Constantly restoring iPod due to a missing sync file

iPod model: Ipod Nano (3rd Gen)
softwear Version: 1.3.3 (current)
Format: Windows
Capacity: 8 GB
itunes Version: 11.0.4.4
For the past few days I've been having a very annoying issue. Whenever I plug in my iPod It tells me that it's unable to sync to itunes because my iPod is missing the sync files. I find that odd. This is the first time in the 6 years -almost 7- that I've owned this device, that I've experienced this problem. Restarting the computer, unplugging and replugging the iPod back into the computer and trying a different computer all produces the same error.
Here's what happens.
-Plug iPod in
-Itunes starts syncing my iPod.
-itunes gives me an error saying my ipod can't be synced because if missing a file needed to sync my ipod to itunes.
-iPod is disconnected from iTunes -by itunes- yet my computer can still detect it as a removeable device 95% of the time.
I don't understand why It's doing this. I always disconnect my ipod from a computer once it's finished syncing -once both itunes and the ipod both say it's finished- by selecting the option on itunes and by selecting the safely remove hardware option in the taskbar.
In order to restore my iPod, i have to click the ipod button when it pops up in itunes and hit restore before thhe error message comes up. It's a pain in the but that i have to do this every time i connect it to my computer. Is there any long term solutions for this?

Hey TidalWavesLion,
Thanks for the question, and welcome to Apple Support Communities.
This error usually relates to a missing file for photo syncing. A good troubleshooting step would be to restore the iPod, then try to sync each type of media at a time (i.e. sync music only, then sync photos only, etc). This will help us isolate the issue.
iTunes: Unable to sync photos
http://support.apple.com/kb/TS3697
Symptoms
In certain situations, iTunes may display an alert or may be unable to sync photos to an iPod or iOS device. Examples include:
- This error appears: "The iPhone/iPod touch '[device name]' cannot be synced. The required file cannot be found."
This article outlines steps to resolve these issues...
Thanks,
Matt M.

Similar Messages

Unable to update or restore Ipod due to firmware not found?

Can anyone help me? I've had my Video Ipod for about a year and a half and have never had trouble with it until now. I can't update it to the lastest software as a message comes up Unable to update software due to firmware not being found. I tried to resort to restoring it to the original factory settings but I ran into a message that said Unable to restore ipod due to firmware not found. Has anyone else had this problem? Help!!!

For step-by-step instructions, go here:
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=304309

Restored Ipod now Itunes will not sync with Ipod music shows to be in library

Restored ipod, now Itunes will not sync with ipod, music still shows to be in my library. Ipod does show to be under a new name. How do I get the music back on ipod. note Ipod is classic modle

Hello Cobre,
After reviewing your post, I have located an article that can help in this situation. It contains helpful advice concerning syncing:
iTunes: Syncing media content to iPod
http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1351
Thank you for contributing to Apple Support Communities.
Cheers,
BobbyD

Had to restore ipod now it will not sync any of the apps that we have downloaded

Ipod was locked with password daughter forgot, had to restore ipod, now ipod will not sync any of the apps that we downloaded from itunes. Anyone know why???

I suspect you have a 2G iPod. Those can only go to iOS 4.2.1
Many developers when they updated their apps to support iOS 5 and 6 dropped compatibility for iOS 4.2.1 and earlier.
Your only way is if you have the version that was compatible on your computer such as in the recycle bin/trash or in a computer file backup. In that case delete the current version that is in your iTunes App library and replace it with the older version. Then sync.

HT201210 cannot restore ipod due to passode and new laptop

Hi, this is a tough one! Daughter disabled ipod touch with wrong passcodes. I have since got a new laptop which this ipod was not synct to.
Therefore itunes does not recognise it and will not restore, even in recovery mode. HELP! lol

Place the iOS device in Recovery Mode and then connect to your computer and restore via iTunes. The iPod will be erased.
iOS: Wrong passcode results in red disabled screen
If recovery mode does not work try DFU mode.
How to put iPod touch / iPhone into DFU mode « Karthik's scribblings
For how to restore:
iTunes: Restoring iOS software
To restore from backup see:
iOS: How to back up
If you restore from iCloud backup the apps will be automatically downloaded. If you restore from iTunes backup the apps and music have to be in the iTunes library since synced media like apps and music are not included in the backup of the iOS device that iTunes makes.
You can redownload iTunes purchases by:
Downloading past purchases from the App Store, iBookstore, and iTunes Store

Restored ipod - now it won't sync ANYTHING.

