Retreiving Old Itunes Library with .itl file

How can I retreive a previous iTunes library from a .itl file?
I just recently updated to a the newest version of iTunes, 7.6.1 After the installation was finished I was prompted to select which library to use and was directed to my "previous itunes libraries" folder. By mistake I choose a library that was from a month ago so when I opened iTunes several days worth of music hadn't been rated and I was missing a lot of playcounts. It just so happens I've spent the last month doing a lot of editing to my library and I really don't want to just erase that. Not to mention a few dozen podcasts I've subscribed to.
The proper itl file is still sitting in my itunes folder, but I can't figure out for the life of me how to switch back to it. I've tried everything from replacing files, uninstalling and reinstalling itunes...installing an older version of itunes and then updating in hopes i will be prompted again to select the proper itl file.
I've also tried simply replacing the files and renaming them, which also produced no results.
When I go to file and then "import..." and select the desired itl file I get absolutely no results.
Is there any possible way for me to retreive my old library data?? I'm getting desperate!
Thank you,
Mica

Hold down the Shift key in Windows when launching iTunes. 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: How to open an alternate iTunes Library file

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ITunes library creation - .itl file name query

OK, so recent upgrade to Yosemite and of course my iTunes library is screwed up. Well there's a surprise!
So when I recreate the library - the associated files names are all assigned a random date 2014-07-14.
I've trashed the files and gone through the laborious task of creating the library again, but each time it keeps assigning the same 2014-07-14 date to the files.
Any ideas how I get it to create the files with correct date?
Thanks

Upgrading iTunes means iTunes updates the library file and before doing so it makes a copy with a date. It does not use that file and usually it is in a previous iTunes Libraries folder.
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
What are all those iTunes files? - http://www.macworld.com/article/139974/2009/04/itunes_files.html
Where are my iTunes files located? - http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1391
iTunes 9 [and later]: Understanding iTunes Media Organization - http://support.apple.com/kb/ht3847 - plus supplemental information about organizing to new structure https://discussions.apple.com/message/26404702#26404702
Image of folder structure and explanation of different iTunes versions (turingtest2 post) - https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-7392 and making an iTunes library portable.

HT1451 recovering old itunes library with playlists

my itunes library is trapped on a dead laptop with all my playlists. i have a new laptop and new itunes account but not of my music came over from my old computer and itunes account. can you help me

These are two possible approaches that will normally work to move an existing library to a new computer.
Method 1
Backup the library with this User Tip.
Deauthorize the old computer if you no longer want to access protected content on it.
Restore the backup to your new computer using the same tool used to back it up.
Keep your backup up-to-date in future.
Method 2
Connect the two computers to the same network. Share your <User's Music> folder from the old computer and copy the entire iTunes library folder into the <User's Music> folder on the new one. Again, deauthorize the old computer if no longer required.
Both methods should give the new computer a working clone of the library that was on the old one. As far as iTunes is concerned this is still the "home" library for your devices so you shouldn't have any issues with iTunes wanting to erase and reload.
I'd recommend method 1 since it establishes an ongoing backup for your library.
Note if you have failed to move contacts and calendar items across you should create one dummy entry of each in your new profile and iTunes should merge the existing data from the device.
If your media folder has been split out from the main iTunes folder you may need to do some preparatory work to make it easier to move. See make a split library portable.
Should you be in the unfortunate position where you are no longer able to access your original library or a backup then then see Recover your iTunes library from your iPod or iOS device for advice on how to set up your devices with a new library with the maximum preservation of data.
tt2

How to restore my old Itunes Library WITH the DATA (plays & date added) from a time machine

Hi,
I recently got my macbook fixed through the apple store and the repairers replaced my hardrive, therefore wiping my computer of all its infor, including my Itunes library. Luckily, I had everything backed up on my time machine.
My question is how I can put back all my music into Itunes but also restore my data such as ratings, date added, and number of plays. Of course, I just want all my music back on my computer but stuff like this is what makes my library unique and personal to me. I enjoy listening to my music in order of when I downloaded them, bringing me back to specific experiences and times of my life where I enjoyed the group of songs, but I cannot do that when my Itunes has the "date added" of my songs all on the same date (the date that I'm putting my music back on).
Is there any way to take my itunes from library from my time machine and restore that back onto my itunes? (I've recently updated my Itunes too)
Please, anything helps!
Thanks!

whosurBrendan wrote:
I was also previously having problems doing a full system restore from my most recent backup.
Depending on what kind of problems, they may be damaged.
Long story short, all I want to do is restore my Itunes and just the Itunes from where and what it was like before.
Have you already set up a user account? If so, you might be able to selectively restore your iTunes library from your backups, via the "Star Wars" display, per #15 in Time Machine - Frequently Asked Questions.
But the user account you've set up may not be recognized as the same one as on your backups; you may not have permission to view, much less restore, the library.

