[pendragon]

Since installing iTunes 4.7.1, I noticed that in System Preferences/Accounts/Startup Items, there is: iTunesHelper, kind: Application. That is to say, in some volumes this appears, but in others, this does not appear, even on the same machine.

A search always (only) indicates a “com.apple.iTunesHelper.plist”, No such critter as an iTunesHelper Application can be found.

So what is it? Were I to delete it, I see no way to add it back should I ever want/need it.

Can someone please explain what’s going on? I don’t suppose it’s a big deal, I just don’t want to be ignorant all my life…

(10.3.7 on all volumes)

TIA

[Angus_D]

/Applications/iTunes.app/Contents/Resources/iTunesHelper.app

AFAIK it just sits in the background and waits for iPod volume mount notifications on older systems. I'm not sure if its functionality has been subsumed by some other general system daemon more recently?

[pendragon]

Thanks Angus,

FWIW, I am able to right-click on the iTunes icon from the Finder and select "Show Package Contents" and then navigate to Contents\Resources and there is the iTunesHelper.app.

I have since learned that there is an ITunesHelper.exe program installed on Windows PCs when PCers install iTunes. Apparently it deals with iPod connectivity, etc.

But I have never connected an iPod to any of my machines, so my confusion reigns.

Being brave (as well as fool hearty), I deleted the iTunesHelper application from the Startup on one of my volumes. As best I can tell, nothing has changed and no problems have been detected.

I am beginning to think this is some sort of leftover from the PC side. Can that be?

[CatOne]

Originally posted by pendragon:
Thanks Angus,

FWIW, I am able to right-click on the iTunes icon from the Finder and select "Show Package Contents" and then navigate to Contents\Resources and there is the iTunesHelper.app.

I have since learned that there is an ITunesHelper.exe program installed on Windows PCs when PCers install iTunes. Apparently it deals with iPod connectivity, etc.

But I have never connected an iPod to any of my machines, so my confusion reigns.

Being brave (as well as fool hearty), I deleted the iTunesHelper application from the Startup on one of my volumes. As best I can tell, nothing has changed and no problems have been detected.

I am beginning to think this is some sort of leftover from the PC side. Can that be?

Just because you haven't connected an iPod, doesn't mean that there couldn't be services there waiting in case you DO connect it

[pendragon]

But now that I have removed/deleted the iTunesHelper Application, and presuming I connect an iPod, can I get the missing (application) capabilities back? How?

Normally one can just navigate to the application required and add it to the StartUp Items. With the iTunesHelper Application that is not possible, or least not easily so.

Hardly seems user friendly to me. And, still, I have not been able to divine what exactly, this application is intended to do. If anyone knows what this application does, they have yet to post.

[poocat]

I have this little app running too. I swear i never had it before 4.7.1. What is it? I do have an iPod, but it's worked fine since forever (1st gen 5 gig...) so it doesn't need this...

Does anyone know why this was introduced? More info? Thanks.

pc.

[jasong]

I deleted my user folder . . . doesn't seem user friendly to me . . .

Apple can only protect you from so much.

-- Jason

[pendragon]

Jason,

"Apple can only protect you from so much."

Point well taken. But what (other) Application can be deleted from the StartUp Items that can not be added back in?

Also, Apple has much info on what functions the User folder perform, but as yet, Apple et al have yet to advise the purpose of the iTunesHelper Application. If you know, will you please help me?

[QuadG5Man]

Bump.

[Chuckit]

Why are you bumping this?

[pendragon]

FWIW and because this tread was bumped…

I was a bit surprised that no one here revealed the way to (re)add the iTunesHelper to the Startup items when it is mistakenly deleted.

Since there was no joy here ‘bouts, I continued my quest elsewhere, eventually finding the solution. For those who may care:

The technique is:
1. Open System Preferences/Accounts/Startup Items
2. Right Click on the iTunes application
3. Show Package Contents/Contents Folder/Resources/
4. Highlight the iTunesHelper
5. Drag & Drop the iTunesHelper to the System Preferences/Accounts/Startup Items (window) opened in step 1.

So simple even Jason can do it.

Though I am embarrassed that I did not figure it out. Oh, the shame!

Still, perhaps this will be of help to others.

[poocat]

does anyone know what happens (negatively) if you delete it or remove it? I mean, i don't care, but i'd rather not have all these extra apps running...

[Angus_D]

Originally posted by poocat:
does anyone know what happens (negatively) if you delete it or remove it? I mean, i don't care, but i'd rather not have all these extra apps running...

Why don't you want them running? They're not consuming any resources, other than perhaps a few K of RAM. Which can obviously be paged out anyway.

[goMac]

Originally posted by poocat:
does anyone know what happens (negatively) if you delete it or remove it? I mean, i don't care, but i'd rather not have all these extra apps running...

If you delete it iTunes will no longer auto-sync to your iPod unless iTunes is already open iirc. Basically iTunesHelper sits and watches for when an iPod is connected, and then does a lot of stuff automatically. It doesn't really do anything bad, so there is no reason to remove it.

[poocat]

Cool thanks colin. It's no big deal, i just wondered why they changed it. I mean, my iTunes has been opening w/ an iPod attached forever...

[Chuckit]

iTunesHelper has been there a lot longer than just 4.7.1.

[jasong]

Originally posted by pendragon:
So simple even Jason can do it.

Wow, I have never had a thread resurrected simply to insult me before . . .

-- Jason