before answers arise saying just delete the data. That includes preferences, logins and bookmarks.
For extra info:
Phone: Sony Xperia M / C1905 rooted
OS version: 4.3
Build: 15.4.A.1.9
Chrome: 41.0.2272.96 (outdated)
Skype: 5.3.0.65246 (outdated)

I can see how you have problems if your device only has 2Gb of storage.
The size of the apps are determined by two factors: app size and data/cache size. The app size is the size of the app code and its data. How much space this takes up is determined by the developer.
Data is the actual app data and cache consists of temporary files that can be deleted any time. Clearing your cache will not delete user accounts or settings. Clearing data can.
If the 'data' part of the apps is taking too much space, you should enable Chrome sync. This will sync all history/bookmarks and some settings across your devices, so if you clear the data after syncing your data will appear again after logging in again.
This does not solve the problem of storage shortage, it will only delay it. You have root, and this page says you can insert a MicroSD card into your phone so Link2SD might be an option.
If you have an external SD card about 4GB+, you can easily extend the amount of storage your apps can use by using an app like Link2SD.
Link2SD (and similar apps) allow you to reserve some part of your SD-card for app storage by allow you to use an ext2/ext4 partition as data storage. You can follow any tutorial like this one or this one to set it up. You don't have an HTC device so you can ignore the S-OFF stuff. Most tutorials will guide you every step, but it all comes down to this:

Always make backups of everything just to be sure
Install Minitool Partition Wizard and insert your SD-card into your computer
Resize the existing FAT32 partition of your SD-card to create some space for apps
Create a new primary, ext2 partition in the free space (some tutorials use ext4 but ext4 is less fit for solid state storage like SD-cards)
Install Link2SD and select the new partition when you are to select one

Keep in mind that the ext2 partition will be reserved and no non-app files can be stored in the reserved space (like photos, music, videos). Also, any apps on the SD-card will be gone if you boot your device without an SD-card. If you have a cheap/bad SD-card apps will be a lot slower than when they ran from the internal storage. Use class 8 or higher SD-card for the best results.

You cannot do anything about those two monsters using so much data – they're known for that. But still, there's something to work around that, enabling you to "update" without losing your data:

Backup for safety (data only)
adb backup -noapk -f Skype.ab com.raider.skype
adb backup -noapk -f Chrome.ab com.android.chrome

Remove the apps, but keep their data
adb uninstall -k com.raider.skype
adb uninstall -k com.android.chrome

Install the apps anew using e.g. the Playstore app

If that doesn't work out (as the amount of data still is too much), ommit the -k in the second step – and to restore your data, follow the third step by
adb restore Skype.ab
adb restore Chrome.ab

This requires your computer to be equipped with adb (see the adb tag-wiki for details, including a minimal install as you won't need the entire SDK for that).

Why did you choose ADB over TiBa when the device is rooted?

@Firelord With the OP's device already low on space and not able to update several apps, I chose an approach not involving the install of additional apps. Of course it would work with TiBu as well – but that might have lead to ping-pong ("cannot install, not enough storage free, what now?"). The ADB approach doesn't run that risk.

You can delete individual cached web pages in Chrome by going into Settings > Site Settings > Storage. The pages are in descending size order. Chrome was using 1.1Gb until I deleted one page taking 389Gb.


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Touchscreen not working at the center in Asus Zenfone 2
It's been a week, and I've been facing a touch related issue in my Asus Zenfone 2 running Android 5.0. My smartphone's touch is not working at the center. Touch test showed blank area at the center. How to solve this problem? Is it a software or a hardware specific problem?
This happened after my phone got wet in rain: I used Screen Touch Test to test touchscreen:
(Click image to enlarge)

My device is neither rooted, nor is under warranty. I did factory reset but it didn't help.

Since your did a Factory reset and it dint work, I guess its a hardware problem. Temporarily you can use the one-hand mode in your notification screen where your can resize/move your screen to access your phone.

It's happen to me to, here is the solution, try it, it's works...
https://youtu.be/iFNAomLnECc

Your touchscreen hardware is broken. You need to take it to your local repair shop and have the touchscreen replaced.
If it were new (and therefore faulty when sold) or still under warranty, the manufacturer would be more than happy to replace it: I have friends who've experienced the same kind of problems and got replacements, even on cheap unbranded tablets.


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Every app in GAPPS works fine except Google Play Store and Google Play Services. How to fix them?
I've done the factory reset, yet I see the  popups  "Unfortunately Google Play Services has stopped". I've  tried reinstalling the GAPPS but a weird situation came up.  I can sign in but the pop up Google play has stopped kept bugging. Plus every app under GAPPS works fine except for the Google Play Store which I cannot connect although I've signed in into my Google Account.
The two apps (Google Play Store and Google Play Services) has troubling me so much.  I've tried  reinstalling, clearing Cache, factory reset, and I can't find the button to uninstall updates for these two preferences. I've tried dozens of APKs, and various versions. I'm using the Lenovo Vibe Shot Z90-7 with Android  5.0.2, running on Vibe UI V2.5.

Also Android police run a site called apkmirror. You could download the play store and services that way and  then put them on your device and manually install them that way. http://www.apkmirror.com/apk/google-inc/

I installed a GMS Core(Google Play Services) version 7.5.71(1955121-448) apk.
I'm using Google play ver 3.1.11 (2044178-836)
This worked for me.


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Samsung SMG900S applications

how to uninstall android device manager to samsung SM G900S.
how to remove applications under administrator.