I was having trouble putting new songs on my iPod for a while, so I finally restored it. Now that I have done that, not even the old songs will sync. My ipod is completely empty now and I can't put anything on it.
Is there a way out of this?
Tried the 5 R's, have the latest software and iTunes...

i know my ipod's doing the same thing..
except my computer won't recognize my ipod and i've already tried all the other stuff to find it on my computer...so pls don't post any of those sites up..and i know its not my USB cord cuz when i plug it into my computer my ipod turns on...and i don't think its my ipod cuz i like resetted it 2 days ago...so i dont know whats up with my ipod...and its getting close to dying too..and i have no other way of cgarging it...should i try another USB cord or something??

After restoring ipod due to a forgotten passcode, do you really have to buy apps again?

My 9 year old daughter locked herself out of her Ipod touch by setting a passcode she cant remember. If I restore the ipod, does she really have to re-purchase the apps?

No. Just redownload them. See:
Downloading past purchases from the App Store, iBookstore, and iTunes Store

Restore ipod button in iTunes gives open file dialog - HELP!

I have an iPod touch which is non-working. When I plug it in to my mac, I get the message: "iTunes has detected an iPod in recovery mode. You must restore this iPod before it can be used with iTunes."
So in iTunes, I click the restore button. At that point, support docs say that I should be prompted to enter an admin password, but I'm not. All I get is a file open dialog box. Is it prompting me to find some backup file for my iPod? I don't know, but I don't have any such file. I have no idea what file I should be opening supposedly. I just want to restore my iPod to default factory settings. How do I do this?
Thanks

Check USB connections
If there’s an issue with the USB port, cable, dock, or hub, or if the device becomes disconnected during restore, try troubleshooting the USB connection, then troubleshooting your security software.
Common errors: 13, 14, 1600-1629, 1643-1650, 2000-2009, 4000, 4005, 4013, 4014, 4016, “invalid response”, and being prompted to restore again after a restore completes.
To narrow down the issue, you can also change up your hardware:
Use another USB cable.
Plug your cable into a different USB port on your computer.
Try a different dock connector (or no dock).
Add (or remove) a USB hub between your device and computer.
Connect your computer directly to your Internet source, with no routers, hubs, or switches.
If you see your error after changing your USB connections, continue to the next section to troubleshoot your hardware.
Check for hardware issues
Try to restore your iOS device two more times while connected with a cable, computer, and network you know are good. Also, confirm your security software and settings are allowing communication between your device and update servers. If you still see the alert when you update or restore, contact Apple support.
Common errors: 1, 10-47, 1002, 1011, 1012, 1014, 1000-1020.

Missing Adobe file

Hi guys,
I kinda have a problem. I used to have Photoshop CS 2 installed on my Pb and for some dumb reason I threw it all in the bin. And the next thing I did was typing "adobe" in finder and throwing all of them in the bin as well. (Not fully aware what the heck I was doing.....just thought that I had to fully erase all the traces).
No I have a document I want to open and it's a PDF. I downloaded Adobe Reader (freeware) and after installation it said that it could not open the program due to a missing adobe file. I had to reinstall it but the same thing happens again.
How do I fix this?

Hi Allan,
that's exactly what I did. I downloaded Adobe Reader from Adobe.com.....and some other places too....like versiontracker.....and they all ended up saying that some files were missing......what is wrong?
Yeah I didn't know about preview.........but still.......I would rather have the problem with the missing files fixed.
Thanks for the replies guys

How do I fix error: cannot sync ipod due to missing file

I have 4th generation ipod shuffle, but after having to do some work on computer, ipod no longer will sync and load purchased songs to my ipod. I have updated everything and reinstalled itunes. It starts to sync but then stops. I finally got an error stating it was due to a missing file. Help.

Refer to this article:
Can't connect to the iTunes Store
http://support.apple.com/kb/TS1368

How you restore your security pass code if you have disabled your iPod, due to too many pass code attempts

How you restore your security pass code if you have disabled your iPod, due to too many pass code attempts?

