Why does my iTunes say it is not connected to the internet?

Question

Level 1

6 points

Why does my iTunes say it is not connected to the internet?

I open up my iTunes on my computer but in order to sync, back up, or put music on my phone, I have to sign-in. I sign in and then 2 boxes open up that both say:

"iTunes could not connect to the iTunes Store

Make sure your network connection is active and try again."

When I go to Help and click iTunes Help, it says this:

"iTunes Help is unavailable because your computer isn’t connected to the Internet.

To view iTunes Help, make sure you’re connected to the Internet, then choose iTunes Help from the Help menu."

And this happens while I have multiple tabs of my web browser open and functional. I've tried updating but I can't do that or it will state the text from the former box.

Posted on Nov 11, 2015 7:01 PM

Reply

Answer 1

chuck_3rd

Community Specialist

Nov 13, 2015 6:44 AM in response to Xerrllad

Hello Xerrllad,

Thanks for using Apple Support Communities.

I see that your Windows PC is unable to connect to the iTunes Store. In order to troubleshoot this issue, please follow through the steps outlined below.

Windows

If you haven't been able to connect to the iTunes Store for more than a day, find out which ports and servers need to be allowed for iTunes Store access, then try the steps below.

Make sure that you have the latest version of iTunes.

If the iTunes Store appears empty and only displays the words iTunes Store, resolve conflicts between software that monitors Internet traffic and Apple software.

Fix any network connectivity issues.

You might need to configure Windows Firewall to allow iTunes to access the iTunes Store. Follow these steps for Windows XP, Windows Vista, and Windows 7.

Disable any proxies built-in to Windows. You should avoid proxies because they can cause issues.

If you see a specific error message, get more help with fixing the issue.

If there's still an issue after you try the steps above, contact your Internet service provider and confirm that these ports and servers are turned on for your network.

The hosts file might also be the cause of the issue. Learn how to reset the hosts file back to default and how to use a FixIt to have Windows reset the hosts defaults for you. Some workplaces might put internal resources in the hosts file that block the iTunes Store. The FixIt doesn't work for Windows 8.

To create a copy of your hosts file and replace it with an empty hosts file, follow the steps below:

Navigate to the hosts file at C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\DRIVERS\ETC.

Select the hosts file. There should be a duplicate of the hosts file named "Copy of hosts" (Windows XP) or "hosts-copy" (Windows Vista, Windows 7, or Windows 8).

Drag the original hosts file to your desktop.

Right-click the duplicate file and choose Open. If you're prompted to choose the program you want to use to open the file, double-click Notepad.

When Notepad opens, choose Edit > Select All.

Choose Edit > Delete.

Choose File > Save.

Close Notepad.

Right-click the duplicate file, and choose Rename from the pop-up menu.

Type hosts, and then press Enter.

Restart your computer.

Try to connect to the iTunes Store.

If you still can't connect to the iTunes Store, your security software or firewall might be blocking the ability of iTunes to communicate with the Internet. Learn how to resolve security software issues.

If you can’t connect to the iTunes Store

Have a good one.

Reply