Back-Up Library...including ratings.

As it always does when I plug in my iPod to charge it iTunes automatically opens. What has changed however is that THREE times in the last month when iTunes has opened my library has been completely non-existent. Though my four thousand plus files can still be found on my hard drive they cannot be found on iTunes. Worse yet, ALL of my ratings disappear as well! An acquaintance told me that I can back-up just the database files for iTunes in the event that this happens again. He said that should it happen again, I can move the files back to the iTunes folder and everything including my ratings would be restored. I have not yet had an opportunity to try this as I just got this information. However, does anybody know if this would actually work? Furthermore, why does my library keep disappearing? Please help!

Empty/corrupt library after upgrade/crash
Hopefully it's not been too long since you last upgraded iTunes, in fact if you get an empty/incomplete library immediately after upgrading then with the following steps you shouldn't lose a thing or need to do any further housekeeping. In the Previous iTunes Libraries folder should be a number of dated iTunes Library files. Take the most recent of these and copy it into the iTunes folder. Rename iTunes Library.itl as iTunes Library (Corrupt).itl and then rename the restored file as iTunes Library.itl. Start iTunes. Should all be good, bar any recent additions to or deletions from your library.
See iTunes Folder Watch for a tool to catch up with any changes since the backup file was created.
When you get it all working make a backup!
You should be able to go back to the last backup before recent events, recover that version of the library with all your ratings, bring it up to date with any changes, then back up for the future. Good luck.
tt2

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Backing up library (including ratings and playlists)

i know the directions are on apple's website and also ilounge but i dont understand them... could someone please explain to me how to backup my music including playlists and ratings.

Empty/corrupt library after upgrade/crash
Hopefully it's not been too long since you last upgraded iTunes, in fact if you get an empty/incomplete library immediately after upgrading then with the following steps you shouldn't lose a thing or need to do any further housekeeping. In the Previous iTunes Libraries folder should be a number of dated iTunes Library files. Take the most recent of these and copy it into the iTunes folder. Rename iTunes Library.itl as iTunes Library (Corrupt).itl and then rename the restored file as iTunes Library.itl. Start iTunes. Should all be good, bar any recent additions to or deletions from your library.
See iTunes Folder Watch for a tool to catch up with any changes since the backup file was created.
When you get it all working make a backup!
You should be able to go back to the last backup before recent events, recover that version of the library with all your ratings, bring it up to date with any changes, then back up for the future. Good luck.
tt2

I have used the same laptop for all three of my iPhones but awhile back this laptop had a virus so my husband wiped it out and now when I sync my iPhone I no longer get my entire music library ( including purchased songs) on my iPhone. How do I fix this?

I have always used the same laptop for all of my iPhones but awhile back this laptop had a virus so my husband wiped out the laptop and now when I sync my iPhone I no longer receive my entire music library (including purchased songs) on my iPhone. How do I fix this?

kimberlyfromtopeka wrote:
Ok,thanks but, I should be able to something so that I am able to sync the entire library again not just the purchased songs.
If the non purchased music is not on your computer, how can it Sync to your iPhone...

Backing up iPhoto Library, including "PROJECTS"

Hello -
I have a problem with iChat, and Apple says I should back-up and reload from system discs (this question is about iPhoto...please read on...)
I have an extensive iPhoto "project", which is a book that is approx. 80 pages (photos and written text / layout). I don't want to lose this.
Is there a way to back up my iPhoto library, including this "Project - book"?
Once the standard iPhoto is reloaded, I want to be able to re-import this library / project.
Please help, otherwise I have a lot of work ahead of me...
Thanks,
Mark

