Android is capable of immense customization and flexibility and this is probably the greatest reason why it’s the most popular OS among smartphone lovers. Powering up the performance of a device through customizing and optimizing is the best part of it and custom ROMs are the solution to the desire for customization. There are plenty of them to choose from. However, no matter which ROM we choose, it should always be kept in mind that we are dealing with an unofficial port of the Android system. That is why flashing a custom ROM can be applied through manual step by step procedure and thus it’s always advised to take full backup of your device’s data to avoid data loss in case of something goes wrong and all of your phone’s data are gone.

Of course, you can always restore your phone by flashing the stock Android ROM and have your data back from the backup file. But sometimes you are still unable to use any network or connect to WiFi. Ever wondered why ? That is because the custom ROM installation failure causes you erasing the IMEI/NVRAM data of your device and to restore them you need to back them up too. So, here is a complete guide to backup and restore your IMEI/NVRAM data.

What is an IMEI ?

IMEI stands for International Mobile Station Equipment Identity and it is consist of 15 decimal digit (14 digits plus a clock digit). It’s an unique identification number for GSM, UMTS, LTE devices and as well as some satellite phones.

An IMEI number helps to identify valid devices and therefore the number can be used to “blacklist” a stolen device from using that network and sometimes other networks too.

How to find my device’s IMEI number ?

There are several ways to find a device’s IMEI number –

• The universal way to find a device’s IMEI number is by dialing *#06# from the device and a pop up will appear with it’s IMEI number.
• Android users can check their IMEI number by going to “Settings” > “About Phone” > “Status” and will see a number under “IMEI” option .
• Every phone on this planet comes with a IMEI number printed at the back, under battery.

What is NVRAM ?

Non-Volatile Random Access Memory, a type of memory that retains it’s contests after switching off a device. It consist of SRAM and EEPROM chips. NVRAM contains data like WiFi and Bluetooth MAC address, Baseband version, IMEI/MEID number and other essential information.

So losing or corrupt NVRAM data means you will not be able to use your device with any mobile network or connect to WiFi.

How to take backup of IMEI/NvRAM data?

1. Download MTKdroid Tools.
2. Unzip the file on your PC and run MTKdroidTools.exe.
3. Enable USB Debugging in your Android phone by going to “Settings> About Phone” and locate “Build Number“. Then tap on build number seven time and now you have “Developer Options” enabled in your device. Go back to “Settings” page and tap on “Developer Options“. Now tap on “USB Debugging” check box to enable USB debugging in your device.
4. Connect your device to your PC via USB cable.
5. Click on the “Root” button at the bottom of the program window and grant root permission in your phone.
6. Now click on “IMEI/NVRAM” button. A pop-up window will be appeared.
7. Click on “Backup” button and the application will backup your IMEI/NVRAM data in the “BackupNVRAM” folder inside “MTKdroidTools” folder.

How to restore my IMEI/NVRAM data ?

1. Run MTKdroidTools.exe from PC.
2. Enable USB Debugging in your phone and connect it to your PC via USB cable.
3. Click o the “Root” button at the bottom of the program window and grant root permission in your phone.
4. Then click on “Restore” button. It will ask for a .bin file and a .tar file. Select the correct file from “BackupNVRAM” folder. If everything goes well you have successfully restored your phone’s IMEI/NVRAM data.

Now install any custom ROM of your choice without worrying about loosing IMEI/NVRAM data and make most out of Android. That’s all for now. Keep reading and sharing our Posts.