[Q] Problem backing up internal storage to PC through adb

fredcorp6 · Jun 17, 2014

I smashed my screen and am now trying to backup my media data from my phone to my PC. I'm having to use adb due to the fact my screen is completely dead.

I have android toolkit working fine, and it is showing my device in the connected devices section.

However, when I select the option to backup my internal storage it comes up with the message "waiting for USB debugging to be activated" and does not move any further.

How can I fix this issue? Bear in mind I have no way of getting into the phone due to my screen being completely broken.

Thanks a lot!

jd1639 · Jun 17, 2014

Try this http://xdaforums.com/showthread.php?p=20868527

Sent from my Nexus 5 using XDA Free mobile app

fredcorp6 · Jun 18, 2014

jd1639 said:
Try this http://xdaforums.com/showthread.php?p=20868527

Sent from my Nexus 5 using XDA Free mobile app

It says to unlock phone to confirm the backup operation - I cannot do that because of no screen! Any other suggestions?

jd1639 · Jun 18, 2014

fredcorp6 said:
It says to unlock phone to confirm the backup operation - I cannot do that because of no screen! Any other suggestions?

You're not unlocked? If that's the case, you're screwed. You need to have the bootloader unlocked. Sorry man

Sent from my Nexus 5 using XDA Free mobile app

fredcorp6 · Jun 18, 2014

jd1639 said:
You're not unlocked? If that's the case, you're screwed. You need to have the bootloader unlocked. Sorry man

Sent from my Nexus 5 using XDA Free mobile app

That's not what it means, when you do that command with a lock screen you need to unlock the screen first as a security measure.

I have got an unlocked bootloader and cwm recovery installed.

jd1639 · Jun 18, 2014

fredcorp6 said:
That's not what it means, when you do that command with a lock screen you need to unlock the screen first as a security measure.

I have got an unlocked bootloader and cwm recovery installed.

You don't have to unlock the screen in recovery. Out should work for you

Use adb backup -apk -shared -all

Start with adb devices. Your device should be shown. What do you get when you do that?

Sent from my Nexus 5 using XDA Free mobile app

fredcorp6 · Jun 18, 2014

jd1639 said:
You don't have to unlock the screen in recovery. Out should work for you

Use adb backup -apk -shared -all

Start with adb devices. Your device should be shown. What do you get when you do that?

Sent from my Nexus 5 using XDA Free mobile app

My device shows up as connected in adb, but when I enter that command I get "now unlock your device and confirm the backup operation".

This is what it looks like:

C:\Program Files (x86)\WugFresh Development\data>adb devices
List of devices attached
0073b690d60fb5cf recovery

C:\Program Files (x86)\WugFresh Development\data>adb backup -apk -shared -all
Now unlock your device and confirm the backup operation.

C:\Program Files (x86)\WugFresh Development\data>

jd1639 · Jun 18, 2014

fredcorp6 said:
My device shows up as connected in adb, but when I enter that command I get "now unlock your device and confirm the backup operation".

This is what it looks like:

C:\Program Files (x86)\WugFresh Development\data>adb devices
List of devices attached
0073b690d60fb5cf recovery

C:\Program Files (x86)\WugFresh Development\data>adb backup -apk -shared -all
Now unlock your device and confirm the backup operation.

C:\Program Files (x86)\WugFresh Development\data>

Adb can be a pita. Why don't you try this http://xdaforums.com/showthread.php?p=36499906

I haven't tried it but if it works well let me know

Sent from my Nexus 5 using XDA Free mobile app

fredcorp6 · Jun 18, 2014

jd1639 said:
Adb can be a pita. Why don't you try this http://xdaforums.com/showthread.php?p=36499906

I haven't tried it but if it works well let me know

Sent from my Nexus 5 using XDA Free mobile app

Get the same message in that as well, doing my head in. It must be due to having a screen lock password... there must be a way round it.

Thanks for trying to help btw.

jd1639 · Jun 18, 2014

fredcorp6 said:
Get the same message in that as well, doing my head in. It must be due to having a screen lock password... there must be a way round it.

Thanks for trying to help btw.

Ok, here's the problem. The now unlock your device.... is telling you the backup is done, not that you have to use a screen password. I got the same thing trying to do it in recovery and a 0 byte backup file. I could backup when normally booted. But that's not going to help you with the non-functional screen. Let me play around with it a little more and see if I can figure it out.

