rescue the iPhone if you still need iTunes
We received many complains that iTunes report “Cannot read the content …” and asks for restoring after uploading video or song using iFunbox. The cause of this problem is that Apple has special hashing checking in iTunes which is not well handled by iFunbox. We apologize for that and will fix the problem in the next release.
Situation
0. For all iPhones and iPod Touch, iTunes will report “Cannot read the content …” and asks for restoring after uploading some media file using iFunbox due to the hashing checking in iTunes.
1. For iPhones and iPod Touch with FW 1.1.x, the uploaded songs/movies will be recognized by iPod on the device and can be played. In FW 1.1.x, the device doesn’t check the hashing.
2. For iPhones and iPod Touch with FW 2.x.x, the uploaded songs/movies will NOT be recognized due to the hashing checking on the device.
3. For other models of iPods (Classic, Video, Shuffle and etc), iTunes will not ask for restoring and just simply remove the media files uploaded by iFunbox. For devices produced before 2007 (not exactly), the uploaded media files will be recognized and can be played. However for newest devices, the uploaded media files can NOT be played. I guess, it is also due to hashing checking.
Do NOT follow iTunes
Though iTunes report ”Cannot read the content …” and asks for restoring, I believe no one would like to do that. iTunes force you update the firmware along with restoring and after restoring all user data will be delete including installed 3rd-party apps, data in general storage, contact list, SMS history. Also you will need to jailbreak after restoring.
Rescue the relationship with iTunes.
Here we provide steps to cheat iTunes that the device has been restored by deleting “iTunes_Control” folder. so that iTunes will initialize the media database (iTunesDB). The way we provided here keeps all user data unchanged except songs and movies. 3rd-party apps, data in general storage, contact list, SMS history will be preserved after process. Also you don’t need to jailbreak again.
We test the steps on iPhone 2G, FW1.1.4 and iTunes 8.0. Thanks Gaz, he tested the steps on iPhone 3G and iTunes 7.1.
0. Close iPod application on iPhone, stop music playing.
Close iTunes, You must close iTunes!!! Then open iFunBox.
1. Backup media files. (Optional)
if you don’t care, just skip.
2. Backup contact list and SMS. (Optional)
Though the following steps will not erase those information, I’d like to have those things backuped just in case.
Contact List: //var/mobile/Library/AddressBook
SMS: //var/mobile/Library/SMS
3. Browse the [Raw File System], Delete the folder iTunes_Control Located in “//var/mobile/Media/iTunes_Control”
4. Close iFunbox and then open iTunes for setup.
Wait seconds for iTunes searching for the connected iPhone.
Now iTunes will ask you to setup instead of restoring it, after the iTunes_Control folder was deleted.
Choose [Set up as an New Phone] and uncheck all sync options, iTunes will initialize an empty media database. Thus, the iTunes_Control folder and subfolders will be created. Other user data such as 3rd-party apps, data in general storage, contact list and SMS histroy keep unchanged.
Choose [Restore from backup of], the contact list and SMS history will be overwritten to the state as backup.
In this step, my choice is [Set up as an New Phone], then click [Continue]. Uncheck the automatically sync then click [Done].
Then iTunes takes a long time for sync and finally we have iTunes back.
September 22nd, 2008 at 3:06 am
i’ll hereby confirm the recovery step works on iphone 3G and iTunes 7.1
hope you get round to fixing the hashing problem.
September 22nd, 2008 at 7:37 pm
I was late to check this out this page, I got restore finally….poor me, I had try to use iFunbox to upload video to your movie library
September 27th, 2008 at 3:27 pm
[...] a tutti e grazie per l’aiuto e le risposte. Da poco e’ uscito un post a riguardo iFunBox Development
September 28th, 2008 at 2:49 pm
when is the new version that fixing the problem is going to be released?
September 29th, 2008 at 12:11 am
We’re trying to fight againest the Apple’s new hashing scheme. Hopefully release a fixed version for 1.x FW soon.
October 1st, 2008 at 11:16 am
i found a much easy way to fix this problem
. just backup or delete “/var/mobile/Media/iTunes_Control/iTunes/iTunesDB” iTune will work again, no need to setup your phone again 
October 18th, 2008 at 1:34 pm
waiting for the update thanks
i wonder also if its possible to use .ipa files
and also i wanted to ask if the apps folder is for apllications from ipa files? because i see just a system apps.
October 21st, 2008 at 5:30 am
Yes, this worked for me to! All music files are then shown as “others” in the usage bar. The lucky thing… music bought using the iPhone is still listed and can be transfered to the computer!
November 5th, 2008 at 12:02 pm
iPhone download sites…
I was looking through your past posts. Great job there….
