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ugp

macrumors 65816
Jan 7, 2008
1,223
4
Inverness, Florida
I've got this problem as well, but it wouldn't fully complete a backup - as at the point it tried to transfer the purchase of "super monkey ball" (purchased directly from the phone) - the transfer would hang, thus forcing me to cancel the transfer (and presumably the whole backup) - hence I am in "backup hell" untill this is sorted.

The only way I can see around this is to ditch SMB; then re-purchase through the computer (once iTunes staff refund me of course)!

Anyone else experiencing this for iPhone purchased apps?

My backup went through the same thing. I had bought Super Monkey Ball and it transferred it to my iMac. If you buy an App you can re-download it at anytime without any extra charge.
 

plumbingandtech

macrumors 68000
Jun 20, 2007
1,993
1
what about subsequent backups after the first one following an app install?

Its fine if you only say, add a contact or change an email setting.

I think we pinned it down to once you add an app, basically it starts the back up and acts like it is a "fresh" back up.

So if you install 10 apps.
Sync (wait for it to finish)
then sync again after you added a cal event or something, that sync and subsequent syncs will be fast.

Until you add another app. Then "big back up time".
 

rstansby

macrumors 6502
Jun 19, 2007
493
0
Its fine if you only say, add a contact or change an email setting.

I think we pinned it down to once you add an app, basically it starts the back up and acts like it is a "fresh" back up.

So if you install 10 apps.
Sync (wait for it to finish)
then sync again after you added a cal event or something, that sync and subsequent syncs will be fast.

Until you add another app. Then "big back up time".

I don't really see why anyone thinks this is a bug. A simple cal event change is a few bytes, maybe 1KB max. Applications are much bigger. Of course it takes longer to sync when an app has to be transfered.

We are all downloading every app we can find because it is new. After the newness wares off we won't be downloading nearly as many apps, so we won't experience this longer sync/backup very often.
 

Cudadown

macrumors regular
Dec 14, 2007
127
0
Mine did a backup this morning at 10:17. Since then, only thing I did was creat a couple ringtones and wanted to throw them on the phone before leaving the house. Lo and behold... full backup again. Took 15+ minutes. No new apps, songs, cal events, contacts...etc. Just wanted to sync a couple ringtones.
 

rstansby

macrumors 6502
Jun 19, 2007
493
0
I've got this problem as well, but it wouldn't fully complete a backup - as at the point it tried to transfer the purchase of "super monkey ball" (purchased directly from the phone) - the transfer would hang, thus forcing me to cancel the transfer (and presumably the whole backup) - hence I am in "backup hell" untill this is sorted.

The only way I can see around this is to ditch SMB; then re-purchase through the computer (once iTunes staff refund me of course)!

Anyone else experiencing this for iPhone purchased apps?

I just "purchased" a free app (105 classics) through my iPhone. Then I synced with my iMac. The total sync/backup process took 30 seconds.
 

plumbingandtech

macrumors 68000
Jun 20, 2007
1,993
1
Cudatown, this is unfortunate. This means it is not only apps but ringtones that cause the "big" back up :(

rstansby,

Weird.... what is the total amount of data (all types) you have on your iPhone?

My earlier point was, if I have 8 gigs of data on my phone, I don't mind that it backs up the new app, but it should not take 50 minutes to back up a newly installed 300K app.

rstansby,

add a fake or disposable event and then sync. (this will test the first sync post installing an app.)

same thing?
 

Small White Car

macrumors G4
Aug 29, 2006
10,966
1,463
Washington DC
Guys it's ONLY taking so long because everyone's buying so many apps and trying out new stuff.

Once you get settled in it goes very quickly. I've had a couple of "10 minute syncs" since yesterday too, but this afternoon I haven't changed much on the phone and it's syncing quickly. It still does the "backing up" but it only take 15 seconds now.

So give it a day or two, once you get down to only downloading 1 app a day, you'll probably never notice it.
 

plumbingandtech

macrumors 68000
Jun 20, 2007
1,993
1
Guys it's ONLY taking so long because everyone's buying so many apps and trying out new stuff.

Once you get settled in it goes very quickly. I've had a couple of "10 minute syncs" since yesterday too, but this afternoon I haven't changed much on the phone and it's syncing quickly. It still does the "backing up" but it only take 15 seconds now.

So give it a day or two, once you get down to only downloading 1 app a day, you'll probably never notice it.

Nope.

This is my first sync since a "big" backup sync.

About the only thing I did was update via my iPhone -> app store the mobile news app. (.3 mb in size)

I just did a sync.

Waiting... waiting... waiting...................

we are in big back up mode.

so no.

I do have about 45 apps on my phone. How many do all of you have? Maybe I am at the upper end of things and that is contributing to my big back up problems?

Activity monitor says I am only writing 400k a second to my disk. This makes sense since USB2 is slow.
 

firstapple

macrumors 6502a
Sep 25, 2007
997
50
I believe I may have realized another issue. Whenever you MOVE applications to different spots on the phone it does the full backup. That is the only time I see it doing these full back-ups. So, if you want to test the theory out, simply move an application to a different spot on the home screen. After doing this sync to your computer and it will require a full back-up. I don't know why, and maybe Apple will explain what is going on some day down the road.
 

plumbingandtech

macrumors 68000
Jun 20, 2007
1,993
1
Whenever you MOVE applications to different spots on the phone it does the full backup.

Ahhhhhh!!!!

I would test that theory but I am 27 minutes into a "big" back up and only HALF way complete.

Nice. 1 hr to back up 300 megs.

This is a bug. Or the worse backup algorithm in the world since the Zip drive.
 

plumbingandtech

macrumors 68000
Jun 20, 2007
1,993
1
Then hit the x on the right and it will bypass the backup.

