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How can I get rid of emulated External SD storage, to allow using a real SD?
I have a Visual Land Prestige Elite 10Q tablet (KitKat 4.4.2, rooted with KingRoot), and have discovered that even after rooting and using a utility to "fix" the SD to be writable from KitKat, I can't move applications to the SD using X-Plore or App2SD, though I can now write files and create folders there.
Based on the error messages I've received from App2SD, this appears to be due to the manufacturer of my tablet having created an emulated external SD using dynamically allocated space in the internal storage (16 GB, so I'm not short on storage yet, at least).  I believe that if I can get rid of this internal_sd storage, move its contents to external_sd, and change the appropriate OS settings so it looks for external_sd, I'll be able to move/install apps to SD.
There don't seem to be any specific ROMs for this device, so flashing to Lollipop or Marshmallow is risky -- I'd prefer to get KitKat to behave, if possible, though I'll consider forcing an upgrade if I must.  I also don't have dozens of hours to spend fooling with this thing.
So, the real question: how can I convince the device to ignore or delete the internal_sd and use external_sd instead?
Update: I've installed a root terminal app, and appear to have access (as su) to the root file system, but I don't find /system/etc/vold.fstab.

Good question. I also would like to know if this is operationally viable. Hopefully some of SE's Gurus will have an answer for you (and me). The correct location would be /system/etc/vold.fstab

I'm not finding /system/etc/vold.fstab on my system.  I've read that Android changed how they control mounting storage between 4.3 and 4.4, eliminating or reducing dependence on this file.  Now I guess I'll have to look up what they changed to.

Thats the location on my LG 4.4.2 Use total commander (or something like) and search your system

I just searched with X-Plore's search and found no entry anywhere for vold.fstab.  In searching for vold.*I found a vold folder, and two files named vold with no extension; one of those was empty, the other 98 kB and appeared to contain non-ASCII data.  Searching for `.fstab came up blank.

If you open the 98kB file with a text editor, there should be a license/disclaimer from Linux. At the end, there should be a reference to a location on your device. If thats not what you see, then the manufacturer has deviated from the "norm".

That 98kB file is /bin/vold -- but as far as I can tell with a text editor, it doesn't have either a Linux license statement, a disclaimer, or a path to the actual fstab equivalent at the end.  It does seem to have a lot of embedded clear text, some of it file paths/names, but it seems to mostly consist of output messages for some program (likely itself).


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OTA update is not enter into recovery mode in android10
Created ota_v1.zip and ota_v2.zip.
Followed this script https://github.com/dpavlin/android-command-line/blob/master/adb-install-update.sh
My device not going recovery more, just device is reboot. I could not able to understand where did mistake.
I am trying understand , How to install OTA.zip file into my target device.
Thanks in advance. Refered https://source.android.com/devices/tech/ota/ab also.

Not clear which process you are following to create OTA update zip files (though it's development related). It looks you have a recent device with Android 10. Also the given reference is about OTA updates on A/B devices. And on A/B devices there is no recovery partition and hence no recovery mode. OTA updates take place on inactive slot while device is running.

Thanks for your reply @IrfanLatif. created ota.zip through(make otapackage -j8) command. I am trying understand How to do OTA update in Android 10 device.I have done posted experiment but not worked.

source: Stack Exchange

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

sort: votes


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Arrow keys are shown by some weird characters everywhere
In my Android device, arrow keys are shown by some weird characters everywhere. Example:

I have tried changing system fonts. Also, this is independent of the keyboard because I have changed the keyboard but the issue is not resolved.
Edit:: ij acts as  UP key, IJ acts as LEFT key, 'n acts as  RIGHT key and ' acts ad DOWN key.

Cross-post on Reddit, in case it's answered on there.

Anyway, in case it may help, some shown characters are: ĳ, Ĳ

I have already posted on reddit but haven't got any working solution.

I don't have a fix, but Internet search results (this, this) give me the impression your issue is caused by lacking Unicode support in the fonts you've tried so far, although that would be strange for something as generic as arrow symbols. As such, my only suggestion is to try yet more fonts if you are able to do that. I doubt I can provide more help than that, but you could add some more info about your issue:

Have you seen these symbols display correctly on your device in the past?
What device are you using, and what Android system is it running?
What fonts have you tried so far? (font names)
When you say "everywhere", do you only refer to keyboards or texts as well?

No I haven't seen them correctly in the past. My device is infinix hot 8. I have tried the fonts provided by infinix fonts. Everywhere in the app termux where it is showing errors in the first place.

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


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Bluetooth and external speaker loosing audio data
I'm experiencing a weird problem. When I connect my android phone (Android version 10) to a bluetooth speaker, for some MP3, the ones where there are pauses inside a track (for instance, for languages courses), the sound is not reproduced correctly.
Basically if a track is composed by sentenceA pause sentenceB
the very first beginning of sentenceB is lost. An example:

Hello, how are you.........I'm fine and you?

In this case I can hear:

Hello, how are you.........m fine and you?

Do you know how to fix this problem? I couldn't find any option in the phone.
Thank you
[edit]
Android version 10
Kernel Version 4.14.113

Please always name the manufacturer and model name of all devices that are related to your question (phone, BT speakers). For Android devices also include the installed Android version.

sure thank you. Android version was already mentioned in the post


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How does a soft reset of a smartphone with Android really work?
Does it only trigger some kind of "shutdown -h now"? Or are there any hardware mechanisms involved?
I want to know, what happens, if I shutdown the smartphone such as you can do with holding the "start" button for 10 to 20 seconds in most cases.
More concrete: What happens, if I press the power button on my Huawei P20 for 10 seconds? What steps are taken exactly?

Related answer on different question: https://android.stackexchange.com/a/82857/44325

See my answer to How to perform a hot reboot using the terminal emulator?. Related: What is the fastest way to shutdown unrooted Android phone?

The forced reboot by holding the power button for 10-20 seconds is AFAIK implemented in hardware. It directly resets the CPU. Therefore this forced reboot works even if all the software has crashed the the CPU is in an invalid state.


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Samsung s7 password locked - can't get onto phone
today I authorized a payment through Google pay on my phone. I've always avoided this and now I know why I never wanted to pay through Google. As I made this purchase it prompted me to create a phone safety option (either a pattern, password, or fingerprint), and I didn't really understand why that was necessary to authorize payment (no other payment form was given as an option), but I went with it and created a password. I remember this password. Now after my phone went to sleep, it wanted me to enter a password, since I apparently enabled this feature (hate it). I entered the password I created during this transaction, and there is no 'enter' button or prompt. Just the password box, and 'emergency call.' However I tried hitting 'done' on my phone keypad and it says incorrect password. Several times, I know it's what I created it with. SO... I went ahead and tried my actual Google password for the email account I used to make the earlier purchase. Still can't get onto my phone. I'm sorry, but what the hell ???  Can anyone help me with this and maybe a way I don't need to factory reset and lose everything (pics, texts, apps, contacts (I'm not sure if they're Google backed up)) ?   All I wanted to do was relax and watch something I really like.  I'm also having trouble troubleshooting on my computer because it's slow... and I can't call anyone.  WHY

remove the SIM card. this way you can be sure not to mixing up SIM pin and screen lock. maybe the password is too long and doesn't fit? i am sorry to say but all your data is lost. you can try to set new password from PC with Find My Mobile or Find My Device but people report this method doesn't work. Your only chance left is enter the correct password

If you go through your computer and change the password it makes you able to initialize a new password and unlock it manualy when you do so and log off your computer after turning your phone back on so yes turn your phon.off before changing it on your cpu
. I hacked a phome back to myself this way but i forgot the password and initaly im forever locked out of that phone unless i figure out the newest password that google took away from me! Contact google AFTER! YOU do this so your account dosent get locked due to them thinking its being hacked!


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Can't share in Google Keep via the app, only via the webpage
As you know, since late 2014 Google Keep allows sharing notes with others.
But I've noticed I can't share in Android (tried in Samsung Galaxy S4 mini GT-i9195i) with another Gmail account. There's a save confirmation with a "viewing shared note" message, but it doesn't actually share. As if I never shared in the first place. It also doesn't auto-fill when I start typing the other Gmail account.
As soon as I try it via Google Keep's webpage, it works flawlessly. It auto-fills the other other Gmail account and actually shares with it.
Any idea why?

Is the Gmail sync on?

I mean check the Sync settings within Gmail app

If you mean Google (Gmail is not related to Keep), than yes.

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


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Apps aren't auto updating despite of setting and of notifications
Every morning I turn off the alarm on my phone, look at it, see there aren't any updates and unplug it.
A few seconds later I'll start to receive several notifications about apps that need updates. These updates will not automatically download or install even though I've set that option in the Play Store; instead they sit waiting until I manually go to the Play Store and hit "Update All."
My phone spends all night plugged in and on Wi-Fi; why aren't they updating then?
For reference, I'm running an LG V20, with Android version 7.0. Play Store is version 8.5.39. If it matters, my alarm is set for 3:45 am. I didn't see any option in the store to change the update time.

@beeshyams even with that off, the apps should start auto-updating with the screen on if that setting were at fault. // Benjamin: Those apps might have been installed before you set to auto-update everything. Next time this happens, check the settings for one of those apps – auto-update is set per-app on install, with the setting you mentioned being the default.

I checked the auto-update settings on one of the apps (Twitter) and it is enabled on that app.

"Keep Wi-Fi on when screen is off" says "Yes"

OK, that's weird now.Do PlayStore and Play Services auto-update themselves, or are they also part of that "pending list"? IOW: Is anything at all auto-updating, or does it affect all apps? Not that I see a pattern, but it might provide a clue to someone else.

You can try signing out of your account and setting it up again

Alright, this morning I found that apps had already updated when I woke up. I'll watch it more carefully over the next few days; I could have experienced a random occurrence for several days giving the impression of a trend.

I must have had a bad run, as the behavior now seems random. Some days apps update before my alarm, some days they don't. I'm chalking it up to chance.

Restarting the phone seems to fix it and/or plugging it in. I mean, I rather just enter Play store manually and update, but should my battery run out and the phone restarts, then it seems I don't have to do anything. But in that case it also means it's plugged in so it's hard to separate. If it's only about restarting and not about plugging in, is there a way to achieve the same affect of restarting the phone?

Maybe there's some funky battery saving feature so it isn't connecting to the wifi at night...

