Develop Bugs

Nandroid Question?

Quick Question, I have full root with credit due to the many people that helped me get there ; )
If i backup with Nandroid and use Titanium backup to back up my files and setting.
Can i then flash a differnt rom like (Fresh) to check it out?
Then
If i want to restore my previous rom can i just run nandroid to restore my backup?

Nandroid restores everything. Its complete in every way.
Backups like my backup and titanium can get most of your apps and some settings on any rom you install but most of your setup settings trend to not restore. Some apps can have issues from time to time. Any issues are easy to fix just install and reinstall from market.

Also you can have multiple nandroids and switch back and forth. So if you like two roms get them set as you like and nandroid. Do the same with any others and you can go back and forth. You can also rename them on your sd card.

yup , thats primarily why i use nandroid, and why its so friggin great. i think clockworkrecovery has the option to automatically create nandroid backups on a timely basis. i havent tried it out, but if you wanna make sure you backup your data frequently to prevent any loss of info, sounds like a good option to check out too.
what rom are you on? I was on fresh, and its a great rom but it got slow on me after a few days. i would suggest damagecontrol, cause its known to give a increase in battery life and was completely stable and fast on mine

Damage's rom is great. I'm also running v7 of froyo I forget who is doing it though.

Aridon said:
Also you can have multiple nandroids and switch back and forth. So if you like two roms get them set as you like and nandroid. Do the same with any others and you can go back and forth. You can also rename them on your sd card.
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That is great, thanks a ton guys!

What exactly are the steps for flashing a new rom?

I am definately a beginner at this so any experienced help would be much appreciated.
I want to try out some new roms but im not 100% sure of ALL the steps
1) do I have to do a wipe/factory reset every time before installing a rom
2) do I have to do a nandroid backup everytime
3) Is there a way to save my settings in a particular rom so that it makes it easy to switch back and forth
I'd also like some insight on what roms have an everyday functionality to them. I am running the C-6 rc1 version of Froyo and love it. Only prob is battery life. But i would like to know what other roms work well for everyday use.
Much appreciated people!

1. do so unless instructed by the dev that you dont have to. But always wipe when switching between different roms (e.g cm6-fresh)
2.no, just make sure you have at least 1 good one
3. Not entirely, you can use something like titanium backup though in order to backup settings for specific applications, which could be used to save your custom keyboard dictionary, text messages, and things like that. It can also be used to backup downloaded aps etc.
4. Try a rom like fresh, damage control, baked something. there are so many. I use cm6 so I have no experience with the above
..here is a cute little thread with what some people are using:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=733732&highlight=rom
don't know how statistically accurate it is, but it gives you an idea of the top roms I think who knows D;

What about radios?
I'm running a rooted 1.47.651.1 with the latest radio and wimax (whitslack's fix). Will I need to flash the radio and wimax again if I flash fresh 1.0.1 or something else?

Read the dev forums and all the Wikis.
If something is not clear, read them again.
Then flash and search for any issue you run into.

no radio and wimax are neither backed up or restored during a nandroid, nor are they touched when flashing a new rom unless the dev specifically made the rom to flash the radio also (and I do not think anyone does this)

3) Is there a way to save my settings in a particular rom so that it makes it easy to switch back and forth
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actually the best way i have found to switch between roms and keep settings - nandroid.
If you are trying multiple roms just make a nandroid once you have it all set up if you later switch to a new rom and want to go back and not have to set everything up just restore that nandroid. Since you probably will know that you want to go back you can store them on a pc if you want to save space and dont switch often. Just remember to always keep at least 1 good back up on the phone.
I rename the back ups to reflect the rom and then switch at will takes about 10 minutes or whatever to do the restore but in my opinion easier then having to titanium back up and re set up all your widgets if you switch a lot. I do use titanium back up for other reasons and NEW roms its great for but if you switch a lot or are testing to see this may be a "easier" option
see signature for daily driver (everyday use rom) and the ones i play with. I personally feel DamageControl gives the best battery life for my device. It is also very stable (though most 2.1 roms are now yay amazing devs )

Using Nandroid to reinstall custom ROMs
I was wondering about that. Would the following strategy work?
1) Wipe as needed and then flash a new ROM.
2) Use Titanium Backup to restore the apps and data you want restored.
3) When the new ROM is all fixed up how you like it, make a nandroid backup of it.
4) Repeat step 1-3 with a different new ROM.
5) When or if you decide to start using one of the previously tried ROMs again, instead of repeating steps 1-3, simply restore the nandroid backup of that ROM.
Wouldn't that work? Wouldn't the nandroid backup restore the custom ROM complete with all the apps and data you restored to it?
Thanks.
--VI

Are there any "Android for Dummies" manuals or write ups??

