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Just a quick guide for those of you who are unaware. It assumes no previous knowledge and you are running the program for the first time.
Contents
General Setup (Titanium Backup)
Backup Program Settings
Backup System + Program Settings
Restore Program/System Settings
SMS Backup + Restore - coming soon
Backup ROM (Nandroid)
Restore ROM (Nandroid)
General Setup
This will need to be done before wiping (for backup) and after installing the new ROM (for restore)
1. Download Titanium Backup from the market
2. Open Titanium Backup & wait
3. Select "Always Allow" when the SU request pops up
4. Press OK until you reach the main screen "Overview"
5. Select the "Backup/Restore" tab
Backup Program Settings
For those who don't want to save system settings (simpler).
1. Press Menu & Select Batch
2. Click "Run" next to "Backup all user apps"
3. Select the apps you wish to be backed up, and deselect any you don't use
4. Click "Run the batch operation" from the top of the screen
5. Mount your SD card and backup the "TitaniumBackup" folder onto your computer (just in case).
Backup System + Program Settings
For those who want to save system settings as well as your programs (more complex).
1. Press Menu & Select Batch
2. Click "Run" next to "Backup all user apps + system data"
3. Select the apps + data you wish to be backed up:
The green ones are things like calandar notes, sms messages, system settings etc
The red ones are generally crap and don't need to be backed up
The white ones are your programs
4. Click "Run the batch operation" from the top of the screen
5. Mount your SD card and backup the "TitaniumBackup" folder onto your computer (just in case).
Restore Program/System Settings
1. Press Menu & Select Batch
2. Click "Run" next to:
"Restore missing apps + all system data" (for System + Program settings)
"Restore missing apps with data" (for just Program settings)
3. Select the apps you wish to be restored, and deselect any you don't really want
4. Click "Run the batch operation" from the top of the screen
5. OK and Done on any confirmation screens.
Backup ROM (Nandroid)
1. Turn off your phone
2. Hold Home + Power to turn it on into Recovery Mode
3. Press the following:
Backup/Restore
Nand Backup
Home
4. Wait until you see the confirmation message: "Backup Complete!"
Restore ROM (Nandroid)
1. Turn off your phone
2. Hold Home + Power to turn it on into Recovery Mode
3. Press the following:
Backup/Restore
Nand Restore
4. Select the folder and then the latest backup (date is backwards in the name). Press Home to confirm and wait for confirmation message: "Restore Complete!"
Thanks for the guide! One question.. Backup all your apps + system data, what's that do? Is that backing the actual ROM up?
scouzer said:
Thanks for the guide! One question.. Backup all your apps + system data, what's that do? Is that backing the actual ROM up?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, to backup the ROM use Nandroid. I'll add that section to the guide, though it's pretty self explanatory.
To be quite honest i don't know the differences between the backup processes. If you want to do it with the system data to go for it, i'll try n research the differences.
Edit: updated with newer details, hopefully this should clarify things!
Great guide, but i want to add other 2 backups that i always do: sms and call log...for the contacts google does prefeclty its work!
for sms i use Sms Backup and Restore
for call log details i use Android backup tool...with this tool you can also backup bookmarks and dictionary info and sms, but i don't suggest you use this tool for the sms because it never woked for me
bookmarks
thanks never used titanium will try it.
Does it backup Bookmarks?
Google chrome allows you to sync bookmarks, any way to enable this on android?
magokh said:
Great guide, but i want to add other 2 backups that i always do: sms and call log...for the contacts google does prefeclty its work!
for sms i use Sms Backup and Restore
for call log details i use Android backup tool...with this tool you can also backup bookmarks and dictionary info and sms, but i don't suggest you use this tool for the sms because it never woked for me
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'll check that out. I think Titanium Does that too, but i've never tested it properly.
blueflash said:
thanks never used titanium will try it.
Does it backup Bookmarks?
Google chrome allows you to sync bookmarks, any way to enable this on android?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Possibly, i've never tried.
I normally do a Nandroid + Ext back-up. That way I can wipe my Ext partition between roms
I additionally use "SMS Backup & Restore" from the market.
It exports all SMS into an XML file on the sd-card and can re-import them again on every ROM. So you can even switch from 1.5 to 2.1 without loosing any sms.
paul9619 said:
I normally do a Nandroid + Ext back-up. That way I can wipe my Ext partition between roms
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have only just started using Ext, i'll add this section to the guide in the future (once I have added the A2SD section in my other guide )
androcheck said:
I additionally use "SMS Backup & Restore" from the market.
