text:
Problem after flashing Sony Xperia Mini
This is related to How to root the Xperia Mini ST15i.
I followed the instructions from the answer, but I'm stuck.

Now open the flashtool again and flash the stock kernel of ST15i and
  now enjoy the rooted phone. For check if you have rooted your phone
  successful there is an app installed superuser on your phone or you
  can download the Go backup/Titanium Backup to check out its rooted or
  not.

After flashing the stock kernel, the phone is stuck with the Sony logo, and keeps on restarting. The phone can't detected by the PC, the Sony PC companion, or the Sony Ericsson Update Service. Because it can't be detected, I can't flash it. It doesn't even charge when it's connected through the charger cable.

Phone getting stuck to on the boot animation and restarting it again and again is probably a sign of kernel and ROM mismatch. Verify this.

what is to be done in my case to access the phone ?

Instead of simply referring to another question, can you mention here all that you have done? That will be easier to understand and to help you better.

Yes, so as I said it's a ROM - Kernel mismatch problem. You were running a newer ROM version and flashed another kernel which doesn't work with your ROM. Now the solution would be that you find the kernel for the ROM that you were running. Hope I am understanding your problem correctly.

Formerly i had android 4.1.B.0.587 version running on my phone. i thought of rooting my phone and i came to know that firstly it had to be downgraded.
So, i used flashtool and flashed ST15i_4.0.2.A.0.62 which was successful.
Then, for rooting I used DoomLord root toolkit. AFter this was successful, i proceeded with flashing the stock kernel of ST15i. the process wasn't successful as the phone continuously restarted.
Now, the phone isn't detected by the pc and can't even be charged. So, i can't do anything with my phone as it continuously restarts on the sony logo

Same problem was with me I have tried flashing by flashtool by switching off my sony ST15i and then connecting to the PC by data cable and pressing vol+ key at the same time. Your phone will glow a green light it means your phone is in flashing mode. It was sucessfull, I have tried it many times it always work.But after a month it shows no servis or emergency call I don't know what to do with it but my phone works properly but remember use only Ginger Bird ROM otherwise it may be wouldn't work.


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Does the google play store not provide updates for frozen apps?

Possible Duplicate:
Is there any other way to get updates to frozen apps?

I freeze problematic apps in hope of waiting for a better update. When frozen, the apps once did update like normally. I've turned on automatic updates in Google Play Store.
Now I've noticed that apps that are frozen does not seem to get updates.
Is this a problem with the way I freeze apps? I use Link2SD app to freeze apps.
Or is it because of the updated latest versions of Google Play Store doesn't allow updates for the frozen/disabled apps? (Google play store shows "Enable" button over the place of "open/update" for installed frozen apps.)
My Google Play Store version: 3.10.10

Frozen apps are basically "no longer there" (that is why you freeze them). Still there seems to be a way with updates, as your question suggests. I remember Titanium Backup having an option whether "market links" should be wiped when freezing an app, which seems to point to that direction: Maybe using TB, and keep the "market links" on Freeze would do the job -- maybe you give it a try (Link2SD requires root, so your device is rooted -- I cannot believe there's a rooted device w/o TB :)

@Izzy Market links are there. That is why google play can "see" frozen apps. I prefer Link2SD over TB. TB feels more heavy on my small phone.

Based on one of the comments in an AndroidPolice article about Google Play Store v3.7.15, you can't update frozen / disabled apps anymore.

Just a bit more insight into this:
Since ICS, Google allows you to disable system apps via the applications menu - this is the same as freezing.
As such, Google Play needed to improve their system to allow them to detect 'Disabled' system apps that reside on the market - such as apps added their by OEM's.
As such, Google Play now detects frozen/disabled apps and doesn't allow you to update them until they are unfrozen/enabled.

I guess I'd have to wait for an update to the Play Store that hopefully fixes this..

source: Stack Exchange

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

sort: votes


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How to get notified of new automatically archived emails in Gmail?
I am a very organized person, and thus also in the case of my emails. I have taken the time to set various filters and labels to keep my emails organized, some of these filters automatically archive messages, i.e. labels are applied to emails, and they get archived (hence these messages skip the inbox).

These days I am receiving some emails that belong to a specific label, about topics in which I'm working currently, but since they are not reaching the inbox, my smartphone does not notify me when they arrive. However, when I expand the list of recent labels, I find that there are unread messages in the label in which I am interested.

When I open the folder (label), I find the new unread email message.

What do I have to configure in order to get notified of these automatically archived emails in Gmail?

The steps you have to take are the following ones:

Expand the list of recent labels, but this time tap the option Show all labels.

This will take you to the list of all your labels, in whose bottom you'll see the option Manage labels: tap there.

In the list of labels, tap the one you want to be notified about.

By default that label has Label sync and notify disabled. Tap the option Sync messages

It will open a popup dialog with sync options. Choose and tap one different to Sync: None.

The above will enable the notifications, now you can choose its options according the way you want to be notified.

Exit the label options for changes to be applied. From now on, you'll receive notifications about unread messages for that label too (in Jelly Bean, you'll see the extended notification, as with inbox emails). You'll be able to open the email message tapping on that notification.

I tried all the above that you mentioned but the problem is that the sync label is information is not retained after sometime. Regards,
Muneer.

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


text:
Switching profiles based on networks availability
While there are plenty of apps to switch profiles based on various triggers (time, position, ...), Llama being an excellent one for instance -- I did not manage to find any which would from time to time switch a network device on (Wifi, Bluetooth) and check whether a previously configured network is available, then connect if it is available. Should the network not be available, or not be available anymore, the device would be switched off. Until the next check.
This would be extremely useful for someone who is neither very much "time organized" (ie. I do not know what I will be doing a Tuesday at 10:00), nor "place organized" (I spend some time in the neighborhood of my WiFi access point, without the access point being close enough to be connected to, but close enough for cell/GPS based location to think I am in its direct vicinity).
Would someone know of such an application (or a combo - one for WiFi, one for Bluetooth)?
Thank you!

As usual: try with Tasker. Tasker can react on "network near" (check for WiFi SSID), you also can check signal levels and react depending on that. This way you could not even check whether a certain WiFi network is in reach, but also how strong its signal is -- which might prove helpful e.g. in an office building with multiple WiFi networks to determine which room you are in.

Thanks for the hint. Would it be able to run the scenario I described (switch on WiFi / Bluetooth - check for network presence, stay on if the network is there, otherwise switch off? And run this in a reasonable cycle so that the device (WiFi / Bluetooth) is switched off when the network disappears?) - it looks so from the description in Google Play

I'm pretty sure of it, yes. You might want to check for details on the Tasker homepage, especially in the Tasker UserGuide.


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How to back up applications in Android?

Possible Duplicate:
How to backup an Android device?

If I have installed N number of applications including big games, and I would like to back up them, so I could restore the games as soon as I factory reset my mobile, how can it be done ?
Any free apps ?

You can use Titanium Backup, but your phone needs to have root. It has a FREE and a PAID version.

Can you please explain the difference in between FREE and PAID ?

I installed Titanium FREE but I could not find it on my app list, seems it needs rooting or bootloader installed ?
Is it rooting requires bootloader installed on device ? and is it updating OS requires rooting ?

@KusH Yes, you need root to use Titanium Backup.

Does rooting require boot loader ?

@KusH You need to unlock the bootloader so you can have root. Check the the guides / instructions online on how to root your phone (e.g. using Odin to root your phone).

Depending on your Android version, and whether you are rooted or not, there are multiple possibilities. On all rooted devices, you can use Titanium Backup ★ root (pro version recommended -- there's nothing like it). For non-rooted devices, there's no app that can really backup everything (which is an intended permission issue for security reasons: no app can directly access another app's data). But provided you're running at least ICS (Android 4.0.*) or higher, take a look at the question Full Backup of non-rooted devices.

You can use ES File Explorer or File Expert to backup your apk's, it will only  backup your apps not the data. And they will do it with free versions.
From this answer
To backup your app data you should have to rooted to use any application that can backup the data. But if you have not rooted then you can try the following command which will work without root, but using adb. Turn on USB debugging, connect up to your computer, and run

adb pull /data/data/package name C:\where\you\want\the\files.

There is also AppMonster. It is available as both a free and a paid app (€2.96) on the Play Store. ES File Explorer is nice too (it gives more significant names to the backed up APKs) but AppMonster is better. I use both of them and AppMonster can back up apps that ES File Explorer does even not find (Seesmic Pro for example). I almost asked a question about "un-backup-able" apps on the site because of that.


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HTC ONE X: Rooting and boot loader

Possible Duplicate:
How to root the new version of the ONE X

How to root HTC ONE X from AT&T?
What exactly does rooting a phone mean?
What is the boot loader?
Is installing boot loader and rooting the same thing?

Duplicate of http://android.stackexchange.com/q/32598/7574 and http://android.stackexchange.com/q/1184/7574

If you don't know what means rooting a phone, I don't understand why are you asking before how to root your phone. I recommend you to carefully read about rooting: its advantages, its dangers, and then decide if you will do it or not.

I suggest you have a look at http://android.stackexchange.com/questions/tagged/rooting

And please check our [FAQ] -- only one question per post. Your question is 4 questions -- so do some math: 4 != 1, there must be something wrong :)

@Izzy : This has already been closed.

For understanding the Rooting check out the http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Android_rooting and http://androidforums.com/nexus-7/615859-what-rooting.html.

The bootloader is the first thing that starts up when a phone is turned on. At its most basic level, a bootloader is the low-level software on your phone that keeps you from breaking it. It is used to check and verify the software running on your phone before it loads. Think of it like a security guard scanning all the code to make sure everything is in order. If you were to try to load software onto the phone that was not properly signed by the device vendor, the bootloader would detect that and refuse to install it on the device.

