ITunes library gone from iTunes after re-launching Finder

Yesterday while attempting to force quit an application I by mistake re-launched the finder which consequently meant all my settings on the system were lost(I know,I can't believe how dumb I've been as well) and I was in effect starting again from scratch.When launching iTunes it was completely blank,no library,smart playlists or created playlists.The music however was still intact on my hard drive.I have about 16GB of music on my system and about 49GB free.I decided to drag the iTunes music folder to "Library" in the source list and it copied all roughly 4600 tracks.However after doing this there was only 33GB free space so I deleted the library in iTunes leaving it empty again.I haven't synched my iPod since this happened so everything on it is as before my act of stupidity.I read the post earlier where someone's music went from their hard drive and were recommended to download Senuti to transfer it back from their iPod which I have done,although haven't used yet.Sorry for rambling slightly but I've tried to be as concise as possible.I would massively appreciate any help! Thanks
eMac G4 Mac OS X (10.3.9)
eMac G4 Mac OS X (10.3.9)

Here's what I'd do. Note that this will delete any playlists you have and may clear track ratings, etc.
- confirm that at least one of the iTunes folders has all your tracks;
- drag the other iTunes folder to the Trash (but don't empty the trash yet; if you're worried about accidentally emptying the Trash, drag that iTunes folder to someplace out of the way, but where you won't get confused about which you're working with);
- in the folder you're keeping, drag the iTunes Library and iTunes.xml files to the Trash (again, don't empty the Trash yet)
- launch iTunes; it should be blank now.
- Open the iTunes preferences, go to the Advanced preference and make sure that the iTunes Music Folder location is the iTunes Music folder in the iTunes folder you're keeping
- uncheck the "copy files to iTunes Music folder when adding to Library" item
- run the Add To Library command (under the File menu) and select your iTunes Music folder.
That should get all your tracks back into iTunes without duplications (unless duplicates exist in the individual album folders). If it works, then reset the "copy files to iTunes Music folder when adding to Library" item for future imports.
Once you've confirmed that all your tracks are back and play correctly, then you can empty the Trash (or delete the extra iTunes folder).
Hope this helps.

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Force Re-Creation Of iTunes Library.itl from iTunes Library.xml?

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iTunes v9.
It's dawning on me that I can edit "iTunes Library.xml" and fix my hundreds (if not thousands) of broken links there.
But iTunes seems to work out of "iTunes Library.itl".
Seems like there had to be a way to get iTunes to re-create "iTunes Library.itl" from "iTunes Library.xml".
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Damage the ITL first. That method has worked for several folks. Example:
http://discussions.apple.com/message.jspa?messageID=11566523#11566523

Library gone from itunes

Hi if anyone can assist, I tried to create a new library and now that i go to itunes and click on library(music) nothing comes up. I have no play lists as i did before no music????????? can anyone help

Something has damaged the itunes database file
iTunes Library.itl
This article has ideas on troubleshooting - using MSCONFIG.
http://support.apple.com/kb/ts2715
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My purchased song has a ! symbol next to it and won't play - says The song “Bayini (Live)” could not be used because the original file could not be found. Would you like to locate it? It works on my phone and iPad but not my Mac and how do I find it - doesn't seem to exist on my Mac.

Hello Snefne,
Deleting the entry from iTunes on your Mac and redownloading it from the iTunes Store should allow the song to play.
Delete songs and music videos from your iTunes library with an iTunes Match subscription
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201323
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Itunes LIBRARY GONE! (5th Gen80GB)

