I would like to uninstall iTunes from my 2015 macbook pro and have it remain uninstalled for the rest of my life or the life of my computer, whichever is longer. However, since iTunes is a apparently a virus, it keeps showing back up no matter what I do. Suggestions? I would prefer comments that involve removing this software from my computer, as opposed to the kind telling me what an idiot I am for not liking iTunes. Thanks in advance.
iTunes is now considered to be part of the operating system of the computer and in that regard is considered (by Apple) as key to the operating of the computer as the code that draws the picture on your monitor. That's just to let you know that it isn't like 10 years ago when iTunes was an optional installation. It's kind of like asking Ford to make you a car without a radio. I am not questioning your reason for wanting to remove it but if you let us know what you hope to achieve in doing so we may be able to make suggestions. You are not going to save a lot of drive space. If you are annoyed by having a music file open automatically with iTunes when you click on it there are ways to easily stop that.
I use Mavericks. I haven't removed iTunes but I prefer iTunes 7.5. I copied the application from my old computer to this one and compressed the 11.4 the installer had put on this computer. So far no problem. Realize, however, software updates seem to come in large packages these days so even if you remove iTunes it may reappear as part of a general software update you do in the future. I disabled automatic software updates and try to analyze the contents of each one before I do it, but is is getting harder and harder to find out which ones are true system component updates and which ones are what I consider more general software such as iTunes or Safari. In this regard you cannot achieve your forever desire unless you remove it this once and never again in your life update your software.
OK, since we're using car analogies, I don't expect Ford to build me a car without a radio in it, but I don't think it's unreasonable to expect that if the radio s u c k s, I should be able to put a new one in without having to rebuild the entire car from the frame up. iTunes does OK as a music player -- my main issue with iTunes is it's a pain the a s s for what I am forced to try to use it for 75% of the time...managing content on my devices. It's no big secret that iTunes s u c k s at this with a capital u c k s, but this is where people normally flip out about how I'm not doing something correctly. You'll just have to trust me that I hate it badly enough to want to never see it again. Without getting into any more detail along those lines, if I can't ******can it altogether, what is the best way to turn it off so that it never pops up again, specifically every time I try to order music, an app, plug in a device, etc etc. I love everything else about my macbook, so hopefully the answer to my last question isn't "you can't" because that will be when I start getting serious about installing Ubuntu and calling it a day with OS X. The third party software I have installed does exactly what I want it to way more often than iTunes ever did, so all iTunes does now is come on at inopportune times to try to **** block my other apps from working correctly. Obviously I didn't get a vote, but making this part of the OS was a major mistake on Apple's part.
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You do not provide us with sufficient information in your rant. From where are you ordering your music, apps, etc? If from the iTunes Store then there is no alternative other than to use iTunes unless you do everything from your device. I guess there is third party software which can access files but it isn't really syncing as far as I am aware, and certainly won't give access to the Store. I suspect there is some preference setting which may disable iTunes starting if you attach a device (maybe remove iTunes Helper in login items?). Have you really explored all the preference settings? I use iTunes 7.5 on Mavericks (I simply compressed iTunes 11 which was put there by the installer) and have come across a few such things but it is clearly a different version and I don't really take note of such features since I do not own any i-gadgets.
If that's a rant you don't get out much. Also, your solution is pretty much "I use iTunes and I don't hate it so you shouldn't either" which is what I specifically asked people not to post if that's all they had. So thanks I guess.
No, my post was saying if you don't like it don't use it. Ignore it. It isn't doing any harm sitting there and if you need the drive space then you have more serious computer issues than iTunes because your computer should get nowhere near that desperate for drive space. Also if you read my post carefully you would see I managed to do something about the main version installed on my computer and it might work for you. We just don't like advising people to do such things because if you don't know how to do that sort of thing then you are probably not sufficiently computer savvy to be able to deal with the action if something goes wrong. That is probably why Apple has packaged all its key and interacting applications inside the system so people don't mess with them.
I don't use Apple Mail. I removed the icon from my Dock and the application sits in my Applications folder where I ignore it and it ignore me.
Wow Limno that's a non-answer. I too would like to remove itunes because it is in the way, and returns to be in the way again and again. If you can ignore it, great but that wasnt the question.
You want a direct answer?
No, you cannot remove it forever. There. That's the answer, as much as you may dislike "no" as an answer.
It will be re-installed every time you upgrade your operating system version, or maybe more frequently depending upon your software update preferences. Read my lips earlier statement. It is now considered to be part of the operating system software and is becoming increasingly integrated into the basic package which runs on your computer. Buy a 15 year old computer if you want an operating system version for which iTunes is a completely separate package as software such as Excel might be.
I found when I started using Mavericks and desired to run iTunes 7.5 I could zip the iTunes 11 installed on the computer and iTunes 7.5 ran well. I don't know how this works for El Capitan.
shaper19 wrote:
Wow Limno that's a non-answer. I too would like to remove itunes because it is in the way, and returns to be in the way again and again. If you can ignore it, great but that wasnt the question.
No, actually, that was the best answer that person and any other person asking the same question should get. You cannot remove iTunes "forever" from your system. I don't use FaceTime, I don't use Messages, I don't use Maps. Therefore, I don't have the icons for them in my Dock. I can't remove them from my computer anyway, but why would I bother, even if I could? They don't take up space, and their non-use doesn't affect me.
You can change your default music player to something else so when you open an mp3 file, iTunes does not open to play it. There are ways to use your computer and never have to interact with iTunes whatsoever. Futzing around with the OS, disabling SIP to try and remove built-in components is dangerous and foolhardy, and you shouldn't bother with it. I'm sorry you don't like that answer, but that's the answer you're going to get.
"but why would I bother, even if I could? They don't take up space, and their non-use doesn't affect me."
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This worked for me:
terminal cd /Applications
sudo rm -rf iTunes.app
then "system preferences" > App store >
check automatically check for updates
check Download newly avail...blahblah..background
uncheck Install OS X updates
drawbacks: you now must monitor when (some) updates get installed on your own - no biggie, eg the next day App Store.app informed me that the typical iTunes update was available. In App Store on the updates page I right click the iTunes update and choose "Hide update"
tada!
<Edited by Host>
I still run Mavericks and things appear differently to me. I do know you have to be careful as to which things you uncheck because hidden security updates may be involved. I remember unchecking one thing that seemed to have nothing to do with security but there was a secondary level update which was not part of the security updates listed that did not get updated because I didn't want App Store notifications.
Thanks for the instructions. Seems to have worked for me on El Cap. On a side note, you can't seem to ignore iTunes. No matter what I did, I'd mouse over the dock and boom there it was again. At least with mail it just sits there and doesn't do anything. The dvd player is also quite persistent, even when I have the box in System prefs set to ignore. Sometime you want to rip dvd's to mkv or rip cd's to flac or just use vlc or some other program instead and it's almost impossible to have iTunes or dvd player just ignore what's going on. It makes something that should be easy time consuming and annoying. Thanks again.
uninstall iTunes from my 2015 macbook pro forever
