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Hey all,
So I'm am effing fed UP with Samsung. My Captivate is a hardware powerhouse, and with the stock Eclair firmware and all their bloatware, it's laggy, bogged down, and just not the device I wish it was. And with the talks that the Galaxy S phones are virtually unbrickable, I have decided to seriously consider ROOTing my phone and flashing the Cognition 3.02 ROM. I have watched a lot of videos, done my research, but I still have a few lingering questions for those of you out there who have recently flashed this ROM, preferably for those of you that this is the first or near-first ROM you've flashed. I know how the process works, but some specifics are bugging me and holding me back.
Ok, so I've listed some of my major questions below. Feel free to answer some or all of them if you've got the time, or DM me if that's easier. lf I think of any other Qs I have I'll post them in subsequent replies.
1. First and foremost, what process did you use to root and flash cognition on your Captivate? I've been looking at the MobileTechVideos three part tutorial on youtube which most people seem to recommend. Is this what you used? Was it as easy as simply following the instructions word-for-word? Did you run into any problems along the way?
2. I know to use Titanium Backup to backup my apps and stuff, but I've read a lot of places that I should only use it to restore those apps, and not to backup and restore user data like settings and contacts. How did you do it? My major concerns are about my contacts/phone book, which I have synced to my google account, but I also have syncs to my facebook and twitter accounts, and my phonebook is nicely linked and everything across all three. I'm afraid to forfeit this organization, so I just want to know that I'll be able to get everything back the way it was without too much trouble. I know you can export your contacts to your SD cards, and I could presumably import them from their after flashing, but I just want to be clear on how that all works.
3. Do you use your phone as a digital music player? I do, and I use iSyncr to sync it to my iTunes. If you do as well, did flashing screw any of this up? Playlists, etc? Will I need to re-sync or will it all be there once the phone scans my external SD (which wont be wiped since I'll remove it beforehand)?
4. In your first few days of use, what are the biggest improvements you see in the Cognition ROM as far as daily use is concerned over the stock firmware? Any problems you've come across? What's the selling points here, in layman's terms.
5. Do you have any regrets about flashing?
Thanks guys, and any other advice you think would be helpful that wouldn't come under any of the questions would also be GREATLY appreciated.
4. No problems for me. Phone is smoother and faster now.
5. Not at all.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App
1. manually rooting is overrated. most, if not all, custom roms automatically root your phone for you, so there really is no need for you to do it yourself. except the first time: root your phone using the one click since it's simple, grab rom manager from the market and use it to download an update.zip containing clockworkmod recovery for the captivate and leave that update.zip on your phone and never change it or delete it. it makes flashing new roms so much easier and there is really no need to ever remove or change it. boot into recovery, reinstall packages twice, install zip from sd card, and pick your rom. also, you will never need to use rom manager again unless you lose that update.zip.
2. I use titanium backup in batch mode (hit the menu softkey and hit batch). click backup all user apps and system data, but uncheck everything that is in red text, therefore backing up only things in green text (useful system settings, contacts, calendar, messages, etc) and white text (user installed apps). then run batch operation. install new rom, use batch to restore all missing apps and system data. to re-backup newer settings, app data, or updated apps, use backup all new apps and newer versions, and then either redo old backups or forced redo of all backups.
3. yes, but I just copy and paste my music files over instead of syncing them. also your internal sd is never wiped unless you use master clear on odin, which I have never done, nor do i ever wish to, because in my opinion there is no reason to. therefore both your playlists and your music would not be wiped whether you put them on the internal or external sd. (unless of course, you decide to use master clear)
4 & 5. I agree with faroid.
Be sure you have the correct odin set up and recognizing your phone on your pc. Eventually you will need to use it for one reason or another. The most common is the odin3 one click jf6 but some newer builds cannot be flashed to firmware older than jh2.
1. To root i use one click root/ unroot vary simple plug in and press root then install clockwork recovery from the market its free with clockwork recovery you can flash your cognition
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App
4. The best thing is froyo 2.2 then lagfixes and overclocking
5.no regrets, expect when i bricked my phone but the jig method fixed that
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App
yokozuna82 said:
4. The best thing is froyo 2.2 then lagfixes and overclocking
5.no regrets, expect when i bricked my phone but the jig method fixed that
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Did you use the full MobileTechVideos method when your phone got bricked? Or did you flash without reflashing to stock and wiping everything?
newter55 said:
Be sure you have the correct odin set up and recognizing your phone on your pc. Eventually you will need to use it for one reason or another. The most common is the odin3 one click jf6 but some newer builds cannot be flashed to firmware older than jh2.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So how do I know which one I should use? Is it based on the ROM I flash, or my hardware (Captivate)?
Which odin stock firmware is based on the build (four digit number under battery such as 1006) and what version your phone came with when new, such as jf6 or jh7.
newter55 said:
Which odin stock firmware is based on the build (four digit number under battery such as 1006) and what version your phone came with when new, such as jf6 or jh7.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Do you by chance know which one I'd need off hand? I'm at work and don't feel like pulling my phone apart, but I can tell you that I bought my Captivate the day it came out, so presumably it came with the oldest firmware the Captivate ever came packaged with.
1. No need to root. That's an extra step you don't need. My method, get the update.zip for clockwork mod, just search the Dev section, no need to even install Rom Manager or anything. Take that update.zip and put it on the root of your internal SDcard (just the normal phone storage, not an external SD. Then using adb or button method reboot into recovery, choose reinstall packages. The phone reboots into stock recovery. Choose reinstall packages again and this time you get Clockwork. Wipe data, install zip from SD, choose zip file, pick Cog, install and done.
2. I use titanium for user apps only, ie, things I got from market. All my contacts are synced with google, so once I add my google info under accounts they are back. Sorry, i don't mess with facebook or twitter so i can't answer that. As far as settings, you just have to manually do that, ie, ringtones, wireless networks, etc.
