-
After 15+ years, we've made a big change: Android Forums is now Early Bird Club. Learn more here.
Help Razr Maxx Getting Very Slow...
- Thread starter SeeEss
- Start date
-
- Tags
- motorola droid razr
It is almost certain that you need a Factory Data Reset.
... Thom
... Thom
You can also try to do a cache partition wipe before doing a whole reset, I clear my phones cache about once a week and it seems to help keep it running smooth!
Turn the phone off....hold down the power and both volume buttons at the same time for a few seconds, a menu will appear....use the bottom volume button to scroll down to "recovery"....use the up volume button to select recovery....there will be a pause....when the android appears on the screen...push both volume buttons at the same time, another menu will appear...use the down volume button to scroll down to "clear cache partition"...use the power button to select it...it will format the cache...when its done....push the power button to restart the phone....and you're done.
Turn the phone off....hold down the power and both volume buttons at the same time for a few seconds, a menu will appear....use the bottom volume button to scroll down to "recovery"....use the up volume button to select recovery....there will be a pause....when the android appears on the screen...push both volume buttons at the same time, another menu will appear...use the down volume button to scroll down to "clear cache partition"...use the power button to select it...it will format the cache...when its done....push the power button to restart the phone....and you're done.
B360155
Well-Known Member
thecarlsoncrew
Well-Known Member
Mine did this, too. From your opening post, I realize a lot of this may be a bit more of a reach than you want to take on, but if you're willing to learn and experiment, there are some great options for you to consider.
Keep in mind that these advanced phones are essentially miniature computers, and over time there are a lot of "invisible" things that build up and bog down performance (hanging processes, memory leaks, zombie threads, etc.). There comes a point in time when you need to wipe it all out and start fresh, so as others have suggested on this thread, a factory reset might be in order for you. You are correct that you will want to backup everything first, and it should be noted that the carrier backup functions are never anywhere near complete or sufficient. Don't rely on them unless you don't care about your data. Without going into too much detail here (there are loads of threads in this and other forums discussing/instructing on this topic), anything on your SD card should be untouched by a factory data reset (i.e. FDR), so make sure you put all your files, music, pictures, etc. on your SD card. You will also want to save the settings of all your apps, if possible, and put them on there, too. It will take some time to reconstruct after the reset, but if you have everything offloaded to your SD card it should be doable.
That being said, there are far easier ways to recover. If your device is rooted, you have more options. You can use an app like Titanium Backup to create an "update.zip" file that will save all your apps and their associated data in a single file. That way, when you're done with the FDR, you can then simply re-root and install the update.zip file, and everything should be restored like it was. Especially if you have lots of apps, this is a gigantic time-saver! Another option would be to use an app like SafeStrap to give you easy access to the recovery mode, where you can then create/backup/restore the entire image (usually called a "nandroid") of your phone. Think of it like a one-time snapshot of every file and folder on your phone that can be saved off and restored when needed. Best practice would be to create a nandroid before doing any kind of FDR or major change so that if something goes wrong you can simply reboot into recovery mode using SafeStrap, restore the previous nandroid, and you're right back where you started.
Rooting the phone has its own set of risks, and many people don't want to take them. There are some huge benefits to doing it, though, if you're willing to take the time to read up about it, familiarize yourself with the terms and processes involved, and then be willing to deal with fixing whatever might break. Again, there are a ton of threads about rooting, and I would strongly encourage you to check them out. The Razr/Maxx is old enough that the rooting methods are very well established and proven now, so they are quite safe (provided you are careful and thoroughly understand the instructions and processes!). You will have to do this first if you want to use TiBu, SafeStrap or other apps like that. I've had more than a few extremely short nights when something went wrong (usually a misunderstanding on my part because I didn't read carefully enough) and I had to scour the forums for help. The good news is that the Android community is active 24x7 and helpful, and the answers are all out there somewhere. After you do it a few times, though, you get the hang of it and it's not at all scary because you understand what you're doing.
Another option for you would be to flash a different ROM, which basically means changing your phone's operating system. That's what I did. When my Maxx started bogging down terribly, I created a nandroid, did a FDR, and then installed CyanogenMod 10. There are literally dozens (probably hundreds) of great ROMs out there, but CM is one of the biggest and most well established. I saw a huge performance increase immediately, and though some of it was likely from the FDR, I do think that CM10 is noticeably faster than the stock ROM ever was. It also has a bunch of extra features that are very convenient and handy. Again, if you want to do this, there are some terrific benefits...but you need to be careful and understand what you're doing so you don't mess up your phone.
So, those are some broad brush strokes for you to consider if the cache cleansing doesn't work for you. Then it becomes decision time...
