Need to restore iTunes library locally stored

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Need to restore iTunes library locally stored

I do not maintain my ITunes library in the cloud. All is kept..to the extent that I can .. locally. Don't know exactly when this happened, perhaps during the last iTunes update, but today when I was doing an iOS update to my iPodTouch5G noticed that iTunes was no longer connected to the iTunes libary that I maintain on my D not my C drive. My D drive is a terabyte HD; the C drive is a 256GB SSD. I tried to simply tell iTunes to point itself back to the D (D:/MyMusic/Itunes) hoping that it would simply redirect itself there and pick up the libary of music, videos, books, etc I have stored there. But no joy at all. I refuse to believe that I need to rebuild my library given all the palylists etc I' ve established. What is the easy way to rebuild my library? Until this is fixed, everything I have on my IpodTouch is not being backed up (even tho it says it is.when I sync it). Everythign on my iPodTouch is still there. I just want my local libary in iTunes restored.

Note that the folder containing my iTunes libary is intact.. all the data is there..but somehow I have seem to have lost the index that knows its there along with all my settings.

iPod touch, Windows 7, Win7 64 bit, iPodTouch 5G

Posted on Mar 24, 2013 4:30 PM

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Answer 1

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turingtest2

Level 10

272,725 points

Mar 24, 2013 4:37 PM in response to charwingz

Sounds like you might need to make a split library portable but first you'll need to fix it...

Empty/corrupt library after upgrade/crash

Hopefully it's not been too long since you last upgraded iTunes, in fact if you get an empty/incomplete library immediately after upgrading then with the following steps you shouldn't lose a thing or need to do any further housekeeping. Note that in iTunes 11 an "empty" library may show your past purchases with links to stream or download them.

In the Previous iTunes Libraries folder should be a number of dated iTunes Library files. Take the most recent of these and copy it into the iTunes folder. Rename iTunes Library.itl as iTunes Library (Corrupt).itl and then rename the restored file as iTunes Library.itl. Start iTunes. Should all be good, bar any recent additions to or deletions from your library.

Alternatively, depending on exactly when and why the library went missing, there may be a more recent .tmp file in the main iTunes folder that can be renamed as iTunes Library.itl to restore the library to a recent state.

See iTunes Folder Watch for a tool to catch up with any changes since the backup file was created.

When you get it all working make a backup!

Should you be in the unfortunate position where you are no longer able to access your original library, or a backup of it, then see Recover your iTunes library from your iPod or iOS device.

I've noticed more of these missing library posts of late and a common factor to most since I started asking is AVG Anti-Virus. It seems in some cases it might be at least part of the reason why the library file disappears. Try excluding the iTunes folder from any AV scanning process.

tt2

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Answer 2

charwingz Author

Level 1

11 points

Mar 24, 2013 5:31 PM in response to turingtest2

thanks for your reply .. went back to an earlier discussoin I had here regarding something similiar and decided to try resotring my libary from my most recent "previous" *.itl file. Shift key .. all programs.. open itunes.. use a differnt library file (ref: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1589?viewlocale=en_US&locale=en_US). As far as I can tell, when I made sure I was using my recent backup -- "only " about 4 months old -- that seems to have worked. Will follow both suggestions-- create a backup and reconfigure my AVG Anti-Virus. But why it forgets I'm working from D and blunders back to C is beyond me.

Thanks!

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Answer 3

charwingz Author

Level 1

11 points

Mar 24, 2013 5:37 PM in response to turingtest2

Reading what you wrote again .. apparently I did what you suggested albeit using a somewhat different methodology. Same intent, different path, same end result.

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Answer 4

turingtest2

Level 10

272,725 points

Mar 24, 2013 5:47 PM in response to charwingz

If it works, it works. 😉

tt2

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Answer 5

Sephlock

Level 1

0 points

Nov 30, 2013 12:38 AM in response to charwingz

Uhh something isn't right here.

What I did was:

1: I went into thePrevious iTunes Libraries folder and copied the most recent backup library file.

2: I went to my itunes directory (one level down) and pasted the above file there.

3: Then I renamed iTunes Library.itl to iTunes Library (Corrupt).itl and then renamed the backup file iTunes Library.itl.

4; I started itunes... and still had a ****ed up library with no playlists. Strangely, even if I shut down itunes, delete the Itunes Library.itl file outright and do not replace it with anything, then restart itunes, everything in itunes looks exactly the same- the library looks unaltered and there are no playlists. Shouldn't doing that leave me with a blank library? What's going on here o_O?

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Answer 6

turingtest2

Level 10

272,725 points

Nov 30, 2013 1:15 AM in response to Sephlock

With iTunes 11 an "empty" library will still show your past purchases if you are signed in to your Apple ID.

Don't include the .itl file extension when renaming files if you don't already see it, else you're making a file called iTunes Library.itl.itl which will be ignored.

tt2

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