iTunes help

[Armando]

So, a couple of nights I foolishly (what WAS I thinking?) hit “yes” when iTunes asked me for an update. How was I to know that Quicktime has a patch error that makes it impossible for iTunes and Quicktime to communicate, thus making iTunes unusable?

As someone with tech skills just slightly above “ludite,” it took me hours of installing, removing, re-installing various versions of iTunes and Quicktime–one worked…except my library, created with iTunes 9, was unreadable to iTunes 7.6.4–to finally find a message board that explained this patch error. As a near-ludite, you can imagine that I have no idea what that means, nor do I understand how to fix it.

Which is to say: HELP!

Anyone know a way to restore the balance of the universe? Or should I just wipe the dust from my feet and walk away from iTunes altogether? I miss my music, but, mostly, I have a grant application due soon for which I need to make a CD of three work samples, and without iTunes I can’t do that (well, I could use Windows Media Player, but I’d rather not).

(Do I sound as douchey in this post as I think I do?)

[Solai]

Armondo,

I need to understand a little more about how you are using iTunes before advising. I don’t understand how you are using Quicktime and how that relates to your issue.

[ThPrime]

Start -> Quicktime -> “Uninstall Quicktime” -> select “repair” option instead of uninstall.

You can do the same recovery procedure with iTunes. Both apps keep local copies of the installation files, repair will reinstall/overwrite any corruption.

Or: Start -> Apple Software Update - choose iTunes 10 and/or Quicktime 7.6.8 to download then install.

Optionally try out Microsoft’s Zune

Zune is Microsoft’s nefarious plot to make a bigger, better iTunes clone. It purposefully includes features that improve upon many of iTune’s annoyances. Upon installation, Zune will import most of your iTune preferences, playlists, downloaded content, etc. Oh yes it’s evil, but I kinda like it.

Mostly because a Microsoft app running Microsoft Silverlight (Microsoft’s clone Adobe Flash killer) on Microsoft Windows is much faster than iTunes sluggish user interface. No matter how new my computer is, Quicktime has always been sluggish for me since Quicktime 1.0. Apple does it on purpose, to make people buy Macs where iTunes and Quicktime are mysteriously not sluggish at all.

I have neither an iPod or Zune player, so don’t need to sync. I alternate between Zune and iTunes depending on who has exclusive content.

[Armando]

Armondo,

I need to understand a little more about how you are using iTunes before advising. I don’t understand how you are using Quicktime and how that relates to your issue.

I’m just using it to run music and video files and burn CDs when necessary. After I downloaded iTunes 10–which is bundled with Quicktime–the program stopped running. I get cryptic error messages and re-installations don’t work, alas. Currently it reads, “This application has failed to start because CoreVideo.dll was not found. Re-installing the application may fix this problem.” But re-installing NEVER fixes the problem. Then, “iTunes cannot run because it detects a problem with Quicktime” and urges me to click “help” for a solution, but none of Apple’s solutions work.

Start -> Quicktime -> “Uninstall Quicktime” -> select “repair” option instead of uninstall.

You can do the same recovery procedure with iTunes. Both apps keep local copies of the installation files, repair will reinstall/overwrite any corruption.

Or: Start -> Apple Software Update - choose iTunes 10 and/or Quicktime 7.6.8 to download then install.

Optionally try out Microsoft’s Zune

Zune is Microsoft’s nefarious plot to make a bigger, better iTunes clone. It purposefully includes features that improve upon many of iTune’s annoyances. Upon installation, Zune will import most of your iTune preferences, playlists, downloaded content, etc. Oh yes it’s evil, but I kinda like it.

Mostly because a Microsoft app running Microsoft Silverlight (Microsoft’s clone Adobe Flash killer) on Microsoft Windows is much faster than iTunes sluggish user interface. No matter how new my computer is, Quicktime has always been sluggish for me since Quicktime 1.0. Apple does it on purpose, to make people buy Macs where iTunes and Quicktime are mysteriously not sluggish at all.

I have neither an iPod or Zune player, so don’t need to sync. I alternate between Zune and iTunes depending on who has exclusive content.

Thanks, I’ll try zune. I’m also playing around with the JRiver media player, though that one is not free (actually, it’s rather pricey) but comes highly recommended. Zune is taking FOREVER to download though. Over an hour? Seriously?

[SeraphX]

Armando, I highly suggest dropping iTunes altogether. iTunes on windows is little more than a joke and an insult to users everywhere.

