How to Install iTunes on Windows XP SP2
Yes, the ravages of XP’s infamous Service Pack 2 are still being felt. Attempts to install iTunes on a Windows XP machine running SP2 may result in error messages and an inability to complete the install. But the fix is easier than you’d think. ;-D
First of all, the error message may look something like this: “OpenSCManagerA Error – Error Connecting To Service, Error Number=0″. Your mileage may vary slightly.
But the software actually is fully installed. My guess is that SP2 messes with security permissions that prevent the installer from starting or restarting some services. Once the intended processes cannot complete, the installer spits out that nasty message, and upon your clicking “Okay”, completely removes the installation.
I don’t know how thoroughly this solution works, but if you copy the installation directory that is created in the Program Files directory (for instance, “c:Program FilesiTunes”) after the error message appears but before clicking “Okay”, it appears that you acquire all the files from the installation. Click “Okay” and the installer uninstalls the files. Then just place your copy of the iTunes directory back into the Program Files directory, and you have a working version of iTunes. You can then make shortcuts in the Start Menu or wherever else you want them.
Too complicated for your taste? Send your curses to Microsoft for breaking existing software and go buy a Mac. For everyone else, I hope this proves helpful.
January 17th, 2007 at 6:07 pm
I have downloaded Itunes 7, but I don’t know how to install. Can you tell me.
January 18th, 2007 at 9:06 am
Matt, you no longer have to follow these instructions to install iTunes on Windows. The newest version of iTunes installs just fine. Just run the installer you’ve downloaded and you should be in business.
February 6th, 2007 at 9:16 pm
i try to install itunes 7 but it always says it cant stop the services what do i do?
February 20th, 2007 at 2:47 pm
Grayson, it’s difficult to say what’s wrong at this point. My post is 1.5 years old now and things have changed quite a bit in the Windows AND iTunes worlds. Contact Apple for help.
April 18th, 2007 at 2:45 pm
I’m tyring to down load I Tunes onto my Widows XP and the message i keep getting is c:\ipod\itunes\setup.exe is not a valid win32 application.
Can any one help me – i’m not very computer literate.
June 20th, 2007 at 2:46 pm
i can not download itunes 7 nor the older versions they all it to a point and then it just stop loading, it even get p to 99% and stops what is wrong. someone plz. halp me
October 3rd, 2007 at 2:59 am
I have a new one for you. I an install iTunes version 6 but when trying to upgrade to the newest 7.4 I get this error message. “This installation cannot directly upgrade the version of iPod software found on this computer. Please uninstall the ipod software and try again” I did uninstall the software but still the same error. I even turned off my firewall and virus software but still the same.
HELP! I have a $250.00 paper weight.
Ken
April 21st, 2008 at 8:35 am
For the first time ever since I’ve started blogging, I’ve been forced to remove a blog post comment, as I have a right to do at my discretion, due to its vulgar and offensive nature.
Comments of disagreement are welcome; comments that are hateful and vulgar are not.
May 4th, 2008 at 10:24 pm
Honesty eh!
Thanks for removing my post, now you want the “comments of disagreement”? ok here goes…
iTUNE’s is complete BLEEP and so its the iPLOD, so just buy a cheap and cheerful mp3 player (one that uses solid state memory) with direct USB2.0 support and you can drag and drop your mp3 files fast into without any trouble and no other software, just right in to the pc as a removable device.
I’ve tried this evil software on about 4 systems with varying results from fail to fail every time.
It installs so much useless bloated BLEEP (57 meg download, BLEEP like quicktime) and requires so much useless BLEEP (like .net 1 when you already have .net 2 and 3 installed) and other complete nonsense like vbscript that I actually laughed my BLEEP off and phoned some techy friends up, not for advice, but simply to tell them of my experience.
Apple should be BLEEP for this software, and as far as the user interface for the device its self, fancy graphics? BLEEP THAT!
I have a lil 256mb mp3 player that I bought for £5(!!!) it has 3 buttons (pause-play-off/nexttrack-volup/prevtrack-voldown/, no screen and just WORKS, no fancy BLEEP required.
TAKE YOUR IPOD, SELL IT ON EBAY, EMAIL SJOBS AND TELLING HIM TO GET A BLEEP JOB
THANKS FOR READING THIS AND BLEEP APPLE!
CENSORSHIP ROCKS!
September 18th, 2008 at 12:51 am
hello, i got an ipod for my birthday and for almost a month now ive been trying to get itunes. ive gone to the apple website and clicked the download. both 7.7 and 8.0.. they both go about to 10mb and then quits. saying its dowlaoded it but i cant find it anywhere on my desktop or in “my computer”. does anyone know where i can get the downlaod disk from or what i should do? it might be because my connection is to slow but im not quite sure..
December 29th, 2008 at 11:45 am
im having problems with my ipod. i just got one for christmas and every time i try and download itunes it downloads fine. but once it trys to install itunes nothing happens. whats wrong? please help
January 9th, 2009 at 12:51 am
I got my ipod like 3 weks ago and still has no music cuz i try to download itunes but its says that i need Windows XP SP2 od newer? HOW CAN I GET THAT?!? i try to get it but i just cant :[
January 9th, 2009 at 1:37 am
This page will get you going with WinXP SP2: Microsoft: Windows XP Service Pack 2.
January 20th, 2009 at 8:43 pm
i’m having problem downloading itunes. I go to the website, put my e-mail adress in and press download. A new page loads that just says “Download iTunes 8 Now” but nothing happens.
February 24th, 2009 at 5:10 pm
Please help me I got a new I pod nano for Christmas and when i try to download the version i need to run i tunes it says i need to have XP sp2 … well I have that and I don’t understand why i tunes is not coming up. I’m getting really frustrated!
July 21st, 2009 at 6:49 am
i have downloaded i tunes.. and when i click the setup file.. i am getting that “itunes require that your computer is running windows xp sp2 or newer”. wat to do??
July 23rd, 2009 at 1:18 am
I am also having the same problem where I get the error trying to install iTunes. I definitely have SP2, but the installation wizard for iTunes seems to think otherwise, “ITunes requires that your computer is running Windows XP SP2 or newer.” I’m running XP x64 with all current updates, so I can’t use the 64-bit version of the installer as it’s only compatible with Windows Vista and my iPod is incompatible with anything earlier than iTunes 8. I’ve tried downloading earlier versions of iTunes 8, but they don’t install at all.
August 12th, 2009 at 9:45 pm
I too am having this problem with Windows XP x64. I definitely have all the updates, and it tells me that I require XP SP2 or newer, despite having that.
September 22nd, 2009 at 6:22 pm
I just got a chromatic ipod a few days ago.
but I can’t install itunes, it says that I need the Windows XP SP2 to install it.
Is there any other way I could intall itunes onto my computer besides getting Windows XP SP2?
If I do have to get the Windows XP SP2, do I upgrade it or download it & how do I do so?
Please reply, someone!
Thank you in advance!
September 22nd, 2009 at 7:10 pm
SP2 is a free download. You can download it on Microsoft’s website, but you can also just turn on Windows Updates and Windows should download and install SP2 and a horde of other updates.
September 22nd, 2009 at 7:42 pm
@ Josh:
Oh, what do i do in the windows update?
where do i go in there to update it?
If it says “New! Get Microsoft Update Today”, is that the one or is it something else?
October 1st, 2009 at 4:22 pm
I have SP3, I had itunes vs 8.0. making some changes on it when it completely froze and wouldn’t let me back in. So I removed it and went on apple.com to download the updated version… 9.0. When I went from a desk top to a laptop I did this and had no problems. Everything installs, however when I try to open itunes I get a window that says itunes has encountered an error and had to close and I could send a report to Microsoft. i’ve tried everything I can think of… hELP!!!!!
October 29th, 2009 at 12:27 pm
I am on a MacBook Pro setting up MobileMe. Go that done. Now I am on my PC trying to do the same so I can sync Outlook with Entourage on my Mac. To download Mobile Me for windows I need to install itunes. It won’t install, tells me the downloaded file isn’t a valid Win32 app. GRRRR I have XP service pack 2. I keep going to an earlier version to download and then it always takes me to 9
December 30th, 2009 at 7:23 am
i go on apple then download itune 9.0 it gets up to 69 and stops the paper at the top keeps processing but it doesnt finish wat do i do
May 6th, 2010 at 3:50 am
I try to install itunes 7 but it always says it cant stop the services , how can i fix it .
July 12th, 2010 at 9:37 am
For all your ipods there is Poddox http://www.poddox.com/
free, tiny, no itunes required, drag and drop from your pc.
July 16th, 2010 at 6:38 pm
hi! i ended up on your site quite a few times now, and I wanted to ask if I can get the new entries to my email? is there a subscription form of any kind for the blog so I can add my email to it
July 31st, 2010 at 5:36 am
Sometimes it only makes it through the first track and then makes the little noise (as if it were complete) and when I try to play the cd, it plays a little bit and then freezes up the computer.
August 3rd, 2010 at 7:27 pm
Your blog keeps me engaged the whole entire time. Nice layout and everything too. Thanks for posting this. Please do more!
August 9th, 2010 at 7:32 am
I had to reset my computer to get rid of a virus. Since then, i am unable to reinstall i-tunes and When I went from a desk top to a laptop I did this and had no problems.