Database Info

[Q] [Android] MMSSMS.DB restore?

Greetings,
Just to make things clear, I have used the search feature. However, I am not clear on the answers that I am reading.
I need to restore or export 1 SMS thread (or entire mmssms.db, doesn't matter) from an old ROM.
Last week my ROM crashed, and I had to switch to a new ROM.
It was a Sense 3.0 ROM (phone is HTC Droid Incredible 2). I was playing around with the different lockscreen options, applied the Stocks Lockscreen, and when I locked/unlocked my phone to see how it looked, nothing but My wallpaper and the top status bar showed up. There was no way to unlock the phone. I had to yank battery to reboot. The phone feature still worked, as I could see the text messages come through on the status bar, and my phone rang, but no notifications cam up on the screen. I was stuck. I did a ClockworkMod backup (aka Nandroid?) and switched to another ROM.
I used unyaffs on my Ubuntu Machine to extract the contents of data.img.
I have the mmssms.db file from /data/com.android.providers.telephony/databases backed up.
Using "SQLite database browser" I can see a preview of the SMS thread.
Technically, I don't need the SMS thread on my phone. If I have a .txt that is neat, organized, and readable, that will be fine. I just assume that I should reinsert the thread (or entire mmssms.db) into my current ROM so I can use SMS Backup and Restore.
My ultimate goal is to be able to get the SMS thread into a text document or large screenshot, which I can send to some friends. It involves a joke/prank, and is quite funny....a bit hard to explain.
How can I get the old mmssms.db (or just one thread) into my current ROM, or into a text document (or something of the like)? I have read something that mentions adb...which I am now Googling to find out what it stands for....so you can guess the amount of knowledge I have on it...
I believe I made that clear....if it is not, let me know, and I'll edit/repost.
tl;dr?
* Need SMS message thread from old ROM
* 1) Old ROM crashed.
* a) Can't get in
* i) Made a backup
* 2) Unyaffed backup
* a) Saved mmssms.db
How to get SMS thread (or entire mmssms.db into new ROM or into text document on computer?
Thanks for all the help!
[::AP::]

Try this on your console, if you have usb debugging enabled.
It should let your phone boot without auto activating the lockscreen.
Code:
adb -d shell
# sqlite3 data/data/com.android.providers.settings/databases/settings.db
sqlite> update system set value=0 where name='lock_pattern_autolock';
sqlite> .exit
# exit
adb reboot
Edit: Wasnt there a post before saying, if you could get in, it would be enough?

Thanks for the response.
Yes, getting into the old ROM would be enough, so I could use a SMS Backup tool, email the texts, and forget about it.
However, I am pretty new to Android. I'm a bit lost with your explanation.
Console meaning....the terminal in Ubuntu (phone connected?)....Android SDK?
If you could go into more detail, that would be great. Thanks.

[::AP::] said:
Thanks for the response.
Yes, getting into the old ROM would be enough, so I could use a SMS Backup tool, email the texts, and forget about it.
However, I am pretty new to Android. I'm a bit lost with your explanation.
Console meaning....the terminal in Ubuntu (phone connected?)....Android SDK?
If you could go into more detail, that would be great. Thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
First thing you need to do is make sure you have the android sdk. The sdk are the tools that let you "communicate" with your mobile device through the computer. If you don't have it, google android sdk installation and you should be able to fnd the link. I tried to put the actuall link but I was able to because I don't have more than 8 posts, sorry.
Now you can remove and install files from your android device as needed.
1. Connect your phone to your computer.
2. Using your Linux Terminal, change directory to the platform-tools folder. On my Windows computer I type cd c:\android-sdk\platform-tools but your sdk folder might have a different name so you should type something like this: cd /sdk-folder-name/platform-tools
3. Now type in: adb devices and your devices should be listed. If you get a message saying No Device Found then you need turn on usb debug mode or you need the drivers installed on your computer for your phone.
4.If your device is found, you need to back up your current database by typing: adb pull /data/data/com.android.providers.telephony/databases "directory on your linux machine where you want the files to be save"
5. Now type: adb push "path to the mmssms.db file" /data/data/com.android.providers.telephony/databases and do the same for the telephony.db file. Both of these files must be pushed onto your device in order to see the text messeges.
6. You should be able to see your texts from your old rom now on your new rom. Once you're done just push your backed up mmssms.db and telephony.db file from your newer rom back into your phone.
I don't know of a way to combine the text so this is the way I do it. I hope that helps!

Sorry for the late response - I have been quite busy.
I'll try this out and let you know.
Thanks a ton,
[::AP::]

This is an old thread but I'd like to share my recent experience with restoring SMS messages. Today decided to try mod on my Nexus 6 running rooted stock Nougat. Did full backup with TWRP, tried the mod, didn't have use for it and did full restore. All SMS messages were gone. Checked mmssms.db sure enough size was 0. So why TWRP didn't restore is a good question.
The way is was restored is by extracting mmssms.db and journal from TWRP backup using Nandroid Manager and copying to my location /data/user_de/0/com.android.providers.telephony. Started messenger but still no messages. Opened terminal app and changed ownership and group on both files. After that everything was restored to prebackup state.

I'm trying to do the same thing between a Droid Turbo and GS4. The Turbo screen died, but the phone boots and can go to recovery.
VZW GS4 - 5.0.1
VZW Droid Turbo - 6.0
- I copied the entire /data/data/com.android.provider.telephone directory from the Turbo using ADB
- Copied Turbo mmssms.db to the S4 (renamed the old S4 file mmssms.db.bak)
- Set permissions to 660, radio:radio (as per the old S4 file)
After a restart, Messages showed the old S4 text messages, even though I renamed the original mmssms.db file.
In other words, the S4 shows the old message history, even though the mmssms.db file has changed!
- There were two other files, mmssms.db-shm, mmssms.db-wal
- Renamed these to *.bak
After a restart, Messages now shows no text message history.
When I copied the telephony.db files over, the Phone app went into a bootloop, with a constant repeating dialog that it had crashed. I had to go into adb to reset the files.
It looks like something else is needed to make Messages see the new sms db.

