[Q] VZW OS Upgrade, nandroid questions, and other issues - Motorola Droid 4

OK so here's my situation:
I got the official Verizon upgrade from 2.3 to 4.0 back in August. Since then, my phone has been giving me major issues. I won't get into them, because I know I just need to do a factory reset and it should fix everything.
I have some experience with bootstraps and custom roms on the Droid 1 and Droid 2, but it's been so long. I've done some research, but could still use some guidance.
The phone was rooted on 2.3 but the 4.0 update took that off.
My questions are:
- Can I make a nandroid (or similar) image of the system in its current state, before it's re-rooted with custom roms?
- Is CM9 in any kind of final stage?
- What's the best SMS backup utility that will PRESERVE THE MESSAGE TIMESTAMPS upon restore?
Thanks in advance!!!

kman13 said:
OK so here's my situation:
I got the official Verizon upgrade from 2.3 to 4.0 back in August. Since then, my phone has been giving me major issues. I won't get into them, because I know I just need to do a factory reset and it should fix everything.
I have some experience with bootstraps and custom roms on the Droid 1 and Droid 2, but it's been so long. I've done some research, but could still use some guidance.
The phone was rooted on 2.3 but the 4.0 update took that off.
My questions are:
- Can I make a nandroid (or similar) image of the system in its current state, before it's re-rooted with custom roms?
- Is CM9 in any kind of final stage?
- What's the best SMS backup utility that will PRESERVE THE MESSAGE TIMESTAMPS upon restore?
Thanks in advance!!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
- You cannot make a nandroid backup without root. To make a nandroid backup you'll need a custom recovery (SafeStrap in the case of the D4) and you cannot install SafeStrap without root. Once rooted and with SafeStrap installed you can then make a nandroid of your stock system.
- I believe CM9 has been abandoned in favor of CM10 on the D4. CM10 (and other JB ROMS) run PRETTY well with a few caveats. Main bugs include bluetooth not working correctly, screen re-size when switching between landscape and portrait is a little janky, and the camera flash does not work. Personally, I don't even really notice the screen re-size thing anymore. The bluetooth issue is irritating but not a deal breaker for me. On the rare occasions when I want the camera flash I switch back to stock, which is quite easy and fast with SafeStrap 3.05. If you need something a little less buggy try out Eclipse. Pretty sure it's bug free.
Edit: Forgot one other CM10/JB ROM issue. You'll need a workaround to get MMS to work You can turn off auto-retrieve in the original app. You can flash an inverted gapps package. Or you can use a third party text app like GoSMS (that's what I'm currently doing).
- I use SMS Backup and & Restore. It preserves the timestamps so everything is in the correct order when you restore your messages. It's free on the Play Store: https://play.google.com/store/apps/...mNvbS5yaXRlc2hzYWh1LlNNU0JhY2t1cFJlc3RvcmUiXQ..
I also use Call Logs Backup & Restore by the same dev. Also free and on the Play Store.

You probably had issues after the update because you need to do a factory data reset.
As far as all the info kwyt said, he is correct.

Related

What to do with a rooted Nexus One?

