app left overs

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sqlpro

516 posts

Ultimate Geek

#109108 12-Sep-2012 16:58

Hi Guys
just wondering if there is a easy way (OR app) to clean up uninstalled applications some thing like ccleaner in windows.

When you uninstall apps ,the folders created by those still exist and consuming space.

I found some apps on the market but they seem to clean the cache NOT particularly what am attempting to clean.

What you guys normally do ? Thanks for the advise.

n4

959 posts

Ultimate Geek

#685111 12-Sep-2012 17:10

I downloaded something called SD Maid from the play store but haven't really used it yet.

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Linuxluver

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#685122 12-Sep-2012 17:30

sqlpro: Hi Guys
just wondering if there is a easy way (OR app) to clean up uninstalled applications some thing like ccleaner in windows.

When you uninstall apps ,the folders created by those still exist and consuming space.

I found some apps on the market but they seem to clean the cache NOT particularly what am attempting to clean.

What you guys normally do ? Thanks for the advise.

I do it ad hoc.

I have a look at the sdcard from time to time and delete any relics.

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sqlpro

516 posts

Ultimate Geek

#685124 12-Sep-2012 17:32

Linuxluver:

I do it ad hoc.

I have a look at the sdcard from time to time and delete any relics.

Thats what am currently doing but its very painful especially if the apps folders not obvious . sometimes its weird folder names and you are never sure whether its ok to delete !

DrStrangelove

368 posts

Ultimate Geek

#685625 13-Sep-2012 14:51

I use SD Maid too and found it very good.

It has a Corpse Finder which I think is what the OP is after.

It also does things like optimize databases, which I guess most people wouldn't be doing ad hoc. :-)

The application needs root access to provide the complete cleanup functions, although without root the SD Maid application will still preform some basic functions.

sqlpro

516 posts

Ultimate Geek

#685639 13-Sep-2012 15:28

DrStrangelove: I use SD Maid too and found it very good.

It has a Corpse Finder which I think is what the OP is after.

It also does things like optimize databases, which I guess most people wouldn't be doing ad hoc. :-)

The application needs root access to provide the complete cleanup functions, although without root the SD Maid application will still preform some basic functions.

wonderful, thank you. i'll give it a go. my phone is not rooted but hopefully i could use "corpse filder" !
wow! what a name

sqlpro

516 posts

Ultimate Geek

#685699 13-Sep-2012 16:49

Nope "corpse finder" does not seem to find left overs correctly . I recently uninstalled some apps and still see those folders in explorer but it wont find them! When i clicked refresh it found "allshare" data folder !!!

so still looking ...

kiwijunglist

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#685706 13-Sep-2012 17:02

When uninstalling an application use force close then click clear data, prior to uninstalling, i think this removes a lot of the junk.

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DrStrangelove

368 posts

Ultimate Geek

#686538 15-Sep-2012 21:13

sqlpro: Nope "corpse finder" does not seem to find left overs correctly . I recently uninstalled some apps and still see those folders in explorer but it wont find them! When i clicked refresh it found "allshare" data folder !!!

so still looking ...

I'm guessing we're looking at the folder structures seen left on the /sdcard/ partition/SDCard.

or are we talking about the /data partition under folders /data/app/ and /data/data/ found on internal memory?

Kiwijunglist's suggestion to force and clear data may assist in cleaning up some applications.

Out of interest I noted I had an old hidden folder left over when I removed doubleTwist.

The folder is seen as /sdcard/.doubleTwist.

Reinstalling the doubleTwist App saw the date updated on the folders in /sdcard/

Force close and clear data didn't remove this folder structure.

Uninstalling the application didn't remove the /sdcard/.doubleTwist folder either.

So there may be another way(application) that can 'intelligently' decide on what goes and stays on the SDcard. But as LinuxLuver suggested, the easiest way may be just to manually remove folders no longer needed.

Another area that can be cleared when space is becoming a concern is the dalvik cache.

After clearing, it should rebuild its self over time, but only based on the existing installed applications.

Also, I have a secondary external data partition for applications, data and etc and I note the dalvik cache in that partition still holds reference to uninstalled applications.

