Q: iTunes song preview time is cutting off.

I'm having the same issues for several weeks now on my Windows 7 x64 PC.  So frustrated.

I have ...

1. uninstalled all windows updates back to March

2. uninstalled .NET framework

3. uninstalled all Apple software (iTunes, Bonjour, Moble Device, Updater, etc.

4. shut off all Norton software.

5. flushed DNS cache.

6. Installed a completely clean iTunes 10.5.3 with no libraries.  So it is not specific to running iTunes 10.6.x.

Previews still only play for 5 to 10 seconds.

Previews on my iPad play fine.

I've been running 64bit itunes since it was available and this is the first time I have had issue with the network.

I am also now having issues with iTunes constantly rebuffering, and recently incomplete song purchases.  That is a first for me since I started using iTunes several years ago.  This is a total mess for the people who are being affected.   To be fair to Apple, I do not beleive this is going to be an easy problem for them to track down or recreate.  But pretending like the problem doesn't exist and that all of the users are complete idiots is not a good first step.  I have been trouble shooting computers and networks for over 20 years and I have tried all of the 'normal' approaches to this problem.  One thing is for sure, whatever caused this happened sometime in May.  But there are also threads of similar problems from 2010.  I'm giving up on this.  Like others I will not be purchasing any more music from Apple until this situation is resolved.

I'm using an Airport Extreme as my router.  Could it have been a firmware update to the Extreme?

Having the same preview issue as the rest of you. It does appear to have shown up after updating to 10.6.3 and cannot be a computer issue, I have both an HP and a Toshiba laptop using Vista and 7 respectively. Both computers have the current iTunes upgrade and both have the same problem. I have noticed that it is possible to get around the glitch by manually advancing the preview. By doing so (you may have to advance several times over

the course of the 90 second preview)  you can get the full preview minus the jumps you manually make. I've also tried the iTunes fixes with no change in performance.

Update to previous post.  Tried turning Windows Compatability Mode on and although this solution is not perfect it does let me listen to a lot more previews through to completion than before.  One interesting side effect is that instead of the normal cut off after 7 seconds sometimes the song will rebuffer and continue playing.  Instead of 1 out of 10 previews playing to completion I'm now up to 5 out of 10.

I have Windows Vista (Last update 6/16 .Net frame, Maleware, Security, etc). I just noticed the preview play not working after the 10.6.3 update. I have two networks, I rebooted the primary and no effect. I went to the secondary different frequency band and faster. I found no change. I searched and found this thread. I did the http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1923 and opened iTunes and it said this version did not have QuickTime (really???). I went out and downloaded QuickTime and rebooted the machine. It did not work. I went to bed and came out to update an iPod. Now it is working. Maybe a second reboot? Can't remember if I did that. 

To answer Andro28 I believe they absolutely are tied. I experienced the errors on downloads as well, which is why I checked on my routers and went searching for answers, two problems after one update?  

Note: I have not tried to download music, yet. But I feel whatever the steps in KB/HT1923 do, they help get to the end, even if it is a "spraying Roundup on the grass to rid it of a dandelion problem" (Roundup kills the grass too). I think their working too closely with Microsoft .

Apparently, I didn't have anything else to do for 2 hours.

Andro28,

  The procedure you posted will tell me if my version of Windows is 64 bit.  I am trying to find out if the version of iTunes I am running is the "64 bit" version.  Because apparently there is a version for 32 bit operating systems and 64 bit operating systems.  It is one of the first questions Apple customer support asks when queried about this issue.  However, if you look under 'Help' and 'About iTunes', it will only tell you if you are running version 10.6.3 (or whatever).  There does not appear to be an obvious distinction identifying 32 bit or 64 bit versions.  I am not about to just uninstall and reinstall iTunes "just in case" I am not running the right version.  However, I have asked them twice now and they won't give me a straight answer about how to do it.  This last time I was even asked to send them a screen shot showing that I am running version 10.6.3!  As if they did not believe me!! 

I don't think that is the problem anyway.  I have been running iTunes for a couple years now, and if I have the wrong version installed, it has been wrong all along because I always update from within the program.  And I have never had this problem previously.

