ITunes Folder Corrupted

I have tried to move my I tunes file from one drive to another to free up space and it has resulted in losing all my music. A new ITunes folder which is empty now appears and when connecting my IPOD it states that the IPOD is not registered to that I Tunes.
How do I get the original folder back and reverse what I have done?

I have tried to move my I tunes file from one drive to another
Do you mean the iTunes folder (not file)?
and it has resulted in losing all my music
The music is gone off the hard drive or it does not show up in iTunes?
Hold Shift and launch iTunes.
Select Choose library.
Select the _iTunes library.itl_ file in the iTunes folder you moved.

Similar Messages

ITunes folder corrupted - advice needed please!

Hi, I have had problems with iTunes breaking songs and losing album artwork for several months now and I have come to the conclusion that I must delete the 'iTunes' folder in 'My Music' (I have tried much else to no avail). I am almost 100% certain that is the route of the corruption. The problem is, although I can put up with losing my playlists and play counts, I have an iPhone and obviously need to retain its settings and apps. Is there a way that I can go about deleting this folder, while retaining these things?
Any help would be very appreciated. Thanks,
James

Seems like noone has the answer about corrupted files - iTune creates a real mess in organising music files you have collected - I believe it is iTune the cause of all corruption problem with your music folder (iTune shoud never organise anything on a windows platform) - if you have found a solution to access the corrupted folder and recover all files I am interested - then adios iTune - don't want to use it anymore - liked it - now despise it
Bad iTune

ITunes folder transferred from old computer is corrupt, so is most recent backup on external disk drive. What can I do?

I recently had to buy a new PC as the old one was getting very slow. When the technicians tried transferring over files to the new PC they discovered that several files were corrupted, including iTunes. I had made a backup of iTunes on an external hard drive a few months ago, but this appears to be dameged too. What can I do, please?

Use the tool in this backup tip to copy the files that can be read over to a new known good location. One of SyncToy's strengths is that it will keep on working after coming across a file it cannot copy. Windows copy will just fall over.
Once you recovered as much media as possible use the following technique to explore any available backups of your library files, and then update it to match your media folder.
Empty/corrupt library after upgrade/crash
Hopefully it's not been too long since you last upgraded iTunes, in fact if you get an empty/incomplete library immediately after upgrading then with the following steps youshouldn't lose a thing or need to do any further housekeeping. In the Previous iTunes Libraries folder should be a number of dated iTunes Library files. Take the most recent of these and copy it into the iTunes folder. Rename iTunes Library.itl as iTunes Library (Corrupt).itl and then rename the restored file as iTunes Library.itl. Start iTunes. Should all be good, bar any recent additions to or deletions from your library.
See iTunes Folder Watch for a tool to catch up with any changes since the backup file was created.
When you get it all working make a backup!
tt2

ITunes folder is corrupt

My iTunes folder is corrupt on my external hard drive and it is all gibberish (i.e., name turned to symbols and punctuation marks, etc.). I'm fairly certain that it's not my hard drive because I am able to open and use other files on the drive. I am currently using Mac OS X. Unfortunately, I have no other backup of my music. Please tell me that I can recover my 4,000 songs somehow. Thanks for any help!

Use the tool in this backup tip to copy the files that can be read over to a new known good location. One of SyncToy's strengths is that it will keep on working after coming across a file it cannot copy. Windows copy will just fall over.
Once you recovered as much media as possible use the following technique to explore any available backups of your library files, and then update it to match your media folder.
Empty/corrupt library after upgrade/crash
Hopefully it's not been too long since you last upgraded iTunes, in fact if you get an empty/incomplete library immediately after upgrading then with the following steps youshouldn't lose a thing or need to do any further housekeeping. In the Previous iTunes Libraries folder should be a number of dated iTunes Library files. Take the most recent of these and copy it into the iTunes folder. Rename iTunes Library.itl as iTunes Library (Corrupt).itl and then rename the restored file as iTunes Library.itl. Start iTunes. Should all be good, bar any recent additions to or deletions from your library.
See iTunes Folder Watch for a tool to catch up with any changes since the backup file was created.
When you get it all working make a backup!
tt2

Corrupted iTunes folder within iPod_Control--What to Do?

