[Q] Backup tool - Droid Incredible Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

Rooting and loading rom after rom can be quite exciting. However in doing so can bring about hours of time spent setting up preferences, adding back shortcuts, widgets, and installing all your apps again. Aside from Titanium, does anyone know of an easy one click type of app that will backup user settings, shortcuts, widgets and apps. Putting your gmail settings back in is not hard, but annoying after you've done it for the 100th time. Mostly the hard part comes from trying to remember how my screens were setup. Titanium is great for apps, but you have to do them individually, and I have never found a way for it to backup account settings.. although this may be user error. I would love to try new roms as they come out but, knowing I will need to spend the rest of the day or night setting it all back up creates hesitation. I understand that with new roms comes new frame work and most data thrown back into a completely new rom can create issues, however it seems that some sort of program could automate this process to a point. So any suggestions, as I have been unable to find any on the forums when doing a search?

SoCGHOST said:
Rooting and loading rom after rom can be quite exciting. However in doing so can bring about hours of time spent setting up preferences, adding back shortcuts, widgets, and installing all your apps again. Aside from Titanium, does anyone know of an easy one click type of app that will backup user settings, shortcuts, widgets and apps. Putting your gmail settings back in is not hard, but annoying after you've done it for the 100th time. Mostly the hard part comes from trying to remember how my screens were setup. Titanium is great for apps, but you have to do them individually, and I have never found a way for it to backup account settings.. although this may be user error. I would love to try new roms as they come out but, knowing I will need to spend the rest of the day or night setting it all back up creates hesitation. I understand that with new roms comes new frame work and most data thrown back into a completely new rom can create issues, however it seems that some sort of program could automate this process to a point. So any suggestions, as I have been unable to find any on the forums when doing a search?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Titanium Backup is the way to go.
Once you upgrade to the paid version, you will not have to click "OK" for each app when restoring.

I was unaware that the paid version did so much. Will it retain the screen shortcuts / widgets as well as keeping general appearence settings? If it does a one click restore of all the apps, that alone may be enough, but I am always skeptical when it comes to purchasing an app, vs what they say it will do.

It can't store screen appearances but its worth it if you like to keep a lot of apps on your phone while trying new ROMS. An added bonus is that the backups store SMS history too.
Sent from my ADR6300 using XDA App

Related

Best way to back up apps/settings?