3. Yes I do. And I also use iSyncr. No problems whatsoever. As long as you don't do a MasterClear. That option under Odin will wipe your internal SDcard also. The Wipe Data under Clockwork recovery just wipes out installed apps and settings but leaves your internal SD intact.
4. Honestly, it's just a much better experience overall. The phone is faster, smoother, and more responsive. Plus DG has taken the liberty of removing all the ATT crap and un-needed apps.
5. Not one.
My only advice would be to "be prepared". My sure you have button recovery available ahead of time. Check your Rev version of phone, ie, the date under the battery. It seems newer Revs require a different version of stock Odin One-click. Some people have had issues running the original One-click. If you have any doubts about your phones ability to go to download mode, in case you need to go back to stock, spend the $1 on building a USB Jig.
You will find that flashing is easy. Recovering from unexpected errors can be easy if you are prepared.
bobbylx said:
1. No need to root. That's an extra step you don't need. My method, get the update.zip for clockwork mod, just search the Dev section, no need to even install Rom Manager or anything. Take that update.zip and put it on the root of your internal SDcard (just the normal phone storage, not an external SD. Then using adb or button method reboot into recovery, choose reinstall packages. The phone reboots into stock recovery. Choose reinstall packages again and this time you get Clockwork. Wipe data, install zip from SD, choose zip file, pick Cog, install and done.
2. I use titanium for user apps only, ie, things I got from market. All my contacts are synced with google, so once I add my google info under accounts they are back. Sorry, i don't mess with facebook or twitter so i can't answer that. As far as settings, you just have to manually do that, ie, ringtones, wireless networks, etc.
3. Yes I do. And I also use iSyncr. No problems whatsoever. As long as you don't do a MasterClear. That option under Odin will wipe your internal SDcard also. The Wipe Data under Clockwork recovery just wipes out installed apps and settings but leaves your internal SD intact.
4. Honestly, it's just a much better experience overall. The phone is faster, smoother, and more responsive. Plus DG has taken the liberty of removing all the ATT crap and un-needed apps.
5. Not one.
My only advice would be to "be prepared". My sure you have button recovery available ahead of time. Check your Rev version of phone, ie, the date under the battery. It seems newer Revs require a different version of stock Odin One-click. Some people have had issues running the original One-click. If you have any doubts about your phones ability to go to download mode, in case you need to go back to stock, spend the $1 on building a USB Jig.
You will find that flashing is easy. Recovering from unexpected errors can be easy if you are prepared.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So do I not need to be rooted to use Ti-BU? I thought I saw that under the product description in the marketplace.
Also, under #1, when you say "Wipe Data" you are referring to an option in the Clockwork Recovery menu, not an Odin MasterClear, right? Will this wipe my internal SD?
If you got the phone on release you likely have a 1006 build with working 3 button recovery and can safely use the odin3 one click jf6.
Sent from my Liquid Metal using XDA App
TiBu needs root. I rooted using one click, then backed up user apps and data (used built in contact export to save contacts and smsbackup for texts).
Then I just ran the update.zip for CWR and flashed Cog - was my first flash too and pretty painless. TiBu returns your apps as if you never changed them.
Make sure you can access recovery and dl mode though.
GerStud101 said:
So do I not need to be rooted to use Ti-BU? I thought I saw that under the product description in the marketplace.
Also, under #1, when you say "Wipe Data" you are referring to an option in the Clockwork Recovery menu, not an Odin MasterClear, right? Will this wipe my internal SD?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry, forgot you would want to backup before installing a new ROM. Yes, to use Tibu on your current ROM you will need root.
As for wipe data, yes it's a clockwork option. Like I said in #3 wipe data just removes user installed apps, and changes all settings to stock, but all data on your internal store will stay there, pics, music, etc.
Master Clear is the Odin option, which I never use by the way, that will completely delete everything on your internal SD, bye bye music, pics, etc.
This is all EXTREMELY helpful by the way.
Quick question about USB Jigs--is it easy to build one myself or should I splurge on the ~$15 one MobileTechVideos sells? There's seems pretty fancy, and I can't afford to be phoneless as I putz around trying to jimmy myself a jig.
I can't speak from experience but there's a thread here in QA that makes it seem easy. Just get 3 x 100kohm resistors, wire them in series, twist it to look like a horseshoe, there you go. If you have a radioshack or other electronics store near you it's worth a shot. Like I said, I think all 3 resistors cost may $1 total. You can also test it on your phone to make sure. Touch the jig to the 2 leads, if it goes into download mode instantly you did it right. Pull battery and reboot and all is well.
Edit. Jig link,
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=889128
bobbylx said:
I can't speak from experience but there's a thread here in QA that makes it seem easy. Just get 3 x 100kohm resistors, wire them in series, twist it to look like a horseshoe, there you go. If you have a radioshack or other electronics store near you it's worth a shot. Like I said, I think all 3 resistors cost may $1 total. You can also test it on your phone to make sure. Touch the jig to the 2 leads, if it goes into download mode instantly you did it right. Pull battery and reboot and all is well.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah I saw that thread, I'll have to try my hand at it before I do this process. Better safe than sorry. Thanks.
Ok, so, the plan = build working jig and DL proper Odin just in case, one-click root, Ti-BU, move clockwork update.zip and cognition zips to my root folder, reboot in recovery, reinstall packages/flash clockwork, then wipe and flash cognition. This sound correct?
That sounds about right. Really the only thing different i do is on the root of my storage I create folders for ROMs. So I have a Cog folder with the rom in it. Once you have Clockwork installed and you are choosing to flash, it will let you navigate to different folders. That's just my preference because I don't like to have too many individual files on my SD. Minor thing, just thought I would mention it.
bobbylx said:
That sounds about right. Really the only thing different i do is on the root of my storage I create folders for ROMs. So I have a Cog folder with the rom in it. Once you have Clockwork installed and you are choosing to flash, it will let you navigate to different folders. That's just my preference because I don't like to have too many individual files on my SD. Minor thing, just thought I would mention it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Haha, appreciate the advice; I like a little organization in my life as well.
