Recover iTunes Library

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Recover iTunes Library

I deleted my iTunes library yesterday, and want to get it back in its entirety (exactly how I had it with my artwork changes, adding lyrics, etc.) -- I have been using Time Machine for a year now, and used my last Time Machine backup to restore my iTunes. After restoring the library, none of the tracks were able to play. Exclamation points are next to every song, and a pop-up occurs saying that "The song '(insert track name here)' could not be used because the original file could not be found. Would you like to locate it?" I click "locate", but it just takes me to the original song folders, and doesn't do anything.

Long story short, all my music IS there -- but I do not know how to play it, or where to exactly find it. I have gone to iTunes -> Preferences -> Advanced settings, and changed the location and all that (several times), but I STILL can't get any of my music to play... please help!

MacBook Pro, OS X Yosemite (10.10.5)

Posted on Sep 12, 2016 11:18 PM

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Answer 1

Sep 13, 2016 8:13 AM in response to Monkman11

It is not clear to me what exactly you deleted when you say you deleted your library, and also what you restored. For some purposes a "library" is the entire iTunes folder, for others it is the "iTunes Library.itl" file.

When you locate a track you need to guide iTunes to the exact file associated with that listing which means working your way down the folder structure to a single file you want iTunes to play when you click on that track. Changing media folder location in preferences does not get iTunes to re-inventory old media added, it only tells iTunes where to store any media you add from that point on. If you are using default preferences settings for iTunes and you find a single file correctly, iTunes should offer to try to find others based upon how it would store media and the hint you give it with finding that single file.

Some of these links may be of use, though without knowing exactly what you did I can't say for sure:

ASC user turingtest2 help document: Empty/corrupt iTunes library after upgrade/crash - https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-6561

If you don't see your content after updating iTunes - https://support.apple.com/kb/HT203225

06/2014 ChrisCA post: Restore iTunes library from Time Machine backup - https://discussions.apple.com/thread/6374283?answerId=26104480022#26104480022 Useful tips where restoring to a new drive: http://pondini.org/TM/B6.html --> https://web.archive.org/web/20150511032110/http://pondini.org/OSX/Home.html and https://discussions.apple.com/thread/6811322?answerId=27599985022#27599985022 Make sure you go back far enough for the version you want. If Time Machine just backed up the "latest" version may be one you do not want.

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