Although the entire process is pretty easy, you could encounter several complications if you miss a step. We’ll show you how to transfer your iTunes library to your PC without iTunes deleting or overwriting media files saved on your iPhone.

How to Recover iTunes Library from iPhone to PC

First, to recover your iTunes library you’ll need to reinstall iTunes on your PC. Download the iTunes app from the Microsoft Store. If you can’t access or use the Microsoft Store, download the iTunes setup file from Apple’s website.

NOTE: Unplug your iPhone from your PC before reinstalling iTunes. Afterward, disable iTunes automatic synchronization (see Step 2 below) before plugging in your iPhone. Failure to do this will delete iTunes media purchases and downloads from your iPhone.

1. Select Edit on the menu bar and select Preferences.

2. Go to the Devices tab, check Prevent iPods, iPhones, and iPads from syncing automatically, and select OK.

3. The next thing you need to do is authorize the PC to access your iTunes purchases. Select Account on the menu bar, select Authorizations, and select Authorize This Computer.

4. Provide your Apple ID credentials (the same Apple ID connected to your iPhone) and click Authorize to continue.

You may be required to enter a verification code if your Apple ID account is secured with Two-Factor Authentication. You’ll get a success notification when the authorization process is over. Click OK to proceed.

5. Connect your iPhone to the computer using a USB cable.
6. You’ll get a “Trust This Computer” prompt on your iPhone asking if you want the PC to access your device’s settings and data. Tap Trust and enter your iPhone’s passcode to proceed.

7. Select Files on the menu bar, select Devices, and select Transfer Purchases from [device name].

Alternatively, right-click your iPhone on the sidebar and select Transfer Purchases.

iTunes will scan the connected iPhone and immediately synchronize your iTunes library. The synchronization progress at the top of the app.

8. If you haven’t authorized the PC to access your iTunes purchases (see Step 4 and Step 5), you’ll get a prompt to sign in to your Apple ID account. Enter your account credentials and click Check.

Wait for iTunes to sync your iTunes and iCloud Music Library. This will take several minutes, majorly depending on your internet connection speed. When the transfer is complete, check the Purchased section on the sidebar to access iTunes purchases on your Apple ID account.

To access Family Purchases, select Account on the menu bar and select Family Purchases.

iTunes Won’t Recover Your Library? Try the Following

Several factors can interrupt the iTunes library recovery process on your PC. We highlight some errors you might encounter and their solutions while trying to recover your iTunes library.

1. Check the Cable Connection

Unplugging your iPhone during the synchronization process will interrupt the recovery of your iTunes library. So will using a frayed, faulty, or damaged USB cable. Close iTunes, plug your iPhone into the PC using an authentic cable, and attempt the recovery process from scratch.

USB hubs can cause interference and other connectivity issues. Therefore, we recommend plugging your iPhone directly into your PC’s port, not through a USB hub or adapter. 

Still getting the error messages? Disconnect other USB devices from your PC, connect your iPhone to a different USB port, and try recovering your iTunes library from scratch.

2. Re-launch iTunes

It’s also a good idea to close and reopen iTunes if you’re encountering issues recovering your iTunes library from an iPhone. 

Launch the Task Manager (Ctrl + Shift + Esc), select iTunes, and click the End task button at the bottom-left corner.

Relaunch iTunes—but this time, as an administrator—and repeat the steps above.

3. Re-Authorize Your Computer

If iTunes won’t transfer your library items and purchases because “you are not authorized” for such action on the computer, that’s because you skipped Step 4 in the section above.

You have to grant the computer access to purchases made from the iTunes Store before you can transfer your iTunes library. That means connecting your Apple ID account to the iTunes app. 

Select Account on the menu bar, choose Authorizations, select Authorize This Computer, and enter your Apple ID account information.

4. Retry the Recovery Operation

Is the recovery operation stuck? Or is it taking longer than usual? Click the Activity icon 🛈 to check the status of the library synchronization.

If there’s an error message in the Activity menu, tap the Retry button to restart the process.

5. Update Your Computer

Installing Windows Updates can help fix driver-related issues preventing your iPhone from connecting or transferring your iTunes library to your computer. 

