[Q] Wipe Data/Factory Reset. What does it entail?

[Pharaoh2]

I am currently on CM10.1 and have been considering testing other ROMs for the Nexus 4. All ROM flash guidelines ask that I wipe everything and do a factory reset before I flash the ROM.

My question is does doing a data wipe permanently erase all data on the phone? Including installed apps, app data (game saves, whatapp chat logs, etc), SMS and Contact information, gallery files, wifi passwords, etc. Or is it just some ROM specific data. More importantly, if it is more than just ROM data, is this data gone forever or is it synced with the google cloud and is simply synced over the internet once the phone is setup with the correct google account again? If it is synced, what data is synced? I presume at least contact information is synced with the cloud but what about the rest.

I could find any clear information on what exactly wiping data entailed and what could be the expected unrecoverable losses possible. Also can I just take a backup of the data using some app (Titanium backup?)/nandroid backup and restore the data once the new ROM is installed?

 

[mumaster20]

Factory reset will, just as the name states, bring it back to the state is was when you first got it.
So yes, every app and data of it will be lost. This includes contacts, wifi passwords etc.
Your contacts, wifi passwords etc will be synced to the google servers, if you chose to do that when you set up your phone for the first time.

However, it will not wipe your sd card, so all your photos and music will be save.
I'd suggest you make a backup of your WhatsApp history, this way when you re-install it you will be prompted if you want to restore the messages from the backup.

Hope this helped!

EDIT: It is not suggested to restore data from a titanium backup, since this can generate problems.

 

[Pharaoh2]

Factory reset will, just as the name states, bring it back to the state is was when you first got it.
So yes, every app and data of it will be lost. This includes contacts, wifi passwords etc.
Your contacts, wifi passwords etc will be synced to the google servers, if you chose to do that when you set up your phone for the first time.

However, it will not wipe your sd card, so all your photos and music will be save.
I'd suggest you make a backup of your WhatsApp history, this way when you re-install it you will be prompted if you want to restore the messages from the backup.

Hope this helped!

EDIT: It is not suggested to restore data from a titanium backup, since this can generate problems.

Is there any difference between delete cache and data and doing a factory reset?

 

[mumaster20]

While doing a cache wipe, only files from the Cache partition are being deleted. These files were saved by your phone to use as cache. (Think of it as your browser history. if you wipe that, only certain files will be deleted, while the app itself won't be touched)

While doing a factory reset everything will be wiped, including the cache partition. Excluding the sdcard ofcourse.

 

[madhan116]

Factory reset will, just as the name states, bring it back to the state is was when you first got it.
So yes, every app and data of it will be lost. This includes contacts, wifi passwords etc.
Your contacts, wifi passwords etc will be synced to the google servers, if you chose to do that when you set up your phone for the first time.

However, it will not wipe your sd card, so all your photos and music will be save.
I'd suggest you make a backup of your WhatsApp history, this way when you re-install it you will be prompted if you want to restore the messages from the backup.

Hope this helped!

EDIT: It is not suggested to restore data from a titanium backup, since this can generate problems.

one we wiped our rom using any tool, is it possible to load the android os without installing any rom?

 

[mumaster20]

one we wiped our rom using any tool, is it possible to load the android os without installing any rom?

Ooh, old subject haha.
The android OS IS your rom, so to have a full stock android rom, like you had when you first turned on your nexus 4, you need to flash the factory image provided by Google. Link to factory images
If you dont know how to flash these files, efrant has a great guide on how to do this. Link to the guide

 

[madhan116]

thanks for ur info

Ooh, old subject haha.
The android OS IS your rom, so to have a full stock android rom, like you had when you first turned on your nexus 4, you need to flash the factory image provided by Google. Link to factory images
If you dont know how to flash these files, efrant has a great guide on how to do this. Link to the guide

first of all my product is not nexus.. its alwinner a10, i have not installed any custom ROM yet. only the stock ROM remains itself in my tablet now in this situation what will be the result of wiping rom??????? ( As i am a newbie this question arises)

