how to move MobileSync backup folder?

Keebler wrote:

Hi Chris,

I'm having the same issue as others, but I just wanted to clarify that the mobilesync folder is located in users/library/application support/MobileSync. From what I can tell, it's in no way related to the itunes music folder?

Correct. I made a mistake when I posted 11 months ago.

You can turn on iCloud and set the iDevices to backup to iCloud and not your local drive.

See this -> http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1766

First thanks to guys below and all other who help to find a solution.

Finally, well not sure it's work for all people, I find something who work.

I use Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit.

And I try the free program "junction" and other "Junction Link Magic" (see below both guys).
I find "Junction Link Magic" more easy to use for newbie who don't know DOS (command prompt).

For obscure reason I need to junction two folder and I really don't know for what.
If I use just the first one, iTune will copy directly in c:\ and not in d:\ like I want.

My c:\ have just 6 GB free and I need 28 GB (apps of my iPad 3).

Replace XXX by your name.
----------------------------------------------------
If you use "Junction Link Magic" you must have that:

c:\Users\XXX\AppData\Roaming\Apple Computer\MobileSync\Backup
c:\Users\XXX\Music\iTunes\Mobile Applications

Target folders are (sure you can use what you want):
d:\Users\XXX\AppData\Roaming\Apple Computer\MobileSync\Backup
d:\Users\XXX\Music\iTunes\Mobile Applications

----------------------------------------------------
If you use "Junction" you must have that:

c:\Users\XXX\AppData\Roaming\Apple Computer\MobileSync
c:\Users\XXX\Music\iTunes

For c:\ drive, "Backup" and "Mobile Application" folders must not exist if you use the DOS junction program.

Target folders are (sure you can use what you want):
d:\Users\XXX\AppData\Roaming\Apple Computer\MobileSync\Backup
d:\Users\XXX\Music\iTunes\Mobile Applications

----------------------------------------------------
With "junction" program I did:

junction "c:\Users\XXX\AppData\Roaming\Apple Computer\MobileSync\Backup" "d:\Users\XXX\AppData\Roaming\Apple Computer\MobileSync\Backup"
junction "c:\Users\XXX\Music\iTunes\iTunes Media\Mobile Applications" "d:\Users\XXX\My Music\iTunes\iTunes Media\Mobile Applications"

with "Junction Link Magic" I did:

I find
c:\Users\XXX\AppData\Roaming\Apple Computer\MobileSync\Backup
and link to
d:\Users\XXX\AppData\Roaming\Apple Computer\MobileSync\Backup

AND

I find
c:\Users\XXX\Music\iTunes\iTunes Media\Mobile Applications"
and link to
d:\Users\XXX\My Music\iTunes\iTunes Media\Mobile Applications

IT'S NORMAL to see files in both folder:

c:\Users\XXX\AppData\Roaming\Apple Computer\MobileSync\Backup
d:\Users\XXX\AppData\Roaming\Apple Computer\MobileSync\Backup

and also in other both folders:

c:\Users\XXX\Music\iTunes\iTunes Media\Mobile Applications"
d:\Users\XXX\My Music\iTunes\iTunes Media\Mobile Applications

BUT your c:\ drive size must stay fixed. Just your drive d:\ will decrease.

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nagoyapc
Currently Being Moderated
Re: how to move MobileSync backup folder?
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

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drerwinfrommontreal
Currently Being Moderated
Re: how to move MobileSync backup folder?
Dec 20, 2011 8:11 PM (in response to brlock)
Hi,

I am running Windows 7 on a Dell M6600 workstation and ran into the same problem as my OS drive C (128SSD minicard) was filling up. I used a free junction program that made it a breeze to have my 10gb itunes backup reside on my 512GB SSD D drive. The only thing you need to make sure of is that you create the backup directory on your second drive then with itunes closed, move the backup file from your users/yourname/appdata/roaming/apple computers/mobilesync into the new folder on drive D (or whichever drive you have) and then use "Junction Link Magic" (a free program for advanced users) to create the junction. Works perfectly.
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Read the beginning of the post, I did not try itmyself yet, but for a Mac use symbolic links: otherwise, use the junction post on Windows earlier.

film.butcher London, UK

Half way down the first page...

film.butcher London, UK

Re: how to move MobileSync backup folder?

28-Feb-2011 18:32 (in response to win7.3gs)

tt2

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.

It worked for me on win7x64. Thanks!

proohu01 wrote:

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.

Moved MobileSync folder to the new location and this was my command:

G:\>junction "C:\Users\zYx\AppData\Roaming\Apple Computer\MobileSync" "G:\7X64SSD\iPhone\MobileSync" -s

Junction v1.06 - Windows junction creator and reparse point viewer
Copyright (C) 2000-2010 Mark Russinovich
Sysinternals - www.sysinternals.com

Created: C:\Users\zYx\AppData\Roaming\Apple Computer\MobileSync
Targetted at: G:\7X64SSD\iPhone\MobileSync

Note: \MobileSync and not \MobileSync\Backup

This is the iTunes for MAC forum, right?

