Database Users

[Q] Strange backup/restore behavior. Stock G2 -> CM6 -> Stock -> CM6

I had something strange happen with the Messaging app, so I may as well list every step I took in case one of them was important.
TL;DR: I backed up "SMS Storage" from stock ROM with Ti Backup then restored it into CM6, but my old messages were still missing. Afterward I backed up and restored CM6 with nandroid and the old messages came back. fix_permissions was used in the middle for unrelated reasons.
I had stock G2 with perma-root and I wanted to try CM6. Without thinking about my apps or their data, I simply did a backup with ROM Manager, wiped and installed CM6. (All in one step. Man, I love ROM Manager!)
When I finally logged into CM6, Android started downloading all the apps I had before. It was then that I realized, "Fuuuuuuuuuck... all my settings and data are gone." I had older backups in Titanium Backup, but I wanted everything to be up to the minute. I also backed up my ADW settings and desktop configuration. Again, what a dream!
I restored my stock ROM backup and used Titanium Backup to backup everything one more time. Then I went through the download, wipe, install process again. It was already downloaded, and ROM Manager was smart enough not to download it again. Nice.
I waited yet again for Android to reinstall all my apps. A couple didn't download right, so I massaged them. I think they had updates with permission changes.
I restored my ADW settings and icons, and launched Titanium Backup. I used the restore screen and the Batch menu option. I clicked on RUN for "Restore All Apps" or whatever, which I knew would prompt me with a giant checkbox list. I unchecked everything and went down the list checking every user app. They were the ones with white text for the most part. If there was a Google system app that I was comfortable restoring, like the data for, say, Goggles, I checked that, too. I didn't check any of the truly system things.
The restore was a success and all my apps functioned beautifully.
I then opened the Messaging app and realized that all my old text messages were missing. Here's where the weirdness more-or-less starts.
I decide to go hunting in Ti Backup to see if I can find the data for the SMS app. I first restored the one with the Messaging app icon, and that managed to restore just my preferences. That made sense afterall, because it was called "[SMS/MMS PREFS] Messaging 2.2.1".
After that I tried restoring the one called "[SMS/MMS/APN] Dialer Storage 2.2.1", thinking that this must be it. No help at all.
I sent a few text messages to one person creating new data.
GPS is broken in CM6, and someone suggested running fix_permissions from the terminal. I did so, and no help with GPS. (But did this maybe fix the SMS data?)
I realized that Swype was missing and someone posted instructions on how to restore it, but you need to be back at stock and pull the files from the stock ROM. (I also could have unzipped the stock rom image, I read later, but anyway...) I restored my old stock backup, ran the ADB commands to pull the files, then restored my CM6 backup I had made just minutes earlier. I use a combination of ADB and Root Explorer to get the files in the right spot and I have Swype again.
I open the first app I can think of to test Swype, and that's Messaging. Bam! All my old messages are back! And my few new ones are now gone!
What's up with that?

