[Q] What to backup before flashing CM10? - AT&T, Rogers, Bell, Telus Samsung Galaxy S III

Just got an S3 and I absolutely hate the unpolished and laggy Samsung skinning of Android. I want to flash CM10, but would like to know what I should back up first in case some critical information gets lost. This is a virgin phone, no apps or user data need to be backed so no need to worry about that. However, I would like to know how to back up IMEI, device ID, etc. Is it enough just to back up the /efs partition? If not, what else should I be backing up?
Thanks in advance

loonieryan said:
Just got an S3 and I absolutely hate the unpolished and laggy Samsung skinning of Android. I want to flash CM10, but would like to know what I should back up first in case some critical information gets lost. This is a virgin phone, no apps or user data need to be backed so no need to worry about that. However, I would like to know how to back up IMEI, device ID, etc. Is it enough just to back up the /efs partition? If not, what else should I be backing up?
Thanks in advance
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Read this and this.
It was pretty overwhelming for me at first, but get through it best you can.
It's easier to do the preventative backup rather than the post repair.

themadproducer said:
Read this and this.
It was pretty overwhelming for me at first, but get through it best you can.
It's easier to do the preventative backup rather than the post repair.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you! I've got experience flashing custom kernels and ROMs, so I should be ok. The only thing is that with every phone model what you need to back up is different, so I wanted to make sure I had the right stuff backed up from my stock S3 before I did anything to it.
So is an IMEI back up via QPST the only thing needed? What about device ID, and other details? Do those need to be backed up and how?

loonieryan said:
Thank you! I've got experience flashing custom kernels and ROMs, so I should be ok. The only thing is that with every phone model what you need to back up is different, so I wanted to make sure I had the right stuff backed up from my stock S3 before I did anything to it.
So is an IMEI back up via QPST the only thing needed? What about device ID, and other details? Do those need to be backed up and how?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As long as your IMEI is backed up you should be OK. When I first flashed CM10 I made a Nandroid and backed up my IMEI. I have not had any issues with my IMEI or anything but I know people that have.

WattB006 said:
As long as your IMEI is backed up you should be OK. When I first flashed CM10 I made a Nandroid and backed up my IMEI. I have not had any issues with my IMEI or anything but I know people that have.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just so I'm clear, you:
1) Flashed CWM recovery
2) Did a Nandroid backup of the stock ROM and backed up IMEI
3) Flashed CM10
Right?

loonieryan said:
Just so I'm clear, you:
1) Flashed CWM recovery
2) Did a Nandroid backup of the stock ROM and backed up IMEI
3) Flashed CM10
Right?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ever since i got my s3 never had to do anything do the IMEI... If you like wasting time i guess you can.. but if your smart with your phone you wont have to consider that extra step.. MAKE SURE U FLASH SGH-I747 roms only!!! and i mean ONLY... (tmo roms work too just make sure you change the apn settings) dont flash any other variants because they have different hardware. you will **** up the bootloader by flashing anyother variant.. Anyway back to the subject. I backup nandroid, then i use ultimate backup (like titanium backup just faster) its by jrummmy and thats it and im good to go to flash custom roms

amzi said:
Ever since i got my s3 never had to do anything do the IMEI... If you like wasting time i guess you can.. but if your smart with your phone you wont have to consider that extra step.. MAKE SURE U FLASH SGH-I747 roms only!!! and i mean ONLY... (tmo roms work too just make sure you change the apn settings) dont flash any other variants because they have different hardware. you will **** up the bootloader by flashing anyother variant.. Anyway back to the subject. I backup nandroid, then i use ultimate backup (like titanium backup just faster) its by jrummmy and thats it and im good to go to flash custom roms
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No Offense Amzi,
but I only flashed STOCK OTA rom upgrades and some mods SPECIFIC to my i747m and I lost my IMEI a few months ago. I have tons of Android Flashing experience, and I did a lot of reading before I did my first S3 flash. My heart sank when it happened. When it happens, you lose your data connection and that's what tipped me off. And from all I have read up till now...no one knows why it RANDOMLY happens. So I would HIGHLY ADVISE to backup those files as per the link(s) I provided.

