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Hi everyone. I've just rooted my galaxy s 2, running on gingerbread XWKE8. I'm planning to install a new rom.have heard about various rom available.
1. Is villain 2.0 rom okay? The main purpose for installing a custom rom for me is to save battery as I'm outdoor most of the time. as of now my gingerbread is working well except for this battery issue. Is it worth changing the rom?
2.Was reading about titanium backup
I've done back up of my custom apps + system data on phone' s external sd card. I don't have paid version of titanium. Can't buy it either. (no credit card).anyway, shall i be get nandroid backup too, just in case? when i install new rom n use TB for restore, since it*
Has system data as well, won't it overwrite the old data on the new rom? it sounds un believable coz it thwarts the whole purpose of installing a new rom. So will there be an option of ticking individual files to restore as per my choice? (no pro version of . titanium). If so, how do i know which one to be restored?
3. If clockworkmode has a back up option why do we need a titanium backup? cos it gives a nandroid type backup?
4. Can clockworkmode be used to upgrade to a new firmware (custom our stock) or odin should be used as in rooting with a little modification (depending on if firmware has one file or 3 files)?
Please enlighten.
Thank you very much
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1) See for yourself if it's worth it.
2) Yes do a nandroid and check this before changing rom.
3) Nandroid is a exact copy of your current set-up, restoring it would undo the custom rom flash.Titanium backs up your apps so you can restore them after changing rom.
4) Depends on how the files are provided. Both should be possible.
For a credit card alternative I use this.
Hi.thanks a lot for replying. How do I get nandroid backup? Do I've to use rom manager in order to do nandroid backup? Cos when I search for nandroid in market, it doesn't return any nandroid app as such.
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No boot in to recovery, go to backup and restore and backup.
TheGhost1233 said:
3) Nandroid is a exact copy of your current set-up, restoring it would undo the custom rom flash.Titanium backs up your apps so you can restore them after changing rom.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So if I happen to dislike or have problems with a custom rom, I just restore the backup of my rooted stock rom and all is back to the way it was (all, data/boot/apps/settings ...)? I think it will be, but I just want to be sure.
Hi.thanks again. I've read that recovery mode back up or titanium backup doesn't backup efs folder . One needs adb our terminal emulater or root explorer to do so.is there any link that explains efs folder backup using terminal emulater step by step?
Regards
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dav pahwa said:
Hi.thanks again. I've read that recovery mode back up or titanium backup doesn't backup efs folder . One needs adb our terminal emulater or root explorer to do so.is there any link that explains efs folder backup using terminal emulater step by step?
Regards
Sent from my GT-I9100 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
EFS post in Dev section probably .
jje
I already linked to the right thread, in the thread there are different commands. All you have to do is pick a method, create the efs folder, copy the command to the terminal emulator and hit enter.
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VillianRom is nice I've been using VR since release and tried many roms en route and keep coming back to VR for some reason!
Best to do a nandroid via CWM Recovery so if any of your new installs have problems you can always wipe and go back to a working config.
I only use TB to backup app data, I don't like backing up system data as when moving from one rom to another if you restore you may encounter issues so always best to start from scratch to save any hassles.
Default [REF] Backup /efs folder. IMPORTANT.
This guide is based on a guide by Candanga on the i9000 forums, and some commands from supercurio
Please hit thanks on their posts and show them some love for the write up.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I’ve compiled a quick guide to instruct how to make a copy of the /efs folder. I’ve found in many threads suggestions about backing up this folder but the methods itself are very general. Most of the times they suggest to “root and copy the folder” with Root Explorer or similar, but usually it’s not that easy or it just doesn't work for everyone.
This guide ASUMES you have read this Excellent Guide by Darkstrikerfirst:
H E R E <-- Make sure to read the ADB Guide.
I recommend doing this with a Mobile just taken out of the box or with any Official ROM of its Service Provider. If you have already Flashed your phone with another ROM but its working fine, then you can use that /efs also.
Why the /efs folder?
