Hello all.
I would like some information on switching from an SD version of Android (on AmeriCan Android on SD atm) to a NAND version (likely AmeriCan Android NAND as well) and still keep my user account and information apks, everything the same? I'm coming from WinMo as my primary phone OS, then tested out WP7 for a while, so I have HSPL and MAGLDR installed. I was switching out SD cards between roms so I had a card dedicated to WP7 and one Fat32 for WinMo/SD Android. I later just set MAGLDR to boot straight to Android folder on the SD.
Can someone give me some pointers on how I can successfully accomplish this? I don't mind if it takes a bit of time/complication. I'm not very familiar with Android yet, so I'm not up on what would be the best Backup/restore methods or anything of the like atm. Also should I keep MAGLDR or switch to some booter more Android friendly?
Any help is appreciated,
D ;-)
You'd be fine keeping MAGLDR.
Titanium Backup is great for backing up and restoting your apps and app data.
Your contacts and calendar appointments are synced to your Google account, and really the only other thing you'll have to set up is your email accounts and your launcher preferences.
When switching to a NAND ROM, one thing to consider is partitioning your SD card with a 1gb ext3/4 partition for the use of A2SD or Data2SD, which will give you much more room for many more apps in Android.
Running out of internal memory isn't usually a big deal on SD builds because alot of them come with a 1gb data.img, but that's not the case with NAND. But with a 1gb partition and a A2SD enabled ROM, you'll never run out of space, your phone will run smooth even with hundreds of apps.
Just make sure to install the correct size CWM partition setup before flashing your new ROM.
WooHooo!!!! 800th post!!! Hooray for me!!
Thanks huggs. That was very helpful information. And from the sounds of it pretty simple stuff. Btw congratz on the posting accomplishment! ;-)
I have a few questions sparked from that info. Firstly what's a CWM partition? Second, when I backup with titanium will it save my system preferences as well? If not what will? I go through and make a lot of micro adjustments to stuff, and being that I'm basically going back to the same rom, can I keep my system setup while switching? Edit: Also meant to ask about SMS/MMS? Those are very important to me, will they be backed up as well?
DemonLoader said:
Thanks huggs. That was very helpful information. And from the sounds of it pretty simple stuff. Btw congratz on the posting accomplishment! ;-)
I have a few questions sparked from that info. Firstly what's a CWM partition? Second, when I backup with titanium will it save my system preferences as well? If not what will? I go through and make a lot of micro adjustments to stuff, and being that I'm basically going back to the same rom, can I keep my system setup while switching? Edit: Also meant to ask about SMS/MMS? Those are very important to me, will they be backed up as well?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
CWM partition is the size of partitions that your NAND space will be divided into when you flash your ClockWork Mod Recovery.
The recovery you download will come with a flash.config file, you can open it with a text editor and change the partition sizes to the correct sizes listed in the thread of the ROM you wish to install, or you can search for the HD2 NAND toolkit, which is a graphical program that makes it easy to set your partition sizes and flash CWM.
As far as micro system settings, I don't know of any way to back those up when going from SD to NAND build, but on the upside, when you backup a NAND build in CWM, EVERYTHING down to the finest detail is backed up, and can be restored anytime.
For your SMS and MMS messages, there are programs in the Android market that can backup and restore your messages, but I have never used any of them, so I can't say which is the best. I guess the one that's free would be the best for me, but thats just because I'm a cheapskate
Titanium Backup will only restore your apps, and the data related to your apps. It takes a bit of getting to know how it works too, it's not super complicated, but it's not super simple either. Google will be very helpful on that one.
For your info I just swapped from Tytung's SD build to his NAND, his advice was to run the batch operation in titanium, for all system data and apps then restore using the similar batch operation in the new build.
It all worked fine, just remember to add the titanium .apk to your ROM zip before you flash it, so you have the means to restore your system before google account is connected.
This was swapping between the exact same ROM version.
Thank you very much for all the help, I greatly appreciate it. After a couple days playing with it trial and error, I got it down for moving from the SD to the NAND. I'll admit too that I almost had a heart attack for a while when I didn't know titanium would actually backup my contacts and settings, and deleted the copy I made with my backup accidentally.
boomboomer, i did it almost exactly that way, except for the titanium.apk, Next time I'll know that for heads up.
