Factory reset after OS update?

[venom0706]

Do you usually make a factory reset after a major Android update, just to "polish" things and start fresh? I recently updated my Nexus 7 from Kitkat to Lollipop and noticed some launcher crashes, but after I made a soft factory reset, everything runs fine. Is that normal?

 

[B. Diddy]

What do you mean by a soft factory reset? A factory reset is a factory reset, which wipes all of the data and returns the device to factory state (with the exception of any system updates). Do you mean a factory reset from the Settings>Backup & Reset menu, as opposed to a hardware factory reset using the buttons to get to the Recovery Menu?

To answer your question, the most I usually do is a cache partition wipe after the update, as long as there aren't any significant problems that have arisen. A factory reset can be useful if there are persistent issues after an update.

 

[zorak950]

I recommend a reset after a major update (such as to ICS or Lollipop), but not in general unless you're having problems.

 

[venom0706]

What do you mean by a soft factory reset? A factory reset is a factory reset, which wipes all of the data and returns the device to factory state (with the exception of any system updates). Do you mean a factory reset from the Settings>Backup & Reset menu, as opposed to a hardware factory reset using the buttons to get to the Recovery Menu?

To answer your question, the most I usually do is a cache partition wipe after the update, as long as there aren't any significant problems that have arisen. A factory reset can be useful if there are persistent issues after an update.

Yes, as I mentioned, I am talking about a soft reset, which means a reset from the Settings menu. I never mentioned buttons, so my question was pretty clear.

 

[SpookDroid]

Not trying to be antagonistic or rude, just stating the 'facts' (no actual facts, really, but just general consensus).
A 'soft reset' is just a re-booting of your phone, where as 'hard reset' is taking it back to factory defaults, whether using buttons or the software options has nothing to do with it.

 

[B. Diddy]

Please keep in mind that we see people here who have widely varying levels of know-how. In the many many posts I answer each day, I certainly see posts where people say reset when they mean a reboot, and vice-versa. So I was simply trying to clarify, as well as to help.

 

[3moosey3]

Where's the lollipop discussion. I can't find it.

 

[B. Diddy]

Where's the lollipop discussion. I can't find it.

I'm sorry, are you looking for a Lollipop subforum?

Posted via Android Central App.
Please excuse any typos or autocorrect derps.

 

[3moosey3]

Yes

 

[B. Diddy]

Here you go: http://forums.androidcentral.com/android-5-0-lollipop/

Posted via Android Central App.
Please excuse any typos or autocorrect derps.

 

[venom0706]

Re-arranging stuff after the factory reset takes me a lot of time and efforts. Is it that much important and what happens if I don't do it?

 

[Golfdriver97]

Re-arranging stuff after the factory reset takes me a lot of time and efforts. Is it that much important and what happens if I don't do it?

A reset should clear the system cache and the base framework. What that does is clears the system of any corrupted files so that it runs better.

 

[dpham00]

I don't, unless I have problems.

Sent from my Verizon Samsung Galaxy Note 4

 

[dpham00]

Re-arranging stuff after the factory reset takes me a lot of time and efforts. Is it that much important and what happens if I don't do it?

You can use Nova or other third party launcher which allows you to backup the home screen layout before you do a factory data reset.

Sent from my Verizon Samsung Galaxy Note 4

 

[Golfdriver97]

To answer the OP, I have no reservations about doing a factory reset. I automatically clear the cache for an update anyway.

 

[LeoRex]

Yeah.. this is one of those "do it if you have issues" things.

We tend to look at phones as something a little bit more simple than a laptop or a desktop computer... the form factor leads to that kind of thing. But these phones are as complex as any of those other devices, the main differences is reduction in size and a different physical user interface. Any time you run into a major upgrade, which KitKat to Lollipop is, your phone's software guts are getting ripped out and replaced.

Sometimes... all is well... all your previous settings plug in just fine on the new version and your apps all get along... But other times, all hell breaks loose. A setting you had previously leads to a core system error that causes a crash or even full on reboot.... apps that ran perfectly fine in KK go all sideways when they come up in LP (especially so if you weren't on ART in KK). Clearing the app cache might help some, but if there is some incompatibility somewhere in your system area.... pretty much your only recourse is to do a factory reset.

Now, people with custom recoveries are in better shape here... they tend to have access to lower level tools... can back up their apps and use the custom recovery to do the reset (which will let you leave your internal storage be). But those who are running stock... well, you need to back up your storage data to your computer, do the full reset, then go through the long task of adding everything back in.

It's a pain... it would be great if we never had to go through this sort of exercise, but it's the nature of the beast. Software companies HATE dealing with old versions with major upgrades as it often becomes a square peg/round hole situation. Sometimes, they just completely punt and say that you CAN'T do an in-place upgrade (like we've seen in some Windows platforms)... other times they spend as much time testing and developing the upgrade as they are the actual version of software.

 

[Rukbat]

1) Whether you do a factory reset from Settings or from booting to recovery, you're doing the same thing. Recovery is just a mini-Android.

2) The reason to do a system cache wipe after an update is that the update will almost certainly not be using the data in the cache, and will have to wipe it, little by little, wasting time and battery, so do it once and get it over with.

3) No reason to do an update, then a factory reset. If you want that condition, install the new version ROM (IOW, if you're updating from 4.4.4 to 5.0.2, just flash the 5.0.2 ROM) after a total wipe. It's a whole ROM, no chance of a glitch caused by something someone overlooked in the update. The end result is going to be the same - an out-of-the-box phone.

It's like washing the car before bringing it to the car wash, though. Unless things start crashing, a cache wipe (and you can do that from Settings) is all you need after even major version update (like 4 to 5).