iTunes crashing when iPod is connected under Mac OS X 10.3.x

An issue where iTunes 4.2 crashes shortly after connecting an iPod (under Mac OS X 10.3.x) is garnering more attention in the MacFixIt forums and Apple's Discussion boards.

MacFixIt reader Rory Cooney summarizes the problem:

"Longtime users of iPods of various pedigree and size, after upgrading to Panther, are finding that attempting to synch their iPod to iTunes crashes iTunes. The crash results both in the iPod not getting updated and a force-quit required to iTunes. I myself spent 3 hours on the phone with Apple support yesterday, and after troubleshooting every aspect of iTunes, I was told to do an archive and install. Today, the problem persists."

Some users have had success disconnecting all other external peripherals - particularly FireWire devices other than the iPod (and USB components), but for others the problem persists under the same conditions.

In some cases, users are able to transfer only a few songs - usually less than 10 - before iTunes hangs.

So far, reverting to Mac OS X 10.2.x seems to be the only thorough solution for users experiencing this problem.

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