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[Q] What does nandroid backup contain?

Before people start coming in to flame me for using the search button, please let me clarify that i have looked into several threads on xda and none of them provided me with a clear cut answer of what i wanted to know.
I understand first of all is that nandroid backup is a complete image of what is on the phone which should include stuff like settings, sms, call logs, data etc. What i have not found, however, if they keep other files that are lying around in the phone. For example, most of my Nexus S consists of videos and music (7-10GB) and in separate folders that are not tied to any apps in particular. Hence, if they are included in nandroid backup i would not have sufficient storage to do so (reminder that Nexus S has 16 GB)
I have "accidentally" posted on the galaxy S forum of xda and someone pointed out that it backs up apps and data from the internal SD. As far as i know this is slightly different with Nexus S because i observed that most apps are already installed in the "external" SD portion of the data.
Overall, i'm just a little confused. Can anyone clarify this?

It is just apps and data. The sd card is i believe split so that it doesnt touch your music, videos, and images. It just takes care of the main system stuff like apps and settings. Hoped i helped
Sent from my Nexus S using XDA Premium App

But aren't most apps on the nexus S installed on the sd card section of the storage? At least they are under Settings->Application settings->Manage applications->USB Storage
For example my Gameloft games would be almost 1 GB in size so would that be backed up as well. I will end up with gigantic nandroid backups.

A nAnroid backup includes
.android_source - apps2sd information/apps stored on /sdcard
boot - boot image
cache - cache files stored on /cache
data - apps, dalvik other stuff on /data
recovery - recovery image
system - system apps, frameworks modules etc on /system
nadroid.md5 - md5 information
nandroids do not include anything on the /sdcard other than .android_source.

how to do it? by using CWM?? am i wrong or correct??

ciwek90 said:
how to do it? by using CWM?? am i wrong or correct??
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Correct.
Flash ClockworkMod.
(You might have to rename /etc/install-recovery.sh to get it to stick.)
Boot into fastboot (volumeUp+ power).
Recovery - Backup and Restore - Backup.

Maximilian Mary said:
Correct.
Flash ClockworkMod.
(You might have to rename /etc/install-recovery.sh to get it to stick.)
Boot into fastboot (volumeUp+ power).
Recovery - Backup and Restore - Backup.
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Awesome! but if i want to flash custom rom and i do backup first then i flash new custom rom, so i can get back all my apps by restoring nandroid backup is it? or nandroid backup is only for when things went wrong? i confuse...

ciwek90 said:
Awesome! but if i want to flash custom rom and i do backup first then i flash new custom rom, so i can get back all my apps by restoring nandroid backup is it? or nandroid backup is only for when things went wrong? i confuse...
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Click to collapse
Nandroid is basically all or nothing. There is an advanced restore which can restore only the partitions you want (like system or data), but it probably won't play nicely with a custom rom. Your best best is to use titanium backup for user apps & data, and perhaps some select system data like texts, bookmarks, and wifi settings. Check out the batch backup/restore options for user apps & data.

ciwek90 said:
Awesome! but if i want to flash custom rom and i do backup first then i flash new custom rom, so i can get back all my apps by restoring nandroid backup is it? or nandroid backup is only for when things went wrong? i confuse...
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Click to collapse
Nandroid backup backs up everything including the rom... so NO you can't restore apps with it.
To just save apks/apps you use eg Titanium Backup.

NOW i know it! Thank you so much @Maximilian Mary and @rentaric for helping me!
Nandroid = for backup/restore previous rom
Titanium = for backup/restore data & apps
Thanks again!

rentaric said:
Nandroid backup backs up everything including the rom... so NO you can't restore apps with it.
To just save apks/apps you use eg Titanium Backup.
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Bro, does nandroid backup include the IMEI also?

heyimCHOLO said:
Bro, does nandroid backup include the IMEI also?
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Some recoveries have this option buy many don't, just boot to your recovery and see if it is listed as an option, if not, then no

Your apps will still be on your sd card because your just restoring your operating system that you had with all of it settings it will show all of your apps you had but if you deleted it from the sd card when you try opening it it would say app not installed. Nandroid backup saves everything in settings and operating system apps will be on sd card. Some apps can be included in nandroid it just depends where they are located when back up is saved.

[Q] Backups and restore. Titanium and Nandroid.

