Database Users

How to backup installed apps and scenes between ROM flashes to restore them easily?

Hello, I'm new to the Android world, but I've learned through your great forums how to make my HTC Hero shine! I installed a custom ROM (actually, I'm trying Roufianos 1.1 clean) an eng SPL, a modded revovery and the latest radio.
Every time I flash a new ROM, I have to re-download and re-install all the apps from the market, and setup again the 7 home screens with my preferred widgets and programs.
Is there a way to backup these data and restore them with ease?
I made a few searches but found nothing (maybe I tried the wrong words)
Thanks in advance!

I use titanium backup for my applications.
For the scenes I don't know, maybe there is a folder in which they are stored you could do a search on that.

thank you so much, Titanium backup is really a great app, and it saves the scenes too!!!

crespo80 said:
thank you so much, Titanium backup is really a great app, and it saves the scenes too!!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The other way is to try flashing without a wipe.
If this works (and I mean if) all you have to do is turn your phone on
and Voila!

Rhamsterman said:
The other way is to try flashing without a wipe.
If this works (and I mean if) all you have to do is turn your phone on
and Voila!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, this could be a simpler solution, given the fact that now I swap betwenn ROMs based on the same 2.1 official release! But I always prefer the clean one, wipe and strike!

crespo80 said:
Hello, I'm new to the Android world, but I've learned through your great forums how to make my HTC Hero shine! I installed a custom ROM (actually, I'm trying Roufianos 1.1 clean) an eng SPL, a modded revovery and the latest radio.
Every time I flash a new ROM, I have to re-download and re-install all the apps from the market, and setup again the 7 home screens with my preferred widgets and programs.
Is there a way to backup these data and restore them with ease?
I made a few searches but found nothing (maybe I tried the wrong words)
Thanks in advance!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I tried Titanium backup but had problems with it being a bit unreliable, and about a few things not working once I'd done the restore.
I then tried MyBackup (after flashing again) and it worked a treat.
Couple of things though:
- Doesn't back up APN settings or wifi settings (there are other ways to do that, do a search)
- A single SMS got corrupted (making me unable to open messages from that person). Deleting that message thread solved the problem.
It DOES backup apps and your HTC scenes (and various other settings). I used the 30-day time limited version which is free. I'd happily pay the $4.95 for it, though in this case I didn't need to.

Perfectly Clone one Vibrant to another vibrant

I have a Vibrant with fusion 1.1 that is going back to T-mobile. Is there a way to just clone everything on this phone to the new phone.
Can I just copy Titanium backup form the old phone and put it on the sd card of the new one. Is there a better method?

You need to flash back to stock using odin, just go to the development section and click om the.sticky, under odin roms. Click the.stock one and flash,
Sent from my SGH-T959 using Tapatalk

iwillkillyou said:
You need to flash back to stock using odin, just go to the development section and click om the.sticky, under odin roms. Click the.stock one and flash,
Sent from my SGH-T959 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That wasn't his question... Like at all...
I'd do a nandroid and back up the apps and data in titanium and save them to the SD and then put that SD in the new phone that comes.

Oh haha sorry I didnt read the whole thread, yea peform a nandroid
Sent from my SGH-T959 using Tapatalk

kuhan said:
That wasn't his question... Like at all...
I'd do a nandroid and back up the apps and data in titanium and save them to the SD and then put that SD in the new phone that comes.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What would happen if I copied all the contents of the internal memory (all files ,all folders) then copied those over the contents of the new phones internal memory?. Nandroid and TB are not normally saved to the external SD card.
Or should I just load the new rom on the new phone and just copy the TB folder to the new phone and restore from that?