Again thanks for the help! Now I just have to figure out how to make CWMr work with roms that install from DFT.exe
Related
I have an SD card with 3 partitions: fat32(7gB)/ext4(488mB)/swap(91mB). not sure what order I created them in, and not sure if that matters.
when I do a nandroid backup, is it also backing up my ext4 partition where my apps2sd apps are kept? I want to be able to use nandroid to swap between many different ROMS, but still have all my settings saved per ROM. And hopefully apps as well, whether it be by the nandroid restore or (and im not even sure if it works this next way im describing) by different ROMS being able to see the apps in apps2sd and use them?
Like I said, Im not sure how apps storage/location actually works. If I install apps on the sd card, and I put an upgraded or even a different custom ROM on, does the system see the apps on the new ROM? Or are we also supposed to wipe ext partitions as well?
Can someone let me know what "wiping" data and/or cache actually does? IS there a basic phone architecture doc I can read to see what data / cache actually is used for?
Wiping refers to the internal memory of the device. Not the SD.
By wiping you remove all settings and software installed on the device itself.
If you boot after a wipe, you will have to re-enter your google account information and wait for the sync to complete.
If you have apps2sd, (most of) your apps will be on the ext partition on your SD card. Those don't get deleted when you wipe. If you have go from 1 apps2sd capable rom to another, your apps will still be there. And the apps that store settings on the SD will have their settings saved too (only one I know of is gem-miner).
try bart
opticalc said:
I want to be able to use nandroid to swap between many different ROMS, but still have all my settings saved per ROM.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I recommend using a more complete back-up and restore tool like BART or Switchrom. Do a search for BART on the Dream Development forum and you'll find everything you need. It's built in to the latest RA recovery images as well and works great.
I have my phone set up the way I want it with all apps email settings etc.
My question is which backup should i use NANDORID + EXT or NANDROID.
I would like to install other roms for testing etc but i want the option to return to my preferred setup without having to install all my apps and settings again. I store my apps on the phone not sd card if that makes a diff???? Any help would be great. Ive searched the boards and google and still cant come up with a clear definition of the difference between the two... Ive only been able to rule out a BART backup.
Thanks
denonlake said:
I have my phone set up the way I want it with all apps email settings etc.
My question is which backup should i use NANDORID + EXT or NANDROID.
I would like to install other roms for testing etc but i want the option to return to my preferred setup without having to install all my apps and settings again. I store my apps on the phone not sd card if that makes a diff???? Any help would be great. Ive searched the boards and google and still cant come up with a clear definition of the difference between the two... Ive only been able to rule out a BART backup.
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
the +ext part errors out for me.
Plain old nandroid seems to work great.
I've done it and restored it many times. The phone seems 100% normal after a restore. All apps, settings, icons, scenes ,and everything.
The ext portion of that backup applies when you have a partitioned SD card (1 part vfat, 1 part ext2/3), and you are storing stuff in the ext partition.
I am under the impression that apps2sd works best if apps are stored in a file system with owner/group attributes, because apps are supposed to be compartmentalized by unique user IDs. If you merely copied apps to the SD card in the regular (fat/vfat) partition, that info would get lost.
Presumably, apps can be run directly off the SD card if they are in a mounted ext filesystem.
I don't know this for a fact; I am guessing. But I think it's a good guess
Don't partition a SD card with anything on it you value, BTW.
bftb0
Has anyone written a nice Newb overview of what this is?
There's bits all over the place but I really havent got the foggiest what it is. I read about partitions and .zip files etc etc but I cant find a nice Newb overview. Yes, I've found the CWM thread explaining how to install it but not what it's really for.
Is it an alternative to MAGLDR? Does it do more/less?? Why do I need partitions? Why is the SD card involved. Can it take 2 NANDS? All this seems to be touched on in various areas but it's hard to assimilate all the info.
Could someone either point me to the nice Newb overview or even write one!
Thanks
It allows you to backup,restore your data from nand and flash Roms from SD Card. I don't need it because the rom that I am using allows me to backup my data via Magldr. But if you like testing different roms or you update ur roms but your data gets erased everytime, Clockworkmod is for you.
Also If you install it, it will erase your nand. So if you had an android rom on your phone you will need to reflash it through SD because flashing through USB will mess up Clockworkmod, therefore you would have to reflash Clockworkmod.
