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sodaboy581 Author

Level 1

15 points

Solution: iTunes 10.5 using 100% CPU / Not backing up your iPhone.

This solution has been documented on this forum by several people, but the solution is usually deep in multiple threads. I really don't know who came up with it first, but it does indeed work.

I had an issue with iTunes.exe, APSDaemon, and AppleMobileDeviceHelper.exe using 100% CPU per core. (Showed as 25% in Task Manager.)

I could not backup my iPhone and the CPU spike happened as soon as iTunes 10.5 was started on Windows 7 Home Premium x64.

This solved it.

Sounds stupid but works:

1. Quit iTunes.

2. Start an elevated command prompt (Start Menu -> All Programs -> Accessories -> Right Click "Command Prompt" -> "Run as Administrator")

3. Once in the command prompt, type "netsh winsock reset" and hit ENTER.

4. Reboot your machine.

5. Restart iTunes.

6. ???

7. Profit!

Posted on Oct 13, 2011 9:12 PM

56 replies

Nov 3, 2011 4:52 AM in response to sodaboy581

A word of caution. This worked for me too (Win7Pro x64), but I had to reinstall some other software that the reset impacted. See info here for more details on the netsh winsock reset command:

http://windowsxp.mvps.org/winsock.htm

nav2004

Level 1

0 points

Nov 3, 2011 5:28 AM in response to vikentios

I can confirm that uninstalling AVG Family Safety removed the 100% CPU usage problem for me on Windows Vista. Given that I did not have this problem with iTunes version 9 and same version of AVG Family safety and also of other users reporting this problem going away when removing any type of internet traffic monitoring/blocking software, this sounds like an Apple problem.

http://forums.avg.com/ca-en/avg-forums?sec=thread&act=show&id=179545#post_179545

But given that Apple has become the new Microsoft...too big and arrogant to listen to their customers, this problem will continue until people stop buying every new Product that Apple puts out.

They do not monitor these forums and that alone tells how much they care about what their Customers are thinking or facing when using their products and services.

sodaboy581 Author

Level 1

15 points

Nov 4, 2011 10:41 AM in response to brianfromwilliamsville

So, thanks to the posts in this thread, I can confirm what the issue is. Whenever you have ANY software on your machine that integrates itself with winsock and adds its own LSP, iTunes 10.5 will break.

When I reset my winsock, it removed my Killer NIC custom LSP it added to winsock. iTunes has been working fine since then, but I noticed when I went to my Killer NIC control panel yesterday, it informed me the custom LSP was missing and prompted to add it back. I answered yes and, lo and behold, iTunes is broken once again. Resetting winsock fixed it once again as well.

This is also the reason people with Antivirus/Antispyware programs who use this command also get iTunes working again with the reset command. The Antivirus/Antispyware programs add their own LSP to winsock to monitor incoming and outgoing traffic.

iTunes 10.5 simply HATES any winsock configuration that is not the default... And it is DEFINITELY an iTunes 10.5 bug that needs to be addressed in the next release.

Nov 6, 2011 7:28 AM in response to sodaboy581

I have tried pretty much all of the things people have suggested, but to no avail. iTunes continues to crash my computer after a couple of minutes of running my CPU at or near 100% (and I think overheating it). I cannot fully sync my iPhone and I am incredibly frustrated! I do not have any problems with any other programs that I run.

Any further help would be GREATLY appreciated!!!

pkimbrel

Level 1

0 points

Nov 6, 2011 9:45 PM in response to sodaboy581

While this did not completely fix my problem, I did this and I also went to "Task Manager" and found and killed "AppleMobileBackup.exe". I had my iPhone 3GS upgrade running the background - stuck in the stupid back-up cycle. The SECOND I killed AppleMobileBackup.exe, the backup shot off and the upgrade completed in minutes.

So - ANYONE - who did the "netsh winsock reset" and did not get resolution... try killing AppleMobileBackup.exe

I also killed "AppleMobileDeviceHelper.exe" - it came back, so I'm not sure if it helped or not.

Nov 15, 2011 6:53 PM in response to sodaboy581

Thank you so much, this put everything back to normal with my speed issues and even fixed my problems with backing up and syncing. Big relief!

Nov 16, 2011 1:42 PM in response to sodaboy581

Awesome! This worked on my laptop with XP Pro v2002 SP3!!

Nov 18, 2011 2:30 PM in response to sodaboy581

OH MY GOODNESS, it worked on my accer windows 7. I THOUGHT I WAS GOING TO HAVE TO THROW MY IPOD AWAY OR BUY A MAC COMPUTER TO USE ITUNES...THANKS SO MUCH FOR THE TIP.

DodgeAn

Level 1

0 points

Nov 19, 2011 10:56 AM in response to sodaboy581

This is not a fix, but a bad work around. Apple did not follow guidelines on working with Microsoft Winsock, and caused problems for legitimate programs. I develop this kind of software and Apple has put me in a position of trying to fix something they broke. This is completely Apple's fault. We need Apple to fix their bug and not push other developers to shut down their software by reseting the Winsock Chain so someone can run a badly written ITunes.

Nov 20, 2011 11:56 AM in response to DodgeAn

I agree. It's a hack. It works. But Apple is notorious for breaking stuff.

For example, Applets no longer work under their Safari browser.

This is another example of a poor programming from Apple.

Nov 20, 2011 2:40 PM in response to sodaboy581

thank you! i have no idea why this works but it does, problem solved!

Dec 4, 2011 6:30 PM in response to sodaboy581

Worked for me, thanks.

M'Lu

Level 1

0 points

Dec 20, 2011 11:08 AM in response to sodaboy581

I agree with TrevTron3000, I have no clue why this worked, but it certainly did! Thankyou sooooooooo much, I have spent hours trying everything I could find........you rock!!!!!

Dec 29, 2011 12:16 PM in response to sodaboy581

thank you so much. i was panicing so much there 🙂

Jan 2, 2012 4:08 PM in response to sodaboy581

Thank you so much! I even had my PC and I-Pad at the Apple store and they didn't know what to do. This command prompt thing fixed my Windows XP machine. As other people have said, everything runs faster, and now my I-Pad will back up to my PC. It wouldn't for the past two months!

Thanks Again!

Solution: iTunes 10.5 using 100% CPU / Not backing up your iPhone.