HELP! My Library keeps resetting itself

12StringMan wrote:

I do hope the folks at Apple will fix the problem of iTunes not importing all files selected or not importing track numbers (I had the same problem when I instsalled older versions of iTunes, don't know why).

You have that problem because AVG stops itunes from normal work. If you feel that apple needs to know about your hopes feedback them here.

www.apple.com/feedback.

7.5 days since I uninstalled AVG & replaced it with MSE. iTunes library intact...no problems.

Hoping those who install/reinstall the updated AVG will keep us informed.

Hi - I had the same problem. I read through this thread and I, too, had AVG Free on my Win 7 PC. Since that seems to be the cause, I deleted it and installed MSE as suggested in the thread and after 2 days of trying to fix my iTunes, it seems to be working again.

My father has been having the same issue. I asked him if he has AVG and am waiting to hear back, but I am pretty sure he does have it on his machine because I recommended it to him.

This isn't the first time that AVG has caused a problem on my PC. A couple of years ago there was an issue where it was deleting files that were not infected causing problems. Hopefully they will fix it and release a patch, but MSE seems to be working ok.

I continue to have problems with itunes 11.0.2.26 not importing all sected files or track numbers even after I removed ALL traces of AVG Free. When itunes does not import a selected file, the ONLY way I can get it in itunes is to import the actually CD, but when I don't have a actually CD but a MP3 file (from legal sources such as iTunes or Amazon or Realplayer) some of these files WILL NOT import, no matter what I do. I no longer have problems with missing/deleted libraries. I have gven feedback to Apple via itunes. I await the fix for this problem. I hope this problem will be fixed soon.

I'm just loving this latest version of bug infested iTunes thats also the slowest and keeps deleting playlists and music from my drive.. i have tried various solotions and my best one has to be to take my machine back to loast save point and not bother with this update... best iTunes ever... you have got to be joking. so until they issue a bug free iTunes i suggest going back to a previous version that worked.

I am having the same problem too, I have AVG free 2013, recently upgraded from the 2012 version. My Itunes library corrupted for the first time on March 30th 2013, a second time today. I keep an updated Itunes Library. ITL file backed up in case it happened again. After reading this thread I plaayed with AVG, deactivated it and activated it and it swiped my library clean. AVG is the problem, I just hope they'll fix it soon or I'll be changing anitvirus soon.

12StringMan wrote:

I continue to have problems with itunes 11.0.2.26 not importing all sected files or track numbers even after I removed ALL traces of AVG Free. When itunes does not import a selected file, the ONLY way I can get it in itunes is to import the actually CD, but when I don't have a actually CD but a MP3 file (from legal sources such as iTunes or Amazon or Realplayer) some of these files WILL NOT import, no matter what I do. I no longer have problems with missing/deleted libraries. I have gven feedback to Apple via itunes. I await the fix for this problem. I hope this problem will be fixed soon.

I have no problem to import any compatible files to itunes. Good luck, but I am afraid you are dealing with something personal, that will not be resolved by Itunes updates.

Awesome discussion and glad I found it. I've been experiencing the same issue for about a month now with maybe 7-8 resets but I don't launch iTunes daily. It is surely frustrating rebuilding but I always seem to learn something new each time, so there is a plus side.

I too am a long time AVG user but I guess it's time to part ways.

One thing I did find curious. We have three separate login accounts which all use iTunes. In each case the only affected iTunes account was the one that launched iTunes when it had reset. The other two were fine.

In any event, thanks for all the great contributions.

No surprise to me. My theory is that AVG sometimes interferes with the way iTunes updates the library database so I'd only expect problems to arise (if they do at all) when the library is being accessed.

tt2

Hi, all,

At this point, with no fix from AVG, I can confidently recommend the combination of iTunes 10 and Avast Free antivirus... works perfectly every time.

I don't undstand how it is something personal that iTunes can't fix. I have NO problem importing the same selected files and their track numbers into Windows Media Player or Realpayer. I ONLY have this problem with iTunes. My laptop has a 1 TB hard drive and 8 GB of memory, I us Micosoft Secruity Essentials full time now...NO AVG and no other issues. My only options now is to try coverting the files that WILL NOT import to iTunes from mp3 to another mps files, complete with track numbers and other data and see if that works, it it doesn't then after my conract runs out on my iPhone...goodbye iPone and iTunes. I don't want to take a chance on iTunes killing my iPhone too, as it did with 2 iPods with previous versions of iTunes. Thanks to all for your valuable posts. At least iTunes is running and I can actually sync my iPhone with worrying that I'll loos everything on it.

For some reason, it is iTunes itself that deletes the file. I have added it to AVG exceptions, and AVG does not scan it as seen from the monitor. So there must be something happening within iTunes itself to trigger the file replacement attempt / deletion.

Maybe it's triggered by the buffer overflow in iTunes while trying to perform actions on the file earlier. I can see iTunes tries to replace the file, but somehow it does not work out and it gets deleted instead.

http://s9.postimg.org/w1h27tyq7/library.png

As far as I can tell the iTunes library update process is as follows:

1. Write out new temporary copy of database file.
2. Delete original database file
3. Rename temporary file to replace original

AVG in particular, at present, seems to block step 3. iTunes doesn't check its file operation completed properly. Result, vanished library. Swapping AVG for something else has resolved things for too many users for it to be coincidence. As far as I know AVG might be adhering to all Microsoft's software guidelines and iTunes might be at fault, but I know switching away from AVG will work right now, whereas waiting for Apple to update iTunes to make it more resilient may not happen, and even if it does, it may not happen soon.

tt2

12StringMan wrote:

I don't undstand how it is something personal that iTunes can't fix. I have NO problem importing the same selected files and their track numbers into Windows Media Player or Realpayer. I ONLY have this problem with iTunes. My laptop has a 1 TB hard drive and 8 GB of memory, I us Micosoft Secruity Essentials full time now...NO AVG and no other issues. My only options now is to try coverting the files that WILL NOT import to iTunes from mp3 to another mps files, complete with track numbers and other data and see if that works, it it doesn't then after my conract runs out on my iPhone...goodbye iPone and iTunes. I don't want to take a chance on iTunes killing my iPhone too, as it did with 2 iPods with previous versions of iTunes. Thanks to all for your valuable posts. At least iTunes is running and I can actually sync my iPhone with worrying that I'll loos everything on it.

Check the files that won't import with mp3val. iTunes also prefers files that have a single ID3v2.3 tag and can sometimes have problems reading in or updating files that have multiple tags.

tt2

Using the latest version of iTunes and the latest MSE I am not having problems, except this one little thing with iTunes not allowing me to see what's on my iPod, changing views without being asked.

But iTunes is not resetting to default. I've almost forgotten to cringe when I open it.

The thing I will remember: AVG tried.