How do I restore from backup?

[pianoman]

icloud DOES NOT reinstall the OS.

Actually it can. After iOS 5 you don't ever need to enter iTunes for anything.

 

[zig9449]

Actually it can. After iOS 5 you don't ever need to enter iTunes for anything.

No it doesn't. You may not need iTunes.....but that doesn't mean it reinstalls the iOS. It doesn't. It can only update the iOS.

 

[pianoman]

No it doesn't. You may not need iTunes.....but that doesn't mean it reinstalls the iOS. It doesn't. It can only update the iOS.

Well not from a recovery mode - of course not. But as long as your phone hasn't crashed you never need iTunes for upgrading a system or restoring from backup. The only time iTunes is necessary is for a full reset/set up as new phone scenario. But the moment iTunes asks you (after sys restore is complete) if you want to restore from backup - you just say no and quit iTunes and go to cloud from there.

 

[zig9449]

Well not from a recovery mode - of course not. But as long as your phone hasn't crashed you never need iTunes for upgrading a system or restoring from backup. The only time iTunes is necessary is for a full reset/set up as new phone scenario. But the moment iTunes asks you (after sys restore is complete) if you want to restore from backup - you just say no and quit iTunes and go to cloud from there.

Yeah..I'm aware of that. But all that does is download backed up data...literally nothing else.

Only iTunes can reinstall the iOS.

Even the Reset settings in Settings> General> Reset> the "Reset All Settings" & "Erase All Content and Settings" do nothing but remove data..

No way to reinstall the iOS with iTunes.

But I hear the Devs are working on a tool that will completely restore your device (completely reinstall the iOS).

And supposedly no iTunes is required.

How awesome would it be to restore without iTunes?lol

 

[pianoman]

Well there's one other piece of the equation that you haven't factored in here, Zig. And I just tested this to make sure I was right. Unlike you mentioned there in your last post - when you do use the "erase all contents and settings" subroutine in the settings section it does indeed restore the iOS to its factory settings. I just did it and it un jailbroke my iPad back to the iOS version I had before the jailbreak. So that is, in essence, a restore of the iOS. There must be a ROM chip somewhere on the motherboard that retains the iOS for this particular erase procedure.

And then everything else after that can be done through iCloud.

 

[zig9449]

Well there's one other piece of the equation that you haven't factored in here, Zig. And I just tested this to make sure I was right. Unlike you mentioned there in your last post - when you do use the "erase all contents and settings" subroutine in the settings section it does indeed restore the iOS to its factory settings. I just did it and it un jailbroke my iPad back to the iOS version I had before the jailbreak. So that is, in essence, a restore of the iOS. There must be a ROM chip somewhere on the motherboard that retains the iOS for this particular erase procedure.

And then everything else after that can be done through iCloud.

That is strange and must be something new with either iOS 5 or the iPad. It was never like that before. I didn't just make it up. I learned from my own experience.

However, it is not a restore...it's wipe. 2 different things. A restore is when the iOS is removed and reinstalled...all that does is what is says...."erase all content and settings" if it restored...it would say "Restore Device". It is still not a restore, no matter how ya look at it.

 

[jmi58]

I don't believe that feature reinstalls the iOS but it does return the phone back to factory like condition.

I tried it on my 4S and it set it back to "like new" condition and then it prompted me to set up the phone either using iTunes or iCloud.

After setting up wifi and entering my Apple ID the phone was like it was before adding any apps or making any personal information.

So at least there is hope for future iOS versions.

Sent from my Black 16Gb iPhone using iPF.net

 

[zig9449]

I don't believe that feature reinstalls the iOS but it does return the phone back to factory like condition.

I tried it on my 4S and it set it back to "like new" condition and then it prompted me to set up the phone either using iTunes or iCloud.

After setting up wifi and entering my Apple ID the phone was like it was before adding any apps or making any personal information.

So at least there is hope for future iOS versions.

Sent from my Black 16Gb iPhone using iPF.net

And you ate jailbroken?

 

[pianoman]

However, it is not a restore...it's wipe. 2 different things. A restore is when the iOS is removed and reinstalled...all that does is what is says...."erase all content and settings" if it restored...it would say "Restore Device". It is still not a restore, no matter how ya look at it.

