How to delete old media library in itunes. We use specialized software

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Unfortunately, although iTunes is considered one of the most universal tools for synchronizing Apple devices with computer systems, in Windows (and any modification) quite often one can observe the occurrence of conflicts. The program may not work correctly or not work at all. In the very simple case it needs to be reinstalled or updated. But first, the application must be uninstalled. This is where the problem arises of how to completely remove iTunes from your computer. It would seem that everything is simple, but no. It is necessary to take into account several points, without knowledge of which it will be impossible to completely remove the application.

How to completely remove iTunes from your computer: what should you pay attention to before deleting?

Before proceeding with uninstallation, you need to clearly understand that during installation several more were present in the distribution additional utilities, which were installed into the system automatically without user intervention.

Based on this, it is not difficult to guess that the matter will not be limited to just deleting the main application (iTunes). Moreover, the problem with Windows computer, has and reverse side medals. The fact is that even after uninstalling all installed components remain in the system unnecessary files and folders that are just regular computer junk. This is connected both with the iTunes uninstaller itself and with a similar Windows service(they simply don't remove residual objects).

How to remove iTunes from your computer? Windows 7: standard procedure

So, armed with knowledge, you can begin uninstallation. At the first stage, the problem of how to completely remove iTunes from a computer comes down to a completely standard procedure.

To begin with, you should use the programs and features section located in the “Control Panel”, where in the list of installed applications, except iTunes programs, you need to find additionally Bonjour, Restore, Mobile Device Support (developed by Apple Inc.), Application Support(Apple) and Apple Software Update. There is also a Quick Time media platform. You can leave it as this support may be useful in the future.

In principle, all programs in the list will be located next to each other. If this is not the case, you can sort installed applications by publisher or by installation date. Next, you just need to remove all components using a standard tool.

Residual objects

The next step is to remove the remaining debris. First of all, you should pay attention to the Program Files directory. In it you need to delete the Bonjour, iPod and iTunes directories with all their contents.

Next, in the same directory, go to the CommonFiles folder, find the Apple folder in it and delete the CoreFP, Apple Application Support and Mobile Device Support directories. You can try to initially delete the entire Apple folder, but this usually has no effect. In addition, in addition to the specified directories, it may contain other elements used by the Windows system and not related to iTunes in any way.

There is one more element - the so-called media library - the folder in which user files multimedia. The question of deleting it remains solely with the user (usually the directory is located in the “Music” directory of the corresponding account, currently active.

Additional uninstallation tools

Finally, solving the problem of how to completely remove iTunes from your computer is more simple method, you can use special uninstaller utilities that work much better own funds system or similar built-in Apple tool ( iObit Uninstaller, Revo Uninstaller and etc.).

Such programs are good because they allow multiple selection of elements to be deleted, they automatically find and delete residual files, folders and system registry entries. In some cases, you don't even need to check all related iTunes applications. It is enough to start uninstalling the application you are looking for, and all the others will be “picked up” automatically. In both cases, upon completion of removal, you need to perform full restart systems.

In some cases, when deleting an application, it may not be enough to simply throw it into the trash. To completely clean the computer and remove the program, additional manipulations are required. Multifunctional media player iTunes, also known as iTunes, is one of these non-standard applications.

The root cause that may prompt a user to remove iTunes is the incompatibility of the application with the products third party developers. Apple programs, as you know, are fundamentally not friendly with them. As a result, the media player takes a long time to load and freezes when playing and synchronizing audio and video files, or simply stops starting due to a system failure. The application also does not support the entire operating system - Windows XP. However, it is worth trying to update the product to a more new version: It is possible that this will solve the problem.
Another reason to distrust iTunes is its interface, where there are too many points in which you can get confused at first. The user does not want to understand all the functionality of the program, and after fiddling around with registering for some time iTunes Store, he decides to delete the player.
The presence of a similar product from another manufacturer with a simpler and clearer menu is another reason for the user to choose not in favor of iTunes (even if the programs do not conflict with each other).
There are a number of other methods besides iTunes to create copies and then restore your media library. This can be done using OS tools on your computer or with using iCloud.
Finally, you may need an earlier version of the player, which will require you to uninstall the current one.

How to completely remove a player from your computer with all components

Let's look at the correct methods for removing an application from a computer under Windows and Mac OS operating systems.

For Windows OS

There are two ways to uninstall iTunes on this operating system. First - take advantage standard means Windows. Let's break this procedure down into stages.

They are installed on your computer automatically and are needed to connect and iPhone sync, iPad and iPod Touch, as well as to update Apple products.

