iTunes cannot restore, software update server can't be contacted

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iTunes cannot restore, software update server can't be contacted

Hello,

I received a 2008 iPod Classic hand-me-down from a friend, and wanted to format it and start using it. I formatted the drive in windows, and now when I start iTunes (using version 10.6.3.25), I get the following message "iTunes has detected an iPod that appears to be corrupted. You may need to restore this iPod before it can be used with iTunes. You may also try disconnecting and reconnecting the iPod." When I try to restore, it holds on "contacting the iPod software update server," and then tells me that the iPod software update server could not be contacted.

I have looked around for solutions, and tried quite a few of them. I unchecked the boxes in internet options (automatically detect settings), deleted the itunespref xml file, used hostsxpert to reset the hosts file, and so on. I still have the same problem.

So here I am, posting on the forum asking for someone's expert help. Here is the little log that iTunes spits out for me:

Microsoft Windows 7 Business Edition Service Pack 1 (Build 7601)

Dell Inc. Latitude E6410

iTunes 10.6.3.25

QuickTime 7.6.9

FairPlay 1.14.43

Apple Application Support 2.1.9

iPod Updater Library 10.0d2

CD Driver 2.2.0.1

CD Driver DLL 2.1.1.1

Apple Mobile Device 5.2.0.6

Apple Mobile Device Driver 1.59.0.0

Bonjour 3.0.0.10 (333.10)

Gracenote SDK 1.9.6.502

Gracenote MusicID 1.9.6.115

Gracenote Submit 1.9.6.143

Gracenote DSP 1.9.6.45

iTunes Serial Number 0013B15C02821268

Current user is not an administrator.

The current local date and time is 2012-06-29 19:17:43.

iTunes is not running in safe mode.

WebKit accelerated compositing is enabled.

HDCP is supported.

Core Media is supported.

Video Display Information

Intel Corporation, Intel® HD Graphics

**** External Plug-ins Information ****

No external plug-ins installed.

**** Network Connectivity Tests ****

Network Adapter Information

Adapter Name: {5C83B9AE-1000-400E-9F1A-461FC30E5093}

Description: Sierra Wireless HSPA Network Adapter

IP Address: 10.206.45.36

Subnet Mask: 255.255.255.255

Default Gateway: 172.26.38.1

DHCP Enabled: No

DHCP Server:

Lease Obtained: Wed Dec 31 16:00:00 1969

Lease Expires: Wed Dec 31 16:00:00 1969

DNS Servers: 172.26.38.1

172.26.38.2

Adapter Name: {A5049D9A-3592-497F-9338-F17E467DB142}

Description: Microsoft Virtual WiFi Miniport Adapter

IP Address: 0.0.0.0

Subnet Mask: 0.0.0.0

Default Gateway: 0.0.0.0

DHCP Enabled: Yes

DHCP Server:

Lease Obtained: Wed Dec 31 16:00:00 1969

Lease Expires: Wed Dec 31 16:00:00 1969

DNS Servers:

Adapter Name: {187896DE-CD26-4C34-8C69-1AC26BA1B5C4}

Description: Intel® Centrino® Advanced-N 6200 AGN

IP Address: 0.0.0.0

Subnet Mask: 0.0.0.0

Default Gateway: 0.0.0.0

DHCP Enabled: Yes

DHCP Server:

Lease Obtained: Wed Dec 31 16:00:00 1969

Lease Expires: Wed Dec 31 16:00:00 1969

DNS Servers:

Adapter Name: {41C1267B-18A5-4CDA-8F3B-6D830F8BA001}

Description: Intel® 82577LM Gigabit Network Connection

IP Address: 0.0.0.0

Subnet Mask: 0.0.0.0

Default Gateway: 0.0.0.0

DHCP Enabled: Yes

DHCP Server:

Lease Obtained: Wed Dec 31 16:00:00 1969

Lease Expires: Wed Dec 31 16:00:00 1969

DNS Servers:

Active Connection: LAN Connection

Connected: Yes

Online: Yes

Using Modem: No

Using LAN: Yes

Using Proxy: No

Firewall Information

Windows Firewall is on.

iTunes is NOT enabled in Windows Firewall.

Connection attempt to Apple web site was unsuccessful.

The network connection timed out.

Basic connection to the store failed.

The network connection timed out.

Connection attempt to Gracenote server was successful.

The network connection timed out.

Last successful iTunes Store access was 2011-10-13 11:43:25.

**** Device Connectivity Tests ****

iPodService 10.6.3.25 is currently running.

iTunesHelper 10.6.3.25 is currently running.

