IPad – Document upload/sync with iTunes 11

In researching solutions, I found this discussion at apple.com in which somebody suggests "damaging" the iTunes library. This lead to a very useful post which discusses how iTunes uses the data it has to recreate what it doesn't have and gives instructions on how to damage (without deleting) the file -- spoiler: erase the data, leave the file.

Fortunately, I had backed up the iTunes files before I recreated the iTunes library.

I copied my backed up files back into the iTunes directory and launched iTunes and rebuilt what it needed to. There were no apps listed in the Apps display though.

When I connected my iPad, iTunes didn't complain about this being an unknown device. As it started to sync, it prompted my to transfer purchases (i.e. the apps on my iPad which didn't show in iTunes) -- but with no hint of having to erase anything. The sync took longer than normal, but everything is there and I can even find the songs which were originally hidden.

iPad is fine, will sync my wife's iPhone tonight.

1. When the device is connected to your computer, select it under Devices in the iTunes sidebar, choose "Apps" and enable/disable any apps that you (don't) want to sync. There's also an option "Automatically sync new apps" that you may want to disable if you don't want to sync new apps automatically.

2. You need to deauthorize the machine before doing that (in iTunes: Store > Deauthorize this Computer...). If you've already used up your five computer limit, you can also deauthorize all computers at once: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1420

3. iOS 5 is still in beta and under NDA, so I can't answer that question in detail. But from what Apple said in the (public) keynote: devices will be able to sync wirelessly and sync to iCloud without any computer attached to them.