[GUIDE]Total Commander with Android ADB plugin

[shut_down]

I will present you plugin that will make your life with changing files, doing backup, providing logcat easier.
This is not my work, so do not ask me for inprovments, changing things ets. ​

Here is a link to author and his contact, so if you have any suggestion or bug - contact him. This plugin is for PC users.

Download Total Commander.
Downlaod Android ADB.​

Some general stuff from developer of this plugin:

Android ADB 7.2

The ultimate Android Total Commander file system plugin with extra features:

- Apps management (Install, Uninstall and Backup your apps, Add shortcut to launcher)
- APK icons and metadata with custom columns (does not download APK files to PC)
- Backup and Restore on ICS
- LogCat/BugReport/Dmesg (Copy file from folder), Shell
- Reboot menu with (Reboot, Hot Boot, Recovery, Download and Power Off)
- Screenshots (Copy file from .screenshot folder)
- Clipboard (set and get your device's clipboard)
- Multiple devices with device rename functionality (friendly name)
- Bookmarks and WiFi auto-connect
- Rooted, semi-rooted and non-rooted devices
- Full unicode support
- x32 and x64 support
- TC command line integration
- Background copy/move
- Owner and Group custom columns
- Full file system management (download/upload recursive directories, copy, delete, rename, move, edit, view, overwrite confirmation and more, chmod and chown preserveration)
- Copy/Move between 2 devices
- Set/Get file attributes/permissions - Change Attributes action in Total Commander
- ADB USB and wireless ADB (no need to install Android SDK)
- Auto mount support
- Debug logs
- Rich settings


Requirements:

- Enabled "Android debugging" on your device
- Device connected to USB with proper drivers (an ADB device must be listed in Windows Devices)
- WiFi ADB (a rooted device with the "WiFi ADB" app downloaded from Google Play)

How to install:



Open folder where you installed Total Commander (To me it was c:\totalcmd) and make directorium "Plugins" there. Enter it, and unpack content of adbplugin.zip there (this is from Android ADB download you did before). After that in Total Commander open Configuration>Options>Plugins then click on Configure beside F"ile system plugins (.WFX)." Then click on "Add", and browse to your "Plugin" folder. There will be two files: ADBPlugin.wfx (x86 version) and ADBPlugin.wfx64 (x64 version). Choose one that is same with version of Total Commander that you installed. Hit "Open". In next window hit "Ok". Go out of Configuration. And you are done.





Now we will run it.

Go to this dropdown menu from image and select Network Neighborhood, then duble click on ADB. If your phone is recognized there will be another "Folder" with Android icon and some numbers and letters. Double click on that too. And you entered your phone.






Some notices:



1. Do not mess around with files that you do not know what is it for.
2. I am not responsible if you mess up something. Like "I deleted modem folder, do not have nework anymore!!! I will kill the maker of this guide!". I am not pushing you to do anything, I am just made tutorial how to manage files on your System easier.



What you can do with this plugin:

Copy files to your internal/external memory;
Push apps in System/app;
Make backup;
Do a logcat;
Make screenshot;
Enter ADB shell...


If you do not have access to the System folder you will have to mount it in shell. Open .shell in this plugin and write this:

 mount -o rw,remount /dev/block/mmcblk0p1 /system

And hit enter.



Or if you want easy way for this, install this app.
Open it and hit Mount r/w, and then try again in Total Commander.



WARNING: DO NOT ERASE CUSTOM THINGS IN HERE, YOU WILL END UP WITH BRICKED PHONE. By that I mean folders that are not System, and some that you allready know that you should delete, copy or replace files there.



Lot of new users do not know to make a LOGCAT when some developers ask them to do it. It's purpose is to provide log that will help developer to find error that you have. So with this plugin it is easy to get it. How? Open folder named ".logcat" and copy txt file from there to your hard drive. And there you have it. Zip it, upload it and bring it to developer.


When you doubleclick ".power" you will get extended power commands, like reboot in download mode, reboot in recovery etc.

".screenshot" provide a screenshot of current screen content of your phone. It saves file where screenshots are saved when you use hardware buttons on phone too.





