iTunes will not open

Question

iTunes will not open

Hi All

Running mac OS High Sierra 10.13.2.

iTunes will not open on my iMac, so using help topics and online info I have completely uninstalled iTunes (or at least I think so?) by deleting the all iTunes folders from the applications page. Then I downloaded the latest version of iTunes and installed. Unfortunately this has made no difference.

Might be a coincidence but I recently (last few days) changed my internet provider and installed a new router as supplied by them, and this has the wireless disabled and is plugged via ethernet CAT5 into my Airport Extreme (the password for which has not changed) but....iTunes is opening fine on all my other devices. Also, as a coincidence I am having trouble opening calendar, Finder and emptying my Trash on the Mac.

My iMac is where I load my CD's onto for iTunes, and is my main playback device all my other devices just have my 'purchased songs' on them. I have checked the 'Music' files and all my music is still there on the iMac I just cannot access the Store or iTunes itself.

If I load a CD into my CD drive it will cause iTunes icon to jump up and down in the dock and ask if I want to import to my library. If I click yes nothing else happens and again iTunes does not start.

Everything is backed up on Time Machine external HD

Any help appreciated before I contact 'Apple Support UK'

Very many thanks

R

iMac, macOS High Sierra (10.13.2), 27 inch late 2012

Posted on Jan 21, 2018 4:13 PM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

turingtest2

Level 10

278,263 points

Jan 22, 2018 5:07 AM in response to acousticbadger

When you say that iTunes doesn't open does the menu bar at the top of the screen change? In some cases iTunes may open without presenting a window. Use the Window menu item to open a new one.

Otherwise try holding down alt/option as you launch iTunes and keep holding until you are prompted to choose or create a library, then try to select the library in your user's music folder, assuming it is in the usual location. Any luck? If not what happens if you create a new library in your profile, does that at least work?

tt2

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Answer 2

Limnos

Level 10

428,249 points

Jan 22, 2018 7:55 AM in response to acousticbadger

Hold down the option/alt key while starting iTunes and make a new, test library. If that works then likely your old library file is corrupt and will have to be restored from backup or rebuilt from scratch.

ASC user turingtest2 help document: Empty/corrupt iTunes library after upgrade/crash - https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-6561

If you don't see your entire library after you update iTunes on your Mac or PC - https://support.apple.com/kb/HT203225

Sept. 2016 - https://discussions.apple.com/thread/7690304 - you may also need to sign into iCloud again.

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Answer 3

Limnos

Level 10

428,249 points

Jan 21, 2018 5:47 PM in response to acousticbadger

The router thing is unlikely to have any effect on iTunes starting. It would only have an effect after iTunes starts and it tries to connect to the Internet, if at all.

Can you start iTunes from a different user account on the computer?

What about:

iTunes: Troubleshooting issues with third-party iTunes plug-ins - https://support.apple.com/HT203395 - hold down the Option and Command keys (on Mac OS X) or holding down the Shift and Control keys (on Windows) while opening iTunes

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Answer 4

rhone1

Level 2

197 points

Jan 21, 2018 5:52 PM in response to acousticbadger

Check and see if ISP has a limit on ports usage- though why some work and not other devices is a mystery.

Yes I also have/ had similar problem with v12 iTunes and can't successfully downgrade it now I know what features are missing (a la kludging battery performance in iph6 etc.).

Davew

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Answer 5

turingtest2

Level 10

278,263 points

Jan 22, 2018 2:07 PM in response to acousticbadger

See Recover your iTunes library from your iPod or iOS device for more on recovering media and playlists from a device. Once you're happy that you have rebuilt your library to a satisfactory level you can back it up, sync your devices with it, then eliminate the older library that you can no longer open. I wouldn't be in a rush to do the third step without completing the other two.

tt2

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Answer 6

Jan 21, 2018 9:52 PM in response to Limnos

Hi Limnos

Yes I can start iTunes on the same computer but under a different account.

The only other 'co-incidence' that I can think of is thta I have started deleting songs previously ripped to iTunes in compressed form anf updating from my CD's to lossless although I'm not sure at all why this would affect it or that I have somehow changed anything?

As you suggest after reading advice I statred in Safe mode without plug ins and exactly teh same issue.

Even tried starting without WiFi connected and the same.

Weird!!

R

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Answer 7

Jan 22, 2018 12:57 PM in response to acousticbadger

Update to tt2 & Liimnos

Q: Obviously all my 'playlists' have gone can I reinstate these from my iPod touch or do I have to 'rebuild' these from scratch?

Just done a quick google search on this and found out how to do this, so just need confirmation of deleting entire old 'corrupt' iTunes folder

Thanks 🙂

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Answer 8

Jan 22, 2018 12:51 PM in response to Limnos

Hi Limnos & tt2

Many thanks to you both!!🙂🙂🙂

I followed your advice(s) and basically had to start iTunes and create a new library 'iTunes Test'.

Lo and behold iTunes started no problem at all.

All my previous downloads are there as well.

I had totally forgotten last week I used iTunes to back up a very very old iPad and installed it onto my new iPad Pro, and both your comments about iTunes being corrupt made me remember this & think that perhaps something unwanted got into iTunes from the old iPad (who knows)??.

Q: Now I have iTunes working and reading your links to removing corrupt data, should I now simply delete the 'Entire folder of my old iTunes', bearing in mind I now have a new working folder called 'iTunes Test'.

also

Q: Obviously all my 'playlists' have gone can I reinstate these from my iPod touch or do I have to 'rebuild' these from scratch?

Once again many thanks to you both as this has pretty much sorted my issue.

As a side note, 'Finder' now opens without issue, (perhaps iTunes and Finder were at odds?), but my Calendar still won't open (it comes up in the top menu but will not display) so I'll do some more researching on that one.😕

Cheers

R

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