Downgrading iPhone Applications

Recently, Ilium Software; the developers of the popular eWallet software submitted an update to Apple’s App Store for that particular application. This update was subsequently released earlier (Thursday, Nov. 26 to be exact) than the expected Tuesday, Dec. 1st release date which was to coincide with the release of eWallet 7 for all the mobile platforms they create for. More importantly though, it was meant to be released  simultaneously with the eWallet desktop client ver. 7 because the new version is not backwards compatible with their last release eWallet v6.1.3.

Now, many iPhone owners who upgraded to the new eWallet 7 are complaining how it no longer syncs with the desktop. Well, unfortunately Ilium Software had a planned release date which didn’t quite work out right but they did not fail to put a notice in the description of the new update warning customers that you will need to update both applications in order to sync. While I understand that people want to sync their information now I do not have much sympathy for those who just blindly update software without reading the description. I feel this is a rather important part of keeping your information safe since in this case your information will now be “trapped” on your iPhone until Tuesday, Dec. 1. and you can’t save/backup that data to your PC. Fortunately, every version of an iPhone application you download is backed up and saved to your PC and not simply discarded and erased with each new application update. So, if you updated eWallet to version 7 and you really need sync capability now then there is a way to downgrade. Mind you this is pending you haven’t altered your PCs files in any way that required you to start everything from over from scratch, deleting all your old files.

1. Open Explorer and navigate to “C:\Users\<user name>\Music\iTunes\Mobile Applications”.
2. Scroll down to the eWallet1.ipa file and delete it. (This should leave former users of eWallet v6.1.3 with the old file (eWallet.ipa) still in tact)
3. Open iTunes if it’s not open already and delete eWallet from your application library.
4. From “C:\Users\<user name>\Music\iTunes\Mobile Applications” drag and drop the now remaining eWallet.ipa into iTunes.
5. Any data in the iPhone eWallet application not currently synced with the desktop should be manually entered into the desktop client.
6. Delete the eWallet application from the iPhone (all saved data will be lost).
7. Reinstall eWallet v6.1.3 by re-syncing the iPhone with iTunes.
8. Connect  the iPhone to the PC via WiFi and sync your eWallet data.

Now you can continue to sync eWallet with your PC until Tue. Dec. 1; at which point you MUST upgrade BOTH the iPhone and desktop versions in order to continue syncing. Until then eWallet 7 for the iPhone with continue to show up as a pending upgrade. Don’t randomly hit the “Update All” button unless you wish to lose sync capabilities again. Read descriptions of  new updates before upgrading software so you know what your getting into and avoid possible pitfalls such as this in the future.

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