Best way to backup for a factory reset?

[Bear21013]

I'm having problems with my HTC Thunderbolt after the ICS OS upgrade and I am going to try a factory reset as recommended by many in the forum.  Any suggestions for the best/easiest way to back up data and restore after the upgrade?  Thanks all.

[steve700xedge]

its pathetic that we have to do all this saving of data when we didnt want this update in the first place. all I want is a phone that works the way it should. if you have an update shouldnt that update be for the better, funny how these issues come up as we qaulify to upgrade our phones   unfortuneatly if I upgrade I will loose my plan with unlimited data and go to a plan that will cost a lot more for less data..good bye verizon!!!!

[Ann154]

Verify your contacts are synced with your Google account.

There are backup application for SMS messages and your call log in the Play Store.

Your pictures will be fine on the SD card, but you can certainly copy the contents of the SD card to a computer for backup.

Those are just some of steps I take when doing a factory reset.

[Bear21013]

Thanks Ann.  Do you normally re-install all of your apps one at a time, as if you were on a new phone?

[Ann154]

Yes, I don't let the phone automatically reinstall the applications either so I usually turn off the restore, settings > privacy > automatic restore checked off.

[Ann154]

Sorry. I read your post wrong.

I don't install all the apps again after a reset. I install a couple I absolutely need like the sms backup and restore. Then after a couple of days, I will install one or two that I want back on the phone. I make sure those new ones work. Then a day or two later I add another application.

I still haven't gotten around to restoring every single application I had on the Tbolt before my last reset after the Gingerbread update.

[Bear21013]

Is your TB working much better after the reset?  I've gone from everything working great on the old OS and being perfectly happy to almost not using my phone anymore because the performance is so bad.

[Ann154]

Actually I haven't reset the Tbolt after the ICS update yet. I have cleared the system cache in the recovery menu. I will probably do a reset eventually, but I haven't gotten around to it yet. I'm not having the issues others have reported here.

[bricon123]

Very constructive.

[bricon123]

Great question Bear21013. Good answer's Ann154. I about to do the same, 1st time. Dont want to screw it up, so I've been searching forums to get best way. Ann154 just added two more. Thanks!

Here's what I have so far:

Buy Backup Pro on Play Store: (I also bought SMS Backup & Restore for redundant just in case) Pro does more.

Take screen shots of everything! Well, not everything, but since you can, I'm going to. Especially my Home Screen setup and others. Also important screens in "Settings" like "Account & Sync". The passwords are ***** out and I'll have to dig those up from my notes, but you get the idea. Very handy (hopefull)

Backup the SD to laptop: Everyone says it's not particually necessary, but what the heck. I do it regularly anyway, and some non-super users (like me) report Bricked Phone after a factory restore. (Yuck!)

Verify your contacts are synced with your Google account. (Thanks Ann154)

Clear system cache in the recovery menu. Havent heard of this one yet. Not sure where the recovery menu is at. Going to ave to google it.

All I got for preperation so far.

After,

Reload apps from Play Store. One at a time is recommended highly, so you can ID those that dont play well with ICS. Also gives me a chance to review old apps that were fun at the time, but I dont use them anymore (only side benefit from a forced update I can see so far)

Spend the next couple of hours not doing real work:  resetting passwords, account settings, reloading apps, resetting calendar links, on and on and on. Just wonderfull. (sarcasm)

While I totally agree with steve700xedge about upgrades, I too dont want to upgrade my TB and lose my grandfathered unlimited data...yet. (Verizon's going to cut it off someday for sure) Until that day, I'm keeping my TB, that the ICS totally screwed it up. Looks like a factory reset's required to get it back workable.

Good luck with the reset. It's not supposed to be as horrible as I imagine according to all the Super Users. We'll see.