incorrect free space required for sync

Question

incorrect free space required for sync

I didn't want to post here, but since the site sent me here, I might as well gripe about my problem.

I'm running a Mac Pro with iTunes 10.6 and attempting to sync my iPad 2 (iOS 5.1). The capacity bar says I have 2.7 GB of free space. When I sync, I get this error message:

"The iPad “Kevin P Murphy’s iPad” cannot be synced because there is not enough free space to hold all of the items in the iTunes library (additional 46.03 GB required)."

I've run through all my tabs. I'm only syncing Music, Movies, and TV Shows. I have the sync "Entire Music Library" checkbox enabled, and the "Automatically Include all" for Movies and TV Shows. I also have the "Sync only checked songs and videos" checkbox enabled on the Summary tab, so under the Music, Movies, and TV Shows portions of my library, only those items checked should sync. They are all checked correctly. I do not have everything checked in any of those categories.

So why does iTunes think my iPad needs another 46 GB of space when I clearly am under that amount? By the way, this problem start when I tried to add 1.41 GB of music to an earlier successful sync of all the movies and TV shows. That 1.41 GB has apparently triggered a need for 45 GB more when it doesn't exist. Does anybody know what's going on here?

Mac Pro, Mac OS X (10.7.2)

Posted on Mar 23, 2012 9:10 PM

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Answer 1

Chris CA

Level 10

82,513 points

Mar 23, 2012 10:42 PM in response to cinEmotion pictures

cinEmotion pictures wrote:

So why does iTunes think my iPad needs another 46 GB of space when I clearly am under that amount?

It's not clear to us that you are "clearly under that amount"/

So why does iTunes think my iPad needs another 46 GB of space when I clearly am under that amount?

Most likely because that is what you have checked.

How much do you have checked?

By the way, this problem start when I tried to add 1.41 GB of music to an earlier successful sync of all the movies and TV shows.

All your movies and TV shows?

How did you try to add this music?

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Answer 2

Mar 24, 2012 1:48 AM in response to Chris CA

It is clear. I said I had 2.7gb free, tried to add 1.41gb of music, and it told me I needed another 46gb of space to be able to sync. The movies, tv shows, photos, etc I have checked (as per the "Sync only checked songs and movies" function) make up the 55(or so)gb which were previously, successfully synced to the iPad (tho it's a 64gb device, I know I only actually get about 58gb). Everything is NOT checked in any of the categories, and my capacity bar is telling me I have that 2.7gb still free. Why it thinks I need 46gb to sync a gig and a half of music is the crux of my problem.

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Answer 3

Chris CA

Level 10

82,513 points

Mar 24, 2012 10:03 AM in response to cinEmotion pictures

cinEmotion pictures wrote:

It is clear.

To us it is not which is why I asked.

Sounds like you may have something else selected.

I suggest rather than using checkmarks, keep everything checked and create playlists to sync.

Select the Music tab and the Movies tab and select Sync selected playlist then tick the playlist you want to sync.

Add/delete items from these playlists and sync the iPad.

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Answer 4

Mar 24, 2012 10:44 AM in response to Chris CA

I would do that, even for the sake of simplicity (I don't like organizing my iTunes that way), but since the iOS 5 update, when I go that route, it rarely syncs everything on a given playlist.

I guess I'm just frustrated because I shouldn't HAVE to use an alternative method, ya know? I feel like I shouldn't update any iOS for at least 3 or 4 updates, because every new version creates more problems than it solves.

I'm not really interested in getting AROUND the issue... I want to FIX it, lol. And I can't be the only one having this problem, but I must be using cruddy search terms because I can't find an answer... :-(

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Answer 5

Mar 24, 2012 11:05 AM in response to cinEmotion pictures

Well, here's an update... one of the steps I omitted in my original description of the situation was the following:

When I clicked the "sync" button, it would give me the dialog box which says "there are purchases on this ipad that have not been transferred, would you like to transfer them now?" - or something to that effect. I always clicked "Transfer." This last time, I check the box that says "Do not ask me this again" and clicked "Don't Transfer." Suddenly, miraculously, it works. I have no idea why that would matter, since 99% of the items I've ever "purchased" from iTunes (and 100% for this particular iPad) are apps, and I didn't have the "Sync Apps" box checked on the Apps Tab.

Oh well, it appears to have worked for now. It's currently syncing, so fingers crossed!!

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Answer 6

Nov 15, 2012 4:39 PM in response to cinEmotion pictures

did that and worked on my ipod!!! 😀

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Answer 7

vwx

Level 1

0 points

Sep 3, 2013 7:50 PM in response to cinEmotion pictures

This just happened to me, too, on an iPhone 4 when trying to sync with iTunes on my MacBook (current version of iPhone software and iTunes). All that had changed since the last successful sync was that I'd listened to a couple of podcasts, and wanted to sync to replace the played episodes with unplayed ones, and all of a sudden it was telling me I needed 19.3 GB more space.

I unchecked the "sync podcasts" option, thinking that maybe I'd somehow managed to download a 20 GB podcast episode without noticing (as unlikely as that seemed), but it removed my 7 GB of podcasts and told me I needed another 12 GB of space. So I re-checked that option and tried removing my music, with the same problem.

I restarted the phone and laptop twice each and iTunes an extra two times, to no avail.

I tried to restore iPhone from backup, but it said I didn't have enough space to do so.

I ended up unchecking ALL sync options and re-syncing (it got stuck at the "checking for content to copy" stage for 10 minutes on the first attempt, but the second attempt worked), which left me with 20GB of "Other" and nothing else on the phone. I then restarted the laptop and iPhone again, and the next re-sync cleared all the excess "Other" stuff. I then re-synced podcasts with no problem, followed (separately) by music with no problem. It seems to be working OK now, fingers crossed.

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