External hard drive has died, can I restore iTunes library to new drive?

The external hard drive containing my 120GB library has died, but I have iTunes Match and all my music on my iPod. Is there any way to redownload, move, or restore my library to a new hard drive without having to re-import my library into iTunes?
Thanks!

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Can I restore iTunes library by help of iPod?

Hi,
I had iTunes library on a stationary computer which had a hard crash. Had the library synked to my iPod touch. Can I restore iTunes library to a new computer by help of the iPod? How?
Best regards,
Lovisa in Sweden

It has always been very basic to always maintain a backup copy of your computer.
Have you failed to do this?

My old pc broke, is there any way i can transfer my itunes library to new laptop

my old pc broke, is there any way i can transfer my itunes library to new laptop

It has always been very basic to always maintain a backup copy of your computer for just such an occasion. Use your backup copy to put everything on the new computer.
If for some reason you have failed to backup, then you can redownload itunes purchases in some countries:
Downloading past purchases from the App Store, iBookstore, and iTunes Store

Can't restore itunes library from external hard drive

Prior to my hard drive crashing, I dragged my entire itunes folder (with all sub folders) to a firelite external hard drive. I replaced the power book HD, and I want to put my backed up library on the new HD. I dragged the folder from the firelite to the music folder (in place of the itunes folder that was already there). Unfortunately, the itunes library is still empty. Am I missing something?

Yes, the relative location is the same, the user account has the same short and long lame as before.
I did try to use the preferences to point to the backed up itunes folder. Once when it was on the eHD and once when I put it in the music folder. Unfortunatley no luck.
I will try your idea about using "Consolidate Library"
One other interesting thing I tried a few days ago was to follow the procedure outlined in the apple support section about restoring the library. It has you move the libray xml file to the desk top, trashing one of the other files (I forgot which) and then choosing the xml file placed on the desk top upon starting itunes. I thought it was kind of odd to select the very xml file I was having trouble with so I chose the backed up xml file. It put all of the playlist folders back in duplicate, but the library was still empty (probably becuase the xml file is just a reference file and I hadn't loaded any actual music files) If the consolidate doesn't work, mabye I'll try that again, but also put the folder with the actual files on the computer as well
I'll let you know how "Consolidate" works, thanks for your suggestions!

Computer Hard Drive Failure - How can I copy itunes library to new pc/ipod?

Hi
My old desktop pc hard drive recently crashed due to a critical error so I have invested in a new pc and am considering purchasing a more up to date ipod to replace my old ipod mini. Is there are way I can access, retrieve or transfer my existing itunes library of imported cd / downloaded (purchased) music from my old pc (e.g. from the ipod mini itself or by loading my original software disc on the new pc?) to my new pc / ipod or do I have to start again from scratch and lose purchased tunes etc? If so, Apple may lose a customer, which would be a shame.
Many thanks for your help.
Mike

1). Connect your iPod to your new computer. If it is set to update automatically you'll get a message that it is linked to a different library and asking if you want to link to this one and replace all your songs etc, press "Cancel". Pressing "Erase and Sync" will irretrievably remove all the songs from your iPod.
2). When your iPod appears in the iTunes source list change the update setting to manual, that will let you use your iPod without the risk of accidentally erasing it. Check the "manually manage music and videos" box in Summary then press the Apply button. Also when using most of the utilities listed below your iPod needs to be enabled for disc use, changing to manual update will do this by default: Managing content manually on iPod and iPhone
3). Once you are safely connected there are a few things you can do to restore your iTunes from the iPod. There are a number of third party utilities that you can use to retrieve the music files and playlists from your iPod. You'll find that they have varying degrees of functionality and some will transfer movies, videos, photos, podcasts and games as well. Have a look at the web pages and documentation, this is just a small selection of what's available, they are generally quite straightforward. You can read reviews and comparisons of some of them here:
Wired News - Rescue Your Stranded Tunes
Comparison of iPod managers
TuneJack Windows Only (iPhone and iPod Touch compatible)
SharePod Windows Only (iPhone and iPod Touch compatible)
iPod2PC Windows Only
iDump Windows Only
iPodRip Mac & Windows
YamiPod Mac and Windows
iPod Music Liberator Mac & Windows
Floola Mac & Windows
Music Rescue Mac & Windows (iPhone and iPod Touch compatible)
iGadget Mac & Windows (iPhone and iPod Touch compatible)
iRepo Mac & Windows (iPhone and iPod Touch compatible)
iPod Access Mac & Windows (iPhone and iPod Touch compatible)
TouchCopy Mac & Windows (iPhone and iPod Touch compatible)
If you have any iTunes Music Store purchases the transfer of purchased content only from the iPod to authorised computers was introduced with iTunes 7. You'll find details in this article: Copying iTunes Store purchases from your iPod or iPhone to a computer
There's also a manual method of copying songs from your iPod to a Mac or PC. The procedure is a bit involved and won't recover playlists but if you're interested it's available on page 2 at this link: Copying Content from your iPod to your Computer - The Definitive Guide
4). Whichever of these retrieval methods you choose, keep your iPod in manual mode until you have reloaded your iTunes and you are happy with your playlists etc then it will be safe to return it auto-sync.
5). I would also advise that you get yourself an external hard drive and back your stuff up, relying on an iPod as your sole backup is not a good idea and external drives are comparatively inexpensive these days, you can get loads of storage for a reasonable outlay: Back up your iTunes library by copying to an external hard drive

