Database Users

4.2.2 update

I am on stock, but rooted, nexus 7 4.2.2. I got notification of the software update sometime last week. I decided I would update. First, of course, I made a full nandoid backup, and titannium backup of all my apps and data. I downloaded rootkeeper and using rootkeeper "unrooted" and set about updating.
The Nexus rebooted, and entered the custom recovery mode (I think it is Amon RA) and then the update failed.
How can I update? What are your thoughts on the update? If I should avoid updating, how can I get rid of the software upgrade nag?

wiredwrx said:
I am on stock, but rooted, nexus 7 4.2.2. I got notification of the software update sometime last week. I decided I would update. First, of course, I made a full nandoid backup, and titannium backup of all my apps and data. I downloaded rootkeeper and using rootkeeper "unrooted" and set about updating.
The Nexus rebooted, and entered the custom recovery mode (I think it is Amon RA) and then the update failed.
How can I update? What are your thoughts on the update? If I should avoid updating, how can I get rid of the software upgrade nag?
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You would need stock Android recovery for it to work I believe, so if you have a custom recovery, that is why it failed.

RMarkwald said:
You would need stock Android recovery for it to work I believe, so if you have a custom recovery, that is why it failed.
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Thanks. I will look into that. Any thoughts on the update?

wiredwrx said:
Thanks. I will look into that. Any thoughts on the update?
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You'd have to get stock Android recovery on there somehow, but if you're doing the official update and you removed any /system/app apps with Titanium Backup or anything, it'll also fail. If you flashed a custom kernel, it'll fail as well. Official updates run system checks to see that the stock files are all there and the correct versions.
You could backup everything you want to save on internal sd card (pictures/music etc), and flash the official factory Google images via fastboot. Or flash custom recovery and flash a 4.2.2 ROM. Either way, you'll have to wipe everything so you'll loose apps and app data, which you'll have to re-install again.

wiredwrx said:
The Nexus rebooted, and entered the custom recovery mode (I think it is Amon RA) and then the update failed.
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The reason it failed is given in the recovery log file located at /cache/recovery/recovery.log
In general, OTAs are meant for 100% stock devices. When someone attempts an OTA on a rooted device, it can fail for hundreds of independent reasons - usually files in /system that got altered or removed by various root-privileged apps. (Sometimes it is not apparent to the end user that their root-using apps have even made such changes). In the current JOP40D -> JDQ39 OTA, the boot partition is also checked, so the OTA will certainly fail if you are using a custom kernel (in addition to any issues with modified files in /system).
Sounds like you are a person who makes Nandroid backups; good for you. If you have a Nandroid backup taken immediately after rooting (before any of these changes took place), it is possible that you could replace the altered files (by pulling the unaltered versions out of the old Nandroid Backups). Unfortunately, it is hard to know how much work this will be**, because during the initial check sequence that the OTA performs, it halts on the first error encountered. There could be only a single altered file causing trouble, several, or many.
** If you use TWRP recovery, the system (& data) image backups are tar files - you don't even need to restore an old backup to retrieve files from other backups.
As you mentioned TiBu, it sounds like your are farmiliar with all this stuff already. Rather than hand-patching your existing ROM, perhaps the right thing to do is to
- Make your TiBu & Nandroid Backups of your current ROM
- Install 4.2.2 factory image & Re-Root
- Make a Nandroid Backup of this (vanilla stock) ROM before you even boot it
- Boot it and restore your Market Apps. (I'm not a big fan of restoring System Apps or their data).
good luck

bftb0 said:
The reason it failed is given in the recovery log file located at /cache/recovery/recovery.log
In general, OTAs are meant for 100% stock devices. When someone attempts an OTA on a rooted device, it can fail for hundreds of independent reasons - usually files in /system that got altered or removed by various root-privileged apps. (Sometimes it is not apparent to the end user that their root-using apps have even made such changes). In the current JOP40D -> JDQ39 OTA, the boot partition is also checked, so the OTA will certainly fail if you are using a custom kernel (in addition to any issues with modified files in /system).
Sounds like you are a person who makes Nandroid backups; good for you. If you have a Nandroid backup taken immediately after rooting (before any of these changes took place), it is possible that you could replace the altered files (by pulling the unaltered versions out of the old Nandroid Backups). Unfortunately, it is hard to know how much work this will be**, because during the initial check sequence that the OTA performs, it halts on the first error encountered. There could be only a single altered file causing trouble, several, or many.
** If you use TWRP recovery, the system (& data) image backups are tar files - you don't even need to restore an old backup to retrieve files from other backups.
As you mentioned TiBu, it sounds like your are farmiliar with all this stuff already. Rather than hand-patching your existing ROM, perhaps the right thing to do is to
- Make your TiBu & Nandroid Backups of your current ROM
- Install 4.2.2 factory image & Re-Root
- Make a Nandroid Backup of this (vanilla stock) ROM before you even boot it
- Boot it and restore your Market Apps. (I'm not a big fan of restoring System Apps or their data).
good luck
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Thanks for the detailed breakdown. I may just update with your instructions. Are you aware of a way to suppress the nag screen.

