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CoreRestore
MSB
Classic and
Plus include a powerful feature called CoreRestore that
allows you to
restore specific
items from a backup.
IMPORTANT Not all versions of iTunes allow partial restores. However, you can still perform a full restore. Also note you cannot restore
modified files to the device.
You must be in the Photos & Other Files category for the CoreRestore menu items to be enabled. You will be using the file directory to select the files.
You must be in the Photos & Other Files category for the CoreRestore menu items to be enabled. You will be using the file directory to select the files.
Example 1: App/Game Data
Suppose you have a new phone and wish to restore your settings for a
particular app. Games are a good example because they often store
scores or level info that cannot simply be re-entered. We will use a
simpler example, Apple's Remote app, but the procedure is exactly the
same.
The procedure begins by opening the appropriate backup in MSB: this would be the device backup that is known to contain the app data we wish to restore, e.g.: a backup was performed after a given level was reached in a game.
The next step is to navigate the backup files to find the location of the app's data files. We do this using the Photos & Other Files category in MSB.
Typically, third-party app data is in the AppDomain, in subfolders that normally follow a com.company.product naming convention.
In this example, we have located the com.apple.remote folder; we use the popup menu to select the folder (and all the items within).
The
folder icon turns green to show that it is selected.
We are now ready to save our custom app data restore. You can of course select additional items to restore at the same time, or scroll down to the Save section of this tutorial.
The procedure begins by opening the appropriate backup in MSB: this would be the device backup that is known to contain the app data we wish to restore, e.g.: a backup was performed after a given level was reached in a game.
The next step is to navigate the backup files to find the location of the app's data files. We do this using the Photos & Other Files category in MSB.
Typically, third-party app data is in the AppDomain, in subfolders that normally follow a com.company.product naming convention.
If you have difficulties locating your app's data, you may have to
contact the developer of
that particular app, not the MSB developer, for further
info on how to restore your app's 'state.'
In this example, we have located the com.apple.remote folder; we use the popup menu to select the folder (and all the items within).
We are now ready to save our custom app data restore. You can of course select additional items to restore at the same time, or scroll down to the Save section of this tutorial.
Example 2: SMS Messages
Another common situation is
restoring SMS messages; again this is data
that cannot simply be re-entered. Review the App Data section above to
understand how items are selected before continuing.
SMS texts messages are kept in a single database file, however, any large MMS attachments are stored individually in a separate location.
Open Photos & Other Files and navigate to the HomeDomain/Library/SMS folder. Select the entire folder and its contents using the popup menu.
The SMS folder icon turns green to indicate that it is selected.
Now, using the Back button, navigate to and select MediaDomain/Library/SMS. This folder contains the MMS attachments, if any; if you cannot locate this folder, just continue.
If you have sent outgoing messages that included existing images from your Camera Roll, locate and select the MediaDomain/Media/DCIM folder to restore your Camera Roll images as well.
We are now ready to save our custom SMS restore. You can of course select additional items to restore at the same time.
SMS texts messages are kept in a single database file, however, any large MMS attachments are stored individually in a separate location.
Open Photos & Other Files and navigate to the HomeDomain/Library/SMS folder. Select the entire folder and its contents using the popup menu.
The SMS folder icon turns green to indicate that it is selected.
Now, using the Back button, navigate to and select MediaDomain/Library/SMS. This folder contains the MMS attachments, if any; if you cannot locate this folder, just continue.
If you have sent outgoing messages that included existing images from your Camera Roll, locate and select the MediaDomain/Media/DCIM folder to restore your Camera Roll images as well.
We are now ready to save our custom SMS restore. You can of course select additional items to restore at the same time.
Save your custom CoreRestore
Select
the File >
CoreRestore
> Save menu item. MSB creates a new backup folder
with just the selected items. This backup is automatically renamed.You can also rename this new folder for easier identification. However, this will not affect the backup's name when viewed in iTunes.
Restore to your device
You
can now restore this folder using iTunes. See the Restoring section for
more details.