iOS: Device not recognized in iTunes for Windows

Products Affected

iPad, iPhone, iPod, iPod nano, iPod shuffle, iPod touch, iTunes, Microsoft Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7

Symptoms

Your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch may not appear under Devices in iTunes after you connect it to your Windows PC. Any of the following may also occur:

  • The device cannot be restored in iTunes.
  • An exclamation point, question mark, plug symbol, or "X" appears next to the device's entry in Device Manager.
  • During an update or restore, the device may no longer be recognized by iTunes.

Resolution

Note: If you have an iPod classic, iPod nano, iPod shuffle, or any older model of iPod that is not an iOS device, follow steps in iPod not appearing in iTunes instead of the steps in this article.

To begin troubleshooting this issue on your iOS device, first follow the steps in the appropriate troubleshooting assistant below:

If the issue persists after following the troubleshooting assistant, continue with the steps below, testing to see if the issue is resolved after each section.

Collapse All Sections | Expand All Sections

1. Check the USB cable

Verify that the 30-pin to USB cable is free of debris and not damaged. If another 30-pin to USB cable is available, test with that cable instead.

2. Verify that Apple Mobile Device Support is installed

iOS devices require Apple Mobile Device Support, which should be automatically installed with iTunes. To verify whether it is installed, follow the steps appropriate for your Windows operating system below.

  • Windows XP: Click Start and choose Control Panel. Open the "Add or Remove Programs" control panel and verify that Apple Mobile Device Support is visible in the list of currently installed programs.
  • Windows Vista and Windows 7: Click Start and choose Control Panel. Click "Uninstall a program" (or if using Windows Vista's Classic View of the Control Panel, click "Programs and Features"). Verify that Apple Mobile Device Support is visible in the list of currently installed programs.

If Apple Mobile Device Support is not listed, remove iTunes, QuickTime, Apple Software Update, Apple Application Support, and then reinstall iTunes. Follow the steps appropriate for your Windows operating system below:

If after reinstalling iTunes Apple Mobile Device Support is still not installed, follow steps in Trouble installing iTunes or QuickTime for Windows.

3. Restart the Apple Mobile Device Service

Follow the steps in How to restart the Apple Mobile Device Service (AMDS) on Windows to restart the Apple Mobile Device Service.

4. Verify that the Apple Mobile Device USB Driver is installed

For Windows XP

  1. Connect the device to the computer.
  2. Quit iTunes if it launches.
  3. In the Start menu, right-click My Computer and choose Properties.
  4. Click the Hardware tab, then click the Device Manager button. The Device Manager window should open.
  5. Click the plus (+) icon next to Universal Serial Bus controllers to expand this selection.

  6. Locate the Apple Mobile Device USB Driver in this list. If this entry is displayed without any "x", "!" or "?" symbols over it, then this driver is successfully installed. Proceed to the next section titled "Check for third-party mobile phone software"
  • If the Apple Mobile Device USB Driver is not listed, proceed to the section below titled "If the Apple Mobile Device USB Driver is not listed".
  • If the Apple Mobile Device USB Driver is listed, but has a red "X" appearing next to the device's entry, this device is disabled. To enable this device, right-click its entry in Device Manager and choose Enable from the shortcut menu.

  • If the Apple Mobile Device USB Driver entry is listed, but has an exclamation mark or question mark over it, continue to the next steps to reinstall the Apple Mobile Device driver.

Reinstall the Apple Mobile Device Driver

  1. Right-click the Apple Mobile Device entry in Device Manager and choose Uninstall from the shortcut menu.
  2. In the resulting dialog box, click OK.
  3. In the Device Manager window, right-click Universal Serial Bus controllers and choose Scan for hardware changes from the shortcut menu.

Windows automatically reinstalls the necessary drivers and attempts to remount the device.

  • If the Apple Mobile Device USB Driver entry still has an exclamation mark or question mark over it, continue to the next steps to manually update the Apple Mobile Device driver.

Update the Apple Mobile Device Driver

  1. Right-click the Apple Mobile Device entry in Device Manager and choose Update Driver from the shortcut menu.
  2. If asked to connect to Windows Update to search for software, choose "No, not this time."
  3. Select "Install from a list or specific location (Advanced)" and click Next.
  4. Select "Don't search. I will choose the driver to install". Then click Next.

