ITunes could not back up the iPhone "iPhone 4" because an error occurred.

Getting this error every time I sync or try to manually back up. I have deleted my backup out of the MobileSync folder, I have tried creating new Administrator accounts and manually backing up, I checked permissions on the MobileSync folder and even the whole disk but I still get this error. I'd rather not restore my phone and lose all of my messages, settings, folders for apps and the like. Does anyone have any ideas?

I have the same problem and know that we are not allone.
Apple-Macintosh-Company: do something!
Yours
[email protected]

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ITunes could not back up the iPad "iPad Name" because an error occured

Hello. I have been backing up my iPad to the cloud since I got my iPad just over a year ago, but whenever I try and back up to a computer it comes up with the error 'iTunes could not back up the iPad "iPad Name" because an error occurred'. After reading MANY posts on the internet about this issue I am still not any closer to figuring out why it is not backing up and has never been able to back up to a computer. I am running Windows 8 Enterprise 64bit on a HP laptop. My iPad is a 3rd Gen 16GB iPad.
Here are the things I have tried:
1. Update iTunes and iPad to latest software.
2. Delete all previous backups by trying two methods (I have been unable to backup the iPad at all so there were no previous ones. Here are the two methods:
a) iTunes -> Edit -> Preferences -> Devices -> Device Backups (none there)
b) C:\Users\James\AppData\Roaming\Apple Computer\MobileSync -> delete backup folder.
3. Turned off Windows Firewall. I am not running any other security software apart from the built-in Windows Defender.
4. Uninstalled the entire Apple suite (iTunes, Quicktime, etc.) and reinstalled.
5. Deleted the lockdown folder from C:\ProgramData\Apple.
6. Disconnected all USB devices and removed CD from disk drive.
7. Removed local backup encryption password.
8. Tried a fresh user account.
9. Tried a fresh user account on a different computer (Win 7)
10. Tried a different cable (original from Apple)
11. Run diagnostics on iTunes (all reported OK. Connectivity to iPad was fine)
I have probably missed some things that I have tried because I have tried ALOT but this is most that I can remember. Just to re-iterate, the iPad has always been able to backup to iCloud fine and syncs perfectly well with iTunes. The only problem is when I try to backup to a computer. Any help or suggestions will be much appreciated. Thanks

I have a similar problem. My iPad is barely a month old and it backed up/synced fine at first. Now I get this same error. I've tried the same things Jalex mentioned plus several more. Nothing worked.
Then something odd happened. Last night I was on my laptop and opened itunes. It looked for, found my iPad and synced with it all by its self. I thought "thank goodness something must have worked"!! Now today, same thing...get the error everytime.
I think it is fairly common Jalex, as I've found several posts and followed all the directions trying to find a fix. I haven't however found a post where anyone found a specific fix.

Error message: iTunes could not back up the iPod "iPod name" because an error occurred

Every time I try to back up my iPod I get this error message: iTunes could not back up the iPod "iPod name" because an error occurred. How do you fix it?

Try moving the existing backup file to a safe location and then try again. The backup file is located:
Mac: ~/Library/Application Support/MobileSync/Backup/
Windows XP: \Documents and Settings\(username)\Application Data\Apple Computer\MobileSync\Backup\
Windows Vista and Windows 7: \Users\(username)\AppData\Roaming\Apple Computer\MobileSync\Backup\

"iTunes could not back up the iPhone 'my IPhone' because a session could not be started with the iPhone"

Since 2 updates I started getting iTunes could not back up the iPhone 'my IPhone' because a session could not be started with the iPhone. This is happening with my iPad and iPhone. I see hundreds of complains on this issue starting from last year and obviously Apple has no clue how to solve this error. I went through the solutions and spend over an hour deleting backups resetting lockdown, restarting and nothing is working. Are they serious to ask us to disconnect all other USB devices to sync our equipment everyday to solve their problem? iTunes is the worst program I have seen on the market in the past 10 years. It reminds me of DOS programs that could only do one item at a time. You click a command and just wait and wait and wait. Of course they want me to call customer service, wait for x time to talk to tech support and then spend more time. I don't have the time. I spent a lot of money to get an equipment that should work as advertised and not spend further my valuable time. I have reached my limit with Apple and that crap iTunes. I'm calling for a divorce.
[By the way, your spell check doesn't recognize your own products such as iPad, iTunes and iPhone. Such an embarrassing company.]

