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Installed a broken theme!

K

KingReach

Lurker
Help. I can't access system UI apps such as:
Theme Manager
Settings
Dialler

I think this was an EMUI 5.0 theme that I applied on EMUI 4.0

Usually it's fine, and goes over the most stuff that could cause an issue, but this time around it seems that the shell just doesn't fit at all.
 
How good are your backups? Because if you can't get into settings and change the theme one way that will fix it is to go into recovery mode and do a factory reset, but you want to make sure everything important is backed up before doing that.

But before that, can you tell us a bit more about why you can't access them? Do they crash when you try to open them, or does something not even let you try to launch them?
 
Well I managed to make a work around for almost all things, on playstore... etc.
I found an app for dial, msg, etc... bluetooth, language, network, wifi etc...

As for backups and wipe:

Even when I go into TWRP, I still can't do factory reset. Because the data is encrypted and needs a password.
So even if I wanted to do it, as far as I'm aware, I'd have to go on ADB on PC, and mess around with things there.

And yes, bootloader is unlocked.

I've got Huawei Multi-Tool with stuff etc..


Is there a way to to factory reset, yet backup almost everything EXCEPT theme preset that was set?

They instantly crash when I try to open them.

I think it's trying to force EMUI 5.0 settings shell, with the EMUI 4.0 installed.
For example:

If I open settings, it'll open show white for a sec, and close.
But if I download a shortcut from playstore that goes directly into mobile networks, it actually does it.

So I assume something in the theme, some specific parameter is different.
Maybe size for something, some coloumn etc?

The main issue is the theme manager. I have a Huawei Theme Tool on PC, that says it can apply themes over PC, but when I click apply it's stuck on applying theme.

Lemme know if you want some pics of the issue.

I'm more than happy to explain anything further on.
I need to try anything before a wipe, because that'll literally mean going from 0, and I've got way too much important things on here that'd be compromised by a skin.

Really a bad decision, I made... lmao. Dunno what made me change themes that much, just never had enough I guess.
 
If you have TWRP can you make a nandroid backup? Though I've not used TWRP with an encrypted system, so I'm a little unsure whether you'd have the same problem with backing up, or with restoring after a reset - would need to do a bit of research on that. Anyway that wouldn't let you restore without restoring the theme, since you can only restore entire partitions that way, but it would give you a backup.

If you've installed TWRP have you also rooted? If so Titanium Backup may help: you could use that to back up all of your apps and system data and then restore everything except your theme tool after a reset (the paid version allows you to do this as a batch operation).

I don't have a Huawei, so don't know how the theme tool works. I expect it's not as simple as clearing data for that app and rebooting being enough to fix this, but it might be worth a shot. You can't get into settings, but Titanium Backup can also clear the data for an individual app, so as long as you have root that could be attempted.
 
Yes, I have TWRP, and yes I'm rooted. Also I do have a Titanium Backup.
Although reseting an app won't do anything.

It's the theme that needs to be changed. The only way to do that as far as I'm aware is if you factory reset it.
Because the only way to change the theme is to use the theme manager.

As for titanium backup, what do you mean as a batch?
I'm not quiet sure what you're on about with that bit... I haven't really messed around with it that much, rather than put it there just in case after rooting.


THE BIG PROBLEM:
Is the fact I can't factory reset the phone at all, nor data, nor dalvic nor cache or anything.
Because the data is encrypted and it requires a password.

Not sure if FRP has anything related to it all, prolly not. But for any matter FRP is locked.

Scared of losing contacts and pics the most.
Other stuff can survive really. Maybe a few apps would hurt.

Although I'm currently looking for a way to reset the huawei system UI somehow.
Maybe if I knew what the theme manager does, which app does it change...

For example:

Android Shell 6.0

Or is it...

System UI...

If I can figure out which app does this all, and wipe that app specific and reset, I might be able to fix it.

Just not sure which of these am I supposed to wipe to do so.

