How to Fix ‘Error 9006’ on iTunes?

iTunes is a mobile device management application that was developed by Apple. This application can also be used as a media library and many other multimedia purposes. The application is basically used to manage digital multimedia files on macOS and Windows. However, quite recently, a lot of reports have been coming in of users who are unable to update their devices and a “There was a Problem Downloading the Software for the iPhone. An unknown error occurred Error 9006” is seen while trying to download the update.

Error 9006

What Causes “Error 9006” on iTunes?

After receiving numerous reports from multiple users, we decided to investigate the issue and devised a solution to fix it completely. Also, we looked into the reason due to which it is triggered and listed it as follows.

  • Download Failure: This error is triggered due to the inability of the iTunes application to download the update for the mobile device automatically. The application might be prevented from downloading the file due to a glitch or unstable network. It is also possible that the application might be facing issues while determining the correct software for your device.

Now that you have a basic understanding of the nature of the problem, we will move on towards the solution. Make sure to implement these in the specific order in which they are presented to avoid conflicts.

Solution: Downloading Manually

Since the application is facing issues while downloading the update for your device, in this step, we will be downloading the update manually and configuring iTunes to detect and install it. For that:

  1. Launch your browser and navigate to this site.
  2. Select the device that you want to update.
    Selecting the device from the list
  3. Select the model of the device that you are using.
    Choosing the model of the device
  4. Choose the version that of the software that you want to download.
    Selecting the version number of the software that we want to download
  5. Click on the download button and wait for the downloading process to be completed.
    Clicking on the download button
  6. Open iTunes and connect your device.
    Note: Make sure your device is in recovery mode.
  7. iTunes will prompt you to update your device, follow the onscreen prompts and start updating your device.
    Selecting the update option when prompted by iTunes
  8. Once the software update has started to download, press “Windows” + “R” and type in “%appdata%” and press “Enter“.
    Typing in %AppData% and pressing Enter9
  9. Open the “Apple Computer” folder and then the “iTunes” folder.
    Opening the Apple Computer folder
  10. Open the “iPod Software Updates” folder.
    Note: Open the software updates folder for your own device.
  11. Copy and paste the file that we downloaded in the 5th step inside this folder.
  12. Open iTunes and click on the “Download” button.
    Clicking on the download button
  13. Select the “Pause Downloads” button.
    Clicking on the “Pause Downloads button”
  14. Now the “Update” button that was previously greyed out should be available.
  15. Click on the button and the device will be updated automatically.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Kevin Arrows


Kevin Arrows is a highly experienced and knowledgeable technology specialist with over a decade of industry experience. He holds a Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist (MCTS) certification and has a deep passion for staying up-to-date on the latest tech developments. Kevin has written extensively on a wide range of tech-related topics, showcasing his expertise and knowledge in areas such as software development, cybersecurity, and cloud computing. His contributions to the tech field have been widely recognized and respected by his peers, and he is highly regarded for his ability to explain complex technical concepts in a clear and concise manner.