HT1766: Back up and restore your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch with iCloud or iTunes

Learn about Back up and restore your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch with iCloud or iTunes
imall4Him
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Q: I am trying to back up from an iphone 4 that I was borrowing from someone while I waited on a new 5S to arrive.  When I plug it into itunes it only gives me the option to restore from backup, but not to just back up.  Any help?

I am unable to back up this iphone 4 that I borrowed for only approx. 1 month.  I tunes only gives the option to restore from previous backup, but not to actually back up.  i figured I needed to do this before setting up my new 5s, right?

iPad 2, Frozen- can't even turn off

Posted on Jan 30, 2014 6:44 AM

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imall4Him

Q: I am trying to back up from an iphone 4 that I was borrowing from someone while I waited on a new 5S to arrive.  When I plug ... more

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  • by jeremy_v,

    jeremy_v jeremy_v Feb 1, 2014 12:17 PM in response to imall4Him
    Community Specialists
    Feb 1, 2014 12:17 PM in response to imall4Him

    Hi imall4Him,

     

    Thanks for visiting Apple Support Communities.

     

    These troubleshooting steps can help if you are not able to back up your iPhone 4:

    Update your software

    Restart your computer and your iOS device

    After you restart your computer and iOS device, try to back up again.

    Unplug your other USB devices

    Keep only your iOS device, keyboard, and mouse plugged in. You need to plug your device directly into the computer.

    Free up space

    To back up or restore from backup, you need to free up enough space on your hard drive to store the backup or the capacity of the device.

    Check your security settings

    You may need to update, configure, disable, or uninstall your security software.

    Back up or restore using a new administrator account

    Create a new administrator account on your computer and back up using the new account.

     

    Follow these steps for Mac OS X or these steps on the Microsoft website for Windows. If you can back up using a new administrator account, log in using the original user account and follow these steps:

    1. Make sure the account is an administrator.

    2. Check the permissions for the directories where iTunes writes the backup.

      • Mac: Use Get Info to check the permissions on the MobileSync and Backup directory.
      • PC: Contact support for your copy of Windows.

    3. See if there is an issue with the original backup:
      1. Rename the Backups folder.
      2. Open iTunes and try to back up again. Copy your backup before using iTunes Preferences > Devices to delete your backup.

    Reset the Lockdown folder

    If you can't back up as a new user, try to reset the Lockdown folder. If you reset the Lockdown folder, you may be able to start or save your backup.

    1. Unplug all iOS devices from your computer and quit iTunes.

    2. Reset the Lockdown folder.

    3. Plug in your iOS device.

    4. Open iTunes and try to back up.

    Windows: Update your Intel(R) 5 series/3400 series chipset drivers

    if the drivers are out of date, Intel chipsets may cause backup or restore issues. If you have one of these chipsets, you can follow the steps to fix issues syncing iOS devices with Intel Chipsets.

    Back up or restore on a different computer

    If you have another computer, try to back up on it. To restore from a different computer, copy the backup into the backup folder of the new computer. (You may need to create a Backup or MobileSync folder.)

    Contact support

    If you tried these steps and see the message again, contact Apple Support or your wireless carrier (if you're using an iPhone).

    You can find these steps here:

     

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

    http://support.apple.com/kb/ts2529

     

    Best Regards,

     

    Jeremy