Itunes cannot find music files

I know I've seen this problem before but can't remember the solution. When attempting to play an Itunes song I get a box saying "song could not be used because the original file could not be found". I've checked under advanced for the proper music folder location and that is correct. Could someone help me again.
Thanks in advance.
Dale

If you hold down the option key when you open iTunes you should be able to point it to the library that you want to open.
Is you extrernal drive formatted in NTFS? That might be causing an issue with your Mac seeing it.

Similar Messages

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.

I have exclamation marks and itunes cannot find original file?

I have exclamation marks and itunes cannot find original file. How do I locate original file?

Check you have your iTunes settings (Edit, Preferences, Advanced) to keep iTunes library organised.
Your songs should be in your music library in iTunes, iTunes Media, Music.
If they are not, start menu, type the name of a song in the box and the list should show you where that is located.

I lost my music stored in my computer. I originally bought these from I Tunes. Now I cannot play because it cannot find music file. How do I download from I Tunes again?

I lost my music stored in my computer. I originally bought these from I Tunes. Now I cannot play because it cannot find music file. How do I download from I Tunes again?

Hey MHallon,
Thanks for the question. I understand that you need to redownload previously purchased content from the iTunes Store. The following resource should assist you in doing so:
iTunes 11 for Windows: Download previous purchases from the iTunes Store
http://support.apple.com/kb/PH12491
Thanks,
Matt M.

ITunes not finding music files

iTunes cannot find 90%+ of my music files. I manually linked them together over the last weekend (yucch) and today when I went into iTunes, the links were all broken even though the .mp3 files were in the same directories as before. I can manually find the music files but that's a chore, particularly if I have to do it several times (not!). Any suggestions?
Inspiron 6000 Windows XP

Well, you have a couple options. First shut down iTunes. Then unmount your HD. Then mount your external HD again, then after it pops up on your desktop, launch iTunes. Any files iTunes has that points to your ext. HD should play just fine.
Or, you can copy all your music to your ext. HD (if you don't already have it there), and simply delete your iTunes library (by removing your data files). You could then add to library, making sure you uncheck "copy itunes songs to music folder). This way, iTunes will only "point" to your ext. drive to play the music. If the drive isn't on, you don't get any music, and the "!" sign. If you have many playlists, this can be tricky.
As a rule, I don't go crazy with playlists, other than smart playlists. This way, you don't go nuts when you lose your data file, or want to do a clean update of your library. You'd be surprised at the times I thought I kept my library in tip-top shape, only to delete it and add the music again. I often find a song or two that I had hidden somewhere.
Bryan

FYI: How to Fix "iTunes Cannot Find Original File" Error

Yesterday morning, I opened iTunes and tried to play a file. I got the old "iTunes cannot find the original file" error. I tried another file. Same thing. I tried restarting iTunes, holding down the shift key, and making sure iTunes knew where my Library file was. Yep. Still no dice. So I came here, and did a search for help. I could not find any definitive answers to this question. So I did a Google search and found the fix in an old Metafilter thread. Given that this problem seems a little common, I thought I'd post my solution here, for anyone who has this issue in the future.
First things first, make sure that it's not just an issue of pointing iTunes to your current library location. Go to your advanced preferences and double-check the library location path. If this doesn't fix it, then it's time to go my route:
1) Open your iTunes folder in windows explorer. Look for a file called "itunes library.xml". Copy that file to your desktop or somewhere else so that it's backed up...in case something goes wrong.
2) Open the original XML file in notepad (right-click, "open with", "notepad").
3) In this XML file, you will see a paragraph of information for every file you have (songs, podcasts, videos, etc.). In each of those paragraphs, there is a file path specifying where the file is supposed to reside. This is how the itunes library.itl file knows where to look. In my case, it should have been "e:/my music/itunes", but instead, it was "e:/my music/itunes/itunes music". The program had created that folder for some reason, and all my files were pointing there.
4) Check a few of the paragraphs and see if they are pointing to your actual music folder. If so, then you have another problem...sorry. If not, then continue on:
5) Go to edit->replace (or control-H). In the "find what" box, enter the incorrect file path (in my case, e:/my music/itunes/itunes music"). In the "replace with" box, enter the correct path of your itunes music folder (in my case, "e:/my music/itunes". Then click "replace all".
If you have a lot of songs, this may take awhile. I have over 25,000 files, so it took at least 18 hours.
6) When it's done, quit notepad and save the XML file. Open iTunes. If it doesn't automatically start updating your library, then try to play a song. If you get the same old error, then quite iTunes, then re-open it, go to the advanced preferences and select the correct file path for the library location. This should fix it.

