iTunes Store Won't Load, Won't Show Error Message

Alright--I've worked my way out of messy computer problems before, but this one's got me pretty well stumped. I mean, even for a PC using Apple products this is a bit ridiculous.

When I open up iTunes, all of the media works just fine, but when I try to navigate to the Store, the white "iTunes Store" page comes up (which I know it does while loading), and the loading bar locks up about halfway through "Accessing iTunes Store" without showing any error messages of any kind. Obviously, refreshing the page does nothing, and neither does opening it up in a separate window. iTunes allows me to sign in, and to view and edit my account/billing information, but even from there I can't worm my way into the Store (via the black menu bar atop the page). Before you say anything, YES my internet is working--hence the online discussion post, so I don't even want to hear it. And I know it isn't the actual store because I can access it on another computer.

I've had this problem for at least a week...possibly since I updated iTunes, but I can't say for sure, so I'm not about to assume there was something faulty in the update.

I found out that the Apple Mobile Device essentially murders my processor (the CPU was maxing out at 100% whenever the program ran, and it was slowing the entire computer down significantly), so I shut that down to see if iTunes was just freezing up under CPU stress like the rest of my computer. While other programs went back to functioning at normal speed, the Store still wouldn't load.

My OS is Windows 7 64-bit.

I have the latest version of iTunes 64-bit.

As far as I can tell I don't have any firewalls or bizarre security problems that are blocking access to the site.

I've tried removing iTunes from my computer and downloading the most recent--and supposedly the most compatible--version.

Admittedly, iTunes never really worked properly on my laptop--syncing, for instance, will take an ungodly amount of time and then crash, resulting in a wiped iPod that needs to take an hour to reload everything--but this is new.

I don't suppose there could be any consistent compatibility problems with running iTunes in a 64-bit OS?

I've read on some of these discussion threads that even in iTunes 64-bit a goodly amount of the programs are still 32-bit, including iTunes itself, and when I run the 64-bit version of iTunes, TM shows itunes.exe 32 gearing the program.

Sometimes problems that are this particular can result from removing important files or programs from the computer, not realizing what part they had in other programs. The only iTunes-related program I've ever deleted was Bonjour, and from the sounds of it, Bonjour doesn't (or at least shouldn't) affect the funcionality of iTunes at all, so I've ruled that out, too.

So I've exhausted my personal knowledge of what could possibly be the problem.

Either it's something simple and I'm just overcomplicating it (which happens a lot to me, actually), or it's one of those quirky, untraceable issues that exist for the sole purpose of inconveniencing people, in which case, C'est la Vie.

I'm not so much concerned with the fact that I can't access the Store as I am with the fact that I simply cannot figure this one out.

It vexes me.

Any input is welcome--I'm way open to suggestions. I figured I'd try discussions before calling Support, just in case it is something trivial.

I wanted to tag this discussion, but the Powers That Be wouldn't have it. 😐

~D.