And installing/flashing the bootloader is not same as rooting. They both are separated process..

@KusH Yeah, same time as I wrote that comment. But please keep those facts in mind for future questions.

@avirk : seems installing bootloader is the initial required process for rooting a device

@FranciscoAlvarado : I am new with these android stuff, I am just trying to update my OS to jelly beans and I am trying to understand every methods, and trying to find the efficient and quick one

Root One X.
Official bootloader unlock and unofficial unlock.
Found all of these via Google. You can always search online for these kind of questions. And this question is likely to be closed down.

No these kind of question are not close now because every phone model may be differ way to root, and posting only links are not encouraged on SE sites you should add essential information from the links to here and give the links for reference.

@avirk Actually, this question is stil techincally a duplicate, so I voted to close.

@LiamW That is another case, I can understand why it is closed because I'm a part of SE and have a lot of knowledge how it works. I'm mostly activated on SuperUser and I have a kken interest in Android so I often come here to check but not regulary, I have also flagged it for the dupe.


text:
How to run android phone flawlessly ?

Possible Duplicate:
What are some general tips on improving overall performance of an Android phone?

I have been using android phone(Sony Xperia Tipo Dual) few months now .However I see that there are loads of things to learn as a new user .From rooting your device to effective memory management can seem quite intimidating .Also there are lot of good blogs explaining how to use memory effectively .
So what are tips/tricks you would give to first time android user so that he can use the phone effectively so that there is no dips in performance ?
Answer based on all the available android versions .

Check out this post: http://android.stackexchange.com/questions/3986/what-are-some-general-tips-on-improving-overall-performance-of-an-android-phone

Memory management: do not use any task killer, Android takes care of it well. Killing apps only waste battery when they have to be respawned.
Rooting the phone does help - you can weed out all the useless carrier and OEM bloat. Also, after using a bunch of droids over the past few years, I'd say modified, cleaner versions of stock ROMs >>> custom ROMs in terms of stability and battery life, with the sole exception being Nexus devices.
Learning to tweak and perfect Android is like doing it with Linux distros on PCs and servers - there is always more, it is a never ending process and we are all learning. There is no definitive list or article, really.
And most important, don't accept others' advice without thinking about or questioning it.


text:
Route Application through Mobile Data when on Wifi
While on Wifi, Whatsapp won't work on my Galaxy Note 2 due to my work proxy. I have found no proxying application that will work, yet. (My work is using an HTTP Proxy).
Is there an application that will route certain phone apps (such as Whatsapp) through mobile data, while still allowing other apps to use Wifi access?

By default, as soon as WiFi gets connected, the mobile network shuts down -- so you cannot use both simultaneously. Which means: no, even a proxy allowing for exceptions would not do, as the other network simply is no longer available.
Quoting from CyanogenMod Tracker:

Each time you activate WiFi you'll lose 3g connection. That's normal behaviour of Android network manager.

There were attempts on "hacking" that, as you can e.g. find here. This source from the Stanford university also makes clear on the standard behaviour:

Given WiFI is connected, then turn on  3G data connection. 3G connection will be automatically torn down by Connectivity Service.
Given 3G is connected, then turn on WiFi connection. Connectivity Service will tear down the existing 3G connection.

Except from "hacking attempts" as described by the Stanford example, I know of no solution to the issue.

I don't understand why you gave an answer that it is possible in September 2012, yet now in December 2012, claim that it's not possible.  Could you care to explain your conflicting answers?  http://android.stackexchange.com/a/29791/26023

Good find. Have you tried the other solution? I never got any feedback on that, except for what Matt wrote over there: It didn't work. Also note what I've quoted here is "general behaviour" (not taking that app into account). Still, it's a good pointer; I'd love to get more feedback on that app – if possible, even positive feedback :)

Well, you're the one who gave me the links to both of these answers in my question, I'm simply linking together the two unlinked links you gave me. :-)

@avesus found some nice link in another question: http://stackoverflow.com/a/5883882/84661

@cnst Yes, I remember we've discussed that (in chat?) a while ago. But AFAIR that's something each app must so itself, so you cannot set a "global switch" from the outside. I might remember wrongly, though...


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Server Password changed for email on s3, unable to sign in, connection error
My email worked fine on Galaxy S 3 for 3 weeks, but all of a sudden I receive a message saying "Server Password changed, sign in failed connection error". I have changed nothing and was still receiving emails minutes before this happened. Also, the same password still works when logging into Virgin Media to see email online.

Did you enable 2 Step authentication for your google account?

At first I assumed you were using Gmail but then you talk about signing into Virgin Media to view email so I'm a little lost as to what you're trying to do. Can you provide a little more detail?


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People can't hear me on my Samsung Galaxy S3
When I send or receive a call, the person on the other side can't hear me.
Sometimes, the microphone goes mute during the call. But when I check if the phone is on mute, but it isn't. It happens randomly.
The microphone seems to be OK, and I think this is probably a software problem. Would upgrading the OS (from ICS to JB) fix this?

Check if you have call recording software installed - or something in that line. I once wasted my time with such a problem and later found to be due to a call recording software.

I have never installed a call recording software. I just noticed some apps that is in execution and could use microphone. Like SVoice.

Go to your service menu and check whether your microphone is fine. (this is the best way to do a service check). If yes, it is better to try upgrading the OS

I haven't found the right code for my phone. ##197328640## and ##7378423## don't work. What should I use?

I think it is always best to update your phone when possible. If it is a software problem, it will probably be fixed in these updates. If an update didn't fix it, you should try contacting Samsung support for this (don't root your phone if you want Samsung to help you though :-) )

I  was a having the same problem, look next to the charging port (that would be to your right) there a tiny hole CLEAN IT OUT it is blocked. I used a sewing needle to clean it out. After that people on the other side could hear me again. That hole used for talking.

I think that my problem is a little bit different. More likely a software problem that a real hardware problem. I stopped the battery saving app, hope that this resolve.


text:
RPC:S-5:AEC-0 error on brand new tablets

Possible Duplicate:
Google play fails to install application with RPC:S-5:AEC-0

I recently bought 2 of these tablets, which had good reviews.
I bought them for my young daughters for Christmas. So, the tablets didn't have to be the best in the market. They need to be able to download games, but I am having problems with downloading from the Play Store.
The most frequent error is the RPC:S-5:AEC-0 error. All the fixes I have found for this are for problems following updates, and not for brand new devices. Nevertheless, I have tried clearing caches, re-installing GMail accounts, and restoring to factory settings but nothing is working.
The above link shows that the devices are on 4.0.3. But when I checked the tablets, they are on 4.0.4.
Any ideas?

Have you seen this question?


text:
What is "Fast bluetooth connection" on my Cyanogenmod?
Could anyone give an explanation of the option called "Fast Bluetooth Connections" on CyanogenMod7? I don't seem to notice anything after selecting that option though.

What does it possibly do?

Just as a guess it could mean that the phone tries to use Bluetooth v3 if it supports it rather than the more common v2? -edit- Actually as a better guess perhaps it means that the phone won't try and use the 'Simple Secure Pairing' that was brought in with Bluetooth v2 where the user has to type in/check a number to confirm the connection.


text:
What's the cause of "Application not installed" error?
So I just downloaded the nightly version of Firefox (ARMv6) apk and when I install, I get the following error message:-

This, isn't a very friendly message.. what could be the cause? How do I find out?
Logcat for this particular problem says:-
W/PackageParser(  137): Exception reading libxul.so in /data/app/vmdl70897.tmp
W/PackageParser(  137): java.io.IOException
W/PackageParser(  137):         at java.util.zip.InflaterInputStream.read(InflaterInputStream.java:207)
W/PackageParser(  137):         at java.util.zip.ZipFile$ZipInflaterInputStream.read(ZipFile.java:432)
W/PackageParser(  137):         at java.io.FilterInputStream.read(FilterInputStream.java:154)
W/PackageParser(  137):         at java.util.jar.JarFile$JarFileInputStream.read(JarFile.java:109)
W/PackageParser(  137):         at android.content.pm.PackageParser.loadCertificates(PackageParser.java:338)
W/PackageParser(  137):         at android.content.pm.PackageParser.collectCertificates(PackageParser.java:508)
W/PackageParser(  137):         at com.android.server.PackageManagerService.installPackageLI(PackageManagerService.java:5906)
W/PackageParser(  137):         at com.android.server.PackageManagerService.access$2100(PackageManagerService.java:134)
W/PackageParser(  137):         at com.android.server.PackageManagerService$5.run(PackageManagerService.java:4764)
W/PackageParser(  137):         at android.os.Handler.handleCallback(Handler.java:587)
W/PackageParser(  137):         at android.os.Handler.dispatchMessage(Handler.java:92)
W/PackageParser(  137):         at android.os.Looper.loop(Looper.java:123)
W/PackageParser(  137):         at android.os.HandlerThread.run(HandlerThread.java:60)
W/PackageParser(  137): Caused by: java.util.zip.DataFormatException: data error
W/PackageParser(  137):         at java.util.zip.Inflater.inflateImpl(Native Method)
W/PackageParser(  137):         at java.util.zip.Inflater.inflate(Inflater.java:255)
W/PackageParser(  137):         at java.util.zip.InflaterInputStream.read(InflaterInputStream.java:188)
W/PackageParser(  137):         ... 12 more
E/PackageParser(  137): Package org.mozilla.fennec has no certificates at entry libxul.so; ignoring!

Although I've encountered this on the Firefox APK, I'd prefer a more general answer on how to fix or know the cause of such "Application not installed" problem.

Have you uninstalled existing Firefox app, in case you had it?

@SurajBajaj I never had firefox app installed. Never tried it.. (because firefox only recently released ARMv6 builds)

I am not sure how much it can help but still have you seen this question?

Do you have enough free space? Did you check logcat? What device do you have?

