How to restore a deleted iOS Keynote file on iCloud?

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Level 1

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How to restore a deleted iOS Keynote file on iCloud?

Ok -- i screwed up.

heres my setup:

iPad 1 (iOS 5.01), iPhone 4 (iOS 5.01), MacBook Air Core i7 (10.7.2) <---- synched to -----> iCloud

I use Keynote daily and have presentations synched between all my devices. I accidently deleted a keynote file on my iPhone... and within minutes it was deleted on iCloud and my iPad.

I had a look on my MacBook Air to see if i could find anything in "~/Library/mobile documents/com~apple~Keynote/Documents" there was nothing to be found as expected. I even looked in "~/Library/mobile documents.deleted" -- but i couldn't even find this folder.

SO. Next Step. Restore from iPad backup.

My iPad backups occur everynight into iCloud. I tried to restore from the 3 backups stored in iCloud.

After restoring from the iPad backup -- i strarted up Keynote and briefly for about half a second, i could see the 2 deleted documents (greyed out)... but then they disappeared.

I even tried deleteing iCloud document synching immediately after the backup -- but then when i startup Keynote it says that that my documents have been moved to iCloud, which i can access after enabling iCloud. Duh. Hello. I want to restore the documents from the Backup.

I have spent 4-5 hours with some helful apple support guys -- but there seemed no solution to this problem.

1.WHat are my options?

2. Why can't i restore a Keynote file from my iPad backup (regardless if it was deleted in iCloud).

This is MAJOR bug with iCloud. And i need to get to the bottom of this with Apple.

iPad, iOS 5.0.1, 16Gb + WiFi

Posted on Dec 29, 2011 9:40 AM

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Answer 1

Dec 29, 2011 9:46 AM in response to Suresh Kumar

Have you tried restoring from time machine (or other back up) to your mobile documents folder.

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Answer 2

Suresh Kumar Author

Level 1

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Dec 29, 2011 9:57 AM in response to Winston Churchill

I don't have a recent time machine backup -- but thats becuase i chose to rely upon iCloud backups, besides because i was using iOS i didn't occur to me to do a backup on my MacBook Air.

I foolishly thought that "it just works". Well it doesn't.

If a file is deleted in iCloud -- you cant restore it from an iPhone or iPad backup from what i am experiencing.

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Answer 3

Dec 29, 2011 10:21 AM in response to Suresh Kumar

Can I suggest you get yourself an external hard drive and start using Time Machine or another back up utility. Data loss is often sudden and unexpected and far too late to do anything about in many cases.

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Answer 4

Suresh Kumar Author

Level 1

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Dec 29, 2011 10:31 AM in response to Winston Churchill

Your suggestion about Time Machine is noted -- and i think good advice for the future although i think most users would be rather confused on the usefuleness of Time Machine when dealing with iCloud synching with iOS devices.

Its far from obvious on how to access those iOS/iCloud synched documents on OS X Lion.

But the question remains: If a file is deleted in iCloud -- should you be able to restore it from an iPhone or iPad backup?

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Answer 5

Dec 29, 2011 10:37 AM in response to Suresh Kumar

You also have the option to save documents to iTunes from within the apps on the iOS device. You can import them back at a later date or transfer them to your mac via iTunes.

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Answer 6

pvonk

Level 6

13,857 points

Dec 29, 2011 3:08 PM in response to Suresh Kumar

In the case of a Keynote file (or Pages or Numbers), when one device creates the file and syncs it on iCloud, all other devices can access and edit it (as long as they have iCloud turned on and have the appropriate app(s) to work with the file). If you delete one file, it's like IMAP email accounts, the file is removed from the iCloud server and is gone. I'm not sure if an older backup to iCloud might exist, but to get it back would require a full restore to the device.

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Answer 7

Suresh Kumar Author

Level 1

0 points

Dec 29, 2011 3:36 PM in response to pvonk

I know that. I understand how the file got deleted.

I have done a restore of the iPad and am restoring from the backup.

When I restore from the backup and run keynote the deleted documents appear for a few seconds and then disappear.

That's what I don't get.

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