Sounds like you've flashed a few different ROMs. Have you ever bricked your phone to the point where you needed a jig? Or has it always been smooth sailing?
I guess I'm just trying to figure out why one person's phone would brick and anothers wouldnt. It kind of makes me assume that if you brick your phone, you've done something wrong, and if you just do the process right, everything should go smoothly. But maybe that's naive of me.
Hi all
Is Nandroid backing up all the apps I've got at that moment? Or it just saves system files?
Like a complete and exact "photo" or are there things that I should do on my own if I mean to recover exactly as it was...
I assume that no wipe is necessary...
Thanks!
What's the truth about Nandroid backup?!
i guess there's no need to open a new topic, because i got kinda the same question
before you guys start to redirect me to the "search" function, i want to assure you that i have been using it, but i have found myself in a very strange situation, one question, two different answers... and because i'm new to the whole root stuff, i want to learn everything correctly before starting to make modifications to my phone
The question is: Nandroid backup, does it also back up the kernel or not?
I mean, if i root and install a custom rom that also comes with a custom kernel, will i be able to use my previous Nandroid backup to restore my phone to the old rom & kernel?
Searching the forums, i have found 2 totally different answers!
Answer 1: Nandroid does not backup the kernel: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=806340
Answer 2: Nandroid does backup the kernel: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=844352
So, please make me and all of us root noobs understand once and for all, does it backup the kernel or not?, will we be able to restore from a custom rom+kernel in case we need to?
and does it backup apps?
OK...As I understand it....
What does Nandroid Backup?
The ROM Itself..Obviously.
All your system settings, emails, SMSes, etc
All the Apps you have installed, so no need for TB
The Kernel you have installed (though there is controversy about this, and to be honest, I have never restored a nandroid backup when I had a different kernel already installed...however it really doesn't matter since kernels are easy to flash)
What does Nandroid NOT backup - This is VERY IMPORTANT
The modem (not a big deal)
The File System setting (A BIG DEAL)
This I think is where the confusion arises concerning the kernel being included in the nandroid backup. For many people the kernel is all about the lagfix. If you have installed a lagfix on your phone via the kernel, say changing the file system to Ext4, and then flash a Nandroid backup that includes a stock kernel or other kernel that does NOT support Ext4, you are in for a world of hurt...and in this case hurt means endless bootloops.
The way you avoid this is, if you need to flash a Nandroid with a kernel that does not support your lagfix...go into recovery, disable whatever lagfix, tell it when it asks that you wish to REBOOT INTO RECOVERY after the change....then flash the nandroid you wish.
This is why it is very important to keep regular nandroid backups, and to wait and see if a ROM/Kernel are stable for you before applying lagfixes or other tweaks.
So, let me see if i got this right, Nandroid does backup up my current kernel along with my rom, but if i apply any changes (lagfix) to my kernel afterwards or change it with a custom one with lagfix, nandroid won't be able to restore it anymore...
so the whole problem here is that nandroid is not able to backup / restore The File System setting, this being the rfs / ext4 transition
If this is the case, it seems that the Nandroid type backup is not as powerful as i thought, you can't really change from one rom to another in just a few clicks, but then again i guess that all the customs roms already come with some type of lagfix and you can make a nandroid restore between them, the problem would be when you want to revert back to a stock kernel, then you'll have to disable the lagfixes or simply flash a stock kernel and then restore the stock nandroid backup
so, i got this right guys?
maranello69 said:
So, let me see if i got this right, Nandroid does backup up my current kernel along with my rom, but if i apply any changes (lagfix) to my kernel afterwards or change it with a custom one with lagfix, nandroid won't be able to restore it anymore...
so the whole problem here is that nandroid is not able to backup / restore The File System setting, this being the rfs / ext4 transition
If this is the case, it seems that the Nandroid type backup is not as powerful as i thought, you can't really change from one rom to another in just a few clicks, but then again i guess that all the customs roms already come with some type of lagfix and you can make a nandroid restore between them, the problem would be when you want to revert back to a stock kernel, then you'll have to disable the lagfixes or simply flash a stock kernel and then restore the stock nandroid backup
so, i got this right guys?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes as I understand it.
You see Nandroid can't convert your file system or change anything, all it can do is flash a disc image onto your phone. If that image can work with your file system, you are golden. If not, it is like flashing a Mac OS image onto a Windows machine....nothing will work right.
However the good news is that most custom kernels support Ext4...so really the only problem comes when you try to flash back to a stock image...or vice versa.
got it then, thanks for your answers
and, if i still got your attention, maybe one more question
i just downloaded a stock firmware from samfirmwares.com, and all i got is a .tar file, can i use it somehow to flash just the kernel from it or i have to flash the whole firmware?
if i flash the whole firmware, will it also change my PHONE and CSC?, because the .tar file must be put just in the PDA section in odin
maranello69 said:
got it then, thanks for your answers
and, if i still got your attention, maybe one more question
i just downloaded a stock firmware from samfirmwares.com, and all i got is a .tar file, can i use it somehow to flash just the kernel from it or i have to flash the whole firmware?
if i flash the whole firmware, will it also change my PHONE and CSC?, because the .tar file must be put just in the PDA section in odin
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, it will flash the PDA, csc, modem and kernel...the whole shooting match. The single file firmwares are designed like that to avoid mismatches and issues. Once you flash it, flash a kernel that supports cwm (I suggest speedmod or something by CHAINFIRE) via odin, then flash a new csc and modem if you wish from recovery.
