- Feb 19, 2012
- 1,991
- 3
There's been some question as to whether you can back up your save files (in case the app goes wonky and has to be removed). Backing up just the scores and goals is possible, and is actually quite easy to do.
You'll need a copy of iExplorer, a free app available from http://www.macroplant.com/iexplorer/ This allows you to explore the directories of a connected iOS device, such as an iPhone or iPad. Install the app, connect your device, then follow these instructions.
Open your device on iExplorer
Navigate to the "Apps" directory
Find "Pinball Arcade" and open the directory
Open the "Library" directory
Open "Private Documents"
There you'll see "pba.dat" which is the file that stores your scores and goals. Copy this to your computer. Update Copy any file that starts with pba... to your computer. You may have multiple pba files due to an update added after this post was initially made, so copy them all.
Now you can delete the app from your iOS device, reinstall it and follow the steps above, except this time you'll copy the file on your computer back to your device, confirming that you want to replace the file that's already there.
Now you can open the game and all your previous scores and goals will be intact. Woohoo!
Note: I also discovered what I think is a bug while doing this. In the "Private Documents" folder I had multiple copies of some tables - tables that had been updated since I installed the app. It appears the previous table version wasn't removed when the new one was updated, which would result in a bloated app. I've notified FarSight of this discovery. Of course that won't matter if you back up the scores, removed the app and restore, since you won't have any of the previous downloaded tables taking up space, just the latest one.
You'll need a copy of iExplorer, a free app available from http://www.macroplant.com/iexplorer/ This allows you to explore the directories of a connected iOS device, such as an iPhone or iPad. Install the app, connect your device, then follow these instructions.
Open your device on iExplorer
Navigate to the "Apps" directory
Find "Pinball Arcade" and open the directory
Open the "Library" directory
Open "Private Documents"
There you'll see "pba.dat" which is the file that stores your scores and goals. Copy this to your computer. Update Copy any file that starts with pba... to your computer. You may have multiple pba files due to an update added after this post was initially made, so copy them all.
Now you can delete the app from your iOS device, reinstall it and follow the steps above, except this time you'll copy the file on your computer back to your device, confirming that you want to replace the file that's already there.
Now you can open the game and all your previous scores and goals will be intact. Woohoo!
Note: I also discovered what I think is a bug while doing this. In the "Private Documents" folder I had multiple copies of some tables - tables that had been updated since I installed the app. It appears the previous table version wasn't removed when the new one was updated, which would result in a bloated app. I've notified FarSight of this discovery. Of course that won't matter if you back up the scores, removed the app and restore, since you won't have any of the previous downloaded tables taking up space, just the latest one.