iPhone USB Tethering without iTunes

Thursday, December 17. 2009

I have spent days figuring this out.

Install AppleApplicationSupport.msi (must be installed before AppleMobileDeviceSupport.msi)
Install AppleMobileDeviceSupport.msi (do not change the installation directory)
Copy QTCF.dll, QuickTime.qts, QuickTimeVR.qtx (from QuickTime) to C:\Windows\System32\

Some people have reported, iPhone USB tethering works after AppleMobileDeviceSupport.msi installation alone (without AppleMobileDeviceSupport.msi). Unfortunately, this is not my experience.

Both AppleApplicationSupport.msi and AppleMobileDeviceSupport.msi can be extracted from iTunesSetup.exe by using 7-zip.

AppleApplicationSupport.msi is to install some files in "C:\Program Files\Common Files\Apple\Apple Application Support" and also to install Visual C Run Time Library (This is to say iTunes is developed using Visual C - my guess). In actual fact, only the Visual C Run Time Library is important. For my version of iTunes, it uses Visual C Run Time Library version 8.0.50727.4053. The Run Time Library will be installed into "C:\WINDOWS\WinSxS\x86_Microsoft.VC80.CRT_1fc8b3b9a1e18e3b_8.0.50727.4053_x-ww_e6967989". Without this library, USB tethering fails to work although iPhone can be detected as "Apple Mobile Device Ethernet", the 2 monitor icon at the system tray just shows "Network cable unplugged".

As stated earlier, install AppleApplicationSupport.msi and then AppleMobileDeviceSupport.msi. Reversing the sequence does not work.

Posted by khngai in Programming at 00:08 | Comments (43)

Comments

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hi - i have been looking all over for a solution to this, i dont suppose you can tell me where i can get the files needed?? thanks, spencer

#1 spencer on 2009-12-18 00:22

SUPER!!! This is essential if you have halted the autostart of iTunes every time you plug in the iPhone to charge it or. Will do a small .msi file to install the stuff - if one need to tether off someoneelses PC GREAT JOB!!!!

#2 I hate Apple on 2010-01-12 23:05

My copy of itunes.exe does not have the first file mentioned, only the second one. I'm downloading the latest itunes since mine is probably outdated. If someone could place a link for both of them would save the trouble for others who need it. Thanks!

#3 rcollins779x on 2010-01-17 04:29

Hey khngai, I've posted a link to your Blog under iTunes 9.x on the AppDeploy.com website. Thanks for saving me from having to work this out myself! Cheers, Tuckers

#4 Tuckers (Homepage) on 2010-01-24 14:13

Very thanks for this post. Now can i use thering without itunes. Ciao

#5 stoni on 2010-03-25 05:01

I got itâ€¦! You don't have to install the QuickTime Filesâ€¦ If you get the message "cable unplugged" hust turn on and off again Tethering on the iPhone.

#6 marco (Homepage) on 2010-04-15 02:45

With the iPhone or iPod Touch, I can understand the lack of a built in stand as the device is small and most are not using it for extended periods of time. But the whole point of the iPad is to use it for interactive applications like video, share it with others.

#7 used computers (Homepage) on 2010-04-15 12:23

I can confirm that this works excellent on Windows 7 x64 with an IPhone 3GS. The Quicktime files can be extracted with msiexec so that You do not have to install QuickTime (I hate nagware) either.

#8 Andreas Paulsson (Homepage) on 2010-05-14 21:52

OMG, thank you SO much for this... I've been trying to get iPhone tethering working on my old eee 2g surf, and didn't want to waste the space of an iTunes install since it only has a 2gb hard drive. I did indeed have to follow all 3 steps, including the quicktime files, but that did it. Marco's suggestion (#6) didn't work for me, turning tethering on and off still showed it as unplugged.

#9 Ryan (Homepage) on 2010-05-15 00:16

dude, i did everything but i still get the network cable unplugged message... i noticed that the Visual C Run Time Library u mentioned wasn't installed in the "C:\WINDOWS\WinSxS\x86_Microsoft.VC80.CRT_1fc8b3b9a1e18e3b_8.0.50727.4053_x-ww_e6967989" folder... could it be the problem?

