Icons Disappear After Install

[camilo99]

So here's what happened.

I jailbroke my iPhone 3G (firm 2.02 at the time) and installed some 3rd party stuff. One of my favorite ones was the Categories app and it did wonders to organize my springboard (I swear I'm going somewhere with this). About a week ago I was installing another app through Cydia and my phone just froze on the boot screen. After a long, long while, I ended up reformatting it and upgrading to firmware 2.1. I went through the whole process and didn't jailbreak it, made sure everything was legit before I did anything. It pulled a backup of my phone from before it froze and everything seemed fine.

I looked for some of my favorite apps and I noticed that a lot of them were gone. Not all of them, just all the ones that happened to be in a Categories folder. I tried reinstalling them, but every time I do that the icon appears on the springboard, goes through the install process and then disappears when it's finished. I've tried all sorts of stuff and I can't get those apps to come back. I made sure all the apps on the phone and itunes matched, then deleted them though itunes, which then deleted them on the iphone. I reinstalled them and it went through the same process.

Basically these files must still be somewhere, just hidden because I removed the Categories program (during the reformat) without taking the programs out of the Categories folder first (which you are warned explicitly not to do during the install of Categories) and it restored these files to their spot from the backup.

I know this is long, but I'd really appreciate some help on this. Imagine not being able to use ALL of your favorite apps? It's killing me.

Any ideas or suggestions?

[slughappy1]

The reason for this is because Categories hides all of the icons for the programs in folders. There are several guides to fix this.

1. If you just want to get them back use this: Tip: Missing or Hidden Icons | iPhone News, Help and Guides
2. If you want a guide to upgrade so that doesn't happen: How To Upgrade In iTunes | iPhone News, Help and Guides
3. If you want to restore your 2.1 backup: How To Restore Your 2.1 Backup | iPhone News, Help and Guides

Did that help?

[camilo99]

The reason for this is because Categories hides all of the icons for the programs in folders. There are several guides to fix this.

1. If you just want to get them back use this: Tip: Missing or Hidden Icons | iPhone News, Help and Guides
2. If you want a guide to upgrade so that doesn't happen: How To Upgrade In iTunes | iPhone News, Help and Guides
3. If you want to restore your 2.1 backup: How To Restore Your 2.1 Backup | iPhone News, Help and Guides

Did that help?

wouldn't restoring to a backup still have those files in the same hidden folder? Wouldn't it get me right back to where I am now? When it originally froze (on 2.02), I went ahead and upgraded to 2.1 and it just used an old backup to restore the settings to one of my previous backups from before it crapped out on me.

I don't know how to "get them back" because the phone is no longer jailbroken (mostly because I'm too lazy to revert back to itunes 7.7 to jailbreak 2.1). I am currently unable to use the Categories app to begin with.

What's my best route?

[Poseidon79]

When going to a new firmware NEVER restore from back-up... always set up a NEW profile in iTunes. Also you should never use the UPGRADE button.. always RESTORE.

[camilo99]

When going to a new firmware NEVER restore from back-up... always set up a NEW profile in iTunes. Also you should never use the UPGRADE button.. always RESTORE.

I realize that now after-the-fact, but I don't know what to do now. What's my best course of action now? Just a complete reset without using a backup? It'll take me about an hour to get things set up again, but I guess that wouldn't be too bad.

Is there way I can keep all my settings and be able to use those apps that I lost in the Categories folder?

[Poseidon79]

Only option is to RESTORE and start all over. Re-setting up all your apps and stuff is the price you pay to upgraging the firmware... always been tet way.

[camilo99]

Only option is to RESTORE and start all over. Re-setting up all your apps and stuff is the price you pay to upgraging the firmware... always been tet way.

So what do I have to restore it to? Just a blank 2.1, clean-slate? I've already got all my contacts stored in outlook, so I wont lose those. Everything else can be reinstalled in one, tedious night. The first guy posted a link to restoring your 2.1 backup, but every backup I've taken with 2.1 (since this all happened) has had the missing Categories files.

Or when I go through the restore, am I just supposed to tell it not to look for any backup?

[Poseidon79]

AFTER the restore completed and the phone boots up for the first time iTunes will ask if you want to set up as new or from backup. Just hit new. Easy as that.