  5. Click the Have Disk button. Note: If the Have Disk option is not present, choose a device category such as Mobile Phone or Storage Device if listed, and click next. Then the Have Disk button should appear.
  6. Click the Browse button, then navigate to the following location: C:\Program Files\Common Files\Apple\Mobile Device Support\Drivers.
  7. Double-click the usbaapl file.
  8. Click OK in the Have Disk window. Then click Next. Click Finish. Windows installs the driver.

Note: During installation, if a message appears stating that the software you are installing "has not passed Windows Logo testing", click Continue Anyway to continue installing the drivers.

For Windows Vista or Windows 7

  1. Connect the device to the computer.
  2. Quit iTunes if it launches.
  3. Click the Start menu, right-click on Computer, and choose Properties.
  4. In the upper-left corner, click Device Manager. The Device Manager window should open.
  5. Click the plus (+) icon (or disclosure triangle () for Windows 7) next to Universal Serial Bus controllers to expand this selection.

  6. Locate the Apple Mobile Device USB Driver in this list. If this entry is displayed without any downward arrow, "!" or "?" symbols over it, then this driver is successfully installed. Proceed to the next section titled "Check for third-party mobile phone software".
  • If the Apple Mobile Device USB Driver is not listed, proceed to the section below titled "If the Apple Mobile Device USB Driver is not listed".
  • A downward arrow appearing next to the device's entry in Device Manager indicates that this device is disabled. To enable this device, right-click its entry in Device Manager and choose Enable from the shortcut menu.

  • If the Apple Mobile Device USB Driver entry is listed, but has an exclamation mark or question mark over it, continue to the next steps to reinstall the Apple Mobile Device driver.

Reinstall the Apple Mobile Device Driver

  1. Right-click the Apple Mobile Device entry in Device Manager and choose Uninstall from the shortcut menu.
  2. When prompted, select the box "Delete the driver software for this device" and click OK.
  3. In the resulting dialog box, click OK.
  4. In the Device Manager window, right-click Universal Serial Bus controllers and choose Scan for hardware changes from the shortcut menu.

Windows Vista and Windows 7:

Windows automatically reinstalls the necessary drivers and attempts to remount the device.

  • If the Apple Mobile Device USB Driver entry still has an exclamation mark or question mark over it, continue to the next steps to manually update the Apple Mobile Device driver.

Update the Apple Mobile Device Driver

  1. Right-click the Apple Mobile Device entry in Device Manager and choose Update Driver Software.
  2. Select "Browse my computer for driver software."
  3. Select "Let me pick from a list of device drivers on my computer."
  4. Click the Have Disk button. Note: If the Have Disk option is not present, choose a device category such as Mobile Phone or Storage Device if listed, and then click next. The Have Disk button should then appear.
  5. Click the Browse button and navigate to C:\Program Files\Common Files\Apple\Mobile Device Support\Drivers.
    Note: If using a 64-bit version of Windows Vista or Windows 7, navigate to C:\Program Files (x86)\Common Files\Apple\Mobile Device Support\Drivers.
  6. Double-click the "usbaapl" file. (This file will be called "usbaapl64" if you have a 64-bit version of Windows. If you don't see" usbaapl64" here, or if there is no Drivers folder, look in C:\Program Files\Common Files\Apple\Mobile Device Support\Drivers instead).
  7. Click Open in the Have Disk window. Then, click Next and then Click Finish. Windows will install the driver.

Note: During installation, if a message appears stating that the software you are installing "has not passed Windows Logo testing," click Continue Anyway to continue installing the drivers.

If the Apple Mobile Device USB Driver is not listed

  1. Disconnect the device from the computer.
  2. Save a screenshot by pressing the Home button and the Wake/Sleep button at the same time (the screen should flash briefly). Note: Taking screenshots and saving images on iPod touch requires iOS version 2.0 or later.
  3. Reconnect the device to the computer.
  4. Open the Device Manager in Windows as follows:
    Windows XP: Click Start > Run. In the resulting dialog type devmgmt.msc and press Return on the keyboard.
    Windows Vista or Windows 7: Click Start. In the dialog, type devmgmt.msc and press Return on the keyboard. If Windows needs your permission to continue, click "Continue".
  5. Expand all the sections labeled below (not all sections may be listed):
    • Imaging Devices
    • Other Devices
    • Portable Devices
    • Universal Serial Bus Controllers
  6. Look for the entry that recognizes the device as a camera. This entry should be called Apple iPhone, Apple iPad, or Apple iPod.

