The iPad cannot be synced. An unknown error occurred (1140).

I have the same issue after upgrading an iPad 2 earlier today.

iPad: Basic troubleshooting

http://support.apple.com/kb/TS3274

iOS: Resolving update and restore alert messages

http://support.apple.com/kb/TS1275

iPad: Unable to update or restore

http://support.apple.com/kb/ht4097

 Cheers, Tom 😉

I am experiencing the same issue, except it's on an iPad (original) that is not (and cannot be) upgraded to iOS 6. My MacBook Pro is updated to 10.8.2, yesterday, and iPhoto '11 was also updated yesterday on this computer to 9.4. I am unable to sync the iPad at all now.

I'm having the same issue. After updating all iOS devices to iOS 6, then updating all software on my iMac to the latest versions (including iPhoto 9.4), everthing was working as it should. I was able to sync all of my devices (New iPad, iPod Touch, iPhone4) with the iMac early this morning.

Subsequently, I opened iPhoto for the first time since installing 9.4, a window popped up informing me that my photo library had to be converted to work with the iPhoto 9.4. I clicked okay, and let the conversion process run its course.

About ten minutes later, I attempted to once again sync my iPad with the iMac. The sync process would run for a few seconds, then stop with a window popping up saying "The iPad cannot be synced. An unknown error occurred (1140)". I then attempted to sync the iPod and my iPhone, with the same results.

After consulting the discussion forums, it looked like lots of other users are encountering the same problem, and that it was somehow related to the new iPhoto. Someone suggested turning off syncing photos from iPhoto, which I did. With photo syncing turned off, the rest of the sync program now runs without a problem.

I've submitted a bug report to Apple. Hopefully, enough other users have done the same, and Apple will fix whatever it is that's causing the problem.

I have the same problem (...error ...1140). Followed the suggestion to uncheck "Sync Photos from iPhoto", clicked "Sync" at the bottom of that window, and the sync happened.

Have Mountain Lion, the current update. MacBook Pro. iPad 2.

Thanks Jason for starting this thread.

yeah same issue here. some one posted inanother thread that it had to do with the "&" symbol in any mp3s attatched to a slide show. Like a song by Earth, Wind & Fire. I removed all the offending songs. but still no luck.

any help on this would be great.

Same thing for me too. Both iPhone 4 & iPad 2 returning the same syncing 1140 error this morning. They synced fine yesterday (following updating to iOS6). The only thing I can think of is that I updated iPhoto yesterday. Sounds similiar to @JimminyC. Guess it's iPhoto that's done it. Time to submit a bug report and wait patiently. 😟

same problem. The only way arround it is turnning off photo syncing in iTunes. Also, the option to sync just selected iPhoto albums does not work

Turning off synching of photos eliminated the error for me. At least its a temporary fix. Thanks.

Same problem for me. Worse, it's on the new iPhone 5.

Same problem here. After updating iPhoto, I get error 1140 on all my devices--including an iPod Touch 2nd gen running iOS 5. Disabling syncing photos allows me to sync. Also, the option to sync only selected albums, etc is greyed out. I can't even click it.

Tried deleting the iPod photo cache in iPhoto. Didn't work. Indeed, after deleting, the photo cache didn't rebuild itself upon syncing. What used to be a 30 gig folder full of thousands of thumnails now contains only one wee little 600k data file.

This is a bug in iPhoto. I am going to submit a bug report.

Hi _DUG_

Can you please explain how you deleted the iPad cache in iPhoto?

Thanks

Here you go, Shuka:

http://support.apple.com/kb/TS1314

You have to right click on your iPhoto library and select "show contents." The cache is in there, as are all your original photos (you may be surprised how big the cache is!).

Let me know if this works for you. I advise keeping a copy of the existing cache around if you can. When I saw that iPhoto didn't rebuild it, I put my old one back.

I, too, have a first-generation iPad running iOS5.5 and am having this problem with both it and my new iPhone 5 and iOS6.

I'm pretty conservative about upgrading my production machines with the latest OS, and only yesterday decided that Lion was finally stable enough to make the jump from Snow Leopard. Everything sync-related worked fine until I upgraded iPhoto to 9.4 this afternoon.

Since then, iPhoto has been updating the thumbnail cache for more than an hour (it's a pretty big library), so it's likely the sync issue has something to to with the thumbnail cache being in flux.

I'm going to wait for the updating process to run its course and will try syncing again and will report back if anything noteworthy happens.

deleting cache did not work for me