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Root n00b questions prior to rooting and ROMs

scottlindner

Newbie
Apr 15, 2011
12
1
I want to root my phone and try out some alternative ROMs. I have read the "ROOTING For Dummies Guide.....the Gingerbread Edition" thread and have some questions prior to the process. They are fairly simple, but I haven't been able to find the answers yet. Apologies if they've been asked before, but I couldn't find them and "yes" I did consult Google without success.

I have a stock EVO with HBOOT 2.16 that has never been rooted.

1. All guides refer to backing up prior to rooting and installing alternate ROMs, but when I dig into the backup process, it requires root to perform the backup. This seems like an obvious Catch 22 that I gotta ask, how do I backup my apps and app data if I don't yet have su rights to my phone to run the backup programs that will perform the backup?

2. I have some apps that I purchased on the Android Market. Will I be able to reinstall these without buying them again if I install an alternate ROM?

3. Is there a way to create a Nandroid prior to the rooting process so I can recover to exactly where I am today?

Cheers,
Scott
 
There are programs like appmonster or titanium backup, both have free and pro versions and TB has features that only work with root as well. You can use these to back up your apps. There are apps to back up your texts and stuff too.

Might be a good idea to just put your sd card into a reader and copy the whole thing for safekeeping.

I have swapped back and forth between a few roms and when I go to market it shows apps that i have purchased previously as purchased. Think it identifies with something else on the phone that isn't changed by root, the phone number or mac address maybe? I don't know. But they know you purchased them still.

After you follow the rooting process, it gives you the option to install a recovery called Clockwork Mod, name might not be right, but, you can make a recovery of your stock set up right then with it if you want.

Afterwards, it is suggested to switch to Amon Ra recovery, the procedure is in the guide. You can go right to making a nandroid then, as well. The backup you make with Clockwork won't work with Amon Ra, and vice versa.

i have seen various suggestions as to what to back up, I have only ever backed up the first 3 and wimax keys, in amon ra. you should back up those keys every once in a while in case you lose them off the phone some how.

you can give the nandroids descriptive names, just no spaces, as well. you should copy them to your pc and other places as well to be safe and have them if you need them.
 
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I want to root my phone and try out some alternative ROMs. I have read the "ROOTING For Dummies Guide.....the Gingerbread Edition" thread and have some questions prior to the process. They are fairly simple, but I haven't been able to find the answers yet. Apologies if they've been asked before, but I couldn't find them and "yes" I did consult Google without success.

I have a stock EVO with HBOOT 2.16 that has never been rooted.

1. All guides refer to backing up prior to rooting and installing alternate ROMs, but when I dig into the backup process, it requires root to perform the backup. This seems like an obvious Catch 22 that I gotta ask, how do I backup my apps and app data if I don't yet have su rights to my phone to run the backup programs that will perform the backup?

2. I have some apps that I purchased on the Android Market. Will I be able to reinstall these without buying them again if I install an alternate ROM?

3. Is there a way to create a Nandroid prior to the rooting process so I can recover to exactly where I am today?

Cheers,
Scott
1. if your read the guide in the before root section, it only asks you to back up with applist backup and sms backup for apps and text. as long as your contacts are saved under google then you have them saved on goodle's cloud. you only do a nandroid backup after you root.

2.all purchased apps are yours to keep. you wil have access to them when you go into the market menu under my apps. it will even be there if you switch phones or carrier provided that they are still compatible.

3.nope you need to be rooted to do that unfortunately. now keep in mind that doing a factory reset is optional but recommended. so that will be your decescion to do.

hope that helps.
 
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1. if your read the guide in the before root section, it only asks you to back up with applist backup and sms backup for apps and text. as long as your contacts are saved under google then you have them saved on goodle's cloud. you only do a nandroid backup after you root.

Under "Before Rooting", bullet 3 it says "do a factory reset on your phone". I am assuming that erases my app data. Is that not true and the app data will still be on my phone after a factory reset? I personally don't care about any other data on the phone because I can manually pull it off the SD card or I don't care about it. The app data is the only thing I don't know how to recover.

2.all purchased apps are yours to keep. you wil have access to them when you go into the market menu under my apps. it will even be there if you switch phones or carrier provided that they are still compatible.

Nice! Thanks for this. I couldn't find this answer anywhere. Is it tied to my Gmail account or phone number?

3.nope you need to be rooted to do that unfortunately. now keep in mind that doing a factory reset is optional but recommended. so that will be your decescion to do.

If I try another ROM, is it possible to get back to the factory ROM that I have now from Sprint?
 
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Under "Before Rooting", bullet 3 it says "do a factory reset on your phone". I am assuming that erases my app data. Is that not true and the app data will still be on my phone after a factory reset? I personally don't care about any other data on the phone because I can manually pull it off the SD card or I don't care about it. The app data is the only thing I don't know how to recover.



Nice! Thanks for this. I couldn't find this answer anywhere. Is it tied to my Gmail account or phone number?



If I try another ROM, is it possible to get back to the factory ROM that I have now from Sprint?

here's a link to get back to the stock rom and stock recovery.
http://androidforums.com/evo-4g-all...ooting-dummies-guide-gingerbread-edition.html
scroll down to the unrooting tab and click show.

also here's the stock kernal
[KERNEL][SENSE][HTC STOCK] Stock Sense 2.3.3 Kernel - xda-developers
 
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here's a link to get back to the stock rom and stock recovery.
http://androidforums.com/evo-4g-all...ooting-dummies-guide-gingerbread-edition.html
scroll down to the unrooting tab and click show.

also here's the stock kernal
[KERNEL][SENSE][HTC STOCK] Stock Sense 2.3.3 Kernel - xda-developers

I get it. Someone else figured it out. So if I wanted to make a Nandroid of my phone as it is now (mostly) I would install this as a new ROM, restore everything, save Nandroid, and voila. The only catch is that Revolutionary would still be installed which has removal procedures if needed for service.

I think I have it all figured out now assuming my above interpretation is correct. I will post back later today from my rooted and ROM'd phone. :)
 
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I believe it was brze who covered that. You download one of the apps mentioned and it will backup everything to your SD card. Then you can put this on your computer for safe keeping.Then after rooting, you download that app again and its able to read the app data off your SD card to restore it.
 
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I believe it was brze who covered that. You download one of the apps mentioned and it will backup everything to your SD card. Then you can put this on your computer for safe keeping.Then after rooting, you download that app again and its able to read the app data off your SD card to restore it.

I must be missing something in my caffeine deprived state. Those apps require root so I can't use them prior to rooting.
 
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