Backing Up Purchases on Different PC Without Syncing Devices

[iGuy]

Hi all,

Apologies in advance if this question has been asked before, and if it has you can simply link me in the right direction.

My iPad (and iPod Touch for that matter) were both synced to my laptop. I've since had an incident where my user profile wont load on my PC. I've purchased apps on the iPad since and would like to back this stuff up on a different computer WITHOUT syncing or altering anything that is on my iPad (and iPod Touch).

What steps do I need to take to ensure that all purchases made on my devices are backed up without syncing my devices to this other computer. Additionally, will I be able to update to iOS 4.3 when it comes out without impacting what I have on my devices?

If my question isnt quite clear enough, please let me know and I can elaborate.

Thanks in advance and apologies if this has been addressed 744 times already.

Cheers,
iGuy

 

[DontUnderstandMyIpad]

If you don't want to sync, you could setup iTunes with your account on another pc, then go to Store->Check for available downloads. It will then give you the option to download all purchased apps to your pc.

But I am not sure I understand your question fully, as there is no need to backup apps, since they can always be downloaded again from iTunes. Unless you want to backup apps with their own data, like game progresses, in this case you will probably have to connect the iPad with iTunes on another PC and sync manually. It shouldn't touch your music/videos that way.

 

[peled]

Rule #1 ,is very simple.
all applications can be shared and be synced on multiple PC's With Multiple iDevice (Up to 5 devices) as long as all are logging in using the same account.

Rule # 2
You can't load applications from PC to iPad without Syncing.

Rule #3
You can't save into your iTunes account (On the PC), any Applications you have downloaded on the iPAD, without performing a Sync.

Rule #4
Can't have more then a single account on a single iPAD

 

[DontUnderstandMyIpad]

I don't think rule #4 is actually true, unless I somehow misinterpreted it. Because I have activated iTunes with two accounts and now the iPad plays content purchased from both accounts.

In regards to rule #2, you should be able to do a manual sync, which leaves music/photos/videos untouched and then only sync apps.

 

[Dan C]

""Rule #4
Can't have more then a single account on a single iPAD ""

Is this new in the newest revisions of iTunes/iPad OS? I used to have no trouble backing up/syncing, and I am in an office where we have a shared iPad with different apps downloaded under different accounts. I tried to sync/backup yesterday and it told me I had to authorize on my PC (I already have) - it popped up another username from someone else in the office and said that if I didn't authorize it, 53 apps would be deleted! So I put in my username/password and it just told me what I already knew - that I was already authorized. But it still won't sync.

So unless I get the other people in my office to come enter their passwords on my PC, I can't back up at least my apps I've purchased?

Also:
"as there is no need to backup apps, since they can always be downloaded again from iTunes"

But if the app is deleted from the iPad, won't I have to pay for it again to download it?

Just trying to understand the funky Apple/iTunes "world" - thanks.

 

[DontUnderstandMyIpad]

You may delete and redownload your apps as many times as you want without no additional charge. Even if you wanted to buy the app again, the AppStore would not let you pay for an already purchased app again and just download it instead.

 

[Dan C]

Did not know that - I have not been in a position where one has been deleted yet. Thanks for the info.

So I guess I don't really need to sync anymore then - since that's the main reason I was looking to do it.

Edit: actually I can think of one app - Stick Golf. it was deleted by someone else. When i went to download it, it made me pay again. Granted it was only 99 cents but I had to pay.

Edit 2: sorry, remembering specifics: I believe the first time I downloaded Stick Golf, it was free. When I went to download it again, it was 99 cents. But since I had already downloaded it previously? I've lonly ever seen, "Installed" "free" or "1.99" or whatever the cost is for the app... what does it say if it has been deleted and you are re-downloading it?

 

[pluto6]

Did not know that - I have not been in a position where one has been deleted yet. Thanks for the info.

So I guess I don't really need to sync anymore then - since that's the main reason I was looking to do it.

Edit: actually I can think of one app - Stick Golf. it was deleted by someone else. When i went to download it, it made me pay again. Granted it was only 99 cents but I had to pay.

Edit 2: sorry, remembering specifics: I believe the first time I downloaded Stick Golf, it was free. When I went to download it again, it was 99 cents. But since I had already downloaded it previously? I've lonly ever seen, "Installed" "free" or "1.99" or whatever the cost is for the app... what does it say if it has been deleted and you are re-downloading it?

I backup my apps, as I have quite a few that are no longer being sold, and they disappear off the iTunes Store. Just get an external drive and make a copy of the apps onto the external drive. That way you can restore apps to whatever computer you want.

A few issues with the rules -

Rule #1
You can sync UNLIMTED devices with the same account. The number 5 refers to the number of authorized computers you can have with the same iTunes account.

Rule #3
You can download any app that you have purchased from iTunes to your PC, regardless of how you purchased it. Syncing allows an easy transfer, but you could purchase something on your iPad, say, and then D/L the app directly to your computer from iTunes (on your computer). iTunes will just tell you that it was already purchased, and do you want to d/l again...

Rule #4
You actually can have a couple of different accounts on the iPad at the same time - I have one account for Game Center, and another for the App store, but it is easy enough to have multiple iTunes accounts (can't see why people would generally want to to that, but...) you just sign out, and sign in with your other accounts.

I mostly agree with Rule #2, but I actually am pretty sure that you can get around that if your device is jailbroken - and there are a number of ways to d/l data (pdf, text, docs, photos, video, etc) to d/l these without using iTunes sync.

But @Peled, even though I am disagreeing with a lot of your rules, I mostly agree with everything that you write on, and enjoy your comments.

 

[Dan C]

Thanks for the info - I've never downloaded directly to computer... only straight to the iPad. I'll give that a shot.