iTunes store freezes whole computer

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Level 1

8 points

iTunes store freezes whole computer

Hello everyone. I'm hoping someone can help with an issue I've been having with iTunes.

I'm using a PC (dell laptop) with Windows 10. Because my music library (131 GB) would eat up most of the remaining space on my PC (139 GB free of 224 GB), I keep iTunes on an external drive (this also makes it easier when I get a new PC). The library is a mix of iTunes purchases and items ripped from CDs. This was the set up recommended to me several years ago by an apple support tech; prior to that, I had iTunes on the PC and the library on the external.

Here is the issue: When using the iTunes store, iTunes freezes up my computer. Not just iTunes, but the whole computer freezes and I have to hold down the power button to turn it off and back on. For example, today I went to make some purchases. It took several tries to get the first item to download -- the store froze when asking me to confirm the download, when asking for my password, when asking me to verify my credit card, etc. On the second item, the store froze when downloading the actual song.

Some other items of note (not sure if they are relevant but thought I'd share):

--With the COVID-19 crisis, I have been working exclusively from home since mid-March, and as such using the laptop and listening to my iTunes library (as opposed to my iPod touch) much more than before.

--Despite having had a laptop for a number of years, I've only recently had to unplug the external drive in order to move the laptop.

--I first noticed the freezing problem a couple of weeks ago when I went to make some purchases. I did some investigating and thought that the issue was that media folder location (in Edit>Preferences>Advanced Preferences) had defaulted to the laptop after I unplugged the external. I reset it to the external. I've since unplugged and replugged the external in and this problem seems to have resolved itself.

--I tried starting iTunes in safe mode and running it as an administrator. That only opened up the Restrictions tab (from Edit>Preferences>Restrictions). That also reads to a location on the laptop (albeit not the same location as the empty iTunes folder that is on the laptop).

Anyone else having this problem? Any help would be appreciated.

(This setup I have also means that my music library isn't backed up anywhere -- it only exists on the external. If anyone has any thoughts on how to address that I'm all ears).

Thanks!

Posted on Jun 6, 2020 1:46 PM

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Answer 1

turingtest2

Level 10

278,319 points

Jun 7, 2020 10:03 AM in response to floydbono

Try Edit > Preferences > Advanced > Reset Cache.

See Backup your iTunes for Windows library with SyncToy - Apple Community.

tt2

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Answer 2

floydbono Author

Level 1

8 points

Jun 8, 2020 8:48 AM in response to turingtest2

Thanks. I clicked on Resest Cache, but I can't tell if anything happened or not. I didn't get a dialogue box or a confirmation or anything like that. The same is true of the two items next to it (Reset Warning and Reset Identifier).

I'll look into the SyncToy.

Thanks again.

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Answer 3

floydbono Author

Level 1

8 points

Jun 10, 2020 7:44 AM in response to turingtest2

Thanks for the reply. I do have a VPN that I use to access my work's internal network. It's been on the computer and I've been using it for 4 or 5 years. With COVID-19 I've been using it almost every single weekday for multiple hours at a time; prior to that it was very sporadic and on an as-needed basis.

I do not have any third party security software that I am aware of.

Some other notes:

I checked my purchase history. I made a purchase from the iTunes store on May 9, and had no problems. I made another purchase on May 22, and that is when I first noted the problems.
On May 22, I was logged into the VPN when I made the purchase. However, on June 6 I made two purchases and had the same problems, but I was not logged into the VPN.
I ripped a CD yesterday and had no problems.

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Answer 4

floydbono Author

Level 1

8 points

Jun 8, 2020 1:29 PM in response to turingtest2

I purchased a song from the iTunes store. I was able to purchase it, download it, and click play to make sure it worked. A few seconds later, everything froze up and I had to restart the computer.

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Answer 5

turingtest2

Level 10

278,319 points

Jun 9, 2020 11:50 AM in response to floydbono

Nothing obvious comes to mind, but do you have any VPN or third party security software?

tt2

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Answer 6

s_wally

Level 1

4 points

Jul 14, 2020 10:42 AM in response to floydbono

I've had this exact same problem for several weeks now and I can't figure out how to fix it. It's extremely frustrating!

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Answer 7

floydbono Author

Level 1

8 points

Jul 15, 2020 5:31 AM in response to s_wally

Honestly, mine fixed itself. No idea how or what I did/didn't do. It just started working again.

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Answer 8

floydbono Author

Level 1

8 points

Jul 15, 2020 5:32 AM in response to s_wally

I've had that problem with the artwork in the iTunes store for several years. Sometimes it loads and sometimes it doesn't. No idea on that one.

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Answer 9

s_wally

Level 1

4 points

Jul 14, 2020 10:58 AM in response to turingtest2

I tried resetting the Cache as well, but it didn't work. Also, I notice now that when I open up the store, on the main page, almost none of the artwork shows up, just a bunch of gray squares with the album name and artist name and the price.

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iTunes store freezes whole computer

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