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Anyway to stop my iPhone from backing up when connected to iTunes?
- Thread starter krye
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Is this only an option on iTunes for Mac because there's certainly no option on the first tab to stop a backup in iTunes for Windows?
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But as far as I'm aware this has nothing to do with backups, only syncing. A backup is carried out regardless of whether the setting is set to auto sync.
That's what I do but it would be better if there was some option to turn off backups completely.
Well if I have Automatically sync "off" I don't get the automatic backups so I would assume the two go together?
That's true, but then you have to manually click the Sync button which in turn will start the backup process anyway. I think the OP wanted to know if you could turn off backups occurring when a sync takes place.
Perhaps that is what they meant although reading their question it looks as if they only want to prevent a backup everytime they connect to their Mac.
In which case turning off automatic sync does the trick.
But as far as I know sync/backup goes hand-in-hand now
True. I guess clarification from OP on what they originally wanted to know would be beneficial. Like you say they may just want to stop it from happening if all they want to do is connect to computer for a charge.Perhaps that is what they meant although reading their question it looks as if they only want to prevent a backup everytime they connect to their Mac.
In which case turning off automatic sync does the trick.
But as far as I know sync/backup goes hand-in-hand now
What I don't understand is that when I connect my iPhone to my computer the backup takes about 20-25 minutes. The next time I plug it in it takes the same time. Surely the backup should be incremental.
Haven't looked into this too much but I'd be curious to know where they're stored. It's taking a long time to back up so I can't imagine the backup files are small.
I have big gripes with iTunes. Being a PC user, iTunes is the biggest load of pap second only to Lotus Notes.
Perhaps that is what they meant… although reading their question it looks as if they only want to prevent a backup everytime they connect to their Mac.
In which case turning off automatic sync does the trick.
But as far as I know sync/backup goes hand-in-hand now…
I want it to sync when I connect the phone, but not backup. What is the point of a backup when all the information is on my Mac anyway? If I download a app, I want to connect the phone and sync it and be done in 20 seconds. The whole "Backing up your iPhone" thing takes about 2 minutes and a half and is a total waste of time.
Thanks for the clarification kyre, that's what I thought you originally meant. Unfortunately there doesn't seem to be a way of doing this. Maybe it's coming in 2.0.1. The only thing you can do now is to manually click the x button whenever the backup starts. This cancels the backup but not the sync.
Then you'd be better off directing your frustration at Apple:
http://www.apple.com/feedback/iphone.html
Because as of now there is no way of seperating the two processes
And I agree, it is not as it should be.
Here is a fix
Quit iTunes.
Open Terminal.app.
Type (or copy and paste) the following command, and then hit Return:
defaults write com.apple.iTunes DeviceBackupsDisabled -bool true
Open and run iTunes.
Plug in and connect iPhone 3G or original classic iPhone on version 2.0 OS to computer for syncing. The backup process should be bypassed and skipped now, and only music or podcasts are synced.
The command above changes a hidden setting in the iTunes preferences to disable and turn off the backup process. To re-enable or turn on and run the backup of iPhone again, just issue the following command:
defaults write com.apple.iTunes DeviceBackupsDisabled -bool false
Quit iTunes.
Open Terminal.app.
Type (or copy and paste) the following command, and then hit Return:
defaults write com.apple.iTunes DeviceBackupsDisabled -bool true
Open and run iTunes.
Plug in and connect iPhone 3G or original classic iPhone on version 2.0 OS to computer for syncing. The backup process should be bypassed and skipped now, and only music or podcasts are synced.
The command above changes a hidden setting in the iTunes preferences to disable and turn off the backup process. To re-enable or turn on and run the backup of iPhone again, just issue the following command:
defaults write com.apple.iTunes DeviceBackupsDisabled -bool false
For those that are using windows and the new iPhone iOS4
The issue still exsits where the only way to stop the compulsory automatic backup, is to wait until its about 10% backed up then press the x to cancel the backup.
This will cancel backing up and commence syncing.
However if you cancel it to early it will forget about syncing.
I think this is just one of many punishments from Steve Jobs for choosing an alternative Operating system to his lucrative Closed source version of linux known as (Snow) Leopard.
The issue still exsits where the only way to stop the compulsory automatic backup, is to wait until its about 10% backed up then press the x to cancel the backup.
This will cancel backing up and commence syncing.
However if you cancel it to early it will forget about syncing.
I think this is just one of many punishments from Steve Jobs for choosing an alternative Operating system to his lucrative Closed source version of linux known as (Snow) Leopard.