So, I'm having the same problem (SSD start disk) -- on my Mac.

How can I change the ~/Library/Application Support/MobileSync/Backup folder location from my SSD to my (internal) HD?

Somebody here said I could move the entire iTunes music folder but mentioned /Music/iTunes -- that folder doesn't exist. Which folder should I move instead?

• ~/Music/iTunes Music
• ~/Music/iTunes Media

What about the following files:

• ~/Music/iTunes Library Extras.itdb
• ~/Music/iTunes Library Genius.itdb
• ~/Music/iTunes Library.itl
• ~/Music/iTunes Music Library.xml
• ~/Music/iTunes Music Library Backup.xml

Should I move those to my HD as well?

Thx!

Stefan.

On Windows Vista or Windows 7 you don't need any tools like "Junction Ling Magic" or junction.exe from Sysinternals. You don't even need to create a junction! Since Vista Windows supports symbolic links. Symbolic links are NOT junctions, they are more like symlinks on Mac. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NTFS_symbolic_link http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NTFS_junction_point. Windows has built in command "mklink".

Simply open command console:

• cd "%APPDATA%\Apple Computer\MobileSync"
• move Backup folder to x:\Backup
• then simply mklink /d Backup x:\Backup

Cheers.

Alright - This is how I did it after trying numerous different methods, I didn't quite understand why it wasn't working properly, but this worked for me.

So this is what I did:

(Windows 7) - I recommend restarting your computer before beginning this and not OPENING iTunes - Also I didn't back up this folder because I noticed if I restarted iTunes with this folder deleted it would just recreate it. But remember your apple devices have backups located in the folders we're gonna use - So you should make a complete copy of this folder somewhere else - The folder you should backup is here C:\Users\mark\AppData\Roaming \mark\ will be whatever your usename, so if your's is john, it should be C:\Users\john\AppData\Roaming the folder named Apple Computer is the one you wanna make a copy of.

1. Now head too this location in your C: drive. - C:\Users\mark\AppData\Roaming (The name of my username is "mark," so for example if your's is john it should be C:\Users\john\AppData\Roaming - Just so you know this is a hidden folder, and if you don't see it, follow these steps)

• Windows orb,
• Control Panel
• folder options
• View Tab
• Look down through advance settings to the location "Hidden files and folders" make sure right below that you select "Show hidden files, folders, and drives"

2. Now right click Apple Computer and make sure you select "cut" and not copy because we do not want this folder to be here once we get done moving it.

3. Now open up your external drive that you want to have these files located.

4. Click the Windows Orb, and then click Computer, now double click your external drive, now on blank space in the window right click, and select create new folder, in this example I named it iTunes.

Now open the iTunes folder you just created, and right click and hit paste, this may take a bit if you got a large "Apple Computer" folder - like mentioned it has a backup of your apple devices, mine was over 10GB.

5. Now If you get a pop up saying the file is in use and it wont transfer... you need to restart your computer. Then repeat the steps from 1 to 4. The files need to be completely transfered over. So if you open up C:\Users\mark\AppData\Roaming and see a folder called "Apple Computer" you didn't move it properly, restart from step one and make sure that folder is Completely Moved to your external location.

Minimize all the folders we've used so far.

6. Click Windows orb (bottom left)

7. In "Search Files or Programs" Type cmd, wait for it to give you a list of programs to open for cmd, then right click cmd.exe and make sure you select "Run as administrator" this just makes sure you don't have privlege issues.

8. Now the complicated part, this stuff will need to be replaced with the proper syntax for your computers setup, let's use mine as an example.

mklink /J "C:\Users\Mark\AppData\Roaming\Apple Computer" "D:\iTunes\Apple Computer"

Now you can copy and paste this into your Command Prompt. Your mklink will be different so check the example before you use this: mklink /J "C:\Users\Mark\AppData\Roaming\Apple Computer" "D:\iTunes\Apple Computer" before you can begin.

Example: say if you're usename is john, you need to replace "mark" with "john," or if your external drive is labeled "Z" in my computers, and you want to backup to Z:\iTunes, you need to replace

"D:\iTunes\Apple Computer" with Z:\iTunes\Apple Computer. So it should looke like this with the examples inserted into the syntax:

mklink /J "C:\Users\john\AppData\Roaming\Apple Computer" "Z:\iTunes\Apple Computer"

Now if you're wondering about the "Apple Computer" in "C:\Users\john\AppData\Roaming\Apple Computer" what this is doing is creating a fake folder for iTunes called "Apple Computer" to see, then windows handles the process of linking the fake folder to the folder located on your external drive.

So if we go to "C:\Users\john\AppData\Roaming\" you should see an Apple Computer folder, with a different icon than a folder, you will see the folder with a little arrow icon.

At this point you should be finished, to be completely sure everything is working properly I opened up iTunes, if iTunes opens and it seems to be as it was before you did this process you should be fine. For my final test, I backed up my iPhone and made sure my C drive didn't take up more space after it was complete.