iPhone, iPad, iPod Forums at iMore.com

[Rene Ritchie]

Upgrading to Windows 7 and need help transferring your iPhone over from your old XP box? Getting a new machine with Windows 7 and having trouble setting up your iPhone?

Here's your thread! Let us know what, if any problems you're having (and the successes too!) and we'll all try to help each other out and get our iPhones going!

[Rene Ritchie]

Here're my best practices to help get everyone started. If you're moving from XP to Win7 and thus doing a clean install, or if you're getting a whole new machine:

1) De-authrize your old machine via iTunes > Store > De-authorize computer
2) Get a USB drive of sufficient size to copy all your iTunes media (much easier done if you're letting iTunes organize everything under one iTunes folder).
3) Copy everything over, the entire folder tree, everything (don't forget your documents and other data, I'm only talking iPhone/iTunes here!)
4) Install Windows 7 (or setup your new machine)
5) Install iTunes
6) Authorize your new machine under iTunes > Store > Authorize Computer
7) Copy all your iTunes content from USB drive to Windows 7, same directory structure
8) Restart iTunes (if it doesn't detect your library XML file, you might need to trouble shoot a tad)
9) Sync your iPhone. (I'm almost certain you will need to re-select what you want to sync over -- any Windows gurus know better?)

Any more/additional/better advice welcome!

[Duvi]

sounds good. maybe i should have followed this guide.

[sting7k]

Awesome. Make sure you also grab the iPhone back up files.

[Gary86]

Originally Posted by Rene Ritchie

Here're my best practices to help get everyone started. If you're moving from XP to Win7 and thus doing a clean install, or if you're getting a whole new machine:

1) De-authrize your old machine via iTunes > Store > De-authorize computer
2) Get a USB drive of sufficient size to copy all your iTunes media (much easier done if you're letting iTunes organize everything under one iTunes folder).
3) Copy everything over, the entire folder tree, everything (don't forget your documents and other data, I'm only talking iPhone/iTunes here!)
4) Install Windows 7 (or setup your new machine)
5) Install iTunes
6) Authorize your new machine under iTunes > Store > Authorize Computer
7) Copy all your iTunes content from USB drive to Windows 7, same directory structure
8) Restart iTunes (if it doesn't detect your library XML file, you might need to trouble shoot a tad)
9) Sync your iPhone. (I'm almost certain you will need to re-select what you want to sync over -- any Windows gurus know better?)

Any more/additional/better advice welcome!

How do I complete step number 3? where do i find this data to stick on my ex-HD?

[Alli]

I have now done the upgrade 4 times (2 machines, 2 betas and 2 RTM). On one occasion I had to slick a partition and remove everything. If you don't have to do this, Windows will very carefully (kindly?) take all your files and save them in a folder called WindowsOld. After the upgrade, you can just copy your music, documents, etc. back to the active locations for those files. You'll still have to reinstall apps, but it does make the whole process (prOcess as René would say) easier.

[Duvi]

Originally Posted by sting7k

Awesome. Make sure you also grab the iPhone back up files.

That's all I really care about... where do I get that from?

[Rene Ritchie]

Vista > Windows 7 can be done as an "upgrade", though I did (and tend to always do) a clean install, since I've been operantly conditioned by XP

XP > Windows 7 I think has to be a clean install?

If I remember correctly, iPhone backup files are in:

C: Documents and Settings\[user account]\Application Data\Apple Computer\MobileSync\Backup

(It would be handier -- Apple! -- if they were in the iTunes folder along with media)

[Rene Ritchie]

@Alli -- I did it on a Mac PrO so at least it was zippy!

[Wilsonator]

Okay, I'm not THAT savvy with computers and such so here is my question. I want to save my most recent backup of my iPhone. I went into c:/documents ad settings etc until eventually opening the backup folder where there are 4 folders kept. Each one has a completely random name with numbers and letters (3942cfh1cgc5ec70394b6... You get the picture) Im pretty sure I identified the one I need (by date) and want to save it to my external HD so I can have it with windows 7. How exactly do I go about this without messing ANYTHING up? I'm sorry if this is a dumb question! Any help is appreciated!