 

[arffrhn]

first of all my product is not nexus.. its alwinner a10, i have not installed any custom ROM yet. only the stock ROM remains itself in my tablet now in this situation what will be the result of wiping rom??????? ( As i am a newbie this question arises)

By wiping rom, did you mean to wipe system off your device? If that is what you meant there, then your device won't boot after that because there is no OS installed. To clear your confusion factory reset only set your device back to the default settings when you buy it. Means it will wipe your downloaded apps, cache, saved data, contacts, messages etc.. Some stock recovery doesn't wipe your internal sd card when you performed factory reset (means all your pics and music are still there) while in some other erases all and you will be left with nothing..just like how you first received the device from store.

Further down, if you flashed any custom rom on your device and you do a factory reset. It won't wipe away the custom rom that you installed, it will only set it back to the rom default settings. To get it back to the stock manufacturer rom, you must flash the official rom released by your device manufacturer. I hope this will clear your confusion.

 

[madhan116]

thanks

By wiping rom, did you mean to wipe system off your device? If that is what you meant there, then your device won't boot after that because there is no OS installed. To clear your confusion factory reset only set your device back to the default settings when you buy it. Means it will wipe your downloaded apps, cache, saved data, contacts, messages etc.. Some stock recovery doesn't wipe your internal sd card when you performed factory reset (means all your pics and music are still there) while in some other erases all and you will be left with nothing..just like how you first received the device from store.

Further down, if you flashed any custom rom on your device and you do a factory reset. It won't wipe away the custom rom that you installed, it will only set it back to the rom default settings. To get it back to the stock manufacturer rom, you must flash the official rom released by your device manufacturer. I hope this will clear your confusion.

thanks for ur nice reply.. now it has wiped out my confusion
Anyhow now my problem is regarding flash, i dont know whether i could share here so included a link...
http://xdaforums.com/showthread.php?t=2542145&highlight=live+suit+flash+error

 

[arffrhn]

thanks for ur nice reply.. now it has wiped out my confusion
Anyhow now my problem is regarding flash, i dont know whether i could share here so included a link...
http://xdaforums.com/showthread.php?t=2542145&highlight=live+suit+flash+error

You're welcome. As for your query, I do not own that particular device so I can't help you with that. Sorry mate..

 

[shakta]

Factory reset will, just as the name states, bring it back to the state is was when you first got it.
So yes, every app and data of it will be lost. This includes contacts, wifi passwords etc.
Your contacts, wifi passwords etc will be synced to the google servers, if you chose to do that when you set up your phone for the first time.

However, it will not wipe your sd card, so all your photos and music will be save.

I am bumping the post instead of openning a new one - because it is the same question.

You wrote that Factory reset will not wipe Photos, Music etc.
Did you mean that if I saved it on external SD? Because in Nexus 4 there is no option to add SD card.

My question:
1. In my nexus 4, when doing factory reset - it erases EVERYTHING include Photos and music. so please help me understand.... cause I am confused. Does it reset everything or not?

2. In nexus 4, where is the option to Wipe data? I see only "Factory reset". In recovery console?
3. Any differences between Factory reset from the settings, to wipe data from Recovery?

thanks!

 

[arffrhn]

I am bumping the post instead of openning a new one - because it is the same question.

You wrote that Factory reset will not wipe Photos, Music etc.
Did you mean that if I saved it on external SD? Because in Nexus 4 there is no option to add SD card.

My question:
1. In my nexus 4, when doing factory reset - it erases EVERYTHING include Photos and music. so please help me understand.... cause I am confused. Does it reset everything or not?

2. In nexus 4, where is the option to Wipe data? I see only "Factory reset". In recovery console?
3. Any differences between Factory reset from the settings, to wipe data from Recovery?

thanks!

1. We do not have external sd in nexus 4. There are 2 types of recoveries; stock and custom. Stock recovery is what you get when flashing factory images while custom recoveries are twrp/cwm. In stock recovery, factory reset delete everything on your device. Everything in your internal as well. It will wipe clean your device. For custom recovery, it won't clear your internal sd storage so your photos/music/docs/backups are intact. It will only delete data partition which stores your downloaded apps. I hope you are clear on that now.

