Problems uninstalling IBM Traveler

[Elem]

Situation is as follows:

on my Xperia Tablet Z running Kitkat V 4.4.4 I need to un-install IBM Traveler. The standard way to do so is through the traveler app itself using tools >> uninstall application. Doing so I am prompted to de-activate the app's device manager entry which I confirm. Next I'm prompted to confirm once more that I want to uninstall.

This far everything is as expected and known from my other Android devices. What's happening on my Xperia tablet, though  is that I'm told that the app cannot be uninstalled because it is still registered as device manager, and that's it then.

Double checking device manager settings shows me that traveler's entry is already set to inactive. And now I'm trapped, because unless traveler's device manager entry isn't active the uninstall option inside the app is not available.

I also tried to deactiveate device manager then unsinstall using Android's app manager; but here the uninstall button is "grey" i.e. not available

Then I tried uninstalling the app through play store; here I'm told that that uninstallation is not possible as long as the app' sdevice manager entry is active (which it isn't!)

I'm afraid that I'm caught in the middle between two companies: IBM will be pointing to Sony because uninstalling the app in the way described above is working for maybe all devices except my tablet (I've done it before on various devices).

Before I go into the pain of resetting the tablet to its basic factory settings I hope that someone here can give me hint of where I could break this loop.

Regards,

Lothar

[Rickard]

Hi and welcome to the community! Since you're new please be sure that you have checked out our Discussion guidelines.

It could perhaps be another device manager causing this. Try disabling all device managers under Settings -> Security, restart the tablet and then try uninstalling it from Settings -> Apps.

[Elem]

Thanks, indeed, for the VERY quick answer!

I tried, but no change. In fact, after disabling all device managers then restarting the tablet 4 of the device managers have been re-activated all by themselves. Those are:

- Enterprise service (from Sony)

- Android Device Manager (from Google)

- my Xperia (obviously from Sony)

- IBM Notes Traveler

Anything else I can try?

[Rickard]

What if you try to uninstall it when the tablet is in safe mode? Press and hold the on/off button and then tap and hold the shutdown option. The tablet will then ask if you want to restart in safe mode.

[Elem]

Cool, didn't know about that! Unfortunately it didn't help here. This is getting weirder and weirder...

[Rickard]

That's strange indeed. How was this app install in your tablet?

When in safe mode, check if it still shows as an Android device manager and try to disable it then.

Are you familiar with USB debugging (ADB)?

[Elem]

> How was this app install in your tablet?

regarding Traveler there are two basic options to install, and I don't quite recall which one I used on the tablet: option #1 is to do a standard play store installation. option #2 is via the company's Traveler server itself.

> When in safe mode, check if it still shows as an Android device manager and try to disable it then.

I alread tried, but that didn't change anything; forgot to include that in my message. But what's even stranger in this regard is the fact that 4 out of my 6 available device managers are always reactiveted after a reboot, no matter if I reboot into sstandard or safe mode; a listed those four in my 2nd post, but back then without knowledge of the "safe mode" option. Is that normal behaviour, even for Sony's own "my Xperia" app?

> Are you familiar with USB debugging (ADB)?

I've used ADB several times when rooting my current phone some years ago (no, the tablet isn't rooted, just my old HTC ;)); in fact I already thought giving ADB a try in this case but simply couldn't find the time. I would be happy to try a few things in case you can give me a few directions; as it's been quite a while I used this I think I'd have to install a few updates first. Again, I'd be happy to learn which ones I need

[Rickard]

Some device managers may be enabled again when you reboot but it's a bit strange that you can't remove this app in safe mode. In safe mode it doesn't load any 3:rd party apps.

First tap the build number under Settings -> About tablet 7 times and then enable USB debugging under Settings -> Developer options.

Then connect it to your computer, start a command prompt and try:

adb shell pm uninstall [package name]

If you are unsure of the package name you can check it using an app like https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.gijoon.pkgnameviewer

[Elem]

> In safe mode it doesn't load any 3:rd party apps.

well, the app itself wasn't showing while in safe mode, but the device manager setting was still there

I'll give the ADB method a try tomorrow. Meanwhile many thanks indeed for your patience.

Lothar

[Elem]

this app really is a stubborn one: tried both "adb shell pm uninstall com.lotus.sync.traveler" and "adb uninstall com.lotus.sync.traveler": both reply with "Failure"; I double-checked a proper adb connection using "adb devices" and got a correct answer (device ID + "device").

I also tried both adb commands being in safe mode AND with the traveler device manager being disabled - no change.

printout of logcat gives me this line:

W/PackageManager(  852): Not removing package com.lotus.sync.traveler: has active device admin

which seems to prove that I cannot truly disable the app's device manager setting. Could this be a permission issue? And - given the fact that this tablet isn't rooted - is there some way to correct permission settings?