This is a very sensitive system folder that contains Phone-specific information such as the IMEI (encrypted in the nv_data.bin), wireless devices MAC addresses, product code (also in the nv_data.bin), and much more. Often users trying to change product codes or trying to unlock the mobile will end up corrupting data in this location.
Why back it up?
Well, let’s resume it saying that backing-up this little folder will keep you away from Samsung service centres.
***WARNING: I take no responsibility to any damage caused by the methods cited and/or written here. Their sole purpose is to back-up data and not to alter in any way the integrity of the original files of the mobile***
What you will need:
* Rooted SGS II to get permissions as a SU (Super User) and perform the backup
* I would suggest learning a little about the terminal commands used (in case you are not familiar with them), as it’s better to know what you are doing rather than typing strings like a little chimp without knowing what they are; if you are a little lazy, then you have a good chance bricking your mobile. <- Busybox Commands(or Google them)
* Terminal Emulator by Jack Palevich (available from the market) <-Terminal Emulator or use ADB which is included in the SDK Development Tools
The standard prompt of terminal (adb) is a $ sign. Once you enter “SU” it will become a # Sign.
***NOTE: Make sure to keep an eye on the screen of your SGS II during this process, because it may request SU permissions [currently doesn't on CF-root]; else, you will get an error (just if it’s the first time). In Terminal Emulator you will need to reset the app after granting permissions cause it usually freezes***
*Remember: to use ADB you need to enable USB DEBUGGING under Applications/Development in your SGS II.
Here are 3 methods, I recommend that you do both Clean and RAW.
Basic, unix permissions lost :
Code:
su
busybox cp -a /efs /sdcard/efs/
Clean :
Code:
su
busybox tar zcvf /sdcard/efs/efs-backup.tar.gz /efs
After this, you will end up with the file efs-backup.tar.gz in your INTERNAL SDCARD in sdcard/efs/, which is a “tarball” or a ZIP of the /efs folder. That file is your backup. You can expand it with Winrar.
You can also back up the mmcblk0p1 (where /efs is stored) under /dev/block which can greatly support in recovering your IMEI in case of a screw-up:
RAW :
Code:
su
cat /dev/block/mmcblk0p1 > /sdcard/efs/efs_dev-block-mmcblk0p1.img
Same thing, the target is the INTERNAL SDCARD in sdcard/efs/, so go ahead and copy the file.
Hi theghost & thanks for replying. Yes, i had read that link . But being a starter in androids, i had some doubts n thought if someone else knows a more simplified thread. Eventually i followed the same thread only.
As the author said, there r two methods - clean & raw n he advises to use both. when u used raw , in the end comes- no such file directory exists. When i checked my files->sdcard , i could see efs folder n some files inside it (which wasn`t happening even with astro file manger) I copied the efs folder N pasted it into Externalsd folder (default Ext. sd card folder ?)
R my efs folder files safe now ?
Is there any other precaution to be taken , any files to be saved before i embark on installing New villain rom 2.0 as per instructions given here http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1081368 .
Strangely efs folder saving point isn`t mentioned here , even though its so important. (But then may be its very basic) Is there any other basic that i should know ?
Thanks a lot again.
with regards.
Create the efs folder with astro, then use the raw method and copy the .img to your pc.
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How n where to create ef folder using astro? When i click on app
The home page shows
(folder icon)/mnt
(Home icon)(search icon) etc.
Folder-ifs
Asec
Obb
Sdcard
Secure
Usb
On this home page I should crate folder-efs ?
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No in sdcard
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But sdcard already has efs folder with some files in it . This was created when I used the emulator. But the RAW step had failed as I told u earlier.
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nikzDHD said:
VillianRom is nice I've been using VR since release and tried many roms en route and keep coming back to VR for some reason!
Best to do a nandroid via CWM Recovery so if any of your new installs have problems you can always wipe and go back to a working config.
I only use TB to backup app data, I don't like backing up system data as when moving from one rom to another if you restore you may encounter issues so always best to start from scratch to save any hassles.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks mate. I'm backing up only custom apps, not custom apps.
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Mist that you already had the efs folder. If you already have something there your probably good. If you still want the raw method to work make sure you type su first and hit enter and than exactly copy the cat command (ChromeToPhone is great for this) it should work.
