Every reboot Library is corrupted

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Level 1

4 points

Every reboot Library is corrupted

Windows7, iTunes 10.1

Every time I reboot my laptop when I startup iTunes it recreates the library. Every time!

I have deleted the XML, ITL, AND ITDB files and completely rebuilt the library. I have uninstalled and then reinstalled iTunes. Nothing seems to work.

Please help.

Lenovo T410, Windows 7

Posted on Nov 14, 2010 11:42 AM

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Answer 1

Best reply

Katrina S.

Level 7

24,131 points

Nov 14, 2010 12:22 PM in response to David321

Some other software is probably conflicting with itunes saving its database.

As a workaround, start saving the ITL file in another folder before you restart your laptop. Create a new special folder just for this, something like C:\iTunesBackup. Better yet, put it on a USB thumb drive. After the reboot, you can copy it back to the correct place.
(side note: I back this file up weekly, more often if I have done a lot of additions/editing in itunes, and ALWAYS before an itunes update. I have 5 years of ratings, play counts, and play lists I do NOT want to lose)

Then it is up to you to find what software conflicts with itunes. Some programs posted here have been
IO bits
Windows Live One Care
ESET NOD
Symantec/Norton
Carbonite
Uniblue Speed up my PC

That is a short list. There are dozens of programs that could be doing this, and we don't know what you have installed.

But basically, you need to tell whatever software it is, to not scan or monitor the itunes library ITL file or even this entire folder
C:\Users\ username \Music\iTunes

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Answer 2

David321 Author

Level 1

4 points

Nov 18, 2010 6:45 PM in response to Katrina S.

Katrina,

Thanks this was very helpful. It appears to be my employers security software that is the culprit.

-David

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Answer 3

b noir

Level 9

72,324 points

Nov 18, 2010 6:48 PM in response to David321

Hi David. Apologies for the nosy question, but which security software are they using? Was it Vipre, by any chance?

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Answer 4

Katrina S.

Level 7

24,131 points

Nov 19, 2010 8:41 PM in response to David321

You're welcome, and thanks for the points.
As b noir posted, if you can put what exact software package it was, it might help others. Thanks!

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Answer 5

elan22

Level 1

0 points

Nov 23, 2010 9:00 AM in response to Katrina S.

This was driving me nuts. I had a similar problem with the library becoming corrupted every time I open up the itunes.
Following the advice here I excluded the itunes folder from my symantec corporate antivirus and now all seems well.

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Answer 6

Katrina S.

Level 7

24,131 points

Nov 23, 2010 10:44 AM in response to elan22

elan22, Good to know! Did you have trouble finding what software was doing it? What put you onto symantec corporate antivirus, in other words? The fact it was in my list, or something else?

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Answer 7

b noir

Level 9

72,324 points

Nov 23, 2010 11:46 AM in response to elan22

Following the advice here I excluded the itunes folder from my symantec corporate antivirus and now all seems well.

Eeek! Always a worry when one of the more common packages starts doing something like that ... is it a version of Symantec Endpoint Protection, elan?

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Answer 8

elan22

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Nov 25, 2010 2:18 PM in response to b noir

As it seems the problem hasn't solved itself. I still get a corrupted library file when I open up itunes.
Tried everything I could think of down to uninstalling and re-installing again in importing back all songs,videos,ringtones and apps but still get the same problem.
I've been using this setup for more than two years without any problem and only recently I've started seeing this but can't figure out what changed.

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Answer 9

Katrina S.

Level 7

24,131 points

Nov 25, 2010 10:45 PM in response to elan22

If it was OK for 2 years, then it's something recently added...or perhaps not added, but updated.

Until you find it, try the workaround, start saving the ITL file in another folder before you close itunes. Create a new special folder just for this, something like C:\iTunesBackup. Better yet, put it on a USB thumb drive. If you start itunes again and it's a blank library, you can close itunes and copy the saved ITL file back to the correct place.

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Answer 10

elan22

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Dec 1, 2010 11:56 PM in response to Katrina S.

Katrina S. wrote:
If it was OK for 2 years, then it's something recently added...or perhaps not added, but updated.

Until you find it, try the workaround, start saving the ITL file in another folder before you close itunes. Create a new special folder just for this, something like C:\iTunesBackup. Better yet, put it on a USB thumb drive. If you start itunes again and it's a blank library, you can close itunes and copy the saved ITL file back to the correct place.

I have started saving them. One of these times after I loaded itunes and got the corrupted message I compared the saved file with the itl files itunes saved as damaged and they are identical which seems to me that it means the file isn't really corrupted just that itunes thinks it is for some reason.

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Answer 11

Katrina S.

Level 7

24,131 points

Dec 2, 2010 2:05 AM in response to elan22

+I compared the saved file with the itl files itunes saved as damaged and they are identical+

Just having the same file size doesn't mean they're identical.
Or did you use a hex compare utility?

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Answer 12

elan22

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Dec 2, 2010 12:16 PM in response to Katrina S.

Of course, I used examdif to verify that they are identical.

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Answer 13

Katrina S.

Level 7

24,131 points

Dec 2, 2010 2:48 PM in response to elan22

Cool beans, if it was examdif pro. The regular version can't compare binary files, which he ITL is a binary file and not a text file.

I wonder, if that happens again and you delete that file named "sentinel", does itunes still says it's corrupt?
I have deleted that sentinel file on my own PC and itunes always rebuilds it.
Nobody knows exactly what it does, though.

I mean, if the ITL is exactly the same, it has to be one of the other library files causing this issue in itunes, don't you think?
Either
itunes library.xml
itunes genius.itdb (if you have genius enabled)
itunes extras.itdb
sentinel

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Answer 14

elan22

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Dec 2, 2010 3:00 PM in response to Katrina S.

I don't have a file called sentinal, only the xml, itdb and itl files.
I'm pretty sure the problem is with the itl file because all I do is restore the saved file (although replacing an identical file) and itunes will load just fine.

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Answer 15

b noir

Level 9

72,324 points

Dec 2, 2010 4:35 PM in response to Katrina S.

I mean, if the ITL is exactly the same, it has to be one of the other library files causing this issue in itunes, don't you think?

Possibly a registry key of some description related to the file going off?

(If some kind of registry optimiser is running on start-up or shutdown, that might be causing the symptoms.)

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