@LieRyan I have around 40 MB of free space on internal memory. The apk is just around 21 MB. Device is huawei IDEOS u8150 running froyo. Logcat attached.

@SurajBajaj that question had a lot of developer oriented responses and it didn't help. Thanks though.

May be you want to try FF normal version. See if the problem exists. If not, this is a bug of the app. And if yes, there is a problem with your handset.

@Sid There are many different versions of Firefox.. the recent 'stable' ones are ARMv7 and won't be supported in mine.

@Power-Inside Have you tried re-downloading the APK? May the APK is corrupt. Again a wild guess...

@SurajBajaj It's ~20 MB.. part of why I'm reluctant in retrying it.. anyway a new nightly might be out.. so I'd try that one..

I've seen this happening when I tried installing an APK a second time while the first one is still running on the background. The second installation would fail with "Application not installed" although the application will still end up installed and runs fine. It's probably a different issue than the one you're having though.

Application not compatible with your Android version? BTW What version of Android are you running?

@t0mm13b Android 2.2

Try to reinstall Firefox and Nightly

The exceptions coming from zip (in the log extract) indicate that the package is corrupt. This error could have been introduced by the download, or when the package file was generated. You could check for download errors by verifying the APK file's SHA-1 or MD5 checksum against a checksum provided by the download site. Obviously each site will have a different way of telling you the checksum. Also, the method of verifying it is different depending on what OS your PC runs: on Linux it's as simple as running md5sum file or sha1sum file.
Note that this won't always be the case from the "Application not installed" error message. As others have indicated, that message usually results from trying to install a package that already exists on the system, unless the new package has a newer version number and is signed by the same key.

Well it did seem like a corrupted download. There was no checksum for me to compare with and I even tried restarting the download and completing it multiple times over and over.. seems like the server had hosted a bad APK. :)

Try to delete app's files in /data/data/package-name and /data/dalvik-cache/package-name (You need root access to do that).
That fixed an issue with app that has been broken on my system and has error code -2 in logcat.

This doesn't seem like it would fix the issue since the error happened on the first install so those files were not present.


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How to clone an NFC tag (e.g. MIFARE Classic) to an Android device?
I use a MIFARE Classic NFC access card.
Is there any way to clone my card on an Android device (e.g. on Samsung Galaxy Nexus or Asus Nexus 7)?
Note: this question is not about duplicating an NFC tag onto another NFC tag, but rather use the smartphone as an NFC tag. (This should be possible since it is possible to use the phone as NFC tag for contactless payments.)

See the edits for recent updates to this although the answer is still a general 'no'
In short, no, not easily anyway.
You can get all of the information off it by using an app such as NFC TagInfo however currently stock Android phones don't support emulating NFC cards even though their hardware allows for it.
If you were willing to install a custom ROM on the device then there may be a working ROM that allows for the functionality on those devices, there is one for the Nexus S, however these ROMs usually only let the phone act as a tag so you can't put data on it directly from the phone, you'd have to write the data onto it from another source.
I also haven't seen one that allows for the setting of the UID (Unique Identifier) which is what most door readers and access control systems will work with so even if you could emulate the information on a tag you still couldn't open the door as the UID would be wrong.
EDIT: It is now possible to load applications onto your device and have them communicate with a reader via NFC however for this to work you must be running Cyanogenmod and this still doesn't solve your problem, the app still can't change the UID that the phone shows.
EDIT EDIT: With Android KitKat 4.4 the ability to have the phone act as an NFC card is built into the operating system so you no longer have to rely on Cyanogenmod. However it can't actually emulate a tag (such as a MiFare tag) which is what most access cards are and it can't set its own UID. n.b. I haven't had a chance to play with this much so I'm just going on what I've read.

Yes it's possible. If the access control system is looking for the UID, Rango NFC can clone the cards, provided if the device is rooted.
To do that, hold the card you want to clone at the phone and the app detect the UID and the length. Then click "DO IT!" and the phone will emulate this UID.
I have tested it on my door.
*Disclosure: I developed the app

Rango NFC only emulate card, no clone

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


text:
Can not unlock my Android device as have no internet connection?
I have an Android device which is running Android 4.0.3 (or something like that).
My little brother decided to try and guess my lock screen pattern the other day, and ended up locking me out.
I have since been unable to log back in to the tablet using my Google Account details. I provided the correct login details, however it says they are incorrect. Could this be connected to the fact I have no internet connection?
I have no internet connection as the device is WiFi only, and the WiFi is currently turned off. I cannot turn it on, as I am locked out.
How can I log back into my tablet without wiping the user data?

Good luck! Even this has no answer: http://android.stackexchange.com/questions/33063/account-unlock-when-not-connected-to-internet

Never give your tablet to anyone, same applies to smartphones, not sounding off-putting or as if "mistrusting" but its very easy for others once they have their hands on it, to play a practical joke  on you or intentionally give you grief! :)

@t0mm13b Well, my I had no choice as I was being blackmailed at the time ;)

@LiamW :o That's a terrible thing! Should have said "Wait til I tell your mom and dad on you..." should make your little brother think twice! :)

@t0mm13b Thats what he was threatening to do to me! Like I said - no choice ;)

Using two-factor auth? Try turning it off (from another device/machine).

There are several ways even in this stage. I'll try to sum up as many of them as I remember/find. Also, I don't keep it restricted to a single device -- but try to cover as many as possible, so it will be helpful to as many readers as possible. As you kept the device-tag from your question, all of them should find it :)
All devices: if your credentials are not accepted, though they are correct
Sometimes this part seems to be buggy, so this page lists a few work-arounds. Amongst others, these include:

try entering null as password. (together with your google username; according to this page it should be the literal term null)
try entering your username without @gmail.com
Combine 1 and 2
Try the normal recover password routine from GMail.com and start over from 1.

All devices: Bypass screenlock using a special app
UPDATE: The app mentioned in this solution is no longer available. Instead, Reset Screen Lock should do the same.
According to TheUnlockr, the problem should be very easy to resolve:

Go to the web version of Google Play.
Login with the Google account associated with your Android device.
Install Screen Lock Bypass (unfortunately a paid app now).
Reboot your device.

Another source mentioning this is UltraTechy.Com, which contains a few more explanations. According to that, the app will circumvent the "too many attempts" block, so you can directly access your device again (to e.g. make a complete backup before resetting it). As soon as this app is uninstalled, the "too many attempts" will be in effect again immediately. Hence, they add a few more steps:

Go to Settings → Accounts & Sync
Under Manage Accounts, remove all accounts except your Google account. (this should enable your Google username and password)
Go to Settings → Applications → Manage Applications. Find Screen Lock Bypass and uninstall the app. (this will trigger the “too many pattern attempts” screen immediately)
Use your original Google username and password to finally unlock your phone properly
Enter your new security pattern twice to finish

All devices: Unlock via web
If you still know your pattern (and it only was your little brother who played with your device), and have your Google Account login/password ready, UltraTechy.Com offers another approach:

Using your computer, log into your Google account
Go to this link directly – https://accounts.google.com/IssuedAuthSubTokens OR click your e-mail on the top right corner, select Account settings, then hit “Visit the previous version of the Google accounts screen” towards the bottom, click “Authorizing applications & sites” under your Personal Settings → Security.
Under “Connected Sites, Apps & Services” – “Revoke Access” of your Google Account with Android. You will see the screen showing “You have successfully revoked access to Full Account Access”
[Alternate for step 3 - If you have already signed up for 2-Step Authorization previously and are able to generate a new application-specific password at the bottom, go ahead and generate a new password and use that password to unlock your device]
Enter Gmail login and password on your device. It will now accept your login details and will show a pattern screen. Enter the “correct” pattern and you can see the home screen.

All devices: Disable Pattern Lock via ADB
According to this source, there's a way to disable the pattern lock via ADB. A few requirements for this, though:

Your device probably must be rooted
(not mentioned there, but the database we need to update is owned by system/system, and nobody else has read or even write access to it. Also removing files from /data/system is unlikely to be permitted without)
USB Debugging must be enabled on the device (rooted users: alternatively you can boot into recovery, where USB Debugging is not required -- but you might need to manually mount the /data partition)
the Android SDK must be installed on your computer
device must be plugged-in and connected via USB
you need a command line on the computer

On the command line, enter the following:
> adb -d shell
# sqlite3 data/data/com.android.providers.settings/databases/settings.db
sqlite> update system set value=0 where name='lock_pattern_autolock';
sqlite> .exit
# exit

(According to a comment from Kay, on Android 2.3.7 the SQL-Statement should read update secure set value=0 where name='lock_pattern_autolock'; -- at least with CM7 on a HTC Desire)
Now disconnect and power off your phone, and turn it back on and the pattern lock should be gone.
According to Geeknizer, there are a few additional useful steps to follow: After the reboot, use your ADB shell again and...
adb shell rm /data/system/gesture.key

Then reboot again. When device reboots, you will still see a pattern lock screen. But here’s the catch: just try any random pattern and it may unlock then remove the pattern from settings.
Hint: if the Settings app crashes when you try to set a new pattern, remove all .key and locksettings.db* files from /data/system (see "More" below).

Some additional notes from this comment by krlmlr:

Mounting /data will be necessary. This can be done using mount /data via adb -d shell
If the sqlite binary is not available on the device, you can use adb pull to copy the database file to your computer, edit it there (e.g. using SQLiteMan, and finally use adb push to replace it on the device
On his Android 2.x device, the SQL command had to be update secure set value=0 where name='lockscreen.lockedoutpermanently';

All devices: Similar thing without ADB
For those not having USB Debug activated on their device, there might be a work-around using a flashable zip, as described here. This procedure requires the zip file (to be found at the linked page), an editor, busybox and root on the device, plus the device needs to be rooted. Extensive procedure -- too long to be included here. And as it is no help without the zip either, you have to follow the link for this one.
Phones: Use a hole to disable your lock
If it is a phone -- i.e. if you can give it a voice call -- you might be able to use a "security hole", as described here:

Call yourself from another phone, answer, hang-up, directly after hanging up start pressing your buttons like a madman for <30-60 seconds ending with your home button (might take a while to get the timing right). Go into settings and disable pattern-lock.

