Installing new rom/firmware - Android Software/Hacking General [Developers Only]

I'm trying to figure out the best way to install a new rom/firmware. Here is the process I have been using to date but I'm sure there must be easier way then doing all this.
1. Reinstall firmware/rom.
2. Check recovery to see if it still works. If it doesn't reinstall it.
3. Install su through recovery if necessary.
4. Install a file manager if necessary.
5. Install titanium backup.
6. Install Apps2SD
7. Install 10 apps at a time (so memory doesn't fill up) then use apps2sd to link to SD card.
8. Check to see if everything is running smoothly. If it's not do a wipe at this point and go back to step 4.
This is a time consuming process and I'm looking for ways to improve the process. Especially at step 7. It takes forever to load the apps then link2sd. Is there another way to do this part so memory doesn't fill up? Even when I check the option to auto link it doesn't auto link when installing apps from titanium.
I don't use nandroid. I've tried it in the past and the restoration usually ends up being pretty buggy. I've spoken to a few friends and they don't do it either. i'm not sure if it's possible that I will brick my phone without doing a nandroid backup but I haven't yet.

Micromax a70 rom
I bought this mobile on 10th of this month... And installed applications named ninjamorph...
It said with that we can change the notification bar colour... Tried with it and rebooted the phone,
and it doesn't boot up now... Pls help me, when tried to reflash it with the service center, they
are responding negative that they couldn't install the software... Can you pls guide me to install the
stock rom back... bcoz the boot screen and all is working perfectly... pls help me out sir...
Thanks,
Sanjeev. A

Related

[Q] Rooted EVO needs help after new kernel flashed.

I rooted my HTC EVO, then wanted a new kernel for better battery, wanted the new gingerbread ROM too but after I rooted, I deleted a few unwanted, stock apps. After I did this, I started to get a lot of force close messages. Certain apps won't even open. So I tried to unzip a new kernel and I wiped all my data from the hboot. Now it starts up, will go to locked home screen. I try to unlock it, it's the white htc screen then loads into the set up (i.e. keyboard usage, etc) and in the last step a force close message pops up then goes through the whole scenario again. Now I want to just put a whole new system on so I can have my evo back. HELP?
emiliah310 said:
I rooted my HTC EVO, then wanted a new kernel for better battery, wanted the new gingerbread ROM too but after I rooted, I deleted a few unwanted, stock apps. After I did this, I started to get a lot of force close messages. Certain apps won't even open. So I tried to unzip a new kernel and I wiped all my data from the hboot. Now it starts up, will go to locked home screen. I try to unlock it, it's the white htc screen then loads into the set up (i.e. keyboard usage, etc) and in the last step a force close message pops up then goes through the whole scenario again. Now I want to just put a whole new system on so I can have my evo back. HELP?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Download the rom, kernel, and Gapps (http://www.goo-inside.me/gapps/latest/7/) on your computer. Boot into recovery. I don't use Clockwork, and I'm assuming you rooted with Unrevoked, so that's probably the recovery you have, but try to find the option to mount your SD card via USB, and move the files to your SD card. Do not unzip them. They must be .zip files. Unmount your SD card, wipe your data, wipe your cache, wipe your Dalvik cache, repeat all the wipes at least one more time, then flash the .zips in this order: 1. ROM 2. Gapps 3. kernel. Then reboot, and you should have a working system.
If you use ROM Manager and created a backup then you could flash (install) the OTA ROM Sprint sent out a few months back. This OTA ROM will be for the Rooted evo, so you won't lose root. Go to youtube.com and search this, "How to install new Sprint Htc Evo OTA 3.29.651.5 and keep root." In his comments he'll provide the link to that zip file and you can flash it from the recovery mode. Make sure you wipe the dalvik/cache and then flash zip file from sd card. It will appear to look like your initial problem but it will get passed the white htc screen. You could turn it off and turn it on again if HTC screen stays longer than 10 min. Once the ROM kicks in, you'll notice its stripped of all your cusomizations. If you used rom manager to back up your ROM then redownload ROM manager from market and the superuser app that came with the OTA zip file will allow ROM manager to run. At that point select manager and restore backups from ROM manager and select your backup and it should put you back to where you were prior to the problem.
Sorry so long, but I'm very detailed and don't want to assume you know what I'm talking about.
P.S. similar situation happened to me yesterday I fixed my issue like described above.
Another Thing haha, don't delete your stock apps just freeze them using Titanium backup. Freezing does the same thing for battery life. You wont see them in app drawer and they wont run in background.

