itunes media folder keeps resetting back to default

Click the icon that launches iTunes and immediately press and hold down the shift key, or alt/option on a Mac. Keep holding until presented with the choose or create library option. As noted earlier see Make a split library portable - Apple Community to put your library in a shape which uses the default media path with respect to the library file (i.e. a folder called iTunes Media in the folder with the .itl file) so that this particular bug doesn't impact your library any more.

tt2

As noted several times this is a bug with recent releases of iTunes for Windows where the media folder location isn't saved properly. See Make a split library portable - Apple Community and manipulate your library into a portable layout that isn't affected by the bug, and is also easier to backup and move around when required. The alternative is to revert to an older build of iTunes where this preference is respected.

tt2

I am actually dealing with this on 2 different PCs. One old and one new where I am putting the library on a larger secondary drive. The new computer is the only reason I found out there was a problem, by the way. Anyway, the solutions in this thread have totally failed to work.

I had copied the old files from an second drive to the main drive on the old computer. But, nothing would allow me to permanently change the iTunes media folder. In desperation, I spent last night using the "Create New Library" option after doing the Shift+Click, and then downloaded just the movies to the new drive. That took all night, but it worked--mostly. Movies I obtained on iTunes via promotions are not recognized as being purchased. So, I no longer have them on that computer. I then deleted the old files.

HOWEVER! After hours Google searching last night and today, I pieced together a solution that worked on my new computer.

I had taken the hard drive with the iTunes Media files from the old computer and installed it on the new computer. However, iTunes would not let me change the default download location, or recognize the files were in the new location. So, here is what I did:

1. Launch iTunes by holding down the Shift button and double clicking on the icon.
2. Choose the option "Create New Library". This will create a new Library on whatever drive you choose. AND i Tunes will remember that as your default location.
3. In iTunes, go to File--> Add FOLDER to Library. Choose the pre-existing Library folder.
4. iTunes will link all the old files from whatever folder you have them in to the new iTunes Media location.

IMPORTANT: ITUNES DOES NOT MOVE THE FILES. It simply creates/remembers the pathway to the files. So, if you get rid of that drive, be sure to back up your files and tell iTunes to link the new folders.

IMPORTANT: I am working on PCs, not Macs. I have no idea if this will works for Mac systems, though I suspect it will.

I hope this works for y'all. And, I hope Apple gets off their lazy butts and fixes this bug.

As noted several times this is a bug with recent releases of iTunes for Windows where the media folder location isn't saved properly. See Make a split library portable - Apple Community and manipulate your library into a portable layout that isn't affected by the bug, and is also easier to backup and move around when required. The alternative is to revert to an older build of iTunes where this preference is respected.

tt2

I'm assuming windows 10. With iTunes shut down, I moved all my iTunes files from C: to my new drive, say D:\. Include the iTunes Media and everything else. This will include the iTunes Library.itl (it's hidden in the iTunes folder) file. Press and hold down shift as you launch iTunes, you will be prompted to select the iTunes Library.itl file, click choose library when the option comes up, then browse to and select the file D:\iTunes Library.itl. The media folder should be D:\iTunes\iTunes Media.

It worked for me, your mileage may vary. Hope it works for you.

You're taking the wrong approach. iTunes won't currently save your preferred media folder name and this is a bug that Apple don't seem to be invested in fixing. Since this isn't a battle you can win see Make a split library portable - Apple Community and restructure the library such that the media folder is C:\BillTunes\iTunes Media where iTunes wants it to be, and all your media is inside it.

tt2

Hi there TimAbrahamson,

​Thank you for using the Apple Support Communities. I see you're running into some issues with your iTunes media folder.

If I understand correctly, you're setting the media folder location to the F drive and it seems to work as expected, but then it changes back to a folder on your C drive the next time you start iTunes. Are you using the steps here to set your location? Change where your iTunes files are stored on PC

Is the F drive external? Is it always connected to the PC?

If you quit iTunes and re-launch while holding Shift, this should bring up a list of different iTunes libraries. Do you have more than one available? I'm wondering if you may have one library that defaults to the F drive and one to the C drive.

Also, have you made sure your library on the F drive is consolidated? This is another possible factor to check into, covered here: Back up and restore your iTunes Library

I hope this helps get you started!

Kind regards.

