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Android Stuck At Booting

DamageIncM

Lurker
Dec 11, 2012
8
2
Hello there. I had already registered here quite a while ago, but I never really had anything to post. But now I have big problem. Also, sorry if this is not the right place to ask, I couldn't find a better category to put it under:

So, as the title says, my tablet's Android doesn't go past the boot-screen basically. The problem is, I NEED to get into the data because I have a bunch important text-files that have to do with my work. And no, unfortunately and stupidly enough they're not on the SD-card. Also, I can't boot into safe-mode cause this is Android 4 and it only allows safe-mode from being completely booted and then rebooting (as far as I know, and thanks for that change Google, makes a lot of sense...). Now, is there a way I can still make it boot into safe-mode or somehow sneak into the internal memory to just pry out the files? I couldn't care less about the rest, the device itself included. I'm fed up with Android and tablets, bunch of unresponsive, untactile, limited pieces of hardware and software.
Please help me out, so I can retrieve my files, hopefully still have my work, and perhaps even buy a laptop within a year or so.

Oh, I'll expand a little bit about what I've done with the thing; Generally, not much. The last thing I remember I did was UNINSTALL Avast cause it was in a loop or something. But I guess at the same time I made a security-risk and something bad probably happened. Before that, all I did was use an optimizer to minimize apps to start up after booting so it might not be as sluggish anymore. For the rest I've only been uninstalling apps here and there. Things I didn't need, things that were too large. The next thing is that it just doesn't go beyond the Android boot-screen anymore. How can that be if you don't really mess with anything?

Anyway, again, any help would be appreciated. I need these files... I need these files. I don't care how.


Greetings.
 
Why not? It's Android failing, the tablet is only the processor, no? Albeit a sluggish one.

But, as far as I understand, with Android 4 and up you can only choose to reboot into safe mode, not during boot like earlier versions. That's what I keep reading anyway. I've tried the way of holding down the volume-buttons, but apparently that's only for pre Android 4.

But download and recovery modes? How do I activate those? I'm sorry, I'm not familiar with all these modes. I'll look it up.

Edit: Hm, it didn't work the first time. Then I did something else and it asked "are you sure system recovery?", and then it turned off. But I think the battery is dead again, so I'll have to get the adapter.
Just wondering, what should I do at that point? I hope "recovery" doesn't mean the same as resetting and wiping the memory.
 
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Theyll be a divice specific button combo mate. Im not sure what you can do in those modes to retrieve anything, just wanted to know how broken the tab is.
Nah on my s3 theres a button combo at boot for safe mode. Its saved me a few times lol. And its not just a samsung thing because im using pretty raw android 4.2 just now and safemode works
 
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Well, if those modes could help the device connect to a PC for example, I'd be happy. From pictures I've seen it seems you go into a DOS-like interface, and if there are commands to browse files, or maybe even use software on a PC to interact with the tablet in that mode, that could work out.
 
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Why not? It's Android failing, the tablet is only the processor, no? Albeit a sluggish one.

It's unfair to judge a system when the hardware is bad. The quality of the hardware on cheap tablets is questionable, that's why they have no warranty. For example, Mac fans bash Windows for having bluescreen errors, but then many BSOD actually come from hardware faults. Macs and manufacturer assembled PCs dont get this as often as the cheaper DIY assmebled PCs because the hardware went through quality checks. In the same way, a cheap Android tablet is more likely to get a bootloop or other OS failings mainly because the OS and the hardware don't play nice. Each android device has its own version of Android optimized to it due to hardware set. For example, you can't flash the Android from an international S3 to the American version because of different processors. Each single device has Android tailored for it alone. So its a device failing, not an Android failing.

But, as far as I understand, with Android 4 and up you can only choose to reboot into safe mode, not during boot like earlier versions. That's what I keep reading anyway. I've tried the way of holding down the volume-buttons, but apparently that's only for pre Android 4.

But download and recovery modes? How do I activate those? I'm sorry, I'm not familiar with all these modes. I'll look it up.

Edit: Hm, it didn't work the first time. Then I did something else and it asked "are you sure system recovery?", and then it turned off. But I think the battery is dead again, so I'll have to get the adapter.
Just wondering, what should I do at that point? I hope "recovery" doesn't mean the same as resetting and wiping the memory.

What buttons does your phone have? Do you have a hardware home button? Hold the power and volume down key. Or power and volume up. If you have a hardware home button, include that in those combos.
 
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It seems to be Power + Vol. Up (rather than both volume-buttons) that gives me the question "Are you sure system recovery?". But how do I confirm? Cause it just continues to boot.

Also, apparently there are a bunch of features in that mode, including making a backup of the whole internal memory. But then, where does that backup go? Is that destination up to me?
 
