Library.xml failing to fully import

Hello
I have just upgraded to Windows 7 and uninstalled iTunes as per the recommendation of the Win7 Upgrade advisor. I exported my library before I uninstalled and copied the entire iTunes folder to a new drive.
After the upgrade, I reinstalled iTunes (9.0.3.15) and set the new folder in the new drive as the location of the library. Next, I closed iTunes, removed the iTunes music library.xml file from my users\username\music\itunes\ folder, then imported the xml file that had been exported before the upgrade.
About half-way through the import I get an error "The file 'iTunes Music Library.xml' cannot be imported. An Unknown error occured (-50)."
I can import all my music using the Add Folder option, but I have been using iTunes for 6 years and have many ratings and custom playlists that I would like to retain - most of them were manual playlists. My music library is 95GB and almost 10,000 songs. All this metadata is (presumably), in the xml file.
Does anyone know if it is possible to correct this issue. I would hate to lose 6 years of ratings and personalisation efforts.
Thanks for any help.
Mark

I have also tried editing the xml file so that the source of the files reflects their current location on the PC. I have also tried importing a library I saved about a week before the one I am presently trying to import. I get the same error message.
I have uninstalled and reinstalled several times, deleting the iTunes media folder in user\username\ before reinstalling.
I have tried setting a new location for the library and allowing the import to copy the files to the new location.
All produce the same error.
The fact this is happening with different xml files indicates the xml may not be corrupted?

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<string>file://localhost/C:/Users/Jimmy%20O/Music/iTunes/iTunes%20Media/Boston/B oston/01%20More%20Than%20a%20Feeling.m4p</string>
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Can I manually edit the iTunes Music Library.xml file

Here's why.
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If you are in the USA you can download some previous purhcases with iCloud, but not all.
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What are the iTunes library files? - [http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1660]
More on iTunes library files and what they do - [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ITunes#Media_management]
Library files with graphic and explanation of different iTunes versions - http://discussions.apple.com/message.jspa?messageID=13169517
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Restoring play count from library.xml?

OK, i just reformatted my hard drive, and not sure i backed up everything correctly. All my music is there, but there is no play count/date added/playlists. I am ok with this, but i opened the iTunes Music Library xml file just for fun, and i noticed in the xml the playcount integer was there along with the date added. Is there a way to "import" this xml file so the playcounts show up? date added etc?Its more just for fun, but itd be nice to have. Playlists would be a bonus too, but not critical. I didtn think any of this was possible until i saw this xml file...
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GARTH,
While I understand your perceived need for this attribute, I have not seen a method to recover the 'Date Added' value. Perhaps there is a JavaScript available from another. If I happen across this facility, I'll include it in my recovery instructions, but I do not go looking for something not critically required (see my reason below).
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See what you need to do to Completely Backup iTunes.
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ITunes for Windows freezes when importing a library. I have a large but not huge library of mostly iTunes purchased music on two authorized computers and would like to sync the files, export the library as a playlist, and import it on the other computer.

I am running iTunes for Windows 10.2.2 on Windows 7 Home. I have my iTunes library on both this computer and another authorized machine running Windows 7 Professional. I have a large but not enormous library, as I'm one of those people who doesn't pirate, use torrents, borrow from a dozen friends, or whatever other shades of gray you might imagine. It's mostly iTunes purchases with my old CD collection imported. I have started using the following technique to sync my libraries between my two authorized computers, an ability which you can probably all agree should one day be added to iTunes -- that would be different from Home Sharing, because the music would be stored locally and thus available on the road. With the added benefit of the entire library being backed up on the other machine in real-time. Anyway, when I switch from my desktop to laptop and vice versa, I use the following technique:
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Open iTunes on the "Inactive" machine.
Go to Music, Select All, Delete. Keep files.
Do the same for Movies, Music Videos.
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File-->Library-->Import Playlist. Choose the "Library.xml" file you saved.
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The "Inactive" computer is now the "Active" computer. I can now play my library, it has all my playlists and metadata from the other machine.
Delete all the duplicate playlists named "Music," "Genius," "Purchased," and "iTunes DJ."
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... Also, please help lobby Apple to come up with a network sync tool built into iTunes for a user with multiple authorized computers. Something different than Home Sharing so I can pull my laptop off the network and still have the synced library with me. And all my metadata changes will sync. The technique I use seems a little kludgey, don't you think?

iTunes isn't an editor. You need an app that's intended for editing audio files, like Adobe Audition (http://www.adobe.com/products/audition.html) or Audacity (free in the App Store).

When I boot up itunes it now says "library.xml" instead of just "iTunes"?

I recently tried to export my library which resides on an external hard drive to another external hard drive and failed. Not only didn't it copy but I couldn't find my library.
I managed to recreate my library in tact, and really don't care about the exporting aspect any more, but now when I boot up instead of saying "iTunes" at the top of the iTunes window and on my taskbar, it says "Lbrary.xml" as if that is the name of the software rather than iTunes. Everything seems to be working fine, but I wonder if there is a way to get it to say "iTunes" again.
Thanks for any help.
Mike

What you see at the top of the iTunes window is usually the name of the folder where your "iTunes Library.itl" file resides (that is your main library file). By default that folder name is "iTunes" and that's why you'd see it displayed, not because that is the name of the program.
But now with "Library.xml" showing I wonder if you re-built your library by opening your .xml file? Just for kicks, you might hold the Shift key as you launch iTunes and select "Choose Library" at the prompt, then navigate to where your "iTunes Library.itl" file resides and see what comes up.

How do I fully import my itunes music from my external hard drive to my new HP computer so that I don't need the external HD attached to listen to my music? It won't promt me to fully import songs when I import the folder from the EHD.

When I select File> Add folder to library and then press "select folder" after finding the iTunes music folder I wish to import from my external hard drive, it does not promt me whether to fully import it or not. After the importing is complete, the external hard drive must be attached in order for me to listen to my music. I do not wnat this; I wnat my music fully imported so that I don't need my EHD. What can I do? Thanks!

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Hi there!
I'm a newbie on mac computers.. I've recently purchase a macbook pro retina.
So, I used to use iTunes in windows XP. My old computer crashed and I can't re-open it and save files...
Now, the only file I have from my windows library is an "library.xml" file.
The mp3 files that I had in previous iTunes playlists are in my external I: Drive. (not in Itunes folder).
I was searching in apple communities to see how I can transfer playlists in my new iTunes on mac.
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Should I change the Preferences-->Advanced-->iTunes media folder location back to default folder?
That should be set to wherever you want iTunes to store media in the future (though it sounds like you are planning on keeping this unchecked anyway). It has no effect on where iTunes looks for existing files. That is already determined when you first add the file to iTunes or through later consolidating.
In theory you should be able to start iTunes with a blank library, use the import function to add that .xml file and it should still point to the files on the external. If that is not working then I guess it is possible all those %20 space designations may be causing problems. It's strange you are seeing those coded that way but it is likely some carry-over from Windows. The purpose of adding a test file to the external, then adding it to iTunes, then looking at the .xml is to see how Mac iTunes lists the path for a file on the external added when using the Mac so you can use that as a model for changing other paths if necessary.
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4. Googling "iPhoto library upgrade failed", or "Inheriting Time Machine backup of external drive", and similarily desperately specific phrases - Nothing useful. Other people seems to have had problems with corrupt Libraries, but I'm not sure that's the case here.
My pictures must exist somewhere on my computer and in a backup on my NAS. I just can't find them! Do anyone have a clue to what may have gone wrong? I'm afraid the computer might have gone to sleep during the upgrade, because I didn't thinkabout adjusting the power saving settings before starting it. But since pictures 1-8000-something are missing, it doesn't seem to have worked properly during the whole beginning of the upgrade, not just during the middle. As I knew I had a backup of the library I didn't worry about upgrading the single functional copy. From now on I will think thrice before doing anything as serious as this.
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b) I split up my photo collection into two iphoto libraries. One for the new photos stored on my internal HD            and one for photos older than one year stored on my external HD
And exactly How did you Split up your iPhoto library?
c) I used Migration Assistant in an attempt to access the Time Machine backup of my old MBP from my new      MBP (by inheriting the backup). When I made my backups, I made sure Time Machine included the external      HD. But Migration Assistant could only find the backup of my Internal HD with the library of new photos!
And again
You should not use Migration assistant on an iPhoto library - it generally does not work
and
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I believe you are using your NAS for your Time Machine backup. If your Time Machine backup and/or your iPhoto library is on a NAS you will have problems - both need to be on Mac formatted volumes - the least troublsome is a volume formatted Mac OS extended (journaled)
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1427?viewlocale=en_US&locale=en_US
Manually preparing a new disk for Time Machine
If you want to erase a disk before using it with Time Machine, follow these steps:
Open Disk Utility (located in the Utilities folder).
Connect the disk if it isn't already attached.
In the left side of the Disk Utility window, select the disk you want to use with Time Machine.
Optional: If you want to partition the disk, click the Partition tab and select a layout. Make sure "Mac OS Extended (Journaled)" is selected in the Format menu for the partition that will be used for backups. Click Apply.
Click the Erase tab.
Optional: If you want to securely erase the disk, click Security Options to configure, then click OK.
Click Erase.
After erasing, open Time Machine preferences in System Preferences and configure as described in the section above.
Are the iPhoto libraries kept on an external drive formated Mac OS extended (journaled)? Or are they on the NAS? - If you are using the NAS for iPhoto and/or Time Machine that is the source of your problems
LN

Hosting iTunes Library on WHS - What to specify in library.xml?

I have my iTunes library on a Windows Home Server. I used to use iTunes on Windows but is now moving to Mac. I exported my library into library.xml and figured I could edit the xml file to reflect the path as the Mac sees it, but I can't seem to figure out the right syntax.
In the original Windows based xml file the path looked like this
<key>Location</key><string>file://localhost//server/Music/Al%20Green/More%20Greatest%20Hits/01%20Let's%20Stay%20Together%20%5BLong%20Version.mp3</string>
I thought the syntax would be something like this
<key>Location</key><string>smb://server/Music/Al%20Green/More%20Greatest%20Hits/ 01%20Let's%20Stay%20Together%20%5BLong%20Version.mp3</string>
The import of the library works but it does give an error that some of the files could not be found. When I double click on any of the songs nothing happens.
Any ideas?
Message was edited by: BrianBS

Nobody? Really?

Library.xml failing to fully import

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