How to resolve "iTunes could not back up the iPhone because the backup was corrupt"?

Solution 1:

From within iTunes navigate to the menu iTunes > Preferences > Devices. Select the backup file, then hit the delete button:

Solution 2:

It's somewhat (sadly) common to run into this "Corrupt/Incompatible" error. Most of the time the backup is just a little bit buggy.

I work on a program called Decipher Backup Repair, which scans the backup and shows you/fixes the errors so you can restore in iTunes.

http://deciphertools.com/decipher-backup-repair.html

Here's an article I wrote with a few other things to try first as well:

https://deciphertools.com/blog/fix-iphone-backup-corrupt/

From that link, you can also poke around to learn more about corrupt backups if you want.

(Note: As I mentioned, I am the author of the software I'm recommending above, so I stand to benefit from my recommendations. I definitely stand behind our software :) but I like to put a little note like this anyway!)

Solution 3:

I had the same problem, no idea where it came from. I had a jailbroken iPhone 3G and switched to a non-jailbroken iPhone 4, i.e. I transferred the backup to the new phone, which worked. Some time later, however, I got that error message. I tried the solution above, I even deleted all backups, even the ones not related to that phone, but the error persisted.

I found a solution in a comment to the thread iPhone could not backup because backup file was corrupt or not compatible, fix, more details in a following comment. Here’s what to do, summarized:

(This is a solution for Windows (7), which doesn’t apply to the OP, but his problem seems to have been solved already at any rate.)

• Close iTunes
• Make sure your Explorer displays hidden files
• Go to C:\Users\username\AppData\Roaming\Apple Computers\MobileSync\backup
• Delete everything there (or move it somewhere else, to be on the safe side)

And done. In my case, I deleted two folders with long, cryptic, alphanumeric names, one empty, the other over 1GB in size. When I opened iTunes again, I could create a brand new backup without any errors.

Solution 4:

The following is the solution if you are getting the corrupt backup error during a sync or backup in iTunes (during a sync, the sync is just triggering a backup):

During a sync or backup, deleting the backup is the way to go, and iTunes will create a new one from scratch. However, the original poster has the additional issue that the backup isn't appearing in iTunes.

@doncherry has the correct idea -- if iTunes isn't listing your backup in the Preferences->Devices list, then you need to delete the backup manually. He has pointed out the location to look in Windows. On a Mac, the backups are stored in

/Users/<your username>/Library/Application Support/MobileSync/Backup

Open Finder, (hold the option key on OSX Lion or higher), and select Library from the Go menu. This will open the Application Support folder, and from there, go to MobileSync -> Backup. In the backup folder, there will be one or more folders named by your devices' unique identifiers.

In iTunes, click on the Serial Number in the Info tab for your device, and the Serial Number field will switch to your device identifier. Match the identifier you see there to a folder name in the MobileSync -> Backup folder. Delete that folder!

If you are getting the corrupt backup error during a restore in iTunes, clearly deleting the backup isn't going to help you get your data restored ;)!

I'm the lead developer on a program called Decipher Backup Repair, which is why I know and care so much about iTunes backup and restore errors ;) Decipher Backup Repair will scan your corrupt or damaged iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch backup for errors and fix the problems in the backup so you can restore in iTunes. You can download the free trial from our website to see what it can find in your backup.

http://deciphertools.com/decipher-backup-repair.html

(Clearly, I stand to benefit from the links I am posting in this answer, as the author of the software. However, I wanted to give both sides of the issue, corrupted backups during the backup process, and corrupted backups during the restore process. Anyone is also welcome to follow the links above and navigate to our support page to send us an email if you have questions about your corrupted backup. Feel free to mention my name directly: Kelly.)