If you ever need to troubleshoot a MobileMe sync problem, you'll need to access your MobileMe sync logs. While Mac OS X actively logs MobileMe sync data, Windows does not. Either way, this guide arms you with some good information to help troubleshoot MobileMe syncing problems on both platforms.
Mac OS X 10.6
You can find the MobileMe sync log file mobilemesync.log in the following location: ~/Library/Logs/Sync ("~" represents your Home folder).
You can always view a log file by using the Console application, like so:
- Launch Console by double clicking its icon, located in /Applications/Utilities
- Locate "Show Log List," and click it near the upper left corner of the Console window
- Expand ~/Library/Logs, then Sync by clicking their disclosure triangles
- Locate the mobilemesync.log file and select it
You'll see all the most recent sync activity in this log file for prior sync sessions (if they exist), and you can view the archive files of previous mobilemesync.log files that now end with a number.
Mac OS X v10.4.11 - Mac OS X v10.5.8
You can find the MobileMe sync log file dotmacsync.log in the following location: ~/Library/Logs/Sync, or view it via the Console application by substituting the log file name as needed. Archives are also stored, as in OS X 10.6, with numbers appended to the end of the archived log files.
All Mac OS versions of the Console application will let you save a copy of these log files to your desktop by choosing the "Save a Copy As" option from the File menu. If you currently use Mac OS X 10.6 and you upgraded to this release from an earlier version of Mac OS X then don't be surprised if you find copies of these log files using both names since the Mac OS X 10.6 update doesn't remove the older versions of the log file.
Microsoft Windows XP or Vista
Windows MobileMe syncing is a bit different from Mac OS X because Windows does not log to a file that you can refer to later. You have to generate a log file manually while within a Windows Command Prompt.
- Open a Command Prompt in Windows
- If you are running Windows in 32-bit mode, enter the following DOS command or skip to step 4
- type: cd "\Program Files\Common Files\Apple\Mobile Device Support\bin" and press return
- type: cd "\Program Files (x86)\Common Files\Apple\Mobile Device Support\bin" and press return
- Now enter the following DOS command to run a sync manually: dotmacsyncclient.exe sync, then press return
Your Windows computer will start to sync with MobileMe. While doing so, you will see logging information scroll past in the Command Prompt window. You can cut and paste this information into your favorite text editor and save a copy for future reference.
Once you've collected a copy of your MobileMe sync log on either computer platform, you'll be prepared to troubleshoot sync issues on your own, with your favorite expert, or with AppleCare support.
E-book - Take Control of Syncing Data in Snow Leopard
We recently received a review copy of an e-book titled "Take Control of Syncing Data in Snow Leopard" from Take Control Books and it offers a great in depth look at syncing on your Mac between another Mac, iPhone, iPod, mobile phone, or PDA. The publisher has offered a 30 percent discount on the e-book for CNET readers who visit this link. Clicking the Buy e-book button will add it to the shopping cart along with the discount applied. This offer doesn't apply to the print-on-demand version of the book.
On Apple's iPhone discussion boards, people are complaining about a bug in iPhone OS 3.1.2 that causes the iPhone to search for service at random times. According to the 3.1.2, Searching for Service thread on the forums, people are blaming the problem on the iPhone OS because users are seeing the same problem on AT&T in the U.S. and on Rogers Wireless and Telus in Canada.
According to the thread, there is no indication that the iPhone 3GS is affected, since so far the complaints focus on the iPhone 3G. Both new and replacement iPhone 3G units have suffered from the same problem.
The only fix for the problem so far is to reboot the iPhone.
Have you experienced this bug? What model iPhone were you using? Let us know in the comments.
Recently, I removed my iPhone e-mail accounts so I could troubleshoot a problem with the Mail app. But when I reinstalled the accounts, I found that I wasn't able to delete messages from one account's in-box.
The account in question was a POP3 account used to retrieve messages from my spam e-mail filtering service. It was sending and receiving e-mail just fine, but whenever I tried to delete a message from the in-box, my iPhone would present the following error:
Unable to move message to folder "Trash" because the folder does not exist.