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You have a backup option there? So that device probably came prerooted. Something must have messed up causing the bootloop. That's easier to happen on rooted devices. The backup goes to internal SD if I remember correctly. Not sure if it could go to external SD. Pop an sd card into the device and go to recovery mode then see if it gives you an option to backup to the card.
 
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No, I meant that I read somewhere what features it has, including a backup-feature apparently. But I had to press the power-button again to confirm to go into recovery-mode.

It was here where I found what options you had by the way: Get to know Android recovery mode | Little Green Robot (But note I have a tablet of course.)
But now, I'm not getting anything that looks like that. It now booted up rather quickly after showing an unusual loading-screen (I guess for the recovery-mode), and it looks like the default "desktop" you get when it's just new, and it has also switched to Dutch (default as well, I guess). Except when I go into File Browser, the files are still there. I would guess this is "safe mode", but it doesn't say that in the corner or anything. I'm really confused as to what happened and what mode this is. It did show a screen "downloading update" for a moment, which only lasted for like 2 seconds though.

In any case, I'm going to try to grab my files now I can (hopefully), after that I can experiment with this thing without a worry.

Thanks for all the response so far. :)
 
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No, I meant that I read somewhere what features it has, including a backup-feature apparently. But I had to press the power-button again to confirm to go into recovery-mode.

It was here where I found what options you had by the way: Get to know Android recovery mode | Little Green Robot (But note I have a tablet of course.)
But now, I'm not getting anything that looks like that. It now booted up rather quickly after showing an unusual loading-screen (I guess for the recovery-mode), and it looks like the default "desktop" you get when it's just new, and it has also switched to Dutch (default as well, I guess). Except when I go into File Browser, the files are still there. I would guess this is "safe mode", but it doesn't say that in the corner or anything. I'm really confused as to what happened and what mode this is. It did show a screen "downloading update" for a moment, which only lasted for like 2 seconds though.

In any case, I'm going to try to grab my files now I can (hopefully), after that I can experiment with this thing without a worry.

Thanks for all the response so far. :)

I only had experiences with Samsung devices so I couldn't really say for sure. When flashing and recovering system, the internal SD card didn't get touched in my experiences. Try backing them up this time. I use a cloud backup to Sugarsync so all my files are safe. You could try something like that.
 
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Yeah. Op the recovery youre talking about is a custom recovery that you wont have unless you installed it. Custom recovery lets you make a backup (nandroid) of the complete device, like you can on a pc.
Sounds like youve found safe mode though so thats good :)
Get your files then try to save the tab (if you want. If not, give it to me lol) by uninstalling that startup app you installed or if that fails, factory reset :thumbup:

If theres one good thing u can say about android though.. we have a great community when things go wrong? :p
 
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It's not that I absolutely hate Android, just look at what happens with it. Not just with me, I read way too many issues. I guess it's just in a too early state at this time. It makes me tend to want to go with Windows 8 on a much more laptop-like tablet next time. But it's not without reason that I went with brand ch34p0. Just a dumb mistake that I trusted it with my work-files rather than putting them on my PC, which is hooked up to multiple backup-drives.

That startup-app I mentioned, by the way, is part of that pretty well-known ES Explorer or something, or an extention of it. It's more of an optimization that it did I guess. But is it known to cause problems?

As for a cloud-based kind of deal, I've only used Dropbox. But I don't think it's the same as what you mean (chan), and it was simply for transfering files to my PC. Initially images and music, but I could/should probably use it for the work-files. Not sure why I didn't actually. Maybe I don't really trust uploading those files to a cloud.
 
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Yeah you may be right that non-mobile operating systems are more stable and would probably better for you but i bet theres proportionately more Windows help forums than for Android lol. But me, i exclusively use android. I dont even touch the laptop (i dont do anything really IMPORTANT though so i see your point there) it comes down to what CC says about using backup services on your mobile device (a windows device could get stolen, broken, lost the same as any mobile device)
as for the app. Ive never heard of it and i use and respect ES. Ill have a look man thanks :beer:
 
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"It's dead, Jim"


It's not that I absolutely hate Android, just look at what happens with it. Not just with me, I read way too many issues. I guess it's just in a too early state at this time.

Before you condemn Android out of hand completely, you might want to read our forum sticky about devices like this.
http://androidforums.com/android-lounge/631594-off-brand-phones-tablets-worth-low-cost.html

It's something that has Cherry Mobility software/firmware(?) on it. Model-number: ch34p0
Well, I guess that's the brand at the same time. It just doesn't show anything on the outside.
It does have "MADE IN CHINA" though :rolleyes: ... they usually at least manage that one.
 
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