From the development side, I found that if the version number of an update does not increase, the update will wipe out all data. Not so if the version number is higher. Perhaps that developer just forgot to increase the build #s? I would hope the whole apple clearance process would check for that and save lots of headaches, especially when there is a bottleneck waiting for future fixes to post. Might take a week or more for the immediate quick fix to be live on the app store.

Lastly, this is why apps that store data need conduits of some sort, or ways to get the data off the device and not just rely on the backup of the iPhone itself.

Hmm… It appears I am word challenged today…

I think Apple should STOP spending so much time on how sexy… not START…

Woadan

I think Apple needs to start spending so much time on how sexy they can make their products look, and a lot more time on making them work right.

Woadan

I love the CarbinFin Outliner. I was just about ready to update when I read your blog. THANKS for the warning! The iTunes page for this app says:

NOTE:As with all iPhone application updates, there is a small chance of data loss. Please email all you outlines as OPML before updating – in the unfortunate event that you lose your outlines during update, you will be able to re-import them.

iFeel your iPain.

Outliner (the same program you experienced the data loss with) now offers sync in version 1.2… I haven’t tried the app yet, but it looks interesting…

I experience the same data loss with a ToDo app, but fortunately the app syncs with Remember the Milk, so no problems :)

Wow Steve… my first honorary doctorate of mobile tech. Way cool! ;)

I agree with all of you. Since my iPhone is backed up each time I sync it with iTunes I never thought about the fact that Outliner data was stored internally with the program. There’s no way to do a selective restore so I can only roll back the entire iPhone to recover it. I’m looking for a cloud solution for simple outlining on the iPhone now. Any suggestions?

This is why I follow Dr. Tofel’s advice in using cloud apps. I use iPhone apps that sync with the cloud or offer email out. For example, I use WriteRoom but I always email myself a copy when I am done using it or have it create a draft that I store in GMail IMAP. This way, when my phone gets hosed, I have everything I care about. My phone got hosed last night and I had to reformat it but all of the important stuff (except game high scores) were in the cloud.

steve

I thought that every time you connect with iTunes it backed up your data (at least that’s what mine seams to do). If so, I would think that you could at least roll back to the last backup. Even if you lost the latest updates to apps, you would at least have your outlines back.

I’m thinking that this may be one reason that a lot businesses don’t want to use the IPhone. Just imagine a lot of mission critical information lost on a an upgrade. Wait, you don’t have to imagine do you? Not good.

It just works . . . except when it doesn’t.

I’ve had the same experience of lost data with each update of two programs I use (Gashog and Total Fitness). Backups don’t help-there’s no way to restore data. Hope they fix this soon.

I feel your pain. May worth trying to contact carbonfin and see if they have any suggestion. In the mean time, why don’t you patent “isick”?

First, my condoloences. Next, tough love — if you are using your device for important work, you should be backing up! iPhone, laptop, desktop, whatever – back ‘em up, Cowboy!

(I have no idea where that last part came from!)

D.

Ouch! Do your files get backed up by iTunes and if so can they be recovered?