Carbon Copy

Helium (formerly Carbon) installed and used with the nabi tablet products is a great option for backing up your child's favorite apps and their app data.  Helium provides a snapshot backup that will ensure that progress is not lost if you have the unfortunate circumstances that lead to a factory reset, accidentally uninstalling an app, or having to hit the Clear Data button to reset an app that isn't functioning properly.

This post provides step-by-step instructions on how to install the required Helium Desktop application on your PC or Mac, as well as, backing up and restoring apps using the free version of Helium.  A future post will provide instructions  on how to purchase premium version, link it to your Google Account, backup and restore from a Cloud service, schedule backups and finally sync apps between other devices.

NOTE: This does not backup the free books that come with the MeeGenius app. A factory reset is the only way to get these back if you happen to uninstall MeeGenius.

PREREQUISITES: 
Windows Users Only: Install the Android Drivers for your nabi device onto your PC.
Windows & Mac Users: Install Helium - App Sync & Backup on to your nabi device.

NOTE: The following instructions were completed using a nabi 2 Tablet and a computer running Windows 7.

INSTALL HELIUM DESKTOP:
1. Download Helium Desktop for Windows or Mac (10.6+).
2. Double click on the downloaded file to begin the basic installation process.
3. Click on the Run button.

4. Click the Next > button.

5. Click the Next > button.

6. Click the Next > button.

7. Click on the Yes button.

8. Click on the Close button.

9. Launch the Helium Desktop application.  For Windows Users is will be located under Start > All Programs > ClockworkMod > Helium.

USING HELIUM TO BACKUP TO SD CARD:

10. Using the white USB data cable, connect the nabi tablet to your computer.

11. In Parent Mode, launch the Helium app.

12. Click the OK button once Android app backup is enabled.  

NOTE: The Carbon Desktop application on your computer will display a check mark when this has been enabled.

NOTE: You can now disconnect the tablet from your PC or Mac.  However any time you power the tablet off, you will need to reconnect them in order to use the Helium app again.

13. Place a check mark beside each app that you want to backup.

14. By default the App Data Only (smaller backups) option is checked.
NOTE: Backing up app data only (ie. game progress) means that the app itself must be installed from its originating market before the data can be restored to it.  If you want to backup both the app apks and related app data be sure to uncheck this box.  Apps that developers have protected will not be backed up, but the related app data will.

15. Enter a name for the group of apps being saved for easy access in the future.

16. Hit the Backup button.

17. Choose from Internal Storage or External SD Card.  To backup to your PC or Mac skip down to Step 24.

18. Click the OK button once the backup is complete.

USING HELIUM TO RESTORE FROM SD CARD:

19. Click on the Restore and Sync tab.

20. Choose Internal Storage or External SD Card, depending on what was chosen in Step 17.

21. Click on the Saved Group to quickly check all apps related to the group, otherwise simply place a check mark beside the specific app(s) you'd like to restore.

22. Click the Restore button.

23. Click on the OK button, once the restore has completed.

USING HELIUM TO BACKUP TO PC OR MAC:
24. Click on the three stacked squares icon in the top right corner and choose the PC Download option.  NOTE: If you do not see this icon, rotate your screen orientation to landscape view and then back to portrait view.

NOTE: The following screen will appear providing you a method for you to connect your PC or Mac to the tablet wirelessly for app and app data backup.

25. Launch a web-browser on you PC or Mac. 26. Type in the address provided by Helium app on the tablet.
27. Click on the apps that you want to backup to your computer.
NOTE: Unlike the External SD Card method shown above, the restore process using a PC or Mac will restore all of the apps within a specific backup, so you may want to consider backing up apps individually.
28. Click on the Start Backup button to begin the backup process.

29. The backup.zip file can be renamed and moved from the Downloads folder to wherever you'd like to archive them.

USING HELIUM TO RESTORE FROM PC OR MAC:

30. Locate the backup zip file by hitting the Browse button.  Alternatively, the backup zip file can just be dragged and dropped over top of the Drop backup file here field.

