Q: iTunes 11: No more album art preview for selected track??? :(

I agree. No artwork view in songs view is stupid. The only option is the tiny preview on top, or a seperate artwork window that never made sense, and is not useful. I loved the additon of the coverartwork in list view. But I would be happy just to have artwork back in the sidebar-or somewhere—where it is integrated into the main itunes window. What's the point of having the main window, the miniplayer, and the seperate artwork player. Apple are you going downhill that fast after jobs? The beatuy of Itunes, what made it poopular over all the other players, was it's simplicity. It's now becoming more and more muddled, complicated, and dissapointing.

BIG FAIL APPLE!

Now that Steve Jobs is gone, the company is going to crap.  Blatently obvious that the shareholders are running the company, without any regards to what the customers want.  To Think, I just recently moved to Apple products, only to get shafted by the removal of features that I have always admired with Apple products.

I can assure you, Apple, that if you don't add cover -art views back to iTunes, I WILL go back to ripping cds, blu-rays, etc. and using a different player.

Keep it up Apple, and you will be in the same boat as RIM...

PLEASE, put covert-art views back!

I mean, really: this is supposed to be an imrovement of some kind?

My recomendation... downgrade ("roll-back") to itunes 10.7.  That's what I did.  I really can't see any significant benifit to version 11 that is worth giving up the superior layout of version 10.

Then process is a little involved but not terribly complicated.  It's harmless as long as follow the instructions.  If anyone is interested, follow these links (in order) and you'll be good to go.

NOTE: In the first link, there are 3 steps to removing the current itunes and supporting files.  Ignore step 3 and just do steps 1 and 2.  You will be downloading version 10.7 from another link, which I have provided below.

1. Completely remove the current iTunes.

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1923?viewlocale=en_US

2. Set-up previous library file for downgrade.

http://www.imore.com/daily-tip-downgrade-itunes-105-beta-windows-pc

3. Download and install iTunes 10.7

http://support.apple.com/kb/DL1576

This worked beautifully for me.

REVISION TO MY PREVIOUS POST...

Since Apple won't let me edit my previous post, I had to re-post with a supliment. I removed the link in step 2 and summerized the instructions for that part of the process.

-----------------------------------------------------------

NOTE: In the first link, there are 3 steps to removing the current itunes and supporting files. Ignore step 3 and just do steps 1 and 2. You will be downloading version 10.7 from another link, which I have provided below.

1. Completely remove the current iTunes.

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1923?viewlocale=en_US

2. Set-up previous library file for downgrade.

Once you have completed step 1, reboot your computer.

• After rebooting, open your iTunes folder (typically located in My Documents in the “My Music” folder), find the file named “iTunes Library.itl” and rename it to “iTunes Library.itl.old”.
• Now, open the folder named “Previous iTunes Libraries” and find the file with the latest date prior to upgrading to iTunes 11. Example:  iTunes Library 2012-11-10.itl
• Copy the file with the latest pre-upgrade date, paste it into the iTunes folder and rename it to “iTunes Library.itl”
• Proceed to step 3.

3.Download and install iTunes 10.7

http://support.apple.com/kb/DL1576

thank you for this careful list of instructions (just what i needed) - however, before I embark on something that could easily destroy years of work if I get it wrong, let me ask you.... do these instructions change if my actual music is on an external drive?

if not, then I'm right after it....

Making a back-up is always the best policy if you're even remotely unsure of what you're doing, but I can assure you that this is a very safe procedure.  Again... as long as you ONLY delete the files and folders that the instructions specify.

Your actual music files are typically stored at the following location C:\Documents and Settings\Username\My Documents\My Music\iTunes\iTunes Music. The only exception to them being at this location would be if you intentionally changed it within iTunes preferences. If you want to make a back-up of that folder and its contents, that's where it is.

The only part of this procedure that comes anywhere near that folder is the part that deals with the “iTunes Library.itl” file and in that case, you're only copying, pasting and renaming which can easily be reversed.  No deletions are done there at all. Uninstalling iTunes and the supporting apps or deleting the necessary program files will not effect your music files in any way.

grufnmuf...

In your case with having the music files stored on an external drive, you're even safer.  However, to answer your question... no, that changes nothing in the procedure.  Where the music files themselves are stored is irrelevant.  The “iTunes Library.itl” file will still be located in the same place described in the instructions and that's the file that tells iTunes where the music files are located.

I also keep my music files on a separate drive that I back-up regularly and I followed the instructions exactly as written.  Worked great for me.

