Develop Bugs

[Q] Nandroid back up/Titanium backup questions

So what is the different between a nandroid backup and a backup using titanium backup? What is being saved with either? I hear using titanium back up is a "full" backup. What is titanium backup used for if you are already rooted...wouldn't you already have a custom recovery like amon ra or cwm?
If I do a nandroid back up on stock 2.2 rooted, can i do the same back up while I'm on a custom ROM? Where is this "backup" being saved to? Can i have multiple backups for different ROMS?

Nandroid is more like creating an image backup of your operating system, it backs up both your rom and apps. Titanium just backups app, their data and if you choose system settings.
Swyped from my EVO running CyanogenMod 6.1 RC 1

techdude54 said:
Nandroid is more like creating an image backup of your operating system, it backs up both your rom and apps. Titanium just backups app, their data and if you choose system settings.
Swyped from my EVO running CyanogenMod 6.1 RC 1
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In what situation would i use titanium back up with a rooted evo?

Titanium backs up your app and data from your phone. I am rooted and I use it when I need it, when I want to re install apps when I switch roms.
Using my HTC Evo phone which I'm using Xda app to post

evo4gfan said:
So what is the different between a nandroid backup and a backup using titanium backup? What is being saved with either? I hear using titanium back up is a "full" backup. What is titanium backup used for if you are already rooted...wouldn't you already have a custom recovery like amon ra or cwm?
If I do a nandroid back up on stock 2.2 rooted, can i do the same back up while I'm on a custom ROM? Where is this "backup" being saved to? Can i have multiple backups for different ROMS?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Think of Nandroid Backup as a system restore point you would create on your PC and if for some reason you installed something on your PC and it makes your PC unstable, you can do a system restore and go back to when your PC was acting perfectly. (So for your EVO...you create a nandroid...messed around with your phone and screw everything up...Power up into bootloader (or reboot into recovery)...go into recovery and restore your nandroid backup)
Titanium is for you to back everything to your SD card right before you decide to WIPE DATA, CACHE & DALVIK/CACHE to flash a NEW ROM. After you flash the NEW ROM...your phone will be like a new phone you just received out of box...you have to set everything up on it. So instead of spending hours, you swill only spend a few minutes doing everything. 1st and foremost, sign back into Google Market, download Titanium and tell it to restore all apps...data, etc. Not sure if Titanium backups home and system stuff, I use Mybackup Pro and it does...it has everything configured the way I originally had it on the previous ROM...all I do is set up all my POP mail accounts and sign back into Twitter...Facebook...etc.

honeyBfly said:
Think of Nandroid Backup as a system restore point you would create on your PC and if for some reason you installed something on your PC and it makes your PC unstable, you can do a system restore and go back to when your PC was acting perfectly. (So for your EVO...you create a nandroid...messed around with your phone and screw everything up...Power up into bootloader (or reboot into recovery)...go into recovery and restore your nandroid backup)
Titanium is for you to back everything to your SD card right before you decide to WIPE DATA, CACHE & DALVIK/CACHE to flash a NEW ROM. After you flash the NEW ROM...your phone will be like a new phone you just received out of box...you have to set everything up on it. So instead of spending hours, you swill only spend a few minutes doing everything. 1st and foremost, sign back into Google Market, download Titanium and tell it to restore all apps...data, etc. Not sure if Titanium backups home and system stuff, I use Mybackup Pro and it does...it has everything configured the way I originally had it on the previous ROM...all I do is set up all my POP mail accounts and sign back into Twitter...Facebook...etc.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
okay that makes sense. So whenever i flash a new rom, do I need to download titanium back (or MybackupPro) again on the new rom to get the data back? I can't locate the saved file from my sd card?

evo4gfan said:
okay that makes sense. So whenever i flash a new rom, do I need to download titanium back (or MybackupPro) again on the new rom to get the data back? I can't locate the saved file from my sd card?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes
Swyped from my EVO running CyanogenMod 6.1 RC 1

