iTunes 12.7.x on macOS 10.13.4 broke sync of Contacts iOS 9.3.x

[nadia p.]

Recently I needed to migrate from macOS El Capitan 10.11.6 to High Sierra 10.13.4 and to my surprise iTunes 12.7.x does not sync Apple's AddressBook to my iPhone 6s iOS 9.3.4 to Contacts.

The installation of macOS was a clean install, not upgraded. I've reset the iPhone to factory settings for a clean install as well.

What I'm unable to figure out is why can't this basic feature work. There are no errors or warnings of any kind.

Apple won't permit us to uninstall iTunes and install earlier versions.

Has anyone else run into this issue and if so have you found a solution?

The use of iCloud is not an option.

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Alternate thoughts...

1. See if there is a way to install two versions of iTunes at the same time, assuming of course one cannot uninstall the current version.

2. I've tried installing VMware Fusion 10 with El Capitan 10.11.6 and sync that AddressBook with my iPhone however iTunes can't see it mounted that way through the USB cable.

3. I've not found a 3rd party app that will sync specific Groups in Apples AddressBook the way iTunes allowed me to. I use this to sync only a subset of all contacts since I don't need all contacts on my iPhone. Does anyone know of a 3rd party app that can do this?

 

[DeltaMac]

My thought:
1. Maybe the problem is your old version of iOS on your 6s.

You have updated everything relevant to current versions, except the iPhone. Maybe that's all you need to do.

 

[mikzn]

Apple won't permit us to uninstall iTunes and install earlier versions.Has anyone else run into this issue and if so have you found a solution?
The use of iCloud is not an option.

Here is a link to previous version of iTunes on the apple web site - Download prior versions of iTunes for macOS

Not sure why you cannot remove iTunes - you should be able to move to the trash and empty the trash? It (High Sierra) may ask you to give your admin password to do this.

I have iTunes 12.6.3 installed on High Sierra - no issues

 

[nadia p.]

My thought:
1. Maybe the problem is your old version of iOS on your 6s.

You have updated everything relevant to current versions, except the iPhone. Maybe that's all you need to do.

Work controls the revision of iOS on their iPhones we're issued. Can you or anyone confirm that sync works properly with iOS 11.x? If so I may be able to convince them they need to update my iPhone.
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Here is a link to previous version of iTunes on the apple web site - Download prior versions of iTunes for macOS

Not sure why you cannot remove iTunes - you should be able to move to the trash and empty the trash? It (High Sierra) may ask you to give your admin password to do this.

I have iTunes 12.6.3 installed on High Sierra - no issues

In attempting to drag-n-drop iTunes 12.7.5 into the Trash, this warning/error message pops up. "“iTunes” can’t be modified or deleted because it’s required by macOS."

 

[mikzn]

Here is another version of iTunes 12.6.4 see the highlighted "Mac" area

you should be able to install it over the 12.7.x version

 

[DeltaMac]

High Sierra will inform you that iTunes is required by the system, and won't allow removal. You CAN trash the iTunes app by booting to another drive, then browsing to your High Sierra drive, and dragging iTunes to the trash (empty the trash at that time, too).
The iTunes 12.6.3 version is a special one that keeps the App Store and provides the links to install and remove apps from your iPhone. It is not available through the normal downloads (and is now at version 12.6.4)
If you want to try that special iTunes version from Apple, there's a page with download link for that.
(You must remove the existing iTunes first, as that 12.6.4 version won't install when iTunes already is installed.)

 

[mikzn]

I installed 12.6.3 over top of a 12.7.x version on High Sierra - it worked fine and removed the existing 12.7.x version- I don't see why 12.6.4 is any different

 

[nadia p.]

