[GUIDE] Backup / Restore function in Poco X3 recoveries [OrangeFOX / TWRP] - Xiaomi Poco X3 NFC Guides, News, & Discussion

Preliminary guide to BACKUP / RESTORE with
OrangeFox recovery by ManoloRey
LINK
or
TWRP recovery 3.5.X_10-x by brigudav
LINK
! ! ! USE ONLY LINKED VERSIONS OF RECOVERIES ! ! !
Consider this guide for (decrypted vendor (or encryption disabler) + decrypted storage used) as BETA, I don't recommend backup/restore procedures with OrangeFox recovery Beta or TWRP 3.5.0_10-x for actual backups of your data (TRY THIS ONLY AT YOUR OWN RISK) ONLY FOR TESTING / EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES !
Do not ask for help if your data have been lost because they can't be restored, or suddenly your backup - successfully restored several times before - now can't be! This is still buggy and sometimes for unknown reasons restore of your data can fail ! Restore process always worked 100 % for me, but results sometimes differ !
YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!
​(decrypted vendor (or encryption disabler) + decrypted storage used)
Spoiler: Backup method A (not recommended):
- backup boot and data partition
Restore:
- wipe cache, dalvik, data
- flash ROM + GAPPS that you have installed when you created backup
- restore backup of boot and data partition
- remove Android password (OFOX recovery functionality) restored from backup either directly after restore or later from the menu with OFOX addons (the file PassReset.zip MUST EXIST in this location: /storage/emulated/0/Fox/FoxFiles/ for this to work !) but before reboot!
- in case you lost your OFOX addons thanks to format data or you are using TWRP 3.5.0_10-x, you can also directly delete all file(s) in /data/system which starts with locksettings* = remove password
Reboot
Comment(s):
- if you remove your password/PIN/pattern protection directly before backup you can end up after restore with system where you can't change your password/PIN/pattern anymore
- if you forget to remove your password/PIN/pattern protection AFTER RESTORE you can end up after boot with system demanding to enter your password/PIN/pattern which MAY or MAY NOT BE ACCEPTED even if it is CORRECT and maybe INACCESSIBLE because of that
- Google Pay will never be restored properly (or anything depending on actual password in time of backup), because of the removed password, you will need to set up it again after restore
Spoiler: Backup method B (recommended):
- backup super, boot, dtbo and data partition (metadata partition is optional)
Restore:
- wipe cache, dalvik, data (optional)
- restore super, boot, dtbo and data partition (metadata partition is optional)
Reboot
(everything will be restored to the state in time of the backup) ¹)
- if needed remove Android password (OFOX recovery functionality) restored from backup either directly after restore or later from the menu with OFOX addons (the file PassReset.zip MUST EXIST in this location: /storage/emulated/0/Fox/FoxFiles/ for this to work !)
- in case you lost your OFOX addons thanks to format data or you are using TWRP 3.5.0_10-x, you can also directly delete all file(s) in /data/system which starts with locksettings* = remove password
Comment(s):
¹) your backups will be fully restored along with password/PIN/pattern and fingerprints - this will work until you'll format data (or for something else that needs to be discovered yet), after that you'll loose the ability to use your password to enter the system and depending on ROM features you can either skip password entering with fingerprints (RRemix) or reset your password so you can enter the system (CrDroid), in RRemix everything works, except you can't change your password etc, in CrDroid you need to re-setup your password depending apps
- if you remove your password Google Pay will never be restored properly (or anything depending on actual password in time of backup), you will need to set up it again after restore
x x x​(encrypted vendor and storage used)
Spoiler: Backup method A (OFFICIAL for OrangeFox & UNOFFICIAL for TWRP)
Backup:
- backup boot and data partition
Restore:
If you are restoring a data backup of an encrypted device, there are precautions that you should take before starting the restore process (obviously, your backup must be on MicroSD or other external storage medium - NOT on the internal storage):
Format the data partition (NOTE: format - not just wipe)
Reboot OrangeFox / TWRP
Flash the original zip of the ROM whose backup you are trying to restore
Wipe cache and dalvik
Reboot to system to ensure that the newly-flashed ROM actually boots, and that it re-encrypts the device with its own encryption
Reboot to OrangeFox / TWRP
Tap on the Backup icon
Select the partition(s) that you wish to restore
Swipe to restore
If you do not follow all these steps, you can expect problems with restoring data
Reboot
Comment(s): TBA
Credits: OrangeFox devs as this guide (for encrypted vendor and storage used) is copied directly from OrangeFox wiki slightly modified by me by adding "/ TWRP" to the text
this guide will be updated if I discover new facts or post new, updated steps or how-to's​

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reserved

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jeryll said:
reserved
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for your experiments and hard work in putting this together!

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backup super, boot, dtbo and data partition (metadata partition is optional)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
there is 2 checkboxes for super with the same size in OF. one says (Product, Vendor, System).
which one to select or both?

