Help How can I erase EVERYTHING on my phone SGS3

elkaiserr · Sep 17, 2014

I am looking to completely erase everything on my phone. I have gone into Philz Touch Recovery and did a wipe/factory reset. Then a clean wipe to install a nee ROM, wiped/formatted system, cache and dalvik. However, when I install the new ROM I still have folders left on my internal SGS3 drive.

I would like to completely remove all folders so I can start from fresh, just like it is out of the box. Can this be done?

I'm currently running CM 11 - M10.

Thanks in advance!

Madbat · Sep 17, 2014

elkaiserr said:
I am looking to completely erase everything on my phone. I have gone into Philz Touch Recovery and did a wipe/factory reset. Then a clean wipe to install a nee ROM, wiped/formatted system, cache and dalvik. However, when I install the new ROM I still have folders left on my internal SGS3 drive.

I would like to completely remove all folders so I can start from fresh, just like it is out of the box. Can this be done?

I'm currently running CM 11 - M10.

Thanks in advance!

Factory reset did wipe everything. Apps create folders as soon as you boot your phone. Factory reset/ format data, basically select every wipe option and your phone and apps will still create all necessary folders as soon as you boot up.

dmcjr22 · Sep 17, 2014

in order to complete stock you need to odin a factory image that you can download from sammobile. just make sure if you had updated to 4.3 or higher that you flash the correct os anything lower will brick your phone.

elkaiserr · Sep 17, 2014

Madbat said:
Factory reset did wipe everything. Apps create folders as soon as you boot your phone. Factory reset/ format data, basically select every wipe option and your phone and apps will still create all necessary folders as soon as you boot up.

Thank you for your help but you didn't understand what I meant. What I mean when I say I still have folders left is that in those folders I still have personal files (like photos, v

hatredg0d · Sep 17, 2014

Go into "mounts and storage", then click "format /data and /data/media (/sdcard)"

BynoUK · Sep 18, 2014

Yeah, a factory reset won't wipe the SD card, follow the advice above (or remove the SD card and format on a computer)

Madbat · Sep 18, 2014

BynoUK said:
Yeah, a factory reset won't wipe the SD card, follow the advice above (or remove the SD card and format on a computer)

I think he meant the internal sdcard.

svim · Sep 18, 2014

Flash drives used in our phones don't function the same way as conventional spinning-disk drives that are in our computers/laptops, making data completely unrecoverable isn't as simple. Encrypt your phone, then do a wipe/reset.
How Do I Securely Erase My Phone Before I Sell It?

elkaiserr · Sep 18, 2014

hatredg0d said:
Go into "mounts and storage", then click "format /data and /data/media (/sdcard)"

Thank you very much! Doing what you said solved the problem. I thought that by doing a factory reset, the location "data/" was being wiped and formatted, but apparently not.

Madbat · Sep 18, 2014

elkaiserr said:
Thank you very much! Doing what you said solved the problem. I thought that by doing a factory reset, the location "data/" was being wiped and formatted, but apparently not.

A factory reset in custom recovery is set to skip /data/media so you can keep your internal SD contents intact. I forgot about that.

elkaiserr · Sep 18, 2014

Madbat said:
A factory reset in custom recovery is set to skip /data/media so you can keep your internal SD contents intact. I forgot about that.

Thanks man! Good to know for next time I format my phone!

Help How can I erase EVERYTHING on my phone SGS3

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