ITunes Library Clears Itself
I just purchased a new computer a few months ago and added my songs to my library. Everything worked fine for the first two months and then one day I opened iTunes and all of my music was gone from my library. I searched my computer and found that all of my music was still on there, just not on my library. I then reloaded all of my songs and thought that would solve it. Now every time I open iTunes my songs are missing. I've contacted many computer repair services, and none of them can/will help me. Does anyone know why this happens and how I can fix it?
Probably after two months you ran some of the Sony Vaio media management software. It causes conflicts with itunes.
Either disable your VAIO Content Folder Watcher program, or set it up so it doesn't mess with the itunes folders.
More info in this long thread where a lot of Vaio owners had the same problem:
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=1800551&tstart=90
Similar Messages
-
My iTunes for Windows clears out all my songs, playlists, movies, etc. and basically resets itself everytime I shut down the iTunes application. When I reopen it, everything disappears from iTunes. The files are all still on my computer, under "My Music"-->"iTunes" and are perfectly fine; I can reimport them into iTunes and they all function. If anyone has any ideas or insights on how to stop iTunes from resetting itself, I would greatly appreciate it.
Your Sony Vaio software is kindly deleting the iTunes library.itl file.
See this -> iTunes creates an empty library file in Windows
"Symptoms"
Some file scanning software products that are not made by Apple, such as the Sony VAIO Entertainment Platform, may damage your iTunes library. If the library becomes damaged, iTunes may create a new, empty library. -
My iTunes Library cleared out after the forced shutdown, how to recover it?
So here is the thing, yesterday as usual, i was adding songs to my 10,000 tracks library's super organized as i do most of the time. Then i decided to shut down the computer instead of just putting in of just hibernating him as i always do.. So my habit was to just close the laptop, this time i had it clicked to shut down but then i closed it before it really turned off. That means today when i opened it back it still was asking me if i really wanted to force quit the applications i had still opened, i said 'yes' and then the computer truly shut down. Then i restarted it again, opened browser, and when i open iTunes ALL my library was simply gone!
I know that i didnt trashed any of the .itl or .xml files the day before so i really shocked when i saw it I dont know why did it happened, i wasnt updating iTunes or anything else..
I went to 'iTunes' Folder in 'Music' folder, and there were the 'iTunes Library' .itl and a 'iTunes Library (2)' files along with the usual Extra, Genius .itl files and the .xml too.
So ive searched on the thrash that by casualty still had files from TEMP folder i had erased a few weeks ago, and there only Extra and Genius .itl files but no iTunes Library .itl file... So it was not a thing happened by my manual deleting.
I've tried re-installing the latest version of iTunes i found on the site (it was just a 'repair' since the version was up to date) and opened it again and there was still nothing :/
I checked 'Previous iTunes Libraries' folder and f****! The newest file was from March this year (2012), i knew that ive added hundreds of new songs since that date and one other thing, i knew that date was not the latest update ive done to iTunes, the last one was for sure way after that kinda something in May or June so i dont know too why did it not appeared that .itl file.
So i tried opening that 'iTunes Library (2)', and from my 10k songs it would only show ~8900 and then i tried the 'iTunes Library' from March and it would only show 9000 songs, So i guess im ****** up by 1000 songs difference... That is a lot a still, since they were all organized by Name, Artist, Album, Genre, Year, Rate, Times Played, Artwork,etc..
So now i have serious problems..
Do you have any suggestion on ways i could follow in order to find my 'Yesterday' Library infos and songs? With all the stuff it had? Like rewinding in time?
Even if you dont, and presuming i would want to add those 1000 missing files from the iTunes Music folder where, dont know why, says i have 14k songs, which is very strange since i always delete to recicle bin all the songs i want to clear out from the Library so they wont stay in folder and not in iTunes, so how could i add those missing 1000 without adding those other 9000 that would be repeated??
