Itunes library disapeared

collisster · 22 Jun 2008 at 16:17

I've just loaded up itunes and the library has disappeared, I tried loading up the itunes library in the itunes folder but that hasn't helped. I was using it earlier today and after a windows update and restart the whole thing has gone

Immsy · 22 Jun 2008 at 16:20

Import your music again and this will re-build the xml library file.

muon · 22 Jun 2008 at 17:01

Im pretty sure itunes has xml backups created every time you update itunes. Look for them in the directory.

collisster · 22 Jun 2008 at 21:06

I've got the itunes music library .xml but it just opens up in internet explorer what do i do with it?

paradigm · 22 Jun 2008 at 21:18

In iTunes, go File > Import

collisster · 22 Jun 2008 at 21:21

nah doesn't work

just loads a load of empty play lists,

Converge · 22 Jun 2008 at 21:21

Yeah mine's done this numerous times, and sometimes the backup is from a few months back for some reason. So i've wasted loads of time importing back and stuff, as weirdly it deletes some music completely :confused:

So i've given up on it and started using Winamp, i prefer it definitely at the mo.

paradigm · 22 Jun 2008 at 21:25

This is why I load iTunes from a batch file, set to backup the library before loading iTunes.

I found that the library does randomly corrupt from time to time!

collisster · 22 Jun 2008 at 21:38

so what can i do?

collisster · 22 Jun 2008 at 22:11

will a system restore fix it?

swinnie · 22 Jun 2008 at 22:23

collisster said:
so what can i do?

http://www.winamp.com/

collisster · 22 Jun 2008 at 22:53

doesn't really help I've got all of my songs on my ipod but will a system restore fix it

Janesy B · 23 Jun 2008 at 09:13

i've never had a library go corrupt on me and i have used itunes everyday for the last couple of years. i keep full backups of everything just in case

paradigm · 23 Jun 2008 at 12:43

Vista or XP?

If vista, you may be able to recover the file from the shadow copies.

Jeeva · 23 Jun 2008 at 13:34

I've fixed this for a friend a few times, it's a weird problem.

I found that iTunes had taken it upon itself to just create a new library file, which was easily fixed by finding it, deleting it and renaming the old library file (which hadn't been deleted, but simply had a 1 appended to the filename. Or in the case of my friend, a 3 or 4, as it happened several times).

AFAIK, if the problem is the same for you, the file is \YourMusicFile\iTunes\iTunes Library.itl

If I remember rightly, the xml file stays the same, but may well be wrong.

collisster · 23 Jun 2008 at 19:23

yeah I've got those files but when I import them I just get a load of blank play lists, what can i do?

unclebob123 · 23 Jun 2008 at 20:47

I really don't understand the appeal of itunes.

I archive all my music and media files my self by making a folder, then inside that making sub-folders for each artist. Much nicer to brows, especially with windows vista indexing as searches only take a second, if that.

Adsta · 24 Jun 2008 at 16:10

I like the setup of itunes but i dont have it automatically look up files etc i archive everything in folders i choose then add them to itunes myself

collisster · 28 Jun 2008 at 01:44

I think I'm just going to have to reload every CD i own