Rollback iTunes Match xml file?

stevo632 · Dec 3, 2012

Grrr. I'm so pee'ed off!

I thought I had selected three albums, to update an artist, but selected over half the library. Now every single album has the same artist and title. The library is a huge mess.

I'm in a strange situation at the moment. When I open the library on another computer obviously it downloads the changes that I had made, with all the incorrect names. However I know that there are 'Previous iTunes Libraries saved on the computer.

Is there any chance to roll back all the 'file' names to that date?

Or even update the XML file in a text editor, so that it appears as though the last updated date is newer than whats in iCloud.

Really need an iTunes iCloud expert that understands the data files that I can manipulate to trick itunes to change the names back?

justperry · Dec 4, 2012

stevo632 said:
Grrr. I'm so pee'ed off!

I thought I had selected three albums, to update an artist, but selected over half the library. Now every single album has the same artist and title. The library is a huge mess.

I'm in a strange situation at the moment. When I open the library on another computer obviously it downloads the changes that I had made, with all the incorrect names. However I know that there are 'Previous iTunes Libraries saved on the computer.

Is there any chance to roll back all the 'file' names to that date?

Or even update the XML file in a text editor, so that it appears as though the last updated date is newer than whats in iCloud.

Really need an iTunes iCloud expert that understands the data files that I can manipulate to trick itunes to change the names back?

I am pretty sure you are F$%ed, all the changes you made are written to the actual file on the disk, not to the .xml file and/or the iTunes folder, sorry to give you this bad news.

If you have ever looked at an mp3 file while applying a cover in iTunes you will see the file in the finder blink while it updates.

EDIT: If you want to be sure do the following, rename your itunes folder to iTunes Old(before opening iTunes) and then open iTunes, it will create a new iTunes folder.
Now, in iTunes go into Advanced tab and uncheck the copy to iTunes and keep itunes organized box, after this get some of the renamed files back into iTunes(by dropping them on the window) are they still named wrong, if so you know damage has been done and can not go back.

stevo632 · Dec 4, 2012

Hmm, I feel like there is someway around it.

On my laptop at home, I have the internet turned off, and I can 'browse' the library' perfectly as it was before. It's just all the songs are 'greyed' out. But ALL the songs are stored in the cloud, so its not like I can take a copy as they are before being stuffed up. I don't want to turn the internet on, because as soon as I do, it will download the messed up version from the cloud.

Hmm.. I've been comparing XML files, and I can't seem to see any similarities.. They are quite different infact just from referencing the same song.

I realise when you update an iTunes song it updates the meta info, and with the cloud it uploads it to the cloud.

I was thinking, as there is data still on my unconnected laptop stored on my computer. If there was a way to trick iTunes into thinking I had updated all my Artiust and Album meta, and it then pushed that to the cloud, thus 'restoring' it.

I need a freaking iTunes developer who knows wtf I can do.

There is an .itl file.

At the moment, I can actually just go through most albums, and then slowly start updating off the correct info on my laptop, will take days (which at this stage I just can't be bothered), but some albums are completely ruined.

Hope that makes sense of the current situation. It's weird as I have the correct library showing on one computer (not connected to the net), its just there are no songs directly accessible, its in the cloud.

justperry · Dec 4, 2012

stevo632 said:
Grrr. I'm so pee'ed off!

I thought I had selected three albums, to update an artist, but selected over half the library. Now every single album has the same artist and title. The library is a huge mess.

I'm in a strange situation at the moment. When I open the library on another computer obviously it downloads the changes that I had made, with all the incorrect names. However I know that there are 'Previous iTunes Libraries saved on the computer.

Is there any chance to roll back all the 'file' names to that date?

Or even update the XML file in a text editor, so that it appears as though the last updated date is newer than whats in iCloud.

Really need an iTunes iCloud expert that understands the data files that I can manipulate to trick itunes to change the names back?

Are all your songs on the iCloud?
If so there might be a way, what about moving your audio files to a different place on the HDD and rename the iTunes folder to iTunes Old, then iTunes creates a new Library and might download the files from the cloud.
BUT, I would wait for more users here to help.
It also might be possible with another computer, even a windows one.

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stevo632 said:
Hmm, I feel like there is someway around it.

On my laptop at home, I have the internet turned off, and I can 'browse' the library' perfectly as it was before. It's just all the songs are 'greyed' out. But ALL the songs are stored in the cloud, so its not like I can take a copy as they are before being stuffed up. I don't want to turn the internet on, because as soon as I do, it will download the messed up version from the cloud.

