Existing iTunes Library re-written as an empty library

Occasionally (no pattern that I can discover), my library is overwritten with an empty one. I have multiple libraries to keep my content seperate and not bog down one library with my content, so I am aware of how to select one of my libraries specifically. Each has a unique name. Every so often, my main music library (most frequently used) will show up as an empty library with the main music library name- just empty content. I know that I can re-import my media content, but since all of my libraries access the same music folder, I get one massive library that takes me days to sort out and I have to rebuild all my old playlists. Does anyone know what can trigger this issue? I have read that Sony Vaio can have issues with iTunes, but the I have no Sony hardware- I do use Sony Vegas Pro 11.
I would love some help!
thanks

Looked at in the HD they're all showing as M4P. I'm sure it's the way the software is viewing the files, and not the files themselves. Itunes does offer to find the others, but then does a really crappy job of doing so - missing files in the same album in the same folder.
I've cracked the original file problem by pointing Itunes to the files by going through the MacHD route, so now I'm just wrestling with thousands of missing files that I know are sitting right next to the files that aren't missing!
I might just resign myself to ploughing through and fixing it, sorting the patchy artwork at the same time. If I do a purge at the same time I can convince myself that I'm not wasting my life!

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I want install an old version of itune since the new version does not sync with my iPhone but the old version I installed did not play rather it says that it can't read a file itune library .itl written by Newer version what do Ido

I install an old version of itune since the new version does not sync with my iPhone but the old version I installed did not play rather it says that it can't read a file 'itune library .itl' written by Newer version of itune how do I installed this old version to work

You need to restore the pre-upgrade backup of the library file in the manner shown in Empty/corrupt library after upgrade/crash.
tt2

How can I use an existing iTunes library with a new iTunes account

My daughter is going to college, and wants to untangle herself from the family iTunes account. Right now, we have three iPods with libraries on three computers, all using my iTunes account - and have had no problems.
She has signed up for a new account, but her previously purchased songs (on my account) won't play on her computer (new computer, iTunes is currently almost empty library), because it is authorized to HER iTunes account.
What is the best way to import her iTunes library that was created using my account onto her new computer? (Old library is on a PC, she now has an iBook, purchased used on eBay.) Is there any way to get these songs to play using her new account info? Can I maybe copy them somewhere without the metadata and then move them into her library? I realize that would lose ratings and other info, but would it get rid of the block? I'm not trying to do anything dishonest - these are personal iPods, personal computers, all within one family, we've paid for all music on them.
Any advice is greatly appreciated!
(I posted this in the iTouch discussion, and then thought it wuold be better answered over here.)

Then can her computer be authorized to both accounts?
Absolutely. You can authorize any given computer to up to five iTunes Store accounts.
If purchases are made on her account, to a computer authorized to my account, can I put those songs on my iPod?
If you connect your iPod to her computer, yes. Tracks download only to the computer from which they're purchased, regardless of which iTunes Store account is used for the purchase. Or you could copy the tracks from her computer to yours and then authorize your computer to her iTunes Store account. But that's sort of defeating the original purpose, it would seem to me.
is it better to buy music through Amazon downloads and/or actually purchasing CDs to avoid the security features iTunes puts on its music?
That's certainly an option. If it's an entire album I want, I buy CDs. That way I can import them at the quality I want and to whichever of my systems I want. Amazon or one of the other download stores that offer tracks as MP3 are also an option, though for me download stores are best when you just want a couple of tracks off a given CD.

How do I transfer existing ipod playlists that includes my own CD songs from a former computer to a newly authorized computer that ONLY has the iTunes songs I purchased appearing in my library without losing my ipod FULL song lists?

Worried if I sync, I'll loose all the songs on existing ipod that don't appear in new library. I backed up my former FULL itunes library (purchased songs and my own CD's I burned into library) from old computer to an external hardrive so I have the music files. Is there a way I can load from external drive former itunes library directly into new itunes library? THANKS!!!

I just had to do this very thing. I'm sure there are other ways but IMO the easiest is to haven the old computer set up on the same network as the new computer then turn on home sharing on both computers and move the old library into the NEW computer. if the old computer is not available anymore you can plug in the external drive and go into itunes and under the file tab there is an option to add to library by file or folder I f your library is big this can be a tedious process. Good Lucl

I lost my ipod. Bought a used one to replace it. When I plug it into the computer, the computer doesn't even seem to realize it's plugged in. How do I put my existing itunes library onto the new (used) ipod?

How do I clear out a used ipod classic and put my existing itunes library on it? I lost my previous ipod and bought a used one to replace it.

Do one or more of the following
> Restart your computer
> Uninstall & Reinstall iTunes
> Reset iDevice (won't erase everything)
> Go to My Computer (windows xp) or Computer (windows vista & 7) and see if iDevice shows
> Restore the iDevice completely (will erase everything)
> Make sure the iTunes and/or iOS firmware is up-to-date.
The ones I cross over is the ones you don't have to do. This should help

How can I move an existing iTunes library from a Dell PC (which uses Windows Vista) to a MacBook Pro? I have tried to copy the library from the PC onto a memory stick but cannot move from the stick onto the MacBook Pro.

