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

[jameshg1]

In short: I'm swapping my Galaxy S4 with someone. I deleted my personal photos and have factory reset the phone about 8 times since. I want to make sure they can't recover the deleted data via any recovery software.

I had 20 personal pics on the device and a few videos; after my first factory reset I took 100 camera shots (I've read that the recovery software advise against doing so as it may overwrite stored data on the phones internal storage).

I also to no avail tried to root the phone so I could try the Play Store recovery apps to see if they were able to salvage my personal pics, but I was never able to root the phone properly and got sick of trying, it's a factory unlocked MDK version with the latest software.

All the conventional PC apps are useless to me despite their misleading SEOed out Galaxy S4 references because only external SD cards (which are mounted drives) can be utilized by such programs. None work as far as reading the MTP/PTP internal memory, which is what I'm trying to do, or figure a way to flash it/delete it in addition to my numerous factory resets.

Any advice, or, do you think (or know) the data would be gone by now?

 

[smooth4lyfe]

In short: I'm swapping my Galaxy S4 with someone. I deleted my personal photos and have factory reset the phone about 8 times since. I want to make sure they can't recover the deleted data via any recovery software.

I had 20 personal pics on the device and a few videos; after my first factory reset I took 100 camera shots (I've read that the recovery software advise against doing so as it may overwrite stored data on the phones internal storage).

I also to no avail tried to root the phone so I could try the Play Store recovery apps to see if they were able to salvage my personal pics, but I was never able to root the phone properly and got sick of trying, it's a factory unlocked MDK version with the latest software.

All the conventional PC apps are useless to me despite their misleading SEOed out Galaxy S4 references because only external SD cards (which are mounted drives) can be utilized by such programs. None work as far as reading the MTP/PTP internal memory, which is what I'm trying to do, or figure a way to flash it/delete it in addition to my numerous factory resets.

Any advice, or, do you think (or know) the data would be gone by now?

Well I am pretty sure a factory reset will completely erase everything, but if you want the exra re-assurance, flashing the rom will pretty much replace ALL files, and no trace of your files should be left on the previous one

 

[jameshg1]

Well I am pretty sure a factory reset will completely erase everything, but if you want the exra re-assurance, flashing the rom will pretty much replace ALL files, and no trace of your files should be left on the previous one

Does the phone need to be rooted to flash the ROM?

 

[smooth4lyfe]

Does the phone need to be rooted to flash the ROM?

No it doesn't, you can flash without root

 

[SpookDroid]

Umm... no, you can't... You can't install new ROMs unless you're rooted, that's the whole point...

Also, from what I've read, factory-resetting your phone does NOT permanently delete all data. With some trickery you can always get it back. The only way to get rid of all data permanently is to do a low-level format, which, I believe, can only be done via ODIN or a factory dock/dongle. You can also try to fill up your memory with some other files, effectively overwriting the old data with new, 'useless' one.

 

[smooth4lyfe]

Umm... no, you can't... You can't install new ROMs unless you're rooted, that's the whole point...

Also, from what I've read, factory-resetting your phone does NOT permanently delete all data. With some trickery you can always get it back. The only way to get rid of all data permanently is to do a low-level format, which, I believe, can only be done via ODIN or a factory dock/dongle. You can also try to fill up your memory with some other files, effectively overwriting the old data with new, 'useless' one.

Thanks for clearing that up

Sent from my Galaxy S4 Exynos!

 

[jameshg1]

Then im screwed because the baseband ending in MDK apparently can't be "rooted".

I tried two different methods. First one said it was successful and the phone restarted, but then it said the Super User binary needed to be updated and it could never do that install and it said send the log file to developer. Second method with CMW, Odin never read my dang phone when it was connected despite my having followed all instructions to a T.

 

[steveh552]

To be this worried about a few pics one must wonder what kind they were.

Good luck

______
Sent from my mobile device

 

[Kevin OQuinn]

To be this worried about a few pics one must wonder what kind they were.

Good luck

______
Sent from my mobile device

Some people take privacy more seriously than others.

You can flash roms without being rooted. You'll need an unlocked bootloader and S-OFF I think. Maybe just unlocked bootloader. At least that's been the case for every phone I've owned.

 

[bembol]

To be this worried about a few pics one must wonder what kind they were.

Good luck

______
Sent from my mobile device

That's what I was thinking. LOL

This is why save everything on my microSD?

 

[jameshg1]

My device is factory unlocked so isn't my bootloader already good?

I've seriously exhausted myself searching, Android is so damn complicated, jailbreaking was not this hard. I just want 100% confirmation my internal memory is gone and cannot be recovered, i can't believe 8 reformats aren't enough. I did take more pics after factory resetting but seeing as they were not the same date/time I don't believe the file structure would get overwritten.

I know I don't have many posts but please help me someone. It would mean a lot to me.

Some people take privacy more seriously than others.