Ok, I have the Evo completely rooted.
I want to be able to back up my applications, settings for those applications, as well as standard settings on my phone.
Titanium Backup - I can backup apps, however system info seems to break / cause force closes among different roms. It is hard to tell what is important and what isn't. I want settings such as default ringtone / configured desktop widgets and folders / wifi settings / lock pattern etc. to be backed up and restored easily.
Nandroid - Nandroid backups are almost perfect, except that they don't work w/ different roms. I want it to do exactly what it does.. copy everything as is.. but while retaining the functionality of the rom I choose. I get that this is not what it is supposed to do, I'm just giving it as an example as to what I would like in a back up app.
So basically, I want to be able to easily switch between roms (I use Avalaunch Froyo most of the time, 2.1 for photos/recording etc, and will probably use new Froyo builds coming soon) and maintain all the OS settings and App settings. So far I haven't been able to find what I need. Can someone point me in the right direction?
ive always has this question as well...
I am not sure how often you switch between ROM's, but I switch every other day or so. When I switch I make a NANDROID before hand then when I get to the new ROM I delete the old one off the SD card. I know that isnt an answer to you question. It is just what I do and it works for me. If there is a program that would back up all of it would be amazing.
Titanium backup. Available in the android market. Only works on rooted phones.
carguy4471 said:
Titanium backup. Available in the android market. Only works on rooted phones.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not to sound like a douche, but I'm fairly certain you didn't even read the post.
Check out my sig. All your answers should be in my guide. If you have any questions or think it's missing something feel free to leave a comment in that thread.
I checked it out, and it just isn't specific enough. It is good though.
As a previous poster said, I change my rom every few days and do Nandroid backups.. but with the new froyo source released, I'm sure a flood of good roms will come out, and while I try them out, I don't want to have to configure my basic settings each time, such as where I like my widgets, enabling swype keyboard, or disabling default SMS and setting all the options in handcent, etc.
Trust me, it takes over an hour each time. As more cool apps come out, it'll take more time to configure. Also, since Sprint is awesome and lets you upgrade every year now by being a premier customer, I plan on sticking w/ android and want to be able to have a smooth transition when I get my next phone.
Titanium Backup seems like it can get the job done, and maybe I just need a specific listing of which system data file is for what. I tried to copy just the things that seemed necessary, and I still got force closes on things such as trying to open my sound settings.
Most of the system items highlighted in Green in Titanium are of important settings/databases. Also, I can confirm that if you back up the "[DESKTOP]HTC Sense 1.00" entry, then your sense Desktop (meaning icon locations and widget placements) will be restored to where you had them.
If you are not running Sense though, and instead using a custom launcher like ADW, helix, launcher pro, etc...Then I can only guess that if you back up those using the App+Data option that it will also remember icon/widget placements, but that is only an assumption. I have limited experience with those launchers.
MichaelWestin said:
I checked it out, and it just isn't specific enough. It is good though.
As a previous poster said, I change my rom every few days and do Nandroid backups.. but with the new froyo source released, I'm sure a flood of good roms will come out, and while I try them out, I don't want to have to configure my basic settings each time, such as where I like my widgets, enabling swype keyboard, or disabling default SMS and setting all the options in handcent, etc.
Trust me, it takes over an hour each time. As more cool apps come out, it'll take more time to configure. Also, since Sprint is awesome and lets you upgrade every year now by being a premier customer, I plan on sticking w/ android and want to be able to have a smooth transition when I get my next phone.
Titanium Backup seems like it can get the job done, and maybe I just need a specific listing of which system data file is for what. I tried to copy just the things that seemed necessary, and I still got force closes on things such as trying to open my sound settings.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you are going to be going back and forth between Froyo and Sense 2.1, don't bother trying to back up your account/widget/home configuration. It's different between the two and could mess things up. Also, many people put out roms that are zipaligned or deodexed, you might not want to restore stock apps on top of those.
I'd recommend doing two things.
1. Use a nandroid backup to save a "snapshot" of your current rom so that you can easily go back to it (with all of your settings intact).
2. Use Titanium Backup to just get your user apps and information when you want to move to a new rom. Setting things back up can take a little time, but it's better than wondering why you're getting force-closes or wakelock problems. This will keep all of your user app settings (like Handcent or Swype) but you will just need to enable them in your settings menu.

NEWBIE ALERT: Looking for ROM that has...

