Q: iTunes stuck on last stage of sync, "Waiting for items to copy", NEVER COMPLETES??

It actually does sync when you look at the content. It just doesn't close out the sync process.

Same problem here.  Ever since I updated to the latest iTunes.  Happened with my iPhone 4 and now with the 4S as well.  Stuck on the last phase.  I even leave it going overnight and it does the same thing.  Based on the number of people complaining about it, I have to think Apple will issue an update to fix it at some point.

Tried deleting voice memos and that cache file.  Neither helped.  Still gets stuck at the last stage. 

I've taken the advice of toggling off voice memos...removing iPod Photo cache...as well as deleting the Album Artwork cache...

finally bit the bullet and did a full on restore. like the earlier poster said about the hang on step 7/Genius files/waiting on files to sync, I too would unplug and/or cancel the sync. checking the iPad shows all the items I wanted on there, not having lost anything. So I planned on the restore.

the backup timestamp on the restore was a few minutes from when I litterally pulled the USB cable. So I was good to go.

Restore put back all the items from the backup; all I lost were samples of iBooks I didn't get to read. Give the Restore option a try!

I tried nearly ten-times to sync my iPhone 4 mit iTunes 10.5. Everytime the sync couldn't be completed:

-Waiting for changes to be applied

or

- Waiting for items to copy

I think the sync works, because my new iTunes songs and podcasts were copied on my phone, but somehow the sync never stops.

I let it sync over night, because i tought it would take some time, but after 7 hours iTunes was still syncing :-(

I also turned off Genius but it didn't helped.

PLEASE FIX THAT ISSUE, APPLE!!

It didn't seem to be the proplem of a small group of people....

Had same problem. Deleted one voicemail I forgot I had - presto! Synced in minutes.

I don't know why this should work, but it does.

Great closet fix

This is an answer to all of those who are trying to get itunes to play on 10.5.  If you download your audlible books in Format 3 it will work.  I use my ipod more for my audiobooks than anything else and was very relieved to find the fix. 

The problem is more complex than this. I have neither audio books nor voice memos, and it still occurs. It's badly programmed and needs to be fixed.

Tom, you are exactly right.  I have tried every "this worked" theory suggested on this page.  Even when the problem appeared to be fixed for a single sync, it continues to return.  I hope Apple issues an iTunes (or iOS) update that fixes the problem soon. 

I had to start by deleting all my audiobooks from the library.  I then downloaded them in the format 3.  It is a pain because I have a lot of books.  I haven't had a problem since.  I would have liked to return to itunes 9 and go back but I could not get 10 erased from my ipod even when I returned it to factory settings, 10.5 ipod setting will not work on itunes 9.  If they would let me go back to 9 on my ipod I would be happy to return to itunes 9.  My older ipods will not work at all on 10.5, I don't understand what they were thinking... 

Ok, so I had the same problem with my fathers iPhone 3Gs.

One thing is for sure, the stuff about turning on and off GENIUS does not affect anything and is definitely not the cause of the problem.

The cause seems to be a bug that occurs during the installation of iTunes, so I suggest re-downloading iTunes from apple site, reinstalling it and that should fix your problem.

Afraid not. Reinstallation did nothing for me to fix the problem. Same as before.

My Verizon 3 G synch's fine. But i Pad does not.Synching to same i Mac.

APPLE ur one of the richest business in the world come on sort it out

As Steve would say, "This is S#!T, don't come back until it just works!"