Backup EXT from computer? - G1 Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

It's getting annoying to have to wipe all data when flashing a rom. I hate backup apps because they're sometimes unreliable. I'd use adb pull but I have a lot of apps >_>

The easiest way to backup and restore your ext is with bart from the recovery console if you are using RA recovery. Other than that the only way to back up EXT with a computer is if you are running Linux.

Related

changing to different roms with apps2sd enabled

i have just flashed superD and it is the best rom i have used so far, so fast its unbelievable.
i am just curious, if i ever want to experiment with other roms, will i be able to just flash them and then get all my apps working again? will the apps2sd stuff just work.
i currently have a 128mb ext3 partition for the apps but i dont use a lot of apps so its enough for me.
also how do i see the apps through a file manager like astro or linda?
can someone *please* let me know if its safe to change roms with apps2sd enabled, someone must know! just a yes or no would be enough!
I was able to do it with Amon Ra's recovery... Do a BART backup, then wipe Data, and Dalvik... Then Flash the new ROM... I was able to go from CM -> OE -> Kings without losing anything...
I then did a BART restore and brought back my CM installation like it never left...
Good luck...
L8r
Vermithrax said:
I was able to do it with Amon Ra's recovery... Do a BART backup, then wipe Data, and Dalvik... Then Flash the new ROM... I was able to go from CM -> OE -> Kings without losing anything...
I then did a BART restore and brought back my CM installation like it never left...
Good luck...
L8r
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
this i dunno about that as bart never works on my recovery, guss becaus ei don't have an sd ext partition? but most roms usually say wipe sd ext partitions, and if you find a good backup program (like titanium backup) you'll never really need to worry about that. titanium not only backs up my apps, it backs up thier settings and such. so if i use a tvguide app on one rom and back it up with titanium, when i reload it on another rom it still has my location and such saved. pretty damn nice.

Can't restore BART backup!!

Hey guys
I'm using the latest Amon_RA recovery. I wanted to flash a rom, so I did a BART backup. I wasn't satisfied with the ROM though, so I decided to restore the backup, but I'm gettin this error all the time
Error : Run bart via console!
How can I run bart via console? And how can i restore my backup?
no one able to answer ? really need some help
I've seen that "run ... from the console" error message trying to do a Nandroid backup on Amon_RA before and the cause was that there wasn't enough free space on my SD card. Once I cleared some room it worked fine.
Might be the same thing in your case. Try moving some some stuff off the SD card and retry the BART restore.

[Q] Updating to Fresh 2.3.3 and/or Undoing Apps2sd

So I'm running Fresh 2.1 and tried to upgrade to 2.3.3 last night, but it was putting it into an endless reboot. I made sure I wiped the cache and data so the only thing I can think of that's causing the problem is that I'm using apps2sd and didn't wipe my ext3 partition. Reflashed back to my 2.1 backup and things are back to running fine now thankfully. It's brought a few questions up for me, though
Before I go the route of wiping my ext3 partition for apps2sd I want to make sure I can still recover back to the way things were before in case the upgrade to 2.3.3 doesn't work. I use Clockwork ROM Manager with Nandroid to do my backups but when watching the backup take place it looks like it tries to mount the ext3 partition to back it up but fails. Honestly not fully familiar with how apps2sd really works, so I don't know if that failure during the nandroid backup means my apps on the ext3 partition aren't getting backed up. Would that mean that if I wiped the ext3 partition and tried to recover my 2.1 ROM that my apps would not be there?
I thought maybe I could just undo the apps2sd setup, do a backup and then I'd be fine. But I'm having trouble finding clear, up to date instructions for how to undo apps2sd.
If anyone can clarify any of my issues or point me in the right direction, I'd appreciate it. Thanks!
Could someone at least point me to some updated instructions for undoing apps2sd on the Sprint Hero?
pdragon said:
Could someone at least point me to some updated instructions for undoing apps2sd on the Sprint Hero?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The instructions you are looking for are here
Normally (at least in the RA recovery) when you go to the backup menu for nandroid, you can choose if you wish to backup normally or with the ext partition included (much bigger file, takes longer). Regardless, if you wipe your ext partition, and you need to nandroid back, the backup will work fine, you will just need to reinstall your applications.
I save myself some time when I need to do this by using "Shootme" (free on the market) and take screen shots of my apps, then I can just refer back to the screenies to find everything I need. Alternatively, you could use the ADB "pull" command and take a copy of your apps directory onto your computer, then push them back if needs be.
Hope this helps!
Thanks for the reply, runngwlf. I guess either the version of Nandroid I have, ClockworkMod Recovery, or my phone doesn't support backing up with the ext. When I go into Nandroid, my only options are Backup, Restore & Advanced Restore. Choosing backup just goes straight into running the backup with no choices. During the backup it gives an error saying it couldn't mount the ext partition.
Thanks for confirming the backup will still work, just without my apps. Guess I'll give it a shot!
runngwlf said:
...
Normally (at least in the RA recovery) when you go to the backup menu for nandroid, you can choose if you wish to backup normally or with the ext partition included (much bigger file, takes longer)...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hah! That little tidbit got me going in the right direction. Looking through the ClockworkMod i saw an option to install RA Recovery as an alternative boot recovery. Lo and behold, rebooting into RA Recovery gives me that ext backup option. Thanks again!

