I made changes to my iTunes library and lost a few files by mistake. How do I go back to an older version/replace the current one?
MBP, Mac OS X (10.5.4), 2.5G Core 2 Duo
Here is a screenshot from Time Machine. If you know exactly when you made your mistake you can select the date and time in the right-hand column, then select the folder that you want to restore in the main window, and click restore at the bottom of the screen.
If you're not sure exactly when things went wrong you drill down inside the media folder and look for a backup that includes an item you want to recover. When I clicked restore in the image above I got this prompt.
Which suggests that perhaps TM restores the object in the right most column rather than what is highlighted. Once you have the correct date and time you may need to browse back up to the Music folder and select iTunes so that is the iTunes folder that will be restored. Looking closely I see you can also right/option-click on the folder you want to restore to make sure you get exactly the right thing.
This should restore the entire selected folder to state it was at the time of the backup. If you restore the iTunes folder you should get the deleted files and the database that still had entires for them. You will likely lose any content recently added to the library, both database entries and the files themselves. The files should be recoverable from your more recent TM entries, but it that case you only restore specific files and folders and then add them to the library. You could also choose to be more selective from the outset. Which approach is more efficient will depend on exactly what has happened to the library.
tt2
The images were made in Windows. The same process works on a Mac. It is aimed at restoring an earlier version of the database, and can help if the database has been damaged in some way, but you still have all of the media. If you have a working Time Machine backup then even if you deleted media files in error you should be able to recover the last version of the database from before your mistake and all of the media files that were deleted from Time Machine rather than using the advice in my user tip. I haven't ever used it in anger myself but from what I can tell you simply need to enter time machine, locate a backup that contains one of the deleted files, browse around to make sure that it has all that you want, then go back up to the iTunes folder and click restore.
tt2
I enter TM using the small clock icon in the menu bar. When I click on it there is a drop down list and one of the options is Enter Time Machine.
If I have existing folders open in Finder TM opens with a view of the top most one, otherwise it shows me the Desktop.
tt2
Here is an Apple document on using Time Machine. Use Time Machine to back up or restore your Mac - Apple Support
This page from a former helper here give you some pointers: http://pondini.org/TM/15.html
If the data is backed up in TM then it must be possible to get it out again. Looking at your first post shows OS X 10.5.4 so I take it you're running Leopard. That probably explains the differences in the display of TM.
tt2
How many files?
How recently?
What was the source of the files?
Do you make backups and do you have a backup from before you lost the files?
Did you lose the actual media files or did you only delete the references to them in iTunes?
Dozens.
A month ago.
No idea what you are talking about.
Backups done if Time Machine did its job.
And again, I have no idea what you are talking about here. They were music files.
But none of this answers my initial question of how do I restore a previous library. This has GOT to be simple and pretty routine. I can't be the first one in history to delete songs and want to get them back. But you'd never know it based on the complete lack of information available online anywhere, especially here on iTunes. That's been my experience and frustration so far.
Thanks for your reply.
You lost me.
Browse around for the missing files and then click restore? Click what?
When I disconnect the hard drive holding all my TM backups, will the connections stick on my MBP? Do I have to drag something over to iTunes on my MBP?
Thanks again, but this is missing steps.
I try to navigate to a date I know has a good iTunes (the version I want) but there is no option to restore or anything else.
Still not understanding you somehow.
I have El Cap on a Mac mini. The hardware shouldn't matter so much as the OS version. I'm not aware that there should be a particular difference but perhaps others reading know different. Maybe TM knows there isn't enough room to restore the entire iTunes folder from this date or has some similar reason for blocking a restore? 😕 Any clues if you right click on the folder? Can you at least try restoring something that you've lost to test the way that TM works?
tt2
I need to start over, I think.
Nothing you say makes any sense or doesn't show up like you say.
I can't go into TM and select ANYTHING. All I can do is cancel. Really starting to question if TM isn't just a scam to get me to call their tech support.
Appreciate your effort, but is there not something simpler out there? What good does it do anybody to use TM if you can't get anything back out of it? I am very confused and frustrated at this.
Don't know where data about my mac comes from, but I am on Yosemite 10.10.something.
When I try to enter TM, I navigate to the external drive I use for TM backups, the option to select that drive grays out. How do I restore ANYTHING if I can't get to the drive with all my backups on it?
Don't know where data about my mac came from, but I am on Yosemite 10.10.something.
When I try to enter TM, I navigate to the external drive I use for TM backups, the option to select that drive grays out. How do I restore ANYTHING if I can't get to the drive with all my backups on it?
How the **** do I get into TM? What is the Big Secret? I am not able to navigate squat in TM. And I can only access stuff from TM by going into the drive where all the TM backups are. Why is this? I don't see any other instructions for getting into TM.
I know I am not gifted when it comes to this sort of tech, but gdi all, I DO know a little something and this is one truly screwed up system to be this complicated.
Thanks again for your help, but once again what you say is simply not happening in reality here.
All I could access/select was the circular iTunes icon. I clicked restore and nothing changed. Missing songs still missing. Has no one seriously ever tried to recover a previous version of an iTunes library before? Not knocking your assistance, but why isn't there something official from Apple posted anywhere in the universe??? This is frustrating.
When you have Time Machine open you not see the Cancel and Restore buttons below the file browsing window as shown in my post above? Restore should be what you want.
tt2
I want to revert to a previous version of my iTunes library. What are the steps for that?
