Backup Error - Copying Keychain Data

This has been driving me crazy for about a month now:

All of a sudden, my iPhone won't back up to my computer. It syncs, it transfers photos, it updates like a charm, but every time I try to run a backup, it fails with the following error log:

6/9/12 1:18:31 PM	AppleMobileBackup[238]	WARNING: Backing up 5c6d4cff6043bb6b5074ab66b0d8a7921ad3916e
6/9/12 1:18:31 PM	[0x0-0x1d01d].com.apple.iTunes[186]	2012-06-09 13:18:31.110 AppleMobileBackup[238:903] WARNING: Backing up 5c6d4cff6043bb6b5074ab66b0d8a7921ad3916e
6/9/12 1:18:34 PM	AppleMobileBackup[238]	ERROR: Backup message response: 1 Error copying keychain data (MBErrorDomain/1)
6/9/12 1:18:34 PM	AppleMobileBackup[238]	WARNING: No MobileSync error code defined for error code: 1
6/9/12 1:18:34 PM	AppleMobileBackup[238]	ERROR: Backup error: -1
6/9/12 1:18:34 PM	[0x0-0x1d01d].com.apple.iTunes[186]	2012-06-09 13:18:34.279 AppleMobileBackup[238:903] ERROR: Backup message response: 1 Error copying keychain data (MBErrorDomain/1)
6/9/12 1:18:34 PM	[0x0-0x1d01d].com.apple.iTunes[186]	2012-06-09 13:18:34.279 AppleMobileBackup[238:903] WARNING: No MobileSync error code defined for error code: 1
6/9/12 1:18:34 PM	[0x0-0x1d01d].com.apple.iTunes[186]	2012-06-09 13:18:34.279 AppleMobileBackup[238:903] ERROR: Backup error: -1

I'm on a MacBook using OS X 10.6.8. Phone is a 4S running iOS 5.1.1.

I'm not using iCloud yet, still have my MobileMe account, but I haven't had any issues until about a month ago when the backups stopped.

Reluctant to do a full restore of the phone since I haven't been able to back up the past month's worth of data.

Answers on a postcard, please... I can't figure this one out!

iPhone 4S, iOS 5.1.1

Posted on Jun 9, 2012 1:42 PM

33 replies

Sep 20, 2013 5:26 AM in response to Paddlesnz

Hi Paddlesnz,

Yep, great news.

Exactly the same as you. I couldn't install iOS 7 via i-tunes due to the back up problem, but managed to do so over wifi, although it took hours.

Thankfully I can now back up to i-tunes so it certainly does look like Apple have fixed the keychain error.

Sorting out iMessage and push notifications on iOS 7 was another issue though 🙂

Sep 20, 2013 7:16 PM in response to matt_shoreditch

Sorting out iMessage and push notifications on iOS 7 was another issue though

Yes same here. I had to follow other posts and back-up, do a factory reset, and then reinstall the back-up. Takes a while, but managed to clear out some junk on the phone while I was at it. Seems to be fine now.

Nov 18, 2013 10:38 AM in response to sdschramm

Pardon my ignorance, but how do you use PhoneView to do this?? Can it be done if phone is NOT jailbroken?

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Backup Error - Copying Keychain Data