Database Develop

[Q] Best Practices (Titanium Backup, CM7)

OK, so I have CM build #34 and Titanium Backup Pro installed on my Nexus One with all of my apps apps and settings backed up and synced to Dropbox. I also use ROM Manager Premium for handling my CM7 nighties.
I have tried different variations of wiping data and cache\installing Google Apps\restoring all apps and settings with Titanium Backup but I think I am doing something wrong as I usually end up having to enter login and password information on a lot of my apps (once I get them back on my phone).
If my plan is to update to the latest CM7 version every night, what are the proper steps to do so?
Here is what I think I should do:
1. Back up all apps and settings using Titanium Pro
2. Download latest CM7 version
3. When ROM Manager asks if I want to download Google Apps, I check YES
4. After the download is complete, ROM Manager asks if I would like to Backup Existing ROM (I leave unchecked) and Wipe Date and Cache (I only check this if I am having major issues with the CM7 nightie)
5. ROM loads, phone reboots
(Here is where I start getting really confused)
6. Google asks me to sign in. I skip the sign in
7. Join wireless
8. Restore all apps and settings from Titanium Backup
9. Google keeps on asking me to sign in with my Google account.
10 I sign in and usually have issues with Twitter, work email (Exchange), Facebook, etc. Some apps that I know I had installed and configured do not show up but when I go to the Market they show as Purchased and I have to re-download them. Later when I have Twitter and Facebook configured, if I go to Settings> Accounts and Sync, it only shows Gmail and my work email (no Facebook or Twitter). If I try adding Facebook and Twitter, it never goes to the sign in screen. I can back out and see and use Facebook and Twitter on my home screen though.
Questions:
If I am downloading only CM7 nighties, should I download and install Google Apps every night (why else would ROM Manager prompt me for it and include it with every CM7 nightie)?
When using Titanium Backup, should I still sign in to my Google account on my phone or just skip it and restore all settings, apps and data?
Can someone lay out an easy step-by-step best way to accomplish what I am attempting? I think this would help a lot of novice users who want to experience the awesome custom ROMs that are floating around.
Thank you all for your time and effort!

Going from one nightly to another, you do not need to wipe anything.

evilkorn said:
Going from one nightly to another, you do not need to wipe anything.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Then why do I have do I have to keep re-entering all types of logins after upgrading to a new CM7 nightie ?
You say not to wipe data and cache. What about the rest of my post? Any other advice?

Just flashover the top of what u got
Sent from my Nexus One using XDA App

You should try logging in to Google first before restoring your apps with Titanium Backup. Then reboot. Usually that will restore the list of apps that you installed in the Market.
If not, then clear your market data and cache and do a reboot again.

So I always should install Google Apps every time I get prompted by ROM Manager just before I start installing a nightie? Then just flash the new CM7 version without wiping Data and Cache?

I didn't say anything about flashing gapps again, just flash the newer nightly over your old nightly.

evilkorn said:
I didn't say anything about flashing gapps again, just flash the newer nightly over your old nightly.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
OK, tried what you said (not flashing gapps) and just flashed to the newest CM7 nightie. I also did not delete Data and Cache. Now the Market, Talk, Car Home, Voice (looks like all the Google apps) do not work. I'm getting pop ups stating that I need to sign in to my Google account but when I go to Settings>Accounts and Sync, There is no option for me to add my Google credentials. I see nothing except corporate email and FaceBook (no Twitter Either---and I have that installed).
That is why I was asking earlier if I should get the gapps every time I flash to a new nightly build. Every time I don't download Google Apps along with the CM7 nightie, I always loose a ton of settings and functionality along with not having access to all of my Google Apps.
Btw, I did a full restore of Titanium Backup Pro (all apps and data) after I flashed to the new CM7 nightie b/c of the problem stated earlier in this post.
Any thoughts?

I have no idea what is going wrong then.
Every few days I download the nightly, flash it without any wipes right over top of my current system, and use my phone. All settings stay working, I haven't flashed gapps for a long while now.
It is pretty much a one step process for me. It sounds like there is some sort of strange wiping going on for you though.

I had this issue when I used ROM Manager to download the ROM.
Here's what to do, just download the nightly from this link,
http://mirror1.kanged.net/nightly/passion/
Then use ROM Manager to install from zip, don't wipe or clear anything.
This will let you flash it over with no issues.

Ah, that could very well be it. I am always downloading it manually and flashing from it manually in Rom Manager.

