My iTunes Library keeps disappearing

My iTunes library has just disappeared on 3 occasions now! Twice in the last 24 hours. I've got my iPod Video 80Gb synced to my Vaio laptop, I don't really have much running other than standard virus software and I've System Mechanic on it too.

The first time it happened I thought it may have been a registry problem (as a complete guess, not that I had any other reason to believe this), so months ago I disabled System Mechanic from doing anything until I prompted it. Yesterday, I turned my laptop on again and there was nothing in my Library and iTunes told me that my iPod was not synced to this Library. So I wiped my iPod, added my songs to library and synced. This morning, I turn my laptop on again and guess what? All songs gone again!

I've searched google for this problem and a few people have experienced but up to now I haven't found any answers so was hoping someone could shed some light on the matter?

I've tried system restore on the first 2 occasions but this did not solve the problem.

Any Ideas would be greatly appreciated!

Are the music files still on your hard drive?

Yes, they're kept safe on an external hard drive. Usually if I start itunes and it's not connected, they are still present in the library but greyed out, and it tells me iTunes can't locate them.

I've synced my iPod and the library has stayed there this time. I don't know what's happening at all though. Argh!

have you got your External Hard Drive running all the songs of your itunes?

Yes, I store them all on my external hard drive.

This has happened to me also and, curious enough, I also have a VAIO laptop..
And all my songs are in the laptops driver, so I don't know why this keep happening.

Hi Nicky,

Sorry I can't offer any help. I ended up reinstalling Windows to solve the problem (which it did) and now I use my desktop for my ipod.

Strange how it's both from a Vaio though eh? Best of luck!

Chris

same thing

The same thing happens to me, and I also have a Vaio laptop. I have all my files on my computer on my hard drive and every time i close itunes or shut down my computer all of the music is gone from itunes but not from my hard drive. This is really annoying because i keep having to resync my ipod and that takes a while to sync up 20 gigs of songs. Any ideas on what is going on? This is so frustrating.

Oh my gosh!!! SAME HERE!! HEEEEELP!

I also use a Vaio laptop - and have been having to COMPLETELY reload from my backup dvd's EVERY time I use Itunes now - FOR MONTHS!!!

I have literally been tearing my hair out! It has made my entire experience with iTunes unbearable! I can't beging to count the amount of time I have spent each week having to reload all my songs and movies etc.

I also often get enormous amounts of duplicate folders, songs etc - or many of them missing. The songs are all on my hard drive - but I have found the ONLY way to get some sort of use from iTunes and ALL THE MONEY I have spent with them - is by my back up dvds.

Have you any idea how annoying it is to have to use new dvd's every time I make the SMALLEST change or download every ONE song from iTunes? The cost is huge with the dvd's I am going through!

But wait - there's more!..........When I sync my ipod or iphone - iTunes says it needs to wipe them to continue - so the simplest things take AGES .

SO! There you have it - I guess you can see how grumpy I am getting - and how LOYAL I have tried to be to MAC. - My hubby is a PC-nut - but I love MAC (usually!). He bought me a PC laptop for Christmas - and has been enjoying my issues with MAC products hugely!

I will check back a couple of times every day in the hope that someone out there knows the answer to my aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaargh!!!

Thanks heaps (gasp!)

FOR ALL OF YOU HAVING ISSUES: try recreating a new library, i've had a couple calls regarding this issue and this has been the fix!

here's what you must do:

1. if itunes is open make sure you close the program so it is no longer running!
2. go to your itunes folder (default location is in my music) and locate two files. File 1 is itunes music library.xml file. File 2 is itunes library.itl file( if it does not say .itl at the end it will be the ONLY file in the itunes folder called itunes library)
3. after you locate those two files drag your itunes music library.xml file to your desktop. after you put the xml file on the desktop, delete the itunes library.itl file (must make sure you delete the correct one)
4. after you've done step 3, HOLD SHIFT while you double click on itunes logo, it will bring up a window asking you to recreate library (or something along those lines) after you choose to create NEW LIBRARY itunes will now open w/ nothing in it, after it is open go to File>library>import playlist and then locate the itunes music library.xml file you put on your desktop and choose that file and then open it, after this is done add your music folder to library and you should be good to go

please post up if this worked/didn't work for you and then i'll see what needs to be done after that

Hi - hubby has found that my "itl" file keeps being emptied/overwritten with 'nothing'.

It seems to be an ITL issue. Any ideas on how to stablize it?

Thanks.

Aaargh! said:

Hi - hubby has found that my "itl" file keeps being emptied/overwritten with 'nothing'.

It seems to be an ITL issue. Any ideas on how to stablize it?

Thanks.

