Database Info

Flashing Question

I'm currently rooted running a MIUI ROM. My question is, if I want to flash to a different ROM, what do I need to do prior to flashing? Can I just flash directly over using CWM or do I need to revert back to stock first?
Thanks

If it was an update to the same rom then you could probably just flash over depending on the chef's instructions.
But a different rom, I would definite wipe data/factory reset it first.
Of course I would backup apps/data, and a nandroid backup too

SysAdmNj said:
If it was an update to the same rom then you could probably just flash over depending on the chef's instructions.
But a different rom, I would definite wipe data/factory reset it first.
Of course I would backup apps/data, and a nandroid backup too
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the reply, so would I need to unroot and reroot and all that stuff over again, or can I just choose the factory rest option from the boot menu?

There's no need to return to stock, just wipe data/cache from the CWM menu.

If I have a backup of of an existing ROM, and a Titanium backups of all apps and app date, why would I need a Nandroid backup too?

Restoring Data From Nandroid Backup.

Earlier, I was on the Elix-R ROM. I was going to upgrade to the newest version of it and made a nandroid backup but forgot to make a TiBu of all my apps. Would it be safe and possible for me to restore all of my app data from the nandroid backup by doing an advanced restore of my data?

you were upgrading the rom that you were using.. why would you wipe data?? if you are upgrading a rom, you never have to wipe anything. all you do is flash the updated rom(and gapps) on top of what youre running without wiping anything.

simms22 said:
you were upgrading the rom that you were using.. why would you wipe data?? if you are upgrading a rom, you never have to wipe anything. all you do is flash the updated rom(and gapps) on top of what youre running without wiping anything.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I always prefer doing clean flashes of all of the ROMs I run.

absoluterebirth said:
I always prefer doing clean flashes of all of the ROMs I run.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
cool, your choice it is
i dont remember the last time i actually wiped my n5, if i ever did. lol

simms22 said:
cool, your choice it is
i dont remember the last time i actually wiped my n5, if i ever did. lol
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
also, another question: should making a TiBu and then erasing the system to flash a new ROM affect the backup of apps or no?

You could practice restoring your nandroid backup, then 'dirty' flashing the ROM upgrade straight over the top.
Once you get used to it, dirty flashing isn't so bad. Saves a ton of time. Plus you have the nandroid just in case .
In answer to your query though, you can extract apps and app data using the appropriately named Nandroid Manager. I used it before on a now sold Nexus 7 when it decided to not boot up but could get to recovery and make a backup.

absoluterebirth said:
Earlier, I was on the Elix-R ROM. I was going to upgrade to the newest version of it and made a nandroid backup but forgot to make a TiBu of all my apps. Would it be safe and possible for me to restore all of my app data from the nandroid backup by doing an advanced restore of my data?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes. Its the same as having never wiped in the first place
absoluterebirth said:
also, another question: should making a TiBu and then erasing the system to flash a new ROM affect the backup of apps or no?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Eh? I don't understand the problem
Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

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

Hi
I have a couple of questions, been digging around xda and the web and found some conflicting answers...
1) Does a Nandroid backup also back up the kernel? I'm thinking about dabbling with some custom kernels, but don't want to potentially mess things up as well as have an easy way back to the stock kernel if I don't like the custom one for one reason or another.
2) What would happen if I made a Nandroid backup from recovery, did a full wipe (/data, /system, /sdcard, caches), rebooted then restored from the Nandroid backup?
I'm still pretty new to all this but I've done some reading and a wee bit of flashing & rooting on Nexus devices and the HP Touchpad. I also have an old TF101 that I'd really like to tinker with as well.
Thanks!

cardula said:
Hi
I have a couple of questions, been digging around xda and the web and found some conflicting answers...
1) Does a Nandroid backup also back up the kernel? I'm thinking about dabbling with some custom kernels, but don't want to potentially mess things up as well as have an easy way back to the stock kernel if I don't like the custom one for one reason or another.
2) What would happen if I made a Nandroid backup from recovery, did a full wipe (/data, /system, /sdcard, caches), rebooted then restored from the Nandroid backup?
I'm still pretty new to all this but I've done some reading and a wee bit of flashing & rooting on Nexus devices and the HP Touchpad. I also have an old TF101 that I'd really like to tinker with as well.
Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't know much about kernel but I do know that Nandroid backup backups everything exactly where the phone is.
That means if you do factory reset and restore Nandroid backup it will restore everything from the day you made the Nandroid backup.
I hope it clarifies everything.