Copying old iTunes library onto a new hard drive: special question:

How do i do this when the music in my old iTunes library was not all in the itunes media folder (some was in downloads, shared folder, etc). Should I put these folders in the places where they were on my old hard drive (for example the "shared" folder was on the desktop) or should i just put everything into the iTunes media folder. My main goal here is to recreate my old itunes library with the playlists intact while also having all the songs recognized (none of those exclamation points because it cant locate the file). Sorry to repeat myself but I just want to make it clear because i dont want this to mess up. Should i put all my music into the itunes media folder for it to show up in the old library, or should I keep it in the folders it always was in and just place those folders in the same locations on this hard drive? Thanks for any help

The solution you linked to looks good, but I'm a bit
confused about if it'll work for my situation - I'll
be putting Vista on a new drive (completely clean
install, not an upgrade), which means that iTunes
will be cleanly installed as well. The way I'm
reading it, it seems the solution there needs an
iTunes install that already interacts with the old
library.
Right, and the way you do this is to hold down the shift key while starting iTunes. (Note: this does not mean holding down the shift key while you click on the icon. It means holding it down immediately after that while the program is starting up.) This will bring up a dialog asking what iTunes library you want to use. Point to the old library, and you're in business.
Let me know if this will work: I drag and drop my
whole music folder to the new drive, then in iTunes I
go to File --> Import and import the itl or xml file.
I've heard this might not work because the xml file
has pathways that refer to a specific drive letter
which will be different.
That's correct. You can edit the XML to fix the pathnames, but I wouldn't recommend that unless editing XML is something you do regularly.

Moved library to external HD, iTunes still uses old iTunes Library.itl file

Howdy-
I'm running Windows 7 & iTunes XXX
I moved my library from my laptop internal hard drive (C:\Users\jasonbar\Music\iTunes) to my external hard drive (G:\iTunes).
I followed the recommended procedure:
1 - Edit/Preferences: check "Keep iTunes Media Folder Organized"
2 - Edit/Prefrences: click "Change" & input "G:\iTunes" into box to denote new library location
3 - File/Library/Organize Library & check "Consolidate Files"
Now, I've found that iTunes still uses the old "iTunes Library.itl" file in the old location (C:\Users\jasonbar\Music\iTunes). For the sake of convenience (and to make the library entirely self-contained on the external HD & to protect it from possible laptop loss/failure), it would be swell if I could migrate that file over to my external hard drive also. But, if I remove the "iTunes Library.itl" file from the old location & copy it to the new iTunes directory, iTunes just doesn't seem to be able to figure out that there's a nice "iTunes Library.itl" file on my external hard drive that it can use.
Is there any way to achieve what I want?
Thank you,
-Jason

I assume you have your iTunes folder located on your other drive (no Music folder enclosing it.) On your startup volume you have a /Home/Music/ folder but the iTunes folder has been removed. OK, so far?
Go to where the real iTunes folder is located. Select the folder then CTRL or RIGHT-click and select Make alias from the contextual menu. You should see a new icon appear named "iTunes alias" with a little curly arrow in the lower left corner of the icon. Now, copy the alias file to the /Home/Library/Music/ folder on your startup volume. Rename it to just "iTunes" (no quotes.) Delete the alias you created on the other drive.
Now when you double-click on the iTunes alias in your /Home/Music/ folder your real iTunes folder should open up. Now if you open iTunes application it should re-discover the iTunes folder.
Or you can do what the other posted suggested. Simply point iTunes to the new location of your iTunes folder. Open iTunes Preferences, click on the Advanced icon in the toolbar. Click on the Change button, locate the new library location, click on OK button of the Open dialog.

How to delete multiple old ITUNES LIBRARY files safely ?