You should not restart the computer until all components have been removed or only partially removed. This can lead to unpredictable consequences.
Apple support

Removing iTunes service files

On official page site by technical support Apple assures iTunes users:

In most cases, uninstalling iTunes and its associated components from Control Panel will remove all supporting files associated with those programs.
Apple supporthttps://support.apple.com/ru-ru/HT204275

Nevertheless, some service folders and files remain on the computer. You will need to remove them manually. These are the folders:

C:\Program Files\Common Files\Apple
C:\Program Files\iTunes
C:\Program Files\iPod
C:\Program Files\QuickTime
C:\Windows\System32\QuickTime
C:\Windows\System32\QuickTimeVR
C:\Users\"Username"\AppData\Local\Apple
C:\Users\"Username"\AppData\Local\Apple Computer
C:\Users\"Username"\AppData\Local\Apple Inc
C:\Users\"Username"\AppData\Roaming\Apple

We delete the remaining service files

Cannot delete iPodService.exe file

In some cases, when you try to delete the iPod folder, a warning appears: “The file iPodService.exe cannot be deleted. The object is in use by another user or program." To solve this problem, you need to go to the “Task Manager”, in the “Processes” tab, select iPodService.exe and click on “End Process”.

Cleaning the registry

For complete cleaning your computer from the remaining application entries must be checked in the registry.

Alternative Methods to Uninstall iTunes

To remove an application faster and more reliably, you can use third-party programs designed specifically for such purposes. Among them are, for example, CCleaner or Revo Unstaller. They allow you to uninstall other programs and clean up your computer's registry in just two steps. Let's look at this process using Revo Unistaller as an example.

Follow these step by step instructions:

For Mac OS

The first thing you encounter Mac user OS when trying to remove the media player in the usual way, - inability to do this operation. You will receive the following error message.

iTunes Uninstall Error Message

This is due to the fact that iTunes is built into the operating system itself and is protected from deletion. However, there is a way to remove the application. What should be done?

After this, you can move iTunes from the Applications folder to the trash.

Deleting an iTunes Library

Regardless of how you uninstall the application, a folder with your media library data remains on your computer. You can only remove it manually. Default The full path to this folder looks like this: C:\Users\"Username"\Music\iTunes. Accordingly, to get rid of it, simply transfer the folder to the Trash.

Removing iTunes Library Manually

If you can't install a later version of iTunes

After installing one of the more later versions you may receive an error message.

iTunes Library.itl and iTunes Library.xml files cannot be read

To resolve this issue, go to the My Documents\My Music\iTunes folder and delete the iTunes Library.itl and iTunes Library.xml files from it.

Lifehacks with iTunes

The folder for storing your audio and video files can be changed in the program settings. For this:

From the iTunes menu, select "Edit - Preferences...".
In the window that appears, go to the “Add-ons” tab.
Below the "Location" window iTunes folders Media" click on the "Change..." button.

Then you can select your directory to store your media library. Secondly, you can copy the song to a CD and record it again from it to your computer, choosing any convenient format.

Thirdly, you can record the desired composition using third party program, such as Apowersoft Streaming Audio Recorder. To do this, you need to click on the corresponding sound recording button in the program itself and turn on the song in iTunes. As a result, you will have a new recorded sound, which you can later re-encode into any format.

Record music from iTunes using a third-party program

Despite the apparent complexity, the iTunes removal procedure looks so only at first glance. In most cases, an issue with an app can be resolved by downloading Last update from the official website. But if you have clearly decided to deal with the program once and for all, and without leaving a trace, this article will help you carry out this operation competently, quickly and without harm to your computer.

Hi all! Are you thinking of deleting iTunes quickly and decisively? Then you have come to exactly the right place - after all, where else can you find detailed and accurate instructions (plus answers to questions in the comments)? Only on my blog (yes, yes, yes, the author has absolutely baseless delusions of grandeur :)). However, let's get back to the topic...

What could be difficult about this seemingly very easy process? There is one very important nuance- the fact is that simply erasing the program (using standard Windows tools) will not be enough (how!). In addition, in order to completely remove iTunes from your computer, you must meet several fairly important conditions, which we will definitely discuss in this article.

But first, let's look at possible reasons that prompted you to get rid of the media harvester Apple.

Freezes, freezes, takes a long time to load, slows down and stuff like that. If this is only the problem, then you can try. There is a high probability that after installing the new version, all “freezes” will end safely.
No longer needed. But really, backups and them, you can not only use a computer, but also using iCloud (instructions for storing information in the clouds). Update the firmware, download music, upload books - almost all operations with the iPhone (iPad) can be performed without the participation of the iTunes program. Yes, this does not add convenience, but it’s possible!
Need to supply more earlier version– here you can’t do without complete removal.
The strangest reason, although this also happens, is ordinary human dislike (although rather a reluctance to understand this program).

