• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

AppleToolBox

Tools and Fixes for Mac, iPad, iPhone & iPod

Search posts

  • About
  • Contact

CONNECT WITH US

CATEGORIES

  • All
  • iPhone
  • iPad
  • Mac/MacBook
  • Apple Watch
  • How-To’s
  • Reviews

SITE

  • Home
  • About Us
  • Contact
  • Advertise

Search posts

You are here: Home / Mac / iTunes Backup Now Not Working after macOS Upgrade, Tips to Consider

iTunes Backup Now Not Working after macOS Upgrade, Tips to Consider

By Dan Helyer 0 comments Last updated April 4, 2018

If you backup your iPhone to a Mac, you may have encountered some problems after the latest macOS update. Some people have had error messages while trying to backup; others can’t start an iTunes backup in the first place. If you’re having trouble, this post will outline tips you can use to fix it.

Pro Tip: Use this guide to fix backups for your iPad and iPod as well!

Contents

    • 0.1 Related Posts:
  • 1 Ensure You’re on the Latest iTunes
  • 2 Restart All Your Devices
  • 3 Check Your Connections are Working
  • 4 Your Old Backup Might Have Corrupted
  • 5 iTunes Preferences Could Be Causing Problems
    • 5.1 Related Posts:

Related Posts:

  • Backups: iTunes vs. iCloud, How to choose?
  • iTunes could not backup iPhone because the iPhone disconnected
  • iTunes backup location: Where is the backup folder located?
  • How to extract your iPhone / iPod Backups (iTunes)

Ensure You’re on the Latest iTunes

The most likely cause of your problem is that your iTunes software is out of date. New updates to iTunes are frequently released, and it’s easy to fall behind. Take a minute to check that you’re running the latest version and see if it fixes your backup problem.

Update Your iTunes Software

  1. Open the Mac App Store > Updates
  2. Update iTunes if a newer version is available

Restart All Your Devices

Turn off both your Mac and your iPhone before trying to complete another backup. Restarting your devices is an excellent way to work out small issues that can arise over time, it might be all that’s needed to let you backup again.

Turn off your Mac

  1. Click the Apple icon in the top left
  2. Click Shut Down…

Turn off your iPhone

  1. Hold the power button
  2. Slide to Power Off

Check Your Connections are Working

There could be an issue with the connection between your iPhone and Mac. Try using a different lightning cable, or if that doesn’t work test the other USB ports on your Mac. You could even try to make a backup using a different computer. If any of these tips work, it means there must be a problem with your lightning cable or your USB ports.

Your Old Backup Might Have Corrupted

If you’ve already made a backup on your Mac, it might have corrupted itself and be causing problems now. It’s easy to test this by deleting the old backup and seeing if you can make a new one. However, be warned that doing so will leave you without a safety net if anything happens to your iPhone. If possible, you should make an alternate backup on iCloud before deleting your existing one.

How to Delete Your Old Backup

  1. Open iTunes > Preferences > Devices
  2. Select the old backup under Device Backups
  3. Click Delete Backup

Delete Your Old iTunes Backup

iTunes Preferences Could Be Causing Problems

If all else fails, you should delete your iTunes preferences file. This file stores your unique settings for iTunes and can be the cause of your iTunes backup not working. Don’t worry about deleting it though; a fresh one is automatically created the next time you open iTunes.

Delete the iTunes Preferences File

  1. Open Finder
  2. Hold Alt/Option and click Go
  3. Go to Library > Preferences
  4. Delete com.apple.iTunes.plist
  5. Restart your computer

So there you have it, everything you need to do to fix your iTunes backup. macOS upgrades can often cause annoying issues like this. Let us know if you have any others and we’ll be sure to show you how to fix them.

Dan Helyer( Senior Writer )

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.

Related Posts:

  • iOS 13 or iPadOS problems and how to fix them - Troubleshooting Guide
    iOS 13 or iPadOS problems and how to fix them -…
  • What is iCloud Drive and how is it different from iCloud?
    What is iCloud Drive and how is it different from iCloud?
  • How To Fix Messages and iMessage Problems in iOS 11
    How To Fix Messages and iMessage Problems in iOS 11
  • iMessage not working iOS 13 or iPadOS? Fix it today
    iMessage not working iOS 13 or iPadOS? Fix it today
  • AirPods Pro---The Complete Guide
    AirPods Pro---The Complete Guide
  • Common iOS 11 Problems, How-To Fix
    Common iOS 11 Problems, How-To Fix
  • How To Use The Messages in iCloud Sync Feature
    How To Use The Messages in iCloud Sync Feature
  • iMessage Not Working iOS 12? Fix Message App Problems
    iMessage Not Working iOS 12? Fix Message App Problems
  • The Definitive Guide to iCloud Photos (2020 update)
    The Definitive Guide to iCloud Photos (2020 update)

Reader Interactions

Write a Comment Cancel reply

Primary Sidebar

Recent Posts

  • An Introduction To the Apple Home App and How To Use It
  • Fix Netflix Error Code S7336 on Mac
  • The Best Homework Apps For iPhone and iPad
  • Fix Error 9 When Updating or Restoring Your iPhone
  • How to Check if Your iPhone Is Supervised
  • Apple Watch: Not Enough Space to Update

Connect with us

Related Posts

  • Should I sign up for Apple’s iPhone Upgrade Program?
  • Sidecar not working in iPadOS and macOS? How to fix…
  • How to open and extract .rar files on macOS
  • Error Occurred Installing iOS 12 on iPhone or iPad,…
  • Common iOS 12 Problems - A Comprehensive…
  • Who's Afraid of Losing Data? Comprehensive Guide to…

Footer

ABOUT

  • About Us
  • Contact us
  • Advertise
  • Privacy
  • Terms of Use

DEVICES

  • iPhone
  • Mac & MacBook
  • Apple Watch
  • iPad
  • AirPods
  • Apple TV
  • iPod Touch

GUIDES

  • iOS 13 & iPadOS
  • Apple ID
  • iCloud
  • App Store
  • iTunes
  • FaceTime
  • iMessage
  • Siri
  • Books and iBooks
  • Game Center
  • AirPlay

CONNECT

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • FeedBurner
  • YouTube

© Copyright 2010-2021 AppleToolBox · All Rights Reserved

This site and its content are in no way affiliated or endorsed by Apple, Inc. · Reproduction without explicit permission is prohibited