How can i get itunes to find my music files?

i am reloading my hard drive after it crashed.  everything is there, but itunes cannot find my files.  how do i match my music files up with itunes?  I keep getting the message "  original file cant be found"

If that doesn't work for you then you should be able to use my FindTracks script to reconnect them to iTunes .
tt2

Similar Messages

  • How can i get itunes to find my music on my external drive?

    How can I get Itunes to find my music on my external drive?

    has been resolved. Got thye .xml files transferred over

  • I recently got a new computer and reinstalled iTunes.  I restored my files from a Norton backup.  How do I get iTunes to find my music files?

    How do I get iTunes to search my hard drive for my music files?

    Find the location of iTunes Media folder from Advanced tab in iTunes' Preferences on your computer. Then copy the music from the Norton backup to the iTunes Media folder on the computer.
    Thanks!
    Harry
    Norton Support

  • How can I get iTUNES library to display renamed files and folders (renamed with Windows Explorer)?

    How can I get iTunes library to display the new names and organisation of tracks and albums (ie files and folders) that I have renamed and reorganised (using Windows Explorer) having previously imported them using iTunes?
    (Even when I relocate "lost" tracks in iTunes (using the drop down menu facility to view in Windows explorer), although iTunes will then play the track, and knows where to find it, it refuses to display the track with its correct (new) name, or show it the correct (new) album.  That means I have lots of things called "Untitled" and "Track 01" etc, all of which have actually been renamed, but iTunes does not seem to have the capability to recognise the changes and update its library listing.  Another example - a Tchaikovsky CD with 3 major works in 13 tracks insists on displaying in iTunes as 13 tracks in one album, despite the fact that I have reorganised the tracks into 3 albums - two being Swan Lake and The Nutcracker - and renamed the individual tracks to a more useable format.)

    Thanks for your replies ckuan
    I agree with Tgod that your first solution does not work.  It appears unpredictable whether the old or new file names are listed when you drag the folders into iTunes from Windows Explorer.  The folder structure is completely missing.  I reckon if you have to muck around spending days/weeks/months finding out how to fix links to a secret meta-file (obviously designed by some deep-cover microsoft worm working in the Apple!), then it's pretty obvious that almost any alternate way of doing this would be better.   Bye bye iTunes!!
    Incidentally, I tried several other things that (if the software was designed intuitively) should work, but give disastrous results:
    1) when deleting the library listing in iTunes, it gives you two options - one is to remove the listings to the Recycler.  Be aware that IF you select that option, it removes not only your library listing, but also your ACTUAL MUSIC FILES to the Recycler.  Moreover, it does NOT remove the insidious secret meta-file that is what apparently keeps rewriting old names over your carefully renamed file names, and keeps totally ignoring your carefully designed folder (album) structure.  OK - not a complete disaster, as I realised and went hunting through the chaos in the Recycler to recover all my files.  No thanks to the genius who designed this brilliant feature!
    2) after deleting the library listing in iTunes, I attempted to import just the folders that I wanted.  iTunes refused to allow me to do that, and proceeded to try to import every frigging music file it could find on my whole hard drive, in apparently random fashion into the library.  Whoever thought up that doozy either never ever tried to use or market test it, or has modified their mind rather too many times with artificial substances so their brain is like muesli chop suey.
    3) oh why go on, it's too depressing ...

  • How can I get iTunes to find dislocated files on my portable hard drive?

    I have had to move my music files onto a portable hard drive to save space but now when I plug my portable hard drive in and try to play tunes the exclamation mark comes up. iTunes can identify individual mp3's when I want to play them, through a manual file search, but is it possible for iTunes to find all the music files at once either when I ask it to or even better identify them automatically for me?

