Want to Save Downloaded Apps When Rooting

[LunaEros]

I want to root my Huawei s7-303u Springboard (Mediapad)
it has ICS 4.0.3 and I want to put Jellybean or KitKat on it for any upgraded functionality. (Specifically for the HDMI WIFI streaming)

But I'm worried about losing my installed apps and all the settings of the system (configuration, network, display, audio, homepage settings, icon positions, etc.)
I'm also worried about any impact on performance if I do it.

Reason for that is I have an iPhone 3G which I jailbroke (which I understand is pretty much the same thing as rooting)
and although everything worked afterwards my GPS in it had dismal performance compared to stock.
It worked only about 30% as well as it did before I jailbroke it.

Can someone point to a detailed instruction process that will let me save my downloaded apps and program/system settings
and restore them on the upgraded system/firmware/os?

I asked over at the XDA Developers site but no-one there seems to want to help me with it.

I'm still fairly new to Android and although I usually pick up things quickly I think I would like idiot instructions only because
I'm nervous about doing it like I was with the iPhone. I've read you can brick Android as well.

Thanks for any help anyone can give.

 

[Droid-Xer]

You can use an app like Helium (non-rooted) to backup your user apps (downloaded apps) and their data. If you're rooted, use titanium backup.

You can then move that file to your PC or external SD if the device has one.

You can't backup system settings or apps because restoring them on a new system will cause many issues. So BT connections, WiFi access points, and other system settings will have to be re-set.

If you use a home screen replacement like Nova or Apex or Go, you can backup your home screen setup within the apps. If you use the stock launcher, then you can't back that up.

 

[LunaEros]

Thank you.
Ok let me get this right....
I've already backed up the whole thing 3 different ways. Using Huawei's HiSuite, MyBackup and the ADB command line.
So one of these backup will put my installed apps back on the device but NOT the system settings nor system apps. Correct?
Will they one of them be able to restore my installed apps settings?
And what about my SIM card? They put that in for me at T-Mobile. Are the settings for it stored on the card itself? Or will I have to take it back to them.

 

[Droid-Xer]

The sim won't be touched. As far as your apps, I would use the app Helium to backup the apps+data. I've only ever used Titanium Backup, so I'm not sure about the other methods you're referring to.

 

[LunaEros]

1 more question.
I've done some more reading and it looks to me that when you root a device it has to do it by completely rewriting the OS with a firmware whether it's a stock or custom.
Is there a way to backup into a firmware image the complete system on my device now?

 

[Droid-Xer]

No. Be sure you have the stock images before messing with rooting or ROMs. In case something goes wrong you can flash the stock firmware. Most manufacturer sites have the stock images.

 

[LunaEros]

I was afraid of that because mine is ICS 4.0.3 and my device is an Springboard S7-303U and on Huawei's site all I see is 302U.
I can't seem to find the firmware for the 303U anywhere.
Strange thing is that although it says it's a 303U on the case, in the settings/about tablet/model number it says it's Mediapad and in the ..../build number it says S7-301UV100R002C232B005
I know the Springboard and Mediapad are in essence the same but does that build number mean it's a 301? or is it that it is a 303 and the 301 is displayed because that is the original build they started with and was updated from there OTA?

 

[LunaEros]

Another thing is I can't seem to find instructions for rooting in LAYMAN's terms for us Windows users anywhere.
For instance....
For my Huawei the instructions I find the most pointers to is on xda and has this "4. Flash the CWM recovery image to your first recovery partition ONLY:"
With further reading the only thing I can assume is this means to take the firmware image name it update.zip and place it on the tablets dload folder.
Is this correct?
That's another thing I can't find a "dload" folder anywhere. I take it the guy means "Download" folder?

I honestly don't understand why so many in the Android communities have to be cryptic when they explain things.
Although many in the community may understand it, people that are new to it don't always understand.
One of the more difficult things I'm trying to wrap my head around is the system file structure. And everywhere I see references to scripts.
To us Windows newcomers like me who's only used Windows for 30+ years and understand .exe and .com PROGRAMS and a directory structure where the system can execute damn near any program from anywhere
it's a little difficult to fathom Androids/Linux system where everything seems to need a particular place to be in to do what it's supposed to.

 

[Droid-Xer]

If the rooting process is talking about images and not zip files, you must use ADB to run command level prompts to your device. You flash zips in recovery and install images through ADB.

The procedures and jargon may be new to you, but its best to do plenty of research before altering your device. Rooting and flashing different firmware to your device if you don't know what you're doing can end up with a bricked device.

 

[LunaEros]

That's one of the things I'm afraid of, bricking. The other thing is losing performance.
I jailbroke my iPhone and although everything worked the GPS performance absolutely sucked afterward. I don't want to do that to this.

I've talked to a couple people about the Cyanogen 10.1 with the Springboard and they say so far everything works great. So that will be the one I try.

I just found this morning a few different methods of rooting without rewriting the OS. I used the Bin4ry one and it seems to have worked great.
The only thing I seemed to need to reset was my WIFI password.

So now I'm playing with some rooted apps. First one I'm using is Titanium Backup Pro.

When I'm done playing with all the different root apps in my Play Store wishlist I'll try to put in the Cyanogen.

I was worried about having to reinstall all my apps and system settings but it looks like Titanium will backup everything INCLUDING the system settings.

I guess I'll find out.

Thanks for the help. I think down the road if I can't find anything online I might try to create a Windows Terms/Jargon to Android Terms/Jargon for Windows users new to Android. That is after I learn it all myself.

 

[LunaEros]

You flash zips in recovery and install images through ADB.

There's another point of me not understanding. "recovery" I've read that it's a partition? Does that mean a directory? Because I can't find a 'recovery' or 'recovery2' or 'dload' in the directory structure anywhere.
Is it something that can't be seen by the user? If that's the case does that mean it's only something that's used when running ADB commands?
From what I've read it looks like others put files there to upgrade the system which sounds like they CAN see it.

Android is confusing for an idiot. I used to think I was smart.

 

[Droid-Xer]

Recovery is like bios for windows. Not a partition. The most used ones are Clockwork Mod and TWRP. I'm not sure which one is compatible with your device.

The recovery can see what's on your sdcard to install it.

 

[LunaEros]

I see people call it a "recovery partition".
Anyway. So recovery is in the hardware and there's no way to see it? That's what the bios is on a windows machine, hardware. But you have utilities to see the bios.
Or is recovery software in storage somewhere and just hidden with no way to see it.

 

[Droid-Xer]

All Android devices have stock recovery where a factory data reset or cache clear or system update zip can be executed. Clockwork Mod and TWRP replace the stock recovery with a more functional recovery where unsigned zips can be flashed and backups can be performed.

Whatever you put on the sdcard can be seen by the recovery. So if you download a flashable zip from the browser, when you boot into recovery, you will see the downloaded zip in the /mnt/sdcard/download folder.

 

[LunaEros]

Ok. So 'recovery' is a firmware code in hardware that the device uses like a windows machine bios code is on an actual ic chip (like you said).
The recovery code is not viewable by the user and when people talk about 'putting it in the recovery' they are talking about the download folder you mentioned. A place where the 'recovery firmware mode' can can see it.
So the only thing a user can see is what they put in that directory for the recovery to use.

Is that correct? Am I getting it yet?

So when they are talking about 'put it in recovery' or 'dload', they are actually referring to the "Download" folder. Correct?

Thanks Droid-Xer for helping this idiot understand.