honeyBfly said:
Think of Nandroid Backup as a system restore point you would create on your PC and if for some reason you installed something on your PC and it makes your PC unstable, you can do a system restore and go back to when your PC was acting perfectly. (So for your EVO...you create a nandroid...messed around with your phone and screw everything up...Power up into bootloader (or reboot into recovery)...go into recovery and restore your nandroid backup)
Titanium is for you to back everything to your SD card right before you decide to WIPE DATA, CACHE & DALVIK/CACHE to flash a NEW ROM. After you flash the NEW ROM...your phone will be like a new phone you just received out of box...you have to set everything up on it. So instead of spending hours, you swill only spend a few minutes doing everything. 1st and foremost, sign back into Google Market, download Titanium and tell it to restore all apps...data, etc. Not sure if Titanium backups home and system stuff, I use Mybackup Pro and it does...it has everything configured the way I originally had it on the previous ROM...all I do is set up all my POP mail accounts and sign back into Twitter...Facebook...etc.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I use Titanium Backup for backing up data and restoring it on a new ROM a lot. Before I flash a new ROM I always do a complete Titanium Backup and a nandroid backup. If the flash fails I restore from my nandroid backup and if the flash works I load my apps back with Titanium Backup (that way all my saved data on things like games is there and I don't have to start over).
I will caution against doing a restore of everything on a new ROM though (mostly a problem if you're going from something like a stock Evo based ROM to a AOSP ROM). I've had some issues when I restored a few system files (accounts database for example). If you stick with installable applications you shouldn't run into any trouble though (also I've had no problems restoring my call log and text message database).

When you are in Titanium Backup, when you hit menu and select more you can create a flashable .zip so that after flashing a new rom or resetting the device you don't have to log into the market to reinstall. Makes life a lot easier.

Tuffgong4 said:
When you are in Titanium Backup, when you hit menu and select more you can create a flashable .zip so that after flashing a new rom or resetting the device you don't have to log into the market to reinstall. Makes life a lot easier.
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Click to collapse
I didn't know that, thanks for the tip.

Titanium Backup

Hey,
I have a question about Titanium Backup. If I understand it properly I have to lose all my apps and data to install or update a new ROM - full wipe - if necessary. Of course I may use Titanium backup but that is quite long process to restore all apps and data again, right? Do I need to tap on restoring every single app to install it etc.? AND may I restore system data as well or it makes no sense when the ROM needs a full wipe?
I really do not understand this properely. I am quite confused.
Thanks.

devcager said:
Hey,
I have a question about Titanium Backup. If I understand it properly I have to lose all my apps and data to install or update a new ROM - full wipe - if necessary. Of course I may use Titanium backup but that is quite long process to restore all apps and data again, right? Do I need to tap on restoring every single app to install it etc.? AND may I restore system data as well or it makes no sense when the ROM needs a full wipe?
I really do not understand this properely. I am quite confused.
Thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
When I do a full wipe for a new ROM, google/market will reinstall all the apps I had and I just restore the missing apps/games that I had settings or saves for. I'd recommend to do a full backup and try yourself to see what works for you.

do not make a system backup cause it'll give you only loads of fc. Backup only installed apps. You don't have to restore app by app if you have a titanium backup pro or donate than it's doing everything for you.

If you are switching roms, you should only restore apps+data.
There is a batch mode that allows you to restore all of it at one go.
I haven't used system yet but i'm guessing you could restore some of you system setting if you do a factory reset?

You can always use something like appbrain to sync you apps again, then use titanium backup just to restore the data.

venomrat said:
If you are switching roms, you should only restore apps+data.
There is a batch mode that allows you to restore all of it at one go.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I do this after each full wipe and new rom - it's a single click batch operation using the free version of Ti.

Rom updates

Hi all,
About to root and rom for the first time on any phone and I was wondering a few things.
First, after I install clockwork mod recovery, I can make a backup... Does this backup have the ability to restore all of my apps and data after I install a custom rom? Also, does it restore things like homescreen widgets, app settings etc as well?
Secondly, after I install the rom of my choice, how does updating it to a newer version work? Will updating to a newer version wipe my phone completely or is it like receiving a stock ota update in that it doesn't erase anything?
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium

1) The backups in clockworkmod are of your entire phone. Without a 3rd party app such as titanium you won't be able to restore specific pieces of it. IMO clockworkmod backups are meant to be used to restore your entire phone if something goes wrong. Titanium has a feature where you can restore specific stuff from the backups, but I would recommend creating backups via titanium rather than relying on what was done in clockworkmod. Personally, I backup everything with titanium then do a backup in clockworkmod before I flash a rom. App settings will restore, widgets do but many times you'll have to add them again because they restore with placeholders for whatever reason.
2) Updating a rom is dependent on the specific rom and often the version. Some roms you can just flash over what you're running, sometimes an update will be significant enough to require a wipe. Even if a rom doesn't require a wipe, I'd advise at least doing a backup.

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.