wb5704
Level 1 (4 points)
iTunes

Q: How to view songs in itunes without opening itunes

Ok, here's my problem. SO on my old computer, I accidentally permanently deleted a lot of my music. BUT, in iTunes, I was still able to actually VIEW all of my songs, regardless of whether they were deleted, although it wouldn't let me play the ones I'd deleted of course. Anyway, that was on my old computer. I kept the hard drive and have it plugged in to an external dock right now. I'm trying to figure out a way to be able to view those songs in Tunes, so i can start the process of acquiring them again. I cannot open iTunes from the itunes file itself on the old hard drive (it says Apple application support not found). I have tried troubleshooting extensively, but to no successl. ANY HELP WOULD BE VERY APPRECIATED!!

I summary, I am just trying to get the names of the songs, not the songs themselves.

iPad Pro, Windows 7

Posted on Jun 13, 2016 10:58 PM

by ughfrttg,Apple recommended
ughfrttg ughfrttg
Level 1 (15 points)
A:

maybe

Open a different iTunes Library file or create a new one - Apple Support

however it seems like this failed with the error you mentioned?

Posted on Jun 13, 2016 11:43 PM

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wb5704

Q: How to view songs in itunes without opening itunes

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  • Helpful answers

  • by ughfrttg,Apple recommended

    ughfrttg ughfrttg Jun 13, 2016 11:43 PM in response to wb5704
    Level 1 (15 points)
    Jun 13, 2016 11:43 PM in response to wb5704

    maybe

    Open a different iTunes Library file or create a new one - Apple Support

    however it seems like this failed with the error you mentioned?

  • by turingtest2,

    turingtest2 turingtest2 Jun 14, 2016 2:16 AM in response to wb5704
    Level 10 (85,368 points)
    iPod
    Jun 14, 2016 2:16 AM in response to wb5704

    wb5704 wrote:


    I cannot open iTunes from the itunes file itself on the old hard drive (it says Apple application support not found)

     

    See Troubleshooting issues with iTunes for Windows updates. You need to install or reinstall iTunes on your current system drive. You cannot run the application from the old hard drive. Once iTunes is installed you can press and hold down shift as you launch it then choose the library on the old disk.

     

    tt2

  • by the fiend,

    the fiend the fiend Jun 15, 2016 12:35 PM in response to wb5704
    Level 6 (8,550 points)
    Jun 15, 2016 12:35 PM in response to wb5704

    iTunes is simply a database (or list) of the music you have on your computer. The music is not "in" iTunes.

     

    Moving on;

    Songs are in folders on your computer (again, not "in" iTunes). To find the songs on your old hard drive, simply navigate to the folder that the music is stored in. Usually, on Windows machines, music listed in your iTunes Library is located in C:\\user\username\My Music\iTunes\iTunes Music\.. or something very similar. You may also have music in folders created by online stores, such as Amazon: C:\\user\username\My Music\Amazon MP3\..

     

    Within these folders (iTunes Music or Amazon MP3) will be folders for each artist, and in each artist folder another folder for each album. Songs are in this final folder. There will also be a further folder in the iTunes Music or Amazon MP3 ones, named Compilations, which contains sub-folders for each Various Artist album. In these folders, you should find the songs, unless you deleted them. See below.

     

    Regarding your point about deleted songs:

    • if you deleted a song from iTunes, and clicked on the delete file option, then the music, and the title are lost.
    • if you deleted a song from iTunes but told iTunes to keep the file, then you should find that song in the folder it was originally in. See the information above.
    • if you deleted the song from its folder, but did not use iTunes to delete the file, then iTunes should still list that song, but since it cannot find it (because you deleted it), iTunes will have an exclamation mark ( ! ) next to the song title. In this case, you will need iTunes in order to see those entries.

  • by wb5704,

    wb5704 wb5704 Jun 19, 2016 7:20 PM in response to the fiend
    Level 1 (4 points)
    iTunes
    Jun 19, 2016 7:20 PM in response to the fiend

    if you deleted the song from its folder, but did not use iTunes to delete the file, then iTunes should still list that song, but since it cannot find it (because you deleted it), iTunes will have an exclamation mark ( ! ) next to the song title. In this case, you will need iTunes in order to see those entries.

     

    This is what I'm trying to make use of. I KNOW THAT THE SONGS ARE NOT IN ITUNES ITSELF. I JUST WANT TO SEE THE LIST OF MY SONGS.

  • by turingtest2,

    turingtest2 turingtest2 Jun 20, 2016 1:42 AM in response to wb5704
    Level 10 (85,368 points)
    iPod
    Jun 20, 2016 1:42 AM in response to wb5704

    Is the iTunes Library.itl file for your old library available? It would normally be in \Users\<User>\Music\iTunes. Use the method in Open a different iTunes Library file or create a new one - Apple Support to access it.

     

    tt2

  • by the fiend,

    the fiend the fiend Jun 20, 2016 2:52 AM in response to wb5704
    Level 6 (8,550 points)
    Jun 20, 2016 2:52 AM in response to wb5704

    wb5704 wrote:

     

     

    This is what I'm trying to make use of. I KNOW THAT THE SONGS ARE NOT IN ITUNES ITSELF. I JUST WANT TO SEE THE LIST OF MY SONGS.

    The only "list" of your songs is (or was) in iTunes. Therefore, the only way to see that list is in iTunes.

     

    It would seem then, that your only option is - as tt2 has suggested, if the iTunes Library.itl file is still available to you, open it in iTunes.

     

    I cannot think of any other option.