Develop Bugs

[Q] Rom backups and restore...

Hi folks... I'm fairly new to flashing ROM's (i know how to flash them and such) but I have a question about backups and restores of roms....I have searched and just dont see the exact wording im looking for.
Ok, So, I have clockwork, and rom manager and have done a backup of my rom.
Here is my question that isnt quite so clear to me.
When I flash a new rom, or say update one that I have where you have to wipe everything.... are these backups here to restore all of your programs and such to where you dont have to go back in and re-download everything when you have a new fresh rom installed.
Id love to try out a bunch of roms.. but I just hate having to go and re-download all of my programs each time I put a new one on... if that is how it has to be then so be it...
I just dont really know exactly what the backups im doing are for, or what they do.
Thanks for your help.

When I flash a new rom, or say update one that I have where you have to wipe everything.... are these backups here to restore all of your programs and such to where you dont have to go back in and re-download everything when you have a new fresh rom installed.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Somewhat. A nandroid backup is a COMPLETE backup of your entire phone at the point you make the backup. All your apps, calls, texts, etc will be exactly like you made the backup. That's the beauty of nandroid backups, you can make one, try a new rom, and if you dont like it, restore your backup and there is no hassle re-installing apps and changing settings.
However, when you install a new rom, you have to wipe everything. So when flashing a new rom, you will not have anything, you will have to re-install your programs.

There are backup programs that will allow you to backup before a wipe and flash when installing a new ROM. You can then restore the user apps and data. You can also restore SOME system data but you have to be careful and it may be a trial and error process when restoring.
I use Titanium Backup. Some people also use MyBackup Root. I found that when I restored some of my apps with MyBackup they would Force Close when I tried to run them after a restore. That has not been the case with Titanium.
I have Titanium set to restore the apps to the original location. That way my apps restore to internal (DATA) or the the SD Card depending on where they were originally installed.
My process when I flash a new ROM:
- Backup all user apps + Data and System Data with Titanium.
- Nandroid Backup using Amon_RA
- Wipe System, Data, Dalvik and Cache
- Flash the ROM
- Reboot
- Create google account, etc.
- Install Titanium from the market.
- Restore user apps + data using titanium
You can also restore some system data. Depending on the ROM (and how different it was from the original) that can cause problems. If that happens go back to wipe and reflash the ROM again without restoring the system data.
I have had no problems restoring things like my SMS Messages and Call Logs. You can get into problems when you start restoring things like system settings or HTC Sense settings, etc.

Thank you both for the replies. This is exactly what i needed to know. I hope this thread helps others with similar questions.

There is one thing. CWM and ROM Manager have a history of not being reliable with backups.
Your best bet is to get Amon Ra and use that to make Nandroids.
4 I always have on my phone are my Stock/Rooted, my last ROM I was on, fully setup, my Current ROM, basic, before I restore and programs or apps/data, and my current ROM all setup.
If I flash a new ROM, I can just delete my older complete setup.

[Q] Changing roms w/o deleting ur data n apps

Is that any ways of flashing new rom without the need of delete all my data n apps?

honglajiao said:
Is that any ways of flashing new rom without the need of delete all my data n apps?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
this is why we have Titanium Backup...
1. use it to backup all user apps + data
2. nandroid backup
3. full wipe, flash new rom
4. install TB if the ROM doesn't come with it, then restore all user apps + data
don't backup and/or restore system data betwen ROMs, as they're often incompatible and will screw things up

No, You need to delete them, but the poster above me has the solution

eddiehk6 said:
this is why we have Titanium Backup...
1. use it to backup all user apps + data
2. nandroid backup
3. full wipe, flash new rom
4. install TB if the ROM doesn't come with it, then restore all user apps + data
don't backup and/or restore system data betwen ROMs, as they're often incompatible and will screw things up
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Back your app data only (you can sync contacts and calendar from Gmail) and restore after you have installed all your apps. TB is not compatible with all ROMa, you can have problems. Use NANDROID backups to investigate which way works best.
Cheers

