So when switching between themes, what is the best method to do so?
I feel like sometimes I have to reflash the rom that I was running. I also read on here that wiping fixes stuff, but I'm not quite sure what is the best way to clean off any changes other than flashing a rom that wipes the /system.
Buy titanium back up, back up all of your apps with it. Wipe dalvik cache from recovery, wipe cache partition, fix permissions, flash theme. If it gives you trouble then you factory reset, repeat above steps, restore apps via titanium backup. No issues.
I installed several roms, and I always fullwipe, but are always some applications that I made the backup with the "Titanium", such as chess, titanium, juicerdefender ........ have some way to eliminate ALL, and let only the ROM? (for after I install, or back?)
Do a full wipe with CWM-recovery, it deletes all things in /data and sdcard/.android-secure.
But normally, apps on the sdcard still have some things in the /data folder, so if you delete the whole /data folder, you shouldn´t mdee the apps in the Launcher anymore.
Now with the release of many JB leaks for our Galaxy Note, more and more people are starting to flash custom ROMs into their devices. However, many don't do a proper clean-up / wipe of their devices before doing so, complaining about supposed "bugs" that in fact are not real bugs, but just incompatibilities with previous app data and config left from the previous ROM or improperly restored from backups (TB etc.).
So, after facing that myself with the first ROMs I flashed, reading a lot of tips from the senior members, and experimenting different approaches, I came up with a method that I always follow before flashing a new ROM, which gives me less or no issues at all.
Pros: you minimize the chance of having issues when flashing a new ROM.
Cons: you have to manually reinstall your apps (can be somewhat automated from Google Play) and reconfigure everything.
Pre-reqs: I'm assuming you have CWM installed and know how to use it, and are not a complete noob. If you don't, search the forums and read the guides. Read this guide fully and make sure you understand everything before proceeding.
IMPORTANT: ONLY wipe your device if you have a SAFE (BRICK-FREE) KERNEL. Check your kernel and search the forums. Don't proceed if you are not sure! I'm not responsible for any bricks, unexpected issues that can happen to you or personal data loss because you forgot to backup that! If you want to stay safe, don't want to experiment with your cell phone, it's critical you have it working everytime, stay with the official Samsung ROMs updates you get OTA and don't proceed with this how-to.
How-to:
1) Boot into recovery and perform a full backup (a.k.a. nandroid) to your internal or external SD card.
2) Reboot, and create backups of personal data needed from your apps in your internal or external SD card. For instance, I backup data from apps which are not cloud-based; they usually have a "backup" menu for that.
3) Plug your device into your computer, and copy everything you need from your internal and external SD cards (including the backups done in 1) and 2)). Don't forget your pictures and MP3 files.
4) Delete any apps and data from your external SD card. Leave it as clean as possible (it's OK to leave personal data such as MP3s, pictures etc.).
5) Copy the ROM you are about to flash to your EXTERNAL SD Card (don't copy to internal, because we are going to wipe it).
6) Boot into CWM Recovery and do the following wipes:
6.1) Wipe data / factory reset
6.2) Wipe cache partition
6.3) Advanced -> Wipe dalvik cache
6.4) Mounts and Storage -> Format /system
6.5) Mounts and Storage -> Format /preload
6.6) Mounts and Storage -> Format internal SD card (make sure you know if your internal SD card if /emmc or /sdcard; see below!)
7) Install Zip -> Flash ROM from your external SD card.
8) Wipe cache partition again.
9) Advanced -> Wipe dalvik cache again.
10) Reboot
11) Don't restore anything from Titanium Backup. Reinstall and reconfigure everything from Google Play. I never tried but I think that if you just restore user apps, it should work. Just never restore system apps and data. The backups you created in step 2) and copied to your computer in step 3) can be safely restored from within the apps themselves.
Now you may ask why we format the internal SD card. Many apps store their configuration and app data there, so this way we ensure no old data and config are there which may be incompatible with the new ROM. In fact it might not be that important, since it's only related to user apps, but I prefer to clean everything before flashing a new ROM.
How to find if your internal SD card is mounted on /emmc or /sdcard in CWM Recovery:
1) Boot into CWM Recovery.
2) Install Zip -> Choose zip from internal sdcard. In the top you can see where yours is mounted (/emmc or /sdcard).
3) This is the partition you should format in step 6.6. Pay attention to not format the external SD card, because the ROM zip file is there!
