How to Restore iPhone from Backup when iTunes Backup is Corrupt or not compatible

Summary: Are you receiving the error, ‘iTunes backup was corrupt or not compatible’ while trying to restore iPhone? iPhone recovery is not possible from a corrupt backup file. This post shares how you can resolve corrupt iTunes backup file issue and restore iPhone’s lost data.

‘I dropped my iPhone and broke it. I got it repaired and formatted to factory settings to fix the various issues caused due to the fall. Since I had a backup in iTunes, so was not worried about my data. But had least idea that my iTunes backup file was corrupted! As I tried to restore iPhone from iTunes, a message appeared –: ‘iTunes backup was corrupt or Not compatible.’ Now I don’t know how to restore my iPhone. Please help.’ –  Simon, UK

It’s not new when users get bowled over by iTunes when trying to restore their iPhone. iTunes sometimes shows a message that it could not restore iPhone because the backup was corrupt or not compatible with the iPhone that was being restored.

It may be because iTunes does incremental backup by updating the previous backup. It’s possible that some old backup data was corrupt, which results in the error message.

Whatsoever, it’s a fact that there’s no recovery possible from a corrupt backup file.

So how to fix such corrupt iPhone backup in iTunes and restore iPhone in such cases?

Here we share the best ways to fix corrupt iTunes backup file and efficient methods to restore iPhone’s lost data.

You can apply these methods on all iPhone models including series of iPhone 15, 14, 13, 12, 11, XS, XS Max, XR, X, 8 Plus, 8, 7 Plus, 7, 6S Plus, 6S, 6 Plus, 6, 5S, 5c, 5, 4S and 4 with latest iOS 16.x.

What you can do to fix ‘iTunes backup was corrupt or Not compatible’

Since you can’t repair or recover from a corrupt or incompatible iTunes backup file, it is best to delete such corrupt files and next try to create a new backup in iTunes.

How to delete your corrupt iPhone backup file in iTunes

1. Launch iTunes on your PC or Mac
2. Windows users click Edit > Preferences (on Windows PC). Mac users click iTunes Menu > Preferences
3. Select Find your iPhone backups
4. Select the corrupt or incompatible backup. Click Delete Backup
5. Close the iTunes Preferences window

How to delete the old iTunes backup files manually

If you don’t see the old backup in iTunes, then delete the backup manually.

1. In iTunes, under Summary click on Serial Number. You will see the iPhone’s UDID. Note it down.
2. Navigate to the iTunes backups folder on your computer.

On Mac follow: Finder > Option> Go menu> Library> Application Support >MobileSync> Backup

On Windows 11/10/8 follow: In Search box type %appdata%\Apple Computer\MobileSync\Backup. Press Enter key

If you installed iTunes from the Microsoft Store, follow: In Search box type %userprofile%\Apple\MobileSync\Backup. Press Enter key.

3. You will see the backup folders named by your device UDID
4. Select the folders with your device UDID and delete them
5. Next go to iTunes and take the backup again

How to backup iPhone in iTunes again

1. Connect your iPhone to computer via lightning cable
2. Launch iTunes
3. Click on Back Up Now The backup process begins.

| Did you get a message — iTunes can’t back up your iPhone because an error occurred? Here’s what you should do…
• Update your iOS to the latest version
• Update your iTunes to the latest version
• Disable antivirus software on your computer
• Now create backup in iTunes

|
| — |

How to restore iPhone when iTunes backup file is corrupt

Method 1: Restore iPhone from iCloud backup

Method 2: Recover from iCloud backup without erasing existing data

Method 3: Restore lost data directly from iPhone/ iPad

Method 1: Recover from iCloud backup

Instead of iTunes, you can restore iPhone by using the alternative backup solution, iCloud.

Steps to restore iPhone with iCloud

• Click to follow Settings > General > Reset> Erase all Contents and Settings

• A dialog box pops up, choose Erase Now
• Follow the instructions until you get on to the Apps & Data screen
• Tap Restore from iCloud Backup

• Sign in to your iCloud account
• Choose the recent backup and click Restore

Method 2: Recover specific files from iCloud without losing existing iPhone data

In case you want to restore specific data from backup, instead of complete backup, use an iPhone recovery software.

Steps to restore specific files from iCloud:

• Download and launch Stellar Data Recovery for iPhone on your computer.

• Select Recover from iCloud Backup on main screen of software.

