Disable iTunes auto backups

lilman · 05-05-2010, 11:13 AM

Thought I would share this link since I use it myself. I have a 64gb iPad and every time I would connect to iTunes to sync it would want to automatically backup. Since my iPad has tons of stuff on it, these backups would take well over an hour. You can use this free program (BackOff) to disable auto backups in iTunes: http://www.digidna.net/products/backoff

Note that if you use this program you can still manually backup the iPad by connecting it to iTunes, right-clicking on the iPad and selecting "backup".

scottjl · 05-05-2010, 11:33 AM

Weird, I've got 56G on my iPad, it does a full backup only once a day (when I sync it before I go to sleep). Any further syncs that day are fast and skip the backup. The reason yours might be taking so long is that you haven't let it go through it completely once already.

The Old Man · 05-05-2010, 11:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by scottjl

Weird, I've got 56G on my iPad, it does a full backup only once a day (when I sync it before I go to sleep). Any further syncs that day are fast and skip the backup. The reason yours might be taking so long is that you haven't let it go through it completely once already.

I think that may be the problem. Also you can click the small "x" next to the backup bar and cancel the backup but it will continue the sync.

lilman · 05-05-2010, 12:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by scottjl

Weird, I've got 56G on my iPad, it does a full backup only once a day (when I sync it before I go to sleep). Any further syncs that day are fast and skip the backup. The reason yours might be taking so long is that you haven't let it go through it completely once already.

I don't think it likes all the little files I have. I have a ton of manga in ComicZeal's file share that I think are slowing the backup down. I don't need my iPad backed up every time I sync... I'll probably do a manual backup once a month.

scottjl · 05-05-2010, 12:30 PM

They aren't backed up every time, only once. My suggestion, kick it off before you go to bed, it should be done by morning. After that it should only back up what is changed.

tyche · 05-05-2010, 05:50 PM

Who really knows what Apple's backup is doing? Ever look at the folder? It's just a mess of files. It could be his app is "touching" all his many files flagging them as modified and iTunes thinks it needs to back up several gb once again.

athlonkmf · 05-05-2010, 06:16 PM

I've used a free too called back off to disable the autobackup. Google for it. I could't backup my iPad if I wanted too.. Not enough diskspace

lilman · 05-05-2010, 07:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by athlonkmf

I've used a free too called back off to disable the autobackup. Google for it. I could't backup my iPad if I wanted too.. Not enough diskspace

That's the program in the op :P

I too don't have enough free space to backup my iPad. I dual boot my laptop and only use Windows when I absolutely have to (like for iTunes)... I never planned on needing a lot of space for it. I was hoping I could sync to my desktop which is a Windows only machine but the iPad only lets you sync with iTunes on one computer.

scottjl · 05-05-2010, 08:33 PM

just like every ipod has ever been. but why not just sync it only with your desktop and be done with it?

murraypaul · 05-06-2010, 04:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by scottjl

Weird, I've got 56G on my iPad, it does a full backup only once a day (when I sync it before I go to sleep). Any further syncs that day are fast and skip the backup. The reason yours might be taking so long is that you haven't let it go through it completely once already.

No, it normally works fine, and I let it go through, it is only when it goes mad and takes forever that I have to stop it. Googling suggests I'm not the only one with the issue. Maybe it is too many apps, or too much data in apps, no idea.

scottjl · 05-07-2010, 11:53 AM

Not sure if you're on a Mac or a PC. If you're on a Mac you might want to check out this article. Apparently there is a bug in iTunes 9.1.1 (build 11) that was fixed in 9.1.1 (build 12). It involves constant re-syncs of music files. Might also contribute to lengthy backup times.

murraypaul · 05-07-2010, 12:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by scottjl

Not sure if you're on a Mac or a PC. If you're on a Mac you might want to check out this article. Apparently there is a bug in iTunes 9.1.1 (build 11) that was fixed in 9.1.1 (build 12). It involves constant re-syncs of music files. Might also contribute to lengthy backup times.

Thanks, but I'm on a PC. Turning backups off has definately sped things up.

Fotoman · 05-07-2010, 12:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by scottjl

Not sure if you're on a Mac or a PC. If you're on a Mac you might want to check out this article. Apparently there is a bug in iTunes 9.1.1 (build 11) that was fixed in 9.1.1 (build 12). It involves constant re-syncs of music files. Might also contribute to lengthy backup times.

