11.1.5.5 Update.....yet again an itunes update trashes my library

So here's my own update to my own post. I trawled turingtest2 info since they seem pretty expert on this stuff.

Using the itunesinfo script I ascertained that iTunes was pointing in all sorts of places for iTunes related files and not all of them were iTunes locations. For my media file the software was looking I the folder I keep all my jokes and humour in......not funny huh.

I also noticed that although I had tried resetting the media folder location through the iTunes preferences route, nothing seemed to happen when you changed the destination folder. iTunesinfo still reported the same weird locations as before.

Then I spotted the open iTunes with shift held down and choose which library you want to load. Bingo. All of my stuff has come back as it is meant to be. Playlists there, artwork where it's meant to be, compilations all intact again. So that's a right result and something I should have remembered and tried sooner since I was aware of this capability to select library on startup already.

What puzzles me now is why iTunes decided to go and create new libraries on upgrade?

Thank you for being around with all the knowledge and the willingness to share and support.

Further update, I went to resync my ipod with the 'real' library in place and was surprised when none of the playlists appeared on ipod after sync. On closer inspection, all of the original playlists are there in name, but they have no content.

I ran the itunesinfo again and the itl and xml locations are where I would expect them to be.

The media file location is not though. It's still pointing at the 'classic' location as apposed to at the media file location linked to the library in use....and the one specified in iTunes preferences.

I think I'm going to try copying the media folder I think it should be using, to the location iTunes says it's looking for a media folder to see if that has any effect.

I'm just about to start rooting around to see what I can find.

However, in response to your questions (and it's obvious I wasn't clear enough in my description of the problem - I don't think I have any broken tracks - I can normally fix these anyway - it's just the playlists).

The playlists exist in name but are empty in iTunes and do not appear at all on my iPod after syncing...presumably because they're empty.

In iTunes/Edit/Preferences the media location is saying what I would expect (ie It's pointing at the right media folder).

If I run iTunesinfo, the media folder location is NOT the same as specified in preferences. It stays this way even after re-specifying the media folder location in preferences and closing and reopening iTunes.

tt2. HUmble apologies for any apparent rudeness. I have been travelling for the last 4 weeks in a universe where the internet is dial up speed....hence the lack of any communication.

Trying to pick up where I left off was just too much brain power. So I'm just going to rip it out and restart. I'm going to get rid of anything that looks like itunes files or folders, with the exception of data such as artwork etc.

Rest assured i will shout if I need help. I just didn't want to leave you with the appearance of rudeness due to my radio silence.

Csky

tt2, I cleared everything down I could find except the 'album artwork' folders. (I wasn't interested in trying to maintain stats and I'd give up on playlists - I'll rebuild them. I was bothered about was retaining the artwork I had gradually found and added since iTunes only managed about 60% of my library.)

During cleanup I had found two 'music' folders in different locations, although both under the 'My Music' branch: So I moved one of them far away from that piece of the directory, although still on the same drive.

After the cleanup and reimstall of itunes, I download all of my purchases from the store, then I add the music folder I want. I find I have LOTS of duplicates (sigh). So I do some digging. I find a new 'music' folder has been created in the tunes media folder. (I have it set to 'not organise my music'.) I also go digging in the original music folders and find that iTunes must have been physically changing my stored music before. Disassembed compliations that I had put back together in iTunes physically appear as individual folder for artist with song inside, as well as in various artists, with the full album. So okay, I can uninstall it again and go clean up the dupes in the music folder I want as my master, but can you tell me how to stop it creating and populating the new 'music' folder in 'itunes media'?

csky