[Q] How safe is flashing alternate firmwares? - Samsung Galaxy Tab Plus

This is probably a silly question, but I hope some more experienced Android experimenters can help ease my mind. I'm an Android noob, but I do know enough to follow instructions and I've successfully installed aorth's CWM Recovery and made a backup. (If I understand correctly, this is called a Nandroid backup and represents a complete backup of the system. Please correct me if I'm wrong.)
Now my Tab boots into CWM Recovery when I hold the volume-up key. It sees my backup when I select the "restore" option. All that looks as I would expect it to.
My question is: How safe is it to play around with flashing other firmwares, for example CyanogenMod 10? Will I always be able to get back to where I am now simply by booting into recovery and restoring? Or is it still possible for something to go so horribly wrong that that won't work? On a scale of 1 - 100, how high are the chances of being able to recover no matter what?
(BTW, I do have a copy of the backup on my PC, so if it got wiped from the Tab I would still be able to get it onto the external sd card.)

I am not a developer by any means. But I love to tinker. My rules are. Read everything. I have never been unable to restore a backup if somthing seems to have gone wrong. These guys are not out to mess up your device. Once you understand the terminology and flash a few it will bring new enjoyment to device. Go for it.
Sent from my GT-P6210 using xda premium

Related

[Q] bootloop advice request

Ok, I've been reading around on the forums here, and did a ton of research in the best way to set up my gTab before I even got it. I like to think I am not a n00b, but someone correct me if I come across as one.
I was running vegan 5.1 with no issues up until yesterday. Yesterday, I got the dreaded boot loop. Looking around, it seems the most popular answer to this is to repartition. But here is my first question:
(1) in my pre-purchase research, I came across this issue a lot, and so I made sure to repartition right away. since I've partitioned the recommended way once already, does this eliminate repartitioning as a potential solution to my issue?
NVFlash seems like the next most popular solution. In researching how to do this, I came across several references to backing up your data, etc. It appears I can go into clockwork and mount my device via usb (haven't tried it yet, sorry, my bad) to do this. I didn't however find any reference to exactly what I would want to back up. I did a backup in cwm .. so my next question is:
(2) should I pull the cwm backup files? if so (and if not), which files exactly should I be looking for? just stuff in the \data folder? and would I just copy them back onto the gTab after flashing?
Again, sorry if I am coming across as a n00b, but I really have spent good amount of time searching the forums -- I am just a little confused and want to make sure I have everything right before taking either of these steps.
Thanks!
Kaz
TheKaz said:
Ok, I've been reading around on the forums here, and did a ton of research in the best way to set up my gTab before I even got it. I like to think I am not a n00b, but someone correct me if I come across as one.
I was running vegan 5.1 with no issues up until yesterday. Yesterday, I got the dreaded boot loop. Looking around, it seems the most popular answer to this is to repartition. But here is my first question:
(1) in my pre-purchase research, I came across this issue a lot, and so I made sure to repartition right away. since I've partitioned the recommended way once already, does this eliminate repartitioning as a potential solution to my issue?
NVFlash seems like the next most popular solution. In researching how to do this, I came across several references to backing up your data, etc. It appears I can go into clockwork and mount my device via usb (haven't tried it yet, sorry, my bad) to do this. I didn't however find any reference to exactly what I would want to back up. I did a backup in cwm .. so my next question is:
(2) should I pull the cwm backup files? if so (and if not), which files exactly should I be looking for? just stuff in the \data folder? and would I just copy them back onto the gTab after flashing?
Again, sorry if I am coming across as a n00b, but I really have spent good amount of time searching the forums -- I am just a little confused and want to make sure I have everything right before taking either of these steps.
Thanks!
Kaz
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Clockwork and nvflash are 2 different thing,
for nvflash you need to power-up and hold the - of the volume, screen will show the bird then blank and it will try to load the APX usb driver on the computer. the UNIT IS MOUNTED INTO A SPECIAL TERMINAL recovery/command MODE
For clockwork you power-up and hold the + of the volume and recovery is executed, stock will simply load update.zip from the root of sdcard (internal memory), if clockwork is installed then the menu will appear and allow you to backup and restore the OS. but the UNIT IS NOT MOUNTED IN THE PC.
a full restore if the unit mean booting into recovery, restoring stock firmware following instruction from this post http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=861950 then installing clockwork and booting with the power-up + and restoring either your rom of choice (except for tnt lite 5.0) or your backup made previously with clockwork.
Bootloop are usually solved by wiping the partition/cache/data prior to flashing back a rom or backup.
hope this help, but there's plenty of how to already here...
...
I too had experienced "bootloop", but think I solved it through one of the threads in the dev forum. Something about formatting 2048/0 for the SD card...
Sorry I couldn't be of more help.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=865245
If your tablet bootloops…Also may be required to get market running correctly on some ROMs...
Press and hold the power button to shut the device down. Boot back into Clockwork. Select the advanced option at the bottom, then go to “partition SD card”, for the first option select 2048, and for the second option select 0. Then, redo steps 7-10. This erases all data on your tablet, including backups.
P00r said:
Bootloop are usually solved by wiping the partition/cache/data prior to flashing back a rom or backup.
hope this help, but there's plenty of how to already here...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks. I am not as worried about the how-to, I can find those, I was just a little confused about what situation I am in, exactly, and which solution to use.
So, even though I've partitioned this way originally, it can still get corrupted to the point where the solution it to re-partition again..?