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drahtwurst said:
there is 2 checkboxes for super with the same size in OF. one says (Product, Vendor, System).
which one to select or both?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Only one, backup of super from either is identical

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Thanks for this flashlight on the darkness.
Let me ask you a help. How can I decrypt my device? Wanna do it just like my old MI8, where I didnt need to do format data ever when go to update a rom.
Ever I go do recovery (OFOX or TWRP) I got this in screenshot.

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- download and flash decrypted (hacked) vendor from this thread or
- use encryption disabler zip, but that is a little tricky to use - you need to flash encryption disabler every time you update your MIUI base, or custom rom, if you forget that, on next boot your internal storage will be encrypted
- - to remove encryption from data partition after - you need to do initial format data (yes) - after that you can start to use wipe data if needed (some ROMs still need to use format data (yes) or they'll not boot - RR 8.6.6/8.6.7 for example)

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jeryll said:
- use encryption disabler zip, but that is a little tricky to use - you need to flash encryption disabler every time you update your MIUI base, or custom rom, if you forget that, on next boot your internal storage will be encrypted
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yep, that fact just bit me today as I was away from the computer and had to reflash the latest Xiaomi.eu...

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jeryll said:
- use encryption disabler zip
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Are there further instructions for first install? I did google but failed to find anything reliable...

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pnin said:
Are there further instructions for first install? I did google but failed to find anything reliable...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
not that I know of, just flash it as last thing before you reboot (either recovery or to system), but you need to format data (yes) to remove encryption

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As this [surya] 'encryption-disabler-v1' is basically a shell script (pasted to https://paste2.org/804aemGx, BTW), I took the risk to flash it without formatting 'Data' -- only I disabled any security beforehand, i.e., no pin, password or fingerprint.
It appears to have worked, cause I rebooted into system with no issues. But how to verify?

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not sure what do you want to achieve by flashing of encryption disabler without actually disabling encryption by formatting your data partition...
so what do you want to verify?
if you start OFOX, on the initial screen you can see the state of your data partition (encrypted/decrypted)

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Thanks for your patience. I was under the impression that if you disable security locks then you had no encryption and the script would just ensure it would remain so. By your reaction I'm assuming I was wrong...
Overall, I am just getting fed up with always having to format data and having to start from scratch.
I not longer have OFox, I'm currently running brigudav's TWRP "v3.5.0_10-5-surya".

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pnin said:
Thanks for your patience. I was under the impression that if you disable security locks then you had no encryption and the script would just ensure it would remain so. By your reaction I'm assuming I was wrong...
Overall, I am just getting fed up with always having to format data and having to start from scratch.
I not longer have OFox, I'm currently running brigudav's TWRP "v3.5.0_10-5-surya".
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As you said, that encryption_disabler.zip is a shell script, which makes the folder in /product/vendor_overlay/29/etc and copies fstab.qcom from vendor to it. Then edits every line using the shell command sed (aka stream editor) that includes the string fileencryption= with the string encryptable=.
The above described process is usually done on the first boot of a newly installed ROM as is with every vendor_overlay entry in product (minus the edited strings ofc). Editing it after the ROM reads vendor fstab.qcom and encrypts the data partition is useless. However, formatting data (deleting keystore essentially) and flashing that .zip should also do the trick. Might as well update your base MIUI and ROM while you're at it

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Thanks for the detailed explanation, Slim K. Sadly there's no escaping formatting data, which I'll do next...
Slim K said:
Might as well update your base MIUI and ROM while you're at it
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I had done so already, hence my reluctance to do it again.

