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[Q] How to save data before ROM upgrade

Hey guys,
so, I have already flashed my ROM from stock to something else. That was a year ago.
But this ROM got old, ICS is out, and I want it.
Is there a way to save all my data? I have some games, that have progress that I dont want to loose.
I have contacts that I dont want to loose. Messages and pictures that I still need.
What is the right procedure for me to upgrade ROM to newer one? I'm upgrading to Fallout v2 if that matters.
Thank you for answers
Regards, Anze

You need to read up about Nandroid backups that you take from recovery (cwm or 4ext) these are extremely useful if you wish to revert the device after you've flashed a new one rom as they take a snapshot of the devices partitions.
You should ensure that you take one of these before flashing a new rom.
I'd recommend that you sync your contacts with google (in the cloud) that way they'll always return to your device following a clean install
Otherwise the best application is titanium backup which enables you to make backups of your applications and there associated data, which is useful to reinstall your applications after a rom upgrade.

You may also wish to restore data with apps together selectively after flashing a new rom due to possible data incompatibilities with versions resulting in FC. If so, within TB you could try PREFERENCES > RESTORATION SETTINGS > MIGRATE SYSTEM DATA or leave out data only restoring the app.

Cleanest ROM flash with minimum reconfiguration.

Hey, everytime I want to flash a new ROM or even new version of the same ROM,
I like to clear everything beforehand and factory reset my device.
The issue is everytime I do that I have to download all my apps again and configure the device all over again (apps & phone settings) .
I need some guide about backing up the maximum data possible (settings and applications) while still keeping the new flash as clean as possible.
I own Titanium paid version.
Thanks a lot!

ArgamanZa said:
Hey, everytime I want to flash a new ROM or even new version of the same ROM,
I like to clear everything beforehand and factory reset my device.
The issue is everytime I do that I have to download all my apps again and configure the device all over again (apps & phone settings) .
I need some guide about backing up the maximum data possible (settings and applications) while still keeping the new flash as clean as possible.
I own Titanium paid version.
Thanks a lot!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The fact that u have titanium backup pro makes it so much easier backup all user apps only (backing up system apps/data will cause problems with new ROM) then flash new ROM, reinstall titanium backup, and go to restore then you can choose apps or apps+data

How to save all registered Gmail accounts in android?

I have a galaxy S9 which I find perfect for what I do, everything.
But I usually reset the phone to install new custom ROMs and I have about 30 email registered in my Gmail app and in my phone. I need the most of then everytime I reinstall a Rom to my phone so adding them every time is annoying because I need to put email and password for each one.
Is there a solution to backup and restore them every time I install a rom? Is there a system file where they are stored?

Pierfranc said:
I have a galaxy S9 which I find perfect for what I do, everything.
But I usually reset the phone to install new custom ROMs and I have about 30 email registered in my Gmail app and in my phone. I need the most of then everytime I reinstall a Rom to my phone so adding them every time is annoying because I need to put email and password for each one.
Is there a solution to backup and restore them every time I install a rom? Is there a system file where they are stored?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
ROMs don't play well with data that was created/restored from a different ROM. That won't work if you are flashing ROMs that are different from the one you have installed, but, it may or may not work when flashing updates of the ROM that you already have installed. For example, if you have a LineageOS ROM installed and then flash a RemixOS ROM, you can't restore data from LineageOS in the RemixOS ROM but if you have LineageOS 16 installed and then you flash an updated LineageOS 16 or a LineageOS 17, then you can restore data from LineageOS 16 in the updated LineageOS 16 or LineageOS 17.
It requires root and some form of app that can backup and restore system data and user data. Titanium Backup used to be what you would use but it is no longer supported, it doesn't work like it used to, you'll have to find an app similar to Titanium Backup.
Sent from my SM-S767VL using Tapatalk

Droidriven said:
ROMs don't play well with data that was created/restored from a different ROM. That won't work if you are flashing ROMs that are different from the one you have installed, but, it may or may not work when flashing updates of the ROM that you already have installed. For example, if you have a LineageOS ROM installed and then flash a RemixOS ROM, you can't restore data from LineageOS in the RemixOS ROM but if you have LineageOS 16 installed and then you flash an updated LineageOS 16 or a LineageOS 17, then you can restore data from LineageOS 16 in the updated LineageOS 16 or LineageOS 17.
It requires root and some form of app that can backup and restore system data and user data. Titanium Backup used to be what you would use but it is no longer supported, it doesn't work like it used to, you'll have to find an app similar to Titanium Backup.
Sent from my SM-S767VL using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks. I am moving to an os based on the same rom so I could restore the backup, but the doubt is which system app should I backup to save the email I have registered.