[Q] how 2 b pr0 leik u guys

Okay. Ignore the title, I couldn't think of anything to put. In short, I want to know about roms, about clockworkmod, cyanogen mod, and stuff like that. What they do, how to put them on, and I pretty much wanna know about the general stuff you do past rooting your phone. And I know that the section says No Noobs, but technically, I'm a newb, as far as I know i'm not annoying anyone or being completely nooblike.
Mainly with cyanogen. I read the instructions, and they seem too, I dont know, simplistic. I'd prefer exact details. Like, after I have clockwork mod installed, and I flash cyanogen, can i restore all the stuff I had on it? And once cyanogen is on there, is it already rooted, or must i root again? And if someone would explain to me how clockworkmod works in the first place. And how would I flash cyanogen? I thought it'd be through clockworkmod, but if I wipe everything and factory reset, wouldn't clockworkmod be gone?
My phone is a Samsung Galaxy S (Vibrant or not vibrant, I dont even know) It's a GT-i9000M. Running android 2.2.1, Rooted, I have clockworkmod installed, but still no idea what to do past that point. Also, my Kies isn't telling me about any 3.x upgrade, so how would i go about manually installing a new version of android? I know it has to do with Odin, but whenever i tried i ended up not doing anything.
And one last thing about MetaMorph. Where could i find themes for it? And do i need to have a certain Rom running in order to use metamorph themes?
I'm mainly used to iPhones and such, where there isnt really much to do besides jailbreaking and such, and moving on to android phones is pretty intense. XD So much more to do with Android phones.
Well uh, thats about all i can think of at the moment. Also please post anything you feel that a (somewhat) newb to android modding should know.
Sorry for all the questions, and to those that help me, I love you. <3
And if any moderators deem this thread as against the 'No Noobs' rule, at least send me a message telling me you deleted it, or else I'll end up looking endlessly through the forums for my thread. I've done that before, not fun. LOL (Couldn't find a 'My Threads' thingy on the forum i was using.
Gutana said:
Okay. Ignore the title, I couldn't think of anything to put. In short, I want to know about roms, about clockworkmod, cyanogen mod, and stuff like that. What they do, how to put them on, and I pretty much wanna know about the general stuff you do past rooting your phone. And I know that the section says No Noobs, but technically, I'm a newb, as far as I know i'm not annoying anyone or being completely nooblike.
Mainly with cyanogen. I read the instructions, and they seem too, I dont know, simplistic. I'd prefer exact details. Like, after I have clockwork mod installed, and I flash cyanogen, can i restore all the stuff I had on it? And once cyanogen is on there, is it already rooted, or must i root again? And if someone would explain to me how clockworkmod works in the first place. And how would I flash cyanogen? I thought it'd be through clockworkmod, but if I wipe everything and factory reset, wouldn't clockworkmod be gone?
My phone is a Samsung Galaxy S (Vibrant or not vibrant, I dont even know) It's a GT-i9000M. Running android 2.2.1, Rooted, I have clockworkmod installed, but still no idea what to do past that point. Also, my Kies isn't telling me about any 3.x upgrade, so how would i go about manually installing a new version of android? I know it has to do with Odin, but whenever i tried i ended up not doing anything.
And one last thing about MetaMorph. Where could i find themes for it? And do i need to have a certain Rom running in order to use metamorph themes?
I'm mainly used to iPhones and such, where there isnt really much to do besides jailbreaking and such, and moving on to android phones is pretty intense. XD So much more to do with Android phones.
Well uh, thats about all i can think of at the moment. Also please post anything you feel that a (somewhat) newb to android modding should know.
Sorry for all the questions, and to those that help me, I love you. <3
And if any moderators deem this thread as against the 'No Noobs' rule, at least send me a message telling me you deleted it, or else I'll end up looking endlessly through the forums for my thread. I've done that before, not fun. LOL (Couldn't find a 'My Threads' thingy on the forum i was using.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, I guess to first start off, here's a few pointers:
1. don't put the title in 1337 (people will most likely not click on it, thus no help)
2. you're right about this being the wrong thread. You should post this under the Samsung Galaxy S section (google your model number and you'll see it instantly) and should probably try the Q&A moreso than a general area (but it doesn't really matter all too much)
3. no matter how nooblike you may or may not be, you're still a noob XD
Now that we've gotten past the anally parts and all (hate doing that, but gotta =P), let's talk about what you came here for: answers.
Let's start with some definitions:
ROMs - these are the (usually modded) softwares that you flash to your phone. Depending on which phone you have, you can only flash ROMs made for your phone. Of course, if you have root/custom recovery, you can also install custom ROMs.
ClockWorkMod (CWM) is a recovery system made in order to allow people more features while they're in recovery mode. Of course, this is one of a few out there, but people stick to CWM cause of its huge support plus it's popularity. When you think of CWM, think of custom features being installed in (almost) one step (modding files and such will be taken care of for you, so you don't have to do it yourself). You can usually also fix a bricked system this way by reflashing either the entire ROM or the boot.img/other files (we'll get to this in a second)
CyanogenMod (CM) is an example of a very popular custom rom. They have a great team and usually is available for most devices, which in turn makes them so popular. It is widely supported and has a lot of extra features like updating to the latest OS and features not previously available on your phone. It's skinned, but usually follows the stock Android look for the OS in which they've skinned.
lol The reason why the instructions look so simple is because they've taken out all the hard work and all the stuff where you can possibly screw up your phone, so that they don't get a million messages saying "OMG MY PHONE BRICKED WHAT HAPPENED" and stuff like that. Protects them, makes it easier for you. If you had made a backup before you flashed CM (usually you only have to back up whats on the phone if it has internal and external memory, but back up your sd card always just in case. never hurt to), then yes. If you backed it up with your previous ROM, then you'll probably need to revert to get it back. If you didn't, chances are whatever you didn't backup and didn't sync, is safe to say gone. You can try recovering it using a recovery software on the computer like i detailed here for another person, but of course you'd skip the whole trying to save the phone part and just start with mounting the phone to your computer and running the software.