Nandroid and titanium are a good start but neither of those will do things like modem files.
So I would add on the new phone do a base install of fusion 1.1 with the appropriate kernel, i think you said was your rom, then a nandroid restore and that should get you there

ransome7 said:
I have a Vibrant with fusion 1.1 that is going back to T-mobile. Is there a way to just clone everything on this phone to the new phone.
Can I just copy Titanium backup form the old phone and put it on the sd card of the new one. Is there a better method?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'll chime in with my opinion. Granted my opinion comes from my experiences constantly experimenting with different roms. I've flashed the phone this month almost as often as I've received actual phone calls for crying out loud!
The amount of time expended on looking for such a perfect method seems to be greater than the amount of time spent merely reconstructing an equivalent environment.
Keeping all of my contacts on google and using appbrain to have the ability to keep a known inventory of apps...I can reconstruct my daily driver environment from one rom to another in about 30 minutes max without the need to explicitly backup anything.
Though this may not work for everyone, it surely would work for most. Just a thought...

Using AppBrain would mean you would have to constantly re-download your apps. Also, this does not save the settings and what about apps that are not on the market?
I use Titanium Backup if I want to transfer all my apps and settings. Nandroid would be very appropriate to transfer over all the of phone's data, granted you also manually include the correct modem and kernel.
Doing a Titanium Restore surely takes less time then redownloading and installing from the market, especially if you have the Pro version as it is MUCH MUCH quicker.

kangxi said:
Using AppBrain would mean you would have to constantly re-download your apps. Also, this does not save the settings and what about apps that are not on the market?
I use Titanium Backup if I want to transfer all my apps and settings. Nandroid would be very appropriate to transfer over all the of phone's data, granted you also manually include the correct modem and kernel.
Doing a Titanium Restore surely takes less time then redownloading and installing from the market, especially if you have the Pro version as it is MUCH MUCH quicker.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Titanium can save some time, but honestly not enough to write home about, at least for me. It's a matter of a few minutes different in my experience.
The reason why I do not use Titanium, despite the fact that it can save some time is that it can lead to complications especially when bouncing between 2.1 and 2.2 derivative roms, depending on what you back up of course. I'll use it when I'm staying within the domain of 2.1...or staying within the domain of 2.2. Crossing those domains however I never use Titanium. I've had more problems than not, and admittedly that may be due to my ignorance of what things are truly safe to restore across different versions of Android.
Then again I'm probably unusual compared to the OP, in that I experiment with EVERYTHING, up to and including a little bit of my own firmware cooking after the fact. Every firmware and experimental firmware and filesystem hack has at some point been on this phone, but that's how I roll.
Doing without deliberate backups hasn't drastically changed my restore times. Setting up the few apps that require setup takes a matter of seconds when I decide to use that app.

It's nice to get a fresh install - just TB and and reinstall after!
iwillkillyou said:
Oh haha sorry I didnt read the whole thread, yea peform a nandroid
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You didn't even read the title of the thread before clicking it, bro....
-bZj

if you want exact - nandroid
otherwise use TitaniumBackup Pro

This is what I would do. I would perform a nandroid. After doing so I would then copy everything in the internal sd to your computer. When the new phone comes. Copy everything into the new phone's internal sd. Root your phone, install clockwork mod. Flash a new rom if you want if not no biggy. Load up into clockwork mod, do an advanced restore, restore data only. Reboot. Reboot again. Load back into clockwork mod, clear cache and dalvik. Reboot twice. Run fix permissions. Reboot. Everything should work with no errors and it will look identical to your last vibrant. You could condense this but I wrote it so that you could install buncha diff roms without having to do titanium restore because that just takes a ****ing long time if you have a **** load of apps installed.

Mouahmong said:
This is what I would do. I would perform a nandroid. After doing so I would then copy everything in the internal sd to your computer. When the new phone comes. Copy everything into the new phone's internal sd. Root your phone, install clockwork mod. Flash a new rom if you want if not no biggy. Load up into clockwork mod, do an advanced restore, restore data only. Reboot. Reboot again. Load back into clockwork mod, clear cache and dalvik. Reboot twice. Run fix permissions. Reboot. Everything should work with no errors and it will look identical to your last vibrant. You could condense this but I wrote it so that you could install buncha diff roms without having to do titanium restore because that just takes a ****ing long time if you have a **** load of apps installed.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the lengthy explanation , that makes the most sense.
I will try this method . Thanks for taking the time.

Hey rancome7 - did you try this method? How did it work for you.. I may just do this right now as im in the same situation of wanting to clone my Vibrant to a new Vibrant

Question - wont restoring data from a nandroid after installing a new ROM cause the rom to act funny since the old data may not agree with it or overwrite something?

