How To Restore iTunes Backup?

Question

How To Restore iTunes Backup?

Apple has this nifty article on how to backup iTunes (version 8 for Windows) to an external hard drive, which I have followed:

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1751

I cannot find, however, a corresponding article on how to restore. I found this article, but it only discusses how to OPEN a different library. It does not discuss how to import a backed up library from an external hard drive:

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1589

Does anyone have a credible source for how to accomplish this?

Thank you!

iPhone, Windows Vista, itunes restore

Posted on Apr 29, 2009 3:20 PM

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Answer 1

Katrina S.

Level 7

24,131 points

Apr 29, 2009 3:26 PM in response to Community User

You can send feedback to Apple on that:
itunes menu > help > provide itunes feedback

But basically, you move the entire itunes folder from the exHD back into the place you had it on your internal hard drive....using Windows Explorer.
There isn't a backwards consolidate or restore command in iTunes to do it.

Step 3 from the HT1751 article has the default XP path
C:\Documents and Settings\username\My Documents\My Music\

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Answer 2

Jul 22, 2015 3:28 PM in response to Katrina S.

I am backing up data from my hard drive because I have to blow everything away and reformat the drive and reinstall the OS (Vista Ultimate). I imagine iTunes is going to go through some girations when it discovers I am on a "different" computer. That is why I am looking for something more particular to restoring after a catastrophic drive crash.

Thank you for the reply.

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Answer 3

Jul 22, 2015 3:28 PM in response to Katrina S.

The restore method referred to earlier in this thread works fine for an iPod, but it will not restore apps to an iPhone.

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Answer 4

Katrina S.

Level 7

24,131 points

May 7, 2009 1:59 PM in response to Community User

I wonder why not? I don't have an iPhone to try anything with.
Do you get any kind of an error message? Or the apps just don't show up?

I do know that itunes/ipod are linked together by the 'Library Persistent ID' in the itunes database. It's hidden in the ITL version, but you can see it at about line 10 in the XML version.

You might have more luck asking in the iPhone forums.

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Answer 5

Jul 22, 2015 3:28 PM in response to Katrina S.

I'm sorry I didn't mention it, but I did ask on the iPhone forum. And the answer I received was that apps don't restore the same way songs, podcasts, videos, etc. do.

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