iTunes update of iPhone erased everything on my phone, help!
July 25, 2010 11:38 AM

Filter: iPhone Update. Everything has been erased after the update. How do I recover this? or can I? Please help!

I just updated my iPhone, (I formatted my pc about a month ago, and reinstalling everything, including itunes, which I updated it before I updated iPhone).

While iTunes was downloading the latest version, it mentioned that I need to back it up or the data will get lost.(I know the release was a while ago...I'd been afraid to update for data loss, but had to cause the phone was tripping several times a day). Anyway, what do you know, everything on my iPhone is gone, apps, email settings, contacts, etc, back to factory setting, and not the previous setting with just the update software.

How do I recover this? I've tried placing backed up data to see if I can recover, but I have been unable to do it.
posted by icollectpurses to Technology (5 answers total)
So... did you back it up? Because if you did then all you have to do is restore the phone.

All the major upgrades reset the phone to its factory settings, and then you do a restore to get your personalized stuff. I remember going through this with iPhone OS 3.0 also.
posted by sbutler at 12:10 PM on July 25, 2010


Perhaps a little clearer, here should have been your sequence of events:

1) Open iTunes, plugin phone.
2) Press "Sync". This creates the backup.
3) Press "Check for Update" and go through all that stuff.
4) After the update completes, press "Restore". This adds in your personal settings.
posted by sbutler at 12:24 PM on July 25, 2010


Thanks sbutler. I tried restoring, but it doesn't do anything, as in nothing's changed. After I plugged in the phone for an update, iTunes did a backing up for a long time. But it's not restoring to the previous settings. does that mean it doesn't exist?
posted by icollectpurses at 12:34 PM on July 25, 2010


Did you backup your machine before formatting? You might be able to take one of your old iPhone backups from the PC backup and use it. This article tells you where the iPhone backups are stored: Where does iTunes keep its iPhone backups?.
posted by sbutler at 12:39 PM on July 25, 2010


Also, it might be possible that you accidentally created a backup AFTER you updated the device. That would explain why iTunes doesn't think there anything to restore.

If that is the case, you can manage your iPhone backups in iTunes. I'm not sure where it is on Windows exactly, but there should be a "Preferences" menu item, and in there an icon for "Devices". And that's where it will list all your current backups by device and date.
posted by sbutler at 1:46 PM on July 25, 2010


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