Apple Inc.’s latest version of iTunes crashes Windows Vista when an iPod or iPhone is connected to the PC, scores of users have reported on Apple’s support forum. As soon as an iPod or iPhone is plugged into the PC, Vista crashes and shows the “blue screen of death” (BSOD), the critical error screen on a blue background that requires a reboot to recover, users said. iPhone News says the errors began showing up immediately after updating iTunes to Version 8.0, which Apple released Tuesday as part of its iPod refresh.
“I just installed iTunes 8 over my iTunes 7 on Vista [and] now whenever I plug in my iPod, I get a blue screen death. Three times so far. Even if it is plugged in on boot, I get a blue screen,” said a user identified as “sambeckett” on the support forum about 90 minutes after Apple CEO Steve Jobs wrapped up the iPod launch.
The thread, which as of early Thursday had been viewed nearly 10,000 times and sported almost 300 messages, also quickly accumulated theories about the cause. The Vista error message, for example, fingered an Apple-provided USB driver, several users said.