Fix: iTunes Cannot Restore iPhone Not Enough Space on Computer

iTunes cannot restore iPhone not enough space on computer? Read this guide to learn several solutions. In addition, you will also get another easy solution to backup and restore your iPhone.

Lena

By Lena / Updated on December 13, 2023

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Problem: iTunes Cannot Restore iPhone Not Enough Space on Computer

 

iTunes cannot restore iPhone not enough space on computer

When I try to restore the backup I get a message that saying "iTunes could not restore the iPhone because there is not enough free space on this computer". I need to figure out how to restore backup onto my iPhone please help SOS.

- Question from Apple Community

iTunes Cannot Restore iPhone Not Enough Space On Computer

To prevent data loss, most of us would like to backup iPhone data in advance. iCloud and iTunes are the official backup method. However, iCloud only provides 5 GB of free storage space to store all iOS data which is far from enough. So you choose to backup iPhone with iTunes.

Now for some reason, maybe you want to restore the iPhone to fix iOS issue or you may want to restore backup to new iPhone to realize data transmission. However, the problem occurs. A pop-up window appears and says that iTunes cannot restore iPhone not enough space on computer. Well, this is a problem that often occurs when restoring an iTunes backup. Take it easy, you will know how to figure it out in this guide.

How to Fix iTunes Cannot Restore iPhone Not Enough Space on Computer

Here are 4 solutions to help you get rid of “iTunes could not restore iPhone because not enough free space on computer” error message.

Solution 1. Restart Your Computer and iPhone

This is a simple trick you can always have a try when you meet any problem. Disconnect your iPhone and restart your computer and iPhone. Then run iTunes again to have a try. If it does not work, try other methods below.

Solution 2. Free up Space

Since iTunes says it cannot restore iPhone because there is not enough free space on computer, you can delete some needless or old files to free up hard drive space.

- Delete corrupted backups:

The fact is when restoring a backup to iPhone, iTunes will extract the backup library and another new folder with a time stamp to the end of the backup library will be created during the restore process.

If you have tried to restore the backup multiple times, then multiple libraries with time stamp at the end of the library will be created and it will consume your storage space. Even if the backup fails, the folder will not be removed automatically. So you should delete those folders manually to free up space.

△ Go to the iTunes backup location to have a check, if you see some folders with the time stamp to the end, just delete them. You can also delete some old backups if you are sure you will never need them.

For PC: \Users\(username)\AppData\Roaming\Apple Computer\MobileSync\Backup\

For Mac: ~/Library/Application Support/MobileSync/Backup/

iTunes Backup Location Windows

- Delete duplicate photos:

There is one iOS data manager called FoneTool and its Photo Deduplication feature can help you quickly delete all duplicate and similar photos on your computer.

1. Download, install and launch FoneTool.

2. Now choose Toolbox on the left window > choose Photo Deduplication.

Photo Deduplication

3. Select Scan Computer option.

Scan Computer

4. Click Add Folder to select the folder that contains your photos and click Start scanning to find duplicate photos.

Select Android Phone

5. When the scanning is finished, it will list all the duplicate photos on your computer  > Select the unwanted photos and click Delete button to remove duplicate photos.

Delete

Solution 3. Update iTunes to the Latest Version

ITunes cannot restore iPhone not enough space on computer error may also occur if you have installed an outdated version of iTunes. The old version of iTunes can cause many problems.

Click Help on the menu bar on Windows or click iTunes on Mac > Select Check for Updates to have a check. If there’s a version, follow the prompts to install the latest version of iTunes.

Check for Updates

Solution 4. Check the USB Connection

The restoration requires a safe and stable connection. It’s recommended to use the Apple-certified USB cable. Please make sure the USB port is working correctly.

- Try another USB port.

- Directly connect your iPhone to the computer instead of using the attached keyboard or USB hub.

Bonus Tip: An Easy Way to Backup and Restore iPhone

The above are all solutions you can try to fix the iTunes cannot restore iPhone not enough space on computer error. If you are lucky, you may get out of trouble. But even though you solve the problem this time, you may meet other errors next time. So why not try another easy way to backup iPhone?

To avoid annoying iTunes errors in the future, you can try the previously mentioned FoneTool. It’s a great iTunes alternative for iPhone backup and restore, these are its outstanding features.

● It has a user-friendly interface that makes it possible for everyone to handle.
● It lets you first preview and then select the data you need before the backup and restore.
● The backup files are accessible so you can view the backup anytime you want.
● When performing the restore, there is no need to reset your iPhone and it will not erase any existing data.

→ The Selective Backup makes it possible to backup your most important photos, music, contacts, etc. It will help you save storage space so that you will not meet "iTunes cannot restore iPhone not enough space on computer" problem.

AOMEI MBackupper

→ In addition, you can also take advantage of Full Backup to backup all content and settings in one click.

Full Backup

→ Besides backup and restore, FoneTool also supports transfer between iPhone/iPad and computer, between two iPhones. You can let it help you transfer purchased and non purchased items without effort. 

Transfer to iPhone

In a word, FoneTool can help you always put important data in the right place. Go for it now and discover more by yourself!

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Conclusion

That’s all for how to fix the iTunes cannot restore iPhone not enough space on computer error. Does this passage solve your problem? If so, you could share it to help more people. Or if you have any other ideas, just leave a comment to tell us.