I've messed up my library, argh!

[DrPips]

Hi All,

I was messing about trying to backup my library, and I think I deleted the backup rather than the original library, consequently my itunes library is a mess of songs that it can't find, and songs that it can (it's a bit weird that it can find some songs.)

What's the easiest way of fixing my cockup without losing song ratings and play counts?

Thanks,

Dom

 

[Dave Braine]

From a Time Machine backup? Or from a clone?

 

[DrPips]

I haven't lost the songs, they're all still there, it's just that the library file is looking in the wrong place for them.

 

[Dave Braine]

Try here:
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1451?viewlocale=en_US&locale=en_US

or here:
https://www.google.co.uk/search?cli...&oe=UTF-8&gws_rd=cr&ei=nOXnUv63JOWd0QW5-IGYCg

 

[rboy505]

If the songs are all still there you should be able to just drag them all into a new library, instead of making the library learn where they are. Their metatdata *should* organize them back in place.

 

[DrPips]

If the songs are all still there you should be able to just drag them all into a new library, instead of making the library learn where they are. Their metatdata *should* organize them back in place.

If I try that, I'll lost all my ratings and play counts won't I?

 

[DrPips]

This is so frustrating. I'm trying to make sure that I've got itunes set up correctly, so I change my library location in edit-preferecences-advanced.

Then I'm deleting a song from the library and downloading it again from icloud to see where it puts it.

If I have the media location set it to itunes media it puts it straight in there, so C:\Users\Dom\Music\iTunes\iTunes Media\Artist\Album etc. It shouldn't be that, because then things like apps and books are mixed in with the artists.

If I have it set to C:\Users\Dom\Music\iTunes\iTunes Media\Music then it puts it in C:\Users\Dom\Music\iTunes\iTunes Media\Music\Music\Artist\Album

Where does it put it in Music twice?? So annoying!

Dom

 

[Consultant]

Backup from Time Machine easily if you are using a Mac.

Don't mess with settings you don't understand. The file locations are hard-coded on a PC. Thus, if you change the folder location, you have to move that folder. Again, revert all your changes. Do NOT mess with the structure iTunes created. Do NOT go into the folders if you don't understand how files are referenced.

Here's how to move your iTunes library:
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4527

 

[DrPips]

Backup from Time Machine easily if you are using a Mac.

Don't mess with settings you don't understand. The file locations are hard-coded on a PC. Thus, if you change the folder location, you have to move that folder. Again, revert all your changes.

Here's how to move your iTunes library:
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4527

Unfortunately I'm on a PC. What I was trying to do was sort out a backup onto a NAS, but I've just buggered it up.

My problem now is that I can't set it up to be like it was before. I've just tried the reset button for the library location, which makes it look right in the settings, but then when a song is added to that location it looks like C:\Users\Dom\Music\iTunes\iTunes Media\iTunes Media I don't understand why iTunes Media is there twice!

Dom

 

[Consultant]

Unfortunately I'm on a PC. What I was trying to do was sort out a backup onto a NAS, but I've just buggered it up.

My problem now is that I can't set it up to be like it was before. I've just tried the reset button for the library location, which makes it look right in the settings, but then when a song is added to that location it looks like C:\Users\Dom\Music\iTunes\iTunes Media\iTunes Media I don't understand why iTunes Media is there twice!

Dom

Backup:
iTunes Library.itl
iTunes Library Extras.itdb
iTunes Music Library.xml

It seems that you changed the library location, and that created the additional "iTunes Media" folder. Try setting library location one folder level up?