[Guide][XL][ADVANCED] Repartition internal memory (Data+SDCard0)→more space for apps

[Kahana82]

[Guide][XL][ADVANCED] Repartition internal memory (Data+SDCard0)→more space for apps

A lot of people are trying to extend the internal memory to install more apps after flashing Lollipop.
ART is using up more space and the /data partiton is clearly too small on our Xperia L...

It is possible to resize the /data/ partition by taking space allocated to the internal memory /SDCard0/ partition.
This guide will explain you how (for any phone)
Please read this through, so you know how to work with the commands below I used on the Xperia L.

Also read the disclaimers and precautions (backups etc) carefully before you start.
use at your own risk, I will not be held personnaly responsible for bricked phones, but will help as much as possible.
This thread has lots of information on backup/restore partitions and memblocks.

It seems flashing an official stock rom (.FTF) does not succeed in restoring the original partition table in case of problems
IT WILL MOST LIKELY BRICK YOUR DEVICE ... please stay on custom rom after this mod
Read post n°80 in this thread on how to possibly restore your phone memory (not reported as successful)


I have done this successfully by leaving only 2GB for the internal SD card partition, adding a little more than 2GB to the /data/ partition.
Feel free to adjust the partition sizes to suit your needs, just don't delete the internal SDCard partition or make it 0 in size.
After that, no more messing around with Link2SD or other methods, you can just install about anything you need normally...

The steps below were originaly posted in this thread


So, here is how it goes for our Xperia L:

Open a command window: CMD, then get into shell:
adb shell

Once in shell, type:
umount /storage
parted /dev/block/mmcblk0
print

This prints out the partition information of your phone's memory chip
You will see the partition numbers in the first column, partition names in the last one,
in between you have the start/end memory index and the partition size

------start---end---size
...
31---1795---3506---1711---userdata
32---3506---7818---4312---sdcard​

In the above output, consider the values indicated in italic as not to be changed !

Now calculate (open a spreadsheed if you like) the new value for the end of the userdata partition,
and use the same value for the start of the sdcard partition
On your sheet it should look something like this if you added 2048 to the userdata size

------start---end---size
31---1795---5554---3759---userdata
32---5554---7818---2264---sdcard​

Remove userdata and sdcard partitions:
rm 31
rm 32

Create the new userdata and sdcard partitions:
mkpartfs logical ext2 1795 5554
name 31 userdata
mkpartfs logical fat32 5554 7818
name 32 sdcard

Exit parted to go to the adb shell again:
quit


userdata partition (31) needs to have ext4 file system
The following will do the ext2->ext4 conversion:
cd /storage/sdcard1/fs-utils
tune2fs -j /dev/block/mmcblk0p31
tune2fs -O extents,uninit_bg,dir_index /dev/block/mmcblk0p31
e2fsck -fpDC0 /dev/block/mmcblk0p31

Now you can go to recovery and format the sdcard partition (default)
Then you can restore the backup you made before all this or do a clean install

Enjoy installing your apps

 

[Mystery000777]

Wow this is cool!!! How much storage do you recomend we keep? 2 gigs or push it to one?

 

[Kahana82]

Wow this is cool!!! How much storage do you recomend we keep? 2 gigs or push it to one?

Depends on how much space you need to install your apps and what you need on the internal SD.
I found adding 2GB to be a good balance: 2GB internal SD is still ok if you don't have added an external SD.
That being said with the /data partition big enough after the resize, there will only be a few small things on that internal SD (mine has only 100MB of space used).

Only thing that comes to mind filling up the internal SD are the crash dumps when having a blue screen, which are like 1 ~ 1,5GB.
If the crash dump can't be done entirely, you'll have to remove the battery and go clean that partial file manually after you have rebooted, otherwise your internal SD will stay full.

So you can leave only 1GB or even 512 to internal SD it should work...

 

[egar3427]

Thank you, i always searching how to resize the partition, and today i found your guide.

 

[Oscarm99]

And what if internal is fully turned into data and external sd (or external sd's second partition) is turned into internal storage?

Sent from my C2105 using XDA Free mobile app

 

[FantasticalX]

So my userdata and sdcard will gonna formatted right?

 

[Kahana82]

Thank you, i always searching how to resize the partition, and today i found your guide.

You're very welcome

And what if internal is fully turned into data and external sd (or external sd's second partition) is turned into internal storage?

Sent from my C2105 using XDA Free mobile app

Could work, if you like to test this.
Please report your findings, always interesting to know :good:

So my userdata and sdcard will gonna formatted right?

Yes after repartitioning you will have to format again in recovery.

 

[safwanbla93]

this thing can be done on windows or linux only?

