How Can I Delete Apk Apps From A Root Folder

SUroot Extreme Android User
Thread Starter

This is for if you have the ROM already installed and don't want to (or can't) do a wipe/re-install, such as your original ROM, rooted.
For custom ROMs you are about to install, just open the zip in winrar (not extract), browse to system/app and delete the .apk prior to installation.

If you are S-OFF, you can just delete the apps using root explorer in r/w mode.

For the rest of you:

Pre-requisites

• A rooted Android phone

• Custom Recovery (ClockworkMod / AmonRA)

• A current nandroid backup

• Android SDK (tools only) for windows: SDK Tools only (Ultimate Dropbox version)

If you follow the steps below to set up adb as an environment variable, you can skip Method steps 3 & 4
-Open the .rar file, then drag and drop the folder "android-sdk-windows" to the C: drive
-Right click My computer > Properties > Advanced > Environment Variables

-under system variables click "path" and click "edit"

-at the end of the line add a sem semi colon ";" and without a space put C:\android-sdk-windows\tools - It should look like ;C:\android-sdk-windows\tools then click ok.

You can use your existing Android SDK. This guide assumes you extracted to the root of your C:\ drive. The folder structure would be C:\Android-sdk-windows\tools. If you set up adb the same as the above, you can also skip steps 3 & 4

Method:

Commands must be typed exactly. Be careful you identify spaces.

1. Connect your phone via USB and Reboot into recovery. To do this, turn off the phone. Hold vol down and press power. Use volume keys to navigate to "recovery" option and press power to select.

2. On your PC open Command prompt (Start>Run Type “cmd” [without the quotation marks] and press enter)

3. In the black window type "cd\" and press enter

4. Type "cd\android-sdk-windows\tools" and press enter

5. Type "adb shell" and press enter
6. Type "mount /system" and press enter

7. Type "cd /system/app" and press enter
8. Type "ls" (these are L’s) and press enter, this lists all the system installed Apps.

9. Type "rm AppName.apk" (where AppName.apk is the application you want to remove) and press enter. Note, this IS case sensitive. Repeat this for each app you want to delete.

10. On the phone, press back once to get back to the main menu.

11. Navigate to advanced and select it with the trackball

12. Navigate to Wipe Dalvik Cache and select it.

Once complete, in the menu, press back until the top option is reboot system now. Select it. You’re done. The reboot will take a long time as it will be creating the dalvik cache from cratch (just like when you install a new rom).

Enjoy your bloatware free ROM. It goes without saying that you shouldn’t remove anything you don’t recognise and that if you do, you risk doing harm to your phone. I can take no responsibility for damage caused.

Please note, some of the menu's in Clockworkmod recovery differ version to version. Sometimes you need to go into partitioning menu to mount system

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Always good to see things like this posted. Whether you know it or not, Always good reference
KYI
SUroot Extreme Android User
Thread Starter

Yeah after a lot of playing (and many errors and head scratching) I eventually manged to get it done using about 15 different threads. I manged to create a definitive easy guide, so thought I'd post it for ya.
enjoy.
Sigh. I don't meet the prerequisites.
SUroot Extreme Android User
Thread Starter

Yep, you need to be rooted I'm afraid. Its the only way
SUroot Extreme Android User
Thread Starter

Did you connect the phone to the computer via usb before rebooting into recovery?
A couple of points:
After doing 'adb shell' it's easier just to type 'mount /system' - this will work no matter which version of recovery you're using and can replace the earlier step.

You should remove the associated odex file. So if you delete teeter.apk you should also get rid of teeter.odex (if you have a deodexed rom, these files won't exist).
Will this work on Mac/Linux?
SUroot Extreme Android User
Thread Starter

Once you're in adb shell, the commands should be the same, but I am unsure about linux command line. However, adb shell is a linux command shell.
1. This work even we have amonra recovery.
2. I'm using linux, and usual, my commands are:
adb reboot recovery
adb shell
In shell:
mount /system
etc.
I'll try this in a bit
On another note, here is a list of all the system apps:

AccountAndSyncSettings.apk HtcWeatherWallpaper.apk

ApplicationsProvider.apk Jbed.apk

Bluetooth.apk LiveWallpapers.apk

BrcmBluetoothServices.apk LiveWallpapersPicker.apk

Browser.apk MagicSmokeWallpapers.apk

Calculator.apk Mail.apk

Calendar.apk MarketUpdater.apk

CalendarProvider.apk MediaProvider.apk

CertInstaller.apk MediaUploader.apk

CheckinProvider.apk Mms.apk

Clicker.apk Mode10Wallpapers.apk

ContactsProvider.apk NetworkLocation.apk

CustomizationSettingsProvider.apk NewsReader.apk

CustomizationSetup.apk PCSCII.apk

DCSImpl.apk PDFViewer.apk

DCSStock.apk PackageInstaller.apk

DCSUtility.apk Phone.apk

DownloadProvider.apk PicoTts.apk

DrmProvider.apk PluginManager.apk

EnhancedGoogleSearchProvider.apk QuickLookup.apk

Facebook.apk RSS.apk

FieldTest.apk Rosie.apk

FilePicker.apk Settings.apk

FlashLitePlugin.apk SettingsProvider.apk

FlashPlayer.apk SetupWizard.apk

Flickr.apk SocialNetworkProvider.apk

FriendStream.apk Stk.apk

GSD.apk Stock.apk

GenieWidget.apk Street.apk

GlobalSearch.apk Superuser.apk

Gmail.apk Talk.apk

GmailProvider.apk TalkProvider.apk

GoogleApps.apk TelephonyProvider.apk

GoogleCheckin.apk TtsService.apk

GoogleContactsSyncAdapter.apk Updater.apk

GooglePartnerSetup.apk UploadProvider.apk

GoogleSettingsProvider.apk UserDictionaryProvider.apk

GoogleSubscribedFeedsProvider.apk Vending.apk

HTCAlbum.apk VisualizationWallpapers.apk

HTCCamera.apk VoiceSearchWithKeyboard.apk

HTCSetupWizard.apk VpnServices.apk

HTC_IME.apk Weather.apk

HTMLViewer.apk WeatherAgentService.apk

HtcAddProgramWidget.apk WeatherProvider.apk

HtcClockWidget.apk WeatherSyncProvider.apk

HtcConnectivity.apk WidgetDownloadManager.apk

HtcContacts.apk WorldClock.apk

HtcDialer.apk YouTube.apk

HtcFMRadio.apk com.htc.FriendStreamWidget.apk

HtcFacebook.apk com.htc.MusicWidget.apk

HtcFootprints.apk com.htc.NewsReaderWidget.apk

HtcFootprintsWidget.apk com.htc.StockWidget.apk

HtcLocationPicker.apk com.htc.TwitterWidget.apk

HtcLocationService.apk com.htc.WeatherWidget.apk

HtcLockScreen.apk com.wsandroid.apk

HtcMessageUploader.apk gtalkservice.apk

HtcMusic.apk htcbookmarkwidget.apk

HtcNaviPanel.apk htccalendarwidgets.apk

HtcPhotoWidget.apk htccontactwidgets.apk

HtcRingtoneTrimmer.apk htcmailwidgets.apk

HtcSettingsProvider.apk htcmsgwidgets.apk

HtcSoundRecorder.apk htcsearchwidgets.apk

HtcStreamPlayer.apk htcsettingwidgets.apk

HtcSyncwidget.apk restartapp.apk

HtcTwitter.apk teeter.apk
System apps depend on which ROM you're running. Be warned that there are very few that you can remove without any impact.
SUroot Extreme Android User
Thread Starter
I think so, I found it on Modaco.
This command should tell you what's in yours:

adb-windows shell ls /system/app/
Psshhh, I could have sworn it wasn't there when I looked ^_^
hi i tried this and it dosent work for me.
when i get to this point
Type cd /system/app and press enter

it fails, i also tried 'mount /system' but just got the same results

/sbin/sh: cd/system/app: not found.

can anyone help
thanks
SUroot Extreme Android User
Thread Starter

Mount/system shouldn't work in CMD.exe because in the guide you have already mounted system via clockworkmod recovery menu. Did you do this?
hi thanks for answering.. yes i did.
anyway i have managed to do it now using bits of your guide and mixing it with another couple of guides lol...

all works fine except the Facebook app still shows in application management.

also noticed that all the apps still say they are in the app folder when typing ls.
SUroot Extreme Android User
Thread Starter

What did you have to do differently?
Did you install Facebook from the market at any point? Also check data/app for Facebook? You did wipe dalvik cache?
hi ok first i rebooted into recovery then connected usb
started abd shell then go to phone select storage and mount

and then mount.
then followed the rest of your instrucions and it worked.

i didnt clear the cache, how do i do that.

ahh just reread your write up new i'd seen it somewhere lol

thanks
SUroot Extreme Android User
Thread Starter

Oh so the only difference is you didn't use Rom manager to boot Into recovery and connected usb afterwards?
When I wrote this, it was assuming that Rom manager was the best way to get clockworkmod recovery but there's now unrevoked root which replaces that need.
what if I don't have a custom ROM added. I have a US Cellular Desire. I just rooted my phone earlier tonight and haven't put a new ROM onto it since I can't find anything real stable yet. Can I still delete the bloatware off my phone? If so, how would I go about it?