A rough guide to backup your phone :)

[Tufftoad]

Tufftoad’s Backup Guide

Hey All,
Thought I would create another guide to help anyone that needs to back-up their data on the Samsung Galaxy device range, some of the methods may work on other phones but this was primarily created for this Forum.

To start with I will be advising on ways to back-up your data using standard methods. If you have a ‘Rooted’ phone then the process of backing up your data is made far simpler, I will tackle methods of backing up data on rooted phones in the latter part of this guide. For now this part of the guide can be used by everyone

Edit: So I have decided to Root and Network unlock my phone, you are able to root without wiping the phone (at least the S3 will, that's all I have) so you can then install Titanium Backup and backup your apps and their data.

I will update the 2nd part of this guide and also add links for resources to Root, Unlock and restore Warranty on your S3.



Samsung Kies
Samsung developed a program called Samsung Kies (for PC/Mac) which is the companion software for your phone; it’s free and available from Samsung’s website. Samsung Kies has a few uses:

Software/Firmware Updates – Update your phone’s operating system (Android)
Sync Contacts/Calendars – Sync personal info
Media Transfer – Sync Photos/videos/Audio
Wireless Connectivity – Samsung Kies also allows you to connect to it via WiFi, although there are restrictions on use such as not being able to update software via Wifi connection.

Samsung - Samsung Kies

A couple of tips to help you get Samsung Kies working:
· When installing Samsung Kies make sure you start from a clean slate, so uninstall any other versions of Samsung Kies and the Samsung USB drivers.
· Once Samsung Kies has been installed open Kies and wait for it to load. Then insert the USB cable into the PC and then connect the phone to the PC. Once this is done the PC should start installing/recognising the phone, leave it a couple of minutes and then you will see Samsung Kies start to connect to the phone.
· The Samsung S1 & S2 had a ‘Kies Mode’ in the phone’s settings, in order to connect to Kies this mode should be selected. Check the following location on your phone:
Andorid 2.* Menu > Settings > Wireless & Network > USB
Android 4.* Menu > Settings > More Settings > USB Utilities
· The phone’s screen should be unlocked when connecting the device to the USB cable. If the phone is not unlocked then the phone will more than likely not connect.
· Different versions of Android will have different ways of connecting via USB, don't forget to check the notification bar on your phone once it's connected. You may have to select the USB connected notification to bring up further options for connecting.

If you are still having trouble and insist on using Samsung Kies then you may wish to search the web for solutions to your problem. I will not offer tailored solutions as Samsung Kies is renowned for being a poorly made piece of software.

For those of you that have used Samsung Kies before you will also know that it is highly strung. I will guarantee that most of you will have troubles at one point with Samsung Kies, which is why I will offer various methods to help you back-up data.


An alternative program to use is MyPhoneExplorer:

Google Play - MyPhoneExplorer
Quick description:
· Sync your phone with Outlook, Thunderbird, Sunbird, Lotus Notes, Tobit David, Windows Contacts, windows Calendar.
· Manage your SMS, Calllists, Apps, Files, handle Calls, create backups.
· Connection via WiFi, USB-Cable or Bluetooth.

If you use other programs to back-up your data then please feel free to share your knowledge and programs.


The next part of the guide will deal with individual components like Contacts, App Data etc.

Contacts
For me the easiest way to organise and store my contacts is to transfer them to Google, this way they can be synced at anytime from anywhere. Follow this procedure to import your contacts from your phone to Google.

Click on the Contacts application on your phone, then press the Menu button > Import/Export > select ‘Export to USB storage’ or ‘Export to SD card’.
Selecting either option will produce a 00001.VCF file either on your phone’s internal storage or the external storage.
Copy the file to your Pc using the USB cable, you could even email the file to yourself and pick it up off the PC.
On your PC open a web explorer and log into your GoogleMail account. Then towards the top on the left (above the red ‘compose’ button) click on Gmail and then select Contacts. On the left, towards the bottom of the options, you will see ‘Import Contacts’ which you need to click on, a dialogue box will open up, press ‘choose file’ then locate the 00001.VCF file and import it.

