Root First Post - Ready to Root to resolve Mail Memory Leak

[evoVoyager]

Question at end...

I've read up and have bookmarked relevant pages (rooting for dummies, Revolution site/links, etc.) and having had a long discussion with 2nd level HTC support, I've learned the following with regard to the ongoing mail memory leak issue...

2nd Level HTC (Travis) confirms HTC is well aware of this issue (since Gingerbread release) and it is a) an HTC issue with HTC mail; and b) exacerbated as since the GB release, you can't delete data from mail which they claim is cause by the GB release (Android, not HTC).

In any case, they've known of the issue since June of 2011 and claim to ONLY have a fix still in development... not yet even in QA / Testing...

I'm done waiting...

I'm not ready/willing to wipe my phone and lose app / game data else I'd just reset and go with an 3rd party mail app to avoid the issue altogether...

Hence, I'm gonna root (unless someone here suggests otherwise) as that seems to be the only way to access and delete the HTCMail app cache that is hogging some 60MB of space...

From what I've read, I should be able to root, delete this data, and unroot (if I decide to...

Sooooo.... can anyone confirm the data/directory that I'd need to delete? At one point i thought it was the .Mail but that is on the SD and hence not stealing the space...

Alternatively, if ANYONE knows a way to delete the necessary data WITHOUT rooting (3rd party app, etc.) please do reply as I've not found this solution, if it exists, despite many weeks of looking...

Thanks much...

evoVoyager

 

[Xtremedays]

Question at end...

I've read up and have bookmarked relevant pages (rooting for dummies, Revolution site/links, etc.) and having had a long discussion with 2nd level HTC support, I've learned the following with regard to the ongoing mail memory leak issue...

2nd Level HTC (Travis) confirms HTC is well aware of this issue (since Gingerbread release) and it is a) an HTC issue with HTC mail; and b) exacerbated as since the GB release, you can't delete data from mail which they claim is cause by the GB release (Android, not HTC).

In any case, they've known of the issue since June of 2011 and claim to ONLY have a fix still in development... not yet even in QA / Testing...

I'm done waiting...

I'm not ready/willing to wipe my phone and lose app / game data else I'd just reset and go with an 3rd party mail app to avoid the issue altogether...

Hence, I'm gonna root (unless someone here suggests otherwise) as that seems to be the only way to access and delete the HTCMail app cache that is hogging some 60MB of space...

From what I've read, I should be able to root, delete this data, and unroot (if I decide to...

Sooooo.... can anyone confirm the data/directory that I'd need to delete? At one point i thought it was the .Mail but that is on the SD and hence not stealing the space...

Alternatively, if ANYONE knows a way to delete the necessary data WITHOUT rooting (3rd party app, etc.) please do reply as I've not found this solution, if it exists, despite many weeks of looking...

Thanks much...

evoVoyager

I am not familiar with the memory leak you are referring to but I will be doing some investigating. As far as rooting, if you are going to go to the trouble to root your phone, why unroot it after deleting the cache? Usually unrooting a phone requires the rewriting of all the partitions on the phone with the stock software. I am not sure that you could get away with rooting then unrooting without wiping your user data though I have not seen it tried as yet. Rooting gives you alot of options as far as customization and even clearing caches without a factory reset. There may even ben roms out that have this "leak" problem addressed and fixed.

As far as the location of the mail app, it is in the /system folder and is not accessible without root priviledges. You should be able to delete it or freeze it(using Titanium Backup or similar app) at your discression once rooted.

 

[evoVoyager]

I've seen the post located and deleted the proper files but still show about 12MB of space allocated to the Mail app (all accounts/mail deleted).

This seems to align to several databases in /data/data/com.htc.android.mail/databases:

webviewCache.db
webviewCache.db-shm
webview.db-wal
webviewCache.db-wal
webview.db-shm
mail.db
mail.db-wal
webview.db
mail.sb-shm

Can these safely be deleted? Will they get created when HTC Mail accounts are created (if I ever go back to it).

 

[ocnbrze]

welcome to the forums!!!!!!!!!!!!
are you rooted now? what rom are you on? how much memory do you have now?

