How to Troubleshoot Apple iTunes
Many issues with iTunes are quickly resolved by using the five R's; reset, retry, restart, reinstall and restore. If your problems remain unresponsive or persistent, Apple offers a wide variety of tools and services to assist, such as the Troubleshooting Assistant, an online tool that asks questions to diagnose issues. The iTunes Support website provides customers a vast knowledge base of free articles to research and troubleshoot problems. If your product is protected by the AppleCare Protection Plan or a valid warranty, call technical support for complimentary service. Pay-per-incident phone support or in-store Genius Bar repair appointments are also available.
Other People Are Reading
Instructions
-
Reset
-
1
Turn your Apple device off and then on again.
-
2
If this does resolve the issue, go to the Home screen and tap on the "Settings" icon and choose "General," then "Reset" and "Reset All Settings."
-
-
3
If it's still not working, hold down the "Menu" button and the "Play/Pause" button for 10 seconds or until the Apple logo appears and resets the device.
Retry
-
4
Detach and reattach the USB cable connections from the device and the computer.
-
5
Visually inspect the USB cable for any debris or other interference to the connection.
-
6
Plug the USB cable into different ports and/or use a different cable. Always reinstall the newest version of iTunes.
Restart
-
7
Detach your Apple device from the computer.
-
8
Log out and close iTunes.
-
9
Restart your computer.
Reinstall
-
10
Check to see if you have the latest version of iTunes installed. This information is available under the Summary tab.
-
11
Update by clicking on "iTunes Help" and select "Check for Updates."
-
12
If this does not work, reinstall the iTunes software.
Restore
-
13
Restore your iPod, iPhone or iPad to the original factory settings by syncing your device with iTunes. Select the "Summary" tab and choose the "Restore" option.
-
14
Click on the "Backup" option.
-
15
Select "Restore" and click "OK."
-
16
Select "Restore from Backup" and select "Backup Version." There may be several to choose from if you have previously backed up the device.
-
17
Wait for the restore process. This takes a few minutes to several hours depending upon the amount of information backed up. The Apple logo appears during start-up when restore is complete.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
Reset only affects your preferences; no data or media is lost.
For reinstalls, it is important to use the latest version of iTunes, because newer software often comes with fixes for reported issues.
During restore, iPhones require an additonal step for celluar activation. Keep the iPhone connected to iTunes until the screen says "IPhone is activated."
If you do not mind losing all your data, you may simply restore to factory settings.
It is always recommended to create a backup in iTunes before attempting any type of troubleshooting.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit listening music #15 image by Adam Borkowski from Fotolia.com