[GUIDE] How I Root, Recover and Optimize Stock 2.1

Hey guys,
Dont get me wrong, im pretty much a noob myself Nowadays alot of developement is going on with the new ROMS, till they are finished I needed a stable ROM and I have to admit nothing is better than good old stock 2.1, but to get it in useable condition you do have to do some tinkering. This guide is aimed at people who have just rooted their phones and want to know what they can do, or for people who want new ideas if they are going back to stock 2.1. Its just a collection of things I do, when I flash stock 2.1.
Please be aware, that although these instructions are accurate to my knowledge, sometimes there are problems, so do not try this if you dont feel comfortable with any of the instructions.
1. Which SBF?
The stock cincinnati bell 2.1 is the most current and the most updated version of all the SBF's. Unless you are uprading to a new ROM which require another type of base SBF this is the way to go for 2.1. It makes no regional differences that I know off, you may have to put in your APN settings. Reasons for using this SBF is, first its the most updated, most stable and reportedly has best camera quality of all the SBF's, plus it is set to 720 MHZ by default. The SBF code is:
Code:
STR_U2_04.1E.1_SIGNED_USASHLSTAB14P2XAPCNCBW039.0R_NACBW_P011_A006_HWp3_1FF.sbf
2. How to Root?
Once you have flashed your SBF, using either RSD lite in windows or sbf_flash in linux, the easiest way to root is using the universal androot app. Install the app on your phone, open the app and click the root button. A little heads up here, you need to be connected to either wifi or the data network before you use the app because to root the phone the app uses an exploit which requires wifi to be toggled. If it isnt on, it will not work. With the wifi on, press root and you're done. The newest stable UniversalAndroot can be found at this link.
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/32033772/UniversalAndroot_1.6.1.apk
3. What can I do after rooting?
First of all you can install Open Recovery + Androidiani Recovery. What these are, are custom recoveries with which you can make nandroid backups, wipe reset your phone and cache and apply neat tweaks to make your phone work better on 2.1. To install open recovery download the openrecovery.apk from the following link.
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/32033772/OpenRecovery.apk
Install the openrecovery app. And reboot your phone once. After the reboot, connect your phone to the PC and create a folder called nandroid and inside that creat a folder called openrecovery. And place it into the root of the SD card.
Code:
nandroid>>openrecovery
Disconnect your phone from the PC. Now open the openrecovery app. And press install recovery. A superuser request will appear. Allow it and open recovery will install on your phone and create the neccessary folders on your SD card. Now connect your phone to the PC its time to install androidiani recovery. Download the Androidiani recovery here.
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/32033772/OpenRecovery-3_3.zip
Unzip the file. You will see one folder and one update file. Copy the folder and paste it into the root of your SD card. You will notice that the computer will prompt you because there is already an open recovery folder in your SD card. Allow the computer to replace, the old folder with the new one that you are pasting. Then copy the update.zip and just place it in the root of your SD card. You are all set and have installed openrecovery.
What can I do with Androidiani?
Turn off your phone. Now press the volume up button and keep it pressed, while pressing the power on button. The phone will boot into androidiani recovery. Use the volume keys to navigate up and down in the menu and use the camera button to select an option. You will see numerous options in androidiani. The first thing to do is go in the Eclair Modding menu.
I usually do the following things.
1) Install memhack: This moves your /cache folder and allow for lots of apps to be installed so your 173 mb app space will not limit you, which is usually why people want to move to froyo in the first place.
2) Install JITV7
3) Eclair Kernel Modification: This installs busy box and increases functionality.
4) Zipalign Apps. This allows less ram to be consumed when you use apps. I usually zipallign system wide.
Reboot your phone normally, after mods are complete.
4. System app removal?
Useless system apps can safely be removed to make space for more apps. I install titanium backup from the market and use it to uninstall apps. Here is the list of apps I usually remove safely.
1. Gestures.apk (Motorola sign gestures, useless app never used it)
2. Corporate Calender
3. Corporate Directory
4. Quickoffice Trial
5. Kickback
6. Soundback
7. TalkBack
8. MotoAccuweather.
5,6,7 are accesibility apps which can easily be redownloaded from the market. Accuweather isnt accurate and I have the stock AOSP geniewidget which is so much more sexier. Ill give the links to those.
GenieWeather & News 2.1: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/32033772/GenieWidget2.apk
Another app I install is the desk clock which is missing in 2.1:
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/32033772/DeskClock.apk.
Okay once system apps are removed. What rooted apps can you use. There are many. Ill just state what I use when I newly Flash.
1) Root explorer, very good for navigation etc.
2) Market Enabler, i use it to install google+ and other apps not avaible in my country.
3) Battery Calibration, everytime you flash a new ROM its good reset your battery Stats.
5. Finally
You can just use your phone as usual. If your phone number format is different because of the US SBF, just choose a different language in keyboard and locale. Itll fix your dialer format.
I choose to not overclock. With wifi on 24/7 and autosync. A few odd phone calls, sms's, 1 hour of GPS when I walk, some gaming, and 2 hours of music. I get an average of 1.5-2 days battery life with this setup. My SD card is formatted completely to FAT32. After installing all my apps, and games. I have 102 MB remaining internal memory.
Hope this has been useful to anyone. Please feel free to make additions.
this is good. something ive been looking for. was on stock rom for a month rooted. very stable but was itching to try out cm6 so i did. ive tried deleting voice dialler with titanium backup but it was kind of not supposed to be deleted because android kept telling me "voice dialler force closed" and i couldnt do anything else so i restored it back. i dont need or want voice dialler. and it also keeps running as a service. any way to stop it?
eejin2 said:
this is good. something ive been looking for. was on stock rom for a month rooted. very stable but was itching to try out cm6 so i did. ive tried deleting voice dialler with titanium backup but it was kind of not supposed to be deleted because android kept telling me "voice dialler force closed" and i couldnt do anything else so i restored it back. i dont need or want voice dialler. and it also keeps running as a service. any way to stop it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Before you ever delete any system apps, you should use TB to freeze them first and see if once you do it causes any ill effects. If not, then uninstall but you can always back up so if you ever want it back, Viola there it is.