Keep in mind that these advanced phones are essentially miniature computers, and over time there are a lot of "invisible" things that build up and bog down performance (hanging processes, memory leaks, zombie threads, etc.). There comes a point in time when you need to wipe it all out and start fresh, so as others have suggested on this thread, a factory reset might be in order for you. You are correct that you will want to backup everything first, and it should be noted that the carrier backup functions are never anywhere near complete or sufficient. Don't rely on them unless you don't care about your data. Without going into too much detail here (there are loads of threads in this and other forums discussing/instructing on this topic), anything on your SD card should be untouched by a factory data reset (i.e. FDR), so make sure you put all your files, music, pictures, etc. on your SD card. You will also want to save the settings of all your apps, if possible, and put them on there, too. It will take some time to reconstruct after the reset, but if you have everything offloaded to your SD card it should be doable.
That being said, there are far easier ways to recover. If your device is rooted, you have more options. You can use an app like Titanium Backup to create an "update.zip" file that will save all your apps and their associated data in a single file. That way, when you're done with the FDR, you can then simply re-root and install the update.zip file, and everything should be restored like it was. Especially if you have lots of apps, this is a gigantic time-saver! Another option would be to use an app like SafeStrap to give you easy access to the recovery mode, where you can then create/backup/restore the entire image (usually called a "nandroid") of your phone. Think of it like a one-time snapshot of every file and folder on your phone that can be saved off and restored when needed. Best practice would be to create a nandroid before doing any kind of FDR or major change so that if something goes wrong you can simply reboot into recovery mode using SafeStrap, restore the previous nandroid, and you're right back where you started.
Rooting the phone has its own set of risks, and many people don't want to take them. There are some huge benefits to doing it, though, if you're willing to take the time to read up about it, familiarize yourself with the terms and processes involved, and then be willing to deal with fixing whatever might break. Again, there are a ton of threads about rooting, and I would strongly encourage you to check them out. The Razr/Maxx is old enough that the rooting methods are very well established and proven now, so they are quite safe (provided you are careful and thoroughly understand the instructions and processes!). You will have to do this first if you want to use TiBu, SafeStrap or other apps like that. I've had more than a few extremely short nights when something went wrong (usually a misunderstanding on my part because I didn't read carefully enough) and I had to scour the forums for help. The good news is that the Android community is active 24x7 and helpful, and the answers are all out there somewhere. After you do it a few times, though, you get the hang of it and it's not at all scary because you understand what you're doing.
Another option for you would be to flash a different ROM, which basically means changing your phone's operating system. That's what I did. When my Maxx started bogging down terribly, I created a nandroid, did a FDR, and then installed CyanogenMod 10. There are literally dozens (probably hundreds) of great ROMs out there, but CM is one of the biggest and most well established. I saw a huge performance increase immediately, and though some of it was likely from the FDR, I do think that CM10 is noticeably faster than the stock ROM ever was. It also has a bunch of extra features that are very convenient and handy. Again, if you want to do this, there are some terrific benefits...but you need to be careful and understand what you're doing so you don't mess up your phone.
So, those are some broad brush strokes for you to consider if the cache cleansing doesn't work for you. Then it becomes decision time...
D
Deleted User
Guest
Data partition wipe did the trick for me!
I thought androidfourms had a specific section for rooting? I am looking for a thread specifically to root my razr max in the easiest way. XDA has great info, but very long threads with way too much technical info. I thought I remember in the past that adroidforums had a root thread for each phone in their stickies....?
thank you...this worked for me!
I have had the lag issue for a while and has made me want to throw this junk to the ground. I've wiped the cache but not factory reset.
I had a breakthrough yesterday when I disabled the active wallpaper. This has made the most aggravating lag go away. I miss the blades of grass but the phone performs much better now.
I had a breakthrough yesterday when I disabled the active wallpaper. This has made the most aggravating lag go away. I miss the blades of grass but the phone performs much better now.
First, let me echo the person who said they wanted to throw the phone on the floor due to frustration. It's maddening, I sometimes fantasize about snapping the phone in two when it does one of its multiple daily temp-freezes. Lately about half the time I receive phone call, the phone rings and vibrates for 8-10 rings, but doesn't bring up the screen to see who is calling/answer the phone. When it does manage to show who's calling, it still won't let me answer the call 50% of the time even then, it just shows a non-responsive Incoming Call screen. Another great one it's started doing is completely freezing the phone in some aps (Amazon MP3 is one) when rotating the phone from portrait to landscape. Music stops, phone freezes for 20 seconds or so while it contemplates switching the perspective. (My blood pressure is going up just typing this out).
Anyway, very frustrating. I've wiped the cache a couple of times and not noticed a great benefit. I guess I have to do a factory reset, even though that in itself is incredibly frustrating given I will lose settings in dozens of aps, progress in games, etc. However, the phone is approaching unusable status, so guess I have to give up and go with it.
