Unable to Download iTunes for Windows? Here Are 8 Fixes
If you’re here, you’re probably an Apple device owner with a Windows PC, wanting to download iTunes to carry out tasks such as syncing content, backing up your Apple device, and more. However, if you’re directed to download iTunes from the Microsoft Store, but it fails to download, what do you do next?
Let’s look at the different solutions you can try so that you can successfully download iTunes on your Windows PC.
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1. Check Your Internet Connection
To download iTunes, your computer needs to be online. To see if your PC is connected to the internet, check the Wi-Fi icon on your Windows Taskbar.
Sometimes, if the Wi-Fi signal is weak, the internet connection may randomly break. You may also encounter limited connectivity issues. In such cases, the Wi-Fi icon will be displayed as an empty globe or contain a yellow warning sign.
If you can’t connect to a Wi-Fi network, an alternative is to use your smartphone as a mobile hotspot. This way, you can proceed to access the internet on your computer and download iTunes, especially if your mobile internet speed is fast enough.
2. Log In as a Windows Administrator
An administrator is the assigned user who is authorized to make changes on a particular computer. Such changes include installing software like iTunes.
If you’re using a work, school, or library computer, it’s best for you to contact the relevant staff at your organization to download iTunes.
If it’s your personal computer, it’s likely you’re already logged in as an administrator. This is because, by default, the first account created during the Windows installation on a PC is an administrator account.
Before moving on to other solutions, you can check that you’re logged in to an admin account by following these steps:
- Go to the Control Panel. Select User Accounts.
- Under the user’s account name, you’ll see Administrator as one of the listed points.
If you’re not an admin, check out our guide on the Windows Administrator account to learn more.
Software updates often contain bug fixes and features that improve performance. To fix downloading issues, you may need to update the Microsoft store on your computer if you haven’t.
To update the Microsoft Store in Windows 10, follow these steps:
- In the Microsoft Store, select the More icon (three dots).
- Choose Download and updates.
- Click Get updates.
Here’s how to do so in Windows 11:
- In the Microsoft Store, select Library.
- Click Get updates.
If there’s a Microsoft Store update, it’ll automatically install on your computer.
4. Restart Your Computer
Sometimes you find that the Bluetooth icon suddenly goes missing in Windows. Or the internet connection doesn’t work on your PC, while it does for everyone else.
For a myriad of computer issues, restarting your device returns it to a fresh state and resolves tech hiccups. It’s best to restart if you have just updated the Microsoft Store as well. Afterward, try to download iTunes again.
5. Download iTunes From Apple’s Website
If you’ve already updated the Microsoft Store but still fail to download iTunes, you can use another source—head over to Apple’s website and download iTunes from there.
On the webpage, you can identify which is the latest version of iTunes by looking at its date. Then, make sure that you select the one with your computer’s operating system, which in your case, it’s either Windows 32-bit or 64-bit.
We have a guide to help you check whether you have 32-bit or 64-bit Windows so that you can download the correct iTunes software.
After installation, if you receive an iTunes error message that states video playback is not supported on your computer, you’ll need to download the older iTunes version (that contains the statement: for older video cards) from the website instead.
6. Temporarily Disable Security and Antivirus Software
Security and antivirus software occasionally prevent you from downloading otherwise trustworthy apps. If you’re downloading iTunes from official sources such as Apple’s website or the Microsoft Store, you can try temporarily disabling your antivirus to download iTunes.
Whether it’s Kaspersky, Norton, or another antivirus you’re using, simply go to the software’s settings section to turn it off for a while. If you’re using the built-in Windows Defender, you can check out our guide on how to turn off Windows Defender.
Random yet repeated crashes and glitches on your computer can be often solved by updating Windows. This includes recurring downloading problems that you’re facing. Plus, since you’re downloading apps online, it’s advisable to update Windows so that you’ll have the latest security updates and patches.
We have an article that covers everything you need to know to manage your Windows updates.
8. Uninstall Previous or Existing Version of iTunes
A potential reason you’re unable to download iTunes is that you already have files of it on your computer. Therefore, you’ll need to delete iTunes and any related software components before you can download it again.
Go to the Control Panel and select Uninstall a program to remove them. To prevent any issues, Apple emphasizes that you’ll need to uninstall the programs from your computer in the following order:
- iTunes
- Apple Software Update
- Apple Mobile Device Support
- Bonjour
- Apple Application Support 32-bit
- Apple Application Support 64-bit
This should remove all related files. But for extra confirmation, go to Program Files, Program Files (x86), and the Apple folder in Common Files. If you see the below files in those folders, trash them:
- iTunes
- Bonjour
- iPod
- Mobile Device Support
- Apple Application Support
- CoreFP
Then, remove them permanently from your Recycle Bin. Once you have done so, you can download iTunes anew on your PC.
Unable to Download iTunes for Windows, Solved
We hope the listed solutions have helped you download iTunes on your Windows PC successfully. It’s best if you can download iTunes from the Microsoft Store. This is because it doesn’t come with additional background services such as Bonjour, which otherwise causes your computer to boot slower.
However, if your priority is getting iTunes downloaded on your computer quickly without spending too much time on troubleshooting, head over to Apple’s website as linked above and you should be able to download iTunes immediately.