See Make a split library portable - Apple Community. If the library is on the F: drive as well as the media, then if you accidentally launch iTunes when the drive isn't ready it cannot be opened, and the media folder won't reset. Cancel the launch, connect the drive, relaunch, and iTunes will open normally. Keep a backup on another drive.

tt2

The reason it resets back to the default location is because the ”iTunes Library.itl” file is located in the “iTunes Media” folder usually located in a “Music” folder on your computer’s hard drive. Copy and paste the .itl file in the folder where your new music folders are located on the external drive. Remove the .itl file from your default music folder. Then open itunes holding down shift and select the external drive/folder you want to use.

Yes, Led-Zeppelin,

that is unfortunately a problem in the current iTunes version, and it is a definite bug on part of the software.

Unfortunately, there is currently no solution to this: at least under Windows (10), iTunes will NOT remember the media folder setting, not matter what, and always revert to its default after each start of the program. As TT2 suggested, I used the feedback form to escalate it to Apple. Maybe you should do likewise, perhaps if just enough people complain, they will eventually get to it. The only way to get around is would be to revert to an earlier version; I'm not sure which version was the last one without the bug though.

Regards

Nick

The shift key method is not really that useful. On previous versions changing the iTunes Media Folder Location worked as expected, i.e. it remembered the change.

Just try a fresh setup and change the iTunes Media Folder Location to another folder. Save and exit. Relaunch iTunes and check you will find it has reverted to the C:\users\yourname\Music folder.

iTunes64Setup 12.9.3.3 is the last version where this worked. I have been using this method for years as I have several Libraries.

Can Apple please fix this issue as it is really annoying. It was a great feature and now it does not work. I try every new release to see if it has been fixed (it still hasn't) and then have to uninstall it and reinstall 12.9.3.3.

Thanks

Allan

With iTunes closed open your iTunes folder in the C:\ drive. Copy the iTunes Library.itl file along with the the two .itdb files and the Album Artwork folder into D:, then press and hold down shift as you launch iTunes, click choose library when the option comes up, then browse to and open the file D:\iTunes Library.itl. iTunes is likely to have the wrong media folder selected, so reset your media folder to D:\ConsolMusic once more and check that your music plays. Now close iTunes, rename the folder ConsolMusic as iTunes Media then restart iTunes. You should file the media folder is shown as D:\iTunes Media and that your media still plays. Close iTunes once more, create a folder called D:\iTunes and move the .itl file, .itdb files, and the folders Album Artwork and iTunes Media inside it. Shift-start-iTunes once more and this time choose D:\iTunes\iTunes Library.itl. The library should now work as intended.

tt2

As noted earlier see Make a split library portable - Apple Community to put your library in a shape which uses the default media path with respect to the library file (i.e. a folder called iTunes Media in the folder with the .itl file) so that this particular bug doesn't impact your library any more.

Exactly which steps need to be taken to reach the end point depend on the starting conditions. It may be best to copy your library files to D:\iTunes, access them there, reset the media folder to D:\iTunes\iTunes Media, then consolidate, and finally clean up the originals stored elsewhere. It depends if there is temporarily enough space to duplicate the entire media folder.

tt2

edfromcalgary wrote:

Anyone have anything to help with why iTunes preferences keeps going back to the default local "MEDIA" location?

There are two possible causes for this.

First is when the designated media folder is on an external or network drive that isn't available when iTunes is launched. If this happens iTunes will reset the media folder to the default path, a folder called iTunes Media inside the same folder as the active .itl library file. When this happens iTunes will assume all links to media are dead even if the drive is subsequently connected. Relaunch iTunes and all existing links should work again, but new media will be added to the newly designated media folder. iTunes has worked this way for as long as I can recall, well over 10 years. Perhaps at this point it is worth noting that the media folder is where new and consolidated content will go, it doesn't change where iTunes will look for content previously added to the library, nor will changing it make iTunes discover content in the new location.

The other possibility, as far as I was aware until now, affects recent builds of iTunes for Windows only, which apparently reset the media folder on each launch. I've yet to test the latest builds on either Windows or Mac platforms but will do so shortly. I would have noticed this bug earlier but for the fact that if the library is in the portable layout of library folder containing media folder, which all mine are, then it has no impact. It is possible that this behaviour isn't affecting everyone, and if that is the case then the underlying cause may be a permissions issue in the iTunes preference files which it might be possible to tackle in some other fashion, but the easiest workaround in most cases will be to move the library files and Album Artwork folder into the parent folder of your media folder. access the library on that new path, close iTunes and then rename the media folder as iTunes Media if it isn't already called that, and relaunch iTunes.

tt2

If your iTunes Media folder is set to an external (F: in your case), and you start iTunes without the external being accessible, iTunes will automatically revert to the local (C:).