CM is a custom rom, and so most (if not all) custom roms have root preinstalled (besides, who wouldn't want root?!) As for CWM, it works by being (usually) flashed into the recovery partition of your phone. The nice thing about the phone is that it's split up into parts: boot, recovery, system, and some other ones i can't think of off the top of my head. Those three are important, as if you get a softbrick, you might still be able to recover all your data simply by using CWM/fastboot (a dev-tool used to flash/unlock, but only available in certain phones, as it is disabled usually) to reflash the boot.img (one requires command line, whereas CWM only needs you to flash a created/pre-made package). Also, since they're in separate partitions, even if your system and boot.img doesn't work, you can probably still access recovery (unless you screwed up really REALLY bad, and in that case I can't help >.<)
Observant you are =] Yes, if you were to flash CM, your CWM will be gone (i don't understand why most people don't just bake it into the ROM in the first place) but, not all is lost. Just go back into the Android Market and redownload ROM Manager. Of course you'll need to open it up and flash the same exact recovery again (annoying, isn't it?) but unless you know how to mod zip/img files and edit the script, you'll just have to make do with that. If you do, you could just (usually) take out the recovery partition and just leave the one you have already in there (but its usually safer and better to just redownload/reflash it as annoying as it is). But yes, you would use CWM to flash it. It's as simple as "Install from SD Card" which is why custom recoveries like CWM are popular. So simple
At this point, I would look into a few things. One is skinning your phone (though you probably can't do too much if you don't want to touch system files). If you find a psuedo-rom (slightly modded) that themes it, that's your best bet. Another is gaining access to certain features in apps you didn't have before (i.e. androidLost, LBE Privacy Guard, titanium backup) and of course more control by the ability to control your system files (if you know what you're doing, of course). Lastly, you can use stuff like MetaMorph to theme out certain sections of your rom (provided that they give you one compatible with your phone model/rom), minus having to flash it and having more fine-tuned controlled. Usually, Metamorph will run on all ROMs, but it doesn't guarantee that there'll be stuff for every ROM. Also, want themes? google it (google is your best friend!)
Kies won't tell you that you have an upgrade because it is ROM-dependent. It looks for their official ROM and says "Hey, this guy has our ROM. Check for an update". Think of owning a custom rom like being kicked out of your family. You won't get anymore updates from them XD. However, if you're looking to get the latest updates, check out the Samsung Galaxy S Dev threads. They will usually have another method of loading in the new ROM into your phone. And if you want to stick with ROM Manager, shell out for premium and they'll include "Check for Updates" in ROM Manager, along with several other functions (though you can check for free via computer/browser ). Mostly, manually updating the software requires the "Install from SD Card" feature in CWM/other recoveries, so you don't have much to worry about.
Odin is, as you stated, most likely your best bet. Not too many people repackage official ROMs into easy-to-flash zips. Odin is the Samsung equivalent to Motorola's RSD Lite from what I googled (i have motorola, so no exp. on odin >.<) It's mostly like a dev tool allowing you to flash/re-flash phones and is also usually your one-way ticket out of a semi/full brick (assuming you didn't mess up the hardware and you can get into download mode). It's the flashing tool that can access the core system of the phone even without root and allows you to reflash OFFICIAL ROMs. Should you use Odin (should be your last resort), you WILL lose root and all your data. No questions asked. Its like reinstalling everything to the state in which you got it in when you bought the phone. Word of advice: BACK UP OFTEN! (did i forget to mention Titanium Backup? )
Yeah, the transition from Apple to Android is so different and had I not had experience with my PSP, i'd be dying with the information overload. However, just read a lot of stuff on the forums (*cough*general android forums*cough*) and you should be just fine. We have an excellent community here that will try our best to fix whatever problems you encounter (note the key word: try. we're not gods XD) You'll get the hang of it soon enough.
Oh, well, I don't want to keep you for much longer, but since you mentioned something that any noob should know, it's definitely ADB (Android Debugging Bridge). This is where you'll probably spend a lot of time, as people's fixes usually involve shell (terminal for your phone). If anything, get acquainted with it, as it might save your butt in the future/unlock a few extra features for you ;D .
