Some of you might be preparing for the future by trying to make an iTunes backup of your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch. Others could be failing to reap the rewards of that preparation, struggling to restore their iPhone from a backup file they already made.
Either way, if you’re reading this, you likely received similar iTunes error messages:
“iTunes could not back up the [iPhone] because the backup was corrupt or not compatible with the [iPhone].”
OR
“iTunes could not restore the [iPhone] because the backup was corrupt or not compatible with the [iPhone] that is being restored.”
Contents
- Quick Tips:
- What data is included in my iTunes or iCloud backup?
- Why does my iTunes backup fail?
- Troubleshooting Guide: What to do first when you see the error ‘the backup was corrupt or not compatible’
- What to do if iTunes could not back up the device
- What to do if iTunes could not restore a backup
- Still seeing the message that the backup was corrupt or not compatible?
- Wrap Up
Don’t let the similarity of these error messages mislead you, the troubleshooting steps are quite different.
- Those looking to make a new backup can delete corrupt files and start fresh.
- Users who need to restore data shouldn’t delete anything.
Have no fear, we explain step-by-step what you need to do. And rest assured, it doesn’t matter if you’re using an iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch — the instructions are the same!
Quick Tips:
If you’re trying to make a new backup:
- Update to the latest version of iTunes and iOS.
- Check the connection between your computer and device.
- Disable Windows security or antivirus software.
- Remove existing backups from iTunes.
- Recreate the Backup folder in your system files.
- Remove and reinstall iTunes.
If you’re trying to restore an existing backup:
- Update to the latest version of iTunes and iOS.
- Check the connection between your computer and device.
- Disable Windows security or antivirus software.
- Try restoring from a different backup.
Related articles
- iTunes Backup Now not working after macOS upgrade
- Restore a backup from a newer version of iOS to an older version of iOS
- iTunes backup location: Where is the backup folder located?
- How to find iTunes backup on Windows & Mac
What data is included in my iTunes or iCloud backup?
Let’s start by explaining exactly what data iTunes stores in your backups and then look into how they can become corrupt so easily.
An iTunes or iCloud backup stores almost everything from your device that doesn’t already have a copy elsewhere. That typically includes:
- App data
- Device settings
- Text messages and iMessages
- Photos and videos that aren’t on iCloud
- Apple Watch backups
- And more
It’s equally useful to know what isn’t included in an iTunes or iCloud backup
Backups never include Face ID, Touch ID, or Apple Pay information. And if you don’t encrypt your iTunes backup, those backups also don’t include any of your Activity, Health, or Keychain Password information.
Apple considers this personal data too sensitive to keep a copy of, particularly if that copy isn’t encrypted.
iTunes or iCloud backups also don’t include data that is stored elsewhere. That includes:
- Emails, which are on your email provider’s server
- Data from third-party cloud services, like Google Drive or DropBox
- iTunes, Apple Music, and App Store content, which can be easily re-downloaded
- iCloud data, such as Contacts, Calendars, Notes, and iCloud Photo Library
That last point, iCloud data, is an important one.
Anything you have chosen to sync over iCloud is not stored in your backup.
That’s because there’s already a protected and secure copy of it in the cloud.
Exactly what data syncs to iCloud depends on your particular settings.
You can easily check what is in your iCloud account by logging on to the iCloud website.
And the good news is that you can retrieve any data stored in your iCloud account without using a backup.
So it pays to check iCloud first! You might just discover that everything you care about is in iCloud anyway!
Why does my iTunes backup fail?
There are two reasons you might not be able to make a backup: either a file has become corrupt somewhere or the software on iTunes and your device is not compatible with one another.
If there is a corrupt file, either on your device or in the existing backup, iTunes can’t copy the data and the backup process will fail.
If the software is incompatible, iTunes can’t properly speak to your device and, again, the backup will fail.
How did my backup become corrupt?
iTunes uses incremental backups. That means every time you update your backup, iTunes only copies data the new data.
This is good because it greatly reduces backup time!
Without incremental backups, it’d take an hour or more to update your backup even if nothing had changed from the last one.
