[Q] Do you lose your data when flashing a new rom? - Nexus 7 Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

ok guys, i have had my ****ty 3rd gen ipod touch for a while now, and this christmas i know I'm getting a nexus 7. now i consider myself fairly good with technology. but the only realm i havnt explored is android and that starts with the nexus 7. I am planing on rooting, but keeping the stock rom. I know i can't do ota updates with root. So the only way if i wanted to update my nexus 7, would be by flashing the next stock rom via twrp. the question is will it keep ALL MY DATA (apps, media, and settings)???? if not how can i keep it?
thank you and thanks in advanced.

if the update changes the version of Android, like from 4.0 to 4.1, then a wipe is recommended. if its only a small update, like minor ROM update, and the android version stays the same (eg. cyanogenmod nightlies) then there is no need to wipe. You get to CHOOSE (and you will hear this word a lot in the world of android) to wipe your data or not with a custom recovery. just dont blame it when your apps keeps crashing after an major update.

how does keeping your data work with ota updates then, wouldn't it be just as dangerous? also i would format? then restore my data with titanium backup?(right?)

If you just unlock/root, but do not install a custom recovery, you should have no issues receiving ota's. It's the addition of a custom recovery that prevents the ota from installing. Though you may lose root, so an app like ota root save is a good idea.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda premium

Can someone give a straight answer?
Do you lose data if you flash ROM?
For example flash the exact same ROM twice? Would data, like SMS get deleted?

sirNemanjapro said:
Can someone give a straight answer?
Do you lose data if you flash ROM?
For example flash the exact same ROM twice? Would data, like SMS get deleted?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Straight answer is... no...
If you're flashing 'like-for-like'... that is to say UPGRADING a given ROM, then generally, you just 'dirty-flash' over the top.
If your're changing ROM completely, then a full SYSTEM WIPE is probably recommended.
Rgrds,
Ged.

Usually if you already did the unlock and recovery process (usually a one time thing in the beginning), then you mainly just have to understand the 3 main partitions you're dealing with on rom flashing from recovery.
/system = this is where the system/OS files live, and where for the most part the roms install to
/data = this is where the usual user data lives, since the /system rarely changes, stuff like settings, downloaded applications, etc is stored here. Rom installs rarely ever wipe this, and normally it does not need to be wiped if you're upgrading from one rom to the next (such as going from SlimBean 6.0 to 6.2, same type of rom just an upgrade). If of course they are different roms a /data and /system (and cache/dalvik-cache) wipe is recommended before flashing the rom.
/data/media (if I got that right) = sort of the "media" area of the device where you will store most of your stuff like downloads, music, pictures, etc. In recovery, wiping /data will usually not touch this, it's just like the /sdcard partition on older phones.
When trying out a new rom, it is always best to backup via recovery, the backups are stored in that media area I spoke of, and it's also advised to copy them onto a computer when you get a chance. The Nexus 7 and TWRP Recovery supports USB-OTG so you could plug up a thumbdrive and save the backup there directly. If you run into problems, you can always go into recovery, wipe everything and restore from a backup.
---------- Post added at 02:18 AM ---------- Previous post was at 02:16 AM ----------
By the way forgot to mention, even if you're just flashing an upgrade, it's still idea to wipe the cache/dalvik-cache (it won't affect your data, but new binaries should be reloaded by erasing the cache so they can be re-built).

Thanks guys. My phone was stuck in boot loop and I had to flash the stock ROM again and again and again until I got it working.
I lost several messages, that is what I expected.
However, before I torched and burned the phone with ROMs, I backed up the device (or whatever I was backing up, I dont know) with CWM backup.
Is there a way I can get those SMS messages out of this backup?

sirNemanjapro said:
Thanks guys. My phone was stuck in boot loop and I had to flash the stock ROM again and again and again until I got it working.
I lost several messages, that is what I expected.
However, before I torched and burned the phone with ROMs, I backed up the device (or whatever I was backing up, I dont know) with CWM backup.
Is there a way I can get those SMS messages out of this backup?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you have the PRO (paid-for) version of Titanium, there is a way you can extract stuff from Nandroid backups... but I don't have a 'Tilapia' Nexus 7 to test. (with regard to your SMS problem).
Just running it (Extract from Nandroid backup in Titanium PRO) on my 'Grouper' Nexus 7, and I can see all my apps (and associated data) in my last Nandroid available for individual extraction and restore.
Rgrds,
Ged.

