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Disclaimer

All the tips/hints/fixes/other information posted here are at your own risk. Some of the steps here could result in damage to your computer. For example, using a Windows registry editor like RegEdit could result in unintended serious changes that may be difficult or impossible to reverse. Backups are always encouraged.

14 October 2007

Getting Rid of iTunesHelper.exe and ipodservice.exe

It seems a little difficult to disable these, because iTunes just brings them right back. If you have an iPod, you probably should keep them, but if not, they're just (slightly) slowing you down.

How to get rid of them:
  1. Make sure iTunes isn't running
  2. In services, disable and stop the ipodservice
  3. Delete the following: %programfiles%\ipod, %programfiles%\itunes\ituneshelper.exe, %programfiles\itunes\ituneshelper.resources
  4. Make sure your shortcuts point directly to itunes.exe; shortcuts that launch iTunes through its install ID may try to restore these missing parts.
Thanks SeeMoreDigital.

Also, I recommend Quicktime Alternative for quicktime ability without the bloat. It works great with iTunes too.

9 comments:

  1. Check out the program Winpatrol for controlling startup programs (http://www.winpatrol.com/ -- free for the basic version). Also, I think these files are treated as services, so you can disable them from the windows services dialog (type services.msc in the run box).

    ReplyDelete
  2. Huge thanx! Finally I can run clean iTunes without unnecessary bloat.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Galen S. you are my saviour.

    ReplyDelete
  4. iTunes.exe has a habit of resurrecting both these services even if you disable ipodservice.exe in the Services console. Once you fire itunes.exe, it starts them again as the SYSTEM user. Okay, so here's how we prevent that. Go find the two .exe files, edit the permissions for SYSTEM user, deny Read/Execute. Now you'll never see them again. Of course if you want to hook up an iPod, at that point go ahead and give read/execute back to SYSTEM.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Thanks Patrick,
    Running iTunes 8.0.2.20 on WinXP-Pro (SP-3)...Stopped
    "C:\Program Files\iPod\bin\iPodService.exe" in Services... Then navigated to that Folder then R-click on file, select Properties, Security tab and Under SYSTEM check Deny Read & Execute/Read
    -->Apply.
    <>
    WORKS FLAWLESSLY!!
    <>
    Note: if ipodService in services is Disabled, it will switch to Manual and Stopped when iTunes is launched.

    ReplyDelete
  6. WORKS BUT GET DCOM ERROR AND another error in XP-Pro. Obviously, they are safe to ignore. IF no Ipod or other Apple devices you can safely remove
    "itunesHelper.exe" by deleting Registry key:
    "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\
    SOFTWARE\Microsoft\
    Windows\CurrentVersion\
    Run" Select iTunesHelper and delete that ab value only.
    Recommend Export Selected Branch 1st. In Add or Remove Programs, You can safely remove:
    Apple Mobile Device Support
    Apple Software Update
    Bonjour
    <>
    Here is a Batch file that works in XP FLAWLESSLY. It stops the iPod Service that iTunes neglected to stop before exit. Find your own icon--if desired:
    :: WIN-XP-PRO--STOPS "iPod Service" WHEN iTunes CLOSES
    :: NORTON AV DETECTED CMDOW TOOL AND IGNORE WORKED
    :: CMDOW IS BRITISH PROG THAT HIDES THE UGLY
    :: CMD WINDOW WHILE iTunes IS PLAYING--NOT VIRUS, SPYWARE...
    :: USED SHORT FILENAMES ELSE I.E. "C:\Program Files\iTunes\iTunes.exe"
    :: NO SHORT NAME FOR "iPod Service" --ALL QUOTES REQUIRED--KEN ALLISON
    ::
    @ECHO OFF
    CMDOW @ /HID
    START "" /WAIT C:\PROGRA~1\ITUNES\ITUNES.EXE
    SC STOP "iPod Service"
    EXIT

    <>
    Lastly, the iTunes Library size slows down iTunes immensely. Re-think >1k songs. Helpful link:
    http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1451

    ReplyDelete
  7. Another way to disable iPodService:

    Control Panel - Administrative Tools - Component Service - My Computer - DCOM config - right click iPodService and select Properties.
    In the Properties dialog box, select Security tab, then select "Customize" under "Launch and Activate Permissions" and click "Edit".
    For each group and user (System, Administrator and all the others) change Permissions settings (Local launch, Remote launch, Local activate, Remote activate) from "Allow" to "Deny". Press OK - OK
    You will still get DCOM error but may ignore it.

    ReplyDelete
  8. iTunesHelper normally loads on boot via the "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\
    SOFTWARE\Microsoft\
    Windows\CurrentVersion\
    Run" key (XP-Pro). It also starts the iPod Service. Delete the ab(iTunesHelper) value only (Recommend Export Selected Branch 1st), and the iPod Service will not start on system Boot.

    If the iPod Service is disabled then called, it will generate a DCOM event error that can be ignored, but there is a better way. Use Manual not Automatic startup type in Services under iPod. Then a simple batch file will stop the iPod Service after iTunes closes because Apple neglected to.

    Call iTunes via a batch file like above. I launch my very small batch file from the taskbar with an iTunes like icon. The font and window size is as small as possible, and CMDOW (British Program) in the System32 folder hides the (ugly) command window nicely--seemlessly.

    ReplyDelete
  9. here is the fix...
    remove in this order...
    itunes
    quicktime
    apple software update
    apple mobile device
    bonjour
    apple app support...
    then restart pc...
    turn off firewall...
    reinstall from the apple site....itunes

    ReplyDelete