Issues with iTunes 12.1.3.6 when trying to upgrade phone to IOS 10.1

Try these troubleshoots If you can't install or update iTunes for Windows - Apple Support

You will not be able to update iTunes because version 12.1.3.6 was the last to support Vista. If you haven't already upgraded your iPhone to iOS 10.1, then you may not want to unless you have a PC running Windows 7 or higher, or a Macintosh. If your iPhone has already been upgraded, can you confirm whether or not you can back up or sync using iTunes 12.1.3.6? I believe that would be a "no," but confirmation would be appreciated.

It looks as if this is a faulty error message and it should be asking you to upgrade to iTunes 12.5.1 (which you cannot do if you run Vista) in order to install iOS 10.1. Is there any chance you could post a screenshot?

tt2

As Marvin said, Vista does not support higher than iOS 9.0. There was an iTunes 12.1.3 that allowed XP and Vista to sync/update to iOS 9.0.

Download iTunes 12.1.3 for Windows (64-bit)

It was likely used for testing iOS 9 beta

turingtest2 wrote:

It looks as if this is a faulty error message and it should be asking you to upgrade to iTunes 12.5.1 (which you cannot do if you run Vista) in order to install iOS 10.1. Is there any chance you could post a screenshot?

tt2

lllaass wrote:

As Marvin said, Vista does not support higher than iOS 9.0. There was an iTunes 12.1.3...

What I said was that iTunes 12.1.3.6 was the last version to support Vista, I didn't say anything about "iOS 9.0." Jazz 234 is "already on 12.1.3.6" and hasn't posted seeking help since 2010, so I wouldn't assume any difficulties with iOS 9.3.4, which is the version listed in the original post.

A subsequent update to iOS 9.0 required iTunes 12.3 or later on the computer and that is not supported by earlier than Win 7 for a PC. It think it wa iOS 9.1.

At the time of that iOS update there were many posts in the iPod touch forum who discovered they could no longer sync with VIsta or earlier.

Apple's Website for iSO devices als said that iTunes 12.3/Win 7 or later was required.

From what I can see iTunes 12.5.1.21 might be the minimum version of iTunes required if you are going to install/restore iOS 10.0.1 to a device via iTunes. However I have just removed my current version of iTunes and installed iTunes 12.1.3.6 connected to a new empty test library. It is able to communicate with my iPhone 6+ running iOS 10.0.1. It is has just completed updating a backup set with no apparent difficulty. It also offered to transfer purchases but I didn't have time or space to let it.

It would seem that those running Windows XP or Vista may be allowed to update their devices to iOS 10.0.1 after all, provided they can do an over the air upgrade and have no need to restore using iTunes for Windows (iCloud would be OK). That said it might still be unwise to do so as there is no telling if or when Apple might make a change that breaks compatibility.

tt2

Now that's interesting turingtest2...

I also noticed today that the Apple Mobile Device Support driver hasn't changed since June 2015, which is possibly why. Perhaps somebody forgot to set the flags in the iOS firmware that are supposed to tell iTunes that it is too old for this version of iOS. 👿

tt2