Q: apsdaemon.exe

After the latest update failed to fix this issue, I decided to take more drastic action.  Since I don't use the wifi sync option, I decided to prevent the process from running.  Rather than delete the file, I tried something easily reversible by changing the name.  I went to "C:\Program Files\Common Files\Apple\Apple Application Support", found APSDaemon.exe, and changed the filename to APSDaemonX.exe. 

Now APSDaemon never runs, and there have been no errors or other ill effects from iTunes so far.  I expect I'll have to repeat this procedure every time I install an iTunes update if the problem hasn't been fixed.

I've also been struck down with this problem and renaming APSDaemon.exe is the only way I can get iTunes to run. Fortunately I don't wifi sync so no real loss.

Just for future reference:  people running Windows having problems with startup programs - there is a great free program called Autoruns (you can download from filehippo) that allows you to adjust which programs start at boot time, and is much easier to use than msconfig.

I changed it to "StupidAPSDaemon" . I tunes works like new, and i can still use other programs without loosing my cpu! Yippie!

Just a quick tip if making changes to the HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Window\CurrentVersion\Run section of the registry... those entries are paths to a file eg:

APS Daemon

C:\Program Files\Common Files\Apple\Apple Application Support\APSDaemon.exe

Instead of deleting the registry entry - and possibly stuffing up... all you need to do is place a character at the start of the path value... the OS will not be able to find the file if the path doesn't exist - windows then ignores the entry and moves onto the next one.

When making changes to the registry I enter the text - not used - at the start of the path.. so it looks like this:

not used C:\Program Files\Common Files\Apple\Apple Application Support\APSDaemon.exe

If you find you need to reestablish the line in the registry, it's much easier to remove the "not used" than it is to recreate the entry all together, and get it correct...  also "not used" stands out in RegEdit quite clearly - so you can quickly tell the entry has been disabled intentionally.

Enzuigiri wrote:

 

If you dont have the msconfig entry you can always delete it from the registry

 

Type 'regedit' to go to the registry editor.

 

I believe the key you would need to delete is

 

Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run\APSDae mon

 

obviously the usual disclaimer about being careful when deleting from registry, irreversable etc applies and you should back up the key first in case you need to put it back.

I continue to have persistent problems with APSDaemon.exe. I'm on an older (relatively) Windows system, a Dell Inspiron E1505 running Windows XP SP3. It just barely has the memory resources to do what I need to do. And now, with the latest version of iTunes, APSDaemon.exe comes along and hogs them. It constantly and consistently takes up 50% of my CPU. Usually, when I'm not doing anything CPU-intensive, I don't notice a huge problem with this. But sometimes it really gets burdened.

I have read this thread, and tried a number of things. APSDaemon.exe is not on any of my startup queues, in the registry or anywhere -- I've run the "Autoruns" utility and checked. In fact, in poking at things with that I completely crippled my system, killing something I should not have killed, and was fortunate that Windows could revert to my last successful configuration.

APSDaemon.exe seems to be part of iTunes that starts whenever iTunes starts. I tried removing or renaming the executable, as others have suggested here, and my iTunes complained that it was missing something and couldn't run. I use iTunes, so I had to restore it.

I don't have any interest in wireless sync, and wish I could completely disable this. I do, however, access my iTunes through the Remote application on my iPad -- does this also utilize the Push service? In any case, I wish Apple would notice this problem we're having and do something about this CPU hog -- make it optional to disable it or make it more respectful of older systems.

After verifying that I can kill APSDaemon every time it starts without it affecting iTunes, I just overwrote the .exe file with something harmless. You can use, for example, C:\WINDOWS\system32\notepad.exe and then every time iTunes tries to start APSDaemon, you get an empty notepad window that you just close. It's a bit annoying but it works. Or you can find other executables that are even less visible.

I have a toolkit called MKS wich simulates unix commands. I overwrote APSDaemon with a program from that toolkit called touch.exe which simulates the Unix "touch" command. It pops up a DOS window for a few seconds, then it goes away and iTunes keeps working.

-Aram

Thanks! This worked beautifully. I compiled a program called nothing.exe that literally does nothing -- it's basically just an empty program. I substituted that for APSDaemon.exe. iTunes opened immediately, and seemed a little disappointed at first that APSDaemon.exe wasn't doing what it was supposed to do (i.e. take over my CPU), but then gave up. iTunes plays as normal, and my iPad remote works fine, too.

Thanks to DocDocUK  I wishshould have thought of changing the program name. 

Personally I think any company that uses a stealth process to start another process (thus preventing you from taking it off the startup list) which then eats my processors (I have 4 and it eats 75%) in order to shove advertising material up my screen ought to get something clipped.

"When making changes to the registry I enter the text - not used - at the start of the path.. so it looks like this:

not used C:\Program Files\Common Files\Apple\Apple Application Support\APSDaemon.exe"

This does work, however you lose the ability to preview songs in the iTunes store.

So, I returned the registry entry back like it was and on the next start of iTunes I got the accept policies notice and all my custom EQ settings were gone. Was that punishment?

Hey,

I had the problem on Win7-x64 with apsdaemon too: once i started itunes, closed it and wanted to start it again, i had to kill the process apsdaemon.exe before i could restart itunes again. Even after the latest itunes update, still no luck.

Today, i tried to review the problem and found that during the first startup of apsdaemon it tries to connect to nwk-unbrick2.apple.com:443. apsdaemon was blocked in my firewall. After I allowed apsdaemon to talk to the internet, i can close and reopen itunes normally.

Greetings, TalkingHead