If you still have issues after flashing a new ROM, try to reflash it without any wipes (i.e. just do step 7 again).
Hope it can help people with their flashing!
Good job
Is it any better to just install user apps from google play and then restore just the data from TB?
Sent from my GT-N7000 using xda app-developers app
allansy said:
Is it any better to just install user apps from google play and then restore just the data from TB?
Sent from my GT-N7000 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No..the main purpose of the thread is to remove the incompatible app data and system data
Useful.
Sent from my GT-N7000 using xda premium
dbolivar said:
How-to:
6.1) Wipe data / factory reset
6.2) Wipe cache partition
6.3) Advanced -> Wipe dalvik cache
6.4) Mounts and Storage -> Format /system
6.5) Mounts and Storage -> Format /preload
6.6) Mounts and Storage -> Format internal SD card (make sure you know if your internal SD card if /emmc or /sdcard; see below!)
7) Install Zip -> Flash ROM from your external SD card.
8) Wipe cache partition again.
9) Advanced -> Wipe dalvik cache again.
10) Reboot
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
6.2 ---> unnecessary, because factory reset wipes user data and cache
6.6 ---> how on earth does formatting internal SD card help flashing any Rom?
8) ---> unnecessary, because your cache is already wiped
9) ---> see above
6.2) True, thanks for pointing out.
6.6) Some apps, including ones that usually give strange issues between ROM flashes like SNote, leave data there which may cause incompatibilities with a different version. This incompatibility is just a guess; as I said in the original post, it may not be that necessary to format the internal SD card, but I prefer to make sure there is no old data at all floating around, and this recommendation can also be useful when people are going to sell their devices (many think that just a factory reset is enough).
8) and 9) Is it possible that a new ROM can come with stuff in cache and dalvik cache, say, from the developer testing/cooking environment? If it is, can be useful to clean it again after flashing. Otherwise, I agree, it can be skipped.
Yeah total clean scenario is best. In my opinion. So also SD, but never efs
Sent from my GT-N7000 using Tapatalk 2
I too do things that are not necessary, I have a ritual when doing a deep clean lol
It involves things like the above method, but i do it twice.. No harm in that is there !
azzledazzle said:
I too do things that are not necessary, I have a ritual when doing a deep clean lol
It involves things like the above method, but i do it twice.. No harm in that is there !
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wel, better safe then sorry. Totally clean just feels right
Sent from my GT-N7000 using Tapatalk 2
Thank you very much. I will do this like you say.
I have CWM v6.0.1.2 and I don't have format/ preload. What can I do?
You can try to proceed without formatting it, or you can first flash a kernel with a more recent CWM. Always a safe kernel, of course. After flashing it, you can just select "reboot recovery" from your current CWM to boot into the new CWM. I'm not sure if the absence of /preload is due to an old CWM, or it's because you don't have a /preload partition. Anyway, trying a newer CWM won't harm.
i follow this guide , considering that i'm a noob it mean that is written really really clear. Thanks for all your job . i have a clean cooked rooted cell now.
error preload
Hello, I got error when formatting preload
it is said "make_extf4fs failed on/dev/block/mmcblk0p9
and when i'm trying to format/scard it pop up some type format
"deafult
"exfat
"fat
bla bla bla
so i choose default, am i right to choose it?
what should i do?
What device, what recovery, what rom?
dbolivar said:
flashing!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hey bro,
i forgot to do step 9
9) Advanced -> Wipe dalvik cache again.
Phone is working fine, but just curious. will it have any effect ? or will it cause any problem later ?
Hi guys I'm new to this forum but i've been a CD-ROM for years...
I have question about upgrading ViperROM to 6.2.1
I'm currently using ViperROM 2.7.0 with sense 5.0
Android 4.2.2
I use Titinium Pro to backup all my apps and....
my question is....how to upgrade from 2.7 to 6.2.1 the easiest way?
without any data lost?
do i have to use the data backup from ROM or i can just use the titaniumPRO for full backup?
please advice
I always copy and paste the contents of the sdcard to a folder for safe keeping on my laptop or usb drive. I wipe, data, cache, dalvik cache, system and user partitions. Reboot recovery, use adb sideload to send the rom.zip over and flash. Setup the phone and copy and paste everything back. The whole process takes min. 25-30 minutes. Works for me /shrugs, just my 2 pennies.
