Synced fotos were lost on iPad2 due to re-sync,and I have no backup file or originals

[BellviewBoy]

Hi everybody,

Just joined and this is my first post, I'm an iPad2 user.

Apologies in advance for the length of the post - I want to convey EXACTLY what my problem is. I have searched the forums and found similar issues, but not exactly the same....so apologies if this is repeat threading, I hope not and I hope that the results can help both myself and others in the future who have the same problem.

Ok, as you will have guessed from the heading, I have lost photos. Maybe 3000+ of them unfortunately. I had them all arranged on my PC into folders(weddings/holidays/childrens birthdays/Christmas'/New Years/my childrens communions and confirmations etc etc....you know the drill I'm sure ) Anyway, I synced the PC through iTunes with my iPad2, and all the folders appeared on the iPad and it was really handy for viewing purposes.

At this stage I also considered that the iPad version of all the photos was essentially a 'backup' of them, so I was content that if anything happened to the PC I still had all my photos in a different location, ie the Ipad. I realise now after extensive Googling of my problem that this is not really a satisfactory 'backup' at all, and that the photos are lower resolution and also quite difficult(but not impossible) to get back onto a PC. You live and learn!!

Unfortunately my PC was stolen about 6 months ago! When this happened I immediately thought about all the precious photos, which was the only 'valuable' thing that I lost when it was stolen. However I reckoned that I would transfer them all back from the iPad, even if this took a bit of work and maybe some software etc. However, I HAVE BEEN REALLY CARELESS ABOUT NOT DOING THIS IMMEDIATELY, mainly due to serious work pressure and a bereavement. And lo and behold, when I went to start on the task recently, I discovered that my 12 year old daughter had synced the iPad recently with her laptop, and the only photos on the iPad were ones from her laptop, maybe about 40 or so!! She too is obviously pretty distraught about it, but I am telling her that it is MY fault, not hers, which is 100% true!!

So, to my question: Are all the photos gone forever due to the sync with my daughters laptop, or do they exist on the iPad still and can they be retrieved. I have tried software like Wondershare and a few others etc for recovering lost data on an iPad, but they seem to only show up photos that were deleted from the Camera Roll of the iPad, i.e. actual photos that used to be on the iPad, as opposed to synced photos that were on the iPad due to a sync with a PC, i.e. the originals were never on the iPad.

I cant help but feel that they must be still there on the iPad somewhere, but Google hasn't been able to help me. Interestingly, my wallpaper on the iPad is one of the lost photos, but I presume that when I selected it as my wallpaper then the iPad stored a different version of that particular photo in order to use it as wallpaper, and that is why the wallpaper didn't disappear when all the synced photos disappeared?

My iPad is in limbo now as I won't let wife/son/daughter use it in case we overwrite anything. However we are going on hols Thu 8th Aug and I would like to take it, so if I could get a definitive answer before then at least I could move on from the disappointing episode. I'm not expecting good news, and I am prepared to move on(nothing else for it!), but I would like to exhaust all avenues before I give up. I have read threads here and see some very experienced users (eg Twerppoet) who might be able to advise me?

Apologies again for long post, and thanks in advance for any assistance.

 

[Mickey330]

There might be a shot. When your daughter synced the iPad with her laptop, her iTunes would have made a backup of the iPad (I'm pretty sure the backup occurs before syncing). If you've not run a backup or a sync since, that backup may have the photos in it.

You'll need something to get into that backup on that laptop. I use a program called iBackupbot. While there's a free, trial download, I can't tell you if that will be able to work for you (I've bought the program and don't remember what features the free one had). Still, there's no harm in trying the free trialware, yeah? The full, paid version is $34.95 (USD)...

Anyway - with something like iBackupbot, you can look inside iTunes backups. On my PC - the photos in the backup show up right away when I open the program (it automatically finds all iTunes backups). If the Pictish are there, you can use iBackupbot to export them to anywhere you want on the PC.

That's one idea. Maybe it'll work? Meanwhile, I'll think of other things and I'm sure others will be along to assist.

