Factory reset and sd card

[LMKH4]

I decided to do a factory reset due to many issues with my razr hd. Read what I could find, downloaded an app from the play store and backed up everything to my sd card as recommended. Now I can't access what I saved. Is there any way to recover what I put on there, or am I SOL...I'm thinking it's the latter of the two, but I want to be sure before I download any new apps. I'm irked because I thought I was doing the right thing, but I guess it's a case of lesson learned...the hard way. lol
Thanks in advance for any help.

 

[KaChow]

I decided to do a factory reset due to many issues with my razr hd. Read what I could find, downloaded an app from the play store and backed up everything to my sd card as recommended. Now I can't access what I saved. Is there any way to recover what I put on there, or am I SOL...I'm thinking it's the latter of the two, but I want to be sure before I download any new apps. I'm irked because I thought I was doing the right thing, but I guess it's a case of lesson learned...the hard way. lol
Thanks in advance for any help.

Anytime that you make a backup, always check to make sure that the storage is going to the external drive or sdcard1. Backups mostly by default use the sdcard0 which is internal storage, which if you do a factory reset then the backup is gone. What I would suggest with your device is go into Settings> go to Developer Options> turn it on and check the check box for USB Debugging. Then plug in your device via usb and see if you can search for the backup on your computer.

One other thing, I'm not sure what you backed up, but if it is apps that you had and want back. One thing you could do is go into the Playstore, click on 3-dot line in the upper right corner of the screen and select "My apps", go into "My apps" which displays what is currently installed, slide the screen to the right and you will see "All", this stores every app that you've ever downloaded, if you are concerned about apps and a backup of apps that doesn't exist, this could be a good way to get those apps back, but keep in mind, the Playstore only keeps track of the apps, it does not keep track of the data, like passwords or settings, you'll need to restore that information.

 

[LMKH4]

Anytime that you make a backup, always check to make sure that the storage is going to the external drive or sdcard1. Backups mostly by default use the sdcard0 which is internal storage, which if you do a factory reset then the backup is gone. What I would suggest with your device is go into Settings> go to Developer Options> turn it on and check the check box for USB Debugging. Then plug in your device via usb and see if you can search for the backup on your computer.

One other thing, I'm not sure what you backed up, but if it is apps that you had and want back. One thing you could do is go into the Playstore, click on 3-dot line in the upper right corner of the screen and select "My apps", go into "My apps" which displays what is currently installed, slide the screen to the right and you will see "All", this stores every app that you've ever downloaded, if you are concerned about apps and a backup of apps that doesn't exist, this could be a good way to get those apps back, but keep in mind, the Playstore only keeps track of the apps, it does not keep track of the data, like passwords or settings, you'll need to restore that information.

I had backed up my contacts, text messages, pictures, music and my apps. I am not worried about the apps, I can download any of them that I want again. What bothers me is loosing the text messages and pictures. Everything else I can replace...I did as you suggested and could not find anything...so I guess I just move on from here. I just didn't want to start downloading apps in case there was a chance to retrieve the other things I had backed up since they tell you it may modify/delete information on your sd card. So, lesson learned, and I have already taken steps to make sure this won't happen again.
Thanks for your help and advice though. It is appreciated since I know very little about these phones.

 

[PereDroid]

You are using the same app that you did the backup with, right? Have to ask the obvious questin. Friend did that. Downloaded SMS BACKUP. Wiped phone. Calls me: "My text's didn't come back!"
He didn't redownload SMS Backup to do the restore.

 

[LMKH4]

You are using the same app that you did the backup with, right? Have to ask the obvious questin. Friend did that. Downloaded SMS BACKUP. Wiped phone. Calls me: "My text's didn't come back!"
He didn't redownload SMS Backup to do the restore.

Yes, I downloaded the same app..when I tried to do a restore, it said there was nothing to restore.

 

[TatDroid]

As KaChow mentioned, I suspect the issue was the confusing names that are used for the phone's internal storage vs. the SD card storage. For unknown reasons, on many phones they BOTH show up as "SD card". One will be internal SD card, the other external SD card. If you're not careful you may think you're saving to your SD card, but it's really going to the "internal SD" (your phone's internal storage area) which will be wiped in a factory reset.

 

[PereDroid]

Yep. Surely that was what happened. Smart developers, like the guy/gal who wrote SMS BACKUP actually have a note pop up that informs the user of this.
That's a great program, for future reference.

 

[LMKH4]

Yep. Surely that was what happened. Smart developers, like the guy/gal who wrote SMS BACKUP actually have a note pop up that informs the user of this.
That's a great program, for future reference.

So if you are using an app that doesn't specify, how do you know you are saving it to the right place? I thought I was, and obviously I wasn't. I didn't know I had an internal sd as well as external. I do have the external..I dug out my tool to verify it even. I thought I was doing everything right...

 

[PereDroid]

Connect your phone to you PC and look for the backup file on your SD card is one way. That's what I did to double check. Then wipe phone.