[Q] what exactly is "dirty" flash

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stackz07

Senior Member
Dec 26, 2012
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is it not clearing cash and doing a factory wipe? does it mean just to flash the zip over the last rom flashed and doing nothing else?
 

nosympathy

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Dec 19, 2010
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is it not clearing cash and doing a factory wipe? does it mean just to flash the zip over the last rom flashed and doing nothing else?

Yes dirty flashing means flashing without clearing anything out.

A clean wipe is wiping cache, dalvik cache, doing a factory reset and wiping system.

Sent from my SCH-I605 using xda app-developers app
 

tgyberg

Senior Member
Feb 20, 2011
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Mpls, MN
I'd say this is pretty dirty! :p


2v2ably.jpg
 
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stackz07

Senior Member
Dec 26, 2012
393
28
Yes dirty flashing means flashing without clearing anything out.

A clean wipe is wiping cache, dalvik cache, doing a factory reset and wiping system.

Sent from my SCH-I605 using xda app-developers app

Thank you. In clockworkmod recovery wiping cashe and factory reset are in the same function right? I don't have to do three different actions, just two (reset dalvik, and reset cash+factory wipe is one action that does two things) right?
 

nosympathy

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Dec 19, 2010
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Thank you. In clockworkmod recovery wiping cashe and factory reset are in the same function right? I don't have to do three different actions, just two (reset dalvik, and reset cash+factory wipe is one action that does two things) right?

Yes and then make sure to format /system as that is where the old ROM is installed at.

Sent from my SCH-I605 using xda app-developers app
 

imnuts

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Jul 27, 2007
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A clean wipe is wiping cache, dalvik cache, doing a factory reset and wiping system.

Yes and then make sure to format /system as that is where the old ROM is installed at.

Performing a factory reset wipes /cache and the dalvik cache as well, so you don't need to wipe those and then perform a factory reset, or the other way around. Doing so is really just wasting time. The same with wiping system before flashing a ROM. If the ROM isn't already doing this as part of the flash process, IMO, you shouldn't use it. If you can't setup the updater-script properly, who knows what else isn't right in the ROM.
 

nosympathy

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Dec 19, 2010
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Performing a factory reset wipes /cache and the dalvik cache as well, so you don't need to wipe those and then perform a factory reset, or the other way around. Doing so is really just wasting time. The same with wiping system before flashing a ROM. If the ROM isn't already doing this as part of the flash process, IMO, you shouldn't use it. If you can't setup the updater-script properly, who knows what else isn't right in the ROM.

See, believe what you want, but there are still people who believe in wiping 3+ times.

Never hurts to make sure everything wipes correctly. Specially when you have recoveries that don't work right. Plus clockwork mod is well known for having issues with wiping. Maybe not on this phone, but in the past. I refuse to use it. Even TWRP for this phone the latest version is goofy.

Better to play it safe.

Sent from my SCH-I605 using xda app-developers app
 

toskabab

Senior Member
Jun 28, 2008
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Lubbock, TX
See, believe what you want, but there are still people who believe in wiping 3+ times.

Never hurts to make sure everything wipes correctly. Specially when you have recoveries that don't work right. Plus clockwork mod is well known for having issues with wiping. Maybe not on this phone, but in the past. I refuse to use it. Even TWRP for this phone the latest version is goofy.

Better to play it safe.

Sent from my SCH-I605 using xda app-developers app

I agree 100% with this.

1) You should never depend on someone else's rom doing this for you. That's not the roms job. Making sure your phone is clean and working well is YOUR job. Do it and quite being lazy.

2) While the 3+ wipe method may be overkill, most people still aren't wiping their phones properly and that's why we are seeing everyone have so many problems with 4g, gps, bootloops, etc. Just like sex, nobody wants to take the time to do it right anymore and then cry when they catch some nasty from doing it dirty.

3) I think of roms as women. If you want a flawless transition from one to another, they must never find out about each other. This means erase all proof of the previous one's existence. Everybody's 4g/gps issues would be non-existent if they would listen to what we are telling them. Going from rom to rom, always wipe internal and external storage as well as after a backup. This is because conflicting data stored on your card from the previous rom can screw with the new one.

4) I would say use common sense, but you kids these days don't seem to have any. So use mine instead. Stay away from the dirty. In life and on your phone.
 

nosympathy

Senior Member
Dec 19, 2010
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Yeah ibeoukdnt go so far as wiping internal and external storage....

