Recover Deleted iTunes Backup files on Mac and Windows | iTunes Backup Library Restore

9 minutes read

iTunes backup files can be lost due to accidental deletion, corruption issues, hardware failure, or system crashes. We understand the panic that arises when iTunes backup is lost don’t worry you are not alone.

However, It is important to stop using the device after data loss to avoid overwriting, if you have done that the following solutions provided in this article will help you with effective methods to perform iTunes backup recovery.

Gravatar John Harris
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You might have lost your iTunes backup file for various reasons, such as accidental deletion, permanent file deletion to increase hard drive space, or loss of the iTunes backup file after reinstalling the operating system. After losing or deleting the iTunes backup file, the foremost thing to do is stop using the computer or drive on which you lost it.

Apple’s iTunes allows iOS device users to sync with Mac and Windows systems to create an iTunes backup file. This iTunes backup file can recover deleted videos, photos, messages, and other documents from iOS devices like iPhones, iPads, and iPods.

The iTunes backup file acts as a fail-safe file when you lose, format, or delete data from your iOS device, such as your iPhone. The iOS core kernels are the only systems that can read the uniquely formatted content in the iTunes backup file. Any alterations to the iTunes file can cause severe damage to the data saved in it.

But what happens when you accidentally or intentionally delete your iTunes backup file? If you have encountered the same problem, I have good news. You can easily recover deleted iTunes backup files on your Mac and Windows systems. This article shows you how.

Table of Contents:

  1. How To Recover Lost or Deleted iTunes Backup Files on Mac?
  2. How To Recover Deleted iTunes Backup Files on Windows?

Before discussing a sure-shot way of recovering deleted iTunes backup files from a Mac, let’s find out where iTunes stores backup files on a Mac and Windows system.

Locate iTunes Library backup file:

iTunes Library backup file location on Mac:

a) Find a list of your backups on Mac

  • Select the search option in the menu bar.
  • Paste: ~/Library/Application Support/MobileSync/Backup/ in the search option.
  • Press Return.

b) Locate a specific backup on the Mac

  • Open iTunes.
  • In the menu bar, click iTunes and select Preferences.
  • Under Devices Preferences, click the Devices option.
  • From the list of Device backups, Control-click the backup you want to locate.
  • Then select the Show in Finder option.

iTunes backup following location in Windows:

a) Find a list of your backups on Windows

  • Go to C drive
  • \Users\(username)\AppData\Roaming\AppleComputer\MobileSync\Backup.

b) Locate the iTunes backup file in Windows XP

  • Select C drive
  • \Documents and Settings\username\Application Data\Apple computer\MobileSync\Backup.

c) Locate iTunes backup in Windows 7, 8 and 10 and 11

  • In Windows 7: C:\Users\Your username\AppData\Roaming\Apple Computer\MobileSync\Backup.
  • In Windows 8,10,11: C:\Users[PC name]\AppData\Roaming\Apple Computer\ MobileSync\ Backup or C:\Users[PC name]\Apple\MobileSync\Backup.

Note: Any edit, relocation, rename, or extracting content from the iTunes backup file might destroy the data.

The next section discusses a time-tested method for restoring data from an iTunes backup folder using a professional data recovery tool. However, you can refer to this article to try any manual methods for recovering deleted files from a Mac, such as restoring an iTunes backup from an external hard drive. 

How To Recover Deleted iTunes Backup on Mac?

iTunes recovery? Sure, Remo Recover for Mac is the answer. 

Remo File Recovery for Mac is the right solution for your problem. It is built with our most advanced search algorithms, designed to delve deeper into the drive or folder to recover iTunes backup files deleted or lost from any MacBook or iMac running on any macOS version.

Download Remo now and recover iTunes Backup files with just a few simple clicks.

Steps to Recover Deleted iTunes Backup Folder or File on Mac Using Remo Recover For Mac

1: First, download and set up Remo Recover for Mac on your MacBook or iMac.

2: Select the drive from where you would like to recover your iTunes backup folder and click on Scan.

Recover deleted itunes backup file using Remo Recover for Mac

3: During the Scanning process, you can view recovered data using the Dynamic Recovery View Option.