It exports all SMS into an XML file on the sd-card and can re-import them again on every ROM. So you can even switch from 1.5 to 2.1 without loosing any sms.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There seems to be a lot of support for this. I'll add a section in when I get the chance to test it.
non-rooted backup
Titanium needs root. But I just want to root my phone first time. So Titanium doesn't work
How can I backup all my apps, sms, contacts, phone history, bookmarks, etc... ?
Try SMS Backup & Restore for messages
Contacts - sync with google automatically & you can manually sync others with htc sync
Apps - write them down... (purchased ones will show up automatically)
Bookmarks - not sure
Phone History - (like calls?) not sure
I'm still working on finding a program which will do them all.
zxcat said:
Titanium needs root. But I just want to root my phone first time. So Titanium doesn't work
How can I backup all my apps, sms, contacts, phone history, bookmarks, etc... ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
backup apps using astro backup function.
smsbackup for sms
google for contacts and bookmarks
There is a much easier way.
Most of what you need is kept in /data/data, subdivided by applications/classes
Just do a tar to your sdcard for example, and that's it.
Just remember to preserve file permissions.
This comes in handy when you're changing roms often, for example. like I do when testing new versions of my rom. Especially changes pertaining to framework, which most of the time require re-odexing.
Just do a tar cpf /sdcard/data.tar to backup and tar xpf /sdcard/data.tar to restore.
If your tar supports gzip, you can also pass it through gzip via tar czpf / xzpf.
You don't need any additional programs. Just adb access.
btdag, poddo, adwinp thank you!
I've tried something from the Market, but there is much really useless "backup" software. Now I'll check this. ASTRO is good, I see.
But I don't remember Google pass Restored it once, but again don't remember.
adwinp, I have "tar: permission denied", so simple ADP access is not enough. Btw, ASTRO can't show /data contents - it's empty. So looks like this method not working in non-rooted Hero.
adwinp said:
There is a much easier way.
Most of what you need is kept in /data/data, subdivided by applications/classes
Just do a tar to your sdcard for example, and that's it.
Just remember to preserve file permissions.
This comes in handy when you're changing roms often, for example. like I do when testing new versions of my rom. Especially changes pertaining to framework, which most of the time require re-odexing.
Just do a tar cpf /sdcard/data.tar to backup and tar xpf /sdcard/data.tar to restore.
If your tar supports gzip, you can also pass it through gzip via tar czpf / xzpf.
You don't need any additional programs. Just adb access.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I understand what you're saying, but I think my guides are designed to avoid all the command typing if at all possible and provide really inexperienced users with the ability to do this stuff - try telling a newbie to "tar" something and "preserve file permissions" - they'll have no idea what you're on about - i'll add it in if I can find a newbie friendly way of writing it
btdag said:
Try SMS Backup & Restore for messages
Contacts - sync with google automatically & you can manually sync others with htc sync
Apps - write them down... (purchased ones will show up automatically)
Bookmarks - not sure
Phone History - (like calls?) not sure
I'm still working on finding a program which will do them all.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
AGREE with ABOVE
also, not sure about Bookmarks but
Phone History - (like call log) Call Logs backup and restore from the same dev as SMS Backup and Restore
what about
user dictionary? - that's one thing I can't figure how to backup still.
Does android have that feature? In the settings in 2.1 roms you can backup your user dictionary from there. Can someone check this on 1.5?
Edit: Ignore me, this is a feature of HTC_IME mod - though in theory if you could install that without needing root then you would have access to the backup features
astro can only explore SD.
BTW you can use its backup function to save all the apps you have installed. backup apps, not apps data.
in astro go to tools, app manager, backup
Yeah titanium backup is awesome BUT when it comes to restoring its not so good. It takes ages and need to press ok every app we wanna restore. It would be grate if we click once and it will install all of them!
Foka002 said:
Yeah titanium backup is awesome BUT when it comes to restoring its not so good. It takes ages and need to press ok every app we wanna restore. It would be grate if we click once and it will install all of them!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Then pay for it. The paid version does precisely that.
Is there a way to back up apps and quickly reinstall them after a rom update without having to go to the market place?
I found the apks but when I manually install them, the market doesn't recognize they are installed. is there a data file that holds that info?
Sent from my rooted MyTouch Slide using SideMeRoot5R1
Download Astro File Manager from the market.
Install it, and its got the option to make a backup of all the apks. when you flash a new rom, all you have to do is install astro once, and then reinstall all of your apps from there.
