I've successfully completed the rooting, but a couple of ?'s...

[gbreeze]

Hey all. This is my 1st Droid, (long time berry user) and I have done quite a bit of research regarding rooting. The main reason I wanted to root was to remove all the bloatware that comes on this thing (yuck!). I followed the steps on how to root on this forum to the T. I have also downloaded Titanium Pro Backup (free version) and backed up all the apps and little functions listed on the TPBU program. Now, I am assuming that I can remove all the bloatware on here that I don't want thru this program. (of course only the apps that are approved to remove) Correct? So before I remove anything I wanted to make sure this is the correct way. Also, my other question is I here everyone talks about ROM's and set ROM's, is there any ROM that will support flash 100% on the Fasicinate? Thanks in advance for everyone's help. I love this phone!

 

[Chris3D]

I've never used Titanium Backup, so I can't speak to how thorough it backs up apps (does it back up the actual .apk's or just each app's data? I'm not sure), but the generally accepted safest way to remove bloat is to make a folder on your SD card (named bloat or removed or whatever you want) and just move the .apk's and .odex's you want to remove there. That way, you can move one or all back at any point, whether to get ready for an OTA upgrade or if you got a little too ambitious and removed something that was needed.

As far as Flash, unless I'm mistaken, full Flash support will need to wait until the 2.2 upgrade and/or ROM's based on 2.2.

 

[gbreeze]

Hmmm ok. So, do I need a special program to get to those apk files? Or I can just plug in my phone to my pc and find those files and move them? What folder/file location are these apk and odex files located at?

 

[mclarryjr]

If you backed up all your apps using Titanium Back Up then you have saved all those apk's and data. I have never used TB to remove apps only root explorer which is free from the market and a very useful app. If you want to try it just open RE and hit the "Mount R/W button then select system>app then select the app you want to remove and long press and select delete.

 

[gbreeze]

If you backed up all your apps using Titanium Back Up then you have saved all those apk's and data. I have never used TB to remove apps only root explorer which is free from the market and a very useful app. If you want to try it just open RE and hit the "Mount R/W button then select system>app then select the app you want to remove and long press and select delete.

Ok, awesome. I have that app now, I read in another thread that I shouldn't delete these apps but rename them? Or just move to memory card so I can still do SW updates when availible. Is this true? And if I move these files or apps to my memory card, will I have to move them back onto the phone once a new update is availible?

 

[Chris3D]

You *can* rename them, but considering how many apps there are to remove, and that each app has an accompanying odex file, you can end up renaming a lot of files. Nothing wrong with it, but it takes time... and will take the same amount of time to rename back so you can get an OTA update. By moving the apk's and odex's to the memory card, you can multi-select and do it all at once, and then restore the same way - all at once. Just a lot easier and quicker.

And yes, you'll have to move them back (or rename them back if you choose that route) once an update is available, it will fail unless all the files are where they're supposed to be, and named what they're supposed to be.

 

[gbreeze]

You *can* rename them, but considering how many apps there are to remove, and that each app has an accompanying odex file, you can end up renaming a lot of files. Nothing wrong with it, but it takes time... and will take the same amount of time to rename back so you can get an OTA update. By moving the apk's and odex's to the memory card, you can multi-select and do it all at once, and then restore the same way - all at once. Just a lot easier and quicker.

And yes, you'll have to move them back (or rename them back if you choose that route) once an update is available, it will fail unless all the files are where they're supposed to be, and named what they're supposed to be.

Ok, I like ur style. I will try your method lol.

 

[davidnc]

I use TB Pro and instead of removing bloatware and unwanted pushed prgms ,I froze them.

This make the prgm appear uninstalled and not visible in the App Drawer. I can always defrost them.if I wish.Also with TB Pro can move more apps to sd

Sent Using TaPaTaLk

 

[voghan]

Be sure to make an Nandroid backup. I'm very glad I had a base line to fall back to. The easiest way to do this is through Rom manager.

 

[gbreeze]

Ok guys, I managed to screw this up somehow. So, I moved everything to my SD card or so I thought. Now, of course all of the apps and basic functions of my phone do not work lol. So, I thought no problem I have TPBU. I backed everything up before I did all this. But when I got into restore these apps back on, nothing is really restored. Its like everythings gone, even tho I backed everything up. Is there anyway I can get this back to factory defaults???

 

[Chris3D]

Ok guys, I managed to screw this up somehow. So, I moved everything to my SD card or so I thought. Now, of course all of the apps and basic functions of my phone do not work lol. So, I thought no problem I have TPBU. I backed everything up before I did all this. But when I got into restore these apps back on, nothing is really restored. Its like everythings gone, even tho I backed everything up. Is there anyway I can get this back to factory defaults???

