Develop Bugs

Backing up texts and contacts..

Does anyone know how to backup texts and contacts? So whenever I flash new firmware I can get them back?
Thanks in advance.

There is an app called sms backup & restore in the market. I use that.
And not sure about contacts because I just automatically download them from my gmail account when setting up the phone.

shawon007 said:
Does anyone know how to backup texts and contacts? So whenever I flash new firmware I can get them back?
Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I use MyBackup Pro v2.3.4 (available from Marketplace) as it allows you to backup apk's/apk's and their data, and also things like Contacts, Calendar events, Bookmarks, SMS, alarm, etc. To use it, you will need root access.

Actually, you see, the problem is that I cannot download ANY apps from the marketplace. It stalls and keeps displaying the message "Starting download..". Hence why I am trying to back everything up and reinstall the ROM.
In settings, there is a backup option that saves all contact / texts onto the SD Card. anyone know where that file is located? I'll ever be grateful if someone can post this information. thanks.
EDIT: The option is in Settings > Privacy > Backup settings.

[Q] How to Backup Contacts that are Stored on the Phone

Hi All, and thanks for the nub help.
My wife decided to store all of her contacts on her phone instead of using her google account. Now I'd like to flash a new rom, but I cannot think of a way to backup those contacts. I'd gladly go through each one and convert it to a google-stored contact, but there seems to be no obvious way to do that.
Is there a way to backup and restore these contacts? Or to move them go google?
Thanks!

oatkiller said:
Hi All, and thanks for the nub help.
My wife decided to store all of her contacts on her phone instead of using her google account. Now I'd like to flash a new rom, but I cannot think of a way to backup those contacts. I'd gladly go through each one and convert it to a google-stored contact, but there seems to be no obvious way to do that.
Is there a way to backup and restore these contacts? Or to move them go google?
Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Theres an option when you are viewing your contacts screen to import/export to SD card. When in the contacts list just hit menu I think and youll see the option. It will create a file on your SD card and after you flash your new rom you will be able to import them back into the phone. Hope this helps. If you have any questions dont hesitate!

You should be able to do it. Open the dialer, then tab over to contacts, push menu, and then push "export to SD card." That will move them. Now you can flash your rom, and once you get it set, go back to the dialer, contact, then import from SD card, and you should be all set.

you could download Lookout from the market and it will back up ALL your contacts just make an account i love this app it allows you to locate your phone if you lost it and it scans your apps for viruses

Thanks all
Thanks for the help everyone. I forgot to mention that the Export to SD Card feature was crashing with a software error. That being said, I managed to use My Backup to backup the contacts.
Thanks!

No prob, and glad you got them backed up.

[Q] Contacts app - any ways to fix?

Background: Rooted phone w/stock image with injected root.
Applied latest OTA (UVDLJC), then recovered root using Voodoo OTA RootKeeper (worked just fine), but noticed contacts not displaying ... well ... any contacts at times. Leaving it up for a while, it would come up with an error (crashed). Rebooting the phone would make all contacts available, again, but only temporarily, then the app won't display them, and back to the crash.
Re-did the UVDLJC (thank you mrRobinson http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1771687), this time directly using the newly uploaded injected root image, but the contacts app still behaves the same way.
While the app is malfunctioning, all incoming calls have no contact identified.
I also installed GO Contacts, but the behavior is the same (not depicting, than crashing) - I assume because somehow this app is using the original contacts "under the hood"?!?
Any suggestions?!? Is there a specific area I could redo, to recover contacts?
TIA,
Stefan

Solution...
I've been mucking with my contacts, merging different sources, restoring backups, using external editors, etc. I've found that a reboot fixes edit changes. Once my contacts are correct then my messaging and call logs show names rather than numbers.

Try wiping Contacts and Contacts Storage.

wiping data, freeze-then-thaw via Titanium Backup Pro - to no avail
Aerowinder said:
Try wiping Contacts and Contacts Storage.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Tried wiping data, to no avail. It just works for a while, then all of a sudden there are no contacts in the list, and the calls - of course - show no IDs/names. Only reboots seem to temporarily fix the problem, but the issue comes up again, shortly thereafter.
I wonder if there is a way to REINSTALL only the contacts app. I tried to freeze the contacts and contacts storage, then "thaw" them via Titanium Backup Pro, but that did not fix the issue, either. I assume that by removing them via TBPro, and then restoring them, it would end up - if the root cause if some sort of corruption in the app(s) - in the same place I am right now.

[Q] Restoring System Files with Tibu

I'm having some android.process.acore problems after flashing this rom http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2031726
restoring things with sms backup, and Tibu.
It (android.process.acore) would crash when I delete or edit contacts, and sometime when I add contacts/syncing.
I wiped everything, and restored system settings and it seemed to have worked fine.
My question is can I back up certain files from the wiped/restored version and tibu it onto my recovery image?
I tried contacts, contact store, phone, phone util, google contact sync etc.
can anybody that really is familiar with system files help?
thanks!!