    It looks like too many changes already had taken place in the 'iTunes Library' file, to start from the original situation.
    You can of course restore all the links manually, but you're probably still busy doing that next week.
    Try to rebuild the library, using the instructions in this article:
    How to recreate your iTunes Library
    You could loose some information.
    BTW. If your library mainly contains MP3's and AAC's and Apple Lossless, you won't loose any track related information (artwork, name, artist, album etc.)
    That information is stored inside the song file.
    Other information is stored inside the library files.
    More info in: What are the iTunes library files?
    You already made changes. Some links probably point to the external disk and some point to the internal. So I'm not sure re-creating the library will give satisfactory results. I hope it does of course.
    If it's all a mess now, you could consider to start from scratch.
    By doing this, you will loose all playlists, ratings, podcast subscriptions etc. but not track related info as mentioned above.
    To do this, trash the 'iTunes Library' file and run iTunes. you will start with an empty library. Drag and drop the 'iTunes Music' folder on it.
    All music will be added to the library.
    Consider this as a last resort. Try re-creating first.
    M
    17' iMac fp 800 MHz 768 MB RAM   Mac OS X (10.4.6)   Several ext. HD (backup and data)

  • How can I get iTunes to locate my music?

    Alright, a couple days ago I found myself with a problem. iTunes could not locate my music. I went on the internet looking up solutions and loe and behold... they didn't work. Then, just today, I found one that put myself in another mess. It had me go get my iTunes Music Library and post it on my desktop, then delete my iTunes Library itself. Then I was to import the iTunes Music Library back into iTunes. Makes sense right? Didn't work either. When I tried to upload it back on, it just said "Unable to upload because some files cannot be found." Now not only do I not have the files themselves in iTunes (I still have this iTunes Music Library to keep record of what they were), but my computer cannot find where they are.
    Keep in mind my raw music files are not the same as my library, I had edited, deleted, etc several songs to my liking.
    I even tried pasting all of the raw music into iTunes (hopefully it would remember where they were) and deleting them, but then when I tried importing the iTunes Music Library again, it STILL could not find them.
    Can anyone think of any solutions to my dilemma? Any help will be appreciated!

    Typical reasons for missing files are, you've deleted the files, they are on a disconnected external drive, or the drive has a changed drive letter, you've moved the folder where the files live in some other fashion, a third party app has rearranged the files, or iTunes has got confused about the layout they are supposed to be in.
    Generally you need to work out what has happend, reverse the action and everything will be alright again. If it is something you can't/don't want to undo, e.g. a drive letter change, then as long as you can track down the current location of the folder containing the media then my script FindTracks should be able to reconnect it to iTunes.
    tt2

  • How can i get Itunes to route my music to an external hard drive once my Internal drive is full?

    My Internal hard drive is getting full and im starting to worry about how i will store tracks in the future. I have my itunes set to auto organize the files into the Music folder when dragged into Itunes. I am a DJ, so i do get music quiet frequently that i need to add to Itunes for My DJ Software, Serato, To read. Is there anyway i can have Itunes begin rerouting the new songs onto an external HD? and can i play songs from two different hard drives with itunes open? Example, Song A is on internal.. once i finish listening to it or having serato acess it, If i then want to play Song B, which is on an external HD, will Itunes need to "Relocate the file" or will it remember its stored on the connected External HD?
    Thank you

    If that doesn't work for you then you should be able to use my FindTracks script to reconnect them to iTunes .
    tt2

  • How can I get iTunes to put my music in a certain file?

    Ok, I didn't really know how to word the title. lol.
    So my problem is, before when I added songs to iTunes, weither it be from importing songs from a CD, buying from iTunes, or just downloading a song from the net. It would automatically make a new folder in "My Music" folder.
    For example.
    Say I download Avril Lavignes "Complicated" and save it to my desktop, when I play it in iTunes and under album I put "Complicated - Single" iTunes would make a folder in My Music called Avril Lavigne>Complicated - Single>Complicated.mp3
    but I recently got my old hard drive put into my new computer. and when I restarted my computer ..iTunes was gone so I had to redownload it ...and now when I add a new song to my playlist, it doesn't add it to My Music folder, it just keeps it to where I downloaded it.
    So how can I make it go back to putting any song I put in itunes go to my folder?

    Check your settings in iTunes preferences. Make sure iTunes is set to copy files to iTunes library location and to manage library automatically.

  • How can I get iTunes to find my iPod classic?

    Description

    What have you tried so far in terms of troubleshooting this issue? 
    Are you plugging the iPod into a high powered USB 2.0 port on the back of your PC? Have you tried a different USB cable? Does the iPod still charge while connected?
    What happens if you try to reset the device with it still connected to the PC?
    How to reset iPod
    Has this iPod ever worked on this PC or is this the first time you have time you have tried connecting it?
    Have you carefully worked through each and every single suggestion in this Apple support document?
    iPod not recognized in 'My Computer' and in iTunes for Windows
    B-rock

  • How can I get iTunes to display the tracks from a CD in their original (album) order?

