How do I stop iTunes from trying to connect to store?

I am having this exact same issue! I called AppleCare, and the only suggestion they had was to remove the com.apple.iTunes.plist file located in Users>Home>Library>Preferences. That would work if it were a user account error, which I don't believe it is, because I have the same issue across multiple machines. You can give it a shot though.

If all else fails, I will have to make an AppleScript to auto-click "ok" whenever the error message appears. I don't have much experience with writing scripts, but I'm sure I can figure something out. Good luck, and please let me know if you find a fix!

I don't have a good solution yet but I have the same issue.

Preferences:
Show = Podcasts, Applications, Radio.
Check for new software updates = unchecked.
Store = all "Automatically..." are unchecked and...
iTunes Store = disabled in Parental control.

View/Show Artwork Column = unchecked.

Advanced/ "Get Album Artwork" has never been clicked.

iTunes will still sometimes show "Accessing iTunes Store" when it's launched. Little Snitch verifies that it IS trying to make a connection. Little Snitch is a partial solution -- I blocked iTunes but then the app starts reeaallly slooowwllly if it tries to connect. There doesn't seem to be any traceable difference between when iTunes tries to connect on launch and when it doesn't.

I understand that software is licensed, not owned, but I pay for the network connection. I'm in a really old part of town and even 256K DSL comes with no throughput guaranty. I can't have things bogarting my network willy nilly without asking. Especially after I've set everything so that it doesn't need to connect. This is as ******** as the calculator connecting, without asking, with the URL hard-coded into the executable.

Update: Even though I am not subscribed to any Podcasts, it seems to be what was connecting. I don't use iTunes every day so that could account for the apparent randomness -- if I use iTunes, it checks on first use but if I use it again the same day, it doesn't. Selecting Podcasts and then clicking the "Settings" button, I saw "Check for new episodes" and it was set to "Every day". I set it to "Manual" and so far no network connection attempts from iTunes.

A little UI consistency folks? iTunes has a nice preferences interface with tabs for settings.

Have you got Genius turned on? That would also cause it to connect.

Regards,
Colin R.