Sharp SH7218u

This thread is dedicated to hacking and development of the Sharp SH7218u. This is an Android phone with a somewhat unique clamshell form-factor.
Before proceeding, please note that all of the usual warnings apply. The software and techniques described here have the potential to break your device and make it unusable. By using the software and following these techniques you run the risk of bricking your phone. I take no responsibility if this happens - proceed at your own risk.
First, some credits for the work of others:
Z4root:
Developed by xda member RyanZA.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=833953
SH7218u Clockworkmod Recovery:
Clockworkmod original developer is Koushik Dutta:
www.clockworkmod.com
Dialer2:
Original developer of now open source dialer is dnaq Productions:
http://dnaq.tumblr.com/
Initial hacking and development work:
Gigi Tse is credited for early and ongoing work for the SH7218u:
http://gigitse.com/
http://www.msharp.cn/forum/t390991/page1/
Now on the instructions....
-------------------
Rooting Your Phone, Installing Clockworkmod Recovery, and Installing Google Apps
Gather the Required Files:
1. Go to the z4root xda thread, login in and download z4root.1.3.0.apk:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=833953
2. Download SH7218u_recovery.apk:
(attached below)
3. Download the Clockworkmod recovery flashable Google Apps file from the following site:
http://goo-inside.me/gapps
In the table, you want to select the HDPI, CyanogenMod 6 version. The file that you download should be
called 'gapps-hdpi-20101114-signed.zip'
4. Place these three files on your micro-SD card and insert the card into your phone.
Root Your Phone
1. Boot up your phone and skip the system setup wizard. Go to the app drawer and run 'Settings'.
2. Select 'Applications', and enable 'Unknown sources'.
3. Select 'Development', and enable 'USB debugging'.
4. Exit back out to your home screen launcher, then go to the app drawer and run 'ES File Explorer'.
5. The file explorer should show you the contents of your sd card. Tap on the file 'z4root.1.3.0.apk'.
6. Confirm installation of z4root, and when this is complete select 'Open' to run the app.
7. From within z4root, press the 'Permanent Root' button.
8. Wait until this process is complete, and the phone will reboot by itself. It can take 30 seconds or so for this to happen, so be patient. You are now rooted.
Flash Clockworkmod Recovery Image
You must be rooted for this to work. Do this after you have successfully completed the rooting process above. Also please note that this is not the CWM recovery image developed by Gigi Tse. Her image contains CWM version 3.0.2.4. This is my recovery image and contains CWM version 5.0.2.8.
1. Open the app drawer and run 'ES File Explorer'.
2. Tap on the file 'SH7218u_recovery.apk'.
3. Confirm installation and run the application by selecting 'Open' once installation is complete.
4. On startup, the application will request Superuser privleges - press 'Accept' to allow this.
5. Press the 'Flash Clockworkmod Recovery' button.
6. Wait a few seconds until you see the confirmation message 'Recovery Flash Complete'.
7. Exit out of the application. You now have Clockworkmod as your recovery. You can uninstall the SH7218u_recovery app if you wish as you have no further use of it.
Note for users of Link2SD: This version of Clockworkmod recovery will perform backup and restore operations on the secondary SD card partition used by Link2SD. However, that partition must be formatted in the ext3 filesystem for this to work. Formatting the partition in any other filesystem (e.g. ext2, fat32, ext4, etc.), will result in failure to mount and backup the partition. An SD card can be prepared for use with Link2SD from within this version of Clockworkmod recovery by using the 'Partition SD Card' feature within the 'Advanced' menu.
Install Google Apps
1. Boot into Clockworkmod Recovery. This is done by powering down your phone, then turning it back on by pressing and holding down the number 3 and 6 buttons together, then pressing and releasing the power button. Continue to hold the number 3 and 6 buttons until you see the Clockworkmod screen.
2. Select 'install zip from sdcard' from the menu.
3. Select 'choose zip from sdcard' from the next menu.