Luckily, I was able to locate a fix on Apple's support site that solved the problem. Here are the steps you should take to resolve this issue:
Trash folder is not configured
1. Launch Settings app on your iPhone or iPod Touch
2. Tap settings, then Mail, Contacts, Calendars
3. Tap the affected account
4. Tap Advanced
5. Tap Deleted Mailbox
6. If "On the Server" is an option, select the Trash folder or its equivalent below that. Go to step 8.
7. Select Trash under "On My iPhone"
8. Tap Advanced
9. Press the Home button
Trash folder is already configured
1. Tap another folder under the "On the Server" section to temporarily move the Trash folder.
2. Tap Advanced
3. Tap Deleted Mailbox, then set it to Trash located under On My iPhone.
4. Tap Advanced
5. Press the Home button
Now you should be able to delete messages from your e-mail account in-box.
Last week, we received comments from Intel regarding an iPhone sync glitch with certain PCs that use a new Intel P55 chipset and Windows 7 64-bit.
On Friday, motherboard manufacturer Gigabyte Technology, a popular motherboard maker for PC hobbyists, issued a BIOS update that resolves the problem for some of these users who haven't been able to sync their iPhones. The BIOS, listed as a beta version, promises to resolve iPhone sync issues and includes additional bug fixes and enhancements.
This fix will help you only if you're using a computer you've built yourself or purchased with one of Gigabyte's motherboards inside. If that isn't you, you'll have to wait for a fix from either Intel, Apple, or your motherboard manufacturer. If you don't feel like waiting, you might try a number of possible solutions offered on Apple's Discussions forum.
I recently posted my experiences with a serious bug that I discovered on my iPhone 3GS after it lost the entire contents of two different e-mail messages. The bug appears to be caused by a problem with my e-mail accounts on MobileMe or Gmail and accessing them later on my iPhone.
(Credit:
David Martin)
The steps that I have used to demonstrate the bug, which I've been able to successfully replicate every time on my iPhone running OS 3.1 or 3.1.2 and my MobileMe account are posted in My iPhone eats draft e-mail--yours could too.
After providing Apple with application and iPhone logs, MobileMe support asked me to try the following workaround:
- On your desktop or notebook, log into your MobileMe account using "xxxxxx" as your log-in name (leave out the @me and @mac extensions).
- Create a new message.
- Set the Account drop-down menu to xxxxxx@me.com.
- Save the draft.
- Verify that the draft is in the drafts folder on MobileMe.
- Switch to your iPhone.
- Access your MobileMe Drafts folder on the iPhone.
- Open the saved draft.
- Add contents to the e-mail.
- Send the message from your iPhone and see if the issue is reproduced.
I completed these steps and was surprised to see that the e-mail had been sent.
I've asked Apple to tell me if this problem can be blamed on MobileMe or my iPhone. My educated guess is that the problem is with the MobileMe service, but at press time, Apple had not responded to my queries.
Are you experiencing this problem on your iPhone or iPod Touch? Let us know in the comments.
ITunes 9
(Credit: Apple, Inc.)Last month, Apple released iTunes 9.0.1, which addressed a number of iPhone syncing issues as well as making some performance and stability improvements. We covered some of these improvements and offered a tip on relieving some of the problems people encountered with Smart Playlist syncing. Today, Apple started offering their own tips on what to do when Smart Playlists are not syncing as expected.
If you are syncing a Smart Playlist and you notice that the order and contents displayed in iTunes don't match what appears in your iPhone or iPod after syncing then Apple offers the following suggestions:
Smart Playlist on the device is not in the same order in Tunes:
1. Click the Smart Playlist.
2. Setup the sort order and arrange as desired.
3. Right-click the Smart Playlist and choose Copy to Play Order.
4. Sync the device with iTunes.
If this does not resolve the issue, continue with the following steps.
Smart Playlist on the device does not have the same content as shown in iTunes:
Check the Smart Playlist if its content is all the same kind of media (i.e. all music), try these steps:
1. Right-click the Smart Playlist and choose Edit Smart Playlist.
2. Click the "+" button to create a new rule.
3. Add a new rule with the following selections: Media Kind > Is > Music (or the specific media type for that playlist).
4. Click OK.
5. Sync the device with iTunes.
Finally, if none of the above resolves the issue, continue with the steps listed below.
