sky1415

Q: HELP! My Library keeps resetting itself

Hello all

 

     Since yesterday my iTunes library has reset itself, twice! I am on a HP Pavilion DV7 running Windows 8 with iTunes 11.0.2. It has been a while since I updated the software and have done absolutely nothing to my music folders or iTunes. It was working fine then when I fired it up yesterday morning everything was gone. I have tried reloading the library but the only library file is the blank library.

     

     All my music is still on my computer it's just not in complied into a library anymore. And for some reson the only playlists i have in my iTunes folder are ones from several months ago that have since been deleted, updated, renamed (within iTunes itself), etc. I have 5000+ songs and I really don't want to try to repopulate my library again until I can get this problem solved. Here is a list of the files that are currently in my iTunes folder.

  • iTunes Library (1) - 9/1/2011 - iTunes Database File
  • iTunes Library Extras (1) - 8/17/2010 -  iTunes Database File
  • iTunes Library Extras - 9/3/2011 -  iTunes Database File
  • iTunes Library Genius (1) - 8/17/2010 -  iTunes Database File
  • iTunes Library Genius - 9/3/2011 -  iTunes Database File
  • iTunes Library - 3/26/2013 -  iTunes Database File (This is the current library file that is blank)
  • iT 1.tmp - 7/24/2011
  • iT 2.tmp - 3/24/2013
  • iT 3.tmp - 3/26/2013
  • iT.tmp - 7/23/2011
  • Temp File.tmp - 2/20/2013
  • iTunes Music Library - 3/26/2013 - XML Document

 

     Out of all those files what can i delete? I feel like half of those aren't needed.

 

     Is anyone else having this problem?

 

Thank you for any help you can provide

iTunes 11.0.2, Windows 8

Posted on Mar 26, 2013 10:28 AM

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Q: HELP! My Library keeps resetting itself

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  • by nosenabook,

    nosenabook nosenabook Mar 29, 2013 6:02 AM in response to sky1415
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Mar 29, 2013 6:02 AM in response to sky1415

    Yes, I've been having this problem for a month now.

    I thought I had it fixed by deleting all Apple content from my PC and then re-installing iTunes, but that only worked for a week or so.

     

    I do have AVG so I'm checking into that.

  • by nosenabook,

    nosenabook nosenabook Mar 29, 2013 6:45 AM in response to nosenabook
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Mar 29, 2013 6:45 AM in response to nosenabook

    Not fixed.

    I made an AVG exception for iTunes, reloaded the content from the media library, and closed down iTunes. When I reopened it, it's all gone and iTunes back to its default settings.

    arggh.

    I hope Apple addresses this soon. I tried calling Support but didn't get anything useful, then the connection was broken.

  • by jason202,

    jason202 jason202 Mar 29, 2013 7:19 AM in response to sky1415
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Mar 29, 2013 7:19 AM in response to sky1415

    This has happened to me twice in the last few days. Windows 7 x64 with latest free version of AVG. Guess I'm going to have to make a habit of backing up my iTunes Library file each time I make a change or addition, until this is fixed.

  • by Koppster,

    Koppster Koppster Mar 29, 2013 8:56 AM in response to jason202
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Mar 29, 2013 8:56 AM in response to jason202

    Called Apple, they haven't heard anything but they are now watching this thread.


    Called AVG, they haven't had any complaints but the guy I talked with elevated the issue and they are watching too.

  • by erica216,

    erica216 erica216 Mar 29, 2013 9:35 AM in response to sky1415
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Mar 29, 2013 9:35 AM in response to sky1415

    This morning at 7:30 am PST my iTunes was fine.  I just turned it on (9:20 am) and it's back to the default.  I checked and there was no Windows update, and AVG updated itself last night.  (I had turned off the AVG scan of anything with iTunes in the name anyway.)    

  • by nosenabook,

    nosenabook nosenabook Mar 29, 2013 3:09 PM in response to jason202
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Mar 29, 2013 3:09 PM in response to jason202

    Same for me, Windows 7 x 64, with the free version of AVG.

    I went into AVG and made exceptions for iTunes. Within the hour it was reset. I closed iTunes, worked at the computer for the 40 minutes or so and then re-opened iTunes to make changes to my iPod nano. So the computer didn't go to sleep, it was active all that while.

     

    Nothing I have done has kept my libraries in place on iTunes. Does anybody know if there are alternatives to iTunes, maybe I should check out Songbird?

     

    In the greater scheme of things this is a minor annoyance, but it is a constant irritation and needs at least a bandaid!

  • by Koppster,

    Koppster Koppster Mar 29, 2013 3:22 PM in response to nosenabook
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Mar 29, 2013 3:22 PM in response to nosenabook

    I'm waiting to see in my uninstall/reinstall of iTunes fixed the problem, won't know until tomorrow morning.

