Hello Eric, A Google search turned up two reference sources that might help with the problem of recognizing iOS devices after a system upgrade.
1. The first instance involves applying a software update for the SDK (Software Development Kit). I found references in some instances where this update was apparently not seen from a user's account after applying all software updates. One user reported that Apple tech support had him create another account with Admin privileges on his machine, restart the computer, log in to the new account and start iTunes with the iPhone plugged in. At that point, although the iPhone was still not recognized, the user received a prompt for a iPhone SDK compatibility software update. He installed the update, restarted his computer, and logged into iTunes under his usual account. When the SDK compatibility update was found and applied, everything worked. Another user claimed there was no need to create a new account with Admin privileges or log into another account -- he simply found the SDK compatibility update download (presumably from the Apple Software download site, and applied it. These comments appeared in the Apple Support forums last year -- around the time of the 10.6.3 release of Snow Leopard. (Note: I always keep at least one and usually two additional accounts on my laptop in addition to my main user account, even though I am the only user. This allows me to check whether issues that arise are due to my local setups or problems with the way my application preferences are set, as opposed to problems with the operating system or programs themselves. It also means that I can still log into my Mac in the event of problems with my account without resorting to recovery discs or partitions.) This may also be solved by reinstalling the Apple Mobile Device Service, which applies only to systems running Mac OS X v10.6.8 and earlier -- that is, any OS earlier than the latest version of Snow Leopard. 2. The second instance is specific to upgrading to Snow Leopard, and applies to iOS devices not being recognized after a restart. In some instances where iTunes is reinstalled, the device may be initially recognized, but not recognized on subsequent restarts of your machine. These instructions involve deleting a preference file from the main /System/Library/LaunchDaemons folder. There is a second set of steps if, after restarting your Mac, the issue still remains. This involves deleting the "AppleMobileDevice.kext" file from your /System/Library/Extensions folder, and also deleting the "MobileDevice.framework" folder from your /System/Library/LaunchDaemons folder. You then need to delete the "com.apple.usbmuxd.plist-orig" file again, restart your Mac, and download iTunes and reinstall it. I'll give you the direct links to the Apple Knowledge Base articles • iOS: Device not recognized in iTunes for Mac OS X http://support.apple.com/kb/ts1591 This is the general troubleshooting document that has a link to the iPhone Trouble Shooting Assistant. It goes through the regular steps of making sure you apply the latest software updates, check USB connections, etc. Then, if these steps fail to work it also suggests you reinstall the Apple Mobile Device Service (for systems running Snow Leopard or earlier) • iTunes: How to remove and reinstall the Apple Mobile Device Service on Mac OS X 10.6.8 or Earlier http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1747 This is the detailed set of instructions for reinstalling the Apple Mobile Device Service • Mac OS X v10.6: iOS device not recognized in iTunes after restart http://support.apple.com/kb/ts3540 This article describes additional fixes that are Snow Leopard specific. The other documents apply to general instances where your Mac loses the ability to identify the iPhone in iTunes (but not necessarily in other apps). HTH. The Apple Support documents all give step by step instructions. I've tried to summarize the nature of the fixes in the body of my post. Cheers, Esther On Dec 4, 2011, at 05:26, Eric Caron wrote: > Hi John, > > My friends have two macs and two iPhones and having the same problem on > both systems. I've pretty much ruled out it being a cable issue as iPhoto > works. > Also strange that this was first noticed right after updating to Snow > Leopard. Both were running Leopard until recently. > > As they are all ready running the latest iTunes where do I send them to re > instal iTunes again? I've never reinstalled iTunes before just updated. > > These tips are greatly appreciated. > > Eric Caron > > On Dec 3, 2011, at 11:59 PM, John Gunn wrote: > >> Hello: >> >> I've heard of this kind of issue on a tech podcast and the fix was to >> re-install iTunes. >> >> When installing you won't have to worry about loosing data. >> >> John >> <--- Mac Access At Mac Access Dot Net ---> To reply to this post, please address your message to mac-access@mac-access.net You can find an archive of all messages posted to the Mac-Access forum at either the list's own dedicated web archive: <http://mail.tft-bbs.co.uk/pipermail/mac-access/index.html> or at the public Mail Archive: <http://www.mail-archive.com/mac-access@mac-access.net/>. Subscribe to the list's RSS feed from: <http://www.mail-archive.com/mac-access@mac-access.net/maillist.xml> The Mac-Access mailing list is guaranteed malware, spyware, Trojan, virus and worm-free! 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