Transforming a Nandroid Backup to a flashable zip via clockwork recovery? - Droid X General

I have a friend over on the east coast that isnt following direction as well as one would hope and is a little scared about rooting his phone and getting it to be as good as my X is. I finally got it rooted for him but he is freaking out about using a clean nandroid backup i sent him and dumping it in the correct directory for nandroid backup and restore giving him a clean image of my phone...
I had assumed that this would have been the easiest method but it got me thinking.
Could i rename my nandroid back up folder the ending tree folder that holds the .android_secure.img, cache.img, data.img, nandroid.md5 and system.img ... like clockworkmod/backup/2010-11-25.05.05.13 could i just pop all those files into a .zip named whatever and direct him to clockwork recovery and flash zip from sd card?
Or could someone point me into a direction on how to accomplish that? I think i would like to also do it for my self and upload it to my dropbox account for later access or to share with friends.
I noticed when i opened like the latest rubix rom that it didnt contain any files similar to that so im curious if its possible.
Also one last question, while i have your technicle mind at attention..
Could someone answer me, in Titanium backup it gives you the option to create a update.zip, then it gives you two radio buttons one says titanium backup will be installed as user application and then System application.
I know that the whole create update.zip thing is for flashing it to the rom from recovery. But what is the diffrence bewteen those two options. What is best and what is the diffrence..
Thanks for letting me pick your Brains!

One drawback of giving him your nandroid backup is that it contains YOUR gmail account with your contacts, facebook account (if applicable), among all other sorts of your personal stuff. In my past experience, you can ADD a gmail account to the phone, but you cannot get rid of the primary/original account so he will have both on there. Other than that, it actually does work though (at least it did on the Droid 1).

Wipe your data and make a nandroid before you reboot and sign in. that way your accounts won't be tied to it
Sent from my DROIDX using XDA App

Your friend - with all due respect if he's having that much trouble with something this simple I really don't think he should be screwing around with root access in the first place. If he has that little understanding of administrator-level access, why on earth does he even want root? He won't even know what to do with it.
Not trying to be harsh, just trying to understand.
Flash Nandroid - NO, don't do it! I'm sure it can be done, but not in the way you described.
Titanium Backup - system apps reside in /system/app as opposed to /data/app. The only real difference is that system apps will still be there after you do a factory reset.

If your going to let your friend flash a nandroid, then you need to remove your gmail and social applications. If you wipe data as mentioned above you'll lose all non-system apps...basically everything you've installed and set up, which is most likely what you're trying to give him. The only way I can think to make this work is to first create a backup for your use, then remove everything that requires you to log in with adb, then replace all of the apps you removed (extract the rom your running and look in system/app for them - data/app apps can be installed from the market). Reboot the phone to verify that all of your accounts are gone, create the new backup and send it to him. Then flash the backup you made for your use.
The easiest way to give him "your set up" would probably be to make a full backup with titanium (not an update.zip). Backup all user apps and system data. Go into the titanium folder on your sd card and delete all files except the .apk files that have anything to do with gmail or social apps. Have him flash the same rom, copy your titanium file to his sd card, and restore all apps and system data to his phone.
Sent from my DROIDX using XDA App

