Screen hangs after restoring backup

[pcubed]

I've run into some problems with my phone after trying to restore a backup file.

The restore was going well until I got an error message at the end saying that the folder /data/media/TWRP... couldn't be found. I thought that it may still work, so I restarted my phone after that and the screen hung on the Samsung logo. Since then, I've been trying to go back into Recovery to restore back to my other backups, but they're not showing up when I go to the Restore screen.

From using the File Manager, I can find the backup files, but they're under several layers of 0 folders. When I tried to restore the failed backup, it created more 0 folders on top of my current one.

Is there a way to get the recovery to restore backups from one of my tiered 0 folders?

My phone won't start up and I'd like to at least get it back to a state where I can use my phone again.

Update:
I copied a different backup (rooted stock) into the most recent TWRP folder and was able to go through the entire restore process without any problems. However, after I rebooted, the screen is hanging on the glowing Samsung logo after the Sprint screen. The blue notification light is pulsing too, if that matters any.

2nd Update:
I successfully restored a backup I made of my liquidsmooth rom, but the screen still hangs - this time on the LiquidSmooth logo. When I hold down the power button to shut off the phone, it automatically restarts again.

Does anyone have an idea as to why this is happening? And what would be the solution to this problem? Thanks for any advice!

 

[seanskiT1]

Re: Where to find backup files on TWRP

Have you tried moving the back up files to the TWRP folder?

sent from my GS3 running Wicked

 

[pcubed]

Re: Where to find backup files on TWRP

I have. I went to the deepest level of the 0 folder and moved the backups folder to the most current TWRP folder. I then tried restoring from there, but it still tells me that I'm missing the media/TWRP folder.

 

[Golfdriver97]

Re: Where to find backup files on TWRP

I have. I went to the deepest level of the 0 folder and moved the backups folder to the most current TWRP folder. I then tried restoring from there, but it still tells me that I'm missing the media/TWRP folder.

I think if you cleared the phones cache in recovery, that may help a few of your issues. As for the extra folders, I believe that comes from flashing new ROMs, but I could very well be wrong. When I went from stock to liquid to carbon and then MOAR, I kept seeing a new folder.

But, I think the best thing for you to do right now is to reflash your ROM, do a clean install (I know, replacing all your apps isn't fun). Reason: your phone's functionality is in question. This is the best way to clear issues.

Once reflashed, clear out the extra 0 folders, and make a new backup.

Sent from a M.O.A.R. Galaxy S3

 

[pcubed]

Re: Where to find backup files on TWRP

Thanks for your suggestion!

I wiped the cache, dalvik cache and factory reset when restoring and I don't usually do dirty flashes.

But I went ahead and wiped those things again and reflashed LiquidSmooth and Gapps and rebooted. It's still stuck at the LiquidSmooth animation. My phone must be missing something else that isn't letting it boot through. Must be the operating system?

I think if you cleared the phones cache in recovery, that may help a few of your issues. As for the extra folders, I believe that comes from flashing new ROMs, but I could very well be wrong. When I went from stock to liquid to carbon and then MOAR, I kept seeing a new folder.

But, I think the best thing for you to do right now is to reflash your ROM, do a clean install (I know, replacing all your apps isn't fun). Reason: your phone's functionality is in question. This is the best way to clear issues.

Once reflashed, clear out the extra 0 folders, and make a new backup.

Sent from a M.O.A.R. Galaxy S3

 

[meyerweb#CB]

Re: Where to find backup files on TWRP

If you have zero folders, you're working with a 4.2 ROM, right? Was your nandroid backup also of a 4.2 ROM, or are you trying to restore a 4.1 ROM? I suspect that's the problem. 4.2 changed the data partitions to support multi-user operation.

I'm don't honestly know what will happen in that situation. A factory reset won't, I don't believe, reformat the data partition. (For example, if you flash a 4.1.2 ROM over 4.1.1, and factory reset, you don't go back to 4.1.1.). Once you've upgraded to 4.2, I think the only way to go back to 4.1 would be to use Odin to flash a complete image .tar file.

