So I haven't found anything so hopefully I'm not creating a duplicate thread, also I hope this is the correct spot to post this.
I have about 500 Sprint Heroes that need to be set up with specific settings and have a few apps installed. Doing this on 500 phones could take forever to accomplish. Would the phones need to be rooted in order to install a image with preset settings/applications? Also, I'm a total noob and its possible this is way over my head and I should just do this manually but is there an (not really easy but...) a tutorial to create an image to accomplish this?
Thanks!
Onyoursix said:
So I haven't found anything so hopefully I'm not creating a duplicate thread, also I hope this is the correct spot to post this.
I have about 500 Sprint Heroes that need to be set up with specific settings and have a few apps installed. Doing this on 500 phones could take forever to accomplish. Would the phones need to be rooted in order to install a image with preset settings/applications? Also, I'm a total noob and its possible this is way over my head and I should just do this manually but is there an (not really easy but...) a tutorial to create an image to accomplish this?
Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Um, the only way I can think to do it is to get one phone and set it up exactly how you want it, minus any specific account settings. Here's how I would do it:
Boot in to one Hero. Log in to your account and download all the apps you want. Download Titanium Backup. Use Titanium Backup's "create update.zip" feature to make Titanium Backup zip that you can flash from recovery. Set up all the apps with what settings you need, but only do it for data apps, not system apps (Don't include special log-ins, passwords, etc.). Use Titanium Backup to backup all of the data apps.
Once you have all those apps backed up how you like them, reboot into recovery and do a complete wipe (not SD card). Flash the ROM you want to load onto all of the phones and flash Google apps. Now flash the Titanium backup ZIP you made earlier. Boot up but when you are asked to set up your account, don't. skip everything. Go into Titanium Backup and restore all of the apps+data (use batch install). This might take a while if you're on Titanium Backup free). Change all of the settings on the phone you'd like, then uninstall Titanium Backup (unless you want it on every phone). The phone should be 100% how you want it to appear on all of those phones.
Reboot into recovery and make a nandroid backup. Make two, just in case. When it is done, reboot and connect your phone to your PC. Mount the SD card. browse to /nandroid/ on your SD card and you should see something like HTC9494952954 as a folder. Copy that onto your PC. That folder is what contains your "install image" (You can name the folder something like 'install-image').
All of the phones would have to be rooted, unfortunately, but all you'd have to do at this point is copy the folder to sdcard/nandroid/ on each SD card and do a nandroid restore using that image.
It sucks that this is for so many phones... It's the easiest way I can think to do it. :S Maybe ask a few buddies to help?
This is definitely the wrong place to post this. What kind of settings are you talking about?
Sent from my HERO200 using XDA App
I need a screen time out of 15 seconds with a preset gesture lock on it, also gps off. Also need 3 applications installed, advanced task killer, astro, and one company specific application that we created. Its not a lot, but it adds up when you have 500 heroes you need to do it on, its a slow process to log into the market on each phone under the same gmail login to download the 2 apps from market.
Onyoursix said:
I need a screen time out of 15 seconds with a preset gesture lock on it, also gps off. Also need 3 applications installed, advanced task killer, astro, and one company specific application that we created. Its not a lot, but it adds up when you have 500 heroes you need to do it on, its a slow process to log into the market on each phone under the same gmail login to download the 2 apps from market.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Download the 2 market apps as apk's (they're free), since you're using the same gmail account for all the phones, email the apk's to that account. When you turn each phone on you will have to log into gmail and just download them onto each phone. I'm not sure how to get all the settings the way you want them without rooting or doing them individually, If you root the phones, you can make a custom ROM and have all the settings you want and how you want them, plus have the apps you want on them pre-loaded. Again, you will have to flash the ROMs to each phone and know how to make a ROM.
I don't know, man. It sounds like a big order for what you want to do and how you want it done. In the end it will be your decision on how you do it.
Related
I've just rooted to Cyanogen's 4.0.1 last night and I'm having some issues:
All of the default Android ringtones are gone; the ones that came with the phone. I've installed Rings Extended and my custom ringtones are available, but when I try to select a ringtone from "Android System," Android System shows the same ringtones found in Rings Extended but not the ones that it should be showing. How do I get them back and behaving properly?
