How to recover iTunes library from Time Machine on external drive

Dear Forumers,
I was not able to solve this problem, hence I decided to open this discussion.
Recently, I clean installed Yosemite so my new Mac is completely empty.
I have my time machine backup on my eternal hard drive and would like to restore only specific things - such as iTunes library.
How do I do it?
I can locate the iTunes app in the backup file in the external drive but that is just the app - I still don't know how to recover my playlists and songs.
Moreover, I do not have those songs in the Mac - previously they were in a separate organised folder created by me (inside the "music" folder) and iTunes used it.
Does iTunes have a copied library of this all?
Or do I have to copy this folder into Mac and then manually reopen all the songs and sort them into playlists?
Any advice?
Thank you in advance.

See Pondini's TM FAQs, for details.

Similar Messages

  • How to restore iTunes Library from Time Machine on Mavericks?

    Please, can someone give me the instructions on how to restore iTunes Library from Time Machine on Mavericks?

    See Pondini's TM FAQs, for details.

  • New HDD - how to restore iTunes library from Time Machine

    Installed a new HDD in my MacBook Pro, would now like to restore my iTunes library on the computer.
    Searched & saw a post about "needing to use the Time Machine interface to restore the entire library".
    What is this interface they are referring to and how do I find it?
    I open Time Machine in preferences and see there is an "options" button, and you can add items to the restore window ... I'm hoping there is a document somewhere that details if this is the correct place to restore an iTunes library, if so, what files/directories need to be added for restore, etc...
    What's the process to restore an iTunes library from a Time Capsule backup?

    Please do not double-post.
    Answered in your other thread on this subject:  https://discussions.apple.com/message/17532046#17532046

  • Restore iphoto library from Time machine using external drive

    I keep my iPhoto library in an external drive (iomega 1 TB) I use Time Machine (Time Capsule) for my back-up of iphoto.  The external drive is failing.  I have bought an new external drive and wish to restore my iPhoto library to this new drive.  The steps for restoring from Time Machine require me to click on the iphoto library and then enter time machine.  I cannot do this as the folder is now unreadable in the drive and I do not wish to restore it to this old drive in any event. 
    I have accessed the time machine drive and can see the iphoto back up is there. 
    What is my next step?
    Robert

    See my answer to your duplicate question
    LN

  • How to move iTunes library from time machine backup to new user

    I recently pruchased a new imac and woiuld like to move my entire itunes and iphoto library to a new user I set up for the new computer. I used time machine to backup my old computer (a Macbook pro I purchased in 2007), but it just transferred the exact dektop I had on the laptop, and I cannot access any of my files from the new user. So at this point I need to start with transferring the two previously mentioned sets of files to the new user, and then I also need to know how to set my computer to default to the new user when it first boots up instead of it starting up with the time machine backed up user as it does now. Thanks!

    I forgot to mention the iMac is running snow leopard and macbook pro is Mountain Lion

  • How to restore itunes library from time machine

    I recently needed to replace the hard drive in my mac. I have an external hard drive that has been backing up to time machine.
    All documents and photos were retrieved. Itunes backed up files and plugins but I can't find any of the music, video's etc.
    Where are they located and how do I re-load into my Itunes library?
    Thanks!

    The default location for the iTunes media folder is
    Documents/iTunes/iTunes Media
    in your home folder. If that folder exists, set it as the location in iTunes preferences. If it doesn't exist, search for it by name in Spotlight.

  • How do I access my iphoto library on time machine backup external drive using Lion, originally saved from old computer and system

    how do I access my iphoto library on time machine backup external drive using Lion, originally saved off old computer and system.  It's not letting me open the folder???

    Once again here's how to restore an iPhoto Library from Time Machine:

  • I want to restore my iTunes Library from Time Machine

    I want to restore my iTunes Library from Time Machine, but when I enter the Time Machine, I don't know where to look for it. Can anyone help?
    Thanks,
    Paul

    Your iTunes Library is typically in…
    Your  home directory > Music > iTunes
    … and if you restore that entire folder it will revert your iTunes Library in total to the state it was as of the date and time you select in Time Machine.

  • ITunes Library from Time Machine Backup to Windows 7?!

    Hi everyone,
    Yeah, I'm switching over to a PC...
    Does anyone know how to put an iTunes library from a Time Machine backup to a PC (running Windows 7?)
    Thanks!

    When I tried to relaunch itunes holding down the option button and select my backed-up itunes folder from time machine
    Is this after you restored the iTunes folder from Time Machine? Or were you trying to select the iTunes folder on the Tme Machine drive to use as the iTunes library?
    Quit iTunes.
    Open Time Machine.
    Selct \Music\iTunes\ in Time Machine.
    Go back to when you want it restored from.
    Click on Restore.
    When it asks, select Replace.
    After it is finsihed copying, launch iTunes.

  • Restoring iTunes Library from Time Machine

    I messed up my iTunes library when I attempted to move it to the Shared folder so that my wife could access my music on her account. Now when I load up iTunes, none of my media (songs, videos, podcasts) are there. I tried to restore from Time Machine (I restored the Music/iTunes) folder, but I still have nothing in iTunes. All my music, etc. is in the right folders, etc. -- nothing's been moved -- but it doesn't show up in iTunes. I could just add everything back and start from scratch, but I'd really like to recover my playlists, ratings, etc.
    What do I need to do to do this? I must be missing something?

    Try holding down the option key while opening iTunes. Select the option to choose a library. Inside the Music/iTunes folder there should've been a database file called iTunes Library. Select this file to use.