Remember that installing a new csc will do a factory reset so do it before reinstalling apps.
Sent from my GT-I9000 using XDA Premium App
great stuff man
finally i got enough info and i can start my root & flash procedure, guess i'll also learn a few other tricks along the way, this community is definetly the place to be if you want to learn how to "really use" your device
the whole info about the issues with the Nandroid type backup should be integrated in one of those massive info topics, so the root noobs like me know what they're dealing with
maranello69 said:
great stuff man
finally i got enough info and i can start my root & flash procedure, guess i'll also learn a few other tricks along the way, this community is definetly the place to be if you want to learn how to "really use" your device
the whole info about the issues with the Nandroid type backup should be integrated in one of those massive info topics, so the root noobs like me know what they're dealing with
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good luck
Sent from my GT-I9000 using XDA Premium App
Hey guys i actually used the search button (yay) and this is definitely the most informative one regarding the topic.
However i still have one more question: does it backup files and folders as well? Ie. my Nexus S storage is mainly used up by my videos and music (about 7-10GB) which are in their own folders and not tied to any apps in particular. Hence if it does include those i wouldn't have enough storage space to create a nandroid backup am i right?
Edit: thanks to the search button i didn't realise that i posted on a Galaxy S forum please forgive me, the question should still be relevant to the topic though
frenccw said:
Hey guys i actually used the search button (yay) and this is definitely the most informative one regarding the topic.
However i still have one more question: does it backup files and folders as well? Ie. my Nexus S storage is mainly used up by my videos and music (about 7-10GB) which are in their own folders and not tied to any apps in particular. Hence if it does include those i wouldn't have enough storage space to create a nandroid backup am i right?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As I understand it, it does save folders and files, so yes if you have large data folders on your internal SD it will make GIGANTIC nandroid backups. You may want to store such files one your external SD.
I know that there is a version of CWM that does not backup /data/media in Nandroid on the Galaxy Tab 10.1...perhaps there is something similar that I don't know about for Galaxy phones. Does anyone know?
Here are my doubts: Captivate on 2.2 no root
1)Is andromeda3 and phoenix unleashed based on android 2.2 or 2.3?(recent versions)
2)I used Odin v1.0 to go back to stock,what is the difference betwen Odin 1.0 and Odin 1.7?
3)Are there any other methods to go back to stock, I have read "Use odin 1.0 in case of emergency"?
4)How can I back up my stock rom after root in the case I want to flash back and unroot?
5)Do I need to go back to stock every time I want to flash a different rom?
6)Andromeda3 has a ursa minor kernel do i need this to install there rom or can i just flash the rom without ursa minor?
7)In the phoenix unleashed thread it says to flash there custom rom use odin to go back to stock,does this mean i have to do the whole back to stock+root again?(Staring from scratch in other words)
8)Will flashing rage patch while using andromeda3 or phoenix unleashed mess something up?
I think that's all please put the same number of the question in front of the answer so I know witch answers witch.Thank you in advanced.
Here are my doubts: Captivate on 2.2 no root (Don't doubt the captivate - it can handle it! Isn't autocorrect great?)
1)Is andromeda3 and phoenix unleashed based on android 2.2 or 2.3?(recent versions)
Andromeda3 is 2.2 based, and as much as I can see, so is Phoenix Unleashed.
2)I used Odin v1.0 to go back to stock,what is the difference betwen Odin 1.0 and Odin 1.7?
They're the same program, just different revisions. I can't say what specifically has changed between the two of the, but my guess would be 1.7 would have more features/bug fixes/etc.
3)Are there any other methods to go back to stock, I have read "Use odin 1.0 in case of emergency"?
Going back to stock will consist of using some version of Odin (one-click or otherwise) to reflash the stock rom to your phone
4)How can I back up my stock rom after root in the case I want to flash back and unroot?
From a rom standpoint, there's no need to back up your stock rom, unless you have settings done a specific way you want. Flashing to stock with automatically put you back at a stock, unrooted state. I would recommend doing a nandroid backup from the CWM recovery menu (assuming you have CWM) and copying the EFS folder to a safe location before moving forwards.
5)Do I need to go back to stock every time I want to flash a different rom?
Need to? No. Is it a good idea? There's debate on this, but in general, it's not a bad idea to flash back to stock (relative to where you are - GB/Froyo/Eclair) before flashing a new rom. It will help keep things tidy.
6)Andromeda3 has a ursa minor kernel do i need this to install there rom or can i just flash the rom without ursa minor?
To the best of my knowledge, it is included in the rom - there's nothing to do on your part, as it will flash with the rom.
7)In the phoenix unleashed thread it says to flash there custom rom use odin to go back to stock,does this mean i have to do the whole back to stock+root again?(Staring from scratch in other words)
If you're still on stock Eclair, you do not need to go back to stock. If you're on something else, you will need to go back to stock, but you shouldn't have to root, as most roms now work without being rooted.
8)Will flashing rage patch while using andromeda3 or phoenix unleashed mess something up?
It won't hurt anything - it just covers a security flaw.
I think that's all please put the same number of the question in front of the answer so I know witch answers witch.Thank you in advanced.
jmtheiss said:
Here are my doubts: Captivate on 2.2 no root (Don't doubt the captivate - it can handle it! Isn't autocorrect great?)
1)Is andromeda3 and phoenix unleashed based on android 2.2 or 2.3?(recent versions)
Andromeda3 is 2.2 based, and as much as I can see, so is Phoenix Unleashed.
2)I used Odin v1.0 to go back to stock,what is the difference betwen Odin 1.0 and Odin 1.7?
They're the same program, just different revisions. I can't say what specifically has changed between the two of the, but my guess would be 1.7 would have more features/bug fixes/etc.
3)Are there any other methods to go back to stock, I have read "Use odin 1.0 in case of emergency"?