Can't access itunes library on new computer???

We recently purchased a new Mac computer. Prior to this all of our music for Itunes was stored on our external hard drive. Now...when we put the external hard drive on the new computer..we cannot access any of the libraries on itunes. If you plug in a device all of the music/apps etc show up, but when you just open the computer up and click on itunes...we have nothing in the library.
So confused on what to do...does anyone know?

See this migrate iTunes library post or Recover your iTunes library from your iPod or iOS device.
tt2

Possible corrupt music file on back up disc - can't restore iTunes library!

Sold old laptop last week in prep for getting new PC, backed up iTunes library onto DVD disc (whole library went on 4.7GB disc with no problems) - got new PC yesterday, downloaded iTunes 9, inserted back up disc, tried to restore but keeps getting stuck on one song and going no further. Can anyone help with any other suggestions because I'm going nuts! Can't update my iPhone as there's nothing in iTunes to update it with!

Yes, the relative location is the same, the user account has the same short and long lame as before.
I did try to use the preferences to point to the backed up itunes folder. Once when it was on the eHD and once when I put it in the music folder. Unfortunatley no luck.
I will try your idea about using "Consolidate Library"
One other interesting thing I tried a few days ago was to follow the procedure outlined in the apple support section about restoring the library. It has you move the libray xml file to the desk top, trashing one of the other files (I forgot which) and then choosing the xml file placed on the desk top upon starting itunes. I thought it was kind of odd to select the very xml file I was having trouble with so I chose the backed up xml file. It put all of the playlist folders back in duplicate, but the library was still empty (probably becuase the xml file is just a reference file and I hadn't loaded any actual music files) If the consolidate doesn't work, mabye I'll try that again, but also put the folder with the actual files on the computer as well
I'll let you know how "Consolidate" works, thanks for your suggestions!

Can I restore iTunes Library from Ipad

Lost my Windows hard drive with iTunes Library. Can Library be retored from iPad or iPod on a new installation of iTunes?

Did you fail to maintain a backup copy of your computer?

Can I restore iTunes library from Apple TV?

My iMac harddrive has crashed and is unrecoverable. I have Apple TV, and have synched my iTunes library between the 2 devices. Is it possible to restore my iTunes library from my Apple TV to my new iMac harddrive?

JAC536 wrote:
Is it possible to restore my iTunes library from my Apple TV to my new iMac harddrive?
sorry, but no. see this user tip.
there are unsupported hacks that may allow you to salvage your content, however, we are not allowed to discuss this here on the forum.
google is your friend ...
good luck !
JGG

My old computer died, can I transfer iTunes to my new computer without having to buy them again?

My old computer died and I hadn't backed up my iTunes. They are stuck on my old computer. I got a new computer. I've saved the receipts for the tunes I bought...can I reload iTunes program and then retreive my songs? Without buying then again?

First sign-in from iTunes menu STORE > Sign-in
After sgined in, go to same menu STORE > Authorize this computer
Then go to the iTunes Store and select "Purchased" from the Quick Links side bar on the right. Go through all the tabs to download again for free

Can I restore Itunes library from my IPOD?

I had to reload Windows and did not have my ITunes library compleatly backed up.
If I reinstall ITunes and connect my IPOD, will I be able to keep all the songs on the IPOD or will they be deleted with a sync action?

Try a forum search ( right side of this page).
This is asked and answered many times each day.
Zevoneer has a great explanation of the options.
Have you failed to maintain a backup?

Restoring Itunes library on new laptop from iphone 4

Hi, my old laptop broke without having made a backup. I now got a new Acer laptop and would like to transfer my tunes from my iphone onto my new itunes library. How do I do that?
Also, my phone does not ring when someone calls. It buzzes, the alarm works, it plays music through its speakers but just no ringtone.
Help please.