TIP: For insurance against the iPhoto database corruption that many users have experienced I recommend making a backup copy of the Library6.iPhoto (iPhoto.Library for iPhoto 5 and earlier) database file and keep it current. If problems crop up where iPhoto suddenly can't see any photos or thinks there are no photos in the library, replacing the working Library6.iPhoto file with the backup will often get the library back. By keeping it current I mean backup after each import and/or any serious editing or work on books, slideshows, calendars, cards, etc. That insures that if a problem pops up and you do need to replace the database file, you'll retain all those efforts. It doesn't take long to make the backup and it's good insurance.
I've created an Automator workflow application (requires Tiger or later), iPhoto dB File Backup, that will copy the selected Library6.iPhoto file from your iPhoto Library folder to the Pictures folder, replacing any previous version of it. It's compatible with iPhoto 6 and 7 libraries and Tiger and Leopard. iPhoto does not have to be closed to run the application, just idle. You can download it at Toad's Cellar. Be sure to read the Read Me pdf file.

Every movie purchase through iTunes fails to transfer to my iPhone or iPad and the message I get is this: some of the items in the itunes library, including were not copied to the ipad because you are not authorized for them on this computer... help?

For a couple months now, every movie purchase through iTunes fails to transfer to my iPhone or iPad giving me the error: "some of the items in the iTunes library, including were not copied to the iPad because you are not authorized for them on this computer". I have read many forums about deleting, reinstalling, de-authorizing and authorizing my iMac through the iTunes store. Many suggestions don't work except to rename the movie to *.MP4 in Finder under the iTunes movie directory. I imagine this is a setting or a bug somewhere... any suggestions on how to bypass having to rename the files in Finder? My research into Google suggests this problem dates back to 2007 or so but it is now more prevalent than ever.
Thanks.

Try:
iTunes repeatedly prompts to authorize computer to play iTunes Store purchases

Error coming up states " warning some of the videos in your iTunes library including video "Dora" were copied to the iPad "ellen's iPad " because they cannot be played on this

I purchased tv shows for my son over 4th of July weekend from iTunes on my iPad...he has been watching with no problem...yesterday I backed up my iPad and the videos were taken off while I was syncing it. Error coming up states " warning some of the videos in your iTunes library including video "Dora" were not copied to the iPad "ellen's iPad " because they cannot be played on this iPad was not copied because the video format is not supported by the iPad.....makes no sense since he watched the video on Friday on my iPad...I went into the properties of the video and under the summary tab states kind of video is mpeg-4video file...went into the folder on my pc and the file is listed as a m4v file...under the tab tv shows when my iPad is connected I have it checked to sync tv shows and to automatically include "all" episodes of "all shows" ....
I am using version 4.3.4 on my iPad and iTunes version 10.4 ...I even restored back to the original settings and still did not work....called apple twice yesterday and spoke to 2 different people and no one could help me.....I am able to load a movie from my pc to my iPad with no problem and the movie is a mpeg-4video file....totally clueless...

I kept having a similar problem - 3 out of the 10 videos I had on iTunes wouldn't sync. They were in the right format and I KNEW they worked on my iPod because I'd RECORDED them on my iPod. I finally figured out what to do! Go to the movies in your iTunes library. Click on one that does not sync. Click on "Advanced" at the top of iTunes and choose "Create iPod or iPhone version". Once that's finished, be sure you delete the old version so you don't keep getting the error (or have 2 copies of the same video) and sync. This should eliminate the problem. At least it did for me!

Some of the videos in your iTunes library, including the video "Video 1"...

"Some of the videos in your iTunes library, including the video "Video 1" were not copied to the iPod because they cannot be played on this iPod."
Never had this problem before. I just updated iTunes and there was no change. All videos are in .mov format. I've tried .mp4 as well with no change.
I've deleted them from the library and tried putting them back in several times. Anyone have any help for me?

