Cannot Uninstall itumes or install itunes due to lost itunes.msi

(cowboy dan: Modest Mouse reference?)

With the missing itunes.msi, let's try the following procedure.

First, head into your Add/Remove programs and uninstall your QuickTime. If it goes, good. If it doesn't, we'll just attend to it when we attend to iTunes.

Next, download and install the Windows Installer CleanUp utility:

Description of the Windows Installer CleanUp Utility

Now launch Windows Installer CleanUp ("Start > All Programs > Windows Install Clean Up"), find any iTunes and/or QuickTime entries in the list of programs in CleanUp, select those entries, and click “remove”.

Next, we'll manually remove any leftover iTunes or QuickTime program files:

(1) Open Local Disk (C:) in Computer or whichever disk programs are installed on.

(2) Open the Program Files folder.

(3) Right-click the iTunes folder and select Delete and choose Yes when asked to confirm the deletion.

(4) Right-click the QuickTime folder and select Delete and choose Yes when asked to confirm the deletion. (Note: This folder may have already been deleted if QuickTime was successfully removed using Add/Remove Programs earlier.)

(5) Delete the QuickTime and QuicktimeVR files located in the C:\Windows\system32\ folder. Click Continue if Windows needs confirmation or permission to continue. (Note: These files may have already been deleted if QuickTime was successfully removed using Add/Remove Programs earlier.)

(6) Right-click on the Recycle Bin and on the shortcut menu, click Empty Recycle Bin.

(7) Restart your computer.

Now try another iTunes install. Does it go through properly now?

I could not update or uninstall itunes as the program said it could not locate the .msi file. Even after searching for the itunes.msi file and selecting continue, an error message basically said that the file was not found and was on another network which was unavailable. The error would result in termination of the update or uninstall.

I then followed the directions given by "b noir", which used the Windows Installer Cleanup utility and an additional manual method to remove itunes and quicktime. After Restarting the computer I reinstalled itunes with Quicktime. Initially itunes would not work and the program error code stated that Quicktime needed to be installed. I then reinstalled Quicktime by itself, and then itunes and Quicktime worked great! Thanks for the information which has saved me a lot of time and aggravation.

I've just tried this to solve the problem (iTunes vanishes - try to reinstall but error message comes up saying either it's already installed or a later version of the library is installed). Tried to uninstall - 'add/remove' didn't work, nor did anything else I could try but b noir's solution worked and I've successfully reinstalled.

Thanks!

I have tried to remove Quicktime from Add or Remove Programs, but it is unsuccessful. The InstallShield Wizard starts to run, then my computer makes a sound (as if it is checking for a disk), and then the InstallShield Wizard stops one second later. No error message, nothing. It just won't uninstall, and I can't get itunes onto my computer. Please help?!?!

+The InstallShield Wizard starts to run, then my computer makes a sound (as if it is checking for a disk), and then the InstallShield Wizard stops one second later. No error message, nothing. It just won't uninstall, and I can't get itunes onto my computer.+

In that case, we'd need to use something other than Add/Remove Programs to get the old QuickTime off the system.

Download and install the Windows Installer CleanUp utility:

Description of the Windows Installer CleanUp Utility

Now run the utility (“Start > All Programs > Windows Install Clean Up”), select any QuickTime entries in the list of programs that appears in CleanUp, and then click “Remove”.

Next, we’ll manually remove leftover program files and folders.

1. On the Start menu, click My Computer (or double-click My Computer on the Desktop).

2. In My Computer, open Local Disk.

3. Open Program Files.

4. Right-click on the QuickTime folder and click Delete from the shortcut menu.

5. Navigate to C:\Windows\system32\.

6. Remove the files QuickTime.qts and QuicktimeVR.qtx. (If “Hide filename extensions for known file types” is enabled on the PC, then those two files will appear as “QuickTime” and QuickTimeVR”.)

7. Restart your computer.

Now try another itunes install. Does it go through properly this time? If not, walk us through what happens.

It seems you have the best advice on how to resolve this issue, and I think I'm getting the same error messages that other people are getting. When I'm in my Program Files, and I'm trying to delete (by right-click) iTunes and Quick Time, I'm now getting this error message: Cannot delete ITDetector.ocx: It is being used by another person or programs." ???? I do NOT know how to resolve these issues/error messages! Thank you for any help you can provide.

Catherine P, I answered on your toher post, too.

A quick google on that error message +Cannot delete ITDetector.ocx+ leads me to believe your PC is infected with malware.

If you are comfortable working with your registry & following detailed PC troubleshooting steps, try the solutions in the links that google provides.

If not, get some experienced PC help to get rid of this problem.

+When I'm in my Program Files, and I'm trying to delete (by right-click) iTunes and Quick Time, I'm now getting this error message: Cannot delete ITDetector.ocx: It is being used by another person or programs."+

ITDetector.ocx is an iTunes Active X control. If you've already run Windows Installer CleanUp, selected the iTunes entries in the list of programs in CleanUp, clicked "Remove" and exited from Cleanup, it's not clear what else would be using it.

Plausily, the program using the Active X control could be a web browser (although that's usually more of an issue with QuickTime .ocx files rather than iTunes). So, try printing out a copy of this post, and restarting the PC.

After the PC has completed its warmup routine (don't open any programs though, especially not web browsers), try the deletion again.

If the message goes away, but you get a different one instead, let us know what the new one says. Precise text, please.