Windows media player playlist disappeared and will not show up

Please...before anyone posts the basic "switch from skin view to library view" directions...let me explain my problem! I've spent hours trying to fix the problem, only to discover that when I shut down Windows Media Player, and then re-opened it...my problem returned. So here goes....

I HAD (key word HAD) a playlist of roughly 30 "artists or song assortments" which I listened to. Now that playlist has disappeared. All of my music files are on an external "H-drive" and I have media player set up with H:\Music as the default save location. In that directory there is a folder called playlist which contains all of my current and previously played artists/songlists.

I spent some time and FINALLY managed to get my playlist to appear under the "playlist" title in the left panel of media player. I went through the list, randomly picking songs/artists to verify they played. And they worked. I breathed a sigh of relief and closed media player. Minutes later, when I opened windows media player, the playlist was blank again! There's nothing listed!

I've tried the media player tools-advanced-restore media library and after an hour or so of "updating media library", the playlist appeared. But as soon as I shut down media player, then re-opened it, the playlist was gone. What am I doing wrong?

Any suggestions? It's Media Player version 12.

Update...I just re-ran the tools-advanced-restore media library, and after about an hour the media player "restored" the playlist...BUT as soon as I closed windows media player and reopened it...the playlist was gone! ARGH!!!

I'm still NOT able to have a playlist show up in windows media player. I've tried 4 different times to do the tools-advanced-restore media library, and every time my playlist will show up (after about an hour while windows media player "rebuilds the playlist)." The playlist does show up...it works because I can select and play any of the playlist, BUT EVERY TIME I close media player, the play list is gone when I start the media player again.

In the privacy settings, under the options tab, I have a check in the box for playlist under store and display history.

Any help would be greatly appreciated. It's annoying to have to wait an hour to rebuild the playlist every time I close media player.