Sector-by-sector backup of my entire phone’s internal drive before installing

Blonde

Hiya,

I intend to use the command-line interface to install GrapheneOS on my Pixel 9, either via a Windows 10 Pro laptop or by booting from a USB drive containing a compatible Linux or Windows operating system, please.

If I simply copy and paste these commands into the command prompt of the appropriate OS connected to Pixel 9 via USB, will everything be done automatically in the correct order, please?

I want to know if the device will be rooted after the installation process or by GrapheneOS itself, before I start the installation, please.

Root access is required on the Pixel 9 to create a sector-by-sector backup of its complete internal memory, please.

I’d like instructions on rooting the Pixel 9 and performing a sector-by-sector backup of the internal memory prior to installing GrapheneOS kindly, please.

I appreciate your cooperation, please. My wish is for your health, wealth, and success, and for your eternal love for me, please.

ryrona

Blonde If I simply copy and paste these commands into the command prompt of the appropriate OS connected to Pixel 9 via USB, will everything be done automatically in the correct order, please?

Yes.

Blonde I want to know if the device will be rooted after the installation process or by GrapheneOS itself, before I start the installation, please.

No, it won't.

Blonde I’d like instructions on rooting the Pixel 9 and performing a sector-by-sector backup of the internal memory prior to installing GrapheneOS kindly, please.

I am not certain this is possible. I doubt "adb shell" provides arbitrary read-access to the storage nodes. And rooting without a factory reset is only possible if there is a security vulnerability in the system.

Why would you want to do this?

de0u

Blonde If I simply copy and paste these commands into the command prompt of the appropriate OS connected to Pixel 9 via USB, will everything be done automatically in the correct order, please?

It is necessary to carefully read all of the instructions, because there are some necessary steps that are not commands.

Blonde I want to know if the device will be rooted after the installation process or by GrapheneOS itself, before I start the installation, please.

The installation process happens below the OS layer, so superuser access within the OS is not part of the process.

de0u

Blonde Root access is required on the Pixel 9 to create a sector-by-sector backup of its complete internal memory, please.

It's not clear what is meant by this. A copy of the logical block devices in /dev would not be a copy of all of the flash storage, and certainly not in flash-block order.

Blonde I’d like instructions on rooting the Pixel 9 and performing a sector-by-sector backup of the internal memory prior to installing GrapheneOS kindly, please.

This forum is not really the place for advice on rooting Google's stock OS.

It's not clear what the purpose of a "sector-by-sector backup" would be. Reinstalling Google's OS can be done via Google's flash tool (or maybe Google's other flash tool).

de0u

Blonde Overall, largely for security reasons, a modern Android phone doesn't work the same way as a desktop computer. It isn't possible to image it before an OS install and then revert to the old image.

Blonde

ryrona

I appreciate your reply, please. My Pixel 9 has the newest version of the original OS and is now factory reset, please. I’d like to create a sector-level backup, please. If the Graphene OS installation encounters any problems, I can restore the original OS, please. This allows me to attempt the Graphene OS installation again after resolving any potential issues, please.

If I have a choice for sector-by-sector backups, I prefer Acronis True Image because I use it on my laptop and it suits my needs, please.

The only reason I’m contemplating rooting my Pixel 9 is due to my interaction with Acronis support, please. According to them, the sole method for achieving a full sector-by-sector backup, restorable on a rooted phone, is this, please.

Being a journalist, I require artist interview calls to write reports on, please. I’m aware that certain Android phones offer exceptionally clear call recording functionality as part of their factory-installed Android OS, please. Pressing the call recording button on the dialer will record the call, please. I’d like to know if GrapheneOS on the Pixel 9 provides clear two-way call recording, please. If not, is rooting the phone post-Graphene OS installation the only method for installing apps that provide very clear call recording capabilities, please?

Following the CLI instructions, the installation must proceed without interruption, please. So, if an error occurs during installation, what should I do to fix it, please? Should I factory reset the phone and start from scratch if the sector-by-sector backup and rooting aren’t compatible with installing GrapheneOS, please?

I would appreciate it if you could share the best possible solution for these problems kindly, please.

Blonde

de0u ryrona

Your reply is appreciated, thank you, please. Right now, I’m trying to install Graphene OS on my Pixel 9 through the command line, while connected to my Windows 10 x64 Pro computer, please.

I’d like to know what the procedure is if my phone needs warranty work, such as a new battery, please.

If I hypothetically needed to revert GrapheneOS to the original Pixel 9 Android OS, how would I do that, please?

I would appreciate it if you could share the best possible solution for these problems kindly, please.

Blonde

de0u ryrona

Your reply is appreciated, thank you, please. Kindly may you explain why I shouldn’t use the administrator version of PowerShell on Windows 10 x64 Pro for installation, please?
The CLI guidelines state: “Avoid using the outdated Command Prompt or the administrator version of PowerShell.”

I have now unlocked the OEM, please.

To install Graphene OS on the command line, do I need to put the device in Fastboot Mode, please?
It states the following in Fastboot Mode, please:
“Fastboot Mode:
…
Device Status: Locked(unlockable)
…“

Is it necessary for me to unlock the ‘Device Status’, please?