Also... as an afterthought to all.  When you install iTunes 10.7 in step 3, you'll be given the option to have iTunes check for updates before you run it.  UNCHECK that box and it will not prompt you to update every time you start iTunes.  You can still check for updates manually from time to time through the "Help" menu if you like.

If you've already installed iTunes 10.7 or you're getting update prompts now, you can go into the "Edit" menu from within iTunes and select "Preferences", you'll see an option to "check for new software updates automatically".  Uncheck that box and it will stop the prompts. 

Again, you can still check for updates manually from time to time through the "Help" menu if you like.

AAAaarrrrgggghhhhh -  I was all ready to start this process when i discovered that your instructions are for removing itunes from a windows computer not a mac....

now I'm stuck - afraid to move one way or another....
I don;t know what to remove or how to do it properly...

anyone???

OK - I've calmed down a little, googled a little and found out how to do it..

AND DID IT - SUCCESSFULLY...

BUT...

I have now discovered that everything I added recently (since the last upgrade) is missing from the window.. (duh), although still in my library of music on the external drive...

HOWEVER - this realisation has also led me to discover that there are lots of other items in that library that are not showing up in the window. I have obviously, at one time or another managed to corrupt the database.

So - how can I now add those "missing" items into my application so that it "sees" them  - there is too much music to use trial and error.

is that what "consolidate" does?

Any idea if we could time machine back to a date before the 'upgrade'?

grufnmuf...

Very sorry about the OS confusion.  Huge oversight on my part.  I should have made that clear from the beginning, especially since this is an Apple product. 

                                                 **** NOTE TO ALL ****

For the record... These instructions are in fact for WINDOWS MACHINES, specifically XP.  However, even though they were written for XP, the procedure should be pretty much the same for later windows OS versions.

An additional note, if you have made an attempt at this and it's not working out for you, all you have to do is the following:

• Go to the "Help" menu within iTunes and select "Check for Updates".  Allow iTunes to upgrade to the latest version.
  
• Once iTunes v11 is installed, shut it down and go back to the folder where the “iTunes Library.itl” is located.
  
• Rename the current “iTunes Library.itl” to “iTunes Library.itl.v10.7”. 
  
• Then rename the “iTunes Library.itl.old” file to “iTunes Library.itl”.  Start iTunes v11 and everything should be right back to the way it was before you attempted the downgrade.
• You'll also want to go to the "Edit" menu, select preferences and check the box for "Check for new software updates automatically".

grufnmuf,

If you wouldn't mind, can you post some info and/or links to how you were able to do the downgrade  on your Mac?

Now, for your mising items...  What windows are you referring to where you are missing items?  If you're talking about the main Music list where all of your songs and albums are shown within iTunes, thats a fairly easy fix.  It takes time for the system to process, but there's not much to it.

If that is what you're talking about, which I imagine it is since I had to reload a few myself, this is how you fix it.

• Go to the "File" menu from within iTunes, select "Add Folder to Library..."
  
• Navigate to the folder where your music files are located.  Whether it's the default "iTunes Music" folder typically located in [C:Documents and Settings\username\My Documents\My Music\iTunes] or some other specified location, it's all the same.
• Select that folder and hit "OK". 
  

iTunes will scan the folder for anything not already in your library.  It could take a while depending on how big the folder is, but when it's done, everything in that folder should then show in iTunes.  I tried this on my XP system this morning as an experiment and this is exactly how it worked for me.

In case anyone is interested, here are links to iTunes 10.4.0.80, the last version to display arrows above album art preview if there is multiple album art store in music files.

iTunes 10.4.0.80 32-bit

http://appldnld.apple.com/iTunes10/041-0718.20110720.YXCZe/iTunesSetup.exe

iTunes 10.4.0.80 64-bit

http://appldnld.apple.com/iTunes10/041-0719.20110720.rE358/iTunes64Setup.exe

iTunes 10.4.0.80 Mac OS X

http://appldnld.apple.com/iTunes10/041-0717.20110720.MP6Y2/iTunes10.4.dmg

As I mentioned much earlier (page 13) in this discussion, I performed the downgrade on a 32-bit Windows XP machine and everything continues to work perfectly.  And the arrows are back!

I don't have an iPhone, so I can't speak to whether 10.4.0.80 works properly with it or not.

jonbird2002:  I used timemachine to restore my system drive to November 30 before I did the "upgrade" on os-x 10.6.8 - most of my critical data is on an external data drive and while it took a day to weed out a few kinks (using a fresh set of cloned drive backups made just before i restored the system drive) I'm good.