 

[pcubed]

Re: Where to find backup files on TWRP

I was using LiquidSmooth v2.2 and that appears to be for 4.2.

The backup was of the same version of LiquidSmooth v2.2.

Though prior to that, I tried to flash v2.3 but I think an error occurred, so I restored my backup of v2.2. For some reason, my phone started experiencing problems. The screen wouldn't turn on after a while, so I made a backup of what I currently had and then went to restore my backup of stock rooted. After using LiquidSmooth for the past couple months, stock seemed so yucky. I tried to go back and restore to my most recent backup of LiquidSmooth. That what when I encountered the 'cannot find data/media/TWRP' message and it started the hanging. I made sure to wipe cache, dalvik cache, and did a factor reset every time I tried to restore a backup.

If no one can figure it out, I have no problem using the Odin method you're suggesting. I just want my phone to work again, haha. What would be the .tar file I'm looking for to flash?

Or should I just unroot, go back to stock and then re-root? I have my backups saved on my computer, so I was thinking maybe I can restore them again after it's freshly rooted again?

Update:
I just tried to flash my most recent backup from LiquidSmooth and now I'm getting the message that the MD5 doesn't match with 'data/media/TWRP/BACKU..'

 

[Golfdriver97]

Re: Where to find backup files on TWRP

I was using LiquidSmooth v2.2 and that appears to be for 4.2.

The backup was of the same version of LiquidSmooth v2.2.

Though prior to that, I tried to flash v2.3 but I think an error occurred, so I restored my backup of v2.2. For some reason, my phone started experiencing problems. The screen wouldn't turn on after a while, so I made a backup of what I currently had and then went to restore my backup of stock rooted. After using LiquidSmooth for the past couple months, stock seemed so yucky. I tried to go back and restore to my most recent backup of LiquidSmooth. That what when I encountered the 'cannot find data/media/TWRP' message and it started the hanging. I made sure to wipe cache, dalvik cache, and did a factor reset every time I tried to restore a backup.

If no one can figure it out, I have no problem using the Odin method you're suggesting. I just want my phone to work again, haha. What would be the .tar file I'm looking for to flash?

Or should I just unroot, go back to stock and then re-root? I have my backups saved on my computer, so I was thinking maybe I can restore them again after it's freshly rooted again?

Update:
I just tried to flash my most recent backup from LiquidSmooth and now I'm getting the message that the MD5 doesn't match with 'data/media/TWRP/BACKU..'

I am wondering if you are missing files for recovery, and that is why you have an error. I would then search for a stock ROM, which should reflash custom recovery, and then re root, and reflash custom ROM. All of the stock through ODIN.

Sent from a M.O.A.R. Galaxy S3

 

[pcubed]

Re: Where to find backup files on TWRP

So that means I should unroot and then re-root, right?

Should I be following the sticky on how to un-root to do this? And then I suppose I should follow the sticky on rooting after that?
Do you think I'll be able to restore my backups after this process? Or should I just start from scratch and flash a new custom ROM and stick with that?

Thanks for everyone's help so far!

I am wondering if you are missing files for recovery, and that is why you have an error. I would then search for a stock ROM, which should reflash custom recovery, and then re root, and reflash custom ROM. All of the stock through ODIN.

Sent from a M.O.A.R. Galaxy S3

 

[Golfdriver97]

Re: Where to find backup files on TWRP

So that means I should unroot and then re-root, right?

Should I be following the sticky on how to un-root to do this? And then I suppose I should follow the sticky on rooting after that?
Do you think I'll be able to restore my backups after this process? Or should I just start from scratch and flash a new custom ROM and stick with that?

Thanks for everyone's help so far!

