March 18, 2007 12:42 AM PDT

Mac OS X 10.4.9 Special Report: iSync issues/general synchronization problems

by CNET staff

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Several users continue to report issues with synchronizing devices and Macs through iSync and other synchronization applications after the update to Mac OS X 10.4.9.

MacFixIt reader Michael Kohan writes:

"I 'm having problems syncing with a Palm Tungsten E2 using iSync with iCal and Address Book. At first there were all kinds of conflict messages, now it takes a very very long time compared to 10.4.8. One time it stalls on the Address Book even though I did not make any changes to addresses, the next time it stalls on iCal with a change or not."

Meanwhile, a number of users have found that they are unable to synchronize their Motorola KRZR and RAZR phones after the Mac OS X 10.4.9 update, despite their addition to the list of supported devices on the official iSync list. (Mac OS X 10.4.9 includes iSync 2.4).

One MacFixIt reader writes:

"According to the list of iSync 2.4 compatible devices after the Mac OS X 10.4.9 update my GSM Motorola KRZR (K1) phone should now be compatible for syncing through both Bluetooth and USB. I have tried connecting my phone through both methods and while iSync does now connect to my phone and add it as a listed device it will not sync. What I get after a while is the following message: '[K1] There was an error getting data from the phone. The synchronization may have been cancelled on the phone. Device 'K1' synchronization failed'. This happens through both USB and over Bluetooth on both my personal Mac (1.25GHz 15" PowerBook G4 with 1.25GB RAM) and my work Mac ((1.5GHz 12" PowerBook G4 with 1.25GB RAM). The synchronization process is not being canceled on the phone and I have tried rebooting both and repairing permissions etc on both Macs."

MacFixIt reader Les Crozier writes:

"I can no longer sync with my Motorola V3 via bluetooth on my 17 inch Core 2 Duo iMac: '[Motorola V3] An unexpected error occurred. Device 'Motorola V3' synchronization failed'"

Another adds:

"After the update I can't use iSync, or .Mac syncing. What a headache."

David Rizzo reports issues with Mark/Space Missing Sync:

"After upgrading to Mac OS X 10.49 via software update and performing my first sync between my Treo 650 and my Powerbook G4 using Mark/Space's Missing Sync for Palm OS I encountered 24 sync conflicts for items I have been able to successfully sync for months. The conflict dialog does not adequately give enough information to tell the user which item has the correct information, so choosing which is correct is troublesome. The conflicts all occurred with repeating events. The end result is my iCal and my Treo calendars were completely screwed up. Fortunately I was able to recover my iCal from my iDisk daily back-up and after many syncs got the Palm & iCal to match up again.

"At the time of this email there were other posts in the Mark/Space forums indicating similar problems, so I know this is not an isolated incident. Only one Mark/Space response recommended choosing iCal to correct all sync conflicts."

Potential fixes

Update firmware If you are experiencing iSync issues, you may need to update your devices's firmware. The firmware update should be available from your manufacturer's Web site.

Reset devices Alternatively, try resetting all devices via the following steps from Knowledge Base article #52318

"Make sure that all your data is correct, current, and up-to-date in your Mac OS X Address Book, iCal, and Safari.

Open iSync, then choose Reset All Devices from the Devices menu.

In the window that appears, select This Computer as the reset source.

Click Reset All."

Synchronize only contacts Some users have been able to workaround synchronization issues (albeit inconveniently) by synchronizing only contacts, and synchronizing only activities that are less than two weeks old.

Delete .plist file Try deleting the file: ~/Library/Preferences/ByHost/com.apple.HIToolbox.xxxxxxx.plist (the characters represented by xxxxxxx will be different on each machine) may resolve the aforementioned synchronization issues.

Palm-specific In order to potentially obviate some Palm synchronization problems under Mac OS X 10.4.9, set your conduit software (including MIssing Sync) to "Macintosh overwrites handheld" before your first sync.