Well, that's all i can think of, and honestly, after typing this thing up for about an hour now, I think I'm going to grab me some breakfast Good luck to you and welcome to the Android commmunity! (and next time, remember to post in the right place! XD)
~jojojohnson7410
P.S. PM me if you need anything. =]
Observant you are =] Yes, if you were to flash CM, your CWM will be gone (i don't understand why most people don't just bake it into the ROM in the first place) but, not all is lost. Just go back into the Android Market and redownload ROM Manager. Of course you'll need to open it up and flash the same exact recovery again (annoying, isn't it?) but unless you know how to mod zip/img files and edit the script, you'll just have to make do with that. If you do, you could just (usually) take out the recovery partition and just leave the one you have already in there (but its usually safer and better to just redownload/reflash it as annoying as it is). But yes, you would use CWM to flash it. It's as simple as "Install from SD Card" which is why custom recoveries like CWM are popular. So simple
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just to nit-pick a bit. CWM is part of the recovery partition, and unless the Galaxy S is different from every other android device, flashing will not remove it. ROM Manager and CWM are two different things. ROM manager will allow you to download the roms, which will then instruct CWM to flash the rom (when it reboots).
jojojohnson7410 said:
Well, I guess to first start off, here's a few pointers:
1. don't put the title in 1337 (people will most likely not click on it, thus no help)
2. you're right about this being the wrong thread. You should post this under the Samsung Galaxy S section (google your model number and you'll see it instantly) and should probably try the Q&A moreso than a general area (but it doesn't really matter all too much)
3. no matter how nooblike you may or may not be, you're still a noob XD
Now that we've gotten past the anally parts and all (hate doing that, but gotta =P), let's talk about what you came here for: answers.
Let's start with some definitions:
ROMs - these are the (usually modded) softwares that you flash to your phone. Depending on which phone you have, you can only flash ROMs made for your phone. Of course, if you have root/custom recovery, you can also install custom ROMs.
ClockWorkMod (CWM) is a recovery system made in order to allow people more features while they're in recovery mode. Of course, this is one of a few out there, but people stick to CWM cause of its huge support plus it's popularity. When you think of CWM, think of custom features being installed in (almost) one step (modding files and such will be taken care of for you, so you don't have to do it yourself). You can usually also fix a bricked system this way by reflashing either the entire ROM or the boot.img/other files (we'll get to this in a second)
CyanogenMod (CM) is an example of a very popular custom rom. They have a great team and usually is available for most devices, which in turn makes them so popular. It is widely supported and has a lot of extra features like updating to the latest OS and features not previously available on your phone. It's skinned, but usually follows the stock Android look for the OS in which they've skinned.
lol The reason why the instructions look so simple is because they've taken out all the hard work and all the stuff where you can possibly screw up your phone, so that they don't get a million messages saying "OMG MY PHONE BRICKED WHAT HAPPENED" and stuff like that. Protects them, makes it easier for you. If you had made a backup before you flashed CM (usually you only have to back up whats on the phone if it has internal and external memory, but back up your sd card always just in case. never hurt to), then yes. If you backed it up with your previous ROM, then you'll probably need to revert to get it back. If you didn't, chances are whatever you didn't backup and didn't sync, is safe to say gone. You can try recovering it using a recovery software on the computer like i detailed here for another person, but of course you'd skip the whole trying to save the phone part and just start with mounting the phone to your computer and running the software.
CM is a custom rom, and so most (if not all) custom roms have root preinstalled (besides, who wouldn't want root?!) As for CWM, it works by being (usually) flashed into the recovery partition of your phone. The nice thing about the phone is that it's split up into parts: boot, recovery, system, and some other ones i can't think of off the top of my head. Those three are important, as if you get a softbrick, you might still be able to recover all your data simply by using CWM/fastboot (a dev-tool used to flash/unlock, but only available in certain phones, as it is disabled usually) to reflash the boot.img (one requires command line, whereas CWM only needs you to flash a created/pre-made package). Also, since they're in separate partitions, even if your system and boot.img doesn't work, you can probably still access recovery (unless you screwed up really REALLY bad, and in that case I can't help >.<)
Observant you are =] Yes, if you were to flash CM, your CWM will be gone (i don't understand why most people don't just bake it into the ROM in the first place) but, not all is lost. Just go back into the Android Market and redownload ROM Manager. Of course you'll need to open it up and flash the same exact recovery again (annoying, isn't it?) but unless you know how to mod zip/img files and edit the script, you'll just have to make do with that. If you do, you could just (usually) take out the recovery partition and just leave the one you have already in there (but its usually safer and better to just redownload/reflash it as annoying as it is). But yes, you would use CWM to flash it. It's as simple as "Install from SD Card" which is why custom recoveries like CWM are popular. So simple
At this point, I would look into a few things. One is skinning your phone (though you probably can't do too much if you don't want to touch system files). If you find a psuedo-rom (slightly modded) that themes it, that's your best bet. Another is gaining access to certain features in apps you didn't have before (i.e. androidLost, LBE Privacy Guard, titanium backup) and of course more control by the ability to control your system files (if you know what you're doing, of course). Lastly, you can use stuff like MetaMorph to theme out certain sections of your rom (provided that they give you one compatible with your phone model/rom), minus having to flash it and having more fine-tuned controlled. Usually, Metamorph will run on all ROMs, but it doesn't guarantee that there'll be stuff for every ROM. Also, want themes? google it (google is your best friend!)
Kies won't tell you that you have an upgrade because it is ROM-dependent. It looks for their official ROM and says "Hey, this guy has our ROM. Check for an update". Think of owning a custom rom like being kicked out of your family. You won't get anymore updates from them XD. However, if you're looking to get the latest updates, check out the Samsung Galaxy S Dev threads. They will usually have another method of loading in the new ROM into your phone. And if you want to stick with ROM Manager, shell out for premium and they'll include "Check for Updates" in ROM Manager, along with several other functions (though you can check for free via computer/browser ). Mostly, manually updating the software requires the "Install from SD Card" feature in CWM/other recoveries, so you don't have much to worry about.
