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iTunesHelper gone?

basher

basher

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
May 27, 2011
576
139
Glendale, AZ USA
I upgraded from Snowy to Lion on the 20th. Today when I look at my login items I see that 'iTunesHelper' that's listed has a warning icon. The icon shows that the item can't be found.

I tried a spotlight search for iTunesHelper, but it wasn't found.

Safe to remove iTunesHelper from my login items?
 
You can extract iTunes Helper from the iTunes package, if you like, to replace the absent one.

It can be found by right-clicking the iTunes app and choosing 'Show Package Contents'; then navigate down to the 'MacOS' folder. You can then drag it to your open 'login items' window.
 
Crosbie said:
You can extract iTunes Helper from the iTunes package, if you like, to replace the absent one.

It can be found by right-clicking the iTunes app and choosing 'Show Package Contents'; then navigate down to the 'MacOS' folder. You can then drag it to your open 'login items' window.
Click to expand...

I don't think iTunes 10.4 has iTunesHelper anymore.
 
I suspect with the 10.4 update it no longer needs to be launched at startup. Mine had the same triangle, I just removed the item. It will load on demand if needed again.
 
My iPad would not open iTunes without iTunesHelper being started in Login items. You will find a new copy of it in rt. click iTunes in Applications folder, Show Contents Applications/Contents/MacOS/iTunesHelper. Drag it to the login items and remove the old entry. The us another thread here when I posted my fix, Search for iTunesHelper
 
Graig said:
My iPad would not open iTunes without iTunesHelper being started in Login items. You will find a new copy of it in rt. click iTunes in Applications folder, Show Contents Applications/Contents/MacOS/iTunesHelper. Drag it to the login items and remove the old entry. The us another thread here when I posted my fix, Search for iTunesHelper
Click to expand...

Interesting. I was able to sync my iPhone, almost the same as an iPad :D without issues after removing the item. But either way, you are correct you can just add the new version.
 
mrapplegate said:
Interesting. I was able to sync my iPhone, almost the same as an iPad :D without issues after removing the item. But either way, you are correct you can just add the new version.
Click to expand...

Hm. So you think that having the (dead) iTunes Helper in login items blocked iTunes from recognising an attached iOS device, somehow?

Can anyone else confirm expected behaviour with no iTunes Helper running?

Is it an iPad problem only?

Just testing attaching an iPod Touch, with the new iTunes Helper running. This works as expected, perhaps unsurprisingly.
 
iTunesHelper's purpose is to recognize an attached iDevice. If the iDevice has the setting "Open iTunes when this device is conencted" check, iTunesHelper then opens iTunes.
 
Crosbie said:
Hm. So you think that having the (dead) iTunes Helper in login items blocked iTunes from recognising an attached iOS device, somehow?

Can anyone else confirm expected behaviour with no iTunes Helper running?

Is it an iPad problem only?
Click to expand...

No, I just noted mine worked without the helper. I removed it from the log in items list because after the iTunes 10.4 update the triangle appeared.
I synced the iPhone without issue. But Graig mentioned his iPad would not sync without it. No idea why. I did not see his other thread on his problem.
 
mrapplegate said:
No, I just noted mine worked without the helper. I removed it from the log in items list because after the iTunes 10.4 update the triangle appeared.
I synced the iPhone without issue. But Graig mentioned his iPad would not sync without it. No idea why. I did not see his other thread on his problem.
Click to expand...

Did you remove it before you tried plugging in your iPhone?

I connected my iPad, expecting iTunes to start up. When it didn't, I was alerted to the problem with iTunes Helper, and then replaced it with the version from the new iTunes package.

Mrapplegate, do you have an iTunes Helper process running in Activity Monitor?
 
Crosbie said:
Did you remove it before you tried plugging in your iPhone?

I connected my iPad, expecting iTunes to start up. When it didn't, I was alerted to the problem with iTunes Helper, and then replaced it with the version from the new iTunes package.

Mrapplegate, do you have an iTunes Helper process running in Activity Monitor?
Click to expand...

Yes, I removed it first.
Interesting. At least it told you.
I don't have the process running any longer.
 
Thanks for all the replies and insight. I decided to remove iTunesHelper from the Login Items list. It's not a big deal to me if iTunes get launched when I plug in my iPhone or iPad.
 
mrapplegate said:
Yes, I removed it first.
Interesting. At least it told you.
I don't have the process running any longer.
Click to expand...

And your iDevice is still recognised, iTunes automatically started, etc, without iTunes Helper?

(It didn't tell me as such - only indirectly by failing to open!)

Just tried stopping iTH, then attaching my iPod Touch. Nothing. Restarted iTH: normal behaviour.

I don't have an iPhone to test this with... anyone?
 
Crosbie said:
And your iDevice is still recognised, iTunes automatically started, etc, without iTunes Helper?

(It didn't tell me as such - only indirectly by failing to open!)

Just tried stopping iTH, then attaching my iPod Touch. Nothing. Restarted iTH: normal behaviour.

I don't have an iPhone to test this with... anyone?
Click to expand...

It did. I can test again when I get home.
 
Crosbie said:
K cool. Will aim to keep track of this thread.

In the meantime, any 3rd parties able to share their setup and what behaviour they experience?
Click to expand...

iTunes helper is needed.
Checked to make sure it was not running.
Connected iPhone, iTunes did not launch.
Ran the application, connected iPhone, iTunes launched.
So, added it back to log in items.

No idea what happened before. I must have been mistaken as to when I stopped the program. My install of Xcode told me I needed to close it, and I thought it was running when I connected by iPhone. I'm not sure now.

Strange how the 10.4 update displays that triangle, and Apple just does not use the update helper app from the program it just updated.
 
mrapplegate said:
iTunes helper is needed.
Checked to make sure it was not running.
Connected iPhone, iTunes did not launch.
Ran the application, connected iPhone, iTunes launched.
So, added it back to log in items.

No idea what happened before. I must have been mistaken as to when I stopped the program. My install of Xcode told me I needed to close it, and I thought it was running when I connected by iPhone. I'm not sure now.

Strange how the 10.4 update displays that triangle, and Apple just does not use the update helper app from the program it just updated.
Click to expand...

Good work fella. I guess this is a bug; they must have changed the path to iTH?

I imagine more or less everybody is running with a yellow-triangled startup item. I'm surprised Lion doesn't notify you, actually...
 
Crosbie said:
Good work fella. I guess this is a bug; they must have changed the path to iTH?

I imagine more or less everybody is running with a yellow-triangled startup item. I'm surprised Lion doesn't notify you, actually...
Click to expand...

It is un-Apple like to expect a user to Show Package Contents and find the helper application to add back. I'm sure they will fix soon in 10.4.1 :D
 
did shw package contents but its not in there, what is it called now, the only thing with tunes icon is itunes.icns



EDIT:

go into itunes, unselect the "open itunes when iphone connected"
delete itunes helper with (!) mark in startup items
apply
click "open itunes when iphone connected"
asks to install itunes helper
click yes

works again
 
i have removed mine from startup & i noticed the last time i synced my ipad it told me it was synced to a different user and did i want to wipe and re sync or merge users ..

i chose wipe and resync - is this why?
 
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