[Q] A2SD & Flashing New ROM

Hi Guys,
I've posted in a couple of threads but didn't let loose for fear of hijacking it, so putting my question here for the good fellows to respond to if possible.
Basically put I have a ROM installed (Kang-o-rama SP1) and have a 1GB A2SD partition courtesy of DarkTremor.
What I want to know is what process should I go through to flash a new ROM but retain that Ext partition? I'm not sure if this is even possible? Should the wipe wipe absolutely everything and then after flashing the ROM I should rebuild the EXT partition and then use Titanium Backup (or something similar) to restore my apps to that A2SD partition?
Can somebody please just tell me what the best process is (even if that means wipe everything, and recreate from scratch each time you flash.
I was under the impression you see that I could wipe everything but retain the actual partition (albeit wiped) to restore apps to after a new Flash?
Thanks in advance
Probably your best bet is to use Titanium. When you restore, look for the setting in the app that mentions something to the effect of attempting to integrate your backup into a different ROM (Sorry don't have app in front of me).
You can also use ADB to pull your sd-ext to your computer. Push it back when you have the new ROM set up with ext
adb pull /sd-ext c:\whateveryouwanttocallit
I use Amon Ra's Recovery but I think Clockwork Mod has an option to backup just your sd-ext.

[Q] ext4 problems when changing ROM's

So I like to switch ROM's quite frequently, the only problem is that I seem to have to format my sdcard and set up the partitions each time I switch. I feel like nandroid either doesn't restore data to the ext4 properly or messes up the partition when I do a factory reset, since it formats the ext4 partition. Whatever the case, I am unable to move apps to the ext4 after a flash.
Whenever I want to switch to another ROM I have to backup my sdcard to my computer, format the card using diskpart, create the partition again in recovery mode, restore sdcard contents, and then finally flash the ROM I want. This can take forever and makes trying new ROM's out a huge hassle.
If I don't restore a nandroid and flash a ROM from scratch, I'll install s2e, reboot, and navigate to /sd-ext using root explorer and there will be no files.
I mainly use s2e with CM7, but I have tried a2sd with similar results. As far as I know though, they both use the same technique to move apps so it shouldn't matter.
Am I doing something wrong? I use nandroid and everything, but once I do a factory reset it refuses to restore the ext4 backup, and I get an error relating to space limitations.
Thanks a lot.
I've changed ROMs a few times, and everytime I've done so, the ext4 partition has remained fine. Although, it is seriously recommended that you flash the latest darktremor a2sd script as the incorporated ones don't seem to work well.
Flash darktremors, then enter the command line emulator on your phone and type:
su
a2sd reinstall (your phone will reboot)
su
a2sd cachesd (your phone will reboot)
su
a2sd zipalign
This should always be done after a ROM switch.
Alright, I will try that out.
Just wondering, will this restore all the apps I have on the ext4 partition? For example, if I flash MIUI for the first time, then commands the commands you gave me, will all my apps be restored? I assume no since clockworkmod wipes the ext4 partition when doing a factory reset.
The S2E and DarkTremor's a2sd apps actually use different ways of utilizing the ext partition, so the two are incompatible (although, S2E includes a way to convert from DT's to its own).
And as long as you didn't wipe the ext partition (which a Factory Reset does), using those commands should restore your apps.
But with what you are doing, it may be easier to use Titanium Backup to restore your apps back rather than nandroid. This will allow you to keep all your app settings and saved info as well. Just be careful to not back up system data. Restoring those on the same ROM can cause issues, and it would probably cause a lot more if it is between two different ROMs.
Switch your Ext 4 Partition to Ext 3 and you'll notice a lot more stability when switching roms.
Some roms don't have the correct Apps2SD or Kernel installed to support ext 4 but most, if not all, support ext 3.
I recommend using AmonRa Recovery as CWM always corrupts the ext partitions.
Re-partition your SD-Card and start again.
If This Helped please Hit THANKS

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