Database Users

Backup new Nexus S

I sold my iPhone 4 today and bought a brand new nexus s. I'm not new to android though, I used to own a nexus one before iPhone 4.
My question is that I want to install custom roms on it, but I might want to restore it back to original factory settings in case I want to return it to best buy. How can I backup my phone so that best buy would take the phone back without questions?
I saw a thread to root the phone without unlocking the bootloader. Is that what I should do? Any help is appreciated!
Sent from my Nexus S using XDA App

Just root and do a nandroid backup. If you use rom manager to install the custom recovery you can just use it to so the backup.
Sent from my Onyx CM7 Google Nexus S!

Go to the Samsung nexus s android development section. Look for the thread that begins with Odin 1.81... bookmark that thread. That thread will help you flash completely back to stock. And always make sure you relock your bootloader.
Sent from my Nexus S using XDA App

The only advantage of not unlocking the bootloader is to avoid a full wipe of your internal storage such as pics, music etc. However custom roms or apps may have stability issues without an unlocked bootloader. No harm in unlocking the bootloader because you can always lock it again. Just make sure you back up any files you may want to keep.
Sent from my Nexus S using XDA App

peeturr said:
The only advantage of not unlocking the bootloader is to avoid a full wipe of your internal storage such as pics, music etc. However custom roms or apps may have stability issues without an unlocked bootloader. No harm in unlocking the bootloader because you can always lock it again. Just make sure you back up any files you may want to keep.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree that the only advantage to not unlocking the bootloader is to avoid a full wipe and loss of all data.
I'm curious if you can point to an example of any current existing ROM that displays issues because the bootloader is locked... if so, I need to add that information to the non-unlock method instructions.

Sorry I don't. I was just quoting one of the root guides in here. But then again there's always that IF. Now that I think about it, unlocking the bootloader is to be able to install root and a custom recovery. If you can do that without unlocking the bootloader then you should still be golden. Don't see why a rom or app would be dependent on the bootloader. Sorry for the confusion.
Sent from my Nexus S using XDA App

peeturr said:
Sorry I don't. I was just quoting one of the root guides in here. But then again there's always that IF. Now that I think about it, unlocking the bootloader is to be able to install root and a custom recovery. If you can do that without unlocking the bootloader then you should still be golden. Don't see why a rom or app would be dependent on the bootloader. Sorry for the confusion.
Sent from my Nexus S using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, we've found no reason to HAVE-TO unlock it yet. Just to be clear, I wasn't challenging you, just looking for anything I might need to add to the guide on doing it without the unlock. I already have a caveat that it might be an issue for something, but don't know what something could be.
Anyways, if you're a fresh out of the box phone, no problems unlock method, since you have no data to lose in the wipe. For late-comers, the no unlock method spares them that data wipe. The beauty of it is that you can root and install titainium or other backup software without wiping the phone if you already have data on it, and then if needed you can always unlock it and re-root, and then restore your wiped data. Best of both worlds for some.

Pretty much exactly what happened to me Distorted loop, Very thankfull for that non wipe root method, definately saved my ass as i had a good play with the phone before getting it to a PC for backup/rooting.
I am going to swap my device for another tommorrow to confirm if my reboot issue is even remotely hardware related. So i will have 30 mins with no nexus s ...s'gonna kill me as i love this lil thing (even with my calling problems).
Looking forward to a nice stable nexus, and then i'll try out some of the mods and roms (still on stock for now)

Just a few questions about bricking

I have a few questions about bricking and what to do with a bricked device (my device is not bricked just curious) . If the devices brick is there an easy to use program or GUI that could be created to unbrick the device, also how hard is it to brick the device.
Sent from my HTC HD2 using XDA Premium App

Anyone? Also a few questions for root how easy is it to unroot is it as simple as just restored the original backup that is told to be made when flashing a custom rom?
Sent from my A500 using XDA Premium App

No, there is no easy to use GUI tool. The process of unbricking a device isn't quite easy (depending on how your device is bricked).
If someone contacts me with a bricked device, I usually prepare all needed files so that the user just have to click some "recover.bat". This worked for 18 devices up to now.
Common mistakes that lead to a bricked device:
- Modifying boot AND recovery without calling itsmagic before
- Manually restoring a backup without calling itsmagic before
Sadly there is one case that I currently cannot handle: The device does not save any data to the flash memory. Might be an HW issue..

Right and the issues without calling itsmagic that wouldn't happen if we use thor recovery right?
Sent from my HTC HD2 using XDA Premium App

Google Books!

