Where are my iBooks PDF-files after a backup restore from itunes

What if you sync your iPad to iTunes, and "transfer purchases" from the device to iTunes, and none of your PDF docs or ebooks (the ones not purchased) still don't show up in your iTunes library? And they weren't included in the backup and restore to the new device.

A backup doesn't contain any of your iTunes downloads, nor the contents of the iBooks, Music or Videos apps - it contains documents, files, camera roll photos, contacts, Safari history/cache/cookies, notes etc. (it's full in the sense that all of your third-party apps should be backed up, as opposed to an iCloud backup where you can choose which apps to back up). The restore picks up your actual apps and the contents of the Music, Videos and iBooks apps from your actual iTunes library, so they need to be in that for the restore to be able to be able to put them back.

DId you use the File > Devices > Transfer Purchases menu option to copy them over prior to restoring - as well as copying iTunes downloads over to your computer'a iTunes it should also have copied any PDFs and/or epubs that we're in the iBooks app (they should have copied over to the Books part of your library ; iBooks app if using a Mac with Mavericks on it). If they aren't in your iTunes library then the restore can't copy them back to your device, do you have copies of them elsewhere on your computer so that you can add them to iTunes (iBooks app if using a Mac with Macericks) so that you can retry the restore or just resync them ?

I am having a similar problem. I sent a protected PDF file to myself via both email and iMessage. I opened it and then chose to open in ibooks. The file appeared in my iBooks library. However, after a day or so, the file disappeared. Any suggestions?

What did you do between copying the PDF to the iBooks app and noticing that it was missing e.g. had you synced to your computer's iTunes and that had removed it ? If it's no longer in the PDFs collection in the app, and you don't have it in the Books part of your computer's iTunes library (in the iBooks app of using a Mac with OS X Mavericks on it), then do you still have the email with it attached to ?

Thank you for responding. Syncing while connected to iTunes and the Macbook Air doesn't seem to work anymore. Somewhere along the way I seem to remember that the only way to get stuff into iBooks other than purchased in the iBook store is to email or message it to oneself and then say "Open in iBooks." I have done that several times and a brief time later I go to iBooks,see the PDF file in the library and watch it as it "disappears" right before my eyes. I have deleted the email and the message that originally got the file to my iPhone because I'd rather not keep a protected file in more places than it needs to be. There is no option to "Save" the PDF file to the iBooks library, just to open it there. It is still in the iBooks located on the Macbook Air, it just seems to disappear from the iPhone.

Any ideas? Is there an iCloud component that has to be considered?

You should still be able to sync PDFs and/or epubs as well as ibooks from your Mac's iTunes - what happens when you try that ?

If you have Mavericks on your Mac then you can add them to the iBooks app on it via File > Add To Library, if you don't have Mavericks then you can add them to your Mac's iTunes via File > Add To Library. When you connect your phone to your Mac's iTunes and select it on its left-hand sidebar (option-command-S) then you should be able to use the Books tab on the right-hand side of the iTunes screen to select and sync them to the phone.

When you use 'open in' the PDF should be saved to the iBooks app, that is what 'open in' does. Do you do anything with the phone after doing that and before you notice that they are missing e.g. have you connected it to your Mac's iTunes and your sync selection is meaning that it is being removed because it isn't in your Mac's library ?

I haven't checked. I did not know. I have Mavericks. I will try the command-s. See what happens. Thanks.

I'm Sorry.

My mistake. I thought the Mavericks and new iBooks and iTunes protocols removed the ability to sync through the USB/iTunes sync. The PDF file was not checked. I have now selected "All Books" and the sync took effect. I am sorry for waisting your time.

Matt

How can you tell if TRANSFER YOUR PURCHASES was selected during a FULL backup on an iPad 2 with iOS 6 ?

i Believe this is being asked during a "full" backup.

Only you will know if you transferred purchases. Have you checked to see if the books are in the Books section of your computer's iTunes library (or if using an up-to-date Mac then done File > Move Books From iTunes in its iBooks app and checked to see if they are in there) ?

Thank you for your quick reply.

i Did check and they're not there.

so I assume i lost 2 years worth of pdfs and catalogs downloaded.

And may I ask why is it so difficult to include a simple note for the ignorant user, to protect him from losing all his work ?

after so many years of a known issue ?

If you hadn't copied them over then yes, you've lost.

For the note you will have to ask Apple why (I'm a fellow user), or leave feedback for them via this page : http://www.apple.com/feedback/

TThanks again for your reply.

i Will send Apple my best regards for this issue. As if they cared.

IMHO iTunes is apple's worst product.

You aren't using iCloud Drive for the iBooks app ? If using a Mac are you also doing the iBooks step on it ?