If only "Unknown Device" appears

  1. Right-click on the "Unknown Device" entry, and choose "Properties" from the shortcut menu.
  2. Click the Details tab, and in the drop-down menu, select "Hardware IDs"
  3. If the hardware ID displayed starts with this:
    USB\VID_0000&PID_0000
    This means that Windows cannot read the hardware IDs of the device, and so has replaced them with all zeros. This is typically caused by a faulty USB connection, or an incompatibility with your USB chipset drivers.
  4. Disconnect the device, and unplug all USB devices from your computer. Shut your computer down, and power it back on.
  5. Reconnect your device, testing each USB port for approximately 30 seconds to see if your device is recognized.
  6. Test with an alternate, known-good 30-pin to USB cable if available.
  7. Temporarily disable any "USB Enhanced Host Controller" or "USB 2.0 Host Controller" entries in the Device Manager, under the USB Controllers section. Do this by right-clicking on them, and choosing "disable".
    Note: This may temporarily disable your USB keyboard or mouse. If so, disconnect your USB keyboard and mouse, if possible. Or if you are using a portable PC, connect an external keyboard and mouse, if necessary
  8. After disabling USB 2.0 root hubs, reconnect your device.
  9. If your device shows up in iTunes, try re-enabling your USB 2.0 root hubs by right-clicking on their entries in the Device Manager, and choosing "enable". If the issue returns, you may disable the USB 2.0 hubs as a temporary work-around, keeping in mind that sync will occur slowly, at USB 1.1 speeds. Then, consult your computer manufacturer for any updates for your USB 2.0 chipset.
Note: If "Unknown Device" appears when connecting your device to more than 1 known-good computer, with more than 1 known-good USB cable, your device may require service. Contact Apple, or your wireless carrier, whichever provides phone support for your iPhone. To find Apple's contact information in your country, refer to Contacting Apple for Support and Service. If you use an iPhone, you can find your wireless carrier at Locating iPhone wireless carriers. Wherever you live in the world, you can find your device's service options at the Online Service Assistant. You may have questions about servicing your device, and you can find answers to frequent questions in this FAQ. If there is an Apple Retail Store nearby, find the closest store and then make a reservation through the online Apple Store Concierge. Reservations are strongly recommended.

If only Apple iPhone, Apple iPad, or Apple iPod appears

For Windows XP

  1. Right-click the Apple iPhone, Apple iPad, or Apple iPod entry in Device Manager and choose Update Driver from the shortcut menu.
  2. If asked to connect to Windows Update to search for software, choose "No, not this time" and click Next.
  3. Choose "Install from a list or specific location (Advanced)" and click Next.
  4. Choose "Don't search. I will choose the driver to install" and click Next.
  5. Click the Have Disk button. (If the Have Disk option is not present, choose a device category such as Mobile Phone or Storage Device if listed, and click next. Then the Have Disk button should appear.) In the "Install from Disk" dialog, click the Browse button.
  6. Navigate to C:\Program Files\Common Files\Apple\Mobile Device Support\Drivers.
  7. Double-click the "usbaapl.inf" file, that is listed in this folder. Click OK on the "Install from Disk" dialog.
  8. Click Next and finish the driver installation steps. Open iTunes to verify that the device is recognized properly.

For Windows Vista or Windows 7

  1. Right-click the Apple iPhone, Apple iPad, or Apple iPod entry in Device Manager and choose Update Driver from the shortcut menu.
  2. Click "Browse my computer for driver software."
  3. Click "Let me pick from a list of device drivers on my computer."
  4. Click the Have Disk button. (If the Have Disk option is not present, choose a device category such as Mobile Phone or Storage Device if listed, and click next. The Have Disk button should then appear.)
  5. In the "Install from Disk" dialog, click the Browse button.
  6. Use this window to navigate to the following folder:
    C:\Program Files\Common Files\Apple\Mobile Device Support\Drivers.
    Note: If using a 64-bit version of Windows, this folder may be stored in C:\Program Files (x86)\Common Files\Apple\Mobile Device Support\Drivers.
  7. Double-click the "usbaapl.inf" file which is listed in this folder. (This file will be called "usbaapl64.inf" if you have a 64-bit version of Windows).
  8. Click OK in the "Install from Disk" dialog.
  9. Click Next and finish the driver-installation steps. Open iTunes to verify that the device is recognized properly.

