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iTunes and Windows 7 64 bit

I have deted and reinstalled several times, but I cannot get past this msg when I open iTunes:

"The iTunes application could not be opened. An unknown error occurred (-50)."

I have seen reference to this problem with 32 bit versions, and have attempted many of the suggestions - sfc /scannow, chkdsk /r, deleting and reinstalling iTunes. Nothing has worked.

Do I have to reinstall the operating system to get past this problem? Seems a bit drastic.

Windows 7

Posted on Nov 17, 2010 6:27 PM

28 replies

boweasel Author

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Nov 18, 2010 10:12 AM in response to b noir

When you say
*"Turn iTunes on or off" screen, does the link up the top about "Allow a program or feature through Windows Firewall" get you through to the next screen?*
I assume you mean "turn Windows Firewall on or off.

If so, then the feature that reads "Allow a program pr feature through Windows Firewall" does nothing other than turn blue and become underlined.

Actually on that left pane the only option that takes me anywhere is Advanced Settings which takes me to a screen that shows Domain Profile, Private Profile, etc.

b noir

Level 9

72,324 points

Nov 18, 2010 12:38 PM in response to boweasel

I assume you mean "turn Windows Firewall on or off.

Yes, sorry about that, that's right.

So effectively no changes can be made to the firewall by you ... so plausibly the iTunes installer isn't adding iTunes and BonJour exceptions either.

Just doublechecking ... is the PC on a corporate network where a top-down security policy might be locking down your ability to make changes to the firewall?

boweasel Author

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Nov 18, 2010 3:46 PM in response to b noir

"So effectively no changes can be made to the firewall by you ... so plausibly the iTunes installer isn't adding iTunes and BonJour exceptions either.

Yes, the only changes that can be made to the firewall are on/off/enable/disable and that is only through Services.msc.

"Just doublechecking ... is the PC on a corporate network where a top-down security policy might be locking down your ability to make changes to the firewall?"

Just a private PC at a home. I'm not even connected to a wireless network.

BTW, what is it that enables quoting? I see no option for it.

b noir

Level 9

72,324 points

Nov 18, 2010 4:11 PM in response to boweasel

Stashing a "greater than" symbol (Shift-period) in front of the paragraph to be quoted does the trick for quoting chunks of text.

I'm wondering if we've got a UAC problem going on here. (Some glitch or something making UAC lock the links down hard, even though you're an administrator.)

If you switch to "Never notify" (by way of experiment) as per the following document, do the links in the screen start working properly again?

[Turn User Account Control on or off|http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/Windows7/Turn-User-Account-Control-on-or -off]

boweasel Author

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Nov 18, 2010 4:42 PM in response to b noir

I'm wondering if we've got a UAC problem going on here. (Some glitch or something making UAC lock the links down hard, even though you're an administrator.)

Hmmmm..., strangely enough, UAC does not seemed to be turned on on this PC, and I see no way to turn it on. Under user accounts, there is an option to *Change User Account Settings* but I never see the option to turn it off (or on)

If you switch to "Never notify" (by way of experiment) as per the following document, do the links in the screen start working properly again?

So far no, but perhaps I have to reboot?....

No... no difference on the links for Firewall

boweasel Author

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Nov 18, 2010 6:05 PM in response to b noir

I have turned UAC off and on, and it has made not a whit of difference in anything - the firewall links, or the iTunes error.

boweasel Author

Level 1

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Nov 19, 2010 5:51 PM in response to b noir

Have we run into a brick wall with this question? Do I have to reinstall Windows 7 64 bit to get it to work?

Any more ideas?

Anyone?

b noir

Level 9

72,324 points

Nov 19, 2010 6:01 PM in response to boweasel

Apologies for the delay. I've been brooding.

Can you check something further for me, please?

(1) Head down into C:\Program Files (x86)\iTunes\, right-click on your iTunes.exe and select "Run as administrator". Do you still get the -50 when doing that?

(2) Create a new user account on the PC with full administrative rights. Log out of your usual account and log into the new account. (Don't use fast user switching to move between accounts.) Try launching iTunes in there (in a normal sort of fashion). Does it open without the (-50)?

(3) While you're in the new user account, check your Firewall controls again. Do the non-responsive blue links work in the new account?

(Wondering here if we're looking at a problem with the ntuser.dat (HKEY CURRENTUSER keys location) for your normal user account, which is taking out both iTunes and the Windows Firewall controls.)

boweasel Author

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Nov 19, 2010 9:35 PM in response to b noir

When I went a long time without suggestions, I decided to set a restore point and perform a repair install of Windows 7. It is still progressing, and I shall report back when it completes.

boweasel Author

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Nov 20, 2010 1:25 AM in response to b noir

The repair install worked. Thanks for all your help

b noir

Level 9

72,324 points

Nov 20, 2010 1:34 AM in response to boweasel

🙂 Excellent news!

Sorry the treatment was so extreme, though ... at least one relief with a repair install of 7 rather than vista or XP is that you don't have any service packs to uninstall prior to the repair. But it's still a pain to get everything back up to date again

boweasel Author

Level 1

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Nov 20, 2010 1:39 AM in response to b noir

(1) Head down into C:\Program Files (x86)\iTunes\, right-click on your iTunes.exe and select "Run as administrator". Do you still get the -50 when doing that?

Had checked that, and yes I still got the -50

(2) Create a new user account on the PC with full administrative rights. Log out of your usual account and log into the new account. (Don't use fast user switching to move between accounts.) Try launching iTunes in there (in a normal sort of fashion). Does it open without the (-50)?

Yeah, I'd tried that as well, and it was still no go...

(3) While you're in the new user account, check your Firewall controls again. Do the non-responsive blue links work in the new account?

Nope. Are minds were thinking quite a bit alike, 'cause I'd tried that,too

(Wondering here if we're looking at a problem with the ntuser.dat (HKEY CURRENTUSER keys location) for your normal user account, which is taking out both iTunes and the Windows Firewall controls.)

I really don't know, and although the repair install worked wonderfully (Firewall links work, I can turn it on and off, iTunes works, a Sims game CDROM that refused to do anything now works), I really would love to know what caused the problem.

b noir

Level 9

72,324 points

Nov 20, 2010 2:10 PM in response to boweasel

Nope. Are minds were thinking quite a bit alike, 'cause I'd tried that,too

🙂 I think we might both have been thinking: "is there anything plausible we should be checking on which will allow us to get out of this without having to do a repair install of Windows 7?"

iTunes and Windows 7 64 bit