Just upgraded iPhone 15 Plus to iOS 17.2 and am unable to sync music from Mac Mini also just updated to Sonoma 14.2. Operation seems to stall out at Step 2 of 4 “Preparing to Sync”. No further progress even after 3 hours. Shut down iPhone and restarted, then tried sync using cable, then re-tried sync using Wi Fi without success. Any ideas?
[Re-Titled by Moderator]
iPhone 15 Plus
Hello,
I have the problem since iOS17 (still with iPhone 13 Pro) and Watch OS 10 (Ultra2).
The change to the iPhone 15 Pro and a complete reinstallation of the iPhone did not bring any improvement. The strange thing was that the "fresh" iPhone (without any apps installed, no backup installed) could initially be synchronized just as easily as an iPhone SE, an iPhone SE3 and an iPad Pro 11 3rd. This actually made it clear that the problem could not be due to my computer configuration, especially since it also occurred on another notebook and with another Windows user. Nevertheless, I have gone through all these options together with Apple support.
When I had only installed my most essential apps on my iPhone and paired it again with my Ultra 2, the synchronization went wrong again. Out of sheer desperation, I tried to decouple my Ultra 2 again and, lo and behold, the synchronization ran completely smoothly and all data (including diagnostic data) was synchronized again. As soon as I had paired the Ultra 2 again, the same mishap. This morning, Apple support also confirmed to me that there is a problem that is being worked on in this context.
My workaround to the solution:
My explanation: After every restart of iTunes, iTunes apparently tries to load the diagnostic data onto the PC during the first sync operation of a device. This obviously does not work (for me) with paired Ultra 2. Therefore, the "killing" of the mdcrashreport tool in the task manager leads to the continuation of the sync. It seems as though access to the diagnostic data is blocked by pairing the Apple Watch. (Just a hypothesis)
Why do I prefer to disconnect the cable instead of using the task manager? When killing the tool in the task manager, the current sync continues to run, but the next sync runs back into the same problem because iTunes does not transfer the diagnostic data or the mdcrashreporttool does not register as performed. If, on the other hand, you pull the cable, iTunes seems to regard the mdcrashreporttool as performed and does not try to pull the diagnostic data from the iPhone again at the next sync. I.e. As long as I don't close iTunes, I can always sync my iPhone without any problems. If I close iTunes, the sh… starts all over again.
Which way you choose is, of course, a matter of taste. A fast solution would be very desirable.
Hello, I can't say what the issue is since I don't know much about how behind the scenes tech works, but I do agree that these could be separate issues that somehow interact. It must also be noted that many people aren't going to consider the AppleWatch as a factor since the sync is between iPhone and Mac (I know I didn't).
Many people who post here don't mention if they have an AppleWatch or not paired. I did ask some of them and they did say yes, so as far as I'm aware, given what I have seen in this thread, no one has reported this issue and explicitly stated that they don't have an AppleWatch paired. I can't be certain if this is the case, but I just hope it gets fixed soon.
I want to ask more people, but I also don't want to spam this thread trying to find out.
All very nice and well, but all the proposed solutions that I have seen in 12 pages of posts, are not the fix I am looking for, temporary or not. I have apple watch, and whether you have one or not, this problem has existed for me since these last iOS updates,, 17.2.1, because I do synchronize my whole iPhone 15 pro max for movies, music etc at the same time. I make changes that I would like seeing reflected on my phone as soon as possible. It ran without a hitch until these last iOS updates., inopportune time of year because of holidays to get a fix out of apple, purely for this syncing issue, even though some might rely on it more for even business purposes. Mine are for purely pleasure, and I would expect , come the new year, given enough posts, that they will figure out what causes this issue, and either push something through, or include it in a fix update. Hang in there everybody, try not to dwell on this MDCrashReportTool, but do continue to report it, so as they don't consider it as a minor issue, and we get a fix. Have a good new year.
This is exactly what I mean. I've seen some people say that this isn't a big issue since everyone uses AppleMusic now, but countless people use it for what you said: music, movie, etc synchronization. Not to mention iPhone backups.
I also don't understand how some people say that quitting the MDCrashReportTool is a "fix". It's a work-around but people shouldn't have to quit system processes to use their devices. Hopefully this does get fixed soon as I rely on my music library everyday.
Hopefully this new year will bring better things, not just for Apple Tech, but for the world. Happy New Year everyone!
mikman46 wrote:
Thank you Max.
This solution works every time, but as soon as you want to sync something new, you have to go and force quit again the MDCrashReportTool.
Indeed Apple, fix this!
