Resolved Can't restore iPhone 5 from iPhone 4S Backup

I just got my iPhone 5, and I'm trying to restore it from my 4S backup but every single time it gets done it says it couldn't do it because the backup was either "corrupted" or "not compatible"

Any ideas as to what could be going on?..

I've tried remaking the backup and restoring it from the freshly made one and it still won't work.

Jordan921 said:

Sounds like you are gonna have to do a fresh restore and load everything manually.

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How would I go about doing that?
I want all my images and text messages and such.

Jordan921 said:

When I say fresh restore I mean start all over. As in you'll have to reinstall all apps and pics manually. If the backup is corrupt I wouldn't suggest trying to restore to it as it might give you issues. So your texts and stuff you will not be able to keep them.

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I need them though.

Here's a question I think I know the answer to.
Does the iPhone 4S need to be on the latest firmware when I make the backup? It's on 5.1 or something like that, the iPhone 5 is on 6.2

Pretty sure Firmware doesn't matter since I just backed up my Cousin's 3 that was running firmware 4 and restored it to an iPhone 4 that was running 6.2.. No issues.

This is a weird problem.

Especially since it goes through the entire "recover" until it tells me it's corrupted, and it obviously backs up something because it turns the name of my iPhone 5 to "iNarwhal 4S" which is the name of the 4S I'm porting over.

lelisa13p said:

Not so. I set up my iPhone 5 on launch day (iOS 6.0) using the backup of my iPhone 4 (iOS 5.2.1) that I had just run within the hour. The iPhone 4 is still running iOS 5.2.1 and my son is using it; works perfectly well, as does my iPhone 5 (now updated to iOS 6.0.2.)

OP, your iPhone 5 can't be running iOS 6.2. That's not out yet.

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Sorry, 6.0.2

And yeah, I don't think that's the case either since, like I said before, I restored an iOS6 iPhone 4 from the backup of an iOS4 iPhone 3.

Don't really understand what is going on really.. Maybe I'll call Apple, this shouldn't be happening.

I do have both the 4S and the 5 still, and I've recreated the backup and tried that as well but it doesn't work no matter what. I could always update the phone to iOS 6 and try it, but was hoping to keep it on iOS 5 to put it into retirement. (I don't sell my phones when I upgrade.)

Update: It's because my backup was Encrypted, which says the only difference is that it will port over my saved passwords and such? Not sure why that would be incompatible, but oh well.. I made a new backup that wasn't encrypted and it restored onto the 5 completely fine.

I have another question, but will make a new thread for it since it's not really related, I hope that's ok. (Mods?)