i never set a backup password but it says that i did so i cant do my backups and I NEED THEM!

Not sure if this will help you specifically but it helped me in a similar situation. I definitely never set my back-ups as encrypted and hence never chose a password for a back-up. I had tried every password possible, every suggestion on these forums and nothing worked for me. However if you go to Settings, General, Reset, Reset All Settings - it actually removes the encryption (it does not remove any data etc). After it has reset plug it back it and the encrypted box will no longer be checked. My issue was a little different however, as I still had my old phone so I could simply back it up again once the encryption was removed. You cannot restore from an old backup but you can simply backup your phone now making sure the encryption box remains unchecked and you now no longer have an encrypted back up. I never post on forums like this but I had been trying to fix this for months so thought I would share in the hopes it could help anyone experiencing the same issue. Hope this works for you!

Sorry, you are wrong.

Please explain how every user that successfully guessed their password had a different one, some of them passwords that Apple's software could not possibly have known? Here are some from from this and other threads on the subject:

• First iTunes account password (40 different users)
• Old iTunes account password, but not the oldest one
• Password used for almost all accounts (3 different users)
• All digit Password created a long time ago
• Computer/laptop login password (4 users)
• Laptop password (2 users)
• Computer password (4 users)
• Email password (3 users)
• iTunes with no capital letters
• Password not used anywhere else
• All numeric used in the past
• Password for old gaming site
• PC password (5 users)
• “iphonelogin”
• work computer password
• Current app store password (2 users)
• Paypal account password
• iPad unlock passcode
• Strongest variation of the base password I have ever used
• Old password
• Old work password
• Macbook password (2 users)
• Restriction passcode
• Gmail password (2 users)
• Current Apple ID password (2 users)
• Apple MobileMe password
• Apple ID password, but all lower case (8 users)
• Apple ID password, first one ever used, but all lower case (2 users)
• iPhone passcode when corporate profile was installed
• Passcode for a website
• iPhone screen unlock passcode (9 users)
• iPhone unlock passcode at the time the first backup was made (3 users)
• First password for work computer
• Old password used over 2 years ago (2 users)
• Previous owner’s iTunes password
• Current laptop password
• Wireless network password
• Electric bill and Skype password
• icloud password, all lower case
• Windows login for very old laptop
• iMac password (3 users)
• First iPhone 4 digit passcode
• iTunes password from last year
• 4 year old password
• iTunes password (current) (3 users)
• Old PC password
• Password for “Good” application
• Password used for everything+1234
• 1234 (4 users)
• 12345 (2 users)
• 0000
• Password I use for everything else (2 users)
• One of my husband’s passwords
• Some old non-Apple product password
• Screen passcode of the first iPhone that was backed up (2 users)
• Old password with different case on first letter
• “password” (2 users)
• Windows Administrator password (2 users)
• Original Windows Administrator password
• Mackbook administrator password
• “iphone”+4 digit unlock code
• Voicemail password
• asd
• “herpderp”
• “darwin” (first name from credit card account)
• First name, all lower case
• Ms Exchange account password
• Facebook password
• Browser password
• Network admin password

Sorry, you are wrong.

Please explain how every user that successfully guessed their password had a different one, some of them passwords that Apple's software could not possibly have known? Here are some from forum threads on the subject:

·       First iTunes account password (40 different users)

·       Old iTunes account password, but not the oldest one

·       Password used for almost all accounts (3 different users)

·       All digit Password created a long time ago

·       Computer/laptop login password (4 users)

·       Laptop password (2 users)

·       Computer password (4 users)

·       Email password (3 users)

·       iTunes with no capital letters

·       Password not used anywhere else

·       All numeric used in the past

·       Password for old gaming site

·       PC password (5 users)

·       “iphonelogin”

·       work computer password

·       Current app store password (2 users)

·       Paypal account password

·       iPad unlock passcode

·       Strongest variation of the base password I have ever used

·       Old password

·       Old work password

·       Macbook password (2 users)

·       Restriction passcode

·       Gmail password (2 users)

·       Current Apple ID password (2 users)

·       Apple MobileMe password

·       Apple ID password, but all lower case (8 users)

·       Apple ID password, first one ever used, but all lower case (2 users)

·       iPhone passcode when corporate profile was installed

·       Passcode for a website

·       iPhone screen unlock passcode (9 users)

·       iPhone unlock passcode at the time the first backup was made (3 users)

·       First password for work computer

·       Old password used over 2 years ago (2 users)

·       Previous owner’s iTunes password

·       Current laptop password

·       Wireless network password

·       Electric bill and Skype password

·       icloud password, all lower case

·       Windows login for very old laptop

·       iMac password (3 users)

·       First iPhone 4 digit passcode

·       iTunes password from last year

·       4 year old password

·       iTunes password (current) (3 users)

·       Old PC password

·       Password for “Good” application

·       Password used for everything+1234

·       1234 (4 users)

·       12345 (2 users)

·       123456 (one user)

·       0000

·       Password I use for everything else (2 users)

