Root Painless and Thorough ROM Switching in Under an Hour

[inssane]

I try lots of ROMs and the best way is to wipe then install, but the icons can be tedious.

This SEEMS complicated, but it's really not, it's very logical.

Here is what I do and it's very easy - IN THIS ORDER (for the most part)

*This is MY method and am NOT responsible if you fark things up*


**On your computer / phone**

1. DL ROM from wherever and put it somewhere that you can access in Recovery easily (SD Root is good)
2. DL. rename to identify, and place kernel somewhere easy on SD as well (SD Root is good)

**Switch gears now and go to main screen in Android OS**

1. Update all apps in Market
2. Draw out your screen icon setup on paper
3. TiBu apps with data and uncheck items you will not carry over
4. Weed out and touch up anything you may have been pushing off to reduce clutter on the Nandroid
5. Use Rom Manager to backup and name it something descriptive:
6. ie - "NexFro Bekit1200LV all apps FC issues" --- this way you know preexisting problems, or title it "stable"
7. Double check that you didn't forget anything!!!

**Reboot into Recovery**

1. !!Navigate to "Nandroid" folder to ensure your BU file is there BEFORE WIPING!!
2. Triple Wipe Data and Cache (I triple wipe, you don't have to)
3. STAY in recovery

*Here is where you have options to install with my method*

Cautious

1. Locate and install ROM via CW Recovery
2. Reboot - login (or skip) and test out OS to make sure there are no major glitches
3. Reboot into Recovery now
4. Locate and Flash Kernel
5. Reboot

Safe (non NOOB)

1. Locate and install ROM via CW Recover
2. Locate and Flash Kernel
3. Reboot
4. (this method is the one I use, and have not had issues - I am not responsible for issues)

• Once you are confident things work pretty well DO NOT RESTORE APPS (Only ROM Manager from Market right now)
• BackUp this image as "Bare NexFro Bekit1200LV stable" for instance

The major recovery portion is over
----------------
-Setup Order-

1. Login to Google everything
2. Settings - Applications - checkbox for Unknown Sources - check it
3. Load BusyBox under "Problems" in TiBu - if you need
4. Restore Apps and Data with TiBu
5. Refer to your "Icon Map" and begin to place icons, shortcuts, and widgets
6. Set up OS Settings (ringtones, alerts, etc)
7. Make sure everything is JUST how you like it (for now )
8. Fix Permissions
9. *NANDROID Back UP NOW*

• Name this "NexFro Bekit1200LV with all apps stable" for instance
• Back up and then reboot
• DONE!!!

I usually keep it for a couple days and then BU again and name it "...(whatever...Complete" So long as it's all stable for me

• NAMING the backups is important - you can even tag them 1 through 10 as to how you liked it in the BU
• You have a bare image and one with apps so you can troubleshoot and restore if you have issues to narrow it down.

This way you can keep a few ROMs and switch them out in ten minutes loaded and ready to go, but you have alternates for trouble shooting.

This all saves a lot of back and forth with file transfers, downloads, etc.

I am pretty quick at this now - but the whole shabang should take you 45 minutes to an hour from old ROM to new with apps.

Trust me when I say that this method in ORDER is tried and true for me. It's the most streamlined way possible while still being very meticulous in case issues arise.

Enjoy and GO NOOBS!
Nick

**Thanks johnlgalt for the awesome format edits to this post**

 

[johnlgalt]

Good ideas in this post. Let me address a couple of things:

If you made the successful backup in ROM manager as the first step, then even if you wipe and the new backup is not there to restore, you can restore the backup that you just made - again, even if you wiped...

Still, not a bad step to do, though. Just put a disclaimer in there that if you skip checking and go ahead and wiped, and the new ROM is not there, just restore the backup you just made - 'cause someone out there is gonna skip looking for it for sure.

Your Safe method is probably the best way to go for n00bs - go ahead and do the kernel instead of waiting for the 30 minutes it takes to sync and *then* doing the kernel. I learned this the hard way when I first flashed FroYo and it would not connect to the VZW towers for a signal and asked me to connect to WiFi - I was like WTF? I can't!

