Wednesday, January 22, 2014

QuickPost: Apple iTunes 11.1.4 Update Runtime error R6034

So after a long day in the trenches, I find the following news:

I’m less concerned with new features in iTunes than I am addressing vulnerabilities. So before bed, I decided to do a quick update. Big mistake.

I’m running iTunes on Window 7 x64 platform.

I launch iTunes, go to Help on the menu bar and then “Check for Updates”.

Sure enough, the Apple software updater finds the new update.  I check it and it does the download thing.

Then it fails the download/patch and suggests I try again.

I do and again the download/patch update process fails.  It suggests that if it happens again I manually download and apply the iTunes installer.

OK.

So I pop over to the Apple - iTunes - Download iTunes Now link and download the full package.

I run the installer and this time get confronted with several errors including problems starting a service as well as the very clear C++ Runtime error with a code R6034.  Ignoring or retrying doesn’t help. I’m seeing that error so much now tonight I think it’s trying to flirt with me and pick me up.

A few more failed re-installation attempts leads me to the Googles.

I first tried doing a “repair” of the older (still) installed version of iTunes on my system via the “Programs and Features” section of Control Panel. Sadly the repair also bombed out on me and failed. Not a good sign.

(Un)Fortunately I find more than a few users tonight banging their heads on the desk with the same error after attempting to upgrade to the new 11.1.4 version of iTunes. I can’t say it is an issue with the new installer/updater package but one wonders…

Anyway, I got past the error and got the 11.1.4 version successfully installed by following the following tip offered by “jmcyr1” in that first link above.

Removing and reinstalling iTunes and other software components for Windows Vista, Windows 7, or Windows 8 - Apple Support - KB HT1923

1. Remove iTunes and related components from the Control Panel

Use the Control Panel to uninstall iTunes and related software components in the following order and then restart your computer:
    iTunes
    Apple Software Update
    Apple Mobile Device Support
    Bonjour
    Apple Application Support (iTunes 9 or later)

Important: Uninstalling these components in a different order, or only uninstalling some of these components may have unintended affects.

2. Verify iTunes and related components are completely uninstalled

In most cases, removing iTunes and its related components from the Control Panel will remove all supporting files belonging to those programs. In some rare cases, files may be left behind. After following the previous steps, you should confirm that the following files and folders have been removed. If any are left behind, remove them now:

If you have a 64-bit version of Windows, you'll need to confirm that the following folders have been removed:
    C:\Program Files (x86)\Bonjour
    C:\Program Files (x86)\Common Files\Apple\
    C:\Program Files (x86)\iTunes\
    C:\Program Files (x86)\iPod\   

Note: Follow the additional steps at the end of this article if you receive the alert "Cannot delete iPodService.exe: It is being used by another person or program" when trying to delete this folder.

3. Reinstall iTunes and related components

After verifying that iTunes is completely uninstalled, restart your computer and download and install the latest version of iTunes.

I carefully followed the order of component uninstallation listed in step 1 above.

All of the folders listed in step 2 were fully removed so I didn’t find any of them leftover.

I played it safe and did a full system reboot like step 3 says, but I just reused the just downloaded full installer I had previously downloaded from Apple earlier in tonight’s troubleshooting.

I re-ran the installer and this time it went on like the glass slipper on Cinderella’s foot…a perfect fit.

Launched iTunes and everything was present and accounted for.

iTunes update mischief managed.

YMMV.

--Claus V.

Post Update: 02/02/2014 - MORE TIPS! - This post which I tossed up super-quick when I encountered this problem has generated a lot of very kind feedback. I’m pleased to hear the fix process described above is working for most users who find it.

However since the post went up, more official info has come out of Apple support specifically for it and a few folks have had some issues as well where the tip above (sadly) did not work.  In a comment response to Renee (Netherlands) I’ve found some more information. I wanted to add it here into the original post for the folks who aren’t checking the comments. Fingers crossed that if the process above doesn’t work, one of these will.

I would suggest to take a look at this "official" Apple recommendation for iTunes 11.1.4 issues:

It has two different suggestions, one is to look for some specific DLL files and re(move) them. then reboot, and retry the uninstall.

If that doesn't work it also recommends trying to use the Microsoft Program Install and Uninstall Utility. I haven't played with that utility so I can't say if it will help or what impact it could have. If you go that way, go cautiously!