UPDATE - deleted old post...
So I just finished Rooting my phone and putting a new rom.
I used the following root guide:
[TUTORIAL] EVO Full Root|OTA Root|Nand Backup/Restore|Flashing|for n00b's + videos
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=721055
Now I realized all my phone contacts are gone....
I wished he had put a disclaimer about that.
and what sucks is, I dont have a backup to those contact # either so im screwed.
Anyways my question is: Once I have all my contacts and I wish to change ROM.
Will I lose all my datas?
If I download a game app - IE - Tower Defense - will it keep game saved, unlocked maps, etc etc?
if it doesn't, how do I transfer contacts, game saved to the next Rom when I wipe (I assume wipe = format which it deletes everything).
I already forsee im gonna test all the roms out there but I HATE to re-put all my contacts over and over again...
im already mad I lost half of my contacts I wont be able to retreive.
with that said - I guess I have few more question than.
WHAT IS Nand Backup? what does it do?
What is Titanium Backup? what does it do?
Do I need 1 or both?
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=746611
In the op there is a link to google docs spread sheet that compares the most popular roms comparing there performance, battery life, extra features, what features it has working, ect.
nief1313 said:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=746611
In the op there is a link to google docs spread sheet that compares the most popular roms comparing there performance, battery life, extra features, what features it has working, ect.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the link but it doesnt answer some of my other questions.
what kind of pre-loaded apps comes with each one?
you will have to individually check out their threads to find out what they have included/excluded, but for most of the ROMs, they generally include all the stock stuff(sometimes removed sprint apps or an easy way of removing them) and a few include an app for rom specific updates/changing profiles. besides that most of them dont preinstall any extra apps.
nief1313 said:
you will have to individually check out their threads to find out what they have included/excluded, but for most of the ROMs, they generally include all the stock stuff(sometimes removed sprint apps or an easy way of removing them) and a few include an app for rom specific updates/changing profiles. besides that most of them dont preinstall any extra apps.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This man speaks the truff.
Most roms are pretty identical, just check them out and view which one you would like the most.
I suggest making a nandroid backup of what you have now and then installing different roms and testing them out. Find the one thats fits you and stick with it.
Evio is my current rom, it seems to be the only one where the cache is on the /cache partition instead of the data partition, and everything is working, he adds a few apps but you can wipe it to get the full 427MB for apps. also u can uninstall any sprint apps you dont want with titanium backup.
BTW good luck on the 60 fps, expect 50-55fps.
Use the evo kitchen. Search for it. Lets you make one to your liking.
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA App
UPDATE - check first post for my new issues. Thanks to the previous posts answering my other concerns.
for starters save all contacts to gmail that will help you to avoid having to re-enter your contacts everytime, when you link your gmail to your phone it will pull your contact. since u already lost em id recommend going to gmail now and adding them manually, had my mom do this in the begining when she 1st got her moment, and i found out after the fact on my hero.
Nandroid is a full back up of your phones current state (rom wise). so when you have one set up the way you like it make a nandroid so when you decide to jump to another rom or you flash a soemthing you dont like you can revert back to your previous state. its like system restore for windows but 20x better.
Titanium backup lets you back up apps uninstall apps etc etc, it does alot, too much for me to explain, i say check out their site. also titanium back up is the one you would need if u wanted to back up apps and restore them on another rom.
Titanium back up was how i was able to keep my free copy of lets golf xD

Using Launcher Pro, looking to uninstall unneeded Sense

Since I use Launcher Pro instead of the default sense I was wondering if someone could let me know which things would be safe to uninstall?
So far..
Rosie.apk
POQbum said:
Since I use Launcher Pro instead of the default sense I was wondering if someone could let me know which things would be safe to uninstall?
So far..
Rosie.apk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've done this same thing, removed all HTC* and Sense* apps and services from my phone. I staged it using Titanium to freeze them all first, then after a week of no crashes, no FC's , and having the kernel I wanted, I removed them all.
The problem I'm having is how to convey this info to you. Titanium backup will produce a list but it seems a bug will only list the user apps, not the system ones in the resultant email.
I think I could just do a complete listing from adb of the content of /system/app, and you can diff it with your own to produce things that do no harm when removed.
If you're interested, let me know. There is , I think, no "sense" left when done with this. Compared to say the Rom called Senseless R., it has much less apps & services (that are all social networking garbage) installed and it runs very well. Normally, at any given time, it is running 8-18 services & apps, compared to ~50-60 before I did this.
I guess I'd rather make my own mistakes then install someone else's. (which might make you think twice about doing anything I recommend )
Of course, as always, do a full nandroid backup before starting on this type of thing. Remove one wrong thing and you're likely not going to be able to reboot, but I think if you freeze them first with TB, then you might be able to boot using 'safe mode' (see XDA) and still unfreeze the culprit keeping it from rebooting (use logcat to figure it out if you can).
--
Thanks for the tips.
I'm using 'root uninstaller' that shows all apps and 'com.android' stuff.
I did a full backup and am experimenting uninstalling different things.
One of the .htc uninstalls resulted in crashing mms, 3g and just about anything major like the dialer.
Slowly and surely I'm doing a full backup everytime I get to a point where I uninstalled a few things and everything still works great.
I haven't been keeping track of exactly what I've been uninstalling so I guess I can't help out anyone in the future :/

[Q] Help, stop apps from running...