Didn't work out mate .
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I'm comfortable with it. Thanks for yo support mate
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Is there a tool to check if my efs backup is good or not ?
currently I have a bad efs on my phone, and when I tried to restore a 3 months old backup my phone still does not recognize my imei.
so, I m wondering if there is a program to check whether my backup is good or not.
also, I guess it is impossible to read the imei from the nv_data.bin file ?
BTW, the app I used to backup my efs folder copied the entire folder into /sdcard/backup/efs so I have a copy of the (entire) efs folder and not a .tar archive. does that makes any difference ?
I read some where in the dev section that copying the folder will loose the permission, is that the only thing I lost from my backup ?
NOTE: I have searched and reviewed the existing threads on items with similar wording. Several on how to recover corrupted files within the backup etc.. Although the questions and issues are similar none describe the issue that I am experiencing.
Samsung Galaxy Note
Rooted on AOSP xXx FJ,(Flappjaxxx) / FJ Mod of ICS UCLF6
Currently on CWM Recovery 5.8.4.3
Situation:
No prior issues experience with nandroid backup, had 2 other backups plus the one I'm referring to (one of AOSP xXx and FJ Modded)
Performed a nandroid backup to try out CM09 from FJ AOSP. All went well... including the CM09 install and apps.
Missed the S-pen functionality and wanted to flip back to FJ Modded ROM.
Attempted to restore the most recent backup... Failed. Booted into CM09 and went to Root Explorer and looked into the backup file. I noticed that the file has a lot of what appears to be random ASCII characters for file names etc... (indicated to me that this file was corrupted).
Since I had other backups, I went to one of the older ones and restored.
Problem: this corrupted backup is taking up about 1.9 GB and I want to delete but it will not allow me. Looked at permissions and it has RW
Question: how the heck do I delete this thing without having to take my SD card out and formatting the sucker?
Thanks in advance
You should be able to plug in your phone to your computer via USB and open folder to view files on the /sdcard. Make sure USB connection is set to "USB Mass Storage" option when connected. Once you opened the folder to view files, you can navigate to the clockworkmod folder, open, and find the backups within that folder and delete that way...
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Did you try to delete it in recovery (sorry if there is no such option, never looked for it...) or in root explorer? You could always get a terminal like https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=jackpal.androidterm and do like this:
su (if you're rooted)
cd /sdcard/clockworkmod/backup
rm -r 2012-07-12.13.37
Same commands should work in adb as well
Try. Android Commander.
jje
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I think that plugging the USB charger into your computer and manually deleting it should do the trick :fingers-crossed:
OK...
Thanks guys for your responses...
- did try connecting to a PC in mass storage mode and tried to delete... did not work
- use Root Explorer to do a delete as well... did not work
- looked to see if there was a delete option in recovery (first thing I looked for) did not find it
I'll try the other options and see where that goes.
JohnnyQ1964 said:
Thanks guys for your responses...
- did try connecting to a PC in mass storage mode and tried to delete... did not work
- use Root Explorer to do a delete as well... did not work
- looked to see if there was a delete option in recovery (first thing I looked for) did not find it
I'll try the other options and see where that goes.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you download clockwork mod (rom manager) you can delete it in the android application in manage and restore backups.
Empty recycle bin on PC sometimes helps when deleted stuff sticks, make sure do this when plugged in ofc
If you're using Windows, run chkdsk ("Scan this drive for errors" in drive's properties) when connected as a mass storage device.
That should help.
If it won't, the guaranteed method is to copy the files you need somewhere else, format the card and put those files back.
to clairfy, you were able to locate the back up files in the folder "clockwork mod-backup" but then it would not delete when you tried?"
Thanks again for all your input.
PC crapped out this past weekend... new hdd installed and re-building with Windows 7 pro-64 (hmmm... maybe I should dual boot to Ubuntu), will need to reinstall some of the linux/android tools.
