password to unlock your iphone backup file

This doesnt work for me simply because i dont have an IPHONE backup of any kind listed, lord only knows why because its asking me for my password before I can transfer anything onto my new iphone 5S, any ideas?

Best

A

If you don't have an iPhone backup just what are your trying to transfer onto your 5S? The ONLY thing you can transfer is the backup of your previous iPhone.

I, or my partner at least has backed up her 4S on her macbook air, she now has a new 5S and wants to move all of her information, apps, contacts, pics, vids etc etc onto her new 5S so her 4S can be used by someone else as a replacement. So, as instructed by apple, one phone has been backed up and we are now trying to put all that information on the new phone, however we are being asked for a password, because the backup is apparently encrypted, we have tried everypassword (We have them written down somewhere at home) and nothing works, also, we have tried backing up using a different computer and unchecking the "encrypt backup" before we start the backup and we are still asked for a password. Even though the phone hasnever been backed up to this other computer. The explaination given would have worked perfectly, however it seems there is no backup listed as per the instruction (Not sure how this is as clearly the phone is backedup on the first Macbook) Fundementally, we are being asked for a password we never put in place and, every password we have ever used doesnt work............

Solutions?

Go to iTunes Preferences, Devices tab. Your available backups will be listed there.

Connect the phone to your computer. Click on its name in iTunes. There should be a list of Latest Backups. What is listed there? Also, there is a checkbox "Encrypt iPhone backup". Is it checked?

You can back up to iCloud; that will not require a password, except for the password for your Apple ID if you have never backed up to iCloud before.

I have similar problem. Have a couple of backups listed under the restore function but not the one I am looking for. When I go to preferences I can see it (the one I am looking for) but there is a lock next to the name. Have no idea how to unlock it or get to it so that I can use it for back up. Any suggestions?

Ok, EVERYONE STOP!!!

There is a lot of back and forth on this with the same mundane questions being asked but it has been figured out and indeed it has been rectified, the solution is very very simple indeed even if it is Apple's stupidity that even they don't explain very well.

When you do a backup of your Iphone, ITunes for some reason uses a password that you have used before for something, anything you have done in the past, even if you dont store it in your keychain. (I checked this with a programmer) And, it would appear that has been the case for me. ITunes used a password without my knowledge or input I used for building another website and that I hadn't used in over 2 years. I found it written down in an old notebook, i tried it and Voila!!

So, for reasons that arent quite clear, thats what ITunes does, no idea why or how but it does.

So, You have to try every single password you know, even things you havent used in years, which frankly is a real dam pain.

Also, even when you are trying to carry out a backup and you tell ITunes not to use encryption (tickbox on the screen) ITunes will ask you for the password it has already assigned, without you knowing as confirmation of the "do not encrypt" instruction.

I do hope this helps, its a real pain and there wil be detractors who claim this is not the case, so be it, stumble around in the dark, or do what I write down every single password you have ever used while you have owned your Mac and you will albeit eventually hit the jackpot. Trust me, i'm a little more grey as a result.

Good luck, and persevere!!!

Andy

The only flaw in that logic is that Apple has no way of knowing the password that you used for that web site. So you must have entered it in response to a prompt that you probably didn't read clearly. And everyone who has finally found their password has reported that it was a password that they knew and had used, but it was a different source for each of them.

So here are the two hypotheses:

1. iTunes, without your knowledge, checks the Encrypt Backup box and then randomly chooses a password that you have used in the past. Without, of course, knowing what passwords you have used, because iTunes has no way of accessing passwords used for anything other than iTunes functions.
2. You accidently or intentionally checked the box 2 years ago, or your IT administrator remotely checked it (if you have an MS Exchange account). The first time you backed up after it was checked you were prompted for a password, and you entered one, not expecting to be asked, perhaps. As it was two years ago, you forgot all about it.

Which of these is more likely?

BTW, I've been using an iPhone since the first day they became available, and iTunes has never checked the Encrypt Backup box in iTunes. I checked it intentionally a couple of months ago. And when I restored my backup the password that I used worked just fine.

There is always one, is it usually you?

You are exactly what is wrong with these websites, round and round the merry go round we go and it must obviously be user error, of course. For the sake of clarity (again) I did use the password before for a completely unconnected source ie the website. It was a unique password used only for that website because it was a generated one by the provider and was so weird I would never use it anywhere else. And, it was never used ever again. The problem is solved, that is the explanation whether you find it logical or not, bearing in mind we are talking about technology here, there are a myriad of occassions where it proves to have done illogical things for seemingly no reason.

PS. I didnt ask about you, your iphone or how great you are with your own backups. Having been to the Apple store, apparently the check box is being checked (here in the UK) for some reason, perhaps I forgot to mention this is a new iphone and no iphone has ever been backed up on this machine, we even did it on a windows machine with exactly the same issues, clearly you are missing the point of this entire thread. Or perhaps you thought I had a single digit IQ who just randomly posted ridiculous, illogical nonsense because he had nothing better to do.

Save us both the frustration of replying.

I used my apple id log in password. it worked. BUT my password had some upper case letters and when i did use that, it didn't work. so if your password contains upper case, just use all lower case and it should work.

When upgrading IOS 7 even without encrypting the backup file it will ask you for a password to restore from the back up. Don't panic, since while backing up it never asked for a password unless encrypted mode is selected.

Well, simply disconnect/unplug the Iphone/Ipad USB cable from the PC while itunes is still running and replug it in and itunes will restore from the last backup. I had the same problem cracking my head over all the passwords but I never actually used one while backing up my phone for IOS 7.

Regards to all and happy upgrading.

Good point. Is the "Encrypt backup" checked?

thanks pal

try your macbook password, the password to unlock your laptop

Try every password you have ever used. You entered it, so it must be one that you know.

As you browse this thread you will see that every imaginable password that worked was different from every other, and was also always one that the user knew and had used in the past.

I have the same issue with trying to restore from back up.

Tried many password and with no success.

As I was reading the posts on this issue, I thought I will try the code that I use to lock my phone.

That worked and it's restoring from back up as we typed.

Please try that and see if that's work you.

cheers