Also, all of my contacts with custom ringtones have been cleared. Will I have to re-select these ringtones each time I upgrade a rom? Is there an easy way to backup custom contact ringtone information?
Similarly, I have several email accounts. Will I have to set each and every one up each time I flash the rom? Is the data missing from my Mileage application gone forever?
pilkro said:
I've just rooted to Cyanogen's 4.0.1 last night and I'm having some issues:
All of the default Android ringtones are gone; the ones that came with the phone. I've installed Rings Extended and my custom ringtones are available, but when I try to select a ringtone from "Android System," Android System shows the same ringtones found in Rings Extended but not the ones that it should be showing. How do I get them back and behaving properly?
Also, all of my contacts with custom ringtones have been cleared. Will I have to re-select these ringtones each time I upgrade a rom? Is there an easy way to backup custom contact ringtone information?
Similarly, I have several email accounts. Will I have to set each and every one up each time I flash the rom? Is the data missing from my Mileage application gone forever?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have some bad news....if you didn't backup any of this data, then yes, everything is gone and you will have to set it up manually. The good news is that you can use Backup for root users in the future to backup email, contacts and other things. I don't think the mileage app is included in there but if you want to know where the database for this program is stored you will have to explore the /data/data from adb or terminal. From there look for a file in the format similar to com.mileage.android or some variation on that. With that file, there should be a database folder and user pref folder. Back those up next time before a wipe then restore them to the new place and you should be good to go.
As far as the ringtones, they are in cyanogen's post where his stable build is under a heading of Audio Resources (unzip to your SD card). Unzip them to your sd card and place the ringtones in a folder labeled "media" and your phone will automagically recognize them and you can setup your contacts again.
DirectMatrix said:
The good news is that you can use Backup for root users
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If I restore my nandroid's backup status, will I get these things back? Meaning, go to bootloader, restore what was backed up, download "Backup for Root Users," run it, then re-root the phone?
DirectMatrix said:
Unzip them to your sd card and place the ringtones in a folder labeled "media" and your phone will automagically recognize them and you can setup your contacts again.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
But this will simply put the android ringtones mixed in with my custom ones, right? So it's not possible to keep them under the separate heading of "Android System?"
pilkro said:
If I restore my nandroid's backup status, will I get these things back? Meaning, go to bootloader, restore what was backed up, download "Backup for Root Users," run it, then re-root the phone?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That is a good question. It would seem that it should work because the point of a nandroid backup is to get you back to exactly where you were before you started. I would say if you have some time, restore your nandroid, download the backup app and then install your choice of custom rom again. Remember if your making a lateral move, then you don't need to wipe. (ie upgrading from one CM build to another)
I also think you are getting your steps and/or terminology confused. If you created a nandroid backup before you lost all your settings, then you were already rooted. You cannot create a nandroid backup without having root access. So when you say re-root the phone, I assume you mean install another custom rom....??
pilkro said:
But this will simply put the android ringtones mixed in with my custom ones, right? So it's not possible to keep them under the separate heading of "Android System?"
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The is a way around this but it requires some knowledge of the android file system structure and some basic commands. You can push the ringtones through adb or terminal.
DirectMatrix said:
That is a good question. It would seem that it should work because the point of a nandroid backup is to get you back to exactly where you were before you started. I would say if you have some time, restore your nandroid, download the backup app and then install your choice of custom rom again. Remember if your making a lateral move, then you don't need to wipe. (ie upgrading from one CM build to another)
I also think you are getting your steps and/or terminology confused. If you created a nandroid backup before you lost all your settings, then you were already rooted. You cannot create a nandroid backup without having root access. So when you say re-root the phone, I assume you mean install another custom rom....??
The is a way around this but it requires some knowledge of the android file system structure and some basic commands. You can push the ringtones through adb or terminal.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was about to say the same thing. If he just rooted then when was the nandroid done. Only if it was done on RC29.
