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iTunes doesn't "see" iPad

I have a new Macbook Pro 2.66 / 8 GB, 15" and an iPad and an iPhone. The problem is that every now and then - about once a day or so, iTunes doesn't see the iPad or iPhone when they are plugged in. The device starts charging but there is no indication that a sync is occuring.

Following the instructions here: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1747 I reinstall iTunes and replace the AppleMobileDevice kexts and then things are fine, but after another day or so the problem occurs again. I have not been able to determine what might be causing that. Any idea?

Macbook Pro 2.66 i7, 8 GB, 15", Mac OS X (10.6.3), iMovie 09, Aperture 3, Fuji Finepix HS10, iPad 64 Wifi, iPhone 3GS 32

Posted on Apr 29, 2010 11:31 AM

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97 replies

May 1, 2010 8:55 AM in response to caleuche

I have the exact same problem and I really think it is the new iTunes 9.1.1 update. =(

I have a older macbook and had to upgrade to snow leopard to use my iPad 3G, which I got delivered yesterday. iTunes wouldn't recognize my iPad then I did the whole uninstall iTunes and reinstall it. It recognized my iPad fine but now (1 DAY AFTER), iTunes won't recognize my ipad again or my ipod.

Any fixes for this iTunes MESS?!

May 1, 2010 1:10 PM in response to caleuche

This may not help you but when I got my 3G iPad yesterday iTunes would not see it. I thought the iPad was defective. After several convoluted efforts at trying to get it activated I gave up and was going to go to a local Apple store for help but I tried one last thing. I got one of the iPhone cables and used that to connect to my computer and everything worked perfectly. The cable included with the iPad must have been defective. You may have already tried this but just in case you haven't try another USB cable.

May 1, 2010 3:13 PM in response to Pappasbike

Thanks for the hint but it didn't help. This evening when my MBP / itunes stopped responding to the ipad being plugged in (the iphone also didn't work) I tried all of the different connection cables that I had with me - four different ones. In each case there was no connection to iTunes.

A simple reinstall of iTunes 9.1.1 fixed the problem though, I don't have to go through deleting the kernel extensions. It's still annoying to have to keep a copy of itunes around to reinstall it though - so far once or twice a day.

May 3, 2010 3:46 AM in response to caleuche

Same here. Older MacBook on 10.6.3, iTunes 9.1.1. Both my iPad 3G and iPhone 3GS are not being recognized by iTunes. I checked with the hardware overview, and both the iPhone and the iPad are listed under the USB section if I connect (one of) them. Indeed, a reinstall of iTunes fixes the issue, but only for a short while. After a couple of hours, the iPad and iPhone are not recognized anymore and I have to reinstall iTunes.

May 3, 2010 2:21 PM in response to StephanSt

This is SO annoying. I spent an hour on the phone with tech support yesterday and was walking through a variety of fixes, finally the complete re-install of iTunes. The newly installed iTunes recognized my iPad and I thought all was well. This morning same old problem. My iPad is listed under "Devices" in iPhoto and won't come up on iTunes. I've tried quitting iTunes, iPhoto, re-starting computer, changing out cables -- NOTHING works.

May 8, 2010 7:02 AM in response to Bryce Lim

Same problem. iPad 1 week old, sync'd perfectly with my old MBP. Bought new MBP a few days ago and unable to connect to iTunes, receiving error message 0xE800000A every time. After considerable time with Apple on phone, and multiple reinstalls of iTunes, I resorted to erasing hard drive and reinstalling Mac OSX. For the next few syncs last night, I was OK...but again this morning iTunes does not see iPad.

At least no error message anymore, but still can't sync. Have tried all the obvious restarts, cables, etc. etc. all over again...

Any news, appreciated

May 10, 2010 5:43 PM in response to bonovoxie

This totally does not address the problem. I have had my iPad for only a few days and I'm about to return it. I've been able to sync it once, after installing a new OS, then uninstalling iTunes... and then it just grabbed everything/apps from my iPod, most of which I would not have put on the new machine. Now I want to sync the apps I've purchased on the iPad and some music/movies and the computer doesn't "see" the iPad at all.

Users should not have to wipe/restore the machine. If Apple insists on using iTunes as a portal for all things iPad, then iTunes needs a serious overhaul. It's a music tool now being used to hobble a much more dynamic machine.

Anyhow - I like the iPad, but Apple isn't really letting me use it if I have to sync via iTunes, but iTunes isn't a functional tool.

Thanks - please give me an option other than reinstalling iTunes many times a doy or returning my iPad.

May 10, 2010 9:01 PM in response to JessHanff

Try with a different computer first . Not to sync just test to see if it can see it.
Use nothing but the supplied apple USB cable.

If using a desktop computer use the USB ports mounted on the motherboard not the USB connector that may have a longer wire.

I can not use the USB on one of my computers to sync if I add the dock or if I add 3 feet of extra USB extenders cable.

If a different computer or USB controller works there are possible work arounds and it may not be the iPad.

May 22, 2010 11:22 AM in response to caleuche

I've had this happen twice and fixed it twice. Here's been my experience:

If I unplug the iPad without ejecting it from iTunes, iTunes gets "stuck". When iTunes is stuck, it doesn't see the iPad when I connect it again later. Rebooting does not fix the issue, restoring the iPad does not fix the issue. There may be other events that cause iTunes to get "stuck" like this, but both times for me was due to unplugging without ejecting from iTunes.

In order to fix the issue, both times the only way I found to do it was to reinstall iTunes. To do this, drag iTunes to the trash, empty the trash, and download and install a new copy of iTunes from http://apple.com/itunes/download

You don't need to download every time, but keep the install file handy because you may need to reinstall. I expect this issue to be addressed in upcoming versions of iTunes, it seems like a fairly simple oversight. It's common for developers to miss an error that only occurs when you do something you're "not supposed" to do (which is why we have anonymous user statistics).

iTunes doesn't "see" iPad

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