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I once downloaded an app named "aFuel" from the German app store, but I don't have it anymore because over time I removed it from my phone and eventually reinstalled Windows. The app is no longer available (source).

How can I get this app back? (Or any app for that matter!)

I might have a PC backup that contains the downloaded app, but I don't know what to look for. If you can point me to a likely location on disk then I can look through my backups for any relevant files.

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1 Answer

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If you were running Windows 7 before the reinstall, look for the following folders:

\username\My Music\iTunes\Mobile Applications
\username\My Music\iTunes\iTunes Music\Mobile Applications

If you were running Windows Vista before the reinstall, you should look for:

\username\Music\iTunes\Mobile Applications
\username\Music\iTunes\iTunes Music\Mobile Applications

If you were running Windows XP before reinstalling, look for:

\Documents and Settings\username\My Documents\My Music\iTunes\Mobile Applications
\Documents and Settings\username\My Documents\My Music\iTunes\iTunes Music\Mobile Applications

These are the default locations for your apps. If you had changed the location of your iTunes folder in your iTunes preferences, you could search your backup copy for a folder called "Mobile Applications" or for the app's name.

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Wow, very detailed!! I was using WinXP and found the app in the location you suggested. I then copied it into the "Mobile Applications" directory in my current Win7 installation, but I don't see the app in iTunes. What do I still need to do? – Torben Gundtofte-Bruun Nov 7 '10 at 14:46
Nevermind, I found it. I had iTunes running while I copied the file, and couldn't find the app after restarting iTunes. But another iTunes restart seems to have worked; perhaps I was just too impatient. It's installed on my iPhone now -- THANK YOU! – Torben Gundtofte-Bruun Nov 7 '10 at 14:57
Cheers! Oh and standard procedure for importing an app from its file into iTunes would be to open the .ipa file with iTunes, or to select File > Add File to Library and select the .ipa file. – sentinel Nov 7 '10 at 15:39
Standard procedure? :-) I just right-clicked the file in Windows Explorer and selected open. Maybe that's what made the difference before the second restart. – Torben Gundtofte-Bruun Nov 7 '10 at 20:59
Right, that's what I meant with opening it with iTunes :) You can't just copy the file to your current "Mobile Applications" folder as its info must be registered in your iTunes Library data file. – sentinel Nov 7 '10 at 21:12
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