Marilyn

 

[BellviewBoy]

Thanks for the reply Marilyn........I have now checked my daughters laptop for the backup you mention, but there doesnt seem to be one there? I went into itunes on her laptop and turned off autosync, then connected the iPad and right-clicked on the iPad icon and selected 'Restore from Backup'....but when the dropdown menu appeared it only showed two backups on my daughters laptop and they were of my sons iPod....no backup showing of the iPad itself. This leads me on to a question about your reply - this 'automatic backup' that you talk about before a sync, does it be logged in the same way that an actual user-driven backup would be, i.e. would it appear in the dropdown menu the same way as actual backups do, or is it a 'hidden' backup that happens without the user knowing as such(in order to idiot-proof things against people like me! )....and thus it has to be 'found' elswhere on my daughters laptop? I'm guessing not, as this would seem far too lacking in common sense, just thought I'd ask to rule it out.

Also, if there is no backup of the iPad on my daughters laptop does that mean that the iPad wasn't actually synced with it ever?? I'm starting to investigate the possibility that I didn't lose all the synced photos through a sync, but rather through an update of my iOS on the iPad....this was carried out recently on the iPad - would that erase any synced photos from it, and if so, are they gone forever? I still think it was probably a sync that got rid of them, but the fact that there is no backup of the iPad showing on my daughters laptop is confusing me and making me wonder if it was synced with this laptop at all!

 

[Mickey330]

If you did the update on the iPad (via the over-the-air update provided by Apple), that should not affect photos.

When you connect the iPad to the computer - have you tried opening the pictures folder (on a Windows PC, the iPad will show as another drive you can just click on). What shows when you do that?

I don't know about a "hidden" backup on a sync. Maybe it doesn't make one (I very rarely sync my iPad - I usually just use iTunes as a repository for my apps and backups). But, you could look through the laptop's filesystem and see if one is there. Here's an Apple page on where those back-ups can be found: http://support.apple.com/kb/ht4946

Honestly - I really don't know much. I was hoping there'd be a backup from that sync. Sorry - but I'm about out of ideas...

Marilyn

 

[BellviewBoy]

The iOS update was indeed on the iPad via the over-the-air update provided by Apple.

I had previously tried what you suggested i.e. connecting the iPad to a PC and opening it like you would open another 'drive'........unfortunately the only pics that show are the ones that are on the actual iPad now, and not the ones that I lost.

I have a feeling that I'm not going to get a good result on this one........I will investigate that webpage you linked and see if I can come up with anything there........thanks anyway for trying to help.

Pat.

 

[batty505]

Hi

There maybe 2 possible solutions note possible.
1)temp file on your daughters laptop, to recover. It's going to be a photo folder somewhere in her my
My docs\music\itunes...it's going to be tedious search. Itunes usually has an unknown folder for stuff it can't resolve. E.g. Music.

2) better more practical solution, create and install a NAS, rescan and reorg your hard /soft copy photos, videos and docs.
Point and Assign access to all networked devices. Now, you have a netshare you can access wireless with larger storage, and share out resources much easier.

You can attach printers to it and you and your children print.

I have 2 NAS setup. One for movies. The other for pictures and docs, tax returns....

Note you don't have to use a NAS, an old windows box desktop/laptop running FTP software and shared drives will work.
I like NAS because they're small and easily hidden.

Hope this helps and good luck
Mike

 

[BellviewBoy]

Thanks for suggestions Mike........I tried suggestion 1) and unfortunately was unable to find any useful or relevant temp file on my daughters laptop........re suggestion 2) I will consider your NAS recommendation for my future computer network setup going forward........thanks for trying and for assistance.

 

[batty505]

Thanks for suggestions Mike........I tried suggestion 1) and unfortunately was unable to find any useful or relevant temp file on my daughters laptop........re suggestion 2) I will consider your NAS recommendation for my future computer network setup going forward........thanks for trying and for assistance.

Gotcha
Good luck and best wishes