Odin is, as you stated, most likely your best bet. Not too many people repackage official ROMs into easy-to-flash zips. Odin is the Samsung equivalent to Motorola's RSD Lite from what I googled (i have motorola, so no exp. on odin >.<) It's mostly like a dev tool allowing you to flash/re-flash phones and is also usually your one-way ticket out of a semi/full brick (assuming you didn't mess up the hardware and you can get into download mode). It's the flashing tool that can access the core system of the phone even without root and allows you to reflash OFFICIAL ROMs. Should you use Odin (should be your last resort), you WILL lose root and all your data. No questions asked. Its like reinstalling everything to the state in which you got it in when you bought the phone. Word of advice: BACK UP OFTEN! (did i forget to mention Titanium Backup? )
Yeah, the transition from Apple to Android is so different and had I not had experience with my PSP, i'd be dying with the information overload. However, just read a lot of stuff on the forums (*cough*general android forums*cough*) and you should be just fine. We have an excellent community here that will try our best to fix whatever problems you encounter (note the key word: try. we're not gods XD) You'll get the hang of it soon enough.
Oh, well, I don't want to keep you for much longer, but since you mentioned something that any noob should know, it's definitely ADB (Android Debugging Bridge). This is where you'll probably spend a lot of time, as people's fixes usually involve shell (terminal for your phone). If anything, get acquainted with it, as it might save your butt in the future/unlock a few extra features for you ;D .
Well, that's all i can think of, and honestly, after typing this thing up for about an hour now, I think I'm going to grab me some breakfast Good luck to you and welcome to the Android commmunity! (and next time, remember to post in the right place! XD)
~jojojohnson7410
P.S. PM me if you need anything. =]
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wow, thanks a lot. I still have a question or two, bear with me.
Well for one, is flashing roms made for different firmwares alright, or no? Since I have 2.2, and im assuming the latest cyanogen is made for 3.x, would I have to upgrade my firmware to the corresponding firmware.
And about Clockwork, if my phone bricks, I'd have to restore using odin, right? But if the phone still works, i can just root and cwm and restore it using rom manager?
And uh, I'm not sure if this is a problem or im just doing something wrong, but in RomManager, i click Backup Current ROM, and it goes into recovery mode, and theres no new options, there's just like, format, factory reset, clear cache, reboot, but nothing involving rom manager. And when i check for the recovery file in my sd card, it's not. Wut do.
WoZZeR999 said:
Just to nit-pick a bit. CWM is part of the recovery partition, and unless the Galaxy S is different from every other android device, flashing will not remove it. ROM Manager and CWM are two different things. ROM manager will allow you to download the roms, which will then instruct CWM to flash the rom (when it reboots).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
lol true true that would be my mistake. XD Nice catch
~jojojohnson7410
Gutana said:
Wow, thanks a lot. I still have a question or two, bear with me.
Well for one, is flashing roms made for different firmwares alright, or no? Since I have 2.2, and im assuming the latest cyanogen is made for 3.x, would I have to upgrade my firmware to the corresponding firmware.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, you wouldn't have to upgrade to the latest firmware to get the ROM installed. So long as the ROM is confirmed to work for your device, you can flash any ROM you want (which is convenient in my case since I have an Atrix 4G and it was oh-so-lonely without some Gingerbread XD)
Gutana said:
And about Clockwork, if my phone bricks, I'd have to restore using odin, right? But if the phone still works, i can just root and cwm and restore it using rom manager?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, the thing is, you really only need that usually if you're on a stock rom or some official version and either you want to flash a new stock ROM from Samsung or you want to pull your phone out of a brick. Most of the time, however, even if you bricked it, so long as you can get into the recovery menu, you'll be alright. Just re-flash the ROM that you want (or in my case yesterday when I was dealing with an Inspire, I had to use a different ROM to unbrick the phone. I don't know why this happen, but it was being nit-picky >.<)
Gutana said:
And uh, I'm not sure if this is a problem or im just doing something wrong, but in RomManager, i click Backup Current ROM, and it goes into recovery mode, and theres no new options, there's just like, format, factory reset, clear cache, reboot, but nothing involving rom manager. And when i check for the recovery file in my sd card, it's not. Wut do.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
lol nooo this is not a problem at all. See, like the guy above me posted, the Recovery Menu is completely separate from anything in the ROM. It's located in the recovery partition rather than the system and the boot partitions, so they usually don't touch the recovery. ROM Manager is just a means of providing GUI to CWM so then you can either flash the CWM to your phone or help download ROMS into your SD card. Stuff like backup and everything needs you to boot into recovery as you can't be backing up the system while your system is mounted on, so they send you to CWM. From there, there's an option called "backup and restore". In this place, you can choose where to save the backup. And since the backup is made by CWM, it will be recognized by CWM if you want to restore it. I think it saves it in a zip file, but im not 100% positive, so take that one with a grain of salt.