Well we may be arguing semantics at this point since when you press the series of buttons for an Erase All Contents - the next window that appears says "are you sure you want to RESTORE your device to its factory condition?". It's said that since iOS3. Though if there is something new added in iOS 5 - this ability to get the OS back to a factory state (iOS-wise) would be in keeping with Apples idea that you can be 100% in the cloud. And it plays right to the OP's original question. The proper answer to his question is - yes - you CAN 'restore'/'reset' to A NEW virgin OS state WITHOUT using iTunes.

I do agree Zig that something ELSE is happening when you Restore OS with iTunes mainly from the 'restoring firmware' message you see on the screen during an iTunes Restore of the iOS. BUT, in the final analysis, the original poster's dilemma didn't require him to use iTunes - IF he knew about Erase/Reset.

 

[zig9449]

Well we may be arguing semantics at this point since when you press the series of buttons for an Erase All Contents - the next window that appears says "are you sure you want to RESTORE your device to its factory condition?". It's said that since iOS3. Though if there is something new added in iOS 5 - this ability to get the OS back to a factory state (iOS-wise) would be in keeping with Apples idea that you can be 100% in the cloud. And it plays right to the OP's original question. The proper answer to his question is - yes - you CAN 'restore'/'reset' to A NEW virgin OS state WITHOUT using iTunes.

I do agree Zig that something ELSE is happening when you Restore OS with iTunes mainly from the 'restoring firmware' message you see on the screen during an iTunes Restore of the iOS. BUT, in the final analysis, the original poster's dilemma didn't require him to use iTunes - IF he knew about Erase/Reset.

Well, your right Pianoman.....but....so am I.lol. As far as I'm concerned we seem to have found an agreement.......I think. I suppose I was wrong to say it doesn't restore the device, but I was right in saying it doesn't reinstall the iOS, as the term "restore" seems to have 2 meanings in this conversation. where the "restore" on the device is restoring and erasing everything, and the "restore" in iTunes is reinstalling the iOS. If that even makes sense.

 

[jmi58]

And you ate jailbroken?

No my phones not jailbroken I updated to 5.1 so now I'm waiting for the un-theathered version to come out.

Sent from my Black 16Gb iPhone 4S using iPF.net

 

[Roger1122]

Well we may be arguing semantics at this point since when you press the series of buttons for an Erase All Contents - the next window that appears says "are you sure you want to RESTORE your device to its factory condition?". It's said that since iOS3. Though if there is something new added in iOS 5 - this ability to get the OS back to a factory state (iOS-wise) would be in keeping with Apples idea that you can be 100% in the cloud. And it plays right to the OP's original question. The proper answer to his question is - yes - you CAN 'restore'/'reset' to A NEW virgin OS state WITHOUT using iTunes.

I do agree Zig that something ELSE is happening when you Restore OS with iTunes mainly from the 'restoring firmware' message you see on the screen during an iTunes Restore of the iOS. BUT, in the final analysis, the original poster's dilemma didn't require him to use iTunes - IF he knew about Erase/Reset.

As the poster of the original question I have been following this thread with great interest. The Apple guy in the store said that my OS seemed to have been corrupted and he took the phone away and came back with it working properly. He didn't tell me about the rest/restore function accessible via WiFi, I got that from an Apple, er, "gal" over the phone from the help center when the same problem arose again. As I mentioned, after deleting all apps and data and restoring my phone to its original state there was one difference. The iOS was the latest version. And I then restored my apps and data from the Cloud. So I COULD have done everything I needed to do from the Cloud but I'm not sure I would have had the confidence to use the Erase/Reset option of deleting EVERYTHING on someone's say-so in a help forum not run directly by Apple. Especially now after seeing how even experts can differ on something so critically important!

Incidentally, my problem has arisen again, and they said that if that happened it would point to a hardware problem, and I was to bring in the phone for possible replacement. So I WON'T be going through this whole process again. Phew!

