Getting iTunes to see music files on a different drive

My main HD failed, so I've been re-installing all my apps. I had all my music files on a separate internal drive.
I have tried everything I can think of, to get iTunes to "see" all my music files. I've held down the option key when starting iTunes. It will ask to find the library, I will choose the folder where all the music is stored, but it still doesn't show up in iTunes.
I've also tried putting an alias of the folder containing the music in the Music folder. Nothing.
I don't want to drag the music folder into the iTunes window, because I don't want to duplicate all the files to the new, master drive.
Help! TIA, Bob

iTunes doesn't "see" new files in a folder.
When you set iTunes prefs to a new location, it will simply put all new music in the library in that location.
iTunes prefs -> Advanced. Set the iTunes music folder location to where your music is on the external.
Go to iTunes menu File -> Add folder to library and select the topmost music folder on the external where your music is located.
This will add them to the iTunes library and keep them on the external.

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How do I get iTunes to access music files on external hard drive?

We moved all of our music to an external hard drive. The hd is always on and I connect to it wirelessly. I don't know how to get iTunes to use the library that is on the hard drive, can anyone help me please.

iTunes expects to find its library in the ./Music/iTunes folder. To get iTunes to see music on another drive, you first have to create the library on your internal drive. Once you've done that, you copy the iTunes folder over to your external drive, and redirect iTunes to that drive, using an alias. (I originally did this in Tiger and it continues to work fine in Leopard. I don't know if doing it originally in Leopard would make any difference.)
Note: If your external drive library is already too large for your internal drive, simply use as much of it as you can to create the original library on your internal drive. You can add the rest of it once you've got iTunes looking at the external drive. In this case, remember to name any "iTunes" folder on the external drive to something else, so you don't erase everything in the following procedure.
Load up as much music as you can on your internal drive, making sure it appears in iTunes.
Quit iTunes and copy the iTunes folder from your internal drive to your external drive (be sure you don't erase whatever's already on the external drive). Copying that folder to the root of the external drive is OK.
On your internal drive, rename the 'iTunes" folder to something else (like orig_iTunes) -- or move it out of the Music folder.
Open your external hard drive to the directory containing your iTunes folder.
Cmd-Option drag the iTunes folder from the external hard drive to the internal hard drive Music folder, creating an alias in the internal drive's Music folder.
Launch iTunes. You should now see the music from the external hard drive. If necessary, you can now add back any missing music, and it will automatically create the necessary music and library files inside your iTunes folder on the external drive. Once you've got them all added, you can delete both the orig_iTunes folder, and the folder on your external drive that served as the source for adding your library back in.

ITunes cannot find music files, confuses inodes, external drive

I have all my music on an external drive, which is not always connected to the Mac. When I start iTunes w/o the hdd connected iTunes occasionally marks some of the songs as not found. Which is ok so far. BUT if it finds the same inode (of the original file on the external hdd) on the internal hdd it changes the location of the songs to the internal hdd. In my case to files like /Previous System/<some path>/Info.plist. So iTunes thinks the files are still there and cannot play them. After deleting all the Previous Systems files iTunes marks all those files as not found, that is, it does not search for the inode on the external hdd again. Very confusing.
Yesterday I started from scratch with an empty iTunes Library (I moved the original one) and the problem reoccurred instantly after I imported all my music, quit iTunes, disconnected the external HDD and started iTunes again. So some of my songs are lost, iTunes will never find them again w/o me reimporting them. Also the problem might occur anytime in the future and I seem to not be able to cure it, because iTunes tried to be intelligent. But how it can confuse inodes w/o looking at the device ID and why the songs did not return after I removed the /Previous Systems folder I cannot image.
I checked the inodes on the internal and external hdd for some of the songs and they were indeed identical. So iTunes seems reset the path/location in the Library DB if it can find the inode of a song which it cannot find by path. Why it does not look at the device id in combination with the inode# is a mystery.
Some additional details:
iTunes Music Folder Location: on external hdd
The Library files are on the internal hdd at ~/Music/iTunes.
I hope someone can answer that. I do not want to start from scratch every week. I hope my iPod which holds all the songs synchs meta info like play count and rating back as well.
Kind regards, soryu2.

And further....
I went into iTunes to try to download all my purchased music. Some, but not all, is showing up under iTunes>iTunes Media>Music. It looks like the library thinks some if the music is there, but it actually is not.
Seems like my library is corrupted (or something).
Since I have to upload all music from CD anyway, should I delete my iTunes library and start over, first by downloading all purchased music.

