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Cannot Open A Library File Using the 'Option' key When Launching iTunes

I found that when I tried to open a different iTunes library file then my default by using the 'option' key when lanching iTunes that the iTunes Library file was greyed out.


I looked in the previous Library Folder and noticed that the old file had the extension .itl.


My solution was to add the extension .itl to the end of the of the file name of my iTunes Library files and things then worked when launching with the 'option' key. As an example 'iTunes Terry Library' became 'iTunes Terry Library.itl'. I applied this to all my iTunes library filles and all is well. Of course make a duplicate of the file you are going to change so you have a backup file.


I am using iTunes 10.4 and Sno-Leopard 10.6.8.


MJ

Posted on Jul 22, 2011 9:35 AM

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Posted on Jul 22, 2011 10:44 AM

Mike,


That trick appears to work. Both libraries are accessible. Thanks for pointing it out to me!

16 replies

Sep 23, 2011 1:34 PM in response to standingquietintherain

Previously the library files on a Mac have had no extension, those on PC have always had .itl.


Would anyone care to confirm that a new library created on a Mac also uses the .itl extension, or is it perhaps a bug in the choose a library routine that makes it look only for files with the PC type extension? If this change is intentional and permanent, rather than an aberration, I'll need to change some of the advice I give.


tt2

Nov 22, 2011 10:01 AM in response to Mike Johnson12

TT2,


The original issue raised in this thread was referring to the OSX version of iTunes. As far as I can tell, the same problem has not occured in the windows version (at least, not for me).


Are you saying that when you launch iTunes with the shift key down, select "Choose Library" from the dialog box and then select an iTunes library file, that it opens a file other than the one you selected?

Nov 22, 2011 10:53 AM in response to jeff_123

No, choose library works in Windows. The thread you linked to suggested that, on OSX at least, iTunes now behaves like almost every other application in that you can open a data file associated with the application and it opens that data file rather than a different one it had opened in the past. I was hoping things might have actually changed.


In short, holding shift or option while launching the app is a very clunky way of opening an alternative library given the standard behaviour of the GUI where "opening" a data file normally opens the application that can work with it.


tt2

Cannot Open A Library File Using the 'Option' key When Launching iTunes

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