iTunes Music Library file unknown error (-50)

[rkminc]

I am stuck in a cycle of neverending errors when I use iTunes for PC. The error keeps popping up as "The iTunes Music Library file cannot be saved. An unknown error occurred (-50)."

I have tried a) erasing my iTunes directory and restored my library from an old backup xml file, b) removing Musicmatch software, c) re-adding all of my music files to a new installation of iTunes, d) restarting, etc. but to no avail. How can I get around this, and has anyone heard of this error?

 

[EvilDude]

Out of space, read only, another program accessing the file???
I've never heard of this error before..

 

[timlovelee]

me too

I keep getting these errors, and its annoying as hell. what's up, can anyone help? I'm begining to think my days on iTunes are completely over. Is there a better PC program that can share on a iTunes network ?? Or any way I can stop these stupid errors?
thanks

 

[pbox]

FIX

I have managed to fix this error. I have Windows 2000, but I think it should be OK for any Windows version.

1. Make sure iTunes is closed.
2. Move My Documents/My Music/iTunes/iTunes* (2 files, *.itl, and *.xml) to Desktop
3. Start up iTunes, it will create the two files above.
4. In iTunes: File :: Import...
5. Select .xml instead of text.
6. Select the iTunes Music Library.xml

ITunes stopped complaining.

 

[rkminc]

yeah, I've replaced the XML file like 12 times already, and have even tried rebuilding my library from scratch. But it takes about 2 hours for the problem to re-emerge. iTunes is useless to me. I can't believe I paid nearly $500 for this thing and the software doesn't even work. Apple sucks.

 

[pbox]

yeah, I've replaced the XML file like 12 times already, and have even tried rebuilding my library from scratch. But it takes about 2 hours for the problem to re-emerge. iTunes is useless to me. I can't believe I paid nearly $500 for this thing and the software doesn't even work. Apple sucks.

Let's compare notes:

1. I have auto cd notification off (tweaknow powerpack), so itunes complains when it starts up (and cannot even switch the damn dialog off)
2. I have a sandisk 8in1 flash reader which when connected to USB (but no flash inserted) shows up as drive letters, but no media. it drives itunes crazy.
3. i've had quicktunes installed before itunes installation.
4. i have both winamp and windows media 9 installed. .net 1.1 as well.
5. my music collection in on a server and the folder is shared out.
6. my itunes folder is local, but i don't let itunes copy the files.
7. i have a squeezebox (slimdevices.com) whose server is running on my file server and uses the same files as itunes. this can cause some file access problems - reportedly - but i have not run into those. i only run itunes, when squeezebox is not playing...

Any of the above could be the culprit, but i have to say the apple software is no better than anyting from microsoft...

BTW, I did not "add" my music to iTunes, I have both the "Copy files to iTunes folder when adding to library" and the "Keep iTunes Music folder organized" switched off in the advanced tab. This way it only takes about 2-3 minutes to add my 33 GB worth of MP3... Much much faster than copying...

 

[baggss]

yeah, I've replaced the XML file like 12 times already, and have even tried rebuilding my library from scratch. But it takes about 2 hours for the problem to re-emerge. iTunes is useless to me. I can't believe I paid nearly $500 for this thing and the software doesn't even work. Apple sucks.

I suspect the fact that it doesn't work on your POS system is NOT a reflection on Apple. The fact that pbox was able to fix his leads me to believe that the problem was probably his system, not iTunes. He at least asked for help, fixed his problem and is now trying to provide you with some assistance. I would say if anything, your POS system SUCKS!

 

[pbox]

baggs, thank you for your insightful, friendly and worthwhile reply.

I suspect the fact that it doesn't work on your POS system is NOT a reflection on Apple. The fact that pbox was able to fix his leads me to believe that the problem was probably his system, not iTunes. He at least asked for help, fixed his problem and is now trying to provide you with some assistance. I would say if anything, your POS system SUCKS!

 

[baggss]

Call it what you want, but I can not STAND people automatically saying things like "iTunes won't work on my PC, Apple sucks!". The fact that your PC (or Mac) may be jacked up is not Apples fault. Now if 50 folks were saying the same thing (like the battery issues) then I would agree that Apple screwed the pooch somewhere. This goes along the same line as folks (myself included) who say "My PC is AFU, M$ sucks". In some cases that may be true, but in most it is not. Sure, my PC at work is all jacked up, but it is not M$ fault. It is the fault of the IT idiots who screwed it up.

I apologize for any offense taken at my previous post.

 

[rkminc]

Apple

I fail to see how this is not Apple's fault -- that their software is rendered unusable by a their own "-50 error". Musicmatch, Winamp, Real Jukebox, and Media Player have absolutely no problem. If it were a problem with my system or with windows, then I would conceivably have problems with other jukebox software. I do not. Furthermore, Apple will not furnish a solution barring uninstalling every piece of software on my system. Meanwhile, I cannot use iTunes AT ALL because the dialogs keep coming up, over and over and over....

In spite of these frustrations, I appreciate the help.