Going back to stock will consist of using some version of Odin (one-click or otherwise) to reflash the stock rom to your phone
4)How can I back up my stock rom after root in the case I want to flash back and unroot?
From a rom standpoint, there's no need to back up your stock rom, unless you have settings done a specific way you want. Flashing to stock with automatically put you back at a stock, unrooted state. I would recommend doing a nandroid backup from the CWM recovery menu (assuming you have CWM) and copying the EFS folder to a safe location before moving forwards.
5)Do I need to go back to stock every time I want to flash a different rom?
Need to? No. Is it a good idea? There's debate on this, but in general, it's not a bad idea to flash back to stock (relative to where you are - GB/Froyo/Eclair) before flashing a new rom. It will help keep things tidy.
6)Andromeda3 has a ursa minor kernel do i need this to install there rom or can i just flash the rom without ursa minor?
To the best of my knowledge, it is included in the rom - there's nothing to do on your part, as it will flash with the rom.
7)In the phoenix unleashed thread it says to flash there custom rom use odin to go back to stock,does this mean i have to do the whole back to stock+root again?(Staring from scratch in other words)
If you're still on stock Eclair, you do not need to go back to stock. If you're on something else, you will need to go back to stock, but you shouldn't have to root, as most roms now work without being rooted.
8)Will flashing rage patch while using andromeda3 or phoenix unleashed mess something up?
It won't hurt anything - it just covers a security flaw.
I think that's all please put the same number of the question in front of the answer so I know witch answers witch.Thank you in advanced.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you this is very informative and what i meant by "Here are my doubts: Captivate 2.2 no root" is that my captivate is on stock 2.2 without root just to be clear.
I got one more question:
Whats is the EFS folder?
Im going to tell you my former situation so you can tell me what I did wrong:
I rooted my phone with super one click at the time
I used rom manager it was also supposed to save a backup of my stock rom
Somewhere in the CWM I was supposed to save the stock rom just in case something went wrong(i thought i did it correctly)
I flashed Cognition everything was great
I wanted to eliminate Cog when i went to CWM to find my back up of stock it didnt work it stayed in Cog
I have read that flashing other roms while having a custom rom isnt recommended that you need to go back to stock first
I was stuck on Cog all i did was update to the most current version
Till last week where i got the guts to use Odin to flash back to stock with some fear i might brick my phone
Now im looking to do it all over but do it right and not mess it up only with different rom
DudeWatsThat said:
Thank you this is very informative and what i meant by "Here are my doubts: Captivate 2.2 no root" is that my captivate is on stock 2.2 without root just to be clear.
I got one more question:
Whats is the EFS folder?
Im going to tell you my former situation so you can tell me what I did wrong:
I rooted my phone with super one click at the time
I used rom manager it was also supposed to save a backup of my stock rom
Somewhere in the CWM I was supposed to save the stock rom just in case something went wrong(i thought i did it correctly)
I flashed Cognition everything was great
I wanted to eliminate Cog when i went to CWM to find my back up of stock it didnt work it stayed in Cog
I have read that flashing other roms while having a custom rom isnt recommended that you need to go back to stock first
I was stuck on Cog all i did was update to the most current version
Till last week where i got the guts to use Odin to flash back to stock with some fear i might brick my phone
Now im looking to do it all over but do it right and not mess it up only with different rom
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It actually doesn't sound like you did anything wrong - you may just be looking for things in the wrong places. The CWM backup, if I am correct, doesn't create a quick-swappable backup of your stock configuration. My understanding of how the nandroid backup works is that it creates a snapshot of the phone with a particular rom in place, so that if something bad happens, you can flash back to a clean version of that rom, apply the nandroid backup, and you'll be right back in business with your custom rom (Again, that's my understanding - someone more knowledgeable may chime in and give a better/more correct explanation).
If you made a backup using CWM, you should have a folder on your internal SD called "clockworkmod/backup", with a folder that has the date of the backup on it. I would copy that to somewhere safe (like your computer). Once you've done that, and assuming your phone is functioning normally as a phone, I would use a root-level file explorer (root explorer, adb pull command, etc.) to get a copy the folder "/efs" on your computer as well. (Take a look at the link in my signature about XDA terms and acronyms for what the EFS folder is).
Once you've done this, if you haven't already done so, back up your applications with Titanium backup. Then use the Odin one-click to get back to stock 2.1 Eclair. You won't have root access at that point, but that is not a problem. Once you're there, just follow the directions for the rom you want to flash - most will install without requiring the root permissions. The AIO captivate toolbox in the development thread is a good tool if you want something to walk you through the installation process (although it should really only be used on Froyo roms at this point).
PLEASE NOTE - THIS IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT: If you are going to flash a Gingerbread-based rom (Mosaic, Apex, etc), please read up and follow all directions extremely carefully. Flashing Gingerbread involves flashing the bootloaders on your phone, and if something happens during that portion of the flashing process, you will have a true hard brick - not a clay (recoverable error state), but a phone that you can't use.
jmtheiss said:
It actually doesn't sound like you did anything wrong - you may just be looking for things in the wrong places. The CWM backup, if I am correct, doesn't create a quick-swappable backup of your stock configuration. My understanding of how the nandroid backup works is that it creates a snapshot of the phone with a particular rom in place, so that if something bad happens, you can flash back to a clean version of that rom, apply the nandroid backup, and you'll be right back in business with your custom rom (Again, that's my understanding - someone more knowledgeable may chime in and give a better/more correct explanation).
If you made a backup using CWM, you should have a folder on your internal SD called "clockworkmod/backup", with a folder that has the date of the backup on it. I would copy that to somewhere safe (like your computer). Once you've done that, and assuming your phone is functioning normally as a phone, I would use a root-level file explorer (root explorer, adb pull command, etc.) to get a copy the folder "/efs" on your computer as well. (Take a look at the link in my signature about XDA terms and acronyms for what the EFS folder is).
