iTunes tries to open itself all the friggin' time - how can I make it stop?

Factual Questions
1

My husband uses iTunes for all of his mp3 player stuff. Nobody else uses it. But it will try to open itself up all day long no matter who’s logged on to the computer. So I keep getting this annoying little sound and a pop up window that says 'iTunes cannot be opened at this time. Another user on this computer has iTunes open. Please close iTunes so that it can be opened here." Even when I log on as my husband and close the program, it still happens. I have to log him off as opposed to switching user (not a big deal, but just annoying as hell.)

How do I make it stop?!

2

Are you on a Mac or a PC?

If it is a Mac, make sure you don’t have iTunes in your login items in System Preferences/ Accounts.

Can’t help if it is a PC though.

3

Edit - Preferences

Make sure things like “make iTunes default player” are unchecked.

4

I hope it’s OK that I dragged this back up … I’m STILL having this problem and I think I’ve figured out what’s going on … the file location is as follows
C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs
Does this mean that it’s pinned to my Start Menu? Because if so, how do I get it off there and make it open ONLY when I want it to?

Even as I type this post, iTunes Setup Assistant is telling me that something is Horribly Wrong and I need to reinstall iTunes. GRRR! And even when I X out of the window or close it, it still opens iTunes automatically.

5

That location just means that a shortcut to the executable is listed in your Start menu. Your problem is either that iTunes is set to auto-run on startup or is associated with the mp3 (or whatever) filetype or both. Both are easy enough to solve, we just need a few more details.

  1. Push Windows Key + R, type in “msconfig”

  2. Answer this: Is iTunes mentioned under the ‘Startup’ tab of msconfig? If so, what is listed as the location?

  3. Find an mp3 (or whatever) file. Right-click on it and select “Properties”

  4. Answer this: Under the ‘General’ tab, what does it say next to ‘opens with’?

  5. Do you, your husband, and any other users all share the same Windows log-in or do you use your own log-ins?

  6. Do you have an iPod, iPhone, or iPad?

6

Actually, there is an easier way. Go to Start and type in “add remove” and then open Add/Remove Programs and remove iTunes. Then tell your husband that the iTunes Setup Assistant said it needed to reinstall iTunes and you clicked okay and you don’t know what happened. gg no re.

7
  1. Done
  2. It is listed, but unchecked as disabled
    3/4. No, windows media player is the default
  3. We have separate log-ins
  4. No, but he has an mp3 player and uses iTunes for managing his podcasts.
8

Okay, none of those were the answers I expected. I don’t really know why iTunes is doing anything if it isn’t auto-loading or associated with music files on your account. Gotta speculate here. If you re-open msconfig, does Apple have any services running under the “services” tab? Perhaps an updater is doing it, if you’re running <10.