Related
I found I was repeating myself a lot when helping out people new to rooting their Evo. I also found that this knowledge I'm putting into this doc doesn't really exist in one place, but is spread throughout the entire Evo Forum. So below is some information to help out people with backing up their device, some backup tips, some general information on flashing, and tips and best practices for flashing. Hope this helps!!
Assumptions:
This guide assumes you are fully rooted at this point. If not follow any one of the guides in the Wiki that has been stickied on the main page of the Evo Dev forum. My personal recommendation is the Unrevoked. Very easy to use, just read up and make sure your phone is compatible.
To test root type "su" into a terminal. You should get a "#" back. You can use a terminal emulator from the market or ADB. To get ADB up and running follow this guide here. If that seems confusing than take a look at this guide I wrote for Notion Ink Adam Tablet users here. That guide is for Windows users, but Mac and *nix users shouldn't be much more difficult.
Backing up
NAND Backup:
Once rooted you can use the app quickboot to boot into recovery to do a NAND backup. If your ROM doesn't have this app installed, download from Marketplace. Open app and choose "Recovery". Once into your recovery use the volume buttons on the side to scroll up and down and power button to select to get to the option to backup. I have clockwork installed so my screen looks different, but you should be able to find the NAND backup option. This will take awhile so be patient.
Once done you can reboot and continue on as normal. This is an essential step (or using Rom Manager below). If you ever screw up something major or you try a new ROM and want to go back, this will allow you to restore easily and get back to a point where things worked fine. It would also be highly recommended to do one of these backups before doing something major that has potential to break things. Use best judgment here.
Rom Manager:
Even easier than the above is to use Rom Manager. Download it from the marketplace, run it, and let it update your recovery image for you. Once this is done go to the bottom of this app and choose "Backup Current ROM" This should do a full NAND backup. I would recommend buying this app for the other features it has, but it is up to you.
Titanium Backup (TB):
Once you have your NAND backup I would also recommend installing Titanium Backup from the Marketplace (I would also pay for the license because you get better performance and the dev deserves some green for this awesome app!). Once installed open it. The first time it will ask you to update Busybox. Let it and wait for this to download. When done it will ask you reboot app from the notification area. Do this and then wait for app to fully load, two messages should appear, the second one indicates it is fully loaded. Then hit menu and go to the batch section. Choose " Backup all user apps + system data".
This will backup everything on your phone for you to your SD card. This will take a while so go get some coffee and check back in. Do not close the app or turn off your phone, the screen can go blank and you can let it sit, but it will need time to run. I think when the screen turns off it puts an icon in notification that should be updating the progress of the batch. Once done, it should tell you in the notification area. For me it takes awhile with my 228 some elements I'm backing up. Your mileage will vary.
SMS/MMS
I recently came across a thread that mentions using Handy Backup for backing up SMS/MMS messages. I have not tried this app or used it so I don't have any directions to give on it. But I have had people ask and I have seen folks ask in other threads. So if TB doesn't give you enough, try this one too.
Backup to Computer:
I'm still looking for a better method for this one. I'm sure someone has something and if you do please let me know so I can update this section.
Currently I backup files and folders to my local NAS at home after major changes. Incremental changes I let TB handle. This is just a simple process of setting the SD card to storage and copy/paste. Works fine and I have only done this once so far after everything was set to my liking.
You might wonder why this important? Well if you are going to play around a lot with different ROMs and constantly read/writing info to your SD card, it is important because SD cards are not perfect. They can be corrupted and can fail from too much writing of info. It usually takes a lot of work to get one to the point of failure, but I managed to do it with my HTC Mogul so I can vouch that it can happen.
Important folders on SD card:
- /sdcard/clockwork/backup
This will get all backups performed by clockwork. If you grab the entire clockwork folder then you will get ROM downloads and such too. I don't really recommend this as it never takes more than 25 minutes for me to download any image. Plus with a secure NAND backup, you can always restore quickly.
- /sdcard/nandroid
This should backup the folder used by AmonRa recovery.
- /sdcard/TitaniumBackup
Folder used by TB for backing up of apps.
