H96 Pro+ Android 7.1, 3/32GB DDR3: internal storage problem & crash

[VibrantX]

I've ordered my Alfawise TV box from GearBest. It arrived about 1 month ago and came already with Android 7.1.2.

It's working fine but the internal storage is almost unusable because of the following problems(scenarios):

• Copy large files (more than 2 GB) from SD Card or LAN to Internal Storage:

The speed at the beginning is ~18 MB/s but after 100-200 MB decreases to ~6 MB/s and very often in the middle of copying process the device freezes and reboots.

• Start A1SD Bench to test the Internal memory and sometimes during the write stage the device reboots.
• Write speed is very low (A1SD Bench):

Accurate test: Read 60.25 MB/s, Write 22.29 MB/s
Quick test: Read 234.12 MB/s, Write 27.12 MB/s
Longer test: Read 653.78 MB/s, Write 9.03 MB/s

[ch3mn3y]

I found that copying one file, doesn't matter it's size, is OK. Mine reboots only when there is more then 2 files. So You can try with copying archives full of files and then unpacking it.

Mine is from GearBest as well. S32-V6 3/32 with Alfawise on top of the Box.

[ReaperMan]

Decrease in speed is normal...consumes free memory and CPU

• Try formatting SD card/ or check for errors via computer.
• USB 3 Sticks seem to copy faster
• Try rooting your China Box. (Research!!)
• Try ES File Explorer.
• Try extra cooling. Too hot = crash.
• Do not browse/heavy media play while copying.

I'll move 40K files from Kodi to storage and back again( major speed decrease...20 MB/s to 200 KB/s VBR average 1MB/s)

[VibrantX]

Decrease in speed is normal...consumes free memory and CPU

• Try formatting SD card/ or check for errors via computer.
• USB 3 Sticks seem to copy faster
• Try rooting your China Box. (Research!!)
• Try ES File Explorer.
• Try extra cooling. Too hot = crash.
• Do not browse/heavy media play while copying.

I'll move 40K files from Kodi to storage and back again( major speed decrease...20 MB/s to 200 KB/s VBR average 1MB/s)

• SD card and USB stick are OK. The problem is with internal memory of the device.
• It's rooted and ES File Explorer is installed.
• I've added additional fan and max temp is 50-53^o C.
• I do nothing during copy process. I've performed some CPU stress tests with copy large files from LAN to USB stick at the same time and everything with device is OK. The reboot occurs only if some write operation to the internal storage is involved.

[ReaperMan]

Hmm, I had crashes too but something changed..cooling mostly? How many back-ground process are running...?
You're not on factory firmware I guess...
Have you tried the Magisk module...ExSd Card?

[taozhuan]

probably your intenal storage is bad.or the size is fakely marked

[VibrantX]

Hmm, I had crashes too but something changed..cooling mostly? How many back-ground process are running...?
You're not on factory firmware I guess...
Have you tried the Magisk module...ExSd Card?

I've mounted a fan and max temp is 50-53^o C under high load. My Alfawise H96 Pro+ is on factory firmware, i.e. nothing is installed by me. Maybe taozhuan is right - the internal storage is defective.

P.S. The PCB is blue.

[ReaperMan]

Possible the Storage....can you move files between folders, with out crashing? Ex >Downloads >bunch of files in a > Folder 1 move to a Folder 2?

If it works then more likely a faulty SD Card I/O hardware.
If both situations cause crash...try reboot to TWRP and select >Wipe >Advanced >select >Wipe Cache. (I am not sue what wiping Dalvik cache does...maybe wipe corrupt data for troublesome apps?)
***Wiping anything else can erase you data and/or O.S***
Dose it behave better?
If you get less crashes...you may want to try re-flashing your China Box and run same tests for stability.

[ch3mn3y]

Dalvik (more like ART since Android 4.4/5.0) is runtime cache, where executable binaries are stored. It is created at first boot (that's why there is Optimizing apps window after Factory reset, reflash or update), as well as after installing any app. It stores data about optimization of every app. As every OS is different, than it's important that the app will be optimized to work with it.

Wiping it will force Android to recreate it at boot. Theoretically it's very important, but as it is recreated at boot it can be wiped without any problems. Wiping Dalvik/ART is important when changing the OS (or updating it), so the new one can recreate them the way it wants (and not use old, sometimes incompatible, data). It's good to remove it when You are installing/flashing some mod of an existing app. It may misbehave if there are old data left.

Not sure if anyone wanted to know that, but here You go

[ReaperMan]

Thanks,
It's always good to know how to remove the Ghosts in the Shell.

[VibrantX]

Possible the Storage....can you move files between folders, with out crashing? Ex >Downloads >bunch of files in a > Folder 1 move to a Folder 2?

If it works then more likely a faulty SD Card I/O hardware.
If both situations cause crash...try reboot to TWRP and select >Wipe >Advanced >select >Wipe Cache. (I am not sue what wiping Dalvik cache does...maybe wipe corrupt data for troublesome apps?)
***Wiping anything else can erase you data and/or O.S***
Dose it behave better?
If you get less crashes...you may want to try re-flashing your China Box and run same tests for stability.

I've just tried moving files between folders and the device crashed. I will try Wipe Cache scenario later today.

[VibrantX]

The device reboots during copying even after Wipe Cache procedure

[ch3mn3y]

Did You try with charger with higher amperage than original?

[ReaperMan]

@ VibrantX,

Looks like you have 1 - 3 problems.

• Power supply is wonky
• Over heating, bad heat-sink
• Faulty box/memory chip

Hopefully that it is one of the first two points...otherwise....vendor return?

[VibrantX]

@ VibrantX,

Looks like you have 1 - 3 problems.

• Power supply is wonky
• Over heating, bad heat-sink
• Faulty box/memory chip

Hopefully that it is one of the first two points...otherwise....vendor return?

I've just tested it with 4A power supply and the problem exists. Over heating cannot be the reason because there is a fan mounted below the box. Now I am pretty sure it's a faulty memory chip.