How to securely flash rom

[bagarwa]

I've burnt my fingers a few times, trying to flash roms. So, can someone point me to a detailed article describing how to flash custom roms like CM9, AOKP etc?

I want to try out custom roms, but don't want to lose all my different app settings, data etc.

I went through this article from DL.

A few questions -

1. How do I make sure that after I flash the rom, all my existing/current apps are still there, settings and data intact; just as they were before flashing the custom rom?
2. When I create a nandroid, it is saved on the internal sdcard itself. Next when I do data wipe, that sdcard gets wiped. So, before doing that, I have to manually copy that nandroid over to my pc, right?
3. Same goes for Titanium Backup too. Also, I should backup all system and user app and data and after flashing the rom, restore the same? Won't that create conflicts or crash apps on the new rom?
4. Nandroid is entire rom backup, right? It is not for restoring apps and settings. If I restore a nandroid, my phone goes back to the rom it was when the nandroid was created, including os version, radio etc, right?

I don't wanna flash a new rom and start everything from scratch. Please advice. Thanks a lot in advance.

 

[davidnc]

I've burnt my fingers a few times, trying to flash roms. So, can someone point me to a detailed article describing how to flash custom roms like CM9, AOKP etc?

I want to try out custom roms, but don't want to lose all my different app settings, data etc.

I went through this article from DL.

A few questions -

1. How do I make sure that after I flash the rom, all my existing/current apps are still there, settings and data intact; just as they were before flashing the custom rom?
2. When I create a nandroid, it is saved on the internal sdcard itself. Next when I do data wipe, that sdcard gets wiped. So, before doing that, I have to manually copy that nandroid over to my pc, right?
3. Same goes for Titanium Backup too. Also, I should backup all system and user app and data and after flashing the rom, restore the same? Won't that create conflicts or crash apps on the new rom?
4. Nandroid is entire rom backup, right? It is not for restoring apps and settings. If I restore a nandroid, my phone goes back to the rom it was when the nandroid was created, including os version, radio etc, right?

I don't wanna flash a new rom and start everything from scratch. Please advice. Thanks a lot in advance.

1.) 1.How do I make sure that after I flash the rom, all my existing/current apps are still there, settings and data intact; just as they were before flashing the custom rom?
You can use MyBackup for example although it is a limited 30 days trial it will save your App apk but not data with the apps.I dont think there is a way to save data on apps until your are rooted.There are other apps also besides MyBackUp to choose from in the play store.
2.When I create a nandroid, it is saved on the internal sdcard itself. Next when I do data wipe, that sdcard gets wiped. So, before doing that, I have to manually copy that nandroid over to my pc, right?The only time the internal sdcard gets wiped is initially when you unlock your phone afterwards the internal sdcard does not get wiped when you are switching to different roms.If for some reason though you want to relock/unroot the sdcard would get wiped .But staying unlocked/rooted the phone part gets wipe but sdcard doesnt so things remain on the sdcard part for example your nandroid backups,etc would remain on sdcard after a data wipe.Although its not a bad ideal to make a copy and save it to your pc as well.So just remember the unlocking/relocking part will wipe your internal sdcard but wiping data/cache,etc. to flash various roms wont wipe your internal sdcard
3.Same goes for Titanium Backup too. Also, I should backup all system and user app and data and after flashing the rom, restore the same? Won't that create conflicts or crash apps on the new rom?
With TB you can use to back up apps and app data but dont backup system data.
I personally dont restore data on my apps for most apps restoring app data is flawless but sometimes restoring data app on a few apps can cause issues but they can be resolved by clearing app cache and clearing app data if you have an issue with an app .You are correct that system data will cause conflicts if you try and restore system data.So never restore system data
4.Nandroid is entire rom backup, right? It is not for restoring apps and settings. If I restore a nandroid, my phone goes back to the rom it was when the nandroid was created, including os version, radio etc, right?
Yes the nandroid backup is like a mirror image backup .When you make an nandroid backup it will restore your phone just the way it was before you flashed another Rom.It will restore whatever apps/app data,rom , etc. you had when the backup was made.
The radios however are separate from the nandroid backup.You can flash radios separate and whatever radios you flash will remain until you flash a different radio .So for example if you made a nandroid backup and after you made that nandroid backup ,later you flashed a different radio and then wanted to restore an older nandroid backup ,the radios you manual flashed later will remain it wont revert the radio part back to previous radio unless you do that part manually.

 

[bagarwa]

Thanks a lot for the detailed and exhaustive explanation. Really appreciate it. I have a few followup questions.

1. I am unlocked and rooted. So, I can backup user app and data using Titanium backup. And after I've flashed the custom rom, I'll install Titanium backup root first and restore all my apps and data. That'll work, right?
2. I am worried about sdcard getting wiped 'coz that's what happened last time I was manually flashing the ICS 4.0.4 IMM76K build. Flashing the CM9 RC1 or AOKP won't unroot or wipe my sdcard, would it?
3. Which rom would you suggest? CM9 RC1 or AOKP or something else?

 

[2defmouze]

Your sd will not get wiped when you wipe from recovery to flash a ROM. It only gets wiped when you first unlock, and if you choose to do a factory reset from within the Android settings menu, which you shouldn't have to do at all. Browse this thread also I answered a few questions about Tibu (going to write a quick guide today or tomorrow I decided, lol): http://forums.androidcentral.com/ve...cks/183771-jelly-bean-4-1-root-questions.html

For ROMs I recommend AOKP. It's worlds ahead of CM9 still in terms of features and utility.

Happy flashing!