     

    If it doesn't fix it, the next thing I plan to do is uninstall AVG  (I'll use Microsoft Security Essentials instead) and see if that fixes it.


    I've identified the time that I lose my library to between 3:30 and 4:30 am every morning

  • by Denise Woodcock,

    Denise Woodcock Denise Woodcock Mar 29, 2013 5:14 PM in response to Koppster
    Level 2 (416 points)
    iBooks
    Mar 29, 2013 5:14 PM in response to Koppster

    Just happened to me - Windows 7 64 bit HP pavilion PC with AVG.  Can't now update my phone, iPad or iPod.  Not happy as it is midnight and I needed to back up the phone.

     

    Last used my iTunes at approx 17.50 today, closed PC down, re-booted at approx 23.30 when I expect AVG ran an update as it does so on ce PC is booted after approx 18.00 each day.  I uninstalled and reinstalled iTunes but no change, have excluded iTunes in AVG and am re-adding my apps but will have to do the rest tomorrow.

     

    I haven't run a scan of my PC, just had an AVG update.

  • by turingtest2,

    turingtest2 turingtest2 Mar 29, 2013 5:33 PM in response to Denise Woodcock
    Level 10 (86,862 points)
    Apple TV
    Mar 29, 2013 5:33 PM in response to Denise Woodcock

    Denise Woodcock wrote:

     

    ... am re-adding my apps but will have to do the rest tomorrow.

     

    Ideally you want to restore a .tmp file, previous version or older library as described in the second post on page 1. Importing your apps/media into an essentially "new" library may cause data loss if you sync your device.

     

    tt2

  • by erica216,

    erica216 erica216 Mar 29, 2013 6:51 PM in response to sky1415
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Mar 29, 2013 6:51 PM in response to sky1415

    Do listen to turingtest2, and don't bother to reinstall and fine tune everything - it will just disappear again.  I talked to an AVG tech today who told me that their program cannot change files.  Sounds logical, but something is definitely going on.  I discovered that my AVG updated very close to the time that my iTunes Library defaulted again this morning between 7:30 and 9:30.

  • by Hector Rodriguez,

    Hector Rodriguez Hector Rodriguez Mar 29, 2013 6:58 PM in response to sky1415
    Level 1 (53 points)
    iTunes
    Mar 29, 2013 6:58 PM in response to sky1415

    Just wanted to add my five cents worth that I have been having this exact same problem.  I had just done a major overhaul of my music library, so I thought I had messed something up.  I too have AVG, so I'm uninstalling it.  I'll be watching this thread.

  • by erica216,

    erica216 erica216 Mar 29, 2013 8:45 PM in response to Hector Rodriguez
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Mar 29, 2013 8:45 PM in response to Hector Rodriguez

    I have been afraid to take of the AVG just in case I got a virus.  If you decide to remove it, will you please let us know what happens?  It may take a week or so to find out for sure.  Thanks!

  • by fangstar,

    fangstar fangstar Mar 29, 2013 10:14 PM in response to sky1415
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Mar 29, 2013 10:14 PM in response to sky1415

    Having the same problem too. glad to see it's not only me. Guess i'll need to disable avg.

  • by nealradice,

    nealradice nealradice Mar 29, 2013 10:30 PM in response to sky1415
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Mar 29, 2013 10:30 PM in response to sky1415

    Fyi, having the same problem on Windows XP.  I've been using AVG and iTunes together for years with no problem, but during that time I avoided upgrading iTunes.  Finally, I recently broke down and upgraded to iTunes 11 and that's when my playlists started disappearing.  Btw, it's not true that AVG hasn't heard of this problem.  There are discussions at their community support from last year on this topic.  Can't wait to see what everyone learns.

    In the mean time, I'm just going to back up the iTunes Library.itl file to a disc.

  • by Koppster,

    Koppster Koppster Mar 30, 2013 4:31 AM in response to Koppster
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Mar 30, 2013 4:31 AM in response to Koppster

    Well, I'm optomistic but not convinced. To remind, I started losing my library every morning between 3:30 & 4:00 AM beginning last weekend (Sun 24 Mar). Recent events included upgrade to newer version of iTunes & upgrade to Summer 2013 version of AVG. 

     

    Friday morning (29 Mar) I downloaded the latest version of iTunes and chose to "uninstall" and reinstall the software. Once installed I restored my library from a *.tmp (which are generated on about the time the library deletes every morning).

     

    I have been monitoring iTunes since that time and I even generated an update to AVG and manually initiated a full scan.

     

    As of 6:30 AM Sat 30 Mar my iTunes library has remained in tact.

     

    I'll keep posting until I am convinced the problem is solved.

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