[Q] Online Nandroid Backup and pre rooted ROMs

Well, I really appreciate the pre rooted ROMS for the i9505 and everything is working good, even OTA and official status. :good:
As flashing a custom recovery makes it unofficial (so no OTA), the only way I've found in order to make a full nandroid backup is using the Online Nandroid Backup app from the Google Play Store. I obtained a CWM backup file that I stored on my external SD card.
Now, in order to make a full nandroid restore of my previous backup (not only apps but the whole system), I have to flash again a custom recovery. Sadly, when doing this, I have to reflash again the stock recovery, to use Triangle Away and to make a full wipe for having official status and OTA back again :crying:
I wonder if there is another way to restore my full nandroid bakcup without using a custom recovery or without affecting the flash counter/official status ?
Thanks !

Jumping from AOKP to Stock. How?

I'm stuck on AOKP 4.2, and would like to upgrade to stock 4.4 + xposed (been hearing great things about it). And I have a bunch of questions before I do the deed.
1. Can I just wipe apps + data and flash the stock image? Will that preserve my recovery (TWRP) and root?
2. Should I also get a 4.4-specific baseband?
3. I'd like to backup my contacts, along with the merged/linked data. How do I do that?

You don't need to wipe anything beforehand. If you want to preserve recovery, you'll have to flash each image separately instead of doing the flash all or remove the recovery image from the stock package, as that will prevent it from being overwritten. No, root can't be preserved because you are flashing a new system partition. You can simply flash superuser.zip afterwards, or TWRP may offer to root for you.
You don't necessarily need a new radio. Personally, I'm still using an older hybrid, for LTE purposes.
The best way would be having your contacts synced with Google. Otherwise, you'll need Titanium Backup for contacts and all other data anyway.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app

1) how are you flashing? if you use the autoflash through fastboot, youll lose everything. however, if you flash each partition manually through fastboot, you can preserve your current recovery.
2) if you aren't having issues now, i would stay with the radio you are currently using. radios are cross compatible between android versions.
3) there are a few root apps in the play store for contacts backup. if you have a google account, they should all be auto backed up (provided that you saved every contact to your google account and not your sim card)

exchequer598 said:
I'm stuck on AOKP 4.2, and would like to upgrade to stock 4.4 + xposed (been hearing great things about it). And I have a bunch of questions before I do the deed.
1. Can I just wipe apps + data and flash the stock image? Will that preserve my recovery (TWRP) and root?
2. Should I also get a 4.4-specific baseband?
3. I'd like to backup my contacts, along with the merged/linked data. How do I do that?
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Click to collapse
I recommend you to use an official stock ROM, and install it. It will not preserve anything, so you should export your contacts, and restore them later.
After restoring stock ROM, you can install any recovery and root from fresh.
https://developers.google.com/android/nexus/images
sent from nexus4 pa4beta2

TWRP 3.1.1-0 - help me understand what to backup please

Hi,
after few soft-bricks and hours, i was able to transform my stock A2017 B16 to stock A2017U B25 and everything is working.
now the device is B25, android 7.1.1 + TWRP 3.1.1-0 and i want to make full backup as i know the need it if something goes wrong (and it probably will )
in the back up options i see the following:
Boot (64MB)
Recovery (64MB)
System (4740MB)
System Image (6144MB)
Data (excl. storage) (4001MB)
Cach (27MB)
Modem (NON-HLOS) (95MB)
Bluetooth (BTFM) (1MB)
EFS (6MB)
for now, i did backup of all of them but didn't tried to restore because i saw somewhere that i can get you brick .
can you help me understand what to backup for *complete backup* which one i can use in emergency recovery cases?