You should now have all your phone contacts visible on Gmail. You can now organise your contacts how you want and merge any duplicate contacts. I personally deleted any contact which did not have a telephone number.

I then deleted all my contacts from my phone. To get the contacts back on your phone from Gmail, on your phone go to Menu > Settings > Accounts & Sync > tap on your googlemail account > then untick the contacts option and then re-tick it. Once the contacts option has been ticked again it will start to sync the contacts info.

When you add a new contact, depending on your sync refresh rate, it should send new contact details immediately to Google.

Merged Contacts
Just a quick note for now. If you have merged contacts and the correct profile picture isn’t being shown, you can select which one you want by going into the contacts application and then: Go into the contact by tapping on it > then press ‘Menu’ > Mark as default > Select which account is the default account information.

SMS Messages
If you really need to back-up SMS messages then the following apps will do the job well:
Google Play - SMS Backup+
Google Play - SMS Backup & Restore

Calendars
I really have no use for the calendar other then to check when the next pay day is. Today I messed a little with syncing Outlook with my SGS3 and it was successful.

I opened Samsung Kies and connected the phone, chose the Sync tab and then ticked 'Sync schedule with Outlook', clicked the Sync button and it went ahead successfully.
This will sync from the PC to Phone but am not yet sure how to sync from Phone to PC....will deal with this later.

Bookmarks
My point of opinion on bookmarks is that usually you will not need to back them up as most web browsing is done on the home PC. However, I'm sure there are times that you come across a webpage on your mobile that you may wish to bookmark for when you get home.

Transferring bookmarks from PC to Phone

I use Google Chrome on my PC, so when I bookmark a webpage it saves the information on my Google account (if signed into Google). The bookmarks can then be synced to any web browser that allows you to sign in with an email....like the Samsung Galaxy stock internet browser.

If you also use Google Chrome and have your bookmarks saved with Google, but cannot import your bookmarks to the stock browser on your device then you may have an 'Internet' syncing issue. I also had this problem and found a solution which I posted on the following thread:
Google and syncing problems

(For people who do not use Google Chrome on their home PC)
If on your home PC you use a web browser which doesn't allow you to sync bookmarks between accounts then there's another way to transfer your bookmarks from the PC to the phone.

1. Download and install the following app to your Galaxy Device: MyBookmarks - Google Play
2. Open your PC web browser and export your bookmarks as a HTML file.
3. On the PC load the following webpage http://www.rerware.com/MyBookmarks/
4. Click on the 'Choose File' button and select the HTML that you exported from your web browser.
5. Open MyBookmarks app on your device, once open you will be given a long ID number
6. Type the long ID number on your PC to the webpage linked in step 3 and click 'Send My Bookmarks'
7. With the MyBookmarks app still open, click on 'Import your bookmarks from RerWare.com'

If you had bookmarks stored in separate folders then you will need to re-organise them once imported to your phone.


Transferring bookmarks from Phone to PC

The stock browser does not come with an option to export bookmarks which makes things a little harder. However there are a number of apps on Google Play which will allow you to export Bookmarks on your mobile.

If you only have a few bookmarks which you want to export then the easiest way is to load the bookmark, copy the web address and paste into an email which you can send to yourself.


Saved Games
I can't guarantee that this method will work for all games. Ideally we are going to copy the game's data to a PC and then copy it back when needed. Locating and identifying the data is usually straight forrward enough.

When restoring the data the usual process is:
1. Install the application/game
2. Once installed open the application/game
3. Close the application/game
4. Restore the data

Some apps may require you to open and use the game for a few seconds before restoring the saved data.

