Hopeless Geek

Oh God, I hate this thing. I hate it. I hate it. I hate it.

Here’s the current method for adding an application to the iPhone:

1. Download an app from iTunes.
2. Connect iPhone.
3. Wait for backup. Wait for sync.
4. Disconnect iPhone.
5. Use application for a while.
6. Connect iPhone.
7. Wait for backup.
8. Wait for backup.
9. Wait for backup.
10. Wait for backup.
11. Wait for backup.
12. Wait for backup.
13. Wait for backup.

It doesn’t seem to be one application, either. At some point I’m going to add an application that completely destroys the backup process. In order to determine which one it is, I have to uncheck applications in iTunes like they’re extensions. This wouldn’t be so bad if not for one problem…

iTunes deletes the application’s data when I do this.

So, even for apps that aren’t hosed, I have to hose them in order to find the app that’s hosed and remove it. In fact, after each round of removals I have to disconnect and reconnect the iPhone to see if the issue’s resolved.

1. Connect iPhone.
2. Note excessively long backup time (greater than 10 min)
3. Cancel backup.
4. Remove some apps.
5. Sync.
6. Disconnect.
7. Return to #1 until #2 doesn’t happen.

This is … fucking broken. I cannot believe this is something Apple is inflicting upon the world. It’s just … broken. Fucking broken.

To make matters worse, I know this is an Apple bug! If I don’t have applications on the phone whose data I care about and I uncheck all the applications, inevitably there will be one application that iTunes can’t remove! Then I have to go into the iPhone’s main menu and manually delete it. After that, sync and backup work properly.

So the goal of all of the above? Find that one app that iTunes can’t touch and remove it. Then backup works fine. It’s a different application each time, and it doesn’t matter if it was synced from iTunes or downloaded on the phone. In fact, it isn’t always an app that’s been recently added; twice now it’s been an app that’s sat there all along and may not have even been launched since the last troubleshooting session.

Of course, full resets without restoring from backup don’t solve the problem and it’s on a new phone, so AppleCare won’t care.

Fucking. Broken.

And I get to code for it. Brilliant.