my itunes stopped working after last update failed, now due to apple mobile device sevice, not starting, i can not reinstall

Please see if this helps: How to restart the Apple Mobile Device Service (AMDS) on Windows.

Obviously this question elludes even a level 10 Apple Guru, AMDS doesn't start ERROR 7 - DUH! How can an article about first STOPPING a service then restart it do any good? How can uninstalling EVERYTHING over and over and over again, following all the recommended steps from Apple without success continue to be the solution? Why does Apple, or even its Gurus, not acknowledge this has been an issue since about 2008 or 2009 depending on how far back you search for a solution to this issue? Why hasn't it been resolved BY APPLE? Is it an Apple directive to intentionally **** its customers off?

I fully understand your severe grief dwhit7!!!

iPhone, Windows 7 (64bit)

I'm having the same problem, it's very frustrating. I even tried the link the other person posted to troubleshoot and that didn't work at all.. I'm not paying apple $35.00 to talk to them. This is bulls**t. I've uninstalled and reinstalled several times and still says the same thing.

See turingtest2's user tip Troubleshooting issues with iTunes for Windows updates - specifically Note 1 under the second box.

I've had the same issue with the mobile device support with iTunes 12.1.1.4 update on Win7. My situation may be slightly different in that AMDS would uninstall but no longer install, making my iPhone unrecognized by iTunes. What I had to do was to download the freeware RAPR DriverStore Utility. In my case, I had an older Apple Mobile Device Support driver in the DriverStore that was not correctly removed by an earlier iTunes update. After running RAPR and seeing all loaded drivers, there were 2 Apple drivers (after uninstalling all of iTunes). I selected these 2 faulty drivers and elected to remove them from the Windows DriverStore. Afterward, reinstalling iTunes had no difficulty installing the AMDS service again. Failing that, you'll want to run the iTunes install with verbose logging turned on (from the root of C:\), such as: C:\iTunes6464Setup.exe /l*v C:\iTunes_Install.log - this will attempt the install but log everything into iTunes_Install.log so you can open in any text editor and search for the string "Rollback". I hope this helps you!!

Ok I'm not extremely technically inclined. Is there any way I can connect with you via email and you could take over my computer and help me please. I would be forever grateful

I too have tried the latest iTunes (12.1.1.4) in Win7. I did a search for latent drivers as you noted but found none. I am glad it worked for you - I'm still no-joy at this point. I'm able to install AMDS over and over again, without issue - it just doesn't start then iTunes launch fails with Error 7. I have to manually remove it.

I am able to connect my iPhone via USB cable and access my photo storage on the phone. I am just not able to install iTunes anymore. I have attempted resolution to this issue for almost two months now. Until that time, I was content with what was installed. It was only when the proverbial update box appeared that I attempted to 'update' my iTunes. WHAT A MISTAKE putting blind faith into an Apple request to update. I SUGGEST NOT TO UPDATE YOUR ITUNES IF IT IS RUNNING PROPERLY!

I realize now, once again I might add, my reliance on software provided by others. It's like anything else, I shouldn't rely on just one method for anything. Time to search for a more pleasant alternative than Apple. Truly, when it worked, it was good at its job, but now that I am wasting time I am looking seriously at upgrading to another type of smartphone and media management software. Way too much trouble for anything as simple as this should be. I wonder, is this a result of another feud with Microsoft?

I'm having the same issue... I've tried all these options but still getting nowhere... any other ideas?

Thanks

So you can open Services.msc in Win7 and attempt to start the AMDS service, but it fails? That sounds like the service is "installed' but pointing to an invalid copy of the AMDS code (I had that one once myself). The trick is to truly uninstall as much of iTunes as possible then reboot. This would include the famous order of uninstall, mentioned elsewhere (iTunes, Apple Software Update, Apple App Support (32-bit and 64-bit), AMDS, then Bonjour. If need be, you then use MSConfig to selective boot, ignoring most AutoExec and Startup items (except your firewall / virus scanner, of course), then manually delete any folder(s) in C:\Program Files or C:\Profile Files (x86) remotely related to Apple and iTunes. This includes any Apple folders within C:\Program Files\Common Files and C:\Program Files (x86)\Common Files, related to any of the mentioned products. I'm not sure about QuickTime, since I haven't seen that in my files list for a time.

If your AMDS service starts but you can't connect your Apple device, then perhaps your USB driver is the base Windows version for external drives. For that, you must update the USB driver in Device Manager to use the USB driver that is bundled with AMDS. I never really had Error 7 before, so I'm at a loss there.

Yes, the service does install and the properties of that service points to the AppleMobileDeviceService.exe but when either setup or I attempt to start it manually, it fails with something to the effect '...reinstall iTunes. Error 7...' My iPhone connects via USB and Win7 will load the driver resulting in 'Chris iPhone' being displayed in File Manager. I have access to the photo cache on the phone.

Just to humor you, I tried, once again, the exact steps you provided with additional complete shut-down and reboots, adding the removal of iCloud and QuickTime. When I remove iTunes, no folders remain and by removing iCloud all Apple folders are removed during the process. Just in case you wondered, yes the service is uninstalled as well during the process.

Still no joy...

Just for an exercise, I installed iTunes v.10.7.0.21 with complete success. I have since uninstalled it and have reinstalled iCloud and QuickTime. I'll leave iTunes to the professionals...