What method do you use to backup before rooting?

runswithascript

Hi

Apologies, I accidentally pasted into this thread what was meant for another dealing with *Vodafone Protect not working.

EDIT:

I would like to backup my new Samsung Galaxy S III Mini fully before rooting it.

I have used MyBackup Pro to backup apps and settings, and Astro Pro to backup apps but it is giving some errors for some of the paid apps which I think is because it is hard to backup paid app settings on non-rooted phones? Is it possible to back up these settings also, and is everything on the phone now backed up, including the firmware?

If you are suggesting I use other software will this backup absolutely everything, firmware included?

I have already installed lots of apps and customized the phone to my needs but I would also like to make a backup of the phone as it was when I first bought it, is there any reason once I have backed up everything the way the phone is now I should not restore factory settings and backup again before rooting?

*I use Prey already but I thought Vodafone Protect might compliment it nicely.

Mr E

What have McAfee and having data enabled got to do with backing up and rooting?

Professey Chin

Mr E wrote: »

What have McAfee and having data enabled got to do with backing up and rooting?

And Vodafone. I'm very confused o_0

Conar

dusf wrote: »

Hi

It's a new phone and I have never installed McAfee before.

Working over WiFi with data disabled gave the same error

I understand vodafone support monitor this forum!

Confused. But you can probably backup using adb. Once rooted I always use titanium backup.

jgbyr

Go Backup, very simple to use & effective.

ongarite

Carbon App Backup & Sync. Simple and easy to use.

runswithascript

Sorry guys, I corrected my original post!

This is the short tutorial I will be following rooting my phone and it involves flashing. It was the only one I could find for the NFC version of my phone, the Samsung Galaxy S III Mini I8190N.

Where does Clockwork Rom Manager come into all this? Do you make firmware backups with it too?

http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2108900

Conar wrote: »

Confused. But you can probably backup using adb. Once rooted I always use titanium backup.

Yes, Titanium's the plan once rooted but I'd like to backup beforehand too. Are the backup types Titanium takes nandroids?

Do you mean following the likes of this:

First you need to get a hold of a powerful little program known as ADB. We have what is known as a Mini SDK here which offers all you will need. Second you will need to place the files on your hard drive and put them in your path variable. A tutorial on how to do this is at the end of the thread where the Mini-SDK is. If you don't wish to change the path variable you will need to change the script to show where your adb is stored. So instead of :

ADB="adb" you will need to make it looks similar to this:
ADB=”C:\Mini-SDK\adb” <--- needs to be exact and should not contain spaces as a best practice.

So what if your not on windows then you should change accordingly but its just best to place it in your path variable.

ADB=”/home/user/bin/adb” or similar

The script is designed to save it in your home folder under the format of :
Serailnumber_date so it could look like this:

123456789_20130310

Serial Number refers to the devices serial number and ofcourse the date is the current date. A Windows Version of the script can be found here. And a *nix version can be found here.

Drawbacks or Cons of the Script file. You need to be responsible and ensure that the path variable is handled with caution and to make sure you have no typo's. Also you need to make sure that where it is saving the contents is where you want them. For instance I have a backup drive that I store all my Backups on so it only makes since to keep all my device backups on the same hard drive. This is not in my home folder so I had to modify the save_path variable in the script. Things advanced users will have no issues with.

Pro's of the script is you can set it up to run at certain times all you need to do is insure the device is connected at that time and ready to go.

jgbyr wrote: »

Go Backup, very simple to use & effective.

ongarite wrote: »

Carbon App Backup & Sync. Simple and easy to use.

I will check out both, do they backup the firmware too?

Conar

dusf wrote: »

Yes, Titanium's the plan once rooted but I'd like to backup beforehand too. Are the backup types Titanium takes nandroids?

