How to sync new iphone + new computer

[Herdfan]

My daughter just handed me $200 for her new iPhone. (She got some Christmas money early from the grandparents at Thanksgiving). So we are headed out to get her a 32GB 5C.

Her current 4S sync's with her mom's Mac (running 10.7), but with her new phone, she wants to be able to sync to her laptop (running 10.8). I know you can't use the phone to restore to a laptop.

So what I want to know is if I can copy the iTunes library from her mom's Mac to her laptop and then sync her phone.

She doesn't care about having to restore apps, but does not want to lose her contact list. (She won't actually lose it since it will be available on her old 4S, but still.)

What is the best way to restore her backup to her new phone from her mom's mac and then be able to do future syncs on her laptop.

Thanks.

 

[Mlrollin91]

If you copy the entire iTunes Folder including the iTunes Library file and load it on the new computer, it will make an exact copy of the iTunes she is currently syncing with. (You have to make sure you delete all the old iTunes information first in order for the new library file to be read.)

Plugging in the phone should sync just like it did on the old computer. Thats how it has worked for me in the past at least. You will have to authorize the computer for the iTunes' account(s) before syncing otherwise somethings may be erased from the phone.

Just incase, make sure contacts are backed up to iCloud before plugging the phone on the new computer.

 

[bigcstyle4]

The above post is correct. The best thing to do going forward would be backup/sync everything with iCloud so you're not tied to a particular computer.

 

[Mrbobb]

And is also a good practice, once a while go to your Mac and export your contact list to an external file for safekeeping, so no matter what happens u will always have that backup to reload from.

 

[Herdfan]

Thanks for the answers!

The above post is correct. The best thing to do going forward would be backup/sync everything with iCloud so you're not tied to a particular computer.

Tried the iCloud backup and my wife was not happy when she ended up with all my daughters contacts in her phone.

And is also a good practice, once a while go to your Mac and export your contact list to an external file for safekeeping, so no matter what happens u will always have that backup to reload from.

Again, the same issue as before.

I wish there was a way to have multiple iCloud accounts on a phone. That way I could use a family one for calendars and Find iPhone and then each person has one to back up with "stuff" to their computers.

All computers do back up to a Time Capsule and that is copied over once a month to a drive kept at my parents.