Apple has just released a new version of iTunes 8 intended to fix the horrific problems I reported earlier this week, including STOP errors (AKA the Blue Screen of Death) for some Windows Vista users.
This doesn’t appear to be a permanent fix, however. As I note at ZDNet, the new version replaces Apple’s problematic USB driver with an older version.
If you experienced problems with iTunes 8, you should uninstall the current version and replace it with this one. If you’re not experiencing any problems, I recommend leaving well enough alone.
I’m interested in hearing from any iPod/iPhone owners who have experienced this problem firsthand.
Ed Bott 
I’m trying to reproduce this issue and still cannot. Why me?! I’m also interested in connecting with someone who has this problem.
While doing a search for iTunes and Vista x64 problems later on the day that it was released, I came across this …
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=1701063&tstart=0
If you scroll all the way down you’ll see that HP Printers and Lexmark seem to be the culprits. You’ll come across posts in which those that removed their printers no longer experienced the BSOD. The workaround seems to be to disconnect your HP or Lexmark printer and then install iTunes 8.0. Then, when you want to use your printer, uninstall iTunes 8.0 and re-connect your printer. Once you’re done printing, disconnect your printer and re-install iTunes 8.0. As long as you’re willing to do this, you shouldn’t have any further problems…
If it wasn’t Windows per se, why wouldn’t it just be an error message instead of a full-blown BSOD?
John, it’s kernel mode versus user mode. Most apps run in user mode. They can crash themselves but not the whole OS. Apple installs two kernel-mode drivers (including a file-system filter driver) and three system services with iTunes 8. Any of them can crash the entire system, because they are installing in space shared by the entire operating system.
Ed, you’ve written before that services can crash the OS. This is not true – services are still user-mode programs, and cannot themselves crash the OS. However, the kernel monitors some of the vital service processes, such as WinLogon and CSRSS, and if they crash, it will stop the system itself – I actually had this last week on Windows XP after applying Sun’s latest Java update (I’m not certain that was the culprit, but it was the most recent update), where WinLogon was crashing on shutdown. This meant system restore (which requires a clean shutdown!) wouldn’t work. I fixed it with System File Checker.
Service can however run in the LocalSystem context, which has many privileges, including one called ‘Act as part of the operating system’, which may be where the confusion arises. This privilege enables the system to bypass certain parts of the security system, which is why very few processes should have it.
Point taken, Mike. I’ve seen services hang the system so hard that nothing else will respond, but that’s not a crash of the same variety as a BSOD.
My problem is a little different — ever since iTunes 7.7, I can’t sync any of my ipods. Only with this latest iTunes 8 will iTunes even recognize I have an ipod attached. But it’s only letting me copy one song at a time, and crashing much of the time. I’ve been experiencing these problems since August, I’ve done the 5Rs, I know more at this point than the fellows trying to help at AppleCare, and there’s nothing wrong with anything on my computer. Any help?
I’m having problems downloading Itunes 8. I’ve bought a new ipod that requires Itunes 8, but when I try and download the new itunes, the data is downloaded but an “error” occurs when my computer tries to install the data. I have Windows XP. I’ve gotten some indication that it could be a problem with Windows Installer. Does anyone have any idea how to solve this problem without having to uninstall itunes, which would put my library of music at risk.
Thanks in advance for any help you may be able to offer.
The new version has other serious problems.
It can’t locate songs located on external drives, in my case f:\itunes music. It asks me to locate every song out of thousands…
I use XP
DON”T DOWNLOAD THE NEW VERSION!