[HOW TO] Upgrade SD card with all linked apps in tact

[magus7091]

I couldn't find this posted anywhere on here, so if it's a duplicate, my apologies. I just upgraded to a 32 gb sd card, and have a great number of linked apps and found this method works for upgrading the card without losing any data or linked apps.
Screenshots:
Before:

After:

Instructions:
1. Backup all items off the FAT partition using usb storage mode.
2. Reboot into recovery and create a nandroid backup.
3. Staying in recovery, mount usb storage from the mounts and storage menu, and copy the newly created nandroid backup into your temporary directory with the old sd backups.
4. Unmount usb storage, and remove your old sd card, then insert the new sd card, and partition it using recovery, or if you have already partitioned it, simply skip this step. Note, if you do choose to partition it outside of recovery, make sure you use the same ext type.
5. Once your new card is partitioned, go back to mounts and storage, and re-mount usb storage.
6. Copy all files back to the new sd card.
7. Select backup and restore->advanced restore->(your new nandroid)->sd-ext. If you don't have the option, or choose not to use advanced restore, you can simply restore the entire backup.
8. Reboot the phone, and enjoy your seamlessly upgraded sd card.

Hope this helps someone out.
[Edit: changed to numbered list]

 

[anon(787630)]

Thank you, I've been looking for this

 

[whbisondtr]

hi, can I just back up by copying titanium backup and then my music/pictures to my pc then transfer to the new card? also, i am using Link2sd, and its been a while since i created the second partition, but im pretty sure i did the ext2, when i open link2sd and check the storage, the second partition says "data/ext2", so that states i used the ext2? im not tech savvy so dumb question i know. i am also going from a 4gb class 4 to a 16gb class 4, and concerns with that? one more question, sorry, how big do i actually need to make the second partiotion on the new card? on the 4gb i split it about even and hardly any of the second partition was used. thank in advance!!!!!!

 

[magus7091]

You can check using a Linux box or mini partition wizard, but go with your instinct on type, I went 1 gig on my new 32 GB card, and I'm loving the expanded storage. That being said you want to make sure your sd-ext partition is at least the same size as your original so recovery can restore it properly. However you copy the stuff on the FAT partition shouldn't matter, and as long as no apps are on that one it should be good.

Sent from my LG-VM670 using Android Central Forums

 

[whbisondtr]

ok, thank you very much! but if my instincts are wrong???

 

[whbisondtr]

just wanted to say thank you again, it worked great!