4. The next menu will be the contents of your sdcard. Select the Google Apps file - 'gapps-hdpi-20101114-signed.zip'.
5. Confirm the installation and wait until it is complete.
6. Press the back button once to get back to the main screen and select 'reboot system now'. You now have Google Apps installed.
When you reboot the device, you will be taken through the Google account setup. Please note that in order for contacts applications to work with Google synchronization, you will need to install a modified contact editor. The stock firmware on this phone is not intended to sync with the Google servers as it was intended for Chinese users. The modified contact editor fixes this issue. It is free and available from the Market. Look for 'Contact Editor Free' by a developer named 'dmfs'.
Deleted
Deleted
Thank you! Very good job!
No ideas how to get the phone to answer a call when you open?
TabletGuru said:
Thank you! Very good job!
No ideas how to get the phone to answer a call when you open?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hey someone read my thread!!
Sorry, no posts on this thread yet and it has been up for a while. I think most people who have this phone stick to Howard forums or other such sites that cater to the phone type and its region of origin.
As for your question, no...but I have tried. That would require a modification of the phone app or a change to the OS itself as the phone app is the active app when the phone is ringing and the device is opened. If I had the source code for the stock phone app, this would be a fairly easy thing to do. Unfortunately, I have been unable to find the source for the stock device firmware anywhere. I tried compiling a generic Froyo phone app from the Google source, but of course this did not work. This is a somewhat special app that needs to interface with several parts of the device's hardware, so a generic version just doesn't work. Unless Sharp releases the full source code for the stock firmware, I don't think this is going to be possible....at least not from someone with my somewhat limited development abilities.
Sent from my MB855 using xda premium
Google Play
Hey xdajunkman, amazing work you are doing here.
Have you considered adding Google Play to the mix? I was able to get the latest version working just fine on my SH7218u.
How hard would it be to hack the light notifications area of the phone, to make some of the notifications last for 1-2 seconds longer?
I should also add that my phone is giving some really flaky GPS information. It is putting me somewhere in the ocean near China unless I use wifi only. Do you have any experience with this?
EDIT: I don't know why, but the dialer is not working for me with regard to the long-press of the delete key and silent (#) key. No idea why...
EDIT2: It is because I had another keyboard installed; which must do something funky... switching back to a default keyboard and then trying seemed to work!
Thanks for your guide! Do you have got new version Rom? 2.3 or 2.3.5?
johnny8384 said:
Thanks for your guide! Do you have got new version Rom? 2.3 or 2.3.5?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not likely to come. This would mean building something like CM7 for a new device from scratch. This kind of task takes dozens of man-hours for an expert developer, and that assumes that they have access to the original source for the release build. We do not have the original source, and there is no such developer working on this device. We will be stuck with Froyo.
Thank you so much for taking the time to write a guide xdajunkman!
I received my SH7218u today and did everything. The instructions were clear and the whole process took no more than 30 minutes.
Surprisingly, my SH7218u accepts 64 microsd card (after you format it).
Is it ok to have 2 partitions?
One is a ext2, and the other I just created using clockwork mod ext3...
I'm wanting to use that custom rom..
EDIT: clockwork mod Repartitioned my ext2 to ext3 now ಠ_ಠ
and all my apps are "installed"
Going to make a backup rom now.. and then Install xdajunkman's custom rom >__<
EDIT: Ok succesfully installed the Custom rom It looks great I might say awesome work xdajunkman
Ok the question is now.. how to I get back all my previous apps and stuff?
I followed the guide and made a backup already