Related

considering buying an evo

Hi all,
Considering picking up an EVO to replace my touch pro2. If not evo, then an epic.
I was just wondering if there's a good intro link i should read up on, especially as far as installing custom rom's etc goes. I believe i need to get root access on the phone to do that, correct? is there a beginners guide on how to do that? Or a guide on available custom ROM's?
thanks
merkk said:
Hi all,
Considering picking up an EVO to replace my touch pro2. If not evo, then an epic.
I was just wondering if there's a good intro link i should read up on, especially as far as installing custom rom's etc goes. I believe i need to get root access on the phone to do that, correct? is there a beginners guide on how to do that? Or a guide on available custom ROM's?
thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
just peruse the development forums for the Evo- each link is either a custom rom available, or a root method. Read through the root methods on how to go about rooting and nand unlocking the evo.
Check the wiki first - it will point you to all of the roms, radios, tutorials, etc.
The best place to get all of that info is the wiki, the stickies, and this thread, which benchmarks over 40 kernels and will help you choose the ones you want to try. If you don't quite understand all of the data in that thread (and the website it point you to), it will make more sense once you go through the wiki and stickies.
some quick answers - you do need to be rooted to flash a rom, which may or may not come with a custom kernel that breaks the fps cap, and may or may not be over/underclocked. If you don't like the kernel the rom comes with, try another, until you find a combo that works best with your phone (because not all evo's are created equal).
Most important thing to know is nand backup (with either amon ra, or clockwork/rom manager) before flashing ANYTHING.
nand backup? does that backup the original rom of the phone in case i muck something up and need to restore it? or should i just go RTFM before i ask more questions?
merkk said:
nand backup? does that backup the original rom of the phone in case i muck something up and need to restore it? or should i just go RTFM before i ask more questions?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, and yes.
merkk said:
nand backup? does that backup the original rom of the phone in case i muck something up and need to restore it? or should i just go RTFM before i ask more questions?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
lol, yeah, do your reading so you understand everything before you actually do anything. One of the subpages has a sticky on common misconceptions. It's pretty good, and someone posted a set of questions in that thread that you should be comfortable answering before you attempt root.
As far as nand goes, it backs up the current state (like a restore point in windows) of the phone at that time - so do one right before you flash anything, weather its a new Rom, kernel, radio, etc. That way if you run into bootloops or something, you can always go back to a working version of your Rom.
Sent from my blah blah blah blah
rugedraw said:
Yes, and yes.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not true. It doesn't back up your original rom, just whichever one you have on it when you back it up.
IE you can't do a nand backup of a completely stock unrooted rom. You have to root in order to install the custom recovery which will allow you to back up
There are a few posts that explain how to unroot. The easiest way I have found is to run the first part of SimpleRoot then run the RUU program that you can find in various places in the forum.
Also a good habit to get into is wiping before you flash. It's a pain for having to backup settings, but I've had to unroot and reroot a few times because my 4g would get borked and stuff like that.
ok - one last question, i promise (maybe). Does the method of rooting change significantly from phone to phone? i.e. if i get an epic instead of an evo, will that make much of a difference? My guess would be no since they are running the same OS. I'm still not sure if i want an evo or epic. Gonna try and take a look at them both when i head out for lunch.
FattySparks said:
Not true. It doesn't back up your original rom, just whichever one you have on it when you back it up.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The OP is new; not new to planet Earth. Obviously it's going to back up whatever you have on it.
merkk said:
ok - one last question, i promise (maybe). Does the method of rooting change significantly from phone to phone? i.e. if i get an epic instead of an evo, will that make much of a difference? My guess would be no since they are running the same OS. I'm still not sure if i want an evo or epic. Gonna try and take a look at them both when i head out for lunch.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
they can vary. like for the evo all you have to do is click a button now and your are rooted. go to the epic forums to see how they work. there are a lot of complaints w/ the epic for data uploads and gps. but then again the evo had problems when it first came out too. (now it's awesome )
rugedraw said:
The OP is new; not new to planet Earth. Obviously it's going to back up whatever you have on it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
the OP said will it back up your original rom. No it does not. It backs up the custom rom that you put on in order to root.
The OP may not have known that, and I really don't appreciate your snide remark when all I'm trying to do is help someone out.
rugedraw said:
The OP is new; not new to planet Earth. Obviously it's going to back up whatever you have on it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
LoL. Thanks. And yeah - i meant it would back up whatever is currently on the phone when you run it. Obviously if i need to root the phone before using that particular backup utility, it wont be backing up the original rom.
FattySparks said:
the OP said will it back up your original rom. No it does not. It backs up the custom rom that you put on in order to root.
The OP may not have known that, and I really don't appreciate your snide remark when all I'm trying to do is help someone out.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I appreciate both your comments. I wasn't aware that that backup utility required the phone to be rooted first before using it. So I assumed i could install it unrooted, and use it to backup the phone. I do realize though that it's not going to be able to backup something that''s already changed before i install the backup program.
FattySparks said:
the OP said will it back up your original rom. No it does not. It backs up the custom rom that you put on in order to root.
The OP may not have known that, and I really don't appreciate your snide remark when all I'm trying to do is help someone out.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok, then let me put it another way:
In order to create a nand back up, your phone is already rooted with nand unlocked one way or another. In which case, the "original" rom is not even on the phone. If the original rom was on the phone, you wouldn't be able to back it up anyway, so by definition, what I said is correct.
I assumed the OP meant whatever rom he was on before he started experimenting with roms. I wasn't trying to be snide; my apologies if I came across that way. Maybe next time I'll put a smiley face next to my comments so they aren't taken out of context.
merkk said:
I appreciate both your comments. I wasn't aware that that backup utility required the phone to be rooted first before using it. So I assumed i could install it unrooted, and use it to backup the phone. I do realize though that it's not going to be able to backup something that''s already changed before i install the backup program.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Apparently, both FattySparks and I were wrong. lol Yes, your phone needs to already be fully rooted to back up a rom, because it requires reading/writing from/to the system. However, once you root the phone and unlock nand, the back up you create will not be the original rom anymore. The original rom is available (called an RUU) if you search the Evo development section.
ok got it - thanks for the info/explanations
Best phone I have ever had, by far...love it.
Just got the phone yesterday and so far I like it. I really don't like the on screen keyboard though . but the speech to text kind of makes up for that
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA App

