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[7 Fixes] to fix iTunes Could Not Backup iPhone Because an Error Occurred

[7 Fixes] to fix iTunes Could Not Backup iPhone Because an Error Occurred

If you get the iTunes Cannot Backup iPhone Because an Error Occurred error, don’t worry. Just follow the instructions here to fix the error easily.

When you use iTunes to back up your iPhone, if you get the iTunes Cannot Backup iPhone Because an Error Occurred error, don’t worry. There are a few different reasons why you might be experiencing this type of error. Fortunately, fixing the error is relatively simple.

We’ve included seven fixes below that you can try to fix the error. You may not have to try them all. Just work your way down until you find the one that works for you.

Try these fixes

  1. Restart your iPhone and your computer
  2. Try another USB port
  3. Update iTunes
  4. Temporarily disable third-party antivirus applications
  5. Free space on the drive
  6. Delete the old backup
  7. Use a backup alternative

Fix 1: Restart your iPhone and your computer

To fix your error, the first thing you could do is restart your iPhone and your computer. After restarting your iPhone and your computer, use iTunes to back up your iPhone again.


Fix 2: Try another USB port (for PC only)

The error can be caused by a damaged USB port on your computer. If your computer has more than one USB port, you can connect your iPhone to another USB port and try to back up the iPhone again.

If your computer only has one USB port, this fix doesn’t apply to you. Just skip this and try other methods.


Fix 3: Update iTunes

Apple keeps updating their products including iTunes in order to fix some bugs, improve features, etc. If you’re using an older version iTunes, you might run into error: iTunes could not backup the iPhone because an error occurred. To fix this error, you can install the latest version of iTunes.

You can download the latest iTunes from Apple’s official website. After updating iTunes, check to see if you can back up your iPhone. If this doesn’t fix the error, read on to try other methods.


Fix 4: Temporarily disable third-party antivirus applications

This error is sometimes caused by interference from antivirus software. To see if that’s the problem for you, temporarily disable your antivirus and check if the problem persists. (Consult your antivirus documentation for instructions on disabling it.)

If this resolves the problem, contact the vendor of your antivirus software and ask them for advice, or install a different antivirus solution.

IMPORTANT: Be extra careful about what sites you visit, what emails you open and what files you download when your antivirus is disabled.


Fix 5: Free space on the drive

The backup requires space on the drive on your computer. The space depends on the data and files stored on your iDevice. If the drive doesn’t have enough space for the backup, you’re not able to back up your iPhone successfully. And you may encounter the error iTunes could not backup the iPhone because an error occurred.

To fix the problem, you can free some space on your drive storing the backup file. The location of the backup file depends on OS your computer is running:

For Mac, you can navigate to: ~/Library/Application Support/MobileSync/Backup/

For Windows 7 and later, you can navigate to: Users(username)AppDataRoamingApple ComputerMobileSyncBackup


Fix 6: Delete the old backup

The backup stored in your computer might be corrupt. If that’s the case, you may run into this error. You can delete the previous backup then try to back up again.

To delete the old backup, here’s what you need to do:

1) Launch your iTunes.

2) Click Edit in the menu bar then select Preferences.

3) Click the Devices tab.

4) Click on the backup you want to remove.

5) Click Delete Backup.

6) Follow the on-screen instructions to delete the backup.


Fix 7: Use a backup alternative

If the above methods don’t work for you, you might not be able to use the backup feature in iTunes. You can contact Apple Support for further assistance. But you can expect that’ll take you a lot of time. Before you contact Apple Support, we recommend you use a backup alternative to back up your iPhone. You can use Acronis True Image 2019 to back up your iPhone data and files easily.

Acronis True Image 2019 allows you to back up to Cloud, your PC or your Mac with just a few clicks. For more info, you can visit their website at How to Back Up an iPhone.


Hopefully you’ve found the tips above help you resolve iTunes could not backup the iPhone because an error occurred error. If you have any questions, please feel free to leave your comments below.

By Camilla Mo

Camilla, a certified MCP (Microsoft Certified Professional), has almost four years technical writing experience. She is now the author of Super Easy. Before working as a writer, she was a technical support helping people to solve their computer problems. She enjoys providing solutions to computer problems and loves exploring new technologies.

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