Help Sytem Recovery Screen -understanding it.

[x432hz]

I need help understanding the System Recovery Screen in general. I spent a lot of time reading up on this but it's not being explained in detail, so sorry if I missed it.

I just got to the point where I'm understanding My Phone and the Froyo installed on it, and now the phone is trying to make me update to Gingerbread on it's own. (I have already read the posts), but I have been reading for the past few weeks and was about to install that mod "DarkTremor A2SD" to take care of my low space issue, but I don't even understand yet what I'm looking at exactly in this screen. So I need this basic info first to feel safe going on with any complicated changes.

I have done Factory Data Reset's before through the menu (Settings/Privacy/Factory Data Reset), and also learned on my own that holding down Volume Up + Power gets you into the System Recovery Screen, and I can just click on Wipe Data/Factory Reset and have it do the same thing.

Going by the screenshot below:

My Questions:
1) apply sdcard:update.zip - What does this do, what and where is this update.zip file (i don't see it on my sdcard)

2) When I am doing a Factory Data Reset, where is the Device reading from, I mean, is there a seperate internal partition set aside for this.

3) wipe cache partition - What does this do/what is it used for.

4) In the Photo above, the path E: - where is this, in the phone? (internal)

5) When holding down Volume (up/down-don't remember), Camera and then Power buttons, it puts me into a download mode, what is this and what does it do?

I have the Boost Samsung Galaxy Prevail/Rooted with Froyo.EE14, Superuser installed (via root process), and just recently did a Factory Data Reset, put in my account info, did not connect to market yet, did not install any of my purchased apps yet (Titanium Backup PRO, Superuser Elite, Super Manager, ROM Manager, just to name a few + much more)

I also have the android-sdk-tools and eclipse installed on my xp-pc.

The phone said it downloaded the Gingerbread update and keeps nagging me to update/install it, but I'm not ready. -I wanted to backup my system Rom, but even though I have the tools/apps to do so, I don't even know how yet. I still don't understand how to use Odin yet either (screen is confusing)

Sorry if I am going off topic here, I'm just being bombarded with information but need to understand the basics first.

Thanks everyone.

 

[new optimus]

I need help understanding the System Recovery Screen in general. I spent a lot of time reading up on this but it's not being explained in detail, so sorry if I missed it.

I just got to the point where I'm understanding My Phone and the Froyo installed on it, and now the phone is trying to make me update to Gingerbread on it's own. (I have already read the posts), but I have been reading for the past few weeks and was about to install that mod "DarkTremor A2SD" to take care of my low space issue, but I don't even understand yet what I'm looking at exactly in this screen. So I need this basic info first to feel safe going on with any complicated changes.

I have done Factory Data Reset's before through the menu (Settings/Privacy/Factory Data Reset), and also learned on my own that holding down Volume Up + Power gets you into the System Recovery Screen, and I can just click on Wipe Data/Factory Reset and have it do the same thing.

Going by the screenshot below:

My Questions:
1) apply sdcard:update.zip - What does this do, what and where is this update.zip file (i don't see it on my sdcard)

2) When I am doing a Factory Data Reset, where is the Device reading from, I mean, is there a seperate internal partition set aside for this.

3) wipe cache partition - What does this do/what is it used for.

4) In the Photo above, the path E: - where is this, in the phone? (internal)

5) When holding down Volume (up/down-don't remember), Camera and then Power buttons, it puts me into a download mode, what is this and what does it do?

I have the Boost Samsung Galaxy Prevail/Rooted with Froyo.EE14, Superuser installed (via root process), and just recently did a Factory Data Reset, put in my account info, did not connect to market yet, did not install any of my purchased apps yet (Titanium Backup PRO, Superuser Elite, Super Manager, ROM Manager, just to name a few + much more)

I also have the android-sdk-tools and eclipse installed on my xp-pc.

The phone said it downloaded the Gingerbread update and keeps nagging me to update/install it, but I'm not ready. -I wanted to backup my system Rom, but even though I have the tools/apps to do so, I don't even know how yet. I still don't understand how to use Odin yet either (screen is confusing)

Sorry if I am going off topic here, I'm just being bombarded with information but need to understand the basics first.

Thanks everyone.

All very good questions, lets look at them one at a time

1) apply sdcard:update.zip - What does this do, what and where is this update.zip file (i don't see it on my sdcard)
Ok this is if you downloaded an update to the phone, such as the new gingerbread and had it on your sd card(such as transferred it from your pc)
That would be the only time you would need that.

2) When I am doing a Factory Data Reset, where is the Device reading from, I mean, is there a seperate internal partition set aside for this.
There is no other internal partition, and the term factory reset is misleading. What this does is format your data and cache partitions to erase everything in them, it does not touch the /system partition as unrooted you would not have access to those it expects them to already be factory.
What that means is if you deleted bloatware and then did a factory reset expecting to get the bloatware back your out of luck.

