Received replacement Maxx today...next step?

[bocabean]

Fedex delivered my replacement Razr Maxx this morning. According to the shipping label (I plugged it in right away to fully charge), it has ICS .211 installed. I guess that was to be expected.

Now my question is how to go about moving everything over from the other phone. I have quite a few apps installed, not to mention data. My current phone is stock, never been rooted. I have been patiently waiting for the official update. I want to ensure that when I get JB on the phone, that it still has Webtop 3.0 working.

So any suggestions on setting up the new (or should I say "like new") device will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

'Bean

[Redsnk95]

All of your apps should be available to re-install from the Play Store with your google account. You should be able to use SMS back up if you want to transfer any text messages. As for pictures & videos, I would just transfer them from the phone to a computer, than computer to your new phone.

[YellowJacket]

and... things like pictures and other downloads should be on the storage card (SD card) so remove it from the current on and insert it into the new one and the files on it should be available.

I agree with Redsnk as stated above, an app like SMS Backup will save your important text messages if you need. Also as stated, any apps that you downloaded from the play store will automatically install on the new phone once you go through the initial setup on the new phone.

Another tip.... before you start using it right away you should let it charge up fully to get the maximum life and efficiency from the battery.

David

[bocabean]

Thanks Redsnk95 and YellowJacket. I am aware that the apps will download from GP. More concerned about data, email and txts. I have in fact been using a number of options but I am always afraid of double up.

For my contacts and calendars, I use DejaOffice on the phone along with CompanionLink on the desktop. That has been working great for me. It has kept my Outlook files in good order. I also have been using Rerware's Mybackup, I believe that it is a Pro version. What I am uncertain of is whether or not the MyBackup app will also back up the text messages. Hopefully it does. I just checked out SMS over at Google Play, and I found various reviews by Maxx users that were not entirely happy with it. The comments seemed to consistently state that even though the text messages are restored, they are done so in random order.

I pulled the SD card from the phone and connected it directly to the desktop (via an adapter). From there, I created a folder for the information on the SD card and then I used Xcopy /s under a DOS command prompt to copy over everything into the PC folder. I chose to do that so that the files would have their original dates.

I am going to have to ship back the old phone, once I have retrieved everything. I am considering going ahead with rooting the new phone and I am wondering if that should be done before or after I bring everything over. It seems that the logical choice would be to first root and get the phone to JB. I have never rooted before so this will be new for me. Also, can I do it before activating the new phone.

My guess is that Verizon will not release the official JB update until 11:59 PM on March 31st.

Thanks again,

'Bean

[lloydstrans]

I use life saver, backs up the phone logs as well. The texts seem to come random and with the current date associated with them.

Just puppy footing around. (auto correct)

[YellowJacket]

Another thing you can try to back up your contacts:

Open contacts and go to settings. Tap in import/export and then choose "export to storage". It will create a backup of all your contacts that you can later "import" back to the phone by following the same procedure.

I have done a few factory resets in the past and used that procedure to rebuild my address book.

If you use Gmail, you shouldn't lose any emails unless you have it set to delete after they are downloaded to your phone. If you use exchange or something else, I'm not sure.

Wow!! DOS xcopy/ I'm impressed.

David

[FoxKat]

I use life saver, backs up the phone logs as well. The texts seem to come random and with the current date associated with them.

Just puppy footing around. (auto correct)

I'm not sure which version of SMS Backup you guys are referring to, but the version that I refer everyone to is this one;
SMS Backup & Restore by Ritesh Sahu.

The same developer also makes a backup and restore program similarly named for preserving your phone call logs;

Call Logs Backup & Restore, by Ritesh Sahu.

These 2 applications have never failed me once. The only thing you need to make sure you do in advance of using these is change the default storage location for the data. Due to the specific naming conventions of the Motorola Droid, where it defaults to the "SDcard", for our purposes, it needs to be changed to "SDcard-ext".

This is done by tapping the Menu button, then selecting Preferences, then tapping on Backup Folder. From there, simply overwrite into the folder name the following...

• In the case of the SMS Backup & Restore; "/mnt/sdcard-ext/SMSBackupRestore/" (without the quotes), or
• In the case of the Call Logs Backup & Restore; "/mnt/sdcard-ext/CallLogBackupRestore/" (again, without the quotes).

I know that it has two radio buttons to select in there, but I don't know if either one works or not, so better safe than sorry.

Both utilities give you the option of either storing individual files for each sequential backup that is made, or doing a running back up where new phone call history or SMS texts are added as an appendage to the original stored data file. The latter preserves storage space, but it does come with a certain level of risk that if that one individual file were to become corrupted, all data could be lost, whereas the individual sequential backups could always be restored up to whichever file became corrupted, thereby recovering, most if not all of your data. Since each sequential backup is an entire backup of all data on the phone at that point, there is a huge amount of redundancy so of course you can manually cull older files as you are confident the newer ones are secure. Personally I go for the single file which is appended with each subsequent backup and they have never let me down.

