iPhone - Stuck "Preparing to sync" when trying to sync with iTunes via USB cable

I did a very similar thing on macOS 17.2 (RC), except it didn't show up under launchctl, I found it via:

ps aux|grep Crash

and I got the process:

/<long path>/MDCCrashReportTool

So I issued:

sudo kill -9 <pid>

-9 was required, regular kill did not have enough oomph. Immediate sync after issuing kill. Good lord this has happened on and off for YEARS for me (and every time for the last many months; if I sync again after it's synced once it was always fast, but the first one after plugging in was always sloooooooow), thank you for the tip!

Hi

Can confirm this helped -- on macOS Sonoma 14.1.1 w/ iOS 17.1.1 on iPhone 11, mid November 2023.

I've encountered similar before, many years ago using iTunes on Windows. More recently in the last few years on a MacBook Pro w/ iPhone 7 or 8, and the current iPhone 11, and now my current MacMini M2 w/ the iPhone 11.

Agree -- This is a long-term, ongoing issue that needs to be fixed.

Thank you for the helpful observation on the root cause.

---

After rebooting my phone, and computer, problems not resolved ...

On macOS, I did the following in terminal (while sync was hung in Finder) ...

sudo launchctl list | grep Crash

... found the equivalent entry, com.apple.CrashReporterHelper (running w/ a PID), and then issued ...

sudo kill -9 <pid>

... a few seconds later, the sync operation completed. I re-ran sync, and it completed quickly without issue.

So I might have found the fix for the MDCrashReportTool issue. At least for Windows 11-23H2.

The C:\Program Files (x86)\Common Files\Apple\Mobile Device Support\MDCrashReportTool.exe process needs to run in Windows 7 Compatibility Mode and run as Administrator for All Users.

Here's an article from XDA Developers to help those find how to run as Administrator.

https://www.xda-developers.com/how-tun-run-apps-administrator-windows-11/

Just make sure you right click on MDCrashReportTool.exe then left click Properties. Navigate to the Compatibility tab, left click "Change Settings For All Users", then select the checkbox for Run This Program In Compatibility Mode For & make sure you select Windows 7 in the drop down box. After that click the check box that says Run This Program As An Administrator. Click OK on both windows & restart your PC.

Photo included to hopefully help everyone.

I can confirm this is a problem on Sonoma 14.2 on MacBook Pro using USB-C cable and iPhone 15 Pro in Dec 2023.

My solution was to go to the app menu, Utilities and then launch Activity Monitor. Go to CPU option and search for MDCrashReportTool. Force Quit this app by clicking on the X and selecting Force Quit. Once this app is terminated the syncing finishes quickly.

Why is this bug not fixed? A lot of people must be having this problem. My sync hangs everytime until I do this procedure.

Thank you Minok.

Your suggestion above indeed help resolve the sync issue. Using an iPhone 14 ProMax with PC running on Windows 10. I use it to sync not only music and photos, but more importantly the contacts and calendar with Outlook on my PC and vice versa.

However, now it skips the backup process altogether at the start of the sync process when the back up setting is at automatic to my computer.

I just revert back to "MDCRashReportTool" to do a backup to the PC, and add the .exe-orig extension when i want to sync.

Having same issue since last night, MBP 16-inch, OS14.2.1 + iPhone 15Pro iOS17.2.1 + Apple Watch 8 OS10.2 = killing the MDCCrashReportTool (Force Quit in Activity Monitor) as suggested only moved the sync progress from Step 2 to Step 4 (analyzing Photos). Powering off my Apple Watch caused the sync to complete immediately.

hi, try to rename the file with -orig estension but itunes don't start any backuo and I see that no nackup in the hisroy.

with right file *.exe extension, itune start backup but hang when prepare to sync.

where I'm wrong ?

tks for help

Stopping & renaming MDCrashReporter.exe fixes the sync hanging at step 2 problem for me, but then iTunes fails to find any existing iPhone backups or make new ones. So for now I have to reinstate MDCrashReporter and re-start iTunes if I want to backup my phone then stop & rename it again if I want to do a Sync. Hope Apple fix it now that you've alerted them to their problem.

Struggled with this for a long time. MBP M1 Max and iPhone 15proMax.

Both on latest OS release (no betas).

shutting down the “MDCrashReportTool.exe” with Activity Monitor allows everything to immediately sync. It was closest thing to file mentioned on Windows machine so I gave it a shot and bam instant sync just the way they used to be.

thanks.

Same thing with the latest non-store iTunes (as I need the classic version for another software), 12.13.1.3, Win11 and an iPhone 13 Mini with the latest iOS 17.2. The nanosecond I killed MDCrashReportTool.exe in Taskbar, iTunes finished the syncing process correctly, as I only added two songs. I renamed the file, and everything works perfectly on other syncs.

Happens to me all the time. I hate it. I just want to sync my audiobooks.

I read on another thread how to solve it and it works GREAT.

Force Quit the MCD CrashReport in the activity monitor. (I use the search field to find it)

it works each time. not my favourite way of fixing it - and it should work without this work around. But this work around works.

ended up getting some help locating the desktop version of itunes 64bit, installed it(after first uninstalling the app version, mind), then followed the procedure above, which has successfully addressed the problem.

For those using Mac, you don't need to fiddle with Terminal or have administrative rights. Even simpler work-around: just use Activity Monitor to Force-Quit the MDCrashReportTool process, as in thread 255344479.

PS: shutting down my Apple Watch indeed did not help, this seems unrelated as far as I can see on my end.

You all are amazing. I powered off my Apple watch 7, force quit MUSIC (itunes)in OS 13.5.2, went to utilities>activity monitor>MDCrashReportTool and selected the force quit option. Restarted MUSIC, sync'd 1900 songs in 5 minutes. I would guess that powering off the watch was unnecessary but who cares!!! I would have been willing to stand on one foot while I did all this to make it happen.

I never could have solved this one on my own. Thank You!!!