Reset android based TV box

[Android Central Question]

Hi.
My father has bought some android based boxes a while ago for TV.

They came preloaded with some apps for their purpose. Whole thing seems sketchy at best.

I wish to format it, back to stock android.

I have tried to use factory reset, but it reinstalls all the apps shortly after.

There's a couple of USB ports, and an SD card reader.

What would I need to do, to remove all the bloat ware stuff. Even if I could install a Linux os on it of some sort I'd be happy.

Any keyboard combinations I can hold down to make it boot from USB?

 

[Rukbat]

Hi.
My father has bought some android based boxes a while ago for TV.

They came preloaded with some apps for their purpose. Whole thing seems sketchy at best.

You're right. Most of these "Android TV boxes" are made by Chinese companies who don't have any agreement with Google (Google owns Android), and don't know what they're doing.

I wish to format it, back to stock android.

You'll have to get the flashing tool and an image of the firmware - from the manufacturer - which you probably can't.

I have tried to use factory reset, but it reinstalls all the apps shortly after.

Factory reset resets the box to the way it was when you got it, minus any updates. In other words, if you've gotten updates, they stay.)

There's a couple of USB ports, and an SD card reader.

What would I need to do, to remove all the bloat ware stuff.

Root (and you're on your own with that - you have to install a program named su into the /system/xbin folder - which you can't get to unless you're already rooted. (Which is why it takes so long before a method of rooting some phones is discovered).

Even if I could install a Linux os on it of some sort I'd be happy.

There are some emulators available on Play - but you probably don't have Play. But you do have Linus - install a terminal app. (You just don't have su or sudo.)

Any keyboard combinations I can hold down to make it boot from USB?

No. Some Android devices will - if the right software is on them, but you'd have to find out what that is by experimentation, following the boot process through aboot.