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Not all media files discovered by media apps
I have folder on my sd card called podcasts. It contains  subfolders of podcasts. My problem is the media players I have tried only display some of the podcast files as being available to play.
There doesn't seem to be any reason why the displayed files should be playable and the others not. I have tried clearing the data of the "media storage" app as well as running a "rescan sd card" app, to no avail.
So, any ideas as to how I can get all of my podcasts to be playable in a media player?
UPDATE: The problem seemed be caused by Winamp not playing wma format files, even though it's meant to support them. Have converted them to mp3 and they now appear in Winamp and can be played

Does any of the folders contain a .nomedia file? That would be a marker for the media scanner to exclude its contents. If not, you might want to check the system logs once you triggered the media scanner, to look out for any error messages.

No .nomedia file. The problem seemed be caused by Winamp not playing wma format files, even though it's meant to support them. Have converted them to mp3 and they now appear in Winamp and can be played.

You may want to put that as an answer (and accept it 2 days later when you can), as it looks like this is the answer to your question, right? ;)

It doesn't explain what was going on but the problem has gone away. Have added it as an answer. Thanks for your help.

The problem seemed be caused by Winamp not playing wma format files, even though it's meant to support them. Have converted them to mp3 and they now appear in Winamp and can be played.


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Accidentally hit PIT during Odin update now phone is stuck
I was attempting to flash a handset using Odin, and accidentally clicked on the button marked PIT, and now the Odin is saying similar to this message - 'connecting phone ------ pc'.
Also, the handset cannot be rebooted nor put into downloading mode.
Please advise?

mind sharing your phone model?

Well, you seem to have 2 options:

If under warranty, send it to service center, your Main board (PBA) should be replaced.
You probably will need a JTag repair!

AFAIK, there is nothing you can do at the moment, by yourself to get the phone working, apart from the options mentioned above!

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HTC Chacha - random facebook notifications?! please help!
My boyfriend bought me this phone about a week ago as an xmas present, and i've been very happy with it so far. Thing is, everytime I try to text somebody/look through my phone it constantly flashes 'to check-in places/to upload photos, please sign into facebook'. I don't have facebook & I just want to get rid of these random notifications that stop me enjoying my phone! Please help!

I don't know with which Android version that phone ships. If it's at least Android 4.x, you could go and "freeze" (disable) all those irrelevant bloatware apps like Facebook etc. Once disabled, they should bug you no longer. Also, for almost every app there's an alternative available -- so if nagging doesn't stop you could start replacing the SMS app, messenger, mail, photo... Plenty of choices available on the Google Playstore.

The HTC chacha is actually called "the Facebook phone" as its purpose is to make it easy to use with facebook. It even has a dedicated facebook button! Android 2.3. I would suggest changing ROM to cyanogenmod, a bit more complicated though. Android 4.0 with cyanogenmod 9 for example: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1665828

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How do I debug my wi-fi connection?
I have two wi-fi networks at home and one of them I just cannot connect to with my Galaxy Nexus. (It works fine with several laptops.)
It shows up but when I try to connect after "Connecting..." it just goes to the state "Saved, secured with WPA2".
I also tried connecting using WPS but it just times out.
I am looking for ways to get additional information to debug this.
What I have tried (as suggested in many other places) is changing the frequency band from Auto to 5 or 2.4 GHz but that didn't help.
EDIT: By now I have also tried resetting the phone but that didn't help either.

Did you check the WiFi channel used as well? Not all channels are (lawfully) valid for all countries, and some devices are stricter than others dealing with those regulations.

No, I didn't were can I find those setting?

In your router you can define which channel to use. Some routers have auto-select. Regulations differ between countries; but usually channel 11 and below are permitted in all countries (some routers support additional/higher channels, which are not permitted in all countries). Please let us know whether this brought you at least closer to a solution, so I might sum it up to a useful answer.

It seems that the lower channels are not available for 5 GHz wireless. I set my phone to 2.4 GHz only and fixed channel seven on the access point but it didn't help.

Any hints in adb logcat?

In my experience, when I see that behaviour it means I typoed the password for the wifi. Double/triple check that?

Are the two wifi networks clashing with each other? one signal from one router interfering with the other - try moving the router away from each other and make sure they are on two separate channels.

I will have to look into the routers interfering. I think they're both set to automatic channel selection. Hadn't bothered because both networks work fine with laptops so I assumed the problem had to be with the phone. @ott I will check, thanks for the hint.

In the end I fixed it using the old "have you tried turning it off and on again?" on one of the APs. Make sure to try that first. ;)
So here is my little checklist, least annoying first:
(If you have other suggestions or things that worked for you let me know and I'll add them!)

Recheck the password it is almost always the problem! (Hint to the Android devs: A more descriptive error for this case would be great. ;) )
Reboot all devices. Yes, even if it works for other computers and if it will cut their network connection.
Try adding the network manually and entering all the data manually.
Try restricting all devices to specific channels and bands instead of using automatic discovery.
If you use multiple devices make sure they don't interfere by setting them to different channels or selectively turning them off.
Try using "adb logcat" to get more information.
Try resetting your phone.

I have experienced this also with my phone (Galaxy Nexus). The main reason that I see causing this is a miss-typed password as i believe someone mentioned above. Another thing that has happened to me is a really low connection. Check to see how strong the wifi signal is in the spot where you are trying to connect. Sometimes if the connection is really weak it will keep the phone from connecting so try moving around your house also. I know this is pretty obvious but you said you had two networks so make sure your phone is not connected to the first one when you are trying connect to the second. If all of this does not solve the problem there is a workaround that I have found works most of the time: go to settings->wifi(make sure it is turned on so you can see all the available networks.). Click on the plus button at the bottom (right above the home button in the center). Enter your network's SSID (name that appears in the list of available networks) and select the security and password. Hit save and see if that works (you might have to than click on it in the list and hit connect but it should connect when you hit save.) Hope this helps!

I actually already tried manually adding the network earlier and it didn't help either. I also did indeed have at some point a wrong password set but I fixed and quadrupel checked that and it didn't help. Pretty sad though, that it's hard to tell when you just typed a wrong password.

Yeah it can be tough to see if you messed up the password sometimes. When you enter the SSID and password manually, there is a check box to "show password". That helps me.


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Nexus 7 is stuck in reboot loop after full discharge
I have a few day old Nexus 7 tablet, unrooted, bootloader still locked, and otherwise in factory condition. This morning, it ran its charge out. When I plugged in it, this happens:

Google Logo appears.
Nexus Logo appears.
Lock screen which shows charging: 0%.
White screen, device powers off.
Repeat.

What is happening? Thanks!

Some devices (I don't know about the Nexus 7, but I think it will be about the same) only charge when they have still a little charge left on their battery, because - believe it or not - charging happens electronically. So it can be that your device has absolutely no juice left to run. An example of such a device is the BlackBerry PlayBook (not Android) where this trick works when your tablet doesn't want to boot.
But there is a simple solution for that, which can take some time. Try to keep your device awake for as long as possible, even if that means you have to restart it a couple of times. Of course you do this while your charger is connected. After you have restarted it a couple of times, it should normally boot up. I expect it will take about 7 or 8 boots for the battery to be charged at minimum level again. After that, make sure you keep the device connected long enough so the battery is fully charged (have a look in your user manual how long it is recommended, most tablets need about 8 hours).
Another option is that your device just needs a little more juice to start. In that case you should leave it plugged in for some time (I recommend at least an hour) before booting.
tl;dr: Two options you could try: 1) Just keep restarting it, after a while it will start as normal. Recharge the battery for a long time (probably around 8 hours). 2) Leave it plugged in for a long time before restarting

If you've just plugged it in to the charger, leave it a while before you try to turn it on.  The boot sequence uses power faster than USB can provide it, so you will need a little juice in the battery in order for it to boot up all the way.

There are a few 2A power adapters out there that should provide enough current for the device to complete the boot process even if the battery is empty.


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Lock screen orientation on Nexus 4
Is there a shortcut to lock the screen orientation on the Nexus 4 with android 4.2.1? I read you can swipe down from the top right corner on the Nexus 7 but haven't found any info for the 4.

You can go to Settings > Display and then un-check Auto-Rotate. Since that's rather inconvenient, I installed an app called Power Toggles which makes it possible to force lock the screen orientation to landscape or portrait from the notification bar very easily.
I particularly liked this app since its very lightweight, only about 248kb. It also makes it possible to add single-click actions for things such as the turning on the flashlight or mobile hotspot.

To lock home screen so it would not rotate, just go to launcher settings and disable "rotate screen". That is all you need to do. I am referring to Nexus 4 with OS 4.3
There is nothing is settings that will help. I have been fighting with this for a week not remembering how I did it in the first place..


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Backup using adb on a phone with a dead screen
I have a Galaxy S3, screen is visually and touch impaired. It is USB debug enabled, un-rooted.
I'm able to use Droid@Screen to see my screen, which i'm able to unlock. I then run this command:

adb backup –apk –shared –all –f /backup/mybackup.ab

Which then initiates a backup on the phone. On the screen I can see it asking for an encryption password, which i provide by keyevent through adb. The final sticking point, is being unable to find a keyevent which will press the "Backup up my data" button. I am able to tab to it, and have it highlighted, but the 'space' and 'enter' events do not trigger it, as well as 'soft_right'.
I'm getting my keyevents from HERE.

If there is another way for me to dump the ab, that would be awesome.

Am surprised that Droid@Screen does not have a mouse to interact with it such as remote vnc... :o what other key events have you tried? BTW, can you recall what hardware key sits underneath directly the input soft button labelled "Backup my data"? Maybe it needs keycode_focus first then keycode_enter?

There isn't a hardware key under that.

I was in the same situation as you.
Once you enter the full backup screen
Use the following commands:
adb shell input text <your password>
adb shell input keyevent 22
adb shell input keyevent 23

the "adb shell input keyevent 22" command is Dpad Right, you'll be able to select back up my data
the "adb shell input keyevent 23" is the Dpad Center, It will allow you to select enter
22 -->  "KEYCODE_DPAD_RIGHT"
23 -->  "KEYCODE_DPAD_CENTER"

Have you tried sending a KEYCODE_DPAD_CENTER?
adb shell input keyevent 23

That moves the focus off the target, but does not appear to work either.