Dear Hjicons,
Could you please give exact commands and what to type in adb shell to change the ownership and group of the mmssms.db and the journal?
Thanks in advance.

I did it "on the fly" without adb, only using MiXplorer
On a rooted Moto G XT1032 running KK
Copy (replace) backed up .db files in data/data/com.android.providers.telephony/databases
set permission to 600 rw-rw---- and owner, group to 1001 radio on all newly replaced files
Terminate (kill) message app, relaunch it and you're good to go, without even rebooting.
I set long press back key to terminate (kill) app via GravityBox
The same you can do with phone calls .db (same dir), or Whatsapp .db, in com.whatsapp/databases, permission to 600 and owner/group Whatsapp, then kill and relaunch

GUIDE: Google Nexus Devices - Get the best possible Backup(Locked Bootload/No Root)

How to get the most complete backup, which is possible with locked bootloader and no #Root?
Hello everybody.
This step-by-step Guide will show you, how to get the most complete backup from a Nexus device,if your bootloader is not unlocked.
Once, i also had some problems and confusion with this backup, but finally i understood. So i'm posting this thread for some other users, which are maybe confused.
First of all, great thanks to @WugFresh for the Nexus Root toolkit, and for the early help.
This can be helpful, if you want to unlock your bootloader, but you still need to back up some important data.
With unlocked bootloader, it's quite easy to take a backup, which doesn't exclude anything. That's the Nandroid w/ Backup.
But with locked bootloader, it's a little bit (much) harder, because the nAndroid/W Backup will not be useful at all.
The problem is, that unlocking bootloader will wipe out all user data/apps/etc., which is present on the device. Locking it again will do the same. There's no way to avoid the wipe, which will make all data unrecoverable, but you can back up as much data as possible.
I recommend to unlock the bootloader, straight away after you buy any nexus device, before saving any data to it, to avoid those restrictions. It's truly worthed it.
The Factory Images of all Nexus Devices can be downloaded from this nice place here, if you want to change your Android Version manually: https://developers.google.com/android/nexus/images?hl=de
Google excludes all 4.4.1 or 4.2.1-Versions on the website, but other version history is included, and the download speed is very fast there.
This is, what the backup will include:
> Full User Data Storage (Without NRT)
> All APK's of Free Apps
> All Data of Free Apps
> Full Data of Paid Apps
> AndroidManifests.XML of Free/Paid/System apps
> SMS
>Call Logs
>Contacts
This is, what the backup will exclude:
APK's of Paid Apps
Data of System Apps
APK's of System Apps
Network Configuration
WiFi-Passwords and SSiD's
A Nandroid w/ Backup does actually include everything, which is on the device, nothing (except. deleted recoverable data) is excluded.
Part 1 (Without NRT) - User Data Storage
For this part, you should do following:
Make sure, your computer supports MTP. Connect your device to your Computer's USB Port.
1. Reboot your device (better to safe mode) - If your computer detects the device, jump to step 4.
2. After Reboot, drop the drop-down-menu by swiping down from the upper screen.
2.1 Go to the USB-Connection-Notification and tap it.
3. If MTP-Connection is not enable, enable it
4. You're now viewing the Internal Storage of the Drive with the File Explorer of Windows.
4.1 Now press STRG+A.
4.2 Now copy or move the data to your desired destiantion (On Android 4.4.2, never move the data from the device, because that can Trigger a full data loss of the internal user storage, due to a software bug. Better →copy→delete.)
4.3 If you've got many files, and the Progress Bar is stuck at zero, wait around up to thirty minutes and see what happened. In those thirty minutes, Windows counts the files and calculates the - this is needed for MTP. Too Bad ;(
4.3.1 If something happened in those thirty minutes, (progress bar) simply wait until the end.
4.3.2 If nothing happened, try not to copy/move all file at once.
5. Make sure, that every desired file is in the output folder. (4.4.2 Software bug might exclude newer files.)
6. Go to [Part 2], to backup the apps with their data.
Part 2 with NRT - Apps, Application Data, AndroidManifest etc.
You have to connect your device to the computer with a MicroUSB-Cable. The length of the cable is not important, but please make sure, that it's attached properly.
Installing the program is possible, without your nexus device itself, but you'll need it.
[Part 2.0 - Preparation and Installation of NRT]
First [i forgot, what i wanted to write here. Will be added by edit, please excuse me ]
You can download the lastest version of NRT right here (Currently, it's 2.0.5, while this text was written)
It's an offline (standalone) installer, so that the Installer does not require any Internet connection to install NRT, if the download of the installer finished. It will not download additional files and it's also free of adware.
Optionally, you can set the installation directory manually.
[Part 2.1 - After Installation]
After finishing the Installation, you will have to open the toolkit. Possibly it will ask you, which device model + Android Version you have got. Auto-Detection only works, if your device is attached to the computer properly.