elusivebyte said:
I had something strange happen with the Messaging app, so I may as well list every step I took in case one of them was important.
TL;DR: I backed up "SMS Storage" from stock ROM with Ti Backup then restored it into CM6, but my old messages were still missing. Afterward I backed up and restored CM6 with nandroid and the old messages came back. fix_permissions was used in the middle for unrelated reasons.
I had stock G2 with perma-root and I wanted to try CM6. Without thinking about my apps or their data, I simply did a backup with ROM Manager, wiped and installed CM6. (All in one step. Man, I love ROM Manager!)
When I finally logged into CM6, Android started downloading all the apps I had before. It was then that I realized, "Fuuuuuuuuuck... all my settings and data are gone." I had older backups in Titanium Backup, but I wanted everything to be up to the minute. I also backed up my ADW settings and desktop configuration. Again, what a dream!
I restored my stock ROM backup and used Titanium Backup to backup everything one more time. Then I went through the download, wipe, install process again. It was already downloaded, and ROM Manager was smart enough not to download it again. Nice.
I waited yet again for Android to reinstall all my apps. A couple didn't download right, so I massaged them. I think they had updates with permission changes.
I restored my ADW settings and icons, and launched Titanium Backup. I used the restore screen and the Batch menu option. I clicked on RUN for "Restore All Apps" or whatever, which I knew would prompt me with a giant checkbox list. I unchecked everything and went down the list checking every user app. They were the ones with white text for the most part. If there was a Google system app that I was comfortable restoring, like the data for, say, Goggles, I checked that, too. I didn't check any of the truly system things.
The restore was a success and all my apps functioned beautifully.
I then opened the Messaging app and realized that all my old text messages were missing. Here's where the weirdness more-or-less starts.
I decide to go hunting in Ti Backup to see if I can find the data for the SMS app. I first restored the one with the Messaging app icon, and that managed to restore just my preferences. That made sense afterall, because it was called "[SMS/MMS PREFS] Messaging 2.2.1".
After that I tried restoring the one called "[SMS/MMS/APN] Dialer Storage 2.2.1", thinking that this must be it. No help at all.
I sent a few text messages to one person creating new data.
GPS is broken in CM6, and someone suggested running fix_permissions from the terminal. I did so, and no help with GPS. (But did this maybe fix the SMS data?)
I realized that Swype was missing and someone posted instructions on how to restore it, but you need to be back at stock and pull the files from the stock ROM. (I also could have unzipped the stock rom image, I read later, but anyway...) I restored my old stock backup, ran the ADB commands to pull the files, then restored my CM6 backup I had made just minutes earlier. I use a combination of ADB and Root Explorer to get the files in the right spot and I have Swype again.
I open the first app I can think of to test Swype, and that's Messaging. Bam! All my old messages are back! And my few new ones are now gone!
What's up with that?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just a note, if android starts reinstalling all of your apps automatically again, that means that you have "back up data to google servers" checked in settings, which means that it will first reinstall your apps, then restore all of their settings and data.

[Q] Restoring from Titanium backup across ROMs? (keep getting Force Close)

Hello all. I have a question about restoring "everything" from a Titanium backup across different roms. (This is a separate thread from my previous question)
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've done it about 5 times now, with different options checked in Titanium, like restoring the libs, and not, un-checking all of the red system apps from restoring, even did a permissions reset from Rom Manager, all with the same results. I get Force Close messages constantly.
"android.process.acore", " com.android.htccontacts", "com.android.mms", "com.android.phone" are the main ones and I can't open many "system" apps at all after the restore.
Is there something I'm missing in this process? Mostly what I care about are the sms/mms, mail, contacts, call log, ect (of that nature), but I would like to keep setings and wallpapers, ect as well if I can. Is this accomplish-able? If so how, if not, how can I come close?

Try doing a fix permissions in cwm

Thanks samsamuel. I know I didn't specify it, but when I tried the permissions fix in Rom manager, I also started the process over and tried it in CWMr, to the same effect. So I think I've rules out it being a permissions problem.

well if it were me changing roms, id do a cwm backup, then 'wipe data / factory reset', flash the new rom, let it boot all the way to the welcome screen, reboot into cwm and then selectively restore data and sd ext, , but since i've only played with cm7 roms, and not that much, i couldn't tell you how well it will work.
Cant hurt to try tho, eh?

[Q] Titanium backup fails to gain root access [SOLVED (kinda)]

What the title says really. It has been working fine since I installed ACA march 8th but 2 days ago, for no reason i can see, it stopped acquiring root access. It appears that SU is suddenly automatically denying the permissions but i have never told it to do such a thing for TB. All the other programs i have that require root (Root Explorer and Rom manager to name 2) are working fine.
I have tried, fixing permissions both in Rom manager and CWM more times than i can count, I've done reboots, power offs, soft resets, cleared the caches for both Superuser and TB, reinstalled both, upgraded and downgraded SU and obviously searched my ass off and i just can't get the damn thing to work again.
It's a little important that i get a good backup because the one i have is 2 days old and in the morning I'm going to be picking up my new Endeavour (One X for the uninitiated) and I'll need to transfer everything over.
I know there are a bunch of these threads about but i wouldn't start a new one unless it was really needed. So has anyone got any ideas?

