iOS 6 iCloud bookmarks sync stuck in limbo... any idea?

Exactly! Strider G7 recommended the following fix for this problem:

1) find the folder containing the backup;

2) make a zip of it;

3) edit the backup in place with iBackupBot as already explained;

4) restore the edited backup with iTunes;

5) if everything's fine, delete del zip file.

But this sounds like a foreign language for me. How can I do this? Is there really any other way to address this problem?

what were the editing steps with ibackupbot?

Hi,

I think Shawn make it pretty clear;

Shawn Lebbon

27 sept. 2012 22:28 (in response to Shawn Lebbon)

I have now successfully restored my phone with an edited backup and removed the corrupted bookmarks.db!

I used iBackupBot, but followed these steps:

1) Did a full manual backup of my phone in iTunes (in it's crashy state). Then opened itunes backup folder and made 2 zipped copies of that backup elsewhere just in case.

2) Ran iBackupBot and extracted (with info) a clean bookmarks.db file from another backup of an iPhone 4S running IOS6 (not sure how important that it's the same model and IOS version.)

3) Switched to my 'bad' iTunes backup of my main phone with the corrupted 3MB bookmarks.db file and imported the 'clean' bookmarks.db file with the info file.

4) Used iBackupBot to 'restore' the edited backup to my iPhone.

5) iPhone restored, and rebooted. Then crashed. Stayed at a black screen. I put the iphone into restore mode holding the home button after releasing the power button while trying to force a restart. This time around the screen didn't even come on at all to show the 'connect to iTunes' icons whatever that's worth.

6) used iTunes to restore the iphone.

7) when the restore completed the iPhone stayed off, I manually turned it back on simply pressing hte power button once. It came up in iTunes. I used iTunes to 'restore the backup' onto the phone. I restored the same edited backup I had just restored using iBackupBot which 'crashed' the phone preventing normal booting, but this time via iTunes interface.

8) phone backup restored OK and the phone rebooted with all my settings back. iTunes saw the phone, recognized it and started to automatically sync and restore all my music, videos, applications, folders, etc.

You simply have to replace the bookmarks.db file.

It's possible that you don't need a blanck files to replace as sometime, apps will simply generate a blank one if none is found. As I don't have time to test this, I simply followed instruction above.

As I cannot follow the above insturcitons, I restore my iPad.

However, the restoration did not help. I got the following error message:

This is such a great post! Does anyone have any idea why with following all of these directions to a T... I could even see that the bookmarks file had been modified in the backup by the time it was modified... But yet, Webbookmarksd is still constantly running in the backround the second safari is opened and it will not go away after safari is closed...why is this??

5480 wrote:

As I cannot follow the above insturcitons, I restore my iPad.

However, the restoration did not help. I got the following error message:

Did you read the post? The issue has to do with a corrupted file which is included in your backup (That's the whole point of this thread by the way). That's why it need to be deleted manually because each time you will restore from your backup, you will also restore the problem.

As we said before, if you are not able to follow the procedure (which is quite simple and well described), then, you will need to restore your iPad as a new one and stop using your backup (yes, that's mean you will loose data).

AlwaysLookin4Answers wrote:

Does anyone have any idea why with following all of these directions to a T...

I don't understand your question.

Does anyone have any idea why with following all of these directions to a T... I could even see that the bookmarks file had been modified in the backup by the time it was modified... But yet, Webbookmarksd is still constantly running in the backround the second safari is opened and it will not go away after safari is closed...why is this??

been modified in the backup by the time it was modified? this sentence doesn't make any sense to me.

how can you know that bookmark is being synced in the background on your iOS device, do you use developer tool? It make sence that if you start a sync while the user quit, the system would complete the sync. If the sync couldn't finish, then it stay active? This whole process should take usually just a few second and probably don't need to be stop because you quit Safari.

I been reading this discussion more than I should have. I missed several critical points:

1. I did not realise that the issue has to do with a corrupted file which is included in MY BACKUP. I always thought that the corrupted files are in my iPad2. Does this mean that the purchase of a new iPad2 would not help?

