Users often complain that when they are installing or updating their iTunes to the latest version, they get an error message “Apple mobile device service failed to start” or in some instances, “Windows could not start the Apple Mobile Device service on Local Computer. Error 1053: The service did not respond to the start or control request in a timely fashion.”
If you have been seeing this message, it means you have not been able to install or update your iTunes to the latest version. There are many ways that you can deal with this problem and resolve it permanently.
Part 1: One-Click Fix “Apple Mobile Device Service Failed to Start”
Part 2: Common Ways to Try on Windows 10/8/7 (50% Success Rate)
Restart the Apple Mobile Device (AMD) Service
One fix you can try is restarting the Apple Mobile Device service. Just follow these steps.
Step 1: Click on the “Start” button and type “services.msc” in the search box. This will launch a service window.
Step 2: Look for “Apple Mobile Device Service” and right-click on it, then choose “Properties”.
Step 3: You will see the status of the service. If it is running, click “Stop” then “Start”. If it is not running, click “Start”.
Step 4: If you received an error message telling you the service cannot be started, check that the “Startup Type” is set to “Automatic” then click “Apply”.
Step 5: Restart your PC then try reinstalling iTunes.
2 Ways to Reinstall All iTunes Components
Another fix you can try is to uninstall iTunes and all related components on your PC. There are two ways you can do this: either the manual or automatic way. Of course, doing it manually means you have to spend quite a bit of time tinkering with your PC.
Manual Way:
Step 1: Go to “Control Panel > Programs and Features”.
Step 2: Uninstall iTunes and related components in the following order:
iTunes
Apple Software Update
Apple Mobile Device Support
Bonjour
Apple Application Support (32-bit)
Apple Application Support (64-bit)
Step 3: Manually delete the following folders from your pc:
C:\Program Files\iTunes\
C:\Program Files (x86)\iTunes\
C:\Program Files\Common Files\Apple\
C:\Program Files (x86)\Common Files\Apple\
Step 4: Restart your PC and reinstall iTunes
Note: Don’t uninstall the software in a different order or just uninstall some of them. Or it would cause unintended expects, or even corrupt your computer. So do it very carefully or use the automatic way to avoid the terrible risk.