 

[zig9449]

As the poster of the original question I have been following this thread with great interest. The Apple guy in the store said that my OS seemed to have been corrupted and he took the phone away and came back with it working properly. He didn't tell me about the rest/restore function accessible via WiFi, I got that from an Apple, er, "gal" over the phone from the help center when the same problem arose again. As I mentioned, after deleting all apps and data and restoring my phone to its original state there was one difference. The iOS was the latest version. And I then restored my apps and data from the Cloud. So I COULD have done everything I needed to do from the Cloud but I'm not sure I would have had the confidence to use the Erase/Reset option of deleting EVERYTHING on someone's say-so in a help forum not run directly by Apple. Especially now after seeing how even experts can differ on something so critically important!

Incidentally, my problem has arisen again, and they said that if that happened it would point to a hardware problem, and I was to bring in the phone for possible replacement. So I WON'T be going through this whole process again. Phew!

To be honest, you would probably have no problems, if you transferred all data to iTunes, restored through iTunes, NOT FROM BACKUP, then synced everything back.

It seems to me that when you restore from an iCloud backup is wen you have the problem....

This is why I never do and never will restore from a backup...,often times...the whatever that caused the problem in the first place....is just backed up too... Completely defeating the purpose of restoring in the first place.

But it seems to me, no matter how many devices you get, as long as you restore from that backup, the problem is just going to keep coming back, until you restore in iTunes, setup as new, and manually download all your apps,

Or click "Manually Manage" in iTunes, and drag and drop whatever you want from iTunes, removing the need to "sync".

It's not what you want to here...you don't want to deal with iTunes. But I think as long as you keep restring from that backup, it's just going to keep happening.

 

[pianoman]

To be honest, you would probably have no problems, if you transferred all data to iTunes, restored through iTunes, NOT FROM BACKUP, then synced everything back.

It seems to me that when you restore from an iCloud backup is wen you have the problem....

This is why I never do and never will restore from a backup...,often times...the whatever that caused the problem in the first place....is just backed up too... Completely defeating the purpose of restoring in the first place.

But it seems to me, no matter how many devices you get, as long as you restore from that backup, the problem is just going to keep coming back, until you restore in iTunes, setup as new, and manually download all your apps,

Or click "Manually Manage" in iTunes, and drag and drop whatever you want from iTunes, removing the need to "sync".

It's not what you want to here...you don't want to deal with iTunes. But I think as long as you keep restring from that backup, it's just going to keep happening.

I agree with you 100% here. Often the issue is in the backup. But only in the most recent backup (if you backup daily) like I do. I think iTunes and the cloud keep last 3 backups. So I go to the 2nd to last backup and all is usually fine. I do lose stuff doing that - but a lot less time consuming than reloading everything individually.

 

[Roger1122]

I agree with you 100% here. Often the issue is in the backup. But only in the most recent backup (if you backup daily) like I do. I think iTunes and the cloud keep last 3 backups. So I go to the 2nd to last backup and all is usually fine. I do lose stuff doing that - but a lot less time consuming than reloading everything individually.

I must very strongly disagree with comments that suggest all will be well if I use iTunes. As I explained way back at the beginning of this thread, my wife and I both use apps bought with my Apple ID while she continues to buy her own. iTunes is quite incapable of handling the sync of apps and data by allocating them appropriately to the two different phones. We have had all my addresses added to her address book, and/or hers to mine, and my music--bought and paid for through iTunes--deleted from my iPhone. I have also lost valuable time and irreplaceable data thanks to upgrade failures and sync errors. An Apple representative apologized for the loss of the music and replaced it all free (that's pretty rare). So I am not prepared to have anything more to do with it than I absolutely must.

Also your assumption that it is errors within the backups that will propagate themselves back after restoring from them is quite contrary to the diagnosis and advice I got from an Apple technician at the Apple store. He diagnosed iOS corruption, reinstalled it, and cured the problem, warning me that it might be a hardware problem, which would reappear if that was the case. It has, so I assume it was. He said the iPhone would be replaced in that case.

I resent the frequent downloads and significant space that iTunes requires and I don't really want to buy any more music through it. To me, it's just a necessary evil.

Just to recap, the problems that started this whole thread is a failure of the Apple camera app. First symptom is that the reverse camera cannot be used, and the app locks when you try. The app then refuses to open the shutter. 3rd party camera apps like Camera+ continue to work in normal camera mode but the reverse camera cannot be revived. And I'm right back there again now. <sigh> Back to the Apple Store!