This iPod cannot be used because the required software is not installed.

I have exactly the same problem and it has been so frustrating! I've tried installing and re-installing iTunes for so many times already. Does somebody have any solution to our problem? Any help will be much appreciated.

im getting it as well, such a stpid message - is it itunes or the ipods software? My nano synces ok, just the touch that wont work - have you guys found a fix?

I was having this same problem with my new ipod classic, i reinstalled itunes over and over again until it worked. Now im getting the same message again but with my iphone but my ipod is working fine, even after i reinstall itunes.

so after you tried on a second PC it worked on the first one as well?

Try repairing Quicktime in add/remove programs under my computer. Then check to make sure that is working properly by opening QT. When that checks out, go back to add/remove programs and repair iTunes. Reinstalling seems to compound the problem. Also try switching your USB port, I don't know why but that cleared up most of my problems. I also found some help by clicking on my iTunes icon in the system tray while I had my task manager open. Hope something in here helps!

Found out something VERY interesting with the iPod Touch not connecting to iTunes problem on a Vista Home machine as described above. This worked FLAWLESSLY the minute we did it.

1. Uninstall Quicktime
2. Uninstall iTunes
3. Reboot (possibly inbeween 1 & 2 as well)
4. Reinstall iTunes 7.5.x
5. Attach iPod Touch

It would seem that the combination of doing Quicktime first and then installing iTunes does something wacky - as does doing vice versa of having iTunes on first and the reinstalling Quicktime (remember iTunes installs it already) after seems to cause this error. Not sure why - as both are Apple products that should be able to be installed this way but apparently the iPod Touch doesn't like this configuration.

So nutshell - let iTunes install Quicktime and uninstall it first if this is your first time putting iTunes onto a system.

Enjoy.
-JF

Got it to work after spending almost the entire weekend messing about with install combinations: this is what work for me when my ipod Touch was not recognised due to "required software" not being installed...

1) uninstall everything (i mean any iTunes or Quicktimes) fully including checking with the windows install cleanup utility

2)restart your computer

3) Unpackage the iTunes 7.5 bundle in a folder onto the desktop, using WinRar

4) Install other components before the iTunes itself...

i ran QuickTime.msi, and then AppleSoftwareUpdate.msi, then AppleMobileDeviceSupport.msi (i don't think the order matters and im not going to
try other combinations as it's working for me!)

5) then run iTunes.msi

6) and after finishing, it started and recognised my iPod touch

hope this actually helps someone, as i've been reading these sites for hours.

good luck

Message was edited by: Lethal_Louis

Genius. SHear Genius. You made my day!!!!

I just wanted to thank you Lethal Louis!!


And I wanted to throw out there that for me the sticking point for the Touch install I had was that I needed to have AppleMobileDeviceSupport.msi installed, once I did that it worked like a champ. My particular situation was I had a Nano installed already and needed to install the Touch 8 GB and had the error no matter how many times I tried it, so I followed Louis' advice and unpacked the Itunes installer but I only installed the AppleMobileDeviceSupport.msi file but did not uninstall QT or Itunes and it started to work, so you may want to try that before entering into reboot after reboot **** that Itunes and QT require.

Thanks again,
Larry

i have the same problem

but AppleMobileDeviceSupport.msi will not install

when i try to install the AppleMobileDeviceSupport.msi it works to a point where the status changes to rolling back action and it reverses the installation. after that it says AppleMobileDeviceSupport encountered a error
i have turned off the firewall and antiviruses and it still wont work.


plz help

Will reinstalling itunes clear all of my music?

I have same issue. also, AppleMobileDeviceSupport.msi will not install and keeps rolling back no matter what I do. I am about to smash my pc. Same as alot of the others I'm running xp pro. My wife's xp home has NOOOO problem and my touch works perfectly with it. WHERE IS THE #$#$** ERROR LOG (the event log has had nothing on this). I am a programmer by trade and all of my programs are required to have them, I can't image the apple folk are any different. Someone has to had fixed this by now and we can't be the first.

Here is a shot in the dark that worked for me..I kept trying to upgrade to Itunes 7.0, I would get the message that the upgrade had been successful..but there was no way could I find it anywhere on my computer this had been happening since christmas day. I spent hrs reading the forums here and at microsoft for a fix but couldn't find anything...okay now this may make people cringe but it worked.

I unistalled quick time, and IE 7.0. Then reinstalled IE 7.0 and quicktime, then upgraded my itunes and everything works perfectly now. My daughter is very pleased now with her christmas gift.