Can I restore my iphone to a previously stored backup?

[RunToTheHills]

Wondering if this is possible. Here is the scenario:

- Have been using my 3G for about a year. In that time, my laptop that it was originally synced with broke.

- I've recently decided to restore to factory settings (main reason was really just because I wanted to get rid of a lot of the music I originally loaded and put new music on).

- I was successful in said restoration, but now I've decided that I'd rather go back to the old way it was.

Is this possible? Can I restore it BACK to a previously stored backup? How is this done?

Best,
RTTH

 

[Applejuiced]

Yes, if there's more backup dates saved on that specific itunes library you can click the little dropdown menu to select the date of the specific backup you want to restore to.

 

[OGDaniel]

I'm sure there's some series of processes to do that with Time Machine. Of course only if you use Time Machine.

Go into Time Machine and click restore on one of the days when the backup you want was saved. Unless you mean just to restore all the info from your last backup, then after you restore it'll ask you whether or not to sync all the stufffrom your last backup.

 

[OGDaniel]

Or just do what Applejuiced said, assuming you have other backups saved.

 

[RunToTheHills]

Yes, if there's more backup dates saved on that specific itunes library you can click the little dropdown menu to select the date of the specific backup you want to restore to.

my apologies. i should have specified. using a windows os (vista, to be accurate) and haven't updated to itunes 4.0 yet. i'm a little confused when you refer to the "dropdown menu." could you be a little more specific?

I'm sure there's some series of processes to do that with Time Machine. Of course only if you use Time Machine.

Go into Time Machine and click restore on one of the days when the backup you want was saved. Unless you mean just to restore all the info from your last backup, then after you restore it'll ask you whether or not to sync all the stufffrom your last backup.

uh oh. no time machine program in use here :/

Or just do what Applejuiced said, assuming you have other backups saved.

Yes, I believe I have other backups saved, because I remember seeing the backup process taking place. To be clear though, I wish to get all of the information from previous backup, back... as in, the notes I've saved and stuff. This is possible, right? Not just a restoration of an old version of software, right?

*** edit: perhaps I should just ask this question: anybody know where on a windows os, the .ipsw files are usually kept?

 

[bndoarn]

Plug your iPhone into iTunes and under the Devices menu on the left side right/secondary click on "_______'s iPhone" and select "Restore From Backup" (or something along those lines) and then you'll get a pop up asking which backup you want to restore from so pick on that has the date/time you want to go back to. Keep in mind though that this will only restore your settings, app data, notes, contacts, calendar events, etc. Not your media such as music, apps, and videos.

 

[RunToTheHills]

Plug your iPhone into iTunes and under the Devices menu on the left side right/secondary click on "_______'s iPhone" and select "Restore From Backup" (or something along those lines) and then you'll get a pop up asking which backup you want to restore from so pick on that has the date/time you want to go back to. Keep in mind though that this will only restore your settings, app data, notes, contacts, calendar events, etc. Not your media such as music, apps, and videos.

Excellent, excellent; thanks very much. This is exactly the answer I was looking for; however, very unfortunately there does not seem to be a backup copy of my previously, uh, "backed up" phone. This is strange to me since I know I have seen the "backing up" progress screen nearly every time I synced my phone in the past. Don't know why the file might have been overwritten. Here's a curveball: do you think it would be possible that if I performed a System Restore, I might be able to see the backup I'm looking for?

 

[Applejuiced]

Excellent, excellent; thanks very much. This is exactly the answer I was looking for; however, very unfortunately there does not seem to be a backup copy of my previously, uh, "backed up" phone. This is strange to me since I know I have seen the "backing up" progress screen nearly every time I synced my phone in the past. Don't know why the file might have been overwritten. Here's a curveball: do you think it would be possible that if I performed a System Restore, I might be able to see the backup I'm looking for?

It wont show up now.
It will only let you choose after you restored and asked to setup as new or restore from backup.

 

[RunToTheHills]

It wont show up now.
It will only let you choose after you restored and asked to setup as new or restore from backup.

lol confused by your second sentence. If I'm understanding it correctly, you're telling me that a system restore of my computer's OS will do nothing in the way of restoring to a previous backup of my phone, right? And yes, I did choose the option of setting it up as "new" Does this mean I'm more or less screwed?

 

[bndoarn]

It wont show up now.
It will only let you choose after you restored and asked to setup as new or restore from backup.

No, you can right click on your device and restore from a backup anytime you wish.

lol confused by your second sentence. If I'm understanding it correctly, you're telling me that a system restore of my computer's OS will do nothing in the way of restoring to a previous backup of my phone, right? And yes, I did choose the option of setting it up as "new" Does this mean I'm more or less screwed?

Doing a System Restore may work but I'm not completely sure. Just to clarify, you're following the steps above? I'll post screen shots to make it clearer just to be sure. It doesn't show in my screenshot because I deleted my old backups but the older backups will show with a date and time and the newest ones will only show the name of the device.

 

[Applejuiced]

No, you can right click on your device and restore from a backup anytime you wish.

Yes, but its not giving you the option of what dates to choose the backup from. Just what named backup.
Not 100% but maybe after you select restore from backup you will get that option?

lol confused by your second sentence. If I'm understanding it correctly, you're telling me that a system restore of my computer's OS will do nothing in the way of restoring to a previous backup of my phone, right? And yes, I did choose the option of setting it up as "new" Does this mean I'm more or less screwed?

No, system restore wont do nothing if you dont have earlier backup points available.

 

[RunToTheHills]

No, you can right click on your device and restore from a backup anytime you wish.



Doing a System Restore may work but I'm not completely sure. Just to clarify, you're following the steps above? I'll post screen shots to make it clearer just to be sure. It doesn't show in my screenshot because I deleted my old backups but the older backups will show with a date and time and the newest ones will only show the name of the device.

thank you very sincerely for your help in this; truly appreciate it. have followed your advice and found the matching screens on my system. problem is though, the pulldown menu doesn't show the previously named backup in the list it only shows the new name i gave my device when I restored. So, what I will try to do is perform a system restore.

Again, I really appreciate your help in posting the info and screen shot

 

[RunToTheHills]

Yes, but its not giving you the option of what dates to choose the backup from. Just what named backup.
Not 100% but maybe after you select restore from backup you will get that option?



No, system restore wont do nothing if you dont have earlier backup points available.

"Just what named backup"

yes, exactly. only in my case, the previously named backup isn't there any longer Damn lol wondering how and why it was overwritten. Gotta perform that system restore...

 

[bndoarn]

thank you very sincerely for your help in this; truly appreciate it. have followed your advice and found the matching screens on my system. problem is though, the pulldown menu doesn't show the previously named backup in the list it only shows the new name i gave my device when I restored. So, what I will try to do is perform a system restore.

Again, I really appreciate your help in posting the info and screen shot

No problem.

Yes, but its not giving you the option of what dates to choose the backup from. Just what named backup.
Not 100% but maybe after you select restore from backup you will get that option?

Ok. If this is true(how this method doesn't give you the option to select older backups), and I'm not saying it's not because honestly I myself am not a 100% sure because I've never done it this way, then you can still check to see if iTunes still has your old backups by going to File > Preferences then going to the Devices tab and it will show you all the backups on you're computer with the date and time. If and older backup is present then you can just restore again, chose restore from back up, and then chose the older backup.