Use Droid Explorer and the Screencast plugin to use your keyboard and mouse from your desktop computer to control the handset?
That would make life easier instead of fiddling around with using adb shell input keyevent ...

I'm not rooted, so screencast isn't going to work, correct?

I confirm you do not need to be rooted, however, it is pretty limited, but maybe that's because the handset used in conjunction with screencast, is eclair 2.1...

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How exactly does operating system update work on Android devices?
Today I have received my first Android device, to be more precise a GOClever Tab A102.2 tablet. I have noticed that it runs as operating system Android 4.0.4 so I though why not update it since the latest one is 4.2? I went to Settings > About > System Update however it asks for a update.zip file which I have to place in NAND or SD card.
Searching through the internet I have found that some devices connect to the internet and check for updates when prompted while others need to be updated with vendor specific versions (I guess that's the case for me).
Now I wonder, why do some devices need to be updated with vendor specific versions? The way I see it, Android is just an Operating System and thus not tied to the device so theoretically if I wanted I could ditch it in favor of some other operating system (say a linux distro) so whether the update comes from the vendor or not should be irrelevant.
Also, can vendor specific versions of Android be updated (through some other means) even though the vendor didn't release an update for it?

Most vendors/manufacturers modify the Android source code to ensure full compatibility with the devices hardware - if you were to update to a clean version of Android, it just wouldn't work properly (and it it even booted, most things wouldn't work at all).
Some manufacturers implement an OTA update feature - whereas some don't. Those that don't sometimes make you connect your phone/tablet to the computer and use their 'helper' program to do the update.
Even the devices that do connect to the internet and download the update are vendor specific - device specific even, it is just that the manufacturer let you do it that way.
As to your final question: Yes, through a custom ROM. Custom ROM's are versions of Android that have been modified by the Android community, based on the stock Android code, to work on your device. You should search google, or look at forums such as XDA-Developers for more info about ROM's, or to look for a ROM for your device.
Remember: All the hardware in phones are different. Only the manufacturer knows how to code for it, so that is why default Android code won't work with it - it would need propriety drivers.


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How to block SMSs from certain "named" senders?
There are many tools around to block unwanted SMSs. Samsung Galaxy S3's Jelly Bean offers a native call&sms blocker too.
But some senders are not phone numbers, they are alphanumeric strings.
I would like to get rid of this spammer, and my provider says they can't block SMSs on their own.
Currently, I wouldn't like to block "anonymous" SMS because I haven't yet received spam (better say mobbing) from undisclosed/private senders.
I've tried to use Root Call Blocker Pro, but it doesn't seem to support named senders too.
Any suggestions on how to deal with this?


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Amazon Free App of the day app, will not install on Kindle Fire
My stepmother has a Kindle Fire. I want to install the Amazon Free app of the day (from link here): http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html?ie=UTF8&docId=1000626391
I go to link, download the file, and it comes up with the .apk. I install it, and click "OPEN". When the installation is done, it takes me back to the web page to download it.
I enabled it to allow to install 3rd party apps. The Amazon account is setup with a debit card and onclick is enabled.
If I go to manage my Apps and view all apps, the icon shows up twice. But there is no uninstall button to click; it is grayed out.
I have done this on 3 phones and 1 other kindle fire, and had no problems.
Anyone have any ideas?

The link you've provided is for the Amazon Appstore itself, so that it can be installed on Android devices (thereby giving them access to the Appstore). The Kindle Fire comes with this pre-installed (the "Apps" link on the top bar of the home screen). Why are you attempting to install it like this?

Sorry I was following the directions on this page to download the app that is at this link:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/mas/get/android/ref=mas_mbl_ldg
She has the amazon store on her kindle but not the app store, I did this before on my babysitters and it worked fine, it is the orange icon with appstore on it

She has the amazon store on her kindle but not the app store - Unless the Fire has been modified, this is...impossible. What you're attempting to do quite frankly just doesn't make sense. The Kindle Fire comes with the Appstore pre-installed. Just tap on the "Apps" link on the top bar of the home screen and there should be a "Store" link on the next page. That's all you need; it's the exact same store.

on our babysitters Kindle Fire I was able to get the app to the appstore (the orange icon) to show up as an icon on her "desktop" so she could just click it and go directly to android apps, with the free app of the day showing up on the top.

Again, though - why would you need to do this? The fact that it worked at all in the past seems like it could be a total anomaly since it is almost certainly not designed to be installed (essentially) on top of itself. Why not just use the built-in interface the way it was intended? Can you not get the free app that way? It has always worked for me. This seems like it's going down the path of an XY problem.


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Samsung Captivate not booting after root
I recently installed Clockwork Recovery, and used that to install CyanogenMod 10 on my Captivate using this guide. Every thing worked perfectly.
I backed up the stock ROM. Then I realized that my contacts and data were gone in the new ROM. I read in an article that you could restore the data part of the backup using the recovery in Nandroid, so I recovered it. But when I rebooted, the phone got stuck at the spinning CyaogenMod screen.
I made the problem worse by trying to flash the mtkareys zImage kernel, and repeated the process described in the guide. Now, I can't get into recovery mode nor the Android (CyaogenMod) OS.
I suspect that I would need to use some tool that uses my Ubuntu 12.04 or Windows 7 PC, because the only resource that I have access to is download mode in the phone. Nothing else seems to work. Please understand that I am a beginner who has never even written an app for android (I do have the sdk installed though).

Why did you flash a kernel mtkareys zImage kernel to quote OP, when really you wanted to restore the data part of it...? What was the deciding factor in that?!

What Izzy said is correct. Also, never give up! I found that there is always something you can do to unbrick your captivate.
The xda-developers wiki page is very useful in this regard. The sections about bricking and unbricking should be very useful. While it's very difficult to enumerate all possible ways of unbricking here, understanding the nature of the brick (soft or hard) and looking for alternative ways in the forums is always helpful. The techniques that I know of so far are:

The 3-button method and its variations, as listed in the wiki page above. (There are variations, just search for them in xda-developers)
Using your PC and the USB cable. Izzy's answer is one such method.
Hardware solutions that involve cutting a USB cable or using resistors. When you have a hard brick, you may have to resort to these.

Good luck and don't stop searching! There is always a way to unbrick your Captivate.

rather than just adding a link, please explain what the method is, with a summery of the article you have linked.

Thank you for your tip on how to write a more helpful answer. Unfortunately I do not have time to write a summary and I believe the information that I gave can be useful as is.

Turns out I do have time now. Hope this is better. I need 10 reputation so I can provide a better answer to this poor fellow.

If you had recovery, a simple data wipe would have fixed the boot loop issue. The issue you are describing sounds like a kernel/system issue.
The only fix would be to try and flash a new kernel via download mode - you would have to find a program that could do this.
If this isn't possible (it may not be), then you should consider your phone bricked, and you should take it to your nearest service center for repair (don't tell them you rooted it, just say it wouldn't turn on after you had turned it off).

That's a stack of errors occuring to you. Before I present you a possible solution, let me point out what your mistakes have been -- to avoid those in the future:

Never ever go to restore system data (this includes SMS, contacts, and other data from system apps) from a Nandroid backup of one ROM to a different ROM. This might work in some cases (when those ROMs involved are very compatible), but most likely will bring you in trouble as it was in your case. Apps store their data mostly in SQLite files, which contain databases -- and the structure of those databases very often differs. So you break those apps, which leads to different kind of trouble -- up to the point of boot-loops or incomplete boots, being stuck at the logo. This is also why Liam is correct that a "data wipe" (or "factory reset") would have solved the issue (as it would remove those broken SQLite files, and the apps would re-create them emptily).
If you really need to transfer data of system apps between different ROMs, the best way is to export this data before you flash (contacts can be exported directly from the contacts app, and would then be stored as .vcf file on your sdcard; for other things like SMS there are apps available on the playstore), and import them afterwards. Also, as you are rooted, you should consider buying the pro version of Titanium Backup for a complete backup (in addition to your Nandroid backup). Titanium Backup includes a "Migration feature" which should work for those kind of data as well.
Never flash a kernel if you are not 100% sure it works for your combination of device and ROM. If you break things here, you device won't be able to boot in normal or recovery mode, as you experienced. Especially do no such thing if your device already has other trouble -- first solve that trouble before doing such "deep system changes".

Now, you are 100% correct: As you are no longer able to boot into recovery mode, you need a helper tool "from outside". For Samsung devices, this tool is either Odin (which is what Samsung itself provides), or Heimdall, which is a cross-plattform alternative to Odin which will also run on your Ubuntu PC (Odin will not, as it IMHO is for Windows only). Use either of the two to flash any ROM compatible to your device, so you get your recovery mode working again. Once that is done, you might start over flashing ClockworkMod recovery, then restoring your complete Nandroid backup, exporting your data as described above, and finally switch to the ROM you wanted to use.

Good luck! If that fails, give Heimdall a try. I don't own any Samsung device, but I've read quite often that Heimdall is to be preferred over Odin. The Whys and Hows for that are better explained by a Samsung user who can tell it first-hand, though ;)


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Samsung s3 Unlock
I bought a Samsung phone, on the T-Mobile carrier in the US. I went to India last week, and got my unlock code from T-Mobile. My India-Vodafone SIM is working fine, except for the internet. I have called customer care, and have changed all the settings, but it doesn't work.
How can I make internet work?

If the SIM card works, and you can get a network signal, then the deice is unlocked and it is a different error that is stopping internet from working.
It could be due to a number of reasons that internet isn't working, I am going to list them:
Invalid/Wrong APN's
APN (Access Point Names) allow your device to connect to mobile internet. You nust ensure you have the correct ones installed for your network.
Device not compatible with internet system
IIRC, the T-Mobile US network uses a different system... It could be that this system isn't compatible with your Indian network for internet access.
Other than the above, I cannot think of any reason internet wouldn't work when mobile network does. Make sure your network is letting you use the internet (no bars, you have internet with your plan) - otherwise, I do not know.

