First-timer flashing! Planning on Blazer 4.0. Verify steps please

**AlanDavies** · 03-11-2012, 05:05 PM

Hi, first time flashing a custom ROM, want to make sure I'm doing it right. I'll list out the steps I have planned, please tell me if I'm missing something or one of the steps is wrong/could be done in a better way. Thanks in advance!

I am on stock EL29, no root.

I plan on flashing Blazer Rom [2/20/12] [v4.0] [EL29] (and then 4.1 as soon as it's released)

Here is what I have planned.
1. Root EL29 via ODIN/TAR . I plan on using the "Preserve Data" option.
2. Install CWM via BootImg
3. Boot into Recovery and Perform Nandroid backup
4. Flash Calkulin's Format All (as per )
5. Flash Blazer ROM
6. Reboot

Some questions I have:
a) Is it possible to do a full backup before step 1?
b) After Blazer is up and running, is it possible to restore all my apps and/or settings, presumably from said backup?

**JayWill** · 03-11-2012, 05:41 PM

You got it. That plan is perfect.

Originally Posted by AlanDavies

Some questions I have:
a) Is it possible to do a full backup before step 1?
b) After Blazer is up and running, is it possible to restore all my apps and/or settings, presumably from said backup?

a) If by full backup, you mean a complete system image, no. You need custom recovery to do that. However, as a precaution, you may want to backup the contents of your internal storage. Pictures, Videos, Music and the like. It should remain untouched through all of your steps, but it's an extra precaution.

b) You have a couple options here. 1) Install Titanium Backup or MyBackup and use them to back up all of your User Apps + Data before you wipe and flash Blazer. Then re-download the backup app and restore you Apps + Data. 2) Use CWM to perform and Advanced Data Restore from the Nandroid you made prior to flashing Blazer. Which you do is your choice. I'm a bit weird. I like full clean App installs when I move to a new ROM, so I usually re-install all of my Apps from the Market, and only restore backups for Apps I REALLY want the data for. In most circumstances, this is unnecessary though. Either of the two scenarios i posted above should work for you just fine.

Good luck!

**dtm_stretch** · 03-11-2012, 05:44 PM

Nice, write up. Everything looks good. My only recommendation is after step 1 boot up the phone and install Titanium Backup or mybackup root and backup your apps just in case. Plus then you can restore them after flashing blazer and the only thing you have to do is set up your homescreen.

*edit: jay must have used his advisor powers to move his answer above mine.

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**AlanDavies** · 03-11-2012, 06:18 PM

Thanks for the quick responses. I'll use Titanium Backup after Step 1 and restore Apps+Data after the ROM is flashed. Here are the updated steps, I think this should be good to go. Excited!

1. Root EL29 via ODIN/TAR, . I will be using the "Preserve Data" option.
2. Backup Apps+Data via Titanium Backup
3. Install CWM via BootImg, .
4. Boot into Recovery and perform Nandroid backup
5. Flash Calkulin's Format All (as per Phantom's instructions )
6. Flash Blazer ROM
7. Reboot
8. Re-download Titanium and restore Apps/Data backup

**dtm_stretch** · 03-11-2012, 06:20 PM

Good luck, let us know how it goes.

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**mike104393** · 03-11-2012, 11:51 PM

This should definitely be stickied. Haven't seen a topic that well written with a checklist for a method to root to installing a custom rom. To me, this saved me so much research time. Thanks OP!

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**AlanDavies** · 03-12-2012, 06:00 PM

Success!

Well, partially ;-). Ran into a few snags, but nothing too serious.

Root via ODIN: No issues
Apps+Data backup via Titanium: About half way through, my phone rebooted for no reason. I ran the backup procedure again, and this time it completed successfully.
CWM via BootImg: No issues
Transfer .zips to phone: No issues. I calculated and compared MD5 hashes (where available) to ensure my zips weren't corrupt
Nandroid: No issues
Flash Format All .zip: No issues
Flash ROM .zip: No issues
Reboot to new ROM: No issues! Blazer up and running!
Titanium restore: I got a "Problem parsing package" error and the operation would not progress beyond about half way. I assume the backup got corrupt during the unexpected reboot earlier.

At this point, I went back into Recovery, re-formatted, and re-flashed, then ran the Titanium backup again. I got the same error, so I just wiped and started fresh. I'm taking JayWill's advice and reinstalling everything manually.

I probably could have done a Nandroid Advanced Restore to get my apps back, but going through my list manually, there was a lot of crap on my phone that I didn't really need or use much. Other than that, everything is running smoothly.

