I've lost all my iTunes media from a crashed NAS.

Question

I've lost all my iTunes media from a crashed NAS.

So my NAS crashed and I lost all of my itunes media, music, videos etc. Before I start the long process of ripping cds and downloading from itunes, I need to know if I am doing the right thing. I think i need to delete the .itl file and move the xml file to the desktop (Not convinced of the xml file as I will effectively creating a new library). Then i guess i start the process of ripping and downloading. Am i on the right track?

iMac (21.5-inch, Late 2012), OS X Yosemite (10.10.3)

Posted on May 5, 2015 1:11 AM

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Answer 1

Best reply

Limnos

Level 10

411,157 points

May 5, 2015 6:17 AM in response to jasonfromkatherine

Remove the .itl and .xml The .itl is actually the one used by iTunes to create the lists you see when you start the application. The .xml is created by iTunes for other applications to use. You can probably also get rid of the stuff in the artwork folder. When you start iTunes it will complain about there being no library file and (Never having to have done this myself) probably ask you if you want it to create a new library.

It might be time to invest in a backup system and perhaps even reconsider your hardware. Unless you have an absolute need for NAS you might want to replace it with a standard external hard drive. iTunes and NAS do not always work well together. Maybe you've been lucky so far.

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Answer 2

May 5, 2015 4:35 PM in response to Limnos

Thanks Limnos, this was my assessment after reading the help files. FYI my NAS had been working pretty good with iTunes for a few years, even streaming video over apple tv. I would have been ok but I initially lost a hd and by the time my replacement arrived the whole volume had crashed (10 days for delivery, something we are used to here in outback Australia). Yes I will also be investing in a backup drive for my NAS when I get it going again.

Cheers

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