Do you happen to be running any processes that Apple doesn't want you to use? (Jailbroken?)

ITunes could not back up the iPhone because a session could not be started with the iPhone

Hi
I have just updated to iTunes 10.7.(oh it just scrolled off the screen give me 5 minutes for it to come back again) 10.7.0.21 - the latest version
I run Win7 64bit & during installation i got the blue-screen of death & windows crashed
I went to apple website & downloaded iTunes manually & installed (it tried to install in the (x86) folder as usual, so i forced it into the 64 bit program folder like i always have to do.
It now runs fine but when ever i sync in get the error "iTunes could not back up the '' iPhone because a session could not be started with the iPhone"
I have tried deleting the existing backup as suggested in the forums but that didn't solve the problem, and now i have no backups at all
I have restarted the iPhone & the computer but the error is still the same.
PS i have "Encypt local backup" selected, if i try to unselect that option at the moment it says my password is incorrect, my password is correct, i made a record of it & know exactly what password i used but iTunes is saying it is wrong, is this because i have no backups at the moment or is iTunes completely broken
I have also tried to backup to iCloud as a temporary measure but it says i don't have enough space so must buy some!
Any help would be appreciated

Could be that iTune can't read your latest backup file. You might have to delete it, follow this article to find out how to delete the backup from the list: iTunes: "Backup could not be saved on the computer" alert message

I am getting error message "iTunes could not back up the iPhone because the backup was corrupt or not compatible with the iPhone". I have deleted the backup and restarted my computer, but continue to get this error message. What do I need to do now?

I have recently updated my phone and am attempting to sync it. I got the error message "iTunes could not back up the iPhone because the backup was corrupt or not compatible with the iPhone". I deleted the backup, restarted my computer, and even restored the iPhone, but continue to get the same error message. What do I need to do now?

iTunes places the iPhone backup in the following location. Navigate there & delete everything in the backup folder, but not the folder itself. You will have to turn on "Show All Hidden Files & Folders" to see it:
Mac:~/Library/Application Support/MobileSync/Backup/
Windows XP:\Documents and Settings\(username)\Application Data\Apple Computer\MobileSync\Backup\
Windows Vista and Windows 7:\Users\(username)\AppData\Roaming\Apple Computer\MobileSync\Backup\

My iPhone Won't Sync with computer. It used to; but it doesn't now. I don't have iCloud. When I try to sync I get a message that reads: iTunes could not back up the iPhone "owner's name appears here iPhone" because the backup could not be saved on compute

Why won't my iPhone sync with my computer? When I hook the phone up to iTunes I get a message that reads: iTunes could not back up the iPhone because the backup could not be saved on the computer. This never happened before.

Hey Janice Lucoff,
Thanks for the question. It sounds like you are experiencing issues backing up your iPhone 4s in iTunes, which is causing issues finishing the sync of your device. The following resource should help resolve your issue, as it refers to the exact error message you described:
iOS: If you can't back up or restore from a backup in iTunes
http://support.apple.com/kb/TS2529
Thanks,
Matt M.

I want to backup my phone before upgrading to ios5 but I get an error message itunes could not back up the iphone because a session could not be started with the iphone. Please help me..

I want to backup my phone before upgrading to ios5 but I get an error message: itunes could not back up the iphone because a session could not be started with the iphone. I want to go to ios5, but I do not want to lose everything. I've gone to my device under preferences and I have no backup currently.
I have a Verizon Iphone 4 and a PC.
Please help me..

Hi Judy,
Im using windows 7 and im not a computer wizard, i've tried the method by using the instruction for Win7 but it does not work, same problem still exist.
Could uninstall itunes and reinstall it back on my pc fix my problem, please advise...... Many Thanks!
VBR,
ray

HT4137 error code:iTunes could not back up the iPhone "Karen's iPhone" because it is locked with a passcode. You must enter your passcode on the iPhone before it can be backed up.