2. Factory reset=wipe data. In every recovery, it's the same.

3. No, it uses the same command so basically there is no difference. Depends on the recovery you use, factory reset on stock recovery deletes everything while on custom recovery sd card is still intact.

 

[shakta]

The answer that explained everything for me - is that there is a different between wiping data from Stock recovery to wiping from Custom, so now i get what you mean!

 

[ansarhassan4]

Error loading

Hi! I recently use CWM and use wipe data/factory rest but now My HTC Salas not loading till standby screen and get stuck in errors not responding and force close option please guide how to rescue my device?

 

[BMXJeff]

Hi! I recently use CWM and use wipe data/factory rest but now My HTC Salas not loading till standby screen and get stuck in errors not responding and force close option please guide how to rescue my device?

I would start by opening a new thread in the relevant section of this forum. You are hijacking a thread started well over a year ago and your issue has no relevance to the OP's issue.


Start here: http://xdaforums.com/

 

[monitorix]

Flash rom and keep apps and data

Hi. Is it possible not to factory reset/ wipe data when flashing a newer rom? The reason I am asking is because I want to flash Lollipop on my Note 3 as Samsung keeps forgetting to send it to me OTA or via Kies. But I don't want to lose all apps and data. Thanks in advance.

 

[Shawn.Killer]

By wiping rom, did you mean to wipe system off your device? If that is what you meant there, then your device won't boot after that because there is no OS installed. To clear your confusion factory reset only set your device back to the default settings when you buy it. Means it will wipe your downloaded apps, cache, saved data, contacts, messages etc.. Some stock recovery doesn't wipe your internal sd card when you performed factory reset (means all your pics and music are still there) while in some other erases all and you will be left with nothing..just like how you first received the device from store.

Further down, if you flashed any custom rom on your device and you do a factory reset. It won't wipe away the custom rom that you installed, it will only set it back to the rom default settings. To get it back to the stock manufacturer rom, you must flash the official rom released by your device manufacturer. I hope this will clear your confusion.

Hey. I have 1 question. I have pictures, music and videos on my Internal Memory, and I don't want to lose it (I didn't back it up anywhere and I don't have an SD card). Will Wipe Data/Factory Reset delete those stuff, or just apps, settings, etc?

I'm using S4 Mini i9192. I also have Philz Touch Recovery.

 

[arffrhn]

Hey. I have 1 question. I have pictures, music and videos on my Internal Memory, and I don't want to lose it (I didn't back it up anywhere and I don't have an SD card). Will Wipe Data/Factory Reset delete those stuff, or just apps, settings, etc?

I'm using S4 Mini i9192. I also have Philz Touch Recovery.

I have not used Clockwork recovery for a very long time now so I don't know how it works nowadays. But last I used it, factory reset in cwm (philz is a modified version of cwm) does not result in complete wipe. It will leave out the sd card partition. But like I said, it was very long time ago. Make a backup of them if it is really important. Well, in my opinion, everything needs backup. Even things in your computer needs a backup.

p/s: Try to ask this in S4 thread. Here, we (nexus 4 users) mostly use twrp as cwm is discontinued for quite some time now.

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk

 

[Shawn.Killer]

I have not used Clockwork recovery for a very long time now so I don't know how it works nowadays. But last I used it, factory reset in cwm (philz is a modified version of cwm) does not result in complete wipe. It will leave out the sd card partition. But like I said, it was very long time ago. Make a backup of them if it is really important. Well, in my opinion, everything needs backup. Even things in your computer needs a backup.

p/s: Try to ask this in S4 thread. Here, we (nexus 4 users) mostly use twrp as cwm is discontinued for quite some time now.

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk

Thanks, but did it delete your internal memory?

 

[arffrhn]

Thanks, but did it delete your internal memory?

No, it does not. But that was long before.

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk