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itunes could not backup because a session could not be started with the iphone

Well it looks like since this latest update to iTunes I now get the session could not be started error. Followed the recommended steps of deleting the backup. (wish I wouldn't have as I have nothing to return to if I need to reset the phone) Doing this and rebooting all did nothing to resolve the issue. From what I am reading this looks to be more common since the 10.7 update of iTunes.


Apple I hope you or someone can help getting this resolved. Please support us loyal followers. 😕

iPhone 4S, iOS 5.1.1, iTunes 10.7 64 windows

Posted on Sep 15, 2012 11:34 PM

Reply
65 replies

Mar 12, 2017 1:53 PM in response to adw770

Tips For Windows Users when iTunes sync not working

  1. Close iTune

    Then disconnect your iDevice

  2. Go to start and type in %ProgramData%
  3. Go to the Apple folder and then navigate to the Lockdown folder
  4. Delete all the files in the Lockdown folder except the system configuration file
  5. Restart iTunes

    Once iTunes opens, connect your iDevice

  6. You should now be able to back up your iDevice

Conclusions


We “fondly” call this particular error the iTunes dreaded syncing problem–and with good reason. It’s very frustrating and you often need to perform multiple tips to get things working again. Hopefully, a few of the tips listed above worked for you. If you’ve encountered a different fix, please let us know in the Comments. We love to hear from you all and learn more ways to defeat this dreaded iDevice/iTunes sync not working problem!

And of course, remember to always back up your iDevices via iTunes and iCloud, if possible following our 2X2 rule (2 cloud and 2 local backups.) As this error points out, no one method of backup is 100% all of the time, so best to have multiple backups in multiple places (or in the clouds!)

Mar 12, 2017 1:54 PM in response to neko101

Tips For Windows Users when iTunes sync not working

  1. Close iTune

    Then disconnect your iDevice

  2. Go to start and type in %ProgramData%
  3. Go to the Apple folder and then navigate to the Lockdown folder
  4. Delete all the files in the Lockdown folder except the system configuration file
  5. Restart iTunes

    Once iTunes opens, connect your iDevice

  6. You should now be able to back up your iDevice

Sep 21, 2012 10:34 AM in response to adw770

Likewise, same problem here since the updated software launched.


When did Apple become so complacent and amateur? It's like they've developed OCD and can't help but mess up a launch in one way or another! TO compound the matter, they've lost all sense of imagination and design originality! I'm sure on the iPhone 6 they'll really think outside of the box and move the volume buttons or the camera a few millimeters!


I know for that when my current iphone 4S contract runs out I'll be looking elsewhere! Shame on you Apple...youve lost your way!

Sep 26, 2012 2:43 AM in response to adw770

I was unable to sync my iPad because of this issue. I have both an iPhone and iPad and they are set up for WiFi synchronization. I did the following to sync my iPad and update to IOS 6.0.


1) Turned off my iPhone. It happened to be on the charger and when I would start up iTunes it would start a WiFi sync automatically.


2) I disconnected my iPad from the USB cable and did a sync over WiFi. This worked, but one cannot update IOS over WiFi.


3) I then set my iPad to airplane mode, thus disconnecting it from WiFi, and synced via the USB cable and upgraded my system to IOS 6.0.


What I think is going on, and note that while being a programmer I've not touched Apple software since the days of the original Macintosh, is that iTunes gets confused when there is more than one path, for lack of a better term, to use to synchronize a device. So make sure that iTunes doesn't have any choices to make. No more than one device and no more than one way to reach the device.


Thanks to neko101's post above. The hint that WiFi sync worked is what I needed to get past this.


Hope this helps.

Sep 28, 2012 8:05 AM in response to adw770

I little discovery. I had my devices checked to sync over wifi and that worked. But plugging them into teh PC gives this error. When I unchecked sync over wifi, the dvices backed up with no issues plugged in to the PC. Some sort of issue when you have sync over wifi checked and then plug the device in to the computer. Some sort of confusion by the device i guess.

Oct 1, 2012 5:48 PM in response to adw770

Does this happen with iCloud or just local PC backup? Cynical thought: drive business to iCloud?


I've wasted 2 hours now futzing to try to get iPhone and iPad to back up (Windows 7 Ultimate). They stopped working a couple months ago. Worse, it sometimes APPEARS they backed up (iTunes seems to complete, rather quickly) but didn't (how many people will lose their data due to this behavior). This is just outright embarrassing for Apple -- and frustrating as all getout. My next tablet might well be Android based, this is just totally pathetic! As well as ditching updates to the 2-year old iPad1 already. Apple is rolling in money, yet continues to act like revenue is the sole thing motivating them. How about putting some of that great profit back into the user community, by making some of this stuff robust. This problem has been known for months now, yet no bug fix?

Oct 1, 2012 6:46 PM in response to adw770

I uninstalled iTunes 10.7 and re-installed it (after trying a lot of the other things Apple recommends with no success). That seems to have backed up my iPhone OK, and iPad is chugging along now. Hmm, got an popup error message about session, although it seems to be "transferring my purchases." And completed without displaying an error indication, just the battery state indicator.


Tried again. "iTunes could not sync information to the iPad ... because a connection could not be established to the iPad. (Which is sitting there unlocked with a wired connection and happily talking to iTunes otherwise.)


Tried again. Deleted some apps in iTunes not on iPad that had updates available, downloaded the updates to the remaining one. Sync worked. So maybe the problem is around apps updated on iPad and NOT updated in the PC Apps collection, or something like that. Programmer expected updates to be downloaded into iTunes then to iPad perhaps?


I'm leaving the WiFi synch turned off and trying wired only, to see if that helps (per some of the other online speculation re iTunes not getting app info from iPad nor session to iPhone).


BTW, the only relevant changes on my PC in several months were Windows security updates (and Norton signatures in background).

Oct 5, 2012 10:27 AM in response to adw770

I originally had issue syncing and backing up my iPhone 4 iOS 6 with iTunes 10.7 using Windows 7. Kept telling me it was disconnected at about 90% of the way or that the backup was corrupted when trying to restore. Tried deleting the backup and I still was unable to recreate a new backup or sync. I reimaged my Windows PC since I thought it was a OS issue. After the reimage I was able to back up my iPhone with no issues, but now under my wife's profile I am having the exact same issue with her iPhone 4 iOS 6. Tried both USB and Wi-Fi sync and none worked. Nothing is working. Removed iTunes and reinstalled, deleted and recreated her Windows profile, even tried syncing via iTunes on my profile where my phone works. I eventually had to use my work Windows 7 laptop with iTunes 10.6.3.25 to be able to backup and restore her data to a new iPhone replacement she received. So frustrating this seems to be a bug with the new 10.7 iTunes update. Constant crashes with Apple Mobile Device Service and something called Apple Push service. It really tends to screw things up badly even killing my screen resolution when this happens. Are we not supposed to sync more than 2 devices on a Windows 7 PC? Apple Support I hope your reading this. Any suggestion would be great since right now I am unable to sync any data to her iPhone not even music or even replace her phone. HELP!!!!

itunes could not backup because a session could not be started with the iphone

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