Related

update-script

I have about 10-15 apps I always end up installing for every new rom. I was wondering if I could just use this method to create an update.zip so I could just load it from recovery after I load a rom. I tried and for the most part (swype excluded) the apps installed ok, but i noticed if I wanted to remove them I could not. I am guessing its because I put the apk in the system/app folder. can i put it in another folder to make it appear just as if it was installed from the market? I don't see any apps installed anywhere else to be honest?
I'm not to sure about the update script but I just use Titanium Backup to reinstall all my apps. Just download it from marketplace and run a app backup. So after I install a new Rom I just redownload titanium from the market place and restore all apps. Then I can uninstall an app or delete it from the backup. Not really sure if this helps you but trying to help others out.
ejkeebler said:
I have about 10-15 apps I always end up installing for every new rom. I was wondering if I could just use this method to create an update.zip so I could just load it from recovery after I load a rom. I tried and for the most part (swype excluded) the apps installed ok, but i noticed if I wanted to remove them I could not. I am guessing its because I put the apk in the system/app folder. can i put it in another folder to make it appear just as if it was installed from the market? I don't see any apps installed anywhere else to be honest?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you did something like this you would lose all data associated with those apps such as settings, game saves, etc. Best thing is Titanium backup. Also if you installed the apps without going through the market, you wont get updates.
i think if you put them in /data/app they can be uninstalled so make an update.zip that places them there
You can use ti backup to make an update.zip
Sent from my ADR6300 using XDA App
I guess i'll stick with Titanium Backup. I'll have to look into the update.zip option from there, but if it doesnt restore data, kind of a wasted step. I'll have to buckle down and look at it today. It seems kind of cumbersome going through each app 1 at a time, and don't think I want an every app restore. I imagine there's got to be an option where you can select only certain apps....thanks!
TNS201 said:
If you did something like this you would lose all data associated with those apps such as settings, game saves, etc. Best thing is Titanium backup. Also if you installed the apps without going through the market, you wont get updates.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Unless you also threw the corresponding db's from /data/data in there. Then you would (like you said) run into Market problems without a restore of the vending prefs and databases. Like yourself and everyone before said...use Titanium.
Titanium Tip:
1. Create a folder in root of sdcard. For example /sdcard/Reinstall
2. Go to Titanium's settings and make Reinstall your backup folder
3. Backup the apps you want to keep for restore.
4. Go back to settings and change to your regular backup folder so you don't populate your reinstall folder with unwanted apps.
5. After a wipe, download Titanium (Titanium also has an option to create an update.zip of itself so you can install it in recovery before 1st boot).
6. Go to Titanium and change backup folder to Reinstall.
7. Batch restore (donate only) or manually restore the contents.
8. Remember to change backup folder again.
I do this for system apps/settings across different roms also. For instance, I have a DesireSys folder and a FroyoSys folder. Learn to use the filters, makes life much easier.
overground said:
Unless you also threw the corresponding db's from /data/data in there. Then you would (like you said) run into Market problems without a restore of the vending prefs and databases. Like yourself and everyone before said...use Titanium.
Titanium Tip:
1. Create a folder in root of sdcard. For example /sdcard/Reinstall
2. Go to Titanium's settings and make Reinstall your backup folder
3. Backup the apps you want to keep for restore.
4. Go back to settings and change to your regular backup folder so you don't populate your reinstall folder with unwanted apps.
5. After a wipe, download Titanium (Titanium also has an option to create an update.zip of itself so you can install it in recovery before 1st boot).6. Go to Titanium and change backup folder to Reinstall.
7. Batch restore (donate only) or manually restore the contents.
8. Remember to change backup folder again.
I do this for system apps/settings across different roms also. For instance, I have a DesireSys folder and a FroyoSys folder. Learn to use the filters, makes life much easier.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Excellent! I've been downloading it after each install. I thought there had to be an easier way.

[Q] Restore Titanium backup apps not working

OK when I got my phone. I activated it, rooted, installed titanium and did a full apps+system backup. Then removed the apps that I did not want to use. Since 2.2 maybe coming around the corner I tried to restore all apps+system data. This worked except for I cannot restore any of the apps that I made backups of such as all home(blur), desk(blur), cityid, blockbuster, social... stuff, news, help etc.. Titanium has never failed me before with my rooted droid.
Does anyone know how I can either get titanium to restore these, or does anyone have a /system/apps dump that I can put all default apps back in. I am assuming that without these apps I will not get the update.
BTW: did use Titanium wrong for this approach of making a backup?
Hey,
I had the same thing happen to me, I believe its because you probably did not install busybox just like i did not from inside titanium. None the less just go to droidxforums.com there are copys of the system dumps just make sure you get a system dump that matches your firmware version. Then once installed make sure you adjust the permissions on all the apks to match what ever else is inside the system\apps folder.
And B-LAMO! your done!
btw make sure you get the correct verison of the system dump or else its just a big waste of time
thanks
I found a system dump and moved all apps back over, installed set permissions and yep blam that simple. Thanks for the help

Swipe restote

I used titanium backup to backup the new Swipe before removing it. I went to restore it and there is a checkbox next to the item, instead of the other logo. Basically the restore feature is grayed out for most items I backed up? I went to the directory the backup uses and there is a compressed file for swipe. If I open it, I see some data, but no apk file.
Question 1st is how do I find the apk to restore this?
Question 2 is why can't I restore all backed up files via titanium (paid version)? Scares me to think I was safe using this product.
Use astro and hit the search button. Type swype with no spaces and search. You might find the apk that way.
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA App
Well I just discovered something strange with most Apps backed up with titanium. If I click on a file that I backed up (say swipe from last update) and uninstalled via titanium, and I get a message that data was backed up, and but no apk present. Sure enough, if I click on the archived swipe file, I see a data file and folder and no apk. Why would titanium backup some files completely and partially with others?
Also, without doing a nand restore, which I really don't want to start from square one, how can I get the swipe apk from the last OTA? SwiftKey has been unreliable since their past two updates?
Thanks
Pull the APK from a stock rooted ROM's zip file.
TB usually won't backup /system apps because, y'know, they're in the non-writable system partition. Normally, they're still there, and normally, you don't mess with stuff in /system, nor should you copy stuff over from one ROM to another if it's a system app.

