Details regarding Unlocking Bootloader, Rooting and Deleting apps from rom

[yuri_feigin]

Hello,

I will really appreciate if you can help to understand few basic issues:

1) When rooting the phone, is the boot-loader must be unlocked? i.e., if I've rooted the phone successfully using some 3rd party utility, it means that the boot-loader was unlocked during the rooting process or it was unlocked in advanced?
2) If the answer to the first question is "yes" (i.e. bootloader must be unlocked before rooting), how it is possible that my data wasn't wiped after rooting? This means that the boot-loader was unlocked in advance? Or maybe the 3rd party application backed up the data before unlocking the boot-loader and than restored it?
3) I heard that in order to install SU, the stock-recovery must be changed to a custom one. Is it necessarily true?
4) How can I check which recovery is installed on the phone?
5) If the recovery is changed to a custom one, does it mean that I stop receive OTA?
6) Can I backup up the stock recovery before changing it? Or how can I know which one it is to search on the net?
7) Do applications, like Titanium, change the recovery upon installation?
8) How applications, like Titanium, move apps, that are not supposed to move in regular installation,from ROM to SD? Can it harm the performance of the app?
9) When deleting apps from ROM (System or Data) manually, do I need to delete other files or folders besides .apk files in system/app or data/app? Is there any cache or other data to delete?
10) Do I need (or should I in case of lack of space) clean some cache files from ROM? (Like Dalvik or others...) If yes, which ones and how?

Sorry for the long post, but It will really help me to understand all these issues, once and for all.
Thank you in advance!

 

[wizzrah]

Hello,

I will really appreciate if you can help to understand few basic issues:

1) When rooting the phone, is the boot-loader must be unlocked? i.e., if I've rooted the phone successfully using some 3rd party utility, it means that the boot-loader was unlocked during the rooting process or it was unlocked in advanced?
2) If the answer to the first question is "yes" (i.e. bootloader must be unlocked before rooting), how it is possible that my data wasn't wiped after rooting? This means that the boot-loader was unlocked in advance? Or maybe the 3rd party application backed up the data before unlocking the boot-loader and than restored it?
3) I heard that in order to install SU, the stock-recovery must be changed to a custom one. Is it necessarily true?
4) How can I check which recovery is installed on the phone?
5) If the recovery is changed to a custom one, does it mean that I stop receive OTA?
6) Can I backup up the stock recovery before changing it? Or how can I know which one it is to search on the net?
7) Do applications, like Titanium, change the recovery upon installation?
8) How applications, like Titanium, move apps, that are not supposed to move in regular installation,from ROM to SD? Can it harm the performance of the app?
9) When deleting apps from ROM (System or Data) manually, do I need to delete other files or folders besides .apk files in system/app or data/app? Is there any cache or other data to delete?
10) Do I need (or should I in case of lack of space) clean some cache files from ROM? (Like Dalvik or others...) If yes, which ones and how?

Sorry for the long post, but It will really help me to understand all these issues, once and for all.
Thank you in advance!

1. No, you don't need an unlocked bootloader for root. Any exploit that roots will not unlock your bootloader.
2. Rooting will not wipe your data.
3. Yes, this is true.
4. You flash one. That's how you know.
5. Yes. They stop the moment you unlock your bootloader.
6. No, you can't save it. You can search for the correct recovery by searching one for your phone model.
7. No.
8. Titanium uses root access to remove the apps since it can take advantage of the system access that comes with root, sort of like an administrator. Depending on the app you remove, it can harm the phone. Only remove bloat ware.
9. I suggest you just uninstall it and don't touch the systems folder.
10. Clearing cache and Dalvik cache will not necessarily free a lot of data. I would download ES file explorer to delete stuff that is taking up space.

 

[yuri_feigin]

Thank you very much for you answer. I will be glad if you could clarify few issues that rise up from your answer that I don't understand:

1) If SU requires a custom recovery, and SU was installed after I performed root, SU was installed, it means that the stock-recovery was changed? And if the stock-recovery was changed, this means that the bootloader was unlocked, no? So how my data wasn't wiped? What do I miss here?
2) How can I check whether the boot-loader is locked or unlocked?
3)I didn't understand from your answer, how can I check which recovery is installed right now on my phone? (What do you mean by flashing? I don't want to change it, just to check).
4) What do you mean by "bloat ware"? In question 8, I wasn't talking about removing apps, but about moving it from ROM to SD. Titanium as capable to do this, so I ask whether any harm can be done If I move an app from ROM to SD which was not supposed to move. I am not talking necessarily about system apps, there also downloaded apps, like WhatsaApp, which are installed in the ROM and can't be moved in a "regular way".
5)How can I uninstall apps (system or user) from ROM? Only by using applications like Titanium? This why I asked regarding removing files manually.
6)Using the ES File Explorer - How can I know which stuff I can delete (from ROM) which is taking space? Or is it a built in function in the ES Explorer?