DirectMatrix said:
So when you say re-root the phone, I assume you mean install another custom rom....??
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yes. thank you. I was confused.
search audio resources
So now I'm home and I've re-added the sound files, including UI. But I cannot get touchscreen typing to use the haptic feedback or play the typing sounds. I have put them in their default location from the zip file: media/audio/ui
How can I get these features back?
Ok I keep seeing people sayiing to backup apps+data but be careful about system data. Well every time I do an upgrd to the new sre and restore my titbu and I am constantly having to redo my gmail stuff and isp email stuff. I have accounts checked in the backup section.
Can someone that does stuff like this regularly post like a nice simple howto with good steps as to what to check in titbu so that doing something in titbu doesn't bork something when we flash the new sre. Its getting old having to put my gmail info and isp info in every flash to get that stuff back.
So a 104 views and not one offer of help. Well guess I take that as noone knows much about titanium backup to help a poor soul
New to Android myself (2 days), and I am using TiBU as well (seems to be everyone's favorite for now). I had the same Q you did and basically went off the list on the developer's page for the app:
http://matrixrewriter.com/android/
Here is a partial copy/paste from that site so we keep the pertinent instructions here in this thread anyway:
Tips & Suggestions for using Titanium Backup:
When you start Titanium Backup on a new ROM, if you have any doubt about your busybox version, it is highly recommended that you click the "Problems?" button before doing any backup or restore !
Don't forget to verify your backups (Click MENU - Batch) to ensure that your backups are OK.
You need to reboot after restoring system items (eg: Contacts, SMS, Settings, etc) for the changes to take effect. If you backup/restore across very different ROMs, I advise to be cautious and only include the system items you really need to preserve.
You can easily create a custom apps list by creating a Label in Apps Organizer, then going back to Titanium Backup, clicking "MENU" and then "Filters" and finally, selecting the Label you want. Your apps list will then be filtered just the way you want
If you backup the same app several times, Titanium Backup will save SD card space by storing each apk version only once.
After restoring your apps, you can run the Market Doctor to verify their Market links. If Market Doctor reports everything as okay, yet your apps are still not listed in "My Downloads", try to search for them in the Market. If they show as "Installed", it confirms that the links are okay, but your Market needs a refresh: just install any app from the Market, and the "My Downloads" section will be refreshed !
If you want to remove a system app, first you can try to freeze it and see if everything still works fine. Once you've gained more confidence that you don't need it, just go ahead and un-install that system app.
How to make your first backup:
- Thanks seanowns / xda-developers
Verify that Titanium Backup has started without warning and that your busybox is OK
Click the Backup/Restore tab
Click Menu (the button), Batch
Click "Backup all user apps"
Let it run, then go back
Individually backup the system data you want. That is most green-colored items. This will be bookmarks, call log, calendar, launcher, WiFi, etc.
Now your backups are in the "TitaniumBackup" directory on your SD card.
How to restore your backups after installing a ROM (if you wiped your phone):
Download Titanium Backup from Market
Click the Backup/Restore tab
Click Menu (the button), Batch
Click "Restore all missing apps + system data
Reboot your phone
It's done ! The only thing you may have to adjust is usually your wallpaper/widgets.
Is there any way or any command which can save my installed set of applications to a Text file or PDF. My applications are growing and I cannot remember every one of them and I require all of them at one point or other. Can anyone give me some guidance?
You could use titanium backup, it does have an option to create an update.zip file for your backups which I haven't used but I assume it backs up your apps to the zip so you can reinstall apps from recovery, would need someone to clarify this though
Sent from my GT-I9000 using XDA App
I was using back up pro but it is no use. Suppose you flash a new rom, and if you restore most of them end up with Force Close errors. Since most of my applications are free, I don't mind spending some time installing them. But since many roms are changing so fast, I have to flash to keep up with the times, you know.
I don't know if there is such an option to save a list of installed apps, but it would be kinda useful.
I soon realized such a list would help and I am just manually creating my own in a text file, and all of the non-stock apps I have (thus far) added are in appbrain.com and I have ensured I have added each to "Apps on the phone" which then appears under "My Apps".
