Custom ROM Install & Keeping Data / Settings

[mikeburgess]

Hi, I've installed a custom ROM on my Orange San Francisco (ZTE Blade) using ClockworkMOD Recovery & this was 'successful', however, I didn't find a way to backup & restore the data (e.g. contacts, emails) & settings so have reverted back to installed ROM for now. I tried Advanced Restore, just Data, but phone then got stuck with silver Android logo on reboot. Anyone got good ideas on what I should do?

 

[jerofld]

At any point did you choose to wipe data/everything in Clockwork?

Here's what you can try (although ROM devs and rooters will generally recommend against flashing a ROM without doing the wipe data / factory reset):

1) Make a back up, but I assume you already did because you were able to restore your stock settings.

2) Wipe cache partition

3) Go to Advanced and wipe Dalvik Cache

4) Flash the ROM again.

5) When it finishes flashing, reboot to system.

Now let it sit for 5 minutes. Whenever you wipe the cache and dalvik cache, the phone will take a really really long time to boot. This is because it's reloading the cache with data. Your next boot will be it's normal speed.

If successful, you should see your device loading with all your apps/settings.

But most Devs and rooters recommend you use a backup program like Titanium Backup, Mybackup, or System Tune, syncing your contacts to your Google account, and wiping everything / factory reset and reinstall everything from your backups before flashing. This can prevent troubles when flashing.

Which I do recommend you get one of those backup tools and back up all your apps, and sync your contacts with your Google account.

 

[T.M.M.L]

Greetings mike,

As far as contacts go, If your device is synced with your google account, then your contacts are stored on Google's server and will restore when you reconnect your account.

I'm not familiar with your phone, but if you go into the contacts app and select the menu key, you should have an option to export your contacts to your memory card. This way you can have a hard copy that's always available to you as well.

For texts, I use the app SMS backup n2manager. It will allow you to backup and restore all your messages.

I don't use my gmail account for my emails, I use yahoo. So I'm not sure how to tell you to backup emails, as mine always reside at yahoo and I access them through their app.

Unless your installing a more updated version of the same ROM, you most likely will lose all of your system settings, because you have to wipe out all data a caches.

Titanium backup, Super manager or Mybackup will allow you to save your apps and their data. Just make sure that you don't restore system data between ROMs because that usually causes problems.

 

[uzicohen10]

so... more of the same here :-(
i did something with my phone, installed something or removed something. one thing is certain - i didn't backup anything (contacts, data, apps etc) and rebooted then i got the logo stuck scenario. can get into recovery (CWM) but i've got nothing to restore.
is there anything i can do to fix it, and get all my data back? installing a new ROM will keep my data? must i perform the wiping (user data, cache) before installing a new ROM?

i feel so stupid that i didn't backup everything before the reboot. i knew i should, but i didn't.
cruel world, wouldn't you give a 2nd chance to the juvenile delinquency android users?

 

[EarlyMon]

The only chance you have is if you made a nandroid backup right after rooting and flashing CWM - or - if the suggested recovery steps will work for you.

I blame the blogs pushing to get to custom roms without a care for the basics. That's likely how you got here.

So, don't beat yourself up too much, you had help getting here.

Try the advice above, keep us all posted, go slow and keep the faith.

 

[uzicohen10]

Thank you for the dual technical and psychological support
however it i's only me to blade..ahhh... blame.
I got this device already rooted and ROMed (from eBay).
And as a person who works with computer and very anxious about his data (on my PC i have 3 backups), i have no idea why my mobile deserved a different attitude.
So anyway, i went with my head straight against the wall, and reversed to the one backup existed in the CWM menu, only to discover that it took me back to the original (ugly) Orange ROM. i even had to reopen it, as it asked for PIN code.
Now i'm looking on how to start it all over - get a nice ROM (CM7 probably as CM9 isn't exactly ready)
Will be back if i encounter problems with that.
many thanks, again.
uzi

 

[jerofld]

Download the ROM to a PC. Then turn off your phone and use Vol down + power to access recovery. Some phones may direct you to the bootloader first, but recovery will be an option there. Then follow these steps:

1) Connect your phone to the computer.

2) Go to Advanced and then USB Mount (or something like that, it's been ages since I've used Clockwork). Your computer will detect your phone.

3) You can now transfer the ROM (CM7 or whatever you choose) to your phone.

4) Unmount from PC when it's done and then:

5) Make a back up.

6) Wipe cache partition

7) Wipe Data / Factory reset - this will clear out the previous user's data.

8) Flash the ROM through 'Install zip from sdcard'.

9) When it finishes flashing, reboot to system.

And wait 5 minutes. The first boot is slow and this is normal.