Transferring iTunes data

[Lenin64]

Recently, the hard drive in my computer finally gave out and stopped working. Before it was replaced, we managed to store our entire C drive (sort of by accident, other copy commands weren't working) onto the external hard drive purchased a few years back for just such an occasion.

 

 

 

Now the replacement is in, and working fine. iTunes is reinstalled, working. But everything in my iTunes memory is gone. Well, not gone, but lost in the mess of the external drive. I figure no problem, I'll just find them and transfer them. I found the music....I think. There's a folder marked iTunes and one marked iPod, but neither have the files on them. There's no other folders that have anything to do with iTunes or music at all, so I don't think I'm just looking in the wrong place. Is my stuff gone permanently?

 

 

 

I also tried to plug in my iPod, and it gave me an option to transfer the music there into iTunes, but none of the songs were able to, at all. Why would this happen? I'm pretty sure I kept my other iTunes up to date, so the files wouldn't be unable to work on a newer version, right? I know this is hard to help with, but any advice is appreciated.

[Macmaster92]

If you can't find the music then I'd probably bet its gone. You can transfer the stuff you had from your iPod though. I did it with my iPhone. If you have an iTunes account that you bought some of the music with then you have to go up to "advanced" at the top and authorize your iTunes account. Once you do that you should be able to plug in your iPod, and then in the left side menu, when it appears right click and choose "transfer purchases". That only works though if you got the music off the iTunes store. If you didn't then chances are its gone... :| Or in some godforsaken folder in the pits of your hard drive. You can check that...

[qwerty_uiop]

The iTunes library file is in your music folder in my documents. You will find a xml file that contains all the informations on the songs including their location (if you need to know where your songs are). If you copy the back up library (.xml and .itl files) in the new iTunes folder and place all the music folders at the same location they were before, you will recover your previous library.

[Lenin64]

Mac was right, just had to authrorize my computer to make purchases. It was under store, though, not advanced :P Thanks a bundle; I don't have to buy it all again :D