HT3847 is the Itunes music folder no longer used? having trouble getting Itunes to read music files

Copied files from old computer to new computer and put in itunes/itunesmusic folder. The only files being read it appears are my purchased files from the itunes store and it looks like those are in itunes/itunesmedia/music. But when I copy into the media folder I still can't see songs that were not purchased from the itunes store. The old computer can still see the entire library, what is wrong? Running Windows 8.1

Hi BO2006,
Welcome to the Support Communities!
Try following the instructions in this article to move your music to a new computer. I like the External Drive option the best because it creates a backup in the process.
iTunes: How to move your music to a new computer
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4527
Cheers,
- Judy

ITunes does not see music files in folders in external drive after crash

I put over 3000 music files on an external drive. It was a laborious project to organize them so iTunes would recognize them and organize them.
Unhappily, my laptop crashed this morning and I had to restore the whole hard drive to a backup of 3 weeks ago. Unfortunately this was before I did all this work.
Now iTunes only "sees" 1400 of the songs, yet when I examine the files usinig Windows explorer, they are all there.
How can I get iTunes to again "see" all the music files.
they are organized in a directory called iTunes, and all the subdirectories containing the mp3's are artist's names.
Many thanks!

Check the security permissions on the drive. See Repair security permissions for iTunes for Windows.
Enable the menu bar if needed with CTRL+B.
Under Edit > Preferences > Advanced check that the media folder is set as you wish it to be, and also that the options for Keep... & Copy... are what you want. Uncheck copy if your media folder is elsewhere and you don't want to create copies when importing.
Use File > Add Folder to Library and select the folder that has you missing content. It should be added to the library.
See also Make a split library portable and Backup your iTunes for Windows library with SyncToy
tt2

How do I get iTunes to see my music on a server

Hi,
I have alot of music on a seperate server, how do I get iTunes to see this. I have tried adding it as a folder however when I shut the computer down and come back to it again it can't locate the music. Any ideas?

Apple provides repeat downloads as a convenience, not a substitute for your computers being the primary source of file transfers. All your iTunes information such as playlists, ratings, etc. are in a file on your computer, not in the Apple Store. Typically when you move computers you copy the whole iTunes folder and everything it contains to the new computer. Moving media files can be done with a drive, or by Home Sharing. You can also redownload media but let's say somebody desiced Apple may no longer sell a certain album; it cannot be downloaded again but if you already have it on a computer you can move your copy of the file.
5 authorizations: Some households have multiple computers. If you want ot use one with an account it has to be authroized. It means you can use any computer in the house to make purchaes, etc.
Okay, my 5 minute typing limit for any one response is up.
What are the iTunes library files? - http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1660
More on iTunes library files and what they do - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ITunes#Media_management
What are all those iTunes files? - http://www.macworld.com/article/139974/2009/04/itunes_files.html
Where are my iTunes files located? - http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1391

Question: How do I get music files off a thumb drive into iTunes so I can put the music on my iPad and iphone

Question: How do I get music files off a thumb drive into iTunes so I can put the music on my iPad and iphone

Welcome to the Apple Community.
Just drag them to your open iTunes window.

Itunes error message "file cannot be found..." I know the file is somewhere since I find it when I do a system search and it plays, but can't get itunes to see it. Any help?

itunes error message "file cannot be found..." I know the file is somewhere since I find it when I do a system search and it plays, but can't get itunes to see it. Any help?

Hello pwithero,
The following article details the process of indicating to iTunes the correct location for the affected file.
iTunes: Finding lost media and downloads
http://support.apple.com/kb/TS1408
Cheers,
Allen

HT1727 How do i get itunes to recognize music imported into the file structure?

How do I get iTunes to recognize music imported into the file structure?

Press Alt or Ctrl+B to reveal the menu bar if needed.
Use File > Add Folder to Library if you just want to import it.
If you're trying to relink broken entries in a library with the corresponding media then some more details would help.
tt2

How do I get my itunes to access music files on external disc hooked up to my imac?

how do I get my itunes to access music files on external disc hooked up to my imac?

assuming copy to ... when adding to library is checkmarked in preferences > advanced, drag the files from the external into an open iTunes window while holding the option (⌥) key.

I have a windows pc, and a 2Tb portable HD, this contains all my music folders, what settings do i use or how do i get itunes to read my portable HD on F;/ drive ?

i have a windows pc, and a 2Tb portable HD, this contains all my music folders, what settings do i use or how do i get itunes to read my portable HD on F;/ drive ?

Hopefully you have the library files on the drive too, or access to the original computer where the library still works. See Make a split library portable.
tt2

I had to install a new hard drive because my old hard drives boot files became corrupted, and i want to get all of my music files off the old hard drive and regain all my play counts/ratings/playlists

Greetings everyone
as the title says, ive had to install a new hard drive and i want to transfer my old itunes library onto the new drive, maintaining all playlists/play counts/ratings etc, album artwork if possible. The old hard drive is installed as a slave drive and is completely acessible, but due to the boot files being corrupted i cannot use it as the main drive and therefore operate my old itunes. Also, my ipod no longer contains my music library as itunes synced without my permission and wiped it.
The only thing i have tried is copying all of my old music files from the old drive by selecting 'add folder to library' and then the old drive, then replacing the new itunes library.itl file with the one from my old itunes. This restores all my playlists and playcounts but when i try to play any of the songs it says that the files could not be found, and i dont fancy locating 8500 music files individually!
Thankyou for taking the time to read my post, any help will be greatly appreciated.