My 7218u stuck at Sharp logo when boot because i've uninstalled a system apps ( don't remember exactly) what i've to do now? plz help me
P/S: My english sucks, sorry for that
delpan said:
My 7218u stuck at Sharp logo when boot because i've uninstalled a system apps ( don't remember exactly) what i've to do now? plz help me
P/S: My english sucks, sorry for that
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Boot into clockwork mod by pressing 3and 6 and the power on button, (assuming you have that installed)
Reinstall the rom.. http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=22106340#post22106340
sirjoe1 said:
EDIT: Ok succesfully installed the Custom rom It looks great I might say awesome work xdajunkman
Ok the question is now.. how to I get back all my previous apps and stuff?
I followed the guide and made a backup already
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It is usually just easier if you wait until you have the new ROM installed before you try and install your apps. There is no reliable way from within CWM to restore your installed apps.
However, because the new ROM is just a modified version of the stock ROM, it should be possible to flash the new ROM without wiping the existing user data and keeping your installed apps. Restore your backup that has all of your apps installed. Then, flash the modified ROM but skip the step in the instructions that tells you to wipe existing user data. Instead of wiping the user data, do the following:
1. In the 'mounts and storage' menu of CWM recovery, select to format both '/system' and '/cache'
2. In the 'advanced' menu of CWM, select 'Wipe Dalvik cache'
Now proceed with installing the ROM as per the instructions. This should result in the modified ROM being installed, but all of your installed apps should be protected.
If this does not work, then you will just have to re-installed the modified ROM according to the instructions (including wiping the existing user data), then re-install all of your apps. For future reference, a great app called Titanium Backup will allow you to backup your apps and restore them after changing the ROM.
sirjoe1 said:
-->My 7218u stuck at Sharp logo when boot because i've uninstalled a system apps
-->( don't remember exactly) what i've to do now? plz help me
Boot into clockwork mod by pressing 3and 6 and the power on button, (assuming you have that installed)
Reinstall the rom.. http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=22106340#post22106340
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Agree with sirjoe1. Hopefully you flashed CWM as your recovery before you did this. However, if not then booting into recovery mode as described above should trigger a factory reset from the stock recovery partition. I have not attempted this myself with the stock recovery, but usually what this will do is simply return your device to it's stock state. You can then start over using the instructions in the OP....but without deleting critical system apps this time.
Hello again, I've a question, has anyone successfully Overclocked the cpu frequency on this phone using setcpu or similar apps?
Overclocking not possible without either a custom kernel or a kernel module of some sort. As the source for the stock kernel was never released, such a thing would be a HUGE undertaking. Very unlikely to ever happen.
xdajunkman said:
Overclocking not possible without either a custom kernel or a kernel module of some sort. As the source for the stock kernel was never released, such a thing would be a HUGE undertaking. Very unlikely to ever happen.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh darn, that's such a downer..
These sh7218u threads are so dead nowadays :/
I might have messed up my phone -_- (again)
I went into the /data/sdext2/dalvik-cache and deleted everything and now a few apps have gone missing, and some won't work, they just give me a force close error >___<
I also lost my go launcher ex settings..
and to make things worse.... my internal memory went to 0% free... deleted a few things to clear up 8mb..
Any Ideas how to fix this ? @[email protected]
[Can you guys play 480p videos?
I can't.. 360p runs fine though..]
I am hoping to get this device this week.
Thanks for your tutorial, and I will let you know if it runs out just fine

