Apple Configurator 2 and restoring backups

Thank you for all your information on this - and thank you to the other folks on here proving I wasn't mad! The order of things is SO critical in Configurator 2!

This is my workflow to restore iPads, for reference:

1. Wipe iPad using the Restore option in Configurator 2

2. Restore from backup - my master iPad

3. Prepare

4. Configuration = Manual

5. Server = Do not enroll in MDM

6. Supervise devices, Allow devices to pair with other computers

7. Organisation = Mill Ford School

8. Setup Assistant = Don’t show any of these steps

9. Click Prepare

10. Add > Profiles > SchoolWiFi

11. Add > Profiles > Meraki_sm_mdm (This is the Meraki management profile exported from the Meraki dashboard under Systems Manager > Add devices)

12. Add > Profiles > School 2016

13. Push apps from Meraki by adding to “pupils” group

Thanks so much for this! Super helpful. I have an odd issue that I'm wondering if you have had before?

I have successfully finished about 20 ipads using your instructions. Although now when I try, after restoring iPads, applying restore cart X blueprint. I try and prepare the device so I can add restriction blueprint and it is saying it's already prepared. Any ideas? Is it something simple that I have messed up?

Thanks,

Josh

I had this happen when I had inadvertently logged on to iTunes under a non MDM account. My recommendation is to log out of and close iTunes, log out of Apple Configurator 2, and then log in to your Apple Configurator 2 VPP account using the MDM account. That should prevent the apps from being tagged with the non-VPP/MDM account.

I've had this occur as well and found some inconsistencies in the way Apple Configurator 2 is functioning. As soon as I closed completely out of Apple Configurator 2, restarted the deployment Mac, and then re-ran the device wipes and builds the issue went away. On some occasions all it has taken was re-running the device wipe, blueprint, and preparation. Sometimes the process will fail for no reason and at different stages which leads me to believe there are some bugs/stability issues with Apples coding. Now when I go to set up a new device blueprint and deploy to several devices I make sure to close out of everything and reboot to eliminate any memory leaks or other issues remaining if the system has been up and running for a long period of time. This appears to reduce the inconsistencies.

This doesn't work for me. In Meraki I go to the password setting and I am unable to change the password (when I change it just changes it back). Furthermore, it doesn't stop me from deleting the Meraki profile from any of the iPads.

Also, Meraki has an option to lock the iPads to particular apps. I've tried this and it works but getting the iPad to *unlock* takes *ages* - like 30 minutes or more, even though the initial request to lock them takes effect quite quickly.

Worse still, once the iPads return to their unlocked state, most of the app layout has changed and apps have been moved around and all the apps on the taskbar have been moved off.

Hey Pizzy: Your workflow actually worked for me. I was able to essentially image multiple iPads with their apps plus - and this is crucial - their data with at least one app, GoodReader. Though, not all apps appear to respond to your method as well as others. For example, we use PDF Expert to distribute materials for monthly meetings. They all need the same set of files which are synced to Dropbox. Unfortunately, no method I have tried has worked, even yours, to successfully reimage and iPad while retaining the Dropbox settings and the associated files. But when I switched to GoodReader, which had failed to retain data and settings in other workflows (methods for reimaging), and tried your method, it worked! That is, I was able to successfully reimage an iPad (that wasn't the backup iPad) while retaining the Dropbox settings and their files; pretty cool. Thanks!

Unfortunately, no method I have tried has worked, even yours, to successfully reimage and iPad while retaining the Dropbox settings and the associated files.

It may be that dropbox.com isn't keeping a copy of the files on the ipad, but downloading them as needed.

R

Thanks for this. So much time messing around with this stuff.

and it was TrevorWWW's outline that I followed in the end!

I created a blueprint that only performs the "Update iOS and Apps" function. I use that on my cart of 30 iPads with no problems.

Sorry that I don't know about remote updates.