Well after installing some windows updates, I started up iTunes and I get this error that the library file was damaged, so then itunes has to scan all 308 of my songs for gapless album or something and even then some of my stuff is missing. Well no biggee, I decide to add the missing stuff. The next day after rebooting, the same thing happens, and now, every time I boot my computer and start iTunes it has the SAME damaged file error, I can't get a library to last more than 1 day and it gets damaged. I tried a full re-install of itunes, still no luck. I still have my library export but its no good because every reboot of my computer messes up the file. I have no idea what do and the only google results I get are people who got this error once and are whining about having to re-add there songs, I'd trade anything to get rid of this error, adding back my songs is a piece of cake compared to waiting 5 minutes for itunes to re-scan my entire library every day.
Any help appreciated.
I'm guessing that this link has a certain amount of useful information for you to consider, though I certainly don't know if any of the tool recommendations are appropriate to PC's as well as Mac's. http://macslash.org/article.pl?sid=06/05/17/1515258
I notice that a couple of folks recommend saving/backing-up the Itunes library before turning off their machine, in order to have a reserve copy of the library files, in case this annoying fault occurs again at next boot.
I notice that a couple of folks recommend saving/backing-up the Itunes library before turning off their machine, in order to have a reserve copy of the library files, in case this annoying fault occurs again at next boot.
Well that's just it, it happens EVERY boot. And all my songs will reload so I have no need for a backup (although I do have one), it's just that it takes a good 5-10 minutes for itunes to rescan them all and do stuff to them.
Also, I'll take a look at the links in a sec, but I did make a fatal mistake. After uninstalling itunes for the last time. I decided to go searching down everything related to it. Well after deciding that just on C: drive wouldn't be enough, I went to the registry. I knew you have to be careful with it, so I was delicate with making sure everything I deleted wasn't just a search error. I erased everything to do with iPod, iTunes, and Bonjour (as I believe it was the root to the problem). Only a few things I deleted weren't old empty reg folders so I don't know how this happened but upon reboot basically explorer.exe wouldn't load. I could see my desktop background and move the mouse but nothing else loaded. Ctrl + Alt + Del worked and said everything was running fine, including explorer.exe, well I desperately need the computer for homework so I did a system recover to a couple days ago and now everything fine.
Except for the fact that my computer still thinks iTunes is installed, so now from Add/Remove programs it won't come off, this is very recent and I'm about to do my first reboot since the recovery, after that I will repair/re-install itunes and see if the bug is still there.
I know that you "knew better" but did that work in the registry in spite of yourself.
Please read and review the information available in LDTate's excellent preparation instruction in the Malware Removal Forum.
Yes, I know you are not needing to remove malware, you just want to fix iTunes… But Registry Backup is still IMPORTANT!
ERUNT (Emergency Recovery Utility NT) is a free program that allows you to keep a complete backup of your registry and restore if needed.
Thanks for your previous links, however I did the same search and every link is about people who have had it happen only once and just want their songs back. Well as you know this happens to me every boot and my songs are still there, its just the error message and long wait that's the problem now.
And thanks for the advice on registry back ups.
I'm currently re-installing as we speak, fingers crossed for the error being gone <=).
And if you have any kind of really good uninstaller to suggest that would be my last idea, that the corrupted file of itunes isn't being erased when I uninstall, that or something else is affecting it each time I run it.
Read this very carefully before deciding whether or not you wish to use it.
It is safe, but very powerful.
You must be certain to "only" select the item you wish removed.
It removes only the files and registry items relative to use of MS Installer Utility when installing the iTunes software.
Thus, when you get to the point of reinstalling, your Windows XP has no reference to any previously installed components.
Ok thanks, I'll have to try it. As for the re-install…
I used the CD the first time, I put it in, double clicked the drive and it autoran, but it still detected some iTunes fragments so it prompted to uninstall instead of install. I went through with it and restarted, iTunes was off. Then I put the disc in again and installed. The disc is old though so it was iTunes like 6.1, really bad version. So I added some songs and rebooted, and I didn't get the error! However I can't live with 6.1 nor function with it, it's missing loads of features. So I updated, but since 6.1 is so old it just redirected me to their site and I re-downloaded the .exe for 7.7 and installed it. Then after the reboot the problem came back. So I'm guessing it's the new version of iTunes. Hopefully a future update will fix this.