    To be absolutely honest, I don't really understand what this box is for, so I shall just use it to repeat and expand on my question. (I have already sent a "Feedback" comment on the same topic).
    How can I get iTunes to display the tracks from a CD in their original (album) order?
    It seems to me that there is something very basic wrong with the way iTunes handles CD Tracks.
    Professionally produced CD tracks are seldom if ever in a randomised order. Why then does iTunes seem unable to display the tracks in the order they appear on the original CD source - whether from a personally owned CD or from a download from the iTunes Store?
    Some music demands a specific, non-alphabetic sequence in order to make sense. Why does it seem that iTunes only offers Alphabetic, or reverse alphabetic order - both of which make a nonsense of the original, often intended order of tracks?
    Why not replace the so-called "cover-art" in the bottom left hand corner if the iTunes window - which, while it may look attractive to some, gives the barest of information concerning the original disc, with a list of the original CD tracks in their original order, so that the user can easily reestablish the order in which they should be played.
    As I would expect legibility might be a problem with doing this, why could not the original contents, (in their original order), at least, be displayed when the "cover art" is double clicked-on - the result of which at present gives me an enlarged version of the "Cover Art". While on the subject of the contents of the source disc, what about all the album notes which someone takes trouble to write in order to increase the appreciation of the music on the CD and the listener's general background knowledge of the artists involved. Such notes, it seems to me, have considerable intrinsic value in their own account. I would, I think, normally be prepared to buy such "Sleeve notes" - so long as a "taster" was supplied (as it is for the music) - for something like the cost of a single 'Tune" on iTunes.
    These two aspects let Apple iTunes down enormously, in my opinion. I think that by chopping even quite protracted sequences of music up into bits does no one any favours - except perhaps Apple's already quite substantial bank balance. People have to be aware that two and a half, to three and a half minutes is a very short time to develop a piece of worthwhile music, and that there are many, many composers, not all of whom are alive today who have written music that huge masses of mankind value for the enrichment of their lives and the human condition in general.
    Please make the viewing of iTunes tracks in their correct order by default possible. By all means have the alphabetical variations available as offering a different approach to the music, but not the sole approach to it - PLEASE.
    Frustratedly yours
    Alan Whitaker
    PS I work at my old 24" iMac Intel Core 2 machine which runs OS "Tiger" - because it is more beautiful to look at, the screen is more pleasant to work on, and because, in some ways it is more capable (it will run FreeHand MX without needing a "patch"), than my more recent 21.5" which runs "Snow Leopard". (I don't find it that much slower, either).

    Dear Mike
    Thanks for the support. I am utterly amazed that after all the hype about how good iTunes is that it cannot play a downloaded CD in the correct order, and that what that order should be is not available directly from within one's own iTunes installation. (I know that one can go back to the iTunes Store to check what the order should be, but having downloaded the tracks surely iTunes is clever enough to retrieve this important information.
    My iTunes to differ from yours in that I have also noticed that it seems unable to download copies of my "talking books" in the correct order either. But in my case it downloads them - from a CD - in order, but with the first track downloaded first - so that it appears at the bottom of the column of tracks so that it would get played last! (At least this is, while being inexplicable, a relatively "logical" bit of blundering and because of this is relatively easy to put right!).
    I like many genres of music, some of which are not really programmed except perhaps by the artist performing them. I know that Frank Sinatra was very careful to programme his album songs to obtain a particular effect and in relation to the keys of the music. iTunes presumes to know better.
    Film scores may be totally randomly put together, in some cases, but in others the order is vital to one's appreciation of the music as a whole and how it relates to the plot of the film.
    In symphonic music most works are divided into sections and are conceived by the composer that way. Some individual sections may gain a life of their own if played separately, but they are never complete in the sense that the composer envisaged them without being placed in their proper context.
    Opera and probably most choral music too, is similar except that the words may well become meaningless if the order is changed at the whim of a piece of ill-written computer code, while ballet music has to be heard totally within its sequential context or it becomes meaningless.
    Finally, I would venture that iTunes, by jumbling up the order of the tracks as recorded on a CD, does an immense disservice, not only to the music on a particular CD, but to music in general, by expressing everything in terms of "Songs" - which it seems to interpret as stand-alone items of between 2 and 4 minutes whatever the genre. Even the way the iTunes publicity speaks of how many "songs" it can store instead of how many minutes or hours of recorded sound. This has to be another brick in the wall of "dumming-down" of people's expectations, and the shortening of their attention spans.
    I don't know about anyone else, but I feel betrayed by Apple over this. Perhaps the look, feel and general presentation of an item are not the most desirable features of a consumer product. Maybe it should be judged more on it fitness for the purpose for which it was sold. There is one other possibility - that Apple are trying to redefine "Music" - and that everything that lasts longer than about 3.5 minutes or is in the form of what could for want of a better term be called symphonic in the broadest sense is something else - not "Music" within Apple's new definition, at all!
    Well that's off my chest! now I can get down to creating some sort of order in my iTunes Libraries, knowing that I have to reconsult all the sources in order to confirm the source playing order.
    Anyway thanks again. At least I know that it is not just me
    alanfromthatcham

