Best 'clean up' before flashing ROMs

[Guest rockstarszzzz]

WARNING: To most experts this might seem very useless thread and things said might seem very 'obvious' but for newbies it's not. Plus if they do this, it might make only real bug reporting and the fake ones due to bad install might eventually reduce.

Hi Guys,

This thread is solely based on my experience. My experience as a ROM junkie. First mental on WinMos and now on Android. OS has changed but the ROM junkie in me hasn't. No ROM ever satisfies my hunger. I get an itch to try new ROM, just for the sake of it. May be an addiction?

Anyways, no more medical counselling here.

The reason for creating this thread:

In past few weeks while I've tried quite a few new ROMs, I've talked to newbies on various threads. There were issues and bugs. If someone reports a weird bug, I like to see it too, so I flash the ROM. Now most of the times I din't see the 'bug' and sometimes I did! All in all, what I've realised is, due to multiple examples and different countries, hardwares etc for our blades, newbies tend to mix up and get confused. Hence get bugs that shouldn't be there in first place.

The *noob's guide* to clean up:

Make sure first that you've back up your sms/contact/apps.

• SMS can be backed up using various apps from market e.g. SMS back up+
  
• Contacts can be synced directly to your Gmail account.
  
• Apps - I use Titanium back up. But there might be options available e.g. MyBackUp Root . Titanium back up seems to me like 'the' solution. If you pay for it, then it's very easy but if not, you just need longer to restore your apps.
  
  
  These are the things which I wipe and always makes things 'bug' free to me.
  1. Under advanced:
     • Dalvik cache
       

  [*]Under mount and storage:

  • Format /system
    
  • Format /cache
    
  • Format /data
    
  • Format /boot
    
  • If you want to clean your external partition on SD card too, ONLY then format /sd-ext
    

  [*]Under main menu

  [*]wipe user data

  [*]wipe cache

  Most of us already know about dalvik, cache and data - but wiping under mount and storage seems to help me.

  It's not generally needed if you switch from one version to another of the same ROM, but if you want to have a bug free life, please back up everything and wipe everything as above and then make a 'fresh' install.

  No matter where your phone is from, what hardware, what RAM or what camera - if you've cleaned as above and you still see the bugs, then they are real! (unless ofcourse -any particular apps mess up!)

Edited July 6, 2011 by rockstarszzzz

[Guest rheumatoid]

any idea of the best (easiest) way to clear the ext partition before flashing a new rom? I would like the phone to be free of all clutter!

thanks

R.

[Guest rockstarszzzz]

any idea of the best (easiest) way to clear the ext partition before flashing a new rom? I would like the phone to be free of all clutter!

thanks

R.

Do you mean sd-ext?

[Guest ZTE_Blade]

any idea of the best (easiest) way to clear the ext partition before flashing a new rom? I would like the phone to be free of all clutter!

thanks

R.

Under mount and storage choose format sd-ext.

[Guest k0zmic]

This is a pretty good guide. Couple of small suggestions, add MyBackup Root to the apps that can back things up since it's a bit easier to use than Titanium IMO and for a good SMS Backup app add SMS Backup + which backs them up to your GMail account.

Edited July 6, 2011 by k0zmic

[Guest rockstarszzzz]

This is a pretty good guide. Couple of small suggestions, add MyBackup Root to the apps that can back things up since it's a bit easier to use than Titanium IMO and for a good SMS Backup app add SMS Backup + which backs them up to your GMail account.

Thanks din't know about SMS backup+!

I always back them up on SD card (yay, free space now!)

[Guest k0zmic]

Thanks din't know about SMS backup+!

I always back them up on SD card (yay, free space now!)

And you can use GMail to search for a text if you need to find something.

[Guest appolus]

Under mount and storage:

Format /system

Format /cache

Format /data

Format /boot

this will not format your sd-card right? thx for the guide

[Guest rockstarszzzz]

this will not format your sd-card right? thx for the guide

No your SD card is safe.