Hi!
I've been following the 5G iPod threads and playing around with video files for the past week while waiting for the iPod to arrive. It's now here. I somehow managed to rip a full-length DVD, demux the AC3 audio and convert it to AAC, put the movie back together, and load it into the iPod (don't ask... I don't think I could explain it...). However, the slideshow (with music) I made in iMovie (with input only from iPhoto and iTunes) which I "shared" to QuickTime (pro) using the expert settings and the default option to convert for iPod failed to load to the iPod!
Hmmm... strange that using five, third-party programs/hacks got me a full length feature film, but my Apple programs with built-in support used in the default mode for iPod failed to convert a simple three-minute iMovie slideshow. I tried two of them, neither worked...
Gary

New Mac, external music library: "Some of the items in the itunes library, including ..., were not copied because they could not be found"

New Mac Mini with Lion, external disk music library, redirected new iTunes to point to external disk, most songs are fine ( 90% )
But...
"Some of the items in the itunes library, including ..., were not copied because they could not be found" to my iPhone 4.
Out of 4,800 songs, I have over 400 now which have "!" next to them in iTunes listing, but play just fine in iTunes.
After playing them, the "!" goes away. Is there a way to fix all of these at once?
Note: If I could sort all of these in the list, to the top etc, then I could "down arrow, hit return" fast over and over... Any way to sort missing items to the top? Any way to get missing items all in one place, e.g. playlist?

Well, I went through and cleared all the !'s by just double-clicking on the songs. Took a while but worked okay...
Until...
I logged out and back in. Now all the !'s are back, even though the songs still play fine.
Perhaps this has to do with an external disk coming online a bit later than iTunes would like?

Backing up library - just metadata?

Is there any way to back up my library, including song metadata (especially play counts) without backing up every single song onto disc? I may need to reformat my computer in the near future, but I keep all of my songs on an external hard drive, so they're not going anywhere. Can this be done in a fashion that will allow me to reimport all of the metadata when I reinstall iTunes after the reformat?
(Play counts are most important to me because that's how I keep track of which songs I still haven't listened to.)

I'm not backing up the music at all, though--it's already on the EHD and always has been (I reserve my internal hard drive for other things). If I save copies of just the .xml and .itl files and then recopy them back to the iTunes folder once I reformat the computer and reinstall everything, will it work out?
(Similarly, can I just copy the two files onto my other computer, as well?)

Consolidate multiple libraries including ratings, playlists ...e.t.c ????

hi all,
i got crazy. i have started for a long time ago with several installations on different computers with itunes. (i know, bad decision)
i would like to consolidate all libraries into a new one including ratings, infos, playlists e.t.c
i don`t know how to do that, have anybody any idea ?
cheers
apathic

I have never tried this, but in theory it should work:
If you want to move all of the music files to one hard disk and combine all the library files into one, try this:
1. Connect your external drive to computer A, and change your music folder location (iTunes prefs > Advanced > General) to be a folder on you external drive.
2. Choose Consolidate Library from the Advanced menu. This will copy all your music files (but not ratings and playlists, that is the next part) to the external drive.
3. Once the copy has finished, choose Export Library from the File menu, and export the library file to the external drive.
4. Now connect the external drive to computer B.
5. Choose Import from the File menu in iTunes and point it to the library file on the external drive.
Does that work?

Help! Can't back up library to disc

My computer has cooties, so I plan to reformat and start over. The only things I'm afraid of losing are a few pictures and my iTunes library (about 10 gigs).
When I try to back up library to CD-R, everything works until I see "Burning Disc...finishing". Then it just stops. No prompt to insert another disc, no nothing. It does the same when I burn an audio disc, but when I eject the disc (despite warnings) it plays fine. But to back up, I need to insert like 16 CD-R's. Any suggestions?

Update: Success! I used my iPod as an external hard drive following these instructions:
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1329?viewlocale=en_US
After I reformatted I reinstalled my old iTunes 6 and dragged the folder back to My Music. At first, iTunes wuldn't sync a couple hundred songs to my iPod because I wasn't "authorized" so I had to enter my Apple ID and password. Downloaded latest software for Itunes and iPod and all is good.
Investing in an external hard drive still sounds like a good idea, since this was my first reformat and it was a bit nerve-wracking.

