by Liana Lehua
Have you ever thought about braving a road trip without your laptop, because you have an iPhone and don’t need no stinkin’ laptop? Or, maybe you dropped your iPhone into the keg and had to buy a new one. Either way, it’s probably a good idea to know where your iPhone data is backed up.
Just take a copy of the backup folder iTunes creates when you sync your iPhone, and drop it on a USB drive or other external source and keep it handy. If you need to restore your iPhone while vacationing from your laptop, you can drop a copy of your Backup folder on to another computer to restore your data (contacts and calendar). Note: Be sure to create a new account on the computer you use to restore your backup. Otherwise, you will overwrite any existing iPhone data. Your friend may not like you very well if you wipe out her precious iPhone data.Find your Backup folder here:
Mac users: Username/Library/Application Support/MobileSync/Backup
Windows users: C:\windows\vista\pro\xbox\marketplace\zune\version\buy\a\mac
If you have done any modding of your iPhone, your files may be located elsewhere in the abyss that is your laptop hard drive.
I’m just kidding Windows users. You can find your backup file here:
C:\Documents and Settings\Your User Name\Application Data\Apple Computer\SyncServices\Local
Liana I have issues with your article. #1 You did not provide the correct path for Windows Vista. While is may seem trivial, there are more than 100 million Vista users - a number perhaps exceeding all Mac Users - #2 You did not include a file name so Vista users could look up the location — Windows/Vista does have a file locating feature. (I have no idea is such a feature exists in the Mac World)
(NOTE FROM ADMIN: I approved this comment after requiring the person who made it to remove foul language from his first attempt. Secondly, he included a URL in this comment bragging about Microsoft earnings which is in no way relevant to the topic of the post so I deleted the URL. It appears we have a Windows fanboy in our midsts - which is fine. But please don’t try to turn this thread (or any other) into a Windows v. Mac debate. Liana was simply making a joke Gordo. Lighten up.
Ok, this is not a mac vs pc comment - when you insult someones buying decision and then say “just kidding”, it’s still an insult.
Man you Windows fanboys can’t take a joke can you? Get over yourself.
I found this to be potentially very helpful.as a user of windows xp, I have issues related to backup folder as well.You did not provide the correct path. can you please give me the name of the file or folder in xp? thanks!
My bad. I didn’t catch that. I just verified on my XP machine. Check here.
USERNAME\Application Data\Apple Computer\MobileSync\Backup
Does anyone know how to force a backup in itunes (7.6.0.29) in windows XP?
My iPhone synced with old computer/XP and outlook 2002 for calendar and contacts the first couple of months, but not since Christmas. I just bought a new computer with Vista - synced the iPhone and it erased my calendar - good news the contacts did sync. I am trying to restore a backup onto my ihone for the calendar - found the backup on my old computer as you mentioned above. Now that I have locaed the backup, how does one actually get it onto the iPhone and will it be my old calendar?
That backup file should be placed in your Windows directory at: C:\Documents and Settings\Your User Name\Application Data\Apple Computer\SyncServices\Local
I don’t have Vista, so I haven’t tried to sync a backup with my iPhone using it. Once you sync your iPhone, you should be able to locate an Apple directory within your user settings (similar, if not the same, as above).
Don’t forget to make copies of your files before replacing other files, just in case.
If one has made the switch from PC to Mac, could these backup files be moved from the Old PC to the corresponding folder on the new Mac to restore the calendar to the iphone? Or are there differences in the file structure?
If not, do you know of another way to extract the calendar data so the data can be reimported into ical?
Do I actually have to restore the iphone, and erase everything, to get the backup to install?
PLEASE HELP !!! I have a virus in my SMS folder of my new Iphone. My dealer says he will reset & Reload the phone - BUT I CANT TAKE A BACKUP OF MY CONTACTS on Windows Xp Professional.
Itunes says it would backup in Microsoft Outlook, but I cant locate the backup anywhere. PLEASE HELP
Ruhan Kapoor
I had to restore my iPhone after it kept locking up, but I hadn’t synched my phone with my new computer, so iTunes could not restore from a backup. Luckily, I had saved the MobileSync logs iTunes created on my old computer. All I had to do was delete the folder named MobileSync and replace (copy and paste) it with the old folder of the same name.
Vista File Location: C:\Users\Nate\AppData\Roaming\AppleComputer
Make sure you can view hidden files and folders(Tools/Folder Options\View\Show Hidden Files and Folders), or you won’t be able to see the folder ‘AppData’
Hope this helps some lost iPhone user.
Thanks for that information Nate! Been looking for AGES. Didn’t have the hidden files and folders viewable - so that explains why. My thanks!