If You Are Locked Out Or Have Forgotten Your Passcode
iTunes 10 for Mac- Update and restore software on iPod, iPhone, or iPad
iPhone, iPad, iPod touch: Wrong passcode results in red disabled screen
iOS- Understanding passcodes
     If you have forgotten your Restrictions code, then follow the instructions
     below but DO NOT restore any previous backup. If you do then you will
     simply be restoring the old Restrictions code you have forgotten. This
     same warning applies if you need to restore a clean system.
A Complete Guide to Restore or Recover Your iDevice (if You Forget Your Passcode)
If you need to restore your device or ff you cannot remember the passcode, then you will need to restore your device using the computer with which you last synced it. This allows you to reset your passcode and re-sync the data from the device (or restore from a backup). If you restore on a different computer that was never synced with the device, you will be able to unlock the device for use and remove the passcode, but your data will not be present. Refer to Updating and restoring iPhone, iPad and iPod touch software.
Try restoring the iOS device if backing up and erasing all content and settings doesn't resolve the issue. Using iTunes to restore iOS devices is part of standard isolation troubleshooting. Restoring your device will delete all data and content, including songs, videos, contacts, photos, and calendar information, and will restore all settings to their factory condition.
Before restoring your iOS device, Apple recommends that you either sync with iTunes to transfer any purchases you have made, or back up new data (data acquired after your last sync). If you have movie rentals on the device, see iTunes Store movie rental usage rights in the United States before restoring.
Follow these steps to restore your device:
     1. Verify that you are using the latest version of iTunes before attempting to update.
     2. Connect your device to your computer.
     3. Select your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch when it appears in iTunes under Devices.
     4. Select the Summary tab.
     5. Select the Restore option.
     6. When prompted to back up your settings before restoring, select the Back Up
         option (see in the image below). If you have just backed up the device, it is not
         necessary to create another.
     7. Select the Restore option when iTunes prompts you (as long as you've backed up,
         you should not have to worry about restoring your iOS device).
     8. When the restore process has completed, the device restarts and displays the Apple
         logo while starting up:
           After a restore, the iOS device displays the "Connect to iTunes" screen. For updating
          to iOS 5 or later, follow the steps in the iOS Setup Assistant. For earlier versions of
          iOS, keep your device connected until the "Connect to iTunes" screen goes away or
          you see "iPhone is activated."
     9. The final step is to restore your device from a previous backup.
If you can not restore your device then you will need to go to recovery mode.
Placing your device into recovery mode:
Follow these steps to place your iOS device into recovery mode. If your iOS device is already in recovery mode, you can proceed immediately to step 6.
     1. Disconnect the USB cable from the iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch, but leave the other end
         of the cable connected to your computer's USB port.
     2. Turn off the device: Press and hold the Sleep/Wake button for a few seconds until the
         red slider appears, then slide the slider. Wait for the device to turn off.
          If you cannot turn off the device using the slider, press and hold the Sleep/Wake
          and Home buttons at the same time. When the device turns off, release the Sleep/Wake
          and Home buttons.
     3. While pressing and holding the Home button, reconnect the USB cable to the device.
         The device should turn on. Note: If you see the screen pictured below, let the device
         charge for at least ten minutes to ensure that the battery has some charge, and then
         start with step 2 again.
     4. Continue holding the Home button until you see the "Connect to iTunes" screen.
         When this screen appears you can release the Home button.
     5. If necessary, open iTunes. You should see the following "recovery mode" alert:
     6. Use iTunes to restore the device.
If you don't see the "Connect to iTunes" screen, try these steps again. If you see the "Connect to iTunes" screen but the device does not appear in iTunes, see this article and its related links.
Additional Information:
Note: When using recovery mode, you can only restore the device. All user content on the device will be erased, but if you had previously synced with iTunes on this computer, you can restore from a previous backup. See this article for more information.

After restoring iPod it stops syncing half way

After restoring iPod, it stops syncing while it is downloading music with an error message "Attempting to copy to the disk. iPod failed. The disc could not be read from or written to".
My music is less memory than what my iPod can hold.
What's up with this?
THX!

