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User profile for user: carlawood
carlawood Author
User level: Level 1
5 points

iTunes forcing me to set up as new phone or restore from backup?

Hi,
Today, I registered and activated my new iPhone 4 on my boyfriends laptop. A few hours later, I connected his iPhone (which he had synced with his iTunes) to update to the current OS I had downloaded earlier ready to apply to our iPhones the same time. It came up on iTunes as "Set Up Your iPhone" and is forcing me to either set up as a new phone or restore from backup. He does not want to restore from backup as he only got his iPhone 2 months ago and that was the only time he has backed up. When I connect my new phone, I can manage my music and videos fine as if there can only be one iPhone registered with one iTunes.
I have searched the internet to try and find a solution but I can't seem to find one as it seems you should be able to sync two phones with one iTunes.
My phone is not "synced" with iTunes as such as I've checked the box that says "manually manage own music".. so I don't know what else to do. My boyfriend doesn't want to lose all of his photos and messages as it seems this will happen if he restores from backup (his music is all on iTunes so that should be synced straight away anyway)
Can anyone help me with this? I'm quite good with computers but I just can't seem to figure this one out! Any help would be greatly appreciated! Thanks in advance.

Carla

sony vaio, iOS 4

Posted on Sep 10, 2010 3:06 PM

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User profile for user: Ingo2711
Ingo2711
User level: Level 9
70,293 points

Posted on Sep 11, 2010 11:50 AM

Welcome to the discussions,
are you using the same iTunes account? If no, did you authorize iTunes with his account info again before you connected his phone?
To keep your accounts separate on one PC, create a new windows user, log in, disable autosync in iTunes, set up the second account and back up manually by right clicking on the device in the device list and choosing "backup". This will save data, pictures taken with the phone and settings to itunes. See what's included in this backup here: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1766
Transfer your purchases the same way to copy all apps and bought media from the Store to your computer. Music, unless bought in iTunes and transferred with your purchases, is not part of the backup. But you can share music between different accounts on one computer: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1203
Set up at least one contact and event on your computer to be able the merge your calendars and contacts after your phone got wiped during the first sync.
The rest of the data can be restored from the backup you made.
Restoring: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1414
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User profile for user: Ingo2711
Ingo2711
User level: Level 9
70,293 points

Sep 11, 2010 11:50 AM in response to carlawood

Welcome to the discussions,
are you using the same iTunes account? If no, did you authorize iTunes with his account info again before you connected his phone?
To keep your accounts separate on one PC, create a new windows user, log in, disable autosync in iTunes, set up the second account and back up manually by right clicking on the device in the device list and choosing "backup". This will save data, pictures taken with the phone and settings to itunes. See what's included in this backup here: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1766
Transfer your purchases the same way to copy all apps and bought media from the Store to your computer. Music, unless bought in iTunes and transferred with your purchases, is not part of the backup. But you can share music between different accounts on one computer: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1203
Set up at least one contact and event on your computer to be able the merge your calendars and contacts after your phone got wiped during the first sync.
The rest of the data can be restored from the backup you made.
Restoring: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1414
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User profile for user: carlawood
carlawood Author
User level: Level 1
5 points

Sep 12, 2010 6:41 AM in response to Ingo2711

No, we're not using the same iTunes account. I didn't sign into his account before connecting his phone again. Is that why this has happened? (so I know not to make the same mistake again)
Would I create a new windows login and use his phone with that iTunes? I would prefer it if my phone was used in that windows login as this is his computer after all. Is there a way to remove my phone from his iTunes and replace it with his so that he does not have to backup his phone and restore? I'm worried it may all go wrong and he'll be left with a blank phone! I know this is unlikely if I do it carefully, but I don't really wanna take any chances unless this is the only option. Thanks for your reply.

Carla
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User profile for user: Ingo2711
Ingo2711
User level: Level 9
70,293 points

Sep 12, 2010 8:47 AM in response to carlawood

Glad it worked. If you did not sign in with the same account your phone is using, iTunes wants to erase your phone or set it up again "as new", because apps and other media can only be used with the account they where bought.
So having two windows users makes it more easy, no changing account infos every time you connect your phone.
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iTunes forcing me to set up as new phone or restore from backup?

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