New install--iTunes not 'remembering' my apps?

Due to my lack of familiarity with the process please pardon my confirming sections of your response if the questions sound redundant.

You advise to:

1. Restore iTunes from Carbonite as the first step. In my case that would be: C:\Users\Mark\Music\iTunes--Correct?

2. When you say: "connect your devices in turn and perform manual backups with iTunes. Each should recognize the restored library as home. This is better than create a new library and selectively restoring media to add to it." I don't get it.

If I just restored the entire iTunes directory tree from the date the machine went down I wouldn't be creating any new libraries--the libraries would restore along with all else iTunes from Carbonite?

I would think the iTunes restore would be redundant and unnecessary after the Carbonite restore?

When I left the house I had commenced the Carbonite iTunes restore. I had already installed iTunes. Once iTunes recognized me iTunes correctly populated my podcast list. I synced the updated podcasts to the iPod. I did not attempt connecting itunes to my directories containing music figuring that task would occur automatically after the Carbonite restore. So yes I didn't delete\rename contents of the new iTunes folders. I presume the Carbonite restore will overwrite all.

Will I need to start over--uninstall iTunes and follow your #1 instructions or is there a way to salvage what I've done this far?

Clarification: Carbonite is a cloud based full time, automatic data backup. So the day my laptop went down, I had a complete backup of all sub directories and files below User (Mark).

Of the 3 iTunes data problems (podcasts, apps and music), I had resolved podcasts (by sheer luck) per my previous message yesterday. Any further resolutions (music and apps) will occur only by my inserting the proper (restored) directory/file(s) within the existing structure C:\Users\Mark\Music\iTunes that I restored from Carbonite yesterday or C:\Users\Mark\AppData that I'm currently downloading.

It has been my understanding that the (*.itl) file "iTunes Library 2012-12-02.itl" (date stamped the day my machine died: 6/28/15) either carries all the data for one's iTunes music library or is a file pointer to the local location of the library (my library is located: C:\OneDrive\My Sounds\iPod Nano Music (or, taken to one of several dozen end of path examples) C:\OneDrive\My Sounds\iPod Nano Music\Bob Dylan - Highway 61 Revisited\01 - Like A Rolling Stone.mp3.

I inserted the file per the following path: C:\Users\Mark\Music\iTunes\iTunes Media\iTunes Library 2012-12-02.itl. No tunes appeared in iTunes suggesting to me that I likely placed the file under the incorrect subdirectory? Where should the .itl file be located? I presume there's no way of directly pointing iTunes to the music file as you had showed me previously with podcast files (Edit/Preferences...)?

If I end up having to start from scratch reloading tunes from the drive to iTunes I don't suppose there a way to reverse the process and send all the tunes currently on the iPod Nano to iTunes?

I'm currently chasing my tail with apps. I have zero apps in iTunes (probably had 50 or so). All the apps that I've been using are installed on the phone (about a 1/3 of the total). Although I likely have a cloud phone backup, it would be useless since a restore would merely give me back what I already have on the phone--not what I need--an iTunes app restore. I visited iCloud and saw no icon remotely resembling an iTunes/app backup?

So, absent your direction regarding the location of an iTunes apps backup, I'm back to digging through my Carbonite backups. I've researched this app problem and it seems that apps may not reside (Windows 7) under C:\Users\Mark\Music\iTunes\...\ but would be found under a completely different User subdirectory: C:\Users\Mark\AppData which is huge and currently downloading from Carbonite's servers to my desktop. If apps are located under AppData, do you know the app parent subdirectory?

Music is now also fixed leaving apps.

Just to be clear, the apps will be located under C:\User\Mark\AppData\..., not under C:\Users\Mark\Music\iTunes (where they are obviously (to me) not present)?

At the current download rate C:\User\Mark\AppData will fully arrive this evening.

Not good. My tree does not correspond. Time for a new app strategy.

1. Is there a way to get the apps that reside on the phone exported to iTunes (a reverse sync)?

2. For those apps purchased must I get replacements from the individual authors or do they live in parallel somewhere in apple land?

3. 1 final confirmation--there is no cloud corner that houses all of the apps that previously displayed in iTunes?

Separately, there are 3-4 statements on I think the summary page regarding music. 1 re recording rate but another (the one I question) allows for manual organization which warns you'll have to stop the device when disconnecting--since I organize my own tunes locally any reason not to invoke the manual proces?

I'm afraid now we're entering the domain of dumb questions.

I logged into my iTunes account through iTunes. Down the page (paraphrased) is section for purchases and I clicked on view. I ended up the Purchase History page. I clicked on a few of the date listings which took me to another page that listed various free and paid apps. However, the only options I see are Report a problem and Done. Nowhere do I see a link/button to re-download the app(s)?

Mark

Please disregard my last post.

Apparently the 'Apple Gods' have been listening in to this thread and have shown mercy.

Several minutes after opening iTunes this morning with no device connected, ALL of my apps (purchased and free) were displayed in light shade. Once I clicked Update All, all are being downloaded :-)

Thanks for all the assistance--

After going through this mess and realizing that even having a decent backup all is not rosy having to restart from zero--which will again occur in the next several months with a new machine and OS. The list of companies your link of yesterday referenced were largely 'manager apps'. I know I can do a search but do you have any preferences for a robust, easy to use, iTunes backup that will do an 'automatic' restore of all one's settings, apps, tunes, podcasts, etc?

Lastly, when I signed up for double authentication (code via cell phone) I didn't realize nor do I see a need for the verification be required for signing into this board. Is there a way to opt out of using same for the board and restricting use only for signing into iCloud and iTune purchases?

Mark

Minor glitch--

I last said that all my apps 'appeared' in gray, I updated and they 'came back'. Checking again this morning, a number did not come back as functional and remained grayed. It appears the reason those remained grey is that they are not on my drive. I tried right clicking one, selecting view in iTunes. However, the download bar is grayed out. I tried this with another with the same result. So I'm thinking there's enough of a presence of an app locally to tell the website that a download is unnecessary.

My next step (and before I do so I 'm checking with you) was to right click the grayed local app and delete it. Then 'add' the app as if I never had a downloaded copy. This sound right?

The other situation is the same as above except the greyed out app is in use on my phone. Do I do as above or do I need to delete the app from the phone also and totally start over? I'm not wild about the second option since I'll lose the app setup/password etc.

Mark