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Root Quick RA Recovery Question

stevcha

stevcha

Android Expert
This is my first time using the RA Recovery 2.2.1 to make a backup. Besides choosing boot, system, data, cache to include in the backup what else should I be selecting? Thanks!
 
You should make at least one backup with wimax, and remember which backup it is in case you ever lose your wimax RSA keys. Also, if you use froyo apps2sd, and intend on installing new apps or uninstalling old ones that go on the sdcard, you might consider backing up android_secure to avoid any headaches with missing apps after a restore (note that it will make the backup more than 100 MB larger, probably, if you use apps2sd). If you use a2sd, which an ext partition, backup sd-ext. If you don't, do not select that, or the backup will fail. Otherwise, what you've selected is fine.
 
akazabam said:
You should make at least one backup with wimax, and remember which backup it is in case you ever lose your wimax RSA keys. Also, if you use froyo apps2sd, and intend on installing new apps or uninstalling old ones that go on the sdcard, you might consider backing up android_secure to avoid any headaches with missing apps after a restore (note that it will make the backup more than 100 MB larger, probably, if you use apps2sd). If you use a2sd, which an ext partition, backup sd-ext. If you don't, do not select that, or the backup will fail. Otherwise, what you've selected is fine.
Click to expand...

i've been moving stuff between sd and phone, how would i know if i used the app2sd or a2sd? :(
 
mecampo said:
i've been moving stuff between sd and phone, how would i know if i used the app2sd or a2sd? :(
Click to expand...

If you go to manage applications, then the app (or use an app from the market that takes you there for each app), and move the app to the sdcard, you're using froyo apps2sd. It will put a portion of the app that can be moved in a directory called .android_secure on the sdcard. If you don't back that up, you'll save a lot of space for backups, but if you uninstall any apps or install any apps and move them to the card after making a backup, then restore that backup, you could end up with:

a) The app installed, but unusable due to it being uninstalled after the backup. This would happen because the nandroid backup would have the part of the app on internal storage, but the uninstall after that would have removed it the part in .android_secure.

b) Junk in .android_secure (not a huge deal).

If you always move the same apps to the sdcard, don't worry too much about it. If you want everything to restore *exactly* the way it is when the backup is made, include .android_secure, but only if you use froyo apps2sd.


If you made a partition on your sdcard, then used the a2sd tool from the terminal emulator to move all apps to the sdcard, then you're using a2sd. But I trust you're not if you had to ask.
 
akazabam said:
If you go to manage applications, then the app (or use an app from the market that takes you there for each app), and move the app to the sdcard, you're using froyo apps2sd. It will put a portion of the app that can be moved in a directory called .android_secure on the sdcard. If you don't back that up, you'll save a lot of space for backups, but if you uninstall any apps or install any apps and move them to the card after making a backup, then restore that backup, you could end up with:

a) The app installed, but unusable due to it being uninstalled after the backup. This would happen because the nandroid backup would have the part of the app on internal storage, but the uninstall after that would have removed it the part in .android_secure.

b) Junk in .android_secure (not a huge deal).

If you always move the same apps to the sdcard, don't worry too much about it. If you want everything to restore *exactly* the way it is when the backup is made, include .android_secure, but only if you use froyo apps2sd.


If you made a partition on your sdcard, then used the a2sd tool from the terminal emulator to move all apps to the sdcard, then you're using a2sd. But I trust you're not if you had to ask.
Click to expand...

Okay, I'm getting tired of having to click the thanks button on your posts, Akazabam! Haha. But thanks again -- this is great info. I don't think I've been backing up .android_secure since I switched to RA recently.

And thanks to Mecampo for asking the right questions! ;)
 
has anyone tried the new RA that is out? my question is that it does not have cache checked off anymore. when making a nand backup should i backup cache as well?
 
ocnbrze said:
has anyone tried the new RA that is out? my question is that it does not have cache checked off anymore. when making a nand backup should i backup cache as well?
Click to expand...

I haven't actually flashed it yet (I'll give it a few days), but the only difference there is that it's no longer a default option. That being said, if you want it to boot up faster after restoring a nandroid, backup cache. If you don't care, wipe cache before (or after) restoring a nandroid, but before booting up. The reason it's no longer checked is because it's kind of a waste of space for something that's hardly necessary.

EDIT: And that's especially true if you have dalvik cache moved to the /cache partition. Granted if you haven't moved it anywhere, then it's going to take up extra space in the data portion of the backup, but if you have moved it, backing up cache will just be an extra ~60 MB that you didn't need to backup. That being said, it doesn't hurt to back it up. It's just kind of a waste of space (just wipe cache before restoring).
 
I guess I should of checked here before asking the same question that you answered in the other thread.... my bad! :)
 
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