Re: why is everyone accepting factory reset as a solution?
Jax_Omen
Specialist - Level 3
The camera is a piece of hardware that is controlled by an APP, which is controlled by the OS.

The OS (also known as the kernel) is fairly rock solid even after an OS (again upgrade), the apps, which encompass EVERYTHING you actually see and interact with, are what have problems due to pre-existing user data.

I think the problem is you're thinking of OS in the Windows sense, where the user interface is part of the OS. Think of an OS upgrade on Android as not just updating the kernel (OS), but also updating a TON of software on the phone all at once: all software is prone to unpredictable bugs when the software is updated without wiping user data beforehand. Such is the nature of software.

When you realize that the camera, the touchwiz launcher, and every other framework that makes the phone work, above and beyond the OS itself, is an application in need of updating, needing to do a factory reset after a major software upgrade doesn't sound so unreasonable. Do you expect to migrate from Ubuntu 9 to Ubuntu 10 without having any hiccups? Of course not. You migrate and either live with the hiccups or wipe clean and restart.
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Re: why is everyone accepting factory reset as a solution?
Wildman
Legend

This conversation sounds very familiar to the Droid X post, read up on this same situation at http://community.vzw.com/t5/DROID-X-by-Motorola/Minimize-Droid-X-Issues-After-Froyo-Update/td-p/2965...

 

I realize that hard resetting a device seems extreme but in fact it should be suggested because all OS upgrades are tested on a clean original image on the device and the 3rd party apps that has been installed has not been tested to be compatible or effected by the new code changes made to the OS.  Updates usually modified codes and security access that should clarify why a developer usually have to modify their apps to access the new security protocols. 

 

I always suggested a hard reset to avoid a large amount of issues, most users don't want to do this because they loose all there customizations, but you have a option to spend a week complaining about the number of issues you have been having since update or hard reset and cut out majority of the issues at beginning..

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Re: why is everyone accepting factory reset as a solution?
jjbpj
Newbie

@ Jax: The OS does not control the application.  The application interfaces with the kernel layer through APIs. The user "controls" the APP which makes calls to the kernel interfaces through libraries that ride along with the kernel.  The kernel, along with the hardware interface layer and the application layer make up the "OS."

 

If an "OS" is brought forward to a new level, including kernel, libs, and applications, then fine, do it.  Internals change and APIs remain mostly the same and are almost always backward compatible.  I believe this is the case in the 2.1 to 2.2 upgrade.  I also believe that due to an error in the delivery, the camera app has been broken in a very particular way on many phones.

 

It's atrocious that people in here believe that basically reformatting to the bare OS is a good way to get around an application that does not work after an update.  THAT is WIndows95 think, where formatting C: every 6 months or so was necessary to get rid of all of the garbage buildup.  That is NOT how things work in Unix or Linux.  If an upgrade breaks something, a patch is created and applied.  THis is not a band aid on top of an error, it is replacement code that fixes the error.

 

The claims in this and other threads that leftover garbage from old apps and that currently installed apps have been causing problems with an upgrade are absolutely bogus.  That doesn't happen.  If an application is crap, then it will fail to work after a good upgrade.  It will not prevent an upgrade to happen, and it will not break other apps just through the mere fact of being installed (trying to run two applications that try to take over the hardware, on the other hand, is a possibility, but the hardware interface layer should prevent that).

 

As for linux distro upgrades, 1) I wouldn't put Ubuntu on my dining room table, let alone one of my computers, and 2) when I move forward to the next version of Debian, it will either be on new hardware, or I will manage the upgrade and work through bugs as workarounds arise.  I have root on my laptops, because I am the admin.  I do not have it on my phone because it would void my warranty.

 

That's really the big deal here, isn't it?  I have come to the conclusion, through following some tips on other thhreads that complain of the camera "Please wait..." hang, and I am convinced that the problem is exactly in the Camera app itself.  I have been able to install other camera "hack" applications that use the camera and take pictures to teh extend that their coding allows.  The firmware is working just fine and the hardware layer makes things go through other applications making the right calls.

 

Now, if I had rooted my phone, I could download Camera.apk and re-install the camera app.  But I haven't rooted, and since the camera app is "stock," I can't re-install it, or uninstall it, or patch it, or anything.  That would be up to Verizon to do.  It would sure be a lot nicer a solution that to have me reformat my device as if I were back in grad school trying to get two pieces of hardware to quit fighting over an IRQ.  Doing so because I can't install one single piece of software is the proverbial killing a gnat with a sledgehammer.  It's a kluge, it's a hack, and it's lame.  I still have no idea at all why so many Android fanpeople are so adamant that this is a good idea, it almost feels like I am on an ipad forum.