Of course throw in any other folders you deem important. What that is depends on you. Making a backup of everything else probably wont take long too. For me I rarely have more than 7gb of data on my card so backing up takes roughly 30-50 minutes.
All of this may seem like a lot of work, but once done you will have a robust system in place. And will allow you the opportunity to safely play!!
Restoring
Restoring is a simple process but can be time consuming. To speed things up you can pay for the full version of TB, which I highly recommend.
TB
Follow the directions below for what I do after flashing. If you have already read that and are ready to restore then do the following...
Open up TB and let if fully load, you will get two small popup messages. The second one means that TB has fully loaded the OS information. Then hit the menu key and choose batch. Scroll down and look for "Restore all apps with data". Run this batch to restore everything. Keep in mind if you backed up everything and are now changing ROMs that you might run into problems. I have yet to run across issues, but this is just an FYI. Also another reason to have a full NAND backup with Rom Manager. If you run into too many problems just restore with it and problem solved.
Restores and backups take awhile with TB, but are worth the wait. Once done with the full restore you can then do incremental backup and restores in the future.
Also don't forget to open up the apps after restoring and make sure the apps are setup how you want. Then double check with TB to make sure things are fully backed up, just click "Backup all new apps & newer versions". Once done with this reboot.
After a TB restore always reboot. After the reboot go into Rom Manager and NAND backup following the steps above in the backup section. This will ensure you have a full system backup with the settings you want.
Rom Manager
This one is pretty simple. Just open Rom Manager and choose "Manage and Restore Backups". Then choose your backup to restore. If you named the files by date and time you might have to do some guess work, but you should have a rough idea. Once you click the one you want just sit back and wait.
Flashing Tips and Problems
Watch Girls Gone Wild for help with this...
Many people have asked "Why flash custom ROM" or "What are the advantages"? Well I think one of the biggest reasons is performance gain from phone and apps. But for Evo users the number 1 reason should be better battery utilization. This can mean you see same amount of battery life, but with increased phone and app performance, or same performance, but longer battery life.
I think some people might be hesitant because it was one hell of a process rooting their device. Well to those people I say, you are over the mountain now. The hard part is done, flashing is relatively easy. I recommend doing it cause stock can cause some people minor issues and your are missing out on a lot of cool and useful customizations. And if you backup your phone as detailed above, you do not need to worry about losing anything.
Stock ROM with Root (back to defaults) or Completely Unroot:
To flash a stock ROM with root, download one from the wiki of ROMs. Then follow advice in below sections for flashing.
To unroot (This is the "I need to take my phone to Sprint" conundrum...) Follow the wiki link. Or go to HTC's website. Then go to the support section for the HTC Evo. Download the file from them and run it. You will be good to go. And if you followed the backup section above you do not have to worry about anything. Just re-root when you get your new phone or old phone back. And restore.
Also, I recommend taking out your SD card with all the root files on it. No need to bring this up or have to explain things any Sprint tech could easily see. Also if you used Unrevoked Forever you should follow this unroot guide here.
I Just Flashed with no Backups:
Below is what I did before I had Titanium Backup in place and after flashing a custom ROM...
Once booted right after flashing I make sure things look fine, fully sync to Google, then reboot. When I come back from that I turn on WiFi and go to Marketplace and Download section. Any apps I previously downloaded will be in that section waiting for me to download. Download them all at once, DO NOT leave that section before downloading everything, or you will lose that list and it will only show apps currently downloaded and installed.
Once done, open apps and customize to liking. Then download Rom Manager if you don't already have it and follow the above section. Once done with that follow the above section on Titanium Backup. Then enjoy your custom ROM.
Flashing in general:
ALWAYS make sure your battery is at least 50% full. The last thing you want is your phone to die on you in the middle of flashing.
Use Rom Manger and pay for the full version. It is a lot easier and can remove a lot of headaches and problems. If you really want to do it yourself you shouldn't have any problems, this is typically what I do and I haven't run any issues that couldn't be solved yet.
