also @ TechSpot: iTunes 11.0.3 delivers revamped MiniPlayer, security fixes

› ›

Faulty AVG update breaks iTunes

By

On July 27, 2009, 11:56 AM

A database update from AVG over the weekend left users with crippled iTunes installations. According to numerous online reports, the update – which came out on Friday – appears to be mistaking iTunes.dll and iTunesRegistry.dll for a Trojan horse identified as Small.BOG, and thus consigning these files into quarantine. As a result, iTunes will not run, and is not fixable by a reinstall.

After the faulty update was released, users began voicing their complaints on Apple's support page and then turned to AVG's official forums when it was discovered the free antivirus was to blame. In response, AVG published a corrected update, issued a statement on Saturday apologizing for the confusion, and explained how to restore iTunes to normal operation.

This isn't the first time a false positive in AVG has wreaked havoc. Back in November of last year the antivirus software misidentified a key Windows system file as malware, leaving non-English versions of XP unbootable. Its link scanner tool has also been accused of being a huge bandwidth hog and a generator of false web traffic, though this issue has since been addressed by the company.

No tags on this story

6 comments

User Comments: 6

Got something to say? Post a comment
  1. July 27, 2009 12:13 PM
    strategic
    strategic, TechSpot Paladin, said:

    Another fine reason to avoid using AVG, although it could happen with any A/V software I suppose

    Reply
  2. July 27, 2009 12:19 PM
    Eddie_42
    Eddie_42 said:

    AVG is a great program. And its not just the free versions affected, my Pro version did the same thing. I noted what files were being noted and selected 'ignore'. Crazy...I know.

    Reply
  3. July 27, 2009 12:40 PM
    Guest said:

    Considering the multiple times I have seen Itunes software put a "gag" on a PC's CD/DVD drive that could only be corrected by un-installing Itunes, this seems appropriate. Apple wants control over any machine its software is installed on. Go AVG!

    Reply
  4. July 27, 2009 5:08 PM
    skitzo_zac
    skitzo_zac, TechSpot Chancellor, said:

    Yeah I saw someone complaining about this on another forum I use, I told them to add the iTunes files as exceptions so that AVG would leave iTunes alone. And yes it wasn't just the free versions that were affected, the user was using the Pro version.

    But then the person got an update from AVG within a few hours that fixed the issue. I mean yeah it would of been an annoyance if it affected you, but the timely manor in which AVG corrected the issue was good I think.

    Reply
  5. July 27, 2009 5:34 PM
    TechCombo said:

    I have used AVG for some time now, all this while the free edition has been fine but i have found problems in the past related with iTunes and AVG. Perhaps we should migrate to a different antivirus such as McAffee? Nope.

    Reply
  6. July 27, 2009 7:18 PM
    skitzo_zac
    skitzo_zac, TechSpot Chancellor, said:

    Or you could stop using iTunes.

    Reply

Recently commented stories

Post a new comment

Social Login & Guest Posting TechSpot Members
Login here or sign up for free,
it takes about a minute.
Get complete access to the TechSpot community. Join thousands of technology enthusiasts that contribute and share knowledge in our forum. Get a private inbox, upload your own photo gallery and more.
TechSpot on:

Most Popular

Trending Featured
More Trending Topics

Featured on Smartphones

Downloads and Drivers

Downloads   Drivers  

J. River Media Center 18.0.187

ComicRack 0.9.169

Ashampoo UnInstaller 5.03

Files Terminator Free 2.5.0.11

Advanced Host Monitor 9.50

More Downloads

Latest Discussion

Unacceptably high disk usage/performance lag Windows 8 42 replies on Windows OS

Bios update help 8 replies on Processors and Motherboards

Best freeware DVD/CD burning software for Windows 7 64-bit 7 replies on Software Apps

Network documentation 6 replies on Storage and Networking

Suggest the best book about computer networks/networking 10 replies on Storage and Networking

More Recent Discussion

Subscribe to TechSpot

Get free exclusive content, learn about new features and breaking tech news.