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kristiannie

Q: latest update for itunes will not install --- unexpected error

I have tried instaling the latest update for itunes several times now.  It keeps telling me that the installation has failed due to an unexpected error.  Any clues as to what is happening would be appreciated.

iMac (27-inch Late 2009), Mac OS X (10.6.8)

Posted on May 27, 2013 10:50 AM

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Q: latest update for itunes will not install --- unexpected error

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  • by sberman,Helpful

    sberman sberman May 27, 2013 2:51 PM in response to kristiannie
    Level 8 (40,493 points)
    May 27, 2013 2:51 PM in response to kristiannie

    If that happened to me, I would install the latest iTunes from scratch (as opposed to updating).

     

    Here's the latest version's download, from Apple's website:

    iTunes 11.0.3

  • by kristiannie,

    kristiannie kristiannie May 27, 2013 3:10 PM in response to sberman
    Level 1 (0 points)
    May 27, 2013 3:10 PM in response to sberman

    tried that this morning before i asked for help, and it wouldn't install:  unexpected error again.  but i didn't delete my current itunes (afraid to lose everything?) first so maybe i would have to do that?

  • by sberman,Helpful

    sberman sberman May 27, 2013 3:13 PM in response to kristiannie
    Level 8 (40,493 points)
    May 27, 2013 3:13 PM in response to kristiannie

    Not sure.  That shouldn't hurt ... if you simply delete the iTunes app from your Applications folder.  That shouldn't affect your iTunes library.

     

    If you get some number to appear (Error XXX) when the unexpected error shows up, that might help.

  • by kristiannie,

    kristiannie kristiannie May 27, 2013 3:48 PM in response to sberman
    Level 1 (0 points)
    May 27, 2013 3:48 PM in response to sberman

    ok. going to try it right now.

  • by sberman,

    sberman sberman May 27, 2013 3:53 PM in response to kristiannie
    Level 8 (40,493 points)
    May 27, 2013 3:53 PM in response to kristiannie

    Good luck!

  • by kristiannie,

    kristiannie kristiannie May 27, 2013 4:49 PM in response to sberman
    Level 1 (0 points)
    May 27, 2013 4:49 PM in response to sberman

    no luck.  put itunes in the trash and tried to download new app but error message again -- with no code number attached.  never a code for any of these messages.

     

    do you think  i need to completeky clean itunes off my computer?  i have "clean my mac" app and it asked if i wanted to shred itunes and about 10 other things connected to itunes, including my itunes library.  if i do that will all my itunes music etc. be lost? then what happens if i still can't download it?

     

    thank you for taking the time to try and help me with this.  it's frustrating ...

  • by sberman,

    sberman sberman May 27, 2013 4:59 PM in response to kristiannie
    Level 8 (40,493 points)
    May 27, 2013 4:59 PM in response to kristiannie

    Do you have your library backed up?

     

    It does sound like the Clean My Mac process might delete it.  I would proceed with caution...

     

    Of course, maybe you have all your iTunes stuff either on a backup and/or on an i-Device (iPhone, etc.).

     

    Otherwise, you could open Finder, click "Go" in Finder's menu while holding the option key, click "Library", go to "Preferences", and delete all the files that start with "com.apple,itunes".  That might help.

  • by kristiannie,

    kristiannie kristiannie May 27, 2013 7:11 PM in response to sberman
    Level 1 (0 points)
    May 27, 2013 7:11 PM in response to sberman

    i do backup everything to clickfree but i don't know how to retrieve anything -- yes, i'm a dummy but i thought i could figure it out when needed.  maybe this is the time?  I do have "time machine" to get back to a different set point and i used that to restore itunes after i deleted it and then could not find it in the trash.  not sure where it went but time machine restored it.  i do have MOST of my itunes stuff on my ipad, but not all.  guess i could synch it with everything and then do the delete with clean my mac and then reinstall it and if the error won't let me i could just restore to earlier today.  do you think that is a good idea?

     

    hmmm ... just did what you suggested in your last paragraph but nothing in finder>library>preferences> says com.apple.itunes ...  i have .ipod and .iwork but no .itunes

     

    what do you think of that?

  • by sberman,

    sberman sberman May 27, 2013 10:22 PM in response to kristiannie
    Level 8 (40,493 points)
    May 27, 2013 10:22 PM in response to kristiannie

    It seems a little strange you could not find any com.apple.itunes files in Library > Preferences ...

     

    Maybe since you said that, and you also said you used Time Machine to restore iTunes before (and, by the way, listed another strange circumstance about not finding the deleted iTunes in the trash), I wonder if the best approach would be to use Time Machine again to restore iTunes to a known working state, then reapply the iTunes 11.0.3 download (the full download from the link above) to that known working copy.

  • by kristiannie,

    kristiannie kristiannie May 27, 2013 11:11 PM in response to sberman
    Level 1 (0 points)
    May 27, 2013 11:11 PM in response to sberman

    are you regretting trying to help me yet?  see what i mean about frustration?

     

    first of all, I have been trying to install the itunes update ever since it appeared in my updates several days ago.  i had a "known, working copy" of itunes at the time and still i got an error message.

     

    also, when i click Go in Finder nothing comes up that says Library.  i have to scroll down to "recent folder" that expands and then says "Library".... and then,  like i said, when i click on that there are NO com.apple.itunes files there.

     

    what do you suppose i am doing wrong here?

  • by sberman,

    sberman sberman May 27, 2013 11:16 PM in response to kristiannie
    Level 8 (40,493 points)
    May 27, 2013 11:16 PM in response to kristiannie

    What you thought was a "known, working copy" of iTunes, the cersion you had when you first set out to update iTunes and failed, has proved to not be a known, working copy.

     

    You would have to use an earlier Time Machine copy.

     

    I wouldn't worry about the preferences file any more.

  • by kristiannie,

    kristiannie kristiannie May 27, 2013 11:26 PM in response to sberman
    Level 1 (0 points)
    May 27, 2013 11:26 PM in response to sberman

    ok, i'll try going back a bit farther.  thanks.