Best method to do a fresh OS install and restore?

[JayInNJ]

I have had the S4 for almost 2 years. It runs slower than I remember and the biggest problem is terrible battery drain. It is not a battery problem because I have gotten a new battery. So I want to wipe the phone, reinstall the same current Verizon version OS and reinstall just the apps I really need. I hope this would clear a lot of junk out that is running needlessly.
Any suggestions as to the best way to do this. All apps are through Amazon app sure or Google play store so restoring those should be easy. I would like to clean install the os since it has gone through countless updates and probably not running is best now.

Posted via Android Central App

 

[Rukbat]

If the current Android version is <4.3, install TWRP and back up the Data partition. If it's 4.3 or 4.4.2, root the phone, install Busybox and Safestrap (in that order) and you can restart into a modified version of TWRP (you can't install a custom recovery because the bootloader is locked from 4.3 on), then back up the Data partition.

Go to Verizon Samsung Galaxy S 4 - XDA Forums and see if you can get the ROM as a single file (rather than the usual 4 files). The "sll in one" works like an update, it leaves all your data intact. (So the backup is just for insurance.) If you have to install the 4 files, you'll have to root and install Safestrap again (don't forget Busybox - I did once and wasted about half an hour spinning my wheels). Then you can restore your data.

But ... before you do any of that, go into Settings, to Storage, and look at Cache. Tap that and clear it. That alone might bring the phone back to speed.