When you say you moved "everything" to the SD card, do you mean everything in the system/app folder, or everything as in just the stuff from the system/app folder that you wanted to remove?

As far as restoring, why don't you just move all stuff from the SD card back to where it was? If you can't do that on the phone, it can be done over adb with a few commands which we can walk you through.

 

[gbreeze]

When you say you moved "everything" to the SD card, do you mean everything in the system/app folder, or everything as in just the stuff from the system/app folder that you wanted to remove?

As far as restoring, why don't you just move all stuff from the SD card back to where it was? If you can't do that on the phone, it can be done over adb with a few commands which we can walk you through.

Well what was moved to the memory card was the system/app folder yes. I opened up RE and clicked mout button went to system then apps, chose multi select, clicked move and the only thing it would allow me to do is paste? So i clicked that thinking it moved everything to the SD card, but I don't know how to move it back. I tried it a few times and now when im in that menu under each app it just says copy, except 3 times under it. Looks like I tried 3 times lol. So what is ADB? And am I missing something to where its not letting me do this thru the phone?

 

[Chris3D]

Well what was moved to the memory card was the system/app folder yes. I opened up RE and clicked mout button went to system then apps, chose multi select, clicked move and the only thing it would allow me to do is paste? So i clicked that thinking it moved everything to the SD card, but I don't know how to move it back. I tried it a few times and now when im in that menu under each app it just says copy, except 3 times under it. Looks like I tried 3 times lol. So what is ADB? And am I missing something to where its not letting me do this thru the phone?

Ok, let's first figure out where the stuff is. You say you multi-selected, clicked move and then paste. Did you navigate to the SD card in between clicking move and paste? The way RE works is that you select a file (or files), click move or copy. At this point nothing has changed. You then navigate to where you want to move or copy those files to and then click paste. Only then does it actually move or copy the file.

So, at this point, if you can still use RE, just moving the files back is the easiest way to go. I'm not following you when you say "when im in that menu under each app it just says copy, except 3 times under it". 3 times under what?

It sounds like all these files are still on your phone, you just need to put them back where they're supposed to be. In RE, navigate to wherever you can find them - all the .apk and .odex files, multi-select them all, click copy, navigate to system/app and then click paste.

All the apps should be in system/app, and there shouldn't be any sub-folders in system/app (just wondering if you copied the entire app folder INTO the app folder).

 

[gbreeze]

Ok, let's first figure out where the stuff is. You say you multi-selected, clicked move and then paste. Did you navigate to the SD card in between clicking move and paste? The way RE works is that you select a file (or files), click move or copy. At this point nothing has changed. You then navigate to where you want to move or copy those files to and then click paste. Only then does it actually move or copy the file.

So, at this point, if you can still use RE, just moving the files back is the easiest way to go. I'm not following you when you say "when im in that menu under each app it just says copy, except 3 times under it". 3 times under what?

It sounds like all these files are still on your phone, you just need to put them back where they're supposed to be. In RE, navigate to wherever you can find them - all the .apk and .odex files, multi-select them all, click copy, navigate to system/app and then click paste.

All the apps should be in system/app, and there shouldn't be any sub-folders in system/app (just wondering if you copied the entire app folder INTO the app folder).

Ok, that must be it. I looks like everything is copied in that folder I am assuming. And when I say it says "copy" its says it under each app/file when I'm in RE. So how do I get back to System/app? Is this also done thru RE, or can I just go into the general menu of the phone and not RE to restore?

And also, since I copied 3 times in the same exact folder how can I remove the additional copies?

 

[Chris3D]

Ok, that must be it. I looks like everything is copied in that folder I am assuming. And when I say it says "copy" its says it under each app/file when I'm in RE.

Ok, hold on... so do you have multiple versions of each file? When you copy and then paste in the same folder, Root Explorer will add the file to the directory, as opposed to copying over the existing one, and it'll append " - copy" to the file name. So for example, does you folder listing look like this:

Browser.apk
Browser - copy.apk
Browser - copy (2).apk
Browser - copy (3).apk
etc...?

If so, you can delete everything but the original file - anything with "- copy" added to the file name.

But before that, where are these files? Are they on the SD card or are they still in system/app?

If you're phone is still functioning, and from what you described you did, it sounds like they're still in system/app.

If they're in system/app, just select any of the copies and delete them - assuming there's still the original files there - the ones without the "- copy", as in Browser.apk.

