What are iTunes issues re: Upgrading Windows Vista 32 to Windows 7 64 bit

The last version of iTunes to support Windows XP SP3 and Windows Vista is 12.1.2.27.

See the older versions section of Troubleshooting issues with iTunes for Windows updates for direct links.

Review the rest of the tip for removal and reinstallation advice and other resources.

See Backup your iTunes for Windows library with SyncToy for a suggested backup process. Test your backup before upgrading and deauthorise your computer. You can use the same tool for backing up other sets of data and to these backups in future.

tt2

I believe Windows Easy Transfer is for transferring your data to a new system. An in-place upgrade should preserve your data. Either way you should be backing up your personal documents and data on a regular basis in case of hard drive failure or corruption. Microsoft's SyncToy is the tool I use as once set up it can copy over new or changed files efficiently. You can also review the list of proposed updates to make sure nothing unexpected has happened with the source copies. As an example a change in the way iTunes manages podcast subscriptions once wiped out some 1,700 saved episodes I had in my library. With no backup, or a completely automatic one, I probably would not have noticed until it was too late to recover the data. As it was I restored the Podcasts folder and the iTunes Library.itl file from the backup, then restarted iTunes and chose the "Do not sync podcast subscription settings" option which prevented a repeat of the issue.

tt2

OK, had a chance to review Windows Easy Transfer. Looks like it should do what you need providing all your content is in the usual places in your user profile. As far as iTunes is concerned that means that your iTunes library folder should be inside your user's Music folder. You also want all media to be consolidated into the iTunes Media folder. If, for example, you had content added from a folder called C:\MP3s then your restored library would contain the links to those files, but Easy Transfer would not have copied them. If you've used the default settings then your library is probably consolidated already but make sure use File > Library > Organize Library > Consolidate files.

The main thing you should do is deauthorize the old computer before performing the clean install, otherwise you will lose one of your five available computer authorizations.

As long as you don't try to downgrade iTunes it doesn't really matter when you upgrade. You should however restore your data to the new computer before installing iTunes so that it picks up your library automatically.

I'd still recommend SyncToy as a way of backing up files, in particular because it lets you monitor the changes each time, and unlike a Windows backup set the data in the cloned folder can be reviewed and is ready to use straightaway if needed. Maybe have a look at it at some point down the line.

tt2

Hope it all goes smoothly. 🙂

tt2

Glad to hear it all worked out. 🙂

tt2

To Diane X and TT2,

I appreciate this thread and the information you have provided, but I am not confident in my ability to manage through a similar issue and wonder if you could provide some guidance or direction on what to do. Here is my scenario:

Toshiba PC with Windows 7 64-bit.

Tried to update iTunes to 12.3.1, and was experiencing difficulty and received the following message during the process:

"There is a problem with this Windows Installer package. A program required for this install to complete could not be run. Contact your support personnel or package vendor."

I have no idea if the "support" or "vendor" is Apple or Microsoft for this issue. Your thoughts and suggestions are both welcomed and appreciated.

Thank you, in advance!

To those who were unable to resolve this issue, please follow the steps suggested on this article.

Remove and reinstall iTunes and related software components for Windows Vista, Windows 7, or Windows 8 - Apple Support

Please be reminded to read the article very clearly since the uninstallation of iTunes and its related components should be "in order". Failure to do so will lead to possible errors and/or issues. 🙂

From the programs and features control panel start by attempting to repair and then remove Apple Software Update, then try installing iTunes again. If that doesn't work read on...

For general advice see Troubleshooting issues with iTunes for Windows updates.

The steps in the second box are a guide to removing everything related to iTunes and then rebuilding it which is often a good starting point unless the symptoms indicate a more specific approach.

Review the other boxes and the list of support documents further down the page in case one of them applies.

The further information area has direct links to the current and recent builds in case you have problems downloading, need to revert to an older version or want to try the iTunes for Windows (64-bit - for older video cards) release as a workaround for installation or performance issues, or compatibility with QuickTime or third party software.

Your library and device backups should be unaffected by these steps but there are links to backup and recovery advice should it be needed.

If the issue persists and you have a 64-bit system try the for older video cards version which is a 64-bit installer for mostly 32-bit code, similar to all 64-bit versions of iTunes up to 12.1.

If you've tried the above without success then see the method in Install missing components. What component fails to install, and what error message does it give? See this post for steps to produce detailed logs of the installation which may reveal why iTunes won't install. Look for words like failed or error.

tt2