Back up your scores/goals

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.

Thanks for the info. This cold be REALLY handy.

Nice iNeed iExplorer for iMAME

Cheers big ears

Creature and BK aren't saving my scores, so I thought a reinstall might help. But I followed these instructions and all my save data is gone. Followed them precisely, as far as I can tell.

Do we need to copy over the entire "Private Documents" folder, or only the pba.dat file? Could I have copied it incorrectly? I backed up the folder, so hopefully this is recoverable...

Just copy over any of the pba.dat files (there are multiples now). You copied them back into the new install of the game, correct?

This worked great for me, but I had to copy all of the files in Private Documents in order for everything to transfer back to the game.

Finally had time to mess around with this some more...

It's true, restoring the other pba.dat files (named with a series of letters and numbers) made the difference. I had only copied the main/original file, assuming the others had reason to be ignored.

Of course, none of this helped. Guess I have to wait for updates on Creature and BK.

If anyone has any trouble with iExplorer like i did, or just doesn't like it for any reason i highly recommend iFunbox which is also free and much easier to use and better organized.
I'm glad i found it. It makes things so much easier, for me anyway.

I just used it to back up my scores.

I backed up all the pba.dat files in the private documents folder, deleted TPA, re-installed and copied all the pba.dat files back (multiple ones since the game center update), and all my scores and goals were gone.

This method used to work fine when there was only one pba.dat, but not so much now I'm just glad I had only got wizard goals on BOP

DopedToInfinity said:

I backed up all the pba.dat files in the private documents folder, deleted TPA, re-installed and copied all the pba.dat files back (multiple ones since the game center update), and all my scores and goals were gone.

This method used to work fine when there was only one pba.dat, but not so much now I'm just glad I had only got wizard goals on BOP

Click to expand...

I just did the same thing and have all my scores, but my achievements i just realized seem to be gone.

They should just have the hi scores etc backed up in the cloud. It's not like this would be much to ask, if you lose your scores then just select restore and bang it's all back.

Dumpstar said:

They should just have the hi scores etc backed up in the cloud. It's not like this would be much to ask, if you lose your scores then just select restore and bang it's all back.

Click to expand...

I second this request, it would make things a lot easier.

I'm planning to erase and reinstall TPA once the September (October?) update hits because the app behaves worse and worse - it constantly forgets my high scores, deletes my goals, the camera often doesn't leave plunger view, it never remembers the last viewed table and always defaults to CFTBL, tables are completely reset to the table description screen, …

Should I even bother to back up my high scores/goals or is it likely that those .dat files ARE the problem and are corrupted/have syntax errors/etc? Losing my scores and goals would suck but I'd sacrifice them if it meant a bug free experience.

(iPhone 4S, iOs 6, Pinball Arcade version 1.1.6)

I'd suggest you back them up, then you can choose to use them or not when you reinstall.

In latest iOS version 1.1.8 there is an option to back up the scores in the options menu.
It doesn't do anything at the moment, but I suppose it backs up to their server?

Edit: I just noticed the "Back up save games" option is only available in landscape mode, not in portait mode. *sigh*

okurka said:

In latest iOS version 1.1.8 there is an option to back up the scores in the options menu.
It doesn't do anything at the moment, but I suppose it backs up to their server?

Edit: I just noticed the "Back up save games" option is only available in landscape mode, not in portait mode. *sigh*

Click to expand...

It's "backup save data" atleast on 1.1.9. I pressed it and something happened and it disappeared from the menu.. Anyways online leaderboards are now somehow messed up after latest updates. For example in ToM my 3rd highscore is online, not 1st. Before 1.1.8 update my 1st highscore was online. And on Funhouse there's none scores online, even I have bought the table.

okurka said:

Edit: I just noticed the "Back up save games" option is only available in landscape mode, not in portait mode. *sigh*

Click to expand...

It's there in portrait, you just have to scroll down.

I'm not sure what it does either, as there's no indication anything was saved. It would be nice if a confirmation dialog popped up. I went into my iCloud settings, and I don't have any Pinball Arcade saved data there, so I'm not sure it's even saving anything right now.

I've confirmed that this does indeed work, provided you backup/restore all of the pba*.* files.

You can also copy your scores from one iOS device (ex: iPhone) to another (ex: iPad) and have the same scores on all your devices. However, I don't think the scores have any way of syncing between the devices though so you'll have to do this manually, when/if you remember.

Also note that the scores that are backed up in this way are local to the device (as far as I've seen). If you've never played logged in to the game (I didn't for quite awhile), the device's backed up/restored scores will only apply to the device if you are logged out. When you log in, your local scores will not display on the table's high score list.

Gord Lacey said:

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!

Click to expand...

I just transferred my old iPad to a new iPad and would like my high scores and goals restored. I copied the pba.dat file onto my desktop but do not understand the next steps,

What does "copy any file that starts with pba" mean? Am I supposed to connect the new iPad to iExplorer and drag and drop the old file?

Sorry but it seems to be a step missing here or clarification as to what device is connected. I am not a techie just a guy that likes to play games.

Thanks