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Syncing iPhone to new computer

I realize this has been asked and answered a zillion times. Just want to try one more time to be sure, as some of the answers seem to make it more complicated than it should be (I hope). So let me ask straight out.


If I get a new computer and install iTunes on it, then close iTunes and overwrite the My Music folder with the one from the old computer that had all my iTunes data in it, and then restart iTunes on the new computer, will it "see" the songs and other material, thus allowing me to sync with my iPhone without losing the data on it?


Thanks for any advice.

iPhone 5, iOS 6

Posted on Mar 13, 2013 6:12 PM

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Question marked as Best reply

Posted on Mar 13, 2013 11:29 PM

Are you afraid of losing the data on the phone if you sync it to itunes? the answer is *drum roll* yes. Since its a one way syncing. waht you need to do is to transfer the purchased items you have on your phone to be added on the iTunes library and sync them back to the phone.

7 replies

Mar 14, 2013 7:32 AM in response to aanov01

aanov01 wrote:


Are you afraid of losing the data on the phone if you sync it to itunes? the answer is *drum roll* yes. Since its a one way syncing. waht you need to do is to transfer the purchased items you have on your phone to be added on the iTunes library and sync them back to the phone.

Thanks for that. Yes, I was afraid of the data being wiped. It seems logical that if a new iTunes installation finds the same data as was there before, it should sync ok. Technically it will wipe and resync, but the material will be the same.

Jun 4, 2013 8:33 PM in response to GordWM

The below way tells you how to sync iPhone to new computer without losing data, hope it can help you a lot.


To Sync iPhone With New Mac

1- Quit iTunes on both Macs

2- Disconnect your iPhone from both Macs

3- Open the Home folder

4- Copy iTunes directory from the old computer to the new one

Located at:

~/Music/iTunes

5- Open user library directory and copy the backups from the old computer to the new one

Located at:

~/Library/Application Support/MobileSync/

6- Also copy over iTunes Preferences files

Located at:

~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.iTunes.plist

7- Launch iTunes in the new Mac up

8- Authorize your Mac to Apple Server

9- Connect your iPhone and sync as usual



To Sync iPhone With New Windows PC

1- Quit iTunes and make sure all Apple's services are not running

2- Launch Windows Explorer / My Computer up

3- Copy the following directories and their contents


On Windows 7 (Replace "USERNAME" with the users account name):

C:\Users\USERNAME\Music\iTunes

C:\Users\USERNAME\AppData\Roaming\Apple Computer\MobileSync\

C:\Users\USERNAME\AppData\Roaming\Apple Computer\Preferences\


On Windows XP:

C:\Documents and Settings\USER\Application Data\Apple Computer\MobileSync\Backup

4- Now paste / put those folders to a new computer within the same path

5- Once done. Launch iTunes in the new computer

6- Authorize the new computer to Apple Server

7- Connect your iPhone and Sync as usual.


That's it. Do not forget that there is limitation of the number of your computer that can be authorized.

Aug 21, 2013 1:56 PM in response to annchurchill

I'm in the midst of this very situation, but this strikes me as problematic advice in certain situations:


"

4- Copy iTunes directory from the old computer to the new one

Located at:

~/Music/iTunes

5- Open user library directory and copy the backups from the old computer to the new one"


If one is moving from Snow Leopard to Mountain Lion, simply copying the folder over is questionable, right? The folder structure is different in ML than in SL--it has a Media folder for one thing.


It's truly hard to find Apple endorsed, Apple-support directions anywhere that spell out to move the synching of an i-device from an older computer to a newer on.


How does one do this without risking the loss of a variety of data that resides ONLY on the i-device?!


All the instructions I've found end up with a new synch on the new computer--blanking your iPhone or iPad and REPLACING the data that's there. Thus, bookmarks and notes in ebook readers will be lost (some apps don't back them up during synching).

Syncing iPhone to new computer

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