Seriously, lol..
I am coming from a CE device and going to android is a little bit of a learning curve.. Not that its harder but its different obviously.
What I am asking basically.. All these guides that are written out talk about things as if we already know them..
Don't get me wrong, they are written great, but I don't know certain lingo.. For example I am really wanting to install a ROM.. Just got my evo a few weeks ago, Rooted it and thats it.. Looking into Roms and reading the instructions, its like "WHATTT??"
Sure they explain how to do it, but they don't explain in detail certain steps.. It happens as many people assume they should know..
For example (and they are all like this)
I am looking at the FRESH'S rom.. Seems like a good Rom from what I read, but looking at the instructions for just the Radio
http://geekfor.me/faq/flash-radio/
2) Boot in to RA and pick “Flash zip from sdcard”
RA?? What is RA??
Before these instructions it says "Don’t flash this unless you have a CDMA Evo 4g"
I am sure most people know what CDMA is, but I don't.. Have no Idea, lol
I am basically hoping there is a guide "FOR IDIOTS"
Thanks all

ra is a recovery, you can have either clockworkmod or amon_ra, they both do the same so its personal choice.
cdma is type of network, ie sprint, verizon, cricket. gsm is the other, ie att etc.
now that your phone is rooted, make a backup before anything else. you boot into recovery by turning the phone off, then give it 5 secs then hold Volume down button and then pressing the power button, when it responds you can let go. wait for img file checks to finish then press volume down once to highlight recovery and press power to select. you will now be in recovery. go into nandroid and make a backup.
you can use rom manager from the market to flash many roms however the fresh and damagecontrol links are currently erroring.
before flashing any roms be sure to wipe data and cache either in recovery if done manually or by checking the box in rom manager

Anyone wanna help a fellow brotha out and make a quick 10 bucks.. Lunch money at least.. Just to call me and maybe walk me through some of it, or atleast verbally explain some things
Paypal will be done right away..
Id really appreciate it..

install rom manager, you can make a backup through it. its an automated app, tell it what to do and it will boot into recovery and do it then reboot again

Have Rom manager.. I just did a "boot into Recovery" I then did a nandroid backup.. But why? I did this with Titanum.. How many back ups do I need? This is where I get confused..
I did a couple things with Titanuim and it took like 600 megs of space, now I am doing what seems like the same thing with nandiod back up?
Now, do I just unzip both the fresh rom and the radio, put it in a folder on my Sdisk, open rom manager, choose manually install or whatever it says, and point it to the unzipped Fresh Rom??
If yes, then how do I do the radio?
THANKS

Also, I know my apps will be gone by doing a root, and I could just download then again,,, (correct??)
What about my contacts and pictures and videos??
THanks

you don't unzip the rom, and you shouldnt need the new radio, put the fresh zip on your sd card and in rom manage tell it to flash it and check wipe data and cache.
you can always redownload your apps from the market, purchased ones stay purchased
no loss of pics or vids. sd card isnt wiped
you can check your current baseband version and if its the same then your already set

fastfed said:
Have Rom manager.. I just did a "boot into Recovery" I then did a nandroid backup.. But why? I did this with Titanum.. How many back ups do I need? This is where I get confused..
I did a couple things with Titanuim and it took like 600 megs of space, now I am doing what seems like the same thing with nandiod back up?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Titanium will backup your apps and app data too if you want. When flashing a new ROM you can download titanium from the market and then restore all of your apps.
Doing a nandroid backup in essence takes a snapshot of what your phone looks like at that point in time (apps, user preferences, theme, etc) and saves it. At any point later on, after trying different ROMs, changing settings, etc you can revert to that nandroid backup and restore it. Doing so will bring your phone back to that exact state when you performed the nandroid as if you never did any of the changes afterward.