Please, somebody help me with this, because at this moment im really out of solutions and my Library and its organization are "my babies" and it would be a devastating loss to me if i have to ruined this way :SReinstalling iTunes won't ever repair damaged libraries or find lost files.
Unlike nearly all Windows software double-clicking an iTunes Library file does not necessarily open the selected database. Rather, iTunes opens the last database it successfully opened, or if that was in the "normal" <User's Music>\iTunes location, but is missing, it will create a new empty library.
You can open an alternate library file, or create a new one, by holding down shift as you start iTunes. Although you can open the library files in the Previous iTunes Libraries folder this way, your library will perform better if you restore the archived library database to the main iTunes folder in the way that I have described.
Your most recent library may be present in the main iTunes folder as a .tmp file, or recoverable via a file undelete tool, however either of these files, if found, may be partially corrupt getting you no further forward.
The two most recent releases of iTunes were June 11th and March 28th 2012..
Yes I read your post, but I don't know if you know all of the above. If you had a full backup of your library you could just restore that. It is possible that what you've tried so far hasn't yet brought back the most complete version of your library that is available to you. As a last resort you will have to work with what you have and add in whatever media is not in that version of your library, accepting the loss of recently added ratings, playlists & play counts.
You can simply add the entire iTunes Media folder using File > Add Folder to Library folder which should ignore everything already in the library and only add new (to that database) stuff. If there is any chance that your iTunes media folder contains .m3u playlist files the import process will also import all of those, which may not be what you want. iTunes Folder Watch would then present a better approach.
tt2 -
Hi, I had nearly 6000 songs in my itunes library and I turned on my PC today to find it had all erased itself from the library somehow. All the songs and podcasts etc are on my ipod but I daren't reconnect it incase the ipod automatically syncs itself and loses everything currently on it. What is the best way to go about solving this issue, with minimal/no loss of data? Thanks
*I had nearly 6000 songs in my itunes library and I turned on my PC today to find it had all erased itself from the library somehow*
Try holding down the Shift key in Windows when launching iTunes 7. In the resulting dialogue you will get the option to create a new library or navigate to an existing one. The default location for your iTunes library is in \Documents and Settings\Username\My Documents\My Music\iTunes\. Look in there and see if you have more than one library file (they have the extension .itl) If you have more than one try opening them in turn, you may find your original library is still intact: How to open an alternate iTunes Library file
*All the songs and podcasts etc are on my ipod but I daren't reconnect it incase the ipod automatically syncs itself and loses everything currently on it*
You can use a keyboard command to prevent your iPod auto-syncing with iTunes. While connecting the iPod to the computer on Windows with iTunes 7.3 or later installed hold down the Shift + Ctrl keys together. This will stop the iPod from auto-syncing with iTunes and the iPod will appear in the source list. Wait until you are sure the iPod has mounted, and that it will not auto sync and then you can let the keys go. This may take between 20 to 30 seconds depending on your computer: iTunes - Keyboard Shortcuts for Windows
When your iPod appears in the iTunes source list change the update setting to "manually manage songs and videos", that way you can continue to use your iPod without the risk of accidentally erasing it. Keep your iPod in manual mode until you can sort out the issue with your library: Managing content manually on iPod -
Itunes library rearranged itself...all messed up now!
Very weird problem happened to me with itunes. Last night I wanted to move a playlist from my ipod to my itunes. I have a program called TuneAid that does such a thing. I moved over a playlist with a hundred or so songs into my itunes library. The move seemed to go OK but when I started to play songs in my itunes library, I encountered a very strange problem...there are now hundreds of songs that have the wrong information for them.
The song information (title, artist, year, album, track number) is still in tact, but it is for the wrong song. For example, I clicked on a song by the Rolling Stones, but what played was a song by the Beatles. So I searched for the Beatles song that was playing and found it, but when I played that, a song by Billy Joel plays. I spent an hour or so renaming files but I think there are still a couple hundred left.