Coempi said:
Back your app data only (you can sync contacts and calendar from Gmail) and restore after you have installed all your apps. TB is not compatible with all ROMa, you can have problems. Use NANDROID backups to investigate which way works best.
Cheers
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
good point, though have not known of TB incompatibilty between roms.
@honglajiao you might as well still backup all user apps and data, because TB can still restore the data separately.
in addition to using google to backup/sync contacts, SMS backup+restore (free in market) is good for texts.
and once again, don't backup/restore system data!

eddiehk6 said:
good point, though have not known of TB incompatibilty between roms.
@honglajiao you might as well still backup all user apps and data, because TB can still restore the data separately.
in addition to using google to backup/sync contacts, SMS backup+restore (free in market) is good for texts.
and once again, don't backup/restore system data!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+1 for SMS backup and restore. Simple, but excellent.
Cheers

There is a way to try and that is to delete dalvik-cache between flashing roms. But because of the huge difference in design of roms nowadays, it is difficult to implement. Supernova does not require a wipe before flashing because my script migrates even Froyo to Gingerbread without issues..

You can use the ic scirpt to install your apps at boot and tb to restore data.

Backup Android settings

So I updated from CyanogenMod 9 20120306 to 20120309.
Copied my files, made a backup with ClockworkMod just in case and also created a backup with Titanium Backup Pro.
After flashing I restored the Titanium Backup... backup. Everything was there except the Android settings like display brightness and used traffic.
How can I backup those? Couldn't find anything about that. Just a hundred guides about backing up apps.

Use advanced restore in cwm and 'restore data' that usually restores most settings for me anyway..

Thanks. This also seems to restore apps.
So umm.. what exactly do I need to praised "must have" Titan Backup Pro for? Because it looks prettier or has this freeze feature that I'll probably never need?

tacc said:
Thanks. This also seems to restore apps.
So umm.. what exactly do I need to praised "must have" Titan Backup Pro for? Because it looks prettier or has this freeze feature that I'll probably never need?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Edit: Nevermind.

tacc said:
So I updated from CyanogenMod 9 20120306 to 20120309.
Copied my files, made a backup with ClockworkMod just in case and also created a backup with Titanium Backup Pro.
After flashing I restored the Titanium Backup... backup. Everything was there except the Android settings like display brightness and used traffic.
How can I backup those? Couldn't find anything about that. Just a hundred guides about backing up apps.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Keep in mind you don't have to wipe data between CM updates. CM + Gapps + wipe /cache and Dalvik cache. I'm also looking forward to not having to reflash Gapps everytime as well; I'm sure that script will be back at some point.
Re TiBU it can save user apps +/- data, and system apps +/- data. I can't live without it, and I don't freeze anything.

Help with Golauncher Backup Restore

Ok Something was hinky with my device so I had to do what I most assuredly did not want to do. factory reset and reinstall.
I know how to make a backup now from recovery but alas I need to do a wipe and clean install before I can MAKE a usable backup.
so I backup as much as I can. contacts settings for different programs etc..
my BIG pet peeve was my go launcher screens. I HAVE A LOT of stuff I really really really did not want to reinstall and reconfigure.
so I backed up golauncher settings.
I wipe. I reinstall. before I "restore" go launcher settings I first go down my checklist and reinstall all the apps and widgets its going to use BEFORE I restore go launcher.
all installed all working.
I restore go launcher. SPLAT. every single stinking widget is "Problem Loading widget"
they are all their they are all in their proper places but USELESS. all of them (except go launcher calendar) say Problem Loading widget.
I have 12 days left widgets especially I DO NOT WANT TO REINSTALL.
is their anything I can do? how do I fix this?

