iTunes Library lost

[sushi]

The good news is: my Computer survived the recovery from a former backup.
The bad news is: in the process I lost my iTunes library with some 2000+ music titles/covers/information ...

it appears that info is stored in the iTunes_Library.xml (somebody pls confirm). the versions of that file that I seem to have backuped don not help when recovered.

Apparently the tools able to help recovery form the ipod to my computer are all purchase versions (some 25-29 EUR which is surely more economic than sitting there the next days reediting the libraryfiles from scratch) and do have some problems recovering disc-covers (the freeware version of copytrans only works with about 100 titles) without error.

Anybody got a suggestion?

[Ash2Dust]

Hmmm, my impression was all you needed to do was copy My music folder from one computer to another. Not sure as I rarely use itunes.

[.Sup]

Were the iTunes files imported before or after you made the backup?

[Zaitsev Jr.]

Dunno how much damage you got, but here is a workable ...

The original files that the Itunes Library refers too should be stored somewhere.

If you choose to let Itunes create its own copies, they will be in the My Music/Itunes/Media folder.

IF the OS has changed or lost its authorization, just reimport that folder into the "new" running version of Itunes, then let itself sort out, display duplicates and all that tinkerwitds ...

I jumped between 3 OS in the past 3 month, and the itunes media is still there, just needed to be "reaccounted" for, thats what that xml file does. That way the media can be easier stored to the Ipod the Apple way

I am sure you will figure this out, if not, after you called everyone else ... call me, i 'll see what i can do to mess it up further

[sushi]

The music files are still there (all sitting on a external drive) the thing is the info/covers which I managed inside itunes will be gone once I reimported everything from the drive.

I still have all the whole computer backuped (a version from some weeks ago). The thing is I am unable to identify/locate the file responsible for the mediathek. Is it the xml file?

[Zaitsev Jr.]

iTunes stores it in a manner that makes isolating a specific file difficult.
The files can be found in MyMusic > iTunes > Album Artwork > Cache

There you will find something like
139668AABAE36A78-701B69822DA73820.itc2

Now from what i understand, the library xml contains the reference to those files as well as other information on the individual media ... but the way it is created is kind of a sequence as files are added.
Maybe comparing the new and the original xml, especially the header info might provide some infoon how to re-point to your artwork correctly.

How many of your images and artwork are custom, meaning, which won't be recovered via web by "Getting Album Info" ?
Or are the russian porn sites down for good ? ^^