[Q] How do I modify my backup and restore manifest? - General Questions and Answers

Hi xda,
Though my thread title may be a little vague and might supposedly be better asked on google or android per se, just patiently read along as I try to explain my dilemma in more detail.
For ICS users, we all know the convenience of the "backup & restore" feature. Everything from wifi passwords, contacts, and installed apps will be magically restored when you install a new firmware on your phone with a full data wipe. And for us flash junkies, that indeed is really convenient.
But even though I have come to love such feature, I've noticed a few quirks as I was using it over time. The backup manifest or shall I say, the list of backed up data gets cluttered as you continue to backup data over time. This leading to a point where my backup data is now so messed up, whenever it auto restores once again, I see previously uninstalled apps back again and duplicate contact entries. So messed up, that I've decided to stop using this much loved feature and just manually backup my contacts, and re-install apps.
So, I am looking for some solution that I might be somehow able to manually edit that current backed up list (over at google or wherever it's stored), and update which will be restored if ever I flash my phone again. Or wipe that list clean and overwrite it with my current phone state.
Sorry for the long post but I've done my googling and forum searching beforehand only to no avail.

You can forgo that feature entirely and use titanium backup instead, for backing up your personal app data...
Titanium acts a little twitchy when restoring system apps and data across roms with different bases...
Your best bet would be to backup your downloaded apps with titanium, backup contacts and msgs (and call logs) from other market apps (I use go backup)...
For bluetooth and wifi access points, I haven't found anything that is truly cross compatible among roms...so better of you just write it down somewhere and refer that later...
Typed using a small touchscreen

Related

[APP] Titanium Backup and Froyo - What settings can I restore without issue?

