I've unknowingly deleted my iTunes Library file, and now I'm stuck!

I was in the process of moving my songs and videos to an extrenal hard drive, and it had worked successfully--the files were on the new hard drive and iTunes recognized them after the move. And I even knew that I wasn't supposed to deleted the ITL file, but somehow managed to do so anyway. I am very stupid and deserve some (mild) derision.
I realize that by deleting my ITL file I will not get back my play counts, ratings, and play lists, and tho angered, I can live with that. My problem now is that I can't get iTunes to recognize the library on the external drive AT ALL. I get the blank library screen, even tho iTunes knows where it is (based on the "Advanced" menu in iTunes Preferences).
1) How do I get iTunes to display the contents of the relocated library on the external drive?
2) Is there an outside chance that all of the play counts, ratings and playlists could be resurrected by synching with my iPod?
Any help would be greatly appreciated!

even tho iTunes knows where it is
No, iTunes doesn't know where your library is.
You're not the only one who is confused by that.
By setting the 'iTunes Music' folder location, you set the location where iTunes has to store the next imports.
And you told iTunes where to put the songs after you choose 'Add to Library...' (when you have checked 'Copy files to iTunes Music folder when adding to library').
The location of your songs is stored in the 'iTunes Library' file, which you, unfortunately, trashed.
Just drag and drop the folder with all your music on the Library icon in the Source pane or select 'Add to Library...' and navigate to the folder containing your music.
I can't tell you how much information is restored by syncing your iPod.
I have no experience with it.
If it was set to 'automatically update', it could be wiped.
Several 3rd party applications can transfer songs, including playlists, ratings and play counts to the computer.
Try Senuti or iPodRip (find the latest versions on versiontracker.com).
Hope this helps.
M
17' iMac fp 800 MHz 768 MB RAM Mac OS X (10.3.9) Several ext. HD (backup and data)

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Windows C drive check deleted my iTunes library file!

My laptop (HP HDX 16 running Vista) was having trouble resuming from sleep mode and I had to do a forced shut down. Upon booting up, it started to check my C drive for errors, and for some reason, deleted my iTunes Library file (it literally said it was doing that). Now my iTunes is completely empty, and the last backed up library file is from months ago. Is there any way to get my iTunes back to the way it was earlier today?!

Hi rpvee,
Thanks for visiting Apple Support Communities.
Depending on which library file was deleted from your computer, you may be able to rebuild the iTunes library.
See the "Re-creating the iTunes Library file" section of this article for the instructions:
iTunes: How to re-create your iTunes library and playlists
http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1451
Regards,
Jeremy

I deleted the "itunes Library" file...

(This question pertains to a Mac, not PC, latest version of iTunes)
So I was juggling around "iTunes Library" files, and I accidentally deleted the existing one but kept the new (empty) one. I found a support article about using the xml file in the same folder, and doing an "import playlist" command, so I tried that, but unfortunately it didn't do anything -- my itunes window is still blank (and this is the existing xml file, no changes have been made to it).
My iTunes library lives on an external HD, but even though my preferences still point to that path, iTunes isn't seeing it. I even tried to consolidate that iTunes folder to a new location, but it wouldn't work because iTunes currently isn't seeing the music folder, so there's no "point of origin" for the consolidation.
I know that PC users can do a Shift while they start iTunes, and designate the new file path... is there something similar for Mac that will magically restore my playlists and full library? I'm hoping there's a way to get everything back aside from the "Add to Library" command, because I'm not sure if that will allow me to play things I've purchased from the iTunes store. My iTunes preferences still point to the correct folder where I keep all of my music, but iTunes remains empty.
Lastly, in the "Previous Versions of iTunes" folder, the most recent library file is from 2 months ago, so that doesn't help me much, unless I'm able to do that, then do an "Add to library" command, hoping that iTunes will just add all of the music I've bought in the last 2 months?
I feel like there's an easy answer to this one, but I'm just not getting it... anyone have any ideas?
Many thanks,
Kirby

After you deleted the iTunes lbrary file, then opened iTunes, the .XML file was rewritten y iTunes, erasing the info in it.
in the "Previous Versions of iTunes" folder, the most recent library file is from 2 months ago, so that doesn't help me much, unless I'm able to do that, then do an "Add to library" command, hoping that iTunes will just add all of the music I've bought in the last 2 months?
Yes.
Open iTunes.
File -> Library - Import playlist and select the latest iTunes library file in Previous iTunes libraries.
Then File -> add to library and select the iTunes music folder where your music is located.