I agree with Liam. The problem is most likely that the T-Mobile phones use different bands than just about any other carrier worldwide for their HSPA network. If your carrier has EDGE, you should be able to connect to that, as it should be the same bands.

To put it in other words: Try fixing your device to use 2G (or GSM, whatever it is called in your menu) instead of letting it decide automatically, make sure not to use UMTS/CDMA/HSDPA/LTE/... This for sure is slower -- but it might at least work. As a side-effect, you battery will even last longer, as 2G uses much less power than 3G or 4G.

if your phone is working after inserting the different sim card and working fine your phone is unlocked, and there is no issue in phone unlock, the most likely reason for not working the internet is that your phone APN setting is not configured properly, you must have to configure the correct APN setting for that network,


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Add an APN to Samsung Galaxy S3 running 4.1.1
I am traveling internationally and have replaced my Verizon SIM card with a local one.  To get data, I need to add an APN.  I can't do this using settings -- no option to add exists.  Is there another way to do this?  And app maybe?  I do not want to root my phone.

You might ask your "local provider" if they can send you a "service SMS". I know that worked in former times with Symbian devices, and I heard a similar thing should work on Android devices as well. Just make it clear to them you're having an Android device, they should be familar with that.

@Izzy Doesn't really work on Android :(

I never tried, so to me that's just hear-say -- which is why I put it in a comment as a "maybe" instead of making it an answer. Maybe somebody who already had experience with it can confirm/deny it?

If you know the number and provider of the local SIM card, chances are there's their website in which it will explain by texting to a certain number that, it will send out the configuration by sms, or manually enter it in.

I'm back home now.  I never was able to solve this problem.  I actually went out a purchased a new SIM card + 1 month of service ($21 total) from a different local provider, but this didn't help either.  Cell phone service did improve, so I kept it.  It also was about 90% cheaper than the original service that I arranged.

I have been told by Verizon that it's a bug on the Samsung Note 2 and S3 after Jelly bean. Verizon / Samsung are working on a fix so you can modify the APN in near future.
Verizon didn't intend a deliberate prevention on their part (confirmed by the fact Verizon HTC Droid Incredible 2 running android DOES allow you to modify the APN and works perfectly for calls/text/data overseas). I have both so I should know
Roll on a fix fast....

I am from the USA and have the Verizon S3 with Jelly Bean. I am currently in the UK. Used my usual UK VodaFone Sim card and it immediately worked for both Voice and Texts (something it didn't do when I was here in November before the Jelly Bean Update).
The reason it won't work at all in SOME countries is actually SIMPLY (but major) because Verizon seem to have disabled the ability to modify or add an APN. It just so happens, in the UK, their default APN works (for text and voice) on the VodaFone UK network. I've been here a week and text / phone all over the world. Since I can't edit the APN though, I cannot set the settings needed for Data.
My wife has a Verizon Incredible 2 and her phone works in the UK for Voice, Text AND data but only after I modiified the APN (which the Incredible allows).
Luckily, I brought my HTC unlocked phone as well. I use that with a VodaFone UK Sim card in that as well (SIMS are free) plus a 5 pound top-up for 500MB data. I simply turn that into a mobile hotspot when I'm outside and have my Verizon S3 use WIFI to that. Net effect is the same cost wise but it's a shame Verizon missed this feature. No doubt it's a bug and the people I deal with in Verizon (business side) at investigating.
Still. - now you know. It WILL work as a true GLOBAL phone (Verizon rates). For 3rd party SIM cards - It WILL now at last work as a phone/text in some countries. It WILL NOT work if you need to mod the APN to get any of the features for any country you are in - until Verizon fix it.

I am having this problem too after inserting local SIM. Calls and texts are OK, I need to configure an APN for internet.
A Verizon Global Support Technician told me that it is beyond Verizon's control to add an APN and that Samsung will need to provide directions on how to do this.  I got online to chat with Samsung and the guy told me he can't help me on chat, I need to call this number:
1-888-987-4357, Mon-Fri: 7 AM - 9 PM (CST), Sat: 9 AM - 6 PM (CST)

So, did it work?

No, Samsung said that they install the hardware and software and once they send it out, the carrier (Verizon) has full control over the data settings, adding/removing APN's etc.

It seems that the save option for APN is not active on android 4.1.1 (at least when you have zero APN previously stored.
But after creating a new APN and filling parameters, if you shut down completely the device, (and do not try to activate save option through the button, act that would erase all parameters introduced), it will be saved somewhere.
You will be able to access to your newly stored APN after restart (and pin unlock your sim card).
This works with upstream settings set with modempoweron, data-enabled and itinerance enabled

The option to add a new APN is in System Settings->More->Mobile Networks->Access Point Names then press the menu button and select add.
If that setting isn't there (and it should be), then you will not be able to add an APN without root, as the 'bug' that allowed apps to add and edit APN's was fixed in Android 4.

This is exactly my issue.  When I press the menu button the only option is "Reset to Default" (on my S3).  My wife's RAZR works as you have described.

@Gdalya It must have been disabled by your network... You will have to be rooted.

This seems to be an attempt by Verizon to cripple the data capabilities of the phone and force you to use their network.
While in Germany with a LIDL's SIM Card, the data, text and voice all work when on a wireless network connection.  Once the SIM Card is connected to the LIDL network alone, voice and messaging work, but not data.
There is no way to access the APN page in the US or abroad and calls to Verizon support indicate there are no plans to do so and there is no workaround.
Will try rooting the phone.

How to add apn to verizon samasung galaxy s3 (Root required)
(I found this from some forum while I was searching for how to add APN for my brothers Verizon S3. It worked 100%. All credits go to the guy who posted it there. I didn't remember the address. And sorry for my bad english. by the way I am from MaLdives.)

Go to market install BuildProp Editor
Once installed find and open Build Prop Editor
Hit the menu button and select Edit
Scroll to the bottom of screen and add the following lines
ril.sales_code=LOL
ro.csc.sales_code=LOL

Hit the save button at the top right hand corner of the screen(looks like a disk)
Once this is done saving restart the phone
After restarting go to Settings>More Settings>Mobile Networks>Access Point Names>Menu Button>+ New APN
Add desired carriers APN info, when finished hit menu button and save
Power down and change to your desired SIM card if you hadn't already done so
Power back on and go to Settings>More Settings>Mobile Networks> Access Point Names (if done properly you should see the APN data you entered for your respective carrier).
Select the respective APN listing and then you should have working data

Congrats you can now natively add in any APN desired.

Use tweakker app for APN editing. It has different carriers and networks in it. It will tell you how to setup your APN.

Pardon? Can you give a few more details what you are talking about? A link to the app would be helpful :)


text:
Replace audio cable with wireless solution
I want audio from my Nexus 7 to play through my amplifier (without replacing it). I think this would be possible with the iPad/AppleTV combo.
I don't want to be locked to a specific app that only plays certain files etc, but more like being able to select another Audio Out destination. Also, I'd rather not use Bluetooth, since it needs to compress the audio.
You could probably say I want Miracast, but for audio.
Sorry, lots of demands. Is there a device/protocol to make this happen?

If you "rather not use Bluetooth", why did you tag your question bluetooth-audio? Would you accept Bluetooth based solutions, but prefer other solutions? Just to clearify for possible answerers.

@Izzy Even though I don't want it, it's related to the question. Also I'm open to be convinced to use BT audio

I can think of 2 ways you could do this.

Bluetooth audio adapter, like the Antec BXR100.  These are generally used for headphones, but should be able to simply connect into your amp.
-Pros : Simple, cheap
-Cons : Bluetooth, limited range, A2DP appears to have issues on Android 4.2, possibly non-optimal audio quality
DLNA renderer (mini computer (raspberry pi (Raspbmc maybe.  There's a topic on the use of raspbmc as a DLAN renderer here on their forums.) or similar perhaps), specialized unit (Like the (discontinued, though still findable if you don't mind buying used) Netgear MP100 series), or maybe a cheap Android device) attached to your amp, getting your audio pushed from one of the several DLNA server apps available for Android.  This is essentially the same as Apple's Airplay system, only a different, more open standard which will work with more manufacturers' devices.
-Pros : Almost as simple, will work anywhere you can get a wifi signal, possibly better audio quality than the bluetooth, could potentially be used to move video if you wanted to in the future if your chosen receiver has that capability.
-Cons : More complex, possibly expensive, new audio-only DLNA renderers seem to be rare nowadays.

I was actually thinking that it would be cool if there was a solution using Rasp PI. :) But can DLNA really be used for this? I thought it was only possible to share files with it.

@Znarkus Moving media between devices like this is the entire purpose of DLNA.

So just to clarify, I can send audio from Spotify, Youtube etc through DLNA?

@Znarkus - Spotify - Not presently.  Support for DLNA is "under consideration", but has been there for most of a year with no evident progress on it.  My guess is licensing agencies being jerks. Youtube is much easier.  Twonky will do that for you.

I used sony's bluetooth adapter. The problem is range - bluetooth sucks beyond a few feet. If I got up and interposed my body between the transmitter and the receiver audio would drop.

also DLNA won't do it. AFAIK you can only stream from your local library. So I can't stream spotify over DLNA using the regular spotify client (which has more features than any of the plugins for DLNA out there).

I have a similar question btw


text:
How to switch between touchscreen and mouse (or enable both)?
I have a BeagleBone with Android 4.1.2 and USB Keyboard and USB Mouse connected. With the DVI-D cape, keyboard and mouse work. But with the LCD7 cape, only the keyboard works. I assume that the touchscreen driver takes over and disables the mouse driver.
How can I switch between touchscreen input and mouse input, or enable them both?
(The reason that I want to use the mouse with the LCD is that the resistive touchscreen of the LCD7 cape is not enough responsive to use some Android applications. With the touchscreen it's e.g. nearly impossible to scroll within the Android settings dialog).


text:
Samsung Galaxy S having internal sd card problems
I have Samsung Galaxy SLCD having android 2.2.1 which is around one and half year old. Around one month back my it started showing message in notification bar 'internal sd card removed unexpectedly' and after that sometimes phone hanged and I got black screen with samsung written like we get at boot time and sometimes there is multiple 'force close' pop-ups of different apps on phone. Whenever phone gets hanged or it automatically shutdown I am able to restart it only after removing battery and putting it back again and it takes long time to boot up every time I restart.
Now from last 3-4 days I am having following problems that were not there earlier-

If I install an app from market or through eclipse and I restart phone the app is not there.
If I uninstall an old app and I restart phone the app is not uninstalled, it is still there.
If I copy a file it does not show up or if I transfer a file through Bluetooth it is gone after restart of phone.

