Uboat CT
Level 1 (0 points)

Q: iTunes could not backup iPhone because the iPhone disconnected windows 7

I have been backing up and syncing my iPhone 4s through Windows 7 for the past 2 years.  I am running iOS 8.1 on the iPhone and recently downloaded iTunes version 12.0.1.26.  I can no longer sync my contacts or backup the phone and get the following error:

 

iTunes could not backup iPhone because the iPhone disconnected

I have tried plugging directly into the laptop, not the Sony laptop hub

I have deleted all previous backups on the laptop

I have restored the the iPhone

 

I previously spent hours with Apple Support because the iPhone would not sync with the previous version of iTunes.

 

HELP!

iPhone 4S, Windows 7, iOS8, iTunes 12.01.26

Posted on Oct 28, 2014 8:45 AM

Close
Uboat CT

Q: iTunes could not backup iPhone because the iPhone disconnected windows 7

  • All replies
  • Helpful answers

  • by brenden dv,

    brenden dv brenden dv Oct 31, 2014 9:05 AM in response to Uboat CT
    Community Specialists
    Oct 31, 2014 9:05 AM in response to Uboat CT

    Hi Uboat CT,

     

    I'm sorry to hear you are having issues with your iPhone after the recent updates. If you are still having issues syncing or backing up to iTunes with a disconnect error, you may find the troubleshooting steps outlined in the following articles helpful:

     

    iOS: If you can't back up or restore from a backup in iTunes

     

    iTunes: Resolve USB-related alerts

     

    Regards,

    - Brenden

  • by Uboat CT,

    Uboat CT Uboat CT Oct 31, 2014 11:21 AM in response to brenden dv
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Oct 31, 2014 11:21 AM in response to brenden dv

    Brenden -

     

    Thanks for the attempt.  Unfortunately, the latest iTunes updates have wreaked havoc with older iPhone owners.  I've spent far too long troubleshooting with multiple Apple engineers trying to pinpoint the problem - even the engineers admit its iTunes, not the phones. 


    I think Apple has succumbed to large company pressures trying to push their devotees to upgrade their phones to the latest and greatest - easily achieved by embedding difficulties for older models into software upgrades.  Sadly, it happens all the time, to no one's surprise. 

  • by johnm_35,

    johnm_35 johnm_35 Nov 14, 2014 5:31 AM in response to Uboat CT
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Nov 14, 2014 5:31 AM in response to Uboat CT

    I may have a work around/solution.


    I had this problem when on iOS 8 beta 5. Now again on 8.1. I have found a repeatable fix, however it does require part of a working backup of your device. Not sure if it works with any device of the same type, but it does with the part from your own. Anyway:


    Locate your current backup within Finder/windows explorer.

    Go into the device backup folder (will be titled the UDID of your device) and cut the info.plist, manifest.mbdb, manifest.plist and status.plist files, and paste them somewhere else for storage just in case.


    Now you need those same 4 files from a working backup of your device. Paste them into the backup folder where you just removed the others from.


    Restart your computer and device.


    Plug in and try backup. You'll notice the date of last backup on the summary page will say the date of the backup in which you took the 4 files, as this info must be in one of the files.


    Often this allows a backup to complete successfully for me.


    Unsure if all steps are required (such as restarts, and if all 4 files are needed or just one is the key), but it seems to work reasonably frequently like this when having this problem.


    I have kept a working copy of those files for use whenever this happens.

     

    I also keep a backup on another computer/hard drive in case this ever fails.

     

    Sometimes this isn't necessary, and you can just change the name of the current failing backup folder so that it creates a whole new one, but often this fails for me still. Also you may need lots of extra space available if you have large backups.

     

    Hope this helps someone