Cannot do an archival backup

[New Diogenes]

I'm ready to try 10 beta, but first I need to an archival backup.

But when I go to iTunes and plug in my 6+, there seems to be no option available to to that.
In Devices, there's only one Backup showing. If I right-click it there are no options and it starts a backup.
If I go to Preferences/Devices, I can see my last backup. But right-clicking on it does nothing.
I have the lastest iTunes version and the latest iOS installed.
(The same also applies for my iPad and my iPod Touch.)

 

[scifan57]

That backup that you create in iTunes on your computer will save almost everything on your iPhone, with the exception of credit cards in Apple Pay. The encrypted backup option in iTunes is also known as an archived backup and will not be overwritten by later backups. If you select the option to do an encrypted backup, you'll preserve any health and activity data on your iPhone. Just don't forget the password for the encrypted backup. I used one of these backups yesterday to set up a new iPhone I received as a warranty replacement and it's exactly the same as the old iPhone.

One important thing to remember if you decide to leave the beta program and go back to the public release version of iOS, any data accumulated while on the beta program will be lost when restoring the iPhone from the backup you made before joining the beta program. You'll have to use other methods to offload that data, such as saving photos to your computer and making sure any new contacts are synced to iCloud.

 

[New Diogenes]

Thanks for the information, SCIFAN57, but the problem I'm having is that iTunes isn't letting me do an archival backup. The option doesn't appear. I need some help to find out how to fix this.

 

[scifan57]

When you're connected to iTunes This is where "Encrypt iPhone Backup" appears.

 

[Skull One]

An archived backup in iTunes is not something you select at the time of the back up. You do it after a backup is completed.

Since I don't run iTunes under Windows, I only know how to do it under OSX. But here are the steps.

1) Do a FULL Encrypted back up.
2) Go to the menu bar and select iTunes and then Preferences (short cut is command+,)
3) Once the preference dialog appears select Devices.
4) Select the back up you want to archive.
5) Right mouse click the back up and then select Archive.

That's all there is to it.

 

[New Diogenes]

I've tried the suggestions/steps suggested.
The problem is that there are no options in Backup or when I go to devices and click on the last backup. Right-clicking doesn't do anything - no options or pop-up menu appears.

 

[scifan57]

Did you encrypt the backup? The option to archive the backup will not appear unless the backup is encrypted.

 

[New Diogenes]

I cannot find any way to encrypt or archive a backup.

 

[Skull One]

That looks like the Window version of iTunes. Sorry, I have zero experience with that version of the software.

 

[scifan57]

If you're using iTunes on a Windows computer there is no native way to archive your iPhone backup. This Apple thread discusses ways to work around that problem. How do you archive an iOS device backup on a PC? | Official Apple Support Communities

Apple assumes that people running beta software are intending to develop apps for iOS, which requires a Mac in order to submit apps to the App Store since the official purpose for making beta software available is so that Apple Developers can test their apps for compatibility with the upcoming release of the new version of iOS before the public release date so that their apps will be ready on release day. Have you considered purchasing an inexpensive used Mac that can still run the latest versions of iTunes and OS X? This will give you the ability to encrypt and archive your backups before loading beta software on your device.

The real reason you need an archived backup before updating to beta software is so that any backups you make while running the beta software do not overwrite the backup you made just before installing the beta software. Overwriting that backup would make it impossible to revert to the public release software without losing all your data and having to set up your iPhone as a new iPhone.