101

help,brand new phone,firmware did not say row or cw,it came stock with no gapps unrooted,and with a ad virus(every 2 min a full screen ad would pop up) in order to remove this i rooted with framaroot,used system app remover,deleted something i shouldnt have,now its stuck at bootloader,will go into stock recovery,ive hard reset and cleared cache 10+ times with no luck,however:laugh:i also downloaded nandroid backup before i messed it up and made a back up...please help,btw flashtool does not see my device,but under safely remove hardware on my pc it does say lenovo adb device,as i tried to install a custom recovery image,I HAVE NO IDEA ABOUT FILES OR PC'S IN GENERAL,if you say i need to install a file please be clear as to exactly how i get this file and how to do it...someone please help me

How to flash your Tab 7 Plus (P6200) with the carbon rom and have google apps work

Hi all,
Obviously you need the Carbon ROM for the P6200 first. Here is the link http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2723566
Step One: Unlock Your Bootloader and Flash a Custom Recovery
How to Flash a ROM to Your Android Phone
First, let's clear up some confusion: Contrary to popular belief, you do not actually need to root your phone to flash a ROM—you just need to unlock your bootloader and flash a custom recovery. However, this process usually goes hand-in-hand with rooting—and most custom ROMs come with root access—so what you think of as "rooting your phone" is probably what you're going to have to do first.
Unfortunately, we can't go through this step in detail here, because it's different for every phone! So, I highly recommend checking out our everything root guide to learn a bit more about what's involved, what all the different terms mean, and what to watch out for. Then, search around sites like XDA Developers for instructions on how to unlock the bootloader of your specific phone, which recovery you should use (usually TWRP or ClockworkMod), and how to flash it.
I also recommend rooting your phone during step one, since it'll make the backup process in step two easier—and save you some hassle along the way. A lot of methods and one-click apps will root your phone anyways, so it might be included in the process. Again, this can vary from phone to phone. (If the instructions require you to flash SuperSU.zip, you can refer to step three of this guide for info on how to do that—ironically, it's just like flashing a ROM).
NOTE: Unlocking your bootloader will most likely wipe your phone, and without root access, you won't be able to back up very much. So, save anything you want to keep on your computer—you will have to set up your phone from scratch just this once before continuing.
When you're done, return here and continue to step two for the rest of the ROMming process.
Step Two: Make a Backup of Your System, Apps, and Data
Now that you've got a custom recovery on your phone, the first thing you should do—before you ever make a big change to your system—is back it up. First, we'll make a Nandroid backup, which is basically a image of your current system. That way, if something goes wrong, you can restore your phone to exactly the way it was before you started tweaking. This will save you a lot of hassle if something goes wonky (which, let's be honest, can happen often). To do this:
Reboot your phone and enter recovery mode. This is a bit different on every phone, but usually involves some permutation of pressing the power and volume buttons at the same time.
Head to the "Backup" or "Nandroid" section of your recovery mode. The default settings should be fine. If given the option, give your backup a name that helps you remember what it is (like "Pre-CyanogenMod Backup 01-17-14"). Confirm your backup and let it run.
Wait for the backup to finish. This may take awhile.
I also recommend making a second type of backup: your apps and settings. If you just unlocked your bootloader and wiped your phone, you can skip this step, but any time you flash a ROM in the future, you'll want to back up your apps first, since you may have to wipe your phone before you flash. With a backup, you can easily restore those apps and data after flashing, making the process a lot simpler. We recommend using Titanium Backup.
How to Set Up a Fully Automated App and Settings Backup on Android
In an ideal world, your Android's apps, their settings, and your system settings would…
Read more
How to Flash a ROM to Your Android Phone
This is different from a Nandroid backup because it just backs up the apps themselves, which you can then restore on any ROM you want. Nandroid backups take your entire system as it is, ROM included.
