Prevent/disable OTA ICS ??

[MattyP]

Nice find SallyC!! I did not know of this app ... I will have to remember this for non-root students. Thank you! :hail:

 

[FoxKat]

Are there any backup apps that let non-rooted phones backup emails, SMS, contacts, apps, settings, accounts, etc....to external media ?

I can get my Contacts & pics to the SD card and then to a PC, but haven't found anyway to do the rest...

I use two utilities from the same developer, both are FREE, both work 100%, both do only what you ask them to and are VERY minimalistic.

SMS Backup & Restore (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.riteshsahu.SMSBackupRestore&feature=search_result) for backing up and restoring the SMS to an SD Card. Note, it defaults to "/mnt/sdcard/SMSBackupRestore/" (INTERNAL SD Card), so you have to change it in menu, settings, preferences, backup folder to "/mnt/sdcard-ext/SMSBackupRestore/" if you want it on the removable card.

Same holds true with Call Logs Backup & Restore (https://play.google.com/store/apps/...lLogBackupRestore&feature=more_from_developer) found in menu, preferences, backup folder, changing it to "/mnt/sdcard-ext/CallLogBackupRestore/".

Finally, I use a really neat app called AppBak (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.moparisthebest.appbak&feature=search_result) that lets you backup the installed applications but doesn't actually save the apps, only the list of apps. The list can be printed out, but what's really cool is when you initiate a restore, it takes you down the list and you can select on an app, it will take you to the App Store's page for that app, you install, then click back and you're right back in the list again, ready to do the next one.

If you want to backup the actual APK files, then AppMonster (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=de.android_telefonie.appmanager&feature=search_result) does the trick, again fast, 100% success rate.

 

[TisMyDroid]

Thanks for the info on backups. I was wondering about that. I keep seeing 'reset it to factory' and thought, "um, OK...but won't that wipe out all of my contacts, settings, info, etc...!?"

It looks like MyBackup, Verizon's Backup Assistant, Google backup whatever...all backup your data online to their servers. SMS B&R looks like it'll save it to the SD card.

For her, the online options are probably OK, but there is data on my phone that I cannot send 'out to the cloud' due to privacy/security concerns.

Are there any backup apps that let non-rooted phones backup emails, SMS, contacts, apps, settings, accounts, etc....to external media ?

I can get my Contacts & pics to the SD card and then to a PC, but haven't found anyway to do the rest...

You do not have to be rooted to use either MyBackup or SMS B& R. MyBackup will backup to your sd card or online. It prompts you to register but I skip that part because I don't like my stuff in the cloud either. It will back up your apps, data, contacts, call logs, texts, photos, media, settings, calendar, etc. It can back up to your internal sd card or external sd card. SMS B&R also saves to your card and you can email it, etc.

In addition, like MattyP said, you can save the contents of your sd card to your pc. I do the exact same thing every so often.

For email, it depends on the email program you use. I use enhanced email and it allows me to save all the settings for each of my email accounts and re-adding my email accounts exactly as they were is a one click process (well, maybe two or three click process but it's a breeze) .

I also go through all of my apps and see if they have a backup and restore feature then backup their settings that way. I now actually have a list of all the apps that allow me to do that.

Edit: Whoa, I am sorry Sally & FoxKat... I missed a whole page when I hit reply. Anyway D, what they said too!

Sent from my DROID RAZR Maxx using Droid Forums

 

[TisMyDroid]

So is speed the attraction with ROMs? I've never understood what that's all about either.

This thread has turned into a wealth of info on this subject for newbies like me. Thanks to all you experienced folks for sharing!:hail:

When I rommed my og droid, clocking and kernel properties were huge reasons to rom. That phone was not designed to be capable of handling everything you wanted to do with it so finding a rom and kernels that could utilize the limited resources of your phone so it could do more than what it was ever meant to was important. Second to that was the rom's ui or design and graphics. You could make your phone look like and behave like no one else's (sometimes in ways you didn't want it to).

Now, it is not necessary to try to get the speed and the performance like it was for those first androids. Our phone are pretty darn snappy, don't suffer from redraws or random reboots like those did. So, I really think people rom now for the look and style of the rom.

I looked over in the Razr rom section and there really are not that many roms to want to experiment with.

Sent from my DROID RAZR Maxx using Droid Forums

 

[MattyP]

Tis is a smart cookie ... :icon_eek:

 

[TisMyDroid]

Tis is a smart cookie ... :icon_eek:

Lol, sometimes in the wrong way!

Sent from my DROID RAZR Maxx using Droid Forums

 

[Disgusted]

You do not need to be rooted to use MyBackup Pro although you have more options if you are. .....

I use two utilities from the same developer, both are FREE, both work 100%, both do only what you ask them to and are VERY minimalistic.

SMS Backup & Restore (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.riteshsahu.SMSBackupRestore&feature=search_result) for backing up and restoring the SMS to an SD Card. Note, it defaults to "/mnt/sdcard/SMSBackupRestore/" (INTERNAL SD Card), so you have to change it in menu, settings, preferences, backup folder to "/mnt/sdcard-ext/SMSBackupRestore/" if you want it on the removable card................

Thanks for the info and links!

However, at this point, I have neither the time or desire to download/install/pay for/experiment with some unfamiliar apps. I will continue to hit "Install Later" and hope that by the time it forces mine to upgrade, they've worked out the bugs/deficiencies.

As for my wife; unfortunately I am going to direct her ire at Verizon/Googorola or whoever it is upstream that foisted this on us.

I find it ridiculous that Verizon/Googorola or whoever... did this.