One question before I do - in researching this a little bit, I came across some advice for some other phones that talked about it being a good idea to clear your log files, which can grow to be very large and can cause low-storage issues (I used to get a low storage warning a lot, was hoping maybe this could help clean up the phone before a reset?) The log clear had a very specific/unique way to access it, this is one post referencing it below (was for the Galaxy S2):
I tried dialing *#9900#, but it actually made a call to Verizon which was an automated message that something-or-other didn't work correctly. I read around and it seems that some other people had the same issue, dialing that number only brings up a menu on certain phones I think. I believe I saw some posts that said even a factory reset doesn't clear the logs, so thought I'd check if any one knew how to do it on the RAZR?
Is there a way to clear the log files? Do they even exist on this phone? Could they cause slow performance?
Any help is appreciated- thanks!
Anyway, very frustrating. I've wiped the cache a couple of times and not noticed a great benefit. I guess I have to do a factory reset, even though that in itself is incredibly frustrating given I will lose settings in dozens of aps, progress in games, etc. However, the phone is approaching unusable status, so guess I have to give up and go with it.
One question before I do - in researching this a little bit, I came across some advice for some other phones that talked about it being a good idea to clear your log files, which can grow to be very large and can cause low-storage issues (I used to get a low storage warning a lot, was hoping maybe this could help clean up the phone before a reset?) The log clear had a very specific/unique way to access it, this is one post referencing it below (was for the Galaxy S2):
I tried dialing *#9900#, but it actually made a call to Verizon which was an automated message that something-or-other didn't work correctly. I read around and it seems that some other people had the same issue, dialing that number only brings up a menu on certain phones I think. I believe I saw some posts that said even a factory reset doesn't clear the logs, so thought I'd check if any one knew how to do it on the RAZR?
Is there a way to clear the log files? Do they even exist on this phone? Could they cause slow performance?
Any help is appreciated- thanks!
Wiping the cache partition will remove all temporary files and not remove any apps or settings. The problem occurs when an app wants to store something and it takes extra time to reorganize so the data can be stored. This slows down the device. Over time it can become VERY slow.
The instructions for your phone are at ... Wipe Cache Partition - DROID RAZR / RAZR MAXX by MOTOROLA. I have done it on my phones but do not have your model.
Doing this once a week can't hurt.
(This is what was described earlier in this thread.)
If it doesn't solve the problem the next step is to try running in Safe Mode to see if an app you added is causing the problem.
The next step after that would be a Factory Data Reset.
... Thom
The instructions for your phone are at ... Wipe Cache Partition - DROID RAZR / RAZR MAXX by MOTOROLA. I have done it on my phones but do not have your model.
Doing this once a week can't hurt.
(This is what was described earlier in this thread.)
If it doesn't solve the problem the next step is to try running in Safe Mode to see if an app you added is causing the problem.
The next step after that would be a Factory Data Reset.
... Thom
I don't know what the log files are that you are referring to. If this is some kind of allocated file that is maintained over time it will not touch them.
Find an example of a "log file". Wipe the cache. The file contents should be unchanged.
... Thom
Find an example of a "log file". Wipe the cache. The file contents should be unchanged.
... Thom
Thanks again Thom. I found the original place that was discussing the log files, where the poster referenced that these logs are not cleared during a factory reset:
I'm not sure how to access the log itself so have no idea if it's being cleaned or not. Am just curious anyone knows how to access the "dump logcat" function on a RAZR Max, as it seems the *#9900# method doesn't work here? Seems like maybe not, oh well, maybe this phone doesn't even use that log.
I'm not sure how to access the log itself so have no idea if it's being cleaned or not. Am just curious anyone knows how to access the "dump logcat" function on a RAZR Max, as it seems the *#9900# method doesn't work here? Seems like maybe not, oh well, maybe this phone doesn't even use that log.
hi all. same issue here. phone annoyingly slow. tried the hidden menu cache delete but only works for a short period and its complicated to initiate. so I dloaded an app from Gplay (ES cache cleaner) or any other app that works w/o root and tadaaa. works like a charm and u can run it any time the phone gets sluggish
D
Deleted User
Guest
I've noticed some speed improvements simply by changing the keyboard. I've used Swiftkey a lot and noticed because it interacts with Google and tends to build up a nice cache to search through, it seems like it slow things down. Right now, I'm using the Dashlane keyboard, and though that also interacts with apps and stores your keystrokes, it seems faster. That may be that it hasn't built up the extensive Swiftkey cache. I'll keep an eye out.
imcomininhot
Newbie
Now for the real question, (sorry to bump, but)
Can we hear who likes what roms and why?
Secondly, who is still in love with their razr and has not found a need to upgrade to the s4?
And lastly, will you upgrade to the s5 if u hadn't already banished your razr?
(I was talked into upgrading to the 5s, iPhone and I'm not that impressed... I want my droid back and will sell this 5s, hold out for the s5 I think)
What say u?
Can we hear who likes what roms and why?
Secondly, who is still in love with their razr and has not found a need to upgrade to the s4?
And lastly, will you upgrade to the s5 if u hadn't already banished your razr?
(I was talked into upgrading to the 5s, iPhone and I'm not that impressed... I want my droid back and will sell this 5s, hold out for the s5 I think)
What say u?