I am also finding many "ghost file" duplicate files (with the exclamation point "can not locate files" message), after pointing Itunes version 8.2.1.6 to my music folder on a separate, networked hard drive. My understanding is that the "Consolidate Files" feature in Itunes is supposed to properly identify all of the file locations, but it only worked for about 1/5 of our 10,000 plus files before it stopped running. (I've read in other forums that this software is buggy, and gets confused with long song titles, etc.)It also leaves you with duplicate "ghost" files to delete, when the music from the separate drive is "added".
I can not find a file called ituneslibrary.xml to try your suggestion, when I open my Itunes folder. When I do "get info" on the individual music files in Itunes that can't be located, the "where" field = "not available". I have doublechecked the library location in preferences and it is properly pointed to "K:\itunes" which is the correct location.

ITunes cannot locates music files

I recently purchased a new Asus with Windows 8 and successfully (or so I thought) transferred music from my i phone 4. The computer is authorised. My phone recently became full as I have a lot of music, so I unticked some music and attempted to re-sync. All the files in ITunes then got an '!' symbol by them which means it could not locate files and removed everything from my phone.
After wasting many hours, I have managed to download all the applications and some music that I have purchased via ITunes - although most STILL has the ! by them and the store says I have downloaded them and won't let me do it again.
I have also changed the preferences to locate files from various copies I have made on external drives still with no success.
Strangely, when I have the I phone plugged in to the computer and as I'm syncing, it shows all of the audio files on the blue bar but just as it finishes syncing it reverts back to about 6 GB with the items in para 2 above.
Any ideas on how I get I Tunes to find the files??? I have loads of music loaded from CDs over the years and really don't want to spend the rest of my life reloading them.
Thanks in advance for any ideas. oh, I've also updated both ITunes and my phone to current software versions.
Debbie

Hello 2305deb,
We have an article to help find your missing media. Named iTunes: Finding lost media and downloads it can be found here http://support.apple.com/kb/ts1408.
Resolution
Follow the steps below to locate your missing iTunes media.
Resume any interrupted downloads
Choose Store > Check for Available Downloads from the iTunes menu. Click Resume if any downloads are listed as unfinished. For more information see How to resume interrupted iTunes Store downloads.
Check your iTunes media folder
For Mac OS X
For Windows 7 and Windows Vista
For Windows XP
Check your Trash/Recycle Bin
Check the Trash (Mac) or the Recycle Bin (Windows). If you're able to find any of your missing items, you can re-add them back to your iTunes library.
Mac OS X: Control + click (or right-click) on the item and choose Put Back.
Windows 7 and Windows Vista: Right-click on the item and choose Restore.
Windows XP: Right-click on the item and choose Restore.
If after restoring the item from the trash your media doesn't reappear in your iTunes library. You will need to locate the restored file in your iTunes Media folder and drag the item into your iTunes library window.
There are different instructions depending on the version of windows you have.
It is possible that you may need to re create the iTunes library and IF that is the case then here is an article to assist with that
iTunes: How to re-create your iTunes library and playlists
http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1451
Take care,
Sterling

Itunes cant find music files

Seems to be some discussion on this problem where as itunes will not play the music on the computer and says it cant find the music files. I found that the block for using itunes as default audio player has to be checked. This is in preferences under the advanced tab. Seems to come unchecked at times and stops the player. Also my music location, also under advanced will go back to default at times. (My files are on an external hard drive) Hope this helps.
dlj

Try one of these solutions already posted to this forum or use the "Search Discussions" for many more:
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=4358684&#4358684
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=4123245&#4123245
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=4090531&#4090531
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=3960710&#3960710
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=3950754&#3950754

Ipod cannot find music files

I just updated to iTunes 12.1.1.4, and once again, I plug in my iPod and my music went from over 2500 songs to 174!! ABSOLUTELY FRUSTRATED!
Restore did not work. I click on music files on my iPod and I get the icon but there is no option to "find" the file. All the help articles talk about how to find files in iTunes. They are not missing from iTunes, they are missing from my iPod! And it's RIDICULOUS that Apple wants me to pay $29 for support on software that always corrupts my iPod!!!

Try:
- Reset the iOS device. Nothing will be lost
Reset iOS device: Hold down the On/Off button and the Home button at the same time for at
least ten seconds, until the Apple logo appears.
- Unsync/delete all music and resync
To delete all music go to Settings>General>Usage>Storage>Manage Storage>Music>Tap edit in upper right and then tap the minus sign by All Music
- Reset all settings
Go to Settings > General > Reset and tap Reset All Settings.
All your preferences and settings are reset. Information (such as contacts and calendars) and media (such as songs and videos) aren’t affected.
- Restore from backup. See:
iOS: Back up and restore your iOS device with iCloud or iTunes
- Restore to factory settings/new iOS device.

HT201272 How can I recover music I've purchased from iTunes store when my iTunes cannot find the file

I cannot re-download music I purchased from the iTunes store. I followed the instructions from iTunes support but that did not work.
When I find the music in the iTunes store under purchases, it states "downloaded" and will not let me re-download it.
What other tricks are there to use. I do not have the music on an iPod or CD because I always thought that once you bought it on iTunes, you could always re-download it if you got a new computor, etc.

