Saving ratings in iTunes

Last time i formatted my computer, i put all my music files in their old places and replaced the itunes library with the one from before the format. Although itunes complained that the library was damaged, it remembered the ratings that i gave each song file, and it worked just fine since all the files appeared to be in place.

Now i want to format my computer again, but this time i wish to move the files from their old location to a new partition, and i am worried that if i do this i will lose the 5 star ratings i have given most of my songs.

:confused: Can someone tell me how i can save all the ratings for songs, since if i save it as a library then move the files i will lose the ratings as the program wont find the new location. Since i have an extensive library it will be very inconvenient to re-rate all the songs, it took an ipod as well as itunes and around 4 weeks to get all of them done, and i use the ratings so much i even imported them from itunes to winamp.

PS: this is my 2nd thread i remember starting, so if i tagged it wrong please dont shoot me, ive seen what unbe does;)

PS2: (lol) i searched the forum couldnt find anything

#361799

I don't know the proper way of doing it, but when I moved all my songs from the family PC to my laptop I:

1) Copied the iTunes Music Library.XML and iTunes Music Database File (Found in the iTunes Folder).

2) Installed iTunes on Laptop.

3) Set directory path to exactly the same as my PC (C:Documents and SettingsSsattarMy DocumentsMy Music).

4) Added all the songs to my library then close iTunes.

5) Replaced the New iTunes Music Library.XML and iTunes Music Database File with the old ones from Step 1.

Doing that, all my play counts and ratings were back to the way it was supposed to be.

I was very careful as to making sure everything was consistence (such as same file locations, exact songs, nothing new added). It worked for me, but you should wait for some advice from the more knowledgeable posters...

Edit: Also, by default the itunes location file is C:Documents and SettingsyourusernamehereMy DocumentsMy MusiciTunesLibrary). I don't use the default path (can you can see)

#361841

that's the best way I know as well.

It works as long as the path of the files stays exactly the same.

#361943

Now i want to format my computer again, but this time i wish to move the files from their old location to a new partition, and i am worried that if i do this i will lose the 5 star ratings i have given most of my songs.

ie i want to change the path from C:Documents and settingsetc.... to D: . i thought i was clear in showing that i know how to keep the path and stuff intact, but now i wanna change the path.

#362103

Two ideas spring to mind, which one is easier, I wouldn't know.

1) Get a good text editor (TextPad, Ultraedit, etc. notepad or wordpad are NOT acceptable, they will choke on a multi-megabyte file), backup your "iTunes music library.xml" in case it doesn't work afterwards, and open it in the editor. You'll see entries for your songs, something like:

	<key>Music Folder</key><string>[B]file://localhost/C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/TehLuserName/My%20Documents/My%20Music/iTunes/iTunes%20Music/[/B]</string>

		<key>1949</key>

		<dict>

			<key>Track ID</key><integer>1949</integer>

			<key>Name</key><string>Roots Radicals</string>

			<key>Artist</key><string>Rancid</string>

			<key>Composer</key><string>Tim Armstrong, Lars Frederiksen, Matt Freeman, Brett Reed</string>

			<key>Album</key><string>Rancid: And Out Come The Wolves</string>

			<key>Genre</key><string>Alternative & Punk</string>

			<key>Kind</key><string>AAC audio file</string>

			<key>Size</key><integer>4144501</integer>

			<key>Total Time</key><integer>167531</integer>

			<key>Disc Number</key><integer>1</integer>

			<key>Disc Count</key><integer>1</integer>

			<key>Track Number</key><integer>3</integer>

			<key>Track Count</key><integer>19</integer>

			<key>Year</key><integer>1995</integer>

			<key>Date Modified</key><date>2005-01-29T03:05:56Z</date>

			<key>Date Added</key><date>2005-06-30T00:22:34Z</date>

			<key>Bit Rate</key><integer>192</integer>

			<key>Sample Rate</key><integer>44100</integer>

			<key>Artwork Count</key><integer>1</integer>

			<key>Season</key><integer>0</integer>

			<key>Persistent ID</key><string>ED9438A7B73D01B0</string>

			<key>Track Type</key><string>File</string>

			<key>Location</key><string>[B]C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/TehLuserName/My%20Documents/My%20Music/iTunes/iTunes%20Music/Rancid/Rancid_%20And%20Out%20Come%20The%20Wolves/03%20Roots%20Radicals.m4a/[/B]</string>

			<key>File Folder Count</key><integer>-1</integer>

			<key>Library Folder Count</key><integer>-1</integer>

		</dict>

as you can see there is cleary file paths in both of these buggers, just do a big ass search and replace for the old path and the new path, bear in mind that the paths even in windows use / and not .

Or use method 2... which is how I Now have my music files in C:UsersGBMusic AND in C:Documents and Settings*Username*My DocumentsMy Music

2) **only for Win2000/XP/2003 **

First make sure that the My Music Folder is completely empty, then download a copy of a very useful piece of software called Junction Link Magic then run it, it will scan for junction points and then just create a junction point with the junction point being C:bla bla blamy documentsmy music and the destination being the folder where you want your itunes library to reside, this will create something similar to a symlink in unix. If you want to delve deeper into this and the possible drawbacks read this article. However, I've been using this type of arrangement for several folders and it's worked wonders.

Or if you have disk space to spare try

3) Load up your itunes library in exactly the same place as it was before and in the advanced preferences of iTunes check "keep itunes music folder organized" and change the itunes music folder location... maybe it will move everything?

Good Luck!

#362402

1) Won't work. the .XML file is temporary, you can delete it and your library will still load.

The real library is in the binary file, I guess, and it doesn't have any readable text in it.

3) That should work if he uses the Consolidate Library feature after your steps.

#362466

i thought that itunes used .itl files not .xml?

#362570

1) Won't work. the .XML file is temporary, you can delete it and your library will still load.

#362572

1) Won't work. the .XML file is temporary, you can delete it and your library will still load.

The real library is in the binary file, I guess, and it doesn't have any readable text in it.

3) That should work if he uses the Consolidate Library feature after your steps.

I would definitely trust localhost's knowledge of iTunes more than mine...

but I can guarantee that 2) works! I've been using it for a long time now, and I use it for a helluva lot more folders than just iTunes, I've actually consolidated all my useful files in my C:UsersGB folder so if I need to backup I just take that folder and pretty much everything related to my user is included without all the extra fluff you'd find in "application data" or "local settings". As a matter of fact "my documents" is now deserted, there's only unwanted folders:

AdobeStockPhotos

Axialis Librarian

GTA San Andreas User Files

MSDN

My Notebook

My Playlists

My Received Files

My Virtual Machines

My Widgets

NeroVision

Visual Studio Projects

(Not that I don't want the programs, it's just that I don't want their folders! )

#362650

wizard - Then I take back what I said. I though that option was only for playlists/songs, not the whole library.

GillBates - That's why I denied the Create Folder permission from everyone in the My Documents folder

#362663

Intereesting concept!!!!!!!!!!!!! Will definitely take that one into consideration for my next reformat!!! Thx localhost!

#362669

thanks for the info gillbates

is there a way of copying the ratings rather than just linking folders, because im gonna move the songs to a partition then reformat the old partition, its gonna make things complicated moving stuff

#362830

actually i did another way which was fairly easy, this maintains everything as well and you dont need to wrry bout paths go to file, export library and save the xml, then when you install itunes on your new computer just reimport library

#362867