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friend lost her job, needs help setting up iphone on new computer

Natesac

Natesac

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
May 29, 2008
816
47
Dallas,Tx
Ok, I am trying to help a friend over the phone get herself set up.

She just quit her job and had been doing all her syncing on work computer (dumb). She now wants to start syncing her phone with her home computer running windows xp.

I know there are a few tricks for getting the music off the iPhone through winamp and a few other ways through a jailbreak. (phone is not currently jailbroken and we are avoiding that at all costs)

Her main concern is getting the phone to sync with the home computer without having to do a restore or having the new itunes installation wipe everything off the phone. She has a lot of apps with important information that she needs to keep.

how do we do this? is it more simple than I am making it? any time I have moved computers I have always backed up my itunes folder. She does not have this luxury.

She has an iPhone 3GS running some version of iOS 3.x and a windows xp PC
 
Natesac said:
Ok, I am trying to help a friend over the phone get herself set up.

She just quit her job and had been doing all her syncing on work computer (dumb). She now wants to start syncing her phone with her home computer running windows xp.

I know there are a few tricks for getting the music off the iPhone through winamp and a few other ways through a jailbreak. (phone is not currently jailbroken and we are avoiding that at all costs)

Her main concern is getting the phone to sync with the home computer without having to do a restore or having the new itunes installation wipe everything off the phone. She has a lot of apps with important information that she needs to keep.

how do we do this? is it more simple than I am making it? any time I have moved computers I have always backed up my itunes folder. She does not have this luxury.

She has an iPhone 3GS running some version of iOS 3.x and a windows xp PC
Click to expand...

I use MediaWidget to transfer the music from one iPod/phone to another computer. On her computer, open iTunes and click on file "Transfer Purchases." Make sure it's authorized with the same iTunes account. It will transfer all the Apps, videos, movies and music. Unless ALL of it was purchased on iTunes, some music will not transfer over. This goes for Limewire songs as well as Amazon MP3, etc. You can delete the music that was saved when you transferred your purchases. That way you don't have two copies later on. Once you've done that, you can transfer all the songs to the new computer. Once you have them on iTunes you're pretty much done.
 
Will this "Transfer purchases" also bring all her apps down to the "new" computer? The music is far less important than the apps and other data that needs to be backed up.
 
what does you friend losing her job have to do with anything? why did you feel the need to add that?
 
InfinitiG said:
what does you friend losing her job have to do with anything? why did you feel the need to add that?
Click to expand...

If you read the post you would see that all her stuff was on the work computer and wants to transfer it to her home pc.
 
InfinitiG said:
what does you friend losing her job have to do with anything? why did you feel the need to add that?
Click to expand...

All of her iTunes data was on her work laptop. She's no longer going to have a work-provided laptop if she doesn't have a job. So we're trying to help her transfer all of her data to her other computer.


To the OP, Transferring purchases does in fact transfer the Apps as well. It transfers anything purchased on the iPhone. Anyways, just as a note, make sure she writes down the names of all of her Apps. If they do get deleted for whatever reason, you can re-download them for free as long as you use the same iTunes account. I've also found MediaWidget on eBay. Still pricey, but worth it if you need the videos/music.
 
Thank you to all the helpful posters.

If transfer purchases will pull the apps into the new itunes that will be a big help. What we are trying to avoid is the new itunes installation wiping the phones to set up as new.

I have read that there is an ad-on to winamp that will allow you to pull music off the the phone onto the "new" computer.

Has anyone tried this before?
 
I don't know if it's the actual data you need from the apps, but if you're using the same iTunes account, you can redownload whatever apps for free.
 
Wailord said:
I don't know if it's the actual data you need from the apps, but if you're using the same iTunes account, you can redownload whatever apps for free.
Click to expand...

We need to move the apps from the phone in their current state. She is aware of the fact she can re download all her apps she just has important data she needs to keep in the transition to the new computer/iTunes installation.

what we are trying to accomplish is getting her phone syncing to her new computer without any wiping/reformatting/restoring.

jeez if only she had backed up her iTunes folder before she quit..........
 
I think the confusion lies in your subject heading. You posted that your friend lost her job. In the thread you say she quit.

Anyway - the advice given is all good.
 
If she doesn't have a job she should sell the iPhone, and her computer, get a Motorola Razr and a cassette walkman at a pawn shop, and sign up for MetroPCS service.
 
eye said:
If she doesn't have a job she should sell the iPhone, and her computer, get a Motorola Razr and a cassette walkman at a pawn shop, and sign up for MetroPCS service.
Click to expand...

She switched jobs, both very high paying.
 
Natesac said:
We need to move the apps from the phone in their current state. She is aware of the fact she can re download all her apps she just has important data she needs to keep in the transition to the new computer/iTunes installation.

what we are trying to accomplish is getting her phone syncing to her new computer without any wiping/reformatting/restoring.

jeez if only she had backed up her iTunes folder before she quit..........
Click to expand...

I may certainly be wrong but I don't believe transferring your apps on the iPhone to your iTunes app library transfers any of the actual data maintained within the app--that's maintained in the backup of the iPhone.

I have 2 iPhones and 2 iPod Touches synced to my iTunes account on the same computer and many of the apps are on all 4 devices. If I purchase a game and play it for a while, sync to my computer to transfer the app to my iTunes library, sync that game to my son's iPod, the in game progress I made is not transferred to his Touch--it's a fresh install. Now if I restored my wife's iPhone with one of my backups, that data would transfer.

My point is, as long as she uses the same iTunes account on her home computer, she should have nothing to worry about--just make sure she backs it up immediately and all that app data will be available should she then need to do a restore.
 
Natesac said:
Will this "Transfer purchases" also bring all her apps down to the "new" computer? The music is far less important than the apps and other data that needs to be backed up.
Click to expand...

She can re-download apps she paid for for free. All she needs to do is download one and iTunes will ask her if she wants to download them all.
 
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