[Daruba]

A while ago I deleted an app called "Check-it".
Today i decided that i have use for this app so I reinstalled it again.
After installation I noticed that all data that i had before deleting the app was still there!
I got however error messages if i wanted to alter the data. With "Files & Folders" i deleted the database which solved the problem. I wanted to start over again anyway.

The thing is this:
How can i make sure that all data is deleted if i delete an app?

Is does not make sense that data from deleted apps still filling up my 16GB PlayBook.

[FF22]

Excellent question. Hopefully, someone will have an answer.

[HybridGT]

Most people don't even know that, i doubt we'll get one

[SumthinNew]

There appears to be some remnants such as user's file settings, config etc... that stays behind.
Try deleting an app off the BB and re-install later. The icon is in the exact same spot as before.
Has to be a RIM specific OS structure (to allow ease of restore), unless a complete wipe is performed on the device.

[Daruba]

There appears to be some remnants such as user's file settings, config etc... that stays behind.
Try deleting an app off the BB and re-install later. The icon is in the exact same spot as before.
Has to be a RIM specific OS structure (to allow ease of restore), unless a complete wipe is performed on the device.

This gussest that you could build up a pile of garbage wich using valuable space?

Hmmm...maybe there will be an app for that in the future...

[blackjack93117]

A security wipe wont clear this?

[Daruba]

A security wipe wont clear this?

It likely does but that's not what anybody want to get rid of the garbage left behind.

I think it's reasonable to assume that wiping the PB is an action you ONLY take when you sell your PB or downgrade from 2.0 to 1.8, and not to uninstall apps with data.

[peter9477]

Daruba, apps can store data in only two places.

One is the "sandbox" data folder, which only they can access. That area is completely removed when the app is uninstalled, along with the app's executable code, assets, and some metadata.

The other area is the "shared" folder area, which is not restricted: any app can read or write files there.

When an app is uninstalled the "shared" data area is untouched, which is by design and a very good thing for users.

Apps should not store their "working data" in the shared folder area, if those files are not stored in a standard form. For example, an app which lets you create "mindmaps" and stores its data in its own XML-based format shouldn't be writing that data to the shared area. Likewise, apps which use SQLite format really shouldn't be doing that either. An app which merely edits JPG-format photos, however, loading and saving in that format, is free to write to the shared area if it wants to. (This is all just convention, or best practice... nothing forces a developer to use either one or the other area.)

Presumably this Check-it app is writing that data to the shared area. I don't know the app or the data format, so I can't say whether they're following best practices or not.

A number of new developers who came on board for the "free PlayBook" offer had difficulties managing their signing keys and properly building and releasing their apps. As a result, some of them were releasing updates which did not have access to the earlier version's sandbox data area, so users were in effect losing their data. Those developers sometimes modified their apps to start storing their data in the shared area, which is not how they should handle things but in their case was probably a necessary action to avoid losing their user base. I hope they'll have things figured out by now and can change to the approach they should be using.

Anyway, I expect that more or less answers your question about this. When you remove such apps, it's up to you to remove their data, and having it any other way (given that they're storing the data in the shared area) would be bad.

[taylortbb]

The app was probably storing data in the shared directory. That directory is what you see when you access your PB over WiFi. Data that was stored inside the app should be gone. You probably don't want, for example, deleting Docs to Go to also delete all your word documents. Or deleting a video player to delete all your movies. The point of the shared storage is that it's for users to manage. Right now you have to manage it over WiFi or download a file manager app from AppWorld.