How do you flip from stock rom to custom and then back?

[rlanza1054]

Here is what I want to learn and know if it's possible, now that I have some basic understanding on how to install or restore my phone to stock and have it rooted. I have been using the backup feature of 'Clockwork' when I boot into it (pwr + vol up). Which seems to backup the entire phone apps and all, minus the external physical card. So now that I have those backups can I install one of those so called 'custom roms' and then back that up using the Clockwork backup feature, and in the end have the ability to go back and forth from a custom rom to the stock rom?

Thanks!

Rob

 

[JayWill]

Yes, it sounds like you have it down. The Nandroid backup in CWM is a full system image, so you can flip flop between different ROMs. Keep in mind though that any call logs, text messages, App updates or new apps you install, and any other changes you make on any ROM you're running will not be saved unless you make another backup of that setup before restoring another ROM.

There are some out there that have backups of different ROMs and different setups, and flip flop among them to change things up from time to time.

 

[cjones]

I have had my friend, the Tech Jedi, help me with rooting and flashing any ROMS onto my phone because for someone like me who loves custom ROMS but is not tech savvy the whole process is very difficult. I know there are a bunch of videos on how to do it, but the people doing the videos are tech guys for the most part who assume we understand each and every little step and the names of things used along the way. For someone like me that is just NOT the case at all. What I need is a book/video called, Rooting/Flashing for Dummies with step by step instructions written for tech dummies like me.

My Tech Jedi friend will often say to me, "This stuff isn't hard at all."

For someone that understands it so well it seems very simple, but for Tech Dummies like me it is very scary indeed.

Thanks for all the great help we get on this and other web sites and always remember the Tech Dummies out there who want to Flash some Fun as well.

 

[dtm_stretch]

I have had my friend, the Tech Jedi, help me with rooting and flashing any ROMS onto my phone because for someone like me who loves custom ROMS but is not tech savvy the whole process is very difficult. I know there are a bunch of videos on how to do it, but the people doing the videos are tech guys for the most part who assume we understand each and every little step and the names of things used along the way. For someone like me that is just NOT the case at all. What I need is a book/video called, Rooting/Flashing for Dummies with step by step instructions written for tech dummies like me.

My Tech Jedi friend will often say to me, "This stuff isn't hard at all."

For someone that understands it so well it seems very simple, but for Tech Dummies like me it is very scary indeed.

Thanks for all the great help we get on this and other web sites and always remember the Tech Dummies out there who want to Flash some Fun as well.

I have no computer training at all, I mean none. I have never even taken a typing class. This stuff is not really complicated but it does require a couple of things.

1) You have to be willing to learn. I don't just mean you want to flash the latest and greatest or change some colors but you want to learn exactly what is going on during this process. Most of all you have got to learn to do it yourself, most people can point you in the right direction but you have to have that desire to find the answer because no-one has the time to hold your hand through it all.

2) At the same time, you have to be willing to ask questions. Who cares if you get called a noob? Ultimately everyone starts out at the same place.

I have gone from zero computer training to compiling my own android kernels and building my own themes. I am not great at either but I am learning and asking questions. There are guides all over the place to show you how to do all of this.

**Edit: I take back the not complicated part, it is complicated but that doesn't come until you start creating your own modifications and roms (ie guys like cyangenmod/kuosh). These guys created a custom recovery and figured out a way for all of us to run completely AOSP on almost all phones. This is when it gets difficult and these guys are professionals who are trained in software development. This also includes the guys associated with those teams that make that stuff work on our phones.

 

[rlanza1054]

For someone that understands it so well it seems very simple, but for Tech Dummies like me it is very scary indeed.

I agree it is, scary!

And you are very lucky to have had this friend.

I am a trained technician. That was my career at one time. I'm on disability now. But keep myself into things like this which energize's me. Is what turns me on!

However, I don't know Android, so I have to start as a newbie (I didn't realize we were also called 'noobs',LOL! ).

Which is perfectly fine with me, I know how it works and what you have to do to get that 'foundation'!
You need to start in most cases from the bottom and build upon that. Then and only then will things start to feel not so scary.

I actually had someone help get me to the point of being able to start this thread and ask that first question in the first post.

I got a basic foundation, by making lots of mistakes and a ton of experimenting and practice, practice, practice.

I did have someone to look over my shoulder to guide me and make sure I didn't make any really stupid dangerous and more important, costly mistakes. Heck, these phones are expensive to replace!

He's here now!

But as it was put, you need that fire in the belly to learn this stuff.

You have to want to learn it.

When you were a youngster did you like to take things apart and figure out how they worked. If you did those kind of things, then you are more prone to doing this kind of stuff as an adult. But it's not rule written in stone.

Ask those questions!

It took me a full 16 hours one day of going over the installation of a stock ROM that had root! 16 hours! And I was lucky to have that Tech Friend by my side the whole time! (He was not physically by my side, but a message away.)

So lastly, if you want to really learn this stuff so it's not so scary any more, go slow and ask a lot of questions, everyone will be here to help you too!

So now, since my basic question has been answered, when I have a full day again to devote to this, I will take one of those custom roms and practice doing a switching back and forth between stock and custom or in my other words, flip flopping the roms!

Terrific, now I have to pick a custom ROM to try. How about the one I read in the news all the time, CyanogenMod?

Thanks

Rob

Rob sent this from his SPH-D710 via Tapatalk

 

[dtm_stretch]

This is cyangenmod [ROM][IML74K][4.0.3] CM 9 experimental Build [2/18/12] - xda-developers
Keep an eye on this thread but I wouldn't recommend installing it yet because it still has some kinks and bugs but they are being actively ironed out. As soon as this is polished and bug free this will be the custom rom everyone will want to be on.

Here is a review of the rom:
Review of CyanogenMod 9 ICS Alpha Rom on the Samsung Epic 4G Touch - YouTube