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User profile for user: hamishjr
hamishjr Author
User level: Level 1
6 points

Backing up PDF's in iBooks from iPad iOS 7 to iTunes 11.4.1

I frequently receive PDF's via email (scientific journal articles). I store them in iBooks, on my iPad, because I like the folder system and easy email functions. How can I ensure these are backup up?


To clarify, my iPad is my primary business device, not my laptop. I receive documents on my iPad email and store them on the iPad so I can share them with my customers. I do not use my iTunes on my PC for anything except backing up my iPad. I do not receive or manage PDF's on my PC, ever. I travel frequently and do not use my laptop.


A few weeks ago my employer created a situation where I had to restore my iPad from backup and ALL my PDF's were lost. This was a very carefully and painstakingly curated library that cannot be easily recreated. This cannot happen again and I am looking for a SIMPLE step-by-step system to ensure the PDF's are backed up should something happen to my iPad again.


Please understand that I am not a programmer etc. just an ordinary user. If someone could help without jargon or assumptions of expertise, that would be most appreciated.


Thank you!

iPad, iOS 7, ITunes in windows 7 PC

Posted on Feb 9, 2014 8:05 AM

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4 replies
User profile for user: sheila_m.
sheila_m.
User level: Community Specialist

Feb 11, 2014 9:13 AM in response to hamishjr

Hello hamishjr,


Thank you for the question. It sounds like you would like to have the PDFs on your iPad backed up with iTunes. I found an article with information on accomplishing this:


You can use iTunes to back up your PDF files so they will restore to your iOS device after you update or restore your software or transfer information to a different device. If you use iTunes 11 or later to sync your PDF files to iBooks on your iOS device, a backup of your PDF will be automatically created. A copy of the PDF will be added to your iTunes Books library, or iBooks library if you're using OS X Mavericks.


You can find this information in the section titled "Syncing and saving PDFs" in the following article:

iBooks: Viewing, syncing, saving, and printing PDFs on iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch

http://support.apple.com/kb/ht4227


Thank you for using Apple Support Communities.


Best,

Sheila M.

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User profile for user: hamishjr
hamishjr Author
User level: Level 1
6 points

Feb 16, 2014 8:59 AM in response to hamishjr

Well, I found "sync collections" in my iPad settings menu (not anywhere to be found in iTunes, including iTunes help).


I turned sync collections on, and synced with my laptop .


Once again, epic fail - it saved my PDF's, in no order, with no collections, and completely deleted all my playlists.


This has to improve you guys.


Who makes a playlist, or an iBooks folder on their laptop these days? Really?


I remember the good old days with my Palm Pilot. I could choose who was the controlling device and have that one take precedence when saving.


Why can't we just save or backup? Why do we have to "sync" at all?!! Love the "syncing will delete everything you worked so hard make" message that pops up too.


Syncing just screws up everything we build on our mobile devices. But if you don't sync then you lose all your content if you have to restore. This device might as well just be an Internet viewer it is so useless as a business machine.

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Backing up PDF's in iBooks from iPad iOS 7 to iTunes 11.4.1

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