Unable to load provider data from Sync Services

Thanks for calling but better call India again. Didn't work on mine.

Thanks for calling but better call India again. Didn't work on mine.

I am getting the same error but it didn't start until after I installed 2.0. I updated iTunes last week to 7.7. The reason for my post is not for the error but because I can't sync my contacts. I had this same issue about 3-4 months ago when I upgraded Outlook from 2003 to 2007 and found I was only able to sync about 527 contacts then after working with support and digging, I found that you have to have exchange cache mode enabled to sync more. Last time I ran into the contact sync problem, I trouble shot for days and called support. I did everything from reinstall iTunes, reinstall Outlook, create a new profile, to finally creating a new exchange mailbox which resolved the problem. I am not for sure if I am going to have to do the same here but I will let you know as currently iTunes says it is syncing contacts but never does and when I turn on the phone on it turns off the sync...another weird thing that is happening to me (noticed someone else in the forum is having the same problem) is that the outlook profile can't be selected from the contacts. I can check "overwrite iphone" and can also clear out the backups but the problem still persist. Apple support says that if it is syncing that it is but I find that it never does or is super slow and times out. Also I need to mention that I turned off "exchange cache mode" just to see if I could synce 527 contacts but that didn't work either. I am sure I will be without contacts for a few days like I was last time. Not to mention I do IT work and last time I was on the phone with support for a couple hours (very helpful)and spent 4-6 hours to try and resolve. Get this...as I was typing this iTunes contact "conflict resolver" came up so hopefully it will fix itself but I am not for sure if that will be helpful to the others. As to the provider data provider error, perhaps it has something to do with the contact not syncing?

If clearing the sync history and/or uninstalling didn't work for you, you might want to call iphone support (800.694.7466). I didn't have the iphone or pc handy when i was talking to them, sounded like they had some other things to try if these steps failed.

To recap, I am running:
Apple 2G phone
iTunes 7.7
upgraded 2.0 iPhone software
Windows XP machine
Outlook 07 Pro

But I'm working like a champ now.

wow. you got me all excited on this but i don't have that error and renaming the files did nothing.

thanks and great job!

That solution did not work for me.
I first deleted the admin.syncdb file (my user name is 'admin') but the file and the error came back. I had to reboot to delete the file because it was locked by the OS the first time I tried to delete it. Since that didn't work, I tried deleting both the admin.syncdb and the data.syncdb files and the same thing: the error and the files return.

BTW, unlike skidney, as far as I can tell I did not have any log files in that directory.

I did notice one thing - now when I go to the Info tab in iTunes and click on the Snyc contacts with: box more choices now exist. It used to only show the choice of 'Outlook' but now I also have the choices of Yahoo address book, Windows address book, and Google Contacts. This doesn't help me sync with Outlook though. I can't select the choice 'Selected groups' or 'Put new contacts created on this iPhone into the group:' so I don't think iTunes is talking to Outlook properly.

I have another symptom that nobody here has mentioned: After the upgrade to 2.0 all of the contact photos on my iPhone were deleted. Anyone else experience that?

Does anyone from Apple monitor this discussion?

Ok - I finally got the Outlook sync working on my iPhone.

I found a file called: ErrorInfo.txt which said the following inside it:

“ISyncDataDirectoryCorruptedException, reason = The Admin Database does not exist. It should have been created by upgradedb. (F:\Documents and Settings\Admin\Application Data\Apple Computer\SyncServices\Local\admin.syncdb), userInfo = (null)”

It gave me an idea on how to proceed: Try to get iTunes to forget whatever it knows about Outlook and somehow start over…

I can list all the things I did but I'm not sure they were all needed.

1) uninstalled iTunes

2) rebooted

3) deleted the entire F:\Documents and Settings\Admin\Application Data\Apple Computer\SyncServices\ directory (yours may be another drive letter, probably C)

4) reinstalled iTunes

5) switched to another contact conduit (Google contacts is what I used)

6) synced to Google Contacts (I don't even know what that really is or where my contact data went) - this took a long time. Is Google contacts a beta application?

7) switched back to Outlook

8) did a standard sync (my Outlook contact groups were not visible yet). {you may not have any Outlook groups but if you don’t, in my opinion you should}

Now everything is back to normal (including my contact photos which miraculously came back)

Good luck…

I did both of those before I wrote my post (uninstalled and reinstalled iTunes and cleared the sync history). Nada. They're fishing.

I have uninstalled, reinstalled, deleted sync history, restored (now I don't have any contacts) -- I've done everything. I am running an iPhone 2.0, windows xp pro, and trying to sync to Outlook 2003. I get the error message 'enable to load provider data from sync services'. If I click on OK my iPhone appears under devices but I can't even see any of the seven tabs to select any other options. I have been on hold with iphone support many times and it still doesn't work. FRUSTRATING

Same configuration here, same problem, same actions. I did manage to get sync going (travel cable plugged directly into laptop's usb port, no cradle, no usb hub) and the syn started.. BUT, calendar on the iPhone comes up empty, vs Outlook which is is full of entries. Syncing contacts, calendar, and bookmarks takes over one hour, and in the end I had to kill bookmark syncing because it was stuck (syncing bookmarks should be extremely fast).

Further, the files in C:\Documents and Settings\<your name>\Application Data\Apple Computer\SyncServices\Local Are HUGE (currently 2.3GB!), and multiplying.

There is clearly bugs in the sync client for 7.7/2.0. I know of no reliable workarounds. Apple has to fix this.

Same problem with me !!!!!! Where is the good old reliabilty from Apple Software!

This is my first time on Apple Discussions. Isn't Apple staffing this even minimally to give feedback? I've just upgraded to the new iPhone and can't get my contacts synced (kinda important for the use of my iPhone) let alone my music. Is there an Apple response yet on a fix or an ETA for a fix? I've already re-installed the new iTunes and restarted my Windows XP machine.

I'd rather not be carrying around two iPhones which is exactly what I'm having to do without a fix. Thanks.

On the July 14th I logged this issue with Apple nor did I encounter this issue using my old Iphone and older version of itunes. It began after purchasing the "3G" and downloaded Itunes 7.7. The interesting thing was Itunes recognized the phone but would not allow me to access the summary page until I plugged the phone up to another PC. For some reason that PC's Itunes saw the phone as a new phone and asked me to register, and I did. After that I went back to my laptop plugged up and got the same sync services error but this time after clicking o.k. it began to sync just music. To date the Itunes info tab up fails to recognize Outlook or MS address book. The drop down is blank.... Iphone's level two support sent me this e-mail yesterday regarding the issue

Mr. Marx,
Thank you for your response and this screen shot, as you know I have been sending in as much information as I can to engineering group as I receive it from you, and I want to thank you for this as it further more is helping my effort in getting this issue resolved I will continue to forward this information to engineering as they are working to not only provide you with a resolution but those other customers whom are affected as well, I thank you for you patience and all the useful information that is being sent we are working to provide you with a resolution.

After 1 more week if there is still no fix I'm going to attempt to get a cash refund and taking my business elsewhere. The phone's a good idea. For me it's just got to many bugs.

Apple care decided to replace the phone - maybe I should go back to RIM