80 Gig iTunes Library damaged/iPod bad disk structure

[dabirdwell]

OK, I'll try to sum this up without getting emotional.

Our iPod has lately been causing iTunes to lock up when trasnsferring files onto the iPod. Software restore says "iPod disk does not have the correct structure."

So I use Disk Utility to repair all permissions and disks and still no dice. I begin to erase the iPod hard disk in Disk Utility to see if Software Restore can help after that. Disk Util locks up the OS. Hard Reset.

On restart, iTunes opens and is reading a library file. I don't know what is going on, so I say "stop" and enter iTunes' main window. Now only about 1700 songs of more than 13,000 are present and iTunes has labelled my library file as "damaged."

I can't tell you the detail with which all these track were tagged. I am grateful (although bitterly) that the 80+ Gigabytes of books and music are still in my iTunes music folder, but this is dozens and dozens of hours of organization with multiple levels of keywording.

I can't seee the connection between these events, unless somehow iTunes was accessing the library file at the moment of the hard reset. I don't know, but now I can't reformat the iPod, so disk mode only, and my audio collection is basically back to artist-album-track only.

Please let me know if you have had any experiences like this, of course I know I should back up my library files, but I don't have the extra storage right now and my 100-disc spindle of DVD-R's from DVDR4U.com, bought on EBay, won't finish a burn correctly with finder or Toast, and only DVDSP occasionally.

Help.

David

 

[FelixDerKater]

Why would you tell iTunes to stop reading the library file?

 

[FelixDerKater]

Another question for you... What the heck are you doing with an 80+ GB iTunes library?

 

[dabirdwell]

Well,

Basically I told it to stop because I had never seen iTunes do that before, and frankly, I didn't think there would be a "Stop" button if using it could damage my library file.

As far as the size goes, my wife and I have been collecting audio for awhile. I added a 200GB HD to our Dual 867 and am ready to do it again.

 

[kgarner]

First off, the tag info is not recorded in the iTunes library file. That file holds playlists, playcounts, etc. All of your Artist, Album, etc. info should still be fine. Unfortunately, you may have to trash your library file and rebuild that along with whatever playlists and other things you want/need, but you should not need to reenter all your tag info.

 

[dabirdwell]

So...

Do you think it's safe to drag the 81GB Music folder into the iTunes "Library," or should I do an import or something?

 

[Horrortaxi]

Trash your library and reimport your songs. You'll lose playlists, counts, ratings, etc but artist/album/artwork and all that stuff is stored with the song so it will still be there.

I've had my iTunes library go sour on me a couple times for no obvious reason. Back it up often.