I'm considering rooting my phone, but I'm kind of on the fence. First, I don't really want to void my warranty, but since I bought the phone used do I even have a warranty anymore? Second, I'm not really that interested in custom ROMs at this point since I'm new to Android OS and I'm happy with the way things are stock for now. So my question is... What can I do with a rooted phone running the stock Froyo ROM? Anything cool/interesting, or does it not even pay to bother rooting if I'm going to keep it stock?
I waited 3 months before rooting and I thought the same as you, wasn't interested in custom ROMs and all. Once I finally rooted and loaded cyanogen ROM, it completely changed my thinking. I highly highly recommend using cyanogen if you root. I can't stress enough. Things wkt can do with root are many, 720p video hack, black notification bar, themes, meta morph, audio volume hack, ROM manager, titanium backup, nand backups! The list is endless. Hell nand backup alone is worth rooting.
Is there a place or a link I can find more information about just stuff that I can do with a rooted phone BESIDES installing custom ROMs? Everything I usually find is just about ROMs. I want to just get my feet wet a little before I decide to just jump right in. For now I'm just interested in stuff I can do with plain old vanilla android once it's been rooted.
Look for apps that require root, see what they are and if you need any of them.
Here's my current list of things "to root for", I haven't yet..
Reasons to root:
Just root, nothing else:
- Adblock host file
- ClockSync
- GScripter
- Remove built-in crap (Amazon MP3)
- Screenshots
After installing recovery image
- Nandroid
After installing custom rom
- Black notification bar
Depending on where you live, you might still have warranty. For example, in Europe, the warranty is by default 2 years on the device. So it doesn't matter if you got it second hand, as long as the device still has warranty, you're OK.
Secondly, you can root your device without unlocking the bootloader. Check this thread for more info. At step 18, before doing the 2 'exit' commands, also take the time to rename /system/etc/recovery-install.sh & install + make executable a file called flash_image (google it to find a download) into /system/bin. This way you can install a custom recovery (e.g. for doing nandroid backups) and will make installing custom ROMs later a lot less painful.
A rooted stock FRF91 can already do many things, search for 'root' in the market and you can find tons of apps that require root privileges and that will run fine on stock. However, the really interesting things (like color trackball alert, firewalling, proxy support, ...) will require you to install a custom ROM.
I rooted my stock N1 with the above procedure a couple of weeks ago, and installed Cyanogen6 RC2 ROM to get some of the more advanced functionality. Been working like a charm and I've actually managed to get a lot more out of my device AND have longer battery life

[Q] Question on handling upcoming official Froyo update

I have a NC with 1.1 firmware rooted with auto-nooter 3.0. I've installed many apps, I'm very pleased, and have experienced no problems. That said, the Froyo update that B&B is supposedly rolling out in April will probably be a good thing but I wouldn't want to install it until something like auto-nooter is available for the updated system.
My questions are:
1) based on previous firmware rollouts will it be possible to not have the update install automatically?
2) once the update is installed will it unroot the Nook?
3) going from 2.1 to 2.2 will it be possible to backup then restore apps on the new system once it has been rooted?
I don't know that anyone has all the answers but I'm wondering how people here with rooted Nook Colors plan on preparing for and handling the update.
Thanks
There are a couple threads explaining how to prevent auto update. Sorry for not linking I'm on my phone. As far as restoring apps you should be fine as long as you don't restore system data. It would be best to not accept update until someone post a rooted flash-able
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA Premium App
Your mileage may very, but I 'gathered' them up and posted the various ways to prevent update a few days ago in this thread. I think I have heard, at various times, that all worked and all didn't so, take it all with a grain of salt.
simmerin said:
My questions are:
1) based on previous firmware rollouts will it be possible to not have the update install automatically?
2) once the update is installed will it unroot the Nook?
3) going from 2.1 to 2.2 will it be possible to backup then restore apps on the new system once it has been rooted?
I don't know that anyone has all the answers but I'm wondering how people here with rooted Nook Colors plan on preparing for and handling the update.
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ill take 2 and 3 since 1 has already been answered.
2: Yes if you update you will no longer be rooted, Best to hold off updating till they have a root method for the new Rom.
3: Yes, Install Titanium Backup. Backup all your Apps. and transfer the backup folder from your SD card to you computer, once you have updated your rom and rooted again, Reinstall Titanium Backup, Transfer you backup folder back to your SD card and restore you app+data.
This will not only restore your Apps, but any saved data the apps had, such as game progress.