However I am able to open old files or app. I don't have external SD card on my phone. Is problem with internal SD card of phone or some other OS or phone related issue. Anyone know how to solve above problems.
Thanks in advance.
Anuj

To me this looks like a problem with the NAND flash memory on your internal sdcard: data which already had been saved, sticks, but no changes are possible (the controller might be unable to wipe blocks for some reason; you still see the changes until reboot, as they are probably still cached). If you still have warranty, I'd strongly suggest to see a service center with it, before the warranty is running out.

Thanks for replying,  as phone is out of warranty how much it will cost if the problem is related with NAND flash memory.  Is there any way to solve this problem

Well, let it put me that way: If the device is out of warranty, and it really is the NAND flash broken: Take a look at the nice new devices available meanwhile and make your choice, but don't spend your money on repair. I'd guess if you find a place that would repair your old SGS, it won't be cheaper than buying a new one. Sorry. But of course you can ask a repair service first, they should know.

I have the exact same problem with my Samsung Galaxy S.  You can also get it going again by holding the "On" button for about 15 seconds.  It has been happening now for about 2 months and it was only today that I happened to be looking at it as it hanged and I saw the message about the internal SD Card, before that I thought it was a corrupt operating system or faulty battery.
The frustrating thing is that when it hangs I lose all my contacts, my text message history and my customised settings like shortcuts to certain apps on the desktop.
It also loses the default setting for connecting to the Mobile Access Point set by my mobile provider. Sometimes when it reboots people can't ring me, they think it rings once but I don't hear it ringing at all and I get no missed called.
It's funny, I notice that this post is dated December 27th and this is roughly when my phone started giving trouble, my phone is about a year and a half as well.
The advice given here by Izzy is probably the best advice for this situation but I just wanted to contribute some content here that might help more people with the same problem to find this post because unless you are looking at the phone when it crashes you will never think that the internal SD Card was at fault.  It is more likely that you will find that your phone has switched itself off or has just hung.


text:
Xperia Play MTP driver fails to install
When trying to update my Xperia Play with PC Companion, it fails to install the drivers for my device. I plug it in, it tries up until it says a problem has occured installing the hardware. My screen looks like:
because stackexchange doesn't let me post images
I've tried it's recommended diagnostic advice, null.
edit: Just installed the update on another computer. It seems to work fine. If you don't have a spare, try a VM.

Remove the usb drivers and try rebooting the machine again?


text:
How to backup&restore Android device?
i have a new Nexus 4 (i.e. Jellybean 4.2.1), and i want to backup my current Nexus 4 and restore it onto the new Nexus 4. How can i do that?

i've tried going into Settings -> Backup & reset -> Back up my data to ensure my phone is backed up. When the new device is first setup it automatically tries to restore settings from Google's Servers:

Screenshot (click image to enlarge)
Except that not everything was restored. Amongst the things that are not restored are:

applications are not restored (a new version is downloaded from the store)
application settings are not restored
pictures, videos, camera, videos, saved files are not restored
wallaper is not restored
unlock pattern is not restored
preferences are not restored
icon layout is not restored
Messaging conversations are not restored
Talk conversation history is not restored
recent calls are not restored
custom ringtones are not restored
custom notification sounds are not restored

i've tried downloading an application called App Backup & Restore. But because there is no external storage on the Nexus 4, there is no way to copy the backup off the phone.
Also, App Backup & Restore cannot backup app settings for me. From the web-site:

Notice: App Backup cannot backup data or settings of apps for you

Neither can Quick Backup.

So my question remains:

How can i backup and restore my Nexus 4?

Note: i have no interest in rooting my phone, as that is now a criminal offense in Canada. And even if it weren't illegal; i'd still prefer the option that doesn't void the warrantee, risk voiding the warrantee, is irreversible, has the possibility of being irreversible, or changing the phone away from the original, stock, intended version of Google's own Jellybean.

@slhck Yeah, i was editing the question to say it should be over on Android (where i already asked two questions), when it was suddenly locked behind my back. i just forgot this site existed is all.

Possibly a duplicate of How to backup an Android device?, Full Backup of non-rooted devices or How do I perform a full pre-rooting backup of an Android phone?

And once migrated is promptly closed.

@IanBoyd - Rooting is legal in Canada. Unlocking also is, for a few years anyway

As I already pointed out in multiple places, the integrated "Google Backup"...

does not backup everything (apps have to explicitly support it)
is unrelyable on restore (sometimes it works, sometimes not at all, when it gets interrupted e.g. by a network outage it cannot be resumed...)
not everybody likes to have personal/sensitive data backed up somewhere in a cloud

In no way this "Google Backup" can be counted as a complete solution.
At least with Android 4.0 and higher, there is a possibility to do complete backups (and restore them successfully) -- see Full Backup of non-rooted devices. But this also has some disadvantages:

You can do a full backup -- but then you only can do a full restore (not selectively pick parts)
You can do "selective backups", but if you want to do that for all your apps etc. separately, it's not an easy task (but rather excessive work)

Other options for complete backups require root access on the device, e.g. Titanium Backup as the best and most famous variant. Same applies to other full backups like Nandroid via a Custom Recovery (such as e.g. ClockworkMod Recovery, mentioning the most famous example) -- and again, these can also be restored only completely (except you use just mentioned Titanium Backup for restore, as it also can read Nandroid backups).
All other solutions are not complete, but only cover parts. There are lots of apps to e.g. backup/restore single components like SMS, call logs, contacts. There are also apps which claim to create "full backups" -- but without root, that is impossible for an app. Still, one might succeed finding solutions for the most important data without requiring root access on the device.

I have used Wondershare MobileGo with good reults.  Ther eis a free version and a paid version.  Other usefull tools as well.WonderShare MobileGo How To

Care to provide more information, instead of just posting a linky? Perhaps a brief summary...

Not really an answer to the question, as this tool by far does not backup everything. Just take a look at the screenshot on the linked page. For sure it cannot backup data from your apps, just to mention one thing.


text:
How can I see what kind of car charger I have?
I noticed that when using navigation plus GPS my phone (Galaxy S2) still discharges a bit even so its connected to a car charger.
While googeling, I found out that regular USB chargers only charge with .1 amp but since a car battery isn't drained so easily, there are also car chargers that charge with .5 amp.
Is there a way see on the phone how much its beinbg charged with ? My phone only displays "USB" or "AC".
I'd like to find out if buying a "fast charger" would make any difference or if I already have a charger that supplies .5 amp.

Look on the charger for where it says "output".  It'll say 5V, 0.5A or similar.

It doesn't say on the charger. I found the package it came in and it says 1000mA, but I have trouble believing it. It would rather see what Android thinks its getting.

Might try something like current widget to find out what android thinks its getting.  Not sure if it works on whatever GS2 variant you have or not.

Thats exactly what I was looking for, but it doesn't work on my GS2. Any other apps I could try ?

Try looking at the file /sys/class/power_supply/battery/batt_current_adc while you're charging. That should say something about the charging current if the battery sensor supports it. If that says 0, you're basically SOL as far as finding anything out from software, as the sensor isn't reporting that information to the OS. The only other option would be to rig in an ammeter on the power line of a USB cord and measure the current directly


text:
Transferring pdfs from computer to android
When trying to transfer pdfs from computer to Galaxy Note II, Samsung Kies reports 'No App to read file'. I have several pdf readers including adobe for android and downloads direct to Note 2 work fine.

You state a fact, but miss to ask a question. I assume you want to ask "How to transfer PDFs from my computer to my Android device?" -- see my answer below for this. If you rather wanted to ask why Kies acts like that, or how to fix Kies -- maybe you ask again ;)

If you know to use ADB: simply adb FILE.pdf /sdcard/FOLDER

There are multiple ways to copy files between your computer and your Android device:

simply connect the two using an USB cable, and mount your Android device's storage to the computer -- then deal with it like with any other drive
create "shared folders" on your computer, and use an Android app which can deal with them, like e.g. ES File Explorer File Manager
Use an app which can share your Android device to your computer, for even more manageability -- like e.g. AirDroid
use cloud services like e.g. Dropbox or Google Drive which are accessible from both, your computer and your Android device, to share documents between the two
lame, but also listed for completeness: Send the files to your Google Mail account, and then save the attachments from the GMail app

Far from being complete -- but it should give you an idea of what's possible.

you can simply send them by bluetooth

I think @Izzy left bluetooth out because not all computers are bluetooth-enabled (even though the usb bluetooth caps cost $2). But welcome to Android Enthusiasts.

That was one of the reasons. Two more are: for bigger files, it's a pain – and OP might even end up with the same issue (BT has issues with file extensions it doesn't "know" sometimes). So if you say "you can simply do this", I assume you've done so successfully? If so, please include that with your answer.


text:
Does the Bluetooth/Google Now "Initializing" bug exist on Razr Maxx HD?
There is a pretty severe, widespread Android Jellybean bug that causes Google Now voice search to not work over bluetooth audio (it gets stuck saying "Initializing").  I've personally dealt with this on a Galaxy S3 and a Galaxy Note 2, both running 4.1.1.
I'm curious whether the Razr Maxx HD has this bug - is there any credible information on which phones are affected by this bug?  Or can anyone vouch from experience whether this is a bug on the Razr Maxx HD as well?

