iOS: Device not recognized in iTunes for Windows

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.

1. 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:

3. 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.

4. 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.