The Hardy Boys & The Missing iTunes Library

November 30, 2005 8:57 AM

Help me solve the case of the missing iTunes library.

Ok, so I opened iTunes this morning and my entire library is cleaned out. All tracks, streams and playlists. I tried launching the file named "iTunes Library" and that didn't do anything. I can still see the mp3's on the HD, but want to restore all my playlists. Any ideas? It's iTunes 6.0.1 on OS X 10.3.9.

posted by helvetica to computers & internet (9 comments total)

Are your MP3s still in your "Music -> iTunes -> iTunes Music" folder?

If so, open iTunes and select File -> Add to Library...

Choose your home directory's iTunes Music folder (from the above path) and click "Add".

iTunes will scan through the folder and "rebuild" your library.
posted by Rothko at 9:00 AM on November 30, 2005

Rothko; The mp3's are still there, it's mostly the playlists that I'm woried about.
posted by helvetica at 9:04 AM on November 30, 2005

If your library was wiped, that would wipe the playlists as well. Do you have a backup?
posted by Rothko at 9:08 AM on November 30, 2005

I would re-install iTunes. I've re-installed it a couple of times and it refinds all my playlistes etc.
posted by oh pollo! at 9:09 AM on November 30, 2005

Unfortunately, I don't conventionally backup any of my iTunes files. However, I do have an ipod that is a mirror of my itunes.

I ended up moving my itunes home folder a while back to my public folder so my roommate could access the mp3's. Would the non-default location present any problems?
posted by helvetica at 9:15 AM on November 30, 2005

This happened to me a couple of weeks ago. I downloaded iTunes 6 directly from the page at apple.com--not from the "software updates", restarted the computer, and everything was back, playlists and all.

It was pretty scary.
posted by interrobang at 9:17 AM on November 30, 2005

I had a similar problem. If you're running MacOSX,make sure the folder on the HD "Library" didn't get renamed/changed etc. I had someone do it to me by accident. If the folder is missing, the OS will just generate a new one sans all of your prefrences etc.
posted by GilloD at 9:35 AM on November 30, 2005

Did you try the procedure in this Apple article, iTunes 6: No music shows up in iTunes after upgrading?

Basically, it suggests reinstalling iTunes 6, then before launching it, restoring the previous iTunes library file.
posted by mdeatherage at 10:54 AM on November 30, 2005

Thanks all, I appreciate all the good advice.
posted by helvetica at 11:34 AM on November 30, 2005