HT203516: Get help creating an iCloud backup
Learn about Get help creating an iCloud backup
Q: My icloud backup doesn't work, just keeps whirring
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Oct 8, 2013 9:26 AMby randers4,This may be caused by a corrupt existing backup that needs to be deleted, or by data on your device that is causing the backup to fail. To troubleshoot these, try deleting your last iCloud backup (if you have one) by turning off iCloud Backup in Settings>iCloud>Storage & Backup, then tap Manage Storage, swipe across your backup and tap Delete, then go back and turn iCloud Backup back on and try backing up again.
If it still won't back up, you may have an app or something in your camera roll that is causing the backup to fail. To locate which one, go to Settings>iCloud>Storage & Backup>Manage Storage, tap the name of your device under Backups, under Backup Options tap Show All Apps, then turn them all to Off (including camera roll) and try backing up again. If the backup is successful, then the camera roll and/or one of your apps is causing the backup to fail and you'll have to located by process of elimination. Turn the camera roll On and try backing up again. If it succeeds, turn some of your apps to On and try backing up again. If it succeeds again, turn some more apps to On then try again; repeat this process until it fails. Eventually you'll be able to locate the problem app and exclude it from your backup.
It may also be caused by network connectivity issues with the iCloud server. Solutions to that include power-cycling your wireless router (unplugging it for 15 seconds, then plugging it back in), resetting network settings on your phone (in Settings>General>Reset), updating the firmware on your router, and changing the router's DNS settings to use Google's public DNS (see https://developers.google.com/speed/public-dns/docs/using).
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Oct 8, 2013 1:12 PMby markfrommiami shores,Thanks much Randers. Must be the server connection since it never backed up and even pages and other sole apps don't back. Think i'll try at starbucks next.
Please tell apple that they should include excellent troubleshooting like yours in their online help under icloud, backup, troubleshooting instead of us having to hunt around for support and hope someone eventually replies who knows what they are talking about and you and others having to write this stuff out all the time. Their guides remain outrageously dysfunctional, incomplete and poorly written and explained.
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Oct 8, 2013 2:08 PMby randers4,I meant to mention that if you're going to try Starbucks or another public hotspot, first make sure you can go to a secure website (such as https://appleid.apple.com). This will confirm that their router has port 443 open, which is required to back up to iCloud.
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Oct 10, 2013 6:44 AMby markfrommiami shores,Hi Randers, this is the kind of info (the port check) that Apple ought to put in one giant on-line user guide instead of you guys constantly having to reply to this stuff. This ought to go in the iCloud set-up section.
Anyway, my iCloud issue is a symptom of a greater problem that perhaps you can solve. All I want to do is synchronize (or copy) pdf documents from my iAnnotate app on ipad to my laptop. That's all. But I've been spending hours over several weeks now trying to do it and there are roadblocks at every turn. The problem seems to be that iTunes only transfers single files. I have hundreds of pdfs in a folder/sub folder structure. I can't possibly sync them without moving each file individually, even if in batches, and having to refile them into their iAnnotate folders.
So, I found DiskAid, which can do it. Then it got complicated. Apparently DiskAid reads the iTunes backup database. Problem is, a lot of the folders appearing in DiskAid do not contain the sub folders that are on my iPad. All the pdfs are there, but listed as single documents and not in their subfolders. Some of the time, however, the subfolders do appear with their documents. It's erratic, but mostly it is not showing the subfolders. DiskAid suggested this may be a corruption in the itunes database. This is alarming since it means if my documents ever get wiped out on the ipad I'm going to have an unordered restore that will take me weeks to re-file.
So my questions would be:
Is there any simple way to directly sync or copy app documents without going through iTunes?
How can I fix the iTunes data base and get DiskAid to transfer the folder structure?
Where else can I look for help? None of the guides and help are providing answers on this so far.
As you can see, without the ability to sync the folder structure, all the research (pdfs) I want to do mobilely is useless because it'll eventually be wiped out or unable to be transfered to future devices or even my lap top.
Thanks so much for your tireless work on all of this. Mark Weaver in Miami
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Oct 10, 2013 12:19 PMby randers4,I haven't used DiskAid, but there are alternatives such as PhoneView (Mac only) or Touch Copy (PC or Mac) that you could try. If the app data is currently on your phone you could also try deleting the existing iTunes backup (open iTunes and go to Preferences>Devices, click on the backup then click Delete), create a new backup (click on the name of your phone in iTunes, go to the Summary tab and click Back Up Now), then see if DiskAid would read the new backup correctly.
Otherwise, you may want to use one of the cloud services that the developer recommends, such as DropBox.