[Q] rooter stock with updated kernel

Howdy, I have been all over this nook lately and what not.
What I have right now as a backup is a rooted 1.0 nook with a modified build.prop and devicemanager.db to stop the 1.1 update. I have everything I have been using and currently will probably use EXCEPT I don't have iptables/netfilters in order to get asproxy working so I can setup Orbot (TOR client)
I am quite willing to restore the nook back to original and start from ground zero if that is what is needed for me to be able to use the current backup I have but have an updated kernel with OC and iptables/netfilters enabled.
Can anyone tell me if it is possible to replace the kernel AND use my current nandroid backup (possibly in sections) and not overwrite the kernel?
My next route will be to restore to stock, root, edit devicemanager.db to avoid the 1.1, update the kernel and then just reinstall the apps. either scenario does not have me re-registering my device.
Or I can update to 1.1 and then block any further updates and such but ultimately I need to get the updated kernel for iptables/netfilters. as you surmise I am fairly obsessed with this...
Thanks for any suggestions!!
I am also open to using a very clean install without a lot of fluff, I just put CM7 on the emmc and have phiremod rom running atm but am not overly excited by it. I tend to like very clean minimalist things.
So I am open to that as well but have not heard much promise on the battery life with the current builds.
bump it bump it good
It may be good but its beyond me.
While I do still have select backups of stock with root and a few points along the way, I have no intention of using them except for emergency recovery purposes-
and starting over would probably be easier anyway.
I have little interest in the stock B&N apps either so nothing that needs saving- except what I have on there from the last week or so. Ok, not really that either.
Do you really have stuff on there that you NEED to preserve or is it just settings and preferences?

[Q] Plan for Bionic root/unroot for ICS, PLEASE REVIEW

I'm hoping to get some eyes on this plan I've made for hacking my new Droid so I can avoid bricking it at all costs.
I bricked my old Bionic 2 days ago due a combination of problems with Clockword Recovery Mod and the leaked ICS update, as well as my battery frying for some reason. Thankfully Verizon was none the wiser and they are sending me a new phone and battery in a few days. Although I'm cautious about hacking now, I still plan on rooting the new phone so I can recover my apps and data from the old phone's SD card.
Here are my plans for the new phone. If anyone could tell me if it makes sense or if they see any issues that will arise from following these steps, please let me know:
1. Root new Bionic with Motofail.exe root
2. Restore apps and such with Titanium Backup (restoring individual apps so I don't get any old clockwork garbage or other random stuff)
3. Download Voodoo Root OTA Rootkeeper.
4. Wait for official ICS OTA (don't want to mess around with the leaks anymore) and backup root with voodoo
5. Unroot with voodoo, install ICS and re-root after update (I've read on some posts that Voodoo works with the ICS OTA but I'm not 100% sure)
I'm more concerned with the OTA installing properly than keeping the root after ICS, though while it would be simpler just to not root, I really want to restore the TiBu backup from my old phone.
If anyone sees any flaws with this plan or if you think it sounds like there won't be any problems, please respond! I really don't want to brick a second phone so any help would be invaluable.
No one can say for sure if this will work since no one has the official OTA yet.
That sounds like a plan that may work. Even if OTA Root keeper fails I see a thread with a root method that is working on ICS leaks so it should
[should being the operative word here as stated this is all subjective reasoning from my time and use of Android and many different devices there is NEVER 100% certainty EVEN IF we had access to the OTA and had a method there is no accounting for any errors caused by a multitude of things [download corruption, bad blocks in memory during flash, you missing a step and borking the whole process, etc.] so no one will ever be able to say with 100% certainty that you will not have some rare issue and have a problem even with a tested method [and if someone does try to tell you something is 100% they have not dealt with technology and computers long enough to realize nothing is ever guaranteed even fully certified OTAs have caused bugs not accounted for and been stopped, recalled, or otherwise modified when users try to apply them and have issues ]
Anyways, I did read where you flashed the ICS leak via CWM recovery and everything I have been reading about flashing ICS on a Bionic involves the STOCK recovery and not CWM [most postings even SPECIFICALLY state to NOT USE CWM AND ONLY USE STOCK Recovery [but then again I read a lot] so if I had to trace the issue you had the with the limited information you have provided about your specific experience I would prolly point to that as prolly causing the problem. See the ICS with files thread here and that is again specified as part of procedure [basically format EVERYTHING restore it back to out of the box 902 then using STOCK recoveries to apply .905 then the ICS leak THEN after ICS is running they have a rooting batch file in there as well [so no worries about rooting in .902 and using OTA Rootkeeper to sustain it in .905 and on just get stock .905 unrooted to the phone then flash ICS with stock and root once it is fully completed and drivers and all on computer side are good [dont forget to enable USB Debugging [and in ICS there is an option to allow SU to apps only OR APPS AND ADB and after rooting you may need to enable the ADB side for any super user root checks if checking via ADB] but dunno if that is CM9 only option, but seems to be stock ICS setting in developer [it protects you if you use and leave enabled the ADB over the network function from others who may find your device over a network and getting SU access].
Sorry, I digress, all to say sorry to here you had the issue, but I think you may have missed something in the install process and here's how to address it, and your methodology seems sound in theory, but there is other information already available to augment your procedure and make it easier on you, my bad.
Hope all the info helps....
Here is that thread mentioned above that seems to distill what I have read on numerous boards in to one easy to download pack with instructions that has users replying that they have had great success with it: [Guide} Bionic to ICS w/Files

