Lost all my data on my ipad!

What automatic update?

There is no automatic iOS update. An available update must be manually downloaded and installed.

Photos transferred from your computer should remain on your computer. These photos are not included with the backup. Photos/videos in the Camera Roll are included with the backup.

iTunes content including 3rd party apps is not included with the backup. All iTunes content on your iPad should be in your iTunes library on your computer. 3rd party app settings and data created and stored by a 3rd party app is included with the backup.

You can try restoring from your iPad's backup.

If you backup with iCloud then you have to restore from that iCloud backup. This explains how to do it.

http://gigaom.com/apple/ios-101-set-up-and-restore-from-icloud-backup/

However -- you say "that I should have sitting backed up on iCloud". Do you know backup with iCloud for sure? Media must be restored via itunes as well.

iCloud: Backup and restore overview

I hooked my iPad up to my computer to upgrade to ios5, it started a backup to iTunes. I left it alone overnight. When I returned in the morning, the iPad was updated. However I lost all my data, schedule, photos, etc. when I tried to restore iTunes said there was a problem restoring. When I looked for the backup, it wasn't there! How do I get my data back? I can't find the backup!!!

Please help!!

If you are Windows - launch iTunes and go to Edit>Preferences>Devices. See if that window is showing a backup for your iPad. On a Mac it is iTunes>Preferences>Devices.

If you have a backup - does it predate the updated backup - is it older than when you updated the iPad? If not, if it is only the backup that was created when you updated, you may only be restoring to what you just lost anyway.

It only has older backups. It doesnt show the backup from Sunday. If there was an error backing up, wouldn't it not continue with the upgrade?

I wish I could answer that question definitively. What it should do and what it actually does are two different things - no matter what anyone tries to tell you. That has been my experience with my iDevices anyway.

Back to your issue, you can restore from one of the older backups and it should contain most of your app data - of course depending on how old the backup is.

Connect the iPad to your computer, launch iTunes and then right click on the iPad name on the left and select - restore from backup. A window will pop up that you can select one of the older backups from.

Now the backup obviously would not contain anything more current than what was in the backup on the day that the backup was created. So your scheduke and calendar would not be up to date. If the photos on the iPad were from a sync with iTunes, they should still be available to sync again with iTunes on your computer.

Its really up to you if you think that restoring from one of those backups would be updated enough for you, or if you just want to move on from here.

You should probably read this before you do anything so you will know exactly want will be returned to your iPad if you restore from the backup.

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4946