Why did iTunes 11.1 (126) delete all (SEVERAL HUNDRED) Podcasts?

iTunes 11.1.3 is up.

"This version of iTunes resolves an issue where the equalizer may not work as expected and improves performance when switching views in large iTunes libraries. This update also includes additional minor bug fixes."

Still no mention of the deleting podcasts/music issue, so not encouraged. If any bold person tests this version, let us all know the results.

BEWARE! Same podcasts problems in 11.1.3. My library had been stable for a few days, but iTunes deleted 3/4 of my old podcasts again today.

This is insane! The worst thing you can do as a programmer is destroy user data!

Apple... You're really hosing it up lately.

Well, I guess that explains the sudden increase in my available disk space. I'm yet another victim of the "iTunes ate my podcast collection" bug. Beyond outraged -- I've lost years worth of podcasts. Hopefully they're still on my backup.

How Apple could have missed this is bizarre. I would consider this a fireable screw-up - hopefully someone's going to pay for the collected inconveniencing hundreds of (previously) loyal Apple customers.

How Apple could have missed this is bizarre.

What really makes me angry is that they missed this bug ON 4 SEPARATE UPDATES!

Anyway, I just came in to say; I'm also adding the iOS iTunes U app to the list of Apple products I'm not updating for these same concerns. Again, trust issues. So, if you use the new updated app, check your libraries. Let us know if something else goes wrong.

Two tweets from Richard Dawkins this AM may have hit on what is happening at Apple in general including its iTunes app. ....

Is Apple downgrading software on their REAL computers for the sake of compatibility with iPads etc? http://bit.ly/1bzpAlF

"Customise Presenter Display" was most useful part of Keynote http://bit.ly/1bzpAlF Can't BELIEVE Apple have cut it from latest upgrade?

Elisa,

I apologize that I have not read all 9 pages of this thread, but I did try your suggestion. I first had to restore all of my podcasts from my Time Machine, but I could not import an entire folder from iTunes (on my Mac). It would only let me add individual podcasts...and I have hundreds of them.

There was a suggestion that if you moved your iTunes library to another location before updating iTunes, updated itunes, then switched off the syncing behavior, then moved your iTunes library back that it wouldn't delete all your files. Has anyone tried this? Did it work? I thought I saw some mention in this thread that someone had done this, but then the next iTunes update changed the default and deleted all their files again.

I also saw someone say that moving the podcasts out of your podcast folder into your music folder didn't solve this problem?

Has anyone figured out a workaround? I can't update my iDevices to iOS7 because of this issue.

Still no response or fix from Apple, I'm assuming that they don't consider this a bug. I may have purchased my last iDevice.

I found all my podcasts vanished when updating to 11.1.3.

I managed to find them all by searching for one podcast by name in the 'library search' box. It found one podcast but provided a link to '42 more'. I clicked this and all of my podcasts reappeared. I have no idea where they had been hiding but I seem to have all of the missing ones back.

Hope this will help some of you.

I found all my podcasts vanished when updating to 11.1.3.

I managed to find them all by searching for one podcast by name in the 'library search' box. It found one podcast but provided a link to '42 more'. I clicked this and all of my podcasts reappeared. I have no idea where they had been hiding but I seem to have all of the missing ones back.

Hope this will help some of you.

Now it's 2014. I thought this was fixed. Just lost about 200 "Fresh Airs". The entire thing is deleted--heading and everything. Got some back from Time Machine disk, but thinking it is time to abandon iTunes. Deleting files is not acceptable behavior for a program, ever.

This is infuriating. I have iTunes 11.1.5.5 for Windows 7. I have been accumulating podcasts for four years. This morning, I went to listen to one on my iPod and all of my podcasts were blank. So when I got home, I tried to re-sync with my computer and iTunes gave me an error that it couldn't sync because all of the selected podcasts are not present on my PC. Sure enough, the "podcasts" section of the library is empty except for two podcasts I had manually downloaded and added. The files are all physically gone from my computer. I can't fathom how anyone thinks it's acceptable to release software like this.

Dave: There is no excuse for deleting files, ever. That is called malware ...

I found all my podcasts vanished when updating to 11.1.3.

I managed to find them all by searching for one podcast by name in the 'library search' box. It found one podcast but provided a link to '42 more'. I clicked this and all of my podcasts reappeared. I have no idea where they had been hiding but I seem to have all of the missing ones back.

Hope this will help some of you.