Previous Itunes Library Help!!

i have five previous itunes library database files dated back to as far as 2006. when i try to open them, itunes opens, but nothing happens. i have tried to copy the file and open it that way, but nothing happens then either. how can i restore these files and retrieve the music?!? please help!

*Adding new items/removing orphans*
Try iTunes Folder Watch or iTunes Library Updater. Folder Watch is much faster on the adding files front, can be set to run in the background and includes a useful exclusion feature, however it’s really slow at removing orphans. iTLU is better for this although doing it manually after looking at a list of proposed removals generated by Folder Watch is probably faster still. iTLU can also be set to update iTunes when you've used 3rd party tools to change tag info.
tt2

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Hard Drive Failed - iPod synced with previous iTunes Library - HELP!

The hard drive on our Dell laptop recently failed. We had to replace it and completely reinstall the operating system, which wiped out everything, including iTunes. All of our music currently resides on our iPod (thousands of songs!). After reinstalling iTunes on the new hard drive, iTunes will not sync up because it says the iPod is already synced to another iTunes library.
That library was deleted when we wiped out our hard drive.
HOW can we rescue the songs on our iPod and download them to our new iTunes? It's telling us that if we sync, all music on the iPod will be erased!
Help!

Connect your iPod to your computer. When you get the message that it is linked to a different library and asking if you want to link to this one and replace all your songs etc, press "Cancel". Pressing "Erase and Sync" will irretrievably remove all the songs from your iPod. When your iPod appears in the iTunes source list change the update setting to manual, that will let you use our iPod without the risk of accidentally erasing it. Check the "manually manage music and videos" box in Summary then press the Apply button. Also when using most of the utilities listed below your iPod needs to be enabled for disc use, changing to manual update will do this by default: Managing content manually on iPod
Once you are safely connected there are a few things you can do to restore your iTunes from the iPod. The transfer of content sources such as songs imported from CD is designed by default to be one way from iTunes to iPod. However there are a number of third party utilities that you can use to retrieve the music files and playlists from your iPod. You'll find that they have varying degrees of functionality and some will transfer movies, videos, photos, podcasts and games as well. Have a look at the web pages and documentation, this is just a small selection of what's available, they are generally quite straightforward. You can read reviews and comparisons of some of them here:
Wired News - Rescue Your Stranded Tunes
Comparison of iPod managers
TuneJack Windows Only (iPhone and iPod Touch compatible)
iPod2PC Windows Only
iDump Windows Only
SharePod Windows Only
iPodRip Mac & Windows
YamiPod Mac and Windows
Music Rescue Mac & Windows
iPodCopy Mac and Windows
Floola Mac & Windows
iGadget Mac & Windows (iPhone and iPod Touch compatible)
iRepo Mac & Windows (iPhone and iPod Touch compatible)
iPod Access Mac & Windows (iPhone and iPod Touch compatible)
If you have any iTunes Music Store purchases the transfer of purchased content from the iPod to authorised computers was introduced with iTunes 7. You'll find details in this article: Copying iTunes Store purchases from your iPod or iPhone to a computer
There's also a manual method of copying songs from your iPod to a Mac or PC. The procedure is a bit involved and won't recover playlists but if you're interested it's available on page 2 at this link: Copying Content from your iPod to your Computer - The Definitive Guide
Whichever of these retrieval methods you choose, keep your iPod in manual mode until you have reloaded your iTunes and you are happy with your playlists etc then it will be safe to return it auto-sync. I would also advise that you get yourself an external hard drive and back your stuff up, relying on an iPod as your sole backup is not a good idea and external drives are comparatively inexpensive these days, you can get loads of storage for a reasonable outlay.

"iTunes Media" file in "Previous iTunes Library" taking up 50Gb of much-needed hard drive space. Can this be safely deleted?

Hi everyone,
My 3.5 year old 15" Macbook Pro is running out of hard drive space, so I have been trying to clean out some of the dross. I recently found that there is a file called "Previous iTunes Library" in my iTunes folder that is taking up approximately 50Gb of space. I would love to delete this folder and reclaim the space, but I am not sure what it is or where it came from, and I don't want to lose music files accidentally. Can someone tell me (1) what this folder is and (2) if I can safely delete it?
Here is a screenshot of these folders and their sizes:
Thanks for the help!

Hello facetious1212,
Take a look at this part of the article named iTunes: What are the iTunes library files? Found here http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1660.
Tip: New versions of iTunes sometimes include enhancements to the iTunes library. When you open the new version of iTunes, iTunes upgrades your existing library to the new format and places a copy of the old library in the Previous Libraries folder. If everything goes fine during your upgrade to the latest version of iTunes, you can delete the older iTunes Library files.
All the very best,
Sterling

I have lost my previous itunes library and the content is no longer on my ipod touch. How do I recover my previous itunes library? I have already tried the backup but because the content was erased from my ipod that did not work.