Pierfranc said:
Thanks. I am moving to an os based on the same rom so I could restore the backup, but the doubt is which system app should I backup to save the email I have registered.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The same ROM, not a ROM that is "based" on the same ROM, there is a difference. In other words, you can't restore system data and system settings from a lineageOS ROM in a ROM that is "lineageOS based". Most ROMs are AOSP and LineageOS based, if what you are thinking were possible, we could restore system data and system settings from one LineageOS, ROM in any other ROM that is based on LineageOS, but we can't. Being "based" on the same ROM does not make them "similar enough" to use sysyem data and system settings from one in the other. If you have a lineageOS ROM, you can only restore that system data and system settings in another LineageOS ROM. If you have a lineageOS "based" ROM, you can only restore system data and system settings from that ROM in an updated version of that same LineageOS "based" ROM, not another LineageOS "based" ROM. RemixOS and many other ROMs are all LineageOS based but you can't restore system data and system settings from LineageOS in a RemixOS, this leads to issues, bugs and crashes.
What you are looking to backup and restore isn't a system app. What you want to backup and restore is system data and system settings. But, be aware, this doesn't always work even when restoring that data in an updated version of the exact same ROM.
Am I making this any more clear for you?
This only applies to system data, restoring user data from one ROM to a different ROM is usually not an issue because the system itself being different, generally, has no effect on user data, only system related data.
One thing you can try that sometimes works is to flash your new ROM without doing any of the wipes, this is called a "dirty flash". It leaves all of your data untouched and flashes the new ROM without touching your existing data. But, you might get a bootloop or you might get repeated crashes, force closes and random reboots, which indicates that your data can't be used by the new system.
Sent from my SM-S767VL using Tapatalk

Droidriven said:
The same ROM, not a ROM that is "based" on the same ROM, there is a difference. In other words, you can't restore system data and system settings from a lineageOS ROM in a ROM that is "lineageOS based". Most ROMs are AOSP and LineageOS based, if what you are thinking were possible, we could restore system data and system settings from one LineageOS, ROM in any other ROM that is based on LineageOS, but we can't. Being "based" on the same ROM does not make them "similar enough" to use sysyem data and system settings from one in the other. If you have a lineageOS ROM, you can only restore that system data and system settings in another LineageOS ROM. If you have a lineageOS "based" ROM, you can only restore system data and system settings from that ROM in an updated version of that same LineageOS "based" ROM, not another LineageOS "based" ROM. RemixOS and many other ROMs are all LineageOS based but you can't restore system data and system settings from LineageOS in a RemixOS, this leads to issues, bugs and crashes.
What you are looking to backup and restore isn't a system app. What you want to backup and restore is system data and system settings. But, be aware, this doesn't always work even when restoring that data in an updated version of the exact same ROM.
Am I making this any more clear for you?
This only applies to system data, restoring user data from one ROM to a different ROM is usually not an issue because the system itself being different, generally, has no effect on user data, only system related data.
One thing you can try that sometimes works is to flash your new ROM without doing any of the wipes, this is called a "dirty flash". It leaves all of your data untouched and flashes the new ROM without touching your existing data. But, you might get a bootloop or you might get repeated crashes, force closes and random reboots, which indicates that your data can't be used by the new system.
Sent from my SM-S767VL using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No I can't do a dirty flash because this rom has bugs and I don't want find again them. I want a clean install.
But also don't want to add again all the email which I am logged in on this rom. So I just want find a fast way to save them. Do you know any alternatives? Maybe a file where these logins are saved in system folder so I can edit it in the new rom.
Also because all these email registered in any Google applications, once you add them in Gmail, you can login with them in PlayStore and other apps. So there should be a general file which store this data.

Pierfranc said:
No I can't do a dirty flash because this rom has bugs and I don't want find again them. I want a clean install.
But also don't want to add again all the email which I am logged in on this rom. So I just want find a fast way to save them. Do you know any alternatives? Maybe a file where these logins are saved in system folder so I can edit it in the new rom.
Also because all these email registered in any Google applications, once you add them in Gmail, you can login with them in PlayStore and other apps. So there should be a general file which store this data.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You should be able to use something like Titanium Backup or Helium to backup the data for each account and you may be able to restore them that way. It requires root though.
Or, you can do some searching involving using adb backup to achieve this.