Also both applications allow for scheduled backups at a predetermined time and also at predetermined intervals (such as with mine where it's set to backup every morning at 4:00am). This way you're never more than 24 hours out of sync and at risk of losing more than the most recent data. Of course for special situations like preparing to do a ROM flash or FDR, you can execute backups instantly through a menu selection, to be sure your backup is "up to the minute".

Both utilities are fast and accurate with no bloat, no fancy graphics or animations, and I have yet to discover any problems with restoring data...no out of order or lost SMS' or phone log entries, no missed backups, just pure function in a minimalist form. In fact they're so fast compared to others I've tried that at first I wondered if they were really preserving everything, but I discovered immediately that they did just that and with perfect order and heirarchy. Finally, they have the option while restoring to check for duplicates so unlike other utilities, an accidental restore of an older backup won't trash your SMS or phone call log chronology with redundant entries.

For the contacts, I simply let Google sync with the phone and the're always on the cloud which allows me to move from phone to phone with no concern for lost contacts.

Of course, your results may vary. Good luck!

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2

[bocabean]

Thanks for the info FoxKat. I know that you have the following of thousands, therefore I know that your advice is tested and true, as well. What are your thoughts regarding the other questions that I have raised regarding the timing of my final step into rooting. Anything to be done to the device, once battery charging is complete, or do I first need to transfer everything over and then activate?

In the interim, I will go and visit your references.

Thanks again,
'Bean

[FoxKat]

Hey Bean, there really isn't a "one best method" other than what I believe to be the best course of action (and of course, that's a biased opinion). I say, take the phone from pure stock to pure stock BEFORE re-installing apps, restoring SMS or call logs, etc. The less the new OS has to "upgrade" while reforming its cache, the better in my opinion.

I say that, but in my case I did just the opposite so I am a bad example of my own recommendations! You know, do as I say, not as I do...

For me, I simply restored .211 but DIDN'T wipe, then did the upgrade and watched as it "upgraded" over 68 user-installed apps. Believe me, I sweated a bit during that process, but fortunately I tend to stay with the tried and true in the apps category, so all apps upgraded successfully and I have ZERO issues with the JB. The only thing I DIDN'T do with MY RAZR MAXX is properly protect Root (DOH!)

I did my upgrade right before Matt L Groff had come up with the method he created to assure Root is retained (the one I now reference in my FoxKat's Razr/Maxx Jelly Bean Leak Classroom W/MattyP & Friends). His method is a cumbersome and seemingly overly redundant process of Temp Rooting and Temp Unrooting, but for whatever reason - only Matt knows for sure, it works. I DID however follow his instructions when upgrading the wife's OG RAZR and no surprise...it preserved Root.

As far as once the battery is fully charged with power off, you're best served running the phone normally and continue on battery power until it pops up with the "Low battery" warning (15%), and then just like before, power down and charge to 100% again. It may not be necessary to do this since the battery flags are data rather than OS or apps, and so are not (I believe) replaced or zero'ed out upon flashing of the update, but it can't hurt to be sure. I did it with both phones and have been very pleasantly surprised at how much more battery life I obtain with the phones on JB, running all the same apps, and frankly using them even more than prior to the upgrade. It's almost like a "hardware upgrade" rather than simply an OS upgrade experience.

I know you've been reading others' posts as well, many who are my loyalists, and they've touted the OS as the best possible combination of speed and GUI experience out of all previously owned phones and iterations of Android. I must agree. It's so good, in fact - I wonder why Motorola and Verizon don't just push it out already! I mean if they wanted a SOAK test, they got one, and a very favorable one at that. Yeah, there have been a few faux pas with users not doing this or that along the process (me included with losing Root), but I've yet to see someone that couldn't essentially completely resolve them, except in the case of a soft brick - and even then, CamoMike proved even a soft-brick of JB can be recovered from (FIX: Soft Bricked after reverting from Jelly Bean update).

I gotta say here and now, that if I wanted to start another company and wanted to make sure above all, that I had the best possible team players...I'd be picking from the lot of you! You are ALL top-notch in my book,

• from the barely-known member who stumbles upon a solution and takes time to share it with the masses
• to the members who seem to thrive by helping others
• to the Rescue Squad members who devote their entire time on here to helping others and as the name says...Rescue them
• to the Moderators and Super Moderators who both take the wheel and provide invaluable support - while also keeping this tight ship afloat and free of leaks
• to the Admin who also provide tremendous support and who are the ultimate hull and rudder of the entire forum .

You guys and gals are great and I'm proud to be a part of this community.

[bocabean]

I am inclined to believe that the probability that I will experience any trouble with the new device is relatively low, although I know not 100% guaranteed. Having said that, I am happy to give rooting a shot finally. So is your recommendation to start with the Classroom leak above? I have to plead ignorance when it comes to all of the terminology of "root", "rom", etc. etc. If I can see all of that in one place, it will make perfect sense to me. I'm guessing that all of the "Rooting for Dummies" books have all been checked out at the library! I never had any fears in my Blackberry days.



Well here's an update. So much for the replacement phone. It has a defective Sim card slot. Back in the box it goes. VZ is shipping out another phone tonight!