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iTunes - how do i get round this, otherwise i'm set to lose all my apps


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I've formatted my SSD & annoyingly i forgot to backup my iTunes folder. Anyway...

I connected my iPhone. At first it wouldn't connect & i got an error message, but it worked on the 2nd attempt.

In the library, there's no apps listed (unlike before the format).

I selected my iPhone on the right hand side & checked the apps tab. I then checked to sync the apps. I got a warning message saying all my apps will be erased.

Then i remembered - i did this one time ages ago & lost everything. All apps, all settings for these apps. I'd completed Angry Birds & lost the whole thing.

Yes i can just re-download apps, but i can't do this with the settings.

The iPhone has been jailbroken & i think is running software version 4.0.1, or is it 4.1.0? I can't remember. 4.0.1 i think.

Also, i got a message saying my iPhone has been authorized on 4 out of 5 machines. I don't know how as i've only ever used it on my PC. How can i erase 3 of these machines so it's only authorized on mine?

I'm no iTunes expert, so go easy on me.

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1) About the activations:

It's quite a new feature.

In iTunes go to: Store / Account see the top panel where it says "Activations" (or along these lines... I have iTunes in German. Too lazy to change it's language and restart :p)

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You have to deactivate all and then reactivate your computer.

2) The other issue:

In Cydia you can download a few apps (never trust just ONE Cydia backup app!):

  • PKGBackup (I will not discuss it, but you can get it for free elsewhere (other repo's). It's software piracy, though so I'll just leave it to saying that you CAN do it, I do NOT recommend or endorse it, as you should support the developer)
  • AptBackup
  • DataDeposit (never tried it myself)
  • and more...

Things to keep in mind:

  1. Use many backup apps, cause sometimes one will fail and the other one not.
  2. Restore your apps (that means in the case of AppStore apps, redownload and install, Cydia apps redownload and install, too) before restoring the App Data
  3. UPDATE ALL YOUR APPS BEFORE: Backing up your App data so the versions are the same to the restored (and hence latest versions) after the restore is done. I don't know whether it's necessary, but it should lower a possible risk of App Data backwards incompatibility that might otherwise would be "migrated" to a new format the new version brings with a classic update of the app. This is just my paranoid guess here.
  4. Just backup(/restore) the things you cannot restore yourself. For example: Game Saves, databases, etc... Don't backup apps that hold no actual data (other than sample data or something you can lose) -> Maximizes your chances of not corrupting your restore session and you going round to figure which of the crucial bits went bad, when in reality you just have a bad sample gamesave of a demo user ruined...

Good luck!

Glassed Silver:mac

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Thanks.

1) Activation - sorted now. Thanks.

2) Other issue -

are you saying that i should back everything up & then restore (how?) my phone? Why (i think) would UN-jailbreak it?? So i'd then have to re-jailbreak.

I didn't fully understand what you were saying in #2, sorry.

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I think Glassed Silver is saying that you want to use backup software so that it backs up the applications that are on your phone. That way you can just use those backups rather than copying them across from iTunes, which will still have your progression in your games and what-not.

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Data deposit worked well for me. What happens is you can select each app one at a time (angry birds for example) and it will copy your app/game progress to a site like dropbox. Then if you restore all the games onto your phone and lose your progress, you just run the DataDeposit app again and restore that apps settings. I used it when I had to wipe my iPod to re-jailbreak it.

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So long as you have all of the iOS apps loaded in iTunes and iTunes is "authorized" for your account, you shouldn't have any problem. You can redownload all of the apps, of just drag and drop them into iTunes from a folder containing a backup or from a share on another machine.

I've done this a couple of time, and I haven't lost any app data because so long as the app exists in the iTunes you are syncing with it won't delete it off your phone. The message is troubling, so try and backup what you can if the app supports some kind of export utility before you re-sync your device. The worst thing that has ever happened to me is all my icons get shuffled and I have to reorganize them on my home screen. Data has always remained intact, though.

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Thanks for the help guys. I've just updated my apps & am about to look into this.

So long as you have all of the iOS apps loaded in iTunes and iTunes is "authorized" for your account, you shouldn't have any problem. You can redownload all of the apps, of just drag and drop them into iTunes from a folder containing a backup or from a share on another machine.

I've done this a couple of time, and I haven't lost any app data because so long as the app exists in the iTunes you are syncing with it won't delete it off your phone. The message is troubling, so try and backup what you can if the app supports some kind of export utility before you re-sync your device. The worst thing that has ever happened to me is all my icons get shuffled and I have to reorganize them on my home screen. Data has always remained intact, though.

I have no apps listed in iTunes whatsoever. I formatted my PC. All the apps have gone. Any apps are stored on my phone & only my phone.

I've got some apps through iTunes, but i've also got some apps through Cydia - i.e. free (i don't know if that makes people on here want to burn me or not). I can't remember which apps i've downloaded through which. I suspect the ones i got through iTunes, or at least the AppStore, i will be able to re-download again, or IIRC they weren't removed from my phone last time this happened. Yet the ones i downloaded through Cydia will be removed & i'll lose all savings.

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There's a little more to this.

As I see you need to be cleared up about a couple more things, but me being in a hurry, I'll just leave this here:

Maybe wait a little bit, so you can get additional detailed help, however, you may backup your cydia and "free" apps.

No problem there.

These Cydia backup utilities usually can do both.

If you can wait a bit, that'd be cool, as I have lots more to say about this and so far nobody seems to have detailed the process really, I'm willing to walk you through that, especially via Skype, however I need to run now.

So yea...

One more thing:

Backups via Cydia utilities are FAR from the most graceful way and quite beta-y.

In future please use iTunes again, IMHO those Cydia tools are good for worst case scenarios.

If you feel like paranoia has you, here's another idea:

SSH into your phone (google the process) and copy over all files to your computer.

Just to have a semi-RAW backup of your phone, just in case.

Glassed Silver:mac

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I didn't get your 2nd reply before i jumped in with both feet.

I connected my iPhone & transferred the apps to my library. So that's it - all listed in the library. All good so far. (oh, i also used datadeposit & aptbackup, but i couldn't find PKG for free).

So then i check the "sync apps" after i click on my iphone. Again i get the warning that only the apps in the library will be copied.

A-ha i think, i've outsmarted you iTunes - because i've already transferred them there.

The sync process finishes. All the apps are listed in my library. I click on my iphone & then the apps tab & all the apps are listed there too...

...yet why have i now lost the vast majority of my apps on my actual phone?? :woot:

Not only apps i downloaded through Cydia (i.e. apps for free that you'd have to pay for through the App Store), but also apps i'd paid for through the AppStore as well.

In fact, apart from Installous & Cydia, only "Atomic Web" app remains on my phone. EVERYTHING else has disappeared.

I sync again, but the apps simply wont sync to my phone.

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