Hi,
I have a 5th GEN 80GB iPod.
I would not say a proud apple owner, given all the problems I’ve had over the years with the device apparently overheating ,then shut itself off while playing in a JBL soundstage speaker thang, (could have been the JBL, (but they insisted it's not them, it's the ipod) as well as the music library in my itunes on the computer suddenly disappearing.
I have XP Home SP3. I installed the itunes software in my primary boot hard C: Drive, and kept all my music in my second internal F: drive. I’ve always had all my (mp3) music ripped from all my old tapes, CD’s and online purchased tunes on my computer, in a music folder.
When I bought this 5th GEN ipod, I installed iTunes on this computer, opened itunes, up and created about ten playlists, then methodically dragged each genre from my music list folder into the specific genre playlist into itunes…follow so far?
So the bad thing for me was, that every time I changed anything at all (date, mis-spelled word, wrong artist, etc.,) to one or more songs in my Music folder, when I opened itunes up, there would be a yellow exclamation next to any of those ‘corrected’ songs, then I would have to Double-Click on it, then LOCATE, to put it back into itunes again.
Last night, after buying four Mp3 songs from Amazon, which automatically opens up itunes to place them there, I noticed all my playlists ands songs were GONE! GONE! GONE!
For some reason, I thought by downloading Gizmo which restores itunes music back into itunes from my ipod would work, but it simply placed all the music into my itunes/itunes media/music folder on the C: drive which was filling up the 74GB drive, and ALL my music was close to that size.
So I uninstalled Gizmo, created another MY MUSIC>ITUNES MEDIA>MUSIC in my F:Drive (500GB) then changed the directory output in my itunes music in itunes Preferences to this location on nthe F Drive.
So is it crazy that I have two sets of music on my computer? About 38 GB of regular Mp3 songs, then another 37.2 GB in my itunes music directory?
I keep those regular songs in there for backup, in case this happens again. So now, I also see exclamation marks in hundreds of songs in the itunes library, which, SORRY, apple seems to think I have all kinds of EXTRA time going back and LOCATING each and everyone of those darkened checked songs! Crazy!
Does anyone with itunes have two sets of folders for music…main Music folder, and also itunes library folder? Or primarily, just the music in the itunes. I listen to my music in WINAMP, not itunes when I’m by the computer, preference I guess.
Thanks for any light on this subject.

Because my Primary drive is only 74GB, I got this pop up message telling me the C: Drive is out of space,that's where all these itune files were going. So I changed the path in preferences, to go to my second hard drive to a created new folder named 'MY Itune Music'. That added another 37 GB of music to my secondary HDD
Right. Because the music you had in iTunes is still in the first location and iTunes is using that.
Putting music into a folder then pointing iTunes to this new folder does not add it to iTunes.
Edit > Preferences > Advanced > 'Keep itunes media folder organized' is CHECKED.
....The second option, 'Copy Files to itunes media when adding to library' is UNCHECKED
This is fine.
When you add new music to iTunes, it will stay in the location you add it from. iTunes will not copy it anywhere.
The easiest way to manage music is to keep it inside the iTunes folder and iTunes manage it. Then everything is in one location. In addition, if you want to move your music, it's simply a matter of moving the entire iTunes folder and nothing will be changed or lost.
If you try to do things yourself, you must do a lot more work to make sure everything stays straight.
Quit iTunes.
Go to /Music/ and copy the iTunes folder to the F: drive.
Hold Shift and launch iTunes.
Select *Choose library* and select the iTunes folder you copied to the F: drive.
Now everything will be as it was except the library files in the iTunes folder are now on the F: drive and this is what will be used.
The iTunes folder in /Music/ on the C: drive is no longer needed.
To get everything inside the iTunes folder...
iTunes prefs Advanced and make sure iTunes media folder location is set to /iTunes/iTunes media folder not eh F:drive.
Tick *Copy files to iTunes media folder....* and tick *Keep iTunes media folder organized*.
This will keep everything inside the iTunes media folder you pointed to in prefs Advanced.
Now go to File > Library > Organize library > Consolidate.
This will copy everything in iTunes library into the iTunes media folder you pointed to in Advanced.
At this point you can delete everything outside of the iTunes media folder on F:
Then you will likely have a bunch of duplicates in iTunes (since it was messed up before.
iTunes menu File > Show duplicates will help to sort it out.
If you edit filenames or paths outside of iTunes with windows explorer, iTunes will lose them.

I made a mistake by pressing autofill and all of my music was gone from itunes and from my iphone 5s, how can i get my music back on my iphone 5s?

I made a mistake by pressing autofill on my hp windows laptop and all of my music was gone from itunes and my iphone 5s, how can i get my music back onto my iphone 5s?

Have you checked to see if the media files are still on the computer? See Empty/corrupt iTunes library after upgrade/crash.
tt2

Itunes library unable to sync after upgrading to Windows 8

I have all my iTunes contents (TV shows, movies and music) saved in an external hard drive.
Recently I upgraded my PC from Windows 7 to Windows 8.1, and I downloaded the latest iTunes after transitioning to Windows 8.1.
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Hello shumyeah,
Thank you for the details of the issue you are experiencing with iTunes. It sounds like your music is on an external hard drive, and you would like iTunes to point to that library and store all your music files there. I also see that you have the iTunes Preferences set to save new content to the iTunes Media folder on the external drive.
The next steps is to to choose the iTunes Library on your external drive when launching iTunes. Follow 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 Startmenu and choose All Programs > iTunes > iTunes.
You should see the following screen:
You can then choose the iTunes Library on your external drive. 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 using Apple Support Communities.
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Itunes was deleted from laptop after changing credit card info and password. How do I get it back along with all songs that was on my account

itunes was deleted from laptop after changing credt card infor and password. How do I get it back along with all of its contents?

