ITunes library deleted in error. Individual CDs etc., still in My Music, how do I move it all back to my library?

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ITunes library deleted in error. Individual CDs etc., still in My Music, how do I move it all back to my library?

I Tried to download my library to an external hard rive in order to reload it onto my new computer. I did everything as instructed by Apple, but only got an icon (no content) on the hard drive. So deleted the icon. Now no library! Individual CDs are still in My Music, but I don.t know how to move them either back to a library or across to the hard drive, short of doing each one individually. I'm a complete technophobe so simple language appreciated. Thanks

Posted on Jun 28, 2014 10:32 AM

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Answer 1

turingtest2

Level 10

278,351 points

Jun 28, 2014 1:35 PM in response to Triangle1uk

The way that usually works best is to copy the entire iTunes folder from <User's Music> to the top of the external drive, then hold down SHIFT as you start iTunes and choose the library file <Drive>\iTunes\iTunes Library.itl. Did you move your iTunes Library.itl file instead of copying it and then start iTunes normally? This would result in a new empty library.

See Empty/corrupt iTunes library after upgrade/crash. If you moved the library file copy that version back rather than one from the Previous iTunes Libraries folder.

tt2

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Answer 2

Triangle1uk Author

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Jun 28, 2014 2:39 PM in response to turingtest2

Well I certainly have a new empty library!

i'll attempt to do what you suggest tomorrow morning, and let you know. Appreciate your advice. Thanks

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Answer 3

Triangle1uk Author

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Jun 29, 2014 6:02 AM in response to turingtest2

Hi again. Well I did as you suggested, but what I now have on my external hard drive, are separate folders of Drive\iTunes\iTunes Music\Movies, the same\Music, the same\Podcasts and the same\Unknown Artist, containing a complete mixture of stuff I already have under the music. What is missing is my playlists etc. So, I don't seem to have a complete Library that I can move. I'm hoping that what I have can be transferred in some way onto the new computer, once it's up and running? I'm reluctant to try and move it all back to a new ITunes library (you're right, I now have an empty ITunes Library), so can I leave it as it is now on my external hard drive and then try to install it on a new library on the new computer? Sorry to be dumb. But I did warn you that I'm a complete technophobe!

Thanks

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Answer 4

turingtest2

Level 10

278,351 points

Jun 29, 2014 8:02 AM in response to Triangle1uk

Find out where all files of the form *.itl are located. The largest of these is going to be the most recent version of your library available to you unless you've put one in the recycle bin. Often when iTunes is updated the active version of the library is copied into the Previous iTunes Libraries folder, appended with the date of the upgrade, and then used to reconstruct the library to work with the new build of iTunes. Hopefully you can track down a recent version, get it stored in the correct place, then connect to it. You can connect to a different .itl file by holding down shift as you start iTunes. If you are really lucky the one that you want is already sitting at <Drive>\iTunes\iTunes Library.itl which is exactly where you want it to be,

tt2

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Answer 5

Triangle1uk Author

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Jul 8, 2014 3:15 AM in response to turingtest2

so sorry I haven't got back to you. Had A hospital visit that was longer then anticipated Anyway I have tried everything to try and find any .itl folder or fie and nothing exists. all I have is a very garbled .xml file in my C drive. My external hard drive has all the music and movies in individual folders but no library at all. All previous libraries have only a few cd,s in them. Am utterly stuck and don't know what to do next. Any help appreciated.

THanks.

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Answer 6

Triangle1uk Author

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8 points

Jul 8, 2014 3:16 AM in response to turingtest2

so sorry I haven't got back to you. Had A hospital visit that was longer then anticipated Anyway I have tried everything to try and find any .itl folder or fie and nothing exists. all I have is a very garbled .xml file in my C drive. My external hard drive has all the music and movies in individual folders but no library at all. All previous libraries have only a few cd,s in them. Am utterly stuck and don't know what to do next. Any help appreciated.

THanks.

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Answer 7

turingtest2

Level 10

278,351 points

Jul 8, 2014 3:47 AM in response to Triangle1uk

Did you try to open the previous libraries by double-clicking on them? With iTunes this causes iTunes to open, but it always opens the last known library, not necessarily the file that you clicked on. Press & hold down shift as you click the icon to launch iTunes and keep holding until prompted to choose or create a library. Click choose and then browse to and open one of the alternate .itl files. Hopefully you can find one that contains your playlists. If so we can then talk about what to do next. Alternatively do you have an Apple device with your playlists on it?

tt2

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Answer 8

Triangle1uk Author

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8 points

Jul 9, 2014 3:27 AM in response to turingtest2

HI, I have my IPod, but it doesn't contain my whole library as I have quite a few music DVDs converted and held in my library that I add to my IPod when I want to. Also my IPod only contains around 80% of my music library. I have double clicked on all the shown previous libraries and they only contain about half a dozen CDs. Some only a few songs. I'm terrified to plug in my IPod in case it syncs and I lose everything on that as well!!! Can you tell I don't understand any of this?!!