M3PH said:
What the title says really. It has been working fine since I installed ACA march 8th but 2 days ago, for no reason i can see, it stopped acquiring root access. It appears that SU is suddenly automatically denying the permissions but i have never told it to do such a thing for TB. All the other programs i have that require root (Root Explorer and Rom manager to name 2) are working fine.
I have tried, fixing permissions both in Rom manager and CWM more times than i can count, I've done reboots, power offs, soft resets, cleared the caches for both Superuser and TB, reinstalled both, upgraded and downgraded SU and obviously searched my ass off and i just can't get the damn thing to work again.
It's a little important that i get a good backup because the one i have is 2 days old and in the morning I'm going to be picking up my new Endeavour (One X for the uninitiated) and I'll need to transfer everything over.
I know there are a bunch of these threads about but i wouldn't start a new one unless it was really needed. So has anyone got any ideas?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh no, two days old?! whatever will you do? JK I've never come across an issue like this before, have you tried clearing all of the data for both apps and trying again? I'm very stumped as to how something like this would come about, especially if nothing actually solves it

Nigeldg said:
Oh no, two days old?! whatever will you do? JK I've never come across an issue like this before, have you tried clearing all of the data for both apps and trying again? I'm very stumped as to how something like this would come about, especially if nothing actually solves it
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah i tried that. I even rebooted the phone once i had. SU just doesn't want to give the correct permissions.
I have my One X charging on my desk and my brother has agreed to pay me for my Leo so i need to get this sorted pretty quick coz i can't give him the HD2 if it still has my data on it. I will be honest though and say that i'm starting to think the best solution will be to restore the good backup i have from [now] 3 days ago and then work on the leo. If i have to lose the sms messages etc i have for the last few of days then so be it but i am going to blame the rom for the fault if i do.

M3PH said:
Yeah i tried that. I even rebooted the phone once i had. SU just doesn't want to give the correct permissions.
I have my One X charging on my desk and my brother has agreed to pay me for my Leo so i need to get this sorted pretty quick coz i can't give him the HD2 if it still has my data on it. I will be honest though and say that i'm starting to think the best solution will be to restore the good backup i have from [now] 3 days ago and then work on the leo. If i have to lose the sms messages etc i have for the last few of days then so be it but i am going to blame the rom for the fault if i do.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Maybe it's something to do with ACA? Try this:
1. Backup everything in CWM
2. Flash a new ROM (not ACA)
3. Restore the data partition in CWM (through something like advanced restore, cba to boot into cwm to check it)
4. Load Titanium Backup and see if it works
5. (Assuming it works) backup your apps and enjoy.
Hopefully that might work. Also you don't need to worry about using a ROM with the same partition sizes as ACA, it won't matter (from what I've read, never actually tried it before).

Nigeldg said:
Maybe it's something to do with ACA? Try this:
1. Backup everything in CWM
2. Flash a new ROM (not ACA)
3. Restore the data partition in CWM (through something like advanced restore, cba to boot into cwm to check it)
4. Load Titanium Backup and see if it works
5. (Assuming it works) backup your apps and enjoy.
Hopefully that might work. Also you don't need to worry about using a ROM with the same partition sizes as ACA, it won't matter (from what I've read, never actually tried it before).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok i will try it and report back. i'm in the middle of installing HTC sync for the One X, unlocking its bootloader and flashing a custom rom to it.
To be frank, i wouldn't have kept ACA on it to give anyway for the very simple reason it seems to be far buggier than most of the other CM7 roms out there for the Leo

Thanks to an odd series of events last night (i managed to lock myself out of my flat/apartment) i didn't get to looking into this further but the scheduled TB backup ran at 2AM as normal and it succeeded. Although when i open TB it still says unable to gain root access. So this gets wierder but atleast i have a current, good backup to put on my Endeavour and now i can flash the Leo with a new rom.
I won't say problem solved but i will say crisis averted.

M3PH said:
Thanks to an odd series of events last night (i managed to lock myself out of my flat/apartment) i didn't get to looking into this further but the scheduled TB backup ran at 2AM as normal and it succeeded. Although when i open TB it still says unable to gain root access. So this gets wierder but atleast i have a current, good backup to put on my Endeavour and now i can flash the Leo with a new rom.
I won't say problem solved but i will say crisis averted.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good to know, hopefully all the backups are good rather than corrupted. I don't know if it overwrites the old ones when it does a new backup, but if I were you I would have copied the old ones to my PC before the scheduled backup. That way, you have a fail-safe, but now if something went wrong you've effectively lost all of your app data.