Hope this answers the questions! Let me know if you need more help (or just PM me. I check that regularly )
~jojojohnson7410
jojojohnson7410 said:
No, you wouldn't have to upgrade to the latest firmware to get the ROM installed. So long as the ROM is confirmed to work for your device, you can flash any ROM you want (which is convenient in my case since I have an Atrix 4G and it was oh-so-lonely without some Gingerbread XD)
Well, the thing is, you really only need that usually if you're on a stock rom or some official version and either you want to flash a new stock ROM from Samsung or you want to pull your phone out of a brick. Most of the time, however, even if you bricked it, so long as you can get into the recovery menu, you'll be alright. Just re-flash the ROM that you want (or in my case yesterday when I was dealing with an Inspire, I had to use a different ROM to unbrick the phone. I don't know why this happen, but it was being nit-picky >.<)
lol nooo this is not a problem at all. See, like the guy above me posted, the Recovery Menu is completely separate from anything in the ROM. It's located in the recovery partition rather than the system and the boot partitions, so they usually don't touch the recovery. ROM Manager is just a means of providing GUI to CWM so then you can either flash the CWM to your phone or help download ROMS into your SD card. Stuff like backup and everything needs you to boot into recovery as you can't be backing up the system while your system is mounted on, so they send you to CWM. From there, there's an option called "backup and restore". In this place, you can choose where to save the backup. And since the backup is made by CWM, it will be recognized by CWM if you want to restore it. I think it saves it in a zip file, but im not 100% positive, so take that one with a grain of salt.
Hope this answers the questions! Let me know if you need more help (or just PM me. I check that regularly )
~jojojohnson7410
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
But theres no backup and restore options, its jut the recovery options you'd get if you were on a brand new phone.

[Q] Rooted but CMW not working

Hello, i've got a prob. I have rooted my Tab 7.0plus and have installed SU, titanium backup and and Rom Manager (Full Version)
I can back up my through Titanium fine but I just cant get CWM to work as it should. If I choose Backup existing Rom, it asks for confirmation then the phone shuts down but instead of going ito recovery it just reboots.
Same thing happens if I choose reboot into recovery.
I can't get into recovery by pressing and holding power and vol- either
Any ideas? I am a Novice so please be gentle.
Cheers
what variant of GT+ do you have?
Root != CWM
You need to actually install CWM. Read the Development thread on it, and spend some time searching, because if you don't and post a dumb question in gary's thread, he WILL bust out the flamethrower. Just spend a day or two reading through threads and Googling before posting or flashing anything and you should be fine.
Also - Don't use ROM Manager, it causes problems on many devices. ROM Manager != CWM.
I followed the instructions to the letter! I know I have root su grants permissions but there is no way to get into recovery. I cant back up or restore what other recovery would you experts suggest? wi-fi 62100
Which instructions did you follow? link?
How do you know you have 'su' permissions? Have you installed the 'superuser' application from the market? Does it work?
"Backup from existing ROM" is _NOT_ an option from within CWM Recovery. It's an option from within "ROM Manager" (which is an application by CWM.) CWM Recovery is a completely different boot mode of the tablet.
Please don't use ROM Manager on this tablet. It won't work and the results might be interesting.
If you don't want to fiddle with volume up/down and power buttons to get into recovery, I'd suggest a nice little app in the android market called "Quick Boot." It also requires the tablet is rooted (and superuser is installed), but will let you reboot directly into recovery.
After you've booted into recovery, the screen will be black with text on it. It won't be the "tablet experience" you might be used to. The banner might include something like "CWM-based Recovery." If so, you are really in CWM Recovery. If it says something like "Android system recovery (3e)", you don't have CWM Recovery installed.
Now, I'm going to try and be friendly here. That's something hard for me. Just ask around and people will tell you that all devs are Divas or something. (I prefer to think of myself as more sarcastic than diva.. but whatever.)
Advice:
Don't install CWM Recovery (or ROM Manager) on your tablet. You aren't ready. That isn't insulting - but it's honest. You don't go sky diving before you learn how to wear a parachute. Search for topics like "ODIN" so you know how to restore your tablet if you screw things up or you want to get back to a factory state for some reason. Even ask around here for links to threads that give a good intro to "ODIN", "Recovery" and other android "hacking" topics.
(Surely someone has typed up a good thread on that stuff somewhere for some device... haven't they? I realize that a search would be too broad to get any reasonably usable results.)
After you feel comfortable with destroying your tablet and bringing it back from the dead, check the thread in my signature titled "CWM-based Recovery for the Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus GT-P6210"
Take care
Gary
Thanks Gary but i'm afraid it's knackered. I just got a black screen and it wont boot or go into recovery or anything. It's a shame though it took me ages to save up for it.
Now is the time to go into ODIN... You can probably get the device into download mode and reflash it...
Good luck
Gary
Thanks mate, fixed it. you saved my bacon!
nixey55 said:
Thanks mate, fixed it. you saved my bacon!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I had nothing whatsoever to do with your bacon.

[Q] Clockworkmod warns: "bad recovery" - What to do?

Hello guys,
a few days ago I dared to root my Xperia X10 Mini Pro with SuperOneClick and flashed a Cyanogenmod 7 Android 2.3.3 ROM. All in all, it worked pretty well.
After doing some apps installation stuff I rebooted in the Recovery (Clockworkmod which obviously came along with the ROM) and made a backup, just for the case. Afterwards, I selected "power off" in the CWM menu because I wanted to go to bed.
Then, immediately, CWM said something like "Error - This recovery seems to be bad" and something with a "risk". I managed however to power off. Can't remember if that worked via CWM or if I pushed the power off hardbutton or removed the battery.
Yet - the ROM seems to work. Now I'm a bit anxious because of the CWM error.
Is there really a risk? I planned to dare unlocking the bootloader soon. Is it dangerous to do this with a "bad recovery" or doesn't that matter at all?