I suspect unless he had some items in iCloud backup then they are gone. Connecting an iPhone to a different library from that to which it was previously connected will result in the device asking if you want to erase it.

How can I restore my iTunes library via Time Machine after an erase/install and upgrade to Snow Leopard?

Actual problem:
I reinstalled all my programs that I need without a hitch. Meanwhile, I've been trying to recover the few files (mostly music) I actually store on my computer's hard drive as opposed to on my external HDs. I use one external HD for my graphic files and the other is strictly for Time Machine backups. I tried to recover my iTunes music, but I got a message that says: "The file: "iTunes Library.itl" cannot be read because it was created by a newer version of iTunes." I restored (I thought) my iTunes library Username/Music/iTunes." Additionally, I was going to upgrade to Mountain Lion, but I have seen that there were issues with Lion and iTunes libraries so I'm a little wary of this.
Excuse the long explanation, but I figure the problem may possibly be in the details of the weeks prior this problem:
I have recently been having issues with my iMac. I brought it in to see a Genius twice within the past month and they couldn't seem to find the problem. (It would restart Finder of it's own accord while I was using Adobe CS programs) I figured it was worth backing everything up via Time Machine and doing a complete erase/install/factory reset. I did so and had a problem again, and brought it in again, third time. The Genius did another diagnostics tests and found nothing and said my erase/install probably did the trick, but time will tell. I am, after the erase/rewrite and upgrade running Mac OS X 10.6.3 and previous to this was still running Tiger.

So, I didn't update iTunes and the rest of it after installing Snow Leopard. My stupidity, I figured that the OS was more up to date than the one I had previously so that all the programs that come with it probably were more current than the ones I was using. However, now that I have updated all my software, I am still getting the same message from iTunes that I was previously. I cannot open iTunes at all, same "The file: "iTunes Library.itl" cannot be read because it was created by a newer version of iTunes." message. I'm confused again. Checked a few other threads and whatnot and cannot seem to figure this out.

How do I transfer my iTunes library back from an external hard drive?

Hi. Today, I bought a 1TB external hard drive, and I was very excited to transfer my music over to it. It worked fine for a couple of hours, but then, tragedy struck. Right in the middle of listening to a song, it stopped and Windows told me the device has malfunctioned. I tried everything, and I couldn't get it to work again. Luckily, I hadn't deleted the files from my internal hard drive, but I still have another problem. If I re-import all the music from my folders again, all my data such as playlists, ratings, and artwork is lost. I definitely don't want to do this again, but I don't know what else I can do. I can't set the default iTunes Media folder, because my albums are arranged in an iTunes Media folder to begin with. I can't simply put them all in iTunes Media folders, because I have 60 GB of music, and I want to keep spare copies without overblowing my internal hard drive. What do I do? Thanks.

I'm guessing you "consolidated" the library to the new location. If so this technique should let you connect a working of your library from before the migration.
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!
An alternative approach would be to repair the broken links with my FindTracks script.
tt2

Can anyone tell me how to restore my itunes library and playlists? After I downloaded mountain lion my library is missing and my devices can be synced to only one library ...the missing one

can anyone tell me how to restore my itunes library and playlists? After I downloaded mountain lion my library is missing and my devices can be synced to only one library ...the missing one

That .itl file actually is the library -- at least the critical part of it although the library is actually many files and folders.
Try starting iTunes and immediately hold down the option key. When it asks, guide it to the .itl file.
It's really hard to say without being able to poke around your computer. Upgrading should not delete the old library, but still it happens to the very, very few which is why we make backups before updating. If the old library file is gone then so are your playlists. You can always see if the following is of any use:
iTunes: How to re-create your iTunes library and playlists - http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1451

I downloaded the latest update yesterday and now itune is gone from my pc because it didn't download correctly

I downloaded the latest update yesterday and now itunes is gone from my toshiba laptop. I get a message msvcr80.dll. Any suggestions why

