iTunes Problems with Vista

Thinking about upgrading to Microsoft’s new operating system Vista? If you own an iPod, you might want to hold off on Vista… at least for now. Last week, Apple posted a warning on their website stating that customers using Windows Vista may experience compatibility issues with iTunes.

According to Apple, the latest version of iTunes (7.0.2) may work with Windows Vista on many typical PCs, but don’t be surprised if it doesn’t work and messes up your iPod in the process. Apple advices Windows users to wait and not install Vista until after the next release of iTunes. A new version of iTunes should be released sometime this or next month. If you’ve already upgraded to Vista and are having problems with iTunes, you might want to check out a utility called iTunes Repair Tool for Vista.

Apple has already identified several Vista compatibility issues with iTunes 7.0.2 and earlier. Here are some of the most common problems:

• iTunes Store purchases may not play when upgrading to Windows Vista from Windows 2000 or XP
• Cover Flow animation may be slower than expected
• Contacts and calendars will not sync with iPod
• iPod models with the “Enable Disk Use” option turned off may be unable to update or restore iPod software, and make changes to iPod settings
• iPod models configured to Auto Sync and have the “Enable Disk Use” option turned off may require being ejected and reconnected to resync
• Ejecting an iPod from the Windows System Tray using the “Safely Remove Hardware” feature may corrupt your iPod. To always safely eject an iPod, choose Eject iPod from the Controls menu within iTunes

If you really can’t wait to install Vista, Apple suggests you consider the following precautions:

• Users should deauthorize all iTunes Store accounts, enable Disk Use on all iPod models, uninstall iTunes and perform a clean install of Windows Vista (Highly recommended but not required).
• They should then proceed to reinstall the latest version of iTunes, open iTunes and choose Authorize Computer from the Store menu in iTunes.
• A customer who has upgraded to Windows Vista and is still experiencing issues playing iTunes Store purchases should download the iTunes Repair Tool from Apple.com

Adam Anderson, a spokesperson for Microsoft’s Windows division, said the company did not believe iTunes users “should stop using Vista for these reasons.” He also said that Microsoft has a dedicated team working with Apple on getting iTunes running smoothly on Vista, and it will keep at it “until they have the program running to the quality level they’re shooting for… We are also committed to ensuring that all partners, including Apple, receive all the resources they need to ensure that their applications work with Windows Vista,” he said.

Apple has sold more than 90 million iPods since the product was first announced in October 2001.

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