how to move PDFs in iPad iBooks to Mac ibooks

Question

how to move PDFs in iPad iBooks to Mac ibooks

long description here, but it is all about one problem. If you can comment on any part of the description, please do.

My iPad is Failing. So I am trying to salvage hundreds of PDFs in iPad iBooks by moving them to my Mac iBooks. I tried backing up iPad iBooks to the Mac via iTunes. I can't find (or I don't understand how to find) the PDFs in iTunes. The backup may not have worked.

I also tried backing up the iPad through iCloud and a few, older PDFs appear in a "Preview" file. But pdfs I recently stored in iPad iBooks do not appear in this Mac Preview file nor in Mac iBooks. I have successfully backed up via iCloud in the past and there wasn't a Preview file involved.

I have not updated to the newest iPad iOS since my backups aren't working. I have not updated the Mac to the newest op system for fear I will make the iPad backup to Mac problem worse. So I am one (and only one) operating system backup behind on each machine.

The iPad iBooks displays a grey box marked "new" for recently downloaded PDFs. The first few grey boxes move over and a new one will appear if I download a new PDF. But now none of the PDFs, old or new, will open. iBooks will not scroll or change from a grid to a list display. After a few minutes, iBooks closes itself.

I thought of deleting purchased books (to give iBooks more space). I hoped to redownload the books once the PDFs transferred but iBooks Select doesn't work either. Plus I can't find a description that says books purchased via iPad will redownload on the Mac (or how). I have 1.5 GB available on a 16 GB iPad. I have 45 GB available in iCloud.

The ipad has numerous other problems. I anticipate its complete failure. Backing up the PDFs is my only concern. If you can suggest something for me to try, please please do. I have an appointment at an Apple Store in a week. They said I should back up the iPad before bringing it to them. (Very funny.). Many thanks for any help.....

VIN, iMac (21.5-inch Mid 2010), OS X El Capitan (10.11.5), 3.2 GHz Intel core i3, 8 GB 1333 DD

Posted on Dec 11, 2016 5:13 PM

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Answer 1

picas

Level 7

21,051 points

Dec 11, 2016 8:42 PM in response to Ballerina1984

The first thing I would try is a reset of your iPad: hold the home and power buttons simultaneously until the Apple logo appears. The second thing to do is connect your iPad to your computer and transfer purchases: choose File > Devices > Transfer Purchases from "[device name]". The pdfs should be transferred to iBooks on your Mac.

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Answer 2

Dec 27, 2016 7:45 PM in response to Ballerina1984

Hi, your iBooks should have synced, and you can likely find them at this location:

/Users/[username]/Library/Containers/com.apple.BKAgentService/Data/Documents/iBo oks/Books

To get there do the following:

1. Open Finder

2. In the `Go' menu click on the `Go to Folder' (you can also hold down `Shift, Command, G'), which will bring up a little text input box.

3. fully type out the path I specified above. Make sure you change the `[username]' right after `Users' to you username.

4. Finder will then open to your iBooks/Book directory

Check there before you erase anything!

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