12 mb is really not that much to be worrying about. you could always invest in a higher class card and then partition your card. a class 6 or higher is recommended. by doing this all of your apps will be moved to the card if you flash a rom that has a2sd built in. this is different then apps2sd which only moves part of the app.

also there are many roms that are smaller in size. i was on mikg and had 200 or so mb and 150 apps on my card!

read the http://androidforums.com/evo-4g-all...ooting-dummies-guide-gingerbread-edition.html. there is a partitioning section that will explain further.

 

[evoVoyager]

welcome to the forums!!!!!!!!!!!!
are you rooted now? what rom are you on? how much memory do you have now?

12 mb is really not that much to be worrying about. you could always invest in a higher class card and then partition your card. a class 6 or higher is recommended. by doing this all of your apps will be moved to the card if you flash a rom that has a2sd built in. this is different then apps2sd which only moves part of the app.

also there are many roms that are smaller in size. i was on mikg and had 200 or so mb and 150 apps on my card!

read the http://androidforums.com/evo-4g-all...ooting-dummies-guide-gingerbread-edition.html. there is a partitioning section that will explain further.

Yes, I'm rooted. I'm using the factory ROM as I haven't done anything but make the nandroid backup and delete the mail data files, install and configure K9 mail and install the WiFi Tether app...

I'm curious about the mail databases just int he interest of being 'thorough'.

I'd previously installed a 32GB storage card (the largest that would work).

I'm not completely convinced I want to try out other ROMS as I've read that for many, somethings don't work (camera, GPS, etc.) and to be honest, I don't want to spend time troubleshooting my phone.. just want it to work. I spend enough time during work day fussing over computers.

Also, before switching ROMs, I really want to see what the screens look like and I haven't found a good place to see both the images and ROM names.

 

[LittleRedDot]

Yes, I'm rooted. I'm using the factory ROM as I haven't done anything but make the nandroid backup and delete the mail data files, install and configure K9 mail and install the WiFi Tether app...

I'm curious about the mail databases just int he interest of being 'thorough'.

I'd previously installed a 32GB storage card (the largest that would work).

I'm not completely convinced I want to try out other ROMS as I've read that for many, somethings don't work (camera, GPS, etc.) and to be honest, I don't want to spend time troubleshooting my phone.. just want it to work. I spend enough time during work day fussing over computers.

Also, before switching ROMs, I really want to see what the screens look like and I haven't found a good place to see both the images and ROM names.

If you are rooted then flash a rom, take the leap of faith my friend. This whole community has your back and won't let you down when it comes to stearing you away from bad roms and onto the more (and most) stable. I was aprehensive at first, as was most of us, but it's well worth it to just dive in.

Welcome to the forums!

 

[argedion]

Ok so here is my .02

Once you are rooted it is always best to stay that way unless you need to take the phone in for a factory warranty. Second thing is Sense out the box sux. It is a battery hog. It keeps things running that you don't need, use, or care about. Sprint and HTC wanted to give us the world on a silver platter instead they gave us the runny stuff of a sick stomach. You have options now use them.

I've been running Non HTC for a while now and have to say everything works just fine I'm not always having to try to fix this or that. I'm running Xplod Nightly 3 and have less problems with it then I ever did with Sense. The stock ROM always was shutting down on me or hanging or any numerous of other things not to mention the limitations they gave me with RAM.

Rooting allows me to have my phone the way I want it not the way some overpaid idiot thinks I need it.

 

[JustSomeDude]

Ok so here is my .02

Once you are rooted it is always best to stay that way unless you need to take the phone in for a factory warranty. Second thing is Sense out the box sux. It is a battery hog. It keeps things running that you don't need, use, or care about. Sprint and HTC wanted to give us the world on a silver platter instead they gave us the runny stuff of a sick stomach. You have options now use them.

I've been running Non HTC for a while now and have to say everything works just fine I'm not always having to try to fix this or that. I'm running Xplod Nightly 3 and have less problems with it then I ever did with Sense. The stock ROM always was shutting down on me or hanging or any numerous of other things not to mention the limitations they gave me with RAM.

Rooting allows me to have my phone the way I want it not the way some overpaid idiot thinks I need it.

I agree with everything argedion says... except I happen to like sense. So if you like sense, do yourself a favor and flash either Tommy's Classic or MikG 3.0. Both rock-solid roms, that work way better than stock, and that will probably save you from any of those problems you were having.