If I restore all the settings labeled green I can't get a location fix with the Genie widget and I can't move apps to the SD card.
sinbot said:
If I restore all the settings labeled green I can't get a location fix with the Genie widget and I can't move apps to the SD card.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What is it exactly that you want to restore??? Personally, I wouldn't (and didnt) restore ANYTHING from titanium. It takes like what 5 minutes to go through the settings menu and set stuff back up the way you had it?
Apps have to be coded to allow them to be moved to sdcard. It's up to the developers to add that option in. It's not because you are restoring stuff from titanium, but because you are trying to move something that doesn't have the ability to be moved yet.
gIMpSTa said:
What is it exactly that you want to restore??? Personally, I wouldn't (and didnt) restore ANYTHING from titanium. It takes like what 5 minutes to go through the settings menu and set stuff back up the way you had it?
Apps have to be coded to allow them to be moved to sdcard. It's up to the developers to add that option in. It's not because you are restoring stuff from titanium, but because you are trying to move something that doesn't have the ability to be moved yet.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can force your phone to allow apps2sd with pm setInstallLocation=2
In anycase your response was not helpful but dismissive. My reasons to backup and restore are valid enough for me to ask and if you can't answer go find another post to respond to.
In any case I have by trial and error found that a number of settings restore just fine and I have put mot of my applications on the sdcard.
sinbot said:
You can force your phone to allow apps2sd with pm setInstallLocation=2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, I know all about this. Anything with a widget or service will not work, but will still goto SD (bad). And other apps may not work properly. YMMV, but personally I set that option on, moved a couple of big apps, tested them, then immediately turned it back off (pm setInstallLocation=0). I'm on my third wipe and things are running better then ever since doing it this way. I had apps that do not include a widget or service, were not protected, that should have run fine from there and did not.
sinbot said:
In anycase your response was not helpful but dismissive. My reasons to backup and restore are valid enough for me to ask and if you can't answer go find another post to respond to.
In any case I have by trial and error found that a number of settings restore just fine and I have put mot of my applications on the sdcard.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I wasn't being "dismissive" by any means... I was simply curious as to what it was you wanted to restore as it helps to answer "what you can safely restore" if people know what it is that you want. My point about it taking 5 minutes was simply trying to point out you may actually save your self some time and frustration by doing it manually.
gIMpSTa said:
I wasn't being "dismissive" by any means... I was simply curious as to what it was you wanted to restore as it helps to answer "what you can safely restore" if people know what it is that you want. My point about it taking 5 minutes was simply trying to point out you may actually save your self some time and frustration by doing it manually.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Maybe you should read hat I wrote before just saying not to even try backing things up. Wow I wanted to keep my settings, text messages and call history and be able to toss my applications on the SD and get a location fix. Some setting carried over stops those from working and wanting to know what it is or why it is is a whole lot more intelligent than just throwing my hands up and saying "Well, I paid for an application I guess I shouldn't use it!"
This probably doesn't help but I personally don't like everything about titanium. It seems to restore too much. I still use it for apps but It's hard to identify what you are restoring when it comes to "data". mybackuppro does a better job of choosing what to back up and restored. very clear and concise, everything is labeled, (ie: sms, call log, mms, playlists, home screen icons etc etc). I know I know, its not help with titanium but maybe it'll help.
sinbot said:
Maybe you should read hat I wrote before just saying not to even try backing things up. Wow I wanted to keep my settings, text messages and call history and be able to toss my applications on the SD and get a location fix. Some setting carried over stops those from working and wanting to know what it is or why it is is a whole lot more intelligent than just throwing my hands up and saying "Well, I paid for an application I guess I shouldn't use it!"
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Okay pointless argument. Once again, I wasn't saying "dont even try!" I said "PERSONALLY, I didn't restore anything". That's because after my first install I did restore several things and it caused issues. I was giving you my personal advice on the matter. Sorry it didn't answer the question the way you wanted, but it wasn't by any means trying to put you or what you wanted to do down.
I also paid for titanium backup and use it and love it all the time. I think we are asking a bit much of it to backup stuff from a (assuming here) custom rom, then importing them onto a stock rom and have absolutely no issues.
Maybe I could have worded my initial response better, but it helps people to answer your questions if we know what you wanted to restore specifically rather then trying to answer what can and cannot be restored. Had you said how can I safely restore my texts, and call logs someone may have piped in and said "I restored X in titantium backup and had no issues!"
Again, wasn't flaming, telling you to give up, or anything. Only offering my personal experiences with this.
sinbot said:
If I restore all the settings labeled green I can't get a location fix with the Genie widget and I can't move apps to the SD card.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
polo79 said:
This probably doesn't help but I personally don't like everything about titanium. It seems to restore too much. I still use it for apps but It's hard to identify what you are restoring when it comes to "data". mybackuppro does a better job of choosing what to back up and restored. very clear and concise, everything is labeled, (ie: sms, call log, mms, playlists, home screen icons etc etc). I know I know, its not help with titanium but maybe it'll help.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree with polo79. While Titanium is fantastic at restoring apps and their data, It is not very concise on what data is restored. IMO, the most useful feature Titanium offers is it's ability to replace the Market links to the restored apps. While what you want to do probably is possible using Titanium, MyBackup Pro makes it much more clear cut on what you're restoring.
As far as restoring apps go (and I have many of those), after much trial and error, what I did was restore as much as I could using InstallLocation 0 until I ran out of room. Then I set it to 2 and went through and moved what I thought safe to sd. Then went back and installed more using Titanium using 0 again...well, you get the procedure.
And enough bickering. Gimpsta was only trying to help, but maybe a "no reply" here would have been best.
Well I went through and my results are I can restore all applications and the following datasets without issue to location or installing to sd:
[ACCOUNTS] Account and Sync Settings 2.2 - check.
Application widgets - blanks out desktop but can get location lock.
[Bookmarks] Browser 2.2 - check
[Calendar] Calendar Storage 2.2 - check
[USER DICT] com.amdroid.providers.userdictionary 2.2 - check
[CONTACTS/CALLS] Contacts Storge 2.2 - Check
[SMS/MMS/APN] Dialer Storage 2.2 - check
I didn't try the rest because everything was working and I didn't need anything weird in the rest.
Hi, I'm testing froyo roms now, currently very pleased with performance
Tintanium backup is really a great app, I ditch all other backup programs after installing it.
I was able to restore to froyo, APNs, contacts, call history, wifi settings, sms.
cheers,
can somebody shed some light why i can't restore contacts from 2.1,
sms restored perfectly, but contacts say restored successful but i can't see them, only call log
tnx
don't know why, but here's how i got around it
can't tell you why, but i miight be able to show a way around it.
I had the same problem a couple of time. what i did is exporting my contacts to a "vcf"-file on sd card. after flashing the new rom i imported all contacts with now probs.
hope it will work for you to.
the tiny drawback is, you have to nandroid-backup your actual setup. restore the previous, export your contacts. restore the actual and import.
good luck
sidebar:
anyone know what you need to backup when using titanium to back up my contacts ringtones i set for each contact?

