blubalu
Level 1 (0 points)

Q: Thousands of Temp files since iTunes Match activation

A week ago I bought iTunes Match.

Now, that iTunes got to the point that all of my songs were matched I got a system message popup, that my system disk was getting full.

I had more than 150GB of space the week before so I started looking for where it had been used for.

To my surprise I found more than 4000 temp files consuming more than 100GB of drive space in the iTunes directory, named like this:

 

Temp File 1.tmp

Temp File 2.tmp

...

Temp File 4652.tmp

 

They were all roughly the same size as the file:

 

iTunes Music Library.xml

 

And then there is another file of the "same" size:

 

Temp File.tmp

 

Whenever I play a song, add a song to my library, change a rating, or more general, whenever I do anything that leads to an update of the iTunes library a new version of the Temp File is created instead of updating the existing library.

 

This seems to be an iTunes bug to me. Is there anything I can do to workaround it without jeopardizing my library (it's backed up of course).

The problem started, exactly at the time when I bought iTunes Match and the matching of my library began.

 

Has anyone else experienced this problem and knows how to solve it?

MacBook Pro, OS X Mountain Lion (10.8.1)

Posted on Sep 2, 2012 8:32 AM

by blubalu,Solvedanswer
blubalu blubalu
Level 1 (0 points)
A:

Guess what?

 

More than two hours have passed without iTunes leaving a tmp file behind.

From time to time I see a "Temp File.tmp" for the fraction of a second in the iTunes Music folder, but then it goes away, as it should, given its temporary nature.

 

I assume the problem is gone now and here's what I did to get rid of it:

 

  • stop iTunes
  • alt-start iTunes, so it offers 'Create Library' and 'Choose Library'
  • choose 'Create Library' to create a new library (iTunes 1)
  • stop iTunes
  • alt-start iTunes, so it offers 'Create Library' and 'Choose Library'
  • choose 'Choose Library' and chose my main library, which caused me so much pain
  • since then no more tmp files are left over in the iTunes folder and I hope it stays like this

 

Thanks, Chris CA, for your precious help, although it didn't solve my problem!

Posted on Sep 3, 2012 12:04 PM

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blubalu

Q: Thousands of Temp files since iTunes Match activation

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  • by Chris CA,

    Chris CA Chris CA Sep 2, 2012 9:17 AM in response to blubalu
    Level 9 (79,692 points)
    iTunes
    Sep 2, 2012 9:17 AM in response to blubalu

    Quit iTunes and you can safely delete all the tmp files in the iTunes director.

     

    These are created by iTunes as it updates the iTunes library.itl whenever the iTunes library is updated.

    iTunes should immediately delete them.

  • by blubalu,

    blubalu blubalu Sep 2, 2012 3:00 PM in response to Chris CA
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Sep 2, 2012 3:00 PM in response to Chris CA

    I quit iTunes, deleted the tmp files, restarted iTunes, did some listening, regrouping, matching, quit iTunes and had 30 new tmp files.

  • by Chris CA,

    Chris CA Chris CA Sep 2, 2012 3:44 PM in response to blubalu
    Level 9 (79,692 points)
    iTunes
    Sep 2, 2012 3:44 PM in response to blubalu

    Restart from the Recovery drive, run Disk Utilities > Disk repair.

  • by blubalu,

    blubalu blubalu Sep 2, 2012 11:17 PM in response to Chris CA
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Sep 2, 2012 11:17 PM in response to Chris CA

    I performed a Disk repair from the recovery drive during breakfast.

    It ended with a green message like this:

     

    The volume macbookpro appears to be OK.

     

    Further testing will have to wait until this evening.

  • by blubalu,

    blubalu blubalu Sep 3, 2012 8:56 AM in response to blubalu
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Sep 3, 2012 8:56 AM in response to blubalu

    After another "Store->Update iTunes Match" I have again several dozens tmp files, despite the disp repair.

  • by Chris CA,

    Chris CA Chris CA Sep 3, 2012 9:10 AM in response to blubalu
    Level 9 (79,692 points)
    iTunes
    Sep 3, 2012 9:10 AM in response to blubalu

    Try this...

    Reset your Home folder permsisions.

