help me remove manufacturer-installed bloatware

[loopyjoe]

My wife has this Chinese-made Polatab Q10.1 tablet and it seems it came with a lot of nasty stuff pre-installed which I can't get rid of. Random apps install themselves out of the blue. malwarebytes found 7 problems but could only solve 2 of them. I am an experienced pc user but I'm new to tablets. I have done a lot of research and tried a lot of suggested solutions but nothing works. I'm not even sure if the device is actually technically "rooted" or not so I'm not sure I'm posting in the right place. I suspect rooting will be involved in the solution at some point, though. I'd like someone to walk me through a solution step by step and make the tablet usable. There is no data on the tablet that we would care about losing.

About tablet:
model number V11
processor type quadcore-A33
android version 4.4.2
firmware version v2.0
kernel version 3.4.39
ytx@Android #690
Tue Dec 8 12:25:46 CST 2015
build number RFY_y3_eng 4.4.2 KVT 49L 20151208 test-keys

Some things I've tried include supersu, hard reset, safe mode, avast, universal unroot, titanium backup, root checker, es file explorer, total commander...

malwarebytes found and couldn't delete:

Android/Trojan.Coudw.a
/system/app/com.android.popup.apk

Android/Trojan.Coudw.a
/system/app/CloudService.apk
(Google Calendar Plugin Service)

Android/Trojan.Coudw.a
/system/app/com.google.android.rss.apk
(Google Plugins Service)

Android/Trojan.Clicker.CB
/system.app/com.mnbv.poiu766.apk
(Phone)

Android/Trojan.Spy.Agent.YQ
/system.priv-app/YouTube.apk
(YouTube)

One thing that may help is that I am apparently "already a developer" ? Regardless, I hope someone can help get this working for my wife - she only wants it for ebooks and comics!

 

[Hadron]

Can you "disable" those apps (Settings > Apps, then show all apps, find the app, click on it and look for a disable button). If you can that should stop it doing anything malicious.

If not the device will need to be rooted. Those apps are all installed on the system partition, and you can't uninstall them without root. This implies that the manufacturer made the device with malware installed, including modified versions of Google apps, which is very bad. Stuff like safe mode didn't help because that only stops user-installed apps.

So what did the root checker tell you about whether it was rooted? Some of the other things (such as Titanium) require root, so should have told you if you were not rooted.

Unfortunately rooting methods are generally specific to the device, which may make this tricky. What. Android version is it running? Newer versions tend to be harder.

 

[loopyjoe]

So I just switched the tablet on, and there's a little window that looks like a facebook notification. Facebook is not installed. I click the little 'x' to close it and a browser opens at smartdrone.com . This device is messed up.

In settings/apps/all the "Force stop" and "Disable" options are greyed out for those apps. So I guess it does need rooting.

I should have said before, Root Checker says "Sorry! Root access is not properly installed on this device." Does that mean it's improperly installed?

It's Android version 4.4.2 - KitKat

Oh, and I had to reinstall Root Checker just now as I'd uninstalled everything I'd previously installed. I had to wait as the installation was "pending" as apparently it was updating "Google".

You can see why I need help. I'm glad I've got Ace on the case. "What a guy."

 

[Jfalls63]

I had a Polatab Elite 10.1 a few years ago when I first got into Android and was just learning about what you can and can't modify.
Rooted the tablet with KingoRoot and I think I remember KingoRoot saying that root was already present before I started the root process.
You mentioned that you tried SuperSu, what happened when you installed and opened the app?

 

[loopyjoe]

Hi Jfalls, nice to have your input. I saw a thread where you helped someone and it encouraged me to post here.

SuperSU says: "SU Binary occupied." So that means it's rooted? (you can see why I was confused)

One correction to my original post: I did not actually try Universal Unroot because I was not confident about putting my bank card details into the tablet the way it is.

 

[Jfalls63]

To properly have root access, there needs to be super user app to control and grant access to other apps and processes that need root privilege. I thought maybe SuperSu would prompt you to let it install it's binary.
At the time I used KingoRoot, it was still easy to remove their super user and replace it with SuperSu. Almost impossible now with newer version. You might be installing more junk that you can't get rid of.
You could try Towel root. Safe and doesn't install any crap. Works on most devices running 4.4.2

 

[Hadron]

4.4.2 is good news here: these rooting apps just don't work on a modern Android version, but at least there are things you can try with that.