Probably, a message will show up, which wants you to download the following three things:
→Modified Boot.img
→TWRP (Team win Recovery Project) Recovery
→@ChainFire SuperSU (Currently v2.4.6)
So you have to click on „Download + Update all file dependencies"
After the NRT has downloaded a few files, it will automaticly go to the GUI's Main Page with it's LiveLog.
[Part 2.1.1 - Google Driver Installation]
For this Step, you have to click the big button in the main GUI Page, in the area "Initial Setup", in the upper right corner.
As far, as i know myself, it's recommended to install the Google Drivers. The name "universal drivers" sounds attractive, but i did not test, whether it works, but i think, it does also work fine. But there's also a big number for „Recommended Solution". In my case, the tool recommended me [#1].
[2.2 - GUi]
Now, it will ask you, to enable the USB-Debugging. NRT will tell you, how to do it:
1. Go to the Settings Menu.
1.1 Go to the System Information
1.2 Tap the Build Number (e.g. KOT49H for Android 4.4.2) seven times, to enable the developer options. You can also tap it more than seven times, but this will not have any effect.
2. Open the Developer-Settings.
3. Enable „USB-Debugging"
3.1 If needed, you can confirm to allow your computer. The RSA-Fingerprint of your computer will be displayed.
3.2 For sure, also go to the USB-Connection settings (through the Drop-Down menu or the setting menu), and uncheck MTP or PTP or whatever (everything, which is present.)
You're now on the Main Page of the GUI.
On the left, there's an Area, which is called: „Backup + Restore“.
There are two buttons labeled [Backup] and [Restore].
[Restore] is for restoration purposes, so click on [Backup].
[2.3 - App Backup]
On the area „Backup all Apps", you see 2 tickboxes.
Please do not tick the first one, because the first one would require an unlocked bootloader. If you do, the program would fail
[ ] System apps+data
[✓] Shared Data​
After that, just go and click on [Create Android Backup File], which will create an *.ab File. (not *.adb) Later, you can restore the data from the AB file, whenever you want.
After you clicked this button, a window with some relevant information will show up. Please take your time and read it. It can be pretty useful.
Please don't forget to turn Airplane Mode on. I personally recommend being in Safe Mode. (The computer can run normally, but the device should be in fresh safe mode without opening any app.)
After you click on [OK], the program will ask you, where you want to save the .ab-file, and what the filename should be.
The Standard is „MM-DD-YYYY_HH-MM.ab" - I personally use YYYYMMDDHHMMSS, the Timestamp, which is known from the Wayback Machine.
After that, the Toolkit will try to reboot your device. But then it will not boot into safe mode. So please click [save] at the moment, when the device is already rebooting into safe mode.
Make sure, that your Computer's RSA-Key(Fingerprint) is automaticly accepted by the debug mode. The Toolkit will only wait five minutes for the device. If the waiting time has expired without success, an error message will show up. It says: „Notification: Waiting for device operation timed out. [...]"
If your device can't be detected, read the information in the timeout-window. It's worth reading it and will maybe solve your problem.
If your device is detected properly, your device should disply a confirmation message all over the screen. Try confirming fast, otherways NRT will timeout.
But if you want, you can lock it with a password, which you'll need, if you want to read/restore from the backup anytime later on. Please take care about case-sensitivity and to avoid additional problems, it's not recommended to use those emoticons on the KitKat-Keyboard.
Now, the backup starts.
While NRT is indicating, that the backup is running, the device will display, which package is being backed up. Now, please wait, until it's finished.
[2.3.6 - Finish]
The output file is now compressed, so a smaller file size than uncompressed is expected.
There are tools, where you can read those ADB-Files.
Make sure, that the filesize is reliable. If the backup is blank (Zero Bytes) or just a few kilobytes, something went wrong. Retry the backup, if this is the case.
[2.4 - Other things]
Now, you have to do the same with following things, if possible or needed:
> SMS
> Call Logs
> Contacts
> Network Configuration (Root needed on Android KitKat/Higher)
Just give it a try.
Part 3 - VirtualSD-Backup
This is non-urgent, so if it does not work, it's no problem.
You have to go to the Backup Menu again.
This is very similar to Part 1, and easier, but does only work up to Android 4.3(.1).
If you want to do this on 4.4/Higher, you will need an unlocked bootloader. Vicious cycle.
----
@WugFresh, @anybody else; if there's anything i missed, or i described wrong here, like false information, please let me know it by sending me Private Message or better Post in this thread.
If there are problems, feel free posting here No problem is irrelevant here.
I hope, my guide was able to help some people here.
I wish you to have very much fun with NRT‼
Test Device: Nexus 7 2012 - 32 GB IntMem - WiFi - Not mobile - Android 4.4.2 KOT49H

Ask Questions
Please feel free asking questions here. :laugh:

[HOW TO] Fully Backup & Restore Android Device

NOTE:
I'm not a developer or something even near to that. I'm a newbie and will be, seems so. All information provided here is copied and compiled from different internet sources. This information is according to best of my knowledge and comprehension and is just for curious souls like me who want to understand things in quite simple words.
I have tested this on different devices. I'll not be responsible for any harm to you or your device. It works perfectly for me. You may try it on your own risk.
Encrypted memory may cause problem in backing up and restoring data. So better decrypt it before proceeding. Or the Recovery should support decryption of /data partition.
WHY YOU NEED TO BACKUP YOUR DATA
For security, in case if device is lost. Read here more about the risks.
If you are going to change your device.
If your device is running out of memory space.
If your device is slowing down or giving random errors and you want a clean start i.e. by factory data reset.
If you are upgrading your Factory Firmware or ROM (OS).
If you are a curious soul like me and interested in experimenting with device.
WHAT TO BACKUP
Backup is a broad term used in many contexts.
PERSONAL DATA
On an android device, backing up personal data like pictures, music, videos, documents, e-books etc. means backing up Internal Memory (/data/media/) and SD card (if you use one). If you have disabled internal memory (D.I.M), your SD Card would be working as Internal Memory.
Personal data might be created by apps (like Camera, Facebook, WhatsApp etc) or imported from internet or other devices by yourself.
APPS & APPS DATA
If you are upgrading your ROM permanently, you might be interested in backing up your apps and their data as well. So that you don't lose important data and don't have to install apps again. System apps are stored in different folders under /system/ while user apps under /data/.
Apps typically store their data in /data/data/ but it's not a rule. Many apps save / backup their data on Internal Memory and/or SD Card as well. That's why you see folders named 'Android', 'data' etc. on Internal Memory and SD Card. Also, there are numerous folders named after app names. These folders may contain Personal Data as well, created by that certain app.
Contacts and messages are also stored in their default apps' data folder i.e. in /data/data/ and are not usually backed up manually.
OPERATING SYSTEM & APPS & APPS DATA
If you are going to install new ROM temporarily, you may want a complete backup so that you don't have to go through the hassle of installing apps and setting up / personalizing your device again. It usually includes /system, /boot and /data partitions.
OS consists of SYSTEM and BOOT. While user apps & apps data is stored in DATA.
PARTITION IMAGES
From a developer's perspective, one may want to backup the whole device partitions, in case if something goes wrong during experimenting.
Read here more about android partitions.
WHERE TO BACKUP
INTERNAL MEMORY (/sdcard) (/storage/sdcard0) (/data/media/0)
This memory can be used to save data if you are not going to wipe / clean it. A Factory Data Reset usually doesn't wipe this but it can. It depends on the device. Similarly, Recoveries usually don't wipe internal memory but you can manually do so. However, formatting /data would certainly erase internal memory. Formatting might be a part of flashable zip if you are going to install new ROM. Flashing Factory Firmware using flasher will also erase internal memory.
EXTERNAL SD CARD (/external_sd) (/storage/sdcard1)
This is a more safer place to save / backup data because it is not wiped unless done manually or accidentally.
PERSONAL COMPUTER (USB Flash drive or Internal / External Hard Disk)
This is the safest place to keep data with abundant space and the least chances of losing / corrupting data.
ONLINE / CLOUD STORAGE
Some apps, including Google offer backing up your data online and auto-synchronizes it. You should certainly avail this option particularly for sensitive and light weight data like contacts, messages, documents, saved passwords, bookmarks, financial transactions etc. WhatsApp also has a good online backup option. You can use apps like Drive, SMS Backup & Restore, FolderSync, KeepSafe etc. to better utilize this option. But technically, this is a limited option.
HOW TO BACKUP
FILE EXPLORER APPS
You can use a file explorer like ES Explorer or Solid Explorer to manually copy files from, say, Internal Memory to SD Card to back it up.
BACKUP APPS
Some default apps have built-in feature to backup data and settings locally and online e.g. GO-SMS, Tasker etc. You can check apps for this feature.
Also, special backup apps like Titanium Backup can backup almost all of your user and system apps and their data. It can also backup contacts, messages, device settings etc. It can create a flashable zip of backed up data to flash through recovery. However, backups from one ROM may not fully work with other ROM's.
CUSTOM RECOVERY
Backing up data when ROM is running isn't safe. When files are being used by OS, they might not be written / read sometimes. So, a custom recovery is the best option to backup/restore data. Custom recoveries (TWRP/CWM) can backup / restore partitions SYSTEM, BOOT and DATA (excluding internal memory) for sure. Some new recoveries offer backing up more (or all) partitions on device. You can choose where to save backup files i.e. Internal Memory or SD Card. Then you can transfer these files to PC as well.
You can also use recovery's File Explorer to copy Internal Memory to SD Card. However, it's a slower process if you have a large number of files to backup.
PC
You can use PC in multiple ways to backup/restore data within device or from/to PC.
First of all, you will often come across different software advertised on net claiming to fully backup your device when connected to PC. They work but are not much useful / reliable according to my experience. Give them a try, if you want to.
Secondly, you can use USB cable to directly connect your device (as MTP in ROM or recovery) to PC or use apps like Wi-Fi File Transfer to wirelessly connect (in ROM) and then explore Internal Memory and SD Card. FTP or SFTP (SSH) server may also be setup on Android to remotely access it from PC if both are on same network.
Thirdly, you can mount SD Card as flash drive (UMS in ROM) or switch off your device, remove SD Card and then insert directly into PC through card reader to manually copy files. This method is faster, to copy large data. However, mounting as UMS in running ROM isn't recommended, particularly if you are using D.I.M. It will crash apps.
In Android 5+ UMS may not be available in USB settings as it has been deprecated in favor of MTP to avoid problems. However, to copy large data from internal SD card is really problematic without direct USB connection. Or what if we need to recover accidentally deleted data from internal memory? We can directly attach internal memory (as in UMS) to PC by a little hacking.
Fourthly and ultimately, like a boss , you can use life saving ADB feature of android to backup/restore your data as well as recovering your device from difficult situations and doing a lot of stuff. It's the best and fastest method to backup Internal Memory to SD Card and then restore (COPY WHOLE FOLDER (within device)). Or you can COPY WHOLE FOLDER (From/To PC) or COPY WHOLE PARTITION IMAGE (within device) or BACKUP / RESTORE APPS & DATA (From/To PC) in seconds.
Read here more about android partitions.