Clarkster said:
Ah, that could very well be it. I am always downloading it manually and flashing from it manually in Rom Manager.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah I do not know why it is doing this. But oh well lol.
Sent from my Nexus One using XDA App

after you flash the new nightly build on top of your current, are you restoring anything via Titanium?
When restoring system data, i found that the order in which its restored makes the difference between things working and not.
I had a similar problem a while back... after a complete wipe and fresh install of CM + Gapps i used TB to restore everything including system app data. after the restore, everything looked OK. If i was to check settings/accounts & sync, everything was there correctly. But when I tried to run a system app, I'd have nothing but problems..(G-Talk & Latitude wouldnt log in, Market was jerked, Gmail would FC...FB and twitter would keep asking for my password..etc). The way I got it to work was to wipe all system data, then in a logical order, restore it again one app at a time with a reboot between each restore.
Its alot easier to just manually enter all account info. Then use TB (if needed) to restore things like FB, Twitter, Wifi & BT settings.
Not sure if this is what you were looking for, but typing this made the bus ride home alot quicker.
~~Louie

[Q] Best way to restore sms and contacts after flash?

Hey guys whats the best way or is there a way to restore all your contacts and text messages after rom flash. After every flash I have to redo all my contacts with photos and lose all texts, I use titanium back up for the apps but they say not to restore system data with tibu. thanks

The green system settings should be ok to restore, [sms/mms/apn] dialer storage will have your texts,.and contact storage will have your contacts.
Just restore those individually. Works for me.

i keep all my contacts in google so i never have to restore those, and for sms/mms/call log backup and restores i use
sms backup +
https://market.android.com/details?id=com.zegoggles.smssync&feature=search_result

I use My Backup Root. When you back up Data (not apk data), you are given a choice of what you want to back up. When you restore data, you are also given a choice of what to restore.
When you restore APK+ Data, you are restoring data from the apks, not system data (with My Backup, TiBu may be different).
The only downside to my backup is most roms don't preload it like tibu. You gave to download from market after every flash.
If this has been any help, please don't forget to hit Thank You.
Sent from a place my wife doesn't know about

mrhaley30705 said:
I use My Backup Root. When you back up Data (not apk data), you are given a choice of what you want to back up. When you restore data, you are also given a choice of what to restore.
When you restore APK+ Data, you are restoring data from the apks, not system data (with My Backup, TiBu may be different).
The only downside to my backup is most roms don't preload it like tibu. You gave to download from market after every flash.
If this has been any help, please don't forget to hit Thank You.
Sent from a place my wife doesn't know about
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
if you copy the apk somewhere and put it in /data/app in the rom zip before you flash you won't have to download it from the market. Fyi

Interesting, anyways i just used Ti-Backup to reload my text messages
I backed up:
[SMS/MMS/APN] Dialer Storage 2.2.1
And have none of my text messages on the new ROM. Granted it's nice to clear out, I had some things I wanted to keep
Should I have backed up:
[SMS/MMS PREFS] Messaging 2.2.1
Instead for future reference and purposes?

Bane99 said:
Interesting, anyways i just used Ti-Backup to reload my text messages
I backed up:
[SMS/MMS/APN] Dialer Storage 2.2.1
And have none of my text messages on the new ROM. Granted it's nice to clear out, I had some things I wanted to keep
Should I have backed up:
[SMS/MMS PREFS] Messaging 2.2.1
Instead for future reference and purposes?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Have you rebooted since restoring that data? If not, do it.

Android Manager for me. No Google cloud needed. Also, you can export your contacts to a .vcf file before you flash and restore from it after. Do this within the Contacts app.

Yeah... the rebooting thing. My ignorance, and my apologies. All texts are back now

studacris said:
if you copy the apk somewhere and put it in /data/app in the rom zip before you flash you won't have to download it from the market. Fyi
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks. I will have to remember that for my.next flash. Right now, o am quite content with Continuum.
Sent from a place my wife doesn't know about (yet)

What things CAN i backup with TiBU, and i have been playing with sgs tools, how does the homescreen back up work

That's what I did. Long press .vcf and save to phone. Quick n easy.
Miami_Son said:
Android Manager for me. No Google cloud needed. Also, you can export your contacts to a .vcf file before you flash and restore from it after. Do this within the Contacts app.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App

kedster said:
What things CAN i backup with TiBU, and i have been playing with sgs tools, how does the homescreen back up work
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It backs up your home screen, minus widgets. But I think it only works on touchwiz launchers.
And you can back up almost everything, contacts sms, apps, etc.for a detailed list, look on the market page.
If I'm wrong, those with more knowledge please clarify.
Sent from a place my wife doesn't know about (yet)

[Q] Fixing the "process.com.google.process.gapp" error message

After TRYING all kinds of suggestions, none of which work, I found one that says:
- copy all google talk service and google talk app to system/app folder
- Grant all possible privilages to them
- Restart the phone.
In what folder is google talk service and google talk app located?
How do you grant them "all privledges'?
Seems to me the last time I attempted to CUT AND PASTE a file to the system/app folder, it wouldn't let me.
This message has come up EVEN AFTER I have installed numerous ROMs.
I appreciate any help!

Did you flash stock in between flashes?. To move a file rlto system/app use adb or super manager
If I have helped press thanks.

