Re: “iTunes could not backup iPad because session could not be started w/iPad”

iPad showing OpenStreetMap content
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mtnmedic found a solution.

*Checked cables and connections
*Restarted iTunes
*Restarted my PC
*Checked to make sure PC date/time/time zone were all accurate
*Checked to make sure my security software (MS Security Essentials and Windows FIrewall) were up-to-date and no conflicts
*Made sure I had proper permission for the iPad backup folders. To ensure that, I selected the folders and clicked on “Take Ownership” in the context menu.
*I made sure that my user account is an Administrator account on this PC
*I logged out of my primary user account and logged in as the Computer Administrator (basically, a different user acccount that is an Administrator) and tried to do the backup to iTunes from there.

Failing with all of those things, many of which are suggested from the Apple knowledge base, I was just about to backup my iPad onto another machine, then transfer the backup to this PC and restore the iPad from here using that file, maybe even removing and re-installing iTunes, etc. Everything so far short of wiping the iPad and starting over from scratch, which I feared might end up happening.

Then, a lightbulb went off in my head. Why not do a reset on the iPad itself? Not the usual soft reset but the kind of reset that restores function to an iDevice when it isn’t responding: press and hold both the Power and Home buttons at the same time and hold them until the device restarts, ignoring the “slide to turn off” prompt. After it finished booting up, I connected it with my PC, which brought up iTunes automatically, then…lo and behold, instead of seeing the rapid synch then error, it went right into backup. Took about fifteen minutes but it finished the backup without a hitch and synched the iPad.

So there you have it: one more thing to try. Maybe the FIRST thing you should try? It was so simple! I wish I’d figured that out BEFORE I did all that other stuff I mentioned above!

I’d like to read comments from anyone who has also experienced this problem and has tried my “fix” suggestion.

via Apple – Support – Discussions -.

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14 comments

  2. Shahril Mohd-Kharib

    Hi Chimac,

    I was in the process of updating my iPad to ios 4.3 when the error message popped up. I then Googled the 'message' and tried several suggestions offered by a number of sites,to no avail until I stumbled upon your solution. And it worked! Thank you so much. God Bless you.

    Shahril

  8. Lili

    I tried this solution once and it did not work, then I did the reset to mi ipad while having it connected to my computer and then the back-up, sync and sw update were done without any problem! Thanks for the solution!

  10. It worked

    I used your technique and then it said something different saying it has an error and so than I looked on the left side and right clicked on my ipod name and clicked back up. And that worked.

    Thanks

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