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  • Restoring a Previous Version of Your iTunes Library

    Restoring a Previous Version of Your iTunes Library

    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:


    ITunes Library.itl cannot be read because it was created by a newer version of iTunes.

    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:

    1. Open up your My Documents\My Music folder.
    2. We will first backup the current version. Rename iTunes Library.itl to something like iTunes Library.itl.bak.
    3. Go into the My Documents\My Music\Previous iTunes Libraries folder.
    4. 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.
    5. Go back to the My Documents\My Music and paste the file from the previous step.
    6. 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.

    Related Posts

    iTunes Issue: Windows Keeps Configuring iTunes When Starting

  • Preventing Directory Browsing with .htaccess

    In the past few weeks I have written a few posts about plugins I have installed to assist with administering Technically Easy. I find it very important to perform regular maintenance on both the WordPress database and the files to ensure my blog is constantly running. One thing I haven’t touched on is the importance of securing my WordPress blog.

    There are many web sites and blogs that provide great tips on how you can secure your WordPress blog, and I may repeat some of those in the future. In this post, however, I will discuss a problem that is evident in many WordPress blogs. This problem is the ability of a visitor to browse the contents of the WordPress directories on your host. If you are unsure if a visitor is able to browse a directory, then I’ll show you how you can test it, and also show you an easy fix to correct the problem.

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  • Preventing Duplicate Content in Search Engines With WordPress

    I was recently looking at Google’s Webmaster Tools, and more specifically the robots.txt section. As I reviewed the robots.txt for my blog, I thought about whether I can make it better. For those who aren’t familiar with the file, it provides information to web robots about what files/directories they shouldn’t access. Search engines use web robots to add pages to their search results.

    As I was reviewing the robots.txt file, I was thinking about a more efficient method of preventing duplicate content from appearing in the search results without having to modify the robots.txt file. After performing a search I found a good way of handling it within WordPress.

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  • iTunes Issue: Windows Keeps Configuring iTunes When Starting

    iTunes Issue: Windows Keeps Configuring iTunes When Starting

    I have recently been experiencing problems with Vista, which is no surprise there. My wife likes to use iTunes, and uses it on a daily basis for listening to music and renting movies. Recently, however, she has been experiencing problems with iTunes. She has been unable to launch the application because Windows Installer opens up and states that Windows is configuring iTunes. After prompting for a reboot, which was granted, she would start iTunes again and was faced with the same message. It was an endless cycle that wouldn’t allow her to access iTunes.

    I decided to uninstall and then reinstall iTunes. Unfortunately, the problem still persisted. I checked the EventLog of Vista and found an error relating to a component that couldn’t be repaired. After doing a search online, I found a solution that fixed the problem. I outline the solution in this post.

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  • How to Reset the Linksys WRT54GL Wireless-G Router

    How to Reset the Linksys WRT54GL Wireless-G Router

    There may be times where you hare having trouble with your WRT54GL router, which may require you to reset the Linksys WRT54GL wireless-G router. There are two methods of performing such an action, so which method you choose is up to you.

    I recently wrote a post outlining the steps needed to secure a Linksys WRT54GL Wireless-G router. Now I will detail how you go about resetting the router if you do need to revert back to the factory defaults. I will explain the two methods you can use to reset the wireless router.

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  • Finding Your Blogger Blog’s Sitemap

    Adding a sitemap to Google’s Webmaster tools is one of the first tips you will be told to do when you first manage a web site or blog. It is an easy process to do, and you can get many benefits from it, such as monitoring how Google is indexing your pages, the external and internal links it finds, and any problems Google may find with indexing your site.

    For Blogger users, the sitemap to your blog may not be easy to find. Blogger does have a built-in tool that can help you add your sitemap, but if other services can use a sitemap, you may want to know where the sitemap is located. The good news, is that it is easy to find.

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  • Removing Broken Links in Your WordPress Blog

    Removing Broken Links in Your WordPress Blog

    Removing broken links from your WordPress blog is important, not only from a SEO perspective, but also from a usability standpoint. In my last post I talked about managing your WordPress database using the WP-DBManager plugin. This plugin was one of two that I installed to help manage Technically Easy. This week I will look at another.

    One of the difficult tasks to perform with regards to a WordPress blog is the process in finding and removing broken links in your posts. If you have been blogging for many years, then chances are many of your older posts have links that no longer work. The plugin I will discuss in this post finds and notifies you of all broken links it finds in your posts.

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  • Managing Your WordPress Database

    Managing Your WordPress Database

    Since switching to WordPress in August 2007, I have been looking at the many plugins that can be installed to enhance the functionality of Technically Easy. There are plugins that affect the look and feel of a blog, others that help to increase the speed, and still others that add functionality. As I looked through the list of plugins that I currently use, I noticed that I don’t have any that actually help me administer Technically Easy.

    Last week I decided to look for plugins that will help me administer Technically Easy from the WordPress dashboard. I managed to find two plugins that I found really useful. I will review each one this week, beginning with a plugin that will help manage the database.

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