Have you just updated Windows 10 or installed a fresh copy of Windows 10 and now iTunes won’t open? In most cases you will find that nothing happens while in some cases a spinning wheel might appear for a few seconds before it disappears. However, in both cases, iTunes is not responding or keeps crashing, therefore won’t open on Windows 10.
Why iTunes doesn’t Open on Your Windows 10
This problem is brought about when a fresh install or update has changed paths that Windows used to access and fire up iTunes or any other program for that matter. When Windows queries the location of the program, it finds that nothing exists hence it doesn’t open. Sometime, it can be brought about when the iTunes version is not compatible with your current version of Windows, whether it is Windows 7 or Windows 10.
Read Also: iTunes keeps freezing every time? Here’s a fix!
In this post, I will show you how to troubleshoot and fix these problems when they occur. Most of these methods won’t even take you a lot of time. Without further ado, lets get straight into it.
Run iTunes as admin
When you run a program as an administrator in Windows, the operating system initiates several processes to solve any errors that might be hindering the program from running. It also helps if Windows ‘thinks’ the program was installed by an admin, but you aren’t in the admin account so you don’t have the rights to run it.
To run a program as an Admin in Windows 10, simply right click on its icon and select run as administrator. ITunes should start immediately. If Windows still indicates that you aren’t the admin, create an admin account then log in with it and start iTunes. You can also start any other program that you couldn’t start after the update.
Disable antivirus
Your antivirus could be detecting iTunes as a virus by mistake and preventing it from opening. In this case, you should disable your antivirus temporarily before you try to run iTunes. You can also check the log on your Antivirus and whitelist iTunes if it appears among the blocked programs.
Launch iTunes in safe mode
To launch iTunes in safe mode, hold down Ctrl while double clicking on the iTunes shortcut. Another way to do it is by pressing Win+R, then type itunes /safe in the dialog box. Make sure to leave a space before /. Booting in safe mode will help you identify issues that might be preventing the app to open.
You can boot Windows 10 in safe mode by using Shift + Restart combination in the Start menu. Once opened, proceed to click on iTunes to diagnose any issues that might cause it not to start.
Repair iTunes
Press the Windows Start Button, type in Control Panel, then click to open it. Select Uninstall a Program under programs and click on iTunes. Check for repair or change in the menu and select any one of them. Follow the steps provided by the troubleshooting wizard to solve the issue.
Update iTunes
If the problem is being caused by incompatibility with the current version of Windows 10, then you have to update iTunes. To do this, download the latest version of iTunes and double click to install. iTunes will automatically replace the old version with the new one.
Read Also: How to fix the iTunes 0x000007b error easily
Uninstall then reinstall iTunes
If updating doesn’t work, you might need to completely uninstall iTunes then reinstall it again. Uninstalling is essential since it allows you to delete all iTunes folders which might be hindering its functionality before installing a fresh copy of the software. To uninstall iTunes, go to Control Panel > Uninstall a Program then select iTunes and click Uninstall. Once the process is complete, go to C:\Program Files\ and delete the iTunes folder.
Now visit this page to download the latest version of iTunes, then install it. You should now be able to open iTunes on Windows 10 once the Windows installer completes.
You’ve now solved the iTunes won’t Open in Windows 10 issue…
By now, you should have solved the iTunes keeps freezing issues. If you have any other problem, just search for it on our website and you will find steps to solve it. If you haven’t solved this problem or there is any other you need help troubleshooting, please let us know.
Alex is an IT technician who shares his experiences with Apple devices occasionally. He has a collection of Apple devices (from iPhone 4) and has recently started trying out Android.
IG: @I M_Alex