To Liv and others experiencing lost apps after update. I assume you would be ok with getting the VLC app back. If not, it looks like your answer is to uncheck all sync items in your music, apps, movies, tv shows, podcasts, and resync without those items. Once completed, reclick the sync buttons in those categories and resync again. If this does not work, most suggest a restore to fix the other. If you want the VLC app and other apps gone missing, read below.
I have a Windows 7 pc, but, the same should apply to Apples.
The folder your looking for is the iphone applications folder called Mobile Applications. Normally, it is located at the following. Mac users should have the similar location.
Go to C:\Users\(computername)\Music\iTunes\Mobile Applications.
Once at that folder initially, the applications were missing. I had 95 apps lost due to "status". I opened all options to view hidden files, known folders, all to no avail. The apps seemed gone. If you have backups of your Mobile Applications folder, this seems to be the easiest way to fix this issue. My other thought is to restore your phone back to the version previous to your ios5 update via Itunes restore. More experienced users can clarify if Apple allows this since the tether update incident with 3G, 3GS.
I have made backups of the Mobile Applications folder along with backups of the computer as a whole. Completed generally once a month. Once I plugged in the backup drive and located the Mobile Application backup, "miraculously", the missing apps were suddenly in there proper location on my PC. However, if your has no such miracle, simply copy the missing apps to the Mobile Applications folder on your computer. Once the missing apps are located and put back in there proper place, go back to Itunes and click on the Apps button your Itunes Library. Once there, I recommend clicking the "list" button to the right of the apple logo window at top for better viewing. Doubleclick one of the apps known to be missing via the exclamation point on the left. Click "Locate" and Itunes will ask you if you want to locate all missing apps. Doing this found all but 18 apps which I have deleted from my mobile applications folder. I had to manually copy the apps from my Itunes App Library to my Iphone via click and drag but I now have VLC back on my Iphone with the IOS 5 update. Again, I am sure there is a easier way to get the apps to the iphone once they are back in the mobile applications folder but that is for a more experienced user. Also, the huge other has now shrunk from 8GB to normal size since the VLC app has taken back the movies which had no application associated with them.
My thinking is IOS5 "does not bother" adding or putting your iphone back to pre update apps based on the apps status in the application store. I.E., VLC pulled the application from the app store in January of 2011 due to differences concerning VLC's adhering to GPL vs Apple's pro DRM status.
Anyone else know why the apps were initially missing then suddenly back once I plugged in the backup drive?
