iTunes won't start up

Whenever I want to start up iTunes, i'll get this message:

"iTunes cannot run because some of it's required files are missing. Please reinstall iTunes."

When I do this, I'm getting the same message. This problem began when I uninstalled QuickTime for Windows, because there was no sound anymore. When I install QTfW I'll get the -3 error.

Windows XP

Posted on Feb 28, 2006 9:49 AM

Reply
10 replies

Feb 28, 2006 6:04 PM in response to me_mrtn

hiya!

When I install QTfW I'll get the -3 error.

hmmmmm. that's actually an itunes installation error message (saying that there's an underlying problem with the QT component of the install). have you been downloading from the "QuickTime 7 with iTunes 6" link up in the top left of the QT player download page? that actually links through to an itunes/QT installer bundle.

let's try a true standalone QT 7.0.4 install again, taking a few additional precautions.

download and save the standalone installer to your hard drive. (we'll run the install from there rather than online.) switch off antivirus and antispyware applications prior to the install.

Quicktime 7.0.4 Standalone Installer

if you get an error message on that install, let us know what it says. include error message numbers. (that will point us towards the specific underlying problem with the QT installs.)

if the install goes through okay, does your itunes launch properly again?

love, b

Mar 1, 2006 7:18 AM in response to b noir

Hi,

Well, I tried to install it with the iTunes installer (where QT is packed with). That didn't work. But! I found a QT 7.02 standalone version.When I installed that one, no problem. My sound is back again, weird, but okay. And I tried to rename the iTunes folder in C:\Program Files. iTunes then start up and says that my QT version was too old, I needed 7.03 or higher. But, when I download a new standalone installer, I'm getting a message that the installer wants to delete the QuickTime folder! Should I do that? With the newest iTunes + QT installer I get the message if I want to repair things or to delete them.

Btw, I forgot my specs, it's a stock Compaq Presario SR1649nl (Dutch version).

OS: WXP Home SP2
Proc: P4 D 830 3.0 Ghz
RAM: 2x 512Mb DDR2-SDRAM Samsung 266Mhz
HDD: Maxtor 6L200M0 200Gb
Mobo: unknown, not visible with a program like SiSoft Sandra or something else. It's based on a i945P chipset.

Windows XP

Mar 1, 2006 8:18 AM in response to me_mrtn

Well, I just tried to uninstall with the latest QuickTime standalone installer. Then I get the error -1610, see screen:
http://img318.imageshack.us/img318/4387/qterror2tq.png

Translation:
Error: -1610. The configurationdata of this product is damaged. Please contact supporting personal.

With the iTunes+QuickTime installer, with the option Repair I get the -3 error!

Windows XP

Mar 1, 2006 5:01 PM in response to me_mrtn

hiya!

good translation there of the 1610 text. that's pretty much the standard English text for the message:

Error codes returned by MsiExec.exe and InstMsi.exe

... okay, we'll need at least a 7.0.3 in there to run itunes 6.0.x. (i prefer 7.0.4, it seems to be a bit more stable on the install for people.)

wanting to remove the previous version of QT is fine and normal. multiple versions of QT on a PC tends to produce stability problems.

the 1610 is the underlying problem causing the -3. so we'd better try to fix that.

the 1610 is pretty exotic. can't remember the last time i saw one on an iTfW/QTfW install/uninstall. so we'll start conservatively.

let's see if your Add/Remove control panel lets you uninstall your existing QT. if we can clean that out of the way first, we might be able to get the standalone QT 7.0.4 in there without further problems.

use the QT component of the complete uninstall instructions given in the following document to try to cleanly remove your existing QT:

Troubleshooting iTunes, iPod Software, and QuickTime installation on Windows

if it gives you another error on the uninstall, post back to let us know what that one says.

if the uninstall goes through fine, try the careful standalone QT 7.0.4 reinstall again.

if you get an error message on the reinstall, let us know what it says.

if the reinstall goes through fine, does itunes launch properly again?

love, b

Mar 2, 2006 7:08 AM in response to b noir

Thanks for the fast respond,

Silly me for not thinking 'bout the Add/Edit Panel. So, when I looked in there, I found TWO! QuickTime programs. When I looked for more info, the QuickTime on top was versionnumber 7.04, and the one below that was versionnumber 7.02! I uninstalled the 7.02 version, but the 7.04 version can't be deleted. Also, when I looked in the Program Files folder, there's a single QuickTime folder, namely the 7.02 version.

So I deleted the 7.02 version, and I wanted to install the QuickTime-standalone version 7.04. But no luck again, the error 1610 was back again. Then I tried the iTunes/QuickTime installer and again, no luck. This time the -3 error!

edit

When I want to delete iTunes with the use of the Add/Edit Panel (don't know how to call that in English), it pop ups for a short while the installer, with a short loading bar. Then it disappears and nothing is seen in the (what's that name in English?) Ctrl AltDel menu, under Processes. After a while, the normal Installer of iTunes/QuickTime pops-up. So, I deleted iTunes & QuickTime this time. When I restarted the installer (yes, i have booted my PC again) it says error -3!

Mar 2, 2006 10:53 AM in response to me_mrtn

Okay, can't edit the message above me <_<

But to the point. In the QuickTime topics I found the following 'possible' solution.

1. Do a Start,Run, and type in regedit then OK.
(This opens the registry file.)
2. Navigate to HKeyClassesRoot\Installer\Products
3. Right click on Products and use the "find" command in regedit and search for QuickTime.
4. Delete the part of the Products Tree Key that you find.
Mine was located here:
HKEYCLASSESROOT\Installer\Products\6E804929562D471408F5181D9D412E4A
5. You will now be able to install QuickTime and Itunes without getting the -3 error.


But, he says also that you must be careful. My question is the following. In the above method, he says that the Quicktime was positioned in \Products\6E804929562D471408F5181D9D412E4A and some stuff in front. But, do I have to delete the \6E804929562D471408F5181D9D412E4A folder?


Windows XP

Windows XP

Mar 2, 2006 4:50 PM in response to me_mrtn

hiya!

hmmm. was that treatment for the -3 in the context of a 1610 if the person tried to do a standalone QT install?

... i'm thinking that we might try something different first to try to get rid of that stuck QT 7.0.4.

Download and install the Windows Installer CleanUp utility:

Description of the Windows Installer CleanUp Utility

... and use it to remove the installation configuration information for that stuck QT 7.0.4.

once that's cleaned up, use the QT part of the complete uninstall instructions given here as a guide to manually removing leftover QT 7.0.4 program files and folders:

Troubleshooting iTunes, iPod Software, and QuickTime installation on Windows

then let's try the careful standalone QT 7.0.4 install again.

does that get us past the 1610?

love, b

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iTunes won't start up

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