Hmm.. I've been comparing XML files, and I can't seem to see any similarities.. They are quite different infact just from referencing the same song.

I realise when you update an iTunes song it updates the meta info, and with the cloud it uploads it to the cloud.

I was thinking, as there is data still on my unconnected laptop stored on my computer. If there was a way to trick iTunes into thinking I had updated all my Artiust and Album meta, and it then pushed that to the cloud, thus 'restoring' it.

I need a freaking iTunes developer who knows wtf I can do.

There is an .itl file.

At the moment, I can actually just go through most albums, and then slowly start updating off the correct info on my laptop, will take days (which at this stage I just can't be bothered), but some albums are completely ruined.

Hope that makes sense of the current situation. It's weird as I have the correct library showing on one computer (not connected to the net), its just there are no songs directly accessible, its in the cloud.

Yeah, I agree, better wait for another user which had this problem before, you might recover them.
Was your computer connected when this happened, did it sync with the cloud, if it did not I am pretty sure you can reverse the damage done.

stevo632 · Dec 4, 2012

All music is in the cloud, nothing is stored on my computer. All music is streamed.

Essentially I have a computer open, not connected, with music 'greyed' out, as its not connected to the cloud. But is displaying all the tracks and albums as it was before.

When I go to another computer with iTunes connected to the same account, and to the cloud, it has the messed up versions with all songs with the same Artist and Album.

So essentially the cloud has been updated with the wrong info. However I have the right info on my laptop which is turned off.

I figured there might be a way I can drop in a file, edit it in text editor to say that its been updated, and have the laptop once connected to the internet, push all 'Artists' and 'Album Names' to the cloud, over writing the changes, thus 'reversing' what disaster I have created.

I hope that makes sense?

Essentially I need someone that is familiar with the iTunes library files, which one I can mock up and push to the cloud.

I am a web dev, so please don't hesitate to be technical.

justperry · Dec 4, 2012

stevo632 said:
All music is in the cloud, nothing is stored on my computer. All music is streamed.

Essentially I have a computer open, not connected, with music 'greyed' out, as its not connected to the cloud. But is displaying all the tracks and albums as it was before.

When I go to another computer with iTunes connected to the same account, and to the cloud, it has the messed up versions with all songs with the same Artist and Album.

So essentially the cloud has been updated with the wrong info. However I have the right info on my laptop which is turned off.

I figured there might be a way I can drop in a file, edit it in text editor to say that its been updated, and have the laptop once connected to the internet, push all 'Artists' and 'Album Names' to the cloud, over writing the changes, thus 'reversing' what disaster I have created.

I hope that makes sense?

Essentially I need someone that is familiar with the iTunes library files, which one I can mock up and push to the cloud.

I am a web dev, so please don't hesitate to be technical.

I understand, but this goes beyond my "expertise", I know what you want, it should be possible but you need to find a way to update the music from the good .xml file to the actual music files, this should be possible but probably is as much work as manually renaming them.
I know there is a site with iTunes sripts which automatically does things like renaming, I think it is called dougs scripts.

Yes it is, http://dougscripts.com/itunes/

Try there, checked it out a bit, couldn't find anything yet.

stevo632 · Dec 4, 2012

Yea, I see what you are suggesting.

I actually connected my laptop to the web, on it now.

And opening itunes, let the update come through. It replaced all the files etc.

I then went into the itunes media folder, and then replaced it all with the old copy.

Closed iTunes, and reponed as it was before. And then after a while, once it connects to iCloud It overrides. I just need something that says that my info is more up to date than what is on the cloud.... hmm

justperry · Dec 4, 2012

stevo632 said:
Yea, I see what you are suggesting.

I actually connected my laptop to the web, on it now.

And opening itunes, let the update come through. It replaced all the files etc.

I then went into the itunes media folder, and then replaced it all with the old copy.

Closed iTunes, and reponed as it was before. And then after a while, once it connects to iCloud It overrides. I just need something that says that my info is more up to date than what is on the cloud.... hmm

You need a (Apple) script that automatically translates the Information from the Old good .XML file into iTunes or into every "physical" audio file, the last one is probably very difficult, in the xml file it also says the size in bits of the audio file, so there could be a script which searches for the size of that Audio file and applies the rest, but if there are two files which are the same size(unlikely) it can not update those.
The script translating from Old .xml into iTunes would be a better bet.
I think there is also a part here where people can advise you on Apple script but you might be smart enough to do it yourself.

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Rollback iTunes Match xml file?

stevo632

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