·       One of my husband’s passwords

·       Some old non-Apple product password

·       Screen passcode of the first iPhone that was backed up (2 users)

·       Old password with different case on first letter

·       “password” (2 users)

·       Windows Administrator password (2 users)

·       Original Windows Administrator password

·       Mackbook administrator password

·       “iphone”+4 digit unlock code

·       Voicemail password

·       asd

·       “herpderp”

·       “darwin” (first name from credit card account)

·       First name, all lower case

·       Ms Exchange account password

·       Facebook password

·       Browser password

·       Network admin password

PS - Thanks, Lawrence

There are 2 ways an iPhone backup can be encrypted:

• You checked Encrypt Backup at some time in the past, and entered a backup password - twice
• You have an MS Exchange corporate email account on your phone, and your administrator requires encrypted backups. Again you were prompted for a backup password twice

You have 2 options.

• Back up using iCloud, which does not require a password
• Guess your password. You get unlimited guesses. If you are like most people you reused a password, so start guess with familiar ones. Uncheck Encrypt Backup if you can, as you will be prompted immediately.

Old backups are not deleted unless you actively go and delete them, but you can't restore any but the most recent or the last one of a previous version. The reason is that backups are incremental; when you make a "new" backup only changed content is added or replaced in the backup. This prevents backups from quickly filling your drive, as a backup can be multiple GB.

Microsoft Exchange is the email system most companies use, and if your phone has ever had a company email account then backup encryption can be required by the company IT administrator. And once enabled it can only be disabled if the email account is deleted, the security profile that it installed is deleted, and you enter the password in iTunes when you uncheck Encrypt Backup.

A while ago I compiled a list of passwords that users discovered by trying all the passwords they could think of. This comes from an older thread on this subject:

• First iTunes account password (40 different users)
• Old iTunes account password, but not the oldest one
• Password used for almost all accounts (3 different users)
• All digit Password created a long time ago
• Computer/laptop login password (4 users)
• Laptop password (2 users)
• Computer password (4 users)
• Email password (3 users)
• iTunes with no capital letters
• Password not used anywhere else
• All numeric used in the past
• Password for old gaming site
• PC password (5 users)
• “iphonelogin”
• work computer password
• Current app store password (2 users)
• Paypal account password
• iPad unlock passcode
• Strongest variation of the base password I have ever used
• Old password
• Old work password
• Macbook password (2 users)
• Restriction passcode
• Gmail password (2 users)
• Current Apple ID password (2 users)
• Apple MobileMe password
• Apple ID password, but all lower case (8 users)
• Apple ID password, first one ever used, but all lower case (2 users)
• iPhone passcode when corporate profile was installed
• Passcode for a website
• iPhone screen unlock passcode (9 users)
• iPhone unlock passcode at the time the first backup was made (3 users)
• First password for work computer
• Old password used over 2 years ago (2 users)
• Previous owner’s iTunes password
• Current laptop password
• Wireless network password
• Electric bill and Skype password
• icloud password, all lower case
• Windows login for very old laptop
• iMac password (3 users)
• First iPhone 4 digit passcode
• iTunes password from last year
• 4 year old password
• iTunes password (current) (3 users)
• Old PC password
• Password for “Good” application
• Password used for everything+1234
• 1234 (4 users)
• 12345 (2 users)
• 0000
• Password I use for everything else (2 users)
• One of my husband’s passwords
• Some old non-Apple product password
• Screen passcode of the first iPhone that was backed up (2 users)
• Old password with different case on first letter
• “password” (2 users)
• Windows Administrator password (2 users)
• Original Windows Administrator password
• Macbook administrator password
• “iphone”+4 digit unlock code
• Voicemail password
• asd
• “herpderp”
• “darwin” (first name from credit card account)
• First name, all lower case
• MS Exchange account password
• Facebook password
• Browser password
• Network admin password

From 61 page thread p 14 https://discussions.apple.com/thread/3091672?start=195&tstart=0

howlinyote2 wrote:

Thanks. Are you saying that if someone had previously made a backup of this iPhone, and encrypted it, that when I made a backup the decision to encrypt was already made and already had a password associated with it from the phone's point of view? Is that the reason I was not prompted to create a password because the phone already had a previously selected password associated with backups?

Correct. If it wasn't you or a previous owner who selected encryption, it might have been your IT department if you have a MS Exchange email account on the phone.

If you still have the old phone you can remove the encryption as described here: About encrypted backups in iTunes - Apple Support where there is a link to Turn off backup encryption. You can also attempt to guess the password; you get unlimited guesses, and for most people it is a password they have used elsewhere. To speed up the process uncheck Encrypt Backup and you will be prompted immediately. If you look further up on this page you will see a list of passwords that others have guessed that worked.