The only downfall is that you won't get update notifications when updates come out for apps
the above solution does make a backup of your apks, but there is a .db file somewhere(i forget where) that the market reads to see what you have installed, if you backup and restore that file with each ROM flash(adb pull/push) then you will have your updates when they become available(but make sure that you are pulling/pushing in recovery)
Titanium backup does all of this for you and pretty quickly too!
SySfS
I ran a titanium backup, then I deleted a bunch of stock apps, then I ran another titanium backup in preparation to flash my first custom rom.
My question is, after I flash the custom rom and use Titanium Backup to restore my apps and settings, is it going to restore all of those apps I deleted? I opened the Titanium folder on my SD card and all of those apps appear to be listed there.
kirk1978 said:
I ran a titanium backup, then I deleted a bunch of stock apps, then I ran another titanium backup in preparation to flash my first custom rom.
My question is, after I flash the custom rom and use Titanium Backup to restore my apps and settings, is it going to restore all of those apps I deleted? I opened the Titanium folder on my SD card and all of those apps appear to be listed there.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you didnt remove them apps from the back up then yes it will restore them. There shoudl be an option if you scroll down i batch where you can see delete back ups for noninstalled apps. I would do this and it should remove the back ups of any app you previously removed but had backed up.
Careful, Titanium doesn't actually take backups of system apps, just their data. If you delete system apps you may not be able to restore them with Titanium.
Does anyone have those stock apps, so i can reinstall through titanium? And how exactly is it done... Thanks.....
rinaldo1976 said:
Does anyone have those stock apps, so i can reinstall through titanium? And how exactly is it done... Thanks.....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
ditto! Need a zip file if possible with stock apps (mainly stock.apk and widget, news.apk, newsreader, rss.apk, friendstream and widget)
as far as how it's done it depends on your phone.
run
cmd
adb push filename.apk /system/app
In TB, it shows the system apps I had deleted, and they have a line through the file name. Below each one, it says that there isnt any backup of those apps. If I open them, it only gives me the option to un-install them. Should I keep them there in case I need them when I find a way to re-install them?
Certain system apps will not reinstall even if you have a backup of them. If you uninstall Facebook for HTC Sense, for example, there is no way of reinstalling it and getting it to work again. Be careful what you uninstall.
If you pay for the TB Pro Key, you can backup system apps (the actual apk) and restore them to /system/app - I've done so anyway. You shouldn't restore them (or their data) on other roms. You can also freeze the app to test if anything will break by removing it. Freezing doesn't remove the app, just keeps it from running or showing in your app drawer. I know it's a bit pricey, but I think it was more than worth the price. Plus you get background app restores, meaning that you don't have to agree to permissions and select install for each app.
You don't have to restore everything that you backup. When you choose to batch restore (select "restore missing apps with data"), you can uncheck which apps you don't want reinstalled. I usually only restore the apps I absolutely need after a clean install, then if I need an app later I'll restore it. This helps to weed out apps you don't use. You can of course do this with the free version.
If you've removed apps and need them again, you can download the rom and extract the apps you need then push them to /system/app. Or you can just flash the rom over itself without wiping data, just wipe caches. If you're running stock you can do this with the stock rooted rom.
Supersonic Evo 4G | MIUI | Tapatalk
Ok, these are specifically for MIUI, but they can easily be adapted to any other rom by editing the shell scripts. I'll explain how they work and it should be fairly apparent how one would need to modify for their particular rom/needs. Don't know if anyone will actually use these, but I thought I'd share. I also think it's a really good example of how CWM can be used for more than just flashing stuff.
So I've been running MIUI for a while now and I'm really happy. One little issue that popped up was every Friday when the rom was updated, the OTA update app icon gained a little "1" badge, indicating an update was available. While it's nice to be notified of the update, I occasionally didn't have the time or interest in updating so the little badge remained. I put that app in a folder, but then the folder had the little 1 badge. After a while, I started deleting the update app after install since I could always download and install updates through ROM Manager just as easily. Then I started deleting the update app from the downloaded ROM zip, along with several other apps I didn't want (Facebook, Twitter, the MIUI FileExplorer, etc) before flashing it. But this entailed downloading the Friday update on my phone, transferring it to my desktop, opening the zip in 7 Zip, deleting the unwanted files, uploading it back to my phone and then flashing. Quite a PITA.
Another issue I ran into was that the built-in MIUI backup app failed to backup my SMS/MMS messages. Actually, I don't know if it was failing to back them up, or failing to properly restore them, but at the end of the day, it wouldn't keep my text messages. I know I could avoid this by just installing each update over the current ROM, but I've always believed cleanly installing an OS helps avoid issues. I prefer to wipe everything, install clean and then restore my data.