However, incremental backups are prone to persistent errors. This is because when a file on your existing backup is incorrectly copied, that bad copy is present on all the following backups as well.
Over time those corrupt files stack up and continue to get copied onto new backups.
How can I fix a corrupt backup?
First, try our troubleshooting guide below. Many readers found success following these steps.
But, if after trying these steps, your backup is still corrupt, there are some third-party options that might help.
We haven’t had the opportunity to test any ourselves, so we don’t recommend any one product. Instead, if you go this route, we encourage you to read user reviews and comments to ensure the product does what you need it to do.
Some popular options with our readers include:
- TunesCare by TenorShare
- TunesFix by iMyPhone
- Decipher Backup Repair by Decipher Tools
There are also some other apps that help extract data from an iTunes backup. These tools may help you recover data, even if you’re unable to restore from the backup.
Again, we haven’t been able to personally test these apps, but here are some of the most popular ones:
- MobiSaver by EaseUS
- Dr.Fone by Wondershare
- Data Recovery for iPhone by Stellar
Apps like this usually come at a cost.
They aren’t easy to develop, and when they work as promised, can save you considerable time and effort — not to mention help retrieve any data that’s at risk.
However, we suggest you try our troubleshooting guide below first, to see if you can resolve an iPhone backup that is corrupt or not compatible for free.
Troubleshooting Guide: What to do first when you see the error ‘the backup was corrupt or not compatible’
Regardless of your specific iTunes error message or backup problems, everyone should follow the first three troubleshooting steps.
These three steps resolve most common causes of corrupt and not compatible iTunes backups for iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch.
Step 1: Update to the latest version of iTunes and iOS.
First, let’s tackle the “not compatible” section of the error message.
Do this by making sure you have the latest version of iTunes on your Mac or PC and the latest version of iOS on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch.
How do I update the software on my iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch?
- Go to Settings > General > Software Update.
- Wait for your device to check for updates.
- Download and install any updates it finds.
How do I update iTunes on my Mac?
- Go to Apple > About This Mac > Software Update.
- Wait for your Mac to check for updates.
- Download and install any updates it finds.
How do I update iTunes on my Windows PC?
- Open iTunes and click Help > Check for Updates.
- Download and install any updates it finds.
- If there is no Check for Updates option:
- Open the Microsoft Store and go to More > Downloads and updates > Get updates.
- Download and install any updates it finds.
Step 2: Ensure a good connection and reboot both devices
Now make sure you’ve got a good connection between your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch and your computer.
Test your lightning cable, your USB and lightning ports, and finally your iTunes connection. Then restart both devices while keeping them connected.
How do I ensure my lightning cable and ports work?
Start by inspecting your lightning cable for signs of wear and tear. If there are fraying sections or kinks, consider using a new cable. Ensure whatever cable you use is either an official Apple lightning cable or an MFi certified accessory.
Shine a flashlight in the lightning port of your device and the USB port of your computer. Check for debris or lint and clean out any you find using an antistatic brush or a clean, dry toothbrush.
How do I test my iTunes connection?
Connect your device and computer together using the lightning cable. Be sure to use a USB port directly on your computer, not on a USB hub or through an external keyboard.
Open iTunes if it didn’t automatically open. Unlock your iOS device and if a pop-up appears asking whether to trust this computer, tap Trust.
Your device should appear as a small icon in iTunes. If it doesn’t, your devices haven’t recognized each other.
How do I restart my devices?
When you know there’s a working connection, restart both devices while keeping them connected. Use the Shut Down option on your computer and the slide to power off function on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch.
Don’t force restart your device while it is plugged into iTunes or it will go into recovery mode!
Some users have found that restarting both devices 2–3 times worked for them.
Step 3: Temporarily disable your security or antivirus software
Windows users should temporarily disable any security, antivirus, or malware software. These can interfere with iTunes and could be the reason you couldn’t back up or restore your iPhone.
Similarly, if you have third-party security software on your Mac, this should also be temporarily disabled.
Check with the security software’s developer to find out how to disable it. And make sure to turn it on again after you’ve successfully completed a backup.