@frdd... already had terminal installed tried the commands but no luck... it reports back I'm missing files and i get a lot of errors. I guess I'm gonna have to learn Linux/Android
@icomrade... I've got the purchase ver of ROM Manager and haven't fully gone down that rabbit hole but will investigate
@NeverGone\RU... will leave that as a last resort as i've got a 32GB SD card (sucks up time)
@mankows5... yes did find all the directories and files as it should be... just can't delete that 1 backup
Yeah, try Rom manager. Manage and Restore Backups>Select the one you want to delete, then delete it.
This is important I think we should figure out a way asap
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install android terminal to your device
and try the command below
Code:
su
dd if=/dev/block/mmcblk0p3 of=/mnt/extSdCard/efs.img
Great I did it now I have efs.img which is 20mb is this my backup ? Jus curios how come with k-tool and i9300 it saves 2 files and much smaller. What's the difference
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compression level... if u wan a smaller file , u can download kzn or my rom and u can just backup efs with it without flashing rom..
nah 20 mb is fine thanks dude, I am just wondering why there was 2 files with the K-tool but one with this way
I am out of thanks I have been thanking the I9305 Devs all day, Dont worry another load coming your ways tomo lool
nv_data.bin not in efs folder
Hi guys,
I used Total Commander to copy my /efs directory to a backup folder within the internal sd card, so it is likely that all file permissions are retained in the efs backup. However, I did notice that my /efs directory did not contain nv_data.bin, even though my IMEI is intact. Can anyone also check whether you have nv_data.bin inside your /efs please?
No i dont have that file in that directory......Prodigiez way is excellent a nice neat Img file has been created with all the efs valuable info/data..... My Rom Is now De-Bloated, Zip_aigned/Deodexed, Rooted, Unbranded and Nandroided thanks to all these devs and my motivation
My god what rock have you lot been living under for the last year or so?
Download the POPULAR and VERY WELL KNOWN EFS Pro application from my sig.
Sent from my GT-I9305 using Tapatalk 2
there you have it, I have used your windows tool and it created the exact same EFS.img as does this command line
Code:
su
dd if=/dev/block/mmcblk0p3 of=/mnt/extSdCard/efs.img
But your software way is much easier and even has a way to restore it. thank you very much yeh i must of been living under a rock cause all i ever knew about was K-tool with my previous phone i9300, but K-tool does not work with the I9305
Questions or Problems Should Not Be Posted in the Development Forum
Please Post in the Correct Forums & Read the Forum Rules
Thanks ✟
Moving to Q&A
Maybe its just me but I prefer the old style copy and paste method. Using root explorer or similar I simply copy the efs and factory folders and save in multiple places (external sd, PC etc).
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sxi200 said:
Maybe its just me but I prefer the old style copy and paste method. Using root explorer or similar I simply copy the efs and factory folders and save in multiple places (external sd, PC etc).
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Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not a good idea as you're also losing the permission bits (I take it your external SD is a variety of the FAT file system and your PC NTFS). For example, nv_data.bin has a mode of 0700 and is owned by radio:radio. Say your /efs folder gets wiped and you then copy back your efs folder from your backup. The file (since the umask seems to be 077) will now have the mode as 0600 and be owned by root (because you'd be using Root Explorer/Terminal Emulator to copy back the files which runs as root and not radio). Whatever process (presumably running under the user radio) that looks at that file now may not be able to do so now it's owned by root.
With a tar backup, you're still preserving the permissions which are just as important as the files themselves (though you could look at another GS3 to figure out the correct permissions, granted). With a backup to an image using dd, well, it's the raw partition so I imagine everything on /efs gets backed up.
qwerty12 said:
Not a good idea as you're also losing the permission bits (I take it your external SD is a variety of the FAT file system and your PC NTFS). For example, nv_data.bin has a mode of 0700 and is owned by radio:radio. Say your /efs folder gets wiped and you then copy back your efs folder from your backup. The file (since the umask seems to be 077) will now have the mode as 0600 and be owned by root (because you'd be using Root Explorer/Terminal Emulator to copy back the files which runs as root and not radio). Whatever process (presumably running under the user radio) that looks at that file now may not be able to do so now it's owned by root.