[Q] Titanium Backup Question

I figured these questions would have been answered somewhere but my forum searches didn't turn up anything, so if it has been, feel free to direct me to the correct location. Here goes:
I have Titanium Backup Pro, and am getting ready to flash the Cognition ROM (I have a Samsung Captivate). I have in many places seen people recommend to only backup and then restore user apps and app data when switching from one ROM to another (or from stock to a ROM). However, when I look in the batch list (I have version 3.6.7 of TB) there is an option for user apps, system data, or user apps and system data but no option for user apps and app data. Is app data included in the batch file for apps?
Also, a wiki I read (can't post the link, too junior) claims that you can restore apps without restrictions across ROMS, which to me means that restoring system data shouldn't be a problem.
Essentially, I am worried that if I only back up user apps using the batch file, when I restore, the apps will be there, but their data (like my prized angry birds progress, heaven forbid I lose it) won't be. Is that the case or does the user apps backup include that kind of stuff?
Also, it seems like system data includes things like SMS history. Should I go through and backup specific parts of the system data like texts and contacts and restore those but just not use the batch file?
Thanks to anyone who can either answer these questions or direct me to the correct thread/website.
cdenney said:
I figured these questions would have been answered somewhere but my forum searches didn't turn up anything, so if it has been, feel free to direct me to the correct location. Here goes:
I have Titanium Backup Pro, and am getting ready to flash the Cognition ROM (I have a Samsung Captivate). I have in many places seen people recommend to only backup and then restore user apps and app data when switching from one ROM to another (or from stock to a ROM). However, when I look in the batch list (I have version 3.6.7 of TB) there is an option for user apps, system data, or user apps and system data but no option for user apps and app data. Is app data included in the batch file for apps?
Also, a wiki I read (can't post the link, too junior) claims that you can restore apps without restrictions across ROMS, which to me means that restoring system data shouldn't be a problem.
Essentially, I am worried that if I only back up user apps using the batch file, when I restore, the apps will be there, but their data (like my prized angry birds progress, heaven forbid I lose it) won't be. Is that the case or does the user apps backup include that kind of stuff?
Also, it seems like system data includes things like SMS history. Should I go through and backup specific parts of the system data like texts and contacts and restore those but just not use the batch file?
Thanks to anyone who can either answer these questions or direct me to the correct thread/website.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've always backed up user apps and data and system data. The trick is to uncheck anything you're not sure of when you go to restore.
The only system data I restore is my wifi access points. You should have your angry birds progress, but I've never had my sms restore.
Make a nandroid before you restore so that you can go back if it starts acting wonky on you.
I hope this helps!
you said you back up user apps, <i>data</i>, and system data. TB for me doesn't have an option of apps and data. It only has apps or apps and system data, which is why I'm worried.
Sent from my Samsung Captivate
cdenney said:
you said you back up user apps, <i>data</i>, and system data. TB for me doesn't have an option of apps and data. It only has apps or apps and system data, which is why I'm worried.
Sent from my Samsung Captivate
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
it automatically backs up the app and the data
you can restore apps accross roms but your asking for trouble if you try and restore data.
there should be an option in the batch to "restore missing apps with data" when you click "run" it will pop up with all the apps and at the top it will have a radio button to select app, app + data, or...um something else perhaps just data? (sorry flashing something else on my phone right now)
always select just app when flashing a different rom, else you might end up with a soft brick or atleast some FC.
hope this helps.
If I have helped please click my "Thanks" button!

