Anyone else reverting to the previous version of iTunes? 12.7 is a disaster.

This is a disaster! I have so many devices I manage, that's one of the reasons I use my iMac as "hub central". I only have to install the APP once, then when I connect a device that device updates in seconds because it's already live on my hard drive.

We came home one time after visiting the Genius Bar. They told us we needed to do a backup from iCloud. I was leary because as the rabbit said "that trick never works", but we didn't want to be a pain so we did. We tried it through WIFI using the iCloud back up. What a mess. With over 2,00 APP's this backup ran 3 days and there were STILL apps black saying "waiting'. I finally had to pull the plug. We needed up have to do a clean install. Although it was a pain it took 6 hours compared to 3 days and counting.

But the reason the clean install was so effective using the hard drive back up? We had an iPad with the correct layout of all the apps in all their correct folders. Using the "Sort by Alphabet" sort we were able to go to folder #1, enter the names of each APP in that folder, download, unplug the device, place them into the folder, plug the device back in and it saved those changes.

By doing it this way we didn't have 2,000 apps spread across pages and pages and pages trying to move them holding and pulling from page to page. I mention this because with iTunes 12.7 this is NOT possible to reconstruct this way. We'd have to click clouds and wait and wait ad wait. Even in Appe's own descriptions it states "Plan ahead. If you line up a friend with a fast WIFI or even a hotspot near by with a faster WIFI, you can do your backup there". SeriouslY! <LOL. Like I'm going to ask a friend "Hey can I camp out at your place for a few days while I update my device?" You have got to be kidding me.

This is by far the dumbest move Apple has made to date. I just hope they come to their senses and undo this monster of a mess before too many people just leave out of frustration. Steve one's said "It just works!" Not since he passed it doesn't. Imagine what he would think reading all these comments on this forum because there's ;literally thousands of unhappy people like us.

With that said, please post your "feeling" (Apple likes feelings) to their FEEDBACK area. If enough people report their unhappiness maybe they will listen, or at the very least fire the guy that thought this was a good idea? Here's the link. Please do it:

Feedback - iTunes - Apple

SIDE NOTE: They FEEDBACK page does not show the latest iTunes 12.7 so make sure you add that to your feedback manually.

The Management of Apps is now confined to the iOS devices that use them. You can Manage Apps from the App Store's Purchased section on each device.

Devices can still be backed up and managed effectively just fine. What you won{t be able to do is simply browse the App store directly within iTunes or sync Apps to a device.

Apps can still be downloaded directly onto the device from the App Store on each device.

Beyond that, the option of transferring files to Apps on the device was not removed. You can still use iTunes File sharing normally to do this like you could before.

1. use appzapper to delete itunes 12.7

2. from the previous libraries folder, copy over the last dated .itl file to where your current one is

3. move the current one for safe keeping somewhere else ( just in case things don`t work)

4. rename the one you copied to the location to be itunes library.itl ( or whatever the new one was )

5. Install 12.6 itunes

6. Open itunes and your`re done.

In response to the two problems:

1. Set the Mac App Store to alert you to updates and not automatically

install. When there is an update, read the release notes.

It wasn't quite clear enough but raised some red flags for me to dig

just a bit deeper.

As for automatic updates, been burned enough by that when working on

Windows machines and used the same strategy (though Win10 changes that).

2. The App Store in iOS is supposedly revamped in iOS 11. However, I currently

don't see any really compelling reasons to upgrade my iPhone 6S, though if I

had an iPad I would jump all over it.

Hi Sabusa, I downgraded my iTunes app to 12.6 after the dreadful update, and my apps are on my computer. They are showing in the iTunes app,

And in the Mobile Media folder:

I was advised that there were a couple of other items that needed to be restored other than the library: Library extras and the library genisis files, and something else that I couldn't find, so after I installed 12.6 I restored the entire iTunes folder that was in music. Everything seems to be working as it was. backup and all.

Well you can still browse the App store online in your browser on your computer, you just won't be able to download apps directly there.

App Store - Browse - Apple Support

What? You mean restricting the purchase of apps to the same little screen they are meant to be used in? How is that different from any other manufacturer? Seriously that is just a silly excuse to get angry. If you can use the App in the small screen, why can't you look for it in that same screen?

In fact its more convenient since the layout and interface makes it easier to navigate. It's also faster to do so on the device than it was in the slowness that was iTunes on a computer.