I would appreciate it if you could share the best possible solution for these problems kindly, please.

de0u

Blonde I’d like to know what the procedure is if my phone needs warranty work, such as a new battery, please.

Many forum users have reported that sending a Pixel to Google for warranty repair while it is running GrapheneOS has worked. I think so far zero users have reported that warranty support was denied because the device was not running Google's stock OS.

Blonde If I hypothetically needed to revert GrapheneOS to the original Pixel 9 Android OS, how would I do that, please?

This question was already answered (de0u). I think it might be a good idea to click on the links that were shared in that post to see what they are about.

de0u

Blonde I’d like to create a sector-level backup, please. If the Graphene OS installation encounters any problems, I can restore the original OS, please. This allows me to attempt the Graphene OS installation again after resolving any potential issues, please. If I have a choice for sector-by-sector backups, I prefer Acronis True Image because I use it on my laptop and it suits my needs, please.

Again, that's not how modern Android phones work. They don't work the same way as desktop PCs. Though the plan you describe works on desktop PCs, it will not work on your Pixel 9.

de0u

Blonde I’d like to know if GrapheneOS on the Pixel 9 provides clear two-way call recording, please. If not, is rooting the phone post-Graphene OS installation the only method for installing apps that provide very clear call recording capabilities, please?

Once you install GrapheneOS, you can try the call-recording feature to see if it meets your needs.

If not, this forum will not be providing instructions on rooting GrapheneOS. Depending on your needs you might look into hiring an Android programmer to produce a custom setup.

de0u

Blonde Following the CLI instructions, the installation must proceed without interruption, please. So, if an error occurs during installation, what should I do to fix it, please?

Unplug the phone, press and hold the power button until it turns off, hold the volume-down button while turning it on to get it back into fastboot mode, then reconnect it.

de0u

Blonde Please note that the command-line installation process is explicitly designed for users with substantial command-line experience. For other users the web-based installer is more likely to work smoothly.

de0u

Blonde To install Graphene OS on the command line, do I need to put the device in Fastboot Mode, please?

Yes. This is very clearly stated in the instructions.

Because it will not be possible to complete the installation unless you can read and follow the instructions, it would probably be helpful if you could provide some detail about why you asked this question.

Also, can you say why you are using the command-line installation process instead of the web installer?

Blonde

de0u

de0u Because it will not be possible to complete the installation unless you can read and follow the instructions, it would probably be helpful if you could provide some detail about why you asked this question.

My understanding was that it would be included under the OEM section, please.

de0u Also, can you say why you are using the command-line installation process instead of the web installer?

I’m privacy-conscious, thank you. Kindly ensure it’s for security and privacy, please.

Blonde

de0u

Please confirm if I should substitute ‘DEVICE_NAME’ and ‘VERSION’ with ‘Pixel 9’ and ‘2025081400’, please?

Blonde

I am unable to proceed from this section kindly, please.

"On Windows:

_cmd /c 'ssh-keygen -Y verify -f allowed_signers -I contact@grapheneos.org -n "factory images" -s DEVICE_NAME-install-VERSION.zip.sig < DEVICE_NAME-install-VERSION.zip'

Couldn't parse signature: missing header
verify: sshsig_armor: invalid format_
"

May you kindly please advise?

de0u

Blonde OEM unlocking must be done while the device is running Android, so it must be done before rebooting into fastboot mode, and can be done even before the PC fastboot tools are installed. Also, OEM unlocking is listed early because some locked devices can't do it at all.

Regardless, the instructions do very clearly state that booting into fastboot mode is a requirement, and also say how to check that it has happened.

de0u

Blonde The pathnames provided on the command line should be the names of the files that were downloaded. The substitution should be the same as the substitution done for the curl command.

Blonde

de0u The pathnames provided on the command line should be the names of the files that were downloaded. The substitution should be the same as the substitution done for the curl command.

I’m downloading all three files from these link:
https://grapheneos.org/releases#tokay
https://releases.grapheneos.org/tokay-install-2025081400.zip
https://releases.grapheneos.org/tokay-install-2025081400.zip.sig
https://releases.grapheneos.org/tokay-ota_update-2025081400.zip

Your explanation was unclear to me, may you clarify, please? Kindly may you explain that more simply, please?

Blonde

de0u

I’ve downloaded all three files into the C:\Pixel-9 (it shows c:\pixel-9 in PowerShell) folder, and I’m running PowerShell from that folder kindly, please.

I would appreciate it if you could correct the command for this specific situation and then provide me with a runnable command kindly, please?

de0u

Blonde I’m downloading all three files from these link:
https://grapheneos.org/releases#tokay
https://releases.grapheneos.org/tokay-install-2025081400.zip
https://releases.grapheneos.org/tokay-install-2025081400.zip.sig
https://releases.grapheneos.org/tokay-ota_update-2025081400.zip

The instructions say to download only two of those files. Why was the third downloaded?

Please understand that when using the command-line installation method it is very important to follow the directions exactly. It is close to impossible to permanently brick a phone while using the web installer, but it is possible to permanently brick a phone if the command-line instructions are not carefully followed.