Another Apple Support tip from "turingtest2" is here:

It has some additional tips you might want to try and is very well written. Props to turningtest2 for documenting the recommendations so well!

Finally, there is what I would call an "advanced" technique offered where you download the iTunes update install package, then use another tool "WinRAR" to extract the installer package up into its sub-installers, then install them one at a time. Not for the feint of heart and I haven't seen clear feedback this actually works but it makes sense if you have tried everything else...

Try a standalone Apple Application Support install - Apple Support Communities

Best of luck to all.

--Claus V.

53 comments:

Anonymous said...

And so Apple causes a few million hours of lost productivity. Seriously, who in Apple approved this update without serious testing on Windows platforms before release? I tried almost everything listed, failing only to uninstall Apple Software Update (but manually removing multiple Apple services from HKEY/LocalMachine/CurrentControlSet and rebooting) before giving up. I'll wait until 11.1.5 before giving Apple any more of my midnight hours.

Anonymous said...

Thank you! Saved my life tonight!

Anonymous said...

Thanks, this is exactly the same problem I had with the same OS and version...

Anonymous said...

Thank you! I had the same issue with iTunes today. Spent approx. 2 hours trying to rectify the problem. I came across your post, followed your advice and it worked. iTunes has been re-installed and it is now working properly. Best of all, I didn't lose any content in my iTunes library. Thanks again.

Anonymous said...

Hi Claus.

Thank you very, very much. I have spend at least three hours with troubleshooting and I can confirm that your procedure to eliminate R6034 works PERFECTLY!

Marco

Anonymous said...

Thanks Claus, works great. Just 2 min work.

Unknown said...

Worked!
Had to log out and back in again to delete some files in the Apple directories.
Thanks!

Unknown said...

Thanks so much for this fix! I spent a bunch of time trying everything I knew (admittedly not all that much) and going through other fixes I found. This was the only one that worked. I'm so grateful.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for this... had the same issues and it's now resolved because of the steps above!!

Anonymous said...

Thank you very much Claus. It worked fine. However, since an Apple file subsisted in the "C:\Program Files (x86)\Common Files\Apple" after uninstalling the 5 applications/programs you referred to, I uninstalled iCloud which successfully removed this residual "C:\Program Files (x86)\Common Files\Apple".
The Runtime error disapeared and iTunes was reinstalled successfully.
Again, many thanks for your very helpfull post!
Maurice B.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for posting the fix-up suggestion! Worked for me after the Apple installed honked up iTunes.

Anonymous said...

You are my hero. I have been debugging this all day, followed these directions, and now all is well in life again.

You have no idea how happy you just made me. Thank you.

Anonymous said...

Awesome! Thank you very much!!! Worked like a dream...

Anonymous said...

THANKS A LOT! NOT EVEN APPLE SUPPORT OR MICROSOFT HELPED ME! THANKS!

Anonymous said...

This update has caused a lot of problems. If I uninstall iTunes and all associated programs, will I also lose my library? I've paid for a few things and don't want to have to re-buy anything.

Claus said...

@ Anonymous (one of many) - "If I uninstall iTunes and all associated programs, will I also lose my library?"

Like you I also was concerned. From what I read and have gone through before the answer should be "No. You won't loose your iTunes library and downloaded items/settings/etc."

That said there is always a risk. If iTunes isn't working at all you can't use it to do a library backup. You could use an alternative third-party software to back up your library files if you wanted to. There are more than a few good freeware apps for Windows you could use. Try a Google search for how to manually back up your iTunes library and you might also be able to find where they are at and manually copy them to a different location or external drive storage location.

In my case I already run regular backups so I wasn't concerned and plowed on ahead.

I fully uninstalled all the Apple iTunes components as the post says. When I was done and had reinstalled it successfully, a trial launch of the new iTunes found my iTunes library perfectly intact; including all my downloaded/purchased media files. No problems!

So while I can't say for certain what will happen on your system, in my experience and from what I have read online, you shouldn't be too concerned. Everything should reappear when you get iTunes back on good.

I also believe that Apple allows you to re-download any purchased items if they are in the iCloud. I've done that before on a limited basis when I had issues with a corrupted song or video.

Good luck!

(And thank you everyone who is leaving grateful comments. I tossed up the post in a rush late at night in the odd chance someone else would have the same issue and it might help them. I'm glad it seems to be doing so!)

Cheers!