Go to Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update and click the Check for Updates button. If there’s a Windows Update available for your PC, click the Download button and restart your computer when the installation is complete.

Let us know if you could recover your iTunes library from your iPhone using the steps in this tutorial. If you’re still experiencing some technical hitches, refer to this guide on fixing iTunes connectivity issues for more troubleshooting fixes.

Although it isn’t given as much attention as Apple Music, you can use it if you’re subscribed to Spotify or a different service, but want to access your music from any location, or just don’t want to pay for a service.

iTunes Match works with iTunes 10.5.2 or later, and requires a paid annual subscription that renews automatically each year unless canceled.

However, you can get all its benefits if you have an Apple Music membership, plus access to the full Apple Music catalog, and Family Membership to share it with family members.

What Is iTunes Match And How It Works

iTunes Match backs up your entire music collection in your iTunes library, whether you ripped it from a CD, bought from iTunes Store, or got it from a different online source.

It then checks each song in your music library against the millions of tunes in Apple’s library and determines whether there’s a match in iTunes Store, so you don’t have to upload anything from your computer to the cloud.

For every match it finds, the version found in the iTunes Store is marked for inclusion in your library, which is usually of higher fidelity than yours as they’re stored as 256 Kbps AAC files.

One of the drawbacks is that you won’t be able to play the matched songs if you cancel your Apple Music subscription because they’re locked when downloaded.

Songs without a match are uploaded but with size restrictions. You still retain the original music file you used to match though. Alternatively, you can back up and delete it altogether, and then download or stream the version from iTunes Store on your devices.

Apple Music and iTunes Match are related, but there are some functional differences, but many people pair the two just so they can have unfettered access to all their favorite music and the Apple Music library.

How To Set Up iTunes Match

iTunes Match works with a computer-based music library, so before subscribing to iTunes Match, update to the latest macOS version or latest iTunes for Windows.

Once you’re subscribed, take the steps below to set up iTunes Match and start downloading or streaming songs, free of DRM protection, on compatible devices.

Set up iTunes Match on a Windows PC

• Open iTunes on your Windows PC.

• In the toolbar, check if the Music dropdown is highlighted. Click Store.

• Scroll down to the bottom section, find Features and click iTunes Match.

• Click Subscribe.

• Type your Apple ID and password, and then click Subscribe again to confirm the action.

• Agree to Apple’s terms and conditions, and then allow iTunes to scan for song matches and upload unmatched music files. Once the scan is completed, click Done.

Set up iTunes Match on a Mac

• Open Apple Music on your Mac. Click iTunes Store from the sidebar.

• Scroll down to Features and click iTunes Match. 
• Click the blue Subscribe button, sign in with your Apple ID and password, and confirm your billing details.
• Click Subscribe again to confirm the action.

Note: If your computer disconnects from the internet while iTunes Match is uploading your music, the service will pause, and resume from where it left off the next time you open iTunes or Apple Music.

• Turn on Sync Library on all your devices to access your songs using the same Apple ID. iTunes Match may take time to upload your music collection from your computer, so in case the music isn’t appearing on other devices immediately, check again later.
  
  A little cloud icon with a down-facing arrow will appear next to songs that can be downloaded from iCloud. If the icon isn’t there, then the song is already in your library.

How To Add Music To iTunes Match

You can add up to 100,000 songs using iTunes Match to your iCloud Music Library in three different ways:

• Purchasing from the iTunes Store, which automatically becomes part of your library. Any songs you bought from or that are matched by iTunes Store are upgraded to DRM-free files, after which they’re converted to a compatible format and uploaded to your iCloud library.
• Matching the music in your iTunes library to what’s available in the iCloud library.
• Uploading songs in AAC MP3 formats to iCloud so you can play them on any compatible device with iTunes Match enabled.

Note: iTunes Match works with iTunes (Mac or Windows) and the iOS Music app.

How To Cancel An iTunes Match Subscription

Before you cancel your iTunes Match account and subscription, back up your music collection before making changes just to be sure it’s safe.

