Original file could not be located

I woke up this morning, booted my PC (Windows 7 Professional), opened iTunes and tried to create a playlist. All of my music is stored in iCloud and last year I even used Apple's Music Match. The world was right last night when I powered down and this morning no matter what song I choose I receive the following error message: "The song XXX could not be used because the original file could not be found. Would you like to locate it?" There have been no changes to my PC and how can I locate the original file when I uploaded alll of my music to Apple????
Help.....

I'm having the same problem myself. Just upgraded from Ilife 09 to 11 and the following message comes up for all my song files.
The song " by name" could not be used because the original file could not be located.
But if I go to my I tune files and click on the song, it plays it. On going back to garage band I tried to copy Podcast and memo files and it allowed this to happen. Can any body help.
Walter

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    I just used Garageband this past Sunday, no problem...I open it up tonight and I get this message:
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    I click the OK button and it comes up with another song title, and I have clicked it 20 or 30 times already and it keeps coming up and I can't access anything else and it is frustrating!
    Anyone know how to stop the madness?!
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    "The song...could not be used because the original file could not be located."
    GarageBAnd cannot find the recorded media or imported audio files, that should be in the Media folder inside your project.
    Crtl-click the GarageBand icon in the Dock and use Force-quit to quit your current project.
    Then ctrl-click the .band file of your current project and select  "Show package contents." open the Media folder inside and check if all recorded media and imported audio files are there and you can play them.
    Have you moved your project or has it been transferred by mail?
    If the media are missing or do not play, there is not much you can do. If all media are there, repair the permissions of the project. If it is on an external drive, move it to your system drive and try there.
    If you cannot rescue the project, copy the media file out of the project, so you can use the recordings to recreate the song.You can launch GarageBand into the file "recent songs" panel to create a new project or to pick a recent project, by holding down  the alt/options key while double-clicking the GarageBand icon.

  • Garageband - original file could not be located

    I have just started to use garageband but i have fallen at the first hurdle. When i click on a song from my itunes library in the media browser i get the message "original file could not be located" However, if i right click on it, i locate it in my finder or open it in iTunes, both of which play fine. I have today bought ilife 11, installed it but i still have the same problem. Also, if i drag a song into the track window it also plays there. Can anyone shed any light.

    I'm having the same problem myself. Just upgraded from Ilife 09 to 11 and the following message comes up for all my song files.
    The song " by name" could not be used because the original file could not be located.
    But if I go to my I tune files and click on the song, it plays it. On going back to garage band I tried to copy Podcast and memo files and it allowed this to happen. Can any body help.
    Walter

  • The song "---" could not be used because the original file could not be located. Would you like to locate it?

    I have 2 users on my computer and it is causing an error message telling me the original file could not be located. How can I fix this?

    Probably not every one, but you will have to do it several times. Right click on the name of the song, show in window's explorer and when it can't it should give you a dialogue to find the song.
    Once it finds one it'll offer to find more and you can locate stuff that way.

  • FCP X can't import iTunes music - says "The song "Warp Factor" could not be used because the original file could not be located."

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  • I get an error message saying that the original file could not be located on about half the songs in my library. Not all but half.

    I'm unable to play approx. half the songs in my library. I get an error message saying that the original file could not be located. I am asked if I want to locate the file, I click locate and get  a screen with a list of confusing looking files and nothing seems to solve the problem. As is probably apparent by now I am not particularly computer literate. I don't understand why this problem occurs on only half my library.

    This "original file cannot be found" thing happens if the file is no longer where iTunes expects to find it. Possible causes are that you or some third party tool has moved, renamed or deleted the file, or that the drive it lives on has had a change of drive letter. It is also possible that iTunes has changed from expecting the files to be in the pre-iTunes 9 layout to post-iTunes 9 layout,or vice-versa, and so is looking in slightly the wrong place.
    Select a track with an exclamation mark, use Ctrl-I to get info, then cancel when asked to try to locate the track. Look on the summary tab for the location that iTunes thinks the file should be. Now take a look around your hard drive(s). Hopefully you can locate the track in question. If a section of your library has simply been moved, or a drive letter has changed, it should be possible to reverse the actions.
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    i keep getting the error that the _____________song could not be used because the original file could not be found. Would you like to loacte? " when i try to locate it does not find the song anywhere on the computer. Please advise

    This happens if the file is no longer where iTunes expects to find it. Possible causes are that you or some third party tool has moved, renamed or deleted the file, or that the drive it lives on has had a change of drive letter. It is also possible that iTunes has changed from expecting the files to be in the pre-iTunes 9 layout to post-iTunes 9 layout,or vice-versa, and so is looking in slightly the wrong place.
    Select a track with an exclamation mark, use Ctrl-I to get info, then cancel when asked to try to locate the track. Look on the summary tab for the location that iTunes thinks the file should be. Now take a look around your hard drive(s). Hopefully you can locate the track in question. If a section of your library has simply been moved, or a drive letter has changed, it should be possible to reverse the actions.
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    Hey gang - I'm new to help and can't seem to stumble my way to an answer. i have a regular and an external hard drive. i have two music libraries and wonder if that is my problem on where i originally loaded music. all my songs are showing up on my ipod and playing but in iTunes i get messages on half of them that have an "!" mark and say that they can't be found. as a result i can't play them or move them in to a new playlist. i'm not sure what i should do - please help...

