HELP - moved from desktop to laptop, apps not sync'ing

[Random_Kiwi]

I posted this in another help thread of a similar nature, but no one replied and it is now pages back so trying posting my own thread! haha

I've recently ditched my desktop, as it was old and clunky, in favour of a laptop + iPad only in the house.

Now, I've read around and got my apps copied onto Laptop and added back into iTunes. I've also disabled the old PC iTunes authorisation and authorised the laptop with my iTunes login. All should be good, right?

Yeah, well, it's not. Apps purchased on my laptop won't Sync to the iPad, and similarly, apps purchased directly on my iPad won't Sync back to the laptop...or do they never do this? I just assumed they would so long as iPad and laptop were on the same authorised iTunes account as a matter of back up.

How do I get my apps from my iPad to my laptop?

And how do I get my apps from the laptop onto the iPad when Sync'ing does nothing? (It just goes 'Preparing to Sync', Step 1 of 1, complete...with no changes to what's on the iPad or the laptop Apps folder)

Muchly appreciated

RK

 

[dougrogers]

Apps remember the account they were purchased with. It doesn't matter what account you are now using at iTunes, if the app-remembered account isn't the same, it won't sync to the iPad and versy vicey.

 

[dougrogers]

Further: you need to authorize each app individually from iTunes. I believe it's control click on the app icon in iTunes for the pop up menu.

 

[twerppoet]

This is a copy paste from another thread, but it should do what you want. Let me know if you have any questions, or problems.


This will work if everything you want to keep is on the iPad, or you've already got your iTunes library working on the new machine. If not, then you'll want to solve that problem first.

First, in iTunes on the computer, go to the Store menu and authorize the machine. Then go ahead and login to your iTunes account by clicking on the sign in link at the top right.

As a precaution, open preferences, go to the Devices tab, and turn off auto-syncing. This should prevent iTunes from syncing before your ready, and causing you to loose some content.

Now connect your iPad.

When you get the erase/sync dialog, there should also be a Transfer Purchases option. Choose that. If you do not get that option, cancel out of the dialog, right click on the iPad in he Devices list and choose Transfer Purchases. Alternately you can select Transfer Purchases from. . . under the File menu.

When it finishes (this may take quite a while, depending on how much stuff you have on the iPad) make sure all your stuff got transferred. If not try the Transfer Purchases option again. On rare occasions, or when it gets interrupted, not everything will get copied.

That should put an end to the dialog about erasing your iPad.

Now go through all the sync settings for the iPad in iTunes, and make sure they are set the way you want. Note that if you have been syncing photos into albums, and that the sync is turned off this will remove them from the iPad. If those pictures must be recovered because they are no where else you may want to hold of syncing the iPad until you recover them back to the computer. If you have other copies, or were syncing with iPhoto, then just set it how you want.

Be careful about how the apps get synced. If you accidentally delete an app from the iPad all the documents, settings, game progress, ect associated with that app will be deleted too. You can get the app back, but until you've done a back up you can't get that stuff back.

Come to think of it, now is a good time to do a backup. Right click on the iPad under the Devices list and choose Backup.

Now, go to where the backup file is stored and make a copy. Because syncing always does a backup, your first sync will overwrite this file and defeat the whole purpose of this backup, which is to make the iPad recoverable if your first sync messes things up. Here is a link on where you can find the backup file for various OS's. You'll find it under the About Syncing and Backups section:

iPad: About backups

Since you have a Mac, I'll just say Time Machine is your friend. You don't have to have it on all the time. I keep a calendar reminder to do a manual backup every two or three days, which is good enough for my needs.

When you have everything set the way you want, and have confirmed that all your media is in iTunes (on the computer), or safely duplicated elsewhere on the computer, go ahead and sync.

 

[Random_Kiwi]

^^^ Awesome, thanks mate, will read through that at home tonight and hopefully will get me sorted

Apps remember the account they were purchased with. It doesn't matter what account you are now using at iTunes, if the app-remembered account isn't the same, it won't sync to the iPad and versy vicey.

Same account...if everything is working according to plan, an app purchased on the iPad should sync to my Laptop? Obviously an app purchased on the lappy should sync to the iPad else you can't use it...I'm just wondering if it sync's back in the opposite way so that you have the app on the laptop as back up (pretty new to Apple products)

Cheers

 

[KEWTexas]

How do you do this without all your apps being removed from their folders? I got a new HD and when I synced my iphone, all my apps were moved around and had to be organized again. So I am not wanting to have to do that on the ipad now. It takes forever with 100+ apps.

 

[saphire]

Where does it store the backup to make a copy, I can't find it on my computer.

 

[DontUnderstandMyIpad]

Where does it store the backup to make a copy, I can't find it on my computer.

The backup is in one of the following locations, depending on your operating system:

On a Mac:
/Users/[username]/Library/Application Support/MobileSync/Backup/

On Windows XP:
\Documents and Settings\[username]\Application Data\Apple Computer\MobileSync\Backup\

On Windows Vista and Windows 7:
\Users\[username]\AppData\Roaming\Apple Computer\MobileSync\Backup\

 

[saphire]

Thank you, the help file didn't have the windows 7 location. I have now copied the backup to another drive and I am in the process of backing up to dvd.
I am getting prepared for when I receive my new Ipad 2 from apple, hopefully only another couple of weeks, my Ipad 1 is going to hubby so will have to authorize a new name on it and restore all my files to the new one. I am getting all excited at the thought.