TWRP backup restore stuck in bootloop and different exotic issues (1913 Europe)

After my experiment of trying out Beta 3 of Android Q failed apocaliptical I tried to restore the backup I made minutes before. But no matter what I do, I keep getting:
- bootloops (straight rebooting after showing the unlocked bootloader warning)
- restart into recovery
- Oxygen OS loading animation stuck and animation being very slow
- not getting it anymore but had it yesterday in the early stages of my disaster management: Qualcomm Crash POST
Despite that the backup was generated succesfully (at least thats what TWRP said)
I tried almost every guide out there.
- switching to rm -rf
- restoring only data, only boot, only system and a mix of those
- flashing the OTA before restoring backup
- uninstalling magisk und reinstallating magisk (with and without separate reboots)
-multiple wipes of single partitions and data formatting
The only good thing is that I don't get the 255 error anymore I had at the beginng, allthough I don't really know anymore how I did it.
At the end I am only able to restore everything with the MSNTOOL out there.
Is there any golden hint to get the data the be restored? The backup of /data is critical as there my authenticator and banking data are in there.
Thank you in advance
Edit: As I am slowly getting fed up with OnePlus and the problems (proximity sensor, adaptive brightness, whatspps microphone, twrp issues, lacking tech guides if at all) I thought about migrating to Pixel 5. Is it possible to migrate the data partition? Or are all backup partitions strictily device specific?

anphex said:
After my experiment of trying out Beta 3 of Android Q failed apocaliptical I tried to restore the backup I made minutes before. But no matter what I do, I keep getting:
- bootloops (straight rebooting after showing the unlocked bootloader warning)
- restart into recovery
- Oxygen OS loading animation stuck and animation being very slow
- not getting it anymore but had it yesterday in the early stages of my disaster management: Qualcomm Crash POST
Despite that the backup was generated succesfully (at least thats what TWRP said)
I tried almost every guide out there.
- switching to rm -rf
- restoring only data, only boot, only system and a mix of those
- flashing the OTA before restoring backup
- uninstalling magisk und reinstallating magisk (with and without separate reboots)
-multiple wipes of single partitions and data formatting
The only good thing is that I don't get the 255 error anymore I had at the beginng, allthough I don't really know anymore how I did it.
At the end I am only able to restore everything with the MSNTOOL out there.
Is there any golden hint to get the data the be restored? The backup of /data is critical as there my authenticator and banking data are in there.
Thank you in advance
Edit: As I am slowly getting fed up with OnePlus and the problems (proximity sensor, adaptive brightness, whatspps microphone, twrp issues, lacking tech guides if at all) I thought about migrating to Pixel 5. Is it possible to migrate the data partition? Or are all backup partitions strictily device specific?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Try, booting into twrp... Format data. Type yes to format. Restore. Should boot.

@soka said:
Try, booting into twrp... Format data. Type yes to format. Restore. Should boot.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I did just exactly that on stock 10.0.0.11 to no avail, the TWRP restore went through fine but upon system reboot the phone stayed on the bootloader unlocked warning for about two minutes, then it rebooted straight into stock recovery.
It's beyond my understanding yet how the user data partition can cause the whole system to effing die.
My only hunch is that it has something to do with Magisk I had installed during the backup (encryption was disabled btw). But as I said I already tried running Magisk installer and uninstaller on different occasions with the same result. Also the only thing that should happen is that after restore and reboot the phone should tell me that Magisk isn't installed anymore.
Edit: So for now I reverted to full stock 10.0.11 and for the sake of experimenting I made a backup with system, boot and data of this stock rom and restored it succesfully. When I restore my actual data backup I get the same old restart and then it throws me back into TWRP. Is there any log I can check to see what's happening there?

Sorry for double post, but I think this might be very interesting for people with a similar problem as this seems to be very common with OnePlus phones.
So I found a very dirty and hacky way to get a least my most importants app running in the state they had during my backup I was trying to restore. Here's what I did, without any guarantee it might work for you or be stable in the end.
Code:
1. Revert the phone to a clean stock rom and update to the latest stable version (at the time of writing 10.0.11), it should be fully factory reset, aka like new. I am not sure but it may be necessary that you install the apps you want to restore first since the I am not sure the partition we use later contains the app AND the data too.
2. Unlock bootloader and flash latest TWRP, may it be official or mauronofio's
3. Make a backup of that current stock data partition
4. Restore data partition from your actual needed twrp backup (if it ends with 255, try to format data partition before in TWRP)
5. With the TWRP file manager navigate to the /data/data folder and copy everything to an external storage (I chose USB)
6. Restore the stock data partition
7. Now again with the TWRP file manager navigate to the /data/data folder on your external storage (should be /usbstorage) and search for the apps you need to restore (probably banking apps, authenticator, etc.), the name will be something like com.google.authenticator2.
8. Copy the folder of any needed app into the /data/data folder on your phone. Best you do it one by one just to make sure.
Now you can reboot to system. The apps should be fully restored. In my case it worked with Google Authenticator, Blizzard Authenticator, Consorbank Secure Plus (shows undefined error yet), Hue Pro. Maybe I will try more.
Edit: Consorsbank Secure Plus as you might guess is a tan generation banking app. When entering the pin when opening the app it shows "An error has occured". Dunno why, maybe a security checksum error or something. I found com.android.keychain and copied for the sake of trying too but it didn't help.
If you have any questions, suggestions or improvements, feel free to post!

How to properly FULLY backup an android phone that doesn't have TWRP.

