When I open iTunes it transferrs music library to recycle bin

Thanks for such a full reply.

Unfortunately my most recent library file in 'Previous iTunes Libraries' is almost four months old. Considering I've always let iTunes organize my music and add music files to its own folder, what sort of work will be involved in reconstructing the past few months? Will any new music files or podcasts subscribed to/downloaded need to be manually readded?

My only virus program has been AVG-free for the past few years. I haven't made any changes to its settings lately.

So I guess you're suggesting that my current auto-deleted library file is corrupted in some way? Do you think that speaks to any nascent problem in even my 'previous itunes library' files?

Sadly I think the last couple of iTunes updates have been too minor to trigger the automatic archive of the database. I should probably tweak my opening paragraph. I'd suggest ditching AVG in favour of Microsoft Security Essentials, but either way I'd exclude the iTunes library folder from scans. You can simply import the iTunes Media folder to add in the recent additions to your library. iTunes Folder Watch with the scan for dead tracks on startup option may do a slightly better job if you've been making lots of changes to the library which would have moved tracks around. A scan should import new podcast episodes, but you will probably have to tweak subscriptions.

tt2

Well it seems, per a suggestion from another thread, that just renaming the most recent tmp file in the root directory to replace my library has done the trick. Restoring everything up to a couple days ago. Thank goodness.

But I'll take your advice and except the folder fom my security search... and look into alternative security programs. Never heard of MSE, to be honest.

Yep, I spotted the other thread too. Good idea. I'm not sure how long MSE has been around but I read a couple of good reviews for it a while back. Having seen both free and paid AV solutions fail with users that aren't too careful what they click on or where they go I now recommend it since it is at least free, self updating and not too intrusive.

tt2

Hi, I have been having the same issue as well (Click itunes, sends both itunes library extras and itunes library genius to the recycle bin and a couple of ít.tmp' files being generated in the itunes folder). The issue doesnt happen everytime i close and open itunes but it happens inconsistently. I am using avg free & i set the library folder as an exception but that didnt solve the problem. I simply rename the it.tmp file to itunes library.itl to cope with the problem but it gets really annoying to keep doing that. I read through other threads and apparently a background software is interfering with the saving of the itunes library file. Is there a way i can find out what software is doing so? Help!

Sony VIAOs have a media management tool known to cause this problem in the past. One possibility is that AVG is the cause for some of these and the current AVG engine is not obeying its own exclusion rules. That said I'm surprised the library files end up in the recycle bin. I can't think of a good reason to do that. Anything that might put a lock on the .itl file could be part of the problem. Automatic scanning & backup software are the obvious choices. AV, anti-malware, Dropbox, Windows or Google desktop search indexing, continuous backup etc. etc. If it were happening to me I'd look at the list in the notification area for likely candidates and shut down what I thought I didn't need to see if helped.

tt2

I am aware that this happens to Sony Vaio computers but sadly I am not using one. The problem first occurred to me out of the blue on 10/3, and since then I updated my iTunes from its previous version to the current one, reinstalled it couple of times and even reinstalled my AV. I haven't installed anything new on 10/3 and I have no idea why it randomly occurred. This problem is really getting on my nerves....

What do you mean look at the list in the notification area?

Oh and has anyone had this issue fixed? If so, how did you get it fixed? Any help would be appreciated.

The notification area is the bit (normally) at the bottom right of the Windows screen with the clock, volume control, network status icon, etc. These represent some, though not all, of the background process that are running on your computer.

tt2

Well I am stuck at a dead end now, because the notification area only has AVG free and Beats Audio Settings, which I am pretty sure that only the former is capable of causing this problem though I am not certain that this is the case. Field Studies, have you got around this problem? Or is it still ongoing?