What to do if iTunes could not back up the device
If you haven’t already, complete the first three troubleshooting steps above.
Then follow the steps below if iTunes could not back up the iPhone because the backup was corrupt or not compatible.
Click here if iTunes could not restore the iPhone because the backup was corrupt or not compatible.
Be sure to try making a new backup after each step.
Remove existing backups from iTunes
If your existing backup is corrupt, iTunes can’t update it. For that reason, we’re going to move that backup to your Desktop. This causes iTunes to create an entirely new backup from scratch.
By moving the backup instead of deleting it, you can still use it with third-party backup repair software later.
First, find the iTunes Backup folder on your computer. Then use your device’s UDID (Unique Device Identifier) to locate the correct backup and move it to your Desktop.
How do I find the iTunes backup folder on a Mac?
- Click the magnifying glass in the menu bar or open Spotlight.
- Type: ~/Library/Application Support/MobileSync/Backup/.
- Hit Enter to open the Backup folder in Finder.
How do I find the iTunes backup folder on a PC?
- Open the Search Bar.
- Type %appdata% or %USERPROFILE% (depending on where you downloaded iTunes from) and press Enter.
- Open the folder called ‘Apple’ or ‘Apple Computer’ > MobileSync > Backup.
Once you’ve found the iTunes Backup folder on your computer, you need to find your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch UDID.
How do I find my UDID?
- Connect your device to the computer and launch iTunes.
- Go to the device Summary page.
- Click on the Serial Number until you see the UDID.
The UDID should exactly match a folder in the iTunes Backup folder. Rename that folder to something clear like “Old [device] backup”. Then move it to your computer’s Desktop.
Next time you try to create a backup, iTunes will think you deleted the old one and it will start afresh. This new backup might take longer than they usually do.
Additionally, if you ever need to recover data from that old backup you’ve still got it on your Desktop.
Recreate the Backup folder in your system files
If the last step didn’t work, or if you were unable to locate the iTunes Backup folder, you can manually create the Folder hierarchy in your system files.
It’s actually much simpler to do than it sounds! It simply means creating a series of new folders with specific names.
How do I recreate the iTunes Backup folder on a Mac?
- Click the magnifying glass in the menu bar or open Spotlight.
- Type: ~/Library/Application Support/.
- If there is already a MobileSync folder, move it to your Desktop.
- Create a new folder in Application Support called MobileSync.
- Then create a new folder in MobileSync called Backup.
- Try to make a new iTunes backup.
How do I recreate the iTunes backup folder on a PC?
- Open the Search Bar.
- Type %appdata% or %USERPROFILE% and press Enter.
- If there is already an Apple or Apple Computer folder, move it to your Desktop.
- Create a new folder in %appdata% or %USERPROFILE% called Apple Computer.
- Then create a new folder in Apple Computer called MobileSync.
- Finally, create a new folder in MobileSync called Backup.
- Try to make a new iTunes backup.
Remove and reinstall iTunes
You should now have copies of all your existing iTunes backups on your computer Desktop. If you don’t, use the previous two steps to do so.
Completely removing and reinstalling iTunes resolves corruptions in the software. It should not affect other data on your computer, but we still advise you to make a backup first.
How do I remove and reinstall iTunes on my Mac?
- Go to Apple > Shut Down and wait for your Mac to power off completely.
- Turn on your Mac and hold command+R.
- Keep holding both buttons until you see the Apple logo or a spinning globe.
- Enter your firmware password if prompted.
- When the macOS Utilities window appears, select Reinstall macOS.
- Follow the on-screen instructions and wait for the reinstallation to finish.
How do I reinstall iTunes on my Windows PC?
The instructions to remove and reinstall iTunes on a Windows PC vary depending on your version of Windows and where you got iTunes from.
For that reason, follow the guide on Apple’s website to remove and reinstall iTunes on a Windows PC.
Use third-party software to repair a corrupt backup
At this stage, you’ve done about everything you can do to resolve software errors by yourself. If you still can’t make a new backup it’s time to turn to the experts at Apple or use one of the third-party tools mentioned above to repair corrupt backups.
