TS2529: iOS: If you can't back up or restore from a backup in iTunes

Learn about iOS: If you can't back up or restore from a backup in iTunes
cafarrer

Q: itunes is asking for password to restore new iphone from backup.  I didn't set a password when I backed up the phone.  How can I restore the new phone from the backup I made just before giving my old phone to Apple?

I had to take my phone in because the camera was broken.  I backed up the data on itunes and took the phone into the Apple store.  They gave me a new phone and said to just restore it from my latest backup.  When I select the restore point to use, itunes asks me for a password.  I didn't set a password when I backed up the old phone and iTunes doesn't accept my iTunes account password.  How can I get my new phone restored with the backup I did just prior to giving my phone to Apple?

iPhone 4S, iOS 6.0.2

Posted on May 5, 2013 8:52 PM

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Q: itunes is asking for password to restore new iphone from backup.  I didn't set a password when I backed up the phone.  H ... more

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  • by gail from maine,

    gail from maine gail from maine May 5, 2013 8:55 PM in response to cafarrer
    Level 7 (26,148 points)
    iCloud
    May 5, 2013 8:55 PM in response to cafarrer

    Hi carfarrer,

     

    I have seen some posts with this issue. Try using your iTunes password in all lower case....

     

    Cheers,

     

    GB

  • by cafarrer,

    cafarrer cafarrer May 5, 2013 9:11 PM in response to gail from maine
    Level 1 (1 points)
    May 5, 2013 9:11 PM in response to gail from maine

    Thanks GB,  I did try different variations of my itunes/.mac password. But none seem to work.  I didn't set a password when I did the backup.  I've done backup and restore previously and don't remember ever being asked for a password.

     

    But thanks for  trying to help.

     

    Regards,

     

    Craig

  • by gail from maine,

    gail from maine gail from maine May 5, 2013 10:05 PM in response to cafarrer
    Level 7 (26,148 points)
    iCloud
    May 5, 2013 10:05 PM in response to cafarrer

    Sorry

     

    Just checking, but did you try both your Mac signon, and your Mac Admin signon (if it is different) in all Lower Case?

     

    Hope you are able to get something to work!

     

    GB

  • by gail from maine,

    gail from maine gail from maine May 5, 2013 10:08 PM in response to cafarrer
    Level 7 (26,148 points)
    iCloud
    May 5, 2013 10:08 PM in response to cafarrer

    Hi cafarrer,

     

    Here is the link to the article I mentioned. Seems like this is a problem right now, and I believe that in this (very) long thread, there may be more than one thing to try:

     

    https://discussions.apple.com/thread/3374140?start=210&tstart=0

     

    Cheers and good luck! Post back if you find something that works for you!

     

    GB

  • by cafarrer,

    cafarrer cafarrer May 5, 2013 10:10 PM in response to cafarrer
    Level 1 (1 points)
    May 5, 2013 10:10 PM in response to cafarrer

    If anyone else is looking for a solution to this same problem, I was able to get it working looking through several older discussions.

     

    The solution was to use the password that I had on my iTunes account the very first time I set up the iPhone about a year ago.  I changed my iTunes password about 10 months ago;  but apparently, the backups continue to use the password that existed when the phone was first set up.

     

    A couple of troubling things with this are that 1) I didn't apply a password when I did the backup this afternoon so I don't understand why it was required when I did the restore a few hours later. and 2) it makes zero sense why iTunes would not be smart enough to use the current accout password when requiring the password to restore from a backup made with no password. 

     

    I thought iTunes and Apple were smarter than that.  With so many posts stating exactly the same problem, it is clear that this is bug in the software. 

     

    Best,

     

    Craig

  • by cafarrer,

    cafarrer cafarrer May 5, 2013 10:13 PM in response to cafarrer
    Level 1 (1 points)
    May 5, 2013 10:13 PM in response to cafarrer

    And thanks Gail from Maine for looking into this and offering suggestions.  Appreciate your efforts and help!

