Sync iPhone to a different library without losing data...

[ernbrdn]

I am wondering how I can go about syncing my iPhone 4s to my recently acquired PowerBook without losing my settings, data, messages, app folders, etc. etc. I have Leopard installed and the newest iTunes, I have also transferred the music, app, and book portion of my iTunes library via. Home sharing. My laptop doesn't have the storage space for my movie or TV show collection, but that should be okay since they are not synced to my device anyways, strictly for AppleTV.

As it stands now with the music, audiobooks, podcasts, etc. synced to my new iTunes library when I plug my iPhone in and set it up to sync it says it's going to erase everything and start over. I kind of expect this but I am afraid of losing all of my Messages, settings, app folders (100+ apps organized meticulously) and application data, (i.e. Auto Records in Car Care, and dvd collection scanned into Movies app). Is there a way to sync with this computer without losing all this information? Or will I be tied to my Windows Desktop forever in this regard?

Any ideas or advice would be appreciated.

 

[iDonev]

On Windows: Go to iTunes File-> Library-> Export.
Then open the .xml file on your PowerBook.

I've never tried it myself, but I don't see why it shouldn't work.

Edit: To be on the safe side, create an iCloud backup.

 

[Fausty82]

I am wondering how I can go about syncing my iPhone 4s to my recently acquired PowerBook without losing my settings, data, messages, app folders, etc. etc. I have Leopard installed and the newest iTunes, I have also transferred the music, app, and book portion of my iTunes library via. Home sharing. My laptop doesn't have the storage space for my movie or TV show collection, but that should be okay since they are not synced to my device anyways, strictly for AppleTV.

As it stands now with the music, audiobooks, podcasts, etc. synced to my new iTunes library when I plug my iPhone in and set it up to sync it says it's going to erase everything and start over. I kind of expect this but I am afraid of losing all of my Messages, settings, app folders (100+ apps organized meticulously) and application data, (i.e. Auto Records in Car Care, and dvd collection scanned into Movies app). Is there a way to sync with this computer without losing all this information? Or will I be tied to my Windows Desktop forever in this regard?

Any ideas or advice would be appreciated.

iTunes only allows any i-device to be synced with a single computer. When you attempt to sync with a new/different computer, iTunes wipes the existing content from the device prior to syncing with the new computer. That’s the way it was designed. Apple says it’s to help prevent piracy.

Since there is no way around this restriction (in iTunes), you have to find a way to get the content from the old computer to the new one, or from the device to the new computer BEFORE you sync it wth the device. There are several tools for this, including reverse syncing tools like Senuti. And for Windows computers, there is the option of using the iPhone/iPod/iPad as a disk drive and extract the content from the hidden folders on it.

In this case, Google is your best friend.

 

[jlw0211]

Not to hijack this thread but I also have a iTunes issue. My wife was the first in our family to get a Iphone and it was sync'd to our PC, now we have a Mac and it wants to delete and sync when her phone is on the Mac. Now my question is WHAT will be erased? the whole phone? or just her iTunes data? She doesnt have alot of songs in iTunes so thats not a huge deal.

 

[Fausty82]

Not to hijack this thread but I also have a iTunes issue. My wife was the first in our family to get a Iphone and it was sync'd to our PC, now we have a Mac and it wants to delete and sync when her phone is on the Mac. Now my question is WHAT will be erased? the whole phone? or just her iTunes data? She doesnt have alot of songs in iTunes so thats not a huge deal.

Anything that was put on her iPhone via iTunes on the other computer. Typically it’s music, movies, apps and possibly photos... If you use the same iTunes account and the new computer (Mac) is authorized on the iTunes account, you can re-sync that stuff. The photos could be a concern. Just make sure you’ve backed up the iPhone (on the old computer) in case you need something that gets deleted...

 

[Ringfinger]

Hello,

Similar issue here. Here is where I am at. I use iTunes match, so no music stored on my phone. The new laptop I have has been set-up for almost a year, has all the apps that I have ever downloaded, that's no problem. Photos are all stored on my NAS at home, not worried about that. All I want to do is be able to add a few ringtones to my iPhone. That's it! My concern is losing settings, messages, address book, that kind of stuff. Apps, I have in iTunes. Music is Match and photos are saved locally as I said. I have iTunes set up to sync nothing. I always have managed manually in the past.

So, can I plug in and hit the " it will erase everything button" and be fine? What will my iPhone look like afterward as far as what will be on it? What will I lose?Couldn't I just restore from my cloud back-up? I really never sync anything, I just want to add some ringtones I have created, Help?

 

[Fausty82]

Hello,

Similar issue here. Here is where I am at. I use iTunes match, so no music stored on my phone. The new laptop I have has been set-up for almost a year, has all the apps that I have ever downloaded, that's no problem. Photos are all stored on my NAS at home, not worried about that. All I want to do is be able to add a few ringtones to my iPhone. That's it! My concern is losing settings, messages, address book, that kind of stuff. Apps, I have in iTunes. Music is Match and photos are saved locally as I said. I have iTunes set up to sync nothing. I always have managed manually in the past.

