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I am trying to write a procedure on how to restore a backup to a cart of ipads so they are all uniform and have password & server information saved (needed for the Kindergartners & 1st grade). This is what worked for me. We don't have an MDM but we are being forced to use AC2 anyway and it's been quite painful. I hope this works for you. It was a week of little sleep and many hours on the phone with various Apple techs. Procedure to push an image to selected devices using Apple Configurator 2.0: Select a supervised device that you configure exactly how you want it. If you want to restore the passwords on all devices, the backup must be encrypted. Actions->Advanced->Enable Encrypted Backups [*]Create backup I think I found a trick but I don't know if it is lacking in any areas. I used AC1 to set up an iPad and configured it the way I wanted (on another account on the same machine). Go through all setup screens. I shut down AC1 & opened AC2. I tweaked a few things (added encrypted backup, some new settings, etc.) and created a backup. After I restored the backup to another device, & prepared it, I didn't have ANY setup to do on the iPads. (not even a Hello screen). It popped up on the home screen as it was finishing up installing the apps. [*]Create 3 separate blueprints: "Restore from Backup", "Prepare", "Restrictive Profiles" [*]Create blueprint to restore from backup ONLY (do not add apps, profiles or device/wall paper changes to this blueprint) Target -> iPad Actions->Restore from Backup... Select the iPad backup, enter password when prompted (if encrypted). [*]Create blueprint to prepare devices Actions->Prepare... Configuration: Manual Do not enroll in MDM Check both Supervise devices & Allow to pair w/other computers Organization name Don't show any of these steps [*]Actions->Modify->Device Name... [*]Actions->Modify->Wallpapers... [*]Apps Section No apps will be restored from the backup, but it does restore app placement, folders & data once you've re-installed the apps. Add all the apps to this section that are contained in the backup (or others) [*]Profiles Section No profiles contained in the backup will be restored. Do not add any restrictive profiles to this blueprint (i.e. has "Restrictions" as a payload. I have not tested all possible payloads so there may be others). Add to this section all of the profiles you would like on your devices. [*]Create blueprint for restrictive profiles. [*]Attach iPads that have been erased and are unactivated. It is faster to do this on the iPad itself as opposed to using AC2 to do it. [*]Select all the iPads you would like to setup. [*]Apply Blueprints->Restore from Backup [*]VERY IMPORTANT: Do not look at the iPads to see if the backup worked. Go right to prepare. [*]Apply Blueprints->Prepare If the original iPad that was used to make the backup is also being prepared, you will get an error message "Could not perform… already been prepared." This happens because if a backup is being placed back on the original device (it tracks the UDID) then it will be automatically prepared & supervised upon backup restore so the second step is not needed. The rest of the "prepare" blueprint actions (apps, device name, profiles…) will have to be added manually (or create a separate blueprint for all of these options). Results: If you set it up to skip the opening screens, the most you should have to scroll through is: Hello, WiFi, Location Services, Get Started Device is Supervised Apps installed App data & passwords restored (if backup was encrypted) App placement restored Folders restored Profiles added Device & Wallpaper name changed [*]Apply Blueprints->Restrictive Profile

Maybe I can help. AC2 was completely redesigned and was meant to be used mainly for device enrollment into an MDM solution. Unfortunately they did not carry forward some critical features from AC1 that I need to use it as a stand-alone product. 1. Normally apps are tied to an Apple ID. With the new VPP managed distribution & ios 9, the apps are assigned to a device. If you get an error when trying to install an app using AC2 that was purchased with the new VPP model, it could mean that the app is not device-based assignable. The ONLY solution is to contact the developer and ask them to please check a box that allows the app to be assigned to devices and not just Apple IDs. 2. Apps are no longer on your hard drive. Yes, they really are re-downloaded every time. You could set up a caching server to help with this. When you restore a backup on an ipad, the apps are not restored. If you look in the apps section of the ipad in AC2 after a backup restore, you will see icons of all the apps that have an assigned VPP code for that device. They aren't really on the device. You can tell this by the little "VPP" blue triangle in the top right corner (I call them ghost apps). If you double click on those app icons, it will redownload & install those apps. That is not feasible for a lot of apps on a lot of ipads. I don't have any great solutions, but the best one I can think of is to put the Restore from Backup in a blueprint and add all of the apps [you thought were] contained in the backup to the Apps section of the blueprint so it will do it all at once. If that doesn't make sense, let me know. I've gotten very little sleep this week trying to figure all of this out.