Sync apps to desktop for when you reset phone?

[jalb]

I had to reset my phone today, and I was surprised that when I synced, the apps were not synced. I had to try to remember what I had previously installed, and which I had paid for... am I doing this wrong?

 

[jimski]

This is confusing the crap out of me. I have been told by several people that after a hard reset, all of your previously downloaded apps, including those you tried/uninstalled, will be reinstalled on you phone after you sync up with Zune. I have not had the good fortune (that's a pun) of having to hard reset yet but can't imagine having to hunt and peck for the 200 apps I have installed.

Sent from my HTC Surround using Board Express

 

[jalb]

Oddly, one app restored itself. The rest I had to install manually.

 

[dtboos]

Anything you install from the Zune software on your computer will automatically reinstall. The ones you buy through your phone will be tied to your account (as in, you will be able to install purchased apps again for free as it will have a record of your purchase), but it won't install them automatically.

Hopefully app syncing becomes part of the zune sync later on. When you 'update' your phone, it will do a full backup, but thats it for now.

Its tedious, but the zune software on your desktop at least has a record of all your installs, so you can go down through them and reinstall that way.

 

[jimski]

Ok, now I am even more confused. How do you install an app "from the Zune software"? I typically search for apps using Zune on my PC and then buy (free or $$$). Then I find the app using Marketplace on my phone and install it. I have browsed for a handful of apps and purchased directly my phone but most using the first scenario. Since Novermber about 5 apps have installed automatically. All the others (200) I had to pull in. Zune does list everything but no way to print out the list. I do have all my current/deleted apps in a OneNote list though so that's the easy part. But if I have to hunt and peck for 200+ apps someday (didn't have to with WM Marketplace), I will not be a happy camper and will lead me to significantly throttling back my apps. You would think that Microsoft would want to make the reinstall process easy. Having a cloud based device I thought a hard reset scenario would be easier. With my Tilt2 I just installed all the CABs from a folder on my storage card.

Sent from my HTC Surround using Board Express

 

[jalb]

Anything you install from the Zune software on your computer will automatically reinstall. The ones you buy through your phone will be tied to your account (as in, you will be able to install purchased apps again for free as it will have a record of your purchase), but it won't install them automatically.

Hopefully app syncing becomes part of the zune sync later on. When you 'update' your phone, it will do a full backup, but thats it for now.

Its tedious, but the zune software on your desktop at least has a record of all your installs, so you can go down through them and reinstall that way.

That makes sense. The one app that installed itself was the only one I had searched for and installed via Zune.

 

[jalb]

Ok, now I am even more confused. How do you install an app "from the Zune software"? I typically search for apps using Zune on my PC and then buy (free or $$$). Then I find the app using Marketplace on my phone and install it. I have browsed for a handful of apps and purchased directly my phone but most using the first scenario. Since Novermber about 5 apps have installed automatically. All the others (200) I had to pull in. Zune does list everything but no way to print out the list. I do have all my current/deleted apps in a OneNote list though so that's the easy part. But if I have to hunt and peck for 200+ apps someday (didn't have to with WM Marketplace), I will not be a happy camper and will lead me to significantly throttling back my apps. You would think that Microsoft would want to make the reinstall process easy. Having a cloud based device I thought a hard reset scenario would be easier. With my Tilt2 I just installed all the CABs from a folder on my storage card.

Sent from my HTC Surround using Board Express

My marketplace is not behaving right now so i can't do one, but I think I just clicked buy and it said it installed. However, it did not appear on my phone on its own until I synced after doing a reset.

By the way, you have a Surround - does your battery door creak?

 

[Soaked]

Yea, its weird for me. After a reset, it synced some of my apps and apps that I've uninstalled before the reset.

 

[konstrukt]

hi there,
because i am about to reset my windows phone i am worrying some of my data might get lost. my contacts are saved in googlemail as well as my calendars, media is save, but what about my savegames? is there any way to back it up?

i've searched for it (here for example klick) but wasn't able to find a solution. still i do not to give up hope, maybe i just overlooked something. hasn't anything been improved like backup in the cloud, or in zune, or skydrive savegames? didn't microsoft pay attention to what apple developed? i mean apple also have the savegame problem, when restoring iphones as new devices, but at least they have backups at all.

sorry for digging up such an old thread. found none that fits better and did not want to open a new, because there would have been someone yelling "use search function!".

 

[TheWeeBear]

You will lose all your game saves I'm afraid konstruct.

Also SMS messages will also be lost.

You're contacts and app history will be available on windowsphone.com when you sign in using the same Live ID you used to first set up your phone.

You can just reinstall your apps from there if you like.

Your music and photo's and videos should also be backed up with the Zune software.

 

[konstrukt]

well i was prepared for that.

although i have to say, that i don't like it and i do not understand why neither apple nor microsoft change that (give users the chance to save savegames on a computer or in the cloud). technically it shouldn't be such a great task. does anyone have knowledge on how this works on android devices?

 

[mrmprince]

Any idea if apps backup will ever come to Zune?