Nandroid backups, how to use them ? - Android Software/Hacking General [Developers Only]

Hey there, I currently have a HTC Desire, and as it is recommended for a lot of operations, I did 2 or 3 backups of my ROM's.
So in those backups (done with ClockWorkMod ROM Manager) I get .img files (system, data, recovery etc...) but I don't know how to use them if i have a problem.
In other words, if you bricked your phone (which isn't the case for my HTC Desire ) and you want to use those backups to make it work again, how do you do that ? I searched on the forums and stuff but found nothin'.
I think this would be useful to a lot of people to put a tutorial on how to do that too.
Thank you

nandroid is like a backup, so if you install a new rom or whatelse, and you are not happy about it, you just can roll back to the previous state...
if you brick your phone, nandroid will not help you anything, cuz you wont be able to flash the img files
also, you may return to an old nandroid backup by booting into recovery (with a special button pressed while booting), and select the update you wanna write back to your NAND

Related

[Q] RomManager issues with N1: soft-bricking when creating backup

Hello all,
I have successfully installed CM7 on my Nexus One. However, I have the following problem with CWM: if I ask it to make a backup from within the recovery or from RomManager, CWM (3.0.0.5, latest version available apparently for Nexus One) makes the backup, but after restarting, I am stuck on the CM7 splashscreen: I see the blue Android on his skateboard and the arrow goes around in circles (left it going for 15 minutes just to be sure).
Also, on a sidenote, when I made the initial nandroid backup in CWM from my stock Froyo, after the backup was done I had to go in RomManager and "fix permissions", because all my resident apps kept crashing with "forced close" errors. No idea where that came from. Restoring that backup did the same thing as well. I did not investigate that issue any more though as I was on my way to a CM7 upgrade anyways.
So I now have a perfectly good install of CM7 running, but I am scared of doing a CWM backup. This is far from an ideal situation, and I would love to be able to resolve this
Thanks for any help
Anyone? I really am quite upset with this situation
Use this instead?
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=611829
Thanks, I will try it... though I have to admit I am nervous at the idea of having to again reinstall everything. Crossing my fingers!
yannack said:
Thanks, I will try it... though I have to admit I am nervous at the idea of having to again reinstall everything. Crossing my fingers!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Uh oh? It is just a custom recovery, no need to reinstall everything. You only flash the recovery and do the backup you cannot now with the broken CWM. (For my phone, there are even flashable zip files so you can switch b/w CWM and AmonRA "on the fly" via flash zip from recovery, not sure there are some for N1, try to search. )
Actually, the current problem I have is that after performing a backup, my phone doesn't boot anymore. The only solution I have at that point is to re-flash a complete ROM (flashing the backup doesn't work either), thus losing everything.
In short: making a backup means I then have to format and said backup is unworkable...
Which is why I am nervous at the idea of trying to make such a backup.
On a sidenote, RomManager is indeed able to flash both CWM and RA recoveries for N1 directly, which is quite nice indeed.
yannack said:
Actually, the current problem I have is that after performing a backup, my phone doesn't boot anymore. The only solution I have at that point is to re-flash a complete ROM (flashing the backup doesn't work either), thus losing everything.
In short: making a backup means I then have to format and said backup is unworkable...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I still do not understand why all this. Just flash a working recovery from fastboot (should press power and trackball IIRC on your phone). (And obviously do not use CWM to perform backups when it bricks your phone.)
On another note, flashing removery via ROM Manager resulted in bricked phones for many users, would avoid it personally.

[Q] nandroid to zip...

