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arykmax

macrumors regular
Original poster
Mar 2, 2008
220
0
Sometime in the last couple of weeks, my iTunes has decided my 4S doesn't exist. I plug the phone into my computer but it never shows up under devices in iTunes. I've tried reinstalling iTunes, updating my phone, restoring my phone to factory resets (first restoring from backup and then restoring as new iPhone. Nothing works. My computer is still not recognizing the device. I don't even get the Windows pop up to download pictures when I plug it in. The phone still starts charging when I plug it in but nothingelse happens. I have been looking around the internet quite a bit and although I am not the only person having this issue, there doesn't seem to be a solution for it that I can find. Any ideas?
 

RCC1028

macrumors member
Nov 5, 2012
52
2
I have been dealing with this issue since the 4S came out. I also have it at times on my iphone 5. I know a lot about it unfortunately, and worked with a senior tech from Apple for months to get my computer to see my phones. He even took it to the Apple engineers who had me do all kinds of tests. They never really figured out what caused it.

This is what I know. Itunes does not play nice with AOL. If you use them together it will cause this issue. Apple will not admit this but Dell tech support who I also worked with for months does agree on this.

There is a fix that the Apple senior tech gave me that works 100% for me. Close Itunes, and AOL if you use it. Right click on My Computer and then click on Manage, and then click on services and applications. In the right window pane click on services, then on apple device manager. This brings up a screen that lets you stop the apple device manager. Click stop, and let it do so. It takes a minute to do it, and on my computer slows down in the middle of doing so.

After it has stopped, wait a minute or so, and then start the apple device manager. Close all the windows from My Computer. Now bring up Itunes again and it should work.

I need to do this randomly now. It has gotten better since I got the Iphone 5. Itunes will also not auto launch for me, and I have to bring it up manually before I sync.
 

MaddogMurphy

macrumors newbie
Mar 6, 2013
1
0
I struggled through this on my own and found a pretty simple fix.

Unplug your iphone... hit with hammer. kidding.

But for real --

Unplug your iphone

got to Start > Run > devmgmt.msc > OK

right click on the apple driver (hint: it probably had a little yellow exclamation point on the icon)

Select uninstall.

Plug in your iphone.

The whole process takes about 60 seconds. :D
 
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