I'm running iTunes 10.2.2.14 and I'm having the same 5, 6, 8 second preview problem in the iTunes store.  I first noticed this problem on 5/26/12 after purchasing an album. The songs on the album would only play via iTunes for <15 seconds. When I burned the songs to a CD they were complete. Since that first attempt, the album songs now play completely through in iTunes.

I'm running Windows 7. I'm not a technical person but I thought knowing it was not limited to later versions of iTunes might help some of you problem solvers out there.

Please keep working on it, smart tech-savvy Windows users, because it doesn't seem like Apple is going to be able to help us with this.

It appears that this issue started with the onset of the Error 3253 problems after the last update. 

Not only am I getting the truncated preview issues (solved by clicking off and reclicking on the music--but still annoying), but anytime I try to do more than one download at once, all but one of the downloads will error out with a 3253 error message.  This problem did not exist on my machine prior to the 10.6.3.25 update. 

I've tried all of the steps that I found in the preceding pages, to no avail.  Considering everything worked fine prior to the update, and that I'm not having any sort of network, connectivity, or firewall issues, I'm down to blaming a broken update to iTunes. 

As I said elsewhere, the silence is deafening from Apple on this issue, and I really wish they would engage us about these concerns. 

Sorry for the misunderstanding. The easiest way to know is if you still have the .exe file that you downloaded. That file which I still have saved in my download folder shows 'itunes64setup.exe' (the 32 bit version does not have the "64")

Otherwise, check task manager and look for Ipodservice.exe. It should say 64bit if you're running that.

On another note, many are saying that the skips started with the new itunes update. However, many are experiencing the same thing with older versions. Also, there have been a few Windows updates recently as well, so who knows for sure what updates might have caused the problem, if any of them actually did to begin with.

I've been playing with itunes every day and for me, the skipping stopped after I followed the steps outlined in my previous posts. I know this hasn't worked for everyone, and many don't want to disable the unnecessary Widows 7 services so we can't come to any conclusions that doing so will resolve the problem. I'm still following this thread and hoping that it gets resolved for everyone.

I have Nortonn 360...can you tell me how/where you find a setting re: iTunes?

• Settings
• Firewall
• Program Rules
• Change all iTunes services (or Apple) to Allow

Hope this helps...

even with all firewalls and anti-virus shut down, i still have this problem.

Same **** problem.  Honestly, this is not an AV problem or a firewall problem - it's an ITUNES problem!  I made ZERO changes to my system other than the last update and then this started to happen.   Don't waste your time trying to troubleshoot this one!!!

UPDATE:  Still having the problem, only the preview time has gone to 4 sec. today.  Yesterday, 6 out of 10 songs worked fine.  If you're still having problems, please chime in.  Maybe SOMEDAY Apple will notice this problem.

I received a customer survey yesterday on how customer service helped me with my problem.  I reiterated everything and pointed them to this discussion.  Hope someone finally notices.

Got a wonderful automated reply from Apple. A few days ago I visited the support page and finally directed myself to the iTunes Store technical problems page and started a new ticket since this specific problem wasn't a choice. A couple days later, I get this reply:

"As an iTunes Store agent, I specialize in assisting customers with issues directly related to questions about billing, customer accounts, downloading music, and iTunes Store content.  Because hardware and technical issues are beyond my area of expertise, I do not have the resources or tools needed to best assist you with this issue.

"I hate being re-routed, but as an Apple Store customer I want to ensure that you're directed to the correct technical support team to make sure you receive the efficient and quality answers you deserve. I appreciate your understanding, let alone your patience in resolving this issue. I have included contact information below..."

At this point she offers a link back to the support page I initially used to complain about the problem!! It's a technical issue. That's the page I filled out the complaint on, and then they respond with someone who doesn't deal with technical and hardware issues!! What a crock!! They're just sending me round and round in circles.

My latest post was deleted since they didn't think I was polite... I didn't even use faul language. I'm off for a month vacation tomorrow. I will not be able to go online where I spend that month. I will bring with me a music library with songs that will not play fully. Do you think I will sound polite when I use that iTunes(!)-library?

This is not ok.