Do you mean following the likes of this:

Yes, but I had a look and seems there's a simplified tool been developed over at xda that'll do it for you.

http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=36499906

Give that's try.
Nandroid backups are done through clockworkmod recovery or twrp.
After you've done your backups and are happy everything is saved you can install custom ROMs or just simply root.
If you're going down the custom ROM route you'll need a custom recovery.
Once you've installed a custom recovery do a nandroid backup before you install a new ROM and you'll be able to go back to that state at any time.

Even if you decide that you want to go back to stock and completely clean at some stage you can just use Odin to reflash a stock firmware and recovery.

irishpancake

Just for clarity...Titanium Backups are not Nandroid!!!

Also, is your phone running 4.0 at least...

I presume so, but the Holo Tool says that is required...

this is open beta s/w, so no guarantees, the guy only tested on his own phone!!

Also, your Galaxy S III Mini is not on the list...spreadsheet here

I wouldn't like to rely on it, too many "doesn't work" messages!!

Carbon is made by a well known dev, Koush, inventor of Rom Manager, etc

If you really need a backup pre-root, I'd use that.

Why do you feel you need this anyway, rooting seldom fails, and if it does all you are is what you were before??

runswithascript

Conar wrote: »

Yes, but I had a look and seems there's a simplified tool been developed over at xda that'll do it for you.

http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=36499906

Any idea if the unsafe for System Apps there means chance of brick? Do we not need to back up our system apps to, or perhaps the other backup apps mentioned do that already and I just need to back up app settings using this tool from XDA devs?

Conar wrote: »

Give that's try.
Nandroid backups are done through clockworkmod recovery or twrp.
After you've done your backups and are happy everything is saved you can install custom ROMs or just simply root.
If you're going down the custom ROM route you'll need a custom recovery.
Once you've installed a custom recovery do a nandroid backup before you install a new ROM and you'll be able to go back to that state at any time.

This is the tutorial I was thinking of going with, the only one I have been able to find for the N version of my phone, thusfar. http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2108900

It does not mention anything about a custom recovery for me to backup after installing?

Conar wrote: »

Even if you decide that you want to go back to stock and completely clean at some stage you can just use Odin to reflash a stock firmware and recovery.

That is what I want the option of doing.

I download the stock firmware from here http://samsung-updates.com/device/?id=GT-I8190N. Is the stock recovery included there or would I get it somewhere else?

irishpancake wrote: »

Just for clarity...Titanium Backups are not Nandroid!!!

What do you use to make a nandroid backup?

irishpancake wrote: »

Also, is your phone running 4.0 at least...

4.1.2

irishpancake wrote: »

this is open beta s/w, so no guarantees, the guy only tested on his own phone!!

That is true, but I am going to backup using MyBackup Pro, Carbon etc anyway, and if this XDA tool is the only way to backup app settings pre-root it's worth the try - let me know if you know another way.

irishpancake wrote: »

Also, your Galaxy S III Mini is not on the list...spreadsheet here

True, but again worth the try!

irishpancake wrote: »

I wouldn't like to rely on it, too many "doesn't work" messages!!

What do you rely on?

Carbon is made by a well known dev, Koush, inventor of Rom Manager, etc

irishpancake wrote: »

If you really need a backup pre-root, I'd use that.

I will be, but I think someone said it will not backup app settings?

irishpancake wrote: »

Why do you feel you need this anyway, rooting seldom fails, and if it does all you are is what you were before??

Please have a look at the link I posted to the tutorial I was thinking of following - I had understood it was a different way of rooting than normal, i.e. installing a pre-rooted rom/firmware - I get confused by the terms.

Conar

dusf wrote: »

Any idea if the unsafe for System Apps there means chance of brick? Do we not need to back up our system apps to, or perhaps the other backup apps mentioned do that already and I just need to back up app settings using this tool from XDA devs?



This is the tutorial I was thinking of going with, the only one I have been able to find for the N version of my phone, thusfar. http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2108900

It does not mention anything about a custom recovery for me to backup after installing?