While roaminggnome is correct that you should have taken backups it may not be too late to save some of your media...
You should be able to:
Backup the device to the new installation
Transfer your purchases into a newly authorized library
Recover any other media using third party tools as suggested in this post from forum regular Zevoneer
Restore the device from the backup
This process should switch the association of the device to the new library, preserving the data and settings in your apps.
May also be prudent to attempt a backup to iCloud directly from the device before you start... Settings > iCloud > Storage & Backup > iCloud Backup > On. It won't save any media but it would preserve the general account settings and documents in case anything goes wrong while you are trying to extract your other data.
When you get it all fixed, make a backup!
tt2

IPhoto Library Missing - can't restore old library to new iPhoto

I always, always back up on Time Machine - all the time.
iPhoto 9.23 was non responsive and I backed up to TM again.
I couldn't restore or update iPhoto 9.23 so I uninstalled it, and installed iPhoto 11.
Trying to locate my iPhoto library is a nightmare.
I've downloaded iPhoto Library Manager, but can't find anything.
Are my pictures somewhere on Time Machine or did I loose it completely?
Please assist as I am out of options!

Sorry but what is the actual problem?
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4927
has details on how to restore an iPhoto Library from Time Machine.

Restoring itunes library to new mac

I used Time Machine to back up everything from my 2008 MacBook to an external drive (via USB). When I restored the info to my New MAcBook Pro, all files are restored, except for the music library in iTunes and photos in iPhoto. I can't find an explicit restore function under Time Machine that navigates one to selectively restore specific items. I am stuck and not sure how to proceed. can anyone help?

Hey JPXMAC,
The following document is a step-by-step guide on how to restore specific items back up with Time Machine. I'd give it a read and see if following those instructions help you restore your songs and pictures:
OS X Mountain Lion: Restore items backed up with Time Machine
http://support.apple.com/kb/PH11103
Cheers,
David

External Hard Drive Died -- Full Library on iPod -- How can I get on iTunes

My external hard drive recently died and I do not have my music backed up. All 3,600 of my music tracks are on my iPod, but I am afraid to sync my iPod up to my computer and add anything new for fear that it will erase all of my iPod trackes because it can't find them on my computer.
What are my options? Is there a way to turn off auto-sync before it erases my tracks? Could I hook it up to another computer?
I thought that I've had lost tracks before (tracks with an exclamation point next to them in iTunes) and I DID NOT lose them off my iPod when syncing, but I'm afraid to take the chance. As a result, I'm a prisoner and unable to add new music to my iPod.

If your iPod is set to update automatically you need to take care connecting to an empty iTunes. You can use a keyboard command to prevent your iPod auto-syncing with iTunes. While connecting the iPod to the computer on Windows with iTunes 7.3 or later installed hold down the Shift + Ctrl keys together. This will stop the iPod from auto-syncing with iTunes and the iPod will appear in the source list. Wait until you are sure the iPod has mounted, and that it will not auto sync and then you can let the keys go. This may take between 20 to 30 seconds depending on your computer: iTunes - Keyboard Shortcuts for Windows
When your iPod appears in the iTunes source list change the update setting to manual, that way you can continue to use your iPod without the risk of accidentally erasing it. Also when using most of the utilities listed below your iPod needs to be enabled for disc use, changing to manual update will do this by default: Managing content manually on iPod
Once you are safely connected there are a few things you can do to restore your iTunes from the iPod. The transfer of content sources such as songs imported from CD is designed by default to be one way from iTunes to iPod. However there are a number of third party utilities that you can use to retrieve the music files and playlists from your iPod. You'll find that they have varying degrees of functionality and some will transfer movies, videos, photos, podcasts and games as well. Have a look at the web pages and documentation, this is just a small selection of what's available, they are generally quite straightforward. You can read reviews and comparisons of some of them here:
Wired News - Rescue Your Stranded Tunes
Comparison of iPod managers
TuneJack Windows Only (iPhone and iPod Touch compatible)
iPod2PC Windows Only
iDump Windows Only
SharePod Windows Only
iPodRip Mac & Windows
YamiPod Mac and Windows
Music Rescue Mac & Windows
iPodCopy Mac and Windows
iGadget Mac & Windows (iPhone and iPod Touch compatible)
iRepo Mac & Windows (iPhone and iPod Touch compatible)
iPod Access Mac & Windows (iPhone and iPod Touch compatible)
If you have any iTunes Music Store purchases the transfer of purchased content from the iPod to authorised computers was introduced with iTunes 7. You'll find details in this article: Copying iTunes Store purchases from your iPod or iPhone to a computer
There's also a manual method of copying songs from your iPod to a Mac or PC. The procedure is a bit involved and won't recover playlists but if you're interested it's available on page 2 at this link: Copying Content from your iPod to your Computer - The Definitive Guide
Whichever of these retrieval methods you choose, keep your iPod in manual mode until you have reloaded your iTunes and you are happy with your playlists etc then it will be safe to return it auto-sync.

External hard drive has died, can I restore iTunes library to new drive?

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