It was a stock ROM, nothing out of the ordinary. I mean, there was a different kernel, I've put root kernel. So, if there is option to get it from stock system, that would be nice.

sirNemanjapro said:
It was a stock ROM, nothing out of the ordinary.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
And?... your point is?
Please elaborate.
Rgrds,
Ged.

Related

Newbie needs help/info

I have a T-Mo G2 and want to keep my Froyo image to reinstall later if I cannot get theGingerbread to work right. I want to make an image file that will restore the phone to exactly how it is now. I have tried all kinds of stuff, but am not able to make the "img" file so that I ca do a restore when booting...
Can someone point me to what I need to install to do this, and if possible some directions on what/how to create the "img" or restore file ?
I would be most appreciative, as I had to reverse everything from the OTA of Gingerbread, since too many apps didn't work, ESPECIALLY the GPS!
My current Froyo is a temp-root system.
Thank you all!
Aloha. .
I would do full root via the wiki, and then install 4EXT (the full one that's like $2) - it will keep your old stuff straight
Ditto on previous reply
Root your G2
Backup all your apps with using Titanium backup
Get Clockwork mod ROM manger or 4ext ( I prefer 4ext) and backup your stock rom. You can download new ROM CM7 for first ROM.
If you don't like the ROM you can restore your stock ROM with CWM or 4ext at anytime.
I have a theory that Ti Backup or any backing up of apps is a bad plan. I know you can do it no problem, and that it is a great time saver, but I have a strong feeling that this ultimately results in an unstable phone with mysterious force closes etc.
Even though it's a real pain, I think you are always better off reinstalling your apps from scratch after changing to a new ROM and wiping caches.
WTF? said:
I have a theory that Ti Backup or any backing up of apps is a bad plan. I know you can do it no problem, and that it is a great time saver, but I have a strong feeling that this ultimately results in an unstable phone with mysterious force closes etc.
Even though it's a real pain, I think you are always better off reinstalling your apps from scratch after changing to a new ROM and wiping caches.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1. I have had zero problems with TB personally.
2. Without it your app data is gone.
3. Triple wipe, takes a few extra minutes and makes a world of a difference.
4. Do not restore system data!
5. Check md5 sums BEFORE doing anything!!!!
6. Make sure you have a recent nandroid backup and you'll be fine either way.
7. triple wipe before flashing anything including nandroids. Preferably with different wipes aka factory reset, superwipe+ ext4, then recovery wipe!
Just my 2 cents, it's saved my a$$ more then a few times...

