Root Guide to flashing customs roms

[Droidizzle]

I am probably not the most qualified person on here to write a guide, but no one is doing it and a lot of people are asking for help. So since I know enough on how to do it here is the rundown:

First thing and most important.... BACK UP YOUR STUFF. Download Titanium backup and backup your apps and if you wish your system folders. Then go into recovery and do a nandroid backup.

Reboot your phone.
Copy the ROM that you are going to use to the root of your sd card.
Rename it update (don't have to I just find it easier and less confusing)
Reboot to recovery.
Wipe your phone data (this is way we backed up everything)
Wipe the cache.
Load update zip (if you didn't rename it you have to load zip file from sd card)
If there are any other zip files you need to load I suggest doing that now.
Reboot your phone.
Once everything loads go to the market and download titanium backup and restore your apps.

Hope this helps and please add anything that I may have missed or help make it more understandable.

 

[fliptwister]

Thank you. I have several questions:

1. Why does a nandroid backup have to be done in addition to the Titanium backup? Is this so you can go back to the original configuration you had before you did the new rom?
2. What are the advantages of donate version Titanium Backup over the free version? I have no issue paying $4 for software, I'm just curious.
3. There is an update.zip in the root of sd card that I do not believe was there before I rooted. What is this and should I save it?
4. Could you explain the process of recovery to the original configuration before updating to a rom? I imagine that it is simple as restore in nandroid.

Thanks!

 

[crimton]

Thank you. I have several questions:

1. Why does a nandroid backup have to be done in addition to the Titanium backup? Is this so you can go back to the original configuration you had before you did the new rom?
2. What are the advantages of donate version Titanium Backup over the free version? I have no issue paying $4 for software, I'm just curious.
3. There is an update.zip in the root of sd card that I do not believe was there before I rooted. What is this and should I save it?
4. Could you explain the process of recovery to the original configuration before updating to a rom? I imagine that it is simple as restore in nandroid.

Thanks!

titanium just backs up your apps, settings and the like. nandroid actually backs up your rom

 

[Droidizzle]

Thank you. I have several questions:

1. Why does a nandroid backup have to be done in addition to the Titanium backup? Is this so you can go back to the original configuration you had before you did the new rom?
2. What are the advantages of donate version Titanium Backup over the free version? I have no issue paying $4 for software, I'm just curious.
3. There is an update.zip in the root of sd card that I do not believe was there before I rooted. What is this and should I save it?
4. Could you explain the process of recovery to the original configuration before updating to a rom? I imagine that it is simple as restore in nandroid.

Thanks!

1.- Nandroid will save you if you some how screw up the flash process and want to get back to stock sense. Titanium backup is very useful after you load a custom ROM as it keeps your apps all in one spot.

2.- Not sure what the advantages are over the donated version, I just use it as pure backup software.

3.- Delete it, that was something from the root process which is done now.

4.- Just go into nandroid and instead of backing it up restore it.

 

[lgldrgdlr]

Thank you. I have several questions:

1. Why does a nandroid backup have to be done in addition to the Titanium backup? Is this so you can go back to the original configuration you had before you did the new rom?
2. What are the advantages of donate version Titanium Backup over the free version? I have no issue paying $4 for software, I'm just curious.
3. There is an update.zip in the root of sd card that I do not believe was there before I rooted. What is this and should I save it?
4. Could you explain the process of recovery to the original configuration before updating to a rom? I imagine that it is simple as restore in nandroid.

Thanks!

1. Answered above

2. There are some back-up options in the donate version that aren't available in the free version. I don't remember which one's but here's a link Titanium Backup for Android ? Official Site

3. You should be fine to delete that file. It's probably the payload file that was used to root. Not necessary any longer.

4. Yes, you restore from nandroid, choose your restore file, if you have more than 1.

 

[fliptwister]

Thanks. Just to be clear...Nandroid backs up only the OS, none of the apps, data, or settings, correct? So in this case when you restore with Nandroid you will end up with a the rooted sense version of the OS and you will still have to run Ti get your apps, data (like contacts), and settings, correct?

Thanks!

 

[macdaddybuff]

That way works but is def not the easy way.
Easy way is use rom manager....
If you want to back up your apps titanium backup...first.

1. move rom to sd card don't have to change the name.
2. Open rom manager hit the top button flash clockwork mod it comes up with incredible then click ok.
3. install rom from sd card (find the rom zip file you moved to your sd card and click it)
4. click backup and wipe both.

Easy as apple pie baby.

 

[fliptwister]

What is the difference between roms and kernels? Is there a difference procedure to install kernels. The Hydra Kernel that is overclocked/undervolted with wireless n looks interesting but people are having issues installing over at xda.

Thanks!

 

[varaonaid]

I just have to say a big huge fat whopping thanks to the folks helping in this thread. I've been in need of a guide just like this to be able to flash a new ROM. Thanks SO much for the step by steps and varying methods.

Could we PLEASE make this a sticky, Mods??

 

[varaonaid]

What is the difference between roms and kernels? Is there a difference procedure to install kernels. The Hydra Kernel that is overclocked/undervolted with wireless n looks interesting but people are having issues installing over at xda.

Thanks!

