Sync-ing iphone 5 after Laptop HD repair & iTunes reinstall: Seeing "Erase iPhone message". What should I do?

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Sync-ing iphone 5 after Laptop HD repair & iTunes reinstall: Seeing "Erase iPhone message". What should I do?

Recently I had to return to my Windows 7 Dell laptop back to the vendor to have its hard drive replaced after a failure (probably the last Windows device I ever buy). Fortunately I had all my data, including iphone and iTunes library backed up to Mozy.

When Dell sent me my laptop back I reinstalled my data and apps on the laptop (including iTunes) and then connected my iPhone 5 to the laptop via USB. When I elect to sync the iPhone, I'm now seeing the following message: "The iPhone 'Mark's iPhone' is synced with another iTunes library. Do you want to erase this iPhone and sync with this iTunes library? An iPhone can be synced with only one iTunes library at a time. Erasing and syncing replaces the contents of this iPhone with the contents of this iTunes library. "

The word "erase" makes me a little nervous - is there any risk I might lose any/all my music/apps if I select yes? I think my music is all backed in the iTunes library, but what about the apps?

For some reason, after the HD repair, iTunes think I'm trying to connect to a different iTunes library. I get that I can only sync with one library but I don't understand why iTunes now thinks I'm sync-ing to a different computer.

Incidentally, I'm about to buy an iMac and will then look to sync my iPhone with that instead of the Windows laptop. Would I have similar issues again?

What's the best way to manage moving your iPhone sync from one computer to another and defintely not lose anything on the iPhone?

Posted on Jun 9, 2013 1:44 PM

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Answer 1

Jun 9, 2013 1:59 PM in response to markwmoss

Not sure how Mozy backs up your iTunes library, but you shouldn't have this problem if your iTunes library is backed up and restored per the instructions included with this link.

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1751

Have you re-authorized your computer with your iTunes account with iTunes?

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Answer 2

markwmoss Author

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Jun 9, 2013 2:13 PM in response to Allan Sampson

I have re-authorised my computer, but not synced yet.

All Mozy did was to copy everything under C:\Users\Mark Moss\Music\iTunes\iTunes Music, to a backup folder of the same name on mozy.com. So when I restored my hard drive's data, the iTunes was put back.

Under C:\Users\Mark Moss\Music\iTunes\Mobile Applications on my (repaired) laptop, I now don't have any mobile apps listed (I guess I'd forgotten to back those up but in any case they're on my iPhone) so I'm concerned that if I replace my iPhone, I'll lose the apps, which I want to avoid.

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Answer 3

markwmoss Author

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2 points

Jun 9, 2013 2:19 PM in response to markwmoss

I guess I must have my apps backed though as in iTunes jus now, I selected "Back Up Now" and I believe that all the apps are backed up somewhere on my computer... but where? And will they reinstall from this back up if I sync?

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