Itunes keeps repairing itself to restore IpodService.exe

[kwo]

OK, I run XP on my Inspiron 8600.

I run Itunes - not because I have an Ipod (I don't) but because of the access to all the radio streams.

I can use Task Manager to shut down the IpodService, but it'll come back next time I reboot or reload itunes.

I thought I'd be sneaky and just "move" the Ipod folder to my temp directory to see if that would stop it.

Lo' and behold, Itunes 'fixes' itself and puts a brand new Ipod folder there and loads up the darn Ipod Service.

Disabling the service doesn't work as Itunes will still load it.

Soooooo....is there a way I can permanently STOP the IpodService (and the ItunesHelper, for that matter) from loading?

EDIT: FOUND SOLUTION - SEE MY LAST POST.

 

[1Cheap2Crazy]

This may or may not work. Start-Run type services.msc when that window opens look for ipodservice. Double click ipodservice and set startup type to disable. Click OK. Close out any remaining windows. Report back if this works.

 

[kwo]

Originally posted by: 1Cheap2Crazy
This may or may not work. Start-Run type services.msc when that window opens look for ipodservice. Double click ipodservice and set startup type to disable. Click OK. Close out any remaining windows. Report back if this works.

Right. That was the very first thing I did. Somehow, Itunes "re-enables" the service, despite my setting it to disabled.

Thanks for the response, though.

 

[Schadenfroh]

What exactly does this service do? I have no problem syncing my ipod with itunes when it is disabled and I cant really tell any performance difference with it on.

 

[Regs]

Bascially its the program that detects and ID's the Ipod when it is connected to the USB port.

 

[kwo]

Originally posted by: Schadenfroh
What exactly does this service do? I have no problem syncing my ipod with itunes when it is disabled and I cant really tell any performance difference with it on.

For me.. since I don't have an Ipod, it uses system resources. I don't like having un-necessary programs using resources, so I wanted it ...gone!

 

[CKent]

Try winamp or foobar?

 

[kwo]

Originally posted by: CKent
Try winamp or foobar?

Tried foobar a while ago..didn't like it.

I was a WinAmp fan for years......but I switched to Itunes, again, primarily for access to all the online radio streams which I use quite often and the ability to use the Itunes store.....

 

[kamper]

Originally posted by: kwo

Originally posted by: 1Cheap2Crazy
This may or may not work. Start-Run type services.msc when that window opens look for ipodservice. Double click ipodservice and set startup type to disable. Click OK. Close out any remaining windows. Report back if this works.

Right. That was the very first thing I did. Somehow, Itunes "re-enables" the service, despite my setting it to disabled.

Are you quite certain? This has always worked for me in the past. Don't kill it from the task manager, stop it from the service manager and then disable it. Even setting it to "manual" should do the job. You could also check to make sure there isn't anything in any of the multitude of other places in windows you can use to start a program automatically.

I dunno if I'd recommend it, but a last resort might just be to find and remove the ipodservice.exe executable.

 

[kwo]

Originally posted by: kamper

Originally posted by: kwo

Originally posted by: 1Cheap2Crazy
This may or may not work. Start-Run type services.msc when that window opens look for ipodservice. Double click ipodservice and set startup type to disable. Click OK. Close out any remaining windows. Report back if this works.

Right. That was the very first thing I did. Somehow, Itunes "re-enables" the service, despite my setting it to disabled.

Are you quite certain? This has always worked for me in the past. Don't kill it from the task manager, stop it from the service manager and then disable it. Even setting it to "manual" should do the job. You could also check to make sure there isn't anything in any of the multitude of other places in windows you can use to start a program automatically.

I dunno if I'd recommend it, but a last resort might just be to find and remove the ipodservice.exe executable.

Thanks for checking in. To reiterate, I used Computer Management -> SErvices -> IpodService -> right-click -> Properties -> Stop -> Disable -> Apply.

As to deleting the service, well, moving it to my temp folder should have taken care of that. But, upon Itunes startup, it took a moment to recognize the Ipod folder was no longer there and "re-installed" the ipod folder and IpodService.

Ugh.

 

[kamper]

Well, probably not what you want to hear, but I'd say stupidity (on Apple's part) of that magnitude is plenty of reason to find something else. I happen to like iTunes and I've never had trouble disabling the service when not using an ipod but your issues sound pretty silly. I'm sure you can find something else that is capable of handling the radio feeds.

On the other hand, if you're the pragmatic type, it's not like the service is taking up that much memory so you could just let it go.

 

[kwo]

Originally posted by: kamper
On the other hand, if you're the pragmatic type, it's not like the service is taking up that much memory so you could just let it go.

but..but..it's THERE....and..I MUST...get..rid ...of it...must.........

Yes, I could just let it go......but it annoys me. :frown:

As to the radio feeds, I don't know of any other program that puts them all nicely together for me like that.

Are you using the latest version of Itunes? This didn't happen 'til I upgraded to the most-recent "Blue-iconed" Itunes

 

[secretanchitman]

it hardly takes up any memory...if you have 512MB, i would understand, but if you have 1GB or more memory, its pretty useless to turn it off.

well, i have disabled it via tuneup utilities 2007, but it comes back whenever i open up itunes/plug in my ipod.

 

[kamper]

Originally posted by: kwo
Are you using the latest version of Itunes? This didn't happen 'til I upgraded to the most-recent "Blue-iconed" Itunes

The last time I used windows was at work last summer and I don't remember for sure but I was probably using an older version that was already installed on the machine. It's a completely different story on os x of course, but I've got an ipod anyway.