SD card will only format if you do either:

/sd-ext

/sdcard

[Guest rheumatoid]

if I format sd ext and SD using clockworkmod will the sd card then show as a volume in windows when booted into clockworkmod so that I can add an image and rom. Just trying to work out the best way to clean everything off my card before a clean rom install.

[Guest appolus]

very useful guide thanks but i am wondering if there is an update for a rom i am using for example ginger stir fry v10, i want to update to v11. but i dont want to wipe data(factory reset)/wipe cache shall i just flash the new v11 rom over v10? do i need to wipe dalvik?

[Guest rockstarszzzz]

very useful guide thanks but i am wondering if there is an update for a rom i am using for example ginger stir fry v10, i want to update to v11. but i dont want to wipe data(factory reset)/wipe cache shall i just flash the new v11 rom over v10? do i need to wipe dalvik?

Generally a Dalvik wipe on ROM updates is fine.

However, after Dalvik wipe, you see some bugs, that don't mean they are necessarily in the ROM.

e.g. imagine a scenario in which if wbaw fixed some GPS issue in V11 and if that's conflicting with files in v10, then it's good to completely get rid of everything in v10 than do v11.

Thus, after dalvik if you see force closes, random reboots then try to do a clean install.

If you still see these issues, than it's probably something in the ROM, not the method you used to flash it.

[Guest rockstarszzzz]

if I format sd ext and SD using clockworkmod will the sd card then show as a volume in windows when booted into clockworkmod so that I can add an image and rom. Just trying to work out the best way to clean everything off my card before a clean rom install.

If you format your sd-ext and SD card : It should show up as volume. If it doesn't then format SD in windows.

Add image/rom using windows explorer and that will be your fresh rom there - however check md5 sums.

[Guest domerator]

Let me share my experience in addition to the very useful info of rockstarszzzz....

Later when I flashed roms after the mentioned wipes and formats I still experienced some lags and FCs of course not in every case. I am lucky having 3 SD cards (2-2-4 gigs) and I decided to make a very clean install of a rom. I formatted one sd with the SD Card Formatter v3.0 software (can be downloaded free) using full format with owerwrite option and format size adjustment option. This took a while (10 mins or so) then I got a full sized clean and fast SD card. I flashed the rom and I had absolutely no problems with the rom... besides I saw other users on forums having problems with same rom.

From that time I always use this method to make full clean rom flashing. I have a card reader so before sd format I can save my data from SD (photos, backed up programs by appmonster, etc.) and the rest of data (contacts, etc.) are on google account so I do not lose data. I am not a gamer so I can not lose game scores, I do not know what method is good for save them.

I only published this method to maybe help some users suffering mysterious lags and FCs while others not... let them try this method.

Thank you

[Guest irishpancake]

Great Guide, thank you.....

Just in time for me, I am going from SS 5 (Gen2) to GSF ASAP.

Can I just enquire, regarding the:

Format /system

Format /cache

Format /data

Format /boot

Will this change the partition lay-out on the phone, so when new ROM is flashed, it will use optimal partition lay-out??

Also, as I have no SD-ext partition, but want to use one for DT's A2SD, can I also do this before Flash of GSF, in my case?? (I was using Froyo App2SD.)

What is the best way to achieve this?? Will below work?? (I have all apps now on internal/phone, nothing left in /sdcard/.android_secure FAT32.)

Back-up all SD Card Data to PC, via USB.

Then format/partition SD Card using MiniTool Partition Wizard, (I am using Windows 7), creating SD-ext2/3/4? Partition (1024MB) as 1st or 2nd? and FAT32 Partition, 1st or 2nd?

Then restore data back to SD Card FAT32 Partition.

Then proceed as instructed in OP?

TIA, Danny

Edited August 7, 2011 by irishpancake

[Guest irishpancake]

Can I also ask, further to Backup and Restore options:

is there a possibility of a clash between Titanium Backup, which I use for backups, and Google Backup and Restore, which is also enabled on my phone, under Settings/Privacy......

Will Google Backup start downloading installed Apps, after new ROM flash, and WiFi setup, or 3G.

What about Apps, like those from Amazon App Store, or side-loaded Apps not from Market?

