Like many people I was excited about the option of creating folders to organize my 100's of apps. However they keep disappearing on my iPad (and iPod touch, 3rd gen.). The routine is as follows: spend lots of time creating folders, do update on idevice, folders disappear and all apps are suddenly in alphabetical order. I've done this on both devices several times. I read somewhere to do the folder creation, sync with the computer, and then it should stabilize things. Nope, didn't work.

At this rate it's useless to use folders, however, they've been used for some time by others because the OS for the iPhone/iPod touch had the ability.

A....am I the only person going through this?

B.....most importantly....HAS ANYBODY FOUND A WORKING SOLUTION?

Umm... That sounds weird to me. I never noticed/heard anything like that before. I just found a ton of this case in google after reading your post. I think it's somehow related to iOS 4.2.1 itself as it wasn't reported in betas and GMs. I am not sure if there is a fix for this,but in my case a full backup followed by a total reset solves many app crashing and strange problems with wifi or anything else.

But wait for experts to shade some light on this matter.

Thanks

OK, may be a dumb question here, but which way do you sync with iTunes? You may be set up to have iTunes automatically sync with the iPad, versus the iPad syncing with iTunes.

Make sure you've uncheck the "automatic sync new applications" box in iTunes. Then, when you first plug in the iPad, right click and select "transfer purchases." This should cause the iPad to send the data to iTunes - making iTunes mirror the iPad.

I don't have any other suggestions for you as I've never had this problem (and I've got tons of folders and apps). Maybe a trip to the Apple store to ask the experts?

Good luck.

Marilyn

mmm..
I just got that from a Blog on Apple's site:

.....Here is a probable fix. Just update all your apps and pierce them into folders as good as afterwards sync your iPad.



Apple iPad Tablet: iPad App folders disappeared - iOS 4.2 Bug

Try a soft-reset. Close all apps then - Hold down the HOME, bottom button, and the SLEEP, top button, for about 10 seconds until the Apple icon appears. Allow it to reboot, it may take a few minutes, don't panic like I did, wait for it to reboot. Cures many weird problems on iOS devices.

Originally Posted by peled

mmm..
I just got that from a Blog on Apple's site:

.....Here is a probable fix. Just update all your apps and pierce them into folders as good as afterwards sync your iPad.



Apple iPad Tablet: iPad App folders disappeared - iOS 4.2 Bug

I'm not sure what they mean by "pierce them into folders" but I just organized apps into folders on the iPad, did a sync (not an automatic one but a manual one), did an update of TWO apps on the ipad, and all the folders disappeared AGAIN. Now I've read where one of the problems lies where you have too many apps for windows. I got rid of that problem. It's getting rather frustrating. What's the use of folders if they keep disappearing. This has happened when I was syncing on a Mac and on a Windows 7 machine (at different times) AND it has happened with the iPad AND a 3rd generation iPod touch. Quite frankly it has turned me off of wanting to purchase any iPhone.

The only 'solution' i have come up with is to do a restoration of the last back-up. But I shouldn't have to restore my iPad each and every time I update my apps after I either organize my folders or make modifications to them.

Like somebody said I should probably go to an Apple store and search for somebody who knows what they're talking about. When I talked to someone about the connector for the projector he had no clue what apps worked with it and what apps wouldn't work with it. Hopefully I'll find somebody who knows what this 'bug' is and how to solve it as well as why my iPad won't charge while hooked up to my Windows 7 machine.

Restoring Application on Your Springboard caused by Disappearing Folders in IOS 4.2.1, How To?

Follow this steps:

1. You have to Jailbreak your Ipad/Iphone and Install Cydia.
2. Find 'Categories' in Cydia and install this application.
3. Run Categories and go to "Hiddens Icons" then change to 'ON' for each apps icon.Select "respring immediately"
4. Upon respring ipad will restore all your hidden applications.
5. Re-create folder.

Additional Note:
1.You also can install "infinidock" or "infinifolders" from cydia if you want to allow extra app icons in your ipad. Hence will eliminate the need of folder creation in your ipad.
2.Use categories to create folder...safer....


Thank you.

I'm having a similar problem... I think...

It only happens on my ipad 4.2.1

It's running the untethered jailbreak, and every time I restart the ipad, the apps are removed from their folders, and placed in alphabetical order.

If I modify the dock icons, they also revert to their defaults: Safari, Mail, Photos, ipod.

I do also use folder enhancer, at first I thought it was a bug with it, so I removed it, and tried again with the default apple folders, but the problem persists.

I'm going to try running the jailbreak again 2nite to see if I can fix it, but if anyone else out there has experienced this, or has any suggestions about fixing it I'd love to hear it. And sorry to the op if I'm hijacking the thread, but I figured my problem sounded close enough

Reproducing the issue I have is simple.

Create a folder, move any random app to dock.
Turn Ipad off/on (or respring)
Folder is gone and dock is reset to defaults.

Thanks in advance!

Did anyone find a fix? I'm having the same problem. But it happens on my jailbroken iPad randomly when I restart it. A few folders will be missing, maybe like 4, and it's apps scattered about. It will also have this weird spacing with four apps on each row. I have to restart it to make it space correctly but the folders have to be manually created. Any ideas?

I just got an iPad 2 (4.3.3) and got my apps transferred from original iPad, spent a couple of hours putting them in folders. I'm not sure if I did any updates before I turned the iPad off. But when I came back to it a few hours later, all the folders were gone and all the apps were in alphabetical order with the exception of my first screen.

My iPad is not jail broken.

This thread is a few months old. Is there a fix for this? Anyone know why it is happening? Grrr.

Thanks,
Karen