Sep 15, 2017 3:15 PM in response to rebby575

1. use appzapper to delete itunes 12.7

2. from the previous libraries folder, copy over the last dated .itl file to where your current one is

3. move the current one for safe keeping somewhere else ( just in case things don`t work)

4. rename the one you copied to the location to be itunes library.itl ( or whatever the new one was )

5. Install 12.6 itunes

6. Open itunes and your`re done.

This worked but there are no apps or music from my old library showing, even after I sign into iTunes. I'm kind of afraid to sync right now. Should I?

Hi All

I have reverted back to 12.6 and recovered apps etc. Here is a simple way that I did it.

Step 1. Go to applications folder in finder and find itunes app

Step 2. Right click on itunes icon and select GET INFO

Step 3. Expand the sharing & permissions section so you can see the padlock. Click on the padlock and unlock (you need your password). Click on the privileges for everyone and change it to read and write. Close the get info window.

Step 4. Go back to finder and drag itunes to trash.

Step 5. Download itunes 12.6 here Download iTunes 12.6.2 for macOSand then turn off your wifi.

Step 6. Install itunes 12.6

Step 7. You will then see an error message saying "The file 'itunes library.itl' cannot be read becasue it was created with a newer version of itunes.

Step 8. Go to your itunes folder in finder. Look for username\music\itunes and locate the .itl file.

Step 9. Check the date and time of the file and then drag it somewhere like the desktop.

Step 10. Still in finder, look for the folder 'previous itunes libraries'

Step 11. locate the itl file in here which is just before the update and drag it into the itunes folder where you previously removed the newer file.

Step 12. Open itunes.... voila!

Step 13. Go to preferences in itunes and uncheck 'check for new software updates automatically'.

Step 14. Turn wifi back on...

Step 15. breathe eeeaaassyyyyyyyy...... lol

mb34 wrote:

. I wouldn't care if it is through iTunes or not. A website would be fine, but something larger than my iPhone.

A website does exist:

There's the top charts website featuring a list of Top free and paid Apps.

iTunes - iTunes Charts - Apple

And there's there's also the Category page, though not quite as nice or detailed.

App Store Category Browse - Apple.com

I wrote this earlier in the thread...

Hi All

I have reverted back to 12.6 and recovered apps etc. Here is a simple way that I did it.

Step 1. Go to applications folder in finder and find itunes app

Step 2. Right click on itunes icon and select GET INFO

Step 3. Expand the sharing & permissions section so you can see the padlock. Click on the padlock and unlock (you need your password). Click on the privileges for everyone and change it to read and write. Close the get info window.

Step 4. Go back to finder and drag itunes to trash.

Step 5. Download itunes 12.6 here Download iTunes 12.6.2 for macOSand then turn off your wifi.

Step 6. Install itunes 12.6

Step 7. You will then see an error message saying "The file 'itunes library.itl' cannot be read becasue it was created with a newer version of itunes.

Step 8. Go to your itunes folder in finder. Look for username\music\itunes and locate the .itl file.

Step 9. Check the date and time of the file and then drag it somewhere like the desktop.

Step 10. Still in finder, look for the folder 'previous itunes libraries'

Step 11. locate the itl file in here which is just before the update and drag it into the itunes folder where you previously removed the newer file.

Step 12. Open itunes.... voila!

Step 13. Go to preferences in itunes and uncheck 'check for new software updates automatically'.

Step 14. Turn wifi back on...

Step 15. breathe eeeaaassyyyyyyyy...... lol

You also need to turn updates off in App store settings....

Cheers

PaulSt wrote:

I believe this forum is meant as a resource of information exchange and expression of - in some cases - displeasure or disagreement of changes made to the App Store - in this particular instance. I came on board when looking for a solution to the recent App Store changes and finding a way to revert back to an older version, which I did.

This is a user-to-user technical support forum. It is certainly for the exchange of helpful information between users, such as how to revert back to an earlier version, as you stated. However, it is not a forum for expressing displeasure or disagreement with Apple's decisions or policy, which is expressly forbidden in the Terms of Use. It is also a huge waste of time to do so, as it doesn't communicate anything to Apple; they don't have people reading what is posted. All it does is create a bubble of users who are likeminded, which may be emotionally satisfying, but accomplishes nothing. To communicate your views to Apple use https://apple.com/feedback. Apple has changed policy or features occasionally when the feedback is overwhelming.

briandallas wrote:

Has anyone taken a look at Apple Configurator 2 on the Mac App Store

to help manage apps on multiple devices?