And a lot of your questions can probably be answered in the post linked in my sig.

m4rk0358 said:
Titanium will backup your apps and app data too if you want. When flashing a new ROM you can download titanium from the market and then restore all of your apps.
Doing a nandroid backup in essence takes a snapshot of what your phone looks like at that point in time (apps, user preferences, theme, etc) and saves it. At any point later on, after trying different ROMs, changing settings, etc you can revert to that nandroid backup and restore it. Doing so will bring your phone back to that exact state when you performed the nandroid as if you never did any of the changes afterward.
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Thank you for explaining that.. MAkes sense now..
Also.. You say I don't need a new radio, but the main Fresh Rom post, says I "SHOULD " get the new radio, (which he posted) and install that before or after..

fastfed said:
Also.. You say I don't need a new radio,
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I did?

you would install the radio after, manually in recovery. leave it zipped too, put it in an easy place to get, like the root of the card.

m4rk0358 said:
I did?
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I said it mark, I was assuming OP had all current updates which include the radio

m4rk0358 said:
And a lot of your questions can probably be answered in the post linked in my sig.
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Did you write that? its really the best I have come across.. Thanks!! I am on my way.. Its in the middle of the rom install..
Wish me luck
I still need to find out if I should install the "Recommended" Radio or not..
THANKS GUYS!!

NewZJ said:
I said it mark, I was assuming OP had all current updates which include the radio
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Well.. I have all the current (Sprint/Evo) updates.. But nothing from aftermarket..
Phone just rebooted.. Here we go
Oh one more thing..
If I feel to revert back to stock and use the "nandroid" back up, will it back up the radio I had then too??

Looks Like I am done... That was nice and easy (thanks to Rom manager)
I am now going to install the radio that was recommended.. Can I use Rom manager for that too??

in TitaniumBackup (tiB) ... go to Batch .. Backup all user apps
(i would suggest purchasing tiB. the paid version is MUCH faster and you won't have to click on each app to restore it. i also like that you can create a flashable zip file for your backup. ie: an update.zip file. it's under the the "More" section.)
i would suggest using Amon_RA as your loader. here is the thread to review it http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=705026&highlight=amon_ra
do a nandroid. (don't forget to copy a nandroid onto your computer once in a while...having ur nandroid exist only on ur sdcard sux if you lose ur phone or ur card melts)
- between ROMs..do a full wipe. (ie: From Fresh to BakedSnack or CM6) just do it. it will save you stress and irritation. it will also help you streamline your recovery process and develop overall familiarity with the system.
- when upgrading a ROM (ie: Fresh 3.1 to Fresh 3.1.1 or 3.2) usually you can just wipe your Cache and DalvikCache (always read the FirstPost of your ROM ... some times you need to full wipe)
- Flashing a kernel can have significant impacts on your device. always flash Cache and DalvickCache. always have a good nandriod ready. always be plugged in or have >50% battery. always in this case means...not technically "Required", but don't cry to me if something goes awry.
the tiB will restore your applications but not settings. some apps like launcherPRO OR adw.Launcher or SMSbacup+ etc will allow you to export your settings. then you simply import your settings when needed. usually works quite well.
the nandroid is more like a 'Ghost Image' we use on computers. it will allow you to recover your devices almost 100% to the point it was when the image was taken. similar to tiB but diferent. tiB backups up the apps. nandroid backs up the whole system.
check this thread for Radios... http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=715485
yes, you will flash the radio zips in the recovery console as well
this is a combo zip and should work fine http://www.mediafire.com/file/ry3k8....00.09.01_WiMAX_26023_R01_PRI_NV_1.77_003.zip

OK.. Now that I have FRESH ROM.. I would like to get a theme.. Right? Isn't this what most people do after a Root,Rom,Radio, Theme??
Thanks

Umm this is not good.. where are all my contacts? I was under the impression they would stay.. How do I get them back? I did a nandroid back up and a Titanium too.. Where did they go? Or should I just sync to my computer again?
Thanks

if your contacts are synced to gmail they will appear shortly after sync, if you have them on your computer you can sync them that way
once the radio is current you don't have to update it again, it won't be downgraded with flashing roms

How to flash ROM and keep settings?

Hello, I havent posted much here but I have been a long time reader. I am running CM6 on my EVO and have been for a few months now. I normally do not care about 4G but I am going to Chicago this weekend and want to be able to use it so here is my dilemma. I want to flash a new ROM but save everything (I can use NAND normally but this re-flashes my ROM too obviously) but I want to save everything (emails, texts, screens, apps; everything) but use it all on a new ROM. I have a feeling there is a way to do this I just dont know how. Could someone please point me in the right directions? Thanks!