That is what I want the option of doing.

I download the stock firmware from here http://samsung-updates.com/device/?id=GT-I8190N. Is the stock recovery included there or would I get it somewhere else?



What do you use to make a nandroid backup?



4.1.2



That is true, but I am going to backup using MyBackup Pro, Carbon etc anyway, and if this XDA tool is the only way to backup app settings pre-root it's worth the try - let me know if you know another way.



True, but again worth the try!



What do you rely on?

Carbon is made by a well known dev, Koush, inventor of Rom Manager, etc



I will be, but I think someone said it will not backup app settings?



Please have a look at the link I posted to the tutorial I was thinking of following - I had understood it was a different way of rooting than normal, i.e. installing a pre-rooted rom/firmware - I get confused by the terms.

OK, lots of questions there. Its difficult to get your head around but honestly the more you tinker with this the easier it will get.
I have never messed with the Galaxy Mini but I have rooted and installed custom ROMs on my Note tablet, Galaxy S and SPlus so I doubt its much different.

Firstly that link you posted is to a rooted ROM, so it would replace your current ROM.
Why not just use the tool here
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2185700
It seems that it will allow you to do a full backup and even a nandroid backup with the one tool. It will root also.

I'll try to briefly explain the terms that I think are confusing you.

Nandroid backup - essentially a full system state backup that if restored will return the phone to the exact state it was in when the backup was made. Usually done through a custom recovery such as cwm or twrp but it appears it can be done using the tool I just linked. All system and user apps and texts etc backed up.

System apps - some you will see some not. Essentially these are the apps that will remain if you do a factory reset on your phone. Everything from the calculator app to the software that controls your Bluetooth connections falls into this. The reason its advised never to back them up is that they can cause instability if you restore them on top of a different ROM. Think of it like backing up part of the vista is files and restoring them onto your windows 7 OS. Won't end well.

Cwm and twrp recoveries - the more you get into custom ROMs the more familiar you will become with these. They are a small recovery area independent of your ROM where you can do backups and restores (nandroid) and some other bits like deleting cache and fixing permissions which you will also learn more about down the line.

Root - essentially this is established in a number of ways as you seem to have discovered. You can root the manufacturers ROM's and usually any custom ROMs come pre-rooted. If you don't have root then you have limited access to the is, think of not being an admin on a windows PC. Once rooted you have this access, but more importantly you can install apps that utilise the access to make tweaks and improvements. Simple things such as FasterGPS which just updates a config file on your phone so it locates the GPS satellites and your location quicker, to Titanium backup which can backup your apps and data.

So now you need o decide what you want to do. Do you just want root access on the phone without changing the ROM or do you want to install a custom ROM like CM10.1 or AOKP which are similar to googles ROMs on the nexus devices.
Many even go for customised versions of samsungs own ROMs cause they like touchwiz.
I have a one x with aokp, my wife's galaxy plus with cm9, my daughters galaxy with slimbean, and my note tablet with cm10.1
One warning, you may spend your life chopping and changing :-)

Conar

dusf wrote: »

It does not mention anything about a custom recovery for me to backup after installing?



That is what I want the option of doing.

I download the stock firmware from here http://samsung-updates.com/device/?id=GT-I8190N. Is the stock recovery included there or would I get it somewhere else?

Forgot to mention that. The tool also says it will...."Download, Extract and Flash Stock Rom (full DETAILED steps) ESSENTIAL FOR WARRANTY RETURNS". So it has you covered there too.
One thing though is that Samsung can tell if you have installed custom ROMs through a flag it sets in the boot loader. Have a look at tiangleaway by Chainfire when you have gotten your head around everything else, it can remove this. Anything developed by Chain fire is usually top notch.

Also you will find that nearly every thread on xda contains a warning, but in all my dicking around I've never made a mess that I couldn't recover from.

runswithascript

Great posts, and even much more to work with - that will keep me busy. Thank you very much for your effort