Yep. I was doing a test. Then forgot since I am working in a different space. Since I am not using the phone now I'll just let it finish for now.

Warning. I did a cancel and the new "Mobile news"
app is still 1.0 in my itunes applications area. But it is the newer one in the iPhone which means It is possible that canceling a back up will not move newer apps from the phone to the desktop itunes section.

Still need to double check though. not 100% sure on this.

Strange. I just did a sync and it was fast. and it did not ask to move the newer Mobile news app over to itunes.

meh. From now on if I have time, i will let it back up. if not I will hit the X.
 

Cudadown

macrumors regular
Dec 14, 2007
127
0
Guys it's ONLY taking so long because everyone's buying so many apps and trying out new stuff.

Once you get settled in it goes very quickly. I've had a couple of "10 minute syncs" since yesterday too, but this afternoon I haven't changed much on the phone and it's syncing quickly. It still does the "backing up" but it only take 15 seconds now.

So give it a day or two, once you get down to only downloading 1 app a day, you'll probably never notice it.

I don't believe the amount of people buying apps has any bearing at all. We are talking about backups. Not the sync part. Sync is going very quick... once the 20 minute backups are complete.
 

Maximono

macrumors newbie
Jul 12, 2008
23
0
This is really bugging me too! I've had the same problem with super monkey ball where it wouldn't sync back to my itunes library, eventually with perseverance it did sync back into itunes.

The backup process is sooo slow it just can't be right I don't see why it's taking so long unless it's backing up all the music and video on it too.. but why is it doing that? surely I don't need a backup of it as it's on the computer it's backing up to anyway :confused: . My iphone 3G is now not backed up at all and it keeps trying every time I sync but it's crawling along it might aswell not even be doing anything so I'll just keep skipping for now.My ipod touch with 2.0 seems quicker backups take about 5-10 seconds but it's strange as I've never noticed it backing up before now it's doing it all the time. It might only be quick as I put all the apps on in one go about 10 of them and it still backed up fast. i'll try installing one on my ipod touch and seeing if it'll sync back and if takes ages to backup.

Whoever says it's not a bug is clearly not suffering from the same problem as everyone else it's horribly annoying and I bet will make some noobs return theres! :rolleyes:
 

Maximono

macrumors newbie
Jul 12, 2008
23
0
I've just installed texas holdem poker, eventful and tap tap revenge on my ipod touch ( the later 2 I downloaded on the ipod) and not only did the poker game take about 5mins to install ( I know it's 128mb but thats really not huge this day and age is it?) I've just gone to sync the ipod and transfer the 2 apps off of it and its started a backup thats taken 10mins so far and is close to finishing. Seriously what is it backing up? It's so annoying I want to turn back up off completely.. I don't need a backup of my device as it's all synced from my mac anyway so that is the backup! Sorry it's bugging me now. hopefully apple release a fix very soon because it's annoying to have to wait so you can x the backup every time!
 

noisebleed

macrumors regular
Jul 11, 2008
140
0
guys this is for every iphone, do not say "mine is backing up as well" we know... try and fix it instead

kthx.

( i can't find a permanent solution either )
 

timotheezz

macrumors regular
Jul 6, 2007
145
1
New Jersey
Same problem here guys. I thought it was just the initial 2.0 thing, but today I downloaded Cube Runner (awesome) and Trism (awesome as well), and then I decided to sync the apps just so that iTunes has a "copy" of them.

And wow, it just took 30 minutes for a backup and THEN it transferred the new apps. Transferring the new apps only took a few minutes.

What gives??!

I hope we have a solution soon. This is extremely annoying.
 

omgitscro

macrumors 6502a
Jul 12, 2008
576
91
If you want to turn the backups off, just go into iTunes preferences (iTunes->Preferences) and go to the last tab, Syncing. Put a check for "Disable automatic syncing."
 

pianos101

macrumors regular
Jun 11, 2006
189
0
Philly Area
If you want to turn the backups off, just go into iTunes preferences (iTunes->Preferences) and go to the last tab, Syncing. Put a check for "Disable automatic syncing."

No I think you're misunderstanding what we're talking about. We're not talking about "disabling automatic syncing." Our problem is the BACK UP portion of the sync which takes forever. I want my phone to sync automatically when i plug it in, which is what this option turns off, but i don't want it to back up every time it syncs, only when i tell it to.
 

Leo74

macrumors member
Sep 5, 2007
63
0
I don't really see why anyone thinks this is a bug. A simple cal event change is a few bytes, maybe 1KB max. Applications are much bigger. Of course it takes longer to sync when an app has to be transfered.

We are all downloading every app we can find because it is new. After the newness wares off we won't be downloading nearly as many apps, so we won't experience this longer sync/backup very often.

We're not talking about application transfers here. And even if that was the case, it'd be ridiculous to imagine it'd be normal for iTunes to take 20 or 30 minutes to transfer a couple hundred megs worth of apps over USB 2.0.

And to be honest, I don't agree with the "long backup" being due to new apps being installed. I had all my apps transferred hours ago, then synched a number of playlists, videos and podcasts, which took a while, understandably. About an hour ago, I started another sync just to add about 10 album covers I had missing in coverflow. No new apps, no additional music, videos or playlists. No new apps for the last 2 or 3 syncs. And, for the past hour, almost, I've been looking at a very, very slow moving "Backing Up" progress bar.

My experience is at least one that disproves the "long backups after new apps" theory. Anyone else?
 

senorFunkyPants

macrumors 6502
Jan 6, 2008
263
0
England
Is this just a 3G iphone problem?
Adding apps and syncing my V1 iphone on 2.0 doesn't cause a backup to be made.

EDIT: Belay that! Just added another app and syncing this time caused a back up although it only took 20 secs.
 
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