[Q] TWRP vs CWM on the HTC One (Sprint) and other 1st Root Qs?

Getting ready to finally root my HTC One now that we have had 4.4.2 for a bit.
1. TWRP or CWM?
- from following the threads for months, it has appeared to me as if TWRP has had more problems with the HTC One than CWM, in terms of soft bricks and other problems. Is this still the case? I always used CWM on my Epic4g, but I had a nice friendly keyboard and sdcard which made things easier, IMHO.
2. Will only rooting and installing SU + Recovery wipe my phone?
- in other words, how much backup work do I need to do if I want to keep apps/data/you name it.
3. Will a utility such as Voodoo OTA rootkeeper allow OTA's if I am unlocked/stock/rooted (and would s-on/s-off make a difference here)?
-this is what I was using on my Transformer, and it worked fine for OTA's until ASUS pooched my updates completely.
4. KitKat Wifi hotspot - is this (still) working?
- when I was first looking at it, there were a few configuration hurdles to get through but it was working. Some threads which I haven't worked all the way through seem to indicate that it isn't currently - where are we here?
Thanks in advance!
Pyperkub said:
Getting ready to finally root my HTC One now that we have had 4.4.2 for a bit.
1. TWRP or CWM?
- from following the threads for months, it has appeared to me as if TWRP has had more problems with the HTC One than CWM, in terms of soft bricks and other problems. Is this still the case? I always used CWM on my Epic4g, but I had a nice friendly keyboard and sdcard which made things easier, IMHO.
2. Will only rooting and installing SU + Recovery wipe my phone?
- in other words, how much backup work do I need to do if I want to keep apps/data/you name it.
3. Will a utility such as Voodoo OTA rootkeeper allow OTA's if I am unlocked/stock/rooted (and would s-on/s-off make a difference here)?
-this is what I was using on my Transformer, and it worked fine for OTA's until ASUS pooched my updates completely.
4. KitKat Wifi hotspot - is this (still) working?
- when I was first looking at it, there were a few configuration hurdles to get through but it was working. Some threads which I haven't worked all the way through seem to indicate that it isn't currently - where are we here?
Thanks in advance!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As far as I know twrp is the only recovery being updated for us.
In order to install su and recovery you will have to reset your device to stock settings due to the way htcdev works.
I'm not sure about voodoo ota because I've never tried it but updating this phone is not hard. Usually after the ota goes live someone will post up the Rom and firmware so you can manually do it and maintain root.
As for hotspot I'm not sure if it does work or not since I don't get good internet service where I'm at but I'm sure some of the Roms have it working
Sent from my HTCONE using Tapatalk

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