I am sorry for not being clear; starting over is what I meant from the beginning. You have an error that I have no idea how to correct. That is why I think starting over may be the best answer. So yes, unroot (flashing a stock ROM may brrak root access), flash stock, reroot, and flash custom.
I am looking at the fact that you have files all over the place, backup upon backups, potential dirty flashes, etc... Oh, when you are stock for the few minutes, I would check the files and delete any excess 0 folders.
Hopefully, this helps.
Sent from a M.O.A.R. Galaxy S3

 

[pcubed]

Re: Where to find backup files on TWRP

Thanks for the steps. I'll see if I can get to it tonight.

I agree, all the files on my phone are a mess! I need to work on keeping things cleaner on my second go this time around, haha.

How would I delete the excess 0 folders? The 0 folder that contains all the data from my apps is a subfolder of all the newer 0 folders. When I was looking earlier, it was on the fifth-tier subfolder (i.e. sdcard/0/0/0/0/0). Would I just move that folder to another location and then delete all the 0 folders afterwards?

Thanks for your patience with all of this. I'm learning a lot from this minor headache I've created. =)

 

[pcubed]

Re: Where to find backup files on TWRP

Woah. This is weird, but my previous backups are working now! Not the ones with the mismatched MD5s, but the ones that properly restored but hung at the restart screen.

I was starting the process of un-rooting my phone by downloading the proper Samsung drivers. I got to the part where I had to plug my phone to my computer to install the drivers, so I had to turn on my phone. I was expecting the screen to hang, but as the drivers were installing, my phone started loading up!

Does this mean that my phone had a driver problem and that's why it had trouble loading?

I'm happy that everything is working again without the need to go through all the steps of un-rooting, re-rooting, etc. Are there any tips on how I can clean up my folders or how to prevent this problem from possibly reoccurring?

 

[Golfdriver97]

Re: Where to find backup files on TWRP

Woah. This is weird, but my previous backups are working now! Not the ones with the mismatched MD5s, but the ones that properly restored but hung at the restart screen.

I was starting the process of un-rooting my phone by downloading the proper Samsung drivers. I got to the part where I had to plug my phone to my computer to install the drivers, so I had to turn on my phone. I was expecting the screen to hang, but as the drivers were installing, my phone started loading up!

Does this mean that my phone had a driver problem and that's why it had trouble loading?

I'm happy that everything is working again without the need to go through all the steps of un-rooting, re-rooting, etc. Are there any tips on how I can clean up my folders or how to prevent this problem from possibly reoccurring?

Possibly. I would still keep the idea of starting over in mind. Give it a few days, see if it works normally. I think I deleted mind via my PC.

Sent from a M.O.A.R. Galaxy S3

 

[pcubed]

Re: Where to find backup files on TWRP

Ultimately, I think I'm going to start over. I'm sure there's a lot of stuff that's messed up in there. I noticed that my data is really slow - estimated time to download beautiful widgets (11mb) was 1 hour!

I'm leaving it in its current condition so I can receive and make calls. Once I have some free time, I'm going to go through the process of un-rooting, etc.

How do I go about deleting the folders? Do I need to move the folder with everything (located in the deepest tier, in the 6th subfolder) into the main directory? I'd like to just delete it all, but I don't want to lose all my media and data.

Possibly. I would still keep the idea of starting over in mind. Give it a few days, see if it works normally. I think I deleted mind via my PC.

Sent from a M.O.A.R. Galaxy S3

 

[Golfdriver97]

Re: Where to find backup files on TWRP

Ultimately, I think I'm going to start over. I'm sure there's a lot of stuff that's messed up in there. I noticed that my data is really slow - estimated time to download beautiful widgets (11mb) was 1 hour!

I'm leaving it in its current condition so I can receive and make calls. Once I have some free time, I'm going to go through the process of un-rooting, etc.

How do I go about deleting the folders? Do I need to move the folder with everything (located in the deepest tier, in the 6th subfolder) into the main directory? I'd like to just delete it all, but I don't want to lose all my media and data.

Back up any data you want to keep via plugged into your pc. Unroot and clean flash stock ROM. After, check to see if that flash wiped all those folders. If not, what I did, was make sure I had all the same files in the first 0 folder, then I just outright deleted everything.
Sent from a M.O.A.R. Galaxy S3