It’s not a “solution”. It’s a workaround. If you would like Apple to “fix this” then tell Apple at:
Everyone who uses a Mac (or Windows) to backup/sync their iPhone should tell Apple if they have this problem and want it fixed.
Hello R,
I tried it several times but it just stops the syncing altogether... I can however, back up the iphone but I can't sync. Have to use a different app to play my music. Hope Apple can fix this soon. Still, thank you for trying to help. I super appreciate it.
Ai
AiPB wrote:
Hello R,
I tried it several times but it just stops the syncing altogether... I can however, back up the iphone but I can't sync. Have to use a different app to play my music. Hope Apple can fix this soon. Still, thank you for trying to help. I super appreciate it.
Ai
Hi Ai, I am unsure what you are telling me when you say you tried several times. Backing up? Syncing? Force quitting MDCrashReportTool? Are you running wired or wireless?
Can you share what devices you are using, the OS versions and whether you are starting up a backup or sync from Finder or iTunes? Some detail and context would be helpful.
-R.
Hi! I just started using my iPhone 12 mini for Music for my Fitness Class as my iPod touch was aging out. Yes, after teh IOS 17.2.1 update my iTunes on my PC is also is sticking on "preparing to sync". But I am unfamiliar with and do not see on my iPhone the Activity Monitor App. Can I get it from the App Store? Anne (Not an iPhone guru :)
I concur. The file I found was mdcrashreporttool.Exe but I figured this was what you were talking about. I popped an x at the end of the name like you did and it synced my music just fine. Music is all I do and all I’m interested in. I don’t even do that all that often but it’s not unreasonable to expect it to work when I need it. Again, Apple are you listening? Fix the dang problem!
Lgerhardstein wrote:
I concur. The file I found was mdcrashreporttool.Exe but I figured this was what you were talking about. I popped an x at the end of the name like you did and it synced my music just fine. Music is all I do and all I’m interested in. I don’t even do that all that often but it’s not unreasonable to expect it to work when I need it. Again, Apple are you listening? Fix the dang problem!
Apple listen here
ZumbaAnne wrote:
Hi! I just started using my iPhone 12 mini for Music for my Fitness Class as my iPod touch was aging out. Yes, after teh IOS 17.2.1 update my iTunes on my PC is also is sticking on "preparing to sync". But I am unfamiliar with and do not see on my iPhone the Activity Monitor App. Can I get it from the App Store? Anne (Not an iPhone guru :)
Hey ZumbaAnne, the Activity Monitor app is not on your phone. It is one your computer.
For Mac users, it is an app you can find with spotlight or by searching in the Utilities folder.
For PC users, use the Task Manager instead of Activity Monitor.
-R.
Agreed, this is a forum. I’m not sure why some people think this is going to be the official instruction page for fixing the problem. These are evidently going to be individual user experiences.
Having said that, on another note, respectfully, I don’t think it’s wise to have the thread be split off. This thread has nearly 15k views last I checked. Apple is more likely to look into the issue if a thread has thousands of views and hundreds of comments. Splitting it off would detract from the severity of said issue.
I haven’t seen anyone mention looking up what mdcrashreporttool.exe does so I did. Excuse me if someone already posted this and I missed it. This is of course only useful if you are a Windows user but I imagine it’s something similar on a Mac.
https://www.file.net/process/mdcrashreporttool.exe.html
One thing I found interesting is that it states “This is not an essential Windows process and can be disabled if known to create problems.”
I had already changed the name like someone else suggested and that seemed to work. I guess you can also just disable the process so it won’t even try and run.
Northern-Survivor wrote:
In any case, I’m not sure anyone exercises such control over threads. The moderators edit or delete posts as they see fit. Threads run their course and any user can start a new one . I agree the volume of posts and “me too”s should focus Apple’s attention.
Hi N-S,
It would appear some people think these posts are being read by Apple and the volume of complaints will help to get Apple to take action. While I have no inside knowledge about what the moderators do, I suspect that unless moderators file reports back to Apple, nothing will happen because of what is posted here. As you correctly stated, this is strictly a user-to-user forum.
-R.
When I chatted with Apple Support I pointed them to this thread. According to what they told me, engineers do read them. (Probably, evidently, not every single one), but I believe that the more comments, upvotes, and me toos, will keep pushing the thread to the front and more likely to catch their attention.
I doubt something is seriously wrong as this has been default Mac behavior for years now. This has been the same for me across two Macs, one iPad and about 4 iPhones over the years.
i also just read Apple’s help article on this and it’s exactly as I have described.
Apple has to eventually fix this in the near future right? If one of their help articles is completely nulled, I’m sure someone at Apple will notice.
iPhone 15 Plus stuck in “Preparing To Sync"
