iPad2-iTunes sync finishes in seconds, and does nothing

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iPad2-iTunes sync finishes in seconds, and does nothing

Just updated my iPad2 from iOS 4.3.x to 6.0.1. Before the update, I carefully did a backup (to the PC) and transferred all my purchases, which do correctly appear in my iTunes Library (music and apps). I am running iTunes on Windows 7. After the update, I did a restore from the pre-update backup (I think). That didn't seem to actually accomplish anything -- my iPad is basically 'empty', as if brand new. I made the mistake (I think) after that of doing another backup. It now appears that I can't get back to the earlier backups.

The backup issue isn't critical (I believe), because everything is there in my iTunes library on the PC -- all that I need to do is SYNC.

When I connect the iPad to the PC with a USB cable, it immediately appears in iTunes. I sync it, and I get a very quick sequence of messages:

Waiting for sync to start

Preparing to sync

+ one more message that flashes by so fast that I can't read it

... and the sync is done. No error is shown. Except that it didn't actually DO anything.

Any ideas? It might help if there is a 'sync log' file that would show that last message.

Thanks in advance for any assistance.

Barry (Janice's husband and 'tech support')

iPad 2, iOS 6.0.1, iTunes for Windows 7

Posted on Jan 20, 2013 6:31 AM

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JanicePhx Author

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Jan 20, 2013 6:57 AM in response to JanicePhx

I found my problem. The iPad had apparently been synced with a different iTunes library (our family has three). We never intentionally synced it to another library, but when I did the iOS 6 update (from 4.3), I think that I may have been logged into a different ID.

While logged into the 'right' library in iTunes, when I selected the iPad device in the Sidebar (on the left), and then selected "Music" in the button bar along the top, I found that the "Sync Music" box was not checked. I checked that. Then when I hit 'sync', I got a message saying that this iPad is synced to a different library and asking if I wanted to lose that sync and establish the new one. I said 'yes', and now things appear to be syncing.

In my earlier trevails (described in the question), iTunes could easily have warned me that I was logged into one library, but trying to sync with an iPad that was previously synced with a different library. Instead, it silently 'finished' the sync without running it. AWESOME software design!!

I love Apple's device design. I think their software design, which seems to be all tangled up with Digital Rights Management, is too confusing. There needs to be a way to make the model (the mix of multiple libraries and multiple devices) more apparent to the user.

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