ITunes keeps forgetting my file locations...

I have a decent amount of music that I keep on an external harddrive in order to not fill my laptop's harddrive. The problem is that iTunes CONSTANTLY forgets where the files are located. I have no idea why. I'm still trying to simply get all of my music into iTunes in a perfectly organized fashion, and I'm just now getting to artists that start with the word "The". But having to add everything that I've already added once before is simply slowing me down. Therefore I've finally decided to ask for help. Is there any way to prevent this from happening? I'm sick of it. Instead of attempting to tell iTunes to locate each individual file (which is usually everything I've placed in my library), I end up just clearing everything and loading everything all over again. If iTunes is smart enough to at least remember the information I've altered, why can't it remember where the files stay?

+Is there any way to prevent this from happening?+
With an exHD, that is common if the drive letter gets reassigned by WIndows.
The solution is to assign a permanent drive letter in Windows. Such as M: for Music, pretty far down in the alphabet.
For example, Monday your exHD is plugged in and Windows says it is drive E:.
On Tuesday you plug in a digital camera card and Windows says the digital camera card is now drive E: and your exHD with music is drive F:
Poor itunes is trying to find music on drive E: but all that's there is digital photos. It doesn't know everything is now on F:
You can assign a drive letter using windows Disk Management.
This page has some screen shots
http://www.itechtalk.com/thread3400.html
The exHD must ALWAYS be plugged in and operational before you open itunes. If itunes is constantly losing the paths to files, either the exHD isn't plugged in, the drive letter has changed, or the exHD has powered down.
Another tip is to keep the itunes database file on the exHD, so if itunes cannot find it, it creates a new blank database on C: and you can immediately know to check the exHD. After a short moment of panic at a blank library, you can close itunes, reconnect the exHD and do a shift-start of itunes to get back to the exHD database.

Similar Messages

  • ITunes keeps forgetting location of music on external drive

    iTunes keeps forgetting the location of the music i have which are stored on an external drive. it remembers a handful of them but forgets the rest so i keep getting an exclamation when i want to play them. how can i make iTunes permanently remember these files????

    ah sure that's what i have been doing. the drive is always on before iTunes but iTunes can never find my music without me actually finding them for it. the location in iTunes preferences is also pointing towards the drive so not sure why it can't find them!?

  • ITunes keeps forgetting settings after upgrade to 9.0.3 (15)

    My iMac autoupdated itunes and now every time I log on it's as is i'm logging on for the first time, keeps asking me if I want to keep my itunes folder organised etc. I've tried uninstalling and reinstalling the software but the same problem occurs. Also each time I restart itunes it 'forgets' my iPhone is synced as a remote (using the remote app) and I then have to reset this.
    No problems with any of this before the update. Anyone any ideas?
    Thanks

    You may have a corrupt preferences file.
    Quit iTunes. Go to your user account/Library/Preferences folder, locate a file named com.apple.iTunes.plist and drag it to the trash.
    Start iTunes again and complete all the setup questions. You should not have to do this again. You will have to go through all the selections in iTunes > Preferences as they will revert to default.

  • ITunes automatically deleted Podcast file location?

    Hello,
    I recently had an interesting situation that I can't seem to solve so I thought I'd turn to the community for help.  I currently subscribe to a particuar podcast and have the iTunes settings configured to ONLY keep the two most recent episodes before iTunes automatically deletes older episodes. Everything was going smoothly until this week when I realized that I actually wanted to keep an episode that was automatically downloaded (the episode that was deleted was deleted today and I started serching for it today).
    The simple answer would be for me to just re-download the episode that iTunes automatically deleted...but that is not possible.  Unfortunately, the episode that I was saving is no longer available so I can't re-download it (yes, an episode from three weeks ago is no long available to download because the podcaster changed the episode and re-uploaded a new shorter episode in it's place).  After checking the trash, I noticed the file wasn't there so I turned to a file recovery program (Disk Drill).  After running the utility, I was able to locate all of the podcasts that I had manually deleted, but the podcast episodes that iTunes automatically removed (due to the settings I put in place) are not included in the list of files. 
    I'm assuming that iTunes must delete the files in some other method, but if that's the case, the files have to go somewhere, right?  Any ideas on where these files may be located...or any thoughts on how to recover the podcast episode?
    Thanks to anyone for any assistance or thoughts.
    T.J.

    Thanks, Jeremy292.  I was looking for a word and didn't notice the icon.