[Q] 2 q's on backup or well restoring

Hi there,
Short story, 2 q's:
1) Anyone know where BMA stores it's serial (or whatever you want to call the code it uses to generate it's time based passwords)
2) Anyone know where stock samsung firmware (SGS / Gingerbread) stores the SMS database?
============= Longer story =================
I've upgraded my SGS (Gingerbread) to the ICS ROM. This caused me to loose a lot. Made a nandroid backup (cwm) before proceeding and figured I would be able to get stuff back from it. Well... that's partially correct, could get some apps + settings back, some apps w/o settings and some things not at all.
There's only 2 major things left I really need. My SMS database and battle.net mobile authenticator. The authenticator was restored using appextractor or titanium backup pro. Restoration of the app went fine, but it lost it's key and is thus quite useless as I can't use it to log on.
Is there some hidden place it might store it's serial? If I can't restore it I'll have to go through a procedure to have it removed by Blizzard, which is somewhat cumbersome.
Don't want to restore an entire back-up (ie go back to gingerbread) as several apps have already been re-setup (amongst which my banking app which wasn't restored with it's data either causing me to have to re-subscribe/authenticate it and google authenticator (which btw came by out of backup fine, including it's accounts thus)).
Also am unable to find the SMS database. I have extracted the data.img with unyaffs, but there is no database under the usual com.android.providers.telephony. Samsung probably uses a custom app/location for the database, but haven't been able to find it. Neither titanium backup pro nor appextractor are able to restore the SMS's. Then again, they don't restore wireless either, but since I can just read the wifi/bcm_supp.conf file I don't really care . Just find it strange it doesn't restore whilst the file is that accessible, might be a non-default location as well however...
In case it matters, I run linux >90% of the time. Quite familiar with it, quite new to phones tho' . I do have windows so whatever tools might be required, both OS's are accessible to me.
TIA

Titanium Backup when using a Nightlies ROM

I'm fairly new to Ti and have a question. I'd like to backup my downloaded apps and user data like text messages and email settings. I don't need much more than that. I saw a tutorial that said to backup apps, user and system data. That doesn't seem right if I'm using a custom ROM.
What do you guys recommend?
t0adman said:
I'm fairly new to Ti and have a question. I'd like to backup my downloaded apps and user data like text messages and email settings. I don't need much more than that. I saw a tutorial that said to backup apps, user and system data. That doesn't seem right if I'm using a custom ROM.
What do you guys recommend?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
With titanium backup, you can backup all your apps and the data and then when you go to a different rom or newer build tell it to rebackup only app s that have been updated or contain new data. Text messages can be backed up in it as well and its super simple to backup and restore them (depending on how many messages you, more messages longer it takes). As far as email settings ive never done that so i can't comment on that part.
The reason for this is that if you flash a new rom and something goes wrong you can still have that data to just simply restore. The reason i use titanium backup is because its a thousand times faster to restore all your apps with that then redownload them all.
Word of advise, NEVER restore system data, that could potentially cause issues in the future, restoring apps and app data for games and such should be fine though
But as far as nightlies go, a full wipe shouldn't be required everytime a new one comes out, unless stated otherwise, or for myself i don't like to flash more than 3 or 4 nightlies on top of eachother so by the 4th or 5th one i do a fresh install, in which i backup apps and messages and restore them.
I hope that helps you understand a little better
Yes, definitely! Thank you. I'm seeing the option to backup all user apps, all system data, a combo of both, and several other scenarios. Last time I backed up just user apps and when I restored them I lost all my text messages. Is there a setting I need to select?
t0adman said:
Yes, definitely! Thank you. I'm seeing the option to backup all user apps, all system data, a combo of both, and several other scenarios. Last time I backed up just user apps and when I restored them I lost all my text messages. Is there a setting I need to select?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i can't remember if you need the pro version or not but for text messages and call logs, when you first enter the app hit the menu button and it should be under "backup data to xml" you'll click that and then choose what data you want to backup. From there you can either backup to your sd card, or i believe dropbox/google drive, but i always put it on the sdcard since its not a very big file
Neverendingxsin said:
i can't remember if you need the pro version or not but for text messages and call logs, when you first enter the app hit the menu button and it should be under "backup data to xml" you'll click that and then choose what data you want to backup. From there you can either backup to your sd card, or i believe dropbox/google drive, but i always put it on the sdcard since its not a very big file
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
nonono, there's an easier way to do what he wants.
@ OP, choose the option to backup all user apps... run it... there's one backup. Then, go into backup system apps, de-select all, then scroll through and find Call Log and Messages and check those... run the backup of those two items. Then you'll have all your user apps + texts and call logs.
Now you can do a factory wipe, run TiBu and restore ALL backups that you have (you only have user apps and the two items from system) and you will have everything except various system settings back as they were.
You can use filters to make it even easier. Make a new filter, only add the apps you want backed up (downloaded apps and the call log). Then all you have to do is backup and restore one list.
You can get fancy with it too. I have 3 filters. One for user apps I won't need to restore data to, one for use apps I want to be able to restore data to, and one for bloat that always gets bulk uninstalled immediately (I also use this list to test if system apps are removable by backing them up, uninstalling them, then if no problems arise I delete the back up). When ever I do a full wipe I just restore the first list (apps only), restore the second list (apps + data), and bulk uninstall everything on the third list. Takes all of 5 minutes and it's like I never wiped at all.
That said, I just dirty flash nightlies. Until I have a problem, there's no reason to do a full wipe.
Sycobob said:
You can use filters to make it even easier. Make a new filter, only add the apps you want backed up (downloaded apps and the call log). Then all you have to do is backup and restore one list.
You can get fancy with it too. I have 3 filters. One for user apps I won't need to restore data to, one for use apps I want to be able to restore data to, and one for bloat that always gets bulk uninstalled immediately (I also use this list to test if system apps are removable by backing them up, uninstalling them, then if no problems arise I delete the back up). When ever I do a full wipe I just restore the first list (apps only), restore the second list (apps + data), and bulk uninstall everything on the third list. Takes all of 5 minutes and it's like I never wiped at all.
That said, I just dirty flash nightlies. Until I have a problem, there's no reason to do a full wipe.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh Yeh, I forgot about the filters, I haven't messed with them much at all.
Go backup is also quite good as an alternative. Less customization but very simple to use
Sent from my SCH-I535 using xda app-developers app