     

    Craig

  • by gail from maine,

    gail from maine gail from maine May 6, 2013 7:38 PM in response to cafarrer
    Level 7 (26,148 points)
    iCloud
    May 6, 2013 7:38 PM in response to cafarrer

    Hey cafarrer,

     

    You are most welcome! Thanks for posting back, and very glad you got your issue resolved!

     

    Cheers,

     

    GB

  • by Rootmail,

    Rootmail Rootmail Sep 28, 2013 5:16 PM in response to cafarrer
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Sep 28, 2013 5:16 PM in response to cafarrer

    Try your iTunes password--lower case only!!  It worked for me.  I never set up the backup encryption password and my iTunes password includes both upper and lower case. 

     

    <Link With Personal Information Edited By Host>

  • by ishywisy,

    ishywisy ishywisy Sep 27, 2014 3:31 PM in response to Rootmail
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Sep 27, 2014 3:31 PM in response to Rootmail

    i have almost tried all the password. and its not working

  • by TJBUSMC1973,

    TJBUSMC1973 TJBUSMC1973 Sep 27, 2014 3:39 PM in response to ishywisy
    Level 5 (7,631 points)
    Sep 27, 2014 3:39 PM in response to ishywisy

    ishywisy wrote:

     

    i have almost tried all the password. and its not working

     

    Keep trying.  You or someone that backed up this iPhone to this computer to iTunes chose to 'encrypt' the backup at some point.  Once that was done, all future iTunes backups of that device were also encrypted, using the same password.  iTunes didn't choose a password for you.  It had to be manually entered.  Keep trying until you get it right.  There is no other solution.

  • by Guinness_68,

    Guinness_68 Guinness_68 May 31, 2015 11:28 AM in response to cafarrer
    Level 1 (0 points)
    May 31, 2015 11:28 AM in response to cafarrer

    This is a pile of crap, Apple!

     

    My wife backed up her 4s.  Went to the store.  Came back with a shiny new 6.  And somehow there's a password on her recovery file?!?!  She did not set a password!!!!!  

     

    How to unlock!?  all her contacts are gone.  all her pictures are gone.  icloud had her apps, so thankfully she doesn't have to restore those one by one.  But still! W T F?!?!  SHE DIDN'T SET A PASSWORD!  HOW TO UNLOCK and RESTORE?!?!?!

  • by Jo3h,

    Jo3h Jo3h Sep 1, 2015 10:57 PM in response to Guinness_68
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Sep 1, 2015 10:57 PM in response to Guinness_68

    Same problem as above...cannot replace data from the backup because it asks for password when NONE WAS SET!

    This is a huge bug!  Above,  a guy found he could use his old very first password BUT I DON'T KEEP RECORDS OF OLD PASSWORDS!!! AND REALLY WHO DOES???

    APPLE!!! ARE YOU LISTENING?  Please find a fix and fast, since you have made my iphone DEAD.  Contact me!

  • by janethia,

    janethia janethia Sep 4, 2015 4:48 PM in response to TJBUSMC1973
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Sep 4, 2015 4:48 PM in response to TJBUSMC1973

    Well, that's not the solution because I know all my passwords. There were only three and two of them are written down; the third I just updated recently, so I remember its predecessor. Nope, an old password, all lower case, is not the solution. Neither is the admin password. Neither is the password as first put in with caps and a number. Nope Nope Nope.

  • by gail from maine,

    gail from maine gail from maine Sep 4, 2015 8:53 PM in response to janethia
    Level 7 (26,148 points)
    iCloud
    Sep 4, 2015 8:53 PM in response to janethia

    Here is another article that may help you to access the encrypted backup:

     

    http://osxdaily.com/2013/06/26/recover-lost-encrypted-backup-password-ios/

     

    Don't know if you also saw this link that has a full outline of Encrypted backups:

     

    About encrypted backups in iTunes - Apple Support

     

    Finally, some have had luck trying the following as a password:

     

    1234

    9999

    passwords used for other sign ins

     

    Best of luck,

     

    GB

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