what folder can i find the itunes library.itl?

ggivensjr wrote:

So the "iTunes library.itl" file is in the top level iTunes folder not in the iTunes Media folder?

Yes.

Will iTunes allow the iTunes folder to be stored on Microsoft OneDrive which is a cloud folder?

I haven't tested it personally, but I wouldn't have thought so. See Make a split library portable for some background on the layout of the library and advice on manipulating it. Every action in iTunes causes the .itl file to be updated, and any other process that tries to attach to the file while it is changing runs the risk of tripping things up. A number of AV packages have been known to cause problems for example. Whatever you do make sure you have a solid backup of the library before trying anything novel.

tt2

What exactly are the issues? iTunes isn't designed to work with third party cloud sharing platforms like One Drive or Dropbox, or with NAS storage. While it may work for some, for some of the time, there is the potential for things to go wrong.

Your NAS may be looking for the XML file which is generated optionally alongside the ITL. Check under Edit > Preferences > Advanced to see if Share iTunes Library XML is enabled.

Reinstalling iTunes won't fix issues with the library, but a clean install can fix certain issues with the application. See Troubleshooting issues with iTunes for Windows updates. You could consider reverting to a previous build if this one doesn't work the way you need it to.

tt2

Describe what you mean by "doesn't recognize"?

If the library is empty apart from your purchases you need to either copy/rename a backup of the database into the location where iTunes is currently looking for it - typically C:\Users\<User>\Music\iTunes\iTunes Library.itl - or actively tell iTunes to open a particular .itl file stored on a different path by holding down shift as you launch iTunes and then using the option to choose a library. Directly double-clicking on .itl files will open iTunes, but not necessarily the file clicked on. If you really cannot find a viable copy of your database or a .tmp file that holds it then you can rescanning the media folder with File > Add Folder to Library and select the media folder. This will import all of the media, but some may not be categorized correctly and you lose ratings, play counts, playlists, date added and other details.

tt2

I thought perhaps you might be getting an error message when iTunes started, which is distinct from not seeing the expected content.

The media folder preference tells iTunes where to store new media going forward. Changing it does not make iTunes discover what is in that folder nor refresh its contents.

The normal setting for the media folder is C:\Users\<User>\Music\iTunes\iTunes Media, not the Music folder within that.

Search the computer for files of the form *.itl and put the search results in detailed view. The largest file is most likely the one you want. If you don't see the .itl file extension in Windows Explorer then when you copy and rename the .itl file don't include the extension, or you'll be creating a file called iTunes Library.itl.itl which won't work.

tt2

It might be easier to focus on your other thread: Why did my music just disappear from iTunes library?

tt2

On my Mac it is located in /Music/iTunes/ and /Music/iTunes/iTunes/.

For Windows it is normally in C:\Users\<User>\Music\iTunes where <User> is your Windows user name.

tt2

Go to \Users\username\Music\iTunes\ or the folder containing the iTunes media. If it's not there, search the computer for files with the itl extension.

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