I am trying to use Itunes to move my data from my iphone 4s that was backed up on my Macbook Pro. I keep getting an error code backing up from ITunes to new Iphone 5s:iTunes could not back up the iPhone “Karen’s iPhone” because it is locked with a passcode. You must enter your passcode on the iPhone before it can be backed up. On the Iphone it keeps telling me to add another network. I have put our home network on the Iphone. When I put the passcode in the phone does not give me enough time to put my Apple ID password in and it shuts off. Help!
<Email Edited by Host>

FORCE IPAD INTO RECOVERY MODE
1. Turn off iPad
2. Turn on computer and launch iTunes (make sure you have the latest version of iTune)
3. Plug USB cable into computer's USB port
4. Hold Home button down and plug the other end of cable into docking port.
DO NOT RELEASE BUTTON until you see picture of iTunes and plug
5. Release Home button.
ON COMPUTER
6. iTunes has detected iPad in recovery mode. You must restore this iPad before it can be used with iTunes.
7. Select "Restore iPad"...
Note:
1. Data will be lost if you do not have backup
2. You must follow step 1 to step 4 VERY CLOSELY.

ITunes could not back up the iPhone "my name Iphone" because the backup was corrupted on not compatible with the iPhone.

Hi..
While working in India I bought an iphone 4s (with international warranty)
I have synced my old iphone 4...and get this message when trying to sync the new phone.
iTunes could not back up the iPhone because the backup was corrupted or not compatible with the iPhone.
Do I need to buy Lion? Whats up?
Any help?
Thanks

I get this issue about once a week on my iPhone 3GS running 4.2.1 (although it's been happening since 4.0 I believe). It starts will the iPhone stalling while backing up. I then end up sliding to cancel on my iPhone. I unplug my iPhone and plug it back in. It looks like it syncs but I then get the error message that you get. Here are my steps to temporarily solve the problem:
1. I curse a little
2. I unplug my phone and quit iTunes
3. Open iTunes and plug my phone back in (sometimes the problem is solved at this point)
4. Curse some more (if the problem persists)
5. Unplug my phone and turn it off. At this point I end up having to do a hard-restart on my phone because it won't shut down (hold the home button and power button at the same time until the screen blips off)
6. Turn the phone back on and try syncing again (50% chance the problem will be "solved" at this point)
7. If I still get the error message I curse one more time and then simply hit "sync" in iTunes. 99% of the time it will be solved in this step. If the issue is still present then I will try once more to restart iTunes, and then if that doesn't work repair disk permissions.
Like I said, I seem to go through this routine every week or so. This week I've had to do it twice already (once yesterday and once today). I've tried restoring my phone using previous backups but the issue still occurs. I think my next step will be to do a full factory restore, which means I'll have to organize my data and apps all over again (like having a new phone). This is a last resort!
I hope this long post helps.

Itunes could not back up the iPhone because an unknown error occurred

I am trying to update my Iphone 3GS to the 4.01 update, but I keep getting this error: "Itunes could not back up the iPhone because an unknown error occurred" Then Itunes tells me to reconnect my Iphone and try again, I do so...and I retry the update and I get the same error over and over again. What do I do? I can't update my phone...

Nevermind, I misread.
Message was edited by: Melissimo

How to resolve error message "iTunes could not back up the iPhone because the backup was corrupt or not compatible with the iPhone. Delete the backup for this iPhone, then try again."

I inadvertently deleted my iPhone backup on my MacBook Pro. I restored iPhone to factory settings and then synced remotely with iCloud. However the error message repeatedly states:
iTunes could not back up the iPhone because the backup was corrupt or not compatible with the iPhone. Delete the backup for this iPhone, then try again.
Any ideas as to how this can be resolved please. Thank you very much.