Verified that this bug does indeed exist on the Razr Maxx HD (running 4.1.1)


text:
Flash boot.img without using fastboot USB
So I've recently rooted my phone and tried a ROM or two. I find it really handy that you can use TWRP recovery to install another ROM from the SD card, you don't need to have it connected to a PC.
However, on my device (HTC One S) I need to flash a different boot.img file for every ROM as well, so I still need to hook my phone up to my PC to switch ROMs. If I don't do this, it just gets stuck on the loading screen. Then I must use the command
fastboot flash boot boot.img

from the folder where boot.img is located.
Is it possible to flash this boot image with TWRP or any other way without using fastboot over USB?

What needs to be done is to bundle the boot.img and construct a new zip file suitable for flashing via ClockworkMod or TWRP.
Pre-requisites:

a Linux environment that has the usual development packages, such as Java installed. (It can also apply to other platforms, just be careful that the instructions here indicating the path used below, uses a forward slash /, so flip that around to be a back slash \ for Windows environment especially!)
adb command line tool installed.
`testsign.jar' tool, for signing the zip file so that the recovery can authenticate and verify it is a valid archive otherwise recovery will report corrupt archive or similar.
update-binary command line application, that is internal for usage with the flashable script. (This can be found with any flashable zip, the important thing is to extract that binary and deposited in the structure of the directory as shown)
zip command line tool.

Assuming your directory is called workdir, for discussion, lets call this the working directory, copy the boot.img into that directory, and create the following directory structure - META-INF/com/google/android, this is important! And within the META-INF/com/google/android, copy the binary application called update-binary into that directory. So the directory structure should be like this:
+ workdir/
     +
     |
     +--+ boot.img
     |
     |
     +--+ META-INF/
              +
              |
              +--+ com/
                    +
                    |
                    +--+ google/
                           +
                           |
                           +--+ android/
                                   +
                                   |
                                   +--> update-binary
                                   |
                                   +--> updater-script

As for the updater-script, copy the contents of the following below:
ui_print("Please wait, boot.img being flashed...");
show_progress(0.1, 0);
assert(package_extract_file("boot.img", "/tmp/boot.img"),
       write_raw_image("/tmp/boot.img", "boot"),
       delete("/tmp/boot.img"));
show_progress(0.1, 10);
ui_print("It is now safe to reboot! :)");

Remember: Do not get confused here, the updater-script as shown, should be left alone and as-is, so do not try flip the forward-slash to a back slash if doing this under Windows environment.
Go back to the parent of the directory structure, i.e. outside of workdir and do the following, we're going to create a zip file from this:
zip -r my_custom_flashable_boot_unsigned.zip workdir/ which is a recursive function, this will zip up everything into the file called my_custom_flashable_boot_unsigned.zip.
Finally, to sign the zip file, issue this:
java -classpath testsign.jar testsign my_custom_flashable_boot_unsigned.zip my_custom_flashable_boot_signed.zip

Then its a matter of pushing that across the SDCard as in adb push my_custom_flashable_boot_signed.zip /sdcard/ and manually go into recovery and specify that zip archive (i.e. my_custom_flashable_boot_signed.zip)  in which it will perform the flashing for you.

Nice, I like to create stuff myself so excellent instructions. It's not a point that I'll need my computer for this, because I can just get flashable boot zips for all my ROMs on a folder of my SD card, which will lead to the situation I wanted.

If you have the flash_image binary, then you can do it on device via terminal emulator (flash boot, then the rest using recovery).
Syntax: flash_image boot /sdcard/boot.img
Self Promotion Time
I have an app that provides a GUI for the binary.  Find it here.
If you don't have that binary, it can be installed (Google it - you have to download it then copy it to the /system/bin folder.
This doesn't work on all devices, however it's the only way that springs to mind.

If I understand well, the terminal emulator is just a regular app that you run while your phone is booted in normal mode? Will it not give problems flashing boot while the OS is running?

@MarioDeSchaepmeester The phone only uses boot while it boots ;)

Have had to downvote it, as flash_image has a requirement to be copied and invoked from the handset using adb shell, documentation (*may I add, you failed to provide the linky!) is asking to remount the SDCard with exec bit set (bad idea) and requires root i.e. su, further to that, the "self-promotion" in relation to your app, in euros, where I come from, is 6,09 euros which is pricey... fastboot is the norm, CM has their own quirky ways, - what's different with fastboot and flash_image?

Also the binary can be used without a computer.

Is it possible to flash this boot image with TWRP [...]?

rename the file boot.emmc.win and place it in TWRP/BACKUPS/ (create new folder). restore the backup from usual TWRP menu


text:
How to 'record' a trip - places I visited?
I am going for a trip for 3 weeks and I want to record all the places I visited using my Android mobile.
I most likely I won't have data connectivity - only GPS. If I don't find anything else I will use Endomondo, but I'm open to other solutions, including third-party apps (preferably free).
I am using an HTC One XL running CyanogenMod 10.

This question, being of the "Can you suggest an app that does X?" kind, is off-topic here, please read the FAQ for more details

@Francisco: OK, could you suggest what I can do to find some answers in here except the search?

You should rephrase your question so that it is about the application you use to record the sites you visit, for example you mention Endomondo: so if you ask a question about how to use this app or about any specific difficulty you're having with it, then it will be valid here. In short, try to be more specific with what you ask for you to get better answers. A question asking for recommendations of apps tends to get very subjective answers, and that's not the idea here. Good luck with your research.

The best option is Google's My Tracks
Follow the link and see the features yourself. Everyhing you want is there. And the best part is it's free!!
Hope this helps

+1 I've been using My Tracks for few months now. Quite simple and fulfills my needs.

You could use Trip Jounal.
It records your gps track log and combines photos/videos/notes you've made along the way and can display it all on a map.

Looks good but it's not free and last update was like half an year ago. Also users reviews are not so promising...


text:
How to force phone to switch to faster mobile data network during file transfer
For some context, I am downloading Dragon Mobile Assistant which is a 40+ mb apk from the Google Play Store.
I have an unreliable connection to Verizon Wireless' 3G mobile data network. If I am a few inches too far to the right of a sweet spot, the signal quality will degrade and I will be passed off to 1X. If I am in the middle of a download, it'll just pass me over with no interruption. However, it will not pass me back to 3G during the transfer once quality to that network is "good enough."
This is highly annoying, because if I am downloading a big file, it basically comes to a screeching halt on the horrible 1X network. Sometimes it is even better to cancel the download, wait to be passed back to 3G and restart the download.
Is there anyway on a Droid 3, rooted stock android 2.3.4, to have my phone continue to poll the 3G network and switch to it even while it's transferring data on 1X? It already allows me to go down during a transfer, why can't I go up?

Might be better to use a proper WiFi network instead of racking up a bill on downloading over 3G, no?

@t0mm I have unlimited data and don't have internet at my place of residence. So stuck on mobile data for now.

ok, might be contention, other users on Verizon vying for bandwidth? Try it when everybody is asleep in your timezone?

It's not the fact that the internet sucks. I mean, it does. The point of the question was that once the service degrades, I got stuck on 1X until any file transfer is done; it does not check to see if 3G is good enough to go on.

That you need to check with your provider... no magic bullet on this one... sorry!

I hate when that happens. It happened to me more times than I could count while I was traveling through western Maryland (and it's even worse when the phone mysteriously switches from 4G to 1X and refuses to go back to 4G or even 3G)...
Anyway, there are three things you can try.
The first, obvious one is to relocate the phone to somewhere that you get a better signal. This may not help much at all if you're in a fringe coverage area and in a residence, but it's definitely something you should attempt.
Next, to force the phone to reconnect to the network, just toggle airplane mode on and off. (BTW, don't bother with any of those so-called "network signal booster" apps. All they do is toggle airplane mode on and off, hiding the notification bar so you can't see what it's doing.) This is probably your best bet. In my experience this will get your high speed connection back most of the time, but you still aren't guaranteed to keep it long enough to finish your download.
Your phone also has a secret menu which can be accessed by entering *#*#4636#*#* into the dialer. In this menu you can view various statistics about the mobile data connection, as well as change which network types the device will try to connect to. (The exact types vary by device and firmware revision, and I don't have a Droid 3 on hand, so you'll just have to look and see for yourself.) In my experience, though, this didn't help much; the phone would just give me no data service instead of 1X, or refuse to connect to 3G/4G, or to any network at all. Also, be careful in this menu; if you change a setting and don't know what to change it back to, you could completely kill your ability to connect to the network, requiring a factory reset.

I tried that earlier, quickly toggling airplane mode off and on. I was hoping Market would pause the download with the message "waiting for network." but it stopped the downloaded, so I ended up having to start it over.

You're out of luck with the Play Store. Google, in their infinite wisdom, seem to wait as long as 24 hours before retrying a download in this circumstance.


text:
Application backup/restore - for saving resources
I was thinking I could completely backup apps to the SD card, and then restore them when needed.  This for saving system resources.
Is there some efficient way to do this?

adb backup or Titanium Backup or go into Settings > Backup & Reset > Backup my data/Backup account (from ICS onwards) for GB(Settings > Privacy Settings > Backup my data) is your friend

@t0mm13b: that seems an answer, rather than a comment. Maybe even it's the correct answer.

@FranciscoAlvarado have created an answer from the comment :)

There are numerous options available to you:

Titanium Backup
For ICS upwards, Settings > Backup & Reset > Backup my data/Backup account
For GB, Settings > Privacy Settings > Backup my data
Last but not least, adb backup

In that order of "user-friendliness", from a android application that requires rooted access, in reference to Titanium Backup, to the least, using the command line adb backup.

Titanium seems OK - Will write more later.

If it is just the "user" and "system" applications, I do this sort of thing all the time. In fact I wrote an app to help me out with this. I uninstall and re-install applications for testing a development all the time. I need to easily be able to make copies and move ".apk" files all the time.
Please take a look at the free app: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=burrows.apps.appmanager.
Simple install the app, "backup" your application of choice and then share/send the application(.apk) to another phone.
Regards,

Are you affiliated with the app?

Yeah, I've never really seen anyone ask for backing up. I wrote this to safely backup applications without messing with user's data for privacy and security reasons. Just trying to be helpful. I mainly use for development.

