"The iTunes Library file cannot be saved."

Question

Level 5

5,597 points

"The iTunes Library file cannot be saved."

I've been seeing this for a while, though it seems to be more frequent with iTunes 12.3.2.5. Periodically - and typically when I've had iTunes open for several hours and/or have been adding/editing items to the library - this message will pop up:

Once it appears it will then repeat regularly and won't go away until I exit and restart iTunes. Watching memory utilization in Task Manager doesn't show that iTunes' memory usage is spiking when the error appears (indeed, it doesn't seem to be directly associated with Get Info operations where iTunes' memory usage can jump from a typical 10-15% to 50% or more). Interestingly, this seems to be confined to the one 32-bit system (Windows 10) on which I run my full iTunes library. The two other systems on which I use the same library are both 64-bit (one Windows 7, one Windows 10). However, the 32-bit system is the one on which I maintain my master iTunes library, the others just being used for playback, so I can't be sure that its a direct consequence of the differences in Windows architecture. The library is relatively large (5000+ albums, 85000+ songs) though I know of others with much larger libraries who've not reported seeing this error.

In most cases when I exit iTunes it goes through the normal "Saving iTunes library" step without further errors and everything's as it should be on restart - on a few occasions, though, this seems to be skipped and any recent updates to the library haven't been saved correctly (and checking the timestamp on the iTunes Library.itl file confirms that the last update occurred before exiting iTunes.

Anyone seen this happening and/or have any thoughts on possible steps to mitigate or solve it?

iPod nano (7th generation), Windows 10

Posted on Feb 10, 2016 5:23 PM

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Answer 1

Drew Reece

Level 6

10,666 points

Feb 10, 2016 6:42 PM in response to hhgttg27

You are sharing the same library file across 3 PC's?

Have you shut the other machines down to see if that is causing a conflict. I don't believe iTunes is designed to use one library across several devices like you seem to be describing. I would suggest you try to remove the other devices from the equation, shut them down, reboot and retest on the troublesome PC.

If you are using home sharing or Apple music to share the library that may not be the issue, but if 3 PC's are trying to use one library file there will be a fight & some of the devices will lose.

Please clarify how it is setup.

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Answer 2

turingtest2

Level 10

274,564 points

Feb 10, 2016 7:14 PM in response to hhgttg27

Is iTunes generating an XML? Does it need to?

Have you excluded real-time A/V from the iTunes folder on this machine?

I will generally give my system a reboot once I've seen this behaviour.

tt2

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Answer 3

hhgttg27 Author

Level 5

5,597 points

Feb 10, 2016 7:15 PM in response to Drew Reece

Clarification: each system has a local library (so three physical copies of one "logical library"): two are frequently replicated copies of the master. This may make it clearer ... I periodically backup the master library to an external drive (using MS SyncToy), and then use this backup to refresh the libraries on the other two systems.

The three systems are either not in the same location / on the same network or are not running concurrently. There's no "sharing the same library file". I don't use Home Sharing except in one specific scenario (copying selected music from the master library to yet another system that has a much smaller library on it).

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Answer 4

hhgttg27 Author

Level 5

5,597 points

Feb 10, 2016 7:19 PM in response to turingtest2

"Is iTunes generating an XML? Does it need to?"

No and no.

"Have you excluded real-time A/V from the iTunes folder on this machine?"

Yes - see previous discussion on file name updating. This behavior seems consistent across the period when my A/V (Windows Defender) was correctly set up to exclude the iTunes folder, lost those settings (probably as the result of a Windows update), and then was correctly set up again.

"I will generally give my system a reboot once I've seen this behaviour."

Yep - standard Windows remedy to all ills 😉.

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