Q: I am trying to update to iTunes 10 to us my new iPad, but I can not remove a corrupted "apple software update" program... I can get everything else off, but due to "previous version" of software update it will not continue.

Unfortunately, this sort of trouble has gotten more complicated to deal with ever since Microsoft pulled the Windows Installer CleanUp utility from their Download Center on June 25. First we have to find a copy of the utility.

Let's try Googling. (Best not to use Bing, I think.) Look for a working download site for at least version 3.0 of the Windows Installer CleanUp utility. After downloading the utility installer file (msicuu2.exe), scan the file for malware, just in case. (I use the free version of Malwarebytes AntiMalware to do single-file scans for that.)

If the file is clean, to install the utility, doubleclick the msicuu2.exe file you've downloaded.

Now run the utility ("Start > All Programs > Windows Install Clean Up"). In the list of programs that appears in CleanUp, select any Apple Software Update entries and click "Remove".

Quit out of CleanUp, restart the PC and try installing iTunes again. Does the install go through properly now?

(If you do find a clean download site for the correct version of CleanUp, please don't tell me where it is. Without wishing to sound paranoid (although I grant it does sound paranoid), there is a non-zero chance that posting links to download locations for the utility here at Discussions leads to that download location being shut down.)

I have the same problem with apple software update program, it won't disappear, it keeps saying I have an older version and can't remove it.

I've done the uninstall manually, because it would remove automatically thru the control panel.  I've gone thru the registry with programs and manually to remove all the "apple" items.  I've searched and removed all "apple" file content on my system, but all with no prevail.  Something in the registry still is telling the itunes install that I have an older version of apple software update and it can't remove it, so it won't install the updater.  I'm definitely at a loss here, so if someone knows what file or registry setting tells itunes that it still is present I'd appreciate it very much.

I'm so close to reinstalling windows 7.

Did you not try my instructions, jd?

By the way if you've already cleaned your drive of "apple software update", and the registry still seems to think it is present.  You can't run Windows Installer Cleanup utility, since it won't be on the list, so this program is useless for my case.

You can't run Windows Installer Cleanup utility, since it won't be on the list, so this program is useless for my case.

It would have been helpful if you'd said that there was no entry in CleanUp to begin with. Or even mentioned that you'd tried using CleanUp. Then we could have started checking through the known possible causes of that issue right from the start.

Launch CleanUp again. Have a look at the top of the list of programs.

Do you see any entries in there that:

(a) Lack a program name but have an (All Users) followed by a version number in square brackets? If so, what is the version number?

(b) Lack a program number and a version number, and just have (All Users)?

(c) Lack everything ... it's just a blank line?