• Select what you want to recover. Click Next
• Enter the Apple ID and password
• Select the relevant iCloud backup and click Scan

• Select the data in the iCloud backup files list on left and preview

• Click Save
• In the dialog box select computer or iPhone to save the recovered data. To save directly onto your iPhone, connect your iPhone to the computer.

Method 3: Recover data from iPhone

If iTunes could not restore iPhone or iPad because the backup was corrupt and neither iCloud is able to restore backup, recover data from the device directly. You can easily restore lost photos, videos, messages, calendar, voice memos, Safari bookmarks, etc., with this method. It works in cases of broken/ water-damaged iPhone, factory reset, iOS crash etc.

Steps to recover lost data from iPhone/ iPad

• Connect your iPhone to computer
• Launch Stellar Data Recovery for iPhone
• On the home screen select Recover from iPhone

• Select the data you want to restore
• Click Next

• Preview the data and click Save. You can save the recovered data on computer or iPhone

Conclusion

You cannot repair or recover data from corrupt iTunes backup file that gives — ‘iTunes backup was corrupt or Not compatible’ message.

However, the situation can be tackled by deleting the corrupt backup file and creating a fresh new backup in iTunes.

To restore iPhone, you may use either the new iTunes backup or bypass iTunes by using alternative recovery methods. Other than iTunes, iCloud or Stellar Data Recovery for iPhone are the effective ways to restore lost data on your iPhone. Among these too, if you wish to restore specific data like photos, videos, voice memos, or contacts etc., Stellar Data Recovery for iPhone would be the best solution.

How to Recover lost Calendar on iPhone

Summary: This post shares the best methods to recover lost calendar on iPhone. You can apply these methods on iPhone 14/13/12/11/XS/XR/X/SE/8/7 and below. Also, learn how Stellar Data Recovery for iPhone quickly restores Calendar on your iPhone.

The iPhone Calendar is an indispensable utility for keeping up with your loved ones’ birthdays, anniversaries, appointments, meetings, events, holidays, and other day-to-day activities. Even if you’ve switched over to newer variants like iPhone 15, 14, 13, or 12, you don’t want to part with the old iPhone Calendar settings.

Thus, losing your iPhone Calendar due to deletion, formatting, or other reasons can get annoying.

If you are one of those who has lost Calendar app on iPhone and now looking for ways to restore it back…read this post further.

How to restore calendar on iPhone?

Lost or accidentally deleted Calendar can be recovered by Apple’s backup utilities. However, sometimes backups too may not restore Calendar. Then an iPhone data recovery software is the only solution.

Methods to recover deleted/lost Calendar on iPhone

1. Restore from archive of Calendars via iCloud.com
2. Restore with iPhone recovery software
3. Recover from iCloud or iTunes Backup

1. Restore from archive of Calendars via iCloud.com

Apple creates frequent backup for the Calendars and Reminders apps and saves it to iCloud.com as archives. These archives can be used to restore deleted calendars.

Steps: Restore missing iPhone Calendar via iCloud.com:

• Go to iCloud.com in your browser and log into your account. Click Trust when ‘Trust This Computer’ pop-up appears.
• On the main screen, click on nine-dots and select Data Recovery.

• Next, click Restore Calendars.

• You can see the list of Calendars archive. Click Restore option next to the archive that you want to restore.

• Now confirm your choice to retrieve the Calendar archive. Click Restore.

• Wait for some time for the Restore process to complete.

• Once your required Calendar archive is successfully restored, click OK.

The restored calendars appear on all your Apple devices with Calendars turned on in iCloud settings.

Note: These archives will not contain information like calendar invites. You will have to recreate and reissue the invitations.

2. Restore Calendar on iPhone using iPhone data recovery software

A simpler, more effective and convenient way to recover Calendar app is by using a professional iPhone recovery software, such as Stellar Data Recovery for iPhone . Regardless of the reason for loss – deletion, factory reset, or jailbreak etc., the software can restore the app data on your device.

The DIY tool is safe, easy-to-use, and quick to restore. It thoroughly scans the iOS device (iPhone and iPad), iTunes, and iCloud to recover the lost calendar.

 

Unlike Apple’s backup solutions (iTunes and iCloud), the software lets you choose and recover specific files, like Calendar or Reminders. This not only speeds up the recovery process but also saves you from receiving thousands of unwanted files.

Stellar Data Recovery for iPhone is also the way out when you don’t have Calendar archives in iCloud.com and unable to retrieve data from iTunes and iCloud.

Steps: Recover deleted/lost Calendar from iPhone

• Download, install and launch Stellar Data Recovery for iPhone on computer.

