iTunes could not backup iPhone because the iPhone disconnected

Hi, I have iPhone 3GS and backuped everything to my computer (Windows XP) with iTunes (v11). After downloading iOS 6.1.3. to my iPhone (everything went smoothly) it restored to factory settings and after wanting to restore backup to iPhone this error pops out when backup is done 100% "Could not backup iPhone because iPhone disconnected". I've tried everything that here says but still getting the same error message (don't use HUB and etc). I really need your help because this is my only backup (because I haven't used this iPhone in ages) and freaking out because I need those photos from backup, I have some really precious photo that I want to preserve and this is my only chance if I fix this. Thank you very much in advance.

I am also still having the disconnect at 100% during backup in iTunes problem, but you should still be able to get your photos off by using iPhoto to back the photos off. I have no problem using iPhoto to pull photos off, it's only the full backups on iTunes that get disconnected before completing.

Nothing works for me. Using an iPhone 4 with iTunes 11 on Mountain Lion. I have tried everything with no luck.

I keep getting this error message even when I try to sync and I'm plugged in directly via cable.

Does anybody know what's really going on and how to solve this?

I continue to get this message, despite my best efforts. Same thing backing up on other computers, same thing over wifi, encrypted etc. Clearly something problematic with the data on the phone. My one concern (in my case) is whether or not it has to do with the size of my sms/imessage database. Having shared countless photos this way, and not really wanting to delete all evidence of my messages.. A sort of "new email," I have likely many gb's worth. I wonder how that affects the data of the phone, and if there's any corruption in that issue. Thoughts?

Really hoping to backup soon, before this phone goes out on me.

I imagine with Apple's bringing iMessages to the desktop platform, surely there must be an update coming that allows the messages to live as data on a computer/icloud, and not on the phone, like email does?

Same here. I have tried all the ideas in this thread, but no luck. Apparently I will simply have the worst nightmare of any tech user, a $1000 piece of hardware (non-subsidized price of a 64GB iPhone when I bought it) that is INCAPABLE OF BACKING UP THE DATA!

Yes, I could try scrubbing the phone and starting over, but since I cannot make a backup, I would lose literally years worth of data. I am not willing to do that.

This really ***!

If you set up the phone to sync with apps on your desktop and/or icloud (Contacts to Address Book, Calendar to iCal or Outlook, etc) All you will lose is app data.

In my case, I have apps, with no other way to sync, that represent literally hundreds of hours of my time. I am not willing to lose the app data. I have most of the contacts on my Mac already, and I don't use the calendar at all, (we use Cozy for calender functions which syncs outside of the dysfunctional apple/itunes sync black hole).

I appreciate the ideas though, please keep them coming, maybe something will work!

Greg,

I got it to work. Try this and let me know.

Connect iPhone to Mac and import all your photos via iPhoto.

At the end of the import tell iPhoto to delete all photos from iPhone

Restart iPhone and iTunes

Try to sync and backup now

For some reason this worked for me except there was one more thing I did—remove some recent apps— and I can't say for certain if it had any impact on this fix.

Let me know.

yhmceo

I am going to try this now, will report back!

yhmceo

No luck. I deleted my entire media library (over 5000 photo and video items!) from the iPhone (had to use Image Capture app on my Mac to delete them all, no way to select all and delete in a batch on the iPhone or in iPhoto).

Then, I deleted the old backup folder from the last failed backup in Library in my mac, started itunes, hooked up the phone, ran a manual encrypted backup, and....FAIL.

Thanks for sharing what worked for you.

Keep the ideas coming,

Remember I said I also removed some recent apps. Try to remove some apps and turn off iCloud backup.

This issue started recently. There must be a glitch somewhere. Your media is saved in Iphoto so no need to worry about that.

I did still have some iCloud backup stuff on, I turned all icloud switchs to "off" , deleted the library backup folder, restarted itunes, tried again, still got disconnected.

I have 352 apps, I don't even know which ones are most "recent" and it seems pretty futile to start deleting them one by one. This problem goes back to LAST OCTOBER. I have bought way too many dozens of apps since then to figure out if it a specific app. Besides, it is the app data that is not backed up that I am trying to preserve. At some point I might as well nuke and pave by erasing the iPhone (and losing all my app data), I am still not willing to do that.

Thanks for sticking with me and offering more advice, sooner or later something is bound to work, right?

🙂

Just fixed by changing to a different USB port on my Asus notebook - USB2.0 instead of USB3.0

This problem has been solve yesterday. Previously, I had tried the methonds mentioned in this discussion and none can solve my case. Tried Apple Care (not much use), Apple Store Genius Bar, (not much use)....

The important thing is you have to backup your iPhone / iPad before resetting it in order to solve this problem.

(1) Backup your iPhone / iPad to iCloud. If you don't have enough storage, try to remove some less important data like photos or videos, buy more iCloud storage until it's enough. (Call back Apple within 2 weeks to ask for a refund later when the problem is solved)

(2) Reset your iPhone / iPad ... Setting > General > Reset > Erase All Content and Settings

(3) Restart iPhone / iPad as a new device, do not restore from backup at this point.

(4) When it's done, connect to iTunes and 'Backup to this comptuer', let the process finish and this means the 'disconnected' problem is solved.

(5) Unplug iTunes, use iPhone / iPad connect to iCloud and restore from the lastest backup file. This will take hours depend on how many GB is the backup file.

(6) At this point, your iPhone / iPad will be the same before resetting. Connect to iTunes and 'Backup to this computer'. It is then back to normal again. Good Luck.

If you think paying money to increase iCloud storage and then ask for a refund is stupid. Try to creat a new user in your computer (both apply to Mac & PC), connect iPhone / iPad to iTunes and try to backup. Remeber to Authorized & Deauthoried your Apple ID to iTunes, then reset, then restore.

This 'disconnected' problem may be casued by some corrupted files inside your iOS device, but it's not easy for us to find out which APP causes the problem. So, we are here in this discussion.

Hope this can help.