[Q] Downgrade from 4.2 to 4.1.2

Some apps not working after updated to 4.2, so I'm considering back to 4.1.2.
Though I never done this before since the day I get Nexus 7,
I think use Wug's Nexus Root Toolkit should get it done.
But just for sure:
1. Do I need to unlock/root to flash factory 4.1.2 image? (I think it is not but not so sure)
2. Directory structure seems different from 4.1.2, is it OK just using Toolkit to backup/restore settings?
(Sorry for my English if anything looks impolite)
1) unlock bootloader yes; root no, as you're going to overwrite the system anyways.
Also I'd suggest not using a toolkit, just download the factory image off google's page and run the "flash-all.bat"
2) Use Titanium Backup to backup all app data, wipe after flashing 4.1.2 and then restore apps + data with Titanium again
I just downgraded this morning. All your data will be wiped .. ALL YOUR DATA ... meaning, after I got back to 4.1.2 I was having 13GB of free space on the tablet (out of 13 possible) .
So, if you HAVE a nandroid from the 4.1.2 days, save it to your computer (along with all your files).
If you don't have a 4.1.2 nandroid, at least create now a backup repository with whatever tool you prefer and then save the respective files to PC.
Then, flash the factory image for 4.1.2.
Then copy all your files back to the internal memory, install the backup tool and restore your apps.
The reason behind this is that the update from 4.1.2 to 4.2 has some scripts that are porting the original /data and /sdcard mounts to the new structure used in 4.2
When downgrading, you no longer have scripts to do that for you so the newly installed 4.1.2 will not recognize anything so it will bootloop like crazy (I tried first to restore just the /system ... but all the other data was already affected by the update so was no longer usable).
My thoughts:
If you got the ota, and things messed up, try flashing the 4.2 factory image. That seemed to help me. If you're not rooted already, I would recommend becoming familiar with the adb backup command to backup apps before doing anything else. You have to unlock the boot loader to downgrade or flash the factory 4.2 image, and this will wipe the device.
Once you update either way, definitely take the time to root. You can then use adb restore or titanium backup to restore from the adb backup you made before unlocking.
Just be aware that adb backup doesn't seem to backup all apps, and that titanium backup isn't exactly fast parsing through a big adb backup file.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-T989 using Tapatalk 2
step by step?
srry, very nooby questions:
how do i flash my nexus?
where do i find the factory image?
what is the backup tool?
ro_explorer said:
I just downgraded this morning. All your data will be wiped .. ALL YOUR DATA ... meaning, after I got back to 4.1.2 I was having 13GB of free space on the tablet (out of 13 possible) .
So, if you HAVE a nandroid from the 4.1.2 days, save it to your computer (along with all your files).
If you don't have a 4.1.2 nandroid, at least create now a backup repository with whatever tool you prefer and then save the respective files to PC.
Then, flash the factory image for 4.1.2.
Then copy all your files back to the internal memory, install the backup tool and restore your apps.
The reason behind this is that the update from 4.1.2 to 4.2 has some scripts that are porting the original /data and /sdcard mounts to the new structure used in 4.2
When downgrading, you no longer have scripts to do that for you so the newly installed 4.1.2 will not recognize anything so it will bootloop like crazy (I tried first to restore just the /system ... but all the other data was already affected by the update so was no longer usable).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
HellcatDroid said:
1) unlock bootloader yes; root no, as you're going to overwrite the system anyways.
Also I'd suggest not using a toolkit, just download the factory image off google's page and run the "flash-all.bat"
2) Use Titanium Backup to backup all app data, wipe after flashing 4.1.2 and then restore apps + data with Titanium again
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
restoring my apps with Titanium Backup is unsuccessful , when i first tried a full app+data restore it freezes at 0 percent
and when i tried backuping app the missing apps , it worked but after i rebooted it . It went into a bootloop
Youssef Hossam said:
restoring my apps with Titanium Backup is unsuccessful , when i first tried a full app+data restore it freezes at 0 percent and when i tried backuping app the missing apps , it worked but after i rebooted it . It went into a bootloop
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Assumed you are referring to downgrade from 4.2.1 to 4.1.2 and rooted to run TB, so the basic stock rom is up & running otherwise, correct?
Let's try Plan B instead - go into (Custom) Recovery and wipe dalvik cache first, then reboot. Give it a few minutes to settle and try to do your TB restore WITHOUT data, and see if it works. The /SD and/or /SD/0 directory structures are setup differently on the N7 and trying to retore with your custom settings will just make it more difficult & complicated. If this works, you can then try to selectively restore one or more with data and hopefully without going into endless bootloop again.