Can t back up library to disc. error 2131 . whats wrong ?

Hi , Can anyone help me back up library to disc. error 2131 keeps appearing.

Update: Success! I used my iPod as an external hard drive following these instructions:
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1329?viewlocale=en_US
After I reformatted I reinstalled my old iTunes 6 and dragged the folder back to My Music. At first, iTunes wuldn't sync a couple hundred songs to my iPod because I wasn't "authorized" so I had to enter my Apple ID and password. Downloaded latest software for Itunes and iPod and all is good.
Investing in an external hard drive still sounds like a good idea, since this was my first reformat and it was a bit nerve-wracking.

In Lion the command to back up library to disc has been removed? How do I do this now?

In Lion the command to back up library to disc has been removed? How do I do this now? Apple Support has given me a case number and accelerated it with a call back in a few days, and even the techs were surprised by the removal of the ability to incrementally back up to any kind of disc any items added to the iTunes Library since it's last back up.
While this command was in all previous iterations of iTunes, even most of the techs are working from iTunes 10.3, the Lion version has this removed. Help only mentions Time Machine as the back up method. Sorry, I've had too many hard drives go bad, and not one DVD or CD has failed when I needed to retrieve a past purchase or addition of any kind to the iTunes library.
Purchasing from the iTunes store just got less viable, IMHO.

Dave-
Thanks for the feedback. Those nasty old deprecated features, eh? Seems you are correct that it will now be a third party solution.
I just finished chatting with Mike Bombich about using his Carbon Copy Cloner 3.4.1 ( http://www.bombich.com/index.html ) to do the job.
He gave me a rough outline of how to set it up for incremental back up of iTunes ~/Music/iTunes or
~/Music/iTunes Music. Creating filters ( http://help.bombich.com/kb/explore/excluding-files-and-folders-from-a-backup-tas k#creating ) tells how to create and save different tasks.
I'l check it out and report back shortly.

I've recently messed up my Mac OS X Lion by deleting Aperture, but I need to get my data out of the computer. And by the way, I've got an important project in Final Cut Pro X. Is there any way I can back it up (including fxs and positions of the clip) ?

Hello everyone
I've recently messed up my Mac OS X Lion by deleting Aperture, but I need to get my data out of the computer. I've tried to repair it using DU, but it said I needed to backup all my data and reinstall the OS. How do I backup my data to an external drive?
And by the way, I've got an important project in Final Cut Pro X. Is there any way I can back it up (including fxs and positions of the clip) ?
Hope you guys can help me!

You need to back up 2 folders, Final Cut Events and Final Cut Projects which by default are located on your Movies Folder. You can always check by clicking on a clip inside Fianl Cut X and selecting Show in Finder in the contextual menu for the selected clip.

Does iTunes back up everything including photos, contacts, messages and music etc? I have an iPod touch (4th gen).

Does iTunes back up everything including photos, contacts, messages and music etc? I have an iPod touch (4th gen).

See the what is backed up topic of:
iTunes: About iOS backups

Cant back up library to disc

im trying to back up my entire library to disc so i bought a bunch of CD-Rs and DVD+Rs, and neither way works. when i use the DVD+R to back the library up, it gets halfway through the first disc and i get an error message and it tells me it cant back it up. then when i tried the CD-R (brand new ones), i insert the first disc and it tells me that it's not blank... i know it can fit on 3 of the DVD+Rs, and i like that way better anyway because it can fit easier on the dvd's, and it starts to back up about half of the first disc on the dvd, but then out of nowhere it says there's a problem...
any help is appreciated

Thank goodness, I thought it was only me. When I tried to backup my new purchases it comes up with unknown error 1951, when I try to back up my entire library it pops each disc out saying insert blank disc. I even bought a brand new pack of discs. anyone have any ideas out there???
Windows XP

Back-Up Library...including ratings.

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