iTunes Backup Location and How to Change it in Windows 10?

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iTunes Backup Location and How to Change it in Windows 10?

22 February 2019 Amanda J. Brook Senior Product Manager

Summary
What is iTunes? It should be not familiar for iPhone users. iTunes will backup files in iOS devices automatically. However, the storage space of C disk in Windows 10 is limited. Is there any method to change the location of the backup files that iTunes creates. Here, we will introduce some methods to help you change iTunes backup location in Windows 10 and how to recover deleted files from iOS devices.

Content

Part 1: Introduction of iTunes Backup Location

1. What does iTunes Back up For
2. Where is iTunes Backup Location

Part 2: How to Change iTunes Backup Location in Windows 10

Part 3: How to Recover Deleted Files from iOS Devices

Part 1: Introduction of iTunes Backup Location

1. What does iTunes Back up For

When we connect iPhone, iPad or iPod to computer which has installed iTunes, backup of related iOS device will be created automatically by iTunes. And iTunes will backup the following information and files:

Text message, image in MMS, Contacts, Calendar, Reminders, Photos, Recent calls, Favorites, settings, Mail settings, Safari settings, Apps settings (like game files, stanza books, etc), Internet configurations (Wi-Fi, Cellular, VPN, DaiLi services, etc), other configurations (build-in functions’ configurations like keyboard, Language & region, etc).

2. Where is iTunes Backup Location

No matter which Windows version you are using, the backup files that iTunes created will be saved in the following path: C:\Users\current user name\AppData\Roaming\Apple Computer\MobileSync.

You need to modify the current user name to be the user name that you are logging in. Please click “Start” and move the mouse to the account image. Then the user name will show.

How can we change the iTunes backup location to other disk as we’ve know the location? Please find solutions below.

Part 2: How to Change iTunes Backup Location in Windows 10

The changing method of iTunes backup location is not friendly to Windows users. And the methods we found on the internet requires users to change the location when we install iTunes. However, they do not work at all. But we can make it with “mklink” command in Windows 10 directly.

Steps to change the iTunes Backup Location:

Step 1: Find and delete the MobileSync folder via the following path: C:\Users\current user name\AppData\Roaming\Apple Computer.

Attention: current user name in the path means the user name you are logging in.

Step 2: Here we will create a new folder in D disk and name it to be “Mobilesync” as an exaple. Backup folder inside will be the new iTunes backup location. And backup files created by iTunes will be saved in this folder.

Note: The name and location of this folder could be changed in accordance to your needs.

Step 3: Press Win + R button and enter “cmd” in the pop up window. Press “Enter”.

Step 4: Enter the following command “mklink/j “C:\Users\current user name\AppData\Roaming\Apple Computer\MobileSync\Backup” “D:\MobileSync\Backup”. And D:\MobileSync\Backup refers to the folder you set to save the backup files.

Step 5: Press “Enter”. If you can see the similar notification like that on the image below, you are succeeded to change the iTunes backup location.

change itunes backup location successfully

Step 6: Backup files created by iTunes will be saved in that folder you set.

After you processing the steps above, the backup files will be saved in D disk. And the content you find in C disk is just the shadow of these backup files. Although the properties of these backup files show that the location is C disk, they are in D disk actually. When you connect iOS devices to computer and iTunes will sync your devices. Backup files will be saved in the folder you set.

If you delete important photos or files accidently before creating backup with iTunes in your iPhone, how to recover such deleted files? When we encounter such situation, we can recover deleted files from iOS devices with Renee iPhone Recovery which can help us recover lost photos, messages, videos, etc from iOS devices.

Part 3: How to Recover Deleted Files from iOS Devices

Here, we will introduce how to recover lost files and data from iOS devices without backup.

We may delete important photos or other data when using iOS devices like iPhone, iPad and iPod. If we want to recover these lost data, we can try to scan the devices with Renee iPhone Recovery which can help us find out and recover lost files. It can recover photos, videos, contacts, messages, etc from iOS devices, iTunes backup files and iCloud backup files.

Tips Renee iPhone Recovery is able to help iOS users to recover lost data from iPhone, iPad and iPod touch with simple steps. Only 3 steps, users can find back lost files like message, contacts, photos and videos. Compatible with all kinds of iOS devices. Also support to recover data from iTunes backup and iCloud backup.

Step 1: Connect target iOS device computer and launch Renee iPhone Recovery. Select “Recover Lost Data”.

Please select the target device in the “iOS devices” list if you connect more than 1 iOS devices to computer.

Step 2: Choose “Recover from iOS Devices” and click “Start Scan”. Wait for the scan finish.

Step 3: Select target photos, videos or any data you want to recover and click “Recover”.

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