Plan C - go to Play Store, then Settings and "All" - you should see all of your Apps and what's installed, etc. - and install from there, it's semi-manual but it works for me 99.8% of the time when it would otherwise freeze within TB, especially true when switching custom Rom & kernels.
I usually manually copy & move back items such as documents, pictures & mp3's, etc. from standalone/usb backup drives or cloud storage back into the device once everything else are up & running properly.
Let us know if this helps & working for you or not.
Thankss !
Letitride said:
Assumed you are referring to downgrade from 4.2.1 to 4.1.2 and rooted to run TB, so the basic stock rom is up & running otherwise, correct?
Let's try Plan B instead - go into (Custom) Recovery and wipe dalvik cache first, then reboot. Give it a few minutes to settle and try to do your TB restore WITHOUT data, and see if it works. The /SD and/or /SD/0 directory structures are setup differently on the N7 and trying to retore with your custom settings will just make it more difficult & complicated. If this works, you can then try to selectively restore one or more with data and hopefully without going into endless bootloop again.
Plan C - go to Play Store, then Settings and "All" - you should see all of your Apps and what's installed, etc. - and install from there, it's semi-manual but it works for me 99.8% of the time when it would otherwise freeze within TB, especially true when switching custom Rom & kernels.
I usually manually copy & move back items such as documents, pictures & mp3's, etc. from standalone/usb backup drives or cloud storage back into the device once everything else are up & running properly.
Let us know if this helps & working for you or not.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for your help , but I think the problem was that there were apps in the backup only compatible with the custom ROM I had and android 4.2.1 xD
I restored the apps one by one , but I think if I deleted the extra custom rom apps , the process would have finished without any problems
Hi fellow people,
i'm a noob just made my xda account like 5 mins ago. I've been trying to search for my problem but I haven't really a found a direct answer. So yesterday I just got my Samsung Galaxy nexus update to 4.2.1. I was really excited until I started having the battery issues, screen lock issues, and overheating problem. I really don't like 4.2.1 and want to downgrade my version back 4.1.2. My carrier is the Mobicility (Canadian). I did not do anything previously with this phone such as rooting it, doing all the funky stuff that will void my warranty. I heard about flashing some google images to get back 4.1.2 but I'm not sure if I need to root or how to like do it through the gnex toolkit that mskip made. As well what if the difference between yakju and maguro? I heard if you flash the wrong image it will brick your phone or something like that. If there is a method without having to root it and lose all my contacts, then I would prefer that a lot.
Thanks,
mleung754
mleung754 said:
Hi fellow people,
i'm a noob just made my xda account like 5 mins ago. I've been trying to search for my problem but I haven't really a found a direct answer. So yesterday I just got my Samsung Galaxy nexus update to 4.2.1. I was really excited until I started having the battery issues, screen lock issues, and overheating problem. I really don't like 4.2.1 and want to downgrade my version back 4.1.2. My carrier is the Mobicility (Canadian). I did not do anything previously with this phone such as rooting it, doing all the funky stuff that will void my warranty. I heard about flashing some google images to get back 4.1.2 but I'm not sure if I need to root or how to like do it through the gnex toolkit that mskip made. As well what if the difference between yakju and maguro? I heard if you flash the wrong image it will brick your phone or something like that. If there is a method without having to root it and lose all my contacts, then I would prefer that a lot.
Thanks,
mleung754
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You dont have to root but you need to UNLOCK the bootloader which will obviously erase all your data(and VOID your warranty). you can find the factory image here https://developers.google.com/android/nexus/images . just flash the appropriate image and you should be as good to go.
mleung754 said:
Hi fellow people,
i'm a noob just made my xda account like 5 mins ago. I've been trying to search for my problem but I haven't really a found a direct answer. So yesterday I just got my Samsung Galaxy nexus update to 4.2.1. I was really excited until I started having the battery issues, screen lock issues, and overheating problem. I really don't like 4.2.1 and want to downgrade my version back 4.1.2. My carrier is the Mobicility (Canadian). I did not do anything previously with this phone such as rooting it, doing all the funky stuff that will void my warranty. I heard about flashing some google images to get back 4.1.2 but I'm not sure if I need to root or how to like do it through the gnex toolkit that mskip made. As well what if the difference between yakju and maguro? I heard if you flash the wrong image it will brick your phone or something like that. If there is a method without having to root it and lose all my contacts, then I would prefer that a lot.
Thanks,
mleung754
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
mleung754,
You are posting in the wrong forum.
Asus Nexus 7 is not the same thing as a Samsung Galaxy Nexus.
Ignore mmystere68's remarks.