 

[Sta11i0n]

So how do I get back to System/app? Is this also done thru RE, or can I just go into the general menu of the phone and not RE to restore?

When you say "the general menu of the phone" are you talking about the "my files" app? If so, that will only access your SD card. Root Explorer (and programs like it) is the only way to access the phones internal system files. Unless you've set a different folder as your home folder in RE, you will be right at the top level of folders when it starts. You can tell what folder you're in by looking at the blue bar at the top of RE. If it's just "/", you're at the top. From there you can just scroll down to system, then app, and that's where everything should be. When you want to go up a level, especially when copying/moving files, use the folder at the top of whatever list you're on that's named ".." instead of the capacitive back button.

 

[gbreeze]

Ok, hold on... so do you have multiple versions of each file? When you copy and then paste in the same folder, Root Explorer will add the file to the directory, as opposed to copying over the existing one, and it'll append " - copy" to the file name. So for example, does you folder listing look like this:

Browser.apk
Browser - copy.apk
Browser - copy (2).apk
Browser - copy (3).apk
etc...?

If so, you can delete everything but the original file - anything with "- copy" added to the file name.

But before that, where are these files? Are they on the SD card or are they still in system/app?

If you're phone is still functioning, and from what you described you did, it sounds like they're still in system/app.

If they're in system/app, just select any of the copies and delete them - assuming there's still the original files there - the ones without the "- copy", as in Browser.apk.

Ok, thinking I had these extra copies on my sd card I deleted these files. BIG MISTAKE, now my phone will not even boot up past the vzw screen the buttons at the bottom light up and all I get is this..........

And this is what my menu looked like before.................

 

[gbreeze]

Ok, I bricked the phone lol. However, I got it back by using Odin. (thank god) I followed these steps from another post which linked here. Odin Restore files to get you to stock - xda-developers
Now, I'm back to factory defaults. So I'm going to re-root my phone, can someone explain to me the step by step to safely remove the bloatware so I don't brick the phone? (even if i do i know how to get it back) What I did before was, I pulled up RE went into system then apps, chose multi select, so it selected all files and apps, and I clicked move, which I am assuming now I can not move ALL files in this folder correct? Is this why my phone bricked on me?

 

[Chris3D]

Ok, I bricked the phone lol. However, I got it back by using Odin. (thank god) I followed these steps from another post which linked here. Odin Restore files to get you to stock - xda-developers
Now, I'm back to factory defaults. So I'm going to re-root my phone, can someone explain to me the step by step to safely remove the bloatware so I don't brick the phone? (even if i do i know how to get it back) What I did before was, I pulled up RE went into system then apps, chose multi select, so it selected all files and apps, and I clicked move, which I am assuming now I can not move ALL files in this folder correct? Is this why my phone bricked on me?

Glad to hear you got things working again... you don't have to worry too much, with what you're trying to do, it's hard to totally brick the phone. With a little effort, Clockwork backups and Odin can get things back.

Anyway, to debloat, first of all, you can't move all the apps, only certain ones. Follow the sticky'd post on what apps are safe to remove and only remove apps from that list.

Start Root Explorer, navigate to your SD card and create a folder called Removed (or Bloat, Backed up, whatever name you want to give it, it doesn't matter).

Then, still in RE, navigate to system/app. Click multi-select and then start selecting .apks and corrosponding .odex files for the apps you want to remove - again, based on the list of apps that are safe to remove.

Once you have your apps selected, click the move button.

Navigate into the folder you created on your SD card and click the paste button.

It'll take a few seconds while it moves all the files. After that, reboot your phone to make sure none of the apps are still resident in memory.

You should be good to go from there.

 

[gbreeze]

Glad to hear you got things working again... you don't have to worry too much, with what you're trying to do, it's hard to totally brick the phone. With a little effort, Clockwork backups and Odin can get things back.

Anyway, to debloat, first of all, you can't move all the apps, only certain ones. Follow the sticky'd post on what apps are safe to remove and only remove apps from that list.

Start Root Explorer, navigate to your SD card and create a folder called Removed (or Bloat, Backed up, whatever name you want to give it, it doesn't matter).

Then, still in RE, navigate to system/app. Click multi-select and then start selecting .apks and corrosponding .odex files for the apps you want to remove - again, based on the list of apps that are safe to remove.

Once you have your apps selected, click the move button.

Navigate into the folder you created on your SD card and click the paste button.

It'll take a few seconds while it moves all the files. After that, reboot your phone to make sure none of the apps are still resident in memory.

You should be good to go from there.

Thanks bro, u have been a ton of help!