iTunes is SO confused: refuses to play 89 of my 1000+ songs

I backed up my iTunes library to DVD-ROM and had to reformat and reload my entire computer (Windows XP). Reloaded entire computer and reinstalled iTunes 8ish. Restored iTunes library from backup.

(It isn't smart enough to restore all of my artwork, only some; and it forgot which songs were checked and which weren't. Different problems, but poor functionality nevertheless.)

Now, iTunes refuses to play 89 of my 1000+ songs, saying my computer isn't authorized to play them. Stupid, since it's apparently authorized to play all the rest of them. It says I have to authorize the computer with an old AOL ID I apparently used to purchase those songs. Although, many of them were not purchased from the iTunes store, but imported from CDs I own.

So I go through the steps it's forcing me to take. I sign on to the old account, at which point it tells me I have to upgrade to an Apple ID or I can't go any further. Fine. I already have an Apple ID, and there's no way to inform iTunes of that. So I go through the motions to create yet another new Apple ID. Says the request cannot be completed. No explanation.

So I'm stuck. It still refuses to play those tunes, which played fine before I reloaded and restored the computer and library. Now it thinks I have two computers authorized to play iTunes music, and I only have one. Yes, one. It may have been reloaded, but iTunes should be smart enough to figure out that it's the same one. Duh.

So I'm stuck not being able to play music I own and am authorized to play, and it refuses to allow me to transfer or reorient my songs to my normal Apple ID.

Is there anyone who can fix this? I hope I don't have to tell you how ridiculous this problem is, and how iTunes/Apple is forcing me to take steps it won't allow me to take.

Thanks.