Make Multiple Backups In iTunes
This is how I do my multiple backups.
1. Locate the Backup folder. In my XP machine it is located in C:\Documents and Settings\saswope\Application Data\Apple Computer\MobileSync\Backup. If you have been doing any backups, you should see at least one folder with a very long name. Mine is “47a2c…4ff3fd”. You may also see some other folders that contain a date time stamp in the name. For example “47a2c…4ff3fd-20101126-184224”. These other folders get generated by iTunes if during a download and upgrade of your firmware, you choose to do a backup. This is how I determined how to make my own backups.
2. Make a copy of your backup folder, “47a2c…4ff3fd”.
3. Change the copied folder from “Copy of 47a2c…4ff3fd” to “47a2c…4ff3fd-yyyymmdd-HHmmss”. Obviously without the quotes and put your own date time stamp in there.
4. Open up your newly created backup folder and locate the “Info.plist” file.
5. Open your “Info.plist” file with your favorite text editor. You will see that it is just an XML file.
6. Locate the string tag just below the key tag for Display Name.
Here is a copy of mine, not modified of course to protect my identity.
<key>Device Name</key>
<string>Steph’s iPhone</string>
<key>Display Name</key>
<string>Steph’s iPhone</string>
7. Change the info in between the string tags for Display Name, NOT Device Name.
<key>Device Name</key>
<string>Steph’s iPhone</string>
<key>Display Name</key>
<string>Steph’s iPhone – Nov 28, 2010 8:52 PM</string>
8. Save the file and you are done.
Note: I always make a copy of the original backup from iTunes and don’t just change the name of the folder. We all know how long it takes for iTunes to create a full backup, so I won’t even go there.
To Restore Your Backup:
1. Open iTunes and attached your iPhone.
2. Right click on your iPhone and select “Restore from Backup…”
3. Select the back up you want from the drop down box. If you did not modify your Info.plist file, all of your drop down selection options would have just the name of your iPhone and not include the date time stamp. Therefore, you would not know which backup was which.
I know that this requires you to create your multiple backups manually, but it is not that difficult.
