Q: Updated to latest now iTunes hangs on open

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.

tt2

For me, it turned out that the new version didn't like my computer using proxy automatic configuration script. If I changed the proxy settings to used a fixed proxy, the crashing went away. Crashing for me seems to be when it's somehow trying to authenticate me with the iTunes store on startup (for my Apple Music subscription and the like?).

iTunes on Windows has a horrible track record of working behind proxies. The previous version seemed to have finally taken care of them, but this new one seems to have regressed a bit.

I hope this helps

How do you change proxy settings?

For most Windows versions that I know of, that's controlled by Internet Explorer's settings. Open up Internet Explorer and then go the Tools menu (or gear button on the top-right) > Internet Options > Connections tab. From there you'll need to click on the appropriate button for your connection. For me it's the "LAN settings", since nobody uses dial-up anymore .

I hope it helps