    Probably not every one, but you will have to do it several times. Right click on the name of the song, show in window's explorer and when it can't it should give you a dialogue to find the song.
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    Well, I updated my itunes to version 9.
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    i have connected the hard disk to the laptop which contains the actual folder with all songs in it. This is the folder from which i created all the playlists in i-tunes.
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    Steve

    Well I've tried installing itunes 7.3.2 on two different computers and it has messed up each one of them and itunes is no longer functional on either machine. I have no idea what is going on. in both situations the error message comes up that there are files missing and itunes must be reinstalled. i also cannot delete itunes and an attempt at installing a previous version gave me the exact same error.
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  • There are about 8 songs in a playlist on itunes that are listed in the playlist but cannot be transferred to my ipod because it states: "..the original file could not be found." When I try to locate the song I get a list of the different music librar

    There are about 8 songs on a playlist that are listed in the playlist library but when I try to transfer them to the playlist, it states that they can't be transferred because the original file could not be found. Then it asks, do you want to locate the file but when I try that I get a few libraries but am not sure how to locate the particular songs. Some of the songs were purchased and some were transferred from a CD. I have seen the same question asked on the help page but haven't found an answer.
    Thanks.

    Hi dones49,
    It sounds like your issue here is that iTunes can not find the files for some of the songs you have brought into it. This happens occasionally even if the songs have not been moved from the location that iTunes places them on import or purchase. When you try to use the song, iTunes prompts you to find the file, as you have seen.
    To find the file, use the information in this article to navigate through the iTunes media folders -
    Locate and organize your iTunes files
    If you are still unable to locate the files, you may need to download them from the iTunes store again, or rip them from your CDs. See this article for assistance with downloading your past purchases -
    Download past purchases
    Thanks for using Apple Support Communities.
    Best,
    Brett L 

  • On some of my files there is a ! in front of it, if I try to play the song, I get an error message; "The song "_____" could not be used, because the original file could not be found. Would you like to locate it?" Then when I click "Locate", I get nothing.

    I'm really dumbfounded on this one and it's driving me bonkers!!!! On some of my music files there is a ! in front of it, if I try to play the song, I get an error message; "The song "_____" could not be used, because the original file could not be found. Would you like to locate it?"
    This began to happen when Chuck made playlists2burn on2CD-and then he would delete the playlist; sending all the song files into oblivion. Certain songs have a ! right next to the file name, and as I stated before, i get that error message:
    "The song "_____" could not be used, because the original file could not be found. Would you like to locate it?"
    So I click on "Locate". No help. I get a menu with folders that say "catroot" and other folders which names I cannot remember, but I scroll PAST the file folders, & it's just a bunch of ".DLL" files.....I don't understand what any of the names of the folders mean...it's frustr8ing-coz this is my 2nd iTouch, my 1st one got stolen & I can't afford2buy my music back at this time & i NEVER before had a single problem with losing song file locations.
                  Is there anyone out there who has been through this frustrating game of chasing your tail?....<that's how I feel>
    If so I would be ever so gr8ful if maybe someone with the knowledge would be so kind as 2 tell me how/where 2 retrieve these songs & how to put everything back where it belongs, I would be 4ever gr8ful !!!
    I can't afford 2 replace the songs just like I'm unable 2 buy back my old music from my stolen iTouch....man that was an awesome collection-someday I'll be able 2 afford 2 do that & I would like 2 have all the new music that I paid 4 but cannot find when I got my new iTouch....that would just be  wonderful.
                 I hope someone sees this post that can help me retrieve these files....losing $100.00 of iTunes is a REAL BUMMER!!!!!!
                                                      ThanQ SO very much!
                                                                             [email protected] or [email protected] or [email protected] .
                                                                                               You can also find me on Facebook, my given name is Tiffinie Trimmer, &
                                                                                                that's my Facebook "handle".    ThanQ 4 taking the time 2 read all of this!
                                                                                                hope 2 get a reply someday....I'll B checking all my emails & my Facebook, as well
                                                                                                as marking this page in my FAVORITES so I can find it fast! Take Care!!!

    I was not complete clear.
    Since you never changed the settings in the advanced section of iTunes preferecnes, you have to chech that your music is really in the location setted in the folders reported in the advanced section.  If not you have 2 ways: reset the position of this folders or in the actual disk organisation or in the pointing on the preferences.
    If you press the reset button you just give to itunes its default setting as for the position of the music files: probably this will be a good choice if you have never changed any default preference.
    But before I would check the folders and see if the songs are really there
    In my iTune I have this, and I believe it is the default.
    Users/YOURHOMEFOLDERNAME/Music/iTunes/iTunes Music

  • Error message when trying to play music on computer states The song ... could not be used because the original file could not be found.  However, my library shows how many items and the GBs used.  How do I locate the files?

    When I try to play my iTunes music on my computer, an error message comes up and state "The song (title of song) could not be used because the original file could not be found.  Would you like to locate it?
    When I click on Locate It, I cannot find where the music file may be located.  Does anyone have any suggestions?
    This all occurred when I attempted to do a backup to an external hard drive.  Unbeknownest to me, the files did not copy over and do not appear on the external hard drive. 
    When I open my iTunes library, at the bottom of my music list it shows how many songs and the GBs, so it appears that the files are still there; however, cannot be located.
    Thank you.

    Hi angela dfromtx,
    When tracks in iTunes display a it means the file cannot be located; it may have been moved or deleted. You'll have to locate the file manually if it is still available. For more information refer to the following article:
    iTunes: Finding lost media and downloads
    http://support.apple.com/kb/TS1408
    Alternatively, if your media was downloaded from the iTunes Store, you may be able to download it again free of charge:
    Downloading past purchases from the App Store, iBookstore, and iTunes Store
    http://support.apple.com/kb/HT2519
    Thanks,
    Matt M.

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