Follow the above backup guides before flashing another custom ROM. Save yourself time and trouble. Also I have read about people using NAND backups to sort of switch between different ROMs. In the short term that shouldn't be a problem, but long term that can make your SD card unstable. Make sure you follow the above section for backing up your SD card to computer.
If changing from one ROM to another it is best practice and almost always recommended to wipe data and dalvik cache. This also will alleviate many issues people run into. And if you follow my backup recommendations then it shouldn't be an issue to do either of these.
If not using Rom Manager, then put the zip of the ROM you want to flash on your SD card, and DO NOT unzip the zip file. Leave it on the root of your SD card as a zip file. Boot into recovery if you are not there already. Find the option to flash from SD card. Then choose the zip file or ROM you want to flash. Wait for everything to flash, then reboot using the option from the recovery menu. Wait for phone to boot. This can take a long time after flashing any new ROM so be patient.
Some ROM devs have other items you can add to their ROM. Follow their directions for flashing those items. Some devs want you to boot first than go back and flash, others allow for you to just start flashing right away with no waiting. Pay attention to the directions on your ROM thread. If you screw something up, try flashing the package again. If things look worse or it didn't work, re-flash your ROM or restore your backup and try again.
Otherwise, flash the ROM following directions above, flash the other packages and themes and items you want, and reboot. All should be well.
Once booted up follow guides above for backing up or restoring. Otherwise if you have problems look below before asking questions. If you can't find it here try searching before asking questions. If you still can't find it feel free to ask for help, but keep the question in the thread for your ROM you are flashing, or if you think it is a rooting issue, in the thread of the root process you followed.
Bootloop Issue:
This can be caused by a few things. For one, make sure you wipe data and dalvik cache before flashing a custom ROM. Even if the dev says it is not necessary do this before flashing a new ROM. It can help with these issues. The only exception here is if you are updating to a new version of the same ROM and the dev says there is no reason to wipe in between...
Also you can experience this if you are not fully rooted. Look toward the top of this guide for rooting advice.
Sometimes the ROM can take a while to boot after flashing a new ROM. Be sure you really do have a stuck boot or bootloop before doing a battery pull and troubleshooting. Give it some time to see if it fixes itself. If you are waiting over 30 minutes for something, you probably do have a legit issue.
Exclamation Point with Android Guy Screen
I got this when attempting to upgrade once. To get out of it, battery pull and put battery back in. Hold down "Volume Down Button" and then press power. KEEP HOLDING DOWN volume down button till white screen (Hboot) appears. Release volume down button. Wait for it scan. If it finds your PC file choose no and also no on reboot. NEXT CHANCE YOU GET remove, rename, or move the PC file from the root of your SD card. Choose "Recovery" from menu using volume buttons and power button to select. Once in recovery, choose flash from SD card and choose your ROM.
If you cannot find an image or do not have one, just go back and toggle USB. Then copy paste ROM to SD card. Keep in mind that you might need to wipe data and dalvik cache before flashing as mentioned above.
Another user commented this screen appeared when attempting to go into recovery from Quickboot app. This might mean the recovery image didn't install correctly, or could mean you do not have a recovery image flashed or installed. If this is the case, follow one of the guides in this wiki link to flash a recovery.
If you need to get out of this screen, just do a battery pull. Your ROM should boot up fine.
Battery Issues After Flashing:
Some have claimed issues with battery after flashing. To try recalibrating click here for Cyanogen's guide.
That's all for now!
I'm sure there is plenty more to add to this down the road, but for now this is all the dumping my brain can handle. Leave comments and suggestions and let's make this a strong guide with the right information to help those in need.
Very nice, hopefully you just saved someone a lot of heartache
Just added a section for un-rooting. Can someone please help me verify this is correct.
Thanks!
Awesome guide!
Thanks for the info in the Simple Root thread.
One question that was unanswered (and per your response I ask it here):
Are SMS/MMS info backed up using Nandriod or Titanuim??
I'm a little confused by which can do this.
Thanks again for the help.
ucf.elk said:
Awesome guide!
Thanks for the info in the Simple Root thread.
One question that was unanswered (and per your response I ask it here):
Are SMS/MMS info backed up using Nandriod or Titanuim??