Let me answer your questions.
1. When you do a nandroid backup, it backs up everything. Including the kernel.
2. If you nandroid backup, factory reset your device then restore your nandroid backup. Your device will return to the same state you had it previously. You will have all your content, files and settings. However if you do a backup, then factory reset and reboot, your device will be wiped of everything but it will boot up. As if the device was just turned in upon purchase. Also note, if you do a backup, then wipe your device (factory reset) you will not lose your backup.
Just note, if you ever flash a ROM, even if the developer states there is no issues. MAKE A BACKUP, sometimes things go wrong.
Happy flashing
If I helped, don't hesitate to hit that Thanks button

Thanks for the quick replies!
I was a bit confused about 2) because I read somewhere that if you make a nandroid backup of a stock ROM, then install a custom ROM (non-Stock based ie CM, PA or OmniROM) you must flash the stock ROM again before you can restore the nandroid backup, or else restoring the nandroid backup will not work. Is this true?
Consider the following example, say I:
-flash TWRP on my device and root
-make nandroid of stock, rooted ROM
-wipe /data, /system, /sdcard and caches and reboot back into recovery
-ADB push a non-stock custom ROM .zip file and flash the custom ROM
-decide I want to return to stock, rooted ROM after a while
-Boot into TWRP, then wipe /data, /system, /sdcard and caches and reboot back into recovery
-ADB push my original stock, rooted nandroid backup to /sdcard while in reocvery
-restore nandroid backup
What would be the outcome of the above example? I'm very curious...but I'd like some advice before attempting something like this myself as I'm still kinda new to all this
BTW I'm now comfortable flashing back to stock using fastboot and the google facotry image to restore a Nexus device so I now know how to do this in case things go south. I'm just curious if this would work on a device where returning to a full stock state isn't so easy.

No you don't need to install anything to get back to the previous state. So if you had a stock rooted ROM, then backed it up. But you decided to flash, let's say. Cyanogenmod but you wished to return back to stock, you don't need to flash stock ROM, all you have to do is just wipe data and restore your backup.
And for the example.
The outcome would be, you would be resulted with a stock, rooted rom.
If I helped, don't hesitate to hit that Thanks button

Thanks again, krishneelg3 for the quick reply. Been wondering about this for a while.
Cheers

No worries, if you have any other questions to ask, just ask. xda is a giving community !
If I helped, don't hesitate to hit that Thanks button

[Resolved] nAndroid Backup

I recently made a nAndroid backup using TWRP. I backup System,Data, Boot. I would like to know if i make a full wipe(wipe everything except external storage), will I be able to restore it, or I just restore it without wiping anything over the current ROM ? Thanks in advance guys
PS. I am in a bit of a hary

Geocfu1 said:
I recently made a nAndroid backup using TWRP. I backup System,Data, Boot. I would like to know if i make a full wipe(wipe everything except external storage), will I be able to restore it, or I just restore it without wiping anything over the current ROM ? Thanks in advance guys
PS. I am in a bit of a hary
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yup!!
That's what a Nadroid is meant for!!

Newyork! said:
Yup!!
That's what a Nadroid is meant for!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So whether i do a full wipe or not my backup is going to work no matter what?

Geocfu1 said:
So whether i do a full wipe or not my backup is going to work no matter what?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you're downgrading or upgrading your firmware then you might not be able to use your backup. but 99 percent that you're good to go!

I still don't get it. If I make a full wipe will I be able to restore the backup.

Geocfu1 said:
I still don't get it. If I make a full wipe will I be able to restore the backup.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Depends on what you consider a full wipe.
If you wipe (delete) the backup, then no.
If the backup is on your sd card and you do NOT wipe the sdcard you will be able to restore.
If you delete everything on your phone EXCPET /recovery partiton and your backup you will be able to restore.
Also I don't recommend wiping the /boot partiton because A) It is required to boot the phone B) Some phones have the recovery on the /boot partition and wiping /boot would leave you without the recovery.
So basicly in 90% of time you will be able to restore (unless you really screw up)

Thanks a lot mate. You really helped me!

