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OakleyCruz's avatar
OakleyCruz
Iron Contributor
Jan 19, 2026

Best iPhone data recovery tool or software I can use on Windows 11?

Hi everyone, I need some recommendations for the best iPhone data recovery tools or software that work well on Windows 11. Lost some important stuff (photos, messages, maybe contacts) and want to try...
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Komondor2240's avatar
Komondor2240
Iron Contributor
Jan 20, 2026

Here’s a totally different approach with no third-party software involved: use official Microsoft Windows tools to repair the core iOS connection and backup system, which could be the reason your iPhone data recovery tool isn’t functioning as it should.

Step 1: Reset Apple Device Services

  • Settings > Apps > Installed Apps: Delete Apple Software Update, iTunes, Bonjour, Apple Mobile Device Support;

  • Win+R, type %programfiles%: Delete Apple/iPod folder ，Then Win+R, type %appdata%: Delete Apple Computer folder.

  • Download the “Apple Mobile Device USB Driver” from the Microsoft directory and extract the .cab file.

  • Update the iPhone driver in Device Manager by selecting the extracted .inf file for installation.

  • Reinstall Apple services: Install the “Apple Devices” app from the Microsoft Store.

Step 2: Extract Backup Data via PowerShell

  • Locate backups: Navigate to C:\Users\[YourUsername]\AppData\Roaming\Apple Computer\MobileSync\Backup\ and select the folder containing Manifest.db.

  • Open PowerShell as Administrator and execute the following commands:

cd “C:\Users\YourUsername\AppData\Roaming\Apple Computer\MobileSync\Backup\[Your Backup Folder Name]”

  • Export all .db file list:

Get-ChildItem -Recurse -Filter *.db | Select-Object FullName, Length, LastWriteTime | Out-File -FilePath C:\Backup_Files_List.txt

  • Extract SMS .db files to desktop:

$smsPath = Get-ChildItem -Recurse -Filter sms.db | Select-Object -First 1 -ExpandProperty FullName

Copy-Item -Path $smsPath -Destination C:\Users\YourUsername\Desktop\sms_backup.db

Open the Backup_Files_List.txt generated by PowerShell, locate the desired .db file path, copy it directly to your desktop, and open it with any SQLite viewer tool.

Core Advantages

  • Higher success rate for iPhone data recovery after driver repair.

  • Quickly locate backup files using PowerShell without relying on third-party software.

  • Entire process uses official Microsoft tools, ensuring security and no bundled software.