On Seedvault

Tryptamine

I have seen a lit of complaining about Seedvault lately. Seedvault works fine. If it doesn't complete and backup fails, exclude a few apps, or just disable an app if one crashed during the backup process. Or keep trying, it will partially pick up where it left off. I use it to back up close to 100 apps and over 160GB of storage, and I test it by making a new user profile, and installing on that profile.

If it fails a few apps, and only a few, install them afterwards with the drive plugged in. Data will be restored automatically. No need to do a second restore.

If it fails a lot, backup was no good. Do another. Most are fine.

Go to Expert Settings, enable d-d backups for full data backup of every app! caution though, some apps crash after a restore of app data. All proton apps, Element, are the ones that do it for me. These apps will need uninstalling and reinstalling after a successful restore with a d-d backup. Other APKs that were backed up with data(the apps it says were backed up in Backup Status are the ones that it backed up app data for, all other ones it did back up,just only the APK) should be fine. Depending on the apo, you may or may not need to log in again, or be right back where you left off, just like a root backup solution. I've used a lot if root backup tools, and Seedvault in this mode behaves like they do.

Croak3114

Seedvault is horrible. It regularly corrupts data without any errors thrown and i've frequently tried importing backups just to find out that they are not readable.

For now it's the solution we are stuck with, but it's definitely not fine.

Tryptamine

Croak3114 do you have the highly experimental d-d backups on? When I do, that is the only time I get corrupted files! When using it for a regular backup, it may fail once, just run it again from the three-dot menu and it will even partially pick up where you left off.

If you are concerned about corrupted files, (I'd not, this us just a good idea) make a brand new user when the backup finishes. When going through the setup wizard restore your backup. You'll know in 1 minute if its good or not. Hut the back button to stop the restore, delete the user, and select "backup-now" again from the three-dot menu. Should be good now!

This feature is labeled experimental for a reason though. What this means is; use at your own risk, and functionality is NOT guaranteed!

Also, really helps a lot if you use good quality memory, high speed! I use Samsung BAR USB sticks sometimes, and a SanDisk 1TB SSD most of the time. The quality and speed of your flash media, it really matters!

You really need to learn how to use Seedvault for the tool it is. It's what we have, and it works great. On default settings backs up a good amount of app data, and those apps can actually do data restore no problem! Also system settings, emergency info, user dictionary, quick settings tiles, homescreen icon positions, theme, SMS and MMS, call log, and local contacts! (As in, not Google contacts) Also all APK files.

Then in d-d mode, backs up then restores data for all apps! Some apps don't take data restore well (banking apps, Proton apps) but this gives you similar functionality to any root-based backup solution. Yes, you need to learn it's quirks, yes you need to test the backups, but it's not bad! I've used it successfully in all its forms for 10 months, and learning it's UI and tricks makes it workable. It can't be that my version just send to work over countless backup and restores, and everyone else's is broken!

de0u

Tryptamine The quality and speed of your flash media, it really matters!

If that is true (edit: that speed matters), it indicates a ferocious bug somewhere. Is it possible to list some specific flash devices (brand, model, size) that work well vs. poorly with SeedVault? Maybe a couple examples of each?

Tryptamine

de0u works well: Samsung BAR 128 & 256GB flash drives (faster and more expensive than most, good deals on Amazon) and SanDisk portable SSD 1TB.

Doesn't seem to work as well: lower end Kingston drives 32GZb and Patriot cheaper drive, can't remember the model and it's not on the drive itself. All black, 64GB.

de0u

Tryptamine Thanks! I plan to experiment.

de0u

Tryptamine Samsung BAR 128 & 256GB flash drives

"BAR Plus 256GB - 400MB/s" (MUF-256BE4/AM)? Are there non-"Plus" BAR devices? Might you have a model number?

Tryptamine

I don't have a model #... but I believe the 64GB Samsung BAR is a slower variant, Im not sure if it is marketed as a slower drive or not, but by benchmarks it is a LOT slower! I never bought one of those for that exact reason!

Anything to get guidelines for how to make Seedvault work better for more people, since I find it works quite well. Especially with my 1TB SanDisk portable SSD. It's the slower of the 2 models that's on Amazon, but still fast enough for this! Or if this leads to uncovering bugs in Seedvault... Even better!

de0u

Tryptamine I don't have a model #...

That reduces my urge to buy one to experiment with -- if I don't get the results you do, and I have a different device, it's unclear anything has been learned.

Tryptamine

de0u I just checked. I never bought or had a 64GB Samsung BAR USB stick, I had a 256GB solver one which worked very well but was lost, I'm moving all over the place right now...

I have the SanDisk Portable SSD, looking at it now, it is an older model. I just got it as a gift at the very beginning of January, I'm surprised it wasn't an Extreme model, is the newer generation, I really wish it were, because it isn't a fast external SSD. I'll probably upgrade down the line.

Model #: SDSSDE30-1T00

Newer one which I'm sure would be better, but then again, I really don't know what the max transfer speed of the Pixel 8 Pro's USB C port is... If you have any information on this, please let me know, or point me in the direction where I might find out!

Newer SanDisk (Extreme) SSD, same price on Amazon as older model I have:

Model #: SDSSDE81-1T00

I still have and use often a 128GB Samsung Bar which has worked very well, but haven't used it for d-d backups yet.

Model #: MUF-128BE4/AM

The 256 GB which also worked very, very well, but never tested with a d-d backup, lost now:

Model #: MUF-256BE3/AM

This Kingston one never worked well, not for Seedvault or anything else really:

Model #: ‎DTX/32GB

This Patriot also wasn't that great:

Model #: PEF64GRLB325

And finally, this Patriot I have had luck with, I haven't used it much with Seedvault, it was my operating system USB usually, but when I used it for classic Seedvault (not d-d) backups it worked OK, but not as reliable as Samsun BAR or SanDisk Portable SSD drives:

Model #: PEF64GSRUSB

I think when I try some backups today I'm going to reformat my drives in exfat and first reinitialize the Samsung BAR 128GB, with a d-d backup. Then backup, then I'll do the SanDisk one again. Maybe I'll try one or two of the lower quality ones too, and that way I might end up with 4, and see how they turn out. All the above right now if from me looking backwards, not so much a result of rigorous scientific testing...

de0u

Tryptamine Let us know what you find...

Tryptamine

de0u oh yeah, I'm on a Pixel 8 Pro, how about you?

By the way...

Do you happen to have any info on the speed of the USB C port on Pixels?

de0u

Tryptamine Do you happen to have any info on the speed of the USB C port on Pixels?

I guess it depends on what sort of information you are hoping for. Google says "USB Type-C® 3.2" for the P8P, but that would provide only a ceiling, not effective performance. I don't have a P8P, so personally I have no experience. I have not searched online for P8P reviews reporting on USB-C performance for P8P, because I don't have one...

Tryptamine

de0u or any Pixel really... I really doubt that it has gotten any faster in the Pixel 8 Pro than it has in the Pixel 6, since it really isn't that fast... I get something like _10MB/second when transferring many 10's of GBs from my phone to my computer.

Just was curious if you had any information on your model, or what you have noticed with your USB port speed...
Really though, if it is that slow you would think that the speed of the USB drive wouldn't matter, but when restoring a large (140GB+) storage backup, it has to be faster than that! It seems to restore all the smaller files very quickly, then slows down for the last few really big multi-GB files, like large videos or large backup files.