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Root [Guide] Easily Remove System apps on rooted Stock ROMS (updated 31st June 2011)
- Thread starter SUroot
- Start date
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- Tags
- htc desire
i was trying to remove only pre-installed apps like Prayers.apk, iQuran.apk and the like(they're muslim apps). i guess for other apps i installed myself will be removed through the method you demonstrated. i typed in the exact name for the app.
about this recovery mode,hmm. i'm not sure about that. how do i get to recovery mode?
and i have read about this S-off... how do i know if i'm in S-on or S-off?
Thanks again.
about this recovery mode,hmm. i'm not sure about that. how do i get to recovery mode?
and i have read about this S-off... how do i know if i'm in S-on or S-off?
Thanks again.
SUroot
Extreme Android User
This guide is a clear guide for s-on. Its literally step by step.
S-ON stops you modifying /system when android is running. To get around this, follow step 1 of this guide, as highlighted below:
Method:
Commands must be typed exactly. Be careful you identify spaces.
• Connect your phone via USB and Reboot into recovery.
To boot into recovery, from off Hold vol down and press power. At the HBOOT screen, use volume keys to navigate to "Recovery" and press power to select.
S-ON stops you modifying /system when android is running. To get around this, follow step 1 of this guide, as highlighted below:
Method:
Commands must be typed exactly. Be careful you identify spaces.
• Connect your phone via USB and Reboot into recovery.
To boot into recovery, from off Hold vol down and press power. At the HBOOT screen, use volume keys to navigate to "Recovery" and press power to select.
Thanks for a great guide.
Just wanted to add that after removing the unwanted packages I also removed the original gmail, maps and flash. I then rebooted and downloaded the latest maps, gmail and flash, copied the apk from /data/app to the sd card, un installed the apps, rebooted to recovery, copied the apk files from the sd card to /system/app, clear dalvik cache and reboot. That bought me an extra few precious MB to install new apps. At least until an update comes out anyway.
##Edit##
i now have a problem where YouTube videos in the browser wont play. they just display a blue box and a question mark so i am restoring and going to find an app to freeze the bloatware instead.
Just wanted to add that after removing the unwanted packages I also removed the original gmail, maps and flash. I then rebooted and downloaded the latest maps, gmail and flash, copied the apk from /data/app to the sd card, un installed the apps, rebooted to recovery, copied the apk files from the sd card to /system/app, clear dalvik cache and reboot. That bought me an extra few precious MB to install new apps. At least until an update comes out anyway.
##Edit##
i now have a problem where YouTube videos in the browser wont play. they just display a blue box and a question mark so i am restoring and going to find an app to freeze the bloatware instead.
HeavyTrain
Lurker
Thanks SUroot. For idiots like me it might be worth mentioning that the tracker should be used for navigating and selecting on the ClockworkMod Recovery menu - I sat here for half an our using the volume control and hitting the power button to select...
SUroot
Extreme Android User
I "upgraded" my HTC Desire to the official HTC Gingerbread RUU. I've used Revolutionary to S-Off the phone, but when I tried Root Explorer to delete apks, it tells me "Your phone doesn't appear to be rooted. This is required..."
I've searched around about Root Explorer and R/W mode. There is supposed to be a button to activate R/W mode, but I can't that anywhere. It is the paid version.
Am I missing something, or is not possible to do this with S-Off only (i.e. not rooted) in the official Gingerbread?
Thanks.
I've searched around about Root Explorer and R/W mode. There is supposed to be a button to activate R/W mode, but I can't that anywhere. It is the paid version.
Am I missing something, or is not possible to do this with S-Off only (i.e. not rooted) in the official Gingerbread?
Thanks.
I nearly wasted a day deleting system app, i only reappered after reboot
tried roor exp, titanium back up, sys app remo ,none helped
when i found toast root ( i did unrevoked) is only way to remove sys app , i was about to give
Fortunately i bumped into this thread . man u rock thanks a zillion
it worked a charm. am cursing google not popping this thread in search before.
thanks again
tried roor exp, titanium back up, sys app remo ,none helped
when i found toast root ( i did unrevoked) is only way to remove sys app , i was about to give
Fortunately i bumped into this thread . man u rock thanks a zillion
it worked a charm. am cursing google not popping this thread in search before.
thanks again
Technoidse
Lurker
Thanks for this guide, you saved my sanity from htc stocks 
Abhishekswarup
Lurker
HI SUroot thanks again..
Have lots of questions (pardon me if they are dumb I am not much different when it comes to this kind of stuff)
1) Once the RM command has been executed (which happened for me successfully) what is the significance of remaining steps are they kind of commit?