Go to Control Panel > Add or Remove Programs (Win XP) or Programs and Features (later)
Remove all of these items in the following order:
iTunes
Apple Software Update
Apple Mobile Device Support (if this won't uninstall press on)
Bonjour
Apple Application Support
Reboot, download iTunes, then reinstall, either using an account with administrative rights, or right-clicking the downloaded installer and selecting Run as Administrator.
The uninstall and reinstall process will preserve your iTunes library and settings, but ideally you would back up the library and your other important personal documents and data on a regular basis. See this user tip for a suggested technique.
Please note:
Some users may need to follow all the steps in whichever of the following support documents applies to their system. These include some additional manual file and folder deletions not mentioned above.
HT1925: Removing and Reinstalling iTunes for Windows XP
HT1923: Removing and reinstalling iTunes for Windows Vista, Windows 7, or Windows 8
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Trying to Import my iTunes Library Retrieved from a Crashed Mac on my New Mac

Hi all,
My old mac laptop crashed and I had the contents of it transferred to my new MacBookPro laptop. My itunes folder from the old mac laptop is now on my new laptop's desktop but I can't find a way to import my old itunes library to the new one. Which of the old files do I have to move and where, please? Thanks in advance for your help.
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My old itunes folder's content reads like this:
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-iTunes Library Genius.itdb
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Go into iTunes prefs>Advanced - check that the path to your iTunes is correct.
It should look similar to this - /users/YOUR ACCOUNT/Music/itunes/itunes music - if the path is not correct then select the 'change' option and point the way.
If you have the ! Next to the tunes then the path is incorrect. This doesn't mean that the files are missing - just iTunes cannot find the way - iTunes is a data base manager and as such can lose track if things are moved in the Finder.
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Can users have one iTunes library deriving from two drives?

Hi everyone,
I keep my 4 & 5 star songs on my C drive and the rest (all stars, 1,2 3, etc.) on my exhternal hard drive.
Whenever I want to listen to my music, all I can readily play are the tunes on my C drive.
I'm guessing the issues having one library for tunes stored on separate drives is insurmountable?
I say that because I'm guessing that my iPod (4th gen) is only capable of importing from one library?
I think the biggest issue is either I don't know how to (or maybe users can't) list a second drive so that iTunes can load all songs from both drives whenever I do have the second drive up and running.
Adding to the second drive library issue, I can't figure out how to permanently tag my external HD's (I've got 6) so that their drive letter is not automatically defaulting to their order of prescence.
I can deal with that issue by simply not opening iTunes while I the second drive has been assigned a drive letter other than what iTunes (hopefully) is set to (i.e.; hopefully C and F drives).
But can users have one iTunes library deriving from two drives?

Seems I've over come what is something I'd hoped/expected iTunes would be capable of (ie; reinitiating the pathway for external HD music files when their drive letter is the only thing that changed).
I tried the obvious by going to iTunes's Edit>Preferences>Advanced and clicking the change button for "iTunes Music folder location", then entered the current drive and pathway (as the drive is currently assigned, F as opposed to the original G) and of course iTunes still couldn;t find the missing tunes.
Giving up on the hope that iTunes was designed smarter than it is (ie; each and every single missing tune req's manual redirection of pathway, as opposed to a preferable tick box for something like 'use the last redirected pathway').
And I finally figured out how to properly changed drive letter assignments, but still uncertasin if that means permanently tags my EHD's with that drive letter.
For that to be permanent, maybe I need to name each drive regardless that Windows already has unique inforamtion on each HD. Suppose I'll soon find out if the drive at this point has fianlly stored its drive name and whether or not Windows will contiue to change the EHD drive letters simply by the order which I am introducing them to the os.
No real luck with rats nest USB hubs as they crash my os alot, so I'm left to trying to find an easy way of managing the EHD drive assignments. THe following is the closest I've yet to come to doing that:
Click Start>Control Panel>Administrative Tools>Computer Management, and then in the left pane, under Storage, click Disk Management.
Right-click the drive, partition, logical drive, or volume for which you want to assign a drive letter, and then click Change Drive Letter and Paths.
Click Change.
Click Assign the following drive letter (if it is not already selected), click the drive letter that you want to use, and then click OK.
Click Yes when you are prompted to confirm the drive letter change.
Again, too bad iTunes doesn't afford a 'find' feature for 'missing' files such that one might be afforded a tick box for 'do not prompt again, instead use the last indicated location for "iTunes Music" folder as the base storage location'.
This drive renaming thing is a real hassle. Not like somebody couldn't have guessed it and Windows and/or iTunes can't afford some script, etc. to better manage 'tagging' EHD's and/or re-locating 'missing' tunes.
But then what would we have to complain about, not that they listen anyway.

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iTunes: How to share music between different accounts on a single computer - http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1203

ITunes library gone from iTunes after re-launching Finder

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