iTunes Library Empty?

One morning I wanted to play David Bowie's album "Black Tie White Noise" using iTunes and I found that my library had disappeared! Much to my frustration I checked the usual suspects, disk drives, folders etc. trying to locate the fault. I check iTunes library file and it had been replaced with a new file, I don't know how this happened but needed to fix it and fast. So while browsing the iTunes program folders I found there is a backup of the library file, I compared the file types using a low level disk utility. All I had to do was rename the backup file to the main library file. I closed iTunes, renamed the file opened iTunes and it worked, my library had been restored.

Here is how I did it step by step:

1. Close all instances of iTunes first. Then, in Windows Explorer go to C :\Documents and Settings\My Music\iTunes (or click on My Music shortcut/folder if you have it.

2. Go to Tools, Folder Options, click on the View tab asnd below the text advanced settings you will find a set of tick boxes, find and un tick the option to Hide extensions for known file types. (Remember this as you will need to recheck it once you have finished) click OK

3. Next you need to change the view mode to Details (View, Details on the text menu )

4. Now change the sort order to Date Modified with the Gray Arrow pointing up (oldest first)

5. Now, look for iTunes Library.itl is the file size below 30Kb?

6. Rename "iTunes Library.itl" to "iTunes Library.TMP"

7. Once you have done that find the file called "Temp File #" (hash being a number), say for example 7 is the newest it will be called "Temp File 7" these files have no extension. You must find in the sorted order the newest file!

8. Last step rename the file "Temp File #" to "iTunes Library.itl"

9. Go back to step 1 and tick the option to hide known extensions of files

10. Close all folders

11. Open iTunes - you should have your library back now.

Back