Where are iTunes backup files and folders stored? Where are iOS firmware stored in iTunes? How to remove firmware from iTunes

iTunes is the main program for Apple technology, especially smartphones. It is thanks to iTunes that you can access all the functions of your mobile phone, as well as reinstall the operating system, or restore it. Today the relevant question is: where iTunes downloads the firmware.

Why does iTunes need to save the firmware?

The fact is that with the help of this program, users can restore the iPhone, or reinstall the operating system.

When the smartphone is connected to the computer and the install button is pressed, the application simply copies the files from the storage to the phone.

That is, iTunes stores the firmware so that it can be installed.

When we know why iTunes stores files with a mobile operating system in the root folders, it is worth understanding what the user can do with it.

The only thing the consumer can do is change the files. In this case, what is specified by the user will be installed. This may be required if you want to install a beta version of the operating system. It is impossible to install it in the usual way, but if you upload it to iTunes and click on reinstall, then everything can work out.

Same with previous versions. If you need to install older versions of iOS, then you should download them and replace the files in the iTunes root folder with those that you require. But first you need to know Where are the iTunes firmwares stored?

We are often asked, and we give a detailed answer.

Where does iTunes store firmware?

Operating system installation files are stored in different places, depending on the version of the computer system.

• If you use Windows 7/8 or 10, then you should go to the user folder. This can be done by going to the disk with the operating system. After this, you will need to go to the App Data folder and find another Roaming folder. After this, you need to go to AppleComputer and find the iTunes folder. In the iTunes folder, you will need to go to the last folder, which will be called the device for which firmware is required. It could be an iPhone or an iPad.
• If you are using a Mac OS computer, the path will be slightly different. You will need to go to Libraries, find the iTunes folder, then go to the folder that starts with iPhone or iPad.

It is noteworthy that all files will be hidden, so users need to set access to all hidden folders and files on the system.

Instructions

Make sure you backed up your mobile device using iTunes or perform a manual backup procedure.

Connect your device to your computer using the special USB cable included in the package and wait until the application automatically detects the device.

Select your device in the list in the left panel of the iTunes program window and call its context menu by right-clicking.

Specify the “Create a backup” command and wait for the process to complete.

Follow the path:
drive_name:\Documents and Settings\user_name\Application Data\Apple Computer\iTunes\mobile_device_name Software Update - for OS Windows;
drive_name:/Library/iTunes/mobile_device_name Software Update - for Mac OS
and identify the saved or created backup file of the device firmware. The file must have the extension *.ipsw.

Hold down the Shift softkey (for Windows OS) or the Option softkey (for Mac OS) and select your device again from the list in the left pane of the iTunes application.

Use the “Restore from Backup” command in the drop-down menu and specify the full path to the specific file of the required firmware in the “Select iTunes File” dialog box that opens.

Confirm the recovery command by pressing the Select button and wait until the process completes.

Please note

Remember that restoring information stored on a mobile device is only possible using a computer selected for systematic synchronization operations. When using another computer, only the following data can be recovered:
- network settings;
- last made calls;
- accounts and saved email settings;
- photo and video files of the mobile device itself;
- list of contacts;
- messages and notes.

Sources:

• Backing up iPhone/iPad

When downloading updates to the iOS mobile operating system via iTunes, all firmware files are saved in the program directory. You can always use these files to save them on a separate drive as a backup copy from which you can restore your Apple device even from any other computer.

Instructions

Firmware downloaded by iTunes is placed in different directories depending on the version of the operating system. In Windows XP, updates are saved in the Documents and Settings – User – Application Data – Apple Computer – iTunes – Software Updates directory. You can go to this folder using the “My Computer” - “Local Disk C:” section.

In Windows Vista, 7 and 8, this folder is located in the Users – User – AppData – Roaming – Apple Computer – iTunes – Software Updates directory of the C: drive. You can go to it by selecting the “Start” menu - “Computer” - “Local drive C:”. The name of the User directory corresponds to the username you use in the system.

You can copy the files in these folders to a separate storage medium. To do this, select the files in the directory, right-click on the selection area and select “Copy”. Perform the insertion procedure into your flash card folder using the same context menu.

One of the most common reasons for restoring the firmware of an iPhone, iPod or iPad may be to perform a jailbreak operation or update to the latest version.

Instructions

Hi all! The topic of restoring iOS firmware has long been discussed on the Internet far and wide. And, to be honest, at first I didn’t want to write about something that was already online. Why produce the same type of instructions? But then it was finally decided (such is the agony of choice for the author of this blog! :)) that there was a need for this.

So why another instruction? It's very simple - I receive a lot of questions, both by email and in the comments, about various glitches in the iPhone software and, in most cases, they can only be cured by restoring the software. So this process is important and there is no way to bypass it, and it will be easier for me to answer your questions by simply pointing out a link to this article. Eh, looks like it was justified :) Let's go!