Is there a way to convert a nandroid backup into a flashable zip file? I would like to have the possibility of returning to my rooted rom if ever I decide in the mean time to go back to stock rom and don't like it.
The question has been asked a few times but has never, to my knowledge, received a clear answer.
NoUseToRush said:
Is there a way to convert a nandroid backup into a flashable zip file? I would like to have the possibility of returning to my rooted rom if ever I decide in the mean time to go back to stock rom and don't like it.
The question has been asked a few times but has never, to my knowledge, received a clear answer.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
A nandroid back up takes a snap shot of your entire OS. All of the /system files, all of the /data files. All the apps in their current state. I mean EVERYTHING is store in the nandroid back up. When you preform that there is a "backup/restore" option in the Clockwork ROM recovery image. You would just select "restore" then select the back up you want to store. I will advise you not to change the name of the file as the MD5SUMs will not match and it will not be able to load it. It's a flash-able .zip my nature. but it will verify it's own MD5SUM prior to flashing it.
which brings me to this point.
but to restore you nandroid you need to be a) rooted b)have clockwork installed.
Yup, you can do it, but you need a few things:
1) system.img and boot.img to flash
2) you'll also need a non-stock recovery, so if you return to stock, just go back to a rooted stock system, and keep the non-stock/cwm recovery so that you can apply the zip. This begs neidlinger's point above about just restoring your backup via recovery.
3) if you want to really cross your eyes and dot your tees, then you should also get the EBT partition from the stock firmware so that you can update the bootloader. Most people are fine using what ever old bootloader they had when they rooted, but I think it can cause bootloops with certain combinations.
So yes it can be done, but it's more an exercise in android-fu. You'll have to search around and take apart a few zips to figure it out.
what about this (just to see if I understand the approach): I make a cwm recovery of my present non-stock rom and I somehow manage to go back to a stock rom. If I miss my custom rom, I root , install cwm recovery and restore the backup stored on my external sd card...How is that?
NoUseToRush said:
what about this (just to see if I understand the approach): I make a cwm recovery of my present non-stock rom and I somehow manage to go back to a stock rom. If I miss my custom rom, I root , install cwm recovery and restore the backup stored on my external sd card...How is that?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That is correct
You are on a custom OS, you make a nandroid backup Via CRW (ClockWork Recovery) (it will store to the SDcard)
you go back to OE not rooted OS with stock recovery.
you don't like it, it's slow or ugly, what ever.
you re-root. Reinstall CWR
you wipe the device
select "backup/restore"
Then restore
and it will restore the Nandroid completely.
you boot the device to the exact point in which you left it.

[Q] Need reassurance about backup process

Hi. I've been using a ROM for the last little while (SlimICS), and I like it, more or less. There's a feature in another ROM (ParanoidAndroid, per-app density), that I'd really like to try out, but this ROM also has a lot of features I don't want (tablet mode) and doubt I would like. I use TWRP as my recovery...if I use TWRP to make a backup of System, Data, Boot, Recovery, .android_secure, and EFS, will I be able to flash this other ROM, then restore the backup to go back to my old ROM after I play with the new one a bit? Will the backup of these items bring me back to exactly how it was before, if I do a Wipe Cache/Dalvik Cache/Factory Reset?
Sorry if these questions are answered elsewhere, I'm just trying to make sure that my limited understanding of all this isn't incorrect, in my specific situation.
If you make a backup through recovery, when you restore, it'll be exactly where you left off, settings and all, when you shut the phone down.
When backing up in Recovery, you are backing up the OS and apps. This is called a nandroid. This does not backup anything on the sdcard.
Yesterday, I flashed a different kernel version on my NS. Before flashing, I did a nandroid backup using Reovery. Unfortunately, the kernel failed to load properly and I was stuck in a boot loop. I restored my backup I have done previously, and my phone was back where it was, few minutes before. It is very easy to do and backups/restores and verified using MD5 checksum.
Keep in mind that some apps put stuff on the sdcard. So if you flash your phone to a new ROM, upgrade apps and then go back to another ROM, it is possible that some apps won't work anymore. I've never seen this happen but this is a possibility.

[Research] Convert Nandroid Backup to ODIN in rooted devices without CWM

Guys i know many of you are in same situation as i am. The situation is that with all this Safe Knox rooting ways we miss the ability to CWM full backup our phones because simply we cannot install CWM or TWRP.
Today i tried Online Nandroid Backup and magically it maked backup of my phone and i got a full backup in my ExtSDCard.
Now this is why i did this thread... how i can make this CWM backup files that Nandroid did for me to Tar or anything for been able to apply them throw ODIN if i want to restore me previus situation or even after a disaster?
If believe this is doable but i dont have the knowledge for this but if we achieve this then we will be able to have the precius ability to full backup our phones anytime we want and with a convertion we will be able to restore back. Its pretty crucial for me to be able to have a backup whenever i want and i use that mainly when i wanna check something that does big changes in phone like wanam xposed etc... im not full wipe and full restore everything guy because this needs big time...
What you think?
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1777579
dd scrip to run from the phone:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=31238368&postcount=34
Odin Maker:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=33375618&postcount=59

