iTunes forum: Itunes damaged my songs library

I can't comment on why iTunes did what it did. All I know is that it didn't happen with me when I imported the mp3's i my Music folder into it. Maybe it's a setting for the import (I didn't check, however, if such a setting exists).

The best thing you can do is to restore that "certain directory" from your backup. Then everything will be as it was and you can delete the MUSIC library created by iTunes.

As should be well known, not having a backup of data implies the owner doesn't mind to lose them. The only 2 good reasons for that are:
- it's less work to create them again then to make a backup (or less money than buying a external disk for the backup copy)
- they are absolutely worthless for you, you'll never need them again
Alas, we find that some of our members learn this too late.

Kees

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1347 describes what the "Add to library" should do. It certainly shouldn't move or damage your music files. All it does it adding an entry about it to its own internal library.

If it did otherwise in your case, something is wrong. That shouldn't have happened. It's a mystery. All you can do: complain with Apple. And recover as well as you can.

Making a backup is always necessary. There's no special need for Apple to warn you about it, especially not if their software isn't supposed to change anything to your files.
Sorry to read you didn't.

Kees

Your response insulting. I tell you about a problem in the software, and it seems you can't understand what happened, and instead you attack me, showing me as irresponsible and give me a sense that you tell me "you deserve".

You want to teach me about backups? I am an industrial and management engineer, tens of years, and risk management is part of my business.

You believe you should backup every second? Every minute? Every week? You must be joking. To backup before any action? Which one? If I want to burn a song, or to copy a file to a directory, does that justify an early backup? Or perhaps only in the case of installing new software?

Backup requires investment and is similar to an insurance policy. You invest now to be protected during a disaster. So how much to invest in insurance? Do you want to cover every broken jar of mustard at your home? By the same way of thinking, how much time, effort and money to invest in backups?

For your knowledge, all data that was lost to me by the iTunes can be restored. You decided it is not? Based on what? Is that because I wanted to save time and effort and to know if it can be done easily? Is it because I tried to understand why iTunes, which I never used before and I am not familiar with audio softwares, reacted in such a way?

Pity you are not focused on a technical answers to the problem presented to you by a naive user. You even do not know if it is my computer or my younger son who asked for my help.

And about iTunes, Never again. iTunes has proven to me well that it can't handle with Greek and Hebrew fonts, that you can lose the brakes when you turn on the lights, and you better backup all your data before touching iTunes.

I'm not a computer whiz... but could you not restore your computer to a point before you installed itunes? that would then re-set your computer (and music) back to the way it was originally.

Obviously any new files or documents that you have created or downloaded since installing itunes should be copied (possibly by emailing them to youself??)

note the line that says, "your data files will not be affected by System Restore"

P