I like to keep several direct dial and direct message shortcuts on my homescreen, but after installing a new ROM (in this case BB 0.8), the shortcuts are gone. It's not the biggest deal, but if I could find a way to preserve them for easy restoration when I update, that'd be great.
Anyone know of a way to do this? Thanks.
Sure, I'll chime in
If you are using one ROM and you update via an update.zip file, the changes specific to that update are made to your current ROM and in SOME cases, you don't lose a thing. You have to understand what is going on behind the scenes to understand why you are losing your shortcuts, widgets, etc.
Note: If all you are losing is the contact shortcuts, then the rest of my answer is off base but my feeling is that you are probably loosing everything on your home screen. If you are only using your contacts...I haven't seen that happen...then again, I don't put contact shortcuts on my home screens.
Home Screen apps like Home, Launcher, Launcher+, Launcher2, Helix Launcher, etc. work like home screen replacements that you probably tried prior to rooting (Open Home, GDE, Panda Home, etc). It is a different home screen and your apps, widgets, contact shortcuts, folders, will usually be lost if moving to a new Launcher. If you update from BB v0.7 to BB v0.8 this could happen because I believe that v0.8 uses a version of the helix launcher. You would still have all of your apps that you have installed on your phone but your home screen would be "reset" cause it is a different home screen. Make sense?
Now, if you are switching from Simply Stunning to Bugless Beauty, you SHOULD wipe data and cache before installing the nandroid backup of Bugless Beast. Even though both builds are based on ESE53 2.1...it is just good practice and you will have less problems. If the two "similar" builds are using two different home screen apps, then EVEN if you use the update.zip method, and try to keep your data...the home screen will not restore itself if the two builds use different home screen apps.
I have used titanium backup and I have to say that it is a stellar application! However, if you back up everything on your phone (for this example...you would be using a rom with the "Home" launcher with slide up app drawer). If you swap to a rom using Launcher2 for example, Titanium backup will not be able restore your shortcuts and widgets...IF your old home screen was Launcher.apk and the new one is Launcher2.apk.
Realistically, you will have to manually re-set up your home screen when you move to a different ROM. If you use update.zip to move to a newer version of your ROM...AND it uses the same home screen application, then you shouldn't lose a thing.
Does all this make sense? As I'm typing this I'm realizing that this one of those things that would be easier to explain to someone if I was physically "showing" them.
