Q: iTunes 9 Starts Automatically

Hi, thanks for the advice. I've turned off Bluetooth (wasn't using it anyway), and deleted all the 'itunes' labelled files in Library/Preferences. Checked "Login Items" but I don't have anything listed there... I also redownloaded and reinstalled iTunes.

Still no joy with this. When I have iTunes open, it just plays when it wants to, and flicks on and off constantly if I'm typing in another application. I have to shut iTunes down completely to make it stop. Frustrating.

I've been dealing with this for about three weeks now, and I think I've finally found a (seeming) cure on my system (after bluetooth cleansing, preference cleansing, extra app cleansing, add-on / extension cleansing, wireless network resets, and completely clean re-installs of itunes): after disabling printer sharing and file sharing, blocking udp port 631 calls, and clearing cache by booting up in safe mode and then restarting again, I've had no random starts or stops for nearly three hours. The console log is no longer showing as many frequent kernel conflicts, so I am crossing my fingers and remaining hopeful.

Just take itunes helper out of the startup items in your account. Reboot. Problem gone. It's just with snow leopard, but for me, it was itunes helper. Kinda makes sense sense it works differently with snow leopard. For example, an apple tv can connect to a library on snow leopard, even it itunes isn't already running.

Thank you! Finally, taking itunes helper out of startup did work. I had tried before, but somehow it showed up again... not sure what I did. Anyway, this time, it's out, itunes is on, I'm typing, and all is calm. Thanks for your help!

Thanx for yor advise.

1. Went into CDs and DVDs prefs and set when you insert a music CD and picture CD to ignore

2. Went into iTunes -> prefs -> Devices and unchecked "Look for remote speakers connected with Airtunes" and "Look for iPhone and iPod touch Remotes"

seems to work for me.

I spoke too soon!! I had one day with the problem solved, and now it is back. I tried the unchecking remote devices in iTunes preferences, but that didn't solve it either.

Can I install an older version of iTunes on the MacBook Pro? Which versions would work? The only older version I've found so far says it's for the G3... I'm assuming it wouldn't work on this laptop. Can anyone tell me where to find old versions?

OK, wait a second. I just want to be sure. Itunes helper is not running? Try plugging in an ipod with itunes off. Does it start? This would be the first I've heard of this happening with itunes helper disabled.

I can confirm that it starts even with Itunes helper disabled. I had the annoying problem of Itunes starting automatically some months ago, and I removed the Itunes helper from Login Items and disabled Open at Login from Dock. Everything was calm until suddenly this morning the Itunes started to pop up again (helper is still gone, checked that). I have bluetooth disabled as I don't need it, so that is not the cause (in my case) either.

I updated the VirtualBox yesterday (it has an entry in /Library/StartupItems) so maybe that is somehow related to this issue, as the problem reappeared after the next reboot. The last messages in dmesg just before the appearance of the Itunes were:

VBoxFltDrv: version 3.1.2 r56127
VBoxAdpDrv: version 3.1.2 r56127
Sound assertion UNHANDLED REQUEST: 7 at state machine position 3
Sound assertion ""AppleMikeyDevice UNHANDLED REQUEST at state kSTATE_DETECTMIC"" failed in "/SourceCache/AppleHDA/AppleHDA-179.1.4/AppleMikeyDriver/AppleMikeyDevice.cpp" at line 1065 goto handler

Even without iTunes helper, I continued to have trouble. The only solution that has lasted more than 24 hours has been to turn off Print Sharing and File Sharing in the network preferences, and then giving it a reboot in safe mode, and then a restart. Give it a try. So far (five days + running) and I've not experienced any further issues. Snow Leopard seems to have some confusion in the way it listens for printer / net sharing ports, streaming media, and iTunes 9.

iTunes helper is definitely switched off, and not appearing in the Login Items box.

When I connect my iPod, iTunes starts automatically, as it should, to charge the iPod. But then even if I haven't started to play music in iTunes, after a few minutes it will just start to play music, starting at the top of my Library, usually. Then if I am typing (and therefore in another application) the music will start and stop, start and stop, in response to keystrokes (I think the parentheses turn it off and on, for example, and sometimes the spacebar). I have to turn iTunes completely off. This means, obviously, that if I'm working on my laptop, I cannot play music on iTunes to work by. That's rather annoying, but the start stop start stop of the music is incredibly annoying.

Any suggestions for what to do (and I'm not very technically minded, unfortunately, so I'll be pathetically grateful for very simple language) will be most appreciatively received. Thanks!

Hmmm, I went to System Preference and to SHARING... I have NO boxes ticked there, no File Sharing, no Print Sharing...

Neat trick. Mine hasn't done the ghost thing since I turned itunes helper off.

Oddly though, since rebooting, it will load itunes when I plug in my ipod. Previous versions of MACOS didn't. So snow leopard has some itunes stuff built in a little deeper, which those of us with haunted macs already suspected....

Hi there

I have searched a lot of forums for this problem....and most of the time it's the same question, which annoyes me a lot!

My problem:
Everytime I start up my MacBook Pro, Itunes start as well automatically! I do not have connected any other device to the MacBook. Itunes works perfectly fine, but I use it only rarly, that's why I don't want it to startup automatically when I boot my MacBook!

Does anyone know how I can disable the automatic startup of Itunes when starting up the MacBook?

I also have this issue, no bluetooth turned on, iTunes helper is not in my login items, have taken the stand off my USB hub, all of it and I still have the issue.
No widgets, no nothing. iTunes 9.0.2 on Snow Leopard, 10.6.2, This thing is driving me nuts.

Don't know if this will help and don't know if I am going to jinx it but here goes. I had disconnected my external drive i was using for Time Machine backups, then used that drive on an iMac for a while. Once I went back to using my Macbook, where I was having the iTunes auto start issue, I had not hooked the external drive up but had not turned off Time Machine. Yesterday, I hooked my external drive back up, spent all night removing the iMac backups, and today, have not had one instance of iTunes trying to auto start.
Now, I don't know if this is related but it sure seems awful coincidental to me. So is the issue with Time Machine?