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How to backup "expired" iOS 5 Beta?

B

benguild

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Jul 29, 2003
827
39
Everything was working fine for me with iOS 5 Beta 2 ... and little did I know, it expired today. Great. I don't have a phone, and I'm hours from my desktop.

I tried connecting to my MacBook but iTunes refuses to backup the phone saying the "software has expired" ... My last backup was July 4th —

Is there *any way* to backup my iPhone so that I can restore it to Beta 4?
:(:eek::(

EDIT: Can I force a backup with the iPhone Enterprise Configuration tool?
 
You can't. That's why beta's should be kept up to date and used only on development devices.
 
This is really crazy. I was very busy nowadays. so i cant look it. And my device didnt warn me anything. an now Isnt that any way of backup? i m ios developer so there is no problem with updating to last beta version. but i have to save my datas.

Emergency help please isn't that any way ?
 
FMLFMLFML! Backed it up July 16th just before I went on a three-weeks vacation to the US, and two days before I return home, my (now sometimes) beloved does this to me. Could have warned be about this, and at least allow backing up before updating. Thanks a lot, Apple.
 
H92 said:
FMLFMLFML! Backed it up July 16th just before I went on a three-weeks vacation to the US, and two days before I return home, my (now sometimes) beloved does this to me. Could have warned be about this, and at least allow backing up before updating. Thanks a lot, Apple.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I'm having the same problem. I've been at summer school for the past 5 weeks. I feel like Apple played a nasty trick on us.

I'm wondering if I can do this and use Wifi sync... but I'm not getting my hopes up: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fbD7TuAq83E — My SIM Card is out and I've verified that I can access the home screen this way, but iCloud backup won't work now even over Wifi.

I think it's pretty ****ED UP that apple won't even let us backup our fricking devices in order to update. I wonder if I can jailbreak it or something and then back it up?

EDIT: If I jailbreak it, could I backup ... then restore? Help! Also wondering about Wifi sync ... :(
 
Last edited:
H92 said:
Thanks a lot, Apple.
Click to expand...
Seriously, you're blaming apple for your failing?

Apple only intends the beta for developers to update/test their applications on the new OS. Its not meant for general use especially if you need the phone.

My suggestion is to use apple's developer forums for support to resolve this problem
 
Does anyone know if unlocking it that way can let you wifi sync?

Otherwise, is it possible to jailbreak the phone, backup, and then update?
 
Getting your photos

It's easy to get your photos: Just start Image Capture and download all the pics from the Photo roll. The biggest issue is all the app data and contacts and such :-E
 
maflynn said:
Seriously, you're blaming apple for your failing?

Apple only intends the beta for developers to update/test their applications on the new OS. Its not meant for general use especially if you need the phone.

My suggestion is to use apple's developer forums for support to resolve this problem
Click to expand...

It absolutely is Apple's fault. I understand the "it's a beta" and "only used to develop apps for iOS5" That's all fine and good, but some of us developers aren't floating in money and can't have many devices to test on. And because of Apples ridiculous no downgrade policy, we have to upgrade our development device (because that's all we have) and we can't go back so we have to live with it for the length of the beta.

Would have been so hard to make it like provisioning profiles which constantly nag you when they are nearing expiration?
 
No dice on the wifi sync. I can't believe they did this to us, what a load of b.s.
 
Intell said:
Why not? Its well known that iOS betas expire without warning. They have been this way since the first iOS 1.2 beta.
Click to expand...

It's actually not "well known" ... I just became a developer recently. I've been away from home and unable to do a cable sync.
 
smash said:
It's actually not "well known" ... I just became a developer recently. I've been away from home and unable to do a cable sync.
Click to expand...

Its also stated within the Read Me included with all the betas. If you thoroughly read it, you'd see that they are time limited.
 
Happened to me but I’m not moaning. Guess that’s what happens when we try to break the rules, we get punished. Luckily, I have all my contacts and such saved elsewhere.

Toodle-pip.

~W.
 
Well, I tried *everything* ... and got nothing. Wifi sync, iCloud sync (all breaking in) ... iTunes sync, update, jailbreak. NO luck.

Ended up restoring back to my last backup, 7/4 — pretty upset.

I feel like I've been punished yet I didn't do anything wrong. They didn't remind us, they didn't say anything, they just blocked us out.

I guess on the bright side of it all, we have iCloud backup and also Software Updates on the go now .. so it should be easier next time.
 
maflynn said:
Seriously, you're blaming apple for your failing?

Apple only intends the beta for developers to update/test their applications on the new OS. Its not meant for general use especially if you need the phone.
Click to expand...

There is no need to be an a**h**e just because you can, for which I AM blaming Apple. Apple should’ve made the iPhone backuppable at all times (unless it’s remote wiped of course, but then there is nothing to back up). The information to be extracted is still there, even though the iPhone is stuck in the configuration screen.
 
