iTunes 12.12.06 fails to launch due to missing files after Microsoft Store update [Update]

Updated Sep 22: Apple has replaced the broken installer for a new one. It would appear that today's update to iTunes 12.12.0.6, being pushed out through the Microsoft Store, has resulted in a subset of users being unable to open the app. The first reports of these problems were posted to the iTunes for Windows community forums at discussions.apple.com around seven hours ago, and an Apple representative has yet to acknowledge the issue.

After applying the Microsoft Store update, some users are presented with the following dialog:

Running a repair, and uninstalling iTunes and then rebooting before attempting the reinstall, as documented here by Apple, resulted in the same error for one user on Stack Exchange.

We tried reproducing the error, but on our four test machines (2x updated Windows 10 21H1 and 2x Windows 11 22000.194 in VM), iTunes installed and opened fine, which seems to indicate an environmental issue, but one that is affecting more than a small number of people it seems.

As also pointed out in the Stack Exchange topic posted by user Massimo, this also affects clean installs of iTunes (on systems that never had iTunes previously installed).

I tried installing iTunes on a fresh Windows VM which I had lying around (same OS release and updates, no other software installed), which never had any iTunes version installed or used on it. I still received the same error and iTunes doesn't start.

The only workaround that seems to be available right now is to uninstall iTunes and install an older version, and then ignore the update to 12.12.06. As pointed out here in a topic on the iTunes for Windows community at Apple, you can go here, and grab the (more recent) 12.10.11 64-bit installer. In addition, you might come up against the following issue when trying to install the older version:

It might say that a certain file can't be opened due to it's creation on a newer version of iTunes, i simply deleted it, it worked for me.

So far, Apple is yet to address this issue, and of the few tweets to the Apple Support Twitter account, people are receiving a generic response to reinstall.

As noted above, this doesn't appear to affect everyone, but frustratingly, it is also not apparent from the reports what could be causing the error. We'll update this if we hear an update and a possible solution.

Thanks for sending in the tip, Alfred Penny!

Update 7:15am ET: Apparently this bug is not limited to the Microsoft Store version, it also affects the standalone 12.12.06 .exe installer. Thanks slaughterhus.

Update 11:35am ET: Over on Stack Exchange some users have confirmed that the iTunes update will install if the host system is set to English (US):

@Massimo UPDATE: It looks like it works when the Windows user interface is in English and breaks when you use another language system language. – 8ctopus 3 hours ago

In another comment, user sn1k did some additional language testing:

I confirm that changing the windows user interface to english, then magically itunes works without any problems. no need to reinstall or repair.

Tried it in on different PC's, Windows Versions, Networks, fresh install, update, repair, clean deinstall and reinstall etc. all in German, never got it to start up.

Now in english -> first try, iTunes works! Crazy bug.

In the iTunes for Windows community discussion forum, users are also linking to the Stack Exchange post with the same workaround. Apple has yet to reply to these posts, and as of now there is still no new update to replace the broken 12.12.0.6 version.

Update 3 Sep 22: Although there is still no official acknowledgement, Apple replaced the bad 12.12.0.6 installer with a new one:

The new version, which can be downloaded here, or on the Microsoft Store is version 12.11.4.15.