How To Backup And Restore Your iPad

Backing up and restoring your iPad are two things you definitely want to be able to do.  It’s really important to be able to feel secure that if something were to happen to your iPad then your important information is kept safe.

How To Backup And Restore Your iPad

One of the first things you need to know about backing up and restoring your iPad is that the process is fairly automatic when you sync with iTunes.  But, it would be useful if you knew just where your backups were stored in case you want to keep them elsewhere or understand what is being backup up.

Backing Up Your iPad

When you sync with iTunes, it automatically creates a backup of your iPad settings, app data, and other information.  Even when you update your iPad on iTunes, it will create a backup.  There are some things you will want to be aware of that backups do not include:

• Synced items such as songs and videos from your iTunes library
• Information such as contacts and calendars from your computer

Note: Apps from the App Store are included in your first backup after the apps are downloaded.  Subsequent backups include just the app data.

You can restore synced items and we will get to that in the restore section of this article.

If you are looking for extra security you can set iTunes to encrypt your backups.  This is something you might consider for super-sensitive data or for a shared computer where you would not want another person restoring your backup or taking it elsewhere.  This works because when you encrypt a backup, you essentially set a password on that backup file that only you know.

To encrypt iPad backups to the following:

1. Connect iPad to your computer
2. in iTunes, select iPad in the sidebar (on the left)
3. In the Summary pane, select “Encrypt backups.”
4. Select a password, then click “Set Password”

Now when you go to restore this backup, you will have to re-enter that password.  Encrypted backups are shown with a little lock icon in the list of backups in the “Devices” pane of your iTunes preferences.

Removing a Backup

You can also remove backups from the list of backups in iTunes.  You would want to do this, for example, if your backup was made on someone else’s computer.  To remove a backup:

1. In iTunes, open iTunes Preferences.  On a Mac choose iTunes > Preferences and on Windows choose Edit > Preferences
2. Click Devices (your iPad does not need to be connected)
3. Select the backup you want to remove, then click “Delete Backup”
4. Click OK

If you want to know where these backups are actually stored, they are here:

Windows XP

\Documents and Settings\USERNAME\Application Data\Apple Computer\MobileSync\Backup\

Windows Vista or Windows 7

\Users\USERNAME\AppData\Roaming\Apple Computer\MobileSync\Backup\

Replace USERNAME with your personal account name.

Mac OSX

/Users/+username+/Library/Application Support/MobileSync/Backup

You can move this backup to another location for safe keeping but remember that to restore it, the backup has to be put back in one of these locations or iTunes will not see it.

Restoring Your iPad From Backup

Now that you have your iPad all backed up, you can restore it if you need to.  This will bring back your settings, app data and other information.  Restoring from a backup is not the same as restoring from the Summary pane.  Restoring from a backup does not fully restore the iPad software (iOS). This means that if you want to completely start from scratch  you would first restore iPad from the Summary pane and then restore the backup.

Restore iPad from a Backup

1. Connect iPad to the computer with the backup stored on it
2. In iTunes, Control-click iPad in the sidebar, then choose “Restore from Backup” from the menu that appears
3. Choose the backup (if you have multiple) that you want to restore from, then click Restore

Your iPad will now be restored with all of the previous app data, and settings.  Now sync with iTunes onces again to bring back any remaining apps or other settings.

For more troubleshooting tips and tricks you can always browse our iPad Help section with lots of great articles and help with common issues

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