If the device is not recognized while in Recovery Mode

Note: If your device is working on its own and is not in recovery mode, this set of steps is not for you; do not manually place the device into recovery mode.

 

Your device may not be recognized while in recovery mode. This can happen during an update or restore of your device. Typically when your device is in recovery mode, it will show the "Connect to iTunes" logo on its display. If iTunes does not recognize the device when in this state, check the Device Manager for one or more entries called Apple Mobile Device (Recovery Mode). These entries may have exclamation marks on them:
Recovery Mode
If so, the following steps may resolve this issue so that you can continue restoring your device.

  1. Open the Device Manager and connect your device. Click the View menu and select "Devices by connection".
  2. Locate the erroneous "Apple Mobile Device (Recovery Mode)" entries. You may need to expand all sections of the Device Manager to see them.
  3. Directly above these entries will be a USB Composite Device entry.
    USB Composite Device
    Depending on your version of Windows, take the following steps to update this driver:

For Windows XP

  1. Right-click the parent USB Composite Device entry and choose Update Driver from the shortcut menu.
  2. If asked to connect to Windows Update to search for software, choose "No, not this time" and click Next.
  3. Choose "Install from a list or specific location (Advanced)" and click Next.
  4. Choose "Don't search. I will choose the driver to install" and click Next.
  5. Click the Have Disk button. In the "Install from Disk" dialog, click the Browse button.
  6. Use this window to navigate to the following folder: C:\Program Files\Common Files\Apple\Mobile Device Support\Drivers.
  7. Double-click the usbaapl file, which is listed in this folder. Click OK on the "Install from Disk" dialog.
  8. Click Next and finish the driver installation steps. Open iTunes to verify that the device is recognized properly, and continue restoring your device.

For Windows Vista or Windows 7

  1. Right-click the parent USB Composite Device entry and choose Update Driver Software from the shortcut menu.
  2. Click "Browse my computer for driver software".
  3. Click "Let me pick from a list of device drivers on my computer".
  4. Click the Have Disk button. In the "Install from Disk" dialog, click the Browse button.
  5. Use this window to navigate to the following folder:
    C:\Program Files\Common Files\Apple\Mobile Device Support\Drivers.
    Note: If using a 64-bit version of Windows, this folder may be stored in C:\Program Files (x86)\Common Files\Apple\Mobile Device Support\Drivers.
  6. Double-click the usbaapl.inf file, which is listed in this folder. (This file will be called usbaapl64.inf if you have a 64-bit version of Windows.)
  7. Click OK in the "Install from Disk" dialog.
  8. Click Next and finish the driver-installation steps. Open iTunes to verify that the device is recognized properly, and continue restoring your device.

5. Check for third-party mobile phone software

Certain phone connectivity software from vendors such as Samsung, Nokia, Bora, Novatel, and Sony may cause your device not to be recognized. If you have such software on your computer:

  1. Uninstall your Samsung, Nokia, Bora, Novatel, or Sony phone connectivity software and test. Contact the manufacturer of this software for assistance in doing this.
  2. Remove iTunes and all related Apple software by following this article (for Windows XP), or this article (for Windows Vista and Windows 7).
  3. After reinstalling iTunes, test the device.
  4. If you still need your phone connectivity software that was removed, reinstall this software and test your device to ensure it still functions with iTunes. Contact the vendor of your phone connectivity software if the issue returns.

6. Troubleshoot third-party security software

If you continue to experience issues reinstalling or updating these drivers, your security software may be contributing to the issues. Follow this article to troubleshoot issues that may be caused by your security software. After resolving any issues you may have with your security software, you may need to try the steps in this article again.

Important: Information about products not manufactured by Apple is provided for information purposes only and does not constitute Apple’s recommendation or endorsement. Please contact the vendor for additional information.
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