iTunes

Annie1960

Win10 downloaded itself to my desktop recently.

I decided to try to have a go with it.

Today, a box popped up telling me to update iTunes, so I did. Now I can't find any of my music on iTunes, it seems to be empty.

Where has my library gone to, and how do I get it back?

Thanks for any help on this.

googler

After two or three losses of iTunes libraries in the past, I moved to take control of my music, rather than letting iTunes control it.

I don't rip CDs with iTunes, I use other software, and store them in folders outwith iTunes. When I want them in my iTunes library, I use the 'Add folder to library' dialogue, and that makes them available in iTunes.

It has some disadvantages, such as any alterations made to folder names etc results in iTunes losing track of where they are, but in the event of a failure such as you've described above, the library of music remains untouched when iTunes and the OS lose track of what thye're doing.

I recommend this method on an ongoing basis.

RumRat

It should still be there in the iTunes folder.....
Restore library iTunes.

Hopefully that will help....I'm no expert on iTunes so I always back up with Google music to make sure my music won't just be held on my PC.

Annie1960

RumRat wrote: »

It should still be there in the iTunes folder.....
Restore library iTunes.

Hopefully that will help....I'm no expert on iTunes so I always back up with Google music to make sure my music won't just be held on my PC.

Thanks, i'll have a go at this.

Annie1960

I can't get my iTunes back!

I have iTunes on my MacBook air laptop, and all my songs and podcasts are in there.

Is there some way to get these onto my destop iTunes? the file is too big to email to myself, and it's too big to put into my Dropbox.

Is there any other way to get the iTunes back?

NiftyDigits

Annie1960 wrote: »

I can't get my iTunes back!

I have iTunes on my MacBook air laptop, and all my songs and podcasts are in there.

Is there some way to get these onto my destop iTunes? the file is too big to email to myself, and it's too big to put into my Dropbox.

Is there any other way to get the iTunes back?

Use the external HDD that you utilise for backups... or buy a USB Flash drive.
16 GB for £3

https://support.apple.com/en-gb/HT201625

almillar

On your MacBook, iTunes, the App, is inside Macintosh HD - Applications.
Your music is stored at MacintoshHD - Users - <your name> - Music - iTunes.

On your Windows 10 desktop the App will be at C:\ Program Files\iTunes (there may be a (x86) after Program Files
and the music will be in C:\Users\<your name>\Music\iTunes

You need to sort your iTunes program out, but your music is safe. You can actually copy that entire iTunes folder than contains all your music between the 2 computers (yes, even between Mac and Windows).
If you get a backup drive as Nifty Digits suggests, and format it as EXFAT ( your Mac or PC can do this) then you can use this to copy the iTunes folder between your 2 computers, and it will also act as a backup.

Annie1960

almillar wrote: »

On your MacBook, iTunes, the App, is inside Macintosh HD - Applications.
Your music is stored at MacintoshHD - Users - <your name> - Music - iTunes.

correct.

On your Windows 10 desktop the App will be at C:\ Program Files\iTunes (there may be a (x86) after Program Files
and the music will be in C:\Users\<your name>\Music\iTunes

This is where it should be, but the folder is empty.

You need to sort your iTunes program out, but your music is safe. You can actually copy that entire iTunes folder than contains all your music between the 2 computers (yes, even between Mac and Windows).
If you get a backup drive as Nifty Digits suggests, and format it as EXFAT ( your Mac or PC can do this) then you can use this to copy the iTunes folder between your 2 computers, and it will also act as a backup.

How do I format a USB to do this? I haven't formatted anything since the floppy discs we used to use in the 1980s!

almillar

You can do it on either computer, but let's do it on the Windows computer.n YOU WILL LOSE THE DATA ON IT!
Plug the USB disk in (USB stick or hard drive, doesn't matter). Open My Computer, or Computer. The drive should be in there with letter, maybe or E:
Right click on it, and click properties. It should say File System: - if it says EXFAT or FAT32 after this, then your Mac and PC can both write to it, that's what you want.
If not, format it. Close that Properties window.
Right click on the drive again, and there should be a format option. Make sure quick format is selected, if it can be, and select EXFAT as the file system - and go ahead, that should be it.
Once you've done that, put the USB into the Mac, copy the iTunes folder from your User folder onto it, eject it properly, put in in the PC, and copy it from USB into that location. When you run iTunes, you should see the Library just like on the Mac, down to the play count.
You now also have a backup of the library on the USB. Back up other important stuff too!

Annie1960

Thanks everyone for your help.

I was in Curry's for something else, and spoke to the sales assistant about memory sticks. He said music is universal, so it would not need to be formatted for either mac or windows.

I bought a new memory stick, and it was very easy to put my iTunes music on it using my MacBook, and then I put it in my Windows desktop and the contents transferred to my iTunes file. the iTunes player then automatically imported the songs - I didn't need to do this myself.

It was very easy, and now I have my music back.

spud17

Annie1960 wrote: »

Thanks everyone for your help.

I was in Curry's for something else, and spoke to the sales assistant about memory sticks. He said music is universal, so it would not need to be formatted for either mac or windows.

I bought a new memory stick, and it was very easy to put my iTunes music on it using my MacBook, and then I put it in my Windows desktop and the contents transferred to my iTunes file. the iTunes player then automatically imported the songs - I didn't need to do this myself.

It was very easy, and now I have my music back.

Your new memory stick was formatted, otherwise it wouldn't work, probably as FAT32, this is suitable for Windows or Mac.
almillar was only making sure that if you used an existing flash drive, it was suitably formatted, e.g. not NTFS