Nigeldg said:
Good to know, hopefully all the backups are good rather than corrupted. I don't know if it overwrites the old ones when it does a new backup, but if I were you I would have copied the old ones to my PC before the scheduled backup. That way, you have a fail-safe, but now if something went wrong you've effectively lost all of your app data.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Titainum backup overwrites or deletes older backups as per user preference. I personally only ever kept one. The backup itself is ok but it turns out the contacts and sms databases in GB are not compatible with ICS so i had to move most stuff the long way round anyway.
It's a good job i keep like 5 backups of my contacts in 5 different places. That would have been a pain otherwise.

Using Skyrocket here but I found this thread because my TiBu failed to get root access after flashing a new ROM.
Solution:
-Go to Settings, then Applications
-Find "Superuser"
-Press "Clear Data"
-Go back to Applications
-Find "Titanium Backup"
-Press "Clear Data"
Close all apps and windows and go to your home screen. Open Titanium Backup. It should then request root access. Allow it.
Worked for me!

Datron said:
Using Skyrocket here but I found this thread because my TiBu failed to get root access after flashing a new ROM.
Solution:
-Go to Settings, then Applications
-Find "Superuser"
-Press "Clear Data"
-Go back to Applications
-Find "Titanium Backup"
-Press "Clear Data"
Close all apps and windows and go to your home screen. Open Titanium Backup. It should then request root access. Allow it.
Worked for me!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks!
Had the same problem and this worked for me too.

I have this problem every time I restore my phone. All I do is uninstall it and reinstall it and it works just fine.
Sent from my HD2 using xda premium

Datron said:
Using Skyrocket here but I found this thread because my TiBu failed to get root access after flashing a new ROM.
Solution:
-Go to Settings, then Applications
-Find "Superuser"
-Press "Clear Data"
-Go back to Applications
-Find "Titanium Backup"
-Press "Clear Data"
Close all apps and windows and go to your home screen. Open Titanium Backup. It should then request root access. Allow it.
Worked for me!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This worked like a charm!!! I was about to wipe everything and redo my ROM, thank god i didn't have to!

Datron said:
Using Skyrocket here but I found this thread because my TiBu failed to get root access after flashing a new ROM.
Solution:
-Go to Settings, then Applications
-Find "Superuser"
-Press "Clear Data"
-Go back to Applications
-Find "Titanium Backup"
-Press "Clear Data"
Close all apps and windows and go to your home screen. Open Titanium Backup. It should then request root access. Allow it.
Worked for me!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Heh, I know this is an old thread, and even not my phones thread, but I just needed to say that this solution worked for me after the latest update for TB (8-21-12)....a quick google search pulled this up. Thanks!:highfive:

Datron said:
Using Skyrocket here but I found this thread because my TiBu failed to get root access after flashing a new ROM.
Solution:
-Go to Settings, then Applications
-Find "Superuser"
-Press "Clear Data"
-Go back to Applications
-Find "Titanium Backup"
-Press "Clear Data"
Close all apps and windows and go to your home screen. Open Titanium Backup. It should then request root access. Allow it.
Worked for me!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Got the same problem after 4.1.2 OTA with Galaxy Nexus. Can't resolve following the steps.

I just RESET and rooted my Infuse, added Titanium Backup, and it fails to gain access. Everyone who has this issue seems to have done some ROM install or some other thing. I can't find any report of someone just installing fresh and having this problem. Also seeing mention of hitting the problem button and getting something...I get nothing but a troubleshooting page that tells me to go read a wiki... Then I see people talking about accidentally disallowing titanium in Superuser, What does that mean? There is no Titanium in Superuser.
I just tried the above quoted solution, that did nothing as well.
Nothing on this thread makes Titanium work for me.

robs80 said:
Thanks!
Had the same problem and this worked for me too.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Guys, you're wonderful. It just worked for me too, just a minute before I decided to kill myself. Thnx:good:

Took me a long time to try everything specified here. Nothing's worked for me. It happened after I have installed Lollipop ROM on my rooted TMO S5. Finally I have uninstalled the TB Pro 6.1 I had before, and installed a non-Pro version from the Play. Now all works!
So probably the Pro has "incompatibility" with the Lollipop.

The thread is a bit old, but I just wanted to give one more tip if somebody else has similar issues. I encountered after one of the recent TB updates the same issue. I open TB and it does ask for root privileges, but for some reason never obtains them. Tried every possible proposal out there and in the end the only thing that actualy worked for me (although this is a bit of an unsecure setting) is to change the "Default access" setting in SuperSU to "Grant" instead of "Prompt". This is actualy telling the SU to grant acess to every app requesting it w/o prompting the user.