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Answer 9

turingtest2

Level 10

278,351 points

Jul 9, 2014 3:48 AM in response to Triangle1uk

Again. Double-clicking on an .itl file does not necessarily open that library file. You either need to copy, paste & rename things so that an older file takes on the name of the active library, or you need to shift-start-iTunes and choose a different library file to open. See iTunes: How to open an alternate iTunes Library file or create a new one for details. I have tools for recovering stats & playlists from a device, but I suspect you really don't need them.

tt2

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Answer 10

Triangle1uk Author

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Jul 17, 2014 1:11 AM in response to turingtest2

MMe again.! OK I did exactly as you said, and couldn't believe that it seemed to work. Opened a new library whilst holding down shift and transferred a previous library. Everything is there, except album artwork. Now comes the crunch. All there, but nothing will play!!!! Did I do something wrong? I was about to jump for joy.

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Answer 11

Triangle1uk Author

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Jul 17, 2014 1:18 AM in response to Triangle1uk

I Also should have said that it doesn't look the same on screen. The library doesn't open showing everything as before. Having gone to the Playlists, I can't get back to the actual library. Very odd. Almost like it is a 'ghost' library siting in the background somewhere. Now I'm terrified to touch anything!

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Answer 12

turingtest2

Level 10

278,351 points

Jul 17, 2014 1:38 AM in response to Triangle1uk

Select a broken track in the library. Press CTRL+I to Get Info. Say no when prompted to locate the track. Look at the bottom of the summary tab for where iTunes thinks the file should be. It will begin file://localhost/ and end with the filename of the track. Now find the true location of the same file. I also need the media folder location as given under Edit > Preferences > Advanced. If you post back all three paths as given I may be able to suggest an easy way to fix things.

If a simple fix isn't forthcoming then my FindTracks script should be able to reconnect the missing tracks to iTunes. FindTracks uses some fuzzy matching routines and searches for multiple potential locations. For more details see this thread. However let's start with the obvious things like making sure the media and the database are in the right places.

If needed, press CTRL+S to enable the sidebar and CTRL+B to enable the menu bar.

tt2

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Answer 13

Triangle1uk Author

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8 points

Jul 20, 2014 3:44 AM in response to turingtest2

So, I did the first part and got file://localhost/C/documentsandSettings/KelvinCrawford/MyDocuments/MyMusic/ITun es/PreviousiTunes/iTunesMedia/Gdd/01DanckngQueen.M4a

this happens to be the first song on the first album on the library. Complication is that the ITunes library is in my husband's name but is my library. Incidentally he has no idea how to solve any of this!

Next problem, i cannot do the next thing you ask i.e.find the true location? I have tried everything I can think of but don't know where to go now. I feel a complete idiot in all this, but really appreciate all your are doing to try to help.

Even IF I ever get the library back in it's correct format on the old mainframe, I will still have to go through the whole thing again of transferring it to the new mainframe, also windows but now 8.1 which is awful!!!

However, let's try 1 step at a time.

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Answer 14

Triangle1uk Author

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8 points

Jul 20, 2014 4:27 AM in response to Triangle1uk

Very interesting, that whilst sitting here, I realised that there was no album artwork, so thought I'd see what happened when I tried to download it. Signed into I

iTunes. Went to file, library, get album artwork, and lo and behold it started to download ALL the artwork for my albums in my library, so my library must be in cyberspace somewhere?!

Also, thought I'd check all my movies and they play from the defective ITunes library which is in My Documents\My Music\iTunes!!!! So, I may not have the library yet, but I'm hopeful!

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Answer 15

turingtest2

Level 10

278,351 points

Jul 20, 2014 4:43 AM in response to Triangle1uk

Looks like you might need a new keyboard too? Distinct lack of spaces in:

file://localhost/C/documentsandSettings/KelvinCrawford/MyDocuments/MyMusic/ITune s/PreviousiTunes/iTunesMedia/Gdd/01DanckngQueen.M4a

Weird, the site didn't like me trying to put in the possible space in the user name? 😕 Anyway is this somewhat closer to what you see?

file://localhost/C:/Documents and Settings/KelvinCrawford/My Documents/My Music/ITunes/Previous iTunes Libraries/iTunes Media/ABBA/Gold/01 Dancing Queen.m4a

If you search the entire computer for 01 Dancing Queen.m4a Windows should be able to show you where it is stored.

tt2

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