Please help me guys ... I've searched for over 4 hours for this answer

[SpookDroid]

I know you're frustrated but remember, ROOTING IS NOT SUPPOSED TO BE SIMPLE!!! And if you're really all that worried about your data being recovered, just encrypt the device!!! Even when you wipe data and even if someone would pick it up and recover it (no, they don't even need root access to do it, and they don't need to jailbreak an iPhone to do the very same so don't think iDevices are exempt of this... it's just not a simple method and it requires very specific tools), all your data is encrypted.

Apple's iPhone 5 and Samsung's S4 were the only ones that passed Pentagon certification to replace BlackBerries, remember? There's a reason for that.

 

[Paul627g]

I wish I could provide a helpful answer to your problems but I can say if you used Odin to install a new firmware or factory restore the device then your data should be gone. Odin is a tool leaked our from Samsung a long time ago and is used to flash and update the entire device from OS, to the radios, partitions of the device, etc.. During the process of flashing with Odin it wipes the device completely, hence the reason why any instructions with Odin always say to backup your stuff if your doing a full firmware or software flashing with Odin. Only time Odin DOESN'T wipe the device is when your flashing just the custom recovery or flashing a new radio (modem) firmware.

I understand your flustered with the lack of helpful replies but do take into consideration this device is fresh off the shelves and only has had root and some early stage ROMs out for a couple days so you have to give the lack of helpful responses here a break due to this.

I also wouldn't let this experience cast a poor shadow on the overall image of Android. Normally you erase, factory reset or flash the stock software and forget about it.

Good luck!

 

[GiantJay]

The only thing I can say is go to xda-developers.com you should get answers there. I would suggest rooting and putting a custom recovery and wiping all caches and formatting data and.factory.resetting everything.the putting it back to stock. But I'm not sure where the.developers are with rooting because the new software update is blocking some things I know. Those must have been quite the pictures for all this trouble.

Sent from my SPH-L720 using Tapatalk 2

 

[The WheelMan]

As an aside, an FBI-level secure wipe of a hard drive requires writing data to, and deleting that data, from a hard drive 33 times, I believe. You don't actually delete the data as much as scramble it so badly that it can never be re-assembled. I would assume that the very same sort of thing would be true for wiping your phone. I'm surprised no one has made software to do that. They have software to wipe your PC.

 

[Raptor007]

When in doubt about data recovery and after doing multiple factory resets, try loading the device up with data to fill it to capacity a few dozen times with a reset each time. This will at least overwrite the data areas each time and should make things pretty darn near impossible to recover. If the buyer is someone with skills that concern you about data recovery, I would seek out another buyer. I do share your concerns about data, so much of our lives are floating around just waiting for someone to snatch them out of the air and many others have no concerns what so ever about privacy. Good call to be cautious.