[Q] Purpose of each step.... Kinda confusing

Just got the Evo. I want to Root it. However, I am trying to understand what each step does.. for example.
All I really have is contacts and few photos that I really don't care about.
At what point in the process do I back up my current image or "Rom" so in case I FuBar I can got back to an Out the box state?
What does Rooting do? Is this like unlocking the phone?
**I know, baby steps but I'll get it*****
drewgo said:
Just got the Evo. I want to Root it. However, I am trying to understand what each step does.. for example.
All I really have is contacts and few photos that I really don't care about.
At what point in the process do I back up my current image or "Rom" so in case I FuBar I can got back to an Out the box state?
What does Rooting do? Is this like unlocking the phone?
**I know, baby steps but I'll get it*****
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Your contacts automatically sync with your gmail account and the photos are stored on the memory card, so those should be safe. The ROM you can restore at anytime but you will want to make a nandroid for your 4G keys as soon as is possible.
Once rooted your phone will be fully unlocked for you to do anything you want with.
Jon, I replied to your PM.
What is a Nandroid? and how do I make that?
drewgo said:
Jon, I replied to your PM.
What is a Nandroid? and how do I make that?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Okay, not really easy for the noob to learn at first, but get this.
Nandroid is well, u can find the definition on google, and to nandroid backup your 4g keys and such is part of your Amon RA Recovery 1.80 when you root your phone, you're able to make backups of your nandroid and restore them to a backup time where 4g has broken after the time being or whatever keeps the phone from operational mode to your liking.
Hope that helps.
And rooting is not like unlocking. It lets you make changes or totally alter your phone's system, as well as let you have superuser (or developer) permissions. Reeeeealy worth it. I would flash myns rom right away.
alekosy said:
Okay, not really easy for the noob to learn at first, but get this.
Nandroid is well, u can find the definition on google, and to nandroid backup your 4g keys and such is part of your Amon RA Recovery 1.80 when you root your phone, you're able to make backups of your nandroid and restore them to a backup time where 4g has broken after the time being or whatever keeps the phone from operational mode to your liking.
Hope that helps.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yes it does... I've spent countless hours reading, viewing and learning about this. It's my first Android phone.
dkdude36 said:
And rooting is not like unlocking. It lets you make changes or totally alter your phone's system, as well as let you have superuser (or developer) permissions. Reeeeealy worth it. I would flash myns rom right away.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm on it...