Boot - This is your bootloader. I usually back this up.
Recovery - This is twrp, you could back it up by itself once, but it isn't necessary.
System - This is your rom and stuff. This is the main thing to backup/restore if you want to keep the current ROM you are on.
System Image - I'm not positive on this, but I think its a full image of the whole system with everything.
Data (excl. storage) (4001MB) - This is all of your personal data, apps settings, call logs, etc.
Cach - no point in backing this up
Modem (NON-HLOS) - I don't back this up either as you can always flash the newest modem files
Bluetooth (BTFM) - bluetooth settings/devices I think, probably don't need to back up.
EFS - Do one backup of this and keep it forever. If you ever wipe or mess the EFS up you are in trouble.
Don't count on all that 100% as I'm not a dev, but I've been doing this for years. Besides the one time backups I mentioned, I routinely just backup the boot, system and data and have never had any problems restoring.
If you are brave and installing a rom that runs on a similar base, sometimes you can backup only the data, and flash the new rom, then restore just the data and have all your settings and apps stuff back.
Hopefully that helps.

Boot, System, Data- just like the person above me.
That's all you really need to do. Sometimes I'll even do things like wipe system only if I'm having problems with the ROM, Gapps, or some random mod, and reinstall the ROM & Gapps to bring it back to a clean slate. Say, if I tried out A.R.I.S.E. sound mod but it was acting goofy and I wanted to make sure I removed all of its remnants.
Recovery is unnecessary I'd think.
EFS - I guess backup once.

Why not backup everything? It doesn't take up much space. System image seems to be the only one I'd leave out. I still back it up anyway.

ThePublisher said:
Boot - This is your bootloader. I usually back this up.
Recovery - This is twrp, you could back it up by itself once, but it isn't necessary.
System - This is your rom and stuff. This is the main thing to backup/restore if you want to keep the current ROM you are on.
System Image - I'm not positive on this, but I think its a full image of the whole system with everything.
Data (excl. storage) (4001MB) - This is all of your personal data, apps settings, call logs, etc.
Cach - no point in backing this up
Modem (NON-HLOS) - I don't back this up either as you can always flash the newest modem files
Bluetooth (BTFM) - bluetooth settings/devices I think, probably don't need to back up.
EFS - Do one backup of this and keep it forever. If you ever wipe or mess the EFS up you are in trouble.
Don't count on all that 100% as I'm not a dev, but I've been doing this for years. Besides the one time backups I mentioned, I routinely just backup the boot, system and data and have never had any problems restoring.
If you are brave and installing a rom that runs on a similar base, sometimes you can backup only the data, and flash the new rom, then restore just the data and have all your settings and apps stuff back.
Hopefully that helps.
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You're mostly correct except boot, which is the kernel and not the bootloader, and system image is this as mention in an old TWRP changelog:
The Team Win Recovery Project has released version 2.8.7.0 of its custom recovery, known simply as TWRP. This update brings a system read-only option that's intended to help you make a pure backup of your system image that you can later flash to receive over-the-air updates after having rooted or ROMed your device.
Cheers.
@mb0 Basic backup is system data and boot to have a working device, but I'd backup everything at least once just to be on the safe side.

The "backup all" solution sound nice to me??
At least one full backup and i keep it in safe place(es).
Let's try the restore function and hope not to be surprised

Hehe, good luck mate!

I'm back to update...
Full backup (except 'cache') --> reboot to recovery --> normal 'wipe' --> reboot (to make sure that it wiped) --> reboot to recovery --> restore everything (except 'cache') -->reboot --> ITS ALL GOOD :good:

What to backup to recover before flash ROM?

I recently rooted my Moto G5 plus and would like to check out a a few custom ROMs. However, from reading the instructions on a few custom ROM threads it isn't clear to me what to backup in TWRP to be able to recover or go back to the stock ROM if I want to later.
I've read that I should backup Data, logo, and boot, and internal storage, plus all apps and data with Titanium Backup, but what about System, System Image, Recovery, OEM, and EFS? What about persist?
Can someone give me a quick summary of what I need to backup to go back to my current state if I want to experiment with some other ROMs?
Thanks.