I was having the exact same issue on Titanium Backup 7.2.4 with SuperSu on the Samsung Galaxy SIII (AT&T SGH-I747). I looked at the access logs and discovered that Titanium Backup was getting an error when attempting to load busybox (not su), in spite of what the error says. I installed busybox, and the problem was resolved.
Edit:
1) My signature is really out of date.
2) Problem probably could have also been resolved in the TB preferences -> Troubleshooting by turning off "Force use System Busybox"

chriv said:
2) Problem probably could have also been resolved in the TB preferences -> Troubleshooting by turning off "Force use System Busybox"
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That IS THE solution
Confirmed

[Q] TitaniumBackup Pro - Which option for subsequent backups?

Hi there,
I am a bit confused about Titanium Backup. I'm not the great ROM flasher, and I don't backup very often (when things have gone ****, I've just had to download everything again), so I realized it would be cool to just use TitaniumBackup some more; especially now that I bought the Pro version.
I followed this guide: http://androidforums.com/faqs/607141-guide-titaniumbackup-tutorial.html
TL;DR: She does the following:
In TiBu, tap the checkmark icon up on the top right between the search icon and the menu icon.
Tap on Backup all user apps.
Tap on Backup new user apps & newer versions
Tap on Redo backups for modified data
Never ever backup or restore system data! The three taps above are all you need.
The essential point of my question:
What to do when doing subsequent backups? I have downloaded (and will download) a couple of apps after I made the first backup some days ago, and I would like to backup again soon when Paranoid Android 3.0 is coming out - what is the right thing to do?
Also, if I would like to start a scheduled backup plan.. what would be the right thing to choose, so that it is NOT backing up EVERYTHING again and again, but just the apps/stuff I add every once in a while?
Thanks a lot!

I think "forced redo for modified data" is the correct option for subsequent backups. For schedules, you can choose backup newer data and forced redo (2 schedules) or create filters

Different Backup Methods

I was hoping to learn the differences between certain backup methods. The most common i saw is via recovery (in my case twrp), via titanium backup and another via adb command even without root which i saw in one of the threads here in xda.
First, in terms of "backup coverage" how do they compare to one another? Secondly, which among the three would most put ur phone back the way it was before u wipe or factory reset it
I hope you could input your opinions on this and suggestions.
Thanks in advance!
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda premium

A backup through recovery is a called a nandroid. This backs up everything on your phone including your ROM, kernel, apps, settings, etc. This will allow you to restore back to the previous state of your phone after doing a full wipe.
Titanium backup only backs up your apps and app data. This is useful when you want to switch ROMs and restore your apps in the new ROM.
Usually when switching ROMs I first use titanium backup, then I create a nandroid backup, and finally I flash the ROM. If I like the ROM I use titanium to restore the apps that I previously backed up, and if I don't like the ROM I restore my nandroid
Sent from my HTC Desire using xda app-developers app

Doing a backup with twrp, cwm or thru adb (nandroid backups) are basically image files of your phone at any given moment in time. If you restore one of these backups your restoring your phone to exactly how it was at that moment in time. Titanium backup and Helium backup just backup cached data at that particular moment in time. Using these apps will only restore the data you specified when you did the backup and nothing else. Say you borked an install of a ROM, Titanium backup would be of no use in getting your phone working again as it only has data and not a system image. You would need the images backed up by twrp to get the phone working again then you could use the titanium backups to restore any newer data saved if say you used an old twrp backup.

whoah! thanks guys! I was supposed to quote you but since both of you really helped me understand it now, this thanks goes to the both of you.
I've hit the thanks button on both you guys.
Thank you very much for explaining this.
One last thing, when using a Titanium backup ( im using the pro version), how do i backup to make sure I cover all that needs to be backed up? There are a lot of options im not sure which to select and what to do. I hope you could enlighten me on this one as well.
Thanks again in advance!

vinz_bangiz said:
whoah! thanks guys! I was supposed to quote you but since both of you really helped me understand it now, this thanks goes to the both of you.
I've hit the thanks button on both you guys.
Thank you very much for explaining this.
One last thing, when using a Titanium backup ( im using the pro version), how do i backup to make sure I cover all that needs to be backed up? There are a lot of options im not sure which to select and what to do. I hope you could enlighten me on this one as well.
Thanks again in advance!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
With the pro version u can run a batch backup of all apps.
To do this open the app, press the menu button in the top tight corner, and select Batch.
Then choose Backup all user apps. From there you can select/deselect apps. When you are done choosing the apps that you would like to backup, click on the green check mark in the top right corner to start the backup.

