Q: Updated to Latest iTunes - Music + Books Gone?

Hey amaule05,

I found a couple of articles that should help you out. This first one sounds like it matches your situation exactly. After upgrading iTunes, if your music, videos and other content do not show up in iTunes, follow these steps to bring back your missing content:

No content shows up in iTunes after updating

http://support.apple.com/kb/ts1967

1. Quit iTunes.
2. Download and install the latest version of iTunes.
3. Use the Finder (Mac) or Windows Explorer (Windows) to go to the iTunes folder that contains the iTunes library files:
   
   Mac OS X
   /Users/username/Music/iTunes/
   
   Microsoft Windows Windows XP and Windows 2000
   \Documents and Settings\username\My Documents\My Music\iTunes\
   
   Microsoft Windows Windows Vista and Windows 7
   \Users\username\Music\iTunes\
4. Drag the iTunes Library file from the above location to the Desktop.
5. Open the Previous iTunes Libraries folder in the iTunes folder.
6. Locate the file named iTunes Library YYYY-MM-DD where YYYY-MM-DD is the date you upgraded iTunes (Year-Month-Day).
7. Drag this file to the iTunes folder (the enclosing folder).
8. Rename this file to iTunes Library.
9. Open iTunes.

You should now see your missing content in iTunes.

If that doesn't work, this next one is more general and goes over troubleshooting steps for when you are missing music or other media that you expected to appear in iTunes:

iTunes: Finding lost media and downloads

http://support.apple.com/kb/ts1408

All the best,

David

In:

iTunes: How to re-create your iTunes library and playlists

http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1451

...it says "Your iTunes Library file may become damaged and cause iTunes to become unresponsive. The "iTunes Library.xml" file may be used to re-create a new iTunes Library file."

Here are the steps to do so:

Re-creating the iTunes Library file

Note: After re-creating your library, any devices that you sync with iTunes (Apple TV, iPod, iPhone, iPad) will see your iTunes library as a new library and will completely resync. The next sync with such a device will take longer and may reset some options since your rebuilt library isn't familiar to the device.

1. Quit iTunes.

2. Locate your iTunes folder (this is the folder that contains the iTunes Library and iTunes Library.xml files).

Operating System	Default location of iTunes Folder
Mac OS X	/Users/[your username]/Music
Microsoft Windows XP	\Documents and Settings\[your username]\My Documents\My Music\
Microsoft Windows Vista	\Users\[your username]\Music\
Microsoft Windows 7	\Users\[your username]\My Music\

 

3. Open your iTunes folder.

4. Drag the "iTunes Library.xml" or "iTunes Music Library.xml" file to the Desktop. If neither is available, learn how to add files back to the Library (because the XML file is not available, playlists and other information will not be available).

5. Drag the following file from your iTunes folder to the Trash:

Mac OS X	"iTunes Library" or "iTunes Library.itl"
Microsoft Windows	"iTunes Library.itl"

 

6. Open iTunes.

Important: Do not add any content into iTunes at this point (such as by purchasing something from the iTunes Store).

7. Choose File > Library > Import Playlist.

8. Navigate to the "iTunes Library.xml" file on the Desktop.

• Mac users: Click Choose.
• Windows users: Click Open.

If your Podcasts list in iTunes is empty after following these steps, learn how to add them back into iTunes.

Hope that helps!

Cheers,

David