• On the main scree, select Recover from iPhone option and select the type of data you want to recover. Here, choose Calendar and click Next.
• Connect your iPhone to computer and select that device to proceed forward.

• Click on the Trust/Untrust dialog box to enable sync and data transfer between iPhone/iPad and computer.

• If your iPhone is encrypted, enter your password in the dialog box and click OK.

• Once the scanning is completed, you can see the recoverable data and preview them.

• Choose the data you want to restore and click Save to restore them at your desired location.

• location.

3. Restore calendar on iPhone from Apple backups

Another method to recover lost Calendar is through Apple backups – iTunes or iCloud. However, this method will work if you earlier saved the backup of your Calendar app.

Note: Deletes and replaces all your current data, be it apps, messages, photos etc., from iPhone.

How to Restore Calendar on iPhone with iCloud backup?

• Go to Settings > General > Reset > Erase all Contents and Settings.

• On Apps & Data screen, tap Restore from iCloud Backup.

• Sign in to your iCloud account.
• Choose the last backup and Restore.

How to restore Calendar with iTunes backup

• Connect iPhone to PC/Mac.
• Launch iTunes.
• Select your iPhone under the Device list and click Summary.
• Click Restore Backup and select the relevant backup date.

• Click Restore and wait for some time for the process to complete.

Conclusion

Apple has tried to address the users’ data loss issues through multiple backup solutions — iTunes, iCloud, and iCloud.com. However, these native backup-based recovery solutions fall short when the user needs to recover specific data; though, you can easily recover lost Calendar from these backup options, but you end up replacing every existing data on your device!

Stellar Data Recovery for iPhone fills in this gap really well. It not only recovers lost or deleted Calendar in situations of jailbreak, water damage, factory reset, and Black Screen of Death, etc., but also recovers specific data that you want.

 

This feature, along with an exceptionally high data recovery success rate, make the software an essential utility for iPhone users.

FAQ

1.How to bring back the missing Calendar icon on iPhone?

To bring back the missing Calendar icon, you need to re-install it from the App Store. Open App Store, search for the Calendar app and download it again on your iPhone.

2. How to set up Calendar account on iPhone?

Go to the Settings in iPhone > Calendar > Accounts > Add Account.

3. How to add an event on iPhone?

• Open Calendar app and tap + icon in the Day view.
• Enter title, start and end time, invitees, URL, attachment, and so on. Tap Add.

4. How events in Calendar app on iPhone can be viewed?

You can view upcoming events as a list of one day, a week, a month, or a year at a time.

Forgot iPhone Password? – Here are the Best Solutions

Summary: Can’t remember your iPhone password? This post brings the best solutions to fix forgotten password issue and restore your data from the locked iPhone.

Setting up a password on your iPhone is a great way to keep unauthorized access at bay but what if you forget the password? On a positive note, you can still access or restore your iPhone Data and this blog highlights some best solutions for forgotten iPhone password.

Password enabled iPhone ensures that no one can access it without your permission and is a great way to stop prying eyes from accessing your personal data. But what if you itself forget the password? Isn’t that a problematic situation? Obviously, as you cannot unlock your iPhone and access the data. Further, if you enter the wrong password six times, then a message is displayed stating that the iPhone has been disabled.

Figure 1. If you enter the wrong password six times in a row, then a message will be displayed stating that your iPhone has been disabled.

If you’re lucky then you might be able to unlock your iPhone and access the data stored on it else there is a probability that you may end up losing your data in the process of unlocking it.

Forgot iPhone passcode? What to do next?

Alright, I know it’s next to impossible that you will ever forget your passcode but we cannot overlook the fact that, yes there is a chance that you may forget it. The majority of us will say that we use fingerprint identity sensor (Touch ID) and hardly use a numeric passcode. Well, suppose your Touch ID stops working properly and to fix it you need to go to Settings < Touch ID & Passcode < Enter the Passcode.