With a tar backup, you're still preserving the permissions which are just as important as the files themselves. With a backup to an image using dd, well, it's the raw partition so I imagine everything on /efs gets backed up.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for that useful post, answered a couple of queries I had :thumbup:
qwerty12 said:
Not a good idea as you're also losing the permission bits (I take it your external SD is a variety of the FAT file system and your PC NTFS). For example, nv_data.bin has a mode of 0700 and is owned by radio:radio. Say your /efs folder gets wiped and you then copy back your efs folder from your backup. The file (since the umask seems to be 077) will now have the mode as 0600 and be owned by root (because you'd be using Root Explorer/Terminal Emulator to copy back the files which runs as root and not radio). Whatever process (presumably running under the user radio) that looks at that file now may not be able to do so now it's owned by root.
With a tar backup, you're still preserving the permissions which are just as important as the files themselves (though you could look at another GS3 to figure out the correct permissions, granted). With a backup to an image using dd, well, it's the raw partition so I imagine everything on /efs gets backed up.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've used the copy / paste method on S1, S2 and S3 and copying the folders / files back manually with root explorer works all the time. Haven't had any issues with permissions.
I test by purposely corrupting my imei (yes I'm crazy) and copying the backup back and all is good. Mind you I also have the auto generated tar backup as well but still prefer the copy / paste method.
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Fair enough, I'd just rather restore from a tar backup since I believe there's a reason why nv_data.bin for example is owned by radio, but good to know it works.
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qwerty12 said:
Fair enough, I'd just rather restore from a tar backup since I believe there's a reason why nv_data.bin for example is owned by radio, but good to know it works.
Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well I just checked 2 phones:
S1: I have previously restored the efs folder via copy / paste and the current owner is 'system'.
S3: It's my second S3. Unlike my first unit I haven't repasted the efs folder. Owner is 'radio'.
Conclusion is that you are correct about permissions not copying over correctly with the copy / paste method. It's an easy fix via root explorer to change if required, but not ideal especially for noobs.
Fortunately the change in owner didn't cause any issues but still probably best to use the tar method as you suggest just in case.
Thanks for the info.
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Read this....very useful
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=30682712
btemtd said:
This is important I think we should figure out a way asap
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Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, obviously, you copy the contents of the efs partition
Code:
/efs
and zip it into a tar ball.
Then you put it safely onto your dropbox and voilà.
Hope I could help!
LG familyguy59/Beatsleigher
does nandroid backup saves EFS as well?
in my backup folder I have these two files:
efsbackup.tar.gz
efsdev-mmcblk0p3.img.gz
but I dont remember backing them up
Hello XDA,
I wanted to share a simple script for Linux, that is backing up your efs-partition.
Instructions
1. Download the .zip file
2. Extract it
3. Open terminal and "cd" to the directory, where you extracted it.
4. type
Code:
./efs_backup.sh
if you got "rm failed for /sdcard/efs_tmp.img, No such file or directory", just ignore it
5. You can now find a file named "efs_backup_cwm.zip", you can flash it with cwm to restore your efs-partition
Why should I do that?
That's a simple question: Every Rom you flash and every root-app you use could have a simple bug and override/delete your efs-partition
What is the efs-partition?
It's a partition, wich is needed for any device-specific number like IMEI, Wlan-MAC-adress and so on. If it gets deleted/damaged, your mobile
will nothing more than a Mp3-player, unless you can flash back your old efs-partition.
Can you release it for Windows?
No, because I think every android-user should have linux installed on their pc and it doesn't cost anything. I have a dual-boot, too. If you want it on Windows, feel free to port it, it
won't be hard. If you want to install linux, I suggest you a debian-based distribution, because there will be the best support for android.
I WILL NOT ANSWER TO STUPID QUESTIONS!
I AM NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY DAMAGE ON YOUR DEVICE!
THIS IS UNTESTED!
TWRP has efs as a backup option. But thanks for the alternative! I'll keep this one in case TWRP fails for some reason
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i think you could always just copy the EFS folder with a root explorer, correct me if im wrong
AssToast said:
i think you could always just copy the EFS folder with a root explorer, correct me if im wrong
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
But it's not recommended to restore it with root explorer
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