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Apple Ipod and Windows Vista

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16 replies

by rickhal

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I have an issue I have been trying to resolve without any luck. I have a 80gig Ipod I am trying to get to connect to Windows Vista Ultimate. I have finally been able to get Vista to recognize that the device is an Ipod (by powering down and unplugging the main power source overnight). Although Vista now "sees" that the device being plugged in is an Ipod, it cannot find a driver for the Ipod. I have tried just about everything: searched Windows\Inf (where Windows update is supposed to put the driver, but apparantely didn't) Winodws\system32, the Itunes directory, the Ipod directory...it is nowhere to be found. Apple of course is not at all helpful and does not even acknowledge that this problem exists. Forums have been somewhat helpful, but no resolution as of yet. My last resort is to try and use an old Ipod setup disk and see if the is an old driver that might work with Vista. Anyone else out there in TechRepublic land have a solution for this one? The Ipod is a USB device and should be able to be seen readily by Vista. I have also tried uninstalling the USB hubs, but as soon as you start doing this in Vista, it starts re-installing before you can even hit the "scan for hardware changes" button. Exasperating and frustrating.

16 replies

by hal 9000

As far as I know the I Tunes Apple Software isn't Vista Compatible and you need to wait for Apple to come out with new software.

Though just last week I got a notice that there was a newer I Tunes Software available for download so you might like to try the one that became available last week. It might work with Vista.

Col

by rickhal

I have come to the conclusion that the issue is a Vista issue more than a Apple issue. But, a new version of Itunes may help. I'm finding that Vista is having issues with several USB devices. Including my 4gig Cruzer Mini flash drive. It also continues to list a phantom floppy drive despite the fact there is no floppy drive attached to the system. I do have a usb floppy drive, but it is not connected. If I try to remove this device and it's assoiated floppy controller, Vista just re-adds it, over and over. I did get a bit closer last night after attempting to uninstall all USB hubs in device manager. I was (for the first time) able to get to the "choose driver software to install" listing of devices. However, for Apple Vista only listed a couple of things. Some device I have no idea what it could be and an Apple Air Port. But, still had no luck in getting it to install the USB driver necessary (apparently) to actually get Explorere to assign it a drive letter. I believe I am going to have to open an incideent with MS to get to the bottom of this isssue. My XP Pro box sees it just fine.

by hal 9000

As they will blame Apple for the Problem and Apple will blame M$ for the problem. The Bottom Line is that Vista breaks quite a lot of perfectly good items and software and there is currently no workaround for this.

Maybe when the first Service Pack for Vista becomes available either late this year or early next year things will improve [b]Maybe[/b] but I wouldn't be holding my breath. You have to remember that Apple was the first to introduce USB Ports and the PC industry stole them to make the difference between Apple and the PC less obvious but back then M$ didn't support USB Devices or Ports that came on M'Boards. At the time there where no USB Devices available just the ports in the PC's. The same thing has now happened with Fire Wire and eventually there will be a lot more Fire Wire Devices available for PC's than there currently are but the moment that M$ starts to write drivers for these things all the previous standards get shot to Hell as M$ wants to own them entirely and claim that they developed support for these devices.

Anyway what will happen here is that M$ will claim that Apple is not supporting the standard and Apple will claim the same thing and Apple will be correct but while that may be of some comfort to you it still will not make your I Pod work with Vista. Currently I'm not selling anything Vista but as I mainly work Business Systems this is not unusual and I don't plan on even beginning to seriously look at Vista till 18 months at the earliest from now and even then that depends on if Business will accept all the restrictions that come with Vista.

Somehow I don't think that there will be too many business who are willing to have M$ tell them what software that they can use on their PC's which is M$ goal at the 4 year period of Vista if they can stick to their own time tables.

Col

by rickhal

I hear what you are saying. But, there is no way I'm waiting that long. From what I can gather, there is a new version of Itunes about to be released (7.02 i believe) that may help resolve the issue. And, I will be complaining to MS. They know me quite well as I have been dealing with MS for almost 20 years. They will have to do something. Allowing this issue to remain un-resolved would be a huge gaff on their part. I'm wondering if their Zune has the same problem?

by hal 9000

And that was the new one that I told you about that I was notified about last week from Apple. That may cure the problem.

As For Zune it doesn't work with Vista either and I think that you are now getting the idea of being the Guenia Pig Paying Beta Tester. I did that with XP and ended up with heaps of problems so I'll never consider doing it again and am not even considering supporting Vista till at least another 18 months have passed and even then it's a Big Maybe.

I didn't like being reported to M$ for selling Pirate Volume License OS's to a 2,500 Site License on 3 separate occasions particularly when I didn't supply anything but technical expertise as the Government Department brought & Configured the LAN to the M$ Sales Person recommendations.

But as I now offer Open Office when M$ legal ring me up attempting to get me to sell Pirate Software I think that they have finally got the message. Even though the head of the Legal Department knows exactly what happened my company still gets hit with the odd request for a computer for less or about the OEM Price of the M$ Software. As I don't work Domestic usually they are easily caught and I just offer Open Office now instead of attempting to sell them some basic version of Office. I will not even consider selling the Academic Version of Office without proof that it's going to a student or teacher it's just not on my sales list. But this is a perfect example that M$ legal knows that I've done the right thing but still refuses to accept this and tries to catch me out at every opportunity. Happens about every 6 months now and honestly I'm tired of it.

But that's M$ for you everyone is stealing from them at every chance so they have to catch the bad guys provided that they are not told who they are as they ignore these reports and let them go on regardless or till they go broke whichever comes first.

Col

by rickhal

I am a gamer. And that has been the main focus of my home computing systems. My old "geek box" is a XP Pro SP2 box and most everything works pretty well on it (although I do have some USB issues there as well, but probably caused by the several Belkin mini hubs I have hooked up and the plethora of drives connected to them). The newer geek box is a dual core, 4gig RAM, dual ATI X1950 Radeons in crossfire mode and water cooled. With Vista ultimate. I am not really that concerned about apps, Ipod, etc not working on it (well..not quite true. I am but not overly so). It does play Halo2 and all the other games I have loaded on it quite well. And that really is it's primary purpose. So, I will try downloading that new version of Itunes (strange that Itunes hasn't "asked" me if I want the newer version as of yet). Believe me...I will get it working eventually. I have checked some fourms on this issue and others claim to have made their Ipods work on Vista. So, I will get it eventually. And along the way....I'll learn some valuable Vista troubleshooting skills. The company I work for is planning for a Vista migration towards the end of the year......YIKES! I am a Lotus Notes admin and I know that version 8 of Domino/Notes is supposed to be compatible w/Vista.....we'll see about that.

by hal 9000

But currently I have I Tunes 7.3 downloading now. There is about 56 Meg of it coming down now and may cure the current problem between the I Pod and Vista.

I hope that is of some help.

Col

by rickhal

I downloaded and installed the latest version of Itunes as well. Vista U is still asking for the location of a driver (after doing it's usual search of the local system). So, no help there. This is definitely a Vista issue and not an Apple issue. It is Vista that cannot find a "driver" for the Ipod. Apparently, I am going to have to spend some "quality" time with a Microsoft support person in order to even get close to a solution. Or, maybe I'll just finish playing Halo2 and then format the hard drive and go back to WinXP. I tried to get online support, but am being told my product key is invalid. Which is strange since Vista was able to activate with that product key. Typical MS nonsense.

by naughtymonkey

I have Vista Ultimate and my Ipod works fine. My itunes was a few releases abck when I first installed it and it worked then. I have since upgraded to the latest and it still works. Had no problems at all.

by oh smeg

It's 7.3.1 so it may be worth while downloading it removing the older version and installing the new version after a reboot.

Col

by rickhal

I too have downloaded all the latest and greatest Itunes versions. All with no joy in resolving this issue. The issue is a Windows Vista issue. And maybe my mobo as well. Actually, it turns out I am going to wipe the HDD of this machine and install a retail version of Vista Ultimate. Before doing that, I am going to update the BIOS of the Asus mobo to the latest version. We'll see if that fixes it.

by kevin

Hey guys,
I just fixed this driver problem with Window Vista and iPod, it's not Window Vista nor iTune problem, if you have a driver problem with iPod, then probably you have a driver conflict issue and this can be easily re-install your iPod driver again be removing the previous iPod driver and probably you need to remove the registry key from iTune too. Hope this help some people out there who has this same problem.

Kevin
IT Consultant
V CompTech
http://vcomptek.com

by rickhal

Ummm, sorry but there are no Ipod "drivers". An Ipod is a USB mass storage device to Vista. My Vista Ultimate original install simply did not "see" it as such. First fix: I updated my Asus Mobo's BIOS. Second, and most important two updates. One from MS and one from Apple. The one from MS made it so the system could "see" the Ipod as an Ipod. The subsequent Apple Itunes update made it more stable and I have not had any problems with my Ipod and Vista for some time. This issue is resolved for me now. For those still having issues, make sure your mobo's bios is up to date. Get all the latest Vista updates as well as Itunes updates.

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