Replacements for iTunes on Windows 10?

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[Mr. Austin]

Making a long story short, Apple’s iTunes 12.x on Windows 10 (version 1909) can’t be bothered to sync with an iPhone in fine fiddle, including Outlook contacts, music, books and audio book files. Does anyone have good experience with software they like better than iTunes to sync and back-up an iPhone (contacts, books, music, audio books, voice memos, photos, videos, etc.) to a Windows 10 box without using Apple’s periodically abysmal iTunes? Thank you.

Why?:  When synchronization mysteriously and inexplicably stopped a couple of weeks ago, I then updated both iTunes and iOS to no avail. Windows 10 still refuses to recognize iTunes mobile device drivers. After contacting Apple support by telephone, and after sending them log files of the Windows 10 machine, their first two levels of (alleged) technicians couldn’t figure out a solution.

Apple’s inconveniently inaccessible, 3rd level engineers then sagely concluded (via e-mail) to their 2nd level tech that I should apply the 2004 version update of Windows 10, and they think that should solve the problem. I asked Apple’s 2nd level tech to put that in writing. Apple declined. Since Apple is incapable of an intelligent solution, I told it to close the case because I’m unwilling to install version 2004 of Windows 10.

Human, who sports only naturally-occurring DNA ~ oneironaut ~ broadcaster

• This topic was modified 4 years, 9 months ago by Mr. Austin.
• This topic was modified 4 years, 9 months ago by Mr. Austin.

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If I remember correctly, when I used the trial version of Xilisoft iPhone Magic it still needed iTunes, presumably for the back-end Apple mobile device drivers. It worked quite well but I ended up not using it after the trial period.

I’ve just checked and and see that iTunes is still a system requirement.

So, if you are having an issue with the Apple mobile device drivers, it’s likely to continue to be an issue no matter what front-end you choose as a replacement for iTunes.

I agree with you about not installing Win 10 2004. I suggest you fix the Apple mobile device drivers instead.

There’s at least 4 functions involved in 3 Apple mobile device drivers – hardware device recognition itself, network transport protocols for both USB and ethernet (I think the latter is used for syncing over WiFi), MTP for photo/video transfer and iBoot (for device recovery/restore).

With the iPhone connected via USB, see if Nir Sofer’s USBDeview shows which driver is having problems. (Make sure you download the right ‘bitness’ for your OS and use ‘Run as Administrator.)

Hope this helps…

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Mr. Austin

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Thanks Rick. I just loaded and I’m testing CopyTrans. It had zero problems communicating with an iPhone 7 Plus on iOS 13.6, and also found and gave me the option to restore all prior iTunes backups on the machine. The one on which I did a test restore needed it’s unique password, and CopyTrans authenticated it.

Here’s the screenshot of the problem iTunes 12.10.7.3 reports which Apple wouldn’t solve.

Human, who sports only naturally-occurring DNA ~ oneironaut ~ broadcaster

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Mr. Austin wrote:

Here’s the screenshot of the problem iTunes 12.10.7.3 reports which Apple wouldn’t solve.

That error suggests the problem is not iTunes but basic USB connectivity… so the first thing I would try is to beg or borrow another Apple USB cable.

Are you using a genuine Apple cable? I find that the genuine Apple Lightning-to-USB cables rarely last long before the insulation in the super-thin cable breaks down and either data transfer or charging capability is lost.

I now don’t buy replacement Apple cables but instead buy Apple-certified cables from reputable third-party manufacturers. Funnily enough, the very basic Amazon Basics Lighting-to-USB cable has proved to be as long-lasting as much more expensive braided cables except too short… so I have to spend extra to get a good quality 3m data/charge cable.

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Mr. Austin

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[Alex5723]

Mr. Austin wrote:

I then updated both iTunes and iOS to no avail.

Which version of iTunes (latest is iTunes 12.10.7.3) which iPhone and iOS version (latest 13.6).
Did you install iTunes form Microsoft Store (mistake) or directly from Apple ?

I have no problems with iTunes – iPhone (iOS 14 beta 3) or iPad (iPadOS 14 beta 3) and sync, on Windows 10 1909 Pro.

For PC with old video card there is a special iTunes version : iTunes 12.4.3 for Windows (64-bit – for older video cards)

https://support.apple.com/en-il/HT204095#Apple

• This reply was modified 4 years, 9 months ago by Alex5723.

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Mr. Austin

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[Mr. Austin]

Thanks Alex. Before the problem happened I was using iTunes 12.9.5.7 from an executable download at Apple’s site, and iOS 12.4.x on the phone. I tested and switched to iTunes 12.10.7.3, trying both Apple’s executable and the different, separate Windows 10 version from the Windows Store. Neither iTunes version succeeded in working and its Diagnostics test screen result is in my reply to Rick’s post.

The phone I’m testing this with is an iPhone 7 Plus and switching it to iOS 13.6 made zero difference to iTunes.

The PC this is being tried on has a dual-monitor nVidia card which is only around two years old.