 

[MrChad]

Rename the executable in c:\program files\ipod\bin, then type "sc delete ipodservice" to remove the service.

 

[apoppin]

how about using Zone Alarm to restrict Itunes

 

[microAmp]

A week ago I wanted to try out iTunes and there were 2 services that got installed for iPod use, which I don't have. I since uninstalled iTunes, didn't like the newer version, but I believe this worked for me.

WinXP Pro Registry key for this file is HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Installer\Userdata
S-1-5-18\Components\E141724DB89E22. The usual path is C:\Program files\iPod\bin\iPodService.exe. There is also a reference to the file in the registry for programs that run at startup/ Login. The registry entry is located at HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run. I feel that any program with a path that includes both "install" and " User Data" ;runs in the backgound and requires registry editing to disable is suspicious.

All I did was google Ipodservice.exe and poked around for a way to get rid of unnecceary program loading up and taking memory.

 

[CKent]

Originally posted by: secretanchitman
it hardly takes up any memory...if you have 512MB, i would understand, but if you have 1GB or more memory, its pretty useless to turn it off.

well, i have disabled it via tuneup utilities 2007, but it comes back whenever i open up itunes/plug in my ipod.

Imagine if all software was coded this way. 25mb here, 50mb there, none of it necessary, but "it's hardly any ram". Ever seen a system bogged down by spyware?

 

[kamper]

Originally posted by: CKent

Originally posted by: secretanchitman
it hardly takes up any memory...if you have 512MB, i would understand, but if you have 1GB or more memory, its pretty useless to turn it off.

well, i have disabled it via tuneup utilities 2007, but it comes back whenever i open up itunes/plug in my ipod.

Imagine if all software was coded this way. 25mb here, 50mb there, none of it necessary, but "it's hardly any ram". Ever seen a system bogged down by spyware?

Iirc, it only takes up 2-3Mb of ram (or at least that's what task manager reports). And even though it's silly, it is an intentional part of a legitimate program so comparing it to spyware is a bit extreme.

 

[microAmp]

Originally posted by: kamper

Originally posted by: CKent

Originally posted by: secretanchitman
it hardly takes up any memory...if you have 512MB, i would understand, but if you have 1GB or more memory, its pretty useless to turn it off.

well, i have disabled it via tuneup utilities 2007, but it comes back whenever i open up itunes/plug in my ipod.

Imagine if all software was coded this way. 25mb here, 50mb there, none of it necessary, but "it's hardly any ram". Ever seen a system bogged down by spyware?

...it is an intentional part of a legitimate program...

Only good if you have an iPod, if you don't have one, why is it installed to begin with? For me that is my issue, I don't mind a 2-3 MB program taking up space when I use it once in a while.

 

[secretanchitman]

Originally posted by: microAmp

Originally posted by: kamper

Originally posted by: CKent

Originally posted by: secretanchitman
it hardly takes up any memory...if you have 512MB, i would understand, but if you have 1GB or more memory, its pretty useless to turn it off.

well, i have disabled it via tuneup utilities 2007, but it comes back whenever i open up itunes/plug in my ipod.

Imagine if all software was coded this way. 25mb here, 50mb there, none of it necessary, but "it's hardly any ram". Ever seen a system bogged down by spyware?

...it is an intentional part of a legitimate program...

Only good if you have an iPod, if you don't have one, why is it installed to begin with? For me that is my issue, I don't mind a 2-3 MB program taking up space when I use it once in a while.

you are right...if you dont have an ipod (and dont plan on getting one), you should be able to disable that service.

 

[randomlinh]

start, run, msconfig

startup tab

uncheck itunes helper.

I did that in addition to disabling the service for itunes 7.0.1, it did not reload on reboot

 

[kwo]

Originally posted by: randomlinh
start, run, msconfig

startup tab

uncheck itunes helper.

I did that in addition to disabling the service for itunes 7.0.1, it did not reload on reboot

nope that didn't work. Itunes just puts another entry in my registry.

but, I DID find a solution....... I created an empty textfile titled, "IPodService.exe" and replaced the REAL .exe with the textfile. Now, no more IpodService, and Itunes works fine.

 

[kamper]

Originally posted by: microAmp

Originally posted by: kamper
...it is an intentional part of a legitimate program...

Only good if you have an iPod, if you don't have one, why is it installed to begin with? For me that is my issue, I don't mind a 2-3 MB program taking up space when I use it once in a while.

Of course it's legitimate. iTunes also loads up libraries for dealing with the ipod when it's connected and they waste a bit of memory while the program is running but you're not complaining about it simply because it's not visible. Even though the service is icky (and not being able to kill it is even more icky), it makes sense for non-technical users when things have to Just Work. If they use iTunes for a while and then buy an iPod they don't want to have to figure out how to make it work as if they'd always had it.

I think ideally the service should be there and running by default (assuming there's no way to do it without the service) but there should be a "Kill it, I know what I'm doing" check box buried in the Advanced section of the config. And that check box should work, of course

 

[kwo]

Originally posted by: kamper
I think ideally the service should be there and running by default (assuming there's no way to do it without the service) but there should be a "Kill it, I know what I'm doing" check box buried in the Advanced section of the config. And that check box should work, of course

That'd be wonderful.....but...alas...back to reality.

Your logic is 100% in my book. If I were getting an Ipod for my wife or daughter, then I'd want them to easily sync and do whatever......... and that's a sound strategy when developing your software.

I'm just really anal about what's running on my computer (yes, I'm the type who created an MSFN install DVD for my laptop - which I do every ~5-6 months).