Again, we haven’t had the opportunity to test them ourselves, so be sure to conduct some research before paying for one.
What to do if iTunes could not restore a backup
If you haven’t already, make sure you complete the first three troubleshooting steps.
Follow the steps below if iTunes could not restore the iPhone because the backup was corrupt or not compatible.
Be sure to try restoring your backup after each step.
Try restoring from a different backup
It doesn’t sound like a great solution, I know. But if you back up your device regularly or back up other Apple devices, you may have more than one option.
You could restore a different backup without losing anything important.
How do I restore a different backup using iTunes?
If you have multiple Apple devices and you back up all of them to iTunes, you can restore a different backup to your device. The same backups work across iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch devices.
- Connect your device to the computer and launch iTunes.
- Go to File > Devices > Restore From Backup.
- Select an alternative backup to restore from.
How do I restore older backups using Time Machine?
Unfortunately, unless you make manual archives or use Time Machine, iTunes only keeps the most recent backup of each device.
With Time Machine, you can restore your iTunes Backup folder to a time when your backup wasn’t corrupt.
- Connect your Time Machine backup drive to your Mac.
- Click the magnifying glass in the menu bar or open Spotlight.
- Type: ~/Library/Application Support/MobileSync/Backup/.
- Hit Enter to open the Backup folder in Finder.
- Click the magnifying glass in the menu bar or open Spotlight.
- Type: Time Machine and hit Enter to open it.
- Use the arrows to navigate to a time before your last backup.
- Click Restore and try restoring a backup from iTunes again.
How do I restore a different backup using iCloud?
If you also use iCloud to back up, try resetting your device and restoring from that. Similar to iTunes, you can use iCloud to restore a backup from a different device.
- Go to Settings > General > Reset > Erase All Contents and Settings.
- Follow the Set Up prompts.
- When given the choice, choose to Restore from iCloud Backup.
- From the Choose Backup screen, you can see the date and device of each backup.
- Restore from a different backup.
Still seeing the message that the backup was corrupt or not compatible?
Unfortunately, there’s not much else you can do yourself if your iPhone backup is still corrupt.
At this point, we suggest you reach out to Apple Support for further instruction.
You could also try using those third-party tools to try and recover your device’s data or repair a corrupt backup. This software normally isn’t free, but it may be the only way you can recover your data.
Once again, we haven’t had a chance to test any of these apps, so be sure to research them yourself before making a purchase.
Wrap Up
After reading this guide, we hope you are able to restore your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch from a backup file or update an iDevice backup that was corrupt.
If not, let us know what’s going on in the comments and we’ll be sure to try and help.
Dan writes tutorials and troubleshooting guides to help people make the most of their technology. Before becoming a writer, he earned a BSc in Sound Technology, supervised repairs at an Apple Store, and even taught English in China.
Albert John says
Often times simply removing the printer from Devices & Printers and adding it from scratch with the right driver will solve such problems. If your printer is an average home office device then used the disk that came with it, Print spooler keeps stopping windows 10, which usually runs a wizard procedure for adding printers.
GM says
Thank you so much for your help. I think the one factor with finding that alias backup folder and deleting it worked. My iPhone 6s backed up now, just waiting for my new iPhone 8 plus.
Judit says
Hi Martijn
I would like to save my pictures as well. Have back-uped the Backup on my desktop and downloaded the TrID sofwasre and put it in the same folder but don’t know how to procede from here..
Can you explain the steps more precisely? (I am very unfamiliar with working with the CMD window).
Thank you!
SK says
Hi Judit,
Since you are using a third-party software (TriD), please refer to their support team to get further information on using this particular program.
Good luck.
SK
Martijn says
Today I was playing with a backup with the same issue. My backup seems to be not complete because manifest files (info.plist, status.plist, manifest.plist, manifest.mbdb, and manifest.mbdx.) are missing
I recovered almost all pictures! What did I see when I was checking the files in the backup:
– Files in the backup do not have an extension.
– Filenames are very long
What I found out was that when I was changing a file with “b720d84892451b1b845ffe5076a4cb34e923aa5d” to “b720d84892451b1b845ffe5076a4cb34e923aa5d.jpg”, the picture could be opened.
