Q: Apple Configurator 2 and restoring backups

thanks for the help...when AC2 is done, is it ok to disconnect the usb cable even though the loading symbol is there?

It's probably okay, but I usually let it go until those are all complete just to play it safe. I think that's just indicating that it's still refreshing the data from those iPads to determine their status.

Speaking from experience, just be sure to create your multiple backups from different iPads. Don't try to use the same device to create different backups. A second backup of the same device will overwrite the first one.

My question is, why i 'm losing my iPads names when i restore them? I try different setting but my 20 iPad finish with the same name: iPad.

It seems all of the iPads are renamed to the name the backed-up iPad had, unfortunately. I do wish there was a way to maintain the device names the way Apple Configurator 1 worked!

Thanks so much for the detailed post, has been extremely beneficial!

One note around DEP, I work in a school where we have school owned iPads and the advantage of DEP is that it prevents the MDM profile from being deleted.  That said, I followed these steps but skipped steps 3 and 4 in the deployment step and it did work for a DEP enabled device.  Now all of our iPads actually have DEP, and I'm not sure if this made a difference, but the Master Backup was actually from an iPad without DEP. 

We're also using Meraki but the legacy version which is free for unlimited users but also lacks some of the new features, such as device based app distribution, which would greatly help us avoid using Apple IDs for these shared iPads.  That's another topic I guess to explore.

Thanks again

@wheelspinning

That's potentially very interesting!  So are you saying you've enrolled the iPads with Meraki and got them supervised and on the DEP so the Meraki profile can't be removed?

Or are they just unsupervised?

@wheelspinning

Assigning a passcode to the Meraki profile prevents it from being deleted (at least that's worked for us but it may be a feature in the newer version of Meraki). I will have to test your method to see how it works - I have a new set of iPads to run through it anyway and will give it a go.

Good info!

is it normal to enter itunes account info again on the configured ipads? i get this when i open up the apps after the configuration on each ipad

also how do we copy ac2 data to another mac to have more than one cart running

Thank you for all your information on this - and thank you to the other folks on here proving I wasn't mad! The order of things is SO critical in Configurator 2!

This is my workflow to restore iPads, for reference:

1. Wipe iPad using the Restore option in Configurator 2

2. Restore from backup - my master iPad

3. Prepare

4. Configuration = Manual

5. Server = Do not enroll in MDM

6. Supervise devices, Allow devices to pair with other computers

7. Organisation = Mill Ford School

8. Setup Assistant = Don’t show any of these steps

9. Click Prepare

10. Add > Profiles > SchoolWiFi

11. Add > Profiles >  Meraki_sm_mdm (This is the Meraki management profile exported from the Meraki dashboard under Systems Manager > Add devices)

12. Add > Profiles > School 2016

13. Push apps from Meraki by adding to “pupils” group

Thanks so much for this! Super helpful. I have an odd issue that I'm wondering if you have had before?

I have successfully finished about 20 ipads using your instructions. Although now when I try, after restoring iPads, applying restore cart X blueprint. I try and prepare the device so I can add restriction blueprint and it is saying it's already prepared. Any ideas? Is it something simple that I have messed up?

Thanks,

Josh

I had this happen when I had inadvertently logged on to iTunes under a non MDM account.  My recommendation is to log out of and close iTunes, log out of Apple Configurator 2, and then log in to your Apple Configurator 2 VPP account using the MDM account.  That should prevent the apps from being tagged with the non-VPP/MDM account.

I've had this occur as well and found some inconsistencies in the way Apple Configurator 2 is functioning.  As soon as I closed completely out of Apple Configurator 2, restarted the deployment Mac, and then re-ran the device wipes and builds the issue went away.  On some occasions all it has taken was re-running the device wipe, blueprint, and preparation.  Sometimes the process will fail for no reason and at different stages which leads me to believe there are some bugs/stability issues with Apples coding.  Now when I go to set up a new device blueprint and deploy to several devices I make sure to close out of everything and reboot to eliminate any memory leaks or other issues remaining if the system has been up and running for a long period of time.  This appears to reduce the inconsistencies.

This doesn't work for me. In Meraki I go to the password setting and I am unable to change the password (when I change it just changes it back).  Furthermore, it doesn't stop me from deleting the Meraki profile from any of the iPads. 

Also, Meraki has an option to lock the iPads to particular apps.  I've tried this and it works but getting the iPad to *unlock* takes *ages* - like 30 minutes or more, even though the initial request to lock them takes effect quite quickly. 

Worse still, once the iPads return to their unlocked state, most of the app layout has changed and apps have been moved around and all the apps on the taskbar have been moved off.