This is an easy fix and the reason is pretty easy to determine. The reason is that Androids' "Optimize Battery Usage" feature puts Google Play Store or Google Play services to sleep and restricts background activity. This means that when your phone screen turns off, the app is put to sleep so it does not consume battery; or if the phone is charging, it doesn't have any background activity access.
To fix this, you need to go to Settings, Apps, and scroll until you find Google Play Services and Google Play Store. Check Google Play Store first, click it and then click "Battery". If you see that it says "optimized", click the "Optimize Battery Usage" button and it will take you to a list at the top change it from "Apps not optimized" to "All". Scroll down the list until you find Google Play Store and switch the toggle to off; repeat this process for Google Play Services (most likely this will not be optimized, but just in case, check).
Now that you have done this, your phone will update because the app will no longer be put to sleep and it will be allowed to work in the background while your phone is charging or on Wi-Fi and it will update your apps. I have fixed this issue on a few phones and if this does not work for you, there is something else wrong with your device or Android.

My Samsung Galaxy Store is set to auto-update and to not optimize the battery usage, but it doesn't auto-update. What reasons could there be with the Samsung Galaxy Store?


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"Incorrect code" when scanning QR in Android Messages for web
I've installed Android Messages in Samsung Galaxy S4 mini i9195 and it works fine, except one thing - it keeps complaining with an "Incorrect code" message whenever I try to scan the QR of https://messages.android.com
Everything else related to QR, like https://web.whatsapp.com, works perfectly for me. Is there any way to fix this? If not, I'll have to revert back to the built-in Messages app...

Same here. Identical problem. Did you ever work it out? Ive cleared all caches/data/uninstall/reinstall and no luck yet.

No news about it and you're the first to at least add a comment.


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How to enable an "Always on Display" mode in Nokia 9 for JUST notifications?
In Nokia 9 with Android 10, I set Settings=>Display=>Advance=>Screen timeout to 30 seconds, but I still like be aware when I have notifications waiting to be reviewed.
In Settings=>Display=>Advanced there are Glance view options:

The default Glance display duration is 30 seconds. But I like to see all of the notifications which I missed when I wasn't around my phone, so I've changed it to Always on...which got the screen to be constantly on!

True, it's not "fully" on. It's a black screen with a clock and battery percentage. But is there any way to keep the screen completely off and only keep the glance screen on if I actually have notifications waiting to be reviewed?
In other words, see how Wikipedia describes what I want:

Typically, an Ambient display solution which turns on the screen only when notifications are present, remains on, but turns off when they are dismissed.
- Always on Display, Wikipedia

Here is what I get when the screen is supposed to be turned off:

Based on my experience on Nexus 5 on LineageOS 14.1 (Android 7.1.2), Ambient Display only turns on the device for a brief moment when a notification comes, then turns off itself. The display is not permanent on though when there are pending notifications.

As mentioned, the default is indeed 30 seconds. But you would think changing it to Always on (see new screenshot) should fix it. Alas, it just causes to be on 24/7.


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How can I upgrade my "obsolete" Pixel to a current/secure version of Android?
I have a first-gen Google Pixel.  It came with Android 9 (Oreo), then after I'd had it a while, upgraded itself to 10 (Pie).  Just about the time Android 11 (Q?) came out, I was notified that Google would no longer supply updates (not even security updates, it seems) for my phone -- then not yet quite two years old.
Sure, most people buy a new phone as soon as the purchase agreement runs out on their old one.  I, however, bought the Pixel originally with the idea that, if I was going to spend $750 for a phone, I'd make it as future resistant as possible.  I bought the best camera, fastest processor, and largest storage (128 GB) that I could find, which is how I wound up with a Pixel (Apple wasn't in contention, because Apple).
Now, however, I have to choose between buying a new Pixel 4a (for less than half what I paid for my original Pixel), essentially the same phone I have but with very slightly upgraded specs (camera hardware supports longer exposures, CPU is slightly faster), in order to get two years of updates on a new Android version, buying a Pixel 5 or something else to get a significant hardware upgrade (and paying as much as I did originally) -- or continuing to carry and use my original Pixel, which still works fine, holds charge well, and is nowhere even vaguely close to full.
The only reason I have to think about this is that I'm apparently no longer eligible for security updates, meaning there's the possibility that a flaw that's been fixed for years in newer versions might let someone take control of my phone, steal my photos and storeds passwords, take over my email, etc.
Is there a way to upgrade manually, legally, with a non-rooted phone, and have the upgraded system work correctly with my hardware (camera etc.)?
The phone is on Verizon, if that matters (not sure why it would, but not sure it wouldn't).

The Pixel 4a might have similar specs, but on hardware and system level the devices are totally different. Nearly every chip installed in a phone needs it's specific driver and frameworks. Smartphones may have specs like PCs but they are embedded devices and embedded devices require much more maintenance for updates and upgrades. But I agree that 2 years for the first Pixel and even 3 years for the recent devices is not much time.

To close voter -- I've edited to remove the potentially opinion-based "why" portion and concentrate on "is there a way to get back to current/secure Android?"

That looks like an answer, @Robert.

You could install LineageOS for Pixel 1 (sailfish).
However as Google does not provide updated kernels (and drivers) the updates will only affect problems in the Android system itself.
The disadvantage is that the whole system is no longer genuine regarding Android SafetyNet check so that certain apps (especially payment/banking apps) may refuse to work.

So, to clarify -- I'll be getting up to date Android core, but stuck with 2019 hardware drivers forever -- and that may cause high security software to fail?  This sounds more and more like "buy or die" extortion...


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How to get key to decrypt msgstore.db.crypt12 database in Whatsapp in non-root Android?
I want to decrypt msgstore.db.crypt12 in my non-rooted android phone. I tried multiple steps using adb but nothing worked
run-as com.whatsapp
adb backup com.whatsapp

How can I do so? Is there any way to backup full android to a file on laptop and extract key from it? Please suggest.

https://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2770982&page=33


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Whatsapp Bug - Voice is not sent outside of local network
I encountered a somehow strange problem, which leaves me in the dark. I have a Samsung S10 connected to my local WLAN. When i call my relatives - whether voice or video call - my voice and video is not send to the other person. However, when i call my other phone - also connected to the local WLAN - everything just works fine. I disconnected the phone, deleted the WLAN connection, reinstalled WhatsApp and restarted the phone, but nothing seems to work. Calling my relatives from another phone also works just as expected.
Does anybody know a solution or a something i could try?

Several network devices on your or the internet provider side (for your connection or your relatives) can block Whatsapp voice/video traffic. Make test calls with other Whatsapp contacts outside of your network to check if the problem is your network[provider] or the one of your relatives.

Thank you for your answer. I already tested it with several relatives in different locations. Every other phone in our household works fine. I can only think of a hard reset, but i really would like to know the issue.

I was speaking about tests with other Whatsapp users outside of your household/WiFi.


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Root without usb?
I searched for something similar to this question already but I'm wondering if it's possible to root an android device without the usb connection. The port itself is damaged so I must use Bluetooth or network connection.
Device: Galaxy Centura SCH-S738C(GP)
Android 4.0.4

There are certain apps that allow rooting from the phone itself, but I can't cite a source here.

If anyone knows any apps or another solution that would be great if not I'll try and search for them online in the mean time thank you

Please add device and OS details by editing your question

Look up towel root. May or may not be compatible with your device/software version

Look for 'one-click root' apps on web.

Usually "one-click root" solutions still require a computer. It would be better to direct the OP to search for SCH-S738C root without pc.

I did a quick Google search and found this: How To Root Most Qualcomm phones without pc on XDA. The SAMSUNG GALAXY CENTURA - SCH-S738C is on the list of tested devices. Here are some details from the XDA post I am referencing:

1) Download and Install poot.apk.
2) Now open the poot app then it will require you to install Ministro
  II, Simply follow the link to Google play store.
3) Then you will be required to update ministro library, please update
  it.
4) Once you updated the Ministro Library then you will be faced with
  two options;
  1. “Press here to Poot”.
  2. “Built in root check”.
5) Click on the first option which is “Press here to Poot” and after a
  while, You are going to face with three options:
  1. Get Superuser.
  2. Get root-checker.
  3. In-built rootchecker.
6) Press Get superuser and download superuser app.
7) And finally do a reboot to take effect.
Tested Devices:MICROMAX A54MICROMAX A56MICROMAX
  A57MICROMAX A87KARBON A21Huawei U8860 HonorHUAWEI
  ASCEND YSAMSUNG GALAXY MINI 2 S6500SAMSUNG GALAXY CENTURA -
  SCH-S738CSAMSUNG GALAXY DISCOVER - S730MSamsung Galaxy S Duos
  S7562Samsung Galaxy ACE 2XLG Optimus Sol E730Alcatel
  OT-908Gygabyte GSmart G1345Sony Ericsson WT19i Live with
  WalkmanSony Xperia Tipo (Single/Dual)Sony Ericsson Xperia
  RayHTC Desire ZZTE V790Ninetology Pearl Mini
  i5350Kyocera Hydro C5170And still counting...

Please note that I did not write these steps nor have I tested this process. I take no responsibility for what this does to your device or for the grammar in the quote above. All credit goes to dhinesh77 on XDA.

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


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AdAway and Xposed Framework unable to edit system files in a rooted Huawei Ascend Y330
I rooted my Huawei Ascend Y330 using King Root (verified it with Root Checker). The problem started when I was trying to install AdAway and Xposed Framework. They both are unable to edit files. I already tried to change permissions with Root Explorer / Root Browser, but I keep getting the same error.
Screenshots of the errors (Click image to enlarge)


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Google calendar events missing seemingly at random
Some events I've created show up and some don't on the same calendar across different accounts.
I've tried checking and unchecking them.
I've tried turning them off and on in the Android settings.
I've tried the Sync now button.
They show up in my Google Calendar web view and in Fantastical on my Mac.
It's only on my phone that they seem to not show up it's very inconsistent which do or don't show. I can see some events appear and others don't show up at all, then mysteriously show up sometimes way past the event.
This also happens with groups. I was recently invited to a group. It took several days for it to even show up on the side bar and when it finally did show, none of the events became visible on my Android calendar but did everywhere else. The group is checked as visible in the sidebar.
This is causing me to miss invites and now I have to regularly check the web copy just to make sure I'm not missing something.
How can I fix this?
Using a Samsung Galaxy S22 with Android version 13 build #TP1A.220624.014.S908U1UES2CWCC.

If all data is OK just not on your phone a local problem is very likely. May be the used database that is synchronized with the cloud is corrupt. The only way that comes to may mind is cleaning some app data (but I am not sure which apps may be appropriate in your case) and remove and re-add your Google account.

Was concerned I'd have to do that. I have a lot of accounts, so removing and recreating them could cause issues. Hoping to find an alternative solution.

