Uninstalling and removing iTunes from Windows XP
I recently downloaded and installed QuickTime. I couldn’t do much about it, but it installed QuickTime at the same time. I have no desire for keeping iTunes on my system, and certainly no reason to have an iPodHelper.exe process running all the time (since I don’t own an iPod). There were no options to uninstall iTunes – it was just not on the uninstall radar at all.
The solution was to download iTunes again, install it, and then uninstall it. This also installed QuickTime again, but uninstalling it only removed iTunes.
The last step was to go into the registry editor (run: regedit.exe), drill down to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/SOFTWARE/Microsoft/
Windows/CurrentVersion/Run and remove Qttask from starting up each time windows loaded. So now my system is not owned by Apple and I can watch quicktime movies on the rare occassions taht something entertaining comes along.
6 Replies to “Uninstalling and removing iTunes from Windows XP”
Thanks for this helpful info!! I managed to uninstall itunes but I am unsure what the use is of (run: regedit.exe)….etc. is? What is Qttask? I am operating Windows 2000, so maybe I don’t need to do this. Anyway, thanks 🙂
I should have mentioned that qttask.exe is another annoying process installed by QuickTime (so nothing to do with iTunes really) – I’ve written about how to remove qttask.exe here. The qttask process doesn’t do any harm, but I really haven’t found any reason for it sitting there and using up valuable memory!
great! i suspected i had to reinstall to uninstall, so it was nice to read some confirmation.
thanks m8 uve really helped me out i was pussled. cheirs
Maybe they got the clue, though they certainly don’t advertise it, but you can download just the player now:http://www.apple.com/quicktime/download/standalone.html
however, the link is so small, most people just miss it, i say apple should clean up their act. there doing what real.com did a while ago, hiding the free version of real player and only showing the shareware version. but go look at real.com now, the buttons are equal size, side by side, just like apple shuld be!