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Level 1

25 points

Regarding Consolidation & Recreation of my library...

Hello all !

After years of syncing my iTunes & iPhone + iPod with MS Outlook I recently started having various errors. iTunes would not sync my Outlook data to the iPhone, or would do so partly (sometimes only the contacts but not the calendar and the notes, some other times it would sync only the calendar but not the rest, etc).

Long story short, I initally thought the problem was my outlook .pst file, so I tried to fix it but this did not help. After hours and days of searching these topics I came to the conclusion that the problem is not my Outlook .pst file, but a corrupted iTunes library.

Now, let me point out that I have a rather big iTunes library. It points to 3 different hard discs. Two of them are SATA and the 3rd is an external (USB) one.

So I was thinking of buying a new SATA HD and moving / consolidating everything regarding my music / iTunes to that new HD.

So my question is: Does "consolidating my library" automatically recreates and fixes a corrupted library? Or should I first recreate my corrupted library by following this guide http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1451 and then proceed to consolidate that newly recreated library to my new HD ?

thank you in advance !

iPhone 4S, Windows 7, 4 GB RAM / iTunes / iPod Classic 120GB

Posted on Mar 7, 2014 10:43 AM

Best reply

turingtest2

Level 10

272,881 points

Posted on Mar 7, 2014 10:52 AM

Consolidating won't fix any internal errors in the database. Rebuilding the library with the media will lose ratings, play counts, playlists, date added values etc. Most of the data, with the exception of date added, can be backed up and restored into a new library if needed. Just be sure to back up the exitsting .itl and .xml files before trying to create a new library. Are you sure the library is really a problem? Are there other obvious issues apart from the syncing one? Double-checking also that you've uninstalled MobileMe... If not that could be part of the problem.

tt2

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34 replies

IoannisGR Author

Level 1

25 points

Apr 25, 2015 10:11 AM in response to turingtest2

Hello again.

Bad things happen, and my almost new HDD with the whole iTunes (consolidated) folder has crashed.

I have lept a backup of the iTunes folder (with everything in it), and I bought a new HDD.

I'm now transfering my backup the new HDD and I think I've managed to remember and keep the same folders structure on this new HDD. However, I'm not sure what steps I have to make for the iTunes app to see the new HDD.

Obviously I have to open the iTunes by holding SHIFT and then point it to the right folder, right ?

What about the Consolidation options? Do I have to change / alter anything within iTunes preferences, or it will all be alright as it was before ?

Particularly, will I have to follow all these 3 steps, or just the 1st one ?

Press and hold down shift as you launch iTunes and keep holding until prompted to choose or create a library. Click choose then browse to and open M:\iTunes\iTunes Library.itl
Open the menu item Edit > Preferences > Advanced (press Alt or Ctrl+B to reveal the menu bar if needed) and, if necessary, change the media folder to M:\iTunes\iTumes Media - if you make a change iTunes will offer to consolidate files but say no at this point.
Open File > Library > Organize Library... and tick both boxes if possible, or just Consolidate files if the other box is grayed out, then click OK.

Thank you in advance !

turingtest2

Level 10

272,881 points

Apr 25, 2015 10:17 AM in response to IoannisGR

Yes, you are looking for the iTunes Library.itl file stored in the main iTunes folder. It should be as before, but you can check the settings for Keep... & Copy... under Edit > Preferences > Advanced. I normally recommend keeping them both selected.

If your new drive has the same letter as the old one then you don't need to do anything other than restore the data to the same path that iTunes was reading the library from before the other drive died.

Otherwise step 1. will connect to the library on a different path. Since we already did all the work to make that library, and any backups of it, portable, steps 2. & 3. won't be needed.

tt2

IoannisGR Author

Level 1

25 points

Apr 25, 2015 4:16 PM in response to turingtest2

I assigned the same letter and structure to the new HDD, and so far everything seems fine.

Thank you once again !

turingtest2

Level 10

272,881 points

Apr 25, 2015 4:54 PM in response to IoannisGR

You're welcome. 🙂

tt2

Regarding Consolidation & Recreation of my library...