[Q] Best Out... ?

I bought a Desire Z about two weeks before the 1.72.405.2 OTA update came along, and I allowed it to update (Yeah I know, this was after all my first Android device).
Anyway, lately my phones been running slowly and apps force closing, so I've decided to downgrade it and root it (psneuter method), and try some different ROM's.
What I was wondering is, what would be the best way without root, to backup as much of my data as possible, apps, sms, files, and also if possible a backup that I can use in case I scew it up, so I can get it back to the way it is now.
I have a copy of:-
RUU_Vision_HTC_WWE_1.34.405.5_Radio_12.28b.60.140e_26.03.02.26_M_release_155556_signed
which I believe is the stock ROM for this device, but as far as I know if it goes wrong I'll be unable to flash this as the update won't allow me to flash an earlier version..
Would I be able to mount and then backup the whole phone using adb or any other method.
I've been reading about it for a while now, and while I have lots of bits of information, I've been unable to find a good solution.
Thanks,
...John...

j0hn0n1 said:
I bought a Desire Z about two weeks before the 1.72.405.2 OTA update came along, and I allowed it to update (Yeah I know, this was after all my first Android device).
What I was wondering is, what would be the best way without root, to backup as much of my data as possible, apps, sms, files, and also if possible a backup that I can use in case I scew it up, so I can get it back to the way it is now.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Without root, a good app to backup your other apps is astro file manager, its available free from the market, you just have to hit menu, tools and it'll back up all the apps on your sd card, in terms of files, just make sure their all on your sd card and they'll be fine
Not sure how to back up SmS but i know their are apps out their, a point you may have forgotten is to make sure you back up your contacts as they all get wiped and I made this mistake, the easiest way to do that is to make sure your contacts sync up with your google account so after rooting, you can just sync them back,
Hope i helped!

Use google to remember what apps you've downloaded from market. Once associated, when you flash a new rom, google will automatically redownload all your associated apps. For sms, i suggest you download GoSMS and use their internal backup feature. It will save to sd and be visible to your stock sms app as well on restore.
Sent from my AOSP Virtuous Desire Z using XDA App

Ya but too many times google starts restoring apps that I uninstalled months ago. Great idea but bad implementation imo.
Sent from my HTC Vision using XDA Premium App

Sorry I haven't replied, was in work all day yesterday.
I have Astro File Manager, but I hadn't even considered it, thanks. I have my contacts sync'd with Google, so it seems that as long as I backup my files and sms everything else should be done automatically anyway.
Go SMS seems worth getting anyway, as the bog standard Android messages app is seriously dull. I'll give it a try.
I had wondered about Google Market restoring apps, but I thought it would only reinstall apps that were installed at the last sync.
If you install an app and it screws up your phone, and do a factory reset then Google will just reinstall the app that caused all the problems in the first place.
Definitely a good idea, but needs more work.
Anyway, thanks for all the info, I'll give it try tonight, when I get back from work.
...John...

I find SMS Backup & Restore to be the best app for this purpose and I wouldn't recommend the backup feature from the market, as you said it is likely to give problems.
Without root though, the backup choices are somewhat limited for apps and such.

I've been using Super Manager by gpc. It works pretty good, plus offers a ton of other features that can be used with or without root.

I've backed up what I could, although it's typical that as soon as it's all gone I realised things that I should have wrote down (I had been using the wallet/pocket app and although I backed up all my apps, I'm guesing it won't have backed up any of the passwords, logins, bank details, etc).
Anyway, I've downgraded and successfully rooted my phone (through gfree), I have CID: 11111111 and S-Off, but I haven't installed and ROM's yet as I read somewhere that you are supposed to wipe everything between ROM's, am I wiping the Davlik cache or doing a factory reset (I mean won't the factory reset just reset my stock ROM back to it's original condition).
I'm also wondering about finding custom ROMs, on my dell streak I had installed ROM Manager and could get a list of any that were available.
I first installed ROM Manager and used it to flash recovery, but this time I've installed CWM first, so would it be safe to install ROM Manager now, will it want to flash a recovery over the one I have already.
Or is it not advisable to use ROM Manager, as I have previously heard of a few problems it may cause.
Thanks ...John...

