ITunes Is Freezing on a Reinstall
If you are experiencing problems when trying to reinstall iTunes, you can take a number of troubleshooting steps to resolve the issue. The freezing may be caused by a previous installation of the software, by a conflicting third-party program (such as an antivirus tool) or by corrupt entries in the Windows registry. Make sure you are installing the latest version of iTunes for your system from Apple.com/itunes.
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Remove All Previous Traces
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iTunes should be able to reinstall itself on top of an existing installation, but if this fails you can try removing the existing iTunes software first. Use the "Uninstall a program" link from Control Panel or a third-party tool such as Simnet Uninstaller (from Simnetsoftware.com) to remove iTunes, then download and install the latest version from the Apple website. Your existing iTunes libraries and media content should remain intact. Additionally, erasing temporary files from your Windows user account can help -- in Windows 7 they are located at C:\Users\<your username>\AppData\Local\Temp.
Check for Conflicting Software
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Third-party software, in particular security tools, can occasionally interfere with the installation process. Close down any programs or background processes you aren't using while iTunes reinstalls itself -- you may need to temporarily disable your antivirus and anti-spyware tools from running in order to prevent conflicts, or shut down their real-time components. Check that you are running the latest versions of your security software packages to ensure that the latest compatibility patches have been applied -- consult the documentation supplied with your antivirus and anti-spyware tools for more details.
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Other Troubleshooting Tips
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If you are still experiencing problems reinstalling iTunes successfully, make sure you are using an account that has administrator access. Check that the iTunes installer isn't being run from a folder containing special characters -- to make sure, save it to and run it from the Desktop. As a general rule, ensure the latest Windows updates have been downloaded and applied (visit the System and Security section of the Control Panel for this). You can also try running Windows in Safe Mode (tap F8 while the PC is booting to access the Safe Mode menu) -- this stripped-down, limited operating system mode may enable you to reinstall iTunes successfully.
Further Help and Resources
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The support section of the official Apple website at Apple.com/support provides a comprehensive collection of troubleshooting guides and advice. Follow the iTunes link and use the search tool to look for articles and forum posts relevant to your issue -- if no relevant results are returned, start a new thread in the support forums. Include as much information as possible about the problem, including the operating system you're using and the point at which the installation freezes.
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