Another application that you can use to backup your phone to computer is Apowersoft Phone Manager. This works greatly in managing your devices plus it make sure that all your files are secured from being corrupted or loss.

doublematteo said:
Another application that you can use to backup your phone to computer is Apowersoft Phone Manager. This works greatly in managing your devices plus it make sure that all your files are secured from being corrupted or loss.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I can't determine the efficiency of the Apowersoft tool, but if you want to backup data , this is right way , after the phone data is backuped ,you don't have to worry about the deleted data unable be recovered back ,
The backup files is the best way to recover deleted data from phone

Kindly guide me on restoring app data alone from a nandroid to newer version of an app..
The scenario is that ,I upgraded to a higher android OS but find some of my apps(with no cloud storage),restored from my nandroid ,crashing; probably prompted by the change in OS.
I downloaded the compatible version of the app from playstore,but am clueless how to sync restored app data from nandroid to this version.

DIGVIJAY24 said:
Kindly guide me on restoring app data alone from a nandroid to newer version of an app..
The scenario is that ,I upgraded to a higher android OS but find some of my apps(with no cloud storage),restored from my nandroid ,crashing; probably prompted by the change in OS.
I downloaded the compatible version of the app from playstore,but am clueless how to sync restored app data from nandroid to this version.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Would you please mention apps names? Don't uninstall previous version. Just install compatible version over it. It should automatically have previous app data.

The backup program is much simpler than the android recovery program,

I came here looking for the best way to back up my internal storage before activities like flashing a new ROM or firmware. Previously, I'd plug my phone into my PC and just drag and drop the internal storage partition to a folder on my computer, but I'd often have to do it a few times because some file would get hung up, or the phone would randomly disconnect (even though my phone, cables, and computer are all new and high quality).
I'm currently using the TWRP file explorer to copy /sdcard to /external-sd/!InternalBackup, but there is no running log or progress indicator... So, this approach is less than ideal.
I'm still looking for the best method (not necessarily a software that will do it for me) that will do it fast, not get interrupted, and provide good feedback on if it's working and how much longer it will take. (The TWRP method above checks the first 2 criteria, but the 3rd is woefully insufficient.
I'm thinking that the best way to back up the internal SD will be in recovery, otherwise something might be in use and will halt the process.
Any suggestions?

DrPhant0m said:
I came here looking for the best way to back up my internal storage before activities like flashing a new ROM or firmware. Previously, I'd plug my phone into my PC and just drag and drop the internal storage partition to a folder on my computer, but I'd often have to do it a few times because some file would get hung up, or the phone would randomly disconnect (even though my phone, cables, and computer are all new and high quality).
I'm currently using the TWRP file explorer to copy /sdcard to /external-sd/!InternalBackup, but there is no running log or progress indicator... So, this approach is less than ideal.
I'm still looking for the best method (not necessarily a software that will do it for me) that will do it fast, not get interrupted, and provide good feedback on if it's working and how much longer it will take. (The TWRP method above checks the first 2 criteria, but the 3rd is woefully insufficient.
I'm thinking that the best way to back up the internal SD will be in recovery, otherwise something might be in use and will halt the process.
Any suggestions?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Commandline solutions are always best. You have better control over them. Use TWRP built-in terminal to run commands.
Simply 'cp' with verbose option "-v" is what fulfills your needs. 'rsync' is better if you want to save time by automatically skipping unchanged existing files. If you want to preserve file attributes and permissions, use 'tar'. Added compression can be achieved by 'xz' or '7za'. All of these commands are stable solutions, with high speed and ability to handle/resume broken/interrupted operations.
TWRP comes with busybox bundled. Busybox utilities have limited functionality and mostly suffice the need but rarely we face unexpected behavior. Instead you can use full static binaries of these commands.
Typing lengthy commands in TWRP shell terminal is somewhat challenging. Either use 'adb shell' or for repeated use, create a shell script and place it in internal memory or SD card. Or you can unpack TWRP image and save script in /sbin directly to run it just as a normal command. Another easy way is to create a flashable zip of your script. This way you can also see progress bar moving if you write a proper script for it.
Hope it helped.

mirfatif said:
Commandline solutions are always best. You have better control over them. Use TWRP built-in terminal to run commands.
Simply 'cp' with verbose option "-v" is what fulfills your needs. 'rsync' is better if you want to save time by automatically skipping unchanged existing files. If you want to preserve file attributes and permissions, use 'tar'. Added compression can be achieved by 'xz' or '7za'. All of these commands are stable solutions, with high speed and ability to handle/resume broken/interrupted operations.
TWRP comes with busybox bundled. Busybox utilities have limited functionality and mostly suffice the need but rarely we face unexpected behavior. Instead you can use full static binaries of these commands.
Typing lengthy commands in TWRP shell terminal is somewhat challenging. Either use 'adb shell' or for repeated use, create a shell script and place it in internal memory or SD card. Or you can unpack TWRP image and save script in /sbin directly to run it just as a normal command. Another easy way is to create a flashable zip of your script. This way you can also see progress bar moving if you write a proper script for it.
Hope it helped.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's a lot of help... But I lack the basic understanding and experience to make use of it all. I'll have to Google it a bit and look at some examples. Thanks!
UPDATE: I did a little research, and I succeeded in using "cp" to do a test move in TWRP (I had to use -r and -v), but even using -v didn't create a progress bar or any indication that files were being moved. It just finished and went to the next new line. Is this expected?
Also... my version of TWRP doesn't seem to have rsync available. When I try to use rsync in TWRP, I get
Code:
sh: rsync: not found
So it seems that TWRP's terminal doesn't have rsync. I'm using TWRP 3.0.2-1
So... I'm currently using the Termux app to do the cp operation. I'd prefer to use rsync, which is supported in Termux, however, unless I do "su" first, it says it doesn't have access to the destination folder. And, when I use "su" I can't use rsync. I get pretty much the same message as when I try to use it in TWRP... something like "rsync not found"
Does this mean that when Termux is using root, it can't use rsync? Does that make sense?
Any help?
Thanks!