Ah, my reply was based on the assumption that you had a default installation of iTunes.
i.e you had all your music in the iTunes media folder inside your iTunes folder.
If your iTunes folder is so small compared to the amount of music you have, you must have a different arrangement.
This complicates you situation considerably.
iTunes can cope with moving around as long as all the music is in the iTunes media folder, not not if it isn't.
Your first step should be to get iTunes working on the old drive. This will involve editing the xml library file so that the drive letter is correct and then rebuilding the library from the xml file.
Then you will need to consolidate your library which moves everything into the iTunes media fodler. After that you will be able to use my first suggestion.
Step 1
Find the iTunes folder on the old drive and copy the two library files somewhere else so you can find them again. That's iTunes Library.itl and iTunes Library.xml.
Now open the copy of iTunes Library.xml with WordPad.
Look for lines starting:
Location
These contain the paths to tracks.
You will need to use a find/replace to change the drive letter so that it is correct.
Make sure that you include enough in the "find" so that you only change the right thing.
Maybe /c:/ and replace with /d:/ or whatever.
After that, tell iTunes to use the library on the old drive with a shift key start.
Hold down the shift key and start iTunes, keep holding the shift key until you are prompted to choose a library. Navigate to the iTunes folder on the old drive and choose iTunes Library.itl.
Then use the method in the following article to rebuild your library;
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1451
Unfortunately the date added will be today for all tracks.
If iTunes works correctly after this, consolidate your library
File>>Library>>Organize>>consolidate
This copies all tracks into to iTunes media folder and could create a problem if you do not have disk space so don't do it if you are unsure about free disk space.
Check that iTunes works OK and then use the first method.
Message was edited by: polydorus

I have a personal email calendar kept on Outlook, I also have an Exchange calender on outlook. I want to sync both calendars with my Iphone 5 /6.1.2 but ITunes only sees the exchange calendar. How can I get Itunes to see both calendars

I have a personal email calendar kept on Outlook 2010, I also have an Exchange calender on Outlook. I want to sync both calendars with my Iphone 5 / 6.1.2 but ITunes only sees the exchange calendar.
How can I get Itunes to see both calendars?

Hi,
you don't need MobileMe or anything fancy. I personally sync my Outlook calendar and my Outlook address book with three computers (two at the office and one at home)and besides I run Office 2003 on one, Office 2007 on the other and Office 2010 on the third, so it can't get more complicated than that, but it works 100%.
First sync Outlook with iTunes on one computer, having done that when you try to sync it to another machine, iTunes will recognize that it is synced with another computer and ask you if you want to merge the data, say yes, That's all there is to it.
It does not work for music as you rightly say but as far as Calendars and Contacts are concerned it's flawless and transparent.
If you hit a snag talk back to me.
Cheers.

ITunes wont recognize music files

Windows 7
Dell Inspiron PC
Much to my regret, I moved music files and now itunes cant find them. They are simply transparent to itunes; not listed in the songs list. I tried to change the iTunes advanced settings for file location to no avail.
I managed to find most of the music files on my C drive using Windows Explorer. When I click and play the music directly from WE, itunes launches and the song magically becomes part of the itunes library list of songs. I have over 3,000 songs ...is there a simple way to get itunes to recognize all of them without a set of clicks.
Thanks for your help

Open iTunes to Music view. Then find the folder of songs and drag it into the open Music window.
(If you normally run iTunes in full screen mode, make it smaller so you can find the folder and do the drag.)

Can I change the file path that itunes reads my music files from? 65000 files trying to be transferrd from external to internal HD. I dont want itunes to manage my collection, just read it. thanks

Can I change the file path that itunes reads my music files from?
I have about 65000 music files that i have transferrd from my external to a new laptop internal HD.
I have organised the folders myself as I use a PC and do not want itunes to organise the folders because when I'm searching through music on windows it is sorted out by artists/albums with 'the...(eg The Beatles)' under 'T' instead of 'B'.
Long story short.... Is there any way that I can keep my itunes library as it is on the external HD and copy it to the new laptops C drive, keep all the info (playlists etc) and still have the same folder structure as on the external HD?
Or, is there any way of making windows sort things in alphabetical order like it is in itunes (eliminating the 'the' issue)?

The files that weren't inside the media folder on the original machine need to be copied over to exactly the same paths as they had on the source machine. See this thread for an ongoing discussion of a similar problem. See also this post on migrating the iTunes library.
tt2

Getting iTunes to see music files on a different drive

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