1. Right-click the smart playlist and choose Edit Smart Playlist.
2. Deselect the option for "Live updating."
3. Click OK.
4. Sync the device with iTunes.
5. Check to see if the issue is resolved. If not, proceed to step 6.
6. Click the Smart Playlist.
7. Choose Edit > Select All.
8. Choose File > New Playlist from Selection.
9. Enter a name for the playlist.
10. Click the device on the left-hand side of iTunes.
11. Click the Music tab and then click the new playlist you just named; there should be a checkmark next to the playlist.
12. Sync the device with iTunes.
Are you experiencing this problem on your iPhone or iPod Touch? Let us know in the comments.
I discovered a serious bug recently on my iPhone 3GS after it lost the entire contents of two different e-mail messages I had sent to my CNET editor. The bug appears to be caused by a problem between my e-mail accounts on MobileMe or Gmail and accessing them later on my iPhone.
The steps that I have used to demonstrate the bug, which I've been able to successfully replicate every time on my iPhone running OS 3.1 and my MobileMe account are shown below. I've submitted a bug report to Apple engineering.
- Log on to MobileMe on the Web from your computer.
- Create a new e-mail message addressed to your MobileMe account. Save it as a draft.
- Launch Mail on your iPhone.
- Go to your MobileMe account and look for the Drafts folder and access it.
- Locate the draft e-mail message you created and open it.
- Add an additional sentence or other text to the e-mail message.
- Send the e-mail from your iPhone.
- You should receive the following error message:
- Tap OK to clear the error message.
- Hit the refresh button in Mail on your iPhone. You should hear the swoosh sound representing that your message was actually sent.
- Go to your MobileMe in-box on your iPhone and either wait or press refresh.
- Your e-mail will be delivered with all your content missing. Here is an example:
I've asked a number of friends and colleagues to attempt to recreate this bug on their phones and many of them couldn't. I do know this: the problem presents itself randomly affecting my Gmail accounts, but it is always consistent with my MobileMe account. So far, deleting these accounts individually or all accounts from my iPhone, then adding them back doesn't resolve the problem.
A Google search using the terms "lost draft email iphone" resulted in three posts by markw10. One of Mark's posts appeared on AppleInsider and reiterates the problem I've encountered with drafts that are not created on an iPhone. Mark lost e-mail on his iPhone just as I had--even though the e-mail was eventually sent, it never reached its destination, and no copies of the sent message were to be found. His recipient complained about receiving an empty e-mail.
I've been working with Apple to find a solution to this problem for a week, but so far, a solution has proven to be elusive. If I find a solution or work-around then I will update this post.
Are you experiencing this problem on your iPhone or iPod Touch? Let us know in the comments.
(Credit:
Apple Inc.)
iPhone Atlas reader golf11, participants in Apple's discussion boards, and I are all complaining that iTunes 9.0.1 refuses to remember our Apple ID passwords.
The Apple ID password is part of the user ID/password combination that you use to access and authorize activities and purchases in the iTunes Store. After iTunes 9.0.1 was released, a number of users were annoyed that the check mark button for saving their password no longer worked. As a result, each purchase or app-upgrade triggers iTunes to prompt for a password.
Fortunately, there are two fixes and a few tips from Apple to fix the problem. I used the first option to resolve my own password-saving issue.
Option 1:
- Launch iTunes
- Go to Store Menu > Deauthorize Computer
- Once deauthorization is complete, quit iTunes
- Relaunch iTunes
- Go to Store Menu > Authorize Computer
iTunes is fixed, but you will have to enter and check the option to save your password the next time you are given the opportunity to do so. Thereafter, iTunes should remember the password.
Option 2:
- Launch iTunes
- Go to Store Menu > View My Account(your Apple ID)
- Click Reset Warnings
iTunes reset warnings
(Credit: David Martin)Like Option 1 above, Option 2 fixes iTunes. In this case, however, you will be faced with a few pop-up warnings that you will have to dismiss--annoying, but usually brief.
Finally, Apple offers some suggestions to resolve this problem in its article, iTunes repeatedly prompts to authorize computer to play iTunes Store purchases.
Were these tips helpful? Are you experiencing other unresolved problems with iTunes? Let us know in the comments.
(Credit:
Apple Inc.)
Facebook 3.0 was heralded as a long-awaited, must-have upgrade on the iPhone, but the initial 3.0 release left many of our readers with a bad feeling. CNET users sent in numerous complaints about the app frequently crashing and wanted to know how to downgrade to the previous version.
