I had a similar problem. I found out that the reason my computer was not syncronizing was because my USB hub was not highspeed. Make sure you have a highspeed USB hub. If not, you may have to go to Comp USA or Best Buy to get one like I did. That fixed my problem.
In a Mac there is another option. There's a Mac article about this problem (
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=306641) where they have you reinstall ITunes. This is a typical Tech answer because IN CASE the problem is a corrupt version of Itunes they get everything at once. I've done the full reset as described here. This fixed the problem for about 2 weeks. I JUST had the problem reappear. I didn't want to go through the whole process again so I decided to try a shortcut based on my experience as a Mac geek. I loosely followed the steps in the article to Reinstall Apple Mobile Device Service. I didn't use the Go navigation, but navigated by hand. Here are my steps that worked for me and I didn't have to reinstall Itunes.
1. Quite Itunes if it's open
2. In a finder window go to your main hard drive then /System/Library/Extensions
3. Locate the file AppleMobileDevice.kext and drag it to the Trash.
4. Open Itunes
Itunes will make a new file to replace the one you dragged into the trash. My Ipod Touch was plugged in at the time and it showed up right away in ITunes. This way you don't have to run all the back ups and all that.
I have a DELL Vista PC. My son had an ipod nano, which connected fine to iTunes through the front USB port. Then he put the ipod through the wash(BTW - I dropped my blackberry in water, and after it dried off it was fine!).
So he decided to go for an ipod touch.
What a FRUSTRATING experience, and Apple telephone support did not help at all.
When we first connected the touch, we got an error message about the software version not being right, and to re-install iTunes. We did that (the first of about 10 times).
The installer ran into a problem with a veryvery cryptic error message, rolled back partly, but then completed without further complaints.
Connecting the touch (with iTunes running) resulted in a beep, and the ipod was actually visible as a device in "My Computer" - it looked like a camera.
However, iTunes did not recognize it. I browsed discussion groups, and then removed everything Apple from the computer: uninstalled everything signed by apple, removed the folders in Programs and even the registry keys. Then reinstalled, with exactly the same behavior.
Then my wife spent many hours with Apple support on the phone. They were extremely courteous and helpful, but zoomed in on the USB port (after going through a couple of iTunes uninstalls and reinstalls). They claimed the USB port somehow didn't have the right drivers etc. Microsoft or Dell problem !!
I tried to update the drivers of the USB ports, but they all claimed to be up-to-date. Give up on ipod touch on this computer...
Yesterday, I went back and browsed some more discussion groups and stumbled upon AMDS (Apple Mobile Device Service) - instructions where to stop and start the service, but it wasn't installed at all. There was an iPod service, which I thought might be a different name, but no. So I went through another uninstall/reinstall cycle, being really meticulous about it, and got to the same situation.
The touch worked fine on our other XP PC's, so I disabled AMDS on one of them, and the behavior was exactly the same as on the Vista PC. So the USB port was definitely not the problem, and AMDS was a much better lead.
I then took the ultimate step - I did a clean reinstall of Vista, then installed iTunes. No error messages. iPod touch connects fine. My son is happy, and as a result so am I.
If anybody from Apple reads this, here are improvement suggestions:
1) the phone support person should have figured out that AMDS is not running, it seems pretty central to it all working
2) the installer had an error message which might as well have been Ketchua (and I am computer literate), and the installer completed without further complaints, but without installing AMDS.... that should not happen
Hi,
I am having this issue with an IPT but AMDS is running but iTunes still cannot see the Touch. I have cleaned everything Apple (lost backups from my previous Touch, which was stolen), re installed itunes8 countless times. The PC/Windows sees it and names it ipod, but itunes is still in a strop. Macdrive7 softwear cant see it either, which is a worry. I have tried different USB ports, started and stopped all registry apps, left it connected for several hours incase they make up but all to no avail. I have tried every suggestion on this site but iTunes on this desktop cannot see it. Now, My Dell laptop can see it but that is work and has no music, it wants to name and set it up, so the ipod is not the issue. I am now completely flumoxed!
Can anyone suggest anything that hasnt been mentioned on this site? A baseball bat is a last extreme but is getting close. Will need to sell a brand new IPT32Gig if this doesnt work soon....