 

[Oscarm99]

Could work, if you like to test this.
Please report your findings, always interesting to know :good:

I cant test on my device because Im using it as daily driver Sorry

Sent from my C2105 using XDA Free mobile app

 

[Kahana82]

this thing can be done on windows or linux only?

I did this in windows using ADB (from Android dev-kit) in MS-Dos console (cmd.exe)

 

[kennyFF92]

Hi, do i need to connect the phone in recovery mode and then start adb shell? Because in this case it doesn't work for me

 

[zero995]

@Kahana82
i did all steps but my phone stays in bootloop and i can't flash a ftf with flashtools


19/047/2015 02:47:13 - INFO - Selected Bundle for Sony Xperia L (C2104). FW release : 15.3.A.1.17. Customization : Gneric IN
19/047/2015 02:47:13 - INFO - Preparing files for flashing
19/047/2015 02:47:22 - INFO - Please connect your device into flashmode.
19/047/2015 02:47:23 - INFO - Opening device for R/W
19/047/2015 02:47:23 - INFO - Reading device information
19/047/2015 02:47:50 - INFO - Unable to read from phone after having opened it.
19/047/2015 02:47:50 - INFO - trying to continue anyway
19/047/2015 02:47:50 - INFO - Start Flashing
19/047/2015 02:47:50 - INFO - Processing loader.sin
19/047/2015 02:47:50 - INFO - Checking header
19/047/2015 02:47:50 - ERROR - Processing of loader.sin finished with errors.
19/047/2015 02:47:50 - INFO - Ending flash session
19/047/2015 02:47:50 - ERROR - Error in processHeader : 22 : El dispositivo no reconoce el comando.
19/047/2015 02:47:50 - ERROR - Error flashing. Aborted
19/047/2015 02:47:50 - INFO - Device disconnected
19/055/2015 02:55:31 - INFO - Device connected in flash mode
19/055/2015 02:55:33 - INFO - Device disconnected
19/056/2015 02:56:06 - INFO - Device connected with USB debugging off
19/056/2015 02:56:06 - INFO - For 2011 devices line, be sure you are not in MTP mode

 

[Kahana82]

Hi, do i need to connect the phone in recovery mode and then start adb shell? Because in this case it doesn't work for me

Yes.
Problem with drivers ?

@Kahana82
i did all steps but my phone stays in bootloop and i can't flash a ftf with flashtools


19/047/2015 02:47:13 - INFO - Selected Bundle for Sony Xperia L (C2104). FW release : 15.3.A.1.17. Customization : Gneric IN
19/047/2015 02:47:13 - INFO - Preparing files for flashing
19/047/2015 02:47:22 - INFO - Please connect your device into flashmode.
19/047/2015 02:47:23 - INFO - Opening device for R/W
19/047/2015 02:47:23 - INFO - Reading device information
19/047/2015 02:47:50 - INFO - Unable to read from phone after having opened it.
19/047/2015 02:47:50 - INFO - trying to continue anyway
19/047/2015 02:47:50 - INFO - Start Flashing
19/047/2015 02:47:50 - INFO - Processing loader.sin
19/047/2015 02:47:50 - INFO - Checking header
19/047/2015 02:47:50 - ERROR - Processing of loader.sin finished with errors.
19/047/2015 02:47:50 - INFO - Ending flash session
19/047/2015 02:47:50 - ERROR - Error in processHeader : 22 : El dispositivo no reconoce el comando.
19/047/2015 02:47:50 - ERROR - Error flashing. Aborted
19/047/2015 02:47:50 - INFO - Device disconnected
19/055/2015 02:55:31 - INFO - Device connected in flash mode
19/055/2015 02:55:33 - INFO - Device disconnected
19/056/2015 02:56:06 - INFO - Device connected with USB debugging off
19/056/2015 02:56:06 - INFO - For 2011 devices line, be sure you are not in MTP mode

Before finding out why Flashtool can't flash the FTF maybe it is best to find out what went wrong when repartitioning...
- Are you still able to enter recovery ? (if not flash thunderzap kernel with adb)
- Did you reformat the SD-Card0 in recovery ?
- Did you either restore a backup to the data partition or did a clean install when finished ?
- Can you go again like in the guide and type (to see how your partitions are at this point) :
umount /storage
parted /dev/block/mmcblk0
print

 

[luckyshan]

@Kahana82
I followed your steps and actually got increased internal memory as u said.But now I cant flash stock rom.
I tried and once failed.Then I even cant flash a custom rom via cwm recovery
When I try to flash a custom or cwm restore....cwm says that it cant mount E: (any internal storage)
Plz help...................................Now phone is useless
I think repartitioning may solve....but adb itself says that it cant mount E:


The flashtool error messege is when trying to flash stock rom;

