Apple Configurator 2 and restoring backups

Hi. Like everyone else I have been forced to Apple Configurator 2 through no choice of my own and now I am about ready to burst with frustration! Ok thats my vent..now onto my problem. 🙂


My previous workflow involved supervising a master iPad, installing apps and profiles, rearranging all the apps into various groups and folders etc then backing up the master iPad and restoring that backup to all other supervised devices. This worked just fine in Apple Configurator v1.x. Sadly I have not been able to do this with v2. I really need to know whetherv2 has this functionality or no. It would seem that I can prepare an iPad either manually or via a blueprint but as soon as I restore from backup the device is no longer supervised! If you know of a way to make this work I will be most appreciative of your input. If you know for a fact its not possible any more I would also appreciate you telling me that bad news as well so I can stop hitting my head up against this computer screen...please be kind...I'm a bit fragile atm. 😕


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iPad Mini, iOS 9.1, Apple Configurator 2

Posted on Oct 24, 2015 10:02 PM

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100 replies

Nov 23, 2015 3:05 AM in response to zoranp3

Zoranp3, I think we need to make a video of it 🙂


First / iOS 9.1 bug --> if you force reboot the iPad2, then you don't have the Hello Screen anymore ! But you have to do this after each backup restore. Hope iOS 9.1.1 fix that ! iPad2 Specific (at least) !


> Slater, don't you want to have at least 10 ipads to look same, with restrictions, preinstalled apps, organised folders???


I used to do this for 350 iPads with Apple Configurator 1, and I am trying to do the same with AC2.


Believe me, I tried to reproduce your steps ! Just a few screenshots :


Step 1 : Prepare an iPad from scratch and Supervise it :


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French version : Ipad Air iOS 9.1 supervised (Oui means Yes)


Step 2 : Create a blueprint with profiles et and apps (only profiles in my example below)


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Apply this BluePrint to my master iPad ! Checked on the iPad : Settings -> Profiles, here they are !


Create folders on the iPad, moving icons: OK.


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Step : "Backup in BluePrint"


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French : Sauvegarder means Backup.


If I look in the details :


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French : Device -> Advanced Options -> Create Backup.


Optional Step you do not mention explicitely, but necessary in my opinion : Apply the blue print on my "Ipad Model".


When I check in the Preferences -> Backups :


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I just blanked out the backups that correspond to my personal iPhones/iPads. But you can see the backup linked to to the "iPad Model".


Now let's take another blanked iPad, and apply my blueprint on it !


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Error : The device cannot be backed up when the Settings wizard is on... Sorry for the translate...


What I understand so far : The BluePrint is trying to take/create/make a backup and is NOT trying to restore anything ! And that make sense, the blue print action is to Create a backup !


If you do something diferent at this point...


GS

Nov 24, 2015 1:34 PM in response to fcbonn

Slater0013, definitely will have to make video 🙂


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This is correct!

When you open up your blueprint, and click on info do you see backed up ipad there on the list?

I don't have macbook with me right now to see it.

If time allows me, I'll probably next week create a new image for our library and will try to record every single step.



fcbonn - no need for sarcasm! I'm trying to help, as I was in the same shoes as most of you still are. I don't know is anybody reading this from the page 1 or not, but everything is explained there.


Cheers

Dec 2, 2015 9:59 PM in response to zoranp3

My apology to all of you! I should've gone through my notes earlier.

To backup you 'master' iPad onto a blueprint you have to follow these steps:


1. Select 'Backup', the orange circle.

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2. Edit Blueprints

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3. Right click on a blueprint and select 'Restore from Backup'.

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4. Select your backup and choose 'Restore'.

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It should look like this:

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When you apply your blueprint to other iPad, it will look exactly the same as your master iPad.


Cheers

Dec 3, 2015 12:49 PM in response to dmuels77

dmuels77

Do you not need to have apps in that blueprint? Only the backup? All the apps will come down to the new iPad?

________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________


My first blueprint had everything, apps, profile and master iPad image.

Since I've upgraded to ver. 2.1 having issues with apps.

The screenshots above only have the master iPad image, as I'm testing something else. Trying to combine Meraki and AC.


Yes you do need to have apps in your blueprint, but you have to make sure you have purchased on your VPP enough licenses. eg. Google Chrome, if you have 15 iPads, then you have to put 15 for quantities in your VPP page.


Cheers

Jan 6, 2016 12:26 PM in response to TrevorWWW

I added a student profile that has the wifi setting. Then while trying to add apps, I got this message:

An unexpected error has occurred with iPad. The operation couldn't be completed. Operation not permitted (NSPOSIXErrorDomain - 0x1 (1)}

Can ANYONE please tell me what I am doing wrong? I have been working on a cart of 21 iPads for weeks and found this thread and started over, but now am getting new errors.

I have had inconsistent errors throughout the time I have been trying to set these new iPads up for a classroom.

Any help is GREATLY appreciated. I'm very frustrated with AC2.