I'd like to clean up my Itunes LIBRARY files, but don't know what's safe to do and not to do. (I have Itunes 8.1 / OSX10.4.11)
MY QUESTION IS TWOFOLD :
(1) how do I create a new Itunes library file now with today's date; and
(2) how do I delete multiple (old) Itunes library files, without risking the loss of what I've got ?
This all stems from exploring Itunes as a result of a problem I had today... when trying to import mp3's from my terrabyte drive, after about 150 successful mp3 track imports, Itunes froze and everything else on my MAC froze as well (constant spinning colored wheel). After many failed attempts to force quit Itunes, I turned off my MBPro. On restarting, Itunes tooks ages to "import" files. Eventually Itunes opened but with only half of my original tunes (1500+ songs 8.11GB) and had nothing from today's import.
I found a post suggesting to hold down OPTION while starting Itunes. Then I selected a file from my hard drive > me > music > Itunes > "Itune library" with the most recent date and shezam, Itunes once again has all my songs, as before. Nothing I imported from the terrabyte drive today appears however, but no matter.
In my "Itunes" file there appear MULTIPLE Itunes libraries ! such as Itunes library, Itunes Library (damaged), and as well a folder called "Previous Itunes Libraries" which itself contains multiple Itunes Library files and multiple "previous Itunes Library files" with dates back to 2007. These I want to clean up and delete .... should I ? ... Can I ?
I really could use some words of wisdom from the wise ! Thanks in advance

Whenever you install a new version of iTunes and run it teh first time, iTunes will create a backup of the current iTunes library file and copy it into \Music\iTunes\Previous iTunes libraries, then update the iTunes library file in \Music\iTunes\ for the current version of iTunes.

Multiple (old) iTunes Library files found on my external, what to do?

My external drive (which I once used as the location for my iTunes library to save space on my old iMac but with my new computer hard drive space is not an issue and I have my iTunes folder on my native, internal drive) has *my old* iTunes folder with:
+(a folder)+ Previous iTunes Libraries
iTunes 4 Music Library
iTunes 4 Music Library (Old)
iTunes Library
iTunes Library 2006-09-14
iTunes Library 2007-09-08
iTunes Library Extras.itdb
iTunes Library Genius.itdb
iTunes Library.xml
iTunes Music Library.xml
The folder "Previous iTunes Libraries" contains these files:
iTunes Library 2006-09-14
iTunes Library 2007-09-08
iTunes Library 2008-01-16
iTunes Library 2008-09-30
iTunes Library 2008-12-26
iTunes Library 2009-06-16
With me so far?! What's alarming to me is that I have so many files with the "iTunes Library" name...moreover, it seems as if my CURRENT and ACTIVE iTunes Library database on my hard drive in my music folder that was last updated "today" is only 5.8 MB in size, while the older iTunes Library databases on my external drive that are listed above are sized 5.2, 10.5, 11.8, 14.3, 15.7, and 15.8 MB!
This implies to me that I've lost some important files or data in transferring my iTunes back from my external to my new local, internal drive.
What should I do with these multiple (and currently unused) iTunes Libraries found on my peripheral drive? I try to open them and nothing seems to happen. I just don't want to lose any tracks as my library is large and varied.
Any thoughts?

"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." Read more: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1660
If you think you are missing some songs from your current library, this application will list the file paths of the files in your designated "iTunes Media" folder which are not in iTunes' library. Additionally, you can select a different parent folder and its contents will be compared to the iTunes library. Options to Add a selection of found files to iTunes or move them to the Trash. http://dougscripts.com/itunes/scripts/ss.php?sp=musicfolderfilesnotadded2

New computer has been loaded with old Itunes library but a number of earlier purchases say they are not "authorized" on this computer even though the bulk of my library works-- this is only about 5% of the total but were all purchased 9/18/2008 or before?

New computer has been loaded with old Itunes library but a number of purchases prior to 9/18/08 are not "authorized" when I try to play them.
They are all items I purchased from Itunes but they won't play any longer even though they show in my Itunes library.
Doesn't work when I enter account info and password either.
This is only about 5% of my library and many purchased items play no problem.
Any help would be appreciated.

Two words, Migration Assistant. It will transfer files between two Macs using a firewire cable automagically.
http://www.apple.com/pro/tips/migration.html
Three words, Target Disk Mode. Use a firewire cable to connect two Macs and then hold down the T key when you boot the Mac you want to transfer files from, G4 Tower. It will appear as a hard drive on the desktop of your Macbook Pro. Then you can just drag and drop the whole folder.
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=58583
Message was edited by: Jon Thornburg

Old PC has died taking all ITunes library with it - help

My old PC has died and gone to PC Heaven and I now have a lovely new one running with VIsta but I am really worried about connecting my Ipod up. As I have no acces to my old ITunes library I have downloaded new ITunes verison 7.2 but if I connect up and sync my IPod will I lose the tunes I already have stored? Please can anyone advise?
IPOD Video Windows Vista