I downloaded TrID and TrIDDefs from the web
I copied all files from all directories of the backup to a single directory C:\TEMP
I copied TrID, as also the TrIDDefs in the same directory with the 1000s of files.
Opened command prompt CMD and went to C:\TEMP
Typed TrID * -ce
This small program is changing file extensions for all files.
Pictures will be .jpg, movies .3gg, etc. etc.
Since I was only interested in the pictures I was glad to have them back. But then they are called: b720d84892451b1b845ffe5076a4cb34e923aa5d.jpg
Then I downloaded Namexif via http from the web
With this program, it is possible to rename all jpg foto’s to a date as stored in the EXIF data of the pictures.
Now all pictures with EXIF data (self-made pictures) are now named like “2017-03-23 22h51m22.jpg”
This is good enough for me. I have my pictures back. That was the main goal.
Hopefully, this also helps for you!
Mouse1999 says
iPhone could not backup because backup file was corrupt or not compatible. I have an IPHONE 6S and the above tricks, worked! Thanks so much! 1/22/2017
Hasnain says
Hello , I have recieved this error after trying to restore from my backup. Any help would be good.
count says
keerthi says
APRIL 20, 2013 AT 7:31 PM
I had the same problem with win 7 OS, not sure if this fix stesp will work for other os systems.
1. Close iTunes
2. Make sure your Explorer displays hidden files
3. Go to C:\Users\username\AppData\Roaming\Apple Computers\MobileSync\backup
4. Delete everything there (or move it somewhere else, to be on the safe side)
And done. Restarted iTunes and backup worked.
i did exactly this but i only cut it from the back up folder and it worked. am very grateful. thanks a lot
s baker says
lost email, phone screwing up. apple says pics are corrupt (Iphone 5) and I cannot transfer to computer. They say only way to fix phone is deleting all
photos. HELP!
Sumer says
@BK…it worked. A million thanks. I was going crazy here. Appreciate you taking the time and typing that up. Ur a lifesaver
Zara says
Hi, my backup could not be restored because I am missing the manifest files( info.plist, status.plist, manifest.plist, manifest.mbdb, and manifest.mbdx. ) i lost all my notes, contacts, photos,etc, everything! How can I get iTunes , or another software to recognize this backup without these files? The Apple senior adviser, with collaboration of the Apple engineers, could not help me with this. Thank you
Scott says
Hi, had same problem. Could not back up my iphone 4s in iTunes (Corrupt file message).
I went into path : C: \ Users \ [username] \ AppData \ Roaming \ Apple Computer \ MobileSync \ Backup
I had no back up file to delete, so I deleted the folder “Backup” and created it again (made a new folder called Backup)
Restarted itunes and “backup now” in iTunes worked !
Thanx !
Lisa says
Glad to see someone caring about this corrupt backup issue, it seems to be hitting more and more people!
I was getting the error while trying to restore a backup, so deleting the backup wasn’t going to help 🙂 I used a tool called Decipher Backup Repair, fixed it like magic so I could restore.
Christian says
THANK YOU!!!!!
Glenn says
I used time machine to replace the corrupted file that wouldn’t allow me to backup from the restore files, figured out which of my iTunes backup files to replace, then clicked on that folder with all the files in it ( I figured it out based on the date modified as I had several from various iPods and an iPad and clicked on get info of each of them to figure this out ) Go in to library/application support/mobilesync/backup
Hass.D says
I’ve tried this solution…but the SAME error keeps showing up.
Mohammad Sadek says
Thank you very much! it worked perfectly, following the mentioned steps i have been able to back up and transfer all the information to my new iphone 5s devise
Regards,,,
Joe says
Well, there is one thing that I have learned from all of this. If you delete your backup in that file path, THEN YOU DO NOT HAVE ANYTHING TO BACKUP FROM. So don’t do any of this. You may as well just start over with a fresh install.
lisawuyesa says
The most important thing to know is that there is a backup, and that you keep a current backup in case things go wrong. The problem users get into is not having a backup and suddenly they have to restore their device and find themselves back at the starting point.