Wait! What! You need to enter the passcode to get the Touch ID working again and you thought that you’d never need to remember the passcode. If you have a backup of your data, then all you have to do is simply reset your iPhone and restore your data from the backup. Unfortunately, you’ll only restore data that has been backed up and any new data added after that won’t be there. That said, let’s delve into some of the best solutions for forgotten iPhone password.
If you’ve forgotten the password, these options will help you out:

• Erase your iOS device with iTunes to remove the password
• Erase the passcode with iCloud
• Use Recovery mode if you’re unable to connect to either iCloud or iTunes
• Leverage an iPhone data recovery to recover deleted/lost data

Erase your iPhone with iTunes, restore files from it and remove the passcode

If you’ve synced your iPhone with iTunes, you can restore your files from it. Further, this will erase all the data and the passcode. To restore your data and remove the passcode, follow these steps:

i. Connect your iPhone to your computer and launch iTunes
ii. If you’re asked for the passcode, try another computer with which you’ve synced your iPhone, else proceed with either iCloud or Recovery mode
iii. Sync your iPhone with iTunes and make a backup of it
iv. On your iPhone set up the screen, choose Restore from iTunes backup
v. In iTunes select your iPhone and select the relevant backup

This process will restore all your data on iPhone. Now, configure a new passcode and never forget it.

Figure 2 illustrates to erase the data & passcode and to restore your iPhone

Erase the passcode with iCloud

Follow these steps to erase the passcode of your iPhone with iCloud:

i. Go to iCloud.com and sign in with your valid Apple credentials to view the iCloud dashboard.
ii. At the top of the dashboard, select ‘All Devices’ and select your iPhone from the given list
iii. Click on ‘Erase’ to erase the passcode
iv. On the setup screen on your iPhone, choose the restore from a backup option to restore files from the iCloud backup

Important: You can erase your iPhone with Find My iPhone as long as it is connected to a Wi-Fi or cellular network.

Use Recovery mode to erase the passcode

If you’ve never synced your iPhone with iTunes or iCloud, then you need to erase the passcode in the Recovery mode. Follow these steps to erase the passcode:
i. Connect your iPhone to your system and force restart it. Different versions of iPhone have different settings; therefore, follow these settings depending on your iPhone

1. iPhone 8/8 Plus: Press and release the Volume up button and then quickly press and release the Volume down button. Press and hold the Side button until the recovery mode screen appears
2. iPhone 7/7 Plus: Press and keep holding both the Side and Volume down buttons until you see the recovery mode screen
3. iPhone 6S and earlier: Press and keep holding the Home and the Side buttons until the recovery mode screen appears

ii. Finally, after restarting the iPhone, select Restore from the given options

Figure 3 illustrates to restore iPhone via recovery mode

iii. Wait for the process to finish and then restore your files to your iPhone and set up a new passcode

Get more help

If due to any reason you lose your data stored on iPhone during the whole process, then you can utilize an iPhone data recovery software and recover all your lost data. Stellar Data Recovery for iPhone is a robust iPhone data recovery software which efficiently brings back all your lost data. Moreover, the software facilitates three recovery option namely:

 

• Recover from iPhone
• Recover from iTunes Backup
• Recover from iCloud backup

Figure 3 illustrates the home screen of Stellar Data Recovery for iPhone software

At Last

After restoring your iPhone , make sure that you never ever forget the passcode. The key is to create a strong passcode which is easy to remember. Further, if your iPhone gets stuck in recovery mode or due to any reason you’re unable to unlock your device, contact Apple support or visit the nearest service centre.

How to Factory Reset iPhone and iPad Without Apple ID

Summary: This post guides you to the best methods to factory reset the iPhone without the Apple ID and password. It also shares a professional tool — Stellar iPhone Eraser that can help wipe iPhone without using Apple ID.

iPhone factory reset is essential when you want to sell off your old iPhone or troubleshoot the iOS device issues, such as iPhone freeze , iPhone stuck at booting loop, stuck at Apple logo , etc. But what if you have forgotten your Apple ID?

Apple ID is not just required to sign in to iCloud account, App store, etc., but also needed to factory reset iPhone and iPad.

So how to reset iPhone without Apple ID?

Lets’ explore the methods to reset iPhone without Apple ID and password. Also, levarn how you can recover your Apple ID password and then attempt a factory reset on your iPhone or iPad.

Methods to Reset iPhone Without Apple ID Password

You can utilize iPhone Recovery Mode and iTunes on your computer to reset the iOS device without Apple ID. Another easier method to permanently delete everything on iPhone that doesn’t require your Apple ID is by using Stellar iPhone Eraser software.

While you can also choose to reset the forgotten Apple ID and password and then later factory reset the iOS device with the new Apple ID.

1. Use Recovery Mode to reset iPhone without Apple ID
2. Reset iPhone without Apple ID via Stellar iPhone Eraser
3. Recover Apple ID and Password to reset iPhone

Important: As Factory Reset deletes everything on iPhone, always backup your data before reset. If you haven’t and already reset your iOS device, you can download Stellar Data Recovery for iPhone on your computer to restore the lost data due to factory reset.

