Uninstall iTunes
In the event that you need to uninstall iTunes from your computer, you need to know how to fully remove all the components that go with it. This is considerably more complicated than dragging the icon into your Trash or Recycle Bin. These steps will guide you through uninstalling iTunes for a PC and a Mac.
Contents
Steps
Windows Method
- Make sure iTunes, QuickTime Player and Apple Software Update are not running.
- Go to the Start menu and click "Control Panel."
- Click "Programs and Features" from the Control Panel.
- Select iTunes from the menu and click "Remove." Click "Yes" when asked if you would like to remove iTunes.
- Wait for the uninstallation to finish. Do not restart your computer yet if the program prompts you to do so.
- In the following order, remove these programs using the Add or Remove Programs utility. Failure to remove these items in the order that they are listed could have "unintended consequences," according to Apple. Removing these related components is essential to fully uninstalling iTunes.
- QuickTime
- Apple Software Update
- Apple Mobile Device Support
- Bonjour
- Apple Application Support (iTunes 9 or later)
- Restart your computer.
- Make sure iTunes and the related components are fully uninstalled. Check to make sure the uninstallation process was completed properly.
- Select My Computer from the Start Menu.
- Open Local Disc (C:).
- Open the Program Files folder.
- Delete each of the following folders individually: Bonjour, iTunes, iPod, QuickTime. Right-click these folders if you find them in the Program Files folder, then select "Delete." If you don't find these files, it means they have already been successfully removed.
- Open the Common Files folder and delete the Apple folder in the same manner.
- Click the Start menu and open My Computer.
- Open the Windows folder, then open the System32 folder.
- Delete the QuickTime and QuickTimeVR files if you see them.
- Right-click your Recycle Bin and click "Empty Recycle Bin."
Mac OS X Short Method
- Launch the Terminal application. Go to Finder → Applications → Utilities → Terminal.
- Type in the following command and hit Return. Into Terminal, type "cd /Applications/" and hit Return. This should route you automatically to the Applications directory.
- Into the Applications directory, type in a final command. Type in "sudo rm -rf iTunes.app/" and hit Return.
- Type in your Admin password. This will confirm your deleting of iTunes. The program and its associated folders should now be removed from your computer.
Mac OS X Long Method
- Make sure iTunes is not running.
- Locate iTunes and drag iTunes into the Trash.
- Open Activity Monitor. Go to Finder → Applications → Utilities → Activity Monitor.
- Select iTunes Helper from the list and click "Quit Process." When it asks you if you would like to quit the process, click "Quit." Quit Activity Monitor.
- Remove the iTunes Helper from Login Items. From the Apple icon, navigate to System Preferences → Accounts/Users & Groups → Login Items. Select the iTunes Helper entry and click the "-" button to remove it.
- Click the Go tab and select "Go to Folder."
- Type "/System/Library/Extensions" into the box and click "Go."
- Drag the file AppleMobileDeviceSupport.pkg into Trash. Ignore this step if no such file exists.
- Remove any other files that end in ".pkg" and have iTunes in the title.
- Restart your computer and empty your Trash.
