System and user apps accidentally frozen

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zman519

Senior Member
Oct 27, 2010
2,240
255
the Land of Beer & Cheese
Thanks I'll give that a try and report the results.

Should a delete data/system/users/0/package-restrictions.xml from recovery mode adb and then reboot the system, or just delete the file with the phone booted and running?
 
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zman519

Senior Member
Oct 27, 2010
2,240
255
the Land of Beer & Cheese
I used TWRP to wipe /system /chache-Dalik /data & Format Data to wipe inturnal storage.

I flashed factory image zip from google to the pixel xl to try and wipe everything. Flashed LOS 17.1 for marlin 12/02/2020 https://download.lineageos.org/marlin and then wiped it all again before flashing Lineage 17.1 MicroG 2020 12/05 https://download.lineage.microg.org/marlin/.

And the apps are still frozen :eek: :unsure: how is this possible ? Help
 

hipunk

Member
Mar 10, 2018
26
22
Thank you! This is going into my must-have toolbox folder and will stay there as long as it works, thanks for all the saved time. 💎
 
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ismet470

Member
Jun 16, 2011
10
5
ZIP for unfreezing apps

For those, who accidentally frozen important system app: here quick solution without factory reset, reflashing and ADB
It automatically edits files as described in first post.

You should have unlocked bootloader. If no, ZIP useless because unlocking wipes all data.

Download both ZIP's and just flash them via custom recovery (TWRP / CWM)
If first gives error try second and vice versa. 2nd with mark "New" contains newer updater-binary that must be compatible with recent TWRP.

Then all apps will be unfrozen, so phone will boot.
Fix compatible with all Android versions.

UPD, 19.07.20: fix a bit updated, now should be even more compatible with modern recoveries.

tags: unfroze apps, auto-unfroze, defrost apps, unfreeze apps, 5596
thank you so much saved me :)
 
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Techguy777

Senior Member
May 24, 2018
1,515
427
Samsung Galaxy S10 Lite
Xiaomi Poco F3
Many many many thanks for this!! You saved me from countless hours restoring myphone after freezing a file in titanium , making the phone locked.
The new zip worked fantastic in galaxy s10 lite android 11 original rom.
Lol seriously I just started a restore because I froze a system services and got locked out of s10 lite android 11 and now I found this zip. Did you have one ui 3.1 titanium backup free system services?
 

sosimple

Senior Member
Aug 20, 2017
2,518
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Greece
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What do I do to get it to stop unfreezing all of my apps on reboot? It's permanently unfreezing everything every time I reboot
Sorry.. Didn't know this as i reboot very rarely.. Just test it now in galaxy s10lite and had the same.. If i reboot all my apps get unfrozen.. : (
I suppose something's is running in startup, we must find it and delete it. If i found out I'll post. If anyone already know please post it, thanks.

I don't have much time now, but i searched in the script. Possible files we should check :

run_program("/sbin/mount", "/data"); run_program("/sbin/busybox", "mount", "/data"); package_extract_file("unfreeze.sh", "/tmp/unfreeze.sh"); set_perm(0,0,0777, "/tmp/unfreeze.sh"); run_program("/tmp/unfreeze.sh", "unfreeze"); delete("/tmp/unfreeze.sh"); ui_print("----------------------"); ui_print("All apps was unfreezed"); ui_print("----------------------");

#!/sbin/sh

sed -i 's/enabled="false"/enabled="true"/g' /data/system/packages.xml
sed -i 's/enabled="2"/enabled="1"/g' /data/system/packages.xml
sed -i 's/enabled="3"/enabled="1"/g' /data/system/packages.xml
sed -i 's/enabled="2"/enabled="1"/g' /data/system/users/0/package-restrictions.xml
sed -i 's/enabled="3"/enabled="1"/g' /data/system/users/0/package-restrictions.xml
sed -i 's/enabled="2"/enabled="1"/g' /data/system/users/1/package-restrictions.xml
sed -i 's/enabled="3"/enabled="1"/g' /data/system/users/1/package-restrictions.xml
 

Techguy777

Senior Member
May 24, 2018
1,515
427
Samsung Galaxy S10 Lite
Xiaomi Poco F3
I think i found it. Tested in galaxy s10lite android 11. I delete data/system/users/0/package-restrictions.xml After reboot the file auto created again. My apps are still frozen this time.
Well you beat me to it I was on my way going through the package last night but I confess I was tired and getting lost in the system lol. So I went to bed and it just dawned on me now going on 7:00 tonight. Thank I'll try it
 
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Techguy777

Senior Member
May 24, 2018
1,515
427
Samsung Galaxy S10 Lite
Xiaomi Poco F3
I think i found it. Tested in galaxy s10lite android 11. I delete data/system/users/0/package-restrictions.xml After reboot the file auto created again. My apps are still frozen this time.
That's weird that you have a s10 lite to because there's not much development for them and than this thread it out dated and to have us both on here looking for the same thing lol. You were right it didn't work on the first reboot after deleting it but after I rebooted again apps stayed froze thanks
 
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sosimple

Senior Member
Aug 20, 2017
2,518
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Greece
www.youtube.com
That's weird that you have a s10 lite to because there's not much development for them and than this thread it out dated and to have us both on here looking for the same thing lol. You were right it didn't work on the first reboot after deleting it but after I rebooted again apps stayed froze thanks
For no phone there isn't much development any more.. With so many phones created day by day. But it's true that more expensive phones, has more development.. (I also have Galaxy tab s6, neither this has more development). Yes its strange 2 user of s10lite are in an old thread of another phone :)
I thought you redirected here by my thread in s10lite forum: https://xdaforums.com/t/solution-if...snt-boot-and-some-other-rooted-goods.4320897/
 
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Modify_inc

Senior Member
Dec 27, 2013
86
7
Will this unfreeze apps that were frozen using SD Maid or does it work only on apps frozen by Titanium? I'm curious if most apps with this capability use the same freezing method. Guess I'll find out soon enough but I won't be able to try it for a couple of days
 

ismet470

Member
Jun 16, 2011
10
5
This topic helped me a lot when I freeze apps and stuck on bootloop. Thank you so much.