@Robert I tried removing a test account, but when I added it back, it doesn't show up in the Calendar app at all. Going to "Manage Accounts" in Calendar shows it is missing. The Google account settings show that calendar syncing is turned on.


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New Google accounts don't show up in Calendar app
I added a Google account to my phone and turned on calendar sync for it.
When I went to the Google Calendar app, that new account is missing from the list and also missing in the "Manage calendars" settings.
How do I get my calendar to show up for the new account?

Have you tried adding the account from the Google Calendar app?

If I try that under "Manage calendars" by clicking the + sign, it says This account already exists on your device. After I did that, it suddenly showed up in the list. However, no events are syncing that are any newer than 2 weeks ago.

You have to add it to the Google Accounts in Setup

Setup
Accounts and Backup
Manage Accounts
Add Account

It should pick it after that.

I already added the account that way. It still doesn't show up.

It's the same issue for me with Samsung S22 - One UI 6.1, Android 14.
I have 3 Google Accounts: 2 have the "Calendar" option Sync option, and the third one is not. Looks like a Google limitation/issue. No idea where in Google I can check that. However, if you install the Google Calendar app from Google Play Store, the options are now available under the Android Settings and Google Calendar appears at the Samsung Account. Afterward, you can delete the Google Calendar app and the "Calendar" option is still available for the account that was causing an error.


text:
Mount (physical) SD card on Linux
Soaked my phone (Moto G2, Marshmallow) and it died completely. I took out the micro SD card and unsuccessfully tried to mount it on my Debian system.
The SD card is recognized and I can see 2 partitions:
Device                                       Start                   End               Sectors                Size Type
/dev/mmcblk0p1                               2048                 34815                 32768                 16M unknown
/dev/mmcblk0p2                               34816               7744478               7709663                3,7G unknown

However, I can't mount either one. I tried this way:

root@laptop:~# /bin/mount -t vfat /dev/mmcblk0p2 /mnt

Syslog contains the following:
[ 5880.536862] FAT-fs (mmcblk0p2): utf8 is not a recommended IO charset for FAT filesystems, filesystem will be case sensitive!
[ 5880.537346] FAT-fs (mmcblk0p2): invalid media value (0x10)
[ 5880.537349] FAT-fs (mmcblk0p2): Can't find a valid FAT filesystem

Q1: Is it possible that the sdcard is encrypted? If so, how could I verify this?
Q2: I have another Moto G2 with exactly the same model number (i.e. HW specs). Is there any way to restore the data on the card? (I know, this would defeat the purpose of encryption)...

authors: Екатерина Пластинина


text:
Enable software menu without virtual keys
I have a broken touch screen at the bottom of my Jiayu G45 (Android 4.2.2) phone. Thus the capacitive buttons are not available any more. I've found a program (Soft Buttons) which enables software menu in apps but as a side effect it occupies a part of the screen at the bottom and renders virtual buttons there (back, home etc.). Those buttons don't work for me and I don't want to dedicate a part of screen for them. So I wonder whether it is possible to enable the software menu without virtual buttons?
I have root access.
Soft Buttons does almost what I need. When "enable virtual keys" option is selected it sets two properties in /system/build.props
# added by Soft Buttons
qemu.hw.mainkeys=0
ro.show.navigationbar=yes

and asks to reboot. What I expected that setting
qemu.hw.mainkeys=0
ro.show.navigationbar=no

will do exactly what I need. But it looks like the second prop value is just ignored in case first one is set to 0, as navigation bar is still shown.
Here is a screenshot (just an example, not a screenshot from my phone)
(Click the image to enlarge).

do you have root access ?

@Firelord that comment should be an answer

@lord-ralf-adolf I'm done, thanks, but after reading the question again, why do I feel like I misinterpreted the question? Do you see a mismatch in the question and my answers too?

@Firelord no I see no mismatch the OP asked for enabling software menu without virtual buttons as he said an I quote "I don't want to dedicate a part of screen for them" so the gestures is the best way to go ,all though there is a possibility that the OP is asking to activate (show) the tree dots button on apps

Thanks, and I'm sure now the answers should suffice. They can be extended to a full scale replacement for all navigation buttons.

For that navigation part still being shown, see if this answer can be of any help to you: Enable On-screen navigation in CM12 (Lollipop) using shell?

can you please tell us what it is exactly that you are looking for ? do you want to force the three dot menu button without navigation bar  ?

@lord-ralf-adolf, please take a look at uploaded screenshot.

oops, sorry, it looks like it will appear just after my accounts merging, here is a link to the image https://i.sstatic.net/j3DfF.png

Please refer help center to merge your accounts.

@gumkins i saw the new edit and I posted a new answer

After the OP made his question more clear ,I have a more simple solution since he doesn't need a navigation bar he just want the virtual menu called The three dots button
requirements :

Xposer installer get it from here (JB/KK only ) for Lollipop or Marshmallow it's over here
3dot Mod xposed module get it from here

Procedure :

Install the module on you phone ,activate it under Xposed installer >> modules ,reboot the phone when activating it for the first time
it's Done the nav bar will disappear and the 3dot button will always show up.

This solution looks interesting. My main concern is current Xposer code state: Experimental (high risk of bugs). Also, I have to do  (but first to learn how to) a full system backup before installing it. Honestly, I didn't think this requires such dances with a tambourine.

I use xposed on my phones all the time it is a must have and a more safe solution to mod any Android phone

Yes, certainly I should (and now have to) try it. Thank you!

Unfortunately, I can't install Xposed framework as it reports about a known issue with my ROM http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=52289793&postcount=5

LMT Launcher
Requires root access.
I won't go into the details, but know that it doesn't replace your home launcher but gives you PIE navigation among other things, which comes down to this:

(Click image to enlarge)

You can set a PIE to Menu/Overview action from LMT app → PIE → select a PIE item → Menu
Make sure you activate the LMT service from the Settings and then you can test the navigation.
For starters, PIE can be navigated from left, right and bottom of the screen. Swipe from the edge towards the screen and you'll see the PIE.
It has support for some limited gestures too. You would have to manually activate the feature from its Settings → Set Active Features.
And don't tell anyone: it even has a PIE pointer.

Perhaps, Pie Control would also work.

In case you're wondering about the current state of question and this answer, know that the answer was posted when  revision 2 was the current revision

sorry I can't find this app in google play store.

It's not in the Play Store. Click the heading of the answer. It has the link.

I saw links to apk files. I just don't install applications from untrusted or unknown sources.

I see. In that case, see if this comment here helps: Enable software menu without virtual keys

All in one Gestures
Has in-app purchases and may require root access.
It helps you to control the phone using gestures. The gestures are divided into two categories: Hover and Swipe. Both categories have predefined edges such as top, right, left, bottom and more, and you  can configure the actions there.
For our case, the action is Menu and can be selected by ticking your desired edge under any of the category.
(Click image to enlarge)

In case you're wondering about the current state of question and this answer, know that the answer was posted when  revision 2 was the current revision

GMD GestureControl
(Click image to enlarge)

The app has Lite versiontoo. Requires root access and not guaranteed to work on every device.
As the name hints, you can control your device using gestures. You can choose to set a predefined gesture or you can create a custom one. The touch is supported for up to five fingers.
Anyhow, for our case, create a gesture, select number of points, and when selecting an action go to Action → Navigation → Menu. Exit the app and try your new gesture wherever an app has a menu. It should work.
Should you need any guidance in settings up the gesture, you can refer to my answer for Unlock different Apps from lock screen

In case you're wondering about the current state of question and this answer, know that the answer was posted when  revision 2 was the current revision

Tasker
Paid software, has 7 day free trial and requires root access for our case.
Tasker can create and show scenes in overlay blocking mode. What it means is, you won't have to dedicate specific part of the screen for the scenes and still can have virtual buttons.
Set the size of the scene to the size of the button you would want, assign an action to tap and show it using a task in overlay blocking mode. You can see the supplementary details in this answer.
(Click image to enlarge; can you spot the alien here?)

In case you're wondering about the current state of question and this answer, know that the answer was posted when  revision 2 was the current revision

Answering myself.
Most of the suggested solutions require Xposed framework to be installed.
Unfortunately, Xposed installer warns about known critical issue with my ROM - Aliyun OS.
Though I was not able to find how to enable 3dot menu button in applications (without navigation bar) I've found a suitable application duplicating required buttons.
It is My Home Button.
It is free, available in Google Play Store, no ad, but root is required for the menu option.
Go to Settings->Floating buttons and select Floating buttons (root) option.
After that, a floating button appears on the phone screen and expands with all buttons duplicating capacitive buttons functionality (home, back, recent apps and menu). In addition "home" and "recent" options appears in system shutter.
P.S. I still would like to enable 3dot menu in applications themselves.

GravityBox [JB]

For KitKat, Lollipop and Marshmallow: GravityBox [KK], GravityBox [LP], GravityBox [MM].
Offers Pie controls, like LMT Launcher but  with very limited options.
Requires root access and Xposed Framework.
Per description, it should only be installed on a stock AOSP Android ROM.

Once the module is successfully enabled, go into GravityBox → Pie Controls → and configure the settings.
By limited options, I meant that you cannot remove a Pie but only change its action. In essence, it gives you a traditional navigation bar but with the ability to launch it using gestures from three edges of the screen  and customize the actions behind the keys. Note that you can always customize the color and size of your Pies.
(Click image to enlarge)

Other apps with Pie navigation: Pie Control, Handy Soft Keys, Floating Toucher. Note that they are in the comments because I didn't or couldn't test them.

authors: Костянтин Габунія


text:
Trojan alert on my phone, real or fake?
so this pop-up appears even though I'm not doing anything and not even on the net
and it has a background of google sometimes and it says that 'google has detected viruses' on my phone and battery and such out of no where
and somehow now whenever I click on an app before launching it , it takes me to the app store to download an app  mainly games.
This pop up appears saying there's a virus or trojan on my phone.

Other info: Galaxy S5, battery keeps dying out of nowhere
even though I'm not on the web or using the phone.
I even get a notification sound from my phone when it's locked. How to get rid of it?

You could have tried with reverse image search. And the popup notes "Trojan" which is vastly different from a virus.

What you're seeing is the classic "Warning! Your device is infected" scam that tries to push you to buy an overpriced and ineffective "antivirus". (The message is in fact a JavaScript alert hosted at the website mentioned in the header, and there's no way it could have scanned your phone and detected a virus.)
You can find here more info about this particular malware.
However, the fact that this message keeps appearing on your phone makes me think that your phone has indeed some malware that hijacked your browser.  Download and install a legitimate Android antivirus, for instance Avast which is the top-rated one.


text:
How to remap device's sensors to touch screen?
I want to play Moto Racer on Fpse (psx emulator) with device's sensors.
I installed Tincore but I have no clue on how to remap the sensors to touch the screen.
In my head you had to remap the coordinates to the area of the analog stick on the screen.
Is it even possible to do that with Tincore or any other way?

