[adriandg]

Hi

I need to reinstall windows on my pc. I have iTunes on it with about 11,000 tracks in it. I will obviously have to reinstall iTunes and I don't want to manually reimported all the tracks to iTunes as it will take ages and I will lose all my favourites and play counts etc. Is there something that I can save and copy in to the new install to save me doing this?

Cheers

[Prasius]

Copy your whole iTunes folder, including the library file, onto another drive, do your fresh install - replace the 'new' (empty) iTunes folder with your saved folder..... Tah-daa.

Of course if you don't have a drive big enough to copy your iTunes library to, I'm out of ideas.

[dwhite]

Reinstalling itunes doesn't touch your media folder, so you should be ok. You may want to make a backup anyway just in case.

[Prasius]

The OP is doing a new windows install so I assume they're formatting the drive.

I actually have my iTunes library on it's own, physical, HD for this (along with other's) reason - nothing goes on it unless it's in the library.

[dwhite]

Must learn to read properly

[jassco]

Glad I found this post as I'm about to do the same thing. If I just copy the entire folder with all of my music onto another computer, then copy it back over, is there a way for itunes to remember song ratings and also which songs were deleted from the library (but not from the computer)?

p.s. hope this isn't hijacking the thread as its pretty much the same question

[Prasius]

Originally Posted by jassco

1If I just copy the entire folder with all of my music onto another computer, then copy it back over, is there a way for itunes to remember song ratings and

2 also which songs were deleted from the library (but not from the computer)?

1) Yes - it just does - metadata magic.
2) No.Not if they were stored outside of your iTunes folder (I.e. You added them but didn't 'organise' your library.)

Make sure you go to file/library/organize library - consolidate files - first. That will make sure all your 'stuff' is in your library folder.

[jassco]

Originally Posted by Prasius

1) Yes - it just does - metadata magic.
2) No.Not if they were stored outside of your iTunes folder (I.e. You added them but didn't 'organise' your library.)

Make sure you go to file/library/organize library - consolidate files - first. That will make sure all your 'stuff' is in your library folder.

Cheers; all of the songs that I deleted are inside the itunes folder, but they aren't rated. So when I import the folder back in I can just delete every song without a rating, hopefully

[Prasius]

If everything is consolidated, if you copy the iTunes library and then just replace the 'new' empty library it *should* look exactly as it did before. If you deleted them from the library but haven't removed them from your err.. Library.. (that make sense?!), they should still be.. 'deleted'. Its the little library file inside the iTunes folder that contains that sort of information I think.

I'm struggling to explain how iTunes organises itself because I think it takes most of us hours of brain wracking to almost understand it!

[avfnica]

This post is quite helpful. I am such a dummy at times. Gadgets are not my specialty but at the same time I cannot live without it.

[adriandg]

Sorry to bring this up again. I still haven't reinstalled windows but I will have to soon as my laptop has just about died. I don't think I explained myself. My fault I should take more time.

My actual iTunes library, my MP3s all live on an external NAS so when I reinstall, the MP3s will still be there I will just point iTunes in the right direction. What I wanted to know is what I need to copy so that when I open iTunes up the are all the song ratings, play counts etc still in iTunes and I don't have to drag them all the MP3s back into iTunes which will take forever.

Cheers all

[Prasius]

You need to copy the iTunes folder (usually in the Libraries/Music). It would make more sense (to me) to place that library onto your NAS and just point your iTunes to that location.

I am assuming that you have not consolidated your library - I.E. iTunes on your computer looks in the medias original location (the NAS) rather than the iTunes Media folder.

[Prasius]

Hang on - sorry - your whole iTunes library is on your NAS? I mean, if you turn your computer on with the NAS unavailable; does it say it can't find the media, or does it just present you with an empty library?

If its the former, then your actual library file is on your computer and you will need to copy the folder mentioned above (libraries/music/iTunes). If it's the latter, then it's on your NAS, and you shouldn't have to copy anything; just point your fresh install of iTunes back to the iTunes library file in the iTunes folder on the NAS.

[Matt_C]

I could be wrong, but isn't the best way to "export" the library to an XML file (File > Library > Export Library) and save this, along with a copy of the iTunes Media Folder to a safe location, do your format and reinstall, then replace the iTunes Media Folder into the same location it used to be, then open iTunes; File > Library > Import Library and everything will be as it was before; metadata, playlists, play counts, ratings, sync data, back up of your iPhone (if you have one) etc

Unless I've got the wrong idea

[Matt_C]

Originally Posted by Prasius

Hang on - sorry - your whole iTunes library is on your NAS? I mean, if you turn your computer on with the NAS unavailable; does it say it can't find the media, or does it just present you with an empty library?