TS4213 Why can't iPhoto, Pages, Numbers, Keynote and iMovie access my iTunes Library files and Pages, Numbers, Keynote and iMovie access my iPhoto Library files now that I upgraded to '11?

Why can't iPhoto, Pages, Numbers, Keynote and iMovie access my iTunes Library files and Pages, Numbers, Keynote and iMovie access my iPhoto Library files now that I upgraded to '11?
Examples of what is going on:
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2. In iMovie, similar thing ... when I go to add photos or music to a movie the iTunes files aren't present and the iPhoto photos are missing with similar messages as in #1.
3. In iPhoto, similar thing ... when I go to add music to a slideshow it says to "Open iTunes to populate this list".
It is shocking to me that Apple would let something as simple as a pathway link to associated library files get this messed up on an upgrade, but what's even more surprising is that with the number of people who seem to be having this particular issue (and I can tell from all the research that I've done for weeks online that there are a lot of them) that there doesn't seem to be a single clear answer to fixing it anywhere on these community support forums. Most of what I've seen is rehashed advice from outdated issues. What I need is a simple answer to how do we get these programs to look for the correct location of the photo and music files because I sure can't seem to find any logical place to do that through the programs' preferences files or the system preferences window?
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
P.S. Here's the details on the software/hardware:
MacBook Pro
Mac OS X
Version 10.7.5
2.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
8 GB 1067 MHz DDR3
iTunes 11.0.4 (4)
iPhoto '11 9.4.3 (720.91)
iMovie '11 9.0.9 (1795)
Keynote '09 5.3 (1170)
Pages '09 4.3 (1048)
Numbers '09 2.3 (554)

I have the same problem on a new MacBook Pro. I have not been able to access the iTunes library from iPhoto since I got this computer. I looked in the Preferences file and deleted the com.apple.iApps.plist but there was no com.apple.iApps.lockfile so I just deleted the iAPPs.plist and rebooted the computer. Still no iTunes available in iPhoto.
All my music is in iTunes and plays. After reading the above I brought up Pages and I was able to access music and insert a track into a document.
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My laptop hard drive with my itunes library died and now itunes won't sync my ipod to the libary on the new drive without first deleting everything on my ipod. What can be done?

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Hi,
Regarding my Itunes library:
I'll try to explain my situation (sorry for my english).
I have a networkdrive where all my music is stored on. Itunes is installed on my macbook and I entered the network drive as my media file location.
I use my macbook to rip music and buy itunes music assuming it will all be placed in the media folder that I once entered.
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Thanks

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I'd like to clean up my Itunes LIBRARY files, but don't know what's safe to do and not to do. (I have Itunes 8.1 / OSX10.4.11)
MY QUESTION IS TWOFOLD :
(1) how do I create a new Itunes library file now with today's date; and
(2) how do I delete multiple (old) Itunes library files, without risking the loss of what I've got ?
This all stems from exploring Itunes as a result of a problem I had today... when trying to import mp3's from my terrabyte drive, after about 150 successful mp3 track imports, Itunes froze and everything else on my MAC froze as well (constant spinning colored wheel). After many failed attempts to force quit Itunes, I turned off my MBPro. On restarting, Itunes tooks ages to "import" files. Eventually Itunes opened but with only half of my original tunes (1500+ songs 8.11GB) and had nothing from today's import.
I found a post suggesting to hold down OPTION while starting Itunes. Then I selected a file from my hard drive > me > music > Itunes > "Itune library" with the most recent date and shezam, Itunes once again has all my songs, as before. Nothing I imported from the terrabyte drive today appears however, but no matter.
In my "Itunes" file there appear MULTIPLE Itunes libraries ! such as Itunes library, Itunes Library (damaged), and as well a folder called "Previous Itunes Libraries" which itself contains multiple Itunes Library files and multiple "previous Itunes Library files" with dates back to 2007. These I want to clean up and delete .... should I ? ... Can I ?
I really could use some words of wisdom from the wise ! Thanks in advance

Whenever you install a new version of iTunes and run it teh first time, iTunes will create a backup of the current iTunes library file and copy it into \Music\iTunes\Previous iTunes libraries, then update the iTunes library file in \Music\iTunes\ for the current version of iTunes.