Clockwork Recovery

I have a question on restoring a stock rom with clockwork...
Im going to do a backup of my current stock rom (in case i want to go back from CM7 to what i have now, which is stock...havent even rooted yet)
My problem is that, while searching the forum, i came across this post, which scared me a bit: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=838484
So, my question is, if i do a backup of my current situation, and then when i go back i just restore the said backup, do i have any chances of having the problem mentioned in the thread i posted above??
Thanks all in advance!
coldsun15 said:
I have a question on restoring a stock rom with clockwork...
Im going to do a backup of my current stock rom (in case i want to go back from CM7 to what i have now, which is stock...havent even rooted yet)
My problem is that, while searching the forum, i came across this post, which scared me a bit: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=838484
So, my question is, if i do a backup of my current situation, and then when i go back i just restore the said backup, do i have any chances of having the problem mentioned in the thread i posted above??
Thanks all in advance!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What you're talking about is making and/or restoring a nandroid backup of your current system, what that thread is talking about is something entirely different. There's no problem restoring your stock nandroid, I've had to in the past when I've needed to pull some apps out of it.
Sent from my HTC Vision using XDA App
OriginalGabriel said:
What you're talking about is making and/or restoring a nandroid backup of your current system, what that thread is talking about is something entirely different. There's no problem restoring your stock nandroid, I've had to in the past when I've needed to pull some apps out of it.
Sent from my HTC Vision using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thanks!!!
one more question though, just to have things clear... if i were to go back to the way i am now, and unroot and everything... i would have no problem in restoring the backup and then just unrooting?? simple as that?
thanks!
It would be slightly different. Firstly I can't imagine you needing to go back to stock unless for warranty cause there are stock rooted Roms available, but there are also instructions for unrooting around here somewhere
noneabove said:
It would be slightly different. Firstly I can't imagine you needing to go back to stock unless for warranty cause there are stock rooted Roms available, but there are also instructions for unrooting around here somewhere
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
hey, first things first, thanks for the answer
secondly, i do understand the procedure to be different, what i meant was, if i restore my own nandroid stock backup (the one i created myslef), once restored, i'll still be rooted, right? (with s-off and stuff)
thanks
Well considering you could only actually make the Nandroid backup with a rooted rom, yes it still will be when restored it took me awhile to get used to this too, when you do a restore, save for your SD, your phone will LITERALLY be EXACTLY the same as when you did the backup (also save for any corruption that could occur, but if it's an important backup then put it on your computer )
noneabove said:
Well considering you could only actually make the Nandroid backup with a rooted rom, yes it still will be when restored it took me awhile to get used to this too, when you do a restore, save for your SD, your phone will LITERALLY be EXACTLY the same as when you did the backup (also save for any corruption that could occur, but if it's an important backup then put it on your computer )
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks a lot!! really cleared stuff up!!
noneabove said:
Well considering you could only actually make the Nandroid backup with a rooted rom, yes it still will be when restored it took me awhile to get used to this too, when you do a restore, save for your SD, your phone will LITERALLY be EXACTLY the same as when you did the backup (also save for any corruption that could occur, but if it's an important backup then put it on your computer )
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry, i just have another question (total noob here, hehehe), is root the same as getting s-off? or are they completely different things?
Cause, if i just root (keeping s-on (if its even possible)) and do a nandroid backup, and then i do the s-off... when i restore, id have root, but s-on, right?? and wouldnt that be just the same problem as the one stated in the thread i posted in the first post??
sorry again, i know im probably making a big mess out of something relatively simple...
thanks in advance
No no, it's natural to be worried the problem that what you posted talks about its trying to install the official OTA rom while s-off which you won't be doing anyways and while s-off isn't the same as rooting I believe you need s-off to root.. I'll do a bit of research in the morning but in the mean time take a look an see what you can learn on your own
Great, thanks!!! if u find out anything else, please dont doubt in sharing!! everything is welcome!!
hi
no method for inistall clock work mod wihtout s off phone
my phone are dezair z .htc lookid all phone boot loodor and any apps for rooting not work on the htc phon.
i m very like inistall custom rom but can not let me my phone .
i am iranini citizen one body went help me i very tankou of this person
exuse me i not very best speak or whrit engilsh language . i m sorry of all frend this site active.

