Change backup location?

Gadjetenthusiast wrote:

Thank you very much. I got it figured out. It works!!!

That's good to hear. 🙂

tt2

Hi TT2,

Just reading this thread and trying to follow while trying to restore my iPhone

Apologies if I am asking a question again - I'm not not savvy in tech language.

I was able to follow all of the commands, and created the junction to my D drive. However when going to restore my phone it now says that it has never been backed up to this computer before. I still have the old backup folder in C drive - could this be the cause for the problem - so by deleting Itunes will appropriately recognised syncs on D drive? I'm very cautious about deleting things as I don't want to make the situation worse!

If your iPhone is in need of restoring that probably isn't the best time to be moving the backup data around. If the old backup folder is on the C drive at the original path then you cannot have set up the junction correctly. If you renamed the folder did you also make a copy of it on the new drive where it is going to live and use the junction to connect to it? When the junction is set up properly Windows shows a different icon for the linked folder, but otherwise all the files & folders appear just as they did before you started, and iTunes can see any existing device backups.

tt2

Hi TT2,

I since resolved the issue since asking the question of you. The 'shortcut' folder to the new backup destination (D drive) was present and said to be working (but obviously wasn't!)

I rebooted my computer and used %APPDATA%\Apple Computer\MobileSync to determine the back up location following this and it was back in the original spot with the shortcut folder having disappeared. In the end I just found my latest back up in D drive and moved it back to C drive in the current back up folder and it solved the issues.

Thanks for your help though

You're welcome. 🙂

tt2

Hi tt2,

May I know how they can be revoked?

Sure, you can delete the link you've created, then copy the folder back from the other drive where you've stored it.

tt2

Thanks tt2 for your swift response!

As there was never a backup done in the external drive, I just deleted the folders created in it. Is that all I have to do or do I need to do anything in command to delete the link?
(sorry my first time creating mklink so I ain't sure how to delete it)

Yes, just select the link in Windows Explorer and press the delete key. When you delete the link what was at the other end remains untouched.

tt2

Thanks tt2! May I know under which directory the link will appear in? As mentioned I deleted the folders created on my boss' external hard disk, and now her iTunes stops working.

Press WinLogoKey+R to open a run dialog, copy or type %APPDATA%\Apple Computer\MobileSync and press Enter/Return. This should open the folder where you'll find the link.

tt2

turingtest2Nov 10, 2014 5:41 PM in response to kalirob2k13

It works! You need to perform the following task in sequence

1. copy backup files from original itunes backup directory to the new one you just created.

2. delete the backup files and 'Backup' directory from original itunes backup directory

3. run

MkLink /J "C:\Users\My\AppData\Roaming\Apple Computer\Mobile

Sync\Backup" "K:\iTunes\MobileSync\Backup"

4. Expected result: the backup files will be stored in new backup location although you still see files in the original backup directory.

🙂

tt2

The original location of the Backups is in a folder called MobileSync

This folder is located in: C:\Users\*USERNAME*\AppData\Roaming\Apple Computer\MobileSync\Backup

And to do move this folder's location, you will have to:

• Copy the folder to the new location (for example at the root of an external hard disk drive (HDD)
• Go to the orinal folder location C:\Users\*USERNAME*\AppData\Roaming\Apple Computer\MobileSync\
• Delete the folder "Backup" within or rename it "BackupOld" to keep it
• Press Shift+Right Click to open a Command window from that location
• Type the following command

mklink /J “%APPDATA%\Apple Computer\MobileSync\Backup” “<Your External HDD>:\iTunes Backup”

• Close Command prompt
• Launch a backup, see if it has been properly located and iTunes sees is as the latest

~dhaliaturiaga

Thanks, It worked. Next time i won't buy iPhone. Will buy Android to enjoy all the features to do back up and other stuffs