iTunes not working – How to fix?

Coming across issues with iTunes after updating to a new version of macOS is more common than what you may think. iTunes may become unresponsive after users upgrade the operating system on their Mac. It may stop working all of the sudden, or it may not even open. In some cases, iTunes simply freezes or is very slow. You may also notice a spike on CPU usage caused by the issues with iTunes, or maybe you are not able to click on the menu items after performing the update. If you are experiencing these issues or get error 42037, there are some options that you can try to get things fixed and continue using iTunes without hassle.

Solution 1

A simple way to try to fix the issue is by restarting your Mac. Just choose “Restart…” from the Apple menu and check if this is enough to get iTunes back on track.

Solution 2

Another simple way to address the issue is by checking that you have the latest version of iTunes. Otherwise, you need to update it. You can do this by opening iTunes and from the menu, select Check for Updates. This should only take a few minutes and it may resolve the issue.

Solution 3

In some cases, the issue is caused by a third party plug-in or script. You can start iTunes in Safe Mode to try to resolve the problem. Here is what you need to do:

1. Press down the Options and Command keys on the keyboard while iTunes is launched. It will start in Safe Mode.
2. A pop up message that says “iTunes is running in safe mode. Visual plug-ins you have installed have been temporarily disabled” will appear. Select “Continue”. If iTunes works well while it is running in safe mode, it is likely that a third party plug-in is the cause of the issue.
3. You can check iTunes add-ons by going to the following folder: ~/Library/iTunes/iTunes Plug-ins/.In order to identify the culprit, you will need to close iTunes and move the add-ons to the desktop one by one, temporarily. It is also worth checking if there are add-ons that need to be updated.

Solution 4

Another option that you can try is to turn off WiFi. Then open iTunes and log out by going to the iTunes menu, then Store and Sign Out to exit iTunes. Enable WiFi and then open iTunes again.

Solution 5

If the above fails, you may need to remove iTunes and then install it again. You can follow the below steps:

1. Open Terminal, which is located in the Utilities?Applications folder
2. Use the following Terminal command: cd / Applications/ followed by this: sudo rm -rf iTunes.app
3. When prompted, enter your password and then press the Return key. iTunes will be removed from your Mac straight away.
4. To reinstall iTunes, you just need to go to the iTunes download page. Download the installer to your computer and double click the itunes.dmg file to complete the installation.