Usually the game's data can be found in the following directories:
SDcard/Android/Data/

Within the folder called 'Data' you should find most of the apps and their data in respective folders. Some of the folders are easy to identify but some are not, I have listed some of the folders within my Data folder as an example:
SDcard/Android/Data/com.dropbox.android/ (Dropbox)
SDcard/Android/Data/com.ea.game.realracing2 (Real Racing 2)
SDcard/Android/Data/com.gameloft.android.SAMSUNG.GloftA7SS (Asphalt 7: Heat - not as easy to identify as the above 2)
SDcard/Android/Data/com.google.android.youtube (Youtube)
SDcard/Android/Data/com.incross.shadowgun.eng (Shadowgun)

As I mentioned previously some games work in different ways, a couple of examples are Football Manager Handheld (FMH) and Angry Birds. There are apps on Google Play to help backup your Angry Birds game data and FMH stores it's data in the following directory structure:
/sdcard/fmh_data/

Other apps like Whatsapp allow users to backup data, although Whatsapp backups are stored on your Phone's storage so make sure to copy the data to a PC.

Photographs
Get something right first time and backup your photos as you take them, I've seen numerous threads asking how to recover data or photos and most of the time it's not a happy ending.

There are a few apps that allow you to upload photos to on-line storage but make sure that the app also doesn't publish your photo to a website or on-line gallery....last thing you want to do is take a picture you shouldn't have and it automatically upload to a social media site like G+.

I personally recommend Dropbox, the Android app is well designed and allows you to upload photos via a data connection or Wifi. If your data plan is unlimited then choose to upload over the data connection for instant backup. It's easier to delete photos when you get home then recover them from a damaged device.

Please note that Samsung S3 owners will receive 50Gb (2Gb permanent & 48Gb for a couple of years or so...check T&C on their website)

Google Play - Dropbox
Google Play - Box (Box.net)
Google Play - SugarSync I list this app with caution. Samsung use this company on their SmartTV range to stream media directly to the TV. Use the Android app to sign up as they offer 5Gb of online storage for free. I caution SugarSync as signing up via the net or off a Samsung TV may mean your storage is only free for short period and then charges may apply.

If you are not that fussed and just prefer to copy them to a PC then locate photos in the following directory structure:
/sdcard/DCIM/ (Phone Storage)
/extsdcard/DCIM/ (External Storage)

If the worse does happen and you delete or lose data then check out Piriform's Recuva software. I've never used but other site members have recommended it.

Music/Pictures/Videos
Backing up media is pretty simple, all you have to do is copy it to a PC and then copy it back. If you don't own a USB cable then it the process can be done over Wifi too. For help with managing media see my Media Support Centre thread.

--------------

As apps get updated or when people request help I will amend the first part of the guide. If you are not willing to Root your phone then this is the end of our Journey.

See the next post for the 2nd part of the guide where I will Root, Network Unlock, Restore Warranty and guide you on backing up the entire state of your phone.

[Tufftoad]

Tufftoad’s Backup Guide - The Rooter's Route

I have decided to Root and Network unlock my SGS 3, rooting my phone will allow me to backup Apps and their data. It will also allow me to perform a Nandroid backup which is a backup of the entire state of your phone, settings, layout, passwords etc. Since I have rooted the phone it'll be wise to Network unlock it too.

Rooting the phone will void the warranty of the phone but the warranty can be restored if needed using Triangle Away, I will explain how to restore your warranty later in the guide.

The are a few reasons I Network unlocked the phone:
Obviously you can use any sim in the phone, handy if you go abroad.
The price of the phone should increase if a resale is required.
Network unlocked phones usually receive updates sooner then other devices, this also depnds on the firmware version.

Before we begin please note that this guide has only been tested with the Samsung Galaxy S3 i9300 International model....as that's the only Galaxy S3 I have. Take note of the red writing below before you attempt anything further in this guide:
**I am not liable for the actions you take with your phone, when you follow this guide/tutorial**

Let's begin

Oops. 2 things you'll need to know about your S3, what they are, what they do and how to access them:
Recovery Mode - Allows access to recovery options such as factory Reset and wipe Dalvik Cache
Download Mode - Used to download and flash/install system files and kernels.

Not sure of any of the words I've used so far? Check out the SGS Forum Dictionary by Pidz

To access the 2 modes listed above:
Recovery Mode - When the phone is off or on, press and hold the following buttons: Volume Up, Home button and Power Button, keep all of them held until you pass the Samsugn screen and enter the Recovery options screen.
Download Mode - When the phone is off or on, press and hold the following buttons: Volume Down, Home Button and Power Button, keep all of them held until you can see the Recovery screen options.


