Factory reset of Google Nexus 7 2012

A couple of years ago, I bought a Google Nexus 7 version 2012, one of the best tablets around, still is.

At the time I wished for the later 2013 version, but 2012 was all I had.

There was not a lot of difference in the specification, main difference was a higher resolution screen, a much higher resolution screen.

I later handled the 2013 version, it was not as good, I was therefore happy with what I had.

Th Android operating system wished to upgrade, I allowed, but then regretted, it was slower.

But then, a year or so later, I allowed it to update. It took all night, no sooner had it updated, than it wished for the next update.

It was a huge mistake, I ended up with a tablet that was so slow, it was unusable, an expensive piece of junk.

Why oh why does Google offer an Android operating system update that renders a Google Nexus 7 tablet unusable.

Not I noticed, a problem with 2013 version.

I asked around, no one knew what to do.

The only option appeared to be, implement a factory reset, but first, try this idea of clearing the cache. It seemed sort of to work.

This was a year ago, I had not used my tablet since the beginning of the year.
A long wait whilst 120 updates to apps.

But, any relief was short lived, I was back to square one, useless tablet, and the clearing of the cache no longer seemed available.

No choice other than a factory reset. This clears all apps, all data.

First screen shots of all apps, then Google back up.

Then go into settings and follow the procedure for factory reset.

But, not as I expected, it did not reset Android to original factory settings, I was still back to where I was Android 5.x.x but, I now had a very fast responsive tablet.

I was going to add apps one by one, as they were on the screen, but first Avira as it scans each downloaded app.

Android took over, automatically started download of apps.

I did not take note of how long this process took, other than it took most of the afternoon.

Google did warn connect tablet to power supply.

Some of the apps I would not have re-installed, as crap, but all were downloaded. Had I thought, I should have deleted before starting.

Maybe something to do later.

Also I would have preferred to download and install one by one.

I would then at least have discovered which was causing the problem.

Or maybe corrupted data.

Or could have been malware. Though I have periodically scanned the device.

Android 5.1.1

Android 5.x.x update

Google Nexus 7 2012, an excellent tablet, or at least it was until I upgraded the operating system to Android 5.x.x then it turned into an expensive paperweight.

It became useless, minutes to turn on, unresponsive apps. It had been rendered useless.

The only option appeared to be, implement a factory reset, but first, try this idea of clearing the cache.

I had not used my tablet since the beginning of the year. Long wait whilst 120 updates to apps.

I went through the procedure to clear the cache, then reboot.

One and a half minutes to reboot, similar sort of delay on the apps I tried. But this was probably because they were still requiring further updates, plus synchronising and updating messages

I ran CCleaner, Avira Antivirus and Optimiser.

Still around one and a half minutes to turn on, but all the apps I have tried, are now responding within a few seconds, and within the app, seconds more or less instant response when I tap.

This though does beg a big question: Why, when carrying out an upgrade, does Android not clear the cache then reboot?

Android 5.x.x

Android Lollipop ver 5.1.1 running on Google Nexus 7 2012 edition

The last few days I have been updating Android 4.x.x on a Google Nexus 7 2012 edition.

Each time I update, it tells me there is an update waiting to install.

I went through this process several times.

Eventually I get to Lollipop, Android 5.0.2.

The look and feel entirely different, and so unbelievable slow as to render my Google Nexus 7 unusable. A long wait to boot up, tap, and a long wait for anything to happen.

Update to Android 5.1 for improved performance. Understatement of the year.

And yes, it has improved performance, but still not as good as before.

Yet another update, Android 5.1.1 to improve performance and deal with bugs.

Why is it slow, it is running on a quad core processor?

At a guess, padded out with unwanted garbage to communicate with overpriced watches.

I would rather have a real watch.

There should be an option, not to install this unwanted garbage.

FM radio on your smartphone

Smartphones have a built-in FM radio chip and yet you do not see FM.

Why?

It has been disabled.

The mobile networks make money by selling expensive data.

Android, and the smartphones collect personal data on you.

It is worthwhile therefore trying downloading an app that turns on your FM chip, and you can then use as an FM radio.

Whether this will work on a tablet, I do not know, but it is worth giving it a  try.

As well as giving much better listening and saving on data, it also saves on battery life.

A rare win-win-win.

• NextRadio app
• Free Radio on My Phone
• The Hidden FM Radio Inside Your Pocket, And Why You Can’t Use It
• Your smartphone is equipped with an FM radio tuner that you can’t use

Repair Battery Life

android-robot-frankenstein

Repair Battery Life

Christmas / New Year, three months after purchase of Google Nexus 7 2012, the battery started to fail, or show signs of failing. Where with constant use, charge took two and a half hours from discharge, it was now taking over four hours, where it had lasted five days or more, it was lasting less and less, four days, a little over three days.

The supplier, a third party supplier through Amazon, did not want to know, claimed was only covered by 30 day warranty.