Once you've done this, if you haven't already done so, back up your applications with Titanium backup. Then use the Odin one-click to get back to stock 2.1 Eclair. You won't have root access at that point, but that is not a problem. Once you're there, just follow the directions for the rom you want to flash - most will install without requiring the root permissions. The AIO captivate toolbox in the development thread is a good tool if you want something to walk you through the installation process (although it should really only be used on Froyo roms at this point).
PLEASE NOTE - THIS IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT: If you are going to flash a Gingerbread-based rom (Mosaic, Apex, etc), please read up and follow all directions extremely carefully. Flashing Gingerbread involves flashing the bootloaders on your phone, and if something happens during that portion of the flashing process, you will have a true hard brick - not a clay (recoverable error state), but a phone that you can't use.
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Thanks again
I don't plan on flashing 2.3 roms until the official 2.3 release come out
Theres a Odin that flashes stock 2.2 instead of 2.1 can I use that one instead?
Theres a Odin that flashes stock 2.2 instead of 2.1
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I wasn't aware that existed - could you please provide a link?
Just to point you in the right direction, at the end of the flashing you're currently doing, what rom do you want to have on your phone?
jmtheiss said:
I wasn't aware that existed - could you please provide a link?
Just to point you in the right direction, at the end of the flashing you're currently doing, what rom do you want to have on your phone?
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Heres the link http://www.mobiletechvideos.com/blog/?page_id=186
The rom i want to use is either Andromeda3,Phoenix Unleashed or just go back to Cognition 4.5.3 or Cog 5 when its not in Beta.
DudeWatsThat said:
Heres the link http://www.mobiletechvideos.com/blog/?page_id=186
The rom i want to use is either Andromeda3,Phoenix Unleashed or just go back to Cognition 4.5.3 or Cog 5 when its not in Beta.
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Thanks for the link - good to know about that file.
In my opinion, you would have the best luck going back to stock Eclair (2.1). The reason I say this is because it gives you the cleanest path to getting to the custom Rom you want. 2.1 doesn't have the signed 3e recovery problems that can exist with a 2.2 stock rom, so you'll save yourself a lot of hassle there. Plus, the 2.1 stock rom to custom rom path has been followed hundreds of times on this forum, so it's had the chance to get pretty much all the kinks worked out by this point.
Again, just my opinion.
jmtheiss said:
Thanks for the link - good to know about that file.
In my opinion, you would have the best luck going back to stock Eclair (2.1). The reason I say this is because it gives you the cleanest path to getting to the custom Rom you want. 2.1 doesn't have the signed 3e recovery problems that can exist with a 2.2 stock rom, so you'll save yourself a lot of hassle there. Plus, the 2.1 stock rom to custom rom path has been followed hundreds of times on this forum, so it's had the chance to get pretty much all the kinks worked out by this point.
Again, just my opinion.
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I would gladly take your advice if it makes everything safer and easier but I upgraded my phone using Kies mini to 2.2 so will using odin to flash back to stock 2.1 cause any problems since its a downgrade from 2.2 to 2.1?
DudeWatsThat said:
I would gladly take your advice if it makes everything safer and easier but I upgraded my phone using Kies mini to 2.2 so will using odin to flash back to stock 2.1 cause any problems since its a downgrade from 2.2 to 2.1?
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You shouldn't have any problems with the 2.2-2.1 transition if you use the one click Odin back to stock. The dangerous move is going from 2.3 to any other version, as that involves flashing the bootloaders.
For maximum safety, just include these items on your checklist prior to starting:
- Nandroid backup from CWM
- EFS backup (copying that folder to a safe location)
- Titanium backup of your apps (copy titaniumbackup folder to safe place)
- Back up pictures/music/other items you want to save
Once you've done that, use the one-click Odin to get to a clean stock. From there, you should be good to go with flashing a custom rom. Just make sure you read and follow all directions in the custom roms' post. (If there's nothing there, follow this guide.)
jmtheiss said:
You shouldn't have any problems with the 2.2-2.1 transition if you use the one click Odin back to stock. The dangerous move is going from 2.3 to any other version, as that involves flashing the bootloaders.
For maximum safety, just include these items on your checklist prior to starting:
- Nandroid backup from CWM
- EFS backup (copying that folder to a safe location)
- Titanium backup of your apps (copy titaniumbackup folder to safe place)
- Back up pictures/music/other items you want to save
Once you've done that, use the one-click Odin to get to a clean stock. From there, you should be good to go with flashing a custom rom. Just make sure you read and follow all directions in the custom roms' post. (If there's nothing there, follow this guide.)
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Eh i got it into download mode and i pressed start on odin but i think its stuck did i have to root first and then use odin im kinda scared right now
Edit:its showing a phone a warning sign and a Pc like connect phone to pc
I know it's nerve racking, but as long as you weren't on a Gingerbread rom, you'll be ok. Rooting isn't required - Odin is automatically "rooted".
A quick questions while you're waiting - When you plugged it in, did Odin recognize a phone was attached (did a yellow text box show up saying COM:4 or something similar)? It should look similar to the attached file.
jmtheiss said:
I know it's nerve racking, but as long as you weren't on a Gingerbread rom, you'll be ok. Rooting isn't required - Odin is automatically "rooted".
A quick questions while you're waiting - When you plugged it in, did Odin recognize a phone was attached (did a yellow text box show up saying COM:4 or something similar)?
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Eh yes its i managed to trouble shoot it and its reboting everything is ok and yes it did show a yellow text box as of right now i just need to pop in the sym and reboot i have succesfully flashed 2.1 i just need to root and get CWM thru Room manager correct me if im wrong.