I will update this tutorial as it comes to my mind what could I add. I am open to suggestions too.

Most parts of this are written by me, and I am sorry if my english is not so good.

Feel free to hit thanks if this was helpful for you. I will not kill you for that.

 

[shut_down]

Reserved for future use.

 

[coolkillermax]

Attend... Good Job Brother, will take time study first...

 

[ManiacShri]

Reserved for future use.

nice work bro! :good:

 

[azzareuss]

Nice work :laugh: Svaka cast

 

[xessus]

dude this guide is gold... solid gold!!! tnx :victory:

 

[Bakisha]

Just to remind people that with this plugin you get much much more, esspecialy for rom coockers and modders, but i'll name just few:


-build-in editor work great with adb-plugin (ideal for quick build.prop editing)
-setting permissions from TC file menu
-compare directories, even within zip files (no need for manual unpacking and repacking when coocking rom)
-compare files (ideal for looking errors, no matter is it decompiled framework.res or build.prop)
-background operations for those long or multiple transfering
-multiple tabs save time when switching between dirs


I am TC user from times he was Window Commander, and i must say: he who learn how to use it to full potencial, will hate to open even "My Computer" icon when it's even simple copy-paste operation.

With this adb plugin, my experience with android file managment have come to a totaly new level...

And yeah, there is total commander for android too, free on play store.

 

[sufianhakim7]

TQ.

Sent from my GT-I9070 using xda app-developers app

 

[Nishad1982]

Backup & Restore via TC

Hi,
I am also a TC fan.
Have you ever used the Backup & Restore feature of ADB through TC? Please share your experiences. We can backup only the apps right? Can we make a system image of the phone? You know what I mean?

Just to remind people that with this plugin you get much much more, esspecialy for rom coockers and modders, but i'll name just few:


-build-in editor work great with adb-plugin (ideal for quick build.prop editing)
-setting permissions from TC file menu
-compare directories, even within zip files (no need for manual unpacking and repacking when coocking rom)
-compare files (ideal for looking errors, no matter is it decompiled framework.res or build.prop)
-background operations for those long or multiple transfering
-multiple tabs save time when switching between dirs


I am TC user from times he was Window Commander, and i must say: he who learn how to use it to full potencial, will hate to open even "My Computer" icon when it's even simple copy-paste operation.

With this adb plugin, my experience with android file managment have come to a totaly new level...

And yeah, there is total commander for android too, free on play store.

---------- Post added at 08:19 AM ---------- Previous post was at 08:13 AM ----------

What does "Backup and Restore on ICS" mean? IceCream Sandwitch?

 

[shut_down]

Hi,
I am also a TC fan.
Have you ever used the Backup & Restore feature of ADB through TC? Please share your experiences. We can backup only the apps right? Can we make a system image of the phone? You know what I mean?



---------- Post added at 08:19 AM ---------- Previous post was at 08:13 AM ----------

What does "Backup and Restore on ICS" mean? IceCream Sandwitch?

Hm, I never tried it. And it should be on IceCream Sandwitch. I check new version on its site, and it is still written ICS. I will try it when I get time.

 

[Bakisha]

Hi,
I am also a TC fan.
Have you ever used the Backup & Restore feature of ADB through TC? Please share your experiences. We can backup only the apps right? Can we make a system image of the phone? You know what I mean?



---------- Post added at 08:19 AM ---------- Previous post was at 08:13 AM ----------

What does "Backup and Restore on ICS" mean? IceCream Sandwitch?

When i tried backup option, it didn't work. But i'm on GB (i'll test it with ICS in the future).
For backups i use clockworkmod recovery, so that's why i don't use that option

If you want to backup apps, just copy /system/app or /data/app folder to other window in TC (and you can copy apk files to /system/app or /data/app - just make sure to give all apk files 644 permission)

Making system image of the phone, as you asked, can't be done so easily by just copy files to phone. It is not just files, but all files/folder have their permission value. Sinse there are hundreds folder/files to copy and set permissions individually, it is just not worth the time.
But if you have Clockworkmod or TeamWinRecoveryProject on your phone, making flashable zips is much easier.