[Q] Smooth Rom 4.4

Hi
As you've prob guessed I'm a noob, hence the help.
Ive just recently rooted and unlocked my nexus 7 with wugfresh 1.6.2 and am now looking at putting a custom rom on it.
Ive followed the advice and put titanium backup on and backed up my apps and system data.
Having read the instructions for installing Smooth Rom 4.4, it states 'Please do not restore a 'system' data backup as it would overwritte some important files'
does this mean I cannot restore my apps from titanium backup as I cant restore system data as they where backed up together or is there some other way for me to do it ?
does titanium backup get wiped as well ?
All Help appreciated, this is my first rom install and I dont wanna **** it up.
Robbie_UK said:
All Help appreciated, this is my first rom install and I dont wanna **** it up.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The most important thing to do is to make a FULL nandroid backup before you begin.
The 2nd most important thing to do is to get that backup copied someplace else besides the tablet. (PC, USB key, etc) Screw-ups involving accidental erasure of the psuedo- SD card area on the tablet are commonplace with folks that are new to this. It won't do you any good to make a backup if you immediately erase it while fooling around with a custom recovery (or toolkit) that is new to you.
I suggest you learn to make backups using the custom recovery rather than relying on a toolkit.
If you are happy with the tablet in it's current configuration, then a back-up allows you to survive any ****-ups that inevitably follow as you can return back to a known state and proceed again having learned from your mistakes.
FULL NANDROID BACKUPS. COPIED SOMEPLACE SAFE (OFF THE TABLET)
As for TiB, the only thing that is 100% safe is to only restore apps & their data that are NOT pre-installed in whatever ROM you are installing. Note this means not restoring any of the Google gapps as well, as you may have had a different versions of those apps running on your current ROM than on the to-be-installed ROM, whether pre-installed or updated later.
Yeah it's a bit of work restoring apps one by one and re-configuring things. There probably are System apps that can have their data safely restored to the wrong version of the app - but there are absolutely no guarantees that correct operation of the app will follow that.
cheers and good luck

[Q] Best way to change roms?

I've been running PA for a while now, and I was wondering what the best method for swapping Roms is. (What to wipe) and how to do so without losing what is stored on my internal sd card, our currently installed apps.
(As a side question, what are some good roms with pie?)
Nexus 7
Factory reset, which will wipe data (but leaves /data/media intact) and cache. Although generally not necessary, I'd also format /system. Many devs will have their updater script format it as part of the flash, but I have seen a handful that have not. Your apps will be wiped when doing a clean flash- that's just the way it is. You should not be dirty flashing (wiping just cache and dalvik) between roms as it will lead to problems. You can use apps such as Titanium Backup or Rom Toolbox to backup and restore your user apps. Do not restore system apps or data.
Your side question is a quick and easy way to get this thread locked. Go to the dev forum for your device, whether it's tilapia or grouper, and do some reading and test drive a rom or two that piques your interest. There is no substitute for research and forming your own informed opinions.
you should also nandroid backup before you flash anything, that way you have a safe point to restore to if something goes wrong, or you don't like the new rom.
if it's a rom upgrade (not rom switch), you can flash directly over the top at your own risk if the changes are relatively minor and the dev says full wipe not needed. you won't lose any data and it saves having to set everything up again. i've personally never had a problem when flashing an upgrade straight over the top. I always do a nandroid backup beforehand though just in case :good:
and yeh..find a rom you like, not what someone else says is best for them...
If you're flashing 'like-for-like', ie, flashing a ROM upgrade, you can generally 'dirty flash' it over the top - UNLESS THE DEVELOPER STATES OTHERWISE.
The developer of the ROM I use always states 'no wipes needed' when he releases a new version...
-----------
If you're changing ROMs completely, then a factory reset is necessary, otherwise you're likely to have all manner of problems...
So backup your apps using Titanium beforehand...
-----------
You can optionally format /system... but be careful... make definitely sure you have on internal storage, either...
a) A flashable ROM .zip
...or...
b) a NANDROID backup
...or you'll find you have a tablet with no OS... just a custom recovery and the bootloader... although not irresolvable, such a situation is a pain in the arse to fix!
-----------
Above all... before you do anything - MAKE A NANDROID BACKUP - I cannot emphasise this enough. It takes less than 5 minutes. And it is your lifeline back to a functioning Nexus, should anything go wrong.
Good luck...
Rgrds,
Ged.
Still no way to backup multi user data/apps?
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda app-developers app