I have lost my previous itunes library content after atempting to sync my ipod. Is there any way that apple can provide me with a history restore for an itunes library?

if you have all the songs still on your ipod you can put them back on your computer from the ipod... just DONT LET ITUNES SYNC WITH YOU IPOD when you plug it back in. change the settings to manual control for syncing ipods or your itunes will delete all of them. i dont know what to do for the unchecked songs... i had a similar situation and i used a mac program to take the songs off of my ipod. hope this helps.. just google for an application that will let ya take songs off the ipod.

"Previous iTunes Library" title. How do I remove this?

I upgraded to iTunes 10 and when I decided to open iTunes it told me to choose a library. I chose the most recent one but noticed that some songs were missing.
Right now I have organized all of my music under the iTunes folder and deleted all the other old libraries.
I've opened iTunes once again, but "previous iTunes library" keeps appearing as the title.
I tried to figure it out on my own by reading discussions here but I keep seeing something about .itl (if im correct, dont remember). but I don't see anything like that in my folders.
Please help?!

Hi, welcome to Apple Discussions.
The usual reason for getting in this position is that your original library was corrupt in some fashion and on start-up iTunes prompted you to find another one. Ideally you would restore your most recent backup of your library but I'm guessing you don't have one of those.
The next best thing is the most recent file in the *Previous iTunes Libraries* folder. These are often created automatically when iTunes is updated. Although it will usually work from there as you have found iTunes picks up the window title from the folder which is why your iTunes is now called *Previous iTunes Libraries*. Close iTunes and copy the file with the most recent date into the main iTunes folder. Rename any existing *iTunes Library.itl* file as *iTunes Library (BROKEN).itl* because it almost certainly is, then rename the file you've just copied as *iTunes Library.itl*. Now use the SHIFT-start iTunes method (press and hold down shift immediately on clicking the icon to start iTunes and continue to hold until a dialog box appears) to open the library file in the main iTunes folder.
Now that you've repaired the library you need a tool such as iTunes Folder Watch to detect any changes in your library since the backup file was created. Enable the option to check for dead tracks on startup so that it will find any files deleted since your last update.
For future reference...
*Fast backup for iTunes library (Windows Only)*
Grab SyncToy 2.1, a free tool from MS. This can be used to copy your entire iTunes library (& other important data folders) onto another hard drive or network share. You can then use SyncToy periodically to synchronise or echo your library to the backup. A preview will show which files need to be updated giving you a chance to spot unexpected changes and during the run only the new or updated files will be copied saving lots of time. And if your media is all organised below the main iTunes folder then you should also be able to open the backup library on any system running the same version of iTunes.
tt2

HT1567 I can't see any music I previously saved. I tried to see if the it was hidden-my wife has just set up her own iTunes account, so i checked "previous iTunes library and this is now displayed at the top of the screen -is this the problem?

I couldn't see any music on iTunes that I had previously saved. I looked in Previous iTunes library. "Previous iTunes Library" now appears at the top of my iTunes screen, is this the problem? If so how do I fix it so i can access my saved music?Also my wife just before this set up her own iTunes account on this PC.
Cheers
Jim

For an updated, I performed an SMC reset and that has solved the problem for the time being. This thread on the World of Warcraft Mac Technical support forum is very helpful, though it seems the issue has not yet been resolved and the SMC reset is a temporary fix at best.

Previous itunes library question/ erased itunes library

i accidentally erased my i tunes library. now i have a previous itunes library icon in my...my music folder with all my old file names, and when i try to import the old files off a cd my library still recognized the songs i chose off that cd. is there any way to get those files back onto my library with the contents of that icon or any other way? please help!

*Adding new items/removing orphans*
Try iTunes Folder Watch or iTunes Library Updater. Folder Watch is much faster on the adding files front, can be set to run in the background and includes a useful exclusion feature, however it’s really slow at removing orphans. iTLU is better for this although doing it manually after looking at a list of proposed removals generated by Folder Watch is probably faster still. iTLU can also be set to update iTunes when you've used 3rd party tools to change tag info.
tt2

Fixing itunes library - HELP - multiple copies, how to combine?

I moved my entire itunes folder to an external hard drive. This worked mostly ok, but when I tried to change the location of the library in itunes I only retrieved half of my music. At some point prior to all of this I started opening my library as a 'Previous Itunes Library' and everything new has been put there. I don't know how to combine everything back into one. I have been trying differnt things from postings online and now i'm afraid i've completely goofed it up. I have about 10 xml and itl files. HELP. I'm losing it.

