It was about 9 months ago that I bought a Samsung Tablet, the Galaxy Tab 2 10.1, which is still commonly on sale and now down to just under $300. It's pretty much at the bottom of the Samsung line, and the reviews even when it came out indicated not to expect top performance. However, for your basic tablet user, I've been pretty happy with it, and Google Play services (with the recent opening of their music store in Australia) have improved a lot.
But a few days ago it started acting strangely. Trying to type into any app (such as a browser) would immediately cause the app to stop working. Also, I had created a half dozen folders on the home page in which to sort out my apps into categories, and I could not open any of those folders. (The warning on that was "SecLauncher has stopped working.")
Googling around on my PC (because I could not search anything via the tablet) about the typing problem (but not the folder problem) quickly showed from Android forums that this was a known issue that sometimes occurred in this model tablet, and that it has been occurring for quite some time (more than 12 months, I think.) Someone complained that they had contacted Samsung and a vague promise that they would fix it in future was made.
However, I don't think there has ever been an update for my Tablet's Android version since I bought it. (Even though it appears an update has started to be rolled out elsewhere around the globe in about December 2012. Australia must be low on their priority.)
So - the problem I had was with the Samsung clipboard, and could only be fixed by either doing a factory reset (which would not guarantee that the problem would not return) or "root" the Tablet via some software and slightly tricky instructions which could, if it all went horribly wrong, "brick" the Tablet and make it good for nothing, and then delete the data/clipboard folder contents.
I went for the latter option, and followed a couple of sets of instructions (first here, but then to XDA forum) because it seems it is hard to find one perfectly clear set of instructions for something like this.
Anyhow, I finally got there, after a few hours of research and fiddling and not understanding exactly what was going on.
Anyone reading who has struck problems doing this - I might be able to help with a few tips of what was not working for me.
So, next problem: having successfully "rooted" my tablet, I couldn't find the data/clipboard at all.
I tried the "File manager" that came with Samsung, and an app manager I had downloaded which had an option to allow access to root files which had to be turned on, but I still could not find the relevant folder.
I knew there were other file manager apps to download, but here's the thing: I still couldn't type into Google Play to find them. I had to search through categories, but they seem to list the "top paid" or "top free", and if want you want isn't in the top, you can't get to it. Furthermore, if it was a paid app that I wanted to download (and there was one or two possibilities) I could not type in my password to confirm payment!
Still, if you find one app that's kinda relevant, you can see links to other possible ones of interest, and that is how I stumbled across File Explorer (which is free) and a separate, now free, File Explorer (Root Add on) which allows root access via File Explorer.
Using these apps, I did find the data/clipboard folder, deleted its contents, and yes indeed, the Tablet started working normally again.
Presumably, if it happens again, I have all the tools to fix it.
But here's the thing: I must never put File Explorer in a folder, because that may make it hard to get to if the problem re-develops.
Apparently, having a "rooted" Tablet means you can fiddle with it and do all sorts of things - perhaps such as uploading the new Jellybean Android instead of waiting for Samsung to deem Australia worthy enough to receive it.
I'm not sure what I'll do. The warranty is gone anyway.
But the final lesson is: this is pretty poor service by Samsung, not fixing a serious problem like this and just telling people they have to reset the Tablet to factory (and re-load all apps and data back to it.)
Shame, Samsung, shame.
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