IMEI and Internal storage problem

I did the stupid mistake of flashing to a custom rom without backing up. Nowhere in custom rom instructions says to backup your /efs folder.
Now in "About device" Baseband version is "Unknown" IMEI is "Unknown". I've searched everywhere for a fix and nothing. I tried the following:
Flash stock rom
Format /data and /cache
On keypad, dial *#7284# ....But i dont get the "Qualcomm USB settings" option so i cant try IMEI repair tools
I tried flashing different kernels and different custom roms
Apart from the IMEI problem, the Device cant access the 16GB internal memory. The stock rom flashes with no error, but when i go to
settings > storage: under "Device memory" its full with only 182MB used by some apps. I thought the memory could be bad, but after flashing
Perseus kernel and swapping external sd card for internal memory I can use the 16GB as external memory. I cant find a fix for that either.
INTERNAL MEMORY UPDATE: it seems that internal memory is mounting read only. Still trying to find a fix
Im currently on "T889UVALK8_T889TMBALK8_TMB" rom with Perseus kernel and using "11extsd2internalsd_gs3_fat32" to swap internal to external memory.
Side note: I bought the phone from a friend 2 days ago. Its the Tmobile version and I used cellunlocker to unlock to use it with AT&T. That worked, until I started messing with ROMS. No warranty available. I am desperately looking on how to fix this since i have no spare phone. Any help is highly appreciated and thank you for your time
Eri version: Unknown???
I am having a similiar issue on t889 7105. ERI version "not available". Everything else is okay. Searched everywhere . . .not addressed. Which is strange.
this sucks
gregniel said:
I am having a similiar issue on t889 7105. ERI version "not available". Everything else is okay. Searched everywhere . . .not addressed. Which is strange.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I cant believe this issue hasn't been addressed
Unfortunately sir their just isnt much that can be done for you. If you read about imei loss without a backup its just about incurable. Sorry.
And the remedy for imei restoration without a backup is hit and miss at best as to whether or not it actually will restore your number. Your best bet is to use the search function and try and experiment with different ways of fixing it. Its not like there is much more damage that can be done anyways. You already screwed the pooch and basically have a functional brick.
No one is going to post a step by step guide for you though if thats what youre waiting on. This is a complicated fix and most members wont devote the time to walking you through it
And to the member that said he searched and found no Information. Well thats just not true. Ive read tons of threads and posts about it and know about SEVERAL backup and restore methods.
crap
janjannsen99 said:
Unfortunately sir their just isnt much that can be done for you. If you read about imei loss without a backup its just about incurable. Sorry.
And the remedy for imei restoration without a backup is hit and miss at best as to whether or not it actually will restore your number. Your best bet is to use the search function and try and experiment with different ways of fixing it. Its not like there is much more damage that can be done anyways. You already screwed the pooch and basically have a functional brick.
No one is going to post a step by step guide for you though if thats what youre waiting on. This is a complicated fix and most members wont devote the time to walking you through it
And to the member that said he searched and found no Information. Well thats just not true. Ive read tons of threads and posts about it and know about SEVERAL backup and restore methods.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you for confirming my fear, I was on denial. Im getting a new one on friday. How much do you think I can sell this one for, obviously as a tablet?
Developers need to take more responsibility around here with their threads. A simple "I'm not at fault" is sub par in my opinion. Users popping up with IMEI issues are becoming more a common thing. Didn't somebody make an app to back up your efs partition? Why is there not a link to said app in every ROM and kernel thread? This stuff blows my mind.
As there is a rampant influx of "noobs" watching YouTube videos about rooting their devices (most of which for the first time) with links to ROM threads, their needs to be an influx of responsibility taken by those who cook ROMs and feed them to the general public. The issues with the IMEIs being lost is not a small one. Your device is pretty much done for without a backup. Keep reading, keep trying, but since you had no idea that losing the ability to use your device's radios was even a possibility, not your fault.
Good luck. And sorry. You should have seen a link at the very top of the thread you downloaded your ROM from ... and this whole thing would have been avoided. Here is the link, which is always shared too late and after the fact. App is called andromizer forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2080009
This kind of thing shouldn't still be happening.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2080009
[DEV][APP][Andromizer] Android Customizing Tools (Note2 Specific Features Added)
Here's a link to one I used to backup mine. You have to pay to unlock the backup feature. It gives you way more piece of mind flashing
saseekutz said:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2080009
[DEV][APP][Andromizer] Android Customizing Tools (Note2 Specific Features Added)
Here's a link to one I used to backup mine. You have to pay to unlock the backup feature. It gives you way more piece of mind flashing
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No you don't. The version I got here on xda, also same exact link I posted right before you -_- , allowed me to back up my efs partition with no issues
adam2508 said:
Thank you for confirming my fear, I was on denial. Im getting a new one on friday. How much do you think I can sell this one for, obviously as a tablet?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well all is not lost. There have been reports of people restoring imei successfully.
Try and app called andromizer. If I remember right it had an efs backup and restore. Its an app
Second. Go to the tmobile galaxy s3 forum and find their thread about lost imei numbers. Use those tools and the method to try to write back your imei number. Ill try and find it
Edit. Heres the link. Try using those tools and those methods. THAT is the only method I have heard about to work AT ALL. So try it out
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1801997
cobraboy85 said:
No you don't. The version I got here on xda, also same exact link I posted right before you -_- , allowed me to back up my efs partition with no issues
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Damn.. Lol I was told wrong, my bad on the repost dude
Agreed
cobraboy85 said:
Developers need to take more responsibility around here with their threads. A simple "I'm not at fault" is sub par in my opinion. Users popping up with IMEI issues are becoming more a common thing. Didn't somebody make an app to back up your efs partition? Why is there not a link to said app in every ROM and kernel thread? This stuff blows my mind.