Ok first off I do not need the whole lecture on Linux and how Android is supposed to work. I have had this phone for almost a year and you can say that all you want, but my results are different. I want a way or program to keep programs from automatically booting and running in the background. I have been using Go Launcher Ex and have Launcher Pro and SPB running in the background when they were never opened. No, I do not want to uninstall them as I have paid for them and like to keep them updating and check on them once in awhile to see the improvements. And that was just an example. There are also plenty of other apps running in the background I just do not need running all the time and automatically, and I will close them and they reload. So no lectures on how your phone is made to run like this, because I notice from my own personal use that when you close more programs the phone runs way smoother with less lag, no matter how it is "supposed" to work. So is there a program or something I can do or use to stop these programs from running automatically until I choose to run them? Please help.
SyndicateROM Frozen 1.2
Genocide EC05 Kernel 2.0 |1.4GhzOC|UV|VoodooSound10|VoodooColor|DualBoot
journaling off
EG22 modem
V6 SuperCharger! Update 9 Beta 3
Sdx stock app remover, remove all the services you don't want
Sent from my spare Droid since my epic got jacked. PM me if you want to sell yours.
I don't want to remove them, just keep them from running when they aren't being used. I mean really, if you only use some of them say once a week, do they really need to be taking up RAM making your phone lag everyday. What happened to having control over what is running, it is YOUR phone right?
Can't you just freeze what you want and then unfreeze when you want to us them?
Hey, would that work??? I remember reading that you could freeze apps. What program was that? Interesting... but really, I found a bunch of threads on angry users because we don't have control over what starts. Why can't the program just be there, until you decide to start it?
I use My Backup Pro but I read that Titanium works too. As to why...there is a long list of questions that could follow that intro...we are stuck accepting it.
Yeah, I've heard they want to track us and all that crap. I found a program called "Autostarts" that claims it does what I am looking for. Paid the .94 cents and am about to check it out. Thanks for the idea though. Freezing and unfreezing something just to use it sounds like a pain, just don't want them running for no reason.
Both MyBackUp Pro and Titanium Pro will freeze apps (tried both and like Titanium best because you can see what is frozen in the list and MyBackup does not have this). Either way you must keep USB Debugging checked for them to work properly, but that's no problem. Every once and a while you may notice something not working properly and you have to unfreeze ("Defrost") some apps to stop the force closing if this happens...for instance one of them was preventing me from changing my ringtones (I suspect I froze one of the media apps or music player, etc). Also you can use Titanium to remove apps or bloatware but since it keeps a list of all apps removed (assuming you did a Titanium backup) you can reinstall it thru Titanium.
I have Titanium and LOVE it as a backup. I love the option to individually install and uninstall things. It gives you more choice/power over your device. But I'd hate to have to freeze things just to keep them from running when they shouldn't be. It's amazing with all these programmers and smart people out there, that there isn't one easy solution to this problem.
You could also go against your own rant and learn how to close apps correctly and stop blaming the system. I never have apps re-open, so I don't understand this phenomenon. If you're unwilling to solve your own problem, so am I.
The Root said:
You could also go against your own rant and learn how to close apps correctly and stop blaming the system. I never have apps re-open, so I don't understand this phenomenon. If you're unwilling to solve your own problem, so am I.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Let me ask....why does maps or amazon remain open all the time, when I never open them in the first place. But yet there they are...even after a reboot. What you call a "phenomenon" I see as just another day in the life of the Epic. So what do you have running that doesn't allow these apps to open. It certainly has nothing to do with the closing procedure, seeing as I never opened them in the first place
Sent from my SPH-D700 using xda premium
Dunno, I back or exit out and nothing but basic google services runs in the background with swype, launcherpro, and something else. That's it. I freeze nothing, I app kill nothing.
The Root said:
You could also go against your own rant and learn how to close apps correctly and stop blaming the system. I never have apps re-open, so I don't understand this phenomenon. If you're unwilling to solve your own problem, so am I.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It sounds like he's talking about the apps that just start up on their own, not the ones he has opened. The solution is to freeze them or delete them or install a custom ROM that left them out.
Well that was very nice and helpful of you. Either you are very well educated and know something almost no one else seems to know, or you're a complete idiot. I have found numerous threads on this subject and have not found one answer. This is no lazy ass, I cannot Google, and I am not putting out any effort to help myself question. I have done a lot of searching. Task Managers don't work, cause the apps just restart themselves. So if you are a computer God, then why not actually be helpful instead of being a jerk and wasting time posting in this thread. It IS a question and answer thread, I do not believe I am out of line here.
Not trying to be a jerk. You started out by saying you wanted different results without changing your behavior. That may not be possible. I don't know what apps you have running. Deleting an extra launcher won't stop you from downloading it later when you want to use it. Are you using the back button or built in exit button from within the app? What apps are reopening? Exiting an app using the home key will not close it. I need more info to help and less ranting.
Sent from my SPH-D700 using XDA App
No, I understand the back button exits the app while the home key only "pauses/minimizes" it. And, as others have said, certain apps such as maps start up on their own. I have beautiful widgets, maps, SPB, Launcher Pro, Perfect Task Switcher, etc. etc., all running in the background at boot. It's not about me starting them, they start themselves. And even when you close them, they just restart. Why do we not have the control? There has to be a way. I do have certain apps I would prefer to run in the background, as they are used more frequently, but not just whatever apps feel like running should run on their own. Why should I have to uninstall them. Say maps for instance. It is handy to have, but really how often will I need it. So I want it there for convenience just in case. So why should it be constantly running in the background. It only needs to run every month or two or whatever it may be when I choose to use it. It's not a hard concept, but this seems to be the flaw of Android from what I have read in many forums.
Running in the background is a subjective phrase. Some run a tiny piece so they'll launch quicker or the app data may just be up behind the scene. It doesn't always mean the app is fully running. Words with friends won't close at all. I don't keeo apps that behave like that. One reason some apps stay open has to do with the memory manager. Froyo and gb are more advanced in that department.
Sent from my SPH-D700 using XDA App