**dtm_stretch** · 03-12-2012, 06:35 PM

Do you back up your apps to an external or do you use the internal sd card?

**billyiscool** · 03-12-2012, 09:11 PM

androzip app manager ...... back up and then install all app with easy installer

**AlanDavies** · 03-13-2012, 06:40 PM

Originally Posted by dtm_stretch

Do you back up your apps to an external or do you use the internal sd card?

I did everything via Internal Storage. Probably wasn't the best idea in retrospect, but aside from the Titanium backup/restore issue, everything went smoothly. When I went to Nandroid in CWM, it said "cannot mount path" - that's when I realized I had no SD card installed! Luckily all it took was a toggle to switch path to Internal Storage, and it was smooth sailing from there.

Phantom mentions this ROM includes Roboto (ICS font), but I haven't found any way to enable it. Anyone here using Blazer and successfully have Roboto as their UI font?

**dtm_stretch** · 03-13-2012, 07:06 PM

Originally Posted by AlanDavies

I did everything via Internal Storage. Probably wasn't the best idea in retrospect, but aside from the Titanium backup/restore issue, everything went smoothly. When I went to Nandroid in CWM, it said "cannot mount path" - that's when I realized I had no SD card installed! Luckily all it took was a toggle to switch path to Internal Storage, and it was smooth sailing from there.

Phantom mentions this ROM includes Roboto (ICS font), but I haven't found any way to enable it. Anyone here using Blazer and successfully have Roboto as their UI font?

Did you go to settings>display>font style?

**AlanDavies** · 03-13-2012, 07:20 PM

Originally Posted by dtm_stretch

Did you go to settings>display>font style?

I did, all that are listed are the default 3 that shipped with the stock device: Default font (Droid font family), Choco cooky, and Helvetica S. If I tap "Get fonts online," it just does a Market search for FlipFont. I searched through the Blazer ROM thread on XDA and found no solutions there either.

Happily, it seems an official ICS-based build from Samsung should be coming soon. Can't wait til Phantom integrates that into his own ICS Blazer builds!!

**dtm_stretch** · 03-13-2012, 07:38 PM

Originally Posted by AlanDavies

I did, all that are listed are the default 3 that shipped with the stock device: Default font (Droid font family), Choco cooky, and Helvetica S. If I tap "Get fonts online," it just does a Market search for FlipFont. I searched through the Blazer ROM thread on XDA and found no solutions there either.

Happily, it seems an official ICS-based build from Samsung should be coming soon. Can't wait til Phantom integrates that into his own ICS Blazer builds!!

It is possible that the he switched roboto into the default font. There isn't a huge difference. Check out this article

**AlanDavies** · 03-14-2012, 05:24 PM

Originally Posted by dtm_stretch

It is possible that the he switched roboto into the default font. There isn't a huge difference. Check out this article

Ah, Blazer 4.0 is definitely still using the Droid Family fonts. No big deal though. Roboto looks a lot nicer to my eyes, but it's certainly not a deal-breaker not having it. The ICS theming, speed, stability, and overall added functionality is amazing as is!

**chill.117** · 03-18-2012, 09:08 PM

This is also my first time rooting/flashing and I'm going with the blazer rom. I've already rooted and installed CWM, right now I'm waiting for the blazer rom to finish downloading (it's taking forever because my internet connection is terrible), but I was wondering how do I transfer the .zips to my phone? I figured my phone would just act as removable storage when plugged into my laptop running xp, but it does not show up in "my computer". I tried using kies but that isn't working either. Anyone have any suggestions?

**Sn1per 117** · 03-18-2012, 09:21 PM

Originally Posted by chill.117

This is also my first time rooting/flashing and I'm going with the blazer rom. I've already rooted and installed CWM, right now I'm waiting for the blazer rom to finish downloading (it's taking forever because my internet connection is terrible), but I was wondering how do I transfer the .zips to my phone? I figured my phone would just act as removable storage when plugged into my laptop running xp, but it does not show up in "my computer". I tried using kies but that isn't working either. Anyone have any suggestions?

You need to install the drivers on your computer. Then, enable usb debugging on your phone and enable the mass storage setting when you plug it in.

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**chill.117** · 03-18-2012, 09:30 PM

Originally Posted by Sn1per 117

You need to install the drivers on your computer. Then, enable usb debugging on your phone and enable the mass storage setting when you plug it in.

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Thank you! I couldn't figure out how to enable USB storage, but you just have to click on it from the notification bar.... Well, lesson learned