Recovering iTunes Library

[Cavara34]

iTunes recently crashed and I received an error message that the "iTunes Library.itl" file was damaged, marked as such, and replaced. I have no recent Time Machine backup (foolish, yes) and was surprised to find no previous library files. There were two .tmp files, a 44mb one from the previous day, and an 11mb one from the time of the crash. I tried marking and importing one and then other as a new "iTunes Library.itl" file. After several errors, both imported almost all of my library (which comes from two different folders), but both finished with errors, and I don't know how to determine what files are missing. The playlists were also gone.

Is there anything more I can try to reimport the whole library from these files. If I had to rebuild the library from scratch, is there anywhere else that the playlist data is stored?

Thanks for any help.

 

[Bruno09]

Hi,

if your iTunes Library.xml file is not damaged, this might help :

http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1451

 

[MCAsan]

Step one......address the significant problem of not doing TM backups. Otherwise, missing files may be a repeated problem.

 

[Cavara34]

Hi,

if your iTunes Library.xml file is not damaged, this might help :

http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1451

I couldn't make that work for some reason, thanks. Are the older "genius" and "extra" files of any use? Is the playlist date stored anywhere else?

 

[Bruno09]

Are the older "genius" and "extra" files of any use? Is the playlist date stored anywhere else?

I don't know (I would say no, and no).

I couldn't make that work for some reason, thanks.

What was the problem ? That should work.

 

[Cavara34]

I don't know (I would say no, and no).


What was the problem ? That should work.

Well, maybe they worked, partly. I can't remember all the files renamed ".itl" now. Either the .xml or the .tm file restored most of the library, but not everything up to the crash date, and not the playlists.

I've tried different .tmp and/or .xml files several times and they always end with "error at -50" messages after importing different amounts of the library every time.

 

[Bruno09]

Assuming that your iTunes Library.xml is NOT damaged (BTW, save it ! make a copy of it), here is a way :

Quit iTunes, then relaunch it with the Option key depressed, select "new library".
Name it : "iTunes NEW" or whatever your like.

This will create a new, empty Library.

Menu bar : File / Library / Import the list, browse to your "old" "iTunes Library.xml" file.

iTunes will import ALL, including the music/video/etc files.
That will create an exact copy of your old iTunes Library.

Of course, this needs a lot of disk space !
You can create the "iTunes NEW" on an external hard drive if you don't have enough space on your internal drive.

 

[Cavara34]

Assuming that your iTunes Library.xml is NOT damaged (BTW, save it ! make a copy of it), here is a way :

Quit iTunes, then relaunch it with the Option key depressed, select "new library".
Name it : "iTunes NEW" or whatever your like.

This will create a new, empty Library.

Menu bar : File / Library / Import the list, browse to your "old" "iTunes Library.xml" file.

iTunes will import ALL, including the music/video/etc files.
That will create an exact copy of your old iTunes Library.

Of course, this needs a lot of disk space !
You can create the "iTunes NEW" on an external hard drive if you don't have enough space on your internal drive.

That's what I've been trying to no avail. I keep getting the same "error (-50)" message. I appreciate the suggestion.