November 11th, 2008 at 12:25 pm
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December 10th, 2008 at 8:54 pm
thanks for the fix … i was about to update the iphone …and found this page BY CHANCE …with these key words on google “raw file system iphone contacts” …i wanted to backup the contacts …can’t believe the luck ..
thanks again
December 11th, 2008 at 3:26 am
thanks. It works with iTunes 8.0.2.20
February 27th, 2009 at 4:00 pm
Thanks very much i was also in trouble
and thought that there must b sum way to cheat or do the best….
thanks dude
March 7th, 2009 at 5:48 am
Finally, a solution that works. Thanks alot.
April 22nd, 2009 at 10:28 am
I transferred music to my iphone successfully but my when I click iPod on my iphone it says “No Content”… Any help?
April 22nd, 2009 at 10:31 am
Hi iPhoneDude, you need to reboot iphone if it is first time of using ifunbox V0.8. For future use, respring is required after transfering.
April 22nd, 2009 at 10:35 am
NEVERMIND… just found this:
Limitations:
1. Media files uploaded by iFunBox will not be recognized by iTunes. iTunes report it cannot read the content and asks to restore.
2. Manually Respring or Reboot is required after uploading media files.
3. Currently iPod Shuffle can not play songs uploaded by iFunBox.
4. For 2.x firmware, media uploading doesn’t work properly. We’re just work on that.
i-FunBox rocks!
April 29th, 2009 at 8:55 am
Hello all.. hello admin
So.. i can confirm admin’s words. Phone must be rebooted after transfer of Music to iPhone 3G.
Tested on iPhone 3G 8Gb with Formware 2.2, jailbreaked.
But.. it is still with lot of bugs.. uploading stops.. program stops unexpectely.. etc..
Thaks to all
May 5th, 2009 at 7:04 am
It is not working on my iphone 3G with FW 2.2.1. I’m using iTunes 8.1.
Photo and video volder are still missing
Please help
May 6th, 2009 at 4:41 pm
My problem is that I can not add anything in iTunes now. iTunes recognizes the iPhone (2g 2.2 fw), but it will not allow me to add music, podcasts, ringtones, or apps. I lost all of my custom ringtones, but was able to add them using iFunbox.
May 7th, 2009 at 7:41 pm
i never would have run this crap app had i known id have problems as a result. this thing needs to go back to dev, stat - not ready for a release imo
May 8th, 2009 at 7:41 am
Clearly this guide isn’t helping people like me who have 2.2 fw and can’t sync properly with iTunes. It would be nice for the creator of the program to at least acknowledge that he’s working on a fix for our problems. Deleting the iTunes folder doesn’t work and I don’t want to restore my jailbrocken phone.
May 8th, 2009 at 9:38 am
Let me just say that i-FunBox is an excellent program, however, the claim on the update that states “Uploading Music/Movie for 3G iPhone FW2.x” should really have a warning with it. I also do not want to restore my iPhone.
May 9th, 2009 at 5:43 pm
you should stick to DNG606 solution.
Just tryed it and works directly without all the process descrie in the tuto.
I have firm 2.2
May 11th, 2009 at 8:46 am
I tried DNG606’s solution, but I still can not add anything through iTunes.
May 18th, 2009 at 10:28 pm
Just tryed all thing and not works. in my itunes tab for aplication, video, and photo is gone.. how to get back.. sory if my english bad. i’m from indonesia..
May 20th, 2009 at 4:07 pm
I got the same problem as topan. No App tab, Video and Photos tab. All is gone, i tried this trick and nothing happened, Please help! I got iPhone 3G firmware 2.2 jailbroken…
May 26th, 2009 at 3:10 pm
Same problem as Boris / topan / Ramon here.
Jailbroken iPhone 2.2.
I’ve tried Ifunbox as an replacement for ITunes but songs tags were not readable after rebooting (bunch of weird symbols) so I turned back to iTunes just to be confronted with the problem which other guys described already.
In Itunes only Summary/Info/Ringtones/Music tabs are visible.
Can’t upload any music to iPhone through tunes (”this file type(mp3) is not supported by ***phone” error).
Of course I hate iTunes as the next person does and I wish you people every luck in the world to make this tiny app better but can you please suggest anything to solve our problem here?
TIA
May 29th, 2009 at 9:52 am
Same problem … still no fix ?
If Palm Pre can be recognized by iTunes … there should be a solution.
Maybe DVD John can help us … he seems to understand the mechanism.
http://nanocr.eu/2009/05/28/syncing-music-and-video-to-the-palm-pre/
June 8th, 2009 at 3:34 am
The same problem as Boris / topan / Ramon/ Maxis here.
Jailbroken iPhone 2.2.
Just Summary/Info/Ringtones/Music tabs are visible, but i can`t upload no music from the iTunes library. I tried //var/mobile/Media/iTunes_Control” trick-nothing….. I don`know what to do…
Please suggest anything…
June 16th, 2009 at 11:20 am
Restore. That is the only solution, : (
June 30th, 2009 at 7:03 am
Dear team,
I have Iphone 2G with 3.0 firmware, Itunes 8.2 and i-funbox don’t found my Iphone and also can’t browse PC.
thank you
Vi