Problem with iCloud backup

[colodane]

The iCloud backup of my iPad 2 running IOS 6.0 has suddenly stopped working. The last automatic backup attempt resulted in a message saying "the last backup could not be completed". Previous automatic backups worked well.

I tried a manual iCloud backup a couple times with similar results. The little spinning wheel labeled "backing up" was rotating, but the blue status bar not progressing and the message underneath saying "estimating time remaining". After a half hour or so of this, the backup attempt stopped and "the last backup could not be completed" message came on. Previously, manual backups worked fine and took about 10 minutes.

My backups are modest in size (about 450 MB) and I have 4.5 GB of free space in my iCloud storage.

Syncing of the iPad to my iMac via iCloud (Contacts, Calendar, etc.) is working just fine.

Any ideas?

 

[dave8209]

Try deleting the backup and Start a new backup

 

[colodane]

Try deleting the backup and Start a new backup

Thanks for the suggestion. I tried it, and at first it looked encouraging. The deletion of the existing backup worked fine.

Then tried a manual backup. Unlike before, this one behaved normally at first, showing the time to completion slowly decreasing. But when it got down to 1 or 2 minutes left, it stopped and again gave me the message: "The last backup could not be completed".

So now I have no backup at all and apparently still can't get the iCloud backup to function.

Any other ideas??

 

[sohaloh]

Thanks for the suggestion. I tried it, and at first it looked encouraging. The deletion of the existing backup worked fine.

Then tried a manual backup. Unlike before, this one behaved normally at first, showing the time to completion slowly decreasing. But when it got down to 1 or 2 minutes left, it stopped and again gave me the message: "The last backup could not be completed".

So now I have no backup at all and apparently still can't get the iCloud backup to function.

Any other ideas??

I recently had this issue. The solution for me was as easy as removing my icloud account and relogging in again. This time with my @icloud.com address instead of @me.com. If you have received your @icloud.com address I suggest removing your account and setting it up again. Works fine for me now.

 

[colodane]

I recently had this issue. The solution for me was as easy as removing my icloud account and relogging in again. This time with my @icloud.com address instead of @me.com. If you have received your @icloud.com address I suggest removing your account and setting it up again. Works fine for me now.

Thanks for the post. I need some additional clarification, however.

I've never had a me.com address, and to the best of my knowledge don't have an icloud.com address. My iCloud account ID is the same as my normal Apple ID, ending in .net

This seems to be getting increasingly complicated, probably because I don't understand some of the basics of how iCloud works? In any event, I would like to understand things better before I start deleting an account that had worked perfectly in the past. Any further education would be appreciated. Thanks!

 

[CTHarrryH]

Not sure it is only your confusion. There is plenty of confustion created because for a lot of people our Apple ID and iCloud id's aren't the same and even though, I thought, at some time Apple was going to allow some merging of functions so there could be only 1 - it hasn't happened.
When you first created the iCloud backup from your device you did it with your .net? I thought it had to be an Apple email?

 

[Daveoc64]

When you first created the iCloud backup from your device you did it with your .net? I thought it had to be an Apple email?

No.

You can use all of the features of iCloud with ANY Apple ID. The only exception is iCloud Mail which (obviously) needs an @me.com/@mac.com/@icloud.com address (the three are interchangeable if you signed up for .mac, or you can use the me/icloud addresses if you signed up after .mac ended).

There seems to be a problem with the OP's account. I suggest that they DO sign out of the account on their iPad, and then sign back into it.

 

[CTHarrryH]

OK news to me. I can't remember but when I set up my first iPhone I don't think apple let me use my apple id - I think a lot of people had that issue. I know I didn't want to use my .me email and don't except for logging into my IOS devices. Maybe it has now changed or my memory is gone

 

[sohaloh]

Thanks for the post. I need some additional clarification, however.

I've never had a me.com address, and to the best of my knowledge don't have an icloud.com address. My iCloud account ID is the same as my normal Apple ID, ending in .net

This seems to be getting increasingly complicated, probably because I don't understand some of the basics of how iCloud works? In any event, I would like to understand things better before I start deleting an account that had worked perfectly in the past. Any further education would be appreciated. Thanks!

I'm sorry I don't have alot of information on the .net addresses as the iPhone 4S is my first apple device. When I first activated my phone I was issued a @me.com address. Now with iOS 6 and the failure of mobileme, apple is rolling out @icloud.com addresses. But both still retain functionality and can be used interchangably with all apple products.

If you have not yet experimented with these new ID's its okay. Just remove the current one and use the same acccount to relogin. The OTA update to 6.0.1 scrambled my icloud for some reason. Im sure you just need to login again and itll work fine. Let me know if this works. You wont lose anything but logging out and logging back in.

