Remove Arrow Links in iTunes 9 & 10 for Windows
Back in iTunes 8, Apple removed the preferences option to disable the arrow links to the iTunes music store next to the name and artist of a highlighted song. I find these highly annoying, since I never intend to use them. For the Windows version of iTunes, I found two different ways to get rid of these arrow icons:
Method 1
Go to Edit > Preferences > Parental Control, and check "Disable: iTunes Store"
While this is the simplest way of getting rid of the arrows, in the latest versions of iTunes, disabling the iTunes Store also disables Genius and automatic album art downloading. If you use these features, like I do, disabling the iTunes Store altogether is not an option. In this case, there is another way:
Method 2
Follow the instructions found at https://ocram.org/wiki/FAQs/iTunes. Basically, you first close iTunes, then with a text editor open C:\Documents and Settings\UserName\Application Data\Apple Computer\iTunes\iTunesPrefs.xml on Windows XP, or C:\Users\UserName\AppData\Roaming\Apple Computer\iTunes\iTunesPrefs.xml on Windows Vista and Windows 7. Make sure to replace UserName with your own Windows user name. After the following lines:
User Preferences
add the code:
show-store-arrow-links
AA==
When iTunes is reopened, the arrow icon links will be gone! Since I use Genius and downloading album art, I used the second method and it works great in both iTunes 9 and iTunes 10!
Update: I have also posted how to remove the Ping dropdown menu in iTunes 10 for Windows as well.
7 comments
You can link to %APPDATA%\Apple Computer\iTunes\iTunesPrefs.xml for Windows Vista/7. That way you don't need to know their username.
Thanks so much for this -- worked perfectly on my Windows 7 with iTunes 10!
I tried the second method using iTunes 10 and it did nothing. I have been trying to get rid of these store arrows for days. In XP I never had a problem but now I am using Windows 7 and nothing is working.
In fact Itunes seems to just get rid of whatever modifications I do right away. So does anyone know how to get rid of the annoying store arrows. Or should I just give up on iTunes? Which I used to like.
If the file reverts back, are you sure you have closed out of iTunes entirely before editing the XML file? Also, I should point out that in my case, when I reopen iTunes, the lines I add get moved down closer to the bottom of the file. So they are still there, just not where I put them. Maybe this is the case with you?
This solution worked for me: http://www.dustinbolton.com/how-to-remove-itunes-store-and-ping-arrows-buttons-next-to-songs-in-windows/
#2 did nothing for me either.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts about itunes. Regards
Hello! Running wind and success on the road!
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