Splice_9 said:
I recently rooted my Moto G5 plus and would like to check out a a few custom ROMs. However, from reading the instructions on a few custom ROM threads it isn't clear to me what to backup in TWRP to be able to recover or go back to the stock ROM if I want to later.
I've read that I should backup Data, logo, and boot, and internal storage, plus all apps and data with Titanium Backup, but what about System, System Image, Recovery, OEM, and EFS? What about persist?
Can someone give me a quick summary of what I need to backup to go back to my current state if I want to experiment with some other ROMs?
Thanks.
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Click to collapse
Back up everything available in TWRP, including efs and persist. Then store it all on the cloud. You can never have too much backed up.
Too many people have screwed their devices in this forum by not backing up persist and then applying bad modifications. It is unique to your device and you can't use someone else's to guarantee full functionality.

I backed up all 53 partitions and stored in my harddisk. It's less than 5GB.
I left out only the data partition because for that I use Titanium Backup and RSync.
Yet I haven't backed up the partition table, also this is important...

NZedPred said:
Back up everything available in TWRP, including efs and persist. Then store it all on the cloud. You can never have too much backed up.
Too many people have screwed their devices in this forum by not backing up persist and then applying bad modifications. It is unique to your device and you can't use someone else's to guarantee full functionality.
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Click to collapse
if i backup my efs and persist in a custom rom 64 bits that backup won't work in stock right? it is intact

Backup everything... although it may be too late already, but any working backup is better than nothing.
What you should REALLY do is unlock the bootloader, then before you do anything at all one-time boot TWRP, NOT install it, and backup everything and move it off the device and to the cloud. Once you have rooted or modified your device, even installing TWRP, you are not getting a clean backup.

nicolap8 said:
Yet I haven't backed up the partition table, also this is important...
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acejavelin said:
What you should REALLY do is unlock the bootloader, then before you do anything at all one-time boot TWRP, NOT install it, and backup everything and move it off the device and to the cloud. Once you have rooted or modified your device, even installing TWRP, you are not getting a clean backup.
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Have anyone backed up and successfully restored a full partition backup before? I mean running dd if=/dev/block/mmcblk0p* of=/sdcard/*.img for all partitions before installing TWRP. Would restoring it later (after flashing roms and such) return your phone to 100% stock state, being able to re-lock BL, take updates and everything?

prokaryotic cell said:
Have anyone backed up and successfully restored a full partition backup before? I mean running dd if=/dev/block/mmcblk0p* of=/sdcard/*.img for all partitions before installing TWRP. Would restoring it later (after flashing roms and such) return your phone to 100% stock state, being able to re-lock BL, take updates and everything?
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No... there are some things you cannot write to, period, but the OS can (has to do with encrypted files/partitions I believe), bootloader unlock is one of these things. Many of the mmcblk0 partitions cannot be written to, you can really one write to about 8 or 10 of them via software without having an external writer (for the life of me I can't remember what it's called).

acejavelin said:
No... there are some things you cannot write to, period, but the OS can (has to do with encrypted files/partitions I believe), bootloader unlock is one of these things. Many of the mmcblk0 partitions cannot be written to, you can really one write to about 8 or 10 of them via software without having an external writer (for the life of me I can't remember what it's called).
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I see. Wasn't expecting to be able to return the bootloader status to untampered, but what matters most is being able to return to a fully working stock rom and take OTAs without bricking the device. There's also all the issues people keep getting in this forum - such as losing their IMEI, 4G, VoLTE - can be those be avoided (and even fixed) by restoring the right backed up mmcblk0 partitions?

prokaryotic cell said:
I see. Wasn't expecting to be able to return the bootloader status to untampered, but what matters most is being able to return to a fully working stock rom and take OTAs without bricking the device. There's also all the issues people keep getting in this forum - such as losing their IMEI, 4G, VoLTE - can be those be avoided (and even fixed) by restoring the right backed up mmcblk0 partitions?
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Click to collapse
Yes, you can restore your efi folder to correct this most of the time, if you have a clean backup. Otherwise you need to get it JTAG programmed

prokaryotic cell said:
I see. Wasn't expecting to be able to return the bootloader status to untampered, but what matters most is being able to return to a fully working stock rom and take OTAs without bricking the device.
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Just to clarify that you understand, you can't return your bootloader status to untampered but you can lock it again. However it really isn't necessary to do that just to get OTAs. All you need to do is return to your stock with stock recovery and no-root (fastboot method not TWRP flashable.) OTAs work fine once you have done so. I have restored a TWRP backup just by booting into TWRP but it seems like I had some issue unrelated to OTA, although I don't recall what they were and is was on my previous phone (Moto G4).