Jan 7, 2016 8:13 AM in response to cindybrock

Then while trying to add apps, I got this message:

An unexpected error has occurred with iPad. The operation couldn't be completed. Operation not permitted (NSPOSIXErrorDomain - 0x1 (1)}

I've had the same problem/error with a set of 20 brand new iPad Air 2s. Adding apps fails 95% of the time, whether adding manually or via blueprint. I've been on the phone with Apple Enterprise support three times over the last several weeks. They still haven't figured it out but think it may be related to the hard drive on my new MacBook Pro. They're sending a replacement to see if that resolves the issue.


So. very. frustrated.

Jan 7, 2016 8:46 AM in response to cindybrock

Then while trying to add apps, I got this message:

An unexpected error has occurred with iPad. The operation couldn't be completed. Operation not permitted (NSPOSIXErrorDomain - 0x1 (1)}

I've had the same problem/error with my set of 20 brand new iPad Air 2s. Adding apps, whether manually or via blueprint, fails 95% of the time. I've spent hours on the phone with Enterprise support over the several weeks and they haven't figured it out yet but are working on it. They think it actually may be related to the hard drive on my new MacBook Pro.


(Sorry for the duplicate posts...it wasn't showing my first response after I submitted it!)

Jan 26, 2016 1:45 PM in response to TrevorWWW

Hi guys... I've been struggling to figure out how to "image" an iPad cart from a backup and thankfully this thread has helped me make some progress! However, I'm still running into an issue. I'm basically following TrevorWWW's steps he posted on Nov 10th as such:

  1. Created a master iPad and set everything up how I wanted it
  2. Took a backup of that master iPad
  3. On the new iPads, I first restore/update to the latest iOS
  4. I then apply my 1st blueprint which restores the backup from the master iPad as well as installs my apps
  5. I then "Prepare" the new device to get it to supervised state, choosing to skip ALL steps on the activation screens
  6. I then modify the new device's name appropriately
  7. I then apply a 2nd blueprint which sets wallpapers and applies my student lockdown profile as well as wireless profile (perhaps wireless need to go in sooner?)
  8. I then proceed to the home screen on the device which is basically hitting next on the "select network" screen and then "get started".

My issue is, I am attempting to apply my Meraki MDM profile as a final step, but these new iPads which I set up using the above steps are not activated. What am I missing to get them activated? I feel like I'm so close!


Thank you so much for any help!

Feb 1, 2016 11:01 AM in response to cindybrock

cindybrock wrote:


I added a student profile that has the wifi setting. Then while trying to add apps, I got this message:

An unexpected error has occurred with iPad. The operation couldn't be completed. Operation not permitted (NSPOSIXErrorDomain - 0x1 (1)}


For what it's worth, after speaking and working with Enterprise support several times, they tell me that they have several open cases regarding this error/bug. They are working on it. Hopefully we'll see an AC2 update and a solution soon!


I found a work around that, for me, is fairly consistent. I only try to add about 10 apps at a time. After they transfer successfully, I log out of my VPP account, then immediately log back in, and then go about adding my next 10 apps. This seems to work for me (most of the time).


If I do get that error message at any point, I remove the batch of failed apps from the iPad(s) before attempting to re-add them (after signing out/in of my VPP account).

Feb 1, 2016 5:15 PM in response to ccsdtech

Maybe I'm missing something really fundamental, but when I try to prepare the target iPad after restoring my Master Backup to it, I get an error saying that the target iPad has already been prepared (because the backup was prepared) and that the target iPad will need to be restored. The target iPad is unsupervised, and I can't prepare it to supervise it after restoring my backup with my settings.

Feb 4, 2016 10:36 AM in response to ccsdtech

Sorry guys, I don't understand one key point in this process which has worked for many of you. When you prepare your master ipad, you have to swipe through the "hello" welcome screen and at least confirm a wireless SSID, then accept a license agreement. Is this not "preparing" the ipad?


Once I swipe through the setup and set up the Master as I want it with all the apps and their settings in place, I take the backup. Whenever I deploy that backup either as part of a blueprint or standalone, I have to install the wireless profile because it is unsupervised. When I go to prepare it after restoring the backup in order to supervise it, it fails and says that the ipad has already been prepared and it will need to be restored to go any further.


I don't understand how you can take a backup which when restored doesn't require you to restore the ipad when you try to prepare it with supervision.

Feb 4, 2016 10:49 PM in response to zoranp3

This is the very same scenario we are having zoranp3. We are enrolled in a VPP program here in Hong Kong. The retailer told us that we cannot use the VPP certificate on both Profile Manager and AppleConfig2. We need to create folders for the users of the iPads are 2-4 years old children. Spotlight Search is going to be a time consuming method, that's why we opted to create folders on the iPad and separate apps regarding to it's uses and the teachers can show the kids in a faster and easier way. Only Apple Configurator 1 or 2 can create and image and apply it to multiple devices. Although it's not over the air, none of the third party software developer can cater our needs so we stayed with Apple Configurator. We have been wasting more than 4 days of work with just a simple task. I just can't fathom why there are NO APPLE CERTIFIED PROFESSIONALS answering or even trying to help with these cases.

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Apple Configurator 2 and restoring backups

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