Will this work, or am I just stupid?

[Jimmy Guphanti]

If instead of re-jailbreaking and re-syncing my apps and music and stuff after restoring, if I saved everything in the "/" folder, and pasted it back in there, would that put my device back to how I had it?

 

[dhlizard]

If instead of re-jailbreaking and re-syncing my apps and music and stuff after restoring, if I saved everything in the "/" folder, and pasted it back in there, would that put my device back to how I had it?

Nope, do it the correct way

 

[HiDEF]

You can try this but I must warn you, it takes a one-time clean install.

1. go to Mac: ~/Library/Application Support/MobileSync/Backup/ Windows: C:\Documents and Settings\user\Application Data\Apple Computer\MobileSync\Backup or C:\Users\user\AppData\Roaming\Apple Computer\MobileSync\Backup and delete your backups.
2. Restore phone as a new device
3. Setup new phone with all your apps and settings
4. sync
5. return to /MobileSync/Backup and copy the backup to your desktop or somewhere safe where you're not going to lose it.
6. Jailbreak

Whenever you want to JB and/or a clean install, you can always go back to your /MobileSync/Backup, delete the backups that are currently in that folder and drag the one you copied into /MobileSync/Backup. Hit restore, and select the backup you dragged into /MobileSync/Backup! That simple.

This should cut the hassle of installing and setting up the phone every time you want to JB or clean install.

Note: I typed this at work so the instructions were rushed. Let me know if you need me to clarify anything.

 

[iFiend]

You can try this but I must warn you, it takes a one-time clean install.

1. go to Mac: ~/Library/Application Support/MobileSync/Backup/ Windows: C:\Documents and Settings\user\Application Data\Apple Computer\MobileSync\Backup or C:\Users\user\AppData\Roaming\Apple Computer\MobileSync\Backup and delete your backups.
2. Restore phone as a new device
3. Setup new phone with all your apps and settings
4. sync
5. return to /MobileSync/Backup and copy the backup to your desktop or somewhere safe where you're not going to lose it.
6. Jailbreak

Whenever you want to JB and/or a clean install, you can always go back to your /MobileSync/Backup, delete the backups that are currently in that folder and drag the one you copied into /MobileSync/Backup. Hit restore, and select the backup you dragged into /MobileSync/Backup! That simple.

This should cut the hassle of installing and setting up the phone every time you want to JB or clean install.

Note: I typed this at work so the instructions were rushed. Let me know if you need me to clarify anything.

I need clarification.

I don't think that this solves anything for the OP. This is the normal way in which one restores from a backup, which is the very thing that the OP is trying not to have to do.

Am I missing something?

 

[Applejuiced]

It won't work. You guessed right.

 

[HiDEF]

So the OP should try using PkgBackup, no? Or am I still not getting it?

 

[dhlizard]

So the OP should try using PkgBackup, no? Or am I still not getting it?

PkgBackup is for Cydia apps and hacks.
The thread starter seemed to be more concerned with AppStore apps and content (as I read it).