ITunes 11 - Where is the iTunes Library.itl file?

I used iTunes 11 to move my entire library to a new Western Digital Thunderbolt duo drive. In iTunes advanced settings, I specified an itunes library path of /Volumes/Media Library/iTunes Media. Then from the menu selected File -> Library -> Organize Library. This moved all my itunes media from my local hard drive to the external drive in the path specified above. As expected, there was still a /Users/bernie/Music/iTunes/iTunes Media folder, which contained my iTunes Library.itl and other files. So, I moved this folder somewhere else, yet iTunes continues to function normally.
The iTunes Library.itl file is NOT on the external drive. Can anyone tell me if this file is still necessary, and if so, how is my iTunes still working without it?
-Thanks

You did not in fact move your entire library, you moved just the media files. Your iTunes application is likely using the true "library" file (along with all the other supporting files it needs) normally in your Home > Music > iTunes folder. I have not tried what you have done but it seems iTunes is keeping track of where you have relocated that iTunes folder with the rest of the library in it. In some regards iTunes is good at keeping track of moving files, but is horribly unforgiving if you do that to media files.
Yes, that file is still necessary, though you could use Spotlight to see if you have other copies iTunes could be using instead.
To properly move your whole library to the external you should have copied the whole iTunes folder to the external drive, then start iTunes with the option (alt) key held down and guided it to the iTunes Library.itl file on the external drive.
As expected, there was still a /Users/bernie/Music/iTunes/iTunes Media folder, which contained my iTunes Library.itl and other files.
Is this accurate? Your iTunes Library.itl file should not have been in your media folder.

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Why does iTunes not refresh the Music Library if files are updated?

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When I try to open Itunes it says Library.itl file is locked, on a locked disk, or you do not have permission for this file. How do I open? What did my Kid do?

My daughter added more storage to her cloud while i was at work. When I came home and tried to get onto Itunes I got the message,'library.itl file is locked, on a locked disk, or you do not have write permission for this file. I tried uninstalling Itunes on my computer and reinstalled. After I tried to get in and the same message came up. I can get onto Itunes on different computers except one. Any Ideas?

Hello MF7642,
Thank you for contacting Apple Support Communities.
You can use this article to troubleshoot your issues with iTunes.
iTunes: Missing folder or incorrect permissions may prevent authorization
http://support.apple.com/kb/TS1277
Regards,
Jeff D.

How To Fix: "The iTunes Library.itl file is locked, on a locked disk, or you do not have write permission for this file."

I can't reopen my iTunes after I have to force quit when it does not respond. I get this message:
"The iTunes Library.itl file is locked, on a locked disk, or you do not have write permission for this file."
I've read to do the solutions. I right clicked on both the iTunes and Music folder and went to info for each. On both the lock at the bottom of the Get Info was locked. All of my users including admin can read and write all files within those folders. They are even a shared folder. I clicked on the lock to unlock it, typed in my admin password, and went to the gear to apply to all files inside. After doing that I keep getting the saved message.
I tried another way that I've found online to move my ituneslibrary folder to the desktop and then open my iTunes. In theory the iTunes is supposed to ask for where the iTunes library is. Once that is prompted you quit iTunes and drag the iTunes Library folder back to the folder from the desktop and reopen iTunes to apprently solve the problem. However, when I move the iTunes Library file to the desktop and try to reopne iTunes the icon just keeps bouncing and when I right click the application does not respond.
This problem is only resolved if I restart/shut down my macbook pro which is a 15-inch Core 2 Duo with intel. It will be 5 years old in December. I currently have Lion and the latest iTunes 10.5. This problem started in late December.

If you hold down the option key when starting iTunes, it will allow you to select a library or create a new one.
You can create a new one, and then add all of your iTunes music back in by simply dragging the old iTunes music file onto iTunes.
There are more detailed instructions at http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1451#
It will show you how to re-build your iTunes database file.

"The iTunes Library.itl file cannot be found or created."

I have tried all to suggestions for moving around the old library and this is still the only thing I have gotten from the upgrade, as of yet. The message appears when trying to get into iTunes thu any source; desktop shortcut, thu the start menu, or opening the library directly in the My Music folder.
The full message reads:
"The iTunes Library.itl file cannot be found or created. The default location for this file is in the "iTunes" folder in the "My Music" folder."
I half expected a problem when i was told to upgrade, but I have got no idea how to fix this one. Any help would be great.