If your device is running Android 4.0 or higher, Carbon - App Sync and Backup would be the perfect solution, and does not even require root -- but still is capable of backing up apps including their data:

Carbon App Sync and Backup
As above screenshots show, you can backup/restore single apps, or select a batch. What you cannot see on the screenshots: you can also save a selection as "group", so for the next backup/restore you don't need to select apps separately, but simply select the group instead.
With Carbon Backup, one should be able to backup apps and data to SD card, attached USB devices, Dropbox, GoogleDrive, etc.


text:
Backup and restore CM10 on broken razr
My problem is a little bit complicated, I have a Razr (XT910) motorola phone, the screen is cracked and unusable, the tech support of my carrier (in Mexico) is unable to get the display from motorola...
However, what I want to do (since I need a phone...) is sell the broken display phone I have on eBay (since Motorola USA has the display) so the buyer can repair it and have a "cheap" razr, and I can buy a phone also in eBay or here in Mexico.
But to do so, I need to factory reset the phone (and if possible get my information backed up), but since the screen is cracked I don't know how to do so (The phone receives calls, and maybe the touchscreen is functional, but I'm not sure).
The specific details of my phone:
It's rooted, it has safestrap 2.x installed, it has the ICS stock rom, and CM10 (beta).

You can use Droid@Screen to see the screen on a computer.
Since you have stock ICS, Droid@screen should be enough to boot into stock, remove the CM10 install and/or do a factory reset.

It is currently booted in CM10, would it still work? (I can't try it now because my phone is with tech support, but I can get it tomorrow to test possibly).

No, you'd have to boot into stock for a factory reset. How do you switch between CM and stock when the screen works?


text:
How can I tell Google Play Music to store the audio files on the removable micro SD card (and not on the internal storage)?
How do I set the Google Music Play app to store the local "offline" music on the SD Card? I've used up about 90% of my internal storage.
I've looked in the app Settings and don't see any options for that.

Hope there will be an answer that doesn't require root...

If your phone is rooted you can solve this via a shell command:

mount -o bind [Path to new Location] /mnt/sdcard/Android/data/com.google.Android.music/

(Replace [Path to new Location] with a Folder on your external SD-Card)
It will basically redirect every access to the default folder to the Folder which is specified.
You probably need to do this every time you reboot your Phone, so you may be interested in putting a script which does that into Autostart.
Source: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1785245&page=2

I found that I was just able to use a couple of sym-links to solve this problem. All you need is a rooted device. I've written up a simple guide here:
http://charleswilkinson.co.uk/2013/07/24/using-external-sd-card-with-google-play-music-app/
However as requested, here is a summary for posterity:
Prerequisites:

Your phone must be rooted.
You must have a terminal emulator installed.
You must have a file explorer app installed.
You should know what a terminal is.
Read here to learn what a sym-link is.

Steps:

Go to Settings > Applications > Google Play Music.
‘Force Stop’ the app and clear all app data.
Open your file explorer of choice and create a directory (folder) on your external SD card    called ‘GoogleMusic’.
Inside this directory create two more: ‘files’ and ‘cache’.
Open terminal emulator and enter the command: su -
The superuser app will ask you to grant root privileges. Hit ‘Allow’.
Enter the following commands in order:

cd
/data/data/com.google.android.music ln -s
/mnt/external_sd/GoogleMusic/cache cache ln -s
/mnt/external_sd/GoogleMusic/files files

You’re done!

Update:
On 5th Dec 2013 an update to the Google Play Music app added a new feature in the app’s settings, allowing you to choose to store files on the external sd card instead which solves this problem so the above solution is now unnecessary.

If you could summarise/copy-paste the solution bit that'd be great, at the moment this is more of a 'link answer' and especially since it's your own domain there's no guarantee people will always be able to access it.

Are answers that are just links Answers?

Updated as requested. Sorry about that.

@Peanut now that its fixed, I see no reason for the downvotes (and kabadisha may want to notify AIE by starting a comment with @ AIE. )

@user2813274 The downvote wasn't actually from me but I've upvoted now it's fixed.

@AIE As suggested by others, notifying you that I have resolved the issue you pointed out and have also updated the solution with new information which renders the solution unnecessary. Thanks


text:
Links from Gmail all open in same Chrome tab
I just noticed that when I open a link from the Gmail app (in Chrome), then go back to Gmail and click another link, it replaces the first one in Chrome. I end up with only one tab open. Is there a workaround?
I'm not sure what to search for on crbugs, or whether this would be an Android bug or a Chrome bug.
This is pretty much the same question as this one, but it was answered with "use Opera." I like Chrome and would rather not change browsers over this, and mainly have two questions:

Is this intended behavior?
Is there an open bug against it, and if not does anyone have enough of a hunch about the root cause to point me to the right place to file it?

That issue has been reported before in Chromium project Issue 115732: External links don't open in new tabs if multiple links are opened in Chrome Beta

Q: Is there a workaround?
A: Open a link from the Gmail app (goes into Chrome), open a new tab and leave it empty, then go back to Gmail and click another link, it does not replace the first one in Chrome. You end up with two non-empty tabs open. Is that a satisfactory workaround?


text:
Issues with the TouchWiz music app on my Galaxy Note 2
I've recently received a Galaxy Note II, and am still in the phase of getting to know Android and Touchwiz. I've managed to sync some music onto it with iSyncr, but am having some problems playing it. I have two main issues:
Half the time when I'm in the music app on the now playing screen, clicking the back key or song list button takes me to the current artist/album I'm listening to, and clicking back from there (presumably to go to the full list of artists/albums) takes me back to the now playing screen. So I have no way to choose another song to listen to. Sometimes it does this, sometimes it doesn't. It's weird.
Second, I can't seem to find a way to get lockscreen music controls (short of installing a new lockscreen) that works. Supposedly TouchWiz puts music controls for you if you have a pattern or passcode, but that didn't seem to work. I tried as a replacement using the notification bar's music controls, but those sometimes just weren't there (I have no idea why).
And one other thing- is it possible to set a volume limit as you can on iOS? Because when I listen to music anything above half is too loud and the increments below that are too big.
These are pretty specific issues, but if anyone could help that would be great.

Well, since no one answered, I'll answer with what I eventually figured out.

I just installed a new music player, because I hate Samsung's.
I used WidgetLocker to put widgets on my lockscreen, and Phantom Music Control to get a better-looking widget to put on my lockscreen.


text:
What is the installation size of a clean build of 4.2?
This is a pretty simple question, but one that I have not been able to find the answer to.  How much disk/storage space does an installation of Jelly Bean (bonus points for other versions) take up?  I am not looking for a super-accurate answer, as installation size varies from device to device, but more of a ballpark answer in the gigabyte/gibibyte range, such as 1.7 GB.  Or does Android's size vary drastically from device to device?

I'm curious about this, too.  My phone is advertised with "4 GB of internal storage" but the Settings > Storage screen shows a total of 1.27 GB.

Well, to put this another way:
For Gingerbread, storage space weighs around 95Mb, give or take, including Google Apps, source code 6.5GB, compilation taking up approx 14GB space.
Android's storage space for ICS, weighs around 160Mb, give or take, including Google Apps, source code 9.5GB, compilation - takes up approx 20GB space.
As to JB, have not yet built it, but source code is 12.5GB, compilation takes up around 25GB space, various official JB images hovers around 200Mb mark.
The above ball-park figures above, reflects from GB, ICS and JB. As for the future versions of Android, only time will tell how much more space will be taken up, it will increase, no doubt!
As for the final image build output, this would be dependent on handset, as ROM developers/manufacturers love to add their own bits, hence the inclusion of the "give or take" in the above sentences, not to mention carrier bloat-ware so the mileage will vary.

I don't quite understand two statements: "compilation takes up around x GB" and "including Google Apps".  I can understand that the source code would be bound to be one or two orders of magnitude greater than the compiled binaries, but what do you mean by "compilation takes up around x GB"?  Do you mean that the total space required to compile Android takes up x gigabytes on the host environment?  And by "storage space weighs around 95Mb, give or take, including Google Apps, source code 6.5GB" do you mean Google Apps + Gingerbread = ~95MB, or Google Apps + source = ~6.5GB?

What I meant was the compiling of the source code takes up that storage space, albeit it is temporary and can always be wiped. The other is, Google Apps is proprietary and meant inclusion of that on top of the built android version such as Gingerbread is around 95MB. There is no source to Google Apps FYI :)


text:
Is Android a 32-bit or 64-bit OS?
The title is pretty much self-explanatory: is Android a 32- or 64- bit OS?  I assume that it is one or another and not both, as that would force both 32- and 64-bit binaries to be hosted on Google Play.  I know that this is a simple question, and that other people have been asking it, but for the life of me I have not been able to find an answer on the web, and there is certainly not one on this SE.

