Don't ever connect your iPhone to a computer which it doesn't know....

AQ_OC · Feb 28, 2012

I made the huge mistake of connecting my ipHone to my other computer....which had another copy of itunes, but for which this phone was not authorized (I sync my idevices to a second PC). I told itunes not to authorize the iphone for use with this PC (I use another machine for that, but I simply wanted to copy off some photos I took to the HD on this machine). Well, now, most of my apps have been removed from my iphone. WTF!!!!! All my folders and setup is gone. this sucks big time. BIG TIME. This really hurts because I have a lot of apps and had spent several days configuring them. Now they are vanished from the iPhone.

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AQ_OC · Feb 28, 2012

I feel violated here.

idave23 · Feb 28, 2012

Ouch.

seneca18 · Feb 28, 2012

That really sucks....A few months ago I was trying to reback up my itunes to an external hard drive and ended up screwing up some of the folders in the process. I had to wipe out my itunes and start over using an older back up I had made. Got most of my stuff back but it still sucked because like you I had to make all my folders again and organize everything....Good luck...

xrayeyes · Feb 28, 2012

Can't you restore it to your "other" (first) computer? Doesn't the original computer have all your apps on it?

idave23 · Feb 28, 2012

xrayeyes said:
Can't you restore it to your "other" (first) computer? Doesn't the original computer have all your apps on it?

I could be wrong but I think his main concern is his setups and folders that he's gonna have to re-configure.

OneMarcil · Feb 29, 2012

I got lucky with mine. I did the same exact thing you did except I had another back up on the original computer which restored all my applications to their respected folders and all the information within the application. This was with my iPad but basically the iPhone is the same deal.

Sent from my 64gb iPad 1

PapaNoHair · Feb 29, 2012

That is exactly why I started using Google Music.

AQ_OC · Feb 29, 2012

I apologize for the inappropriate langauge. Not my usual style, but I as kinda PO'ed at the situation. I have put all of the apps back on and sort of have them sorted. I have the main configurations set and will tweak the others over time.

I guess I need to spend the time learn iTunes. I really don't have a clue about this program. I'm going to remove it from all but the one machine. All I wanted to do is copy some photos off...I didn't think that an unauthorized computer with iTunes on it would bother with my iPhone at all. I don't see why it did.

Also, speaking more generally , I note that iTunes will restore apps I have installed and removed (sometimes you don't know you don't want the app until you have spent time using it). It's done this to me several times on my iPad 2. That's really irritating. It seems to you can't make setting for a device when the device is not connected somehow, so you are forced to let it do what it wants and then deal with the mess afterwards. There must be a better way.

xrayeyes · Feb 29, 2012

Before hooking up your phone to iTunes, go to Edit>preferences>devices> and then check "do not automatically sync, ect". That way you can play around with settings and it won't sync until you tell it too. You can move your apps icons all over the place via iTunes and it won't change on your phone until you hit the sync button. Also, if you go under "Apps" on the side under "Library", you can update and delete apps there. You delete by right clicking on the app.

Also, when you do have your device hooked up to iTunes and are under the apps tab...you can keep apps, but uninstall them from your device by unchecking them. You would completely get rid of them by right clicking as I described above.