Read more:
Neerad says
Go to the following path in your PC:
C: \ Users \ [username] \ AppData \ Roaming \ Apple Computer \ MobileSync \ Backup \
and delete the folders
chanaka says
thnx it worked!
Henry says
Thanks! It works for my iphone.
keerthi says
I had the same problem with win 7 OS, not sure if this fix stesp will work for other os systems.
1. Close iTunes
2. Make sure your Explorer displays hidden files
3. Go to C:\Users\username\AppData\Roaming\Apple Computers\MobileSync\backup
4. Delete everything there (or move it somewhere else, to be on the safe side)
And done. Restarted iTunes and backup worked.
Markus says
I’m fairly comfortable with understanding how to delete stored backups & where these are stored within the folders on my computer.
However I believe only a ‘few’ files within my backup are corrupt which is not allowing my new iphone to sync.
I believe this as when I used to sync my iphone3 it cam up with an error/warning such as ”could not sync file ‘x’.mp3 for example”. Therefore I believe maybe 2-3 videos which I originally transferred from using a Blackberry where not recognised by my iphone.
This was fine & I wasn’t too bothered however I now believe these are the files that are causing corruption & not allowing me to sync my data. Therefore how to I find & delete these ‘corrupt’ files from my backup so hopefully the sync will work?
The files mobliesync/backup folders read as gobble-d-gook ie. approx 15-20 characters made up of ascii characters!!! :o(
Lorn says
Back up file corrupt tried backup extractor and it’s saying file not recognised. Please help! Thanks
Andy says
What if your back up file is corrupted during half way backing up. Most of your stuff is in mobile sync /backup folder, but there are files such as info, manifest, status etc. which causes iTunes could not read your backup when you try to restore via iTunes. If you take note, all the backup files folder (successful backup) will have a files such as info, manifest and status. Without that, you can never restore the backup. Any software or help?
Jaclyn says
Bk how do you do this from a mac???
Dani says
Thank you, thank you, thank you!!! Was ready to rip my hair out and such a simple fix did it! Genius!
Matt says
I almost never post on boards, but BK THANK YOU. I’ve been looking all over for this solution and the apple people were completely unable to help me with this to the point that they asked for a screenshot of the problem and then said that I’d have to call and pay 20 bucks just to talk to them. You’re a hero.
May says
Hi,
I’ve downloaded the latest version of iTunes in order to back up my iPhone 4s(which hasn’t been updated with any new version of IOS). However, while the phone can be detected into the computer and iTunes, it says ” the iPhone can’t back up because it is not connected” few sececonds after it started back up. I tried many times but still not work. How can I transfer all my data to the new iPhone 5 then? Pls help ……
mario says
please, i’ve seen many great solutions here, but my problem is that, i need to recover an app wich was were i kept all my pw’s. is there any way to recover apps when i cannot recover my last backup and that was the only one i had… please help me. thanks
Cason Hardigree says
I tried all of these suggestions with no success. On a long shot I made the back up of my old iphone 4 an encrypted back up and backed it up over wifi instead of plugging it in. It worked perfectly, just don’t forget your back up’s encryption!
Amy says
Moving my photos and then deleting them worked for me. It figures I tried that AFTER I tried everything else. Thank you so much!
Elliot says
I’m not understanding something. If I delete (actually I saved them to a different file) the backups from the Backup folder in in mobilesync, then restart itunes and reattach my iphone 5 as instructed, what is there to restore from? I don’t get the option to restore from a backup unless I put those files back in the folder.
kevaloski says
I had the same problem with a user on a domain.
located the roming profile with the redirection folder and found “apple computers” within there created “mobilesync” and in that folder created “Backup”.
opened up i tunes and ran back fixed 🙂
Den says
This is AWESOME !!! Apple must hire you!!!
:)))))))
It works totally!!! Thank You so so so much!!!
YEAAAAAAAAAAH!!! this is great!!!!!!!
JohnM hey thanks too much it is working 100%
Sorted! Copied all photos into iPhoto.
Found 7 corrupt ones.
Deleted them on iphone.