I have iTunes 12.6.3 installed on High Sierra - no issues

Question, did you arrive at 10.13.4 by upgrading from another version of macOS or was it a clean install?
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High Sierra will inform you that iTunes is required by the system, and won't allow removal. You CAN trash the iTunes app by booting to another drive, then browsing to your High Sierra drive, and dragging iTunes to the trash (empty the trash at that time, too).
The iTunes 12.6.3 version is a special one that keeps the App Store and provides the links to install and remove apps from your iPhone. It is not available through the normal downloads (and is now at version 12.6.4)
If you want to try that special iTunes version from Apple, there's a page with download link for that.
(You must remove the existing iTunes first, as that 12.6.4 version won't install when iTunes already is installed.)

Great, thank you!!!, let me see if I can get this to work.

 

[DeltaMac]

I installed 12.6.3 over top of a 12.7.x version on High Sierra - it worked fine and removed the existing 12.7.x version- I don't see why 12.6.4 is any different

Ah, OK, if that works. I recall having to jump through a couple of hoops, but maybe Apple changed the installer somehow.
The 12.6.4 iTunes is still the same (with Apps support), but was released to add support for the newest iOS hardware, and IIRC, fixes some minor issue with the latest High Sierra.

 

[mikzn]

Question, did you arrive at 10.13.4 by upgrading from another version of macOS or was it a clean install?

Have done it both ways - I have 3 MBP's and and in addition several boot-able drives with various versions of Sierra and High Sierra.

It will not take long to try it - worth a shot - I have not tried 12.6.4 but am assuming it is an updated version of 12.6.3.6

 

[DeltaMac]

The other difference (if you did not know), the 12.6.3 or 12.6.4 versions will NOT update through the App Store. If Apple releases a normal iTunes update, such as the current 12.7.5, your system, with iTunes 12.6.4, will ignore that update.

 

[mikzn]

True - But it will allow back up of data from legacy iOS apps in this case 9.3.4 apps that may not work on iOS 11

This is the reason I am still on iOS10 - I will have to give up my password manager and a few other apps that I have been using - that the developers gave up migrating to iOS 11

Plus I like to manage and arrange the iPhone and iPad apps from iTunes

 

[nadia p.]

High Sierra will inform you that iTunes is required by the system, and won't allow removal. You CAN trash the iTunes app by booting to another drive, then browsing to your High Sierra drive, and dragging iTunes to the trash (empty the trash at that time, too).
The iTunes 12.6.3 version is a special one that keeps the App Store and provides the links to install and remove apps from your iPhone. It is not available through the normal downloads (and is now at version 12.6.4)
If you want to try that special iTunes version from Apple, there's a page with download link for that.
(You must remove the existing iTunes first, as that 12.6.4 version won't install when iTunes already is installed.)

Reporting back... I was able to download iTunes 12.6.3.6 directly from Apple from https://secure-appldnld.apple.com/i...-9FEF-11E7-B113-91CF9A97A551/iTunes12.6.3.dmg. Next I rebooted into Recovery Mode by holding down the <Command> & <R> key then pressing the Power button. From Terminal I was able to delete /Applications/iTunes.app successfully then rebooted back to macOS 10.13.4. I installed iTunes 12.6.3.6 as you suggested, launched AddressBook which only contains the default information at this point. I created a new Group called Test, added one contact under test and was able to sync it to my iPhone 6s iOS 9.3.4. So I can confirm this works, thanks guys!!!

Now there is another issue... when I import the archived Contacts from AddressBook (.abbu format) which replaces the existing data, when I then attempt to sync things are broken again. The odd part is I suspect iTunes keeping some sort of cache somewhere since iTunes won't sync the true information inside of the AddressBook, it seems to sync only the original information containing the Test data.

I've attempted importing the archived data in (.abbu and .vcf) formats into AddressBook however iTunes won't sync either one anymore. I'm able to use iTunes to delete all contacts stored inside the iPhone however the only thing I'm able to sync AddressBook->iPhone, Replace information on this iPhone [x] Contacts. The other odd thing is iTunes only displays the Test group not the true groups that reside in AddressBook now.

Is there some way to delete the cache or clear what iTunes stores somewhere?