Problem report title: Fairplay deauthorisation causes iPhone/iPod touch application data loss
Product: iPhone
Version/Build Number: 2.0.2 (5C1)
Classification: Crash/hang/data loss
Is it reproducible? Always
Summary:
Deauthorising the installation of iTunes which syncs applications to an iPhone or iPod touch can cause loss of application data.
Steps to Reproduce:
- Install iTunes on and authorise five computers (let us call the A-F) using the same iTunes account
- For the sake of this report, let us assume that computer A is a MacBook running Leopard, and computer B is a a Dell Laptop running Windows Vista.
- Computer A (the MacBook)’s installation of iTunes is used to sync applications to an iPhone or iPod touch; for the purposes of this report, there are a number of applications already installed.
- Due to some external factor, computer B (the Dell Laptop) must be wiped and re-installed
- After re-installation of the operating system, iTunes is re-installed on computer B
- In order to re-authorise computer B with the iTunes account, the iTunes Store’s “Deauthorise all” function must be invoked; after using this facility, computer B is re-authorised
- Without re-authorising computer A, further applications are downloaded from the App Store for installation on the iPhone or iPod touch. Additionally, some updates to previously-installed applications are downloaded
- The iPhone or iPod touch is synchronised with iTunes.
Expected Results:
Either:
The newly-downloaded applications and updates are installed on the mobile device; previously-installed applications remain unaffected.
Or:
No applications are synchronised to the mobile device; all applications associated with the currently-deauthorised iTunes account are disabled on the mobile device; all application data is preserved. The user is optionally prompted to authorise the computer.
Or:
No applications are synchronised to the mobile device; existing applications are unaffected.
Actual Results:
The following message is displayed: “Some of the items in the iTunes library were not copied to the iPod “…” because you are not authorized to play them on this computer.”
All applications, except those downloaded after deauthorisation occurred (including updates to previously-installed applications) are removed, including the data associated with those applications.
Applications downloaded after the deauthorisation occurred are correctly installed and function properly.
Notes:
Upon re-authorisation, all of the applications are restored. The data associated with the applications which were (temporarily) removed is lost; this includes account settings and login details, preferences, progress (in the case of games), caches, and other data.
Update
This is partially fixed in iPhone OS 2.1/iTunes 8: if the machine you’re syncing from isn’t authorised, you’ll be prompted to authorise it there and then. The only snag is, if you decline, your applications and their data will still get removed as before.