Thank you a lot.

 

[yuri_feigin]

1. No, you don't need an unlocked bootloader for root. Any exploit that roots will not unlock your bootloader.
2. Rooting will not wipe your data.
3. Yes, this is true.
4. You flash one. That's how you know.
5. Yes. They stop the moment you unlock your bootloader.
6. No, you can't save it. You can search for the correct recovery by searching one for your phone model.
7. No.
8. Titanium uses root access to remove the apps since it can take advantage of the system access that comes with root, sort of like an administrator. Depending on the app you remove, it can harm the phone. Only remove bloat ware.
9. I suggest you just uninstall it and don't touch the systems folder.
10. Clearing cache and Dalvik cache will not necessarily free a lot of data. I would download ES file explorer to delete stuff that is taking up space.

Thank you very much for you answer. I will be glad if you could clarify few issues that rise up from your answer that I don't understand:

1) If SU requires a custom recovery, and SU was installed after I performed root, SU was installed, it means that the stock-recovery was changed? And if the stock-recovery was changed, this means that the bootloader was unlocked, no? So how my data wasn't wiped? What do I miss here?
2) How can I check whether the boot-loader is locked or unlocked?
3)I didn't understand from your answer, how can I check which recovery is installed right now on my phone? (What do you mean by flashing? I don't want to change it, just to check).
4) What do you mean by "bloat ware"? In question 8, I wasn't talking about removing apps, but about moving it from ROM to SD. Titanium as capable to do this, so I ask whether any harm can be done If I move an app from ROM to SD which was not supposed to move. I am not talking necessarily about system apps, there also downloaded apps, like WhatsaApp, which are installed in the ROM and can't be moved in a "regular way".
5)How can I uninstall apps (system or user) from ROM? Only by using applications like Titanium? This why I asked regarding removing files manually.
6)Using the ES File Explorer - How can I know which stuff I can delete (from ROM) which is taking space? Or is it a built in function in the ES Explorer?

Thank you a lot

 

[wizzrah]

Thank you very much for you answer. I will be glad if you could clarify few issues that rise up from your answer that I don't understand:

1) If SU requires a custom recovery, and SU was installed after I performed root, SU was installed, it means that the stock-recovery was changed? And if the stock-recovery was changed, this means that the bootloader was unlocked, no? So how my data wasn't wiped? What do I miss here?
2) How can I check whether the boot-loader is locked or unlocked?
3)I didn't understand from your answer, how can I check which recovery is installed right now on my phone? (What do you mean by flashing? I don't want to change it, just to check).
4) What do you mean by "bloat ware"? In question 8, I wasn't talking about removing apps, but about moving it from ROM to SD. Titanium as capable to do this, so I ask whether any harm can be done If I move an app from ROM to SD which was not supposed to move. I am not talking necessarily about system apps, there also downloaded apps, like WhatsaApp, which are installed in the ROM and can't be moved in a "regular way".
5)How can I uninstall apps (system or user) from ROM? Only by using applications like Titanium? This why I asked regarding removing files manually.
6)Using the ES File Explorer - How can I know which stuff I can delete (from ROM) which is taking space? Or is it a built in function in the ES Explorer?

Thank you a lot

1. Some methods require a custom recovery, some do not. It depends on the phone model. You do not have a custom recovery or an unlocked bootloader in your case.
2. I would need your phone model to tell you.
3. If you didn't flash a recovery image or anything to do with a recovery, you most likely still have a stock recovery and should not worry about this. I would need your phone model to tell you more.
4. What system apps do you want to move to your sd card? You shouldn't move any apps that are part of the android system unless they are third party apps. I don't understand what you mean by the regular way. You can just ask me what apps you want to move and I can tell you if it is safe if you want.
5. Titanium backup is the easiest way to do this.
6. You can list folders from biggest size to smallest size to know which ones take the most space.