I downloaded Google Books today just to play around with it and now I cannot uninstall it. I don't want to root my phone just to get rid of it. Will a hard reset help?
Sent from my Nexus S using XDA Premium App

Not sure bout a hard reset. When i got my phone, this was already preinstalled. Your phone might think its a system app and not clear after a hard reset.
Sent from my Nexus S 4G using XDA App

Hmm.. that sucks.
By the way, is there any difference between a factory reset done via the settings menu and the hard reset done by booting into the special menu?
Sent from my Nexus S using XDA Premium App

athani said:
I downloaded Google Books today just to play around with it and now I cannot uninstall it. I don't want to root my phone just to get rid of it. Will a hard reset help?
Sent from my Nexus S using XDA Premium App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
All Nexus Ss come with Google Books preinstalled after the 2.3.1 or 2.3.2 ota. So nothing can remove it unless you root. Why so annoyed by it? you never noticed it being installed on the phone before and it doesn't take any resources if you disable books syncing from Accounts and Sync under the system settings.
Sent from my Nexus S using XDA Premium App

My phone did not have google books preinstalled. I installed it yesterday just to see what it was and now I'm stuck with it.
Sent from my Nexus S using XDA Premium App

Pretty sure it's still the same as it use to be
Soft reset is like rebooting
Hard reset is like unplugging something while its on( removing battery without turning phone off first).
Factory rest wipes it to stock, or original rom that you may have flashed. All setting revert to default.
Don't quote me though
athani said:
Hmm.. that sucks.
By the way, is there any difference between a factory reset done via the settings menu and the hard reset done by booting into the special menu?
Sent from my Nexus S using XDA Premium App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sent from my Nexus S 4G using XDA App

pierre1321 said:
Pretty sure it's still the same as it use to be
Soft reset is like rebooting
Hard reset is like unplugging something while its on( removing battery without turning phone off first).
Factory rest wipes it to stock, or original rom that you may have flashed. All setting revert to default.
Don't quote me though
Sent from my Nexus S 4G using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Actually, I wanted to know if there is any difference between the two methods of performing a factory reset -
1. Settings> Privacy> Factory Data Reset
2. Power off phone. Power on while pressing the volume up button. And then reset.
Does the latter method perform a "deeper" reset?
Sent from my Nexus S using XDA Premium App

Its a preference thing.
If I'm on stock, prolly do it through settings.
Or through bootloader if i can't get it to boot.
If rooted and unlocked and custom rom, i do it through recovery. Cause i can flash and clear stuff in 1 shot.
athani said:
Actually, I wanted to know if there is any difference between the two methods of performing a factory reset -
1. Settings> Privacy> Factory Data Reset
2. Power off phone. Power on while pressing the volume up button. And then reset.
Does the latter method perform a "deeper" reset?
Sent from my Nexus S using XDA Premium App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sent from my Nexus S 4G using XDA App

I want to "root" my phone only for the purpose of getting rid of some pre-installed stuff. I do not want to have a custon ROM, at least not now.
I've seen this thread which explains rooting the Nexus S, giving 4 steps in which to do it.
At what step can I stop if I want just a simple root as stated above? Or will I have to go through the whole process?
Will the procedure erase anything from my phone? If yes, how do I backup?

I believe both reset methods do the same thing, which is format the /data partition (and maybe a bit more?).

matt2053 said:
I believe both reset methods do the same thing, which is format the /data partition (and maybe a bit more?).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the reply but I'm just as clueless as before.
Sent from my Nexus S using XDA Premium App

athani said:
I want to "root" my phone only for the purpose of getting rid of some pre-installed stuff. I do not want to have a custon ROM, at least not now.
I've seen this thread which explains rooting the Nexus S, giving 4 steps in which to do it.
At what step can I stop if I want just a simple root as stated above? Or will I have to go through the whole process?
Will the procedure erase anything from my phone? If yes, how do I backup?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The process will wipe your data, and you need to do the whole thing.
Sent from my Nexus S using XDA App

I just checked, it only takes up 4M, which is nothing. I wouldn't worry about it so much.
Sent from my Nexus S using Tapatalk

Just in case you brick your phone... Use this method.

When you copy your ROM to your SD card, be sure to leave it on there after you flash. If you somehow manage to brick your phone, go into recovery, wipe data, wipe cache, and wipe dalvik cache. Flash the saved ROM that was on your SD card. Boom. Simple.
I had a personal experience that made me post this. Though It's obvious to most, it probably isn't to noobs.
Sure saved me a trip to the Sprint store
Sorry if this was already posted before by somebody else.
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA Premium App

Actually, I think if you brick your phone there isn't much of anything you can do. When the phone is bricked it will not power up, into recovery charge anything. Now, bootloops on the other hand this works for.