In the realm of the ARM chipsets which is the common factor, the entire Android stack, from the near-identical kernel based on Linux, are in fact, 32bit, cross-compiled from usually either a 32bit/64bit host environment, the host environment is usually one of the distributions of Linux.  Recommended distribution, by Google, for building and cross-compiling Android is Ubuntu.
The Android run-time library (media, graphics, filesystem, to name but a few) are also 32bit, but as we reach the layer of the dalvikvm, then the number of bits becomes irrelevant as it is at this point, the apks coming from the Google Play Store are native bytecode (A "by-product" of generated Java code compiled into a portable bytecode) which targets the DalvikVM (Virtual Machine) which in turn interprets and translates the bytecode targetting the raw ARM instruction set.
Froyo was the last Android that enabled compilation under a 32bit hosted environment in which it was cross-compiled targetting the ARM chipset.
Gingerbread was the first of "future" Android, back then circa, three years ago, that introduced a requirement to use a 64bit hosted environment in which it was built. There was many hacks to get Gingerbread to be built under 32bit hosted environment.
ICS and JB, and upwards now definitely requires a 64bit environment to speed up compilation and to reduce turn-around time in building.
So to sum up, what you see on the Play Store has no bearing on whether 32bit or 64bit are used and thus irrelevant.
Side note: Typical 16GB RAM/Quad core/64bit Linux distribution, the time it takes to build ICS from scratch, takes 30minutes maximum, had this being a 32bit Linux distribution, it would have taken longer, in fact, may cause a CPU meltdown as there is simply, not enough processing power to churn and crank out cross-compiled code, which is a very demanding and taxing process!
Proof of this.
Pull in any native ARM binary found in /system/bin or /system/xbin, for example, /system/bin/dalvikvm, this is the Dalvik VM binary that is responsible for the upper layers of Java and APKs.
Now, examine the binary by issuing this command: file dalvikvm which gives a summary of the type of file it is, the expected output would be this:

dalvikvm: ELF 32-bit LSB executable, ARM, version 1 (SYSV),
  dynamically linked (uses shared libs), stripped

Notice the reference to 32-bit ELF, and is cross-compiled to ARM and is a binary executable.
Right, moving on, let's inspect a native shared library found in /system/lib, for example, /system/lib/libandroid_runtime.so, now issue file libandroid_runtime.so, the expected output would be this:

libandroid_runtime.so: ELF 32-bit LSB shared object, ARM, version 1
  (SYSV), dynamically linked, stripped

Again, notice, its 32-bit ELF, cross-compiled to ARM and is a shared library.
The key to the host's cross-compilation can be found in the AOSP source, i.e., Gingerbread build originally had a requirement to be built on a 64bit host system, here's the newsgroup linky referring to how to patch the scripts to get it to build on 32bit host which has two patches, found here, for build/core.mk and build/main.mk (combined) on AOSP's Gerrit review.
As a subsequent result, this patch had made its way to ICS's build scripts in which I did have the privilege of compiling ICS on a 32bit platform which took 3 days to build (it was a port of ICS for the Zte Blade). Now, the requirements are ramped up, you do definitely need 64bit host to enable cross-compilation of building AOSP from ICS upwards :)

So, you mean that compiling and running an an on 32-bit Android OS takes slower than in 64-bit? Is it a general requirement to be all 64-bit for modern Android OS such as Kitkat or L?

There are now 64-bit ARM devices running 64-bit Android.

I'm downvoting because most of the answer is about what environments are used to compile Android, which is completely irrelevant to the question.

@DanHulme This answer was posted near 4 years ago... yes, the landscape has changed a lot since then. :)

Yes, that's true, and I'm going to post a new answer about the situation today, but the compilation environment has always been a red herring.

Originally, Android was written for 32-bit processors only: and specifically, 32-bit ARM processors. Later, Intel and MIPS invested a lot into making Android support their architectures too: but still only 32-bit processors. They were able to do this without (many) compatibility problems, because most apps aren't shipped as binaries. Written in Java, they are instead shipped as bytecode, which a virtual machine on the phone compiles to the phone's architecture when the app is run. Some apps include native components, which are shipped as a binary. This is done to make some kinds of apps faster (particularly games), or to let the app access C libraries that aren't available in Java. Those apps can include more than one binary for the native code parts, to allow them to run on different architectures. Even so, the majority of apps are Java-only, so they just work on any architecture.
The above was all true at the time this question (and most of the other answers) was written, but no longer. Lollipop introduced support for the new 64-bit ARM processors (ARMv8) as well as for Intel and AMD's x86_64 processors, which means that Android now supports both 32-bit and 64-bit processors. The Nexus 9 was the first flagship 64-bit Android device. As well as giving access to new instruction set extensions, 64-bit support means that apps can use more than 4 GB of RAM. Most apps won't need that much, but high-end games and photo/video creation software can certainly make use of it: pushing Android towards being a platform for console-quality games (including VR games) and for creating content. Java apps don't need to be updated to take advantage of this, because the virtual machine always compiles them to the phone's architecture, but apps with native code will.
Because ARMv8 is backwards-compatible with 32-bit code (the same way x86_64 can still run x86 code), even apps which include native code for 32-bit processors can still run on 64-bit Android. So an app only needs to be compiled for 64-bit if it contains native code and it wants to take advantage of the higher RAM limit or the new features of the architecture.

All ARM chips are currently 32-bit. Because of this, Android currently executes all code in a 32-bit environment.
64-bit processors set to launch in 2014.

That's not exactly a reliable source as this was talking about servers, to quote “Smartphone is a little bit further off,” Forsyth said., we're talking about ARM in the context of Android/Smartphones/Tablets.

Is Android a 32- or 64- bit OS? I assume that it is one or another and not both, as that would force both 32- and 64-bit binaries to be hosted on Google Play.

Neither actually. Android is a Dalvik VM-based OS, and Google Play hosts Dalvik applications. Dalvik VM itself, like Java VM, is always 32-bit regardless of the bitness of the physical machine.
As you suspected, applications that ships with native binaries and NDK applications must ship with binaries compiled for every architectures it is intended to run at. The most common architecture that Android runs on is ARM 32-bit; however there are also devices that runs on x86 and MIPS.

Im just guessing but I think this also explains it just simple. It depends on what device you are using, theres four types of os which is ARM, ARM 64, X84 and X84_64. The ARM is the popular 32 bit platform, ARM 64 is also the popular but 64 bit platform, X84 is the uncommon platform and used on Zenfones, same as X84_64 its uncommon and used on Android Emulators. I got this os information on Open Gapps


text:
Why Angry Birds App doesn't load / open?
I have a Prestigio Multipad PMP3370B and for some reason I can not play the Angry Birds app on it.
I have downloaded the app from the Google Play Store but when I try to play it the screen goes blank for approx 3-4 seconds, as if the game was loading but then it just returns to the home screen of my device.
I have uninstalled & re-installed the device several times but to no avail.
I have even done a factory reset of my device but again no luck.
This tablet was bought for the specific purpose of playing games now that the kids favorite app does not work there are two very disappointed children at home.

It sounds like your device cannot cope with the native code being run by the Angry Birds app.
Developers can include native C/C++ code in their apps, and these are compiled per processor.
If part of this native code crashes, or cannot run, then the app or game closes - without a force close. This is what is happening here by the sound of it.
I have looked up the specs of your tablet, and it looks like you have a good processor - Angry Birds should be able to run well.
THe first thing you should check is that you have enough RAM left on your device to run the game - go to System Settings->Apps->Running and ensure that the Free RAM value is relatively high (30MB or greater). If it isn't, then you should remove some memory hogging applications.
If the RAM isn't the issue, then you should uninstall the game, and reinstall it. If that fails to work, then you should contact the maker of the game with your devices logcat data.

How can I obtain my device's log data?

I found that the issue was with Google Play settings.
The majority of the time, the loading froze at the 'logging in' stage, so I figured it was an issue with my profile (password etc.). I went into my user account, opened my google account and disabled all of the 'sync' options. The game has loaded fine now for a couple of days.
Hope this helps anyone =)

I had this problem. I think you should try contacting Rovio about support for your phone. I had a pretty obscure phone, and Angry Birds didn't work on it.

Do you run any kind of Adblocker, auto task killer or Firewall on the Minipad? Also, how are you doing for capacity on RAM, internal and external storage?
I believe when Angry Birds first launches it's; Loading the app contents, loading any ad info, and probably communicating back to their servers to check for any updates.
With all that going on, potential pitfalls could be:

Running out of space in RAM, Internal Storage or External Storage. If you've got just enough space to install the app, but then run out while it's trying to write/cache more data, that could potentially cause it to crash.
If you have a Firewall running and haven't cleared the app to go through it, this could potentially cause a communications failure fault.
Ad Blockers shouldn't really bomb the app, but it's worth trying to see if the app runs with it disabled.
If you're running any kind of auto task killer, make sure to add the app as being allowed to run.


text:
g-mail app: download without an attachment
I have a Samsung Galaxy S2. I use GMail, and I am using the GMail app on this phone.
Is there a way to have emails downloaded to my phone without the attachments?  So when I open the email I have the option to download the attachment, if I chose to? If not: is there another email client/app you would recommend?

I have an SGS2 too. The GMail app never downloads your attachments automatically. You'll see a list of the attachments at the bottom of the email, with the option to download them. The attachments get downloaded (and the corresponding bandwidth used) only when you press download. You can already safely read the email without worrying about GMail using up your bandwidth.

thanks.  I did not realize that the attachements were not really downloaded till you open them.  issue resolved

I don't know about the GMail app (as I rarely use it). But for my normal mail via IMAP I use K-9 Mail, which lets me configure the size limit per mail to download (defaulting to 25kB AFAIR). Attachments are only loaded when you hit the button to tell the app you want it. You can also read your GMail mails with K-9, so both parts of your question are covered.


text:
Trying to install a stock rom on a samsung captivate
I recently basically bricked my phone by trying to mount the data part of the recovery file created by Nandroid (of the stock os) while CyanogenMod 10 was installed. The installation worked perfectly btw. I then downloaded the stock ROM to try to fix the phone and installed it using Odin.
After Odin says "success", I get the error on my phone after the AT&T logo. (along with other things , not errors)
Opening update package...
Verifying update package...
Installing update...
Successfully installed update...

__Copying media files...
E:failed to mount /dbdata (invalid argument)
E:copy_dbdata_media:can't mount /dbdata your storage not prepared yet, please use ui menu for format and reboot actions.
Media files copy failed

--wiping cahce
formatting /cache
cache wipe failed.
--Applying multi-CSC...
Installing multi-CSC
successfully applied multi_CSC

Please help -- I really want to get back into my OS. It would really help if I could get a link to download a complete file for Odin 1.85.
i am using I897UCKK4_I897UCKK4_I897UCKK4_HOME.tar.md5 ROM

Assuming that your phone is Captivate (from the filename I897), here's a list of stock firmware files found on sammobile. They can be used with Kies too.
Alternatively, try Check Fus, which can get the right stock firmware for your phone.
I assume you know how to flash the files, if not, let me know and I'll dig up some good links for you. Hope this helped! Don't forget to accept the answer if it did.