You can use Titanium for your apps and texts and home screen settings. You will have to use the same launcher when you flash the new ROM in order to backup the homescreen settings. You are going from AOSP to sense so you need to really limit the system data that you backup/restore to prevent problems from arising.
Personally, I would just do a nandroid before you go, then flash the new ROM and only the stuff you need to get you through your trip and then restore your nandroid when you get home.

danman421 said:
Hello, I havent posted much here but I have been a long time reader. I am running CM6 on my EVO and have been for a few months now. I normally do not care about 4G but I am going to Chicago this weekend and want to be able to use it so here is my dilemma. I want to flash a new ROM but save everything (I can use NAND normally but this re-flashes my ROM too obviously) but I want to save everything (emails, texts, screens, apps; everything) but use it all on a new ROM. I have a feeling there is a way to do this I just dont know how. Could someone please point me in the right directions? Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Titanium Backup Pro, Backup all apps and data. Make a update zip flash your new ROM, then reboot into recovery and flash update zip, then run Titanium backup and do a restore, then reboot phone and you should be good to go.

there is a way to do it but you may run in to problems with the new rom you flash. By not wiping the data before a flash just wiping cache and dalvik you can keep all of that but flashing another rom over an old one without wiping can cause problems like broken apps and fc's at random times for no reason especially sense. If you want to keep your contacts export them to your sd card messeges i'm not sure but apps you can save with titanium back up just not the data for the apps (it tends to lock up the phone). You can try it out and see how well it goes for you but i wouldn't suggest it, then again there have been some people who do this and have nothing wrong its 50/50 all up to you if its worth the risk just make sure you nand backup before you do anything

[Request]Dual Boot 2 ROMS

i was looking around and found that evo n other android phone can dual boot so i wondering if some one can come up with dual boot for g2

You can just use nandroid if you want to switch. It's not too bad to test out and play between ROMs.

Stryder5 said:
You can just use nandroid if you want to switch. It's not too bad to test out and play between ROMs.
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i hate installing apps over n over.....

its more practical to use nandroid

theXeffect said:
i hate installing apps over n over.....
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What are you talking about? You wouldn't need to if you backup the roms properly.

Why in the world would you want to dual boot? Just nandroid.

im just saying it would be cool to have cuz its call dual boot n something new to try.......u guys dont? thats fine.......i wish someone would tho

I don't think I'm performing nandroid backups properly either. I always have to reinstall apps like the OP. Can someone please tell me the right way? Thanks!
Sent from my HTC Vision using XDA App

Lol! what on earth are yall talking about? nandroid only works with the same type of rom you used previously. for example, using rooted stock rom then backup via nandroid then switch to CM and restoring doesnt work. you would have to flash back to rooted stock and then restore. you can obviously make multiple backups... one for each rom. but again... you have to be on the same rom... otherwise, the restore will seriously corupt your current rom.
I'm beginning to wonder if some even know what dual boot actually means, lol!

Thats why you do a wipe befor you restore from a nandroid backup

shiznt said:
Thats why you do a wipe befor you restore from a nandroid backup
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That doesnt really matter if you are using a different rom this time around especially a themed one. Sometimes it can help.... but if the rom is completely different like sense then to stock or CM, you gonna have issues no matter if you wipe or not. Are folks crazy? the system folder varies HEAVILY between different roms. sure you can TRY restoring just the data/cache/ext but that doesn't always work out right. Stick around, kid. You might learn something if you quit running you mouth

Calm down guys. . . . Nandroid works just fine. .
I have used it on an array of ROMs, Stock, Sense, CM . .It works. You just need to backup, then wipe and flash the ROM you want. If you want to go back to the other ROM, back up, then restore the one you backed up previously. You can even name them, you just have to change the folder name in the clockwork mod folder on your SD and look for backups.

Seems like there's a little confusion on how Nandroid works...I didn't understand it myself until recently. I'll attempt to explain how it works, if any experts think I got it wrong, please let me know.
Basically, Nandroid lets you backup your current phone's state (ROM, apps, settings and all) into a single save file that you can restore whenever you want. So as an example, let's say you install ROM X, but you want to try ROM Y. You would first make a Nandroid backup of your phone, then flash ROM Y. Then let's say after a day of playing around with ROM Y, you want to go back to ROM X, you would then make a Nandroid backup of ROM Y, and restore the Nandroid of ROM X. Your phone will then be exactly the way it was when you created the backup of ROM X, and at any time you want you can restore your ROM Y. In this way, you can bootup any ROM you've saved in the past, anytime you want. This makes Nandroid a fairly effective "multi-boot".
You might notice one slight pain in this whole process, the first time you use any particular ROM, you'll have to setup your phone all over again. This can be made easier if you use Titanium Backup, which is an app that backs up your apps and settings to your SD card. Then when you try out a new ROM, install Titanium Backup from the Market and use it to restore your apps and settings. If you're using the free version, this means tapping the screen twice for each app on your phone ("Install", "Done", repeat), but I noticed the paid version claims to have a "0-click restore" feature.
I hope this helps clarify some things.

