Itunes won't install

Question

I am having major problems trying to get itunes to work. I am using a Dell laptop with windows vista and an ipod touch. I had no problems for a couple years. Then, I had to replace my hard drive and reinstall everything. At first, I did have itunes running. But it would not do anything with my ipod anymore. On rare occasions, it would show the icon, and I would click it, then it would disappear. So, I can't make a playlist or add any photos. The ipod touch works fine, but my computer wasn't letting me do anything with it.
A few months ago, I decided that maybe the problem was that it was a newer version of itunes than before, and I just couldn't figure it out. So, I uninstalled it and tried to install an older version. Since then, I have not been able to get any version of itunes to open. I have uninstalled and reinstalled 15-20 times now. I have also installed quick time, bonjour, apple mobile device support. I tried to uninstall apple software update, but that one would not delete, even going through regedit.
I don't know if it is related, but I am also having to reset firefox every few days now as it gets really slow and videos won't play. Then, once reset, I have to reinstall flash. I also lost my CD burner for awhile because of deleting itunes.
I am so frustrated. I really don't need to use the program itunes very often, but I really need to make some new playlists and move one item off a list that I don't want to delete, but should never played in a playlist (it's a movie, the whole thing). I like to play music in my car while driving, and I can't be adjusting it while I am driving. I also need to upload photos. I am a pet photographer, and it is in downright embarrassing that I can't show current photos of my own cat. The only way I can get a new photo on it is to email it to myself and save it the camera folder. This is crazy.
On one occasion, I got this error (but not anymore):
The registry used by the itunes drivers for importing and burning CDs and DVDs is missing. This can happen as a result of installing other CD burning software. Please reinstall itunes.
The error I usually get is:
A required itunes component is not installed. Please repair or reinstall itunes. 42404.
I have followed various sets of instructions here several times. I have tried repair as well.
Any ideas? Any way to edit playlists on my ipod touch without itunes? Any way to upload photos without itunes? Do I really need to buy a cheapo used desktop just so that I can edit my ipod???

Answer 1

well done John!
The different download worked for me as well. I have seen this issue for a week. I wonder why Apple has not replaced the link on the iTunes site?
hmmm. apologies for being nosy, but do you mind if i ask a few follow-up questions?
what browser, security software and ISP were you using?
here's why i'm curious. that message
b can
be caused by a server problem, but the one time i've seen that happen, we got
b way
more reports of the message than we're currently getting.
there's also a "background level" of these things which get reported ... but you're absolutely right that there's been
b way
more of these reported over the past week than we were getting as the background level ...
so it's plausible that there's something new afoot. i know that the QT+iT download site behaves a little differently from some of the other download sites. (for example, some people running McAfee Privacy Service who get the "blank blue box" on the itunes download page
b can
actually see the download controls on the QT+iT page ...) so i'm still open to the possibility that it's something about the PC/software/ISP configuration in individual cases.
dunno what that could be, though.
love, b