Method 1: Use Recovery Mode to reset iPhone without Apple ID

You can factory reset iPhone without Apple ID or password by using Recovery Mode. Make sure to have the latest iTunes installed on your already trusted computer.

Steps to reset iPhone without Apple ID using Recovery Mode

Step 1: Update iTunes on your PC/Mac to the latest version.

Step 2: Connect your iPhone/ iPad to the computer via USB cable.

Step 3: Put your iPhone/ iPad to Recovery Mode. Note: The steps will vary with your iPhone/ iPad model.

How to put your iPhone to Recovery Mode

iPhone 8, iPhone X, or later: Press and quickly release the Volume Up button. Press and quickly release the Volume Down button. Then, press and hold the Side button until you see the recovery mode screen.

iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus, and iPod touch: Press and hold the Top (or Side) and Volume Down buttons at the same time. Keep holding them until you see the Recovery Mode screen.

iPhone 6s or earlier, iPad with Home button, and iPod touch: Press and hold both the Home and the Top (or Side) buttons at the same time. Keep holding them until you see the recovery mode screen.

iPad models that don’t have a Home button: Press and quickly release the Volume Up button. Press and quickly release the Volume Down button. Press and hold the Top button until your device begins to restart. Continue holding the Top button until your device goes into Recovery Mode.
Source: Apple support

Step 4:  iTunes detects the DFU mode and alerts you. Click OK in the message box.

Step 5: In iTunes, click Summary.

Step 6: Select Restore iPhone on the right pane.

Figure: Restore iPhone option iTunes

Step 7: Click Restore to confirm.

iTunes factory resets your iPhone without Apple ID. This will delete all your photos, videos, contacts, messages, chats and other data, same as in normal factory reset process using iPhone settings, which requires Apple ID.

Method 2: Reset iPhone without Apple ID via Stellar iPhone Eraser

Stellar iPhone Eraser software is another secure way to permanently erase complete iPhone data when you have forgotten Apple ID and password.  The software wipes iPhone as new without using the Apple ID.

Stellar iPhone Eraser is popularly used to reset iPhone before selling, donating, or exchanging so that no one can gain access to your personal data.

You can permanently delete photos, videos, audio, contacts, messages, passcodes, documents, third-party apps and other data from iPhone.

It sets the iOS device to the original factory settings. The software works with all iPhone variants including series of iPhone 15, 14, 13, 12, 11, XS MAX, XS, XR, X, 8, and below. It supports latest iOS 16 and below versions.

Steps to reset iPhone without Apple ID using software:

Step 1: Download and run Stellar Toolkit for iPhone on PC/Mac.

Step 2: Select Erase Data.

Step 3: On Erase iPhone Data screen, click Next.

Figure: Erase iPhone Data screen

Step 4: Connect your iPhone to the computer when prompted.

Figure: Erase button in software

Step 5: Click Erase.

Step 6: In the Erase Process dialog box, select Yes.

Step 7: In Data Erase Completes dialog box, click OK.

All the data gets erased permanently beyond recovery from your iPhone or iPad.

Method 3: Recover forgotten Apple ID and Password to reset iPhone

Apple ID password is necessary to use iPhone applications and services. So if you are not planning to sell off your iPhone or iPad, it is best to first recover the forgotten Apple ID password and then reset your iOS device using the ‘Erase All Content and Settings’ option in the iPhone Settings.

You can use iPhone Settings, Apple Support app, Find My iPhone, or visit Apple account page  to recover lost Apple ID password.

Click here to know in detail how to reset forgotten Apple ID and password.

Once you recover the Apple account password, follow the below steps to reset iPhone with the new Apple ID.

Reset iPhone with Apple ID password:

1. Go to Settings > General > Reset.
2. Click on Erase All Content and Settings.

Figure: Reset option in iPhone

3. Enter the new Apple password and click Erase iPhone.

Also read: Does factory reset deletes everything on iPhone?

Conclusion

Without the Apple ID and password, you cannot reset your iOS device through the traditional ‘Erase All Content and Settings’ method. Either you recover the forgotten Apple ID and password or use any of the two methods shared above to factory reset the iPhone without Apple ID.

You can put the iPhone to Recovery Mode and use iTunes on your computer to reset the iOS device without Apple ID. Other than this, a simpler way to permanently delete everything on your iPhone is by using Stellar iPhone Eraser software. The software doesn’t ask for Apple ID through the process. It quickly resets your iPhone or iPad and brings it to original settings by erasing complete data on it.