iTunes stuck on "Reading photos from Pictures"

How did you install iTunes 12.7.5? Use Microsoft Windows App store to install. I encountered a similar problem after download from some other website. It would be better to do a clean uninstall of the existing iTunes and other Apple components as recommended by Apple in the order specified before reinstalling.

I figured out the fix. the problem is even thought we turn off icloud and the drive for pictures some how it is still storing them in icloud. Apple wants us to use i cloud.

so heres what you do.

1 make sure both you device and itunes are on the most current versions.

2 delete all previous back ups

3 delete ipod picture cache.

4 on your device turn on the photo library after it does its thing turn it off and it will say that it will remove photos in icloud.(perfect)

5 plug in your device to itunes and sync and select the new folders for pictures you want.

the whole problem is that the new itune soft ware forces your device to back up to icloud.

hope this help. i has now work numerous times for me and i sync 27000 pictures to my device.

it does take long but it does work.

Sorry, I forgot a step:

1) Uninstall iTunes

2) Download iTunes 12.7.3

3) Delete the file iTunes Library.itl

4) Do not update

5) Sync

Hi,

I had the same problem with my iPad. I deleted the iPod Cache folder and the problem got resolved.

I deleted the iPod photo cache folder and after about 10 minutes the photos starting to sync. I’m running Windows 10.

Try this method which worked for me, was originally detailed in another thread by user ErgoEdbo.

1. Delete the iPod photo cache.

2. Perform a synch on your device BUT uncheck the 'synch photos' box, when prompted select 'remove all photos from this device'. Complete the synch

3. Disconnect USB from PC and then perform a 'hard reboot' of your device and let it restart.

4. Begin a new synch BUT this time check the box to 'synch photos. This will recopy ALL your target folders and photos and can take some time to complete - basically it is as if you are setting up a new device. (If you manually manage, as I do, maybe just add one or two albums to start with).

Hope that will work for you.

If this works please report back as I don't want to keep pushing this alternative work round if it fails for people.

Also see this post which has details of how to revert to the previous OS which may also help.

can not sync photos with ios 11.3 and itunes 12.7.4

Note this has worked for me on every synch I have done since 6th April, and I have updated both os and iTunes since then. I only have around 3,000 photos and currently my synch sticks on 4 of 5 actions, reading photos, for about 10 minutes but then continues to 5 of 5 actions and finishes and my albums are in place and any new photos/albums I have added are also there.

Note iPhone 7 and later which don't have a proper home button you use the volume down button rather than the home. Not sure about iPhoneX?

Press and hold down the On/Off button on the right side.

While continuing to hold the On/Off button, press and hold the volume down button on the left side of your iPhone.

Hold both buttons as the screen turns off, and keep holding them until the screen turns back on and displays the Apple logo.

FIXED … No thanks to APPLE .. BUT thanks to Forum member “sheindk”

I have the latest iPad 10.5 PRO 256GB using latest IOS11.3.1 and iTunes 12.7.4

I completely removed the current latest Itunes from my
Windows 10 PC USING the method recommended by APPLE …How to uninstall iTunes
etc.

Then I followed his/her advice:

Download the previous iTunes 12.7.3 from:

https://www.itechtics.com/download-itunes-12-7-3/

Then selected : Download iTunes 12.7.3 offline installer for Windows
64-bit [EXE 252 MB]

HOWEVER
.. small problem when opening this version on iTunes….. …
Warning appeared “iTunes Library.itl
Cannot Be Read because it was created by a newer version of iTunes””I Googled this and was directed to “idoanloadblog.com” and then a YouTube video to show you “How to Downgrade
iTunes and fix the Library.itl cannot be read error”I followed every frame of this video …

Then
I did an overnight 9 hour sync and all 38,000 plus photos were copied!

Phew!I am still very, very angry that Apple have still not fixed the error to the
latest iTunes and the way that they are handling this problem. It is now over 6
weeks since this started.

