ICS OTA and FDR

[Thom]

If they are going to say that they need to let me unlock my bootloader!

My assumption that that will be part of the deal.

... Thom

 

[dautley]

My assumption that that will be part of the deal.

... Thom

It's probably never going to happen with Bionic, only new Moto phones, but I can live with Bionic on ICS or JB for a year or two just to keep unlimited data.

Puppy!

​

 

[shanny871]

So what should us non techincal Bionic users know when doing a FDR when getting the ICS OTA? Not Rooted, just stock. What do I needto backup my phone?

 

[carracerz14]

Well it won't touch anything on your sd card and any paid apps will be backed up with play store. Most of your free apps will also, they should start downloading after you set your phone back up. Only all your data will be lost. I'm not sure of any non root apps to back that up though.

 

[manderle]

The only bad part is all the settings that took awhile to tweak just the way you want the apps to work are gone and not backupable (I know, not a real word) unless you are rooted

 

[Thom]

That's why I resisted so strongly when going form one release of Gingerbread to the next.

It seems to me that there are a whole host of things I will want to do differently in ICS and a few that I will want to do the same way. As a result the Factory Data Reset seems much less traumatic to me.

I could be wrong ... I have (intentionally) installed none of the ICS leaks.

... Thom

 

[HotPepper]

How do you plan to restore all your needed data?

 

[stridermt2k]

Yeah it might be an inconvenience, but considering it is because of a completely free upgrade to the next newer operating system I'm willing to do it.

Heck, i'm just glad we didn't get left behind entirely!!

 

[Thom]

How do you plan to restore all your needed data?

I am very workstation-centric. The master copy off all data is on my workstation. I periodically upload my contacts to Gmail and they are synced to my Bionic. I never enter a new or changed contact on the Bionic ... I always enter them on the workstation.

I have separate e-mail accounts. One that I use heavily from the workstation. The other is a Gmail account that is only used on my Bionic. If I really-really-really need to have someone contact me when I am out of the office I tell them that address.

I have no data on my Bionic I am not willing to have the most scurrilous person on earth access.

Basically ... I don't trust anything outside my workstation that is behind a comprehensive firewall.

That being the case ... what is left is customizations of some apps. I will do that manually. In some cases some of the apps just won't get used in ICS and some other cases the apps will be tweaked for ICS and in still other cases they will be configured exactly as they were under Gingerbread.

This is a NEW environment and it provide a golden opportunity to do a number of things new ways. I see this as a plus and not a minus.

I suggest that this is an ideal opportunity for each person to consider how they are using their Bionic and also consider if their data is appropriately protected.

This little "computer in my pocket" is vastly more powerful then the first mainframe computer I was paid to program.

... Thom

 

[doogald]

I do not use my phone for games, but I can see that being the major hassle of a factory data reset. Smart game app developers will allow users to store their data online or on sd; but I imagine that there are games that are not that way.

I am sure that there are other apps that store data only on the phone, and, again, a factory reset is problematic. This is the major reason why I don't have apps like this - I don't have a single app that doesn't some sort of automatic cloud update option, gets its data that way, or that uses data in a way that cloud backup is not critical for use. But that's just my typical use pattern for all computing devices - there is nothing anywhere that isn't at least backed up offsite somehow. Forget factory reset - I want to know that if my phone is lost or stolen, I can get another and be up and running with everything that I need within hours, with as little hassle as possible.

 

[CoyotesFan4Evr]

So...most of this post will be reposted in another thread but I did want to get this out there and have a couple questions answered....roughly.

Alright, my Bionic works just fine in almost every area for me and that is with the .232 ICS leak. I will not be rooting this phone. At least I say that now, and knowing that it's true right up until it's time to get a new phone in 2014. That's when I'll root it. So with that being said, I understand the FDR part somewhat. But what I'm not understanding is should I actually do it knowing that I'm not rooted and won't ever be rooted? I love the .232 leak, I realize that the last one that is in soak is the best thing ever and that's great.

I'm not going to flash back to .905 until the OTA has gone out and is mostly done. I like ICS to much to go back thru and be basic again and not have my cool blue and black ICS. I know it's being advised to do so anyways but I'm not going to. I'm stubborn...and I don't want to be disappointed.

Any words of advice as to why I should go back to .905 now? Also, any better reasoning as to why I should FDR?

 

[Thom]

Let me see if I got this straight ... your question is if you should stay with an UNSUPPORTED system for the next year or so. The UNSUPPORTED system you are asking about has already had six leaks after it was leaked to correct bugs that it contains. The OTA will either be the last one of those or yet another bug correction build.

Two months from now you install some new piece of software that wipes something out that you depended on. You are the ONLY person who has this problem. How do you get it corrected?

The recommended approach is to get back on the OTA release path and after each OTA is verified to be root-able ... install it.

... Thom

 

[CoyotesFan4Evr]

You are almost correct. What I'm saying is that I will go back to .905 or .902 seeing as I'm unsure if I ever got .905. I do know I got my phone in like June of this year. I don't believe I ever received an OTA so my thoughts are that I was already on .905.

Anyways, no what I'm saying is that until the OTA is pushed I will stay on ICS .232. I love it so much that going back would aggravate me because of how much better ICS is. Even this early version of it. So in my personal opinion the aggravation of stock is pointless to me. So I'll stay on .232 until the OTA is out. Once it's out I'll revert and take the OTA.

