Can someone tell me where to find my backups on IPad1? I have looked in the IPad user guide, all it does is tell you how to reset and restore IPad. But, it doesn't actually tell me where to find the backups. I need help because I got updated to the IOS5 and lost all of my contacts. Thanks.

Your iPad Backups are in iTunes. Open iTunes > Preferences > Devices. If you want to restore from the data backup that was made prior to the iOS 5 upgrade (providing you haven't backed it up since), follow these directions:

1. Before connecting your iPad open iTunes > Preferences > Devices > Check/enable "Prevent iPods, iPhones and iPads from syncing automatically".
2. Connect your iPad to your computer and open iTunes.
3. Right-click or Control-click on your iPad (listed in the left-hand menu of iTunes).
4. Click on "Restore from backup"
5. In the pop-up ensure that you pick your iPad from the drop-down list (if you have more than one device associated).

More here:

iTunes: Backing up, updating, and restoring iOS software

Note, this is just for restoring data. Your iPad will still be on i0S 5 or 5.0.1.

Hope that helps!

Thanks. But, I need the actual backup info. I know how to restore and update. Someone said something about it maybe, since I used a windows program to connect IPad to, that it is stored within that computer but they didn't know where. Since they had a MAC computer they couldn't help me. I am trying to find my contact list since I lost it when I updated to IOS 5.0. Help? Thank you!

Where iTunes stores the iPad backup on computers (Generic References):

Mac: ~/Library/Application Support/MobileSync/Backup/
Windows XP: \Documents and Settings\(username)\Application Data\Apple Computer\MobileSync\Backup\
Windows Vista and Windows 7: \Users\(username)\AppData\Roaming\Apple Computer\MobileSync\Backup\

However, and unfortunately, the backup is an all or nothing deal, and the files it creates are NOT user searchable. Here is a link to Apple's site about backups, syncing, and the difference. You'll probably find out more than you wanted to know.

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4079

The short of it is that backups are a last ditch restore option. If you have specific files that you need to keep safe, be sure to keep copies in more than one place.

Sorry, but that's how iTunes works.

Marilyn

Originally Posted by Mickey330

Where iTunes stores the iPad backup on computers (Generic References):

Mac: ~/Library/Application Support/MobileSync/Backup/
Windows XP: \Documents and Settings\(username)\Application Data\Apple Computer\MobileSync\Backup\
Windows Vista and Windows 7: \Users\(username)\AppData\Roaming\Apple Computer\MobileSync\Backup\

However, and unfortunately, the backup is an all or nothing deal, and the files it creates are NOT user searchable. Here is a link to Apple's site about backups, syncing, and the difference. You'll probably find out more than you wanted to know.

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4079

The short of it is that backups are a last ditch restore option. If you have specific files that you need to keep safe, be sure to keep copies in more than one place.

Sorry, but that's how iTunes works.

Marilyn

Thank you! Could you tell me of a way to out my contacts somewhere else? This would be a much better way of dealing with it so I don't lose the list, but again, don't know how I would accomplish this? Learning, but IPad is so different and nothing on it is external! But.....I love it, so glad I decided to get it! Thanks so much for answering me!

Originally Posted by Petey496

Thanks. But, I need the actual backup info. I know how to restore and update. Someone said something about it maybe, since I used a windows program to connect IPad to, that it is stored within that computer but they didn't know where. Since they had a MAC computer they couldn't help me. I am trying to find my contact list since I lost it when I updated to IOS 5.0. Help? Thank you!

But did you actually try restoring from the last backup? Marilyn and are saying the same thing...you can only recover your contacts on your iPad if they are included in the last backup.

The best (and really the only) way to keep your contact list somewhere besides your iPad is to sync Contacts on your iPad with your computer's contact list, be it Address Book on a Mac or Outlook in Windows, Gmail, etc. More here:

iOS: Syncing with iTunes

iOS: How to transfer or sync content to your computer