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jeryll said:
Preliminary guide to BACKUP / RESTORE with
OrangeFox recovery by ManoloRey
LINK
or
TWRP recovery 3.5.X_10-x by brigudav
LINK
! ! ! USE ONLY LINKED VERSIONS OF RECOVERIES ! ! !
Consider this guide for (decrypted vendor (or encryption disabler) + decrypted storage used) as BETA, I don't recommend backup/restore procedures with OrangeFox recovery Beta or TWRP 3.5.0_10-x for actual backups of your data (TRY THIS ONLY AT YOUR OWN RISK) ONLY FOR TESTING / EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES !
Do not ask for help if your data have been lost because they can't be restored, or suddenly your backup - successfully restored several times before - now can't be! This is still buggy and sometimes for unknown reasons restore of your data can fail ! Restore process always worked 100 % for me, but results sometimes differ !
YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!
​(decrypted vendor (or encryption disabler) + decrypted storage used)
Spoiler: Backup method A (not recommended):
- backup boot and data partition
Restore:
- wipe cache, dalvik, data
- flash ROM + GAPPS that you have installed when you created backup
- restore backup of boot and data partition
- remove Android password (OFOX recovery functionality) restored from backup either directly after restore or later from the menu with OFOX addons (the file PassReset.zip MUST EXIST in this location: /storage/emulated/0/Fox/FoxFiles/ for this to work !) but before reboot!
- in case you lost your OFOX addons thanks to format data or you are using TWRP 3.5.0_10-x, you can also directly delete all file(s) in /data/system which starts with locksettings* = remove password
Reboot
Comment(s):
- if you remove your password/PIN/pattern protection directly before backup you can end up after restore with system where you can't change your password/PIN/pattern anymore
- if you forget to remove your password/PIN/pattern protection AFTER RESTORE you can end up after boot with system demanding to enter your password/PIN/pattern which MAY or MAY NOT BE ACCEPTED even if it is CORRECT and maybe INACCESSIBLE because of that
- Google Pay will never be restored properly (or anything depending on actual password in time of backup), because of the removed password, you will need to set up it again after restore
Spoiler: Backup method B (recommended):
- backup super, boot, dtbo and data partition (metadata partition is optional)
Restore:
- wipe cache, dalvik, data (optional)
- restore super, boot, dtbo and data partition (metadata partition is optional)
Reboot
(everything will be restored to the state in time of the backup) ¹)
- if needed remove Android password (OFOX recovery functionality) restored from backup either directly after restore or later from the menu with OFOX addons (the file PassReset.zip MUST EXIST in this location: /storage/emulated/0/Fox/FoxFiles/ for this to work !)
- in case you lost your OFOX addons thanks to format data or you are using TWRP 3.5.0_10-x, you can also directly delete all file(s) in /data/system which starts with locksettings* = remove password
Comment(s):
¹) your backups will be fully restored along with password/PIN/pattern and fingerprints - this will work until you'll format data (or for something else that needs to be discovered yet), after that you'll loose the ability to use your password to enter the system and depending on ROM features you can either skip password entering with fingerprints (RRemix) or reset your password so you can enter the system (CrDroid), in RRemix everything works, except you can't change your password etc, in CrDroid you need to re-setup your password depending apps
- if you remove your password Google Pay will never be restored properly (or anything depending on actual password in time of backup), you will need to set up it again after restore
x x x​(encrypted vendor and storage used)
Spoiler: Backup method A (OFFICIAL for OrangeFox & UNOFFICIAL for TWRP)
Backup:
- backup boot and data partition
Restore:
If you are restoring a data backup of an encrypted device, there are precautions that you should take before starting the restore process (obviously, your backup must be on MicroSD or other external storage medium - NOT on the internal storage):
Format the data partition (NOTE: format - not just wipe)
Reboot OrangeFox / TWRP
Flash the original zip of the ROM whose backup you are trying to restore
Wipe cache and dalvik
Reboot to system to ensure that the newly-flashed ROM actually boots, and that it re-encrypts the device with its own encryption
Reboot to OrangeFox / TWRP
Tap on the Backup icon
Select the partition(s) that you wish to restore
Swipe to restore
If you do not follow all these steps, you can expect problems with restoring data
Reboot
Comment(s): TBA
Credits: OrangeFox devs as this guide (for encrypted vendor and storage used) is copied directly from OrangeFox wiki slightly modified by me by adding "/ TWRP" to the text
this guide will be updated if I discover new facts or post new, updated steps or how-to's​
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hello
I tried to do a backup with this orfox version including 'super'. At the end it says:
Backing up Super...
Backup Failed, Cleaning Backup Folder
Do you have a idea what happened?
Edit: I guess it's because my phone is encrypted

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XtraWater said:
Hello
I tried to do a backup with this orfox version including 'super'. At the end it says:
Backing up Super...
Backup Failed, Cleaning Backup Folder
Do you have a idea what happened?
Edit: I guess it's because my phone is encrypted
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Make sure you have enough space on the destination. Have a look at the OF log.

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I guess this is as good a place as any to ask: what is the advantage of decrypting data?
I don't think running encrypted slows things down (not like it used to in the past when devices weren't as powerful), and there is the huge benefit of having your data secure. Any lost/stolen phone will soon send up in the hands of someone (on either side of the law) who knows adb/fastboot, so just having a password isn't going to protect your data if it's not encrypted.
It's possible to do backups of encrypted data, just the same as unencrypted.
Formatting vs wiping: ends up doing the same - all the data is gone and has to be restored. So that's a non-issue.
So, why should one prefer to decrypt?

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temporarium said:
I guess this is as good a place as any to ask: what is the advantage of decrypting data?
I don't think running encrypted slows things down (not like it used to in the past when devices weren't as powerful), and there is the huge benefit of having your data secure. Any lost/stolen phone will soon send up in the hands of someone (on either side of the law) who knows adb/fastboot, so just having a password isn't going to protect your data if it's not encrypted.
It's possible to do backups of encrypted data, just the same as unencrypted.
Formatting vs wiping: ends up doing the same - all the data is gone and has to be restored. So that's a non-issue.
So, why should one prefer to decrypt?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
From my understanding the only benefit would be to update firmware without format data.
re backup super: There are about 70GB available on the SD card (destination of the backup). I tried to backup it again with the same result. Just looking at the log file but can't see what has failed. The line before Backup failed is:
I:Error writing destination fd(operation not permitted)

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XtraWater said:
From my understanding the only benefit would be to update firmware without format data.
re backup super: There are about 70GB available on the SD card (destination of the backup). I tried to backup it again with the same result. Just looking at the log file but can't see what has failed. The line before Backup failed is:
I:Error writing destination fd(operation not permitted)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Your card is probably formatted as fat32 which won't allow such big files.