Isn't boot loop soft bricking? If so, that's what I meant.
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA Premium App

Jardicel said:
Isn't boot loop soft bricking? If so, that's what I meant.
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA Premium App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No it is not, you can get a loop just by placing a mismatch file on your phone. I get bootloops if my phone dont like framework apk's I change. I think you should remove the work "brick" from the heading. Alot of people get confused about bricking. Now in all honesty if you brick your phone you are generally S.O.L....
Also the ability alone to go into recovery means its not bricked...

From what I've learned on different threads, there are three types of bricking. Including soft brick, where you cannot load the system UI and are stuck somewhere before. You could access recovery.
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA Premium App

This is very basic stuff.. I wouldn't consider boot loop to be soft brick.
Deck's + SZ + SuperCharger script + ViperMod script.

Jardicel said:
From what I've learned on different threads, there are three types of bricking. Including soft brick, where you cannot load the system UI and are stuck somewhere before. You could access recovery.
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA Premium App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
ok but really bricking is not good and a boot loop is not a big deal my friend.. Just saying don't throw that word around in my opinion unless its really over for you... like not booting up at all
Edit; why not change titile Just in case you Bootloop your phone... Use this method

I agree that people use the term brick a bit too often. A brick is nothing less than a paper weight of a phone. No booting, no recovery, and won't charge.
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA App

Bricked is a state, like being dead, there are no shades of grey it is a binary, it is either bricked or it isn't. It is bricked because you can't bring it back to life.

Mine is so dead the Jig doesn't even phase it. It is graveyard, doornail dead. Dead as dead gets.

Jardicel said:
When you copy your ROM to your SD card, be sure to leave it on there after you flash. If you somehow manage to brick your phone, go into recovery, wipe data, wipe cache, and wipe dalvik cache. Flash the saved ROM that was on your SD card. Boom. Simple.
I had a personal experience that made me post this. Though It's obvious to most, it probably isn't to noobs.
Sure saved me a trip to the Sprint store
Sorry if this was already posted before by somebody else.
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA Premium App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
my phone very well

Is there any way to save data from a soft bricked Nexus 4?

I am experiencing with a soft bricked Nexus 4. Surely, I tried to do "Power + volume down" and tip on the internet. But, it did not work for me. my cell is on the bricked. For now, there is no way except for "reset to facory". But, I did not data back up. It's my dilemma. :crying: First of all, I should try to save data to my computer.
If my computer is broken, I can take the HDD(storage) out from that, and save data using connecting device like "SATA to USB". As Nexus 4 use only internal storage on (maybe, flash rom?)the board, I can not take it out.
Is there any way to save data from a soft bricked Nexus 4?
I found one thread have the same problem. My symptoms is the same as his
--------------------------------------------
the phone boots, shows the google logo then goes into those 4 colourful dots that fly around and it just stays like that. I left it like this over night and nothing happened.
--------------------------------------------
I am referring to the answer. So, I try to do wipe cache on recovery mode according to that. It doesn't help me.
Thanks for any other tips or comments in advance.

Is your bootloader unlocked? If it is flash a twrp.img file. Boot into it and you'll be able to connect your device to your pc and transfer files.
Sent from my Nexus 9 using XDA Free mobile app

no way if locked bootloader?
Thanks for your reply.
I 've never tried to unlock the bootloader. no way if locked bootloader?
Can I unlock the bootloader on the bricked Nexus 4?
jd1639 said:
Is your bootloader unlocked? If it is flash a twrp.img file. Boot into it and you'll be able to connect your device to your pc and transfer files.
Sent from my Nexus 9 using XDA Free mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

kitwithbell said:
Thanks for your reply.
I 've never tried to unlock the bootloader. no way if locked bootloader?
Can I unlock the bootloader on the bricked Nexus 4?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Unlocking your bootloader will wipe your device. So in your case it's not an option. You're probably going to have to give up on your data and lose it to get your device working again.
Sent from my Nexus 5 using XDA Free mobile app

Thanks jd1639.:good:
After reading about unlocking bootloader, unfortunately I get to know that will wipe all the system data and my data on my device. It's the same as what you comment.:crying:
A couple of years ago, there was an application program for Rom Flashing called Flashtool. I could do that with unchecking option "wipe user data". Surely, to back up data before that was strongly advised though.
Maybe, due to security, it seems to be impossible on recent version. I
am anticipating for any other idea to save data before get it work again.
Thanks in advance.
jd1639 said:
Unlocking your bootloader will wipe your device. So in your case it's not an option. You're probably going to have to give up on your data and lose it to get your device working again.
Sent from my Nexus 5 using XDA Free mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse