itunes stuck on processing file and won't sync iPhone or iPad when connected.

If you download an app (i.e., through the iTunes app store) and it gets stuck with a beach ball "processing" the file, will it eventually finish processing if you wait long enough? (i.e., possibly hours, even?) There seems to be some longstanding problem like that— I get it maybe one out of 3 downloads. If I turn off Airport so I temporarily have no net connection, it often snaps out of it fairly soon (less than 5 minutes) but if that's not an option, it can take a realllllllly long time (as I say, even an hour or more?)

I obviously have no idea how to actually fix this problem, though, or I wouldn't be messing around with disabling Airport to get iTunes to complete a download!

Thanks Adam... your post was the most helpful one I've found after hours of looking for a solution. Granted, I've been downloading three tracks, turn off airport, three tracks ready, turn on airport, repeat, but it works!

I just had the same problem in updating apps on iTunes. It only downloads three apps at a time and then all three freeze and its says "processing file" for all three apps. Turning off wifi (or airport) will clear it out, but then iTunes will only try to download the next three updated apps and it does it all over again. Obviously, this is a temporary "workaround," but it doesn't really solve the problem, whatever it is. I think Apple will need to address this issue SOON.

Just ran into this issue today also, trying to update 20+ apps within iTunes. I can get maybe 2-3 in the queue but then those get stuck processing. Turning the Airport connection Off then back On works, but isn't a long-term solution.

I am having a simular problem on 10.7.3, but even if I leave the server unattented for 24 hours it never completes.

I have the same problem, but only from time to time, since several iTunes versions ago. It is however exceptionally annoying when this happens.

This is such a fundamental issue which affects many iTunes users, so I can't understand why Apple hasn't fixed the problem after so many iTunes updates.

For me (10.7.3, iTunes 10.6(40) 64-bit) it happens for every app update download. So, 3 in parallel start (allow simultaneous downloads checked), each goes to "proessing file" then hangs. My Mac is on a wired connection. Unplugging it causes the files to be processed (and all queued downloads to fail). Ready for next 3 :-)

Not seen this previously. Recent iTunes/service has also been flaky on the radio tuning service.

Not allowing simultaneous downloads or downloading less than 3 doesn't help (each has same problem).

Simple Verizon DSL modem without anything particularly clever on the firewall side. Using it as a DNS forwarder as is the default.

Thank you for the solution. I was stuck in "processing file" for 20 hours after Ghost Protocol downloaded... thats right... 20 hours until I found this post (okay, took me five minutes to find the post but I had to have time to sit down and work on the problem).

This is the first time it has happened with me but now I know how to work around it until it is fixed.

(iTunes 10.6.1, Mac OS X 10.6.8, MacBook Pro)

Thank you again!

The best thing you can do to avoid that, is to check the Allow Simultaneous Downloads.

logging in to and out of the iTunes store appears to have solved this problem for me

Did the following and worked:

1. Downloading 1 app at a time

2. Disable "Simultaneous Downloads"

3. Closed and Opened iTunes between two downloads

May be you need not follow all the 3 steps above but I succeeded by following all the 3 steps

Nagesw,

I came to the same conclusion myself.

I ran one update at a time, quit and re-launched iTunes after about 3 or 4 successful downloads, and just stayed patient with the process.

Was annoying, but it worked!!!

Happy Holidays EVERYONE!!!

-RichardZulu

I've been having the same problem.... I forced iTunes to quit when it got hung up on one or two downloads, and then when I relaunched, they were gone from my "Purchased" list. I've tired going back to the iTunes store to re-download the files, but the button says "Purchased" and is grayed out... while the other music files that did download successfully say "Play". I've tried the "Check for Available Downloads" option in iTunes, but it says that all of my purchases have been downloaded.

I have about 10-12 songs that did not process completely, do not show up in my "Purchased" screen, and cannot now be downloaded again. Any ideas about how to fix this? Everything was working fine up until 2 days ago. I've never had a problem like this before. I"m running iTunes 11.1.3 on OS 10.6.8. Thanks.

I stumbled across a workaround for the issue with not being able to retrieve purchased items that didn't download correctly to iTunes on my Mac... I searched for the songs in the iTunes store on my iPod, and I was able to download the files to my iPod and then transfer them over to iTunes on my Mac. All worked except two files, which say "Purchased" (grayed out) in iTunes on the iPod (same as on the Mac).