  • I've moved my iTunes media to a new drive, how do I get iTunes to find it. I'm using Windows 7

    Hi,
    I've moved my iTunes media to my 'spare' internal D Drive, following the instructions on this link:(I'm using Windows 7).
    Move your iTunes Media folder on a Windows PC - Apple Support
    I hit a problem at stage 11 when I had to move my original media file to the recycle bin. The process started then it stopped, saying that the file was too big for the recycle bin (54 GB or thereabouts). It then asked if I wanted to permanently delete the files instead. I said yes. (I have them backed up externally).
    The iTunes media file is in my D Drive, but I can't get iTunes to locate it. I've tried going through preferences/advanced and browsing to it but that does't seem to work.
    My media is all listed in iTunes, but on the cloud rather than on my hard drive (C). Downloading it all from the cloud would defeat the object of freeing space on my primary hard drive (C).
    Any ideas on how I could get iTunes to find the files on D Drive ?
    many thanks,
    Matt

    See Make a split library portable. With luck you should be able to move the iTunes folder to the D: drive, place the iTunes Media folder inside it, and shift-start iTunes to connect to D:\iTunes\iTunes Library.itl. If all goes well it should be as if you'd moved the entire iTunes folder as a unit in the first place.
    tt2

  • How can I get iTunes to locate and play all my music files?

    How can I get iTunes to locate and play all my music files?

    I have this problem too. I am researching now. Here is what I know so far. If you right click a song then get ifo the it will say Protected AAC or purchased AAC. Protected wont play on sonos, purchased will play on sonos. It seems that all my protected were purchased 2005 to 2009 or so. I am trying to find out if apply will convert these for a small dfee or if I use the itunes cloud these tunes will convert for me. downloading and reloading is not an option for me. Pretty much a money grab by apple either way. I am sure Steve is smiling.

  • HT1212 I no longer have an iPhone but still use iTunes...how can I get iTunes to forget my phone

    I no longer have an iPhone but still use iTunes...how can I get iTunes to forget my phone

    What do you mean forget your phone? iTunes will still function just find without the phone. I'm not sure what you want it to do.

  • How can I get itunes reinstalled on PC?

    How can I get itunes reinstalled on my PC?

    Hi iskibibble,
    If you are having issues with iTunes after an attempted update, you may find the following article helpful:
    iTunes 11.1.4 for Windows: Unable to install or open
    http://support.apple.com/kb/TS5376
    Regards,
    - Brenden

  • How do I get itunes do find all my music?

    iTunes cannot locate multiple files from my library; they have not moved or changed. How do I get itunes do find all my music again. There are over 15,000 songs in my library - about half have an exclamation mark in my playlists.

    Hmm, not sure I understand how that might have happened. It seems as if the media folder has been pointed to the wrong level, put in a pre-iTunes 9 layout and then updated. All the <Artist> folders should be moved from iTunes to iTunes\iTunes Media\Music. Assuming iTunes moved the files around the filenames should be as expected. WMP, for example. might use different character substitutions for illegal characters and can user longer file and folder names. If anything remains broken FindTracks can take up the slack.
    tt2

Maybe you are looking for