My other point is once I get the OTA, should I really honestly and truly do a FDR? I do have an addiction with my Bionic and having to go back and set it all up the way I want would only further feed that addiction. Along with annoying others around me at home because I like to do it all at once.

Also, I'm saying that I won't root MY Bionic until about to go get a new phone in 2014.

 

[Thom]

There is only one point about doing the FDR after installing the ICS OTA ... you will then know in the future what the starting point was. You will never have to attempt to recreate what happened before that point when addressing some future problem. Without it there will always be a lingering doubt.

... Thom

 

[welbinator]

If it helps, I just FXZ'd to 905 in preparation for future OTA updates (.232 leak was cool but laggy) and my phone would not work until I did a FDR. I kept getting two force closes every couple seconds, one was something like phone.android stopped working or something like that, the other was calendar.storage stopped working. I tried re-FXZing but that didn't help. so I just booted into recovery and did a Franklin Delano Roosevelt and now it works great.

 

[stridermt2k]

If it helps, I just FXZ'd to 905 in preparation for future OTA updates (.232 leak was cool but laggy) and my phone would not work until I did a FDR. I kept getting two force closes every couple seconds, one was something like phone.android stopped working or something like that, the other was calendar.storage stopped working. I tried re-FXZing but that didn't help. so I just booted into recovery and did a Franklin Delano Roosevelt and now it works great.

It is common sense to take a method and try it. If it fails, admit it frankly and try another. But above all, try something.
Franklin D. Roosevelt

​

 

[DanDroide]

If it helps, I just FXZ'd to 905 in preparation for future OTA updates (.232 leak was cool but laggy) and my phone would not work until I did a FDR. I kept getting two force closes every couple seconds, one was something like phone.android stopped working or something like that, the other was calendar.storage stopped working. I tried re-FXZing but that didn't help. so I just booted into recovery and did a Franklin Delano Roosevelt and now it works great.

That used to happen to me and I found a solution that works for me.

After FXZing and you start the Andriod setup, if I SKIP signing into my Google account and just SKIP THROUGH. Than add the Google account after. No more problems after FXZing and no FDR required.

 

[dbernard82]

Will an FDR take me back off the .223 leak? Or is there a more involved process to getting back to the proper version so i can get the OTA for ICS?

 

[PowerBomb]

Factory reset just resets whatever system version you are currently running. If you went ahead to ICS leaks, doing a factory reset is not going to take you back to Gingerbread. You need to get an fxz file for 905 and use a program like RSD Lite to flash it. Never a good idea to move ahead to unofficial releases if you haven't researched what it will take to get back to where you were.

 

[wildkitten]

Thom, can you provide a link to how to do the FDR? I must be blind because whenever I search I just get references to doing it, not how. I know I have seen them before, just can't remember where. Been getting a "android.process.acore" has stopped message repeatedly. Doesn't affect me getting calls, but I think I am going to FDR and even root tonight. Thanks.

 

[Satires]

Maybe you should make this thread a sticky and re-do the title to something like "IMPORTANT: Factory reset required after ICS update"

Maybe that will save a bunch of threads from being created that may not have been otherwise. I keep hearing people ask "Did you do an FDR?"
I'm no pro, but seems common sense to me to do so. If one loves and values their phone enough, they'll take the time and do it right.

 

[Thom]

Thom, can you provide a link to how to do the FDR? I must be blind because whenever I search I just get references to doing it, not how. I know I have seen them before, just can't remember where. Been getting a "android.process.acore" has stopped message repeatedly. Doesn't affect me getting calls, but I think I am going to FDR and even root tonight. Thanks.

Not tried by me yet ...

Settings | Privacy | Factory data reset

The other way ...

Power off
Hold down Volume Up/Volume Down/Power
Volume Down - highlights Recovery
Volume Up - selects Recovery
Android icon with open chest - Volume Up/Volume Down
Volume Down - select wipe data/factory reset
Power
Select Yes -- delete all user data

I have not done it yet. I am finishing up some required testing on going to ICS without a FDR (can't talk about it) ... later today for me.

... Thom

 

[Satires]

If people wanted to be ultra paranoid like myself? I would do a factory reset before and after the update! lol That's assuming I do the update.

 

[Thom]

If people wanted to be ultra paranoid like myself? I would do a factory reset before and after the update! lol That's assuming I do the update.

Or backup everything you can (un-root-ed try My Backup Pro) (root-ed of course use Titanium Backup Pro). Install the OTA. Do a FDR. Backup everything you can.

... Thom

 

[Satires]

Or backup everything you can (un-root-ed try My Backup Pro) (root-ed of course use Titanium Backup Pro). Install the OTA. Do a FDR. Backup everything you can.

... Thom

The only feasible thing I could think to back up would be media items such as photos, music, video and any documents unto my hard drive.

I would never back up any apps or settings with an upgrade, they could clash coming from gb to ics. I'd just assume re-downloading the apps and setting up from scratch. I know it's a lot of work, but that's just how I roll personally.

The only back ups I do when I am NOT upgrading is the clockwork mod back ups as far as the phone is concerned. I always sync my media and documents unto two different hard drives and dvd. Overkill? You betcha! lol