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Downgrade to 5.1.1 and restore from iOS 6 backup file?

007bond

007bond

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Dec 12, 2008
560
1
DFW, Texas
Is this possible? I'm just wondering if anyone has tried. Thanks :)

Edit: I backup to iCloud, not my computer. Idk if that makes a difference.
 
I was curious of this outcome myself? What worried me was when I installed iOS 6 my photos all messed up so are they messed up in iCloud backups or will they appear properly once the iOS is downgraded again?
 
007bond said:
Is this possible? I'm just wondering if anyone has tried. Thanks :)

Edit: I backup to iCloud, not my computer. Idk if that makes a difference.
Click to expand...

It isn't possible to restore from an iOS backup that's for a later version than the one you are running. So, when you go back to 5.1.1 and check for backups on your iCloud ID, it will say there are none, even though your iOS 6 backups are actually there.
 
Zorn said:
It isn't possible to restore from an iOS backup that's for a later version than the one you are running. So, when you go back to 5.1.1 and check for backups on your iCloud ID, it will say there are none, even though your iOS 6 backups are actually there.
Click to expand...

Darn, that stinks. I guess I'll just have to deal with the iOS 6 bugs :rolleyes: (not that I didn't expect them)
 
Zorn said:
It isn't possible to restore from an iOS backup that's for a later version than the one you are running. So, when you go back to 5.1.1 and check for backups on your iCloud ID, it will say there are none, even though your iOS 6 backups are actually there.
Click to expand...

Wait, will I be able to restore to an old iOS 5 backup?
 
007bond said:
Wait, will I be able to restore to an old iOS 5 backup?
Click to expand...

Yup, as long as the backup is either from an earlier version, or current version of iOS 5 you are running.

Example, if I have a 5.0 backup and i restore to 5.1.1, I can restore to that 5.0 backup. Only if it's newer then you cant restore.

your OS version >= backup version; will work
your OS version < backup version; will NOT work
 
viperGTS said:
Yup, as long as the backup is either from an earlier version, or current version of iOS 5 you are running.

Example, if I have a 5.0 backup and i restore to 5.1.1, I can restore to that 5.0 backup. Only if it's newer then you cant restore.

your OS version >= backup version; will work
your OS version < backup version; will NOT work
Click to expand...

Do you know if iCloud stores previous backups?
 
This used to work by simply editing the plist file thats in the backup. I was able to do it in 5.1>5.0.1. I tried the same method in 6.0>5.1.1 with no luck.
 
akatypes said:
This used to work by simply editing the plist file thats in the backup. I was able to do it in 5.1>5.0.1. I tried the same method in 6.0>5.1.1 with no luck.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the info. I was going to try that and rollback but don't want to lose the data so I will just trek along with the beta. I look at it as being stable but quirky as hell. Buggy for sure but not unusable.
 
This is why developers know to locate and make a copy of your 5.1.1 iTunes backup before upgrading to betas, in case iTunes makes a newer one and deletes the 5.1.1 version. Also, iCloud backup should be turned off too so the final version saved there is 5.1.1
 
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I downgraded from iOS 6 b1 to 5.1.1 on my iPhone 4S, and tried to restore using the backup from iCloud. No dice. The backup didn't even show up.

Had to start fresh, oh well.

Will remember to back up via iTunes next time.
 
I downgraded from iOS 6 b1 to 5.1.1 on a 4S and restored my 5.1.1 backup from itunes with no problem, well, actually there is one small problem.

Whenever I try to change my wallpaper to one of the stock apple wallpapers, all of them are blacked out, and whenever I tap on one, it just brings up a black screen.

Yes I am jailbroken now but it happened before I jailbroke 5.1.1, some bug or something of the like.

Aside from that minor flaw, everything else works fine.
 

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I'm having the same problem, can't restore my iOS 6 backup file on my 5.1.1. In iTunes, I'm only showing one backup file, where as before there used to be many. Has this changed? Is anybody getting more then one backup file on the new iTunes 10.6.3?

Thanks, Jerry
 
I had iOS 6 installed originally and decided I wanted tethering back, so went back to iOS 5. I had no luck whatsoever with backups. I just decided to start over with a fresh slate and think I'm happier as a result. It's always nice to start clean once in a while.
 
sorry to be blunt, but, ru all kidding me?

it's common sense to know it would not be compatible.
stuff are usually backward compatible, not forward compatible.

unless they redesign iOS5 to work with iOS6, i dont see how u all can imagine it would.
 
007bond said:
Is this possible? I'm just wondering if anyone has tried. Thanks :)

Edit: I backup to iCloud, not my computer. Idk if that makes a difference.
Click to expand...

If you had your backup on your computer you could have tried the procedure on iOS 5 I've used successfully a few times in this type of scenario.

The info.plist file in the device backup folder has a Product Version field. I've simply changed the Product Version string to the older version of iOS and done the restore. Not sure if it will work with iOS 6 backups.

For future reference, it's probably a good idea to perform manual local backups to your computer periodically, even if you are configured to backup to iCloud. Simply right-click your iDevice in iTunes and select Back Up. This will make a local backup of your device.

-ITG
 
Last edited:
viperGTS said:
It only keeps the most recent backup of the device available, as far as i know.
Click to expand...

I was pretty sure it does store more than one, but I don't think it stores multiple OS versions though. Maybe I am mistaking it with iTunes.
 
wharzhee said:
sorry to be blunt, but, ru all kidding me?

it's common sense to know it would not be compatible.
stuff are usually backward compatible, not forward compatible.

unless they redesign iOS5 to work with iOS6, i dont see how u all can imagine it would.
Click to expand...

And I don't see why they would put much effort into that either... If it works fine, but I don't see any dev company doing that unless it is requirement.

When I restored, I backed up to iCloud, then iTunes, then installed. My iTunes backup was the 5.1.1 fall back one, should somthing bad happened. Now, it is very stale... :D
 
if i have a i OS 6 beta 4 backuo in iCloud now.. but downgraded back to 5.1.1... when iOS 6 officially comes out next month i can restore from my back up from beta 4 that i had right?
 
Zcott said:
Probably, as there is no direct answer. Have you disabled iCloud backups now you're on 5.1.1?
Click to expand...

yeah i have so I'm sure it should be no problem.. but i plan to sell my 4S soon and not do anything with it so when i get my new iPhone just restore from the back up in iCloud with all my stuff on it... the most important stuff is texts.. everything else i can get back because its synced with iCloud
 
help

i downgraded to i just read that it doesnt work? i downgraded then when i went to my backup that i just saved befor i downgraded it says that the back up cant b used because my ipod is to old for that backup? so when i turned on my ipod it starts from the begining saying set up as new ipod or restore from icloud or itunes cloud said there isnt any like i just read dam somebody help:mad:
 
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