Yet another iTunes Not Recognizing iPhone 13 Pro
First off, running 10.13.6 w/iTunes 12.8.3.1 on 2010 Mini. No possibility of updating further. Have already looked at the following, which makes no difference:
If your computer doesn't recognize your iPhone, iPad, or iPod - Apple Support
(Have already done an SMC Reset, and tried virtually everything I can think of).
Now this is where it gets very interesting. I was able to get the iPhone recognized in iTunes (same version/same OS) on Mac (late 2009):
Steps involved - to the best of my recollection:
-Connected iPhone
-Opened iTunes->Preferences->Devices,
-Which Shows the latest iPad backup on 9/16/22. (Note, screenshot below is current from the current iTunes Mini. As you will see, the one at the Mac is now gone, history).
-Deleted that device backup - which obviously means losing all the backup data for the iPad.
-Connected iPhone. Network set to "iPhone USB"
-Trusted
-Then was prompted to allow a software update, which, as far as I can tell installed, among several other things, a brand new AppleMobileDevice.kext (I can post its related info.plist if needed).
-At this point, the iPhone was able to update through iTunes. Plus a backup of the iPhone was created.
-I can do all the same at the Mini, but as that would involve completely losing the current iPad backup there, not what I want to do.
So bottom line question: how to get the iPhone recognized in iTunes without deleting the current iPad backup in iTunes->Preferences->Devices?
Or what else to try that I haven't already tried?