** PS – when all this baloney started happening I nosed around and found that Windows 10 would not easily allow security access to the iTunes directly containing a specific mobile device driver. Although I suppose that might be fixable, it also represents extraordinary, very time consuming measures with very low probability of success. Yet another reason to abandon iTunes, especially because as I mentioned in this thread a few minutes ago there’s at least one alternative software, CopyTrans, which shows encouraging signs that it will work while iTunes fails.

…. and also, Apple is showing signs in no uncertain terms that it wants to abandon iTunes – https://www.cnbc.com/2019/06/10/how-to-keep-itunes-music-when-apple-kills-itunes.html

Human, who sports only naturally-occurring DNA ~ oneironaut ~ broadcaster

• This reply was modified 4 years, 9 months ago by Mr. Austin.

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Mr. Austin wrote:

… trying both Apple’s executable and the different, separate Windows 10 version from the Windows Store

Hmm… from what I’ve read, I avoid the Windows Store version of iTunes. In particular, mixing both the Apple MSI-based version and the Store UWP version has lead to reports of having to uninstall both. It sounds like they don’t play well together but there’s no posts I can find that demonstrate definitive proof… just supposition and hearsay.

Whilst I agree with comments that iTunes for Windows is rubbish, it seems the UWP version is even worse. (In its favour, iTunes for the Mac has never given me a minute’s problem compared to the hours I’ve spent troubleshooting and fixing iTunes for Windows.)

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Mr. Austin

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[Mr. Austin]

Rick Corbett wrote:

So, if you are having an issue with the Apple mobile device drivers, it’s likely to continue to be an issue no matter what front-end you choose as a replacement for iTunes.

That could be 🙁 And it seems this happened around the time of some forced Windows 10 updates shown in the second screenshot.

Human, who sports only naturally-occurring DNA ~ oneironaut ~ broadcaster

• This reply was modified 4 years, 9 months ago by Mr. Austin.
• This reply was modified 4 years, 9 months ago by Mr. Austin.
• This reply was modified 4 years, 9 months ago by Mr. Austin.
• This reply was modified 4 years, 9 months ago by Mr. Austin.

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Mr. Austin wrote:

And it seems this happened around the time of some forced Windows 10 updates shown in the second screenshot.

Are you using the same Lightning-to-USB for both?

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Mr. Austin

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Nope. I’ve three different Lightning to USB cables and tested them all before considering them OK. Just now because you brought it up I’m re-synching the phone to the laptop using one of the cables used on the desktop. That’s working fine.

What I’d like now is to know how to rip the pernicious weeds of Apple’s Mobile Device registry entries out by their roots. NirSoft’s RegScanner is showing me this but I need to know how to overcome it and delete them. I ran Revo’s uninstaller before this and removed everything Apple.

Is there some secret, wizardly chant I must perform to nuke these?

 

Human, who sports only naturally-occurring DNA ~ oneironaut ~ broadcaster

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I’m having gradual success with the Registry hacking process. I’ve run NirSoft’s RegScanner, searching for “Apple Mobile”. When I started it found 107 keys. I’ve found and deleted several of those keys and also nuked some Apple .infs, and I’m down to around 90 keys. The phone now backs up and syncs via iTunes.

Human, who sports only naturally-occurring DNA ~ oneironaut ~ broadcaster

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An update:  iTunes 12.10.7.3 on a laptop running Windows 10 version 1909 connects successfully to the iPhone 7 Plus running iOS 13.6. I’m backing up the iPhone to the laptop now.

It’s clearly the Apple Mobile USB Driver which is having problems only on the desktop. I’ve removed and reinstalled that driver and others from Apple several times.

Methinks I might try a reputable uninstaller like Revo’s on the desktop to find and remove all traces of Apple software on the desktop, and then I’d try reinstalling iTunes to see if it behaves differently.

Human, who sports only naturally-occurring DNA ~ oneironaut ~ broadcaster

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Mr. Austin wrote:

Is there some secret, wizardly chant I must perform to nuke these?

I tend to use Nir Sofer’s USBDeview (run as Administrator) to uninstall the Apple Mobile Device drivers, especially when the problem is the device not being recognised.

1. Just do a sort on the Description column so the Apple entries are together then select *all* the Apple entries – not just the Apple Mobile Device drivers.

2. Right-click and choose Uninstall Selected Devices. This will remove their entries in the registry. (IMO this is much easier than using RegScanner.)

Hope this helps…

EDIT: Oops, I’ve just spotted your last post that phone is now syncing. So, all sorted now?

(I’ve also used CopyTrans Manager. It was OK but a little hit-and-miss. I went back to the vagaries of iTunes when I ran into issues and found the CopyTrans support was poor.)

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Mr. Austin

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Brilliant, master Corbett. Those things I didn’t know although I’m quickly trainable. I could use them the next time this arises. Ooohhh, wait, that would be now, because among my Devices I noticed some pernicious weeds of a bargain-basement Bluetooth dongle I tried but abandoned. And the dongle’s software couldn’t be bothered to uninstall its devices when it was uninstalled. Thank you!

Human, who sports only naturally-occurring DNA ~ oneironaut ~ broadcaster

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