iTunes Library Info Stored Where

[SeptimusFry]

I have just had occasion to restore the disc containing my XP operating system (yes, I am a PC person too). iTunes Library is stored on a big FireWire box, and was not restored.

The date of my last XP backup was 19/1/09, and iTunes Library knew of nothing I had done since that date, in other words, the song tracks are kept in the iTunes directory, but the library clearly isn't. This is really strange. All the tracks I had added were there in the iTunes library physical directories, but their importing into the library had disappeared. As had some Smart Playlists.

So where is the library actually stored? I note that there are some odds and ends of unrecognizable stuff along with the executable in the XP Programs... directory, presumably this stuff includes the library?

Just to clarify. The executable is on my C drive in the default location, and the iTunes library is on H:\iTunes.

 

[steve knight]

that info is under my musiic then under itunes. thats no matter where your library is located.

 

[SeptimusFry]

Thanks Steve,

That appears to be right. Of course, it begs the question as to why the iTunes designers choose to separate this metadata from the data itself.

I found this reference http://support.microsoft.com/kb/310147 at Microsoft, and have followed the simple procedure to redefine My Documents, and it appears to work. I let the procedure put all the files from the default My Documents into my newly defined one, and iTunes picks up everything properly. I mention this in case anyone else wants to do something similar.

Thanks again, may save a lot of hassle in the future.