Problem connecting to computers

Hey there User8675309,

It sounds like your 2 devices suddenly are not recognized on any computer with any USB cable you have tried. I think you did a great job of troubleshooting so far, I would agree the cables are not going to be the issue here. Assuming you have already restarted the devices:

Turn your iOS device off and on (restart) and reset

http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1430

I would start by using the following article to help troubleshoot the iTunes software and iOS drivers on one of the computers:

iOS: Device not recognized in iTunes for Windows

http://support.apple.com/kb/ts1538

Or, if you have Mac OS X:

iOS: Device not recognized in iTunes for Mac OS X

http://support.apple.com/kb/ts1591

If the issue persists, I would next try these steps from the following article:

1. Remove any third-party battery packs or cases from the device and ensure that the USB cable is connected directly to the port on the device.
2. If your Lightning or 30-pin cable is connected to a keyboard, display or USB hub, try plugging it directly into a USB port on the computer instead.
3. Close any virtualization apps (such as Parallels or VMWare).
   These apps may interfere with your computer's ability to communicate over USB if they aren't properly configured, or up to date. If this resolves the issue, contact the developer of the app to see if an update is available.
4. Restart your computer.
5. Restart your iPad, iPhone, or iPod touch.
6. If you're using an accessory or third-party cable to connect your device, try using an Apple cable with the device instead.
7. Update to the latest version of iTunes if you have not already.
8. Disconnect other USB devices from your computer, except for your keyboard and mouse. Then, reconnect your iOS device. If the issue is resolved, reconnect the other USB devices one at a time. Make sure your iOS device is still recognized by the computer after adding back each device.

If one of these steps resolves the issue, but it comes back later, make sure you haven't changed how the device is connected. For example, check to see if you plugged the device into a specific accessory, or used a specific cable that reintroduced the issue.

From: iOS: Troubleshooting USB-related alerts when syncing

http://support.apple.com/kb/TS5254?viewlocale=en_US

Thank you for using Apple Support Communities.

All the very best,

Sterling

Thank you for the update!

Based on this new info, I would next completely remove iTunes and its associated softwares from the computer, and re install it. That should get the Apple Mobile device drivers and everything installed anew.

Depending on your Windows version:

Removing and reinstalling iTunes and other software components for Windows Vista, Windows 7, or Windows 8

http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1923

Removing and Reinstalling iTunes and other software components for Windows XP

http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1925

Thank you for using Apple Support Communities.

Cheers,

Sterling

I reinstalled iTunes; still no driver, and nothing in the program files.

Doublechecking. Is Apple Mobile Device Support currently appearing as installed in your Uninstall a program control panel?

🙂 Many thanks.

Doublechecking again. You've worked through the following troubleshooting procedures from the documents sterling has linked you to?

If the Apple Mobile Device USB Driver is not listed

1. Disconnect the device from the computer.
2. Save a screenshot by pressing the Home button and the Wake/Sleep button at the same time (the screen should flash briefly). Note: Taking screenshots and saving images on iPod touch requires iOS version 2.0 or later.
3. Reconnect the device to the computer.
4. Open the Device Manager in Windows as follows:
   Windows XP: Click Start > Run. In the resulting dialog type devmgmt.msc and press Return.
   Windows Vista or Windows 7: Click Start. In the dialog, type devmgmt.msc and press Return. If Windows needs your permission to continue, click "Continue".
   Windows 8: Move the cursor to the upper right corner, click the magnifying glass, type devmgmt.msc, and press Return.
5. Expand all the sections labeled below (not all sections may be listed):
   
   • Imaging Devices
   • Other Devices
   • Portable Devices
   • Universal Serial Bus Controllers
6. Look for the entry that recognizes the device as a camera. This entry should be called Apple iPhone, Apple iPad,or Apple iPod.

If only "Unknown Device" appears

1. Right-click on the "Unknown Device" entry, and choose "Properties" from the shortcut menu.
2. Click the Details tab, and in the drop-down menu, select "Hardware IDs"
3. If the hardware ID displayed starts with this:
   USB\VID_0000&PID_0000
   This means that Windows cannot read the hardware IDs of the device, and so has replaced them with all zeros. This is typically caused by a faulty USB connection, or an incompatibility with your USB chipset drivers.
4. Disconnect the device, and unplug all USB devices from your computer. Shut your computer down, and power it back on.
5. Reconnect your device, testing each USB port for approximately 30 seconds to see if your device is recognized.
6. Test with an alternate, known-good 30-pin to USB cable or Lightning Connector to USB cable if available.
7. If you have an external USB 2.0 hub available, connect the hub to your PC, and then connect the iOS device to the hub.
8. If your device shows up in iTunes, try disconnecting the external USB 2.0 hub and connecting the iOS device directly to your PC. If the issue returns, you may need to use the external USB 2.0 hub as a temporary workaround. Then, consult your computer manufacturer for any updates for your USB chipset.

Note: If "Unknown Device" appears when connecting your device to more than 1 known-good computer, with more than 1 known-good USB cable, your device may require service. Contact Apple, or your wireless carrier, whichever provides phone support for your iPhone. To find Apple's contact information in your country, refer to Contacting Apple for Support and Service. If you use an iPhone, you can find your wireless carrier at Locating iPhone wireless carriers. Wherever you live in the world, you can find your device's service options at the Online Service Assistant. You may have questions about servicing your device, and you can find answers to frequent questions in this FAQ. If there is an Apple Retail Store nearby, find the closest store and then make a reservation through the online Apple Store Concierge. Reservations are strongly recommended. If only Apple iPhone, Apple iPad, or Apple iPod appears

For Windows XP

1. Right-click the Apple iPhone, Apple iPad, or Apple iPod entry in Device Manager and choose Update Driver from the shortcut menu.
2. If asked to connect to Windows Update to search for software, choose "No, not this time" and click Next.
3. Choose "Install from a list or specific location (Advanced)" and click Next.
4. Choose "Don't search. I will choose the driver to install" and click Next.
5. Click the Have Disk button. (If the Have Disk option is not present, choose a device category such as Mobile Phone or Storage Device if listed, and click next. Then the Have Disk button should appear.) In the "Install from Disk" dialog, click the Browse button.
6. Navigate to C:\Program Files\Common Files\Apple\Mobile Device Support\Drivers.
7. Double-click the "usbaapl.inf" file, that is listed in this folder. Click OK on the "Install from Disk" dialog.
8. Click Next and finish the driver installation steps. Open iTunes to verify that the device is recognized properly.

For Windows Vista, Windows 7, or Windows 8

1. Right-click the Apple iPhone, Apple iPad, or Apple iPod entry in Device Manager and choose Update Driver from the shortcut menu.
2. Click "Browse my computer for driver software."
3. Click "Let me pick from a list of device drivers on my computer."
4. Click the Have Disk button. (If the Have Disk option is not present, choose a device category such as Mobile Phone or Storage Device if listed, and click next. The Have Disk button should then appear.)
5. In the "Install from Disk" dialog, click the Browse button.
6. Use this window to navigate to the following folder:
   C:\Program Files\Common Files\Apple\Mobile Device Support\Drivers.
7. Double-click the "usbaapl" file. (This file will be called "usbaapl64" if you have a 64-bit version of Windows. If you don't see "usbaapl64" here, or if there is no Drivers folder, look in C:\Program Files (x86)\Common Files\Apple\Mobile Device Support\Drivers. instead).
8. Click OK in the "Install from Disk" dialog.
9. Click Next and finish the driver-installation steps. Open iTunes to verify that the device is recognized properly.