Remo Recover Mac scanning for itunes backup file progress

4: Once the iTunes data recovery tool has finished scanning the selected drive, a list of all the files it has found will be displayed on your screen. Find and select the iTunes file, then click on the Recover button.

Select the recovered itunes backup file to restore

5: The tool will prompt you to select a location to save the recovered backup files.

Save the recovered deleted itunes backup in any location of your choice

If you are a Windows user who wants to recover iTunes backup files, read on to find out how.

Recover Deleted or Lost iTunes Backup Files on Windows

The first place to look for your deleted iTunes backup file is the Recycle Bin or Trash Bin. However, at times, you might have permanently deleted or deleted the file from the Recycle Bin. In that case, you can refer to this complete article on recovering files from Windows.

However, if you don’t want to go through the arduous process of manually recovering deleted files, you can always count on specialist data recovery tools like Remo File Recovery Tool.

How Can Remo Help Me Recovering Lost iTunes Data, you may ask?

Remo Recover is the ultimate data recovery tool for all Windows users. Tens of millions of users worldwide have tested and approved the tool for recovering any type of file lost due to any reason from any version of Windows. 

Not yet convinced? Try Remo Recover for free by clicking on the download button. 

Steps to Recover deleted iTunes Backup file on Windows:

Step 1: Download and install Remo Recover software on Windows to restore deleted iTunes backup files.

Step 2: Launch this iTunes backup file recovery software and select C drive, the most common drive where your iTunes backup file gets saved. Hit the Scan button to start the drive scanning process.

Recover deleted itunes backup using Remo Recover for Windows software

Note: After the scanning process, all your deleted files, including the iTunes backup file, will be displayed on the screen.

Step 3: You can also use the Advanced Filter option to sort iTunes backup files.  

Remo Recover Windows scanning for itunes backup file progress

Step 4: Now, locate and select the MDBACKUP file type from the recovered result, which is your iTunes backup file, and click the Recover button to restore it to your desired location.

Save the recovered itunes backup files in any location of your choice

Remo has safely recovered your lost or deleted iTunes backup files from your Windows systems.

Conclusion:

We are sure by now you have successfully recovered your iTunes backup file. We have provided you with the safest yet most reliable solution to perform iTunes Backup File recovery from Windows or Mac. However, you can also try manual solutions for file recovery, such as recovering the deleted files from the Recycle Bin or the Trash Bin, Restoring the backup files from any external drive, or using in-built tools like Microsoft Windows File Recovery or Time Machine.  

We hope you have found the article helpful. Do let us know in the comment section below if you have any additional questions.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. How To Restore Data From iTunes Backup?

Restoring files from an iTunes backup is easier; ensure that the backup files are saved on ~/Library/Application Support/MobileSync. MobileSync is the default folder because it is easier to locate the backup files; here’s how the files are restored:

1. Connect your iPhone, iPad, or iPod to your MacBook.
2. Go to Finder, Applications, and open iTunes.
3. Choose the device by clicking the device icon next to the music icon.
4. Click on Restore Backup under the backups section.
5. Find your backups in the drop-down menu and click Restore.
6. Wait till your device restarts and syncs with the computer again.
7. After the Sync is completed, you can eject the device.

2. How to Recover Your iTunes Library?

If you have deleted your iTunes library from your Windows or Mac system and are curious to know how to perform iTunes recovery, we suggest you go through this article to find out how to Recover iTunes Music.

3. What is MobileSync on Mac?

When you back up your phone and save the backups on your Mac, they are saved in a MobileSync folder.

4. Does iTunes backups get overwritten?

Yes, iTunes backups can be overwritten. It saves the backups in the same file, overwriting the previous backup.

5. Does iTunes have multiple backups of iPhone?

Yes, you can have multiple backups by enabling the “Encrypt iPhone backup” option in iTunes. Each backup is stored separately, allowing users to have multiple backups of their iPhone data.

Gravatar John Harris

About the Author: John Harris

With a decade of experience in data recovery, John Harris, Senior Editor at Remo Software, is your go-to specialist. His focus includes partition management, Windows solutions, and data troubleshooting, delivering insightful content that serves both users and search engines. John's expertise shines through in illuminating blog posts, untangling data loss intricacies across diverse storage platforms.…