Unless the phone is rooted, you cant typically remove apps that are labeled system apps. You can try disable them, preventing them from running. And some apps that are labeled as system apps cant even be disabled.
But anyways to check and see if you can remove them. Settings > App Manager, then scroll til you find Android Device Manager. Press on it. See if it will let you uninstall it or disable it. If you cant uninstall/disable it. You will have to root the device to remove it.
If you are rooted, You might still need a 3rd party app to remove the app. Such as Titanium Backup, which can be found in the play store. Then that will allow you to freeze/disable the app, back up the app, or fully uninstall it.
Edit If you are rooted, When you are wanting to remove apps and if they were system apps. I would suggest freezing or making a back up of the app just in case the phone starts acting up. That way you can reinstall them without having to go hunt for the apk. Cause some apps rely on each other to function right. Especially when dealing with Samsung/Touch Wiz.

thank you so much, but i don't know how to root my device i tried supersu and towel root but prompt always that there is no su binary installed or not updated. how will i fix that command?

i want to use my device like before without having a system applications which is not usefull to me and i don't know how this applications appeared on my device. i used to disable and force stop those applications but it keeps on running so stressfull to me. i wanr my device back to normal.

In the settings for SuperSU you can tell it to install the binary. I haven't ever used towel root, so I cant help you there. How did you install supersu?  Through a custom recovery/odin? Or just downloaded through the play store? Cause normally you have to flash it, via recovery/odin to root the device. Not 100% on what towel root does. But this will help you install supersu if that's what you are wanting to do. http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2696537


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wiping device and re-entering account info reloads all previously loaded apps
My phone was running quite slow so I decided to wipe it and re-enter my account info into it. After I did that all the apps I had previously had installed started re-downloading themselves. My contact list was restored as well.
idk if I mind the contact list (altho I had written down all the names / numbers I wanted to keep) but the apps re-installing themselves is a bit of a PITA. I could start uninstalling every app under the sun but as a matter of personal preference the apps that came with the phone (even if they're not a part of Android itself) I'd just assume keep. And plus it just seems like it'd be easier to start from scratch and selectively install the apps I know I want instead of uninstall the apps I don't want.

Depending on your device and android version. When setting up the device on Lollipop 5.0+, When you get to the part about "Get your apps and data" From the drop down select "Set up as new device." If on KitKat 4.X.X, When you get to Google Services setup screen, uncheck the "Backup and Restore" option. Once the device is setup and whatnot. If you go back into the settings, you should be able to recheck it without it trying to download all the apps again, but only after the initial setup is complete.
Edit
Photo of Kitkat screen.
Photo of Lollipop screen.


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Moto G not showing up properly in Android Device Monitor after upgrade
I was able to enable USB debugging, download, and run a an app I wrote in Android Studio when it was running KitKat.  I have since upgraded to Lollipop.
I also changed from 32 to 64 bit Linux Mint due to warnings in Android Studio and the need to -force-32bit in the debugger.
Now my Moto G shows up in Android Device Monitor as shown in the attached image.

Any ideas on what might be causing this?

There was quite a bit of change so the issue could be anywhere within the opertion. To start troubleshooting lets first look toward your device.
Since the upgrade to lollipop to cover all bases just assume everything reverted to its original state. looking at the basics go to developer settings and verify USB debugging is enabled. next connect device to PC and now within the device verify that MTP is enabled. two ways to check one the devices notification pull down menu press the connected as media device enable media device (MTP). the other option is to go to settings/storage/menu-dots/USB computer connection then verify MTP.
Next focus on the PC next and with changing from 32 to 64. Its thorough to just assume if it changed then compatibilty issues followed. So go to devices and check that the proper drivers are installed.
Device manager click launch emulator and once its up that means its time for adventures in ADB.

adb devices

check what itt returns and if the question marks are still present then try this.

adb kill-server

then

adb start-server

hopefully by this point you are up and running that was just a few common causes.


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Samsung Galaxy Core Prime non responsive touch screen and back button for a while
I am using Samsung Galaxy Core Prime. Everything has been running smooth except the fact that for sometime I'm facing a strange problem of touch screen as well as touch button (Back button) at the same time. For example, when I chat using either Facebook Messenger or WhatsApp, sometimes I observe while typing in the keys the screen behaves abnormally i.e. if I try to erase a character there appears a new line or so. The keys don't respond.
At the moment, if I touch the Back button instead of going back to the previous app a new app appears (say Google+ here). Moreover, if I try to swipe down to go to the settings at the same time it pops down partially and disappears. The touch screen doesn't work entirely for a while. The problem vanishes automatically after a while, but very annoying as it occurs repeatedly.
I have 360 Security Antivirus installed and scanning shows no viruses either. What is the cause of this problem?

he is a nonsense guy who actually downvoted this question instead of solving my problem..because there is no nonsense thing in my question!

Hi Rosemary! I don't see nonsense in the question except the fact that there were some glaring typos (which you should've removed by reading the question before posting it) which I corrected now. Plus, there is no point in mocking the person who downvoted your question, other than to kindly ask the reason for downvote. // Anyhow, I'm not that downvoter of course, if it matters. :)

Just wondering, Are you using a screen protector and more specifically, is it a tempered glass one? My mom always used Invisishield(the plastic ones) on her phones and here recently, she tried one of the tempered glass ones on her Note 4 and it was causing all kinds of mis-presses and etc. Removed it and the phone was good as new.

thank you @jer3my for the response. Yeah,I have also a screen protector but not sure whether it is tempered glass, but it seems like plastic.

Try taking that off for a few days. There were cases those "boxes" caused strange behavior.

This could be a hardware problem, not a software problem.