DrPhant0m said:
I did a little research, and I succeeded in using "cp" to do a test move in TWRP (I had to use -r and -v), but even using -v didn't create a progress bar or any indication that files were being moved. It just finished and went to the next new line. Is this expected?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
'cp -r' copies recursively i.e. files/directories under directories and so on. So it's definitely required if you want to copy directories. 'cp -v' shows each file which is being copied, but not the progress during a single file copying. Check 'cp --help' for options.
Also... my version of TWRP doesn't seem to have rsync available. When I try to use rsync in TWRP, I get
Code:
sh: rsync: not found
So it seems that TWRP's terminal doesn't have rsync. I'm using TWRP 3.0.2-1
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
TWRP uses busybox which doesn't have rsync built-in. You can get a copy of static (independently working) rsync binary from many sources like this. Aarch64 will be a bit faster. Check 'getrpop | grep ro.product.cpu' to find your CPU architecture if it's 64-bit or 32. When in TWRP, place binary in /sbin directory. Then do 'chmod 0777 /sbin/rsync' to make it executable. Now you can use rsync. 'rsync --help' will show you options and basic help. Do note, /sbin is on volatile filesystem i.e. it will be gone on reboot. Don't expect it to be permanently there. You can also use rsync from other locations like sd card but that will need to call binary with full path and filesystem may put restrictions on execution.
So... I'm currently using the Termux app to do the cp operation. I'd prefer to use rsync, which is supported in Termux, however, unless I do "su" first, it says it doesn't have access to the destination folder. And, when I use "su" I can't use rsync. I get pretty much the same message as when I try to use it in TWRP... something like "rsync not found"
Does this mean that when Termux is using root, it can't use rsync? Does that make sense?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's expected. When we do 'su' on Termux, it's environment is gone and PATH is set to /system/bin etc. So any binaries which Termux downloaded to /data/data/com.termux/files/usr/bin won't work. There are better options, but easiest is to use 'tsu' instead of 'su' on Termux. It will handle things for you to run Termux binaries in superuser mode. Do 'apt install tsu' when connected to internet. Once installed, simply execute 'tsu'. Now you can use Termux rsync binary.
Or use rsync static bianry instead as explained above. Copy rsync to /system/bin/ or /system/xbin/ etc. and set permissions. SELinux may interfere if it's set to "Enforcing". Do 'getenforce' to check and 'setenforce 0' to set it "Permissive".

DrPhant0m said:
That's a lot of help... But I lack the basic understanding and experience to make use of it all. I'll have to Google it a bit and look at some examples. Thanks!
UPDATE: I did a little research, and I succeeded in using "cp" to do a test move in TWRP (I had to use -r and -v), but even using -v didn't create a progress bar or any indication that files were being moved. It just finished and went to the next new line. Is this expected?
Also... my version of TWRP doesn't seem to have rsync available. When I try to use rsync in TWRP, I get
So it seems that TWRP's terminal doesn't have rsync. I'm using TWRP 3.0.2-1
So... I'm currently using the Termux app to do the cp operation. I'd prefer to use rsync, which is supported in Termux, however, unless I do "su" first, it says it doesn't have access to the destination folder. And, when I use "su" I can't use rsync. I get pretty much the same message as when I try to use it in TWRP... something like "rsync not found"
Does this mean that when Termux is using root, it can't use rsync? Does that make sense?
Any help?
Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This reply is probably a bit late for you, but...
If you install tsu (pkg install tsu) in TermUX and use tsu rather than su, it'll work.
Tsu sets up the runtime context for su properly.
Sent from my OnePlus3T using XDA Labs

BillGoss said:
This reply is probably a bit late for you, but...
If you install tsu (pkg install tsu) in TermUX and use tsu rather than su, it'll work.
Tsu sets up the runtime context for su properly.
Sent from my OnePlus3T using XDA Labs
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hey, it's never too late to refine your backup strategy. Thanks for letting me know.
I installed tsu in Termux, and when it finished, I tried to use rsync with su, and got the same "rsync: not found" error. Please see the following output, with my entries in Bold[/B].
Code:
$ [B]pkg install tsu[/B]
[COLOR="Gray"][I]~~
~~[LOTS OF LINES DETAILING THE INSTALLATION OF TSU]~~
~~[/I][/COLOR]
Setting up tsu (1.1)...
$ [B]su[/B]
elsa:/data/data/com.termux/files/home # [B]rsync[/B]
sh: rsync: not found
127|elsa:/data/data/com.termux/files/home #
*** Though I did enjoy watching the movie with my son, I did not pick the name Elsa for my device. That's just what LG called the carrier-free V20, Model US996.
Am I doing something wrong? To be clear.. I just did "rsync" without any commands/switches to see if it would produce the help info. I knew it wouldn't actually attempt to copy anything.

DrPhant0m said:
Hey, it's never too late to refine your backup strategy. Thanks for letting me know.
I installed tsu in Termux, and when it finished, I tried to use rsync with su, and got the same "rsync: not found" error. Please see the following output, with my entries in Bold[/B].
*** Though I did enjoy watching the movie with my son, I did not pick the name Elsa for my device. That's just what LG called the carrier-free V20, Model US996.
Am I doing something wrong? To be clear.. I just did "rsync" without any commands/switches to see if it would produce the help info. I knew it wouldn't actually attempt to copy anything.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Lol! You missed the key point: use tsu instead of su.
Instead of typing "su", type "tsu".
But don't take it too hard - I did the same thing when I first started.
Sent from my OnePlus3T using XDA Labs

Got it. Worked just fine. Thanks!