I would follow @DeathAngel66669 advice it is very solid. I also use Titanium Pro to quickly add back my USER APPS only with data. Never restore system apps.
majmoz said:
I would follow @DeathAngel66669 advice it is very solid. I also use Titanium Pro to quickly add back my USER APPS only with data. Never restore system apps.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm just concerning about my User App data, (whatsapp image, convo history)
so i can just do titanium pro and wipe the phone? cool!
Whatsapp etc backs up it's own data to a folder in your internal storage, when you reinstall it and set it up it will say backup found would you like to restore. Just make sure you don't wipe internal storage.
You could also try and dirty flash as you are on viper one already, just go into advanced wipe and wipe your caches only, do not factory reset and when installing the Rom also select don't wipe data partition.
But again as the others have said, make sure it's backed up first, if a dirty flash doesn't work, you'll be left with no choice but to reflash and wipe along the way.
Hi Guys, I'm having a big issue with my Android.
Since I've installed the Xposed alpha for Lollipop (xposed-sdk22-arm-20150514.zip; I have a rooted CM 12.1) I started to have some issues at boot (every time I was booting I had to clean the cache and the dalvik cache in CWM and I had to boot 2 times before seeing Android re-optimizing the apps).
Yesterday I've flashed an update of Xposed alpha for Lollipop (xposed-sdk22-arm-20150609.zip ) and it was working fine, then I've had the wonderful idea of updating CM with a newly nightly built:
- I've made a Nandroid backup in CWM
- I've made a dirty flash (wipe of cache/dalvik cache)
- I've flashed the new nightly
All this caused my Android to enter into bootloop.
This gave start to 2 painful days of trial-and-error to recover my nandroid backup with no success at all.
What I've done (IN SEQUENCE) to try restore my nandroid backup:
[TEST 1]
Full Nandroid Restore via CWM
wipe cache/dalvik cache
OUTCOME: bootloop
[TEST 2]
dirty flashed via CWM:
cm-12.1-20150518-NIGHTLY-jfltexx.zip [same ROM installed at the time of the Nandroid backup]
gapps-lpmr1-20150403-signed.zip [same GApps installed at the time of the Nandroid backup]
xposed-sdk22-arm-20150609.zip [same Xposed zip installed at the time of the Nandroid backup]
OUTCOME: bootloop
[TEST 3]
From CWM -> Mounts and Storage
format /system
format /cache
[NO FORMAT /DATA GIVEN THAT IT IS WHAT I WANNA KEEP]
wipe cache
wipe dalvik cache
install from zip:
cm-12.1-20150518-NIGHTLY-jfltexx.zip
gapps-lpmr1-20150403-signed.zip
OUTCOME: bootloop
[TEST 4]
flashed from recovery:
xposed-sdk22-arm-20150609.zip
reboot system
OUTCOME: bootloop
[TEST 5-...]
Tried to disable Xposed in all the different ways suggested in the post http://forum.xda-developers.com/xposed/xposed-lollipop-stuck-bootloop-t3055816
(with adb commands or flashing zip files)
In the end I've decided to give up the full nandroid restore so I've made a full wipe:
CWM -> Mounts and Storage -> Format /system; Format /cache; Format /data
wipe cache
wipe dalvik cache
and then I've flashed:
cm-12.1-20150518-NIGHTLY-jfltexx.zip
gapps-lpmr1-20150403-signed.zip
Now everything works and at this time I'm recovering the User Apps (apps+data) from the Nandroid backup using Nandroid Manager under CyanogenMod but the problem is that I fear some apps will not work properly (I've already tried Nova Launcher and it crashes every time I try to use it) even tough I'm using the very same ROM. So I will probably need to uninstall many apps manually and reinstall them, which is kind of painful.
Meanwhile I'm working on this I still hope to be able to recover my Nandroid backup so I'm here to ask you for help.
From my tests (and others I haven't listed above) I've realized that the issue is in the /data partition and it is probably linked to Xposed and/or the modules I've installed (XMultiWindow and XHaloFloatingWindow). As I said earlier I started to have issues connected to Xposed alpha for Lollipop since I have installed it and probably the ROM update made Xposed "extremely upset" and gave me this issue with a corrupt (?!) Nandroid backup.
Any idea is very much appreciated!
Same with me. TWRP system and data backup won't be restored after boot loop. Haven't tried your method of recovering the rom.