~~Tito~~ said:
Calm down guys. . . . Nandroid works just fine. .
I have used it on an array of ROMs, Stock, Sense, CM . .It works. You just need to backup, then wipe and flash the ROM you want. If you want to go back to the other ROM, back up, then restore the one you backed up previously. You can even name them, you just have to change the folder name in the clockwork mod folder on your SD and look for backups.
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Lol! Thats what I've been trying to explain to them but they just want to argue with me for some reason. hahaha! They'll figure out on their own any way if they want to be stubborn about it. Heck, I was just trying to save them some frustration. oh well...

dracoaffectus said:
Seems like there's a little confusion on how Nandroid works...I didn't understand it myself until recently. I'll attempt to explain how it works, if any experts think I got it wrong, please let me know.
Basically, Nandroid lets you backup your current phone's state (ROM, apps, settings and all) into a single save file that you can restore whenever you want. So as an example, let's say you install ROM X, but you want to try ROM Y. You would first make a Nandroid backup of your phone, then flash ROM Y. Then let's say after a day of playing around with ROM Y, you want to go back to ROM X, you would then make a Nandroid backup of ROM Y, and restore the Nandroid of ROM X. Your phone will then be exactly the way it was when you created the backup of ROM X, and at any time you want you can restore your ROM Y. In this way, you can bootup any ROM you've saved in the past, anytime you want. This makes Nandroid a fairly effective "multi-boot".
You might notice one slight pain in this whole process, the first time you use any particular ROM, you'll have to setup your phone all over again. This can be made easier if you use Titanium Backup, which is an app that backs up your apps and settings to your SD card. Then when you try out a new ROM, install Titanium Backup from the Market and use it to restore your apps and settings. If you're using the free version, this means tapping the screen twice for each app on your phone ("Install", "Done", repeat), but I noticed the paid version claims to have a "0-click restore" feature.
I hope this helps clarify some things.
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Click to collapse
That was a perfect explaination! I hope that sheds some light for folks who didnt understand what I meant and I apologize for being annoyed. originally, I had thought the OP was talking about dualbooting with android/windows mobile or something... I didnt think about the possiblity of running two android roms. I see how nandroid was brought up now... yeah, thats kind of silly to dualboot with two android roms. but to each his own...

theXeffect said:
im just saying it would be cool to have cuz its call dual boot n something new to try.......u guys dont? thats fine.......i wish someone would tho
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Click to collapse
i cant believe nobody agrees, i would love to have dual boot just like my my laptop with win7\ubuntu netbook remix. the iphone people are dual booting into android or Ios and thats kinda cool even if its not completly functional. Id rather dual than trying to restore back and forth. Good Call

I used the Nandroid method on the G2 to switch between SuperD's ROM and KingKlick's Eclair builds. It works and really does make a good "multi-boot." Also, I use MyBackup Pro to back everything up, and all the settings for the apps and the phone are saved.

veritasaequita said:
i cant believe nobody agrees, i would love to have dual boot just like my my laptop with win7\ubuntu netbook remix. the iphone people are dual booting into android or Ios and thats kinda cool even if its not completly functional. Id rather dual than trying to restore back and forth. Good Call
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Of course, I have to agree with you... There are several things that bother me about nandroid, which I say, is not a good replacement for dual-booting. With dual boot you can shut down your phone/computer and be able to switch between operating systems. I can use Windows 7 to play games, Ubuntu to code, and Mac OS X 10.5 for multimedia. I'm pretty sure that people don't backup Windows 7, wait for that to finish, then install Ubuntu on their computer, wait 20-30 minutes for it to boot up, then get to work(and I'm sure computers would be horrible if you needed to do that). But I'm just saying this so I can get into the conversation and actually get somebodies recognition so they can actually start working on a script for the G2 so you can dual-boot. I'm pretty sure that it's possible... but I'm not sure if there's anybody willing to do it.

Well that's accomplished by partitioning, on a pc.
whichever rom u install completely takes over the previous one, thus eliminating that previous rom. There would need to be some sort of partitioning mechanism,involved. to achieve the dualboot, wouldnt there?

correct me if i am wrong, but the hboot controls the partitions of the phones, and when the G1 needed a new hboot to be re-partitioned to allow for better bigger ROMs there were a LOT of bricks that took months to figure out how to fix, so if someone wants to try to flash the hboot from another phone(and risk losing their phone forever) then by all means have at it, but for the time being nandroid will have to do.