DrPhant0m said:
I installed tsu in Termux, and when it finished, I tried to use rsync with su, and got the same "rsync: not found" error. Please see the following output, with my entries in Bold[/B].
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I mentioned to use 'tsu' instead of 'su' but probably you missed that.
mirfatif said:
When we do 'su' on Termux, it's environment is gone and PATH is set to /system/bin etc. So any binaries which Termux downloaded to /data/data/com.termux/files/usr/bin won't work. There are better options, but easiest is to use 'tsu' instead of 'su' on Termux. It will handle things for you to run Termux binaries in superuser mode. Do 'apt install tsu' when connected to internet. Once installed, simply execute 'tsu'. Now you can use Termux rsync binary.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
/data/data/com.termux/files/bin/tsu is just a wrapper i.e. a shell script that sets environment variables for Termux and then executes 'su'.

mirfatif said:
I mentioned to use 'tsu' instead of 'su' but probably you missed that.
/data/data/com.termux/files/bin/tsu is just a wrapper i.e. a shell script that sets environment variables for Termux and then executes 'su'.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I see it now. I gave a thanks, though admittedly late. Sorry!

Is backup feasible when sd external card has been mounted extending the internal storage (Android 6.0), working as internal storage as well?
Can some expert comment on this, just not to go crazy for nothing. I don't want to upgrade with last rom by manufacturer and lose my data.
I have ADB , fastboot and usb drivers, but trying and use Helium backup I was unable to pair, even though the phone is connected (I can select onscreen for instance PTP or usb storage, tried both, nothing).
Not even sure about nandroid backup also.

HeyRicardo said:
Is backup feasible when sd external card has been mounted extending the internal storage (Android 6.0), working as internal storage as well?
Can some expert comment on this, just not to go crazy for nothing. I don't want to upgrade with last rom by manufacturer and lose my data.
I have ADB , fastboot and usb drivers, but trying and use Helium backup I was unable to pair, even though the phone is connected (I can select onscreen for instance PTP or usb storage, tried both, nothing).
Not even sure about nandroid backup also.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes it's feasible but depends on what, how and where you want to backup.

mirfatif said:
Yes it's feasible but depends on what, how and where you want to backup.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Any solution is fine to me, I just want to be able to restore apps and launcher (Nova launcher prime) with icons arranged as they are, without having to start all over from scratch.
Other data are on the cloud, so if I can possibly backup some folder (from phone or sd card, if the difference matter in my case) good, or I'll take care of it in advance.
Just having the phone upgraded but not reset from the beginning.
If necessary I can try rooting it. Thx for replying.

how to use a twrp data backup for oder rom?

Looking for a solution to make a backup image of my SM-N900V

As the title says, I am looking for a solution to make a backup image of my SM-N900V. I did not post this in the Note 3 forum as this seems like it should be a generic task but I have been unable to find anything related to this online.
I don't want to just backup photos, docs, etc. I want to take an entire image which I could later restore and the phone would return to the exact state it was at when I took the image. Just like when you image a PC.
Is this just not possible with phones? Or am I missing something here?
Thank you in advance for any help you can provide.

you will need twrp for that

You may use
[TOOL][ADB][WIN]Android Partitions Backupper / Cloner
Hi all, wrote a Windows CMD script that backups / clones partitions of an Android device via ADB because I wasn't content with any 3rd-party APK what claims to do this job. The backups /clones are stored on Windows computer as...
forum.xda-developers.com

Back up your android phone on the device itself is not a wise choice.
While devices that have Android 4.0 and above can be backed up from the Android SDK and saved to a file on your PC. This process will allow you to have all of the data from your phone placed into a backup file on your computer.
You will need to download and set up the Android SDK on your computer. This will be used to initiate the backup and restore process on your Android devices. It’s also recommended that you set your device’s display sleep timer to a time that will disable it from turning off during the process.
How to fully backup and restore your Android device without root
One of Android’s little-known tricks is its built-in backup and restore process that allows users to save their private data...
9to5google.com

Thank you guys, I will look in to those and post back.
Piter101, I guess I did not specify where I wanted the backup stored. But yes, I want it to be taken by PC preferably and stored on the PC. A complete backup image cannot typically be taken by a running system, especially if it is stored on the same volume being imaged.

Both to an external drive and to encrypted cloud storage would a good bet to keep your data safe.

[SM-G991B/DS] How to access to Outlook cache

Hi there ! Greetings from France
I got a Samsung Galaxy S21 5G "classic" 128GB
I'm currently in dispute with my insurer, my automobile expert and my garage.
I'd like to access the Outlook cache because I viewed a photo of my car (taken by the expert), bodywork done, before painting, via the Edge browser integrated into Outlook, without being able to save it.
I didn't insist because I didn't think it would end up in litigation, serious mistake, because the expert deleted all the photos in the file (oddly)
They claim to have removed my quarter window, and not to have removed my front bumper, this photo would prove the opposite, if I manage to recover it
But I can't.
I tried via samsung explorer, also on windows, it's impossible without root, but root will wipe all my data...
In the android "applications" section, when I click on Outlook (4.2247.1), there's written :
App 236MB
Data 1.45GB
Cache 181MB
Total 1.87GB of inaccessible data
What do you guys think ?
I'd really like to recover this photo, to shut them up, although it's provable even without a photo, there would be no further discussion if I managed to get it back.
Thanks

