ITunes file location lost

Hi, I have basically three parts to my problem that I need info on.
1. I have a mapped drive on the network where .MP3 files are. I temorarily disconnected the mapped drive then re-connected it. iTunes then gave an error about it could not open the folder library or something to that affect. That has me baffled. Why would it no longer be able to use the files?
2. Also, to get iTunes to work again, I went to files/Add folders to Library, and then I opened the mapped drive and highlighted all the folders and hit ok. It brought them back in but duplicated them all so I am having to manually delete about 200 duplicates. Why did that happen? Should I have re-added them a different way?
3. Finally, after they are loaded back into the Library, it spent about 5 hours converting them into .aac file format. Is that necessary?
Thanks. I obviously am lost here and appreciate your help.

Thanks so much for the info. This helps alot but I have a couple fo followups. When you say "
Any files on the disconnected path will be assumed to be missing until you connect the drive and restart iTunes." I had disconnected the network "maooed" drive in Windows by accident. Igave the message, something to the effect that it could not locate the files. I simply reconnected the mapped drive, restarted the PC and got the same error when I opened iTunes. I ended up simply going to file/add folders and selected all the music files to re-add. The only reason I had mived the "My Music" folder to the network folder in the first place was in case the PC hard drive failed. I didn't want to lose all the music but the network folder is automatically backed up. Is there a better way?
Also, I don't quite understand the steps to make sure I don't keep getting duplicates and I will check out your DeDuper. Can you explain more? I don't understand what I need to do to avoid your comment "Care needs to be taken when deleting this kind of duplicate as there is only one file on the drive connected to both entries. If you delete one, and the file it is connected to, then you break the other entry."
Finally, I could not find in the preferences, or anywhere, where I can tell it not to convert the .mp3's when it adds them back to the library. Where in the world is that? I think the version being used is like 10.0.7.....
Thanks again for yout assistance. It is very much appreciated and helpful.

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