How To Insure Ipad Crash Does Not Wipe You Out?

[jerliz]

Yesterday an iPad crash forced me to reinstall. Can someone technically comment/explain exactly what is lost in a situation like this. It will probably take me months to figure out what is missing. How can one prepare so as to protect (backup???) against losing valuable data as well as spending an inordinate amount of time restoring the device as close as possible to it's pre-crash state.

I am sure I am not the only one who would benefit from such comments.

Really disappointing to have this happen to a device that is only a few months old.

Jerry

 

[DavidM]

Can't speak for the iPad but had a crash on my iPhone 4 and iTunes reinstalled it just like it was. Don't know why it won't do the same on the iPad, if you backed everything up in iTunes.

 

[accordlayingkit]

how do u back up....jus connect to itunes and sync maybe? sorry new to this, but sounds normal i guess, jus got ipad and havent tried back up yet

 

[zorah]

Yes-iTunes is the way. Just connect it to your desktop and sync. With every iPhone i've updated to, it was from a backup of the previous. Just let it back up- it will tell you it is backing up. I do same with iPad- back it up with every sync.

 

[DavidM]

Yes Itunes does the job great. Make sure after plugging in and clicking on your Ipad in the left column you go to the top and at each tab for like pictures, videos and whatever else is up there (about 5 or 6 tabs) you tell it to sync for all those and then resync. You will also notice the first tab gives you the option of checking for new software or reinstalling your system. If you had sync'd with Tunes this is what you would have clicked on to reinstall everything. You will also notice that while connected to Itunes you can even move the programs from screen to screen using Tunes and then next time it syncs it will move them on your Ipad to the new position. Itunes is really a pretty good program if you take the time to get to know it. On my phone I would use it to download my video's and then sync them to the phone as I felt it was a whole lot faster than downloading the movies direct to the phone.

 

[@BaltimoreTom]

Yesterday an iPad crash forced me to reinstall. Can someone technically comment/explain exactly what is lost in a situation like this. It will probably take me months to figure out what is missing. How can one prepare so as to protect (backup???) against losing valuable data as well as spending an inordinate amount of time restoring the device as close as possible to it's pre-crash state.

I am sure I am not the only one who would benefit from such comments.

Really disappointing to have this happen to a device that is only a few months old.

Jerry

Just curious as to why you wouldn't back up? You do have a computer with iTunes don't you? Really a pretty silly question IMHO.

 

[deckyon]

Not backing up is a personal choice and goes against the recommended guidelines of any computer. Doesnt matter if it is an iPod, laptop, desktop, PC, MAC, server, iPad or whatever. Skipping the backup during the sync is fine, until something happens where you need that backup. In that case, it is your own fault you do not have the latest settings and data on the iPad after a restore. I realize this is hindsight, but moving forward, always backup.

Do you have a backup of your iTunes library, music, video and apps? That is another part you need to make sure you have a backup of in case your computer and/or hard drive go out. Work with computers long enough and you will find yourself facepalming about not backing up before a crash.

As to what caused the crash? Dunno - was your iPad jailbroken?

 

[Blackbelt]

I don't get that either. Crashed? Crash is not in the Apple language.

 

[jerliz]

TO CLARIFY
I had all the safety backup features checked and in place via iTunes. I was somehow under the impression that iTunes would only restore the apps that I had purchased and that some sort of commercial software had to be installed to pick up personal files and put them back on the device. Apparently I was mistaken.

It now appears, after a couple days of reading the posts herein, and, checking out the device itself that my personal data files are intact. (Most importantly, they are in place on my PC) I was dreading the thought, however, of having to copy them back to the device.

Sorry to have sounded like a klutz. It is just that the iPad world is a new environment. In working with PC's for over 25 years I have long ago learned the lesson that there are three rules to preserve your data and your sanity .... (1) backup (2) backup and (3) backup.

Thank you, one and all, who replied to my question.

Jerry

Edit: No the device was still incarcerated. And ... crash is now in the Apple dictionary.