You can flash roms without being rooted. You'll need an unlocked bootloader and S-OFF I think. Maybe just unlocked bootloader. At least that's been the case for every phone I've owned.

 

[smooth4lyfe]

In short: I'm swapping my Galaxy S4 with someone. I deleted my personal photos and have factory reset the phone about 8 times since. I want to make sure they can't recover the deleted data via any recovery software.

I had 20 personal pics on the device and a few videos; after my first factory reset I took 100 camera shots (I've read that the recovery software advise against doing so as it may overwrite stored data on the phones internal storage).

I also to no avail tried to root the phone so I could try the Play Store recovery apps to see if they were able to salvage my personal pics, but I was never able to root the phone properly and got sick of trying, it's a factory unlocked MDK version with the latest software.

All the conventional PC apps are useless to me despite their misleading SEOed out Galaxy S4 references because only external SD cards (which are mounted drives) can be utilized by such programs. None work as far as reading the MTP/PTP internal memory, which is what I'm trying to do, or figure a way to flash it/delete it in addition to my numerous factory resets.

Any advice, or, do you think (or know) the data would be gone by now?

You can probably use a PC software to do a FULL CLEAN of the phone when u connect it to the computer (The PC should see the phone as a drive). Do u really think the person ur swapping with will try that hard to recover your photos?

 

[jameshg1]

You can probably use a PC software to do a FULL CLEAN of the phone when u connect it to the computer (The PC should see the phone as a drive). Do u really think the person ur swapping with will try that hard to recover your photos?

Well I see it as simple as, they jailbreak (ergo "root") the phone, and perhaps one day they try to recover something of their own and stumble across my stuff.

The phone doesn't get recognized as a drive on the PC, it comes up on USB storage mode as MTP/PTP and the recovery programs (even those specifically for Android Galaxy devices) note that these formats of storage cannot be used.

For all I know, maybe with my multiple factory resets and my having taken 4X the photos since I have nothing to worry about and the data is gone, but I don't know a way to check.

 

[jameshg1]

Hilarious and proves the point that Android users really don't even know their own platform, too damn confusing.

Seriously it's such a joke that I'd almost be willing to Paypal someone to give me what should be CLEAR AND SIMPLE INSTRUCTIONS.

 

[fantom305]

From what I know Androids are similar to computers. In the root of operating system there are always traces of activity and they can always be recovered with forensic software. When you do a factory reset all it does is replace your current data how ever, it doesn't go into the root of the system. May be with the new pictures that you took you were able to over ride the other ones but, you could never tell if you succeeded. I know there is a way to get into by pressing the power and volume buttons in a certain way to be able to get to the end just like you do when you reboot your Android into same mode. I was walked through when I had my HTC One S, by the technician at Tmobile and was able to clean the cache and left it practically brand new. You might want to go that route and contact technical support of your carrier. I hope this might at least give you an idea.

 

[jameshg1]

I'm going to try to root again and/or install a new firmware version. Would the new firmware clear memory?

EDIT: Just realized i have the i9500 not 9505

 

[jameshg1]

Such BS. Oudin never flashes yellow and detects phone in download mode, installed the Samsung drivers, its on uSB debug mode, im using the right one for my 9500, its such bs that its this difficult and that NOBODY HERE HAS A ******* CLUE

 

[jameshg1]

Ok so,
I run the CWM TAR as a PDA, i get a green PASS, my phone reboots, but when i hit volume up home power, i go into "android system recovery", not "cwm recovery" with an option to then load from zip sd card so i can do the super user files........ ARGH..... man i cant believe not one person here can make this easier....

this dude in the video im with him until the 6 minute mark, ****S sake

Such BS. Oudin never flashes yellow and detects phone in download mode, installed the Samsung drivers, its on uSB debug mode, im using the right one for my 9500, its such bs that its this difficult and that NOBODY HERE HAS A ******* CLUE

 

[mayconvert]

Wish I knew something that would help out. I can say you just gave me another reason to second guess buying my first android device.
If I can't just erase the phone and reinstall the OS and KNOW that my stuff is gone, even if its jailbroken. I don't think I will buy android.
I use my phone for WAY too many person things to think that by selling it, all my crap is hidden down inside where a root can find and bring back all my info to anyone that uses it.

This may have been the straw that broke the camels back when it comes to be going away from iPhone.

 

[jameshg1]

Yeah dude it's a real pain in the ***. I will say this though, it is a nice device, and I may be a little impatient but I'm pretty good at following instructions but if I can't pick something up after hours something's wrong. I'm really annoyed but I'm just going to hold onto it, it does have advantages over my Blackberry but I really don't like how it feels like crap is hidden behind secret doors inside of the device. I'm a bit of a privacy freak and I happened to have a little fun with the 13mp camera suffice to say that I'd rather not risk it being easily backed up by someone who can manage to root the damn thing.