As there is a rampant influx of "noobs" watching YouTube videos about rooting their devices (most of which for the first time) with links to ROM threads, their needs to be an influx of responsibility taken by those who cook ROMs and feed them to the general public. The issues with the IMEIs being lost is not a small one. Your device is pretty much done for without a backup. Keep reading, keep trying, but since you had no idea that losing the ability to use your device's radios was even a possibility, not your fault.
Good luck. And sorry. You should have seen a link at the very top of the thread you downloaded your ROM from ... and this whole thing would have been avoided. Here is the link, which is always shared too late and after the fact. App is called andromizer forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2080009
This kind of thing shouldn't still be happening.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What would happen if i copied the /efs directory from the new one to this one?
Start a thread titled
Who has restored imei successfully
janjannsen99 said:
Start a thread titled
Who has restored imei successfully
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The issue being you can't restore it without a backup.
---------- Post added at 01:57 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:56 PM ----------
adam2508 said:
What would happen if i copied the /efs directory from the new one to this one?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Never done it. If you have a new one, just make a backup of the new one and don't mess with it. Now you know to make a backup
Curious
I would like to prevent myself from making this mistake in the future. Are you talking about the same type of back up you would do in TWRP or CWM? Like a nandroid? I've never heard about the backup your talking about, but I have been seeing a lot of people talking about losing their IMEI number and it sounds like really bad news.
Ill give it a try
janjannsen99 said:
Well all is not lost. There have been reports of people restoring imei successfully.
Try and app called andromizer. If I remember right it had an efs backup and restore. Its an app
Second. Go to the tmobile galaxy s3 forum and find their thread about lost imei numbers. Use those tools and the method to try to write back your imei number. Ill try and find it
Edit. Heres the link. Try using those tools and those methods. THAT is the only method I have heard about to work AT ALL. So try it out
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1801997
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I will try this tomorrow, i dont think that there is no fix at all. There is a fix for everything, just not yet discovered. Even though i will be getting a new phone, i still want to dedicate some time on fixing this one. If I find a fix, I might help someone else.
advice
Corrupt0387 said:
I would like to prevent myself from making this mistake in the future. Are you talking about the same type of back up you would do in TWRP or CWM? Like a nandroid? I've never heard about the backup your talking about, but I have been seeing a lot of people talking about losing their IMEI number and it sounds like really bad news.
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dude, make sure you have a back up of everything. Especially of the /efs directory. I read a few posts about people having this problem even after restoring back from CWM. I will get into conclusions that CWM does not back up the /efs directory. Anyone wants to correct me or add to this?
A little clarification
adam2508 said:
dude, make sure you have a back up of everything. Especially of the /efs directory. I read a few posts about people having this problem even after restoring back from CWM. I will get into conclusions that CWM does not back up the /efs directory. Anyone wants to correct me or add to this?
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Any chance you could tell me where to find this? If ever lost and you have the back up, how would you restore it?
I'll be really honest
Corrupt0387 said:
Any chance you could tell me where to find this? If ever lost and you have the back up, how would you restore it?
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After what happened to me I haven't messed with other roms. Andromizer can be found here http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2080009 to make a backup of your /efs. I have also used Nandroid, which you can just download from the "play store". Nandroid apparently does make a backup of everything including /efs and bootloader. As to how to restore from those backups I would like to never find out if it actually works. I have flashed the perseus kernel with clockworkmod recovery and also rooted which allows me to overclock to 1800MHz and im very happy with it. I dont have the urge to flash any roms that "promise" any speed improvements. I have also got rid of the bloatware with titanium backup pro. And of course i made backup with it too just in case i removed something i did not suppose to. All backups are in my external SD card and on dropbox. Call me paranoid but after what ive gone through i call it being safe.
adam2508 said:
I did the stupid mistake of flashing to a custom rom without backing up. Nowhere in custom rom instructions says to backup your /efs folder.
Now in "About device" Baseband version is "Unknown" IMEI is "Unknown". I've searched everywhere for a fix and nothing. I tried the following:
Flash stock rom
Format /data and /cache
On keypad, dial *#7284# ....But i dont get the "Qualcomm USB settings" option so i cant try IMEI repair tools
I tried flashing different kernels and different custom roms
Apart from the IMEI problem, the Device cant access the 16GB internal memory. The stock rom flashes with no error, but when i go to
settings > storage: under "Device memory" its full with only 182MB used by some apps. I thought the memory could be bad, but after flashing
Perseus kernel and swapping external sd card for internal memory I can use the 16GB as external memory. I cant find a fix for that either.
INTERNAL MEMORY UPDATE: it seems that internal memory is mounting read only. Still trying to find a fix
Im currently on "T889UVALK8_T889TMBALK8_TMB" rom with Perseus kernel and using "11extsd2internalsd_gs3_fat32" to swap internal to external memory.
Side note: I bought the phone from a friend 2 days ago. Its the Tmobile version and I used cellunlocker to unlock to use it with AT&T. That worked, until I started messing with ROMS. No warranty available. I am desperately looking on how to fix this since i have no spare phone. Any help is highly appreciated and thank you for your time
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It sounds like you did a NAND erase all in Odin. Flash back to stock, use triangle away, call samsung to fix it. I had the same issue and Samsung fixed it for free.
Free?
KillaHurtz said:
It sounds like you did a NAND erase all in Odin. Flash back to stock, use triangle away, call samsung to fix it. I had the same issue and Samsung fixed it for free.
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Even without insurance? And what am I going to tell them?