I think it is impossible to remap sensors to touchscreen with tincore, but if anyone is interested, I found a way to remap sensors to analog stick on PC with MotionInJoy and PSXfin to play moto racer.
EPSXE runs fine some games like Gran Turismo 2 and Need for speed III but for Moto Racer the right analog doesn't work.
So PSXfin comes to save the day. Moto Racer works with it, so connect everything and GAME ON!


text:
FRP Lock ON - Mobile was in Bootloop Samsung
I am having S6 Edge Plus was stuck on Bootloop while updating from 6 to 7.
tried to reflash usign ODIN even after it was stuck on boot logo. there is message says, FRP lock..
I forgot mail ID and my device never turned on . it was stucked on Bootlogo.
I cant even able to flash Recovery.
How do i solve this? FRP bypass

@beeshyams Different thing. This "FRP lock" is the message you get from the bootloader when OEM Unlocking isn't turned on.

@beeshyams this is different. i was stucked on boot logo itself


text:
bootloader error err:0x7000
I am trying to unlock my phone's bootloader
Device techno i3
I have installed drivers , adb &fastboot
And when I type
fastboot oem unlock
It gives error
err:0×7000
(bootloader)    off-mode-charge: 1
(bootloader)    warranty: yes
(bootloader)    unlocked: no
(bootloader)    secure: yes
(bootloader)    kernel: lk
(bootloader)    product: RLK6737M_65_N
(bootloader)    version-preloader: 0.1.00
(bootloader)    version: 0.5
all: Done!!
Finished. Total time: 0.133s

you probably forgot OEM unlocking in developer options

@alecxs it is enabled

try fastboot flashing unlock and try latest platform-tools

@alecxs same error even though m using latest platform tools zip

@alecxs okay.. I have updated it

ask repair-center maybe you need unlock code


text:
snapchat going to settings
Whenever I take a photo on snapchat it takes me to app settings. Ive gotten rid of other apps and uninstalled it then installed it again but nothing works.
This happens after i take a photo.

Usually if an app opens the Android settings for you it wants that you make certain changes, e.g. set a permission for the app so that it can access the camera.

Does this happen before taking a photo, or after taking a photo? If it's the former, then Robert's comment is the most likely. If it's the latter... that's weird?

This happens after I take a photo.


text:
Keeping ADB permissions while USB tethering
It seems that I can only get ADB permissions for my device only while in MTP or PTP mode and NOT in USB tethering mode, which is what I need.
I have done plenty of research but I stumbled upon so much contradicting and very old information that I can no longer see how to proceed.
Here they say that it is not possible, but it dates back to 2012. Here and here they propose to invoke the shell via ADB to put the device in USB tethering mode (which works for me as well) but also to disable it, which in my case fails since as once stepped away from MTP or PTP mode I no longer have permissions for my device.
Then I found this interesting post which seems relevant but does not provide a complete solution. This also looks relevant but it does not touch the tethering case.
So, once and for all, how do I keep ADB permissions for my device when it is NOT in MTP or PTP mode? I only care about recent Android versions. I obviously have root access for my device as well the possibility to deploy custom ROMs, although, for personal taste, I tend to stick to LineageOS.

Additional note: this is the error that I get when not in MTP/PTP:
$ adb devices
List of devices attached
2d8568f6    no permissions; see [http://developer.android.com/tools/device.html]

$ adb shell
error: insufficient permissions for device
See [http://developer.android.com/tools/device.html] for more information

Unfortunately the link is quite useless, but it seems that ADB identifies and communicates with the device, but this does not accept any request.
I don't think that this has something to do with my PC, the udev rules are in place, plus ADB works fine when the device is in MTP or PTP mode.
Here is a screenshot (click for video browsing to that menu):

When in MTP mode I can open a shell via ADB, this is what I see:
$ su

# pwd
/

# ls -lah
total 1.0M
drwxr-xr-x  18 root   root   4.0K 2008-12-31 19:30 .
drwxr-xr-x  18 root   root   4.0K 2008-12-31 19:30 ..
dr-xr-xr-x  56 root   root      0 1971-04-23 21:51 acct
lrw-r--r--   1 root   root     11 2008-12-31 19:30 bin -> /system/bin
lrw-r--r--   1 root   root     50 2008-12-31 19:30 bugreports -> /data/user_de/0/com.android.shell/files/bugreports
drwxrwx---   6 system cache  4.0K 1971-04-23 21:51 cache
lrw-r--r--   1 root   root     13 2008-12-31 19:30 charger -> /sbin/charger
drwxr-xr-x   3 root   root      0 1970-01-01 01:00 config
lrw-r--r--   1 root   root     17 2008-12-31 19:30 d -> /sys/kernel/debug
drwxrwx--x  42 system system 4.0K 2020-05-02 11:50 data
lrw-------   1 root   root     23 2008-12-31 19:30 default.prop -> system/etc/prop.default
drwxr-xr-x  17 root   root   3.4K 2018-03-20 08:10 dev
lrw-r--r--   1 root   root     11 2008-12-31 19:30 dsp -> /vendor/dsp
lrw-r--r--   1 root   root     11 2008-12-31 19:30 etc -> /system/etc
lrw-r--r--   1 root   root     20 2008-12-31 19:30 firmware -> /vendor/firmware_mnt
-rwxr-x---   1 root   shell  2.1M 2008-12-31 19:30 init
-rwxr-x---   1 root   shell  1.2K 2008-12-31 19:30 init.environ.rc
-rwxr-x---   1 root   shell   29K 2008-12-31 19:30 init.rc
-rwxr-x---   1 root   shell  7.5K 2008-12-31 19:30 init.usb.configfs.rc
-rwxr-x---   1 root   shell  5.5K 2008-12-31 19:30 init.usb.rc
-rwxr-x---   1 root   shell   511 2008-12-31 19:30 init.zygote32.rc
-rwxr-x---   1 root   shell   875 2008-12-31 19:30 init.zygote64_32.rc
drwx------   2 root   root    16K 2008-12-31 19:30 lost+found
drwxr-xr-x  12 root   system  260 1971-04-23 21:51 mnt
drwxr-xr-x   2 root   root   4.0K 2008-12-31 19:30 odm
drwxr-xr-x   2 root   root   4.0K 2008-12-31 19:30 oem
dr-xr-xr-x 512 root   root      0 1970-01-01 01:00 proc
lrw-r--r--   1 root   root     15 2008-12-31 19:30 product -> /system/product
drwxr-xr-x   3 root   root   4.0K 2008-12-31 19:30 res
drwxr-xr-x   3 root   root    300 1971-04-23 21:51 sbin
lrw-r--r--   1 root   root     21 2008-12-31 19:30 sdcard -> /storage/self/primary
drwxr-xr-x   4 root   root     80 2020-02-27 08:07 storage
dr-xr-xr-x  12 root   root      0 1971-04-23 21:51 sys
drwxr-xr-x  17 root   root   4.0K 2018-03-20 02:40 system
-rw-r--r--   1 root   root   5.2K 2008-12-31 19:30 ueventd.rc
drwxr-xr-x  15 root   root   4.0K 2008-12-31 19:30 vendor
-rw-r--r--   1 root   root    524 2008-12-31 19:30 verity_key

I can open the various .rc files in there (with nano or /sbin/.magisk/busybox/vi) but in readonly mode. I might be able to get rw permissions from recovery, but still I would not know what to change.

That seem to be a device specific problem (-> edit your question and add device details). My Sony XA2 works out of the box with USB tethering and ADB at the same time (however MTP seem to be disabled while USB tethering is active).

@Robert I am trying with a lenovo k6 (karate k33a48). I have the feeling that in the past it used to work, but I cannot remember what ROM I was using. I expect this to be a software issue, possibly device unrelated.

Note: Your question is a bit misleading as you always talk about "adb permission". However this is not a permission problem but a configuration of the USB interface. Each physical USB device can have multiple logical devices active at the same time (on my device one for "Remote NDIS" and one for adb or one for adb and one for MTP). On Windows you can view them nicely in the device manager grouped by a USB compound device (virtual device that combines the logical USB devices). Hence your question is how to activate RNDIS and adb at the same time.

You should add this very important info into your question and not hide in comments. However I still don't think that this is a permission problem. The adb permission uses public key auth, hence the permission can't just change. I suspect a bug in the firmware of your device or a general bug if others can reproduce your problem.

@Robert I will just try another rom, but It's a pity because that doesn't lead to any understanding of the issue.

If your device is rooted and it uses sysfs interfaces to configure USB functions, you can edit init's .rc files to write adb and rndis at the same time (as it writes adb and mtp together). The same should be achievable if your device uses configfs interfaces. // If the problem is only about ADB permissions (and not that tethering and ADB cannot be turned ON simultaneously), all that you need to do is add the USB VID/PID to your device manager (e.g. udevd) on PC so that proper permissions are set on USB interfaces in /dev. There's nothing to be done on phone.

Does this answer your question? Getting "???" and no permissions when using 'adb devices' on Linux

@IrfanLatif not really. My udev rule is in place and works fine when in MTP/PTP mode. The answer which suggest to change usb mode is quite silly in my case. See the edits for the .rc files.

MTP/PTP uses a different USB VID/PID, usually that provided by Google in AOSP. Tethering (RNDIS) is a hardware-specific USB mode, so OEM's VID/PID is exposed to PC. Mostly Linux distros recognize MTP/PTP out of box because that's a generic case. But there is a long list of Android phone vendors, so not every Linux distro recognizes every vendor (VID) and every of its product (PID). I suggest you read about how USB VID/PID works, instead of blindly resisting.

@IrfanLatif Thank you for your persistence. That was indeed the case: the product ID changed slightly when in tethering mode and I did not have the proper udev rule. I transferred this knowledge in the archlinux wiki: https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Android_Debug_Bridge#No_permissions_error If you make your comment an answer I would be happy to accept and upvote it :D

@DarioP I'm glad it helped. I think the question I linked already includes the relevant answers. Reposting isn't encouraged.

Let us continue this discussion in chat.