Clean install of ROMs
Every time I flash, I go back to stock and do a Master Clear, so my flashes are clean. I use Titanium BU Pro to reinstall apps, BUT do NOT restore system data, just app data.
I'm thinking that the problem MIGHT be related to the syncing of my calendar with the google calendar I have online. Triied doing the data clear, etc....
Like I said, I've tried everything except what I posted in my first post. Problem is, I don't know where the files are located so that I can transfer them to the system folder. This seems like the only other "solution" I haven't tried at this point.
Hate to do it, but I'm thinking about going back to stock 2.2 and see if that makes a difference.

[Q] how to check our phone's backup on Google?

hi
just wanted to throw this question out to the community - I have selected the option to Backup my phone's application/data profile to Google.
now, even though I have uninstalled some applications from my phone, the next time I flash a rom, they pop right back in.
Is there any way I can check on Google what is the data that has been backed up and manually edit/remove those applications so that they don't keep getting re-installed.
thanks.
-f.

farhadtarapore said:
hi
just wanted to throw this question out to the community - I have selected the option to Backup my phone's application/data profile to Google.
now, even though I have uninstalled some applications from my phone, the next time I flash a rom, they pop right back in.
Is there any way I can check on Google what is the data that has been backed up and manually edit/remove those applications so that they don't keep getting re-installed.
thanks.
-f.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i dont believe it backs up app data. If you want to backup app/game data for when you are flashing a new rom, get titanium backup

farhadtarapore said:
hi
just wanted to throw this question out to the community - I have selected the option to Backup my phone's application/data profile to Google.
now, even though I have uninstalled some applications from my phone, the next time I flash a rom, they pop right back in.
Is there any way I can check on Google what is the data that has been backed up and manually edit/remove those applications so that they don't keep getting re-installed.
thanks.
-f.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've looked around on google and my phone and cant find anything. I THINK what you should do, next time you flash a new rom is make sure you sync your phone with google so that your uninstalled apps will register in their server as uninstalled and therefore wont install next time just a hunch though.

TaLEntZ96 said:
i dont believe it backs up app data. If you want to backup app/game data for when you are flashing a new rom, get titanium backup
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
disregard my previous post, i read the question wrong :S
unfortunately i dont think there is a way to do what you are wanting to do ive done some googling and looked through my phne to find nothing :|

What you can do to avoid the apps from re-installing is to not select the 'sync' option when you insal a new ROM in the 'first settings' .
Once the rom has booted up completely then when you goto 'accounts & sync' with gmail, only contacts and the selected choices will be synced, not the apps.

can't backup data or game in google account

Many/most (but not all) of my contacts are gone (CM 7.20 or Gingerbread Deck)

Both times I tried a 7.x based rom, once I re-connected my google account, only some of my accounts came back. I'm guessing that somehow the contacts that were loaded onto my phone originally were loaded as "phone only" rather than as google contacts. Is there a way to get CM7.20 to recover them? I've made a few Titanium backups and haven't wiped my SD card other than that one path that gets wiped by clockwork when you wipe before flashing. Thanks.
Mod Edit : not development Moved to Q & A .Pls post in appropriate thread

sorry, this is the wrong section for you to post this.
the best course of action is to repost in general or q/a, or ask a mod to move this thread there.
but until someone moves this thread there, were your contacts synced with your google account? because if you just flashed a rom without manually (or googally for lack of a better term) backing them up, sorry guy, they are gone
in the future, when you add contacts, the list will pop up that says sync with google account or phone only (unsynced). choose sync to google account, or find a 3rd party app on the market and back them up that way.

Yeah, they were synched with my google account, but I'm guessing that when my phone was initially loaded with contacts from my previous phone, they were loaded as "non-google" contacts so those didn't synch. If they weren't stored on the SD card, I realize that they're gone, but maybe they end up on the card. I asked a mod to move this to Q/A. Hopefully someone knows this answer. I still have my old phone (Razr), so I guess I could import the contacts from that again, but I'm sure I'll lose a lot of info that was updated and add in a lot of stuff I'd deleted. Hopefully the contacts are on my Hero's sd card somewhere in a retrievable format.

LidoShuffle said:
Both times I tried a 7.x based rom, once I re-connected my google account, only some of my accounts came back. I'm guessing that somehow the contacts that were loaded onto my phone originally were loaded as "phone only" rather than as google contacts. Is there a way to get CM7.20 to recover them? I've made a few Titanium backups and haven't wiped my SD card other than that one path that gets wiped by clockwork when you wipe before flashing. Thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Before you flashed CM7.2, did you make a nandroid of your original setup? If you did then just nandroid back to that and make sure to resync those contacts that are phone-only to your google account. And then re-flash whichever CM7 rom you plan on using.

sai5o4 said:
Before you flashed CM7.2, did you make a nandroid of your original setup? If you did then just nandroid back to that and make sure to resync those contacts that are phone-only to your google account. And then re-flash whichever CM7 rom you plan on using.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, but I'd rather not go through all that. Can I make a new nandroid of my current setup and then go back to a previous nandroid? Hopefully there's just a way to read the backed up contact list so I can import that or something. It's not a ton of numbers, but I don't want to lose them all. Thanks.