How To Downgrade iTunes 8.2 and Where to Download older version of iTunes

by Simon Ng on June 6, 2009

As mentioned in the earlier post, for now, it’s not safe to upgrade to iTunes 8.2 if you’re iPhone jailbreaker. The latest version of iTunes may affect the use of QuickPwn or PwnageTool to jailbreak. So, I suggest you hold off the upgrade.

However, it may be too tempted to hit the “Update” button when Apple informs you there is a software update. I know some of the readers have upgraded to iTunes 8.2 and experienced some jailbreak issues. They are searching for ways to downgrade it back to older version.

To downgrade iTunes, the process is very straightforward. What you have to do is to uninstall iTunes and then download & install the older version of iTunes.

Uninstalling iTunes

For Windows User
For Windows user, simply go to Control Panel and uninstall iTunes via “Add/Remove Program”. If iPod Updater application is present, remove it as well.

For Mac OS X User
For Mac user, you can follow Apple Support’s article to completely remove iTunes. If you’re familiar with Terminal application, you can simply run the following command in Terminal app to delete iTunes:

sudo rm -rf /Applications/iTunes.app /System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/DeviceLink.framework /System/Library/Extensions/AppleMobileDevice.kext /System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/iTunesAccess.framework /System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/CoreFP.framework /System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/MobileDevice.framework

Download the Older version of iTunes and Install it

Okay, now you should have the iTunes uninstalled. Next, you can simply head to oldapps.com to download the previous iTunes version and install it.

That’s it. Enjoy.

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Tagged as: iPhone, itunes

{ 22 comments… read them below or add one }

1 anthony8123 June 7, 2009 at 10:07 am

does this delete the itunes file with music, videos, apps, ect?

2 Byron June 7, 2009 at 9:52 pm

I have been searching for an older version of iTunes (7.5 or earlier) to run on my iMac G3 running Jaguar 10.3.9 and found oldapps.com. Un fortunately, they no longer have any older versions of iTunes on the site. Very frustrating. If anyone can point me in the direction of another site with an old version of iTunes, it would be greatly appreciated.

3 george June 8, 2009 at 10:16 am

when i install older Version it says i have a new search thing and wont install i neeeeeed help!!!!!!!

4 boris June 8, 2009 at 1:26 pm

The oldapps.com site not longer carries the older Mac versions of iTunes; anyone know of an alternate site that still has the Mac installers?

5 Tom Jones June 17, 2009 at 2:46 pm

oldapps.com doesn’t work! Where can I get earlier versions?

6 andy mackay June 17, 2009 at 6:54 pm

Just downgraded to iToons 8.1 on PC, when I try to start it it stalls with the message:-

The file iToons.itl cannot be read because it was created by an newer version of iToons.

anyone get aby ideas

7 Tom Jones June 18, 2009 at 1:23 pm: - andy – the window says “iToons”??? that’s strange… but I know the .itl file on windows is used to store information about your library such as songs playlists and ratings – if you’re trying to downgrade, you can’t use the .itl file from itunes 8.2; 8.1 can’t read it.

If you’re just trying to use quickpwn to jailbreak, I would backup your itunes library files and then completely delete the itunes files, downgrade to 8.1, jailbreak, then update.

Reply

8 andy mackay June 18, 2009 at 7:41 pm

Thanks for the reply Tom, i’ll give it a bash, it didn’t really say iToons, that was just me attempting to bring a bit of levity to the proceeding, it wasn’t realy very funny, I don’t know why I did it I am sorry and it won’t happen again. Thinking about it I have just upgraded to os 3.0, so it’s a bit academic now anyway, i’ll just wait for the jailbreak for os 3.0 to come out.
Just a wee PS I needed to turn off Kaspersky to get iTunes to download the file, probably just a firewall issue but I am too lazy to look into it and find it, it’s easier just turn it off and then back on again when finished.

9 micah June 20, 2009 at 6:44 am

Where can I get an old version of itunes for a mac? oldapps.com doesn’t have them

10 NovaTornado June 20, 2009 at 8:03 pm

Try filehippo.com for older versions. It might have mac, not sure.

11 Mike June 22, 2009 at 3:24 pm

iTunes 8.1 (Mac OS X)

12 Mike June 22, 2009 at 3:31 pm

this one:
http://appldnld.apple.com.edgesuite.net/content.info.apple.com/iTunes8/061-5641.20090311.Cfe4r/iTunes81.dmg

13 Gio June 23, 2009 at 12:36 pm

Yes, you did it Mike! Thanks man.

14 Jarsh June 24, 2009 at 3:45 am

Hmmmm…

how about something that jibes with OSX10.3?

any of you pros want to help, i just got a used mac and im having a hell of a time getting it up to speed here, i will send so many good karmas your way, just wait.

15 cshizzzle August 16, 2009 at 9:19 pm

will this delete all of my itunes stuff or can i just sign in on the older version

16 pjrock August 20, 2009 at 8:36 am

Hi,
The problem i’m running into now that i’ve installed an earlier version is that whenever i try to open itunes it tells me it can’t read my library because it was created by a later version of itunes. How do you get around this??

17 Jenn August 21, 2009 at 7:19 am

It’s the same for me, how do you get around it? I was so excited about being able to use my iPod functions too. I mean just the music because I like to categorize my songs.

18 paco September 16, 2009 at 6:12 am

rename the library .itl file to library.old and you are going to be able to open itunes

19 Christine December 20, 2009 at 3:55 pm

Can anyone tell me which version of iTunes is the easiest and most popular?
All I would use it for on my PC is to create playlists and burn CD’s.
I had a version, (before my computer crashed), that just had single songs in the “Music” section. Now all the newer versions I see just put pictures of album covers. I want to see the songs, not the albums.

20 Simon Ng December 20, 2009 at 9:01 pm: @Christine, just download the latest version and enjoy all the new features, as well as, fulfilling your need to create playlist.

Reply

21 Christine December 21, 2009 at 3:40 am