[Solved]Theme / Home Screen Backup

Alright, I couldn't find anything on Google, so I'll give you guys a shot
Does anybody know how to back up their home screen icon layout and / or current theme? Is there a way to do it on Titanium Backup?
Any help would be awesome, thanks!
Anonaru said:
Does anybody know how to back up their home screen icon layout and / or current theme? Is there a way to do it on Titanium Backup?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've never done it myself, but I've read of folks backing up (and succesfully restoring) Home screen using Titanium.
Not sure, but I think the system app "Sense Home (DESKTOP)" is what you would want to backup (for Sense ROM, obviously).
I personally try to avoid restoring system apps, as they may cause issues if you are going between ROMs with significant differences. I just restore my home screen setup manually, which doesn't take much time. But I suppose how much time that takes may vary by user, if you have a lot of home screen panels, widgets, etc.
redpoint73 said:
I've never done it myself, but I've read of folks backing up (and succesfully restoring) Home screen using Titanium.
Not sure, but I think the system app "Sense Home (DESKTOP)" is what you would want to backup (for Sense ROM, obviously).
I personally try to avoid restoring system apps, as they may cause issues if you are going between ROMs with significant differences. I just restore my home screen setup manually, which doesn't take much time. But I suppose how much time that takes may vary by user, if you have a lot of home screen panels, widgets, etc.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yep! It seems like backing up just the app data for Sense Home (DESKTOP) carries over your desktop configuration-- it doesn't appear to bug anything out, though I'm not too sure attempting to restore the app too would do anything good
Figured this out on my own while on my trip, but I appreciate the information, thanks!

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