Note that you'll need to be rooted to use Titanium Backup (which is why I recommend you root in step one). To perform a backup in Titanium:
Open Titanium Backup and grant it root permissions if it asks for them. If it experiences any problems with root, it'll tell you right now.
Tap the "Batch" button in the upper right-hand corner (the one that looks like a little checkbox). Scroll down to the "Backup" section and find "Backup All User Apps." Tap the "Run" button. This will back up any apps you've downloaded from the Play Store, and their data. (You can try backing up your system data as well, but I find this usually doesn't work very well).
Wait for it to finish. If you like, you can also sync these to Dropbox as described here, but you don't have to for this process.
This may seem like a lot of unnecessary backups, but trust me: it's going to save you a lot of time in the long run. Now if something goes wrong, you have a nandroid backup to fall back on and don't have to start from scratch. And, when your ROM flashes successfully, you don't have to start re-downloading and setting up all your apps yourself because you can restore them with Titanium.
Step Three: Download and Flash the ROM of Your Choice
How to Flash a ROM to Your Android Phone
Now comes the fun part: flashing your ROM. First, obviously, you need to find the ROM you want. Again, this chart is a good place to start, as is our list of the five most popular. You may also want to poke around sites like the XDA Developers forums to see what's available for your particular phone.
When you've found a ROM you want to try, download it and save it to your phone. It should come in the form of a fairly large ZIP file, so you'll probably want to be on Wi-Fi to download it. You can either download it directly from your phone, or download it on your computer and transfer it over via USB.
To flash your ROM:
Reboot your phone into Recovery mode, just like we did back when we made our Nandroid backup.
Head to the "Install" or "Install ZIP from SD Card" section of your recovery.
Navigate to the ZIP file you downloaded earlier, and select it from the list to flash it.
Wait for the process to complete; it may take a few minutes.
Depending on your situation (see below), you may also need to wipe your data and/or cache. In TWRP, you'll find this under the "Wipe" section, and in ClockworkMod, you'll need to either choose the "Wipe Data/Factory Reset" option or the "Wipe Cache Partition" option. When you're done, you're free to reboot into your new ROM.
So, when should you wipe your data and cache? Here are a few general guidelines:
If you're flashing a ROM different than the one you're currently running, you should wipe data and cache. Essentially, this performs a factory reset on your phone, and you will lose all your data.
If you're flashing a new version of a ROM you're already running, we recommend wiping your data and cache—but you should be able to get away with just wiping the cache, meaning you get to keep all your apps and settings.
Remember, if you backed everything up with Titanium, then doing a factory reset isn't all that bad, since you can just restore most of it. Keep in mind that even if you're just upgrading your existing ROM, factory resets can be helpful. If you only wipe your cache, note that a few apps may run into issues, but reinstalling them or wiping that app's data usually fixes the problem.
When you reboot, you should be in your shiny new ROM, ready to play! But what? There's no Play Store? Read on for the last step of the process...
Step Four: Download and Flash Google Apps
How to Flash a ROM to Your Android Phone
Because Google's apps are not open source, custom ROMs can't bundle Google's apps—like Gmail, Hangouts, or the Play Store—with their ROMs. That means you'll need to download and flash them separately. Luckily, this is pretty easy to do: just head to this page on RootzWiki to find out which ZIP file you need, download it to your phone, and flash it just like you did the ROM in step three. Gapps Manager is also a great app that'll help you find the right package if you're stuck, and you can download the APK from XDA Developers.
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Once you've flashed the latest Google Apps package, you should be all set! You'll have a new ROM with tons of settings to play with, the Play Store to download new apps, and—if you made a backup with Titanium—you can now head into Titanium Backup and restore all your apps and their settings. Enjoy!

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