• You can cancel whenever you want. Just go to your list of Subscriptions, find iTunes Match from the list, and click Edit. 

• Click Cancel Subscription in the new window.

• Click the blue Confirm button to confirm your action. 

You’ll notice that your active iTunes Match subscription will show an expiration date in place of the renewal date.

The subscription will last up to the end of your current year. Your music collection in iCloud Music plus those purchased from iTunes Store, uploads, or music matching from your computer will remain intact.

You can’t stream, download, or add new music without subscribing again.

Does iTunes Match Have Limits?

Yes, iTunes Match restricts you to 100,000 songs, but it also limits you from uploading songs that are more than 2 hours long or larger than 200MB to the iCloud Music Library. Plus, if you want to play songs with DRM enabled, you need a computer that’s authorized to do so, for the songs to be uploaded.

It also limits you to share your music on up to 10 devices on your iTunes Match account.

Is It Necessary To Have iTunes Match When You Have Apple Music?

No, you don’t need an iTunes Match subscription if you have Apple Music, because the latter includes iTunes Match so you’ll be paying for one subscription and getting both services. You won’t need a separate one for iTunes Match.

However, you still need to back up your music collection as these aren’t backup services.

If, on the other hand, you don’t want Apple Music, you can cancel your subscription and still use iTunes Match by subscribing to it or renewing your subscription any time if you already had one.

You’ve probably even selected all the songs and dragged them to your device but nothing happens. Instead, the music sync may stick with messages like “waiting for changes to be applied” or “waiting to copy items”, or iTunes may freeze altogether.

No matter how many times you try, you may discover iTunes not syncing your entire music library. If this is your experience, we’re going to show you different methods to use when iTunes won’t sync all your songs to your devices.

Why Is iTunes Not Syncing Music?

There are several issues that can prevent iTunes from syncing your entire music library such as:

• Outdated version of iTunes on your devices
• Improperly configured settings of iTunes Sync
• iPhone is unlocked or doesn’t trust your computer
• USB cable is damaged or improperly connected to your devices
• iTunes may not be able to locate some or all of your music
• Songs may be grouped into “unknown” category on your device
• iCloud Music Library is enabled in iPhone settings

How To Fix iTunes Not Syncing Music Library

1. Ensure you have the latest iTunes software version.
2. Check that the missing songs are actual songs and not miscellaneous files.
3. Check your phone’s storage space.
4. Quit iTunes and re-launch.
5. Connect all devices to the internet.
6. Turn on Sync Library for all devices.
7. Turn off iTunes Match.
8. Transfer music manually.
9. Turn off iCloud Music and sync again.
10. Reset network settings.
11. Sync music to iPhone, iPad, iPod with the iTunes alternative tool.
12. Set iTunes to sync your “Entire Music Library”:
13. Update file paths for your music in iTunes.
14. Get an iTunes alternative.

Quick Checks

Before trying any of the solutions we’ve listed below, go through this simple checklist:

• Keep iTunes updated by making sure you have the latest iTunes software version installed on your computer. 

When you run iTunes, it automatically checks the version update, but you can force it to check for one by clicking Help > Check for Updates on your Windows computer, or if you’re using a Mac, click the menu tab in iTunes and select Check for Updates. 

• Close the program once you have made sure it’s up-to-date.
• Check that the missing songs are actual songs and not miscellaneous files.
• Confirm that your phone has enough storage space.
• Quit iTunes and re-launch.
• Check that all your devices are connected to the internet.
• Visit Apple’s System Status page to check whether there are any service interruptions in your region or country.

Turn On Sync Library For All Devices

If you have the latest version of macOS, iOS, or iPadOS, Sync Library is turned on by default. If you turned it off, here’s how to turn it back on:

• On iOS devices, go to Settings > Music and then tap the Sync Library switch to toggle it to on/green. You won’t see the option if you don’t subscribe to iTunes Match or Apple Music. When Sync Library is off or is updating, a message will appear above the Library tab in the Apple Music app.

On a Mac computer, open Apple Music and go to the menu bar at the top. Select Music>Preferences and go to the General tab. From there, select Sync Library to turn it on and click OK.

