How do I sync my apps without losing the app data?

Thanks.

The message one gets while trying to sync is bothersome, why would anyone want to lose their apps and data.

Followed your instructions and got the same results. Happy ending..:)

All my existing apps intact with data and synced new apps from itunes to iphone.

Apple can definitely work on the message that pops when trying to sync.

Appreciate it.

Hi,

I am about to do this, but having lost all my photo's on my old hard drive, I am afraid I will lose them on my iPhone!

Can someone tell me if the 'Library' photo's where kept as well as the 'Camera Roll' photo's?

I cannot figure out if the photo's from the 'Library' (on the phone) have been included in the back-up.

I just got a brand new windows 7 pc to replace my 6 year old windows xp. I braved the "Sync apps" button, and after seeing what it did to all my folders went back and restored from a backup on the old computer. Lovely people at tech support won't help me with this beacause I don't have a $100 potection plan. Now all syncs are taking forever and I'm NOT HAPPY! Help?

It took me a very long time to figure out how to sync my iphone with itunes without losing data. As you are already aware, you need to click on Transfer purchases from iphone first before you sync. And, you can easily do that by clicking on File, at the top left of itunes, then select transfer purchases from the drop down menu. After that you can click on sync. This will retain all apps on the iphone. Also, if you want to preserve your photos which are not on your current computer then you must make sure you click on the iphone in itunes and making sure that sync photos is not ticked if it's has (please not that the check mark is removed by default). Itunes will not sync photos, apps, music or ringtones unless they have been ticked. So it's easy to move from one computer to another without loss of data.

Do you have any suggestions on doing the same for Music? I just recently changed computers, and all my data was lost. All I have left is what is on my iPod, and I would like to be able to backup the files to my new computer.

So far... I am loving the new iCloud with iOS5!! Everything backed up and synced to my pc very easily, nothing lost!! It plays nicely with outlook ;) I'm finally starting to rebuild my contact file - that Microsoft destroyed for me last year when I tried to switch the file from an HTC windows mobile phone to a new laptop...,

My situation is slightly different to the one described at the start of this thread, but it's still a 'data lost when syncing' issue...

I recently replaced my 3GS with a 4S. When I connected my new phone with iTunes for the first time it loaded all of my apps, music etc onto my new phone, but none of the data on the apps that had lots of data. I had expected a full data transfer too... That is certainly what happened when I last replaced my iPhone.

Unfortunately, I didn't notice this till a few days later.. After which my old iPhone had already been stripped bare and given away....

If there anyway I can get my old data back? Could it be done with time machine for instance?

I fully admit to being only moderately skilled on the IT front.. and would need to be spoon-fed with a solutions. And am frankly terrified with all of this, incase I lose even more data..(at least at the moment I do have all my contacts and iCal, which are syncing nicely... Touch wood ....with iCloud)

I'm not sure if this can help you but it sure did remove the annoying message box whenever I plug my Ipad2 on my computer. What I did was check the Prevent iPods, iPhones and iPads from synching automatically option from the Edit>>Preferences>>Devices menu.

I just bought this new iPad 2 and asked a friend to transfer a few free games and applications on it. I was trying to look for the file sharing option because I wanted to transfer avi videos when I accidentally clicked the sync apps thinking that it would help. After that, it kept on giving me the annoying transfer or backup message box. Clicking any of the 2 options (transfer or do not transfer) made me lose a game or application and clicking the transfer purchases did not work too even if I already authorized my computer.

Good thing I found out that option and got rid of that annoying message box. I hope it helps 🙂

I opened iTunes on my laptop, declined to sync. Clicked "iPad" in left screen, clicked on Summary tab in main screen, checked the "Manually manage music etc" box, clicked "apply". Then I could simply drag new music, vids, etc straight into iPad in the left screen without any hassles ... Also able to drag data straight into apps in Apps tab. Not an Apple fan, esp that 'syncing' feeling, but love my ipad, so always looking for the windows-style shortcuts.

All is done as per u said my all app i cn see bt some of dam not working means i can c it bt when i click on it its start n movmently its appier its not workng plz help me

It is kind of rediculous that if the procedure for troubleshooting a single app that repeatedly crashes is to remove and reload the app that the ONLY way to do this is by backing up, wiping, and restoring the iPod. It's a 64GB iPod that's 80% full and it takes HOURS. Why can't anyone imagine a Reinstall button in the app store under purchased?

Or have I simply failed to stumble upon the proper incantations to get a single app removed and reinstalled with no loss?

@simplyfy50

Thank you for this, it is most useful.

Can I please clarify, are you saying this will leave the app and its current app data on the device without replacing it with the iTunes dataless copy even though the warning message suggests to the contrary? I ask because as a newcomer to iTunes, I find it anything but intuitive, lacking in instruction and the warning messages strike me as possibly being generic/vague.

If this is the case, it might be nice if Apple replaced the warning message with one suggesting the transfer of purchases first or lose app data. Very poor! I think Apple are quite bad at clearly explaining the implications of following certain routes in iTunes.

@all

One other question, is there any point in syncing apps? It seems a potentially dangerous activity to me and as app data is only stored in the device and backups, I can't see any gain in app syncing when purchased apps are available to download again anyway? Surely device backups suffice in conjunction with manual or automatic syncs of things like contacts, mail and anything else applicable to the user?

Final thought, in the circumstances that in checking the 'sync apps' box does overwrite the device apps/data with the iTunes stored versions, would it perhaps work to then restore the device backup in order to reinstate the app data to the device? This is assuming that the 'sync apps' section in iTunes does contain the correct set of apps and layout. This way, the 'sync apps' checkbox would remain checked for next time and hopefully the app data would then be retained in the device during further syncs?

Okay, sorted my issue. After backing up and biting the bullet, allowing the 'app sync' to proceed "replacing the apps and wiping app data" having first re-ordered the apps correctly on the 'device screen' in iTunes, I expected to have to restore the backup on the device itself, but no, it was all fine. Really, really poor pop-up messages from Apple. They totally confused the issue and from reading around the net, we were not the only ones thus confused.

In short, the apps must be present in iTunes, the device must be backed up and the screens in iTunes should be sorted to those of the device before syncing (if they are not already so).

Thanks again to all for the insight in these posts.

Superb !!! its work fine on my iTune too
Thanks 🙂

Your success gives me hope!!!

I haven't fully synched my iphone since we transferred our itunes library to a new computer over a year ago, and I started to get the message that it was a new library and all the related messages related to wiping everything on your iphone to synch, etc. I have been too afraid to synch, so for the past year have only been transferring purchases and backing up my iphone. I think I am finally ready to bite the bullet. Scary! Synched my music library - not too painful. I ended up installing CopyTrans to allow me to transfer the playlists from my iphone to my computer before doing so (why in the world does itunes not do this?).

Now I am in the process of synching my apps. Did my best to arrange them all as they are on my device. Now I am just biting my nails, waiting. I fully expect to have to restore from backup to get my app data back. But since you didn't have to, I have some hope. Like you, I also wonder if I do have to restore from backup, if it will mess up future attempts to synch with itunes, or if it will finally work.