Question Backed up: Downgraded: Updated to Cyan 8.1: Restore?

[ScottGeek]

So here's the thing,

I did the 8.1 preview only to find out because of some crap related to Bitlocker or such, in order to get the Cyan Firmware update from AT&T with 8.1 I had to downgrade back to 8.0. Ok, not a big problem.... annoying yes.... trust less some of the info here about ..."yeah... do the 8.1 preview....updates in the future with firmware... no problem...": end of rant.

So I downgraded using Nokia's "Software Recovery Tool"- but before I did this I did a backup from the settings backup of my 8.1 Dev Preview. Did the downgrade.... this went just fine (oh joy back on 8.0). Then I did the phone update.... 30 minutes of downloading.... 1.87383772 million reboots later (yeah, it felt like that many )

Now I have Cyan/Windows 8.1.... oh rapture. Now, how do I restore from that backup I made? Mind you not really caring that I have to put all of my account stuff in and re-download install my apps.... not a big deal. But how do I get my start screen restored? Or is this something I can't restore from the backup I can't figure out how to restore from????

**And Moderator.... I'm not really sure if this post goes in the 8.1 Preview for Developers or in something called Windows 8.1 under the "Upcoming & Rumored OS's" (official OS software running on my phone is not "Upcoming" and I assure it's not a rumor, btw).

~ScottGeek....

 

[Bruno Blanes]

Your start screen can't be backed up... You can only backup apps, contacts, conversations and settings... You got to re-pin it all.

 

[xrs22]

I usually screen shoot my start screen cause I forget easily.

 

[jharr100]

Just do a hard reset and it should ask you when you set up the phone again whether you want to restore from a back up...i did mine that way and was able to do a restore from my dp back up...and my start screen was backed up and restored...background, dark light theme, and app position on start screen too...so you DONT have to re-pin everything...my only issue was I that some apps got removed from the store i.e. MetroTalk so it wasn't able to download it so there was a hole

 

[Scienceguy Labs]

If you hard reset after the update to 8.1, after you sign into your Microsoft account, you will be given a choice to setup as a new phone or choose from a list of recent backups. If you choose your most recent backup, it will set up your start screen exactly how it was when that backup was made. The only thing that needs to be done after that is to sign in to your email accounts and a few other apps. Also if you are using App Folder, you will have to go in and set up those folders again.
If I were you, I would go into settings and manually backup your phone before upgrading, hard resetting, etc...

 

[Scienceguy Labs]

jharr100 beat me to it. ha ha

 

[ScottGeek]

Your start screen can't be backed up... You can only backup apps, contacts, conversations and settings... You got to re-pin it all.

Yeah, I think I came slowly to that conclusion after looking for this feature. I was hoping for some magic answer. Thanks for confirming... Drat Damn Hell...

*Update: Yes hard reset. Wait wait... Select my backup... Reenter all my email passwords... Now everything is back. Simple, easy, not a problem (I'm glad I'm a computer engineer).

ScottGeek

 

[ScottGeek]

Just do a hard reset and it should ask you when you set up the phone again whether you want to restore from a back up...i did mine that way and was able to do a restore from my dp back up...and my start screen was backed up and restored...background, dark light theme, and app position on start screen too...so you DONT have to re-pin everything...my only issue was I that some apps got removed from the store i.e. MetroTalk so it wasn't able to download it so there was a hole

Ah... Magic...

 

[Sascha Hoppe]

Thanks for this information

 

[Doriano Venanzi]

@ScottGeek: Did you notice any difference, except for Bitlocker problems?
What I want to know is whether it is worth to downgrade and get the not dp version of the os?

 

[ScottGeek]

@ScottGeek: Did you notice any difference, except for Bitlocker problems?
What I want to know is whether it is worth to downgrade and get the not dp version of the os?

Well... here's the thing. I'm not 100% sure I had Bitlocker turned on when I had 8.1 Developer's Preview (I certainly don't recall enabling this...nor do I have my phone enterprise'd enable). But what I did notice, no Cyan update was coming across... which was odd because other folks I know that have the exact same phone (AT&T Branded 1520) that we all got around the same time, they got the OTA Cyan with 8.1 (I was the only one that was on WP 8.1 DP).

So I'm like, Really! I have to downgrade my OS to upgrade? I don't like having to say this, but this seems to be one of those momentary failures of being on the Windows 8.1 DP... sorry but that's what happened.

Now to your question, is it worth it? What I've noticed so far is the phone seems faster or at least zippy-er? If that's a word. I'm suspecting, without any real proof of course, that the firmware update (the Cyan Part) in combination with 8.1 seems to play better together than the Black Firmware with 8.1 DP... The other changes that happened with Cyan... seem more window dressing than a "oh that's nice" Like the little arrows around the Notification Icons... ya, big deal. Now I haven't played too much with the new Camera things. There's suppose to be some improvement tweaks there.

For me I'm not a fan of having to manually update my phone. I like when OTA updates just work. And this last breaking of the OTA, yeah not a good thing. I'm not 100% convinced it was all Bitlocker related.

One very important thing to do if you decide to downgrade...update...upgrade, make sure you backup your phone before you start down that path! And despite what some folks say, you can get your apps and Home Screen back to what you had on WP 8.1 DP. But you need to have that backup before you do anything! Also, it's a royal pain, but you do have to do the hard reset if you want everything back as it was prior to getting on WP 8.1 Cyan. When the reset gets to the point of setting up your phone, it will ask you for your Microsoft account stuff (so it can locate backups), restore from the one you did. The other part you will have to do is provide account passwords for any email stuff you had set up.

Once you get pass all of that... it's Windows 8.1 Cyan... unless of course you run into other problems folks have had getting to this spot.... the update experience is not always the same across various devices (especially the lower end phones)... and of course the OTA is dependent on where you live and what phone carrier you have (gee this is feeling like an Android experience :eck: - which is really less about the OS than is it about the Phone Carriers, btw).

Hope that helps to illuminate a bit...
Cheers,
~ScottGeek.