iTunes 8 causes BSOD problems on some Vista machines

Apple promised some interesting new features with iTunes 8, but Windows Vista users that upgraded to the new version were in for an unpleasant surprise. According to users on the Apple support forum, the dreaded 'blue screen of death' system crash is being triggered when an iPod or iPhone is connected to a PC running Vista and the new iTunes 8 application.

The crash doesn’t seem to be affecting all systems so it’s likely that another factor is involved. Apple is asking for dump files to find the source of the problem – some are pointing to an incompatibility between Apple and USB products from Logitech and HP.

In the meantime, however, Ed Bott over at ZDNet has been doing some research of his own. Apparently, Apple is using its automatic update process to deliver massive amounts of new software to users without asking for their consent, including a device driver with a long history of causing BSODs which seems to be the culprit. If you are among those affected by the issue, check out some additional information and a possible fix here.