Last Updated on August 30, 2019 by Jay

The “iTunes won’t open” issue has been getting more and more popular lately. Especially on Windows computers and often after big updates. Sounds familiar? 

That’s not to say that the same issue is non-existent for Mac computers either. So, we’ll be mentioning how to fix it for both Operating Systems and on iPhones as well. That being said, let’s get right into it!

iTunes Won’t Open: Various Fixes

1: How to Fix “iTunes Won’t Open” on Windows Computers

Windows computers are the ones that most commonly face this issue. So, let’s start with that. There are various things that can go wrong and “brake” an application like iTunes. One of the most common ones is big updates that change the “structure” of the OS and sometimes, this messes up a few programs.

At this point, you can either try to repair or re-install iTunes to fix the above-mentioned issue. To repair it, go to: 

1. Settings
2. Apps
3. iTunes
4. Modify
5. Repair

And while it says “repair”, this is more of an automatic re-installation process. Still, it should fix your issue and work just fine. If not, give it another try with the old, traditional method by going to: 

1. Settings
2. Apps
3. iTunes
4. Uninstall

This uninstalls iTunes. To install them again, simply head over to the official website, download the app again, install it, log in, and pray that everything will work just fine. 

If iTunes still refuses to cooperate, your best bet is to uninstall the update which messed up everything in the first place. This can be done by going to: 

1. Settings
2. Update & Security
3. View update history
4. Uninstall updates
5. Then look for the most recent updates that were installed and remove them

After that, reboot your system and try running iTunes again. And if it still refuses to work, then your last two options are either running it in safe mode or taking it one step further and resetting your whole system. 

How to Launch iTunes in Safe Mode and/or Reset Windows 10

Opening iTunes in safe mode is as easy as: 

1. Holding down CTRL + Shift
2. Open iTunes while still holding down these buttons
3. And that’s it

If you’ve tried everything and iTunes still refuses to work, then your last line of defense is performing a factory reset. In order to do that, you must go to: 

1. Settings
2. Update & recovery
3. Reset this PC
4. Get started

And here you can select to either keep your files or delete everything. Do keep in mind that no matter which way you go, all of your 3rd party apps will be deleted. 

It would be for the best if you could actually perform a clean install. But, this requires Windows installation media, a valid Windows key, and secondary drives or the cloud for backups. It’s basically a whole new process. So, maybe just stick with a simple Windows reset for now. 

That’s about all we got for Windows right now. And there a few other minor things that you may try like: 

• Restarting your system
• Checking out the firewall and ensuring that it doesn’t block iTunes
• Updating your drivers

And things like that. But, if you’ve tried everything that we mentioned above and it didn’t work out for you, then I highly doubt that such steps will be any more useful. 

So, time to move on to Mac now. 

2: How to Fix The “iTunes Won’t Open” Issue on Mac Computers

This problem is definitely a rarity for Mac users. But, if you were unfortunate enough to be one of the unlucky few, well, there’s not that much that we can really do. 

The first thing that you always wanna try out in such cases is the updates. Always make sure that your system and apps are running their latest versions. 

To check for updates on Mac, select the:

1. Apple icon
2. Software update

And if any updates are available, then click on the “Update now” button, wait for the installation to finish, reboot your computer, and then try opening iTunes again. 

You could also try signing in with a different user account and then logging in back to your own. Alternatively, logging out and back in is worth a try if possible. 

Other than that, you can also try some of the more standard fixes like rebooting your PC. But, reinstalling iTunes isn’t an option here. That’s mostly because it’s a core app for Macs and thus we’re not allowed to meddle with it like we can on Windows. 

There are a few tricks to bypass that, but they sometimes lead into issues. Not to mention that the newest versions of Mac OS will not allow you to do anything anyway. You could try temporarily renaming the iTunes library folder, though. But, I doubt this will be of much help. 

How to Repair Disk Permissions

One thing that may be helpful is repairing the disk permissions. To do that, you must first go into safe mode by: 

1. Restart your Mac and upon boot, hold down the “Shift” key until you see the log-in screen
2. Log in
3. Open the Finder
4. Go to Application 
5. Select “Utilities” 
6. Disk utility
7. First aid
8. Then select “Repair Disc Permissions” 

Depending on the version of Mac that you’re using, this option may not be available.

3: How to Fix “iTunes Won’t Open” on iPhone

An iPhone gives us even fewer options to work with. Still, let’s take our chances. The first thing you wanna try is restarting the phone. It poses zero risks and it’s something that may be able to fix your issue. 

So, to restart an iPhone: 

1. Hold down the power/sleep button
2. Slide to power off
3. Hold down the power/sleep button again until the phones powers on
4. Wait till it’s fully booted
5. Then give iTunes one more try

If that fails, make sure that you’re running the latest version of the app be heading over to the App Store. You could also try uninstalling and installing iTunes as you would do with any other app. 

And if nothing seems to work, the only thing that remains is a factory reset. Of all the things that we’ve mentioned, this is the only one that will delete your data. So, make sure to keep backups on your PC or iCloud. 

To factory reset an iPhone: 

1. Go to Settings
2. General 
3. Reset
4. Erase all content and settings

After that, simply follow the on-screen instructions. If memory serves right, you’ll need to double confirm your decision and insert your Apple ID for safety reasons. 

This will turn your iPhone into a brand-new like state. But, it’ll also delete everything stored in the device. 

That’s all for now. If you’ve got any questions or if you feel like there’s a good solution that we didn’t add, you can let us know about it in the comments section down below. 

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George Kasiouras

Editor at Why The Lucky Stiff

George has been reading smartphone reviews since the days where single-core devices and Android 2.0 were a thing. And while he never expected to be the one to write them, here we are today. When he is not writing about tech, you'll find him writing novels, playing games, watching shows or anime, or maybe even soloing with his guitar.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/george-k-8246a1169/

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