# Question about SBF files.



## Firedrake1 (Jun 21, 2011)

Ok, so i have done a lot fo reading on SBF files and yet there are some questions that never seem to be answered. I was hoping if i posted this here we could get those blanks filled in because I'm sure I'm not the only one wondering about these. I get the basic concept of an SBF, it takes the firmware back to another version. However, here's my question: What else does it do or not do? I can't find any reference to if it will wipe my apps, contacts, pictures, videos, music, etc. Can anyone either answer this question or point me towards somewhere i can read up on it?
Thanks in advance!!


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## SyNiK4L (Jun 7, 2011)

well basically you are wiping the entire contents of the phone and installing a fresh version, of whatever version of android you are trying to be on. Your not always necessarily going back to an older version. You can sbf to a newest version of android if you choose to. Or even the same version if you wanted to start with a clean slate. Usually you do this tho to get to a particular rom. Not sure what phone you have but for example, I have a droid X and to use cyanogen mod for the DX i need to be on version .340. prior to install. And yes it will wipe some stuff. But if you are rooted before using a .sbf you can use an app like titanium backup found on the market to create a backup of everything on your phone including Apps+data, Contacts, Settings, everything. Now for Photos,videos,music, that stuff is all saved on your sdcard. Or atleast they should be. The only way you would be saving those things to your internal memory on the phone. Would be if u had no sdcard. Lemme know if you have anymore questions or anything.

Also if by chance you do have a droid x. HERE is a link to my list of sbf files and software.


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## juhde (Jul 22, 2011)

Just to add to above posters comments, which are good info, there are some partial sbfs and others are full sbfs. For example the X has a several full sbfs which completely wipe then load what ever version the sbf is. However the X2 has a system sbf, all apps and user data are retained after sbfing. Only the system partition is wiped and restored. So it's kind of a tricky question you want answered, but usually you'll find that most sbf files are full files and will completely wipe the phone clean, bringing to a new, out of the box state.


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## SyNiK4L (Jun 7, 2011)

juhde said:


> Just to add to above posters comments, which are good info, there are some partial sbfs and others are full sbfs. For example the X has a several full sbfs which completely wipe then load what ever version the sbf is. However the X2 has a system sbf, all apps and user data are retained after sbfing. Only the system partition is wiped and restored. So it's kind of a tricky question you want answered, but usually you'll find that most sbf files are full files and will completely wipe the phone clean, bringing to a new, out of the box state.


good point. When downloading a sbf you will notice on those sbf files that are system only ones. It will usually say that's what it does. Here are 2 examples:

SHADO_X6_2.3.32_RECOVERY-ONLY: This one flashes recovery only for that particular version of android. if for instance your stock recovery somehow got corrupted and you needed to reflash it

SHADO_X6_2.3.34_SYSTEM-ONLY: and this one flashes system only like juhde said. Thus not wiping data.

Now here is another example of an sbf that will flash the entire phone wiping it clean(except pictures/videos/music ect. anything saved on the sdcard).

Official Droid X 2.3.34 SBF: That one will completely flash froyo and wipe all data.

hope we got you covered on sbfs


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