How to prepare a rooted & heavily customized device for selling?

[Continuum88]

Suppose you want to sell your Android device which is rooted and otherwise customized (including some stock apps removed). What are the correct steps to be taken to restore the device into the "factory" condition (so everything to its defaults and your personal stuff completely wiped out)? I know that for jailbroken iOS devices you're not supposed to use "reset to factory defaults" from the Settings "app", and you have to go through DFU (Device Firmware Upgrade) mode. Is it similar here?

 

[Ricky Babalu]

Hopefully you followed the #1 rule/advice and made a Nandroid when you first rooted. Then all you have to do is flash the nandroid, then wipe phone.

 

[Continuum88]

Yes, I have the Nandroid backup. So restoring from that backup will basically create the pre-root environment (meaning, with my then installed apps and settings), and from there you can go through the regular menu reset-to-defaults? (Kinda like restoring a Clonezilla image of a laptop to get its default "factory" partitions, then choosing to reset the Windows installation from it.)

And if someone doesn't have a Nandroid backup? They have to pick a "rom" somewhere on the net?

And if the device is at a later time upgraded to a newer Android version, is that first Nandroid backup still "the" one?

 

[BeRich]

I actually sold a rooted S2 because I didn't have the knowledge or the time to research how to restore it.

I've since rooted and loaded a custom ROM onto my Note 2 and had to get it back to stock and erase all traces of that for a warranty claim. There are links all over and YouTube videos that can direct you in the process of going back to stock and unrooting. There's also something Triangle Away. But if you're just selling, you shouldn't have to worry about that.

 

[whatsitsname]

Yes, I have the Nandroid backup. So restoring from that backup will basically create the pre-root environment (meaning, with my then installed apps and settings), and from there you can go through the regular menu reset-to-defaults? (Kinda like restoring a Clonezilla image of a laptop to get its default "factory" partitions, then choosing to reset the Windows installation from it.)

And if someone doesn't have a Nandroid backup? They have to pick a "rom" somewhere on the net?

And if the device is at a later time upgraded to a newer Android version, is that first Nandroid backup still "the" one?

No you cannot nandroid backup to a factory state. Nandrioid requires clockworkmod recovery, thus your phone will still be in a modified state.
If you search the development section there will be a guide floating around on how to restore to factory state. It's basically a 2/3 step process.

Sent from my SGH-T889 using Tapatalk 2

 

[Onemoa]

Why would you want to sell you're Note 2 in the first place? The Note 3 is still far off. Even then the Note 2 will be an awesome device.

Just wondering, why you selling?

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[Continuum88]

I'm not selling it (at least not yet ), but I like to be prepared in case I do.

 

[Onemoa]

I'm just wondering, what would you be selling it for? The HTC One or the S4?

I'm a big fan of Samsung but if I had to pick a different device it would have to be the HTC One.

Only because I don't like what they did with the S4. They went a head and used a pentile display and I hate that it has different CPU's depending on region. So updates will be even more of a *****. I also don't think it's a big enough upgrade. I mean if you look at there flagship phone as of right now, the Note 2. It's better then the S4.

I know people think the S4's 1080p display is going to make a big difference but it's really only going to if you own a S3 since it's pentile. The S4 is to but the extra ppi will make it look less pentile but not by much. If anything they could have used a Super LCD 3 display like in the HTC One or a ips display like the LG Optimus G pro. They use full RBG color matrix. So like the Note 2 you get much better contrast and sharpness.

As more people are starting to learn, ppi doesn't mean much when you don't have a quality display. Just like mega pixels don't mean much if you don't have a quality lens, sensor, ect. Software can compensate sometimes but for the most part it can't.

I will agree that Samsung can't use there better displays like the one in the Note 2 due to cost and mass production. They just want to make as much S4's as they can because of course they will sell, mainly to younger people that want to say they have the best until a month goes by and something better is already being made...

The S4 is an upgrade from the S3 but if you own a Note 2 then you need to wait for the Note 3 as the S4 would be a downgrade to the Note 2. Of course the cpu is faster but nothing you would notice in real world use. Unless you convert HD video files into DVD then you might notice a little difference but these phones are not made for that anyway. I also couldn't lose .6" of display as bigger really is better.

For those that want the new software the S4 will have, the Note 2 will be getting that in the coming months as well. With the way phone technology is improving so rapidly I'm easily willing to wait for the Note 3 or even the Note 4 for that matter. I do love the display on my Note 2 but if they want to put a pentile display on the next Note, they should think about putting a LCD or Super IPS as I mentioned that's what the S4 should have got if it wasn't going to get the same display as the Note 2.

I'm a phone power user and it's the little things that make the big things count. I love my Note 2 and I'm just praying they use the same display technology our Note 2 uses in the Note 3 and if they can't they should switch to Super LCD/IPS technology. I fully understand it doesn't have the contrast that Super AMOLED Plus does, but at least it will not be pentile as pentile just sucks.

I just wrote more then I thought I did, now that I look at it. It's just so easy with the Samsung Keyboard. I love to swype... It's also easy to talk about right and wrong when it comes to displays.

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