However, I guess that might leave you without protection afterwards, as you need to verify with the old method before being able to reset it to a new. But still, I didn't try: it might as well be it ignores the "failed attempts" at this place.
Phones: Use a hole to create a new account
For phones there's a bad work-around according to this post:

call the device from another phone (or have a friend calling it)
answer the call, do not hang up
use the back key (not the home key) over and over. This should eventually bring you to your home screen
go to Settings → Google Accounts and add a new Google account. Sign in with this new account
after it accepts the new account credentials, and logs you in, hang up the phone, and go back to the lock screen.

Now, use the new Google Account's data to bypass the lock screen (via the "forgot" button).
Samsung users with Windows PC
There's a One-Click-Solution to be found at GSMHosting.com which claims to be able to solve the issue. According to the many thanks the poster received, it seems to work. You can download the Windows executable there, connect your phone to your computer, and click...
Forensics
Oh yeah. Those guys who work for courts, police, secret services, corporate security... They've got ways as well. Example needed? ViaForensic's viaExtract can even decode pattern locks! So don't think you're unbreakable. Though: this is only mentioned here for completeness -- I don't think you easily get your hands on that :)
More
There might be more alternatives to that. If I happen to stumble upon them, I hope I remember to update my answer again ;) … And here we go:

If there's a Google account associated with your device, you can use Google's device manager to remotely put a different lock. Of course this would need the device connected to the Internet.
Some more ADB-based methods are described here:

use TWRP's integrated file manager to delete all *.key and locksettings.* files from /data/system
do the same via adb shell (root required)
use any custom recovery to flash a password disable .zip (link is a download from XDA)

The 'Disable Pattern Lock via ADB' trick makes me want to turn off USB Debugging from now on!

It is "update secure set value=0 where name='lock_pattern_autolock';" in Android 2.3.7 (CyanogenMod-7-20121209-NIGHTLY-bravo) on an HTC Desire.

Thanks for your detailed explanation, I was able to unlock using USB debugging in recovery mode. A few hints: 1) As you noted, mounting data is necessary: mount /data in adb -d shell works. 2) sqlite3 was not available on the device. I had to pull the file, edit locally and push it back using adb pull /data/... and adb push settings.db /data/.... 3) Ultimately, I had to say update secure set value=0 where name='lockscreen.lockedoutpermanently'; on my device (Android 2.x, tell me how to find out the info about the device I need to tell you ;-) )

The "App Password" (under Unlock Via Web) worked for me and was very easy, thanks! (Galaxy S2).

Thank you for this. I used the database/ADB method. There were some differences, though, that might be worth mentioning. My database was /data/system/locksettings.db on CM12. Also, I had no access via adb (unauthorized), so I pulled the file to an external SD card using Aroma FM v1.91 (v2.00 didn't work for me) and edited them on a PC.

On SE, "Thank you" means upvoting the post :) Did that for your comment, as the hint to Aroma and CM12 might prove useful for someone. And in case you hadn't previously and permanently authorized your computer, you of course cannot use it to access the device via ADB if you cannot unlock the device. Didn't ADB work in recovery either? A recovery with Aroma integrated usually also comes with a running (or startable) ADB daemon, @Pietu1998

@Izzy I apparently forgot to upvote. I had CWM 6.x that didn't allow me to use ADB in recovery either. Also, I used an Aroma zip from the same SD card I used to copy the database.

So the same thing happened with me today- a friend fiddled with my pattern lock - too many attempts- asked me to enter my google account and password, but it didn't work even though i remembered it correctly. I tried all permutations and combinations and possible passwords. I read multiple blogs to find a solution (and to avoid a factory reset). What finally worked was very bizarre - (keep clicking on the sign in button without entering anything, then enter something random and keep clicking. then enter your username (without @gmail) and your password. If you get lucky, it'll ask for a new pattern and your phone will be normal. However, this happened 4-5 after it got locked and after i tried everything. So presing buttons like a madman is the only shot !! also download "Screen Lock Bypass Pro" for next time

Here's how I cleared the screen lock password on my phone running CyanogenMod 11:

Boot into TeamWin (or other adb-enabled) recovery,
Connect the USB cable on the computer, then perform:

sudo -i
adb -d shell
mount /data
cd /data/system
rm gesture.key
rm password.key

reboot

And next time you wish to set a new pattern, settings app will crash – as you forgot to also remove locksettings.db*. At least that was already reported recently.

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


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Can I convert my Samsung Focus - SAMSUNG SGH-i917 to an Android platform?

Possible Duplicate:
Can I install Android on my non-Android device?

I have searched more than one site trying to decide how to convert my Samsung Focus to an Android platform. I'm still wondering if such a process can be accomplished.

So what do those sites say?

@Sid: When editing "closed as duplicate" question, don't remove the system-generated "possible duplicate" text.

@AlEverett Well, there were no such message when I was editing this.

@Sid: Gotcha. It must have been closed while you were editing and so your edit overwrote the edit made by the closing process. No harm done.


text:
Enable wallpaper scrolling for HTC Sense 4+
My htc one x just got updated to HTC Sense 4+.
Just yesterday, there was another update but I don't quite know what that update was for. Anyway, with sense 4+, the wallpaper doesn't scroll when I go to different panels. Furthermore, I don't quite like carousel either.
I thought the widgets have become a lot more stylish, though.
How do I enable wallpaper scrolling with sense 4+ now?
If that is not possible, how do I roll back to HTC sense 4?
I don't like Go Launcher because, I think, the widgets are not as good as the HTC ones; so I'd rather not replace sense with something else.
Is this somehow possible at all, please?
I am willing to root my phone, if needed, to get the wallpaper scrolling back.
Thanks.

I have a HTC One X too, and I hadn't noticed yet that wallpaper scrolling is not working anymore. After some searching in the settings, I haven't found the solution to your problem. So I think that I have to conclude that there is no option to restore this functionality.
Reverting back to previouse Sense versions is not an option as far as I know. Rooting is an option, but I guess that this will not fix the problem, though I cannot really say for sure it will or will not.

that's really sad, I love the wallpaper scrolling. I hope they bring it back.. Thanks for your answer!

Use the Google Play app called Landscape Wallpaper; it works. I think we can't have the scrolling effect because of the "carousel" effect of the panels.

Please add a link to the app. :)


text:
Is there a way to log off from your Android 4.2 tablet user account?
One of the nice features introduced in Android 4.2 Jelly Bean on tablet devices is the ability to create user accounts just like you do on desktop operating systems.  However, as far as I can see, there doesn't seem to be a log-off option available anywhere that would result in e.g. stopping all processes initiated by a user.
The only standard option in the multi-user environments world I can see is switching between user accounts.  In order to do that, all I need to do on my Google Nexus 7 tablet is lock the screen and then unlock it by hitting the hardware on/off button;  on the screen that shows up you can select what user account you'd like to log in to.
This is quite important as I am worried the processes started by other users might have an impact on the performance of the device.

Actually you can "log off" a tad more easily than by hitting the hardware on/off button: swipe down from the upper-right corner, to expose the 3x3 panel of settings shortcuts; click the upper-left cell in the panel, which is a photo of you.  That drops you to the "login" screen.

Good point, offby1, I discovered that way of locking the screen AFTER I asked that question :-)  Still, the issue remains about loging out and at the same time shutting apps and processes in an easy way.

You are right about being worried. Other users' processes are indeed working in the background and hinder performance. I see it in the battery stats and in the list of active processes.

Another point is that other users might have a lock protection which means whatever the solution might be, it needs to be independent of other users activities.

The only way I found was to restart the device.
Be careful to not switch to other users after the restart. Once you switch to another user, his processes are initiated and continue working even if you switch back to your user - just like you said in the question.
Strange that Google haven't tackled this issue. Perhaps on a newer Android version 4.3+?
* This happens to me on my asus memo pad with Android 4.2.

In terminal emulator;
Become root
$ su
List users to get their ID. It's the first number listed, usually 11 for the first user. 0 is owner. Ie 11:user:10 & 0:owner:13
# pm list users
Stop the users execution instance (logoff)
# am stop-user <id>
Usually 'am stop-user 11'
You can't logoff the device owner, ID 0.

Requires root access :(

Is there any relevant API exposed in ActivityManager class for system apps as well ?


text:
Mute Emergency alert in Google Now (without removing it)
Google Now has a neat feature (at least I think it's from Google Now) where it warns you for emergency events. The problem is it's just warned me twice in half an hour with an extremely loud tone about a snowstorm I've known about for days.
Is there some way I can make the phone vibrate or change the ringtone? I only see an option to disable these alerts entirely. It's not my default notification/alarm ringtone; it's a special LOUD warning tone. Good at attracting attention but major overkill. I would like to still get them, but I would like them to be much quieter (yes, even though they're "emergencies") as my phone blaring loud warning tones at work is quite distracting.

Unfortunately I don't have a working phone on hand at the moment to test this, but if you can identify the specific audio file used as the alert sound, you could simply edit it with a piece of software like Audacity and make it as quiet as you'd like. (Excuse the shoddy answer, I'll edit it as soon as I can test the method or delete it straight away if it's unsatisfactory)

There's an idea...do you know what the audio for that happens to be? It's not something I can set

If you go to google now, and then go to settings (the three dot menu button if its a soft key) theres a section that says notifications. That section has a part titled Urgent Updates and has the option to set a ringtone or turn on vibrate. As far as I know this should change the sound for the alert since it says urgent updates include public alerts. Just note, I am using KitKat so if you don't have the latest version of google now it could be different.
EDIT: I just realized this question was asked a year ago so the answer details a newer version

I ran into the exact same issue (same storm too, no doubt). In Android 4.2, you can disable these alerts by going to Settings → Wireless Networks (More...) → Cell broadcasts. The alerts cannot be muted, but can be disabled in this screen.