Note: the instructions are prepared for owners of PCs with an operating system published by Microsoft.

Now let's get down to specific actions. The first thing you need to do is close iTunes.

For Windows 7 and earlier, it is located in the start menu.
In Windows 8, use search - enter Control Panel - click on the search result.

In the window that opens, click Uninstall programs.

One by one, we get rid of all utilities and applications that have the publisher in the field - Apple inc.

After removing all this “good”, we reboot the PC ourselves.

As you can see, the iTunes shortcut has disappeared from the desktop. However, some files are still saved on the computer. The figure below shows their location:

As you understand, this is a folder with media library files. Their removal is necessary in the case when you need to install the previous iTunes version.

Backups will also remain on your computer. If desired, we remove them manually. Where are they located?

This rarely happens, but it does happen when for some reason you need to uninstall iTunes. For example, installing more old version, reinstallation or complete removal of the program from the computer. Uninstalling the program itself is not enough, since iTunes installs it along with it. additional components necessary for its work. In this article we will tell you how to properly remove iTunes and all related programs. However this instruction you may never need it.

The iTunes media combiner serves as a link between the computer and Apple devices: synchronization, software updates, backups, etc., so we will look at the options:

Your media library (music, movies, programs) stored in iTunes and backup iPhone copies, iPad, Apple Watch, You will find:

macOS
/Users/ Username/Music/iTunes/iTunes Media
/Users/ Username/Library/Application Support/MobileSync/Backup

Windows
C:\Users\ Username\Music\iTunes\iTunes Media
C:\Users\ Username\AppData\Roaming\Apple Computer\MobileSync\Backup

How to Uninstall iTunes on macOS (OS X) Computers

Step 1 Quit iTunes and go to the Applications folder, it is located in the Finder side menu

Step 2 You won’t be able to delete iTunes like other programs by dragging it to the trash. You will receive the error: “The “iTunes” object cannot be modified or deleted because it is required for macOS (OS X) to work.” Therefore, select the program and press the keyboard shortcuts ⌘Cmd+I. A program properties window will appear in front of you; in the lower right corner of the window, click the button and enter your account password. Now in the field " General access and access rights" for all users, set the rights Read and write, then move the program to the trash ⌘Cmd + Delete

For OS X El Capitan and macOS Sierra you can skip these steps and simply press ⌘Cmd + ⌥Option (Alt) + Delete - this will delete the program past the trash can, you will only need to enter the user password

Step 3 Open the program " System Settings", it is also located in the Applications folder and select Now select your user, click Login Items and remove "iTunesHelper" from startup. Select the program and click on the button -

Step 5 Restart your computer

Uninstall iTunes on macOS using Terminal

For latest versions On macOS, the method described above will not work. Therefore, here you will need to use the “Terminal” program, with its help you can remove iTunes on both new and old versions operating system.

Step 1 Launch the Terminal program, it can also be found in the Applications folder, or press the keyboard shortcuts ^Ctrl + Space and use Spotlight search

Step 2 In a terminal window, enter next command To completely remove iTunes from your computer:

sudo rm -rf /Applications/iTunes.app

Step 3 After this, you will be required to enter the account (administrator) password. It is worth noting that when entering a password in the “Terminal”, from a security point of view, its characters are not displayed

Important! If you have installed macOS High Sierra, Mojave or higher, then before this you need to disable system integrity protection or SIP (System Integrity Protection) for the method to work. For others macOS versions(OS X) No need to do this!

How to Uninstall iTunes on Windows Computers

iTunes on Windows computers additionally installs several more software components; they are necessary for its full operation. The removal of all these programs must be carried out strictly in the following order:

iTunes
Apple Software Update
Apple Mobile Device Support
Bonjour
Support Apple programs(32-bit)
Apple Software Support (64-bit)

At times, iTunes may install both versions of Apple Application Support at once. Therefore, if you have both x86 and x64 versions installed, uninstall them both.