It's possible that your iPod's hard drive has started to fail. Take your iPod and place your right thumb on the centre SELECT button and your left on the top MENU button. Press down both thumbs for about 6 seconds until your iPod reboots. Immediately move your left thumb around to the rewind button |<< on the left and hold this down together with SELECT for a further 6 seconds. Your iPod should now switch into Diagnostic Boot mode. Press MENU for *Manual Test*, then select *IO > HardDrive > HDSMARTData* to reveal your stats. For comparison here are mine for my 2 year old 6th Generation Classic:
Retracts: 889
Reallocs: 12
Pending Sectors: 0
PowerOn Hours: 2202
Start/Stops: 894
Temp: Current 24c
Temp: Min 10c
Temp: Max 50c
Take a note of your results. When finished press *SELECT & MENU* for 6 seconds to reset the iPod again.
With modern disc drives sectors are no longer marked bad by a disc scan, if the SMART firmware detects a sector it has trouble accessing it will attempt to invisibly reallocate it to a spare area of the disc.
Note that I've only 12 remapped sectors and none pending. To help explain what the numbers mean here is an extract from the Wikipedia S.M.A.R.T. article:
*Reallocated Sectors Count*
Count of reallocated sectors. When the hard drive finds a read/write/verification error, it marks this sector as "reallocated" and transfers data to a special reserved area (spare area). This process is also known as remapping, and "reallocated" sectors are called remaps. This is why, on modern hard disks, "bad blocks" cannot be found while testing the surface – all bad blocks are hidden in reallocated sectors. However, as the number of reallocated sectors increases, the read/write speed tends to decrease. The raw value normally represents a count of the number of bad sectors that have been found and remapped. Thus, the higher the attribute value, the more sectors the drive has had to reallocate.
*Pending sector count*
Number of "unstable" sectors (waiting to be remapped, because of read errors). If an unstable sector is subsequently written or read successfully, this value is decreased and the sector is not remapped. Read errors on a sector will not remap the sector (since it might be readable later); instead, the drive firmware remembers that the sector needs to be remapped, and remaps it the next time it's written.
Large numbers of Reallocs or Pending Sectors would suggest your drive is failing and that you may need to repair or replace your iPod. Check your stats after another attempt to update your iPod. If the numbers increase that again points to hard drive failure. While it won't be good news at least you'll know it isn't some random software problem and you can decide what to do next.
tt2

IPod classic content is missing from my iTunes library after a reinstallation of Windows 7 on my PC. How do I restore the contents of my iPod classic to my iTunes library WITHOUT losing that content on my iPod?

iPod classic content is missing from my iTunes library after a reinstallation of Windows 7 on my PC. How do I restore the contents of my iPod classic to my iTunes library WITHOUT losing that content on my iPod?

See Recover your iTunes library from your iPod or iOS device.
tt2

Syncing iPod After Restoring iPod to Original Settings

I am having a problem syncing my iPod with iTunes after restoring my iPod to it's original settings. I have a 20GB iPod with a click wheel that I recently restored to its original settings because the iPod was locking up. To complete the restore, I had to first force my iPod into disk mode, which allowed me to restore the iPod. After successfully restoring my iPod, I connected my iPod to my computer to sync it with iTunes and download my music library back to my iPod. At first, 3 to 4 songs/podcasts began to download, but then I received the following message:
"Windows-Delayed Write Failed. Windows was unable to save all the data for the file G:\iPod_Control\iTunes. The data has been lost. This error may be caused by a failure of your computer hardware or network connection. Please try to save this file elsewhere."
My OS is Microsoft XP. I went to the Micosoft webpage, but didn't find any helpful information. If anyone has any suggestions on how to solve this problem, your input would be apprecicated.

When you went to Microsoft, did you find/try the following document?
"Delayed Write Failed" error message when you manage files in Windows XP

Ipod classic 160GB very slow sync and cannot connect to itunes store windows 7 ansd itunes 10.6.0.40. I have now been trying for 3 weeks to restore my iPod. Really frustrated, any ideas would be welcome.

Ipod classic 160GB very slow sync and cannot connect to itunes store windows 7 ansd itunes 10.6.0.40. I have now been trying for 3 weeks to restore my iPod. Really frustrated, any ideas would be welcome.

Cured the problem! Reinstalled an earlier version of itunes from oldapps.com (version 10) now everything works as it should. I would suggest that if you are experiencing these problems that you do the same. I must say that it is a brave business decision on behalf of apple to effectively lock out all windows 7 users from their products and sales channels and I can only wish them luck in this very shortsighted policy.

Constantly restoring iPod due to a missing sync file

Similar Messages

Maybe you are looking for