Note: For large music libraries, the process may take some time to upload and sync across all devices.

On Windows PCs, the iCloud Music Library isn’t on by default in iTunes for Windows. To turn it on, go to iTunes and click Edit > Preferences.

Click the General tab and click on iCloud Music Library to turn it on, and then click OK. If you’re not subscribed to iTunes Match or Apple Music, you won’t see an option to turn iCloud Music Library on.

Note: If you’re an Apple Music subscriber, you can access your music library on other devices that support the app, without activating Sync Library.

Turn off iTunes Match on iPhone

The iTunes Match service allows you to access your music library on any Windows PC with iTunes for Windows or any Apple device. If iTunes Match is turned on, iTunes won’t let you sync music, so you have to disable it first and then try syncing music normally again.

To do this, go to Settings > Music.

Click on iTunes & App Store. Turn off iTunes Match and try syncing your songs again. You can also re-authorize iTunes and your device to see if your music will be synced.

Transfer Music Manually

Transferring your music manually may help when you find iTunes not syncing songs from your entire music library. You can select and drop music onto your other device once you switch from iTunes sync mode to the manual transfer method.

To do this, open iTunes and go to the left pane. Under Library, click Songs and select Albums, Artists or Genres. Here, you can click through to find songs that match.

Drag and drop your songs from the main iTunes window to your other device under the Devices section. Hold down the CTRL key (or Command key for Mac) and select your songs so you can drag multiple songs in one go.

Alternatively, you can use iTunes playlists and then drag and drop them onto your device’s icon in the left pane. Creating and using playlists to sync your library will save you heaps of time when syncing.

Turn Off iCloud Music and Sync Again

To turn off the iCloud Music Library, go to Settings>Music and turn off the iCloud Music Library on your iPhone.

Reset Network Settings

To do this, go to Settings>General>Reset and then click or tap Reset Network Settings on your iPhone.

Connect your iPhone to your computer. If you see the “Trust this computer” popup, select it and then go to the iTunes Summary tab. Click Manually manage music and videos, and then try syncing your music library again.

Set iTunes To Sync Your “Entire Music Library”

To do this, open iTunes and connect your iPhone or iPod to your computer, and select it in the iTunes sidebar. Click the Music tab and check Sync Music. Click Entire Music Library and try syncing the songs again.

Update File Paths For Your Music In iTunes

If iTunes can’t locate or identify some or all of your songs, it won’t sync your entire music library. To check this, go to your music library or open iTunes and view your song list.

Scroll down your list of songs and check for any that has an exclamation mark (!) in front of its name. If you see any such songs, iTunes can’t locate its actual file. iTunes may have known the songs’ location at one time, but for some reason, the files were either moved or deleted so it can no longer find them.

If you think those songs can still be found on your hard drive, update their file path in iTunes by selecting the song with the !, and then click Edit>Song Info in iTunes. Click Locate file in iTunes.

If you know the song’s location, point iTunes to it and see whether the song can play. If you don’t know the location, try using the Windows File Explorer that opened when you click Locate. Use the search bar at the top left side of the Explorer folder to find your songs.

Go to C: Drive or whichever drive has the missing songs, and search for them. You can type the title song as it appears in iTunes and once you find it, the “!” should go away and you can play the song in iTunes.

When iTunes identifies the songs, it’ll ask you whether you’d like to link the other songs in the same location to your music library. If you click Yes, it’ll catalog all missing tracks in a few minutes and you should see the “!” mark in front of the songs disappear.

For songs that are in different locations, repeat this process to find them. Once the songs are available, you can sync your entire music library with your device.

Sync Music To iPhone, iPad, iPod With iTunes Alternative Tool

If you find iTunes not syncing music even after trying the methods above, you can try an iTunes alternative tool to move your entire music library. The tool you choose should be compatible with your device for it to sync music from iTunes, move your songs from your device to a computer, and if possible, restores the iTunes library.

Alternatively, you can store music in the cloud, use the iTunes iOS app, a streaming music service like Spotify or YouTube Red, local media player like VLC, or an alternative library manager.

