Creating a Full Disk Image from Android to Your Computer

Creating a Full Disk Image from Android to Your Computer

30 November 2024 Stephan Petzl Leave a comment Tech-Help

In this guide, we will walk you through the process of copying a full disk image from an Android device to your computer. This can be particularly useful if you have lost files and wish to recover them using a disk image. The method described here does not require an SD card slot, making it suitable for devices without expandable storage options.

Prerequisites

  • Your Android device must be rooted.
  • Install adb, which is available through Android Studio or as a standalone tool.
  • Ensure busybox is installed on your device.

Step-by-Step Instructions for Windows

  1. Install cygwin on your Windows machine. During installation, add the netcat (under Net) and pv (under util-linux) packages.
  2. Open two cygwin terminals. One will send data, and the other will receive it.
  3. In the first terminal, forward a TCP connection and gain root access on your device:
    adb forward tcp:5555 tcp:5555
adb shell
su
BUSYBOX=/system/xbin/busybox
  4. Determine the partition to copy. Typically, /dev/block/mmcblk0 contains the data you want.
  5. Execute the following commands in quick succession:
    • In Terminal 1:
      $BUSYBOX nc -l -p 5555 -e $BUSYBOX dd if=/dev/block/mmcblk0
    • In Terminal 2:
      nc 127.0.0.1 5555 | pv -i 0.5 > $HOME/mmcblk0.raw

Analyzing the Disk Image

Once you have the disk image, you can use tools like OSFmount to mount the partition in Windows. For file analysis and recovery, software such as Active@ Undelete can help you explore and recover lost files from the image.

Alternative for GNU/Linux Users

Linux users can install netcat and pv using their package manager. The Disks utility can be employed for partition analysis.

Enhancing Your Testing Process with Repeato

While creating disk images is a great way to recover lost data, ensuring your app functions correctly across updates is equally important. This is where our product, Repeato, comes into play. Repeato is a no-code test automation tool for Android and iOS, leveraging computer vision and AI to create, run, and maintain automated tests efficiently. With built-in ADB capabilities, Repeato allows you to execute ADB commands seamlessly, ensuring your testing process is both comprehensive and efficient.

Check it out!

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