Updated to iTunes 12.1, now iTunes crashes every time it attempts to access the internet through our internal proxy - cannot access store!

Hi Morac,

Unfortunately iTunes will use the proxy settings as defined in the Internet Control panel. If they absolutely cannot fix their auto-proxy detection, then they should add an option within iTunes to manually set the proxy settings, which would take care of the crashes.

iTunes 12.0.1.26 didn't exactly crash for me, but would freeze instead, requiring you to terminate the process. iTunes 12.1 and above is crashing more consistently (i.e. every time) for me.

If you cancel the proxy authentication prompts, when I was syncing my iPhone, another prompt appeared but could not be cancelled, it would immediately reappear. So I entered my authentication details and within two minutes, iTunes crashed. Luckily the sync was finished by then, so no damage done.

I don't think Apple are actually going to bother to acknowledge my bug report, so I fear that this won't be fixed, or at least, not for a very long time. For now my iPhone 4S can last me until BlackBerry repair my primary smartphone but this isn't ideal because of the how limited these crashes make iTunes, so I won't be sticking around because of this when my BlackBerry is back from repair.

If anybody still has JavaScriptCore.dll from iTunes 11.4 and below, can somebody try uploading that file, so I can try replacing the version that came with iTunes 12 to the version from iTunes 11.4 to see if it will take care of the problem.

Thanks for testing that for me, I haven't had time this week as I've just started a new job at a Lower school, who uses iTunes with an authenticating WPAD proxy, and guess what!

They have the EXACT same problem!

Even if you set up the WPAD file to allow iTunes to go DIRECT, iTunes still crashes because it's not the proxy itself which is causing the problem, it's how iTunes is handling the WPAD file. In this case, iTunes is allowed through the proxy transparently, but for iTunes to know that, it'll still need to find that out from the WPAD file, which of course, causes the crash. If you look at the WPAD file, you'll find that it consists of JavaScript code, and the dll file which is causing iTunes to crash is conveniently named "JavaScriptCore.dll".

Having said that, today, iTunes crashed once in the store today with a different faulting module:

Problem signature:

Problem Event Name: APPCRASH

Application Name: iTunes.exe

Application Version: 12.1.1.4

Application Timestamp: 54de1991

Fault Module Name: StackHash_b4ee

Fault Module Version: 0.0.0.0

Fault Module Timestamp: 00000000

Exception Code: c0000005

Exception Offset: 0000000008182703

OS Version: 6.1.7601.2.1.0.256.48

Locale ID: 2057

Additional Information 1: b4ee

Additional Information 2: b4ee5de6a2322745523997a782b35692

Additional Information 3: 277e

Additional Information 4: 277e19c30fbd5f6bb531ec9e027c37c3

Subsequent crashes then showed the original JavaScriptCore.dll file again as crashing.

I spent half an hour on the phone to Apple support today, explaining the problem only for them to tell me (as a home user) that I need ENTERPRISE support for this, which, of course costs £££s.

So if a home user is using enterprise equipment, but the bug is blatantly iTunes at fault, I have to pay for support which won't fix the problem. Right.

Most disappointed by Apple about this, as soon as my phone comes back from repair, I am walking from iPhones.

Just thought I'd update this, as it has been a while. Apple Developer Relations responded to my bug report. They've requested a dump file for the iTunes.exe process.

So right now, as I am writing this message, I am uploading a 450MB iTunes.DMP file to the bug reporter website. Should be done in the next 10 minutes, thank goodness for fibre based internet connection!

Looks like they are interested in investigating this issue, so I really hope this helps them to fix the bug in the next iTunes release, as the school I work as an IT technician at are considering installing iTunes, and using it to play music in the hall. But I know that they will run into the same problem because of their proxy configuration, and then they will have my head on a plate, even though this isn't my fault!

Still not going back to my iPhone. But I really would like to access the iTunes store again as most of the music on my BlackBerry is synced to it using an iTunes backend.

Also, please note that if you're also having JavaScriptCore.dll causing crashes but your network is not using a WPAD file, then you are not encountering the same problem, unless the WPAD file is unknown to you, i.e. not explicitly set in Internet Options/Connections/LAN settings, in other words, it is hidden from the end user. Please ask your network administrator about this.

It's been about two weeks since I've supplied them with a dump file and they have made it clear that they're not bothered anymore. Should have known I was wasting my time from the start, it is Apple after all. They don't listen to their customers, nor do they care about them, they just want to 'sell absolutely as many as we can, don't bother about customers having issues, just sell them another!', and destroy the environment in the process.

I give up now, this is the final straw, I am going to sell both my iPhones, uninstall iTunes, and completely distance myself from Apple stuff.

I'm going to have to find another way to get music on my current BlackBerry without using iTunes too.

I probably won't be monitoring or updating this topic anymore, unless somebody has some critical information regarding this bug, or if Apple actually do anything about my bug report.

Thanks to everyone who replied to the topic and gave me useful information, but unfortunately, at least for the foreseeable future, this one is unresolvable.

Found a (partial) workaround. I'm not happy with it, it's not ideal either, and only works if you're the network administrator:

WORKAROUND:

• Take a backup of your WPAD/PAC file. This will be done on your web server or device hosting the WPAD/PAC file.
• Before starting iTunes, delete (remember to back up!), move or rename the WPAD/PAC file, to stop iTunes autodetecting it. This will be done on your web server or device hosting the WPAD/PAC file.
• This will stop iTunes crashing.
• Start iTunes and do what you need to do. Internet-enabled features such as the store, match and Internet Radio will be unavailable.
• When your iTunes session is finished, close iTunes.
• Restore the WPAD/PAC file to continue using your proxy.

CONSEQUENCES:

• Of course, this only works if you are the network administrator.
• With my setup, this completely prevents the machine (and any other machines relying on the same WPAD/PAC file) from accessing the internet. Expect similar results if you are attempting this workaround, and for obvious reasons, DON'T ATTEMPT THIS IN A PRODUCTION ENVIRONMENT!
• Obviously, any internet-enabled features of iTunes will not work!
• You might accidentally lose your WPAD\PAC file and end up having to completely rewrite it.
• You'll have to do this every time you wish to use iTunes. Told you this would not be ideal.

SOMEONE7272 SAYS:

• I actually can't believe I'm calling this a workaround, it is so problematic...
• But iTunes is so unstable, I can't even add songs I've ripped (using another program of course) to my iTunes library without it crashing. Even if I cancel all the proxy authentication prompts, it will still crash.
• Don't expect Apple to fix this anytime soon, they'll just blame you, or your network environment, that is, if they bother to acknowledge you.
• Apple's software development and testing departments are evidently, garbage.

turingtest2 SAID:

• Also, a stab in the dark, and I appreciate you may nor be interested in testing, but have you seen if disabling IPv6 has any impact on this error?
• Sadly, this has zero effect.