I have tried to copy my iTunes library from my old (2008) Dell PC to a 32 GB memory stick and then copy it from the stick to the iTunes library in the new MacBook Pro which I purchased recently from a reputable dealer which resells refurbished Macs, (lease returns, etc). The dealer was Computer Trends store in Saskatoon. They told me how to move my existing iTunes libary from the PC to the Mac but I cannot seem to achieve that objective. The Mac does not seem to recognize the memory stick. I thought the Mac would recognize that the memory stick held iTunes files and would then transfer them without prompting to its own iTunes libary. It did not do so. I have therefore tried to find the command sequence within iTunes (on the Mac) for moving the material from the memory stick to the iTunes library. Cannot find those commands. Does anybody know where to find such commands. I have to say, I am really disappointed that such a simple function would prove to be beyond my capabilities. I thought the Mac was supposed to be easier than a PC. !!! Oh well, I am hoping this forum will help !!!

iTunes: How to move [or copy] your music to a new computer [or another drive] - http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4527
Quick answer if you use iTunes default preferences settings: Copy the entire iTunes folder (and in doing so all its subfolders and files) intact to the other drive. Start iTunes with the option (shift on Windows) key held down and guide it to the new location of the library.
So, you can see your whole iTunes folder on the memory stick after copying from the PC?

Somehow my itunes started a new library and I lost my old library. Itunes will not allow me to sync new music to my ipod without deleting stored music from ipod. How can I start using this new library and sync the new music without losing existing music.

Somehow my Itunes started a new music library and I lost the old library. Itunes will not allow me to sync new music from my computer to my Ipod because it is now in a different library. Itunes wants to delete all my Ipod music before sync any new music. How do I work around this. I think this happened during Itunes Upates.

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!
Should you be in the unfortunate position where you are no longer able to access your original library, or a backup of it, then see Recover your iTunes library from your iPod or iOS device.
tt2

How do i transfer my existing itunes library from my imac to my usb memory stick

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assuming all your media files are in the default location, copy the entire iTunes folder (not just the iTunes music or media folder) from <MacintoshHD>/users/<yourname>/music to the USB stick.

How do I download my existing itunes music library to my new iphone 4S

How do I download my existing itunes music library to my new iphone 4S?

Open itunes, connect iphone, select what you want to sync, sync.
iPhone User Guide (For iOS 5.1 Software)

I am upgrading from a 2nd gen ipod touch to a 4th gen ipod touch. Will I have problems syncing my new ipod to my existing itunes library/account?

I am upgrading from a 2nd gen ipod touch to a 4th gen ipod touch. Will I have problems syncing my new ipod to my existing itunes library/account?

Don't know why you would.
You can sync as many ipods/iphones/ipads as you like.

Cannot Load Music using existing ITunes Library

I have an existing iTunes library on an external HD that I have updated/synched numerous times to my old iPod. I recently got a shuffle and when I try to add music, the external hard drive becomes disconnected and I am unable to add files to the shuffle using iTunes. I have tried copying the desired files to the harddrive and then dragging and dropping them onto the shuffle outside of iTunes but to no avail...nothing plays when I try this. Can anyone help?

This is the way the ipod works.
Your friends music does not belong to you. You have no legal right to it.
You need to restore the iphone as new, then sync it to your computer.

I would like to erase my ipod touch and then resync it with my existing itunes library, is this possible?

I have a ipod touch that has a different library on it from an old (no longer usable) computer. I have another itunes library on my laptop that is very similiar but not exactly the same as the one on the ipod. Can I erase the ipod and sync it to the existing itunes library on this computer?
And once I do that can I also load my itunes library from my ipod to my new mac??
thanks

You can restore (via iTunes on your computer) your iPod to factory defaults/new iPod and sync it to any library you want.
You can transfer iTunes purchases from an iPod to any computer w/iTunes by:
iTunes Store: Transferring purchases from your iPhone, iPad, or iPod to a computer
You can use one of the third-party programs discussion this previous discussion to transfer non-iTunes purchases to a computer:
Best iPod to PC

I can't get my new Macbook to allow me to sync and still keep my phones existing iTunes library. Even though it is the same account it doesn't seem to recognise that my Apple ID is the same

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If youre like me, I have so many Apple devices, I always move things over manually rather than remember what to sync and what not to sync........ There’s an option to UNCHECK sync on any device if that helps you in ITUNES.
On any device, like your phone, in ITUNES you can check the option for manual vs. automatically sync.

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I can't figure out why my music is not in the library after installing the new itunes can someone tell me how to get my music that was in my itunes library back on here please

Hi seagraves76,
It sounds like iTunes is opening an empty library, this can be caused by several different things. The good news is that usually your music is still on your computer, within the iTunes Media folder:
iTunes creates an empty library file in Windows
http://support.apple.com/kb/TS2715
If you do find a backup of your iTunes library, you can manually open it with iTunes by following the steps in this article:
iTunes: How to open an alternate iTunes Library file or create a new one
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1589
Thanks,
Matt M.

Computer crashed and need to synch my phone to new computer, how do i do so without itunes updating my phone to the empty itunes library?

Computer crashed and need to synch my phone to new computer, how do i do so without itunes updating my phone to the empty itunes library?

Launch iTunes on your new computer.
From the menu bar at the top of the screen click iTunes / Authorize This Computer.

Existing iTunes Library re-written as an empty library

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