Transferring Nandroid Backups

I have a problem. I deleted a few apps that i can't seem to install or get back, even if i download the apks and such. So i was wondering, if someone provided me with their stock nandroid backup, would it work on my Evo? I tried flashing a stock ROM but it didnt work, with the files i needed still missing, and I'm desperate to just have a completely stock nandroid backup. Anyone have any idea about this?
You can't (or really shouldn't) use a nandroid from a different phone. Why didn't a flash of a stock rom work? What apps are you trying to install?
We're comin from a pure power source.
So you can't take the apk files and use ES file manager and set it to root priv and mount permissions and install the apks that way from your sd card.
You can restore nandroids from other phones but not recommended. I did it from my old phone to my new one.
To make it work.
1. Make nand of your phone
2. Make nand on phone you want to use
3. Copy nand files over the top of the nand made on your phone.
4. Restore nand on your phone with modified files.
make sure you don't backup wimax on the source phone.
I can't install Facebook for sense and HTC peep
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA App
Wouldn't it be much faster to flash a new rom and start over? If not faster def. safer, less chance of screwing up Wimax
I've tried flashing stock rom and fresh rom, both times these apps didn't show up, and when I try to install just the apk, it just says "application not installed "
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA App
I used to move my backups between Hero phones with no issues
ronnienyc said:
I used to move my backups between Hero phones with no issues
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Your hero didn't have wimax now did it..........
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA App
You can easily delete wimax.img and remove its line from nandroid.md5 and you should be fine. As long as that img is gone, your wimax will be safe.
Find a copy of root explorer... using that, copy the apks that you want to your system>app folder ( your system will have to be mounted rewritable) once the apks are in place, change their permissions to resemble other apks in the folder... once you do that, reboot your phone
Use Amon RA recovery and uncheck wimax

Extract/Restore SMS/MMS, Contacts/Call Log, and Launcher Config. From Nandroid Backup