Facebook quickly released updates and the app has since stabilized, but you should know that regardless of how big or popular an app is, you can usually roll it back following this tutorial.
Difficulty level:
Medium
What you need:
>Mac OS X 10.5 or later; Windows XP or Vista
>iTunes 8.02 or higher
>Access to a backup of your Mobile Applications folder
>Any iPhone or iPod Touch
If you want to downgrade an iPhone app, you must have a copy of the older version of the app, or this how-to won't work.
We recommend that you make frequent backups of your ~/Music/iTunes/Mobile Applications/ folder, which is located in your home directory (represented by the ~) on the Mac. PC users will find the same folder located at C:\Documents and Settings\username\My Documents\My Music\iTunes/Mobile Applications. These are the folders that iTunes uses to store all app files in your iTunes Library. The app files themselves are represented by file names ending in .ipa. If you keep frequent daily backups, you should always have older versions of your apps available.
How to downgrade an app
Take the following steps to easily downgrade to an older version of any iPhone or iPod Touch app:
Delete the app from your iPhone or iPod Touch
1. Locate the icon of the app you want to delete on the home screen. Tap and press down on its icon until the icons on the home screen start to jiggle. Next tap the X icon in the upper left corner of the app icon. Finally, tap Delete when the prompt pops up.
Deleting iPhone apps
(Credit: David Martin)Delete the app from your Mac or PC
2. On a Mac, go to the ~/Music/iTunes/Mobile Applications folder of your Home directory, locate the .ipa file for the app you just deleted from your iPhone or iPod Touch and drag it to the Trash. On a PC, go to the C:\Documents and Settings\username\My Documents\My Music\iTunes/Mobile Applications folder and drag the .ipa file for the app to the Recycle Bin.
Mobile Applications folder on the Mac
(Credit: David Martin)Empty the Trash or Recycle Bin
3. Now empty the Trash or Recycle Bin to delete the .ipa file. Note that if you ever need to get the deleted file back, it can always be downloaded again from the App Store for free, even if it's a paid app.
Restore the previous app version
4. Launch iTunes. Switch the view in iTunes to view your apps library. Drag the .ipa file for the older version of the app you are trying to reinstall from your backup and drop it into the iTunes window. iTunes will automatically add the app back to the App Library.
iTunes App Library
(Credit: David Martin)Sync app to your iPhone or iPod Touch
5. Connect your iPhone or iPod Touch to your computer. iTunes should automatically sync the app back to your device. If it doesn't, check your iTunes settings to make sure you have not chosen to sync only "Selected applications." If you have, make sure you've checked off the app in question to enable syncing. Finally, if it still does not sync automatically, you may have to click the Apply or Sync buttons.
Conclusion
At this point, the older version of the app should now be installed on your iPhone or iPod Touch.
If you change your mind, just reinstall the latest version by using the Check for Updates feature in iTunes or by going to the App Store and repurchasing the app, which will be downloaded again for free.
(Credit:
Apple Inc.)
Last week, Apple released iTunes 9.0.1, which addresses a number of iPhone syncing issues as well as making some performance and stability improvements.
During our first hands-on look of iTunes 9, we noted two problems with podcast episodes being listed in random order and being unable to arrange certain apps based on their being checkmarked and therefore set to sync to the iPhone or iPod Touch in question.
Later, we discovered more problems with syncing in general, including wrong episodes being synced to playlists containing podcasts, podcasts failing to sync, etc. Smart Playlists, according to users, were generally messed up and did not behave as expected.
iTunes 9.0.1 has addressed all of these issues with the exception of the Smart Playlist problem. Podcasts are now properly synced, podcast episodes display in the correct order, and you can arrange apps regardless of their sync status.
The temporary workaround for new or existing Smart Playlists that no longer work as they used to is to uncheck "Live updating" in the settings.
Uncheck Live updating for a Smart Playlist workaround.
(Credit: David Martin)iTunes 9.0.1 also addresses other issues, including performance issues that can lead to iTunes freezing or unexpectedly quitting, problems browsing the iTunes Store, and improved app syncing for the iPhone and iPod Touch.
The update is available from Software Update or via direct download from Apple's downloads page for both Mac or PC.