2) Anyway I wasn't able to find these on my recovery mode Android 2.2.2. I have on the menu a wipe though but sounds too dangerous to attempt without knowing for sure...What do I do?
3) This would not save me any memory for data as I understand from this thread only internal memory? ( I still am learning from your ROOT Memory partition stuff to figure out custom ROMs and other basic concepts...What would I gain then (apart from being annoyed) performance
?4) There was another thread but seemed reasonable to ask the question here as well apologies if I break rules...In the move app to SD without root there is a command to set the default download location to SD..is that applicable for apps designed to be transferrable to SD or they will force any app on SD?
5) IS there somewhere a list of appse safe for removal from stock ROM?
Thanks again for the patience and help
SUroot
Extreme Android User
HI SUroot thanks again..
Have lots of questions (pardon me if they are dumb I am not much different when it comes to this kind of stuff)
1) Once the RM command has been executed (which happened for me successfully) what is the significance of remaining steps are they kind of commit?
2) Anyway I wasn't able to find these on my recovery mode Android 2.2.2. I have on the menu a wipe though but sounds too dangerous to attempt without knowing for sure...What do I do?
3) This would not save me any memory for data as I understand from this thread only internal memory? ( I still am learning from your ROOT Memory partition stuff to figure out custom ROMs and other basic concepts...What would I gain then (apart from being annoyed) performance
4) There was another thread but seemed reasonable to ask the question here as well apologies if I break rules...In the move app to SD without root there is a command to set the default download location to SD..is that applicable for apps designed to be transferrable to SD or they will force any app on SD?
5) IS there somewhere a list of appse safe for removal from stock ROM?
Thanks again for the patience and help
1 the dalvik is where apps are run from. You need to wipe it to wipe all traces of any app removed
2 did you replace recovery when you rooted? You should have done. Factort reset / wipe data will wipe dalvik but all the rest of your data too
3 /data is internal storage. This is not for space saving. This is for removing crap you don't use. May see slight performance increases but negligible rally
4 most user installed apps but if you're rooted, there is so much better you can do. Please re read the root memory faq.
5 not really. It's not important
Abhishekswarup
Lurker
Thanks..
When you say replace recovery do you mean if I have custom recovery?
I followed your guide and having a erase size of 40000 got the Amon RA 2.01.
I get the green instruction screen with heading Android System Recovery and the options but as on step 10 when I press the back button nothing happens....
Neither do I have the wipe Dalvik option..
What am I doing wrong...
When you say replace recovery do you mean if I have custom recovery?
I followed your guide and having a erase size of 40000 got the Amon RA 2.01.
I get the green instruction screen with heading Android System Recovery and the options but as on step 10 when I press the back button nothing happens....
Neither do I have the wipe Dalvik option..
What am I doing wrong...
Abhishekswarup
Lurker
Okie got it for AMon Ra 2.01 after removing the files instead of hitting back choose wipe option using trackball...scroll down to wipe Dalvik Cache only and then confirm again by pressing trackball...
Now that I have done it sounds obvious but I was worried if selecting wipe would immediately wipe off everything from my phone (since unix does say are you sure double sure etc unlike windows)...
Now that I have done it sounds obvious but I was worried if selecting wipe would immediately wipe off everything from my phone (since unix does say are you sure double sure etc unlike windows)...
If you have an actual Desire (Bravo), the device this thread is discussing, and are interested in rooting it, there's no reason not to go S-Off. If you are S-Off then there is a simpler way of removing and restoring system apps: use Titanium Backup to back the app up and then to uninstall it. Then if you need to reinstall you just use Titanium again to restore it from the backup.
If you are S-On the simplest would be to keep a copy of the NAND backup you made before starting any of this and use the "advanced restore" option to restore just the /system partition (the ROM) if you needed to reinstall the apps. Of course if you are using a custom ROM you just reflash the ROM and you are done, but this guide isn't for custom ROMs.
But as I say, if you have a Desire just take it S-Off and use Titanium, as that's the simplest and best solution. As long as you didn't use HTCDev to unlock the bootloader you can just use Revolutionary to do this (just use the first 5 stages of this guide, up to running revolutionary to get S-Off - if you are already rooted you don't need anything later than that).
If you are S-On the simplest would be to keep a copy of the NAND backup you made before starting any of this and use the "advanced restore" option to restore just the /system partition (the ROM) if you needed to reinstall the apps. Of course if you are using a custom ROM you just reflash the ROM and you are done, but this guide isn't for custom ROMs.
But as I say, if you have a Desire just take it S-Off and use Titanium, as that's the simplest and best solution. As long as you didn't use HTCDev to unlock the bootloader you can just use Revolutionary to do this (just use the first 5 stages of this guide, up to running revolutionary to get S-Off - if you are already rooted you don't need anything later than that).