vinz_bangiz said:
whoah! thanks guys! I was supposed to quote you but since both of you really helped me understand it now, this thanks goes to the both of you.
I've hit the thanks button on both you guys.
Thank you very much for explaining this.
One last thing, when using a Titanium backup ( im using the pro version), how do i backup to make sure I cover all that needs to be backed up? There are a lot of options im not sure which to select and what to do. I hope you could enlighten me on this one as well.
Thanks again in advance!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I stopped using Titanium and switched to Helium a while back and can't really remember how Ti works exactly. I do know you should never restore system apps data just user apps data so I don't even bother backing up systems apps. I think with Ti I would just do an initial backup of all user data and apps and then periodically do a backup of newer user data and apps, or something to that effect in the menu. I do like Helium better as its interface is better, never could figure out how to backup or restore sms, call logs and the dictionary using Ti. Helium is much more straight forward and simpler (not as many options) and it does backups on a set schedule to my box account. I'm sure you can do all that with Ti too it was just not a very clean app.

thanks again for the replies..
@ chromium96
i think it is the same as clicking the box with check icon beside the menu, it brings me to the page the same as where you are leading me to but in just one click. Though im not so sure if it is really the same one.
I did a backup now but made a user app + system data.
kzoodroid mentioned not to backup system. Should I really not backup the system? Im quite confused with the terminologies of TI coz it says backup "user apps". Does this only refer to the apps and not the settings or data in my phone? does the backup "system data" refer to the settings and other data on my phone? if I choose only backup "user apps", would this only backup the apps and nothing else?
@ kzoodroid
could you explain further why I should never backup systems apps?
Lastly, is Helium really better than TI? or it depends on user preference?
Thanks again!

there are 2 kind of apps stored in your phone, system apps, only accesible with root privilege, and user apps,
system apps are phone, browser,wallpapers, etc, this are the basic apps to make your phone to work
user apps are all the stuff you, the user, install on your phone
the first one can be found, via file managers on /system/app
user app in /data or in sdcard for apps can use this option
the user app back-up, via Tb or others create a back-up of /data and apps you choose to install
restoring a system app via Tb is dangerous cause if you've switched rom the /system/app can be different, so restoring can cause trouble or misbehavior on your phone
/system/app back.up can be used only if you, before deleting a system app, want to have a copy to restore in future, but only if you still on the same rom

stremax said:
there are 2 kind of apps stored in your phone, system apps, only accesible with root privilege, and user apps,
system apps are phone, browser,wallpapers, etc, this are the basic apps to make your phone to work
user apps are all the stuff you, the user, install on your phone
the first one can be found, via file managers on /system/app
user app in /data or in sdcard for apps can use this option
the user app back-up, via Tb or others create a back-up of /data and apps you choose to install
restoring a system app via Tb is dangerous cause if you've switched rom the /system/app can be different, so restoring can cause trouble or misbehavior on your phone
/system/app back.up can be used only if you, before deleting a system app, want to have a copy to restore in future, but only if you still on the same rom
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the reply! kinda getting an idea what you mean.. if I backup the system also, then i put a new rom and it may be different from my current roms system so it might mess it up. so just backup user app and restore this after installing new rom then it would be ok and back to how it was before i installed a new rom? Do i understand it right?

vinz_bangiz said:
Thanks for the reply! kinda getting an idea what you mean.. if I backup the system also, then i put a new rom and it may be different from my current roms system so it might mess it up. so just backup user app and restore this after installing new rom then it would be ok and back to how it was before i installed a new rom? Do i understand it right?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
right man,
only back-up user apps and data, if you like you can also back-up call log and messages, I usually do this, so when I flash a new rom I usually restore apps +apps data, messages and call log via Tb

vinz_bangiz said:
another via adb command even without root which i saw in one of the threads here in xda.
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I found the ADB backup doesn't work as well as the other methods. I found some apps didn't seem to get backed up, and at least one didn't work after restoring (though this could be because I used Titanium Backup to restore the app from the ADB backup file).