itunes is using 100 % CPU

Big brother society maybe has something to do with this.

Yesterday itunes took 70% just by plugging in my phone.

So I just spent hours destroying my vmware install resetting winsock and every other suggestion so I created an Apple Community ID just to post this answer to help. I am running WIN7x64 iTunes64 v11.4.

Symptoms:

1. Start task manager and sort by CPU

2. Launch iTunes (you will see normal spike then CPU drop to nominal)

2. Plug ANY iDevice in to iTunes 10+ (I'm running 11.4 intentionally) but confirmed all v10 and v11 exhibit this bug - same as above CPU drops to nominal after a few seconds (all still normal)

3. TO EXHIBIT BUG: Click on the newly inserted iDevice in iTunes list - expanded or not, CPU rises a single core to 100% and remains (in my case) for literally over an hour at 100%.

After many hours finally getting out debugview and procmon, one can clearly see that once user clicks on inserted idevice (in my case) the DEVICE plugged in is irrelevant and CPU behavior is static across all inserted devices because debugging proved that iTunes actually BEGINS SCANNING EVERY SINGLE PHOTO under predefined "My Pictures" on this PC undoubtedly IN CASE you were going to sync to your iDevice (in my case - I do not even do so). In my case I have over 50gig of decaded of family photos and videos, all of which iTunes scans for information which takes CPU to 100% for over an hour. This is without the device in question having any PHOTO checkboxes selected to sync. In fact, it occurs when not even syncing.

So, for those who's winsock reset does not work scrathing your heads I'd love a simple thank you I know this drove me nuts for a long time. If you want to prove it, close iTunes and if all you do is MOVE everything from your designated "My Pictures" special system folder out and into a secondary location, launch iTunes and re-insert your iDevice, click it, sync it, do whatever you want - you will see that iTunes now behaves properly.

Hope this helps someone out there.

-Collin

So I just spent hours destroying my vmware install resetting winsock and every other suggestion so I created an Apple Community ID just to post this answer to help. I am running WIN7x64 iTunes64 v11.4.

Symptoms:

1. Start task manager and sort by CPU

2. Launch iTunes (you will see normal spike then CPU drop to nominal)

2. Plug ANY iDevice in to iTunes 10+ (I'm running 11.4 intentionally) but confirmed all v10 and v11 exhibit this bug - same as above CPU drops to nominal after a few seconds (all still normal)

3. TO EXHIBIT BUG: Click on the newly inserted iDevice in iTunes list - expanded or not, CPU rises a single core to 100% and remains (in my case) for literally over an hour at 100%.

After many hours finally getting out debugview and procmon, one can clearly see that once user clicks on inserted idevice (in my case) the DEVICE plugged in is irrelevant and CPU behavior is static across all inserted devices because debugging proved that iTunes actually BEGINS SCANNING EVERY SINGLE PHOTO under predefined "My Pictures" on this PC undoubtedly IN CASE you were going to sync to your iDevice (in my case - I do not even do so). In my case I have over 50gig of decaded of family photos and videos, all of which iTunes scans for information which takes CPU to 100% for over an hour. This is without the device in question having any PHOTO checkboxes selected to sync. In fact, it occurs when not even syncing.

So, for those who's winsock reset does not work scrathing your heads I'd love a simple thank you I know this drove me nuts for a long time. If you want to prove it, close iTunes and if all you do is MOVE everything from your designated "My Pictures" special system folder out and into a secondary location, launch iTunes and re-insert your iDevice, click it, sync it, do whatever you want - you will see that iTunes now behaves properly.

Hope this helps someone out there.

-Collin

I can also confirm I have come up wtih a tested workaround (at least v11.4):

Since iTunes really has zero photo cataloging/manipulating code/functionality OTHER than idevices.....it makes sense why their photo "cataloging" code only fires when an iDevice is plugged in but the clicking it to bring up the tabs is why the code fires.

The last tab (Photos) on your plugged in iDevices (all of them) DEFAULTS to detecting the users' system-defined "My Pictures".

If, However, (the working workaround) the user activates last tab checkbox for photos (even without any intent to sync photos), create an EMPTY sub-folder under "My Pictures" called "iDevices" (that could later be used for iDevice-only photo syncing and select it, then click APPLY and SYNC one time to ANY iDevice. Then, simply uncheck the checkbox on the Photos tab to "Sync Photo from...". Leaving the "iDevices" empty location greyed out.

Problem solved. Now any iDevice plugged in without photo syncing instantly returns CPU to normal working order even once iDevice is clicked/manipulated within iTunes.

Hope this helps!

-Collin