This is the answer to my question: https://android.stackexchange.com/a/195443/322110

I had the same problem and I think it is caused by some bug or misconfiguration in the ROM.
As a workaround, I figured out enabling the option ADB over network from the Developer options allowed me to connect using adb while having USB tethering mode turned on. However you have to be careful not to enable that option on untrusted networks (untrusted wifi or 3G) because it allows remote access to your device over TCP to anybody on that network.


text:
Cloning a Xiaomi Note 10s
I had been assaulted twice in the last 6 months, looked into the barrel of pistols and had a guy wielding a knife in front of me. Their goal was to take my phone off me. I had more money in my pocket than they would have gotten from selling the phone off. And I noticed without this phone I am completely screwed. All my banking and security stuff is all depending on this phone. If gone, I don't know if I could restart my online life. So I get myself into danger of real-world life, which is fine, but I need a real backup plan.
So I figured replication is the key. I would like to create an exact clone of this phone, with the exact same make and model (to make it easier). With computers, I can just clone the disk an everything works usually. But is there a way to do that with an android phone? I am not talking about a "backup" where then you need to "restore" some of the apps will appear but totally blank. I need a clone of a phone that hits the ground running!
There must be a way to do this, because it really is so important to living online life these days.
EDIT: I am thinking the most straight forward way I could see is if I would root the phone (or get a pair of phones that I can fully root), and then as root I dd the contents of the disk (as raw as it gets) and push it though dd if=/dev/physical-disk | rsh ... or so over to a computer, then on the other side I do rsh ... |dd of=/dev/physical-disk. I don't need rsh or ssh exactly as long as I have something that can push to the network (e.g. netcat). People say this can't work, but why if I can be root on the phone and it is a Linux system should I not be able to dd if and of to the raw disk?

Possible dupe: Would it be theoretically possible to do a block-level backup of /dev/media without root? (also, read the whole comments on the question and answer)

For security reasons most banking apps are bound to the device in a cryptographical manner. That means cloning is not possible, even if you would get access to all files of those apps. If you want to have a "clone" in place you can set-up the second phone by using the migration assistant but that will on a lot of apps only copy the empty app. The configuration of the apps is hen up to you.

Does this answer your question? Would it be theoretically possible to do a block-level backup of /dev/media without root?

Android is not the only OS running, there is also RTOS and TEE OS and RPMB replay protected storage, not accessable in userland. cloned android partitions are useless because encryption is hardware-backed (and btw android is no linux system, it's a java framework)

It is not possible.  It is not even possible to transfer everything to your new phone when changing phones.  But your idea is good, I have thought about it too.  The best you can do is

Get another phone, preferably similar model and capability
Install the same apps on it.
You can copy contacts over if you you assign them to your google account.  You can do this assigning via something like MyPhoneExplorer.
Weekly, copy over message etc to the other phone.  Again MyPhoneExplorer will do this by copying them to Windows first.  You wont be able to copy everything, but have a go
You may be able to copy over whatsapp content if you backup on your first phone, swap the sim and restore on the 2nd phone.  You may be able to do thsi for other apps as well.  Again, do it weekly.

Note, I am not associated with MyPhoneExplorer.


text:
Help Me Fix An Embarassing Mistake (Without Losing Data) :o

Sorry if the pic is too big.
I also asked this question here but haven't gotten much help and copied and pasted my question from there, so if you go there, you can skip the first post.
I have a rooted LG Tribute LGLS675516100eb running Android 5.1.1. A few days ago I was looking through some settings in Andromizer and turned the DPI setting all the way up just to see what it would do(confusing DPI for resolution:o), but it said I had to reboot for the change to take effect. I didn't want to reboot at the moment so I cancelled**. But when I rebooted to wipe the Dalvik cache a few minutes later(what I installed Andromizer for), the DPI setting took effect and now I can't get past the lock screen because the button you push after you put in the password is off the side of the screen.:laugh::o
I don't understand what these have to do with the DPI  setting but:  Also, nothing happens when you push the emargency call button so I can't use that glitch to bypass the lock screen:(.  And when I call the phone, the Call app crashes.:confused:
I want to fix it without losing data.
I tried ADB but it says "LGLS675516100eb unauthorized" with the devices command.  I thought I had USB Debugging on, but apparently I don't?
I tried Dr. Fone but It gets stuck at 99% for 10 minutes then it says "Install Model Failed", while on the phone, the firmware update(that's not actually a firmware update for this operation I assume) is stuck at 0%.
I think Tenorshare 4uKey and iMyFone would work but I won't go past the screen that says all data on the phone is about to be erased.
I'm not gonna have to send my phone to that company in Isreal that can unlock iPhones am I?:p:laugh:
**If I remember correctly,  I selected OK when I changed the setting and then the reboot notification happened when I left the page. So apparently cancelling the reboot only did so for the moment but not completely.:mad:
[End Of Pasted Portion]
Also, I tried side loading TWRP in recovery mode (in order to change the DPI setting via command line) but I got: E:footer is wrong E:Signature verification failed.

The PIN can be entered easily using a USB keyboard connected via USB OTG adapter (assuming that your Android phone supports USB OTG devices).

https://android.stackexchange.com/a/219320

https://www.xda-developers.com/scrcpy-control-android-on-pc

btw none of the tools you mentioned i personally would recommend, TWRP is the recovery tool in first place. instead of sideload just install zip from gui. you can disable signature verification in settings. make a backup before

Buy USB OTG adapter it's cheap. if you don't have TWRP you can flash system from fastboot as last option, assuming you have previously unlocked bootloader before rooting (otherwise fastboot can't be used without losing data)

I finally fixed it by flashing the ROM. I tried this before but forgot about all the extra hoops I had to go through to get it to work with my particular phone. Also I probably assumed it wouldn't work because the phone was locked.
The OTG mouse didn't work because my phone doesn't support OTG. I tried it even though it wasn't listed in my phone's specs. None of the other suggestions worked because my phone was locked.

(flashing ROM does not by-pass screen lock)

I also did a factory reset. I was wondering if I wouldn't have had to do that if I had flashed the ROM first. If what you say is true, then I still would've had to do the factory reset. Thanks for the info.


text:
Size on disk vs size - data copied from Android
I need some help. I recently switched the ROM on my Android phone and copied all the data before hand from my phone's internal storage to my local HDD on my laptop. Successfully changed the ROM but when I tried to copy the data back, I found that I can't because the size is 1.47PB when the size on disk is 17.5GB. I've tried to compress it and to defrag it but that lead to nowhere

Welcome to Android Enthusiasts! Could you please [edit] your question and include 1) where those data were copied from (e.g. internal SD card) and 2) how you performed the copy? I doubt your H: drive has the size indicated there, so this rather seems to be a Windows problem.

.. and also what exactly “when I tried to copy the data back, I found that I can't” means? What error did you get? There must be some sparse file with abnormal size. You need to find and delete that by looking at size of individual files.

First check your disk from an admin command line using chkdsk H: /F to eliminate the disk problem you have. Second you can still copy back the data folder by folder sorted by priority e.g. pictures first. If you don't know what the data is for just don't copy it.

Hey! The data was copied from my phone's internal storage to my local hard drive - CTRL C and CTRL V. No, the drive only has 1TB. I'm not quite sure if this is a Windows problem since the issue only resides on the files I've copied from my phone. When I tried to copy the data back, I received an error that I do not have enough storage to copy the selected files(due to the abnormal Size they have). Tried to run chkdsk H: /F and results are as following : https://gyazo.com/15571ac7576cf11cb8e7a675cd346d9e

Regarding the files that I'm trying to copy, for example I cannot copy my pictures back because each one of them is 66.1GB https://gyazo.com/80fa9774b2fed5d775a4599fe2a92f8c

Looks like something was running completely wrong when you copied the "backup". That is the reason one should check the backup after it had been created. Run photorec on the images. If the images are still there in those monstrous files it will extract the images and therefore reduce the file size. Besides that  this question is effectively more related to Windows and data recovery than Android (because Windows created that monstrous files and the original Android system does no longer exists).


text:
Where does Google Music store the “offline tracks”?

Possible Duplicate:
Where does Google Music store offline songs?

I have about 8 gigs of music stored within Google Music, and I recently got sick of streaming (and risking data charges), so I painstakingly allowed it to be stored offline. So my fresh 16 gig SD card now only had 8 gigs left. Then, I flashed a new rom, thinking that all my music would still be there cached (or however it works), but I was wrong. When I click "show offline tracks only" within the Google Music app, it shows nothing, yet my SD card still only has 8 gigs of space left.
So, my question is, where are these offline tracks stored on my SD card so I can go in and delete them, to free up space so I can back them all up again?
Thanks!
And also, why won't the app recognize that there is offline music stored on my SD card after a new rom is flashed? I figured that data would be untouched across roms.

Your songs should get saved to /sdcard/Android/data/com.google.android.music/cache/music.
The reason they don't appear when you install a new ROM is because the folder they're stored in contains a .nomedia file, which excludes it from the media scanner. Google Music is able to keep track of them because it puts entries into its database (which is at /data/data/com.google.android.music/databases/music.db) which point to the file. Specifically, anything in the MUSIC table with a LocalCopyType value of 200 is a song on Google's servers which you've downloaded so it will be "available offline". This disappears if you wipe your /data partition when flashing a new ROM. If you have a sqlite3 binary on your device you can use the following to get a list of all songs that are available offline:
# sqlite3 /data/data/com.google.android.music/databases/music.db
sqlite> select * from music where localcopytype = 200;

If you want to have your music stored locally across ROM installs, the easiest thing to do is just to create a folder at the root of your SD card named Music (or similar) and put the files in it. The media scanner will pick it up that way. Alternatively, you can try removing the .nomedia file from the Google Music cache folder. That should allow it be scanned, too, but I don't know if Google Music will try to re-create the file on subsequent launches of the app.

Okay thanks. But when I wipe /data does it delete the actual files I've downloaded or just the pointers to them? I just don't want unaccessible songs taking up precious space haha

@roboguy12: No, it only wipes the app's database, and therefore all of its entries. The files themselves are on the SD card in the folder I noted above. You can simply delete them with a file explorer or from your computer by plugging in your phone and accessing it as a USB storage device.

The only problem is when I go into /sdcard/Android/data/com.google.android.music/cache/music, the only files that are in there are the 4 most recent songs I've listened to, not my entire 8 gig library.

@roboguy12: That's strange, I've never seen them stored anywhere else. What version of Google Music do you have and what kind of phone is it?

It's a Droid Incredible, running a stock 2.3.7 rom...the app is Music v4.1.512. And just to test it out, I went into the app and checked a few random songs to be available offline to try to find them on the SD card and they weren't in cache/music...nor could I find them anywhere on the SD Card.

@roboguy12: Well, I guess one way to figure out what it's doing would be to query the music database. It stores the path to the file as one of the columns in the MUSIC table, so the query I noted above should show you where they are. That's how I found the folder on my device initially.

