iTunes for Windows doesn't launch automatically when I connect my iPhone 11Pro

I'm currently using the one directly from Apple. I'm reluctant to try this unless you're sure that it won't do anything silly like erase all my backups, clean all my non iTunes media (imported CDs, stuff like that) off my phone, etc. (When I changed PCs, pretty much exactly that happened, so it's not a theoretical concern.)

The thing is, this is one of those slightly annoying things that niggles at me rather than being truly annoying, and there's a trivial way to "work around" the problem - start iTunes manually - so I'm not really up for messing up my phone's set-up. It's also really hard to search for posts on forums (any forums) from people having the same problems. Two thirds of what Google finds are people who want to *stop* iTunes from automatically starting (and they say to turn off the option that I don't have), and most of the rest are people whose PCs don't even realise that the iPhone is an iPhone even when iTunes is launched manually, which mine *does* realise.

However, I just tried a different search (itunes no option to launch automatically), and found this thread on these forums: iTunes Not Opening - Apple Community

So it's not just me, and nobody really knows what causes it or how to fix it. User "Goose_85" had (before posting) even tried twice with the Apple-website version and twice with the Microsoft Store version, with the same result on all.

Sorry about the delay - I've been a bit busy. There's only one option on the device's summary tab, "Automatically sync when this iPhone is connected," with no mention of starting ITunes automatically when the phone is connected.

I turned it off and on the way you suggested, and it made no difference. If ITunes is up when the phone is connected, the automatic sync happens (as before), but if ITunes isn't running at that point, it doesn't start up by itself.

I checked the main ITunes preferences, and the missing option isn't there either.

I don't know if this is relevant, and I don't see any logical reason why it would be, but the PC is currently a member of an Active Directory domain (it's a long story with lots of personal PCs and me disliking having to keep passwords in sync), and I'm logged in as a domain user.

OK, thanks. I think on that basis - "it works, mostly, doesn't screw up my backups(1), and does what it's supposed to with the workaround" - I agree with your asessment. I'll mark it as solved, although it's more accurate to say "resolved"...

That's not helpful. I'm already doing that, but I want to know how to make iTunes start automatically when I connect the iPhone, like it used to do.

It's probably also worth noting that I've checked in the Services panel, and everything that seems relevant is running in Automatic start mode, and iTunesHelper is running as well.