Is there a possibility to repair CWM? Can I just install a new CWM? If yes - how?
Sorry - pretty noobish questions, I know.
Can you help me anyway?
Thanks a lot!
deleted post
Thank you for your help! I already thought that no one would answer because the thread disappered on page 3 of this forum
I've never heard from Odin before and therefore googled it. It only occured in connection with Samsung devices. Are you sure it is compatible to my Sony Ericsson?
Anyway, can I also install a new CWM via ROM Manager or wouldn't you recommend this?
Warning: I'm a noob. Take my advice at your own risk!
From what I understand, flashing CWM via Rom Manager is exactly the same as manual flashing (perhaps better, since the Rom Manager presumably keeps up to date). So I think you should be able to do so and make another recovery (without going through any of that manual flashing stuff). You should get a second opinion just because I'm so noobish, but I think this is the case.
However, from my limited understanding, I don't think the recovery will make any difference when dealing with the bootloader. The bootloader is, more or less, the very first set of instructions executed when the phone turns on. If you mess that up, your phone won't even be able to get into recovery mode. Also, the recovery images are stored on your sd card, which is wiped upon unlocking. Once again, I could be wrong.
deleted post
Dude, what are you talking about? You can't use ODIN on a non-Samsung phone.
trich025 said:
don't use rom manager just use the odin for your safety, you can bet that samsung users are the one benefiting on odin but as you can see erricson and samsung are both android phones and if you examine them both device have similar programs, and one thing, always keep in mind that you have to back up your current rom for emergency uses so you can still get back to were you started in case something went wrong.
if i helped you with this problem you could click the thanks button >>>>
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
OK now this is flat out wrong. Each Android device has a different program used. Samsung has Odin, HTC has an RUU. Not sure about SE. But never use a software made for one device on another unless you want a brick. Just because they both use android doesn't mean they are the same.
Thanks to everyone, especially Product F(RED)!
No offence, trich025, but I guess you were wrong.
Can I destroy something by re-installing or updating CWM via ROM-Manager just in case my CWM has a bug?

Most directions "how to root" seem to be from 2012...

On July 20th 2013, I bought a new Verizon Galaxy S3 i535 (no contract due to I need unlimited data). As a 50 year old guy, I admit that I never rooted before. I decided to do some research on the web which also included this XDA site. By the way, this is the best site!!
As someone who never rooted, I found multiple different ways of rooting which caused great confusion. Some told me to download Odin, while some did not. Some told me to download a superSU or something like that, while other directions did not, and so on and on......
But what really concerns me is that most of the directions were written back in 2012. Should this be a concern?
I don't want to seem like a retard or impose, but would someone do a video skype with me and walk me thru rooting my phone for the very first time? Perhaps during that skype session I could ask a few questions? I would pre download all files so that the session would not take too long.
Any volunteers?
Respectfully,
Bryan
All you need to Do is visit this link:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=42791826
Those are the most straight forward directions you can find. And it will Root, unlock your bootloader, and install a custom recovery.
thank you for the reply. this is yet another way off rooting. why does this not use Odin? will this method allow me to undo or fix something if something goes bad?
BKSinAZ said:
thank you for the reply. this is yet another way off rooting. why does this not use Odin? will this method allow me to undo or fix something if something goes bad?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It doesn't use Odin because it doesn't need to. The one click solution includes all the tools needed to make the necessary changes to your phone.
If something goes wrong, then you would use Odin to go back to stock no matter what root /unlock method you used. This is because Odin has the lowest level access to your phone, and can rescue it as long as you can boot into download mode.
As long as you don't flash files intended for other phones (including s3s from other carriers) your phone should be safe.
Sent from my SCH-I535 using xda app-developers app
Please read forum rules before posting
Questions and Help issues go in Q&A and Help section
Thread moved
Thank you for your cooperation
Friendly Neighborhood Moderator
funnyperson1 said:
It doesn't use Odin because it doesn't need to. The one click solution includes all the tools needed to make the necessary changes to your phone.
If something goes wrong, then you would use Odin to go back to stock no matter what root /unlock method you used. This is because Odin has the lowest level access to your phone, and can rescue it as long as you can boot into download mode.
As long as you don't flash files intended for other phones (including s3s from other carriers) your phone should be safe.
Sent from my SCH-I535 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok... here is one of my last questions before I begin the root process....
Do I need to make a backup of my stock phone? There are no pictures or music, but do I need to make a backup in anyway first so if things go bad I can return to stock?
BKSinAZ said:
Ok... here is one of my last questions before I begin the root process....
Do I need to make a backup of my stock phone? There are no pictures or music, but do I need to make a backup in anyway first so if things go bad I can return to stock?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm going to pop in here and help out. Once you do the casual root process, it will also install a recovery for you. You can make a nandroid backup with your recovery and just keep that somewhere safe. There are also directions on how to recover and return your phone to Verizon here. Hope that answers your question.
BKSinAZ said:
Ok... here is one of my last questions before I begin the root process....
