Is there anyway to optimize itunes?

I've really taken to itunes since it's PC debut but the one thing I've noticed is a substantial slow down in desktop performance with iTunes open. Now this is also the case when the program is minimized to try.

I was just wondering if anyone had any suggestions to help improve performance. I'm not sure but as I get more albums and add them to iTune things get slower and slower. Simple window shadows are unusable once itunes is opened.

I'm begining to think it's the way in which itunes handles mp3s which causes this slow down when you have lots of mp3s loaded. Winamp works perfectly.

:/

#234488

I dont have any problems. It doesnt even use more than 2% of my CPU and uses around 15 MB of ram when minimized and 20 when open on my computer. How old is your PC?

#234494

what is ur system?

what is ur hardware?

how do u expect help when u give so little details?

#234496

Ooops... sorry...

My specs:

AthlonXP 3200+

1 Gig 3200 DDR

6800 GT

WinXP SP2

iTunes 4.7

erm... thats it I think.

iTunes varies between 32-51 meg memory usage maximised and minimized via titlebar mod gives <6 meg usage. I can notice the slowdown in both states. CPU usage is pretty low (<2%) when playing a track maximised. My inclining is that poor nVidia drivers coupled with using a completely skinned iTunes window is causing these issues.

I don't recall having the same problems when I had my 9800Pro in the system and alpha transparencies etc would work perfectly smoothly. In my current set up making a window transparent and moving is shocking. I tried to add a titlebar shadow via samurize and it pretty much slowed my system to a halt (well maybe not quite that bad but I hope you get the idea.)

#234505

How about this;

uninstall your iTunes and then go to X:documents and settingsusernameapplication dataApple Computer and delete everything you might find there.

This helped me from 80 MB (it was taking that much, seriously) to 10 MB.

#234513

How about this;

uninstall your iTunes and then go to X:documents and settingsusernameapplication dataApple Computer and delete everything you might find there.

This helped me from 80 MB (it was taking that much, seriously) to 10 MB.

Really?.. That directory only has a few files totalling 396 KB.

#234523

I think it varies system to system. I just reformatted completely, and then installed iTunes- still at 30 MB .

Minimizing to tray while using localhost's plugin is supposed to help a lot.

-NC

#234531

Try disabling all the special effects with itunes. Anything fancy or flashy you add will hurt system performance in some way, minor or major.

#234597

Okay this is very strange.. whilst playing around with trasparencies etc everything suddenly began working beautifully. The thing is after closing iTunes and opening again my desktop is now again back to it's native sluggish state. This is very odd. I've disabled all the usual plugins, nothing fancy or flashy as far as I can tell..

Okay I followed the advice above. Uninstalled iTunes and deleted all traces of itunes from my hard drive and registry (as far as I could tell). Removed all plugins etc. Deleted my itunes folder in My Music (yup doing it properly so the music library had to go).

Reinstalled iTunes and havn't even added any songs to the new library... and.. and.. NOTHING!

Same damn slow down.. this is getting annoying.. particularly as it was working fine for some odd reason for no particular reason... Geez..:(

#234642

Sounds like apple has something against your computer. Make sure you dont have anything running in the background like antivirus programs or anything when you start up itunes. I know some antivirus programs just HATE some seemingly harmless programs.

#234676

If I were you I would use WinAmp. Its a sad fact, but iTunes in Windows just sux. I mean, its nowhere near the actual iTunes for Mac. Its just slow, and bloated for Windows.

I used to use iTunes in my Intel box just to update my iPod. I used WinAmp at times, and MediaMonkey at others. Maybe not what you want, but... life is made up of compromises sometimes.

#234678

I hear what you saying but after using iTunes for months now (early adopter) I've got my mp3s set up in the media library just the way I like them. Winamp 5 just does seem to offer the same level of pure functionality.

EDIT: Okay it seems that after updating to the latest beta 70.90 set nVidia is finally getting it's act together as far as 2D performance goes..

#234682

you can stoip the stutterign by changing the sound output to wave out in the quicktimes setings that 'll stop stuttering ...

#241265