I'm a little confused by which can do this.
Thanks again for the help.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Very good question on SMS/MMS. I think I have noticed that when using Handcent SMS app for sending and receiving SMS/MMS messages they are somehow backedup. I think Handcent has a folder on the SD card.
Otherwise if you are using stock messaging app, I am not sure it TB backs that up or not. If you want to verify this for me and let me know your results I would be happy to update my guide.
webs05 said:
Very good question on SMS/MMS. I think I have noticed that when using Handcent SMS app for sending and receiving SMS/MMS messages they are somehow backedup. I think Handcent has a folder on the SD card.
Otherwise if you are using stock messaging app, I am not sure it TB backs that up or not. If you want to verify this for me and let me know your results I would be happy to update my guide.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just wanted to say thanks for the breakdown, and with my experience Tb has backed up my sms when backing up "all system data and apps"
Thanks again OP
epmacman said:
Just wanted to say thanks for the breakdown, and with my experience Tb has backed up my sms when backing up "all system data and apps"
Thanks again OP
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Great info! Thanks epmacman and thanks webs05 for the great guide!
epmacman said:
Just wanted to say thanks for the breakdown, and with my experience Tb has backed up my sms when backing up "all system data and apps"
Thanks again OP
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Were you using stock messaging app? Or a third party one from Marketplace?
Thanks for the information. About to start this whole process soon so this really helped Just a quick question though, do classes of the sd card matter? Have a class 2 card atm but about to buy a 16gig class 6 and figured I should do everything then.
Reanimatedshad0w said:
Thanks for the information. About to start this whole process soon so this really helped Just a quick question though, do classes of the sd card matter? Have a class 2 card atm but about to buy a 16gig class 6 and figured I should do everything then.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, a higher class makes a big difference in speed. Make sure you wipe the new SD card from within the Evo before doing anything.
Dumb question (I'm new to Android):
When switching ROMs, both of which you have a backup for, do you have to wipe, flash the rom, then flash the nandroid backup?
Or would wiping and then flashing the backup work the same?
I have Fresh and Avalaunch's Froyo with all my apps both backed up. I realize it won't save much time, but I wouldn't have to keep both ROMs on my SD card if I could just use the backup to switch.
Thanks for the guide.
elr0y said:
Dumb question (I'm new to Android):
When switching ROMs, both of which you have a backup for, do you have to wipe, flash the rom, then flash the nandroid backup?
Or would wiping and then flashing the backup work the same?
I have Fresh and Avalaunch's Froyo with all my apps both backed up. I realize it won't save much time, but I wouldn't have to keep both ROMs on my SD card if I could just use the backup to switch.
Thanks for the guide.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
you should wipe. the backup will save everything you had on the respective rom
Yes awesome guide thanks, just what I was looking for. Stupid question but when I do a "Backup Current ROM" in ROM Manager, does this also back up texts, apps, games etc?
Thanks again webs
elr0y said:
Dumb question (I'm new to Android):
When switching ROMs, both of which you have a backup for, do you have to wipe, flash the rom, then flash the nandroid backup?
Or would wiping and then flashing the backup work the same?
I have Fresh and Avalaunch's Froyo with all my apps both backed up. I realize it won't save much time, but I wouldn't have to keep both ROMs on my SD card if I could just use the backup to switch.
Thanks for the guide.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
To switch ROM by restoring nand backups all you should have to do is go into recovery and restore the one you want. If you wanted to be safe you could wipe first. As far as flashing that rom before nand backup no. There would be no point of that. The nand backup restores ALL, everything that was on that phone previously. It is a full backup.
huzvi88 said:
Yes awesome guide thanks, just what I was looking for. Stupid question but when I do a "Backup Current ROM" in ROM Manager, does this also back up texts, apps, games etc?
