MS9

Have you tried to install recent versions of Apple iTunes on your Microsoft Windows 2003 Server (or similar), and it fail due to reported operating system incompatibilities? E.g. “This software requires Windows XP SP 2 or higher”

Update: iTunes 9.0 breaks this fix, so please follow the latest post on how to get iTunes 9 installed on Windows Server 2003.

Well, there is a work around or hack for those people who are fairly technically minded, and don’t mind changing a few settings.

Scenario:

• To allow users to browse your server’s shared music in iTunes over the network.
• Use your iPhone or iPod Touch to act as a remote control (using the free App) to control the speakers connected to your Server, or control your remote AirTunes speakers connected to an AirPort Express.

Prerequisites

• Microsoft Windows Server 2003 (may work on 2008 server also?)
• Sound card with something plugged into the headphone/ speaker socket)

Instructions Part 1

• Download and save iTunesSetup.exe from here to a folder
• Download and install WinRAR from here. This is required to dissect the .exe file into the component .msi files
• After installing WinRAR, locate the iTunesSetup.exe file, right-click on it, hover over WinRAR, and click Extract to iTunesSetup\
• You should then see a folder called iTunesSetup
• Inside this you should see a number of .msi files perhaps including: AppleMobileDeviceSupport.msi, AppleSoftwareUpdate.msi, Bonjour.msi, iTunes.msi, MobileMe.msi, QuickTime.msi, SetupAdmin.exe

You have now downloaded the iTunes software. The problem we have now is that if we now try and install any one of these packages (.msi’s), we get operating system incompatibility warnings. This is because Apple have coded into their installer programs that their software is only to be installed on certain operating systems to prevent possible incompatibilities.

Therefore we need to remove these operating system options from the .msi files using a Microsoft SDK application.

Instructions Part 2

• Download the Windows SDK for Windows Server 2008 and .NET Framework 3.5 from here
• In the installation do not download and install every option (1.5GB +). Only select the W32 Components (15MB ish).
• Once this has downloaded and installed successfully, we then need to browse into the SDK’s bin folder in a directory similar to this: C:\Program Files\Microsoft SDKs\Windows\v6.1\Bin
• In there you will see a file called Orca.msi. Install this.

Instructions Final Part

• Run Orca from the Start Menu
• Now open each one of the Apple .msi files from Orca in turn
• In the left hand section, scroll down to the LaunchCondition table.
• On the right hand side, you will notice information relating to the operating system. E.g. for the AppleMobileDeviceSupport.msi file I see (VersionNT=501 And ServicePackLevel>=2) Or VersionNT>=600 and its description: [ProductName] requires that your computer is running Windows XP SP2 or newer.
  For iTunes.msi I see: ((VersionNT=501 AND ServicePackLevel>=2) OR VersionNT>501
  Basically delete any row under the LaunchCondition table that contains “VersionNT”, “ServicePackLevel” etc…
• This is the information that needs removing, so click on the row, and press delete on your keyboard.
• Once deleted, click save from the top menu.
• Now, open each .msi file, browser to the LaunchCondition table on the left, and delete any information relating to the operating system, then click save, untill all .msi files have been modified.

Once you have modified each .msi file, you can then begin the installation of which every program you want installing. For instance, if this was iTunes, then double-click and install iTunes.msi.

Hopefully this has worked for you. If not, or you want further help, please contact me using the comments form below. Good luck!

(This tip is provided AS-IS and without any warranty/ support/ help. MS9 does not accept any responsibility for data loss, corruption, or other negative system behaviour as a result of following any of the steps listed above. MS9 also does not accept any responsibility for you manipulating with Apple Software that could contravene Apple’s software agreements or IP.)