So, can I plug in and hit the " it will erase everything button" and be fine? What will my iPhone look like afterward as far as what will be on it? What will I lose?Couldn't I just restore from my cloud back-up? I really never sync anything, I just want to add some ringtones I have created, Help?

It won’t erase everything. But it WILL erase eveything that was synced via iTunes on the old computer (music, ringtones, photos, apps, etc.)... you messages and settings will be safe.

And there is no "erase everything" button... just press the SYNC button.

 

[Ringfinger]

It won’t erase everything. But it WILL erase eveything that was synced via iTunes on the old computer (music, ringtones, photos, apps, etc.)... you messages and settings will be safe.

And there is no "erase everything" button... just press the SYNC button.

Umm, maybe I am too much of a fatalist ha ha! Yeah, so when I plug in my phone, and go to the tab for tones, when I click to sync certain tones, and then choose them and hit apply, I get the message that all content will be erased and sync to the new library, that is my concern. So, you say messages, settings and all that will remain? So, ringtones no issue as they are on my new computer. Music is iTunes match so nothing to sync. Photos are all backed up locally so no issue. Apps are the question, will I have to copy them from iTunes to my phone again? Can't I just restore from back-up or will that just bring me back to where I am now with the sync issue? If it all goes bad, I can just restore from the cloud, right?

 

[Fausty82]

Umm, maybe I am too much of a fatalist ha ha! Yeah, so when I plug in my phone, and go to the tab for tones, when I click to sync certain tones, and then choose them and hit apply, I get the message that all content will be erased and sync to the new library, that is my concern. So, you say messages, settings and all that will remain? So, ringtones no issue as they are on my new computer. Music is iTunes match so nothing to sync. Photos are all backed up locally so no issue. Apps are the question, will I have to copy them from iTunes to my phone again? Can't I just restore from back-up or will that just bring me back to where I am now with the sync issue? If it all goes bad, I can just restore from the cloud, right?

If you are a "fatalist", (or even not), a backup may be a good idea before proceeding. And I am not 100% sure about losing your apps, because (for me, at least), I buy most of them ON MY PHONE, so they typically get synced the other way (back to my computer)... but yes, again, your messages and settings will be fine.

And in the rare event that it all goes "south", you can always use your backup as a "fallback" position.

 

[Ringfinger]

Okay, will try tonight and report back. All my apps were bought on my phone, and all are free, so I am comfortable, I guess....

Also, my contacts will be safe, right?

 

[Ringfinger]

So, I did it, I synced. Umm, why didn't I do this earlier? Lost nothing, added the ringtones, all is the same on my phone. What am I missing here? It went smashingly!

 

[Fausty82]

So, I did it, I synced. Umm, why didn't I do this earlier? Lost nothing, added the ringtones, all is the same on my phone. What am I missing here? It went smashingly!

See? I told you. VBG.

 

[Ringfinger]

VBG?

Oh, well it did add 2 apps that I did not want, must have been my sons. So, it was not ALL smooth! ;-)

 

[Fausty82]

VBG?

Oh, well it did add 2 apps that I did not want, must have been my sons. So, it was not ALL smooth! ;-)

Very Big Grin

 

[Ringfinger]

Yeah, and I did my wifes phone just now and no issues as well. Phew!!

 

[Fausty82]

Yeah, and I did my wifes phone just now and no issues as well. Phew!!

I NEVER do anything with my wife's phone without her written consent. I just don’t go there.

 

[Ringfinger]

I experimented on mine first!

 

[Rockdog97]

Hello,

Similar issue here. Here is where I am at. I use iTunes match, so no music stored on my phone. The new laptop I have has been set-up for almost a year, has all the apps that I have ever downloaded, that's no problem. Photos are all stored on my NAS at home, not worried about that. All I want to do is be able to add a few ringtones to my iPhone. That's it! My concern is losing settings, messages, address book, that kind of stuff. Apps, I have in iTunes. Music is Match and photos are saved locally as I said. I have iTunes set up to sync nothing. I always have managed manually in the past.

So, can I plug in and hit the " it will erase everything button" and be fine? What will my iPhone look like afterward as far as what will be on it? What will I lose?Couldn't I just restore from my cloud back-up? I really never sync anything, I just want to add some ringtones I have created, Help?

I'm looking at doing the same thing on a different laptop that has nothing but the latest iTunes installed. I dont have any data, photos, apps, etc from my OLD computer transferred to my New computer. Will I need to copy any of my files/directories from my OLD computer to my New computer before I sync?

I'm also jailbroke, so that may/may not complicate things...