What's strange is not all the songs in my library were messed up. I have about 2000 songs, but only a large handful were messed up. The second thing is that it wasn't just the songs in the playlist that I transferred from my ipod that got messed up. Some songs that were not on my ipod now have the wrong metadata.
I tried to restore a previous itunes library, but that didn't work. All that did was put an exclamation point by the song where files could not be found. This helps me identify the songs with the wrong path but I do not know what that song is now labeled.
Hope this description. Is there any hope for me or do I have to rename all these files? Is there anything I can do with the XML file or the .itl files.
Thanks!Mind if I wait around and see if you get an answer, cibt?
I can't fathom the iTs way of doing things - but not quite doing things. Are files Windows files of are they iTs? What job does the .itl file have? Is iTs just a series of pointers to (real) Windows files?
Can files be moved around Windows folders and be recognised by iTs, or is iTs a file manager too?
It's a dog's breakfast to me. Too clever by half. An entire system within another entire system. I'll be waiting.. -
My Itunes library doubled itself.
I opened Itunes tonight and it looked like everything was in the cloud. So I stated to redownload everything. Then I realized things were doubled and in some cases tripled. So I had to delete and hide them in the cloud. Now items are in the library and the cloud. Has this happened to anyone before? I don't understand what happened.
Bumpitty-bump...
-
My iTunes library erased itself.
Looked in Finder but iTunes media file is empty, as are videos and music files I stored in other locations. I did not consciously or deliberately delete any of these files recently. I did not update iTunes recently.
Nothing is in my trash, and the files are not in my TimeCapsule backup either.
I am going through a time-consuming process to restore them from CrashPlan where they also show as recently delted.
Anyone experience something like this? Any ideas?Hi Amanda,
You can transfer music purchased from the iTunes store from iPhone/iPod to computer by clicking File> Transfer Purchases from, as described here: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1848
Syncing music that was not purchased from the iTunes store is intended to be a one-way-street, so it will have to be imported into iTunes again. This article: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1209 provides more details.
-Jason -
Itunes library transferred to iphone but erased on my computer
My itunes library erased itself when I tried to sync my new iphone to it. My music is on my phone, but I can't get it back into my library. I've tried restoring my library, too, to no avail. I'm not eligible to talk with an Apple rep on the phone because I'm in Germany, but I don't speak German well enough to work with someone on the help line here. At this point I'd just like to ask that my purchased music be replaced so that I can start fresh (and back up this time), but I'm not finding an e-mail address for customer service; any help would be appreciated!
thank you,
AmandaHi Amanda,
You can transfer music purchased from the iTunes store from iPhone/iPod to computer by clicking File> Transfer Purchases from, as described here: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1848
Syncing music that was not purchased from the iTunes store is intended to be a one-way-street, so it will have to be imported into iTunes again. This article: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1209 provides more details.
-Jason -
I tried to restart earlier today and when the filevault thing wouldn't stop after about an hour and a half, I shut down manually. Now my itunes library "recovered" itself with larger quantities of files missing.
I tried to restart earlier today and when the filevault thing wouldn't stop after about an hour and a half, I shut down manually. Now my itunes library "recovered" itself with larger quantities of files missing.
-
Clearing or resetting Itunes library
I have a question actually, How can I clear and or reset my itunes library itself, So I can start all over and add new music and without having to manually delete songs I dont want on there?
Go into each separate section (music, Movies, Tv shows, Podcasts, etc)
ctl-a to select everything, then press the delete key.
If you want to do it from the menu, it's edit > select all. Then press delete. -
Recently I was forced to recreate my entire iTunes library. My computer shut down unexpectedly and when I restarted it, my iTunes library was gone from the iTunes software. After *finally* receiving some information from iTunes support about restoring the library (which meant I had to do exactly what I was afraid I would have to do--basically click-and-drag the entire contents from my hard drive back into the library), I wanted to update my iPod with the songs I'd added since the last updating. And this is where more trouble began.