Now I use Android 12 and frozen some apps, stuck on the logo tried this but didn't work. It seems that they changed packages.xml or something. I could not figure out how to unfreeze all packages so if you could help me I'd be appreciated so much. (If you're sure that this should work on A12 maybe something else caused the bootloop I just want to be sure.)
 

MrBrady

Senior Member
Oct 26, 2010
3,341
908
ZIP for unfreezing apps

For those, who accidentally frozen important system app: here quick solution without factory reset, reflashing and ADB
It automatically edits files as described in first post.

You should have unlocked bootloader. If no, ZIP useless because unlocking wipes all data.

Download both ZIP's and just flash them via custom recovery (TWRP / CWM)
If first throws error try second and vice versa. 2nd with mark "New" contains newer updater-binary that must be compatible with recent TWRP.

Then all apps will be unfrozen, so phone will boot.
Fix compatible with all Android versions.

Note: also you can somehow (ADB or filemanager in TWRP) delete file /data/system/0/package-restrictions.xml
More correct to edit that file which ZIP actually do, but deleting not harmful too.

tags: unfroze apps, auto-unfroze, defrost apps, unfreeze apps, 5596
This worked great on my old Nexus 6 running Lineage 19.1 (Android 12). Thank you!
 
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  • 52
    ZIP for unfreezing apps

    For those, who accidentally frozen important system app: here quick solution without factory reset, reflashing and ADB
    It automatically edits files as described in first post.

    You should have unlocked bootloader. If no, ZIP useless because unlocking wipes all data.

    Download both ZIP's and just flash them via custom recovery (TWRP / CWM)
    If first throws error try second and vice versa. 2nd with mark "New" contains newer updater-binary that must be compatible with recent TWRP.

    Then all apps will be unfrozen, so phone will boot.
    Fix compatible with all Android versions.

    Note: also you can somehow (ADB or filemanager in TWRP) delete file /data/system/0/package-restrictions.xml
    More correct to edit that file which ZIP actually do, but deleting not harmful too.

    tags: unfroze apps, auto-unfroze, defrost apps, unfreeze apps, 5596
    6
    READ AT THE END OF THIS POST FOR THE SOLUTION

    I accidentally used Titanium Backup's widget to frost all system and user apps, leaving mi phone in a infinite boot animation loop. I dont have aNandroid Backup and I would really love to solve this issue without flashing.

    I found at Titanium Backup's troubleshooting webpage that I could use this command with adb to solve my issue:
    Code:
    Type the following command (replace with /dbdata/system/packages.xml if you have a Samsung phone):
    busybox sed -n 's/<package name="\([^"]\+\)".*enabled="false".*/\1/p' /data/system/packages.xml | while read PKG; do pm enable "$PKG"; done

    but it just says: No such file or directory (yes, I changed /data to /dbdata as stated in the webpage)

    Any idea on how to solve this issue?
    Thank you!


    **EDIT:
    This is the way I managed to get my phone working again without having to flash or wipe:

    1. Boot in recovery mode and used adb pull command to extract "packages.xml" and "packages-more-backup.xml" from /data/system/
    2. Open both files with Wordpad and replaced all protection="2" or "3" lines to protection="1".
    3. Also, and very important, replaced all enabled="false" lines to enabled="true"
    4. Boot in recovery again and used adb to delete old "packages.xml" and "packages-more-backup.xml" files and push the new ones.
    5. Reboot and Voila!
    6. Boot once again in recovery mode and fix permissions to avoid any problem. :)

    Hope that this could be usefull to someone else having this horrible problem.
    Thank you all!
    2
    Many many many thanks for this!! You saved me from countless hours restoring myphone after freezing a file in titanium , making the phone locked.
    The new zip worked fantastic in galaxy s10 lite android 11 original rom.
    1
    For those, who accidentally frozen system app there is quicker solution without factory reset and ADB.
    It automatically edits files as described in first post.

    Just flash this ZIP through recovery and all apps will be unfrozen.
    Compatible with all Android versions.
    THANKS MAN!! i just signed up to say thanks! you just saved my life :highfive:
    1
    ZIP for unfreezing apps

    For those, who accidentally frozen important system app: here quick solution without factory reset, reflashing and ADB
    It automatically edits files as described in first post.

    You should have unlocked bootloader. If no, ZIP useless because unlocking wipes all data.

    Download both ZIP's and just flash them via custom recovery (TWRP / CWM)
    If first throws error try second and vice versa. 2nd with mark "New" contains newer updater-binary that must be compatible with recent TWRP.

    Then all apps will be unfrozen, so phone will boot.
    Fix compatible with all Android versions.

    Note: also you can somehow (ADB or filemanager in TWRP) delete file /data/system/0/package-restrictions.xml
    More correct to edit that file which ZIP actually do, but deleting not harmful too.

    tags: unfroze apps, auto-unfroze, defrost apps, unfreeze apps, 5596
    This worked great on my old Nexus 6 running Lineage 19.1 (Android 12). Thank you!