iTunes settings keep getting Reset lately. What files/ registry info does iTunes read to trigger this?

Question

iTunes settings keep getting Reset lately. What files/ registry info does iTunes read to trigger this?

Found a similar older thread, but this is new:

Win 8.1 - 64 bit

iTunes 12.3.0.44

It had never happened before for a long time, not since forever. But, recently in the last few weeks it happens randomly sometimes (not every time iTunes is started or exited).

Basically, I have to deal with/ do the following and then things seem to be back to normal.

- Welcome to iTunes > How to Use Tour

- iTunes/ AppStore Sign in

- Authorize Computer

- Organize Library Content (just to be sure that everything was re-inventoried)

- Change all "Preferences" back to how I want them to be.

- Also when it pops up and requests the iCloud sign in is missing, I enter that too (PS: I dont use iCloud for any content/ backup storage.. except Sync Contacts & Calendar).

I'm wondering if its Avira, but Avira knows iTunes (its that common) and it also always notifies if it finds/ acts on any files that it suspects or finds on the system before acting on it.

Wondering if some permissions are being a cause? But then, it should work several times and again after the above RESIGN & SET PREFERENCES steps.

So, I am open to some key "areas" files/ configs that somehow iTunes is not READING or READING but RESETS it to START FRESH.

Where does it go to check (Files and Registry keys), if it is:

- Fresh and New, Starting for the first time

v/s

- Existing install with settings / preferences already customized

Pointers please.

Message was edited by: crashnburn_in - More details

itunes.exe on Windows-OTHER, Windows 8, iTunes 12.3.0.44

Posted on Aug 28, 2016 8:40 AM

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Answer 1

Rysz

Level 8

44,443 points

Aug 28, 2016 8:55 AM in response to crashnburn_in

Update iTunes to the newest version. Make sure you download it directly from Apple.

http://www.apple.com/itunes/download/

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Answer 2

Aug 28, 2016 9:00 AM in response to Rysz

I did have a more recent version and it had issues as well, so I downgraded to this. It was working fine for a long time. So I am sure its a Folders/ Files/ Settings/ Reg keys issue.

I do not think an upgrade to new version will resolved this.

PS: I do not use iTunes to manage my music/ videos so any meta data around them/ playing and playlists, if at all lost wouldnt bother me now. But if I was a user, this would really bug me.

Also, after this every time I do a simple SYNC with iPhone, iTunes does a Full Backup on top of the few past backups it still sees in the folder.

Should it be doing this for every Sync?

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Answer 3

turingtest2

Level 10

278,091 points

Aug 28, 2016 11:27 AM in response to crashnburn_in

Hi there, got your call from the other thread.

iTunes for Windows stores various configuration files in the %appdata% area, the most important of which is probably C:\Users\<User>\AppData\Roaming\Apple Computer\iTunes\iTunesPrefs.xml. Wipe out this file and iTunes acts as if it has just been installed. iTunes update some files by making a new copy of the updated file as a temporary file, then deleting the original and renaming the temp. file to replace it. It is possible that AV software can see this as suspicious behaviour and block it. Try excluding the folder C:\Users\<User>\AppData\Roaming\Apple Computer from any real-time anti-virus scanning.

iTunes normally creates a single rolling backup for each device. Restoring a backup causes the original to be archived and a new rolling backup created. If you're seeing multiple backup folders created then perhaps that is another symptom of issues with iTunesPrefs.xml.

tt2

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