The questioner asked about how to mute the Google Now alerts and not alerts received via cell broadcasts.

On my phone, which runs Android Gingerbread, this setting is under Sound\Emergency\Emergency Tone. I have set it to OFF, as opposed to Alert or Vibrate.

And which phone (running which Android version) is it?

@wbogacz if your phone is running Gingerbread (Android 2.3), then you don't have Google Now, as it's only compatible with Android 4.1 (Jellybean) and newer.


text:
Use of swap size while partitioning?
I just rooted my phone (Android 2.3.6) and partitioned the sd card using CWM recovery. While partitioning, I noticed about swap size and while searching about it, different blogs (xda developers) recommended using 0M as swap size. What is the use of it? Why is it recommended to be 0M?

Primary reasons for the no swap recommendations are the basic uselessness of swap for most devices, performance reasons, and device longevity.
As Liam mentions, modern devices have no shortage of RAM (Even my old underpowered Wildfire S has as much RAM as my previous desktop.) and that RAM is managed fairly well by the modern Android system, making a swap largely pointless.
Also, even though flash is far better than platters of spinning rust, it's still orders of magnitude slower than RAM is, hence for performance reasons, you don't want to tier down to flash if you can at all avoid it.
Furthermore, flash memory has a limit on how many times you can erase and rewrite it.  While this cycle limit is typically in the thousands or tens of thousands, which combined with modern wear leveling systems, means you're unlikely to hit the limit within the useful lifespan of the device, but if you're using it as swap, with loads and loads of itty-bity writes, you will chew through those cycles needlessly and might actually bump against those limits in time.

Your previous desktop only had 512 MB of RAM?  Have you had a desktop machine since the 90's??

@intuited I built my previous desktop in 2001.  512 was a fair amount at the time.  My current desktop started with 2gb, then upgraded to 4, and now has 12.

The use of a swap file it so save memory (RAM) to storage (hard drive/sd card).
The recommendation of 0mb for the file size is because it is not usually needed. Android takes care of memory management in a different fashion than swap files.
Background:
A Swap File is traditionally used to store what is typically in memory onto storage when memory is low. This allows it to be switched back into memory when needed.
To quote from Zero Credibility Blog

Android, while a fairly typical (but trim) Linux under the covers, has it’s own mechanism for handling low memory conditions. It terminates the application, but first gives it an opportunity to persist it’s state (via a series of callbacks). For example, a map application might persist a latitude and longitude before it is terminated. When you access the application again,  the location is passed back so it appears that the app was running all along. In actuality the app was restarted completely.

(emphasis mine)
The above describes how I have seen applications appear to persist after switching from task to task.
There is no need to save the contents of memory to storage, because Android will just save the app's current data and terminate the app.

Can anyone please explain the down vote to improve the answer?

I don't believe it fully answers the question...

Thanks for the answer. But looking for a more clearer one.

As the other answers already cover most of the facts, just a small addition: I already edited the app Swapper for Root users into Liam's answer as an example. And Compro01's answer already mentioned the danger of wearing out the flash memory of your sdcard. Now let's bring both together:
When using the Swapper app to handle your swap, it recommends to not use a swap partition but a swap file, for exact this reasons. That swap file then is placed on a different location of the flash memory each time swap gets activated, which avoids to always write/delete the same blocks and thus saves some more lifespan for your flash memory.
So comparing both:

Swap partition: faster, but wears out flash memory faster, too.
Swap file: a little slower, but does not wear out flash memory that fast

Keeping this in mind it gets clear why a) 0M (i.e. no swap partition) is recommended, and b) a swap partition is offered at all (for those who do not care buying new cards, but want the extra little speed).

Swap partition vs. swap file wouldn't make any difference.  Wear leveling is handled by the flash controller, not any portion of the firmware or Android system.  The layout of the partitions has no fixed relation to the physical location of anything on the flash chip.

This part of my explanation comes from the Swapper docs. As I never used swap on my Android devices, I didn't dig deeper. But I'm irritated that partition layout shouldn't be bound to blocks on the medium. Are you sure of this? "How does it then work" would be a different question -- but maybe you could at least mention a source?

Swapper represents something from the old way of things.  Early in the history of Android, many devices used raw NAND flash chips for their storage and used special file systems like YAFFS to handle the wear leveling.  This is where the file vs. partition comes into play, as a swap file would use the special wear leveling file system, as opposed to the swap partition using static allocation.  This is no longer relevant, as all current devices instead use eMMC for storage rather than raw flash.  eMMC has the controller integrated into the package, and is invisible to the OS and everything else.

Sounds reasonable. "eMMC" stands for "emulated MMC" -- so does that apply to internal memory only, or also to (newer) sdcards? Might be relevant in this context.

No, eMMC is embedded MMC.  It's basically a flash chip with the controller and cache embedded straight into the IC package.  It's not really an MMC, as it's a chip, not a card, but it's the same as an MMC from a software level.  This is the internal memory in basically all modern android devices.  SD cards are an extension of the MMC spec, most notably adding DRM capability.  Again, everything is handled by the controller.  From outside the card/chip, all the wear leveling stuff is invisible.  Unless you open up the package, you'd never know block 1 and 2 are nowhere near each other.

Thank you very much for clarification! So in short, it applies to both -- and the entire concept of "file versus partition" is "outdated", as all block mapping (even for partitions) is no longer fixed but handled by the controller. If this summary is correct (please confirm), I will update my answer accordingly (so nobody needs to go through all our comments). BUT: according to https://wiki.linaro.org/Flash%20memory this is not the case: Partitions are further divided into blocks -- so it is as I thought. Can you name a source for your explanation?

A partition is made up of blocks yes, but they're device-facing blocks, not fixed physical blocks on the flash chip.  Blocks on an managed flash chip are exactly the same as sectors on a hard drive from the perspective of the OS.  I don't have a readily available source, as this is stuff I'm recalling from my computer architecture and interfacing classes at college.

Swap is basically virtual RAM used by the Linux kernel.
Swap in Android was used when devices had very limited RAM (I used it with my LG Optimus GT540), to increase the amount of RAM available to the Android OS.
Android kills apps when it run's out of memory - and is very good at doing this efficiently, however on devices with low RAM people may have seen their home screen apps being killed, and therefore have to wait a while to get to their home screens.
Swap can be mounted via either a partition or a file - mainly on an external (or internal) storage device. Swap is normally activated via the so-called Init scripts in the /etc/init.d folder of the device to mount/enable swap on device boot.
Linux desktops use a partition for swap, and the user is asked to create this during the install process.
A file is normally stored on the SD Card or storage medium. The swap file on Android is normally mounted (and created) by an app (e.g. Swapper for Root users).
Most newer devices won't see any benefit of using swap - as they normally have as much RAM as a desktop computer (my SGS2 has 1GB!), and therefore wouldn't benefit from having more virtual RAM.
Unfortunately, using swap can come at a price - even on low RAM devices, as the OS has to spend time writing to the SD card, which would normally have slow read/write speeds. As such, it isn't used much at all nowadays, unless a device has an obscenely small amount of RAM.
As well as this, using swap can have a negative effect on the life of your memory device, and should be used with caution. If anyone reading must use swap (and I would advise against it), then use a file with an app, as it varies the swap file location to maximise sd card life.

hmm..quite satisfying one.

Swap is not needed in Android - plain and simple :) -1 from me, Compro01's answer is the best and sums it up exactly!


text:
Lost all files on /sdcard when transfering files from PC
I just tried to transfer files from my PC (Win7) via USB MTP onto my Nexus7 which seemed to work as usual. When I tried to locate them on the tablet, I noticed that the complete /sdcard folder is still there, but empty. Also the /storage/sdcard0 and /storage/emulated.
This actually happend the second time, but the first time I just had updated to 4.2.1 and I thought I must've missed some instructions about backing up the files first, so I (falsely) assumed it was my error.
The device is the 16gb wifi only version running current android 4.2, it's been rooted after purchase in summer using Nexus Root Toolkit 1.5.3. I have only one user set up: me alias the owner. I just use the usual popular play store apps like nova launcher, total commander, firefox and stuff, nothing special.

If you haven't rebooted since that, try adb logcat >n7.txt, maybe you find some hints in it.


text:
How do I access my phone (not my SD card) from my computer?
I have an MyTouch 4G from TMobile. It's running android 2.3.4. How do I put put a file and delete files from the phone itself, not just the SD card?

What do you mean the phone itself? Do you mean the internal sd card? Do you mean the root file system?

The internal memory of the phone.

Which is...? That could mean the root system area, or the Internal SD card. Please be specific :)

So if I take out the SD card out, the memory that the phone runs out then. I don't know what it's called, but just the hard drive built into the phone.

The thing is, that could mean the root system, or the internal storage SD card (normally /emmc or something). I will post an answer now though :)

You could install the Android SDK on your computer. This would give you the possibility to access your device's storage via the command line using e.g. adb push and adb pull. If that's not the level of comfort you want, there are also graphical tools utilizing ADB:
ADB FileExplorer is a minimalistic frontend to copy files from/to the device. It's freely available from the XDA developers (simply follow the link). It is written in Java, and thus should run on nearly all operating systems used on desktop computers.