When I plugged in my iPod to sync it with the library, I got a warning message informing me that the library currently on the iPod would be cleared during the syncing, because the iPod can only be associated with "one" library. Well, I did NOT want to do that because I wanted to retain the playcount and other information about the songs. I was also hoping to keep the playlists currently on the iPod.
So, my first instinct was to contact iTunes support. The only problem there was that going through the Support pages ended up with my needing to call Apple. I'd attempted that when I first lost the library and was told by the Support associate that ALL iTunes help and support must be done online. Ironic, huh? I can't get iTunes support online until I call Apple support to get a direct web address to take me to the express lane help pages. And, unfortunately, I made the mistake of uninstalling and reinstalling my AOL software and lost ALL of my e-mails with the iTunes support addresses in the process.
So basically, I need to know what to do here. Is there a way to keep the current iTunes library on my iPod and still syncing with the recreated library or do I just need to accept the loss of the library currently on my iPod? I may try to call Apple Support and get that iTunes online support address again but I'd really like to get this resolved more quickly. The last time that I called and then I got the iTunes online help address, it ended up taking 2 days to get that help.Hi. The two user tips both describe a sequence of steps that should get your library from the point where it threatens to wipe data from your device to where it is syncing normally, while recovering as much information as possible. It may still be necessary to wipe and reload the device but this should only take place once all the data that can be recovered has been recovered.
Doing step 1 of 8 and then complaining things aren't the way you want them to be yet strikes me as premature...
Since you appear to have all your media content, and we are discussing an iPod classic, not an iOS device, the main worries are already taken care of. What's left is ratings, playcounts, playlist membership and checked status. Since your device holds only part of your library at best you could only recover the missing data for the content that is on the device using third party tools.
Recreating the previous checked/unchecked status of every track in your library from where you are now may not be that easy. Syncing with selected playlists has many advantages, one of which would have been that you would have a named playlist that could have been retrieved by 3rd party software if you had used this method.
You haven't explained what caused your problem in the first place, but if you have a Previous iTunes Libraries folder holding old copies of your iTunes database (generated with each iTunes update) then it would be possible to restore the most recent of these and then update the library with any changes in your media folder.
BTW Apple doesn't offer free support for this kind of issue with iTunes.
tt2 -
How do I remove entire iTunes library that has duplicated itself in each individual playlist???
Hi,
Further to my previous posting yesterday I have somehow miraculously managed to find and restore my playlist folders (although some of my playlists that I created are missing tracks for some reason - any suggestions???).
However, as happy as I am, when I click on the folder heading for each playlist eg. ADELE it drops down the playlist I have for each albumie. 19, 21 but the folder itself shows my entire iTunes library. Bizarre! Any suggestion as to how I remove the library from each individual folder?
I have added a new folder and re-named > dragged playlists into it and then deleted the old one with the entire library in, but taking into account I have a huge iTunes library it will take me hours to do this for all of my folders.
Help much appreciated! ;-))And do I take it that the actually playlist, e.g. THE E.N.D. only shows the tracks of that album? Anyway, something has gone horribly wrong.
The easiest way to resolve this might be to go back to an earlier build of your iTunes library and then bring it up to date with any recently added content, like 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!
I would add that you probably have too many playlists. The column browser provides a way to quickly locate, for example, all tracks by an artist, in a certain genre, or specific albums. Creating multiple playlist folders for artists, with playlists for their albums, is overkill. Playlists are best used to create lists or selections that can't be pulled out easily from the Column Browser.
tt2 -
When I plug my Ipod into my computer it shows all my songs on it as reloading onto the device,
and sometimes it can't locate the files or they are just gone. All my songs are in my Itunes library
on my computer, and I do have it in my settings not sync the Ipod with my computer so I can
manage the content myself. It has happened multiple times.