Accidently deleted both my itunes library files

I accidently deleted both my itunes library files and because I restored them back from my recycle bin I seem to have managed to overwrite them with empty files, I still have all my music files that i can import back in to my itunes but how do i get my playlists back? The only place they are stored is on my ipod. I have never been able to do a backup becuse you have to do one to disk and don't seem to have the option to back up to a hard drive and since havn't found any disks that store 160gb i haven't ever been able to backup itunes. I have a portable hard drive and have all my music backed up to it but not a backup that contains the playlists, does anyone know how to get them back

Each time you restart iTunes it assumes that all the tracks are where it thinks they are. The exclamation marks only show up if iTunes attempts to do something with the files and cannot find them.
Possible causes are that you or some third party tool like WIndows Media Player have moved, renamed or deleted the files, or that the drive they live on has changed drive letters. It is also possible that iTunes has changed from expecting the files to be in the pre-iTunes 9 layout to post-iTunes 9 layout,or vice-versa, and so is looking in slightly the wrong place.
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Alternatively, as long as you can find a location holding the missing files, then you might be able to reconnect iTunes to them using my FindTracks script. To start with test it out on a handful of tracks that show up as missing in action. If it can find & repair the links to those throw larger selections at it until everything is connected.
tt2

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I'm having a flaky problem with the ITunes library files (Mac version) stored on a Buffalo NAS. Frequently, ITunes says the ITunes library file is damaged and creates a new one.
Moreover, there are temp files that ITunes apparntly creates that apparently become the new Library and XML files when ITunes shuts down. Apparently, this is done behind the scenes while ITunes is shutting down, but lately, these files are no longer being renamed or deleted. Often multiple temp files will accumulate.
Lastly, and most oddly, if I try to rename one of these temp files to ITunes Library based on best guess from size and date which is the ITunes Library file, it sometimes works, but it sometimes doesn't. When it doesn't, I will find a "phantom" ITunes Library file and ITunes Library.xml that cannot be selected, opened or deleted. They are greyed out in Finder. Since the file exists, a rename or copy will fail, saying a file already exists with that name, but I can't select it to delete it. Often when this happens, the actual file name seems to "flicker" between temp file and Itunes Library file. If I try to click on ITunes Library, it disappears, but a new temp file instantly appears. If I try to click on the temp file, that disappears and the ITunes Library file appears.
Rebooting the NAS fixes the phantom file problem. I delete all ITunes library and temp files, and reindex from ITunes, but it only starts all over again.
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Any thoughts?

lmdoc50 wrote:
Had to reconstruct iTunes library.
Yes, but how?

Re-create iTunes library files?

Hi
The problem is as follows. I have all my itunes (60 GB) on an external hard drive and I have deleted (don't ask!) my iTunes library and xml files. I want to be able to re-create the library without having to copy the songs from the external drive to my internal hard drive - I dont have enough space on the laptop. What do I do?

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Then choose 'Add to Library...' from the File menu and navigate to the folder on the external drive.
The files already are at the designated location, so iTunes will not create copies.
You will have to re-create all playlist, because they were in the 'iTunes Library' file and are now MIA.
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I have thousands upon thousands of songs. I'm of a mind to (in effect) do a find/replace on every instance of a phrase in one particular field and don't want to have to go though every single one manually, since that would take forever.
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You cannot edit the library file itself, but you could perhaps edit the XLM file and then import that, basically following the procedure you use when the library file has been damaged:
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1451
You'll need to be very careful about editing the XML, though, as it's really easy to completely mess up your library if you edit the wrong thing. Make absolutely sure you have backup copies of the original iTunes library file and XML file, so you can put them back just in case something does go wrong.
Hope this helps.

Itunes library file?

hello, i just recently upgraded my computer to windows 7 from vista. i backed up my music folder, then transferred it over again. when i installed itunes however it had all my musics data, but it didnt have my playlists/playcount/ratings. it was bizzare becasue i thought it kept all that data in the same place with the tags. either way, is there a way i can get this info back? playlist arent a big deal, but i like my play count and ratings. i have the original files still backed up btw. im assuming it has to do with the itunes library files and the xml file. thansk in advance

Only certain data is stored in the actual song files. Metadata such as play count, rating, play lists, etc is stored in a special itunes database file named
iTunes Library.itl
Did you just back up the itunes music/media folder, or the folder up one level from it, the entire itunes folder? The ITL fie is in the main itunes folder. If you backed that up, you should be good to go Just replace the entire itunes folder, not just the content subfolders.
If you have the XML file, the ITL will be in the same folder. There is a lot of confusion on the internet about using the XML file - my advice is to use the ITL file. iTunes uses the ITL file. The XML file is just there for other porgrams (itunes plug-ins) to use.

I've unknowingly deleted my iTunes Library file, and now I'm stuck!

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