Image if you tried to go to work one day only to find that overnight your car's company had switched the position of the stereo's tuning and volume knobs, re-cfg'd the stereo to only receive AM (unless, of course, you go thru a complicated 'FM enablement procedure'), reduced your MPG to under half what it was, caused it to now overheat, and all of your instruments are now only lit at night by a single dim blue light. We wouldn't tolerate it.

But, for some reason its OK for a phone company.

Thanks again for the help & info... I do appreciate it.

 

[Sydman]

So is speed the attraction with ROMs? I've never understood what that's all about either.

This thread has turned into a wealth of info on this subject for newbies like me. Thanks to all you experienced folks for sharing!:hail:

Yeah they do speed tweaks in the background that are only available with a custom ROM. Plus most of them now remove all the odex files that come along with the apks, thus them calling it deodexing. Which that speeds up your system rom since it isn't all bloated. They also do tweaks to the build.prop which could be done without a ROM if you knew what settings to change.

Again all of this is nice and all just not really what I am looking for from my phone. I have never over clocked my PC for the very reason I don't want to stress my components more than they already are. I just build computers fast enough where I don't need to tweak them to run right.

Sent from my DROID RAZR MAXX.

 

[MattyP]

Yeah they do speed tweaks in the background that are only available with a custom ROM. Plus most of them now remove all the odex files that come along with the apks, thus them calling it deodexing. Which that speeds up your system rom since it isn't all bloated. They also do tweaks to the build.prop which could be done without a ROM if you knew what settings to change.

Again all of this is nice and all just not really what I am looking for from my phone. I have never over clocked my PC for the very reason I don't want to stress my components more than they already are. I just build computers fast enough where I don't need to tweak them to run right.

Sent from my DROID RAZR MAXX.

I have my Maxx UNDER clocked

 

[Sydman]

I have my Maxx UNDER clocked

Yep, good battery saver.

Sent from my DROID RAZR MAXX.

 

[MattyP]

Yep, good battery saver.

Sent from my DROID RAZR MAXX.

I use SetCPU to underclock, I have profiles set up so it uses less CPU as the battery gets to lower levels, and minimum CPU when sleeping.

 

[this_is_nascar]

It is quite easy to root. I just did it and was shocked how easy it was. Thanks to Matt L Groff's and MattyP's help and instructions, these are the steps I followed to root my RAZR Maxx. Proceed with caution, read through all of the steps before you begin and you should be able to successfully root your phone... with the ability to easily unroot it when necessary:

On your pc, download Matt L Groff’s Droid Razr Utility. It can be found at:

http://www.droidforums.net/forum/droid-razr-hacks/216562-droid-razr-utility-1-8-a.html or

http://www.droidrzr.com/index.php/topic/3399-droid-razr-utility-181-windows-for-verizon-droid-razrmaxx-only

• Once downloaded, you will need to extract it to a folder on your PC.
• Open the folder you extracted this file to.
• In the Drivers(REQUIRED) folder, install the correct Motorola driver for your pc.
• Make sure your phone is at least 50% battery before you begin.
• Plug your phone into your computer usb using the usb cable that came with the phone.
• From your phone’s status bar drop down, open the notification with the usb symbol and choose to connect as a media device (NOT as Mass Storage).
• On your pc, in the folder you extracted the file to; find the "DroidRazrUtility.bat"file. Run that and choose option #2.Your phone will reboot itself twice during this process. When this is complete, follow the instructions in this utility window to get back to the Utility’s main menu.
  [*]From this utility, install bootstrap or safestrap BUT DO NOT INSTALL BOTH. Your phone will not reboot for that.
  [*]Go back to the Utility’s main menu and Install Voodoo Root Keeper. No reboots for that either.
  [*]On your phone, open Voodoo Root Keeper. Check to make sure you are rooted (if all the boxes are checked in Voodoo Root Keeper you are officially rooted).

What's the purpose of bootstrap, safestrap and voodoo. I've rooted to get TB installed, so I could freeze the updater, but I've not installed any of these (3) mentioned items. What am I missing out on by not having them?

 

[kurosawa]

You'll need to be rooted and use Titanium Backup to freeze the updater.apk app on the phone. You'll then need to clear the cache (which can be done by booting into recovery) to make sure that the downloaded update has been removed.

OK, I'm stuck. I don't see anything named updater.apk in the TB backup list. I see an Updater 2.3.6 (which I froze just because it had 'updater' in the name). I got a reminder last night after doing this, so I guess that's not it. Can you tell me the exact file name I'm looking for to freeze?

 

[TisMyDroid]

What's the purpose of bootstrap, safestrap and voodoo. I've rooted to get TB installed, so I could freeze the updater, but I've not installed any of these (3) mentioned items. What am I missing out on by not having them?

See this for the difference on Bootstrap vs safestrap, 2nd post thanks to FoxKat.

http://www.droidforums.net/forum/droid-razr-hacks/208787-safestrap-vs-bootstrap.html

Voodoo root keeper is so you can temporarily and easily revert back to stock OS (in case you want to install an OTA update, etc).

 

[JMac001]

OK, I'm stuck. I don't see anything named updater.apk in the TB backup list. I see an Updater 2.3.6 (which I froze just because it had 'updater' in the name). I got a reminder last night after doing this, so I guess that's not it. Can you tell me the exact file name I'm looking for to freeze?

Not sure, but I was trying to do the same thing and I noticed that Titanium also shows Upgrade 1.0, so I froze that too. Just did it so I don’t know if that's good or bad. If I still get the update message then I'll start over again.

Jim