How to restore an iPhone 5 from backup data on the USB?

isa.k · Jul 14, 2013

Hello,

My first post here

I did a quick search here for my problem but didn't seem to be able to find any helpful results, so I ask here as well.

My nephew apparently backed up my sister's iPhone 5 to a USB via iTunes, and the USB now has 6.3+GB of data stored onto it. Somehow he couldn't get the data to be restored back on to the iPhone.

His story is that he called up Apple Support, and they told him to go to REGEDIT (yes, we are working off a Windows laptop, and we have access to a MacBook, if this will help). He was then told to type:

%something%

Yes, I know, not really helpful, but this is all he can remember... specifically the string beginning and ending with a percent sign. Apparently this showed all data available. He was then asked to open the found data in a Windows browser, and copy all the data this way to the USB. This is how he has acquired the data currently on the USB.

Due to not being able to resolve the dilemma this way, I was asked to help, as I know somewhat about computers... So I checked online for a solution, to no avail unfortunately. All "solutions" seemed to point towards using iTunes to restore any backed up data.

I also tried restoring the data via iTunes, also to no avail.

The phone successfully restores to original settings, yet for the life of me I am unable to get the data saved onto the USB to transfer back on to the iPhone.

Is there a way of doing this that I may be overlooking so I can restore my sister's data onto her new iPhone.

For the record, the data was extracted off an iPhone 5, and is going to be restored on to her new iPhone 5.

I am thinking if I can find out what this "something" in the above string is, I could perhaps find the folder and just dump all the data on the USB in to it and t hat would be that?

xrayeyes · Jul 14, 2013

Was something wrong with her first iPhone 5? And it was never backed up to iTunes or iCloud? If she had an iCloud account, it could all be located there, but I would assume the Apple Genius would have suggested that. Photos and music can be resynced via iTunes or manually by drag and drop from the drive. Contacts can be synced if she has them stored in Gmail, Yahoo, Outlook etc. Apps are still available via her iTunes account. For the rest of the data, someone more knowledgable than me will need to chime in. I don't suppose there is an Apple store located near you to do this in person?

willerz2 · Jul 14, 2013

You'd have to manually migrate the backup over to the actual directory that iTunes looks at. Unlike the Restore button, it does not allow for you to browse for your backups (anymore at least). In your case, so not to mix up your backups and so you know which one is the one you want to put on the device in question, make a folder on your desktop, and drag all the current backups in there, so the default iTunes backup directory is empty. Now drag the backup that you want to put onto the device into the now empty folder. Click Restore, and it'll bring up a menu asking which of the previous backups you would like to restore from.

isa.k · Jul 14, 2013

Thank you xrayeyes, but that isn't an option for the most part at least unfortunately

Thank you for your concern and input nonetheless

Ah willerz2! That sounds more promising. However two issues come to mind straight away with your solution.

1- which folder exactly would I put them in? If you could tell me the folder directory on a Win7 x64 OS, that'd be a start I guess.

2- in the second attachment I uploaded, you can see a number of files extracted from a folder, which unfortunately I have no idea which one, has many many many files therein! 9000+! Then there is the snapshot folder which contains a great many files also!

If your answer to my first question gives me location to the folder you are talking about, I guess I could try to just dump all of them in there... However, I'm not too keen on my chances... ah pessimism... the killer of hope

And a great big thank you too for your most appreciated input

isa.k · Jul 14, 2013

I emailed my nephew xrayeyes' comment, and this was his response:

"The iPhone wasn't charging and would switch off its self, we suspect it the aftermath of water damage. The sleep button wasn't functioning so Apple provided a new phone.

The phone was connected to the laptop. I connected it to iTunes using the email address and password. After selecting the " back up" option I noted a little arrow in the shape of a circle spinning, suggesting it was backing it up. After a few minutes of backing up it said something like "backed up"... I unplugged it thinking it was backed up.

I contacted Apple support as soon as the back up didn't appear and after 4 hours we located a file with 6.5 gb of data with times stamps at the time I thought it was backing up onto iTunes.

Apple suggested we take the laptop and new phone into the Apple store and even made on app on our behalf to attend. When I attended the apple store I was told that under federal law they can't assist me as it has to do with privacy. What a joke.."

So yeah...

I hope the above response of my nephew can help answer some other potential questions that may arise.

Again, thank you one and all for your appreciated input towards a resolution

isa.k · Jul 18, 2013

Ermmm??? Bump?

isa.k · Dec 16, 2013

mathreen,

Your solution seems to me to be only applicable to someone that has the normal backup files that iOS would have performed. The attached image in my initial post shows that the backed up files aren't your normal everyday garden variety backup files.

Regardless, I appreciate your attempt at trying to help us. When I next see my sister, I will ask her if she still needs the files to be restored. If so, I will look up the app you speak of, and try following your instructions and report back here with the results.