  • How to Restore iTune Liberaries from Time Machine

    My MacBook Pro needs to replace.  I have Time Machine backup from the old one.  What folders do I need to restore from Time Machine to the new MacBook Pro to restore my iTune Liveraries.  Both my iPhone 4 and iPad are synced to my MacBook Pro.

    Bring the Contacts window forward, then enter Time Machine and scroll back to a snapshot that includes the contacts you want to restore. Select the contacts and click the Restore button in the lower right corner of the screen.
    If you don't have a Time Machine backup, but your contacts are all on iCloud and haven't been overwritten, then you can recover them by following the instructions on this page. Double-click the downloaded file to import it into Contacts. This procedure won't work if you've synced an empty Contacts database to iCloud.

  • Restoring iTunes library from Time Machine backup -- help!

    I'm trying to restore my iTunes library from TM backup. I can restore songs from individual albums, but if I try to restore multiple albums at once I get this error: "The operation can’t be completed because you don't have permission to access [name of file containing a song]." At this rate, it will take days to restore my library. Help! There must be a better way!

    http://pondini.org/TM/E10.html

  • Restoring files from Time Machine to external drive

    I keep my iPhoto library -- aning may other files -- on an external drive (iomega 1 TB).   I use Time Machine (Time Capsule) for my back-ups of iphoto - and all my files on this drive.  The external drive is failing.  I have bought an new external drive and wish to restore my iPhoto library to this new drive.  The steps for restoring from Time Machine require me to click on the iPhoto library and then enter time machine.  I cannot do this as the folder is now unreadable on the drive and I do not wish to restore it to this old drive in any event. 
    I have accessed the time machine drive and can see the iphoto back up is there. 
    What is my next step?
    Robert

    You are correct Linc.  I am probably not being clear enough.  The dead drive is disconnected and I am only using the new external drive, the iMac and the Time Machine backup drive which is connected to the iMac via ethernet.
    I am trying to what you have suggested and appears all over the internet as the correct method.  Unfortuntely, it is just not working.  I will take snapshots of the screens to illustrate.  (not sure how to take sceenshots in Time Machine.)
    While in finder I have the sidebar.  I choose my iMac and choose enter Time Machine (Home Drive is the new external drive):
    Just before I enter -- a window opens that says "connecting to back-up volume":
    Then another window opens -- on it's own -- that is the Time Machine Back-up and it does not have the sidebar:
    As I slide into Time Machine another window opens -- on its own -- that contains the elements of my sidebar:
    As show below in another screen grab:
    And now I am in Time Machine with that window -- i have even tried to click on the sidebar window which lies in the background just prior to sliding into Time Machine but I still get this window):
    No side bar.  But, I can choose any back-up window behind it it -- going back in time -- and get windows that looks like this:
    Via the bottom status bar I can manuever to the correct back-up date and time i want and get this window:
    The Iomega HDD contains the back-up of iPhoto Library (and other files) thart I wish to restore.  I should be able to open this folder.  Choose the files to restore and voila.  But when I choose the foloder.  Nothing.  It freezes -- except i can still manuever the mouse.  No spinning wheel.  Nothing.  I cannot exit Time Machine etc.  I end up shutting down using the power button.
    BTW. Here is the wiondow I get when I click on the Time Machine drive in the sidebar:
    I can choose the iPhoto Library and I dragged and dropped to the new drive.  There was an error the first try (after 4 hours...) but the second try worked.  I have duplicated/backed-up the library getting ready to experiment with an new iPhoto upgrade. 
    Is this the same library?
    But any thoughts on what happened during the Time Machine process is appreciated.
    Robert

  • How to restore iphoto & iTunes library from time machine?

    My imac has had its hardrive replaced - (unfortunate) - and I am wanting to restore the files fom itunes and Iphoto only.  I have tried for many hours following other posts, support, but have so far not had any luck.  What is an "Idiots" way to achive this, hort of taking my mac back to apple and get them to do it for me!

    Open Finder and go to Music folder. Then, open Time Machine and restore the iTunes folder. Open Pictures folder and restore iPhoto Library of Time Machine

  • How to access iTunes library in time machine after changing corrupt HD_

    Hi,
    have a mini with 2.66GHz Intel Core Duo where several months after installing Mavericks it seemed not to be able to handle it anz longer. Whatever the szmptoms and mz attempts to save the thing, I brought it to the Service Center which finally said the hard drive needed changing.They copied the content onto a new 750GB one, but then found that thez couldnt move the itunes folder. They said I should just retrieve it from my time capsule.
    Back home, time machine says it doesnt have a location set up for time machine, kind of telling me that my mini is not being recognised as my old computer.
    There s threads and sites that tell you how to avoid a full new backup after hd change when you ve managed to copy the data directly. I couldnt find anything about retrieving specific data from the time machine that were not successfully migrated when changing the hd.
    Any pointers, please?
    Thanks,
    H

    Hey,
    no I have not. I was kind of afraid that if I set up time machine, it'll create a new "account" and won't let me access the old backups in time machine. While user name hasn't changed, nor password, it seems that the service center has not copied my "preferences" or "profile" for the lack of a better word. It looks to me that time machine doesn't recognise the mini being the old one.
    i just linked up itunes again and at least through  itunes match I can see my library in icloud. But I don't want to download 130GB from icloud if I have them on my time capsule 10 feet away from the mini...
    H

Maybe you are looking for