You can make a difference in the Apple Support Community!

When you sign up with your Apple Account, you can provide valuable feedback to other community members by upvoting helpful replies and User Tips.

Looks like no one’s replied in a while. To start the conversation again, simply ask a new question.

Old disabled iPad

I have an old iPad that is disabled and I want the photos on it to stay in there but when I connect the iPad on my MacBook, it says that I have to restore it and I don’t want to lose all the photos on it. It is also a iPad Gen 2

Posted on Aug 25, 2022 1:41 PM

Reply
2 replies

Aug 25, 2022 3:12 PM in response to Giyasi

If your iPad is disabled, any locally stored data is now beyond reach. Restoring the iPad will unavoidably erase all data from the iPad.


Unless you have an existing backup of your data and photos, they have been lost.


An iPad passcode cannot be recovered, reset or modified from another device.


If your iPad is disabled, you have no alternative other than to follow this process:

If you’ve forgotten the passcode on your iPad, or your iPad is disabled – Apple Support


You’ll need access to either a PC (with iTunes installed) or a Mac (with iTunes or Finder - as appropriate for the installed version of MacOS).

Download and use iTunes for Windows – Apple Support

Update to the latest version of iTunes – Apple Support


Use of a PC or Mac is unavoidable. If you don’t have access to a suitable computer of your own, that of a helpful friend or family member will suffice. Alternatively, the technicians at the Genius Bar of your local Apple Store will be delighted to assist.


You may also need your AppleID and associated password. If these have also been forgotten, they can be recovered here:

https://iforgot.apple.com


To recover your credentials, you’ll need access to one of the following:

  • Your primary email address mailbox that corresponds with your AppleID
  • Any of the secondary/recovery email addresses that should be configured for your AppleID account
  • Any of the trusted telephone numbers (fixed line or Cellular/Mobile) that are associated with your AppleID


Unless you AppleID account has not been fully/correctly configured, or has been seriously neglected, recovery of the AppleID and password should not be difficult.


More information about recovery of your AppleID:

If you forgot your Apple ID - Apple Support


More information about recovery of your AppleID password:

If you forgot your Apple ID password - Apple Support


When you recover access to your credentials, you would be well advised to log-in to your AppleID account from a web browser - and verify/update any email addresses and trusted telephone numbers:

https://appleid.apple.com

Aug 25, 2022 4:28 PM in response to Giyasi

Once it is disabled, the data is not retrievable any longer. The one, and the only way to reset a disabled device requires erasing it by restoring it. That is a deliberate design feature of iOS and iPadOS in order to ensure that no one can gain access to a device, with intact data, if they did not know the screen lock passcode.


Your data is gone and cannot be recovered now.

Old disabled iPad

Welcome to Apple Support Community
A forum where Apple customers help each other with their products. Get started with your Apple Account.