--Claus V.

glasgow1975 said...

thanks - did this as said - I too was worried about my library but after all the steps and reinstall my library is still there :)

Anonymous said...

Thank you!! Exact same problem I had. This solved it. All is well.

Unknown said...

Mucho thanko! Steps to repair this Apple mess worked like a charm. I manually couldn't remove the Apple folders in my common files folder and realized iCloud was the culprit. Removed iCloud and iTunes reinstall went smoothly.

Anonymous said...

Same problem, same OS, fix / workaround worked, many thanks!!!

Anonymous said...

Thankyou worked perfectly used iobit uninstaller and asc registry cleanup to get rid of all the old files

Unknown said...

Thank you, from Turkey/Ankara

Anonymous said...

Brilliant,did the fix step by step and downloaded perfectly

Anonymous said...

You are the best person in the world this week! Thanks for posting and rescuing my system. I'm wary of installing 11.1.4 because I don't want iCloud at all. The ONLY reason I use iTunes is to use my work-issued iPod, which is the only way I can play music for my dance students. I don't even buy my music through itunes. Would you say that the security vulnerabilities of 11.1.3 are bad enough to warrant not going back to it? (The cost of the alternative being that I'd have iCloud on my system along with 11.1.4) Thanks!

Anonymous said...

thank you, from Portugal

Anonymous said...

Thank you!your post is a big help for me.I have a problem and try to install and uninstall several times,but still struggle with the error,then I try to searching on google and find your post.Just following the step and everything is fine.

Anonymous said...

I have used Control Panel=>Uninstall to remove all the iTunes components but they are still in the Programs File on my C Drive. How do I clear them out completely?

meral said...

Thank you so so very much! Do you also happen to know a good alternative for iTunes? :D

Claus said...

@ Anonymous (one of the many) - I would recommend trying one or more of these suggestions to delete the indicated Apple-related folders in your "Program Files" or "Program Files (x86)" folder.

1) after you did all your Apple application uninstallations, go ahead and reboot your system to make sure that any files that could still be in use are released first. Or as commenter Michael Sallese said,

"Had to log out and back in again to delete some files in the Apple directories."

2) depending on your Windows installation, you might have to have "administrator rights" with security permissions to allow deletion of the folder out of those locations. (On Windows 7 click on the start-orb, type "Windows Explorer" in the search field, then when it appears in the list at the top, right-click it, and select "Run as Administrator".

Then try to delete the stuck folder(s).

Hope that helps,

Cheers.

Anonymous said...

Thanks!

John Monson said...

I never liked iTunes and I was always installing add-on like these http://lifehacker.com/332251/the-23-best-itunes-add+ons or iTuner http://softwarepuppy.com/search/ituner.html I mean I am not surprised it has so many glitches and has to be upgraded constantly. Thanks a lot for this post, was also curious to read the comments to it. Got plenty of useful information.

Anonymous said...

Thank you for way smarter people than me! This solved everything.

AeeDee said...

Thanks!! Worked perfectly :)

Anonymous said...

many many many thanks from TAIWAN!!!!
i updated itunes last night and it doesn't work today:(
but by following those steps, it went on just like what you said, PERFECT FIT!!
thanks!!!!

Anonymous said...

Thank you..

I was afraid that this may delete my backups and setting, but everything went fine :)

Anonymous said...

Thanks a lot for your help!

Anonymous said...

Thank you so much for your help, it worked like a charm. I was so frustrated until I came upon your post, followed the instructions and iTunes is up and running again :)

Anonymous said...

Thank you VERY MUCH for your solution! I've spent around 2 hours trying to figure out what went wrong before finding your solution. Now, everything is fixed. As I can see, it was Apple fault all along.

Cheers from Québec, Canada.

Elisabetta said...

thank you so much for your help, but my Apple Mobile Device Support doesn't uninstall
how can I solve this problem?
I have Win7 Pro 32bit

Anonymous said...

Thanks soooooo much from Guatemala!!!! you saved my life! I was putting off the update and when I finally decided to do it I also thought it was a big mistake and tried to uninstall only iTunes...now it's fixed! Thank you very much!! =)

Anonymous said...

Thanks man! you are the best! was so frustrated and your itunes fix worked like a charm.

Duane

Anonymous said...