If you want a little more comfort, then there's also ADBBrowser. Available for Linux and Windows (32-bit and 64-bit), it offers also an app-browser. And last but not least, there's QtADB available for Linux, Mac and Windows (again 32-bit and 64-bit), full of useful features like file manager, app manager, device information, SMS, shell, screenshots, logcat, backup/restore... Take a pick.

Of course, there are many more possibilities. If your device is rooted, there are several apps available on the Playstore which permit full access to the local file system remotely.

Why won't the ADBBrowser work? This: http://chipperyman573.com/Capture.PNG is what it looks like.

Because you have to install the Android SDK first, and the adb executable must be in the path (as it looks like). Please see the installation instructions of that application.

If you mean the Internal SD Card (where pictures etc are stored if they aren't stored on the internal SD Card), then this is mounted along with the external SD card when you connect your phone to the computer.
If you mean the root file system, (I.E where the Android system files are), then this can be done, but not directly.
You would have to do it using an app via FTP, and you would have to be rooted to see the vast majority of the files.
The app SSH Droid allows you to turn your device into an SSH/SFTP server, which allows you to use FTP to connect to the internal file system (where the main system files are stored) of your device, using an FTP client (Nautilus, Windows Explorer, Filezilla for example).
When doing this, be careful not to delete any files that could be important in the functioning of your device, and like I said - root will be needed to do most things here.

Alternatively, adb is another means of accessing the internal memory, though you'd want a level of comfort with the command line.


text:
Set custom DPI for different apps?
I own a rooted Nexus 7 16GB running on 4.2.1. The default interface (stock ROM) is the phone UI. I have read mods and a certain app that changes the DPI to enable the tablet UI.

I would like to have the phone UI primarily but I want certain apps to run in the tablet UI mode. Is this possible? If so, how?

Maybe you should look into this ROM, however I cannot guarantee if there is an availability for the Nexus 7.
To quote:

This rom lets you scale and project every app, every widget, even
systemcomponents individually.
Remember, android is modular, everything is an app: Lockscreen,
navigationbar, dialogs, popups, keyboards, widgets, and your regular
apps of course.
Apps have the capability to switch into various designs or layouts
according to the device they run on.

It is hybrid, meaning, that individual apps can change from tablet mode to phone layout mode on the fly. It is open sourced and is available on github.
Edit:
Thanks to eldarerathis for supplying the linky to the N7 Version found on XDA.

I think this is the N7 version: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1800268


text:
Trying to use Xbox controller on Nexus 7
I just got the Asus Nexus 7 and I am attempting to play the N64 emulator (Mupen64 plus, AE). I have my wired xbox 360 controller plugged in to the otg cable, but the light does not stay on the controller and the Nexus is not reading it. Only when I press it does it flash for a second. Help?

Have you tried the controller with other games besides N64 emulator games?

This very comprehensive article entitled "Guide to Game Controllers on Android" published on 9th May 2012 maybe greatly beneficial to you:
http://www.pocketables.com/2012/05/guide-to-game-controllers-on-android.html
You may also be interested in this video (approx.45 mins duration) entitled "Gaming On The Nexus 7 With A PS3 Controller"
http://revision3.com/hak5/how-to-bluetooth-a-controller-to-nexus

How can the PS3 controller video help?

@Matthew Read: Principle of connecting the controller to the Nexus 7 is the same

Is it?  He's not using a Bluetooth controller.

@Matthew Read Thats true, in hindsight I thought it might be helpful to him


text:
What should I do now to move apps to SD in my Samsung Galaxy S Duos (ICS)?
I just bought a new Samsung Galaxy S Duos and the Android version does not have a option to move the app to memory card. I also installed the app called "app2sd"and when I open the app it says, The device does not have a real primary external storage or the primary external storage is emulated. Moving app to SD function may not be supported by this device.
What should I do now to move the app to SD.

Can you use a terminal on the device or ADB shell to run echo $EXTERNAL_STORAGE and tell us what it says?  ls -l /sdcard and ls /mnt may also be helpful.

please, inform us: 1) your phone is rooted? 2) do you really have a external storage sd card?

I have LG P768 Android 4.1.2. I can move apps to SD using Move2SD
some app2sd (that can't work) will show this error "device does not have a real primary external storage or the primary external storage is emulated"

Compared to other devices, there is no "Move to SD card" option in the application manager menu on Galaxy S Duos. I have rooted my phone and I use folder mount app to link game data to SD card. I have tried and tested this app, so I can guarantee that this will work on a rooted S Duos. But first, you have to install the game in internal storage. Games like "NFS Most Wanted" are more than 1.8GB, i.e. it exceeds the internal storage. So,in order to play them, you need an app called external2internal which swaps internal storage to external. But these apps will not move the whole game. It only moves the game data, but not the APK.
You could find custom ROMs with "Move to SD card" option for this device. But again, the ROMs take away many features while giving some. I recommend NOT to flash any kind of ROMs, and those new users who don't know how complicated rooting a device, I will recommend them to use Kingo Android Root to root their device. But be cautioned, it will void the warranty. In conclusion, S Duos users who are not rooted have no practical solution for this problem and are left helpless.

Follow this link . All the details given in it . If it does not understand your external sd card as memory device you might have to create a new partition in the sd card . Here is a link for that

that link is not for the Ice cream sandwich version....,can you please provide a link for the ice cream sandwich version for Samsung galaxy s dueos

All you need to do is to create a partition in your SD card and root ur phone. Install an app called link2sd, and link all ur apps to ur SD card.


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Input languages to Jelly Bean on Galaxy S3
I know that there are 18 new keyboard languages in Jelly Bean. I upgraded my S3 to Jelly Bean, but I didn't get the additional languages.
I saw Nexus, and it had all these languages, but mine has only the default 3 languages (English, French, and another language).
Is there any way that I can add these langauges ?

Check this question: http://android.stackexchange.com/questions/15361/how-do-i-add-a-new-language


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Frequent, unexplainable "Download unsuccessful" using stock browser on Droid 3
I have been experiencing this frustrating issue with my phone where it might take several attempts to download a file through the stock browser. An example would be how it took 5 attempts to download the dropbox beta apk file.
This is frustrating because it wastes my time and my bandwidth. Downloading on firefox for android is okay, but probably because it caches the files, so if you save an image, it just copies it from the cache to your downloads directory.
There have been a few instances where I have witnessed it hitting 100% complete and displaying "Download complete" but then changing to "Download unsuccessful" 3-5 seconds later.
Until today, I didn't have an external SD card, so I figured that perhaps the file was getting corrupted because something else was reading or writing from the card at the same time. But I can't find a way to get the stock browser to change the path it writes downloaded files to.
Is there a way to fix this? Perhaps a way to see why the filesystem is marking the file as unclean? I checked my logcat app, but didn't see anything useful.
I'm considering using TitaniumBackup and freezing the stock browser and replacing it with Dolphin or something. I prefer having two browsers as some places I have two logins and hate constantly logging in and logging out, additionally when I need to look something up "real quick" I use the stock browser as it is light-weight for quick tasks.
For record sake, I am using stock android on a rooted Droid 3, but this problem has been happening before I was rooted.
Additionally, this is an insurance replacement that I got January 18 of 2012, but didn't touch it between January 31-Oct 11, 2012. So I do not know if the data radio is burnt out and is corrupting the packets.
Update: I used a SQL Editor to look at the downloads database. It seems that the files that didn't download saved with a status code of 489. At first I thought this was an HTTP status code, but turns out to be a SIP protocol status code. Research finds that it is returned when the client sends a malformed Event header.  Any clue what is causing this?
Another Update: Just adding more information has it becomes available. This seems to be happening beyond the stock browser. Last night I decided to finally update all of my apps that have been pending updates for a week. Several of them took several attempts to download as they'd error out like seen in this screenshot:

Please note that the above screenshot happened while I was on wifi. Generally I am on mobile data, so the problem isn't because of a poor wifi signal.


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GT I9300 clockworkmod Cyanogen 10 nightly external SD not mounting
I haven't played around with custom ROMs since my G1 back in 2008, so when I put Cyanogen 10 on Galaxy S3 last night I wasn't surprised that things have changed a bit.
I rooted the phone first, then put on CM touch, then C10 and the appropriate gapps.
My problem is that I can't see the ext sd that worked fine under the stock ROM.
These are the specifics:

recovery-cwm-touch-6.0.1.2-i9300
cm-10.1-20121220-NIGHTLY-i9300
gapps-jb-20121212-signed

I'm trying to mount via the CWM menu but get this response:
Error mounting /external_sd!
I've also tried to use ICS SD Binder, but with no success.
Any help would be grand.

Please use a separate question for your separate issue (don't mix things), and then remove it from this question. One question per post is the premise here.

How are you mounting the EXT partition?

finally found the solution.  You have to fix the card first (which also means you can get back any data on the card).
On a Windows box I ran chkdsk.
Start -> cmd -> chkdsk e: /f
Then set the partition up as fat32, a 32GB partition.  I did this on an Ubuntu box, for no other reason than that is my normal OS.
After popping the card back in the phone it was picked up and is being reported as 59.43GB
I tried a few things before I found the solution: http://exceptionallyexceptionalexceptions.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/s3-mod.html

First to the recovery:
Samsung phones that use Odin have their recovery image as part of the kernel. You should flash the CyanogenMod zip file, and that should flash the CWM recovery. Alternatively, you could flash the Siyah kernel, which comes with a modified CWM touch recovery image.
Now to the EXT partition:
Make sure that the EXT partition is primary, and also ensure that your ROM has EXT support - you should ask on your ROM's forum post/website to check if it does. If it does, then it could be an issue with the mount script, if it doesn't well we know what the issue is now ;)

Thanks Liam.  It seems that the 3rd flashing the CWM recovery has stuck; not sure why it took three flashes, as I didn't do anything different each time.  As far as the the ext is concerned, I ask on the cyanogen blog.  I'm trying to mount via CWM touch and it returns an error.


