I recently received an e-mail from a user who had installed a newer version of iTunes, but then went back to the previous version. When they started the previous version they received an error on the screen related to the “ITunes Library.itl” file. This error prevented iTunes from launching.
I did some research into the issue and managed to find an easy solution to the problem. After describing the steps to correct the problem, the user informed me that iTunes was once again working. In this post I’ll describe the solution.
Restoring Your ITunes Library File
If you decide to revert back to a previous version of iTunes, you may receive the following error:
This error prevents iTunes from launching. The library file was modified to work with the newer iTunes version, so it is no longer compatible with the previous version. The good news, however, is that Apple does backup the iTunes library file into a subdirectory that you can use to revert back to the previous version.
To recover a previous version of the iTunes Library.itl file, use the following steps:
- Open up your My Documents\My Music folder.
- We will first backup the current version. Rename iTunes Library.itl to something like iTunes Library.itl.bak.
- Go into the My Documents\My Music\Previous iTunes Libraries folder.
- You may see several files that start with iTunes Library and have a date included in the name. Copy the newest file in the folder.
- Go back to the My Documents\My Music and paste the file from the previous step.
- Rename the new copied file to iTunes Library.itl.
Your library should now be restored to the previous version of iTunes, and you should no longer receive the message.
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Thanks John, yes i found a load of songs in folders on my computer but don’t know if that is everything as i had thousands of songs before and my only real way of knowing if they were all there is seeing them in my playlists again. Like you i rely on those playlists for my job. Yes in looking for a solution to this problem i have found that many other people are in the same position, so if you do find a good mp3 program yes please let me know.
its a nightmare really and i haven’t gotten around to starting to put playlists back in. I would have to look at all of my dvds and hear the music from each one and then go through the music on the computer and try to recognise which songs in arabic go with which choreographies. Obviously music i have listened to a lot in more recent times i have found quickly as i know their names and know what to type in to search for them. But other songs i will have to recognise the music when i hear it to know which playlist to allocate.
Hey.
I have windows vista (32) and there is no Previous iTunes Libraries folder…
but the error is the same.
would be great, if you could help me
i didn’t have the folder either. i just renamed the file like step number two and mine worked
STILL NOT WORKING!
Thank-you thank-you thank-you!! You just helped me recover thousands of songs from years of downloading that were accidentally deleted on my computer…you’re a lifesaver!
The approach worked without major problems. Naturally, newly added files and folders were lost and had to be added again, followed by consolidation. By knowing the date of the iTunes Library.itl file, and comparing with dates of the iTunes sound/music files and folders, this was a straightforward task. – Many thanks
Thank youuu SO MUCH
what if ur on Windows XP and ur files only appear as “iTunes Library” – how do you make this file change work? I was able to open iTunes after trying this, but my “Music” section was empty…don’t want to import 1200 songs one by one
Got the library to open. Thank you! But my library of music didn’t carry over or playlists.
The music is still there but how do I get it back into the library?
How do I prevent the error from happening again?
Can I put all the music on my ipod back into iTunes with the different playlists?