Connecting an iOS device to your computer, having the app in your startup list, and accessing one of the app’s compatible media file formats are some of the triggers for launching iTunes on your Windows PC or Mac.

Luckily, all of these triggers can be disabled so iTunes doesn’t open automatically on your computers.

Stop iTunes From Opening Automatically When a Device Is Connected

If you use your iOS devices such as your iPhone or iPad with iTunes on your computer, the app automatically launches whenever these devices are plugged-in to your machine. It is to help sync the contents of your device with your computer.

You can disable the sync feature and that’ll stop iTunes from opening automatically on your Windows computer.

• Open the iTunes app on your computer.
• If you’re on Windows, click on the Edit menu at the top and select Preferences to open the settings menu. If you’re on a Mac, click on the iTunes menu at the top and choose Preferences.

• On the following screen, click on the tab that says Devices at the top. It’ll let you manage your device settings for iTunes.
• The following screen has an option that says Prevent iPods, iPhones, and iPads from syncing automatically. You need to enable this option and click on OK to save the changes.

From now on, iTunes won’t launch automatically on your computer as you’ve disabled auto-sync for your devices. You’ll still be able to manually sync your devices, though.

Stop iTunes From Opening Automatically On Windows

When you install iTunes on a Windows computer, it installs a small utility in addition to the main app. This utility runs in the background all the time, and when it finds an occasion where it thinks the app should open, it launches iTunes on your PC.

You can disable the utility from running in the background and that way iTunes won’t know when to launch. And, as a result, it won’t launch.

• Right-click on the taskbar of your computer and select the Task Manager option.

• When it opens, find and click on the Startup tab to view your startup utilities.
• Find the utility named iTunes Helper in the list, right-click on it, and select Disable.

It’ll remain disabled for as long as you manually open Task Manager and enable it again.

Use noTunes To Stop iTunes From Opening Automatically On Mac

There’s an easier way available for those of you wanting to stop iTunes from opening automatically on a Mac. There’s an app available to help you disable iTunes’ auto-launch feature on your Apple machine.

It’s called noTunes and it’s a free and open-source app letting you enable and disable iTunes’ auto-launch feature with the click of an option. It sits in the menu bar and requires no configuration at all.

• Download the noTunes app and save it to your Mac.
• Extract the archive and launch the app file.
• The app will go directly into your menu bar. Click on it and it’ll be activated.

• It’ll now prevent iTunes from launching automatically on your Mac. To disable the feature, click on the app icon again.

• You should make sure the app launches whenever your Mac boots up. To do it, right-click on the app icon in your menu bar and select Launch on startup.

Prevent iTunes From Automatically Launching For Your Music Files

Since iTunes is also a media manager in addition to being a backup manager for iOS devices, it’s often set as the default media player for various music files. When any of these files are opened, iTunes automatically launches.

You can disable this behavior by removing iTunes from the default media app list on your computer.

For Windows users:

• Right-click on any of the files that trigger iTunes to launch, select Open with, and choose Choose another app.

• Select any app other than iTunes from the apps list on your screen, checkmark the option that reads Always use this app to open .ext files, and click on OK.

For Mac users:

• Right-click on the file type that opens iTunes and select the Get Info option.

• Select a new app from the Open with dropdown menu and click on Change All.

Your newly selected app will now launch whenever you click on your files and this way you’ve stopped iTunes from launching automatically.

Disable The iTunes Auto-Launch On The Startup Of Your Mac

If iTunes is in the startup apps list on your Mac, it’ll automatically launch each time your Mac boots up. You can remove the app from the list and it’ll stop it from auto-opening.

• Click on the Apple logo at the top-left corner and select System Preferences.

• Click on Users & Groups on the following screen.

• Select your user account from the left sidebar and then click on Login Items on the right-hand side pane.

• You’ll find an app called iTunesHelper in your login items list. Select it in the list and click on the – (minus) sign at the bottom.

The app should be removed from the list.

Turn Off Bluetooth To Prevent Speakers From Launching iTunes

While Bluetooth doesn’t directly have anything to do with iTunes, it sometimes triggers the app when a particular Bluetooth-enabled device is connected to your machine.