Will iTunes open at all or do you just get the error message and when you click 'ok' the dialog box closes?
I have successfully restored my library using the iTunes Music Library.xml file, which I figured out by messing around. If you want you can try this; note that it takes a really long time:
1. With iTunes closed open the My Music>iTunes folder (if for some reason you had iTunes set up to use a different folder look in there). Move the 'iTunes Library.itl' file out of the folder onto your desktop, but don't delete it unless this restore works.
2. Open iTunes; it should be empty. Go to File>Import. When the box opens you should be in the same iTunes folder; select the 'iTunes Music Library.xml' file.
3. The library will rebuild itself, which takes a long time (I think it took an hour when I did it and I have about 25GB), but just let it go. Don't stop the process or try to close iTunes while it's doing this. You should eventually get all your songs and playlists back, but I don't remember if playcounts restore this way; you might lose those.
4. Close iTunes - it should now save the new 'iTunes Library.itl' file. Then try opening iTunes again - hope this will work for you! If it does you can just delete the old 'iTunes Library.itl' file. If it doesn't you can move that old file back to where it was, and you'll be back to where you were before.
Normally when the iTunes library.itl file gets corrupted you can replace it with an older version from the 'Previous iTunes Library' folder, but it sounds like you've already tried that and it didn't work. If this really is a registry issue I don't know how to fix that - maybe reinstalling iTunes?
ps - I always export my library before upgrading now, because restoring from that if you have a library problem is a lot faster and it only takes a few extra seconds.
Message was edited by: meeshala

The iTunes music library.itl file cannot be found or created?

itunes 7 worked all day for me yesterday, but I have had this problem since last night where when I try to start it I get this message: "the iTunes music library.itl file cannot be found or created. the default location for this file is in the "itunes" folder in the "my music" folder. PLEASE HELP!

there should also be a "Previous iTunes Libraries" in the itunes folder besides itunes music.
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Itunes wont launch. I just installed itunes on Windows 7 PC. When i click the itunes icon the following message appears - "The itunes Library.itl file cannot be found or created..."

I just installed itunes on a Windows 7 PC. When I click on the Itunes icon the following message appears -
The Itunes Library.itl file cannot be found or created. The default location for this file is in the "Itunes" folder in the "Music" folder.
I have checked and there is a file named Library.itl in the "Music" folder. I'm not sure where to go from here so any help would be greatly appreciated.

See Empty/corrupt iTunes library after upgrade/crash.
tt2

HT203288 the itunes library .itl file cannot be found or created

After new iTunes install.
Clicking the icon gives me this error message saying"The default location for this file is in the "iTunes" folder in the Music folder.
The xml files are present but no itl. file
How do I get iTunes to recognize the library

Will iTunes open at all or do you just get the error message and when you click 'ok' the dialog box closes?
I have successfully restored my library using the iTunes Music Library.xml file, which I figured out by messing around. If you want you can try this; note that it takes a really long time:
1. With iTunes closed open the My Music>iTunes folder (if for some reason you had iTunes set up to use a different folder look in there). Move the 'iTunes Library.itl' file out of the folder onto your desktop, but don't delete it unless this restore works.
2. Open iTunes; it should be empty. Go to File>Import. When the box opens you should be in the same iTunes folder; select the 'iTunes Music Library.xml' file.
3. The library will rebuild itself, which takes a long time (I think it took an hour when I did it and I have about 25GB), but just let it go. Don't stop the process or try to close iTunes while it's doing this. You should eventually get all your songs and playlists back, but I don't remember if playcounts restore this way; you might lose those.
4. Close iTunes - it should now save the new 'iTunes Library.itl' file. Then try opening iTunes again - hope this will work for you! If it does you can just delete the old 'iTunes Library.itl' file. If it doesn't you can move that old file back to where it was, and you'll be back to where you were before.
Normally when the iTunes library.itl file gets corrupted you can replace it with an older version from the 'Previous iTunes Library' folder, but it sounds like you've already tried that and it didn't work. If this really is a registry issue I don't know how to fix that - maybe reinstalling iTunes?
ps - I always export my library before upgrading now, because restoring from that if you have a library problem is a lot faster and it only takes a few extra seconds.
Message was edited by: meeshala

How to ensure the link between iTunes Library itl file and Music Folder residing on a different drive?

I'm planning to move my Music Library from a PC to Mac. Both running iTunes 10.
On the PC (Win XP) the iTues folder did not move from My Music folder when music (and videos, books, etc) were moved to a different drive on the PC. iTunes runs ok, but the itl, xml and itdb files remain in the My Music Folder.
When I transfer the music (folder and all other contents) to the Mac, and then the itl, xml, itdb files into the new Music>iTunes folder will they still be "linked" or will I need to rebuild the itl from scratch?
Is there a way to ensure that the itl and music files themselves transfer to the Mac and remain linked once iTunes is launched?
thanks