A few important notes:

1. When you restore an iPhone, absolutely everything is deleted from it. It turns out that the phone looks like you just bought it in a store.
2. You can only restore using a computer and iTunes. This cannot be done over the air, via iCloud or any other way.
3. The procedure is performed both when the device is fully operational, and if the iOS system does not boot (in this case, you will need to enter DFU mode).

By the way, recovery is the only way to properly remove a jailbreak from an iPhone.

Detailed instructions for restoring iPhone

So, complete and detailed step-by-step instructions. We launch iTunes on the computer and connect the iPhone, if everything went well, then the phone model, its firmware and other data will be displayed in the main window of the program. At this stage, two errors are possible:

1. The computer does not detect the iPhone - about this.
2. If the device shows no signs of life, we try.

As a result, with any successful connection we get one of two windows

And here we are interested in only one button - “Restore”. If you simply click on it, iTunes will begin to prepare the iPhone, download the latest current firmware from Apple's servers and begin installing it on the device.

Attention! Find My iPhone must be disabled!

The biggest “catch” is loading the firmware. Sometimes this process takes quite a long time, especially with slow Internet. Plus, if the connection is not stable and the connection is possible, then iTunes will start downloading it again every time, which you will agree is not very pleasant and time-consuming.

But there is a way to speed up the recovery process. To do this, you need to independently download the software file in .ipsw format (from any third-party resource, for example w3bsit3-dns.com) and save it on your computer. Please note - each iPhone model will have its own file, different from others!

Now, hold down the “Shift” key on the keyboard and only then click on the “Restore” button. A window will open asking you to specify the firmware file. We select the pre-downloaded one and wait - iTunes will do everything on its own.

Why can't I restore my iPhone and what should I do?

In fact, there can be a lot of reasons. Moreover, they are associated both with a computer or device, and simply with inattention.

Here are the most basic ones:

1. Lack of Internet access on the PC or periodic interruptions and shutdowns.
2. Antiviruses, firewalls and other programs that interfere with the normal functioning of iTunes. Perhaps your security settings are configured in such a way that iTunes simply does not gain access to Apple servers.
3. Slow Internet. Not even that. Very slow internet. This is rare now, but I remember my attempts to revive an iPhone back in 2009 using a network connection from a USB modem. I won’t describe everything, but I’ll say the result - the restoration failed.
4. In the case when you download the firmware yourself, see if it is exactly suitable for your specific phone model.
5. Check for iTunes. If yes, install the latest version of the program.
6. It is very advisable, and what’s more, be sure to use an original USB cable; non-certified ones can contribute to the appearance of various errors. Non-original ones are only possible, and even then not always, and they are not suitable for flashing (restoring).
7. It is quite possible that the problems are already inside, that is, “iron”. There can be a lot of faults - from the cable to the motherboard. Remember, not or too much.

As you can see, there are really a lot of options. Please pay attention to every little thing - because it is precisely because of this that problems with restoring the iPhone may arise. Something still doesn't work out? Be sure to write in the comments - we’ll try to figure it out together!

P.S. They say that in order for the recovery to be successful and correct, you need to “like” this article. They're probably lying, but I installed it just in case... and it worked! :)

If you've ever updated your Apple device through iTunes, you know that before the firmware is installed, it is downloaded to your computer. In this article we will answer the question of where iTunes stores firmware.

Despite the fact that Apple devices have a fairly high price, the overpayment is worth it: perhaps, this is the only manufacturer that supports its devices for more than four years, releasing the latest firmware versions for them.

The user has the opportunity to install the firmware via iTunes in two ways: by first downloading the desired firmware version and specifying it in the program, or by entrusting the download and installation of the firmware to iTunes. And if in the first case the user can independently decide where the firmware on the computer will be stored, then in the second - not.

For different versions of Windows, the location of the firmware that iTunes downloaded may differ. But before you can open the folder where the downloaded firmware is stored, you will need to enable the display of hidden files and folders in Windows settings.

To do this, open the menu "Control Panel" , set the display mode in the upper right corner "Small Icons" , and then go to the section "Explorer Options" .

In the window that opens, go to the tab « View" , go down to the very end of the list and mark the parameter with a dot "Show hidden folders, files and drives" .

After you activate the display of hidden folders and files, you can find the desired firmware file through Windows Explorer.

Firmware location in Windows XP

Firmware location in Windows Vista

Firmware location in Windows 7 and higher

If you are looking for firmware not for an iPhone, but for an iPad or iPod, the folder names will change according to the device. For example, the iPad firmware folder in Windows 7 will look like this:

Actually, that's all. The detected firmware can be copied and used according to your needs, for example, if you want to move it to any convenient location on the computer, or remove unnecessary firmware that takes up a fairly large amount of space on the computer.