Keeping the service disabled while you don’t use it will ensure that iTunes doesn’t end up automatically opening on your computer.

For Windows users:

• Click on the Bluetooth icon in your system tray and select Open Settings.

• Turn the toggle for Bluetooth to the off position.

For Mac users:

• Click on the Bluetooth icon in the menu bar at the top and select Turn Bluetooth Off.

This has happened through the years for various reasons, but this guide will show you some of the causes, and how to resolve them.

What Causes the Accessing iTunes Store Issue

This problem is commonly faced with iTunes in Windows and occurs when iTunes software fails to establish a secure TSL link with the iTunes server. Consequently, iTunes can’t access the iTunes store, so you’re stuck with the “Accessing iTunes Store” message.

It can also be caused by a corrupt HOSTS file and when another program interferes with Windows Socket settings. This could arise after installing network-related software like a download manager that probably corrupted the socket settings, as they’re also a part of the network functionality.

When the Windows Socket settings are corrupt, it could result in high CPU usage by the Apple Mobile Device Service.exe process as it attempts to connect to iTunes. If the service fails to connect, it continues using up the CPU, even when no application is running.

Your computer may overheat or drain the battery faster than usual, and the fans may kick into overdrive.

How to fix The “Accessing iTunes Store” Message Stuck Issue

1. Quick Fixes

• Try accessing your account on a web browser and see if it works.
• Check Windows Task Manager (CTRL+ALT+DEL) and check the Apple Mobile Device Service.exe process. If its CPU usage is more than 20 percent when iTunes isn’t running, then the Windows Socket setting is potentially corrupt.
• Update iTunes to the latest version as outdated software may result in incompatibility issues while trying to connect to the iTunes store.
• Uninstall iTunes, QuickTime, and Safari, and then reinstall iTunes. Make sure you backup your iTunes folder before uninstalling iTunes, and then after reinstalling it, select your old folder so you can get your library back.

2. Turn off the Firewall

Your computer’s firewall prevents unauthorized users from accessing your computer files and resources. Unfortunately, it’s not perfect and can sometimes cause harm, especially if another firewall is installed.

To turn off Windows Firewall, open Control Panel, and select System and Security.

Select Windows Firewall (or Windows Defender Firewall depending on your computer’s setup).

Click Turn Windows Firewall on or off.

Click on the circle next to Turn off Windows firewall (not recommended).

Click OK to save the changes.

Repeat the steps you took to try and access the iTunes Store and see if it resolves the problem.

3. Disable antivirus or security software

iTunes could behave abnormally due to a virus on your device’s system. You can remove the virus and see if it helps resolve the stuck “Accessing iTunes Store” message.

Your security software could also be causing conflicts with iTunes software, so try disabling it and see if it fixes the problem. If it does, you can uninstall the current antivirus software and install one that doesn’t conflict with iTunes.

4. Uninstall third-party conflict software

As with antivirus and security software, some third-party plugins may also conflict with iTunes, such that it may not work normally, or crashes the process.

If you still see the “Accessing iTunes Store” message not progressing, uninstall any plugins that could be causing the conflict and reinstate iTunes functions. You can verify this by clicking SHIFT+CTRL and open iTunes in Safe Mode.

5. Disable iTunes Store in Preferences

To do this, select the Apple menu and select Preferences>Parental controls tab.

Disable the iTunes Store and then re-enable it and see if it works again.

6. Reset HOSTS file and netsh

If the HOSTS file is corrupt, iTunes won’t work normally. To resolve this, reset the HOSTS file to the default that shipped with the operating system, run the netsh command to clear the Windows Sockets catalog, and restart your computer.

To reset the HOSTS file, download the Microsoft FixIT tool and run it.

Next, run the command prompt in administrator mode by clicking Start, type CMD in the search bar, and select Run as administrator.

In the command prompt, type netsh winsock reset and press Enter.

This clears the Windows Sockets catalog, after which you can restart your device. If you get an error from network-related software asking to fix the network association or remap LSP, click No to avoid making changes to the default Winsock settings.

Launch iTunes once your computer restarts and try accessing iTunes Store again.

7. Authorize and deauthorize your computer for iTunes Store

If you still see the “Accessing iTunes Store” message stuck on your screen, you can authorize your computer before using it to play or sync content downloads from the iTunes Store.

Authorizing a computer permits it to access content including movies and music, and can be done on up to five computers. However, you can’t authorize a computer from your iPhone, iPod touch, iPad, or another computer.

To authorize your computer, update it to the latest version of iTunes (Windows) and the latest macOS version.

On your Windows computer, open iTunes for Windows. If you’re using a Mac, open the Music app, Apple Books app, or Apple TV app and sign in with your Apple ID.

In the menu bar, select Account and then click Authorizations>Authorize This Computer.

To deauthorize your computer, open iTunes (Windows), or for Mac, open the Music app, Apple Books app, or Apple TV app. Go to the menu bar and select Account > Authorizations > Deauthorize This Computer.

Sign in with your Apple ID and select Deauthorize.

8. Test the issue in a different user account (Mac)

You can find out if the “Accessing iTunes Store” issue is related to your user account by testing it in a different user account.

Create a new account by going to menu>System Preferences and selecting Users & Groups.

Click the padlock icon and type your administrator name and password. Click Add (+) under the user list, and fill in the fields shown for either the Standard or Administrator account.

Click Create User (Account).

Note: If there’s another user account already on your list of users, you can just log out of the current one you’re using, and try using a different one to check if the message appears in it too. If it doesn’t happen with the new account or a different account, then the problem is with the files or settings in your account.

To remove the new user account you created for testing, use the same steps but choose Remove (-) instead of Add (+). Make sure the files or settings you copied in that account aren’t needed before removing the account.

If the issue occurs with the newly created or another user account too, update the software, or try using Safe Mode and check for other hardware or software issues that could contribute to the issue.

We hope one of these solutions helped resolve the “Accessing iTunes Store” message stuck issue on your computer.

However, with regards to ringtones on an iPhone, the thing I don’t like about the default tones is that they are either annoying or boring. That is why it is essential you make sure that the only ringtones on the phone are ones you have personally selected.

Create iPhone Ringtones In Four Easy Steps

First, you obviously need to decide what sound you are going to use. It could be a song. It could be your favorite TV show or movie soundtrack. Others use special effects from computer games. It’s entirely up to you. As you can see above, I have chosen to go with the very catchy tune from the Tetris game.

The best place to find that audio is YouTube. When you have found the one you want, you can rip the audio using something like YouTube To MP3 Converter [link removed]. But there are many similar services out there. A simple Google search will turn up more than you could ever possibly choose from.

Now that you have your MP3 file, it’s time to proceed to stage two.

Edit Using Audacity

Now you have your file, it’s time to edit it to iOS specifications. The existing Tetris audio I downloaded is a staggering 10 hours long! Obviously, we don’t need all of that as an iPhone ringtone is only thirty seconds in length – and then it loops back to the beginning. So I need to use the free and open-source Audacity to chop off nine hours, 59 minutes, and 30 seconds off the file.

Download and install Audacity. Then upload the MP3 version of your audio.

Now you have to decide what thirty-second segment you want to have as your ringtone. The beginning of the audio may not necessarily be the best part. For example, some songs start off very quietly or may sound a bit weird. Since you only have thirty seconds for your tone, you obviously want the best part.

So listen to your file in Audacity and clip the thirty-second part you want by dragging it with your mouse or trackpad.

It’s best to make it 28 or 29 seconds to ensure that your clip works without any problems. You can see the timestamp at the bottom of the screen.

Once you have your thirty-second clip, save it as a new file by going to File–>Export–>Export Selected Audio.

Save the selected file to your computer and make sure it is an MP3 file. Audacity will ask you to point it towards something called a “Lame file”, which is necessary for generating new MP3 files. If you don’t have one, or yours doesn’t work for some reason, it will give you a download link for a new one.

Convert To M4R Format

You can’t simply upload the MP3 file and expect it to magically appear in your ringtones section. If you upload an MP3, your iOS device will assume it is a song that belongs in your music section and it will leave it there. To give it ringtone status, you need to convert the MP3 file now to M4R format.