I used the android stock Rom v 2.1 that i found on xda developers site. It worked, thank you.very much


text:
What is the applypatch tool and how does one use it?
I recently stumbled upon the applypatch tool, but I couldn't find any documentation for it online. Here is the usage output (this is after typing adb shell)
shell@android:/ $ applypatch --help
usage: applypatch [-b <bonus-file>] <src-file> <tgt-file> <tgt-sha1> <tgt-size> [<src-sha1>:<patch> ...]
   or  applypatch -c <file> [<sha1> ...]
   or  applypatch -s <bytes>
   or  applypatch -l

Filenames may be of the form
  MTD:<partition>:<len_1>:<sha1_1>:<len_2>:<sha1_2>:...
to specify reading from or writing to an MTD partition.

What do the command line options mean? What is MTD? What are all the sha1 hashes for?
Also, could someone with the reputation add an applypatch tag, or maybe a tools tag? Something more descriptive than what I've put.

This is rather a development oriented question, I'd say? As for MTD, check Wikipedia.

I wouldn't say it's development oriented. I was just looking at some code someone had written to be executed on a device and saw applypatch and was curious as to how it worked.

Just read the sources :-).  Actually this command is really important if you suffer to broken OTA update (can be due not enough space) and your vendor supply just incremental OTA update.

diff and patch are Unix/Linux commands used to easily check for differences, send updates to huge files by shipping only the differences, etc. (see Wikipedia). They are mostly used in development (to update source code), but can also serve practical purposes in non-development environments.
applypatch is one of those patch-tools on Android, and used e.g. for minor updates (OTA and the like). So it is most likely not intended for the "normal end user" to deal with it directly.

The applypatch command is indeed used for OTA patching.  As an example, I have the update.zip provided for my VZW SCH-I915 tablet...in my case, I don't want to allow this OTA update to occur, so I wish to patch /system/build.prop to fool the device into thinking it has already been done.  Within the update.zip file, there is an 'updater-script' file which details the patches.  The one I sought was:
apply_patch("/system/build.prop", "-",
            db0889f98b62e625283e5273bf35d790532b10bd, 5934,
            7a52fd5ec0d5afcbaf159c330374dfb0c5cbc159, package_extract_file("patch/system/build.prop.p"));
I extracted the appropriate patch file to my sdcard.  Then, the syntax to perform this action on a secondary copy of build.prop I had made (so I could check the output before copying into /system) is altered thus:
/system/bin/applypatch "/mnt/sdcard/build.prop" "-" "db0889f98b62e625283e5273bf35d790532b10bd" "5934" 7a52fd5ec0d5afcbaf159c330374dfb0c5cbc159:/mnt/sdcard/build.prop.p
...which created the same build.prop file I would have ended up with had I allowed the OTA to proceed.  I hope this helps.

Applypatch is a utility that applies a binary patch to a file. For example, on some systems, the recovery partition is created by applying a binary patch to the boot partition (the two are nearly identical and it's easier to package a patch than the entire binary during an upgrade.)
Typical usage is to run applypatch during boot time. Applypatch is run with the -c (check) option specifying storage partition, size, and hash. These arguments determine if the patch has already been applied (if the hash matches, then it's been applied.) If the patch has not been applied, then applybatch -b is executed to actually apply the patch.
Options are:

-c file [sha ...]

Confirm that the file exists and matches at least one of the SHA's. The SHA can also be encoded as part of the file name; useful for when the file name specifies a partition. See the source code for an explanation. If a file name starts with MTD: or EMMC:, then it refers to a partition instead of a regular file.

[-b bonusfile] src target target-sha1 target-size src-sha1:patchfile

Applies the patch in patchfile to the file src, creating target. target-sha1 and target-size are used to confirm the patch was successful. src and target may be storage partitions, e.g. boot and recovery. If -b is present, it specifies a zip file with extra material.

-s bytes

Exit with return code 0 if there are at least bytes space available in cache.

-l

Display the BSD license and exit


text:
How to extract SMS from an HTC One ICS SMS backup file?
I have an HTC One V and I backed up my SMS using the phone's messaging application (which is a part of the ICS stock ROM) to the SD card. The resulting backup is a file called SD_20121221_448193_0 and stored in the SD card in /sms_backup
After that, I updated to an unofficial Cyanogenmod 10 and I don't see any options in the messaging app that comes with CM10 to backup or restore SMS.
How do I restore my backed up messages? Alternatively, how do I extract them from that backup file or convert them into another format? (I tried opening the file using a text editor and it seems like a binary file, I also tried opening it using SQLite Browser but it says that it isn't a SQLite database. So, to be honest, I don't know the format of the file and it would be great if someone can at least tell me what format is this file supposed to be...)

You could determine the file type by looking at the files header. If you're running a Linux machine, there's a helper available: simply call file SD_20121221_448193_0 and it should tell you the file type. It will most likely be some compressed XML. So on Windows, you could try opening it with WinZip -- with some luck it is simply a .gz (GZip) compressed XML.

Executing "file SD_20121221_448193_0" in Linux outputted: "SD_20121221_448193_0: data". And no luck opening it as an archive, neither using file roller on Ubuntu nor using 7zip on Windows...

So if you open it with some editor/viewer (easiest: head -n 1 SD_20121221_448193_0), is there any readable content within the first few characters?

I executed that and got this weird output: ����t

"Weird output" was to be expected, as the file is binary. That's why I asked for the "readable part". To give an example: .jpg files have a "JFIFF" in the first line. If your SMS are not too sensitive stuff, you could put them somewhere for download, then come to chat and we check further?

Okay, I am in the chat room now...

As we checked out on chat, the file was not (as originally expected) some compressed XML in any known format -- so there seems to be no easy way to read the contents of that file. Which leaves you with a few options:

re-flash the stock image to your device, import the backup, then use a good backup app like SMS Backup & Restore to back up your SMS. After that, flash back your current ROM, and import with the same app.
This should always work (and did in the OP's case), but means a bit of effort as one has to flash the device at least two more times (to stock, and back to current). Before doing this, consider making a backup if you already put some customization/configuration work into your current ROM.
Similar: Use an Android Emulator (the one from the SDK, or Jar of Beans), load the same Android version you had on your device before, import the backup, and use one of the mentioned apps to export it from the Emulator, as well as to import it on your device.
Note: this might only work for "Plain Vanilla Android", as the emulator will most likely not support device-specific (or manufactur-specific) stuff. Unless there's an emulator around supporting device-specific images, of course. In the OP's case it did not work, as the app in question was bound to HTC's Sense stuff.

Unfortunately we've been unable to determine the file format used. For completeness, one other thing we tried:
If a complete Nandroid backup is available, the SMS database can be found in /data/data/com.android.providers.telephony/databases/mmssms.db and explored using any SQLite frontend (recommendation for a graphical one: SQLiteman). Unfortunately, in this case the database was empty due to the wipe occuring when unlocking the device.

Unfortunately, the second option doesn't do it because the emulator supports running plain Android images (without add-ons like HTC sense UI) so I wasn't able to run the messaging application which was shipped with the phone on the emulator :(

I was afraid of something like that. So you succeeded with the first option?

Yeah, re-flashed and was able to export the SMS...

@Lawand Tnx for the feedback! Updated my answer accordingly.

@Izzy .. I have same problem, where I exported sms from old HTC and dont have that phone now. And cant open the exported sms on my new Samsung phone. Can you suggest anything?

@Garry unfortunately not without knowing what you used for backup. And even then I'm not sure. I'd suggest you ask a new question (link here and state you've read this, pointing out why it doesn't work for you), include what you've used for backup plus brand, model and Android version of the device then. That should give us some pointers to work by.


text:
Where are displayed shortcuts stored?
Often after a reboot, crash or USB usage, icons of apps go missing.  Both in the "Home" screens and "Applications".
Currently I have four screens of apps, three in Home. Some of the icons understandably vanish when the SD is taken by eg. USB Storage to PC mode (because they are in part stored there), but often refuse to reappear even after restarting the phone.
Is there config file stored somewhere in my rooted Android 2.2 responsible for the current desktop layout of shortcuts?  Or way to back it up & restore (even the stale shortcuts), or force refresh based on existing apps in internal or external memory?

This may have been too developer-oriented before my edit, but it would be nice to know the UNIX path (to the launcher config responsible for what's currently displayed?)  Then I could probably script my own refresh/bugfix without the weight of yet another app/3rd party launcher.

App specific settings are usually stored in the internal storage folder accessible only to that app. While apps do have the ability to write to external storage and lose access to that data when you mount it, I doubt that is the case here.
When you install and move an app to the SD Card, you are not moving the entire app. Some core content of the app still stays on the internal storage. However, moving an app to the external storage has some interesting side effects. The app is completely disabled when you connect your device to the computer, on pre honeycomb devices. Android 3.0 onwards, the USB storage was switched to MTP, which allows the device and the computer to access the storage simultaneously.
In your case, when you connect to the computer, the apps on the SD Card are disabled, causing them to disappear temporarily. As for them not reappearing when you disconnect and restart your phone suggests that there is a bug in the launcher you're using. Try using a different third party launcher instead.

There is no common desktop in Android. The desktop or the better term, the Home screen and its content changes based on the Launcher currently set as default. Desktop is also no directory in Android unlike traditional Linux distributions where you can simply browse them using command-line or a file manager.
Anyhow, most of the Launchers including the stock Android, Nova Launcher, Apex, Smart Launcher Pro, Slim Launcher prefer stores the Home screen shortcuts and widgets into a database located inside their data directory.
E.g. /data/data/com.android.launcher3/databases/launcher.db may have a table named favorites where you may find all those entries. Delete those entries, restart and changes would be reflected on Home screen.
If you want to backup those Home screen shortcuts then backup the whole Launcher app or at least its databases.

On Android 14 with the default launcher (Nexus), see the favorites table in /data/data/com.google.android.apps.nexuslauncher/databases/launcher_4_by_5.db.
It contains the app icon positions (and their containers) on the Home screen, as well as the launch intents. The icons themselves are in app_icons.db (icons table) in the same databases folder.

I believe they are stored with the launcher data, since these icons/shortcuts and their order is launcher-specific.