[General Questions and Answers] kathyathome:
trying to solve "no connection" to google playstore, maybe by installing frameworkAPK

I have a rooted T-Mobile LG Optimus P769 running Android version 4.1.2. I like to use ADW Launcher but I can also use the stock launcher if that is important in solving my problem. Basic problem is "no connection" when attempting to use Google Play Store app. I can get to the playstore page in my stock browser and see the "my apps" section, but when I attempt to download an app it tells me the app will download to my phone "soon," and then the app never arrives. I have Titanium Backup and Root Browser. I have tried all the solutions I could find to this specific "no connection" problem: adjusting the date to correct date and time, clearing cache of Play Store app, clearing data of Play Store app, rebooting after each, uninstalling Play Store app and reinstalling from an APK file to a newer version, currently have version 4.6.16. Have tried clearing data and cache and rebooting also for Google Play Services (v. 4.3.24). Tried removing the phone battery and waiting 15 seconds. Have tried creating a new google account, adding it, then deleting my old account under "accounts and sync" then opening the Play Store app with the new account; didn't solve problem so I put my old account back in. Still have the new account and get these two accounts as a choice when I attempt to open the Play Store app. After I choose either one I still get the "no connection - retry" screen. I can connect to the store with my Xoom over wi-fi and also my regular work computer, so I assume it isn't a port issue with my wireless router. I've tried connecting to the Store after turning wi-fi on my phone off. I've tried disabling the Download Manager. I've tried deleting the "host" folder in the system/etc folder using Root Browser. I've tried freezing, wiping data, uninstalling, and restoring Play Services and Play Store using Titanium Backup. Currently there is a yellow smiley by Play Services and an orange smiley by the Play Store. I uninstalled Google Services Framework (v. 4.1.2-610838) using Titanium Backup, but I can't get it to restore. I've tried restoring just the app as well as the app+data but I can't see it after rebooting anywhere except at the bottom of the list with the line through it (where the uninstalled things are listed in Titanium Backup). So apparently I do not have the framework installed and can't get it to show up in Titanium without the line through it. When I installed the newer version of Play Store I didn't put the APK file anywhere special before I opened it, I just e-mailed it to myself on my phone and opened it from the e-mail attachment, after which it installed. It was also suggested that you shouldn't delete Hangout, but I did that using Titanium Backup long ago before this problem of no connection started occuring. I tried getting the Hangout APK (com.google.android.talk-2.0.303.apk) and installing it anyway, but it hasn't solved the problem. It opens but says "couldn't sign in because we couldn't reach Google. Try again."

I also get a message that "sorry, but com.google.process.gapps has stopped working" or something to that effect occasionally.

So I feel like I've probably screwed things up more than they were before I stopped connecting to the Play Store, but I still have internet and e-mail and g-mail, and my other apps work. If I could just use the browser to go to the play store and download apps I would just not use the play store app, but this go-around doesn't seem to work.

If I can't fix this I will have to take my phone to the guy who rooted it. I took it to him because I didn't have enough memory. As you all probably know, jellybean disabled the "move to SD card" function that I used to have on a different phone with a different OS. So when I bought my Optimus I thought I could put most of the apps on the SD card and get by with the relatively small storage capacity of this phone, but I quickly ran out of memory because I couldn't put anything except music and books on the SD card. This guy rooted the phone and installed Folder Mount for me, which has solved the lack of storage space problem, so I'm happy with the phone and all, but I need to be able to use the play store in some fashion.

I'd like to know from you all if I can get a google framework apk file and install it. I read on this forum while searching high and low for an answer that you can do this if you put it in the system/app folder and if you install it before the Play Store, and you put the Play Store APK file in the data/app folder and install from there AFTER the framework (but this was in a thread about the kindle fire). Here is what I will do unless you all can help me out with something better:

1. Uninstall the play store

2. The framework is apparently already uninstalled

3. Get the framework.apk, put it in the system/app or system/apps folder (which one?) and then open it to install. I found a zip file at the goo.im/gapps site but it's huge and I don't know if my phone will open a zip file. If it will, where do I extract all these files to? I'm really only familiar with opening an APK file and having it install, not a zip file. I'm nervous about doing something this major.

4. Get the play store apk file and put it in the data/app folder and then open it to install. I have the apk file from when I did this before.

5. Reboot.

6. I would like to uninstall Hangouts after I get this problem solved because I don't use it; do you think that would cause a problem? I try to keep my phone clean of apps I don't use.

7. Should I try to uninstall the google play services app and reinstall from an apk? If so, where do I put the apk file before installing?

Thank you so much for your patience with this woman with just enough knowledge to be dangerous (obviously). I'm sorry for the length of this post, but the instructions say to tell what kind of device you have, what your specific problem is, and what you have already tried doing, and I've explained that as best I can. I will be forever grateful if you can help me. If the guy who rooted my phone from Bend, Oregon, is on this forum I'd like to say "hi" if you see this post.