[Q] Anything I should do/know before rooting/clockworkmod/custom ROMs?

So I just got a S4 from T-mobile yesterday, and am planning on putting some roms onto it some time down the road. I'm familiar with the actual installation process, but am just wondering if there's anything I should do before, on the stock rom. I'm aware that (correct me if I'm wrong) you could always return to it later with odin, but I'd like to take care of it first. Things like backing up your efs folder in case your imei changes (happened on my old AT&T captivate), unlocking, etc.
Thanks for your help.
The only way your imei number would change is you get a new phone or a new motherboard. My suggestions is read, read and read before doing anything.
☞Sent from here☜
Root it. Turn off everything you dont use (gestures, etc. ) and use titanium backup to freeze unused apps. Or use google to backup contacts before flashing.
Sent from my SGH-M919 using Tapatalk 4 Beta
baseballfanz said:
The only way your imei number would change is you get a new phone or a new motherboard. My suggestions is read, read and read before doing anything.
☞Sent from here☜
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My Captivate's imei changed solely from flashing custom roms though...
Food for thought. You can also use samsung keis to restore the stock firmware also tried and true. Just in case odin fail its always good to have two restore method's
Sent from my SGH-M919 using XDA Premium HD app
I don't know how that's possible. For the imei to change from flashing roms. The imei changes when you get a new phones or a new motherboard when you get a replacement or a repair
Sent from my SGH-M919 using XDA Premium HD app
Altair4 said:
So I just got a S4 from T-mobile yesterday, and am planning on putting some roms onto it some time down the road. I'm familiar with the actual installation process, but am just wondering if there's anything I should do before, on the stock rom. I'm aware that (correct me if I'm wrong) you could always return to it later with odin, but I'd like to take care of it first. Things like backing up your efs folder in case your imei changes (happened on my old AT&T captivate), unlocking, etc.
Thanks for your help.
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Click to collapse
One of the few things that can only be done on the stock ROM is SIM unlock. So, that probably wouldn't be a bad idea to do before you go swapping ROMs whether you'd need it or not. It's definitely not required and I think can be done on the custom TouchWiz ROMs as well; just a thought.

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