With the SD card two file types are stored which allows clockworkmod to work. Think of it as a program data that is needed for Clockworkmod to fuction. Backing up Nand (Android) using clockworkmod will restore the operating system, settings and apps. Its like using System Restore on a PC. You can also choose between backing up your apps or your entire System.
I think you should wait because Magldr 1.12 will be released soon and if I can recall, it features a Recovery option.
Hope this helps in someway.
Dimension2035 said:
It allows you to backup,restore your data from nand and flash Roms from SD Card. I don't need it because the rom that I am using allows me to backup my data via Magldr. But if you like testing different roms or you update ur roms but your data gets erased everytime, Clockworkmod is for you.
Also If you install it, it will erase your nand. So if you had an android rom on your phone you will need to reflash it through SD because flashing through USB will mess up Clockworkmod, therefore you would have to reflash Clockworkmod.
With the SD card two file types are stored which allows clockworkmod to work. Think of it as a program data that is needed for Clockworkmod to fuction. Backing up Nand (Android) using clockworkmod will restore the operating system, settings and apps. Its like using System Restore on a PC. You can also choose between backing up your apps or your entire System.
I think you should wait because Magldr 1.12 will be released soon and if I can recall, it features a Recovery option.
Hope this helps in someway.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks. And I'm assuming you use all the 'old' Roms for CWM rather than the NAND builds?
jamesbond_28_007 said:
Thanks. And I'm assuming you use all the 'old' Roms for CWM rather than the NAND builds?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Already explained above, but CWM is for NAND builds.
Could still do with an explanation in the 'how to flash everything' guide. This thing took off and there's very little for newbs.
There are many guides...you are looking in the wrong place. Look in the Android Nand Forum.
Here is a link to one of them: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=893948
Well it's not written in the main guide. There bits and pieces throughout that thread but nothing explains what it really is, and more importantly its pros/cons/limitations.
Anyway, I'm certainly not on my high horse about this, would just be very grateful if someone could take the time to write a step by step guide. This site is great for newbs but I feel this has been overlooked.
Is there a quick way to (re)install all my apps after changing ROMs?
Been using Pongster's awesome NAND HyperDroid build since v5 and have been upgrading along the way by reinstalling the data section from my CWM backup. Recently on v11 I started having a few glitches and upgrading to v12 only made matters much worse. I just want to start a fresh on v12, but is there a way quicker than writing down all my apps then selecting each from the market. Have looked in Android Market on using desktop PC and it only lists 11 apps. Thanks.
SheenaIsAPunkRocker said:
Is there a quick way to (re)install all my apps after changing ROMs?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I believe Titanium Backup Pro is the most popular choice, it can restore all your apps and data automatically, plus there's an option to repair missing market links.
That rom uses an ext partition, so as well as restoring the data partition after a fresh flash, if you also restore the sd-ext partition (same method), all your installed apps will be restored, complete with all their settings still in place, since you are restoring data too.
D'oh, and double d'oh. Thanks for the tips. I backed everything up using Titanium backup. Being running HyperDroid without an EXT partition so while I was in the process of installing v12 again, I thought I'd use the handy partition function in ClockworkMod. However, what it fails to mention is in re-partition my SD Card for me it would handily wipe everything Looks like I'm hosed now anyway!
nooOO!, hah, oh well, it happens, and theres no better learning curve than seeing mistakes in action.
I literally had the SD card in my desktop to copy everything on it, but before I did, I put the SD back into the phone to do something else ... never got around to doing that copy. At least phone numbers are backed up on Google (I hope!), but I guess I'll have to start again on Tower Raiders 2, that's the real loss!!
since you are at a fresh start, you COULD try reinstalling all the apps, and THEN restore the data partition, which (unless im wrong) holds settings? ,,though i know some stuff uses folders on the fat32 part of the sd card too, , so may not work, , worth a try if you're in an investigative frame of mind.
Hi everyone.
I just moved from NAND to NativeSD version Android to taste the benefit from EXT4. But setting up a new system, setting up all email accounts will take a very long time. I am thinking if i can use the 4EXT recovery to restore the old NAND backups. I tried once, but 'failed to find cached' appeared on the screen and the restore procedure stopped.
any help?
*Did a quick search but did not find the answer.
It seems like all you require is the data partition to be restored. While I'm not sure how this can be done to NativeSD with 4EXT, but you could manually copy the data to the EXT partition. This may be a lot of work, but I'll assume it's a one time only migration
Still looking for a better solution myself!