H92 said:
There is no need to be an a**h**e just because you can, for which I AM blaming Apple. Apple should’ve made the iPhone backuppable at all times (unless it’s remote wiped of course, but then there is nothing to back up). The information to be extracted is still there, even though the iPhone is stuck in the configuration screen.
Click to expand...

Agreed
 
desperate

My ios 5 beta 5 just expired and i don't know what to do. I don't need the beta 5 or anything, i just want my phone back. i am so close to crying because my mom's gonna kill me when she knows my phone doesn't work anymore. please help me. i'm not even a developer or anything, my ex boyfriend made me update it and everything.. i dont know *****. :T please, i am in desperate need of help
 
kafka007 said:
Was looking for a way to get to the photoroll and finally used (successfully) this method: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fbD7TuAq83E. Then emailed each picture out individually. Not the most efficient way, but still, got the pictures :D
Click to expand...

It's only been a few days since Apple released iOS 5 beta 2, but we've already received a bevy of tips from developers who've spent some quality time with the update and uncovered a few of its more salient features.
 
I figured out how to do this after losing a month of my data twice...

FYI, I lost all my data from beta 2, and now again on beta 5, but this time I figured out how to do this! Please repost so no one else loses their data because I see a lot of frustrated people.

#1: Get past your activation screen. Your beta os has expired and reverted to the activation screen. Thankfully on beta 5, this is still bypass-able, which means it's probably bypass-able in beta7 (which is out right now). To do this first reboot your device, then...
A: Swipe your thumb to enter activation
B: You should have no signal and a button which allows you to connect to iTunes to authenticate. Instead, press the Home button at the bottom of your phone, a menu at the bottom will come up with two options, press "Emergency Call".
C: On the emergency call screen, dial random ****, and press call. You should have no signal so the call does not go through after like 10 seconds, it comes up with the screen that says "Call Failed" with a single button, Cancel. Press the Cancel button.
D: Now press the Home Button again, and it dumps you to your HOME SCREEN! Yes, it sure does! :) This is the IMPORTANT first step to backing up your data real quick.
E: Go into settings (on your iOS) and change your date back to a date in which this beta was valid. I set mine to August 15th, 2011 (for beta 5, this date will need to be different and a date in which you know the beta was still valid)
F: Reboot your iOS device, it now doesn't automatically go into locked activation mode. YES!

HOWEVER... your iTunes still will say this device is invalid if you try to back it up, so BEFORE you plug it up to your Mac (or maybe PC also?) revert your date on your machine to the same date you used on your device. Then plug it up and back up your device!

You CAN skip this second step of changing the date on your computer if you want to just use DiskAid at this point to backup your data. But you MUST restart your phone with the old date before DiskAid will work because with the activation screen "backgrounded" you won't be able to backup still with diskaid or iTunes.

Warning, with this information out there, Apple will probably fix this and it won't work past Beta 7 or 8. If it goes past beta 7. :)

Cheers!
 
Last edited:
NeonSurgeDev said:
FYI, I lost all my data from beta 2, and now again on beta 5, but this time I figured out how to do this! Please repost so no one else loses their data because I see a lot of frustrated people.

#1: Get past your activation screen. Your beta os has expired and reverted to the activation screen. Thankfully on beta 5, this is still bypass-able, which means it's probably bypass-able in beta7 (which is out right now). To do this first reboot your device, then...
A: Swipe your thumb to enter activation
B: You should have no signal and a button which allows you to connect to iTunes to authenticate. Instead, press the Home button at the bottom of your phone, a menu at the bottom will come up with two options, press "Emergency Call".
C: On the emergency call screen, dial random ****, and press call. You should have no signal so the call does not go through after like 10 seconds, it comes up with the screen that says "Call Failed" with a single button, Cancel. Press the Cancel button.
D: Now press the Home Button again, and it dumps you to your HOME SCREEN! Yes, it sure does! :) This is the IMPORTANT first step to backing up your data real quick.
E: Go into settings (on your iOS) and change your date back to a date in which this beta was valid. I set mine to August 15th, 2011 (for beta 5, this date will need to be different and a date in which you know the beta was still valid)
F: Reboot your iOS device, it now doesn't automatically go into locked activation mode. YES!

HOWEVER... your iTunes still will say this device is invalid if you try to back it up, so BEFORE you plug it up to your Mac (or maybe PC also?) revert your date on your machine to the same date you used on your device. Then plug it up and back up your device!

You CAN skip this second step of changing the date on your computer if you want to just use DiskAid at this point to backup your data. But you MUST restart your phone with the old date before DiskAid will work because with the activation screen "backgrounded" you won't be able to backup still with diskaid or iTunes.

Warning, with this information out there, Apple will probably fix this and it won't work past Beta 7 or 8. If it goes past beta 7. :)

Cheers!
Click to expand...

That's great info, thanks! I wish I'd known to try the computer date change as well.
 
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