This might be grounds for a different question, but I "adb shell" and then run that command and it says sqlite3: not found. What does this mean? If I should start another question, I can and then I'll post the link to that one here so you can answer it if you want.

Your ROM probably doesn't have the sqlite3 binary. SuperOneClick has a copy (in the "Dependencies" folder). You could push it onto your device with adb to use it (this Stack Overflow answer has some instructions)

Depending on your device and app version it might also be /data/data/com.google.android.music/files/music/.
This, of course, is secure storage and only accessible to app itself. On an non-rooted phone that is.

Does "secure storage" mean that on an unrooted device the folder is visible, but the contents unreadable? I have quite a few music files stored offline, but Astro File Manager reports these folders as "EMPTY" even with "Show hidden files" enabled.


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Aoson M19 -- Device Drivers

Possible Duplicate:
Aoson M19 — Need Device Drivers

Myself and a few others have an extra Aoson M19 android tablet on hand, but can't seem to find any USB device drivers for it. I assume this is because it isn't an overly popular tablet.
Does anyone know where some drivers could be found? Perhaps someone wrote their own?
I have already tried the Google drivers and the drivers providers listed on developer.android.com- please don't point me there.
Thanks.

Wow. That's not great for a company not to have publicly available drivers -- I guess it's one of those off-brand chinese tablets though, isn't it? Good luck, hope you can find them!

For others who might encounter this problem, HERE is where I re-asked this question.
The solution is that you need to email the company at this address: techhelp@merimobiles.com
And you will be helped, supposedly. I will post back on whether this works for me.
UPDATE:
No one ever responded to my email... Good luck other Aoson users.


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Securely Sideloading In-House Apps
I am working in a secure environment where we do not have wireless communication of any kind, so the only way of installing an app on our Android devices is to sideload it - the original sideloading, over a MTP USB connection.  I would like to mitigate the inherent risks associated with sideloading by only installing apps whose signatures are verified using our public key.  I am working with Android 8.1+, so I get the relatively safer opt-in per app setup.  Is there any way of letting Android know to (only) install apps that my organization has signed?

Do you use an Mobile Device Management (MDM) system to be able to apply policies onto the devices?

Currently no.  I'm not aware of any MDMs that work without wireless capabilities, do you know of one?

So your devices do not have Wifi and they do not have a mobile connection? You did not mention that in your question. Have you thought about running an isolated Wifi hotspot for configuring the devices (a hotspot that just allows to connect to an isolated PC with a web server).

Edited, clarified.  No wireless communication of any kind; the only means of data transfer is via USB (MTP in particular).


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Error when migrating data from internal microSD to internal storage despite apparent available space
I have a Moto G3 (Android 6.0) with a microSD of 2GB that I configured to use as internal storage. It's been working fine for years, but I want to upgrade to a larger and faster card. So, I'm first  trying to safely remove this microSD. When I try to migrate data from the microSD card to my phone's internal storage, it fails with the following message:

Couldn't move data
Data left at original location

However, I thought I cleaned up enough space, as described in this answer. I removed several apps, cleaned data and cache. The microSD reports zero apps and cached data used. Here's the current disk usage:

Android OS: 4.19GB
Internal storage: 7.68GB of 11.81GB
SanDisk SD card: 1.78GB used of 1.80GB

I checked this answer, but it seems different because there the microSD is used as portable storage, instead of internal. This answer seems closer, Droidriven says the /data partition might be the culprit:

Droidriven (reply #13):
You probably have too many apps to move everything to internal, you have plenty of storage but your /data partition probably isn't big enough.
You'll have to backup the apps and data, and store it on PC, then uninstall the apps. Then migrate what is left. Then go from there. You can put the apps and data back after you get done if you have enough space or another sdcard.

Using adb, it seems /data partition has space, though:
$ df
Filesystem               Size     Used     Free   Blksize
/dev                   439.2M    88.0K   439.1M   4096
/sys/fs/cgroup         439.2M    12.0K   439.2M   4096
/mnt                   439.2M     0.0K   439.2M   4096
/system                  2.2G     1.7G   511.2M   4096
/data                   11.8G     7.6G     4.2G   4096
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
/cache                 248.0M   242.8M     5.1M   4096
/persist                 3.9M   192.0K     3.7M   4096
/firmware               35.2M    31.5M     3.7M   4096
/fsg                     2.1M     2.1M     1.0K   1024
/storage               439.2M     0.0K   439.2M   4096
/mnt/expand/6318ae65-dd0e-47fb-be4d-522416bf8877     1.8G     1.8G    16.0M   4096
/mnt/runtime/default/emulated: Permission denied
/storage/emulated       11.8G     7.6G     4.2G   4096
/mnt/runtime/read/emulated: Permission denied
/mnt/runtime/write/emulated: Permission denied

I think this is the right track, though, it looks like something related to a partition that doesn't fit.
Where can I look for more info? Can I use adb to perform this migration? Maybe the error messages will be more detailed.
EDIT: One thing I noticed after talking to someone at AndroidQuestions' Discord is that, since before I started cleaning up space, the SanDisk SD Card always showed 0.00 bytes allocated for Apps and Cache and 1.78GB used of 1.80GB. Even after I cleaned up around 4GB of storage, it still showed the same numbers. Is it possible that the SD card used as internal storage will always show these stats because it has been allocated by the OS? Thus, it is actually already empty and I can try to eject it without data loss.
I'll give it a try and post an update later.

Despite the SD card was showing as 1.78GB used out of 1.80GB, it was already empty. So, I formatted as portable and ejected without data loss.
As I reported in my question, there were no apps or cache stored in it. It showed as used because it was formatted as internal, although it didn't have any data in it. About the option to migrate data back and failing when attempted, I think it's some buggy interface as this is an old Android version and the first one to provide this feature (internal storage).


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How to track device locations in an office

Possible Duplicate:
How can I make my phone/tablet ring remotely without a SIM card?

There are many Android devices in our office which we use for application development and QA.  Finding a particular device is sometimes necessary, but requires walking around asking who has it.
Is there some way to track where a particular device might be in an office environment?  Either an app on the device or some way to listen on the computer it was most recently plugged in to (via ADB), for example.  Hopefully something with minimal user interaction, otherwise nobody would ever actually do it.
I haven't tried anything specific yet.  Just looking for ideas on which way to go.  I'm pretty sure GPS is not nearly accurate enough for such a setting, and that's the only real idea I've had.

Assuming these are phones, have you tried just ringing it?

Unfortunately, we don't have phone plans for all of the devices.  We only have a few SIM cards which get swapped out as necessary.

Phone-grade GPS definitely won't be accurate enough.  This sounds more like a people/process problem -- you should have a signout system.  adb devices gives per-machine names, I believe, so that's not overly useful.

Do you have Wi-Fi connections active on these devices? If so, you could create a service that allows a remote web application to cause the device to chirp/make a sound similar to a ring.  That web application could contain a list of phones and potentially even allow you to checkout devices etc through the same interface.  Not an entirely trivial solution, but you could probably whip something up in a day or two.

Well, this is the best solution I've seen so far.  I hadn't thought about having the device make a sound.


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Android 4.0 ICS in Samsung galaxy R

Possible Duplicate:
Where can I find stock or custom ROMs for my Android device?

I want to install Android 4.0 in samsung galaxy R. However i have installed ClockWork in my phone by following this link. But i haven't find any ICS ROM for samsung galaxy R phone. I have also remarked that the reference i have found to install ICS is all for Samsung galaxy s2, and i have also downloaded the ROM named ALPHA7.zip of Sam. Galx. S2 . If i will install that rom in my sam. galaxy R phone then will it be cause the problem? If yes then please give me a good reference from which i can install ICS in my sam. galx. R phone and also downloadable link of ICS ROM for sam. galaxy R.
Thanks in advance.

You can look for a Galaxy R custom ROM on xda-developers section of your device. (Link)
Do not flash the Galaxy S II ROMs on your Galaxy R, or you may end up with a unusable device.
From a quick glance I had on your device's section, it seems that it doesn't have a ICS/CM9 port yet, but that may change.
Currently only CM7 is being ported. Though since your device is lined up for Official ICS update, my advice would be to wait for it.
See more here - xda-developers Galaxy R Guide

Thanks sameer sharma. But why custom rom is removed from every multiupload.com link? From where can i actually download that ROM?

Which ROM are you trying to download? Most custom ROM developers now uses Google Code to host their ROMs, so you should have a direct link to download.

I have gone through this site http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1449318, there is a link beside "Download Link :". but when i click on that link i cant find anything except "GT-I9103-Infected.zip" label. Can u pls give me the link of google code link for download?

@AnandSoni i don't know if it made the news where you are, but the MegaUpload case was headline news over here a few months ago. Due to that a lot of anonymous file-hosting services like multiupload.com have stopped sharing anonymous files, like the ROMs you're looking for. This is the site owners' attempts to save themselves from court cases, fines and prison. Unfortunately you'll have to wait while the ROM developers find new places that are happy to host their files.

@AnandSoni Please download from this post, and be sure to read all the tutorials. xda-developers Galaxy R infected ROM download link post

@Sameer Sharma & GAThrwn. Thanks for sharing this link. Thanks a lot!!!!


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Is it possible to upgrade, without rooting, to a version not specifically released for the device?
I have inherited an Android mobile and would like to upgrade it to the latest version of Android. Having come across posts such as is it possible to upgrade the android OS on all phones?, it appears I won't be able to. However, I am unsure what the definition of carrier is especially if the phone has been imported from overseas. Is there a way I could upgrade without jailbreaking the mobile phone? My question is applicable to all mobile phones running Android.

Note that the terminology is generally "rooting" rather than "jailbreaking" for Android devices.  The carrier that's relevant will be the original network operator that released the software running on the device; the actual network you use the device on (if any) is irrelevant :)

@Matthew Read - Thanks Matthew. Wasn't aware the term rooting is used. Will bear that in mind. Also how do I know it came from a network operator and not directly from the manufacturer?

Normally some kind of branding should be apparent, whether physically on the phone, in the apps or themes on the device, or in the Settings (e.g., About Phone).  It's unlikely to come from the manufacturer directly if it's a phone, at least in North America.  No hard and fast rule, really.  You could probably search for your build number (in About) online to see if it comes up with more info.

@Matthew Read - Thanks Matthew. I had a look at the apps and themes as well as settings and there is no mention of a carrier of any sort. The phone seems to have come from Taiwan directly. It is a HTC.

