Root Unpartition SD Card

[buff12db]

Can someone please explain how to unpartition an SD Card?

 

[BlueDC2]

Assuming your still on Amons RA

1. Boot into recovery
2. Select the 'Wipe' option
3. Select 'Wipe SD Card Partition'
4. Press trackball to confirm
5. Reboot

I've never done this, but im 99% sure that's how you do it. Maybe wait for someone else to confirm. (Worried it would wipe your recovery partition...idk)

 

[buff12db]

Your my boy Blue. Thanks! Anyone else care to chime in? Please!

 

[andrizoid]

thats it.
remember that if your using a2sd and have apps saved that they will be wiped. when you boot up again yuo wont have any of those apps

 

[erisuser1]

I think you guys might be trying to do this from memory - that's not it.

The Amon_RA recovery ("Wipe" sub-menu) entry "Wipe SD:ext partition" only deletes the files that are there - it does not change the partitioning of the card.

I think the latter is what the OP was asking.

If you want to un-partition the card, use the "Partition sdcard" menu, and select "Partition SD".

When it asks you for the size of the swap and ext partitions, enter a value of zero for both; it will then re-partition the entire card as VFAT/FAT32.

Note for the OP: Back your entire SD card up to the PC before you start! Re-partitioning destroys everything on the SD card

eu1

 

[MJL]

+1 with what eriruser1 said.

You can also use windows disk management to format your card and remove the partition, which is what I did. But using the recovery menu this way would be easier.

 

[BlueDC2]

Your my boy Blue. Thanks! Anyone else care to chime in? Please!

Reminds me of the movie old school...thanks for the new avatar

 

[karib]

I think you guys might be trying to do this from memory - that's not it.

The Amon_RA recovery ("Wipe" sub-menu) entry "Wipe SD:ext partition" only deletes the files that are there - it does not change the partitioning of the card.

I think the latter is what the OP was asking.

If you want to un-partition the card, use the "Partition sdcard" menu, and select "Partition SD".

When it asks you for the size of the swap and ext partitions, enter a value of zero for both; it will then re-partition the entire card as VFAT/FAT32.

Note for the OP: Back your entire SD card up to the PC before you start! Re-partitioning destroys everything on the SD card

eu1

I followed your directions and now I have lost most apps/widgets and the ability to go into the market to reinstall them. What did I do wrong and how do I fix it? Thanks in advance

 

[erisuser1]

I followed your directions and now I have lost most apps/widgets and the ability to go into the market to reinstall them. What did I do wrong and how do I fix it? Thanks in advance

Hi Karib,

I infer from your post that you were trying to unpartition your SD card for some reason.

(Before I say anything further, I should point out that partitioning your SD card destroys your ability to retrieve 100% of the data formerly on the card - both the FAT32 and extN partitions, and that backups should always be made before partitioning)


There are several valid reasons why someone might want to do this:

- They partitioned their SD card, anticipating that they might want to enable apps2sd on any one of many 2.1 ROMs... but never did so, any simply want to reclaim the "wasted" space on the SD card, -or-

- They are anticipating making a transition from a 2.1 ROM to a 2.2 ROM (all of which are incompatible with partitioned SD cards iirc).

I don't know if you fit into either category, since you didn't mention why you were unpartitioning your SD card, nor which ROM you were using, nor whether you had enabled apps2sd on the 2.1 ROM you were using.

Based on the symptoms that you describe, though, I would guess you were using a 2.1 dev ROM, and that it (additionally) had apps2sd enabled. That would explain why your apps would (first) disappear - because you erased them, and then also why the market would appear to be broken - because a 2.1 ROM w/apps2sd enabled needs an ext partition to be present for the Market to download apps to your phone.

But I am speculating here - I don't remember what the past history of your phone has been. Where were you (what ROM and apps2sd status), and what were you trying to accomplish when you unpartitioned your SD card?

As far as fixing the problem(s) you are experiencing goes, you can either:

- load a 2.2 ROM, or
- reload from scratch the 2.1 ROM you were using (so that apps2sd is not running)
- figure out how to turn off apps2sd in the ROM with the current troubles, or
- Put the ext partition back on to the SD card.

HTH.

eu1

 

[karib]

OK. First of all, let my say that you are incredibly smart and intuitive I did flash Plain Jane V2.0 with ap2sd. I wanted to undo the partition because I am switching phones soon and will not be flashing a ROM with ap2sd. This is me not really knowing what I'm doing and it shows at times like this I thought if I put a partitioned sd card in my new phone that it would not work... So I did what I did to "fix it" , lol. Anyways, I had done a nandroid backup once I flashed Plain Jane and had everything as I wanted it, but only once. I did try restore with that and I couldn't. Keep in mind that I had never done that either. I have Titanium backup as well, and thought I was covered by that... not so much since I couldn't get into the market to reinstall it! Anyways, I ended up reflashing Plain Jane and that didn't work either, so I just unrooted the phone. Everything is back to normal now with exception of not being rooted. Hoping to get a new Samsung Fascinate sometime this week. Thank you so much for the lengthy answer and trying to help me, I really appreciate it!!