Sorry to say but reinsyalling the widgets are the only way I have found
Sent from my PG86100 using Tapatalk

before I wiped it I made an image. I could restore that image. is there a way to properly "backup" the widgets properly so I can "restore" them?
I have all my widgets restored now except my Days left widgets. there are just too many of them and I don't even remember all the dates I had set up I had so many of them.

There could be several ways doing that but nothing is perfect.
Go Launcher backup is not working well.
The most efficient way is 'not doing factory reset'. I'm not doing factory reset at all these days because everything works perfect without factory reset.
(many people says that factory reset is required to properly install ROM. But it's the special case)
If you do not wipe the data during the installation, all app will be there after the installation including go launcher setting and widgets... Just need to change the default launcher from tw to go.
If there is a reason that you need to wipe the data, then before doing it, make the whole application backup using Titanium backup and restore it after flashing the rom. It will store almost everything with some widget links broken. But this is better than nothing...

there was something seriously "wrong" in software on the phone no idea what or how to fix factory wipe appeared to be the only option.
dogg catcher kept "uninstalling" itself and eventually refused to install at all declaring "incompatible"
no idea why worked fine on every other device I tried so "something" was hinky with my device I determined.
I just want to get those days left widgets back and get weatherbug working properly again at 160res.
going to make a backup again wipe restore the old backup and try a titanium backup of go and weatherbug
then wipe restore new image and try the backups from titanium see what happens.
now that I know how to backup from the recovery menu I NEVER plan to do a factory wipe again.
if things go hinky I will have a nice clean backup I can just wipe and restore my backup so everything stays perfect.
VERY annoying.

That's it! Most important thing is making clean backup - nandroid backup of your whole system and titanium backup after applications configured. This will really save your time in the future.

hmm the nandroid backup does NOT backup settings and configuration?
what use is it then? is that not the POINT of a nandroid backup to be a bit for bit backup?
what exactly "IS" a nandroid backup.

Nandroid backup - backup almost everything including the user apps + data.
Because of this, normally nadroid backup size is +- 1GB.
Also, it's hard to keep the history because of size. You may want to keep just few critical nandroid backups.
Titianum backup - There are lots of option to make backup and able to control the versions. So, this method can be used more frequently. For any small changes, I would do the titanium backup rather than nandroid.

ok so what precisely does the nandoird backup "NOT" backup. I assume it does not backup anything on the internal SD (I backed up the whole thing) anything else?
my first nandroid backup was almost 3gb
My plan is to make 2 nandroid backups like I do with imagine my desktops and laptops.
the 1st will be all my settings and all my core applications. I call my "core" backup. its the os settings and the apps I will "ALWAYS" reinstall no matter what.
then I install "other" apps I like and make a new backup this will be the "full" backup.
if I find a new "core" app I like I will wipe the system restore the core backup clean then add the new "core app" then make a new "core backup"
I was not aware of this backup method before yesterday though hehe

nerys71 said:
ok so what precisely does the nandoird backup "NOT" backup. I assume it does not backup anything on the internal SD (I backed up the whole thing) anything else?
my first nandroid backup was almost 3gb
My plan is to make 2 nandroid backups like I do with imagine my desktops and laptops.
the 1st will be all my settings and all my core applications. I call my "core" backup. its the os settings and the apps I will "ALWAYS" reinstall no matter what.
then I install "other" apps I like and make a new backup this will be the "full" backup.
if I find a new "core" app I like I will wipe the system restore the core backup clean then add the new "core app" then make a new "core backup"
I was not aware of this backup method before yesterday though hehe
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No no no!
Basically nandroid backup has almost everything (rom, kernel, modem) + system configuration data + all installed user apps + user configuration data.
So, if your system or app is not normal, and if it's really hard to go back to previous status, then you can simply restore your system using your nandroid backup. In most case, you don't need to backup the nandroid backup files to your PC or laptop except the data is extremely important.
If you think you have a chance to break your external sdcard or internal sdcard, then you can keep the files in both places. But it isn't necessary in most cases.
After the Nandroid backup, for any small changes or you want to back up the applications, then you can use the Titanium backup to track the application changes.
When I started learning the android, I thought the same way you mentioned above, but I don't think it's necessary. We are getting new builds almost every week or day. So, at least you want to stay with your current rom forever, you don't need lots of backups. About a week later, your old backups would be in garbage can.
Make it simple! And you will be happy.
Update -
Here is what I usually do
1. Make full nandroid backup of my current phone before I upgrade the rom or make major changes
2. Change the system or Flash the rom
3. Confirm the changes or make the basic tuning on the rom
4. If everything is fine then make another nondorid backup, if somethis is wrong, then restore the system using nandroid backup in step 1. Follow the steps again.
5. Install Apps, configure the apps and frequently backup the apps using titanium backup
6. If some apps is not working well, or you deleted necessary app, then recover the app (and/or data) thru tb
7. verify if everything is fine, then make full Titanium backup
8.use your phone. If you believe your phone is stable, then make another Nandroid backup.
9. Keep the nandroid backups in step 1 and 9.
So, combination between nandroid and TB is really useful and if you use it properly, it will save lots of your time.