Should you allow TB to do it's thing first, like restoring all Missing Apps, without system settings, and without logging on to Google?

What is the best strategy, after flashing new ROM for Apps Restore, including those Amazon and non-Market Apps?

[Guest k0zmic]

No they don't conflict, at least in my experience.

It will begin to re-download apps as soon as it can, i.e. if there's an internet connection and you select the 'Restore' Option during the first setup.

Apps not from the Android Market won't be restored.

I usually let Google Backup restore whatever it can and then fill in the missing ones with TB e.g. Amazon ones, it's personal preference though.

[Guest irishpancake]

No they don't conflict, at least in my experience.

It will begin to re-download apps as soon as it can, i.e. if there's an internet connection and you select the 'Restore' Option during the first setup.

Apps not from the Android Market won't be restored.

I usually let Google Backup restore whatever it can and then fill in the missing ones with TB e.g. Amazon ones, it's personal preference though.

Thanks very much k0zmic, appreciated....

Looks like I did not have to spend €€'s on TB Pro version after all!!

I think I will follow your method, and allow Google restore to do it's thing.

Of course, this probably means setting up my WiFi again, manually? As there is not a good Mobile Date (3G) connection where I live, in the sticks

Why is it not advisable to allow TB restore WiFi, or APN's?

I have seen this several times, and wbaw also advises against this.....

Have you any advice on my other post, just above, regarding the formatting of Partitions, and setting up DT's A2SD SD-ext Partition?

As you can see, I am more than a little bit nervous/apprehensive, and making this move, from SS5 to GSF is taking me quite a while.

Really coz SS5 is so good, but I will have a Nandroid BU, just in case I make a pig's ear of the upgrade.

[Guest nrev]

Excellent guide. As an extra precaution I would suggest powering down and removing the battery for a short while before booting into clockworkmod recovery to proceed with wiping, etc.

I have always done this ever since I once experienced odd behaviour with a new ROM even though I had wiped/formatted everything. I went through the installation procedure several times but got the same each time. I was certain it was a buggy ROM until I tried disconnecting the battery.

[Guest Kuoi]

This topic should be a PINNED topic !!

Edited November 14, 2011 by Kuoi

[Guest KonstaT]

This topic should be a PINNED topic !!

I think it was in the right place before you bumped it. :P

This claims to be 'noobs' guide, but I think it is only confusing for the 'noobs'. There is absolutely no reason why you would have to browse through clockworkmod menus and format every partition. All you have do is select wipe data/factory reset. That's it - nothing more, nothing less.

There is no harm in going through those options though, other than that it is absolute waste of time. It doesn't make you 'clean up' any better if you format certain partition two or three times.

[Guest Kuoi]

I think it was in the right place before you bumped it. :P

This claims to be 'noobs' guide, but I think it is only confusing for the 'noobs'. There is absolutely no reason why you would have to browse through clockworkmod menus and format every partition. All you have do is select wipe data/factory reset. That's it - nothing more, nothing less.

There is no harm in going through those options though, other than that it is absolute waste of time. It doesn't make you 'clean up' any better if you format certain partition two or three times.

That's news to me ....

So some FC's , errors , reboots , "stuck on green android" etc. ... are NOT because of not wiping Dalvik cache , system partition or anything else ?

I surtenly will try it out on my following flash of a rom ... wich will be soon I suppose :) ( I love flashing roms)

[Guest Degurney]

Ok I`ve done this.. flashed two roms now.. and when I reboot, I get the green man for a second - vibrate - green man - vibrate etc etc..

If I switch it on again it goes through the same process..

I can get into CWM though.. but I`ve tried two roms now and it happens with both..

Whats going on? never had this trouble before.. although I`ve never used this guide ( formatting lots ) before.. :(

Edited July 9, 2012 by Degurney

[Guest]

Guys i have dell xcd35...i installed CM7 this will not wipe my dell boot logo na......i dont want to wipe dell boot logo.....and will this make some free space...

[Guest HDuser]

wiping user data will format /cache /data automaticly