I'm on a PC and turning on manual management of audio and video has also sped the back-ups a bit for me. However that's not the main problem: with the same amount of data in the iPad the time required for a back-up seems to change from day to day and sometimes slows down to a crawl after backing-up ~ 90%... to the point that that last 10% can take 15 minutes + to complete. Other days it just zooms through it (my 64GB iPad has ~ 40GB free) and the whole back-up + sync is done in under 3 minutes.

This suggests a technical problem that is still there after you turn off video and audio syncing and since my iPhone continues to sync just as fast as it always has, it seems to be a bug in how iTunes handles the iPad sync or in the iPad itself.

lilman · 05-09-2010, 12:17 PM

I tried a full backup the other night and after 3 hours it was only at 15%. Needless to say I cancelled the backup... there is no way I would want to restore from a backup that takes that long (it is easier to manually transfer the files again).

I later jailbreaked and took a look at the iPad file structure. I think my backup problem is caused by all the comics I have in ComicZeal. I've transfer 6gb+ of 3k+ cbz comics, which ComicZeal unarchived into individual folders. This resulted in 70k+ images in my ComicZeal file share. Even though 6gb+ isn't that much data, 70k+ files take forever to backup.

05-05-2010, 11:13 AM	#1
lilman Addict Posts: 326 Karma: 960 Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Florida, US Device: Kindle DX, iPad	Disable iTunes auto backups Thought I would share this link since I use it myself. I have a 64gb iPad and every time I would connect to iTunes to sync it would want to automatically backup. Since my iPad has tons of stuff on it, these backups would take well over an hour. You can use this free program (BackOff) to disable auto backups in iTunes: http://www.digidna.net/products/backoff Note that if you use this program you can still manually backup the iPad by connecting it to iTunes, right-clicking on the iPad and selecting "backup".

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05-05-2010, 11:33 AM	#2
scottjl Reader of Books Posts: 1,632 Karma: 2697 Join Date: Oct 2009 Device: none	Weird, I've got 56G on my iPad, it does a full backup only once a day (when I sync it before I go to sleep). Any further syncs that day are fast and skip the backup. The reason yours might be taking so long is that you haven't let it go through it completely once already.

05-05-2010, 12:30 PM	#5
scottjl Reader of Books Posts: 1,632 Karma: 2697 Join Date: Oct 2009 Device: none	They aren't backed up every time, only once. My suggestion, kick it off before you go to bed, it should be done by morning. After that it should only back up what is changed.

05-05-2010, 05:50 PM	#6
tyche Addict Posts: 227 Karma: 2530 Join Date: Dec 2009 Device: PRS-505, iPad	Who really knows what Apple's backup is doing? Ever look at the folder? It's just a mess of files. It could be his app is "touching" all his many files flagging them as modified and iTunes thinks it needs to back up several gb once again.

05-05-2010, 06:16 PM	#7
athlonkmf Guru Posts: 714 Karma: 1014039 Join Date: May 2007 Device: Sony PRS-500, Sony PRS-505, Kindle 3, Sony PRS350, iPad 64GB	I've used a free too called back off to disable the autobackup. Google for it. I could't backup my iPad if I wanted too.. Not enough diskspace

05-05-2010, 08:33 PM	#9
scottjl Reader of Books Posts: 1,632 Karma: 2697 Join Date: Oct 2009 Device: none	just like every ipod has ever been. but why not just sync it only with your desktop and be done with it?

05-07-2010, 11:53 AM	#11
scottjl Reader of Books Posts: 1,632 Karma: 2697 Join Date: Oct 2009 Device: none	Not sure if you're on a Mac or a PC. If you're on a Mac you might want to check out this article. Apparently there is a bug in iTunes 9.1.1 (build 11) that was fixed in 9.1.1 (build 12). It involves constant re-syncs of music files. Might also contribute to lengthy backup times.

05-09-2010, 12:17 PM	#14
lilman Addict Posts: 326 Karma: 960 Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Florida, US Device: Kindle DX, iPad	I tried a full backup the other night and after 3 hours it was only at 15%. Needless to say I cancelled the backup... there is no way I would want to restore from a backup that takes that long (it is easier to manually transfer the files again). I later jailbreaked and took a look at the iPad file structure. I think my backup problem is caused by all the comics I have in ComicZeal. I've transfer 6gb+ of 3k+ cbz comics, which ComicZeal unarchived into individual folders. This resulted in 70k+ images in my ComicZeal file share. Even though 6gb+ isn't that much data, 70k+ files take forever to backup.

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