sure but once I get a rom I really like I don't change it unless there is cause to change it.
also my "core apps" don't change and anything else I install I could care less if I lose it. if its important I make a new core backup.
what I do NOT want to do is spend literally "HOURS" getting all my settings widgets tweaks and logins all set up again.
I am on over 4 hours now trying to get my SII back to the way it was STILL not quite their yet.
still can't get my damned days left widgets to restore (there is 12 of them) I really do not want to do that over again.
and still can't get weather bug working right for some reason.
if I had one of these backups in place I could have blown the system out and click restore and been done with it.

You should backup using "MyBackup Pro". It backs up everything. Its a lot quicker to restore using it. 5 minutes and your done.
Sent from my SPH-D710 using Tapatalk 2 Beta-2

AFAIK - Nandroid backup doesn't backup modem/kernel...

phazeman said:
AFAIK - Nandroid backup doesn't backup modem/kernel...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Um, nice resurrection?
And yes, nandroid backs up modem, kernel and rom.
Sent from my SPH-D710 using Xparent ICS Tapatalk 2

TWRP Backup and Restore

I have Titanium backup, but noticed that TWRP also provides a backup and restore. I think I've restored all of my apps by restoring the "data" after a ROM install (at least that's what it appears to have happened). Can anyone verify or is there another partition/folder that I should backup as well for app restoration.
Separate question - I know many people favor Titanium backup - but has anyone started using TWRP for their backup/restores?

using TWRP to restore data is the same as restoring data with CWM
TiBu lets you pick what you want to restore, which is why its preferred. also, if i remember correctly, restoring data with twrp/cwm restores system data, which is bad.

I think you are confusing an app that has backup functions (TiBu) with a recovery, which does Nandroid backups (TWRP).

I'm not confusing them. TWRP backs up data, system, cache...etc. Titanium backs up specific apps. I understand that difference, but if I want to back up all my apps, I just back up my data and restore after I flash the new ROM. It's worked so far.....and I don't have to keep reinstalling Titanium every time.
EDIT: So I guess that's my question - if I want to backup my apps and settings, would I be missing anything to just restore "data"?

BTW I have been using my data backup in TWRP after flashing ROMs and it works flawlessly.....all my apps are there.....in case anyone is interested. Currently running ParanoidAndroid.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda app-developers app

You probably shouldn't be just restoring /data when you flash a new ROM. In addition to your apps, /data also contains your system settings which may not be compatible with all ROMs. Flashing custom ROMs is not for the lazy, just use Titanium if you need to restore your apps.

Open Titanium Backup. Go to option>>Batch Actions.
Here you can backup all the apps(system,user system+user) including data on a single click.. And this process is totally safe. Just you have to install Titanium backup manually after installing new ROM. then it will restore all your apps with the data on a single click.