I'm not that familiar with Rom manager, but the general idea of getting root (maybe through the super one click root application, or from the CWM recovery menu) and installing CWM recovery (however you need to accomplish that) is the right first steps to getting to a custom rom.
Good luck with the flashing process.
jmtheiss said:
I'm not that familiar with Rom manager, but the general idea of getting root (maybe through the super one click root application, or from the CWM recovery menu) and installing CWM recovery (however you need to accomplish that) is the right first steps to getting to a custom rom.
Good luck with the flashing process.
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I just rooted now all I need is CWM and thank you for all your help!
Glad it worked out. Don't be afraid to ask more questions in the future, as a reply to a question you've asked could help someone else with the same question out.
Everything you asked about could have been answered by doing some searches and reading up on these items. Invest the time instead of just posting.
Miami_Son said:
Everything you asked about could have been answered by doing some searches and reading up on these items. Invest the time instead of just posting.
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I did ALOT of searching before thinking of posting this,the reason I did it was because most of the post are from 2010 and I had doubts on if I should use those methods or if there where new ones.This is the Q&A sub-forum right?I did just that ask questions.
I just replaced my Captivate with a refurb from AT&T. FWIW... the guys at the warranty replacement center were very nice and knowledgeable. I have everything backed up with TiBu, moved my pictures off and all that.
My old phone had existz KB1 kernal and of course voodoo file system. Should I put this phone in the same state before I copy pictures back and restore apps? I'm wondering because voodoo as I understand it converts the file system from RFS to whatever voodoo is. That would mean my backups have been converted too.
Also, exixtz kernal is KB1 and this phone came as KB2. Any problem reapplying that kernal which I was very happy with?
I did all this stuff so long ago I've forgotten all the little stuff!
No, shouldn't be a problem. The only difference in KB1AND KB2 is the kernel and modem. But, you have to root first. Here is what I'd do.
Root
Odin flash a kernel with CWM(I used a speedmod kernel)
Flash the kernel of choice from recovery
Restore your backup.
Converting to ext4is up to you. Your back up is not dependent on using rfs or ext4.
Thank you sir! Where in north GA? cold today isn't it.
Dalton area. And yes it is.
Bad start... it won't root
I've Super one click in the past but no go now... just waits for device
helps to put it in debugging mode
dumb question... I've never restored a tibu back up... I have the backup on my pc... where do I put it. Also tibu is complaining that I won't be able to restore due to "allow third party app" not being checked in applications but there is no where to check that?
Need Superoneclick to enable non market/3Rd party apps.
Put the folder labeled Titanium Backup on your internal SDcard. Open TiBu, menu/batch/restore missing apps.
I'm mostly posting these things now in case someone else is in the same boat I am and has to go through this.
Superoneclick worked. I was a little surprised I needed it as my old phone had this enabled from ATT.
Restored most everything although TiBu died 4 times. The only thing that did not restore right was Beautiful Widgets. Fought that. Still not completely right as I can't find the same widget I had for style... FWIW.. I had 93 apps... took over an hour. I now understand the paid version if I was a heavy ROM flasher.
I enabled 3e recovery with no sig required via Truesselo's method. It worked great.
Bluetooth re-paired without requiring a password... I thought that was odd.
Had to re-enter my wireless password. Expected that.
Still evaluating whether or not to reapply Plumb Bob's GPS fix.
Still haven't updated the kernal. A reply above recommended SpeedMod but that looks like an i9000 kernal.
All in all dinked around about 4 hours with it... much of it trying to remember what the heck to do and how to do it.
CWR won't work now... What to do
I've rooted and restored. Along the way I also ran Truesello's (sp?) 3e signature fix as I had done that before with no problems.
Today I was going to flash something and it booted into recovery 3e but it os blue, I thought it was orange before.
I selected reinstall packages and I get this error
E: Can't open /mnt/internal_sd/update.zip Installation aborted.
I'm just trying to get to where I can select the zip file I want to use. I know I've done it the past.
help please.
Did you name it"update" or "update.zip". The phone will actually add the.zip part for you. Try renaming it just update.
mrhaley30705 said:
Did you name it"update" or "update.zip". The phone will actually add the.zip part for you. Try renaming it just update.
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Thanks for your replay... I was thinking I hope mrhaley replies... he seems to know his stuff! I have plumbbob's fix on the phone and was going to flash that. it is named PlumbBob-1.0-CWM-USA.zip. It is not giving me the secondary menus to get there. I don't have an update.zip on the phone. I seem to recall it was for rooting.
Like I said, the only other thing I've done is to run the fix to allow non-signed files.
When I flashed the fix and the kernal last time I was able to navigate and select them.
The old update.zip was to install cwm. On 2e recovery it worked like a charm. 3e was not the same story. You really need cwm if you are going to flash stuff. Custom kernels haves it baked in. I don't have a copy handy, or I would upload it for you. You might try using ROM manager just to install cwm.
or rename everything you flash to update, which can cause problems if you forget to change the name back to what it really is. But, you can't have more than1 thing named update on your internal sd at a time.
mrhaley30705 said:
The old update.zip was to install cwm. On 2e recovery it worked like a charm. 3e was not the same story. You really need cwm if you are going to flash stuff. Custom kernels haves it baked in. I don't have a copy handy, or I would upload it for you. You might try using ROM manager just to install cwm.
or rename everything you flash to update, which can cause problems if you forget to change the name back to what it really is. But, you can't have more than1 thing named update on your internal sd at a time.
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Well whaddya know... I have a folder on my pc in my Android folder called CW and in it is an update.zip file and directions. Bread crumbs... gotta love'm.
Took your advice and installed it through ROM manager. Aaaand we have PlumbBob... 7/7 and 16 ft accuracy.
Still wondering about flashing the KB1 kernal over KB2 though... the phone is sluggish. I probably will in a bit though.