Apple Mobile Device service 3.3.0.0 is currently running.

Universal Serial Bus Controllers:

Standard Enhanced PCI to USB Host Controller. Device is working properly.

FireWire (IEEE 1394) Host Controllers:

Ricoh 1394 OHCI Compliant Host Controller. Device is working properly.

Most Recent Devices Not Currently Connected:

iPod (5th generation) running firmware version 1.3

Serial Number: JQ546KG5TXL

**** Device Sync Tests ****

No iPod, iPhone, or iPad found.

Thank you in advance for your help!

Pat

iPod classic, Windows 7

Posted on Jul 9, 2012 8:57 PM

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Answer 1

planb77

Level 7

32,434 points

Jul 10, 2012 6:59 AM in response to phook01

iTunes is NOT enabled in Windows Firewall.

Have you tried enabling iTunes access through your Windows Firewall?

How to enable iTunes in the Windows Vista and Windows 7 Firewall

B-rock

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Answer 2

phook01 Author

Level 1

0 points

Jul 10, 2012 10:30 PM in response to planb77

Planb77,

Thank you for replying. As it turns out, iTunes is indeed listed in the exceptions. As you can see from the image, the option to change settings was greyed out, but iTunes was allowed on all three networks. Just in case it helps, I am an administrator on the computer, this iPod is a hand-me-down, and I currently have an older iPod that I used to use with iTunes before this one.

I hope you can help me!

Thank you,

Pat

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Answer 3

planb77

Level 7

32,434 points

Jul 11, 2012 5:41 AM in response to phook01

As a test, can you temporarily turn of the Firewall to see if that does any good? Do you have any other sort AntiVirus/Security software running on your system such as Norton or McAfee?

B-rock

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Answer 4

phook01 Author

Level 1

0 points

Jul 12, 2012 8:02 PM in response to planb77

B-rock,

I tried turning off the firewall and testing, then turning off both firewall and Symantec and testing, and got the same error. Here are some screenshots - don't know if they'll come out, but you can see the firewall turned off, and then Symantec disabled:

Thanks for you help,

Pat

Reply

Answer 5

planb77

Level 7

32,434 points

Jul 13, 2012 6:11 AM in response to phook01

Shoot. I was really hoping that would bring us somewhere. 😟

Are logged in as an administrator to your PC?

Perhaps something in this article will help as well.

iTunes for Windows: iTunes cannot contact the iPhone, iPad, or iPod software update server

Maybe try downloading and installing iTunes overtop the existing installation.

http://www.apple.com/itunes/download/

B-rock

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Answer 6

phook01 Author

Level 1

0 points

Jul 13, 2012 7:58 AM in response to planb77

Yes, I'm an admin. I had already followed the "lan settings" and "hosts" fixes, and have already uninstalled and reinstalled iTunes, but will dig deeper on those other solutions, and get back to you.

Thank you for your persistence; now I want to get it fixed as much out of principle as for having the thing work

Pat!

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Answer 7

planb77

Level 7

32,434 points

Jul 13, 2012 8:19 AM in response to phook01

Current user is not an administrator.

Hmmm. I wonder I it says you aren't then? Right->click on the iTunes application icon on your desktop and select Run as Administrator. Then try to restore again.

Other than that, I'm a little low on ideas at the moment, but I'll see if I can come up with anything else. Keep us posted! 🙂

B-rock

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Answer 8

phook01 Author

Level 1

0 points

Jul 16, 2012 11:11 PM in response to planb77

Ok, I've got it all figured out, and wanted to leave a note here for posterity. Here's what I did.

After reading all of planb77's excellent suggestions and going through the links he sent, I decided to look at other aspects of iTunes and see if the problem was not limited to restoring my iPod. When I found that my iTunes store didn't work, I checked the forum for those issues, and found that AT&T Communication Manager was a common culprit in working with iTunes.

After 70 minutes on hold and a fruitless hour on the phone with AT&T trying to uninstall bytemobile optimization client, I left the AT&T guy insisting that it was not AT&T's problem, but rather Apple's.

I then looked further into bytemobile and iTunes, and found an elegantly simple solution, written in all caps: https://discussions.apple.com/thread/3888541?start=0&tstart=0. You'll see it there. To spare you the link change, the advice was to uninstall iTunes 10 and everything else apple-related, download and install iTunes 9.2, find and delete the latest "itunes library.itl", and run your new iTunes. It solved my problem of restoring my iPod, and, incidentally, allowed me to access iTunes store. So there you have it. Problem solved.

planb77, thanks again for your persistence. While you didn't solve my problem, you eliminated many of the other possiblities, and led me to some other links.

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