Rom manager shouldn't give any problems, but for custom roms it's best to take a look at the development forum. If you don't like that you can still use the list in rommanager, it might be just me who prefers downloading roms to my pc first.
But before you install any of them I recommend you make a nandroid backup from recovery just to be safe.

I think the issues were that some people, not all, found problems flashing some of the gingerbread roms via Rom manager. Better to save the Rom to SD and then flash it via CWM.

Right I've done a nandroid backup, and I've saved one to another mSD card which I can keep somewhere just in case (probably a bit over cautious, but...).
I thought that by saving apps to an sd card, they would run from the sd when I restarted my phone, even the ones that I had moved previously with the application manager in settings are not seen.
Still reinstalling the ones I want isn't really that bad.
Seriously, somebody needs to sort out the Markets app backups feature, when I was setting up the phone at first, I specifically chose to not automatically sync with Google and that I would do it manually when needed. Then I went in to the market to get a file manager and the download failed, it was only when I looked at what was going on I realised it was already downloading and reinstalling 96 apps. I looked around for a 'cancel all' option and there isn't any, so I had to cancel them all one by one and then uninstall the ones that had managed to install.
A simple checklist to select the apps you want would be great, oh, and a cancel all button would be a bonus.
Anyway, things are not as much fun when they're too easy.
Thanks ...John...

[Q] Noob questions galore ;)

Hi guys,
First of all (in case you didn't realize it), I'm an android noob. This is my first Android phone (my employer tried to give me an iPhone, but caved when I told them I'd just stick it in my drawer and save it as an emergency phone) and I just rooted it
Now...I made a backup of it after rooting. This should get me back to stock if I need it, right? Should I copy it off the phone? I guess it will be removed if I have to wipe...?...
Also; will I retain my settings, sms/mms etc etc if I use a custom ROM? This is my main concern at the moment, as I want something more fancy and hopefully less energy consuming ROM.
Cheers!

tiwas said:
Hi guys,
First of all (in case you didn't realize it), I'm an android noob. This is my first Android phone (my employer tried to give me an iPhone, but caved when I told them I'd just stick it in my drawer and save it as an emergency phone) and I just rooted it
Now...I made a backup of it after rooting. This should get me back to stock if I need it, right? Should I copy it off the phone? I guess it will be removed if I have to wipe...?...
Also; will I retain my settings, sms/mms etc etc if I use a custom ROM? This is my main concern at the moment, as I want something more fancy and hopefully less energy consuming ROM.
Cheers!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi there!
if you made the backup just after rooting, if you run that Backup (through CWM etc) it will revert the phone back to how it was at the time of the backup, so if you didnt have any settings,sms,Apps etc they will not show. you can copy the backup file if you wish to but i believe (not 100%) the backups are stored on External SD and as a result are not lost on a Factory Reset/Wipe
Some Custom ROMS (Litening ROM i use) allow you to flash with no loss of data, including all your apps, SMS and settings. Basically you have the exact same phone layout but with a Spiffy,fast,Fresh rom they are really easy to flash with ODIN, now im not sure if other Roms (Villain, Cognition, etc) retain the Data partition on flashing you would need to check out the specific Threads on the Android Development section of the forum
hope that helped !

Thanks - that was helpful I will look into the other ROMS and decide from there.
Do you know if any of the SGS2 ROMs have more themes available? I get bored easily, and it would be great to change the look and feel every now and then

well being that the phone is still relatively new and still not available for the North American market, the development for it is still small. However, the CM7 team are developing roms for it, and a lot of other custom roms are based off CM7, so there should be a good selection of roms in the near future. the sgs2 is one of, if not the most anticipated android device this year, so i'm sure rom selection wouldn't be a problem.