 

[loopyjoe]

Where should I get towel root from? And what version?

Can't download from towelroot.com on tablet, I get "download unsuccessful"

Tried towelroot.com on pc and both firefox and chrome and complain about the security of the site.

I downloaded and installed towel root (from https://towelroot.en.uptodown.com/android ), pressed "make it rain", got the message "This phone isn't currently supported".

Odd thing about this version, it says it's version 1 (in filename and on website) but when I run it it says "welcome to towelroot v2" ? If towelroot.com is the genuine site, it mentions v3. Other google results suggest v4, v5. Don't know what to trust.

And when I try downloading firefox or chrome on the tablet it says it doesn't have enough room - settings say I have 7.94 out of 7.98GB available!

Oh look, a window just popped up, completely white except for the following: "com.android.popup.MainActivity" at the top; the number "1000"; the word "start" in a grey rectangle, looks like a button, don't worry I won't be pressing it.

 

[Jfalls63]

Towelroot by Geohot is the real deal but looks like he let his site security certificate expire.
https://towelroot.com
This is where I have downloaded from before. Your device may not be supported but thought it would be worth a shot.
I had used the PC version of KingoRoot on my Polatab.
Thing to remember when dealing with a off brand device is that if it bricks, there is no bringing it back to life. I couldn't find firmware or a way to flash it after I killed mine. Took it to the rifle range and turned it into a hundred yard target.

 

[loopyjoe]

Would you advise adding an exception in firefox to bypass the invalid security certificate? It was the version from the other site that said that my tablet isn't supported, and even if this is genuine it could be that v3 has added support for it.

 

[Jfalls63]

That would be something you would have to decide. I had to do it on Chrome to get to the site to check if it was the correct site. I didn't download the app.
Kind of in a Catch 22. You need root access to disable and remove questionable apps but the only root methods that might work are the Chinese one click root methods that will install other questionable apps, data mine and are hard to get rid of.

 

[loopyjoe]

"Towelroot ... will only work with devices that have a kernel build date earlier than June 3, 2014." - https://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/how-to-root-android/3/

Mine is 2015

Anyone have any other suggestions?

Would it be possible to download something like Universal Unroot via my PC?

 

[PitCarver]

I've used KingoRoot, as a last resort.
After uninstalling a bunch of unnecessary junk, I simply disabled it and have lived happily with it for several years.

 

[Jfalls63]

Something like this might also work. I have used it on a few devices.
https://forum.xda-developers.com/android/software/debloater-remove-carrier-bloat-t2998294

 

[loopyjoe]

After a long frustrating day I've finally got my pc to recognise that there's an android tablet connected to it. I can browse the files on drive L: (which is named POLARIS) but this doesn't seem to have the suspect files. Two other drives have appeared, J: and K: which are Removable Disks that I can't browse.

However debloater doesn't detect the tablet...

PitCarver, I may try your suggestion as a last resort, as you say. I'm hoping we can get debloater or something like it to work.

Hmm, what if I download towelroot from the proper site onto my pc by making an exception and then move it onto the tablet now I've got a USB connection...

Oh yeah, I tried downloading Universal Unroot from the google play store through my pc, had to specify what tablet it was for. My wife's tablet isn't registered (if that's the right word) on my pc so I ended up with the program on my samsung galaxy. I thought I'd be able to send the file from there to my wife's device but it installed it onto mine, so I uninstalled it straight away and got a refund. Might be worth trying to set up the tablet so I can buy UU again and send it directly there...

 

[loopyjoe]

Device Manager shows there's no driver installed for the Android. I tried the Universal Naked Driver 0.73 from xdadevelopers but no joy.

EDIT: followed a link on xda-developers to adbdriver.com and downloaded adbdriver.zip but when I try to run the exe file Windows Security says it can't verify this driver software. Does anyone know if this is safe and would it be of any use to me anyway?

 

[Xavier Black]

If you do PitCarver's suggestion with the KingRoot(not that I believe in that piece of junk app..but if there isn't any other option)..then after you get privileges, debload your device..then the tricky part:

Try in doing a format reset..I know as a fact that not root app survives that..