Rooting
I have always used Chainfire's method and it worked for me without fail. Please read his original thread where you will find the files, instructions and questions you require. I will provide a download link for Odin 3 as this will not be updated and will provide a link to the S3 Chainfire Root thread at XDA. As always the XDA Forums will require you to sign up in order to download the files.

[03.07.2012] CF-Root 6.4 - SuperSU+CWM5.5+CWMManager - @ XDA Forums
**As always read the instructions before attempting to root your device**

Odin 3 Version 1.85 - Direct download

For those that are familiar with Odin and flashing files through it, here's the process:
Unzipped the CFRoot file and extracted the .Tar file
Opened Odin3 and clicked PDA then selected the root .Tar file.
Put phone in download mode then connect to PC and click Start.

The phone was rooted without wiping anything (re-partition was not ticked and should not be ticked, check website), I restarted the phone after the process was finished but that's just me.
Make sure you can now see the following apps in your app draw (where the apps are kept):
CWM (ClockWorkMod) -
SuperSU
If you can see these apps then you are now rooted. Open each app and 'Grant' each app Super User access/request.

You can check that your warranty has been voided by going to the Download Mode screen and then pressing Volume Up, you will see that the 'Custom Binary Download' now says Yes (1 Count). You have officially voided the warranty on your phone! You can restore the warranty on your phone which I will detail later in this guide.
To get off the Download Mode screen just pull the battery out and put back in.


Nandroid Backup
One of the main advantages of rooting your phone will be that you can backup the entire state of your phone. What I mean by this is that a Nandroid backup is an exact image if your phone, system files, settings, apps, options etc. Basically once you are happy with the look and layout of the phone back it up and never have to worry about restoring anything again. CWM which comes when you root your phone allows you to do this, at this point I advise you to backup your phone.

Follow these steps to carry out a Nandroid Backup:
1. Enter Recovery mode
2. Use the Volume slider button to select 'Backup & Restore' and press the power button to confirm the selection
3. Select 'Backup' and confirm the selection with the Power button

Your phone will proceed to backup all it's data. The tame taken for this to complete will vary depending on what apps are installed how much or what data you have on your phone. Once finished you will return to the start of the recovery menu, simply press the Power button to select 'Reboot Now'.

My Nandroid Backup came to approx 2.2Gb so make sure you have enough space to do so. This is also a good reason to move the backed up data to a PC for safe storage. If you wish to copy the Nandroid backup to a PC then you locate the backed up data in the following location:
/sdcard/clockworkmod/backup/

*There maybe instances when a Nandroid backup cannot be restored, I'm not sure of the cause but think it may have something to do with which version of CWM you use to backup with and which version you are trying to restore with. I will update this later.


Titanium Backup
Although the Nandroid backup is nice, it's also a lengthy process and the data on your phone and the apps you install change all the time. For this reason Titanium Backup is useful, the app performs a number of tasks but the main reason is to backup the apps (and their data) on your phone. So saved games etc can be saved and stored.
Download Titanium Backup for Free at Google Play using the link below. The Pro version allows for more options.

Google Play - Titanium Backup [Root]

Once Titanium has been installed open the app and grant Super User access, you will then have to click a through a couple more prompts. To backup your apps select the 'Schedules' tab across the top, then either:
1. Click on the run button for the 'Backup new user+system apps & newer versions' option - This will backup all apps and their data, including system apps. My backup came to approx 900Mb.
2. Click 'Add New Schedule' on the bottom right. - This will allow you to create a new schedule and select what is backed up.

Titanium will start to backup your data and run in the background, just leave the phone alone and let it finish. Again depending on the apps you have installed you may want to free up some space and move the backed up data to a PC. You can find Titanium's saved data in the following location:
/sdcard/titaniumbackup/


Network/Sim Unlock your phone
Most phones that are bought on contract from a Network will be locked to that network, some exceptions are place like Phones4U (as is mine) or CarPhone Warehouse etc.
To test if your phone is Network locked, insert a different Network's simcard into the phone. If you can access the Phonebook/Contacts and make a call, then your phone is unlocked.