Hey guys, I just have a general question that (seemingly) applies to all Android phones. I'm posting this question in the GS3 mini section because I have a MetroPCS Galaxy Exhibit [SGH-T599N] and I guess that's where we're we've been relegated to, but this question, as I said, could really apply to any phone. My question is this: how can I verify that my NAND backups are not corrupted?
Here's some context: I recently flashed to CM 11. Everything's running great, it's my daily driver, and I love it. It's easily the best, most smooth ROM I've ever used but I recently discovered a need to flash back to the stock ROM backup I was running pre-CM 11. Before I flashed to CM 11 I was running the standard JB stock and incidentally I was also using a different Kik username. After flashing to CM 11 and installing Kik, I decided to make a new username. Now, given that I never logged out of that old username (the one I was using on JB stock), I know that if I were to flash back to that old ROM, I'd boot into a ROM that's logged into that old account. I need to be able to do this because I need to access that old Kik account's chat logs for personal reasons. My problem now is due to two issues: my amazing stupidity and...well, no that's really it.
At the time I was running stock I was running CWM recovery. I made a backup using Rom Manager but like an idiot I backed up to my internal SD card. In order to flash to CM 11 I had to wipe my internal memory, which eventually lead to me losing that backup. My only silver lining is this: I made one backup to external sd about a week before I flashed to CM 11.
Here's where it gets messy: Not knowing that the backup on the external sd was for my stock pre-CM 11 ROM, I stupidly deleted it to free up space and began saving files onto the external sd card. After I had flashed to CM 11 I made about three CM 11 backups. I deleted my pre-CM 11 backup because I mistook it for one of these three CM 11 backups. Upon realizing the height of my stupidity, I just finished recovering these lost folders and files using a data recovery program, but I have no idea whether or not the files have been irreparably corrupted. Is there any way I can verify that this backup is still good to use? I don't want to risk attempting to flash back to my old ROM only to have it wind up bricking my phone. Does anyone know of a good way I can figure this out? Any help is appreciated.
Thanks,
an idiot
adamryanx said:
Hey guys, I just have a general question that (seemingly) applies to all Android phones. I'm posting this question in the GS3 mini section because I have a MetroPCS Galaxy Exhibit [SGH-T599N] and I guess that's where we're we've been relegated to, but this question, as I said, could really apply to any phone. My question is this: how can I verify that my NAND backups are not corrupted?
Here's some context: I recently flashed to CM 11. Everything's running great, it's my daily driver, and I love it. It's easily the best, most smooth ROM I've ever used but I recently discovered a need to flash back to the stock ROM backup I was running pre-CM 11. Before I flashed to CM 11 I was running the standard JB stock and incidentally I was also using a different Kik username. After flashing to CM 11 and installing Kik, I decided to make a new username. Now, given that I never logged out of that old username (the one I was using on JB stock), I know that if I were to flash back to that old ROM, I'd boot into a ROM that's logged into that old account. I need to be able to do this because I need to access that old Kik account's chat logs for personal reasons. My problem now is due to two issues: my amazing stupidity and...well, no that's really it.
At the time I was running stock I was running CWM recovery. I made a backup using Rom Manager but like an idiot I backed up to my internal SD card. In order to flash to CM 11 I had to wipe my internal memory, which eventually lead to me losing that backup. My only silver lining is this: I made one backup to external sd about a week before I flashed to CM 11.
Here's where it gets messy: Not knowing that the backup on the external sd was for my stock pre-CM 11 ROM, I stupidly deleted it to free up space and began saving files onto the external sd card. After I had flashed to CM 11 I made about three CM 11 backups. I deleted my pre-CM 11 backup because I mistook it for one of these three CM 11 backups. Upon realizing the height of my stupidity, I just finished recovering these lost folders and files using a data recovery program, but I have no idea whether or not the files have been irreparably corrupted. Is there any way I can verify that this backup is still good to use? I don't want to risk attempting to flash back to my old ROM only to have it wind up bricking my phone. Does anyone know of a good way I can figure this out? Any help is appreciated.
Thanks,
an idiot
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if you recovered it immediately after deletion - then it's most likely still good. I don't think there's any way to fully verify backups; but I will say this if you do chose to use that backup and it fails, you should easily be able to flash any rom over again to correct it, or even use odin to go back to stock rom and try again. The only way you truly hard-brick phones is flashing something over usb and it gets disconnected haflway through, or you accidently flash somethign to the wrong partition (if you were using hiemdall), generally speaking for nearly 80% of bricks are sem-bricks and should easily be able to recover from.
Exothermic said:
if you recovered it immediately after deletion - then it's most likely still good. I don't think there's any way to fully verify backups; but I will say this if you do chose to use that backup and it fails, you should easily be able to flash any rom over again to correct it, or even use odin to go back to stock rom and try again. The only way you truly hard-brick phones is flashing something over usb and it gets disconnected haflway through, or you accidently flash somethign to the wrong partition (if you were using hiemdall), generally speaking for nearly 80% of bricks are sem-bricks and should easily be able to recover from.
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Thanks for your quick reply, Exo. I'm curious, do you think inspecting the .log file would be able to give me an indication about the integrity of the backup? In going through old backups I was able to open the .log file in Notepad and read in plaintext what was written there. If this could be used as an marker of the backup's health, then it seems I may be out of luck as the .log file for this backup seems like nothing but jibberish. I've opened it with Notepad, Notepad++, and I even installed a different third party program that's reads .log files exclusively (called Baretail), all to no avail. I'll try flashing to this backup in the meantime but I'm curious: do you think attempting to read the .log file could be a good way to verify the backup's integrity, or is there something I'm missing here? Thanks for your time.
Adam
First you should make a nandroid of your current ROM (CM I presume) so that if you brick your phone while trying to restore the stock backup, you'll still have the CM backup to restore if something goes wrong and the phone can't boot or says that there's no os installed.