Root Do you guys frequently flash a lot of ROMs?

[zilla.]

My subject is a little vague because I didn't want to type too much in the subject line..

Anyway, I am asking whether or not you guys tend to flash a lot of ROMs purely to try them out (which is perfectly fine).

I'm asking because it takes forever for me to put everything back to where it was. I am very meticulous about how each screen is set up, where apps are placed, what settings to use, saved data, etc.

Is there a better way to do this? Like is there an app that will restore all of this?
I know Titanium Backup will restore apps with their respective data as if you had never fully wiped. But know of nothing that will back up your personalization.

 

[Yeahha]

Depending on your launcher and what widgets you use then titanium may be able to backup some of their locations. I use SPB shell and it restores SPB widgets but I still have to set up all my android widgets, to the best of my knowledge there is no app that will backup your setup between flashes.

Depending on what has been coming out recently along with what I am testing out I have flashed several times a day to once a week.

 

[jivens716]

I am just like you about things having to be in a certain place, and after I flash a new ROM, the next hour or more will consist of me replacing all of my screens with the way they were before..the only suggestion that I have to you that helps me out is taking screenshots of all your screens and stuff, that way you know where everything goes, but that doesn't really make the time part go by faster :/

 

[Yellow Snowman]

Just use a launcher. I like EX Go Launcher. Once Titanium restores apps you open it up and most your screens will be restored. You may need to reinstall widgets, but that takes like 30 seconds. Even all my settings are restored with Handcent, visual voicemail, etc.

My backup root has been great for restoring texts and call history.

 

[Yeahha]

Just use a launcher.

The only issue with that is if you want to run a sense rom for the sense elements using a 3rd party launcher kinda defeats the purpose.

 

[Yellow Snowman]

Only sense ROM I flashed was to have a Nandroid backup. Other than that all AOSP roms for me so far. Thanks for the advice though.

 

[Yeahha]

Only sense ROM I flashed was to have a Nandroid backup. Other than that all AOSP roms for me so far. Thanks for the advice though.

Yeah I'm an AOSP only person also but some people like sense

 

[bjanow]

I don't flash that much any longer, but once in a while I do a full factory/reset which is like starting fresh. The launcher suggestions are great and what I do. Widgets need to be redone but that is not a big deal. I actually like doing that because I rearrange them and get a new look. Also throw on a new wallpaper for eye candy.

It takes me about 30 minutes from recovery to full config with Titanium. I'll forward my calls to my office phone during the procedure so I don't stress. You can get the phone back as soon as you log in but I like to do a final reboot at the end. It's the ringtones and wireless settings et.al that usually take more time than actual restore of programs. I'm about getting ready to do a full wipe as soon as the release I'm running goes final.

 

[brizey]

I stopped doing custom ringtones because it is just to much damned work. Go launcher lets you save and restore. If you use desktop visualizer, you are in for some fun.

 

[rexdog1888]

The long set up time is the main reason I havnt tried anything new lately, school takes up all my free time so i don't have an extra few hours a day to ROM my phone like I like to

 

[Yeahha]

My setup time is less than a half hour. After you do it enough it becomes quite easy and quick. Of course I probably devote quite a bit more time to my phone than the average user.

 

[brizey]

Yeah, mine is about 30 minutes or so.

Tibu restore, reboot (I find that this reboot helps a lot with all the market issues--I have a lot of sideloaded and Amazon apps, so I try to avoid doing the market fix.)
Setup homescreens (this takes a while for my current circle launcher based setup--circle launcher can only save one setup, and I use three)
Apply font, apply CM7 theme, apply metamorph (which hot reboots automatically)

I made a custom gapps that has the new gtalk and fixed network locations, so that knocks a few steps out of the initial flashing procedure.

The whole thing beginning to end usually takes me about an hour including nandoid, etc. I have a lot of crap, so my nandroids are creeping up to 8 minutes now.