Thanks again webs
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, it should backup everything. Upon restore your phone should look and act just as it was when you created that backup. The backup system in Rom Manager boots the phone to recovery and does a nand backup for you.
webs05 said:
Yes, it should backup everything. Upon restore your phone should look and act just as it was when you created that backup. The backup system in Rom Manager boots the phone to recovery and does a nand backup for you.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Haha that was my next question. Thanks really appreciate it!
huzvi88 said:
Haha that was my next question. Thanks really appreciate it!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Your welcome, and the same goes to everyone else.
I'm an idiot i think and just bricked my phone.
I used revoke website to root my phone I did not do a nand unlock. I then installed rom manager because I wanted to backup the current stock rom. I used the option to flash in something from rom manager and then back up. after that my phone restarted and all I see is a picture of a phone with and exclamation point. am I bricked? anything I can do? sorry I'm a noob.
-U
usctrunks said:
I'm an idiot i think and just bricked my phone.
I used revoke website to root my phone I did not do a nand unlock. I then installed rom manager because I wanted to backup the current stock rom. I used the option to flash in something from rom manager and then back up. after that my phone restarted and all I see is a picture of a phone with and exclamation point. am I bricked? anything I can do? sorry I'm a noob.
-U
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Lol! You are fine. Fortunately HTC makes their phone tough to brick.
You are at that screen because you only did part 1 of Unrevoked's system. They have released part 2. Follow that and you should be good to go. Post questions on their threads. Good luck.
lol thanks
Hello, it's me again with new set of questions
My device is GT-I9001
1) What is Nandroid backup? Is it complete system image backup like Acronis True Image, created with CWM, because i have CWM installed?
2) I am planning to install CM9 on my device, is it possible to restore my apps completely with settings, and games completely with passed levels with Titanium (I've got Pro version). I need to know if any problem could arise when restoring? I also read not to restore system apps, my question is why?
3) Am I installing CM9 via odin or via cwm? I saw two files gapps and cm9, which is firstly installed?
4) How to wipe before installing custom ROM?
5) Could you find me Stock ROM for my phone, I've got no luck finding it? Here is PDA and CSC
http://fotkica.com/slika.php?slika=256965_167852444_SC20120720-222332.png
Thanks in advance, I am especially thankful if you answer me the questions detailed/for noobs...
TwinHeadedEagle said:
Hello, it's me again with new set of questions
My device is GT-I9001
1) What is Nandroid backup? Is it complete system image backup like Acronis True Image, created with CWM, because i have CWM installed?
2) I am planning to install CM9 on my device, is it possible to restore my apps completely with settings, and games completely with passed levels with Titanium (I've got Pro version). I need to know if any problem could arise when restoring? I also read not to restore system apps, my question is why?
3) Am I installing CM9 via odin or via cwm? I saw two files gapps and cm9, which is firstly installed?
4) How to wipe before installing custom ROM?
5) Could you find me Stock ROM for my phone, I've got no luck finding it? Here is PDA and CSC
http://fotkica.com/slika.php?slika=256965_167852444_SC20120720-222332.png
Thanks in advance, I am especially thankful if you answer me the questions detailed/for noobs...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1. yes, it is complete system image backup (can be created using CWM)
2. yes, you can restore apps including their settings via titanium backup.
3. please read the installation guide for your device.
4. wiping can be done via CWM
5. find it on your device sub-forum.
1) Ok, I understand...
2) There is still more questions I asked...
3) I cannot ask there until 10 posts, and it's a bit unclear/confusing to me...
4) I know that, what I need to wipe. I figured it's system, cache and dalvik...
Is it needed to go into mounts and storage and to format system, data and cache...
Is sdcard and emmc needed to be wiped?
5) I already said I cannot find it...
Anyone knows the answers?
TwinHeadedEagle said:
Anyone knows the answers?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
2) if you just restore User-Apps you can not do anything wrong. Only if you restore Systemapps that are not for your new system.
