How to restore as "new", and keep your appstore app data/saved games

[moon#pie]

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0tBkBBLhRXE[/ame] here is a video I made on the process.

This will only save your appstore app data and not the original applications.

Ok, lately I’ve been doing several restores trying to trouble shoot problems. Now that’s all well and good if you restore from a backup. But the problem with that is that you often get stuck with old directories and data that could cause slow down and battery drain. But what happens to that game that you almost beat and now have to start all over again? That’s where my tutorial comes in.

To do this you will need an intermediate skill level with knowledge how to SSH and transfer files without screwing your idevice up. Please do not riddle this thread with “how do I ssh?” questions. I will put links up on how to SSH into your iphone/ipod touch.

What is required for this?
1. A jailbroken device that will also be jailbroken after the restore.
2. A computer (mac or windows)
3. An ipod/iphone (no duh)
4. Uber 1337 hackzor skillz (just kidding)


Let’s get started:

1. Go into cydia and download “AppBackup” from the BigBoss repo. This utility will backup your app’s data. WARNING: This package has many dependencies totaling over 40mb! Make a note of what is installed so you can uninstall it if you wish after the process.

2. Open appbackup (may take a minute to load all your apps) and tell it to backup all packages, then wait a minute while it does it.


3. Now that you’ve backed up the data, close appbackup and open an ssh connection between your device and your computer.


4. Now navigate to /var/mobile/library/preferences/AppBackup. Then download the folder ‘Tarballs” to a safe place on your computer.
NOTE: when you upload the folder back in a later step, you will need to make sure that the permissions are set to, Tarballs (755).

5. Make sure you now have the folder on your computer.


6. Ok, now you’re clear to restore, setup as new, and re-jailbreak.

7. Now that you are back up and running, resync your apps, bookmarks, contacts, and so on.


8. You now need to download appbackup again (and openssh if you chose that over iphone explorer, via USB), open it, and tell it to backup all apps. This will create the folders you need to replace.

9. Follow step 4 again but this time instead of downloading Tarballs, upload the one that you backed up in step 4 to the same directory. Then reboot (not needed but you can if you want to)


10. Now open appbackup, tap “all” and then tap “restore all apps”. Let it finish, reboot, and you are good to go with all app store apps just as they were before the restore! If appbackup keeps crashing after you ssh the old files in, just delete the debug.log and it should work.



Questions? Comments? Thanks?


A big thanks to Scott Wallace for writing this useful app!

[sami4021]

Ok so i JUST restored. I backed up my sms and everything. i clicked on set up as new iphone. NOW when i go to itunes and click my iphone, i can only restore to a backup that was 2 months ago. But when i browse to my backup data in mobilesync folder, i see 2 backups. One is the one i backuped up before i restored and one says the date of the one that was synced 2 months ago. I want the most recent one but its not showing up for some reason. Can you help me?

[moon#pie]

try rebooting your comp. if that doesn't work then you could just try to restore from it and see what happens.

[sami4021]

I know what will happen lol. It will resync all my OLD information from janurary. I want the new one. I mean i can see it in the mobilesync folder but i cant access it through iTunes. weird......

just did it and it was blank......

[battlecrushr]

nice tut

[CaptainChaos]

Sweet! I hate losing my saved games.

[moon#pie]

^me too! that's why I figured this out. I downloaded appbackup but was trying to figure out how to get it to go on a new restore. I figured it out while sitting around at my grandma's after I fixed their mower. lol

[battlecrushr]

nice lol

[moon#pie]

^pinage?

[jkmonkey]

when i browse to my backup data in mobilesync folder, i see 2 backups. One is the one i backuped up before i restored and one says the date of the one that was synced 2 months ago. I want the most recent one

You can try removing the one from two months ago from the mobilesync folder, then restart itunes. If it's still showing a backup for your phone then it is the one you did right before restoring, even if it doesn't show the correct date and time.