A list no but as all my apps are via AppBrain that's my list .
I use Root Explorer to copy all the APKS to a folder on the external card + a copy on PC . New firmware just open APK folder and install .
jje
For the time being, I am using Titanium free version and it backed up my applications and after I flashed the new rom I was able to restore all the applications via it's batch run commands. I do hope that I don't get force close errors. Upto now everything is working fine.
Thanks to all for your kind replies
Hi all,
Is there a way to save locally all the apps installed on the phone? My HD is rooted and I like to test new Rom, but I do not like the fact the phone have to download everythime I flash all the apps from the market. I bought a very powerfull backup programm... But I've to download it every flashing time. Is it possible to copy the *.apk from the system/apps folder and put there again once flashed?
Any suggestion?
I think what you are describing here is the Google back up service that reinstalls all you apps at once after a full wipe. This is optional and can be switched off
Personally I use titanium backup and on the occasions I need to do a full wipe I keep the titanium apk stored on my sd and then when the green robot appears on the welcome screen I press all for corners of the screen to exit the set up. I install titanium from the SD and use it to restore my pro key version. Then use batch restore to restore everything it takes a while but its automated at least.
After that has completed I log into my Google account and run the market to check for updates since last backup.
I'm not sure if this is faster than using Google restore but it means you can restore without wifi.
If your talking about being able to wipe the phone but leave system apps in place. Then I don't think this is possible.
jambamkin said:
I think what you are describing here is the Google back up service that reinstalls all you apps at once after a full wipe. This is optional and can be switched off
Personally I use titanium backup and on the occasions I need to do a full wipe I keep the titanium apk stored on my sd and then when the green robot appears on the welcome screen I press all for corners of the screen to exit the set up. I install titanium from the SD and use it to restore my pro key version. Then use batch restore to restore everything it takes a while but its automated at least.
After that has completed I log into my Google account and run the market to check for updates since last backup.
I'm not sure if this is faster than using Google restore but it means you can restore without wifi.
If your talking about being able to wipe the phone but leave system apps in place. Then I don't think this is possible.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
how did you download the original apk? that's my guess.
Its on the titanium website.
http://matrixrewriter.com/android/
Sent from my DHD
Dear community,
today as a first step I have successfully rooted my Phone (Froyo 2.2.1) with CF-Root Kernel and Odin, yay! Thanks to all the Developers, Guides and Refs on this page!!
In order to fix my ongoing battery issues,next thing I want to try is to flash a new ROM; I think for stability and for practice the latest Froyo Build JS8! I have downloaded Titanium Backup and have successfully backed up all my system and user apps and settings.
Now when I flash the new ROM, the phone will be wiped, or at least the Wipe-method is recommended (hard-reset AFTER the flashing?).
Can I restore at least some settings and apps with my Titanium Backup Files (I read restoring system apps/settings is not recommended)?
How would I do that (where does Titanium save the backup files?)
How do you guys usually perform the steps to a new ROM without losing all system settings, apps, app-settings etc...?
Thanks for all recommendations!
I would recomend you, restore user apps only. It will restore your apps and their settings. You could do it in batch mode.
Also is recomended to copy your TitaniumBackup folder to PC
Last but not least, do not forget copy your EFS folder too.
Sent from my GT-P1000N using Tapatalk
jellygoos said:
Can I restore at least some settings and apps with my Titanium Backup Files (I read restoring system apps/settings is not recommended)?
How would I do that (where does Titanium save the backup files?)
How do you guys usually perform the steps to a new ROM without losing all system settings, apps, app-settings etc...?
Thanks for all recommendations!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1) Get titanium backup PRO.
2) Batch backup your whole system (while you're at it, create a schedule so your phone automatically gets backed up at least once/week). The files will go on your sd card in a TitaniumBackup folder (actually you can specify where they go).
3) Go and nuke your phone with whatever.
4) Re-install Titanium backup, then batch restore your USER apps & settings. Leave the system settings alone for now.
5) Okay for system settings, be a bit more selective:
6) Go to Backup/Restore tab, select menu, then filters, then apply a Filter by Type: System.