Connect your iPod to your computer. If it is set to update automatically you'll get a 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. Your iPod should appear in the iTunes source list from where you can change the update setting to manual and use your iPod without the risk of accidentally erasing it. 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. Check the "manually manage music and videos" box in Summary then press the Apply button: 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. If you have any iTMS purchases the transfer of purchased content from the iPod to authorised computers was introduced with iTunes 7. A paragraph on it has been added to this article: Transfer iTunes Store purchases using iPod
The transfer of non iTMS content 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 also read reviews of some of them here: Wired News - Rescue Your Stranded Tunes
TuneJack Windows Only
iPod2PC Windows Only
iGadget Windows Only
iDump Windows Only
iRepo Windows Only
iPodRip Mac & Windows
YamiPod Mac and Windows Versions
Music Rescue Mac & Windows
iPodCopy Mac and Windows Versions
There is also a manual method of accessing the iPod's hard drive and copying songs back to iTunes on Windows or a Mac. The procedure is a bit involved and won't recover playlists but if you're interested it's available at this link: Two-way Street: Moving Music Off the iPod
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.

I accidentally synced my mum's brand new iPad to my mac book air. A few days later I realised that my iTune library on my mac is completely gone. So is my iPhone 4s after I synced it with my mac. How do I get my old iTunes library back? Please help!

I accidentally synced my mum's brand new iPad to my mac book air. A few days later I realised that my iTune library on my mac is completely gone. So is my iPhone 4s after I synced it with my mac. How do I get my old iTunes library back? I tried using icloud on my iphone but it stated that I have never back up my phone before. So I guess my iCloud data is gone too? But I have back up my mac in my harddrive using time machine. So how do I get my old itune library back? Please help! Thanks!

1) ensure iTunes is authorized for your iTunes store account(s)
2) connect your device and right-click or control-click it in the iTunes Source list, then choose transfer purchases from the shortcut menu that appears.
3) sync the device
iTunes will wipe the iPhone but, since you transferred your purchases in the previous step, your content will be in your library and you can re-populate the iPhone with it.
above works for purchases from the iTunes store. for everything else, check out this post by Zevoneer.

HT1751 I have always shared my apple ID & iTunes library with my daughter but now she is old enough to have her own. Is there a way to split my iTunes library with hers if she now has her own apple ID/library?

I have always shared my apple ID & iTunes library with my daughter but now she is old enough to have her own. Is there a way to split my iTunes library with hers if she now has her own apple ID/library?

settings->store
there you change appleID
multiusing ios devices don't really works very well

My hp computer died and took my itunes library with it...how can I retrieve my songs that I uploaded to itunes on my old computer? Thank you for your help

My HP computer running Windows XP died. The hard drive crashed and took my itunes library with it. I now have a new HP desktop running Windows 7 and can not get my full itunes library only what had been purchased. I am trying to retrieve all the songs we had including what we had uploaded from CDs etc.
Any help is greatly appreciated. Thank you.

That would be easy and ideal but that is not the case here. The computer was repaired in Nov and then crashed in April completely. Thought it had been backed up to icloud but not very savvy with that. I have a sectored hard drive that was salvaged from the crash but having a difficult time reading and locating files on it.
Just wondering if there is a way to retrieve my itunes library to another computer????

TS2972 My computer crashed and the hard drive is no longer. I have purchased a new laptop but now have no access to my old itunes library. My laptop has created a new itunes account with NOTHING in it?? My Itouch has everything loaded but it wont sync

My computer crashed and the hard drive is no longer. I have purchased a new laptop but now have no access to my old itunes library. My laptop has created a new itunes account with NOTHING in it?? My Itouch has everything loaded but it wont sync with this itunes account....HELP

- Transfer iTunes purchases:
iTunes Store: Transferring purchases from your iOS device or iPod to a computer
- Transfer other music by using a third-party program like one of those discussed here:
newer copy
- Connect the iPod to the computer and make a backup by right clicking on the iPod under Devices in iTunes and select Back Up
- Restore the iPod from that backup
Note that the iPod backup that iTunes makes does not included synced media like apps and music.

I have uploaded an old itunes library by mistake - any way that I can go back to my previous library. Unable to do a system restore and I don't know where to find an up to date music/playlist file.

I have uploaded an old itunes library by mistake - any way that I can go back to my previous library. Unable to do a system restore and I don't know where to find an up to date music/playlist file. I was originally trying to recover a playlist that vanished after I had updated one of the ipads, did an online search, followed the instructions only to discover that I had loaded an itunes library from 2 years ago. Stupidly I thought that it had updated itself and didn't realise I had to do it. Any he

See Empty/corrupt iTunes library after upgrade/crash. Hopefully you have a more recent library file that you can restore.
tt2

Retreiving Old Itunes Library with .itl file

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