Can no longer see iPad in Windows Explorer

[gedstrom]

Starting with my upgrade to iOS 10.0.1, I can no longer see my iPad Air 2 in Windows Explorer. This also means that I can no longer import my pictures directly into Adobe Lightroom. iTunes still seems to see the iPad, however.

 

[KevinJS]

I haven't used any of my iDevices with Windows for a while now. Since my iPad is not compatible with iOS10, I just plugged my iPhone 5s (iOS10.0.1) into my Vista PC to see what happened.

The short answer is "Not much". The phone asked whether it could trust the computer, to which I answered "Yes". The computer downloaded drivers for the phone successfully.

Windows Explorer does not show the phone at all. Neither does Windows Photo Gallery (File/Import from scanner or camera used to be the import method, but apparently no more). iTunes eventually booted up and shows the phone, as expected.

I'm presently installing a whole heap of Windows updates. If these updates are helpful, and allow the phone to be used once again with Windows, I'll report back, but it does appear that iOS10 has broken the connection between iDevice and Windows.

 

[jwt873]

I connected my Pro 9.7 to my Windows computer for the first time since I upgraded to 10. It pops up as a device in my list of directories in File Explorer as it always has. The iPad does have to be on and unlocked for this to happen. If it's locked, it doesn't appear.

 

[KevinJS]

Looks like the Vista beast has died. One of those updates has done some damage. It will now only boot up in safe mode. I'm not really too fussed about it, since I can pull the drive that has my music on it and use it as an external. Now I can justify replacing it with a Mac Mini. However, my Windows days are well and truly over.

 

[gedstrom]

I connected my Pro 9.7 to my Windows computer for the first time since I upgraded to 10. It pops up as a device in my list of directories in File Explorer as it always has. The iPad does have to be on and unlocked for this to happen. If it's locked, it doesn't appear.

That seems to have done the trick. However, I don't remember that as being necessary before. In addition, the sequence is 1: Log In, then 2: Connect iPad. The reverse sequence doesn't seem to work.

 

[KevinJS]

Looks like I spoke too soon. The Vista beast finally got its act together and booted up normally. Not sure what caused the indigestion.

Anyway, I was able to check this out. I'm pretty sure that phones (and presumably iPads) have needed to be unlocked since iOS9 before Windows would see them. Windows Explorer sees an unlocked phone as a camera. So does Windows Photo Gallery. The File/Import works as I described earlier.

Further digging yields the info that once the phone has been unlocked, Windows continues to see it even when it locks itself.

 

[twerppoet67]

That seems to have done the trick. However, I don't remember that as being necessary before. In addition, the sequence is 1: Log In, then 2: Connect iPad. The reverse sequence doesn't seem to work.

It wasn't necessary before. Even iTunes on an iMac now requires the iPad to be unlocked before it will finish mounting the device (though it does at least recognize the device and prompt you to unlock it).

More security, I guess.