 

[colodane]

If you have not yet experimented with these new ID's its okay. Just remove the current one and use the same acccount to relogin. Im sure you just need to login again and itll work fine. Let me know if this works. You wont lose anything but logging out and logging back in.

OK, Thanks. I'd like to try logging out and then back in, but I can't find any place to "log out". The only option I'm seeing is "Delete Account", which sounds more drastic.

By the way, I just now tried a manual backup again. The initial time estimate was 11 minutes, which is right about what it used to take when it worked. The blue bar moved to lower values of time as expected, taking about 9 minutes to get to 2 minutes. But then it became glacial, taking perhaps 15 minutes to go from 2 min to 1 min. Then after about 5 minutes showing 1 minute to go and just 1/4 inch of bar travel left, it quit and gave me the same error message: "the last backup could not be completed.

 

[Daveoc64]

OK, Thanks. I'd like to try logging out and then back in, but I can't find any place to "log out". The only option I'm seeing is "Delete Account", which sounds more drastic.

It sounds drastic, but it's just talking about Deleting the account form the device.

One question I forgot to ask earlier, have you tried doing the backup over another Wi-Fi connection? That would rule out a problem with your connection.

 

[colodane]

It sounds drastic, but it's just talking about Deleting the account form the device.

Thanks for the info. I did do the "delete" and then log back on successfully using my Apple ID and PW. Tried a manual backup again. It acted somewhat strange, showing 1 minute expected time almost immediately, then later going back to 3 and 2 minutes. Finally, after 25 minutes elapsed time it did show the successful backup completion time. So I'm assuming that it is backed up, although it is only showing 300 MB of total iCloud storage used which is less than before. Guess the real test will be next time it tries to do the automatic backup.

Thanks again for your help and advice!

 

[iknowyourider]

Help Please! I have the same problem and tried the same solution. It still will not backup. I deleted the account and logged back in.

The iPad backup is 2.6 GB. There is 1.6 available. Could this be the reason?

The iPhone backup is 824 MB but it will not backup either. I have not tried deleting the account on the iPhone.

 

[colodane]

Your problem may be a different one, but it turns out that my problem has something to do with my wi-fi router (an older Netgear model). My temporary solution is to do my iCloud backup when I'm at the local coffee shop - it works fine on their wi-fi system.

Longer term, I'm going to replace my router with an Airport Extreme. Don't know enough about routers and wi-fi to know exactly what is lacking in mine or its configuration.

 

[iknowyourider]

Your problem may be a different one, but it turns out that my problem has something to do with my wi-fi router (an older Netgear model). My temporary solution is to do my iCloud backup when I'm at the local coffee shop - it works fine on their wi-fi system.

Longer term, I'm going to replace my router with an Airport Extreme. Don't know enough about routers and wi-fi to know exactly what is lacking in mine or its configuration.

Thanks, yea I was suspicious of that. Maybe I can try it tomorrow at work.

 

[KnackeRED]

I had the same problem with my old iPhone 4 which I'd flattened and given to the wife. On iOS6 is would never complete a backup to iCloud, also it would never update Photo Stream. My new iPhone 5 could not send iMessages with photo's. Couldn't use the Xbox app to connect to my console, even though it's on the same network. All this on Wifi.

So, after much messing around, I noticed on my router that I had put the MTU setting to the recommended value (1492) for my connection, I removed this, so the router would work it out for me and ALL my problems went away.

 

[colodane]

Interesting. What is "MTU"?

 

[KnackeRED]

Interesting. What is "MTU"?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maximum_transmission_unit.

It's basically how big an IP packet can be before it gets broken up (fragmented)

I had mine set at what was correct for my BT Infinity connection (yours may vary, depending on your connection type and ISP) for quiet a while and it never gave me any problems, but iOS 6 landed and all the Wifi problems started.

It might not be the answer but it worked for me and I just wanted to share my fix.

 

[colodane]

Thanks, knakeRED for the info - very useful. When I get my Airport Extreme, I'll be aware of this parameter during the setup. Guessing it is responsible for some or all of the problems I'm having here with the iCloud backup.

 

[iknowyourider]

Thanks, knakeRED for the info - very useful. When I get my Airport Extreme, I'll be aware of this parameter during the setup. Guessing it is responsible for some or all of the problems I'm having here with the iCloud backup.

Don't say Airport Extreme, I want one! I took my devices to work and backed them up no problem. Now I hate it that my wife can't back her's up at home.

I've had this router for several months and I don't think we had a problem till mid December. Maybe an update screwed it up and maybe an update will fix it.