So, the solution(s) I came up with was to mod the downloaded ROM zip file right on the phone, and manually backup and restore my data. While it took a little while to get set up, I find it actually works considerably faster and smoother than using MIUI's backup/restore app. I now have 3 simple shell scripts that are run through Clockwork Recovery just like installing any zip - one to mod the ROM after downloading, and two to backup and restore my data. Here they are:
MIUI-Mod.zip
This contains a shell script and a zip binary to handle the adding and deleting of files to/from the downloaded rom zip. When run through CWM, it copies zip and the script to /tmp and runs the script. Because the ROM zip is named differently every Friday, I figured the easiest solution was just to rename it manually. So, this script assumes the ROM zip is named "miui.zip" and is located in the root of the SD card. It's a simply matter to download the ROM on Friday, move it to /sdcard and rename it miui.zip. Here's what the script does in 2 commands:
/tmp/zip -d /sdcard/miui.zip /data/app/Twitter.apk /data/app/Facebook.apk /system/app/Email.apk /system/app/FileExplorer.apk /system/app/Gmail.apk /system/app/MIUI.us_Forums_1.1.2_AdSupported.apk /system/app/Superuser.apk /system/app/Updater.apk /system/app/MIUIStats.apk /system/media/lockscreen/* /system/media/wallpaper/*
/tmp/zip /sdcard/miui.zip /system/app/Gmail.apk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The first line simply opens the zip and deletes the listed files: Twitter, Facebook, Email, etc. It also removes all the wallpapers for the lock and main screens (I don't use them, so I didn't want them, but it's a good example of the use of wildcards like *).
The second line adds in the Gmail.apk from my current ROM. The latest versions of the Gmail app included in MIUI lock the mail database, which conflicts with a widget I use, so I just replace it with an older version. Every time I run the script, it removes the included Gmail app and adds in my current one. If you didn't want to add anything to the ROM, you could just delete this line entirely.
Data-Backup.zip
This just runs a shell script that creates a tar file in the root of your sdcard containing the listed files and directories. Tar files retain file permissions and owner information, so everything can be restored seamlessly. Here's how it works, it's pretty simple:
tar -c -f sdcard/backup.tar data/app/com.adobe.flashplayer-1.apk data/data/com.adobe.flashplayer data/app/com.speedsoftware.rootexplorer-1.apk data/data/com.speedsoftware.rootexplorer data/app/com.touchtype.swiftkey-1.apk data/data/com.touchtype.swiftkey data/data/com.android.browser data/data/com.android.deskclock data/data/com.android.launcher data/data/com.android.mms data/data/com.android.phone data/data/com.android.providers.contacts data/data/com.android.providers.settings data/data/com.android.providers.telephony data/data/com.android.providers.userdictionary data/data/com.android.thememanager data/data/com.android.vending data/data/com.google.android.gsf data/data/com.miui.camera data/data/com.miui.notes data/data/com.noshufou.android.su data/system data/misc/wifi
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This creates the tar file and includes Adobe's Flash player and it's data, Root Explorer and it's data, and SwiftKey and it's data (I paired it down to just these three for this example). After that, it backs up a bunch of other data directories which include the current Browser settings, alarms, launcher settings and home screen layouts including widgets, phone logs, the current theme settings, any MIUI notes, current Wifi connections and, yes, SMS and MMS messages.
Obviously, you'd want to add in your specific apps and data directories. Sure, it takes a little work to set this up, but as I said, backing up is very quick and easy afterwards.
Data-Restore.zip
This just runs a shell script that restores all the files from the backup.tar on your SD card:
tar -xf /sdcard/backup.tar
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Doesn't need much explanation.
So, the process is:
1-Download the Friday update through ROM Manager, move it to the root of my SD card and rename it to miui.zip
2-Reboot into CWM and run Backup-Data.zip to back up my apps and data
3-Run MIUI-Mod.zip to modify the downloaded MIUI rom
4-Wipe everything (cache/data/system)
5-Install the modded MIUI rom
6-Run Data-Restore to restore apps/data
7-Reboot
It's literally about 5 minutes after downloading the ROM and I'm updated and rebooted with a CLEAN os install and all my apps, data and settings intact, my home screen layouts, keyboard, wallpapers, wifi settings and everything retained.