Short Rule: Never, NEVER, restore systems apps. This never bodes well.
Only system data I ever found with no issues: Contacts Storage, and Clock.

mikoal said:
I'm having some android.process.acore problems after flashing this rom http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2031726
restoring things with sms backup, and Tibu.
It (android.process.acore) would crash when I delete or edit contacts, and sometime when I add contacts/syncing.
I wiped everything, and restored system settings and it seemed to have worked fine.
My question is can I back up certain files from the wiped/restored version and tibu it onto my recovery image?
I tried contacts, contact store, phone, phone util, google contact sync etc.
can anybody that really is familiar with system files help?
thanks!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I just save APK's I need to push to system in a folder and do it all that way.

How to restore contacts, etc.

Hello everyone,
I have been running the 4.3 stock ATT ROM, rooted, for the last few years, and I recently decided to try out a custom ROM. I ran CyanogenMod on my last Android phone (Aria) and as pretty happy with it, so I decided to try it first. I synced everything with Kies, backed up my OS with CM, and used the CyanogenMod installer to install CyanogenMod 11.0. Everything went well, but when I tried to connect to Kies to restore my contacts, I discovered that it's not compatible with CyanogenMod. Not too surprising, but annoying nonetheless. I also discovered that my backup disappeared; apparently CM was set to backup to internal memory and I failed to move the backup off before installing CyanogenMod. I'm wondering if anyone knows any way to get my data, especially my contacts, back. I'm sure I could flash back to a stock ROM and sync with Kies, but then I'm unsure how to best export the data and import it into CyanogenMod. What I'd really prefer is some way to extract the data from Kies and import it to CyanogenMod without having to go back to stock ROM. Any suggestions or solutions?
Thanks

I've never tried this tool (or kies at all for that matter), but it sounds promising for your situation. http://www.mobile-phone-transfer.com/extract-data-from-kies-backup-sbu-file.html

Thanks for the suggestion. I downloaded the program and tried the free trial version. It found multiple backup files with text messages and call logs in them, but said there were no contacts in any of them. I guess I'm going to flash stock rom to see if the contacts are really in the backups or not. Any suggestions for how to export and transfer them if I get everything restored to the stock rom?

falec_illmore said:
Thanks for the suggestion. I downloaded the program and tried the free trial version. It found multiple backup files with text messages and call logs in them, but said there were no contacts in any of them. I guess I'm going to flash stock rom to see if the contacts are really in the backups or not. Any suggestions for how to export and transfer them if I get everything restored to the stock rom?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The contacts app on the phone should be able to export them to a .vcf file. You can keep the file as a backup and use it for import/export from contacts on other ROMs. I don't remember exactly how to get there on touchwiz, but if you poke around contacts settings a little bit I don't think it will be too hard to find.

jason2678 said:
The contacts app on the phone should be able to export them to a .vcf file. You can keep the file as a backup and use it for import/export from contacts on other ROMs. I don't remember exactly how to get there on touchwiz, but if you poke around contacts settings a little bit I don't think it will be too hard to find.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks again. For anyone who finds themselves in a similar situation, here's what happened. I did find how to export contacts to vcf file; it's pretty easy to find in the menu of the contacts app. I wanted to take my text messages and other settings, so I looked into programs to do that. I tried GO backup, but the upgrade process to the pro version is broken and support not responding, so I went with Titanium Backup. I flashed back to the stock 4.3 rom as described in a thread here (sorry I can't post links yet), restored all my data with Samsung Kies, but made the mistake of letting the phone install a software update. This put me at 4.4.2 with Knox active, and Titanium Backup needs root access. I regained root access by installing CWM using Odin 3.07 in dl mode as described elsewhere, pulling the battery after install to prevent stock recovery from reinstalling, booting to CWM recovery, and installing supersu binary. Then I installed supersu from the store and allowed it to update itself and block Knox, and disabled Knox as follows: (this is quoted from elsewhere, I can't post links yet)
"I installed Android Terminal Emulator from the Play store - granted it SuperSU access - and proceeded to type the following command(s):
su [enter]
pm disable com.sec.knox.seandroid
*NOTE - the above to lines require you to go to a new line after typing "su", the [enter] is only a reminder, DO NOT type [enter] after su"
At this point, I had stable root access, so I installed Titanium Backup Pro to backup by data. Unfortunately, I discovered that 4.4.2 has problems with permissions; Titanium Backup couldn't write to any location on my phone. After some more research, I installed SDCard Fix from the store and let it fix my permissions. This let me access my SD card with Titanium Backup, and I backed up everything I wanted. Then I installed my backup zip of CyanogenMod that I made before returning to 4.3 stock from CWM recovery and was back to CM and able to restore my data and apps from Titanium Backup.
Hope this helps someone else, but I would strongly suggest that before trying out a new ROM you use Titanium Backup or similar, and save a nandroid backup off the phone. That would have saved me a lot of trouble, but things have changed a lot since I last played with custom ROMs about 5 years ago, and I didn't do enough research first.

Or you could just use a google account and have all your contacts sync with no hassle.

elatllat said:
Or you could just use a google account and have all your contacts sync with no hassle.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I do have a Google account, but when I switched to CM Rom and told it to sync with Google, I got a lot of my apps re-installed (not all of them), but no contacts, SMS or MMS, etc. Not sure why I didn't get any contacts, possibly the old OS wasn't set to sync contacts to Google. Just reinforces being thorough in research and preparation before trying to change ROMs.