iPad will not sync with iTunes, only wants to restore

I've never had this problem, so I would bring it to the Apple Store.

I'm having the same problem. Nothing is working...the only option is to Restore from backup or setup as a new phone. Every time I restore from backup, the apps remain missing and there is no option to sync again. However the apps are visible on iTunes.

a fix

Hi,

had the exact same problem with my iPad. Found the trick:

Choose "restore from backup" and unplug the ipad as soon as it starts restoring. Literally as soon as the window appears indicating something is happening.

Then plug back in and voilla!

simenra said:

Hi,

had the exact same problem with my iPad. Found the trick:

Choose "restore from backup" and unplug the ipad as soon as it starts restoring. Literally as soon as the window appears indicating something is happening.

Then plug back in and voilla!

Click to expand...

You're a smarty pants. It worked! The window will be small. I used a usb plug to restore then as soon as the window appeared I removed it. It gave me an error afterwards.

Thanks for this! Worked for me too. iPad 2 connected to Windows XP. Wouldn't sync, would only restore or reset. And the restore was from months ago which was odd.

Told it to restore. As soon as the window opened that said "starting to restore" (or something like that - the first window that opened after I hit "continue") I pulled the iPad cable out of the iPad.

No error. No nothing.

then plugged the iPad USB cord back in, and the iPad mounted and started syncing right away and worked!

How in the world did you discover this solution?

simenra said:

Hi,

had the exact same problem with my iPad. Found the trick:

Choose "restore from backup" and unplug the ipad as soon as it starts restoring. Literally as soon as the window appears indicating something is happening.

Then plug back in and voilla!

Click to expand...

wow how bizarre, had the same problem and this trick worked for me. That's a bug that needs fixing!

Just wanted to say I used this trick today (November 2014!!) on an iPad 2 running iOS 8.1. Because however the backup was iOS 8 and I couldn't restore to an older version of iOS I hit the 'set up as new iPad' option and pulled the plug straight out too at the first change of screen - and it worked.

The bug still lives but good old Macrumors

Bluethree said:

Just wanted to say I used this trick today (November 2014!!) on an iPad 2 running iOS 8.1. Because however the backup was iOS 8 and I couldn't restore to an older version of iOS I hit the 'set up as new iPad' option and pulled the plug straight out too at the first change of screen - and it worked.

The bug still lives but good old Macrumors

Click to expand...

I used today. Yay

simenra said:

a fix

Hi,

had the exact same problem with my iPad. Found the trick:

Choose "restore from backup" and unplug the ipad as soon as it starts restoring. Literally as soon as the window appears indicating something is happening.

Then plug back in and voilla!

Click to expand...

I'm so excited that I created a Mac Rumors account to post this - I just tried this in November 2015; it fixed this exact problem with OS X 10.11.1, iTunes 12.3.1.23, iPad Mini 4 running iOS 9.1 Just... want to reiterate - this bug, reported in 2012, is still around in late 2015. BUT the fix works! Thanks!

Thanks for this fix. Many years later and still the same problem just now. Although I should say that my iPad is too old to load the latest iOS, so who knows. In any case, this worked perfectly. Phew, had to load this thing up for a long flight tomorrow. Thanks!

simenra said:

a fix

Hi,

had the exact same problem with my iPad. Found the trick:

Choose "restore from backup" and unplug the ipad as soon as it starts restoring. Literally as soon as the window appears indicating something is happening.

Then plug back in and voilla!

Click to expand...

Amazing! It worked!!

Date: 3Dec2017 iPad Version: iPad Pro 9.7inch iTunes: Version 12.7.1.14 On Windows 10

Even though is an iPad which has been used for last 10 months or so, on connecting to iTunes by USB cable, it gave me options either to Set Up as New iPad , or Restore from Backup.
Since I had never backed up this iPad before on iTunes, I chose to restore from an iPhone backup. And pulled the cable out just when it was starting.
And on connecting next time, it worked.
Thank you.

Bony said:

Amazing! It worked!!

Date: 3Dec2017 iPad Version: iPad Pro 9.7inch iTunes: Version 12.7.1.14 On Windows 10

Even though is an iPad which has been used for last 10 months or so, on connecting to iTunes by USB cable, it gave me options either to Set Up as New iPad , or Restore from Backup.
Since I had never backed up this iPad before on iTunes, I chose to restore from an iPhone backup. And pulled the cable out just when it was starting.
And on connecting next time, it worked.
Thank you.

Click to expand...

I tried this trick on an ipad mini 4 Jan 2018, and it worked!!
Thanks to the original poster!!

This is 2018, and the bug is still here. But the fix still works!