I did manage to make flashable ROM this way by copying whole /system folder. Ofcorse, you can't just copy it back because of android/linux permission and symlink things - that's why custom ROMs come with updater-script who have commands to symlink busybox files and set permissions for files that needs them.

 

[Nishad1982]

I use TWRP for backups. I am just interested if TC can incorporate this functionality through ADB.
It would be a nice accomplishment.

When i tried backup option, it didn't work. But i'm on GB (i'll test it with ICS in the future).
For backups i use clockworkmod recovery, so that's why i don't use that option

If you want to backup apps, just copy /system/app or /data/app folder to other window in TC (and you can copy apk files to /system/app or /data/app - just make sure to give all apk files 644 permission)

Making system image of the phone, as you asked, can't be done so easily by just copy files to phone. It is not just files, but all files/folder have their permission value. Sinse there are hundreds folder/files to copy and set permissions individually, it is just not worth the time.
But if you have Clockworkmod or TeamWinRecoveryProject on your phone, making flashable zips is much easier.

I did manage to make flashable ROM this way by copying whole /system folder. Ofcorse, you can't just copy it back because of android/linux permission and symlink things - that's why custom ROMs come with updater-script who have commands to symlink busybox files and set permissions for files that needs them.

 

[Bakisha]

I use TWRP for backups. I am just interested if TC can incorporate this functionality through ADB.
It would be a nice accomplishment.

I don't think TC adb plugin can handle CWM/TWRP backups. Or i am not aware of it...
Would be nice feature for sure...

 

[mc_front]

Just to share my experience...

I found this thread because I was looking for a fast way to mirror my Nexus 5's storage without using the ADB shell to handle a single dir at a time. The MTP xfer is (a) slow and (b) fails to copy LOTS of stuff from the SD card (TiBu's backup directory, various app data folders that the apps have tried to protect, etc). I also wanted to get the CMWR partition backups off of the phone in case I bricked the thing while reinstalling a factory image.

I installed Total Commander and the ADB plugin, replaced all the plugin's binaries with the latest versions from the android SDK, and crossed my fingers. It works pretty well! I am getting about 5MB/s pulling from the phone. That's twice as fast as with MTP (plus I can pull from /data/media/) and three times as fast as using Root Explorer to copy to a mounted windows share via SMB (the only solution I'd found prior -- and still a decent solution if there's wifi but no USB available).

I still wish I knew a way to get some full-speed USB2/3 or WIFI file transfers happening.

 

[LS89]

i got a error when i try to copy file to my phone with TC
said please remove write protect
anyone know what's wrong?

i can adb push file to anywhere of my phone (/sdcard/ ,/system/....)

 

[wernerml]

(sorry for the previous swearing language... gonna repeat politely):

SO.... I can't understand.... WHY
OH MY GOD...
WHY on EARTH this isn't the MOST DISCUSSED / IMPROVED / UPDATED feature on the entire Android WORLD?

can anyone explain it ?
WHY on EARTH are people still using /COMMAND-LINE ADB for copying files ?
I can't understand it....
It stopped working here.... I'm sad....

Also, the BEST PROGRAM OF ALL ---> Beyond Compare stopped working too...
I used like 20 times a day, to synchronize my PC files between my 32gb sd card (it's BY FAR, the MOST USEFUL TOOL OF ALL)
I think it's a Driver issue.... (but in this case I have to put the blame on Motorola and/or Windows....)

 

[d00m178]

it stopped working for me after some FW update (5.1.1)
constantly drop off connection, also when I copy some files it is possible that several files didn't copied..
I didn't chahnge any drivers etc. just FW.
since that time it works very bad via Total Commander.
I've heard that this plugin (and ADB itself) is not for sync data - what does it mean ? It is not for copying files from/to phone ?

 

[meo]

wrong thread place

This thread is definitiv in the wrong place !! - It needs to bee in Android General Thread !
I use this Plugin in Total Comander for two years - its the best

 

[wernerml]

it's indeed (BY FAR) one of the most amazing PC Tool for Android!

 

[Suncatcher16]

Shortcuts

Does anybody know how to create shortcuts to files/folders with this plugin?