In this post, we will learn how to clear or reset iTunes Library on Windows 11/10. iTunes is a multi-media application developed for Windows by Apple. Like how iTunes works on iPhone and Mac, it is used to store, download, and browse your entertainment content on Windows PC. However, as every other application has some bugs and issues, the same is the case with the iTunes app. Users have previously reported various problems with iTunes including issues with their iTunes library. Hence, to counter those issues, it is better to reset your library.
Now, there can be multiple reasons why you want to reset the iTunes library. As reported by most users, some common reasons are as follows:
- In a lot of cases, users reportedly encountered issues when opening the iTunes application. The app either fails to load or keeps on crashing in the middle. So, if the scenario is applicable, resetting your iTunes library is a good solution to fix this issue.
- A corrupted library can also cause the app to become less responsive or laggy on your Windows PC. Hence, you can reset your iTunes library in that case too, and fix all these performance issues with the app.
- If you have replaced your hard drive, you might need to reset iTunes Library on the new hard disk or device.
- In case you no longer need the existing one and wish to start with a new library, you can reset your iTunes library to have a fresh start with the iTunes library.
- It is also useful when you want to clear unwanted content from your iTunes library.
You might have some other personal reason for resetting your iTunes library. In all cases, we got multiple methods using which you can reset the iTunes library on Windows 11/10 PC.
How to reset iTunes Library on Windows 11/10?
To clear or reset the iTunes library on a Windows 11/10 PC, you can use any of these three methods:
- Manually clear your iTunes Library.
- Rename the iTunes Library filename to reset your library.
- Clear the media files from the iTunes Media folder.
1] Manually clear your iTunes Library
You can do a manual clearing of the unwanted items present in your iTunes library. This is quite suitable when you do not have a heavy content size in your iTunes library. Also, it is a more appropriate way to reset your library as you won’t lose all of your data from your library. So, if you want to clear specific media items from your library, go for this method.
Here are the steps to manually clear or reset the iTunes library:
- Firstly, open your iTunes application on your PC.
- Now, move to the Library Section from the right-side section.
- After that, select the media type that you want to clear from the left-side drop-down button.
- Next, manually choose the items that you want to remove or you can simply select all by pressing the CTRL + A hotkey on your keyboard.
- Now, click on the Delete button to clear or remove the selected items.
- You need to repeat the above steps for other media types as well.
This is the easiest option to reset the library. If you need more methods to reset your iTunes library, then move on to the other options listed below.
Read: How to change iTunes backup location in Windows?
2] Rename the iTunes Library filename to reset your library
If your library is huge and the application keeps on freezing or fails to open, you might not able to delete the items manually using fix (1). Hence, in that case, you can try this method to reset your library entirely. To do that, you can use the below steps:
- Firstly, make sure iTunes is not running in the background.
- Then, press Win+E to open your File Explorer.
- Now, navigate to the following directory: C:\Users\<Your-UserName>\Music\iTunes
- Next, inside the iTunes folder, locate the “iTunes Library.itl” file.
- After that, right-click on the “iTunes Library.itl” file, select the Rename option from the context menu, and then rename it to “iTunes Library.old” or something else.
- Similarly, repeat the above steps to rename the “Itunes Music Library.xml” file to “Itunes Music Library.old.”
Finally, you can restart your computer, and iTunes will clear all the playlists and generate a fresh new library with ”Itunes Library.itl” and “Itunes Music Library.xml” once you open the app.
See: iTunes has detected a problem with your audio configuration in Windows.
3] Clear the media files from the iTunes Media folder
You can opt for the option of deleting the media files from the iTunes Media folder to reset the iTunes Library. Follow the below steps to do that:
- First, open File Explorer using Win+E and go to the following address: C:\Users\<Your-UserName>\Music\iTunes
- Now, double-click the iTunes Media folder to open it. It contains all your media files from iTunes Like Movies, Music, Podcasts, etc.
- Next, select the media files that you want to clear or you can simply select all the media files using Ctrl+A.
- After that, press the Delete button to clear chosen or all media files from iTunes.
- Once done, restart your PC and open the iTunes application.
On the next startup of the iTunes app, you can select the Create Library option if prompted and enter your library name. iTunes will create a new iTunes Media folder and iTunes library file, and completely reset your library. This option is the most effective way to reset your iTunes Library and you can also dump all your data.
Where is my Apple Music library stored?
Your iTunes Music library on Windows is by default stored in the iTunes Media folder. You can access this folder by going to your Music > iTunes folder. All your media content can easily be accessed from here. You can also set a custom location for the iTunes library on your PC by going to Edit > Preferences > Advanced, pressing the Change option, and entering the new location.
Is iTunes library stored in iCloud?
Itunes data is synchronized with iCloud. If you have purchased some items from the iTunes Store, they are stored in iCloud. You can download your content on any PC or phone that has iCloud installed and configured. So, you can synchronize and access your iTunes library in iCloud too.
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