My wife's iPhone 5 would not backup, after upgrading to iOS 8.     The "genius" at the Apple store succeeded in DELETING, the only recent backup of her phone so
recovery became more critical.
I followed all the procedures for troubleshooting it, but still it would try to backup and then stop due to an error. We particularly wanted to preserve some game data/history/progress that she'd been working on for years.      This game (Dream Fish) would no longer open after the iOS 8 upgrade ... and the phone would not successfully backup, and so we had no confidence that it would restore from an older backup either.       I googled for solution and found Phoneview and iFunBox.      These apps allow you to see & access data files in the iPhone.      Phoneview was too fragile and crashed when copying a file any size.
I found "iFunBox".     iFunBox was excellent.      I used iFunBox to recover her game data.    It allows you to make a copy of data files that reside on the iPhone... and store them as a manual backup on the Mac.
And in the process I found 2 games that caused iFunBox to crash.      The 2 games in question were not important enough to try to keep, so I deleted them from the iPhone.
So then, I had a manual backup of the important iPhone data, and had eliminated two game files that apparently had a conflict with iOS 8.
My next Backup attempt was successful.        The iPhone with iOS 8 would now backup to both the Mac and to the Cloud.
Next I deleted Dream Fish from the iPhone and downloaded a fresh version from the Cloud.    The new Dream Fish with no history opened in iOS 8.
Then I used iFunBox to copy my wife's Dream Fish data history from the Mac back into the new game.
Once the transfer was complete, Dream Fish would now OPEN and all of her progress was there and working like normal.
Hope this helps.

HT1766 Error message: "iTunes could not back up the iPhone because the backup was corrupt or not compatible with the iPhone. Delete the backup for this iPhone, then try again." But how do I delete the backup?

Error message when attempting to backup up iPhone4S to Mac says "iTunes could not back up the iphone because the backup was corrupt or not compatible with the iPhone. Delete the backup for this iPhone, then try again." But how do I delete the backup? Can't find answer to that anywhere.

We had this problem after upgrading to iOS 8.       The iPhone 5 would not backup either to the cloud or to the computer.   Backup always ended with an error message.
Long story short, with the help of iFunBox ( which I used to make manual backups of some important iPhone data files ), I discovered two games that
would crash iFunBox.      They were not important games for us, so I didn't try to isolate the offending data files.     And I deleted the two games from the iPhone.
Apparently these two games conflicted with iOS 8 just as they did with iFunBox.      The next backup without those games was then successful.
I backed up to both the Mac and the cloud.
Hope this helps.

HT201210 error message: itunes could not back up the iphone "..." because the backup session failed. I don't know what to do to fix this problem?

I keep receiving the error message: itunes could not back up the iphone "....." because the backup session failed. Can anyone advise me on what I can try doing to fix this problem?

This Apple article talks about backup issues -> iOS: Troubleshooting backup issues in iTunes
Are you able to backup if you move the previous backup from the location below to the desktop?
Windows XP: \Documents and Settings\(username)\Application Data\Apple Computer\MobileSync\Backup\
Windows Vista and Windows 7: \Users\(username)\AppData\Roaming\Apple Computer\MobileSync\Backup\

I deleted the backup on itunes, synced again and got the error message: itunes could not back up the iphone because the backup was corrupt or not compatible with the iphone

I am using iphone 3GS, after syncing for few times and got the errors. I deleted the backup from Edit-> Preferences-> Devices. Then I synced again, there was an error message: itunes could not back up the iphone because the backup was corrupt or not compatible with the iphone. What can I do? I have no backup anymore on ituens.

babesharon
I closed iTunes & manually deleted the file which was still stored locally even though it didn't display in Preferences. I have vista so I went to
C:\Users\{user name}\AppData\Roaming\Apple Computer\MobileSync and deleted everything in the Backup folder (though I left the folder as is). If you have a different OS search the apple website for the backup location.
I reopened iTunes & Synced with out a problem. I also got the update to install.
Good luck.

I tried to update my iPhone4's, but get the following error message: iTunes could not back up the iphone "iPhoneName" because the backup was corrupt or not compatible with the iphone. Delete the backup for this iphone, then try again.

I tried to update my iPhone4's, but get the following error message: iTunes could not back up the iphone "iPhoneName" because the backup was corrupt or not compatible with the iphone. Delete the backup for this iphone, then try again.

The solution will be found here, select your computer type and software.
http://support.apple.com/kb/TS2529

ITunes could not back up the iPhone "iPhone 4" because an error occurred.

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