ITunes database file question

Starting up the computer I opened iTunes immediately. A box came up-- something about searching for the library, or so I interpreted it. I realized the external hard drive, housing the library, had yet to mount, so I hit cancel.
iTunes opened up anyway, and it was as if it was opening for the first time ever. All settings gone, all playlists gone, no songs present.
Quitting, restarting, etc. did nothing. I eventually used 'add to library' to add all the music back, but still the settings and playlists are gone.
I imported the library xml file, but that file was dated a year earlier when the hard drive library was created. It restored playlists from a year ago, but no info such as times played, date last played, etc., all still blank.
An alleged genius at the apple store said I had to import the iTunes database file, and that would do it, but that file, so says iTunes, may not be imported.
So. Any idea how to restore iTunes to what it was before? To get back my playlists and all the individual song info?

I don't know what you have done since this has happened but all you should have to do is open itunes while holding down the option key. Select Choose library, and point itunes to your itunes library.

Similar Messages

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    Are you saying there wasn't an ITL file with a more recent date? There should be one from the date you upgraded to 9.2 if it is on the same PC and same windows userID.

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    I would happily assign to you 100 points even now
    LOL - just clicked 'Solved' on one of my replies when or if you are happy!
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    The problems you describe are from a "wrong way of doing things" rather than a corrupt application, so I'd say no to this, right now.
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    Message was edited by: compwizzy313

    So how come in order to keep ratings and play bounts etc, you need to have that library file if it's just a list of the songs?
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  • Copying script for itunes database files?

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  • Using time machine to recover iTunes database for metadata

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    A - where should I be looking for the old iTunes database files using time machine if I used the advanced features of iTunes to move the database to the new disc
    B - Can I perform some sort of system wide restore that would take me back in time to a point before last Sunday to get my old iTunes database back?
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    In short, when I go back beyond a week in time machine I cannot find any .itl or even any of the .itdb or .xml files on my mac that I can restore with time machine.  The only version that is there is for the current library which is missing 99.9% of the content.
    The context:
    1. I had itunes folder on my hard drive and an external with all of the content. Over the years the external must have been disconnected or what not as a sizeable media folder had also developed on the hard drive.
    2. In order to free up space on the hard drive I consolidated the media and moved the library to a second external that had much more free space.
    3. I ended up deleting the iTunes library on the hard disc on or around 6 april 2015. I believe I deleted the whole folder.
    no dramas - everything worked for weeks
    4. Today I noticed that the iTunes library was pretty much empty but for purchased music. All the podcasts, playlists and basically anything not purchased was gone.
    5. I look into the iTunes folder on the hard disc and I noticed that there is a music folder with two songs that my kid likes to play. It leo has all of the usual library xml files and the .itdb / .itl files (which to be honest I have never noticed before, I had only remembered ever seeing the .XML files).
    6. The "new" .itl file was created on Sunday 26 april at 5.30 pm.  The whole iTunes folder it sat in on my hard drive also did not exist before this time.
    7. If I use time machine and scroll back further in time than sunday there is no iTunes folder on my hard drive.
    8. I thought I would just need to find the .itl file that predated this new library that was created on Sunday. Trouble is I can't find one. On any disc, hard disc, the first external or the second external.  The only iTunes folder I can find with any of the database files needed is the one created on Sunday that is empty.
    9. I have all of the media organised on the second hard disc however I don't want to reimport and lose all the metadata that I have built up since 2001 at least.
    THE QUESTIONS
    A - where should I be looking for the old iTunes database files using time machine if I used the advanced features of iTunes to move the database to the new disc
    B - Can I perform some sort of system wide restore that would take me back in time to a point before last Sunday to get my old iTunes database back?
    Any ideas?
    Thanks in advance
    Len

  • Still losing iTunes media files

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    There's your problem -- it's bluegrass music (I'm an Appalacian old-time musician myself )! 
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  • ITunes Library File Cannot be Saved. The Disk Cannot be Read From . . .

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    My iTunes folder is organised like this if it helps:
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  • ITunes Temp Files and previous libraries

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  • Itunes library file?

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