  • Itunes Keeps asking me to "locate my iphone" and I cannot sync it...

    I bought a Iphone yesterday and I cannot sync it with Itunes.
    Everytime i plug it in. it keeps asking me to "locate my iphone".
    When I press on "later" or "configure now" it doesnt do anything..
    Any idea !?
    PLZZ!

    I did...
    My Itunes recongnize my iphone. I see it at right in Itunes.
    still it asks me to ... blablabla

  • ITunes pointing to multiple file locations.  Want to consolidate.

    Hello,
    I am not sure how I messed this up but..
    A couple months ago I got a external drive to house my media (music, movies, etc.) and moved that media to the drive and pointed iTunes to the drive.   Well, after review only some of the media files are on the external drive (where ITunes says all the files should be) and some are in the original iTunes folder on my hard drive.
    What is the best way to take those media files that are on my computers hard drive and consolidate them with the appropriate media files on the external hard drive?
    I am using a iMac with the latest version of iTunes.

    Seen this?
    http://stackoverflow.com/questions/2774343/how-do-i-associate-file-types-with-an -iphone-application

  • Moved media to TC. Now itunes keeps changing default library location

    I realize this might be better suited in the iTunes discussion forum however...
    I recently purchased a time capsule and moved all my media to the new drive. I changed the default library location in preferences. Problem is, every time I quit and relaunch iTunes, the default library location reverts back to my old location on my mac. Any ideas how I can get iTunes to remember my new default location? It's as if it's picking up a location file somewhere that is telling it to create a new library on my mac's hard drive.
    Thanks for any input.

    I don't have a TC but I also keep my iTunes library on an external Firewire drive and the following is the behaviour. Maybe it's so for you too:
    • When the firewire drive is mounted on the desktop and I open iTunes, iTunes will link back to the library on the firewire drive.
    • When the firewire drive is unmounted and I open iTunes, iTunes preferences will revert the library to default back to the internet drive.
    • BUT, when I remount the firewire drive, and open iTunes again (after it's been closed), iTunes preferences will automatically go back to linking the library on the firewire drive.
    So in short: when unmounted, iTunes links music library to the original default which is the internal drive. When mounted, iTunes will automatically relink music back to the firewire drive.
    Does it work like so for iTunes on Time Capsule?

  • Itunes ipodservice windows log file location?

    I'm having an issue with one of my ipod touches. it's stuck in recovery mode and when I plug it into my computer (windows 8.1 64 bit with iTunes 12.1 64 bit). iTunes will not open. If I unplug the ipod touch 2nd gen, and kill all iTunes processes, iTunes will open. If I plug in my iPhone 5s, it will read it usually without many issues.(sometimes I do have an issue with it where iTunes opens but is frozen for a few minutes doing whatever it is doing.. but that's another issue for another day.)
    What I'd like is to see some log files. I believe the ipodservice is what's hanging up my iTunes when I plug in the ipod touch 2nd gen that's stuck in recovery mode.
    I've even tried jail break tools which attempt to fix recovery loops and or attempt to put the device into DFU mode which then I should be able to go into iTunes and restore my ipod touch 2nd gen. (note I only use the tools for their recovery options rather than for jailbreaking since I have no intent to jail break it.)
    Nothing appears to work. I cannot get iTunes to open up and see this device. If I open iTunes without it plugged in first, then plug it in once iTunes is opened, iTunes doesn't recognize it at all.
    I've yet to find any documentation that explains how you can turn on logging of iTunes services and or where they would be located. I'm sure the answer to my problem may lie within the logs..
    Anyone know where they could be?

    *bump* anyone out there?

  • Can't point iTunes library to proper file locations

    OK, kind of a mess. Running iTunes on a Win7 machine. We have for years kept our iTunes media folders on a NAS drive on our network (P:\Music\iTunes to be exact). Somehow, we have succeeded in pointing my wife's iTunes library to a new, incorrect location--presumably to a default location on her local C: drive. To compound the problem, inadvertently she has downloaded some content to that incorrect location (a CD burned and an audio book). And, presumably because we have somehow created a new, incorrect .itl file, her iPod is no longer recognized ("this iPod is sync'd to a different iTunes library, do you want to sync it to this library" which of course we do not.
    I have tried changing the location in Preferences: Advanced to the P: drive, consolidating the library, but of course that just recopied the stuff on the C: drive there, but continued NOT to see the old files in the original P: drive folder. I tried replacing the .itl file with the older version saved presumably at the last upgrade of iTunes, but it too syncs to the wrong media folder location.
    How can I get iTunes to see all her existing files in the P: drive music folder. Seems like it should be easy but I just can't figure it out. Thanks for any help!

    To me, it looks like the songs are not checked.
    iTunes will only play checked songs continuously.
    Control-click on one of the checkboxes in front of the name to check/uncheck them all at once.
    Hope this helps.
    M

  • Help, iTunes keep "losing" my files

    I have Windows Media Player (WMP) plays my songs and have iTunes to load songs to my iPod mini. Whenever I played some songs on WMP and then closes WMP, it somehow causes iTunes to not find those same songs, even though the location of these songs remain the SAME. Why is this happening?

    I don't get what you're asking.
    Are these new songs that iTunes isn't finding? Are they protected WMA files?

  • My reinstalled iTunes keeps saying: THE FILE "ITUNES LIBRARY.ITL" CANNOT BE READ BECAUSE IT WAS CREATED BY A NEWER VERSION OF ITUNES....

    I accidentally uninstalled Quicktime from my computer so my Itunes was not functioning. It told me to uninstall my Itunes, then reinstall it. Which I did.
    Trouble is, now it comes up with 'THE FILE "ITUNES LIBRARY.ITL" CANNOT BE READ BECAUSE IT WAS CREATED BY A NEWER VERSION OF ITUNES'...which I believe is because before I uninstalled my original Itunes, I had not completed the recent update to the newest version of Itunes, whereas the one I just installed is the latest one.
    So THEN, I download the previous version of Itunes (iTunes 10.2.1(x64)) but when I try and run it, it comes up with the message that the thing '...IS NOT VALID WIN32 APPLICATION'.
    Now I'm stuck and have absolutely no idea what to do. Please help!

    When iTunes updates, it should create a backup of your library file before updating.
    You may be able to get back by using this article:
    http://support.apple.com/kb/TS1967?viewlocale=en_US
    When doing this, drag BOTH iTunes Library.itl and iTunes Library.xml to the desktop. You will need the xml file if the method above doesn't work.
    In that case try this:
    http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1451

  • ITunes keeps asking for Library location

    For some reason, iTunes can only find my library automatically the first time after a restart (of my MacBook), and works perfectly for the rest of the time I have it open until, obviously, I quit iTunes. Also another annoyance is that it's still a freakin' Carbon app, just like Finder. Any help here?

    Ah, never see it happening anymore...... must be the 10.5.3 update.....

  • ITunes wont recognize music files

    Windows 7
    Dell Inspiron PC
    Much to my regret, I moved music files and now itunes cant find them. They are simply transparent to itunes; not listed in the songs list.  I tried to change the iTunes advanced settings for file location to no avail.
    I managed to find most of the music files on my C drive using Windows Explorer.  When I click and play the music directly from WE, itunes launches and the song magically becomes part of the itunes library list of songs.  I have over 3,000 songs ...is there a simple way to get itunes to recognize all of them without a set of clicks.
    Thanks  for your help

    Open iTunes to Music view.  Then find the folder of songs and drag it into the open Music window.
    (If you normally run iTunes in full screen mode, make it smaller so you can find the folder and do the drag.)

  • Multiple music files locations- need to be consolidated!

    I currently have music in 5 different locations on my internal hard drive (don't ask). I just purchased an external hard drive, and would like to consolidate all the music to that drive in one location. How do I do this without having to "repoint" itunes to the new file location for every single individual song? I can't do that 4,000 times- I will lose my marbles...
    Thank you...

    Moving iTunes library
    http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1449?viewlocale=en_US
    Just did this myself. Change the location where you have told iTunes to import files to. Then use consolidate option. It will take a long time depending on total size of files to COPY. Once change is made and verified you can, at your option, delete the original files. After doing this you must always have external drive attached and ready before opening iTunes.

  • I can't open my Itunes keep receiving error message- The iTunes Library.itl file cannot be found or created. The default location for this file is in the "i Tunes" folder in the "Music" folder

    I can't open my Itunes keep receiving error message- The iTunes Library.itl file  cannot be found or created. The default location for this file is in the "i Tunes" folder in the "Music" folder. I have even tried removing and reinstalling iTunes and it still does work because I continue to receive this error message. Please Help!

    Anyone can help to advice how to solve this issue ?

Maybe you are looking for