Will factory reset undo upgrade from ICS to Jelly Bean?

[Mark 42]

I upgraded my Samsung Galaxy S2 Skyrocket (i727) from ICS to JB 4.1.2
Now it runs slow and clunky.

It looks like Carbon/Helium will backup my App data w/o root (whatever that is)

So I'm thinking about doing a factory reset.
Will I need to re-do the firmware update?

I'm not sure I want to stay with JB - I like the user interface, but it doesn't run well on
my phone (so far, anyway). Should I roll back to ICS? I really like the fact that JB lets me
rearrange apps in home screen folders - witch ICS I had to drop them in the order I wanted
them to appear.

I like some JB features... is there a chance that Samsung might do an update beyond 4.1.2
for my phone which will make it run smoother (looking at how bad Kies is, I don't hold much hope)
and if so, would it mean doing another factory reset before I do that upgrade to get rid of traces
of 4.1.2 just like I need to do a factory reset to delete ghosts of ICS now.

Also, what does it mean to "root" a phone, and what are the (dis)advantages?
Would that allow me to delete all of the bloatware that ATT & Google installed
which is mostly just a waste of memory to me?

Thanks.

 

[Scott Kenyon]

Your firmware will not change with a reset. Feel free to back up and see if it fixes your problem. I'm willing to wager it won't. The newer versions of Android require better hardware to run, and that's just a sad fact. You may wish to roll back to the prior versions to fix it.
Rooting is gaining access to do things you're unable to do without it. Essentially, you can command system files and enable functionality you couldn't otherwise. You can get rid of the bloatware while rooted, but you have to be very careful. If you delete Google Books and Magazines, for example, it will bork your system. Read read read! Make sure you know what you're doing if you're going to modify your device.

 

[B. Diddy]

Rooting a phone means to gain full access and control over the system and the root directory. This allows you to delete preinstalled apps (including bloatware, which is nice, but then you also run the risk of deleting a crucial app, which can irreversibly mess up the device). It also allows you to install a custom ROM, which can completely change the look of the phone, and also allow you to install a more advanced Android version than what's officially available for the phone.

If you're unrooted and you upgraded to JB either with an over-the-air update or through Kies, it should remain on JB after a factory data reset. Before you go as far as a factory reset, though, I would recommend trying a cache partition wipe. The system cache partition contains lots of temporary system data and logfiles that could potentially contribute to slowdown, especially after an OS update, since you may have leftover data from the previous OS that is gumming up the system. Consider it like "clearing the cobwebs." You will NOT lose any important data--it's only temporary data that is wiped. As far as I can tell from the web (Samsung Galaxy S II Skyrocket HD LTE hard reset), the procedure is:

1. With the phone turned off, press the Power key and Volume Up/Down keys at the same time until the phone switches on.
2. Once the Samsung logo appears, release the Power key while continuing to press the Volume Up/Down keys.
3. Continue to press the Volume Up/Down keys for at least 8 seconds, until Recovery mode is launched and the Android System Recovery screen is displayed.
4. Release the Volume Up/Down keys.
5. The following options are available:
? reboot system now: this option turns on your phone.
? apply update from sdcard: this option allows you to apply updates from your memory card to your phone.
? wipe data/factory reset: deletes all data from the phone except pictures and videos.
? wipe cache partition: allows you to delete all cache data such as log files.
6. Use the Volume Up/Down keys to scroll up or down, highlight "wipe cache partition," then press HOME to make the selection.
7. Once the wipe is done, select "Reboot system now."

 

[Mark 42]

Thanks!
That really helps - I'm reading as much as I can, but sometimes I feel like a 5th grader in
a differential equations class... I lack the background to even understand what is being
explained. Both of these explanations are basic enough for me to comprehend, and I
really appreciate that.

 

[B. Diddy]

When I was in college, differential equations kicked my behind as well!

 

[Mark 42]

I did the cache partition wipe.
To select the menu choice, I had to press the power button. I was assuming that "HOME" meant
the little picture of a house at the bottom of the phone, but that didn't have any effect when I
pushed on it, so I tried the power button, which worked.
It seems like the phone is working a bit faster, but that could be a placebo effect.
Time will tell, I suppose.

 

[B. Diddy]

Oh, sorry--I didn't proofread that section very well. Cut and pasted it from the article. Thanks for making the correction!