Hi BostonZee,
Thanks for posting this article. I tried everything in this article first but to no avail:
How to restart the Apple Mobile Device Service (AMDS) on Windows - Apple Support
Then I removed all Apple software, re-installed it all, re-started the computer, re-started iTunes, then re-connected my phone and still it didn't work.
Then, I tried the instructions in the article you posted (http://www.technipages.com/itunes-fix-iphone-or-ipod-not-detected-in-windows-8), but for some reason the device manager doesn't list my iPhone 5. Yesterday, when I first connected my phone to this laptop I got the "trust this device" pop-up and I selected "trust".
Any ideas on what might be happening? Do you know of any other way I can get my iPhone to show up in the device manager?
Thanks so much!
Sona