iTunes backup to ReadyNAS How-To Guide for Windows

iTunes for Windows creates backups for iPhones and other Apple devices in the following Windows folder:

"%APPDATA%\Apple Computer\MobileSync"

where %APPDATA is a Windows Environment setting.  To examine what this resolves to on your computer, open a command prompt "Start Menu -> Run -> Command" and type in "dir %APPDATA%" and the following will be returned to you (assuming your Windows user name is "Dad"):

C:\Users\Dad>dir %APPDATA%
 Volume in drive C is HP
 Volume Serial Number is xxxx-xxxxx

 Directory of C:\Users\Dad\AppData\Roaming

This means that Windows is pointing to "C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Roaming".  NOTE: The actual path will vary with different versions of Windows.  I am backing up an ancient Windows Vista machine now before trashing it, so that is my path.

In order to tell iTunes to backup to your ReadyNAS, you have to trick iTunes into believing the NAS is actually a local hard disk location.  This is done by setting up a symbolic link or junction in Windows.

To do this, follow these steps:

1) determine where your "APPDATA" path is using the instructions above.

2) attach your NAS to Windows as though it were a network drive.  To do this, use the "net use" command in a command prompt window.

  a)  Open a command prompt window with special adminstrative rights.  "Start->Run->type "Command"->right-click on "command prompt" and select "Run as Adminstrator".  This will open a black screen with special rights, and a "c prompt" (C:\>)

my ancient Windows Vista command prompt (yours will be similar but much newer):

3) type the following command:

    net use Z:\ "\\<readynas name or IP address>\data" /user:admin "type the admin password here in quotes" /PERSISTENT:YES

This will make your Z drive the ReadyNAS box.  The "/PERSISTENT:YES" part at the end means the drive will show up every time you log in and have full admin rights to the NAS.  If you leave that off, it will only be attached when you run the "net use" command and will go away when you reboot.

4) Create a folder on your ReadyNAS to save the iTunes backup.  I created "RawBackups\iTunes\<windows user>" for each of my users

Note: The instructions that follow should probably be done after logging in as the user you are setting up.  For example, if you are the PC admin, but your child backs up their iPhone under their login name, log out and log back in under the child's login.  When you open the command prompt with "Run as Administrator" rights, you'll be able to complete the following steps.  Logging in under the child will increase the likelyhood that any rights Windows automatically sets are correct (but each version of Windows is a little different here).

5) In Windows Explorer, navigate to "C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Roaming" and rename the folder ""C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Roamingxxx" or something so it still exists but iTunes won't point to it.  (Be sure you do not have iTunes running!)

6) in the Command Prompt, create an operating system link to your ReadyNAS to replace the above folder:

    mklink /d "C:\Users\<windows user>\AppData\Roaming\Apple Computer\MobileSync" "Z:\RawBackups\iTunes\<windows user>\MobileSync"

You will see the following if this is successful:

"symbolic link created for C:\Users\<windows user>\AppData\Roaming\Apple Computer\MobileSync <<===>> Z:\RawBackups\iTunes\<windows user>\MobileSync

If you're lucky ;) your PC will be telling iTunes that the ReadyNAS backup location is located on your local hard disk in the place it wants to look.  Then go through the normal iTunes backup for your iPhone, iPad, etc.

Good luck!

Note: to examine which symbolic directory links exist before or after this procedure, run this in a command prompt:

1) type "cd c:\" then "enter".  This will move you to the root C drive

2) type

dir /al /s | findstr "<SYMLINKD>"

 and hit enter.  This should show that you have redirected the MobileSync directory to the NAS device.