3) wipe cache partition - What does this do/what is it used for.
your cache is where everything is downloaded to, before it gets installed or otherwise used. it is just the catch all place. This also applies to tmp folders for apps to run. And again on an unrooted phone you have no access to this except in the recovery menu.
Lets say you have a program that did not download correctly and you want to download it again sometimes because its shown as already there it wont work so you need to wipe it out to start clean.

4) In the Photo above, the path E: - where is this, in the phone? (internal)
This I am less sure of, I would guess that like a computer your partitions are seen as different drives with drive letters, and in this case E would be the recovery drive letter.

5) When holding down Volume (up/down-don't remember), Camera and then Power buttons, it puts me into a download mode, what is this and what does it do?
Ok this is the important question really. That downloading screen is where you need to be to use odin.
And it vol down cam/ and power

 

[x432hz]

Thanks a lot, this all really helps in understanding things more. To my first question about 1) apply sdcard:update.zip - this has always been there, even before my current gingerbread update download, but I only entered the recovery screen after I rooted my phone (not that it matters) does this mean there is something present, or is it just there and will look for something if I click on it, regardless.

 

[new optimus]

Thanks a lot, this all really helps in understanding things more. To my first question about 1) apply sdcard:update.zip - this has always been there, even before my current gingerbread update download, but I only entered the recovery screen after I rooted my phone (not that it matters) does this mean there is something present, or is it just there and will look for something if I click on it, regardless.

It will look for update.zip on the sd if you press it. If you do not have update.zip it will tell you not found I believe.

This recovery is on the phone from the factory, froyo and gingerbread.

If you get the clockworkmod recovery, as seen here
http://androidforums.com/galaxy-pre...od-v5-0-2-6-file-system-recovery-utility.html

That will overwrite the stock recovery and it has many many more options, and its overall a much better recovery.

 

[Riotpump]

It will look for update.zip on the sd if you press it. If you do not have update.zip it will tell you not found I believe.

This recovery is on the phone from the factory, froyo and gingerbread.

If you get the clockworkmod recovery, as seen here
http://androidforums.com/galaxy-pre...od-v5-0-2-6-file-system-recovery-utility.html

That will overwrite the stock recovery and it has many many more options, and its overall a much better recovery.

Cosign with the above CWM > Stock recovery.

 

[x432hz]

ok. got it now. fully understood.

thanks guys.

 

[x432hz]

Since I now got that down, I have moved on via your advice, and your right, and I love it. I have just installed the ClockWorkMod v5.0.2.6 for Samsung Prevail SPH-M820 by Hroark, but have new questions, I thought I would continue it here, I do not see any of this covered in detail anywhere, so I am asking.

I'm going to post the picture of the new screen (compared to the above/stock screen) so that anyone who is new can see it for themselves to follow along better if they are reading this:

QUESTION 1: Can you explain what this menu does:

QUESTION 2: Can you explain what this menu does:

QUESTION 3: I did a "Nandroid Backup" after I installed CWM, because I was told I should do so, and that is completely understood, but I would simply like to understand the files that were created. The backup made a folder on my SDCard and these files are in there now, oviously my backup that was just made, but I want to understand what each of the files are:

Thanks everyone. Hope this helps somebody else.

 

[Koumajutsu]

Since I now got that down, I have moved on via your advice, and your right, and I love it. I have just installed the ClockWorkMod v5.0.2.6 for Samsung Prevail SPH-M820 by Hroark, but have new questions, I thought I would continue it here, I do not see any of this covered in detail anywhere, so I am asking.

I'm going to post the picture of the new screen (compared to the above/stock screen) so that anyone who is new can see it for themselves to follow along better if they are reading this:


QUESTION 1: Can you explain what this menu does:


QUESTION 2: Can you explain what this menu does:


QUESTION 3: I did a "Nandroid Backup" after I installed CWM, because I was told I should do so, and that is completely understood, but I would simply like to understand the files that were created. The backup made a folder on my SDCard and these files are in there now, oviously my backup that was just made, but I want to understand what each of the files are:



Thanks everyone. Hope this helps somebody else.

Here's a bunch of info: What Is ClockworkMod Recovery And How To Use It On Android [Complete Guide]

The mount menu mounts and unmounts the named partitions. this is sometimes needed for installing custom scripts or mods that for one reason or another cannot mount the partitions themselves during installation.

The advanced menu has 2 options that people are likely to use, Wipe dalvik cache, and partition sdcard.
the dalvik cache is the cache that is within the dalvik java virtual machine.
Partition SDcard does like it says, partitions the SDcard into Vfat and an EXT4 partition (refered to as sd-ext)

The rest most people will never need, they are mostly used when development debugging

 

[x432hz]

That's what I'm talkin about. Details.
Thankyou for the "bunch of info" Link.