Most phones can't upgrade (officially) without a signed firmware package designed to upgrade from the existing version of Android that's already on the phone.  In those cases, you can't upgrade without rooting and/or unlocking your bootloader and/or flashing a custom recovery, which all void your warranty.
Some phones may not be as limited; for example, the original software on the original Galaxy S devices allowed unsigned updates to be flashed without needing to unlock the device.  Theoretically you could try to flash a firmware package from a different region; it's hard to say how that would affect your warranty (and besides, that's really off-topic here :P).  You could also of course flash a custom ROM with a newer version of Android, which again will void your warranty just like rooting.

Thanks. Are there security disadvantages of not upgrading?

@PeanutsMonkey Probably.  It's certainly been the case that security issues have been fixed in newer versions of Android, and 4.0 has filesystem encryption whereas 2.3 did not, and so on.

Makes no sense at all to me why upgrades would be restricted to devices and why I have to root a device to get updates.


text:
Preparing A500 for warranty service
I have a rooted A500 with HC3.2 and I strongly believe that the focus problem is hardware. Since I'm under warranty I don't think I'll waste my time and send the tablet to repair.
Two questions:
How do I fully backup my device (let's say "snapshot") in order to easily restore all apps, wallpapers, settings, etc (possibly accounts too) when it returns? I can easily backup programs, but I don't know about their data. I also have a Bitcoin wallet there, so I need to back my private keys up in order to receive coins at the same address later.
How do I un-root and downgrade the firmware to Acer's original stock 3.0? When I updated Recovery I did a backup, so I believe the final step is to restore that backup.
By the way, does Acer consider rooting a warranty breach for hardware problems? I know many manufacturers don't care if you change their firmware when you send them a device with clear hardware problems, but they eventually restore everything to stock.
Thanks.

I could have found the solution by myself. Not sure because I haven't tested it yet.
For the backup/restore: Titanium Backup (tutorial)
For the downgrade/unroot thing: first I could restore Acer's original recovery via Acer recovery installer, then I could downgrade to HC3.0.1 with this
I'll give it a try
It works perfectly!!!


text:
Most complex locked phone ever, needs a genius to solve
Is there any hope. I feel I have exhausted all the options I have any knowledge of. I’ll explain the situation and methods i have tried.
I broke the screen on my galaxy s2 causing the touch screen to not respond and then eventually the screen to go black.
The phone got replaced and sat in a box until one days I felt the need to find out what I had left on the old phone, photos, information just out of pure curiosity.
I was able to turn the phone on and although I couldn't see anything I could hear texts coming through, the phone was buzzing etc. Anyway couldn’t see what was going on. So I borrowed my girlfriends galaxy s2 which she no longer uses and used the screen off that to use as the screen for mine via the ribbon cable. Watched a youtube video and it was all fine, booted up okay until I realised the phone was LOCKED! locked with a pin, of x amount of digits long.
I tried every possible combination I have every used, never used, I am never guessing the thing. I can’t remember if it is my usual 4 numbered pin or whether it is numbers that would spell a word.
Tried plugging into a computer but of course it wont pick it up until the correct password is entered.
The gmail unlock option, the phone has been out of use for over a year, possibly 2. It no longer shows up on account and I have no signal on the phone either. (I did put the sim back in, just realising now if i removed an aerial or something when fitting the new screen). I don’t have signal at all. there is no forgot password option.
Tried downloading kies to my mac and doing it via a usb but ran into the same problem as before.
downloaded software onto an sd card but I cannot get the device to boot into recovery mode, I think it may be because the volume buttons are not working. I am trying a method of battery out and charge the phone, heard someone say that this can force a htc into recovery mode so i thought it is at least worth a try.
I will not be defeated. I DO NOT WANT TO DO A FACTORY RESET. I will keep trying every possible option until I get a solution. Turn on the phone and find that nothing on there was worth the hassle.
I see a few ways out of this
1 bypass the lock screen via black magic and or disable it
2 somehow regain signal then use gmail account recovery, ( i don't know if a sim becomes redundant after a period of inactivity)]
3 somehow enable a pc/mac to pick it up
4 not sure about the usb otg method
Any help much appreciated

Do you know what Android version was installed? Android 4.x (Jelly Bean, Ice Cream Sandwich, or the old Android 2.x Gingerbread? Post a screenshot of your lockscreen and we can determine for you. Also tell us the exact model number of the phone, so we can determine if it's bootloader unlocked or not.

Have you tried rebooting to recovery via ADB?

I'm not sure what software it is but I'll send a photo of my lock screen. Iv tried booting it into recovery mode or safe mode but this isn't working, I think it's down to tho volume buttons not working due to being in pieces. Has anyone got experience of using a USB keyboard to boot into recovery mode? Iv flashed software to the sd card for bypassing the lock screen or deleting the password but obviously I can't get to that point yet.

@Gavin you need to @ me next time so I know you responded! According to the picture you have Gingerbread installed! Which is good news, 2.3 has gaping security holes. If you pop in a SIM card and call that phone number, or use emergency call, you should be able to get to the homescreen via some magic key combos. Look here for answers.

@AaronGillion, thanks for that!! The phone was on 02, but I took my number across to EE. So when I have put back in the old 02 sim related to that old number it did not connect me to a cellular network. Could this also be because the sim had not been used in so long? (Not sure whether they expire or not). I am assuming if I get an active 02 sim this will automatically connect then I can try the methods mention regarding calling the handset. Once again, many thanks. I'll be sure to let you know how I get on. Will be 2+ weeks till I get the chance

@AaronGillion, Are you able to tell from that photo why I wasn't receiving a signal? Was it due to - The sim being expired/unused or when splitting the phone have I disconnected the antenna?

Not sure. Your phone might be carrier locked so that you can't use prepaid Sim cards? Maybe you can find another method from that link I gave you? Izzy's answer covers all the methods of getting in to an unlocked phone.

authors: Айдар Гареев

authors: Александр Николаевский


text:
OnePlus X (OxygenOS): Screen auto-rotating in wrong direction
I have an unrooted OnePlus X phone with the stock recovery and stock OxygenOS 2.2.0-X operating system (based on Android 5.1.1) installed.
With auto-rotation enabled, whenever I turn the device into landscape mode, the screen rotates in the wrong direction. I.e. when I turn it clockwise the screen contents are rotated counterclockwise, and the other way round. This leads to the screen contents always being upside down in landscape mode.
Does anyone have an idea how I could go about fixing this problem? Is there a way to check whether this is a software or a sensor problem?

Update: In the GSensor section of the developer-type manual test menu accessible via *#808#, the phone reports an angle of 270 when I turn it 90° clockwise and it reports 90 when I turn it 90° counterclockwise. I assume it's supposed to be the other way round?

Update 2: After flashing TWRP recovery, rooting the device and installing a custom ROM, the problem persists. Is it fair to conclude that it's definitely a hardware issue now?

Sounds like a calibration issue. On the HTC One you can calibrate the accelerometer from the Settings menu.

Thanks. I found a hidden menu with auto calibration options. However, accelerometer calibration failed due to some meaningless error ("Test FAILED. Error: Sensor Specific error: 4"). I suspect that the angles reported by the accelerometer are wrong though, I updated the question accordingly.

Community bump prevention: this question was closed because the question seems to have been abandoned (OP hasn't visited the network for more than 5 years, and no answers have score above 0). If anyone can evaluate the existing answers, feel free to vote accordingly and reopen the question (or mod-flag the question requesting for reopening). For anyone else having the same issue, please post a new question and refer to this question as additional context.

I've had the same problem. It was fine again after restoring an old TWRP-backup of "Persist".
Don't know why. Just worked.
If you don't have a Backup of your Persist partition then I think that (re)installing a stock ROM could also be able to fix this. Even if not, it won't hurt to give it a shot.

Edit: I took a short look into /persist and found two interesting files inside it:
/persist/sensors/gyro_sensitity_cal - Containing GyroSens 1.000000 1.000000 1.000000
/persist/sensors/sensors_settings - Containing 1
I guess that explains why it fixed the error and maybe also just checking and correcting these files will do so.


text:
How to smart read PDF files in android on a mobile screen?
I have a large PDF file in my phone that I want to read while in transit. I have the adobe app downloaded for this purpose but there is no smart read feature in it. I do not want to scroll the screen horizontally. Is there an app that I can use to do this?
[Edit]
I do not want the app to read it aloud for me. I just want to scroll vertically by myself with the contents of the file fitting the screen and the words still readable.

What is smart read? Do you want the app to read aloud the text in pdf? or you want to scroll the pdf vertically by yourself?

Hi! Questions asking us app suggestion/recommendation are off-topic here. See [help/on-topic] to know more. Since the title is on-topic I recommend an edit to remove the off-topic part from body.

You can use @Voice Read Aloud app from the Play Store. Using @Voice Read Aloud app you can read aloud the text displayed in Android apps, e.g. web pages, news articles, long emails, TXT, PDF, DOC, DOCX, RTF, OpenOffice document files and more.
Note: You need Text-To-Speech engine and voices installed on your device to use this app. You may use more than one if you want.


text:
Can't set ringtone / notification sound from internal storage
After a factory reset (internal storage was not wiped) on my Nexus 5X running stock Android 7.1.2, I'm no longer able to choose a ringtone, notification sound or alarm sound from internal storage. If I choose to pick a file with Solid Explorer instead of Media Storage, it sets the ringtone to None. I've tried clearing app data for Media Storage as well as wiping ART/Dalvik cache.
EDIT: I forgot to mention Tasker cannot play media files in internal storage, either.
bullhead:/ # ls -l /storage/emulated
drwxrwx--x 66 root sdcard_rw 4096 2017-07-08 09:13 0

bullhead:/ # ls -l /storage/emulated/0
drwxrwx--x  2 root sdcard_rw    4096 2017-01-30 15:56 Alarms
drwxrwx--x  2 root sdcard_rw    4096 2017-02-24 18:45 Notifications
drwxrwx--x  2 root sdcard_rw    4096 2017-01-30 16:09 Ringtones

If I look at the folder permissions for /data/media/0 in Solid Explorer, the Owner & Group are unknown.
I'm thinking of backing up everything in internal storage, wiping it and testing again before restoring the backup. Is there anything else I could try before spending hours copying multiple gigabytes back & forth?

