Re-installing iTunes = Losing ratings?

[sch21c]

I had to reinstall my operating system and am in the process of re-installing applications. I had my iTunes music directory backed up to another hard drive in my system. After reinstalling iTunes and telling it where the music files are, there are no ratings associated with any of the songs.

I've spent a lot of time going through and rating my collection of nearly 3,000 songs, and have smart playlists associated with the ratings.

Now I'm afraid to sync the iPod, concerned that the lack of ratings in iTunes will overwrite the iPod's ratings. Does anyone know if the ratings will survive?

Thanks.

[MikeM]

Did you back up the iTunes database file? That's what has the ratings. You'll need to copy the old one and paste in place of the current database you're now running off of.

[sch21c]

Originally posted by MikeM
Did you back up the iTunes database file? That's what has the ratings. You'll need to copy the old one and paste in place of the current database you're now running off of.

Nope, I assumed that it would be in the folder with the music files. My bad. Is there any save here?

Thanks, --Sam

[MikeM]

There is. But I'm not sure about how to do it.

There's an applescript [yeah, mac only] that will pull the info down.

http://www.malcolmadams.com/itunes/scripts/scripts08.php?page=1#synchipoditunesdata

I have NO idea about writing something for windows, if that's even possible.

I don't know if you could find a mac, get the info and transfer that to windows. I doubt it.

Maybe somebody who uses windows and has done this can chime in.

[ginalee]

If you had all 3000 files on your ipod as well identically as with your itunes library then I would guess that if you tried to copy the files from your ipod to your HD, and simply re-add to library then you'll have everything...

[sch21c]

Originally posted by ginalee
If you had all 3000 files on your ipod as well identically as with your itunes library then I would guess that if you tried to copy the files from your ipod to your HD, and simply re-add to library then you'll have everything...

I've got the files. The library is complete. What I didn't backup was the itunes.db file. :(

What I don't want to lose is the ratings, times played, last played info.

[ginalee]

I can't vouch for it but when I loaded my tunes up to my new powerbook - the files had all the ratings, times played etc.

[sch21c]

I'm hoping that's the case. I'm going to give it a try tonight. Worst thing that happens is I have to listen to all the music again to re-rate. :cool:

[ginalee]

Can't promise it will work - but I hope for you that it will! Do you happen to know someone with a mac - cos then you could plug it in and transfer in case you lose something.

[MikeM]

It doesn't work just copying the files. That's what you did the first time and the data didn't copy over. Only info about the song is kept with the music file. I hope I'm wrong but I don't feel it.

At this point it looks like you're just going to have to suck it up and redo them... :(

[tboooe]

MikeM, I am not sure I agree with you. The IPOD somehow stores the rating information because you can rate songs on it and the rating gets transferred/synched to the PC. Now I am no expert on this subject but it just seems to me that rating and last played info is somehow kept on the IPOD as well. Perhaps it is kept in a separate file that you can copy back onto the PC.

[ginalee]

I don't want to claim this with vehemence either (for fear of making MikeM feel bad) but I also seem to remember, as previously stated that all my songs with ratings and playcounts were transferred to my PB HD.

[MikeM]

All of that info is CERTAINLY kept on the iPod- the script I linked to in my first post can access it. But its in a separate file. Its not stored in the music file itself.

Think about- if you share a file and someone downloads it using whatever quasi-legal software, do they have your rating and play count show up? No. But they do get your exact artist, album, etc. settings because that IS included in the file.

The issue is I don't know how to get additional info contained in whatever file on the iPod to iTunes in windows. That Applescript above does it for mac, so there must be a way.

[sch21c]

Bit the bullet and re-synched the iPod. I first tried to sync the iPod with iTunes with an empty library, thinking that maybe it'll take the info off the iPod (kind of like the way Palm devices work). That didn't work, so I had to import all my songs into the library and then synch the iPod. All the playlists, smart playlists and song ratings were wiped out.

On the positive side, if I listen to iTunes / iPod for the next 12 1/2 days, I can get all of the songs rated again.... :D

Thanks to everyone who tried to help.

[MikeM]

Sorry no solution was found. Learn the location of that database file should you need to grab it in the future!