"An iPhone has been previously synced with this computer" error on sync

Question

I recently resurrected an old original iPhone to use as an iPod touch (no phone contract) and started syncing it to my home Mac Mini, which is where I sync nearly all of my iPhone 3G data from. I can't honestly say which was the last iPhone to successfully sync, but I just docked my iPhone 3G for the first time in a few weeks and got an error, "An iPhone has been previously synced with this computer". It's only allowing me to either set it up as a new phone, or to restore from either my 2G or 3G iPhone backup.
I don't want to restore; I've added a load of apps, notes, photos, etc since the last archive on that Mac Mini.
NOTE: This home Mac Mini syncs all the iPod content to my 3G. My MacBook Pro syncs the Pictures to the 3G. And all calendar/contact data is synced OTA (over the air).
(I have been regularly syncing/backing up to my MacBook Pro while I've been on the road. So I do have a valid archive on that system.)
I don't understand why I'm getting this error. It's almost as if I can't sync multiple iPhones to the same computer, but AFAIK that's not correct.
I suppose I could move an archive from the MBP over to the Mini and restore from a valid archive, but that seems obtuse.
What would cause this error? I can't update my music/tv/podcasts on here until I get this sorted out… bugger!
thanks
-Joseph

Answer 1

praxxis wrote:
Thank you for your response will2b but I am looking for a solution for the problem that I cannot sync the same phone with the same computer I have been for a couple of months now. It shouldn't matter that I did not sync my phone for a couple of weeks. I should still be able to sync the same phone to the same computer. This is obviously some kind of software glitch and I am looking for a solution.
some advice from blacksheepia:
I had been having issues with having good reception in a suburb within close proximity to Los Angeles. Called ATT and they were able to synchronize my phone while I am at home to a closer cell site and that has improved things a great deal. Also I was told that you should turn the phone off at a minimum of once a week and if possible more times to reset it and give it time to rest and cool off. The other thing I have discovered may be the actual way that the phone is constructed. Today I was using it at home in the same room and noticed the bars go down and come up when I changed how I held it. I thought their was no possible way that it could be that simple, but after changing the way I held it 5 times alternating from gripping my whole hand around the back with my palm and just finger gripping from the sides and making sure I was not blocking the back of the phone, well as much as possible, the results were that I had 4 to 5 bars of reception. Now this may seem crazy, but there is a possibility that this could be the cause of bad reception if the antenna is in the back shell of the phone and by blocking it with your palm you could interfere with the reception. Crazy I know, but I have heard of much crazier things with new phones and technology.