Some notes:
1-Before running these in CWM, you have to make sure you have system, data and sdcard mounted since the scripts will be reading and/or writing to all of these. When you first reboot to CWM, just go to mounts and manually mount each one. The scripts could certainly be set up to mount them automatically, but mount points vary from phone to phone, and it's not difficult to mount through CWM. Also, after flashing a ROM, the ROM install script may unmount some of these, so before you restore your data, you might have to manually remount.
2-If you're adding anything from your current ROM to the zip (like how I add in my current Gmail.apk), make sure you wipe everything *after* running the mod script, otherwise you're deleting everything and then trying to copy file(s) that were just deleted.
3-I would highly recommend using Notepad++ to edit scripts, since it properly saves Unix line breaks.
4-as always, use at your own risk and a full CWM backup is highly recommended before messing with these.
That's pretty much it. Again, it does take a little while to get set up, but once it is, it's really simple. If you install a new app between updates, you just have to edit the backup script, or you can just keep the scripts maintaining a base setup and reinstall various apps through the market each time. This specific process is probably most useful for ROMs that are updated regularly - nightly or weekly, although I'm sure people can find other uses for running scripts through CWM.
Hope someone might find these useful.
This is really cool. I run Miui and would really like to be able to do a fresh install each week, but hate the hassle of resetting up my phone, even using Titanium backup, it's still a time consuming process. So needless to say, I flash the new rom over top of the old version without wiping just to save time.
So, basically I can open up the data restore zip in 7 zip, add in a few of my apps/data such as Tasker and so forth, close it and flash? If so, that will be great.
Thanks for sharing this!!!
You don't need to touch the Data-Restore.zip, all that does is extract the backup.tar file created with the backup script. What you'd do is open the Data-Backup.zip and edit the backup file (it's just a text file). Add in any of your apps and their corresponding data directories and when you flash the Data-Backup.zip in CWM, it'll back up those files/folders.
To find the files you want to backup, use something like Root Explorer and look in /data/app. There you'll find all the 3rd party apps you've installed. Add each one to the tar command in the backup file just like the ones I included. Then go into /data/data and find each app you want to back up's corresponding data folder. Add them to the tar command too.
Save the file, re-zip it and when you flash it through CWM, it'll back up the new files.
Just what i wanted
I also always install everything from clean system so setting up everything is a pain.
Would this work for Internal storage? I have a Motorola RAZR XT910 and running JBX roms.
Google does install all the apps when i sign in into the new rom but then i always had to move each folder to the correct destination manually using some file explorer. was thinking of making something like this but didnt know how to start. Thanks, I will now try and mod these to suit my phone :good:
How would I do this?
Is it possible to clear data and copy paste my apk over the other one?
Have root.
Thanks
If you have root just use titanium backup to uninstall it. Go into tibu preferences and clear dalvik. Then install the new apk. If it's not an installable apk then before you uninstall the old one find out where the app is in a file browser. Then uninstall it and place the new apk where the old one was, fix permissions, and reboot.
Unfortunately that doesn't work. It even deletes it from system\app but it still appears in my app drawer and I cannot install the older version.
any ideas?
Are you restarting your phone after? Try going into recovery and clearing cache and dalvik.
Spookymyo said:
Are you restarting your phone after? Try going into recovery and clearing cache and dalvik.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's somehow built into the rom. But if anyone has a verizon g4 and wants to see if they can completely remove slacker, let me know.
On Android, you don't need to install apk's as they will install on bootup if you place it in the correct location.
For slacker on the G4, not sure if this is a lollipop thing or a LG thing, you cannot replace the one in /system but rather, what you want to do is out the new version in /data/app since if you mess with the /system version, it will show up as uninstalled on the device.
In /system/priv-app/SlackerRadio directory, you will see:
SlackerRadio.apk,
lib which consists of:
arm folder which has the file librsjni.so
Don't touch any of those and make sure it is stock.
You want to install the new Slacker apk in /data/app/com.slacker.radio-1 folder as base.apk, it will install when you reboot so don't worry about installing it
delete the folder /data/data/com.slacker.radio
delete all the things in /data/dalvik-cache/arm and /data/dalvik-cache/arm64 and reboot.
If you wanted to completely remove Slacker, then all you would do is delete /system/priv-app/SlackerRadio and delete /data/app/com.slacker.radio* with * being anything that can be after it.
I'm not sure why titanium backup isn't working for you. I had slacker and tibu worked perfectly, I'm also on the Verizon g4. It doesn't matter if it's built into the rom. With tibu you can delete any app. But if that doesn't work the steps Almighty1 listed is the long way around but works.
And I see that you're on the Verizon g4, that means you don't have a custom recovery.