Apple Mobile Device Support Error in iTunes 8.2.0.23 FIX

Question

Apple Mobile Device Support Error in iTunes 8.2.0.23 FIX

Okay, after I installed the 8.2.0.23 version of iTunes and tried to plug in my iPhone, I got a message stating essentially that the version of Apple Mobile Device Support is wrong, and to uninstall AMDS and iTunes and reinstall them. Of course, after doing that, it still gave the error.

After hours of trying things and coming up with nothing with Apple Tech Support, this finally fixed the problem. I don't know if it'll help anyone, but if it does, great!

You will need:
1. The previous version of iTunes - 8.1.1
http://www.oldapps.com/itunes.php
2. The current version of iTunes - 8.2
http://www.apple.com/itunes/download
3. WinRAR
http://www.rarlab.com/download.htm

This is what I did that worked:
1. Delete the folder "C:\Program Files\Common Files\Apple\Mobile Device Support"
2. Using WinRAR, extract "applemobiledevicesupport.msi" from the 8.1.1 iTunes installer file to your desktop.
3. Run applemobiledevicesupport.msi to install the previous version of Apple Mobile Device Support. This won't jive with iTunes 8.2. If you try to run it, you'll just get the old error message.
4. Using WinRAR, extract "applemobiledevicesupport.msi" from the 8.2 iTunes installer file to your desktop overwriting the old version.
5. Run applemobiledevicesupport.msi to intstall the new version of AMDS over the previous version.
6. Start up iTunes.
7. Plug in iPhone

It should now recognize the device.

Let me know if it works for ya!

Erik

iPhone 3G, iTunes 8.2.0.23, Windows XP

Posted on Jun 19, 2009 3:30 PM

Reply

Answer 1

Jun 19, 2009 11:33 PM in response to Community User

Has anyone tried it yet? Vista will not allow me to delete folder "C:\Program Files\Common Files\Apple\Mobile Device Support" another wonderful upgrade from Microsoft that complicated or failed more than it improved. Apple Tech I spoke with for hours did not know about this. Or he knew of problem deleting folders in Vista. We could not resolve and higher up Techs could take a week to even respond.

Reply

Answer 2

Jun 20, 2009 7:06 AM in response to ra1larsen

Did you try this without deleting the folder? Perhaps it might work...

I don't have Vista, so maybe a variation of this might be in order.

Message was edited by: Erik713

Reply

Answer 3

Jun 20, 2009 12:13 PM in response to Community User

Miracles do happen. I found another post regarding how to perform Device Firmware Upgrade. I connected iPhone and low and behold iTunes identified phone and asked if I wanted to upgrade to 3.0. I declined that upgrade as everything is working just fine now and plan to wait on 3.0 quite sometime. I did nothing new today I just connected and it worked, who know why or what caused problems prior two days.

Reply

Answer 4

Jun 22, 2009 11:03 AM in response to Community User

This seems like the exact thing I needed, but it wont let me install apple mobile device. It says installer encountered errors before completing. And after I installed itunes, there wasnt even a folder called apple mobile device in programfiles/commonfiles/apple/

So I had nothing to delete, and just extracted the applemobiledevice.msi from the 8.1.1 installer and tried to use that, and the errors continue. It seems no matter what I do its an endless loop of installation errors everyway around.

Reply

Answer 5

Jun 22, 2009 8:23 PM in response to DarrellJ88

I was wrong as once again iTunes 8.2 is back with error. Iphone detected but cannot be identified. I tried multiple shutdown and start up combinations between PC, iTunes and iPhone all to no avail. There has got to be some conflict here and it seems to be Apple software with the issue not my iPhone or my PC. They can and did work once since the upgrade nothing changed to fix it Saturday and again nothing done that should cause it to fail Sunday and Monday.

Reply

Answer 6

Jun 23, 2009 9:21 AM in response to DarrellJ88

Darrell, I tried using the old version of AMDS with 8.2.0.23 and it didn't work either. After you install the old version of AMDS, try installing the new version right over it. Don't remove the old version.

Reply

Answer 7

Jun 23, 2009 9:48 AM in response to Community User

It wont allow me to install AMDS at all. I don't currently have AMDS installed as far as I can tell, its not in my add/remove programs and not in programfiles/commonfiles/apple there is no folder for AMDS even there. When I install itunes it does not install AMDS at all for me, and when I tried to extract that older AMDS as this solution says, it will not allow me to install (The installation encountered errors try again later).

