Johnny DEP
Level 1 (0 points)

Q: iTunes 12 incompatible with Windows Vista Data Execution Prevention

I just did a clean install of iTunes 12.0.1 after removing 11.4 and other components as described in Troubleshooting issues with iTunes for Windows updates. I'm running Vista Home Premium 32-bit SP2 with 3 GB RAM. Soon after closing the iTunes GUI, I get a Data Execution Prevention notification:

iTunes DEP.JPG

I have already tested with every DEP setting except AlwaysOff, which would globally disable an important Windows security feature and is therefore not to be recommended. The problem is apparently a Buffer Overflow Exception. Here are the details from one instance:

 

Product
iTunes

Problem
Stopped working

Date
10/16/2014 7:37 PM

Status
Report Sent

Problem signature
Problem Event Name: BEX
Application Name: iTunes.exe
Application Version: 12.0.1.26
Application Timestamp: 543e558b
Fault Module Name: StackHash_d697
Fault Module Version: 0.0.0.0
Fault Module Timestamp: 00000000
Exception Offset: 105059cc
Exception Code: c0000005
Exception Data: 00000008
OS Version: 6.0.6002.2.2.0.768.3
Locale ID: 1033
Additional Information 1: d697
Additional Information 2: 2bd40df4cf0a606a4574668730104c34
Additional Information 3: d700
Additional Information 4: cb2d139a5bee9dfc5c0d03df08159e62

Extra information about the problem
Bucket ID: 50

 

This is actually not a new problem. As an experienced user of 32-bit Vista, I would have to say that the last compatible iTunes version was 11.1.5. See also Windows Vista problem reports after latest Itunes 11.2 update.

iTunes for Windows, Windows Vista

Posted on Oct 16, 2014 9:00 PM

by Johnny DEP,Solvedanswer
Johnny DEP Johnny DEP
Level 1 (0 points)
A:

If there's a program on your PC that causes a buffer overrun (BEX) every time you use it, the sensible thing to do is uninstall that piece of junk and use different software that is compatible with your operating system. I have completely uninstalled iTunes 12.1.2 and installed 11.1.5 for the 8th or 9th time. True, version 11.1.5 is now more than a year old and lacks certain security patches, but I have no intention of using it for online shopping or anything other than file playback. Amazon has plenty of mp3 files that can be played using software that is compatible with Vista, including Windows Media Player 11 and iTunes 11.1.5. Some of the links posted earlier in this thread are no longer any good, but iTunes 11.1.5 32-bit can still be found at Apple - Support - Downloads . The direct links that turingtest2 posted on pages 2 and 3 appear to be still good (including the 64-bit version), and you could always try oldapps.com.

 

Caution: If you have an Apple mobile device running iOS 8, you would not be able to support it using iTunes 11.1.5 or any other version that is fully compatible with Vista. You could simply leave iTunes open on the taskbar as long as possible to reduce the number of annoying DEP notifications, and you could add iTunes to the Block list for problem reporting as discussed above. Do not "shoot the messenger" by disabling DEP and/or WER. They are just doing their jobs by alerting you to iTunes crashes, and disabling them will make your Vista PC more vulnerable to malware andd other problems.

 

Posts by cneufeldhq on page 4 of this thread give me the impression that an iPhone running iOS 8 cannot be supported from a Vista PC even if your iTunes is up to date. If you are running Vista and have an iPhone running iOS 8 that you can't support, I would urge you to Contact Apple for support and service - Apple Support. You might also want to start your own thread, since this one is about to be marked "Solved." (I've wasted enough of my time on a problem that only Apple could solve, and I'm more certain than ever that they will never solve it.) Frankly, your best solution is probably to buy a new PC or perhaps a Mac. It's long past time for Apple to stop listing Vista in the system requirements on the iTunes download page. Compatibility has been broken for nearly a year now.

Posted on Apr 19, 2015 4:04 PM

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Johnny DEP

Q: iTunes 12 incompatible with Windows Vista Data Execution Prevention

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  • by Marvin Martianul,

    Marvin Martianul Marvin Martianul Apr 29, 2015 6:43 PM in response to Walt220
    Level 2 (417 points)
    iTunes
    Apr 29, 2015 6:43 PM in response to Walt220

    Have you checked Problem Reports and Solutions via Control Panel to see if iTunes 12.1.2 still crashes upon closing? Contrary to popular belief, DEP notifications are not "the problem" but merely a symptom of severe iTunes crashes. If you have added iTunes to the Block list for problem reporting as suggested by Johnny DEP, you would of course have to remove it before concluding that iTunes is no longer crashing. Could you at least tell us if the mouse pointer still gives you a whirling circle after closing iTunes 12.1.2? (11.1.5 does nothing of the sort.) Are you sure that DEP is still turned on?

  • by Walt220,

    Walt220 Walt220 Apr 29, 2015 7:11 PM in response to Marvin Martianul
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Apr 29, 2015 7:11 PM in response to Marvin Martianul

    Yes Marvin, your theory proved correct that iTunes 12.1.2 is still crashing despite no DEP notification as of yet since updating my sound driver. No, I have never turned off the DEP feature but I had in fact excluded iTunes from problem reporting sometime back. Now on removing that block, crashes started to be listed in the problem report list once again though the DEP message never did show its nasty little pop-up face!! I guess until an actual solution is found, I will live in a world of blind ignorance about the problem by having iTunes excluded in the problem list and hoping that the DEP pop-up notice stays away! Oh well, I had hoped I might be on to something but no luck after all.

  • by Marvin Martianul,

    Marvin Martianul Marvin Martianul Apr 30, 2015 9:59 AM in response to Walt220
    Level 2 (417 points)
    iTunes
    Apr 30, 2015 9:59 AM in response to Walt220

    So if you double-click the recent problem reports for iTunes, is the problem event name APPCRASH in every case? If you were getting BEX errors but no DEP notifications, I believe that would indicate that DEP has been disabled - if not by you, then by malware or a hacker. Have a nice day!

  • by Walt220,

    Walt220 Walt220 Apr 30, 2015 12:15 PM in response to Marvin Martianul
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Apr 30, 2015 12:15 PM in response to Marvin Martianul

    I just checked and the instances that were listed after upgrading my sound drivers were shown to be APPCRASH instances.

  • by Marvin Martianul,

    Marvin Martianul Marvin Martianul Jul 8, 2015 11:44 PM in response to Johnny DEP
    Level 2 (417 points)
    iTunes
    Jul 8, 2015 11:44 PM in response to Johnny DEP

    Case closed: iTunes 12.2 has dropped Windows Vista Support (not that there was actually any support to drop).

  • by Johnny DEP,

    Johnny DEP Johnny DEP Jul 11, 2015 10:06 AM in response to Marvin Martianul
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jul 11, 2015 10:06 AM in response to Marvin Martianul

    How to turn Data Execution Prevention back on

     

    Some iTunes users running Windows Vista may have followed the very bad suggestion of disabling Data Execution Prevention in order not to be annoyed by DEP notifications resulting from iTunes crashes - perhaps in the belief that Apple is more trustworthy than Microsoft. Now that Apple has clearly shown how little they care about Vista users, I would urge you to turn DEP back on. (If you are running an iTunes version more recent than 11.1.5 and never get a Data Execution Prevention notification after closing iTunes, and if the Data Execution Prevention tab in Advanced system settings > Performance is greyed out, then DEP has been disabled.)

     

    To enable DEP, open an elevated command prompt (i.e. run CMD as administrator), type the following and press Enter:

     

    bcdedit.exe /set {current} nx OptIn

     

    Goodbye and good luck.

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