Fire up iTunes and make sure it is updated to the newest version. Then import your edited audio file to it. Right-click on the music file and choose Song /Album Info–>Options.

Under “Start”, put 0.01 and for “Stop”, enter the second before the file stops. Since my file is 29 seconds long, I put the end as 28 seconds. Now save it.

To get to M4R, you first have to make an AAC version, which has the file format M4A. This is the format that Apple delivers all iTunes Store purchases in. I know, slightly confusing but bear with me. I’ll get you through to the end.

Highlight the song with your mouse or trackpad. If you are on Windows, right-click and choose “Convert To AAC Version“. If you are on a Mac, go to File–>Convert–>Create AAC Version.

A second file of the same name will now appear in iTunes. Drag the new AAC file (with the m4a format) to another location on your computer (the desktop is always good). Then delete both audio files from iTunes. But keep iTunes open – you’ll need it again in a minute.

We’ve almost finished. To change the file to M4R, just go to the file on your computer and change the file format to M4R.

Upload To Your iPhone

The file is now finished. To get it onto your iPhone as a ringtone, attach your phone to your computer using a lightning-to-USB cable. When iTunes detects the phone, choose “Manually Manage Music & Videos“.

Now drag the M4R file onto the “On My Device” tab.

To check if the ringtone is there, click on the “Tones” tab and the audio file should now be there.

Now simply sync iTunes with your phone, and the ringtone will appear under “Sounds & Haptics” on your phone (in the ringtone section). Tap on it to choose it as your default ringtone.

All joking aside, people are still using CDs today. Amazon still sells them and you can obviously still get them second-hand on eBay and flea markets. Hell, if LPs refuse to die, what are the chances of CDs disappearing anytime soon?

You should still make a backup of those CDs though as discs do get scratched, plus you need that digital copy for your smartphone.

How To Rip a Music CD In Less Than 90 Seconds With iTunes

iTunes has always been the reliable go-to tool for ripping CDs. Everybody likes to swing punches at iTunes but I have always found it to do what I wanted it to do. That makes it a winner in my book.

I struggled to find a music CD in my house as I have been buying digital for a very long time now. But I finally found one of my wife’s CDs – Beauty and the Beast – to show you how it’s done. Honest, it’s not mine.

You will also need a CD reader on your computer, which not many modern computers have these days. If yours doesn’t, consider buying a cheap portable one from Amazon that plugs into your USB port.

Start iTunes and then insert the CD into your CD reader. All going well, iTunes will then detect it and show it to you on the screen.

Right now, the tracks are numbered 1, 2, 3, 4, etc. This will happen when iTunes reads the disc’s metadata and finds more than one possible CD out there in its database. It will then pop up a box and ask you to select which disc it is.

When you have done so, the names of each track will be automatically inserted. iTunes will then ask you if you want to import the CD into your iTunes library. Make your choice.

If you accidentally close the box asking you to choose which CD it is, you can get it back again. In the top-right-hand side of the iTunes window, you will see a settings logo. Clicking on that will give you “Get Track Names” and will bring the album options back.

If you now click on “CD Info”, you will be able to review the metadata that iTunes has been able to retrieve from the CD disc (if any). CD’s bought from high street retailers will usually have perfect metadata and you will rarely have to fix any of this. But it is worth checking it nevertheless.

Now it’s time to click “Import CD”. This pops up this box.

The “error correction” can be left unchecked. This means you only have to decide which format you want it in. I am an old-fashioned traditionalist so I always go for MP3.

And then choose the setting. Always go for the highest, because why not?

Now click OK to begin the CD burning process.

As each track is successfully burnt (or “imported”), you will see a green tick mark next to it.

The completed tracks will be located in your iTunes Media folder on your computer. If you are not sure where that is, go to your iTunes preferences and click on “Advanced”.

And in that location, you will find all of your tracks, neatly organized with names, track numbers, and other album details.

And to show you how blazingly-fast efficient iTunes is, the entire album was burnt in less than 90 seconds. It doesn’t get any better than that.