Settings - Manage Applications - checkbox for Unknown Apps

should actually be Settings --> Applications --> Unknown sources. Manage Applications is right under Unknown Sources....

An explanation on how to stop the app restoring would be helpful - I think it involves going to Market and manually installing an app, but I haven't done it yet - is that right?

Other than that, I think you've written an excellent guide. I'd also boldface the Safe and Cautious headings, but that is just me, for easier reading.

 

[inssane]

Thanks for the compliments and the edits John.
I am doing a SD card wipe and retransfer, so I didn't want to access the phone to double check things. I had to write it from memory. Peter Griffin: "yeah"

IDK how to stop the Market updates - I would like to know and confirm, then I will edit that in.

 

[johnlgalt]

Thank you for putting this guide together. It is definitely a good thing, as I have not seen a good How-to for n00bs regarding ROM flashing.

 

[inssane]

Glad it helps.
Yeah, I wish there was something like this earlier.
LOTS of trial and error, lol

And thanks for my 40th "Thanks"

 

[ska.t73]

Have 41!

 

[inssane]

have 41!

boom!

 

[johnlgalt]

Now for something really good:

Let's make this a sticky!

 

[nydrumboy]

For me, the worst part in switching ROMs is setting up the dial and messaging shortcuts on my home screens all over again. Android doesn't make it super easy to begin with....long-press on home, select direct dial shortcut, find the contact - not so short when you have 1000+ contacts - then repeat the process for each shortcut. After awhile it's so tedious, I want to settle on a ROM and not bother swapping them out.

 

[johnlgalt]

Titanium Backup - backup all apps plus system settings, then restore data only for things in green under system settings - I cannot remember the exact one, give me a minute to find it.

Restore this only after all your apps and contacts and such have been restored to the phone, btw....

 

[johnlgalt]

Application Widgets
Desktop (assuming you're using the same launcher as before)
Wallpaper/Settings
Settings

 

[nydrumboy]

good to know!! thanks!

 

[inssane]

I will be editing this soon.

TTT in light of the fast 2.2 releases.

 

[johnlgalt]

bump to keep this on the first page since it is still not stickied yet.

 

[overcaffein8d]

Now for something really good:

Let's make this a sticky!

if this gets stickied, i think that inssane should be made the sticky thread king.

 

[overcaffein8d]

also, methinks launcher pro should come up with a icon map file thingy on its own.

hell, doesn't it have to have some sort of configuration file anyway? i bet there's a way to back it up.

 

[johnlgalt]

lmfao - he said the same thing in PM - and threw in a Giggity too!

 

[inssane]

Giggity goo

 

[johnlgalt]

Giggity gooey?

 

[l0ki346]

Or, if you are lazy like I am, you can use drocap to get screenshots of your icon setup

 

[johnlgalt]

lol - been ROMing my phone so long now I can recite my setup in my sleep....on 5 different screens, no less.

 

[Fadelight]

Setting up icons is tedious? I have a very easy way to fix that issue... especially since most of you are already half way there.

1) Use a 3rd party launcher such as LauncherPro, Helix, ADW Launcher, Helix2, etc.

2) Back up the data for the launcher apk


Then when you do a restore, the icons are all already where they should be... although you still need to redo widgets.

 

[gwlaw99]

Setting up icons is tedious? I have a very easy way to fix that issue... especially since most of you are already half way there.

1) Use a 3rd party launcher such as LauncherPro, Helix, ADW Launcher, Helix2, etc.

2) Back up the data for the launcher apk


Then when you do a restore, the icons are all already where they should be... although you still need to redo widgets.

Thanks did not think of that!

 

[overcaffein8d]

Setting up icons is tedious? I have a very easy way to fix that issue... especially since most of you are already half way there.

1) Use a 3rd party launcher such as LauncherPro, Helix, ADW Launcher, Helix2, etc.

2) Back up the data for the launcher apk


Then when you do a restore, the icons are all already where they should be... although you still need to redo widgets.

ahhh TiBu does it yayayayayayayay

mybackup didn't seem to.

 

[Fadelight]

ahhh TiBu does it yayayayayayayay

mybackup didn't seem to.

I use MyBackup Pro, and it works beautifully.


Now if only Helix/Helix2 would work with froyo.