SyncServer keeps crashing, after updates last night.

Question

Level 2

165 points

SyncServer keeps crashing, after updates last night.

Hello!

I installed the updates that appeared in Software update tonight - the Security Update 2008-002, the time machine and airport update, and safari 3.1. Today, I keep getting a popup that says:

"The application SyncServer has crashed." and asks "Ignore, report, restart"

Since SyncServer restarts automatically if its quit (like Finder will), it restarts itself. A couple hours later, it will once again crash. I know Sync Server is used to sync .Mac, but doesn't it have other purposes?

Either way, it seems crash whenever .Mac Sync runs, although I can't be sure that it's the only cause.

Here's what the "console messages" log says about a previous crash earlier in the day:

3/20/08 3:39:28 PM dotmacsyncclient[288] exception while performing selector clientWithId:wantsToBeginSyncPlanRightNow: on server: NSInvalidSendPortException [NSMachPort sendBeforeDate:] destination port invalid

Here's what happened when I told it to sync:
3/20/08 4:39:21 PM com.apple.launchd[97] ([0x0-0x57057].dotmacsyncclient[492]) Exited with exit code: 1
3/20/08 4:54:44 PM dotmacsyncclient[319] exception while performing selector clientWithId:wantsToBeginSyncPlanRightNow: on server: NSInvalidSendPortException [NSMachPort sendBeforeDate:] destination port invalid
3/20/08 4:54:21 PM com.apple.launchd[97] ([0x0-0x58058].dotmacsyncclient[496]) Exited with exit code: 1
3/20/08 4:54:44 PM com.apple.launchd[97] ([0x0-0x47047].dotmacsyncclient[319]) Exited with exit code: 114
3/20/08 5:01:24 PM com.apple.launchd[97] (com.apple.syncservices.SyncServer[497]) Exited abnormally: Bus error
3/20/08 5:01:25 PM SystemUIServer[114] exception while performing selector syncPlanWithIdentifier: on server: NSInvalidReceivePortException connection went invalid while waiting for a reply

The crash reporter said:

Process: SyncServer [497]
Path: /System/Library/Frameworks/SyncServices.framework/Versions/Current/Resources/Sy ncServer.app/Contents/MacOS/SyncServer
Identifier: SyncServer
Version: ??? (???)
Code Type: X86 (Native)
Parent Process: launchd [97]

Date/Time: 2008-03-20 17:01:22.685 -0500
OS Version: Mac OS X 10.5.2 (9C7010)
Report Version: 6

Exception Type: EXC BADACCESS (SIGBUS)
Exception Codes: KERN PROTECTIONFAILURE at 0x000000000000070b
Crashed Thread: 0

Thread 0 Crashed:
0 libobjc.A.dylib 0x96afb6e8 objc_msgSend + 24
1 com.apple.CoreFoundation 0x94336daa _CFStringAppendFormatAndArgumentsAux + 2874
2 com.apple.CoreFoundation 0x94338528 _CFStringCreateWithFormatAndArgumentsAux + 120
3 com.apple.CoreFoundation 0x9436e9c5 _CFLogvEx + 85
4 com.apple.Foundation 0x9341b39e NSLogv + 174
5 com.apple.Foundation 0x9347a5eb NSLog + 27
6 com.apple.syncserver 0x0002d4be 0x1000 + 181438
7 com.apple.syncserver 0x0002d748 0x1000 + 182088
8 com.apple.syncserver 0x000322fd 0x1000 + 201469
9 com.apple.syncserver 0x0002e9d8 0x1000 + 186840
10 com.apple.syncserver 0x0002eb31 0x1000 + 187185
11 com.apple.Foundation 0x933fe15c __NSThreadPerformPerform + 476
12 com.apple.CoreFoundation 0x9431162e CFRunLoopRunSpecific + 3166
13 com.apple.CoreFoundation 0x94311d18 CFRunLoopRunInMode + 88
14 com.apple.Foundation 0x93431b15 -[NSRunLoop(NSRunLoop) runMode:beforeDate:] + 213
15 com.apple.Foundation 0x9343dc34 -[NSRunLoop(NSRunLoop) run] + 84
16 com.apple.syncserver 0x00003d1d 0x1000 + 11549
17 com.apple.syncserver 0x00002366 0x1000 + 4966

Thread 1:
0 libSystem.B.dylib 0x92e3fb3a select$DARWIN_EXTSN + 10
1 libSystem.B.dylib 0x92e20c55 pthreadstart + 321
2 libSystem.B.dylib 0x92e20b12 thread_start + 34

Thread 2:
0 libSystem.B.dylib 0x92e204c6 kevent + 10
1 libSystem.B.dylib 0x92e20c55 pthreadstart + 321
2 libSystem.B.dylib 0x92e20b12 thread_start + 34

Thread 0 crashed with X86 Thread State (32-bit):
eax: 0x00119410 ebx: 0x9340211e ecx: 0x96b941c4 edx: 0x000006eb
edi: 0x00000000 esi: 0x00119410 ebp: 0xbfffd7f8 esp: 0xbfffd7c8
ss: 0x0000001f efl: 0x00010202 eip: 0x96afb6e8 cs: 0x00000017
ds: 0x0000001f es: 0x0000001f fs: 0x00000000 gs: 0x00000037
cr2: 0x0000070b

Binary Images:
(...)