RESOLVED

I had the same issue. Tried to restore from a previous backup I know for a fact I was never prompted to set a password. After some thinking, I figured iTunes may have defaulted to an old password I used on an iPhone backup. Low and behold, in keychain "backup" search I found a password I used in 2015. It worked!! Not sure why it does this, but there is no mention of iTunes defaulting to an old password for encrypted backups. Hope this helps! I spent a few months trying to figure this out.

no , im right and i can just prof it right now .... this is a BUG from itunes or neither IOS ..

we work with apple in repair part so ..i grabed a phone NEW phone ... install a few ***** and created a new apple id .. after that i changed my apple id password to something diferent ... then made a backup of the phone with only the OPTION backup ( NOT TICKED THE OPTION TO ENCRYPT ) ok , reseted phone .... now trying to restore ........ ASKING FOR PASSWORD AGAIN ...... ok ... i insert ID apple password (last password) ...not work .... using first apple id password ....its now passing files ......

so im wrong ? are you kidding me ? your bad luck is that i manage to have as many phones i need to carry on this test and prof it .... so don't try to be a smart *** saying someone wrong when WE know there is a fault on apple system of ITUNES OR IOS .. grow up more and start to accept when you dont know all !!

and finally ,, took me a few hours but managed to remember my first apple id password , and that allowed me to recover my backup of my fone ..... unlucky are does who can't remember the password and get ****** due to a problem that is not they fault ...

and finally well i can say as well there can be people who put passwords on it and then they don't even remember , im speaking for myself !!

I found a really useful link that saved me: hhttps://www.tenorshare.com/itunes-backup/what-is-the-default-password-for-iphone-restore-from-backup.html

Basically Itunes takes a random password from one of your accounts.

iTunes may just take a random password off your computer and attached

itself to it. Blow are the common passwords used to unlock encrypted

iTunes backup password

• The 6/4 digit unlock code for your iPhone.
• The password of your iTunes Store account.
• The password of your iCloud account.
• 0000, sometimes the default password is in fact, 0000.
• The password once you used to encrypt your backup file
• Windows login password.
• Other password such as email password, MS Exchange account password

So if iTunes may ask for a password you never set. Firstly, try those possible password to unlock your backup files.

I've said it before, and I will say it again. The ONLY way a backup password can be set is if a human being sets it. I don't care whether you believe me or not, but that's the truth of it. If you think Android devices will solve all of your problems, then go for it. I don't care either way.

BTW, you can back up your device to iCLoud without a password. While it is encrypted, iCloud generates the password from your Apple ID and some internal data.

Also, if you have iOS 11 it is possible to remove the password: About encrypted backups in iTunes - Apple Support and click "get help with a forgotten password." Sadly, most cybersecurity experts are unhappy that Apple provided this workaround, as it essentially means that anyone who has your phone and your computer can now recover all of the contents of your phone (read "anyone" as the FBI, NSA, CIA, Border Patrol, Customs & Immigration, etc)

This happened to me and I freaked out because I never set up a password or received a password. What happened in my case was when I set up iTunes on my PC and backed up my phone, it automatically defaults to encrypted backups, with no distinct password setup. I was able to restore from the PC with no problems. I later created a backup on my MAC and was unable to restore from the MAC backup without a password. This ended up being my user login password for the PC. It appears that iTunes on Windows defaults to encrypted backups and uses your Windows user login password as the backup password, whether you're on a PC or a MAC, and it does all this automatically without making it clear that it's doing it. I hope this helps some of you.

Once a backup is encrypted it is always encrypted. So the encrypted backup from any previous phone is still encrypted. And it will be encrypted even if a new backup is made to a different computer.

Some human made an encrypted backup on either the old phone, or a phone that was older than that one. That backup needs the passcode to restore it. The passcode is one that whoever made the encrypted backup knew, and Apple's software did not know. Everyone who figured out the password discovered it was one that they had used in the past. And, while software can screw up, it can't encrypt a file using a password it doesn't know.

So the bottom line is that you or someone else made an encrypted backup of an older phone using a password that you or they knew and that Apple's software did not know. Thus, even if Apple screwed up badly, it could not have used a password that you knew.

to be honest that happened to me today and I kept trying every password I know including my computer password, then what I did , i restart my computer and open itunes again and when you hit restore, a password filled with **** will come automatically, I just hit enter or okay , it worked. so next time, I'm just going to pay attention not to encrypt the backup by mistake. always go to the phone summary and backup from there so you can see the setting not using right click and back up from the left iphone corner.

Apple can’t possibly help you. Apple does not know the password you chose. The only place it exists is the encryption key for the backup and in your phone.

If you read the thread you posted to you with Lal see how others have resolved this.

Except that is not true. I've never set encryption, much less a password - and yet there it is, asking me for a password.
it's clearly a bug. A fresh install of iTunes on a fresh W7 PC defaults to encryption, doesn't prompt you, and if you don't notice the checkbox is activated you're encrypted with (most likely) a blank password (time will tell what it got set to).

So please all Apple users - do a search and find all the other users that have this issue, then drop the smug refusal to accept that there's no other possible explanation (or that this OS is flawless. It's just code).

The mantra of an IT analyst is "the code works for the human, the human does not work for the code".