#10 raf on 2010-06-21 09:36

This solution no longer works with the introduction of iOS4 Seriously, what the hell were Apple thinking!?!? "I know... lets make it AS DIFFICULT AS HUMANLY POSSIBLE for our customers to use internet tethering on the iPhone. Lets make it so difficult that our customers have to download and install the latest iTunes software package to be able to tether. Each other month we will release a patch for iTunes or the hardware device itself so that our customers use their entire monthly download limit ... {Evil Laugh} Mhah ha ha ha" - Steve Jobs

#11 Tuckers on 2010-06-30 12:58

This solution still works with iOS 4. I have Windows 7 Ultimate 64 Bit edition and use MyWi 4.1. I downloaded the latest iTunes for 64 bit windows (make sure if you are using a 64 bit OS you download 64 bit itunes), extracted the AppleApplicationSupport.msi and the AppleMobileDeviceSupport64.msi files, installed them, and USB tethering worked great. Note: 64 Bit OS requires download and extraction of 64 bit itunes. I first tried 32 bit itunes and it did not work. Thank you for posting this solution, it's great to avoid the entire quicktime and itunes installation on machines that do not need it.

#11.1 jfox on 2010-07-09 01:02

Nice effort, very informative, this will help me to complete my task.

#12 Send Flowers to Italy (Homepage) on 2010-07-19 14:27

i can confirm this works for OS4 and windows7, thanks heaps!

#13 lquify on 2010-08-02 17:08

Tried on two different, brand spanking new and 'virgin' Win7 x64 Enterprise, with files extracted from 64bit iTunes 10 and iOS 4.0.1 - no dice. Install iTunes - works fine. Uninstall iTunes, stops working. Rebooting and such does not change result. Anyone else?

#13.1 Martin on 2010-09-08 21:13

I cannot get this fix to work with the iphone 4 (iOS 4.01). Can someone help me on this?

#14 wiley on 2010-08-06 23:05

Funny. I don't have iTunes on my new win7 Netbook, but I got tethering to iP4 last weekend. I was frigging around in the network control panel and at some stage noticed the iPhone had the blue tethering bar on. Problem is I'm not entirely sure how I did it. But I've installed nothing so far.

#15 Alex on 2010-10-29 05:17

Thanks works great on my mini HP 110

#16 wrecks on 2010-11-30 02:48

i have installed only AMDS file, no others and no itunes. tethering is not working, as you said it wouldn't. But now i have installed the wrong file first. is there a way to uninstall AMDS then start your process again and do it in the order you mention?

#17 mick on 2010-12-17 16:50

Happy to see your blog as it is just what Iâ€™ve looking for and excited to read all the posts.

#18 syringe filters (Homepage) on 2010-12-22 11:26

thank you Web Sailor, now I can use my iphone tethering feature via USB cable, without a full iTunes installation. It works on my iPhone 3gs iOS4.1. To spare some CPU and memory, I keep the service named "*Apple Mobile Device*" stopped, in Manual mode: only when I need to use the iPhone in internet Tethering, I manually start the service; it soon detects the USB connection and makes the tethering possible. At the end of my Internet session I stop the service again.

#19 leonardo on 2011-01-05 18:09

works great, thanks!

#20 pico on 2011-02-14 02:42

great solution!!! Worked 1st time del latitude 830, iphone 3gs with ios4.2 extracted files from itunes 10.1.2.17

#21 Andy on 2011-02-16 07:39

Hey great stuff, thank you for sharing this useful information and i will let know my friends as well.

#22 mothers day flowers Romania (Homepage) on 2011-02-23 19:59

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#23 Coach outlet (Homepage) on 2011-03-11 08:06

Tethering was driving me nuts. I just don't have the time to just "figure it out" You saved the day.

#24 Eugene (Homepage) on 2011-03-22 07:30

Thank you, it works without quicktime installed.

#25 Anonymous on 2011-03-26 22:47

Add this to the installation lineup: http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/en/confirmation.aspx?familyid=32BC1BEE-A3F9-4C13-9C99-220B62A191EE&displaylang=en Have this working with XP Pro and iOS 4.3.2. Install the Application support first, then the mobile device support and then the C+++ that I linked above. reboot and it works. No more cable unplugged messages anymore.

#26 Stratolinks on 2011-04-20 12:26

Thanks, it worked for me

#27 home for rent by owner (Homepage) on 2011-07-02 18:07

That was some interesting stuff here on www.khngai.com Thanks for posting it.