 

[baggss]

Any of the above could be the culprit, but i have to say the apple software is no better than anyting from microsoft...

And yet most Mac users have no problems with this software. Hmmmm...makes one wonder....

 

[baggss]

Re: Apple

I fail to see how this is not Apple's fault -- that their software is rendered unusable by a their own "-50 error". Musicmatch, Winamp, Real Jukebox, and Media Player have absolutely no problem. If it were a problem with my system or with windows, then I would conceivably have problems with other jukebox software. I do not. Furthermore, Apple will not furnish a solution barring uninstalling every piece of software on my system. Meanwhile, I cannot use iTunes AT ALL because the dialogs keep coming up, over and over and over....

In spite of these frustrations, I appreciate the help.

Again, if 50 people were in here screaming about this I would agree that it was Apples problem. So far there are two of you and one of you has fixed the problem. I still suspect that SOMETHING very specific about your machine and or configuration is causing you this problem. I don't believe for a second that ANY software vendor can check their software against EVERY posable computer software combination. I think you just happen to have a jacked up combination that is causing the Apple software to error out. I disagree with you having other problems. Odds are it IS one of the other applications that is interfering with iTunes, or just a system problem that you didn't know about until now.

 

[pbox]

And yet most Mac users have no problems with this software. Hmmmm...makes one wonder....

Apple has 20+ years experience on writing software for MacOS. Which not coincidentally only runs on 20+ hardware platforms all designed and manufactured by the same company. These facts make their software very stable.

Microsoft is in a different position. And only recently Microsoft has taken up the software quality issues seriously.The results of this seriousness has yet to manifest itself. It will happen, but the whole company culture has to change, which does take a lot of time and effort.

Now take Apple sofware monkeys (I am also a sw eng) and throw them at the Microsoft system. The results are commandable but the software quality is really not up to their MacOS levels. Not even up to Microsoft level on Windows. This is a sad fact, which I (and certainly rkminc) hope will be eventually ironed out. I see several bad coiches made during the development of iTunes for Windows. I for one hate this brushed metal look, and the incompleteness is even more befuddling (see the dialogs and some widgets). These "eye candy" features do nothing for me, but make the software hog up more resources and run slower than possible. On top of this these criptic "-50" errors are nothing but annoying, and a major fault. I am pretty sure that the xml file gets corrupted somehow (at leat in my case) and that causes it, but with something that says -50, how can one even figure out what is happening? On top of it the iTunes software forces me to unconnect my CF card reader, otherwise I get an endless row of "Missing Harddisk\DR_" errors. This is likely to be the fault of some DLL library, as I have seen this happening to Python/GTK+ software as well, still at least that one complains one single times on startup, not constantly, rendering the app unusable...

Well, just ranting and venting.

 

[baggss]

Hey man, venting and ranting is good for you. Keeps the blood pressure down and helps you live longer. I can see that perhaps Apples software experience with Windows may be a bit lacking. As far as the brushed metal look and the eye candy, all I'll say is it all works out great on a Mac. Maybe they were trying to get some of that beauty over the Windows and it doesn't translate very well.

 

[danisse]

I, too, have developed the -50 error and it will not go away. I have tried the above fix and it doesn't help. I really don't care whose fault it is, but I want to find a fix for it.

 

[bretsquire]

I also developed the -50 error while trying to download a file. I did PBOX's solution and worked. THANKS!!!

 

[arcadesdude]

I had this error as well. Here's how I fixed it.

Apple itunes uses internet explorer (windows version) and therefore uses IE's proxy settings.

If you're behind a proxy you can change your settings to directly connect and then that may fix the problem. (I was using proximitron to filter ads, which went to my local fastnet web accellerator (dial up decompressor) which linked to a remote dialup comrpessor which actually got the internet sites).

Turning that off in IE's settigns (Tools, Options, Connections, Settings, uncheck use proxy) worked for me.

 

[jwall]

I have also run into the -50 problem. I have tried different users. Different installations. I tried the suggestions in this thread as well. All with no luck. I am running Windows 2000. Of course, everything works fine on my Panther box, but I would like to be able to use my iPod/iTunes on all my computers.

Any other ideas out there?

 

[jwall]

I stopped the iPod Service and the panel seems to have stopped popping up. I will let you know if this ends up being a partial solution.

 

[pbox]

I stopped the iPod Service and the panel seems to have stopped popping up. I will let you know if this ends up being a partial solution.

This is exactly my suspicion. I have been getting this dreaded -50 on a regular basis. My suspicion is either that the xml library getsgrabled in the process of saving it (which is probably not the case, I did a backup of the xml/itl files - by copying them away - before the -50. Then I compared (windiff - find it in win2k reskit) this pre-50 to the post=50 file and there were no diffs), or some other process locks the file while itunes trying to save it. However it seems quite consistent, ie. after it gets -50, i get -50 on all consequtive saves.

All I can say is that Apple;s software qulity is really disappointing. This is no way of treating your customers. Apple Support does not even mention -50...