31. After uploading has completed, select the Restore button to continue the process.

32. Once the Restore Complete notification pops-up you can continue restoring additional backups or exit the web-browser.

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Installing Android Drivers on Windows OS

How do you get nabi device drivers on your Windows computer?  Not having any luck getting drivers by connecting the white data cable from the tablet to your computer!?!

The easiest way to do this is to install PdaNet.  While this application can be used for various other reasons, it dependably provides device drivers for any Android smartphone or tablet.

PREREQUISITES: 

1. Check the USB Debugging option in Parent Mode under Settings > Developer Options.

2. Click the OK button.
3. Plug the white USB data cable into the tablet, but DO NOT connect it to the computer until Step 14 below.

NOTE: The following instructions were completed using a nabi 2 Tablet and a computer running Windows Vista.  This will work for the entire nabi Table product line and Windows XP, Vista, 7 and 8.

INSTALLING PDANET
4. Download PDA.net version 3.5 to your computer.

5. Double click on the downloaded file.

6. Click on the Run button.

7. Click on the Next > button.

8. Check the I accept the agreement option after reading the License Agreement.  

9. Click the Next > button.
10. Click the Next > button.

11. Click the Next > button to accept the default Start Menu folder name.

NOTE: If you've attempted to or have installed Android drivers previously the following dialog box will pop-up.  Click the Yes button in order to proceed to the next step.

12. Ensure that the Others option is selected and click the OK button.

13. Click on the Install this driver software anyway option.

14. Connect the tablet to the computer using the white USB data cable.  This will start the driver installation for the specific device you plugged in.

15. Uncheck all of the options and click the Finish button.

16. This process works for any Android device including the nabi Jr. and nabi XD Tablets.  Just ensure that USB Debugging is turned on and connect them to the computer in order for the correct drivers to be installed.

UNINSTALL PDANET

17. Navigate to Start > All Programs > PdaNet for Android and click the Uninstall PdaNet shortcut.

 
18. Click the Yes button.

19. Click on the OK button.

20. Delete the elements that could no be removed by launching Windows Explorer and navigating to C:\Program Files or Program Files (x86) and deleting the PdaNet for Android folder.

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Bluestacks Attack!

Have you wanted to install Google Play Store apps on the nabi 2 Tablet?  Well duh, of course you have!  While Fuhu continues to work with Google to become certified and have the ability to provide the Google Play Store and Google Apps, this should hopefully stem the tide.

If you have another Android device with Google Play Store, then you should be sideloading apps using either the AirDroid or Google Drive methods. 

If you do not have another Android device, then up until now you've been unfortunately out of luck.  I've been searching for an Android emulator for a few months now, but nothing that I’ve come across was simple enough to promote to everyone.  That is until I came back to BlueStacks, after abandoning it as an option, about a year ago.  Upon installing BlueStacks this time, I stumbled upon a hidden and undisclosed feature -  access to the Android Market, aka Google Play Store. 

BlueStacks App Player emulates a Samsung Galaxy S II smartphone running Android 2.3.4 (Gingerbread) and can be installed on PCs running Windows XP, Vista, 7 or 8 and Macs running OSX 10.6 (Snow Leopard), 10.7 (Lion) or 10.8 (Mountain Lion).  

Following my written instructions or Fan-a-Tech Robyn's video will allow you to install the BlueStacks App Player on your PC or Mac, gain access to Google Play Store and then sideload apps onto the nabi 2 Tablet.

PREREQUISITE:  Install and configure the minimum required apks and the Google Drive app from the Googlie Booglie post on the nabi 2 Tablet.

BLUESTACKS INSTALLATION:

1. Go to the BlueStacks website on your computer.

2. Click on the appropriate Windows or Mac download option.
NOTE: To ensure that this "feature" does not disappear, the latest versions of the program with the feature will always be available here.

3. Click on the downloaded file to run the installation.4. Click the Continue button after reading through the Terms provided.

5. Click the Install button, keeping the default settings.

6. Launch BlueStacks App Player, once the installation has completed.

7. Click on the Tools icon located next to the My Apps icon in the top panel.

8. Select the ES File Explorer option.

9. Select the ES File Explorer File Manager option under the Android Market icon on the far right.  

NOTE: As ES File Explorer is being installed during this process you will need to select another option in order to access the Google Play Store the next time.  I suggest pick Dropbox.

10. Click on the Yes button.

11. Click the Next button.

12. Click the Sign In button and enter your information.

13. Proceed until you have linked your Google account to the BlueStacks App Player, and then click the Finish Setup button.

14. Click the Continue button to upgrade Android Market to Google Play.

15. Click the Accept button, after reading through the Google Play Terms of Service.

NOTE: The Google Play Store app is now fully available for purchasing and downloading apps compatible with a Samsung Galaxy S II smartphone running Android 2.3.4 (Gingerbread).

Not all apps installed from the Google Play Store can be sideloaded or will necessarily work on the nabi 2 Tablet.  This is due to numerous factors including developers utilizing DRM restrictions on the app and hardware and drive differences between the Samsung Galaxy S II smartphone and the nabi 2 Tablet.

If you do not have a credit card associated with your Google account, the first time you go to purchase an app you will be asked to enter the related credit card information.  It is not necessary in order to download free apps.

UPLOADING APPS:

16. Search for and install ES File Explorer, Astro File Manager, an app you want to sideload onto the nabi 2 Tablet and finally Google Drive. While other Cloud Service apps can be installed and used Google Drive provides a direct launch option into ES File Explorer.

17. After installing Google Drive you'll notice a Notification icon pop-up in the Notification bar.

18. In order to access the Notification bar pull down on the center of it.

19. Click on the Permission Requested notice.

20. Click on the Allow button to grant the required permission.

21. Click the Open button on the Google Drive install and click the Accept button after reading the Terms of Service.

22. Click the OK button.

23. After launching Google Drive you'll again notice some Notification icons pop-up in the Notification bar.  Click on each of them and click the Accept button to allow the permissions.

24. Click on the Menu soft key in the bottom left corner to access the Google Drive menu options.  Click on the Upload option.

25. Check the "Use by default for this action" check box and then select ES File Explorer.

26. Click on the AppMgr button second from the right hand side.

27. Choose the app that you want to upload.

28. Select the File Way option.

29. Modify the file name to something appropriate so that it is easy to identify.

30. Click the OK button to begin uploading the app to your Google Drive account.

31. A notification will pop-up when the upload is complete.

32. Repeat steps 24-31 until all of the apps you want to upload are done.
NOTE: If the upload fails, skip down to Step 44 to troubleshoot.

INSTALLING APPS:

33. Login to Mommy/Daddy Mode on the nabi 2 Tablet.
34. Launch the Google Drive app.

35. Click on the app that you want to install.

36. Click on the Install button.

37. Click on the Done button.

38. Repeat Steps 35-36 for any other apps you want to install.

39. Click the Home soft key and launch the Add Apps app.

40. Check the apps you want to make available in nabi Mode.  Uncheck any that you'd like to remove.

41. Click the Home soft key and launch into nabi Mode.

42. Click on the All Apps icon in the top right corner to access all of the apps available in nabi Mode.

43. Hold down on the app that you want to make available on the Home Screen.and position it on the page you want.

UNABLE TO UPLOAD APP:

Some developers put DRM restrictions on their apps, so that they cannot be backed up and sideloaded.  Astro File Manager provides a method of quickly seeing if an app has DRM restrictions placed on it.

44. Launch Astro File Manager from under My Apps in the BlueStacks App Player.

45. Drag from right to left to access a list of options.  

46. Click on the Application Manager.

47. Scroll through the list of apps.  If the troublesome app has (private) listed next to the backup check box, then the app cannot be backed up and has DRM restrictions on it. Check the check box if (private) is not listed beside it.

48. Click the Backup button to backup the app to /sdcard/backups/apps.

49. Hit the Back soft key numerous times to exit Astro File Manager.

50. Launch Google Drive, from My Apps, and being the upload process, as shown in Step 24.  This time however, instead of clicking AppMgr select the backups folder.
51. Click on the app to upload and proceed using Steps 28.

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