How can I get iTunes 10.7 to recognize the already existing library .itl fle?

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How can I get iTunes 10.7 to recognize the already existing library .itl fle?

I had to downgrade from iTunes 11 to 10.7 because v 11 could no longer sync my iPod Classic. I uninstalled iTunes 11, reinstalled iTunes 10.7 and used the lastest .itl file from the Previous iTunes Libraries directory that was used in v10.7. After that, I just had to update the library with new music purchases since that .itl was last updated and I was up and running in relatively no time.

It worked fine for a few days but lately when I launch iTunes, it brings up the iTunes home screen and doesn't load the .itl fil, which is in the 'C:\Users\Robert\Music\iTunes' directory where it's always been. Previous to launching iTunes, I made a copy of this .itl file and stored it in a temp directory for safe keeping, adding the date to the end of the file. I deleted the .itl file in the iTune directory and copied the .itl file from my temp directory into it, renamed the file so it was just iTunes Library.itl, relaunched iTunes and everything was fine.

The problem is, I keep having to do this, sometimes more than once a day. Sure it's a viable workaround but it's getting annoying.

Anyone else run into this and come up with a good permanent solution?

I'm running this on an Hewlett Packard HPE-390t running Windows 7 Professional.

Thanks.

Hewlett Packard HPE-390t-OTHER, Windows 7

Posted on Mar 14, 2013 5:54 PM

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Answer 1

turingtest2

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Mar 15, 2013 4:42 AM in response to Robert417

The most common cause of repeatedly missing library files is a pice of software installed on Sony VAIO computers however that is unlikely to be the case here. It may be that your anti-virus software is disturbing iTunes when it tries to write out the fresh database, as it does after almost any activity in iTunes. I suggest you look at the advanced options for your AV package and see if you can find a way to exclude the iTunes folder from any real-time scanning process. The other remote possibility is that you have a failing area on your hard drive, and when the database is placed there it cannot be read back properly.

tt2

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Answer 2

Robert417 Author

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Mar 19, 2013 4:01 PM in response to turingtest2

Ah I was hoping the anti-virus advice would have done the trick. Things looked good for 2 days but when I launched iTunes, I was back to the main screen without my library. I kind of doubt it's my hard drive because it regularly passes the weekly tests my diagnostics program runs.

Any other ideas? Anyone else encounter this?

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Answer 3

turingtest2

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Mar 19, 2013 4:21 PM in response to Robert417

AVG by any chance? Seems to be present on many systems with the same problem. I've been reminded in another thread that in addition to the Previous iTunes Libraries folder it may be that a .tmp copy of the library exists in the main iTunes folder and indeed this is probably the file that should have been renamed as iTunes Library.itl when things went wrong.

tt2

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Answer 4

Robert417 Author

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Mar 19, 2013 5:43 PM in response to turingtest2

Yes, I'm using AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition 2013. It never gave me problems before but I think an update of it might have been installed around the time of my problems but I'm not certain. Also I do have 30 tmp files in the main iTunes folder that seems to be growing in number. The latest one is iT 30.tmp. Ae you saying I should rename this latest tmp file to iTunes Library.itl? The odd thing is that this temp file is over 55 MB in size and the itl file I have to keep copying in to the directory is about 6 MB.

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Answer 5

turingtest2

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Mar 19, 2013 5:54 PM in response to Robert417

Hard to know for certain, but I believe that after any activity that updates the database iTunes write out the new copy as something like iTunes.tmp, or if that already exists iT ##.tmp using the next available number. When the new version of the database has been created the existing file is deleted and the temporary version renamed as iTunes Library.itl. If the file you copy in is only a subset of the library, which you then have to augment then perhaps you need the larger file. Otherwise there may be some other issue that is causing problems with the temporary file. Are they all roughly the same size?

tt2

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Answer 6

Robert417 Author

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Mar 20, 2013 4:20 PM in response to turingtest2

They are all mostly the same size at around 6MB but there are a couple that are very large 55MB (including the 30 tmp file I mentioned above. There is also one around 7KB). I tried renaming the most recent (as of 8:30PM last night) tmp file as iTunes Library.itl but when I launch iTunes, I get the "The file 'iTunes Library.itl" cannot be read because it was created by a newer version of iTunes" popup.

But when I go into a directory I created to get the most recent itl file I've been saving as a backup and copy it into the iTunes directory to replace the one that I tried to make with the tmp file, and launch iTunes, my whole library loads with no problem.

However, if history repeats itself, this will work for at most a couple of days before I have to copy the saved itl file back into the iTunes directory.

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