If this happens you can easily restore your nandroid and start over again
3) Odin is more or less only for Stock Roms. CM is flashed through CWM
4) nope! If you do the Wipe, system, data etc. will be formated
5) you can easily find stock roms for almost every samsung device on sammobile.com
Thanks for clarifying
I searched every possible site, but still can't find my stock firmware
Background: I have a nexus s 19020A running stock rom with root. I'm looking to switch to CM10 (stable) as google is no longer supporting this device and JB generally runs pretty slowly. Backups can be performed with titanium backup without issue. What I plan on backing up is apps and app data. General setting don't really matter (only settings for email, gmail, pertinent stuff like that). I use CWM and plan on flashing everything through recovery
My questions:
1) Can anyone link me to the correct version of gapps to flash
2) How should I flash everything? Would this be the correct procedure?
a) NAND backup using CWM. b) Factory reset and wipe of dalvik cache. c) flash CM10, gapps, SU. d) Boot and restore with titanium backup?
3) Would a backup and restore of user apps and system data using titanium backup by recommended? If not, how should I go about backing up everything in preparation for the flash?
As you can see, I'm relatively new to flashing roms. Any help is greatly appreciated, and if I missed anything (backup-wise, flash-wise, or other), please let me know
Its pretty easy to flash a ROM. This tutorial will help you with it. Just follow the complete tutorial step to step and you will be running CM10 within 15 minutes.
The important thing while backing up is to sync your contacts with Google, this way your contacts will be real safe and you can easily get them to you as soon as you add your Google account to your device. To backup text messages, this app is recommended.
While in case of apps and app data, Titanium backup is to be considered as a worthy choice.
Hello, I have recently been able to install and make a backup of my SGH-I727 using CWM. I have also purchased Titanium backup and made application backups.
I have a few specific questions that I have not been able to find an answer to :
1) Will a CWM backup contain all the apps that are on the phone as well? Meaning, if I restore with a backup image I made, will the
unit be exactly as it was before the backup (i.e. home pages, apps, etc)?
2) If the answer to #1 is YES, then what is the use of Titanium backup/restore?
3) I saw on a YOUTUBE video a user "teaching" how to use CWM, before the RESTORE, he formatted the /cache, /data and /system partitions, then did the RESTORE. Is this needed? required? recommended? best practice?
4) I have gb 2.3.5 on the device now and it works fantastic. I would like to try ICS but before I go there, I want to make sure I have a way to get back to what I have now. Is a CWM backup all I need?
5) Will installing a stock Kernel (ICS AT&T in my case) get rid of CWM Recovery? Or will it be there when I want to go back to the backed up version?
6) Lastly, and maybe this one should not be in this thread but lets try : I am learning about Android, and I see references to the "modem/radio" files for each device. Will a CWM backup also backup the radio/modem code in case the ICS install does not go as planned?
Thank you!!
I think you need to do more reading. Many of these questions have been answered.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I727 using Tapatalk 2
1. Yes a cwm or twrp b/u will put all your apps back just like you never left.!
2. You use titanium when you flash a new rom because of course the new rom won't contain your apps.
3. I've done lots and lots of restores and never wiped first....but wouldn't hurt i guess.
4.yup.!
5.no the recovery remains untouched.
6.I don't think the radio gets backed up or restored. But it's not critical to the rom operation and can be reflashed when ever..
calderonr said:
Hello, I have recently been able to install and make a backup of my SGH-I727 using CWM. I have also purchased Titanium backup and made application backups.
I have a few specific questions that I have not been able to find an answer to :
1) Will a CWM backup contain all the apps that are on the phone as well? Meaning, if I restore with a backup image I made, will the
unit be exactly as it was before the backup (i.e. home pages, apps, etc)?
2) If the answer to #1 is YES, then what is the use of Titanium backup/restore?
3) I saw on a YOUTUBE video a user "teaching" how to use CWM, before the RESTORE, he formatted the /cache, /data and /system partitions, then did the RESTORE. Is this needed? required? recommended? best practice?
4) I have gb 2.3.5 on the device now and it works fantastic. I would like to try ICS but before I go there, I want to make sure I have a way to get back to what I have now. Is a CWM backup all I need?
5) Will installing a stock Kernel (ICS AT&T in my case) get rid of CWM Recovery? Or will it be there when I want to go back to the backed up version?
6) Lastly, and maybe this one should not be in this thread but lets try : I am learning about Android, and I see references to the "modem/radio" files for each device. Will a CWM backup also backup the radio/modem code in case the ICS install does not go as planned?
