Looks like no one’s replied in a while. To start the conversation again, simply ask a new question.

User profile for user: Homer888
Homer888 Author
User level: Level 1
36 points

? How to recover APPS from iTunes after system crash

I think we need a sticky for this.

Is there a tutorial or instructions to recover ALL your iPhone/iPod Touch apps from your PC or iTunes after a system crash and iTunes is no longer accessible even after uninstall and reinstallation? I heard one can call Apple Support and have them do a one time reset but for people like me who have more than one iTunes account that may be a problem since it would require several accounts.

Windows 7

Posted on Dec 27, 2010 2:50 PM

Reply
9 replies
User profile for user: Homer888
Homer888 Author
User level: Level 1
36 points

Jan 1, 2011 2:36 PM in response to roaminggnome

I don't know how to backup my library. Not sure if it would help any way. I do know that with iTunes if you connect your device to your newly installed iTunes and new PC that it'll erase all your apps from your device.

fortunately, i am being proactive and i am preparing for this as it is customary to do a reinstall of windows OS every 6-12 months.
Reply
User profile for user: Homer888
Homer888 Author
User level: Level 1
36 points

Jan 1, 2011 2:47 PM in response to the fiend

the fiend...the issue is I have waaay tooo many apps to download individualy. When the day comes to reinstall my WIN OS I would need a listing of ALL my apps, in the worst case scenario if there is no way for the newly installed iTunes to recognize the apps.

what I want is iTunes to recognize in the new machine or newly formatted machine ALL my iTunes apps.

Going back to my original question: How to recover APPS from iTunes after system crash (and reinstallation of OS) without having Apple Care doing their magic (which is not publicly known) and having it appear on your latest iTunes but I have many different iTunes accounts so they wont do it for me, except for the main account as a one time exception.
Reply
User profile for user: the fiend
the fiend
User level: Level 7
22,470 points

Jan 1, 2011 5:38 PM in response to Homer888

Homer888 wrote:
Ummm. Obviously and the question wouldn't even be raised if you had a few and knew what they were.

I do! (Thanks for asking)
I have over 200 apps!!!

... and I have 169. You win!
Are there no solutions? for this?

As I said, Apps are tied to your account and not to your iTunes. So your iTunes doesn't have to recognise anything - it's your account that does that. Log into your account. I seem to recall that the re-downloading of Apps that I had already purchased was fairly painless the only time I've had to do it.

I suggest you create a new thread and pose the question "please give me a step-by-step guide on how to re- download my purchased Apps onto my new iTunes library". +(I don't recall the procedure well enough to be able to tell you, sorry.)+

Phil
Reply
User profile for user: King_Penguin
King_Penguin
User level: Level 10
334,138 points

Jan 2, 2011 3:30 AM in response to Homer888

If your apps are no longer on your computer, and you havn't got a backup nor a list of them, then you will need to log into your iTunes account and trawl through your purchase history and then re-download each from the App Store (I'm not aware of an easier way of doing it but as I keep backups I've needed to investigate it).

It is eaiser to keep backups, and this article explains how to copy your entire iTunes library (including apps, music, movies, and podcasts) to an external drive, and how to then copy it back onto a computer and how to tell iTunes to then use that content and re-populate your music, apps, movies etc. http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1751.

When I moved to a new computer on the first sync it still warned me that it was going to remove everything from my device, but, possibly because I'd copied my music and apps onto the computer first, it kept all my devices's media/apps/settings.
Reply
User profile for user: Homer888
Homer888 Author
User level: Level 1
36 points

Jan 3, 2011 4:08 PM in response to King_Penguin

Thanks King...unfortunately, that's a risk that I am not prepared to take. I dont want to lose my apps. I now need to know how to do this more than ever since my device won't backup under my default windows 7 profile.

Looks like the only sure way is to get Apple Customer care do what they do and to tell your iTunes to download all your apps that are in your account.

So the bottom line is there is no proven sure way to successfully recover your Apps from iTunes after system crash OS reinstallation. Pity.
Reply
User profile for user: Homer888
Homer888 Author
User level: Level 1
36 points

Jan 3, 2011 4:36 PM in response to King_Penguin

Ok....i have some good news, I believe. Using King_Penguin's link and Apple's KB seems to have worked. I tried this under another windows profile on the same machine. The TRICK is to hold down CTRL W when opening up iTunes. This will prompt you to tell iTunes where the library is. The key is to copy everything from your My MUSIC\ITUNES folder. More info here: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1751

What is throwing me off is there is another option to, "Create LIBRARY". Not sure how that works. But the instructions are here: When you need to restore your backed up iTunes Library from your external hard drive to your computer, follow these steps:

1.Quit iTunes.
2.Locate your external hard drive.
Mac: On the Desktop or Finder sidebar.
Windows: In My Computer
3.Drag the iTunes folder (backed up earlier) from your external hard drive to whatever location you desire on your internal hard drive. It is recommended that you choose the default location for the iTunes folder, which is:
Mac OS X: /Users/username/Music
Windows XP: \Documents and Settings\username\My Documents\My Music\
Windows Vista or Windows 7: \Users\username\My Music\
Reply

? How to recover APPS from iTunes after system crash

Welcome to Apple Support Community
A forum where Apple customers help each other with their products. Get started with your Apple ID.
Learn more Sign up