Then allowed backup on iPhone 5 and worked a treat
mark mcmillen : bro , how did u find out the corrupt ones ? please help !
In case anyone else is running into this problem and the steps above do not help you.
I was receiving the same message and after days of fruitless Googling, I noticed that I did not even *have* a directly called %APPDATA%Apple ComputerMobileSyncbackup.
I created the folder structure and everything starting working.
Note to the previous poster who wanted more specifics… To find the folder you need, right click on the Start button and choose “Open Windows Explorer”.
In the address bar at the top, click and type %APPDATA% (with the percent signs) and hit enter. This will open some folder–typically C:UsersusernameAppDataRoaming on Windows 7, but could be somewhere else depending what version of Windows you have and your particular setup.
Then open “Apple Computer”. If “MobileSync” does not exist as a folder, create it (“New Folder” and give it the name “MobileSync”). Open the MobileSync folder. If “backup” does not exist as a folder, create it, then open it.
Unless you just had to create the folders in the last step (in which case you are probably all set), you will find one or more folders in here containing your backups. Delete these (or move them somewhere else as a safety precaution, then restart iTunes, reconnect your device, and hopefully you will be all set.
BK you are the stuff. Thank you so much. I was getting really irritated at all the sites saying the same thing without addressing those who were still having issues.
It worked. I created folder structure and it works.
‘m running windows xp, and cannot for the life of me figure out how to do this. I cannot find any of the files u have mentioned.
I think you may have just saved my life, BK! Many thanks 🙂
Thanks you so much BK !!
Finally – probably after 3 month searching for a solution again and again I found this thread – and your solution which finally solved my issue.
Many sites don’t answer the real problem – means – no old backups are there to delete and still error message comes up.
Thank you so much for the help, your solution completely fixed my problem. Your advice was so detailed and really helped me.
BK youre the man.
By far the simplest explanation and solution.
Took all of 2min to do this :)))))))))
BK, thank you so so so much for taking the time to explain! It helped a lot 🙂
Man I have never ever ever written on such websites,but what you wrote was just so brilliant…I’ve been searching for that solution for over 4 months now,Thanks!
Hi Bk! I have the folder of BACKUP in APPDATA.
I have files there! If I delete them I cannot select RESTORE BACKUP in iTunes.
Any solution??
i don’t see “apple computer”……. @bk
I can not delete the backup file because of corrupted file error. I tried many things but i think it is a hardware issue. then i renamed the Backup foldername and created empty Backup folder in MobileSync and it worked…
finally got it! thank you!!!
for those who can’t find “apple computer” hit the start button, then type %APPDATA%\Apple into the search. it will pop up!
Thank You SO Very Much! =D You’re the BEST! =D
@BK – thanks for trying, this may have worked for some, but not for me…I just got an iphone 4s replaced by apple due to WIFI issues, and I tried restoring from backup. Error message that backup is corrupted. Did what you suggested, but when those backup folders are removed, there is no backup option in iTunes anymore, since there is nothing to back up from. I have them saved elsewhere, but how do you know which files are the corrupted ones? Got any other ideas? I can use all the help I can get! Thanks!
This solution worked perfect! Thanks, I haven’t been able to back up in months. I deleted the BACKUP file and created a blank one and it worked!
I know this is an old thread, but THANK YOU BK!!! This was driving me nuts!
Thank you very much. I downloaded the new ITunes and I rec’d a message “ITunes could not back up the IPhone because the backup was corrupt or not compatible w/my IPhone 5… Tried a few things for a month but came across this . IT WORKED !!!!!!!!!!! TKS!!!!!! 🙂
You are bloody champion!! I had this problem for the last year ever since my old laptop blew up & got a new one & finally its fixed …… Apple were hopeless!
I got 2 other problems I was hoping someone can help me with
– When I plug my iPhone in it says it can’t sync. It comes up with “ITunes was unable to load data class information from Sync Services. Please reconnect” Does anyone know how to fix this problem.
– Why I was fixing the back up problem I realised all my Apple computer files were saved to our work server. Since I take my laptop home am I able to move the folder across to my computer to Sync & back up at home without effecting it? If yes, how do I do?
Much appreciated for every ones help with this!!