Please advise. I really **Really** want to be sure that if I try to backup my sister's phone that I do it properly and can fully and cleanly restore it to a new ROM with no issue. (Be sure that I'll also do external backups of Photos and SMS/MMS databases and whatever else possible onto a computer first, in case of data loss or if I screw up.)
---
Okay, so here's the situation: (Google Pixel 6 Pro)
So I installed a custom ROM on my sisters brand new phone a couple of months back. Problem is, the dev behind said ROM may stop maintaining it due to personal reasons. I'll need to in this case switch her phone to another ROM, so that she continues to receive security updates. By the sounds of it I have to wipe the phone completely when switching ROMs, including the user partition. (Correct me if wrong.)
I'm still fairly new to the custom ROM/unlocked bootloader world, so I wanted to kindly ask around for advice on how to **Properly** backup her phone in such a way that I can later fully restore her photos, SMS/MMS, apps, etc. more or less as though I never switched ROMs on her.
I've already heard of TWRP, but the phone doesn't have a version for it. I also heard about the promising Migrate app posted here. Last but not least is the ADB backup feature--however I also heard some conflicting information suggesting that of late Google is deprecating that feature and making it useless. (Please correct if wrong.) I'm still fairly new to the whole custom ROM scene (and rooting too, but in this case her phone is unrooted, only bootloader unlocked with a custom ROM).

Rule #1 - if a OS is fast, stable and fulfilling it's mission... let it be! Updates can and do break things. Pie and higher are relatively secure unless you do stupid things. This stock, optimized N10+ is still running on Pie; last update >2.5 years, current load is over 2 yo. Still fast, stable and secure. I spend very little time doing maintenance and this load runs like a bat out of hell. What's not to like?
If you have to reload latter so be it. Don't go looking for trouble by messing with firmware unless you absolutely need to. Taking a more conservative approach will save you time and trouble in the long run. Google doesn't care about your time or the trouble their updates cause you.

ruq said:
Please advise. I really **Really** want to be sure that if I try to backup my sister's phone that I do it properly and can fully and cleanly restore it to a new ROM with no issue. (Be sure that I'll also do external backups of Photos and SMS/MMS databases and whatever else possible onto a computer first, in case of data loss or if I screw up.)
---
Okay, so here's the situation: (Google Pixel 6 Pro)
So I installed a custom ROM on my sisters brand new phone a couple of months back. Problem is, the dev behind said ROM may stop maintaining it due to personal reasons. I'll need to in this case switch her phone to another ROM, so that she continues to receive security updates. By the sounds of it I have to wipe the phone completely when switching ROMs, including the user partition. (Correct me if wrong.)
I'm still fairly new to the custom ROM/unlocked bootloader world, so I wanted to kindly ask around for advice on how to **Properly** backup her phone in such a way that I can later fully restore her photos, SMS/MMS, apps, etc. more or less as though I never switched ROMs on her.
I've already heard of TWRP, but the phone doesn't have a version for it. I also heard about the promising Migrate app posted here. Last but not least is the ADB backup feature--however I also heard some conflicting information suggesting that of late Google is deprecating that feature and making it useless. (Please correct if wrong.) I'm still fairly new to the whole custom ROM scene (and rooting too, but in this case her phone is unrooted, only bootloader unlocked with a custom ROM).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There should be no reason to need to wipe user partition. It should only be necessary to, at most, wipe the system partition(stock ROM), data partition(user installed apps and user settings), cache partition and dalvik/ART cache then flash the ROM. These wipes will wipe system data, your user settings, user installed apps and their corresponding app data. These wipes will not wipe data/media, the partition where your photos, videos, downloaded files, etc.. are stored.
You can backup the app data for the user installed apps by connecting to PC then use the PC file manager to open your device's internal storage, go to the Android/data folder, in that folder is all of your user app data. Copy the Android/data folder to your PC. After you install your ROM, reinstall all of the user apps that were installed then you can connect to PC and then copy your backed up Android/data folder over to your device to overwrite the ROMs existing Android/data folder. This will restore your app data for your user installed apps.
Contacts should be backed up to Google and restored when signing into the device after the new ROM boots and re-syncing the device.
You will need to backup your SMS/MMS texts via a separate method. Just do a search for:
"Backup and Restore SMS android"
That should find several methods. Use a method that you are comfortable with.
If you use WhatsApp, backing up and restoring WhatsApp, WhatsApp account and your WhatsApp messages requires it's own specific method. You can find the method by doing a search for:
"Backup and restore WhatsApp"
Sorry, if I knew its specific method, I would explain it.
Is there anything else that you don't want to risk losing or anything specific that is on your device that you 100% absolutely need to be certain gets retained/restored after the update?
What custom ROM are you coming from and what ROM are you going to? Depending on the ROMs in question, you might be able to dirty flash the ROM.