"Damaged iTunes" / 75% of library suddenly missing

Can anyone please help me with this? I clicked on my iTunes the other day and instantly got the message "iTunes damaged" When I pulled up my iTunes, 75% of my music library was missing. I downloaded a upgrade to the latest version and my songs + artists are still missing.
I also went to Edit/ Preferences/ Advanced and selected my folder tunes folder in my external hard drive where all of my music is as my "iTunes Music Folder Location."
Please help. I trade bootleg music and have spent far too long labeling this stuff to have to re-burn it and do it again.
Thanks!

I had this same problem today and I freaked out!!! I just got the 4th gen ipod and im still using my 3rd gen which is jail broken. I choose to restore it and a few days later I noticed all the music, videos and apps from my itunes library was missing. I had backed up all music but not videos so I was a little mad, but then today when I turned on my new gen ipod all the music was missing from there as well!? Not sure what happened. thought maybe because it was jail broken it erased my library but why my new gen? I got most of everything back but not sure what happened. I also have had the 4th gen freeze often while trying to shoot video.

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