#28 forex forum on 2013-02-12 00:17

thx, made my day- ure a hero

#29 Simon on 2013-03-03 19:41

Thank you for solving this problem and posting it on the web. I have spent about 6 hours trying to do what you have done. I installed both the Apple App Supp and the Apple Mob Dev Supp in the order you said and it worked! Thanks again

#30 Robert on 2013-05-06 13:14

Thank you! very useful information!

#31 S.M. on 2013-06-18 22:05

Thank you, great tutorial

#32 Thank You on 2013-07-10 16:15

Works fine on a Dell notebook using Windows 7 to iPhone 4. Only needed to find the 32-bit iTunesSetup.exe at FileHippo. QuickTime stuff not required. I had to reboot after installing to get it working properly.

#33 Guinness on 2013-09-01 14:30

Thank you very much, worked just like you said on Windows Server 2008 R2.

#34 Marc Stewart on 2013-10-25 21:44

Thank you. Worked for me - Win 7, iOS7, iPhone5. Only had to install AppleApplicationSupport.msi, AppleMobileDeviceSupport64.msi in the order specified. Worked like a charm! Thank you!

#35 Mom2onv on 2013-11-23 04:01

Thanks for the article. I got this to work on Windows 7 64-bit (with the 64-bit iTunes install). Like Guinness, I had to reboot before it would tether. I also had to unplug and replug the phone back into the USB port in order for it to recognize. Great to see it work even after almost 4 years this was originally posted.

I was running iPhone 4 with iOS 6.12.

#36 AL on 2013-11-23 04:27

Hi all 1. iPad (ios version 7...) without simcard 2. pc (windows 7 32bit) 3. itunes(download last version and used 7-zip to open it) 4. download http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/confirmation.aspx?id=3387 I want to make LAN (tethering or hotspot....whatever it is) connection (without jaillbrake) by USB Pc and Ipad (without simcard) - Is it possible? I make it with simcard - it's working I make it with android (without simcard) but I can not make it with iPad?! I maded all steps like is in this description. I don't have: "C:\WINDOWS\WinSxS\x86_Microsoft.VC80.CRT_1fc8b3b9a1e18e3b_8.0.50727.4053_x-ww_e6967989" In network connections(pc with windows 7 32bit) I have iPad "apple mobile device ethernet" with red cross. So there is no connection but etherned card of iPad exist. Sorry for ma English. Can someone help me with this problem?

#37 seb on 2014-02-12 18:38

Hi all 1. iPad (ios version 7...) without simcard 2. pc (windows 7 32bit) 3. itunes(download last version and used 7-zip to open it) 4. I download and installed Visual C Run Time Library I want to make LAN (tethering or hotspot....whatever it is) connection (without jaillbrake) by USB Pc and Ipad (without simcard) - Is it possible? I make it with simcard - it's working I make it with android (without simcard) but I can not make it with iPad?! I maded all steps like is in this description. I don't have in windows folder: x86_Microsoft.VC80.CRT_1fc8b3b9a1e18e3b_8.0.50727.4053_x-ww_e6967989" In network connections(pc with windows 7 32bit) I have iPad "apple mobile device ethernet" with red cross. So there is no connection but etherned card of iPad exist. Sorry for ma English. Can someone help me with this problem?

#38 Sebastian on 2014-02-12 18:53

It works very well if you follow all the steps. Thank you so much.

#39 Anonymous on 2014-02-13 23:25

Thank you for answer

I follow the all steps. Step by step. NO CONNECTION AND Still RED Cross. Someone test on this configuration like I send?: " #37 seb on 2014-02-12 18:38 " In this description there is no information about configuration and what itunes is used. I study this description and maybe I don't see something. Can someone PLEASE make description like for me (not good undrestanding). Description Step by step with all configuration: 1. Operating System? system 32 or 64bit?: exp: windows 7 32 bit 2. iOS? 3. with links to download what is needed Best Regards Seb

#40 Seb on 2014-03-26 17:00

This is a great tip and I have it working fine on my Windows 7 32 & 64 machines with ios 6 & 7. Out of curiousity though, in the second paragraph there is a typo "USB tethering works after AppleMobileDeviceSupport.msi installation alone (without *AppleMobileDeviceSupport.msi*)." Have people been reporting it working using AppleApplicationSupport.msi but not AppleMobileDeviceSupport.msi or AppleMobileDeviceSupport.msi but not AppleApplicationSupport.msi

#41 Pat Cahill on 2014-03-28 09:01

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