     

    1. Boot to your Recovery drive.
    2. Select menu Utilities > Terminal
    3. Type resetpassword the press Return. Wait a minute and you'll see the Password reset utility.
    4. Select your boot drive and select your user account.
    5. At the bottom click Reset Home Directory Permissions and ACLs.

     

    Restart and now try iTunes again.

  • by blubalu,

    blubalu blubalu Sep 3, 2012 9:33 AM in response to Chris CA
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Sep 3, 2012 9:33 AM in response to Chris CA

    Did exactly what you suggested.

    Then restarted the MBP, started iTunes, played a song and got 2 tmp files after about 30 seconds.

     

    Thanks for your help so far!

  • by blubalu,Solvedanswer

    blubalu blubalu Sep 3, 2012 12:04 PM in response to blubalu
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Sep 3, 2012 12:04 PM in response to blubalu

    Guess what?

     

    More than two hours have passed without iTunes leaving a tmp file behind.

    From time to time I see a "Temp File.tmp" for the fraction of a second in the iTunes Music folder, but then it goes away, as it should, given its temporary nature.

     

    I assume the problem is gone now and here's what I did to get rid of it:

     

    • stop iTunes
    • alt-start iTunes, so it offers 'Create Library' and 'Choose Library'
    • choose 'Create Library' to create a new library (iTunes 1)
    • stop iTunes
    • alt-start iTunes, so it offers 'Create Library' and 'Choose Library'
    • choose 'Choose Library' and chose my main library, which caused me so much pain
    • since then no more tmp files are left over in the iTunes folder and I hope it stays like this

     

    Thanks, Chris CA, for your precious help, although it didn't solve my problem!

  • by Chris CA,

    Chris CA Chris CA Sep 3, 2012 1:16 PM in response to blubalu
    Level 9 (79,692 points)
    iTunes
    Sep 3, 2012 1:16 PM in response to blubalu

    Glad you got it sorted!

     

    (Delete the "new" library you created so you don't get it confused later)

  • by blubalu,

    blubalu blubalu Dec 21, 2012 9:27 AM in response to blubalu
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Dec 21, 2012 9:27 AM in response to blubalu

    The problem is back and none of the earlier solution attempts works anymore.

    Any news from your side on this issue?

  • by blubalu,

    blubalu blubalu Dec 21, 2012 11:07 AM in response to blubalu
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Dec 21, 2012 11:07 AM in response to blubalu

    Just found this http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1451?viewlocale=en_US&locale=en_US

    It says, that the iTunes Library.xml file is created from the iTunes Library.itl file when the xml file is deleted for whatever reason.

    As the tmp files are actually some kind of intermediate version of the xml file, I did the following and it seems, that the tmp files are once again under control:

    - stop iTunes

    - move *.xml files from ~/Music/iTunes (I had two xml files, iTunes Library.xml and iTunes Music Library.xml, the latter not having been modified since Sep.3)

    - start iTunes

    Then the iTunes Library.xml got regenerated and no more tmp files during the last two hours.

    I bet, it comes back...

  • by blubalu,

    blubalu blubalu Feb 9, 2013 8:03 AM in response to blubalu
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Feb 9, 2013 8:03 AM in response to blubalu

    It's back! I'll start thinking about an alternative to iTunes for organizing my music now.

  • by coquito66,

    coquito66 coquito66 Feb 15, 2013 9:19 AM in response to blubalu
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Feb 15, 2013 9:19 AM in response to blubalu

    Thank you a million blubalu....your solution to the itunes tmp file problem works...it was driving me crazy, but once I applied the solution you suggested it has been two days without itunes tmp files.

     

    Thanks again for the help

  • by coquito66,

    coquito66 coquito66 Feb 15, 2013 9:21 AM in response to coquito66
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Feb 15, 2013 9:21 AM in response to coquito66

    I was refering to this solution posted by blubalu, it works!!!!

     

     

    • stop iTunes
    • alt-start iTunes, so it offers 'Create Library' and 'Choose Library'
    • choose 'Create Library' to create a new library (iTunes 1)
    • stop iTunes
    • alt-start iTunes, so it offers 'Create Library' and 'Choose Library'
    • choose 'Choose Library' and chose my main library, which caused me so much pain
    • since then no more tmp files are left over in the iTunes folder and I hope it stays like this
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