It has been discussed in another thread about the new version of iTunes. People say that it gives them back some, though not all of the features. Definitely worth checking out to see if it works for you.

franzkaiser wrote:

Apple has released 12.6.3 for those who want to revert. Go here: Deploy apps in a business environment with iTunes - Apple Support

FWIW, if you want items to download from iTunes to your device,

make sure wireless data and WiFi are turned off (if it even matters).

I downloaded 5 updates to iTunes connected my iPhone to "sync",

and when it was done, watched all 5 apps download their installation

over my wireless connection!!!!

12.6.3 is doing zero different than 12.6.2 was with iOS 11 except enable

connecting iPhone 8, 8+ and X. It is only giving the "illusion" that the apps

are being downloaded!

Yes, it's MORE than merely annoying. Some Marketing IDGITS decided to consider this functionality 'feature creep,' and removed it -- without providing at least a comparable full-featured management system for the removed features. Personally, I deeply appreciated the ability to manage all my content for all my devices from ONE application. (Including the Apps, Audiobooks, Ringtones, Contacts, etc. for which they've now removed support.) And to do so with the ability to easily see all that content listed, to pick-and-choose which content I wanted downloaded, which I wanted updated, under what circumstances. Not to mention perform a FULL iPhone backup and restore with relative simplicity.

There are some alternative (far less efficient) approaches outlined by others for doing what you need on the device, but If you'd like to complain to Apple where they will actually see it, do so here and fill out the feedback form.

I too manage multiple devices with multiple versions of everything. I have had similar issues as you.

And to add to my own frustration and anger, the feedback forms have very limited space for feedback and I can't find any way to send them longer feedback by email or by form!

I review, recommend and help troubleshoot Apple products and apps (unpaid). With the removal of the app information from iTunes, you have lost the foremost advantage for me to use my Apple products over my Android products. I currently have over 200GB in apps alone, not including music, books, iTunes U, podcasts & photos. The following are the major reasons the changes to iTunes 12.7 app Store & app library have now made my family's many Apple products more costly and time consuming that it may no longer be worth the extra money for me to purchase Apple products:

1. 99% of the time I buy my apps through iTunes on my PC/Mac. I have visual limitations and the sizings of the app info on the app stores on my devices are too small for me and the resizing is very limited or not available. I cannot use it on my iPhone and it is extremely difficult to look up iPhone apps on the iPad app store as it keeps defaulting to iPads apps only.
2. I have more than 3000 apps that I have kept with probably twice as many more that were downloaded and deleted. I cannot keep all of these apps on my devices. I routinely circulate through them for use by different age groups, and for review & recommendation which I always did through iTunes on my PC/Mac. I have limited funds to purchase data from an ISP. Syncing the apps via my updated PC/Mac’s iTunes is the only way I can afford to do this rather than paying again for data for redownloading the same app multiple times or updating the same apps on multiple devices.
3. Before I could see the apps that I liked in my library (whether it was on a device or not) and then determine whether to reinstall and/or recommend it. I also used the sorting features to reinstall & review apps by company, theme, category or even size. Now this is almost impossible. Seeing that an app has been downloaded and deleted off my device via the app store does not tell me if it was an app I deleted as it was not a good app or if I needed space on my devices.
4. My Apple device has crashed twice with IOS updates. The last time, I was unable to restore the backup via iCloud because it was taking so long the wifi kept timing out. Even the Apple store was unable to restore the backup via internet access because of the number of apps downloading. It could only be done from a computer. In future, this would mean I have to add approximately 400 apps on my device manually one at a time if it crashes again.
5. I have many apps that are no longer downloadable. Again as a result of space (I have purchased the largest memories available for my Apple devices), I sometimes have to delete them off my device and reinstall from my PC/Mac iTunes library. Now this is a difficult. I will now be spending the next few hours trying to determine which of the 3000 apps in my backup are no longer available on the app store and try to transfer them to my device.

I know I am one person, but as a power user and a techie for friends, family, children & seniors, I am asked for my opinion on a regular basis.

I personally find this change even more inconvenient than Microsoft’s removal of the start menu in Windows 8, which they then reversed. I understand the iTunes change does reduce the memory capacity required for everyone’s PC/Mac, but I would rather put my money towards extra memory rather than for data downloading and the loss of so much library information I use daily.

Please add back the app library.