i posted this same question in another part of the website, but i think i might have better luck here
I'm the owner of and ipod mini. About 2 months ago my ipod ran into a series of problems which lead to a persistent folder appearing with an exclamation point. The people at the apple service hotline told me this represented a software error but that they could not fix it since it was no longer under the one year warranty. So after about a week of trying all sorts of things to fix it including restoring it with the menu+select function and then restoring it using iPod Updater, I gave up. and i saw it this past few days on my nightstand and decided to give it another shot. now i'll skip a little bit and get right to the point. i fixed it slightly, i got it to get past the error sign. but today i tried opening it up in iTunes and my computer (running on Windows XP) gave me an error message saying that the iTunes folder within ipod_control was corrupted/unreadable. now for my question: is it possible to fix/replace this corrupted file so my ipod can function and communicate with iTunes, or should i just give up and go back to CDs?
Medion XL 2000 Windows XP

Try uninstalling iTunes, restart your computer, then reinstall the latest version of iTunes:
http://www.apple.com/itunes/download/
Also, try restoring the iPod software using the latest update:
http://www.apple.com/ipod/download/
Both of these actions should theoretically replace whatever file is corrupted.

Corrupted iTunes folder within iPod_Control

I'm the owner of and ipod mini. About 2 months ago my ipod ran into a series of problems which lead to a persistent folder appearing with an exclamation point. The people at the apple service hotline told me this represented a software error but that they could not fix it since it was no longer under the one year warranty. So after about a week of trying all sorts of things to fix it including restoring it with the menu+select function and then restoring it using iPod Updater, I gave up. and i saw it this past few days on my nightstand and decided to give it another shot. now i'll skip a little bit and get right to the point. i fixed it slightly, i got it to get past the error sign. but today i tried opening it up in iTunes and my computer (running on Windows XP) gave me an error message saying that the iTunes folder within ipod_control was corrupted/unreadable. now for my question: is it possible to fix/replace this corrupted file so my ipod can function and communicate with iTunes, or should i just give up and go back to CDs?
Medion XL 2000 Windows XP

I also have this problem. I have been told to restore my ipod using the ipod updater 10-12-2005 ( i have an ipod mini) and when i tried this, it said Ipod manager internal error. I was then told to try to reboot my computer and try to restore my ipod, but I recieved this same error message. I have now found that along with the error message saying : file or directory ipod_control\itunes\temp file is corrupt and unreadable
down at the system tray,
When i go to edit my playlists or put new music onto the ipod, when i unplug it, the new updates arent on the pod.
Christmas eve, the 1 year warranty is up. HELP!
If it's not fixable, do you think i could trade it for a replacement iPod?

New itunes crashed my entire system and corrupted itunes folder

Right now I am MAD AS ****.
I started iTunes and was told there was a new version available. Like a sucker I installed it. My iTunes folder and library with hundreds of hours of music is corrupted and the library shows up as blank. I tried uninstalling iTunes, but the new version leaves traces and when I install version 4.9 it won`t install because it finds elements of the new version. Even clicking on the iTunes library folder which is on a seoparate drive crashes my system. Now what Apple genius is responsible for this distaster!!!! And who at Apple is going to help me with this problem. Better question: Who at Apple even cares!
Can you tell I`m upset. Does anyone check the updates before sending them out to the field. %$?&*$!

OK, calm down, take a deep breathe. Ok, now that thats out of the way, please tell me exactly what happen with details so we can try to help you out.
Unfortunately, a majority of these download issues are actually Windows issues, not Apples. With that aside, as much info you can will be helpful along with what Windows OS you are running.

Library file corrupted and absolute chaos in my itunes folder

Hi,
Is there any way to retrieve the library folder that contains all the info for the playlists?
I just bought a macbook pro with yosemite from June 2014 and wanted to sync my itunes library. I had all on an external hard drive and then hit absolute disaster:
Itunes 12 won't recognise an old library file from itunes 9.2.1.
So from the previous libraries folder I dragged the file into the itunes folder, renamed it, opened 12 but none of my playlists showed up and none of my over 12000 podcasts either.
Only purchased songs were visible.
I finally realised that 9.2.1 works in yosemite when opened from the external hard drive. I assigned the itunes folder and presto everything showed up.
But then I made the huge mistake of opening in itunes 12 again and for some reason it resorted all the files in an impossible way. It created a folder for every podcast edition and then chucked a hole lot of mp3s into the trash. The itunes folder is now utterly unrecognisable and the library file won't open in 9.2.1 any more. The library files from previous library folder do not work in 9.2.1 either any more, it's a mess and took me previously months to create the right order.
I had also reduced the podcasts in file size to fit them all onto my ipod classic and now it's all gone.
Is there any way at all that I can retrieve the library file from my ipod to re-create the order that I had?

