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

It worked! Woohoo!

**** thank yo SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO much i so happy u post this

hey, can you teach me again? this doesnt work in my pc...btw my pc is not mac book or any apple product.....how can i solve the problem...??

Hey CubicalPerspective,

Just wondering, if whether this method would work if I was transferring all my songs across. (most of my songs are from CD's which I no longer have 😟 ) so when i click backup...and then sync apps...and then sync music....wouldthe music go across as well?

thanks bud

Hey all this is the closest thread I have found to the problem I appear to have. I have follow the steps outlined, transferred purchases and used 'backup' but when I look in the backup folder it is only 3gb, compared to the 29gb of data that I wish to fully backup. Using recording software and daws means that I really do need all of that data backed up, and I am most confused. The second directory mentioned contains what look like the install files for each app, again nowhere near the expected size if they contained my user data.

Honestly, I have to say I am a long way from an idiot, and even further from a Luddite, yet I find this to be incredibly obfuscated. It may be that I am o er complicating the issue, and I should just trust iTunes, but twenty years with computers has taught me better. Any advice, would be thoroughly appreciated.

(Btw iPad 1st gen 32gb wifi+3G)

Thanks for the info... it's very helpful... 🙂

thank you cubical, finally from the perspective of a vista user (and a cubical) lol. my update went fine as i had hoped and thankfully your precautions eased my worries, much respect

I was trying to back up to my computer instead of only to iTunes and iCouldn't figure out how to get it to work...

ill do it but i still know its not true and that this is retardedly stupid. iLove controvercy...

IT WORKED!!!!!! I AM SOOOO HAPPPPY!!!! NOW I CAN DOWNLOAD THE NEW HUNGER GAMES APP!!!!!! I DIDN'T NEED THE BACKUPS!!!!!!!!!!!

Hey yeh,

it worked for me and i have a pc 😀

@Weevilman

You definitely don't have all your data backed up. The iTunes "Backup" isn't really a complete backup. It backs up system settings and some application data. To get the applications backed up you use "Transfer Purchases." But neither option will transfer media from the device to the computer. Sync-ing will just erase the media from the device. You must find a program or another means to transfer the data from the device to the computer. Some methods are free (more options for this if you can jailbreak), others will cost money. I haven't found a reasonably simple or complete method to get media content off an iPhone or iPad yet. If you find a good way to preserve all your precious information, please post back and let us all know.

Good luck!

This os so hard to do

Thanks! it works like a charm!!! as you said it didnt arrange the icons, but the data got saved... Thanks!

This hole thing is rediculous, how hard would it be to offer an option that when syncing the phone wins, I know BB already does this. Love the phone but hate the itunes tether. Having had a droid at one point the only silver lining to it was you could tether it to whatever computer you wanted and never have to worry about losing data.