Note: Google Nexus 7 2012 purchased a year ago from Kyoto, Puerto de la Cruz, Tenerife, is not showing symptoms of failing battery.

Repair Battery Life was downloaded from Google Play, installed and run.

It appeared to show some “battery cells” as in poor state, at least one had failed.

It advised run battery fix. This I did, and this was when warning bells sounded.

It required conection to wifi. Why? Why is connection to wifi required?

My one sense of security, a false one it turned out, was that it had been downloaded from Google Play.

Halfway through battery fix, it required download of a further app.

More warning bells sounding.

I downloaded Advance Battery Calibrator.

Battery now fixed, showing all clear, no suspect cells, no bad cells.

But is it fixed? I have no way of knowing as not on the usage and charge regime I was over Christmas and New Year

If a scam, then what is the scam?

• corruption of data
• theft of data
• display of adverts
• download of further software which in itself may be malware

My assumption that downloaded from Google Play, therefore ok, has proved to be wrong. Google do not check software from third parties. If known scams, then Google must block download and flag a warning a scam, which currently they are not doing.

The only way to be certain not a scam, is to release as Open Source Softwre, to enable others to check what the package is doing.

It has been run on a virtual machine, with a virtual battery. It found faults with virtual battery, which it then falsely claimed to have fixed.

It has been reported Repair Battery Life has been removed from Google Play. This is not true, it was still there a few days ago, when I downloaded and installed.

• This ‘battery repair’ Android app has been downloaded over 1 million times… and it’s a total fraud
• [Facepalm] ‘Battery Life Repair’ Is Selling The Placebo Effect For $3 In The Play Store [Update: It’s Gone]
• How does the App “Battery Repair” work?

It is reasonable to assume Advance Battery Calibrator is also a scam.

Google Play wipes out books on Android app update

Yesterday afternoon around 1730 GMT or maybe a little later, Google Play decided to update Google Play books and several other apps.

Icon for Google Play books was replaced by a meaningless icon (before it was an open book) and all books wiped out.

I tried to read This Changes Everything. An error message to connect to internet. I was connected to internet.

Complaint sent to Google Play.

1815 GMT, tried off-line to read This Changes Everything. An error message telling me to go on-line to download the book.

Later that evening, a complaint sent to Google Play.

No response from Google Play, no apology, no explanation.

Twenty four hours on, I am still waiting for an explanation, an apology.

I am now requiring an explanation, an apology, and credit on my Google Play account as compensation.

Downloading and playing music on Google Nexus 7

You cannot download Monsters the début album from Jewelia, or so I was told.

I knew this not to be true, as I had never had any problems downloading from bandcamp.

To check, I downloaded Monsters to a computer, then as I wished to play on Google Nexus 7, dragged my download across to a folder marked music.

What now, how was I to play Monsters?

Google Play Music did nothing, other than try to access the net.

In the absence of a music player, I downloaded and installed a music player from Google Play. I cannot recall what it was, but nothing happened, and so I deleted it.

The other problem, Google Nexus 7 has no means to explore folders or file content.

I can explore the Google Nexus 7 by connecting to laptop or computer, but this is ridiculous, and defeats having a tablet if need a laptop too.

It then occurred to me, maybe I am going abut this the wrong way, maybe I need to use bandcamp app to download and play Monsters.

I downloaded and installed bandcamp app, then used it to download Monsters.

I actually succeeded in downloading more than one copy as I thought nothing was happening.

I only learnt this when I tapped and slid down the status and saw several copies downloaded.

Although I still could not see where the albums were stored, maybe in downloads, maybe in music, at least the downloads showed.

Tap, and everything should be automatic, that is what usually happens, the appropriate app takes over.

Er no, I get an error message, can’t open file.

I guessed it was because the albums were zip files. But should not the bandcamp app download files in a format it can use?

I also noted the albums downloaded had meaningless names

• album-1.zip
• album-2.zip …

When I downloaded to the computer and transferred across to the music folder, at least the file had a meaningful name.

It was time to visit TechStart, where they know more about Android than I.

Very much as I suspected, need to install a file explorer (which can also unzip files) and a music player.

Following their suggestions, downloaded and installed

• File Manager
• N7 Player

File Manager used to unzip Monster files and placed in a folder

• Jewelia Monsters EP

within the music folder.

As more than one copy of album downloaded as mp3 and FLAC, allowed comparison between mp3 and FLAC.

mp3 320 is high quality. Quite impressive. Then FLAC, a noticeable difference. [see mp3 v FLAC]

Monsters is not only excellent musically, it is also high audio quality.

A curious thing. I tapped on Google Music Play, and there was Monsters already loaded and waiting to play. I had done nothing. That is other than making Monsters available as an album in a folder in the music folder.

Monsters now also in Google Music Play Library.

Which means I had no need to download and install a music player.

And now for books …

Note: Google Nexus 7 an Android device. Discussion thus applies to all Android devices.

Note: Bandcamp allows live streaming if you purchase and download an album. Cannot see what this offers, as can live stream albums on-line as often as you wish.