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I have flashed my ROM several times with different ROMS, and sometimes back to stock. I flashed roms, modems, kernels etc.

But the flashing never seems to totally format the device, because the folders of old software keep showing up on the phones hard drive.

Is there a way to completely format my device, and install a new rom afterwards.

I have a Samsung Galaxy 2s running gingerbread 2.3

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3 Answers 3

Reset to default
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To completely format your device, you need to use Odin and an Odin-able ROM (preferably stock). Note that the device can't be blank. You should always have firmware on it.

  1. Download Odin 1.85 from here and extract it.

  2. Download stock firmware (listed here), you probably want JPKF3.

  3. Put your phone into Download mode (you may have to attempt this a couple times):

    1. Power off the phone
    2. Hold VolDown+OK:

      1. Click the Power button
      2. Let go of VolDown+OK when the Android icon with "Downloading..." underneath appears

  4. Start Odin

  5. Connect your phone to USB and ensures it shows up in Odin (a yellow box with a COM port will be shown). If it doesn't, disconnect and reconnect. If it still doesn't, reboot your phone and start over from (3).

  6. Click the PDA button in Odin and choose the firmware file you downloaded.

  7. Click Start and wait till "PASS" appears in the Message area. If it fails, start over from (3).

Normally, to completely wipe the device, you would select "Re-partition" in Odin. However, this apparently can brick the Galaxy S II! So don't do it. I guess it only works consistently with the original Galaxy S.

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  • This method does not clear the phones internal sdcard. This leaves the files that are on your phone. My question was not how to go back to stock rom. Only dialing *2767*3855# does a complete format of the internal sdcard. Im on the GT-i9100. Thanks for the answer anyway.
    – Saif Bechan
    Jul 11, 2011 at 16:41
  • @Saif Why don't you clear the internal SD yourself? It's easy enough to delete all the files on it.
    – Matthew Read
    Jul 11, 2011 at 16:45
  • Are there no important files on there that won't be put back when you just delete everything?
    – Saif Bechan
    Jul 11, 2011 at 17:37
  • @Saif Samsung's internal SD is meant to be treated the same as external SD cards in other phones. No important files are stored there. Just downloads, apps that you move to SD, possibly photos, etc.
    – Matthew Read
    Jul 11, 2011 at 17:44
  • OH! Sorry i did not know that as I am new to android. On WM6.5 the interneal storage was also the place where system files were stored.
    – Saif Bechan
    Jul 11, 2011 at 18:14
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Did you install recover (such as Amon-ra or Malez)?

In that case you can just reboot in recovery using the free application from the market "quick boot" and do from the recovery a Wipe ALL.

If not it's time to find out which kind of recovery is best for you (and your device) and install it

:)

ps If you add further details and/or questions I can answer more accurately

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  • I did not install the software you asked. I install a kernel version that has clockworkmod loaded. Then I boot into clockworkmod, wipe cashe partition, do factory reset, and then flash a new rom.
    – Saif Bechan
    Jul 11, 2011 at 12:49
  • did you try to do the wipe (cache and data) 3 times in a row before flashing the new rom?
    – Pitto
    Jul 11, 2011 at 13:01
  • LOL no never 3 times, should you do that before everything goes away. I just one time would be enough. I'm gonna try it now, lets see if it helps.
    – Saif Bechan
    Jul 11, 2011 at 13:02
  • NO, just flashed my stock rom again, after that wiped cache + data 3 times. Did a fresh boot into a new rom, still see folders like openfient, goweather, appiecache. All apps not default on the system, and also not installed on the new rom, still showing up from old instances.
    – Saif Bechan
    Jul 11, 2011 at 13:13
  • :O that's black magic... I've read on various forum of the "3 times" trick but have no experience with it personally. I'll keep investigating
    – Pitto
    Jul 11, 2011 at 13:23
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Boot in a custom recovery (cwm, twrp or anything similar) and format

/data, /cache, /system, /sdcard (or /emmc), /external-sdcard (or /sd-ext or anything like that)

now install with odin a stock rom and it's all back to like it was when you first got it

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