So... it may be beyond the 'average' application to identify accurately data structure/files which are no longer required on external memory i.e SDCard

From what I see (and correct me if I'm wrong) the internal memory and the resident applications are better managed when the application is removed. I see no application still resident in the /data partition which I had previously removed and other than SD Maid (On a rooted OS) I haven't actively managed these folder structures.

mjb

996 posts

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#686549 15-Sep-2012 22:07

Files left by an application fall into four categories:

* Dalvik Cache
* Cache Files
* Application private files
* Public files

Files in the Dalvik cache are not removed when the app is uninstalled, but I believe the OS will reclaim the space if it needs it. the Dalvik cache is not visible to the end user.

Cache files are temporary files used by an application, and are removed by the OS when the space is needed. Similar to the temporary directory on your PC.

Application private files are created by an application when it wants to store things on your device more permanently. These *are* removed when the application is uninstalled. These files are visible to the end user by consumption of internal memory space.

Public files are those created by an application on the sdcard (typically) and are not removed when the application is uninstalled. These files are not tied to the application in any way, which is why they won't be found by "cleaners".

More information here.

contentsofsignaturemaysettleduringshipping

DrStrangelove

368 posts

Ultimate Geek

#686586 16-Sep-2012 04:05

mjb:

Application private files are created by an application when it wants to store things on your device more permanently. These *are* removed when the application is uninstalled. These files are visible to the end user by consumption of internal memory space.

Public files are those created by an application on the sdcard (typically) and are not removed when the application is uninstalled. These files are not tied to the application in any way, which is why they won't be found by "cleaners".

This is my understanding too.

For those with root access there are many applications for 'cleaning' the Dalvik Cache.

Titanium Backup has an option to 'clean up' the Dalvik Cache.
Link2SD also has the same Dalvik cache 'clean up' option.
xrecovery is another option to clear the cache and I'm sure there are many more.

I don't have any non-rooted Android devices, but on a rooted device one can view the contents of the Dalvik cache and the dex files in it at /data/dalvik-cache or any other davlik-cache folder on a secondary partition which will normally be linked from the primary cache.

I found on one Android system I had about 8MB in the Dalvik cache going right back to when the OS was installed such as the original Google vending app. That means nothing has been cleared previously over six months.

dex files are applications created into bytecode for fast system access. (In loose terms)

Also if one is VERY keen and knows about chmod and etc, one can move non essential 'stuff' onto the /cache partition as it's normally almost empty. This could include the /data/dalvik-cache folder, but it does require some configuration. This could be impacted by OTA data so not for the faint hearted.

One can also clear application caches which can sometimes restore a sizeable chunk of space.

sqlpro

516 posts

Ultimate Geek

#686600 16-Sep-2012 08:33

DrStrangelove:
sqlpro: Nope "corpse finder" does not seem to find left overs correctly . I recently uninstalled some apps and still see those folders in explorer but it wont find them! When i clicked refresh it found "allshare" data folder !!!

so still looking ...

I'm guessing we're looking at the folder structures seen left on the /sdcard/ partition/SDCard.

Yes thats correct. many of the folders still there after application uninstall and i had to manually uninstall! what a pain.

MurrayM

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#686602 16-Sep-2012 09:17

When an app gets uninstalled does Android simply remove the app or does it first somehow notify the app that it is about to be uninstalled so the app has a chance to remove anything that is has stored on the SD card? From this conversation I'm guessing that the app simply gets removed and has no chance to remove any extraneous data it might have created.

DrStrangelove

368 posts

Ultimate Geek

#686906 17-Sep-2012 04:39

MurrayM: From this conversation I'm guessing that the app simply gets removed and has no chance to remove any extraneous data it might have created.

Yerp, that's about it.

It'd be up to the developer to write an uninstall to remove SDCard data structures prior to then invoking the system application removal routine via Google Play Store or Manage Applications.

It's the system that removes an application as unless you have root access a user installed applications has no user invoked access to the system data structures.

So it's a built in system routine to installed and remove applications and that routine has no directions to go out to the SDCard and start deleting user data.