Edit, let's backup a little bit. Do you have a custom recovery or are you on stock? If it's custom which one?

Edit, sorry man, the best I can do is use adb pull. But that requires you to know specifically where and what the file name is. And you have to do that for every file you want. Seems adb backup only works if you're booted normally and not in recovery.

Sent from my Nexus 5 using XDA Free mobile app

fredcorp6 · Jun 19, 2014

jd1639 said:
Ok, here's the problem. The now unlock your device.... is telling you the backup is done, not that you have to use a screen password. I got the same thing trying to do it in recovery and a 0 byte backup file. I could backup when normally booted. But that's not going to help you with the non-functional screen. Let me play around with it a little more and see if I can figure it out.

Edit, let's backup a little bit. Do you have a custom recovery or are you on stock? If it's custom which one?

Edit, sorry man, the best I can do is use adb pull. But that requires you to know specifically where and what the file name is. And you have to do that for every file you want. Seems adb backup only works if you're booted normally and not in recovery.

Sent from my Nexus 5 using XDA Free mobile app

Thanks for trying to help man!

I'm on cwm recovery.

I tried adb pull to copy all the stuff on my phone using the command "adb pull /" but the files copied did not include my pics or any personal media etc.

What would be the exact location of my pics inside the phone?? Also maybe it's not working because the sdcard is not mounted?

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

jd1639 · Jun 19, 2014

fredcorp6 said:
Thanks for trying to help man!

I'm on cwm recovery.

I tried adb pull to copy all the stuff on my phone using the command "adb pull /" but the files copied did not include my pics or any personal media etc.

What would be the exact location of my pics inside the phone?? Also maybe it's not working because the sdcard is not mounted?

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Try /sdcard/DCIM/Camera

Sent from my Nexus 5 using XDA Free mobile app

fredcorp6 · Jun 19, 2014

jd1639 said:
Try /sdcard/DCIM/Camera

Sent from my Nexus 5 using XDA Free mobile app

No luck... do you know how to mount the sdcard in adb? tried googling it but none of the commands listed are working.

jd1639 · Jun 19, 2014

fredcorp6 said:
No luck... do you know how to mount the sdcard in adb? tried googling it but none of the commands listed are working.

Have you tried adb pull /sdcard

That should get you everything on it. It'll take a long time

Sent from my Nexus 5 using XDA Free mobile app

fredcorp6 · Jun 19, 2014

jd1639 said:
Have you tried adb pull /sdcard

That should get you everything on it. It'll take a long time

Sent from my Nexus 5 using XDA Free mobile app

Yea I have, and I get "0 files pulled. 0 files skipped".

jd1639 · Jun 19, 2014

fredcorp6 said:
Yea I have, and I get "0 files pulled. 0 files skipped".

You're using cwm aren't you? Try adb pull /data/media. Or adb pull /data/media/0. Cwm is messed up on how it handles the file structure

Sent from my Nexus 5 using XDA Free mobile app

fredcorp6 · Jun 19, 2014

jd1639 said:
You're using cwm aren't you? Try adb pull /data/media. Or adb pull /data/media/0. Cwm is messed up on how it handles the file structure

Sent from my Nexus 5 using XDA Free mobile app

Neither work! It would be massively helpful if you could go to a camera picture on your phone and lookup where it is actually stored? Then hopefully it will be the same on mine.

jd1639 · Jun 19, 2014

fredcorp6 said:
Neither work! It would be massively helpful if you could go to a camera picture on your phone and lookup where it is actually stored? Then hopefully it will be the same on mine.

We tried that already. It's in /sdcard/DCIM/Camera

Sent from my Nexus 5 using XDA Free mobile app

fredcorp6 · Jun 19, 2014

jd1639 said:
We tried that already. It's in /sdcard/DCIM/Camera

Sent from my Nexus 5 using XDA Free mobile app

I'm making progress! managed to get all my app data off the phone.

Originally when I did adb pull /data, it returned "0 files pulled, 0 files skipped".

Then I went into adb shell and mounted /data, exited adb shell, did the pull again and it worked!

So I'm close... all I need to know is the specific location of my pictures in the file system and I can do it.

[Q] Problem backing up internal storage to PC through adb

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