I'm not sure what to make of this. It didn't happen before the updates last night, so I'm assuming whatever happened is related. Any ideas on how to fix it?

15" 2.2ghz MPB, 15" 1.67 PB G4, 400 mhz AGP Sawtooth G4 (Tiger/Panther/9.2.2), Mac OS X (10.5.2), 4G and 5G iPods, 2G shuffle, 400 and 500 mhz iMac G3s, Powerbook 5300cs

Posted on Mar 20, 2008 3:09 PM

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Answer 1

joebiggs

Level 1

45 points

Mar 20, 2008 4:29 PM in response to Daniel W

same thing with me. everytime i open my mail up i get the message.

Reply

Answer 2

Sandylp

Level 3

665 points

Mar 20, 2008 6:53 PM in response to joebiggs

Yes, I got the SynServer error message, too, whenever I accessed Mail. I researched this forum, MacRumors and Google and couldn't find a solution, so I used SuperDuper to copy my backup to my hard drive. I'll wait awhile before I update again. I'm hoping that Apple will release another "update" to correct the bugs in this one.

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Answer 3

Mar 20, 2008 7:33 PM in response to Daniel W

I'm getting the same error as well. I keep reporting it to Apple in the hopes that enough bug reports will annoy them enough to fix the issue.

Reply

Answer 4

joebiggs

Level 1

45 points

Mar 20, 2008 9:39 PM in response to Sandylp

exactly what i did too

Reply

Answer 5

Mar 21, 2008 7:07 AM in response to Daniel W

Same here, everytime I sync my iPhone.

Reply

Answer 6

Tricone

Level 1

4 points

Mar 21, 2008 10:33 AM in response to Nate Kinzie

Me, too, whenever I open Apple Mail. I have elected to "Report" the problem to Apple as much as possible, hoping that they'd release an update that "fixes" the error. No such luck so far.

Reply

Answer 7

Caledai

Level 1

25 points

Mar 22, 2008 7:17 PM in response to Daniel W

Have this occurring as well since those updates.

Have change sync to manual rather then automatically synchronising with my .Mac,
Mail launches ok without the error, and Backup connects to my .Mac and uploads my settings ok.

Reply

Answer 8

Tunbers

Level 1

6 points

Mar 23, 2008 1:02 AM in response to Daniel W

My iBook has Syncserver crashing about every hour - I assume when my .Mac sync runs. No particular issues with Mail or other apps.

Like others I am sending every report to Apple so they issue an update quickly.

Reply

Answer 9

Mar 23, 2008 9:49 AM in response to Tunbers

Me too,

Every time mail tries to send & receive and every time I try to sync my iPhone.

Its getting REALLY annoying now, oh well...just keep on hitting report guys 🙂

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Answer 10

Tricone

Level 1

4 points

Mar 23, 2008 9:57 AM in response to David A. Hill

A gentleman posted the following "fix" in another discussion forum. I tried it, and I no longer receive the SyncServer error message when I open Apple Mail! The following "commands" are entered in Terminal:

"It looks to me like the SafariSyncClient.app got moved in Safari 3.1 and not re-registered with the SyncServer. Try this:

Using Terminal, type:

*/Applications/Safari.app/Contents/SafariSyncClient.app/Contents/MacOS/SafariSyn cClient --unregistersyncclient com.apple.Safari*

*/Applications/Safari.app/Contents/SafariSyncClient.app/Contents/MacOS/SafariSyn cClient --register*

The first command unregisters the SafariSyncClient from the SyncServer. The second command re-registers it using the correct path from its app wrapper.

You might then have to go to the .Mac pref pane and recheck (or maybe toggle, I don't remember) the Keychain checkbox."

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Answer 11

Mar 24, 2008 8:34 AM in response to Tricone

I am having exactly the same problem. Have repaired permissions, restarted etc.
I have tried the Terminal Fix suggestion and have had no luck.
I unregistered my computer and tried to reregister and now am getting nowhere.
This is apparently a common thing.
Anybody with any other luck fixing this?

Reply

Answer 12

Daniel W Author

Level 2

165 points

Mar 24, 2008 11:07 AM in response to Tricone

It worked!

I used Tricone's Terminal commands, and .Mac is syncing like a charm now - and the SyncServer doesn't crash anymore.

However, i will point out that the second command as he posted isn't complete, at least in my case. That is, instead of
"/Applications/Safari.app/Contents/SafariSyncClient.app/Contents/MacOS/SafariSyn cClient --register"

you need to put
"/Applications/Safari.app/Contents/SafariSyncClient.app/Contents/MacOS/SafariSyn cClient --registersyncclient com.apple.Safari"

That is, basically the same command but with "registersyncclient" rather than "unregistersyncclient" At least, that's what worked for me! Thanks tricone.

I'm marking this thread as solved - in my case - but it seems that like many glitches, there must be more-than-one way of creating the problem - and so more than one way it needs to be fixed. If this solution doesn't work for you, then keep on it - there's obviously something else that's the matter.

Good luck,

-Dan

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