For me this was a little harder as most of the people I know don't have micro sims which the S3 now uses

I was going to use the app listed below to unlock my phone but the message I got was 'simlock inactive' (in green), I took for granted that this means that my phone was unlocked.

Google Play - Voodoo Galaxy S III SIM Unlock
XDA Portal - Voodoo SIM Unlock for i9300 GS3

There's a 3rd method called: Valhalla Unlocker - Galaxy S III

The USSD code (*#7465625#) to check the Lock Status of the phone also does not work on my S3.

Found a 4th app called GalaxSim Unlock which should unlock the Galaxy S 1, 2, 3, & variants. Let me know if this works for you.
Google Play - GalaxSim Unlock
GalaxSim Unlock 1.02, JB compatible @ XDA Forum


Restore Warranty
As mentioned before if you have rooted your phone then you have voided the warranty with Samsung, this section will deal with restoring your phone to a state where the warranty will become valid again.

To restore the phone to an acceptable state with Samsung you will need the following items:
1. Odin 3 Version 1.85
2. Stock Firmware - Available @ SamMobile.com
3. Triangle Away - Free @ XDA Forums (free sign up required) or the Paid version from Google Play

Stock Firmware is required as any other firmware like custom roms/deodexed roms are tell tale signs that the phone has been messed with.
Triangle Away is required as the Binary Counter and Binary Download Counter keeps a record of how many times unofficial firmwares/kernels have been flashed to the phone. Triangle Away resets both counters to zero so there is no trace of flashing software to the phone.

Let's begin: ......

1) Carry out the usual procedures such as backing up anything you want to keep, contacts, sms, data etc.
2) Install and run Triangle Away on your device (please read the XDA thread and take note of the 'in app' warnings.
3) Once Triangle Away application has been used the phone will reboot. Turn off the phone and go into download mode, check the statuses say 'No' & 'Official'.
4) While in Download Mode boot straight into to Recovery Mode and Wipe data/factory reset, then wipe cache and wipe dalvik cache.
5) Put the phone into download mode.
6) Extract the Stock Firmware so that you have a .MD5 file.
7) Open Odin and click on the PDA field and select the .MD5 file. Leave all other options alone.
8) Plug the phone in using USB cable, wait for yellow 'com port' to appear and hit start.
9) Leave the PC and phone alone until the process has finished and the phone has fully booted.

Your phone should now have a valid warranty but we should check a few things to make sure this is the case.

Check your firmware is the same as the firmware you have downloaded:
Dial *#1234# to bring up the firmware version. If your CSC is incorrect then we will need to change this.

To change your CSC you will need your IMEI number.
Dial *#06# and note down the 15 digit number on a piece paper.

Dial *#272*yourIMEI# and install your relevant CSC (I'm in the UK and Network Unlocked so my CSC = BTU). Your phone will factory reset and reboot.

Your phone is pretty much ready now. If you wish to send off your phone for repair or any other reason that may require the warranty to be valid then continue on to make sure there is no sign of tampering with the phone.

Once the phone has booted up, format the internal storage from Menu > Settings > Storage > Format SD card

If you wish you can then connect the phone to Samsung Kies on the PC and check for any updates.

Double check that both the Binary Counters have been reset.

Your phone now has a valid warranty with Samsung.

[RichH]

Most excellent

[Richardj]

Fantastic work TT

[Doomed]

Is there more to come or are you just out of breath

[Tufftoad]

Is there more to come or are you just out of breath

Definitely more but it's nice to breathe again!

[Tufftoad]

I have more or less finished the first part of this guide and started to go through the process of Rooting and backing up data. I will tackle the Network Unlock and Restore Warranty sections later.

[durhamdad54]

Hi mate I moved to the dark side and got the iPhone 4S but hate it so come may next year it's the sg3 for me

[Doomed]

Hi mate I moved to the dark side and got the iPhone 4S but hate it so come may next year it's the sg3 for me

It's to late. You're a lost cause. I demand you change your avatar to an apple loving one.

May the Android be out to get you

[Tufftoad]

I have now added the 'Restore Warranty' section to the end of my guide Part 2.