Why does iTunes delete my itunesprefs.xml?

Tiresome wrote:

Hi again Ex_Brit. Maybe others have this issue too but now my itunes preferences are deleted anytime there is a microsoft update, eventually I can get my preferences to stick after the fourth launch into itunes. I bet the preferences will be deleted again the next time there is a microsoft update which makes me believe you are correct that this might be a issue with Apple's coding and not McAfee or any other anti-virus service. Not that long ago I was talking to Apple support about a syncing issue with my ipod and he admitted they were having issues with recent microsoft updates. Anyway, you're informative updates have been very helpful, Thanks!

Glad to hear Apple admit to anything, that's rare. You are probably right, but I haven't had it occur lately on my machine so I can't personally vouch one way or the other. We had a brief flare up a short while ago at McAfee Forums, but I think it was more-or-less agreed that it wasn't McAfee's fault. Anyway that fizzled so assume what you conjecture here is true.

I have the same issue but do not have McAfee installed. I am running Win7 64-bit. Problem solved by following these steps:

1. Open Computer from the Start menu.
2. From the Organize menu, choose Folder and Search Options.
3. Click the View tab.
4. Under "Hidden files and folders," make sure that the "Show hidden files and folders" option is selected.
5. Click OK.
6. Navigate to the following location by either typing it into the address bar, copying and pasting it into the address bar, or clicking through the folder hierarchy listed:C:\ProgramData\Apple Computer\iTunes
7. Right-click the SC Info folder shown and on the shortcut menu, choose Delete.
8. Restart the computer.

I have the same issue but do not have McAfee installed. I am running Win7 64-bit. Problem solved by following these steps:

1. Open Computer from the Start menu.
2. From the Organize menu, choose Folder and Search Options.
3. Click the View tab.
4. Under "Hidden files and folders," make sure that the "Show hidden files and folders" option is selected.
5. Click OK.
6. Navigate to the following location by either typing it into the address bar, copying and pasting it into the address bar, or clicking through the folder hierarchy listed:C:\ProgramData\Apple Computer\iTunes
7. Right-click the SC Info folder shown and on the shortcut menu, choose Delete.
8. Restart the computer.

Hi

I have the same behaviour (Windows 7 / iTunes 11.3.0.54). Sometimes when I close iTunes the iTunesPrefs.xml file vanishes. When I start iTunes again after that happens I am prompted to accept the license agreement and preferences have reverted to defaults. I am not running MacAfee. My AV is Sophos. I have tried reinstalling iTunes and deleting the SC Info folder, but the problem remains. Any advice would be appreciated.

Does the problem occur if you disable the Sophos real time scanner?

Are you able to set an exclusion in the scanner for the iTunes folder?

tt2

Thanks for your reply. I can't set any options or exclusions for Sophos as it is managed by a system administrator. It sounds as if I need to refer this problem to them. Do you know if the MacAfee problem is also a known issue with Sophos? Thanks again. JP

If it is a business machine then I would run things past the IT dept. I don't recall Sophos in particular being mentioned before, but any real time scanner that intercepts file system calls has the potential to cause problems.

tt2

OK - thanks for your help.

You're welcome. 🙂

tt2

So I discovered this thread after seeing my own iTunesprefs.xml file disappearing on multiple machines all of a sudden.

The difference is, I'm only using Windows Defender. I don't have McAfee, Sophos or anything like that.

If I disable Windows Defender real time protection then it no longer deletes the prefs file when iTunes is closed. Turn if back on, and bang there goes my prefs file each time.

So, the exact same issue but with the Windows built in virus checker.

Anyone else seeing the same or got any workarounds other than using another scanner?

Windows 8.1 Pro, and the machines are VMs running inside Parallels Desktop on a Mac.

Try how-to-exclude-a-file/folder-from-windows-defender

tt2