Sent from my SCH-I605 using xda app-developers app
 

droidstyle

Inactive Recognized Contributor
May 7, 2011
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Fort Wayne
Well not exactly true; I don't think anyone wants the residue after a poop; but plenty of folks would like the residue data (contacts et all) after a flash :)

if you look at it that way yes, but thats not my point. dirty flashing is ok when upgrading from lets say beans build 7 to build 8, long as the base has not changed. other than that a full wipe is recomended when flashing or your device might develop a stinch and discomfort, causing force closes. apps and contacts can easily be backed up with google or tibu, so there is no reason not to wipe before changing roms.
 

jake21

Senior Member
Apr 29, 2011
398
14
What exactly is considered the same base? The kernel version or something else? I.e, lets take cleanrom as an example (which is what I currently use). If we look at the files in cleanrom (via unzip -l) at what point can we determine that the 'base' has changed ?

(I understand your point; it still myths me that different versions use different file structures for caches/data; I mean I understand how it could happen but for some reason I thought he root branches were all the same for android which would imply the data files/format would be largely the same; pity there is not some sort of auto versoning of the data on disk so that when the app loads it if the version was inappropriate it could just kick it out).

if you look at it that way yes, but thats not my point. dirty flashing is ok when upgrading from lets say beans build 7 to build 8, long as the base has not changed. other than that a full wipe is recomended when flashing or your device might develop a stinch and discomfort, causing force closes. apps and contacts can easily be backed up with google or tibu, so there is no reason not to wipe before changing roms.
 

kintwofan

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Jul 1, 2011
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Sony Xperia 1 III
What exactly is considered the same base? The kernel version or something else? I.e, lets take cleanrom as an example (which is what I currently use). If we look at the files in cleanrom (via unzip -l) at what point can we determine that the 'base' has changed ?

(I understand your point; it still myths me that different versions use different file structures for caches/data; I mean I understand how it could happen but for some reason I thought he root branches were all the same for android which would imply the data files/format would be largely the same; pity there is not some sort of auto versoning of the data on disk so that when the app loads it if the version was inappropriate it could just kick it out).

Read the change log for the ROM you are on. They will put in it rebased to. ....

Sent from the dark on a Note 2
 

jake21

Senior Member
Apr 29, 2011
398
14
Read the change log for the ROM you are on. They will put in it rebased to. ....

Sent from the dark on a Note 2
--
You mean this line:

International N7105XXDMA8 Jellybean 4.1.2 Base
or this line
Rebuilt: Complete rebuild from N7105XXDMA8 International Base!
--
4.2.5 is from:
Rebuild: Complete rebuild off the international N7105XXDLL4 Base
but also
International N7105XXDLL7 Jellybean 4.1.2
-
-
So would that imply that 4.5 and 4.2.5 have different bases or same base (since they are both off of 4.1.2) ?
 

kintwofan

Senior Member
Jul 1, 2011
5,114
2,825
Irmo, SC
OnePlus 7T
Sony Xperia 1 III
--
You mean this line:

International N7105XXDMA8 Jellybean 4.1.2 Base
or this line
Rebuilt: Complete rebuild from N7105XXDMA8 International Base!
--
4.2.5 is from:
Rebuild: Complete rebuild off the international N7105XXDLL4 Base
but also
International N7105XXDLL7 Jellybean 4.1.2
-
-
So would that imply that 4.5 and 4.2.5 have different bases or same base (since they are both off of 4.1.2) ?

Yes they would be different bases since they have different build numbers. There will be a lot of revisions on the same Android version (in this case 4.1.2) however it is recommend to clean flash in the different builds even if Android version stays the same.

I'll add that I personally always clean flash. With a good backup app, I use titanium backup pro, it literally takes less then 10 minutes to be fully back up after a flash

Sent from the dark on a Note 2
 

jake21

Senior Member
Apr 29, 2011
398
14
Yes but on Scott board he suggest you should not restore apps from TB backup:
http://www.scottsroms.com/showthread.php?2523-Battery-Drain-issue
(post #8)
(not sure about contacts and accounts)
-
Very confusing.

Yes they would be different bases since they have different build numbers. There will be a lot of revisions on the same Android version (in this case 4.1.2) however it is recommend to clean flash in the different builds even if Android version stays the same.