21/045/2015 10:45:57 - INFO - Selected Bundle for Sony Xperia L (C2105). FW release : 15.3.A.1.17. Customization : CE
21/045/2015 10:45:57 - INFO - Preparing files for flashing
21/046/2015 10:46:44 - INFO - Please connect your device into flashmode.
21/046/2015 10:46:53 - INFO - Device connected in flash mode
21/046/2015 10:46:54 - INFO - Opening device for R/W
21/046/2015 10:46:54 - INFO - Reading device information
21/047/2015 10:47:53 - ERROR - Error in processHeader : 22 : The device does not recognize the command.
21/047/2015 10:47:53 - ERROR - Error flashing. Aborted
21/047/2015 10:47:53 - INFO - Device disconnected

 

[fjw0803]

this guide for stock kernel only, yes??

 

[zenaufa]

Tried this on blisspop nightly and thunderzap 4.14 and it's work like a charm i did the repartitioning with adb shell when the phone on cwm,and i need to re format the sdcard0 few times till it stable ._. when i format it first time i cant put data on it,but after reboot - format for a few times everything works like a charm thanks OP :3
Edit : aww,when i think it was stable the device get BSOD and keep bootlooping ._. luckly i can revert the partition table to original from adb shell in cwm ._. for people who got "device or resource busy" try to unmount the sdcard 0 from mount and storage

 

[nbicalcarata]

Same problem here

@Kahana82
I followed your steps and actually got increased internal memory as u said.But now I cant flash stock rom.
I tried and once failed.Then I even cant flash a custom rom via cwm recovery
When I try to flash a custom or cwm restore....cwm says that it cant mount E: (any internal storage)
Plz help...................................Now phone is useless
I think repartitioning may solve....but adb itself says that it cant mount E:


The flashtool error messege is when trying to flash stock rom;

21/045/2015 10:45:57 - INFO - Selected Bundle for Sony Xperia L (C2105). FW release : 15.3.A.1.17. Customization : CE
21/045/2015 10:45:57 - INFO - Preparing files for flashing
21/046/2015 10:46:44 - INFO - Please connect your device into flashmode.
21/046/2015 10:46:53 - INFO - Device connected in flash mode
21/046/2015 10:46:54 - INFO - Opening device for R/W
21/046/2015 10:46:54 - INFO - Reading device information
21/047/2015 10:47:53 - ERROR - Error in processHeader : 22 : The device does not recognize the command.
21/047/2015 10:47:53 - ERROR - Error flashing. Aborted
21/047/2015 10:47:53 - INFO - Device disconnected

Did you find a solution, i have the exactly same problem

 

[luckyshan]

[Not yet.............Still trying.......I think tha author of thi post must help

 

[FullMetalGlicoz]

Hi!

First of all, thank you for sharing this post with us, I've found a general tutorial do to this, but it's very hard to follow and "convert" for my phone, this tutorial it's very easy and clear!

Only two little questions:
1) I've seen that /userdata partition start at point 1795, there is another partition that start at 0 point and end at 1794? It's OS partition?
2) I want to do this and install CM12 nightly (I've seen you wrote in that topic ), I need to expand /userdata partition before install CM12, or after?

 

[Kahana82]

this guide for stock kernel only, yes??

I did this with ThunderZap kernel when LP just came out in beta stage.
According to the original guide any kernel with CWM 6.0.4.6 or later will do.

Hi!

First of all, thank you for sharing this post with us, I've found a general tutorial do to this, but it's very hard to follow and "convert" for my phone, this tutorial it's very easy and clear!

Only two little questions:
1) I've seen that /userdata partition start at point 1795, there is another partition that start at 0 point and end at 1794? It's OS partition?
2) I want to do this and install CM12 nightly (I've seen you wrote in that topic ), I need to expand /userdata partition before install CM12, or after?

You're very welcome, glad it worked for you.
The numbers you see in my guide were from my phone, when I did the repartitionning. It could be that the partitions on other peoples phones are different. Userdata (/data) is partition number 31 for me and much of the 30 partitions before that are quite small in size, except for the /system partition. It is not 1 big partition in the begining on my phone.
Best is to do it before you install CM12. If you do it after you will have to take a backup of your /data partition and restore it after the resize.

[Not yet.............Still trying.......I think tha author of thi post must help

I'm trying to understand what went wrong, but honestly I'm a but out of my depth here.
It would help me to see how your partiton table looks like (like I asked in my previous post)
Also if from the start your partitions are different from mine, then the basic idea is to calculate the numbers for your phone's partitions and not to follow the commands blindly, which can end up messing things up if that's how it is.
The problem probably lies within the table not being ok.
Also try to unmount/remount your internal storage and format it in CWM recovery a few times, like zenaufa suggested a few posts back.