iTunes UK store
 

Hi everyone I hope you can help with this.

I am trying to buy some music from the iTunes UK store. The problem is that it won't connect, I just get a message saying "Connecting to the iTunes store" but the bar that goes across the page from left to right to indicate progress just stops and I don't get connected.

There was the same sort of problem occuring a couple of days ago but since then I've done my weekly check for spyware and viruses and my computer appears to be clean and other sites all appear to work ok. I didn't want to uninstall and reinstall as I was afraid I would lose all my music and though most of it is burned to disc I really do not want to have to put it all back on again. Besides a quick scan on Google tells me that many people had problems of a similar nature last year and a reinstall didn't fix it. Unfortunately there's no clue as to what did!!! I did check on the iTunes discussion forum and some other people seem to be having the same issue now but not many.

A check of my Zone Alarms firewall reveals that iTunes has full access so there's no problems there. I've e mailed Apple but as yet no joy. Can I ask are any of you guys or ladies having the same problem? Any ideas on what I can do to fix it?

Thanks
Alan

Re: iTunes UK store
 

Just an update on this, I really hope you guys can help as I am hoping to buy some presents on iTunes this weekend.

I got a reply from Apple saying the store is connecting fine!!! Oh really? Well how come I can't buy anything then? They went on to suggest it might be my PC, which is working OK for everything else or my connection, which connects with no problems to every other site as far as I can see or possibly my firewall, but that has given iTunes full access.

Is there anything else I can do? Apple just don't seem interested in helping or letting me be a customer.

Re: iTunes UK store
 

FWIW, it connects fine for me.

Re: iTunes UK store
 

And me. Sorry, I know thats not helping much !

How about re-installing ?
Also, check the Parental Control section in Preferences. It has the ability to lock the store.

Re: iTunes UK store
 

It seems the problem is with the Virgin Media proxy server that I have specified for my Local Area Network. If I remove it and just connect directly then I can get into iTunes.

The downside is that if I do this my Hotmail doesn't work properly. Messages that I have read remain marked as unread and the Trash will not empty.

It's absolutely infuriating. I tried to sort this problem out with Hotmail last year or even the year before that and they were as much use as a chocolate teapot!!!! In the end I just kept the proxy sever selected; whether it is actually performing any function or not I don't know as I believe proxies are being turned off, but unless Hotmail thinks it's in place it all goes pear shaped! I really do not wish to switch to another email provider if I can avoid it, I'm comfortable with Hotmail and all my contacts know they can reach me on it.

So it seems solving one irritating problem merely resurrects another.

Where do I go from here?