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Cannot open webpage after connected to Wi-Fi/3G
I'm using a Samsung Galaxy Ace phone. I'm connected to the Wi-Fi, but cannot go online. It always shows "webpage cannot open". Whatsapp, Twitter, Instagram, and Google Play are working fine.

Have you tried clearing the Browser apps cache and data via the manage apps menu?

What do you mean cannot go online and Twitter working fine. You mean only your browser is not working?


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3G/Wi-Fi Vs Wi-Fi Only Enabled Android Tablets: Pros & Cons to the Consumer?
Having never owned an Android Tablet I am thinking of purchasing one at some point during 2013. From what I gather in terms of connectivity, they either come as:

Wi-Fi Only
3G & Wi-Fi

Is it true that most tablets are Wi-Fi only enabled ?
 - Those people who purchase them can therefore connect where ever there is Wi-Fi or a Wi-Fi Hotspot ?
3G/Wi-Fi tablets might be less common (or perhaps more appropriate to say popular) because they require a SIM card to be purchased and inserted (which leads to greater monthly expense....I assume), however they can therefore use the tablet anywhere they like because they are connected to a mobile, cellular network.(In the same manner that a SmartPhone is 3G/Wifi Enabled I guess)
Anyone who can comment on the above, would be much appreciated...

Shopping/Recommendation type of questions are off-topic. See the [FAQ] for kind of questions that can be asked. :)

@t0mm13b: I wasnt looking for a recommendation..I wanted clarification between 3G/WiFi & Wifi only tablets...as answered by Liam W

Most newer Android tablets provide both WiFi and WiFi+3G variants.
If a tablet is WiFi only - then yes, the tablet can only access the internet via a WiFi hotspot/network.
If a tablet has 3G capability as well, then yes - a SIM and data plan would be needed to use the 3G functionality, but not required to use the tablet. The benefits of using a 3G model would be that you always have an internet connection, even if there isn't a WiFi network available (as long as your mobile network has coverage where you are).
The 3G system in tablets is the same as in phones - except that most 3G enabled tablets don't have the ability to make voice calls, or send SMS's - they are limited to using only the internet through the 3G network.
3G tablets are more expensive than the WiFi only models - mostly costing in the region of ~£100 more, however the benefits can be rather useful - especially if you would be using the tablet out and about alot.
However, if you possess an Android device as well, then you could just purchase a WiFi only model, and use the Portable Hotspot feature of your Android phone to create a WiFi network that the tablet can connect to, to use the 3G internet of your phone.
So, in conclusion:

3G tablets can be connected to the internet practically everywhere
3G tablets can cost around £100 more than WiFi only varients
WiFi only varients can only access the internet when a connectible WiFi network is present
A SIM and data plan are needed to use 3G data on a 3G capable tablet - this will cost extra
3G tablets are ideal for those that will be taking them out and about with them, and would need an internet connection while they are out and about with their tablet
WiFi only tablets are ideal for those that would only be using the tablet indoors that has a WiFi network available, or for those that wish to to the WiFi Hotspot feature of their Android phone.

Thx for that comprehensive answer

Even if I bought a 3G/WIFI Tablet - if i decided to just use it in wifi areas only, then that would still be possible & I wouldnt need to purchase a sim card...is that correct ?

@Simon Correct :)

Thx in the above regard :)


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Google Maps not showing actual location
Google Maps is not showing my actual location. It shows me as being nearby (almost a kilometer away). What can the problem?

Did you enable GPS?

Please give us more info. Check whether your GPS is turned on. Try uninstalling and reinstalling the app. (sky should be vibile for a GPS to work properly). Try these suggestions.

How much time do you give it to synchronize? It can often take a number of minutes. Do you have good network connectivity where you are?

A tool like GPS Status & Toolbox might be helpful in ensuring your GPS is functioning well.

GPS was turned on and i always wait long time for complete loading.

There are a number of possible reasons for an inaccurate location, mostly relating to the lack of a good GPS fix. If the phone cannot get an accurate GPS fix, it will use more approximate methods of deriving its location - such as cell tower locations and wifi hotspot locations.
Possible reasons for no good GPS fix, in vague descending order of likliness:

You are indoors, or the sky is otherwise obstructed (trees can have quite an impact)
GPS is turned off or disabled on your phone, or you are using Google Maps on a device that does not have a GPS receiver.
You haven't used the GPS for a day or more, or you have moved a long way since you last used it, and it is taking a while to get a fix - this can take a minute or more in some circumstances, especially if you don't have a data signal.
The GPS isn't working properly. Some phones have GPS trouble occasionally and require a restart.
There is interference with the GPS - e.g. naval forces sometimes conduct exercises with GPS jamming, and I've had... variable results trying to use it near a large naval base before.

Normally if Google Maps can only give an approximate fix it will show a circle around your position, showing uncertainty. It might help with diagnosis to know whether you are seeing this circle, as that will indicate whether Maps knows that it has an approximate location or whether it thinks that it has an accurate one and is wrong.

GPS device is still on, and i got the value for latitude & longitude from my smartphone its is actual one when i check google map in my PC but the problem is, In my application i want to point the actual location with pointer that pointer not point actual location still the GPS on.


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Will using my phone whilst charging make it charge slower?
Just the question in the title.  If I have my phone plugged in and charging, will it take any longer to get up to 100% charge if I'm using it or will this make no difference?   (I'm using a galaxy nexus)

Yes.  The Galaxy Nexus will accept no more than 4.5W of power (0.9A @ 5V) from a charger, regardless of what the charger is capable of supplying.
This isn't a whole lot, so doing stuff will cut down on the amount of power available to charge the battery and it's actually possible to run down the battery while you're plugged in.  Testing by a guy on reddit showed peak power draws from the battery of over 5W when using google maps, so you'd end up using the entire charger supply to power the hardware, and another 0.5W drawn from the battery.

I can verify being able to use more power than I'm able to draw. While out driving around playing Ingress, even with the phone plugged into my car charger, between the app, GPS, mobile data, and the screen, my battery charge level still went down. (And it got damn hot, too.)

Yes, it will take longer to charge if you're using it. The same as when you're using a laptop while it's charging.


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Make iso of sdcard + data directory
I need to be able to make an iso file of the /mnt/sdcard and /data/ directories on both rooted and nonrooted phones(for forensic analysis). Older phones I can mount to my linux machine and run mkisofs and it works perfect. However on newer devices I can't seem to mount the devices.
Android has dd built into the shell so I can use that to create an iso of the directories as well. However besides the sdcard I can't find anywhere that I have write access on the system for non rooted phones.
So my question is where on an android system can I get write access while in the shell other than the sdcard and the data directores. A broader question would be to solve the problem of either mounting the device or making the iso file from outside android's shell.

Sorry to break this to you, but you cannot make any part of the system root writeable without root.

No way to do that without root, for good reasons (security). I recommend you to take a look into Andrew Hoogs Android Forensics book, where you'll get a lot of insight not only in this speecial context, but for other Forensics related issues as well as general background information on Android devices and the Android system itself.
Without root, you will not be able to access all directories on internal storage -- most of them will be denied to you even for reading, let alone writing. If access would be that easy, all security would be gone, as apps could freely access everything. However, there are a few directories you could get write access to (probably to install some forensics tool I guess?), such as temp directories. Not being at home I currently cannot check which ones this might be (try e.g. /data/local, which is what the playstore app uses as temp folder for app installations, or check with the mount command which mount points use tmpfs -- though not all tmpfs file systems may grant you full access).
A fully detailed description would be beyond the scope of this site, as we focus on end-user problems; forensic specific problems are rather not end-user related.

mount tmpfs is an interesting approach. However receiving error: operation not permitted---even on the sdcard itself. I did try all the the temp folders I could find (there's a few scattered throughout the system) and none of them yielded a write access

I didn't say "mount it" -- this only root can do. Again only root. What I meant was: try to access it without root when it already is mounted. This should for sure be possible with /data/local (according to above mentioned book).


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Poor reliability of voice recognition
My Samsung Galaxy Apollo only recognises voice instructions to dial about once in eight attempts.  Is this typical ?  Can it be improved ?


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Can I install a ROM made for a different device?
I own a MicroMax A100. I want to install the latest version of a different ROM (Samsung or Nexus).
Is it possible? If so, can you tell me how?
If not, can I install a ROM made for a different device, but from the same manufacturer? For example, could I install a ROM for the MicroMax A110, which is the successor of A100?

https://www.reddit.com/r/LineageOS/comments/p6p1y4/where_are_proprietary_blobs

Short answer:
You can only install ROMs compatible with your device
Longer version
Different Android devices use different hardware, which requires special drivers (e.g. the camera). Those drivers are sometimes/often proprietary (take e.g. Sony, which almost made it into the AOSP project -- but had difficulties due to those proprietary parts and thus had to back-out again: AOSP only allows for non-proprietary, Open Source code, like its name suggests: Android Open Source Project). Installing an incompatible ROM, in the best case, makes components of your device unavailable (they are simply not working). In the worst case, you might "brick" it (it won't even start up).
You might want to check the question Where can I find stock or custom ROMs for my Android device? to find ROMs compatible with your device. Most times, there are several choices available to meet the user's requirements: Less "bloatware" but more performance, more fancy stuff, custom enhancements... So you still can make your pick.
Other recommended readings on this topic:

Are the custom ROM different for different phones?
Is there an official Android “Google” ROM?

@Izzy: if I brick the device, can I somehow go back to installing a compatible rom? (sorry if that's a stupid question, I have a feeling if the thing won't even start up then any ROM is now impossible, but I want to confirm).

@adityamenon in most cases that's possible, but might be a little tricky – depending on how much went wrong, and depending on the device. As long as you can still boot into (custom) recovery, or fastboot mode, or (on some devices) download mode, there are ways.