I have few questions about backups:
Nandroid:
1) So when I restore from a nandroid backup what do I exactly restore. I restore the rom this means any .zip mods I installed are gone. Do I restore radio, kernel, firmware, hboot?
2) When I do nandroid backup what happens to applications and data?
Titanium
3) What exactly system data backup (batch) backups? If I want to backup my my settings and WI-fi pairings and sms and phone call history and maybe some other 2-3 little things. If I do system data backup I will backup these things but when I restore if my previous configurations had lots of bloatware would I get unwanted things on my new configuration and slow down my phone?
4) Backing all user apps backups only .apks it means it installs the applications again?
5)User apps+ data means it will reinstall the apps and include saves and settings and etc right?
6) I've heard when backing up apps it's better to skip data why?
Thank you!

1. If you restore a previous backup then your mods will be gone (if they were not in that backup). kernel & firmware restored; hboot & radio not.
2.They get backed up (but not the data from the SD Card - just internal memory).
3. What you select (in Batch you can select). You just delete bloatware using TB after restore.
4. Correct, for settings and data you need the APPS+DATA option
5. Right
6. To avoid any complication with newer/older firmware - I always restored with data, and had no issues.

Thank you!
I just didn't understand completly about nandroid backup and apps.
If I use my phone for 5 days and install 5 aps and do a backup then use it 6 more days and install 6 more aps. After I do a nandroid restore the 6 aps installed after backup are lost and from the 5 installed before backup the ones that are not on SD will be restored. Correct? And if this is correct the restored apps will be only apk or apk + data?

Nandriod backup is the backup of Whole System the things u flashed the boot animation the theme every bit of ur phone
while just titnaum backup just backups ur apps+data nothing Else

janarioo said:
Nandriod backup is the backup of Whole System the things u flashed the boot animation the theme every bit of ur phone
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Except radio and hboot.
Sent from my HTC Pyramid using xda premium

Function of the features in advance restore???

Hello, today, I restore my phone from a Nandroid backup for some reason and I decide to go for advance restore. However, there are lots of restore options that allow me to choose and even that I try them each to see what will restore, I am still not certain in regard to the role of each.
Here is my assumption and observation;
- restore data: restore all my apps data including homescreen layout and data of each app?
- restore boot: no idea (I though that it was the bootanimation, but it wasn't)
- restore system: restore system apps, everything in the root, all mods and system setting?
- restore cache: no idea
-restore sd-ext: restore my external sdcard (but I am restoring it from my ext sd, so what is the purpose of this?)
Please correct me and add more information. Thanks.

Titanium Backup -- unable to restore, folder empty

I flashed a new ROM yesterday. I swear I backed up my apps and data with Titanium backup (onto my SD card) but when I tried to restore apps, they are no where to be found. Per instructions, I wiped cache and davlik folder after I flashed my new ROM.
Here is what I have done so far: Titanium backup > menu> preferences> backup folder location > /storage/emulated/legacy/TitaniumBackup . When I click detect, it says "no backup location found".
I used ROM manager to backup ROM before flashing the new ROM, not sure if this also backs up the apps and ther data that I had on the phone. This will really suck if I lost everything as I have so many documents on the phone.
I am in desperate need for help. Any help will be appreciated.

Sorry for the stupid question... Did you tick the selection to search whole device?
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using XDA Premium HD app

Restore files
You should choose to restore the contents of, but can be restored some programs back is can't use. But not as you say nothing at all, you must have made a mistake, software wouldn't, at the same time with titanium backup directory in the memory card, you have to go to the next, backup the files if you have that can restore normal

Proper way to backup system, apps and settings

Since I just got stuck with a broken nightly on cyanogenmod I wanted to ask for a solid way to backup the system, apps and all settings of my device (which is a HTC one S ville).
I thought about backing up my cyanogenmod system with TWRP?
Is TWRP able to backup all the apps and app settings? Does it also include for exmple Tasker profiles?
What is a backup app like titanium for? Do I even need it if I back up frequently with TWRP?
Thanks in advance

The twrp backup is an exact image of all your partitions: cache, boot, system and data including the file system. It'll contain everything you have on your phone except sdcard. It's downside is that you cannot restore only a specific app or it's data, you have to restore all of them.
Titanium Backup on the other side, backups the apps and data and allows separate restore for each app.
If you do frequent twrp backups and you would restore everything at once, you don't need TB
Sent from nowhere over the air...

Rapier said:
The twrp backup is an exact image of all your partitions: cache, boot, system and data including the file system. It'll contain everything you have on your phone except sdcard. It's downside is that you cannot restore only a specific app or it's data, you have to restore all of them.
Titanium Backup on the other side, backups the apps and data and allows separate restore for each app.
If you do frequent twrp backups and you would restore everything at once, you don't need TB
Sent from nowhere over the air...
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Agree TWRP