Create backup of my current ROM

**Johnny.Bravo** · #1 (**permalink**) 10-17-2010, 09:48 AM

Can anyone explain to me how to backup my current ROM? I want to try flashing some of these custom ROMs, but if I don't like them I want to be able to go back to how I have it right now so I don't have to go through all the step-by-step of flashing the stock ROM, rooting, installing TB and then restoring everything, and then spending the next 5 hours customizing everything on the phone again. I want to burn an image of my phone like you can do with a PC, so that if I want to go back, I just flash my ROM back onto my phone and its as if I never did anything at all.

daddymikey1975 · #2 (**permalink**) 10-17-2010, 12:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Johnny.Bravo

Can anyone explain to me how to backup my current ROM? I want to try flashing some of these custom ROMs, but if I don't like them I want to be able to go back to how I have it right now so I don't have to go through all the step-by-step of flashing the stock ROM, rooting, installing TB and then restoring everything, and then spending the next 5 hours customizing everything on the phone again. I want to burn an image of my phone like you can do with a PC, so that if I want to go back, I just flash my ROM back onto my phone and its as if I never did anything at all.

First, you'll need to be rooted, then flash clockworkmod recovery.

Once you are rooted and you have the custom recovery, you're golden.

Hold vol-down, camera, power.. your phone will boot into the custom recovery.
go to backup/restore > backup > yes.

This will generate an 'image' if you will, of how your phone is right now. Settings, shortcuts, etc. everything just as your phone sits.

From clockwork, you can flash a ROM, then restore your settings/etc. Takes literally 2 minutes to restore everything you have.

IF you don't like that ROM, flash another one, then restore again.

NOTE: after you flash a ROM, and you want to restore, boot into clockwork, then go to backup/restore > advanced restore > restore data. You only want to restore user data. User data includes all of your settings, shortcuts, widgets (most times) background, etc.

This is a very useful feature that I really love and wished I had on WinMo LOL.

Remember between ROMs to do a wipe/factory reset 3 times, then clear the cache before installing a new ROM. Closest thing we can get to 'task 29' to avoid hiccups.

Hope this helps

**Johnny.Bravo** · #3 (**permalink**) 10-17-2010, 01:09 PM

Thanks for the info. I finally got Clockworkmod Recovery installed today (after several tries). So once I create the backup, where is that backup image, and can I store it on my PC in case I lose my phone and have to get a replacement? Is it a .zip or .rar or .iso or something like that? Or is it only stored on my SD card? I was hoping there was a way to do this using Odin so if anything really bad happens I can just do what I have done several times already, only instead of flashing my phone back to stock, I want to flash it to my saved ROM. That way I won't have to go through all the pain of rooting the phone and installing CWM again.

daddymikey1975 · #4 (**permalink**) 10-17-2010, 01:36 PM

AFAIK, for the time being, all ROMs that I've used are 'flash from SD card'

the update is stored on the SD card. You can copy from the SD card to the computer. I'm not certain what format the update is, but I can look for ya.

Odin is just used for returning to stock ATM.

CWM and root only needs to be done one time then you can use it as much as you want. It never goes away unless you use Odin to return to stock.

your 'backup' can be 'restored' in any ROM as well (as long as its data restore only)

I'd spend a bit of time looking around for the 'update.zip' that is the stock ROM. This way, if you tire of a custom one, you can apply the update.zip from the SD card and restore data quick fast in a hurry.

Hope this helps

EDIT: The backups are made as follows:
on the SD card in a folder called 'clockworkmod' then in a folder with the title being the date the backup was created.

In the folder you have the following files (disc image files):
cache, data, system AND a NANDroid.md5 to verify that the restore was a good one.

I would imagine that they can be copied from the phone and kept on your computer for safe keeping.

**Johnny.Bravo** · #5 (**permalink**) 10-17-2010, 01:53 PM

So if I understand this correctly, I run the backup and then I can flash whatever I want onto my phone. Then later, if I don't like it or if I just want to go back to what I had before, I boot into CWM and restore the ROM I backed up. Now, if I lose my phone, assuming I copied the clockwork folder onto my PC I should be able to just copy that folder back onto my new SD card, root the phone, install CWM and then run the restore function and my phone should be back to the way it was. Does that all sound right? Or can a CWM backup only be restored onto the original phone that it was made from?

daddymikey1975 · #6 (**permalink**) 10-17-2010, 01:58 PM

restores can be any phone I would imagine.

Also take note here..

I don't believe you're backing up the entire ROM. I could be wrong, but that's my impression.

Second, if you install a different ROM, you'll want to do an advanced restore > restore data (only) otherwise you'll make your new ROM puke. The advanced restore > data restores user data (everything you have setup and customized).

The only time you'll use the 'full' restore is when you're going back to the ROM that the original backup came from.

If you make a backup rt. now (running stock ROM) and save it on your PC, then lose your phone, you'll get a new phone, root, install clockwork then you can restore the backup thats on the PC.

for simply going from ROM to ROM, data restore is all that's required.

**Johnny.Bravo** · #7 (**permalink**) 10-17-2010, 02:04 PM

Ahhhh, I see said the blind man. I can flash a new ROM and then run the advanced restore>restore data and I'll have the new ROM but with all my user data back where it was (widgets, shortcuts, ringtones, etc). But if I want to go all they way back to what I had before I flashed I use the full restore.

Thanks!