2. I did not realise that I will need to restore my iPad2 as a NEW ONE and stop using my backup. However, I would loose the data. I do not mind loosing Safari data (such as booksmarks, reading lists etc.) but what about the following stuff? Can I recover any of that stuff?

• mail
• calendar
• reminders
• contacts
• notes
• music
• movies
• apps
• iBooks
• newsstand
• kindle books
• evernote content

There is no way I can follow the the above instructions to replace the corrupted file; sounds like a foreign language for me.

I spent several hours reading this discussion from A to Z. Sorry, I do not get it. I could not even find any suggestion that the corrupted file is included in my backup. I also tried to understand the instructions, which are NOT simple or well-explained. You must have a computer degree to understand the steps. And I tried, really hard, word by word.

• Where to find the folder and why? Backup of what?
• What is zip? How to make a zip?
• How to edit the back-up? What is iBackupBot? Where is it? How to use it?
• How to restore the edited backup with iTunes? Is this iTunes in iPad2 or in my iMac?
• How to delete a zip file?

I will probably never understand this. The real issue is what can I do with my iPad2. It has become completely useless, battery life is down to 2 hours, I cannot edit, delete, modify bookmarks, realding lists etc.

So you may appreciate that I will probably never fix this problem without resetting my iPad2 as a new device, which should destroy my data. Locally stored data or everything which is in my iMac2?

Even worse, I do not understand why resetting my iPad2 as a new device would address the problem. My iPad2, if reset as a new device, would simpy use the old, corrupted backup data, or?

What data would I loose? Probably nothing because it is all backed up in my iMac, including the corrupted data.

Any help would be highly appreciated. Really.

That's why someone should make a video of how to do this!!!!!

After using iBackupbot to import the clean bookmark file, when I tried to restore from backup in iTunes (by right-clicking on the iphone on the left pane), I got a message my iPhone doesn't have enough space.

I have about 2.8GB available.

How much free space do I need in order to restore?

Or do I have to restore to factory state first, before restore from backup?

Thanks!

inder19, thanks for posting the fresh bookmarks file. This fixed my problem!

Hi all

I went round and round trying to solve an isue that seems related to all this stuff.

I recently noticed all my bookmarks were gone. (iphone 4s and Windows 7). iTunes simply didnt give me a drop down choice to select explorer under "sync bookmarks with" no matter what i did

I tried lots of things and FINALLY discovered that i simply had to put my I tunes password into settings/iCloud - (even though I dont use it) and suddenyl their they were. I assume this means its trying to default to icloud instead of my PC - FK why.

I resycnched, then turned iCloud off again to keep usage down, Bookmarks stuck to my iphone this time

Not exactly same problem but most likely linked...

Hi Guys, need your help to solve a similar issue.

Bookmarks and Reading List are syncing well between iPhone 4, iPad 3 and MacBook Air.

But not working at all with iMac, despite being in Snow Lion and 6.0.2 Safari.

Cannot make it work.

Tried :

1. Preferences / iCloud / Safari on-off waiting 1 minute or not, reboot or not --> no impact

2. Exported Library / Safari from Air and installed in iMac --> no impact

3. Killed Library / Safari --> no impact.

So, it seems iCloub bookmark / Reading List os working fine BUT I can't have my iMac synced with it ?!!

Any help out there ? Just too frustrating.

Thank you.

Just a note, the simplest route is:

1) find the folder containing the backup;

2) make a zip of it;

3) edit the backup in place with iBackupBot as already explained;

4) restore the edited backup with iTunes;

5) if everything's fine, delete del zip file.

#3 I did the edit via File/Import. I selected the .db.info file because the .db file was grayed out.

#4 I did not do iBackupBot/Export the modified backup. In iTunes I right clicked the iPad, selected Restore from Backup

Result I still have the "Bookmarks from ****".

Next I try to iBackupBot/Export the entire backup file. That drops 1966 files in the new location, then I see the following Copy Error (repeat 3 times on different destination drives).

Do I need to buy an unrestricted version of iBackupBot to do this operation. Or what?