i just migrated all my mp3's over to a new computer. installed the latest version of itunes 6.
when you open itunes on a 'clean' install, there are no songs in your library folder.
so what i did was copied 5 gigs of songs into the default itunes folder into "my documents/my music/itunes/itunes music" folder. to be honest, your 'music' folder can be on any local drive on your machine. i just put mine where i can access it quicker than a networked drive or itunes sharing from another computer.
then in the 'file' column, i did "add folder to my library" to load the songs into the library. after about 15 minutes, itunes had all 5 gigs of my songs. i'm listening to my itunes as we speak.
good luck.
btw- if it doesnt do it the first time.
un-install itunes, re-start, install itunes, re-start, then do the above...

Most of my iTunes library has disappeard. I cannot find them when I search in the iTunes folder either. How can I get them back?

I had hundreds of songs in my iTunes library, but when I open it now, I have about 40. They were a combination of downloaded songs from the iTunes store and songs loaded from my personal CD collection. I have searched for advice online. I have searched my iTunes folder and my recycle bin, and my songs are no longer there. I did not download a new version or plug in a device. Nothing has changed. Where could my songs be?

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

Importing old iTunes folder to new computer

I would appreciate any help with this you can give.
I have a MacBook Pro that I had four multi-user accounts on. One of them got corrupted, so that one was deleted and another account was opened. I want to get all the old iTunes songs out of the corrupted user folder and put them in the new account iTunes folder. Do I just drag the whole old iTunes folder into the Music folder of new user? ... letting it overwrite the existing iTunes folder?
If I overwrite the new iTunes folder with the old iTunes folder, will it delete whatever I downloaded in the new iTunes since, or meld the old and new together? How do I keep from deleting newer songs and still keep the iTunes library or directories, or whatever, intact?
Thanks,
Michael

Just copy entire /Music/iTunes/ folder from old computer to /Music/ on new computer.

ITunes update corrupted some of my music files so iTunes can't find the file, nor music I bought from the iTunes store.

After an iTunes generated update of iTunes, some of my music can't be accesed any more. When I try to play the file, iTunes says it can't find the link. This also happens with music I purchase from the iTunes store, so I've lost all this music; do I have to re-buy the purchased music again? My iTunes program is on my C drive, and the music library is on my D drive. In iTunes, I've set the ripped music to be placed in my D drive. The lost links are on some music files, but not others which do play music. Some compilation music files were split up into individual files, usually without LP art attached. Some album art was placed on wrong albums as well. Music with lost links have a ! mark beside the song name. File info says the link is on my C drive, but I can't find it there. Any ideas on how to get these lost files back. Thanks, Moizy.

Try this...
Empty/corrupt library after upgrade/crash
Hopefully it's not been too long since you last upgraded iTunes, in fact if you get an empty/incomplete library immediately after upgrading then with the following steps you shouldn't lose a thing or need to do any further housekeeping. In the Previous iTunes Libraries folder should be a number of dated iTunes Library files. Take the most recent of these and copy it into the iTunes folder. Rename iTunes Library.itl as iTunes Library (Corrupt).itl and then rename the restored file as iTunes Library.itl. Start iTunes. Should all be good, bar any recent additions to or deletions from your library.
See iTunes Folder Watch for a tool to catch up with any changes since the backup file was created.
When you get it all working make a backup!
tt2

This copy of iTunes is corrupted or is not installed correctly. Please reinstall iTunes. (-42037) i have tried but it won't let me

This copy of iTunes is corrupted or is not installed correctly. Please reinstall iTunes. (-42037) this is the error message i get when trying to open itunes. it wont let me download another version

First uninstall your copy of Itunes--http://www.tekrevue.com/tip/uninstall-itunes/ (make sure you empty crash) Then you go to the applications website and reinstall it. Dont worry about losing any of your music because thats in a separate folder. Thats it---it works.