Step 1 Open the utility Programs and components. To do this, use the Win + R key combination to open the “Run” window and enter appwiz.cpl

In Windows 10, you can still use the Apps and Features component (update Anniversary Update(1607) — Parameters → System; update Creators Update(1703) and higher - Settings → Applications)

Step 2 Among installed programs Find programs associated with iTunes and, one by one, according to the list, remove them. Use the Uninstall button located at the top or call the program uninstaller double click left mouse button on it

Step 3 After uninstalling iTunes and its components, you must remove all traces of programs (files and folders that may have remained after uninstallation)

iTunes
C:\Program Files\iTunes
C:\Program Files(x86)\iTunes
C:\ProgramData\Apple Computer\iTunes
C:\Users\ Username\AppData\Local\Apple Computer\iTunes
C:\Users\ Username\AppData\Roaming\Apple Computer\iTunes
C:\Users\ Username\AppData\Roaming\Apple Computer\Preferences

Apple Software Update
C:\Users\ Username\AppData\Local\Apple Software Update

Apple Mobile Device Support
C:\Program Files\Common Files\Apple\Mobile Device Support

Bonjuor
C:\Program Files\Bonjour
C:\Program Files(x86)\Bonjour

Apple Application Support
C:\Program Files\Common Files\Apple\Apple Application Support

You will not necessarily find all of these folders, or they will be empty, since their contents will be deleted when the program is uninstalled. To display hidden files and folders, in the Explorer window, select “View” → “Show or hide” and select the checkbox When all operations are completed, restart the computer

Also, to completely remove iTunes in Windows, you can use the Revo Uninstaller program, there is both paid and free version program, you can download it from here. Revo Uninstaller is interesting because it not only uninstalls the program, but also removes residual files and cleans system registry from the mentioned program.

Now you have the opportunity to install absolutely any version of iTunes. All versions of the program for macOS and Windows are available on this and this site. You can always download the latest version from the Apple website.

Note! If in the future you want to install a version of iTunes lower than what you had, then delete iTunes file Library.itl, which is located in the folder: /Users/ Username/Music/iTunes/ . Otherwise, when you start the program, you will receive the corresponding error:

All owners mobile devices from Apple time From time to time they encounter problems when using. Not rare this program does not work correctly and produces various errors. To solve this problem, it is often recommended to completely remove iTunes from your computer and reinstall it from scratch.

But, complete iTunes removal not so much simple task. The fact is that other Apple programs are installed along with iTunes and you need to remove them all separately. Now we will tell you how to completely remove iTunes computer under operating room control Windows systems 7 or Windows 10.

Step No. 1. Finish the work iTunes processes and Apple.

To ensure that nothing interferes with the removal of iTunes, it is advisable to start this procedure by completing the processes. To do this, you need to open the Task Manager (for example, by pressing CTRL-SHIFT-ESC) and go to the Processes tab (if you have Windows 7) or the Details tab (if you have Windows 10).

Next you need to study the list running processes and complete anything related to iTunes or Apple products. Most likely, you will find processes such as AppleMobileDeviceHelper.exe, AppleMobileDeviceService.exe, iTunesHelper.exe, iPodService. Feel free to complete all these processes. To do this you need to click right click mouse over the process and select “Finish” or “Cancel”.

More detailed information about processes that belong software Apple companies can be read.

Step No. 2. Remove iTunes through the Panel Windows management.

Once the process is complete, you can begin uninstalling iTunes. To do this, you need to open the Windows Control Panel. If you have Windows 7, then you can use Start to do this.

In Windows 10, everything is no longer so simple. Here you will need to press the combination Windows-R keys and execute the "control" command.

After opening the Control Panel, you need to go to the “Uninstall programs” section.

As a result, you should see a list of all installed programs. To quickly find all Apple programs, use search bar in the right top corner window. Enter the query “Apple” and the system will show programs that relate to this company. Most likely, you will have 5 or 6 programs installed, these are: Apple Mobile Device Support, Apple Software Update, iTunes, Bonjour and Apple Program Support (or Apple Application Support).

In order to completely remove iTunes from your computer, you need to remove all these programs. This is done very simply, right-click on the program, select the “Uninstall” option and follow the installer’s instructions.

After completing the removal of one program, we move on to the next and so on until everything is deleted.

Step No. 3. Delete the files remaining after iTunes.

In order to completely remove iTunes from your computer, you need to additionally clean the folders from files that might remain there. To do this, manually open the following folders and check if there are any files there.

C:\Program Files\Bonjour
C:\Program Files\Common Files\Apple\Mobile Device Support
C:\Program Files\Common Files\Apple\Apple Application Support
C:\Program Files\Common Files\Apple\CoreFP
C:\Program Files\iTunes\
C:\Program Files\iPod\
C:\Users\UserName\AppData\Local\Apple\
C:\Users\UserName\AppData\Local\Apple Computer\
C:\Users\UserName\AppData\Local\Apple Inc\
C:\Users\Username\Music\iTunes (folder with iTunes library, if you want to keep the contents of the library, then delete this folder no need)

If we manage to find something, feel free to delete it. Once completed, restart your computer and you are done, you have completely removed iTunes from your computer.