DDtB wrote:
Any help/suggestions welcome.
i'll take your word for it
perhaps this read will provide pointers.
JGG

How to open previous itunes library

How can I open my previous itunes library? Please can you help, I need my music. Please please

iTunes Preferences/Advanced....select the desired media library there.

Previous iTunes Library - how to "force" a backup

Hi there
Running iTunes 11.4 on Windows 7 64 bit
With the Previous iTunes Library folder I notice iTunes seems to make Library backups at "random". Is there a way I can force it to do a library backup whenever I want?
Am asking as this morning opened iTunes and there was no music in it. From searching here I found the fix, that is, to copy and past a library from "Previous iTunes Library" folder to the main iTunes folder. The fix worked a treat but the only thing was the most library file was back in May of this year (2014). Henve my question.
I'd like to make this file once a month or so, is there a way to do it so if ? Is there any rhyme or reason as to when iTunes actually does it?
Many thanks
Andrew

The backups are made during any iTunes update that makes a change to the database structure, e.g. to support a new feature. You can make a manual copy of the .itl file any time that iTunes isn't running. See Backup your iTunes for Windows library with SyncToy for a comprehensive approach to backing up the entire library.
tt2

How do I restore my iTunes library when "Previous iTunes Library" is not showing up in iTunes folder?

I turn off my PC with Windows 7 for an hour, turn it back on and suddenly the only songs that show up are ones in the Cloud.
I looked through a bunch of questions on the Apple Support Communitities and they all say look for the "Previous iTunes Library" in the iTunes folder, but it's not there.
Thanks.

LibraryHelp wrote:
I turn off my PC with Windows 7 for an hour, turn it back on and suddenly the only songs that show up are ones in the Cloud.
If you have AVG AntiVirus the issue may rear its head again. See this post.
tt2

How to use/access my previous itunes library in itunes.

I accidently deleted all my songs then emptied trash (i am on a mac, and i sick of window users solving their problems) and now i have 1/90th of my songs (i have around 2,500 songs. I still have my video, but i want my songs back. There is the previous library i had before the upgrade to 7.6, that is very recent. I've tried to downgrade (7.5) then import my previous itunes library, but that wont work. CAN SOMEBODY RUNNING MAC PLEASE TELL ME HOW TO GET MY PREVIOUS ITUNES LIBRARY BACK INTO MY CURRENT ITUNES LIBRARY?!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!?

Locate the iTunes folder from the user profile on the rescued drive, typically at X:\Users\<User>\Music\iTunes. Delete the "empty" iTunes library from your current User's Music folder and copy in the originial library in its place.
tt2

How to use my previous itunes library in itunes.

I accidently deleted all my songs then emptied trash (i am on a mac, and i sick of window users solving their problems) and now i have 1/90th of my songs (i have around 2,500 songs. I still have my video, but i want my songs back. There is the previous library i had before the upgrade to 7.6, that is very recent. I've tried to downgrade (7.5) then import my previous itunes library, but that wont work. CAN SOMEBODY RUNNING MAC PLEASE TELL ME HOW TO GET MY PREVIOUS ITUNES LIBRARY BACK INTO MY CURRENT ITUNES LIBRARY?!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!?

I FIGURED IT OUT., IF U EVERY HAVE A PROBLEM TELL ME.

I've lost my music, how can i restore my iTunes from a "Previous iTunes Library"?

my music library is still intact but when i try to play my music, it tells me i need to locate it.
I didn't delete my music and i have quite a few important files,
one of my "Previous iTunes Library" has a date when i know it worked,
I still have all the music files working on my iPhone so this is stopping me from syncing my iphone.
How do I reset it back to how it was and get my music back?
Or at least transfer the songs back from my iPhone (They're not purchased)
Thanks.

For general library squiffiness following an upgrade the easiest thing is to restore your last backup, but I guess if it were that simple you wouldn't be here.
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 andcopy 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! For example grab SyncToy 2.1, a free tool from MS. This can be used to copy your entire iTunes library (& other important data folders) onto another hard drive or network share. You can then use SyncToy periodically to synchronise or echo your library to the backup. A preview will show which files need to be updated giving you a chance to spot unexpected changes and during the run only the new or updated files will be copied saving lots of time. And if your media is all organised below the main iTunes folder then you should also be able to open the backup library on any system running the same version of iTunes regardless of drive letter or path.
tt2

Loading a previous iTunes library

So my iTunes isn't working properly. It loaded the wrong library to one that was set up back in January (last time I had this problem).
All my songs are in iTunes Media, and my previous iTunes library still exists, however it won't load when I select it.
Anyone know a way to load a previous iTunes library?

See thid previous discussion:
Syncing to a "New" Computer or replacing a "crashed" Hard Drive: Apple Support Communities

Previous Itunes Library Help!!

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