BK Thank you!!! This worked for me. Been struggling for a couple months to get it done!
STOP STOP STOP. All you have to do is simply follow the steps below.
1. Enable to view hidden files.
2. find AppData file.
3. Roaming.
4. Apple Computer
5. MobileSync
6.backup.
7. Finally erase the file that is dated the current day the backup was done by checking modified date.
ENJOY 😉
Jskywalker.
Hi JohnM,
Can you be more specific in the steps I have to follow?
Thanks!
Tijs
Attempted to restore my iPhone 4 backup onto new iPhone 5. Been on it all morning with same problem. Absolute nightmare.
John – I’d also love a bit more detail on your solution… Help!!! My don is desperate to get his hand me down iPhone 4 !!!!!
Huge help thanks!
Thanks !!!
Thanks JohnM
I delete the file and then what happens? When I restore still the same issue! Corrupt or not compatible!
BK,
Does this work with a MACBook or is this a Windows program?
Karla~
Jskywalker, thanks for your help. it works perfectly.
i really need to backup my phone because of the ringer control doesnt work and i am going to apple shop for repairing.
again great thanks.
JB
thx alot! it worked .. in my case i had to delete folder with previouse back up that was for my iphone
Thanks! This worked. What I also noticed on the modified date stamp was the time. it was stamped with a future time, so maybe that is why the file is coming across as corrupted.
Great Solution!!!
Thank you
Video of what? Corrupt file is not in the, library, it must be some of games or something i did download, but how to find what is it?
can you show the vido of it?
Hello again!
I did delete all the albums,photos and videos in library, but still the iTunes do not back up my iphone :((((((
Same here…I reinstalled iTunes few times and it is still “back up was corrupt or not compatible” 🙁
Any1 has any other idea?
Thank you
Followed advise on internet: issue was probably related to corrupt picture. Deleted all pictures, then reset the iPhone wiping everything, reloaded from backup but not pictures. Sync now works but very time consuming!
Tyvm, I’ll try that and get back to all of you here
Thnx again
I looked in “Edit”, “Preferences”, “Devices” and there is no backup file to delete! Now what?
To fix this problem, simply delete your corrupt backup files by opening iTunes Preferences ( Windows: Choose Edit > Preferences; Mac: Choose iTunes > Preferences), there Select the Devices tab, then select your backup and delete it, then try the backup again.
after i follow those steps, it is still happen.. keep on telling me that my back up was corrupt or not compatible.. please someone help me..
Perfect solution thanks.
Thank you so much! worked perfectly
how do you get to “Choose Edit>Prefrences”?
if you have the new updated itunes simply click the black and white box on the top left hand corner and click preferences. then click devices.
I looked at my backup file list and it is empty so i couldn’t delete a “corrupted” file as none existed. In addition, iTunes also would notsync some of my hi def videos that previously it had. The message i get states that these videos are not compatible with my ipod. I have an Ipod 4 so I doubt that there are any videos that itunes sells that wouldnt be compatible with it. Any help would be appreciated.
I have SAME ISSUE: THERE IS NO BACKUP FILE TO DELETE. IT’S EMPTY!!!
Marcus , i have same issue . u cracked it yet ?
I have the same issue. No file to delete.
dying here…
I have had these same issues if you have not yet fixed: ITunes on your computer>Preferences>Devices>delete each and all backups. Shut down and restart both devices. Should work!
I have had these same issues if you have not yet fixed: ITunes on your computer>Preferences>Devices>delete each and all backups. Shut down and restart both devices. Should work!
i already deleted my last back ups and it still says the same thing. HELP
I am not sure if your problem was fixed, I too had a “corrupt” iphone. Simple solution: iTunes>Preferences>Devices> delete alllll backups.
Thank you Meredith 🙂
In case you have important files from your corrupted backup that need to be retrieved prior to deletion, I recommend iPhone Backup Extractor tool to extract data onto your computer. You can easily import most of the files back to your iPhone, so you do not have to worry.
How do you do that? because i have some very important info in my backup file, I used to run a business from my iphone before the software crashed.
What’s mostly in our backup files?