iTunes for Windows Vista: Troubleshooting unexpected quits, freezes, or launch issues

Resolution

Create a New User Account

When troubleshooting a variety of issues, it can be useful to determine if the issue affects a specific Windows user account or all accounts. Follow the steps below to create a new user account in Windows Vista:

1. From the Start menu, choose Control Panel.
2. Open User Accounts.
3. Select Create a new account and follow the instructions to complete the account setup process.
4. Once the new account is created, choose Log Off from the Start menu.
5. Log into the newly created user account.
6. Open iTunes and determine whether the issue you were experiencing persists in this new user.

If you see the same issue in the newly created user account, proceed to the System-wide Troubleshooting section below. If you do not experience the same issue, consult the User-specific Troubleshooting section below.

System-wide Troubleshooting

When troubleshooting system-wide issues with iTunes, there are a few different suggestion to try.

• Check for Viruses
  Windows viruses can interfere with a variety of computer functions including iTunes. Make sure that you have current anti-virus software installed with updated virus definitions and use it to scan your system.
• Conflicting Processes
  Sometimes other programs and start-up items can conflict with iTunes, look at the following article to troubleshoot such conflicts:
  Using MSCONFIG to troubleshoot conflicts in Windows
• Removing iTunes Configuration Files
  Removing corrupt configuration files that iTunes uses can resolve launch issues. See "iTunes for Windows doesn't open after upgrading" for information.
• Check the iTunes and QuickTime installations
  An improper installation of iTunes or QuickTime can contribute to a variety of issues. Follow the article below to learn how to completely reinstall iTunes and QuickTime:
  Trouble installing iTunes or QuickTime software in Windows

User-specific Troubleshooting

If your issue only happens in one particular user account, some of the suggestions below may resolve the issue. Before proceeding however, you'll need to make hidden files and folder visible in Windows. Follow steps 1-5 in this article.

• Remove iTunes Plug-ins
  third-party iTunes plug-ins can cause many issues, particularly if the plug-in has not been updated to be compatible with new versions of iTunes. iTunes plug-ins are located in the following location:
  C:\Users\username\AppData\Roaming\Apple Computer\iTunes\iTunes Plug-ins
• Remove iTunes Preference files
  Some of the files that iTunes uses to store settings and preferences may be corrupt and cause issues. iTunes has two folders where preferences are saved. Move one of them to the desktop and test to see if the issue persists. If it does, move it back and remove the second folder. The location for the two preference folders are:
  • C:\Users\username\AppData\Local\Apple Computer\iTunes
  • C:\Users\username\AppData\Roaming\Apple Computer\iTunes
• Recreate your iTunes Library
  If you iTunes library has become corrupt, rebuilding it as described in "How to recreate your iTunes Library" may resolve the issue.
• Check for content files with issues
  Sometimes a certain audio file can cause iTunes to quit unexpectedly or stop responding when it is analyzing gapless playback information. To determine which file(s) may be cause the issue follow the steps below:
  1. Quit iTunes.
  2. Move the iTunes Library file located at C:\Documents and Settings\username\My Documents\My Music\iTunes to your desktop
  3. Open iTunes.
  4. From the File menu, choose Add Folder to Library.
  5. Navigate to the folder where your music is located. Typically this is
     C:\Users\username\Music\iTunes\iTunes Music

     

  6. Choose an artist, album, or single song to add the to the library
  7. Wait for iTunes to successfully add the songs to your library and perform the gapless playback scan.
  8. If successful, continue adding back more songs to your library.
  9. If there is an issue with one of your files, you will notice your issue reappear after you attempt to add it to the library. At this point you should repeat these steps being careful not to add the files that cause the issue to occur.