Click to expand...

delete the file!

when you delete it and open itunes while holding shift and create new library it creates a new .itl file

I had...

Hiya - this was after I already had followed all of your instructions. I am still having to go through this every time I open itunes - the itl disappears every time for no reason, taking my library along with it on closing.

Each time I reload my library - I get multiple duplicates of each and every song. My library should have only around 300 or so but is now up to over 1,000 because of the duplicates.......any more ideas?

Thanks heaps!

Aaargh! said:

Hiya - this was after I already had followed all of your instructions. I am still having to go through this every time I open itunes - the itl disappears every time for no reason, taking my library along with it on closing.

Each time I reload my library - I get multiple duplicates of each and every song. My library should have only around 300 or so but is now up to over 1,000 because of the duplicates.......any more ideas?

Thanks heaps!

Click to expand...

at this point the next thing to do is to create a new user account on your computer and trying to install itunes on it to see if it is a user specific issue, or a system wide issue...if it is a user specific issue then the fix is to just switch user accounts but if it's a system wide issue it's beyond getting itunes fixed and start worrying about your computer

Need clean library

Thanks for that - just creating new user account - but I do not want to risk 'contaminating' the new a/c with my previous backup of my library. How can I get a fresh copy from Apple of all of the songs I have purchase please? Really appreciate your help Edwin - brilliant!

Thanks!!;D

Aaargh! said:

Thanks for that - just creating new user account - but I do not want to risk 'contaminating' the new a/c with my previous backup of my library. How can I get a fresh copy from Apple of all of the songs I have purchase please? Really appreciate your help Edwin - brilliant!

Thanks!!;D

Click to expand...

if you go to: apple.com/support/itunes/store/browser

you can send them an email, after you put in your info, to see if they can put the stuff you purchased in your available downloads, i'm not sure if they will or not but it is worth a shot

i'm glad i was able to help

I Tunes Library disappearing

Hi

I am having the same problems as people in this forum. I have a Sony Vaio laptop and whenever I open iTunes, two files (iTunes Library Extras and iTunes Library Genius) go straight to the recylce bin and my playlist is wiped from iTunes. I have been into the apple shop in Glasgow and they weren't helpful at all. This is really annoying me now.

Can anyone offer a solution? I've tried creating a new library, I've tried uninstalling and re-installing and none of these have worked!

it is very frustarting having to add my music folder of 3000 songs every time i turn on my computer and then have to wait for it to search for album artwork and then sit and de-select the songs i don't want to transfer to my iPod.

I hope somebody somewhere can help with this.

oz_crew said:

Hi

I am having the same problems as people in this forum. I have a Sony Vaio laptop and whenever I open iTunes, two files (iTunes Library Extras and iTunes Library Genius) go straight to the recylce bin and my playlist is wiped from iTunes. I have been into the apple shop in Glasgow and they weren't helpful at all. This is really annoying me now.

Can anyone offer a solution? I've tried creating a new library, I've tried uninstalling and re-installing and none of these have worked!

it is very frustarting having to add my music folder of 3000 songs every time i turn on my computer and then have to wait for it to search for album artwork and then sit and de-select the songs i don't want to transfer to my iPod.

I hope somebody somewhere can help with this.

Click to expand...

have you tried creating a new user account on your computer?

also, when you remove itunes you've got to remove:
apple mobile device support
apple software update
itunes
quicktime

if you didn't remove those four, the uninstall and reinstall of itunes would have had no effect

yip. Done all that and it is still messing about.

any other suggestions?

hey same problems here

oz_crew said:

Hi

I am having the same problems as people in this forum. I have a Sony Vaio laptop and whenever I open iTunes, two files (iTunes Library Extras and iTunes Library Genius) go straight to the recylce bin and my playlist is wiped from iTunes. I have been into the apple shop in Glasgow and they weren't helpful at all. This is really annoying me now.

Can anyone offer a solution? I've tried creating a new library, I've tried uninstalling and re-installing and none of these have worked!

it is very frustarting having to add my music folder of 3000 songs every time i turn on my computer and then have to wait for it to search for album artwork and then sit and de-select the songs i don't want to transfer to my iPod.

I hope somebody somewhere can help with this.

Click to expand...

hey ive got a sony vaio fw.
and from readin forums i can tell that it must be something wrong with vaio,
because there are alot of people with the same problem as us,
because i have to keep on re-doin 30gbs of music every day basically.
have u found any ideas to help yet?
but i found that if u open music/itunes/ there are the files itunes library and all that stuff, i found that if i delete the file called "it" and all its copies before u open itunes it doesnt forget it. but u have to do it evry time you want to open i tunes. ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh