7 Effective Ways to Fix iTunes Error 0xE800000A on Windows

Usually, when you plug an iPhone into your PC, the “Trust This Computer” prompt appears on the mobile. Then, once you tap the “Trust” option, the device appears in the iTunes application.

However, when your device has issues connecting to the Windows system, you get the “iTunes could not connect to this iPhone. An unknown error occurred” with the bug check code 0xE800000A. When the error pops up, you can neither back up nor sync your device to Windows. Also, the device doesn’t show up on iTunes. 

As the error speaks for itself, there isn’t any particular reason why it failed to connect or where it’s having problems. Sometimes your devices could be acting up erratically for a moment due to a minor glitch. Besides that, the source of error could be the cables, the iTunes app, or the Windows system you are connected to. 

How to Fix iTunes Error 0xE800000A on Windows?

Since your mobile device needs to grant permission to access it from the computer, make sure you unlock your phone while connecting. Also, tap the Trust option when prompted on the phone.

Likewise, disconnect your iPhone and exit the iTunes app before applying the following fixes.

Check if iPhone is Connected Properly

The above error mostly occurs when your iOS device (iPhone, iPod or iPad) has a problem connecting to the iTunes application on your Windows system. 

Therefore, connect the lightning cable to a different system and check if it is working fine. On the other hand, try switching the USB port when connecting the iPhone. And if you are using a USB hub, connect the device directly to the device’s USB port. 

Also, disconnect any other additional devices connected to your PC and make sure your PC is connected to only the iPhone. 

Rename the Lockdown Folder

For each iOS device you connect to a particular computer, a lockdown folder is created automatically for each one on the PC. These folders contain lockdown certificates that store unique UDID data to know which data to sync for a particular iOS device. 

So, if you connect multiple iOS devices to your PC, several of those folders exist in your system. And sometimes, they get corrupt, due to which you have issues connecting the device and may receive the 0xE800000A error.

To resolve the error, you can rename the lockdown folder so that a new one is created when you connect your iOS device. 

1. Press Windows + R, type %programdata% and press Enter.
   
2. Open the “Apple” folder.
3. Right-click on the Lockdown folder and select Rename.
4. Then, provide a new name for the folder, such as Lockdown.old.
   
5. On the next prompt, click Continue to provide the necessary permissions.
   
6. Connect your iPhone, and if prompted with “Trust this computer” on your iPhone, tap Trust. Then, check if your problem has been resolved.

Restart Apple Mobile Device Service

The Apple Mobile Device Service is a Windows service that runs in the background. It helps to detect and connect any iOS device on a Windows system. If it’s not enabled or not working well, you can face issues while connecting your iOS device to Windows. 

Therefore, you need to re-enable it and restart the service again to fix your issue. Here’s how you can do it.

1. Press Windows + R, type services.msc and press Enter.
   
2. Look for the “Apple Mobile Device Service” service and double-click to open it.
   
3. Under the General tab, set the Startup type to Automatic.
4. Now, click Stop and then click Start to restart the service.
   
5. Click Apply and OK to save changes.
6. Reconnect your iPhone and launch iTunes. Check if the problem has been resolved.

Allow iTunes to Run on Your Firewall

When you connect your iPhone to a Windows system, it needs to run several processes in the background to perform various tasks.

For example, the iPodService.exe process provides access to iTunes while connecting your iPhone and AppleMobileSync.exe helps sync your device with the PC. Similarly, several other processes need to be executed, and sometimes your security software blocks them after misinterpreting them as malicious threats.

On Windows, the Windows Defender firewall, by default, scans for potential threats on your system unless you have installed another third-party antivirus/firewall. So, to resolve your issue, you have to disable the firewall. However, it isn’t safe, as you could be vulnerable to viruses and malware. A better option is to allow iTunes in the firewall.

1. Open the Run command (Windows + R).
2. Then, type firewall.cpl and press Enter to launch Windows Defender Firewall.
   
3. Click Allow an app or feature through Windows Defender Firewall from the sidebar.
   
4. Now, click Change settings to access the settings.
5. Scroll down until you see iTunes.MSI and enable the Private and Public checkboxes next to it.
   
6. Click OK to save changes.

Update the iTunes Application

Using an older version of iTunes is one of the main reasons the above error can occur. The older version of the app is likely incompatible with your system or contains bugs. Therefore, update the app to avoid such issues.

1. Launch the iTunes app.
2. Click the Help menu and select Check for Updates.
   
3. Wait for the app to search for and download the new updates.
4. Follow the on-screen prompts and install the updates.

Additionally, enable automatic updates on iTunes to avoid the need to update manually over time. You can do it as follows.

1. Open iTunes.
2. Click the Edit menu and select the Preferences option.
3. Then, under the Advanced tab, enable the “Check for new updates automatically” checkbox.
   

Update Your System and Device

Either your system or the device is likely incompatible with each other’s versions, causing conflict. So, consider updating both of them to get rid of the error message.

Here’re the steps to Update Windows:

1. Open the Settings app. (Windows + I)
2. Select Update & Security > Windows Update. For Windows 11 users, select Windows Update from the sidebar.
3. Click Check for updates. Then, download and install the latest updates.
   
4. If the updates are already downloaded on your system, click Install now.

Here’re the steps to Update iPhone:

1. Open the Settings app.
2. Tap General > Software Update.
3. Next, tap Download and Install. If the update is already downloaded, tap Install.
   
4. After you have updated your iPhone, connect it to your Windows system. Check if you get any errors this time.

Reinstall iTunes

If the issue persists, reinstalling is the last option to resolve your issue. Doing so replaces any corrupt data or bugs on your current iTunes app and replaces them with a fresh copy of the latest iTunes application.

Here’re the steps to uninstall iTunes from the control panel.

1. Press Windows + R, type appwiz.cpl, and click OK.
   
2. Select iTunes and click Uninstall from the top bar.
   
3. Additionally, uninstall all the programs related to iTunes in the following order.
   • Apple Software Update
   • Apple Mobile Device Support
   • Bonjour
   • Application Application Support
4. Now, to clear the iTunes temporary files, open the File Explorer (Windows + E) and open C: > Program Files> iTunes. 
   
5. Then, delete the iTunes folder and other related ones. (Bonjour, Apple Software Update, etc.)

After you complete the uninstallation process, browse the iTunes official site. Then, download and install the latest version for your Windows system.