Q: Updated to iOs5 lost everything! Help?

Have tried deauthorizing my computers on itunes, then reauthorizing it and my music has miraculously reappeared! Apps showing on phone but haven't downloaded though... not such a tragedy as I can probably download manually from the iStore on the phone...

and all the music's disappeared again ggrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

The same thing happened to me. I updated to iOs5 - then it said that there was nothing to backup - even though I have backed up millions of times before. It's annoying - I had bought some apps and had very high levels that took ages to get to in some games - now they are all gone. I'm extremely dissappointed with this.

I updated my iPhone to IOS5.   I then found that all my non-Apple apps would not open without closing immediately afterwards (apart from the FT one). In addition, my music and podcast files were still occupying memory but could not be accessed; since then, also, new podcasts show on iTunes but not on the iPhone (all these items show in the iTunes summary of iPhone memory status as yellow "other" rather than blue "music"). 

I deleted all the contents and reinstalled from backup.  This corrected the apps problem.  But the music and podcast problems remain, and since they are sterilising most of the memory on the phone this is very inconvenient. I have tried all the recommended fixes such as buying a new music file.  The only one which seems to have any effect at all is pasting a new music file into the iPhone from the clipboard – and in this case the resulting sync just generates the unhelpful error message “The iPhone could not be synced because the sync session failed to finish”, leaving the new file listed but greyed out on the iTunes record of the iPhone contents. 

Any suggestions?  Are Apple working on the sync problems? 

I've just lost everything on my iPad and iPod Touch.

I've got stuff saved on the PC but I can't get them onto the Pad or Touch.

When I looked in the store for the same items it looks like I'd have to pay as they didn't show Downloaded.

Feeling quite upset, not sure what to do.

Any help gratefully received.

When you choose to 'Set Up as a New iPad' it'll delete everything. It happened to me just now (my iPhone 3GS, IOS 5.0.1 the new one). What I did then was to 'Restore from iTunes Backup' to get it back to normal. At first it'll restart, my iPhone showed 'error restoring blah blah blah' but it actually restored it back to normal anyway (I didn't do anything!). Now my iPhone is normal again, the contacts, apps, notes, music etc. this is the link: http://ipod.about.com/od/iphonetroubleshooting/ss/restore-iphone.htm

I didn't get that option Mariionette, all that came up was 'There are apps on the Pad would you like them transferred to the PC to which I clicked yes and everything disappeared.

I've now found the majority of the apps, just clicked on them where they were saved on the PC and they appeared in iTunes, then I could re-sync.

Thank You for your help.

Peeved that I lost all the progress I'd made on some games though.

I lost everything after updating my ipad about 30 mins ago. This happened last time I updated my ipad and I was really agravated, now I'm super agravated. It took about 10 mins to create a backup and then it shows me that the only backup I have is from 2 months ago and then it gives me and error -50 message saying it can't restore my ipad. ***!!! Time to get use to an Android or Windows tab I suppose -- Apple is losing its groove.

Updating iPhone 4 to iOS 5.

An error occured while restoring this iPhone (-48). Still Looking for a solution.

I have just upgraded my iPhone 4 with iOS5. The phone tells me that the upgrade was successful but then I try to restore from backup and get the message:

"iTunes was interupted while while restoring the contents of the iPhone "****". Would you like to restore this iPhone again now?")".

(There were no interuptions, unless there was an interuption when the first backup was created.)

iTunes then gives three options: Cancel; Continue Restore; Delete Backup. Meanwhile:-

The iPhone Asks a few setup questions and tells me my iPhone is now set up. All looks good but the all the apps dont open, there is no music, photos etc , just mail and safari and the phone are working. Contacts are there.

After chosing "Continue Restore" in iTunes and after 15sec This message apears:

"The iPhone "******" cannot be synched. The required file cannot be found."

then

"An error occured while restoring this iPhone (-48)."

Any soulutions or work arounds? What is error (-48)? Where can I find the required file? Should I set up iPhone as new IPhone?

I've tried repeating the restore process with all the backups I have but the error loop is the same each time. So I am unable to synch. (I'm using the latest iTunes etc etc and followed Apples kb HT4972 on Updating your device to iOS 5 to the letter.)

Someone must have a solution by now. Thanks. Eyes on the road.

Thanks Alexander your posts really helped me.

You seemed to have the same problem as me, and your post was clear. Like you, I managed to restore my iPhone to its correct state. Still I spent 3 days reading threads and tearing my hair out. 

Update – Successfully restored my iPhone 4 today! Everything is back!