If they appear under the Purhcased link as 'downloaded' then do you still have them listed in your iTunes library (where you would click on them to play them) ? If youdo then iTunes assumes that you still have them somewhere, and that there is no need to re-download them - try deleting one of them from your library and it should then get the cloud symbol for re-downloading.

Transferred my iTunes to a new computer cannot find music files

Recently I got a new PC laptop. I backed up my iTunes from my old laptop to an external hard drive and transferred them to the new computer. Although the song information appears in my iTunes window, when I try to play them I get a message that the file cannot be found and would I like help locating it. Any suggestions on how to fix this?

Something whet wrong with your migration process, that much is clear.
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. It may be possible to simply slide the media folders into the location that iTunes expects them to be.
Alternatively, as long as you can find a location holding the missing files, then you should be able to use my FindTracks script to reconnect them to iTunes .
tt2

Itunes cannot find original file would u like to locate it

I have backed up my music to dvds and now want to delete the backup from my desktop. as far as i knew itunes stored all the music but when i delete my backup music ,itunes asks me to locate the songs. surely i dont have to keep 2 sets of all my music on my hard drive? hope someone can help me.
Message was edited by: itouch gaz in special places

You might have changed the name of a folder in which you stored much of your music. I recently changed the name of a major music folder in my computer, and I had to recover all of the files. Think: Have you changed any folder names recently? If nothing else, search for the name of one of the songs on Windows. This will help you find the other ones. Since they were all lost at the same time, they're bound to be related by a parent folder. Recovering each individual song is a pain, though. You may want to just upload them by the folder once you re-locate them, rather than telling iTunes where each and every song is individually.
You could've also deleted the folder that the music was located in. If you've emptied it out of your recycling bin, say bye-bye to your music.
Dell Windows XP

ITunes cannot find original file

Approx. 1/3 of my iTunes library has an exclamation point next to it (since the recent upgrade) All of the songs are in the iTunes library. In fact, when it asks if I want to find locate the file, I navigate to the iTunes library, and click on the 'missing' song. Then iTunes recognizes it. I don't want to have to do this 1000 times. Any suggestions?? (I've repaired permissions, and had iTunes re-index the iTunes library)

I have my music on an external drive, too, and have had the same problem. With previous iTunes, I was able to simply go to Edit > Preferences > Advanced and changed the iTunes Music Location Folder to my external drive. This used to get rid of all the exclamation points. Right after I updated to the newest iTunes, though, I also added hapsody Player to my computer so I could load music on my phone. Somehow, either the iTunes update or Rhapsody changed my iTunes Music Location Folder back to my C: drive. All my music had the exclamation point again. Grr....I went back to preferences and changed the folder location, and it worked almost completely. Out of my 26000 songs, I'd guess that less than 200 have the exclamation point now. Maybe you'll have better luck if you try the same thing.

Itunes cannot locate music files

i was doing some spring cleaning but accidently deleted the itunes music library (in the advanced preferences both options to organize and to automatically add are ticked)
after only being able to recover 1/4 of the files deleted since im guessing they were too big, 75 percent of my media has checkmarks indicating that the file is not able to be located
is there any way of doing this quickly and not having to do each song individually
i tried deleting the itunes music folder and then reimporting the old itunes list, but again about 75 percent still contain the checkmark
any help would be appreciated since its taken me about a year to get this list down to 30 gigs from which i began with around 200gigs of music
i wouldnt want to have to start again
thanks

There is exactly one way to move files in iTunes: Set the new location in preferences, and then run Consolidate.
Any other procedure either loses files or requires manual work.

Renameing files - iTunes cannot find files?

I recently got a new computer and forgot to send all of the music on my old one to this one - so i imported them from my iPod. When it imported them, it gave them file names such as "APKF" and "NXVX", so if i delete and file and then want it back - i have to go through all of the files until i find the one i'm looking for. A simple solution to this would be to rename the files with their correct artist name and song,... but when i do this iTunes cannot find the files when i go to play the songs ... it also does this if i simply just move a song from one folder to another ... help?
Thank you!!!

I'm gonna keep them as their original four letter name and then just create a key in Notepad were it links the artist to the song by that four letter name. And them inport them one by one and enter their keys into a notepad...
It'll take a long time, but after i do it this one time i can just add and delete songs from the notepad.
like this:
Cage the Elephant:
Back Against the Wall: WTHK
Ain't no rest for the wicked: TYRE
thank you soooo much for your help, but i'm a neat freak so i'm gonna do this. you don't know of somekind of software were you can save some kind of data? like a non-trial version of Windows Office Excel?

Itunes cannot find music files

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