October 9, 2009 12:00 PM PDT
iTunes 9 got you down? Get back to the iTunes 8 days
So, the disclaimer, right off the bat, is that you could lose your Library settings and information--playlists, play counts, ratings, etc.--though the process below should maintain everything. Of course, before doing anything like this, you should have a stable backup of all your important data. And now, for the process via ASD user "GangstaPenguin":
- Be sure to quit iTunes 9. It may also be best to quit other non-essential applications during this process though they shouldn't be affected.
- Delete iTunes 9 (drag from the Applications folder to the Trash bin).
- Navigate to username > Music > iTunes. Delete the "iTunes Library" file.
- Open the "Previous iTunes Libraries" folder and look for the backup of your old pre-9 library; it should be dated at about the time you installed iTunes 9. Move the file to username > Music > iTunes, and rename it "iTunes Library".
- Download iTunes 8.2.1. Run the installer as usual and you should be good to go, running iTunes 8.2.1. In the case that you have issues, you can always re-download the latest version of iTunes (currently 9.0.1) from Apple.
Joe is a seasoned Mac veteran with years of experience on the platform. He reports on Macs, iPods, iPhones and anything else Apple sells. Before joining CNET, he even worked in Apple's retail stores. He's also a creative professional who knows how to use a Mac to get the job done.


I then discovered as you say that all my libraries had disappeared so I just re made them. Fortunately I don't have many. Also all my Podcasts disappeared so I had to re subscribe and download again.
I then discovered that most of the appearance and navigation changes that were irking me about v9 can be fixed in the new preferences or various Menu Items!
Hopefully the method you describe today will avoid all of this extra work!
iMac 2009 24" 2.66 10.6.1
-
by PostNoComments
October 29, 2009 3:11 PM PDT
- I downgraded to iTunes 8.x using Time Machine. The thing that bothered me about iTunes 9 was the behavior of the green button which didn't toggle to the Mini Player. That problem was solved with 9.0.1 and I'm using iTunes 9 since.
-
Like this
Reply to this comment
-
(4 Comments)