 

Anyhow - if I find a fix, I will post it here.  For those who disagree with me, go ahead and format C: every 6 months. I miss the 90's too, but not that much.

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Re: why is everyone accepting factory reset as a solution?
TBhouston
Specialist - Level 1

Sounds like you should go with a blackberry

 

or deal with the fact droid OS is weak and will often require a hardreset to fix common issues

 

Angry birds will be just as fun the second time around.. since in reality this is all you lose

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Re: why is everyone accepting factory reset as a solution?
jjbpj
Newbie

Some more information this morning:

 

I am really and truly amazeded by the lack of research folks here are doing before responding to this thread. I read up on apps that some of you have mentioned and on ones that I have installed, and here's what I found:

 

1) If all I cared about in life were Angry Birds, there is apparently a fix for that, called Angry Cheaters, that will back up game data.

 

2) I bought EA NFS on my phone when I bought it last fall.  I read up on that and if I do a factory reset, I WILL LOSE THE REGISTERED GAME.  The game is no longer on the market, and guess what - like the camera it's pre-installed.  I can't re-install it from an image somewhere.  it gets better.  I paid $4.99 for the game last fall.  If I want to reset and re-buy, it's $9.99 now.  Look it up.

 

Please do a little reasearch before telling people to do something that will cost them money.

 

3) Puzzlebox, one of my daughter's favorite aplications, is no longer available on the android market.  If I reset, no more of teh game she requests from me while we wait at appointments.

 

4) There are at least two or three other apps that I have that are no longer on the marketplace.  (So now I expect people to tell me that I shouldn't have those apps anyway, and that they're what broke my camera.  FIRST!!!!! :/)

 

Please do a little research before smugly telling people that they are being unreasonable (get a blackberry, really?  and he didn't get kudos for that post?) and that they won't lose anything at all.  Sitting in here and spouting out "get a blackberry" and poorly informed discussion about why a patch is impossible and that people should just reset is exactly why I was so fed up that I began this thread in the first place.  Most people on the internet forums anywhere know enough to be dangerous, and will parrot anything that works for them.  THis thread is exhibit A.

 

FACTORY RESET IS NOT A VALID SOLUTION FOR EVERYONE.

 

 

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Re: why is everyone accepting factory reset as a solution?
PJNC284
Master - Level 2

Have you tried clearing the camera data (Settings-Applications-Manage Applications-All-Camera, Clear data)?  Also for apps no longer in the market, you can use a free app like Astro to backup the app.  It won't restore data or market links (irrelevant in your case) granted there are ways to do so.

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Re: why is everyone accepting factory reset as a solution?
nickjr
Contributor - Level 3

PJNC284 wrote:

Have you tried clearing the camera data (Settings-Applications-Manage Applications-All-Camera, Clear data)?  Also for apps no longer in the market, you can use a free app like Astro to backup the app.  It won't restore data or market links (irrelevant in your case) granted there are ways to do so.


I I agree wholeheartedly everyone should back up their apps, especially now since everyone, or most everyone should have 2.2 on their phone which enables backing up apps to their sd card, and using a free program called astsro file manager is a decent app, but I found one better that is free and no ads, File Expert.
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Re: why is everyone accepting factory reset as a solution?
Ann154
Community Leader
Community Leader
Estrongs also can backup your Apps.

I'm most definitely NOT a VZW employee. If a post answered your question, please mark it as the answer.

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Re: why is everyone accepting factory reset as a solution?
psjjh
Newbie

I am seriously considering some sort of reset because since the 2.2 upgrade, everything on my phone is jacked-up. The touch screen takes forever to call up an application....the applications layer on top of each other....and on....and on....

 

I am very much a novice and I'm scared to do a factory reset because I would have no idea how to backup and reload and whatever else I'd have to do just to get my phone working the way it did before the 2.2 happened on April 20.

 

HELP>>>>>WHAT SHOULD I DO???

 

Distressed Facinate User

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Re: why is everyone accepting factory reset as a solution?
nickjr
Contributor - Level 3

psjjh wrote:

I am seriously considering some sort of reset because since the 2.2 upgrade, everything on my phone is jacked-up. The touch screen takes forever to call up an application....the applications layer on top of each other....and on....and on....

 

I am very much a novice and I'm scared to do a factory reset because I would have no idea how to backup and reload and whatever else I'd have to do just to get my phone working the way it did before the 2.2 happened on April 20.

 

HELP>>>>>WHAT SHOULD I DO???

 

Distressed Facinate User


I would visit a Verizon store and ask nicely for customer service, explain your situation and allow them to assist you in doing a factory reset, ask any question and they should assist you. If not I would then ask for the manager of the store to help you, Iam sure then you will receive some sort of action
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