Good Luck! Michael.

phygtle, that's the best answer to this problem so far. It serves to show Apple that indeed the last version of iTunes 12.7.3 was running fine, until its upgrade to 12.7.4. Thank you for showing a solution that really works. I have done as instructed, removing the current iTunes and installing the earlier version, and now my 9,000 pictures have synched correctly! The issue with the iTunes library error I bypassed by simply renaming it and letting iTunes create a new one, as I am not currently using my music library anymore. I figured it was old-fashioned, since I now carry a Spotify Family subscription. :-)

Thanks Ricky

I've caved in and gone back to the previous version as well. Although sync was working, it took hours (I have 6,800 photos but not at full definition) and I got tired of waiting for the sync to finish.

I'll persist on 12.7.3.46 until a new version comes out which hopefully fixes this.

See this iTunes installers link for downgrade instructions and links to alternate builds of iTunes directly from Apple's servers. The .itl that has been accessed by 12.7.4 cannot be read by 12.7.3, so you need to restore a pre-upgrade copy from backup or the Previous iTunes Libraries folder.

tt2

There have been quite a few workarounds posted in this thread that have worked for various people. So far the solutions seem to fall into 3 main classes:

1. Reset and restarts with changing cables and ports

2. Deleting iPod Photo Cache

3. Roll back to iTunes 12.7.3

Solution 2 worked for me although it still took 5 hours to sync 5000 photos on a USB 2 port. I have now implemented solution 3 and will report the time to sync.

Each of these solutions seem to work for someone, but not everyone. I'm sure there are lots of people happily synching photos under Windows 10, iTunes 12.7.4 and iOS 11.3.1.

I hope your trip to Brentcross Apple Store provides a usable solution for you. Hopefully it will work for everyone, but I will not hold my breath because Windows 10 exists in so many forms, on so many platforms, plus the different generations of iPad, and iPhone.

I believe this is why Apple is struggling to provide a solid solution to this issue. There are a huge number of combinations to consider - especially those combinations that don't have this issue. If the Apple developers cannot produce a well documented, reliably repeatable scenario, then resolution will be a nightmare. It could be that this issue exists for just a few dozen rare cases in the context of millions of users who do not have this issue.

If this issue was affecting 10% of Apple customers, I would expect a significant coverage in the technical press. But there's nothing I've heard of other than this thread. May be that's the real problem here - it's not a conspiracy to force unwanted solutions on unwilling customers, we're just a few dozen users who have fallen in the cracks between Microsoft and Apple.

Nonetheless, good luck with Brentcross Apple store - looking forward to the next episode.

Cheers

Ian

I just keep on deleting the folder "Ipod Photo Cache" inside my "Pictures" pc target folder every time I do a sync to my pc with an iPhone 8 and iPod...whew!!!

Very STRESSFUL and FRUSTRATING!!!

I almost do 3 syncs for the iPhone, then another 2-3 for my iPod until all the photos in my pc "Pictures" folder, sync in on both my devices.

This started when I upgraded to iTunes version 12.74!

Apple, don't release an update if it will just make things worst & complicated!

Test it for 1 Year BEFORE you release an update either iOS or in iTunes!!!

I've just installed the latest update iOS 11.4, plugged phone straight into comp with normal cable, didn't bother about removing cache or anything and YABA DABBA DOOOOO, photos currently syncing like greased lightening with all my folders showing again, only a few left to go so hope I'm not tempting fate by posting this before it finishes...…..

Well, finally, after Apple's release of iOS 11.4 along with iTunes 12.7.5 today, our user's collective photo syncing problems appear to have been solved, all is now working as it should! The headaches, anguish, frustrations and workarounds in completing simple & routine photo syncing to their devices which was foisted upon so many users by Apple's incompetence in neglecting to ensure that their software had been properly tested these past months was really regrettable and frankly, unforgivable. I'm sure that it's very likely that Apple has lost some customers over this snafu going forth in the future, and deservedly so.

Those of us who stuck with things and remained loyal to Apple products should be given a medal. So please, Apple, try not to allow anything like this happen again. We pay you our hard-earned money for your brand, start earning it... along with our trust going forward.