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how to move MobileSync backup folder?

Hello!
I have an iPod touch 4g and a MacBook. At the moment I have a 40Gb boot SSD and a 500Gb HDD in my laptop. The problem is that the backup of my 32Gb iPod is already taking close to 10Gb of my boot drive and it is not even full (mainly HD videos).

Is there a way to change the setting of iTunes/MobileSync so that it stores the backups in my secondary drive? Or any other clever way of achieving the same outcome?

Or if that is not possible, can I make the backups not include photos and videos?

Kindest regards

MacBook Alu Unibody, Mac OS X (10.6.4)

Posted on Oct 18, 2010 7:11 AM

Reply
101 replies

Nov 13, 2010 2:09 AM in response to brlock

You can't change the iTunes behavior, as far as I can tell.

However, you can use a feature of NTFS to point that folder to another drive. This feature is typically called a "junction" or "symbolic link".

You can use this tool to create a junction:
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/bb896768.aspx

Download the "junction.exe" file from the link above and place on d:\

For example, let's say you want your iPhone backup to be D:\backup. You would do this:

1. close iTunes
2. Move the folder content c:\documents and settings\user\application data\apple computer\mobile sync\backup to D:\backup
3. Open a command prompt (CMD) and enter these commands:

(FOR WINDOWS XP)
D:\>junction "C:\Documents and Settings\username\Application Data\Apple Computer\Mobile Sync\Backup" D:\backup -s

(FOR WINDOWS VISTA / 7)
D:\>junction "C:\Users\username\AppData\Roaming\Apple Computer\MobileSync\Backup" "D:\backup" -s

NOTE 1: Change "username" to match your current username, of course.

NOTE 2: You can change the target D:\ for any other drive you have, like a external drive.

My Regards to author Robert Jacobson.
http://discussions.info.apple.com/message.jspa?messageID=10299450

Dec 18, 2010 10:03 AM in response to brlock

IT WORKS!!

Here is what I did:

1. Created on my E: drive the following folder: \iPod BUP\MobileSync\Backup
2. Moved the entire folder "c:\Users\MYUSERNAME\AppData\Roaming\Apple Computer\MobileSync\Backup" to the new folder "E:\iPod BUP\MobileSync\Backup". So that the original MobileSync folder was empty.
2. Downloaded the Junction program, installed it.
3. Used the command:
junction “C:\Users\asus\AppData\Roaming\Apple Computer\MobileSync\Backup” “E:\iPod BUP\MobileSync\Backup” -s

Re-Open iTunes and synced. No error. Sync and backup still functional.

This is a really great help if you have very large ipod/iphone backup and running out of space on your C: drive!

Cheers

Jan 19, 2011 3:40 PM in response to sebmkd

I did this successfully with a win7 machine (with a small, ssd) to an external drive. Oddly, I found that it didn't work at first. I had to rename the external drive's letter to D (rather than Z) and then it worked.

Just make sure the rest of the junction syntax is correct - you can put the new backup folder where ever (I think) but make sure to name it correctly.

Jun 12, 2011 1:05 AM in response to brlock

  1. Close iTunes
  2. Download junction.exe from Microsoft and in Windows 7, place it in the C:\Windows folder.
  3. Remove the folder "C:\Users\%USERNAME%\AppData\Roaming\Apple Computer\MobileSync" and all sub folders. (so there is no MobileSync folder anymore)
  4. Create a new forder structure on an other drive for example: "D:\Backup\MobileSync"
  5. In Windows 7, open a command promt as an administrator. Now execute the following line....
  6. junction.exe C:\Users\%USERNAME%\AppData\Roaming\AppleC~1\MobileSync "D:\Backup\MobileSync" -s
  7. The command will have created an folder (looking like a shortcut) in the origional location on the C:\ drive.
  8. Now connect your Apple device of choice and watch the folder "D:\Backup\MobileSync" get filled up with stuff.

how to move MobileSync backup folder?

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