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Why is there such a difference in thr amount RAM used?

Possible Duplicate:
The RAM total of the apps “Running” never equals the “Used Ram” shown below on the scale

I'm owning a Nexus 7 running on 4.2.1. This is a screenshot of the amount of RAM in use. The sum of processes using the RAM is clearly less than the amount of RAM that is shown is being used. why?
 This is the complete list of running processes.
This is the list of cached processes. Also note, under developer options the maximum number of apps running is background is limited to 4

Try shutting down chrome completely, hold down the home button until a list of tasks appear, than swipe to the left to let android safely and gracefully shut those background chrome processes away....

And see The RAM total of the apps “Running” never equals the “Used Ram” shown below on the scale for an answer to your question.

@t0mm13b - No, that did not make any difference. Chrome isn't hogging 300+MB, anyhow.


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Ice cream sandwich tablet saying the internal SD card was removed?
I just got this tablet, and I was playing on it. Out of nowhere, it said SD card removed. The only problem is it's an internal SD card. So I didn't remove it. Now, it says there is no memory on it. Anyone else have this problem, and know how to fix it?

Seems like a case for warranty to me. You might try doing a factory reset to see if it helps. Also specifying make and model would help.

What exactly did happen there for that to occur?
The only way this can happen is by going into Settings > Storage, scroll down to the bottom and it says "Unmount SD Card", at this point it is already unmounted so that would show by now the following "Mount SD Card"?


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What is the actual risk of bricking when rooting for new ROM

Possible Duplicate:
Are there any risks to rooting a device?

I've been planning to root my HTC One S for a while now, because the HTC software is so unstable. Sometimes it crashes every day for a certain period, sometimes even multiple times a day, I did a factory reset and the problem was gone for weeks but it recently came back. It has been going clean for 3 days now so it may be another period where it keeps stable, but I cannot trust it for too long.
Now consider these facts:

I will follow every instruction that I found on this forum, Phandroid.
I have experience with linux. Not too much, but I know how the file system works and I can work with bash.
I have quite a  bit of programming experience and I'm generally pretty good with computers.

The latter two may not be so relevant to the story of rooting, but all is to say that I'm an advanced user at least, if not expert. I know how to troubleshoot and I know when I should doubt an instruction or not.
That said, taking these things into account, and considering the fact that I've never rooted a smartphone, what is the approximate real chance of me making my phone unrecoverably damaged/bricked/whatever..., If I'm careful?
I'm just asking because this thing has cost enough money and it would be quite depressing to turn it into a worthless lump of plastic and metal.

If you're careful - risk is minimal. I do say minimal because there is no 0 risk!
Let's split this in parts.
Installing custom recovery:
Higher risk because now you're overwriting the recovery partition of the phone. If you're in the process of overwriting and your phone shuts off, the recovery part may get corrupted. Will your phone brick though? Maybe, depending if the boot partition may also be affected. But, since your phone uses fastboot, the risk decreases.
Rooting:
Usually the least risk operation of all, since you're pushing files to the device. If it messes up, chances are factory resetting will let you start again.
Now you've got custom recovery set up and want to try out a custom ROM
Risk  - Less than installing recovery if you choose a ROM for your device. Custom ROMS usually just copy the OS onto the phone. This should not touch the recovery partition. This means that should it fail and the phone does not boot into an OS, you can still use the recovery partition to restore a backup, retry the install or try another ROM. This may change though, if you install a non One S ROM, as most ROM zips have a hardcoded partition when they modify.
So remember to read the instructions thoroughly, make sure your battery is fully charged when doing this, back up your current OS after you install custom recovery and make sure you install the ROM that is made for your device.


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How to disable "Wi-Fi disconnected" dialogue?
I have Huawei U8815 aka Ascend G300 with Android 4.0.3.
When I disable Wi-Fi connectivity or I'm out of range of Wi-Fi network I receive question which after translation means more or less "Further access to internet will cause network traffic. Continue?" an two answers: "Cancel" and "OK". If I press "OK" then mobile internet will be enabled, if I click "Cancel" mobile internet is disabled. Sometimes this dialogue is lost between other applications and/or by click somewhere else. In this cause, by default mobile internet is disabled.
I would like to have always enabled mobile internet. Unfortunately this dialogue don't have default option to pick. Is there any way to disable it, or pick default answer to "OK"?

Can't you just enable System Settings->More->Mobile Networks->Check the data enabled option?

This dialogue is overwriting this settings option.


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Is there any other way to get updates to frozen apps?
This is in response to my question " Does the google play store not provide updates for frozen apps? ".
Since google play is now making it difficult, if not, impossible to find and update frozen apps automatically, I'd like to know of alternate ways to do so.
EDIT: Apps like 'App Update Notifier' and 'aTrackDog' does find the updates to the frozen apps! But downloading an update isn't possible since all these apps do is call the Google Play Store. I might need to sideload APKs or get the updated apps from web sources for now I guess..

There are update-tracking apps on the playstore. Did you try one of them? E.g. aTrackDog or App Update Notifier? None of them explicitly mentions "frozen apps" in its description, so I cannot tell for sure.

Like you said, there is no way to update via Google Play if an app is frozen/disabled.
The only way to get the update from Google Play would be to unfreeze/enable it, but this isn't what you want.
The only other way to update an app would be to find out if the developer provides a spare APK to download - if they do then you can sideload this APK.
Otherwise, you may be able to do it using a 3rd party app store - however I don't like 3rd party app stores and don't use them, so cannot comment on this method.
So, in conclusion the only way to get updates to frozen apps is to:

Downgrade your Google Play app
Download the new APK if available

You can find an old Google Play APK via Google, but when you install it by copying it to the /system/app directory (overwrite the existing vending.apk file), make sure you freeze or delete the marketupdater.apk app, or the market will just update again.

+1 for simple downgrading instructions. Although the whole point of updating apps was to keep everything including the market updated. ;) Also, I'd be more than willing to try out 3rd party app stores that provide latest APKs..

Use a 3rd party appstore I recommend 1Mobile Market or Aptoide and install the app using those 3rd party appstores.
Note:
If you try to use those 3rd Market apps they might say that you need a certificate or you need to purchase them from the appstore. Just click outside the pop-up and carry on playing. This is not a problem with the frozen apps, but a problem with the app cerificate.


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Message Memory Full, Incoming message rejected
I got this message on my phone:

Message Memory full
  Incoming message rejected

I have deleted a lot of messages, and I have also run the memory cleaners I have on my phone.
What should I do?
Exactly which memory is used?
Are there alternate apps that will let me store the messages in a different location?

According to several sources (including a.o. TechniPages and AndroidCentral) the cause of this problem is lacking space in your device's internal memory, which must have at least 25MB free space left.
T-Mobile's support pages have a detailed instruction on how to solve the issue. Though for some steps it was not clear to me what Android version (and what menu option) they were referring to, as a basic abstract the most important points include:

Remove apps you no longer need
This is the fastest solution, as it will certainly reclaim larger amounts of space per single step. To do so, you can e.g. use Androids default app manager: Go to Settings → Applications → Manage Applications, select the Downloaded tab (you only can remove apps you downloaded yourself), check which apps you no longer need, tap their entry, and hit the Uninstall (or Remove) button. In case this is grayed out, you might need to Force Stop the app first.
Move apps to your sd card
This option is available with Android 2.2 and higher, but doesn't work with all apps. In short, apps must actively support this -- and must not provide widgets and some other things in order to be moved to sd card. The built-in "mover" only permits you to move apps applying to these rules.
Cleaning up caches
You can do so manually going to Settings → Applications → Manage Applications, select "All" (not just "Downloaded"), tap each app, and select the Clear Cache button.
Clear history
This is for your call-logs etc. I doubt this reclaims lots of space.

Having followed these essential steps (which I placed in the order of "most effective first"), your problem should be gone.

So its not really related to to little memory for the messages?  Or deleted messages not being cleaned out?
(I have been deleting a lot of them)

But I only have 17.26MB internal memory free, so that could well be the case.

17.26 < 25 -- good combined, my dear Watson :) Yeah, that will be it. You'll need to free at least ~8MB here. Keep in mind the last 2 items mentioned (cache + history) will only provide a temporary solution, as they will fill again soon. Most is gained by deleting some apps. If you can't gain enough from that, continue with step 2 (moving apps2sd). Cache cleaning won't hurt, so I'd do that anyway.

I removed some apps, and it seems when I pass that number its OK.  (But its highly annoying, I have everything I can on external partition, so they sh

To me it's rather weird that a 160 byte SMS cannot be saved unless there are at least 25MB free. It's not a really comparable size. But as you've experienced now for yourself, that is what solved it -- so feel free to accept my answer (clicking the green check-mark next to it). Luckily, there's no "I like it" button attached :)

@Izzy I know this is just semantics, but the phone also has to store the phone number, timestamp, __id, etc for each SMS, so it works out to being a little more than 160 bytes. Also, chances are at 25mb, the OS goes into panic mode and rationing off space so it can move temporary files and such around.

I have actually deleted quite a lot of messages, so it is quite cleat that it is something else than the size.
I have accepted the answer, but I think it should actually be a "duplicate"

Duplicate of what? If you mean another question here at ASE, please name it so we link it (and close one of the two).

That 25 MB+ is important for other OS operations, not just SMS. I've noticed that Android performance degrades as a whole, when internal memory is too less(messages too many or otherwise).


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How can I recover deleted calendar events?
I had duplicate events from syncing so I deleted what I thought were the correct set but it turns out I deleted the ones from my Outlook calendar which in turn deleted them from my Outlook calendar during the sync.  How can I recover them?

I don't think it is possible to recover these.. Only if you should have backups of your Outlook calendar, but I don't think a lot of people take backups of their calendar