iPad 3rd gen photos won't sync

I just managed to sort the problem out for myself.

I deleted my iCloud account on ALL my devices ( I don't use iCloud anyway ) and the next time I synced my iPad 3 it synced the photos perfectly, all 12000 of them.

I appreciate this is of no use to those using iCloud but it did the job for me.

ITunes still won't download all my photos. I finally used Photo Manager Pro and succeeded in wirelessly downloading over 11000 photos. I needed to install FileZilla on my PC, both client and server. Also had to shut down all fire walls.

The photos are accessed via the App, Photo Manager Pro. Titles are included and editing and more are available as well. Well worth the money to buy. I won't be missing iTunes! Photos downloaded from the web or my cameras are still in the Photos app.

There's another thread running on the same problem here ("The New iPad will not sync all photo's"):

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/3812013?answerId=18306372022#18306372022&ac_cid=142432#18306372

Is there a way to combine threads? Anyway, both threads have the same kind of rain-dance attempts at solutions - stand on one leg, delete the cache, try again, that sort of thing. Clearly a software bug, probably in iTunes, not unique to Win7 x64 users.

Can't see how it is an iTunes bug? I sync my iPhone 4S and new iPad to the same photo folders, using the same copy if iTunes. iPhone syncs perfectly, new iPad doesn't!

Unless iTunes is not playing nice with the new iPad, but the frustrating question is why? 😟

It could be because iTunes is creating (or trying to create) larger image files to fill the 2048x1536 screen, whereas it only creates smaller files for the iPhone 4s (960x640) or the iPad2 (1024x768). The photos are reduced to a size which fits the screen, stored in the "iPod Photo Cache" folder on your PC, then transferred across on a sync.

I also have an iPad2, no problems syncing the same photos with that. It has been suggested in both threads that if you reduce your collection manually to photos under 3000 pixels on the longest edge then it might work. But I don't want to waste time and space doing that every time I want to add new files to my iPad.

The first stage in this process is to get a high enough volume of complaints that Apple realises that they have a problem. So far they seem to be in denial. So file a support ticket in the "Express Lane".

Makes sense! Will report it to a contact I have within Apple. She has escalated another issue I have with the new iPad to the support engineers in the US and they have come back on that one and acknowledged there is a problem. The lack of a consistent 3G connection - my new iPad (I'm on my second one) will not hold on to a 3G connection without re-setting the iPad on an almost daily basis.

All a bit frustrating. 😕

happy it worked for you but it doesn't for me

I sense that iTunes isn't reacting in the same way with different folks....the bug appears to be with iPad3 not iTunes

did that and spoke with a guy yesterday....they are in complete denial or lying

For the record, don't get too excited about the new iPad software update. It didn't solve the issue for me. Still waiting for Apple to acknowledge and fix the problem. Beyond frustrated and nothing I can do about it.

Same here. IOS 5.1.1 update didn't fix it for me.

I tried this method 3 other times with no success; however, I tried it last evening again after reading your comment. It worked perfectly. Thanks.

Like Tim Q, I had tried this unsuccessfully before, but this time it worked! Special thanks to yoyo99. To save you a click, here is what Yoyo99 posted:

1. turn off WiFi on iPad

2. turn off photo sync in iTunes to delete all photos on iPad

3. turn on photo sync again

I’ve been struggling with this issue for several months. The results have been very random and hard to pin down. The conclusion-opinion I have come to during my last round is that the iPad can only handle 500 to 800 photos reliably. As you get to 1000, the sync seems to slow down drastically, and then as more photos are added, it seems to get unpredictable as to which (if any) folders it will sync and how long it takes to sync those folders.

So, if I keep the number of photos to sync less than 800, everything seems to work reliably and syncs fast. To accomplish this, I keep my pictures grouped in folders by yyyy-mm and then use the sync “Selected Folders” option, just selecting enough folders to stay under 800 pics.

I’m a little disappointed by this in that I bought a larger memory iPad to be able to have all the family photos on the device for viewing. It appears that is just not possible.

I can understand how something like this could happen - I bet the design team was just looking at having a method to share a few photos, snapped on a smart phone. The numbers above work perfectly for that particular usage model. That’s too bad - the iPad is just a wonderful device for sitting on the couch & sharing family photos. I would encourage Apple to consider a re-design on the photo viewing app and Sync in iTunes.

I have to disagree with you. It may work for you but certainly not for me as this is exactly what I've been doing and it has taken perhaps a hundred cyncs in a multitude of configurations to get it to cync all the folders I wanted but NOT ALL the photos in each folder. And the last couple of folders I had to reduce the size to 3000 pix. max. So clearly there is a serious bug with iPad 3 which Apple just hasn't admitted to.

Actually I agree with your results. I had to get under 800 pictures for things to function "normally". At 1000 photos or above things were just not predictable.