What to do if Windows displays an "iTunes.exe - Corrupt File" message

Greetings fellow Podders, Resident Furball here...
It is about time that I produced a single post for all the chkdsk issues that we've been discussing since November 2004. The Apple KB article seems to cover the major points succinctly, but we need to address the more serious variations and flavours of the problem.
<hr>
What to do if Windows displays an "iTunes.exe - Corrupt File" message
Many users are coming across this seemingly distressing error message in Windows when connecting their iPods. As described in Apple KB Article 300554, the message reads:
iTunes: iTunes.exe - Corrupt File
The file or directory \iPod_Control\iTunes\????????? is corrupt and unreadable. Please run the Chkdsk utility.
and the ????????? can be anything (eg. sysinfo, Temp1, DeviceInfo etc.).
<hr>
Don't panic!
If you do see this, don't worry, and don't panic. Contrary to what the error message reads, this issue actually has very little to do with iTunes. The iPod_Control is the key to this - because this folder doesn't even exist in iTunes... it's on the iPod!
...so! Installing and uninstalling iTunes really won't do you much good at all... it's the iPod that needs attention.
<hr>
What's causing this error?
To be honest, we don't know. We saw a massive number of reports of this issue back in November 2004, because iPod Updater 2004-11-15 contained a firmware bug that corrupted iPod system files when the Pod entered Deep Sleep.
But this firmware bug was corrected in iPod Updater 2005-06-26.
Of late, we have seen a resurgence in chkdsk errors on Discussions. Some of these are caused by the old buggy firmware that people still have. Some of the errors are more serious and are hardware and operating system-related. But we have still to pin down the exact cause of this error.
<hr>
Okay, so what do I do if I see this error?
In short, as Apple have recommended in their KB article:
Restore your iPod, using the latest iPod Updater.
Follow the instructions carefully. Ensure that you download the iPod Updater. Ensure that you install it, and then ensure that you run it with the iPod connected and follow the prompts to the letter.
The broad majority of the errors are painlessly fixed this way. Of course, it does mean that your iPod will be wiped, so make sure that you have your music/data backed up, and/or present in iTunes so you can resynchronise it when you have finished Restoring.
<hr>
Okay, I've Restored, but the error is still coming up
Are you sure you've Restored? Quite a number of folks are assuming that just downloading the iPod Updater is enough. It's not. And neither is downloading iPod Updater, and installing it on your computer. It needs to be implemented on the iPod, according to the iPod Updater instructions.
Okay, so if you have Restored your iPod, and you are still getting this error, then you have a variety of options available.
Chkdsk errors that are not fixed with a Restore are most likely down to two things:
1) A physical issue on the iPod itself
or
2) An issue on the computer's operating system
Here's where it gets woolly. There are a variety of things you could try...
Format the iPod in Windows
This would usually have the same effect as a Restore, but a deep-level format in Windows is something that Apple have recommended in the past, as a last resort to completely wipe the iPod before performing a Restore with iPod Updater. This process wipes the iPod.
To do this:
1) Enable Disk Mode on the iPod. You can do this either in iTunes (which is best), or manually on the iPod itself.
2) Open My Computer and locate your iPod
3) Right-click the iPod and select Format
4) Leave the parameters set at their defaults, and ensure Quick Format is unchecked
5) Hit Format
6) Then Restore your iPod as normal.
Run the Chkdsk utility
You could run the chkdsk utility on your iPod. But Restoring your iPod has the same effect as running chkdsk. Chkdsk does not wipe your iPod.
1) Enable Disk Mode as above
2) Determine the drive letter of your iPod from My Computer
3) Go to Start, Run
4) Type cmd. Hit Enter to take you to the Command Prompt.
5) Type chkdsk /f X:, where X is the drive letter of your iPod. Hit Enter, and any corrupt files are found and corrected.
Run Windows ScanDisk
ScanDisk is the Windows version of Chkdsk. It does not wipe your iPod.
1) Enable Disk Mode
2) Right-click the iPod in My Computer, select Properties
3) Select Tools
4) Select the option to scan the disk for errors
Try changing the Drive Letter of the iPod
Sometimes Windows confuses the drive letters, and this can cause the iPod to be adversely affected. Try the instructions detailed in Apple KB Article 93499 to change the drive letter of the iPod. This does not wipe your iPod.
Try changing Hardware Policies for the iPod
The Hardware Policies in Windows have been known to affect the way in which the iPod connects, synchronises, and disconnects. This does not wipe your iPod.
1) Enable Disk Mode so the iPod appears in My Computer
2) Right-click the iPod in My Computer
3) Select Properties
4) Select Hardware Policies
5) Select Optimize for Performance (instead of Optimize for Removal)
6) Restart your computer.
Contact Apple for a replacement iPod
Some chkdsk issues have been caused by faulty hardware. As a last resort, contact Apple Support by phone to report your issue, and/or request an iPod Service.
If you explain that you have followed all these steps, you should have a strong case for obtaining a replacement iPod.
<hr>
Thanks!
Thank you to everyone for their continued support, kindness and excellent troubleshooting skills here on Discussions. There are countless people that I am deeply grateful to for their assistance in handling this issue. Rest assured folks, you have made me the Discussions Furball that I am today.
Happy Podding folks!
Kind regards,
Gopha.
<hr>
References
1) The Original Corrupt iPod File thread from 2004. (Credit: AbbyM)
2) Our Summary and Index threads to consolidate the chkdsk issue at the height of its reign of terror.
3) Chkdsk is fixed by iPod Updater 2005-06-26.
4) Different flavours of chkdsk.
5) Happy Birthday chkdsk!.
6) Apple Level 2 Technical Support officially close the chkdsk casefile. (Credit: Apple Level 2)
7) Chkdsk can be fixed by changing the drive letter of the iPod. (Credit: daisysnroses, jchiu8)
8) Chkdsk can be fixed by changing the hardware policy. (Credit: Bruce Finn)
9) Chkdsk caused by faulty hardware. (Credit: Kiwi_Bloke)