It's not the theme manager that's corrupt.

It's the system UI.

EDIT:

Should I try to wipe Shell UI and Sytem UI?
 
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"Batch" mode on Titanium (which I think is a paid feature - I never used the free version) means you can give it a list of apps to restore and then tell it to do the lot, rather than restoring app-by-app.

No, the encryption won't be anything to do with FRP (FRP started a year before encryption became the default).

Contacts and pics should always be backed up. If you aren't syncing contacts then go into the Contacts app (if you can) and in its settings you'll find an option to "export" them. Then copy the .vcf file this produces to somewhere else. Pictures can simply be backed up over usb to a computer (or even a flash drive using a USB OTG adapter). If you keep your only copy on the phone and the phone is lost/stolen/breaks/fails then you've had it - you'd be amazed how many people turn up here asking how to recover such data after it's too late, having never thought of backups until something happened.

I don't have a Huawei, so don't know how its theming system works. SystemUI will be responsible for things like the status bar, notifications, etc. I've never heard of "shell UI", so guess that's a Huawei thing. But if the themes affect things like the dialler app it sounds like they do more than just modify SystemUI. You could try it though. But before fiddling with any system app I'd make sure your most important data are backed up.
 
Ok, will do. I'll let ya know if I do anything that resets it. Hopefully this works.
EDIT:

Google's contacts app only shows a few contacts in the list.
I had to download some other dialler + contact app to get all the contacts to show up.

So not sure how to back it up properly, because it won't show all of them in google's app.
What I usually do is just screencap all the numbers at once.

That'll do to I guess.

I'll fiddle with the google app to try and get it working right.
 
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Sorry I'm a curious guy. Just wondering why you don't have the password for your encrypted data :thinking:
 
I dunno how TWRP even works besides it being a recovery menu.
There was a guide on xda that shows you how to use the DC unlocker on Huawei. You have to pay like 8 euros, I believe.
What it esentially does is it let's you tamper with the phone just like any else.
Then I installed root, app2sd, titaniumbackup and twrp.
I had to go there twice and even though it askes for some password I was able to flash a zip to get supersu working etc..
The problem is, as it seems, without the password I cant wipe anything.
So I'm stuck with a half broken Russian EMUI 5 theme.
I tried messing around with specific system apps last night.
I figured out that huawei theme manager actually changes a lot of things including messing around with system apps and changing elements.
So even if I clear the data of sys apps it'll still think that the default theme preset is the one I set last time.
That's weird and a bit conserning because that means I have to reset it.
Wish I could create a shortcut that leads straight to theme manager and apply the theme without me having to access the menu.
I never actually needed nor knew the password, you just choose the language, slide the unlock and flash a few apps that you need.
Thought that the password was for something completely else.
Like advanced mode, which it is lmao.
 
Is there an app like ES File Explorer that has the capability to do open with.
If so I might be able to bypass that issue, like to force a different theme.
But I think the theme manager program itself would have to work that way.
Mhm...
 
Ok so I made some big progress I managed to force the dialler app. By doing so I am able to access the projectmenu and in it there is a factory reset option.
 
not sure if this will help or not, but i was looking for an answer for passwords on twrp and found this:
twrp asking for a password

the last sentence of the op says
Hit cancel at the password screen, then go into Wipe and then do a factory reset by swiping.
Click to expand...

i don't know how different twrp is for your device or the nexus 5(that is what the link is for) so use that bit of info at your own risk.
 
I can't wipe without the password. It doesn't let me. Like I said I'm able to flash apps in it. Not wipe anything. Although I can factory reset now with Huawei project menu.
 
It's asking for a password rather than the encryption key (which will have been automatically generated)? This may be a silly suggestion but have you tried your Google account password, or maybe your screen lock one?

Otherwise, Tasker can create a task to launch a specific app, and a widget to execute a specific task (though you don't need that: once you've created the task you can just run it). So that might be a way of getting into the Theme Manager
 
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