backup iphone 6 to itunes
After a while, messages, pictures and videos from your iPhone can consume hundreds of megabytes, or even gigabytes, of storage space. Whenever you back up your iPhone to your business PC with iTunes -- which you should do regularly -- files transferred to the computer take up the same considerable amount of space on your hard drive. While there are many third-party apps that enable you to copy iPhone backups to an external hard drive, a little-known Windows command enables you to use iTunes to back up the phone to a USB hard drive directly.

1. Close iTunes if the program is open on your computer. 2. Connect the external USB hard drive you want to use to store videos from the iPhone to the computer. Wait a couple of seconds for Windows to detect the device and configure it for use. If Windows displays an AutoPlay window or asks you what to do with the drive, close the window. 3. Press "Windows-E" to open File Explorer. Click "Computer" and note the drive letter assigned to the external hard drive by Windows.

4. Connect the data sync cable to the iPhone and a second USB port on the computer. If iTunes opens on the computer, close it. 5. Press "Window-R" to open a Run box. Type "cmd" into the Run box and press "Enter." If a User Account Control window opens after pressing Enter, click "Yes." A Command Prompt window opens.

iPhoneBackup” Change the "yourWindowsusername" variable to the actual username of your Windows account. Windows to the external hard drive. Change the "iPhoneBackup" variable to the name of the folder on the hard drive in which you want to save the backup. 7. Launch iTunes on the computer, and wait a few seconds for the program to detect the iPhone. Click the iPhone in the Devices list.

8. Click "File" on the menu bar. Select "Devices," and then click "Back Up." Enable the "This computer" option on the "Summary" tab and click "Back Up Now." Wait a few seconds for iTunes to back up the iPhone normally. 9. Press "Windows-E" to open File Explorer if you closed it. Click "Computer," and then double-click the drive letter of the external hard drive.

Open the designated folder on the hard drive to view the backup file from iTunes. Mklink creates a virtual link from one folder to another in all Windows applications. iPhoneBackup” folder on the hard drive seamlessly. ITunes cannot override this operating system-level protocol. Essentially, iTunes backs up the iPhone normally and is not even aware that Windows routes the data to the folder on the external hard drive.

Notice that you simply enter the same destination folder twice. After doing this, iTunes saves backups in the regular iTunes "Backup" folder. Jeff Grundy has been writing computer-related articles and tutorials since 1995. Since that time, Grundy has written many guides to using various applications that are published on numerous how-to and tutorial sites. Born and raised in South Georgia, Grundy holds a Master of Science degree in mathematics from the Georgia Institute of Technology.

Another issue arises when people restore their iPhone without disassociating their Apple/iCloud ID from it first and then sell their device. If you don't disassociate your Apple/iCloud ID first, that iPhone will forever be locked to your Apple/iCloud ID, which means a future owner won’t have full access over it.

1. Choose a backup method. This can be either via iCloud or a local backup on your desktop via iTunes. Backup. Tap iCloud Backup to turn it on. Tap Back Up Now. 3. To backup via iTunes connect your iPhone to your Mac or PC via its USB cable. 4. Once you’ve backed up your device, now disassociate your Apple/iCloud ID from it. Cloud, then tap to turn off Find My iPhone. 5. Make sure you’ve completed steps 3 and 4 (yes, it’s that important).

Now you’re ready to restore your device. 6. Connect your iPhone to your desktop via its USB cable. 7. Why your iPhone appears in iTunes, click on its Summary panel and then click Restore iPhone. 8. Click Restore again to confirm that you want to restore your iPhone to factory settings. All data and content will be erased.