lost iTunes playlists

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Chrisman

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Dear iTuners, I have a couple questions: Now that I have finally gotten my old-laptop iTunes files (v. 12.1.3..6) onto my newer laptop hosting iTunes v. 12.5.4.42 , I see that my Playlists did not make it over. I this just to be accepted, or is there some remedy?
My 2nd question is about your opinion whether to just get on board with ALL of Apples iTunes updates. As you can see, I intentionally set up my new Laptop with a 'dated' version of iTunes (one that I have been using here on my iMac). Appreciate your feedback.
 

cjmnews

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The playlists are in the iTunes Library.itl file that you needed to copy from the old computer's iTunes folder and placed into the new computer iTunes folder.

Do that and you should have your playlists.
 

Chrisman

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Dear cjmnews, It appears that I do have "iTunes Library.itl" which I find in two locations. To Windows (7) credit, they show the 'hierarchy' of windows that have been opened and I find the subject file in two locations, as follows:

(1) MY MUSIC > iTunes > I find it here (along w/ album artwork, media, LIbrary extras and library genius)

(2) MY MUSIC > STORE N GO > iTunes > I find it here (along with the above artwork, genius,etc yet including the "iTunesMusic" folder that indeed contains the music. ("Store N Go" is the name of the thumbdrive I used.) Number 1 seems to be a duplication. could this be a part of the problem?
 

cjmnews

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It should be in location number 1. Having a copy on the thumb drive should not matter.

It should be a copy of the file from the old computer. This could be the one that has music and no playlists.
If you still have the old computer, you should copy that file from there, and put it on your new computer.
 

Chrisman

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It should be in location number 1
it is in location number 1

It should be a copy of the file from the old computer
the file came from the thumbdrive upon which all the above-mentioned Files/folders were saved from my old Laptop

Since the 'Store N Go' Folder (#2 above) has both the subject "itl" file AND the Music itself (in the Folder called "iTunes Music") how do I get this folder into location #1, if this is, indeed, a possible solution to the missing playlists?
 

cjmnews

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It is a file not a folder.

If the one in location #2 is a copy from the old computer, then you just right click it and choose Copy and go to the iTunes folder on the NEW computer right click on the iTunes folder and choose Paste.
 

Chrisman

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Dear cjmnews, I followed your instructions, and the iTunes.itl file is now in "the iTunes" folder. The caveats are two: since an "edition" of some kind was already in the folder, I was given, and chose the option to 'keep both" For the record, the extant file is 198MB, date modified 2/1/18---the copy I pasted is 194MB date modified 1/8/18. Additionally, the date modified of the extant file just changed its' date modified from 1/30 to 2/1, so evidently what I just did was recognized by the existing file. Make sense ? But opening iTunes my playlists are still absent.
 

cjmnews

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Since you kept both copies, you are still using the old one.

You'll need to delete iTunes Library.itl and rename the other one to iTunes Library.itl
 

Chrisman

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Dear cjmnews, As per usual, the plot thickens. I took you to mean that I delete, from the iTunes Folder, the 'itl' version that was in the folder already (not the 'itl' file I move in a few days ago) Heres what happened: I sent the 'prior' itl version to the Recycle Bin then opened iTunes and, presto, the songs are all gone--it's a Blank slate. But wait there's more: the deleted file is indeed in the recycle, however it is now called 'iTunes Library' the 'itl' designation gone. Further, when I then looked in my iTunes Folder, that same 'itl' file reappeared, however considerably shrunken in size (198KB down to 4.72KB) Does this make sense? And where did my songs go?
 

cjmnews

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Well, when you only follow part of the instructions, then yes I would expect this to happen.

Spoon feeding mode:
1. Close iTunes
2. Delete iTunes Library.itl
3. Rename iTunes Library (1).itl (If you are on Windows 7 it may be named iTunes Library - Copy.itl) to iTunes Library.itl
4. Open iTunes (Playlists should be there if this was a copy from the original computer)
5. Play a track, If it plays you are done. Otherwise use the Locate button to find where that file is on your new computer. Answer YES to update the entire database.
 

Chrisman

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Dear cjmnews, I followed your instructions this time--it worked ! Thanks for your help
 
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