Thank you!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1. 99.9% back to what you had
2. if you install a new rom you can use titu to restore your apps and settings, 99.9% of apps should work, but some people like reinstalling thier apps fresh and not from backups
3. i wipe b4 i reinstall from backup, but dont wipe/format your sdcards, thats where all the backups of cwm and titu are, good practice is to backup your sdcards onto your computer, that reminds me, i need todo that
4. yes except for the radio
5. if you mean stock firmware , then yes custom recovery gone, you will get everything back to stock - recovery, kernel, rom, radio. if you mean just the kernel then no
6. no cwm/twrp do not backup or wipe the radio , you will still have what you had b4, but the ics stock firmware install you will get another radio and should be fine, worry about flashing the firmware correctly(do the wipes), radio is easy to flash/reflash with custom recovery(cwm/twrp)
vincom said:
1. 99.9% back to what you had
2. if you install a new rom you can use titu to restore your apps and settings, 99.9% of apps should work, but some people like reinstalling thier apps fresh and not from backups
3. i wipe b4 i reinstall from backup, but dont wipe/format your sdcards, thats where all the backups of cwm and titu are, good practice is to backup your sdcards onto your computer, that reminds me, i need todo that
4. yes except for the radio
5. if you mean stock firmware , then yes custom recovery gone, you will get everything back to stock - recovery, kernel, rom, radio. if you mean just the kernel then no
6. no cwm/twrp do not backup or wipe the radio , you will still have what you had b4, but the ics stock firmware install you will get another radio and should be fine, worry about flashing the firmware correctly(do the wipes), radio is easy to flash/reflash with custom recovery(cwm/twrp)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi Vincom and all,
Thanks for the responses....Very useful and I think I am putting all the dots together now. Before I ask this let me say that I am a computer programmer as well but for IBM mainframe systems, so I am a technical person but the distributed computing world (Windows/Unix/Linux, etc) is not that familiar to me, therefore these follow up questions.
I am trying to understand the difference between FIRMWARE, and ROMS and Kernels.
1A) I gather firmware is the software that drives the hardware like device drivers..correct?
2A) I also gather that the Kernel is the version of the operating system. Correct?
3A) ROM is the one that is stomping me a bit...is that the UI version? Like Gnome in Linux?
When I look at my S2, in About Phone I see the following :
Baseband Version - I727UCKJ2
Kernel Version - 2.6.35.11
Build Number GINGERBREAD.UCKJ2
4A) Lastly, when I do a CWM backup, what am I backing up? The ROM and the Kernel? Does it also back up the firmware?
Anyway thanks to all for your input and help!...I love my Android device!
Hello there, To answer a few of your questions.
1.A. Typically Firmware is a patch or software update/version that affects what the hardware is supposed to do..Google definition-Permanent software programmed into a read-only memory.
2.A. Kernel - pretty good explanation of it...
3.A. Google definition - The Android ROM is the Android operating system. This is the User interface (Sense UI in HTC phones) and the file system for maintaining contacts etc. It is composed of a Linux kernel and various add-ons to achieve specific functionality.- I would define it as a user-developed version of android if we are talking about custom ROMs.
4.A. Yes when you back up it backs up everything except the radio.
To further explain why people might use TIBU and CWM/TWRP is because most people make a full nandroid (cwm backup) for safety / oops moments or just to try out a different rom. TIBU is usually used when users go from rom to rom and dont want to mess with playstore taking its sweet time to reinstall. (only restore app/app data. NEVER RESTORE SYS DATA unless on the same version of android. the sys files are always different rom to rom or version to version)
Baseband is the Radio, Just fyi there are several different versions of radios for our phone but they are typicall Version specific. ie: gb radios wouldnt work on JB
Not as a troll or flame but I am just curious why you are still using GB? My advice is just to install cm10 + gapps and look up installing cyandelta from the playstore.
I offer that as a suggestion because it will update your phone autonomously. also review the forums for which radios are best for cm (I'm still using uclf6 even though there are newer versions)
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.
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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!