I had all the problems mentioned, and, for a Luddite, I 'm proud of how I managed to negotiate my way through this. But iTunes has killed my DVD burner - can't see my DVD burner on My Computer any more. I look on threads and see some incomprehensible stuff about Gear Drivers, and the need to change the registry. But what worries me is the warnings of dire consequences if I get any of the changes wrong.
Surely this should be simpler?

Diego said...

You are the boss!!! thank you very much Claus.

Anonymous said...

God bless you, Muchas Gracias from Colombia Claus.

Claus said...

@ Elisabetta - Hmmm. Not sure.

I did find this post in Apple Support that had someone with a similar issue they resolved. You might try it for starters...

"I've had the same issue on Windows 7 64-bit. iTunes wanted to upgrade itself but couldn't because it failed to start the Apple Mobile Device service and it ended up trashing the original installation. I uninstalled all Apple software but still theApple Mobile Device service was present in Add/Remove programs and attempts to uninstall it just ended up with the progress bar going backwards.

I eventually chose to "Repair" the install (right click on it and choose this option in Add/Remove programs). It still came up with the error (twice) saying it couldn't start the Apple Mobile Device service but I clicked Ignore both times. When this was complete I could then uninstall it and finally I was able to re-install iTunes."

Many follow-on posters report success with that method, even on different Windows versions.

If that doesn't work try reading the full message thread (it's at 3 pages) and see if it has some other tips or recommendations.

I hope this helps!

Cheers.

--Claus V.

Anonymous said...

YOU ARE A STAR!!!!!MANY THANKS FROM ARGENTINA!!THIS WAS FREAKING ME OUT!!!WORST THING IS THAT NOBODY KNEW BUT YOU!!!!!

Anonymous said...

It worked thank you very much for the advice.

Anonymous said...

I tried deleting all the Microsoft C++ Runtimes for 2005, 2008 and 2010. I installed the 2012 version. That didn't work.
Ignoring the problem didn't work either. Cleaning the registry did nothing.

Finally I found your post. Only deleting everything like you said did the trick.

Thanks!

Renee said...

Dear Claus, thanks for your clear explanation! But.....when i want to remove ITunes is refuses. I get the same message: Run error. Can i try to take another first step,without problems, f.e. removing Apple software update?

Thanks for answering.

Renee (Netherlands)

Renee said...

Dear Claus, thanks for your clear explanation. But......when i want to do the first step, removing ITunes, i get the same message: run error. Howcome? Can i take the first step without problems by removing Apple software update first? Thanks in advance for your answer.

Kind regards,

Renee (Netherlands)

Claus said...

@ Renee (Netherlands) - Apple really has their hands full with this update for sure!

I'm going to assume you first tried to do the un-installation a few times in a row despite the failing error message and that if it gave you an "ignore" or "retry" option you took those paths. If not, you might be able to force through the errors for the un-installation.

Next thing I would suggest it to take a look at this "official" Apple recommendation for iTunes 11.1.4 issues:

iTunes 11.1.4 for Windows: Unable to install or open - Apple Support

It has two different suggestions, one is to look for some specific DLL files and re(move) them. then reboot, and retry the uninstall.

If that doesn't work it also recommends trying to use the Microsoft Program Install and Uninstall Utility. I haven't played with that utility so I can't say if it will help or what impact it could have. If you go that way, go cautiously!

Another Apple Support tip from "turingtest2" is here:

Troubleshooting issues with iTunes for Windows updates: Apple Support Communities - Apple Support Communities.

It has some additional tips you might want to try and is very well written. Props to turningtest2 for documenting the recommendations so well!

Finally, there is what I would call an "advanced" technique offered where you download the iTunes update install package, then use another tool "WinRAR" to extract the installer package up into its sub-installers, then install them one at a time. Not for the feint of heart and I haven't seen clear feedback this actually works but it makes sense if you have tried everything else...

Try a standalone Apple Application Support install - Apple Support Communities

Please let us know if any of these techniques work!

Cheers and good luck!

--Claus V.


Anonymous said...

Hi Claus,

You are a genius man..Thank you so much, spent almost a day searching for the solution and finally I got it, and it did work perfect. I follow the detailed step by step procedure, and hurray... and did re-install the latest update of the iTunes.

Once again, thank you.


CCM


















































































Thank you very, very much. I have spend at least three hours with troubleshooting and I can confirm that your procedure to eliminate R6034 works PERFECTLY!

petrolheadsg said...

Thank you so much. It worked for me only after I removed ALL Apple programs including iCloud and Mobileme.