I was using Nexus S i9020T, CM7 nightly (a few weeks old) and for some reason I wake up this morning and couldn't get past the CM7 "blue circle" screen booting. I had about a month old backup but I didn't want to lose any recent data so I made a Nandroid backup.
Normally, to restore SMS or MMS from an old backup, one can just restore the nandroid backup, use a third party SMS backup program to backup the data to sdcard or gmail, restore or install new rom, then restore the SMS from the third party backup software.
However, in my case, I had a nandroid with data on it that I wanted to keep but that wouldn't boot.
So I did some searching and others have had this problem before but I figured I'd put it here for others that may have the same problem. I am not taking credit for this I just found various pieces of info around the web.
The solution is to use a utility called unyaffs. Unyaffs will need cygwin.dll. Yaffs is the file system that CWM recovery nandroid backups are stored in. Windows cannot read or mount this file system AFAIK.
Instead of compiling unyaffs for windows and installing all of cygwin, just use the attached pre-compiled unyaffs.exe and cygwin.dll.
Here's the process:
To restore SMS/MMS from a nandroid backup using MS Windows:
place unyaffs.exe + cygwin.dll + data.img in a folder
open command prompt in this directory (shift+right click -> open comand window here)
type: unyaffs data.img
the contents of the data.img will be extracted to this folder. wait for extraction to complete
browse to \data\com.android.providers.telephony\databases in the extracted folders
copy mmssms.db, mmssms.db-shm, mmssms.db-wal to sdcard
use root explorer to copy these three files to \data\data\com.android.providers.telephony\databases
To restore contacts/call log from a nandroid backup:
repeat above process for \data\com.android.providers.contacts\databases
To restore launcher configuration (only for stock Gingerbread launcher):
repeat above process for \data\com.android.launcher\databases
Note: Be aware that replacing the existing files with those extracted from the backup will remove the existing data so if you're not 100% sure what you're doing, change the names to mmssms_OLD.db or otherwise back them up before pasting the files from the backup.
Edit: Just thought I'd add, I also came across an app called AppExtractor but, despite the good reviews, the SMS/MMS restore didn't work for me.
if you have titanium backup, it makes it a lot easier to restore specific items from Nandroid Backup
AllGamer said:
if you have titanium backup, it makes it a lot easier to restore specific items from Nandroid Backup
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Doesn't work for migrating from Gingerbread to Ice Cream Sandwich for some reason?
I am going to give this one a try.
To the OP your a dead set legend! thank you
PS: Where the bloody hell is the thanks button on this forum? I can't find it
I will give it a try. Thanks.
where do i find data.img?
I'm on an SGS I9000 and made an SMS/MMS backup using titanium backup when I was on Gingerbread.
Now I've installed the "Onecosmic's ICS Port Android 4.0.3 RC3.1" and restoring the backup file using titanium (only data) makes my message app FC.
Jarmezrocks were you successful when restoring your SMS/MMS on ICS?
Does anyone knows how to restore them? From titanium backup I only have an *.apk.gz and *.properties files.
Thanks for any help.
Cheers
Excellent.. saved me a lot.. thanks for the tool
Great post. I wonder if there is a file extrator in Android like unyaffs?
I found out that you can restore SMS just by using Root Explorer.
The location is the same, just that the files are these ones:
mmssms.db
nwk_info.db
telephony.db
I tried and it worked only using RootExplorer and I extracted the files from data.ext4.rar
Does this need to be done using ADB? I have set a nandroid backup from a GB ROM and flashed ICS on the phone; however when I extract the data.img using unyaffs and browse to the mentioned directory, there are no db files whatsoever.
Could the nandroid backup be corrupted for some reason?
I am looking at the data\com.android.providers.contacts folder and I only see a lib folder with nothing on it.
Hidden system files are set to show BTW
I did this yesterday using Titanium Backup for my SMS/MMS
You need to go into Preferences and check the *Migrate system data [Experimental] option
Then you go to More - Extract from nandroid backup
There it is listed as Dialer Storage
You can probably do the Phone log this way to but I did look for it.
I would recommend you do a current backup of [SMS/MMS/APN] Dialer Storage before you attempt this.
Does this restore the whole smsmms database like with the sms.db file on the iPhone? I hate it when MyBackupPro has to restore my texts and the dates are all messed up and i've lost all my MMS'. And it restores them one by one, instead of just putting it in there all at once. Took me like an hour to restore everything.
I have an app for you.
I'd much rather save myself from all this tedious long-winded work and just use apk extractor to restore everything.
HAKA said:
I have an app for you.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks! Wish i've learned about this sooner. Would have saved me a lot of time.
This method doesn't work for me :/
I followed it exactly step by step but when I'm done and go to the Messages app, it's empty.
The same happens if I try it with appextractor or titanium backup.
I made the nandroid backup on CM7, and want to restore the messages to CM9+AOKP on ZTE Blade.
Thanks
THANK YOU !!!!
That was so helpful. I was migrating from GB to Nyx ICS RC5.0 yesterday and the application I used (super backup) failed to restore the Contacts.
Another app I used did that but missed allot of details (and also was damn slow).
I used your technique and it did the trick!!!
All data is there the same as I left it on CM7.2
You're the king
Thanks
[EDIT] just a correction Super Backup was able to restore the contacts but with missing details
It failed to restore the SMS
The other APP (forgot the name) restored the SMS (after ages) but contact associated with the SMS were completely messed up.
perfect
RichAP said:
I did this yesterday using Titanium Backup for my SMS/MMS
You need to go into Preferences and check the *Migrate system data [Experimental] option
Then you go to More - Extract from nandroid backup
There it is listed as Dialer Storage
You can probably do the Phone log this way to but I did look for it.
I would recommend you do a current backup of [SMS/MMS/APN] Dialer Storage before you attempt this.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This worked perfectly for me, got all my sms messages back from my nandroid backup.
Thanks!
thanks!
RichAP said:
I did this yesterday using Titanium Backup for my SMS/MMS
You need to go into Preferences and check the *Migrate system data [Experimental] option
Then you go to More - Extract from nandroid backup
There it is listed as Dialer Storage
You can probably do the Phone log this way to but I did look for it.
I would recommend you do a current backup of [SMS/MMS/APN] Dialer Storage before you attempt this.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I did this today when I had to reformat my phone because of a bootloop. I'm using an HTC Desire on MildWild. Worked perfectly for me and was able to restore my messages. Loads of thanks to you!
Thank you! This worked perfectly for me!

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