First the problem:

Updating iPhone 4 to iOS 5.

1. I have just updated my iPhone 4 with iOS5. The phone tells me that the update was successful but then I try to restore from backup and get the message:

"iTunes was interrupted while restoring the contents of the iPhone "****". Would you like to restore this iPhone again now?")".

(There were no interruptions, unless there was an interruption when the first backup was created.)

1. iTunes then gives three options: Cancel; Continue Restore; Delete Backup.

1. Meanwhile:-The iPhone asks a few setup questions and tells me my iPhone is now set up.

1. On the iPhone, the apps appear but don’t open, there is no music, photos etc, just mail and safari and the phone are working. Contacts are there.

1. After choosing "Continue Restore" in iTunes and after 15sec. this message appears:

"The iPhone "******" cannot be synched. The required file cannot be found."

then

"An error occurred while restoring this iPhone (-48)."

If I choose “Cancel “instead of “Continue Restore” then I cannot sync. I must restart the restore from backup again… and again.

1. I've tried repeating the restore process with all the backups I have but the error loop is the same each time. So I am unable to sync. (I'm using the latest iTunes etc etc and followed Apple’s kb HT4972 on Updating your device to iOS 5 to the letter.)

Now the fix.

I repeated the restore process from the earliest backup after the iOS 5 update.

This time I did not do step 3 above. (Meanwhile:-The iPhone asks a few setup questions and tells me my iPhone is now set up.)

I left the phone. I did not start the setup on the iPhone and instead chose the Cancel option as at step 2. 

Then iTunes usual sync screen appeared. I hit sync or (because I deselected and reselected a sync option) I hit apply. Then iTunes did a sync and all was restored.

Lastly, I went to the iPhone and followed the setup questions and licence agreement and all is well. All apps are working with all my data saved. The music and videos have returned and the contacts are fine.

Summary

Do not do the isO 5 setup on the iPhone until the very end.

Choose “Cancel” after the error message "iTunes was interrupted while restoring the contents of the iPhone "****". Would you like to restore this iPhone again now?")"

Hope it works for you, before you start messing round starting your phone as new or copying hidden backup files.

Eyes on the Road

As everyone else in the thread, I got the iPhone (-50) error yesterday.  After reading multiple forums, etc, this thread was the most helpful.  After deselecting the sync options as someone previous mentioned (contacts, photos, music, etc) and attempting to restore to previous backup which was 2 months ago (which iTunes now removed the backup folder & hid somewhere), I said screw it.  I left the sync options unchecked and clicked the revert button (I call it the doom button).  Once the phone rebooted and was ready to use, I noticed everything was gone, but now running iOS 5.  After being blown all day at work about the phone, I remembered that the capacity bar at the bottom looked like normal when I messed around with the sync options after wipeout last night.  So today I selected the sync options and noticed the disk space bar jumped back to preupdated iOS .  Once I hit the apply button, I had almost everything back once it finished syncing.  Things lost were texts, recent photos, and everything in the "Notes".  I had to redo my email logins too.  Hope this helps.

i got on my stuff back after ringing apple up but i never got my photos back if anyone can tell me how to please email me benyd@msn.com.

I have the exact same problem.

I'm sorry guys .... I don't really think this is an apple issue .... I don't work for apple, not an apple rep .... N not 100% computer savvy ... Infact I have 4 kids running all over the place n work full time at a distillery .... But I see n hear alot of people having issues with restoring n updating to new ios5 program .... I don't know what the real issue is n I can have plenty of people tell you the same ... I just as others did the update n had absolutely no problem updating .... I have all contacts n all pics, apps, games, scores n levels in my games, n everything the way it was as I left it before system restore.... Nothing, absolutely nothing changed.... Just like anything ... Including Your computer ... If you don't sync or do a back up RECENTLY .... It will not restore to the current state .... The common mistake I hear is I didn't sync it since may .... Well if you didn't sync it since may ... How do you expect to have your current stuff on there... You gotta sync every once in awhile n do one sync prior to update... I synced my phone first ... Do this when you know you will not need to use it for awhile n don't be inpatient ... Do not interrupt it !!! I backed it up... Then did system update .... After restored to last sync .... I shut my phone off after n rebooted it n then synced again .... EVERYTHING WAS BACK ON JUST THE WAY I LEFT IT!!!!!!  

I think this IS an Apple issue. I synch regularly, and I, like many others, who synch regularly, encountered this issue. And, there is no forthcoming help from Apple. I've been a loyal Apple customer, since 1984, currently using my seventh Apple computer, and on my third iPhone.