And thanks for the link, hopefully it will help, it's getting late and I just did another system recovery after installing iTunes 7.7 just to see if it will fix it (probably not), hope the install thing has better results. Thanks for your help.
-Vectris
Ok well after glancing at the instructions they kind of lost me. It says it will only remove programs installed by windows installer, well iTunes has it's own installer so do I need to re-install it with the windows one?
Well, you can disregard my previous post, I figured out how to use it. However it didn't seem to do anything more than remove iTunes from the control panel add/remove programs menu. I still had the iTunes folder under C:\Program Files!!! As well as an iTunes Library folder in my documents (that's the one that holds the corrupted file) and another iTunes folder under application data. All still full. So I went through and deleted them, but since the utility didn't seem to do much I'm going to install iTunes v7.6 and see if it will work. My hopes are up for this as I'm pretty sure 7.7 was the cause, then in the future I can update to 8 once they get there, and the drastic difference in files should keep the error from coming back, hopefully.
Thanks for the help so far too, if your not out of ideas post some more, using 7.6 may not work. Also do you have any better uninstall utilities? Or do you know why the windows ones failed to remove the files? Is it that it simply removes the registry packets for them but the files remain there?
EDIT: Well I scanned the registry and only 2 things come up under "Open With…" so I guess the utility only removes registry keys, well that's still pretty good then, I took care of the files left behind, the rest is up to itunes 7.6 …..
To sum things up nothing worked. Reinstalling 6.7 didn't work, then updating to 8 didn't work, uninstalling that, hunting down old files and reg files, and then completely re-installing 8 didn't work either.
I did find a fix though, and thus the reason for this post. It didn't fix the itunes problem but rather went around it. I made a batch file that I use in place of the Turn Off button on my computer, it automatically backs up the file that iTunes complains aboutbeing corrupted on every boot up. Then the batchfie will turn off the computer for me if it was successfully copied to My Documents (any location other than iTunes works).
Then a second batch file in the startup menu copys that file back and replaces the one iTunes normally uses. I start iTunes and wallah, no random error. I'm guessing there's something at bootup that attaches some kind of super minute error to the original iTunes library as I can compare the backup and original after booting and they are still the exact same. However "renewing" that file at bootup works, so I'm just stuck with using a batch file to shut down my computer, now I'm looking to use VB to make a nicer looking Turn Off button =).
Reading through all the stress you have been having with ITunes, which I do not have on my computers, I would suggest you do the following and see how you go.
Firstly make a backup of all your music files to a folder easily accessed, suggest to the desktop.
Then make a backup with Erunt of your registry files.
Go to Add and Remove, uninstall ITunes from there, then go to your C:\Drive > Program files > ITunes folder and delete the folder and everything in it. Why bother with ITunes when it has given you so much trouble? Clear you temporary internet files with ATFCleaner.exe by Atribune. Now reboot.
Check your system with start > search to find if there is any reference to ITunes on your system . If clear I suggest the following for another day/another problem with software but only to use after following the procedure above.
Download and install Revo uninstaller Please use with caution as once enabled to achieve uninstalling a certain program, there is no turning back so to speak.
Now make sure all your Windows Updates are current, and if not installed download Windows Media Player 11, install it, and copy all your songs over to the WMP library.
Please read the following link regarding how you set your Windows Updates - particularly the quotes I have posted in my answers to threads regarding turning on your Windows Updates etc.
You'll get a new Windows Update, like it or not as quoted from Windows Secrets and Support Alert 14/08/2008. By Scott Dunn.
Keep us posted how you get on, what you decide to do and if WMP does for you what ITunes once did when it was running correctly.
Well the main reason I need iTunes is because I have an iPod, and I never bothered to check but I'm pretty sure WMP can't load songs to it, there's some kind of encoding iTunes gives the song titles and stuff that is the only thing that works for iPods. Also iTunes has a much better structure than WMP and has nice features (although WMP has some stuff too).
If I have the time I'll try a re-install with Revo as the uninstaller.
Cheers to both of you
