Apple warns iTunes users to stay away from Vista

Apple Inc. is urging its iPod and iTunes users to hold off on upgrading their computers to Windows Vista, warning that the iTunes music software may not work well with Microsoft Corp.'s much hyped operating system Vista.

The computer company warned its customers who use the Windows version of its iTunes software to wait until it releases a patch to fix several serious compatibility issues, one of which could result in a corrupt iPod player.

In a statement provided Friday by spokesman Derick Mains Apple said although “iTunes 7.0.2 may work with Windows Vista on many typical PCs, Apple is aware of some known compatibility issues and recommends that iTunes customers wait to upgrade to Windows Vista until after the next release of iTunes, which will be available in the next few weeks.”

Upgrading from Windows 2000 or Windows XP to Vista may result in the inability to play songs purchased and downloaded to the desktop iTunes player from its online iTunes store, the statement said. The iTunes software is the key to synchronizing music on computers with iPod portable players.

In the warning notice posted on company's Web site, Apple included some other compatibility issues like synchronization problems for contacts and calendars, and possible corruption of an iPod player that is plugged into a Vista-equipped computer.

For those who want to use Vista prior to an upgraded iTunes version, Apple has suggested some precautionary measures by opting which they can try to minimize the problems. These measures are:

1. Deauthorize all iTunes Store accounts.
2. Enable Disk Use on all iPod models.
3. Uninstall iTunes.
4. Perform a clean install of Windows Vista (Highly recommended but not required).
5. Reinstall the latest version of iTunes.
6. Open iTunes.
7. Choose Authorize Computer from the Store menu in iTunes.

Microsoft, which launched Vista, its first major overhaul of Windows in five years, on January 30, said it is working with a long list of partners, including Apple, to make sure their software is compatible with Vista.

The software company does not think the iTunes compatibility issues should stop people from using Vista, said Adam Anderson, a spokesman for Microsoft's Windows division.

At the time of Vista launch Microsoft had claimed that more than 5,000 hardware and software products were already Vista-compatible. The Redmond company has a dedicated team working with Apple on getting iTunes running smoothly on Vista.

Apple boasts of selling more than 90 million iPods since its launch in October 2001.

Meanwhile, some users, who upgraded to Vista, report that they can get downloaded iTunes songs to play on Vista by right-clicking on the iTunes.exe program, choose Properties, click on the Compatibility tab, and check "Run This Program As An Administrator."