7) Anything in GREEN is system settings (red=system applications).
8) I typically restore the following: Contacts/Call-logs; SMS/MMS/APN; Bookmarks; SMS/MMS Preferences; Wifi Access Points; Calendar Storage (think that includes your alarm clock settings).
Note that you may need to reboot before you see the restore take effect - e.g. you can't see your restored sms till after reboot.
Also it's safest to grab a copy of your titanium backup folder and put it on your computer. Lookup how to get a copy of your /efs too.
Thanks for the swift answers and useful guides! Will buy the Titanium Pro for sure.
In the Pro Version it says it can convert System Apps into User Apps and vice versa. Couldn't I just convert all the System Apps into User Apps and then restore everything, once on new ROM?
About the freezing feature of the Pro Version: Does it freeze complete Apps, or can you tell them to freeze specific tasks? I noticed that for example some Google Maps or Latitude tasks run in the background (and start again by themselves if i close them manually) and I would like them to get out of the phone memory while I don't have the program running. Yet I want the apps to function properly once I need them.
P.S.: Before I proceed flashing a new ROM I will also look into backing up my /efs folder so thanks for pointing me at this!
Okay, I figured out how to backup the /efs folder via ADB shell.
Questions remain though concerning Titanium Backup Pro. Can someone that uss Titanium Pro help me with these questions?
In the Pro Version it says it can convert System Apps into User Apps and vice versa. Couldn't I just convert all the System Apps into User Apps and then restore everything, once on new ROM?
About the freezing feature of the Pro Version: Does it freeze complete Apps, or can you tell them to freeze specific tasks? I noticed that for example some Google Maps or Latitude tasks run in the background (and start again by themselves if i close them manually) and I would like them to get out of the phone memory while I don't have the program running. Yet I want the apps to function properly once I need them.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
jellygoos said:
In the Pro Version it says it can convert System Apps into User Apps and vice versa. Couldn't I just convert all the System Apps into User Apps and then restore everything, once on new ROM?
About the freezing feature of the Pro Version: Does it freeze complete Apps, or can you tell them to freeze specific tasks? I noticed that for example some Google Maps or Latitude tasks run in the background (and start again by themselves if i close them manually) and I would like them to get out of the phone memory while I don't have the program running. Yet I want the apps to function properly once I need them.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You could convert it technically. But generally it's not advised as it may mess up settings or so on a different ROM. I backed up my system stuff but I doubt I'll restore it on any ROM, the hassle isn't worth it if any issue shows up and you have to check everything out to fix it. Maybe some individual system thingies can be restored safely but keep in mind lots of system stuff changes on each ROM and could be incompatible.
Just like others did here, I also recommend the PRO version as you have to click every single restoration on a batch restoration otherwise (and it's probably slower anyway).
Freezing means just that, it freezes the app. It "deactivates it", so it's not there/usable but it's not uninstalled. Can't think of a scenario right now where this would be useful except for testing purposes, maybe if an app causes an issue and you want it to be gone temporarily or so.
If you don't want an app to continue running simply use the task manager to kill it which comes along with the SGS (Samsung app afaik, usually pre installed).
Btw Titanium has a nice wiki website which is really helpful but can't link it as a new user here. Google Titanium Backup wiki and the first link should be the correct one.
Correct me if I'm wrong but if you do a app+data restore the app doesnt show up in the market under installed which means that any updates to the app wont get rolled out.
What I did was install each of my apps from the market then did only a data restore. This worked for most of my apps BUT last night I noticed a few of my apps missing, in fact launching my angry birds from simi folder caused a FC. BUT I know that angry birds was working earlier in the day.
So I simply went back to the market and reinstalled and all seems well again.
So now I'm wondering what is the best method to restore, my method or maybe do a app+data restore then go to the market and install the app again.
Afaik, normally Titanium also backs up the links for the markets so the entries won't get lost and should be restored as well. There was an issue mentioned which can happen if that data gets corrupted. The Titanium wiki lists it.
Generally, installing the app from the market and then restoring it should work just fine.