Making a split library portable
Here are typical layouts for the iTunes folders:
If the iTunes folder contains the iTunes Media folder as above then the iTunes folder can be moved to a new location/drive/computer without breaking the file references. Although it is possible to migrate a split library from one system to another, the media folder must end up at precisely the same drive letter & path on the target system. This is feasible when moving between Windows systems, possibly feasible moving between Macs, but definitely impossible when moving PC to Mac or vice versa.
Assume the media folder on the external drive is called ..\<Parent>\<Media> and the library files are in the usual place of <Profile's Music>\iTunes.
You need to copy the library files and Album Artwork folder into the <Parent> folder, then use the hold-down-shift-when-starting-iTunes method (hold down option for Macs) to open the copy of the database that you've made in the <Parent> folder.
Once this library has been opened and tested there are a few changes you can make so that it conforms to the standard layout. When iTunes opens it uses the folder name where the database is located as the window name so if the <Parent> folder isn't called iTunes then neither will be the main iTunes window. Close iTunes, rename <Parent> as iTunes and use the hold-down-shift-when-starting-iTunes method to open iTunes again. If <Parent> is the root of the drive, make a new folder called iTunes and move the library files, Album Artwork & <Media> folders into the new iTunes folder instead. Start iTunes, then check under Edit > Preferences > Advanced that the media folder location has been correctly updated and edit if necessary.
You may also want to correct the media folder name. Having applied the fix above, if it was necessary, close iTunes then rename the <Media> folder as iTunes Media. Start iTunes and again check under Edit > Preferences > Advanced that the media folder location has been correctly updated and edit if necessary.
Congratulations, your library is now fully portable and you can connect your external drive to any computer running the same build of iTunes, Mac or PC, in order to work with it. Don't forget to deauthorise the old computer if you won't need to access protected content on it again.
tt2

After downloading latest version, keep getting error message "The iTunes Library .itl file cannont be found or created"? The file never moved from My Music. Repeated attempts to restore previous version result in same message. Help!!

Help!!

Hello Whit1erj,
It sounds like you are not able to access your iTunes library. With the error message you are receiving, you will want to first locate the iTunes Library.itl file. These are the default locations for this file on a Windows computer, but if you dont find them here, you may need to search for the file:
Windows XP: C:\Documents and Settings\username\My Documents\My Music\iTunes\
Windows Vista: C:\Users\username\Music\iTunes\
Windows 7: C:\Users\username\My Music\iTunes\
Windows 8: C:\Users\username\My Music\iTunes\
You can find the full article about iTunes file locations here:
Where are my iTunes files located?
http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1391
Once you locate the iTunes Library.itl file, you can make iTunes point to it using these steps:
Steps to create or choose a different iTunes Library file
If iTunes is running, quit iTunes.
If you are using Windows, hold down the Shift key and from the Start menu and choose All Programs > iTunes > iTunes.
You should see one of the following screens:
Then you can select Choose Library and navigate to the location of the iTunes Library.itl file. You can find the full article here:
iTunes: How to open an alternate iTunes Library file or create a new one
http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1589
Thank you for posting in the Apple Support Communities.
Best,
Sheila M.

My itunes keeps popping up with this; the itunes library .itl file cannot be found or created

i found my itl files and even when i click on them it still pops up with that message what do i do?

Hello EliCooper,
It sounds like when you open iTunes, it says your iTunes Library.itl file cannot be located. If you know where this is located, you need to point iTunes to this file to avoid the error message. I found an article with the steps to choose your iTunes Library.itl file:
Steps to create or choose a different iTunes Library file
If iTunes is running, quit iTunes.
If you are using Windows, hold down the Shift key and from the Start menu and choose All Programs > iTunes > iTunes.
You should see one of the following screens:
Once you get that dialogue box, you can click on Choose Library and navigate to your iTunes Library.itl file.
You can find the full article here:
iTunes: How to open an alternate iTunes Library file or create a new one
http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1589
Thank you for posting in the Apple Support Communities.
Best,
Sheila M.

When i double click itunes it doesn't open it just comes up with an error saying " The itunes library.itl file cannot be found or created. The default location for this file is in the 'itunes' folder in the 'music' folder". How can i fix this?

When i double click itunes it doesn't open it just comes up with an error saying " The itunes library.itl file cannot be found or created. The default location for this file is in the 'itunes' folder in the 'music' folder. How can i fix this problem?

Anyone can help to advice how to solve this issue ?

TS1717 unes, i have windows 8, i get the message, "the itunes Library .itl file is locked, on a locked disk, or you do not have write permission for this file. how did this happen, how do i fix this?

the message"The itun, library .itl file is locked, on a locked disk, or you do not have write permission for this file". i have windows 8. how why did this happen? how do i correct this and prevent another occurance? I am able to access itunes on my i5, ipad, and my old i4 that i use solely as my ipod now. At the time problem occurred, i was connected to ext hard drive that hold over 190GB music, to add to my library. I am now unable to add to my library using my laptop. any advise/help is greatly appreciated!!

I just had the same problem and was able to fix it after trying a couple of things I found after a search.
The solution that worked for me:
Find iTunes folder - it should be in C:\Program FIles (x86) or similar depending on your operating system
Right click the entire folder (no need to open it) and click properties
Click the security tab
Click edit and highlight the user name under which you logged in.
Click the box next to full in the allow column, which should check everything
Click apply
Open iTunes
This worked for me.

ITunes won't open, I get this message: The iTunes Library .itl file is locked, on a locked disk or you do not have write permission for this file.

iTunes won't open.
I get this message: The iTunes Library .itl file is locked, on a locked disk or you do not have write permission for this file.

This may indicate a corrupt preference file with iTunes trying to open the wrong location. Try holding down shift as you launch iTunes then choose the correct file, normally <User's Music>\iTunes\iTunes Library.itl. See iTunes: How to open an alternate iTunes Library file or create a new one.
tt2

ITunes 11 - Where is the iTunes Library.itl file?

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