You can try with the app mentioned here - though that question is in a different context  / OS

Using that method with ES File Explorer works, but I'd have to play and set each and every sound file I have to get them to appear in the Media Storage menu. This is a cumbersome workaround, not a solution. I appreciate the reply, nonetheless.


text:
Google Contacts force-closes
I just bought a new LG Nexus 5X. Stock 6.0.1, not rooted. For some reason, Google Contacts has been force-closing. Clearing its cache & data did not resolve it. I can't reproduce the issue in Safe Mode, so apparently it's caused by a 3rd party app. The only apps that have the ability to update contact information are Google Plus & Facebook Messenger. I tried uninstalling both, but the problem still occurred.
I also have Google Contacts installed on my LG G3 with all the same apps and it works fine. When I set up my 5X, I imported apps & data from my G3. I tried a factory reset yesterday and restored apps & data from my most recent Google backup of the device with no joy.
EDIT: I forgot to mention I'm able to access and edit my contacts via the contacts tab in  Google Phone just fine.
I took a bug report, here's the crash info. No idea what it means. I hope someone has an idea.
------ SYSTEM LOG (logcat -v threadtime -d *:v) ------
--------- beginning of crash
07-11 17:18:54.398 24506 24506 E AndroidRuntime: FATAL EXCEPTION: main
07-11 17:18:54.398 24506 24506 E AndroidRuntime: Process: com.google.android.contacts, PID: 24506
07-11 17:18:54.398 24506 24506 E AndroidRuntime: java.lang.RuntimeException: Unable to start activity ComponentInfo{com.google.android.contacts/com.android.contacts.activities.PeopleActivity}: android.content.ActivityNotFoundException: No Activity found to handle Intent { act=android.provider.action.QUICK_CONTACT flg=0x4000000 pkg=com.google.android.contacts (has extras) }
07-11 17:18:54.398 24506 24506 E AndroidRuntime:    at android.app.ActivityThread.performLaunchActivity(ActivityThread.java:2416)
07-11 17:18:54.398 24506 24506 E AndroidRuntime:    at android.app.ActivityThread.handleLaunchActivity(ActivityThread.java:2476)
07-11 17:18:54.398 24506 24506 E AndroidRuntime:    at android.app.ActivityThread.-wrap11(ActivityThread.java)
07-11 17:18:54.398 24506 24506 E AndroidRuntime:    at android.app.ActivityThread$H.handleMessage(ActivityThread.java:1344)
07-11 17:18:54.398 24506 24506 E AndroidRuntime:    at android.os.Handler.dispatchMessage(Handler.java:102)
07-11 17:18:54.398 24506 24506 E AndroidRuntime:    at android.os.Looper.loop(Looper.java:148)
07-11 17:18:54.398 24506 24506 E AndroidRuntime:    at android.app.ActivityThread.main(ActivityThread.java:5422)
07-11 17:18:54.398 24506 24506 E AndroidRuntime:    at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Native Method)
07-11 17:18:54.398 24506 24506 E AndroidRuntime:    at com.android.internal.os.ZygoteInit$MethodAndArgsCaller.run(ZygoteInit.java:726)
07-11 17:18:54.398 24506 24506 E AndroidRuntime:    at com.android.internal.os.ZygoteInit.main(ZygoteInit.java:616)
07-11 17:18:54.398 24506 24506 E AndroidRuntime: Caused by: android.content.ActivityNotFoundException: No Activity found to handle Intent { act=android.provider.action.QUICK_CONTACT flg=0x4000000 pkg=com.google.android.contacts (has extras) }
07-11 17:18:54.398 24506 24506 E AndroidRuntime:    at android.app.Instrumentation.checkStartActivityResult(Instrumentation.java:1798)
07-11 17:18:54.398 24506 24506 E AndroidRuntime:    at android.app.Instrumentation.execStartActivity(Instrumentation.java:1512)
07-11 17:18:54.398 24506 24506 E AndroidRuntime:    at android.app.Activity.startActivityForResult(Activity.java:3930)
07-11 17:18:54.398 24506 24506 E AndroidRuntime:    at android.app.Activity.startActivityForResult(Activity.java:3890)
07-11 17:18:54.398 24506 24506 E AndroidRuntime:    at android.app.Activity.startActivity(Activity.java:4213)
07-11 17:18:54.398 24506 24506 E AndroidRuntime:    at android.app.Activity.startActivity(Activity.java:4181)
07-11 17:18:54.398 24506 24506 E AndroidRuntime:    at com.android.contacts.common.util.ImplicitIntentsUtil.startActivityInApp(ImplicitIntentsUtil.java:75)
07-11 17:18:54.398 24506 24506 E AndroidRuntime:    at com.android.contacts.activities.PeopleActivity.processIntent(PeopleActivity.java:294)
07-11 17:18:54.398 24506 24506 E AndroidRuntime:    at com.android.contacts.activities.PeopleActivity.onCreate(PeopleActivity.java:233)
07-11 17:18:54.398 24506 24506 E AndroidRuntime:    at android.app.Activity.performCreate(Activity.java:6251)
07-11 17:18:54.398 24506 24506 E AndroidRuntime:    at android.app.Instrumentation.callActivityOnCreate(Instrumentation.java:1107)
07-11 17:18:54.398 24506 24506 E AndroidRuntime:    at android.app.ActivityThread.performLaunchActivity(ActivityThread.java:2369)
07-11 17:18:54.398 24506 24506 E AndroidRuntime:    ... 9 more
07-11 17:24:34.384 28315 28653 E AndroidRuntime: FATAL EXCEPTION: Thread-3829
07-11 17:24:34.384 28315 28653 E AndroidRuntime: Process: com.paranoidgems.potential, PID: 28315
07-11 17:24:34.384 28315 28653 E AndroidRuntime: java.lang.NullPointerException: Attempt to invoke interface method 'java.util.Iterator java.util.List.iterator()' on a null object reference
07-11 17:24:34.384 28315 28653 E AndroidRuntime:    at com.paranoidgems.potential.i.run(BatteryStatusBroadcastReceiver.java:541)

The problem was the Nova Launcher shortcut to Contacts. I removed the shortcut and added it again and all is well. I kinda feel dumb now.

Google Play Services is my suspected culprit. It has had some issues since the new update. Try clearing its cache and data. It may sign you out of any app that uses Google as login authentication, but may do the trick.

Whst issues have you experienced? If it were Google Play Services, wouldn't the crash still happen in Safe Mode? As I mentioned, I can't reproduce the issue in Safe Mode.


text:
Stuck with bricked OS
A few days ago I've updated my rooted(with magisk) galaxy s10(SM-G973F) to the latest firmware(patched with magisk) of ILO(G973FXXU7CTF1 - my previous firmware - G973FXXU4BTA8 - had one ui 2.0), and it seems that since then, it is pretty much bricked.
GBWhatsapp Mini doesn't work anymore(can't download media), Google Play tells me Netflix and a bunch of other apps are "not compatible with your device" and I can't connect my Galaxy Watch anymore(stuck on pairing).
I've previously tried to upgrade it to G973FXXU4CTC9 and had the same issue so I've downgraded back to G973FXXU4BTA8 and it was all fixed, but now it won't let me even downgrade(SW REV CHECK FAIL)..
What can I do then?
Thanks

you have upgraded bootloader from U4 -> U7

@alecxs correct. Is it related?

you can't downgrade bootloader so you can't downgrade ROM

Eventually solved it...
The Galaxy Watch thing + the Netflix thing were solved with this combination(not sure which of these steps solved it):

Installed MagiskHide Props Config module and blocked the following using Magisk Hide:

Galaxy Watch Plugin(all)
Galaxy Wearable(all)
Google Play Games
Google Play Music
Google Play Services for AR
Google Services Framework
NFC
Samsung Health
Wearable Manager Installer
Google Play services(com.google.android.gms and com.google.android.gms.unstable only)
Google Play Store(all except com.android.vending)

Ran these commands as root:

mount -w -o remount /vendor
cp --preserve=all /vendor/etc/vintf/manifest.xml /vendor/etc/vintf/manifest.xml.bak
sed -i /`grep wsm /vendor/etc/vintf/manifest.xml|sed 's@/@\\\/@'|sed 's@>@\\>@g'|sed 's@<@\\<@g'|tr -d ' '`/,/'<hal format="hidl">'/d /vendor/etc/vintf/manifest.xml
mount -r -o remount /vendor

Installed Bluetooth Library Patcher module

Now the GBWhatsapp Mini problem. For some reason it required that Install unknown apps permission would be allowed for it.
Now everything works fine.


text:
Bootloop and random restart issues in android (Gionee A1 plus)
My Gionee A1 plus started acting strange a month ago. It would often restart whenever I received any SMS notification and then boot up just fine. I tried using an earphone and keeping the phone in silent mode, as reducing the notification sound levels didn't help. This fixed the problem for a few weeks until 2 days ago while using my camera, it suddenly decided to restart but got stuck in a bootloop(the boot logo kept popping up and disappearing again and again). I managed to turn it off by plugging it to a charger where it went to charging mode.
After a bit of research, I entered the stock "Android recovery mode" and cleared the /cache partition but that did not fix the issue. I panicked as I did not have a twrp or any other recovery tool installed. I didn't even have USB debugging enabled. However, after a bit more strolling I found that fastboot could detect my device(after rebooting to bootloader) and then ran the command fastboot continue and my phone booted up alright. But now my phone can't use the "Ultrafast charge mode" which makes the charging process 5 times longer and the battery drains really quick. What's more the phone restarting by itself has become often(I can't even use my camera) and its always the bootloop. I have to use fastboot to boot in again.
I created a backup of my data and then did a factory reset on the device to no use.
Do I need to flash a stock ROM to my device or am I missing something? I am inexperienced in this domain so please guide me on how to fix this issue. I have attached snaps of my Recovery and Factory modes.

TLDR; phone ends up in bootloop after suddenly restarting while in use, battery drains faster, no ultrafast charging, clearing cache and factory reset doesn't help.

even more worse your backup is useless because you didn't backup metadata partition from SP Flash Tool. unfortunately this is a bug in android system recovery

Thanks for replying. I did run the root integrity check and it passed with no errors. I hadn't tried rooting my device before either.

It actually turned out to be a battery issue. After replacement, the phone works as good as new(or so it seems).

Did it suddenly started to do weird things? Can you specify the cause.
As per the mentioned details, you need to flash stock firmware from SPFlash Tool(as you have a MTK device). You can google for your firmware. And flash it while your phone is in download mode.
I too have faced many bootlops while flashing roms. So I flash stock firmware and all good.

If I recall correctly, it started when I first started using meeting applications. Sometimes I would get an echo of background noise on the loudspeaker and the phone would reboot. Now the phone just can't store any charge or so it seems. Is it possible that it is a hardware problem of some kind?

After flashing the stock ROM (SWW1617GI_0301_T5242 since I coudn't get the T6953 one) the system booted fine. But after I removed the USB cable the phone died. It wouldn't reboot anymore even if I flash it again. It doesn't even get to the recovery menu without being powered and fastboot continue doesn't help anymore. I'm beginning to doubt it's a hardware issue(probably the battery) somehow.