 

[Jfalls63]

I think I used Rockchip USB drivers. What led me to them was Allwinner in part of the boot Animation and tablet closely matches with the Allwinner A31 in hardware specs.
I think I got the drivers from here but anytime you look for off brand Chinese, you get links to a lot of dodgy sites.
https://androidmtk.com/download-rockchip-driver-assistant

 

[loopyjoe]

I got around the driver issue by connecting the tablet to my wife's laptop, which has Windows 10 and therefore Android drivers. (My PC is Win 7). So then I was able to use debloater and block the dodgy apps. Except one of them - com.mnbv.poiu766.apk - appeared to be already blocked. Maybe I'd managed to do that one myself at some point, I'm not sure. Anyway, when I run malwarebytes the only malware it finds now is - you guessed it - com.mnbv.poiu766.apk - and whether I tell debloater to block or unblock it, it remains the same. Still, it is disabled and supposedly harmless. I've been using the tab for an hour or two now without any popups or unasked-for downloads so I'm quite pleased, and grateful to everyone here, especially Jfalls for suggesting debloater.

I would still appreciate more help as to what to do next. MWB complains that the device is rooted, while Root Checker still says "root access is not properly installed". I should probably try to unroot it. Apart from the evidence of the device's recent behaviour I have run scans in avast and MWB - is there anything else I should do to make sure the problems are gone?

Also, this may be a little off topic, but under "Storage" I see two instances of "internal storage" - I guess partitions, or the equivalent? - and when I install anything it goes automatically into the 1GB one, which has already filled up with just a few apps. The 8GB is almost entirely empty - is there a way to get Google Play to use this space instead of telling me I have to free up space for every new app??

Jfalls: shortly before I saw your remark about allwinner I had reached the same conclusion myself, having seen the name in many app names and googling it. It seems there's a lot of these fouled up devices still being sold, and somehow getting good feedback! I find that very annoying. My wife's one of the lucky ones, at least her device wasn't infested with porn. Still, it gave me a bunch more apps to block in debloater.

 

[Jfalls63]

The Polatab was a great learning experience for me. I killed mine by trying to flash a custom recovery that was built for the A31.
The debloater is a great little Tool recommend by other members here. Not sure if the developer got it to work on 6.0 and above but good on all others and still have it on one of my laptops.
Sometimes if a device was rooted and the super user app uninstalled, some programs will detect root but without a super user app to grant root permission, root apps like Root Checker and Titanium Backup won't work.
Hopefully you can have a little piece of mind knowing that you were able to disable the questionable stuff.
Best of luck.

 

[Jfalls63]

Not sure how the partitions are set up on the tablet. Usually have the system partition and the Userdata partition with everything you download or install going to userdata.
This handy little app might show you the break down.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=sa.storagetruth

 

[loopyjoe]

I figured out how to switch user accounts on Google Play on my PC to my wife's account so I could download UU to her tab, but when I run it it tells me to "allow root access now" and that if I can't it's because the device is "most likely not rooted". I guess this jibes with Root Checker's "not properly rooted" message (which I still get). SuperSU also still says "SU binary occupied". Seems like it's rooted in some way other than the conventional way that other apps can deal with.

btw, Google Play lists my wife's tab's maker as "Allwinner". Wish I'd seen that a lot earlier. Someone had success with one of these tablets using vrooter - anyone had any experience with this software?

EDIT: OK, scratch that, it seems vroot (now iroot) has similar problems to kingroot.

 

[Sands207]

I figured out how to switch user accounts on Google Play on my PC to my wife's account so I could download UU to her tab, but when I run it it tells me to "allow root access now" and that if I can't it's because the device is "most likely not rooted". I guess this jibes with Root Checker's "not properly rooted" message (which I still get). SuperSU also still says "SU binary occupied". Seems like it's rooted in some way other than the conventional way that other apps can deal with.

btw, Google Play lists my wife's tab's maker as "Allwinner". Wish I'd seen that a lot earlier. Someone had success with one of these tablets using vrooter - anyone had any experience with this software?

EDIT: OK, scratch that, it seems vroot (now iroot) has similar problems to kingroot.

Is the firmware available for this device? I can make you a build and pull the malware for you. Is there a custom recovery for this phone? I wonder if Odin might work with this tablet.