Someone else should really answer this as I'm sure they would be able to do a better job. But from my past days running Linux on my laptop, I know that the "kernel" is the guts of the software, where things like support for BT, wireless, etc and written in. But it really can't be used alone. It needs software around it to complete it for the purpose it needs to be used for. Since Android is based on Linux, it's a similar kernel in it that would be found in a laptop "distro" or OS. But with completely different software accompanying it.

A decent analogy might be a car. The engine itself is the kernel, the you place that within whatever software vehicle you want to to power...it might be a sports car, family sedan, awd wagon, or pickup truck. The engine will work with any of them but you need the additional software to determine its use. So the completed "car" is the ROM.

If I have that wrong or incomplete, please feel free to add to or correct me.

 

[crimton]

That way works but is def not the easy way.
Easy way is use rom manager....
If you want to back up your apps titanium backup...first.

1. move rom to sd card don't have to change the name.
2. Open rom manager hit the top button flash clockwork mod it comes up with incredible then click ok.
3. install rom from sd card (find the rom zip file you moved to your sd card and click it)
4. click backup and wipe both.

Easy as apple pie baby.

within rom manager when it gives you the option to backup and wipe, does it go into recovery for you i guess and do a nandroid backup for you or would you still have to manually do a nandroid?

 

[crimton]

What is the difference between roms and kernels? Is there a difference procedure to install kernels. The Hydra Kernel that is overclocked/undervolted with wireless n looks interesting but people are having issues installing over at xda.

Thanks!

i think the procedure for installing them is almost the same but i too would like a noob definition for both when pertaining to android, also it seems logical to just wait for a complete rom that comes with a kernel that are made to go together...thats why i'm hesitant to install one of these kernals. i don't need wireless n as i do not have n router anyways, i have no need to overclock but i would like to underclock at times if it can improve battery life but i'm in no hurry to run and grab an unstable kernel.

 

[macdaddybuff]

within rom manager when it gives you the option to backup and wipe, does it go into recovery for you i guess and do a nandroid backup for you or would you still have to manually do a nandroid?

Yes...
Once you backup and wipe data set your phone done till its done. The end.

 

[Hacked]

Probably a dumb question but I haven't done this before when it says to clear all cache and data by data does it mean music/pics etc? and will it do that automatically when I flash it?

 

[macdaddybuff]

Probably a dumb question but I haven't done this before when it says to clear all cache and data by data does it mean music/pics etc? and will it do that automatically when I flash it?

If you don't back up your data (titanium backup run batch file) then you will start from 0 when you flash a new rom.

 

[Hacked]

If you don't back up your data (titanium backup run batch file) then you will start from 0 when you flash a new rom.

Cool that was my only concern cause I'm beta testing miq a backup app from best buy but it backs up everything but music. sounds good though

 

[Piiman]

Thanks. Just to be clear...Nandroid backs up only the OS, none of the apps, data, or settings, correct? So in this case when you restore with Nandroid you will end up with a the rooted sense version of the OS and you will still have to run Ti get your apps, data (like contacts), and settings, correct?

Thanks!

I think these phones need a nice imaging tool. Something that can back it all up and do bare metal restores.

 

[BillytheKid]

so should we use rom manager or not? thought i read somewhere else that we shouldn't use that yet?

 

[macdaddybuff]

I used it last night 2 times....

 

[intersys]

Quoting directly from Shadowmite:

"Ok let me explain just once how this works in here. The device is nand locked. You can't flash recovery except in hboot, or using our little method. Thus there is no way for recovery or rom manager to flash recovery. What is does instead is setup the update.zip on your sdcard with the updated recovery on it. And enters a call to recovery via the /cache/recovery/command file to run that update the moment it starts. Thus when you think you have the latest, it's a fakeflash'd recovery. There is nothing wrong with this, but it causes the confusion you all are talking about."

 

[eleazar]

Does anyone know how to get back to the stock rom? Unfortunately, I flashed a custom rom before doing a nandroid backup. I still want root etc, I just want to be back on the default rom with root. I've seen posts on how to downgrade back to stock (ie. no root), but I'm having trouble figuring out how to go back to stock and keep root.

 

[execute_method]

This may be a stupid question, in Titanium backup, which batch should we run? I ran apps+data, but deselected the HTC stuff before hand. Are there any of the HTC app that NEED to be restored?

 

[execute_method]

Does anyone know how to get back to the stock rom? Unfortunately, I flashed a custom rom before doing a nandroid backup. I still want root etc, I just want to be back on the default rom with root. I've seen posts on how to downgrade back to stock (ie. no root), but I'm having trouble figuring out how to go back to stock and keep root.

restore with the nandroid backup you made.... You do this in recovery. Be sure to do a wipe first.

 

[lgldrgdlr]

Does anyone know how to get back to the stock rom? Unfortunately, I flashed a custom rom before doing a nandroid backup. I still want root etc, I just want to be back on the default rom with root. I've seen posts on how to downgrade back to stock (ie. no root), but I'm having trouble figuring out how to go back to stock and keep root.

There's a rom on here based on stock sense. At the bottom:

incredible stuff… | …you know you want it.

 

[crimton]

Does anyone know how to get back to the stock rom? Unfortunately, I flashed a custom rom before doing a nandroid backup. I still want root etc, I just want to be back on the default rom with root. I've seen posts on how to downgrade back to stock (ie. no root), but I'm having trouble figuring out how to go back to stock and keep root.

Index of /shipped/Incredible you'd have to re root i guess though