How to undo an iBooks conversion and revert back to iTunes

Unfortunately I do (OS X 10.10.1 & iTunes 12.0.1.26)

The books playlist comes back, I delete it but whenever I restart iTunes it's recreated - if I click on it then it's empty, the top book menu icon shows audiobooks. The service doesn't exist and iBooks has gone (if I put the app back it won't run because the service isn't there). Thankfully the books are still in their directories on my NAS and I can select them on the iOS device pages (within iTunes) so they get synched.

****** annoying.

:-(

Thanks; but isn't there a step regarding consolidating libraries in iTunes preferences?

I did. Basic steps I used:

Fresh install of Yosemite 10.10.1, followed by using Migration Assistant to migrate only Apps and Computer settings (no documents).

Never launched iTunes 12.

Used AppZapper to dump iTunes and iBooks apps.

Used Pacifist to install iTunes 11.4.

Used EasyFind to locate all BkAgent files as before. Dumped them.

Restarted mac.

Launched iTunes, set preferences to show books.

Imported several PDF files and one music album.

Configured my sidebar and other settings.

I have not attempted to sync my phone or iPad yet. They didn't show up on first run, though.

So far, no belches.

Good Question. The books section is still there in the sidebar of the iPad area, but the books are gone from the top icons. Only audiobooks are left.

Easy Stone, simply use appdelete again to delete the reappeared iBooks app (that is reintroduced with the yosemite 10.10.1 update) in the application folder. Then the Books and PDFs will reappear again in iTunes as we figured out before. Close iTunes before you appdelete iBooks. This worked for me on three Macs.

Good luck.

Andy

Thanks Andy,

that solved it.

Steven

that's exactly what I meant and did.

After upgrading to Yosemite 10.10.1 I noticed that the Books/PDF tab in iTunes was reverted to simply Audiobooks. I then quit iTunes. Next I checked if the Books and PDFs still were found physically on my harddrive in my iTunes Media structure, what they did (what a relief they did not disapear into heaven). So I checked next for any existence of the BKagent process in the Activity Monitor, where gladly none showed up. Next I checked for the com.apple,BKagentservice.xpc in the library. No service there either (good). Then I went into the application folder and found the iBooks app reinstalled with the update. So I shredded iBooks with its 2 additional library files (don't remember there names) using appdelete (or appcleaner or whatever there is available) and you mentionned it, and thats maybe important, I emptied the trash. Then restarted iTunes and was simply happy to have all Books/PDFs and Audiobooks in one place where they need to be again. Syncing with the iOS devices all works fine and as expected ever since.

Glad it helped to you and Roland too

so until the next Yosemite update then ;-)

Andy

I'm confused here. Are people saying it's still good on 1010.1 with iTunes 12.0.1.26?

In mine, I have no iBooks, no service but in iTunes the only top icon I have is for audiobooks, the one on the left for books is empty (and if I delete it it comes back next time I open iTunes). If I go to an iOS device page in iTunes then books they do all show up.

Are you others not seeing this or are you on iTunes 11?

Marc,

Using latest iTunes 12.0.1.26 here. No need to deal with iTunes 11 or whatever again (although I think the behaviour will be the same).

Hi Steven/StoneSoup,

Thanks for this. It has taken me, literally, two years to just go for it and get rid of iBooks (which is LOATHSOME). So I've followed all the steps you kindly outlined, and rebooted, but I'm not getting a "books" folder on my iTunes. If I attach my iPad mini, it shows up as "Sync Books" but the file is empty. I'm not sure what I did wrong? If you have any suggestions, I would SO appreciate it!!

Nadine

In case anyone else hits this. it would seem (in my case anyway) that the solution is also to delete '~/Library/Containers/com.apple.BKAgentService' and restart iTunes.

Only just ran across this folder today - not sure why it didn't show up in my search last time but there we go. I removed it, restarted iTunes and I get the black book icon back, click on that and lo and behold there are my books!