[Q] Different backups, superusers, and flashing kernels

Hi all,
I have learned a lot about Android customization in the last week since my Nexus 4 finally arrived at my door, and I have become reasonably comfortable with the processes of flashing ROMs/kernels, and backing up my phone to make sure I have something stable to return to if something happens to go wrong. However, I am still dealing with a few points of confusion that I was hoping someone could clarify for me:
1. I have CWM installed on my phone and I can use it to backup/restore images of my phone for safety. However, I have heard about other methods like Nandroid, Carbon/Helium, and Titanium Backup while browsing the forums, and have tried them only to become confused as to how they are different from using CWM backup. Could someone please explain this to me and clarify which is the best for keeping a backup of my phone stored on my computer?
2. I have noticed that when I "wipe date/factory reset" in CWM, not everything on my phone is wiped. There are still plenty of files left over from previous ROM installs when I browse my phone with Android File Transfer, and obviously the .zip files you need to flash new ROM's/kernels are left too. What exactly is deleted when do a CWM factory reset?
3. Is it necessary to wipe everything when installing a custom kernel? I have CyanogenMod 10.2 installed because it is quick and relatively bloat-free, but allows for enough customization that I can make the my phone feel the way I want it to. I want to give Matr1x/Hells-core a try, but I am tired of factory reseting everything when install a new kernel. Can I get away with just wiping Cache/Dalvik and flashing the new kernels? If not, what is the best way to avoid losing app data between ROM and kernel flashes?
4. What is the difference between the default Android superuser, CWM superuser, and SuperSU? They all seem like the same thing and it makes me nervous installing different ones.
Any information you guys can offer would be great. Thank you so much for your time !
Downloaded7 said:
Hi all,
I have learned a lot about Android customization in the last week since my Nexus 4 finally arrived at my door, and I have become reasonably comfortable with the processes of flashing ROMs/kernels, and backing up my phone to make sure I have something stable to return to if something happens to go wrong. However, I am still dealing with a few points of confusion that I was hoping someone could clarify for me:
1. I have CWM installed on my phone and I can use it to backup/restore images of my phone for safety. However, I have heard about other methods like Nandroid, Carbon/Helium, and Titanium Backup while browsing the forums, and have tried them only to become confused as to how they are different from using CWM backup. Could someone please explain this to me and clarify which is the best for keeping a backup of my phone stored on my computer?
A backup in CWM is the same as a nandroid backup. It basically take a "snapshot" of your ROM and restore it exactly as it was when backing up.
Titanium Backup is an app that backup your apps and app's data. It's recommend you only restore user's apps and data. Let Google restore any system app's data.
2. I have noticed that when I "wipe date/factory reset" in CWM, not everything on my phone is wiped. There are still plenty of files left over from previous ROM installs when I browse my phone with Android File Transfer, and obviously the .zip files you need to flash new ROM's/kernels are left too. What exactly is deleted when do a CWM factory reset?
Wiping data/factory reset only wipe the data. Wiping system will wipe your ROM (system partition) Of course you don't want to wipe all the files such as the ROM you're going to flash.
There's an option to format internal sd, that will wipe EVERYTHING so unless you know how to ADB push files or sideload a ROM, DO NOT touch that.
3. Is it necessary to wipe everything when installing a custom kernel? I have CyanogenMod 10.2 installed because it is quick and relatively bloat-free, but allows for enough customization that I can make the my phone feel the way I want it to. I want to give Matr1x/Hells-core a try, but I am tired of factory reseting everything when install a new kernel. Can I get away with just wiping Cache/Dalvik and flashing the new kernels? If not, what is the best way to avoid losing app data between ROM and kernel flashes?
No, just flash kernel. Some recommend wipe cache and dalvik cache after kernel flash before reboot.
4. What is the difference between the default Android superuser, CWM superuser, and SuperSU? They all seem like the same thing and it makes me nervous installing different ones.
Different app that does the same thing. Usually go with what is recommend by the ROM's dev. I ususally just leave what's included with the ROM.
Any information you guys can offer would be great. Thank you so much for your time !
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hope that answer some of your questions. I'm sure I left out some stuffs so hopefully someone else can add to it.:good:

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