gr3g68 said:
Hi there ! Greetings from France
I got a Samsung Galaxy S21 5G "classic" 128GB
I'm currently in dispute with my insurer, my automobile expert and my garage.
I'd like to access the Outlook cache because I viewed a photo of my car (taken by the expert), bodywork done, before painting, via the Edge browser integrated into Outlook, without being able to save it.
I didn't insist because I didn't think it would end up in litigation, serious mistake, because the expert deleted all the photos in the file (oddly)
They claim to have removed my quarter window, and not to have removed my front bumper, this photo would prove the opposite, if I manage to recover it
But I can't.
I tried via samsung explorer, also on windows, it's impossible without root, but root will wipe all my data...
In the android "applications" section, when I click on Outlook (4.2247.1), there's written :
App 236MB
Data 1.45GB
Cache 181MB
Total 1.87GB of inaccessible data
What do you guys think ?
I'd really like to recover this photo, to shut them up, although it's provable even without a photo, there would be no further discussion if I managed to get it back.
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry, the only way to access the cache is either with root or by flashing TWRP then using TWRP to create a android backup of all data on your device and then extracting the data you are looking for from the nandroid backup. If your bootloader is locked, you would have to unlock the bootloader to install TWRP, which would wipe your data.
It is "possible" to unlock the bootloader(this will wipe your data) then root the device then recover the deleted data using one of the several different data recovery software on PC, this is commonly done to retrieve lost data from rooted devices. There is no guarantee that you will be able to retrieve your data intact.

outlook is email right? so why you don't just open the email again?
depending on app manifest you can copy app data (including cache files) to PC with adb backup.
this app will find cached pictures and thumbnails in emulated storage (existing only, impossible to recover deleted files)
FindMyPhoto – Recover Photos o - Apps on Google Play
A truely free app to recover deleted photos on Android devices.
play.google.com
beware of noobs advise! unlocking bootloader is just nonsense, it's simply impossible to recover just a single file from factory reset!

aIecxs said:
outlook is email right? so why you don't just open the email again?
depending on app manifest you can copy app data (including cache files) to PC with adb backup.
this app will find cached pictures and thumbnails in emulated storage (existing only, impossible to recover deleted files)
FindMyPhoto – Recover Photos o - Apps on Google Play
A truely free app to recover deleted photos on Android devices.
play.google.com
beware of noobs advise! unlocking bootloader is just nonsense, it's simply impossible to recover just a single file from factory reset!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The pictures were stored in my personal space of the expert's site, he sent me the link via email, and my client is Outlook.
So I opened it in Outlook, with the (s***ty) integrated lite version of Edge
Thank you very much, I'll try these two solutions !
OK I'll not unlock my BL

link only pictures might stored in browser cache. check for each app manifest if backup is allowed.

I tried "Findmyphotos" without success
Now I'll install DevToolsPro and I'll tell you

android:allowBackup="false" =[
I think that I have also opened it in Samsung Internet browser, but backup is also not allowed

as that flag should be ignored for apps targeting API level 30+ you can try anyway (leave password blank)
Code:
adb backup [-f <file>] [-apk|-noapk] [-obb|-noobb] [-shared|-noshared] [-all] [-system|nosystem] [-keyvalue|-nokeyvalue] [<packages...>]
Android 11 forces apps to support local backups but not cloud backups
It's no secret that backing up and restoring apps and data sucks on Android, especially when switching devices. Android 11 is slightly making things better.
www.xda-developers.com
if no app data is backed up it should at least work with D2D transfer software like Samsung Smart Switch (not sure it can decrypted though)
How to decode Samsung Smart Switch .enc files
Made a backup of my Galaxy S9 to the desktop with Samsung Smart Switch. Inside the folder APKFILE there is say org.mozilla.firefox.enc so how can I decode it to see its contents?
forum.xda-developers.com

My SGS 21 is running android 13
What does the code mean ?
"adb backup [-f <file>] [-apk|-noapk] [-obb|-noobb] [-shared|-noshared] [-all] [-system|nosystem] [-keyvalue|-nokeyvalue] [<packages...>]"

First, on Smartphone, enable hidden menu Developer options. this is done by tapping buildno (7x) seven times (settings - about phone).
In settings - developer options - enable usb-debugging.
you need computer for adb backup. I will describe for windows.
download platform-tools then connect device with usb-debugging enabled and install usb drivers. now add platform-tools directory to path (or navigate to directory with 'cd') in cmd.exe
if adb is available you should see device serialno when typing 'adb devices' (requires confirmation on phone).
then get the package name of the app and create backup (requires confirmation on phone)
Code:
adb devices
adb backup com.android.chrome
you can unpack backup.ab with abe.jar + 7-zip.
https://nelenkov.blogspot.com/2012/06/unpacking-android-backups.html
Code:
java.exe -jar abe.jar unpack backup.ab backup.tar [password]
[GUIDE] How to extract, create or edit android adb backups
What is an android adb backup? An adb backup is a file with ab extension, generated by android's backup manager when we request it via adb shell. This allows you to backup some data of the phone, but is not a replacement of a clockworkmod backup...
forum.xda-developers.com

Thank you for the tutorial, I'll try this tomorrow after a good sleep
It seems to be a little bit tricky, although I studied electronics, I have not practiced for 10 years =D

try with app that allows backup, first. like Chrome (com.android.chrome)

OK, I have to move platform tools directory in C:\ (root)
Is that right ?

location doesn't matter. you can place it Program files (x86) or Desktop. I have it in C:\Android directory

Sorry I can't post here with my computer since my Last message, the forum shows "we ran into some problems, please try again later..."
So I don't understand this :
now add platform-tools directory to path (or navigate to directory with 'cd') in cmd.exe

maybe that helps
https://duckduckgo.com/?q=How+to+set+the+path+and+environment+variables+in+Windows

Thank you for your help alecxs, my insurance sent me the pictures !
So I don't need to tweak my phone