 

[pkopalek]

OK. First of all, let my say that you are incredibly smart and intuitive I did flash Plain Jane V2.0 with ap2sd. I wanted to undo the partition because I am switching phones soon and will not be flashing a ROM with ap2sd. This is me not really knowing what I'm doing and it shows at times like this I thought if I put a partitioned sd card in my new phone that it would not work... So I did what I did to "fix it" , lol. Anyways, I had done a nandroid backup once I flashed Plain Jane and had everything as I wanted it, but only once. I did try restore with that and I couldn't. Keep in mind that I had never done that either. I have Titanium backup as well, and thought I was covered by that... not so much since I couldn't get into the market to reinstall it! Anyways, I ended up reflashing Plain Jane and that didn't work either, so I just unrooted the phone. Everything is back to normal now with exception of not being rooted. Hoping to get a new Samsung Fascinate sometime this week. Thank you so much for the lengthy answer and trying to help me, I really appreciate it!!

From a long time Eris user and Samsung Fascinate user

The Fascinate
-is the ONLY Galaxy S phone to still not have Froyo - and it is unkonwn when that will even happen. The software on the phone is CRIPPLING and ugly. Not nice at all, and Bing is the main search, not Google. Requires some hacking to change that.
-the GPS antenna is AWFUL, it takes 30 seconds to 2 minutes to get a GPS lock in situations where the Eris will literally take 5-10 seconds. Regularly (I have them right next to each other every day)
-The cell antenna sucks. Usually 12-18dBm less reception than the Eris, Incredible, Droid X, Droid, Droid 2, and almost any other phone around. This is from setting them side by side and testing them (I got my company to get 19 android phones, so I had an opportunity to test all of the newer phones, side by side). The reception is awful. Frequently, I lose 3g reception (1x only available) in places where I NEVER have/never do (like the office, or out by the Doctor's office... or loses reception altogether)
-There is NO status indicator light. No LED, no trackball. Nothing. You are forced to light up the phone to see if there is a notification. This is a sad thing, for an Android phone. It's not an iPhone. it's supposed to have a visual indicator.

That being said, the screen is amazing.

4" is the perfect size, and the SAMOLED is perfectly visible even in broad daylight, when other phones aren't.

The processor and graphics are just as fast as any on the market. (they say it's faster, but the software CRIPPLES the processor speed with random hangups and not having JITs (android 2.2)... so it FEELS slower than the incredible and droid x sometimes, but hopefully that will change. So even the incredibly fast processor and graphics aren't really all they're cut out to be.

If I could go back, I'd get an Incredible or Droid X.

For my personal phone, I'm just going to wait until next year, when the Incredible HD (or whatever 4.3" htc winds up being) and the Verizon 4g LTE network is in full swing.

Good luck with your choice. I regretted getting a Fascinate. I still use the Eris more often for a) reception reasons b) the UI of senseUI blows TouchWiz away (even using adw or launcherpro is not as good as senseui) and c) I know when I get texts/calls (because it has an LED indicator and a trackball).

 

[Podivin]

Nice to see an Eris favorably compared to another phone.

 

[karib]

From a long time Eris user and Samsung Fascinate user

The Fascinate
-is the ONLY Galaxy S phone to still not have Froyo - and it is unkonwn when that will even happen. The software on the phone is CRIPPLING and ugly. Not nice at all, and Bing is the main search, not Google. Requires some hacking to change that.
-the GPS antenna is AWFUL, it takes 30 seconds to 2 minutes to get a GPS lock in situations where the Eris will literally take 5-10 seconds. Regularly (I have them right next to each other every day)
-The cell antenna sucks. Usually 12-18dBm less reception than the Eris, Incredible, Droid X, Droid, Droid 2, and almost any other phone around. This is from setting them side by side and testing them (I got my company to get 19 android phones, so I had an opportunity to test all of the newer phones, side by side). The reception is awful. Frequently, I lose 3g reception (1x only available) in places where I NEVER have/never do (like the office, or out by the Doctor's office... or loses reception altogether)
-There is NO status indicator light. No LED, no trackball. Nothing. You are forced to light up the phone to see if there is a notification. This is a sad thing, for an Android phone. It's not an iPhone. it's supposed to have a visual indicator.

That being said, the screen is amazing.

4" is the perfect size, and the SAMOLED is perfectly visible even in broad daylight, when other phones aren't.

The processor and graphics are just as fast as any on the market. (they say it's faster, but the software CRIPPLES the processor speed with random hangups and not having JITs (android 2.2)... so it FEELS slower than the incredible and droid x sometimes, but hopefully that will change. So even the incredibly fast processor and graphics aren't really all they're cut out to be.

If I could go back, I'd get an Incredible or Droid X.

For my personal phone, I'm just going to wait until next year, when the Incredible HD (or whatever 4.3" htc winds up being) and the Verizon 4g LTE network is in full swing.

Good luck with your choice. I regretted getting a Fascinate. I still use the Eris more often for a) reception reasons b) the UI of senseUI blows TouchWiz away (even using adw or launcherpro is not as good as senseui) and c) I know when I get texts/calls (because it has an LED indicator and a trackball).

Way to burst my bubble...lol. I was going back and forth between the SF, Dinc and DX. I just don't much care for the form factor of the DX, its a little to big and heavy for me. Minor complaint, but I thought if I could root and load a new ROM on the SF that I could be happy with it??? I love how sexy the phone is. And the screen is the perfect size and so vibrant as you mentioned. I guess if I'm unhappy with it I can always trade it in for a Dinc. This is an annual upgrade for me and I'm paying out the ass for this phone, so I definitely want/need to be happy with my choice. The whole rooting process seems a little more confusing to me with the SF as well (compared to the eris anyways). I'm not super techy so its a little scary for me. Hopefully I don't muck it up