Do I need to make a backup of my stock phone? There are no pictures or music, but do I need to make a backup in anyway first so if things go bad I can return to stock?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, as I said above, as long as you can reach download mode on your phone you can always Odin back to stock. If you somehow break download mode, then your phone is pretty much bricked without sending it out to someone with a JTAG programmer. The risk of that happenning though is minimal unless you flash a ROM intended for a different device (such as the international i9300 S3).
funnyperson1 said:
No, as I said above, as long as you can reach download mode on your phone you can always Odin back to stock. If you somehow break download mode, then your phone is pretty much bricked without sending it out to someone with a JTAG programmer. The risk of that happenning though is minimal unless you flash a ROM intended for a different device (such as the international i9300 S3).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
OK... did exactly what you and the directions stated. Upon the phone booting up, there is a 'padlock' and the option to swipe. When I swipe, I am not as the home screen that I am accustomed to. I am in the Team Win Recovery Project" with the only option to 'select zip to install" and 6 buttons to press (install, backup, mount, advanced, wipe, restore, settings, reboot)
This was an unexpected step and was wondering what to do next?.... or did I mess things up?
BKSinAZ said:
OK... did exactly what you and the directions stated. Upon the phone booting up, there is a 'padlock' and the option to swipe. When I swipe, I am not as the home screen that I am accustomed to. I am in the Team Win Recovery Project" with the only option to 'select zip to install" and 6 buttons to press (install, backup, mount, advanced, wipe, restore, settings, reboot)
This was an unexpected step and was wondering what to do next?.... or did I mess things up?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It sounds like you were successful in rooting and unlocking your phone's bootloader. The program you are seeing (TWRP recovery) allows you to flash roms/mods (install), backup your phone, wipe and restore your phone. However, this shouldn't be what you see on bootup unless you pressed volume up while booting. Your stock ROM may have been wiped during the root process.
I suggest you dive into the world of Custom ROMs with CleanROM which is basically a de-bloated and tweaked version of the stock ROM.
Download the file from here:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1832070
Use your PC to put it on a microSD card. In TWRP recovery, perform a Factory Reset (from the Wipe Menu), then navigate to the external_sdcard and install CleanROM (from install menu). Wipe caches and reboot once installation is finished. You should boot straight into CleanROM.
funnyperson1 said:
It sounds like you were successful in rooting and unlocking your phone's bootloader. The program you are seeing (TWRP recovery) allows you to flash roms/mods (install), backup your phone, wipe and restore your phone. However, this shouldn't be what you see on bootup unless you pressed volume up while booting. Your stock ROM may have been wiped during the root process.
I suggest you dive into the world of Custom ROMs with CleanROM which is basically a de-bloated and tweaked version of the stock ROM.
Download the file from here:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1832070
Use your PC to put it on a microSD card. In TWRP recovery, perform a Factory Reset (from the Wipe Menu), then navigate to the external_sdcard and install CleanROM (from install menu). Wipe caches and reboot once installation is finished. You should boot straight into CleanROM.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It seems that when I went into the backup area and made a backup (a backup of what, I do not know because I am totally new to this) and after the backup the phone rebooted to the normal home screen with all the normal icons. I even just received a phone call so I guess all is good.
I don't know what to do now that my phone is rooted. My goal was just to uninstall unwanted programs etc, So when I get the courage, I will use the CLEANROM.
Question.... do I now have to constantly update my existing root or Cleanrom once installed? Do I now avoid Verizon or Samsung updates?
BKSinAZ said:
OK... did exactly what you and the directions stated. Upon the phone booting up, there is a 'padlock' and the option to swipe. When I swipe, I am not as the home screen that I am accustomed to. I am in the Team Win Recovery Project" with the only option to 'select zip to install" and 6 buttons to press (install, backup, mount, advanced, wipe, restore, settings, reboot)
This was an unexpected step and was wondering what to do next?.... or did I mess things up?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you're not ready to flash roms just touch reboot and you'll be back to your stock jellybean. In regards to the padlock, I also got that after using CASUAL and underneath the padlock it says custom. I haven't gotten a definitive answer about that but the general consensus is that it's nothing to worry about. I suppose it's just Verizon letting you know that they detected changes to your phone.
Do yourself a favor and read for days and days before you start flashing roms. You'll find the answers here and YouTube.
BKSinAZ said:
It seems that when I went into the backup area and made a backup (a backup of what, I do not know because I am totally new to this) and after the backup the phone rebooted to the normal home screen with all the normal icons. I even just received a phone call so I guess all is good.
I don't know what to do now that my phone is rooted. My goal was just to uninstall unwanted programs etc, So when I get the courage, I will use the CLEANROM.
Question.... do I now have to constantly update my existing root or Cleanrom once installed? Do I now avoid Verizon or Samsung updates?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Great. The backup you made is what is called a "nandroid" backup. By default it includes the Android System, your apps, and associated application data and settings. This is great because it basically includes everything you need to restore your phone to it's previous state. So if you were to flash a custom ROM and ended up not liking it you could always restore this backup and it would restore your phone to how it is now.
Being rooted allows you to install and use applications from the Play store that require root. There are tons of them. The one I use most often is called Titanium Backup. It's primary purpose it to backup and restore your data and applications on an individual basis. I use it mostly to save my text messages and game save data between ROM flashes. It also allows you to uninstall, wipe data, and freeze (disable) any application on your phone.
Right now since you are still running stock rooted, you want to avoid installing any official updates, otherwise you may have to re-root. Beanstown may have disabled system updates through the rooting method, but I am not sure. If a new update is released, keep your eyes on the forums here, someone will create a flashable zip of the new firmware that maintains root/unlocked bootloader, you can then flash that in TWRP. Also once you flash a custom ROM like CleanROM, they removed the Samsung Firmware updater most likely so you don't have to worry about it.

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