If its the former, then your actual library file is on your computer and you will need to copy the folder mentioned above (libraries/music/iTunes). If it's the latter, then it's on your NAS, and you shouldn't have to copy anything; just point your fresh install of iTunes back to the iTunes library file in the iTunes folder on the NAS.

The content of my iTunes is stored on a NAS; the library is on my MacBook.

So if I open iTunes and my NAS is unavailable (say my wifi drops out while playing) everything is still listed in iTunes, but little "!" marks appear next to each track it tries to play, and tells me iTunes cannot find the file, and do I want to try and locate it.

iTunes is just a cataloging system, with the ability to play the files it catalogs - and a few other things too (much as I hate it, I have to admire it, it's a very powerful tool)

[Prasius]

Hmm... My previous advice has been for Windows based systems and I have no idea if it works differently on Mac :o/. I don't see why it should though as you are explaining the same behaviour on the mac as a windows system would.

All I would do is copy the iTunes library folder and then use that to replace the one created by iTunes when you reinstall it. I've done that before (again, on windows) and it's worked fine. Of course it may be implemented differently on the mac, probably worth checking that there is the iTunes library file and the XML file in the folder before you move it, the XML is updated automatically on Win as far as I can tell, as I presume that is the normal reference table for the iTunes library.

I'm planning on carrying out a pretty major upgrade to my desktop into an HTPC and simply plan on moving the library wholesale onto a new drive. I've done it this way before without any issues, so hopefully...!!

Sent from my iPad using AVForums

[Prasius]

I'm not saying your idea won't work btw, i've just never tried it!

Sent from my iPad using AVForums

[Matt_C]

It should work the same regardless of iTunes being on a mac or pc, just as having the music files on a nas and the library being on a computer is the same on mac or pc - I've done both and there's no difference

[adriandg]

When NAS is unavailable and I open iTunes the library is still listed but when I try to play a track I get an exclamation mark next to it and the message iTunes can't find file. So I guess the library file is on the pc.

So to recap I need to copy the folder libraries/music/iTunes to a safe place and then export the library to an XML file and then when I have reinstalled iTunes copy the folder back to it's original location and then open iTunes up and import the XML file?

[Matt_C]

^ Yes, in theory that's how it should work, to my understanding anyway. The XML should contain all the info iTunes needs to know where stuff is (all the file paths) along with all the settings, playlists, artwork etc. So provided you put the folder back in the same place you copied it from (ie, it was in the regular C:\Music\iTunes Music) then you should be able to put the XML on the desktop, open iTunes while holding SHIFT and select the XML and it *should* be back to normal.

At worst case, it doesn't reimport all your stuff, you've already saved it by copying it out and putting it back, you just have to re-add it all manually (in iTunes; File > Add Folder To Library > select the entire iTunes Music folder)

[adriandg]

Great I will give that a try. Thanks very much

[adriandg]

Copied over the itunes folder and exported the xml file. I reinstalled windows, copied the folder back over and hey presto all worked fine.

One thing that I did notice was that there was no option for me to import the xml file afetr i'd reinstalled. If I go file then choose library there is no import library option only export. It doesn't matter as everything is as it was before.

Thanks for your help

[Matt_C]

How do you mean? I take it you installed iTunes, opened it while holding shift/alt (I forget which one on Windows, shift I think) and selected the xml, and it all loaded up correctly, as it was before...?

If so, then you don't need an "import library" function from File > Library (you're quite correct, there isn't one). In order to load up a library from an XML, or create a new library (without removing the old one) you have to start iTunes holding Shift (think Alt [option] is Mac, could be wrong again lol)

[adriandg]

I just copied the itunes folder over to the location it was before and everything was there as it was before. So I didn't need the xml file.

Cheers

[Matt_C]

So, after you reinstalled iTunes, how did everything appear in the library?

[adriandg]

When I reinstalled itunes I didn't open the new install untill after I had copied over the itunes folder that i had prevoiusly copied from the libraries/music on the old install. And itunes looked exactly how it looked on the old install. All the play counts, ratings etc was all the same.

[Matt_C]

Never seen that happen before! Usually you reinstall it and open to a blank library, which you either populate manually, or open an existing library, XML, file