It sounds hokey, but you might want to give Windows Media Player a try. It’s quite mature and capable.

If you’re ok with simple GUI then I suggest trying Foobar2000. Its memory consumption is negligible and it is highly customizable.

If you’re not tied down by an iOS device, abort iTunes for your own sanity.

[Armando]

Armando, I highly suggest dropping iTunes altogether. iTunes on windows is little more than a joke and an insult to users everywhere.

It sounds hokey, but you might want to give Windows Media Player a try. It’s quite mature and capable.

If you’re ok with simple GUI then I suggest trying Foobar2000. Its memory consumption is negligible and it is highly customizable.

If you’re not tied down by an iOS device, abort iTunes for your own sanity.

Well, I do have an iPod but right now it’s got every audio track that I need. If I can update it with another player, I’m there.

Thanks!

[Nickname_Boomer]

Armando, I highly suggest dropping iTunes altogether. iTunes on windows is little more than a joke and an insult to users everywhere.

It sounds hokey, but you might want to give Windows Media Player a try. It’s quite mature and capable.

If you’re ok with simple GUI then I suggest trying Foobar2000. Its memory consumption is negligible and it is highly customizable.

If you’re not tied down by an iOS device, abort iTunes for your own sanity.

folk around here suggested it and i switched to a program called songbird, its free open source and i believe there is an ipod hack to get it to recognize the ipod; its a little unstable but it has some pretty incredible features .

[hansioux]

folk around here suggested it and i switched to a program called songbird, its free open source and i believe there is an ipod hack to get it to recognize the ipod; its a little unstable but it has some pretty incredible features .

yup, i am for songbird as well. but since they stopped their ipod support and their linux support, i kind of stopped using it (cause i am on linux). you should give it a try thugh, maybe ipod support is back.

check this list to see if the ipod extension currently supports your device:
http://wiki.songbirdnest.com/Docs/IPod_Device_Support

better yet, drop windows and use linux. linux media players such as Banshee, Rhythmbox and Amarok all have perfect ipod/iphone support, especially the newer versions of them.

[Jarathen]

I need some iTunes help. I know a lot of people don’t like it, but for a long time my music collection wasn’t all consolidated properly, and only my iPod held it all together.

Now I’ve got it all in order, and I don’t intend to replace my iPod Classic any time soon, as it works like a charm and does everything I need (and is so roomy!()

Anyway, recently, iTunes started doing this thing where I bring it up and it treats me likea brand-new user every time. I click cancel and it loads evreything as good as before, but if I actually follow thorugh I have to reset my library location, compilation settings, podcast settings, etc., which is a pain. It does kep my Apple ID logged in, so there doesn’t appear to be any trouble there.

Anyway, I just want to click the iTunes icon and have my iTunes recognize me up front, isntead of clicking through a bunch of setup junk. I do have the latest versio of 64-bit iTunes. I know an Apple Forum person said something about a program scanning the folder and how I should tell it to stop. I’ve got Symantec, I believe. Could this be causing it?

Thanks, Hive Mind.

[Solai]

Jarathen, so others don’t need to research and find these:

Here is the Apple article

What is strange is I see lots of chatter about this, but no real resolution. Are you on a Sony VAIO?

[Jarathen]

That’s awesome, Solai. Thanks!

And I’ve heard lots of Sony VAIO talk, but mine’s a Dell XPS. That link looks very promising.

[coco]

Hope I’m not repeating a question -

How does one copy the apps on iTunes from an old to a new computer? It’ll be on the same itunes account.

[Pete_from_PA]

Hope I’m not repeating a question -

How does one copy the apps on iTunes from an old to a new computer? It’ll be on the same itunes account.

You can just copy the .ipa files (or the whole iTunes folder, if you like) over, then authorize the purchases on that computer. If you’re not going to use the old computer, after verifying that everything’s cool on the new one, deauthorize the old one.

[coco]

Thanks! I feel pretty stupid for asking now. Much simpler than I thought. Though I’m kind of annoyed that after loading up all the iTunes files on my old computer to my new one, my iTunes music library is all messed up, with multiple entries for the same songs (some with 2, some 3., but some are normal with just one. Not sure why.) I must have done something stupid, but I guess I just have to clean it all up.

ETA:I just realized there’s another thread in the Hive Mind on iTunes, sorry that I posted this in the wrong thread.