iPod Updater 2006-03-23 has been released
iPod Updater 2006-03-23 includes iPod Software 1.1.1 for the new iPod and new iPod Software 1.1.1 for iPod nano.
iPod Updater 2006-03-23 contains the same software versions as iPod Updater 2006-01-10 for all other iPod models.
What's new in iPod Updater 2006-03-23:
- Volume limit
- Bug fixes
I have been trying to ascertain from Apple Support Level 2 as to whether the latest iPod firmware improves or provides better resolution for the chkdsk issue. If anyone has been using iPod Updater 2006-03-23 to resolve their chkdsk woes, feel free to post in here just to say how things worked out for you...
Kind regards,
Gopha.

How do I stop itunes from corrupting it's library on almost a daily basis?

How do I stop itunes from corrupting it's library on almost a daily basis? It's actually becoming infurating to use, and what's happening is I am losing my downloads since the last automated itunes backup (having to rename & replace the current corrupted library with the last backup which is usually a day or two old). What can cause this? Is there ANY alternative to using itunes for Apps (which is the sole use I have for it)? If not, APPLE PLEASE REMOVE THE NEED FOR THE DATABASE SO IT DOESN'T HAVE THE ABILITY TO CORRUPT ITSELF... :'(

Things you see in iTunes are stored in various sub folders in your main iTunes folder as in:
Image of folder structure and explanation of different iTunes versions (turingtest2 post) - https://discussions.apple.com/message/13025536 and https://discussions.apple.com/message/17457605
Start iTunes and immediately hold down the option key. Create a new library somewhere. Go to your old iTunes folder and drag items to the window for the new library. Maybe only grab a folder or part of one at a time. It will copy these items to the new library (so you need lots of extra room on your computer).

How do I get reinstalled itunes to reload my music in the itunes folder on drive D?

I previously moved my itunes folder to D. I had to reinstall itunes and now I don't know how to get it to see my music and my old playlists. Thank you in advance for any help.

If depends on which method you used. If you moved your entire iTunes folder out to D: then you may need to hold down SHIFT as you start iTunes, click Choose and then browse to the folder containing the library database. If you only moved the media folder then your library will normally be in <User's Music>\iTunes.
Is this the same machine you previously used iTunes on or have have moved the drive. Uninstalling/reinstalling iTunes should have any effect on the contents of your library. Perhaps this is the advice you need...
Empty/corrupt library after upgrade/crash
Hopefully it's not been too long since you last upgraded iTunes, in fact if you get an empty/incomplete library immediately after upgrading then with the following steps youshouldn't lose a thing or need to do any further housekeeping. In the Previous iTunes Libraries folder should be a number of dated iTunes Library files. Take the most recent of these and copy it into the iTunes folder. Rename iTunes Library.itl as iTunes Library (Corrupt).itl and then rename the restored file as iTunes Library.itl. Start iTunes. Should all be good, bar any recent additions to or deletions from your library.
See iTunes Folder Watch for a tool to catch up with any changes since the backup file was created.
When you get it all working make a backup!
tt2

ITunes Folder Corrupted

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