[Q] General Nandroid question about restoring a backup and custom kernels

Hi
I have a couple of questions, been digging around xda and the web and found some conflicting answers...
1) Does a Nandroid backup also back up the kernel? I'm thinking about dabbling with some custom kernels, but don't want to potentially mess things up as well as have an easy way back to the stock kernel if I don't like the custom one for one reason or another.
2) What would happen if I made a Nandroid backup from recovery, did a full wipe (/data, /system, /sdcard, caches), rebooted then restored from the Nandroid backup?
I'm still pretty new to all this but I've done some reading and a wee bit of flashing & rooting on Nexus devices and the HP Touchpad. I also have an old TF101 that I'd really like to tinker with as well.
Thanks!
cardula said:
Hi
I have a couple of questions, been digging around xda and the web and found some conflicting answers...
1) Does a Nandroid backup also back up the kernel? I'm thinking about dabbling with some custom kernels, but don't want to potentially mess things up as well as have an easy way back to the stock kernel if I don't like the custom one for one reason or another.
2) What would happen if I made a Nandroid backup from recovery, did a full wipe (/data, /system, /sdcard, caches), rebooted then restored from the Nandroid backup?
I'm still pretty new to all this but I've done some reading and a wee bit of flashing & rooting on Nexus devices and the HP Touchpad. I also have an old TF101 that I'd really like to tinker with as well.
Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't know much about kernel but I do know that Nandroid backup backups everything exactly where the phone is.
That means if you do factory reset and restore Nandroid backup it will restore everything from the day you made the Nandroid backup.
I hope it clarifies everything.
Let me answer your questions.
1. When you do a nandroid backup, it backs up everything. Including the kernel.
2. If you nandroid backup, factory reset your device then restore your nandroid backup. Your device will return to the same state you had it previously. You will have all your content, files and settings. However if you do a backup, then factory reset and reboot, your device will be wiped of everything but it will boot up. As if the device was just turned in upon purchase. Also note, if you do a backup, then wipe your device (factory reset) you will not lose your backup.
Just note, if you ever flash a ROM, even if the developer states there is no issues. MAKE A BACKUP, sometimes things go wrong.
Happy flashing
If I helped, don't hesitate to hit that Thanks button
Thanks for the quick replies!
I was a bit confused about 2) because I read somewhere that if you make a nandroid backup of a stock ROM, then install a custom ROM (non-Stock based ie CM, PA or OmniROM) you must flash the stock ROM again before you can restore the nandroid backup, or else restoring the nandroid backup will not work. Is this true?
Consider the following example, say I:
-flash TWRP on my device and root
-make nandroid of stock, rooted ROM
-wipe /data, /system, /sdcard and caches and reboot back into recovery
-ADB push a non-stock custom ROM .zip file and flash the custom ROM
-decide I want to return to stock, rooted ROM after a while
-Boot into TWRP, then wipe /data, /system, /sdcard and caches and reboot back into recovery
-ADB push my original stock, rooted nandroid backup to /sdcard while in reocvery
-restore nandroid backup
What would be the outcome of the above example? I'm very curious...but I'd like some advice before attempting something like this myself as I'm still kinda new to all this
BTW I'm now comfortable flashing back to stock using fastboot and the google facotry image to restore a Nexus device so I now know how to do this in case things go south. I'm just curious if this would work on a device where returning to a full stock state isn't so easy.
No you don't need to install anything to get back to the previous state. So if you had a stock rooted ROM, then backed it up. But you decided to flash, let's say. Cyanogenmod but you wished to return back to stock, you don't need to flash stock ROM, all you have to do is just wipe data and restore your backup.
And for the example.
The outcome would be, you would be resulted with a stock, rooted rom.
If I helped, don't hesitate to hit that Thanks button
Thanks again, krishneelg3 for the quick reply. Been wondering about this for a while.
Cheers
No worries, if you have any other questions to ask, just ask. xda is a giving community !
If I helped, don't hesitate to hit that Thanks button

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