[sami4021]

Thats the thing. I restored a second time BUT when it gave me the option to restore from backup, i tried and it said that the version was older so it could not restore. I was on 3.1.2 but i had the firmware app 3.1.3 so idk if that made a difference. I have even installed Firmware App and spoofed my 3.1.2 to 3.1.3 but no luck. iTunes still thinks its an "older" version.

and it only shows up when i restore. It wont show up once i click set up as new phone and then restore from backup.

[moon#pie]

I don't know what to tell you then....

This process has been verified to work by Battlecrushr. Thanks for the pinage!

[montynobles14]

I have jailbroken my device and have been using cydia for multiple months now. Certains tweaks from cydia such as iconoclasm and lockinfo, when installed, are located in the settings app. i have installed these tweaks accept i can not find them in my settings app. Any suggestions how i can fix this? Thanks so much.

[moon#pie]

Why do you keep posting that same post in unrelated threads? check to see if you have preferenceloader installed

[moon#pie]

updated instructions for anyone having trouble with appbackup crashing

[eric.carbone]

This will only save your appstore app data and not the original applications.

Ok, lately I’ve been doing several restores trying to trouble shoot problems. Now that’s all well and good if you restore from a backup. But the problem with that is that you often get stuck with old directories and data that could cause slow down and battery drain. But what happens to that game that you almost beat and now have to start all over again? That’s where my tutorial comes in.

To do this you will need an intermediate skill level with knowledge how to SSH and transfer files without screwing your idevice up. Please do not riddle this thread with “how do I ssh?” questions. I will put links up on how to SSH into your iphone/ipod touch.

What is required for this?
1. A jailbroken device that will also be jailbroken after the restore.
2. A computer (mac or windows)
3. An ipod/iphone (no duh)
4. Uber 1337 hackzor skillz (just kidding)


Let’s get started:

1. Go into cydia and download “AppBackup” from the BigBoss repo. This utility will backup your app’s data. WARNING: This package has many dependencies totaling over 40mb! Make a note of what is installed so you can uninstall it if you wish after the process.

2. Open appbackup (may take a minute to load all your apps) and tell it to backup all packages, then wait a minute while it does it.


3. Now that you’ve backed up the data, close appbackup and open an ssh connection between your device and your computer.


4. Now navigate to /var/mobile/library/preferences/AppBackup. Then download the folder ‘Tarballs”, the “backuptimes.plist”, and “debug.log” to a safe place on your computer.
NOTE: when you upload the folder back in a later step, you will need to make sure that the permissions are set to, Tarballs (755), debug.log (644), and backuptimes.plist (644).

5. Make sure you now have the two files and the folder on your computer.


6. Ok, now you’re clear to restore, setup as new, and re-jailbreak.

7. Now that you are back up and running, resync your apps, bookmarks, contacts, and so on.


8. You now need to download appbackup again, open it, and tell it to backup all apps. This will create the folders you need to replace.

9. Follow step 4 again but this time instead of downloading the files and folders, upload the old ones that you backed up in step 4 to the same directory. Then you will need to reboot


10. Now open appbackup, tap “all” and then tap “restore all apps”. Let it finish, reboot, and you are good to go with all app store apps just as they were before the restore! If appbackup keeps crashing after you ssh the old files in, just delete the debug.log and it should work.



Questions? Comments? Thanks?


A big thanks to Scott Wallace for writing this useful app!

hi I followed this through and was successfull, now the message on screen when I log on says no connection, can you help and what ip do I use between the Iphone and pc, cheers Eric.

[akoli]

Looks pretty good ... although mines feels the need to crash when backing up ...gets up to apps G in the apps list and crashes back to the springboard....dont want to click each one manually as 300 apps later is a fair amount.... Anybody else having those problems.

[moon#pie]

I'm not have problems with the app crashing while backing up. Probably has to do with the fact the you have 300 apps. Still better to backup one at a time than having to put all you data back into them after restore.

[akoli]

Yeah true... but suppose as with all things you might have 300 apps but only a percentage that you really use :-) Backed up the important ones...so assuming 4.0fw is a step forward will make the restore process that bit smoother... thanks again

[moon#pie]

Np