Thanks, guys
I just bought Titanium Backup after some recommendation in another thread. Is there anything I should be aware of, or any recommendations, when making a backup before trying out other ROMs?

tiwas said:
Thanks, guys
I just bought Titanium Backup after some recommendation in another thread. Is there anything I should be aware of, or any recommendations, when making a backup before trying out other ROMs?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Whenever i do anything such as update/change my ROM, i do a Ti backup of all my apps (incase they go missing) then a CWM backup of my System which i can roll back to if i have any problems
Also, just to 2nd what p00kienrayray Said, the only ROMS i know of which support themes are MIUI and CM7 which should hopefully work fully soon

tiwas said:
Thanks, guys
I just bought Titanium Backup after some recommendation in another thread. Is there anything I should be aware of, or any recommendations, when making a backup before trying out other ROMs?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, there *definitely is* a recommendation, when making a backup before trying a rom which wipes your phone, check out the message I sent to TB developer..
"Hi, I bought titanium few days ago to help the transition from my Magic to the new Galaxy S2. I used to use My backup Pro but appreciated the apps freezing function of Titanium that could possibly help avoid the battery drain problem on the S2 due to the Samsung WiFi sharing bug.
I had quite a bad experience, though, regarding a hard reset I had to perform on the phone, which I previously backed up with Titanium: the default backup directory is /mnt/sdcard but that corresponds to the internal memory on the S2, while the external one is located in /mnt/sdcard/external_sd (if I am not wrong). That led to losing a week worth of photos (the one part I couldn't really get back, given that I had a week old backup made with SMS Backup & Restore + Call Log backup & Restore made on the Magic).
Ok, lesson learnt for me but may I suggest that the default directory can be automatically set to /mnt/sdcard/external_sd if the terminal is an S2, for future users not to be unsatisfied? Is it something that could be implemented in TB?
Thanks for listening,
*************
PS well, shame on Samsung as well for such a weird choice... I would have set /mnt/sdcard for the external one and /mnt/internal_sd for the internal one... and don't understand why the hard reset (performed through the *2737*3655# code - if I remember correctly) does reset the internal memory which if I am not wrong is a separate partition from the system."
CONFIGURE YOUR TB BACKUP DIR TO /mnt/sdcard/external_sd BEFORE DOING ANYTHING ELSE
Not to mention that some apps like SMS Backup & Restore do not allow you to change the dir, therefore you have to manually move the backup results after you have finished

[Q] Keeping data (sms/mms, contacts, call log, ect.) between switching ROMs?

Hello all. I have a question about how I can backup/restore my sms, call logs, contacts, without use of google 'cloud' (I never put these info's online)?
Here's my scenario:
I recently learned how to switch my ROM from SD to NAND. Luckily the ROM I chose long ago just experimenting was AmeriCanAndroid on SD, which happened to have a NAND counterpart so using Titanium Backup I was able to completely backup and restore everything with no problem/no quirks.
I now want to change my NAND ROM from AmeriCanAndroid to RUNNYMEDE 0.82.401.1 - Android 2.3.5 - Sense 3.5 (because I have a heartOn for sense).
I got the hang of using CWM recovery, and changing the cache and data sizes, but the hurting started when I got into the ROM and used Titanium to restore the backup I made in AmeriCan to use in this new one. I now keep getting Force Close errors.
I'll make another post about that, but what I specifically would like to know is how I can backup that info and restore it, across roms, no matter what? Is there a sure fire way for that?

DemonLoader said:
I specifically would like to know is how I can backup that info and restore it, across roms, no matter what? Is there a sure fire way for that?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not really, with NAND, you almost always (95%) have to wipe all data and system info, like formatting your computer to put a new OS on it (Win -> Linux). The only thing I can tell you is I personally use MyBackup Pro, has not once EVER given me an issue, and I have had it since the G1 days .
I have heard what your using, Titanium Backup is good too, so if you purchased it or are fine with free version, just keep using that. Backup your apps/data, flash new ROM, login to google, download titanium backup, and restore it all. It should work with no problems, NAND is NAND, a ROM is a ROM, they all run the same. SD backups will not work with NAND I dont believe.
Dont be afraid to experiment (follow ALL directions), backing up is the easy part, restoring is fairly easy, but the ROMS are all different and are very nice, THANKS TO THE GREAT DEVELOPERS!!!