iTunes error message reading “The iPhone cannot be synced. An unknown error occurred (-54)” usually occurs while an iPhone, iPad or iPod is trying to sync with iTunes on a Windows computer.
The reason for this error could be due to glitch interfering with iTunes sync process or due to installation of iTunes on the computer being outdated, damaged or corrupted.
Another reported reason which is specific to Windows, is due to the iTunes Folder being marked or set to ‘Read Only’ mode due to a bug in the system.
Fix iTunes Error -54 in Windows 11/10
You can find below the troubleshooting steps to fix iTunes Error -54 on a Windows computer.
1. Restart Computer & iPhone
As mentioned above, the problem could be due to a software glitch interferring with iTunes Sync process on the computer.
This can be fixed by restarting the computer and also the iPhone to terminate stuck processes, which might be causing the problem.
2. Update iPhone
Make sure that the latest version of iOS is installed on iPhone.
1. Go to Settings > General > Software Update.
2. On the next screen, tap on Download and Install (in case an update is available).
3. Update iTunes on Computer
The next step would be to make sure that the latest available version of iTunes is installed on your computer.
1. Open iTunes on your computer.
2. Once you are in iTunes, click on Help and select Check for Updates option in the drop-down menu.
After updating iTunes, reconnect iPhone to computer and it should now Sync with iTunes.
4. Uncheck Read Only Option for iTunes Folder
As mentioned above, iTunes Code -54 error in Windows could be due to the iTunes Folder being marked as Read-only due to a bug in the system.
1. Click on the File Icon in the Taskbar to open File Explorer on your computer.
2. On the File Explorer screen, select Music Folder in the left-pane > right-click on iTunes Folder in the right-pane and click on Properties.
3. On Properties screen, uncheck the little box next to Read Only (in Attributes section).
4. Click on OK to save this setting on your computer
5. On the next pop-up, select Apply the change to this folder, subfolders and files option and click on OK.
In most cases, this should fix the problem and you should be able to Sync iPhone to iTunes, without encountering any error messages.
If this did not fix the problem, make sure that you have full control of iTunes folder by following the steps below.
1. Open the File Explorer on your computer.
2. On the File Explorer screen, select the Music tab in left-pane. In the right-pane, right-click on iTunes Folder and select Properties in the menu that appears.
3. On iTunes Properties screen, select the Security Tab > click on Edit and provide Full Control to your User Account.
4. Click on Apply and OK to save this setting on your computer.
Note: You may need to login with an Admin Account in order to take full control of iTunes Folder.