Titanium Backup pro - not backing up data properly

Firstly I hope I'm posting in the right area if not I apologise in advance.
I am using a Samsung note 3 which was rooted with towelroot and TiBu was installed and working as far as I knew.
I have a couple of daily schedules one of which is "redo backups for modified data". History was set to 2
The other day I noticed that my calendar and a bunch of other apps had a last backup date which was over 3 weeks ago. Everything had the required 2 backups present but both old.
So I began a series of tests and found the following:
1) changing data on an app and picking this for test I manually tried to redo the data. It simply skipped past it.
2) I deleted one of the backups and it worked - strange as it warns when the history is at 2 that subsequent backups will overwrite the oldest.
3) I upped my history to 3 changed the data and tried the manual method and no backup.
In many other tests I have found the following:
1) no way ever will data be updated if the history is full - not a behaviour I was expecting when a normal backup or forced backup will overwrite perfectly.
2) 90% of the time modified data won't be updated. I had to go through hoops to make TiBu update - which involved making sure a history slot was empty, deleting one or all backups then doing a manual one then changing the data. It will work usually at this point but then won't do anymore.
I am totally stumped at this point and can't trust TiBu to keep my data up to date.
I am unsure how often the backups were actually being done because this discovery was my first time- before I just trusted it was being done. I would have liked to see for instance what happened before 4th Dec where my apps seemed to be backed up to. Some apps were as old as September but those seemed to be less used and perhaps never had data changes so I didn't worry about those.
I have another schedule for new user apps and newer versions but the data backups but a lot of the failed mod data apps were not part of this as they were not new or updated.
If anyone can help me find out what is going on or if perhaps I've misunderstood the behaviour of the modified data operation I'd be grateful. At the moment I am going to switch to force redo app backups but since |I am also syncing with dropbox this just makes multiple apks and data huge and the time it takes to do the backups is just massive.

Categories

Resources