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iPhone X "A device attached to the system is not functioning"

I have been trying to transfer videos from my iPhone to my PC for hours and have not been able to do so because of this error message. Mentioned in the title of this post. I have tried multiple USB ports on my computer and I get lucky sometimes where I'm able to transfer one video or picture over but when that one is finished and I try to transfer another it stops working and the error message pops up again. The windows photo app doesn't even work. It pretty much says the same error message. I tried transferring videos to a mac and it worked just fine. I'm getting frustrated because it's beginning to seem like Apple makes using an iPhone with a PC complicated and buggy on purpose. If it works fine on a mac but not a pc, that's something to question. I don't think this error has anything to do with my computer because I am able to do updates, back up my iPhone, things like that without a problem. Its only when I try to transfer videos is when I get this error message. I've been transferring videos from my iPhone's to my pc for years, the same way without a problem. Its only when I got the X have I been having this issue. Any ideas?

iPhone X, iOS 11.3.1, null

Posted on Apr 25, 2018 7:41 PM

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Question marked as Best reply

Posted on Apr 29, 2018 12:50 AM

Hey Jacob!


I had this same issue to and tried this out and videos for me are able to be transferred to my PC from Iphone X now

Try This:

Settings > Photos > Where it says "Transfer to Mac or PC" Select "Keep Originals"


Hope it helps man!


- Alec

37 replies

Apr 29, 2018 2:18 AM in response to Alecqz

Alec, I just wanted to say you are a genius. But you probably knew that already. I've been struggling with this for quite some time now and could never figure it out. Who knew it'd be such a simple setting in your phone to resolve this all.


I thought maybe it was Windows, maybe it was a faulty lightning cable so I tried multiple, or a bad USB port, or a bad driver. Tried what I thought was everything.


I have the 256GB iPhone X and record a lot of 4K 30FPS footage, and I've had the constant struggle exactly as described by OP. I gave up until I finally found this thread.


You are a life saver. Thank you Alec!


User uploaded file

Jul 25, 2018 10:49 PM in response to Alecqz

Hey regarding the issue with transfering pics and vids, i did that and it worked. However, some of the videos that transfered over would not play the video part, it only plays the audio of the video. I tried opening it with another video player and it said video is not encoded. I have an iphone 7 plus and a PC. *** I never had an issue until the recent update i did. Are u having the same issue?
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Apr 29, 2018 12:53 AM in response to Alecqz

O....M.....G.....!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I WAS SO CLOSE TO GIVING UP!!!!!!!!! I WAS ACTUALLY GOING TO GO OUT AND BUY A REAL CAMERA TO MAKE VIDEOS FROM NOW ON. YOU JUST SAVED ME THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS! First of all, I think it's ridiculous this has to be done in order to successfully transfer videos and pictures to a PC from an iPhone. I also can't believe Apple does not make this clearly known. All they tell you on their website is to use windows photos to transfer media. UNACCEPTABLE. AS USUAL. APPLE SUCCEEDS, BUILDS A GREAT PRODUCT BUT SOMEHOW, SOMEWAY FINDS A WAY TO FAIL AND F**K IT ALL UP. THANKS APPLE!!!

Sep 10, 2018 10:27 PM in response to Alecqz

THIS WAS THE SOLUTION!


However, i can add the following information: if you have set it to AUTOMATIC than all files that cannot be "viewed" or "played" on your laptop/PC are not allowed to be copied. If you set it to KEEP ORIGINALS than you can copy those files on your laptop/pc but you will have "problems" viewing them because of "wrong" codec or version. I didn't find out how to solve the "viewing" problem but it's better to be able to save files on laptop/pc instead of loosing them or not being able to "backup" them.

Sep 23, 2018 11:48 PM in response to Alecqz

Thank you sooooo much!!!!!!! Finally, I found the best solution to this irritating ios concern!! I've been having this problem since I got my iphoneX in January 2018 and the only way that I could transfer my 4k videos was (1) to change my computer storage device to SSD; (2) copy-paste 1 by 1; (3) limit my videos to < 1 minute; and (4) everytime that stupid error message, "device attached ..." pops up, I would always restart my handphone. But this week, all this couldn't work anymore (for whatever reason). Thank goodness I tried googling this issue again and voila; this solution from Alec (not even from Apple)!! THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!!!

Sep 26, 2018 10:07 PM in response to Alecqz

Thankkkkkkkkkkk youuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu sooooooooooooooooooo muchchchchchchchchchchchchchch!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Oct 30, 2018 1:24 PM in response to Alecqz

Correct this is an old solution that doesn't help me. I have to keep mine at Automatic so Premiere can play the video along with the audio.


I just keep re-plugging the the phone into the computer and eventually its able to copy over. It works when the files aren't large.


It's funny that you don't have this problem when moving them over to a MAC?

Dec 30, 2018 12:20 PM in response to Aslam Meman

Hi Aslam Meman,

I have same Issue and after search on it in the net I found the same solution of Alecqz. Unfortunately, it does not solve the matter.

The solution was just change the cable, disconnect and connect the cable and restart my I phone. I tried these steps more than one time until I transfer all photos and videos from IPhone to PC (win 10 Pro).

Good Luck

iPhone X "A device attached to the system is not functioning"

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