Reply

Answer 8

MiCkBaBy

Level 1

0 points

Jun 24, 2009 3:56 PM in response to Community User

Hi Erik,

Your basic suggestion actually worked for me. But this is what I did for others who are having issues removing/installing etc.

1. Download the latest iTunes 8.2. You should end up with a file iTunesSetup.
2. If you dont already have WinRAR, download free copy from http://www.rarlab.com/ and install.
3. Right click on iTunesSetup and choose "Extract" to somewhere you know. eg C:\itunetemp
4. Open up folder where you extracted iTunesSetup and double-click applemobiledevicesupport.msi
5. It should ask you if you want to repair or remove... choose remove.
6. REBOOT your PC.

7. Go back to where you extracted iTunesSetup and double-click applemobiledevicesupport.msi and go through the install.
8. Plug in your iPhone.

If all is well iTunes should automatically start and start syncing your iPhone.

Goodluck all! 🙂

Cheers.

Reply

Answer 9

Jun 24, 2009 6:39 PM in response to MiCkBaBy

Mine does not give me that option to remove/repair, which I'm pretty sure is because I don't actually have any applemobiledevice installed, and that kind of turns this problem into an endless loop of not being able to get it installed. I can't just upgrade/repair/remove because I don't have one installed, and I can't just install one because it says the installation encountered errors.

Reply

Answer 10

Mr Kev

Level 1

0 points

Jun 27, 2009 10:51 AM in response to DarrellJ88

Darrell

I am having same issue - my iphone is on 3.0, updated on a work machine, which dowlnloaded latest version of itunes and works fine. Issue is with home pc, which when downloading, it won't install the new version of amds - goes to "rolling back" action.

Followed the advice above, ie removing and then installing older version via a winrar extract - the older version still works and installs. Then, when I try to install the newer version of AMDS with 8.2.23, it just won't load it - it encounters an error before updating..........as you are, I seem to be going around in circles. Have you found a solution, or does anyone know one??!!

Reply

Answer 11

Jun 28, 2009 3:32 PM in response to Community User

Erik, I'm using Windows 7 RC1 x86 on iMac with Bootcamp and I'd struggled with this for hours.
Removing AMDS that came with iTunes 8.2.0.23, installing the AMDS that came in iTunes 8.11 and then reinstalling the version from 8.2.0.23 again worked a treat. Thank you!
BTW, what made you think to use AMDS from iTunes 8.11?

Reply

Answer 12

Jul 1, 2009 4:36 AM in response to Community User

Erik,

I'm having this same issue, and I attempted your suggestion but could not delete the folder: C:\Program Files\Common Files\Apple\Mobile Device Support. It says it could be encrypted or full. Do you have any insight into this? I've attempted this whole process about four times, (i.e., updating to 8.2); and it never recognizes my iPhone. I always have to back down to 8.1.1 and uninstall/cleanup everything. So, I'm attempting your steps now. The only hang-up is the fact that I can't delete the above folder. I am the only user as it's a home computer. Any input you may have would be wonderful.

Reply

Answer 13

Jul 1, 2009 8:45 AM in response to Community User

Thanks for taking one for the team and through tech support nightmare!

It worked great.

Reply

Answer 14

Katrina S.

Level 7

24,131 points

Jul 1, 2009 2:03 PM in response to wordtamer

wordrunner,
Try the old DOS trick or renaming that folder instead of trying to delete it.

In WinExplorer, right-click > rename, and change it to something like
C:\Program Files\Common Files\Apple\Mobile Device SupportDELETEME

Sometimes the OS gets confused and will let you rename something, but not delete it.

Reply

Answer 15

Jul 1, 2009 4:07 PM in response to Katrina S.

Katrina,

My issue is a wee bit different than the issue here, but I've tried everything else so came here. After I updated to 8.2, my iPhone is no longer recognized by my computer or iTunes. It tells me hardware not found. As soon as I go back to 8.1, it works fine. I was able to rename it--thank you for that!--but clicking on the msi file gives me the message that I already have the newer version, so it won't let me go backwards to 8.1.1. I think tomorrow I'm going to see what happens on my laptop and go from there. Thank you for your help. I hadn't thought about renaming the file at all. I'm going to play with that some more tomorrow and see what I get.

Reply