First off, I belive the cause of the problem was that the user had first plugged the phone in to the computer while talking on it. This caused the OS to have issues recognizing the phone correctly, which then carried over every time the device was plugged back in. The reason I believe this is because I got it to work, then the user plugged the phone in while talking to me and it stopped working again. Luckily the same fix worked both times, and is quick and easy.
The solution to the problem, once it starts happening, is to update the Apple Mobile Device USB Driver. To do this, follow these instructions:
1. Right-click on the My Computer icon and select Manage
2. In the left tree-view column, click on Device Manager, which is under the System Tools section
3. On the right, expand Universal Serial Bus controllers which is likely towards the bottom
4. You should see Apple Mobile Device USB Driver there. If not, make sure your iPhone is plugged in. Assuming it is there, right-click on it and select Update Driver
5. Choose to allow it to install the update automatically, which should be the default, and click Next
6. It should appear to be doing some searching, then act as if it's installing something, then it will say it is finished. Click the button to close
7. Now try opening iTunes again and see if your iPhone is recognized correctly. Hopefully it is, and you can go on using your iPhone like normal and synchronizing it with iTunes
Once I updated the Mobile Device driver it seemed to work fine. Then the user plugged it back in while talking on it, and the same error started appearing again in iTunes. Again, a quick driver update and the problem was gone. If you're having the same problem and run across this, hopefully it takes care of it and you can stop stressing out over your phone. Good luck
Update: updating the driver no longer works for the user. I spoke to Apple support and they suggested I reset the phone using recovery mode. I wasn't aware that it existed, but have since posted a blog entry with more information on how to use that method. If you're interested, check out the new post.
5 comments:
What if its not there listed in the USB?
If you don't have the Apple Mobile Device driver listed, it is likely that you need to reinstall iTunes. Something probably went wrong with the install and the driver files aren't being found when you plug in your iPhone
If your iPhone is not being recognized at all, that would also cause the Apple Mobile Device from showing up. Check the USB cable, and maybe try plugging the iPhone into a different computer if you can. If that doesn't work, you'll have to talk to Apple or AT&T (or whoever your provider is if you're outside the US) to troubleshoot and possibly replace your phone. I've had to have one replaced because of some post-3.0 upgrade issues, and it was pretty hassle-free.
It's listed in the driver but listed under image device.... I think I may have screwed up by uploading pics from my phone using a program other than iTunes... I usually stay away from iTunes when my phone is plugged in since apple likes to delete my cracked apps
Hi Rick,
It's been a while since you posted your comment, but if you're still having the issue it's normal for the iPhone to show up as an Imaging Device in Device Manager. However, it should still have the entries in the other sections as well. One question I'd have now would be whether you had used a Palm or Windows Mobile device in the past, and whether you had installed sync software for either of those types of phones on the same machine you're using your iPhone on?
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