Level 1

6 points

Itunes not responding, running extremely slow

I've done all the normal troubleshooting already... disabled everything possible in all the setting options to optimize performance...I do not have any smart playlists etc, do not have any devices synced, all updates are current on the laptop

When I play a song, it starts immediately, then I get the spinning wheel for 2-3 minutes...same thing when dragging a track into a playlist, editing a track name, creating a playlist, editing start/stop time etc...it's impossible to use the program, and the lag time between commands is ridiculous.

I have a:

MacBook Pro (17-inch, Early 2011)

2.2 GHz Intel Core i7

16 GB 1600 MHz DDR3

OS X Yosemite 10.10.5

Running iTunes 12.3.1

Any way to solve these issues/speed up the program?

MacBook Pro, OS X Yosemite (10.10.5)

Posted on Oct 21, 2015 5:22 PM

285 replies

Oct 25, 2015 12:56 PM in response to JWallace99

I updatet my Mac Mini 2012 to El Capitan and then iTunes to 12.3.1. I have all the issues you describe here! iTunes ran smooth before on 10.10 and now it is nearly unusable. (350GB of mostly lossless Music on an external HD)

Why have I broken my rule to allways wait a few days before updating a program, especially iTunes?

Oct 25, 2015 2:51 PM in response to firevsh2o

This seems a very widespread problem. Apple Support Communities are all very well but how to we bring this kind of problem to Apple attention? The people on the Apple support line are low level and never admit that a problem is not the users but Apple's own software. It's amazing that software this bad could ever be released by a company such as Apple.

Oct 25, 2015 5:10 PM in response to JWallace99

I am having the exact same problem. iTunes is unusable and I get annoyed seeing the new El Capitan version of the spinning wheel of death. Spent 2 + hours with a Genius and he couldn't come up with a fix. I have tried some of the suggested fixes suggested here to no avail.

MacBook Pro Late 2013

El Capitan Version 10.11.1

iTunes Version 12.3.1.23

117 GB of Music

Oct 25, 2015 7:17 PM in response to force_quit

I think Itunes is doomed....they can't handle it....time for a new program....

Oct 25, 2015 7:18 PM in response to Raymond Beauchesne

I've sent feedback twice already to Apple re: this issue and may do another. Go here and explain:

http://www.apple.com/feedback/itunesapp.html

Oct 25, 2015 7:20 PM in response to chiligoldman

Did you revert to iTunes 12.3.0.44? That's worked for quite a few folks in this and other threads. Instructions are in one of these threads or I can paste them in here, if you're interested. If you've already reverted and still no luck… That ***** royally.

Oct 25, 2015 7:32 PM in response to Russell Madden

I would like to try. Would you mind posting the information here.

Thank you. I appreciate it.

kew204

Level 1

1 points

Oct 26, 2015 2:59 AM in response to JWallace99

Same problem, iTunes virtually unusable as so slow with 12.3.1 update. 9-years of collected music and audiobooks in my iTunes library which I cannot replace. Praying that Apple will fix this soon.

Running; El Capitan on iMac (27-inch, Mid 2011), 3.4 GHz Intel Core i7

Sam Walters

Oct 26, 2015 4:20 AM in response to chiligoldman

This is from other people. Worked for me, anyway.

Download 12.3:

http://www.v3.co.uk/v3-uk/download-review/1957301/apple-itunes-for-mac-1110

Then:

Open the Terminal
Run "sudo rm -r /Applications/iTunes.app"
Re-install iTunes

Also, be aware that when it asks for your password, the password won't be visible as you type it. After you type password, hit enter and iTunes should be deleted.

After I reinstalled 12.3.0.44, things worked as before. Note: I had to restart to my iMac before the version number in Finder matched the actual version number found by looking at "About iTunes" in the menu. Also, I then ran repair disk permissions via OnyX. It showed some problems w/ iTunes permissions, but those may or may not have been relevant to any of this problem.

Good luck and hope this helps.

Oct 26, 2015 6:13 AM in response to Russell Madden

I downgraded as Russell Madden suggested and it initially seems to be working. I would definitely categorize it as usable again. There is still a slight lag - when I play a song it plays but the timer doesn't start going right away and then it will skip to 0:03 seconds or 0:07 seconds or something like that, so something still feels plugged up. I'm curious to see how it goes after spending the day using the application. For now... a little relieved.

Fubaar

Level 1

0 points

Oct 26, 2015 1:01 PM in response to Russell Madden

At first blush, this retrograde seems to be the ticket for now

Pete

Oct 26, 2015 8:52 PM in response to Russell Madden

can you send it to me? I have Windows 8. You think it'll be ok??

Oct 27, 2015 3:56 AM in response to arturo156

Not sure how to delete programs from Windows.

Download 12.3:

http://www.v3.co.uk/v3-uk/download-review/2140164/apple-itunes-1110-64-bit

(This is for 64 bit Windows. I don't know Windows re: compatibility.)

Delete iTunes 12.3.1 for Windows then install old version. Sorry; don't know the details of that process.

Best of luck.

EastDog

Level 2

162 points

Oct 27, 2015 10:34 AM in response to mmmrtnn66

This is frustratingly typical of support, at Apple or anywhere - they have a series of perfunctory steps for you to go through when a quick bit of investigation would determine that it's almost certainly a software problem that really needs to be escalated and fixed in an update.

D3rR4lf

Level 1

0 points

Oct 27, 2015 1:18 PM in response to JWallace99

I'm having the exact same problem here, since upgrading to iTunes 12.3.1

It takes minutes to connect to the iTunes Store, ages to download App updates, I see the beachball all the time.

After downgrade to 12.3.0.44 iTunes is working still not fast, but a lot better!

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Itunes not responding, running extremely slow