[Completed] Restore OS After Wiping System Partition - Galaxy S5

Due to problems with Google Services on my rooted Galaxy S5 (SM-G900F) I opted for a reset from TWRP and it returned to a condition where after some initial screens it was just stuck at "Checking for Updates" so I went back into TWRP and told it to wipe the other partitions. Whoops - now I have no OS (I was sort of assuming that the factory reset OS was somewhere else)
Which is the stock ROM for my Region - UK, unbranded - where do I get it from and how do I load it using Odin and/or TWRP?
TIA

Hello,
Did you make a nandroid backup of your stock ROM or a nandroid backup of a custom ROM if you installed one? If you have a nandroid backup of either of those then you can restore them in TWRP by choosing the restore option and then your nandroid then swipe the slider at the bottom of the screen. If you installed a custom ROM at any time before this and you still have the ROM file then you can reflash the ROM and Gapps.
If you don't have a custom ROM stored anywhere but can still get to recovery, then you can download any of the custom ROMs compatible with your device and a Gapps package that matches it and put them on your extsdcard then boot to recovery and flash the ROM and gapps, do the normal wipes in recovery after flashing, the normal wipes(wipe data/factory reset, wipe cache and wipe dalvik cache), DO NOT CHOOSE THE ADVANCED OPTIONS THAT LET YOU WIPE PARTITIONS.
Check this thread to see if it is your stock firmware, it SHOULD be but double check first, it also has instructions for rooting again and installing recovery.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/galaxy-s5/development/stock-rom-root-recovery-sm-g900f-t2967725
If that doesn't work then go to Sammobile.com and search for your stock firmware by using your device model number.
The firmwares can sometimes be found at samsung-updates.com also.
Find the right firmware for your exact model number and flash through Odin.
For further assistance, post your question in the forum linked below.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/galaxy-s5/help
Good luck.

Droidriven said:
Did you make a nandroid backup of your stock ROM or a nandroid backup of a custom ROM if you installed one?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sadly not - wasn't expecting to need it, thought it would revert to factory default - I have Titanium backup of apps and data.
I am hopefully a few minutes away from downloading the stock ROM and hopefully can reflash that using ODIN.
KD

colehill said:
Sadly not - wasn't expecting to need it, thought it would revert to factory default - I have Titanium backup of apps and data.
I am hopefully a few minutes away from downloading the stock ROM and hopefully can reflash that using ODIN.
KD
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Making nandroid backups in recovery is the most important and valuable function of custom recovery, flashing ROMs is its' secondary purpose Android is not like PC with a recovery partition that restores a factory IMG, on PC that factory IMG is stored in a recovery partition. The factory reset feature in stock android does not restore an IMG, it deletes all data from the user partition and leaves everything in system partition the way it is, if you delete a system app and then do a factory reset then you will still not have the system app that you deleted. Anything you modify in system remains the way you modified it if you use the factory reset option. You should only use the factory reset in recovery, not the factory reset in system settings when you have a rooted device with custom recovery.
I'm sure that when you found the recovery, the directions had to have mentioned making a nandroid backup of your stock ROM before flashing anything, your present situation is why you do that, so that if anything goes wrong then you can easily restore to the one ROM that you know for sure works with no issues.
Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk

Droidriven said:
I'm sure that when you found the recovery, the directions had to have mentioned making a nandroid backup of your stock ROM before flashing anything, your present situation is why you do that, so that if anything goes wrong then you can easily restore to the one ROM that you know for sure works with no issues.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I installed the TWERP recovery as part of the rooting operation and I didn't pay any attention to the backup option - I thought that's what Titanium did.
I am learning and will make sure that I take a Nandroid backup once I have it back up and running. Life would be so much simpler if only Samsunng didn't stuff their 'phones with bloatware that can't be deleted in stock mode.
KD

colehill said:
I installed the TWERP recovery as part of the rooting operation and I didn't pay any attention to the backup option - I thought that's what Titanium did.
I am learning and will make sure that I take a Nandroid backup once I have it back up and running. Life would be so much simpler if only Samsunng didn't stuff their 'phones with bloatware that can't be deleted in stock mode.
KD
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Titanium backup can only backup data that you installed or downloaded, it does not backup anything that comes on the phone itself, that is what custom recovery is for.
When following guides to mod your device, read and understand ALL instructions before you even make the first move to touch your device. Get used to being thorough about reading and understanding first or you'll end up in a mess, possibly even hard brick your device, all it takes is one wrong move. Not all mistakes are fixable with android devices.
Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk