Abnormal exit and leaves many temp file.tmp in itunes diectory

Thanks for the info. I'm using XP and I know about last.fm and scrobbler, etc. but I'm not using either. Also tried to disable my McAfee and that wasn't the issue. I actually had the same problem on 3 different windows XP machines. My problem is also described by others here:
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=1621476&tstart=0

I've solved the problem on 2 of my computers by simply uninstalling and reinstalling quicktime (the separate quicktime, not the install ".exe" with both itunes and quicktime. My error had something to do with a failure of the module "quicktime.qts". Again, see link above for more info.

or the temp file issue may simply be a symptom of an entirely unrelated problem. If the quicktime.qts file is somehow causing a failure, it may be simply happening just before the tmp file is deleted, thus leaving the tmp file.

the "computer I haven't fixed yet" is simply at a different location (so I don't know yet whether reinstalling quicktime will solve it for sure). I'll report back on that one when I get access to it...

turns out that my quicktime reinstall has not actually fixed the problem. On all 3 computers it initially fixed the problem, works ok going in and out of itunes, then after a reboot or two, I'm back to the same problem. Error signature is always:

AppName: itunes.exe AppVer: ;7.7.0.43 ModName: quicktime.qts
ModVer 7.50.61.0 Offset: 0015e693

Thanks for the help in diagnosing this. I don't have any of the codec programs you mention. To be clear as possible:
1. Same exit error happens on all three of my Windows XP machines (dell d620, dell d800, dell desktop). The d800 is SP2 and the d620 and desktop are SP3.
1a. NOTE: I have NO problems with actually running itunes, playing songs, synching to my 160gb ipod classic, playing videos, opening and running quicktime, etc.
1b. I am running all machines as an administrator with all rights. One is on a network at the office, the laptops are simply on my home cable modem connection (not connected to a network).
2. I had no problems with itunes on any of 3 computers with itunes 7.6. I've changed nothing else on any of the three other than updating itunes to 7.7 and the removal and addition of quicktime (that I did after problem started).
3. I don't have any of the codec programs some have mentioned as possible problems (ACE & K-Lite mega codecs package, QT alternative, Storm codec, WinAVI video converter). I use itunes, foobar2000, VLC, and occasionally realplayer. The problem seems to come back without regard to whether I open and/or use VLC or realplayer or foobar2000.
4. I use mcafee virus scanner. It is up to date and doesn't seem to matter whether I turn it off, set it to exclude any files in itunes library, or leave it on. Error happens under all conditions of macafee.

I haven't followed the full instructions noted above on removal of quicktime. I will try this next. But note that someone else asked if I noticed that if I was getting exit errors, then next time I played a video in itunes then exited did I get an error? I tried this and the answer is NO. Turns out that if I play a video before exiting itunes, it exits normally. VERY INTERESTING....

As mentioned, the reinstall quicktimes approach doesn't seem to be a permanent solution. It works fine for a while then all of a sudden I get abnormal exit with the exact same reasoning. Does NOT seem to be related to whether I've rebooted between tries. I may go a day turning off and on, rebooting a couple of times, and all is fine. Then all of a sudden, I exit itunes with the same abnormal exit. I think the tmp files left behind are simply a symptom. The program is crashing before it allows itself to clean up the remaining tmp files it created. Only other files I may be using during this time is internet explorer, firefox 3.0, thunderbird (email), and Word and powerpoint perhaps.

Understood. But the error in the AppMod: quicktime.qts is causing some sort of error that doesn't allow itunes to delete its temp files properly. The error is not the temp files existing, but the abnormal ending just before trying to delete them I suspect.

After messing around with this for several hours, and only using firefox browser other than itunes, I find itunes drifting back into abnormal exit with same error every now and then. I'm not using any other program that accesses video or audio during this time. The interesting thing is that I can always fix it by simply playing a few seconds of a video in itunes. Then itunes always exits properly. Has to be something grabbing a hold of some file and when itunes plays a video, it gives control back to itunes and all becomes ok. Of course the question is what is that thing grabbing ahold of a file (and which file). Comments welcome....