I have cleared my Ipod off as well as my computer, and put all the music back on without seeing
any improvement. And as of today when I tried again it shows some songs on there but with 3 copies
of the same song trying to upload onto my ipod. And have of my playlist where empty. I am getting
frustrated and don't know what to do. Help.See these previous posts on dotted circles
https://discussions.apple.com/message/20813679#20813679
https://discussions.apple.com/message/20792130#20792130
https://discussions.apple.com/thread/5524609?tstart=0
https://discussions.apple.com/thread/4643160?start=15&tstart=0 -
i'm sorry for repeating this, but i have not found a clear, step-by-step answer in several hours.
i have a macbook with iTunes library, a new iMac, and a new time capsule. how can i transfer my itunes library from TC backup to the iMac?
(sharing the iTunes library between the macbook & iMack requires both machines and seems silly ...)
thank you -No.
-
SO MY ITUNES LIBRARY HAS DELETED ITSELF...
IM REALLY NOT VERY TECHY SO I REALLY COULD USE SOME HELP
IS IT BPOSSIBLE TO GET THE MUSIC OFF MY PHONE AND RE ADD IT TO THE LIBRARY THAT WAY?
OR COULD I DELETE ALL MY ITUNES SOFTWARE AND RE INSTALL IT AND THEN SYNC MY PHONE, WOULD IT COME BACK THEN?
SORRY IF THESE ARE REALLY STUPID QUESTIONS
ALSO DOES ANYONE KNOW WHY THIS MIGHT HAVE HAPPENED?
IVE READ SOME OTHER POSTS AND THEY SAY TO LOOK AT YOUR ITUNES FILE BUT THEY ARET VERY RECENT FOR SOME REASON AD I WILL HAVE LOST ALOT OF SONGS
ANY HELP GREATLY APPRECIATEDHey bryce255,
Thanks for the question, that definitely sounds frustrating. Luckily, we have steps available that may be able to restore your previous library:
No content shows up in iTunes after updating
http://support.apple.com/kb/TS1967
Resolution
1. Quit iTunes.
2. Download and install the latest version of iTunes.
3. Use the Finder (Mac) or Windows Explorer (Windows) to go to the iTunes folder that contains the iTunes library files:
Mac OS X
/Users/username/Music/iTunes/
Microsoft Windows Windows XP and Windows 2000
\Documents and Settings\username\My Documents\My Music\iTunes\
Microsoft Windows Windows Vista and Windows 7
\Users\username\Music\iTunes\
4. Drag the iTunes Library file from the above location to the Desktop.
5. Open the Previous iTunes Libraries folder in the iTunes folder.
6. Locate the file named iTunes Library YYYY-MM-DD where YYYY-MM-DD is the date you upgraded iTunes (Year-Month-Day).
7. Drag this file to the iTunes folder (the enclosing folder).
8. Rename this file to iTunes Library.
9. Open iTunes.
You should now see your missing content in iTunes.
If the above does not resolve your issue, you can learn about re-creating your iTunes library:
iTunes: How to re-create your iTunes library and playlists
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1451
Thanks,
Matt M.
Maybe you are looking for
-
Final Cut Pro 6.0.3 Problem with Photo JPG Codec ?
Hi everyone... I have been working with music videos for several years using FCP 5.x and photo-jpeg codec, everything works fine. As time going by now I have updated my FCP using 6.0.3 with hopes to get better features. But unfortunately FCP 6 has pr
-
Any help would be greatly appreciated
-
Dear SAP Experts, We have a need to calculate the fixed assets depreciation - not for the full month, but just the last 3 weeks of it. For example, we post the APC as of 01/07/11. We need to depreciate our fixed assets from 01/08/11 to 01/31/11 only
-
Hi All, Just installed Premiere Pro CS5 and have found difficulty in locating where to set the global location for the scratch disks. The only place I have located so far is in the project file. If this is only place, to have to set the scratch disk
-
Anyone knows the link to report sdk bug? Thanks a lot. Fred