I'll add that I personally always clean flash. With a good backup app, I use titanium backup pro, it literally takes less then 10 minutes to be fully back up after a flash

Sent from the dark on a Note 2
 

imnuts

Inactive Recognized Developer
Jul 27, 2007
3,808
3,174
West Chester
www.imnuts.org
Formatting multiple times to make sure it formatted properly? If you go to clean install the OS on your computer, do you format the HDD 3 times as well? Same principle, different device. If it doesn't format properly the first time, what makes you think doing it again will format it? If it doesn't format properly, it's going to give you an error in recovery, and trust me, recovery will complain when there is a problem, even if it is a minor one. Feel free to continue formatting /system before flashing a ROM, and wiping everything 20 times, but I'm trying to prevent people from wasting their time and continuing with the mis-information of needing to "wipe 3 times"
 

droidstyle

Inactive Recognized Contributor
May 7, 2011
6,471
3,604
Fort Wayne
Yes but on Scott board he suggest you should not restore apps from TB backup:
http://www.scottsroms.com/showthread.php?2523-Battery-Drain-issue
(post #8)
(not sure about contacts and accounts)
-
Very confusing.

you can restore apps just not app data....use google to sysnc and restore contacts. its really not that difficult.

---------- Post added at 06:36 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:33 PM ----------

Formatting multiple times to make sure it formatted properly? If you go to clean install the OS on your computer, do you format the HDD 3 times as well? Same principle, different device. If it doesn't format properly the first time, what makes you think doing it again will format it? If it doesn't format properly, it's going to give you an error in recovery, and trust me, recovery will complain when there is a problem, even if it is a minor one. Feel free to continue formatting /system before flashing a ROM, and wiping everything 20 times, but I'm trying to prevent people from wasting their time and continuing with the mis-information of needing to "wipe 3 times"
agreed! thats why guide simply states to wipe data then flash rom...no extra bs is required. in my gs3 guide i do infact have instructions stating to wipe system but that was just to make a few folks happy that kept insisting it was needed. either way it does no harm, so yea.
 

wyckedfunk

Senior Member
Sep 6, 2012
322
129
Amherst Heights
I'm always worried when it comes to the sd card.. alot of important info (no not porn).. I cant afford to lose. . Yes it's backed up on my comp. too .. what's the method to use to wipe sd but not lose anything.. if wiping is the same as formatting then yes I know not to do this.. thanks .. apologies if this sounds like nonsense. .

making a note for the 2nd time in Samsungs Galaxy
 

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    See, believe what you want, but there are still people who believe in wiping 3+ times.

    Never hurts to make sure everything wipes correctly. Specially when you have recoveries that don't work right. Plus clockwork mod is well known for having issues with wiping. Maybe not on this phone, but in the past. I refuse to use it. Even TWRP for this phone the latest version is goofy.

    Better to play it safe.

    Sent from my SCH-I605 using xda app-developers app

    I agree 100% with this.

    1) You should never depend on someone else's rom doing this for you. That's not the roms job. Making sure your phone is clean and working well is YOUR job. Do it and quite being lazy.

    2) While the 3+ wipe method may be overkill, most people still aren't wiping their phones properly and that's why we are seeing everyone have so many problems with 4g, gps, bootloops, etc. Just like sex, nobody wants to take the time to do it right anymore and then cry when they catch some nasty from doing it dirty.

    3) I think of roms as women. If you want a flawless transition from one to another, they must never find out about each other. This means erase all proof of the previous one's existence. Everybody's 4g/gps issues would be non-existent if they would listen to what we are telling them. Going from rom to rom, always wipe internal and external storage as well as after a backup. This is because conflicting data stored on your card from the previous rom can screw with the new one.

    4) I would say use common sense, but you kids these days don't seem to have any. So use mine instead. Stay away from the dirty. In life and on your phone.
    1
    I'd say this is pretty dirty! :p


    2v2ably.jpg
    1
    its like not wiping after ya poop.
    1
    Sammy devices do not need all the extra wiping bs...so those rules don't apply. Like I said previously, I only added format system to my gs3 instructions because I had a couple former rezound owners argue that it was needed...I knew better, just didn't want to argue and it does not hurt anything, just the fact its redundant. Best advice I can offer is to take everything you learned about HTC devices for the most part and flush it down the toilet.