How to Fix the iPhone “Apple Mobile Device has not been started” Error
You plug in your iPhone to transfer some sick beats, a few videos, maybe a picture or two of someone that loves you and Windows brings down the pain with a retarded error message. Don’t get all pissed off. Get all fixed…off?
Daddy can fix this!
So here’s the deal, instead of Windows just starting the service on the event that an iPhone/iPod is plugged in via USB to your PC they want to make you loathe the machine and manually enable it yourself. I can’t remember the last PC I didn’t have to enable this stupid service on. This isn’t a tutorial about Windows services so don’t ask. It was painful enough to bring myself to write this article
Open up the Control panel
Start > Control panel
After you opened the control panel you want to open the Administrative Tools
(WTF Note: If you don’t see Administrative Tools in the list of icons under your Control panel click “Switch to Classic view” on the top left)
After you open Administrative Tools double click the Services icon to bring up the services manager
V’oila, the services manager appears — now, find the service in the list entitled “Apple Mobile Device”
Double click that and you will see this screen:
It should automatically open up as “disabled” if it isn’t disabled, then I don’t know wtf you’re doing here. Anyways, as you can see we want to change it from “Disabled” to “Automatic” or “Manual” — I’m going with automatic. After you do that, click “Apply” on the bottom right and you should see some voodoo like this happening:
After that, you’re essentially done and you have “fixed” the problem.
Finally, your Apple Mobile Device HAS been started.
You can close all the Windows.
Be sure to unplug and re-plug in your iPhone/iPod!
Quick capsule summary
- Start menu > Control Panel
- Drink.
- Administrative Tools > Services
- Find “Apple Mobile Device” and Double-click
- Change “Startup type” from Disabled to “Automatic”
- Click apply on the bottom right
- Drink heavily.
- Start the service
- drnk hvly…
There. Now your shits not weak.
MMmmMm foot,
Bryan








