I keep getting a "Runtime Error!" which prevents opening iTunes. What up?

Question

This is the message, verbatim, that I keep getting when I try to open iTunes. Why and what do I do? Thank you.
Microsoft Visual C ++ Runtime Library
Runtime Error!
Program: C:\Program Files|itunes|itunes.exe
This application has requested the Runtime to terminate it in an unusual way. Please contact the application support team for more information.

Answer 1

Some people have reported that Apple Software Update can cause this error, so you might try removing that and see if it helps. Removing that utility should not affect iTunes, though you won't get automatic updates (you can just download any new version of iTunes or QuickTime manually and install it). It would, however, be wise to make a backup of any purchased content or items that would otherwise be difficult to replace, just in case something goes wrong.